Ten Days To Go Trash Talk

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Yesterday was the Scaramucci point; i.e. eleven days to go. Now it is ten, and it all is getting to be overwhelming. A perfect time for some Trash, as Trash was always about giving a release from the daily drudgery. Off we go!

Am still of the opinion that trying to play college football during the pandemic was a bad idea. But playing they are. In that regard, let’s talk about Wisconsin, who put on a show last night. Once we discussed the new whiz kid on the Badgers’ block, and it was Russell Wilson. He turned out to be all that, at Wisconsin and then in the NFL. But last night was ridiculous. First time redshirt freshman starter Graham Mertz merely completed 20 of 21 passes for 248 yards and five touchdowns in the Badgers’ 45-7 win. That is pretty good.

In the pros, after a Covid announcement by the Raiders, the NFL and NBC suddenly flexed the SNF game to Seahawks at Cardinal, purporting it to be to address Covid concerns. That is a joke. If Covid were the meter, you would give the Raiders more time, even if hours to comply and play. Just hazarding a guess here, but maybe the NFL and NBC figured Russell Wilson versus Kyler Murray was a better game and draw, and did not have potential to be cancelled at the last minute. If so, that was pretty much a smart play.

The Bucs at Vegas is still a must watch if available to you. Steelers at Titans is still the real game of the day. I’d normally take the Steelers with Big Ben back to normal. Would not bet a cent on it though, the Titans, Vrabel and Tannehill, are on a fair roll, and then there is Derrick Henry. This will be a fun game. Look too to Bears at Rams. Seems kind of ho hum, but is an important game.

This weekend is also the Portuguese Grand Prix. Now it has been a while since there was a Portugese, but there is a real history. Of course the Mercs of Hamilton and Bootas have to be favored. It is kind of a crazy looking circuit for the new iteration of F1 though. Could be interesting!

Today’s music is by Bruce. When he says no surrender, he means it. Listen to him, think about the time old message, and GO VOTE to make sure the Trump Train leaves the station. Enjoy Bruce at his rocking best.

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105 replies
  1. dakine01 says:

    Just for old time’s sake: Frist!

    The local college football here has been interesting. the Wildcats (Kentucky version) are 2 – 2 with a strictly SEC schedule & should be 3 – 1 if not 4 – 0.. The beatdown in Knoxville last Saturday was & is sweet. Now to try to continue dominating(!) Mizzou this afternoon (5 straight).

    Unfortunately, my Hilltoppers are pretty much sucking this year. Oh well

  2. quebecois says:

    Hairpin festival through a series of elevation changes and slippery to boot.

    Giro still on, I’m amazed.

    Why is there so much sporting during a pandemic?

    • RacerX says:

      It’s an embarrassment of riches—the Vuelta started this week, as well. Tour of Flanders last weekend was amazing—the final sprint between van der Poel and van Aert was cycling at its best.

      And yet, it worries me to see the spectators screaming on the roadside, many without masks or wearing them below the nose. I love a good bike race, but it just doesn’t seem they’re doing enough to protect the racers.

      • quebecois says:

        Agree, Flanders was an amazing finish, very gracious winner and loser.

        I watched the Tour with great interest, happy to see some racing. The idiot fans bugged me terribly.

        I’m watching the Giro, more idiot fans and there’s alway an organizer or a manager with his nose out of his mask. In the finish paddock, spectators are inches away from the cyclists. Team hotels are open to the public.

        Concussion diaries: Mom and Dad gave me a gold ring for my fifth concussion…
        https://www.washingtonpost.com/road-to-recovery/2020/10/23/connecticut-high-school-football-coronavirus/

        Formula 1 is easier, in a way, to bubble up by keeping the fans at bay. Perez, Stroll were positive, a few on the teams. They managed quite well. Quali is on, cheers!

        • RacerX says:

          Wow, after the finish of the penultimate Giro stage, it’s Jai Hindley and Tao Geoghegan Hart on same time in the General Classification, with only tomorrow’s 15k Individual Time Trial to decide it.

          No time bonuses available, and although Hindley’s wearing the leader’s jersey, I think Geoghegan Hart is a better performer in the ITT. We’ll see soon enough.

        • Peterr says:

          Watching a domestique turn into the team leader is always an interesting dynamic.

          Also very odd for the Giro to be going at the same time as the Vuelta.

    • bmaz says:

      Yeah, I dunno about why so much sporting during pandemic. But F1, if they are careful, can be enbubbled. For all the world attention paid to F1, the actual teams have always existed in partially a bubble. The NBA and NHL did fine, surprisingly. F1 cannot, by size, do that well. But are self contained. Is, with allowances, doable.

  3. Eureka says:

    Our appointments to vote are TODAY. Finally, so excited.

    I LMAO’d at the hand-wringing over whether the Raiders could play moins five starters — four on their Oline! LMAO again.

    And again once more.

    Rag on the NFC East all you want, it’s nigh impossible what the Eagles are trying to pull off even playing, the IR & injury report longer than CVS receipts. Which is why in preseason — after they’d made seemingly good moves, at that — I’d thrown up my hands when the snake bites started: sure, Iggles and injuries…but this is the 2020 version (unfortunately not, as the case may be) on steroids. I was proud of their competitive games vs. Steelers & Ravens. (At least they did leave with a win four days after that last slog, with Wentz having just gotten the daylights beat out of him.) Some folks will return, but not sure if it’s enough or in time to make more of the season. They get peppered with more key injuries as more effort is required given surrounding 3rd-5th-stringers & novices (leaving headhunting — and knee-hunting — aside for the moment). Vicious cycle. It’d be nice to see more of the (intended) starting roster play someday.

    Bearss and LAs will be interesting re-matchups for Foles and Goff, the former with completely different scaffolding (but hugely significant games at last two meetings in 2017 and 2018. Which…wouldn’t have happened if Foles didn’t get ticked that they drafted Goff and ask to be released. And a few other details-schmetails). [Eh, checked and am not getting that one. Oh Wells…]

  4. Skilly says:

    I agree with you that the College football should have taken a pass this year. (sorry, I could not stop that pun) There is just too much TV money for the colleges to run away from. (oops, I did it again) Players have too much at stake to not play. You have to figure that so many players have professional aspirations, and are already risking their future brains and bodies, that the COVID risks are just one more compromise they accept. Having said that, I will watch the Big Ten put on its show.

  6. BobCon says:

    Football Team update:

    Once again, Football Team played poorly, losing to the woeful and previously winless Giants.

    Meanwhile on the marketing/IP side, Football Team announced they will not have a new name in time for the 2021 season. But maybe 2022?

    https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/washington/2020/10/21/washington-football-team-name-change-2021/6002950002/

    My guess is Dan Snyder is unwilling to pay the John Phillip Sousa Middle School flag football team the $83 they are asking for the URL http://www.washingtonwinners.com and he is trying to bargain the 14 year olds down to accepting beer and peanuts which had long ago passed their expiration dates:

    https://theweek.com/speedreads/445525/washington-redskins-are-selling-expired-beer-fans

      • Peterr says:

        I envision something like this:

        We will lease — not sell, but lease – you the URL, in exchange for a luxury box for our team and parents, including tickets, parking passes, food, and beverages – in perpetuity.

        You fail to deliver the tickets et al., and we pull the plug on the URL.

        And it they are really hard nosed about it, they’ll demand that Snyder draft their team’s MVP once the kid reaches college.

  7. Peterr says:

    Over in Merrie Old England, Manchester United’s star striker Marcus Rashford has been on a roll. For months, Rashford has been very public about having grown up in poverty, dependent on free school meals for much of his nutrition. As spring turned into summer, he led a sucessful movement to shame Boris Johnson’s Tories into paying for free meals for poverty-stricken school-aged kids while school was out, and the Queen rewarded his work earlier this month by naming him a Member of the British Empire.

    But this week . . . wow. On Tuesday, he got the game-winning goal for Man U in the 87th minute against Paris Saint Germain in their Champions League opening group H game, and the next day (as Boris was rolling out new lockdown orders as the coronavirus came roaring back) he was out there pushing Parliament to pass a bill that would fund meals for needy kids over the October break, Christmas break, and Easter holidays.

    This did not go well, as the Tories seem to have other priorities. Even Boris’ “Minister for Children” voted against the bill, which went down by 60+ votes.

    Rashford posted his frustrations on line, and since then all kinds of folks of all kinds of political persuasions have leapt not just to his defense but to step into the breach — including a number of Tory-led local councils. Restaurants and pubs about to be shut down have promised that though they can’t feed paying customers, they will provide takeaway meals for the kids in their neighborhoods over the break. Most stunningly to those who follow the Premier League, Jürgen Klopp, the manager of archrival Liverpool, came out with words of praise for Rashford’s efforts. (To get an idea of how inconceivable this is, imagine scribe having good things to say about Bill Belichick . . .) His twitter feed has been almost nothing but thank yous over the last three days to the folks who are stepping up where Parliament has failed.

    Parliament may have failed, but the kids know what real leadership looks like:

    Each year, Anderton Park primary school asks its pupils to vote to name a classroom after someone whose values, humanity and achievements make them an enduring inspiration to children. It has rooms named after, among others, Michelle Obama, Muhammad Ali and JK Rowling.

    This year, the footballer, child poverty campaigner and man-of-the-moment Marcus Rashford, was chosen by pupils at the inner-city Birmingham school, coming joint first with the US civil rights activist Rosa Parks, and ahead of other shortlisted luminaries such as Sir David Attenborough, Malala and Martin Luther King.

    A picture of Rashford smiling in his Manchester United shirt now hangs outside the room, captioned with the words: “Marcus is determined, polite, thoughtful, does not show off which is why we like him so much. He does not give up. He inspires us to be great citizens and use our voices calmly and firmly. He loves his mum and knows he wouldn’t be where he is today without her strength.”

    Those words came from the kids themselves, as they answered the question “Why should _____ be honored like this?”

    Think about the leaders we’re seeing these days . . .
    LeBron James.
    Megan Rapinoe.
    Lewis Hamilton.
    Marcus Rashford, MBE.

    These aren’t celebrities looking for followers and trying to polish their images. These are a new breed of political actors, and the old breed (Boris, Donald, et al.) ignores them at their peril.

    • earlofhuntingdon says:

      Rashford’s leadership and persistence will mean a lot of kids eat over the school holiday. He saved a few lives and more families during this most Dickensian time of year. Johnson and the Tories, vindictive Scrooges, every one.

      • Peterr says:

        I’d love to see the Queen to up the MBE to an OBE, to make your point even more firmly: “We are distressed to discover that there has been an error with the honors honours list issued earlier. Mr. Rashford is to receive an OBE, not an MBE, and we are sorry for the miscommunication on this matter. Also, #EndChildFoodPoverty.”

        (edited to correct the American English)

      • earlofhuntingdon says:

        “More than 2,000 paediatricians back the drive by footballer Marcus Rashford to ensure children have enough to eat,” over the school holidays (Christmas and Easter).

        Every day, we see the impact of hunger and malnutrition in our work as paediatricians. It is not unusual for us to care for children who don’t have enough to eat or who don’t have access to a substantial meal outside of what is provided in school.

        We call on the UK government to match the pledges of the Welsh and Scottish governments and the Northern Ireland Executive, to continue to provide children from low-income backgrounds with free meals over the coming weeks and to then extend this at least until the Easter school holiday.

        https://www.theguardian.com/education/2020/oct/24/top-childrens-doctors-attack-tories-free-school-meals-marcus-rashford

      • Peterr says:

        Boris and his rightwing henchmen seem to be learning that a policy of keeping hungry kids hungry at Christmas does not play well outside the walls of his No. 10 office:

        Downing Street is under mounting pressure to perform a U-turn on providing free school meals over the holidays in England, with Conservative MPs growing angry at the damaging impact of the government’s refusal to back down in the face of the campaign led by the footballer Marcus Rashford.

        The Guardian understands that discontent is brewing behind the scenes among Conservatives, as Labour attempted to seize the initiative on Sunday with its leader, Keir Starmer, pledging to force a fresh Commons vote on the issue before Christmas unless there was a rethink, after his party’s motion on the policy was defeated last week in parliament.

        As dozens of councils, including some Tory-led, and businesses across the country have stepped in over recent days to offer to feed children during the October half-term, the sense of unease within Conservative circles is hardening.

        One Tory MP told the Guardian the issue had been a “political handling disaster” and that they had “never known so many Conservative MPs and council leaders so angry”.

        No one could have anticipated . . .

  8. Jon says:

    F1 Qualifying was exciting and consequential today. Russel’s Williams wound up in from of Vettel’s Ferrari. Both McLaren’s are in the middle of the top ten, with the Renault’s are 10 and 11.

    Qualifying was held up while loose drain conversion were secured – hopefully able to hold through tomorrow’s race.

    On the COVID front, Racing Point deserve a penalty for not properly testing Stroll and other staff before the last race. Stroll tested positive after the race, but is allegedly no longer communicable. They put other teams and personnel at risk with their reckless, even after Stroll had to miss the race with a ‘stomach bug’ that sounded exactly like flu symptoms. Their team principal has meanwhile said that they can’t possibly take any further precautions.

    Tomorrow’s race should have some interest, with a demanding track, and Ricciardo not able to set a time in Q3, due to his rear wing being replaced, from the damage inflicted by his spin into the gravel during Q2.

    • Jon says:

      Hamilton just won, with a 25 second lead, to win his 92d Grand Prix, exceeding Michael Schumacher’s record. Exciting racing all through the pack.

      • bmaz says:

        And the behind the front racing has been incredible all year. That portends well for F1 if the pack can semi catch up to the Mercs.

        • Jon says:

          It’s really encouraging. Racing Point, McLaren and Renault have improved tremendously. Even Williams and Alfa Romeo show promise from time to time, particularly their drivers doing their best with available equipment. But, the formula is about to change and cost controls are coming in, so many things are likely to change. In this strange year year, we’ve seen some incredible driving, and very exciting races – which hasn’t always been the case. If all you look at is who’s leading, it’s probably pretty boring to see Hamilton always at the front – but he’s driving with unique skill, and may wind up being the best driver of all time. I’ve always liked him, but never thought I’d say this.

  11. scribe says:

    What’s sad is that no one upthread has mentioned the World Series. Last night Walker Buehler proved he, not Clayton Kershaw, is the Dodgers’ legit #1. His was one of the best pitching performances I’ve seen in a while. And he made Charlie Morton look … ordinary.

    Anyone ever notice how many of the stars on the playoff teams were, at some point in their career as prospects, traded away by the Pirates? That ownership ought to be replaced.

    In KBO action it looks like the Dinos, with their goofy blue mascot reminiscent of the old Sinclair brontosaurus logo, will be the #1 team in that league. Good. I hear some of the Korean fried chicken franchise chains are opening operations here in the States. Better. For everyone except Tito Francona and the 2011 Sawx (is it really that long ago?), nothing could be better than fried chicken and beer at a baseball game.

    On to football.

    Ah yes, the Stillers at Titans is the game of the week, regardless of what King Roger the Clown’s scheduling minions have to say.

    Short version, I saw a little blurb on one of the spots channels shows telling me that in the last year The Ryan Tannehill Experience is 12-3 and arguably the best quarterback in the League. Maybe second only to Mahomes. First, I’ll leave that to the experts to argue that out. Second, just how bad was the coaching, game-planning and staffing in Miami for Tannehill to have left there as a bit of a joke pickup by the Titans, backup to Marcus Mariota IIRC. And Vrabel learned how to lawyer the rules from Cheatin’ Bill. Has even surpassed him with a couple of his gambits.

    And the Tennessee defense is no slouch either.

    On the other side, I am a bit concerned for my Stillers’ D. We lost LB Bush – a very good performer – to a blown ACL last week. Ben is rounding into form, Claypool is a find, JuJu is going to prove his worth as a #2 and the run game is strong. The O-line looks solid and the D is awesome.

    So we have a meeting of two undefeated teams and the League picks a wonderful sunny Sunday afternoon, rather than the SNF game, to put them up on the teevee.

    As partisan as I am, I can’t pick between them.

    Are the Chefs suffering from SB hangover? I think so. Discuss. Adding Bad Teammate LeVeon Bell was like adding a character to a dying sitcom. You see it happen, and you know they’re going to collapse. Not quickly – it’ll be a slow decline – but they are over the top and on the downhill side. But they took that clubhouse cancer into theirs, and they’ll get what they deserve. Said another way, it’s like the corporation just built and moved into a new headquarters building – time to sell the stock.

    In other news, the Cheatertown Cheaters are sub-.500 at week 6 for the first time since some guy named Brady had to step in from being the backup. Like, 2002. Teeth gnashing, wails erupting and sales of self-flagellation gear hitting records, all across New England. The questioning of Cheatin’ Bill’s genius grows. This Stillers fan smiles.

    On the other end of the east coast, the big news of the day is the ongoing conversion of Tompa Bay into the Killer B’s 2.0. Word came this afternoon that they are now the Bucs, Biebs and Brown, after signing Noted Lunatic WR Antonio Brown to a one-year contract. He will be available to play beginning week 9, i.e., just in time for the rematch of opening night against Drew Fookin’ Brees and the Saints. We haven’t yet seen the scope and such of the conduct clauses of Brown’s contract. Will he get a bonus if he doesn’t get sued for something like launching furniture from the 14th floor, trashing a condo, or well, whatever it was he did in regard to the parade of women who sued him for … misconduct. Will he have to wait until the civil statute of limitations runs before collecting his full pay?

    Inquiring minds want to know.

    What we are seeing revealed is that, while Biebs grew up a big fan of Joe Cool, his mindset was that of the team from the other side of the Bay: “Just win, Baby”. And morals clauses and conduct policies all give way to winning, it’s the only thing. https://deadspin.com/antonio-brown-and-tom-bradys-enabling-just-latest-in-1845471669 He’s invited this clown to live in his home. Wonder whether Brown will still be a tenant there after the first time he finds himself in a room, alone, with Giselle. Wonder whether Biebs will be allowed back in the house.

    So, now that he has his Gronk back – they had their groove back last week with some deliciously accurate passes dropping into the big galoot’s paws – Biebs has managed to add Randy Moss TNG, who will be able to blow the top off defenses.

    Like I predicted months ago – there’s a good chance of a Brady v. Ben Super Bowl.
    Or Brady v. Vrabel.

    Ah, the twists and turns.

    Happy weekend.

    • bmaz says:

      As to MLB, the Rays are a great story, even if destined to lose to the Dodgers. As a reminder though, the hated Astros would almost certainly be playing now if they had had a healthy Verlander. He is made for this, or at least was.

      Bush loss does hurt, but Stillers still look awfully solid again. Not sure why Reid et. al brought in Bell. Same as to the Bucs and Brown. The guy can almost certainly still play, but do they really need him? Probably not a major financial hit at this point I guess. And, in fairness, they are in a win now frame. We’ll see, but I dunno.

    • Peterr says:

      In other news, the Cheatertown Cheaters are sub-.500 at week 6 for the first time since some guy named Brady had to step in from being the backup.

      As I noted in my comment about Rashford, imagine scribe saying something nice about BilBell . . .

      Here in KC, the general reaction to the Chefs signing Bell is positive. What hit me is that after they signed Bell and before he played a down for them, they went out and won their next game on the backs of their rushing game. Everyone in the backfield said “Yay! We signed Bell” and then went out to declare why they should not lose their jobs.

      This should scare the pants off of everyone who thought “if we can shut down the pass, we’ve got them where we want them.”

  12. earlofhuntingdon says:

    This is about as much of a surprise as Sen. Susan Collins backing anything Moscow Mitch wants – after extorting a few dimes for Maine and a few bucks for her campaign – but Sen. Lisa Murkowski is now a resounding “Yes” vote for ACB.

    Screw her and the dog sled she rode in on. She’s up for re-election in 2022. She will find herself busy defending the indefensible. She’s never won a majority of votes in any of her three campaigns. Less make sure her plurality shrinks precipitously.

    • earlofhuntingdon says:

      Lisa Murkowski says she backs Amy Coney Barrett, “as the best way to end politics in S.Ct. nominations.” Rolling in the aisles funny, in a John Carpenter sort of way.

      Murkowski is gaslighting, of course. She is doing it to make her about-face on delaying the vote seem reasonable, to own the libs, and to set up the GOP’s campaign to stop the Democrats from reforming the Court.

      ACB’s nomination and, worse, her tenure will ensure that the S.Ct.’s work will be riven with politics. That is, until the Dems rise to the occasion and expand the Court to put her in the minority. If they balk, then rest assured that the next combined GOP president and Senate – if there are any – will work to engineer her appointment as Chief Justice.

      https://twitter.com/lylden/status/1320119408505794560

      • Skilly says:

        The SC lost its remaining credibility with Bush v Gore. All pretense was stripped bare. The result was not the problem, it was the bogus rationale and the “not a precedent” ruling that showed the body had completely lost its independent standing.

        My solution: withhold protection from the US Marshals. Lets see how they vote when they are “exposed.”

        P.S. The bankruptcy rulings have been garbage for decades. There is not a single lawyer or clerk who knows what they are doing in this area of the law. OK, i will step down from my rage chair now.

        • bmaz says:

          No no, have at it. I’d actually like to hear more about what is going on in BK land. Ed used to talk about this, but it is a great subject. Likely not enough has been discussed on this in the face of the other onslaught.

          I have no problem with their protection details, as they may be, the threats to federal judges as a whole, much less SCOTUS, is often very real.

        • Skilly says:

          I am sorry that I have taken this thread far afield. Clearly this is not the arena for SC raging. I may have watched Alan Shore replays too much. In all seriousness, I agree the threats to federal judges are very real. I would not wish them upon any judge. I want to go on record as stating clearly, without reservation, I do not wish harm to any judge. I do not want any judge to issue a ruling out of fear for their personal safety, or the safety of their families. Nor am I advocating that anyone else do them harm.

        • bmaz says:

          Naw, this is exactly the place for such a discussion. It is not an easy one.

          I was not kidding about the BK angle, would love to here what the malignancy in the last few years has done to that.

        • skilly says:

          On the Bk, how about I write you an essay sent to your personal email sometime and you can give editing and feedback and then you could add a thread for comment if you think it apt?

        • BobCon says:

          I am very nervous about the odds of the Dems taking over the Senate, but if they do, I would welcome the opportunity for Warren to push for a major revision of bankruptcy laws. She has a level of expertuse of both the law and the needs of consumers that is rare for a legislator in any field. And as people are saying here, it’s extremely important.

        • AndTheSlithyToves says:

          IMHO, all the wailing around Roe v. Wade, anti-LGBTQ+, and cultural issues are primarily a distraction. The real problem is that she’s yet another corporate shill–anti-worker, anti-union, anti-environment, etc. Just read/heard somewhere that 85+% of SCOTUS cases are business/corporate-oriented, and her appointment will further the plundering of this country’s remaining resources. This isn’t to say that Barrett’s brand of Christian fascism isn’t dangerous. My fear is that the corporatist Dems are trading a Biden win for a Barrett appointment.

        • harpie says:

          And now there will be three judges on the Supreme Court who as lawyers worked for the GOP on that
          Project to Usurp the Power of the People.

          Many here, definitely including me, are in a rage about it too.
          And it seems, so are Richard Hasen and Dahlia Lithwick:

          We’re Living in the Shadows of a Bush v. Gore 2.0
          The same people spending money to put Amy Coney Barrett on the Supreme Court are also trying to suppress the vote.
          https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2020/10/bush-v-gore-but-worse-barrett-scotus.html
          RICHARD L. HASEN and DAHLIA LITHWICK
          OCT 19, 2020 2:50 PM

    • PhoneInducedPinkEye says:

      Dem congressional leadership needs to grow some tubes and lead on expanding the court, rather than cowering in the corner and side-eyeing polls. If they lead, voters will follow.

      • readerOfTeaLeaves says:

        If this gets framed as ‘court packing’ or ‘expanding’, the nation is toast. That bogus load of bollocks plays right into the Dark Money ‘Dems will pack the courts!!’ narrative. We need a completely different story, and it’s sure as hell long overdue.

        If the SCOTUS was set at 9 in the 1860s (yes, 1-8-6-0s), then it’s bloody long overdue for someone to have a good overview of the case backlogs, the overall functioning of the federal judiciary, and summarize the problems that need to be addressed. It’s absurd to keep a system that’s been in place since the era of Westward Expansion.

        “Sure, GOP, we’d love to keep in place a system that was set up during the era of the sailing vessel and the covered wagon. Go ahead and blame Dems for ‘packing’ the courts, because God forbid we recognize that we’re now in the era of tax havens, global finance, aircraft, 5G, and automobiles.”

        I relish watching the GOP blame the Dems and Biden for wanting to update from the Covered Wagon era. I won’t have enough popcorn for that political circus.

        FFS, these people would whine because the latest Michelins don’t fit their Model T’s. Go figure.

        As for you sports fans…. I’m finding it downright weird to be in late October without my usual Sat radio college football games… I have no idea how the pumpkins have managed to grow, or the leaves turn color, without the sound of college football.

        This, too, shall pass….

    • AndTheSlithyToves says:

      They’ll probably try to blame it on Lesley Stahl. lolol (She was in the hospital for a week in April after trying to deal with pneumonia at home for two weeks.)

        • Peterr says:

          That sounds like a sound strategy for avoiding a location known to be an ongoing locus of transmission. How long will it be before the WH joins the ranks of meat packing plants or nursing homes when it comes to spreading disease?

      • earlofhuntingdon says:

        That Pence and Mother supposedly do not also have Covid might be a good indicator of how little time Pence has spent leading his task force.

        Ironically, that fits with Mark Meadows’s admission that the Trump administration intends to do Nothing but let the virus run rampant, which is exactly what the GOP let’s Trump himself do.

    • earlofhuntingdon says:

      I think this is also Trump doubling down, his standard response to bad news, distracting from the news about Pence’s team and that the White House continues to be a super-spreader.

      It’s a weak attempt to justify the White House’s criminal non-response to a national disaster: “We didn’t do anything [we couldn’t make money on], We can’t do anything, We won’t do anything.”

      • klynn says:

        Well the MSM need to respond with all the strong women leader examples who are managing the control of covid in their countries.

        • earlofhuntingdon says:

          The MSM is unlikely to, but the Dems sure as hell should. Jacinda Ardern would be a good start. Boris Johnson, not so much.

      • readerOfTeaLeaves says:

        The points in the ’60 Minutes’ interview where he looked to Hope Hicks to bail him out were after Leslie Stahl graciously, firmly cut him off from spewing lies and b.s. by stating that her program ‘required’ (that information be verified).

        Trump simply cannot deal with the truth.
        Stahl did not really call him out; she was exceptionally deft. But once he couldn’t control the bullshit spewing, he panicked.
        Kind of nice to see that for a change.
        This should have happened 3 years ago.

      • scribe says:

        The Rice kids can still engage with their long-time favorite chant: “Hey, hey, that’s ok, you’re gonna work for us one day.”

        • Peterr says:

          When I was in college, the Fighting Journalists set the record (since broken) for most consecutive losses, and that was indeed a favorite cheer.

          It was especially powerful when the University of Illinois was playing in Evanston and misspelled the nickname of their own school: “I-L-I I-N-I”

        • scribe says:

          But in Texas, the Rice cheer has more meaning since they’re usually chanting it while getting their butts kicked by the Aggies and various other cow colleges. And the cheer holds truth.

  15. Chetnolian says:

    Because I am in a different time zone from you all (except Marcy of course) I shan’t join in the Rashford chain but start it again. It has descended to levels the Tories will not recovered from, including Selaine Saxby MP tweeting that she hoped cafes who could afford to provide free school lunches would not seeking to benefit from any of the government support schemes! She offered the standard non-apology of course, (“sorry if anyone was offended…”) but she cannot take back the blackness of her soul that she revealed by having the thought in the first place. The first sign of the u-turn was signalled on the BBC this morning by Minister Nicky Morgan. Watch this space and kudos to Marcus!

    And another thing. I know bmaz has a problem with Hamilton, but his determination to press the issues of racism and to make F1 actively support Black Lives Matter has been very impressive. I hope there is no issue for him later today with the stewards as the Russian driver steward is a vocal opponent,

    • bmaz says:

      I have warmed to Lewis a bit over the years, even though I thought him a bit churlish and brash early. The talent for smooth pacing was evident from the start, and even more so now. His growth into good social commentary is wonderful, and appreciated. You are exactly right about that.

      He has now eclipsed the great Michael Schumacher (also often fairly brash and churlish) for the most F1 victories ever. That is quite something. Hats off to Hamilton. Also, I LOVE the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve. What a track. The elevation changes and multiple corners are wonderful. Should maybe be a few feet wider, but it is awesome.

      • quebecois says:

        Drivers like Schu and Lewis come only a few times in our pursuit of driving excellence. Schu was serious, a hard working guy who believed that there was always another tenth to be shaved off a lap. Hamilton has this ability to go fast lap after lap after lap while managing his car like no one else. His changes of direction are so precise, his timing flawless, reading the track like the champ he is.

        I was scared we were going to see a single file race with that layout and lack of grip. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Midfield racing was superb.

        Giro goes to Tao, Geraint retiring opened up the race, and Ineos pulled it off. Kudos to them. Losing Nicolas Portal, their DS last march was huge. This will help.

        Israel Nation will regret hiring Chris Froome.

        • peternz says:

          And Scott Dixon wins his 6th Indy car title.
          One more to equal the great AJ Foyt.
          Then another to become the most winning Indy car driver of all time.
          Go Kiwi..

  16. earlofhuntingdon says:

    Nice win by the Browns over the Bengals in Cincinnati. Touchdown pass, moving the score from 31-34 to 37-34, with 11 seconds left to play.

    • Eureka says:

      Lions-Falcons finish was dramatic like that, Lions TD to tie with :00 on the clock — they had three seconds — plus some suspense with the PAT, pushed back on a penalty to where they’d failed in a prior try, to win.

  17. rosalind says:

    for those watching the WS last night, you were treated (subjected) to a crazy ass last play with fumbled balls, stumbling base runners and a come from behind Tampa Bay win. Gregg Levine summed it up for Jim White and me: “All I see is Kenley Jansen running to backup home… after the play is over.”

    i did want a 7 game series, so…

    and I (not downplaying whatever health issue Mitch McConnell is actively hiding) LOL’d at this tweet from @NotHoodlum: “If Mitch McConnell’s hands get any blacker he won’t let them vote.”

    • AndTheSlithyToves says:

      Ouch on McConnell, as well as lolol–Thank you, Rosalind!
      Also (OT) suggestion to Jim White on his recent “Vote!” tweet:
      Jim White
      @JimWhiteGNV
      Barr is in hiding because:
      _Stealing the election
      _Dying of COVID-19
      _Negotiating Trump asylum
      _Hiding from Trump hitmen
      (I would add “_All of the above” to this list)
      42 votes · 21 hours left
      2:40 PM · Oct 25, 2020·Twitter for iPhone

  19. Ed Walker says:

    I’ve been keeping an eye on the Vuelta. Spain in the fall isn’t as lovely as France in late Summer, but the roads pass through some amazing country. The Jumbo Visma team has been strong, with the Slovenian Primos Roglic and super-domestique Sepp Kuss of Durango, CO crushing the big mountains. But today in horrible conditions, rain, temps in the 40s and plenty of wind, they screwed up on changing into rain gear and lost 43 seconds on the last climb. Kuss must have beat himself to a pulp getting Roglic on terms, cecause he wasn’t there at the end.

    Maybe this is why the bike crew doesn’t usually ride this late in the year. Also, the fans weren’t out there in that mess.

    • Peterr says:

      I’ve been intrigued watching how the teams dealt with the Giro and Vuelta overlapping. Who rides in which race, and how do they set things up?

      And Sepp Kuss is a force. He’s going to be a delight to watch for years to come.

    • quebecois says:

      Started watching the Vuelta this morning, watching the first week of highlights.

      Spaniards are very respectful of riders, wearing their mask correctly, staying away. Start and finish areas are devoid of spectators. Heck, even the organizers understand that covering your nose is safer.

      No covid positive tests during monday’s rest day.

      Kuss is one of the great climbers of the peloton these days. He understands his role as a super domestique better than most. He needs to up his game in time trials and in windy flats to become a GC contender. I could see him winning the Giro in two years.

    • scribe says:

      He is 71 years old, after all.

      Interesting side note those of you who don’t follow him and Jersey news closely might have missed. His son Sam was sworn in as a firefighter in Jersey City back in January.

      • vvv says:

        I’ve been resisting the AARP for a few years now because, currently at 60, I don’t plan on being AARP-able for mebbe 15 years.

        So today my 82 y.o. moms gave me the Springsteen issue, for which I expressed appreciation.

        Currently listening to Tom Petty’s *Wildflowers* re-master +, Matt Berninger’s (The National) solo record, and Steve Wynn’s box-set (saw his Stage-it show Friday night with Linda Pitmon – just excellent).

        • Eureka says:

          I’m receiving my mom’s leftovers (RIP) (have no interest in signing up with them, heck they start the solicitations when anyone in the house hits 50. That’s gonna be _a lot_ of mail until anyone’s ‘ready’, like you say).

          Adding, to PJ: My mom got it for an insurance benefit AFAIR. Mom was def not high income, tho I see the “aspirational” sense you speak of.

          And speaking of when it should show up, the Bruuuuce issue hasn’t hit the box yet. But our mail is screwed up, to boot, so I withhold blame for now…

      • P J Evans says:

        I signed up for a year, got two or three issues of their magazine, and didn’t go back. Because it wasn’t coming when it should have, and it was aimed at people who were high-income, AFAICT. (Also too effing many ads from pharmaceutical companies.)

        • bmaz says:

          As I said, Seattle owns AZ in Phoenix. AZ curiously wins a lot in Seattle, one of the toughest places for road teams. It is weird. But tonight not surprising.

        • Robot17 says:

          Not a shocker to me. Our D just plain sucks and Adams isn’t around. Murray played well and the Cards did what they had to do which was hang close and watch the Hawks play Prevent Win Defense at the end.

  23. scribe says:

    When you wake up this morning, there is one undefeated, untied football team. The Pittsburgh Steelers.
    Your Pittsburgh Steelers.

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