November 30, 2022 News and Notes

• Blog Interruption Over
• Better Days Ahead
• But not for Jalen Kitna, son of former NFL'er Jon and backup at the University of Florida -- arrested today on child porn charges, possession and distribution.
• Or Mickey Joseph, interim coach of Nebraska.  Arrested today on suspicion of assault.  Domestic incident.
• Under the Jeopardy! radar after the five-week Tournament of Champions is current ultrachamp (the show's 15th) Cris Pannullo -- 18 wins, $637,923, an average of almost $35,000 a win!  Pannullo is the eighth highest winner in the history of the program, fifth highest in regular play behind the show's four regular-play millionaires.  (He passed Mattea on Monday.)
• Current projections by analyst Andy Saunders have Pannullo becoming the show's next millionaire!  Average projected streak:  30.
• Today was the 18th anniversary of two major show events:  First, the airing of Ken Jennings' defeat after 74 wins.
• Second was Saunders and others opening J! Archive, now having over 85% of the entire syndicated series put in.  Saunders has, as a goal, every one of the 1980's-present syndicated shows in the archive by the 20th anniversary in two years.
• Big news in college football:  It sounds like the Rose Bowl is amenable to the new 12-team CFP setup -- could start in two years.
• I knew from The Rock's interview in Playboy that he admits he was an asshole when he was younger.  Like I used to do out of my parents' restaurant in Minnesota with Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, Rock used to steal Snickers bars from a 7/11 near where he lived in Hawaii.  Today, as a symbolic gesture, he went to the same store, and bought every Snickers they had!
• Tragic day for a music legend:  Christine McVie of Fleetwood Mac has passed.  She was 79.

Blog Interruption Starts Now

Duration unknown, should be short.

Better days ahead.

2022 NFL Week 12 Score Report -- and a blog update

• The forthcoming blog interruption will begin tomorrow (perfect for the WC boycott!) -- and the plan is to end it the same day or a day hence.
• 45 points per game this week -- thank the 40-33 job on Sunday night for that total.
• Season average now 43.79 points per game.
• Home teams went 11-5 this week, 95-77-1 for the season.
• Over went 8-8 for the week, 79-99-2 for the season.
• Favorites were 7-7 against the number for Week 12 (there were two games that Caesar's had kick as a pick), 75-94-6 for the season.
• Favorites went 10-4 straight up this week, 109-65-1 for the year.
• Different week than most:  Team with more penalties went 9-5 -- still 68-88-1 for the year.
• Only 149 penalties this week in a full 16-game slate. (9.3 per game).  For the year, 2,098 in 180 games (11.65)
• 5 Cliffhangers for the week, 42 for the year.
• 11 of the 16 games finished within one score, 106 out of 180 for the year, almost 60%!
• 5 non-competitive games this week (no games this week which got within a score in the 4th and then fell out!), 43 for the season.
• And the Monday nighter made seven games with a Last Chance Miss, 69 not-so-nice finishes for teams behind this year.

2022 NFL Week 12 NFC Kayfabe and Political Rankings

And with that scorefest over in Philly, I can go ahead and do the NFC side of things.

Kayfabe:

NFC East:  Philly goes to 10-1 with the win.  Dallas is 8-3.  The Giants are 7-4.  The Commanders are 7-5.

NFC North:  Minnesota is 9-2 and five games clear of the division.  A win next week over the Jets and a loss by Detroit wins the division -- with five weeks to go in the season!

NFC South:  Tampa Bay is 5-6, Atlanta is 5-7, Carolina and New Orleans are both 4-8.

NFC West:  San Francisco is 7-4, Seattle has fallen all the way to 6-5.

Meaning ALL FOUR OF THE NFC EAST TEAMS are in the playoffs as of the end of Week 12.

1. PHI (10-1, NFC East)
2. MIN (9-2, NFC North)
3. SF (7-4, NFC West)
4. TB (5-6, NFC South)
5. DAL (8-3)
6. NYG (7-4)
7. WAS (7-5)

No tiebreakers needed.

Political:

1) Philadelphia

2) Dallas

3) Minnesota

4) New York Giants

5) Tampa Bay

Not really much to explain, except the only reason Tampa is even on this list is because they're leading the division, regardless of record, and that would get them one playoff game (against Dallas) at home, and then two more wins would get Tom Brady back to the Super Bowl, whether ANYONE likes it or not!

DUD OF THE WEEK:

Nominees:

Aaron Rodgers' oblique:  WE FINALLY GET TO SEE JORDAN LOVE!

The Bears:  Still Suck.

New Orleans:  The fourth shutout victim of the year.

Winner:

THE ENTIRE NFC SOUTH

Again:

Tampa Bay   5-6

Atlanta          5-7

Carolina        4-8

New Orleans 4-8

2022 NFL Week 12 AFC Kayfabe and Political Rankings

With Packers-Eagles tonight and 3-7 Pittsburgh vs. 4-6-1 Indianapolis tomorrow, I can get this done now -- and may need to.  It sounds like the interruption may be imminent, but better days ahead once it is over, for me and for others.

Anyhow, to the rankings, first Kayfabe:

AFC East:  Dolphins 8-3, HTH over Buffalo with the same record after the Week 3 win, second meeting December 18th.  Jets are 7-4, New England 6-5.

AFC North:  Baltimore 7-4, HTH over Cincinnati with the same record after the Week 5 win, second meeting Week 18 in January.

AFC South:  Tennessee 7-4, Indy is next at 4-6-1

AFC West:  Kansas City is 9-2, LA Chargers 6-5

Tiebreakers:

Baltimore-Tennessee for the 3-4:  Will not play.  Conference Record:  Baltimore 4-3, Tennessee 5-3

Cincinnati-NY Jets for the 6-7:  CIN won Week 3.

1. KC (9-2, AFC West)
2. MIA (8-3, AFC East, wins HTH tiebreaker over Buffalo)
3. TEN (7-4, AFC South, wins Conference Record tiebreaker over Baltimore)
4. BAL (7-4, AFC North, loses Conference Record tiebreaker to Tennessee)
5. BUF (8-3, loses HTH tiebreaker to Miami)
6. CIN (7-4, wins HTH tiebreaker with the Jets)
7. NYJ (7-4, loses HTH tiebreaker to Cincinnati)

Politicals:

1) Miami

Mainly because of two factors.  The first is:

2) Kansas City

... and the fact it does kinda look like, especially with Tua chugging along, that Miami and KC are getting a couple lengths in front there, as long as Tua is still going.

The second is because of the Tua push and the fact I don't trust the Reid leadership in KC and that I do think there's too much doghouse for KC not to take a bad call at a crucial playoff time.  Kelce Caught It???

3) Buffalo

4) Baltimore

And by a fair distance behind the top two.

Yes, there could be a Dud of the Week candidate tomorrow night, and I'll edit and make note if there is.

However:

DUD OF THE WEEK:

I think you'd have to go a fair distance to get past this WINNER:

KEVIN STRONG OF THE TENNESSEE TITANS

20-16 Cincinnati.  Cincinnati kicks a 31-yard field goal with 1:53 to go -- except Kevin Strong commits a personal foul on the play and taking the field goal off the board ensures the victory.

Roughing the snapper:  Elbow to the head of the snapper, rolling him back -- the snapper is a defenseless player in that position!

Stupid penalty and loses the game -- and given his place and contract for just this year at $850,000, I would not be surprised at all if he's an EX-Tennessee Titan by about tomorrow or Tuesday!

November 27, 2022 News and Notes

• And the "importance" of women's sports -- other than to beat on marginalized people -- is evident again.  A Las Vegas women's basketball tournament was forced to apologize for a substandard setup at a temporary court at the Mirage, including the fact that no bleachers were actually present at the event.
• A CNN report out last week indicates that a Harvard/Yale study now believes only about 20,000,000 people in this country may not have had COVID yet -- that basically everybody has had it at least once.
• Ten million gone, at least.  If you look at the wallpapering of labor and population statistics (and studies such as this), it's clear this nation has lost at least ten million to COVID.  Freedom-to-infect has won, and the numbers will be staggering.
• And if you are one of those who believes it's the jabs, then it's REALLY OVER, because this won't end until at least 200,000,000 are gone!   
• And Karl Denninger, you can't write both about the danger and ineffectiveness of the vaccines (which you conveniently do not note that a good 35% of the population refuse to get!) and the "Died Suddenly" Movement as a designed mass depopulation situation and be taken seriously!  It is either that the "Freedom Loving Purebloods" are killing themselves and the rest of us OR it's the vaccines and the Purebloods are right.  There is no third option -- and you best, if you believe in the second, understand the ramifications of that and act accordingly.  Remember the Deagle Group's predictions of a 70% kill-off of the US population in the next 36 months.  Even if tin, they came from somewhere.   
• Odell Beckham Jr. was expelled from an airplane flight today, and it was believed it was a concussion-related medical emergency.  So not only is that causing a problem for his transportation, but it probably puts most talk of him playing this year to bed -- not for misconduct, but for the medical emergency!
• The November sumo tournament is over, and there's a lot to unpack:

1. Shodai, on his sixth kadoban attempt, has finally lost Ozeki and will be a Sekiwake, needing 10-5 for repromotion in January.
2. Mitakeumi wasn't so fortunate, needing that 10-5 for repromotion here, and goes make-koshi (losing record), and will probably fall all the way to Komusubi next tournament.
3. Asanoyama, suspended for a year of tournaments after a COVID indiscretion as an Ozeki, did not win the third-level Makushita division, but his 6-1 record at rank 4 probably gains him promotion to a lower end of the second-level Juryo division for January.
4. Terutsuyoshi may have crashed all the way through Juryo from Maegashira.  He lost all 15 of his bouts, the first person to lose all 15 matches in the top tournament in over THIRTY YEARS.
5. The other major suspended rikishi of that time period with Asanoyama, Abi, won the tournament in a three-way playoff -- and it appears he injured Maegashira #1 Takayasu in the main match between the two, and may have hair-pulled him in the playoff!  If Ozeki Takakeisho (who Abi had beaten to win the tournament) had won, another win in January would've had him in play for Yokozuna!

NFL 2022 Week 11 Fine Blotter

• Las Vegas Raiders:  Davante Adams, $29,785 for abusive language to an official, regarding a no-call on a hit by...
• Denver Broncos:  Justin Simmons, who was fined $15,914 for the hit, even though it was not flagged.
• Arizona Cardinals:  DeAndre Hopkins, $10,609 for taunting.

NFL Ratings Report Week 11 and Thanksgiving

Again, from Sports Media Watch...

Week 11:

• Thursday (Amazon, Packers-Titans):  The Packers suck, but they're still a ratings draw:  5.1 rating, 10.32 million viewers -- highest since Week 4.
• Sunday Single (FOX):  8.0, 15.56 million viewers, up a third over last year!
• Sunday Regional (CBS, Eagles-Colts):  7.9, 15.26 million viewers, but that was down double-digits, they lost viewers to the FOX games.
• Sunday National (CBS, Cowboys-Vikings):  13.7, 27.55 million viewers, only behind last week's Cowboys-Packers game for the highest rated National window of the season.  Was actually down a couple ticks, though, from a Cowboys-Chiefs game last year in the same window.
• CBS is having it's best NFL ratings year since 2015.
• Sunday Night (NBC, Chiefs-Chargers):  9.5, 17.89 million, up about 20%.
• Monday Night (ESPN/Manningcast on 2, 49ers-Cardinals):  No bueno in Mexico.  5.9, 11.17 million, worst since 2017 for that week.

But Thanksgiving usually goes HUGE, with football in many family backgrounds for the turkey, the naps, and the inevitable airings of family grievances...

• CBS (Bills-Lions) got 31.63 million viewers, the most on record for the Lions window (going back to at least 1988).
• But that was dwarfed by the Cowboys window on FOX (Cowboys-Giants):  FORTY-TWO MILLION -- and that is a record for ALL GAMES OF THE REGULAR SEASON.
• NBC (Patriots-Vikings):  Best third window since 2015 with 26 million watching.

November 25, 2022 News and Notes

• Blogger's Note:  Blog interruption probably sometime next week.  Duration unknown but shouldn't be too much.  I'll gladly take this over the alternative.
• A Cliffhanger and two Last Chance Miss games -- all three games around or over 50 points -- for the John Madden Thanksgiving.  NFL was in a manipulative mood.   
• Facemask screwjob against the Lions?  Tune in to "After Further Review".
• Japanese corporate giant Dentsu, which landed the 2021 Olympics for Tokyo, now raided at the center of a massive corruption probe by the Japanese government.
• Haruyuki Takahashi, a former executive, has been arrested at least four times in the last year over these allegations.
• The allegations appear to surround bid-rigging for Olympic test events.
• And the beat goes on for the Lakers:  Patrick Beverley suspended three games for a flagrant shove in a game on Tuesday.  His status as a repeat offender aggravated the penalty.
• To give you the corporate reach of Nike:  Not one but TWO different college basketball holiday tournaments in honor of Phil Knight (the Invitational and the Legacy) held this weekend.
• Bryce Harper has undergone Tommy John surgery, and it appears it WILL cost him a significant portion of next season, even if he were just to DH.
• Several areas reporting a complete lack of people in line for Black Friday deals late on Thanksgiving, including news reports coming out of St. Louis and San Francisco.  Gee, you think the Republican wishes to destroy the economy have...  I don't know...  WORKED?   

November 24, 2022 News and Notes

• A now-former women's basketball player at New Mexico has quit the team and school, stating the gun violence in the area (two in her apartment complex, the more famous one on campus) indicates she is not safe there.
• New information on the on-campus shooting indicates that it was a conspiracy of at least four students to lure the victim onto the campus and shoot him.

NFL 2022 Week 11 After Further Review Part Two

Starting with Jake the Asshole again -- with whom I need to have a little talk...

#10:  The overtime winner in Denver for the Raiders over the Broncos.

Davante Adams is TEN YARDS CLEAR OF EVERYBODY on the catch.  All that needs to be said.

(He did tell me previously that he has a "hook" at #10.  I'd put this far higher on the list.  Probably #2 behind the punt return.)

#9:  Doink time in Giants-Lions.  13:21 in the fourth, Giants have just scored for 24-12, and the PAT would make it an 8 and 3 game.

But, as Jake likes to sing, it's "Return of the Doink".  One has to question the frequency of balls, especially going off the uprights, on these place-kicks.

I would have to wonder in certain cases, like this one, if the kicker is actually complicit, because it looks like the kick is almost being aimed at the right upright.  Either way, it's dirty as Hell.

#8:  Not sure I can agree with this one, Jake.  Falcons-Bears.  Field goal off the crossbar, late first half, for the Bears.

It was from 56, Jake.  Now if you want to make the case that kickers should now have the strength of leg to make it from 60+, I'll listen to the argument.  That one was short.

#7:  Jets-Patriots, 2:56 to go in the half in a 3-3 game, and the Patriots are going to try a 44 yard field goal.

There was a bit of wind in that neck of the woods, kid.  But the claim is that, in fact, the magnetic pull is so strong, it can repel and stop a ball in mid-air.

Stick to the Doinks off the uprights.  You got a case there.  Because if the magnets were that strong, would there not be the possibility the fans would notice -- you know, like, say, magnetic interference in the social media, etc. that gets posted?

#6: Cowboys-Vikings, 3rd and 14 for the 'Boys from their 32.  23-3 Dallas, early second half.

Lack of effort charge here on the last Vikings defender on the 68 yard TD.  You be the judge.

Jake, unlike me, has two specialties -- Doinks and Slop Plays.

#5:  Chiefs-Chargers, 3rd and 10 for the Chiefs at the Charger 32.  20-16 Chargers.

His charge is three Charger defenders couldn't get Travis Kelce down in a key situation.

Things like #10 are obvious -- these last two, you gotta judge for yourself.

#4:  Back to Bears-Falcons.  Take a good look at that catch by #85 for the Bears and tell me straight-faced they don't have magnets.

ESPN also proves this point in an Adam Schefter video, where, even with gloves, he can't stop the ball like that with one hand.  You'd either have to claim these players have fruit-crushing strength in their fingers, or they're getting lots of help.  I vote the latter.

#3:  49ers-Cardinals in Mexico.  7-3 49ers, mid second quarter.

And two Cardinals defenders completely whiff on George Kittle, even on an underthrown ball, on the score.

#2:  Staying with 49ers-Cardinals.  And here's the other George Kittle touchdown on the game, with it 31-10 in the 4th for the 49ers.

Maybe the one guy he locked eyes on, but there was downfield blocking to can the other three.

And, at least in this case, then Jake goes completely off the rails with an alleged "666" hand-signal by Kittle.  Now, I'm not necessarily against people who claim this on a baseline basis (which see Beyonce and her pyramid hand-signal), but keep that out of the NFL rigging videos, bud.  You have better cases and more evidence.  Use what you have.

#1:  My eyes are playing tricks on me -- I almost thought this was the Saints.

Nope, it's the Patriots-Jets punt return touchdown.  Easy-peasy #1.

He again misses the holding on the return team too, simultaneous to and just after the first block in the back.

----------------------

This tiptoes on the World Cup Boycott, so I'll hold caution on this one.

But the irony is just to ludicrous levels of a Tweet I come across:  You claim a World Cup game is rigged, and you THEN state you can't wait for the three NFL games tomorrow??!?!?!!?!?

(For those readers supporting the boycott, please read for the irony of the second part of that!)

November 23, 2022 News and Notes

• An Arizona Cardinals assistant has been fired for groping a woman in Mexico during the team's stay there.  ... "Aw, he was just being FOOBAW MAN!!"   
• Cristiano Ronaldo has been fired from Manchester United, and will serve a two-game suspension (from the FA) for the next club he plays in for an incident which led to the "mutual parting of ways"...  Shyeah and right...   
• Seven Michigan State football players have been charged with criminal activity in the postgame tunnel jumping of at least two Michigan players after they got their ass kicked by the Wolverines on the field.
• Azea Augustama, a former professional boxer and Olympian, was arrested in Miami for plotting to shoot up a gym he was banned from after a series of misconducts and disputes.
• As of current numbers, it appears the Republicans may be able to eke out a workable majority.  They have 220 now, 3 races to call.
• The NHL has come out officially in favor of transgender and non-binary rights.  This was in response to right-wing criticism of the league's support of a fully non-binary/transgender hockey tournament in Madison, WI.
• Another reason LGBT's are going to have to #ShootBack:  The father of the shooting suspect in the hate-crime murder of at least five LGBT's in Colorado actually was fearful his son was gay himself!  Gee, between that and the state-legislator grandfather, any wonder where this came from??   
• After the Chargers game on Sunday, a fan fight resulted in a fan getting thrown off a bridge Sunday night -- local police are looking at the viral video to determine if they can find the responsible party.  The drop was probably about eight to ten feet to a stairway adjacent to SoFi Stadium.
• The season properly sabotaged, we find out NOW that Aaron Rodgers has a broken thumb on his throwing finger.

Red Alert, Vis-A-Vis The Blog, Averted

About six or seven weeks ago, I posted the possibility that my time was going to be severely curtailed, etc.

Well, blow me, "Unknown".  Because all the news has come back good -- there may/will be a COUPLE DAYS' break in the near future, but we should be all good and square.  Once that break is taken care of, full speed ahead.

November 22, 2022 News and Notes

• Amy Schneider is the 2020-2022 Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions winner, winning the third and final game in Game 6 Monday night.

2022 NFC Week 11 Kayfabe and Political Rankings

I'll start backwards:

DUD OF THE WEEK:

WINNERS:  The booking committee.  Whoever is rigging the NFL can't seem to keep their story straight.

So you have Green Bay go over Dallas on Sunday -- and then on Thursday have them make Ryan Tannehill look good.

A bit less so (because it was pretty clear that this is about as much a subversion as the NFL will allow), you had Minnesota go over Buffalo last week -- and then probably get the worst shellacking of any team this season in a 40-3 exposure to the Cowboys.  That would've won most weeks easily if there wasn't some sort of pattern going on.

Take the Giants, for example.  7-2 -- and I said they weren't a great 7-2.  And you lose two touchdowns to Detroit!  (Now, if you want to say "services rendered" for providing the stadium for Buffalo and Cincy to play in, I won't stop that!)

Philly's 8-1, and needs every trick in the book and probably some refball to one-point beat Indianapolis?

Now it could be a rewrite:  Again, The Tom Bradys had their bye this week.

So now the Politicals, since I'm doing this one backwards.

1)  Philadelphia

#1 until proven otherwise.  And now you get the free win vs. the Pack to go 10-1.

2) Dallas

Gotta move them to #2 now because that's the kind of win which is indicative that the league just might finally be giving Jerry Jones the push he's demanded to Hell and back...

But they get the Giants on Thursday...

3) Tampa Bay

No matter the record, winning the division gets one home game, and then they only would need to win that one and two more -- and who knows, the way this league is booking parity, or so it seems.

Minnesota and the Giants take a step backward, San Francisco and Seattle still a bit too far in the rear-view mirror.

Kayfabe Standings:

NFC East:  Philadelphia 9-1, Dallas and the Giants 7-3.  Washington 6-5

NFC North:  Minnesota 8-2

NFC South:  Tampa Bay 5-5

NFC West:  San Francisco and Seattle 6-4

Tiebreakers:  NFC East #2:  Cowboys beat the Giants Week 3

                      NFC West Leaders:  San Francisco beat Seattle Week 2

Seeds:

1. Philadelphia (9-1, NFC East)
2. Minnesota (8-2, NFC North)
3. San Francisco (6-4, NFC West, HTH tiebreaker win over Seattle)
4. Tampa Bay (5-5, NFC South)
5. Dallas (7-3, HTH tiebreaker win over New York Giants)
6. New York Giants (7-3, HTH tiebreaker loss to Dallas)
7. Seattle (6-4, HTH tiebreaker loss to San Francisco)

2022 NFL Week 11 Score Report

• 42.36 points per game for the week.
• 43.67 per game for the season.
• Two neutral-site games this week, so home teams went 4-8 for 84-72-1 for the season.
• 7-6-1 against the spread this week, 68-87-6 for the year.
• Favorites went 11-3 this week (only Green Bay, Denver, and the Giants lost).  99-61-1 for the season.
• Team with more penalties was 5-8 this week, 59-83-1 for the year.
• 160 penalties for the week (11.4 per game), 1,949 for the 164 games in the season (11.9).
• 5 Cliffhangers for the week, 37 for the season.
• 8 of the 14 games finished within one score, 95 for the season.
• 4 non-competitive games, 38 for the year (only one more game for the season non-competitive than Cliffhanger).
• And 6 more games ended in Last Chance Misses for 62 overall.
• In the "Coincidence, I Think Not!" Department:  Three of those six were interceptions at the losing team's 40 down a field goal.
• And one more interesting stat:  75 of the 164 games this year had one or more Cliffhangers, one or more Last Chance Misses, or some combination.  That's about 47% of all NFL games this year.

November 21, 2022 News and Notes

• Virginia has correctly ended it's football season, cancelling the final game with Virginia Tech.  Both schools and the ACC support this decision, neither did very well this season in the first place -- nothing really is affected.
• A number of DraftKings and other online betting accounts have been compromised.

2022 AFC Week 11 Political and Kayfabe Rankings

Blogger's Note:  There's work to do in the NFC yet.  San Francisco, with the HTH over Seattle, takes over first in the NFC West with a win over Arizona tomorrow night in Mexico City.  Also, if they win, Seattle gets the #7.  If they lose, Washington gets it and all four NFC East teams are in the playoffs as of the end of Week 11.  So the NFC tomorrow night!

I want another look at that last drive for Kansas City.

Possible OPI on the first play, a complete Intentional Grounding in the pocket no-call to save Mahomes, and then (if there was a hold) where was the hold on the 3rd play?

And, as such, Kansas City will win the AFC West again.

Kayfabe:

AFC East:  Miami 7-3, Week 3 win to tiebreak over Buffalo at 7-3.  Patriots and Jets 6-4.

AFC North:  Baltimore 7-3, Cincinnati 6-4

AFC South:  Tennessee 7-3, next team is 4-6-1

AFC West:   Kansas City 8-2, LA Chargers 5-5

Tiebreakers:

2-3-4 at 7-3 (Miami, Baltimore, and Tennessee):

No sweep or swept.  Conference:  MIA 5-2, BAL 4-2, TEN 5-2  Baltimore is the 4.

Strength of Victory between MIA and TEN:  MIA .465 vs. TEN .358

MIA 2, TEN 3, BAL 4

6-7-out at 6-4 (Patriots, Jets, Bengals)

Patriots-Jets tiebreak first:  Patriots sweep the Jets.

Patriots-Bengals:  Will play Dec. 24.  Conference record:  NE 5-2 CIN 3-3  NE is the 6

Jets-Bengals:  Bengals win Week 3.  CIN in, NYJ OUT.

1. Kansas City (AFC West, 8-2)
2. Miami (AFC East, 7-3, wins HTH tiebreaker over Buffalo to lead division, conference record over Baltimore to eliminate them, Strength of Victory over Tennessee for the #2)
3. Tennessee (AFC South, 7-3, wins conference record tiebreaker over Baltimore, but loses Strength of Victory to Miami)
4. Baltimore (AFC North, 7-3, loses conference record tiebreaker to Miami and Tennessee simultaneously.)
5. Buffalo (7-3, loses HTH tiebreaker with Miami for division)
6. New England (6-4, wins HTH tiebreaker over the Jets (a sweep tiebreaker of the three 6-4s would eliminate the Jets anyway, but, for wild card berths, all division tiebreaks are handled first), wins conference record over Cincinnati)
7. Cincinnati (6-4, loses conference record tiebreaker with New England, wins HTH tiebreaker over the Jets)

Political Rankings:

1) Buffalo

But by far less over Kansas City than it probably should be.  Minnesota got summarily exposed this week, so badly that the network threw in the towel on coverage midway through the 3rd quarter.

2) Kansas City

And Kansas City got a LOT of help in that last drive.  The only question was whether it was one play or up to three.  I want another look!

3) Miami

More because they were off this week.  I still think the AFC goes through Tua Tagovailoa.

4) Baltimore

They are going to have to step up, or they are going to get left behind.

DUD OF THE WEEK:

Nominee:

A single here:  George Pickens of the Steelers.

Tossed for a flagrant headbutt on a grounded Cincinnati player after that player recovered the onside kick to clinch the game.  Forget simply the fine.  I would not be shocked if we get word tomorrow morning that he's sitting the next at least one game.

Winners:

THE NEW YORK J-E-T-S SUCK SUCK SUCK:

Three points against New England, with as much on the line as there seems to be?  Seriouslike?  You now lose all tiebreakers with the Patriots and Cincinnati, and those are the other two 6-4 teams right now.

And with the Giants falling real flat today, that whole luster of a New York team in the Super Bowl is looking less and less attractive by the hour!

2022 NFL Week 11 After Further Review Part One

I think I can remove the Jets and Giants from my Politicals.

Both lost today -- the Giants by multiple touchdowns at home to the Lions.

But it's the Jets losing to the Patriots, and why, that gets this started...

The game is 3-3 with about 15 seconds to go in regulation, the Jets punting to the Patriots in a game which, even with ten more minutes, appears destined for a 3-3 draw.

And then THIS happens, and watch closely...

Was this a block in the back?

Patriots beat the Jets on a last second punt return by Marcus Jones #NYJvsNE pic.twitter.com/ACLI8BphDa

— The Spotting Board (@SpottingBoard) November 20, 2022

It wasn't just a block in the back -- it was TWO.

Basically, all the people who are talking about this are talking about the block in the back at the Jet 16-yard line by New England's Mack Wilson on the Jets' Justin Hardee.

This would've resulted in about a 43-yard field goal to win the game.

But there's another one, all the way back at the beginning of the return.  (And that's if you ignore two Patriots holding the Jets'... THE SAME GUY -- Justin Hardee!!! at the point of attack!)

Zonovan Knight is blocked in the back by New England's Cameron McGrone, and McGrone throws his arms up to wonder where the call is, at the New England 27-yard line!

And this would be point-shaving -- the Patriots were 3.5-point favorites and covered as the result of the deliberate malfeasance of the NFL.

And, according to Sirius XM's VSiN Network (and Jake, who pointed it out):  Handle was about 3-2 Jets, bets almost 2-1, on the spread.

And no, this was NOT a mistake.  This was an intentional act!

----------------------

And speaking of intentional rigged acts...

The Bills throwing the game to the Vikings last week...

The Cowboys basically getting screwed, in some circles, by the Pack??

So the Pack lose 27-17, in a game that wasn't that close, on Thursday to Tennessee in Lambeau (Hell, they made Ryan Tannehill look passable!)...

Buffalo takes Cleveland out to the woodshed in Detroit.

And the Vikes and Cowboys, in the Game of the Week, mid 3rd quarter???

THIRTY-SEVEN TO THREE COWBOYS -- IN MINNESOTA!!!

This league is so rigged, they can't even keep their stories straight week to week!

It has went so badly for that game that CBS, who had what really could've been one of the games of the year, gave up on the Dallas-Minnesota game about five minutes to go in the third quarter.  Non-local watchers got sent to the other CBS game, Cincinnati-Pittsburgh.

November 20, 2022 News and Notes

• Exhale...  Breathe....
• Blogger's Note:  I should know in the next two weeks the situation I alluded to about seven weeks ago.  Things are looking up...   
• Speaking of things looking up:  Glad to see no cause for that report yesterday from MSN about today's opener.
• Pro-LGBTQ armband row with the European sides may result in mass discipline in the first round of the group stages if they don't bow to the blood lords and FIFA taking their money.
• Morgan Freeman, you have lost a lot of respect in my book for taking part in the Blood Money Opening Ceremony.  Just sayin'...
• Kyrie Irving has shown who's boss -- and he's back today after sitting eight games for being a Black Supremacist anti-Semite pig.
• Another SEC fine coming -- South Carolina stormed the field last night after doing in Tennessee's playoff hopes by multiple touchdowns.  That one was $100,000.
• Vanderbilt actually defeated Florida, and the field-storming cost them $250,000 as a third offense.
• Giannis Antetokounmpo was pissed at his free-throw shooting in Memphis, and Memphis wanted him off the floor, as he wanted to take extra free-throw practice after the Bucks lost to Memphis.  The resulting row may result in discipline for The Greek Freak -- as Giannis probably took a ladder they used to try to stop him and tipped it to the ground!

Another one. LGBTQ's: #ShootBack

MAGAt Bigot Pig opened fire at the LGBTQ "Club Q" (wonder if THAT had something to do with it, given the intellectual capacity of most homophobic/transphobic Republican swine!) Saturday night.

5 martyrs gone, 25 injured, because we do not have the bravery as a nation to SHOOT THESE FUCKING BIGOTS IN THE GODDAMNED HEAD!!!!

Yeah, I said it!  Sue the fuck out of me, I don't care!!!

We KNOW what the other result is (the Pulse was another of these cases) -- so if these fuckers want a war, I say the LGBTQ community and it's allies DAMN WELL GIVE IT TO THEM!!!!

Guy apparently was in a standoff with police in Colorado last year when he wanted to shoot or blow up his mom!!!

Guy's grandfather was a state legislator who they were going to throw out (or at least try) for supporting the January 6th, 2021 insurrection attempt and likened it to Lexington and Concord!

2022 NFL Week 10 Fine Blotter

• Seattle Seahawks:  DK Metcalf:  $29,875 for arguing with an official.  Fines for actions against officials are the highest on the fine schedule.  It's also his fourth UC fine (two celebrations and a straight UC) inside of two years, along with a fighting fine.   
• Jacksonville Jaguars:  Andre Cisco:  $6,612 for unnecessary roughness.  Defenseless player foul.
• Miami Dolphins:  Trent Sherfield:  $6,597 for unsportsmanlike conduct.
• Pittsburgh Steelers:  DaMonte Kazee:  $6,597 for unnecessary roughness.
• San Francisco 49ers:  Dre Greelaw:  $10,609 for the helmet-to-helmet ejection.  Unless that guy basically would be playing for free otherwise, that fine should have been at least TRIPLE that -- AND perhaps not the only fine on the play!   
• Washington Commanders:  Jamin Davis:  $10,609 for a flagrant face mask.

November 19, 2022 News and Notes

• In the "Yeah, That Would Do It" Department:  What kind of Buffalo snow would move an NFL game, etc.?  Try four to five feet of it in one day!
• In the "Unintended Consequences" Department:  Amy Schneider wagering defensively to prevent Andrew He from winning the Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions cost her the win of the tournament on Friday, as Sam Buttrey was finally able to get off the canvas and get his first point.
• Monday's Game Six has the same concept as Game Five:  He or Schneider can win, or Buttrey can extend, this time to Winner Takes All.
• Mass walkout at Texas A&M because the team is subpar.  Homecoming game with UMass, and 90% of the fans walked out after the band played halftime.
• It appears that alcohol is going to have to go on some kind of banned list -- not only is there the Titans OC DUI after the Packer game Thursday, but the Washington Commanders were boozing it up on the plane home Monday night!  Roger Goodell is not happy.
• A shooting this morning at the University of New Mexico has postponed their men's basketball game with New Mexico State, scheduled for later today.
• It's getting so dicey that Germans are actually boycotting the World Cup in such numbers that it's actually becoming noticeable!
• FIFA has demanded the teams "Focus On Football" in Qatar.  YOU FIRST!!!   
• I will refer to my readers who have asked me to boycott the on-field stuff on the World Cup, but this, though it does directly relate to human rights, is important:  On the eve of the opener, there are "sources" ("insiders" to both involved teams) who have spoken to Amjad Taha, the regional director to Britain and a strategic political affairs expert, that there is a $7.4 million bribe to at least a subset of the players on the Ecuador team to throw tomorrow's opener to Qatar.  Eight players appear to have been implicated, and the singular goal of the match is supposed to occur in the second half.  (Before anyone thinks this is too tin, I picked this up on my MSN feed.)
• And to feed into it...  An official FIFA "Integrity Alert" has been filed against the hosts -- referees in their friendly matches have awarded them what appears to be an excessive number of penalties.  Can we just cancel the whole damn thing?
• The FIFA President has blasted Europe, as a whole, and say they should be "apologizing for the next 3,000 years" for past mistakes.  Oh...  my...  Lord...  This is going to end SO BADLY...   
• Declan Hill, long-time academic and match-fixing expert for the sport of soccer, will not be even watching the World Cup.  He has announced he will watch the 50 greatest films of all time instead!
• Why?  Here's an example...  Journalist Kevin Baxter was covering the US team for their opener on Monday against Wales.  He was ordered to remove his rainbow facemask and was offered a plain blue one instead.  He refused (and then made abjectly clear that it was NOT the US team, it was the Qatari host security).  Hat-tip to my anonymous friend -- one of the readers I consult with for such proposed boycotts.
• In a move that is only surprising that it didn't happen 5 minutes after the ink was dry on the sale:  Welcome back to Twitter, you fat orange fuck!!!

Blog Announcement: On-Field World Cup 2022 Boycott

Finally had that talk with some of the readers of my blog -- the same ones which suggested the World Cup and Olympic Russia boycotts.

It is for all the obvious reasons that could be discussed at length:

• Homophobia/transphobia
• Sportswashing
• The hundreds, if not thousands, killed in the preps for this event
• The rampant corruption at all levels of the event
• The Muslim Middle East blood money future of sports (where possible)...

I could go on.

But the official position is:  To do just on the referee fuckery is not going to give sufficient service.  So, for the third major sporting event, it's a boycott -- to at least that extent.

Now, I am even MORE certain something is going to go down ancillary to the pitch or off it that will merit discussion in this blog.  In fact, I'm not even 100% sure something doesn't happen on a political end which skewers the entire event -- and I'm not talking a war or a nuclear exchange.  It's as I've said a couple times already:  You actually expected this clash of sensibilities to work....  HOW AGAIN???

I'm not 100% sure that Muslim sensibilities (or the backlash from non-Muslim fans coming to Qatar) won't kill this event at some point.

But, after consultation with readers I trust, I cannot, in good conscience, cover the matches of their own merit.

November 18, 2022 News and Notes

• Because of a partnership dispute, Blizzard has severed World of Warcraft in China.  And the game, with the RMT industry over there, will probably be the better for it.   
• The Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions will make a fifth day.  A conservative wager by Amy Schneider actually worked when she ceded control of Final Jeopardy to Professors' champion Sam Buttrey -- all three missed today's Final, and Amy is now, with Andrew He, one win from the tournament championship.
• One of two things happens today:  The tournament ends with Amy or Andrew winning, or Sam Buttrey, the Professors' champion, gets his first win -- and the latter has come close twice.
• It appears CBS is going to have to dip into reruns for The Price is Right either for the holidays or into 2023.  Drew Carey is now at least 2-3 weeks dealing with COVID.  He (fully boosted, etc.) has just been getting beaten the crap out of with it.  Thought he was out of it, then posted today that he was back exhausted enough not to barely get out of bed!  
• The main reason I've not gotten the boosters after getting the initial two is NOT that I would not otherwise have faith in the boosters, but, on a factual basis, we aren't and never will get to/at herd immunity through the vaccinations.  Hence, the stuff's not working, period-end.   
• Todd Downing, offensive coordinator of the Titans, DUI and speeding after he got home from Green Bay and the win last night.
• All alcohol sales in and around the World Cup stadiums have been shut off, just two days before the start of the event in Qatar.  Again, you expected this to go well with the sensibility differences...  HOW???   
• Speaking of...  I do find it hilarious that a FIFA YouTube video, embedding by ESPN for a World Cup preview, was automatically BLOCKED, not unlike the NFL videos here and the like.
• Manchester United appear to be ready, while Ronaldo is playing in Qatar, to simply fire him -- with no one even willing to take him on a free transfer.  It now appears that this World Cup may be the full end of Cristiano Ronaldo's soccer career...
• And Tom Brady's charity foundation is being exposed as a scam.  2007-2019 -- Tom Brady's donation to his charitable foundation?  $200,000.  Woo.  Fucking.  Hoo.  

November 17, 2022 News and Notes

• Took over a week, but it does look like the slim majority for the Republicans will carry out in the House of Representatives.  Question is:  How slim?
• And it does appear that McCarthy, with the Trumpists' blessings, will be Speaker.  Meaning nothing can be taken seriously...   
• Andrew He is one win from winning the Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions.  A rather even Game 3 was decided by a conservative wager on He's part.
• According to analyst Andy Saunders, there apparently is some controversy in the Final Jeopardy tonight.  

"Paul's letter to them is the New Testament epistle with the most Old Testament quotations."

The correct question was "What are the Hebrews?"

According to Wikipedia, the epistle to the Hebrews is attributed to Paul widely, but many scholars do not believe he wrote it.

Hoo boy.

• Pete Rose will remain on the banned list, per Rob Manfred.  Then take his records too, Manfred.  If you're that set on "If you bet on baseball, you belong on the Permanently Disqualified List.", then take his records too and render them invalid.   
• There must really be some snow in the forecast.  Buffalo has had some humdinger snowstorms.  But it has been announced today that there's so much snow in the forecast for Buffalo that the Bills-Browns game Sunday is going to be played in Detroit instead!
• Which means two consecutive Bills games in Detroit -- they play the Lions next week.
• It appears the cash-in for the Judge 62 ball is going to be a full lottery ticket.  The ball will go to auction, and a $3,000,000 offer for the ball was declined.  And you wonder why someone leapt into the chasm between the seats and the fence at that point!   
• Ndamokung Suh is back with the NFL -- the Eagles need line help.
• An additional lawsuit by the DC Attorney General alleging the Washington Commanders are siphoning off season-ticket money for other purposes.
• Ticketmaster is going to have to figure out what to do before it can allow a public onsale for Taylor Swift's new tour.  They scheduled it for tomorrow and the website and app can't take the obscene demand!
• There has been significant further overturn on Twitter.  The offices are closed til Monday, all keycards have been revoked, hundreds have quit at Elon's further demands -- and there now does appear, at least rank and file user level, that the end of the entire platform may be nigh!  Making one wonder, especially with Musk's comment on how to make a small fortune in social media:  "Begin with a large one.", whether this MIGHT have actually been Musk's plan!   
• And now a report that there have been bribes taken by certain now-fired Facebook employees to hijack some user accounts!

2022 NFL Week 10 After Further Review: Part Three

And on top of everything else:  Jake The Asshole has FIFTEEN plays on his list this week.

He DOES have tags for both the Bills and Vikings, so there may be more plays from that game or he may have incorporated some here.

#15:  Raiders-Colts, Raiders Last Chance Miss, 4th and 7 from the IND 16 down five points, fifty seconds left.

DPI no-call, ref right there, oh gee I wonder why...

#14:  Bears-Lions, 2nd and 18 from the Chicago 17 for the Bears.  24-17 Bears, 10 1/2 to go in the game.

Hit as thrown, duck in the air, two Bears receivers miss the tackle after the pick, it's a pick six.

#13:  The Doink-A-Rama, as he calls it.  Panthers-Falcons.  First quarter, scoreless.

46 yard attempt for Carolina.  And there's a definite point to this one.  The kick does look, for all the world, like it's going to go well wide left, and then...  Off the pole, through the uprights.

#12:  He's already addressed this one.  Vikings miss the extra point against the Bills off the upright to keep the score 27-23.  4 1/2 to go in the fourth.

#11:  Colts-Raiders again, this time a six-minute drive for the Colts to start the third quarter up 13-7, and it's Return of the Doink.

At which point WWE's Doink shows up.  Why not?  We seem to be getting a lot of those, let him show up too -- but which one?  Matt Borne or the other guy?

I mean, there is an argument to be made here.  How many doinks have to happen in a given game/week/etc. before someone starts questioning whether they are actually happening naturally?

Which leads to two options:  Either they're kicking for the doink, or the uprights are magnetized...  HMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM....

#10:  Dalvin Cook 81 yard TD run, Vikes-Bills, already covered.

#9:  Titans-Broncos, and a fleaflicker.  5:14 in the 3rd, 10-7 Denver, 1st and 10 for the Titans at their 33.

And the fleaflicker works to perfection, no one close, and Jake thinks it's another scam slop play.  He tends to emphasize those about as much as I emphasize the officiating.  Each of us will dabble in the other, but his point does still stand.

#8:  International flair on this one:  We're in Germany for Bucs-Seahawks.  3rd and 10 for the Tom Bradys at the Seahawk 32.  No score, early 2nd quarter.

Julio Jones is the recipient of another complete lack of defense, in Jake's opinion, for the opening 32 yard score.

#7:  Already covered, Bills-Vikings, game-losing interception.

#6:  Cowboys-Packers.  43 yard line, 7-7, 2 1/2 minutes to go in the half.

Brett Favre Syndrome for Mr. Prescott, as he thinks he can thread the needle through two defenders Jake points out have him on a bead for the ball.  Picked off, leads to the second Green Bay TD of the day.

#5:  Already covered, Stefon Diggs Magnet Catch in Bills-Vikes.

#4:  Already covered, the first of what Jake feels are the two scripted Allen interceptions.  The one I said at least four bad decisions were made on the play.  If there's three better than that...

#3:  Chargers-49ers, 1st and 10 for the Chargers at their 23.  49 seconds to go, no time outs, down 6.

Jake points out the clear outlet pass that can get a few yards, go out of bounds, set up the next play...

But we end up throwing the ball to the 49er defender, game over and the 49ers win!

#2:  Broncos-Titans, blatant magnet catch by Courtland Sutton

And #1:  The sixth play from Vikes-Bills, the Justin Jefferson magnet catch.

-----------------------

Purple Surly on Twitter has one from Vikes-Bills we BOTH missed.  On the SECOND 4th and goal inside the 1 (the "failed" QB sneak), look at the Bills D-line...

@PhilMackey @DexsTweets @jzulgad did you guys see that Buffalo lined up in the neutral zone on 4th and goal? pic.twitter.com/IFO0DMa4mP

— PurpleSurly (@PuhpleDaily) November 16, 2022

------------------------

Another one akin to Jake's slop play emphasis:  Watch #54 for the Titans on this play.

P1 This play alone shows the #NFL is rigged look at #54 why tf after seeing the hole he runs the opposite way ? Now look at #3 Why did he randomly run into that blocker when the hole is right there 🤣. NFL is scripted on narratives ! ! ! #NFLRIGGED
Pt 2 below 👇🏽 pic.twitter.com/YvbEGPPtgd

— Tom Foolery (@RiggerGoofdell) November 15, 2022

November 16, 2022 News and Notes

• Andrew He (Monday) and Amy Schneider (Tuesday) have one point apiece in the Grand Final of the Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions.  First to three points (game wins) wins and ends the tournament.
• After Ye's victory, some people thought that a Ye sweep was spoiled on the show's website, after they only listed three dates for the Tournament Grand Final.
• Anyone who had been following their Hall of Fame page during several of the million-dollar runs would've debunked this rather quickly.  They are very diligent in updating, but similarly diligent in taking care as not to spoil unaired events.   
• Georgia, Michigan, Ohio State, and TCU are the playoff teams for another week in college football.
• Yes, The Big Orange Fuck HAS declared for 2024.  May he and DeSantis literally kill each other.   
• A missile has hit Poland, killing two.  Before anyone wonders:  Current analysis even has President Biden saying it didn't come from Russia.
• Amari Rodgers has been fired from the Packers for at least four muffed punt returns this year.
• Aaron Patrick of the Broncos is out with an ACL tear after running into a sideline worker at a recent game, and everybody's getting sued for it except maybe the fans and the popcorn vendor.  The league, ESPN, the stadium, the maker of the turf, the maker of the sideline mats, etc.
• Virginia has cancelled the home conclusion of their season with Coastal Carolina (with CCU's full support), and they're going to try to figure out how to deal with the game next week at West Virginia.  Classes only resumed today.
• One of the witnesses said the five people shot by the former Virginia football player were targeted.
• Novak Djokovic will play in next January's Australian Open.  A visa has been granted, even though Novak is still not vaccinated.
• The first incident of the Qatar World Cup has occurred:  A Danish television crew was shooting footage of the country when they were approached by security and accosted.  The organizers have apologized and stated the security had erred -- the TV crew was well within it's rights.  Good luck having all that hold in a difference of fundamental sensibilities.   
• Several teams intend to protest the Qatari hosts.  Some by wearing black, the USA exchanging their red and white stripes on their shield logos with either rainbow stripes or transgender-ally stripes.  One team wanted to warm up in shirts reading "Human Rights For All" -- FIFA drew the line and said no to that.
• Latest reports of the number of expendables killed by the World Cup construction now number in the THOUSANDS.  With apologies to the families of those so killed -- that is how your sacrifices were viewed by the Middle Eastern blood lords.   
• Bryce Harper may be out all of next season -- possible Tommy John surgery for a UCL tear he suffered in April which left him to be only the DH for the Phillies.

NFL Week 10 After Further Review: Buffalo-Minnesota, Part Two

Well, I gave the NFL credit for almost two extra minutes, but linked here is the 43+ minute video of the entire game between the 2:00 warning of regulation and the end of overtime.

Now we already went over Jake The Asshole and nine different plays HE listed on the game, five of them on this video.

0:00:  First play out of the box is the Jefferson magnet catch.  (Jake #5)

0:53:  Christian Benford gifts the Vikes a clean 15 with a cheap shot throw out of bounds.  Stupid or rigged?  Pick one.

2:02:  Jefferson with another catch, and you'd THINK by now the Bills would realize it's a one-man show on the other end of the ball.

Replayed 4:35:  2nd and goal from the 7 after Cousins trips on a lineman's foot.  Dane Jackson gets away with murder, no call.

5:33:  Jefferson, called on the field a touchdown, but RIGHTLY reversed.  4th and goal from a half yard out.

7:57:  Cook drops it, seemingly intentionally, but Buffalo illegally jumped the snap, another try from nine inches.

8:50:  The failed QB sneak.  (Jake calls it a botch:  #6)

12:11:  The fumble touchdown.  (Jake #7)

Now, from here, the only two plays Jake references are the missed PI on the OT Bills drive and the interception to lose.

But watch this ensuing drive:

• 18:00 on the video, 36 seconds left, 1st and 10 on the 20 for Buffalo.  Dawson for 12, no coverage.
• 18:44, 29 seconds left, 1st and 10 on the 32.  Knox for about 8, no coverage.
• 20:17:  After an injury timeout, Minnesota's last, 2nd and 2 from the 40, 24 ticks left, Gabe Davis is given credit for a catch at the sideline at the green field goal range target line at the Minnesota 40.  No coverage, but the throw is wide...
• First look from the bad angle says it's good, and Buffalo rushes to the line and runs another play.  20:39 on the video, 18 seconds left, 1st and 10 from the Minnesota 40. McKenzie, with no Vikings within TEN YARDS OF HIM, for 15 to the 25.
• 21:00 of the video, you see a replay of the Davis "catch".  Ball clearly moves as it hits the ground, and that has usually been the criteria for the league to reverse these completions under the cockamanie Catch Rule.
• 21:22 of the video, 13 seconds to go, 1st and 10 on the MIN 25, and Davis is interfered with, but with the clock now down to just five seconds, the field goal happens.  So you call that bump, and you don't call the other way the complete corral and shirt-grabbing of the BUF receiver.  REALLY!!   

So overtime.

• During the break for overtime, FOX' Dean Blandino tells you TO YOUR FACE that Davis never should've been given credit for that catch.  And then doubly roasts the NFL for not even stopping play for another look.

Here's the Vikings drive:

• Cook for 10.
• Cook for 9.
• Cousins to Jefferson on the sideline for 14.  Catch is good and survives the ground.
• False Start Minnesota
• A lateral to lose another 7, and it's 2nd and 22 at the MIN 45.
• And then Benford deliberately annihilates Jefferson for another big penalty...  1st and 10 at the BUF 36.
• Cook for 10.
• Semi-pick play to try to free Jefferson goes incomplete on 1st down.
• Cook loses 1.
• 3rd and 11 from the MIN 27.  Time Out Minnesota.
• Jackson grabs Jefferson by the illegal shirt-tail, but Jefferson gets it to the 2, first and goal, and it now looks like Buffalo will never see the ball.  (That was also good catch.)
• Cook loses 3.
• Sack to lose another 11.
• Pass nowhere close to ANYBODY.
• Field goal, 33-30, but Buffalo gets the ball with 3:42 to go and two time outs.

Here's Buffalo's drive:

• 3:35 to go after the return to the Buffalo 28, 1st and 10
• Allen for 18, and I don't think much effort was made to down him in that run.
• Allen for another 20, and no one close to make the effort.
• Allen to Diggs for 6 to the MIN 28, two-minute warning of overtime.
• Allen to Diggs for a first down to the 20.
• And then the two plays Jake marks.  The "missed DPI" in the corner of the endzone.
• And the pick to lose it.

Again, if you're going to call the bump in regulation (the one in overtime was completely taking the guy out of the play -- no doubter there!), but you don't call this???

Especially when the refs are basically on the record as on the take for Buffalo???

So, other than the nine plays Jake has here, and having watched several of his videos, I can count another...

• The two penalties by Benford
• Jackson getting away with everything in the end zone.
• Was the 4th down offside intentional?
• Three plays other than the no-called "catch" by Davis where there was no appreciable defense.
• Possible pick play in OT.
• Not much defensive effort on the two Josh Allen runs
• and the missed DPI in the corner of the end zone.

I mean, seriously...  WHAT????

REALLY??

You're for real if you actually still think these games are for real!!  I could count at least TWENTY PLAYS in that game that were suspect.

Really....

2022 NFL Week 10 Score Report

• 45.5 points per game this week -- one of the higher of the season. (14 games this week)
• 43.793 points per game for the season. (150 games so far this season.)  12 teams still have their byes coming.
• Home teams were 8-5 for 80-64-1.  Home teams won six of the first seven to finish.
• Over was 7-7 this week for 63-85-2.  An average of 2.2 games below .500 against the total.
• 6-8 against the number this week, 7-7 straight up.  (Season:  61-81-5 against the number, 88-58-1 straight up)
• Six of the last seven games of the week failed to cover, five were upsets outright!
• Team with more penalties was 3-10 this week -- a great week for coaches to teach their young players about.  54-75-1 for the year.
• 176 penalties for the week (12.5 per game) for 1789 for the season (11.9).
• 2 Cliffhangers this week for 32 total.  The two biggest games of the week.
• 8 games finished within 8 points for 87 overall.
• 2 non-competitive games for 34 total.
• And 5 games ended with at least one Last Chance Miss for 56 for the season.
• And that Minnesota-Buffalo debacle was a 5-bagger:  Last Chance Miss at the goal line for Minnesota, then a Cliffhanger on the fumble, Cliffhanger #2 for the BUF field goal at the regulation gun. Cliffhanger #3 for the winning field goal.  Last Chance Miss #2 with the interception at the goal line.

NFL Week 10 After Further Review: Buffalo-Minnesota, Part One

Jake the Asshole took my advice.

Immediately upon completion of the debacle in Buffalo, I told Jake he might well have an entire Top 10 for this game.  So he made a separate video of it.  It's going to be the first of at least three different parts, because the NFL has posted everything regulation two-minute warning on forward.

So, first, Jake's take (linked above) from the highlights video:

Play One:  27-10 Buffalo, 1:46 left in the third, Minnesota ball, 1st and 10 on their 19.

Jake, unlike myself, really gets into the "slop play" motif.  This is the 81 yard TD run by Dalvin Cook.  Not really even challenged, one player dives at his feet and the rest of Buffalo appears to simply go into the blocks and let Cook score for 27-17.

Play Two:  So blatant, he covered it separately in a video Sunday.  27-17 Buffalo, 12 1/2 minutes to go.  3rd and 3 at the Minnesota 31 for Buffalo, Stefon Diggs with another of those "grip catches" you're seeing a lot of.

I really want to know, without question, how you can catch that kind of a throw without magnetic assistance by gripping the end of the ball in that manner.  If any believers that the NFL is legitimate want to try to explain to me how in the Hell you can do that -- how that is even possible...  And it happens every, damn, week...

The kind of grip strength which would be required to pull this off would not be unakin to the "Iron Claw" holds you see in professional wrestling over the decades.

Play Three:  The first of two Josh Allen picks Jake believes were scripted.  4th and 2 at the Minnesota 7, four plays after the Diggs catch.

Who or what is he directing here, because this play was pretty much screwed from the go.  Two Viking defenders have the run taken care of, so Allen throws it...  five yards underthrown where the only person in the area code was a Viking defender who could easily pick it off.

And, worst case scenario, he brings it out and returns it to the 34, and Josh Allen appears injured on the play.  I think I relayed to a pirate group I was watching with that there were at least four bad decisions on the play...  That is, UNLESS.........

Play Four:  Jake gets another round of singing of the "Return of the Doink" after Minnesota scores, missing the PAT off the upright.  

You cannot argue that it really does appear, doesn't it?, that the NFL is having far more kicks go off the uprights than any natural result would imply.

Play Five:  This should end all discussion of magnetic gloves (and even some "slop play" manipulation as well).  Jake covered this one Sunday too.  Justin Jefferson is able, somehow, to use one hand to take a clean interception out of the hands of the Buffalo defender and somehow also retain possession.  I believe this is the two minute warning, 4th and 18 at the Minnesota 27, and it gains Minnesota 32 yards.

Play Six:  4th and goal from nine inches for the Vikings, down 27-23, 50 seconds left.

Jake calls this a pro wrestling botch.  Fact is, Cousins scored, but it's so conveniently hidden from the cameras that the call on the field "Stands", and the Bills get the ball basically with the back nose of the football effectively touching the goal line.

Jake actually thinks that Cousins WAS supposed to score (I think the refs were protecting Buffalo at this point -- and there's a lot more to that!), which leads to...

Play Seven:  The ensuing fumble touchdown on the next play.

And Jake missed a big one, as the next play, Play Eight, is a blatant DPI in the overtime, first and 10 for Buffalo on the Minnesota 20, after Minnesota kicked a field goal in their possession.

Oh, Jake, you missed a number of things -- which I'll get to later today when I post a review of the NFL's "crazy finish" 45 minute video of the last two minutes and OT...

Play Nine and Last:  The game-losing interception on the next play.

And, once again, same as with the other one:  If he's not throwing it to the defender for the pick, who's he throwing it to?  The ball is badly underthrown, if you wish us to believe it's legit, and, this time, the pocket is secure.

So...................

And the stupidest part of the whole thing is that doesn't even SCRATCH THE SURFACE of what went down.  So, later today, Part Two, I'll delve into that 45 minute video the NFL put up on YouTube.

The Most Controversial Sporting Event In World History Is About To Start

I do not, at present, know if I will be covering the World Cup again this time.

And it's for the same reason I didn't do Russia, and many, many more.  The people I usually consult with on this matter (other blog readers) have some real-life considerations which are on the table right now, so this, obviously, takes a back burner.

But, all of a sudden, we are now less than a week to the kickoff in Qatar, where the hosts will take on Ecuador next Sunday.

The reasons to boycott are legion:  The radical Muslim homophobia/transphobia/misogyny, the working conditions which have killed hundreds in preparation for this World Cup, the burgeoning political mess this has created (from a FIFA corruption which gave the Middle Eastern postage-stamp the tournament (which Sepp Blatter is even now trying to disavow) to the very reality that the future of sports may be Middle Eastern blood money, to the extent possible!), the weather situation (which has turned the World Cup from a summer event to a winter interruption of most of the domestic leagues and continental competitions -- so much so that the teams will have nary a week to fully assemble before play begins!), and many other considerations.

If there was ever a sporting event in the history of the world which would be so ripe for...  not just rigging, but that the entire thing is a farce on it's face and no one is going to care if FIFA and it's officials actually show it open-faced on a level at which the Japan-Korea tournament would blush in comparison...  I don't know where that would be at this point.

I mean, certainly many lower-level events are even held as open-faced farces for rigging outfits and underground betting schemes and the like, many in the sport of soccer.  But for this situation to be on parade in The World's Largest Sporting Event, I don't know what to tell people...

And so I lay verklempt as we are less than a week from the tournament's start.  I could even see myself starting to cover the event and then asked to stop, for any of about 100 valid reasons!

Stay tuned, if so inclined...

November 14, 2022 News and Notes

• When.  Are We Going.  To Fucking Learn?  Christopher David Jones is the suspect in a mass shooting at the University of Virginia last night.  The former Virginia football player shot five and killed three, it is alleged, at a campus parking garage.  The school is on lockdown, no classes today.
• The shooter is in custody -- the three victims, all members of the team.
• Quadruple homicide at the University of Idaho.
• Cristiano Ronaldo is heading into the World Cup break wanting out of Manchester United -- it sounds like no one wants him.
• One of Jay Leno's cars spontaneously went up in his garage while he was working on it this weekend -- serious burns for the former Tonight Show host.
• Robert Griswold, a gold medal Paralympian for the United States, sued, accused of raping and assaulting a Paralympic teammate!  Another male teammate apparently had his autism and intellectual disabilities taken advantage of by Griswold.  Both the Paralympic director of swimming and the director of high performance for the USPC have been placed on leave.
• Projection finally in in Arizona:  Katie Hobbs (D) defeats Kari Lake (R) for the governor's chair.  Supporters of Lake were calling for the military to come in to reverse the result, partially due to that Hobbs was the Secretary of State -- the top election official -- of Arizona!
• To aid in lessening the effects of alcohol in the World Cup, beer sales -- what there will be in Qatari stadiums -- will be de-emphasized and placed further away and less visible than other places.

2022 NFC Week 10 Kayfabe and Political Rankings

(I'm not sure anything really changes, vis-a-vis the result of Philadelphia vs. Washington tomorrow night, with the possible exception of low-end wildcard considerations, so I'll check all that.)

Kayfabe:

NFC East:  Philly's the #1 seed and leads the division either way (HTH Week 2 over Minnesota if necessary).  NY Giants are 7-2, Dallas is 6-3, and Washington needs the upset to get to 5-5.

NFC North:  Minnesota is 8-1.

NFC South:  Tampa Bay is 5-5.

NFC West:  Seattle is 6-3.

1.  Philadelphia (NFC East, HTH tiebreaker over Minnesota if Washington wins)

2.  Minnesota (8-1, NFC North, loses HTH tiebreaker with Philly if Washington beats Philly)

3.  Seattle (6-3, NFC West)

4.  Tampa Bay (5-5, NFC South)

5.  New York Giants (7-2)

6.  Dallas (6-3)

7.  San Francisco (5-4, would be the #7 regardless of the result Monday night, so there's no bearing on this order yet)

So no seeding order changes...

Politicals:

1.  Philadelphia

A large loss to Washington MIGHT have some merit in closing the gap.

2.  New York Giants

7-2, not the strongest 7-2, but 7-2 and they have a lot more to bring to the table than at least one of the other teams on this list.

3.  Minnesota

Was going to put Seattle here, and then remembered what happened to them this week.

I get it, Skol...  You're 8-1.  What do you bring to the NFL's political table to get the push to the Super Bowl?  Serious question, if any Vikings fans read this blog, now or in the future.

4.  Dallas

Still a lot more to offer than Minnesota, but the margin for error, especially with being third in the division now, is reduced.

5.  Tampa Bay

Sickest thing:  With that division, they could go 9-8 (or even 8-9!), win the division, and THEN Brady goes on a refball run.  And now that we know Tom Brady HAS lost his marriage over playing this season...

6.  Seattle

That one's gonna hurt come January, probably more than even Dallas' will, because of seeding problems.

DUD OF THE WEEK:

Nominees/lesser medalists:

DALLAS:

What the fuck were you doing in Lambeau today?  WHAT THE UNHOLY FUCK WAS THAT????

This was a Packer team that was basically down and on life support.  You really should've been favored double digits in this game (though there have been several...  interesting...  Vegas lines of late in the NFL!).  And you go out and lay THAT EGG.

And the only reason, especially because I think COVIDIOT-12 and the Packers have won this award at least three (if not more!) times this season, you don't win it is because of that sick display by the officiating in Buffalo.

(Gee, who do you think I have winning it this week???)

LOS ANGELES RAMS:

For several sucky weeks in succession which have nearly, if not completely, discredited last year's Super Bowl win.  I know the injuries have accumulated (Kupp got hurt this week, Stafford went into the concussion protocol), but you really don't get it, do you, LA?

Winners:

THE OFFICIATING CREW OF BUFFALO-MINNESOTA AND THEIR FAILED EFFORT TO FUCK THE VIKES WITHOUT LUBE:

I really hope the NFL does one of it's longer-form videos on the 4th quarter and overtime of that game.  I want the Full Monty on dissecting THAT son of a bitch!

I counted at least 3 major refball decisions for Buffalo in the regulation, and that speaks nothing of the mess the refs made out of overtime.

2022 AFC Week 10 Kayfabe and Political Rankings

Well, that's an interesting week...  Buffalo loses, even though the NFL was trying it's best to rig them another win.  Tennessee struggles with Denver...

Kayfabe:

AFC East:  Miami (7-3) now has a half-game lead over the Jets and Bills (6-3), and the Jets have that tiebreaker after the win last week.  Buffalo has now lost two in a row.  New England is 5-4.

AFC North:  Baltimore (6-3), had their bye this week.  One game lead over Cincinnati (5-4)

AFC South:  Tennessee (6-3).  Next team is Indianapolis at 4-5-1.

AFC West:  Kansas City (7-2)  Los Angeles Chargers fall to 5-4 with the loss to the Niners, two of their last three.

1.  KC (7-2, AFC West)

2.  Miami (7-3, AFC East)

Then a tiebreaker.  Baltimore vs. Tennessee.  The two teams have not met and will not meet.

Conference record:  Tennessee 5-2, Baltimore 4-2.

3.  Tennessee (6-3, AFC South, wins conference record tiebreaker over Baltimore.)

4.  Baltimore (6-3, AFC North, loses conference record tiebreaker with Tennessee.)

5.  New York Jets (6-3, wins HTH over Buffalo)

6.  Buffalo (6-3, loses HTH with Buffalo)

In just two weeks, Buffalo has gone from the #1 to the #6!

Tiebreaker for the final spot.  Three teams:  New England, the Chargers, and Cincinnati.

New England plays Cincinnati Dec. 24 and do not play the Chargers.  So there's no current sweep or swept.

Conference:  NE 4-2, Cincinnati is 2-3, and the Chargers are 4-2.

Tiebreaker between New England and the Chargers, and that's now Strength of Victory.

So the computers were fired up:  NE:  .424  LAC:  .293

Meaning

7.  New England (5-4, wins conference record tiebreaker over Cincinnati and Strength of Victory tiebreaker over the Chargers)

and all four AFC East teams would be in the playoffs if the season ended today.

Politicals:

1.  Miami

There can be little to no dispute of two very prescient facts.

1)  The league has been pushing Tua Tagovailoa hard to start the year.

2)  Buffalo is fading and fading fast.

I would not be surprised at all if this Minnesota game was the final kiss-off, simply because of the fact that there was SO MUCH REFBALL (which I'll address later) and Buffalo could not convert on it -- a rare "Ball Don't Lie" game, as it were.

So now who's #2?  

I don't wanna do Kansas City, but I may have no choice.  I do think, regardless, they'll get jobbed out like Green Bay has for continued lack of leadership and discipline in the franchise.

I don't wanna do Buffalo, because Allen may be hurt and the team definitely took a hit or two in that loss to Minnesota, especially with all the referee help to get that win.

I really don't wanna do Baltimore or Tennessee with three losses, but someone has to go #2.

I still think the Jets would be a package deal with the Giants -- and, even at 7-2, how good are the Giants REALLY?

So:

2.  Kansas City

3.  New York Jets

4.  Baltimore

5.  Buffalo

6.  Tennessee

DUD OF THE WEEK:

Silver medal:  THE CLEVELAND WAITING FOR RAPISTS:

Especially with Tua playing this week, it probably wasn't a very likely scenario.  But you could put up a bit more fight.  You're now 3-6, two clear out of the playoffs with two games left for DeRapist Rapist to serve.

It's clear you wanted to tread water, but you'd probably need Watson to get six in a row just to get to 9-8 at this point (@ Buffalo, home to Tampa).

But the clear winner:  THE BUFFALO BILLS

I'll go over the specifics in another post, especially if the NFL decides to post at least the overtime and a good part of the 4th quarter.  There haven't been that many Ball Don't Lie games, where the league is openly trying to fuck a team without lube and the league gets fucked instead.

This was one of them.  There were three clear Refball plays just in the 4th quarter to get the game to overtime, then the refs completely lost the plot both ways.

That time of year again... Who do the refs work for in college football?

Georgia at Mississippi State, early 2nd quarter, Georgia up 7-0.

2nd and 6 from the Ole Miss 11, running play goes near nowhere, but it looks to the replay as if the ball had been ripped out from the Georgia runner before he was downed.

Even an Ole Miss timeout could not get the play reversed, field goal results, 10-0 Georgia.

See if I can eventually find a video, but I think we know where this is going -- Georgia vs. LSU in the SEC title game, Georgia rolls, #1!  #1!  #1!!!

2022 NFL Week 9 Fine Blotter:

NFL.com with the weekly fine report in it's Saturday roundup post...

• Los Angeles Chargers:  Michael Davis:  $13,261 for unsportsmanlike conduct.  Foul was unflagged.

That's it so far -- and with the low penalty numbers last week, not completely surprised.

And even a week later on Spotrac, that is the only fine for the week.

So I guess some catch-up from Spotrac:

Week 8:

• Washington Commanders:  James Smith-Williams was fined $5,108 for unsportsmanlike conduct.  Probably similar:  Uninvolved player joining celebration, etc.

Week 7:

• Baltimore Ravens:  James Proche, $5,206, involvement in a fight.

2022 NFL Week 9 Ratings Report

Before I forget to do it again, the TV ratings from Sports Media Watch:

• Thursday Night (Amazon, Eagles-Texans):  Against Game 5 of the World Series, 3.7 rating, 7.86 million viewers, basically matching season lows for Amazon.
• Sunday Single (FOX):  8.05 rating, 15.5 million viewers, up about 10%
• Sunday Regional (CBS):  7.4 ratings, 13.88 million, and that was well down from last year as well.
• Sunday National (CBS, Rams-Buccaneers):  Shine is coming off both these teams.  Worst single-network National window of the year:  10.6 rating, 20.25 million viewers, about 16% down in ratings and 18% down in viewers from a Packers-Chiefs Week 9 National last year.
• Sunday Night (NBC, Titans-Chiefs):  The good matchup scored for NBC, 9.7 rating and 17.69 million viewers, 20%+ up from last year.
  
• Monday Night (ESPN/2:  Ravens-Saints):  Not so much.  Worst regular MNF game of the year:  5.8 rating, 10.53 million viewers.
• Though the NFL is down a small fraction (about 200,000 viewers a window) for the entire season, it appears FOX is taking the brunt of it:  ESPN is at the best 9-week average in 12 years and CBS in 7.

November 12, 2022 News and Notes

• Of the three seeded players given byes into the semifinals of the Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions, only Amy Schneider made the Grand Final.  Mattea Roach was defeated on Friday.
• Schneider will face Sam Buttrey, the Professors' Champion, and Andrew He, the five-time champion Schneider defeated to take his place and start her reign.
• Per analyst Andy Saunders, it appears that, by several years, Buttrey is the oldest person (and the first in his 60s) to actually make the Grand Final of a Tournament of Champions on any version of the show:  Trebek, Jennings, or Fleming.
• The Grand Final starts Monday, and lasts as long as needed until someone wins three games -- a modified version of The Greatest Of All Time's format, which Jennings (now the host) won.
• In an ironic twist, the champion who will now have been off over a month of regular shows (between this tournament and the Second Chance Tournament) is an 11-time ultrachampion who averaged over $30,000 a win!  Chris Pannullo has $356,702.
• The Democrats are now within one seat of tiebreaker control in the Senate -- Mark Kelly has been projected as the winner of the Arizona seat.  A win in either Nevada or the Georgia runoff gets tiebreaker control, both wins full control.
• And, about 6:15 PM PST, NBC News projects they got it:  Projection is now that Catherine Cortez Masto (D) has won back her seat in Nevada, with a comeback win after the day of election (which, of course, will field more steal squealing from the Q-Anon bots) over Adam Laxalt (R), the 50th Democrat in the new Senate.
• House projections have stalled, but it is still believed that the Republicans will get control of that chamber, but only by a small margin.  Latest word is that the Republicans MAY, in fact, choose other than Kevin McCarthy of California as the new Speaker.
• The long-stalled Arizona Governor's race is still up in the air.  Katie Hobbs (D) got a shock bump in Maricopa County to increase the lead over Kari Lake (R) to over 30,000 votes - but, three days and nights after the election, there are STILL 400,000 votes to count!
• Inversely, Nevada's governorship has flipped to the Republicans.

November 11, 2022 News and Notes

• Shocker in the Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions:  Matt Amodio, the $1.5 million winner of 40 games, is OUT in his seeded semifinal, aired Thursday.
• Joining Amy Schneider in the multi-game Grand Final will be Sam Buttrey, the winner of the Professors' Tournament.
• Mattea Roach's semifinal, which Jeopardy! analyst Andy Saunders says is the most even of the three, will air Friday night.  The Grand Final starts Monday, first to win 3 games wins $250,000.
• If Seattle defeats Tampa Bay in the London game on Sunday morning, 4-6 will lead the NFC South.  This is why I can't QUITE completely get rid of Tampa, even though every other metric says I should!   
• One less phobe...  Gallagher passed away this morning at 76.
• Still no further calls in the two remaining Senate races on the docket.  Mark Kelly (D) is now up 105,000 votes in Arizona, but still several hundred thousand more ballots to count, for some reason.
• And Catherine Cortez Masto (D) has got Adam Laxalt's (R) lead in Nevada down to about 9,000.
• No call in Colorado House District 3, but Bang-Bang Barbie (Fascist Pig) is up over a 1,000 votes and MAY get out of an automatic recount range.
• The initiative to begin the process of seceding San Bernadino County from California has passed -- by about 3 points.  The main impetus I see to this is that the entire Republican eastern part of the state will probably vote to follow suit.   

November 10, 2022 Midterm Election Updates

• Senate:  Republicans lead 49-48 -- Alaska being into ranked-choice runoff only means that two Republicans are running off, so that seat is there.
• Georgia will go to a separate runoff.  Raphael Warnock (D) will have the plurality over Herschel Walker (R), but will not have enough votes left to get to 50%+1.  Thank Chase Oliver (Libertarian), whose 87,000 votes are more than the 34,440 votes Warnock leads by.
• Arizona:  Mark Kelly (D) leads by 94,000 votes, but, even as of when I'm typing (about 12:30 PM PST), there are still 330,000 votes left to count.  No call has been made in the race, and it appears it will get much closer.
• That is not good news for Katie Hobbs, who leads the race for Governor over Kari Webb by only 12,500 votes.
• And Nevada:  Latest report has Adam Laxalt (R) unseating Catherine Cortez Masto (D), current lead is 16,000 votes.  There are about 35,000 votes to count.  Masto would need about 25,500 of them, or about 2/3.  Not sure why that race has not been called.  That would be a flip to counteract the flip in Pennsylvania, forcing Kelly and Warnock to have to win to retain any control of the Senate.
• In the House, it does appear the Republicans will get the chamber, by how much is still the big question.  As of about 10 AM this morning, MSNBC projects the Republican majority in the House will be seven.
• All eyes, however, are on the 3rd District in Colorado -- "Bang Bang Barbie" Boebert's district.  (Which now appears to be one of the changes.)
• Much to the chagrin of many people tapdancing on her political grave the last two days, including one person who thought she'd be headed to porn on OnlyFans, and said so on MSNBC...  Boebert has charged ahead to about a 1,000-vote lead in the state.  Unless there's a block of votes for her opponent, it looks like they can at least semi-call this, even though there will be a recount.

November 10, 2022 News and Notes -- Non-Political

• Never let it be said that Jeopardy! isn't intelligent.
• Facing the election coverage in the middle of their Tournament of Champions, Michael Davies and the staff did something unique:  As you well know, the three big winners from the last two years (Matt Amodio, Amy Schneider, and Mattea Roach) were all given byes into the semifinals.
• Since the show sees some form of advantage of live gameplay with the buzzers and timing and all of that, and because most markets pre-empted Jeopardy! for the election, the show did a complete exhibition match -- counting for nothing except for live practice -- with the three byed into the semifinals on Tuesday.
• I was going to reveal the winner, but you can find out for yourself.  The official YouTube account posted the match here.  Do not eat or drink during this match if you value your keyboards or screens.
• And Jennings noted:  The airdate of the exhibition match was precisely two years after the passing of Trebek.  Alex was given a tribute category in the first round.
• Schneider won her semifinal last night and will be in the finals, starting Monday.  The three finalists will continue to play, similar to The Greatest of All Time format, single games until someone wins three.
• Amodio plays tonight, Roach tomorrow.
• Well, here we go!  The District Attorney for the District of Columbia, for obstruction of justice and the investigations into the toxic workplace environment of the Washington Commanders, basically sued everybody -- INCLUDING the NFL and Goodell!!  Four words, assholes:  Discovery is a bitch.   
• Kate Upton wants more money.  Justin Verlander is a free agent.
• The delay in Monday's Powerball drawing was Minnesota being forced to reverify an entire day's sales, taking 5 1/2 hours, to ensure that those tickets would be accounted for when the numbers were drawn.

2022 NFL Week 9 After Further Review

Back to our regularly scheduled programming, and Jake The Asshole to start it again...

10)  Commanders-Vikings, touchdown catch by Justin Jefferson for the first score of the game.

Another "rigged and scripted celebration" call, more on the function that if the celebration is that scripted, so is the play.

Of it's own merit, meh -- there's no secret that teams and players do choreograph, especially given some relaxing of the rules some years back.  I do get the point, though, of what he's trying to say, but there's bigger fish to fry.

He's also throwing some of the numerology bullcrap - and I just wish everyone would stick to the stuff on the field and have that be the extent of it.

9)  Dolphins-Bears, 4th and 1 from the Chicago 14.  7:55 to go, Miami up 3.

After failing on downs the last drive (to be fair, that was a 4th and 6 from the 35, so a miss gives Chicago the ball at the 42 or 43!), the Dolphins underthrow (and, yeah, I will say that's deliberate!) a clean four-yard curl route in which the guy was wide open.

Jake talks about point-shaving here.  In this case, he'd be right.  Miami was a 4-point favorite, and, as a result, partly, of this, they only win by 3.  Remember, the average week of the NFL this year on spreads has favorites two games below .500 -- each and every week.

8) Jaguars-Raiders.  3 minutes to go, Jaguars up 4 and kicking a field goal.

As Jake sings, Return of the Doink.

Now I don't know if it's just awareness of the doinks, but you do have to start wondering here, don't you?

The problem I have with this one is that it appears the kicker kicked it AT the right upright the whole way.  I have no dispute of the fact they put magnets in the uprights, but hoo boy...  That one looked like it had an express ticket to the right upright and needed little other assistance in THAT regard!

7) Packers-Lions, and he's talking about Aaron Rodgers and the three picks.  The specific play he has is a 2nd and 10 from the Detroit 23.  8-0 Detroit, 9 1/2 minutes to go, third quarter (Rodgers' third pick of the day).

I'll say it:  COMPLETE AND UTTER SABOTAGE on the part of Rodgers.  And it's not unlike something I've felt he's done before.  He comes back, gets completely sandbagged this year, acts like a petulant Republican child in this and every other respect...  

That game was thrown by Rodgers.  Literally.  And he doesn't care and he has no reason to care.

Oh, and Jake's got another of the three picks here on the list later.

6) Cardinals-Seahawks, 4th and 4 for Arizona from the Seattle 40, and it's another point-shaving/slop play situation, per Jake. 10-7 Seattle, half a minute to go in the first half.

This one is done in a different way.  As Jake points out, the QB could do any number of things, but can't protect the ball or slide in the open field.

I'd advise Jake that if he wants to simply say the league is fully scripting the games for a particular series of outcomes, take the word "point-shaving" out of the equation -- that has a very specific connotation that, though it WOULD apply in a previous one in this countdown, it usually does not in the cases Jake wants to make here.

5) Panthers-Bengals, intentional interception charge, it looks like.  21-0 Cincinnati, mid second quarter.  2nd and 6 for Carolina at their own 25.

QB goes back to pass, throws into coverage, and the only guy in even a position to catch the ball is the defender.  Results in another touchdown, and it's 28-0 on the way to 42-21.

4) Chargers-Falcons, the double-fumble late in the game, 17-17.

The rigged play, in the eyes of Jake, is that the Falcon who picked up the ball forgot it somewhere along the way, allowing LA to get the ball back, and the yardage difference was immediately nullified on the next play.

3) Bears-Dolphins, and this one's refball.  3rd and 10 for Chicago on their own 42, inside two minutes to go, Chicago down 3.

Grab (both hands around the waist), yank, takedown, no flag.

And people wonder why I think the league has a real Tua fetish going on so far this year.  Had Tua not been nearly killed on the field (or is that part of the rig, that you need to tune in every week to see if they kill him this week!?!?!?), the Dolphins aren't just 6-3, are they?

That's so obvious and so key, I'm surprised he has two better than that -- one being Rodgers.

2) This one being Rodgers.  4th and goal at the 1, no score, first play of the second quarter, and Rodgers has already thrown one pick to end one long drive already.

It was a tackle-eligible, and the Packer was wide open, but Rodgers had no intention of getting it there -- probably at least 3 yards underthrown, pick, touchback, and the Lions gain almost 20 yards in the equation.

Again, for a quarterback so completely immune of throwing interceptions many games (he hadn't had any the last seven times the two teams faced!), you have to wonder if he was actively throwing the game like a good little petulant Republican.

1) Commanders-Vikings.  He actually names this the leading candidate for Rigged Play of the Season.  Washington has the ball 2nd down, 7 yards to go on the Minnesota 49.  7-3 to Minnesota, second play of the third quarter.

Referee takeout of one of the three defenders allows for the 49-yard reception for the score.

Yeah, I'd say he's got a good case there...

-----------------

What I don't get is zero mention of the four separate games which went 17-17 at the two-minute warning and all ended 20-17.

----------------

Tony Dungy pointed out the inconsistency of the same officiating crew who called the DJ Moore penalty not calling the same penalty on Aaron Donald when it DID apply in that case!

----------------

NFL has admitted two DPI errors in favor of the Dolphins in their win over the Bears.

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Several people on social media have pointed out the 2-point conversion sequence in the Kansas City-Tennessee game.  On the second attempt, there was a penalty on Tennessee, but Travis Kelce also mauled that same player's facemask.  The first attempt was offsetting, this one should've been too!

This is one of the reasons I am more than a bit verklempt.  Is Kansas City being this year's Jobber to the Stars, or has the Buffalo UCL injury to Josh Allen begun a rewrite?  (or both!)

(To be fair, the difference was only, in fact, one yard -- there would've been a second redo at the conversion stripe.)

----------------

Here's a third Aaron Rodgers play which should have people asking questions:

😬 pic.twitter.com/y6Drl1fh1m

— Andy Herman (@AndyHermanNFL) November 7, 2022