A venture into football commentary

 I think I  figured out at least one way Patrick Mahomes identifies his favorite receivers as plays develop and 21 other players are flying around in a blur in front of him.. but we'll get to that soon enough.

Travis Kelce (Fundamism.com)

First let's look at the sports pundits. The whole panel I watched before the Chiefs played the Ravens picked the Ravens for a variety of reasons. Result: Chiefs wiped up the field with the Ravens. That was the third such occurrence over the weekend. Thursday everybody with anything to say about football picked Jacksonville over Miami. The Dolphins won. Enough said. Then come Sunday night, a panel of four or five men and one woman almost unanimously had Dallas beating Seattle. Unanimous except for the woman, She picked the winner. Russell Wilson has been amazing this year. I have always wondered why the sports shows think it's important to predict the winners. As Chris Berman used to say, "That's why they play the game." 

A large part of the talk before the Chiefs played the Ravens surrounded the two quarterbacks, each announcer highlighting the pluses and minuses of Lamar Jackson and Mahomes. Generally it seemed they found the two were equal. Only Steve Young pointed out a weakness, saying Jackson and the Ravens had not won a game when the team trailed by10 points or more sometime during the action. Give Young some credit, after Baltimore went down by 10 points they never recovered. But, from listening to the two quarterbacks in interviews I had another suspicion and watched for confirmation during the game.

Tyrek Hill

I suspected a gap of intellect. Over the years I have wondered how at the level of play in professional sports standouts like Michael Jordan, Wayne Gretzky and a few others can be so much better. Beyond athletic ability, intelligence and acuity seem to figure into the equation. Here's an example. In a game when he was playing for Kansas City Joe Montana came off the field after he had to throw away a pass out of bounds to prevent being sacked. He was explaining to his coach who had been miced up for the game, so we could hear what Montana said. What he did was point out where each of five receivers had been on the field naming them along with the people defending against them and how they were being covered. All this he had seen and processed enough to remember it in detail while avoiding potential tacklers during the three or so seconds a quarterback's allowed before defenders begin to reach him in the backfield. I have seen what I think is that ability only in Mahomes, though he may remember whole games. Lamar Jackson does not seem to have this ability to much extent.

In pregame interviews, Mahomes is obviously the more articulate of the two, but that isn't always a fair comparison: Still here is a paraphrased version of how the two spoke after the game: 

 Jackson: I ran over there, once I got out of the pocket. I threw that pass, I couldn't get around the corner.

Mahomes: We knew going in our defense needed to step up and they did, getting them off the field. Our offensive line was outstanding with prtotection. The receivers were getting open and that all made it almost easy for me. He went into more detail than that.

Late in the game as it was winding down even the TV announcers picked up on what makes Mahomes different. They marveled at how well a quarterback in his third year was able to read defenses as he approached the line of scrimmage. When the camera allowed you could see how he scanned the whole field in front of him without turning his head. He can change the called play depending on what he sees and often does, and, again, in a few seconds. We know the results.

Now about that trick. Imagine standing looking out over the field with 21 players flying around in all different directions in front of you while others the size of pickup trucks are bearing down on you with the intention of tearing off your head. Eleven of those players are wearing black jerseys, 10 of them are wearing white. Who's who? Then a splash of bright yellow crosses your field of vision, so out of place in the general surroundings. There he is. React, throw, another completion. That yellow is not a player showing off his fashion sense. Only Mahomes' two favorite receivers wear the yellow Micky-Mouse-looking gloves: Tyrek Hill and Travis Kelce. Kelce even wore bright yellow shoes. That splash of color identifies them, making it easier for the quarterback to find them quickly in a crowd. As the game proceeded even I was able to find them when the camera allowed a wide field of vision. Maybe others have tried this and maybe I am not the first person to point it out, but none of the announcers doing the game mentioned it.

Well there you have it, the first and we can hope the last of my comments on football this year.

And now, from under that desk in the basement office

 

Why is this man smirking?

After a little more than a month into his term as a US senator, I noticed  Alaska's Dan Sullivan rarely if ever showed up in public or in the news. I began calling him the missing Alaska senator and then reduced it to claiming he spent his time hiding under his desk in the basement of the Senate Office Building. The more I used the term, the more I noticed how little he showed up in public or in news of any Senate functions or about issues.

I recall one photograph of him with a display of supposed facts showing what's wrong with the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare if you are one of those who, like the missing senator, still clings to that as your only reason for opposition.). He said and pointed out nothing that hadn't been said over the previous two years. Thanks for that. Dan. now back to the basement under your desk.

A couple of times I sent emails to his office with concerns and both times what I got was him mansplaining the issue to me and telling me how I should think about it. A senator works for the people. I really don't want to hear what he has to say, I want him to listen to me and at least act like he listens to a citizen's concern. What I don't want is condescending mansplaining like I am sone ignorant child. I heard the same complaint from others and quit that effort. On top of that, when a group of Alaska women showed up at this office to voice their opposition to the Kavanaugh nomination to the Supreme Court, rather than listen he had them arrested. There went a few votes but at least we know someone found that basement office. 

VIDEO  Arrests of Alaskan Indigenous activists now taking place outside Dan Sullivan’s office. We came here to ask him to #CancelKavanaugh. This is how he’s responded. #BelieveSurvivors   From Women's March on facebook

All along the way when we did hear from him, he expressed his agreement and vote following the #fakepresident in lockstep. He often twisted the facts to make us think whatever that vote was about it helped Alaskans and he had somehow influenced that. He has seldom expressed any original thought on any controversial national issue let alone done anything but  follow his

Fools and suckers, right?

leader. He has had little to say about controversies like 200,000 Americans dead from Coronavirus Covid 19, Black lives matter, climate change, broad medical care, even the Russian bounty on American soldiers in Afghanistan despite his position as a major in the US Marine reserves. And, speaking of his military background, let's not forget "fools and suckers." Hard to take a stand from under your desk in the basement when you have no backbone.

Lately in the middle of a contested campaign for re-election he finally got pushed into having to take a stand on something controversial. Confirming my theory, one of the chief officers involved in developing the Pebble mine in the headwaters of Alaska's richest salmon habitat was caught on a video explaining how the company had decided to handle Dan Sullivan — saying something along the lines of he's quiet, leave him alone to stand alone in the corner and stay quiet. (Explanation: "corner" = "under his desk in the basement") That brought him out into the open to claim loudly and firmly he opposes the Pebble mine. We shall see; that project has a long way to go and the #fakepresident favors it.

So far he has shown little proof he will stand by anything he says. Take this that he said more than eight months before the 2016 election. "The President has the constitutional authority to nominate and the U.S. Senate has the authority to advise and consent. The decision to withhold advancement of Mr. Garland’s nomination isn’t about the individual, it’s about the principle. Alaskans, like all Americans, are in the midst of an important national election. The next Supreme Court justice could fundamentally change the direction of the Court for years to come. Alaskans deserve to have a voice in that direction through their vote, and we will ensure that they have one.

Then a little more than a month before the 2020 election, Sullivan confirmed he supports a vote on the #fakepresident's nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court. Thanks Dan, you were doing better under the desk. And. to repeat you have quite a bit of time to change your public statements about Pebble. One can hope you won't be in the Senate by then and we won't have to worry about it.

To summarize, this is a man who looks down on his constituents with condescension, ducks every controversy he can, cares little about Alaska and Alaska constituents except during election campaigns, fails to follow through on his previous actions, won't even support his comrades in arms, follows a criminal president completely, lies about his opponents in elections, but he doesn't rock the boat. Oh yeah, he did release a pablum bowl of concern objecting to the cuts in the postal system. Native vote, Dan? What about the 62 thousand-some people in Alaska dependent on Social Security and/or Medicare. Haven't heard a peep from you on the #fakepresident's threat to kill it off altogether. Quiet as an Afghanistan bounty.  One thing we can probably be sure of is that he receives his check every payday despite he and his party do little for the people of this country. Want to know how much he makes? His base pay is $!74.000, $14,500 per month plus expense accounts, housing allowances and some others. Want to know how much a worker who lost his job during the virus pandemic is paid? Zero.

Here's another take from Percy Notar of The Anchorage Press

More Political Comment

And then there's that payroll tax withholding

Have you wondered how that payroll tax deferment would work? Did anyone besides me look at a September pay stub to see if anything changed. It didn't on mine and probobly not on anyone else's either. Here's what a payroll manager thinks, It showed up on facebook today and she states the problem much better than I ever could.

 Ok I’m a payroll manager. Today I just read about this new payroll tax deferment that trump ordered on August 8th. Please note nobody knew what to do with the thing- there were no directives on how to actually do it - just boom - make it happen starting on Sept 1, 2020. 

On August 28, 2020, the IRS finally got around to issuing a notice that actually told what and how to implement this thing. Please note that was 4 whole days before it was supposed to start, and 2 of those days were a weekend. Wow!

There is no payroll database company that can whip up this kind of very complex order in essentially 2 business days. Every single company in the country is in a free fall state just trying to understand the thing. Their legal teams are still trying to evaluate it because they need to give legal advice to their clients - should it be implemented or not. Nobody knows. It is now Sep 3, three days after it was supposed to be implemented. 

The terms of this supposed payroll tax deferment are a real laugh a minute. Take a gander of just some of the details:

1. The employee has to pay it back in full from Jan- April 2021. If they don’t pay it back, there will be heavy interest and penalties. If they still don’t pay it back, the employers have to pay it. What a deal!!! Sign me up!!

Wait there’s more!

2. It must be recalculated every 2 weeks. This doesn’t seem too bad, but when you are dealing with hundreds or thousands of employees and your database company doesn’t have it working, that is a huge problem. 

Wait there’s more!

3. If the employee opts in for this and qualifies (must make less than $4,000 every 2 weeks), but then gets a bonus or extra wages, then they don’t get the deferment. What? Yes you never know if you got the deferment or not. Always a big surprise every payday. What could be better than that?

But wait, there’s more!

4. It is unclear if companies are required to offer this thing or not. It is also unclear how to offer an option. And it is unclear how the employee is supposed to pay back the deferment. This leads to needing legal advice for a really murky and shoddily put together trump order. Wow! Isn’t that fantastic!!

But you know there is even more too numerous to mention. This thing just keeps on giving. Hey thanks trump. Thanks for nothing I mean. 

What a way to get our economy re-started!! Cripple payroll offices everywhere. I’m so impressed - NOT. 

Oh the final kickers 1 and 2:

1. This doesn’t help the unemployed not one little bit. It is just a stunt meant to amaze everyone. Wow! I am surely amazed all right. 

2. The real reason to pull this fast one is to get us used to not paying payroll tax, so that when he lowers the boom to defund Social Security, we will supposedly think it’s a good thing. 

Think about it. Do YOU want Social Security to go away? Do you really? 

This gem is a real piece of work put forth by a criminal mind. So sayeth the payroll manager.

— Jackie Pick

September 3

She is the payroll manager at Connecticut College

About that mini stroke

 

A recent book described an unscheduled trip the #fakepresident made to the hospital in November 2019. Though it was never mentioned in the book he denied emphatically he ever had a "mini stroke whatever that is."

For what it's worth about those mini strokes: Given the information available about the #fakepresident's experience: I have had one, and mine matches the experience explained in the book: a drive to the hospital, stay a few hours, and back with no apparent damage. The technical name is transient eschemic attack. Basically a clot or other obstruction creates a temporary block of blood flow to the brain. My experience was similar to what seems to be his. I figured out what was bothering me by the STR test (smile, talk, reach). In my case I could not raise my arm above my shoulder and I had trouble with my hand buttoning my shirt or even holding a pen. Of course I didn't have a limousine to take me or a doctor to ride along. And nobody had to engage with a subordinate to have him stand by to take over if something went wrong. I drove myself to the hospital and, reasonably sure I was suffering some kind of stroke, I had it in mind at the first indication of anything stronger I would drive into the ditch and call or wait for help. But I made it, only to stumble stepping into the reception area at the emergency room. Once I had been examined and diagnosed, I think they might have given me a blood thinner through the tube connected to my arm and a nurse watched and monitored me for about three hours. Gradually I regained control of my arm and when it finally cleared, I was discharged and sent home, driving myself again. No greeters there either or nosy reporters. 

While it seems minor with no permenant damage it is taken as a warning of problems that could be more serious. In my case it was the discovery of a carotid artery with 90 percent blockage and took a little surgery. I also have a blood thinner as a permanent part of my life now.

So, given what the #fakepresident admitted by denying, his obvious physical condition and his habit of lying about and hiding any kind of the weakness and the similarities to my own experience I have little doubt he had one of those mini strokes he tried to ridicule out of existence.

Since then I get an examination every year and haven't had any problems until this summer. Just this year another blockage was discovered and I may need another operation to clear it. Watch this space lol. ( I had that operation on the carotid in the right side of my neck and now that's clear, too.)