Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Nancy smash is sick of your bullshit.

Prediction: the GOP will rethink its strategy of boycotting future committees.

This really is a full service blog.

It’s the corruption, stupid.

Fuck these fucking interesting times.

Reality always lies in wait for … Democrats.

Russian mouthpiece, go fuck yourself.

Putin dreamed of ending NATO, and now it’s Finnish-ed.

In short, I come down firmly on all sides of the issue.

Teach a man to fish, and he’ll sit in a boat all day drinking beer.

The words do not have to be perfect.

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

Nothing worth doing is easy.

Our job is not to persuade republicans but to defeat them.

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

Thanks for reminding me that Van Jones needs to be slapped.

They fucked up the fucking up of the fuckup!

Historically it was a little unusual for the president to be an incoherent babbling moron.

Second rate reporter says what?

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

Consistently wrong since 2002

Authoritarian republicans are opposed to freedom for the rest of us.

You don’t get rid of your umbrella while it’s still raining.

Red lights blinking on democracy’s dashboard

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109Comments

  1. 1.

    sherifffruitfly

    Is there anybody out there (other than retards from Denver) who thinks the Pats will win by less than 20?

  4. 4.

    JPL

    @sherifffruitfly: Branch is out and the Pats defense is weak. Although I think they will win, it won’t be a blowout.
    Also, too, it depends on how many 59 yard field goals Tebow kicks.

  5. 5.

    schrodinger's cat

    Breaking News, I have found Tunch, now we can explain his absence from the front page of Balloon Juice. This bunneh eated him. Poor Tunch.

  8. 8.

    Cacti

    @sherifffruitfly:

    Is there anybody out there (other than retards from Denver) who thinks the Pats will win by less than 20?

    The Pats have a poor defense, and historically, have struggled in games at Denver.

    Brady lost a playoff game there 27-13, back in 2006, going up against all-timer Jake Plummer as the opposing QB.

  9. 9.

    Belafon (formerly anonevent)

    Latest email from Big O:

    Early this morning, the last of our troops left Iraq.
    __
    As we honor and reflect on the sacrifices that millions of men and women made for this war, I wanted to make sure you heard the news.
    __
    Bringing this war to a responsible end was a cause that sparked many Americans to get involved in the political process for the first time. Today’s outcome is a reminder that we all have a stake in our country’s future, and a say in the direction we choose.
    __
    Thank you.
    __
    Barack

  11. 11.

    Raven

    @Cacti: “Historically” doesn’t mean shit. That is so overused by the dopey sports talking heads it’s almost as shopworn as “the control their own destiny”. Guess what, if it’s destiny it can’t be controlled> Denver and New England are 1-1 against each other in the last two meetings and that goes back five years. It don’t mean nuthin.

  13. 13.

    Belafon (formerly anonevent)

    @Cacti: When Jake was with Arizona, he would give the Cowboys fits. I hated him as a Cowboys fan, but I thought he was a good enough quarterback to carry a decent team.

  14. 14.

    WaterGirl

    I just opened an email from barack obama saying:

    Early this morning, the last of our troops left Iraq.

    I immediately burst into tears. I remember vividly the overwhelming sense of dread I felt as our soldiers marched toward Baghdad, just as powerful as the weight of knowing, in the days after september 11, that there were still people trapped alive under the rubble.

    I am so grateful that this stupid war is over. I want to shout it to the rooftops. To everyone who is greeting this news with “ho hum”, I say go to hell. This terrible, terrible stupid war is over. Why are we not celebrating in the streets?

    I am going to think of New Years celebrations this year as a celebration of this war finally being over. To everyone who served, who has family who served, I say thank you. I am so sorry for all the loss of life and the lives that are forever changed, including the innocent Iraqi civilians who died. At least this war is finally over.

    Oh, and since this is a football open thread, Go Bears! (again)

  17. 17.

    Joel

    @sherifffruitfly: This Pats fan thinks the game will be very close:

    1) Patriots defense is totally unreliable
    2) Patriots have historically played very badly in Denver (however, much of this is due to Elway / Shanahan)
    3) The Patriots are using wide receivers at nickel back and safety.

    In an unexpected turn, it appears that the Patriots fans are the most pessimistic about the Pats’ chances here. I blame the Red Sox.

  20. 20.

    Hill Dweller

    House Republicans don’t want to pass the bipartisan Senate bill extending the payroll tax cut and unemployment insurance.

  21. 21.

    noodler

    JC,
    Hope you get something decent out of this thread or from the local broadcast game that you’ll get?
    Do you have redzone? It’s a little tough to watch with all of the switching around that goes on, I think it’s really mostly for fantasy fans.
    Go Giants, but I am still haunted by the epic 4th qtr collapse last year against the Eagles (this very weekend last year), which sucked because it was a great weekend otherwise.

  22. 22.

    Ed in NJ

    @Joel:

    It’s a shame Denver doesn’t have a QB to take advantage.

    Oh, and last I checked, the opposing QB is neither a rookie, injury replacement, or Mark Sanchez. Do people forget that the Lions dismantled the Broncos at Mile High 45-10?

  24. 24.

    Hill Dweller

    @smintheus: In their editorial endorsing Romney, the Des Moines Register called his repeated lies and flip flops “subtly nuanced statements”.

  25. 25.

    JWL

    I will be genuinely surprised/impressed if T-Bo gets through the next two games intact. But I’ve been saying that from his first start. His performance this season reminds me of another streak field goal kicker George Blanda went on with the Raiders somewhere back around ’71. He may have also QB’d a drive or two during that streak.

    Anyone who would bet against Brady & the Pats in Denver is a degenerate gambler.

  27. 27.

    Jerzy Russian

    @Cacti:

    The Pats have a poor defense, and historically, have struggled in games at Denver.

    Brady lost a playoff game there 27-13, back in 2006, going up against all-timer Jake Plummer as the opposing QB.

    Also add to this that the Broncos have been playing reasonably good defense lately, so it could be a close game.

    In any event, all 4 ACF West teams have tough games today, so the relative rankings there might not move much.

  30. 30.

    gaz

    I tried to tune into a pro-football game once. And I got the seahawks instead.

    Go Sounders!

    Also, Too: (Flame bait)… American “Football” is such a stupid term. It should be called Rugby for Pussies.

    Real sports involve the risk of getting your ears ripped off, and getting a spiked cleat to the face.

  31. 31.

    kindness

    Steelers tomorrow. Niners. Gonna be a good game. I’m leaving work early so I can catch the whole game. Damn Monday nite ball starting earlier than 6 on the left coast. Guess it’s better for you easterners though. I used to like games starting at 9 when I lived back there. Gave you time to eat, meet friends & hit a bar or something.

    Whatever. Prefer to watch the game occupying my couch now.

  34. 34.

    Belafon (formerly anonevent)

    @gaz: American football is sprint rugby. For short bursts, it is brutal, followed by periods of rest. I doubt there are many rugby players that would want to stand in front of a Defensive or offensive line when a ball is snapped.

  35. 35.

    burnspbesq

    @gaz:

    Last night Pakistan’s wicket-keeper, who inexplicably was playing without a helmet, took an 85 mph delivery, that deflected off the batsman’s pad, flush in the mouth. They’ll be finding his teeth all over Bangladesh for six months.

    That what you had in mind?

  36. 36.

    Amir Khalid

    @Yutsano:
    This bunch of House Republicans are out of John Böhner’s control. They’ll cheerfully blow up any deal with Democrats, even if Senate Republicans have agreed to it, and Böhner’s credibility (and theirs) depends on getting it through the House. That was demonstrated months ago in the first shutdown crisis of the year. Now they’re just adding to the narrative that they are working against governance rather than for it.

  39. 39.

    JPL

    @Amir Khalid: It’s the Presidents fault. If the President were Tebow, the economy would be fixed by now and we wouldn’t need middle class stimulus plans.
    also, too.. The President can’t play defense.

  40. 40.

    Yutsano

    @smintheus: That whole fucking interview is a massive weasel ploy. He says we shouldn’t pull out where we didn’t fucking belong in the first place but sending them the threshold is “high”. Shut up and strap more dogs to the roof of your car Willard. We’re just not that into you.

  41. 41.

    dmsilev

    @lamh35: From that story,

    Boehner apparently reversed himself since a conference call with caucus members Saturday, when he was the only House Republican leader to express support for the Senate plan, according to a GOP source. Boehner was not asked about the caucus meeting in the NBC interview.

    Firstly, is Boehner the weakest Speaker of all time, or what? Secondly, I’m astounded that CNN would break the media omertà and point out NBC’s (presumably Dancin’ Dave Gregory’s) incompetence in interviewing. Thirdly, apparently OS X’s spellchecker believes strongly in putting accent marks on ‘omertà’.

  42. 42.

    Raven

    @WaterGirl: I think all of the above. I’ll refer you to Pat Lang’s blog for details from folks who know what’s what. As far as here? The groundwork was laid with McCain’s statement this week. It’s a continuation of “who lost China?” and it’s never ending. We’ll have another generation of bitter vets who will blame it, not on the people that got them in it but, those who got them out.

  43. 43.

    a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q)

    @Yutsano:

    A God-botherer who throws pieces of leather around randomly, with poor form and very little force.

    Great description! Edited for additional accuracy, because I felt like it.

    And of course the AOS lied – it’s what he does. Our local rag had a piece in which he described the golf summit and said “I thought Kasich was gonna cry.” I’ll give a link should anyone ask.

  44. 44.

    gaz

    @Belafon (formerly anonevent): I’d be less critical of it if they didn’t try to co-opt and ruin the word for one of the MOST POPULAR SPORTS IN THE WORLD, forcing me to irritatingly qualify the word Football with the word “American” every time I want to refer to this sport (whatever it is)… it reeks of American privilege. We think we can just own anything. And it’s stupid and confusing.

    Who ever co-opted the term Football to mean whatever the fuck this sport is, should have been dragged into the street, and unceremoniously beaten with a wicket bat

    Adding, I seriously doubt any of your front-line football “heroes” would want to be unprotected and on the line of scrimmage in a rugby match. Not to mention that their contracts and riders would never allow for it. heh

  45. 45.

    burnspbesq

    @gaz:

    Then I guess you’ll be happy to come and play goal in our Boxing Day pickup lacrosse game. Without a cup.

  47. 47.

    Hill Dweller

    @dmsilev:

    Firstly, is Boehner the weakest Speaker of all time, or what? Secondly, I’m astounded that CNN would break the media omertà and point out NBC’s (presumably Dancin’ Dave Gregory’s) incompetence in interviewing.

    Yes, but you won’t hear the media(save Maddow, who called it way back in the nascent days of his Speakership) say it. They think he is some sort of political genius for controlling the nihilists in his caucus.

    Omitting Gregory from the hack list was a crime against humanity.

  48. 48.

    burnspbesq

    @Amir Khalid:

    The foreseeable consequence of cutting off unemployment benefits in the middle of winter is that people will die. Possibly a lot of people.

    This may not be a crime, but morally the Tea Party is no different from the Khmer Rouge or Sendero Luminoso.

  49. 49.

    Amir Khalid

    @burnspbesq:
    Adoi.

    In other-football news, Liverpool won 2-0 at Aston Villa and Arsenal lost 1-0 at Manchester City. I bet City, who have been stuck at the top of the English Premier League since they booted Carlos Whatsisface, really miss him now.

  50. 50.

    gaz

    @burnspbesq: That would be my wife. She’s the one the brass huevos – she played rugby in college. Very badly I might add, but she was fearless. heh.

    @Raven: I guess I hit a nerve. =)

  51. 51.

    Belafon (formerly anonevent)

    @gaz: Yeah, but, according to wikipedia, you have to disambiguate the following: American football, Australian rules football, Canadian football, Gaelic football. Not like the US is the only one.

  52. 52.

    Raven

    @gaz: Nah, it’s just been beaten to death here.

    eta I was a “social” member of the Blind Pigs, the UGA RFC. Rugby wouldn’t be all that great for someone with rods on their T4-6. When I quit drinkin there was little reason to be a social member.

  53. 53.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @gaz: I think you underestimate the force of collision between American Football players. The hits are far harder than is possible in rugby. I say that as a former rugby player.

  55. 55.

    gaz

    @Belafon (formerly anonevent): Isn’t that kind of like saying that vegas rules blackjack is different from atlantic city rules blackjack?

    Forgive me, I don’t follow much beyond some UK football and brazilian football, and local football (the real one).

    American football is poker, not blackjack – using the above analogy.

  58. 58.

    JPL

    Raven, Are you feeling better? A friend of my son’s landed in the hospital with pneumonia. She had battled a cold for two weeks and it got the best of her.

  59. 59.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @Hill Dweller:

    Omitting Gregory from the hack list was a crime against humanity.

    There aren’t enough pixels in the world to accommodate a haxicon of everyone who deserves to be on the list.

  60. 60.

    Raven

    @JPL: Nope, voice is shot. It doesn’t seem that bad though, lil down on the energy and the coughing is geeting better.

    thx

  61. 61.

    gaz

    @Omnes Omnibus: I do realize that. I know that in the same way that I know Boxing w/ gloves is more dangerous than boxing without.

    I’m grilling some sacred cow. The terminology is still annoying and I replied to Benevolent’s faulty response to me, but it was lost in mod hell.

  63. 63.

    dmsilev

    @Hill Dweller:

    Yes, but you won’t hear the media(save Maddow, who called it way back in the nascent days of his Speakership) say it. They think he is some sort of political genius for controlling the nihilists in his caucus.
    __
    Omitting Gregory from the hack list was a crime against humanity.

    Yet another entry in the long list of things that political reporters apparently can’t or won’t understand about today’s politics. And I think there are some hacks who have won lifetime achievement awards and hence are ineligible for the yearlies. Maybe Gregory is in the Hall of Fame?

  67. 67.

    JPL

    For those who are interested or for those that just feel testy, there is another post about the nondetention bill…
    ugh and bah humbug…

  70. 70.

    gaz

    @Raven: LOL!

    The whole thing is basically a drinking game, ain’t it?

    The game gets better as the refs get more drunk. =P

    Sorry to hear about the pins.

    As far the american football thing – I usually stay off the NFL threads entirely, but I felt it was high time I finally stepped in and participated, for once. The sport bores me to death (but it’s not the only one). The terminology itself is sandpaper to my ears – like American Indian – which to me would actually more refer to an Indian-American. makes shit confusing.

    The height of my participation in American football, is me betting against the seahawks. I singularly love that about American Football. There’s nothing like fleecing the rubes over and over – the ones who think “This time it will be different! They’ll win! You’ll see”. $50 in my pocket, every single time, and I don’t even follow the game. I don’t have to. The outcome is pretty much pre-determined. Love it. The seahawks play football like the dems play politics – badly.

    No end of rubes that worship them though
    =P

  71. 71.

    smintheus

    @gaz: You don’t seem to understand the history of the sport. In the 19th century there were several major varieties of ‘football’ (each with multiple minor variations) that were being played in schools and in local leagues, in England and in US. These included gridiron football and what was eventually termed ‘association football’ to distinguish (and elevate) it from the other types. So Americans aren’t interlopers glomming onto the term ‘football’; that’s been the name since the beginning. IIRC, rugby developed later than the various footballs.

    And I say this as a long time soccer fan who has no use for American football.

  72. 72.

    Jerzy Russian

    @Joel:

    Kansas City on the door of going up 13 on GB

    The Packers apparently stopped them. However, your main point that KC is totally dominating the Packers stands. WTF?

  73. 73.

    Amir Khalid

    @burnspbesq:
    You speak of consequences that the poor will suffer, and even die from. Which to these heartless politicians is but collateral damage that will hit someone else, I fear.

  74. 74.

    Raven

    @gaz: They are in a death match with my Bearz as we speak. The only Bear game I have ever been to was with Seattle, Walter Payton’s final home game in 87.

  76. 76.

    burnspbesq

    Giants appear to be playing for another Eli fourth-quarter miracle. I suspect this will be the week when the miracle doesn’t materialize.

  77. 77.

    Perfect Master

    @Raven:
    Horrible game being televised here in Northern California. Tennessee vs Indy. Ugh.
    Thanks Raven. Now I can watch NFL Red Zone until the Jets play at 4

  79. 79.

    gaz

    @smintheus: Maybe you are right.

    And no I don’t follow so much history of sports.

    Generally I find that sports history would bore me to point of tears. So I’m probably ignorant in that regard. Oh well.

    At any rate – thanks for the correction.

  81. 81.

    burnspbesq

    @Raven:

    What the heck happened to your Illini last night? We know UNLV is good (they did beat The Evilest Team of All), but really? At that rate, y’all are looking at possibly finishing eighth in the conference and going to the NIT.

    Whatever the question is, Bruce Weber is not the answer. That should have been obvious when he couldn’t recruit Jon Scheyer, who played for his brother.

  83. 83.

    birthmarker

    I’m watching Panthers/Houston online at Firstrowsports. You do have to tolerate ads. Still, gotta love the ‘net.

  84. 84.

    burnspbesq

    Word is that Matt Kahlil is going to forego his senior year and declare for the draft. Ending up with the second pick in the draft wouldn’t be a bad outcome.

  85. 85.

    Cermet

    @Raven: Thank you – I can not get a HD TV signal; cable refuse to run to us due to too few people just a half mile from the line, and direct TV Sat is behind hills. This works since I only get DSL – many, many thanks!

  86. 86.

    Raven

    @burnspbesq: UNLV beat Carolina, they are no push over and they took it to the Illini. I think we’ll do OK in the conference but no much more than ok. As Gotttlieb said about Manascalco, the transfer from Bradley “there was a reason he went to Bradley”. He’s got grit but he’s 6′.

  91. 91.

    DanielX

    Repost:

    When the evil New England Patriots crush the Broncos like a grape and whup on Tebow in particular like a red-headed stepchild, it will only be taken as further proof that Satan is alive and well by those who have been washed in TeBlood. Like they needed any further proof after God has failed to smite every one last one of the Kardashian spawn…

  92. 92.

    BruceFromOhio

    @Raven, @birthmarker: How can this be legal? The NFL is insane about its copyrights. The ads I just tolerate, because there is no way I would get to see Bills/Fish and the later DET-OAK or NE-DEN contests without heading to some local sports pub.

    ETA: Chiefs are playing like a real football team, whereas the Pack seems to have temporarily forgotten how.

  93. 93.

    Raven

    Cool, the Bears take a time out on their 1st defensive stand of the half and give up a 40 yard pass on the next play!

  99. 99.

    Joel

    Assuming nothing changes in this Packers-Chiefs game:

    Congratulations, Chiefs.
    Fuck you, Mercury Morris.

  101. 101.

    Batocchio

    Alas for the Packers, who had a real shot at an extremely tough achievement. Helluva run, though.

    Congratulations to the Chiefs, particularly new coach Romeo Crennel, QB Kyle Orton, and the Chiefs defense.

  102. 102.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @Batocchio: To me it is more important to get to and win the Super Bowl. On the other hand, I will be at the New Year’s Day game and it would have been awesome to see the reaction to a perfect season from inside Lambeau.

  103. 103.

    billgerat

    There wasn’t much hackitude in the second half for Seattle today, but their first half sucked green donkey balls. A true Jeckyll and Hyde team.

  105. 105.

    Joel

    This reminds me of the 2002 season, when the 3-0 Patriots visited the Chargers, and Ladanian Tomlinson ran for 200+ yards. It was epic dominance on the ground and although the final score was close, the Patriots had no chance.

  107. 107.

    Joel

    @J.W. Hamner: Willis McGahee and Marshawn Lynch. Two running backs who are arguably the best in the league the past few weeks, and who I thought were completely washed up.

    And just like that, Brady “gronks” the ball (although much feebler than the real thing) and the Denver crowd boos. Nothing against Tebow, but I’m still wanting revenge for Shannon Sharpe and the 1997 National Guard game.

  108. 108.

    gaz

    @billgerat: Yeah, I find that whole situation unfortunate.

    Seahawks aren’t as reliable as they once were.

    I’ve had to be far more careful when I bet against them over the past couple of years.

    It used to be a hell of a lot easier to make a buck. Now it actually involves a fair amount of risk.

    =(

    I want my old team back. Can we trade to get tebow? plz?

    I want a reliable loser again. So I can line my pockets.

  109. 109.

    Jerzy Russian

    Damn. The Broncos ran like it was a track meet, but the three turnovers were too much to overcome.

    Oh well, at least the Raiders lost.

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