We’re watching the Dolphins vs. Chargers game, and I noticed there’s a woman officiating. Yay! Then she made a bad call, and I thought, “That sucks. That sucks for women…”
Open thread!
Come for the politics, stay for the snark.
My years-long effort to drive family and friends away has really paid off this year.
Take your GOP plan out of the witness protection program.
A snarling mass of vitriolic jackals
Republicans don’t trust women.
A sufficient plurality of insane, greedy people can tank any democratic system ever devised, apparently.
Putin dreamed of ending NATO, and now it’s Finnish-ed.
Consistently wrong since 2002
And now I have baud making fun of me. this day can’t get worse.
It’s easy to sit in safety and prescribe what other people should be doing.
Authoritarian republicans are opposed to freedom for the rest of us.
Republicans can’t even be trusted with their own money.
I’ve spoken to my cat about this, but it doesn’t seem to do any good.
We cannot abandon the truth and remain a free nation.
Imperialist aggressors must be defeated, or the whole world loses.
Let us savor the impending downfall of lawless scoundrels who richly deserve the trouble barreling their way.
So many bastards, so little time.
He wakes up lying, and he lies all day.
We still have time to mess this up!
Thanks to your bullshit, we are now under siege.
This blog will pay for itself.
This year has been the longest three days of putin’s life.
I really should read my own blog.
Nothing worth doing is easy.
Let’s finish the job.
Scout211
So she has achieved equality. :)
cmorenc
So the female official made a questionable call. I have officiated competitive-level soccer for 25 years, and it’s rare for any ref in a contact sport to get through an entire game without some fans thinking you (the ref) screwed the pooch with a call or two or three. Occasionally, they are even right, but it’s a bigger mistake to let fans get in your head about calls you make or no-call.
sab
We watched Cleveland v Cincinnati in Cleveland. It rained during the entire game, and 35 miles south we had a gorgeous day, sunny and 75°. I looked up Ohio doppler, and there was a tiny little rainstorm only over Cleveland, and clear skies almost everywhere else in the whole state.
Edmund dantes
There has been a side judge woman official for several years now. Sarah something. She should be eligible for “white” hat soon. NFL has a x number of years in league before you are eligible to apply for the head referee.
I know last year there was at least one or two other female officials but i haven’t check to see what there was this year. There has been a lot of turnover in recent years with guys retiring. So definitely lot more spaces.
Steve in the ATL
Speaking of refs, Betty, I assume you were as happy as most of the world to see the decline of Bama privilege in their game last night. Ok sure Saban has filed a protest in Birmingham. “You can’t call holding against us!!!” “You can’t overturn a clearly wrong call on fourth down that gave us the ball!” Etc. That and the continued retirement of Penn Wagers, the Angel Hernandez of the SEC.
Villago Delenda Est
@Steve in the ATL:
One of those games where you root for injuries, but if someone has to lose, let it be Alabama.
Steve in the ATL
@Villago Delenda Est: concur. It was the best result in the absence of a meteor. Haven’t checked the news today, but it’s safe to assume that, despite the loss, Alabama claimed another national championship last night.
wjca
Watching baseball replays, where you can do slow motion and multiple angles, it’s absolutely incredible how often the umpires, using a Mark 1 eyeball and in real time, get even extremely close calls correct.
raven
Oh, NOW we can talk about football!!
Steve in the ATL
@wjca: except, of course, Angel Hernandez!
Steve in the ATL
@raven: we can ANYTIME—don’t let the h8trz stop you! Unless you want to talk about an Ohio State—screw that!
raven
After enduring nearly a month of heartache and anxiety, a dog owner can finally rest after her missing dog was found safely at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson Airport on Saturday, according to airport officials.
Hoppie
Not a big NAmerican foolball fan, but absolutely will not watch the Chabgers (not a typo). Many years ago, we were travelling in Greece and at the lunch place we stopped at on Poros we spotted an NFL knock-off display with a SAN DIEGO CHABGERS embroidered cap. (Yeah, their alphabet is different, so Latin letters may not be a strong point.) Ms. Hoppie’s aunt was a HUGE Chargers fan, so of course we bought it. BEST present ever.
Dean Spanos can go choke on one of his father’s ghastly bologna sandwiches….
Baud
@raven:
Where was the dog travelling to?
raven
@Baud:
wjca
Sounds like my view of the Cowpies.
America’s TeamBaud
@raven:
I’m surprised you can bring in dogs without quarantine.
raven
@Baud:
Quarantine for pets is not required by most U.S. states and territories; however, Hawaii and Guam do have quarantine requirements for pet dogs and cats being imported into the United States. Pets excluded from entry into the United States must be sent back to the country of origin.
Yarrow
@raven: Aww…poor doggie getting lost at ATL. Huge airport. Glad she was found.
Seems like it might be smart for people to think about getting an AirTag or similar tracker for their pets if they’re going to be separated while traveling. Just in case something happens. Some friends have a dog who’s a real escape artist. I keep saying they should get a tracker for her. She’s gotten out several times and it’s been a real pain looking for her. At least with a tracker they could figure out where she’d gone.
satby
@sab: Cleveland knows what it did d.
Scout211
The update on the Michigan State coach accused of sexual harassment discussed in an earlier thread.
Michigan State University football coach Mel Tucker suspended without pay amid investigation into reported accusation of sexual harassment
Gin & Tonic
@Baud: My son and DIL adopted a dog from Mexico. Picked her up at JFK and drove home, no issues.
Baud
@raven:
Neat. Thanks.
Dan B
@sab: I led a hike to a beautiful lake in the Alpine Lake Wilderness. It was the only place in the state where it rained.
Alison Rose
@cmorenc: This is the response from reasonable, non-sexist people. Unfortunately, many sports fans do not fall into that category. If a male ref makes bad calls, they might say “that one guy shouldn’t do this job”. If a woman makes even a single call they dislike, it’s “no women should do this job”.
Villago Delenda Est
@Scout211: Brenda Tracy seems to disagree with dickweed’s assessment.
Roger Moore
@wjca:
There’s a huge amount of skill and training to know where to be and what to look at, and major league umpires have to prove their ability to do those things in the minors. They are as much the cream of the crop of umpring as major league players are the cream of the crop of playing. At least when they first get into the league; the leagues have had a harder time getting rid of declining umpires than the teams have getting rid of declining players.
MazeDancer
Since I have 3 cats, all of my dogs are virtual.
And one of my favorites – Selena, foster dog of Ned Pyle – is getting adopted. And, ridiculously, it’s hitting me hard that I won’t get to see her cute face through walkies pics. (She’s the white, fluffy one in the middle.)
So, throwing my grief into purpose, starting researching Newfies that live in hot places that would like to be adopted by some snow dwelling great dog owners.
And I found this pup.Giant pup.
It’s a Newfoundland-Standard Poodle mix. All the lovable Newfie-ness, all the poodle smarts. Ignoring potential strong will because it comes fully trained.
It is the Paws in Prison program being trained by a prisoner. Who is, no doubt, devoted to it.
Sharing in case someone might be tempted.
mrmoshpotato
An actual game, and hooray!
BruceFromOhio
@raven: LOL, right?
Betty Cracker
@Steve in the ATL: I dislike both teams so didn’t really care who won, but it was an entertaining game!
mrmoshpotato
@Steve in the ATL:
“You can’t call me a whiny ass titty baby!”
mrmoshpotato
@Steve in the ATL: I can’t believe Youngstown State held them to only 35 points!
NotMax
@Yarrow
SteveFido in the ATL.//
Steve in the ATL
@Scout211: “think I’ll sex up the sexual assault counselor. What could possibly go wrong? And it’s not like my employer is dying to get out of my contract that makes me the most overpaid coach in America!”
if SNL were still on the air, this would be a good angle for Bad Idea Jeans….
mrmoshpotato
@Hoppie:
Sounds like your wife’s aunt got a kick out of the cap. That’s great.
Steve in the ATL
@mrmoshpotato: I felt really old when I realized I could remember a time back when a Big 10 team could win a national championship….
Steve in the ATL
@Hoppie: seems like CHAPGERS would be more likely
mrmoshpotato
@Scout211: What the hell is it with these disgusting bastards jerking it on work calls? Btw, Jeffery Toobin is still a disgusting bastard.
Oclarkiclarki
@Steve in the ATL: The Buckeyes beat Alabama and Oregon to win the national championship for the 2014 season. Go Bucks. You don’t have to be all that old.
mrmoshpotato
@Steve in the ATL: Haha! Ouch!
Villago Delenda Est
@MazeDancer: What a wonderful pack!
Geminid
There must have been a huge party in Harrisonburg, Virginia last night after James Madison University beat U.Va. 36 to 35. The Dukes were down by 11 when a weather delay halted the game in the 3rd quarter. After play resumed an hour later, they scored 12 unanaswered points in front Virginia’s home crowd.
I expect there was a lot of partying in Charlottesville too. Those U.Va. students are very resiliant.
Eyeroller
@Alison Rose: Famous XKCD cartoon:https://xkcd.com/385/
lowtechcyclist
@Eyeroller:
And it’s right before this even more famous XKCD:
https://xkcd.com/386/
MazeDancer
@Villago Delenda Est:
The other two dogs belong to Pyle and his wife.
They have a rotating third dog, a foster. But Selena has been around for months. And she’s a fan favorite.
I’m sure they’ll have another foster soon. Through Dog Gone Seattle Rescue, which seems like a great org.
Pyle is a Microsoft exec and seems to be doing well. And they are sharing the wealth, which is nice to see.