Hey Americans, Merry Christmas From The GOP

NFL - Week Twelve Review

There was some excitement around the NFL this weekend as well as some more surprises as the season starts to head toward the home stretch as December approaches.

The Thanksgiving Day games saw Tom Brady (pictured right) the Heftyinfo NFL Player of the Week, lead the New England Patriots to a 45-24 win against the Detroit Lions by throwing four touchdown passes. Brady had a perfect passer rating for the game as New England kept pace with the New York Jets in the AFC East.
The Jets throttled the hapless Cincinnati Bengals, 26-10 in the Meadowlands to improve to 9-2 and a first place tie with the New England Patriots.
The game of the day was in Dallas where the Cowboys rallied from 17-0 down to take a lead against the New Orleans Saints. But a strip of the football from Dallas wide receiver Roy Williams gave the Saints a new life in the closing minutes and Drew Brees and company took advantage for the 30-27 victory to improve to 8-3 for the season.

The Atlanta Falcons (9-2) won their fifth straight game by topping the visiting Green Bay Packers, 20-17 as Matt Bryant drilled a 47 yard field goal with nine seconds left in regulation. Aaron Rodgers hit Jordy Nelson with a touchdown pass just a minute earlier to tie the game.

Houston shut out the fading Tennessee Titans, 20-0 as Texans' QB Matt Schaub threw two TD passes. The game featured a fight between Cortland Finnegan (Tennessee) and Houston All-Pro wide receiver Andre Johnson. Each player received a slap on the wrist from the NFL with a $25,000 fine for the ugly incident.

The Buffalo Bills gave the Pittsburgh Steelers all they could handle before Pittsburgh eventually prevailed in OT, 19-16 as Shaun Suisham made a 41-yard field goal to provide the win.

Minnesota got back in the win column with a 17-13 yawner over the Washington Redskins in D.C.

Cleveland beat Carolina 24-23 as Panthers' kicker John Kasay missed a field goal that hit the left upright at the buzzer. Peyton Hillis had a huge game for the Browns (4-7), rushing for 131 yards and scoring three touchdowns.

The Chicago Bears continued to surprise the opposition by knocking off Michael Vick and the Philadelphia Eagles, 31-26 in Soldier Field as the defense sacked Vick (333 yards passing and two TD) four times. Meanwhile, Bears' QB Jay Cutler threw four TD strikes and running back Matt Forte' gained 117 yards on the ground. The Bears' victory, coupled with Green Bay's loss in Atlanta, put the Bears (8-3) all alone in first place in the NFC North.

The New York Giants held off the Jacksonville Jaguars, 24-20 as Eli Manning threw two TD passes in the fourth quarter to propel the Giants into a first place tie with Philadelphia in the NFC East. Jacksonville slipped to 6-5 and is in a log jam race in the AFC South.

Kansas City (7-4) beat down host Seattle, 42-24 as wide receiver Dwayne Bowe hauled in three scores. Chiefs' QB Matt Cassel had four touchdown passes and Jamaal Charles rushed for 173 yards and scored a touchdown to pace the win.

St. Louis traveled to Denver and handed the host Broncos a 36-33 setback as quarterback Sam Bradford had three TD passes for the Rams (5-6), which put them in a first place tie with Seattle in the NFC West. Denver QB Kyle Orton threw three TD passes in the loss.

Baltimore outlasted Tampa Bay, 17-10 behind solid defense and a pair of touchdown passes from Joe Flacco.

Miami pounded Oakland, 33-17 to go to 6-5 as Dolphins' quarterback Chad Henne returned to the starting lineup and threw two TD passes. Dolphins' running back Ricky Williams sealed the game in the fourth quarter with a 45-yard touchdown run. The highlight for the Raiders (5-6) was Jacoby Ford taking the opening kickoff back 101 yards for a touchdown.

In the Sunday Night Football matchup, the San Diego Chargers (6-5) crushed the host Indianapolis Colts, 36-14. The Chargers' defense, the top defense in the NFL, intercepted Peyton Manning four times and took two of them back for scores.
The Chargers won their fourth straight game while the Colts (6-5) dropped back into a first place tie in the AFC South with Jacksonville.

The Monday Night Football game featured the San Francisco 49ers beating host Arizona, 27-6 as the defense limited the Cardinals to 203 total yards. San Francisco running back Brian Westbrook came in for injured Frank Gore and rushed for 136 yards and a touchdown. Gore was lost for the rest of the season with a hip injury.

NFL - Week Twelve Preview

Three games are on tap for Thanksgiving Day as the annual game in Detroit features the Lions facing the New England Patriots, who are fresh off their home win against Indianapolis on Sunday.
Tom Brady leads the league's highest scoring offense against a suspect Lions pass defense while the Lions will attack the weak New England secondary. This game could be a shootout.
The New Orleans Saints are at Dallas to take on the resurgent Cowboys.
Dallas has won two in a row since Jason Garrett took over as interim Head Coach while the Saints come in with a 7-3 mark and are looking to keep things going in a positive direction.
The New York Jets are 8-2 and host the Cincinnati Bengals (2-8) in the night game.
Jets' quarterback Mark Sanchez has been engineering some exciting comebacks in recent weeks, including last Sunday's 30-27 win over Houston after the Jets' defense blew a huge lead, allowing 20 points in the final 12 minutes of the game.

The rest of the weekend is as follows . . .

Minnesota (3-7) at Washington (5-5) - Who would have thought it would be the Redskins battling for playoff position in this one? The Vikings do have a new Head Coach as Leslie Frazier takes over for Brad Childress, who was fired on Monday.

Pittsburgh (7-3) at Buffalo (2-8) - No miracle comebacks for the Buffalo Bills this week.

Tennessee (5-5) at Houston (4-6) - A month ago, these two teams seemed headed for a collision course when this game came around. But right now, they are just fighting to keep any chance for playoff hopes alive. The loser is pretty much out of it.

Jacksonville (6-4) at NY Giants (6-4) - The Giants have lost two in a row while the Jags have been surging.

Carolina (1-9) at Cleveland (3-7) - Who cares?

Tampa Bay (7-3) at Baltimore (7-3) - Two good defenses go at it in Baltimore. This game may wind up 3-0.

Green Bay (7-3) at Atlanta (8-2) - A key game to possibly determine home field advantage in the NFC playoff picture.

Philadelphia (7-3) at Chicago (7-3) - Can the Bears' third ranked defense contain or possibly shut down Michael Vick? No!

Miami (5-5) at Oakland (5-5) - The Dolphins' season is on the line in this one. The Raiders are angry after getting spanked by Pittsburgh last week.

Kansas City (6-4) at Seattle (5-5) - The Seahawks are tough at home and the Chiefs are not a good road team... recipe for disaster?

St. Louis (4-6) at Denver (3-7) - The Rams travel to the rocky mountains after losing two staight games. The Broncos are playing out the string.

San Diego (5-5) at Indianapolis (6-4) - Two of the best quarterbacks in the NFL battle it out on Sunday Night Football in prime time. Should be a great game between two teams that may face each other in the AFC playoffs.

San Francisco (3-7) at Arizona (3-7) - These two teams are battling to get out of the NFC West basement.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Here are the picks for Week Twelve ... (Home teams are listed in BOLD)

New England over Detroit
New Orleans over Dallas
NY Jets over Cincinnati
Pittsburgh over Buffalo
Minnesota over Washington
Houston over Tennessee
NY Giants over Jacksonville
Cleveland over Carolina
Baltimore over Tampa Bay
Philadelphia over Chicago
Atlanta over Green Bay
Miami over Oakland
Seattle over Kansas City
Denver over St. Louis
Indianapolis over San Diego
San Francisco over Arizona

Last Week's Record: 12-4


SEASON RECORD: 103-57

NFL - Week Eleven Review

The New England Patriots defeated the Indianapolis Colts, 31-28 to improve to 8-2 for the season while the Colts slipped to 6-4 and find themselves in a first place tie with the Jacksonville Jaguars in the AFC South.
The Jaguars knocked off the Cleveland Browns, 24-20 when Maurice Jones-Drew (133 yards rushing) scored on a one-yard run with 1:16 left in the game.
Meanwhile, Tom Brady threw two touchdown passes and the Patriots defense intercepted Colts' QB Peyton Manning three times, including the clinching pick with under a minute remaining in the game as the Colts were driving for the potential game tying field goal.

Around the league...

The Chicago Bears shut out the Miami Dolphins last Thursday night, 16-0... Tampa Bay also shutout the home team San Francisco 49ers, 21-0 behind a pair of TD passes from Josh Freeman and a suffocating defense that held the 'Niners to 189 total yards of offense... The Buffalo Bills stormed back from 21 points down to blast the Cincinnati Bengals, 49-31. Buffalo QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, the Heftyinfo NFL Player of the Week, passed for 316 yards and four touchdowns to pace the comeback... New Orleans knocked off the visiting Seattle Seahawks, 34-19 as Saints' QB Drew Brees fired four TD passes and had 382 yards passing in the win...

Kansas City snapped a losing skid with a 31-13 trouncing of the Arizona Cardinals. Thomas Jones rushed for two scores and Matt Cassel threw two TD passes to pace the rout... Pittsburgh blasted the visiting Oakland Raiders, 35-3 behind a stingy defense that held Oakland to 182 total yards. Ben Roethlisberger passed for three scores and ran another for the Steelers... The Green Bay Packers may have put the final nail in the coffin of the Vikings and Brett Favre as they thrashed the Vikes in Minnesota, 31-3. Favre was outdone by Aaron Rodgers (301 yards passing), who threw four TDs, including three of them to wide receiver Greg Jennings, who had seven catches for 152 yards in the game... The Atlanta Falcons (8-2) remained atop the NFC South with a 34-17 win at St. Louis. Atlanta QB Matt Ryan threw a pair of TD passes and Michael Turner scored a touchdown while rushing for 131 yards for the Falcons... Baltimore scored two touchdowns on interception returns to seal a 37-13 win at Carolina... The New York Jets (8-2) remained in front of the pack in the AFC with a 30-27 nail biter over Houston. The Jets blew a 16-point fourth quarter lead before scoring on a six-yard pass from Mark Sanchez to Santonio Holmes with ten seconds remaining in the game...
The Washington Redskins beat Tennessee, 19-16 in overtime, Following the game, Titans' quarterback Vince Young stormed out of the locker room and was placed on injured reserve Tuesday after under going surgery on his injured thumb. Young is out for the season...

The Sunday Night Football game went to the Philadelphia Eagles, 27-17 over the New York Giants as the Eagles (7-3) took over first place in the NFC East. Michael Vick ran for a touchdown and LeSean McCoy (111 yards rushing) sealed the game with a 50-yard scoring run in the final minutes. Giants' QB Eli Manning was intercepted three times to offset two TD passes that gave New York a short-lived 17-16 lead in the third quarter. The Eagles defense limited New York to 208 total yards.
And finally, on Monday night, the host San Diego Chargers crushed the Denver Broncos, 35-14 as QB Philip Rivers (pictured upper right) threw four TD passes and five different Chargers scored touchdowns to pace them to a third consecutive win. Rivers leads the NFL with 23 touchdown passes and 3,177 yards passing. San Diego's defense sacked Denver QB Kyle Orton five times and limited the Broncos to 235 yards of total offense.

Two Of The Best Ever Meet Again Today

For what it's worth ...

Weighing in on a few issues...

The people flying have to go through a scanner at the airport and/or get "groped" by total strangers in front of the other travelers?
I don't get it, we live in the "Land of the free" ... don't we?

The Republican party supports tax breaks for the richest 2% in the United States, which will increase the national debt by over $700 billion annually, but they at the same time, will not extend unemployment benefits to AMERICANS in need of said cash to help them make ends meet... what the fuck is wrong with this picture!?

And by the way, unemployment is not a give away. It is INSURANCE that is paid into by said recipients when they were still employed. So why does the GOP insist on calling it "welfare," which is a give away? I don't get it. What kind of country are we turning into?

It's really embarrassing!

When did the sport of football become "powder puff" ball... this fan saw a lot of questionable calls for "unnecessary roughness" this football Saturday, along with many calls in the professional level games all season long.

As former defensive pro football players (too many to be able to recall all the names) have said in the past... "We (NFL) might as well put the quarterbacks in a skirt."

Speaking of football, what is up with all these reviews of plays on the field? Sure, they want to get the call right (at least that is what is said), but let's be realistic... the game of football survived over eighty years without replay booth officials and "challenges" from the coaches... so why the sudden switch to video reviews?

Me thinks it's because of the hundreds of MILLIONS OF DOLLARS being bet on football games in the gambling circuit. To that, only one reply... WTF?!

Why all the buzz about this "Dancing with the stars" show? I don't get it. The show is a joke and always has been.

The Eagles' Michael Vick just scored another TD against the Redskins... just kidding!

This country of ours is indeed in some strange times, aren't we? Jim Morrison and The Doors would be proud...




God help us... because we are in some strange times... just an observation... for what it's worth.

This Describes Sarah Palin To Perfection

NFL - Week Eleven Preview

The Chicago Bears face the Miami Dolphins in south Florida on the Thursday night game and it should be an interesting matchup.
The Dolphins are relying on third-string quarterback Tyler Thigpen to lead the offense while the Bears (6-3) who are tied for first place with Green Bay in the NFC North, are getting more and more confident each week as they continue to win football games with mistake-free offense and solid defense.
Chicago quarterback Jay Cutler has been cutting down on the picks he threw so often last year and the Bears' offensive line has been doing a better job of protecting their signal caller in recent games.
Miami (5-4) is in contention in the AFC playoff picture and this is a must game for them as they will need to continue to win games and get some help down the stretch if they want to make the post-season.
Here is a snap shot of the other 15 games around the league this weekend with predictions to follow...

Indianapolis (6-3) at New England (7-2) - Who would have thought that the Patriots, with QB Tom Brady and the no names on offense, would be this good in 2010?
The Colts are banged up, but with QB Peyton Manning, they always have a chance no matter who they are playing. This should be a great game.

Oakland (5-4) at Pittsburgh (6-3) - The Steelers were creamed by New England last week and the Raiders have been rolling so far this season. The key will be if the Steelers can contain the Raiders passing attack, led by resurgent quarterback Jason Campbell.

Washington (4-5) at Tennessee (5-4) - The Titans have lost two in a row and the Redskins were completely wiped out by Michael Vick and the Eagles on Monday Night Football. Something has to give.

Detroit (2-7) at Dallas (2-7) - This might be the most lopsided game for one team that each have 2-7 records.

Houston (4-5) at NY Jets (7-2) - The Texans and Jets are headed in opposite directions as the season wears on.

Buffalo (1-8) at Cincinnati (2-7) - The stinker game of the week.

Arizona (3-6) at Kansas City (5-4) - If the Chiefs lose this game, they might as well pack it in for the rest of the season.

Cleveland (3-6) at Jacksonville (5-4) - The Jaguars are playing great football in the last five games. The Browns are improving.

Baltimore (6-3) at Carolina (1-8) - The Ravens defense has to be salivating on the prospect of Panthers' rookie QB Tony Pike playing this game. Ravens roll.

Green Bay (6-3) at Minnesota (3-6) - This looked the marquee game of the week back in beginning of the season. Not any more. Green Bay sweeps the Vikings in 2010.

Atlanta (7-2) at St. Louis (4-5) - The Falcons are being touted as perhaps the best team in the NFL. The Rams are tough at home and their defense is just as good as the Falcons' defense. Should be a closer game than most "experts" think.

Tampa Bay (6-3) at San Francisco (3-6) - The Buccaneers are a solid team compared to a year ago and the 49ers seem to be getting it going ... finally!

Seattle (5-4) at New Orleans (6-3) - The Saints hosting a team that does not play well on the road against good teams. Should be a blowout.

NY Giants (6-3) at Philadelphia (6-3) - The game of the week in prime time on NBC. Wow!
Take Vick and the Eagles, although they probably won't score 59 points again this week.

Denver (3-6) at San Diego (4-5) - The Chargers are getting it going as they always seem to do this time of the year. 'Bolts roll.

The picks for Week Eleven ... (Home teams listed in BOLD)

Chicago over Miami
Dallas over Detroit
Pittsburgh over Oakland
Tennessee over Washington
NY Jets over Houston
Cincinnati over Buffalo
Kansas City over Arizona
Jacksonville over Cleveland
Baltimore over Carolina
Green Bay over Minnesota
Atlanta over St. Louis
New Orleans over Seattle
San Francisco over Tampa Bay
Indianapolis over New England
Philadelphia over NY Giants
San Diego over Denver

Last Week's Record: 8-6


SEASON RECORD: 91-53

NFL - Week Ten Review

The "bye" weeks are over with now and it's on to the final seven games for the NFL.
Week Ten saw some surprises around the league, but none bigger than the Dallas Cowboys, playing their first game under interim Head Coach Jason Garrett, going into the Meadowlands Stadium and beating the New York Giants, 33-20.
The Cowboys rolled out to a 26-6 lead in the third quarter behind quarterback Jon Kitna, the Heftyinfo NFL co-player of the Week.
Kitna had three TD passes and threw for 327 yards in the win. A 71-yard pass for a touchdown to Felix Jones provided the 26-6 lead and the Cowboys, who fired Head Coach Wade Phillips last week, were on their way to their second win of the 2010 season. The loss dropped the Giants to 6-3 for the season.
The biggest play of the day was the Jacksonville Jaguars "Hail Mary" pass that resulted in a deflection for a touchdown catch by wide receiver Mike Thomas to provide the 31-24 win for the Jags.
There was sour grapes at the end of the Denver-Kansas City game as Chiefs Head Coach Todd Haley refused to shake hands with Broncos Head Coach Josh McDaniels after the Broncos thumped the slumping Chiefs, 49-29.
The Broncos exploded to a 35-0 lead as Heftyinfo NFL co-player of the Week Kyle Orton threw four touchdown passes and had 296 yards to lead the rout.
Kansas City's vaunted running game was limited to just 51 yards and quarterback Matt Cassel passed for 469 yards and three TDs in the loss.
The Buffalo Bills finally won a game as they held off the Detroit Lions, 14-12 in Buffalo. Bills running back Fred Jackson rushed for 133 yards and scored a touchdown in the win.
The Miami Dolphins rolled past the visiting Tennessee Titans, 29-17 despite losing two quarterbacks to injury in the game.
Chad Pennington, who started the game at QB for the Dolphins went out with a shoulder injury and then Chad Henne also was lost to a knee injury. Miami will have Tyler Thigpen at quarterback until further notice.
In Cleveland, the New York Jets had to go to overtime for the second straight week to get a win as they beat the Browns, 26-20 to improve to 7-2.
Jets' QB Mark Sanchez hit wideout Santonio Holmes for the winning 37-yard scoring pass.
Chicago squashed Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings, 27-13 as the Bears defense intercepted Favre three times and also forced a fumble by the 41-year old quarterback.
Jay Cutler passed for 237 yards and three touchdowns in the win, which put Chicago back in first place at 6-3 in the NFC North. The Vikings dropped to 3-6 and are likely out of playoff contention.
Indianapolis knocked off Cincinnati, 23-17 to go to 6-3 while the Bengals slipped to 2-7 as quarterback Carson Palmer was intercepted three times, including one for a Colts score.
Tampa Bay continued to hang around in the NFC South with a 31-16 trouncing over the Carolina Panthers. The Buccaneers are 6-3 and tied for second with New Orleans, one game behind division leader Atlanta.
The Falcons (7-2) came back in the closing seconds last Thursday to defeat the Baltimore Ravens, 26-21 as QB Matt Ryan completed the game winning TD pass to wide receiver Roddy White.
San Francisco got its third win in four games as kicker Joe Nedney kicked a 29-yard field goal in overtime to beat the Rams, 23-20. 49ers' QB Troy Smith had 356 passing yards in the win.
The Seattle Seahawks improved to 5-4 and first place in the NFC West with a 36-18 rout at Arizona. Matt Hasselbeck returned as the starting quarterback for Seattle and threw for 333 yards and a touchdown. Kicker Olindo Mare made five field goals for the Seahawks in the game.
In the Sunday Night Football game, the New England Patriots rode the arm of quarterback Tom Brady (pictured upper right) who had 350 yards passing and three TD passes plus a TD run, to the surprisingly easy road win against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
New England improved to 7-2 and a first place tie with the Jets in the AFC East. The Steelers (6-3) are tied with Baltimore for first in the AFC North.
Michael Vick (pictured upper left) dominated the Monday Night Football game for the Philadelphia Eagles in a 59-28 rout of the host Washington Redskins. For the effort, Vick is the third Heftyinfo NFL co-Player of the Week.
Vick passed for 333 yards and four touchdowns and also rushed for two scores and 80 yards.
Wow!
Philadelphia (6-3) is tied for first place with the New York Giants in the NFC East and those two teams face each other in Philly next Sunday evening in the prime time game.

The More Things Change ...

NFL - Week Ten Preview

The NFL gets started a little earlier for the rest of the season as the Thursday Night Football Game on NFL Network kicks off with Baltimore at Atlanta.
This is a battle of first place teams that share identical 6-2 records.
The 2010 NFL season will be entering the home stretch in a few weeks and the division races are really heating up in this season of parity.
Somewhere, former NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle is smiling.

Here are the picks for Week Ten ... (Home teams listed in BOLD)


Baltimore over Atlanta
Minnesota over Chicago
Miami over Tennessee
Buffalo over Detroit
Houston over Jacksonville
NY Jets over Cleveland
Indianapolis over Cincinnati
Tampa Bay over Carolina
Denver over Kansas City
NY Giants over Dallas
San Francisco over St. Louis
Arizona over Seattle
Pittsburgh over New England
Philadelphia over Washington


Last Week's Record: 11-2

SEASON RECORD: 83-47

NFL - Week Nine Review

The Dallas Cowboys fired Head Coach Wade Phillips following the dismantling loss to the Green Bay Packers 45-7 at Lambeau Field on Sunday Night Football.
The Cowboys (1-7) have been the league's biggest disappointment halfway through the 2010 season and Cowboys' owner Jerry Jones had seen enough.
The Packers (6-3) were led by Aaron Rodgers (289 yards and three touchdown passes) and a tough defense, which included a 62-yard interception return for a score by linebacker Clay Matthews.
The Minnesota Vikings rallied for a 27-24 overtime victory at home against the Arizona Cardinals as Brett Favre found tight end Visanthe Shiancoe for a 25-yard scoring pass with 27 seconds left in regulation and kicker Ryan Longwell kicked a 35-yard field goal in the OT to win the game and keep the Vikings (3-5) in the hunt in the NFC North.
The Chicago Bears (5-3) stayed right on the heels of the Packers with a 22-19 nail biter against the winless Buffalo Bills in Toronto, Canada.
Bears' QB Jay Cutler threw for two TDs and had 188 yards through the air and the defense stymied the Bills by picking off two passes. The Bills (0-8) lost their third straight game by three points.
The Cleveland Browns rode the legs of Heftyinfo NFL co-Player of the Week Peyton Hillis, who had 184 yards rushing and scored twice to lead the Browns over the New England Patriots, 34-14.
The San Diego Chargers got their first road win of the season, 29-23 over the Houston Texans.
Chargers' quarterback Philip Rivers, Heftyinfo NFL co-Player of the Week, threw for 295 yards and had four touchdown passes despite missing all three starting wide receivers, including tight end Antonio Gates, who leads the league with nine TD receptions.
The Oakland Raiders did their rival Chargers a favor by knocking off the visiting Kansas City Chiefs, 23-20 in overtime while also winning their third straight game. The Raiders (5-4) got a 41-yard field goal by Sebastian Janikowski to force OT and then won it on his 33-yard field goal.
Jacoby Ford led the way for Oakland with six receptions for 148 yards and also returned the second half kickoff 94 yards for a touchdown. The Chiefs (5-3) got two scoring passes from QB Matt Cassel in the loss.
The Philadelphia Eagles beat the Indianapolis Colts, 26-24 as Michael Vick returned at quarterback and passed for 218 yards and also ran for 74 yards while passing for and running for a touchdown.
Atlanta (6-2) knocked off the upstart Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 27-21 in the Georgia Dome as Michael Turner scored twice and rushed for 107 yards. The Falcons defense stuffed the Bucs (5-3) on fourth and goal from the two-yard line to seal the win.
The New York Giants pounded the Seattle Seahawks, 41-7 as they built up a 35-0 halftime lead and never looked back. Quarterback Eli Manning passed for 290 yards and three TDs and the Giants (6-2) ran for 197 yards while their defense limited the Seahawks to 162 yards total offense.
Baltimore smothered Miami, 26-10 as Ray Rice ran for 83 yards and QB Joe Flacco (266 yards) threw two TD passes. The Ravens (6-2) intercepted three passes as the Dolphins couldn't get any offense going in the second half after trailing by just three (13-10) at the half.
The Saints (6-3) won their second straight game as they blasted the Carolina Panthers, 34-3 behind a pair of TD passes by Drew Brees. The Panthers went through three quarterbacks in the game as they managed just 195 total yards.
The New York Jets (6-2) escaped the Detroit Lions, 23-20 in OT as kicker Nick Folk nailed a 30-yard field goal for the win.
The Jets rallied from ten points down in the final three minutes to tie the game as QB Mark Sanchez scored from a yard out and Folk hit a 36-yard field goal as regulation time expired to force the overtime.
Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford (240 yards passing and two TD passes) was injured and did not return to the game as the Lions fell to 2-6 with the loss.
The Pittsburgh Steelers kept pace with Baltimore at 6-2 in the AFC North with a 27-21 win at Cincinnati on Monday Night Football.

Keith Olbermann Is Back on Countdown

Keith Olbermann has been reinstated on MSNBC's "Countdown" program as of Tuesday evening. His suspension for contributing to three Democratic candidates is lifted and Keith will host the popular MSNBC program once again.

NFL - Week Nine Preview

Week Nine in the NFL and here are the way things shape up this weekend.

Chicago at Buffalo (in Toronto) - The Bears have to get things turned around and the Bills are playing better. Should be an interesting game in Canada.

San Diego at Houston - Will the Chargers put together back-to-back wins for the first time this season? It won't be easy, they haven't won a road game in 2010.

NY Jets at Detroit - The Lions are improving week by week, but the Jets are coming off a shutout loss. Jets roll.

Miami at Baltimore - The Ravens.

Tampa Bay at Atlanta - Tampa Bay Head Coach Raheem Morris claims the Bucs are the best team in the NFC... don't be so cocky there buddy. Falcons win this game.

New Orleans at Carolina - The Saints are a very unpredictable team this year. The Panthers are awful.

New England at Cleveland - The Patriots are due for a letdown and the Browns just may pull this one off.

Arizona at Minnesota - The Vikings... what has happened to this team?

Kansas City at Oakland - Who would have thought this game would have real meaning in the AFC West? The Raiders are rolling right now.

NY Giants at Seattle - The Seahawks are tough at home. The Giants have been very solid so far. Something has to give.

Indianapolis at Philadelphia - The Eagles have some question marks as Michael Vick gets healthy. The Colts are getting things rolling.

Dallas at Green Bay - The Cowboys are terrible and the Packers are getting things back in order following a rash of injuries.

Pittsburgh at Cincinnati - The Bengals swept the Steelers last year. But don't count on that happening again this season.

Here are the picks for this week (Home teams are listed in BOLD)


Chicago over Buffalo
Houston over San Diego
NY Jets over Detroit
Baltimore over Miami
Atlanta over Tampa Bay
New Orleans over Carolina
New England over Cleveland
Minnesota over Arizona
NY Giants over Seattle
Oakland over Kansas City
Philadelphia over Indianapolis
Green Bay over Dallas
Pittsburgh over Cincinnati


Last Week's record: 7-6

SEASON RECORD: 72-45

Video- Rachel Maddow on the “Olbermann Thing”

Video- Rachel Maddow on the “Olbermann Thing”

NFL NEWS & NOTES

The season goes to Week Nine and there are some big name players getting fitted for helmets with different teams than we have been used to seeing them in.
Randy Moss (pictured right) was waived by the Minnesota Vikings on Tuesday, but on Wednesday, the veteran wide receiver was claimed by the Tennessee Titans.
Moss clashed with Vikings Head Coach Brad Childress and grated on some teammates, according to reports, and the Vikings had enough and sent him packing.
The Titans could use a solid wideout as Kenny Britt was injured last week in Tennessee's 33-25 loss in San Diego. With All-Pro running back Chris Johnson and quarterback Vince Young, who is nursing an ankle injury, Tennessee has a solid offense. They currently lead the NFL in scoring.
Meanwhile, Shawne Merriman was picked up by the Buffalo Bills after the San Diego Chargers released the five year linebacker on Tuesday.
Merriman (nicknamed "Lights Out") has been oft injured the past three seasons and played very little in 2010 with the Chargers before his release.
The Washington Redskins opened up a can of worms when for whatever reason, Head Coach Mike Shanahan benched quarterback Donovan McNabb in the final two minutes of the teams 37-25 loss at Detroit last weekend.
Backup quarterback Rex Grossman was sacked and fumbled the ball away, which was taken in for a touchdown to seal the game for the Lions. Interesting move as well followed two days later when the Redskins invited former Raiders' QB JaMarcus Russell for a tryout.
The Redskins are 4-4 and in contention in the NFC East division after finishing 4-12 a year ago.
AND FINALLY... How about Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback David Garrard, this past week's Heftyinfo NFL Player of the Week.
Garrard was 17-for-21 with 260 yards passing and threw four touchdowns as well as rushing for another score in a 35-17 rout of the Dallas Cowboys.

BOUGHT AND PAID FOR: No real surprises in the Mid-Term Elections

The 2010 mid-terms posted no real surprises as the Democratic Party held serve in the U.S. Senate while the Republican party gained the U.S. House of Representatives.
After all, the corporate controlled (mainstream) media, which is the best friend Sarah Palin has ever had, has been telling people for months that the GOP is going to win and people like to follow a winner.
That's human nature.
Even with the gains Republicans have made in the Congress, President Obama still has the power of the veto pen.
So, it's going to be interesting to see how the GOP gets along with these upstarts known as "teabaggers" that are really an off shoot of corporate America.
After all, the "tea party" movement is funded by Koch Industries and lobbyists' groups such as Freedom Works, which is headed by former House Republican big wig Dick Armey.
The real heroes for the GOP and the right wing movement in all of this is the U.S. Supreme Court and the insane ruling in the "Citizens United" decision resurrected by John Roberts, a George W. Bush appointee to the SCOTUS.
The ruling deemed corporations as "persons" and allowed said corporations to donate unlimited amounts of money to the candidates and their causes in this election cycle. In reality, the citizens united cause should be called "corporations united" because that is what it is.
One can only hope that the United States can remain a country that people living here can still call their own.
Italy (under Mussolini) and Spain (under Franco) attempted governing by corporate rule in the 1930's and '40's and the oligarchies they attempted didn't work out so well.
It's evident that multi-national corporations are now ruling in this country. Politicians are puppets and figure heads and nothing is going to change that because money talks and bullshit walks.
Anyone who believes otherwise is being naive and this election proves that out.
The GOP was awarded with tons and tons of corporate funding and none of it had to be accounted for thanks to the bought and paid for Supreme Court of the United States.
Many people on the right will say that labor unions, etc. also contribute to the Democratic party and yes they do. But that money is and always has been accounted for.
It is not anonymous money coming in from God knows where.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce as well donated millions and millions of dollars, some of it from foreign companies, to help influence American elections toward the Republican party.
That is bullshit and Roberts, along with Samuel Alito need to be tried and impeached from the U.S. Supreme Court for lying under oath when they stated they would NOT legislate from the bench during their confirmation hearings.
The Citizens United case proves they did just that.
They, along with Clarence Thomas, Antonin Scalia and Anthony Kennedy, are corporate shills and ought to ashamed of themselves for selling out this country.
If this trend continues, pack your bags and move to Canada because the United States as we know it will be gone forever and all the people who have been duped by the corporate lobbyists and their money will be whining, but it will be too late.
Thanks to their incompetence and listening to ministers of corporate propaganda on CNN and especially on Fox, this country is screwed.
People need to be involved politically and not just told who to vote for by corporate whores like Hannity, Limbaugh, Beck, O' Reilly, etc.
Wake up people and think for yourselves.
The results of this election should be a wake up call for ALL Americans!
Let's just hope we all won't be sorry when the 112th Congress takes session in January.
In the meantime, get educated America, because this citizen is fed up with all the right wing bullshit being spewed about and is not going to take this sitting down.
Book It!

DING DONG... The Witch is Dead!

Christine O' Donnell (R/Tea Party Candidate) loses in the race for U.S. Senator in Delaware to Chris Coons by a big margin.
Turns out ... O' Donnell is not like you.

Richard Blumenthal knocks off Republican/Tea Party candidate Linda McMahon in Connecticut as well. Another Democratic party gain in the U.S. Senate.

Breaking... Democratic candidate Joe Manchin defeats GOP candidate John Raese in West Virginia, all but crippling the Republican's chances for taking over the U. S. Senate.

And that became reality when Harry Reid, the Senate Majority leader, beat out tea party whack job Sharron Angle to secure the Nevada seat for the Democratic party.

Buckle up folks, it's gonna be an interesting scene in the nation's capital when the 112th Congress takes session in January.

Rand Paul wins in Kentucky

RAND PAUL IS A U.S. SENATOR ... Yikes!

BLACK TUESDAY FOR AMERICA?

If the GOP gets control of the U.S. House of Representatives and/or the U.S. Senate, it will indeed be a black day for the United States of America.
At least for the middle class and the working poor.
This country of ours will be in real danger of becoming an oligarchy if the Republicans get their way.
The good news is the GOP WILL NOT have enough votes to over ride the President Obama VETO pen and that just may be the saving grace for our country as we know it.
This is still the United States of America, we do not call it the corporate states of America.
Got it?
Good.
Hopefully, the so called political "experts"/pundits will be dead wrong and the Dems will remain in control of both the House and Senate after this election.
We shall see...

VOTE!

If you want to keep our country from becoming an oligarchy where the multi-national corporations rule everything!

If you do not want extremists running your lives and saying whether or not YOU have the FREEDOM to choose to do what YOU want to do!