NFL Week 4: First Quarter Power Rankings
September 30, 2008
Four weeks into the season doesn’t tell you which teams will play in the Super Bowl a champion but it sure does tell which teams aren’t sniffing the postseason. I’ll start with this Week 4 NFL assessment from last to first.
32. St. Louis Rams - Scott Linehan is already gone and Jim Haslett is the interim head coach. At least now the Rams have someone who has viable head coaching experience to lead the team. Too bad they don’t have near the talent Haslett’s Saints teams did.
31. Kansas City Chiefs - I know they beat up on Denver but Herm Edwards’ team has less talent than some of the teams that have no wins.
30. Cincinnati Bengals - This season proves that Carson Palmer without an offensive line and a running game is nothing more than an average quarterback. But then again, with that kind of support, who is?
29. Oakland Raiders -They played hard for soon-to-be deposed head coach Lane Kiffin. But my sources on the west coast say he is not meant for this job - or any other head coaching position.
28. Detroit Lions - At least - since the first game of the season - they haven’t lost to a previously winless team; and that’s not saying much.
Prez Election Video Guide: A Comedy of Errors
September 30, 2008
Following Barack Obama’s historic acceptance speech in Denver, the very next day John McCain selected Sarah Palin as his VP running mate, and embarked on a deliberate campaign shift based on lies, dirty advertisements, and a deliberate avoidance of issues. While it is the media job to TELL THE TRUTH, instead every issue is split in half with two equal sides — as if all issues have two sides with equal credence. One pundit recently summed up the broken media: “
If John McCain and Sarah Palin were to say the moon was made of green cheese, we can be certain that Barack Obama and Joe Biden would pounce on it, and point out it’s actually made of rock. And you just know the headline in the paper the next day would read: “CANDIDATES CLASH ON LUNAR LANDSCAPE.”
Unlike news, comedy has always thrived with irony, hypocrisy, and truth at its root. There has been no shortage of McCain-Palin material the last few weeks. Below are some funny links that depict the absurdity of this election’s last month. Hat tip to Jack and Jill Politics and Huffington Post for help with many citings. Enjoy the funny truth.
1) The Sarah Palin Pick and Pundit Hypocrisy by Jon Stewart
2) The Republican Convention and Community Organizing by Ill Doctrine
3) Sarah Palin, Hillary Clinton, and Sexism by Saturday Night Live
4) The Suspension of John McCain’s Campaign by David Letterman
5) The Obama-McCain Debate Elon James White - This Week in Blackness
6) John McCain’s White Man’s Burden by Bill Maher
The Sarah Palin - Katie Couric Interview (no skits necessary)
— Alaska-Russia Proximity as Foreign Policy Credential
– On “The Bailout Package” with Jack Cafferty Passionate Response
– Examples of John McCain Regulating Wall Street
(“I’ll try to find ya something, and Ill bring ‘em to ya”)
– On Rick Davis Receiving Lobbyist Contributions
– Good Guys and Bad Guys: “Don’t Second Guess Israel”
Mets Fans Blame Willie Randolph for 700B Bailout
September 28, 2008
Mets Collapse Again: Mets lose on last day, go 6 -10 down the stretch, and this Yankee fan officially feels bad for Mets fans. Cruel. Just cruel. New York fans love scapegoats and might obsess to whether Jerry Manuel pulled Oliver Perez too early, but I suspect that the outcome is the same either way. But the Mets don’t have Willie Randolph to kick around anymore. Sorry, time to find a new BS narrative than “Willie wasn’t fiery enough”. For his part Jerry Manuel managed well, but…
It’s the Pitching Stupid!: Here is why Willie got fired: He couldn’t pitch. The week leading up to his dismissal, Billy Wagner blows three games. Tom Glavine — not Willie — pitched the final game last year after 17 games of pitching miscues. This year, the Mets falter at the end because what: Billy Wagner is injured. It really comes down to Billy… and Johan Santana. The Mets surge before the collapse is not Manuel’s “fire in his belly”, it was that Johan Santana remembered that he was Johan Santana (and Carlos remembered he was Delgado). This is not to say that managers don’t influence games, but if you can’t point to tangible examples of mismanagement (Davey Johnson could be picked apart back in the day) then you are probably a victim of…
The Fiery Manager Myth: Remember last year how Yankee fans were talking about how the game has “passed Joe Torre by”… that his cool calm collected self was no longer working with the Yankees newer younger players… or they lacked past “character players”… blah, blah, blah… Torre managed the same exact way and lost because because the Yanks starting pitching failed them. As any statistical analysis shows, pitching was the only significant difference between the four World Series from 1996 - 2000, and the four first round exits. Like Willie, if Torre was manager of the Yankees this year, we would have heard this predictable chorus of impulsive and entitled Yankee fans. But Joe Girardi’s fire couldn’t save the Yankees either, not when the Yanks passed up on Johan Santana in the off-season, not when the young arms failed to develop, not when injuries hit the starters…
Some Other Baseball Thoughts:
– If baseball managers were presidential candidates, then Barack Obama is Willie Randolph after the 2006 season and John McCain is Jim Leyland after this season. If you want to keep your job and reputation despite a terrible performance, there are no greater reassuring assets than old and white.
– Is there one single fan that cares that they are tearing down Shea stadium? It is easily the ugliest ballpark that I have ever attended. What took them so long. Best Shea memory? A young Dwight Gooden outpitching the Astros Nolan Ryan in a 2-1 win. Jose Cruz hit a foul ball which I gathered until I got knocked over by another fan — my friend. That’s New York people.
– Did the Kansas City Royals tank that game against Twins today, or are they really that bad?
– Wouldn’t it be nice to see the ChiSox win tomorrow’s game and see Ken Griffey Jr. get another playoff shot? Wouldn’t a Cubs-Whitesox World series be even nicer? I suspect an all LA series is more likely.
– Okay, I’m rooting for the Cubbies the rest of the way, BUT should they fail I might want the Red Sox to make the World Series ONLY because I would want Manny, Torre, and the Dodgers hand their ass back to them. That would be great theatre.
– Off topic, but R.I.P. Paul Newman. Forget the great acting, Paul Newman was one of the greatest philanthropists and human beings around. He used his celebrity and great products to raise over 200 million for charities. he also made Richard Nixon’s “enenies list”. We need more Paul Newmans more than ever.
Prez Debate: Obama’s Got a Bracelet Too
September 27, 2008
Random Thoughts on Debate and Beyond:
- WINNER: Obama. Not by a landslide or anything, but considering the context that “foreign policy” is supposedly McCain’s turf, Barack is the easy winner by not being the loser.
- ON EARMARKS: It is just so absurd listening to McCain touting the reduction of ”earmarks” as his primary strategy to cut waste. Obama rightly called out that earmarks in total amount to only 18 billion dollars. In McCain language that is less than two months in Iraq. In financial crisis language, that is 1/39 of the “bailout proposal”. In everyday language that is like owning nine mansions, suddenly finding yourself broke, and your primary strategy is to cut the unnecessary HBO off of your cable bill — but keep your homes. The media needs to put this earmark ’smoke and mirrors” crap in perspective at every turn.
- TAX CUTS:Nice to see Obama set the record straight on this since McCain keeps lying about it on the campaign trail. As McCain discusses million dollar projects as “pork barrel”, Obama knows that repealing the Bush tax cuts for rich folks will net 300 billion. In fact there are only two ways to be fiscally responsible in any real way: repeal Bush’s tax cuts, and end the war sooner in Iraq — two things Obama will do. Everything else is comparative bullshit.
- McCain’s Biggest Debate Flaw: Dude is a condescending ass. I mean, seriously. All night he was saying “what Obama doesn’t understand is”… Not “the difference between us is”. This was a definite ”tactic” or “strategy” to attack Obama’s far superior intelligence. Had Obama or Biden correctly used this phrase all night with regard to Sarah Palin they would be accused of sexism from all corners — including those that would dismiss any suggestions that McCain chose his words deliberately to manipulate racial biases in his voters. Okay, maybe it’s not a flaw from purely a underhanded political POV, but McCain is still an ass.
- Obama’s Biggest Debate Flaw: Barack could have completely destroyed McCain in this debate if he ever decided to use “the sound-bite”. Obama needs to dumb it down, and it does gets frustrating watching how he throws intellectual jabs instead of the open uppercut. Example: Condescending McCain says that Obama doesn’t understand the difference between a “tactic” and a “strategy” in Iraq. Obama comes back and references McCain’s remark, but proceeds intellectually as is his way. What about this one:
“John McCain says I don’t understand the difference between a tactic and a strategy, but I understand the difference between a surge and a war, the difference between Iraq and Afghanistan, and the difference between Saddam Hussein and Osama Bin Laden” Now Obama made all these points in various ways, but just not for the TV sound-bite loop. You get the sense that Obama could do the sound-bite if he wanted to, but chooses to stay away.
- Testy, Testy: Was it just me or did McCain look piiiiiiiiissed when Obama brought up past remarks on North Korea and singing about “bombing Iran”. McCain’s eyebrows lowered to some “how dare you question my credibility” level! Seemed like Obama rattled that McCain “temperament” a bit with that one…
- About McCain’s Bailout Stunt this Week: At work, have you ever had a series of staff meetings on a project only to find out that someone new came in toward the end and messed it all up? They missed all of the previous discussions, all the previous debate, and then want to dictate policy. If you have been in this position, then you KNOW how much of an ass that person is. Everyone on the original working team hates that person. John McCain — with our economy at stake — was that guy. What does this move, the “suspension of his campaign”, and the Palin pick have in common?… “Country First” of course.
- “Clearly Out Of Her League”: Okay, this Palin story isn’t “cute” or “inspiring” anymore. It isn’t about Republican or Democrat, “executive experience” vs. “senatorial experience”, or even stances on issues anymore. It is about American vs. Un-American. After her series of interviews, even arch conservatives can’t spin this anymore. Kathleen Parker is the latest of a formerly “delighted” conservative (hat tip to des) who can no longer cover for Palin in good conscience. Parker states that Palin is: ”Clearly Out Of Her League”… ”my cringe reflex is exhausted”… “if BS were currency, Palin could bail out Wall Street herself”… and requests that Palin bow out of the race to “Do it for your country”.
… I am sure that I’ve missed a lot of thoughts here, feel free to fill in the gaps.
Why I Despise College Football on Thursday Night (and Wednesday, and Friday)
September 26, 2008
Each college season, be it football or basketball, I belabor the point that somehow, collegiate athletes allow themselves to fall prey to the glow of the rankings and mostly, the glow of the media. Thursday night the talent-rich #1 USC Trojans were upset 27-21 by a lowly 1-2 - now 2-2 - Oregon State team. Jacquizz Rogers a 5′6″ 160 pound true freshman running back led the way for the Beavers and lit up the massive USC defenders rushing for 186 yards on 37 carries.It was an upset that sent shockwaves through the country. Suddenly, Georgia, Oklahoma, LSU, Missouri, Penn State, Wisconsin, Texas, and even BYU are thinking national championship.
And happily presiding over the unthinkable OSU win?
ESPN, the mythmakers and heartbreakers.
Just recently the Worldwide Leader began running commercials featuring Trojans head coach Pete Carroll. Daily on ESPN talk shows the pundits from the network swore USC would go undefeated in the regular season without so much as a whimper from their opponents.
Yet on Thursday night in Corvallis, Oregon the Trojans failed to play up tpo their potential. Despite the warnings from Carroll, despite having 10 full days to prepare for their Pac 10 conference opener, USC was soundly beaten by a team that will thank its lucky stars if it wins six games this season.
Sarah Palin: Wake Up America, Please Wake Up!
September 25, 2008
While John McCain “suspends his campaign” to fix the economy between 9 and 11pm tomorrow night, consider this post on Sarah Palin directed at the “other half” of America. In observance of this political moratorium, we won’t discuss any specific Palin political “issues”. So forget the “Pat Buchanan with lipstick” politics… forget the well-documented lying on the campaign trail… and, we’ll even forget this new really eerie story and follow-up video where she is thanking Witchhunt doctor Pastor Muthee for keeping her safe from witchcraft. We won’t even pontificate what might happen if this clip surfaced with Obama in it. No. None of that today. Just an appeal to your purely apolitical common sense. Former Palin defender Glenn Grunwald and many others are finally waking up, and the following excerpts are from his “Correction on Sarah Palin” coming off the heels of her “I’ll try to find ya something, and I’ll bring ‘em to ya” interview with Katie Couric:
—————— Read more
Former Nebraska Running Back Thunder Collins Arrested
September 25, 2008
In a sad twist of “whatever happened to …” former Nebraska running back Thunder Collins was arrested and charged with first-degree murder, attempted second-degree murder and felony weapons possession Wednesday.
According to Omaha police Timothy Thomas was killed about 11:30 a.m. Tuesday during a drug deal in a midtown Omaha neighborhood. Allegedly, around the same time, a white SUV driven by Marshall Turner hit several cars in a nearby neighborhood. Police found Turner - who had been shot - inside the vehicle. As of Wednesday he was in critical condition at an Omaha hospital
Police also arrested Karnell Burton, 20, on suspicion of criminal homicide, attempted first-degree murder, and weapons charges. And an arrest warrant was issued for Ahmad Johnson, 21. Both Collins and Johnson face first-degree murder, attempted second-degree murder and felony weapons charges.
According to a sealed affidavit leaked to the Omaha World-Herald Burton told police that Collins was the person who shot Thomas:
Omaha police say at 11:34 a.m. Tuesday they responded to a call of shots fired in the area of 3800 N. 70th Circle. Officer Jacob Bettin said officers found a man suffering from apparent gunshot wounds.
The man, Thomas, died at the scene. Read more
Notes: Millen Booted; Plax Suspended; MLB Playoff Races; Ryan or Manny for NL MVP?
September 24, 2008
(I’m feeling much better folks and it looks like I’m back on the grind … it’s time to look around the sporting landscape to see what’s up.)
Presiding over a team with a 31-84 record, an 0-3 season start, and after a public rebuking by the owner’s son, Bill ford, Jr., Detroit Lions team president Matt Millen was finally booted from Detroit:
Millen was informed of the move Tuesday night during a late-night high-level meeting. Wednesday morning several people within the building confirmed that he had large packing boxes in his office and he made his way around to different employees telling them of the move.
It is unclear if Millen was fired or removed himself from the equation but the news comes just days after Bill Ford, Jr. publicly stated he would have fired the GM if it was his decision.
Millen leaves behind a talented but underachieving team. It is thought that Millen’s primary difficulty was in hiring a head coach who could properly motivate the Lions players.
Drew Sharp of the Detroit Free Press reported on ESPN this morning that Ford, Jr. is seen as a hero by Lions fans and is the favorite to take over the team ownership from his father.
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Plaxico Burress was suspended for one game for violating unspecified team rules. The New York Giants wideout will miss the Seattle Seahawks game after the Giants bye week
Mariano Rivera’s Place Amongst Yankee Gods
September 24, 2008
On Sunday night, Mariano Rivera shut the door on Yankee Stadium’s final game. Three up, three down. Yawn, During ESPN’s telecast , we learned that Reggie Jackson called Mariano Rivera the “fifth most important Yankee”. Perhaps out of respect, Jackson chose his words carefully. In saying ”most important” and not “greatest”, he politely left some wiggle room for some past and current players in attendance including Yogi Berra, Whitey Ford, Dave Winfield, Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, and himself. In stating “fifth”, no clarifications were needed.
The Yankee Mount Rushmore of Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, and Mickey Mantle is holy territory, and even the mere suggestion of a recarving can amount to baseball blashemy. While even the controversial Reggie wouldn’t break baseball etiquette, good manners have never been this author’s strong suit. Reggie has been a good set-up man, and now it’s time to close the show on Rivera’s true legacy. Mariano Rivera has earned a place at the table in the ultimate Yankee pantheon. The only question is: where should he sit? The answer might surprise you. Read more
The Non-Suspension of Mike Teel
September 23, 2008
Late in Rutgers’ 23-21 loss to Navy Scarlet Knights quarterback Mike Teel slapped defensive back and teammate Glen Lee, who is black, in the helmet as the two passed each other on the field. Interestingly, head coach Greg Schiano chose not to suspended Teel:
Coach Greg Schiano insisted Sunday in a telephone conference call that the incident “was over and done with,” and that he felt there was no need to suspend his beleaguered fifth-year starter.
“In my eyes, it could be a great teaching opportunity, as what not to do when frustration sets in and bubbles over,” Schiano said. “But Mike has apologized for what he did. There’s no excuse for what Mike did. It was inappropriate behavior and not something I or my coaching staff condones. But to make that the reason (to suspend Teel) doesn’t make sense. We’re a close-knit group and it was just an event that bubbled over. There is no reason to make any change.”
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