Big day
I urge you to go vote. Truly.
If you do not vote, then whatever opinion you may have over the next four years on the federal level simply rings hollow and is invalid.
Today is when your voice can be heard, even if it is in the electoral college echo chamber that is Tennessee. Or California. Or so many others.
But speak your peace or hold your water.
And when we get through this crazed day, whether you hate Sleepy Joe or loathe the ways of the Devilish Donald, let's all try to find this path:
Let's be America again.
Should we? Absolutely.
Can we? I pray so, and I believe a large majority of us want that.
Will we? Yeah, about that
I have prided myself on waving away the conspiracy flies that be. We all have the random uncle or the "You know who" in our family who turns the conversation into the realm that teeters between inconceivable and incomprehensible, be it that the COVID ends tomorrow to the big theories of SEC underlying motives to make sure Alabama wins every game.
Still, conspiracy or no, I believe there are a slew of powers above us who are behooved by the divide, by the galvanization of the sides in terms of news consumption.
There are several big-named folks who are fighting against racism who benefit - in terms of the funds and fund-raising power - of having racism. Just like the folks who then exploit the other side of that.
And maybe that's the divide that scares me most. The divide that is being expanded for cause rather than controversy. The divide that is by creation more than a by-product.
Because in some measure, it has to be on you and me to look beyond the details of the daily news stream and find the good - and the bad - in the daily details of our discourse.
I pray that today is the first day of bridging that divide, regardless who wins.
NFL Power Poll
Is it possible to over think this thing? Certainly not at the height and the depth of the NFL, right? Not when we are turning the halfway point, right?
One team is perfect. One team is perfectly imperfect. That's the bread to the NFL sandwich.
And the crazy thing is, that in a time of expanded playoff fields and a draft class with Trevor Lawrence, who graded out tied with Andrew Luck as the best QB prospect since Peyton, the extremes have never been more critical.
Side note: Imagine this Colts team that runs the ball, is physical across both lines and has drafted better than most every other team this side of the Steelers with a 31-year-old Andrew Luck slinging it rather than a 208-year-old Philip Rivers. Wowser. Best team in football, true or false.
With that, let's rock and poll.
1 Steelers. Anyone else have any questions? Side question: With Benny Snell and Bud Dupree playing meaningful roles, Chas do you find yourself rooting for the Steelers? Add-on side question: True or false in this college football hotbed, you root for NFL teams because they have players from your college teams.
2 Kansas City. That's a high-powered offense, friends, and please do not forget it. Side question: Since the Chiefs scored 35 on five relatively easy TD passes from Patty Mahomes, if Mahomes and KC needed to score 70 Sunday against the Jets, could they have scored 70?
3 Tampa Bay. Count me among the believers on the Tampa Tom experience. (Yes, last night was scary and frustrating for Bucs bettors who laid double-digits.) Not to be too conspiratorial, but can anyone think of a better storyline come Super Bowl Whatever (played whenever) than Brady and the Bucs? And I also believe a motivated Antonio Brown instantly brings an impact at WR. (Have you heard the raves about the physical shape Brown is in?) Look out gang - and Spy - but here they come.
4 Seattle. DK Metcalf is a next-level kind of dude, friends. Sincerely. True or false, seven years ago, DK Metcalf at 6-foot-4, 230 pounds with that speed is the world's best pass rusher. Discuss. (Side note: And now think about LeBron playing football.)
5 Green Bay. Yes, Sunday's loss to Minnesota was dreadful, and I know what you're thinking, "Oh big whoop, your beloved Aaron Rodgers and the Packers make the top five" Yawn. The Packers are as good if not better at QB and WR1 than anyone else in the league, and in this league in this age that matters. I think Vegas would agree, and if we got to, say, a Baltimore-Green Bay Super Bowl, is there anyway you would pick Lamar Jackson over Rodgers?
Powerless
28 New England. Heck yes, this one hurt. In fact, we mentioned earlier this season that not having the Pats in the top of the poll felt strange. But of the two-loss teams like Cincinnati and the Los Angeles Chargers - teams with plans and futures at QB - the Pats are in a worse state. And yes, I need a shower after writing that.
29 New York Giants. Not sure what to say here, other than this team plays hard for its coaches, and that's something. But if we tried to put together a Rushmore of Giants, and I started with Willie Mays, Andre the Giant, LT and Goliath, who you got that makes my list? ("And David put his hand inside the bag and pulled out a stone and slung it. It struck the Philistine on the head and he fell to the ground. Amen.")
30 (tie) Jacksonville and Houston. How about the imperfectly perfect and the perfectly imperfect symmetry in the AFC South Standings? Tennessee and Indy are tied atop the division at 5-2; tied for third would be the aforementioned Jags and Texans at 1-6. Good times.
32 New York Jets. Worst team in NFL history? That's the question, right?
Speaking of football
True or false, my picks this year stink. Sadly, that's true. (And for you guys have been around these parts for a while, please vouch for the fact that we have been hovering around 60 percent for the better part of the decade we've been doing this.)
This year, our college picks are right at .500. That's not entertaining.
So, we decided to start the process a little earlier this week.
We started to look around to see a few checklists:
Who is going to beat Kansas? This week, it's Oklahoma and the Sooners are laying 38. (And that number will be 40 before kick.)
Who is going to beat Iowa this week? This week, it's Michigan State, and Sparty is getting 7. (That number will be closer to 3 before kickoff.)
Who is going to beat Southern Miss this week? Well, not sure they are going to win, but the North Alabama Lions go to USM and are catching 16.5. Hmmmmmmmm.
But perusing the lines, something jumped off the page this morning.
Tennessee minus-1.5 vs. Arkansas.
Say what? Vols favored by less than a safety.
Yes, it's on the road. Yes, Arkansas is better than anyone could have expected, Sam Pittman's family included.
But forget the craziness that is 2020, if the Vols are truly a pick 'em against an Arkansas team that almost assuredly has the least-talented roster outside of Nashville (and maybe Missouri) in the league and has a first-year coach in his first head coaching gig in Pittman, then wow.
That means in year 3, Jeremy Pruitt is battling more with the Arkansases and the Missouris and the Vandys to stay out of the bottom of the league than the Alabamas, Georgia and Floridas for position atop the league.
So on this true or false Tuesday, true or false, Saturday is a must-win for the psyche of the UT fanbase and its long-term belief in Pruitt.
This and that
- Wow, this was eye-popping to me. Civil rights in the city groups tell the Toronto Raptors not to relocate to Kansas City because of racial divide. I've only been through K.C. once and that was a quarter century ago, but that seems counter intuitive to me on almost every level, because is there anything more unifying in our divided country than sports?
- The NFL trading deadline is today. If the NFL actually has a place it could market itself better, it's around the trading deadline, because we as have seen in every sport, fans of every team are fascinated by the transaction every bit as much as the action. Plus, not unlike the draft, trades and deals allow supporters of dreadful teams the second-most valuable commodity among fan bases. No. 1 is enjoyment, and winning provides that. No. 2? That's hope and trades and acquiring draft capital brings that.
- Dan Mullen was disciplined and fined for his role in the brawl right before halftime. It's more than a little ironic that Mullen got the same fine - $25,000 - that Lane Kiffin got for retweeting a criticism of SEC officiating.
- Trump supporters chanting "LeBron James sucks" embarrassed me as a historically conservative voter. We have written around these parts often about the successes and shortcomings of folks making their political leanings known, but James - like Jack Nicklaus - has done more in terms of giving and charity than any 15 people you know. Because you may or may not agree with a person's vote does not make them suck. And if you ignore the lifetime of good because of that political view, well, then you suck.
- Conversely, to the conversation Chas and I had Monday, is this headline acceptable: "Why are so many ex-athletes risking their legacies by endorsing Trump." How is announcing your political leaning "risking your legacy" regardless of side. Friends, this is one of the roots of the problem. And the story extending it with the "Why now?" angle makes the talking point even worse for me. Because the writer - and since this is not a column or opinion piece - and in turn the editor and the news source obviously would rather those folks keep quiet since they do not have the same political viewpoint as they do. That's not a conversation in my mind. That's at best socially bullying and at worst an -ism, and feel free to pick the noun that goes in front of if.
- Did we get too deep today? Hope not, but as I put my kids to bed last night, I wondered about the future of our nation, and I pray that I am wrong and we are not going to spend the next four years walking toward socialism. (And yes, I think Biden wins today.)
- You know the rules wait one more election day thing. If Trump loses Florida, turn out the lights and go to bed because it will be O-V-E-R. That said, having been to the Sunshine State twice since July 4, the yard signs were 3-to-1 pro-Trump. At least. (Granted I did not get to the Tampa, Miami or other South Florida metro areas, but the rural parts were overwhelmingly pro-Trump.)
- Where were we, that's right, you know the rules. Here's Paschall on Alabama getting ready for the stretch run. Here's Paschall on Arkansas and Tennessee rekindling a rivalry that was better than most recall.
- Here's TFP ace sports columnist Mark Wiedmer's reflections on his reflections about Corona. So there's that.
- MLB announced their awards finalists. First, kudos to the expanded process because everything any league can do to extend the commentary about your sport through the offseason is smart. That's the good. As for the jack wagons who forgot to put Max Fried in the finalist for Cy Young, well, they need to take the long walk to the end of a short pier.
- This story is harsh, but a gang of bandits broke into a rich Russian man's home and killed him with a crossbow bolt. The Russian victim was known by several monikers, including the "Sausage King." Hope Abe Froman has 'beefed' up security and has his head on a swivel.
Today's questions
True or false, it's Tuesday.
(Yeah, as Ernie like to remind me, that's a gimme. While we are here, you guys and gals play nice today - I got some election stuff to tend to before lunch, so I'm not sure how much time I'll get to spend in the comments playground.)
Some T or Fs from above
True or false, Saturday is a must-win for the psyche of the UT fan base its long-term belief in Pruitt.
True or false, you watch "The Mandolorian." (If the answer is false, and you are even a fringe Star Wars fan, give it a go, and you can thank me later.)
True or false, you root for the NFL teams that have your favorite college players.
True or false, if he had kept playing, the Andrew Luck-led Colts would be the best team in the NFL.
True or false, we will know the winner before we reconvene Wednesday at 10 a.m.
True or false, the random onion ring in your drive-thru fries container is a gift from Heaven.
As for today, Nov. 3, let's review.
Well, it can't be viewed as a good luck coincidence for the Trump campaign that today is Colin Kaepernick's birthday, can it?
It's also Kendall Jenner's - the billionaire model/entrepreneur is 25 - and Dolph Lundgren's (Ivan Drago is 63).
Whitney released "I Will Always Love You" and I know we did the Rushmore of best re-released songs, but wow, that Whtiney song crushes it.
Charles Bronson would have been 99 today. What's the Rushmore of actors who only do hard (bleep) characters?
Because do not come to this song and dance with a guy who has a musical (Eastwood) or several comedies (Arnold). Is Chuck Bronson far left?
Go and be kind today friends. May God bless America today and the days that follow.