Fake Concern for Hitchens

I've given Christopher Hitchens a tough time in the past.  A well-deserved tough time, I might add.  But now he has cancer and I can't/won't bring myself to give a guy with cancer a tough time.  Ok, maybe a little.  But I'll keep it to a minimum.  Anyway, apparently some Christians decided to make last Monday "Everybody Pray for Hitchens Day".  For his part, Hitchens will not participate.  Say what you will about Hitchens (and I certainly am not afraid to), but if I were Hitchens I think I would be offended at this idea.  How can this be justified as more than ad hoc concern?   If people truly care about Mr. Hitchens won't they pray for him on days other than September 20, 2010?  To me this just wreaks of a publicity stunt at the expense of a man dying of esophageal cancer.  Declaring a public day of prayer for an arch-enemy of your faith is uncomfortably reminiscent of the Pharisees who made sure their piousness was seen publicly only to be classified hypocrites and snakes when Jesus confronted them.  Undoubtedly there are some who are sincere in their prayers for Hitchens...I just don't see why they feel this is the best way to show that concern.

The Megatron Incident

Ordinarily I try to keep this blog about politics, religion, philosophy, etc.  Trust me, I'm not trying to turn it into a sports blog.  That being said, I am a die-hard Detroit Lions fan so I would be betraying myself if I didn't post about the disaster that was the opening game of the season against the Chicago Bears.  I took away six important issues from the game:

1.   Brandon Pettigrew will go down as the worst draft pick in the first three years of the post-Millen era in Detroit.  Why?  Because he was picked as a way to bolster our offensive line ahead of Michael Oher.  When you have Jeff Backus sucking it up and left tackle because Gosder Cherilus proved to be incapable of playing that position in the NFL, why in God's name would you draft a tight end to bolster the line above a left tackle?  Well, it's official - Stafford has now been injured in 3 of his first 11 starts.  Sunday's injury was a direct result of Backus's dwindling ability to play that position.

2.  Jahvid Best is not the second coming of Barry Sanders.  Don't get me wrong - I like Jahvid Best.  But he is now getting to experience what Barry experienced his entire career: the ineptitude of the Lions offensive line.  14 carries for 20 yards is simply not going to get it done.  It's not Jahvid's fault, but that's little consolation.

3.  Matt Stafford should offer to take a pay cut if it means figuring out a way to get a new left tackle.  His health is on the line.  And money can't buy health (usually).  Really at this point I'd say his career is on the line.  It's very difficult for a guy to experience so many injuries early on and still turn in to a productive NFL player (see: Charles Rogers).  Obviously I'm being hyperbolic with the pay cut comment.  My point is simply that the Lions are wrong if they think their tackle situation is ok for the time being.

4.  The Lions defense may just be a lot more stout than originally anticipated.  This is not due to an unexpectedly solid secondary.  It is due to a truly dominant defensive line.  The Lions made their first legitimate goal-line stand in....I don't know how long, but trust me - it's been a long time.  The harassed Jay Cutler all day long and completely contained the running game.  A truly impressive performance by a unit that has been less than miserable since losing Shawn Rodgers to the Browns.

5.  Calvin Johnson, while typically an excellent and smart football player, had the worst game of his short career.  He caught 4 passes for 45 yards.  He dropped two passes, which he almost never does.  And then he dropped the third.  Unquestionably the most crucial catch of his career and the catch that would have given the Lions their first road win since September of 2007, and Calvin was so excited to get up and celebrate that he forgot to leave no doubt on the catch.  Consequently the Lions are a really, really bad 0-1.  Yes, I said it - it's Calvin's fault.

6.  The NFL is incapable of making rules that are easily interpreted.  Remember the "tuck rule"?  Yesterday the Megatron Incident reminded us what the receiving equivalent of that rule is.  Have a read:

If a player goes to the ground in the act of catching a pass (with or without contact by an opponent), he must maintain control of the ball after he touches the ground, whether in the field of play or the end zone. If he loses control of the ball, and the ball touches the ground before he regains control, the pass is incomplete. If he regains control prior to the ball touching the ground, the pass is complete.  (Courtesy of Kevin Siefert)


Here's the video.  At what point does "the act of catching a pass" end?  At what point can the refs determine that "he touches the ground"?  Did Calvin lose control of the ball before the ball touched the ground?  If so, when?  If not, then shouldn't this rule be irrelevant to what happened after he let it touch the ground?  This is not "black and white" as the NFL has said.  Calvin's catch could easily fit as a catch within this rule if (a) Calvin's two feet and butt touching the ground qualifies as "going to the ground"; (b) Calvin is deemed to have had control of the ball during that entire process of "going to the ground".  Why should the "process" be determined to last after both feet and a butt have all hit while retaining possession?  I see no reason whatsoever as to why this rule necessitated the ruling given on the field.  This needs to be fixed, and fast.

It Appears My Hypocracy Knows No Bounds

That's right, I'm a hypocrite.  For I have done something I swore I would never do: I joined the NEA.

I assure you it was not by choice.  Nay.  I was required to do so in order to do my student teaching this coming spring.  I know you're all disappointed in me.  I feel legitimately dirty inside.  I'm going to need to drink a whole 24 pack of PBR just to prove I'm still a good American after this.

2010 NFL Preview

My goal for my football preview is simple: do better than I did in my baseball preview.  I like to set the bar low.

AFC East: Patriots
AFC West: Chargers
AFC North: Ravens
AFC South: Colts
Wild Card 1: Texans
Wild Card 2: Jets
AFC Champions: Texans

NFC East: Giants
NFC West: 49ers
NFC North: Packers
NFC South: Saints
Wild Card 1: Cowboys
Wild Card 2: Vikings
NFC Champions: Packers

DROY: Eric Berry
OROY: Ryan Mathews
MVP: Aaron Rodgers

Super Bowl Champions: Packers

No, I don't expect to be correct.  But I refused to pick repeats when possible to not call the repeat.  But I definitely wouldn't be shocked to see a Saints repeat.