NFL Report

    And a better record than the Dallas Cowboys!  And the Arizona Cardinals, but we don't wanna talk about that.

Chess on Television

    Once upon a time, back in the 80's or 90's, PBS televised a major chess match.  I don't recall now who the two players were, but they had commentators (not at the actual site of the game, of course, but back at the studio) and everything.

    Full Disclosure I've been a chess fanatic all my life.  So believe me when I say, there is NOTHING more boring than watching a chess game on TV.

Halloween Warning

   Really.  You can't be too careful nowadays.

The Washington Redskins - A Recap

    While it is true that my Washington Redskins biffed in the first round of the playoffs, it was still a very successful season for us.  A 9-7 record, winning the division, making it to post-season.  And of course, whacking the daylights out of the Dallas Cowboys in Week 16.

    We are still not a top-tier team.  Even if we had beaten Green Bay, Arizona or Carolina would've slaughtered us in the second round.  But we're finally beyond all those draft picks we gave up for RG3.  And our offensive and defensive lines are no longer pitiful.

    So there's a lot to look forward to next season.

Super Bowl Memes

    There are hundreds of Super Bowl memes out there, some of which aren't about the Katy Perry halftime farce.  Of all of them, this is my favorite.

Go Seahawks!

    I've never been a fan of the New England Patriots, although I'd cheer for them if they were playing the Dallas Cowboys.  I'm not a big Seattle Seahawks fan either, but I will definitely be cheering for them in the Super Bowl.

Arizona 28 - Dallas 17

    So let me get this straight.  There's just one NFL team anymore with only one loss?  And that is...?

The Washington Flamingos

    I have been a Washington Redskins fan for decades.  To be precise, ever since 1969, when the legendary Vince Lombardi coached them for a single season.

    Since then, the ownership has changed at least once; personnel changes have occurred on a regular basis; and uniforms and logos have changed quite often.

    It doesn't matter.  My loyalty/fandom is to the team itself, no matter who is playing for them, what color the uniforms are, what the logo looks like, and how badly ownership is meddling in the affairs of football.

    It is easy to see why the moniker "Redskins" is offensive to some.  It would be a great gesture on the organization's part to voluntarily change it to something else.  Hold a contest.  Get people's input.  Put some excitement into the name-change.

    I will be happy with whatever new name is selected.  It can be the "Fighting Flamingos" for all I care.  Hell, if it puts a spark into our rather moribund offense, I'm all for it.

    Naturally, a 100%-healthy RG3 with good QB mechanics would also be a welcome boost.

Eagles-Lions game today

    We ate lunch at Applebee's today, and they had the Eagles-Lions game on.  In Philadelphia.  In a fricking blizzard.  Tackling consisted mostly of just pushing the runner.  There was no traction, so down he'd go.  Passing was atrocious.  Punt returns were exciting though.

    However, it was fun to watch it all in the warm comfort of a restaurant booth.

Demotivational Wednesday

    What can you expect from a Conference that can't even remember how many teams are in it?

Football is here!

   And hopefully it will be a good year for my Washington Redskins, Arizona Cardinals, ASU Sun Devils, and Penn State Nittany Lions.  Although things look grim for PSU.

ASU 43 - USC 22

    You!  Yes, you!  Yer going down, suckah!

    And they did.  I stayed up way past my bedtime Saturday night to watch this glorious ASU victory.  First time we beat the Trojans in a dozen years.  Even longer since we beat them here in Tempe.

RIP - Don Meredith

"Dandy" Don Meredith

b. : 10 April 1938

d. : 05 December 2010

. Yeah, I'm a Redskins fan. So we don't give a lot of press here to ex-Dallas Cowboys. But Don Meredith was the epitome of class. A good football player, and an excellent announcer on Moday Night Football. .

ASU 30 - UofA 29

It's been a miserable season for my Arizona State University Sun Devils, but at least it ended on a high note last night, when we whupped the Arizona Wildcats 30-29 in double-overtime. Blocking two extra point attempts, which was the margin of victory. . No, we won't be going to a Bowl game - for the third year in a row now. But we knocked UA down a couple of pegs. And we did it in Tucson, no less. .

So congratulations Sun Devils!! It makes me kinda wish I had remembered to watch it.

We're baaaackk!

Well, maybe not quite. The offense didn't score a touchdown; McNabb's quarterback rating was atrocious; the running game sucked; and we took three points off the scoreboard in exchange for a first down, then didn't get any points out of the drive. . Still, the more-talented Cowboys played worse than we did, and in the end my Redskins won 13-7. One win does not make a playoff-bound team, but even if we lose the next 15 games, we'll still come away knowing we split our two games with Dallas.

College Football is here!

First games is this coming Thursday night; then a full slate of games on Saturday. My two alma maters - Arizona State and Penn State - both look to be rather shaky on offense. It threatens to be an exceptionally long season for ASU. .

Everyone is picking Alabama to win it all again - but that's mostly because they finished #1 at the end of last season. Lots of teams have a legitimate shot at the title; it's all a matter of who catches the breaks.

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My prediction for the championship game? Let's go with Ohio State 24 - Oklahoma 10. Don't ask me why.