Not All That We See Is Ever Right But It’s Simply That We’re Led To Believe That Crap In Spite Of Evidence To The Contrary …………

Not All That We See Is Ever Right But It’s Simply That We’re Led To Believe That Crap In Spite Of Evidence To The Contrary …………

By tophatal …..

The struggle to succeed at any endeavor is always a daunting task and nowhere can this be more self evident perhaps than within the collegiate and professional sporting ranks . That being said , given the scandals that have plagued collegiate sports this season and the seemingly idiotic stance taken by the trustees and senior faculty members , I think it would suggest that greed and the financial maelstrom that can be caused when an esteemed educational establishment is at the center of a major event tends not to deflect much of misdeeds that may well have taken place . Beyond that , when we simply know that these officials placed in a position of power , either choose not to take responsibility for their actions or be held accountable , it begs the question why are there members of the public out there looking to make light or in some cases looking to defend the indefensible ?

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Slide show for your perusal .

For much of this season within the NFL we have seen teams simply struggle to make their presence felt while others seemed to have risen like a phoenix to make themselves credible contenders this season within the league . Who could have foreseen that the Indianapolis Colts (2-13) would be the cellar dwellers in terms of their NFL record ? That being said the rambunctious Rex Ryan and his band of over-hyped , overpaid and always demonstrative New York Jets’ — team will be left seated at the table often made use of by ” hobos ” we often see roadside , begging for food . Could not have happened to a nicer organization to my mind ! Not to be left out of this menagerie of under-achieving miscreants are Andy Reid’s … Philadelphia Eagles , a team , whom if anything is more deserving of being best described as a ” dung heap ” that is so odious and thought defying that any mention of the Eagles ought to be associated with the sign “buyer beware not as good as advertized ” .

Now for every team that’s said to have been a pleasant surprise within the NFL this season I think we would be hard pressed to believe that the Detroit Lions this season would have actually made the postseason given their record over the last few years and their now infamous 2008 season during which they went a hapless 0-16 . Well, Lions’ head coach Jim Schwartz now seems to have turned the corner and those troubled years when Matt Millen was at the helm of the organization as its general manager now seems all but a distant memory . If only the Ford family at the time had the damn common sense to get rid of his ass instead of watching the franchise flounder needlessly for a number of years !

This season for the Detroit Lions it has been about the rejuvenated and injury free Matt Stafford and the talents of his all purpose wide receiver Calvin ” Megatron” Johnson . Granted , the team has had to play second fiddle to the Green Bay Packers within the NFC North , but which team hasn’t had to play that role over the course Packers’ schedule with the exception of the Kansas City Chiefs during Week 15 ?

The Detroit Lions having garnered their first postseason berth in just over decade , now have something look forward to whilst delighting their most loyal fans during the playoffs . The team is liable to be a handful for any first round opponent during the wild-card round .

If the Detroit Lions were said to be one of the big NFL surprises of the season then what can one say about the San Francisco 49ers under the coaching philosophy of Jim Harbaugh and the unexpected play of Alex Smith helming this team at the quarterback position ? Now while Smith has simply been exemplary this season for the Niners it has been the play of both Patrick Willis and Frank Gore who if anything have been the workhorses for this team. Smith like his NFC counterpart Matt Stafford could very well be the nominees for the Comeback Player of The Year Award .

Call me naive but is Brian Urlacher that much of a dumb ass ? OK , so your Chicago Bears’ .. team gets beat at the hands the Denver Broncos and Tim Tebow . That being said the Bears this season much like the fortunes of their none too deserving quarterback Jay Cutler can simply be summed up by the word “pathetic” and as morose and under-achieving as this has been , no one is more to blame than Urlacher and the coaching staff led by head coach Lovie Smith . That being said GM Jerry Angelo must be one of the dumbest and front office executives in the NFL currently at this juncture ! .

Now I understand that both Cutler and perhaps the team’s best offensive weapon Matt Forte are lost to the roster for rest of the regular season but that should not negate the fact that when called upon the Chicago Bears have been woefully inept . If Gerry Angelo knows what is good for this organization then he had better open up the team’s pocket book and pay Forte what he totally deserves .

As an avid New England Patriots’ fan I can say that I am happy they have won the AFC East but here all of the hoopla ends as the team’s defense has been an abomination to observe over the course of this season . Head coach Bill Belichick often the defense minded guru but over the course of the team’s schedule his tinkering with the defense hasn’t really produced a thoroughly consistent or convincing display . That being said the the offense has been as explosive as ever , led with gusto by tight end Rob Gronkowski , Aaron Hernandez , Benjarvus Green-Ellis , , Wes Welker and Danny Woodhead .

The New England Patriots go into the postseason as the number one seed in the AFC but if the truth be known if this team and specifically its defense isn’t playing at high caliber then their foray during the playoffs could be very much a short-lived one at the very least . As the number one seed within the conference they now have the Houston Texans , Baltimore Ravens , the ongoing duel within the AFC West between the Denver Broncos and Oakland Raiders for divisional supremacy . If nothing else the drama yet to be played within the division will be something of an indicator as to what we ought to expect from the two teams as they set about trying to determine their respective fates as it relates to their postseason ambitions . For John Fox and Hu Jackson this may well go a long way in determining their credibility as NFL head coaches .

How is it that opponents from the ” Left” and ” Right “ seem to dislike each other with such immense anger ? Never mind the fact that those on the opposing sides of religion in terms of atheists and believers are simply no different from one another ! The verbiage and pomposity between the two sides can be downright ridiculous to the extent that it becomes so boring ! My reasons for this , is simply the latest along the lines amongst the Tim Tebow ” worshipers” and those who view the player simply as an athlete and in some respects no different from any other human being who can be criticized when performing poorly . In what now appears to downright angst and anger , Christian conservatives are said to be calling for a boycott of comedian Bill Maher’s acerbic and very funny program “Real Time With Bill Maher” which is shown on the premium cable channel HBO .

The comedian , Maher was critical of Tim Tebow’s performance in the Denver Broncos’ loss to AFC rivals Buffalo Bills ……. 40-14 . Anyone who witnessed the quarterback’s play on the day will certainly know that Tim Tebow did not have a good game at all and neither did his teammates . If truth be known it was an atrocious display from a team that is said to have postseason aspirations and is currently in a dogfight in terms trying to secure winning the AFC West over divisional rivals the Oakland Raiders (8-7).

Courtesy of USA Today

Bill Maher taking heat for Christmas tweet about Tim Tebow

By Tom Weir , USA Today

Bill Maher would be well advised to not attend Denver Broncos games.

The comedian is taking significant heat after weighing in with a sarcastic tweet on Tim Tebow’s hellish performance over the weekend against Buffalo.

Entertainment Weekly reported Maher invoked Tebow, Jesus and even Hitler in his sarcastic summation of Tebow’s performance against Buffalo, writing that:

“Wow, Jesus just f—– #TimTebow bad! And on Xmas Eve! Somewhere in hell Satan is tebowing, saying to Hitler “Hey, Buffalo’s killing them,” Maher tweeted.

The TV show says Maher has been widely slammed for the remark, but that Tebow didn’t respond, and kept his tweets focused on more upbeat messages.
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If Bill Maher can be criticized with such animus for clearly what is his own view , merely because and the very fact that he’s an atheist ___ then how is that Rush Limbaugh was given such wide latitude with his statements concerning former Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Redskins’ quarterback Donovan McNabb at a time when the player was in a Eagles’ uniform ? Did I actually miss something here , or what ? WTF !

So NBA is off and running and Commissioner David Stern is still looking to save face in light of his lack of communicative skills in the aftermath of the Chris Paul trade debacle . Did I miss something here but wasn’t Stern once a practicing lawyer with a criminal and corporate practice background ? Ah well , it’s common knowledge in a room full of shit and lawyers flushed with freshly sprayed deodorant , you would be hard pressed to differentiate between the odor of the fecal matter and the said ” group of lawyers ” !

With this truncated season schedule of 66 games the league hierarchy is under a great deal of pressure to make sure that the season goes off smoothly . God knows all of the morass created the stupid insatiability of league and the NBPA (union) in bickering like children in a sandbox to determine who has a play toy was beyond belief , especially in light of the fact the union’s executive committee and a number of team owners who are still dissatisfied with the outcome of this new collective bargaining agreement . Anyone who believes that this agreement simply allays the fears of the of the most knowledgeable of fans that the league has won its way back into their and graces makes this whole episode so laughable .

The NBA now has a number of teams simply hemorrhaging red ink amongst their bottom line and I think that simply through apathy on the part of the fan they simply look at the game as the only thing that simply matters. If teams such as the Sacramento Kings , Orlando Magic , Milwaukee Bucks , Washington Wizards and New Orleans Hornets are struggling from a financial standpoint but rarely do the fans seem to show any concern . Prior to their acquisition by the Miami Heat , All Star players , Chris Bosh and LeBron James were much more than simply about the organization seeking to win an NBA title but herein was the main reason behind Pat Riley and Micky Arison’s maneuver , both team president and owner knew that if nothing else the franchise would be once again be well on the way to losing tens of millions of dollars . In the last four years the Miami Heat has lost in excess of $140 million cumulatively , much of that due to the fact that the franchise had struggled to sell out the American Airlines Arena in Miami , Florida . Never mind that the now defunct and bankrupt airline carrier has now filed for bankruptcy protection (Chapter 11) . Naming rights or not , here we see the culmination of a major US corporation falling by the wayside without their executives showing the slightest bit of business acumen in market where it’s known to be cut-throat aviation industry . The NBA in essence has now become that but with the with the slim line in terms of demarcation as the owners and hierarchy now looking to say who may well end up being a sacrificial lamb.

I found it somewhat naive of David Stern to suggest that although five owners actually either abstained or chose to vote in opposition to the league’s new collective bargaining agreement he had the temerity to suggest that all of the owners were in agreement with this vote and its ratification by Billy Hunter , Derek Fisher and the union’s executive committee ! If such prominent owners as Micky Arison and Mark Cuban voted in opposition to this agreement then it would suggest that all is not right within Stern’s empire . As you have observed David Stern’s career as the NBA commissioner do you feel that he has served in the best interests of the league in all of the facets needed ?

As reigning NBA champions obviously the Dallas Mavericks would like to make a successful defense of their NBA title . That being said coach Rick Carlisle and GM Donnie Nelson made the moves they saw fit to bolster the roster from last season’s championship winning team . In comes former Lamar Odom a former Sixth Man of the Year recipient award winner title winner . But the losses of Tyson Chandler , J J Barea and Caron Butler to my mind if anything casts doubt that the Mavericks will be able to make a successful run at defending their title .

In the Mavericks opening night loss to the Miami Heat , the team was defeated by their opponents from last season’s NBA Finals . With back to back games the defending champions now find themselves in an 0-2 start to their season . The Denver Nuggets completely outshone their Western Conference opponents on Tuesday night in defeating the Mavericks 115-93 . Leading scorer for the Dallas Mavericks on the night was Finals’ MVP .. Dirk Nowitzki with 20 points . George Karl’s Nuggets simply took the opportunity to waylay the champions on their way to a lopsided victory with Ty Lawson , Andre Miller , Al Harrington and Danilo Gallinari leading the way in their team’s … scoring for this convincing victory over a Mavericks’ team that still may well have been feeling the after effects of their opening night celebration when they raised their championship winning banner at the American Airlines Arena in Dallas , Texas .

As crazy at it now seems I really do feel that this NBA season won’t be as exciting as many may well believe it will be ! Team coaches , general managers , team owners , the league hierarchy and players will be hard pressed to regain the trust of the fans after the league induced work stoppage . It will be also interesting enough to see how the attendance levels for this season’s scheduled games will bear out when measured against last season and that of previous years . That if anything will be more of a determining factor as to whether not the NBA has found favor with the fans in general . The NBA’s corporate partners are still on-board in terms of commercial sponsorship , albeit Michael Bass , SVP of Marketing Marketing Communications and the league’s Harvey Benjamin ,NBA Executive Counsel , Business & Finance have yet to issue a formal public statement as to whether or not the league was affected adversely by the stoppage . We do know that the David Stern as part of the hierarchy’s plea with the union and their unrelenting media spin stated that the league would lose countless millions this season . To my mind , with a downturn in any economy that would be expected but herein lies the stupidity of the NBA in general , whilst the business sentiment around the country was one of belt tightening and sound fiscal policy whilst the league simply took the opposite approach altogether ! Someone , please explain to me how it is that the hierarchy , owners and players could be so naive but at the same time still show so much avarice and contempt for what was happening within their very midst ? Do you have an answer to the league’s apparent stupidity ?

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Picture gallery for your perusal .

What thoughts if any do you have with regard to the points raised within this piece ? Also in light of this weekend’s schedule within the NFL how do you see some of the games panning out ? And in terms of the NBA do you feel that the league has simply done enough to lure the fans back into their good graces ? By all means do leave a comment as you see fit and once again thanks always for the continued support as it is greatly appreciated !

Picture and slide show details below .

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(1) INDIANAPOLIS, IN – DECEMBER 22: Dan Orlovsky (6) of the Indianapolis Colts throws the ball during the NFL against the Houston Texans at Lucas Oil Stadium on December 22, 2011 in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Colts would go on to defeat the Texans 19-16 . Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images …

(2) Robert Mathis (98) of the Indianapolis Colts sacks T.J. Yates (13) of the Houston Texans at Lucas Oil Stadium on December 22, 2011 in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Colts defeated the Texans 19-16. Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images …

(3) Antonie Cason (20), Dante Hughes (33) and Na’il Diggs (58) of the San Diego Chargers tackle Brandon Pettigrew (87) of the Detroit Lions during a NFL game at Ford Field on December 24, 2011 in Detroit, Michigan. the Lions won 38-10 . Photo by Dave Reginek/Getty Images ….

(4) Chris Culliver (29) of the San Francisco 49ers and Leon Washington (33) of the Seattle Seahawks get into a shoving match at CenturyLink Field December 24, 2011 in Seattle, Washington. San Francisco won 19-17 . Photo by Jay Drowns/Getty Images ….

(5) Quarterback Alex Smith (11) of the San Francisco 49ers throws under pressure from Chris Clemons (91) the Seattle Seahawks at CenturyLink Field December 24, 2011 in Seattle, Washington. San Francisco won 19-17. Photo by Jay Drowns/Getty Images …..

(6) Quarterback Tim Tebow (15) of the Denver Broncos completes a pass to Demaryius Thomas (88) of the Denver Broncos from his own end-zone against the Chicago Bears at Sports Authority Field at Mile High on December 11, 2011 in Denver, Colorado. The Broncos defeated the Bears 13-10 in overtime . Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images ……

(7) Brian Urlacher (54) of the Chicago Bears signals on defense before Tim Tebow (15) of the Denver Broncos takes the snap at Sports Authority Field at Mile High on December 11, 2011 in Denver, Colorado. Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images …….

(8) Comedian Bill Maher whose ‘tweet’ concerning Denver Broncos’ player Tim Tebow seems to have created a backlash against the acerbic comedian in the form of a call for a boycott of his Emmy Award nominated HBO show “Reak Time With Bill Maher” . The comedian an avowed atheist questioned the performance of the player in the Broncos’ loss to the Buffalo Bills. The outcry seems to be coming from a number of conservative religious groups most notably from within the Christian community . Courtesy of AFP/ Mark Emerson …….

(9) LeBron James (6) and Dwyane Wade (3) of the Miami Heat look on during a game against the Boston Celtics at American Airlines Arena on December 27, 2011 in Miami, Florida. Getty Images /Mike Ehrmann …….

(10) Ray Allen (20) of the Boston Celtics drives past James Jones (22 ) of the Miami Heat during a game at American Airlines Arena on December 27, 2011 in Miami, Florida. Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images …….

(11) Denver Nuggets guard Ty Lawson (3) defends Dallas Mavericks guard Jason Kidd (2) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Monday, Dec. 26, 2011, in Dallas. The Nuggets won 115-93 . AP Photo/Brandon Wade …

(12) Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban argues a call during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Denver Nuggets, Monday, Dec. 26, 2011, in Dallas. The Nuggets won 115-93. AP Photo/Brandon Wade ……

(13) Dallas Mavericks shooting guard Jason Terry (31) is held back by Denver Nuggets power forward Al Harrington (7) as he tries to confront shooting guard Rudy Fernandez (5) after bumping into each other after the whistle during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Monday, Dec. 26, 2011, in Dallas. AP Photo/Brandon Wade ……

(14) Dallas Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle ponders a call against his team during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Denver Nuggets, Monday, Dec. 26, 2011, in Dallas. The Nuggets won 115-93. AP Photo/Brandon Wade …..

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NBA scheduled games for 29th December 2011

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Hot chic pics of the day ………… Lisa Raye McCoy (above) & Gabrielle Union aka Dwyane Wade’s main ” squeeze “ . Holla !

Gabrielle Union .