Obama wins big in South Carolina

January 27, 2008 — Rick

It’s not just that he won… he won by a 2 to 1 margin.

It’s not that he gave a stirring speech afterwards… he called out the Clintons in no uncertain terms on their negative campaigning without ever mentioning their names. See his speech here:



The best the Clintons can muster? Bill (of all people) race-baiting by comparing Obama to Jesse Jackson. Not cool. Not dignified. Hillary couldn’t be bothered to acknowledge the loss by her own voice, instead choosing to issue a written statement before giving a typical stump speech.

Regular readers here know that I don’t see a huge difference between the politics of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. I do however, see a significant difference in character. If I end up having to trust one of these two, at this moment Senator Obama is an easy choice.

See article here

Posted in 2008 Presidential Race, Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, Democratic Party, Hillary Clinton, South Carolina. 1 Comment »

Catching Up

January 26, 2008 — Rick

So I’ve taken a week off, and even more when it has come to politics. Every now and then I have the need to just shut down politically, and as the primary season has heated up, my tolerance for the candidates’ nonsense has become non-existent.

On Politics

So let’s briefly examine where we are…

John “I’ve sold my soul to the right wing” McCain has suddenly found himself in front-runner status. This really has nothing to do with McCain being a “good” candidate for the Repugs so much as it means that the party faithful can’t seem to stand the other rivals. Rudy’s campaign is virtually dead in the water, and I don’t expect even a Florida win (which is far from certain) to revive his sinking hopes. The New York Times endorsement of McCain on the Repug side didn’t help, especially given the hostility of the editorial. Then you’ve got Mitt “The Chameleon” Romney, who never met an issue he couldn’t waffle on, and god old Mike Huckabee who wants to amend the Constitution so that it’s more compatible with the Bible. What would Jesus do? He would call out freaks like you, Mike.

Oh, and say goodbye to Fred “I really don’t want to run so much as be appointed” Thompson, who was a flop from the start. I seriously doubt that anyone will notice that he is gone.

On the Democratic side, my boy Dennis Kucinich is just about toast. It’s pretty hard to try and become a mainstream candidate when your own party and the media have already decided that you shouldn’t be part of the conversation. Kucinich was excluded at every opportunity and treated like a third world nation (one without oil). I understand that you want to keep fringe candidates from gobbling up time and attention, but Kucinich was no fringe candidate. He was the only candidate on the Democratic side (forget the Repugs) who stopped playing politics with positions and simply argued for what was right.

So now we are left with Hillary and Barack, because the media is about to play the same crap with John Edwards. Of the three, Edwards is the most progressive, but from my perspective doesn’t stand a chance in hell.

While this annointing of front-runners has been unfolding, Hillary and Barack have been making asses out of themselves while debating racial issues. It is petty, and unworthy of people who want to lead this nation. Then there is Bill Clinton who, while being my favorite president in many years, just can’t seem to shut his mouth. Note to Bill: This isn’t about you. If your wife wants to be president, then let her stand up for herself. Your sniping is counterproductive and will only lead to hard feelings come general election time. So, in short, shut up.

And if all this wasn’t enough, our Chancellor blindly continues his illegal war, becoming responsible for more and more deaths every day. Now his latest idea, as we begin to slide into a recession, is to issue rebates to American citizens that we can put back into the economy. And once again our Democratic Congress, not having any backbone or original ideas of its own, has signed on to this idiot deal. What’s wrong with the plan? Three things.. 1) Tax breaks during a war, invented by Chancellor Bush, are unconscionable. We are borrowing to fund this war, and adding debt on top of that is irresponsible. 2) The assumption is that people will take this money and spend it. I disagree. If I get such a check, it is either going to pay down my own debt or go into a savings account… it ain’t going to Wal Mart or Best Buy. 3) Guess what… the stupid frack is going to make us claim it on our 2008 taxes…. that’s right, WE GET TAXED ON A TAX BREAK. WTF is that?

Finally, we learned all we need to know about Attorney General Mukasey yesterday when he declined to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate the destruction of the CIA torture tapes and avoided discussing water-boarding. Boy am I relieved that the Democrats didn’t appoint a “yes person” for Chancellor Bush.

OK, enough politics for today…

On Sports

Obviously I am excited about Super Bowl XLII. I know the media is playing up both the Giants and their level of confidence, but there are some keys that seem to be missing attention.

First, shutting down the Patriots’ offense means putting consistent pressure on Tom Brady. That didn’t happen in the first game, and two of the Patriots’ starting offensive linemen were held out because of injury. Kyle Brady also missed the game at tight end and Brady is known around the league as a tremendous blocker. I don’t see the Giants having a ton of success in that area.

The Giants running game is the biggest threat to the Patriots’ offense, in that it can keep Brady on the sidelines. But in the season finale, when the Giants threw the kitchen sink at a rather flat Patriots’ team, the Pats outrushed the Giants and kept their running game in check. The only difference is that running back Ahmad Bradshaw missed the Week 17 game, and he is probably as big a threat as Brandon Jacobs. The Patriots are masters of taking away a team’s strength, so I expect they will clamp down on the Giants’ running game and force Eli Manning to beat them. Which brings us to the other major factor in the game.

The Patriots’ pass rush has struggled in recent weeks, and the front seven have not applied the type of pressure they managed during the middle of the season. For the Patriots to prevent the Giants from staying on the field, it will take a sustained effort from the defensive line as well as Vrabel, Bruschi, and Thomas to apply pressure whenever the Giants drop back to pass.

Then of course there is the smack talk. As usual, the Patriots are saying nary a word about the Giants other than the fact that they are a great team, while Giants’ players talk about the Patriots playing “dirty football”. Hey Osi… it’s called football and meant to be played aggressively. That’s not dirty. If you don’t want to get hurt, perhaps you should go into professional badminton. But do keep talking, bulletin board material is always welcome in the Patriots’ locker room.

Personal Stuff

My dissertation support class started last week and was very motivating. I have used the week to plot out a plan to get this monkey off my back. Between that and working on some professional web stuff however, my blogging time is going to be limited for the time being. But I will be intentional about getting stuff on here as events take place.

Even worse, being productive will cut into my World of Warcraft time… but that’s probably a good thing!

Later!

Posted in Barack Obama, Dennis Kucinich, Fred Thompson, Hillary Clinton, John McCain, New England Patriots, New York Giants, Politics, Rudy Giuliani, Sports, Super Bowl. No Comments »

Patriots beat Chargers; one win away from perfection

January 21, 2008 — Rick

Tom Brady was certainly not perfect on Sunday. But the Patriots are one game away from a perfect season.

The Patriots’ red-zone defense and rushing attack, both considered weaknesses in the Patriots’ game, were the stars on Sunday as the Patriots beat the San Diego Chargers 21-12 to advance to their fourth Super Bowl in seven years.

Asante Samuel picks off Philip Rivers in the
second quarter of the AFC Championship


Jabar Gaffney scores on a 12 yard touchdown reception

Laurence Maroney and Kevin Faulk were the catalysts on offense, grinding out the final nine minutes of the game and converting key third downs. They more than made up for an exceptionally pedestrian performance by Brady, who had two touchdown throws but three interceptions, including a rare interception in the end zone.

Laurence Maroney scores on a one yard touchdown run

Junior Seau and Rodney Harrison came up big for the Patriots on defense, holding the Chargers to just four field goals on the day. While the Chargers were able to produce yardage, the Pats’ stiffened up in the red-zone each time.

Junior Seau came up big on his way
back to the Super Bowl


Kevin Faulk’s acrobatic performance was a big
factor against the Chargers

The Chargers are to be credited for playing the Patriots tough, even though the Patriots were never in any real danger in the second half. For once most of the Chargers did not talk trash during or after the game, with the notable exception of center Nick Hardwick, who called Richard Seymour’s performance the play of “a punk.” I guess that’s to be expected when you don’t make blocks and get dominated at the line of scrimmage.

This might be new for Laurence (background)
but it never gets old for Tedy Bruschi


Tom is happy, but not satisfied, with the
Lamar Hunt Trophy


Bill Belichick and Robert Kraft… simply the best

Now the Patriots will head to Glendale, Arizona to face the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLII. The Giants survived the NFC Championship with a 23-20 overtime victory over the Green Bay Packers in a game that both teams looked like they were trying to give away throughout the second half. The Giants promise to be a tough test for the Patriots, given their performance against New England in the final game of the regular season before the Patriots pulled out a 38-25 win.

Gamebook

Video Highlights

Game Summary

photos from patriots.com

SUPER BOWL XLII PREDICTION

The Giants gave the Patriots all they could handle in Week 17, of that there can be no doubt. But, at least in my view, the Patriots were caught off guard by the Giants’ tenacity. That won’t happen a second time. I am also convinced that the Patriots saw the best that the Giants could provide, while the Giants saw a rather flat performance by the Patriots. I don’t expect this to happen two games in a row, especially now that the Patriots are one game away from football immortality. The downfield passing game was hampered in Giant’s stadium due to the weather, something not likely to be an issue in the desert southwest.

On Offense: The Giants have a tough defensive line, and a more than solid linebacking corps. The secondary has made some terrific plays in recent weeks, but has been aided by the elements and is overall a bit spotty. Look for Moss, Stallworth, Welker and Gaffney to get their opportunities not only in the dink and dunk game, but downfield as well. Kevin Faulk promises, as always, to be a nightmare to prepare for, and Laurence Maroney has finally established that he is a force to be reckoned with, capable of moving piles even when he is the only Patriot in them. I expect tremendous focus from Brady, who must be disappointed with his performance yesterday.

On Defense: The Patriots have begun to return to championship form and bending but not breaking, and their red-zone defense has drastically improved in recent weeks. That said, the Patriots are vulnerable to sustained drives, something the Giants were able to do in the regular season finale. The Giants will get their yards and will get their scoring chances. The key for the Patriots will be forcing the Giants to respond to Patriots’ touchdowns only with field goals, just as they did against the Chargers yesterday.

Special Teams: Both kickers and punters on each team are capable, and none seem to be a weak link for this game. The potential game-changers are the return units. Both teams are capable of returning kicks for big gains, something that helped keep the Giants competitive against the Patriots in their previous meeting. It will be important for the Pats’ kick coverage teams to hold their lanes and let the play come to them rather than over-pursuing and allowing a big play.

Expectations: The Patriots will rely heavily on the pass in the early going, and then rely on the run to eat up the clock and keep the Giants off the field in the second half. The Giants will get yards and points, but the Patriots will do enough to force field goals and give the offense the room they need to complete a perfect season.

Prediction: Patriots 35 Giants 20

This week: 1-1
Season: 170-96 (.639)

PRE-SUPER BOWL POWER RANKINGS (January 21, 2008)

1. New England Patriots (17-0, unchanged) - One more win and the ‘72 Dolphins will finally be shut up… hear that, Mercury?

2. New York Giants (13-6, +2) - Improbable? Perhaps. But this is not a team to be taken lightly… no doubt they will once again give the Patriots all they can handle

3. Green Bay Packers (13-5, -1) - Please tell me it’s not going to be another off-season of speculating whether or not Favre will come back… I don’t care what he does, and left to his own devices he will inevitably make a play that will cost the Packers the big game… just make a decision so that the football world doesn’t get held hostage… again

4. San Diego Chargers (13-6, -1) - Gutsy performance against the Patriots, but you will never beat them by settling for field goals

5. Indianapolis Colts (13-4)
6. Dallas Cowboys (13-4)
7. Jacksonville Jaguars (12-6)
8. Seattle Seahawks (11-7)
9. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7)
10. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-8)
11. Tennessee Titans (10-7)
12. Washington Redskins (9-8)
13. Cleveland Browns (10-6)
14. Philadelphia Eagles (8-8)
15. Houston Texans (8-8)
16. Minnesota Vikings (8-8)
17. Arizona Cardinals (8-8)
18. New Orleans Saints (7-9)
19. Buffalo Bills (7-9)
20. Carolina Panthers (7-9)
21. Chicago Bears (7-9)
22. Denver Broncos (7-9)
23. Cincinnati Bengals (7-9)
24. Detroit Lions (7-9)
25. San Francisco (5-11)
26. Baltimore Ravens (5-11)
27. Oakland Raiders (4-12)
28. Kansas City Chiefs (4-12)
29. Atlanta Falcons (4-12)
30. New York Jets (4-12)
31. St. Louis (3-13)
32. Miami (1-15)

Posted in AFC Championship, Asante Samuel, Jabar Gaffney, Junior Seau, Kevin Faulk, Laurence Maroney, National Football League, New England Patriots, Rodney Harrison, San Diego Chargers, Super Bowl, Tom Brady. No Comments »

Predictions and Power Rankings, Championship Week

January 16, 2008 — Rick

And then there were four.

Despite having two substantial favorites this weekend in New England and Green Bay, both games promise to be entertaining. The Giants are on a tear in recent weeks, and the Chargers are still stinging from a season-ending loss to the Patriots in the playoffs last year, as well as a blowout loss in Week Two this season.

Without further adieu:

AFC Championship Game

San Diego at New England - The Chargers running game will be a threat whether it is LT or Turner running the ball. The Patriots will likely try to take away the running game and force Philip Rivers or Billy Volek to beat them. And that won’t happen. The Patriots’ defense doesn’t need to have a brilliant game, only a good one. The Chargers are unlikely to have an answer for the Patriots’ myriad of offensive weapons, and the Patriots have just as much motivation from last year’s playoff game as the Chargers do. This game will be close, but only for the first half. Patriots 31 Chargers 14

NFC Championship Game

New York Giants at Green Bay - The Giants were able to do what needed to be done against the Cowboys, but Dallas was already a team on the verge of implosion. Not so with the Packers, who have developed a devastating run attack to complement a potentially explosive passing game. It will take a perfect game for the Giants to win this one, but I see the elements, the crowd, and the superior talent all pointing towards a Packers win. Packers 35 Giants 24

Last Week: 2-2

Season: 169-95 (.640)

NFL POWER RANKINGS for January 14, 2008

1. New England Patriots (16-0, unchanged) - The Pats will dismantle those “classy” Chargers

2. Green Bay Packers (13-4, +4) - Odds-on favorite to reach the Super Bowl

3. San Diego Chargers (13-5, +4) - The Patriots and their fans can only hope that the punk Philip Rivers plays in this game; some of the Pat’s defense want to have some “conversations” with him

4. New York Giants (12-6, +4) - Bravo to the G-Men. Can they pull off one more? Not likely, but always possible

5. Indianapolis Colts (13-4, -3) - So long Tony; you were the only part of this franchise worthy of my respect

6. Dallas Cowboys (13-4, -3) - Can Jerry Jones resist the temptation to screw things up? Maybe he should start dating Jessica Simpson

7. Jacksonville Jaguars (12-6, -3) - Very good, but not there yet

8. Seattle Seahawks (11-7, -2) - Poor performance against the Packers ends what was a successful season

9. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7)
10. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-8)
11. Tennessee Titans (10-7)
12. Washington Redskins (9-8)
13. Cleveland Browns (10-6)
14. Philadelphia Eagles (8-8)
15. Houston Texans (8-8)
16. Minnesota Vikings (8-8)
17. Arizona Cardinals (8-8)
18. New Orleans Saints (7-9)
19. Buffalo Bills (7-9)
20. Carolina Panthers (7-9)
21. Chicago Bears (7-9)
22. Denver Broncos (7-9)
23. Cincinnati Bengals (7-9)
24. Detroit Lions (7-9)
25. San Francisco (5-11)
26. Baltimore Ravens (5-11)
27. Oakland Raiders (4-12)
28. Kansas City Chiefs (4-12)
29. Atlanta Falcons (4-12)
30. New York Jets (4-12)
31. St. Louis (3-13)
32. Miami (1-15)

Posted in National Football League, New England Patriots, Playoffs, Power Rankings, Predictions. No Comments »

Patriots whack Jags, face Chargers in AFC Championship

January 15, 2008 — Rick

I was one point off.

I predicted that the Patriots would win this game 30-20. Just to prove me wrong they scored one more point and beat the Jaguars 31-20.

As expected, the game was close for the first half, with the Jaguars drawing first blood on the opening drive before the Patriots stormed back with 14 unanswered points before the Jags tied it up again midway through the second quarter. The Jags collapsed in the second half, answering new England’s touchdowns with field goals, and when Dennis Northcutt dropped an easy pass for a potential score, it became apparent that the Patriots had seized control of the game.

Laurence Maroney had a huge night

Laurence Maroney, whom I have been down on for quite some time, had a monster game, gaining 122 yards on 22 carries with one touchdown. Randy Moss saw more action as a blocker for Maroney than he did as a receiver, was limited to one catch. Instead, Wes Welker had nine catches, Kevin Faulk five, Jabar Gaffney and Donte Stallworth had three each and Ben Watson added two, both touchdowns.

Ben Watson gets his second score of the night

The Patriots’ defensive secondary seemed to take the first half off before waking up in the second half. While the Jaguars still got their yards, they were limited to six second half points. The Pats were successful in shutting down the run, limiting the ground hog Jaguars to just 80 yards on the ground, while the Patriots racked up 145.

The Patriots will now host the San Diego Chargers in the AFC Championship Game. The Chargers upset the Colts and will bring their “classy” act to Foxboro this Sunday.

Gamebook

Video Highlights

Posted in National Football League, New England Patriots, Playoffs. No Comments »

Dubya’s Death Toll (Part 10)

January 12, 2008 — Rick

Lest we forget what the upcoming presidential election is about, here is a stark reminder of our “accomplishments” in Iraq, brought to you by Murderer in Chief Chancellor Bush. Yes, the economy is an important issue, but let’s not forget that the next president must see that this senseless loss of life is brought to an immediate end, as well as to restore liberties that American citizens have lost during this process.

U.S. Body Count (Part Ten)

U.S. Troop Deaths in Iraq: 3,921

U.S. Troops Wounded in Iraq: 28,770

135 U.S. troops in Iraq have died from self-inflicted wounds

307 “Coalition” Troops killed in Iraq

Iraqi Casualties

Iraqi Civilians Killed during the U.S. “liberation” and occupation of Iraq: 87,834*

* Data is drawn from cross-checked media reports, hospital, morgue, NGO and official figures to produce a credible record of known deaths and incidents.

* One report filed in 2006 indicates that, as a result of the U.S. invasion and occupation, more than 655,000 people needlessly lost their lives.

All of this death, and are we any closer to achieving security?

We are losing ground in Afghanistan as the Taliban continues to take over more and more of the country, while at the same time we coddle a Pakistani dictator who harbors terrorists, which likely includes Osama bin Laden.

We are no closer to a realistic political solution in Iraq. The is no legitimate central government, and the country continues to deteriorate. It has become very clear that the Bush administration is simply “running out the clock” on Iraq in order to make this the problem of the next President, all the while beating the drums of war against Iran.

And the Congress has cooperated. From blindly passing the Patriot Act (without reading it) following 9/11, to approving torture, to stripping Americans of their civil liberties through the Military Commissions Act and other legislation, to refusing to act to end the occupation of Iraq. Our government has become a joke and the laughing stock of the civilized world.

And who says our leaders don’t do anything?

Posted in Body Count, George W. Bush, Iraq, Military Casualties, Politics. 1 Comment »

Dubya gets it wrong… again

January 12, 2008 — Rick

Chancellor Bush declared that Iran was a “threat to world peace” after the administration alleged that Iranian boats harassed U.S. vessels off the coast of Iran.

Oops.

Now the Pentagon says that may not have been the case at all, and insists that it never made the allegation that Iran was responsible. Boy, poor Dubya just can’t get a break when it comes to fanning the flames for a war with Iran.

Iranian Boats May Not Have Made Radio Threat, Pentagon Says
By Robin Wright
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, January 11, 2008; Page A13

The Pentagon said yesterday that the apparent radio threat to bomb U.S. warships in the Persian Gulf last weekend may not have come from the five Iranian Revolutionary Guard speedboats that approached them — and may not even have been intended against U.S. targets.

The communication Sunday was made on radio channel 16, a common marine frequency used by ships and others in the region. “It could have been a threat aimed at some other nation or a myriad of other things,” said Rear Adm. Frank Thorp IV, a spokesman for the Navy.

In the radio message recorded by the Navy, a heavily accented voice said: “I am coming to you. You will explode after a few minutes.” But Farsi speakers and Iranians told The Washington Post that the accent did not sound Iranian.

In part because of the threatening language, the United States has elevated the encounter into an international incident. Twice this week, President Bush criticized Iran’s behavior as provocative and warned of “serious consequences” if it happens again. He is due to head today to the Gulf area, where containing Iran is expected to be a major theme of his talks in five oil-rich sheikdoms.

Full story here…


Posted in George W. Bush, Iran, Pentagon. No Comments »

Low Class O’Reilly Strikes Again

January 10, 2008 — Rick

Bill O’Reilly and Faux News continue their bashing of Barack Obama. Here’s a nice little summary of their work to date.

With an effort like this, I just can’t ignore Bill… welcome to the MoMo club… idiot. If Obama really has frozen out Faux News because of their lies dressed up as “news reports”, I give the man credit for having principles, something the people at Faux News have no comprehension of.

Here is a related article from Truthdig about what Obama, or any Democratic nominee, can expect to face in the general election… more politics of hate and fear.

The Coming Attack on Barack
Posted on Jan 9, 2008
By Joe Conason

“They will try to Swift-boat me,” said Barack Obama in the days before the New Hampshire primary, looking forward to the Democratic nomination that he still believes will be his, with a prediction both accurate and chilling.

Whether he can go on to claim the nomination is yet to be determined. Much more predictable is the nature of the campaign that would be waged against him—and the fickleness of the national press corps if and when that ugly process eventually reaches its nadir.

The effective template for attacking a Democratic nominee was developed by former Republican political boss Karl Rove during decades of trench warfare in Texas and across the country. While Rove may only whisper advice from the sidelines next fall, his approach can be easily copied by lesser talents: Seize upon the Democrat’s most attractive quality and sow doubts to undermine that appeal. With candidates such as John Kerry and Max Cleland, that meant tearing down their records as war heroes and raising questions about their patriotism.

With Obama, the obvious target is his inspirational life story. The task of the opposition operatives will be to twist that saga, to unearth facts or factoids that raise concerns about the candidate’s background, and to make his cosmopolitan upbringing appear alien and even sinister—and, of course, to play the race card against him, either subtly or blatantly. These themes will begin to appear in the right-wing press, which is of course where the original Swift-boat smears showed up four years ago.

Indeed, that process has begun, and is accelerating along with Obama’s drive toward the nomination. Conservatives will briefly applaud him for defeating Hillary Clinton, the immediate object of their hatred, and then turn on him as the next target. Denigrating material about the front-runner—whose popularity and skill they clearly fear—will be ready for deployment very shortly, but will not be aired until his nomination is a certainty.

Meanwhile, certain themes are being tested on the Web sites of the extreme right. The basic concept is to suggest that Obama is somehow less wholesome than he appears to be, and to provoke bigoted responses. On these sites and in e-mail barrages, he is being portrayed as the son and stepson of Muslims from Africa and Asia, who as a young boy worshiped in mosques and madrasas. That is a proven falsehood surrounding a tiny grain of fact, but no matter. Repetition will make the poison.

Next will come questions about the Chicago church he attends, whose eccentric pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, is a close friend and spiritual adviser to the Obama family. In an article published on the Web site Newsmax just days ago, Wright is depicted as a raving black nationalist and a proud associate of Louis Farrakhan. He is prone to polarizing remarks about a wide range of topics, from Jews and Israel to the disappearance of Natalee Holloway.

The Newsmax article on the relationship between Obama and Wright displays at least one aspect of the campaign under construction on the right. Although such Web sites may seem marginal, they are not—and more powerful forces are clearly indicating their interest in these same lines of attack.

Brad Blakeman, a former Bush White House aide who now runs Freedom’s Watch, a political committee funded by major Republican donors that has aired several pro-war commercials, told Newsmax he was aware of the Wright connection.

“If your spiritual adviser makes outrageous statements, it’s incumbent on you as a leader to denounce those statements,” he said. “Silence is an admission that you agree with what your spiritual adviser pronounces.”

Newsmax concluded that “if Obama is his party’s nominee, his Republican opponent will rightly be able to make use of Rev. Wright and his radical teachings as effectively as supporters of George H.W. Bush used Willie Horton’s furlough to help Bush win the presidency.” In other words, be prepared for the attack ads to be aired by Freedom’s Watch and other shadowy, well-funded organizations, just like the Horton ads put up by an earlier “independent committee” in 1988.

The unscrupulous right wing will do exactly the same thing to Hillary Clinton if she wins the nomination—except that those smears will have to be reruns.

Joe Conason writes for The New York Observer.

Posted in Barack Obama, Bill O'Reilly, Fox Noise, Joe Conason, Moron of the Moment, Truthdig. No Comments »

Brady wins MVP

January 8, 2008 — Rick

I know this is no longer news, as it happened while I was away, but worth posting none the less.

Patriots quarterback Brady rides records to MVP Award
Associated Press

NEW YORK — Add Most Valuable Player to all the other accolades Tom Brady has been collecting.

The New England Patriots’ record-setting quarterback drew all but one vote Saturday in romping to The Associated Press 2007 NFL MVP Award in the same manner his team romped through its schedule, going 16-0. On the way to the first unbeaten regular season since Miami went 14-0 in 1972, Brady put on a performance for the ages.

The eight-year veteran, who already has won three Super Bowls, helped the Patriots tear through the record books by throwing for 50 touchdowns. He beat Peyton Manning’s league mark by one, and also threw 23 of those touchdown passes to Randy Moss, which lifted the receiver past Jerry Rice’s record of 22.

New England scored 589 points, another record, as was the Patriots’ 75 touchdowns. Brady led the NFL with a 117.2 passer rating — no, not another record, but close to Manning’s 121.1 in 2004. Only one full-time AFC starter, Jacksonville’s David Garrard, had fewer than Brady’s eight interceptions. And Brady threw 253 more passes than Garrard.

Brady also was tops with a 68.9 completion percentage, and his 4,806 yards were 383 more than runner-up Drew Brees of New Orleans.

The team declined to make Brady available for comment on the award. But there was plenty of praise to go around from teammates and Patriots owner Robert Kraft.

“To be honest, I’m surprised it took so long for him to get this recognition because he’s sort of been our MVP since he stepped on the field in ‘01, in my mind, and the way he just took over,” Kraft said. “He treats everyone in that locker room the same way he treats me or the coaches.

“And the thing that I’ve found most interesting is if you talk to role players or backups how he talks to them and motivates them. He treats them like they’re going to the Pro Bowl, with that kind of respect.”

“He’s our MVP. I think we’ve known that for quite some time. “I think his work ethic day in and day out (is most impressive). We get to practice against him so I think that makes us better. I think it makes us a better defense. He puts a lot of time into it. It’s important to him. Going out there every week and then trying to play his absolute best is a priority for him.”

Added Mike Vrabel, who has gone from a role player to a Pro Bowl linebacker over the years:

Brady is the first Patriot selected NFL MVP. He drew 49 of the 50 votes from a nationwide panel of media members who regularly cover the NFL. Green Bay quarterback Brett Favre, the only three-time MVP, got the other vote.

Only in one game, a 20-10 win over the Jets, did Brady not throw for a touchdown. He had 12 games with at least three touchdown passes.

Those are great stats, but they hardly tell the entire story. Brady’s leadership skills overshadow just about everything.

“Tom’s one of those guys that goes out there and tries to perform and compete every week,” center Dan Koppen said. “He gives maximum effort on every play and every game. What he did was outstanding, but I know he wants more than that. That’s what you need in your quarterback.”

The last two MVP awards went to running backs LaDainian Tomlinson (2006) and Shaun Alexander (2005). Before that, quarterbacks won four in a row: Peyton Manning in 2004 and in 2003, when he shared it with Steve McNair; Rich Gannon in 2002; and Kurt Warner in 2001.

Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press

Posted in National Football League, New England Patriots, Tom Brady. No Comments »

Patriots and Jaguars to square off in divisional round

January 8, 2008 — Rick

The wildcard round of the NFL playoffs went pretty much as I expected, with the only exception being the Giants upsetting the Bucs. For those who were not paying attention this past weekend, the Jags tipped Steelers 31-29 while the Chargers beat the Titans 17-6 in the AFC. In the NFC, the Giants won 24-14 and the Seahawks ripped the Redskins 35-14.

The match-ups for this weekend are as follows:

Seattle at Green Bay - Can the Seahawks force Brett Favre to make mistakes? Can the Seahawks’ defense shut down a potent Green bay attack? On the other side, can the Packers take away the Hawks effective passing attack? This promises to be a highly entertaining game and the opportunistic Seattle defense is capable of turning this into a very long day for Favre and company. But the Packers have come a long way in winning as an entire team and doesn’t need to rely solely on the pass to win the game. Look for a very close contest. Packers 24 Seahawks 23

Jacksonville at New England - Make no mistake; the Jacksonville Jaguars are exactly the type of team that can give the Patriots trouble. They have a game-breaking running game that can also grind out yards, and they have a stubborn defense. They will be more than a handful for the Patriots. But the Patriots are masters at the short and intermediate passing attack, something the Jaguars are susceptible to. And when it counted against the Steelers a few weeks ago, the Patriots showed they are more than capable of taking away a team’s running attack. If David Garrard is forced into a position of needing to win the game for the Jags, the Patriots will feast on him for dinner. I expect the game to be close for three quarters before the Patriots put it away in the fourth. Patriots 30 Jaguars 20

San Diego at Indianapolis - Yes, the Chargers beat the Colts in the regular season, but the Colts were still reeling from a loss to the Patriots and Manning threw six picks. That’s not likely to happen again. The Chargers had their hands full with the Titans and through their seven consecutive wins, faced only one team (Tennessee, twice) with a winning record. This house is built on sand and the Colts will wash it away by halftime. Colts 38 Chargers 10

New York Giants at Dallas - The Giants are great on the road and the Cowboys are struggling. Eli Manning is suddenly playing good football. All the signs are here for a tough day for the Dallas Cowboys. But the Cowboys are a better team than the Buccaneers and eventually will force Eli Manning to beat them. And it won’t happen. Cowboys 28 Giants 17

Last Week: 3-1

Season: 167-93 (.642)

NFL POWER RANKINGS for January 7, 2008

1. New England Patriots (16-0, unchanged) - The run at a perfect season continues against the Jaguars

2. Indianapolis Colts (13-3, unchanged) - The Colts should easily dismantle the Chargers

3. Dallas Cowboys (13-3, unchanged) - A dangerous upcoming opponent in the Giants may tell us what we need to know about this team

4. Jacksonville Jaguars (12-5, unchanged) - Yes they beat the Steelers, but were lucky to do so… they can’t make mistakes like that against the Patriots

5. Green Bay Packers (13-3, unchanged) - Tough test upcoming against the Seahawks

6. Seattle Seahawks (11-6, unchanged) - They performed the way they needed to against the Redskins… more than capable of surprising the Packers

7. San Diego Chargers (12-5, unchanged) - Now their weak schedule will come back to bite them

8. New York Giants (11-6, +2) - They actually have a shot against the Cowboys, but can Eli avoid mistakes two weeks in a row?

9. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7, -1) - Sing it with me… OVER-RATED

10. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-8, -1) - No wonder they had a hard time selling playoff tickets

11. Tennessee Titans (10-7, unchanged) - Poor performance in the second half against the Chargers; the game was winnable

12. Washington Redskins (9-8, unchanged) - The season is done, as is Joe Gobbs’ amazing coaching career

13. Cleveland Browns (10-6)
14. Philadelphia Eagles (8-8)
15. Houston Texans (8-8)
16. Minnesota Vikings (8-8)
17. Arizona Cardinals (8-8)
18. New Orleans Saints (7-9)
19. Buffalo Bills (7-9)
20. Carolina Panthers (7-9)
21. Chicago Bears (7-9)
22. Denver Broncos (7-9)
23. Cincinnati Bengals (7-9)
24. Detroit Lions (7-9)
25. San Francisco (5-11)
26. Baltimore Ravens (5-11)
27. Oakland Raiders (4-12)
28. Kansas City Chiefs (4-12)
29. Atlanta Falcons (4-12)
30. New York Jets (4-12)
31. St. Louis (3-13)
32. Miami (1-15)

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