Sunday, October 4, 2015

Eagles - Slurs Diary

Derp Screech Derp Screech Derp
> With the weather just raw and windy, the empty seats in Slur Stadium for a game in early October became even more pronounced

> RB DeMarco Murray's prospects are crapped on by HC Chip Kelly, because even Nero knows from slow

> New K Caleb Sturgis gets it out of the end zone, and there's no clue on how much that was wind aided, because we've got Fox's worst announcing team for reasons

> Slurs with an illegal formation flag, then get a burst for 7 with RB Alfred Morris looking spry

> 2nd and 8 is Morris again, flag again, and Slur Clipping making it 2nd and 19

> QB Kirk Cousins from the gun, misses the open WR Jamison Crowder by a lot, maybe wind, maybe he just stinks

> 3rd and 19 is the give up draw that DC Bill Davis is always very surprised by, and it goes for 43 inexcusable yards to RB Chris Thompson

> Honestly, how anyone has any confidence in this coaching staff is beyond me

> 2 yard for Morris, then a batted pass by DT Brandon Bair, who's shown a knack for that

> Offsides by DT Fletcher Cox to make it manageable, and 3rd and 3 is a cotton-soft screen to Thompson for 19, who Green doesn't seem able to see

> Slurs in the red zone after 2 for Morris, then he's down for 2 more on nice tracking and tackling by reserve CB EJ Biggers

> Another back-breaking third down is Cousins to WR Pierre Garcon, easy slant that's been open for years against this idiot scheme

> From the 7, Morris loses a yard, with DT Bennie Logan doing the job

> 11th play of the drive and six minutes in, it's Cousins from the gun to Thompson, and LB Jordan Hicks saves a touchdown, but not the gain

> 3rd and goal from the 2 is RB Matt Jones, long dumb counter, and S Malcolm Jenkins ends that with prejudice

> K Dustin Hopkins connects from 20, and it's Slurs 3, Eagles 0, and I suppose that if you are going to give up a 3rd and 19 conversion on a give up draw, dodging a touchdown is all that you can hope for

> Slurs Fan still dresses in redface, because they are terrible human beings

> After a touchback, RB Ryan Mathews starts, because he's the Eagles' best RB not named Sproles

> QB Sam Bradford off the hands of RB Darren Sproles, then the inevitable left carry to Mathews for nothing

> 3rd and 10 and avalanche is a sack, because Bradford does not make decisions quickly, and this line is horrible

> Yet another really wonderful start from the offensive genius of Nero Kelly

> P Donnie Jones gets it away, and the Slurs PR runs 20 yards to lose 10

> Slurs from their own 41, Morris for two, home team trying to do what they can to be as predictable as Nero

> Cousins to TE Jordan Reed, easy drag for the first down

> Cousins to Reed as Fox decides to show the deep secondary, rather than the play, for another easy first down, because we've got the bad directing team, too

> Morris for a yard, as the Slurs don't want to just do the stuff that works

> Thompson on a good looking counter for six

> Fox reports that LB Mychal Kendricks and CB Brandon Maxwell are both down, so woo

> Cousins to Reed for the first down, because why cover the obvious thing, and LB Connor Barwin isn't quick enough for the sack

> Morris for nothing, nearly loses the ball, and you have to think running plays are a favor right now

> 2nd and 9 is Jones for 2, then 3rd and 7 is Cousins from the gun to Crowder in the end zone, but the pass isn't good enough to stay in bounds

> Tolerable coverage from CB Nolan Carroll, but a decent QB gets the TD, and remember this sort of play for later in the year, when the losses are by a lot more than this one

> Hopkins connects from 37, and it's 6-0 Slurs in what has to be seen as the second-best first quarter of the 2015 season so far

> In case you were preparing the "if the Eagles can't make plays against this secondary, they can't make plays against any secondary" theme... um, yup

> From the gun, Murray with an actual hole and burst, and gets 30 yards, just to prove that every blind and slow pig can occasionally luck into a hole

> Empty backfield, Bradford derps around for awhile before throwing it away, and it's telling that the play after a big play, with tempo, doesn't do much

> Murray for a far more likely 3, and that's the end of the first quarter, and on the plus side, at least our bad football game is going quickly this week

> That's another yard-free quarter for Nero's hand-picked QB

> 3rd and 7 from the gun is Bradford somehow avoiding a sack as LB Ryan Kerrigan comes straight up the gut, then throws it away, because throwing it away is what he does best

> Jones nearly blocked again as the STs are so much worse than last year, but it checks up deep to give the defense a chance

> From the 2, it's Morris for two as Fox talks about the Chicago White Sox for some reason, because, um, Z Team

> Cousins from the end zone as the Slurs get away with holding Logan, and the pass to Reed is out of bounds

> Refs stop everything for a procedure flag that will be declined, because Nero can't make that decision quickly either, and the refs are as bad as the game

> 3rd and 8 and have to get off the field before the defense starts passing out is Cousins from the gun to Garcon, slow dumb cross that's stopped by Carroll for little gain

> Slurs P Travis Way barely gets it off, and Sproles bails out for safety; roll gets 64 yards of field position for the Slurs

> Murray loses a boat load of yards on the Of Course First Down run, so this series is doomed

> 2nd and 15 has Bradford holding the ball until derpery, but the refs bail it out with illegal contact

> That's the best passing play in 17 minutes of "action"

> Replay shows men open, not that Bradford is going to do anything about it

> An actual completion to Sproles for a whopping 4 yards, and it's good that I was sitting down for that

> Sack number I've lost count, and T Lane Johnson looked awful there

> 3rd and 13 give up screen to Murray, because that's what Bradford does best; 8 yards and who the hell cares, which is a wildly high percentage of his throws this year

> Jones with more time, fair catch, but it comes back on an illegal shift, and have I mentioned how bad the STs are compared to last year

> That's the first time I've remembered hearing Josh Huff's name in a game this year, so, woo

> Slurs decline, because they are stupid, given how re-kicks are when big returns happen

> 132 to 25 on yards so far for the Slurs, and 30 of that came on one goddamned play, so yeah, this has been fun

> Cousins drops back and hits WR Ryan Grant on the soft cushion that is there all day

> Jones for 1 as Cox gets him by the hair, which is legal and kind of fun

> Grant for five as CB Eric Rowe with the play, both starting CBs out, yay

> 3rd and 5 from midfield from the gun is no pressure and an easy throw to Crowder for the first

> Honestly, the lack of imagination on third down defense is just... something I've gotten very used to

> Jones for 8 as the run defense is starting to soften

> The fact that this game was still in sight is proof, not that you needed it, that DC is also a terrible team

> Play action to Grant, whole defense buys the fake, 16 cotton-soft yards

> From the 20, same play, but Reed is covered by three guys; Cousins could have just kept it and ran for an easy ten yards

> Jones for two as NT Beau Allen loses his helmet and exposes his long, flowing mane, which counts as fun in this turdfest

> 3rd and 8 from the gun is incomplete in the end zone, but Rowe gets hit with the You're A Rookie DPI flag, because why not

> From the 1, Jones is stopped short, then Cousins fumbles the snap, picks it up and gets it in anyway, because this is as bad as football gets, which is to say, this is a game brought to you by Nero Kelly

> Despite a replay that shows that Cousins didn't cross the plane, the play stands, because why should the refs be any better than anyone else in this game

> Hopkins connects, and it's Slurs 13, Eagles 0 with 5:18 left in the first half

> Make no bones about it; these are terrible football teams

> Kick is a touchback, like every kick, and it's Mathews for five and not very fast tempo even after good plays

> Play action and an actual goddamned deep ball, with WR Nelson Agholor with the one-handed catch for 45

> See, Sam, throwing the ball more than five yards can actually lead to good things, honest

> Tempo that isn't tempo leads to the first gadget play of the year, with Agholor fumbling a toss from Mathews, and yeah, that's this year in a nutshell

> Mathews with a cavalier crap toss destroyed what was otherwise a good idea

> It's unfair to blame that on Nero, but he brought in Mathews, who has always been bad in ball security

> Cousins to Morris for 2, then Thompson for a yard, as the defense sucks it up so far

> 3rd and 9 from the gun is the first evidence of a pass rush today, with holding to boot

> Great series by a defense that could have threw in the towel

> Way punts to Sproles, who commits magic again with a return of 45

> Why anyone gives this man a chance to beat them, I'll never know

> From the 30, it's Bradford with time, checks down to WR Jordan Matthews for 8, and that's the 2-minute warning

> 2nd and 2 is Bradford out of the end zone to Matthews, and given the clock and situation, just getting the goddamned first down would have been fine

> 3rd and 2 and have to have it is tempo to Sproles, who saves them again

> From the 11, Bradford to TE Zach Ertz, but it's coming back for illegal formation, because we can't have nice things

> Agholor with the mistake, and he's having Josh Huff's 2014

> From the 16, Bradford missing the obvious screen to Sproles on a tip

> 2nd and 15 is a fake to Sproles, then the derpery sack that seems to be Bradford's signature play in this game

> Many WRs open on the replay, so no, this isn't a case of the Slur secondary doing anything all that great

> 3rd and 24 is the pointless checkdown that Bradford uses to make his numbers look less putrid, with Cooper getting who cares yards

> Nero knows enough to take a time out before the clock runs out, so that's progress

> Sturgis from 33 misses, because of course, and that's the first half

> Nero's hand-picked FA kicker, by the way

> If you had hit the stupid figgie, or not taken the back-breaking flag, you get the ball to start the second half, and the chance to actually resemble a functioning football team

> Once more, I feel really stupid for wasting my time on this franchise

> Touchback to start the second, and at this point I'm grateful, because the less Huff does, the better

> LT Jason Peters down again, because he's old and hurt all the time now

> Murray for a plodding 3, has to be considered better than usual for this year

> Bradford throws softly into double coverage, at Matthews for an incomplete, because your eyes haven't hurt enough

> 3rd and 7 has Bradford running for an easy first, like he had knees and confidence and stuff

> Murray on the Stupid Stretch play for no gain, progress over the big losses that usually provokes

> Bradford from the gun gives to Sproles on an end-around for a middling 2, only so many way to trick without an OL

> 3rd and 8 from the gun is slow tempo, and the QB has time and a clean pocket and Agholor makes a catch and woo, that resembled offense

> WR wasn't open, but throw was accurate

> Deep ball to Matthews, WR had a step, but the ball is too far and that's points left on the board against a bad defense

> Murray for four on long draw right, with C Jason Kelce taking the hold

> 2nd and 20 from the 38 is Bradford to WR Riley Cooper, of all people, who is running clear and catches a perfect throw that, to be fair, any NFL QB should be able to make

> Yes, the Slurs are also Not Good, but to be fair, it's hard to scout for throws of more than 5 yards against this team

> 62-yard TD, but Sturgis can't make the PAT, so yeah, game should be 13-10, but is 13-6 instead

> 3 minute drive for the score, and I guess this is a game, in that it has two teams, and one of them is likely to win

> At some point, Nero really needs to get an actual kicker

> Sturgis at least has a career in kickoffs, with another touchback

> Thompson for five, has been their best RB today, then Morris for four as the LBs are playing too deep

> 3rd and very short is a FB that's stuffed by the DL, really predictable play with LB DeMecco Ryans getting first penetration

> Way punts to Sproles, amazingly, who calls for a fair catch and gets tagged anyway, because the Slurs are also Not Good

> Cheap 15 is fun, and starts the team on their own 44

> Murray for a loss as the read option is wide open, not as if Bradford will take it

> Seam route to Matthews for 31, great throw and more for bogus helmet contact afterards

> That play is why we'll suffer with Bradford over Mark Sanchez for ever, along with the fact that Sanchez sucks

> Bradford misses Ertz in the end zone, then a give to Murry for 3

> 3rd and 7 and have to have it because we have no kicker is Bradford shaking off pressure, then connecting to the wide open TE Brent Celek, who stomps his way into the end zone

> Two best plays of Bradford's Eagle career on that drive, and it kind of looks like the QB isn't a liability right now

> On some level, I kind of think that Bradford scrambling for 14 on the first drive of the second half was an incredibly important play, in that he no longer looks like a scared puppy on contact

> Sturgis somehow derps the PAT through, and the game is tied with 23 minutes to go

> Sturgis with his one skill, so the Slurs start at their 20

> Cousins to WR Rashad Ross, absurdly open for a 43 yard arm punt, so this tie isn't holding for long

> Cousins to Grant for 7, then Morris for the thank you run and yard

> 3rd and 3 from the 30 is a big damned deal, and Garcon treats Carroll like a rented mule for the first down... but he's called for a face mask to stop the conversion

> 3rd and 13 from the 40 is a must stop sack moment, but the rush doesn't get there, and Crowder catches a jump ball in traffic for 23 and the first

> Just weak work by the DBs on balls that are just floating

> TE Derek Carrier for 3, then Morris for squat, as Jenkins does the job again

> 3rd and 7 and keep it at a figgie is Cousins from the gun, blitz doesn't get there, but Crowder can't catch the checkdown that wouldn't have mattered anyway

> Hopkins from 32 connects, and it's a Slur lead because they have a kicker, and Nero doesn't

> Defense has been OK against the run for the most part, but has given up too much in the passing game, and hasn't forced any turnovers

> Huff bobbles the touchback kickoff, which is about as exciting as that play gets now

> Bradford alone, takes Agholor for six unsatisfying checkdown yards

> Bradford misses WR Miles Austin, who looks about as fast as a punter

> 3rd and 4 is a big damned deal, and pressure forces the incomplete; offensive flag is declined, and Bradford limps off when he finally looked like a QB, so, woo

> A better QB gets bailed out with helmet contact there, not that Sad Sam will ever be at that level

> Jones with time and a good punt, coverage shows some violence, defense has to step up

> Bradford getting his ankle re-taped, which isn't going to do much for his, ahem, mobility

> Cousins to Garcon for yards, but LT Trent Williams is flagged for wandering down field, because derp

> Jones loses two as Jenkins fills on the patient run

> From the gun, Cousins has too much time, and Carrier gets 15 cottony yards in the flat

> 3rd and 1 on what should have been a shutdown series is Cousins from the gun, trickeration to Crowder, easy first and the ball in Eagle territory

> Morris for nothing, then Cousins hits Reed, but Hicks recovers a fumble with some nice strip work

> First play that LB Brandon Graham has made this year, I think

> Ruling stands, amazingly, and that was needed by a lot

> From the 42, Bradford with the fake and wheel route to Agholor, who fails to make what could have been a big play, and that's three quarters

> At least the ball was right and QB1 didn't die from the last contact, so, um, green shoots

> 2nd and 10 and have to move it is a check down to Ertz, bonus 15 for helmet conact and the TE looks concussed

> From the Slur 39, Bradford from the gun has time and Austin is open for another perfect deep ball

> Terrible secondary work by the seemingly wounded CB Chris Culliver to let a slow possession WR get that open in the end zone, but that's the Slurs for you

> Slur defense is wearing out and hasn't had a pass rush, which makes Bradford turn into Actual QB

> As for Bradford, I don't think I've ever seen a QB with more random activity

> Sturgis connects, and that's the first lead of the game for Green at 20-16

> Sturgis with a relatively short kick, which Ross waits and derps to the 19

> Morris for two, Cousins to Crowder for the easy cross and first down, and the pass rush isn't doing anything

> Cousins tries Ross deep, into double coverage, some actual pressure to encourage

> Cousins to Crowder, stupid open, easy first down, not making this easy

> From their 45, smoke screen to Garcon, and LB Connor Barwin and Rowe add 15 in response to the WR's hard running

> At the Eagle 34, Thompson loses to Cox, but the DL is hurt afterward and that's really Not Good

> 2nd and 11 is Cousins trying Garcon, contact, but the ball is too bad to bail out, phew

> 3rd and 11 and have to get off the field is a checkdown to Thomspon, Hicks in coverage to help the incomplete

> Slurs punt rather than try a 53 yarder, and Way puts it in the end zone for the whopping 18 yards of net

> Bradford to Ertz, coverage is too tight, but the Slurs rough the passer to give the gift 15

> Mathews for 9, nearly had a lot more, running game is a near surprise for the Slurs now

> Slight Detention Mode from the offense, probably not intentional, and Mathews gets six and the first, nice work by the OL

> Mathews for 8, but obvious holding brings it back on Celek

> 1st and 20 is Bradford from the gun, good check down to Austin for 12 and the clock runs, which seems to be a goal right now

> Sproles for a couple to set up third and really important

> Nine minutes and ticking, Bradford hits Sproles for an easy first down, but the RB just drops a ball that's behind him, on the hands

> Kind of mistake you just can't have in the fourth quarter of a road game

> Jones to the 9, fair catch, DC no longer going after punt blocks

> Tanya Snyder is against breast cancer, a brave stand for her

> Cousins misses Morris on a dump off, pressure from Hicks helps

> From the gun, Cousins to Grant, but the WR drops the checkdown as well

> 3rd and 10 is a big damned deal, and it's Cousins from the gun, barely avoiding a safety from presure from Graham, and the subsequent checkdown to Crowder is no gain, three and out

> Way to Sproles, fair catch at the 50, offense has the chance to put it away with 8 minutes left

> Murray for three tolerably tough yards, clock running

> Sproles on the end around for two, seemed more dangerous than that, but got tripped

> 3rd and 5 from the 45 is Detention Mode from the gun, Bradford hits Matthews, but the WR doesn't get the ball or the call, and while that's a terrible no call, you have to make a play

> Jones puts it in the end zone, and that's a major waste of an opportunity

> Slurs take a flag to make the start at their own 10

> Morris for 16, first hole he's had in forever, not a good time for it

> Morris for 6, huddling, then Thompson for a yard where backfield contact is made

> 3rd and 1 with 4:30 left is a chance, and Cousins from the gun gets it to Reed for 2, diagnosed but not stopped

> Cousins misses Ross on an out, 3:35 left

> Cousins to Carrier, flag for phantom defensive holding on Carroll for the first down

> From their 42, Morris with all kinds of room to get 13 and the first

> Morris for 3 as DC Billy Davis doesn't adjust, because it's not like he ever does that

> Slurs don't seem to care about clock

> Cousins to Grant, through coverage, first down and the 2-minute warning, and this game will come down to red zone defense, because the Eagles do not have a kicker

> From the Eagle 34, it's Cousins alone against a 3-man rush, Crowder for 4 into Biggers' good coverage

> 2nd and 6 from the 30 with 90 seconds left is an out to Grant, and the WR drops what would have been a 5 yard gain

> 3rd and 6 with Rising Tension is Cousins from the gun, gets out of trouble for the scramble first down, but penalties offset on mutual holding

> We do it again and Cousins connects with Garcon in heavy traffic, just a 50-50 ball that the WR wins over S Walter Thurmond

> Incomplete to Reed with 42 seconds left, and the TE is down, which takes away a Slur timeout

> From the 16, 42 seconds left, Cousins from the empty backfield pumps, then gets Garcon for another first down, and another time out

> 35 seconds left, ball at the 4, just a misery loss coming right down the tracks

> Cousins from the gun, out of the end zone, 4 seconds run off

> Second down, empty backfield, Cousins to Garcon, great play by the WR at the goal line, and the Slurs lead

> Why it took DC 56 minutes to remember to throw the ball to their best WR, we'll never know, but it was soon enough

> 26 seconds left and 3 timeouts left isn't absolutely impossible, but it is when you don't have a kicker or offensive line

> It says something about the level of my fandom that this didn't surprise or even upset me all that much

> Huff wastes time, but takes a knee finally

> Bradford to Ertz for 7 pointless yards, and a timeout

> 20 seconds left, Bradford takes the sack because the OL can't block against a motivated defense, second timeout

> Johnson is, seriously, just not good any more

> 3rd and 10, 15 seconds left, another sack, andother timeout, because let's make very sure the offensive line is shown at its true level

> 4th and 16 for a little more insult to injury is Lateral Fun to add to the fumble count, and that's your 1-3 start against four bad football teams

Top 10 NFL Week 4 Ad Questions

Sink full of Luck
10) How do refs who lie, rather than consult easily available replay evidence, help to sell insurance?

9) Do you have to wallow in mud before using Autotrader?

8) Are Dodge drivers who need an irresponsible amount of horsepower prone to exceptional paranoia?

7) Why is the guy who is watching NFL replays in an office the next day employed?

6) Is asking for breakfast all day from McDonald's while being obnoxious on Twitter a cry for help?

5) Did Buffalo Wild Wings have enough time to do anything but punch out a list of words after their "League" guy's ads got trashed for lying about his 9/11 experience?

4) If I get a new iPhone with Verizon, can I opt out of confetti?

3) Do people who buy Lincolns in soundless vague commercials always play card games without gambling?

2) Is there some focus group finding that points to Norm McDonald in long underwear as something that provokes the consumption of chicken?

1) Does the fact that Andrew Luck's beard hair comes out in clumps give us any clue as to his terrible year to date?

Saturday, October 3, 2015

FTT Off-Topic: Every Parent-Teacher Night

No, Let's Not
Not sports, I did back to back nights with this last week, so let's get something out of it.

OK, let's start. I'm Mr. Eponymous, and I'm your child's teacher. Is everyone in the right place? Would anyone admit it if they weren't? Great, great.

First, I'd like to reassure all of you mouth breathers that I'm from this quaint little suburb. As a matter of fact, I grew up here and went to this very school! Which means that I'll be infusing your child with a great object lesson that if you don't have dramatically different life goals and values than I do, you could spent the rest of your life in the same room you hated as a child, as some sort of perverse ironic torment for a life poorly lived. Every place can be Appalachia, if you just shoot low enough!

Next up, we'll get into the grading system, which is the exact same overly complicated rigmarole that you are going to hear in every other place you go tonight. I will deathlessly intone it as if this is vital information, because if I don't do this, you will not think that this system is Very Serious, and not something we pull out of our butt every year while trying to figure out how to go through the motions for nine more months without upping our meds. It's a lot better than last year!

Did you meet our principal while they were droning their way through the PTA meeting that you were tricked into attending at the start of tonight's festivities? I know I shouldn't say anything bad about the waste of sperm and dignity that occupied the seat last year, but wow -- such a change. We're all hoping that we don't break their spirit like an underfed mule, because that happens. Oh dear God, yes, that happens.

A few words about this class. It's really above average, just like every other class that I will speak about tonight. Does that make you all feel better, or is my veneer of bull exhaust starting to stink up the room? I feel flop sweat. I feel that a lot.

I know some of you are mad about how much money you had to pay for supplies that seemed arbitrary at best and punitive at worst, but it really makes a difference when your kids use the only product on the market, typically ordered from a web site with rush delivery, that I've threatened them into buying. Try not to pull your hair out by the roots when it breaks, or your kid loses it, in four to six weeks. It's a partnership!

Did all of you sign the sign-in sheet? Good, good. It's true that this proves that you are better parents than the people who didn't come, but honestly -- look around the room at yourselves. Grading on a curve, people.

(Crackling, barely audible PA announcement with feedback, reciting a list of numbers) Here comes the sad little gambling ritual where we sell lottery tickets and keep half of the money, because you people seem to enjoy skill-free games of chance. I hope you win!

Getting back to my sad little Powerpoint deck, here's my contact information, as well as my Web site, which uses the finest clip art that 1990s Geocities has to offer. Isn't it fun?

A brief word about cell phones. Like every teacher on the planet, I hate and despise them with the fury of a thousand suns, except that I'm on mine a lot, and your kid will need it for whatever app or PDA that I order them to use. Cognitive dissonance is a life skill that's taught early!

Email, in that it's the medium that I can ignore the easiest, is the best way to get a hold of me. I'm obligated to list a phone number as well, but if you ever reach me on that, I will treat your kid like a piece of performance art for the rest of the year. And if I were any good at that sort of thing, do you think I'd be here in this classroom?

Is that the bell? Yes, and you've got two minutes to get to the next classroom, which is located somewhere in this rabbit warren of rooms, filled with some of the slowest and most annoying people on the planet, all of them as lost as you are. I'm sorry for keeping you after the bell, but I need to talk for at least another thirty seconds to prevent any meaningful conversation with any of you people before the next herd gets here.

Thank you so much for coming out! Buy promo stuff that no one wants or needs before you leave, and show your school spirit!

Friday, October 2, 2015

FTT Off-Topic: By All Means, Let's Make Killers Famous

Next Man (Inevitably) Up
Not sports, move on or not.

So there has been a mild amount of hue and cry (it's almost always more cry than hue) about how the media is making the latest NRA Achiever famous. We now know all about the guy in Oregon who had mental issues, this one with a taste to kill people with a majority religious view, and some among us feel that this is gross. We should not give a criminal the fame that he so clearly wanted, is the argument.

And sure, on some level, that seems to make sense. After all, we would not want to, in a country that has more guns than people, encourage people with marginal intellect and/or sanity to try for fame in  a way that seems frankly easy, especially because being famous is more important, for a distressingly large number of citizens, than being good at your job.

Guns are very good at their job. You can kill a lot of people with one, really quickly, with minimal training. But I digress. I also digress about whether we'd have any movement on this if the next five to ten shooters were somehow all not white guys. Oh, the digressions.

Anyway... the gun control horse, we have been shown over and over and over, has left the barn. The rights of people who like to cite the wisdom of men who has been dead for three hundred years -- just in this single aspect of human expression, mind you, there will be no reading of literature from that age, listening to music from that period, watching plays from that time, looking at art, practicing of medicine or cooking or entertainment or religion, only for politics is the Wisdom of American Ancients worth knowing...

Well, they won. We should have all realized this when dozens of breathtakingly young children were killed and not a single thing was done about it. Not even tracking the number of dead was allowed by the Congress that has been bought and bought many times by gun lobbyists above all others. People who like to shoot guns, and the political lobby that transforms that into aiding and abetting people who kill more Americans than traditional terrorists ever have or ever will, are more important than everyone else.

So tell us about the shooter. Put his name up in lights. Count his kills as if life were a video game. Talk about what he did right, in terms of making sure he had enough ammo, aiming for the chest instead of the head, and how his selection of watering hole was particularly inspired, and what he did wrong, in terms of just not gong to a place with enough of a population density to get the kill count up high enough.You know, for Real Fame.

Print his likeness on baseball cards. Figure out some way to turn this into a fantasy sport. Monetize his efforts by selling the evidence to collectors, and linking out all of his fashion choices to the appropriate retailers. Put out collectible cups with fast food value meals, and name said meals in relation to the number of people killed. The Sandy Hook Extra Value Meal, because that one just feeds a party's worth of people. Aurorar Popcorn Chicken Bucket (ties in with the movie theater setting, ya see). Charlestown Spicy Ribs with Down Home Biscuits and Dippin' Sauce (red, naturally).

You don't have to go national with the promotions. Every region can have its own.

Remember, gun death victims don't die in vain. They die by the thousands, in great and terrible pain, in injustice that's intolerable in anything but a protected hobby, and they die in anonymity.

So let's at least make the killers famous.

We might as well get *something* out of being too stupid to live. (Besides, well, guns.)

Thursday, October 1, 2015

Week 4 NFL Picks: Impending Doom

We Are Doomed
Faithful readers know that I am the father of a teenager, and said teenager is in distant early warning for college. As I want to make sure she makes an informed decision, and that she does not apply to any school she hasn't seen and gotten a sense of, I've been trying to schedule visits for her. It's a little early -- she's a sophomore -- but I'd rather do it a little at a time, rather than all at once. One of the schools that we've been trying to visit is Hofstra, where I know a professor from my own college days. It's not exactly a slam dunk when it comes to the money or what's offered, but the location is top knotch, and the school is a good one.

There's only one problem: King Neptune, it seems, does not want us to ever set foot on that campus. By registering for a tour on Saturday, we caused Hurricane Joaquin to immediately form in the Caribbean, then turn and attack my part of the world. Also, a bunch of NFL games. As I write this, we are clearly completely screwed, and have Asked For It by making plans.

Similarly, you should run far, far away from the picks column this week, since I went 11-5 ATS last week, and have closed some of the gap on historical coin flip futility. This is just about the time in the cartoon when I make the mistake of looking down and allowing gravity to work, but if you think I've got another 16 picks of running off the cliff in me before descent, you are more than welcome to join the festivities.

And with that... on to the picks!

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BALTIMORE (-2.5) at Pittsburgh

The Steelers lost QB Ben Roethlisberger to injury last week, which puts 35-year-old Michael Vick under center for a home game killshot opportunity against the shockingly 0-3 Ravens. These division games almost always go to the wire and have shocking amounts of violence, which is not exactly a recipe for Vick's success under center. The problem isn't that the man is too old to avoid the rush or can't make plays; the problem is that he's a turnover machine under duress, and doesn't just give up on plays or throw guys open. If Ben were here, this would have been the end, but he's not.

Ravens 24, Steelers 20

NY JETS (-1) at Miami


New York comes in good and angry after blowing a home game against the reeling Eagles, and gets to travel to Florida to play the reeling Dolphins. Lots of reeling around here, and that's before we get into the possible weather-related mess in South Florida. On a muddy track, give me the team with the better lines, and that's NY. But it'll be a slopfest.

Jets 17, Dolphins 13

Jacksonville at INDIANAPOLIS (-9)


The young Jags couldn't cover the big number last week in New England, and will come closer, but not close enough, against the desperate Colts. I don't believe, for a minute, that Colts QB Andrew Luck is going to miss a snap of this game, because this is the week where he finally gets to put up numbers.

Colts 31, Jaguars 20

NY GIANTS (+5.5) at Buffalo


Interesting spot for the G-Men, who come into a winnable road game with extra rest, while also ducking RB LeSean McCoy. The Bills have been all over the map in terms of production, but this has back and forth written all over it, particularly given that Blue coach Tom Coughlin tends to coach rings around blowhards like Rex Ryan. (Then again, so do lots of people.)

Bills 24, Giants 20

CAROLINA (-3) at Tampa


The road Panthers are trying to prove that WRs are not necessary for winning NFL games, so long as you've got enough studs on defense, and play enough tomato cans. Tampa at home qualifies, especially with a running game that's putting RB Doug Martin on milk cartons. Eventually, QB Cam Newton will put some points on the board, and that will be that.

Panthers 16, Bucs 10

PHILADELPHIA (-3) at Washington


I haven't been right about the Eagles all year, while not being wrong about the Eagles all year. It's been just a festival of good feelings, really. This game is most at risk to postponement for inclement weather, which might be the final proof that agnostics and atheists need for a kind and just God. If the game happens, I'll go with the Eagles defense to force more tunovers and make more plays in the running game, and QB Sam Bradford to continue to underwhelm with INT avoidance. It's his one big skill!

Eagles 24, Slurs 17

OAKLAND (-2.5) at Chicago

Rare to see the Raiders as a road favorite, but that's just the kind of thing that QB Jimmy Claussen inspires. The Raiders have three breathtakingly good young players in DT Khalil Mack, WR Amari Cooper and QB Derek Carr, and in this game that will be more than enough.

Raiders 23, Bears 17

Houston at ATLANTA (-6.5)


A big number for an unbeaten road team that's really not all that, but the road Texans are just suffering from back-breakingly bad QB play, and in a road dome, that's not what you want. Eventually, the Falcons will pump up this line when the Texans just can't hold serve.

Falcons 34, Texans 20

Kansas City at CINCINNATI (-4)


Year Three of the Andy Reid Era is not looking good for the Chiefs, who at least finally snapped that No WR TD Pass Problem in an otherwise hopeless beatdown at the hands of Aaron Rodgers and the Pack on MNF. Short turn and a more physical opponent are not what they need right now, especially with the Bengals smelling blood in the water, and the dream of actually running away with this division with speed and ease.

Bengals 26, Chiefs 20

CLEVELAND (+7.5) at San Diego


The Factory of Sadness does not travel well and is still wondering why they benched the young QB who might actually have a career one day, but I think they'll suck out the cover after falling behind, then mount the not enough comeback. Who cares if they win, if you do?

Chargers 27, Browns 20

GREEN BAY (-9) at San Francisco


Here's how good the year is going for the Niners: QB Colin Kaepernick has gotten a vote of confidence, and his back up is Blaine Gaebbert.

No, seriously.

I could understand this if Kaep's backup was some hotshot rookie, and the Niners were clearly just figuring out what they had before going into the next year of Oh Lord, Our Franchise Is Horrible And We've Made Mistakes That Will Echo For Decades. (Not the least of which is building a stadium 50 miles away from the fan base in a part of the world without parking. But I digress.). But he's not, and Gabbo Gabbert is the only back up in the league that gives aid and comfort to Cowboy Fan rooting on Brandon Weeden and Matt Cassel (hee!) right now.

This week, Kaep gets the Niner club that he tortured in the playoffs, and one suspects that their memories will be long. Besides, Rodgers still holds grudges over his hometown team not drafting him. Idiots.

Packers 34, Niners 24

St. Louis at ARIZONA (-7)


Everything's coming up Big Red right now, and while being the best team in the NFL in September wins you nothing, they are just rolling. QB Carson Palmer is enjoying Healthy Larry Fitzgerald, and he's not even the best WR in the lineup (that'd be John Brown, at least when healthy his own damn self). The Rams will travel with a defense and can put a hurt on you, but not this week.

Cardinals 31, Rams 20

Minnesota at DENVER (-6.5)


Vikes have been a bad road team, and Denver is certainly not a place for that trend to turn around. I'm still not sure how QB Peyton Manning is going to live through the year, but he seems to be figuring it out.

Broncos 26, Vikings 17

DALLAS (even) at New Orleans


NBC wishes they could flex out of this game, but it's too early in the year for that. In the suddenly home field devoid Bayou against a winless Saints team, they win because someone has to, and they've got an offensive line.

Cowboys 23, Saints 20

Detroit at SEATTLE (-9.5)


Looks like the Seahawks figured it out last week against the Bears, and this week they get a barely better Lions club that looks as lively as their comatose coach, Jim "Steady As We Lose" Caldwell. While the 50-50 status of RB Marshawn Lynch does not inspire confidence against a big number, the back up RBs look fine, and QB Russell Wilson has more than enough game to compensate.

Seahawks 30, Lions 17

Last week: 11-5

Year to date: 27-20-1

Career: 645-651-44