Hurricane Trash Talk

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Late start today, had obligations all morning. And now that am back, am also trying to check on some relatives in Naples Florida, which seems to be the anticipated ground zero when Irma hits for real tonight and tomorrow. It is pretty concerning as they are not young and live literally on the beach. Jim White seems to be in better shape, but has been preparing nevertheless. It is quite a storm.

Speaking of ill wind, some blew in Foxborough Thursday night. The Chefs were really cooking and the Pats really were not. Ugly. If they keep playing like that, they are going to lose some more games. Maybe Jimmy Garoppolo’s time has come!

But we are on to the rest of the schedule, so let’s see what’s up. The Cardinals are in Detroit to visit the Kitties. No clue how either team is going to do, which actually makes it kind of an interesting game. The Cards have a solid roster, but it is the oldest in the league, and Carson Palmer has seen better days. Matt Stafford now has the richest contract in NFL history, so he ought be pretty amped up.

There really are not a lot of great matchups for opening week. Seattle at Green Bay is the clear class of the lot. The Colts at the Rams is not. What a stinker of a game. Raiders at Titans might be okay. The rest are just blah.

The other thing going on is the Ezekiel Elliott suspension drama. So far, Goodell ordered a six game suspension, the process was ridiculously lame, and Harold Henderson upheld the suspension in the appeal pursuant to the CBA. Elliott filed suit in Eastern District of Texas literally before the arbitration was completed. Now, by all rights, that action ought be dismissed and sanctions issued against Elliott and his attorney Jeff Kessler for the craven attempt at forum shopping prior to having exhausted the administrative remedies. Thats teh rules in any sane court, but this is Texas and the judge assigned, Mazzant, instead issued an order excoriating the NFL and issuing a restraining order so Elliott keeps playing.

It is really kind of Deflategate redux. It is, though, fascinating if you like the intersection of sports and law. And for those that do, I have some resources for you. The first is the Sports Esquires by our friend Ian P. Gunn. It is not only a great explainer, but they curate all the documents in one place, which is very helpful. For those preferring a podcast, this one at Dan Werly’s joint, The White Bronco, is fantastic. Dan Werly and Dan Wallach are both friends, and they are simply superb, and especially so in this pod on the Elliott case. You can also check out all these chaps on Twitter if so inclined.

Alright, it was a late start this week, so I will cut this short and get it posted so you all can chat it up about all the games. Music by the Scorps, with Rock You Like A Hurricane. Obviously.

Battle For The Wheel Trash Talk

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I swore I would not do Trash until the NFL started playing real games, but it turns out there is a very special game in this, the first week of college football. It is stunning that two dynasty college teams that usually open up with patsies like Lower Patagonia State or something are paired off in week one this year, and it should be a fascinating grudge match.

Yes, obviously, I am talking about Florida State and Alabama on the “neutral” site of the brand spanking new Mercedes Stadium in Atlanta. The Tide is number one rated in the early polls, with the Seminoles right behind at number 3. Huge implications for the end of season bowl playoff slotting. Both teams have second year QB’s that had sketchy years last year, Jalen Hurts for the Tide because of serious inconsistency, and Deondre Francis for the Noles because he was under constant assault from a very bad O-line. Both defenses are superb, so the one that gets their passing attack untracked the best is probably going to win.

Okay, that was a little cruel, as the real game of the week here at Emptywheel is the other blockbuster, Marcy’s Michigan Wolverweenies and Jim White’s beloved Chomping Gators, another neutral site game, this one at Jerryworld in Dallas. As you may recall, Florida absolutely got decimated by Michigan in the Citrus Bowl two years ago. Gators ranked number 17 and Michigan number 11 in the preseason polls. Both teams have holes all over the place, on both sides of the ball. The Weenies have the fewest returning starters of any team in major college football. The Gators have 29 players suspended for the game (okay, “only” ten the last time I checked). Neither team looks very proficient on offense, but Michigan might have a slight edge, so I guess I will take them in what is nearly a pickem. Oh, and the coaches Harbaugh and McElwain, seem to not get along very well, so keep an eye on that. Really, does Harbaugh get along with anybody?

Other good games include Ohio State at Indiana, Colorado State at Colorado, Troy at Boise State (seriously this should be a great game), West Virginia at Virginia Tech, and BYU at LSU for the start of Ed Orgeron’s tenure as head coach now that Les Miles is gone. That game was set for Houston, but has been relocated to New Orleans because of the Hurricane Harvey destruction. Teexas A&M Aggies at UCLA looks promising as well.

Also this weekend is the Italian Grand Prix from Monza. Am watching qualifying right now, and it has taken hours because of rain delays. It is really wet. Everybody is sliding on the famed Parabolica curve, it is pretty nuts. Not clear what the weather will be like for tomorrow’s race, but more rain a distinct possibility.

Lastly, Marcy ordered me to write an obituary for the departing odious Judge Richard Posner. No he is not dead, but he is retiring, presumably to spend more time with his self inflated ego. Posner boasts of his “legal pragmatism”, a load of crap that includes his own legal fact finding behind the appellate record. Good riddance to a narcissistic plague on the federal judiciary.

This week’s music comes from a local band that is starting to get some national attention, the Black Bottom Lighters. They are really good, give them a try. Rock on.

[Photo: Jose Chavez via Unsplash]

Trash Talk: Somewhere Around Barstow

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Pro football’s regular season still hasn’t begun, which means we’re looking at everything else.

And you’re stuck with me because metaphorically speaking, bmaz is still on the road somewhere in the American southwest, loath to give up his time for anything but the real deal, the full-on regular NFL/AFL football season.

I picture him looking like Hunter S. Thompson, driving somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, waiting for the drugs to take hold — I mean, looking for another winery to tour.

Until he gets back, let’s make the best of it.

~ | ~

NFL
No idea what Hurricane Harvey has done or will do to the schedule, this weekend or next, depending on how much damage it does. Hope all our friends and family along the Texas and Louisiana coast are safe and sound and someplace where they can enjoy pre-season games in air conditioned comfort. This is the schedule before Harvey made landfall.

Saturday, August 26

Arizona Cardinals vs Atlanta Falcons — 7:00 PM ET

New York Jets vs New York Giants — 7:00 PM ET

Buffalo Bills vs Baltimore Ravens — 7:00 PM ET

Cleveland Browns vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers — 7:30 PM ET

Indianapolis Colts vs Pittsburgh Steelers — 7:30 PM ET

Los Angeles Chargers vs Los Angeles Rams — 8:00 PM ET

Oakland Raiders vs Dallas Cowboys — 8:00 PM ET

Houston Texans vs New Orleans Saints — 8:00 PM ET

Green Bay Packers vs Denver Broncos — 9:00 PM ET

Sunday, August 27

Chicago Bears vs Tennessee Titans — 1:00 PM ET

Cincinnati Bengals vs Washington Redskins — 4:30 PM ET

San Francisco 49ers vs Minnesota Vikings — 8:00 PM ET

Once again, no Kaepernick means I’m not watching.

Good on Cleveland Brown’s 12 conscientious kneelers who protested during the anthem, including Seth DeValve, the first white player to join in.

Fuck off to the former Marine who whined to NFL’s Roger Goodell about the protests. You served to protect and defend the Constitution, Marine. These citizens are exercising their Constitutional rights, and in doing so, defend them, too. They’re also protesting Americans under fire at home, executed in their own streets on an extrajudicial basis — the kind of crap we’ve sent our military off to fight against in other countries.

And way to go, San Francisco 49ers’ assistant coach Katie Sowers, who recently disclosed her sexual identity during an interview. She’s the NFL’s first openly gay coach. Hope more coaches and players feel more comfortable with their identity so they, too, can be true to themselves.

~ | ~

NBA

Tell me what to make of the news that the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Boston Celtics traded point guards Kyrie Irving and Isaiah Thomas earlier this week. I admit to having flashbacks whenever I hear Isaiah Thomas’ name mentioned in NBA new, takes me back more than two decades to stories about unrelated former basketball phenom Isiah Thomas. Flashbacks aside, Irving may have requested this move because of friction with LeBron James — but Thomas might have a little friction with James, too. Is this just trash talk between them or what?

~ | ~

MLB

MLB Schedule here.

MLB current standings

Still struggling to get worked up about baseball. Detroit Tigers remain lackluster. Meh. They’re hosted by Chicago White Sox at 7:10 PM ET, fighting it out for the bottom of American League Central.

~ | ~

NASCAR

XFINITY Series does Road America at Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.

Saturday

Practice — 2-2:55 p.m.
Final practice — 4-4:55 p.m.

Sunday

Coors Light Pole Qualifying —11:45 a.m.
Johnsonville 180 (45 laps, 182.16 miles) — 3 p.m.

I’m sure the cheddarheads of Elkhart Lake are psyched about NASCAR this weekend, but I snicker every time I think about a race named for a brand of bratwurst.

~ | ~

Thinking of grilled brats makes me thirsty. I’m done here, going earn myself a beer by doing some yard work. Let me know in comments what other sports news I missed (yes, I already know about the Great Orange’s order banning transgender service persons, pardon of criminal scum Arpaio, and Hungarian Nazi Gorka’s exit from the White House — bring something new to the table). This is an open thread. Behave.

[Photo: Keith Johnston via Unsplash]

Trash Talk: The Trashiest Trash Until Next Trash

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It’s warm and sticky here. I don’t feel like doing much of anything except lounge in a chaise beneath a sprinkler. But it’s probably the last hot weekend of the summer; our local forecast shows temperatures dipping to 69 F degrees later this coming week. Football weather, even.

Speaking of which, we have these pro games today:

NFL

Pittsburgh Steelers v Atlanta Falcons — 4:00 PM ET

Los Angeles Chargers v New Orleans Saints — 8:00 PM ET

No Kaepernick? I’m still not watching any NFL.

MLB

As I write this there are 10 games underway — check the schedule.

Team in my backyard — Detroit Tigers — isn’t in the basement (yet), but it needs to cuff baseman Ian Kinsler along the backside of his thick head and tell him to stop mouthing off to the umps. So unprofessional. If he’s got a legitimate complaint about referee performance, take it up with management.

~ | ~

In hindsight, I should probably have a ‘Fuck You’ sports column.

Fuck you, NFL, for your continued racist bullshit toward Colin Kaepernick. Just because you’re not waving the Stars and Bars doesn’t mean we can’t see what you’re doing.

And fuck you, Mitch Albom, because a journalist doesn’t get to decide which expression of free speech is more acceptable than another.

Speaking of Confederate flags, fuck you, NASCAR and your racist fan base because you just won’t move on after more than 150 years.

And finally, fuck you USA Gymnastics for marginalization and erasure of women gymnasts by failing more than 100 who have reported sexual abuse by a single team doctor. How many women does it take to speak out about criminal abuse before anybody takes effective action to prosecute the alleged abuser and fix the system which allowed and perpetuated the abuse?

Highlight of my week: All Blacks beat the Wallabies in the first game of the Rugby Championship. Full video here – haka starts at 06:34 into the video. Other championship news here.

And another end: Mo Farah won his last competitive race. He’s retiring to spend more time with his family in Oregon, which is a really nice way of saying Trump’s racist Muslim travel ban has forced a world class athlete to stay put for fear of future detention. I probably should have added this to the Fuck Yous; Fuck you, Trump, and your bigotry as policy.

That’s a wrap. Consider this an open thread — sports stuff preferred.

[Photo: Jose Chavez via Unsplash]

Trash Talk: Watch This Space

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I think I’m the only one left in town today. Everyone else I know has bailed out to make the last of the rapidly dwindling summer.

Here in Michigan it’s been autumn-like all week. I half-expect to see a school bus trundling down the street each morning with dawn temp’s below 60F degrees.

It’s a blessing for the high school football players, though, who are now practicing every weekday afternoon before their season begins. It’s perfect football weather.

And since everyone else has hightailed it to the woods or beach, I’m slapping up a Trash Talk post to catch whatever you folks have to say about sports.

NFL on tap today:

New York Jets v. Tennessee Titans at 4:30 p.m.

Los Angeles Rams v. Dallas Cowboys at 6:00 p.m.

Arizona Cardinals v. Oakland Raiders at 7:00 p.m.

Sorry, I’m not watching any NFL games. Still royally pissed off about Colin Kaepernick’s continuing unemployment for no damned good reason. Don’t even give me “But his last season…” baloney. Nearly all of us have been lucky at some point in our lives that prospective employers didn’t tell us that after an interview and looked instead at the entire body of our work and other mitigating circumstances affecting performance.

Non-football:

Sadly, today saw Usain Bolt’s last heats for Jamaica at the World Athletics Championships in London. Really going to miss watching his superhuman speed; he was an inspiration to my son during his running career. Not many tall men can run like that — my son, being tall, pressed on with running because he knew from Bolt being competitive was a possibility. Now we’ll have to watch for the next world record runner to emerge.

The PGA Championship continues today at Quail Hollow in Charlotte, North Carolina. Golf industry is all worked up about an uptick in interest among millennials, probably because of 24-year-old Jordan Spieth. Meh. As long as this sport is too expensive for the average millennial to play on a regular basis, recent interest will fade. There’s a reason there hasn’t been a remake of the movie Caddyshack.

I forgot to ask my prospective son-in-law and uber-NASCAR fan why he isn’t at the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Pure Michigan 400 this weekend. The weather would be great — breezy and cool — though we’re getting spotty rain showers which will make for iffy track conditions.

What else is going on? Tell me about it.

p.s. jo6pac, this post is for you, buddy. ~wink~

p.p.s. I need to edit this photo, damn it. I love it but the gallery cuts off her head and the football. Don’t really want to do it, though, because it’ll mess with the aspect ratio. Photo is by Jose Chavez at Unsplash.
[Photo: Jose Chavez via Unsplash]

2017 NFL Draft Trash Talk

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This was “supposed” to be a far better post than you are going to get. But I have had a couple of tough days in court, and this is what you are gonna get! Sorry!

Locally, the question is what will the Cardinals do? Carson Palmer will return for 2017 and, assuming healthy, he is really pretty good. Not inconceivable he plays in 2018 too, zoo a rook may get 1-2 years seasoning from a very good film study and preparation QB. Local chatter is Bruce Arians and Steve Kiem quietly are dying to take Patrick Mahomes from Texas A+M and groom him. Kid has Brett Favre, seriously, potential as to arm strength and play making capabilities. He also has Favre’s gunslinger recklessness. Frankly, I like him and think, if available, the Cards should take him with the 13th pick and hope Palmer can school him up, ala Aaron Rodgers with the original gunslinger, for two years before he takes control. I would also think Davis Webb, with a big frame and big arm, and who grew up as a coach’s son, would be pretty attractive.

Okay, as to other teams, I was FORCED into being a Patriots fan, not by the lady of the house Marcy, but by the jackass of the world (other than Trump and whatever gel headed midget is running North Korea currently), Roger Goodell and Deflategate. As the last Super Bowl proved, in stunning fashion, Bill Bel, Tom Brady and the Pats are still here. They arguably have already won the offseason by incredibly shrewd free agent dealings, but they don’t have a ton of high draft slots.

As to the rest of the teams – I think, despite the attempts at misdirection, Cleveland will take Myles Garrett at number one. Is that the right choice? Eh, I dunno, but it is probably a safer bet than Mitch Trubitsky, who has started a grand total of 13 games in a weak college football conference. Will the Brownies use a few of their famously accumulated draft picks to move up and take both Garrett and Trubitsky? Now that is a good question.

Where will the other QB’s go? Deshaun Watson, DeShone Kizer, Patrick Mahomes and my favorite sleeper…..Davis Webb of Cal? That will be fascinating to watch.

Where will Leonard Fournette and Dalvin Cook go? Dalvin Cook, as great as Fournette looks, may actually project better into the pros because of his pass catching and ability to make space on the fuel happen in an instant. Ezekial Emanuel to the Cowboys last year showed just how fundamentally a great dual purpose running back can still alter the game.

Besides Garrett, on defense, Reuben Foster, even if a bit of damaged goods, seems like the real deal for a linebacker. The kid out of Temple though, Hasson Reddick, is a HUGE sleeper. Watch out for this guy for a loooong time to come.

All right, gotta fly for now. Enjoy the draft, and chip in before, during and after. Listen, the NFL is all about money, so how about a song about the original Money Honey. We just passed, a couple of weeks ago, the 16 year anniversary of Joey Ramone’s death. Where the fuck did the time go? It, seriously, seems like yesterday. So, here are the Ramones with “Maria Bartiromo”. If this doesn’t light you up, you might be dead already. And, yeah, Maria thought it was awesome too. Keep on keeping on folks.

Super Bowl 2017 Trash Talk

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Here we are at the end of another NFL season. And the biggest sports day of the year. As you can see in the title, I have given up on the league’s insistence on Roman numeral designators. We are not in Rome, and they make my head hurt after a while. We are past that while.

The Falcons and the Patriots in Houston. It has, from all appearances, been a fantastic week in Houston, the city has really shined. I am not surprised, Houston has been an under appreciated gem as to municipal government competence and civic activity for quite a while now. And a great town for a wide diversity of excellent food!

A couple of news and notes: Matt Ryan was named the NFL MVP last night, beating out Tom Brady by far more than he should have, but still a fair choice. On a local note, Larry Fitzgerald was made the co-recipient of the Man of the Year Award with Eli Manning. Spidey Fitz is incredible, both here in Phoenix and back in his original home of Minnesota. Well deserved. Also, Kurt Warner was named to the Hall of Fame. Any man that can get both the Cardinals and Rams to the Super Bowl absolutely belongs in the Hall of Fame. Here is a complete list of all the NFL honors announced last night.

As to the game itself, it is quite clear that the politicization from the abject racism and bigotry of Trump, and especially his Muslim ban, are going to spill into the spotlight. Given the publicity platform of an event like the Super Bowl, that is not surprising, but it is stunning as to how much it seems to be so this year. Things are not normal in the US anymore, even if the old “normal” had its warts.

But today’s game is being broadcast by the right wing bastion of Rupert Murdoch’s FOX network. And they are, predictably, censoring the paid advertising content they will show. The video at the top was a 90 second spot that Lumber 84 was desirous of paying full freight for a 90 second ad that bills out at about $5 million per 30 seconds. Would FOX take that money from Lumber 84 for one of the most beautifully produced ads you will ever see? Nope, too “controversial” for the assholes at Fox. Guess they figured their nutjob boy Trump might be watching. Selective censorship.

Interestingly, FOX apparently will air a similarly themed ad from Anheuser Busch, an advertising juggernaut that they cannot risk pissing off. That ad is to the right. Why is it less objectionable than the Lumber 84 spot? Basically because Busch has real ad buying power and Lumber 84 does not. The AB ad is great too, but the complete craven hypocrisy of FOX is on full display here. Can’t have too much advertising space that might upset Dear Leader Donald! I mean, shit, he might lash out in an incoherent tweet!

Alright, to the game. As always, the actual football has been micro-analyzed endlessly for the last two weeks, so I do not have a ton of analysis to add. The focus seems to have been more slanted to the two teams’ offensive capabilities. I will say, I think that is wrong. Both offenses are relatively healthy and potent (except Falcons’ star center Alex Mack will play with a small fracture in his fibula). A decent team matchup rundown from the AP is here.

Instead, I think, as it turns out is usually the case, defense will decide the winner. The Pats have a deceptively decent defense, and, as also is usually the case, they have really gelled down the stretch. The game’s outcome will be decided by how well New England’s defense plays. I have no idea who will win, but I hope it is the Patriots so that the odious Roger Goodell has to hand the trophy to Bob Kraft and Tom Bady.

That is it folks. Eat some food, drink some beer and spirits, and have a ball.

NFL Championship Sunday Trash Talk

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As exciting as the Women’s March was yesterday, and it was stunningly awesome to behold, today we have football. And not just any football, it is Championship Sunday.

First up is Green Bay at Atlanta. The Pack has been on such a roll of late that it is hard to bet against them. But Atlanta has to be favored. They are at home and Matt Ryan has also been on a Rodgers like spree himself. The Falcons also have a better running game. But what really makes the difference is just how banged up Green Bay’s receiving and defensive back corps are. They are running on fumes in both. From the Journal-Sentinel:

Barring any setbacks during pregame workouts, receivers Jordy Nelson (broken ribs), Davante Adams (ankle) and Geronimo Allison (hamstring), and safety Morgan Burnett (thigh) are going to be available, according to a league source. Nelson, Adams, Allison and Burnett all remained questionable after practice Saturday, which means they have a 1 percent to 50 percent chance of playing.

The Packers made one change to their injury report after their Saturday morning practice, listing running back Christine Michael questionable with a back injury.

How bad is it? The Cheese just elevated rookie Max McCaffrey from the practice squad just in case, and he has never played in a real NFL game. Also, Clay Matthews has not been quite the same since suffering a shoulder injury a while back, though he is fully playing. When you get down to it, I just think the Falcons will score slightly more than the Pack, but should be fun to watch. Now if the Pack defense really puts on a game, then all bets are off.

Some healthy scoring and a close game might be on store for Pittsburgh at New England too, though it is doubtful it will be the kind of shootout the first game promises. Big Ben and Tom Brady. Brady is 9-2 against the Steelers and has blistered them in the process. But, as Fox Sports points out, Brady has been rather pedestrian in AFC Championship games:

In 10 appearances in the AFC title game, Brady has a 76.3 passer rating, 12 TDs and 12 INTs. That’s more like Brock Osweiler than Tom Brady.

And for all the talk of Ben, Bell and Brown as an offensive juggernaut, it has been the Steelers defense that has them to this point. The Pittsburgh offense managed just 18 points on 6 field goals last week against the Chefs. But the defense, once again led by the seemingly ageless James Harrison, was tough as nails.

I can’t find a way to bet against the Pats, especially at Foxborough, but this could be a hell of a game. I look for Brady to put up enough points to take this one, and it also should not be forgotten that the Pats are much better than people think at running back, between Blount and Dion Lewis both at full speed.

UPDATE: The Steelers were rousted by someone pulling the fire alarm in their hotel as they slept. Authorities have released a forensic sketch of the suspect, and it is attached to the right.

And there you have it. Music today is a brand new song, “Shine” by Pat Benatar done specially for the Women’s March and in support of related causes. It is really pretty kick ass, give it a try.

2017 Divisional Playoff Weekend Trash Talk

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Thank you to Marcy for handling Trash Talk last weekend. That was one hell of a NCAA Championship game between Clemson and Alabama. I was at the 1997 Rose Bowl, which I thought previously was the greatest college football championship game I had ever seen, whether live or on television, and I think the last second Clemson win eclipses that pretty easily. Wow.

But now we are into week two of the NFL playoffs, and there are four games on tap. First up is Seattle at Atlanta. On the surface, this seems like a great game and you would have to think the Squawk’s savvy and playoff experience winning games is every bit the match for Atlanta, and their history of losing them. I don’t think so this year. Something is deferent about these dirty birds. I’ll take Matt Ryan and his crew today.

The night game for Saturday is the Texans at the Pats. I am not sure this is the total mismatch a lot of the national sports media are making it out to be, because the Houston defense has really grown and coalesced since early in the season. Yes, Bill Bel and the boys waxed them early in the year, even with Jacoby Brissett at QB. Houston is better now. But that ain’t enough, irrespective of the final score, just cannot see the Pats not moving on.

First up Sunday is, now thanks to heavy weather in KC, the game that was supposed to be the late Sunday featured NBC game, the Packers at Cowboys. I honestly don’t know what to think about this one. Both the Cheese and Boys have serviceable, and at times good, defenses. But neither are world beating; slight edge to the Cowboys because the Pack secondary is being manned by a few Game may well come down to the QB’s, as NFL games usually do. As good as Dak Prescott has been, that edge goes to Mr. Rodgers, who has been on a roll of all time historic proportion lately. But, if Prescott avoids turnovers and Elliott gets going on the ground, that can keep Rodgers off the field. In Lambeau, I’d take the Pack easy, In Big D, I dunno. No clue what turns out, a serious pick em in my book.

The new finale is Scribe’s Steelers in KC to face the Chefs. The weather has been so foul that the NFL moved the game time. What kind of bad weather can this be? Thanks to Peterr, we have the official forecast:

PERIODS OF SIGNIFICANT ICING ARE LIKELY ACROSS THE AREA THIS WEEKEND…STARTING FRIDAY MORNING ACROSS AREAS MAINLY SOUTH OF HIGHWAY 50 AND SPREADING NORTHWARD THROUGH THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING. PERIODS OF FREEZING RAIN WILL CONTINUE THROUGH SUNDAY EVENING ACROSS NORTHERN MISSOURI. THE MOST SIGNIFICANT ICING IS EXPECTED SATURDAY NIGHT INTO SUNDAY MORNING.

ICE STORM WARNING NOW IN EFFECT FROM NOON FRIDAY TO MIDNIGHT CST SUNDAY NIGHT…

* TIMING…LIGHT PRECIPITATION WILL BEGIN FRIDAY AFTERNOON… WITH PERIODS OF FREEZING RAIN THROUGH SUNDAY AFTERNOON OR EVENING.

* ICE ACCUMULATIONS…TOTAL ICE ACCUMULATIONS DURING THE MULTI-DAY PERIOD OF ONE-QUARTER TO THREE-QUARTERS OF AN INCH.

* MAIN IMPACT…MAJOR IMPACTS TO TRAVEL ARE LIKELY AS ICE ACCUMULATES ON AREA ROADWAYS. BRIDGES AND OVERPASSES WILL BE MOST SUSCEPTIBLE TO ICE ACCRETION. ICE ACCUMULATION ON TREES AND POWERLINES MAY RESULT IN SCATTERED POWER OUTAGES.

Gulp, that doesn’t sound good! But presumably the game goes on anyway, even if at a new time. Like Houston/NE and GB/Dallas, this is another rematch of an in season game. Early in the year, the Chefs were blown out by the Stillers, at Heinz Field. (Thanks for the editing Peterr!) Lot of people think KC can, and will win at home against the AFC North Champs. Not me. Big Ben, Bell and Brown are healthy and clicking in synch better than they ever have. That is saying something. KC is a great team, and Andy Reid is a seriously underrated great coach. But that is not enough with the way Pittsburgh is rolling right now. And Harrison, Bud Dupree and the Steel Curtain, while maybe not what that name once implied, are still pretty damn good, and playing well together. Stillers move on.

So, that is it for now. Have a GREAT Martin Luther King weekend and holiday folks. And, may I point out that John Lewis is an American hero for all ages, and Donald Trump is a worthless piece of shit.Music this weekend by Stanley Clarke, Al Di Meola and Chick Corea, i.e. Return To Forever.

Wildcard Weekend, Kitties Prayers Welcome

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bmaz and I are both frantically busy today, but I wanted to put something up where we can start trashing. So here are my thoughts:

Rayduhs at Texans: It’s kind of funny how you can have a playoff game with no real QBs, what with Derek Carr out and Osweiler still a bust. Matt McGlowin will back up MSU’s Connor Cook in his first start, against a finally playing up to talent Texans D. I think the Raiders win this because Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree and Oakland’s O line will make Cook look reasonably good.

Kitties at Squawks: I’d love to be wrong, but the Kitties are not going to beat the Squawks. Sure, Earl Thomas is missing for Seattle, but so is Theo Riddick for Detroit (and possibly DeAndre Levy, who will be necessary for containing Wilson. Ultimately, this comes down to playoff experience, and the Squawks know how to win.

Fins at Stillers: The Fins want to go to Heinz Field and beat Big Ben’s offense when it’s clicking, and without Tannehill to boot? Nuh uh.

Gents at Cheese: This one is tough, in part because I sentimentally want to see Tom Brady face the Gents in another Super Bowl so he can finally exorcise his last demon. The Tundra will be cold, the QBs will be hot. If Good Eli shows up, though, I think the Giants win this, as their D is a playing really tough right now.