Good article, good thread.

I like the fact that the writer actually noticed that it was Detroit (not Belichick) that really started the ‘adjustment’ to McVay’s offense.

I am somewhat surprised that nowhere in the article is reference made to Gurley’s arthritic knee and load-management. I mean, geez, the guy was ALL-World before the knee deteriorated. Its like when Faulk wore down during the GSOT — itz a big fucking deal. You dont replace a Gurley or a Faulk. Not even with a Steven Jackson.
So part of the problem is not going away. Part of the problem is they lost an all-world duel-threat RB.

Then there’s the OLine mess which everyone has talked about. Age, injuries, youth, maybe some wrong choices.

The good thing iz, an Oline can be rebuilt in one year, without a number one draft pick.

The bad-thing iz, you dont just go out and find a Faulk or a Gurley without a number one draft pick.

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I’m developing a new hypothesis about football. Its a little ‘out there’ but I’m beginning to think Quarterbacks look pretty good when they have pass protection.

I cant prove it. Just an idea I’m toying with.

7-5

Seahawks, Cowboys, 49ers, Cards.

I’m thinking 9-7, myself.

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zn wrote:

wv wrote:

Enh. I guess what i object to (mildly) is the use of the term “educated.”
I would have phrased it “college-educated” I suppose.

Billy_T wrote:

I was bothered a lot by the “uneducated” thing.

Point taken.

Yet we ourselves talk about the corporatitized dumbing down of the public.

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Well, i have no doubt I’m a hypocrite in a gajillion ways, and i dont have any clear, unified, solutions-thots on this stuff, but when i talk about a dummed-down public i AINT talkin about the Trump Voters. I’m talkin about the Harvard PHDs as well.

For example, if i was doin a video like that, mine would be about how dummed down the college-educated folks were AS WEll AS the never-been-to-college folks. My vid would be about how dummed-down you have to be to vote mainstream-DEM as well as how dummed down you have to be to vote Republican.

That video seemed to me like the usual stuff we get from libs about how smart the libs are and how dum the Reps are.

In my view things are way worse than just dummed-down-trump-voters. Thats only half the story.

Having said that, I like that guy in the vid. This is just my usual magnifying minor differences, probly.

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Well. I dunno. It doesn’t seem all that mysterious to me.

OLine. Gurley.

Themz two very big minuses. The addition of Kupp couldnt make up for them minuses.

I think McVay just needs to throw out the Ravens game. The Ravens destroyed Belichicks defense. Nobody knows how to stop LJ right now.
Though, I think it was James Harrison or some ex-NFL-pundit who basically said, the way to stop Lamar Jackson is to injure him on those running plays. Forget the ball. Just blast him a handful of times. Thats what he said.

Thats probly gonna happen.

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I think the most interesting game of the year is coming up: 49ers vs Baltimore.

SF has as good a Defense as there is in the NFL now, so if the Ravens destroy the 49ers, maybe it means the Ravens are just one of those generational teams. Like the 85 Bears.

If the 49ers make it a close game, then maybe that means…we can look forward to another Ring for Tom Brady.

Btw, did RG3 throw a long bomb late in the game after the Rams wuz already stomped — did i see that in the hi-lites?

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nittany ram wrote:

wv wrote:

I think Capitalism has an easier road than socialism because capitalism taps into our darker-innate-selves. But I dunno. Maybe i just think that because I’ve been raised in a capitalist dystopia. Maybe If I’d been raised in a traditional tribal society I’d think cooperation was more of an easily accessible innate quality.

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I think humans are incredibly complex and adaptable. We have the innate capacity to be a great many things. The tribal society would select for altruism and cooperation because that’s what’s needed in a hunter-gatherer society, whereas self-interest is probably favored in a capitalist society.

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Agree on the “incredibly complex and adaptable.” Agree on “innate capacity to be a great many things.”

But maybe some innate-traits are more easily triggered than others. Sure seems like ‘fear’ is easier to tap into than, say, ‘understanding’ or ‘universal love.’

Just the fact that ‘tribal’ societies exist may indicate, humans are designed to form ‘tribes’. Which kinda leads to ‘tribe vs tribe’ type behavior. One tribe fears the ‘other.’ Fear.

I mean why didnt humans evolve with the dominant-idea being ‘universal love’ for all tribes, beings, creatures?

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I’m mildly surprised the Guardian published that. They are kindof a fake-liberal publication in my view. They are the equivalent of Tony Blair.

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I wonder if there is resentment among the players toward Weddle now.

Mangini was asked about the Patriots chances against the Ravens and he suggested that maybe you have to risk hitting them with a ton of pressure and not sitting back in zone like the Rams did.
He also was skeptical about L.Jackson having a long career the way he throws his body around.

So will the Rams just fall apart now? Or will they finish with a winning record?

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zn wrote:

Gil Brandt

1) NFC West

It’s amazing to think how far this division has come.

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Could end up being the best top-to-bottom-version of the NFC West in history.

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Billy_T wrote:

I’m saying that if the issue is the duopoly, and the system, and the concentration of wealth and power, inequality, etc. etc. . . . Trump is huge part of that ongoing problem. He and the GOP are a major part of all that. And prior to the 2018 election, Trump and the GOP held all branches of government. But it seemed that “Russiagate” just screwed with their critical abilities, so they wrote, at times, as if the Dems held all the power, and not Trump and the GOP. That the latter were “victims” of deep, dark powers that leftists should focus on above all else.

That aided and abetted Trump and the GOP, and it was hopelessly one-sided as critique…

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Well I just dont see it the same way. I cant really say anything I haven’t already said many times.
I agree with Noam/Hedges/Dore/Greenwald/Mate/Lee-Camp. They are all leftists and I agree with their take on russiagate.
You are also a leftist and you have a different take on it.

Let a thousand leftist-flowers bloom 🙂

I just dont see how saying things like “The GOP is the most dangerous organization on the face of the Earth” Noam — and “Trump should have been impeached in his first six months” Hedges — etc etc, is somehow avoiding criticizing Trump.

I think they(me) criticize Trump all the time. They(me) just dont buy into the russiagate stuff or the syria stuff. Doesnt mean we give aid and comfort to Trump. Just means we have a different frame-critique of Trump/Dems/System.

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PS — Just want to add one more thing. I will say this about Hedges/Dore — They talk endlessly about supporting Leftist Policies. They talk endlessly about the evils of Corporate-Capitalist Imperialism, and other mainstream corporate-capitalist atrocities. And they talk a lot about various nefarious GOP players, including the old ones like Bush, Reagan, etc.

But. I will grant you they do not expressly pick on Trump that much. And sometimes they defend him in a way. By that I mean they dont USE THE DEMOCRAT PLAYBOOK for attacking Trump. They never go along with the DEMOCRAT version of “whats wrong with Trump.” And oftentimes they dispute the DEMOCRAT reasoning about “whats wrong with Trump.” The do ‘that’ a LOT.

Now one could interpret ‘that’ dynamic as being ‘pro Trump.’ But one would have to totally ignore the endless anti-righwing diatribes they have recorded in order to come the conclusion they were pro-trump. You’d also have to ignore the endless support they have recorded for LEFTIST (not Democrat) policies.

Having said all that, maybe you are right in this sense — Maybe they should do some particular shows detailing a LEFTIST critique of what is wrong with Trump.
Maybe they should do some of that. Its a fair criticism.

I think i know why they dont, but maybe they should.

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