MattM

More like crooked officiating. So many bad calls and no calls all in the same direction lead me to the conclusion that there's something very rotten in Denmark....

Now that made me laugh! (beats crying over the garbage on the field today.....)

We need a TD here, but with these refs we may really need a miracle of Biblical proportions to actually have a chance to win this game....

These refs are in the bag--at least 3 awful, awful calls all against us

Shouldn't the true measure of merit take into account the distance one has traveled? For instance I think most agree that it's more impressive for someone to rise to the top from a public housing project in Harlem or Southie than someone to make it to the top from Exeter or Andover (especially if not a scholarship student)? This Randian superman/job creator worship often ignores the real world reality that outcomes in our society are influenced heavily by starting point factors in one's background (see the recent Pew study on intergenerational mobility, for ex.). That's what I find galling about those arguments, which are usually supported by anecdotes rather than broad data sets (like said Pew study). In terms of policies, I'm in favor of those that seek to give the poor/working class a fighting chance rather than pull the ladder up behind me to cut millionaires' taxes (even my own).....

I'm at work, so will try to post more later, but personally I'd just like to see either party nominate someone for Pres. who went to a public HS. Clinton was the last one I believe. Amazing when you consider that less than 1 kid in 100 (more like 1 in 200 or 300 I'd wager) is educated at an Andover, Cranbrook, St Albans or Punahou that each of the last 7 candidates for Pres. have gone to such schools....

Interestingly, to some extent I agree with it as well, but what galls me (as a blue collar kid from a blue collar town who worked hard, got educated and spent 7 years in the Ivies among folks who were waaayyyy more privileged than those I grew up with and have spent the next twenty or so plus years living what most would call an UMC/rich lifestyle) is that many/most of those who are doing the preaching wouldn't know adversity if it bit them in the....welll....you can fill in that part. That would include both Romney and Ryan. I've found most of those who have truly grown up without and made it tend not to be the ones doing that preaching. That message, at least to me, goes down much better when delivered by someone who's done it all himself. For that reason, i found Marco Rubio's RNC speech to be a great speech, even if I disagree with him on a good number of issues. His background gave him "street cred" so to speak.....

I live in southern Westchester myself--we lost power for about a week, but got it back right after last week's Bills game (BTW, check out the White Wolf in White Plains on Bills Sunday if folks in the area need a place to watch the game). Can't complain too much, as many others have it much, much worse. In terms of the gas, I think the shortages have to do with a combination of no power to get gas up from the tanks, the storm disrupting the ability to resupply for tons of reasons and increased demands due to hoarding behavior (a natural human emotion in times of shortage, so I'm not making moral judgments here) and generators. It seems to have eased a bit in my area in the last 2-3 days, fortunately....

Comedy gold.....

Whatever gets you through the night, but most of the data shows otherwise. Tough to reconcile the xenophobia of much of the Republican party with the need to be more open and inclusive, for example. Combine that with offering nothing but bootstraps platitudes (usually delivered by plutocrats such as Ryan or Romney or, at minimum, folks who grew up "comfortable" yet still look down on others less fortunate in initial circumstances) to the middle and working classes, which some folks are beginning to understand, and soon you may find yourselves circling the toilet bowl. Read Kristof's NYT op-ed from this morning--he nailed it....

The more appropriate analogy is probably Dems changing tack and nominating a centrist in Clinton after losing 3 straight elections, but go ahead, be my guest and "Stay the Course" into irrelevancy....

He most certainly does--for ex., does anyone think the Republicans in their present condition can take being blamed for the middle class losing their tax cuts because they hold out for those making over $250k/yr (or higher amount the Dems offer)? That would be the definition of walking a party over a cliff.....

Keep telling yourself that if it makes you feel better.....

Insularity--living in a bubble with only people like yourself, so much so that you become so out of touch with mainstream America and don't understand what you can or cannot say. Remember the George Allen (thank God that idiot lost) "Macaca" moment? When he said something so obviously offensive/racist he was laughing and smiling among his brethren. Kind of like PPP (the insularity, not the racism, although that does appear sometimes unfortunately)....

My dad and I are making the trip West. Love the Bay Area, but it's too bad we're coming for what sounds to be a funeral....

Tannehill's a rookie and may get better, so cut him some slack.

Many thanks--we're staying at the Westin near Market Street/downtown. It looked like the Caltrain station was about a mile away. For the Bills game we're meeting some WNY HS buddies and one of my law school roommates and his kids, so I suspect we'll be able to bum a ride. In terms of Stanford, is it easy to get tix? Looked like it from Stubhub, but I'd rather buy them there if possible.

Count me among those who kind of wish the replacement refs lasted one more week so we wouldn't have to worry about the regular refs doing their usual New England* screw job....

My dad and I will be flying in for the game. Couple of quick questions-- 1. Do I need to rent a car? I was thinking not, as I recall SF having pretty good public transit/cabs and bad parking situation. My estimate is I'd need to spend $500 for a car ($300 for rental plus $50 a night parking plus gas, tolls, parking); 2. Linked to number 1. Are: A. Am thinking of catching the Stanford or Cal game on Saturday. Looks like Caltran runs to Palo Alto and we're about a mile from the Caltran station in SF. BART goes to Berkely I believe (or it did when I lived there 20 years ago.) Is that easy to do? Are there problems getting tickets to those games?; and B. In terms of the Bills game, same question--can one get to the stadium via public transit? Muchas gracias for the info--looking forward to the trip (and hopefully a W to go with the one tomorrow!)

I'm sort of sick of the Pats* apologists on this board. Facts are, they were the only ones caught doing this and were suspected of doing a whole lot more. As this article from the NYT points out, citing two unnamed NFL Competition Committee sources, the Pats* were suspected and accused internally over and over again of doing scuzzy things, much more so than anyone else. I also recall folks like Ross Tucker as noted above (who played for them during the period in question) as saying they pushed the envelope whereever they could and got themselves to sleep at night with the "but everyone does it" mantra when folks like Ross who played elsewhere knew that not to be true. How about Del Rio and Marinelli saying that their headsets conked out at mysterious key times during key drives, all of the "referee malfunctions" we've seen with our own eyes over the years and on and on. Personally, I suspect that they got away with more than they were caught with and that they are a far outlier in terms of the Bell curve of questionable behavior in the NFL: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/11/sports/football/11nfl.html?_r=0 Personally, this quote says all I need to know: "The N.F.L. team executive said the Patriots were the subject of most of the accusations discussed in the rules committee’s deliberations. The team’s recent success and tight-lipped approach, as personified by Belichick, has played a role. “They were the only team, really,” the executive said. “Clearly, they were the team mentioned far more than anybody else.”

Anyone else remember that atrocious Monday nighter between the Pats* and the Ravens during the "Undefeated Season" and how many hankies got pulled out to make sure that the Pats* scored on that last drive to win? Absolutely disgusting. That said, I must admit that the officials' love of the Pats* seems to have waned a bit over the last few seasons, but there was a period there in the early to mid-00's that it seemed like the Pats*' opponents couldn't sneeze without being flagged 15 yards, particularly late in a close game.....

This

Yeah, those happened over about 20 years, yet the replacements managed to add one to the "completely blown" firmament in a mere three.weeks. Just sayin'...... Well said....

I saw him on some real estate show here in NY last month looking at 8-10m Manhattan apartments. With that stat line maybe he ought to start looking in the outer boroughs (or maybe Jeremy Lin's couch is available)....