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By Big Tent Democrat, Section Blog Related
Posted on Sun Jan 10, 2010 at 09:23:56 AM EST
Tags: (all tags)

More NFL playoffs. The Ravens travel to Foxboro to play the Pats. I like Baltimore (+3.5).

The Packers are road favorites over Arizona. The Packers beat the Cardinals last week. The Packers look the better team. I like the Cardinals (+2).

In the real world, neither games seems bettable to me.

This is an Open Thread.

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      pats (none / 0) (#1)
      by jharp on Sun Jan 10, 2010 at 10:11:15 AM EST
      I play underdogs more than most. I simply can't resist taking the points. And I've done fairly well at it.

      Yet, today everyone and their brother seems hellbent on the Ravens, and for this reason I'd take the Pats.

      And it wouldn't surprise me to see the Jets win another game. Having the best defense can take you a long ways.

      Even though the Pats aren't quite (none / 0) (#11)
      by brodie on Sun Jan 10, 2010 at 11:14:01 AM EST
      the world beaters of a few yrs ago, their offense -- rallying together and fired up to compensate for the loss of Wes Welker --  should be able to easily outpoint the Ravens with their usual underwhelming offense.  I rarely bet against Brady and Belichick, especially at home, especially in the first round.

      As for the other game, I'm rooting for the Cards and for the talented receiver Larry Fitzgerald to show some TD razzle dazzle, though I'm a bit down on Kurt Warner for Church-Gridiron separation reasons ...  

      Parent

      I don't think there's any way (none / 0) (#15)
      by rdandrea on Sun Jan 10, 2010 at 11:56:59 AM EST
      to compensate for the loss of Wes Welker.

      Parent
      I don't think even Wes Welker (none / 0) (#24)
      by Anne on Sun Jan 10, 2010 at 05:12:44 PM EST
      could have saved the Patriots today.

      As a Ravens fan, it's hard to express the satisfaction of not just moving on in the playoffs, but of smacking the Pats in the mouth and ending a number of Patriots' streaks.

      A convincing and dominating performance; now, on to Indy!

      Parent

      Jets in (none / 0) (#25)
      by nycstray on Sun Jan 10, 2010 at 06:09:05 PM EST
      Pats out. Who'dathunkit? Thank You Ravens!!!

      I guess I should thank them 2x. Our warm weather QB will be playing in SoCal next week!

      Parent

      With the way the Ravens... (none / 0) (#28)
      by kdog on Sun Jan 10, 2010 at 07:06:59 PM EST
      whooped it up on the Pats stray...we might see an AFC Championship in the Meadowlands!  That would be nuts...but I'm getting way ahead of ourselves.  The Bolts and Colts are no joke....but as they say, any given Sunday.

      Parent
      colts/ravens (none / 0) (#26)
      by jharp on Sun Jan 10, 2010 at 06:17:57 PM EST
      Good luck to you Anne.

      Not really though, my son and I are huge Colts fans. They play very close to my house.

      Anyways, Ray Lewis is unbelievable. He's the toughest defensive player I ever recall. And I'm nearly 50.

      Let's hope for a good game. We are very much looking forward to it. I figure the Colts will be about a 6 point favorite.

      Parent

      To balance out (none / 0) (#2)
      by CoralGables on Sun Jan 10, 2010 at 10:14:01 AM EST
      yesterday's anti-Coakley poll and discussion:

      Democrat Martha Coakley, buoyed by her durable statewide popularity, enjoys a solid, 15-percentage-point lead over Republican rival Scott Brown as the race for US Senate enters the homestretch, according to a new Boston Globe poll of likely voters.

      Half of voters surveyed said they would pick Coakley, the attorney general, if the election were held today, compared with 35 percent who would pick Brown. Nine percent were undecided, and a third candidate in the race, independent Joseph L. Kennedy, received 5 percent.

      Coakley's lead grows to 17 points - 53 percent to 36 percent - when undecideds leaning toward a candidate are included in the tally.



      I have not written about it (none / 0) (#3)
      by Big Tent Democrat on Sun Jan 10, 2010 at 10:23:20 AM EST
      because I find the idea that a Republican is going to win Ted Kennedy's seat absurd.

      I have no idea what PPP came up with, but I never thought they were a good polling outfit. I have ever paid much attention to them.

      Parent

      Did you read Mike Stark's diary (5.00 / 1) (#7)
      by Militarytracy on Sun Jan 10, 2010 at 10:42:48 AM EST
      blaming this polling on the Obama fan club at Orange?  I thought it was hilarious.  And I thought he has a point.  You have to give the people something to vote for.  The Democrats aren't doing that.

      Parent
      Why? (5.00 / 1) (#9)
      by jbindc on Sun Jan 10, 2010 at 10:44:04 AM EST
      because I find the idea that a Republican is going to win Ted Kennedy's seat absurd.

      In general, or this election?  It wasn't that long ago that Massachusetts elected a conservative Mormon for its governor - why is a Senator so beyond possibility?

      Parent

      Not to mention that that (none / 0) (#10)
      by brodie on Sun Jan 10, 2010 at 10:56:37 AM EST
      same Mormon nearly upset Ted Kennedy back in 1994 -- Ted Kennedy ferchrissakes (until finally, TK, with firm advice from his no-nonsense new spouse Vicki, decided to take off the gloves in that first debate).

      Not at all absurd to consider a slick and superficially appealing Repub slithering through to victory.

      Voters just need to be told or reminded that the Repub is in fact a modern Repub, who'll have to toe the hard party line once he's in the senate.

      Apparently, according to the Globe article, the Coakley campaign is finally waking up and has decided to take off the gloves in the final 9 days.  About time ...  

      Parent

      Kennedy won by double digits (none / 0) (#12)
      by Big Tent Democrat on Sun Jan 10, 2010 at 11:18:51 AM EST
      And Romney spent extraordinary amounts of money and it was 1994.

      Parent
      My point was that, (none / 0) (#13)
      by brodie on Sun Jan 10, 2010 at 11:29:00 AM EST
      arguably, TK not only wouldn't have won by dbl digits in 1994, but might not have won at all had he not gone negative on Romney.

      As Bill Clinton always reminds us, voters need to be told not only why you want the job but why your opponent is a snake (or to that effect ...)

      Dunno what Coakley intends to say in the final week, but she and her campaign would be well advised to make it a sharp, bareknuckled critique of the opponent and his disguised conservative views, as opposed to just relying on reasonable MA voters to automatically show up at the polls en masse and do the right thing.

      Parent

      I agree with that (none / 0) (#14)
      by Big Tent Democrat on Sun Jan 10, 2010 at 11:30:42 AM EST


      Parent
      challenger Brown (none / 0) (#16)
      by jharp on Sun Jan 10, 2010 at 01:14:12 PM EST
      How are the "values voters" going to react to Brown's porn career?

      That one has me really laughing.

      Parent

      Don't look now but it's a toss up (none / 0) (#17)
      by jimakaPPJ on Sun Jan 10, 2010 at 02:17:15 PM EST
      Raleigh, N.C. - The race to replace Ted Kennedy in the US Senate is looking like a toss
      up, with Republican Scott Brown up 48-47 on Martha Coakley.

      Brown is benefiting from depressed Democratic interest in the election and a huge lead
      among independents for his surprisingly strong standing. Those planning to vote in the
      special election only report having voted for Barack Obama in 2008 by a 16 point
      margin, in contrast to his actual 26 point victory in the state.

      That decline in turnout from Obama voters plagued Democratic candidates for Governor
      in Virginia and New Jersey last fall. Beyond that 66% of Republicans say they're `very
      excited' about turning out while only 48% of Democrats express that sentiment.

      Brown leads 63-31 with independents and is winning 17% of the Democratic vote while
      Coakley receives only 6% support from GOP voters. Both candidates are relatively
      popular, with 57% viewing Brown favorably to only 25% unfavorable and 50% with a
      positive opinion of Coakley to 42% negative.

      Link

      But you know, Brown's porn career, which I know nothing about, must have the voter's thinking he is a Democrat!

      ;-)


      Parent

      Brown's nude pics (none / 0) (#18)
      by jharp on Sun Jan 10, 2010 at 03:04:55 PM EST
      jimakaPPJ,

      Here you go. And thanks for asking. It's one of those photos that brings laughter no matter how many times it's viewed.

      http://www.cosmopolitan.com/celebrity/news/scott-brown-nude-in-cosmo

      Good luck on the 19th! I'm all in that it's another GOP drubbing.

      Parent

      Come on! (none / 0) (#19)
      by Militarytracy on Sun Jan 10, 2010 at 03:28:18 PM EST
      He only showed his pecs and his quads, he didn't show his stuff.  But as a straight girl I can't help but notice that his hands aren't very big...and one seemingly hides a multitude of stuff behind it :)

      Parent
      I'll take your word (none / 0) (#20)
      by jimakaPPJ on Sun Jan 10, 2010 at 03:58:26 PM EST


      Parent
      Because Dems are generally more (none / 0) (#21)
      by jondee on Sun Jan 10, 2010 at 04:15:08 PM EST
      open about it.

      As opposed to skulking around airport mens rooms; sending "the help" out to score hillbilly heroin for you etc

      Parent

      nope (none / 0) (#22)
      by CST on Sun Jan 10, 2010 at 04:42:20 PM EST
      MA often has moderate rep. gov's - FYI - Romney RAN as a moderate "pro-choice" republican for gov.  And before him we had republican governers for years.

      He only went ultra conservative after that - and he would've been crushed in a follow up election for that.

      Nevertheless, we often have rep. gov's to balance out the entirely Dem legislature.  But the country is much further to the right than the state, so there is a need to balance left.  Not a single republican in the house delegation shows this too.  We don't send republicans to capitol hill.

      No way a republican wins Ted's old seat.

      Parent

      Joshua and I watched 'Watchmen' (none / 0) (#4)
      by Militarytracy on Sun Jan 10, 2010 at 10:39:35 AM EST
      for the first time last night since it premiered on HBO.  My spouse originally didn't want Joshua to watch it because the blue guy is always naked.  Neither one of us is overly traumatized, if anyone could be so easily traumatized imagine what Michelangelo would have done to the whole world :)  And Michelangelo privates are in much greater detail than the CGI blue guy :)  Anyhow, I feel tremendously fortunate to be doing this single parent to a son thing right now when all the movies he is pulling me to don't require me to sacrifice much.  Avatar was amazing, Watchmen is amazing, and even the Transformer flicks have me watching instead of looking for a nail file.

      It does have sex scenes though (none / 0) (#5)
      by Militarytracy on Sun Jan 10, 2010 at 10:41:10 AM EST
      Joshua hides his face :)  Even Avatar had a sort of sex scene.  No sex scene in Transformers though that I can remember, just sexual tension.

      Parent
      Frank Rich's column today. (none / 0) (#6)
      by Dr Molly on Sun Jan 10, 2010 at 10:42:29 AM EST
      pretty awesome.

      Yeah (none / 0) (#8)
      by Militarytracy on Sun Jan 10, 2010 at 10:43:25 AM EST
      If only it would have some sort of affect on the people in control of all this.  I don't expect it to.

      Parent
      ugh (none / 0) (#23)
      by CST on Sun Jan 10, 2010 at 04:43:17 PM EST
      football

      Pitchers and catchers report... (5.00 / 1) (#30)
      by MileHi Hawkeye on Sun Jan 10, 2010 at 08:18:32 PM EST
      ...soon enough.  Hang in there!

      Parent
      Sorry pal... (none / 0) (#29)
      by kdog on Sun Jan 10, 2010 at 07:11:41 PM EST
      always room on the Gang Green bandwagon:)  Are they calling it the Giselle curse yet?

      J-E-T-S Jets! Jets! Jets!

      Parent

      It looked like Joe Willy Sanchez (none / 0) (#31)
      by jondee on Sun Jan 10, 2010 at 08:32:33 PM EST
      out there on Saturday, though if I were Ryan, I might be tempted to Krazy Glue the ball to "Iron Hands" Edwards hands for a few days just to give him   a better idea of what he's supposed to be doing out there. I dont know if my old buddy kdog'll be able to take the shock if Braylon gets open deep in a close game and muffs it.

      Parent
      When Edwards... (none / 0) (#36)
      by kdog on Mon Jan 11, 2010 at 11:48:57 AM EST
      let that beautifully thrown ball go right through his breadbasket, I was thinking S.O.J....Same Old Jets.  

      Thank goodness it didn't cost us...but yeah, I will be holding my breath if they toss anything Edwards' way next week...hopefully we can keep on running it down people's throats.

      Parent

      He did an even worse one (none / 0) (#43)
      by jondee on Mon Jan 11, 2010 at 04:30:50 PM EST
      like that deep, the last time they played the Bills.

      Hey, it's not like the Jets didnt know that was his m.o when they got him. Maybe the guy needs corrective lenses or something.

      Parent

      No excuses... (none / 0) (#44)
      by kdog on Mon Jan 11, 2010 at 04:41:58 PM EST
      I remember the great Wesley Walker...he caught all the deep ones blind in one eye!

      It must be a concentration thing...I know when I catch a case of the dropsies in my rec league its all mental.

      Parent

      Go Ravens! (none / 0) (#32)
      by DancingOpossum on Mon Jan 11, 2010 at 10:02:21 AM EST
      On to Indy baby!!!

      That's what I'm talking about! (none / 0) (#34)
      by Anne on Mon Jan 11, 2010 at 11:33:55 AM EST
      Now we'll see whether the Ravens can settle down and put together a great game plan for Indy, and whether the Colts can crank up something that will give them momentum after being constructively absent for the last three games of the season, and off for two weeks.

      I am usually on the edge of my seat watching the Ravens, but yesterday was the most fun I've had since the Denver game.

      Love seeing all the purple lights downtown - I hope they're on for another couple of weeks!

      Parent

      I'd kinda like to see the Ravens (none / 0) (#38)
      by jondee on Mon Jan 11, 2010 at 11:52:30 AM EST
      inflict a little "quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore" on the Colts, my self.

      They certainly put the hoodoo on New England.

      Parent

      Game of the week though... (none / 0) (#33)
      by DancingOpossum on Mon Jan 11, 2010 at 10:04:13 AM EST
      ...was Arizona-Green Bay. CRAZY TIME!

      What a game... (none / 0) (#35)
      by kdog on Mon Jan 11, 2010 at 11:38:44 AM EST
      The Pack got robbed with the non-call on the last play...obvious facemask, though debatable whether it occured before or after the fumble.

      Parent
      After Rodgers just missing (none / 0) (#37)
      by jondee on Mon Jan 11, 2010 at 11:49:17 AM EST
      a sure-fire game ending t.d a couple of plays before.

      Of course, the happiest guy in the place afterwards was probably Rackers the kicker.

      Parent

      You got that right... (none / 0) (#39)
      by kdog on Mon Jan 11, 2010 at 11:52:37 AM EST
      ya know he went from miserable to worse when the Pack won the all-important flip...is there a more mentally stressful job in sports than placekicker?

      Parent
      Heh (none / 0) (#40)
      by DancingOpossum on Mon Jan 11, 2010 at 12:07:51 PM EST
      jondee, your Poe reference is noted with appreciation :)

      I am usually on the edge of my seat watching the Ravens, but yesterday was the most fun I've had since the Denver game.

      Oh I dunno, for sheer entertainment value (although we lost) it was hard to beat the Packers-Ravens Penalty Smackdown -- the two teams with the worst penalty records in the NFL competing for "most flags on the field" had so many yellow rags flying around that I couldn't decide if I was at a Steelers game, or a Sham-Wow warehouse.

      Agreed (none / 0) (#41)
      by DancingOpossum on Mon Jan 11, 2010 at 12:08:57 PM EST
      The Pack got robbed with the non-call on the last play

      Yeah, I hated to see that. I didn't really care which team won but I like Green Bay and hoped they would pull it off.

      For me it was one of those (none / 0) (#42)
      by jondee on Mon Jan 11, 2010 at 12:18:33 PM EST
      classic too-bad-one-team-has-to-lose games.

      Both of 'em showed incredible spirit. I wish I could be so neutral when Im watching the Bills; rather than having to resort to glue-sniffing and cheap gin to get through their games.

      Parent