If the Cowboys go into New York Sunday and take a loss, the December talk is going to be even hotter. We all know that is true.

Zimbio.com

But looking at Bradie James’ locker room interview from a practice this week, I cannot see a letdown. I have never seen anyone on the Cowboys seem so adamant about beating the Giants and getting the win in general.

There are a lot of factors for why Bradie would feel this way.

One factor is the way in which the Cowboys lost to the Giants in the inaugural game at Cowboys Stadium.

But now it has come out that some Giants players, including Eli Manning, wrote inside the visiting locker room. Then it is also rumored that Brandon Jacobs danced on the star after the game.

The major reason that Bradie is so fired up is that he knows the importance of getting wins at the end of the season and he is one of the few players who is recognizing their past struggles in December.

“We need to win”, Bradie said emphatically. “It’s no need to say ‘we’ll get ‘em next time’ or ‘we have more games’ because if you look at it in that way, we’ll never turn the corner. This team needs to win.”

It is finally good to hear a long time Cowboys player say these things. Most of the players give us the generic response of “We are a different team”, “We do not look at the past” and the new one: “We are undefeated this December”.

Come on. You have to understand that you have struggled in this month over the past several years and use that on the field, punish opponents and bring that mentality that you are going to cause the opposing team pain and get these wins in the final month of the season.

“Nobody is exempt from the criticism if you don’t take care of business in December and go to the playoffs and do what we need to do. That’s what time it is now so that’s what we’ve gotta do.”

Bradie’s unintentional mantra is that the Cowboys need to win now. There can be no letdowns going down the stretch. He knows, he has been here since 2003. He has been through everything this team has gone through from that time on.

One has to assume that the entire team feels the same way as Bradie even though most of them will not say it publicly.

I agree and have said before that this team feels like such a different team. On and off the field. They have a more focused talk and the defense is playing solid on the field.

This defense is also becoming a disrespected unit through the media. You will rarely hear a member of the media speak about how good this defense is really becoming. Teams have had and will continue to have trouble scoring against this defense.

This Giants game seems like it could be a feast for the Cowboys. The Giants are stumbling around on their last leg and they are hanging by a thread. The Cowboys need to knock them down and cut that thread.

And Bradie James may be the one to do that. Expect some big plays from Bradie on Sunday.

Bradie James locker room interview

It’s been pretty busy at work the last few weeks and things are getting busier – so I apologize for the delay in keeping up the blog.  First I want to recap the predictions to date for the year.  It looks like I’m holding steady at about 60% which is about 10% better than the pro’s, but it’s looking more and more like I won’t reach 70% this year.  Just mathematically, I’d need a lot to happen for me to reach that.  So far for the year I’ve gotten 68 games right, 41 wrong, and have 4 ties.  Without further adieu – here are my predictions for week 13.

Jets @ Bills – The Jets are 3.5 point favorites this week.  I’m taking the Bills with the points.

Denver @ KC – The Bronco’s are 4.5 point favorites against the chiefs.  I like them to cover big – giving the points and taking the Bronco’s.

Oakland @ Pittsburgh – The Steelers are 14.5 point favorites on this game.  I like them to cover and win big at home.  Giving the points and taking the Steelers.

Houston @ Jacksonville – No spread on the game!  I like Houston to win big.  Going with the Texans.

Titans @ Indy – The Colts are 7 point favorites in this game.  I like Vince Young and Johnson for the upset.  Taking the points and Titans to win.

Philly @ Atlanta – The Eagles are 5.5 point favorites in this game.  I’m taking Atlanta with the points.

Detroit @ Cincinnati – The Bengals are 13 point favorites.  I think they win, but they haven’t scored big all year.  Going with Detroit and taking the points to cover.

New Orleans @ Washington – The Saints are 9.5 point favorites.  I honestly like the skins to cover in this game.  For some reason, my gut’s telling me this could be the upset of the year.  Supposed to be a rainy day in Washington on Sunday (just a thought against a pass happy offense Lets see how it goes..)  Taking the skins with the points.

Tampa @ Carolina – The Panthers are 6 point favorites in this game.  I think they win, but don’t cover.  I’m taking the Bucs with the cover.

St. Louis @ Chicago – The Bears are 8.5 point favorites in this game.  I don’t think they cover.  I’m taking the Rams with the points.

San Diego @ Cleveland – The Chargers are 13 point favorites.  I think they win big and cover.  Giving the points and taking the chargers.

San Fran @ Seattle – The Seahawks are 1 point favorites.  I like the 49ers to win big in this game.  Taking them with the points.

Vikings @ Arizona – The Vikings are 3.5 point favorites in this game.  I like them to win on the road.  Giving the points and taking them to win.

Dallas @ Giants – The Cowboys are 2 point favorites in this game.  I think we more/less clinch the division with this win.  Giving the points and taking my Boys.

New England @ Miami – The Patriots are 4 point favorites in this game.  I’m taking the Patriots to win and giving the points.

Baltimore @ Green Bay – The Packers are 3.5 point favorites.  I’ll take the Ravens D-Line over the Packers O-Line all season long.  I’m actually going to take the points and the Ravens, but I wouldn’t be shocked if Green Bay won.

“Look, I’m not trying to be a distraction in the locker room. I think it’s pretty obvious that I’m enough of a distraction on the field." - New York Giants Quarterback Eli Manning

There’s lots of hubbub going around in the Cowboys locker room. But unlike most stories, this one doesn’t occur in the home team’s locker room.

New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning recently admitted to leaving his signature in the visiting locker room of the Dallas Cowboys $1.2 billion stadium, after the G-Men beat the Cowboys 33-31 back in September. He said that it wasn’t his idea, but a request of a locker room attendant.

But Manning did not just leave his signature on the wall; to the left of the writing, he also left a 10-digit number and a smiley face. As investigative reporters shortly found out, it wasn’t Manning’s, but none other than Cowboys running back Marion Barber’s.

Barber said that for whatever reason, this year he received several calls and text messages from random numbers, but only during pre-game, halftime and immediately after all Dallas home games.

“Marion gets all these texts sayin, ‘I hate the Shegulls, Cowgirls and Porkskins, but I was always secretly a Giants fan,’” Barber said. “ They said, ‘It doesn’t matter how injured or bad your team is, just remember that you’ll never be as bad as the Redskins and you sure as hell will never be as bad as the Cowboys are in December and in playoffs.’ Marion had no idea what this thing had be talking to.”

Manning addressed the questions concerning the phone number he left.

“Look, I’m not trying to be a distraction in the locker room,” Manning said. “I think it’s pretty obvious that I’m enough of a distraction on the field. “Of the past six games, only two times have I thrown for more than one touchdown in a game or had a passer rating of over 66.”

The Giants have lost five of their last six games. Their only win was a 34-31 overtime win against the Atlanta Falcons.

Barber said he was confused, not like he is on a daily basis, but “additionally extra special” confused that so many random people would contact him.

“I know dat nobodies like Marion, and outside of Tony [Romo] the Tiger, I don’t gots many friend, so I think, who would be callin’ Marion if they is not Marion’s friend?” Barber said. “You know what I’m sayin’?”

Manning for one, did not know what Barber was saying.

“It’s hard to understand Marion the Hair Barber when he speaks in third person,” Manning said. “Actually, it’s hard to understand him at all. I may not be as good looking, talented, intelligent, wise, generous, humorous or loved by Papa Archie [Manning] as much as big brother Peyton [Manning], but at least I can still communicate coherent sentences… unless I’m getting sacked… which happens quite often nowadays.”

I’ve just added an instant “new classic” toddler sweater to the Ravelry Store.

The Botanical Argyle Toddler Sweater

on Ravelry! Pattern only $5.00 US.

Featuring the rich and beautiful colors of natural plant dyed, “Greenspun” yarns, this little sweater jacket is hip yet classic. A quick knit, this pattern features several fun techniques – including intarsia and duplicate stitch.

This sweet sweater is the companion piece to the Botanical Argyle Vest from my book Nature Babies. (Which, BTW, it looks like you can get for a song and a dance, a steal (ouch!) for less than sixs buck on Amazon.com - buy em up for all your crafting friends – Great Holiday Gift!  Includes upsourcing and recycling material, organics, and beautiful handwork (knitting, felt and sewing).

The yarn shown is Botanical Shades’ Worsted Singles with a put up of 225 yards per hank – which I first discovered several years ago at Rhinebeck. 2 Hanks of the main color are needed.

If you start it now, you still have time to finish it for the holidays!

How is it that when Kerry Collins was quarterback for the Titans, they loose six in a row, and when Vince Young steps in the picture, they win five in a row?

Amazing.

When Vince Young drove the ball 99 yards down the field for the win against the Cardinals yesterday, it was apparent that he’s the talented and clutch QB that the Titans need. I figured that it was his experience from Texas that he brought to the team, or maybe it was head coach Jeff Fisher’s decision the wear a Peyton Manning jersey at a charity event that has given them their winning streak.

Whatever it is, the Titans need to keep the ball moving. They play the undefeated Colts next weekend, and I’m sure that Manning’s jersey won’t help them. But if they can upset the Colts, that’ll bring them one step closer to a wildcard spot, and perhaps the biggest comeback in NFL history.

Indy @ Houston – The Texans are 3 point underdogs in this game.  I’m taking the points and Houston to pull off an upset.

Cleveland @ Cincinnati – The Bengals are 13 point favorites.  That’s a lot to cover for an in state rivalry.  As bad as the Browns are – I think they cover.  Taking them with the points.

Chicago @ Minn – The Vikings are 10.5 point favorites in this game.  I like them winning big.  Taking Brett and giving the points.

Washington @ Philly – The Eagles are 9.5 point favorites in this game.  I am actually going to be rooting for the Redskins this week so we get more separation in our division from Philly.  I think the eagles win – but don’t cover.  I’m taking the Skins with the points.

Miami @ Buffalo – The Dolphins are 3.5 point favorites.  I like them to win this.  Giving the points and taking the Dolphins.

Arizona @ Tennessee -  The Titans are 2 point favorites in this game.  I honestly think AZ looses their first game on the road this season and Vince Young keeps the run going.  Taking the Titans with the points.

Seattle @ St. Louis – The Seahawks are 4 point favorites.  I’m taking them and giving the points to beat the Rams.

Tampa Bay @ Atlanta – The Falcons are 12 point favorites.  I like the Bucs in this.  Josh Freeman will get better each week.  Taking the points and the Bucs to cover.

Carolina @ New York Jets – The Jets are 3.5 point favorites in this game.  I like the Panthers.  Taking the points and panthers to win.

Jacksonville @ San Fran – The 49ers are 3 point favorites in this game.  I could go either way in this game, but I’m giving the edge to Gurrard over Smith.  Taking the points and the Jags to cover.

Kansas City @ San Diego -  The Chargers are 14 point favorites in this game.  I like them to win, but not by that much.  I’m taking the Chiefs with the points.

Pittsburgh @ Baltimore – The Ravens are 7.5 point favorites in this game.  With Big Ben out – I think the Ravens should win this.  I think Tomlin however will find a way to keep it close.  Taking Pittsburgh with the points.

New England @ New Orleans – The Saints are 2 point favorites in this game.  They’ve been exposed too many times by bad teams (even though they found ways to win) to keep their streak alive.  I think it ends tomorrow.  Bill and Tom take care of the Saints and cover.  Taking the Pats with the points.

Some of you have been interested in my involvement in technology with the Conservative Party. However this is not in the realms of IT – in which I have no role – but with new ‘emerging’ technologies such as genetics, biotechnology and robotics. I am writing a green paper for the Conservative Party which will be published shortly. There are many exciting new possiblities and I would want to encourage as much ethical technology research and development business opportunities in the constituency as possible.

I know this quote is on my website, but it’s worth repeating it here:

“As part of our policy review, I have been working with Julia on the
difficult ethical and practical issues raised by nanotechnology. She
has contributed hugely to our thinking in this very difficult area.
Through her charm, perseverance and intellect, she has managed her team
of distinguished experts and has come up with common sense solutions to
problems that looked intractable. She clearly has a huge amount to offer
our party and parliament.

Oliver Letwin MP, Head of Policy

There are probably three posting days left to be sure that your vote gets to the Electoral Reform Society in time for the count of ballots. Last Saturday I was joined by family and friends as we handed out leaflets and it was a pleasure to meet so many of you.

And thank you to those who came to the coffee morning today – it was really good to be able to hear more of your concerns and hopes.

This Saturday I will be back at the Gosport Market from 10-12 and do please come and say hello if you would still like to have a chat before you cast your vote!

1. Matthew Gilroy

2. Micheal Vick

3.  Tiger Woods

4. Eli Manning

5. Derek Jeter (The seasons over but he wont move, hes awesome)

6. Daniel Sunden

7. Tom Brady

8. Martin Broduer

9. MARCUS NAUSLAND

10.  Tim Thomas

According to The News today, part of Browndown will remain open. However my sources tell me this isn’t the case and Sir Peter Viggers seems to think this too.

The reason being given is that it’s not used for pre-deployment training in connection with Afghanistan. But hang on, if training for counter-insurgency wars is the criteria for keeping training grounds open, what about planning and training for the scenario of having to face down fully-fledged state agression? Once again it is short sighted and premature to make this kind of decision without a Strategic Defence Review.

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.

I’ve just heard that despite Bob Ainsworth’s assurance on October 22nd that the Browndown Training Camp will continue to be used ‘particularly the dry training area’, it has now been announced that it will be closed after all.

On the back of their announcements and re-announcements on TA training, and the relatively small amounts of money involved, this latest decision seems to defy logic. If there is one thing we can be certain of on top of death and taxes, it’s that we will always need to be able to defend our freedom – and to do that requires adequate training facilities for our Armed Forces.

An Update on the Long-Legged Mack-Daddy

The Rev. James David Manning is the pastor of Atlah World Missionary Church in Harlem. He has been outspoken in his criticisms of Barack Hussein Obama’s unwillingness to prove that he is in fact eligible under the Constitution to serve as president of the United States. He has accurately described Obama’s intention to overthrow the Constitution and establish a national socialist dictatorship over the American people. He has presented scripturally based arguments aiming to show that Obama represents the evil whose emergence in human affairs Christ prophesied as one of the hallmarks of the last days. He has criticized the Congress, the Supreme Court and the media for their collusive failure to investigate the possible fraud involved in Obama’s occupation of the office of president of the United States.

Rev. Manning produces a daily video series in which he has repeatedly and consistently aired these views. Now it appears that the YouTube account through which he shared these videos with the public has been suspended on the grounds that his views are too controversial. Close on the heels of this obvious effort to limit his ability to communicate with the public, he now reports that he has been visited by federal agents who questioned him about statements he made regarding “the birth certificate issue” and his opinion that Obama is an illegal alien, not qualified to be president of the United States. As a result of this visit, Rev. Manning says that he expects to be arrested and charged with making threats against the president.

I have followed Rev. Manning’s broadcasts and statements for some time. He is forthright and outspoken in his religious and political views. He speaks with a boldness that is surely offensive to people who believe that civility requires silence even in the face of the stratagems of deception now being perpetrated against the American people. But I see nothing that he has said or done that warrants interference with his freedom of speech. Both YouTube’s actions and those of the federal and New York City officials who visited his church appear to be in clear violation of his constitutional rights and part of an effort to intimidate him and others who are outspoken critics of the coup d’état being perpetrated by the Obama faction and its fellow travelers among the elites, who are working to accomplish the overthrow of our constitutional republic.

Discover the truth about the intimidation tactics used by today’s White House in Whistleblower magazine’s “MOB RULE: Under Obama, Chicago-style bullying and intimidation go nationwide”

The repression of Rev. Manning’s views is an intolerable assault on the constitutional freedom of every American. However disagreeable his voice may be to others, including the present occupant of the White House, his right to voice his criticisms is clear and undeniable. So is his right to seek redress of grievances that threaten the sovereignty of the American people and of every American as a member of the sovereign body of the people. Respect for these rights is one of the bedrock prerequisites of government of, by and for the people. Efforts to thwart and repress their exercise constitute a clear and present danger to the liberty of all Americans. Like the darkening skies and rising winds that announce the landfall of a hurricane, this move to silence Rev. Manning ominously foreshadows the next phase of the elite assault against the Constitution and people of the United States.

Nazi Obama's Insecurity

The U.S. Constitution clearly protects the freedom of political expression and information vital to sustaining the constitutional self-government of the people. However, from motives of greed and ambition, the dominant media outlets of our day seem uniformly to have fallen under the sway of political control and manipulation. They now behave with regularity like the politically dictated media outlets characteristic of Communist China or the now defunct Soviet Union. For the time being the Internet offers hope that an alternative media, directly arising from the people themselves, can assure that the dark arts of political repression and persecution will feel the glare of public scrutiny and reaction. I pray that people of goodwill, who still love liberty and understand the prerequisites for its survival, will use all the networks of friends and associates at their disposal to spread the word. The Obama faction has apparently decided to move from ridicule and legal maneuvering to intimidation involving the open abuse of law-enforcement power. They seem desperate to suppress the rising demand for evidence and truth with regard to Obama’s eligibility for office, as well as other constitutionally questionable features of his rise to and use of the office he now occupies.

We must spread the word. We must make Rev. Manning’s name and situation a byword for the vigilance of all Americans determined to preserve the freedom of our nation. Whatever our differences of views, beliefs or styles of expression, if the freedom of one can be repressed without remark or consequence, the freedom of all falls under the shadow of repression. Reflect on this. We live at a time when the Fort Hood assailant, Maj. Hasan, could openly approve violence against our country while seeking direct contact with our terrorist enemies, but no federal agents or police bothered to question or interfere with his actions. The result: Americans die at his hands. Yet when a critic of Obama merely exercises his clear constitutional rights, power is abused to intimidate and silence him. Will freedom of speech die as a result?

This is an outrage. It is a travesty. It is warning sign no sane free man or woman can safely ignore. Not if we care to preserve our freedom. By all means at our disposal we must raise the outcry: LET REV. MANNING BE HEARD! HE HAS THE RIGHT! AS DO WE ALL.

Have a look at a recent article I wrote for the BBC News website on health.

2020health event with Dr Phil Hammond (Private Eye), Julian Le Grand (Blairs ex-advisor on health), Niaill Dickson (King's Fund) and Stephen O'Brien MP (Shadow health minister)

I run www.2020health.org at the moment, a bottom up policy ‘think-tank’ designed to give people at the front-line of healthcare, whether in the NHS, industry or independent sector, a voice in policy formation. We must listen to those who work in the sector and give them as much freedom as possible to deliver high quality care without political interference.

Some Gosport Councillors at the recent Remembrance Sunday parade

One lady I spoke to today had a query about the land opposite her home in Cherque Farm (great google maps showing the development over time). I emailed the local councillors and had the answer in minutes – the ground in question has had no enquiries about it’s development so there are no plans for it at present. However the Council would like to see it levelled and cleaned up in the meantime – which is up to the owners, Persimmon Homes.

Working closely with the local councillors, both borough and county, is a commitment that I see as vital. It will enable two-way feedback with councillors keeping me up to speed on topical local issues, and it would give me the chance to feedback from the debates and decision-making in Westminster that impact locally. Day to day issues are the responsibility of the councillors but keeping informed means I will understand the issues that residents are facing in their wards.

Again this is going to be somewhat of a beginner’s view similar to my previous posts.  The last couple weeks I’ve been trying to expand my knowledge into more than just straight Java.  I’ve been integrating the Spring framework into my projects for a while and I’ve become addicted to using it.  I’m even focusing most of my web projects on Spring MVC, but there were some things I still wanted to improve on.  Enter Hibernate.  So far, most of my projects have all been using straight JDBC, which is fine for small projects, but as you get into larger and modular projects, straight JDBC shows it’s limitations.

To familiarize myself with Hibernate, I started with the tutorial at Hibernate’s website.  Having assimilated the basics pretty easily, I moved on to Hibernate Annotations because the less XML configuration I have to write, the better.  Hibernate Annotations does allow you to use both Annotations and the XML mapping file strategy if your needs require it.  The initial tutorial walks you through an Event manager type application.  One of the classes you create is a utility class named HibernateUtil which is responsible for creating your Hibernate SessionFactory.

In the XML mapping version, you would have something like this:

package com.mycompany;

import org.apache.commons.logging.Log;
import org.apache.commons.logging.LogFactory;
import org.hibernate.SessionFactory;
import org.hibernate.cfg.Configuration;

public class HibernateUtil {

	private static Log log = LogFactory.getLog ( HibernateUtil.class );
	private static final SessionFactory sessionFactory = buildSessionFactory();

	private static SessionFactory buildSessionFactory() {
		SessionFactory sessionFactory = null;

		try {
			sessionFactory = new Configuration().configure().buildSessionFactory();
		} catch ( Throwable e ) {
			if ( log.isErrorEnabled() ) {
				log.error ( "Initial SessionFactory creation failed.", e );
				throw new ExceptionInInitializerError ( e );
			}
		}

		return sessionFactory;
	}

	public static SessionFactory getSessionFactory() {
		return sessionFactory;
	}

}

Modifying it for Annotation based mapping was pretty simple.  I won’t list the changes you need to make to your persisted object class since that’s easy enough to achieve following the tutorial, but to change the way the SessionFactory instance is created, you simply need to use the AnnotationConfiguration class instead of Configuration.

sessionFactory = new AnnotationConfiguration().configure().buildSessionFactory();

My first attempt had resulted in an Exception about not being able to determine the SQL dialect. The reason for that was because instead of calling configure() on AnnotationConfiguration() first, I was just calling buildSessionFactory() from AnnotationConfiguration().  Since my dialect is defined in hibernate.cfg.xml, I have to call configure() on AnnotationConfiguration() before calling buildSessionFactory().

So for anybody wanting to learn the basics of Hibernate and take advantage of the Annotation based mapping all within an hour, I highly suggest you follow the online tutorial at Hibernate’s website first, and then follow it up with a look at section 2.2.1 of the free available chapter from Manning to get your feet wet with Hibernate Annotations.

My next step will be using Hibernate in a Spring project.

Listening to people across Gosport it’s clear that there remains real sadness about the closure of The Royal Hospital Haslar. Not surprising after 256 years of serving the community. However some people don’t seem to have heard about the hugelyexciting plans for redevelopment that will build on Haslar’s heritage.

OurEnterprise is a social enterprise consultancy with a dynamic Chief Exec, Matthew Bell, focused on enabling positive community developments. There are many local people who have worked extremely hard to develop a new vision for Haslar and Matthew has a track record of facilitating partnerships based on community involvement, good relationships and secure investment. He has worked closely with the Haslar Heritage Group, Veterans’ Village Consortium and the Council to secure a partnership that plans to deliver a south-coast Royal Hospital Chelsea-style accommodation and sheltered accommodation for elderly ex-service people and a new health centre which should creat 900 new jobs.

Meeting Matthew and hearing about the plans for the site was incredibly exciting and I will do all I can to support this regeneration and facilitate this new vision for Haslar if I am selected to serve you here.

Stafford could've thrown a touchdown on this play but he didn't feel like it

Are Matthew Stafford and Brady Quinn the most poised quarterbacks in the NFL or what? Okay, well maybe they’re not, but they did pretty well when their brutal teams matched up this afternoon. After trailing 24-3 in the first quarter, Stafford led the Lions back, winning 38-37 on the final play of the game on a one-yard hookup with Brandon Pettigrew. The touchdown, Stafford’s fifth of the game, came after a Hank Poteat pass interference call on a desperation hail mary the previous play.

Stafford, who came in with six touchdown passes on the year, threw for 422 yards. Quinn, who took back Cleveland’s starting duties from Derek Anderson last week, threw for 304 yards and a career-high four touchdowns.

Elsewhere, the Colts and Saints stayed undefeated, with Indy winning a 17-15 grinder in Baltimore and New Orleans cruising 38-7 in Tampa Bay. Peyton Manning threw for 299 yards and a touchdown for the Colts and Drew Brees had 187 and three for the Saints.

Other scores from Sunday: Dallas 7, Washington 6 (Game of the Year?); Green Bay 30, San Francisco 24; Kansas City 27, Pittsburgh 24 (OT); Minnesota 35, Seattle 9; NY Giants 34, Atlanta 31 (OT); Jacksonville 18, Buffalo 15 (Terrell Owens had 197 yards receiving — quadrupling his season output to this point); New England 31, NY Jets 14; Arizona 21, St. Louis 13; San Diego 32, Denver sans Orton 3; Oakland! 20, Cincinnati 17.

This is going to be quick as I’m cutting it close!

Taking Detroit and giving the 3 points.

Taking the points and Buffalo to cover 8.5 points.

Taking the points and KC to cover 11 against the Steelers.

Taking the points (2) and Baltimore to beat Indy.

Taking Atlanta to cover the 7 against the G-Men.

Taking the points against Green Bay (6) and picking the 49ers to win.

Taking Seattle with the points (11) to cover against Minn.

Taking the points and Redskins to cover 11 against my Boys (even though the Cowboys win

Taking Tampa Bay with the points to cover 10.5 against the Saints.

Giving the points (9) and taking the Cardinals to win.

Giving the points and picking the Patriots to cover 11 against the Jets.

Giving the points (9) and taking the Bengals to win.

Giving the points (6) and taking the Chargers to win.

Giving the points and taking Eagles to cover 3 against the Bears.

Taking the points and Tennessee to beat Houston by 4.

Enjoy!

Have a look here at the first part of my presentation at the Thorngate Halls on Friday evening : The News.

This was followed by many questions from the floor – they may be available on the Conservative’s website shortly -will keep you posted.

Thank you so much to those of you who have got in touch to encourage me and offer your support – it is much appreciated. I wouldn’t be in the Gosport Constituency selection if I didn’t think that my background of growing up in the area and service in the NHS, combined with my passion for local regeneration, experience in policy advising in Westminster and as a small business entrepreneur could all be used to serve you here in the constituency.

I sincerely believe that I can deliver the new investment, new enthusiasm and new vision that the area needs based on a foundation of trust built up through working with some of our most disadvantaged and vulnerable in society through my work in the NHS.

I am hearing different stories about why the ballots for the postal primary have been delayed. The good news is that they now all seem to have arrived; the bad news is that not everyone will have found out about tonight’s public meeting in time. However if you can’t make it and you would still like to meet me I will be at the Gosport Market tomorrow morning, at the Conservative Club for lunch, then visiting Lee-on-the Solent and Stubbington Shops.  You can also read moreabout me in the article in The News this week, and feel free to contact me on my email julia4gosport@btinternet.com.

Indianapolis Colts to beat the Baltimore Ravens
This will be another tough game for the Colts but they have the offence to cope with all the schemes that the Ravens will bring. They will need another huge game from Manning and either Wayne or Clark but these players are capable of producing big numbers every week.

Dallas Cowboys to beat the Washington Redskins
For some reason I think that this will be a lot closer than many people think since I was impressed with the Redskins last week and totally unimpressed with the Cowboys offence last week. Plus the Redskins have a pretty good record in recent years down at Dallas. Look for Santana Moss to have his usual big game versus the Cowboys secondary but I still think Dallas should be good enough to win this game.

Detroit Lions to beat the Cleveland Browns
Surely even the Lions can beat the Browns, since they are easily the worst team in the NFL right now.

Green Bay Packers to beat the San Francisco 49ers
The Packers showed they still have enough quality to win against tough opposition last week and the 49ers are nowhere near as good as the Cowboys are. So I will be looking for the defence of the Packers to have another big game and for Rodgers to get some more points on the board.

Jacksonville Jaguars to beat the Buffalo Bills
The Bills finally did the right thing and fired Jauron but that isn’t going to instantly make this team any better though you may get the odd player uping their game to show off to the new coach. Not so sure about them signing Brohm either but I’ll wait a while before passing judgement on that. MJD and the Jags should have more than enough to beat the Bills.

Pittsburgh Steelers to beat the Kansas City Chiefs
This is an ideal game for Pittsburgh after their huge loss to the Bengals last week. Playing the Chiefs should allow them to get ahead early and let their defence have some fun. I will be looking for big games from Mendenhall and Roethlisberger.

Minnesota Vikings to beat the Seattle Seahawks
Favre and co will be looking for another win this weekend versus a poor Seahawks team. Percy Harvin will also be looking to impress yet again.

Atlanta Falcons to beat the New York Giants
Matt Ryan and Roddy White will have been looking forward to playing this banged up Giants secondary all week and I just don’t see things getting any easier for Eli and the Giants.

New Orleans Saints to beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Yes Josh Freeman has played well so far but the Tampa defence is still not good enough to cope with an offence like the Saints. Well done Reggie Bush last week who showed so of the magic that made him such a high draft pick.

Arizona Cardinals to beat the St Louis Rams
Kurt Warner will show the Rams fans why his new team has been compared to his Rams team in the past. Fitzgerald will look to have a big game. Only question remain is whether or not the Cardinals can slow down Jackson who is playing great.

San Diego Chargers to beat the Denver Broncos
Denver is in free fall and the Chargers are on the charge. Then you add in the fact that Orton is unlikely to start and this looks like an easy victory for Rivers and co.

New England Patriots to beat the New York Jets
The Jets early season form is a thing of the past and they just don’t look like a team that can go to New England and get a result.

Cincinnati Bengals to beat the Oakland Raiders
Finally Tom Cable did something right in Oakland and that was to bench the biggest draft pick for ages, JaMarcus Russell. Yet again Russell has shown that arm strength just isn’t that important in the NFL. Cutler and Russell seem to be fighting to be the next Jeff George. The Bengals while beat up will easily take care of this poor Raiders team.

Philadelphia Eagles to beat the Chicago Bears
Cutler is a joke and the Eagles are playing well so this should be an easy win for the Eagles plus all of Cutlers bad games have come during evening games.

Tennessee Titans to beat the Houston Texans
Now if the Titans wear their old uniforms for this one will the locals know who to support? The Titans are on a roll and I expect them to keep it going with a win versus the Texans. Though this could turn into a bit of a shoot out.