A Chicken Is Not Pillage

Week 12 Picks

Happy Thanksgiving everybody.  In the interest of honest disclosure, I like it so far as "The Holidays" go.  In my world, Halloween is a high holy day.  Though I appreciate the sentiment of Christmas, and adore the lights, I've never really found much use for celebrating it.  Among religious holidays, I prefer Easter, because I get ham.  Yes, I am well aware of the anti-semitic overtones of eating pork on a holiday which schedules itself on Passover.  Still, Dudes, I get ham!  New Years has always felt supremely pointless to me.  Nothing is different on January 1st that wasn't written on December 31st.  At least it gives us the Rose Bowl, and this year a plethora of NFL games (all of them, to be precise.)  Thanksgiving is one of those love-hate things.  We eat ourselves into a painful stupor,  but a lot of the food is really good.  If not, you're doing it wrong.   It celebrates a mostly fabricated story of intercultural cooperation, but really just lets us know how fortunate we are for appropriating history.  We stuff ourselves on steroid enhanced birds and find new and unique ways to burn our houses down while cooking them.  Hopefully the gravy adds some flavor.  In the northern states, people will travel over dangerous roads to see family they will spend too much time arguing with, especially this year.  We watch as retail gets violently competitive, and take advantage of that by shopping at 2 in the morning to buy stuff we will mostly regret several weeks later.  Weary eyed and groggy, we forget that banks will now adore us as personal credit spikes.  Retail workers are the butt of a corporate joke, and abused with unfair hours and complaint.  But on the plus side:  No one has to cook for several days.  After that, people have to get inventive in the kitchen.  This is good stuff.  Pumpkin pie teaches us the real value of a harvest festival of good bounty.   Many folk are very giving to the needy before this day.  Naps are not a sin, for the one day in our stressful lives.  And of course, there are the Lions and the Cowboys.

The NFL always plays on the Thursday of Thanksgiving.  The Wikipedia page about this 'tradition' is actually outstanding, and I suggest that everybody read it.  The tradition began in the Rust Belt, the heart of labor.  It continues to this day.  The real question for me, personally, is this:  Which will spark more familial arguments, politics, or my fascination with Hue Jackson's Browns?  Or maybe my 'like' of the Dallas Cowboys?  Happy Thanksgiving, everybody.

Thursday:

Minnesota (6-4) at Detroit (6-4) - Vikings (13-16, Lions)

I'm actually getting tired of the cardiac Lions.

Washington (6-3-1) at Dallas (9-1) - Cowboys (26-31, Cowboys)

That was a tough win.

Pittsburgh (5-5) at Indianapolis (5-5) - Steelers (28-7, Steelers)

The Colts are toast.

Sunday:

Cincinnati (3-6-1) at Baltimore (5-5) - Ravens (14-19, Ravens)

11 holding calls on the same play?  I like it.

Los Angeles (4-6) at New Orleans (4-6) - Saints (21-49, Saints)

Jeff Fisher is done.

Arizona (4-5-1) at Atlanta (6-4) - Falcons (19-38, Falcons)

NFC Championships:  Falcons at Cowboys.

San Francisco (1-9) at Miami (6-4) - Dolphins (24-41, Dolphins)

The "Niners made a game of it.

Jacksonville (2-8) at Buffalo (5-5) - Bills (21-28, Bills)

Much closer game than it should have been.

Tennessee (5-6) at Chicago (2-8) - Titans (27-21, Titans)

We might seen Mariota in January.

New York Giants (7-3) at Cleveland (0-11) - Giants (27-13, G-Men)

Solid win, but come on ... It was against the Browns.

San Diego (4-6) at Houston (6-4) - Chargers (21-13, Bolts)

Looking good but likely too little too late.  The Texans have only a bad division holding them up.

Seattle (7-2-1) at Tampa Bay (5-5) - Seahawks (5-14, Buccaneers)

I actually like the Bucs this year.

New England (8-2) at New York Jets (3-7) - Hatriots (22-17, Hatriots)

The Jets came close, oh so close.  Much more difficult win than New England should have had.

Carolina (4-6) at Oakland (8-2) - Raiders (32-35, Raiders)

Carr is kind of a stud.

Sunday Night:

Kansas City (7-3) at Denver (7-3) - Broncos (30-27, Chiefs)

Trevor Seimian has the game of his likely all-too-brief career.  And the defense lets him down.  Forget title defense.  The Broncos will be lucky to make the playoffs at this point.

Monday Night:

Green Bay (4-6) at Philadelphia (5-5) - Eagles (27-13, Packers)

The one weekend I need Rodgers to play like he has, and he goes All-Pro.  Whatever happened to the Eagles defense of 4 weeks ago?

 Byes:  None, Thank Dog!

 Last Week's Score:  9 - 5,  64%   Overall:  97 - 64,  60%

Week 11 Picks

Still not much time for exposition.  There's not a whole lot to say other than, How 'Bout Them Cowboys!?!  There are some teams that fascinate me right now.  The Cowboys.  That defense is so over-performing, Prescott and Elliot are fantastic, made almost super-human  by what may be the best offensive line I've ever seen.  The Lions.  There are those intrepid reporters who suggested that Stafford may be better without Megatron.  I think he is, and no team is more fun to watch in the last 5 minutes of a game.  The Titans.  Every week they just look more "solid".  I'm kind of expecting them to take the AFC South this year.  The Eagles.  Wentz is so very good for a rookie.  And to think, he came from an FCS school.  Philly is one small step from being good to great.   The Browns.  Before you laugh, consider this.  With too much youth and too little talent, Jackson has them playing like team.  Watching them is like watching a great college team play in the pros.  This is building at it's best.  Even if they go 0-16, their journey has me enraptured.  And the Raiders.  I've written before that the league is so much better when the Raiders are good.  This team is very good.  Carr is getting rid of the ball faster than Brady.  Right now, they have the highest upside of any team in the league, save that they play in the same division as the Broncos and the Chiefs.  For a football fan, the AFC is impossible not to love.

Thursday:

New Orleans (4-5) at Carolina (3-6) - Saints (20-23, Panthers)

The Saints came back from a 17 point deficit to almost win, but almost ain't enough.

Sunday:

Pittsburgh (4-5) at Cleveland (0-10) - Steelers (24-9, Steelers)

Ben didn't play all that great, but Le'Veon Bell sure did.

Baltimore (5-4) at Dallas (8-1) - Cowboys (17-27, Cowboys)

Best rushing attack against best rushing defense.  The Cowboys are for real.

Jacksonville (2-7) at Detroit (5-4) - Lions (19-26, Lions)

Detroit has trailed in the 4th quarter every game this year.  They've still won 6 of them.

Tennessee (5-5) at Indianapolis (4-5) - Titans (17-24, Colts)

The Colts still have life.

Buffalo (4-5) at Cincinnati (3-5-1) - Bills (16-12, Bills)

Stick a fork in Cincy.  Without Green or Bernard, they're done.

Tampa Bay (4-5) at Kansas City (7-2) - Chiefs (19-17, Buccaneers)

KC's home win streak is over.  I am amused.

Chicago (2-7) at New York Giants (6-3) - Giants (16-22, G-Men)

Sometimes it's better to be lucky than good.  It's best to both with Beckham Jr.

Arizona (4-4-1) at Minnesota (5-4) - Cardinals (24-30, Vikings)

I think the Cardinals might be done as well as the Bengals.

Miami (5-4) at Los Angeles (4-5) - Dolphins (14-10, Dolphins)

Do you hear those bells, Jeff Fisher?  They toll for thee ...

New England (7-2) at San Francisco (1-8) - Hatriots (30-17, Hatriots)

This was the closest we will come to a duh-now game this season.

Philadelphia (5-4) at Seattle (6-2-1) - Seahawks (15-26, Seahawks)

Love him or hate him, on the field Sherman is a destroyer of worlds.

Sunday Night:

Green Bay (4-5) at Washington (5-3-1) - Packers (24-42, Taterskins)

Could the Packers actually be playing worse than the bears right now?  Yes, actually.

Monday Night:

Houston (6-3) at Oakland (7-2) - Raiders (20-27, Raiders)

Mexico is a weird place to play.  Carr looks very very good.

Byes:  New York Jets, Denver, San Diego, Atlanta

Last Weeks Score:  8 - 6, 62%,   Overall:  88 - 59,  60%

Week 10 Picks the abreviated version.

Time is still short so I'll spew this now, and pretty it up later:

Ravens - I was already right  (7-28, Ravens)

Packers (25-47, Titans)

Vikings (20-26, Taterskins)

Buccaneers (10-36, Bucs)

Chiefs (20-17, Chiefs)

Falcons (15-24, Eagles)

Jets (9-6, Rams)

Broncos (25-23, Broncos)

Texans (24-21, Texans)

Chargers (31-24, Dolphins)

Cowboys (35-30, Cowboys)

Cardinals (20-23, Cardinals)

Hatriots (31-24, Seahawks)

Giants (20-21, Giants)

Byes:  Buffalo, Oakland, Indianapolis, Detroit.

Last Weeks Score:  8 - 5,  62%   Overall:  80 - 53,  60%

 

Privilege

When the concluding stanza of your argument for not voting is that things wouldn't have gotten better or worse for you under Hillary Clinton, then you've just made an argument with three conclusions:

1)  Despite the sad challenges you have to face personally, you are privileged by the very system you wish to burn down.  It ultimately is all about you.

2)  You really don't have progressive ideals.  You care about what you get for minimum effort, and that supports the status quo of blaming others for your lack of involvement.

3)  Caterwaul about foreign people in foreign lands is a smoke screen, to convince others that you care about what you've just shown you don't care about.  It ultimately is all about you, and what the rest of us do is judged by you according to that selfish dictate.

Here's the thing Mr. and Ms. I Burned My Ballot.  Your kids are screwed.  While some of us who you think little of were fighting against the idea that the US President should have unlimited war powers, Congress gave it to them with the MCA.  You weep for American citizen terrorists blown up by drone strikes because of that Obummer.  You should.  You should also pull your head out of your butt and realize that Donald Trump now has that same power.  Thanks to you, not me.  Good job.  You can gesticulate, prevaricate, pontificate that Hillary Clinton would have abused the power just as much as Obama.  Enjoy that, because that's all your privileged bullshit leaves you.  The reality of the next four years will likely be much much worse, but you've covered your ass with a fantasy of what would have happened under the corrupt Clinton.  My, what power you have dictating the pain the rest of us will feel because you were too fricking special to cast a ballot.  Trump will open gas, coal and oil leases right here in the US of A.  You could have voted to stop him from doing that, but you relied on the stupid fantasy that Hillary was worse.  So, you doom others and excuse yourself from any responsibility with a dream.  Hey, wake up, jackass.  This is the new reality.  I won't accept it any more than someone in rural America accepts you calling them Sheeple, or racist or stupid.  Rail against the DNC all you want.  Wail against establishment all you want, though you just served the Republican establishment just as they told you to do.  Here's the point, non-voting jerkoff.   You just sucked FAUX New's dick and loved every second of it.  The proof is that you blame me for the assault that will now be done to you, and your children.

Anthropogenic climate change will continue and accelerate.   Wealth distribution upward will continue.  The US remains an empire in decline.  We have well entered stage 4, flailing and grasping for silver bullets to save our stature.  We are one click away from capitulation and resignation.  That would be moral, social, and economic bankruptcy.  You, non-voter, have already capitulated.  So don't even think you have half of my resolute will.  You don't.

 

Week 10 Picks - Thursday Night

Because I've been posting WAY too much politics on Facile book, I haven't had the time to do a full pick post today.  So, my Thursday night pick, under the wire.

Thursday:

Cleveland (0-9) at Baltimore (4-4) - Ravens

The Browns just don't have the mustard against a motivated team.

Week 9 Picks

The true halfway point of the season.  I encountered a fascinating little factoid on Wednesday.  1997 was the last time two NFL games ended in a tie in one season.  The Eagles tied the Ravens, and the Giants tied with the Taterskins.  This year, we have had back to back ties with the Seahawks against the Cardinals, and the Taterskins (again) against the Bengals.  Also in 1997, the World Series went to game seven, and the Florida Marlins took the Series title over the Cleveland Indians.  Sorry, Cleveland.  Congratulations to the Chicago Cubs.  I am not a baseball fan, and I don't watch it often.  Still I can honestly say that the game last night was more exciting than most of the Super Bowls I've seen.

I like the parallels drawn between this year and 1997.  In the '97 NFL Season, the Broncos entered the playoffs as the fourth seed with a 12-4 record, hosting Jacksonville in the Wild Card game.  They went on to Arrowhead to beat the Chiefs and took the AFC title from the Pittsburgh Steelers in Three Rivers stadium.  The Broncos entered Super Bowl 32 as 13 and 1/2 point underdogs.  We know what happened.  A superior defensive effort, Terrell Davis running blind with a migraine headache and John Elway's Helicopter play.  What should have been Denver's 5th SB loss became their first and undoubtedly sweetest victory.   So, yes, I'll buy into that '97 magic a bit this year.

I was tempted to make a bold prediction before the season began, that this year it was certain that one of the 4 teams with 8 SB appearances would up that number to 9.  Halfway through this season, I'd say that's almost a lock.  The Hatriots look most likely to return to the Show, pending their game in Denver.  Only a fool would rule the Broncos out, and only a bigger fool would discount the Steelers (the first team to make and win the Super Bowl as a 6th playoff seed.)  Strangely, though I wouldn't bank on it, it looks like their may be 2 teams returning to the Super Bowl for the 9th  time.  The rookie driven Cowboys are alone on top of the NFC.  Bring on the second half of what, for myself, has been a very entertaining NFL season.

Thursday:

Atlanta (5-3) at Tampa Bay (3-4) - Falcons  (42-28, Falcons)

Tampa will put up a fight, but these birds are too good right now.

Sunday:

Detroit (4-4) at Minnesota (5-2) - Vikings (22-16, Lions)

I expect that defense to bounce back.

Philadelphia (4-3) at New York Giants (4-3) - Giants (23-28, G-Men)

Risky pick.  Wentz still looks good and the Philly defense isn't bad, but it's hard to discount Eli and the G-Men at home.

New York Jets (3-5) at Miami (3-4) - Dolphins (23-27, Dolphins)

More for home field than any other reason.  And it's hard to gauge just how long Pickspatrick's surge will hold.

Jacksonville (2-5) at Kansas City (5-2) - Chiefs (14-19, Chiefs)

The Jaguars looked so much better on paper.  But the Chiefs are motivated to keep up in the AFC West, given that either Denver or Oakland will lose on Sunday night.

Dallas (6-1) at Cleveland (0-8) - Cowboys (35-10, Cowboys)

The Browns are scrappy.  The Cowboys are simply good.

Pittsburgh (4-3) at Baltimore (3-4) - Steelers (14-21, Ravens)

If Roesthlesberger plays.  And Suggs is right.  He'll play.

New Orleans (3-4) at San Francisco (1-6) - Saints (41-23, Saints)

Brees.  'Nuff Said.

Carolina (2-5) at Los Angeles (3-4) - Panthers (13-10, Panthers)

They're finding their groove, but is it too little too late?

Indianapolis (3-5) at Green Bay (4-3) - Packers (31-26, Colts)

Luck just can't keep carrying the Colts.  Not against Rodgers and that Packer's defense.

Tennessee (4-4) at San Diego (3-5) - Titans (35-43, Chargers)

I'm picking against CW, but I really like where Tennessee is going so I pick the upset.

Sunday Night:

Denver (6-2) at Oakland (6-2) - Broncos (20-30, Raiders)

There's too many folks out there underestimating Denver and over-estimating Carr and the Raiders.  The only question for me is which of the Raiders is designated to try and take out a Bronco coach.

Monday Night:

Buffalo (4-4) at Seattle (4-2-1) - Seahawks (25-31, Seahawks)

Rex shrivels in prime time.

 

Byes:  New England, Cincinnati, Houston, Washington, Chicago, Arizona

Last Week's Score:  8 - 5, 62%   Overall:  72 - 48,  60%