Former Eagles offensive lineman Jon Runyan will retire after this season and run for Congress next year, the Associated Press Reports.

It has been rumored for a while that Runyan, 35, would challenge Democratic incumbent John Adler next year in New Jersey’s 3rd Congressional District, which stretches across Southern New Jersey from Philadelphia’s east suburbs, through the Pine Barrens region to the Jersey Shore. Runyan made the challenge official yesterday. The district is very much a swing district, with a Cook Partisan Voting Index (CPVI) rating of R+1. Adler narrowly won the district by 3.4% in 2008.

“I look forward to a successful end to my career on the field,” Runyan said, “and a spirited campaign against Congressman Adler in 2010.”

Runyan hasn’t played since the Eagles let him go after having surgery on his right knee following last season. He signed a free agent deal with the San Diego Chargers yesterday, which he said would be his last NFL deal.

Power Thursday

Increíble semana sin muchos juegos importantes, pero después de todo resulto ser una semana muy importante con todos los equipos del norte de la americana viéndose mal, los leones y los cafés brindaron un juego muy interesante sin aspiraciones a playoffs y los vaqueros y los Redskings uno muy aburrido. Los Titanes siguen ganando y los broncos siguen perdiendo…

Y para una semana en la que este jueves tendremos 3 partidos, un domingo mas ligero con los partidos de las 12 teniendo cero importancia, los de la tarde quiero verlos todos (menos el de los jefes) y el de la noche un platillo interesante en un duelo divisional entre los Acereros y los Cuervos. Y el lunes por la noche el plato principal:  Santos vs. Patriotas, Brees vs. Brady… oh yeah!

Como nota extra se aprobó en el presupuesto de los equipos el sueldo para un neurólogo, cosa que es una medida de seguridad muy importante… solo falta que los equipos y los jugadores tomen en cuenta la opinión medica.

32. Browns

[1-9] Un equipo espantoso, lesiones al por mayor pero posiblemente falsas; salían del partido dos jugadas y después absolutamente nada… pero pues pese a todo eso, me gusto el partido ya que fueron dos QB que quieren lucir pero aun no están listos contra dos defensivas espantosas

31. Rams

[1-9] Corrieron con suerte de no recibir una increíble paliza, ya que el QB rival salio por lesión y el rival bajo el nivel de juego. Muy seguramente no ganaran ni un solo partido mas y se quedaran con la primera selección para intentar juntar muchas selecciones y poner gente que ayude a Steven Jackson que es mucho jugador para tan poco equipo

30. Buccanners

[1-9] Después de recibir una increíble paliza y con un cierre de calendario que suena muy complicado este equipo que no es tan malo como los dos anteriores podría sufrir pero ser beneficiado; posiblemente no gane ningún partido mas, los cafés tienen un calendario mas flexible y por ahí ganarle a los Chiefs y Tampa tendría la segunda selección del draft y ayudarse para la siguiente temporada

29. Lions

[2-8] Matthew Stafford sigue con molestias en el hombro izquierdo después de la separación de hombro sufrida el domingo pasado, seria una estupidez completa que jugara contra los empacadores… y si las molestias continúan es mejor dejarlo sanar tranquilamente

28. Bills

[3-7] Regresa TO? naaa tuvo muchas yds pero no logro ayudar a su equipo con alguna escapada importante, y en su calendario pues simplemente recibes a los Patriotas y recibes a los Colts…

27. Seahawks

[3-7] Los Vikingos les hasta por abajo de la lengua y ahora tendrán una oportunidad de victoria ante los Rams

26. Redskings

[3-7] En un partido muy aburrido contra los Vaqueros en el cual no hicieron absolutamente nada por intentar ganar (tampoco los vaqueros), con un roster sufriendo con muchos lesionados y con un calendario complicadísimo al cierre contra equipos como águilas, santos, gigantes y chargers… pues no podremos esperar una mejora

25. Chiefs

[3-7] Están en el top25 después de ganarle a un equipo que la semana pasada estaba en el 6to puesto

24. Raiders

[3-7] Suben 4 lugares y crean una interesante situación ya que después de un buen juego por Bruce Gradkowski el futuro de JaMarcus Russell con el equipo esta en duda, Gradkowski sera el que inicie el resto de la temporada. Mejoro increíblemente la ofensiva, sin estar tantos puntos abajo la defensiva aguanto y consiguieron una victoria que hizo ver mal a muchos de los “psíquicos” (al igual que contra las águilas). Veremos que noticias nos trae este equipo que dentro de unas horas enfrentan a los Vaqueros que vienen bajando de nivel y el resto de su calendario le permitiría conseguir una o dos victorias mas; cosa que seria de mucho beneficio para la confianza del equipo para la siguiente temporada y porque es importante no estar en buena posición en el draft no nos valla a tocar otro Russell cuando pudimos haber elegido un Peterson

23. 49ers

[4-6] Derrota ante los Packers pero no se vieron tan tirados pal monte… van contra los Jaguares con posibilidades importantes de la victoria y un calendario que incluye a los Leones y a los Rams que posiblemente pueda meterlos en la pelea si se ponen las pilas

22. Jets

[4-6] Mark Sanchez después del incidente del hotdog no puede levantar y se habla de que tendrá que disfrutar de algún tiempo en la banca

21. Bears

[4-6] Cutler necesita jugar mejor y punto, esta matando a este equipo ya que solamente quiere lanzar la bola sin dejar correr a Forte

20. Panthers

[4-6] Visitan a los Jets y estoy esperando un buen juego por parte de las panteras

19. Texans

[5-5] Bajan 4 lugares ya que se vinieron abajo al final del partido sin poder logar nada

18. Titans

[4-6] Una importante victoria y Chris Johnson es una maquina, con Vince Young se le abre un poco de hueco porque también tienes que cuidar que Young no sea el que corra. Y quizá podrían levantar su temporada ya que esta semana reciben a los Cards y quizá podrían llevarse la victoria y digamos que ganan (5-6), pierden en Indianapolis (5-7), recibes a los Rams (6-7), recibes a los Delfines que sin R. Brown no sabemos si puedan aguantar ya que la gente estará preparada contra Ricky Williams y digamos que ganan (7-7), los Chargers dependiendo de como decidan cerrar su temporada seria otra derrota (7-8) y contra los de Seattle una victoria (8-8) y cerrar 8-8 para un equipo que arranco la temporada con 0-6 son muy buenas noticias

17. Dolphins

[5-5] ¿Estarán con vida estos delfines? Tienen un calendario que les permitiría con un buen juego terminar la temporada con récord positivo, una vez mas si juegan bien podrían estar aunque se ve complicado

16. Ravens

[5-5] Es difícil jugar contra Peyton y los Colts, pero este equipo que empezó bien podría quedarse fuera de posibilidades numéricas ya que tienen un calendario que se podría complicar (pese a tener dos posibles, bueno… casi victorias seguras en contra de los Raiders y los Leones). Pero aun tienen que enfrentar dos veces a los acereros y este domingo es una de ellas… duelo directo que es clave para ambos equipos

15. Falcons

[5-5] Este equipo viene en caída libre. Posiblemente despierte su ofensiva pero su defensiva no esta logrando jugadas clave en el mano a mano, pero tienen la “suerte” de tener un calendario que si se ponen las pilas podría volverlos en la pelea ya que tienen que enfrentar 2 veces a Tampa y a los Bills, y prácticamente son tres victorias que los dejarían (8-5), así que la responsabilidad esta en sus manos enfrentando a las águilas y jets que con una victoria ante alguno de ellos los pondría 9-7 (incluyendo una derrota contra los Santos) y ese 9-7 los puede poner en la pelea

14. Jaguars

[6-4] JonesDrew es una maquina juego tras juego, esta semana tuvo una “baja” en su juego ya que solamente corrió para 66yds y 1TD (si eso es baja de juego pues felicitaciones). Equipo que tiene en sus manos la calificación pero no me agradan como equipo

13. Broncos

[6-4] Una tremenda barrida que recibieron por parte de los cargadores los pone de vuelta en el lugar, derrota tras derrota para tener una racha de cuatro consecutivas. Equipo que esta demostrando lo que la mayoría creíamos, pero gracias al buen inicio tiene la calificación en sus manos ya que aun puede lograr nueve victorias ya que enfrentan 2 veces a los jefes y reciben a los Raiders. Dos derrotas en contra de los hermanos Manning respectivamente (Giants y Colts) y jugarse la calificación en contra de las águilas.

Honestamente no creo que sean capaces de conseguirlo, pero tambien honestamente preferiría ver a los broncos que a algún otro del este o sur de la americana (excluyendo a los Pats y a los Colts obviamente)

12. Packers

[6-4] Interesante victoria en contra de los 49es, su defensiva esta muy lesionada… pero creo que su ofensiva es tan buena que si logran proteger un poco las a Rodgers este equipo puede despreocuparse de las lesiones y concentrarse en un puesto de playoffs

11. Steelers

[6-4] Una dura derrota contra un equipo tan débil como Kansas que podría afectar sus aspiraciones a calificar, ya que no solo es la derrota si no que pierdes a tu QB suplente para la temporada y posiblemente al Big Ben en un partido CLAVE contra los cuervos. Aunque ese posiblemente es falso, Big Ben jugara si o si

10. Giants

[6-4] Regresan a la senda del triunfo, esta semana van a ganarle a Denver lo que los pone en lucha seria y si aprendieron de sus errores como candidatos serios para la final de la NFC, y con tres juegos divisionales restantes en su calendario la calificación esta completamente en sus manos

9. Eagles

[6-4] Interesante victoria en contra de las águilas y esta semana posiblemente le ganaran a los Broncos para conseguir legítimamente el liderato de la división

8. Cowboys

[7-3] Una victoria muy aburrida en contra de los Redskings pero al final es una victoria que los sigue manteniendo empatados en victorias de su división. Buenas noticias es que Romo aparenta esta mejor y listo para enfrentar a los Raiders en algunos minutos

7. Bengals

[7-3] Dolorosa derrota en contra de los Raiders, y esperemos para bien de ellos que perder contra equipos de “abajo” no sea cosa de quedarse porque enfrentan en semanas consecutivas a los cafés y a los leones, y en la 16 a los jefes. De ser victorias estas tres estarían amarrando posiblemente un boleto

6. Cardinals

[7-3] Un partido interesante en contra de los Titanes, digo… interesante si no juega Warner, de lo contrario van a ganar y van a clasificar; si no fuera por ayudarlos mas, aun tienen partidos en contra de los Rams y los Leones

5. Chargers

[7-3] Enfrentan a los jefes, de ahí a los cafés para prácticamente amarrar la división. De ahí vaqueros, bengals, titanes y redskings

4. Patriots

[7-3] Un equipo que se viene viendo consistente durante las ultimas semanas y este lunes enfrenta la prueba de fuego ante los Santos en un partido de si o si…  y sin importar una posible derrota el lunes, de mantener el paso (sin lo de regalar juegos como contra los Colts) este equipo amarra la división y descansa la primera semana

3. Colts

[10-0] Siguen ganando, y como mencionábamos la semana pasada que no son buenas noticias… si ganan y pierden los Jaguares aseguran la división. Su defensa no me agrada y gracias al calendario que tienen posiblemente logren mantener la temporada invicta… y OJO! NOSTRADAMUS! bueno, obviamente descansan la primera semana, y después… eliminados!

2. Saints

[10-0] Un día de campo en contra de TampaBay, la ultima vez que los baje de #1 le dieron una paliza a los Gigantes… así que veremos este lunes si logran retomar la punta ya que no merecen el #1 pese a seguir invictos a como han venido jugando

1. Vikings

[10-0] Nuevo líder! Un día de campo en contra de los Seahawks es importante que el resto de su calendario no esta regalado pero tampoco en un día de campo, lo que serainteresante para mantener a ritmo de juego a Favre pero sin exigirlo al máximo y descansando la primera semana, ojo con el general en los playoffs con ayuda de su gran defensiva y el solido juego por tierra. Con una posible adelanto de playoffs en la semana 16 en contra de los Gigantes

by Sara Hensel

Rocky Mountain Pizza; You might have been there, but perhaps you don’t remember due to the likely hood of consuming copious amounts of cheap booze. Located on 10th and Hemphill, this place is the epitome of a local college bar. $5 dollar pitchers, $2 shots, and some of the tastiest wings in Atlanta. Schools from all over come here to celebrate sports victories, homecoming, and just get drunk for cheap. GT fans and students on the way to the games, GSU, Morehouse and Spelman parties pre-gaming for the clubs, packed out Philadelphia Eagles game day Sundays, and quiet afternoon lunches with GT faculty members and local business men and women, this place has something for everyone. As a server of this restaurant I suppose this is a little bit of shameless promotion, but besides my place of work this is also my watering hole.

Rocky is always an interesting place. During the day it is typically pretty laid back; this is probably the time to go if you have kids, though we allow smoking, or if you are desiring a peaceful lunch with co-workers. Nights, especially Thursday and Friday nights, are usually the craziest. So crazy, in fact, that we had to get an off-duty officer named Byron to watch over the place for the last four hours of shift on these nights. Last Friday night, I had a large group of Clark Atlanta sorority girls start stepping on the deck in the midst of waiting on them. It actually was a pretty neat thing to watch, despite getting stepped on and elbowed in the face. Sometimes there’s drama, sometimes fights break out, but one thing is for sure; this place is always entertaining and the cast of characters that make their appearance here never fail to interest those amused by people watching.

Rocky Mountain is also a sort of hub of music and culture. Besides being some of my closest friends, many of the people I am privileged to work with are active in community and cultural activities that this blog desires to follow. From Exile’s Ben and Eric or Ohmpark’s Davy Minor are likely to be pouring your drinks most nights, Sheila, a fellow GSU graduate, has just started a Rocky Mountain blog, and many regulars and friends of employees are also involved in multiple community activities that this blog will attempt to showcase. For many of us, this place is like the epicenter of our ideas. We all have our own ambitions and dreams and Rocky Mountain is a great place to unleash our ideas for a test drive. At least two film projects have found their set at Rocky, publicity for our projects is easily spread here, and I can always count on my co-workers to give me honest feed back on my latest project or story.

While not being completely skewed in this “review”, I will say that if you are going somewhere looking for exceptional service, you might want to pass on Rocky. The servers at Rocky put up with a lot of things most other servers couldn’t dream of. While you’re waiting for those waffle fries to come out before your pizza, it’s quite possible that your server is chasing walk-outs down Hemphill (been there), putting in orders of 100 blue sour shots while dealing with large groups of drunk frat boys, mopping up puke, or perhaps taking a much needed five minute cigarette breather. If you are patient though, we will take care of you.

A few pointers for dining at Rocky:
For our best servers, ask for Kelly, Jenny, or Sheila. For our most entertaining servers, ask for David or Kimbro. If you wanna talk politics, ask for Krista, and if you want to know about music, find Davy.

What to order: Pitcher of Newcastle $9, shot of Jager $4, 10 tequila lime wings $7.

When to go: Tuesday nights, 8:00. Trivia with David starts at 8:30.

Also check out these RMP affiliates:
Sheila’s I Wait (Irate) – http://www.iwaitiwait.blogspot.com/
Davy’s Ohmpark – www.ohmpark.com
From Exile – www.fromexile.com

And these two videos both partially filmed at RMP:

Derek and Devin King’s Robotender

Caroline’s and Sara’s Check Please
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=520059421677&ref=mf

I’ve been on the road this week (in fact, drove 850 miles in 11 hours on Monday — it wasn’t a great idea, but I will brag about it), so this post isn’t exactly timely. But I want to vent before tomorrow’s post-turkey overdose.

I’m generally not a sports assclown, but I am a huge fan of football, and would like to note that the Chicago Bears lost AGAIN Sunday, 24-20, at home to the Philadelphia Eagles.

But the Bears could just as easily lost to the Eagles, the band, in their current touring lineup:

• Glenn Frey – vocals, guitars, keyboards, harmonica
• Don Henley – vocals, drums, percussion, guitar
• Joe Walsh – guitars, vocals, keyboards,
• Timothy B. Schmit – bass guitar, acoustic guitar, vocals

And Frey has no wind at all because he doobed his way through the 70s, 80s, and 90s.

Why do the Bears suck so bad? It has to come from the top: ownership, management, coaching, star players. That’s obvious, but not too interesting.

What’s stunning to me as a current Chicago resident is that the sports base in the greater Chicagoland area actually puts up with this crap. Come on, this is a storied franchise! Why the suckball for so many seasons? And who in ownership is so in love with Rex Grossman that they’ve essentially cloned him as Jay Cutler?

But I don’t put this on Cutler. It takes a village of underperformers to keep things this mediocre, and few QBs could stand in the pocket as their O-line collapses like Iceland’s economy. Not to mention not having a true 1-WR, stand-out backs and ends, et al.

I didn’t grow up a Bears fan, so I feel more objective in my criticism. Being from North Carolina, the choices then were the Atlanta Falcons or Washington Redskins, which is why I pulled for the Miami Dolphins and the Pittsburgh Steelers.  Oh, speaking of, here’s hoping the Panthers suck just enough to get their head coach, John Fox, booted so Bill Cowher can step in with little fuss. It may not happen, but it would be sweet.

So the Bears will likely not collapse completely — they play the Ravens and the Rams, although they have to play the Vikings twice in 30 days — but it can’t look good for next season.

Posts like this may explain why Lovie hasn’t yet accepted my friend request on Facebook, though.

Week 11

1. Colts – they remain unbeaten and have had a tougher schedule than the Saints.
2. Saints – Big game this week in fact make it a huge game this week and I have to say I think they will go down to their first lose of the season.
3. Vikings – This team is not getting alot of attention which is surprising with Favre in it but they continue to win and win well.
4. Patriots – Pretty much sealed up the division this weekend and can now look forward to ruining the Saints perfect start to the season.
5. Bengals - They are praying the lose to the Raiders doesn’t hurt them too much.
6. Chargers - Looked good beating up the Broncos and should win the division now.
7. Cardinals – This team still seems to surprise people even after last season.
8. Cowboys – Warning signs are up since they struggled to beat the Redskins.
9. Packers - How could would this team be if they could protect Aaron Rodgers?
10. Giants - Got the win they needed after the bye week even though they tried their hardest to lose it.
11. Eagles – The Bears game was closer than it needed to be.
12. Steelers - Must stop losing so silly teams like the Chiefs.
13. Broncos – Simms was so bad he made Orton look like Elway.
14. Jaguars - Nearly losing to Buffalo shows how bad this team can be at times.
15. Falcons – Not surprised by the news they are seeking a new kicker.
16. Ravens - They need to win a game against a good team to be taken seriously.
17. Dolphins – Still winning even with all those injuries.
18. Texans - Things looked so good a few weeks ago but know they look like the .500 Texans we all love.
19. Titans – Being winless seems like a long long time ago now.
20. Panthers – Run the ball in the red zone please.
21. Bears - They are only this high because there are so any bad teams right now.
22. Jets - Looks like a team coached by a rookie head coach and with a rookie starting QB.  Nice to see the disrespected us quote coming out this week.
23. 49ers - Smith looks ok at last.
24. Chiefs - Big win last week.
25. Raiders - Finally they have a QB who can throw the ball.
26. Bills - When do they move to Canada now?
27. Seahawks – Time to start worrying about next season.
28. Redskins – See above.
29. Lions - How do you lose so many yards and points to the Browns?
30. Rams - I still feel sorry for Steven Jackson.
31. Buccaneers - Man this team is bad.
32. Browns - and this team is even worse.

Some Festive Games and Some Turkeys

We’ve arrived at Thanksgiving week, and the NFL season has become one of haves, have-nots, and mediocre teams.  The haves (New Orleans, Indianapolis, Minnesota, Cincinnati, San Diego, Arizona, and New England) figure to be the eight teams playing in the second round of the NFL playoffs. 

 The have-nots (Cleveland, Detroit, Tampa Bay, St. Louis, Washington, Kansas City, Oakland, Seattle, and Buffalo) have nothing to play for at this point.  To wager on these teams, one must find a reason to believe these teams’ players will have a reason to give everything they’ve got.

 The 15 mediocre teams remaining are the ones competing for the final four playoff berths.  These are the teams that must be watched carefully as the stretch drive begins.  Be careful playing against one of these teams when they are playing a have or have-not.  They can be dangerous.

 This week presents some interesting contests.  On Thanksgiving night, the Denver-New York Giants game features two of the aforementioned mediocre teams.  A match-up of two mediocre teams in essence becomes a playoff elimination game.  The loser of this game has very little chance of recovering to make the playoffs this year.

 Indianapolis plays at Houston, and the Texans find their backs up against the wall.  After losing a close Monday night game, Houston is in a must-win position.

 Arizona plays at Tennessee, and if the Titans win this one to get to 5-6, they would have to be considered a dark horse candidate to finish 9-7 and sneak in as the final AFC Playoff team.  No NFL team has ever started a season at 0-6 and finished 8-8 must less 9-7.  The 1970 Cincinnati Bengals began the season 1-6 and won seven games in a row to win the AFC Central Division at 8-6.

 Baltimore and Pittsburgh face off in a blood and guts battle that could easily be a playoff elimination game.

 The Monday night game is the best MNF game of the year.  New England plays at New Orleans.  It could easily be a preview of the Super Bowl.

When it was apparent that Shawn Andrews would be spending another year injured, I shuddered at the thought of Winston Justice replacing him at right tackle. Up to that point, the man didn’t have a very good track record in Philly – I think we all remember the game against the Giants where Osi Umenyiora ran circles around the guy, making him look like an amateur. If he was sent packing the next day, no one would have complained.

This summer’s training camp saw a larger than expected injury list, and early accounts showed Justice bringing his A-game. Ten games into this season, he’s still stepping up as one of the team’s most dependable players on a severely depleted core. Seeing this, the front office has given him a 4-year contract extension worth just over $18 million, including a $6 million signing bonus, as reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

According to the Eagles website, Justice remained in Philly during the off-season to work with offensive line coach Juan Castillo. The hard work has paid off, and week by week, I’ve seen doubters become converted. The man has become an asset to the team.

No word on where that leaves the Andrews brothers, Pro Bowler Shawn and the still-healing Stacy who was a free agent signing from Cincinnati. If Shawn comes back, he could be potentially competing with his brother at right guard, assuming he is healthy enough to beat out Nick Cole.

Being a former Justice doubter, I am thrilled that the guy has proved me wrong and has gotten a commitment to be a long-term starter.  Only time will tell as to how the other guys fit in.

Bill & June, Wildfowl Artists

Well, I’ve been examining the 16 year-old remains of an “aborted” Bald Eagle #2 Project.  It was started in November, 1993 and roughed-out nicely.  I can’t even recall why or exactly when that I set-it on the shelf unfinished. As mentioned on the previous installment of this series, I assisted via teaching, the carving of another 1/4 scale Bald Eagle by Elaine Rasp.  As I’ve previously stated in this blog, Elaine’s Eagle  turned-out beautifully. It moved me to find my old-project on the shelf.  I’m now in the process of  picking-up where I left-off on Eagle #2  16 years ago.  Of course, Eagles # 1 & #3 are completed. consider #2 to be properly dusted-off and not worse for any wear. Following are the component parts of this Eagle as it exists today.  We’ll go back to these components as I pick them up and carve in future segments of this series. I hope you check-in from time-to-time. 

Walnut base with bottom section of carved-base affixed with screws & glue

Upper-section of carved-base with metal leg-rods inserted & glued

Upper & lowers sections of carved base dowelled & glued together

Two legs carved to fit on upper-carved base

Legs drilled & slid onto leg-rods

So far, so good!

Eagle's body has drilled leg-holes for the leg-rods & legs to fit into

Eagle's beak is carved open. A tongue will be inserted later

Top of tail includes the feather & quill lay-out

Bottom of tail has the feather & quill lay-out

All components assembled except the wings

Top & bottom views of wings & partial feather lay-out

This carving was last worked-on by me, when I was a  54 year-old  wannabee-bird-carver/teacher who had only been carving about 5 years at that time. I used the one & only Foredom Flexible -Shafted Grinder that was given to me by that very first class that I taught (a Bluejay) in 1988.  I was also using an Optima 2 Micro-Motor at that time.  As luck would have it, the Eagle #2 carving must now be completed by a 70 year-old  still-a-wannabee-carver using a much older (tho the same one)Foredom Flexible -Shafted Grinder and a pretty-old Foredom Micro-Motor.  Luckily, I have a few more techniques today to lay-on this bird than I had back in 1993!  I hope that you can check-back soon to see what I decide to do next to this bird. 

Happy birding and carving,   Bill 

El Diario Oficial de la Federación del 17 noviembre 2009 publicó el  “acuerdo” suscrito en Aguascalientes  por el director general de Geografía y Medio Ambiente del Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Geografía (Inegi)
por el cual (según se expresa) “se actualiza el cambio de nombre geográfico de la isla Cerralvo por el de Jacques Cousteau”.

En dicho acuerdo, después de describir la ubicación de la isla, se declara que “el Poder Ejecutivo a través de la Secretaría de Gobernación, encargada de administrar las islas de jurisdicción federal [...], solicitó al Inegi realice las gestiones necesarias para registrar el cambio de nombre geográfico (topónimo) de la isla Cerralvo en el Registro Nacional de Información Geográfica”.

¿Cuándo, cómo y por qué el Ejecutivo decidió introducir el cambio?

El motivo, según parece, es suponer que con ese nombre se subrayará el interés turístico de la isla y del mar de Cortés, al introducir arbitraria y gratuitamente el cambio sin dar razón alguna, se está borrando una parte de la historia de la California mexicana. Y esto atenta contra la identidad y la cultura nacionales. Esta es la historia de la Isla Cerralvo:

En 1632  llegó a Acaponeta  Nayarit, un capitán de navío de nombre Francisco de Ortega. Él sabía  de anteriores expediciones a la península de California y quería también probar fortuna. El problema con que se topó fue que el rey Felipe IV, poco antes había ordenado se suspendiera cualquier
nuevo intento de exploración, ya que hasta entonces nada se había podido lograr.

Francisco de Ortega se dirigió al virrey marqués de Cerralvo, informándole que tenía una fragata con la que podría ir a la California no precisamente para explorarla, sino para averiguar si valía la pena tal exploración. Con tan ingeniosa propuesta obtuvo la licencia pedida.

Tres expediciones emprendió Ortega, en 1632, 1634 y 1636. Estableció contacto con los indígenas del puerto de La Paz y exploró hacia el norte hasta cerca del paralelo 28. En el tercero de los viajes la embarcación de Ortega quedó destruida en una tempestad, pero éste con sus hombres y con los restos de la fragata, pudo construir otra. Así, en la expedición autorizada por el virrey de Cerralvo tuvo lugar la primera construcción de una nave en las Californias.

Los diarios de viaje que dejó Ortega dan cuenta de todo lo que fue descubriendo. Bautizó a lo largo de su  expedición no pocas islas y, en reconocimiento por la autorización concedida por el virrey, dio el nombre
de Cerralvo a la isla de considerable extensión situada un poco al sur de la bahía de la Paz.

Ahora de un plumazo, que denota ignorancia de la historia, se pretende cambiar este nombre rico en evocaciones.

 ¿Se consultó a las autoridades y al pueblo de Baja California y a quienes se interesan por la identidad nacional y la relación que ésta tiene con los nombres de lugar?

Esta aberración es sólo intento más de borrar la historia de México y un ejemplo más de entreguismos fecales.

http://www.jornada.unam.mx/2009/11/24/index.php?section=opinion&article=015a1pol

http://www.planetaazul.com.mx/www/2007/10/27/solo-para-exploradores/

This is going to be my longest post yet. I will not be posting the rest of the week. This is going to top 25 pages when you include all the pictures and videos. I’d like to think it is worth the read (there are no bottom-line takeaways, but trust me there is enough to read already). So take a look, find the game or teams you want to read more about and read up. I hope you read it all, maybe a couple of games a day. Nonetheless enjoy…

Patriots 31

Jets 14

Let me start with my analysis with what has become just a mess of a Jets team. Early in the season they were treating their week 2 match-up with the Pats as if it was the Super Bowl. Rex Ryan even called all the season ticket holders with this message…

It worked…in week 2. But, when you pull out all the stops every week things inevitably go wrong. Ryan got the Jets too emotional too early. Now after a 3-0 start they 4-6 and look toast. SanCHEZ has played incredibly poorly as of late, and he might need to take a seat. I do have to give props to Darrelle Revis who once again had a big game against Moss. But, I have to wonder if he was able to shut down Moss in single coverage (the apparent claim) why were they not double and triple teaming Welker?

Let us take a quick look at the Patriots. This was a solid win, but I felt it still left a lot to be desired. We all saw their collapse in the Colts game and they came out a little slow in the second half of this game. I am not a fan of their offensive play caller, QB Coach Bill O’Brien. He does have a mean cleft chin though…

However, looking at his play calling I think he gets tight late in games and on big plays. I chronicled his 4th quarter against the Colts last week, and I do not have the time to really break down every week like that, but this is about the “eye” test. His play calling does not pass it.

Next week’s game just became a lot bigger than it should have been to be honest. With the Bengals and Steelers losing, the Patriots are in the driver seat for the second seed in the AFC and a bye. While a loss to out of conference Saints does not affect the tiebreakers (obviously record is the number 1 tiebreaker, but given two teams tie, record against the opposite conference is never a determining factor), it is important to keep pace.

Dolphins 24

Panthers 17

Wow interesting game. Ricky Williams ran wild and looked like the old Ricky Williams. The Dolphins are now at 5-5 and still have a chance to make a playoff run. In fact, if they win the next week and the Pats lose the two teams will meet with the AFC East’s first place on the line. Moreover, the good news for the Dolphins…if they win that game they would be 5-1 in the AFC East and hold the tiebreaker over the Pats.

If you were wondering how Ricky Williams stayed is such good shape apparently he practices something called Pranic Healing. What is Pranic Healing? I am glad you asked…

Please tell me you did not just watch that whole video. The quick definition for Pranic Healing is…

“Pranic healing encompasses a broad array of therapeutic approaches, both ancient and modern, based on the notion that illnesses of body or mind involve an imbalance and/or blockage in the flow of vital life energy.”

In other words Ricky is on some good stuff (note: I have nothing to back that up).

As for the Panthers…well not much to say really. They lack consistency and look to be finished. At 4-6 they have an outside shot at a playoff spot, but it is not likely. Jim Fox might be on the hot seat, but in actuality if his past performances are any indication the Panthers will bounce back next season. When Fox took over the team went 7-9, but the next season they finished 11-5 (and made the Super Bowl). Then they went 7-9 again but rebounded with another 11-5 record (making the NFC Championship game). They then had back-to-back mediocre seasons, 8-8 and then 7-9, but last year they went 12-4. Fox seems to coach a team that is either strong or mediocre, but never bad.

If I am the owner of the Panthers I actually give Fox more chance with the caveat that the next QB he picks to lead the team will dictate his future. Delhomme is not the answer, and yes I understand their next QB, if a rookie, could take a while to develop, but Fox has been stuck with Delhomme (an up and down QB, who is now on the downside) in 6 of his 8 seasons. I want to see how he does with someone with more upside.

Colts 17

Ravens 15

The Colts are playing in so many tight games that it is hard to look at them at 10-0 and feel truly confident. Even with their huge win last week seemed overshadowed by the 4th and 2 call by the Patriots. Look at the scores of their last 4 games…4 points, 3 points, 1 point, 2 points, not exactly domination station. So what has been the problem?

I think it has been a mix of things. Outside the Pats game 4th quarter they really have not had that Colts mojo going. Manning has been great but the running game is still struggling . In addition, they have had 7 turnovers the last three games. I could see the Texans pulling the upset next week, so many close games is a recipe for a loss.

I do have to give Dallas Clark props for this ridiculous catch…

For some reason this has inspired me to show some of my favorite catches of all time, check it (I have already shown Moss vs. the Colts, and Wayne vs. the Texans in past blogs)…

Moss vs. the Jets last year (the ultimate I want it more catch)…

Tyrone Prothro from college (too bad he had one of the worst leg injuries ever recorded, first video is the catch, second is the injury, hide your eyes)…

Santonio Holmes in the Super Bowl (this is to win the “F’n” Super Bowl)

Calvin Johnson in college (dude is Megatron)…

The Antonio Freeman MNF catch…

Lastly the Torry Holt catch from a couple years ago (he is running full speed when he makes it)…

I know there are others, if you find a good one send it my way.

So back to the game and specifically the Ravens…After their blowout win vs. the Broncos everyone thought they would make a “run,” but they have struggled with consistency especially on offense. Flacco is having the good old “Sophomore Slump,” which by the way is a saying I hate. It implies he is playing poorly because he is in his second year. Maybe he is playing poorly because he was not asked to do much last year and this year he has to do more and is not able to do it. It also has to be said that his WRs are not exactly world-beaters.

So looking ahead, the Ravens season comes down to one opponent. They have two games against the Steelers. Their other 4 games are against the Packers, Lions, Bears, and Raiders. The Packers are the only team in there that might be a threat and if you read this blog you know I think the Packers are not for real. If the Ravens win those four games and can take 1 of the 2 Steelers games they will finish 10-6, which might be good enough for a Wildcard birth.

Lions 38

Browns 37

Look at these two teams having themselves a regular old barnburner. The Mangina must have been enraged that his enemy Belichick was getting all the attention for a questionable play call and felt he had to beat his old mentor. For those who do not know let me “review” the end of the game…

Lions down 37-31 running the “final play of the game” from a little outside the Helmets 30 yard line. Stafford, who already has 4 TDs is rolling around avoiding the rush and throws to the endzone as time expires. Stafford gets nailed and seriously injures his non-throwing shoulder. The ball is incomplete BUT there is a pass interference penalty in the endzone placing the ball at the 1-yard line. Stafford however is hurt and there is an injury timeout to take him off the field. By rule unless either team calls a timeout Stafford cannot come back into the game for the final play. The Lions are out of timeouts, and remember both teams have had plenty of time because there was a penalty and then an injury. It would be hard to not have the “right” personnel on the field. So as a “cold as ice” Daunte Culppeper comes running onto the field the Mangina calls a timeout, effectively allowing Stafford, who has his adrenaline flowing, to come back into the game. The Lions score a TD and win the game. That timeout is INEXCUSABLE.

Any competent coach would take their chances with a cold Culppeper on that play. But don’t worry, the Mangina really put the nail in the coffin Monday when he “questioned whether the Lions faked injuries throughout the game.” The only thing I question after this game is the Mangina’s mental capacity.

I have to give Stafford credit for really gutting out this win. It was a huge performance by the rookie. Who knows where he will go from here. I was going to drop this stat at some point and I guess this is the right time. Peyton Manning threw 100 INTs in his first 5 seasons. Sometimes if a guy shows promise you have to give him time (unless his name is JaMarcus Russell).

Packers 30

49ers 24

Here comes Green Bay winning on that easy schedule and putting themselves in position to take a playoff spot in the NFC. But I have not been a fan of this Green Bay team from the beginning and for those who do not know they just lost two of their top defensive players with ACL tears, Aaron Kampman and Al Harris. They have three winnable games and three tough games left on the schedule. If they can beat the Lions, Bears, and Seahawks then they will have 9 wins and probably only need one win vs. the Ravens, Steelers or Cardinals. I really am not a big fan of this team, but I think it would be hard to bet against them. Then again it is the NFL and you never really know.

The 49ers really could have won this game had they played a full game. It was inexcusable especially because they were able to get a meaningless cover and continue my epic downfall in my picks league. Alex Smith is too inconsistent and the 49ers should not take solace in his most recent half. Consistency wins in the NFL, not a good half or a good game. It’s a 16 game season.

The 49ers did get their first Michael Crabtree TD and Vernon Davis has gone from super-specimen malcontent to team leader this year. He is putting up outstanding stats this year. He has even begun curling…

How that helps the 49ers? It doesn’t, but you have to admit it’s kind of cool.

Jaguars 18

Bills 15

If the playoffs started today the Jaguars would make it. There is no doubt that the Jags are the worst 6-4 team I have seen in a long time. MJD is an absolute stud, but there is no way this Jags team is playoff worthy. They have won their games by the following margins…7 points, 20 points, 3 points, 3 points, 2 points, 3 points. Watch out folks this team is a killer! They have a -36 points differential, meaning they have let up 36 more points than they have scored. The last team with a negative scoring margin to make the playoffs was the 2006 Seattle Seahawks who won the NFC West with a 9-7 record. They had a -6 margin. The Jags are -36 and it has only been 10 games. That is horrible. They have lost by 2 points, 14 points, 41 points, and 17 points. It does not exactly scream playoff team.

Completely unrelated…MJD has to be the most stubby star in the NFL. Look at this picture

He is so difficult to tackle and has been their X-Factor, even more than the emergence of Mike Sims-Walker. Still I cannot see them going anywhere, and if they make the playoffs it will not last long.

The Bills continue their downfall. They are now 3-7 and have an interim coach running the show. What could Terrell Owens be thinking right now about his decision to join the Bills? I always loved his attire when they first introduced him as a member of the Bills…

What is with the green shirt? It just does not make sense. I guess it is better than when he was doing crunches in his driveway…

I would expect Owens to be happy with this loss. I mean he had a big game and that’s all that matters.

Steelers 27

Chiefs 24

Do not get confused about this game. Roethlisberger did get hurt and that did enable the Chiefs to win the game, but he did not get hurt until OT. This game was a 24-24 game. The Chiefs played an even game with a team many thought was going to come out take it to an inferior team. This loss is bad for the Steelers because it came after a loss and it will be difficult for them to get in position for a bye in the playoffs. The Steelers are definitely a weaker team with out Troy Polomalu and all of their loses have come in games where he was either out or limited by injury.

Really Big Ben says he is going to be fine, but this is his 4th concussion. That is not a good thing for a QB who runs around a lot and takes a lot of hits. No one really seems to know the long-term effects of concussions, but I doubt that it is something good, I would even go as far to say it is something “not good”. Rashard Mendenhall has not exactly taken the world by storm as of late, and it looks like we all have to calm down a little bit about anointing him the next Jerome Bettis, not in the “I am fat” kind of way, but in the “lead RB of the Steelers” kind of way.

Bettis by the way is one of my least favorite backs of all time. There is no doubting he had a great career, but I always felt like he could be stopped by a good defense. Look at this Sports Illustrated cover picture…

Trust me he put on a lot more weight than that at the end of his career. The guy was basically a quick DT at RB. I found nothing more pleasing then his fumbles against the Patriots in those big games back in the early 2000s. Remember those days, when the Patriots would win big games and close out games defensively. I will now stab myself repeatedly with a pen.

The Chiefs have a winning streak and have played some solid ball the last two weeks. Interesting note for the Chiefs…every time I spell their name I mess it up. I spell it Cheifs. You see over the summer I was in a position known as “Chief Judge.” We were ordering jerseys and my buddy, also a Chief Judge, misspelled the Chief as Cheif on the jersey, or so he thought. We ended up getting the jerseys too late anyway and much to our surprise Chief was spelled correctly. Needless to say we returned the jerseys so the people who bought them could get their money back (haha yea right).

Please note the previous paragraph is entirely for one of my friends and will make no sense to anyone else reading it. The Chiefs have not lost since Larry Johnson was cut for using gay slurs and criticizing the coaching staff. Good for them.

I have to ask…Why is the word Nevertheless three words as one, but the words Needless to say are split up? These are the important things we should all take into account when writing blogs and analyzing the Cheifs (yes that is misspelled on purpose).

Vikings 35

Seahawks 9

By this point you probably know it, but it is worth repeating, Brett Favre is playing some ridiculous football. He has 21 TDs and only 3 INTs. His strong play has led to this team being considered by many as the top team in the league. You will hear people say: Are the Vikings at 9-1 really the best team in the league?!?! Let me answer the question, no. Maybe it is my hatred of Favre, my knowledge that Brad Childress is a bad coach, or the fact that their pass defense is overrated, but I do not trust this team.

With that said, can this team prove anything to us over the next 6 weeks? Probably not, which could likely create an inflated perception of this team’s actual ability. So when it comes to playoff time it is all going to be about Brett Favre. Favre has not done well in his last couple playoff appearances (the year denotes the date of the playoff game)…

2008 Packers 20 Giants 23 (OT) at Green Bay

2 INTs including one in OT

2005 Packers 17 Vikings 31 at Green Bay

4 INTs

2004 Packers 17 Eagles 20 (OT) at Philly

Packers take 14 to 0 in 1^st quarter, end up losing in OT…15-28 180 yards, 2 TDs, 1INT

2003 Packers 27 Falcons 7 at Green Bay

2 INTs

2002 Packers 17 Rams 45 at St. Louis

6 INTs

Favre’s poor play could be deemed a direct cause of his team’s playoff loses in each of the last 5 playoff loses his team has faced. His teams have won only 2 playoff games in this time span, never winning more than 1 in a given year. Three of the loses came at home (or what used to be home), a place that had never seen a loss before the Falcons came in and destroyed them. I would not feel safe if I was a Vikes fan rooting this team in the playoffs.

The Seahawks are as big a mess as any team in the league and I did not see this coming at all. On paper this team looks all set. I know, I know I say that every week but seriously. Is this really all on Jim Mora Jr.? For one thing Hasselbeck has not been healthy for an extended period of time recently. The Seahawks definitely need a new QB of the future. They used to have one of the best rushing attacks in the league, but a mix of mediocre RBs and an aging O-line have killed that. They relied on Walter Jones for so long and just hoped that he would not “get old.” Well get this…he got old. He is 35 and has been placed on Injured Reserve ending this season. He says he wants to play again next year but he is probably more of a liability at this point. Offensive line is usually looked at as a place where longevity is attainable, but I think that holds truer for interior offensive lineman. You rarely hear of the 35+ year old OTs dominating. Even Orlando Pace fell of the map after a slew of injuries and oldness.

The good news for the Seahawks? They have two first round picks next year. They traded away an early 2^nd rounder last year for the Broncos first round pick this year, and if the Broncos recent play is any indication, that pick could also be on the higher end. If I was the GM of this team I would target a QB, OT, and a defensive playmaker with my top 3 picks (two 1s and a high 2). Now, that is obviously easier said than done, but those are the trouble spots. Defensively they have struggled against the pass, which seems to be a factor of poor coverage and lack of pressure. Patrick Kerney is on milk cartons in the Seattle area.

Giants 34

Falcons 31

This is a win the Giants desperately needed. After starting 5-0 against a cupcake schedule they lost 4 straight and many had written them off. They benefited from a week 10 bye and were able to win this game even with the Falcons mounting a wild comeback at the end. Eli Manning played very well and threw for 3 TDs, but the Giants still have some very big issues. Brandon Jacobs is not the Brandon Jacobs we all thought he was. Where did this guy go…

Instead he has gone to the Shaun Alexander and Larry Johnson school of old RBs, where players learn to dance and fall. I have to go on a quick tangent and tell my favorite Alexander story for a second. Alexander was arguably the best RB in the league for a couple years. Well as he started to get old he got hurt. One year specifically he broke a bone in his foot. Alexander, a delusional person to begin with, came to the practice facility the next day and was raving how he “prayed the night before and God healed him.” I am not making this up. Alexander was convinced he had been cured. The Seahawks thought this was great, but also thought it might be wise to take an x-ray to make sure this miracle did indeed happen. X-rays were taken, the bone was still broken, and now Alexander is remembered as much for his epic fall as he is for his MVP season. I believe in God, but give me a break Alexander. I would have laughed in his face.

With the Cowboys playing very tight vested and Philly being so inconsistent it is not out of the picture for the Giants to make a run at the NFC East title. They still face the Cowboys again, with a chance to sweep the season series, and the Eagles at home. Before the season we all thought this would be the “best division in football.” I do not think anyone thinks that now, but it could still end up being one of the most competitive. Even if the Giants can’t win the division this win gives them the “head-to-head” tiebreaker with the Falcons.

The Falcons are an incredibly flawed team right now, even though they almost were able to come out and win this game. Ryan had a good game and I will give him his credit for that. Mike Jenkins has to make that catch in the endzone, a TD that likely wins them the game. Still my fundamental flaw with this team is there inconsistency with their offense. If you watch the Falcons it is almost as if they are scared to run plays they know will work. When Turner was running all over the Panthers last week (before the injury) they almost seemed to rather pass than hand the ball off to him on back to back possessions.

I may be wrong with this but next time you see a Falcons game watch what they do on 3rd down. I have seen only a handful of their games but they run a QB Roll Out to the right a ton of the time (they might call it a waggle, but I am unsure if they pull the guards or the exact play call). This is their key 3rd down play it seems. To me that screams a lack of trust in their QB. A Roll out cuts down options and is basically something I call a “layers option.” Here is what I mean, take a look at this image, I made it in paint so it isn’t great but you can get the idea of it…

This is a basic play with the options simply being different distances from the QB. The read is much simpler. Ryan can read it either long to short, 4 to 1, or short to long 1 to 4 depending on the distance needed on the play. My problem with the play is the simplicity. The elite QBs do not run this as their “go to” play. Trust me I have seen enough Brady and Manning games to know this. They might have it as an option, but it is not their 3rd down play. If Ryan cannot consistently pick up key 3rd downs from inside the pocket, he will never be a top QB in this league.

The Falcons are now 5-5 and will have to play very well down the stretch to make the playoffs. In the NFC there always seems to be at least one 9-7 team to make the playoffs. The Falcons have a relatively easy schedule but they do face the Eagles and Saints, that could be two loses right there. Win the other games and they are 9-7. Unfortunately it would be 9-7 with 6 loses coming to conference foes (a big tie breaker is record against conference opponents). Worst off would be those losses would coincide with much of their competition for the wildcard spots. If they lose to the Eagles they would not own tie breakers against the Giants, Eagles, or Cowboys, and one has to assume at least 2 of those teams make the playoffs.

Saints 38

Buccaneers 7

The Bucs took an early 7-0 lead and I have to admit I was thinking we might see an upset in the works. Obviously that did not end up being the case, not by a long shot. The Bucs are still the same Bucs we thought they were. Freeman has played well for a rookie QB, but I am still worried about this team in the long run. I really think things will get worse before they get better, which is a scary thought for a team that started 0-7. Offensively they are relying on two 29 year old RBs (30 is the age of despair) and 27 year old who has been hurt every season since he came in the league. Needless to say they will likely need a new RB sooner than later.

At WR they extended Michael Clayton even though he has done nothing since his rookie season and is a marginal WR at best. Their best WR has character issues and has been hurt this year. He played well in a contract year (stop me if you haven’t heard that one before) but never showed consistency in his career. Their top TE has all the talent in the world but thinks he is a soldier, remember this…

Not exactly build your team around material. So there you have it, I have completely broken down their offensive talent. Defensively they are not scaring anyone. Their best player, MLB Barret Ruud, is more of the sure-tackler type than a game changing defensive presence, and Ronde Barber is getting old and slow. Old and slow is a bad combo for a CB. There has only been one corner I know to stay super fast his whole career and that was not Deion Sanders, but Darrel Green. Check out this video of the former CB of the Redskins…

Green was no joke. Ronde has never been known for his speed and he always excelled in Tampa’s Cover 2, which had safety help over the top. I think it’s time for him to either move to safety or go.

The Saints have their biggest test of the season this week, at least psychologically. How will they hold-up against a very hungry Patriots team? It is unclear. It appears both teams do what is usually done the week before a big game. Very tight to the vest play calling, no big tricks. The Saints rushed the ball 36 times in this game. The Pats ran the ball 35 times in their game. I do not think either team would be considered a run first team. But they got the leads and ran the clock, buying time until they face a real test.

I mentioned earlier that this game is bigger in the sense of “who is the best argument” than seeding. Although the win has gotten bigger because of what opposing teams are doing. The Vikes are nipping at the Saints heals and the Patriots are in 2nd place in the AFC and have benefited from other teams losing. Neither team wants to give up its hold in the seedings. I think this is a tough match-up to predict, obviously I am a homer and will pick the Pats, but a Monday night game in the Super Dome is no easy task. I would not feel very secure if I was the Saints and had to sign Mike McKenzie off the scrap heap to play in your secondary. When people don’t make teams to begin the season it is not because they are “too good.”

Cardinals 21

Rams 13

If Warner is hurt for any considerable time I would be considerably worried (you like what I did there with the word considerable). He really makes this offense tick, and I think the trick he has mastered as well as any QB in this league is the ability to “move on.” There is a saying that you are only as good as your next play. Warner has had an up and down career to say the least. He started out as nothing, made it to the top, fell to the bottom, and now is back. He knows that one mistake will not define him and that is his strength. I would not put him in the class of Manning and Brady obviously. Both of them have the “I have done it before factor,” where they can play poorly for an entire game and you are still scared to death of them if the game is close late. Warner is more of the “I wouldn’t be surprised if he did factor.” He just never lets anything get to him. His backup Matt Leinart on the other hand has faced his adversity in other ways…

Like the “which girl to choose quandary”…

…or the “I better hold this high enough even if my arm hurts” problem…

Not exactly a guy who has experienced a ton of in game adversity and proven to be a leader. The Cards do not have to rush Warner back though if he is hurting. They have a 3 game lead in their division the 49ers, Lions and Rams. I like this team as a potential dangerous team in the Playoffs. They have experience after last year, and might have the “no one believes in us” card going. The Cardinals also now lead this blog in quotation’ed sayings. Good for them.

The Rams do not have much to be thankful for right now. They have played a couple teams tough, but besides that they have not done much. Their coach Steve Spagnuolo also does one of the weirder sideline routines of any coach. Those Pats fans who did not commit suicide after the Super Bowl loss might remember images of him “praying” or at the least kneeling on the sidelines as he coached the Giants defense. He can routinely be seen in this crouched down like this…

I feel like a coach’s body language is a very big deal, and although it’s not like he looks like Art Shell out there…

Not many men can look that clueless at all times.

Spagnuolo’s sideline demeanor doesn’t exactly look how  head coaches are known to carry themselves. Now I think he is an outstanding coach to be honest. In New York he did very well with what he had and played to his team’s strengths, an underrated skill for a coach, it might seem obvious but a lot of guys don’t do it. We’ll see how it turns out for him in St. Louis.

The Rams are in position to get a top QB in the draft, and they really need to hit on this pick. I have always been a fan of picking an OT high when your team is bad, especially if you do not like any of the QB options. Last year they took Jason Smith, who should be a solid OT for years. Now they need a QB. Seeing as I cannot predict who wins each week, I will not even try to predict which QB coming out this year will be the best pro. Nonetheless they need to get a guy for the future in their soon.

Chargers 32

Broncos 3

The Broncos started 6-0 and since then have gone 0-4. I have not seen a transformation like that since Sammy Sosa showed his face again recently…

No, that is not a vampire outfit for Halloween. Sosa is apparently turning white. Look at this picture of him a few years back…

I too am scared right now. But as for the Broncos they are a mess. Apparently Head Coach Josh McDaniels also told Chargers’ LBs that his team “owns them.” I have to say that his team did not back him up. It is always a mistake when a head coach talks trash. I don’t think we are going to see much of this any time soon…

The Broncos are playing the memory game. The entire team remembers who they are (not good), and it has definitely hurt them. How bad is Chris Simms that he got replaced after one series by an injured Kyle Orton. Talk about a big sample size. The Broncos face the Giants Thursday night, and then also face the Colts and Eagles. That could be three loses right there and thus the end to their magical season.

I am most scared of the Chargers right now. Everyone loves Drew Brees and talks about him making the “leap” to Manning and Brady status. I think Phillip Rivers is the guy who could make that leap this year. I never liked him, and still don’t. He talks trash, has a cocky swagger, and looks like Jason Street from Friday Night Lights (the tv show), check it out…

vs.

But the bottom-line is this guy is tough. I talked earlier about the gutsy performance by Stafford. Well Rivers played in the AFC Championship game with a torn ligament in his knee. This guy has earned the respect of his entire locker room and has backed it up with great games on the field.

If anything holds back the Chargers it will be their lack of a running game and lack of a competent head coach. If you read this blog you know I doubt Norv Turner almost religiously, and bash LT like it’s my job, which it’s not but it is fun. I still say watch out for the Chargers. That warning is for the rest of the league and their own fans. The Chargers have a way of lowering expectations and winning, then choking when people believe in them.

Raiders 20

Bengals 17

This is the NFL. That pretty much sums up this game. Upsets in the league really should not shock people like they used to. Think of it like this. There are 32 teams in the NFL and let’s say 50 guys on a roster (I know it’s 53, but for math sake). That means there are 1600 players in the NFL. That number seems large but it really isn’t when you compare it to how many people play college football, and it is especially small when you compare high school football. That means these guys are the best of the best.

Realistically what is the difference in skill level between the #1 and the 1600^th player? Yeah, most of you would say it’s pretty high, but what about the 800^th player and the 1400^th player? What I am trying to say is that the sample size is so small that even if a team is made up of only top 500 players and another team is made up of players between 600 and 1000 the difference is not huge, and further more it is hard to necessarily distinguish differences in the middle.

Now my examples are extreme and very simplified, and yes the team of top 500 players should win every time, but better teams do not always win. JaMarcus Russell might be the 1600^th player in the league but the Raiders have some very talented players. Factor in things like emotions, coaching, injuries, and on any given week there will be an upset.

The Raiders should actually be disappointed with this win. They now have a 3 wins and are really out of the top 3 pick race. If you can sense the disappointment setting in you are not alone. Russell finally took a seat and for the first time all season did not hurt the Raiders. I just found this clip of Russell and Ravens QB Troy Smith. Listen carefully, and to think I thought Russell only struggled on the field…

Good talking JaMarcus!

If the Bengals were any other team people could write this game off as a let-down game after an emotional couple weeks. But the Bengals are the Bungles. This is their history. People thought things would be different this year, but with a loss like this you have to wonder…How can you trust this team against the Pats, Colts, or Chargers in the playoffs?

I understand Cedric Benson was hurt, but this game scares me if I am a Bengals fan. The Raiders are a bad team and you had a 14-0 lead on them. Why did you stop? What happened? No one knows and now the Bengals have a lot more questions than answers with 6 games left in the season. Luckily the Steelers and Ravens lost as well, but still.

Eagles 24

Bears 20

What a mess of a season this has been for the Bears. They lost Urlacher the first game and gave the most mistake prone QB in the league a huge extension. Their RB of the future looks like Mr. Mediocrity, and they have turned maybe the leagues greatest return man ever into a middle of the road WR. At least America got to see Devin Hester’s ass Sunday…

The Bears might be in one of the worst positions of any of the “stuck” teams out there. I know that is my go to word on this blog but look at them right now. Their defense is getting old fast. They invested in a QB who looks like a bust, and they have no offensive weapons. Lovie Smith should be on the chopping block. This team needs to start over. Too bad their fans have unreal expectations, and they are not bad enough to get a top pick, and worse they don’t have their first round pick anyway (Cutler trade).

The Eagles are winning tight again and I think their offensive woes have crystallized at least in my mind. They have big play threats. McCoy, Macklin, and Jackson. But they lack the ability to put up consistent drives. I like their TE Brent Celek, but they need a WR who can get open on short routes, not only running fly patterns and deep posts.

The Eagles face one of the tougher final 6 games of teams making the playoffs, but the right wins will get them in. They face the Falcons, Giants, and Cowboys. Those teams qualify as their direct competition for the playoffs (every contender except the Packers). I think most people put the playoff benchmark at 10 wins, but in a tight race it is about wins and who you own tiebreakers against. Those games will help determine the tiebreakers.

Titans 20

Texans 17

Rhianna must have really effected Kris Brown. He has missed huge FGs the last two weeks. In fact he missed 2 huge FGs in this game. The loss seriously hurts the Texans odds at a playoff birth this year. They are now 5-5 and to make things worse this was a HOME GAME. A must win home game on a Monday Night, with your chance to make a statement. Well they did make a statement…”Were not good enough yet.” The funny thing is either because of my hatred of the Colts or just because the Texans are so inconsistent I still think they win next week vs. the Colts.

But this column has been built of long-winded explanations, stupid stories and looking ahead, so to keep that going I think the Texans should fire Head Coach Gary Kubiak and hire one of these “big gun” head coaches. Change the atmosphere and bring in a guy who instills a sense that anything but winning is unacceptable. I mean it is hard to argue that they do not have the talent. Andre Johnson is a beast, Mario Williams is a freak of nature, Matt Schaub puts up big numbers (that might be all he does, but he has to be good enough to at least make the playoffs as a Wildcard). The Texans took a step in the right direction with Kubiak at the helm. Now it is time to break down the door with someone else.

The Titans remind me of the 2001 Redskins. The Skins that year started 0-5 then won their next 5, but eventually finished 8-8 for the season. I think 8-8 is a real possibility for this team. I have gone back and forth with my friend about whether Jeff Fisher should get canned. I think factors against him are that he has never won the big game, he has been given 16 years to do it, and his team went 0-6 to start and clearly has the talent to make the playoffs this year. Now what is funny is that as I write this I envision that Fisher would be a great fit for the Texans as a coach who knows how to get teams to the playoffs. I have mentioned change of scenery guys like Dungy and Belichick who have done better with their second stop.

Now understand this, because Dungy and Belichick won a Super Bowl after getting fired does not mean that the Titans should fire him. Me stating those coaches success is to point out that for Fisher he might benefit from a change. My gut feeling is that Fisher does not get fired.

The guy who is impressing me a lot this year is Vince Young. I made fun of him and questioned his desire, but he has played extremely well as of late. He has a nice poise to himself in the pocket recently. I am interested to see if it holds up, but as of right now him and Chris Johnson make a great duo in the backfield. Even Jon Gruden got overwhelmed by them when he dropped this great quote on MNF…

“I may not be a chemist but I am seeing a lot of explosions in the backfield”

Thanks Jon! With that said you can be an Adrian Peterson lover all you want, give me some of Chris Johnson. It is rare to see someone so fast. He is on pace for almost 2000 yards and has a 6.2 yards per carry average. This team had no QB for 6 weeks and he put up these numbers.

Last week’s blog I posed the video of Titans owner Bud Adams making a fool of himself flipping the bird to Bills fans. This past week as a way to apologize he took out the following ad in the local Buffalo paper…

In other words he did not apologize at all. This guy makes no sense if you ask me, but what do I know I just wrote a 20 page blog about one week of football, which in a  couple days will be proven completely non-telling to the rest of the season. Either way enjoy the holidays. I know I will miss John Madden and his turkey inside a chicken inside a rabbi inside a priest on top of a duck.

Depois de Lucy Walsh, contrariando os genes de seu progenitor — Joe Walsh, guitarrista do Eagles — e dando sequência à série a ciência não explica!, o caso científico da filha de Simon Le Bon.

Nos anos 80, o sucesso e a falta de beleza do vocalista do Duran Duran o levou às capas de revistas no mundo todo!

E essa é Amber Le Bon, 20 anos, que trabalha como modelo e, nota-se facilmente…

Que não herdou os genes new wave e/ou synthpop do papai!

The Saints and Colts are still undefeated after week 11. The Saints blew out the Buccaneers 38-7 and the Colts just go past the Ravens 17-15. Other scores from yesterday included:

Eagles 24 – Bears 20
Patriots 31 – Jets 14
Raiders 20 – Bengals 17
Chargers 32 – Broncos 3
Cardinals 21 – Rams 13
Jaguars 18 – Bills 15
Giants 34 – Falcons 21 (F/OT)
Vikings 35 – Seahawks 9
Chiefs 37 – Steelers 24 (F/OT)
Packers 30 – 49ers 24
Lions 38 – Browns 37
Cowboys 7 – Redskins 6

Tonight’s game is the Titans versus Texans.

~Signing Off~
AGE

Sad bear reflects on the Bears futility with anxiety and angst.

What sucked was that yesterday’s game was eminently winnable.  The offense left so many points on the table.  There were those overthrown passes that would have been easy touchdowns.  We had a bunch of short fields that we couldn’t turn into anything.  The defense played passably well and even quite good at times.  They forced some turnovers that set up the offense, but then… nothing.

Let’s start with the receivers.  They are all crap.  It’s that simple.  They can have their moments, but not a single one of them is worth anything.  Why couldn’t Juaquin Iglesias earn a spot among these receivers?  Greg Olsen is all hype no production.  He can’t “climb the ladder” like other tall tight ends, he drops passes, and he can’t block.  Next, the quarterback.  Dude… Cris Collinsworth was totally right.  He had 3 completely wide open guys and overthrew them.  Just terribly overthrown.  Offensive line: Bad.  Just bad.  I like how when a draw play is called, there is no hole… ever.  You call the play to run up the gut based upon the expectation that there will be a hole there.  There never is.  There was that one hole that broke Bell open for a 32 yard run (that turned into 3 points… thanks, guys), but nothing else.  Everybody’s old, except Williams.  They need a complete overhaul.  What about Ron Turner?  Ugh… why is a failed college coach supposed to be a good offensive coordinator?  He did nothing to endear himself to fellow Illini.

Not a good game.  The whole offense gets a game ball of failure.

Três aparições no horário nobre da televisão norte-americana, três derrotas e três atuações ruins de seu quarterback. Chicago não vive um bom momento na NFL, com a derrota de ontem para Philadelphia, a equipe somou a sexta na temporada e está cada vez mais distante de conquistar uma vaga nos playoffs. Contratado para ser decisivo, Jay Cutler tem desempenhado esse papel, mas não como os torcedores do Bears imaginavam.

O quarterback de 26 anos é o líder de interceptações na NFL, com 18, e apesar de ter lançado “apenas” uma diante do Eagles, ela aconteceu em um momento crucial. Chicago perdia por 24-20 e tinha chances de conseguir uma virada com uma boa campanha, mas a 52 segundos do fim da partida, Sean Jones interceptou um passe desviado de Cutler e decretou a derrota: 24-20. Mais uma vez, vimos também a improdutividade do ataque do Bears, tanto que Robbie Gold, kicker da equipe, gastou a perna chutando quatro field goals.

Pelo lado das águias, a boa notícia é que Philadelphia mostrou um futebol equilibrado no que diz respeito aos ataques aéreos e terrestres. Com a contusão de Brian Westbrook, era natural que o ataque se concentrasse no braço de Donovan McNabb, mas a equipe apresentou boas corridas com o calouro LeSean McCoy e uma corrida, porém, incrível, da fênix da NFL, Michael Vick. O ex-quarterback de Atlanta ainda conectou um passe enquanto era sofria o sack, mas sem ganho de jardas.

Com a vitória, Philadelphia entra de vez na briga pela NFC Leste, ficando a uma vitória do líder Dallas. Até o fim da temporada, enfrenta San Francisco, Atlanta e Denver, além dos três rivais de divisão. Se quiser ir para os playoffs, é fundamental que o Eagles vença os confrontos internos. Já em Chicago, o buraco é um pouco mais embaixo. Pega o Minnesota, de Brett Favre, duas vezes, tem dois jogos medianos contra Green Bay e Baltimore, mas deve dar um baile em St. Louis e em Detroit. Em poucas palavras, precisa vencer pelo menos umas cinco partidas para conseguir beliscar uma vaga wild-card.

Para ver os melhores momentos da partida, clique aqui, e galeria de fotos, aqui.

Foto do post: Rex Arbogast, AP Photo.

New York City cabdriver Oleg Roitman says his nickname is “The Human Computer.”  He asks his passengers – “Tell me the date of your birth and in less than a second I will tell you which day of the week you were born.”  To prove that his answers are correct, he carries a book with calendars from 1900 to 2020.  He says passengers often pay him double what the meter reads. 

Studies show that waiters can boost their tips from 10 to 100 percent by doing any of the following:

• Lightly touching the customer
• Smiling at the customer
• Squatting next to the table
• Introducing themselves by name
• Thanking them for dining there
• Forecasting good weather
• Drawing a smiley face on the check

Joanne and I invite my Eagles Club coaching clients to stay at our Sanctuary (pictured) as part of the coaching experience.  We share our morning tea and muffins with them and take them to dinner at some of our favorite restaurants.  It’s enjoyable for us to include them in our lives as the next season of that client’s career is being developed – and that little difference creates a memorable and often life-changing experience. 

What are you doing to create that “little difference” in your work and life?  An advanced degree may do nothing to separate you from the crowd.  But what could you do today to engage your customers, clients or co-workers in a way that they will never forget? 

Could that little difference double your income next year?

Okay, Its Dred, and I’ve been asked to post on another hard topic… I think Foxx is gettin lazy… (Just joking, I think his next post is 8 pages long, but don’t believe the hype, its fake… GW Wrote it…). Anyway… The 2009 IRON BOWL… That’s right, its that time of year again… Alabama Vs. Auburn. Kick off is at 1330 CST on the 27th Of Nov. I’m gonna cut the crap and get right into stats…

#2 Alabama (11-0, 7-0 SEC) Coach Nick Saban
#323 Auburn (7-4, 3-4 SEC) Coach Gene Chizik

Rivalry Game Stats… Alabama – 39 Wins 33 Loses and 1 tie (1907)

2009 Top Player Stats…

Passing Yards TD’s
Greg McElroy 1993 14
Chris Todd 2196 19

Rushing Yards TD’s
Mark Ingram 1399 12
Ben Tate 1242 8

Receiving Yards TD’s
Julio Jones 462 4
Darvin Adams 717 9

Returns: Yards TD’s
Javier Arenas 426 1
P. Pierre- Louis 49 0

Ok, and those are just the top player match ups, and as you can tell, its a pretty dead heat, and in all honesty, both teams will be bringing as much heat as possible due to this being the biggest collegiate football rivalry in the country. Anyone who has ever had a conversation with a fan from the other side of the fence knows that I can’t really be funny here. Any attempt at humor would only lead to this blog being dumped on by whiny little auburn fans… because that’s what they do when things aren’t going down the path of the eagle…

I’ll Leave You With A Few Interesting Facts About The Iron Bowl….

“One of the most incredible Auburn-Alabama games was played on Dec. 2, 1972. A few days before the game, Alabama head coach Bear Bryant incited the rivalry when he told reporters that he would rather, “beat that cow college once than beat Texas 10 times.” That set the stage as second-ranked Alabama brought a 10-0 record into Legion Field to meet the ninth-ranked Tigers, who were 8-1.”

“Auburn has an all-time record of 3-8 against teams ranked No. 2 in the Associated Press poll, but the Tigers did win their last game against a No. 2-ranked team. In 2006, No. 11 Auburn knocked off No. 2 Florida, 27-17, at Jordan-Hare Stadium, handing the Gators their only loss on their way to a national championship.”

“1967 – The Run in The Mud – On a night at Legion Field where thunderstorms were so bad that the field had to be constantly cleared of raincoats and other wet weather accessories that blew in from the stands, Alabama quarterback Kenny Stabler ran for a 53 yard touchdown to give Bama a 7–3 win.”

“1984 – On 4th and goal Auburn is down by two points. Coach Pat Dye decides to go for the touchdown instead of a field goal. The ball went to Brent Fullwood and “Wrong Way” Bo Jackson was supposed to block, but he headed in the wrong direction, leaving Tide defensive back Rory Turner free to “wax the dude” (Fullwood), preventing the score.”

“2000 – The Iron Bowl returned to Tuscaloosa for the first time in 99 years. In the first Iron Bowl ever played in Bryant-Denny Stadium, Auburn clinched the SEC West title with a 9-0 shutout in Mike DuBose’s final game as Alabama head coach.”

“2009- Dred becomes the all time leading rusher/receiver/QB in SEC History and defeats Mark Ingram for the Heisman….”

Ok, I made that last one up… dream big or go home…

Aaron Kampman (OLB) and Al Harris (CB) are both out for the rest of the season with serious knee injuries. Each man was injured during the Packers win over the 49ers.The loss of two veteran defensive players is going to really hurt the Packers. Kampman and Harris were both pro-bowl defenders.

Still, it will now be up to some of the younger backups to step in and try to fill those roles. Players to watch for: Tramon Williams playing in place of the injured Al Harris, and Brad Jones – a rookie OLB. I’m not exactly sure who the Packers will be using in place of Kampman yet – most likely it will be a rotation between Brandon Chillar, Brady Poppinga and Brad Jones.

Also, the Eagles squeaked out a victory over the Bears last night 24-20, so they are also now tied for a wild card spot with both Green Bay and New York (Giants). So as Packers fans, we should also be rooting for teams that play against the Eagles and the Giants. Can’t wait for Thursday’s game, and I’ll be wearing my fatty pants for the Turducken.

Good early morning hip hop…

It’s 4:00 CST exactly as I begin this blog entry in the early hours of Monday morning. I have been making beats almost every waking hour since Wednesday night. I am finally taking a moment to enjoy the fruits of my labor. I am bumping my new joint called English. Very smooth. I went all over the place on this last set. I jumped a lot back and forth from soulful to commercial. What a lot of people don’t understand about making beats is the mundane tasks required that aren’t associated with the creative process. From loading sounds, to converting files to saving (I’ve been double saving as a back up but I’m about to switch over to saving in triplicate). That takes up like 30% of the time I spend making a beat. Anyway. I have a cramp in my mouse hand.

I was in the process of sending Jason this last beat. I opened my Yahoo! mail and they have those little web news bits. They had a funny piece about the worst video games that were made into movies. Double Dragon was number one. Also on the list was Super Mario Bros. which I enjoyed. They were spot on about the DD movie, but that video game was soooo raw. I remember in like ‘86, my cousin took me to the arcade (remember those?) and I fell in love with that game. First of all the music was sick. Lever to me as a beat maker to remember the music to a video game. At that time there was no game like that where you just roamed around whoopin’ ass on some hand to hand combat type shit.

Anyway…this entry finds me still waiting for Young General to finish his album….
I’m sure Jason will post some of the new ones…Jason, give the people something special for Thanksgiving.

P.S. I was just reviewing the keywords and I came across “Devin Hester Moon.” I thought I was losing it when I turned away from the computer and I saw the end of a slow motion replay during the Bears vs. Eagles game of an ass being exposed. They rank them in order of search popularity and it was like 22 on the list. I guess there was a lot going on last night.

Keywords: adam lambert ama performance my morning jacket gloriana soshy curb your enthusiasm s07e10 rihanna tattoos kahlil bell cyber monday target black friday 2009 sales jennifer lopez falls memorex 720p hd mini camcorder ama awards 2009 winners lady gaga ama 2009 dexter season 4 episode 9 real salt lake jlo falls nick rimando miss california 2010 viva el sueno ganador soshy timbaland dexter hungry man mls cup 2009 black orpheus how old is mary j blige devin hester moon giant crystal cave

Home

This wasn’t the win I was looking for from the Eagles. I wanted them to blaze into Chicago with everything clicking and take a convincing game from a conference opponent. Although the Birds won 24-20, it was an ugly affair with three turnovers and some dumb penalties.

The worst performance of the game came from Jay Cutler, easily the worst QB the Eagles have faced all season. There are very few good things that can be said about his game. There were a number of times where he had guys open, but his passes missed them by 5 yards, sometimes even more. The Bears can’t be too happy about this.

As for the Birds, there were a few bright spots on both sides of the ball. Most importantly though, they won on the road and came from behind to win a close game.

Sheldon Brown played a hell of a game, and although it wasn’t to his full ability, he showed what type of player he is tonight. If Cutler was able to hit more of his targets, perhaps I wouldn’t be saying the same thing, but this is still a performance he should be proud of.

One of my most popular weekly refrains is “Run the ball, Andy!” and it seems like the Eagles heeded that advice. They picked up 157 yards on the ground, with 99 of them coming from rookie LeSean McCoy. Despite having a fumble, he showed great composure and ran for what would end up being the go ahead TD.

Another bright spot was Michael Vick, who was not totally useless tonight. He had an important run in the first quarter on third down, picking up 30 yards and showing everyone the player he used to be. Let’s hope he continues to bring that to the table for the remainder of the season.

Both of the young receivers made some key plays. Jeremy Maclin continues to quietly do his job well, taking down 6 passes for 64 yards while DeSean Jackson caught 8 passed for 107 yards, including a 48-yard TD catch. Interestingly, that was his shortest TD reception of the season.

Lastly, Brent Celek is one of the best tight ends in the league this season. He pulled some a few catches and made some key blocks as well, showing that he’s a guy with true versatility.

This Sunday, the Eagles return home to face the Redskins.  Their record now sits at 6-4.

Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

The Devin Hester Ass Show

This whole ordeal wouldn’t have happened if Chicago saviour Jay Cutler could hit his receivers in the hands. Hey, he has no problem hitting defending players right in the hands, so why not Devin Hester?