Everybody knows what happened with Jay Cutler in the NFC Championship game and everyone knows about Urlacher standing up for Cutler immediately after the game. This was not a big surprise to me, as I knew that they were pretty good friends on the team and because I knew that Urlacher is a leader that will stick up for almost anybody on that team. The big question is whether or not Urlacher will be able to continue with that frustration against the Packers, and other players and people who have doubted Cutler, even through the lockout.
I don't think Urlacher is going to stop being upset until he knocks a few heads around. He is that kind of guy. The lockout will be a setback for him and for most of the other Bears players. They will not be able to train as hard or get ready for the season in the same way, but they will still have the fire and passion that came out of that NFC Championship game.
To answer the question, yes. The Bears have a lot of momentum and anger and they are not the type of team that will let that go away just because they can't play football right away. The Packers should know that the Bears are going to rip them apart and eat them alive the first time we play them. The Bears won't let this momentum fade. Urlacher and others will be ripping heads whenever football comes back.
It has been awhile since I have written. To be honest, there has not been a lot to write about. The NFL Labor Mess cast a pall over all football proceedings and made thinking about football not even remotely fun for me.
Plus, I have spent much of the last two months doing everything I could to get back into school. Long story short: I had to take some time off because of personal reasons, but because I was out longer than a full academic year, I had to reapply and there were grade change issues involved, and it was pretty much a big mess.
All of that work paid off though, as I’m back in school, have only a few classes until I attain my degrees, and will be able to enjoy one last football season at UGA (looking to be a HUGE bounce-back season for the Dawgs, hoping SEC East winners!) before the real, real world beckons.
Draft Hangover
First thing’s first: anyone ripping the Falcons for trading away five draft picks for Julio Jones is WRONG.
The Falcons traded away four draft picks for Julio Jones: this year’s 2 and 4, and next year’s 1 and 4. They swapped 1’s with Cleveland, moving up 21 spots from 27 to 6 to take what many experts believe is the best receiver in the draft.
So, getting that out of the way, was the four draft picks the Falcons traded to Cleveland “too much” for a player who will change the way every single team can defend the Falcons offense, opening up the field not only for Roddy White, but for Tony Gonzalez, Harry Douglas, Michael Turner, and the new kid, Jacquizz Rodgers?
Um, no.
The Falcons were 16th in the league in total yards last year. They were 31st… THIRTY-FIRST in offensive plays of 20 yards or more. Roddy White had his worst YPC averages of his career (even when he was trying to catch errant throws from the DogKilla). Matt Ryan had the worst YPC average of his career, and the second worst of any QB in the playoffs.
The Falcons need defensive help, it is true, but the Falcons offense scared NO ONE last year. Part of that is because of Mike Smith’s play not to lose philosophy of football, and part of that is the fact that they possessed no receiver to really stretch the field (White isn’t a burner) or take double teams away from White. I mean, it is absolutely amazing that Roddy White led the NFL in receptions last year with all of the double teams he faced.
Now, the Falcons possess a burner receiver in Julio Jones who will stretch the field. He will take double teams off of White, yes, but even more than that, Jones will do so much more.
Jones will keep opposing defenses from dropping one or both safeties into the box to stop the run, meaning Michael Turner will only be seeing the normal seven or six men in the box. Imagine Turner running into the second level of a defense unfettered. Can you say rampaging bull?
By keeping the safeties honest, Jones will open up the middle of the field for Harry Douglas, the Falcons’ slot receiver and Tony Gonzalez, Atlanta’s HOF TE. Think about it: once again, TG will be single covered by a smaller, slower LB like in the earlier days of his career, no bracketed coverage with safety help. First downs to the TE all… day… LONG.
Jones will also open up a more creative ability to approaching the Falcons offense, allowing for more screen passes to succeed with Jacquizz Rodgers creating mismatches on LBs without having to worry about safeties who cheated-up.
To put it simply, Jones makes Atlanta offense much like Green Bay’s offense, or Indy’s offense, or Arizona’s offense from a few years ago.
He makes other teams fear the Falcons. When is the last time anyone said that?
As for the defensive help that the Falcons need, if you don’t think the team will fill their pass-rushing defensive end need (Ray Edwards, Charles Johnson) in free agency, y’all haven’t paid attention to how this team has done business in the last three years.
The fact is, the Falcons could afford to give up four draft picks for Julio Jones, who is faster than AJ Green, who is a better blocker than AJ, and who, by all accounts, is a better team leader than AJ (and it pains me to say that as a loyal Bulldog), because the Falcons only had two glaring holes to fill, not four or five.
And in the end, Julio Jones, like Larry Fitzgerald or Megatron, is a slam-dunk, sure-fire pick. None of the DE’s in the draft were sure-fire picks. NONE. Most of them were Big-10 players, and we all know you are far more likely to get a bust d-lineman from the Big-10 than any other conference.
If you had the chance three years ago to draft Megatron, would YOU trade four picks for him?
You of course answer “HELL YEAH!”
So stop killing the Falcons for doing the same damn thing.
As for the rest of the Falcons' draft, it was excellent if you choose to forget they took a kicker in Round 6 when TE Virgil Green was still on the board. And I choose to forget they took a kicker in Round 6 when TE Virgil Green was still on the board.
Akeem Dent is going to be a playmaker for years on this team, and I'm not just saying that as a loyal member of Bulldog Nation. The guy is Bobby Boucher... he's a Tackling FOOL!
The best steal of the draft belongs to the Falcons, taking mighty midget Jacquizz Rodgers on the 3rd Day. Rodgers is going to be the Falcons' Dave Megget, without the felony conviction. We're talking a kid who, although small in stature, can run it up the gut AND block LBs coming after his QB. Rodgers told reporters he models his game on Warrick Dunn, and it shows on tape. Plus, he has mad hands. Get him a screen pass in space on a LB, and you'll next find him 20 yards down field.
Picking up some o-line and d-line depth at the end of the draft worked out well, and the Falcons will be going hot and heavy after Ray Edwards or Charles Johnson in free agency to fill their need for the consistent LE Kroy Bierman, who works better as "instant energy off the bench guy," isn't.
As Charlie Sheen would say, the Falcons filled-up this past weekend on tiger's blood and are most certainly... WINNING! (is that still topical... I don't know).
The Seven Things I Know
1) It was completely idiotic to have the first round of the draft on Thursday night.
2) We have all heard by now that ratings for the draft were down 20%, but do not let people like the esteemed Mike Silver of Yahoo! Sports try and convince you it was because of labor issues. It was because the first round of the draft was on Thurday night, not Friday.
3) Thursday night is by far the most crowded night of television in this country, and every single show was a brand new episode. We are talking 30 rock, Bones, The Big Bang Theory, Parks and Recreation, Community, and the two biggies, American Idol, and Steve Carell’s final episode of The Office. Against that Murderer’s Row, the NFL Draft didn’t stand a chance.
4) So, WHY did the NFL decide to hold the 1st Round of the Draft on the most crowded night in television? Well, here, guys like Mike Silver have the right answer: GREED. Only this time, the NFL, like the clueless old guy they sometimes appear to be, really had no clue that they could not beat even a Simon-less AI and certainly was not going to beat Steve Carell’s final The Office.
5) The NFL would be wise to have the 1st Round of the draft on Friday, a day that is usually devoid of quality shows (except for Fringe... seriously people, WATCH FRINGE… it is easily the second-best show on television after Justified, both shows have their season finales this week… WATCH!) and much easier to maneuver a DVR around.
6) I am still amazed at how many usually smart people in the media continue to act as if all of the psychological red flags put up by Cam Newton are not the exact same red flags put up by Ryan Leaf. Conceited. Arrogant. Dishonest. Immature.
7) Yeah, Leaf did not win a BCS Title, but he led a whole team of kids who rallied around him to take Washington State to their first Rose Bowl in over FIFTY YEARS, and he did so while remaining a fake, unrepentant douche bag, just like Cam Newton. So, telling me Newton is not the same guy because he “led” a bunch of 20 years olds to a title is a line of b.s. a mile long. Newton is going to set back the Carolina Panthers for years.
As a Falcons fan, I am fine with that, and I cannot wait to watch this train wreck.
Today in History (Yesterday, 01 May 2011 Edition)
We got that mother------!!! Osama Bin Laden is now Satan’s new favorite plaything!
What an AWESOME day to be an American, a former active duty Marine, and a lover of freedom!
Oh, and one more thing: to all of those complete and utter fools on Twitter who are trying to make this into a political “win” for the Democratic Party, I hope you people seriously reprioritize your lives and understand just how pitiful you are.
Yesterday was a win for America, you tools. Democrats, Republicans, Libertarians… it does not matter!
I am happy for our President (even though I didn’t, and won’t vote for him). I am happy for our service men and women who made this victory possible.
But unlike many unfortunate, misguided ideologues, (like Cynthia Tucker of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and too many douchey actors, actresses, & writers to count) I am an American FIRST.
Keep politics out of this. This is a win for America and the world, not a political party. This behavior is no better than the Republicans who tried to do the same thing when we got Saddam. They were wrong then, and you are wrong now. You people should be ashamed of yourselves!
Film Real
I do not have anything prepared for Film Real this week. I have been getting all my ducks in a row for school. Been crazy.
Smart Quote
Death comes equally to us all, and makes us all equal when it comes.
John Donne
And do y’all know what the quickest way to equality is? Two 5.56mm NATO FMJ rounds to the head, courtesy of US Navy Seal Team 6.
Rot in hell, Osama Bin Laden!
Hey, Check This Out!
Do I have to say anything else?
Please follow me on Twitter at @UGABugKiller. Thanks!
I've always said that the worst thing about the draft is that you could have a good regular season, get far in the playoffs and not win the Super Bowl and then you have a bad pick. Basically, you tried very hard to play well and you got pretty far, but not far enough and you get stuck with a bad pick. The Bears had one of those seasons, they played well in the regular season and caught a few breaks. They got to the playoffs and caught another break in playing Seattle; they moved on to the NFC Championship game and lost. That is what put them in the awkward position of we got far in the playoffs, but didn't win anything and now we have a very low pick in the draft. They still have options at the position they want, though. In my opinion, and the opinion of Jeff Dickerson (ESPN Chicago Bears writer) who you can follow on twitter @ESPNChiBears the Bears need an offensive linemen. This was the big issue on our team last year, and can easily be fixed by drafting a linemen. You can read my post about one option, Mike Pouncey, here: I used Jeff Dickerson's mock draft and who he picked for the Bears to make this post. You can read and check out that mock draft here:
Derek Sherrod played offensive tackle for Mississippi State last year, and this year he is entering the draft. I will admit that I don't know very much about him as a player, because I don't watch his school at all. I do know that the Bears need an offensive linemen and this guy will probably be the best they can get with their late pick. The Bears are obviously going to take whatever is the best in that position at the time, but I'm guessing this will be the best they can get.
With Sherrod playing tackle he can't really take over Garza's place like Pouncey would have because Sherrod isn't a guard. If the Bears can make him into a guard for the beginning of the season, that would be great. A guard is what we really need, and most offensive linemen can make the switch easily from tackle to guard.
The big problem with depending on a rookie to take a starting place on the team is that there is a lockout. This means that workout and training time for the rookie with the team will be limited. If the Bears want to make him into a guard, they will need some time. He won't be able to just jump in and play a different position then he has played his entire life. If he has played guard before and can move there easily this won't be a problem. This is just a minor setback and I'm sure he will do fine if the Bears pick him.
Bears YouTube Video Of The Day ------------------------------------------ Cute Kid.
My last post covers a lot of what this post will talk about, but I will say a lot of it again anyway. Jay Cutler received a ton of hate when he left the NFC Championship game with a knee injury. He let things cool down and stayed away from the media for a couple months and just recently commented on it for the first time. The specific quote I want to focus on is this, "I think I've been through a lot here in Chicago, and I would have loved to play." (thank you for the quote)
Cutler specifically said that he wanted to play, which I never doubted. I'm sure Cutler was begging to be out there on the field, but the trainers were telling him to stay on the sideline because they knew that he couldn't truly play well with that injury. The haters forget that after the injury first happened he did go out there and played a series. He didn't play well and he was probably in pain, after that the trainers probably said that he had to sit. Cutler and the Bears made the right decision in not playing him. This controversy will help make the team stronger and help make Cutler a better quarterback.
Another thing I liked about what Cutler said was this: "Those are the guys you are with a lot of the time," Cutler told the Sun-Times, "and those guys didn't flinch. I've got to thank them for that." (again, thanks ESPN Chicago) It was talking about when Urlacher and Kruetz stood up for him. I loved what Urlacher said and you could tell that he was mad at the people talking about Cutler. Maurice Jones Drew better look out the next time the Bears play the Jags, because Urlacher will be gunning for him big time. Urlacher didn't just say what he said because he had to or was supposed to, you could tell that he meant what he said and Jay was very right to thank him for that.
I really liked how the two veterans stood up for Cutler, it shows how well this team sticks together. I think this whole situation has and will bring the team together. The hate on the Bears has really brought the team together and joined them in one goal: make the haters eat their words. The Bears are going to be good next year and Cutler will play a lot better and be really impressive.
Another thing I like about the Cutler thing is that one of his biggest haters, Tim Hasselback, was on ESPN talking about it. He was saying good things, too and the whole time I'm watching I was getting more and more mad. He was one of the people saying bad things and one of the people that Cutler was addressing and now he is saying that waiting and now saying what he said was the perfect thing to do. This just makes me dislike Tim Hasselback even more than I already did, at least Trent Dilfer wasn't there also.
Like I said in my last post, Cutler is a guy who needs motivation and all this crap talk on him will motivate him to be a great quarterback next year and hopefully bring us back to the NFC Championship game and win it this time.
Bears YouTube Video Of The Day -------------------------------------- These "fans" can go die, RIGHT NOW.
Michael Vick stepped up in his role as Eagles quarterback this week. Vick announced that he would be leading workouts and drills for the offense in southern New Jersey. This is a big step for the Eagles, and says a lot about Vick and his commitment to the team. By running these practices, Vick will (hopefully) avoid the problems that plagued Ron Jaworski's Eagles during the stoppage in the '80s, and will cement him as the team's leader. Vick's decision to do this makes his place on the team a more permanent and responsible one, showing he cares about the success of the team beyond his one-year contract extension. This is good news for Eagles fans and the organization, as Vick stepping up will serve to invigorate and unify the team. It also shows at least some good can come from this lockout.
Incentive from Vick could prove key to keeping the Eagles in playoff-hungry form, as the lockout is beginning to threaten their bonuses. Several Eagles players are set to receive substantial workout bonuses to induce them into participating in voluntary workouts. Without these bonus incentives, some fear players will take the path Ron Jaworski related from the '80s, and will end up out of shape when the stoppage is over. Hopefully the QB taking the reigns will bring many into line with him, and will spur someone (hello Asante?) into doing the same on defense.
Colorado cornerback Jimmy Smith visited the Eagles this week. While the draft may not be the best place to get a cornerback to start, Smith could do well backing up for Asante Samuel and whoever ends up on the otherside of the backfield (Nnamdi Asmougha, anyone?). Smith put up good numbers at the Combine, and had a couple of interceptions at Colorado, but generally wasn't on the QBs' preferred side. While this looks impressive, there is a big difference between how QBs operate in college, and how they work on the pro level. My pick, though I sound like a broken record, would be Muhammad Wilkerson to help bring new life into the Eagles defensive line.
New defensive coordinator Juan Castillo was in South Texas to discuss his roots as a Chicano and the work ethic he brings as Sean McDermott's successor. There was a lot of surprise when Andy Reid announced that the new DC would be an offensive coach, but Castillo said that it was not the first time his abilities were doubted. The new DC discussed his struggles in his early football career and the feeling of having a police motorcade escort the bus he rides on through Texas to play the Cowboys.
Since there is a lockout and the Bears draft options aren't very exciting I thought I would talk about Jay Cutler. He received a ton of hate during the NFC Championship game which is totally unnecessary. A torn ligament in a knee is legit, I would know. I tore my MCL in high school and too be able to not be screaming in pain the whole game it shows how tough he is. The pain is constant and terrible. Yes, they would have a lot of pain killers available for him, but it was a better choice to just put Hanie out there and hope for the best. This isn't the last year we want to use Jay Cutler, we want him for a long time so playing him there would have been a stupid mistake even if Cutler wanted to play.
I think this adversity will make Cutler stronger. He is a guy who needs a lot of motivation to work on his game, this could be the great motivator that all Bears fans have been hoping will happen. I know that Bears haters say that Bears fans themselves were burning his jersey, but those aren't real fans. Real fans who know the game know that him not playing didn't make a huge difference and that we still need him in the future. I plan on going to training camp and hope to see him out there with better footwork and that he will be on page better with his receivers.
I was entertained by the fact that some Bears fans wanted to see what Hanie could do in that starting role. If Jay Cutler never works out, I think Hanie might be the next good quarterback for Chicago. I don't think he is ready yet, though. The way he played reminded me of the National Championship game last year. Colt McCoy went out and Garret Gilbert came in and made a little comeback. It wasn't enough to win the game, but it put the thought in peoples head, this kid will be golden next year and in the future. Hanie put that same thought into my head, this kid will be golden in the future. Replacing Jay Cutler right now is not a good plan, but keeping Hanie is a good plan. He is a great backup.
Jay Cutler needs to not listen to the people like Trent Dilfer and Tim Hasselback who think they can judge him when he is still young. He should want to prove them wrong. If somehow they put fire and desire in his heart, then I would laugh. Jay is ready to come back and have a monster season. I can see the Bears winning the NFC North again, but I can also see them being in the middle or just below the Packers. I'm being honest that the Packers are a good team, but we can beat them and we have. Jay Cutler needs to step up this offseason and learn that if you work hard in the off season it will pay off in the regular season.
If Jay finds the passion to get better this year will be a monster year for him, if he decides to listen to what the haters say and tell himself that he is a loser, we might have to put Hanie in sooner than wanted. This coming year for the Bears all depends on how Jay Cutler handles all this adversity, and I think he will do well with the adversity and make them eat their words. I SUPPORT JAY CUTLER- a phrase that REAL Bears fans can say proudly.
Bears YouTube Video Of The Day ------------------------------------------------
It's amazing how many great Bears youtube videos I can find.
The Bears are in need of a linemen of some sort. The official word is that they are interested in defensive linemen, but that might just be a front so that nobody steals what they really want. I think they need an offensive linemen, and Mike Pouncey fits exactly what they need. He can play both guard and center which will be very helpful as our center gets older, but is not ready to leave.
The Bears are probably going to sign Olin Kruetz to a one or two year contract when the lockout is over. If they draft Pouncey, Kruetz will stay at center while Pouncey plays guard for a year, then when Kruetz is ready to retire or to just instruct Pouncey we can make pouncey into our center. I think Pouncey and the Bears will mesh well together and the fact that he can play both center and guard will be helpful in introducing him to the NFL.
Mike Pouncey has a lot of talent, it might be hard for the Bears to get him with the 29th pick in the draft. If the Bears get him, he will be used well and will fit our team well. The offensive line was the major problem last year, and drafting Pouncey might help a little.
Bears YouTube Video Of The Day -----------------------------------------------
These guys have the best Chicago sports based songs, subscribe to them on youtube, their name is theretarcrew.
My last post was about the rule change for kickoffs, so I figured I would piggy-back off of that idea and talk about the greatness of Devin Hester.
I don't know how he does it, but somehow every time you kick to him he is a threat to run it back. He actually caused himself to be benched for kickoff returns for awhile because he was too good. Lovie Smith was hoping that he would get more yards off the kickoff without him out there at all instead of them kicking away from him and not getting all the way to the 20 yard line. This past year he was put back on to receive the kickoff as a surprise in the beginning and then Lovie realized how good he was and is and kept him there for most of the kickoffs.
Even though he is great at returning kickoffs, the thing he is the best at is returning punts. Just this past year he had 3 returns for a touchdown off punts. He is the best punt returner I have ever seen. Yes, DeSean Jackson is good and other fast receivers but nobody beats Devin Hester. Devin Hester is a monster and a beast. Devin Hester will not be beat.
Bears YouTube Video Of The Day ---------------------------------------------- I chose this because its a collection of Hester's best returns. This just proves everything I said above.
The rules for the kickoff have just been changed, and they are going to change the whole entire game. The kickoff spot was moved from the 30 yard line to the 35 yard line and it will change a lot in the game. The owners say that it will make the game safer, by not having the high speed collisions that often happen on kickoffs. I don't think it will make it that much safer, now kickers will kick higher so that guys on their team have more of a chance to get down to the receiver quicker, which will cause more collisions. This is another example of the owners trying to say that they want the game to be safer, but then being hypocrites by trying to add games to the season and not caring about health care.
This rule will not only affect the kickers, it will affect the receivers and the Bears in particular. We all know that Devin Hester is one of the best kick returners in the league. Before this past year Hester wasn't receiver very many kicks, but Lovie Smith decided to start using him to surprise teams. This year was another brilliant year for him, he is the best. This rule change is going to hurt Hester a lot and the Bears.
The Bears are not a great offensive team. The offense of the Bears is not consistent and I will admit that. They need help from the special teams. The big thing about a kickoff return is that the other team scores a touchdown or a field goal and because your receiver is good you stay in the game by scoring another touchdown. The Bears need kick return touchdowns. This is going to hurt them a lot. A touchback doesn't help the Bears. They can't move down the field like a really great offense does, but they have good kick returners that get them further than a touchback position, or get them a touchdown. Without the factor of Hester, Davis, and Manning returning kicks for touchdowns the Bears aren't as scary on special teams. Yes, Devin Hester can still return punts, but kickoffs are big because its after the other team has just scored and then you get a chance to score. The Bears are not nearly as good as they were this year without the Hester effect in full swing.
Bears YouTube Video Of The Day ------------------------------------------
In honor of Jimmer's last game in the NCAA and at BYU, he scored 32, but it was not enough to move his team along. I hope he has a good NBA career, and I LOVE this video.
The Bears won the division this year and I think they will have a good chance to win it again. The rest of the division is strong, but the Bears are strong too and they can compete with every team in their division. The Packers did win the Super Bowl, but I don't care and that won't make a big difference, they can only go down from there so I'm fine with them winning it. The Vikings aren't the same without Favre, but they will have a chance this year. The Lions are up and coming and will probably have a good year, but I can't guarantee that because the Lions always find a way to screw things up. The Vikings were not good last year. The Bears swept them and the vikings did not live up to the high expectations for the team. Brett Favre was expected to lead them back to the NFC Championship game and farther and he did not. I like the quarterback that they started to play towards the end of the season. He played well and seemed like the right guy for the Vikings. Adrian Peterson was expected to fix his fumbling issues to be solved and they just got worse. I do think they will be better than last year, but I don't think they have a huge chance to win this division. They are a big question mark, because when you think they will be good they are bad and when you think they will be bad they are good. I don't know what to expect truthfully, but I don't believe that they will make a run at the division. The Packers are probably the best team in the division, as much as it pains me to say that it is true. That doesn't mean they won't make a mistake along the season and end up not winning. The Saints ended up losing there division this year and losing to a bad playoff team. The Packers could make that same mistake. Championship hangovers are real, look at the Blackhawks this year. A championship hangover is more likely with a young team, and the Packers are a young team. I don't want to sound like a stupid Bears fan, so I'm being honest. They are a good team, but sometimes good teams make mistakes and end up having bad years, I hope the Packers make those mistakes. If the Packers win the division, don't call me an idiot, they are contenders but I have faith in the Bears to get better this offseason and win this division again. The Lions are always a big question mark. I think that they will be a contender, and then they have a bad season. I think the problem last year was that from the first game when that call was made against them they lost all their momentum and hope. Matthew Stafford got hurt in that game and they didn't think they had hope from then on. They do have good players and a pretty good team, they need to figure out how to get over the Lions curse. The curse that every Lions team must be terrible. They have drafted well in the past few years with Stafford, Suh, and Calvin Johnson but that still hasn't been enough to push them to be contenders in the NFC north. Next year will not be their year to climb to the top, because the other teams will be too good, but I think eventually they will be included in division winner talk.
All this talk about the NFC North is only going to be true if the Lockout ends before the season starts. I don't want a lockout, I want football. This is the first I have talked about the Lockout, but I don't want it to happen. People keep asking me which side I am on and I say that I am on the football side. I don't see why Billionaires can't agree with Millionaires about playing football. Just keep things the same, everything was fine. As a fan, I don't care if there is two more games and I don't care if the preseason is boring, it is still football and I want football. Just give the money to charity and play football. This is just getting ridiculous.
Bears YouTube Video Of the Day -----------------------------------
This was my reaction when I found out the Bears clinched the Division. Just kidding, this is a crazy Nets fan that I love in a non-gay way.
This guy knows a something about what happens when we let ideas divide us and lead us to hate.
Divided We Fall
I want to make this very clear before I start: I am, and have been for years, a person who considers himself without a political ideology. For me personally, I was once extremely conservative, but time and actual experience living in the world taught me that subscribing to any ideology is like enslaving your mind, and that embracing a centrist, moderate point of view gives a person more leeway to change their mind or have their mind changed, which contrary to current belief, is actually a good thing. Believing in an ideology the way I did, the way so many people do, means your mind is made up, it cannot be changed, you are a slave to your political beliefs, blindly following them to wherever they lead, even if it is the darkest recesses of humanity, and that is an idea that is now anathema to me.
With all of that said, the question that is on my mind right now is: What the hell has happened to my country since I joined the Marine Corps in 1998?
I may no longer be an active duty Marine, but the love I have for my country has never wavered, and I cannot help but notice the shift in national fervor towards more ideology on the fringes, that marches away from the middle, from moderation, in the last 13 or so years. When I graduated from Parris Island, I may have not personally liked the President at that time, but I never felt such vitriolic hatred towards him that it seems half the country felt towards Bush, and now half the country feels towards Obama.
When did our country become so divided, allowing the radicals on both sides of the political aisle control of so much of the message each side blindly believes in?
And people, it is not just about politics. We see it in sports, especially now, with the NFL labor strife. People have taken sides, and they have taken sides with a vengeance. While I am impressed with those people who have passion and who have intelligence in arguing their side, I am thoroughly not impressed by those same people when they act like the other side possesses not one single valid point or intelligence of their own. That kind of slavish devotion to their ideology in this matter is a microcosm to the bigger political and cultural problems facing America today.
I guess I just feel disheartened today.
You know, people like Richard Dawkins, the famous British Atheist, who claim that the world would be so much more peaceful without religion in it are so full of crap. They just use that line of bull to further try and prove their cause for atheism, when the truth is, human beings will always find a reason for war, for fighting, for wanting what someone else has.
Because it is humanity, not religion, that is the problem. Religion is just the excuse. If people were to actually follow their beliefs in Christianity or Hinduism, for example, there would be no war; there would actually be harmony. But human beings who have political ideologies, who are frightened of people who are different, who want what others have, and who cannot stand living in a world where everyone else does not think like they do will always find a reason, an excuse, for war; to fight, to take, to kill.
People with the most extreme point of views will always have the loudest voices. Rush Limbaugh, Keith Olbermann, Glenn Beck, Dan Rather (a wolf in sheep's clothing if there ever was one), just about every idiot actor in Hollywood, Paul Krugman, Sean Hannity, Richard Dawkins… these people shouldn’t be the voices we listen to or follow. They are the same people throughout history whose voices carried the messages that showed the very worst humanity had to offer: Burn the witch! Blame the Jew! Burn the book! Kill the pig! God is dead!
We must rise above our need to enslave our minds, to follow the loudest voices, and we can start in the smallest of fights, like with this NFL-NFLPA standoff, in which both sides have valid arguments, both sides are not behaving as they should, and both sides share blame in how negotiations fall apart.
Fans, do not hurl insults at writers who are defending the NFLPA, calling them “pinko” or “commie,” there is no reason for that. These people just have different ideas than you do, and hurling insults without arguing logically makes you seem unintelligent. That goes double for some of those same writers (let’s face it, most writers) who side with the NFLPA and act as if the Owners or those arguing for the Owners have no legitimate point of view or arguments, and who act like all of those who say that the Owners have a legitimate argument have bought into the “propaganda” of the NFL. It is okay to be on the side of the NFLPA and admit that they are just as complicit in these matters as the Owners. It is not only okay, it is the truth.
Let us all be civil to one another. Start with the NFL labor mess, and maybe someday soon, move that into the political arena. It is possible to disagree without hate. It is possible to negotiate without vitriol. It is possible to speak to someone who does not agree with everything you believe in and find them to be pleasant company.
We have to move the discourse back to the middle and away from the extremes. Reject Jerry Richardson and DeMaurice Smith. Embrace Robert Kraft, Arthur Blank, and players who, well, who haven’t made themselves known yet because of NFLPA solidarity, but who are moderate and would have preferred to keep on negotiating.
If we can do it with this small argument (in the grand scheme of things), we can move on and reject the politics of Nancy Pelosi and Sarah Palin, and embrace the politics of Joe Lieberman and John McCain.
Then, maybe, the people who make up the country I love can get back to disagreeing with each other on a more peaceable level, such as it was when I was a boot Private back in the day.
Gameday Predictions (March Madness Edition)
So, it is now Friday, and the NCAA Tournament has been live for a day.
Whose bracket besides mine is now busted beyond all reason?
Why oh why did I buy into ODU? Why I oh why did I buy into the Big East (looking at you, Louisville)?
I am incapable of predicting anything when it comes to college basketball. At this point, I am just praying my Georgia Bulldogs win a single game.
So what’s my prediction for this Tournament, which EVERY sports writer and blabber told us was going to be boring, but has already given us three upsets and two last--shot wins?
Madness.
Oh, and a Duke-Kansas Final. The Dookies win their second in a row, which will probably cause more hate from Jalen Rose and his non-Uncle Toms.
Today in History
On 18 March 1893 former Governor General of Canada, Lord Frederick Stanley pledges to donate a silver cup to use as a trophy to be awarded to the best amateur hockey team in Canada.
This is, of course, the Stanley Cup, perhaps the most famous and celebrated trophy in professional sports.
The Cup would continue to be awarded to amateur hockey teams until 1910, when the various North American hockey leagues began to play for it, pitting champion against champion. The Seattle Metropolitans were the first American hockey team to win The Cup, and since 1926, the Stanley Cup has only been awarded to the Champion of the NHL.
The Jukebox
Lists about “Best Ever…” are subjective things, but they are generally fun because they bring about real passion in the way people will want to argue the merits of any such list, and unlike in most things in modern life, that passion is usually good natured, not anything like what I talked about earlier.
I think I will start to use Film Real, TV Dinner, and The Jukebox to start making some lists every now and again, not for any particular reason, but just because they are fun and lead to pretty good discourse.
Lists, of course, take time, and thought, and both of those I find in short supply at the moment of this writing, so to tantalize you (maybe) about the list you may find here next Friday, I just want to say… Nevermind.
Smart Quote
I love this quote, because in modern times I believe it stands for the slavery of the mind that the blind following of political ideology has brought our country.
A house divided against itself cannot stand. I believe this government cannot endure, permanently half-slave and half-free.
Abraham Lincoln, 1858
Hey, Check This Out!
Here is the last-second buzzer-beater that destroyed my bracket this year, as I, a complete idiot, had ODU making the Final Four.
Feel free to laugh at my misery. But you know what, my day was still better than Rick Pitino’s. Heh.
Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter at @UGABugKiller. Thanks!
The recent NFL work stoppage has brought up a lot of comparisons to past labor strife. Former Eagles quarterback Ron Jaworski discussed the implications of the 1982 strike, which lasted 57 days, on the Eagles' season that year. Jaworski said that the strike hindered the Eagles, and speculated that the current lockout may have similar effects in 2011. That year's season was cut almost in half, resulting in a half-season long "Super Bowl tournament." In 1987, another strike occurred, however it had much less solidarity from the players, with many crossing the picket lines to play, and ended in decertification of the union and antitrust suits being filed by players, most notably then-Eagle Reggie White. Many of the basics of the NFL's CBAs came out of these experiences, such as the salary cap, a salary floor, and new free agency rules. The texts of later CBAs have been modified over the years, but this was the last major interruption in pro football. While the last two labor disputes differ from each other, and in major ways from the current one, they have nonetheless been mentioned continuously as prior examples, and the basis for current predictions.
One former NFL thorn that has been slightly neglected in discussion is the competition of alternate leagues. Throughout the NFL's history, there have been some major challengers to the NFL's nearly eight-decade supremacy. The most successful of these were the American Football League, the All-American Football Conference, and the United States Football League. Out of these, the AFL made the most gains, as its demise was the form of a merger with the NFL, many of its teams being absorbed into the older organization, creating much of today's American Football Conference. The USFL and the AAFC, however, also left their marks on the NFL.
The AAFC is barely remembered today, challenging the NFL in the mid- to late-1940s, however interleague warfare proved too much for the new league, and it folded after the 1949 season, merging the San Francisco 49ers, the Cleveland Browns, and the now-defunct Baltimore Colts (not related to the current Indianapolis Colts) into the NFL. The league also caused the NFL to develop changes, mostly thanks to head coach Paul Brown, who lent his name to the current Cleveland team. Full-time coaching staffs, studying game film, and the addition of face masks are a few of the innovations credited to Brown. The AAFC was also the first league to reintegrate, after African-American players were banned from the NFL from 1934-1945. The USFL had a slightly longer run, from 1983-1987, ending just before the 1987 players' strike. The USFL took the interesting route of playing games during the NFL's offseason, but was struck by franchise instability throughout its existence. The league did contribute the two-point conversion, instant replay challenges, and a salary cap, among other innovations. Many USFL alum, like AAFC alum, entered the NFL and became some of its greatest players. While they were not the Eagles, the USFL's Philadelphia Stars were a dominating force throughout the league's existence.
The thing to learn from this little history lesson is that the NFL is vulnerable to challengers. While the most recent challengers, such as Vince McMahon's XFL, have not been seen as threats, if the lockout cancels or even severely hinders the season, it could prove to be an opportunity to a rival league. The United Football League, after several years of obscurity, has speculated that it could become home to NFL players, should the lockout continue. While the UFL would likely not oust the NFL as the primary pro football establishment, it could prove itself to be a force for the future, enticing investors with ideas of Major League Baseball-esque league alignments. All of this is speculation, but something for the owners to consider while continuing the league lockout.
Yeah, you need to be watching this show. It's that good.
Alternating Between Anger and Laughter
This labor mess the NFLPA and NFL have gotten themselves into can really make a sane person run through the gamut of emotions. Every day I find something new at which to be angry and at which to laugh. I think I am able to do this, as opposed to only feeling the righteous indignation of anger, because I blame both sides for their stubborn buffoonery and utter lack of acknowledgment of the real-world situations their fans must face every day that surrounds the shared supreme selfishness of the NFL and NFLPA.
When I feel anger, it’s generally towards the hardline owners that helped push both sides to this standoff; unlikable men like Jerry Richardson and Mike Brown, who seem to be running point for the owners right now. They are intractable men who do not want to negotiate; they want to dominate. These are the guys who led the league to basically blackmail their television partners to provide them with the “lockout insurance,” that Judge Doty recently declared illegal and contrary to the CBA.
I also feel anger towards NFLPA Chief DeMaurice Smith, who, through his prior words and actions in the last two years, has convinced me he spent the last two months negotiating in bad faith; always preferring the route of litigation. And of course, there are the players themselves, some of whom I now look upon as unfavorably as I did Tom Glavine from 1994 until, well, forever. Players such as Drew Brees, who in the middle of tweeting about the disaster in Japan had the cajones to interject more of his pro-union propaganda. Talk about your complete lack of priorities and situational awareness of the world around you. Shame on you, Drew Brees.
And of course, there are the guys, mostly players, who are so far up their own rear ends, who have been surrounded by yes-men and friends and family hanging on their financial teat, that they have no awareness of the world around them, regardless of the situation. These guys fill me with a burning anger that sometimes, I have to throw my hands up and laugh for their stupidity and ignorance. The latest example of this is Adrian Peterson having the gall to compare making ten million dollars a year toSLAVERY. Yep, Adrian Peterson, who makes more in two games than most people will make in a lifetime, is a slave. See, you read that, and you get so angry that you have to laugh. Otherwise, you would be tempted to hurt someone.
But folks, it is not all fire and brimstone, thanks to Twitter. Twitter has given many national, and even local, columnists an outlet for their own thoughts, frustrations, and outright comedic gold regarding the ridiculousness of this labor strife, which can help diffuse a lot of the anger football fans might be feeling right now. Guys like Michael Silver of Yahoo! Sports (@MikeSilver), Bill Simmons of ESPN (@sportsguy33), or a local columnist for my hometown newspaper, Jeff Schultz (@JeffSchultzAJC), are passionate sports writers, yes, but they’re also wiseass extraordinaires, and if I find myself reading something idiotic or enraging that Jerry Richardson, De Smith, or Adrian Peterson has said, these guys will usually have something to say that’ll have me laughing instead of punching walls.
So please, if this NFLPA-NFL stupidity fills your body with anger to the point where you want to kick the dog, or punch your stupid neighbor at the thought of missing football games this fall, get on Twitter and find your favorite wiseass sports writers. They will help you find the funny.
Or, if you get angry enough, just do as I will: cancel your Sunday Ticket and buy ESPN’s College Football Gameplan instead, because especially in the South and on the West Coast, the NFLPA-NFL War benefits College Football the most, but we will get to that later.
College Football (College Basketball Bracket Edition)
There is no point to talk about College Football today. Spring Practices do not begin in earnest until next week, and today is all about finally filling out your brackets for the NCAA Tournament, the axiom that proves the stupidity and exclusivity of the BCS, but again, we will get to that at a later date.
As for any bracket advice I may have, look for upsets in the 7-10 games (Go Dawgs!) and the 5-12 games in the Round of 64. Most brackets this year may be top heavy, because so many sports writers are telling us this year’s tournament is going to be boring, but all it takes is one or two hot teams at the right moment to make a good run into the Sweet Sixteen or Elite Eight to make it seem that once again, anything is possible. Look for Clemson and Georgia both to win their opening games (well, for Clemson, after winning last night’s play-in game). Look for one (or more) top-4 seed to lose in the second round; perhaps Texas, Florida, Syracuse, or UConn, who all look susceptible to a round of 32 upset.
After that advice, y’all are on your own. Have fun.
Today in History
On 16 March 1935, Adolph Hitler, Chancellor of Germany, orders the rearmament of his country in direct violation of the Treaty of Versailles.
And much like the UN and Hans Blix with Saddam Hussein in the early part of the 20th Century, the UN’s predecessor, the League of Nations formally protested this development, but did absolutely nothing to stop it.
Of course, the world had nothing to worry about the rearming of Germany under Hitler, right?
TV Dinner
There is a television show on FOX that everyone needs to be watching, and no, it isn’t the horrible, grating mess that one-year-wonder Glee has become.
The show is called The Chicago Code, and along with Justified on FX, this show has become my go-to-show to get my cops & robbers fix on television.
Created by Shawn Ryan (@ShawnRyanTV), the brilliant creator of The Shield, The Chicago Code crackles with great action and even better dialogue, all shot on location in Chicago, not in L.A. pretending to be Chicago.
The show stars Jason Clarke from the gone-too-soon Brotherhood on Showtime, as hardened CPD Detective Jarek Wysocki, a devoted public servant and South Sider (which means he’s a true-blue White Sox fan for those not in the know) who has trouble trusting his partners since Theresa Colvin, played by the still smokin’ Jennifer Beals, who is tough as nails and was made the first woman Chicago Police Superintendent (analogous to Tom Selleck’s Police Commissioner on the good, but not great Blue Bloods).
Fans of Friday Night Lights will recognize Matt Lauria (the former Luke Caffrey) as Wysocki’s latest partner, Caleb Evers, but it is character actor Delroy Lindo who is this show’s break-out star as Ronin Gibbons. Gibbons is a menacing, corrupt Alderman unafraid to dirty his hands when wheels need greasing, or when people step out of line to his thinking.
From the locations, to the accents, to the wardrobe (all of the street cops and detectives wear their bulletproof vests on the outside of their clothes, adding a tenseness to the proceedings not seen in most police procedurals), The Chicago Code feels just as real to me as does Justified, and I’ve never spent a large amount of time in rural Kentucky or in Chicago, but these shows feel real to me, and that makes them all the better, particularly in The Chicago Code, which bring that city to life in a way I haven’t seen since the last time I watched The Blues Brothers. In this show, Chicago itself is an important character, and I love that Ryan and his writers understand that.
As most midseason shows are, it is looking like The Chicago Code is on that all-important renewal bubble for the Fall 2011 season and needs all the support it can get. I urge everyone to watch this show, to catch up with it on www.fox.com or at www.hulu.com, and make it a regular part of your weekly viewing habits. The Chicago Code is worthy of your time and attention, I promise you. Mondays at 9:00 pm. Be there.
Plus, Shawn Ryan got Billy Corgan to sing the theme song, which sounds so awesome I am praying for a full version to be released on iTunes as a single. How is that for awesome?
Trust me, you won’t be sorry.
Smart Quote
The last two blogs I wrote, I urged and pleaded with people to donate to help the disaster relief efforts underway in Japan, and I will continue to do so in this space, because there are so many people who still need help, need charity, that I cannot imagine not helping in some way.
In charity there is no excess.
Sir Francis Bacon, Essays, 13, “Of Goodness and Goodness of Nature.”
The quickest, easiest way to donate is still to text REDCROSS to 90999 for an instant $10 donation.
If you have not done so, please do donate. It is the right thing to do. It is the human thing to do.
Hey, Check This Out!
Here is the aforementioned awesome, original Billy Corgan-sung theme song for The Chicago Code.
Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter at @UGABugKiller. Thanks!
