The Frankish Reich

He also had Tyrod Taylor, who appears to be in the same solar system as Fields. I'm not saying those Bills offenses were great. They weren't! But they ran the ball effectively and we were a competitive team. If that's what the Bears want, then that's a path forward. If they want to tank, dump Fields, try to get Caleb, start from scratch? That's a path too. But you gotta choose.

This is exactly how a real journalist does it. Utterly unprepared congressman on the impeachment team, and the reporter won't let it slide.

True. Franchise QB is looking unlikely. Starting QB? I wouldn't give up on that yet. Hire Greg Roman!

"Bell cow" RB - I looked at the leading rushers the last 10 years. There are a few that averaged right about 20 carries per game, like Jonathan Taylor and Josh Jacobs the last couple years. But only 2 who went above that: Derrick Henry in 2020 and DeMarco Murray in 2014 (both around 23/24 carries). And obviously those were not great teams. Thing of the past. Cook + Harris + Latavius = today's model.

I liked CJ Spiller! And I'm liking James Cook now. Is there such a thing as a bell cow back anymore? Derrick Henry in his prime perhaps, but where's the guy consistently getting 20-25 carries a game? McCaffrey, if you add his catches, may be almost there, but that's not the traditional guy we think of. Cook is what he is, which right now is pretty damn good. Use him, don't abuse him, don't run him till he pukes!

"Anti-groomers" sure love to defend actual groomers, don't they ...

DeSantis: just stop doubling down on this. How about "it's a work in progress, and while I'm very happy with the overall emphasis, obviously there will be changes as it is rolled out." Symbolic of why he just can't seem to get traction.

Running. Which is a QB function too. Seriously, some OC somewhere could find a way to maximize his incredible talents. I'm not sure if he's Lamar Jackson or Jalen Hurts or Terrelle Pryor or Taysom Hill or Tim Tebow. And I'm really not convinced he's a starting QB. But he has a particular skill set that can help a functional team win games. That's obviously not the Bears. After watching the Dolphins-Broncos beat down, I had the same thought. McDaniel has optimized that offense for Tua, and Tua showed some incredible NBA point guard-style passing (check out those little forward pitches, impeccably concealed/timed/delivered for big gains), which is quite different than Josh Allen's down field passing game. Different skills, different offenses.

Yeah, it was kind of a failed experiment. I remember getting a lot of mail (those were the days) literature from them when I was applying to colleges. I have to admit I was interested - a state university that would be small scale, operated like one of the posh private liberal arts colleges. Not enough to entice me to Sarasota though. But whatever it's mission was, that seems to be thing of the past. So I don't mind trying to recenter it. But is there any demand for that kind of focus on the classics thing that DeSantis is pushing? Strikes me as the 2020s faddish equivalent (this time coming from the political right) of the original 1970s faddish theory that created it.

The legendary Takeo Spikes? Bad box? THAT Takeo Spikes, the same guy who led us to a 27-37 record in four (count 'em, FOUR!) legendary seasons? Shame on the Bills. He should get a special field level cabin built for him

Agreed. Haley seems to be playing the "maybe Trump will have a heart attack or somehow his base will abandon him" game. DeSantis? I'm not so sure he's not just positioning himself for 2028. Unless he's on Trump heart attack watch too. Christie: he must know in his heart that he has no chance. Grudge vs. Trump, but obviously no "I'm the Veep candidate" thing there. Everyone else: "I'm the VEEP!" Or maybe the Secretary of Agriculture (that Burgum guy)

Say it ain't so, Blitzie! See you on the other side.

Now I see the explanation: https://www.semafor.com/article/09/27/2023/fox-slashes-ad-prices-for-second-debate-as-primary-turns-into-snoozer There was plenty of incentive for advertisers to buy ads for the first contest, which helped drive record prices for airtime. (During the 2020 presidential debate, ABC charged a reported $375,000 for a 30-second spot during the general election debates.) It was the first time for audiences to see many of the candidates. And until just days before the debate, former President Donald Trump was still publicly toying with the idea of showing up. As non-Trump Republicans candidates fail to gain traction in the polls, there’s less incentive for advertisers to pay the same record rates as the first contest. “Sans Trump… these debates just aren’t big-time TV, because the GOP primary race has become a snoozer,” one ad buyer told Semafor. So there you go. Weird narrow-cast ads, mostly aimed at the geriatric crowd.

And I don't think you've watched enough Zach Wilson 😁

Long spot for a charity that seems to have something to do with veterans, headed by a guy with an incomprehensible accent. Ad for some kind of prayer app. Lengthy ad ostensibly touting South Dakota, really a product placement for Governor Randy Milf for VP. And so on.

I don't watch much Fox News, so the revelation for me tonight: this is an increasingly weird ass sheltered corner of America. I don't know this from watching the stupid debate. I know this by watching the bizarro commercials.

Siemian is not a good QB. He is probably an adequate backup QB. I'm not sure he's much different than Kyle Allen. But ... he won't aggressively go out of his way to lose you a game that your defense has given you a chance to win. I suspect that's what the Wilson dissenters on the defense are talking about. You don't have to be Aaron Rodgers, but you really don't have to be Nathan Peterman.

Yes. And that's exactly why you can't count out Biden. He's not gonna be running against Hypothetical Republican Nominee. He's gonna be running against Trump or one of these other deeply flawed candidates.

"Acting" genuine is right. Except for when she goes after Vivek. There seems to be real contempt there and she can't hide it, even when it's over the top. You mean he failed physics? NO! His uncle is an MIT genius!!

Desperation is setting in as everyone on that stage polls between 1 and 10 percent. I kind of like Haley the first time around. This time: shrill and, well, a little dumb. The Fat Man is having the best night. Tim Scott is fine too. That weird Burgum guy would be ok but he's perhaps the worst at trying to direct attention his way. Ron did well when the question allowed him to tout his Florida accomplishments (as he sees them), not so well otherwise. Vivek is just annoying. Pence is the adult in the room, but this is the kids' table and nobody wants that.

It is the law, and politics or no politics, you're probably not gonna get prosecuted for these things if you just lay low and run your little scams and grifts. But when you're out there bragging about how rich you are and rubbing the AG's nose in it with a Queens style "whatcha gonna do about it," well, sometimes they're gonna do something about it.

Run, don't walk away. If you're young that is. And from Republicans, not Democrats.

The judge has already found the Trump Organization culpable, but damages remain at issue.

I've gotta admit I don't really see any damages in the Trump Inflated Real Estate civil suit. I guess it's a per se violation of NYS law to do this (I haven't researched it), but typically these civil enforcement actions will be brought when some aggrieved party complains to the AG. Something like "I provided financing to the Trump Organization based on their fraudulent valuations, and then they defaulted and I lost my shirt." It would be clearer if it was the OTHER way around, valuing the property too low for tax purposes, and fairly for investor purposes. That way the damage is to the taxpayer, and it's a clear tax fraud case. So this is weird, and I have to conclude that it is obviously a civil prosecution motivated by political reasons. Now that doesn't mean it's not "fair" in a global sense. Life isn't fair, and if you go around violating accepted business practices, well, you've got it coming. I'm just pointing out that it's an unusual case. (I'll also agree that the Mar-a-Lago valuation thing is far from clear. Other things like overstating the square footage of Trump's condo? That's easy to prove)

Almost is right ... that's a whole different standard ...