sherpa

His name was actually H. Preston Ridlehuber. Getting behind the goal posts for FG's or extra points was an adventure. I actually got the ball once. I got the snot kicked out of me on the way down, but I held on. On the way out, ans usher told me that if I didn't hide it, I wouldn't last a half block.

One easy way to shorten them without varying the game would be to look at this idiotic waste of time the refs are responsible for. Take a "challenge" play. Here's what happens: 1. Coach throws the challenge red flag. All the viewers know it. The stadium fans could read it on the scoreboard. Graphics are easy. 2. Ref walks over to the head coach to hear the challenge. 3. Ref walks out to near center of the field to "announce" what everyone already knows. 4. Ref walks over to video booth to review the play. 5. Ref makes decision and informs team. 6. Ref gain walks to near middle of the field to announce decision. The entire process gives you time to eat dinner, complete a real estate deal and start a family. The entire thing about having only the ref makes all these "announcements" is a gross waste of time.

Always an early riser, I got tuned in when the test pattern was still on. A little "Diver Dan," maybe the Air Force ad with their song: "They took the blue from the sky and a pretty girl's eye, And a touch of of Old Glory Too...." Then into Rocket Ship Seven. Led me to a three year career as a Courier Express delivery boy, and from there...........

I don't think we disagree. The Nats middle relievers and set ups have been horrible, and I'm always suspicious of Doolittle. I've watched him since college, as a UVA season ticket holder. Still the playoff schedule makes it easier on starting pitchers than the regular season, and their starters were set on a comfortable schedule, which I didn't think would happen having to play the one game wild card thing. What worries me is the hitting, and historical results indicate that such a long layoff is problematic.

The layoff will not help them out, and they have not been "hiding their bullpen." The starters were performing so well they didn't have to, and that is what Rizzo has set up. The starters were set and on schedule. The layoff almost always hurt hitting, and likely will in this case.

It will be a long layoff for them.

Prepare? The Dolphins line is atrocious. It doesn't matter who is taking snaps.

I have no issue with the decision to go for two. It was the application of the "mercy rule" for those watching that mess. But the play call? A suspicious fan might call it a "for-Tua-tous" bad play selection.

With no offensive line, it doesn't matter. That game was a horrible exposure of two terrible teams.

There is no "employee door."

I think Singletary coming back will help.

He is terrible. There is simply no denying it.

Lots of stuff during this game, but the overwhelmingly obvious thing is that Zay Jones is a horrible receiver. Simply impossible for him to get any separation, wins zero contested balls and makes zero catches unless the ball is in his wheelhouse. Incapable of breaking up an int, which should be in any wideouts skill set. If he was an NBA player he would have zero rebounds in his career. I feel the same way about him as I did about Kelvin Benjamin his last few games as a Bill. Can't wait until he is gone.

Anyone who messes with a black hole is asking for trouble. Fatal trouble.

NFL charters are usually 757's or 767's, except the London stuff. They have two jumpseats. Not likely that anyone sits in the jumpseat, but it used to be possible on charters. Only a few of situations where the same guy flies a team on all away games. I know that the Cowboys and Dolphins used to have the same captains for their road games, but there are contractual requirements that are involved. The guy who used to fly the Dolphins had to trade out of his weekly trip in order to fly the Sat/Sun charter. He was a bit senior to me and always flew mid week Paris trips. I always took his trip so he could do the charter. Jim Ritcher flew a Dolphin charter to Buffalo as first officer once. Quick story involving a Dolphin charter that involved a captain different than the one above. Dolphins were coming back to Fort Lauderdale from an LA game. There was a weak hurricane, but a hurricane nonetheless in South Florida. Jimmy Johnson was the head coach and he insisted that they land in Fort Lauderdale. Captain tells him to get back to his seat and they are going to land In Ft. Meyers. Argument ensues and Jimmy tells him that if they don't land in Fort Lauderdale, he is going to blast the airline in his Monday press conference. Captain tells him it is far too dangerous and he doesn't care about Jimmy's threat and to get back to his seat. They land in Fort Meyers and Jimmy whines about it in his Monday media thing.

NFL charters are quite comfortable. The entire narrative of them somehow being debilitating is nonsense.

Looks like a standard contrail to me.

49ers zeroing out travel this week. Their staying in Youngstown this week between Bengals and Browns away games.

One correction to what I stated above. In the US, we didn't carry 20mm gun ammo unless we were specifically going to do strafing. At sea, in international waters, we always did, along with live anti air missiles.

The ejection system is extremely fast, so as long as you had a proper intercept angle you could get a really good hit on it. There were two F-16's that were armed that were on their way and could have jumped United 93 prior to DC airspace. Nobody other than alert airplanes were armed. Very rare to ever have gun ammo. That status and capability to respond with armed airplanes is quite different now. Regarding the difficulty of mentally doing it, the weird part was right after it. Many airline pilots in the Guard/Reserve were recalled to active duty for a bit and were flying TarCap over major cities, and were armed. Shooting down one of your own company airplanes was a horrific thought.

I don't think there was time. One of the things that happened that day, and immediately, was the profiling of various flights. That's why I got the messages I did, which indicated a direct threat and to defend the cockpit at all cost. Same type airplane, a transcon, and an unusual number of no shows. I am very familiar with what happened to the guys on the flight decks that day, at least two of them, and there was no time for any passenger reaction.

The plan was to eject just prior to impact, momentum carrying the F-16s into the fuselage, and them getting rescued after a successful ejection. Her CO was to take the cockpit, and she the tail. There were also missile equipped airplanes in the hunt, so I don't think this airplane would have gotten to DC. Respect for loss of life, but glad it turned out the way it did, with minimal loss of life.

Ya. Same company. I flew that Dulles to LA trip for 18 months prior to this, then took a job as a check captain, because I got tired of it, and preferred Europe and South America. We lost good people that day, and the career and industry were changed forever. Not complaining, but I know the results.

Worst day of my life. Started out responding to this thing. Diverted, called home because I was flying transcons from New York the day before, and going back from the west coast when it happened, and wanted to let the wife and kids know I was OK. Next, lunch with a group I was working with that clearly had no idea how it was career altering. After lunch, found out the names of friends on American 77. Just a horrible day. Didn't get home until Friday, and one of the things I'll never forget, among many, is seeing only my car and about four others in the usually jammed employee lot at Reagan.

TSA is part of the Department of Homeland Security, not the FAA. If people have problems with them, they have a complaint process that's pretty easy to follow.