wv wrote:

I think I’d like them to go after
George Blanda.

w
v

Blanda was from Pennsylvania. I can understand that you’d want a Pennsylvania guy behind center for the team but since he’s passed away I believe the better choice is Joe “Wille” Namath. He’s been there before. And he’s from Pennsylvania.

And being from Pennsylvania is the important thing anyway.

I got very limited Rams gear this year.

I got a new and very cool hat and I got several wristbands.

That’s it for the Rams gear. It’s not like I don’t have a ton of stuff already. I do have to get a current Rams players jersey though and as it stands right now I think I’ll look for Quinn or Donald.

My other interest besides the Rams, is reading(got several new Kindle books with my Amazon gift card) and the big expense–books on card sleights and a DVD as well. I have to slow that down at some point–I’m growing out of my bookshelf and I will never, in my lifetime master or for that matter even learn half of the material I have aquired over the years.

Still, it’s interesting. Card tricks are puzzles in a lot of ways. There are few these days I can’t figure out anymore.

Speaking of that–I have completed my “Columbo” DVD collection as well—got every episode–even the new ones when he came back to reprise the role.

Best Columbo episodes:

1.) “A Stitch in Crime” (Season 2)1973: Leonard Nimoy is the killer and it has perhaps the best ending–just when it looks like Columbo has been beaten. Columbo shows a rare flash of anger in this one.

2.)”An Exercise in Fatality” (Season 4) 1974: Robert Conrad is the evildoer in this one and I love the way that Columbo finds the well placed and interesting clues and the ultimate inevitable outcome.

3.)”Now You See Him” (Season 5) 1976: Jack Cassidy, a recurring bad guy(he made two other appearances)is great as a magician who was onstage at the time of the murder(or was he?). This is one where Columbo discovers something with a new sort of technology(something he does quite often)that is funny to look back on years later considering how far we’ve come–but clever nonetheless. It’s the sort of episode that makes you realize there is no perfect crime. As Columbo says: “It’s(the perfect crime) an illusion.”

The newer episodes starting in 1989 are a bit campier than even the older ones and some of them take the Columbo character in a direction that doesn’t quite feel right. The older ones are the classics–still the best. There are a few of the newer ones that remain true though to the spirit of the show and show some cleverness.

Currently I’m reading, “The Martian” which I picked up for my Kindle for 3 bucks.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Martian-Novel-Andy-Weir-ebook/dp/B00EMXBDMA

The technical aspects of the book are way, way, way over my head so I’m just kind of going with it. My understanding is that the book was heavily researched and uses good hard science to tell the story of an astronaut stranded by himself on Mars and how he uses various pieces of technology at his disposal to survive on the harsh planet.

Apparently it’s being made into a film next year but the script is going to need a lot of work because the book is written as a log–very internal thinking. I just started it so I don’t know what’s ahead.

Here’s a tidbit about the author:

Publishing history[edit]
Andy Weir, the son of a particle physicist, has a background in computer science. He began writing the book in 2009, researching the book to be as realistic as possible based on existing technology.[5] Weir studied orbital mechanics, astronomy, and the history of manned spaceflight.[8]

Having been rebuffed by literary agents when trying to get prior books published, Weir decided to put the book online in serial format one chapter at a time for free at his website.[5] At the request of fans he made an Amazon Kindle version available through Amazon.com at 99 cents (the minimum he could set the price).[5] The Kindle edition rose to the top of Amazon’s list of best-selling science-fiction titles, where it sold 35,000 copies in three months.[5] This garnered the attention of publishers: Podium Publishing, an audiobook publisher, signed for the audiobook rights in January 2013. Weir sold the print rights to Crown in March 2013 for six figures.[5]

The book debuted on the New York Times Best Seller list on March 2, 2014 in the hardcover fiction category at twelfth position

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Martian_%28Weir_novel%29

Okay–so, I’ve talked a little Rams stuff, went through my Christmas gifts, worked in my favorite “Columbo” episodes and ended with some information on the book I’m reading.

And all this started with Mac’s post on speakers.

You just never know where these threads will go.

You never do.

QB Index: Which QBs will be available in 2015?

By Gregg Rosenthal

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000449237/article/qb-index-which-qbs-will-be-available-in-2015

Twenty teams hit the offseason on Monday. Far too many of them will be searching for a quarterback, with far too few options available. We decided to use this week’s QB Index to look at the potential free-agent and trade market for veteran quarterbacks.

The short version: It’s not pretty.

I rank the best free agents available later in the column, but let’s start with some bigger names who will still be under contracts.

Trade candidates

Jay Cutler: Two weeks ago, I listed which teams should be searching for a quarterback in 2015. The Chicago Bears were listed as the “X-factor” but that came before Jay Cutler’s benching. Now it’s essentially expected that Cutler will be elsewhere next season. It won’t be easy to deal Cutler because he has $15.5 million guaranteed due, but the Bears could potentially find a suitor in exchange for a late-round pick if they just want to dump salary and start over. This hinges on whether coach Marc Trestman is back in Chicago next season. If not, will the next Bears coach want to be the next man to take a swing and miss at fixing Cutler?

Geno Smith: Geno suggested that a new coach in New York could be a good thing, but there’s a chance that a new general manager and coach will look to see if Smith could fetch a mid-round pick in a trade. It’s more likely that any new regime will give Smith a chance to battle for a starting job as QB option 1B.

Mike Glennon: Lovie Smith clearly has no use for Glennon despite all the promise he’s shown in 18 career starts. Smith isn’t going anywhere, so perhaps Glennon will. We have to believe that some team out there will be intrigued by the aggressiveness Glennon has shown in two seasons. He’s better than some starters out there and might only cost a mid-to-late round pick for the last two years of his contract.

Robert Griffin III: NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport has reported that Griffin is likely to be back in Washington. The Redskins have invested so much in him, and owner Dan Snyder is determined not to start over at the position. Coach Jay Gruden seems far more ambivalent in his public comments and action. We suspect another team could pry away RGIII for the right price, but it’s hard to imagine there will be a ton of interest. Value in the NFL changes fast.

EJ Manuel: The Bills won’t even start Manuel in Week 17 to get a look at him again, even with Kyle Orton struggling badly down the stretch. That speaks volumes that they don’t see a future for the No. 16 overall pick of the 2013 draft.

Free Agents

1. Mark Sanchez: Will playing so-so in Chip Kelly’s system really rehabilitate his value that much? It would be a surprise if any free agent available got starter money. Sanchez is a 1B option.

2. Brian Hoyer: The more he played this season, the more he looked like a high quality backup.

3. Ryan Mallett: It sounds like the Texans want Mallett back, and there probably won’t be a ton of competition for him.

4. Jake Locker: He’s genuinely shown flashes of quality starter play, but his durability concerns make him a flier free-agent pickup.

5. Michael Vick: We’re nearing the end of the line here, but he should still be able to get work.

Others: Matt Moore, Shaun Hill, Colt McCoy, Tarvaris Jackson, Christian Ponder, Jimmy Clausen, Blaine Gabbert.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Do you people know the amount of hours I spend with you helpless Rams addicts every year?

I’ve lost track. But it’s time well spent. 🙂

As angry as we are personally, coaches never act like we are the final judges. I don’t think you can actually BE a coach and think that way.

Unless you can think of examples of coaches who did act that way…that is, that they owe humble self-confession to angry fans after a bad loss before they have even seen the film.

Nick Wagoner ‏@nwagoner 3m3 minutes ago
Rams coach Jeff Fisher said C Scott Wells has been playing through injuries but said Wells has to fix snap issues which came up today.

Okay–Bernie tweeted this from some guy who covers the GiantsL

Tom Rock @TomRock_Newsday · 18m 18 minutes ago
Also from 53: “They suck as an organization.”
0 replies 14 retweets 8 favorites
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Tom Rock @TomRock_Newsday · 18m 18 minutes ago
McClain coming off field: ” That dirty —- don’t make you tough! G– damn that’s a dirty-a– team!”

ARE the Rams a dirty team?

Is that what they’ve become?

Or is that unfair and just a reputation because of Greg Williams?

Any thoughts?

If Scott Wells is the best you have at center–you have NO center.

Trumaine Johnson—someone forgot to wake him up and tell him there was a football game today.

The Rams defense—–if someone can find them please return them to St. Louis.

UFC influence, Greg Williams influence? What was it today that had the Rams players more interested in fighting than in playing football? Did Williams put something in their heads about Beckham? Did he get them so worked up they couldn’t see straight? They played angry–not smart. Not smart at all.

If the Rams are trying to preserve or improve draft position today was a big win.

Offensive line—why so much confusion? Was 10 days too much to prepare?

Oh well–and so it goes.

Onto next week, I can see another Brawl Game in that one.

At least Beckham won’t be playing.

He said there would be no team moving to L.A. next year but he said NOTHING about them moving to Pennsylvania!!!!

There’s hope!!!!

Come on Rams!!!!!!!

He became more unraveled as the game went on and he didn’t have any early support from his team. He did find out that what he did in college won’t work in the pros. He used to love to scramble and float up the ball at the last instant so Mike Evans could jump up and grab it.

That didn’t work out so well against the Bengals.

sdram, you need know nothing else but the fact that the new nominee–Antonio Weiss, is another Wall Street man.

That’s the game–and they don’t even care anymore who knows it.

By the way–where is former secretary Timothy Geithner today? Wall Street.

It’s a revolving door of corruption.

Few people pay attention or care, really.

Bill Moyers had an interesting interview with the editor of Harper’s and he asked what can people do? How can an Elizabeth Warren win against so much money for the Clinton’s or other Wall Street servants(my word)? He said the only real way was the Howard Dean model–ordinary people giving a hundred dollars here and there. And both parties pretty much conspired to destroy Dean anyway.

But the alternative was revolt in the streets or–and this is depressing–acceptance.

People adjust and accept after awhile. You see it in 3rd world countries where the wealthy have everything. That could happen here–and I’m thinking it probably will. Occupy Wall Street lasted a little while and now it’s pretty much gone. As more and more wealth is stolen people will rise from time to time and then accept and be done with it. They will adjust.

That’s just the way it is and the road we’re on.

The Sanders and Warrens of the world have little chance in reality.

It’s depressing but it’s what I feel like I’m watching.

No answers, really.

Our government is a joke.

They don’t represent “the people” anymore–they represent the wealthy. That’s the bottom line. Everything else is just song and dance.

They continue to tear apart Dodd-Frank which was put in place to help prevent another economic bailout and meltdown. Well–guess what? The casino tables are open and they can play with taxpayer money. Great job, congress. there is no reason to allow this at all–but Jamie Dimon wanted it so Jamie Dimon got it.

Corporate welfare at its finest.

And yet–in my Facebook or in emails I’ll still get how us poor taxpayers are on the hook for all the food stamp fraud and how these deadbeats should be tossed aside…maybe even eliminate these social programs. It’s not a drop of water in the river of money that flows to the top but most people will shrug and say–that’s how the system works when it comes to wealth giveaways.

But some poor bastard on medicaid? Horrible. Spending to fix infrastructure? Why we’d be robbing from our children for such a terrible debt.

Social security? Just eliminate it or raise the retirement age past death. Too expensive.

They are all a bunch of jackassess taking care of themselves and the corporations that own them.

That’s what they do.

That’s their function.

• This reply was modified 10 years ago by PA Ram.

That’s at least 22 Qbs in the mix as starters for their team who were drafted in the first round.

Brady and Romo were the longshots who made it.

Beyond that there isn’t much below round #3.

This suggests that starters need to come from the first few rounds–especially the first 2 rounds.

Now the interesting question to me is if this is all because of talent or if it is more because of teams investing in the development of the #1s more. Warner was cast aside in Green Bay and almost didn’t make it in St. Louis but somehow he got through, got an opportunity and took off. He was special.

But I would think the Rams have no choice but to select their QB within the first two rounds or trade for the high rounder who is being pushed aside.

Of course they do have the 1st rounder on the roster–if he can stay healthy.

Fisher may have no comment on Arians belittling of the team now–but he won’t forget it.

They play twice next year.

Arians better hope he wins.

He also better hope he gets to a Superbowl. At least Fisher has been to one.

What goes around….

I only saw the end of the game. I have it on DVR but probably won’t watch it. I did manage to listen on the radio at work and became increasingly frustrated with the offense.

In any case–the Rams have clearly not arrived yet.

There are holes to fill.

They need to find the QB to lead them, they need a better offensive line.

Still work to do.

And I can see another 7-9 year.

As for the Cards–they just look like a better coached team to me.

They have smart coaches.

The Rams look like a team without answers sometimes.

Still–they had their chance and a play here or there could have produced a different outcome. But the offense tonight?

Yuck.