Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

The republican caucus is already covering themselves with something, and it’s not glory.

Proof that we need a blogger ethics panel.

“Squeaker” McCarthy

Republicans don’t want a speaker to lead them; they want a hostage.

He really is that stupid.

If you tweet it in all caps, that makes it true!

I like you, you’re my kind of trouble.

The arc of history bends toward the same old fuckery.

You don’t get to peddle hatred on saturday and offer condolences on sunday.

We’ve had enough carrots to last a lifetime. break out the sticks.

If senate republicans had any shame, they’d die of it.

Good lord, these people are nuts.

They love authoritarianism, but only when they get to be the authoritarians.

A lot of Dems talk about what the media tells them to talk about. Not helpful.

Do not shrug your shoulders and accept the normalization of untruths.

Infrastructure week. at last.

Not so fun when the rabbit gets the gun, is it?

New McCarthy, same old McCarthyism.

It may be funny to you motherfucker, but it’s not funny to me.

Pessimism assures that nothing of any importance will change.

Let’s finish the job.

Optimism opens the door to great things.

It’s always darkest before the other shoe drops.

Let us savor the impending downfall of lawless scoundrels who richly deserve the trouble barreling their way.

You are here: Home / Sports / Another Steelers Open Thread

Another Steelers Open Thread

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terribletunch

All I had to do was put the towel down, and he knew what to do. I’ve had that towel since the late 80’s, I think.

*** Update ***

I will say it again- I used to hate Gruden as a coach, but hands down, he is the best football color guy out there. This MNF crew is as good as the old Vern Lundquist/TNT crew from the early 90’s.

Reader Interactions

116Comments

  8. 8.

    tess

    Ah, such a wonderful sight. I’ve missed that beautiful face.

    Nothing personal, but my alias for your site on my bookmark toolbar is “Tunch.”

  10. 10.

    General Winfield Stuck

    Tunch has no opinion on abortion I bet. Just give him a warm place to lay down and some kitty grub and the world turns just the right way.

  14. 14.

    lamh31

    Ughhhh!!!

    Don’t these people have better things to do?
    Debating the Health Care Bill

    Westboro Baptist Church, the fringe-of-the-fringe anti-gay group famous for protesting at military funerals and claiming that God is punishing the country for its tolerance of homosexuality, was spotted this morning protesting outside Sidwell Friends, the school attended by Sasha and Malia Obama.

    Protesters were carrying signs with anti-gay, anti-abortion and anti-Obama slogans, slowing down traffic all along Wisconsin Avenue this morning.

  18. 18.

    arguingwithsignposts

    @lamh31: Saw a documentary about Westboro. Those are some seriously fucked up people. Basically Phelps and his family members. (shudder)

  23. 23.

    jl

    Thank you for Tunch pic.

    The Tunchforce will give me strength to resist trolls, for some uncertain period of time.

    “All I had to do was put the towel down, and he knew what to do.”

    I assume that Tunch is being gracious and merciful towards his servant, and it is a good thing. It doesn’t mean you will have to wash the towel afterwards, right?

  26. 26.

    bago

    I work on Wisconsin. However I took the red line out to Friendship Heights. This means I was technically beneath the Phelps family.

    Wash me.

  28. 28.

    Max

    Can I interject a little Mad Men Season Finale comment?

    I LOVED the last episode. I want to be Joan and I also want to sleep with Don Draper.

  29. 29.

    kommrade reproductive vigor

    All I had to do was put the towel down, and he knew what to do.

    Yes, leap on it because he assumed you didn’t want him on there. No offense to His Tunchness.

    But he’s a cat. And that’s what cats do.

    Don’t these people have better things to do?

    Damn. I had no idea WestBurrow has been in town. I guess that stench isn’t our aging sewer system.

    Is it too much to hope they start horning in on the Teabaggers’ little get togethers?

  31. 31.

    CaseyL

    Good to see the Tunchmeister, large and in charge, again.

    ….every season, televised football has more bells and whistles, on-screen doodads, more intrusive camera angles. The actual game is almost an afterthought.

    Wait, wait: who’s the Steeler with the gorgeous long hair?

    (googles frantically)

    Aha: Tony Polamalu.

    Yummity yum.

  38. 38.

    jetan

    Please God. I just heard David Gergen prognosticate on the health care bill in the Senate. Make it stop.

  43. 43.

    arguingwithsignposts

    You know, I should just resolve not to read any financial or political blogs after a certain hour at night, because this shit from Lloyd Blankfein just pisses me off. The sense of entitlement among these folks knows no bounds.

    Someone should dig up Ayn Rand’s grave and drive a stake through her black heart so maybe that stupid objectivist philosophy would FOAD.

  45. 45.

    arguingwithsignposts

    @freelancer: Yeah, all the seasons are available via NetFlix. Unfortunately the movie is the only one that is streamable at the moment.

  47. 47.

    Mark S.

    @General Winfield Stuck:

    Tunch has no opinion on abortion I bet.

    Well, Tunch is pro-choice but he enjoys leaving 150 comments about how all you pro-choice people haven’t really grappled with the ethics involved in abortion.

  48. 48.

    The Dangerman

    With the position of his, um, Center of Gravity, I’m having a hard time deciphering it he was caught in the process of reclining or in the process of getting up to…

    (1) eat…

    (2) kill…

    (3) kill and eat…

    …something.

  50. 50.

    randiego

    where was this Rothlisberger against the Chargers? These two teams are making the Bolts look good.

    Hoping for a Stillers 1 point win.

  51. 51.

    arguingwithsignposts

    OMFG. One of the top NetFlix streaming favorites for a nearby town is Nickelback: Live at Sturgis 2006. shoot me now.

  52. 52.

    SIA aka ScreamingInAtlanta

    @arguingwithsignposts: Steve Benen’s column had a calm, rational quality I found very soothing after reading healthcare reform on some other **coughcoughkoscoughhuffpostcough**sites:
    http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2009_11/020878.php

    Roosevelt, the towering political figure of the 20th century, with an electoral mandate, a Democratic Congress, and the stench of a failed Republican president fresh on the nation’s mind, had to take what he could get on Social Security, which was far less than what he wanted.

  53. 53.

    Studly Pantload

    Dang, I take time to clean the house, and y’all move the party!

    Looks like another typical nailbiter for the Bronx. Gotta give ’em points for being entertaining.

  55. 55.

    Studly Pantload

    Innerstin’ point, SIA. It does look like the best we can hope for w/r/t HCR is baby steps, which beats going backwards.

  56. 56.

    CaseyL

    Breaking news from Seattle: Mike McGinn has won the mayoral election. The latest vote count put him 5000+ votes ahead of Mallahan, who has conceded.

    I voted for McGinn, an environmentalist lawyer and (ahem) community organizer whose longshot campaign for mayor began in a pizza parlor. Seattle’s political and business elite supported Mallahan, who was one of them (though still liberal; all Seattle pols are liberal to some extent). It should be interesting to see what a genuine outsider does from City Hall. I don’t think we’ve had a real non-establishment mayor since Charlie Royer (who was a TV news anchor before running for office and winning in 1978).

  63. 63.

    Studly Pantload

    @Casey Great November for WA state/Seattle initiatives and candidates. Felt good to vote on the winning side of every issue and name.

    Bronx in a hole, now. No real mojo, tonight.

  65. 65.

    burnspbesq

    @lamh31:

    Were they even in the right place? No way Sasha goes to school at the Wisconsin Avenue campus – she’s way too young. Don’t know about Malia.

    Of course, picketing on Edgmoor Lane in Bethesda doesn’t get quite as much attention.

  66. 66.

    SIA aka ScreamingInAtlanta

    @Studly Pantload: Yes I think that’s right. Benen does make the point that progressives should still try to get the best bill they can, but it made me feel less pessimistic about what I see coming down the pike.

    Nice to see such the very handsome Tunch at his post.

  68. 68.

    Steeplejack

    Ron Jaworski and Jon Gruden are really irritating me tonight. They are having a contest to out-breathless each other. “[So and so] is a football player! And he brings it!” As opposed to the other 21 guys, who are apparently just . . . what?

    Dudes, calm down. Breathe into a paper bag or something.

    Good game, though. Neither team seems to want it. But, hey, they are football players and they are bringing it!

  69. 69.

    Spork

    As far as WA politics goes:

    Shoreline Council Position No. 3

    Precincts Reporting: 88 Of 88 100%
    Winner Candidate Incumbent Votes Vote %
    Patty Hale 6,583 47%
    Will Hall 7,426 53%

    I voted for this guy, because he came by my house himself, sounded reasonable, talked w/ me for about 20 minutes, and seemed to have decent priorities. Old time politickin’ paid off.

  77. 77.

    Steeplejack

    @asiangrrlMN:

    Har.

    I’ve been mainly listening to the game in the background while catching up on my Balloon Juice threads, which is why the audio has been so annoying. Jeezy-creezy.

    Oh, and I forgot: half of these guys are redefining their position.

  79. 79.

    CaseyL

    @Studly Pantload: Yes. Winning is very nice. I want to make a habit of it.

    @asiangrrlMN: Why U haz a sad?

    @Spork: I’ve never had anyone, any candidate, knock on my door. It’s a pretty safe bet I’d vote for whoever did (provided they weren’t egregiously awful on the issues) because yeah: that kind of dedication and effort gets to me, too.

  80. 80.

    tripletee

    All I had to do was put the towel down, and he knew what to do.

    Funny, I painted a Stillers logo on the litterbox and my cat knew just what to do too.

    I keed, I keed.

  83. 83.

    CaseyL

    OK, now I feel bad for Denver. That always happens when the score gets really lopsided: I get to feeling sorry for the losing team.

  84. 84.

    Steeplejack

    Hmm, I was on a bit of a DVR delay, just got caught up. Apparently the Steelers do want it, or at least they’re going to get it. Gruden and Jaws still pissing me off.

  85. 85.

    asiangrrlMN

    @CaseyL: Because I was, um, availing myself of the online streams of the game which have all been cut due to copyright infringement so I can’t watch any longer. My friend is giving me the play-by-play, and she is much better than dude in the booth.

    And, I totally missed Polamalu’s interception. Sigh.

  86. 86.

    asiangrrlMN

    @CaseyL: I do, too, unless it’s the team I really want to win that is way ahead.

    @Steeplejack: Me, too! I couldn’t stand ’em. Seriously. I wanna comment so I can say (and I said it in the previous thread), “Did you see that fine-ass interception by Troy Polamalu? And, by the way, did you see that fine ass of his?”

  88. 88.

    jl

    @asiangrrlMN:

    “By the way, I keep getting #69.”

    You’re complaining about that?

    Balloon-Juice never offered me that feature. Is that Platinum B-J or something?

  89. 89.

    Morbo

    Yeah guys, all the NFL defenses shake in fear of Mewelde Moore. I agree on Gruden as a color commentator in general, but if he proceeds next week with the Brady Quinn worship that Kornheiser used to he still will need to be punched in the throat.

  91. 91.

    CaseyL

    @asiangrrlMN: It’s not so bad this early in the season, but towards the end of the regular season, when one loss can mean it’s the end of the season, and the camera slowly pans the losing side’s bench, and there are closeups of players looking dejected, or actually in tears… *that’s* when my heart can break into little pieces for them.

    I’m just a red-headed marshmallow fluff :)

  92. 92.

    asiangrrlMN

    @CaseyL: Yeah, I know. My heartstrings really get tugged when they look so devastated and crestfallen. I just want to make them some (Campbell’s) soup. They really want it so bad, and they can’t have it. Unless it’s my team winning, and then, pile it on, baby!

  94. 94.

    Studly Pantload

    Well, 6-2 ain’t bad for the Bronx, but they’ve been outscored the last two games 17-57. That sure ain’t sustainable.

    Gonna go catch up w/the Maddow show on the ol’ DVR.

  95. 95.

    CaseyL

    Hey, where’d our host go? Shouldn’t he be doing the happy dance now?

    Maybe he is. Maybe he’s waltzing Tunch Lily around the room by his meathhooks her dainty delicate little pawsies.

  97. 97.

    Steeplejack

    @asiangrrlMN:

    See, he’s playing three-dimensional chess and we’re all just playing checkers. He has already put up another Steelers thread to gloat over their victory.

  98. 98.

    jl

    @asiangrrlMN: It was proven on this blog, this weekend, using strict geometric logic, that most of the blogosphere, including that memorable character, John Cole, is a DougJ spoof.

    How Tunch and Lily fit in, that is still a mystery.

    FYI.

  100. 100.

    You Don't Say

    I agree about Gruden. Can’t believe how much I like him as a commentator. Doesn’t hurt that’s he in love with the Steelers. ;-)

  101. 101.

    Corner Stone

    I used to hate Gruden as a coach, but hands down, he is the best football color guy out there.

    No, he isn’t.

  102. 102.

    valdivia

    @Max:

    late to this but yes Joan is back! Also–I loath Henry Francis and don’t trust him as far as I can throw him. Bad vibe that dude gives me.

  103. 103.

    New Yorker

    You really like Gruden? Yeah, he knows what he’s talking about, but I get tired of the incessant “Player/Coach X is the BEST at what he does! He is REAL football man!”

  105. 105.

    Elie

    Tunch is looking good and pretty self possessed on that gold towel…

    Looks like he is sayin “Whacha lookin at? Yeah, I’m cool”

  106. 106.

    Brachiator

    I will say it again- I used to hate Gruden as a coach, but hands down, he is the best football color guy out there.

    Gruden is good. I am also liking James Lofton’s work, doing NFL radio coverage.

  107. 107.

    MoeLarryAndJesus

    Gruden is terrible. He’s using this job as an audition for his next coaching job, and that’s all he’s doing. He talks too much and he says very little.

  108. 108.

    Yutsano

    Thank you, John, for making my wifey squeal with delight. That’ll keep her pleased as punch until the next Repuke outage at least.

  109. 109.

    SiubhanDuinne

    I went to bed early and didn’t see this last night, but the picture was the first thing I saw when I fired up the BlackBerry just now. How pathetic is it to be lying in bed early in the morning holding a PDA and breathing “Tunch! Oh, TUNCH!” over and over. I really missed him.

  110. 110.

    Svensker

    Gruden’s OK but he talks too much. You’re the color guy, coach, not the frigging main event. Shuddup awreddy.

  111. 111.

    flukebucket

    Gruden is the best thing that has happened to Monday Night Football in quite a while.

    But the original days of Cosell and Meredith and Gifford were as good as it gets.

  113. 113.

    Breeze

    I like Gruden in the booth as well, but Jaws is the best in football right now. The breadth of his knowledge (and his ability to impart it without being annoying) makes him a keeper for sure. Especially since so many in NFL broadcasting seem to be employed solely to be grating–err, to be “personalities.”

    Also agreed on the “better halves of football” comment. Racking up 21 unanswered, and dominating the clock for all but seven minutes of the 30 was simply amazing.

  114. 114.

    henrythefifth

    I love Gruden’s enthusiasm for the game. You can tell he truly, truly loves it and is excited about all aspects of it. It’s contagious.

  115. 115.

    Nazgul35

    I used to hate Gruden as a coach, but hands down, he is the best football color guy out there

    I’ll put this down to Steeler’s euphoria…but I find Gruden’s coverage inane and fawning. It is like he is on a one man mission to fellate the entire NFL.

    Ironically, he makes me miss Collinsworth…

  116. 116.

    Chup

    Nazgul35 is absolutely right.

    Gruden is as horrible an announcer as has ever existed. He’s brick-through-the-teevee bad.

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