Day 638

• In a "We Knew It!" Moment:  The head of the LAPD police union has officially declared LA a No-Go Zone for the holidays, dissuading all tourism from the city due to the present smash-and-grab crime wave.
• At the same time, one of the shoplifters in San Francisco says theft is "easy" there now.  Some people forget:  It never has really been a deterrent to commit petty crime, especially in cities like San Francisco.  For many people -- and not just the homeless (and I know this from not only myself there, but my therapist and I talking there while I was living on the streets there) -- jail is a vast improvement on life, off of the streets, Tenderloin District, Western Addition, Hunter's Point...
• A lot of people laugh at me while I say this, but I reiterate again:  You want this country back?  Lethal force on us on the Left or SHUT THE FUCK UP ABOUT IT.  Because if you think your guns are going to prevent this from happening on your doorstep in 3-6-12 months, you are as insane as people think I am!!   
• The Christmas tree at FOX News has been burned to the ground -- arson is suspected, according to G/O Media's Jezebel site.
• A reality of the small number of relevant teams in college football.  It's one thing to see an athlete entering the transfer portal.  It's another when it's the starting quarterback of LSU!!
• It turns out last week was the second time the Houston Texans had suspended Zach Cunningham for violations of team rules.  There won't be a third:  He was fired from the team today.
• Montez Sweat of Washington is the latest NFL COVID positive.
• And the LA Chargers' two top receivers, making seven in the last month in the COVID protocols.
• Tottenham Hotspur could be out of action for the foreseeable -- eight players and five staff are COVID-positives in a complete outbreak on the team.  They do have the minimum players and goalkeeper to field a squad, but...
• ESPN has the latest skinny on Brady vs. Belichick for Super Bowl LVI.  Yeah, it sounds like, unless Brady gets injured, that's where we're heading, doesn't it...  yay....  *twirls little finger*   
• I mean, we've already got a "Last Dance"-esque series on ESPN+ with Brady.  They've been pimping Mac Jones pretty hard the last few weeks.  Now several media sources beginning to serve on plates talk of a Brady-Belichick Super Bowl...   
• And the table could be set on how the Packers get eliminated:  Wasn't it just before that whole debacle against the Bengals that Mason Crosby had made a zillion field goals in a row or something?  That game and since, he's missed NINE.
• Tim Kurkjian of ESPN has won the Ford C. Frick Award this year.
• Australia has joined the United States as a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Winter Games grows -- as the IOC also seems to have no sway over the Peng Shuai situation.
• So has Great Britain.
• And Canada.
• In one of the more hilarious stories today:  A lawmaker in Oklahoma wants to rename a portion of a highway in the state against departing-for-USC football coach Lincoln Riley.  That portion is three inches long, in one of the most desolate and isolated parts of Oklahoma.  OUCH!!!!  
• He'll pay for the relevant signage, etc., himself.
• The Phoenix Coyotes have 12 days to bring their taxes and invoices up to date, or the local authorities will lock their arena.  Hey, Bettman...