Oakland Taxi Problem due to Friendly Cab monopoly

Even though I pay attention to national cultural issues, I've not forgot about Oakland. I scanned the blog post on the Oakland Taxi Cab problem with a chuckle because neither the Oakland North newsite or A Better Oakland blog actually hits on the real problem.

(A momentary aside. It's time to call Oakland North what it is, a news website. It's not a blog. A blog contains opinions and adheres to a blogger's code of ethics. Oakland North is a site for journalists. I don't go there to get the views of one of their writers; I go there for the news. What's annoying is that as more journalists and journalism students discover new media, they call whatever they do online a blog. Wrong. I cry foul on this. If you're going to blog, let me know what you think, not what someone else thinks; but if not, then its a news website, period. Ok, back to the issue.)

The City of Oakland let Friendly Cab have a monopoly role in the industry in Oakland. Friendly Cab is the only active cab company in Oakland. It has all of the licenses for the city and has owned them for decades.

Oakland City Attorney John Russo tried to fix the problem 10 years ago when he was a councilmember and got nowhere. The problem still exists and there's zero political will to eliminate it.

The Oakland North blog post really focused on the parking ticket problems (which an initiative can fix) not the cab problems. But the real issue behind Oakland's Cab problems can be solved if the City of Oakland takes several steps:

1. Makes all cab companies lower the daily "gate fee" of $65 to $40 - This is a real problem and yes, I know it's $120 in San Francisco, but the Oakland fee to rent a cab from a company should be fixed by the City of Oakland. A cab driver has to buy gas and then make enough daily money to offset the cost to have the car for a day. At $40, a cab driver only needs to have four passenger pickups at $10 each per day to break even. A ride from Lake Merritt to 19th Street BART is $6.86 per day.


2. Lower the license cost to establish a cab business in Oakland to $10,000 - Why it's at reportedly $40,000 is beyond me and reads like a total racket in my view. The license cost is a barrier to entry into the cab industry at a time when people need to create employment for themselves. What the City of Oakland is doing here is just plain terrible.


3. End the Oakland Parking ticket problem - which can only be done effectively via the initiative process.

The City of Oakland should be working to help cab drivers build their business, not punish them for being in it. A better cab system will hopefully avoid incidents like the one I experienced here:



I understand that At-Large Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan wants to jump in and solve the problem, but she's already behind the eight-ball because the City Council's putting her out there by herself. If she had a group of councilmembers with her, I'd say she's going to fix the problem, but there's no indication of a coalition of Oakland elected officials ready to change the state of affairs.

But it's clear from the number of cab drivers and people I've talked to that there's a perception the City of Oakland's allowed an organized scheme to keep one company - Friendly Cab - active to go too far. I'm not advocating the end of Friendly Cab, just some competition for it. That will lower fare prices and make cabs more abundant in Oakland.

Finally, I'll keep my car, thanks.

Adam Lambert AMA Video YouTube - Lambert "Got Carried Away"

 Adam Lambert likes girls too!

The Adam Lambert AMA Video on YouTube is viral, in fact when you think of all the versions of the video flying around the Internet and not just on YouTube, Adam Lambert's going to give Miley Cyrus a run for her money in the raunch department. Well, OK, he makes Miley Cyrus look like, well, a Disney TV show.

This is Adam Lambert in action in a YouTube video at the AMA:



But remember that woman who stormed the stage when Adam Lambert performed at his high school earlier this year? This scene that I talked about in my video:



I'll bet that woman's wishing she was on stage with Adam Lambert at the AMAs. Which gets to my point: such actions as the one that Adam Lambert performed at the AMA do impact what the audience thinks these artists are "about" and so causes more possible future "rush the stage" actions. If Adam Lambert's fans thinks he's that free and accessible, someone who's not wound tight will try that again or stalk him, or worse.

Look, I hope that does not happen, but again my point is such outlandish public actions don't happen in a closet: they impact society in different ways, some unpredictable.

I can understand Adam getting carried away with, er, himself and others, but it wasn't necessary. Does it get his name out there? Heck, yes! But think about what Adam Lambert just did. In a new media environment with this video going all over the place, Adam Lambert pushed the bar of what's acceptable taste to a higher level.

Or lowered it depending on your perspective.

Adam Lambert also, perhaps unknowingly, ushered in an era of sexual expression as performance art, but separated by sexual orientation. In other words, I'm waiting for the female performer to grab a male guitarist and push his head "down there".

Lambert said the female artists like Lady GaGa and Janet Jackson get away with actions wilder than his, but I have to totally disagree with him because no woman's ever done anything that tops his act. I've never seen a female singer do what he did at the AMA Awards.

But I'm betting someone will try. The question is who? My money's on Lady GaGa. What say you? Adam Lambert has started a 'sexual stage performance nuclear war' that has no end in sight, except possible the FCC.

But what's the FCC gonna do that stops this indecency battle in its tracks? The Federal Communications Commission hasn't shown the ability to put the breaks on visuals distributed via new media to date; I don't see them getting a handle on it without the help of companies like Google.

Stay tuned.

Ron Artest forgets clothes for Jimmy Kimmel Live

OK. I've seen a lot of stunts, but other than Adam Lambert on the AMA, this is one of the biggies. LA Lakers new star Ron Artest came on to the Jimmy Kimmel Live show with just his boxer shorts. He claimed he was late arriving to the show and was going to dress on stage.

Artest talks about how he talked to Kobe Bryant about coming to the Lakers, how he introduced Lamar Odom and Khloe Kardashian, who recently married, and his unique relationship with Lakers fans.

The video has become one of the most viewed on YouTube as of this writing today. Here's videos part one and two of Ron Artest on Jimmy Kimmel Live:

Part One:



Part Two:



And on the matter of YouTube, here's my new video on the YouTube Community Roundtable:

Free Thanksgving Day Luncheon in Oakland at 410 14th Street

I received an email from Geoffrey Pete (the former owner of "Geoffrey's Inner Circle" Club) reporting that the Oakland Black Caucus is hosting a free Thanksgiving Day Luncheon at 410 14th Street, near Oakland City Hall, in downtown Oakland, California from 12 noon to 2 PM.

NBA stars Derrick Brown from the Charlotte Bobcats and Antonio Davis (who's retired) will be in attendance. Volunteers include Youth Uprising and The Oakland Tech Basketball Team.

The lunch event is for everyone, so come to downtown Oakland on Thanksgiving Day.

A's Owners want to move to San Jose? Run my Oakland Baseball Sim first

The Oakland Athletics baseball team owners, specifically Lew Wolff, are on record as wanting to move the Oakland A's to San Jose and specifically a new stadium downtown. There are a lot of reasons why this will not work, many of them legal. There are also some reasons why the deal could work, and they are financial.

But the one fact is the Oakland A's owners are - as is common for that group - flying blind without the use of an appropriate tool to help them as they determine what the best steps for the organization are.

I have one tool that they, and you, can use: my Oakland Baseball Simworld.

I created the 2,936-variable, 956-equation simulation in 2002 and based on a system dynamics simulation I created to help John Keriotis, then a limited partner with the Sacramento Kings, see how the Athletics or a professional baseball team in Oakland would perform fiscally in the future.

At the time - 1997 - I was Economic Adviser to Elihu Harris when he was Oakland's Mayor. Mayor Harris assigned me to Coliseum issues and one of those was the possible sale of the Athletics. I helped assemble three "teams" of possible groups, and got one to merge consisting of Frank Robinson and Magic Johnson. Eventually, the sale did not take place but out of it, for me, came a simple 56-variable model of the Oakland Athletics.

After I left the City of Oakland in 2001, I learned a system dynamics simulation programming language called Forio Macro Language (FML), the creation of Forio Business Simulations in San Francisco. FML allows for the development of online sims.

With FML, and Forio's advice, I worked to create two sims: the XFL Simworld, which is still operational, and the Oakland Baseball Simworld, which was delayed for almost a year because I could not figure out an elegant equation model for player contracts.

I finally did that in 2002. I finished the simulation on October 22, 2002 at 6:30 AM (the Tuesday of the week the San Francisco Giants were in The World Series). It received some media notice, both in the Oakland Tribune and in the Sportsbusiness Daily, as well as on the TV show Inside Silicon Valley Business.

Later, I met University of San Francisco sports economics professor Dr. Dan Rascher and together with our Simulation Advisory Board updated the new Oakland Sim.

The idea of the simulation is to have the user understand "baseball business dynamics" and how such actions as building a stadium impact the team's fiscal behavior. It consists of every possible financial combination one may employ to build a stadium. And all of the numbers are "real" and based on information I had to work with at the City of Oakland, then updated annually as the years progressed.



Both sims, and a new beta sim I created called "Buffi The Gym Girl" are the basis of Sports Business Simulations and are used in college classrooms around the country from Memphis to Old Dominion, as I write this. Once students are finished using the Oakland Sim, I'm going to redesign it to specifically include a "San Jose Scenario."

Really, it's already there but encapsulated in a "Move the Team" option called "In Bay Area." But unlike the other options (you can even build a downtown stadium in Oakland)  that one doesn't have the stadium costs or public politics entirely built in it. (I'm not going to remove the downtown Oakland option, either.) 

There's now enough good information for me to quickly install a set of equations and codes within part of a day and have the sim up and running. I will also update the Oakland Coliseum stadium alternative and other scenarios.

The sim target date: November 30, 2009 at 5 PM.

The sim will have a three-day free trial setting so you can try it yourself.

Do I expect the A's owners to pay attention?

No. Frankly, I'd be surprised if they did; this is for the common people who want to know what is or isn't possible in this whole discussion. In 2006, I personally offered Wolff the opportunity to use a specially designed version of my Oakland sim for free and he never followed up on it, but he did say "Free? I like free."

Interview with an expert: The healthcare reform bill - who wins? who loses? what does it mean for you?

[This post was originally published on the City Brights section of SFGate. You can find more of DocGurley's writing at www.docgurley.com]

DoctorPundit (aka Dr. Michael Douglas) is a full-time practicing physician, MBA, and the creator of the nationally-noted, oft-quoted site, "Get Your Health Policy On @ www.doctorpundit.com." He's an up-to-the-minute wonk, and health-geek extraordinaire, and he graciously agreed to peel himself away from C-Span for a few moments (it was painful, but he did it) to give us the inside dirt on the current state of healthcare reform, and what it means to you. As a physician, his approach to covering healthcare reform is one of, as he describes it, "neutrality - keeping the patient and doctor relationship out of the politics as much as possible." Check it out, as Doc Gurley goes toe-to-toe with Doctor Pundit on the reality behind healthcare reform as it stands now:

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1) Mammogram Guideline Changes Kickstart Healthcare Politicking:
2) Life Expectancy Milestone Reached:
3) Obama's Speech: What's an Internist To Do?:
4) Hospitals and Debt Collectors: Two Extremes:
5) FDA Finally Cleaning House?:

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DocGurl: So, Dr. Pundit, most people know that Congress passed something that's being called "healthcare reform," but lots of us - particularly those people without insurance, or those people watching their COBRA payments eat up all their unemployment benefits - are wondering, specifically, what's in it for me? If the devil is in the details, we're hoping you're here to exorcise (exercise?) that devil for us. You're an oft-quoted expert, but this behemoth legislation-passing has been a tortured process, with millions of lives, mega-money, and even bigger egos at stake. Are you feeling up to the challenge of explaining it in a nutshell?

DocPund: Wow, that's a pretty loaded question, and one that I feel is probably most appropriately handled by many and not just via the pontifications of one geeky health policy wonk. I'll take a stab at it, though.

Essentially, the bill just passed in the House of Representatives is a referendum of sorts -- meaning, no matter which side of the political aisle your beliefs lie, there's one thing all Americans can agree on. The increasing numbers (we're on the brink of 50 million) of uninsured in this country have served as a wakeup call to all politicians and lawmakers that healthcare access and affordability are under siege by statistics like these, and that something has to be done. Hence, we are witnessing the passage of a bill whose seeds of reason and debate are at least 35 years in the making. That there has to be a debate on this is the easy part; getting a solution to which Republicans and Democrats can agree -- well, that's a different beast altogether. The Senate will soon get its chance.

DocGurl: Is this really healthcare reform? In other words, what monster-by-committee did our Congressional Dr. Frankensteins make?

DocPund: Many times, policyspeak comes down to semantics. I think that is what's going on here is that the art behind getting an initiative passed has much to do with perceptions. Since we all know that lawmakers and their staffs are usually loathe to read entire bills (in this case upwards of 2000 pages), framing a party's ideology in terms their constituencies are willing to accept makes the process a whole lot easier.

DocGurl: Has this legislation pissed off absolutely everybody? Or does it just seem that way?

DocPund: I think that ongoing media coverage has added fuel to the proverbial fire. The overwhelming attention the reform debate attained just prior to the end-of-summer recess in the Congress was reflected in the various healthcare townhalls all across the country. Talk about a good idea gone very badly. I don't think anyone could have predicted the media circus revolving around these events billed as ostensible constructive dialogue. With passage of the HR 3962 bill, I don't think that either ideological side really has traded converts -- people are waiting to see what the Senate does with this.

DocGurl: Who's getting the shaft the most, in your opinion - the passionate progressives who went hard for Obama because he was going to represent REAL change, or the right wing for the vast new deficit-busting this legislation represents to them?

DocPund: With regard to health reform, labels given to the process are just as predictable in their origins as the parties that manufacture them. For many, if not all, Republicans, true reform involves overhauling the healthcare system if taxes aren't raised or imposed to get it done. For Democrats, on the other hand, those critical of the Republicans' motives are terming this "insurance reform" (as opposed to "health reform"), a nod to the corporate back-scratching the latter are famous for in implementing fiscal policy. So, is this really reform of healthcare? Depends on whom you ask.

DocGurl: So then who's doing a secret happy-dance? The progressives, because they got something done to loosen insurance companies' stranglehold on health, or the right, because of the Starkey abortion-banning amendment?

DocPund: Right now, I really don't think either side is claiming victory...in the truest sense of the word. We are definitely in a holding pattern with regard to this legislation. In fact, there is the real possibility that the Senate will not take up serious debate until January 2010, as Majority Leader Harry Reid -- seen by many (even in his own party) as possessing anything but strong leadership qualities -- is taking his own sweet time tweaking the bill, making sure that the Congressional Budget Office estimates square with President Obama's fiscal goals prior to putting forth the motion for the Senate to proceed.

DocGurl: If we ban funding for abortion nationally, does this mean we can now elect a woman-dominated panel to legislate restrictions on impotence and prostate treatment? Why not?

DocPund: Doc, as long we live in a male dominated legislative political "society", don't look for any concessions that can affect their, um, potency as voting body. I will say that threat to a woman's right to choose, while a backdrop to the House structure of the bill to attain passage, will -- while heavily politicized -- be modified to strike such a provision from entering Senate passage, ultimately becoming law, and heading down the slippery slope toward repeal of Rowe v Wade.

DocGurl: That's the politics - now the important stuff. As with all crimes, so the saying goes, follow the money. Who won out, financially? How much are we talking about? After all, once we're talking more than fifty bucks, most of us can't imagine it any more.

DocPund: I think that the fiscal issue before us is what is often termed as the "cost curve" by the Obama administration. He and his team of economic advisers are essentially getting behind a measure that will pass the muster of the arbiter of cost of all bills passed by the legislature: the Congressional Budget Office, or CBO. With the recent vote of 60-39 to allow senate debate to occur, at the very least, the scored pricetag assumed by the CBO is somewhere in the neighborhood of $850 billion over ten years -- all while predicting a reduction in the U.S. deficit by about $130 billion over that time frame.

DocGurl: Seems like the bill, as it stands, allows states to worsen healthcare coverage, but bans them from improving it - true or false? Isn't this a blow to the states-rights folks?

DocPund: It seems the further along we go on watching this bill meander its way through both houses of Congress, the only thing that seems certain is that the language present in its current incarnation will not be there once President Obama places his pen to paper for its signature. Although, among other things, the bill sets out to expand Medicaid programs and eliminate the use of insurance companies' provisions of pre-existing claims denials, one can assume that this bill's final form will probably be more of a benefit to Big Insurance and not the individual patient, ultimately really doing little to increase healthcare access on a sweeping level.

DocGurl: When can the average American sign up for insurance he/she couldn't get before? How much will it cost?

DocPund: These changes to healthcare coverage will be fashioned out in a gradual manner. There really is not a set date to "sign up" for plans and programs. For instance, individual states would have to determine when to implement an enrollment period when federally matched funds are available for Medicaid programs over the next three to five years.

DocGurl: Bottom line - should I hold my breath? And if I do, will I just pass out and then start breathing again, thereby demonstrating the futility of waiting for real change?

DocPund: This last question really piggybacks off the previous one. Whatever initiatives are begun as a result of whatever form the reform bill takes once Obama signs it will depend on many factors. These factors, in turn, will affect what is offered to patients-as-healthcare-consumers. Although no one can really predict when reform changes will infiltrate the healthcare marketplace, one can bet that they will be at the benefit of the marketplace itself and not the individual patient. So, holding your breath in this case would not only be an exercise in futility but also would result in death by asphyxiation -- something which no amount of health reform would benefit.

What do you think? Is this the bill that makes ALL of America angry? Or will it make a positive difference to your life? Share in the comments section and keep up on the latest health issues in the news, and healthcare reform insanity/hilarity by signing up for a Doc Gurley RSS feed with the tiny orange button at the top. Do you want to be on the inside, fast track of news and tips? Get on the Twitter bandwagon and follow Doc Gurley! Also check out Doc Gurley's Joy Habit twitter feed - and get fun, effective tips on how to de-stress for the holidays, right to your smartphone (hurry, before Black Friday hits!).

Got a thingie on your doohickey? Or are you pondering how to tell your doctor he's a jerk? Send your burning healthcare questions to Doc Gurley by emailing docgurleyatgmaildotcom. Doc Gurley cannot answer every question, and she cannot practice medicine through a keyboard (not even with her stethoscope pressed firmly against the monitor) but be assured - your questions will be kept strictly confidential and identifying traits are changed.

The Big Game: Cal 34, Stanford 28 - Cal alumns storm the field!

This is but the first of a set of videos from Big Game Weekend to come. I figured I'd get the storming of the field at Stanford Stadium out of the way as it capped what was one of the greatest games in Cal Football History, The Big Game: Cal 34, Stanford 28. Yes, I write that as a proper noun because college football's place as such a vital part of our American Culture is too often ignored.

That game - Cal's 34 to 28 Big Game win over Stanford - will never be forgotten by anyone who has long suffered - both Cal fans and Cal Alums - through major losses over the years.

And as I wrote before it serves to remind us that a simple thing like a sports event can help ease the pain of university threats to raise tuition and it may even just cause the University of California's executives to rethink what they're doing.

Look, one can dream, OK?

But for the moment captured on video, we were all one big giant family. Some were walking around just basking in the moment. Others were joining in a reminder to Stanford alums that Stanford Stadium was Bear Territory (and would be for another two years). Still others were singing along with the Cal Band to such classic Cal works as Psalms of Victory (in the video, and here as well.) It was a glorious moment, forever locked in time here for us to repeat again and again and again...

Until we return to Stanford Stadium in 2011 and win again.

GO BEARS!

Battlestar Galactica's Katee Sackhoff in Big Bang Theory: Internet hit

Katie Sackhoff suds it up with Howard Wolowitz (Simon Helberg)

The super-hot Katee Sackhoff , star of the remade and cult-level popular Battlestar Galactica Sci-fi series (and who also has a very cool blog), is steaming up the Internet after appearing on the CBS show The Big Bang Theory - which, truth be told, I saw for the first time on the United Airlines flight from San Francisco to Chicago - and burned up the episode with this steamy (for that show) scene in a bath tub:



I still believe one reason Bionic Woman didn't last beyond the first half of season one in 2007 was the lack of focus on, and eventual jettisoning of, Katee Sackhoff's character "Sarah Corvus". Sarah Corvus was an excellent, if off-kilter, sidekick to Michelle Ryan's "Jamie Sommers" in the show. That's one series I'd love to write for, but I digress; it's gone.

Here's Katee talking about her character in Bionic Woman:



Battlestar Galactica's season's coming to an end as well as Katee's five-year long role as the mythical "Starbuck". Her blog has an excellent video Q and A where she answers fans questions about her Battlestar Galactica work:



On January 10th, 2010, Katee will return to weekly television with her regular appearance on 24, playing a character named "Dana Walsh".

For an excellent deconstruction of Battlestar Galactica, read SF Chronicle Television Columnist Tim Goodman's March 22, 2009 take here.

Marc Shaiman is Music Director for 82nd Academy Awards

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences reports that Marc Shaiman was named Music Director for the 82nd Annual Academy Awards.

Marc Shaiman

Marc Shaiman is a five-time Oscar nominated composer nominated three times for Original Score on The American President (1995), The First Wives Club (1996) and Patch Adams (1998), and for Original Song: A Wink and a Smile from “Sleepless in Seattle” (1993) and for the hilarious Blame Canada from South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut (1999).

This is Robin Williams performing “Blame Canada”:



And the same song as it was presented in South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut:



Ok. I just had to get that out of the way before one of you asked for the videos!


Marc Shaiman is also an an Emmy winner with a wicked sense of humor. He won for co-writing Billy Crystal's "Oscar Medley" for the 64th Annual Academy Awards in 1992. More recently, he was the composer for The Bucket List (2008)

In 2007 he was honored at the ASCAP (The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers ) Awards:




With Marc Shaiman creating music for Oscar hosts Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin, the 82nd Academy Awards promises to be a classic event.

Whoopi Goldberg on The View says "African-American Berry". What's that?

Whoopi Goldberg

I just watched the talk show "The View" which is a guilty pleasure of mine and a great way to get the pop culture news pulse of the day, when I heard show host and comedian Whoopi Goldberg say to Joy Behar, "Your African-American Berry is OK." Or words to that effect.

A bit of backstory.

Earlier in the show one could hear what sounded like a cell phone saving a voice mail message - the kind of sound a Blackberry generally makes. Then as the show was ending, the sound came on again. This time Whoopi Goldberg was on the spot: she said "Did someone break wind!" Then she looked at Behar and asked if that was her. Behar said it was her cell phone and Goldberg responded, saying "I'm glad your African-American Berry is OK."

OK. For the record, I'm not complaining about this so much as I just find it strange, so I looked up the term.

The only listing I found was in something called "The Urban Dictionary" where it refers to "President Obama's Blackberry" and says that's the politically correct definition of a Blackberry cellphone.

Well, that's stupid and not politically correct.

The Blackberry has been around for years but just because we have an African American President who uses one - for the first time in POTUS history - someone has to give a racially-based name to the device. Why?

It's another way of American society essentially marginalizing blacks - and yes, blacks like Whoopi Goldberg are doing this. It says "Ok, now that someone Black's using a Blackberry we have to somehow give another name or designation for the cellphone."

OK. When I started writing this blog post, I was curious; but now at the end I'm just plain mad. I will be happy to see the day when African Americans like Whoopi Goldberg don't feel so out of mainstream American society that they have to "color" life in the way they do.

As far as I'm concerned it's a Blackberry and it has nothing to do with my skin color, and yes, I use one.

Geez!

Jimmy Clausen punched; Notre Dame QB in bar fight

According to ESPN, Notre Dame Quarterback Jimmy Clausen was "sucker-punched" by an angry, sociopathic so-called fan Sunday morning in South Bend, Indiana.

But that's not the right report; it's not what happened at all.  Clausen was not "sucker-punched."

The South Bend Tribune reports that the place where it all took place was a bar and restaurant called "C.J.'s Pub", and that Clausen had left initially without incident, but his female friend left her purse in the establishment, and as she went to get it at 2 AM with Clausen, she was pushed by a man outside the bar.

Then words were exchanged between Clausen and the man. The QB pushed him away placing his hand to the man's neck; the man punched Clausen in the eye and the two started to wrestle on the ground before the fight was broken up.  

(Reads like the man may have been a jealous ex-boyfriend of Clausen's female friend or something.) 

Police were called to the place, and reportedly in part because of the Clausen fight but also because other "skirmishes" were going on.

What kind of place is "C.J.'s Pub"? The Golden Domers must go there to fight after a home loss. As of this writing, Notre Dame Head Coach Charlie Weis has no comment (but the press conference is later this week; just wait.)

As of presstime Clausen will play against the Stanford Cardinal this Saturday. However, if Clausen cannot go, the job would fall to fifth-year senior Evan Sharpley, who has not thrown a pass yet this season.

Clausen brings a 156.45 passer rating to Stanford Saturday; he's thrown for 3,382 yards and 23 touchdowns and four interceptions.

Monday Night Football Titans v. Texans tied in 4th quarter

The NFL's  Tennessee Titans and Houston Texans are tied in 4th quarter at Reliant Stadium in Houston and in a game that's burning up the Internet. 

With 5:14 to go, it's 17 to 17 and possibly headed to overtime, this game's not without its great plays, players and dirty play.   

Houston's star wide receiver Andre Johnson had over 100 receiving yards. Texans Quarterback Vince Young was effective both running and passing (he ran completely around Texans Rookie Linebacker  Brandon Cushing) as was Texans Quarterback Matt Schaub.

It's one of those game where just when you think one team's going to score and pull away, they don't.  The clock's running down; now under 3 minutes. 

Stay tuned.

UPDATE: Titans 20, Texans 17 with :47 seconds left.

UPDATE: Titans win as Houston Texans missed a 42-yard field goal with six-seconds left.

Pixar's “Partly Cloudy" heads international list of 10 animated shorts for Oscar

On Friday, The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that 10 films were named to advance in the voting process for the "Animated Short Films" category for the 82nd Annual Academy Awards to be held March 7, 2010 at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center and televised on ABC (in case you weren't used to going to ABC to see The Oscars every year).

It's an international list with movies representing production companies from Australia, France, America, Canada, and other countries.

Emeryville, California-based Pixar's “Partly Cloudy" is the American entry and is considered by some to be the front runner for the awards but only because its the most high-profile entry. Frankly, this awards category has been almost impossible to predict in the past, so anything could happen.

That said, here's the list of competitor films:

“The Cat Piano,” Eddie White and Ari Gibson, directors (The People’s Republic of Animation)
“French Roast,” Fabrice O. Joubert, director (Pumpkin Factory/Bibo Films)
“Granny O’Grimm’s Sleeping Beauty,” Nicky Phelan, director, and Darragh O’Connell, producer (Brown Bag Films)
“The Kinematograph,” Tomek Baginski, director-producer (Platige Image)
“The Lady and the Reaper (La Dama y la Muerte),” Javier Recio Gracia, director (Kandor Graphics and Green Moon)
“Logorama,” Nicolas Schmerkin, producer (Autour de Minuit)
“A Matter of Loaf and Death,” Nick Park, director (Aardman Animations Ltd.)
“Partly Cloudy,” Peter Sohn, director (Pixar Animation Studios)
“Runaway,” Cordell Barker, director (National Film Board of Canada)
“Variete,” Roelof van den Bergh, director (il Luster Productions)

The next step is for the Short Films and Feature Animation Branch Reviewing Committee to select five nominees from the 10 titles on the short list above. The Academy reports that the movies will be screened for members in Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco in January of 2010. (No specific date was given as of this writing.)

For more information, visit Oscars.org

AMA Music Awards: Taylor Swift tops Michael Jackson; Adam Lambert, Lady Gaga go off

The American Music Awards gave talented singer Taylor Swift another massive round of fan voted awards to take home this year, as the country pop star took home honors for Favorite Adult Contemporary Artist, Favorite Country Album (for Fearless), Favorite Female Pop/Rock Artist, and Favorite Country Female Artist.

This is Taylor Swift winning for Female Pop/Rock Artist:



But what was shocking was that Taylor Swift beat the otherwordly legend that is the late Michael Jackson for Favorite Adult Contemporary Artist. But even with that Michael Jackson took home awards for Favorite Pop/Rock Male Artist, Favorite Pop/Rock Album (for Number Ones), Favorite Soul/R&B Male Artist, and Favorite Soul/R&B Album.

But the news of Swift beating Jackson caused controversy on Twitter, with a large number of tweets of protest like this one:

FeeshaD I can't believe Taylor Swift beat out Lady Gaga & MJ @ the AMA's! People have gotten so lame. less than a minute ago from mobile web

But then there are a lot of repeated tweets in anticipation of the 2010 Grammy Awards, like this one:

_Julia13 just voted "TAYLOR SWIFT" on "WHO WILL MOST LIKELY WIN A GRAMMY 2010????" vote too ➔ http://bit.ly/6MER36 3 minutes ago from POLLpigeon

Regardless of the tweet, it's clear that 20-year old Taylor Swift is having a year that one could only dream about. And all Swift had to do was sing, oh, and surround herself with the right publicist. But for some, creating nutty moments at the AMA gave their publicity hacks easy work: Adam Lambert and Lady GaGa.

Adam Lambert decided he was going to let is loins get the best of him and do some sexually provacative things during his singing number that really he could have done it without. I'm not going to give those actions video airplay.

Lady GaGa's bottle breaking spell during her number was less controversial but still questionable - and the piano was on fire, too!

It's as if the show producers decided to conspire with the performers to create as many Internet-viral-producing moments as possible just to keep us talking about the AMAs long after the show is over.

That strategy is very much like what I believe was done for the halftime show at Super Bowl 38 in Houston, when Justin Timberlake took off Janet Jackson's bra. It proved the impact of the Super Bowl on American culture because it was the pop event conversation for all the rest of 2004 and just at the time when the NFL was renegotiating its television contract.

To me, that was no accident, just as the AMA events of Sunday night were no accident. Both actions were created for the media and both actions worked to generate buzz. Look for more of this approach in the future and perhaps at The Grammys.

Oakland Raiders' Bruce Gradkowski posts awful 73.529 passer rating

Bruce Gradkowski

Oakland Raiders' Quarterback Bruce Gradkowski has become the darling of the Bay Area mainstream media because he replaced JaMarcus Russell and the Raiders won 20 to 17. Because of this, the commonly myopic mainstream media types have fallen all over themselves in praising Bruce Gradkowski. 

Time for this blogger to add a dose of much-needed sanity.  

Bruce Gradkowski was 17 of 34 for 183 yards, two touchdowns and one interception and posted an awful 73.529 passer rating according to the Quarterback Passing Calculators anyone can use online. I didn't have to use it to tell you the Oakland Raiders passing game is still terrible.

Let's get down to the basic fact that this is an under-performing passing game. If Bruce Gradkowski had attempted 34 passes and completed 26 for 270 yards and 3 touchdowns with no interceptions that would have been a passer rating of 128.3, and then we could pop the corks.

But the design of the Oakland Raiders passing game, and the way it's coached, does not offer a snowball's chance in hell of a quarterback hitting that passer rating objective. 

By contrast, Cal Head Coach Jeff Tedford's passing attack has produced several quarterbacks with excellent passer ratings over his career.  The latest example being quarterback Kevin Riley with a 133.49 rating for the season thus far and was 17 of 31 for 235 yards and one touchdown and one interception against Stanford (he was at just 54 percent and I know why), giving him a 122.71 rating for the 27th Big Game. (And thanks to Tedford and Cal Offensive Coordinator Andy Ludwig for using the Big Game to install the short passing game surgical strike I've called for all year long.)

But I digress.  

Yes, the passer rating formula does have its problems and that's another blog post, but one can't argue that throwing more completions as a percentage of attempts and for more yardage helps the achieve a solid victory, rather than a three-point win.

The Oakland Raiders must understand how to first throw short, timed passes that can be ran again and again and second, drill the passer to throw to a specific point at the receiver depending on the route, third, move the "launch point" of the pass using rollouts, sprints, and play action passes, and finally use the hashmarks and throwing points and route landmarks.

I've blogged that point again and again. So much so I'm tired of doing it. It does not matter who's placed at quarterback for the Oakland Raiders, the result - a poor or less than stellar passing attack - will always be the result.

This is nothing personal against Ted Tollner and Paul Hackett who are the passing game architects; it's professional. These two men have seen a lot of passing attacks and posted a lot of years of coaching. They must be held to a higher standard than what's being produced to date.

The Oakland Raiders' passing game is terrible. Bruce Gradkowski can't fix what's broken by design.

Modern patriotism isn't so different

To be a true patriot, a pro-republic American, is to recognize the role of civic virtue, of participation in the public affairs of the community, and to be among the men and women of whom future generations of Americans will say, "They were worthy of their city and their nation."

Gary Hart, in a recent Op-Ed, said:

"No single step would revitalize our fearful national spirit than a new era of civic republicanism. The single best vehicle to achieve this goal is the proposed Serve America Act sponsored by Senators Ted Kennedy and Orrin Hatch. It is a genuinely bipartisan response to President Obama’s challenge to Americans of all ages to serve the national community."

It would be refreshing to see the media focus less on the whining of political wanna-be pundits and apologist politicians whose goals have obvious resonance to special interests that have overhwelmed the relationship between elected officials and those they represent, and more on the inspirational leadership exemplified by the late Ted Kennedy and Orrin Hatch in authoring that bill.

Reporters, and news producers, love controversy - it's good for ratings, and the coverage of "news" is clearly a business in the 21st Century. There's never been a sexy sound-bite to be found talking about, VISTA, Habitat for Humanity, or the Peace Corps - you have to work much harder to tell these compelling human-interest stories.

But the country I want to leave to my son and his generation is much better when we take the time, and initiative, to help our neighbors and give to our communities - and so, too, are my son and his peers better when they join us in those efforts. The dangers of debt-fueled consumerism have become old news, as the pundits have led us on a hell-bent ride to blame whoever makes the best target in terms of their ad revenues, without any investigation into how best to recover.

A great way to start as we mark the quintessential American holiday, Thanksgiving, is for each of us to look within ourselves, to recall the lessons we've learned, to recall that our community matters -- to give a little.

Thomas Hayes is an entrepreneur, journalist, and political analyst who contributes regularly to a host of web sites on topics ranging from economics and politics to culture and community.

Notre Dame's Charlie Weis excepts blame for Huskies loss

Love him or hate him, you've got to give Notre Dame Fighting Irish Head Coach Charlie Weis credit for pointing at himself for the team's loss to the University of Connecticut (U Conn) Huskies 33 to 30 in overtime Saturday.

At the Sunday Press Conference (you can watch this video from part of it below) Weis was asked if he would understand if Notre Dame elected to release Weis from his contract. He said that he would and that six wins and five losses "doesn't cut it."

But Weis was quick to add that the losses were by a touchdown or less. And I will add that had Notre Dame scored at the last second to tie and went on to beat USC earlier this year his job would not be in trouble. It's hard to think beating Stanford this Saturday would not help Weis keep his job.

My view is Notre Dame should retain Weis for one more year, but give a more specific set of expectations: a floor and a ceiling. The floor should be 8 and 4; the ceiling is to go undefeated or close. That's it; keep it simple. Otherwise, Notre Dame would reportedly have to spend $18 million to buy-out Coach Weis' contract, about $2 million for his assistants, and then perhaps another $10 million for a new coaching staff. That's a $30 million waste of money in a recession.

Hard to justify that expenditure; at least to me.

Here's the Weis Press Conference video:

Twilight / New Moon: my review and moviegoer views

I saw Twilight / New Moon on its opening Thursday night November 18th at the Grand Lake Theater in Oakland, and I have to say it was "OK." I wasn't overwhelmed by the movie or the story but it held my attention and that was surprising to me.

The movie kind of plods along. It has a lot of long, drawn out scenes that could have been more elegant in their direction. But that written, people I talked to said this second movie in the series more closely followed the book that did the first movie, Twilight.

What I liked most about the story was that Bella's - who was played by Kristen Stewart - father was involved. This story doesn't try to hide adults; if Bella's lost, he's out there trying to find her. He knows about Edward Cullen (Rob Pattinson) but not that he's a vampire. I liked that the relationships between adults and teens was about as real as one could expect for this kind of movie.

Bella's constant interest in bad guys was what I hated the most, but that is (to a degree) the point of the storyline. I'm told that Bella eventually grows out of this but that happens about four books in. I've not even read the first one.

But that said and written, the simple fact that I am picking out these details means I was paying attention and that the story had meaning. Twilight / New Moon is not a bad picture; it's a cross between Dracula and All My Children. It has a lot of character "stuff" that gives its fans something to consume and talk about, but the story is presented well enough to create new fans.

In all Twilight / New Moon accomplishes the objective of appealing to fans of the series but not alienating people who are new to it like me. It's not 'Oscar: Best Picture' material because there's not a certain message that carries it yet can be applied to life. But it's a good story to watch unfold on the big screen.

Rob Pattinson's Publicist Shuts Down Ryan Seacrest

HLN calls talk show host and producer Ryan Seacrest "Mr. Hollywood", with a popular radio show on KIIS-FM, a $45 million new property production deal, and deals to be on programs like American Idol, Ryan Seacrest can make or break new stars, like Twilight: New Moon's Rob Pattinson.

Trouble is, someone forgot to tell ob Pattinson's movie publicist.

In this video from Ryan Seacrest's YouTube channel, we see the nervous flack jump in an stop Ryan Seacrest from asking the question on the minds of Twilight: New Moon fans: is Rob Pattinson dating movie co-star Kristen Stewart in real life? Or as Seacrest put it:

"What do you say to your fans that are desperate to know about you and your costar Kristen Stewart," said Seacrest, "what can you tell them?"

Seems harmless enough to me.

Here's the video:



I think she went too far and backfired in the process. Now the question's hotter than ever and Rob Pattinson and his publicist will be bugged with it over and over again. Sometimes publicists can get too involved in what their celebrity clients do or say. In this case, less would have been more.

BART Officer breaks window with drunk's face - why? Take my poll.

I'm in Georgia as I write this having flown most of the day from San Francisco to Chicago to Atlanta. So just when I think I've only got to pay attention to my Cal Stanford Big Game videos and my Oakland sim, I have this CNN-and-SFGate-reported news of a BART officer smashing the face of a drunk man by the name of Michael Joseph Gibson into a window on the West Oakland BART Station platform.

So I immediately went to YouTube and found this video:



And showed it to my mother who said "Why did he have to throw him into the window."

Exactly. Why?

Here we go again. Another predictable argument between those who justify police' violent actions and those who question it. I am tired of the dichotomy, so I decided to create a poll to learn what others think.

While the officer's action is questionable, that his presence was desired is of no question. In the video as the officer hauls Michael Joseph Gibson off the train and before he reaches the window, we can hear people clapping, so BART riders wanted this guy off the train.

That happened.

But the other action of the head against the window is to me a case of putting too much super hot mustard on a really good hot dog: it makes it hard to consume, but one can still eat it.

To BART's credit, it's not sitting on this issue; it responded rapidly, issuing a press statement and holding a press conference within moments.

BART Spokeman Linton Johnson said to CNN's Don Lemon this evening that "We decided that we wanted to take appropriate steps and let people know about this video... We want to do a full investigation...We will look at all the facts."

Johnson went on to say that most of Michael Joseph Gibson's injuries came from his arm and not his head. It's hard to tell that from the video but I can't help but wonder if there's another video out there with another angle. There's got to be at least one more - even if it's the station video. It's out there. I know it.

BART's not releasing the officer's name. He's new to BART Police according to Linton Johnson, but Linton says he's not had any incidents while with BART Police.

But the way Linton made the statement does open a new question about the officer's past. In looking at the video it seems like the officer took a little too much action - again too much hot mustard - but overall Michael Joseph Gibson was out of line and what I go with is the people on the train were applauding the officer.

Again, whatever Michael Joseph Gibson was doing, it's obvious he didn't have a fan base on the train.

What do you think of the BART Officer's actions? Take my poll:

More fun surveys on pollsb.com

Cal 34, Stanford 28 - Golden Bears win a Big Game for the ages!

Cal 34, Stanford 28; Cal Golden Bears win Big Game! Remember that because a lot of Cal alums, including me, will never forget it. When a beaming Cal Chancellor Robert Birgeneau roams the Stanford field after the victory, shaking hands and posing for pictures, and says "This was one of our greatest wins", you know it was a special game.

It certainly was.

It was one for Cal's football history because it marked the first time we beat Stanford to keep them out of a big game after the turn of the century. We've beat Stanford before to harm their bowl hopes - but never The Rose Bowl.

Rather than snatching defeat from the jaws of victory, Cal did the opposite. Moreover, it happened at Stanford. The win and the significance of it, made the song "You know it. You tell the story. You tell the whole damn World this is Bear territory!" mean more than just words. Stanford Stadium became "Bear territory" with Cal students, alums, faculty and staff storming the field, all singing that song again and again and again.

It was a beautiful moment in time that, but for a few key moments during the game, may not have come to pass.

Lining up and kicking a field goal to put Cal up 34 to 28 did not sit well with Cal fans; we wanted a touchdown purely out of respect for the yardage-chewing prowess of the Stanford Cardinal offense, which needed a touchdown and an extra point to take the game from Cal.

While the Cardinal didn't perform well enough to win, Quarterback Andrew Luck, Running Back Toby Gerhard, and the Stanford Offensive Line had put together a 1:46 second drive to score just moments before.

No Cal fan wanted to see a repeat of that process, yet because of the Cal field goal after wasting third down by lining up to have Cal Quaterback Kevin Riley run left to a point between the hashmarks at the 11 yard line, the stage was set for that to happen.

It almost did, with a game Andrew Luck working to prove one could put the game in his hands and win, teaming up with the fleet Gerhard to move the Cardinal to within the Cal 20 and then down to first and goal to win the game. The next play for me happened in slow motion: at the Cal 3-yard-line Luck dropped back to throw, had a good two seconds to read the defense and pick a receiver, but instead threw an interception.

Cal Linebacker Mike Mohamed's pick of Luck's pass in the end zone caused Cal fans to erupt in a massive outpouring of emotion: yelling, hugging, kissing, crying, and just smiling. It was a good win. No, it was a great win. A win I'll blog more about tonight after I'm off my plane to see family for the holidays back east. A lot of comments; a ton of video.

Afterward, at a raucous tailgate party thrown by my Cal buddies, someone turned on the song We are the Champions and we all sang, loudly and badly. For that moment - for that time last night - we were champions. Cal beat Stanford in what will go down as one of the greatest games in Big Game history.

GO BEARS!

Cal 30, Stanford 21 - Golden Bears will win Big Game

The Cal Stanford Big Game day is here and Cal will beat Stanford 30 to 21.

I've got to get this and a few other blog posts in before I leave for Atherton and then Palo Alto, but man what fun this week has been. So much Big Game fun it curtails the work routine.

The problem of any content creator - with the exception of a game developer of which I also am (just run my Oakland Baseball Simworld) - is that you have to create it before you install it. In my case that means being out and about, then tired, and then again too tired to pull an all-nighter to enter anything. But that's ok.

Now to important Big Game matters, working backward in time from now.

If you're wondering why you've seen so many Stanford photos on the SFGate.com front page it's due in large part to the fact that one of the SFGate editors is a Stanford grad and dad who's shall remain nameless until Cal wins and he has to deliver what will be my prized bottle of Merlot. As I wrote to him, the wine represents Cardinal blood and will be well consumed by me after we (Cal) clobber Stanford!

Friday featured the playing of the 27th annual Little Game. This touch football mega-event is the brainchild of my friend Cal grad and now Yahoo Sports Senior Writer Mike Silver and is played every year on the Friday before the Big Game. We played from (well for me because I arrived late) 4 PM to dark and I made a video of it that you will see next week.

As for the game's outcome, it ended in a tie and with 10-year-old Zach Heywood running 98 yards to score a touchdown as a group of Old Blues tried in vain to find him in the dark!

After that we met at the famous Sacramento and Front Street Cal grad institution that's called The Royal Exchange to catch up with friends and have a decent cocktail, coupled (for me) with dinner at Globe Restaurant, then a jaunt to meet friends at Cafe Prague, then winding up at The Clift Hotel, then home.

Whew!

On Wednesday, it was the Guardsmen Luncheon at The Fairmount Hotel, where comedian Bob Sarlatte delivered his annually good monologue with an array of jokes and quips that included a little factoid that this was former Examiner and Chronicle Sports Columnist Glenn Dickey's 328th Big Game luncheon!

At the event, Stanford Head Coach Jim Harbaugh took the podium to a somewhat muted chant of "Go for two!" by Cal grads - including me. Cal Coach Jeff Tedford reported that star running back Jahvid Best is getting better rapidly and said that it was good he just had the concussion as it could have been worse.

Big Game Day! But a word on the protest

But now, it's time for the Big Game, but I have to say a few words about Friday's protest at Cal that resulted in the occupation of Wheeler Hall for 11 hours. I think one reason Big Game celebration seemed to lack the on-campus zest of the past (and why we went to San Francisco) was the feeling that the University itself doesn't support its students as they try to get an education.

Increasing tuition such that it will eventually cost over $10,000 per semester and in a recession is heartless. Moreover, not decreasing University staff incomes by 20 percent is equally a mistake.

There is a disturbing pattern developing where the people that run California government and education corporations want to tax and charge the poorest consumers of service, rather than feel some of the pain with an income cut.

This is especially true in Oakland with the parking tow sting that's still going on, taking in more Oaklanders in terrible ways that eventually will change the politics of the city. Meanwhile, a number of City of Oakland non-elected staffers enjoy incomes at and over $200,000 a year and with no cut in sight.

If you're wondering what all this has to do with the Big Game, that's just the point: everything! It's hard to have as much fun when your government and education leaders seem to be trying to stick it to you, but the show must go on!

GO BEARS! Beat Stanford!

BELICHICK'S RISKY CALL GIVES JETS LIFE

BELICHiCK'S RISKY CALL GIVES JETS LIFE
by TJ ROSENTHAL for Football Reporters Online

Watch The You Tube Video Here:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Xq7GxoXiio

The J-e-t-s Jets Jets Jets were left for dead late Sunday as Jags RB Maurice Jones-Drew jokingly apologized at the podium to fantasy owners for taking a knee to help run out the clock. Now  4-5 and somehow trailing in the AFC wildcard hunt after a 3-0 start, even coach Rex Ryan admitted after the last second 24-22 loss to Jones-Drew's Jacksonville Jaguars that a playoff berth now looked bleak. Then suddenly that night hope arrived when Bill Belichick of all people, helped breathe life into a Gang Green season that was beginning to appear hopeless.

The controversial decision by Belichick to ice the game against the undefeated Peyton Manning led Colts from his own 28 with a six point lead and just 2:08 left, backfired.  The stunning 35-34 win, capped by Manning's game winning TD throw to WR Reggie Wayne with 0:15 left after the Pats failed 4th and 2, leaves the Jets only two games back of the hated Pats. The Jets could find themselves just one off the AFC East division lead while owning the head to head tiebreaker with a win in Foxboro Sunday.

 Make no bones about it though, Sunday will be a monumental challenge. Maybe the clubs toughest they will face all year. The 6-3  Pats want revenge for their week two loss at the Meadowlands while QB Tom Brady was shaking off  the rust from season ending knee surgery in 2008. They'll also look to erase the bad taste in their mouth from having the Colts on the ropes, then letting them off the hook. Nonetheless, it's as good of a position that a Jet team who has lost five of six could've hoped for.

The Pats are not the same team the Jets saw in September. The biggest reason is that Tom Brady is back. The Pats most important player is second in the NFL in passing yards with 2,739, trailing only Manning with 2,872.  Brady is tied for second with Drew Brees for TD passes with 19 (again trailing only Manning who has 20). The Brady to Randy Moss combo has also woken up. After the slow start , Moss is now second in the league in both yards with 891 and TDs with seven. Pesky WR Wes Welker, out early in the year with hamstring issues, is healthy again and once again a threat to eat up yardage if too much attention is focused on Moss.

The Jets are at this point, a shell of their early season selves. They own the NFL's top rushing attack averaging 170 yards per game despite losing Leon Washington for the year out in Oakland. The swagger of the team is gone though. Or missing at least. Mounting losses will do that to a team. By week four as the Jets were headed to New Orleans in what was at the time, a battle of the undefeated, many were calling the Jets defense the top unit in the NFL.  The 27-17 loss in the Big Easy gave Jet fans the first look at the types of mistakes rookieQB Mark Sanchez could make. A key ill advised interception in the end zone to FS Darren Sharper gave the Saints a 10-0 lead and they never looked back. The loss was followed by the defense then getting humbled for the first time as well, as they got torched for 416 yards by the Wildcat in Miami in week 5. Things got worse the following week as the glue of the defense NG Kris Jenkins was lost for the season to a torn ACL during a  week six OT loss to putrid Buffalo. Run stopping has suffered since. Jones-Drew burned the Jets for 123 yards last Sunday. Sanchez threw an astounding 5 interceptions during the Bills loss, raising the questions of how much responsibility the Jets should entrust the rookie with the rest of the way.

 The second meeting between the clubs will renew a rivalry that contains a decade of seething hatred. Bill Parcells left New England for the Jets in 1997 then Bill Belichick returned the favor. Slated to be announced as the new Jet coach in 2000, Belichick pulled a trick play out of his book and resigned as "HC" of the Jets at the press conference announcing him. In doing this he avoided the shadow that Parcells as a front office man would've cast over his star pupil. Belichick then went on to return to New England where he was Parcells defensive coordinator in the mid nineties,  to win four Super Bowls in New England. Doing it  with the help of a coaching staff that consisted of many former Jet assistants under Parcells. 

The rivalry took another odd turn when top Pats assistant Eric Mangini then usurped Belichick's wishes to go anywhere but the Jets and signed on to become of course, the Jets head coach in 2006. Mangini was immediately locked out of the Foxboro facility. In 2007 after a blowout loss in the opener, "Mangenius" then complained that the Pats were using cameras to spy on the Jet sidelines. This brought about the controversial "Spygate" incident which threatened to ruin Belichick's credibility and hall of fame resume as new charges against "Belicheat"  seemed to come out of the woodwork every day.

 In the Spring of 2009, new Jet head coach Rex Ryan injected some new blood into the storyline by proclaiming that he didn't come to New York "to kiss Bill Belichick's rings." Given the result in week two,  a 16-9 win over Belicheck's crew, Ryan looked like the leader of team that could talk the talk AND walk the walk. In fact, after the game, outspoken Jet LB Bart Scott defended teammate CB Darelle Revis, who did a great job on perennial All Pro WR Randy Moss, on a day that included a key interception by the Jets top corner on a pass intended for Moss. 

"I hear the easy copout by Randy Moss, saying that anybody can guard ... that 'I can play cornerback if I had safety help,'" Scott said. "That was a one-on-one jump ball. I think sometimes you've just got to give the man his credit, understand that [Revis] was the better man that day..[Revis] shut him down. He intimidated him. Randy was coming across that middle real slow. Tell him to man up next time and come across the middle like a man if he wants to be a complete receiver."

Rest assured Moss and the Patriots haven't forgotten their performance that day or the words exchanged by both clubs after the game.  When it comes to the Jets- Patriots there is no such thing as a short memory, only a long history of bad blood. This brings us now to the latest chapter in the saga.

While Belichick spent Monday trying to justify why he had no faith in his defense down the stretch at  Indy, Ryan spent part of Monday according to locker room reports, giving a passionate plea to his team that drove the rookie head coach to tears.

Offensive lineman Damien Woody reported "He was talking about the situation -- this upcoming game with New England and how we're still there, how we still have a pulse. He said It's all about us, that nobody believes in us and that we are the only ones who believe we can get things done..He said, 'I believe in you; I believe you get can get this thing done,' and that's when he really got emotional." Revis added" I haven't been a part of a meeting where a coach cried like that."

Emotions. That's what the Jets need. They played so well early on when they were driven by them. The Jets have to stick together and begin to believe like winners again, because as Woody noted regarding Ryan's speech, few believe in the Jets right now. Only the players themselves can help change the perception that the Jets season is for all intensive purposes, over. The chance to reinvent themselves and not waste what was a promising start to 2009, presents itself Sunday. Albeit, it's the first place Pats they are dealing with. The hated Pats. The Tom Brady and Bill Belichick Pats. Drama and daunting task aside, with a win the Jets will be back in business again in the AFC East. 

THREE KEYS TO THE GAME:

JET PRESSURE ON BRADY. That how the Jets beat the Pats in week two. Brady was rushed, off his timing, and inaccurate. Much of it due to rust, the other, the Jet pressure. Without pressure, you can forget about it.

REVIS MOSS ROUND TWO: The winner of this battle will give his team the edge. "Revis Island" won the first one but Moss has been on fire since and surely remembers the bravado the Jets spoke with in shutting him down.

EMOTION: The Jets have to play with emotion Sunday. There has to be a "back against the wall" and  "us against the world mentality." This rivalry seems to bring it out naturally, but the Jets shouldn't wait to get kicked in the face before they decide to  get themselves going. If they do that in Foxboro,  it may be too late.

Watercooler Chat-The Waiver Wire

Watercooler Chat-By by David Ortega for Football Reporters Online

The Waiver Wire


Week 10 Wire

If you missed the bus last week, you might have caught a break if fantasy owners were paying attention to the injury reports on running back Ladell Betts. Even with Portis listed as doubtful last week there were questions about Betts health and it wasn't until late in the week that he appeared a solid go for Sunday. Well there are no questions this week and after his Sunday performance against the Broncos, you had better be quick on the move to snag him off the wire this week.

Another new darling to add to your list this week comes from the St. Louis Rams, rookie wide receiver Brandon Gibson. Elevated into action beacuse of the injury to Keenan Burton last week, Gibson quickly made his presence felt catching seven balls for 93 yards. The Rams rookie was targeted frequently and appears to be in line to start Sunday. Facing an inconsistent Cardinals secondary that is ranked 30th, if Bulger is able to find time Gibson could be a nice pick up for week 11.

There aren't too many games this season that Browns running back Jamal Lewis is going to circle on his calendar, but Sunday could be one of the few. This week he and the Browns travel to Detroit to face the Lions and their 19th ranked defense that is allowing 4.7 yards per carry. Last Monday night the offense really struggled with Quinn returning under center, expect Mangini to lean heavily on the ground game to take some pressure off.


With Brian Westbrook down, but not out just yet the door has been swung wide open for rookie running back LeSean McCoy. The Eagles rookie runner has been more than a capable replacement when give the opportunity. In his last two starts for Philly McCoy has averaged 92 yards from scrimmage and this season he's carrying a four yard plus per carry average. McCoy also gives the team the versatility out of the backfield with 23 receptions this season. With Westy out for at least the next couple if not several weeks, McCoy is a nice replacement option and even has a little more value in PPR leagues.

Playing the Fantasy GM

Sometimes when you are the man in charge you just have to grab the reigns and make the call. One of those big decisions is knowing when to sit a player and when to start a player, much like real coaches and GMs operate. When the season started many fantasy owners likely expected their week one or week two pick up of quarterback Brett Favre was more for insurance than anything else. Now that we are 10 weeks into the season, those owners are having to re-evaluate their rosters.

The GM Game

At 39 years of age it was conceivable to believe that Brett Favre's best days had past him and that even with a talented team like the Vikings he would only best serve as a fantasy back up. There must magic at 40, or 40 is really the new 30. Since turning 40 on October 10th, Favre has elevated his play. As of Oct 18th this season, in his last four starts the Vikings quarterback is averaging 300-yards passing per game and has throw eight touchdowns with only two turnovers. In that span, Brett Favre is averaging 23 fantasy points per game, better than Drew Brees (18 pts/game), Peyton Manning (22 pts/game), and Matt Schaub (19 pts/game). As well as he is playing he should now be considered a number one fantasy quarterback and he's a must start. With a remaining schedule that includes; the Bears (16 passing touchdowns allowed) twice, the Cardinals (ranked 30th against the pass), the Seahawks (ranked 22nd), and the Bengals (ranked 21st) Favre is a must-start everyweek! Start him!

FRO's FANTASY SLEEPER WEEK 11

FRO's FANTASY SLEEPER WEEK 11
By William Queen Jr. Contributing Writer-Football Reporters Online
 
All the bye weeks are over and that means that the NFL, along with all its players, is back in full swing. And out of the grand spectrum of players the NFL has to offer, I think the Atlanta Falcons 3rd string running back Jason Snelling will surprise many as this week’s fantasy sleeper.
 
Fresh off the bench, Snelling is getting an opportunity this week vs. the Giants to show the world why he’s in the NFL. The funny thing is that it’s all off injuries suspense. Both starter Michael Turner and 2nd stringer Jerious Norwood will be treating their injuries this week, giving Snelling the chance he’s been waiting for.
 
Coming off the best performance of his career last week vs. the Panthers, there couldn’t have been a better time for Snelling to get the start. He ran for 61 yards and 1 touchdown off 18 carries last week vs. Carolina; that’s with split carries. The Giants haven’t exactly been the same smash-mouth defense that we remember them being in years past, so it shouldn’t be very tough to reach 100 if he gets a fair dosage of carries.
 
It’s not very often that a 3rd string running back gets a shot at starting vs. the New York Giants and the fact that he’s been doing great this season just adds to the likely hood of him doing well. So look for Snelling to take advantage of the situation and make the most of it and, hopefully, the most of your fantasy team.