I love blogging. Well, not really. But it is a nice tool for archiving stuff. Like stupid predictions.
Hey! Here's a stupid prediction! At some point in the next month, Tiger Woods will "admit" to have a sex addiction of some kind, and go into "treatment" (or therapy) for it. Why? Because he needs an "out" of this mess, publicly. Ok, perhaps he actually has one. If he does, then I hope he gets better.
But for the sake of higher quality blog-like crap like this, we're going to assume he doesn't *really* have such an addiction.
He comes out, announces this, goes into some treatment center in Malibu for a few weeks or a month, then a couple weeks later goes on Oprah and tells "his side", admits all of this and asks for the forgiveness of everyone. Oprah, ever so appreciate of the record ratings and the exclusive, takes his side and paints him in the best possible light.
It may not go down that way, but if I was Tiger that's what I would do and that's how I would paint this. We'll see over the next 3 months. But you heard it here first.
Friday, December 11, 2009
Bad news for the Redskins
(note: Facebookies, these Notes copy over from my blog, http://wellformedthoughts.blogspot.com/)
Back on September 8 I wrote the following:
Maryland Terrapins - 5-7 (yes, I know they already got killed by Cal)
Washington Redskins - 6-10
Opinion: If Maryland goes 5-7, as I think, Ralph Freidgen should resign. You need to recruit better OL/DL/LB types, Ralph. Peer E Uhd. Speculation: Last year for Jason Campbell in a Redskins uniform. Last year for Jim Zorn as head coach. Albert Haynesworth will remind people more of Dana Stubblefield than of Reggie White, and he'll miss at least 3 games. And hopefully, if they hire a Bill Cowher / Mike Shannahan / Jon Gruden type to come in, it means bye-bye for Vinny Cerrato. I'll help you pack your office, Vinny.
Ok, so I was actually optimistic on both, even though at the time I was in the very low end of most opinions. And the opinions and speculations, I stand by those.
Maryland Football, it's a mess, and frankly, they are now being cost-conscious which means they won't be good for a while. Like 10 years.
But the Redskins. Oi. People, it's NOT going to get better. Why? I read in an article where Dan Snyder and Vinny Cerrato recently both took a trip to scout Colt McCoy, QB at Texas and Heisman hopeful.
And that's it in a nutshell.
Problem A. NFL owners are NOT qualified to scout college players. I don't care how smart you are, or how much money you make, or how successful you are in business. Dan Snyder has no business evaluating college talent. If he's got that much free time, come wash my car. Remember last year when Snyder was in love with Mark Sanchez (of USC, who went to the Jets), Jake Cutler, and who knows how many else QBs? Clearly, Snyder has a thing for "big name" QBs.
Problem B. If Snyder is jet-setting around the country with Vinny, he's not getting rid of Vinny any time soon. So, if you accept A and B as true, as I do, you come to the conclusion it will be business as usual next year for the Redskins. More losing, more mediocrity.
At this point, I can't imagine there are ANY big name coaches (established difference makers) who will work in this scenario.
There has been exactly ONE coach who has finished his tenure with the Snyder-owned Redskins at .500 (no coach in the Snyder era has compiled a winning record) - Marty Schottenheimer. Read this article (http://voices.washingtonpost.com/dcsportsbog/2009/12/schottenheimer_on_cerrato.html?wprss=dcsportsbog) and you'll see things more clearly.
Prediction? Way too early, but right now, Zorn gets fired, Vinny stays, no established coach wants to come here and the Redskins reach on some young college guy or NFL assistant. Just like they did with Jim Zorn. Then they draft a big name college QB (McCoy, or Sam Bradford, or Jimmy Clausen), a WR, and a RB. They won't address the OL, DE, or LB issues significantly. And they'll go 4-12 or 6-10 next year.
Jason Reid of the Washington Post put it perfectly - "Dan Snyder could go out and hire a big name coach/GM to handle all the football operations, win 4 of the next 5 Super Bowls, and he would be miserable because he didn't do it himself."
Darker days lay ahead, Redskins fans. Darker than we've seen and darker than you can imagine.
Back on September 8 I wrote the following:
Maryland Terrapins - 5-7 (yes, I know they already got killed by Cal)
Washington Redskins - 6-10
Opinion: If Maryland goes 5-7, as I think, Ralph Freidgen should resign. You need to recruit better OL/DL/LB types, Ralph. Peer E Uhd. Speculation: Last year for Jason Campbell in a Redskins uniform. Last year for Jim Zorn as head coach. Albert Haynesworth will remind people more of Dana Stubblefield than of Reggie White, and he'll miss at least 3 games. And hopefully, if they hire a Bill Cowher / Mike Shannahan / Jon Gruden type to come in, it means bye-bye for Vinny Cerrato. I'll help you pack your office, Vinny.
Ok, so I was actually optimistic on both, even though at the time I was in the very low end of most opinions. And the opinions and speculations, I stand by those.
Maryland Football, it's a mess, and frankly, they are now being cost-conscious which means they won't be good for a while. Like 10 years.
But the Redskins. Oi. People, it's NOT going to get better. Why? I read in an article where Dan Snyder and Vinny Cerrato recently both took a trip to scout Colt McCoy, QB at Texas and Heisman hopeful.
And that's it in a nutshell.
Problem A. NFL owners are NOT qualified to scout college players. I don't care how smart you are, or how much money you make, or how successful you are in business. Dan Snyder has no business evaluating college talent. If he's got that much free time, come wash my car. Remember last year when Snyder was in love with Mark Sanchez (of USC, who went to the Jets), Jake Cutler, and who knows how many else QBs? Clearly, Snyder has a thing for "big name" QBs.
Problem B. If Snyder is jet-setting around the country with Vinny, he's not getting rid of Vinny any time soon. So, if you accept A and B as true, as I do, you come to the conclusion it will be business as usual next year for the Redskins. More losing, more mediocrity.
At this point, I can't imagine there are ANY big name coaches (established difference makers) who will work in this scenario.
There has been exactly ONE coach who has finished his tenure with the Snyder-owned Redskins at .500 (no coach in the Snyder era has compiled a winning record) - Marty Schottenheimer. Read this article (http://voices.washingtonpost.com/dcsportsbog/2009/12/schottenheimer_on_cerrato.html?wprss=dcsportsbog) and you'll see things more clearly.
Prediction? Way too early, but right now, Zorn gets fired, Vinny stays, no established coach wants to come here and the Redskins reach on some young college guy or NFL assistant. Just like they did with Jim Zorn. Then they draft a big name college QB (McCoy, or Sam Bradford, or Jimmy Clausen), a WR, and a RB. They won't address the OL, DE, or LB issues significantly. And they'll go 4-12 or 6-10 next year.
Jason Reid of the Washington Post put it perfectly - "Dan Snyder could go out and hire a big name coach/GM to handle all the football operations, win 4 of the next 5 Super Bowls, and he would be miserable because he didn't do it himself."
Darker days lay ahead, Redskins fans. Darker than we've seen and darker than you can imagine.
Wednesday, December 09, 2009
Flame On!
I'm tired. Really.
I'm not just sleepy tired, although I am sleepy tired. Specifically, I'm tired of people. Not just all people, but certain people. Maybe I'm just annoyed, more than tired. But I digress.
I'm tired of people who think that because they belong to some sort of group, or hold some sort of ideology, or have certain physical traits, that they are better than someone / everyone else, or people who are outside of whatever category "empowers" them to think they are superior.
Just because you are (insert your chosen faith here) doesn't make you ANY better than someone who isn't (insert your chosen faith here).
Just because you are (insert your chosen political party here) doesn't make you ANY better than someone who isn't (insert your chosen political party here).
I'm tired of "in shape" people who think they are better than "fat" people.
I'm tired of people of ANY race who think they are better than any other race.
The list goes on, and on, and on....
I believe the problems with our society, our country, and our world, largely stem from people who think that because they are (whatever) they are better than people who aren't (whatever). I think if YOU are one of those people, I think YOU are the problem. And I mean this in complete sincerity - If you ARE one of those people, I don't want to know you, anymore, ever again. Period. Delete my email address. Erase my phone numbers. Unfriend me from Facebook. Take me off your Christmas card list. Consider me dead and forget I ever existed.
See, I prefer to think that being part of a group, either by choice or by heritage, is nothing more or less than that. You're a part of a group. The value of a person, the worth and quality of that person, are defined by the actions we take in life. The way we treat other people. How we chose to interact with the world.
Don't get me wrong - I don't devalue ANY of these groups, beliefs, or people. I have no problem if someone wants to be a Catholic, a Muslim, a Pagan, a Boy Scout, a Soldier, Straight or Gay, a Democrat or a Republican, it's doesn't matter. Heck, you can even be ignorant for all I care, it's up to you. Being something is a good thing, it can give you a sense of of belonging and community, a feeling of accomplishment.
BEING something isn't wrong. Thinking it makes you better than me by simply being it, yeah, I'm done with that, and I'm done with those people. And I won't miss you.
This world has become so polarized it's not funny, and that's a bad thing. I truly believe the "American Way" is two things: One, a system of government where the people are ultimately responsible, and Two, the freedom to be ANYTHING you want WITHOUT someone judging you for being that thing (ok, disclaimer here - anything legal. Yeah, if you're an Axe Murderer or a Kid Toucher, you're going to get judged, rightly so. I'm more on an ideological rant than a literal rant).
I'm not asking for everyone to hold hands and sing Kumbayah. I think disagreement is fine, and in fact I think it's necessary. But you know what else is fine? Civility. Modesty. Live and let live.
Actions, people. What we DO matters most.
Besides, everyone knows smart people, like myself, are better than everyone else, anyway. ;-)
I'm not just sleepy tired, although I am sleepy tired. Specifically, I'm tired of people. Not just all people, but certain people. Maybe I'm just annoyed, more than tired. But I digress.
I'm tired of people who think that because they belong to some sort of group, or hold some sort of ideology, or have certain physical traits, that they are better than someone / everyone else, or people who are outside of whatever category "empowers" them to think they are superior.
Just because you are (insert your chosen faith here) doesn't make you ANY better than someone who isn't (insert your chosen faith here).
Just because you are (insert your chosen political party here) doesn't make you ANY better than someone who isn't (insert your chosen political party here).
I'm tired of "in shape" people who think they are better than "fat" people.
I'm tired of people of ANY race who think they are better than any other race.
The list goes on, and on, and on....
I believe the problems with our society, our country, and our world, largely stem from people who think that because they are (whatever) they are better than people who aren't (whatever). I think if YOU are one of those people, I think YOU are the problem. And I mean this in complete sincerity - If you ARE one of those people, I don't want to know you, anymore, ever again. Period. Delete my email address. Erase my phone numbers. Unfriend me from Facebook. Take me off your Christmas card list. Consider me dead and forget I ever existed.
See, I prefer to think that being part of a group, either by choice or by heritage, is nothing more or less than that. You're a part of a group. The value of a person, the worth and quality of that person, are defined by the actions we take in life. The way we treat other people. How we chose to interact with the world.
Don't get me wrong - I don't devalue ANY of these groups, beliefs, or people. I have no problem if someone wants to be a Catholic, a Muslim, a Pagan, a Boy Scout, a Soldier, Straight or Gay, a Democrat or a Republican, it's doesn't matter. Heck, you can even be ignorant for all I care, it's up to you. Being something is a good thing, it can give you a sense of of belonging and community, a feeling of accomplishment.
BEING something isn't wrong. Thinking it makes you better than me by simply being it, yeah, I'm done with that, and I'm done with those people. And I won't miss you.
This world has become so polarized it's not funny, and that's a bad thing. I truly believe the "American Way" is two things: One, a system of government where the people are ultimately responsible, and Two, the freedom to be ANYTHING you want WITHOUT someone judging you for being that thing (ok, disclaimer here - anything legal. Yeah, if you're an Axe Murderer or a Kid Toucher, you're going to get judged, rightly so. I'm more on an ideological rant than a literal rant).
I'm not asking for everyone to hold hands and sing Kumbayah. I think disagreement is fine, and in fact I think it's necessary. But you know what else is fine? Civility. Modesty. Live and let live.
Actions, people. What we DO matters most.
Besides, everyone knows smart people, like myself, are better than everyone else, anyway. ;-)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)