Tuesday, October 31, 2017

Liberals And Double Standards Forever

Fraudulence is the heart of liberal thought. It also shows in the Democratic Party's age-old deceit about tax cuts and debt.

Immigration And Poverty

The US' immigration approach is considered humane in allowing millions of low-skilled people in - but the problem is that approach has failed to actually accomplish anything.

Obama's Clean Power Plan A Failure

Obama and the EPA got it wrong - again - about clean power.

Kevin Spacey And Identity Politics

 Actor Kevin Spacey is known for the series House Of Cards and has had an acting career that began in the 1980s in series such as The Equalizer, Crime Story, and Wiseguy.   His career kept advancing in the 1990s and beyond.

Now he stands accused of molesting actor Anthony Rapp - best known for Star Trek: Discovery and also for his turn as medical criminal twin Matthew Spevak in SVU: Bound with Jane Krakowski - when Rapp was fourteen.   Spacey in essence confirmed he did molest Rapp, and then cloaked it by announcing he is gay. It is a defense reminiscent of former New Jersey governor Jim McGreevey, who resigned in 2004 to avoid going to jail in an extortion scheme involving his ex-lover, and tried to cover his ass about it by claiming "I am gay."

Spacey's quasi-covert admission to molestation of a minor serves as a striking metaphor for Hollywood and also the entire movement of identity politics - stop being mean to me, because I'm (insert PC identity here).   For Hillary Clinton it is always stop being mean to me, I'm a woman.   Spacey now uses being gay as an excuse - you have no right to judge me, because I'm gay - and it's more telling about perverted lifestyles than he's letting on -  a fact that may drive some of the backlash he's been getting for it.

The famous Martin Luther King Jr. statement where he discusses judging people not by the color of their skin but by the content of their character works both ways - Kevin Spacey wants to use being gay as an entitlement just as Hillary Clinton wants being a woman to be her entitlement.   This is the heart of identity politics - using what one is as entitlement.

Except entitlement has no place in life.    Not for Hillary Clinton, not for Kevin Spacey, no one.

Monday, October 30, 2017

No Forfeits Allowed In Week Nine






The Texans game at the Seahawks became Game Of The Week, and it started as such for all the wrong reasons.   An ESPN piece quoted team owner Bob McNair during a league meeting saying, "We can't have the inmates running the prison."   There is literally nothing in his statement that is an attack on anyone, yet media coverage enflamed idiotic player fury to where forty players kneeled for the Anthem to protest McNair's statement.   That players took offense at McNair's statement did nothing but prove him correct.   The players' protest was an incredibly petulant hissy-fit, the kind of mob rule he is speaking against - making it worse is players wanted to tear off the team logo from their helmets until someone got through to these dimbulb divas that it would thus forfeit the game - and further disproves the legitimacy of the whole Anthem protest movement.  

What followed in the actual game then showcased football at its best.   Deshaun Watson overcame three INTs and getting sacked five times to reach 402 yards and four touchdowns in shredding the increasingly-overrated Seahawks defense, which got torched by the Titans for 420 yards of offense and 33 points.   Russell Wilson erupted to a Seahawks-record 452-plus yards and whipped the winning score in the final thirty seconds.   The 41-38 win keeps the Seahawks in the NFC West race and makes Houston's AFC South chances all the harder  - especially when Houston failed to record a first down in the final two minutes - with Tennessee still leading the division despite being on their bye week. 





And then NFL trade deadline week turned upside down with the first volley rifled from a team on their bye - the New England Patriots.   They traded Jimmy Garoppolo, always believed to be the heir-apparent to (longtime Niners fan) Tom Brady, to the Niners for a second-round pick.  


With all that we delve into Week Nine's affairs -




Bills over NY Jets  -
More and more the Bills look for real.   Though subpar in overall offense (just 15th in scoring) they began to change that in their win over the Raiders while their defense (fourth in points) embarrassed the Raiders.   They take on a Jets team in the bottom half on both sides of the ball and coming off a loss to the slumping Falcons.   


Eagles over Broncos - The 7-1 Eagles meanwhile are making an ever-stronger case for themselves and they get a Broncos team that clearly has has fallen to 3-4.   Carson Wentz is showing the growth needed to reach another level as a quarterback while it is obvious from another irrelevant performance in Kansas City (lowlighted by checkdown throws on the final possession) that Trevor Siemian's NFL career is becoming a failure.


Texans over Colts - Remember when the Colts owned the Houston Texans?  Forget it.   Even with good play by Jacoby Brissett the Colts simply are no longer a playoff team and may not even reach six wins.   The Texans meanwhile have a quarterback who already looks better than Andrew Luck was and after scoring 38 against the Seahawks taking on the Colts should be relative child's play.  The caveat, though, is some questionable playcalling by Bill O'Brien in the Seattle loss.   


Rams over NY Giants  - The turnaround of the Rams remains one of the stories of the season as they lead the league in scoring and are tenth in points allowed, and the biggest irony is the Rams are just 1-2 at home and 4-0 on the road.   They hit the road again off their bye at MetLife Stadium, where the Giants are 0-3 and just 30th in scoring.  


Titans over Ravens -  This is one of the tightest rivalries in the NFL.   The Ravens lead the series 10-9, two of the wins playoff wins, and the last six games have been a 3-3 split by a combined score of 107-94 Tennessee.   The Ravens defense is sixth in points though is giving up the same yards per pass (5.4) as is being delivered by Joe Flacco while the run defense is giving up 4.2 yards per carry.   They have to deal with a Titans run game generating 4.4 YPC and Tennessee's run defense is limiting teams to 3.6 YPC.   Tennessee's 27th in points allowed (24 and change per game) is a little inflated by the 57-point beatdown they got in the first game with Houston; 19 points allowed in their other six games is the Titans' allowance on defense.   Turnover differential - 0 - is likewise skewed by the Houston game, as Tennessee has plus-5 in turnover differential the rest of the season, the same as Baltimore's all season with seven takeaways the last five games and no giveaways the last two.   Where the Titans appear to have the edge is in Marcus Mariota's 7.4 yards per pass to the above-mentioned 5.4 of Flacco.





Panthers over Falcons -  Both teams look more like walking wounded than playoff contenders, but both are coming off needed wins.   Cam Newton's postgame petulance has become an issue while the Falcons' disastrous encounters with AFC East teams haunted them going into MetLife Stadium against the Jets.   The Falcons have won the last three meetings with the Panthers and have beaten all their NFC foes to date, but the Panthers appear to have regained more momentum right now.


Jaguars over Bengals -  The Bengals defeated the Colts, but the Colts now have become what the Jaguars have been for over five years before this.   Jacksonville's defense has become legit and the inconsistency of the offense has nonetheless been enough to put the Jaguars in the AFC South race.   One simply doesn't have the confidence that Andy Dalton can improve anymore to become what the Bengals need, while the ballyhooed rookie running back race is being won by Leonard Fournette over Joe Mixon.


Saints over Buccaneers -  We weren't expecting this.   The Saints have rallied from being a perennial 7-9 team to genuine NFC South contender while the Bucs have faltered to 2-4 and despite leading the league in passing yards per game Jameis Winston hasn't yet taken another step forward.   Hurting the Bucs' chances more is being 0-3 on the road to date.


49ers over Cardinals -  Trading for Garoppolo makes all the sense in the world because 0-8 is a dubious "achievement" for the 49ers and their competitiveness took back-to-back blows in ugly losses to NFC East teams.   Here though they host a Cardinals team whose quarterback, Carson Palmer, is on IR until Christmas Eve.   Right now we think Garoppolo may start this game; he gets a Niners run game at 4.3 YPC, which isn't bad, though stuck in the bottom third in the league.   Arizona's run game is now led by a resurgent Adrian Peterson, and right now that may be what they need to depend on.


Seahawks over Redskins -  The Seahawks continue to hold serve at home and despite Houston's imitation of Seahawks radio analyst Warren Moon, the Seahawks still lead the league in points allowed.   The 38 points given up to Houston, though, should encourage teams that Seattle's defense is vulnerable.   The Redskins, however, don't appear to be a team that can exploit weaknesses.


Chiefs over Cowboys -  The Boys got back in town against the Skins but Andy Reid has still shown magic against his former division and regained momentum with Monday Night's beating of the faltering Broncos.


Raiders over Dolphins  -  The Dolphins took a massive blow in getting obliterated 40-0, a game so bad Adam Gase said in so many words "we stink."   The Raiders come in needing to regain momentum after five losses in their last six games, and Derek Carr is all too obviously the better of the dueling quarterbacks. 




Packers over Lions -  The Lions will not make the playoffs.  Period.   They face a quality opponent and they lose, having done so again against the Steelers.   We're not sure the Packers are a quality foe right now but they're at home and they face a Lions team demoralized by four losses in their last five games. 



So it goes as we await more trade deadline surprises.

Tax Cuts Benefit Those Who Pay The Most

The myth of tax cuts for the rich persists despite reality.

Thursday, October 26, 2017

Islamic Head Coverings And Violence

Islam makes people - especially women - wear suffocating head covers - burkas and hijabs - as a form of social control. Quebec is pushing Bill 62, which bans such oppressive head coverings when giving or receiving government services. Predictably, liberals call it racist - proving anew they don't know the meaning of the word and also don't know jack that we're NOT "one human family."

The Democrats' Russia Scandal

The Russia scandal isn't about Donald Trump - it's about Hillary Clinton giving Russia access to nuclear material and about Barack Obama openly enabling it with media connivance. Related to this is Hillary Clinton's collusion with the FBI to smear Trump.

Islamic Bullies Get Comeuppance In Raqqa

The defeat of Daesh/ISIS at Raqqa showcases how bullies fail when their victims and others fight back/

Wednesday, October 25, 2017

The Phoniness Of Megyn Kelly

Broadcaster Megyn Kelly was once a rising force on television but now has seen her career all but disintegrate - and it's happening because of her manipulative approach to life. She fights for the fraud that is "feminism."

The Dishonesty Of Liz Warren Rages On

US Senator Elizabeth Warren lied about being an Indian in order to get favoritism in college and elsewhere. Now she claims she was assaulted by a law teacher in the 1970s - except she spoke at his funeral in 1997 and the man was incapable of anything at the time she claimed to have been assaulted.

France Gets The Worst Of All Worlds

A trial for a multiple murder five years ago by an Islamic savage in two towns in France - Montauban and Toulouse - illustrates the worst of all worlds in France - antisemitism, Islamo-Arab Imperialism, and family violence.

The Self-Defeat Of "Asymmetric Polarization"

The Democratic Party is insisting on becoming more and more deranged and of course no longer talk about "the crisis of 'asymmetric polarization'" - the notion of one party radicalizing when the other does not - because they don't want to admit to instigating polarization.

Tuesday, October 24, 2017

Debunking Some Myths About Slavery

A piece notes mythology about slavery and how it was handled in the 18th century and also today.

The Flake Of Trump Hatred

Jeff Flake gave a stupid speech saying he won't seek reelection and used it to attack Trump - because Trump showed him up. Flake has missed what is actually happening in the world.

More On NASCAR's Spending Cap

Jeff Gluck visited F1's USGP and among the items he covers is a talk with Gene Haas, involved in both NASCAR and F1, where he notes a spending cap in NASCAR can work.

Why Men Are Horny For Women

"Higher education" does little to educate, especially when it attacks "misogyny." To correct elitist snobbery about why men love women, a list is presented.

The Continuing War Of Elites Against Populists

US division is easy to figure out. "If Trump never existed, he would have to be invented." It also shows in MSNBC's ugly attack on General John Kelly.

What The NFL Ate For Week Eight


The NFL has gone through Week Seven and now wants to feast on Week Eight.   Our picks below........





The Atlanta Falcons were outclassed in every sense by the Patriots on an inexplicable Color Rush Sunday.   The Patriots' reputation for improving their weaknesses as the season goes on continued with a return to fundamentals and with an ever-improving defense while Steve Sarkisian of the Falcons is coming under fire for playcalling.






Dolphins over Ravens The Sports Business Journal's recent reportage suggests TV networks have lost interest in the NFL's Thursday Night concept, interesting as Thursday Night games have finally begun to erupt in competitive power.  For this Thursday Night the Dolphins travel to Baltimore.  They surprised the NY Jets with a dramatic comeback win, and in Matt Moore they have a quarterback who isn't long-term starter material but is better than the inept Jay Cutler.   The Dolphins now face a Ravens team that is faltering - four losses in their last five games, just 310 yards from Joe Flacco in the last two games.






Vikings over Browns, Twickenham, UK -  Here is all you need to know about the Browns - DeShone Kizer blew off curfew to bar-hop before the Titans game and coach Hue Jackson was surprised to learn this.   Following two INTs against the Titans Kizer's career already looks like yet another Browns failure. 

Something else you need to know - this new Twickenham Stadium was built with some financing from the NFL - indicating the NFL is serious about forming a team in England despite little evidence of fan support and also with Sports Business Journal reportage suggesting the networks don't particularly like the England games, either.


Bengals over Colts -  Neither team looks to impress going into this game - the Colts already have five losses (and are 0-3 on the road) and Jacoby Brissett has played decently but that's it; Indy's only wins so far have come against two winless teams.  The Bengals come in with just one home win and eight INTs by Andy Dalton - reflective of the downfall of the AFC North.


Saints over Bears -   The NFC South now looks to be becoming the Saints' playground again, though at 1-1 their home record isn't exactly home cooking.  Both are midpack on defense but the Saints have the positive turnover differential at plus-5; the caveat here though is they've coughed up five turnovers in their last two games.   The Bears come in having won three of their last five and Mitchell Trubisky is 2-1 as starter despite an alarmingly poor 50% completion. 






The last time the Falcons faced the NY Jets was on Monday Night in 2013 and it turned into one of the wildest games of that season

NY Jets over Falcons -  The Falcons' only win over an AFC East team in their last seven such games was Week 13 of 2013, a 34-31 overtime win over the Bills.   They thus take a 1-6 record against AFC East teams to MetLife Stadium and a Jets team that isn't the Same Old Jets - these Jets have proven to be fighters even with a streaky 3-4 record, two losses then three straight wins and now losses in their last two games.   The Falcons in contrast are proving not to be fighters - Julio Jones curled up against the Patriots secondary until garbage time and there was even some sniping claiming the Patriots artificially pumped in fog (?!?!).   







Buccaneers over Panthers -  The Bucs come off a bitterly fought loss at Buffalo in which they put up 27 points on the defense fourth in fewest points allowed.   The Bucs' recent problem has been gagging up five turnovers their last two games; in contrast the Bills have turned the ball over just three times all season.   The Panthers meanwhile have clawed to a 4-3 start but have gagged up eleven turnovers led by Cam Newton's ten INTs.   The Bucs need this win to get back into what is still a logjam of an NFC South race.











The Raiders-Chiefs shootout will go down as one of the most astonishing games anyone has ever seen.

Raiders over Bills -   The O/U for this game is 45; we think the Over will prevail; both teams have shown genuine fight.   Buffalo is 3-0 at home vs. Oakland's 1-2 road record.  The wildcard is Oakland's spectacular and bizarre comeback win over the Chiefs, who'd beaten them seven of the previous eight meetings including five straight; wins like that tend to spark a rally.   The last four meetings between the two have been competitive affairs highlighted by 2011's spectacular comeback win by the Bills.   The return of Derek Carr has been key to the Raiders.






Marshawn Lynch won't be available for this game against the team that drafted him, and it's an indication of his irrelevance to the Raiders that Oakland pulled off the comeback after he was ejected. 





The irony is the ejection harkened back to old-school Al Davis muggery and the old school of the Raiders and Chiefs rivalry.






Patriots over Chargers  -  A curious stat in this rivalry is eighteen of forty career meetings have been won by the road team.   It is worth mentioning because the Chargers are not the same old Chargers that lost twenty-three games in 2015-16.  The Chargers have won three straight and forced seven turnovers in that span, and they haven't faced the Patriots since 2014.   The Patriots, though, continue to adapt to the season and win accordingly with Johnson Bademosi becoming the latest out-of-nowhere star to emerge in the New England defensive backfield. 





Carson Wentz exploded against the Redskins

Eagles over 49ers -  The Eagles take on a winless Niners team that showed fight most of the season before getting obliterated by the Cowboys.   The Niners are bottom-seven in scoring and points allowed, minus-Two in turnover differential (the Eagles in contrast are plus-Four), and now have put rookie CJ Beathard into the breech; his rawness is obvious at just 55% completion.   San Francisco's rebuild will drone on for awhile here.







Texans over Seahawks -   The Seahawks pulled off a stunner in a rare road win at the NY Giants - even more stunning is they have won back-to-back road games, their history the last two decades being that of a dominant home team (their last home lass was 2015 vs the Rams) and a weak road team - but now host a Texans team rejuvenated as no one expected by rookie sensation Deshaun Watson.   The Texans are third in scoring as they face Seattle's top-ranked defense, but the Seahawks even with the back-to-back road wins still have issues of breakdown in discipline after Doug Baldwin's bitchfest against the Seahawks' O-line coach and then with Russell Wilson, plus of their two AFC South opponents so far they beat the collapsing Colts and got shot down by a surging Titans team.   We don't think this Texans team will be the pushover the Colts were.


Cowboys over Redskins -  It's Cowboys vs Redskins again.  Of Washington's sixty-eight career losses to the Cowboys twenty-eight of them have come the last twenty seasons, and they're presently 0-2 against Dak Prescott.   The margin of those two games, though, leaves no room for complacency for the Cowboys as neither team is all that hot on defense (both in the bottom twelve in points allowed) while the Skins are noticeably behind the Boys in scoring (eleventh to Dallas' sixth).   


Steelers over Lions - Against quality opponents the Lions simply don't elevate their game and the last time they beat the Steelers was the controversial Thanksgiving Day affair of 1998.   At present the 3-3 Lions are eighth in scoring and 28th in points allowed despite a helluva rally at New Orleans last time out.   The Steelers have won their last two and put up over 400 yards in both. 





Tiki Barber puts Trevor Siemian's struggle on playcalling

Chiefs over Broncos - The Chiefs have lost back-to-back affairs but get a Broncos team that has now lost three of its last four games despite still being ninth in points allowed.   More and more it appears Trevor Langan of the TV series Law and Order: Special Victims Unit would be a better quarterback than Trevor Siemian and his seven INTs, part of twelve turnovers gagged up by the Broncos (and presently minus-Eight in turnover differential).  The Chiefs are plus-Seven in turnover differential, haven't gagged up the ball since Week One, and are still second in scoring led by Alex Smith's fifteen touchdowns and completion percentage at 72%.


We thus await Week Eight.

Monday, October 23, 2017

Friday, October 20, 2017

What Trump Actually Said

A firestorm erupted when Frederica Wilson, a Democratic congresswoman, claimed Donald Trump belittled the family of a slain soldier by dismissively saying, "He knew the risks."   Checking around, this appears to be what Trump actually said -


"They know the risks. They know what they sign up for, and yet they still volunteer to put their lives on the line for their fellow Americans. We owe them a debt that can never be repaid."


The shoddy reputation of media coverage of Trump has steadily escalated for well over a year and Trump Derangement has become ever more vicious. And in Frederica Wilson we may have reached a new low of derangement.

Thursday, October 19, 2017

Still In Denial Of State Sanction Of Islamic Terrorism

Iraq took over Al Qaida and launched international terrorist attacks through it. This is fact. So is Iran's sponsorship of Al Qaida, yet the Obama Administration insisted on lying to deny it.

How Feminism Enabled Harvey Weinstein

Sexual predators tend to be Democrats - shown in the percentage of liberal causes supported by known rapists such as Harvey Weinstein and Bill Clinton. Feminism helped enable that mindset and the larger baby boomer culture did so to an even greater extent. Now it is exploding, as it enabled sexual exploitation in the name of "liberation," and now attacks those who see the contradiction.

Of course sexual exploitation in Hollywood has spanned the place's entire history and illustrates the nonexistence of sincerity or credibility of Hollywood lectures to where (thanks to a sick level of ambition) even victims expose themselves as enablers. Among the worst is the irresponsible Ashley Judd. Among Weinstein's other enablers is the sanctimonious Meryl Streep - defender of child rapist Roman Polanski as well as one who worshipped Weinstein - and attorney Lisa Bloom.

Trump And Islamic Imperialism

Trump changed rules of engagement against the Islamic enemy - and it is paying off.

The Sham Of Diversity At Work

Diversity proves it doesn't work in hard sciences.

Wednesday, October 18, 2017

A Look At News Media Leftism

Video publisher James O'Keefe has been presenting video stories on the fraudulence of the NY Times. His latest - an interview with a senior staff editor - is revelatory about the Times and the larger news media.

The Myth Of Sameness

A conceit in Identity Politics is "we're all the same." No, we aren't.

The Myth Of Owing Obama

Nine months in the Mainstream Media's idiocy about Donald Trump continues as it acts as if he owes something to his predecessor.

The Self-Entitlement Of Colin Kaepernick

Colin Kaepernick has been carrying himself as a narcisstic brat and his suit against the NFL shows again his contempt for truth.

Judges Break The Law Again

Donald Trump's travel ban for Islamo-Arab Imperial states has been attacked twice by federal judges - and their rationale is all wrong.

Fossil Fuels‎ Are Here to Stay

First a repost from June 30, 2015:
Fossil Fuels‎ Are Here to Stay because they work, better than alternatives.

Next we show how market forces and fossil fuels create modern infrastructures and how this helps defeat the worst of natural disasters.

A Sober Perspective On Hollywood Fame

The myth is spread that more people will come out against sexual harassment in the wake of Harvey Weinstein's exposure as a serial rapist. History, however, indicates that won't happen because of the incentivization of cowardice there.

Trump Fights Obamacare Fire With Fire

Barack Obama has been hoist with his own Obamacare petard as Trump attacks the core failure of Obamacare.

Monday, October 16, 2017

NFL Elects Rod Serling Before Week Seven





Tennessee ended a drought of eleven games against the Colts - and ended it emphatically - one of numerous games that made Week Six the most eye-popping NFL week in awhile


It was The Twilight Zone not just at Talladega the second weekend of October; Rod Serling was visiting NFL stadiums galore in Week Six.   Every year at least one week piles up bizarre finishes, eye-popping upsets, and other such weirdness.    Such was the case in Week Six as we look forward to Week Seven -





The call that will explode a lot of minds was The Whatfumble, the ruling that Austin Sefarian-Jenkins' bobble as he hit the pylon against the Patriots constituted a fumble and resultant touchback.   The league's definition of possession has long needed to be changed to give the receiver benefit of the doubt and this controversy shows anew why.


Chiefs over Raiders -   The Raiders are now in trouble as Derek Carr has been banged up and much-touted signee Marshawn Lynch is only 3.4 yards per carry for the Raiders offense.   Kansas City comes in smarting from yet another loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers while the Raiders have now lost four straight.





Panthers over Bears -  The Bears got a needed win against the mediocre Ravens while the Panthers are smarting from Cam Newton's multiple INTs against the Eagles.   The Bears, though, had to bust open the trick play book to help them against the Ravens and we doubt that will continue this week.





Titans over Browns -  Marcus Mariota's comeback from a hamstring issue happened with a comeback win over the Colts.  For the Browns the benching of DeShone Kizer screams that the Browns' season is already dead; this matchup, though, has been favorable to the Browns from 2001 onward.  








Saints over Packers - Aaron Rodgers broke his collarbone the last time the Packers' non-conference rotation swung through the AFC North, and it's happened again.   He'd pulled off the rarest of rarities in his career - he'd beaten Cincinnati and Dallas from down two-plus scores, putting him at six career such wins in thirty-eight chances - and it would seem karma struck again with his recent broken collarbone, to where he may be out for the season, this as a rejuvenated Saints squad comes to The House That Curly Lambeau Built off a 52-point eruption against the Lions.  






NY Jets over Dolphins -  The Falcons raced to a multi-touchdown lead over an AFC East opponent - and the result was something of a repeat of the worst defeat in Falcons history.   In fact the Falcons are 1-6 in their last seven meetings with AFC East teams.   This may not help the Dolphins as they host a Jets team that already beat them this year and is livid over the touchback call in their game against the Patriots, this with the AFC East still a four-team logjam.  






Rams over Cardinals, London - The Cardinals traded for Adrian Peterson and Peterson immediately elevated their running game.   They face a Rams team off a win at Jacksonville that has proven well ahead of last season's subpar outfit.   The most improved quarterback in the league may be Jared Goff, while one is still suspicious of an aging Carson Palmer.


Bills over Buccaneers - Jameis Winston was knocked out of the game at Arizona with a shoulder problem; it appears not to be long-lasting, but even with a healthy Winston the Bucs face a Bills defense that has picked off opponent quarterbacks eight times so far.   Buffalo's offensive struggles, though, haven't yet been solved - a paltry 5.4 net yards per pass and 3.4 yards per carry as they challenge a Bucs team 12th in scoring and averaging 8.25 yards per pass and 3.9 yards per carry.






Vikings over Ravens - The Vikings got a big boost of a win over the hated Packers and now get the radically inconsistent Ravens next off their bitter loss to the Bears.  Joe Flacco's deterioration as a quarterback has continued with eight INTs and a miserable 5.4 yards per pass attempt.   In contrast Case Keenum has begun to build something in Minnesota, boasting five touchdowns and just one pick in four starts.


Steelers over Bengals - Cincinnati has never done well against the Steelers in the Marvin Lewis era (just 8-23 in that span).  Andy Dalton has accounted for just three such wins and while the Bengals have shown improvement since changing coordinators nothing has worked in the past fifteen seasons, this even as the Steelers look like the same overrated gang they've been for years.


Colts over Jaguars - Rumor Control Central claimed the Giants would trade Eli Manning to Tom Coughlin in Jacksonville; we doubt that will happen now.   The Jaguars still have Blake Bortles but Bortles hasn't shown the improvement perceived of him at the start of the season, and the Colts are only one game out in an AFC South like the AFC East sitting as a four-way logjam.


Cowboys over 49ers -  The 49ers are fighting, that's clear especially with bitter losses to the Rams, Cardinals, Colts, and Redskins, but at 0-6 they need a win to spark some kind of consistency, and they get a Cowboys team that's in something of a must-win environment itself at just 2-3.


Chargers over Broncos - Suddenly the AFC West may be changing.   The Chiefs losing to the Steelers continued a trend (2-7 vs the Steelers since Dick Vermeil retired) while the Broncos got upended by the formerly-winless NY Giants and now look decidedly vulnerable with a defense that teams may no longer be scared of (the vaunted No Fly Zone has allowed nine touchdown passes) and a less-than-inspiring offense with eight touchdowns and six INTs by Trevor Siemian.   San Diego meanwhile has won its last two games after four losses, three of them bitterly close affairs, and the confluence of trends bodes well for the Chargers.


NY Giants over Seahawks  -  The Seahawks have lost seven road games with one tie in the last two seasons and come out of their bye going to face a rejuvenated Giants squad.   With injury knocking out all the diva receivers, the Giants have hit something unexpected - yet familiar with their 2007 season when loudmouthed Jeremy Shockey was unavailable for their stretch run and the team got better as a result.   With players who seem to be paying attention to Eli, the Giants suddenly look like a different team, while the Seahawks still look like the bubbling cauldron that can win at home but not on the road.






Patriots over Falcons - The comeback win in the Superbowl will be replayed all week before this game and it is doubly bitter for the Falcons after blowing a 17-0 gap to the Dolphins.   New England's defense has come under fire all season and even with victories where they didn't allow 20 points scored seemingly no one believes in the Patriots defense. The problem is the Patriots defense is anything but the paper tigers they're being portrayed as, and after the demolition of Denver's vaunted defense the criticism lacks a certain sting.   The Patriots offense is strong but the lack of production from Dwayne Allen remains disconcerting and Brandin Cooks has produced but the Patriots haven't yet gotten out of the Edelman Offense they want to run and Cooks is not that kind of receiver.   The return of Gronkowski is welcome for New England and there is need for Jacob Hollister and Philip Dorsett to be integrated more into the offense.  


Eagles over Redskins -  A battle for the lead in the NFC East, the Skins come to Lincoln Financial Field two games out of the lead and after a bruising win over the 49ers.    Carson Wentz so far has hit thirteen touchdowns and LeGarrette Blount is at 5.6 yards per carry; curiously veteran TE Brent Celek has been all but phased out of the offense with just two catches.   Defensively the Eagles are ninth in points allowed.   The Skins come in midpack on both sides of the ball but have cleaned up the turnover problem that plagued them in Week One and Kirk Cousins' 106.4 passer rating (to Wentz's 99.6) comes wrapped in nine scores to just two INTs.   We expect a closer affair than Week One's mini-blowout.



So we await lucky Seven.

Sunday, October 15, 2017

Chaos Is Kez And Kligerman At Talladega

The 2017 Diehard 500 weekend at Talladega lived up to its reputation for attrition and exciting racing, yet no doubt no one will be happy from this one thanks to even more crashes than usual.   When it was over Parker Kligerman lived up to the track's former reputation for darkhorse champs and Brad Keselowski kept building his Talladega win total.





The Freds 250 was bizarre in that everyone ran single file for the first two segments then suddenly figured out how to push-draft and thus began hammering for the lead.  Parker Kligerman stormed into the fray, having won here in 2012 - his only other Truck Series win.  The continuing idiocy of NASCAR's yellow line rule showed in Kligerman's late pass and the fact it was even debated as to whether there was any justification for a penalty.   Kligerman fought off a last-lap challenge before Noah Gragson swerved into the top five and the result was the race-ending melee.   The win was especially enjoyable given the Charlie Henderson #75 is one of the smaller teams, finally able to give the finger to the larger outfits.   It was also enjoyable seeing Grant Enfinger in the Curb-backed #98 slugging it out.





The Diehard 500 showcased the downside to segment racing and the overall Chase concept - teams were more concerned with outstrategizing each other - and the scheduled segment yellows - as opposed to going for the lead.    Brad Keselowski was able to steal Segment One and then stole the race win.




Cody Coughlin's crash.





Over 75% of the field crashed out of the Alabama 500 - yet no crash was inevitable; they were all caused by certain foolish moves by drivers; Chase Elliott won the Ernie Irvan Dimbulb Of The Race award and raised more questions about whether he's really capable of winning.  

The race also showed anew the weakness of NASCAR's suppression of push-drafting at the Cup level, as passing the leader was almost impossible and the need for the push-draft was glaring all race. 


Interesting as well is this weekend came after Tommy Joe Martins' interesting treatise on team economics in the context of NASCAR's TV deal.   The issue of costs would be less burdensome by smarter team spending and application by the sanctioning body of TV deal money.  



But the standout issue is how hard passing was - all the result of NASCAR's crackdown on push-drafting.   It was far less an issue in the Trucks as the drivers finally started getting serious about it, and it showed why racing needs push-drafting, by far the strongest power to pass conceivable in motorsports. 

With so many darkhorses in contention note is worth being given to Aric Almirola's fifth place, this despite struggling all race to where the #43 seemed not up to pulling up to anyone or pushing anyone; the melees were the proverbial Red Sea parting.   His third top-five in a plate race this season is a needed balm for the Petty team preparing for 2018; it is worth noting presumptive 2018 driver Darrell Wallace ran stout in his one plate start in the #43 in July.


So ends the Talladega weekend and the sport's latest surge into Talladega's Twilight Zone. 

Tuesday, October 10, 2017

Harvey Weinstein, Rapist






Media mogul and - natch - Democratic Party high-roller Harvey Weinstein has been exposed as a rapist. His many Hollywood friends did not speak out about it until he was outed by - of all people - the New York Times. So it begs the question of what they knew. It also begs the question of how much people sold out themselves to cover up for him. It's also a telling comment about lack of accountability in Hollywood (notably with windbags like George Clooney) and with leftism and the Democratic Party in general (Weinstein paid Bill Clinton's legal fees, and his fate is shared with Hillary's). But then the Democratic Party's moral relativism - and Michelle Goldberg shows this moral relativism in a repellent NY Times piece lying about Republicans - remains spelled Kennedy.

Ronan Farrow is one of the few - perhaps only - heroes in this Whitey Bulger-esque fiasco, especially as we now find out how Weinstein wrote enabling of his sexual predation into his employment contract.

And BTW leftwinger Ben Affleck - aka Ben Asskiss - is being exposed as well while being completely overlooked is director - and child-molester - Bryan Singer. Also being exposed - again - is the fraudulence of NBC News.

Wednesday, October 04, 2017

The Gun Control Fraud

Gun control is a fraud issue long discredited by history and yet grandstanding (notably by alleged comedian Jimmy Kimmel) continues for it. Gun control needs to die.

Remembering Robert Yates

We remember Robert Yates, master engine builder and team owner -



1969 Grand National recap with American 500





1971 Yankee 400, MRN call

One of nine children to Reverend John Clyde Yates, Robert raced dragsters out of the Charlotte, NC area as a youth in the 1950s, graduated from Wilson Technical College with a degree in mechanical engineering.  He began working with Holman-Moody Racing and by the latter 1960s he was part of a two-time championship organization.  

In 1971 Bobby Allison joined the team, bringing much-needed Coca-Cola sponsorship with him.   The Holman-Moody team erupted that year with Yates horsepower.






A brawl between owners John Holman and Ralph Moody tore apart their team at the end of 1971.   For 1972 Bobby Allison was asked by Junior Johnson, his race team now under ownership of Charlotte Motor Speedway president Richard Howard, to bring his Coca-Cola sponsorship to the new Chevrolet team, and former Holman-Moody engine builder Yates was hired as well.   The result was one of the most spectacular performances in NASCAR history as Allison erupted to ten wins and over 4,300 laps led.



The highlight of Allison and Yates' 1972 season was the Southern 500 and a spirited fight with David Pearson



Cale Yarborough took over the Junior Johnson Chevy in 1973 and won back-to-back Southern 500s, part of seventeen wins for Cale in the 1973-75 period



Yates was Junior's engine builder until 1976.   In August of that year he was hired by a team in its fourth season of existence - DiGard Racing.   After DiGard opened a new shop in Charlotte- having spent its first four seasons based in Daytona Beach near the speedway - the team with Darrell Waltrip as driver and a lucrative sponsorship from Gatorade - success began to arrive.   The 1977 Winston 500 was one of the first explosive triumphs for the DiGard team.  




Waltrip won twice with DiGard before the team hired Robert Yates, but from Yates' hiring as engine builder Waltrip erupted to twenty-four wins and a bitterly close 1979 championship bid.   The most celebrated win of that season was his Rebel 500 shootout win.





Waltrip got into a bitter contract fight with DiGard and left after 1980, and after a winless 1981 with Ricky Rudd the team signed Bobby Allison, who exploded to win the Daytona 500 in his first start in the Gatorade 88.   Allison had a marvelous 1982 season with eight wins, including Pocono's wildly fought Mountain Dew 500.  





Six more wins and the title followed in 1983 - but it was the beginning of the end for DiGard.   "If there is such a thing as excess money, we had it," Yates once said.   The team won twice in 1984 and just once in 1985.




Robert Yates engines did win two more races in 1984, with the slapped-together Curb Motorsports team, which was supposed to be amalgamated into Rahmoc Racing, a deal that fell apart at the last hour.   Yates supplied the engines for the Curb Motorsports team but on the morning of the 1984 Firecracker DiGard tried to seize the engine the team had in a fight over payments; Richard Petty paid Yates for the engine and wound up edging Cale Yarborough for the win, his 200th.





Yates left DiGard in 1986 and was hired by Harry Ranier's #28 team for 1987; Lorin Ranier lobbied for rookie driver Davey Allison, a driver Yates initially didn't want.   Allison was nonetheless signed and erupted to four victories in his first two seasons.   Late in 1988 Yates purchased the Ranier team and became a full-fledged team owner, and his first win was the 1989 Winston 500.




Despite success the Yates team went through several crew chiefs, including Yates' old Holman-Moody teammate Jake Elder, seen here in the 1990 Summer 500 at Pocono




By 1991 Yates and Allison had won eight times together, but it wasn't until Larry McReynolds quit Kenny Bernstein's team and was hired by Yates that the combination began storming to another level, shown in 1991's eye-popping Michigan 400 shootout.   Their 1992 became their most famous and most heartbreaking, but it only got worse - Davey was killed in 1993,a tragedy that nearly ended the team; everyone pulled themselves together and by September that year Yates and Ford succeeded in picking up former Chevrolet driver Ernie Irvan.




Irvan erupted to win five times in 1993-94 with Yates' #28, but a near-fatal crash at Michigan derailed their season and Irvan would not return for over a year.




Dale Jarrett subbed for Irvan in 1995 and rather than let him go, Yates formed a second car for Jarrett, and with it Jarrett seized control of the team, winning some twenty-five times and the 1999 title.    Irvan left after the 1997 season and one final win - ironically at Michigan.   The Yates team then wasted two seasons with Kenny Irwin in their #28 before signing Ricky Rudd for a three-season span and three wins.




But the sport's economics would no longer work for the team as the decade from 2000 onward went, and declining competitiveness made crashes hurt worse, such as Elliott Sadler's Talladega flip.   The sad part is Sadler broke through with two wins in 2004.




By the end of 2008 the end of Robert Yates Racing was looming, one of several teams either erased or forced into marriage with other organizations.   Doug Yates, Robert's son, merged the engine shop into Roush Racing's organization and Robert had retired.  

So has ended the story of perhaps the most gifted engine builder racing has seen, and the legacy is one Yates and racing can be proud of.

Tuesday, October 03, 2017

The Myth Of Accidental War

Victor Hanson debunks the myth of "accidental war" in the wake of criticism of Donald Trump's criticism of North Korea..

Week Four Hits The Floor As Week Five Hopes To Dive


Week Four, like most NFL weeks, didn't go "according to plan" and now "the plan" will need adjustment going forward.




The Patriots' defensive struggles this season have drawn the most attention because they are all but dead last in points allowed and breakdowns have drawn heavy attention, notably by defensive back Stephon Gilmore and dismal technique against the Panthers that got him benched for the start of the second half of that game until injury to Eric Rowe forced him back into the field.  Gilmore issues date to his last season in Buffalo where he criticized teammates following the Bills' 41-25 loss to the Patriots.    But issues go well beyond Gilmore and bring to mind the demotion of Malcolm Butler for freelancing in the first two games.   The term "communication issues" has become a cliche but it nonetheless indicates these are correctable problems - something the Patriots do better than the rest of the league.



Patriots over Buccaneers -  This looks like a shaky pick given the short turnaround time for the Patriots and the fact the Bucs are playing well overall.   At 2-1 the Bucs are top-16 on both sides of the ball and Jameis Winston has been solid.   The Patriots will likely have another high-scorer of a game here and we expect some more discipline on defense - Butler and Gilmore already got benched for freelancing once, and they'll get it again if they don't do what they're told.


49ers over Colts -  The 49ers come off a heartbreaker of an overtime loss and have only scored nine points a game outside of the explosion against the Rams - and are in the bottom quarter on both sides of the ball - but they get a Colts team even worse, especially against NFC West teams where they've given up 46 points twice already.   Andrew Luck is supposed to return to practice, but at this point does it really matter?


NY Jets over Browns - Forget Suck For Sam - the Jets are tied for second in the AFC East despite being 21st on both sides of the ball, and put up 471 yards against the Jaguars.   Having already surpassed the number of wins that would make having the draft pick needed for Sam Darnold feasible, the Jets now realistically have to ride as forward as they can, getting the winless - again - Browns, a team punchless on offense.


Steelers over Jaguars -  The first two weeks are now history a Steelers team second in points allowed (yet just 18th in scoring) hosts their former AFC Central mates in the Jaguars.   The Jags have become a lot better than they've been the last five-plus years and are in the top-six on both sides of the ball; this may be a tighter game than the oddsmakers presently think.


NY Giants over Chargers -  By now it's almost a fait accompli that San Diego will get the Chargers back; fir this week the winless Chargers have to fly to East Rutherford, NJ and the winless Giants in the battle of 2004's Draft Trade Bonanza.


Bills over Bengals - We're not sold yet on the Bengals while the Bills have surprised people storming to 3-1 and leading the league in fewest points allowed.   Sustaining this seems more possible with the new coach in Buffalo than we've seen in the past with quick Buffalo starts.


Lions over Panthers -  Both teams are fourth in points allowed but the Lions have the edge in scoring and Cam Newton's game hasn't advanced. 


Titans over Dolphins -  This one would be an easier pick if Marcus Mariota hadn't gotten hurt in the Cylon invasion of a loss at Houston; with the signing of Brandon Weeden the Titans at least have a backup with presumptive starter Matt Cassel.   Tennessee is fortunate they get a Dolphins team where Jay Cutler has proven as bad (dead last in scoring) as advertised. 


Eagles over Cardinals  -  So far the only team to beat the Eagles is the one coached by their former boss Andy Reid, and the 2-2 Cardinals don't look like a team that can elevate their play, especially stuck with Carson Palmer despite last week's eye-popping overtime win.  Carson Wentz's six scores to two picks stands well above the five INTs of Palmer.


Raiders over Ravens  -  This one has been thrown asunder with Derek Carr's back injury and the elevation of EJ Manuel, the ex-Bill looking for his first win since beating the Dolphins in Week 2 of 2014.   Joe Flacco hasn't been much of an improvement right now with six INTs to just four touchdowns and a 2-2 record.






Rams over Seahawks - The Seahawks are 9-11-1 on the road starting with 2015's Week One loss at the Rams.    The Rams have exploded on offense, especially in their two road games so far, and have won four of their last six meetings with the Seahawks.   Sunday night's massacre of the Colts make the Seahawks look better than they ultimately are.


Cowboys over Packers - The Cowboys haven't forgotten last season's playoff loss to the Packers despite their present schizophrenia.  They can turn it on against a Packers team that's been mediocre on defense.


Chiefs over Texans - This has become an early candidate for playoff preview as the unbeaten Chiefs take on a rapidly-improved Texans team.   The Chiefs under Andy Reid won three straight before last season's upset and this is the fourth-straight game at Houston for Kansas City.   Deshaun Watson's eruption has caught many an eye with seven touchdowns plus two on the ground - he's also presently second in rushing behind Lamar Miller and is head-and-shoulders ahead of everyone in Yards Per Carry at 7.8.   An edge the Texans may have over the Chiefs - Kansas City's scoring has cooled off since Week One.


Vikings over Bears -  The Mitchell Trubisky era begins this week after five INTs by Mike Glennon and ten overall turnovers in the last three games.   The Bears now need Trubisky to live up to the hope as they get a Vikings team that has been radically uneven in scoring.  Sam Bradford is still day-to-day and that makes it harder for the Vikings, but overall they seem to have a slight edge for the moment.



So we await whether Stephon Gilmore makes the game-winning play.