Well it’s the final week. All hell has broken lose. The Reds begin this week in the playoffs. So do the Guardians. I guess we’re in an Ohio State of Mind. Meanwhile, the Astros could miss. Things are insane. Here’s my last regular season rankings. Here’s last week’s for reference.
The Democratic Party should absolutely shut down the federal government, it’s not doing anything of value right now. If you need a specific reason to shut it down, the GOP is trying to strip away subsidies for people to buy the Affordable Care Act. This should simply be a red line. There is no good reason to strip health care away from more people. Of course our useless DEMOCRATIC U.S. Senator John Fetterman says he will fund the government anyway. In 2028, we need to be done with this bum. We can get a better trust fund baby Democrat, if not an actual good Democrat. Kick him to the curb.
Every candidate in the PA-7 Democratic Primary should be answering though. I’ve seen posts from McClure and Obando-Derstine so far. I hope the rest let us know if they’re with us or against us.
This week’s winner- Dolphins Head Coach (for now) Mike McDaniel, with some incredible wisdom here. He’s so insightful and cutting edge. What do the analytics say?
Ok, I have to admit that when I first heard about Kamala Harris new book, I was annoyed. All of the early descriptions made it sound like she was ripping President Biden for running. She did go further than I liked, but she clearly wasn’t actually criticizing him.
Harris described Shapiro, one of three finalists for the post, as “poised, polished and personable.” But she was put off by his ambition — and his request to be in the room for every major decision — and worried he would not settle for the number-two job.
Harris twice describes Shapiro as “peppering” her and staff with questions, not just about details of the job but also life as vice president. He asked the residence manager a number of questions about the home, ranging from the number of bedrooms to “how he might arrange to get Pennsylvania artists’ work on loan from the Smithsonian.”
She also accused Shapiro of exhibiting a “lack of discretion” in the veepstakes, recalling that his official vehicles with Pennsylvania plates were filmed by CNN in front of the vice president’s residence, despite efforts by her staff to arrange for less attention-getting transportation.
Manuel Bonder, a spokesperson for Shapiro, pushed back on the governor’s portrayal.
“It’s simply ridiculous to suggest that Governor Shapiro was focused on anything other than defeating Donald Trump and protecting Pennsylvania from the chaos we are living through now,” Bonder said in a statement. “The Governor campaigned tirelessly for the Harris-Walz ticket — and as he has made clear, the conclusion of this process was a deeply personal decision for both him and the Vice President.”
I could’ve called this in like 2008. The Deputy Speaker of the Pennsylvania House in 2007-2008 hasn’t changed a bit. Which doesn’t mean he shouldn’t be President, by the way. It just gave me a good laugh.
You cannot negotiate with a hostage taker. Zohran Mamdani is that proverbial hostage taker here. This man supported uncommitted over Kamala Harris in last year’s Presidential campaign. He literally said Governor Hochul “justified genocide” for asserting that nations are allowed to respond to being attacked with force. He’s done nothing in Albany as a legislator. He basically beat an extremely flawed candidate in a June primary for local office, and now is demanding that Democrats support him because he has the nomination. A smart Democratic Party would tell him “no thanks.”
Kathy Hochul is not that smart Democratic Party I’m talking about though, apparently.
Ms. Hochul said in her essay that she had been talking to Mr. Mamdani for months and that they had some disagreements.
“But in our conversations, I heard a leader who shares my commitment to a New York where children can grow up safe in their neighborhoods and where opportunity is within reach for every family,” she wrote. “I heard a leader who is focused on making New York City affordable — a goal I enthusiastically support.”
Mr. Mamdani thanked Ms. Hochul for her support and said she had “made affordability the centerpiece of her work.”
“There’s so much work left to do, and our movement is only growing stronger,” he said.
Ms. Hochul and Mr. Mamdani are both focused on addressing the affordability crisis in the state and the city and could each benefit from their new alliance. Ms. Hochul is up for re-election next year, and she is facing a primary challenge from her lieutenant governor, Antonio Delgado.
If Mr. Mamdani is elected, he could help protect her left flank, but also prove a liability in the general election, where she could face Representative Elise Stefanik, a Republican and a strong supporter of President Trump.
See, here’s the thing about this- Hochul is going to basically gain nothing. Even if Mamdani is elected with a majority, his endorsing Hochul won’t appease the kind of people who think she is a “genocider” in the Democratic Primary for Governor. Then in the general election, his positions on “defunding the police” and “free stuff” will be painted on her. Mandani will be a major liability on Long Island, in Outer Borough Queens, and in the Hudson Valley. She already will struggle upstate.
Both of these two will probably win, because it’s New York. In Hochul, Democrats will have a major state Governor who underperforms in her state though, and she will continue to be used against other Democrats (as she was in 2022). Would Hochul benefit from endorsing Cuomo, Adams, or Sliwa? No, all of them are flawed enough that it’s not worth the headache. Endorsing Mamdani isn’t any better though. Hochul, and really any major Democrat, should simply stay out of this race. New York City is unique, and their mayoral race is unique. It tells us nothing about nothing. Kathy Hochul created problems she didn’t need here.
Tom Brady was everything Peyton Manning was supposed to be. From the moment Manning arrived in Knoxville, Tennessee, the football world was grooming him for the throne. Manning had a problem though. New England had a coach/QB combo that played football right. They controlled the line of scrimmage, didn’t turn the ball over, made clutch plays, and played defense. Brady’s early career stats weren’t in Manning’s stratosphere, yet the part time starter at Michigan kept winning. He ended the St. Louis Rams run of greatness. He beat Andy Reid’s Eagles. Most importantly he beat Peyton Manning. He beat him over and over. And the media, and many fans, hated it. It was boring.
The NFL literally changed the rules about how much a defense could rough up receivers then. Manning got his Super Bowl. He’d get one more “excuse me” title later. Brady figured out the changes and simply became the greatest ever.
Patrick Mahomes doesn’t quite fit either archetype. People thought he had talent coming out of college. Then he far exceeded it. Almost immediately upon showing his abilities though, members of the NFL noise machine decided they wanted to declare him “possibly the greatest ever.” He put up big time stats. He won. The only stubborn detail in their way? A loss to Brady himself in an AFC Championship game, at home, and a blowout loss to Brady in the Super Bowl. Plenty of reporters tried to glaze over all of that though. Mahomes “wowed” them.
Until the Eagles came around.
Let’s be honest, the Eagles basically have beat the breaks off of Mahomes and his Chiefs. Sunday’s loss at home was a two score beating without a totally fictional roughing the passer to help him score late and make it look good. It was the second time in three years the Birds had to go to Arrowhead Stadium, and it was the second time in three years they won kind of clearly. Those two wins sandwich around one of the worst beatings in recent Super Bowls, last season, in which the Birds simply bullied Patrick, Travis, and Andy. Future Hall-of-Famer Chris Jones was left mentally broken, arguing with Jalen Hurts about stats on Sunday- as Hurts kneeled out another victory.
Let’s just be honest, the Chiefs “dynasty” was always a momentary blip on the radar, a mistake, a fraud. Their Super Bowl 57 victory over the Eagles aided by a field that strangely was wet and slippery, hindering the Eagles pass rush, and a defensive holding flag at the end of the game that (while it was a hold) had been allowed all game. Of the four games between these Eagles and these Chiefs, it is the clear outlier, the only game in which Mahomes looked almost as good as Hurts. The whole thing was set up for Mahomes to get his walk off victory, and second ring. Let’s be honest, the NFL wanted to have Super Bowl 59 go the same way. Mahomes get his threepeat, Andy Reid enter the GOAT conversation, and Travis and Taylor gracing our television set on their way to becoming engaged. The Chiefs just weren’t good enough though. The truth is, without questionable officiating and Kyle Shanahan being terrified of the Super Bowl, this team would be lucky to have one. The Chiefs are a very good team that the media and the NFL created a narrative of greatness around. The Eagles have figured it out and are beating the breaks off of it.
… And the media hates it.
Jalen Hurts doesn’t throw for big yardage. In fact, he didn’t have 100 yards passing in a win over the Chiefs last week. His rushing numbers are good, but they aren’t the kind of free wheeling, scrambling yards we used to get from say, Michael Vick. The man simply limits turnovers to nearly zero. His team runs the ball at will. They eat up clock in ways no other team can. His team plays hellacious defense (especially when Jalen Carter doesn’t get ejected) and harasses quarterbacks. It is reminiscent of the early Brady/Belichick Patriots- they play football right. They win the line. They win the turnover battle. They win the time of possession battle. As someone who hated Chip Kelly from the day we hired him, it warms my heart to see a coach win who eschews all of the modern “innovator” nonsense and wins football games the old school, real man way. Even better that these guys are my team.
So yeah, the “tush push.” Let’s be clear, the play itself is legal- if you’re crying about false starts, that’s always been a penalty on every play, so call it then (but what many of you think is lining up offsides or a false start, simply is not.). This play has been legal for a while, not just since 2022. This play is a quarterback sneak, with a push from behind. It’s a play to get one yard. Those complaining about player safety are silly- the Eagles linemen run this play all the time and are remarkably healthy. Tom Brady whining about the Eagles starting at “first and nine” is rich, as every good offensive line plays a much shorter game (especially his Patriots). The truth is, the “tush push” is beautiful football. It is a bigger, stronger offense, particularly the line, imposing it’s will on the defense. The “tush push” is what football actually is supposed to be, not your favorite fantasy football QB. Good football is played by teams that win on the line of scrimmage. Real football fans should love this play. What we are seeing is how far our discourse has been run down by fantasy football and gambling. Many of you are claiming you’d rather not see a football team play the proper way. Let’s be honest though, 100% of the complaining about the “tush push,” right down to Adam Schefter crying that the Chiefs “lost in March” is really about the Eagles winning football games. Some people hate the Eagles. The national press and many fans hate football that isn’t predicated off of a vertical passing game. Honestly, if all of these weak, impotent fan bases don’t want to see the “tush push,” the solution is simple- don’t get in 3-and-1 or 4-and-1 situations. Notice, nobody else can run this play nearly as well as the Eagles. They built their teams wrong.
The Eagles won two Super Bowls in the last eight years, and played in three. They’ve been in two.of the last three. They won last year. I’m still not ready to call this particular group a dynasty (the dynasty is Howie Roseman), but I would probably predict more titles coming. You just can’t project that though, health is a huge factor in it, and eventually some actually good coach and GM will come along and develop a plan that beats them. Right now though, the Eagles have the best formula in football to do what football is all about- win. Jalen Hurts is playing the quarterback position perfectly. This team is built to win. People hate it. They are crying so much they’re actually crying for the Mahomes Chiefs, the team they all complained was being helped by the NFL Officials for the last two years. Listen to yourselves. It’s pathetic. Grow up. Man up. Your team is being pushed around because they’re weak. This Eagles team plays football the right way.
I can’t believe I’m typing this, but in 2016 I was a John Fetterman supporter in the U.S. Senate Primary, initially. He seemed like something different. By 2018 I thought he was an awful idea for Lt. Governor. Then along came the 2022 Senate Primary, and I warned y’all. John Fetterman, like many out of the Bernie-inspired, grifter pool, was a fraud. He wasn’t the progressive champion he told y’all he was. He wasn’t a moderate from Western Pennsylvania. He is literally a trust fund baby, racist, “pick me” kid that wants us all to notice him. He believes in nothing, other than his own greatness.
To be clear, I don’t hate that he’s been more moderate than he ran on. In fact, I like it. What I hate is that he’s an inauthentic liar. He ran as a Bernie progressive, but now he’s willing to cut the health insurance of millions. John Fetterman says (above) that he won’t shut down the government over subsidies for ACA users. This of course means that millions will drop their insurance (not me, I pay full price on purpose), thereby raising the rates of those who do pay. Fetterman might not have any clue about that at this point, but somebody around him does. Of course, they’re trying to create the new Fetterman so they can keep grifting too. Don’t hate the players, hate the game.
Why the hell does any Democrat care about keeping the government open at this point? They are offering you absolutely nothing for your help, the government is doing certifiably shitty things to their own people, and you’re worried about keeping it open? Shut that shit down. Especially if they are going to make health care worse for people. You are under no obligation to help them. Especially if you’re an “every man” like John Fetterman. This isn’t an ideological fight at this point. These people suck, let them eat their shitty actions. You just tell the press, “I don’t agree with the bill. Most of it is bad.” Then you vote no. Don’t argue every point. They’re not offering you a serious proposal. So let them pound sand.
Not John Fetterman though. 2028 can’t come fast enough. That guy can go straight to hell, just like he’s trying to send his constituents to.
Well, the weekend was a mixed bag for my bets, both Saturday and Sunday. Here’s what I’ve got today.
–Marlins money line over the Rockies. This is a safety bet. -140 on Fanduel.It’s -110 on MGM.
-Iowa -2.5 over Rutgers, Michigan -2.5 over Nebraska, Oklahoma -6.5 over Auburn, and Notre Dame -25.5 over Purdue. Let’s just roll the dice here. It’s +1217 on Fanduel. I think they’re all coverable.
–Oklahoma money line over Auburn. I really like the Sooners here. The payout sucks though, it’s -275 on FanDuel.
–Clemson -16.5 over Syracuse. I don’t think the Orange are very good. I think Clemson needs a big win. Again, bad payout though, -120 on FanDuel.
–Pitcher strikeouts- Webb 4+, Yamamoto 6+, Greene 6+, Fried 5+. I’m slightly nervous about Fried, but going 4 tanked the bet. This +130 on FanDuel.
–Bills -11.5 over the Dolphins. The only question left is if McDaniel has a job tomorrow. This is -105 on MGM. Josh Allen is going to play for the kill tonight and I’m not sure the Dolphins fight back.
Well, Jimmy Kimmel is finished. Nexstar Media, who owns his show, announced they are pulling him off of ABC after he made comments about Charlie Kirk’s death. The comments?
“We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them, and doing everything they can to score political points from it.”
Aside from the fact that the murderer came from a right-wing family and was a non-voter, maybe he was wrong about something? I’m still figuring it out. Troll under the bridge that got picked on too much as a kid FCC Chairman Brendan Carr decided to roll out the censorship brigade for this one.
“It’s time for them to step and say this garbage…isn’t something that we think serves the needs of our local communities,” he said.
Carr’s threat should have been toothless. The FCC is prohibited by lawfrom employing “the power of censorship” or interfering “with the right of free speech.” There is a very narrow and rarely used exception for “news distortion,” in which a broadcast news outlet knowingly airs false reports. What Kimmel did — an offhand comment based on weak evidence — is extremely different from creating a news report with the intent to deceive.
Let’s be honest, these special snowflakes and their fee-fee’s hurt by Jimmy picking on them. Where is “free speech absolutist” Elon Musk now? These folks are using the powers of the government to silence liberal comedy. Kimmel is just the latest. Before him? Stephen Colbert. From Google AI:
CBS canceled “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” citing financial reasons, shortly after Colbert accused the network’s parent company, Paramount, of paying a “big fat bribe” to Donald Trump for regulatory approval of a major merger. While CBS insists the decision was purely financial, the timing led to accusations that Trump or his administration pressured CBS to silence Colbert, a prominent critic. Colbert has since fired back at Trump, calling the accusations of a bribe “baffling” and suggesting Trump celebrated the show’s cancelation.
Let’s be honest, Jimmy Fallon and others are probably gone by the end of the year, regardless of what they say. This is a coordinated attempt by Trump to effectively end all comedic criticism of him. Howard Stern will be leaving satellite radio at the end of his contract, Colbert is gone, and now Kimmel. All the conservative soy boys that whined during the Biden years about “cancel culture,” censorship, and silencing comedy are awfully quiet right now. The troll at the FCC is using his power to bully the networks, and the networks are complying. As someone who likes comedy, almost entirely regardless of who it makes fun of and what words it sometimes uses, it’s very disappointing.
There is a bit darker way to look at this though- it’s not just Trump and Carr being a couple of wimpy beta cucks, it’s the entire conservative movement. They simply did “cancel culture” more effectively than the “empathetic Democrats.” They recognized that Colbert and Kimmel not only were making fun of their guy, but largely them as well, and they stopped watching. If Colbert and Kimmel’s ratings were continuously going up and generating more profits, the networks would probably be fighting like hell to keep them on the air. They’re not. These guys have huge contracts and very large operating budgets for their shows. If they were producing the kind of wealth the networks wanted to match that, there would be a fight going on right now. Instead, the networks are somewhat viewing the current Trump-censorship climate as a chance to get out of showing shows they already weren’t sure they loved anymore.
A few years back, the theory was that changing demographics were going to move our society towards a more progressive/liberal future. It turns out that was utter bullshit. Conservative Americans are canceling what they want by not watching their critics. MSNBC and CNN are struggling to keep it up. Liberal comics are being canceled. Most of the NFL is holding moments of silence for Charlie Kirk, a podcaster who never held any public office in our country. Trump dominated the influencer game, getting most of the good ones to support him in 2024. The entertainment and news industry in America have surveyed the world over the last decade and came to the conclusion that their conservative consumers are the future, not the liberals. It is a dark reality to realize, but that doesn’t make it any less true.
This is certainly not a call to acquiesce. I will tell you right here, Donald Trump is a fat, stupid soy boy whose wife certainly prefers the pool boy to his foul stench. Come see me, Brendan Carr. With all of that said, liberals need to consider that they are losing. Given the choice, the entertainment industry is choosing to appease their conservative viewers, because that’s where they see the future going. That’s alarming.
Apocalypse Vibes 