Last week, the Onion Sports Network had an article called "Jesus Says Tebow Will Never Make it as a Starting NFL Quarterback". Jesus, who apparently has considerable football knowledge, was quoted extensively throughout the article on Tebow's slow throwing motion and poor technque on certain kinds of passes. He concluded by saying, in reference to Tebow's chances of being a long term starting NFL quarterback, that "it's never going to fuckin happen".
The Onion publishes a weekly Canadian version which is available in hard copy at the Coffee Time down the street from me. The most recent issue was entirely focused on sports and, in addition to the Tebow piece, featured articles entitled "Tiger Woods Wonders if he Should Tell People He's Still Getting Laid" and, beside a photo of Chicago Bears coach Lovie Smith wearing his headset on the sidelines, "Bears Coach Says Voices in Headset Keep Calling him an Idiot". I love the Onion. The most fun job I can imagine would be as a staff writer for them.
Bengals wide receiver Jerome Simpson made a spectacular play on Saturday by leaping up and over an oncoming defender, turning exactly 360 degrees in the air - literally head over heals - and landing with both feet just inside the goal line for a touchdown. As Chris Berman said, he "stuck the landing better than Mary Lou Retton". Then he showed a split screen of Simpson's touchdown and Mary Lou Retton doing a vault with both of them sticking the landing at the same time. Simpson was drafted in 2008 out of little known Coastal Carolina and has only 66 catches in his NFL career. That could explain why he might want to diversify his sources of income. This past September, Kentucky police must have been thinking the same thing as they intercepted a package addressed to his house which contained two and a half pounds of marijuana. They then found another six pounds in the house but, according to three different reports I read, no charges were laid. I would think that after Simpson's gymnastic touchdown which has probably earned him a place on the all-time NFL highlight reel, the investigation should now be closed.
The Bills Christmas Eve victory over Denver was their first on American soil since October 9th. CJ Spiller had his best game as a pro, gaining over 100 yards for the first time and generating speculation on WGR that his success only helps the Bills in their negotiations with Fred Jackson. Let's hope that they recognize that Jackson has earned a new contract and that they think in terms of the goal being to have them both next year. And they need to sign Stevie Johnson too. And draft an edge rushing linebacker.
On Thursday December 22nd, my cousin Pete and I paddled around our lake in Muskoka. There was ice in the small bays and along the north facing shoreline but the lake was 75% open. Not a trace of snow either. We would have been skiing and chopping open our ice hole by this time in almost any other year. The fall of 2011 has lasted a full month longer than normal and I'm ready for winter.
Monday, 26 December 2011
Monday, 19 December 2011
Dolphins 30, Bills 23
I spent another Sunday afternoon working on firewood and listening to John Murphy and Mark Kelso tell me about another Bills loss - their seventh straight. The Washington game at Rogers Centre seems like it was about three football seasons ago. Thankfully, there are only two games left in what has become another train wreck of a season. Eventhough Tim Tebow's luck ran out yesterday against the Patriots, amazingly, my Christmas Eve Denver Broncos tickets sold yesterday after I reduced the price a little on NFL TicketExchange. The NFL prides itself on being a league with parity. I can think of a great example. Remember week one of this season? The Bills travelled to Kansas City and demolished the favoured Chiefs. Yesterday, the Chiefs handed Green Bay their first loss of the season.
Driving to Muskoka on Saturday morning, I was listening to The House. Reporters Greg Weston and Joan Bryden were asked to make a list of who has been naughty and who has been nice in federal politics this past year. Weston's naughty choice was Defence Minister Peter Mackay whose use of military helicopters and private jets has been widely reported and, last week, we learned that he stayed in a $1,400 per night hotel at a security conference in Munich last year. The Conservatives spent considerable time in opposition digging up examples of such government largesse. His nice list included two non-elected federal officials who are widely respected and represent, he says, what many Canadians look for in their political leadership: Bank of Canada Governor Mark Carney and Parliamentary Budget Officer Kevin Page.
Joan Bryden's naughty choice was the Conservative Party. She chose the party because of its attutude toward certain court rulings. She gave two examples and a third occured to me as well. During the 2006 federal election campaign, the Conservatives used what became known as the "in and out" move where national campaign funds were distributed to certain ridings and then funnelled back to the national campaign, allowing them to spend more on the national campaign than the rules permitted. The party plead guilty recently and was ordered to pay a $52,000 fine but the Conservatives claimed victory anyway, reiterating their position that the strategy is actually legal. They plead guilty, I presume, because they were not confident that they could convince a judge of its legality.
The second example Bryden gave was the court ruling about the dismantling of the Canadian Wheat Board. The court ruled that the government was required to have formally consulted with farmers before proceeding to change the Wheat Board's mandate. Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz responded by saying that the important thing is that Canadian farmers will now have the ability to sell their wheat wherever they want. He went on to say that in the event that an injunction is obtained in the future, they will ignore it. Ignore it. Should the rest of us take the same approach and simply ignore court rulings we don't like?
Just before the May, 2011 election, the Speaker of the House found the government to be in contempt of Parliament for not disclosing the cost of its crime legislation, corporate tax cuts and the purchase of fighter jets. In the leaders debate, the Prime Minister referred to this as a "technicality" and the result of partisan "bickering". In keeping with the Conservatives philosophy, there clearly should be a mandatory minimum sentence for being found to be in contempt of Parliament. And for growing six pot plants. It only makes sense.
Driving to Muskoka on Saturday morning, I was listening to The House. Reporters Greg Weston and Joan Bryden were asked to make a list of who has been naughty and who has been nice in federal politics this past year. Weston's naughty choice was Defence Minister Peter Mackay whose use of military helicopters and private jets has been widely reported and, last week, we learned that he stayed in a $1,400 per night hotel at a security conference in Munich last year. The Conservatives spent considerable time in opposition digging up examples of such government largesse. His nice list included two non-elected federal officials who are widely respected and represent, he says, what many Canadians look for in their political leadership: Bank of Canada Governor Mark Carney and Parliamentary Budget Officer Kevin Page.
Joan Bryden's naughty choice was the Conservative Party. She chose the party because of its attutude toward certain court rulings. She gave two examples and a third occured to me as well. During the 2006 federal election campaign, the Conservatives used what became known as the "in and out" move where national campaign funds were distributed to certain ridings and then funnelled back to the national campaign, allowing them to spend more on the national campaign than the rules permitted. The party plead guilty recently and was ordered to pay a $52,000 fine but the Conservatives claimed victory anyway, reiterating their position that the strategy is actually legal. They plead guilty, I presume, because they were not confident that they could convince a judge of its legality.
The second example Bryden gave was the court ruling about the dismantling of the Canadian Wheat Board. The court ruled that the government was required to have formally consulted with farmers before proceeding to change the Wheat Board's mandate. Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz responded by saying that the important thing is that Canadian farmers will now have the ability to sell their wheat wherever they want. He went on to say that in the event that an injunction is obtained in the future, they will ignore it. Ignore it. Should the rest of us take the same approach and simply ignore court rulings we don't like?
Just before the May, 2011 election, the Speaker of the House found the government to be in contempt of Parliament for not disclosing the cost of its crime legislation, corporate tax cuts and the purchase of fighter jets. In the leaders debate, the Prime Minister referred to this as a "technicality" and the result of partisan "bickering". In keeping with the Conservatives philosophy, there clearly should be a mandatory minimum sentence for being found to be in contempt of Parliament. And for growing six pot plants. It only makes sense.
Monday, 12 December 2011
Chargers 37, Bills 10
A large White Ash tree came down at the top of our driveway a few weeks ago and my cousin and I bucked it up and carted the chunks down to the woodshed two weeks ago. I have spent the past two Sunday afternoons splitting and stacking the wood while listening to John Murphy and Mark Kelso on the Bills radio network. The Tennessee game was blacked out but yesterday's game in San Diego was just not available on our Shaw Direct service so I chopped and listened as the Bills turned in another sad effort and lost their sixth straight game. I got the fire in the sauna going just before 6pm and gave up on the Bills when the score was 30-10. Just before 7pm, I went into the sauna. Just before that, as I was putting on my water sandals, the Denver/Chicago game was on. It was 10-0 Bears with three minutes left. I watched for a minute as Tebow led the Broncos to a touchdown with a bit more than 2 minutes left. With no timeouts, Denver then tried an onside kick which almost succeeded but didn't. Game over. I went out to the sauna. I obviously gave up too early as Denver pulled out another miraculous win with a 59 yard field goal to tie and and a 51 yarder to win in overtime. The potential value of my Christmas Eve tickets may be rising. I have listed them on NFL TicketExchange so we'll see.
My 13 year old twin nieces are lobbying their parents full time for cell phones. They have the use of one from time to time but they seem to think that this Christmas will finally bring them each their very own phones. I was chatting with them about this on Saturday morning and one of them asked me how old I was when I got my first cell phone. "39" I said. Due to the fact that I continually test their ability to identify things which are not true by saying things which are not true, they thought that this statement was another of these tests. "I got my first cell phone in April, 2002 when I was 39", I reiterated. "Why didn't you get one when you were our age?", one of them asked. "Cell phones didn't exist when I was your age" I replied. It took another few emphatic statements before they realized that this was not another of my false statement tests. Made me feel old. As with many children, they will have to wait until Christmas morning to see if they get their phones.
After the MLSE deal was announced and the press conferences and interviews were winding down, someone on CBC pointed out that both Nadir Mohammed and George Cope focused more on the potential for fans to watch live HD video of the Leafs and Raptors on their smart phones than on their commitment to bring a Stanley Cup or an NBA Championship to Toronto. The content play, from the perspective of Bell and Rogers, is why they did this deal. As a fan, if I had the choice of watching these teams play live on my Blackberry or watching either of them play for a championship, it's an easy choice. In fairness, the fact that the Teachers Pension Plan, with their embedded fiduciary duty to maximize returns, has found a buyer for their position is probably good for fans.These telecom companies have similar responsibilities to their shareholders but, if they can bring success on the ice and the court and the soccer pitch to Toronto, they probably can justify additional spending in the name of building their brands. The Leafs spend pretty much to the salary cap anyway so maybe it's the basketball team which could benefit the most from these new owners. I really try not to say things like this but I just don't get the appeal of watching anything on a three inch screen - especially live sports. I like watching sports on my big plasma screen. My Blackberry screen is fine for reading emails but I can not imagine a time when I would watch a live Leaf game on it. It sounds like Bell and Rogers are going to make sure that I have plenty of opportunity to do so whether I want to or not.
Despite the MLSE deal, the Durban climate agreement, the ongoing tragedy in Atiwapiskat, the European debt debacle and the continuing shameful right wing ways of our federal government, the most remarkable story from this past week, for me, was the emergence of the details of the behaviour of two RIM executives on an Air Canada flight from Toronto to Bejing. They were drunk when they boarded the plane and continued drinking until they became so unruly that the Captain ordered that they be restrained and then landed the plane in Vancouver. The part that I just can not believe is that, after being restrained with tape and electrical cords, they chewed through those restraints. Chewed. Like animals. Amazing. Now, if the footage existed, that is something that I would watch on a three inch screen - preferably a Blackberry.
My 13 year old twin nieces are lobbying their parents full time for cell phones. They have the use of one from time to time but they seem to think that this Christmas will finally bring them each their very own phones. I was chatting with them about this on Saturday morning and one of them asked me how old I was when I got my first cell phone. "39" I said. Due to the fact that I continually test their ability to identify things which are not true by saying things which are not true, they thought that this statement was another of these tests. "I got my first cell phone in April, 2002 when I was 39", I reiterated. "Why didn't you get one when you were our age?", one of them asked. "Cell phones didn't exist when I was your age" I replied. It took another few emphatic statements before they realized that this was not another of my false statement tests. Made me feel old. As with many children, they will have to wait until Christmas morning to see if they get their phones.
After the MLSE deal was announced and the press conferences and interviews were winding down, someone on CBC pointed out that both Nadir Mohammed and George Cope focused more on the potential for fans to watch live HD video of the Leafs and Raptors on their smart phones than on their commitment to bring a Stanley Cup or an NBA Championship to Toronto. The content play, from the perspective of Bell and Rogers, is why they did this deal. As a fan, if I had the choice of watching these teams play live on my Blackberry or watching either of them play for a championship, it's an easy choice. In fairness, the fact that the Teachers Pension Plan, with their embedded fiduciary duty to maximize returns, has found a buyer for their position is probably good for fans.These telecom companies have similar responsibilities to their shareholders but, if they can bring success on the ice and the court and the soccer pitch to Toronto, they probably can justify additional spending in the name of building their brands. The Leafs spend pretty much to the salary cap anyway so maybe it's the basketball team which could benefit the most from these new owners. I really try not to say things like this but I just don't get the appeal of watching anything on a three inch screen - especially live sports. I like watching sports on my big plasma screen. My Blackberry screen is fine for reading emails but I can not imagine a time when I would watch a live Leaf game on it. It sounds like Bell and Rogers are going to make sure that I have plenty of opportunity to do so whether I want to or not.
Despite the MLSE deal, the Durban climate agreement, the ongoing tragedy in Atiwapiskat, the European debt debacle and the continuing shameful right wing ways of our federal government, the most remarkable story from this past week, for me, was the emergence of the details of the behaviour of two RIM executives on an Air Canada flight from Toronto to Bejing. They were drunk when they boarded the plane and continued drinking until they became so unruly that the Captain ordered that they be restrained and then landed the plane in Vancouver. The part that I just can not believe is that, after being restrained with tape and electrical cords, they chewed through those restraints. Chewed. Like animals. Amazing. Now, if the footage existed, that is something that I would watch on a three inch screen - preferably a Blackberry.
Monday, 5 December 2011
Titans 23, Bills 17
A week ago, the Bills had some 12,000 unsold tickets to yesterday's game against Tennessee, about 18,000 tickets for the December 18th game against the Miami Dolphins and a staggering 24,000 tickets for the Christmas Eve game against Tim Tebow and the Denver Broncos. It's been a tale of two seasons in many ways: the Bills first three home games - against Oakland, New England and Philadelphia - each featured spectacular summer-like weather, sold out boisterous crowds, explosive offensive performances by the home team, and wins. These last three games seem destined to feature typical December Buffalo weather, thousands of empty seats, mostly second stringers on the field for the home team, and irrelevant outcomes (except for the visiting team) as they play out the string and await yet another high draft pick.
Think back to 2004 - the last winning season for the Bills. They started 0-4 then won 8 of 9 and had a shot to make the playoffs before losing to the Steelers on the last day of the season. This season began in such a promising way but, with the team suffering devastating injuries and not having won since the Toronto game in October, all hope is now lost. I'm not sure which of these scenarios I prefer.
On my bike ride in the rain today, I stopped in at the Otter Creek rink. The ice is in but the rain was taking its toll although the rink was still "open". Tomorrow may be a great day for skating as it's going to cool off tonight. I had a chat with the staff at the rink about the upcoming labour showdown. I've known them for years as I organize our outdoor hockey there every Thursday night. The guy who is responsible for the ice does a fantastic job and takes great pride in maintaining the best possible ice surface. I compliment him on it regularly and it seems to make his day every time.
The collective agreements for CUPE locals 416 and 79 - representing outside and inside workers respectively - expire on December 31st. If the City chooses to lock out employees, there is a 17 day notice period which can not begin before January 2nd, the first "business" day of the new year. So, the lock out could begin as early as January 19th. Apparently, the City intends to keep the rinks open with management operating the zambonis etc. Not surprisingly, the staff seem skeptical about their ability to do this. Otter Creek is surely one of the most heavily used rinks in the city and is located within the very affluent Lawrence Park neighbourhood. My prediction is that if they are going to try to keep a few rinks operating during a lock out, this will be one of them. The City appears to be dead set on winning some key concessions from the union and both sides are preparing for a lock out which could last months.
One concession which mayor Rob Ford wants badly is the elimination of the so-called "jobs for life" clause. At least, that's how it's referred to by those who want it removed from any future agreement. It simply says that City employees with 10 or more years of service will be guaranteed a job with the City if their current job is outsourced to the private sector. City garbage collectors west of Yonge Street (with 10 or more years of service), for example, will be offered another job with the City when private garbage collection begins later next year. On its face, this seems like a typical union contract benefit which can turn public opinion against the union, especially when it is repeatedly brought up as the kind of thing which we just can't afford any more.
This reminds me of the issue related to the benefit which allows city employees to "bank" unused sick days. This was widely publicized by management during the strike in the summer of 2009. At the time, the way it was reported, it did seem a little excessive to me (as we heard stories of workers who had accumulated many months worth of sick days) but I then discovered that, as part of the overall collective agreement, the banking of sick days was negotiated by the union in exchange for giving up short term disability benefits within the workers benefit plan. Well, in that context, it seems much more reasonable, doesn't it? Short term disability is a pretty common feature of benefit plans in the public and private sectors. I know that it was part of the plan I had with my private sector employer. To draw attention to one element of an entire collective bargaining agreement, in isolation, can be misleading. The benefit of job protection for those with 10 or more years of service with the City is the current "whipping boy" for the anti-union side in this dispute.
I always try to understand the entire picture in any labour dispute before taking sides (except for professional sports labour disputes where I always support the players with the fastest possible knee-jerk reaction). The City of Toronto has a severe structural deficit problem. I don't think anyone really disputes that. It will, sooner or later, have to be addressed in part with new revenues - yes, taxes - as well as cost cutting. The lock out of 2012 will probably be a long one. Let's make sure we understand both sides and let's hope that they can resolve it. I want my outdoor hockey season.
Think back to 2004 - the last winning season for the Bills. They started 0-4 then won 8 of 9 and had a shot to make the playoffs before losing to the Steelers on the last day of the season. This season began in such a promising way but, with the team suffering devastating injuries and not having won since the Toronto game in October, all hope is now lost. I'm not sure which of these scenarios I prefer.
On my bike ride in the rain today, I stopped in at the Otter Creek rink. The ice is in but the rain was taking its toll although the rink was still "open". Tomorrow may be a great day for skating as it's going to cool off tonight. I had a chat with the staff at the rink about the upcoming labour showdown. I've known them for years as I organize our outdoor hockey there every Thursday night. The guy who is responsible for the ice does a fantastic job and takes great pride in maintaining the best possible ice surface. I compliment him on it regularly and it seems to make his day every time.
The collective agreements for CUPE locals 416 and 79 - representing outside and inside workers respectively - expire on December 31st. If the City chooses to lock out employees, there is a 17 day notice period which can not begin before January 2nd, the first "business" day of the new year. So, the lock out could begin as early as January 19th. Apparently, the City intends to keep the rinks open with management operating the zambonis etc. Not surprisingly, the staff seem skeptical about their ability to do this. Otter Creek is surely one of the most heavily used rinks in the city and is located within the very affluent Lawrence Park neighbourhood. My prediction is that if they are going to try to keep a few rinks operating during a lock out, this will be one of them. The City appears to be dead set on winning some key concessions from the union and both sides are preparing for a lock out which could last months.
One concession which mayor Rob Ford wants badly is the elimination of the so-called "jobs for life" clause. At least, that's how it's referred to by those who want it removed from any future agreement. It simply says that City employees with 10 or more years of service will be guaranteed a job with the City if their current job is outsourced to the private sector. City garbage collectors west of Yonge Street (with 10 or more years of service), for example, will be offered another job with the City when private garbage collection begins later next year. On its face, this seems like a typical union contract benefit which can turn public opinion against the union, especially when it is repeatedly brought up as the kind of thing which we just can't afford any more.
This reminds me of the issue related to the benefit which allows city employees to "bank" unused sick days. This was widely publicized by management during the strike in the summer of 2009. At the time, the way it was reported, it did seem a little excessive to me (as we heard stories of workers who had accumulated many months worth of sick days) but I then discovered that, as part of the overall collective agreement, the banking of sick days was negotiated by the union in exchange for giving up short term disability benefits within the workers benefit plan. Well, in that context, it seems much more reasonable, doesn't it? Short term disability is a pretty common feature of benefit plans in the public and private sectors. I know that it was part of the plan I had with my private sector employer. To draw attention to one element of an entire collective bargaining agreement, in isolation, can be misleading. The benefit of job protection for those with 10 or more years of service with the City is the current "whipping boy" for the anti-union side in this dispute.
I always try to understand the entire picture in any labour dispute before taking sides (except for professional sports labour disputes where I always support the players with the fastest possible knee-jerk reaction). The City of Toronto has a severe structural deficit problem. I don't think anyone really disputes that. It will, sooner or later, have to be addressed in part with new revenues - yes, taxes - as well as cost cutting. The lock out of 2012 will probably be a long one. Let's make sure we understand both sides and let's hope that they can resolve it. I want my outdoor hockey season.
Sunday, 27 November 2011
Jets 28, Bills 24
Over the last four days, I've watched more football than is probably healthy. Some of it has been quite entertaining and I'd say that the 4th quarter and overtime of the Vanier Cup on Friday night was the most compelling of any I saw. McMaster won their first championship ever in a thrilling double overtime win over the Laval Rouge et Or. I was impressed and a little surprised that both offenses were proficient, sophisticated and exciting to watch with passing plays which looked like pro football. I just love the overtime format used in both US College and Canadian University football. The NFL should (and I expect eventually will) adapt it.
Thursday's three NFL games produced one good one as Dallas beat Miami with a late field goal and then Michigan finally beat Ohio State on Saturday before 114,132 at the Big House to preserve a chance at getting some sort of "at-large" bid in one of the BCS bowl games. I also caught bits of Auburn/Alabama and Oregon/Oregon State before settling in for the second half of Stanford/Notre Dame. Then on Sunday, I watched the Bills almost beat the Jets. I think that Stevie Johnson just likes to make headlines - good or bad. He had a great game against Darelle Revis but was called for a ridiculous celebration, dropped an easy catch at a critical time near the end of the game and last night, every national NFL wrap-up show had a feature on him. Overall, it was an entertaining game but at 5-6, hope for the playoffs now seems lost. Carrying on with the wall to wall football, I caught a bit of Patriots/Eagles and Raiders/ Bears before tuning into the Grey Cup while keeping an eye on the Steelers game in Kansas City. I feel like I've been in the film room too long so I'm looking forward to getting back on to the field. I'm just going to take it two games at a time.
Speaking of watching TV, something Bruce Anderson said on last week's "A Tissue" panel on the National got me thinking about something Michael Moore said on CNN a few weeks ago. Anderson said that Canadians have become slightly more conservative (small "c") in the last 20 years and, when this is combined with an aging population who votes in larger percentages the older they get, the longer term prospects for the Conservatives (large "c") look pretty good. Moore was talking about the Occupy Movement and he was advocating for and egging on the 99%. The last thing he said was that he remains eternally optimistic because the 1%, eventhough they have much more than 1% of the wealth, no matter what happens, they still only have 1% of the votes.
Looking at recent voting patterns in Canada, about 75% of Canadians over the age of 65 vote in federal elections. That number plunges to 35% for the 18-30 demographic. This difference makes all of the difference in the world and there is no question that right of centre parties benefit more than others do from low voter turnouts. Their traditional base is older and they vote. Michael Moore believes that they key to electoral success lies in mobilzing more of the 99% to understand the value and importance of voting in elections. Those who win elections win the right to determine public policy and each one of us has the power to shape that public policy by voting. Moore also believes that the recent Occupy Movements have energized the very demographic whose votes are so badly needed but often not cast at all. He desperately hopes that this recent energization will carry over to the ballot box.
He was wearing a Michigan State hat so I will wish his Spartans good luck in Saturday's innagural Big Ten Championship game against Wisconsin.
Thursday's three NFL games produced one good one as Dallas beat Miami with a late field goal and then Michigan finally beat Ohio State on Saturday before 114,132 at the Big House to preserve a chance at getting some sort of "at-large" bid in one of the BCS bowl games. I also caught bits of Auburn/Alabama and Oregon/Oregon State before settling in for the second half of Stanford/Notre Dame. Then on Sunday, I watched the Bills almost beat the Jets. I think that Stevie Johnson just likes to make headlines - good or bad. He had a great game against Darelle Revis but was called for a ridiculous celebration, dropped an easy catch at a critical time near the end of the game and last night, every national NFL wrap-up show had a feature on him. Overall, it was an entertaining game but at 5-6, hope for the playoffs now seems lost. Carrying on with the wall to wall football, I caught a bit of Patriots/Eagles and Raiders/ Bears before tuning into the Grey Cup while keeping an eye on the Steelers game in Kansas City. I feel like I've been in the film room too long so I'm looking forward to getting back on to the field. I'm just going to take it two games at a time.
Speaking of watching TV, something Bruce Anderson said on last week's "A Tissue" panel on the National got me thinking about something Michael Moore said on CNN a few weeks ago. Anderson said that Canadians have become slightly more conservative (small "c") in the last 20 years and, when this is combined with an aging population who votes in larger percentages the older they get, the longer term prospects for the Conservatives (large "c") look pretty good. Moore was talking about the Occupy Movement and he was advocating for and egging on the 99%. The last thing he said was that he remains eternally optimistic because the 1%, eventhough they have much more than 1% of the wealth, no matter what happens, they still only have 1% of the votes.
Looking at recent voting patterns in Canada, about 75% of Canadians over the age of 65 vote in federal elections. That number plunges to 35% for the 18-30 demographic. This difference makes all of the difference in the world and there is no question that right of centre parties benefit more than others do from low voter turnouts. Their traditional base is older and they vote. Michael Moore believes that they key to electoral success lies in mobilzing more of the 99% to understand the value and importance of voting in elections. Those who win elections win the right to determine public policy and each one of us has the power to shape that public policy by voting. Moore also believes that the recent Occupy Movements have energized the very demographic whose votes are so badly needed but often not cast at all. He desperately hopes that this recent energization will carry over to the ballot box.
He was wearing a Michigan State hat so I will wish his Spartans good luck in Saturday's innagural Big Ten Championship game against Wisconsin.
Monday, 21 November 2011
Dolphins 35, Bills 8
Last week, the US Congress declared pizza to be a vegetable. I saw this flash across a TV screen as I ordered a coffee in a downtown food court and I felt a need to dig into this story to see what was really going on because it's really a scientific question isn't it? Tomatoes are actually a fruit but, for the US Congress, the 2 ounces of tomato sauce on a typical slice of pizza constitute a "vegetable" within the meaning of the requirements of the $11 billion US School Lunch Program.
Here's what's happened: Since 1980, teenage obesity rates in the US have tripled. To help address this alarming trend, earlier this year, the Obama Administration, through the US Department of Agriculture, proposed a series of changes to the government sponsored school lunch program. The general goal was to reduce the consumption of fatty and starchy foods - like pizza and french fries - and increase the consumption of vegetables and whole grains in the program across the country. For companies wanting to win contracts to provide school lunches, the rules about what is served and what is not were going to change - for the betterment of the country's elementary and high school students. The government pays for the program and can therefore establish and improve these critera, right? Who would object to the general idea of kids eating a more healthy diet? The proposed changes, which also included a reduction in the salt content of lunch items, seemed like a sensible public policy improvement.
Well, the American Frozen Foods Institute (AFFI), which represents makers of frozen pizzas and french fries (among others) saw these changes as a threat to their industry. In fairness, I completely understand. The school lunch program is big business and their members were probably going to lose a big slice (sorry) of it. So, they decided to lobby members of Congress about it. They reportedly spent about $5 million on the lobbying effort which is a small investment when you're protecting access to an $11 billion market. The lobbying effort worked (or I wouldn't be writing about it) and there will be no change to the rules which count pizza and potatoes (this means french fries) as servings of vegetables within the program. The question about reducing salt content was delayed for further analysis.
Conservative members of Congress who opposed the changes had comments like "the government has no right to tell children what to eat" and "this is just another example of excessive buearocratic rules getting in the way". I honestly doubt that ideology was the real reason for this public policy failure. I just can't accept that there are really that many members of Congress who honestly believe that the proposed changes to the school lunch program by the USDA were an ill-advised invasion into the freedom of American children to get fat. Rather, I suggest that this failure is a direct product of the way political campaigns are financed in the US. I admit that I have not researched the political donations of the AFFI or its members but the point is that lobbying in the US goes well beyond the practice of saying "here's why we don't like this and here's how it will effect us". Special interests hold a powerful implied threat of the withdrawal of political donations and this so often drives policy decisions. The US has become a "Corporatocracy" and, while it's good for business, it's bad for the country and its citizens.
Here's what's happened: Since 1980, teenage obesity rates in the US have tripled. To help address this alarming trend, earlier this year, the Obama Administration, through the US Department of Agriculture, proposed a series of changes to the government sponsored school lunch program. The general goal was to reduce the consumption of fatty and starchy foods - like pizza and french fries - and increase the consumption of vegetables and whole grains in the program across the country. For companies wanting to win contracts to provide school lunches, the rules about what is served and what is not were going to change - for the betterment of the country's elementary and high school students. The government pays for the program and can therefore establish and improve these critera, right? Who would object to the general idea of kids eating a more healthy diet? The proposed changes, which also included a reduction in the salt content of lunch items, seemed like a sensible public policy improvement.
Well, the American Frozen Foods Institute (AFFI), which represents makers of frozen pizzas and french fries (among others) saw these changes as a threat to their industry. In fairness, I completely understand. The school lunch program is big business and their members were probably going to lose a big slice (sorry) of it. So, they decided to lobby members of Congress about it. They reportedly spent about $5 million on the lobbying effort which is a small investment when you're protecting access to an $11 billion market. The lobbying effort worked (or I wouldn't be writing about it) and there will be no change to the rules which count pizza and potatoes (this means french fries) as servings of vegetables within the program. The question about reducing salt content was delayed for further analysis.
Conservative members of Congress who opposed the changes had comments like "the government has no right to tell children what to eat" and "this is just another example of excessive buearocratic rules getting in the way". I honestly doubt that ideology was the real reason for this public policy failure. I just can't accept that there are really that many members of Congress who honestly believe that the proposed changes to the school lunch program by the USDA were an ill-advised invasion into the freedom of American children to get fat. Rather, I suggest that this failure is a direct product of the way political campaigns are financed in the US. I admit that I have not researched the political donations of the AFFI or its members but the point is that lobbying in the US goes well beyond the practice of saying "here's why we don't like this and here's how it will effect us". Special interests hold a powerful implied threat of the withdrawal of political donations and this so often drives policy decisions. The US has become a "Corporatocracy" and, while it's good for business, it's bad for the country and its citizens.
Monday, 14 November 2011
Cowboys 44, Bills 7
"We're more pretenders than contenders" said Bills coach Chan Gailey after the game. The highlight from the game? Bills receiver David Nelson caught a touchdown pass in the second quarter which made the score 21-7. That's not the highlight. After the touchdown, he jogged with the ball to the far endzone, found his girlfriend, Cowboys cheerleader Kelsi Reich, and handed her the ball. They embraced briefly, each knowing that the TV cameras were rolling. That was the highlight. The playoffs look like a pipe dream now. Injuries have taken their toll. Opposing defences have seen enough film and now seem able to stop Fitzpatrick and his quick release passing game. The defence can not stop the run or the pass. Things look bleak. But, after last night's game, they are once again tied with the Jets and one game behind the Patriots. Up next: at Miami.
I'm working on a submission for Canada Writes. It's a 500 word true story about winter, inspired by Adam Gopnik's A Winter Tale. He is also one of the judges. I am writing about an incident from a couple of winters ago where I rescued a West Highland Terrier from a hole in the ice on our lake in Muskoka. The dog almost died but she is still alive today. I originally wrote the story on my blog but I have had to cut and cut to get it down to 500 words. The first prize is $1,000 which might cover some Christmas gifts.
I have been engaged in an email discussion with my city councillor, Karen Stintz. In response to my initial rant about the mayor and my concern over her close affiliation with his administration, she correctly pointed out that, during the campaign last fall, she said that she would work with whoever was elected mayor. She was asked to be TTC Chair and was happy to serve. Fair enough, I said to her but she also commented that although the mayor is controversial at times, she feels that he is following through on his election promises. Well, I just had to swing at that pitch so I reminded her that his central campaign promise was to root out the waste and inefficiencies at City Hall and balance the budget with no tax increases or service reductions. The end of the "gravy train" was going to solve the structural deficit problem. I therefore asked her where the gravy actually is because we really need it now as the city is cutting services and deciding which assets to sell. I await her next response.
On the way to the cottage, I usually stop for groceries in Orillia. I did so this past Friday and who did I see in the produce section? Long time (28 years as he told me) Toronto city councillor, Michael Walker. I had met him 10 or 12 years ago when I was active in the tenants association in a building in hs ward. I decided to say hello. He has retired to a house on Lake Couchiching and keeps busy by advocating for improved recycling in Orillia. After about 20 minutes, I actually looked at my watch but he was still not finished lamenting the election of Rob Ford or telling me that Karen Stintz showed absolutely no interest whatsoever in transit in the time that he knew her. He looks like he still has energy to burn and Orillia will benefit from his involvement if he chooses to increase it - which I urged him to do.
One final note on US politics. As the Repblican presdential candidates continue their series of debates and the candidates seem to be self-destructing one by one (except for Newt Gingrich who may well turn out to be Romney's toughest opponent), the pundits are working full time on CNN. There are a number of Repblican and Democratic "strategists" whose opinions are now sought every day. They try to think of memorable catch phrases to support their parties and this fascinates me. One of the most effective strategists is Democrat Paul Begala who was a key member, along with James Carville, of the team which guided Bill Clinton to the White House. Last week, after the Republican debate in Michigan (where Rick Perry could not recall the third federal agency he would dismantle), Begala offered this: "When I look at the economy, I think that there's no way that the President can win the election. But when I look at the Republican field, I think that there's no way that the President can lose." Carville also had a good one a couple of years ago. In response to someone who was critical of the Clinton adminsitration, he said "Whenever I hear people complaining about America during the Clinton adminsitration, I always ask them which bothered them more - the peace or the prosperity".
I'm working on a submission for Canada Writes. It's a 500 word true story about winter, inspired by Adam Gopnik's A Winter Tale. He is also one of the judges. I am writing about an incident from a couple of winters ago where I rescued a West Highland Terrier from a hole in the ice on our lake in Muskoka. The dog almost died but she is still alive today. I originally wrote the story on my blog but I have had to cut and cut to get it down to 500 words. The first prize is $1,000 which might cover some Christmas gifts.
I have been engaged in an email discussion with my city councillor, Karen Stintz. In response to my initial rant about the mayor and my concern over her close affiliation with his administration, she correctly pointed out that, during the campaign last fall, she said that she would work with whoever was elected mayor. She was asked to be TTC Chair and was happy to serve. Fair enough, I said to her but she also commented that although the mayor is controversial at times, she feels that he is following through on his election promises. Well, I just had to swing at that pitch so I reminded her that his central campaign promise was to root out the waste and inefficiencies at City Hall and balance the budget with no tax increases or service reductions. The end of the "gravy train" was going to solve the structural deficit problem. I therefore asked her where the gravy actually is because we really need it now as the city is cutting services and deciding which assets to sell. I await her next response.
On the way to the cottage, I usually stop for groceries in Orillia. I did so this past Friday and who did I see in the produce section? Long time (28 years as he told me) Toronto city councillor, Michael Walker. I had met him 10 or 12 years ago when I was active in the tenants association in a building in hs ward. I decided to say hello. He has retired to a house on Lake Couchiching and keeps busy by advocating for improved recycling in Orillia. After about 20 minutes, I actually looked at my watch but he was still not finished lamenting the election of Rob Ford or telling me that Karen Stintz showed absolutely no interest whatsoever in transit in the time that he knew her. He looks like he still has energy to burn and Orillia will benefit from his involvement if he chooses to increase it - which I urged him to do.
One final note on US politics. As the Repblican presdential candidates continue their series of debates and the candidates seem to be self-destructing one by one (except for Newt Gingrich who may well turn out to be Romney's toughest opponent), the pundits are working full time on CNN. There are a number of Repblican and Democratic "strategists" whose opinions are now sought every day. They try to think of memorable catch phrases to support their parties and this fascinates me. One of the most effective strategists is Democrat Paul Begala who was a key member, along with James Carville, of the team which guided Bill Clinton to the White House. Last week, after the Republican debate in Michigan (where Rick Perry could not recall the third federal agency he would dismantle), Begala offered this: "When I look at the economy, I think that there's no way that the President can win the election. But when I look at the Republican field, I think that there's no way that the President can lose." Carville also had a good one a couple of years ago. In response to someone who was critical of the Clinton adminsitration, he said "Whenever I hear people complaining about America during the Clinton adminsitration, I always ask them which bothered them more - the peace or the prosperity".
Monday, 7 November 2011
Jets 27, Bills 11
I like Chan Gailey. In his post-game press conference, he personally took responsibility for the Bills poor offensive performance yesterday and downplayed the ability of the Jets defence to disguise coverages and blitz packages and to stuff their running game - especially early on. He thinks that he should have stuck more with the run in the first half until they had success. He also said that his team was just not physical enough on either side of the ball. Rian Lindell was physical. The kicker saved a touchdown on a return and injured his shoulder in the process.
The AFC East is a log jam at the top this morning after the Giants did us a huge favour by beating the Patriots in New England. The Bills, Jets and Patriots are all at 5-3 and each holds the tie-breaker over one of the others and does not hold it against the third. Kind of like rock/paper/scissors. The Bills now hit the road for three straight games, starting in Dallas next week. They have bounced back after losses both times before. But not on the road. As big as the Jets game was, it is now history and the most important game of the season, as always, becomes the next one.
I have not commented on the Greek debt crisis or the soon to be Italian debt crisis, neither of which should be confused with the US debt crisis or the Canadian debt situation or the state of any other country with a debt to GDP ratio which looks unsustainable. I haven't commented because I have not felt that I had any useful or unique insight to offer. It seems that Greek society has developed a systemic attitude which attaches little value to the idea of individual contribution for the greater good. I have read that a large percentage of Greek citizens are small business owners or are self employed and that they under-report their income to avoid paying their full share of income taxes. Various entitlement programs (like government pensions), however, are valued and heavily relied on.
Ok, I don't claim to know the origins or the history of the situation in Greece or Italy but, based on what I have seen closer to home, here's my perspective: Beginning with the election of Ronald Reagan in 1980, the political culture in the US began to shift toward a mistaken belief that taxation was generally a bad thing - something to be reduced, minimized, phased out. The story went that lower taxes encouraged economic activity which would then increase tax revenue in the long run. This theory is widely repeated today. Just watch the next Republican presidential debate and you'll hear it. We heard it from Mike Harris in Ontario. We hear it from the current federal government in Ottawa. We hear it from Rob Ford in Toronto. Taxes kill jobs. Taxes are bad for business. Well, sometimes business is bad for people.
We have reached the point that any proposal to introduce new taxes or increase existing ones is considered to be political suicide. The fact that the programs which our governments provide are becoming more expensive seems not to matter. We haven't seen anything yet. As the demographic rabbit (in the form of the baby boomers) moves through the snake, healthcare costs will increase exponentially. My parents, for example, are in their 70's and, like most of their peers, are keeping the pharmaceutal companies in business. But they don't pay for the drugs themselves. They are covered by something called the Ontario Drug Benefit (ODB). Were it not for the ODB, they would be paying thousands every month for drugs. What will the cost of the ODB be in 10 or 20 years? How will we pay for it? If it isn't with higher taxes, then I have absolutely no idea.
Last week, Rob Ford's Executive Committee was reviewing options for the sale of city assets like Enwave and Toronto Hydro. The reason? They are trying to address the massive budget shortfall. Ford said to reporters after the session: "We can't put this on the taxpayers". Really? Why can't we? I'm willing to pay my share. As a citizen of Toronto, I was willing to pay an extra $60 to register my vehicle but Ford ran on a promise to get rid of that program "because citizens were not seeing value in it". I don't know where they were looking. Maybe we can sell High Park to a developer. Or turn Old City Hall into a boutique shopping destination. At this point, it's all Greek to me.
The AFC East is a log jam at the top this morning after the Giants did us a huge favour by beating the Patriots in New England. The Bills, Jets and Patriots are all at 5-3 and each holds the tie-breaker over one of the others and does not hold it against the third. Kind of like rock/paper/scissors. The Bills now hit the road for three straight games, starting in Dallas next week. They have bounced back after losses both times before. But not on the road. As big as the Jets game was, it is now history and the most important game of the season, as always, becomes the next one.
I have not commented on the Greek debt crisis or the soon to be Italian debt crisis, neither of which should be confused with the US debt crisis or the Canadian debt situation or the state of any other country with a debt to GDP ratio which looks unsustainable. I haven't commented because I have not felt that I had any useful or unique insight to offer. It seems that Greek society has developed a systemic attitude which attaches little value to the idea of individual contribution for the greater good. I have read that a large percentage of Greek citizens are small business owners or are self employed and that they under-report their income to avoid paying their full share of income taxes. Various entitlement programs (like government pensions), however, are valued and heavily relied on.
Ok, I don't claim to know the origins or the history of the situation in Greece or Italy but, based on what I have seen closer to home, here's my perspective: Beginning with the election of Ronald Reagan in 1980, the political culture in the US began to shift toward a mistaken belief that taxation was generally a bad thing - something to be reduced, minimized, phased out. The story went that lower taxes encouraged economic activity which would then increase tax revenue in the long run. This theory is widely repeated today. Just watch the next Republican presidential debate and you'll hear it. We heard it from Mike Harris in Ontario. We hear it from the current federal government in Ottawa. We hear it from Rob Ford in Toronto. Taxes kill jobs. Taxes are bad for business. Well, sometimes business is bad for people.
We have reached the point that any proposal to introduce new taxes or increase existing ones is considered to be political suicide. The fact that the programs which our governments provide are becoming more expensive seems not to matter. We haven't seen anything yet. As the demographic rabbit (in the form of the baby boomers) moves through the snake, healthcare costs will increase exponentially. My parents, for example, are in their 70's and, like most of their peers, are keeping the pharmaceutal companies in business. But they don't pay for the drugs themselves. They are covered by something called the Ontario Drug Benefit (ODB). Were it not for the ODB, they would be paying thousands every month for drugs. What will the cost of the ODB be in 10 or 20 years? How will we pay for it? If it isn't with higher taxes, then I have absolutely no idea.
Last week, Rob Ford's Executive Committee was reviewing options for the sale of city assets like Enwave and Toronto Hydro. The reason? They are trying to address the massive budget shortfall. Ford said to reporters after the session: "We can't put this on the taxpayers". Really? Why can't we? I'm willing to pay my share. As a citizen of Toronto, I was willing to pay an extra $60 to register my vehicle but Ford ran on a promise to get rid of that program "because citizens were not seeing value in it". I don't know where they were looking. Maybe we can sell High Park to a developer. Or turn Old City Hall into a boutique shopping destination. At this point, it's all Greek to me.
Monday, 31 October 2011
Bills 23, Redskins 0
We arrived outside the Rogers Centre at around 2.30pm so as to soak up the atmosphere and the "tailgate" party, check out Finger Eleven and, as it turned out, have a very brief conversation with Bills former great Thurman Thomas. The difference between the experience of attending a game at Ralph Wilson Stadium and trying to re-create it in downtown Toronto has been widely discussed and my only expectation was that there would be at least a bit of improvement over the first three years of this awkward experiment.
In terms of the tailgate party, we had a good look at the long security line-up to get into the area where beer is actually sold and where a view of the stage was possible. It didn't look very appealing so we walked around to an area behind the stage and saw two members of Finger Eleven pound out a couple of their songs which I don't know. Then, we continued our circumnavigation of the stadium and, as we walked up the stairs on the west side, Thurman Thomas was coming down the stairs toward us. He was walking quickly and reading his Blackberry and when I made contact with him and extended my hand, he very half-heartedly did the same but never stopped and never took his eyes off the Berry. I guess he was just trying to blend in to Toronto culture.
Once inside, it got more interesting, sort of. Toronto crowds are notoriously late arriving but I hoped that a 4pm Sunday start time might be more manageable for them. At kick-off, it still looked half empty and didn't "fill in" until the end of the first quarter (the game was, apparently, about 2,500 short of a sell out). The Bills scored two touchdowns and three field goals in the game which meant that the "shout" song was played five times. It was began and ended each time with the sound of a cannon which, with the roof closed, made us jump every time- eventhough we knew it was coming. Rogers Centre staff were throwing bundled up T-shirts into the crowd - something the Raptors have been doing for years. The Raptors do it during time-outs but yesterday it was done when the game was on. Anyone who watches football on TV knows that there are more than enough TV time-outs to allow as much T-shirt tossing as anyone would want - BUT NOT WHEN THE GAME IS ON.
Chan Gailey was complimentary of the crowd in his post-game press conference and he referred specifically to three false start penalties caused by the noise. In the 500 level, it seemed a bit louder than in previous years but still only a small fraction of what it is at the Ralph. Anyway, he (generously) attributed two Redskin false starts to the crowd noise but also mentioned that, with the Bills offence lining up on a third down and one, the crowd decided to do "the wave" and the Bills false started. He seemed mystified by this.
To the game itself: The Bills came in to this game with a league low four sacks on the season. They found a pass rush yesterday and earned nine sacks in total. The Redskins looked lost (maybe it was the intimidating crowd) and were never in the game at all. Apart from the newly found pass rush, Fred Jackson continues to roll, gaining 194 all purpose yards, Scott Chandler caught two more TD passes and now has six on the season, George Wilson had another strong game, as did Spencer Johnson and Dwan Edwards. The 5-2 Bills have a real home game next week against the Jets before going on the road for three straight.
Municipal politics note: As the Rob Ford/22 Minutes/911 call fiasco was playing out last week, I decided to write an email to my city councillor. She is well regarded in the ward and, with a right of centre orientation, is a member of Ford's Executive Committee and Chair of the TTC. To mark the unfortunate one year anniversary of his election last Tuesday, Ford and his team had a press conference where he speculated that they would all be re-elected if another election were held now. I said to my councillor that her continued association with this mayor causes me to question her judgment to the point that I can no longer support her (not that I ever did but how would she know that?) . I called on her to publicly dis-associate herself from him. I have had no response. She's probably still thinking about it.
In terms of the tailgate party, we had a good look at the long security line-up to get into the area where beer is actually sold and where a view of the stage was possible. It didn't look very appealing so we walked around to an area behind the stage and saw two members of Finger Eleven pound out a couple of their songs which I don't know. Then, we continued our circumnavigation of the stadium and, as we walked up the stairs on the west side, Thurman Thomas was coming down the stairs toward us. He was walking quickly and reading his Blackberry and when I made contact with him and extended my hand, he very half-heartedly did the same but never stopped and never took his eyes off the Berry. I guess he was just trying to blend in to Toronto culture.
Once inside, it got more interesting, sort of. Toronto crowds are notoriously late arriving but I hoped that a 4pm Sunday start time might be more manageable for them. At kick-off, it still looked half empty and didn't "fill in" until the end of the first quarter (the game was, apparently, about 2,500 short of a sell out). The Bills scored two touchdowns and three field goals in the game which meant that the "shout" song was played five times. It was began and ended each time with the sound of a cannon which, with the roof closed, made us jump every time- eventhough we knew it was coming. Rogers Centre staff were throwing bundled up T-shirts into the crowd - something the Raptors have been doing for years. The Raptors do it during time-outs but yesterday it was done when the game was on. Anyone who watches football on TV knows that there are more than enough TV time-outs to allow as much T-shirt tossing as anyone would want - BUT NOT WHEN THE GAME IS ON.
Chan Gailey was complimentary of the crowd in his post-game press conference and he referred specifically to three false start penalties caused by the noise. In the 500 level, it seemed a bit louder than in previous years but still only a small fraction of what it is at the Ralph. Anyway, he (generously) attributed two Redskin false starts to the crowd noise but also mentioned that, with the Bills offence lining up on a third down and one, the crowd decided to do "the wave" and the Bills false started. He seemed mystified by this.
To the game itself: The Bills came in to this game with a league low four sacks on the season. They found a pass rush yesterday and earned nine sacks in total. The Redskins looked lost (maybe it was the intimidating crowd) and were never in the game at all. Apart from the newly found pass rush, Fred Jackson continues to roll, gaining 194 all purpose yards, Scott Chandler caught two more TD passes and now has six on the season, George Wilson had another strong game, as did Spencer Johnson and Dwan Edwards. The 5-2 Bills have a real home game next week against the Jets before going on the road for three straight.
Municipal politics note: As the Rob Ford/22 Minutes/911 call fiasco was playing out last week, I decided to write an email to my city councillor. She is well regarded in the ward and, with a right of centre orientation, is a member of Ford's Executive Committee and Chair of the TTC. To mark the unfortunate one year anniversary of his election last Tuesday, Ford and his team had a press conference where he speculated that they would all be re-elected if another election were held now. I said to my councillor that her continued association with this mayor causes me to question her judgment to the point that I can no longer support her (not that I ever did but how would she know that?) . I called on her to publicly dis-associate herself from him. I have had no response. She's probably still thinking about it.
Monday, 17 October 2011
Giants 27, Bills 24
Not that I'm particularly superstitious but I'm now 0-2 watching Bills games alone at the cottage this season. I'm 2-0 watching Bills games not alone at the cottage. I'm 1-0 paddling in a dragonboat event and not watching the game at all. And, finally, I'm 1-0 attending the game. Does it really matter? It matters if they win but if, where and with whom I watch probably doesn't matter but I'm still willing to do whatever I can to help. Next week is the bye week so I have every option available I guess. And the following week, I will be at the game at the Rogers Centre. Can the Bills win their first regular season Toronto Series game after losing the first three?
At no time during yesterday's loss to the Giants did I feel that the team couldn't win the game in the end. A couple of Ryan Fitzpatrick interceptions and a couple of Drayton Florence pass interference calls were the difference in the end but the lack of pressure on Ely Manning during the entire game is probably what the coaches will be focusing on. That and trying to get some players healthy. The Bills generated no turnovers in this game either - and their luck on that front had to run out some time. Playing without Kyle Williams is something which they hopefully will not have to do again. And with Hairston being injured yesterday, that's now 2 left offensive tackles on the shelf. They need Merriman back too.
This past weekend, rain returned to Muskoka. Our lake level a week ago was as low as anyone has ever seen it. Saturday was as miserable a day as we've had in a long time (but a good day to watch some college football) with steady rain and very high winds. I still got a wet bike ride in then I had a sauna around 6.30pm. I just love doing the sauna in those conditions. As I sat on the dock after a cold dunk in the lake, I heard what sounded like a large tree come down accross the bay. I walked over in the morning and our neighbours were very lucky indeed as a the top 10 metres of a large hemlock came down between their cottage and their wash house without doing any damage I could see. There is rain forecast every day until and including Thursday so the lake level should recover a bit. We will need weeks of rain to bring it up the 14 inches to normal fall levels.
Now to US politics: It's interesting to see the progressions of the Republican presidential nomination race as they weave and twist their way toward the likely nomination of Mitt Romney. Likely, that is, depending on the influence of the Tea Party. If they are somehow able to prevent the nomination of an electable candidate like Romney, then the Democrats will be the biggest benficiaries. The Tea Party's favoured candidate started as Michelle Bachman and, after she flamed out, moved on to Rick Perry. He seems not to have been properly prepared for the grilling which comes with being a front runner candidate for President and appears to be finished as well. Now, former Godfather's Pizza CEO, Herman Cain, is the new flavour of the month. He has proposed a tax plan he calls "999" which features a 9% flat tax on businesess, a 9% flat tax on individuals and a 9% sales tax. Obviously, the concept of a progressive tax system where the wealthy pay a higher percentage of their income in taxes isn't part of the Tea Party philosophy. It's hard to imagine that a marginal income tax rate of 9% for everyone will solve the American debt problem but Mr. Cain says it will create 6 million jobs and add $2 trillion to the GDP. And - this is the best part - if it's not there in 30 minutes, it's free.
At no time during yesterday's loss to the Giants did I feel that the team couldn't win the game in the end. A couple of Ryan Fitzpatrick interceptions and a couple of Drayton Florence pass interference calls were the difference in the end but the lack of pressure on Ely Manning during the entire game is probably what the coaches will be focusing on. That and trying to get some players healthy. The Bills generated no turnovers in this game either - and their luck on that front had to run out some time. Playing without Kyle Williams is something which they hopefully will not have to do again. And with Hairston being injured yesterday, that's now 2 left offensive tackles on the shelf. They need Merriman back too.
This past weekend, rain returned to Muskoka. Our lake level a week ago was as low as anyone has ever seen it. Saturday was as miserable a day as we've had in a long time (but a good day to watch some college football) with steady rain and very high winds. I still got a wet bike ride in then I had a sauna around 6.30pm. I just love doing the sauna in those conditions. As I sat on the dock after a cold dunk in the lake, I heard what sounded like a large tree come down accross the bay. I walked over in the morning and our neighbours were very lucky indeed as a the top 10 metres of a large hemlock came down between their cottage and their wash house without doing any damage I could see. There is rain forecast every day until and including Thursday so the lake level should recover a bit. We will need weeks of rain to bring it up the 14 inches to normal fall levels.
Now to US politics: It's interesting to see the progressions of the Republican presidential nomination race as they weave and twist their way toward the likely nomination of Mitt Romney. Likely, that is, depending on the influence of the Tea Party. If they are somehow able to prevent the nomination of an electable candidate like Romney, then the Democrats will be the biggest benficiaries. The Tea Party's favoured candidate started as Michelle Bachman and, after she flamed out, moved on to Rick Perry. He seems not to have been properly prepared for the grilling which comes with being a front runner candidate for President and appears to be finished as well. Now, former Godfather's Pizza CEO, Herman Cain, is the new flavour of the month. He has proposed a tax plan he calls "999" which features a 9% flat tax on businesess, a 9% flat tax on individuals and a 9% sales tax. Obviously, the concept of a progressive tax system where the wealthy pay a higher percentage of their income in taxes isn't part of the Tea Party philosophy. It's hard to imagine that a marginal income tax rate of 9% for everyone will solve the American debt problem but Mr. Cain says it will create 6 million jobs and add $2 trillion to the GDP. And - this is the best part - if it's not there in 30 minutes, it's free.
Monday, 10 October 2011
Bills 31, Eagles 24
After five games, the Buffalo Bills lead the NFL in interceptions with 12. Yesterday, against Michael Vick and the Philadelphia Eagles, they posted another four interceptions (as well as another takeaway) on their way to their third consecutive home win. Each of these home wins featured spectacular autumn weather in Orchard Park, exciting high scoring football and close games which each game's outcome undetermined until the very end. The 34 point drubbing of the Chiefs in week one now seems like a long time ago, doesn't it?
Any NFL coach will tell you (and Chan Gailey and Andy Reid both mentioned this in their post game press conferences) that if a team wins the turnover battle 5-1, like the Bills did yesterday, they are not going to lose very often. Well, the Eagles still made a game of it and looked like they were going to tie it before the final Barnett interception. The Bills deserve credit for the pressure they were able to bring on Vick. It certainly helped create the turnovers and kept him off balance for parts of the game. The Eagles were able to expose the Bills run defence on the outside, and when Vick did have sufficient time, he was effective.
Arguably the most important play in the game took place with 1.30 remaining. Facing a 4th down and about 6 inches, the Bills lined up as if they were going to go for the first down. Ryan Fitzpatrick was able to draw the Eagles offside resulting in a first down. Game over. Gailey explained that they practice the "hard count" drill every Saturday. I would also think that defensive teams would practice the same drill with the goal of staying onside. Gailey was asked if he was actually going to run a play in that situation or if he was going to punt if the hard count did not work. "I'll never tell" was his answer. I think that he would have run a play rather than giving the ball back to Michael Vick.
Buffalo travels to New Jersey next week to face the Giants who loast at home yesterday to Seattle. They will not want to lose at home in consecutive weeks so this will be a challenge. Then, the Bills have their bye week before playing the Redskins at the Rogers Centre on October 30th.
Last Tuesday, I was able, despite considerable confusion on the part of the Elections Ontario staff at the polling station, to get on the voters list in Eglinton-Lawrence and cast my vote for long time MPP Mike Colle. I thought that he would find himself in a close race against "star" candidate Rocco Rossi. Well, it wasn't close. Rossi got smoked and I couldn't be happier about it. Apparently, one of the first things Rossi did as the campaign approached was to try to closely affiliate himself with Rob Ford. They appeared together at bar-b-ques and other events and I can only presume that once Rossi realized the liability that Ford represented, it was too late.
The PC's were shut out of the 416 area entirely and now find their base in rural areas only. This is a disturbing trend which also reflects the situation with the federal party. The most dissapointing statistic for me from this election was that the voter turnout was below 50%.
Any NFL coach will tell you (and Chan Gailey and Andy Reid both mentioned this in their post game press conferences) that if a team wins the turnover battle 5-1, like the Bills did yesterday, they are not going to lose very often. Well, the Eagles still made a game of it and looked like they were going to tie it before the final Barnett interception. The Bills deserve credit for the pressure they were able to bring on Vick. It certainly helped create the turnovers and kept him off balance for parts of the game. The Eagles were able to expose the Bills run defence on the outside, and when Vick did have sufficient time, he was effective.
Arguably the most important play in the game took place with 1.30 remaining. Facing a 4th down and about 6 inches, the Bills lined up as if they were going to go for the first down. Ryan Fitzpatrick was able to draw the Eagles offside resulting in a first down. Game over. Gailey explained that they practice the "hard count" drill every Saturday. I would also think that defensive teams would practice the same drill with the goal of staying onside. Gailey was asked if he was actually going to run a play in that situation or if he was going to punt if the hard count did not work. "I'll never tell" was his answer. I think that he would have run a play rather than giving the ball back to Michael Vick.
Buffalo travels to New Jersey next week to face the Giants who loast at home yesterday to Seattle. They will not want to lose at home in consecutive weeks so this will be a challenge. Then, the Bills have their bye week before playing the Redskins at the Rogers Centre on October 30th.
Last Tuesday, I was able, despite considerable confusion on the part of the Elections Ontario staff at the polling station, to get on the voters list in Eglinton-Lawrence and cast my vote for long time MPP Mike Colle. I thought that he would find himself in a close race against "star" candidate Rocco Rossi. Well, it wasn't close. Rossi got smoked and I couldn't be happier about it. Apparently, one of the first things Rossi did as the campaign approached was to try to closely affiliate himself with Rob Ford. They appeared together at bar-b-ques and other events and I can only presume that once Rossi realized the liability that Ford represented, it was too late.
The PC's were shut out of the 416 area entirely and now find their base in rural areas only. This is a disturbing trend which also reflects the situation with the federal party. The most dissapointing statistic for me from this election was that the voter turnout was below 50%.
Tuesday, 4 October 2011
Bengals 23, Bills 20
In my opinion, poor tackling cost the Bills this game. It made me wonder what causes a team to tackle poorly. Is it possible that what looks like poor tackling is really just effective tackle breaking by the opposing team? In baseball, hitters can have success at times and at other times, they fail miserably. Does good pitching cause poor hitting and vice versa? Same thing with basketball: players and teams shoot well at times and shoot poorly at other times. Good defence in basketball will limit the number of "open looks" shooters get during each game. So, the effectiveness of the opposing team surely plays a role in these situations but, when I watched this game, it seemed clear to me that the Bills just tackled poorly.
The officiating was questionable as well. In addition to a number of non holding calls on the Cincinnati offense, the review of the Steve Johnson catch in the 4th quarter was a critical play in the game. The ruling on the filed was that it was an incomplete pass and the replay, apparently, did not provide enough evidence for the referee to overturn the ruling on the filed. I was convinced, based on the replays I saw, that the catch was good. It would have resulted in a first down and at least allowed Buffalo to wind 2 or 3 more minutes off the clock even if they did not make another first down. None of that would have mattered if they had tackled better.
So, the Bills find themsleves out of the national media spotlight, although they were the last remaining undefeated team in the AFC. Next up is a very interesting and potentially dangerous game: The Philadelphia Eagles come to Orchard Park on this Canadian Thanksgiving Sunday. The Eagles signed a number of prominent free agents in the off season and were widely expected to be one the top teams in the NFC and challenge for the Superbowl. They sit at 1-3 and no doubt feel that slipping to 1-4 would seriously jeopardize their expectations for earning one of the top seeds in the NFC playoff draw. If the Bills lose, they would slip to 3-2 and then travel to New York to face the Giants. As the second quarter of the NFL season begins, this game is extremely important for both teams. Let's hope that the sold out home crowd can inspire the Bills.
Ok, on to the Ontario election. In every recent election, I seem to find myself hoping that a particular party does not win. As long as they don't win, I don't really care which of the other two does actually win. My dad has said for years that he would like to have the option of voting against a particular candidate, instead of only being able to vote for a candidate. Under this system, each candidate's vote total would be the net of votes for and against. This would essentially eliminate the need for strategic voting. But we don't have that option so I will, once gain, have to vote strategically.
I have just moved back to the riding of Eglinton-Lawrence, long held by Liberal Mike Colle. His main opponent is the turncoat Rocco Rossi. A long time Liberal Party executive, Rossi increased his public profile last year with a strong run for the mayoralty of Toronto. Based on the candidates debates I attended, he would have had my vote until he pulled out of the race a couple of weeks before the election. Maybe he was worried that Rob Ford might win. Then, somewhere along the way, he made a sharp right turn and is now running for Mr. Hudak's PC's. Yes,Mr. Rossi has joined forces with the party who supports prisoner chain gangs and seems to think that all taxes are bad. My theory is that he thought that the PC's had an excellent chance of winning the election and that was promised a prominent cabinet role in a Hudak government. Sadly for Mr. Rossi, it doesn't look like it's going to work out that way.
The Globe and Mail endorsed Dalton McGuinty's Liberals yesterday - although not anywhere close to a ringing endorsement. The editorial page was critical of Mr. Hudak for offering virtually nothing more that criticism of the governing party. He has also focused on a couple of what he hoped would be wedge issues - the "foreign worker" flap in the campaign's early days, the prisoner chain gangs and the usual "McGuinty is soft on crime" crap. Otherwise, he has offered nothing except the tiresome tax cuts with no service reductions mantra and no electricity rate increases. He says he will tear up the Feed-in Tarriff program and the Samsung renewable energy deal. These may well be bad deals for the province but in the process of promising to cancel them, Mr. Hudak has postioned himself as the leader who wants to turn away from the new economy and the (so far elusive) "green jobs" it will bring. His opponent talks about embracing the future and Mr. Hudak looks like he wants to wind the clock back. For those reasons, and the fact that, as a Toronto resident, I already have two right wing governments (and I most certainly do not want a third), I will be voting against Mr. Rossi and Mr. Hudak. I guess that means I'm voting Liberal - again - not because that's what I really want but because the alternative is what I really do not want.
The officiating was questionable as well. In addition to a number of non holding calls on the Cincinnati offense, the review of the Steve Johnson catch in the 4th quarter was a critical play in the game. The ruling on the filed was that it was an incomplete pass and the replay, apparently, did not provide enough evidence for the referee to overturn the ruling on the filed. I was convinced, based on the replays I saw, that the catch was good. It would have resulted in a first down and at least allowed Buffalo to wind 2 or 3 more minutes off the clock even if they did not make another first down. None of that would have mattered if they had tackled better.
So, the Bills find themsleves out of the national media spotlight, although they were the last remaining undefeated team in the AFC. Next up is a very interesting and potentially dangerous game: The Philadelphia Eagles come to Orchard Park on this Canadian Thanksgiving Sunday. The Eagles signed a number of prominent free agents in the off season and were widely expected to be one the top teams in the NFC and challenge for the Superbowl. They sit at 1-3 and no doubt feel that slipping to 1-4 would seriously jeopardize their expectations for earning one of the top seeds in the NFC playoff draw. If the Bills lose, they would slip to 3-2 and then travel to New York to face the Giants. As the second quarter of the NFL season begins, this game is extremely important for both teams. Let's hope that the sold out home crowd can inspire the Bills.
Ok, on to the Ontario election. In every recent election, I seem to find myself hoping that a particular party does not win. As long as they don't win, I don't really care which of the other two does actually win. My dad has said for years that he would like to have the option of voting against a particular candidate, instead of only being able to vote for a candidate. Under this system, each candidate's vote total would be the net of votes for and against. This would essentially eliminate the need for strategic voting. But we don't have that option so I will, once gain, have to vote strategically.
I have just moved back to the riding of Eglinton-Lawrence, long held by Liberal Mike Colle. His main opponent is the turncoat Rocco Rossi. A long time Liberal Party executive, Rossi increased his public profile last year with a strong run for the mayoralty of Toronto. Based on the candidates debates I attended, he would have had my vote until he pulled out of the race a couple of weeks before the election. Maybe he was worried that Rob Ford might win. Then, somewhere along the way, he made a sharp right turn and is now running for Mr. Hudak's PC's. Yes,Mr. Rossi has joined forces with the party who supports prisoner chain gangs and seems to think that all taxes are bad. My theory is that he thought that the PC's had an excellent chance of winning the election and that was promised a prominent cabinet role in a Hudak government. Sadly for Mr. Rossi, it doesn't look like it's going to work out that way.
The Globe and Mail endorsed Dalton McGuinty's Liberals yesterday - although not anywhere close to a ringing endorsement. The editorial page was critical of Mr. Hudak for offering virtually nothing more that criticism of the governing party. He has also focused on a couple of what he hoped would be wedge issues - the "foreign worker" flap in the campaign's early days, the prisoner chain gangs and the usual "McGuinty is soft on crime" crap. Otherwise, he has offered nothing except the tiresome tax cuts with no service reductions mantra and no electricity rate increases. He says he will tear up the Feed-in Tarriff program and the Samsung renewable energy deal. These may well be bad deals for the province but in the process of promising to cancel them, Mr. Hudak has postioned himself as the leader who wants to turn away from the new economy and the (so far elusive) "green jobs" it will bring. His opponent talks about embracing the future and Mr. Hudak looks like he wants to wind the clock back. For those reasons, and the fact that, as a Toronto resident, I already have two right wing governments (and I most certainly do not want a third), I will be voting against Mr. Rossi and Mr. Hudak. I guess that means I'm voting Liberal - again - not because that's what I really want but because the alternative is what I really do not want.
Monday, 26 September 2011
Bills 34, Patriots 31
Watching these wild Buffalo Bills games at home can be very stressful - especially if you're alone. Yesterday, I was with 73,000 Bills fans at Orchard Park, and, in particular, the group of long time season ticket holders in my section. Being at the game - even a roller coaster game like yesterday's - gives fans a sense of community and sharing and is really much less nerve racking than pacing around at home, waiting through the endless TV commercials and hoping for good things to happen on the field. That's why we go to these games. That's why we invest 12 hours in the experience. As Marv Levy used to say to his team before kick-off: "Where else would you rather be than right here, right now?"
Yesterday's big win over the Patriots was truly something to behold. Down 21-0 in the second quarter, the Bills, with the help of 4 interceptions of Tom Brady, some crucial favourable penalty calls, good luck and a loss of composure on the part of the Patriots and their coaching staff, Buffalo fans got the monkey off their back and shook off 15 straight losses as their team finally beat New England. In so doing, the Bills became the first team in NFL history to overcome 18 point deficits in 2 consecutive weeks. The Jets also lost to Oakland and the Bills, at 3-0, now find themselves alone atop the AFC East.
All of last season, Tom Brady was intercepted 4 times, equalling yesterday's total. The Bills produced 24 points from those turnovers, making all of the difference in this game. For the first quarter and a half, it looked like we would we would be heading for the exits after the third quarter, getting a jump on the traffic and getting home in time to watch the second half of the 4pm games. The Patriots took the opening kick-off and scored what looked like an easy touchdown. They intercepted Fitzpatrick on the Bills first drive and scored again. Then again. The Bills did not look ready to answer last week's Jim Rome challenge: "Buffalo, we know you're better but are you ready now to be good? Are you ready to make a statement and beat the Patriots?" I guess they had to think about it before answering but, as Fitzpatrick kneeled down allowing the last seconds of the 4th quarter to tick away before Rian Lindell's game winning kick, the answer was clear: Just barely, but "yes".
After the game, Chan Gailey said that the team's next challenge is going to be how they handle prosperity. Next week, the Bills travel to Cincinnati, a place where they have done well in recent years. Let's see if they can keep it going and move to 4-0 before returning home to play the Eagles.
We saw quite a few Tim Hudak billboards around the Niagara area yesterday. He is from Fort Erie and it did occur to me that he could be - and probably is - a Bills fan. There had to something to like about him and, for me, that would be it.
Yesterday's big win over the Patriots was truly something to behold. Down 21-0 in the second quarter, the Bills, with the help of 4 interceptions of Tom Brady, some crucial favourable penalty calls, good luck and a loss of composure on the part of the Patriots and their coaching staff, Buffalo fans got the monkey off their back and shook off 15 straight losses as their team finally beat New England. In so doing, the Bills became the first team in NFL history to overcome 18 point deficits in 2 consecutive weeks. The Jets also lost to Oakland and the Bills, at 3-0, now find themselves alone atop the AFC East.
All of last season, Tom Brady was intercepted 4 times, equalling yesterday's total. The Bills produced 24 points from those turnovers, making all of the difference in this game. For the first quarter and a half, it looked like we would we would be heading for the exits after the third quarter, getting a jump on the traffic and getting home in time to watch the second half of the 4pm games. The Patriots took the opening kick-off and scored what looked like an easy touchdown. They intercepted Fitzpatrick on the Bills first drive and scored again. Then again. The Bills did not look ready to answer last week's Jim Rome challenge: "Buffalo, we know you're better but are you ready now to be good? Are you ready to make a statement and beat the Patriots?" I guess they had to think about it before answering but, as Fitzpatrick kneeled down allowing the last seconds of the 4th quarter to tick away before Rian Lindell's game winning kick, the answer was clear: Just barely, but "yes".
After the game, Chan Gailey said that the team's next challenge is going to be how they handle prosperity. Next week, the Bills travel to Cincinnati, a place where they have done well in recent years. Let's see if they can keep it going and move to 4-0 before returning home to play the Eagles.
We saw quite a few Tim Hudak billboards around the Niagara area yesterday. He is from Fort Erie and it did occur to me that he could be - and probably is - a Bills fan. There had to something to like about him and, for me, that would be it.
Sunday, 18 September 2011
Bills 38, Raiders 35
Watched the whole game at the cottage with my dad. He's not a big football fan but was a CFL fan, particularly in the 1950's and 60's. He has always said that the NFL produces far too many unwatchable games - usually either blowouts or punting competetions between offensively inept teams. He stuck through the whole game and was the first to say that it was exciting, thoroughly entertaining and deeply satisfying for the home fans. I went for a 15km mountain bike ride right afterward and felt almost a glow about the game, the team and my trip to Orchard Park next week.
Down 18 points in the third quarter, the Bills scored 21 straight and then answered two more Raider scores with touchdowns of their own to pull it out in thrilling fashion. The very last play of the game was a bit of an optical illusion for me as I was sure that I saw the Raider receiver make the catch but the Hail Mary was intercepted (and confirned by replay after I left for my ride) and Buffalo is 2-0 with the Patriots coming to town next weekend. It's fun, isn't it? To at least be in the hunt for something early on is a confidence booster for the team and its fans. It's been long enough without it. Let's enjoy it.
It was the kind of game that fans love and the kind that leaves defensive coordinators on both sides pulling their hair out as both offenses racked up the yards and points. The Bills showed great resilience in coming back from 18 down and twice more as well to take the lead for good. I haven't seen that for a long time. I saw something from CJ Spiller today which I haven't seen before - an explosive quickness on a couple of plays which shows me that maybe he's turned the corner. Great call by Chan Gailey when he lined up Spiller on the winning touchdown as a decoy for the play to Nelson. That's smart and creative play calling. We didn't see that kind of call during the Jauron years. The Bills front 7 looks like an NFL defence now. Dareus is a force. Kyle Williams is still a force and the linebackers look much better than last year. Merriman looks solid. Barnett looks solid too. And I think our quarterbacking is pretty good. Fitz is a free agent after this season and, based on the first 2 weeks, when he signs a new deal for next season, he may finally find himself out-earning some of his Harvard classmates. He seems like an easy player to like.
I will have some commentary on the Ontario election coming up soon but this week the football is what I'm excited about. The next game against the Patriots is the biggest home game the Bills have had since at least the 2008 game against the Chargers (which the Bills won to go to 5-1) and maybe since the Steelers game at the end of the 2004 season. We all know that it's going to be extremely difficult to beat them but let's, for now, just try to imagine that they could. It would have to be by a score of something like 28-24 or maybe 20-19 in rainy, windy conditions. Whatever. If they can somehow pull it out, get to Brady just enough, protect the ball, earn a turnover, outwork them, get a big special teams play - and shed the burden of 15 straight losses to this one team, then my dream and the dream of Bills fans everywhere of a 19-0 season will remain unblemished. And I should be able to sell those Christmas Eve Broncos tickets.
Down 18 points in the third quarter, the Bills scored 21 straight and then answered two more Raider scores with touchdowns of their own to pull it out in thrilling fashion. The very last play of the game was a bit of an optical illusion for me as I was sure that I saw the Raider receiver make the catch but the Hail Mary was intercepted (and confirned by replay after I left for my ride) and Buffalo is 2-0 with the Patriots coming to town next weekend. It's fun, isn't it? To at least be in the hunt for something early on is a confidence booster for the team and its fans. It's been long enough without it. Let's enjoy it.
It was the kind of game that fans love and the kind that leaves defensive coordinators on both sides pulling their hair out as both offenses racked up the yards and points. The Bills showed great resilience in coming back from 18 down and twice more as well to take the lead for good. I haven't seen that for a long time. I saw something from CJ Spiller today which I haven't seen before - an explosive quickness on a couple of plays which shows me that maybe he's turned the corner. Great call by Chan Gailey when he lined up Spiller on the winning touchdown as a decoy for the play to Nelson. That's smart and creative play calling. We didn't see that kind of call during the Jauron years. The Bills front 7 looks like an NFL defence now. Dareus is a force. Kyle Williams is still a force and the linebackers look much better than last year. Merriman looks solid. Barnett looks solid too. And I think our quarterbacking is pretty good. Fitz is a free agent after this season and, based on the first 2 weeks, when he signs a new deal for next season, he may finally find himself out-earning some of his Harvard classmates. He seems like an easy player to like.
I will have some commentary on the Ontario election coming up soon but this week the football is what I'm excited about. The next game against the Patriots is the biggest home game the Bills have had since at least the 2008 game against the Chargers (which the Bills won to go to 5-1) and maybe since the Steelers game at the end of the 2004 season. We all know that it's going to be extremely difficult to beat them but let's, for now, just try to imagine that they could. It would have to be by a score of something like 28-24 or maybe 20-19 in rainy, windy conditions. Whatever. If they can somehow pull it out, get to Brady just enough, protect the ball, earn a turnover, outwork them, get a big special teams play - and shed the burden of 15 straight losses to this one team, then my dream and the dream of Bills fans everywhere of a 19-0 season will remain unblemished. And I should be able to sell those Christmas Eve Broncos tickets.
Wednesday, 14 September 2011
Bills 41, Chiefs 7
The first Sunday of NFL football is always the last day of the dragonboat racing season for me. I spent the day at Marilyn Bell Park on the Toronto waterfront racing in the semi-finals and then the finals. Our Ronin Warriors team was dissapointed to qualify only for D Division for the second consecutive year. We finished third in the division, or 39th overall. I have been paddling since 2005. This year, I missed only one practice and I have decided that if I am going to invest the same time and effort again next year, either our team needs to be stronger or I need to find a stronger team.
During the Bills game at Arrowhead, I received two scores: the first was early - after the Bills had recovered a fumble on the opening kick-off and scored right away to lead 7-0. The second was at halftime as the Bills lead 20-7. I remember thinking that two converted Kansas City touchdowns would give them a one point win. I heard nothing more until well after the game ended. I had to check it twice to make sure that I was reading it correctly: the Bills had won 41-7, handing the Chiefs a devastating home loss and giving Bills fans hope that, even if they end up near .500, the season will not feel like a lost cause from the beginning. As I said to a friend, if you want to go 19-0, you absolutely have to win the first game. So, that is done and now they prepare for Oakland and the home opener on Sunday. If they can win that game, then the week three game against the Patriots will be the biggest game at the Ralph in a few years. It's nice to at least have that to look forward to. I did watch the Patriots on Monday night in Miami and I honestly don't know how they can be stopped. If the Bills can score 50 points against them and control the ball for large chunks of time, that might do it but it will take a mammoth effort, some turnovers and a lot of luck to break the string of 15 consecutive losses to the Patriots.
After I had seen enough of the Patriots having their way in Miami, I watched about 30 minutes of the "Tea Party" Republican Presidential Debate on CNN. The only candidate who could generate any broad appeal with moderates and independents is Mitt Romney. The others are flakes, extreme right wing lunatics or (in the case of Ron Paul) both of those things but with a couple of curious ideas which kept the debate watchable. If I were an advisor to President Obama, I would be promoting and maybe even funding the campaign of Michelle Bachman. My greatest hope is that (1) the Tea Party has their way and she wins the nomination, and (2) she finds a running mate with the last name of Turner (or, even better, someone with the hyphenated name "Turner-Overdrive"). Yes, the Bachman-Turner-Overdrive ticket should be able to take care of business and keep the Democrats in the White House.
During the Bills game at Arrowhead, I received two scores: the first was early - after the Bills had recovered a fumble on the opening kick-off and scored right away to lead 7-0. The second was at halftime as the Bills lead 20-7. I remember thinking that two converted Kansas City touchdowns would give them a one point win. I heard nothing more until well after the game ended. I had to check it twice to make sure that I was reading it correctly: the Bills had won 41-7, handing the Chiefs a devastating home loss and giving Bills fans hope that, even if they end up near .500, the season will not feel like a lost cause from the beginning. As I said to a friend, if you want to go 19-0, you absolutely have to win the first game. So, that is done and now they prepare for Oakland and the home opener on Sunday. If they can win that game, then the week three game against the Patriots will be the biggest game at the Ralph in a few years. It's nice to at least have that to look forward to. I did watch the Patriots on Monday night in Miami and I honestly don't know how they can be stopped. If the Bills can score 50 points against them and control the ball for large chunks of time, that might do it but it will take a mammoth effort, some turnovers and a lot of luck to break the string of 15 consecutive losses to the Patriots.
After I had seen enough of the Patriots having their way in Miami, I watched about 30 minutes of the "Tea Party" Republican Presidential Debate on CNN. The only candidate who could generate any broad appeal with moderates and independents is Mitt Romney. The others are flakes, extreme right wing lunatics or (in the case of Ron Paul) both of those things but with a couple of curious ideas which kept the debate watchable. If I were an advisor to President Obama, I would be promoting and maybe even funding the campaign of Michelle Bachman. My greatest hope is that (1) the Tea Party has their way and she wins the nomination, and (2) she finds a running mate with the last name of Turner (or, even better, someone with the hyphenated name "Turner-Overdrive"). Yes, the Bachman-Turner-Overdrive ticket should be able to take care of business and keep the Democrats in the White House.
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