Author: thependulumswings staff

Ten Piece Nuggets-Football

Posted on by thependulumswings staff

Tender and tasty mmm, mmm.

Fresh from the oven to your email inbox comes Ten delicious Nuggets.

  1. The BIG 10 returned to action on the NCAA football fields and made us all feel a tad more normal Saturday. Three of their top four teams made positive statements right from the word go.
  2.  Wisconsin kicked things off Friday night with a 45-7 mauling of the not so Fighting Illini.  Freshman QB Graham Mertz (not the great-grandson of Fred and Ethel Mertz) was bold and very good.  He completed 20 of 21 passes with five going for six.  Friday’s fun turned into Saturday’s misery though.  Mertz tested positive for you know what and by BIG10 protocol cannot return to the field for 21 days if a second test confirms the first. Ouch. Could it be a “Saban like” false positive?
  3. THE Ohio St. worked Nebraska 52-17.  Their talent and coaching puts them on a short, shortlist to challenge Alabama and Clemson come January.  Nebraska has a long way to go to join the best of the BIG 10.
  4. Jim Harbaugh shut up the hot seat talk for at least one week.  His Wolverines went into Minnesota and dispatched the Golden Gophers 49-24.  You can “Row the Boat” all you want PJ, but you need bigger and better paddles to compete with the BIG 10 big dogs on a consistent basis.
  5. Penn St. was the lone rust belt surprise falling to a better than most understand Indiana Hoosiers team in an overtime thriller 36-35.  And, while it has nothing to do with the BIG 10 you must watch the quadruple doink Rice field goal overtime thriller.  Did you already see it?  Watch it again.  Crazy.
  6. Does Notre Dame belong in the conversation with THE, Clemson, and Bama?  Pitt thinks so.  The Fighting Irish took the fight to the Panthers in Pitt and cruised to a 45-3 beatdown. We’ll find out soon enough as ND faces Clemson on 11/7.  Does the PAC 12 have any fight in the dog to get a dog in the fight?  We’ll find out soon enough as they FINALLY begin to play on 11/7 as well.
  7. And then there was only one who has won them all so far.  The NFL Pittsburgh team went to Nashville to face a well-coached and tough Tennessee Titan team yesterday.  They held on by a 27-24 score.   With Seattle’s overtime loss to the quietly good 5-2 Arizona Cardinals, Pitt stands as the lone undefeated NFL team after seven weeks of league play and six games for the Steelers.
  8.  You remember the talk about Tom Brady and Drew Brees losing a few MPH’s off of their fastballs? “Not so fast my friend,” Coach Corso would say.  Both play very well yesterday in big wins.  Brady’s team gets Antonio Brown next week while Brees’ team should get Michael Thomas back.  The Bucs and the Saints have distanced themselves from the other two teams in the NFC South.
  9. One of those two teams is the Atlanta Falcons.   They somehow managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory for the third time this season.  Matt Stafford and the Lions went 75 yards in the final 64 seconds, played pitch and catch on the game’s final play, and won by one.  Unbelievable.  Falcons owner Arthur Blank stood on the sidelines with a blank expression on his face once more.  He was looking around for someone to fire, but realized that he had fired everyone two weeks ago.
  10.  Point differential is a good indicator of a team’s real strength as a season progresses.  It is simply the total points scored minus points allowed.  It’s kind of a measure of when you win how big do you do so versus when you lose how close are you.  Who has the best differential through seven weeks in the NFL? Nope, it’s not the undefeated Steelers.  It’s the 5-2 TB Bucs with +80.  The Chiefs and Ravens are plus 75.  Pitt is plus 65.
  11. (Lagniappe) By this measure which division is best in all of the fruited plains? It’s by far the NFC West where all four teams are on the plus side.  Seattle (+38) leads the division followed by Arizona (+57).  The Rams and 49ers bring up the rear at still very strong plus 38 and plus 45 respectively.  Their combined differential is an excellent +178.  Their combined w/l record is a robust 18-8.  Conversely, the NFC East is a putrid minus 174 with a combined record of 7-20-1.  Can you spell P U?

It’s work time.

Abby Takes Down Vegas-Year Three, Week Five

Posted on by thependulumswings staff

Abby felt a bit hungover Sunday.  After a four week run, her picks last week tasted as fine as warm Mad Dog 20/20 wine.

The week brought reality back into the season-long results.  Wins are 11 v losses at nine.  One tie.  The most important bones wagered are 17 up v 13 down.  The hunch is 1-2 after a rare bye week last week.

A little hair of the dog to cure what ails you is below.

  1. Notre Dame at Pittsburgh +9 1/2 – Notre Dame enters week 5 undefeated and with high hopes.  Notre Dame is good, not great.  Pitt is not great but good enough.  It’s a simple home dog who gets up for the big game. ND wins, but it’s close.  Two bones.
  2. South Carolina @ LSU -6 –  This line opened at 6 and went quickly to 7 and 1/2.  It’s back to 6 as LSU will start a true freshman in place of the injured Myles Brennan.  LSU also self-imposed penalties for football recruiting violations this week.  At least a hurricane didn’t hit town this week.  Zig bet.  Three bones.
  3. Baylor +9 at Texas and under 61 – Parlays aren’t for everyone.  Dave Aranda’s D isn’t for everyone.  But, it’ll slow the high scoring Longhorns just enough to cover the points and the under.  One bone to win three bones.
  4. Oklahoma -6 and 1/2 at TCU-  This is a good spot for TCU.  But we think the next great NFL coach (ahem) builds on the quadruple OT win in the Red River Shootout somehow with a late cover.  One bone.
  5. Kentucky at Missouri +5 and 1/2 and Florida St. at Louisville – 4 and 1/2– What’s up with two parlays in one week?  It’s go time to gather some bones.  Kentucky travels back to back weeks and comes off of a big win at Tennessee.  Is Florida St capable of two big efforts in a row?  Nah.  One bone to win three bones.

The Big Ten opens for business finally in 2020.  Betting week one is dangerous.  Spotting 20 in week one is even more dangerous.  Badger happy hours for Friday games start about right now and are most dangerous.  On a hunch take Illinois plus 20 at Wisconsin.

Party on!

Woof!

Lefty and Shorty Tackle the World’s Issues

Posted on by thependulumswings staff

If Lefty and Shorty were still with us last evening might have unfolded like this.

Lefty and Shorty sat quietly in the cool but nice fall air.  It was 10:30 PM, and cars were nowhere to be found.  Lefty- Why do we even stay open this late?  Shorty- I guess so that we can discuss this crazy world that we live in today.

Lefty sat to the left of Shorty.  Imagine that.  Shorty sat on the shorter of the two “halves” of the 55-gallon drum. Imagine that.  Each was cut down to size and retrofitted with a soft cushion top.

Lefty- What about Iran?  Shorty- How far?  Lefty- Iran, the country.  Shorty- I knew you were quite the runner in high school, but cross country at your age?  Lefty- Stay with me.  Iran, the country, was identified by the FBI as interfering in our election.  They sent threatening emails to Democratic-leaning voters saying they would be harmed if they didn’t vote for Trump.  Shorty-  Good idea, wrong candidate if you ask me.  Iran must lean to the left, Lefty.  Lefty- Russia is at it again, too, they said.  Shorty- Seems like they get blamed for everything.

Lefty decided a long pause might reset the dialogue.

Lefty- At least China isn’t accused.  Shorty- They already did more than Iran and Russia combined.  Lefty- How so?  Shorty-  They gave us the China virus.  That’s the most divisive topic across our country today. Lefty- The China virus?  Shorty- That’s what Trump calls it.

Lefty- Let’s change gears shall we?  Shorty-  It’s too late.  That car can wait till the morning.  Lefty-Ummmm.  I meant let’s talk about something else.  Shorty- Ok.

Lefty- What do you think about Hunter?  Shorty- As long as people eat what they kill I think it’s fine.  Lefty- Don’t put ideas in my head.  Shorty- Huh?  Lefty-  I’M TALKING ABOUT HUNTER BIDEN.  Shorty-  Ah, I guess China gave us the virus and gave Hunter 10 million or so.   Bad for our country, but good for him.   Lefty- Where’s the proof of that?  Shorty- In a big safe in daddy Joe Biden’s basement I’d guess.  Why else would he spend so much time down there?

Lefty- Amy Coney Barrett is going to get voted through to the full Senate today.  Shorty- To replace Ruth Bader Ginsberg.  Lefty- Yes.  Shorty- Why do all Supreme Court justices always get referred to by their full names?

Lefty took the deepest of deep breaths.

Lefty- Are you going to watch the debate tomorrow night?  Shorty- No, I won’t.

Lefty- I’m going to refill the soft drink machine.  Shorty- I’ll help.  Lefty- No, you won’t.

 

 

Ten Piece Nuggets-Sports

Posted on by thependulumswings staff

Yesterday’s rant about Hunter Biden and all that is wrong with that story left you hungry.  We understand.  Politics is getting harder on the stomach by the day.

We have your nuggets.  They’re a day late and were nearly a few nuggets short.  Deadlines are troublesome when your staff shows up late.

As usual, they’re randomly presented, but cooked just right.

  1.  Did you see what Tennessee Head Coach Mike Vrabel did late in the game v the Houston Texans Sunday?  He purposely sent a 12th man onto the field while on defense to draw a penalty.  It was 2nd and 1 and the clock had reached 3:30 left in the fourth quarter.  The high probability that the Texans, leading 30-29, would get a first down on that or the 3rd down play meant the clock or his timeouts could be drawn down significantly.  He conceded the first down, saved a timeout or two, and saved 45 or more seconds.  Scroll to the bottom of this article to see it unfold.
  2. The Texans went on to score but left the Titans enough time and timeouts to tie the game in regulation with a very late touchdown.  In overtime the Titans won the coin toss, drove the length of the field, and won the game.  It’s a Bill Belichick type of move from a Bill Belichick disciple.  Expect the ever-active NFL rules committee to take action this offseason somehow to prevent this in the future.  It’s called the NFL.  It’s called the No Fun League, where creative thinking is discouraged at times.
  3. The Dak-less Dallas Cowboys looked below average with backup Andy Dalton leading them last MNF evening.  It might be a long road ahead for a team that was picked to win the NFC East by most.  They fell to 2-4.  The East is bad.  Correction, the East is very bad.  The Cowboys remain on top of the division at 2-4.  That’s no typo.  The Washington Football Team, the Philadelphia Phootball Eagles, and the New York Football Giants each have one win to show in six tries.
  4.  Who’s undefeated after six weeks?  Seattle, Tennessee, and Pittsburgh are.  Front runners in the NFL rarely fade.  It’ll be interesting in late December if these three are still on a shortlist vying for home-field advantage throughout.  It says here that they will be.  Baltimore and Kansas City might have a bit to say about that in the AFC, and Green Bay might as well in the NFC.  Sorry Chicago fans, they won’t but will contend for a nice seed at this pace.  The Bear D is good.  The Bear O is bad.  Did somebody just ask, “what about Tom Brady and Tampa?”  Nah.
  5. The Big 10 rolls out the pigskin this weekend.  Welcome back.  They’ve been missed.  More football is better than less.  And, Clemson and Alabama need someone to keep them company at the top.  It’s lonely up there.  It’s very lonely up there.  Sure, Notre Dame is undefeated.  Does anyone really think that they are on the aforementioned two teams’ level?  THE Ohio St might well be.  When the PAC 12 resumes, which we presume will be before 2024, maybe even Oregon can join a conversation.
  6. When Oklahoma St and Texas A&M are ranked 6th and 7th respectively you can tell football isn’t playing with a full deck nor to a full house.  2020.
  7. The World Series starts tonight.  Will you be watching?  The matchup is very interesting.  Tampa is a small, small media market,  LA is the second largest.  Tampa Bay’s payroll is 28th out of 32 teams.  Los Angeles pays 2nd best trailing only the NY Yankees.  The Rays are +175, the Dodgers are -215.
  8. The Rays have four current or former All-Stars with five total appearances.  The Dodgers have 12 players combining to make 26 appearances.
  9. The Dodgers acquired Mookie Betts in the offseason and the list of better nonpitching players in the game is very short.  The Rays acquired Randy Arozarena.  He was an obscure rookie outfielder in the Cardinals organization.  In 2019 he spent 1/2 a year in AA and half a year in AAA.  Arozerena was the MVP of the ALCS.  He’s been a house on fire in the playoffs to date.
  10. Do you miss the NBA already?  LeBron got his damn respect winning the Finals just a week ago yesterday with the LA Lakers.  The season resumes on January 18th of 2021.  It’s only 12 weeks away.  You can make it.

Whew.  Deadlines.

How Deep is the Deep State?

Posted on by thependulumswings staff

We always try to give credit where credit is due.  Therefore, we often give credit to the Democratic Party for their aggressive and concerted messaging.  They assimilate a powerful script, dole out the talking points to the appropriate parties, and preach the point of view over and again.

They are masterful at making the Republican Party and the current president play defense again and again.  Trump is offensive, but it’s hard to be on offense when you are always playing defense.

The Russian collusion narrative played to an interested national audience for two years.  But, it’s ending disappointed many.  And now, suddenly, two weeks before the national elections it looks like the script may have flipped.

Lo and behold, it looks like the Hunter is now being hunted.  The Hunter is Hunter Biden.  And, the bombshell revelations being gleaned from his abandoned laptop hard drive is only act one.  Email after email being released, and many more are to come this week, seem to have untidily linked his Ukrainian Burisma Board of Directors lofty position as well as his position with the Chinese company as nothing more than a pay for government influence storefront.

One even alludes to holding 10% of the payment for “the big guy.”  The big guy is all but identified as one former VP of the US, Joe Biden.  “Biden” or “Buyden” some are asking on Twitter, but we digress.

Some that are also asking are John Ratcliffe, Director of National Intelligence, Rudy Guliani, a Trump advisor and personal attorney, and this AM also Senator Ron Johnson.  Johnson is actually asking for the FBI to release the file on this that they supposedly have had and held on to quietly since November of 2019 a full two months prior to the House impeaching Trump on, of all things, collusion claims.  Ironic somewhat?

What does the Biden family have to say about this?  So far Joe Biden has 1) called it a smear campaign, then 2) walked off mid-question from the reporter last evening who attempted to ask about it.  Late last night he pulled the shade down on his campaign till Thursday calling a “lid” till then.   Hunter apparently is down in some basement, like father like son, somewhere we presume.  Wouldn’t he come forward and vigorously defend his father?  Shouldn’t he?

The Biden camp has said some of the emails and conversations held might be accurate.  They further hinted that Joe might have met in an informal manner with some foreign officials embroiled in this.   Where there is smoke there is at a minimum more smoke.  Fire?  Hmmm.

What did the New York Times say in its Sunday edition about the story that its rival the New York Post broke?  Ever the environmentally friendly organization, they spared the trees as not one syllable was typeset on any of its pages.

Facebook and Twitter have severely limited the story’s spread citing “hacked” information, or “unverified” political attacks as the reason.   Adam Schiff went on a Sunday talk show and said with a straight face, “this story is more evidence of the Russian influence in our election.”

Presumably, Biden is using the downtime rehearsing all of his lines and talking points for Thursday night’s final Presidential Debate.   He better have a few good ones for this exploding story.  Surely this will be front and center then?  Or does he need them?

Kristen Welker, the lone moderator for the debate has deep Democratic Party ties.  Welker comes from an established Democratic family who has poured cash into party coffers, and to Trump opponents, for years.  In March 2016 Welker was busted on live television tipping off Hillary Clinton’s Communications Director Jennifer Palmieri about at least one question she planned to ask her during a post-debate interview in Michigan.

Could the VP of the US have directly profited by his position as the liaison for China and Ukraine under Obama with a big assist from his son?

Do you believe that there was a second gunman behind the grassy knoll in Dealey Plaza when Kennedy was shot?

How smarmy is the swamp?

How deep is the deep state?

 

Abby Takes Down Vegas, Year Three, Week Two

Posted on by thependulumswings staff

Abby is feeling fine after a tough kennel cough a week ago.  Her picks picked her up a bit as well.  It was a very good week.  For year three she’s now 10-5-1 in wins and losses with one tie.  The most important bones won are 15 v only seven lost.  Boom.  The hunch bet is out to lunch thus far at 1-2.  Times’ a wasting and Abby is 24 minutes from this deadline.  Briefly, we pick.

  1.  Houston +5 v. BYU  – Houston is legit for who they are.  BYU will realize that 12 hours from now.  A straight up win by the underdog would not surprise this dog.  One bone.
  2. Auburn -3 v South Carolina  – This line is so sweet it almost worries her.  Two bones.
  3. Kentucky at Tennessee -5 1/2–  We’ve ridden Tenn the last half of last year and every week so far this year.  Ain’t no stoppin’ us now.  Two bones.
  4. Ole Miss -1 1/2 v. Arkansas-  Arkansas has a legit coach which has turned a bunch of scallywags into a decent team.  But they lose a close one this week.  One bone.
  5. Georgia at Alabama -4 1/2–  Georgia has a D.  Bama has an O.  Bama has a head coach with Covid-19.   Close till quarter four, then hear Bama roar.  Two bones.

On a hunch we are going to take a subscriber’s advice and take a time out this week on the hunch bet.

Eight bones.  Four SEC chalks.

Wear your mask.  It might help.  It might not.

Woof.

Don’t Worry, Be Happy

Posted on by thependulumswings staff

Have you noticed a change in the demeanor of President Trump in the last week?  We have, and it’s been remarkable.

Put simply, he seems happier.  He seems more upbeat.  He seems to have more bounce in his step.

If our perception is correct, the obvious question is “why the change?”  We speculate on the answer, or really the answers below.  Maybe it has to do with a doctor, or really a bevy of doctors.

The first doctor that might have stepped forward to help was the RNC spin doctor.  The diagnosis of Trump had to be bleak.  Even the best spin doctor could not have delivered a positive test result on his first debate performance against Joe Biden.

Trump’s egotistical.  He’s narcissistic.  He’s hard-headed.  But did someone in his camp finally breakthrough, at least in the short run, and tell him that the nastiness and combativeness weren’t playing well through the TV back in Peoria?

The second doctor told him that he had bad news and good news.  The bad news was that he was COVID-19 positive.  The good news was that if he took all of the cocktail mix of drugs available to him that he would make a quick recovery.  He did and he did.  Was Trump reflective at 73 about his health and had a moment that said, life is good in spite of all of the jackasses in the party that uses a jackass for its logo constantly getting in his way?

Did the third doctor, maybe an accomplished doctor in one of the business disciplines, tell him to not worry about the polls showing Biden with a double-digit lead?  Maybe the polls are doctored the way they were four years ago almost to the day?

Did the fourth doctor (she’s not a doctor, but is so smart that she could be a great one) provide in front of an amazed America and a befuddled Senate committee the exact elixir to run, not walk, onto the Supreme Court?  Amy Coney Barrett has far exceeded Trump’s high hopes for a smooth sail onto the highest court in the land.

Was the tie in with Hunter, China, Burisma, and Slow Joe by the suddenly uncovered emails (how long do you think Rudy Guliani has been sitting on them?) linking the “pay to play” just what the doctor ordered?

Maybe, just maybe, it was a combo of all five of the above.

Two nights ago, at a campaign stop in Florida, he danced a step or four to the closing YMCA song.  Last night he unknotted one of his signature red satin silk ties and tossed it into the crowd.  Are happy days here again?

Did he and his troupe decide that the campaign was too focused on all that is wrong with America?  Did he fall too far down the rabbit hole that the Dems have drug him down time and again with their unrelenting and effective attacks?

And, now, with time running out in the fourth quarter does he want to remind you that America is brave, strong, free, and will survive then thrive again?

Is the stark contrast of an old, ashen colored, masked Biden holding a rally with no one there versus Trump energetically bogeying to the Village People going to help the undecided decide in favor of the flawed incumbent?

Or, does he know something that we don’t?

Don’t worry, be happy.

 

 

Lil Joe and Lil Jose

Posted on by thependulumswings staff

On Sunday the first second baseman that the Houston Astros organization ever had passed away.  Lil Joe Morgan, as he was known, broke in with the then Colt 45’s, now Astros in 1963.

With old school spikes on Morgan may have been all of five feet seven inches tall.  But he played big.  Traded to Cincinnati in 1971, and as part of the Big Red Machine, Morgan made eight consecutive All-Star Game appearances (1972–79) to go along with his 1966 and 1970 appearances with Houston. Morgan, along with teammates Pete Rose, Johnny Bench, and Tony Pérez led the Reds to consecutive championships in the 1975 and 1976 World Series.

Morgan was also the National League MVP in 1975 and 1976.  He was the first second baseman in the history of the National League to win the MVP back to back.  He also won four gold gloves in consecutive seasons from 1973-1977.  His demeanor on the field was as unflappable as his left elbow was flappable while batting.

Is he the best second baseman to ever play for the Astros?  Well, Craig Biggio never played a major league game in anything other than an Astros uniform in his 20-year career, so his accumulated Houston stats are better.  But, Morgan’s overall accomplishments in the game, especially on the biggest stages (playoffs and World Series) are much better.

Then along came another five-foot seven-inch second baseman.  Jose Altuve broke into the big show in 2011 and is in the middle of a career, making his case.  He’s been with the Astros a quick ten years and sports a gold glove and a league MVP to his credit while also winning a World Series.  The six-time all-star has won the league batting title three times and sports a fine .311 career average.  He has amassed over 1600 hits and did so by getting to the first 1000 of them faster than any other player in the history of the game.  Three thousand is very doable.

But Lil Jose has one big problem.  He cheated the game.  Even if you believe he only cheated in one year (2017), it’s of course one year too many.   If you’ve read this far you already know all about the circumstances surrounding that.

And, suddenly, Jose has another problem.  Is it another big problem?  We’ll find out.  From nowhere, Altuve cannot throw the baseball from second to first base.  Yips?  Maybe.  He’s committed three throwing errors in the last two ALCS games v the Rays.  The hitch in the throwing motion is there for all of the baseball world to see.

When the elite physical ability is consumed by a mental block the long-term results can be disastrous.  Don’t believe that?  Ask Chuck Knobloch or Steve Sax, both fine second basemen in their day.  A light switch burned out and their accuracy went (and stayed) kaput.  Rick Ankiel could throw 95 miles per hour fastballs pitching for the St. Louis Cardinals a decade ago when 95mph was elite.  Well, he could until he couldn’t.  Suddenly the backstop was more effective than his catcher at slowing down his errant attempts.

Some folks are laughing at Altuve’s struggles this AM.  He’s the poster child for Astros haters.  Karma, they say, is a witch or something like that.

Still, bad acting on big stages is cringeworthy.

The Rays will likely dispose of the Astros tonight to complete the four-game sweep.   They were the better team coming into the series and have shown out.

The series will soon enough be forgotten.  But, the question for Altuve is “has he forgotten how to throw a baseball?”

   

Mormon? Moron? Senator? President? Where? Who?

Posted on by thependulumswings staff

Were you already working yesterday at 9 AM EST and missed the Amy Coney Barrett(ACB) Supreme Court Justice initial nomination proceedings?  Understandable.

That’s why BBR is here for you.  We watched and are pleased to bring to you a quick recap below summarizing what took place.

Nothing.  That right, absolutely nothing.

ACB (no relation whatsoever to AOC) sat prim and proper, mask perfectly in place, and listened to Senate committee members bloviate for five minutes at a time.

Each Republican extolled her credentials, and that list is long and unopposed on the merits.

Each Democrat talked about how the world is ending due to Trump, COVID-19, his poor response to COVID-19, how great the Affordable Care Act(ACA) is/was, and how “Trump the Terrible” was going to take it away along with your chance at surviving this pandemic much less even a common cold.

We give the Democrats credit again.  Even when they have an empty hand they press on as if they have pocket aces.

They know at least four things.  One, ACB is a shoo-in.  Her credentials are impeccable.  Two, the Republicans have the votes to confirm her no matter what they say or do.  Three, therefore, when you have “free” air time use it to you and your party’s advantage.  And four, the road to the White House is paved by running over Trump and then backing up over him again and again.

They’ve been driving that bus since the days before he took office in 2016.  It’s accelerated when they realized Joe Biden is nothing more than a 77-year-old who wears Aviator sunglasses and stumbles through one teleprompter aided speech after the other in his quest to become Senator.

Senator?  Well, that’s what he said yesterday.  He also called Mitt Romney  “that Senator who is a Mormon.”  Well, that beats getting called “that Senator who is a moron,” which, while appropriate, might be insensitive in today’s word, but we digress.  He also tweeted out that he was campaigning in Pennsylvania while he was in Ohio.  And, finally, he directed folks at a “rally”(all 15 of them in person) to a website that doesn’t exist.

It’s all in a day’s work for the assumed frontrunner for President (not Senate) of the United States.

It’s no wonder that the Democrats are putting in extra work to tear Trump down while ACB gets appointed to the highest court in the land.

That former Senator from New Hampshire, um, Delaware, um somewhere, Joe Biden might win election to the highest office in the land.  He’s just not sure where that is, nor what it is.

2020.

 

Ten Piece Nuggets-Football

Posted on by thependulumswings staff

Ok, ok.  You’re hungry for some Monday nuggets.  The kitchen opened a bit late while practicing social distancing, but into the grease we go.  Buffet style is so out of style, COVID -19 concerns you know.  We break that trend below.

  1.  The Houston Texans fired a coach/GM last Monday.  Yesterday, they played pretty well for interim coach Romeo Crennel against the visiting Jacksonville Jags and won their first game of 2020.  They’re 1-4 as the schedule gets easier than it started.  Yesterday, after their 5th loss without a win the Atlanta Falcons fired their coach and GM as well.  In Houston that was one person, in Atlanta that was Dan Quinn and Thomas Dimitroff.
  2. Quinn came to the Falcons four-plus years ago from his DC position in Seattle.  He immediately installed a mean and opportunistic defense.  It finished 2017, his year one, as the statistically rated 8th best in the NFL.  Unfortunately, it also finished year one blowing a 28-3 Super Bowl lead to the NE Patriots.  In subsequent years it finished 25th and 23rd.  After five games this year it’s been shredded game and time again.  It’s tied for dead last.  Worse, they’re 25 million over the projected cap for 2021 and that’s before any COVID-related cap reductions rumored to slow the payroll roll in the NFL.
  3.  New York and New York join the lowly Falcons as the only other teams that have yet to post a victory in the NFL this year.  Those Jets are some bad.  The Giants are pretty bad, too.  They grabbed defeat from the jaws of victory yesterday.  Back up QB Andy Dalton lead a last-second drive for Dallas including a 38-yard pass just prior to the game-winning Cowboys filed goal.
  4. Dalton finished the game because Dak Prescott didn’t.  If you missed why consider yourself among the lucky ones.  Officially, the Cowboys announced that Prescott suffered a compound fracture and dislocation of his right ankle, which means the bone penetrated his skin as part of the injury.  Unofficially, they didn’t announce that when Giant Logan Ryan tackled Prescott on a designed QB draw his foot came out of the pile still attached to his body but facing the wrong way relative to the rest of his leg.  You might not want to watch, but if you must, it’s right here.
  5. If you don’t need smelling salts from that video and if you’re a Seattle Seahawks fan you might want to invest in a box.  They’ve won 14 of their last 16 one-possession games going back into last season.  No other NFL team has played in more than 10 and none have won more than eight, save the Seahawks.  Russell Wilson was gold again down the stretch.  He led a 94-yard game-winning drive while converting two fourth downs along the way to pull victory from the jaws of defeat.  This time Minnesota was the last second victim, falling 27-26 at the sound of the final gun.
  6.  There isn’t a better 1-4 team in the league than Minnesota, but as Bill Parcels says, “you are what your record says you are.”  And at 1-4 the Vikings are staring up at all of their North Division foes.  The good news is that they are only 0-1 in the division.  The ground can be made up. The bad news is that their usually fine defense has surrendered 152 points.  Only the Cowboys and Giants are worse.
  7. Don’t look now, but there is a team coming together out west in a new town and in a new stadium.  And it can score points in bunches.  The formerly Oakland, now Las Vegas Raiders put 40 points up on their longtime division rival and reigning SB champion Kansas City Chiefs last evening.  Only Seattle, and Dallas, and Cleveland (yes Cleveland) have scored more.  NFL insiders have snickered for two full years as Mike Mayock and Jon Gruden have assembled a team built a bit differently than conventional wisdom tries to dictate.  Snicker away.  Their D is lacking, but their confidence in their direction isn’t.
  8.  Turning to the NCAA, when a Nick Saban Alabama defense and an LSU defense gives up 48 and 44 points on a given Saturday, one must ask, “is defense dead in NCAA football?”  In 2011, those teams met twice.  In the regular season LSU won in Tuscaloosa 9-6.  In the then BCS Championship game the Tide shut LSU out 21-0.  That’s 36 points scored by four teams in two games.  Saturday, four teams in two games, Alabama v Ole Miss, and Missouri v LSU combined to score exactly 200 points in their two games.
  9. Has the game changed that much in one decade?  The answer in a word is, yes.  The RPO, running QB’s, dual-threat QB’s, spread concepts, four and five wides, and matchup mismatches have given the offense the upper hand.  If you throw in a few overtime games to boot, betting the over has been all over the money.  Maybe the Pac 12 and Big 12 were just ahead of their time.
  10.  And, finally, LeBron, Anthony Davis, and a few other Lakers won the franchise’s 17th NBA title last evening.  Impressive.  It’s LeBron’s fourth NBA title and with them, he’s captured 4 MVPs in the final as well.  Impressive times four.  And, he wants his damn respect.  Someday he might get it.

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