Random Thoughts and Links

It is funny how the meaning of words change over time. Take the word "extremist." Lately, I've heard that people who think that those entering our country should do so legally are "extremists." Sorry, but no that is perfectly reasonable position to take.

If you want a valid example of extremists consider this article.

The Braves have scored 13 runs during their current 8 game losing streak. Suddenly, the Indians offense is not quite as awful as I thought, comparatively.

Considering the lunacy of some on the left side of the political spectrum people say Democrats aren't playing with a full deck of cards. Recently, it seems they are down to just one card - the "Race Card." The latest example of this propensity to make everything about race (especially when losing the underlying argument) is from New York:

It started as an angry blow-up, and then it escalated. A state senator with a history of anger management issues says his race-based rant was part of his fight against the "evil of white supremacy."

Brooklyn State Senator Kevin Parker is a well-documented hothead, and on Wednesday he took to the airwaves to unapologetically defend his latest shouting match.

"It's par for the course for what we have to do in Albany – fighting the forces of evil," Senator Parker said. Parker shockingly identified the "enemies" he's fighting as other senators. "These long-term, white supremacist, you know, Republican senators," he said.

That followed a free-for-all shouting match in Albany Tuesday where Parker heatedly objected to the questions asked by a white senator, John DeFrancisco of Syracuse, of a black nominee to the New York State Power Authority.

"John, you are totally out of order, you are out of order," Parker shouted. "How dare you? You racist people in here."

Like the Boy Who Cried Wolf, crying racism when inappropriate will in time mean the cry will be ignore when it is appropriate. People of Parker's ilk are actually hurting legitimate victims of racism.

I misread the political tea leaves after Scott Brown was elected U.S. Senator from Massachusetts. I wrongly assumed President Obama and the Democrats in control of Congress would temper their drive to re-make this country out of fear of the November elections. Instead, Brown's victory and ugly polling numbers have spurred the Democrats to double down their bets and ramp up efforts to weaken this country through health care "reform," the Cap and Trade global warming tax scam, and a renewed push for amnesty for illegal immigrants. Instead of fearing loss of their jobs they are assuming massive losses and rushing to get unpopular legislation passed before they lose control. Best proof that they are anticipating massive losses in November? They already voted for no congressional pay raise for the next congress.

In the Florida Republican primary pitting Gov. Charlie Crist against state Sen. Marco Rubio people have been focusing on whether the faltering governor will drop out of the primary and run as an independent. What people are not discussing much is why did the national Republican party establishment back Crist in the primary? I have no problem with big names within the party endorsing a candidate in a primary. However, I have a major problem with the RNC, RSCC or RCCC financially backing a candidate in a primary. Save that money for the general election. Additionally, in recent years the Washington establishment Republicans have leaned towards picking candidates based on their perceived electability rather than because the candidate shares our conservative ideals. A great example is Lincoln Chafee. How'd he work out for us?

Speaking of the Florida primary and the news that Crist is going to run as an independent, there is something wrong about that process. I think you should not be able to run as an independent in the same election cycle where you competed for a party's nomination.

Am I the only one who wasn't thrilled with the NFL draft starting on prime time on a weeknight and being dragged out over three days?

Who Cares How a Quarterback Treats Women?

The title of this post is intentionally provocative. It, of course, refers to the rumors that the Pittsburgh Steelers are shopping troubled quarterback Ben Roethlisberger due to his recent behavioral issues that led the NFL to suspend the player for the first six games of the 2010 season. Reading comments on various websites most Browns fans are opposed to acquiring Roethlisberger either because of the excessive demands of the Steelers, dislike of the player who has been the face of a hated division rival, or most frequently disgust with his treatment of women. I could understand and agree with all those reasons for not wanting the Browns to trade for Roethlisberger. However, there was also a lot of folks who strongly disagreed. I can't understand all their reasons. Some asserted how awful the Browns have been over the last decade. Can't argue with that one. Some lamented the crappy quarterbacks currently on the roster. I wouldn't argue that point either. However, quite a few expressed the sentiment of the title of this post "If he can play football who cares how he treats women?" Well, there are several reasons to care. First and foremost, the quarterback is the public face of the organization and automatically a team leader. Picking up a player with his recent history sends the message that the Browns endorse and accept his behavior. A lot of the team's fans are women and the rest have mothers, wives, daughters, and sisters. Right or wrong, many of us would feel the team was excusing Roethlisberger's actions by picking him up.

Separately, from a football standpoint it would also be a suspect move. Everyone mentions his two Superbowl rings as evidence of his greatness. Nope, not buying it. The rings can be evidence of team greatness, but on their own are not necessarily indicative of individual greatness. Also, they tell us about the past not the future. His main positive is his strength and ability to take a hit without going down. However, he has also had a few injuries and has shown poor judgment both on and off the field.

Bottom line: There are many reasons to oppose the notion of overpaying for an overrated player that is suspended for a quarter of the upcoming season and could be suspended for good if he screws up again. He may go on to have more success in the league, but you don't bet your team's future on the slight chance that Roethlisberger will suddenly start exercising good judgment.

Nuttiest Thing on the Internet Today

Read this story and then tell me something isn't wrong in the world, or at least in this little corner of the world.

April Wright is 21 years old and is going through a divorce with her husband who is in jail. She says she is not sure how her 4-year-old managed to get out of the house, open a beer, and steal the neighbors presents from under their tree. Now she's just glad he's okay and says she won't let it happen again.

The child, Hayden Wright, was found around 1:45 am Tuesday, wandering the streets of his neighborhood. In a police reports, officers said he was wearing a little girl's dress and drinking a beer.

All of a sudden I feel a little better about my parenting efforts & results. *

Oddly enough, that was actually not the nuttiest thing I read all day. I picked up the USA Today Sports Weekly newspaper and read this quote from Michael Irvin:

Michael Irvin, the Hall of Fame wide receiver who won three Super Bowls with the Dallas Cowboys, said Sunday he would trade in his championships and his spot in the Hall of Fame for a perfect 19-0 season. "I would turn in all three Super Bowl rings and my Hall of Fame bust for one undefeated season," Irvin an NFL Network analyst, said on NFL Gameday Morning.

His math stinks. Three championships are better than one - no matter how special that one might sound.

* - knock on wood

Chris Henry - Rest in Peace

Wide Receiver Chris Henry of the Cincinnati Bengals died this morning from injuries sustained yesterday after falling out of a truck bed he jumped into during a domestic dispute. Henry had a checkered behavioral history, but he was an exceptionally talented athlete. As a Browns fan I can remember a couple great games he had against Cleveland. Henry seemed to have made great strides at putting his negative off field problems behind him. I don't know how he was raised, but his actions over the years spoke of a young man who did not have a positive male role model growing up. His life also highlights the problem of talented athletes that often aren't held fully accountable for their actions. Did his high school or college coaches discipline him when needed or did they coddle him to keep him on the field? In the end, Henry was responsible for his actions, but it seems that he didn't have much help becoming an adult.

As to the football impact, he was already on the injured list and not going to play again this year. However, he was on the Bengals off and on for five years. The team will take the field against the Chargers in San Diego less than four days after losing a friend and teammate. This is the second very emotional loss for the Bengals this season. In October, Vikki Zimmer, the wife of Defensive Coordinator Mike Zimmer, passed away suddenly.

Okay, Okay I believe in the Saints now.

The New Orleans Saints and the Indianapolis Colts have gone on 11 wins and no losses streaks to start the NFL season. The Colts have the track record winning 10 or more games each year except one since Peyton Manning's second season a decade ago. The Saints' early success was less believable having failed to qualify for the playoff the last two seasons and racking up wins mostly against losing teams.

Tonight Drew Brees threw for 5 touchdowns and close to 400 yards against the Patriots. Equally impressive was the relentless pressure the Saints defense brought all night holding the high-octane Patriots offense to 17 points while intercepting Tom Brady twice and harassing him all night.

While I am a Browns fan and they have been awful this year, this has still been a fun NFL season to watch. It seems each game I watch I start considering a different player for MVP. Tonight I jumped on the Brees bandwagon, but previously a dozen different players seemed to merit consideration. Heck, just yesterday I was arguing for Vince Young. The Titans started with six losses then switched quarterbacks to Young and have now responded with five straight victories. Not just wins, but most were very dramatic come from behind wins. Then you look closer and Young may not even be MVP of his own team. Running back Chris Johnson seems to make history every time he touches the ball and leads the league in rushing yards. Lots of players merit consideration for that award. Unfortunately, none of them wear the Browns uniform..

Josh Cribbs is a Class Act

Too often we hear a lot more about the personal failings of professional athletes than the good things they do in their communities. Here is a couple weeks old story of a player doing something nice.

The Pro Bowler traveled to Berea, OH to walk onto the field on senior night with the son of one of his former college coaches. Michael Drake, a senior receiver at Stow High School, lost his father, Mike, in 2005 to lymphoma. He had assumed he'd be accompanied by his mother and sister for senior night introductions and was stunned when he saw Cribbs arrive minutes before the game.

''I looked, then looked away, then said, 'Why are you here?''' Michael recalled. ''I was shocked.''

A receiver, cornerback and holder for extra points, Michael said Cribbs offered advice before his final game.

''He said, 'Play your heart out. This is it. Give it your all. Don't ever stop on any play. Keep pushing,''' Michael said. ''I almost felt worried. I didn't want to look bad for him.''

Michael's late father recruited Cribbs to play at Kent State and served as a father figure to the Washington, D.C. native during his time at Kent.

Why is the story a couple weeks old? Because the player didn't publicize it and feed the story to the media through his agent. Cribbs had the good sense to keep in mind that the night was about the high school player not him.

When Michael Drake crossed the field Oct. 30 during Stow High School's Senior Night, the announcer introduced the trio accompanying him as ''mother Patty, sister Abby and brother Josh.''

That the voice didn't boom, ''mother Patty, sister Abby and Browns Pro Bowler Josh Cribbs'' said much about Cribbs' intentions to keep the night about a teenager who might have been playing his last football game.

Football Blame Game

No, this is not another post about the NFL and Rush Limbaugh. Instead this is about The Ohio State University losing a football game they should have won easily today. It is said that a quarterback receives too much credit for wins and takes too much blame for losses. However, in this case OSU QB Terrelle Pryor actually deserves the lion's share of the blame for the loss. Football is a team game, but of the teams five turnovers four were committed by Pryor (two fumbles and two interceptions). Inexcusable - nothing is more important than protecting the ball. Pryor was the hottest recruit coming out of high school and is a phenomenal athlete. However, he is not developing as a passing quarterback. He does not look comfortable taking a 5 step drop and finding an open receiver. His fumbles and interceptions lost this game.

I don't want to leave the impression that Pryor deserves all the blame. The offensive line did little or nothing to keep Purdue away from Pryor.

Also, Coach Tressel should have stuck with the running game. Early in the game Brandon Saine was running very well and then they seemed to abandon the running game. Bad call.

Conversely, credit the win to the entire Purdue team. They showed up ready to play and were fired up from the first snap to the last one. Bottom line: The Boilermakers clearly wanted to win this game more than the Buckeyes.