Sick Of The Election Jiz Virtually Speaking Trash Talk
If there were more days remaining, say maybe seven, perhaps there would be reason to throw some politics in here for discussion. But, no, there are, as I write this blarney, only four days left in our long national nightmare. So, enough of the yankee doodle dandies in their gold Rolls Royces, and car elevators, enough of the relentless ads and horserace discussion, let us instead talk football.
But this week it will not just be here, Marcy and I will also be appearing with Jay Ackroyd on Blog Talk Radio Sunday at 9pm EST [note corrected time] and other times adjusted accordingly moving ever westward. To talk about the election? Nope, enough of that, we will be talking trash about football baybee! So come join us, here is a link to the audio feed on the net and if you are in Second Life, you can find us there as well. Even better, you too, my friends and friendettes can call in and yammer with us by dialing (646) 200-3440 during the show. Can’t promise how many get through, because I am a rookie at this, but what the heck give it a try. Exciting!
With that public service announcement out of the way, let’s get down to business. First up is, of course, the student athletes. The game of the week finally does not have to do with the Blighted Irish. This week it is without question Alabama at LSU. Both teams have big and nasty defenses, but the Crimson Tide has a quietly cold blooded efficient offense, and I think, coupled with the defense, it will be too much for LSU. The other critical showdown is Oregon at USC. Can Matt Barkley and the Trojans get their mojo back and spoil the Ducks’ season? Maybe, the game is in the Coliseum and the Men of Troy have a lot of weapons in the offensive skill positions. But their O-line is not up to usual par, nor is the defense. And, as I witnessed in person a couple of weeks ago, the Quackers are big, fast and badass; I’m sticking with the boys with the billed beaks. Lastly, an honorable mention to Colin Klein and Kansas State, who host the always dangerous Oklahoma State.
On to the pros. The big cheese here is the Cardinals at Packers. Okay, not really, the Pack will light up and then crush the Cardinals in Lambeau and send the once promising season for Arizona further down the toilet. The game I am strangely hooked on is Miami at Indianapolis. The Fish are WAY better than anybody thought. Philbin can coach, Tannehill can throw, and Reggie Bush can be a featured back. Oh, and the defense is quietly awesome. Miami looks to be for real; but so too do the Colts and Andrew Luck. No clue which way this one will go, but maybe a slight edge to the Fish because of the D.
The third game on the slate for discussion is Pittsburgh at the Giants. Really, this is probably the best game of the week. Good/Bad Eli and Big Ben both came out of the 2004 draft, and both have a couple of Super Bowl wins. Both teams traditionally have punishing defenses. Fun fact: “This is the first time quarterbacks in opposite conferences with multiple championships are meeting in a regular-season game since Joe Montana’s 49ers beat Jim Plunkett’s Los Angeles Raiders in 1985.” The game is in the Meadowlands where emotions will be running high from Sandy. Everything points to a win for the Gents, but the Stillers are starting to gel after a rough start to the season, and I think they may pull off an upset.
Hard to see Dallas having much for the Falcons in Atlanta. A better question is who in the world will win between the Saints and Eagles down in Nawlins on Monday Night? Both teams have been quite sucky to date. I don’t think any team in history has given up more yards on defense through the first seven games than the Saints, and Drew Brees is getting uncharacteristically hammered behind a porous O-line. Mark Ingram has been close to a bust at running back. It ain’t pretty down in the Big Easy. Nor has it been for Mike Vick and the Iggles. His and Any Reid’s jobs may truly be on the line. Both teams are desperate for a win, but I think Philly is a better team and will take the win.
Lastly, the Circus is up and running in Abu Dhabi this weekend. Sebastian Vettel had some problems with the brakes on his Red Bull in practice and spent most of the time in the garage. Qualifying is underway as I post – and it has just wound up. Lewis Hamilton was fast and took pole. Mark Webber will join him on the front row, with Vettel and Maldonado in the second row. Jenson starts from a disappointing P6 and Alonso is all the way back in P7 and Massa in P9. Two oddities may affect the final grid by tomorrow: Vettel stopped his car on the track as qualifying ended, and that is usually a penalty. Secondly, Ferrari was working beyond permissible hours last night in the garage, and that may yet cast Alonso and Massa. We shall see.
The Yas Marina Circuit is the most expensive track on the calendar, and it is indeed beautiful. It is also a pretty fine track for racing. Here is a nice video overview by CNN from when Yas Marina first opened in 2009. Should be an excellent race and it goes off at 8 am EST Sunday morning (think I have that right, it is the stupid daylight savings time change day).
So, that is it for this weekend. Music above is the original promo video of Elected by Alice from 1972 and it is pretty fun. Rip it up!
Well since the 9ers are on break I’ll work in the yard and wait for F-1 tomorrow. Lewis on the pole and Ferrari takes another step backwards.
@jo6pac: Man, Maranello is coming apart at the seams late in the season, no? Crikey.
seems bmaz & i are stuck with the Denver-Cincinnati game, will have to rely on Jim for Indy/Miami updates.
*sigh*
@bmaz: Sad, they have the best driver I think and can’t provide the car. They said the wind tunnel is the problem and rented time in France, but they haven’t bothered to get bids yet on replacing their own. I read somewhere that Alonso was upset because they hadn’t delievered new Aero package for the car until he complained. Oh well time to go outside.
Only five days until the start of the 2016 campaign!
slinks to the corner
Among the sports radio speculation in KC is that the Chefs are a lock to get the first choice in next year’s draft, and Colin Klein is making more than just the Little Apple Alumni drool at the prospect that he might end up in KC.
Others laugh, and say that the Chefs are so screwed that they’ll eventually win just enough games to let someone else move up in the draft to grab him.
My personal dilemma is with the Bidwells v the Cheeseheads. As a Bears fan of long standing, it is traditional to root against the Cheeseheads. On the other hand, I find it very, very hard to root for Bill Bidwell, who is like Al Davis without Davis’ warmth, personality, and love for his community.
Decisions, decisions . . .
Put me down for the Cheeseheads. Let them continue to win, thinking they can possibly catch Da Bears. It will only make it that much sweeter when they fail to do so. And having them inflict humiliations galore upon the Bidwells along the way will just make it that much better.
Monday night . . . any team that has lost to the Chefs this year is truly sucky. Teh Iggles will take this one, but they’ll have to work for it.
@Peterr: Rooting for the Bidwells is a thankless and fruitless activity. Go Cheese!
Colin Klein is great, but not sure yet as to his pro potential. Matt Barkley might be a safer pick, though not nearly as popular.
Say, who are the Fighting Journalists playing this week?
@bmaz:
The hated and feared Midterm Exams.
(Just typing that phrase sends a chill down my spine.)
Looking forward to the show! And, please, do call in. It’ll be fun. Here’s the link: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/virtuallyspeaking/2012/11/05/marcy-wheeler-and-bmaz-are-you-ready-for-some-football
for bmaz: Eblouissante Update fm her Facebook page:
“October 28
Getting closer… closer… and closer… ♥
I went six furlongs in 1.13:80 this morning at Hollywood Park Race Track. My breeze was the 3rd quickest among 19 horses going the distance on a fast track.”
@rosalind: Outstanding!
stanford currently doing to colorado what the hawk that just screeched past my window is doing with its dangling prey.
edit: Stanford pulled their QB early and put in red-shirt Frosh Kevin Hogan, who just spearheaded four drives for four TDs.
at half, Stanford 35 – Colorado 0
Well that was probably one of the ugliest wins in football, but somehow the Gators held on 14-7 against lowly Mizzou. It took an interception in our own end zone with 5 seconds on the clock to do it.
And to top that off for making the day miserable, now I have to root for the Mississippi team that still names itself after the wrong side of the Civil War. But if the Rebels pull off the upset of Georgia, Gators are in the SEC Championship game.
Look out Domers
Pitt – 10
Domers – 6
PS The awesomest video you’ll watch today
http://www.neatorama.com/2012/11/02/Helicopter-Rescue/
@JohnT: Wow.
I’d better check with Mrs Dr Peterr before I show that one to the Kid, though. The language is a bit . . . um, colorful . . . for little ears.
@Peterr: Fuckin-A brother!
@bmaz: She loved it, but concurs with the NSFLE rating.
@Peterr: Totally NSFLE
There’s always the mute button
Ruh, roh
Domers are down 20-6 in the 3rd
And, is Randiego surfing? TT is putting a scare into the Whorns
@JohnT: 20-12
And Pitt got absolutely hosed on a call. Typical for ND, they get all the benefit os shit calls always.
Skyharbor in the 1970s, the sports long distance runner, turned high school rock musician. A distance from the kultcha of the Warlocks, though I never caught the warlocks’ country music, and by the time of tne New Riders, Arizona’s retiree Zane Grey, DDS, had the better lexis. So, I empathize with Vince and the generation of kids he entertained. I’m into jazz now, and other genres, and hope he is, as well. I even have Grey the author in the literature folder on the computer electronic desktop, instead of dime novels.
I missed the last weekend’s bout between 9ers and AZ, by coincidence, evidently embarking on a path similar to Mary B. Perdue’s in my instance similarly. Back later, and here eletronically persistingly.
Speaking of avoiding politics, I heard this week that president Obama is the object of hype from NPR Republican slanted news, its policy instituted beginning in 2004 as soon as Bush W engineered the Ohio win and M.Connel did his feats of IT legerdermain. This election in 2012 OH Secretary of State Husted Republican has got his sails trimmed in court, and has had to acquiesce to equal protection standards like the stilll rarely cited precedent in Bush v Gore; meaning Husted has to consider balancing access to the polls this time.
Put me on the side of the ledger that likes the electoral college. OH looks like it ain’t going to upset that particular fine balance, though the Republican cadres in Brooks Brothers Rebellion regalia might try. The niners play on the 11th
Sparties are about to take down the Cornhuskers 24-21
Ohhh crud, Domers tie it
@JohnT: Or maybe not.
Nebraska is refusing to roll over and die already.
Mrs Dr Peterr as the Cornhuskers score: “FINALLY!!!! Though that was a bad call on the interference earlier“
@rosalind: Besides the snow and peace-loving citizens from around the World sharing their culture with each other, Toronto is blessed with all the NFL games on Cable.
But what we really want is UFC on Ice !
@Petrocelli: There are sports played on ice??
@bmaz: Every Sport is better, when played on Ice !
@Petrocelli: i’ll drink to that!
@Petrocelli: When the 2006 Olympics were going on, Teh Kid (then a wee one) became enamored with curling. “Dad, can we build a place to do curling in the back yard?” As we were living in the SF Bay Area, the answer was “no,” but this did not deter Teh Kid. “OK, but we’ve got this really long, straight, wood floor that goes from the living room to the bedrooms . . .”
And thus the sport of Tennis Ball Curling was born.
@Peterr: Sounds like lil Dr Peterr rawks!
PS re: curling. When I was a kid growing up on teh Great White Tundra, and we only had 4 channels, the local PBS station used to show curling matches on Sunday afternoons in the Winter
@Petrocelli:
Isn’t that called Hockey
@JohnT: Precisely, old boy !
@Petrocelli: Yeah, you ice boyz are pretty slick.
Bmaz,
I grew up in Miami (Beach High) and am a lifetime DolFan. What we have this year is different. Tannehill is a keeper, the one we’ve waited for. Has it all-big accurate arm, poise, brains–he’s running over 55% no huddle as a rookie. And we have our first real coach since Shula. He is building the team his way, and he’s made us believers. We are over their getting rid of Marshall and Vontae. Philben takes chances and the team converts for him, like the 4th and 1 fake punt against St Louis from our 40 with 4 minutes left and last week’s 1st quarter on-sides kick. He makes the young players work for it, like we saw on Hard Knocks, and some are beginning to come around and show up big. And the defensive front seven are totally shut down. Nobody will run on them. Opposite Wake, Oliver Vernon the 3rd round rook DE pass rusher from Miami is proving to be the steal of the draft. The team is very close. A #1 WR, a serious TE if Clay (or the rook from Missouri) continues to not be up to it, and a corner to pair with Sean Smith. It has been a long time coming for us.
For those in NYC–I found a wonderful Dolphins sports bar. Traffic at 52nd and First. All sets Dolphins, not crowded, nice people in Fins attire.
@Stephen Dossick: It would be good to see the Fish be a power to contend with consistently again. As to Philbin, I think he is good enough that it is taking a bit for the Packers to get used to his loss, and that is part of the early season lull they displayed. So, yeah, things are looking up there.
@Petrocelli: Can’t see why one of the sports networks can’t make a quickie deal with, say, the KHL or the German or Czech leagues to broadcast their games. For the time being, we’re getting taped reruns of old games which, I guess, are cheaper than new furrin’ games.
I miss hockey. I want to see an enforcer do some enforcing in a sport where fighting is not only allowed, but expected.
@rosalind: Everything is better on ice, except Single Malt
congratulations, bmaz!
your fine, funny style of analysis is getting the attention it deserves.
@Petrocelli: Shaken, NOT stirred.
@orionATL: Naw, I will just be pissing off a new group of folks!
GEAUXXX TIGERS!!!
Uh, what the fuck is up in Pasadena folks???
Halftime score: UCLA 42….University of Arizona 3
Jeebus, what bug got up the Bruin’s asses?
@bmaz: They woke up this morning and said: “I think I wanna go kick some ass”.
@bmaz: ouch! 66-10 final.
and in that other Pac 10+2 screamer, both Oregon & USC defenses sat this one out. at the half i predicted a 62-55 final. came thisclose: 62-51, Oregon on top.
What in the world wasgoing on between Vettel and David Coultard during the podium interviews???
Not looking good for Teh Bidwells, and Da Bears are chewing up the Titans nicely.
But the game of the day around here is Sporting KC v Houston in the MLS playoffs. Ah, the beautiful game . . .
@Peterr: Not a shocking thing for the Bidwells you know.
Stillers 7, Gints 0, Bad Eli -7
@scribe: Have a feeling the Stillers will go on a roll in the 2nd half of the season
TEH STEELERS GOT HOSED!!!!
@bmaz: Missed it. What happened?
@JohnT: What was either a tuck or a forward pass was called a fumble and allowed to be run back for a touchdown. Totally bogus.
congrats to Andrew Luck! he broke Cam Newton’s single-game passing record for a rookie today, and joined Peyton Manning as the only players to have four 300-yard games in their rookie seasons.
but RGIII runs really fast, so it all evens out.
@JohnT: King Roger the Clown wants the people in NY/NJ (who can’t watch the game b/c they don’t have power) to feel good because the Giants win, so the refs are calling bullshit to make it so.
@rosalind: Just win baybee! Luck is doing more of that.
@bmaz: Thanks. Am watching the Minnesota Peterson’s (he’s their only offense … btw, he’s a cyborg) and Christian Ponder’s doing his best David Carr impression
@JohnT: Farve is available.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/formulaone/article-2227827/Kimi-Raikkonen-Sebastian-Vettel-swear-Abu-Dhabi-live-TV-forcing-BBCs-David-Coulthard-apologise.html
@quebecois: DC did NOT have to apologize the way he did, he looked like a sour weenie. Should have just kept going.
@bmaz: You mean, Brett Fav-ruh? ;-)
PS he probably still has a better arm than 90% of the QB’s in the league
@bmaz: Deep down, he’s apologizing for his crappy DTM driving
from fatster’s FDL Sunday roundup:
‘A fully-stocked bar was ripped from its foundations and moved by Hurricane Sandy almost 7 miles before it stopped and settled–to the delight of some locals who “hooked up a generator to the bar and started serving drinks until they ran out.” The bar, The Sugar Bowl, used to be at Breezy Point in Queens until it set sail and landed in Gerritsen Beach, Brooklyn.’
http://www.mediaite.com/online/nyc-bar-washed-out-by-hurricane-found-fully-stocked-7-miles-away/
@JohnT: He really probably does. I know he could improve the Cardinals if he threw from a freaking wheelchair.
@quebecois: Heh heh heh! Did you see the podium interview Eddie Jordan did a few weeks ago? He would have never flinched today. And he was wonderful.
Reminder: marcy & bmaz now up on Virtually Speaking talking trash!! (football variety). link up top.
@rosalind: Good god, I hate the sound of my own voice!
@bmaz: ha! took me awhile to figure which of you guys was which. had to bug out at 7pm to watch Treme…did you get to any calls?
@rosalind: NO! And there will be hell to pay for you!
@bmaz: Took me a year to get over that fruity sounding voice that comes out of my mouth. Thanks for coming by bmaz. It was fun.
Stillers come through in the end. Somewhere, Myron Cope lights a Lucky and takes a drag, sips from his drink, and smiles.
@bmaz: Considering age, history, experience, knowledge, visions, transilluminations of all sorts; but discounting domesticities; try covering mirrors, erecting artworks; making a Phoenix home a museum full of artifacts; and doing lots of reading. Forget your image. It’s there.
@bmaz, thanks so much for publicizing the radio appearance. Hope you continue that.