Final Redskin Game

Typical result - losing yet again. What else is new.

The offense was great in the second half. The defense is just terrible and cannot tackle. If Double G wasn't such a prima donna egomaniac he would have played Arch and they may have at least slowed up Tiki. It may have been enough.

Redskins finished 5-11 and I think it was an accurate reflection of how bad the team was. They were 3-5 in the first half and 2-6 in the second half of the season.

Thank God they removed Arch. They were 2-5 with him in the lineup. After they benched him they went 3-6. Arch was leading the team in tackles and the defense was ranked 26th in terms of both scoring and yardage. They certainly did not make any improvement after the benching - in fact they regressed.

The scary part for the Redskins is that they are basically at the salary cap with only about 40 guys signed (the top 51 guys count against the cap). That means the team has to re-sign 10 guys with no money. Guys are going to have to restructure, there are going to be guys let go, and there is going to be significant turnover on the team. Add to the problem that the Redskins are going to take a $9M cap hit for letting Arch go (and should take another $9M hit for letting Lloyd go, but won't).

If the Redskins make some good moves and have some luck they might be able to make it to 8-8 next year. They are better off trading some players and their first round pick for more picks. They need to get some fresh, young, hungry talent on this team - especially on defense.

But, let me end on a couple of positives. The Redskins offensive line was very good in the second half of the season. That is a real strength of the team. I like Jason Campbell - good young player. If Betts can avoid the fumbles he is going to be a real player. Moss is a playmaker and Randle El is a solid number 2 receiver. Cooley is a good tight end. Offensively, the Redskins are in pretty good shape (assuming they re-sign Dockery). Andre Carter does not look like he is a total bust and had a solid second half of the season.

Good luck Redskin fans, and good night!

Bears and Redskins Picks

23-8 on the year.

Bears. The Bears game against the Packers has been moved to Sunday night. Unless the Giants lose and/or a whole bunch of things happen, the game will be meaningless. I expect to see the Bears play a spirited first half and then I wouldn't be surprised if Lovie rests the boys. I would like to see Griese get some more snaps just in case. Tough one for me to predict, but in the end, I think the Bears will win out in a solid victory. Bears 24 - Packers 14.

Redskins. They close out a miserable year with a loss against a miserable Giants team. The Giants have gone 1-6 over their last 7 games, but will get into the playoffs with a win. Betts will play well, but the Redskin D will again look bad. I expect the Giants to come into FedEx and handle the Redskins. Giants 30 - Redskins 27.

Adam Archuleta Speaks

Look, I am no Archuleta fan. He is an overpaid player, but I cannot knock him for signing a contract that Danny Boy and Gibbsy gave him. What is unfortunate is that the Redskins have basically "LaVarred" him. As weak as he is in coverage, I have to say that he is a decent tackler and could certainly be useful as a player for this horrible defense. It's too bad, but for whatever reason the organization makes it a point to mistreat certain players and make them into scapegoats - that is just what they do.

I don't blame Arch for speaking out. He says he was misquoted in articles that say he believes he was lied to by the Redskins. He cannot be lied to if no one is talking to him. Canfora has more details in today's Post.

If I were him I would want out of Washington. I didn't think it possible just a couple of weeks ago, but now my guess is that he is going to go. The Redskins will take a $9M cap hit next year (or split the hit over two years), and Arch will be a productive player somewhere else. I'd be happy with him in Chicago in the right defensive packages and for a reasonable price, but he will likely end up with a team that does not play the cover-2 and has more of a traditional strong safety who plays up near the line of scrimmage.

Bears and Redskins Rankings

Yahoo! Sports - Bears #3, Redskins "falling."

CBS Sportsline - Bears #3, Redskins #29.

ESPN - Bears #3, Redskins #26.

Bears and Redskins Thoughts

First let me wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday Season.

Bears. Interesting game. The D played well in the first half but struggled in the second half. Brian Griese came in in the 4th quarter and led the Bears to two field goals. Rex wasn't playing poorly, Lovie just wanted to get Griese some work. Given that the Bears have clinched home field and just want to avoid injury it is not surprising. The D was again without 3 starters, so I am not concerned. Bottom line is that they won.

Redskins. Another good game by Betts. It would have been a great game by Betts if he had not had the costly fumble. Campbell missed some passes, but he played about as you would expect for a young guy. But, the D returned to form and was just torched. Sean Taylor must be injured because he looked slow. Warrick Holdman was always chasing and looked slow also. Vernon Fox led the team in tackles, but man, it seemed to me like he missed a ton of tackles. On a positive note, Rocky made a nice play on the 3rd down run where he had to hustle back on the field.

You want to know what is wrong with the Redskin D? Vernon Fox is their starting safety. The same Vernon Fox who was cut by the Detroit Lions. Their backup safety is Troy Vincent - a guy who was cut by the Bills. Then the third stringer is the highest paid safety in the game. Clearly they have some personnel issues. I'm not Archuleta fan, but benching him really hasn't changed the fortunes of the Redskins or their defense. They were 2-5 with him in the starting lineup and are 3-5 with him on the bench. When you consider that Springs was out at the beginning of the season - the records are a wash.

Redskins Love

For what it is worth, Brian Baldinger says, "Watch out for Washington in 2007."

Frankly, I think his analysis about Gibbs vs. Saunders play-calling and the only hole on the team being a defensive end is ridiculous. But, I thought I would post it up to show you that at least one "expert" agrees with JKD (that the 'Skins are close to really competing).

Day 1929!

Bears and Redskins Picks

21-8 on the year. The Redskins really surprised me last week by showing a little moxie.

Bears. No problem with the lowly Lions. I think getting this road game and then closing up at home against a much improved Packers team will be good for the Bears. I expect to see a more insprired effort on the defensive side of the ball, no costly penalties or fumbles on special teams, and a solid effort by Rex and the offense. Overall, it should be a solid victory. Bears 24 - Lions 9.

Redskins. In an up and mostly down year, I expect the Redskins to return to form after last week's shocker in New Orleans. They go to St. Louis and get smoked by Adam Archuleta's old team. There will be rumors that Arch passed secrets on to the Rams. They won't be true, but it will be another effort by Danny Boy and the Redskin braintrust to further embarrass Arch so that he gives back some of his signing bonus just to get out of Washington. In the end, it will be the Rams 20 and the Redskins 10.

Rocky Balboa

Matar, this one's for you. I know you dying to talk about the new Rocky movie. Tell us, how was the midnight special showing of Rocky VI? Were you wearing a robe and boxing gloves? If you have seen it, let us know.

What started out as a joke has apparently turned into a legitimate movie that provides a feel good ending to the Rocky saga (until of course Rocky VII where he fights a rejuvenated Clubber Lang and Ivan Drago - AT THE SAME TIME. We could throw in the ghosts of Mickey and Apollo Creed managing Rocky to a great and glorious finale). But on a serious note, the reviews have been surprisingly good.

Here is an interesting commentary about Sly/Rocky that fans may find interesting. I felt as if I was reading words put down by Matar himself.

Tank Johnson Suspended

So Tank Johnson got a one game suspension from the Bears. He may get more from the NFL, but I doubt it. Given what I know about the situation, it seems 1 game is appropriate to me. He failed to exercise good judgement and unfortunately his friend was shot and killed in the nightclub shooting.

As far as I can tell, Tank is not going to be charged with anything and was not responsible for his friend's death. If other evidence emerges, I might change my mind, but 1 game is enough.

I do wonder about the guy's mental state and whether he is going to be ready to play when he gets back. My guess is yes, because football can be his sanctuary, but who knows.

Bears and Redskins Rankings

Yahoo! Sports - Bears #3, Redskins now in the "muddled middle" again.

CBS Sportsline - Bears #3, Redskins #26.

ESPN - Bears #4, Redskins #26.

Bears remain at the top of the NFC. Redskins may be able to work themselves into mediocrity with a couple of more wins. Get read to cheer Redskin fans! "1 - 2 - 3: We're #15!!!!!"

Bushie's Folly

Bushie's approval rating is in the mid-30s, and his approval rating for his handling of the Iraq war is at an all-time low of 28 percent in the latest CNN poll. The American people are fed up. The Iraq Study Group has called for troop reductions. We just had an election in which his party was trounced and yet still the guy wants to send more troops into the Iraqi civil war.

On top of everything else, the Joint Chiefs at the Pentagon unanimously disagree with the President's cockamamee idea of sending more troops to Iraq.

I don't get the sense that he will ever change course in Iraq. He knows that his legacy is ruined unless things miraculously turn around in Iraq, so he is willing to risk the lives of more American soldiers just to see if he can get the mess turned around. There is no plan - but Bushie doesn't care about anyone but himself.

Day 1925!

Bears and Redskins Stats

Rex played well for the second game in a row - this one at home. Although they had some defensive lapses in the fourth quarter the bottom line is the Bears clinched home field throughout the NFC playoffs. Redskins played well and we will see over the next couple of weeks if they are really improving or not. Here are the updated stats:

DEFENSE:

Bears - #3 scoring defense (14.9 pts/game - down 1 slot), #5 defense in terms of yardage/game (286 yds/game - down 2 slots).

Redskins - 21th-ranked scoring defense (21.8 pts/game - up 4 slots), 24th-ranked defense in terms of yardage/game (340 yds/game - down 1 slot).

The Bears have allowed 7 rushing TDs this year (tied for #3). The Redskins have allowed 5 rushing TDs (ranked #1).

OFFENSE:

Bears - #2-ranked scoring 0ffense (28 pts/game - no change), 15th-ranked offense in terms of yardage/game (324 yds/game - up 5 slots).

Redskins - 25th-ranked scoring offense (18 pts/game - no change), 16th-ranked offense in terms of yardage/game (322 yds/game - up 1 slot).

Bears and Redskins Thoughts

Bears won in a surprisingly close game. These things happen. The Bears were up 21 points very late in the third quarter and then Tim Rattay had a great quarter. The defense was missing 4 starters, and they still won. So no harm done. Rex played his second straight good game. I am not worried about the Bears.

Redskins. Played a good solid game all around. We'll see over the next two weeks if it was just a fluke or if the Redskins really are playing better. It could be they are getting better, or it could have just been a "trap game" for the Saints who took a weaker opponent too lightly. Again, we will see.

FYI, sorry for the delay, I did not have Internet access today at work. It wasn't that did not want to talk about the Bears and Redskins. My views have not changed about either team in any way.

A Question for JKD and Deepie

We don't agree on much about the Redskins. But we all agree that they need a GM.

Danny Boy and Gibbsy are not going to be bothered with having to deal with a GM. Danny Boy likes to do things his way and Gibbsy is too old to deal with conflicts. He is going to want to try to solve the problems his way. From what I am reading and hearing on the radio, it seems clear that the Redskins will not be hiring a true GM or any scouts to evaluate talent, draft players, work trades, and work with the cap.

If the Redskins do not hire a true GM this year, what will your reaction be?

Day 1922!

More Good News for the Bears

I read an article at the Chicago Tribune that talks about the fact that the Bears will be $20 million under the cap going into next year. That should be enough to sign Pro Bowl linebacker Lance Briggs to a nice contract. The Redskins are going to be just a couple of million under and will have to cut players/restructure contracts just to sign their 4 draft picks this year.

More Evidence that Arch is the Scapegoat

First, let's be honest the Redskins D is terrible, particularly against the run. I don't like Archuleta but I could find a place for him as a run defender. Certainly the team's fortunes have not changed since he was benched, and the Redskins are not making any high impact plays on defense.

Interesting piece by Howard Bryant about how Archuleta is the only Redskin player who has been credited with more tackles by the NFL than his own team. The gap is huge for players like Holdman, Taylor, and Washington who have far more tackles by team numbers than NFL numbers. But that rotten Archuleta who Double G has thrown under the bus? The Redskins feel that the NFL has been too generous.

No question that Archuleta has been made a scapegoat. If Archuleta is let go, he will go to another team and will be a significant contributor. He just needs to get out of the Black Hole of Washington and of Double G's defense.

Carlos Rogers is Hilarous

What is it about the Redskins? Are they all in a state of delusion? Rogers thinks that he is close to being a Pro Bowl player. Here is a quote by the legendary Rogers from today's Post,

"If I even just picked up the balls thrown to me, I think it would be a Pro Bowl season."

He is saying that if he caught the 6 would-be interceptions that were in his hands this year he would be a Pro Bowl player. The guy plays 10 yards off receivers in short yardage situations and is a sucker for the double move and/or pump fakes. If he really believes what he said, he has no clue what it takes to be a Pro Bowl player.

Of course, earlier in the week, Rogers commented on Reggie Brown's 60-yard reception against him by saying,

"Gave me a double move and kind of ran towards the middle of the field; can't do nothing about it."

He is a riot. I think he must be sniffing glue, like JKD and Deepie. That is the only explanation for the crazy beliefs you guys all share about how close the Redskins are to being a contender (or Pro Bowl player as is the case with Rogers).

Bears and Redskin Picks

20-7 on the year.

JKD - I believe you are now 14-11. I think we agreed that you were 13-10 going into last week and you were 1-1 last week.

Bears. The Rex Grossman rehabilitation project continues this week with a home game against the lowly Bucs. It will be interesting to see how Rex plays at home. His last home game resulted in his 1.3 QB rating and the fans are ready to pounce if he has a bad game. It is important for him to perform well at home given that the NFC champion's road is likely to go through Chicago. The Bears are banged up on defense, and Tank Johnson may be suspended for his weapons charge. But the Bucs have not scored an offensive TD in 11 quarters. The weather will be somewhat favorable for Tampa - they don't win when it is below 40 degrees. However, the Bears won't have any trouble on D and I expect Rex to have a solid game. Bears 35 - Bucs 6.

Redskins. It is well known that I think the Redskins stink. I think the Saints are really good and getting better. The Redskins are going on the road and are going to be spanked 31 - 7. Then we can talk about the so-called "new direction" of the Redskins. My guess is that they are still going in the same wrong direction. I will be rooting for the Redskins and really hope I am wrong. A loss by the Saints would pretty much give the Bears home field throughout the playoffs. But, I have no confidence whatsoever that the Redskins have even a slight chance of winning this game.

More on Redskin Fan Discontent

Good piece in Washingtonian magazine.

Day 1920!

Interesting Discussion About Redskins Season Tickets

over at La Canfora's blog. Read the comments, they are pretty telling. The following was one of my favorite posts:

I think the best thing about FedEx is seeing all the grandma's and long-time season ticket holders rotting in the upper deck along with me...

Based on seniority these die-hards should be sitting 50-yard line lower, but Danny puts them in the rafters because they won't buy $1,000 tailgate passes OR $5,000 club seats... sad.

Anyone who thinks Dan Snyder is "for the fans" should be taken to a hospital for mental evaluation.

Oh, and how about the free Redskinette calendar they were offering last week... ONLY CATCH.. you must first spend $75 at a store. What a joke this guy is.

JKD and Deepie, Danny Boy is ruining the Redskins and when fans stop showing up and the games are no longer on TV, then maybe you will see how bad it really is.

7-Foot Python in the Toilet

Surprise!

The First Rule about Jell-O Club . . .

is you don't talk about Jell-O Club.

The theme and ideas about this story are much like Fight Club.

Couple of Thoughts for NFL Rookie of the Year

First let me say, that the NFL names an offensive rookie of the year and a defensive rookie of the year. However, for the sake of this discussion, I want to present a couple of names for overall rookie of the year.

1. Vince Young. There is little question that he is having a major impact on the Titans. I love the guy and think he is a natural leader with unbelievable skills. He just makes things happen and his super confident and upbeat attitude seems to be infectious. The Titans may actually get into the playoff mix, but given how poor they started it won't really happen.

2. Devin Hester. He has 6 return TDs in his first 13 games (an NFL record for a season). He is having a major impact on the Bears by giving them a whole other dimension. In fact, he leads the team in TDs. I heard an incredible stat this morning - only 24 players in the history of the NFL have more return TDs than Hester.

3. Mark Anderson (Bears). He leads all rookies with 10 sacks. He has been a situational pass rusher this year and has been highly effective. Anderson is currently tied for ninth in sacks, but with the NFL leader at 12.5 sacks, Anderson may end up right up at the top.

4. Marques Colston (Saints). A big wide receiver for the rejuvenated Saints. He has 7 TDs and nearly 1000 yards. But, he is dinged up and probably won't continue at his current pace.

5. DeMeco Ryans (Texans). Leading the NFL in tackles. Don't know much about him.

Leinart is playing OK, but the team is losing. Any other thoughts?

If Tennessee continues to win, Vince has to be the rookie of the year. If Hester returns a couple of more for TDs, he may have a chance - especially if they are in big moments - but I doubt he can overcome Vince if Vince continues to do his thing.

Bears and Redskins Rankings

Yahoo! Sports - Bears #3, Redskins #28 (now in the "bottom five").

CBS Sportsline - Bears #3, Redskins #30.

ESPN - Bears #4, Redskins #27.

I love that ESPN is now apparently annointing the Saints as the team to beat in the NFC. Last week it was the Cowboys. As for the Redskins - well, they are just 2 or 3 players away from going to the Super Bowl. The ranking and their record cannot possibly reflect the quality of talent on this team.

Danny Boy's Shennanigans

"I have destroyed the Redskins and now I am going to take away the only classical music station in Washington DC. My evil plan is working. Ha ha ha ha ha. And, the fans (i.e., suckers) just keep on forking over money to me."

Interesting story yesterday in the Post about Dan trying to build his Redskin Radio Network by buying WGMS and converting the popular classical station into another Redskins' Propaganda outlet.

I love the picture of Danny Boy - the Post really picked a winner.

Iraq and Saudi Arabia

Bushie's good friends the Saudis are going to fund the Sunnis if we leave. What do you want to bet that Saudi nationals are already funding the insurgency which is directly resulting in American casualties.

The Shiite government wants us to arm them so that they can "take care" of the Sunnis. Basically, they want to have heavy arms so that the Shiite militias (i.e. death squads) can do their damage. Complicating matters is that the current Shiite-dominated government is corrupt and is closely aligned with Iran.

So, there are no good options right now. The best we can hope for is that a strong leader emerges who is willing to crack down on the violence with ruthless abandon. Average people are likely to support signficant government violence if it brings an end to the everyday violence that is destroying the country.

The ideal thing for American interests would be to find a ruthless dictator-type who is a secular Sunni so that there is no interest in bowing down to Iran. Perhaps Saddam is available.

Day 1919!

Bears and Redskins Comparison

Look at La Canfora's blog entry for today. He just happens to compare the Bears and Redskins and their diverging paths since their 2004 game.

Interesting reading and it shows the power of developing a plan and using the draft to turn Lovie's first team that finished 5-11 into the Bears of today. The comparison of what has happened since Gibbsy's first team in his second stint that finished 6-10. You can see exactly why today's 'Skins are the doormat of the NFC East.

Bears and Redskins Stats

Rex played a very solid game under extreme pressure from the media and the fans as the Bears continued to roll. Redskins wasted a good effort by Betts with penalties, coaching blunders, and defensive errors to lose yet again. Here are the updated stats:

DEFENSE:

Bears - #2 scoring defense (13.6 pts/game - down 1 slot), #3 defense in terms of yardage/game (281 yds/game - down 1 slot).

Redskins - 25th-ranked scoring defense (23 pts/game - up 1 slot), 23rd-ranked defense in terms of yardage/game (345 yds/game - up 5 slots).

The Bears have allowed 6 rushing TDs this year (tied for #4). The Redskins have allowed 4 rushing TDs (ranked #1).

OFFENSE:

Bears - #2-ranked scoring 0ffense (28 pts/game - up 2 slots), 20th-ranked offense in terms of yardage/game (314 yds/game - down 1 slot).

Redskins - 25th-ranked scoring offense (18 pts/game - down 2 slots), 17th-ranked offense in terms of yardage/game (320 yds/game - up 1 slot).

Bears and Grossman

The Bears clinched a first round bye. They can secure home field in a week or two. So I guess the Bears are now back to being the team to beat in the NFC. Dallas got smoked by New Orleans and the Bears take care of business. Rex played the kind of game he needs to play for the Bears to win - no turnovers, 200 yards, 2 TDs.

Great to see Devin Hester break the NFL record for TD returns in a season. The 2 kickoff returns last night gave him 6 returns for TDs on the year. The Redskins paid millions for Randle El - the Bears drafted Hester in the second round.

The Bears D gave up some points, but I am not concerned. The run defense was good, but they did give up a lot of passing yards. No doubt this was partly due to the fact that the Bears were missing one of their starting corners (Nathan Vasher) and their starting safety (Todd Johnson - who replaced injured Mike Brown). In addition, pro-bowler Tommie Harris is out for the year (but the Bears have good depth on the D line). Both Vasher and Johnson will be back, so things should be fine.

Basically, the Bears did what they had to do and Rex got some of his mojo back. With games against Tampa at home, at Detroit, and then at home against Green Bay, the Bears look to be in pretty good shape to lock up home field for the playoffs.

A Post on the Redskins

Pretty sad (and funny in some ways) comments about the state of the Redskins. These come from some dude posting on La Canfora's blog. Again, I cannot say it is all true, but there is no reason to doubt the comments.

"my buddy asked me to sell his 2 tickets before the game. I stood outside for 25 minutes and all I could get was $10 for one, and an offer of a bag of weed (no lie) for the other. I declined the weed and ended up tearing up the 2nd ticket... $10 for 2 tix to a Skins-Eagles game... sad. Looking back I should have accepted the weed and gotten higher than a kite and drank in the parking lot."

"as I predicted, FedEx was a sea of green (Eagles fans) and yellow and red (empty seats)... sad."

"Gibbs press conference... AGAIN. Let me get this straight, Gibby? You are "PROUD" of the guys? We dropped to 4-9 and all you can say is how "PROUD" you are? How soft has this guy become? MY GOD."

Day 1918!

Quote from Carlos Rogers

I got this from a post on La Canfora's blog. I am not sure if it is true, but it sure sounds like it is true.

"Gave me a double move and kind of ran towards the middle of the field; can't do nothing about it."

If Rogers could catch, he would lead the NFL in interceptions given how often teams pick on him. Apparently he dropped at least one more yesterday on the first Eagles offensive play.

Redskins Thoughts

First, I have to confess that I did not watch the game. I have read a number of different accounts of the game, heard various commentators, watched highlights, and looked over the box score. There are some good things and bad things from a Redskin standpoint. It looks like the offense and the running game were working well. However, penalties, missed opportunities, and big plays killed the 'Skins again.

On D, Carlos Rogers had a tough day (not surprising) and there was little pressure on Garcia. Although the stats looked pretty good, when it counted at the end, the D could not get the ball back and allowed the Eagles to burn the last 5 minutes of the game.

I'm curious to hear what you guys think. Betts was great, but overall results matter and it is hard to see progress when you lose by 2 at home to a rather weak Eagles team. I imagine New Orleans will rip the 'Skins this week.

Boswell's column in the Post talked about the supposed progress the team says it is making, but he said it pretty well right at the end of today's column:

"The progress -- loosely defined -- of the last three weeks will be tested sorely the next two weeks on the road. Then perhaps we'll find out whether the Redskins' patter after this defeat was just cheap talk or a precursor of better things."

Day 1917!

Rex and Brian

Griese got half of the snaps in practice this week with the first team. Normally he gets about 20 percent of the snaps. The Tribune estimated it to be about one third of the snaps. Either way, I am happy to see that Lovie is preparing for the worst and putting some pressure on Grossman to produce.

Day 1916!

A Good Redskin Move . . .

for a change. The 'Skins gave LEE-DELL a nice raise with a contract extension. According to the Post, it included a $3.5M signing bonus, plus another $5.5M guaranteed. The reason I like the move is that now that they have locked up Betts, they can shop Portis in the off-season.

Portis' contract is large, but they may be able to move him. This would free up cap space and if they can trade for some picks they can improve the team significantly.

Day 1915!

Bears and Redskin Picks

18-7 on the year.

Bears. St. Louis is reeling and Bulger called out his team last week as having a bunch of guys who don't care. After a promising start, that team looks like it is in real trouble. Monday Night Football will allow Rex to go on national TV and regain some of his mojo. I think it will be good for Rex to get on the road and away from the home boo birds. I expect him to have a great game and for the Bears to roll. Bears 30 - St. Louis 9.

Redskins. This week Philly comes to town. Given how many fans did not show up last week, I expect to see a sea of green in the stands. There will be a noticeable contingent of Philly fans supporting a rejuvenated but still mediocre Eagles team. Campbell will throw a couple of picks and there will be some head scratching after the Redskins get embarassed at home. Philly 27 - Redskins 10 (Betts will score a late TD to give the Redskins some respectabilty, but it will be far to little much too late).

George Clooney in an Indian Film

He says he is a fan of Bollywood movies and would like to act in an Indian flick. Can you imagine him starring in a movie with Amitabh Bachan and Sha Rukh Khan. It would be awesome. He could be a visiting American who falls in love with Ashwarya Rai. Rai would be the daughter of Amitabh, who could get angry about the idea of having an American son-in-law. The battle for Rai's hand would be between Clooney and Khan. The audience would be left wondering who she would choose - it would have it all.

That movie - if it were ever done - would be an international blockbuster.

More Needless American Deaths In Iraq

Yesterday was a particularly rough day in terms of American casualties - 11 more soldiers were killed in Iraq.

So, while politicians and pundits argue over terms like civil war, sectarian violence, cut-and-run, etc., Iraq continues to rage on and worsen.

The bottom line is this, why should we stay in the middle of a civil war when the elected Iraqi government that we are trying to prop up is more influenced by Iran than it is the U.S.? Should American soldiers be dying for the rights of Iraqis to listen to Iran? It is utter madness.

Rex and the Redskins

The Chicago media is questioning Lovie about Rex, and will be in a feeding frenzy around Rex and Lovie if Rex plays poorly this week. But so what? The Bears are 10-2. Lovie does not have to make any changes right now. This could end up being like when the Redskins won their second Super Bowl. In week 15 (I think), Gibbs made the switch from Jay Shroeder to Doug Williams and they won. We'll see what happens, but I am sure Lovie is considering his options carefully.

As for the Redskins, I was thinking about the huge numbers of empty seats and the largely nonsensical excuses that JKD and Deepie are pulling out. Here is the bottom line, the fans are so fed up with the Redskins that they are quitting on them. That does not mean that they cannot get back on the 'Skins bandwagon, but they have quit - including JKD and Deepie. Let me explain why (and it goes back to stuff I have been saying). Had the Redskins won, they would only be 1 game out with 4 to play. There are only 4 teams ahead of them, but they would hold the tiebreakers against Carolina and Atlanta, and they would have home games against Philly and the Giants. So basically, they had control of their own destiny.

I have heard JKD and Deepie say that this team was not going to turn it around and get on a streak because they are inconsistent - so are Atlanta, Carolina, Philly, and the Giants. All four of those other teams have their issues, yet you guys gave up on your team too early in my opinion.

Contrary to what you may now say JKD, your postings all point to the fact that you believed last week's game was meaningless - but clearly it was not especially when you consider the state of the NFC and its wild card race.

Have a nice day!

Day 1913!

Bushie Has Been Lying About Iraq Violence

What else is new?

The Iraq Study Group reported today that U.S. military and intelligence officials have been systematically underreporting the level of violence in Iraq in order to suit the Bush administration's policy goals.

Quoting from the article, "The panel pointed to one day last July when U.S. officials reported 93 attacks or significant acts of violence. "Yet a careful review of the reports for that single day brought to light 1,100 acts of violence."

So basically, Bushie has been lying to the American people.

Another Record Debt Level

The National Debt is now up over $8.65 trillion. Thanks Republicans!

An Argument For Rex

Let me first say that I am not concerned about the Bears' QB issue. The team in 10-2 and the coaches know what they are doing.

But in case you missed it, here is a piece by someone who defends sticking with Rex.

Last night I watched a piece on NFL Network which showed the three interceptions Rex threw this past week. The first one was a bad read and a bad throw. The other two were not. The second interception was a long throw along the sidelines into a one-on-one situation and the receiver made a very weak effort that resulted in the interception. The third interception was a ball that was blocked at the line of scrimmage, popped up, and got intercepted.

So, it is not time to panic - the coaches will get Rex back on the right track or make a change if one is warranted.

Plane Forced to Land Because of Farting

Some woman lit some matches to cover up her gas problem and it led to a forced landing.

The Iraq Study Group . . .

has issued its grim findings and recommendations in a sobering report to the President, and there are no magic bullets for solving the mess in Iraq. It calls for greater diplomacy and for a reduction in U.S. forces if that does not work. Bushie has shown no ability to conduct effective diplomacy. Frankly, he has not shown much of an interest in doing so. That said, I don't no if Bushie will ever reduce forces because he is stubborn as a mule.

I found this part of the article particularly worthy of quoting here:

He [Bushie] was flanked by the commission's co-chairmen, former Secretary of State James A. Baker III, and former Rep. Lee Hamilton in a remarkable scene — a president praising the work of a group that had just concluded his policy had led to chaos.

Empty Seats in Redskins' "Dannyland"

Looks like I am not the only one who noticed the empty seats this past week. Jason LaCanfora also mentioned it in his Redskin Insider blog entry yesterday. He specifically referred to the "Increasingly Large Globs of Vacant Seats at Dannyland."

Here is another observation by the Post, "A cornucopia of unoccupied seats in FedEx Field's upper deck. About half of the chairs in the top bowl stayed empty Sunday. Usually packed with fans, the tip of the stadium instead resembled a sea of red plastic."

Here is an Atlanta fan who was apparently at the game this past weekend. Quoting, "Almost half of the stadium was empty with 5 minutes left in the game and more than 3/4ths were gone by the time the punt was blocked."

I know JKD and Deepie don't seem to see the empty seats and think there is nothing unusual about it. But, the growing number of empty seats is quite obvious and does have implications about the overall support level of the fans.

Bears and Redskins Rankings

Yahoo! Sports - Bears #4, Redskins "muddled middle."

CBS Sportsline - Bears #5, Redskins #25.

ESPN - Bears #4, Redskins #25.

Looks like the Cowboys are now the team to beat in the NFC. We'll see in a couple of weeks what people think.

Another Record for U.S. National Debt

$8.64 trillion. Those crazy Republicans are making sure to push as much debt as they can onto the American people before they turn over power.

Day 1812!

What to Do About Rex

Lovie reiterated that Rex is the Bears starter. It is a very delicate situation, and Lovie knows he has to handle it carefully. I like the move to give a vote of confidence to Rex and let me explain why.

First, the Bears can afford to give Rex another game to try to work out his problems. They play on Monday night on the road in St. Louis. If he sucks, there are still three games to go. If he is average, they can give him another game.

Second, if they replace Rex as the starter now, and Griese sucks, it is tough to go back to Rex. You would have a young QB who may view the benching poorly.

Third, if they are patient and Rex plays poorly this week, they can replace him at halftime. Then, they can still go back to him the following week, or make a change if Griese plays well.

Ultimately, by being patient and sticking with Rex, they keep their options open. Obviously the hope is that Rex will regain his early season form. However, they have the advantage of knowing that they don't need spectacular play from their QB to win, they just need solid play.

Great coaching at this point - we will see if it works out in the playoffs.

Iraq War: The Never-ending Story

The number American casualties just went over 2900.

Day 1911!

Redskin Bashing for the Day

I saw a lot of empty seats at FedEx. Any shot of the crowd was kept to a minimum, but it was clear. There was one shot in the third quarter (I think) of the upper deck that looked like only about 60 percent of the seats were filled. The boo birds were certainly out to.

Danny Boy has made the Redskins super profitable, but he is taking the fans for granted. The Redskins are 60-68 since Danny Boy has taken over the team. Two playoff appearances in 8 years just is not good enough. That would still be OK if it did not always appear that the Redskins are gouging their fans.

Here is a story I came across about Danny Boy spitting on the fans when it came to parking at FedEx.

Bears and Redskins Stats

Bears played great on D and special teams, but had to overcome another shaky performance by Grossman. Redskins played a good offensive game from a rushing standpoint, but Campbell made mistakes and were horrible on D. Here are the updated stats:

DEFENSE:

Bears - #1 scoring defense (12.5 pts/game - no change), #2 defense in terms of yardage/game (268 yds/game - down 1 slot).

Redskins - 26th-ranked scoring defense (23 pts/game - down 3 slots), 28th-ranked defense in terms of yardage/game (352 yds/game - no change).

The Bears have allowed 5 rushing TDs this year (tied for #2). The Redskins have allowed 4 rushing TDs (ranked #1).

OFFENSE:

Bears - #4-ranked scoring 0ffense (27 pts/game - no change), 19th-ranked offense in terms of yardage/game (309 yds/game - down 6 slots).

Redskins - 23rd-ranked scoring offense (18 pts/game - down 3 slots), 18th-ranked offense in terms of yardage/game (312 yds/game - up 2 slots).

Bears and Redskin Thoughts

Bears. Talk about winning UGLY! The Bears mustered 107 total offensive yards and 6 first downs in the game. The defense and special teams made tons of huge plays to compensate for Grossman's woes and a couple of fumbles to win it for the Bears. They still won their second NFC North title in a row. However, from what I have read and heard about Grossman's performance I am not encouraged. Apparently he made bad reads and his mechanics were off. I think his confidence is shaken. I would like to think the Griese will get some work in practice with the first team. If nothing else, maybe Grossman needs some real competition and pressure in practice to perform. That said, I support Lovie and Ron Turner, and know they know what they are doing.

Redskins. Their defense sucks and I am not surprised they lost (my prediction was 24-17). The Redskins offense moved the ball and had a pretty solid game. I don't really have any complaints about the play calling. The interceptions clearly hurt, but Betts was great. Campbell had a so-so game. He made a couple of mistakes, but he made the good throw to Moss and a good play with his legs in the first quarter to move the sticks on the other scoring drive. Ultimately, the Redskins lost because they gave up 256 yards on the ground. Frankly, this would have been a good game for Archuleta to play in given his tackling skills. But Double GG has decided to "LaVar" him. Too bad the guy holds personal grudges and is so stubborn.

Economic Turmoil Ahead

The dollar is literally collapsing. While it may be good for U.S. exports as our products become cheaper for others to buy, there are far more threats than benefits to the U.S. economy from the falling dollar.

Let me explain the one huge threat. The U.S. National Debt just went over $8.63 trillion - the highest level ever. To finance this debt, we borrow literally trillions of dollars from foreign central banks as well as foreign investors. As the dollar collapses, it will be increasingly more difficult to secure investment to pay for our huge debt as well as our ongoing record deficits. That will require higher interest rates which will further erode an already slowing economy.

Wall Street is taking note of all of the indicators of a slowing economy. We are standing on a precipice looking into a financial abyss. Just watch what happens over the 6-18 months. But here is my advice - lock any adjustable rate loans, invest in Gold and other commodity metals, and look to invest in European and Asian stocks.

Even Rumsfeld Recognizes Iraq is a Mess . . .

and that it is time for major changes. Dems have been saying it for months. Many Republicans want to see change. The American people want change. The Iraq Study Group is going to recommend changes.

Bushie must really be perplexed that the number of "cut and run" folks now include Rumsfeld, so many Republicans, and virtually all of George H.W. Bush's top advisors (except of course Cheney).

Yet in the face of the growing tidal wave of opposition, our esteemed Commander-in-Chief says that we are staying until the job is done. He is delusional, doesn't want to admit that he was wrong, and childishly stubborn to a failed policy. His failure is directly leading to the needless deaths of American soldiers and the bankrupting of this nation.

Day 1909!

O'Reilly Sinking - Olbermann Rising

The November Cable News numbers are out. Buffoon Bill O'Reilly's act is continuing to lose steam while Keith's numbers continue their upward climb.

O'Reilly's November ratings are down 18 percent from November 2006. Keith is up 54 percent from a year ago. O'Reilly still has almost 3 times the number of viewers of Keith, but a year ago he had almost 6 times the number of viewers.

Grossman and the Bears

I hear and read all of the griping and criticism of Grossman. The big thing that people keep saying is that if the Bears don't make it to the Super Bowl it will be because of Grossman. That may be true, but that is the case for almost every team. Outside of Tom Brady, every team has some issues at QB. Peyton supposedly cannot win the big one. Delhomme is questionable and blew the NFC Championship game. Tony Romo is not a Hall of Famer yet. Rivers is a first year starter. Hasselbeck has been prone to make mistakes in big games. Steve McNair has not really been tearing it up.

Last year against Carolina, it wasn't the QB that killed the Bears, it was the failure to control Carolina's passing game (particularly Steve Smith). All of this speculation about Grossman is ridiculous considering the Bears are 9-2. I have great faith in Lovie Smith and the Bears coaches. In addition, the team seems to really like Grossman. Unless Grossman makes the mental errors where he threw into double and triple coverage that he made against Arizona and Miami on a regular basis, I don't see any reason to bench Grossman.

What I find even more hilarious is how many of "the experts" are now saying that Dallas is the best team in the NFC. Three weeks ago it was the Giants. At the beginning of the year it was Carolina and Washington. The only constant in the NFC has been that the Bears have won while the other teams have faltered. If the Giants beat Dallas this week and the Bears win, then everyone will be back on the Bears bandwagon.

Bears and Redskin Picks

16-7 on the year. Tough week last week with 2 losses.

Bears. The Bears clinch a playoff berth this week when they beat the Vikings in Chicago. I expect to see a stronger emphasis on the basics in the trenches this week. There will be a focus on continuing the improvement of the running game - it has been playing very well of late. However, the Bears front 4 on defense needs to pick it up. They have not been getting the same push as earlier in the year. Bears 27 - Vikings 7.

Redskins. The Falcons come to town and look ripe for the picking. The Redskins played an inspired game last week and Atlanta is reeling with 4 losses in a row. However, as much as I would like to pick the Redskins this week, I think it will be the Falcons. The Redskins have not showed any consistency this year and you have to assume that Campbell will make some mistakes during the year. Vick "comes home" and has a big game. This will be another frustrating week for the Redskins. Falcons 24 - Redskins 17. (Good luck 'Skins fans)