Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Something needs to be done about our bogus SCOTUS.

The willow is too close to the house.

I’ve spoken to my cat about this, but it doesn’t seem to do any good.

Pessimism assures that nothing of any importance will change.

Why is it so hard for them to condemn hate?

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

Accountability, motherfuckers.

Ron DeSantis, the grand wizard, oops, governor of FL

No offense, but this thread hasn’t been about you for quite a while.

I was promised a recession.

Not all heroes wear capes.

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

“Everybody’s entitled to be an idiot.”

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

Fani Willis claps back at Trump chihuahua, Jim Jordan.

We cannot abandon the truth and remain a free nation.

So it was an October Surprise A Day, like an Advent calendar but for crime.

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

Whatever happens next week, the fight doesn’t end.

Optimism opens the door to great things.

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

Reality always lies in wait for … Democrats.

Is it irresponsible to speculate? It is irresponsible not to.

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

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Reader Interactions

136Comments

  1. 1.

    Violet

    Aren’t you recovering from some infection for which you took cipro? That’ll knock you out. Take extra Vitamin C to fight the infection and some probiotics. Cipro is tough on your gut and it can use the extra help while it fights the infection. Gut health is key to modulating the immune system.

    And get some sleep.

  2. 2.

    Corner Stone

    Probably stressful, anyway.
    Texans took another humiliating loss on Thursday NF so not invested in today except hoping to see some good play.

  3. 3.

    Corner Stone

    I am offered Denver at Jets, which should be a hilarious mix of highlight/lowlight reels, or NE at Bills. Which I actually like Kyle Orton, but don’t really give a crap about the Bills.
    Oh well, it’s time for Brady to hang up his spurs. His clock is off in his head.

  4. 4.

    Corner Stone

    Although I can’t stand Dan Fouts but want to see Peyton throw elebenty TD’s in this game to break the record.

  11. 11.

    max

    @Corner Stone: Baltimore absolutely putting it on Cracker’s Bucs.

    Uh, yeah. The kind of performance you would’ve expected from Denver v. Jets. But Denver is losing.

    max
    [‘So, I guess this is the given Sunday in any given Sunday.’]

  12. 12.

    PsiFighter37

    Wow, the Jets have a lead…first one since Week 2. Embarrassing how bad they’ve been.

    Also, a nurse who was caring for Thomas Duncan tested positive for Ebola. Wonderful. Of course it has to be happening in Texas…

  13. 13.

    trollhattan

    @Corner Stone:
    Seattle’s dismantlement of the Other Texans today should make compelling viewing and also, too, much satisfaction.

    Every time the Cowboys lose, and angel gets its wings.

  14. 14.

    Tissue Thin Pseudonym (JMN)

    Sigh. It’s going to be hard to adjust to watching a Gopher women’s hockey team that’s merely very good after the last couple of years.

  17. 17.

    BGinCHI

    In non-NFL related news, left the house early this morning on my bike and saw the front page of my neighbor’s Chicago Trib.

    They endorsed Bruce Rauner for Governor.

    Let me say this as clearly as I can: newspapers cannot go onto the ash heap of history fast enough.

    Fuckers.

  19. 19.

    Corner Stone

    @max:

    The kind of performance you would’ve expected from Denver v. Jets. But Denver is losing.

    Feeling a lot better about Denver’s comeback chances than the Bucs.

    ETA, actually, just saw they scored a TD to go up 10-7

  22. 22.

    2liberal

    The Steelers are really testing my sobriety.

    the steelers are brady’s bitches. /pats fan mode

  24. 24.

    Corner Stone

    The Steelers are really testing my sobriety.

    Brian “Steny” Hoyer for Comeback Player of the Year!

  25. 25.

    raven

    @Baud:

    In 1969, under the leadership of publisher Harold Grumhaus and editor Clayton Kirkpatrick (1915–2004), the Tribune’s past conservative partisanship became history. Though the paper retained its Republican and conservative perspective in its editorials, it began to publish perspectives in wider commentary that represented a spectrum of diverse opinions, while its news reporting no longer had the conservative slant it had in the McCormick years.

    In early 1974, in a major feat of journalism, the Tribune published the complete 246,000-word text of the Watergate tapes in a 44-page supplement that hit the streets a mere 24 hours after the transcripts’ release by the Nixon White House. Not only was the Tribune the first newspaper to publish the transcripts, but it beat the Government Printing Office’s own published version, and made headlines doing so.

    wiki

  26. 26.

    Baud

    @raven:

    Endorsements are done by the editorial board, right? Are they the paper that made news by endorsing Obama in 2008?

  27. 27.

    Hal

    So last night at 3 to 4am eastern time I logged into my Netflix account, and noticed a truck load of newer and more popular movies. One example: rise of the planet of the apes. I saw all the shrek movies, hunger games catching fire and bunch of other stuff I was surprised was on streaming. I got excited because some of the movies I missed, and since I don’t rent dvds have to wait for on tv. Now today? All gone. There must have been a system glitch, but I was impressed with what I saw, if only because streaming content can be limited at times. Wish I would have taken a screen shot.

  30. 30.

    Corner Stone

    @Violet: I think it looks more like a buffoon infused superstitious group of white people with bad accents. Kind of like All in the Family, but without the charm.

  32. 32.

    Corner Stone

    God, that was beautiful. That TD pass by Peyton could not have been thrown any better. What a catch.

  34. 34.

    Baud

    @Corner Stone:

    I caught “the mysteries of laura” last night, which stars Grace from Will & Grace. Probably the worst scripted show I’ve seen in a long time.

    Wrt CBS, I’ve never seen Blue Bloods, but that show looks awful.

  35. 35.

    Corner Stone

    That looks like a catch by Decker.

    ETA, Ok, they say no. But I think they botched that one.

  38. 38.

    Violet

    @Baud: I watched one of those episodes last night too. It’s a stupid show–very poorly scripted as you said. The murderer was telegraphed in the first three minutes. Near the end of the episode “Laura” said something like, “I never would have guessed” about the murderer being the murderer and I actually burst out laughing.

    Debra Messing is not believable in the role. Can she just not act or something? Can’t figure out why she’s so bad. Maybe it’s the perpetually shocked/upset look on her face. And her ex-husband played by Josh Lucas looks ten years younger than she is. In reality he’s about three years younger but it’s a weird casting choice.. The rest of the cast are caricatures. Yawn.

  39. 39.

    Violet

    @Corner Stone: 2 Broke Girls was funny in its first season. Mostly because the actresses playing the two main characters had really good chemistry together. They were really fun to watch.

  40. 40.

    Mike in NC

    @Baud: Seems the rule of thumb is that the lousier a network sitcom is, the louder and more annoying the laugh track. Shows that are actually funny don’t need them.

  41. 41.

    James E Powell

    Sorry Mr Cole, we Browns fans are loving this. Just not getting too giddy because History of Browns v Steelers.

  43. 43.

    PsiFighter37

    Looks like the Jets are back to their craptacular ways. It will be a happy day when they can Sexy Rexy and maybe, just maybe, move their offense to the 21st century and stop thinking ground and pound will win meaningful ballgames anymore.

    It’d also be nice to have a true franchise quarterback. Mark Sanchez + Geno Smith = barf

  45. 45.

    Corner Stone

    Who doesn’t jam a Denver WR on the goal line? You can’t play off 3 yds and not expect to get scored on.
    Nobody even put a hand on that guy.

  46. 46.

    Tissue Thin Pseudonym (JMN)

    @PsiFighter37: I don’t think Rex Ryan is your problem. In fact, I think he’s done a good job. The problem is in the GM’s chair and, as you point out, the complete inability to acquire a quarterback that would even rate as mediocre. I mean, with the guys he’s had under center, exactly what kind of exciting offense do you want Ryan to install?

  47. 47.

    PsiFighter37

    @Baud: I basically watch no network TV these days anymore – I think the quality of talent you have doing cable shows is so high that it makes network TV look like child’s play.

    About the only network shows still on TV in the present I watch reliably is Big Bang Theory and Modern Family (only old episodes – the past 2-3 seasons have been so, so bad…no idea why they are still winning Emmys). Heck, I probably watch Seinfeld more than either of those. Everything else is cable – GoT, Breaking Bad, Veep, The Leftovers (very underrated, IMO), and you can tell that the scripting and the acting is so much better than what is going on in network TV.

  49. 49.

    Corner Stone

    Geno Smith is just superbad at the NFL level. There is just no reason he even has a roster spot on an NFL team.

  51. 51.

    PsiFighter37

    @Tissue Thin Pseudonym (JMN): Eh, I feel like having a very defensive-oriented coach with a big personality has led the Jets to consistently draft defense – which has clearly NOT been the issue with this team the past few years (or at least, isn’t as big an issue as the offense).

    Also, hiring Tony fucking Sparano as offensive coordinator a couple years ago had to be the absolute worst, dumbest hire – and that’s on Rex.

    There are just so many frustrating things about the Jets, but the biggest missed opportunity was not having an offensive coordinator who could grow Sanchez beyond being a game manager in his first couple of seasons. He regressed horribly after his first two seasons, and now no one remembers some of his clutch playoff performances – all they remember is Butt Fumble. I think that stems from Rex being absolutely enamored with Sanchez (see: tattoo) and not doing enough on the developmental front.

  53. 53.

    Corner Stone

    Would CBS even be an actual channel at this point if it didn’t have all the CSI/NCSI franchises?

  54. 54.

    Tommy

    Look I totally understand the way the NFL works and the TV contracts they have with the networks. But my gosh, this year is the worse by far where almost every game every week is a total blowout, in like the first half if not the first quarter. I know, I know they can’t via contract switch to a more competitive game, especially if it is a local market game. The networks really need to revisit this in their next contract negotiations with the NFL because as much as I love football (I can watch any two teams play if it is remotely competitive), most weeks I’ve gone to something else to watch, or like today just to Pandora until the second games air.

  56. 56.

    Corner Stone

    @PsiFighter37:

    not having an offensive coordinator who could grow Sanchez beyond being a game manager in his first couple of seasons.

    The guy has less arm strength than Chad Pennington. There was nothing to grow there. He had early success due to balls out defensive play.

  61. 61.

    Jordan Rules

    I guess in years like this it’s nice to have a few chips to fall back on, but damn Stillers

  62. 62.

    Tommy

    @raven: Yeah as we’ve talked about, no cable here. I had Charter Communications before so I couldn’t get the NFL package (WTF is up w/ that BTW) and I flat out fell in love w/ Red Zone. What a brilliant idea.

  63. 63.

    Baud

    @Corner Stone:

    Would CBS even be an actual channel at this point if it didn’t have all the CSI/NCSI franchises?

    Don’t forget Hawaii Five-O and their new spin-off, Hawaii Five-O: Kansas City.

  64. 64.

    Corner Stone

    @John Cole +0:

    All of you bitching about the worst tv show ever have obviously not seen Scorpion. Also a CBS product.

    I saw an episode of that. I thought it was pretty good. The designer virus? The female Scorpion member with the child who may be the next crazy smaht genius prodigy, and she’s carefully pursing her lips while the current Scorpion genius guy with the curly hair curlsplains the issues the next prodigy genius kid is working through?
    I enjoyed every minute of it.

  65. 65.

    PsiFighter37

    @John Cole +0: I pretty much refuse to watch CBS because they have built their ratings empire based on a) crappy multi-camera comedies with a laugh track, and b) crime dramas that would give anyone who’d never visited the U.S. the impression that it is a country filled with psychopathic serial killers in every big city who are killing people left and right every single day and week. I just think they play to the lowest common denominator with their TV shows…and…surprise, it works!

    Not an original idea that comes out of the Big Eye. They’re like the Taco Bell of network TV – repackage the ingredients and sell it as something new and exciting.

  66. 66.

    Corner Stone

    @John Cole +0:

    All of you bitching about the worst tv show ever have obviously not seen Scorpion.

    Is that a biopic about the bug Polamalu agreed to give a ride across the river?

  69. 69.

    Tommy

    @John Cole +0: How about it. I will admit I love shows about super smart geeks and/or nerds saving the world. So when they were promoting it I made a mental note to tune in. I gave it three shows, and if you can believe it each show got worse and worse, and the pilot was pretty terrible.

    In the last show there was a bomb, made of C4, about the size of a small cooler. They couldn’t diffuse it, but ended up cutting the blast down to almost nothing my just mixing some stuff they found in a janitors closet into some “goo” and putting the bomb in it. Yes that happened.

    Look I can suspend some reality watching TV, in most instances it is kind of mandatory, but give me a freaking break.

  71. 71.

    Violet

    @John Cole +0: Never heard of it so went to see what it is. From CBS’s website:

    At last, these nerdy masterminds have found the perfect job: a place where they can apply their exceptional brainpower to solve the nation’s crises, while also helping each other learn how to fit in.

    It’s like a modern day after-school special!

  74. 74.

    Sister Rail Gun of Warm Humanitarianism

    @Violet: I honestly have no idea. The cameramen lost interest in him when they realized that Hoyer is playing very, very well.

  76. 76.

    patrick II

    @John Cole +0:
    Scorpion is supposedly based on a real person with an IQ of 197 who works as a troubleshooter for the government. If I ad an IQ of 197 and I knew someone was writing a show about me, I would sure as hell make sure it was a better show than this.

  77. 77.

    Tommy

    @patrick II: They note that in the intro to the show. I’ve found anytime there is a TV show and/or movie and I hear “this is based on a true story” I know I am about to be disappointed and the show/movie is going to suck.

  78. 78.

    Bill E Pilgrim

    for some reason I feel like I did. Really run down.

    Punishment for staying away from the blog too much. We’ve got you microchipped.

  79. 79.

    Tree With Water

    It’s a good thing for Aaron Rogers that the Niners passed on him when they drafted Alex Smith #1. Instead the stars were aligned and he understudied Brett Favre. That was a bravura final drive against the Dolphins he engineered today.

  81. 81.

    Tommy

    @Tree With Water: It was a pretty amazing drive. I am nothing remotely close to a Green Bay fan but I think he is the best in the game. Period. Some may say Manning or Brady or whatever QB is in vogue that year, but could you imagine the numbers he’d put up if (1) he ever had a running game or (2) he was throwing to the people Manning is now throwing to. It would almost be unfair.

  84. 84.

    burnspbesq

    For pure guilty-pleasure, so-bad-it’s awesome TV, I respectfully submit that nothing can top “Nashville.”

  85. 85.

    Sister Rail Gun of Warm Humanitarianism

    @burnspbesq: As a Nashville native, I’m afraid to watch that. Don’t want to have to replace my TV.

    The same reasoning is why a friend of mine, despite loving mysteries, will not watch most procedurals. She’s been in forensics for entire adult life. Even I was bellowing at the screen at last week’s Forever; her husband was having to talk her down.

  87. 87.

    burnspbesq

    @Corner Stone:

    How do those numbers compare to the median for NFL backup quarterbacks over the last three years, jackass? More to the point, how do those numbers compare to the performance of Jets’ quarterbacks over the last three years?

  88. 88.

    WaterGirl

    @BGinCHI: They are bought and paid for, like everyone else. They are destroying journalism. Bastards.

    Edit: Fourth estate, my ass.

  91. 91.

    The Thin Black Duke

    @WaterGirl: But let us remember this: as a friend I know who works in IT said to me, “It’s a self-correcting problem”. When’s the last time you bought a newspaper? I forgot when I did.

  92. 92.

    Corner Stone

    Freakin Nat Weather Srvc keeps making my TeeBee go crazy by running these damn alerts.
    Screw your life threatening weather! Just put up my foosball!

  93. 93.

    Steeplejack

    Anybody point me to a good site for résumé construction and tips? A friend asked me to edit his, but I realize it has been so long since I’ve done one of my own that I’m not up current trends. I can check his writing, spelling, etc., but what about format, how much detail on work experience, education, etc.?

  95. 95.

    NotMax

    @Tommy

    Should you never have seen it, you might enjoy Jake 2.0 which lasted but one year (only twelve of the sixteen episodes were originally broadcast) about a decade ago. Decently crafted escapist entertainment and an engaging cast who meshed together well.

  96. 96.

    Corner Stone

    @Steeplejack:

    I can check his writing, spelling, etc., but what about format, how much detail on work experience, education, etc.?

    At what level?

    ETA, I mean, low, middle, manager, high powered?

  97. 97.

    SFAW

    @Tissue Thin Pseudonym (JMN):

    I don’t think Rex Ryan is your problem. In fact, I think he’s done a good job. The problem is in the GM’s chair and, as you point out, the complete inability to acquire a quarterback that would even rate as mediocre.

    Yeah, Idzik is pretty bad. Although one wonders how much of a meddler Woody Johnson is. (I’ve heard that he is, but I have no knowledge in that area.) But Ryan is nothing special. He’s had some major-upset wins, but he seems to lack in the area of getting the players to FUCKING EXECUTE ONCE IN A WHILE. Which is on him, not just the O-con or D-con.

    @PsiFighter37:

    There are just so many frustrating things about the Jets, but the biggest missed opportunity was not having an offensive coordinator who could grow Sanchez beyond being a game manager in his first couple of seasons.

    And, although I’m a bit of a Johnny one-note on this, but they could have picked up Alex Smith relatively easily after the Niners lost the Bowl. Yeah, he’s not a Manning or a Rodgers or a Rivers or even a Brady, but he’d give them somewhat more capability than they have now.

    Failing that, of course, Idzik could always try to hire Dick Rehbein as QB coach. It would certainly be in keeping with Idzik’s other master strokes.

  99. 99.

    Anne Laurie

    @Sister Rail Gun of Warm Humanitarianism:

    Even I was bellowing at the screen at last week’s Forever; her husband was having to talk her down.

    Yeah, but at least the characters on Forever could be mistaken for actual human beings!

    I was under the impression that the show was based on a graphic novel, but now I can’t find a source for that. OTOH, it makes total sense if you assume that — the storylines & framing are definitely comix-styled.

    Bad forensics or not, I hope it lasts for a while, because both the Spousal Unit & I are enjoying the actors…

  100. 100.

    James E Powell

    Like my hometown Cleveland Browns, the Jersey Jets have experienced similar frustrations through several different regimes over quite a long time. You can point to specific bad decisions, but it’s hard to figure out why there are so many of them by so many different people.

  101. 101.

    gogiggs

    @Tommy: The people Manning is throwing to were nothing special until Manning started throwing to them. I guess you could argue the point about Welker, but then, he was with Brady before he was with Manning, so…I don’t think there’s that much reason to think Denver’s receivers are better than Green Bay’s.

  102. 102.

    Corner Stone

    @gogiggs:

    The people Manning is throwing to were nothing special until Manning started throwing to them.

    That’s a little overly simplistic. Julius Thomas and D Thomas are going to win a lot of matchups, no matter who is throwing the ball.

  103. 103.

    Steeplejack

    @Corner Stone:

    High middle. Friend is basically the long-time CFO (but doesn’t have that title) for a startup company that has morphed into a successful business (small group of elder-care facilities) who is looking to move to some finance position (I’m murky on the details) at a nonprofit with a museum in downtown D.C.

  104. 104.

    Sister Rail Gun of Warm Humanitarianism

    @Anne Laurie: I remember seeing the “based on a graphic novel” somewhere, too. Which is the only reason she agreed to watch in the first place. A procedural with a bit of crazy mixed in like Forever or Castle will usually disengage her filters. But she absolutely cannot watch any of the CSI or NCIS families.

    For that matter, you should have seen her when the old John Wesley Shipp Flash series was on. Lots of chain-of-evidence spluttering before she gave up on it.

  105. 105.

    SFAW

    @James E Powell:

    You can point to specific bad decisions, but it’s hard to figure out why there are so many of them by so many different people.

    No it isn’t. It’s a not-necessarily-exclusive-OR: either Woody Johnson, or he keeps hiring incompetent GMs. Or both. (And it’s Woody’s fault if he keeps hiring sucky GMs. Of course, it’s possible he hires halfway-decent ones, then doesn’t let them do their job. But it all comes back to him.)

    I think it would be great if Woody and the Wilpons could get together, buy a team, and basically create a critical mass of fucked-up-ed-ness. Preferably in Dallas.

  106. 106.

    Temporarily Max McGee (soon enough to be Andy K again)

    @Corner Stone:

    That’s a little overly simplistic. Julius Thomas and D Thomas are going to win a lot of matchups, no matter who is throwing the ball.

    I’m almost in complete agreement with this but for the fact that the Thomases didn’t exactly flourish with Kyle Orton and Tim Tebow under center. That says more about Orton and Tebow than it says about the Thomases, though.

  107. 107.

    Corner Stone

    @Temporarily Max McGee (soon enough to be Andy K again): There’s no doubt that P Manning is a serious, undoubtable, upgrade over those two. Clearly.
    But I do seem to recall Bebe Thomas beating the Stillers not too long ago under the magnificent leadership of one Timmy Tebow.
    Denver simply isn’t that team right now. The Thomas brothers don’t need a hall of famer to be above decent. I agree they need something more than dog breakfast.
    Although I like Kyle Orton, fwiw.

  108. 108.

    Temporarily Max McGee (soon enough to be Andy K again)

    @Corner Stone:

    I like Orton, too- as a backup.He’s not the kind of QB around whom you’re going to build a team.

    But I do seem to recall Bebe Thomas beating the Stillers not too long ago under the magnificent leadership of one Timmy Tebow.

    If that’s a reference to the play that knocked the Steelers out of the playoffs a few years ago, I’ve only got this to say: Any QB who was not in a vegetative state could have hit the receiver in that situation. The Steeelers sold out the blitz way too early.

  109. 109.

    Corner Stone

    @Temporarily Max McGee (soon enough to be Andy K again):

    Any QB who was not in a vegetative state could have hit the receiver in that situation. The Steeelers sold out the blitz way too early.

    Indeed! But my point remains. In fact, “any QB” did happen to throw that pass and D Thomas took it upfield about 80 yards (or whatever), and stuffed it right down their throat.
    Any QB could have tossed it, but not any WR could have driven the dagger home on that play. He beat the slant coverage with muscle and then outran errrbody to the house.

  112. 112.

    PaulW

    Dear Cole: at least you have a team. The Tampa Bay Bucs are a figment of everyone else’s imaginat… wait, we beat the Steelers this year, didn’t we?! Uh-oh.

    /runs

  114. 114.

    Corner Stone

    @PaulW:

    The Tampa Bay Bucs are a figment of everyone else’s imaginat… wait, we beat the Steelers this year, didn’t we?! Uh-oh.

    Oooo, ouch. That’s going to leave a mark.

  115. 115.

    Tree With Water

    @Corner Stone: Luck of the draw, too. Jerry Rice had Montana and Young throwing him the football. Had he been drafted to another team without a great QB, much less two, who knows?

  116. 116.

    Corner Stone

    @Tree With Water:

    Jerry Rice had Montana and Young throwing him the football. Had he been drafted to another team without a great QB, much less two, who knows?

    Woah, woah, woah. Hold up here, podner.
    Jerry Rice, barring injury, would have been a force to be reckoned with in any scenario. There are some talents that simply won’t be denied. Rice had people from across the league come and train with him in the off season because he was such a demanding devil for perfection.
    Coming out of college he was slow, undersized and not particularly brilliant in any one aspect. He outworked everybody, and that means everybody, to get to the top of his game. Watch him run any route, come out of any break.
    I think we should leave JR out of this as he is a once in a generation freak who went bigger than his “measurables”.

  117. 117.

    Tree With Water

    Cole: You’re tired because your body is just begining to bounce back after years of neglect. Cut it some slack, and stay on the healthy path.

  118. 118.

    SFAW

    @burnspbesq:
    Not clear he’s a QB coach. Heath Shuler? Erik Ainge? The Manning twins don’t count – I’m a-thinkin’ Archie had more to do with their success than Cutcliffe did.

    But, if only Ryan Leaf had had Cutcliffe as a coach …

    @Corner Stone:

    Jerry Rice can’t/couldn’t hold a candle to Braylon Edwards or Terry Glenn, however.

  119. 119.

    Corner Stone

    @SFAW:

    Jerry Rice can’t/couldn’t hold a candle to Braylon Edwards or Terry Glenn, however.

    Your comedy, it’s excellent.

  120. 120.

    Tree With Water

    @Corner Stone: Get real. Let’s see, which teams were the most hopeless in the mid-80’s? Dallas had tanked by then. Tampa Bay was a perennial dog, and Jacksonville, and New England. Had Rice been drafted by any number of other teams, the odds of his greatness being anywhere near fully exploited wouldn’t have been good, at all.

  121. 121.

    SFAW

    @Corner Stone:

    Glad someone appreciates it. I was going to add Jim Hines to the mix, but figured he was too obscure.

    For what it’s worth: although I’ve always been a Don Maynard guy, Rice was all kinds of awesome. Can you imagine having Rice and Pennington as a combo?

  122. 122.

    SFAW

    @Tree With Water:

    Had Rice been drafted by any number of other teams,

    Yeah, and of course there would have been no chance of someone like Al Davis (or some other owner with enough money) trading for him. (Or so says that also-ran Steve Young, who retired after spending his whole career in Tampa Bay.)

    And if I were ten inches taller, and worked harder, and had the right combination of slow- and fast-twitch muscles, I could have been another Pertti Karppinen.

  123. 123.

    Temporarily Max McGee (soon enough to be Andy K again)

    @Corner Stone:

    I suppose that my point is about the bigger picture. With a better QB, Thomas has better numbers during the regular season, and the Broncos aren’t even playing that first-round game against the Steelers, having played well enough during the regular season to have earned a bye.

  124. 124.

    Tree With Water

    @SFAW: Don’t quite get your point, but if you’re lauding Rice you are preaching to the choir- I’m a lifelong Niner fan. I bow to no one in terms of regard and respect for tJerry ‘The Greatest Ever’ Rice.

  125. 125.

    Corner Stone

    @SFAW:

    Can you imagine having Rice and Pennington as a combo?

    Sure can. Pennington had a similar arm strength to Montana. He’s the kind of QB that would be perfect to let Rice run underneath routes and then break free for extra yards.

  126. 126.

    Corner Stone

    @Tree With Water: Rice ran the best routes of any WR in his era. Barring injury, any counterfactual could be depicted to see him having an amazing career.
    He just needed an upright QB.

  127. 127.

    SFAW

    @Tree With Water:

    The point was that, had he (possibly) languished on a team with a middling quarterback, an intelligent GM for a team with an excellent – or even just “very good” – QB would have picked him up for whatever deal he could make. For example: Steve Young was at TB for his first two years, and Walsh managed to get him, and the rest is silence history. Or, his (hypothetically) “original” team could have picked up a strong QB and a decent TE. So, telling Corner Stone to “get real” implies a number of (probably) unwarranted assumptions.

    The Pertti Karppinen comment related to your whole string of thought re: hypotheticals. What if Rice played for the NFL equivalent of the 1962 Mets? What if he had blown out his knee in year 2 instead of your 10 (or whenever it was)? What if a latter-day Jack Tatum had laid him out the way he did Stingley? What if I were good-looking and smart? What if my father were Sam Walton? None of the hypotheticals matter, and bringing them up as an argument supporting the thesis that “Yeah, Rice was great, but he wouldn’t have been All-World if X, Y, and Z had happened” is pointless. Because none of those things happened, and Rice was awesome, and that’s how it was/is.

  128. 128.

    JR in WV

    Well, interesting about the Browns and the stillers… I have a lot of neighbors and friends from NW Ohio and they are all Browns fans, while I am a P’burgh fan, but not a Big Ben fan at all. torn.

    the Iggles are crushing the Giants… Victor Cruze torn a tendon in his right knee, out for a long time. Cried all the way off the field, esp. when they picked him up to put him on the cart. Terrible, such a skilled star receiver, hope he can recover to his former style.

  129. 129.

    SFAW

    @Corner Stone:

    Gah. I was kidding about Pennington. Hackett wanted Pennington for his dink-and-dunk idiotic West Coast O abomination. Although Rice would have done just fine with it, it would have been a waste to deny him the opportunity to run a goodly number of deep patterns.

    ETA: Although, I have to confess my ignorance re: Montana’s arm strength. And, yes, I know Pennington could launch it when necessary.

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