zn wrote:

Nothing has happened yet, and La Canfora’s reports about the Redskins have been…hit or miss.

It’s been my observation that La Confora’s reports on everything are hit or miss. Either his connections play him a little bit, or he infers too much from what he is given. But I would think it’s a safe bet he is right on this one. It would really make sense for Wes to join LA if he is, in fact, offered that position. Those three guys are obviously close, and if McVay is serious about still being the playcaller, a former assistant coach to McVay would make sense there.

wv wrote:

Yes, agreed, Zooey. Sigh.

…and yet….there was the Bernie phenomenon. A small flickering light in the darkness, perhaps.

Its all we got.

w
v

It’s all we got.

And yet Cory Booker and 10 or 11 other democrats voted against the pharmaceutical amendment Sanders proposed.

Really, the only hope is to convert some Trump supporters into Sanders supporters, and I don’t know how you do that without a vast propaganda network, and leftists don’t own that.

Okay, now I’ve watched the Hedges thing, and the first thing I am compelled to say is that those Hawk silhouettes flitting across the screen are the most irritating thing I have seen on any news show, and news has had increasingly irritating visual pollution since about 1980.

This thread and the Greenwald thread seem to be merging.

The way I see it is that neoliberalism and fascism are pretty much the same thing. The difference is in degree, rather than kind. Neoliberalism is polite fascism. Polite fascism is better than impolite fascism in some respects, although there is the possibility that impolite fascism will be resisted more forcefully. I mean…even the Clintonistas may get on board for opposing the excesses we get to witness over the next four years (or more).

What has been unleashed now is unapologetic neoliberalism, economic policy which no longer pretends to have gone to finishing school. This is brazen. I liked the description of Trump as a conman. This new government – and I include congress as much or even more than Trump – just is no longer going to expend energy putting on a pretty face. They will come out and say whatever, contradict it tomorrow, blast their opponents ruthlessly, disregard facts, and just bulldoze their way through everything. Like McConnell, who literally complained that democrats were going to be obstructionists. Who literally complained that the hearings on the cabinet appointees shouldn’t be held up by the very rules that he used to hold up Obama’s appointments. They will just ram their way through everything, steal everything in sight, and keep throwing racist meat and patriotic bullshit at their pissed off base (who, apparently, will believe ANYTHING whatsoever, and may NEVER understand that they have been conned because there will never be a shortage of minorities and atheists to blame for everything).

As far as foreign policy goes, I think that comes down to industry interests.

The (few) neoliberals who are isolationist (like Trump might be), simply don’t have investments that require subjugating Poland or Syria. That’s the military-oil-finance billionaires. But some people who have more local empires just see that as an expense that doesn’t benefit them directly, and which creates unpleasant blowback. It’s a waste of money to them.

But Trump has no principles because he’s a narcissist. Narcissists only care about their personal image, about being better and more entitled than everyone else. He is malleable. And because of the people he has surrounded himself with, I think we can count on the military/oil/finance people carrying on with their destruction of the world, although it may be tempered slightly in the case of Russia. There’s still China to fuck with, and maybe they will compromise that way.

Okay. Well. Again, I just want to cry.

I am sure Mercer would be pleased to know that he and his companions have completely demoralized me once again.

There is nothing comparable happening on the left. And I use “left” here to include standard issue liberals.

These guys have written all the rules so that they can completely dominate the political game, completely control propaganda (with the small and temporary exception of the internet), shield their profits from taxes, and have riled up a large enough minority of people in this country to win the “culture war.” They are succeeding spectacularly even though they are a minority. And with Trump’s victory, the racists and militarists and jingoists are so emboldened, they won’t go away no matter what happens at polling stations. Their self-perception has changed from “persecuted minority” to “winners,” and they won’t accept defeat.

There is no pretty future. It looks to be like Greed has won the day.

Is it certain Phillips will switch to a 3-4? Has he always run a 3-4?

I read that he works to the strengths of the players he has, rather than trying to force people into roles they aren’t good at/capable of.

Hey, no worries. I got a million of ’em. I’m a laugh a minute.

Nah, both Garcon and Jackson are headaches. I’d rather re-sign Britt and get a WR in the draft. Juju Smith-Schuster is the 4th rated WR (I read somewhere), so he might be available at the top of the 2nd round. He is plenty good.

InvaderRam wrote:

well. reading about mcvay his strong points include his ability to connect with people. that’s an ability that vermeil excelled at. maybe shanahan is strong in x’s and o’s but not with the ability to form bonds. that’d be huge as a head coach i would think.

that’s also something fisher excelled at. players are fiercely loyal to him. i get that sense with mcvay.

Interesting point. You are certainly right about Vermeil. He was just that kind of guy. I used to work with a guy who played under Vermeil at UCLA. He was drafted by the George Allen Rams, then later traded to Buffalo where he played a few years before ending his career in the World Football League.

I worked with him a few years before I learned about his past. He never talked about it. And the only thing I could ever get him to really “open” about – I mean talk about freely – was Dick Vermeil.

I think Spags had a bit of that going for him, but he had zero talent to work with. As bad as those teams were, they played hard even after the season was lost.

Let’s hope McVay is that kind of leader. It only helps.

InvaderRam wrote:

i think this could be the guy to resurrect robert quinn? i wonder how he does as a standup edge rusher.

Been thinking about this all afternoon since the idea was first posed.

There is one player whose size and speed keeps coming to mind for me when I consider Quinn in this role: Charles Haley.

A guy who, coincidentally, also had back issues.

I just want to point out that Phillips is 40 years older than McVay. I dunno. I’m over 50, and I would have to “get over” being the boss of someone who is old enough to be my father.

I don’t know who Jimmy Dore is, but I kinda like him.

This is great.

McVay can coach the Rams for the next 40 years and make Tom Landry look like a temp.

nittany ram wrote:

Zooey wrote:

This is really no bueno.

It’s also mysterious because I heard on the radio last night that the deadline to make a decision was extended by two days until the 17th. Why would they get a two-day extension, then make the decision the same day, four days before the original deadline?

And I don’t get it. With the NFL money, plus the relocation fee, he’s got a billion dollars towards a $1.2 billion stadium in SD. He’s moving over $200 million. To a far less friendly fan base.

None of this makes any sense. Spanos, by all accounts WANTS to be in San Diego. Could the announcement of a move to LA be a last second bluff to shake some more money out of San Diego?

The thought has crossed my mind, but it is probably wishful thinking.

I wonder if some meeting is happening in San Diego. Why else extend the deadline two days? I mean…what for? Why did they extend the deadline for a decision by two days? Then announce early?

This is really no bueno.

It’s also mysterious because I heard on the radio last night that the deadline to make a decision was extended by two days until the 17th. Why would they get a two-day extension, then make the decision the same day, four days before the original deadline?

And I don’t get it. With the NFL money, plus the relocation fee, he’s got a billion dollars towards a $1.2 billion stadium in SD. He’s moving over $200 million. To a far less friendly fan base.

sanbagger wrote:

I wonder if the package deal rumors have swayed Elways thinkin?

For the record…I’m fine with the package deal…just not thrilled with daddy as a GM.

If Vance Joseph gets the job that could put Phillips on the street. VJ is a defensive guy and would MTL want his system and guys in place.

If it plays out like that, I would hope Shanahan gives Phillips a call from LA and has him fly out for a steak.

Ditto that.