New England's certainly developing bad karma with their behavior.
By John Clayton
ESPN.com
Updated: October 28, 2007
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- The Patriots' zeal for stealing opposing defensive coaches' signals in the season opener against the Jets cost the team a first-round choice and $250,000. It also made coach Bill Belichick's bank account lighter by $500,000.
Now, the only hand signals worth mentioning might be the possibility of obscene gestures coming from the coaches and players he beats.
On Sunday, Belichick kicked a Hall of Fame coach while he was down, running up the score on Joe Gibbs' Redskins to 52-7. This comes a week after Belichick reinserted quarterback Tom Brady midway through the fourth quarter of a 49-28 win over the Dolphins.
What seemed cute three weeks when Brady threw an unnecessary last-minute touchdown pass to Kyle Eckel while whipping the Cowboys 48-27 has turned ugly.
Welcome to Belichick's no-mercy policy.
Although criticism and questions about Belichick's moves will further paint him as the bad guy in his showdown against Tony Dungy and the Colts next Sunday, the Pats coach simply doesn't care. He wore the black hoodie in the Week 1 spy incident and accepted his punishment. Now, he's making the league pay with blowouts.
That's why he …
• … kept Brady on the field for an 88-yard drive six minutes into the fourth quarter despite already leading 38-0. On that 14-play drive, the Patriots went for a fourth-and-1 at the Redskins' 7 and ordered a 35-yard bomb to Randy Moss.
• … went for a fourth-and-2 at the Redskins' 37 on the next possession while leading 45-0. Backup QB Matt Cassel hit Jabar Gaffney with a 21-yard pass. Two plays later, Cassel scrambled for a 15-yard touchdown run to open a 52-0 lead.
Asked why he would go for two fourth downs in a blowout, Belichick responded, "What do you want us to do, kick a field goal?"
Pressed further, he said, "It's 38-0. It's fourth down. We're just out there playing."
Still, there's no doubt what he's really doing. Redskins veterans Phillip Daniels and Marcus Washington, who have 18 years combined NFL experience, both said they had never seen a team run up the score the way the Patriots are doing.
Face it, folks, Belichick plans to lay waste to the NFL. Commissioner Roger Goodell took away a first-rounder, so the Patriots will take away your firstborn. Belichick has assembled perhaps the most dominating team in NFL history, and he's intent on destroying all opponents in his path.
Will the Colts be next? Although Indianapolis is also undefeated, has beaten the Colts in their past three meetings and is the defending Super Bowl champ, the Patriots are the early 4½-point favorites.
Sunday's game shows how Belichick plans to handle the rest of the season. Anyone thinking he will rest Brady in the final month before the playoffs is wrong. He will allow his future Hall of Fame quarterback to shatter every record imaginable.
Against the Redskins, Brady threw three more touchdowns, bringing his eight-game total to 30 and increasing his team's scoring average to 41.3. Oh, and Brady also ran for two touchdowns Sunday.
Jim Rogash/Getty Images
Joe Gibbs said he didn't mind that Bill Belichick maintained his aggressive nature late in Sunday's blowout.
Yes, Belichick did rest a few defensive starters in the final six minutes, but he blitzed and did everything to keep the Redskins out of the end zone. Veteran players who weren't on the field encouraged those on the field to maintain the shutout. Belichick was clearly disappointed when the Redskins scored with three minutes left.
As for Gibbs, he didn't have a problem with Belichick's tactics, The two coaches shook hands after the game, although they certainly didn't make a lot of small talk.
"No, I have no problem with anything that they did," Gibbs said. "Nothing, no problems from me."
But Redskins players such as Daniels did have a problem, saying flat out that Belichick was running up the score.
Of course, the Redskins didn't have the ability to stop it. Their defense entered the game short-handed and left beheaded. Fred Smoot, the team's third cornerback, couldn't play because of a hamstring injury. Linebacker Marcus Washington was limited to passing plays because of a sore hamstring. On the Patriots' first touchdown drive, starting cornerback Carlos Rogers suffered an injury that could range from a sprained MCL (out for a few days) to a torn ACL (lost for the season). Linebacker Rocky McIntosh also was injured.
Consequently, the Redskins lost their opportunity to match up with the Pats' top four receivers. Gibbs had just three true corners left on the active roster -- Shawn Springs, Leigh Torrence and David Macklin. Brady completed 29 of 38 for 306 yards and three touchdowns.
To make matters worse, Gibbs and the coaches lost their communication system during the game. They couldn't work the headsets.
"There were issues," Gibbs said. "It's a problem across the league. I don't want to use that as an excuse for what happened to us today. We'll just continue to let the league know what happened to us today, and we'll just have to see how they deal with it."
Belichick was aware of the problem but, naturally, didn't care. He was communicating his own way -- sending a message to the 31 other teams that the Pats will take no prisoners.
It's an attitude that's going over big in the Patriots' locker room.
"It's just something the coaching staff wants to do," wide receiver Donte' Stallworth said. "We're behind them for whatever they want to do. Whatever play they call, we are going to run it.
"We've been attacked since the start of the season, so we don't care. Whatever is going on out there, we just go out and play and try to execute what we are doing."
That's exactly what the Patriots are doing. They are executing everyone. Next stop is Indianapolis.
Hide the kids.
John Clayton, a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame writers' wing, is a senior writer for ESPN.com.
Monday, October 29, 2007
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Barack Obama Draws 24,000 In New York - Hillary Clinton Just 1,500!
Hillary Clinton draws just 1,500 people?! That's it? Look, I don't care if the rally was in Harlem, they only drew 1,500 people. That's terrible. I don't care if it was in a church; thousands of people could have milled around outside. They didn't.
When Barack Obama held his New York rally, he drew 24,000 people. Hillary's tried, but can't even hold a rally that draws as many people as Barack can. She tried it in Oakland, and didn't do it. She can't do it. Period.
Why? Because she's not as popular as some media types and paid pollsters are trying to make us think she is.
You know what Barack Obama should do? Hold his own rally in Harlem -- just to prove a point. I'll bet he'd draw 10,000 people. Oh, and he should stage it right under that giant photo of Muhammad Ali.
The name of the rally? "Don't Call it a Comeback!"
Mark Morford - In SF Chroncle, Columnist Says We're Getting Dumber, but Fails To Define What Dumb Is
I just read San Francisco Chronicle columnist Mark Mulford's column where he claims American kids are "dumber than dirt". The main problem I have with such articles is, first, they fail to define what "dumb" is and second, they seem to yearn for a "happier time." Also, they seem to place the author in the position of "I'm better than you." Oh yeah? Says, who?
So I can't take the article seriously from the perspective around the question of correctness.
I do think that we have not shown kids the importance of critical thinking. It's just fine to watch TV -- one gains information that way. Information on our society, especially from the various news sources. But we're in trouble when we don't question what we're told.
I also think we've not shown kids the importance of being social and polite. Leave the text messages alone and talk. Say excuse me when you pass by someone. Manners are the glue that holds society together. I'm concerned that we're not making sure we have a good supply of that glue in store.
So I can't take the article seriously from the perspective around the question of correctness.
I do think that we have not shown kids the importance of critical thinking. It's just fine to watch TV -- one gains information that way. Information on our society, especially from the various news sources. But we're in trouble when we don't question what we're told.
I also think we've not shown kids the importance of being social and polite. Leave the text messages alone and talk. Say excuse me when you pass by someone. Manners are the glue that holds society together. I'm concerned that we're not making sure we have a good supply of that glue in store.
N.Y., DHS Strike Deal On Driver's Licenses
Version Established For Illegals
WASHINGTON (AP) ― The Bush administration and New York agreed Saturday on a compromise creating a more secure driver's license for U.S. citizens and allowing illegal immigrants to get a version. New York is the fourth state to reach such an agreement, after Arizona, Vermont and Washington. The issue is pressing for border states, where new and tighter rules are soon to go into effect for crossings.
The deal comes about one month after New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer announced a plan whereby illegal immigrants with a valid foreign passport could obtain a license.
The agreement with the Homeland Security Department will create a three-tier license system in New York, the largest state to sign on so far to the government's post-Sept. 11 effort to make identification cards more secure.
Spitzer, who has faced much criticism on the issue, said the deal means New York "will usher in the most secure licensing system in the nation."
Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said he was not happy that New York intended to issue IDs to illegal immigrants. But he said there was nothing he could do to stop it.
"I don't endorse giving licenses to people who are not here legally, but federal law does allow states to make that choice," Chertoff said.
New York will produce one ID that will be as secure as a passport and is intended for people who soon will need to meet such requirements, even for a short drive to Canada.
A second version of the license will meet new federal standards of the Real ID Act, a law designed to make it much harder for illegal immigrants or would-be terrorists to obtain licenses.
A third type of license will be available to undocumented immigrants. Spitzer has said this ID will make the state more secure by bringing those people "out of the shadows" and into American society, and by lowering auto insurance rates.
New York has between 500,000 and 1 million undocumented immigrants, many of whom are driving without a license and car insurance or with fake driver's licenses, Spitzer in September when he announced his executive order.
The administration has not finalized standards for Real ID-compliant driver's licenses, but Spitzer said he believed the new licenses would meet those standards or come very close.
Many states have complained it is far too expensive to comply with the new law. Neither the governor nor Chertoff would say how much it would cost to put the system in place or who would pay for it.
WASHINGTON (AP) ― The Bush administration and New York agreed Saturday on a compromise creating a more secure driver's license for U.S. citizens and allowing illegal immigrants to get a version. New York is the fourth state to reach such an agreement, after Arizona, Vermont and Washington. The issue is pressing for border states, where new and tighter rules are soon to go into effect for crossings.
The deal comes about one month after New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer announced a plan whereby illegal immigrants with a valid foreign passport could obtain a license.
The agreement with the Homeland Security Department will create a three-tier license system in New York, the largest state to sign on so far to the government's post-Sept. 11 effort to make identification cards more secure.
Spitzer, who has faced much criticism on the issue, said the deal means New York "will usher in the most secure licensing system in the nation."
Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said he was not happy that New York intended to issue IDs to illegal immigrants. But he said there was nothing he could do to stop it.
"I don't endorse giving licenses to people who are not here legally, but federal law does allow states to make that choice," Chertoff said.
New York will produce one ID that will be as secure as a passport and is intended for people who soon will need to meet such requirements, even for a short drive to Canada.
A second version of the license will meet new federal standards of the Real ID Act, a law designed to make it much harder for illegal immigrants or would-be terrorists to obtain licenses.
A third type of license will be available to undocumented immigrants. Spitzer has said this ID will make the state more secure by bringing those people "out of the shadows" and into American society, and by lowering auto insurance rates.
New York has between 500,000 and 1 million undocumented immigrants, many of whom are driving without a license and car insurance or with fake driver's licenses, Spitzer in September when he announced his executive order.
The administration has not finalized standards for Real ID-compliant driver's licenses, but Spitzer said he believed the new licenses would meet those standards or come very close.
Many states have complained it is far too expensive to comply with the new law. Neither the governor nor Chertoff would say how much it would cost to put the system in place or who would pay for it.
Saturday, October 27, 2007
Dick Cheney On Cousin Barack Obama - CNBC’s Larry Kudlow Interview
Here's a video of Vice President Dick Cheney's comments on the finding that he's related to Senator Barack Obama:
Genarlow Wilson Is Freed From Prison! Georgia Supreme Court Says Sentence Was "Cruel and Unusual" - ESPN
FORSYTH, Ga. (ESPN) -- A former high school football star given 10 years in prison for having consensual oral sex with another teenager was freed Friday by Georgia's highest court, which ruled that his sentence amounted to cruel and unusual punishment.
Genarlow Wilson spent two years behind bars in the case that led to widespread protests of racism and heavy-handed justice.
"I was in total disbelief," Wilson told reporters outside the prison. "I'm finally happy to see we've got justice now."
Wilson, 21, also said he wants to help other teens and offered some advice: "They should be very hesitant before they join certain crowds and make certain decisions."
In its 4-3 decision, the Georgia Supreme Court noted that state lawmakers had scrapped the law that required a minimum 10-year prison term.
That change, the court said, represented "a seismic shift in the legislature's view of the gravity of oral sex between two willing teenage participants."
ESPN.com on Wilson ruling
• Genarlow Wilson, imprisoned for more than two years in a state prison in Georgia, plans to make a return to sports and school. ESPN.com's Wright Thompson was there at Wilson's release and writes of his "whole new life" that awaits. Story
• The Georgia courts were put in a difficult position by the combination of absolute prohibition and draconian penalty, writes ESPN.com's Lester Munson. Story
• Read the full ruling issued Friday by the Georgia Supreme Court ordering the release of Genarlow Wilson from prison. Read the Ruling (.pdf)
Wilson, who was the homecoming king at Douglas County High, was a track and football star that would have played college football, his coaches said. He was all-conference in football and even held future NFL first-round draft pick Calvin Johnson to four catches in two games, according to his coaches.
The justices also said Wilson's sentence made "no measurable contribution to acceptable goals of punishment," and his crime did not rise to the "level of adults who prey on children."
After he was imprisoned, Wilson became the subject of prominent editorials and national news broadcasts. His sentence was denounced even by members of the jury that convicted him and the author of the 1995 law that put him in prison.
Supporters including former President Jimmy Carter said the case raised troubling questions about race and the justice system. Wilson and the girl are both black.
Wilson was convicted of aggravated child molestation after he was videotaped having oral sex with a 15-year-old girl at a 2003 New Year's Eve party in a hotel room. He was 17 at the time.
Wilson was acquitted of raping another 17-year-old girl at the party.
State Attorney General Thurbert Baker said he hopes Friday's ruling puts "an end to this issue as a matter of contention in the hearts and minds of concerned Georgians and others across the country who have taken such a strong interest in this case."
The man who prosecuted Wilson, Douglas County District Attorney David McDade, said he disagreed with the decision, but he respects the court "as the final arbiter."
Wilson's supporters were jubilant.
"I never gave up hope in our judicial system, and I never gave up hope in all the prayers people sent out for us," said Wilson's mother, Juannessa Bennett.
E-ticket: Outrageous Injustice
In January, ESPN.com published the story of Genarlow Wilson's crime, punishment and fight for justice in a story that won the PASS Award (Prevention for a Safer Society) from the National Council on Crime and Delinquency. Read Wright Thompson's report here.
• Thompson: Outrageous Injustice
Rep. John Lewis, an Atlanta Democrat, said: "Each day that this young man spent in prison was a day too long."
The 1995 law Wilson violated was changed in 2006 to make oral sex between teens close in age a misdemeanor, similar to the law regarding teen sexual intercourse. But the state Supreme Court later upheld a lower-court ruling that said the 2006 law could not be applied retroactively.
The high court had turned down Wilson's appeal of his conviction and sentence, but the justices agreed to hear the state's appeal of a judge's decision to reduce Wilson's sentence to 12 months and free him. That judge had called the 10-year sentence a "grave miscarriage of justice."
Wilson said he plans to return to school and sports and possibly study sociology. For now, he was looking forward to spending time with relatives.
"I feel I've been away from them long enough," he said. "At times, we've dealt with adversity. Now my family, we finally get to deal with happiness."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Genarlow Wilson spent two years behind bars in the case that led to widespread protests of racism and heavy-handed justice.
"I was in total disbelief," Wilson told reporters outside the prison. "I'm finally happy to see we've got justice now."
Wilson, 21, also said he wants to help other teens and offered some advice: "They should be very hesitant before they join certain crowds and make certain decisions."
In its 4-3 decision, the Georgia Supreme Court noted that state lawmakers had scrapped the law that required a minimum 10-year prison term.
That change, the court said, represented "a seismic shift in the legislature's view of the gravity of oral sex between two willing teenage participants."
ESPN.com on Wilson ruling
• Genarlow Wilson, imprisoned for more than two years in a state prison in Georgia, plans to make a return to sports and school. ESPN.com's Wright Thompson was there at Wilson's release and writes of his "whole new life" that awaits. Story
• The Georgia courts were put in a difficult position by the combination of absolute prohibition and draconian penalty, writes ESPN.com's Lester Munson. Story
• Read the full ruling issued Friday by the Georgia Supreme Court ordering the release of Genarlow Wilson from prison. Read the Ruling (.pdf)
Wilson, who was the homecoming king at Douglas County High, was a track and football star that would have played college football, his coaches said. He was all-conference in football and even held future NFL first-round draft pick Calvin Johnson to four catches in two games, according to his coaches.
The justices also said Wilson's sentence made "no measurable contribution to acceptable goals of punishment," and his crime did not rise to the "level of adults who prey on children."
After he was imprisoned, Wilson became the subject of prominent editorials and national news broadcasts. His sentence was denounced even by members of the jury that convicted him and the author of the 1995 law that put him in prison.
Supporters including former President Jimmy Carter said the case raised troubling questions about race and the justice system. Wilson and the girl are both black.
Wilson was convicted of aggravated child molestation after he was videotaped having oral sex with a 15-year-old girl at a 2003 New Year's Eve party in a hotel room. He was 17 at the time.
Wilson was acquitted of raping another 17-year-old girl at the party.
State Attorney General Thurbert Baker said he hopes Friday's ruling puts "an end to this issue as a matter of contention in the hearts and minds of concerned Georgians and others across the country who have taken such a strong interest in this case."
The man who prosecuted Wilson, Douglas County District Attorney David McDade, said he disagreed with the decision, but he respects the court "as the final arbiter."
Wilson's supporters were jubilant.
"I never gave up hope in our judicial system, and I never gave up hope in all the prayers people sent out for us," said Wilson's mother, Juannessa Bennett.
E-ticket: Outrageous Injustice
In January, ESPN.com published the story of Genarlow Wilson's crime, punishment and fight for justice in a story that won the PASS Award (Prevention for a Safer Society) from the National Council on Crime and Delinquency. Read Wright Thompson's report here.
• Thompson: Outrageous Injustice
Rep. John Lewis, an Atlanta Democrat, said: "Each day that this young man spent in prison was a day too long."
The 1995 law Wilson violated was changed in 2006 to make oral sex between teens close in age a misdemeanor, similar to the law regarding teen sexual intercourse. But the state Supreme Court later upheld a lower-court ruling that said the 2006 law could not be applied retroactively.
The high court had turned down Wilson's appeal of his conviction and sentence, but the justices agreed to hear the state's appeal of a judge's decision to reduce Wilson's sentence to 12 months and free him. That judge had called the 10-year sentence a "grave miscarriage of justice."
Wilson said he plans to return to school and sports and possibly study sociology. For now, he was looking forward to spending time with relatives.
"I feel I've been away from them long enough," he said. "At times, we've dealt with adversity. Now my family, we finally get to deal with happiness."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Dream Presidential Ticket: Obama / Colbert Would Win!
OK. Seeing as Stephen Colbert has annouced he's running for President, and that his new Facebook group has gained 1 million supporters in just over a week, let me be the first to introduce what could become a reality: the Obama / Colbert. That's right. Senator Barack Obama paired with Stephen Colbert.
If you think about this match, it's made in Heaven. At least Internet Heaven because both Obama and Colbert command huge numbers of people and can mobilze young voters in a snap. Both lay claim to several million supporters online and in America. Imagine if that numerical power were combined for the greater good?
I'm serious here, folks. I really think Obama / Colbert's a better ticket than Obama / Gore, and that's because, as Barack said "Vice President might be a step down for him."
But not for Stephen Colbert. I think he'd go for it. Not only, that, he should go for it!
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