I don't want to spend a lot of time on this, mostly because I don't have a lot of time right now, but also because I hate Major League Baseball.

Racist fan behaviour is suddenly big news due to the Atlanta baseball team being in the World Series. At Atlanta home games, attendees like to dress in costumes, paint their faces, and chant and do a hand and arm movement in unison. This behaviour is supposed to represent a caricature of Indigenous Peoples' dress and actions.  Indigenous People have long stated that they find such actions to be mocking and offensive.

And that's really where it should end.

It doesn't, though.

When you appropriate someone's culture, especially if it is in a crude, inaccurate, distorted, or farcical manner for your own enjoyment or entertainment, and the people whose culture you are ridiculing say that they are offended, what you should do is listen.

And stop doing it.

It was racist when you did it, even if unknowingly or unintentionally.

Don't say, "Well, I don't mean it that way,..," or "It's all in good fun...," or whatever. The harm you caused is real, regardless of intent.

Don't complain about cancel culture, the left, liberals, wokes, snowflakes, or whatever term you use when called out for your shitty behaviour. You're not the victim. No one is hurting you. Acting like a victim makes you the snowflake.

This is mostly a white people problem. It's a white people problem because it was white colonizers who came to "The New World," claimed it as their own, committed genocide against the Indigenous and First Nations Peoples, and brought enslaved Africans here. It is systems and practices and laws created by white people that oppressed BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People Of Colour) and continue to oppress them.

When someone who is BIPOC writes or speaks about systemic and other forms of racism, and uses the term "white people," they are discussing very real incidents and issues that are perpetrated by white people and/or perpetuated by these white-created hierarchies and institutions.

When white people hear BIPOC use "white people," and white people jump up and protest by saying, "Not all white people," they are arguing against something that was not said. "White people" is not the same as "all white people." When white people say "Not all white people," they are playing the victim. No one is hurting them. No one is oppressing them.

This is white fragility.

Anyone who reads my columns knows that I am frequently and extremely critical of the Kansas City football team and its fans. For example, I wrote in 2019:

"Their fans are a bunch of racist idiots who think that it’s good fun to imitate and mock indigenous peoples’ traditions and iconography."

Regarding the behaviour of the attendees of the Atlanta baseball team's home games, I would say the exact same thing.

In other words, the chop is racist.

Week Eight Picks
 
Winners in Bold
 
 
Sunday
 
 
Cincinnati at New York J
 
It’s been really interesting watching this Cincinnati team round into form. They stumbled a bit after their big win over Pittsburgh, narrowly beating Jacksonville the following week. After their next big game, a tough OT loss to Green Bay, they walloped Detroit. Facing a bad New York team this week after stomping Baltimore last week is the classic trap game situation, but this New York team is really bad, and Cincy is too good and too focused to stumble.
 
 
Tennessee at Indianapolis
 
Both of these teams are hitting their stride after rough starts. Indy’s got the running game going, and Carson Wentz’s play is improving. Tennessee has started winning mainly because Derrick Henry is in peak form, and AJ Brown has been tearing it up after a slow start. Henry is the key to Ryan Tannehill’s success with the play-action passing game, but they need their receiving corps to make plays. This is a really close matchup, and an important one as well for these division rivals.
 
 
Los Angeles R at Houston
 
In a vacuum, this one is a no-brainer.
 
 
Pittsburgh at Cleveland
 
So, it looks like Baker Mayfield will start this game, despite having a serious and painful injury to his non-throwing shoulder. I think it’s a mistake to play him; one good hit or awkward landing could cause him to miss significant time. I understand him wanting to play, though. He’s still on his rookie contract, and he’s playing, essentially, for a new and hopefully lucrative deal. Cleveland’s backup QB, Case Keenum, played well in a victory last week, and has experienced some success, including taking Minnesota to the NFC Championship game less than four years ago (Remember the “Minnesota Miracle?” That was Keenum throwing to Stefon Diggs.) If Mayfield gets hurt again, and Keenum takes over and plays well, it could cost Mayfield his starting job, and a whole lot more.
 
 
Philadelphia at Detroit
 
Detroit has played so hard for Dan Campbell and come so close to winning a few times this season. In a week where the last unbeaten team has been vanquished, wouldn’t it be fitting if the last winless team gets a victory?
 
 
San Francisco at Chicago
 
Both of these teams are pretty banged-up, especially on defense. San Fran should be able to grind out a win.
 
 
Carolina at Atlanta
 
Carolina’s offense has been nothing short of pathetic since Christian McCaffrey went down. They have a chance to eke out a victory if their defense can shut down Atlanta, and if Sam Darnold can avoid costly turnovers.
 
 
Miami at Buffalo
 
In Week Two, Buffalo got a shutout in Miami after laying an egg in Week One against Pittsburgh. After a tough loss to Tennessee followed by a week off, a well-rested Buffalo squad should absolutely squash Miami.
 
 
New England at Los Angeles Bolts
 
This should be a good test for the Bolts.  They’ve had almost two weeks to think about getting blown out by Baltimore in Week Six, and they’ll be facing a Pats defense that will certainly have a few things cooked up to try and confound Justin Herbert. The Bolts need a strong performance from their talented defense, especially after consecutive subpar outings.
 
 
Jacksonville at Seattle
 
Geno Smith looked bad last week, and it appeared to me as though Seattle had no confidence in his ability to lead the offense. This would be a great opportunity for young Trevor Lawrence to pick up his second win.
 
 
Washington at Denver
 
Denver’s offense, particularly Teddy Bridgewater were pretty disappointing last week. This could very well be Bridgewater’s last chance to show that he should continue to be the starter.
 
 
Tampa at NO
 
I hate New Orleans, so I hope Tampa beats the piss out of them.
 
 
 
Sunday Night
 
 Dallas at Minnesota
 
There’s been a lot of back-and-forth speculation as to whether Dak Prescott will play in this game. If he does play, even with limited mobility, Dallas should win, because he’s surrounded by so much offensive talent.
 
 
 
Monday Night
 
New York G at KC
 
New York is absolutely capable of beating KC. They probably won’t, though.

Thursday, October 28th

Green Bay at Arizona


Entering Week Eight, there are five teams that look like they have a legitimate shot at the top seed in the NFC, so two of those teams meeting this week is a big deal. Unfortunately for those watching, it's a Thursday game, where both teams have to play on short rest, and won't be at their best.

Green Bay has looked like a team on autopilot since their opening week embarrassment, winning in solid but unspectacular fashion against mostly mediocre teams. Arizona, meanwhile, enters this contest undefeated, having beaten stiffer competition. Arizona's offense has been consistently great. Kyler Murray is playing at MVP-level, and he has excellent receiving talent at his disposal. Green Bay's offense has been middling for the most part, and Aaron Rodgers will have to face Arizona's surprising defense without the benefit of top target Davante Adams, as well as Allen Lazard, both of whom have COVID.

I'd never count Rodgers out, especially in a nationally televised game, but Green Bay looks overmatched in this one. Arizona looks like the real deal.

Winner: Arizona

​One of the things I find annoying about the way the media covers the league is how everything must be “a story.” Reporters, writers, commentators, studio hosts; everyone tries so hard to give meaning to every game, every statistic, every “milestone.” It’s as if the actual games being played by the best players in the most popular spectator sport in North America just aren’t enough.
 
So, you end up hearing things like, and I’m paraphrasing, “Tonight we have Seattle facing Pittsburgh in a rematch of Super Bowl forty,” which is something that actually happened to me. In case you don’t remember, don’t care, or struggle with Roman Numerals, Super Bowl XL was played in 2006, over 15 years ago. The only player on either roster from that game who is still playing is Ben Roethlisberger. Not even the Kickers or Punters from that game are still around.
 
Rematch? Sure, whatever.
 
In Week Seven, there are a couple of games in which high profile players are playing against their former teams for the first time. One of these is Houston at Arizona. This one is not as big a deal, because it features former Houston stars Deandre Hopkins and JJ Watt, but not in front of a partisan Houston crowd. The other, Detroit at Los Angeles, is probably a bigger deal, not because it’s a competitive matchup, but because it’s the first time these two teams will meet since they swapped starting QBs.
 
The Detroit-LA game makes me feel a bit sad, as well as a bit annoyed, because most of the talk is going to be about how Matthew Stafford is such a huge upgrade over Jared Goff. Sure, Stafford has a stronger arm and more experience, and I think most would agree that he’s the better QB. That doesn’t mean that Goff is terrible, however.
 
LA, and particularly Sean McVay, would have us believe that Goff was responsible for LA’s offensive regression over the past two seasons. I’ve heard McVay mention in interviews how much better things are this season now that he’s not “limited” in what he can do with the offense, and he has gone into detail as to what Stafford is better at than Goff. Meanwhile, we’re supposed to forget that LA drafted Goff first overall, that Goff QBed LA to a Superb Owl, and that the team signed Goff to a massive contract extension only TWO YEARS AGO. We’re also supposed to forget that LA hasn’t had a first round draft pick in FIVE YEARS due to the team’s constant efforts to buy a championship. Stafford has 12 seasons under his belt, while Goff had four seasons as LA’s starter with a constantly changing roster. Stafford IS better, but he SHOULD be better.
 
Sean McVay is one of these self-styled offensive geniuses that are a dime-a-dozen. He wants you to think that Matthew Stafford has unlocked his (McVay’s) stunted-by-Jared Goff offensive genius. Don’t believe it. LA’s offense is better because Stafford is a top-tier QB. There’s nothing special about McVay.
 
NFL history is littered with talented players, especially QBs, who never lived up to their potential due to bad coaching, organizational mismanagement, or a combination of the two. I’ll never be the president of the Jared Goff Fan Club, but I’ve watched him for the past two seasons stand in the pocket and take punishment to try and make plays, surrounded by an ever-changing supporting cast. Despite this, he posted a winning record in both of those seasons.
 
Sean McVay wants you to think that Jared Goff wasn’t good enough. What’s McVay ever done that measures up to what Goff accomplished in his last two seasons under McVay?
 
 
 
Week Seven Picks
 
Winners in Bold
 
 
Carolina at New York G
 
It’s only Week 7, and we’re already starting to see games that have little-to-no importance with regards to postseason eligibility. Both teams’ offenses are prime examples of not knowing how good they could be due to injuries. New York has the extra added handicap of bad coaching.
 
 
New York J at New England
 
New England’s offense has shown some gradual improvement as the season has gone on. Mac Jones looks like he has a bright future. It’s harder to tell what Zach Wilson’s future holds, mostly because he plays for such a terrible team.
 
 
KC at Tennessee
 
These teams have a lot in common. Both had high expectations entering the season. Both have underperformed. Both have terrible defenses. Both are entering this game with injuries to key players. A high-scoring game would not be a huge surprise here.
 
 
Washington at Green Bay
 
Green Bay is just cruising along at this point. Washington is an absolute mess.
 
 
Atlanta at Miami
 
Miami is one of the biggest disappointments of this season so far. Atlanta is mediocre, but no one really expects much from them anyway.
 
 
Cincinnati at Baltimore
 
Cincinnati’s dismantling of Detroit last week is an illustration of the difference in this Cincy team compared to ones in the past; they don’t look past “soft” opponents. Baltimore is hot right now, coming off a big win over the Bolts, but they’re also a bit banged-up. This is a huge opportunity for Cincinnati to slay another dragon and move into first place in the AFC North.
 
 
Detroit at Los Angeles R
 
Detroit is bad. LA is good. That’s the real story here. If I was building a team, I’d take Dan Campbell as my coach over some blow-dried wanker like Sean McVay.
 
 
Philadelphia at Las Vegas
 
Jon Gruden’s ouster might be the best thing to happen to Vegas this season. It’ll bring the team together.
 
 
Houston at Arizona
 
I’m glad that this game is in Arizona; Houston’s fans have suffered enough watching their once-promising team gutted by organizational incompetence.
 
 
Chicago at Tampa
 
Healthy, Tampa is the most talented team in the league. Health has been an issue for them, unfortunately.
 
 
 
Sunday Night
 
 
Indianapolis at San Francisco
 
Indy has been getting steadily better as the season has gone on. San Fran’s injury woes from last season seem to have carried over into this season.
 
 
 
Monday Night
 
 
NO at Seattle
 
I’m not saying that Geno Smith COULDN’T beat New Orleans. Jameis Winston is just as likely to throw four INTs as he is to throw four TDs in any given game, and Seattle home games can get pretty loud. New Orleans’s defense has some playmakers, and Seattle’s defense is kind of terrible. A sloppy game would not surprise me, and who knows what can happen in one of those.

Those who write and talk about sports tend to mention the concept of "heart" a lot. Heart, to them, is that intangible quality that a person has (or doesn't have) that drives them past their limits, outworking opponents and inspiring teammates. To win requires "heart," and more of it than your adversary.

More than a concept, your actual heart is the thing that beats in your chest, pumping blood to the rest of your body so that you can live.

And play football.

This week, I've got the number 53 on the brain. That's not the only reason I'll be cheering for Denver LB Jonathon Cooper tonight, but it's a start.

Prior to the 2021 draft, it was discovered that Cooper had a heart condition, one that would require surgery, and which could spell the end of his playing days. Despite this, Denver took a chance on Cooper and drafted him in the seventh round

While recovering from surgery, Cooper missed Denver's offseason program. Despite these disadvantages, Cooper worked hard and made it through the final cuts to become a part of Denver's 53-man roster.

So far this season, Cooper has dressed for all six of Denver's games, and through limited action, has recorded three tackles. With two of Denver's LBs listed as Out, and with the team playing on short rest, perhaps Cooper will see a bit more action tonight.

Whatever happens, I know I'll be cheering for Denver's #53 any and every time I see him on the field.



Thursday, October 21st


Denver at Cleveland


Denver got off to a 3-0 start this season, admittedly against some pretty bad teams, before losing its next three games against stiffer competition. Denver's strengths thus far have been a solid defense and a careful-but-unspectacular offense. Normally, I would put Cleveland in the "stiffer competition" category, but I got burned by them on Sunday because I forgot to check the Injury report. Against Arizona, Cleveland was without RB Nick Chubb and their two starting Tackles. Tonight, on short rest, Cleveland's Tackles are expected to play, but the team will be without not only Chubb, but also Kareem Hunt and Baker Mayfield.

I'm expecting a close, low-scoring game tonight.

Winner: Denver

Well, I can say this much about Jon Gruden: the man was thorough.

In an NFL investigation that included a trove of hundreds-of-thousands of e-mails, it was discovered that Jon Gruden made some rather unsavoury comments and expressed some pretty regressive attitudes. Another way to put it is that Gruden is a bigot. A tremendous bigot, actually.

ANOTHER way to put it is that the man is an enormous scumbag.

And, as such, he sure checked a lot of boxes: racism, misogyny, homophobia.

He used racist slurs.

He made derogatory comments about women.

He made hateful comments about homosexuals, and used gay slurs to describe people he disagreed with.

He received and distributed nude photos, taken without the subjects' consent.


Now, while it is important that Gruden was exposed for all of his transgressions and hypocrisy, it is also important to remember that this was and is not an investigation of Jon Gruden. It is, in fact, an investigation into numerous bad acts by the Washington Football Team as an organization. Several other people have already been exposed as having committed illegal, immoral, and/or unethical acts, including former Washington GM Bruce Allen, and ESPN talking head Adam Schefter.

There's SO MUCH MORE to this story. Here's hoping that more of the perpetrators of these misdeeds will be exposed and held to account.

Stay tuned, folks.



Week Six Picks
 
Winners in Bold
 
 
Sunday
 
 
Miami at Jacksonville (Tottenham Hotspur Stadium)
 
Another Brexit game for the tea-and-strumpet set, featuring two non-contenders. Excellent chance for Trevor Lawrence and the rest of the Jax offense to make some hay with Miami CB Xavien Howard Out.
 
 
KC at Washington
 
KC is struggling right now (and I’m LOVING it!), but Washington’s defense hasn’t nearly lived up to its billing, particularly in the secondary. Mahomes should put up some big numbers. Big thumbs-down to Washington for suddenly deciding, when the team is getting pummelled in the media, that this week would be the perfect time to retire Sean Taylor’s number 21. Taylor is certainly deserving of the honour, but the timing reeks of spin, and is a disgrace to Taylor’s memory.
 
 
Los Angeles R at New York G
 
If it weren’t for bad luck, New York would have no luck at all.
 
 
Houston at Indianapolis
 
Indy needs to regroup after letting Baltimore steal a win last week.
 
 
Cincinnati at Detroit
 
Cincy came oh-so-close against Green Bay last week. This is a good team with a bright future.
 
 
Green Bay at Chicago
 
Green Bay keeps rolling on, while looking a tad underwhelming in doing so.
 
 
Los Angeles Bolts at Baltimore
 
Baltimore struggled for most of the game last week against Indianapolis. Wait until they get a load of Justin Herbert and the rest of the Bolts’ offense.
 
 
Minnesota at Carolina
 
Carolina has been struggling in the absence of Christian McCaffrey, and those struggles should continue against a resurgent Minnesota team.
 
 
Arizona at Cleveland
 
Cleveland will have to be especially disciplined on defense in this one. Baker Mayfield doesn’t have to outplay Kyler Murray, just play a clean game and make some plays.
 
 
Las Vegas at Denver
 
Difficult to tell what effect the Jon Gruden situation will have on Vegas. An NFL coach has to have his players willing to go through a lot for him and for the team. I wonder how some of those players feel now that they know that the whole thing was a house of cards.
 
 
Dallas at New England
 
It will be interesting to see what New England has cooked up defensively against a prolific Dallas attack. I’m having trouble imagining the Pats being able to score enough points to keep up.
 
 
 
Sunday Night
 
Seattle at Pittsburgh
 
Kind of a blah game. I’ll be interested to see how, if at all, Tony Dungy and Mike Tirico will address their comments on last week’s broadcast defending Jon Gruden. The whole, “Well he didn’t do anything to me PERSONALLY, so…” thing is so weak, tired, and predictable when it comes to these sycophantic media personalities and organizations that act as the league’s de facto PR wing.
 
 
Monday Night
 
Buffalo at Tennessee
 
Buffalo is just on fire right now. Their drubbing of KC last week was exquisite; I thoroughly enjoyed every second. The key for Buffalo this week is to re-focus, and take care of business against a tough opponent. Basking in their defeat of KC is where trouble lies; they have to remember that they haven’t won anything yet.

Thursday, October 14th

Tampa at Philadelphia


This is the kind of game that Tampa should be wary of. Sure, it's a against a team they should beat. However, it's also a Thursday game, and Philly is a young, talented team that has overachieved so far this season. In order for Tampa to not get upset by the home team, they will have to be focused and careful, lest overconfidence and sloppiness be their undoing.

Winner: Tampa

Hey there, folks!

My computer is still broken, so I'm borrowing my wife's laptop again. We've spent most of today making marmalade and other fun recipes with the 35 lbs. of beautiful, seedless oranges we bought this week for $8.00. Now, we're getting a little bit of our Irish on; she's having coffee with Bailey's, while I'm enjoying some nice Irish whiskey.

So, let's get to it.


Week Five Picks
 
Winners in Bold
 
 
New York J at Atlanta (Tottenham Hotspur Stadium)

You've no doubt heard of Brexit, the portmanteau moniker that has become shorthand for Britain's exit from the EU. Lately, it's caused some problems in England, like petrol shortages. In keeping with the hardships of Brexit, the NFL is offering up these two lame teams in its latest effort to appeal to the tea-and-strumpet set. Oh well; at least they'll get to watch criminally underappreciated Cordarrelle Patterson.
 
 
 
Detroit at Minnesota

Is there any other NFL (sports?) franchise more hopeless than Detroit?
 
 
NO at Washington

Tough game to call. NO has been wildly inconsistent. Washington's defense hasn't quite lived up to its billing yet.
 
 
New England at Houston

I really like Mac Jones. He has shown more poise than could be reasonably expected for a  rookie QB in his situation.
 
 
Miami at Tampa

If you live in the Tampa area, and played DB in high school, Tampa might have a spot for you on their roster. It's worth a shot.
 
 
Green Bay at Cincinnati

Maybe it's the whiskey typing, but I like Cincy's chances here. No one expects them to win.
 
 
Denver at Pittsburgh

Is Teddy Bridgewater playing? His presence matters, but not as much as it would if, say, Ben Roethlisberger could still play. And by that, I mean well. And by THAT, I mean that Ben is done.
 
 
Philadelphia at Carolina

Carolina got beaten by a much more talented Dallas squad last week. No shame in that. Philly is a bit closer to Carolina's level.
 
 
Tennessee at Jacksonville

I honestly don't know what to think about Tennessee at this point. Their defense needs serious work, and their offense has been so banged-up that it's hard to tell yet just how good it can be.
 
 
Cleveland at Los Angeles Bolts

One of the two best matchups of the week. I'm all-in on this Bolts squad; they look fantastic, and they can beat any team in the league. Cleveland is no slouch, and will be a good test, but for them to beat LA, Baker Mayfield will have to outplay Justin Herbert.
 
 
Chicago at Las Vegas

I believe that Derek Carr is playing the best football of his life so far this season. If Vegas could just get out of the habit of spotting their opponents a couple of scores per game, they might really do some damage this year.
 
 
San Francisco at Arizona

Another big NFC West clash. Sadly, San Fran's best player, George Kittle, won't be playing.
 
 
New York G at Dallas

I would just like to take this opportunity to say that I believed in Daniel Jones from day one, and every time I've seen him play, I became more convinced that he had what it takes to make it. I was right. I could think of a few teams that would be contenders with Jones under Center. Unfortunately, New York isn't one of them.
 
 
 
Sunday Night
 
Buffalo at KC

Buffalo is just better than KC is right now. It's a fact, and it's obvious. After a rough first game against Pittsburgh, Buffalo has just cruised along, winning easily by absolutely crushing it on both sides of the ball. You could make a case for Buffalo as the best team in the league right now. KC's offense is putting up numbers, but it looks like something's amiss. Patrick Mahomes knows it; you can see him trying just a little too hard at times, where he made things look smooth and easy in the past few seasons. It reminds me of Aaron Rodgers when he used to get hurt a lot because he was carrying his team. KC's defense is horrible, arguably the worst in the whole league. That this is not an easy pick is a testament to just how good Mahomes is.
 
 
 
Monday Night
 
Indianapolis at Baltimore

Indy finally showed some signs of life last week, completely shutting down Miami's offense until a late rally. I'm counting on them to give Baltimore more than they can handle. Also, John Harbaugh is a petty jerk who whines constantly about other teams, but who has neither a scintilla of class nor a spot of scruple.

​

Thursday, October 7th

Los Angeles R at Seattle


One thing that both conferences have in common right now is that, top to bottom, both West Divisions are the toughest. The unfortunate part of that is that each good team has to play the other three teams in its division a total of six times. Last week, Seattle was able to beat a San Francisco team that is struggling with injuries. Meanwhile, Los Angeles, fresh off defeating the defending champs, had to postpone planning their Superb Owl parade after getting humbled by red-hot Arizona.

Which brings us to this game.

Both teams have potent offenses. Seattle's defense has struggled mightily this season, which should allow LA's offense to put up some big numbers. Despite struggling against Arizona, LA's defense should be able to put up a decent fight against Seattle's attack. This game has the potential to be high-scoring, and that difference of one or two possessions will be decided by LA's defense.

Winner: Los Angeles

Hey folks!

My computer died yesterday. I borrowed my wife's laptop so that I could post a list of my picks for this week. I'm determined not to miss any weeks this season.

I hope to be back next week with something resembling an actual column.


Week Four Picks

Winners in Bold


Sunday

Tennessee at New York J

KC at Philly

Carolina at Dallas

New York G at NO

Cleveland at Minnesota

Detroit at Chicago

Houston at Buffalo

Indy at Miami

Washington at Atlanta

Seattle at San Fran

Arizona at Los Angeles R

Pittsburgh at Green Bay

Baltimore at Denver


Sunday Night

Tampa at New England


Monday Night

Vegas at Los Angeles Bolts