Post Race!

[OrangeBlaze]

hi
bye

[homer13j]

hi
bye

Sir, it's a felony to tease the order box.

[dday9]

I’m 8/6 in my dynasty fantasy football league and 7/7 in my seasonal family league and it looks like I’m going to the finals in both leagues. Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good.

[Shaggy Hiker]

A fatal 50-car pile-up closed down the Ohio Turnpike yesterday and today Cleveland police had to close Brookpark Road by the airport because of blowing snow and stuck vehicles everywhere. So here I sit nice and toasty watching the Browns-Saints game in front of a roughly half-full stadium even though it is officially a sellout. 4th coldest game in Browns' history.

Nothing like January, 1994, though.

And what a game it wasn't.

[homer13j]

And what a game it wasn't.

[Shaggy Hiker]

There are more jokes about the failings of that team than any other that I am aware of. Might just be because I know people who epitomize those jokes.

[Shaggy Hiker]

I was sorry to see Dallas win, too. The Eagles have the division, and they were lacking their starting QB, but they had that game...until they turned the ball over again and again.

[dday9]

I’m obviously a saints fan but I root for the Browns and it’s tough to watch them year after year. I felt like they gave up on Mayfield and hung him out to dry. Watson is not the future of the Browns, I don’t know who is, but he ain’t it.

[wes4dbt]

Watson might be the future of the Browns but I couldn't believe how much they paid him. A running QB now a days isn't anything special. Four years ago maybe but now there's lots of them. Add in not playing for over a year and a half.

Merry Christmas everyone!!!

[Shaggy Hiker]

You can't be JUST a running quarterback. Those folks have a pretty short shelf life. Eventually, you have to be a passing quarterback to have any life in the league.

[wes4dbt]

You can't be JUST a running quarterback. Those folks have a pretty short shelf life. Eventually, you have to be a passing quarterback to have any life in the league.

I've always thought running quarterbacks have no longevity. Still do. That's why I've been watching with some interest how the Ravens built their team around Jackson. Now you got Hurts, Fields, Allen, they all don't hesitate to take off with the ball. Though Allen is a great passer, not sure about Hurts, haven't watched him very much. I'm all for mobile qb's like Mahomes. The day of the pocket passer, like Marino are gone (for now).

[Shaggy Hiker]

Oh, I don't think immobile quarter backs are on the way out, so long as they are accurate. Some of those guys are only really running because they are still young. As they get older, they'll run less and less, kind of like Rogers. People would still take someone like Rogers, if they could find him. And then there's Brady, who was never fast, even when young.

[dday9]

We may get stranded in Denver.

[wes4dbt]

Oh, I don't think immobile quarter backs are on the way out, so long as they are accurate. Some of those guys are only really running because they are still young. As they get older, they'll run less and less, kind of like Rogers. People would still take someone like Rogers, if they could find him. And then there's Brady, who was never fast, even when young.

Yeah but no one is drafting immobile qb's. No one is designing their teams for an immobile qb. Now a days you got to be both or at least that's the current trend. We'll see if that works. I'm a fan of a pure passer. Really they're almost all great passers if they have time. Pressure brings out the great ones but if your not great you better be able to run. lol

Rodgers and Brady are great but they're on the way out. Qb's are coming out of college more prepared for the pro's and like you said, they're young and don't mind running. That's a big plus. I think it's an idea the NFL teams have bought into. Like I said, we'll see if it works.

[dday9]

I don’t know about that. Look at Joe Burreaux and Mac Jones.

[dday9]

I did make it to NOLA though.

[Shaggy Hiker]

You're lucky to have made it out. You'd probably have made it tomorrow, anyways. It's supposed to top 50 tomorrow, with rain. That will get rid of all the snow we have at low elevation.

[Shaggy Hiker]

Walked to the gym. Everything was covered in ice. The walk was so treacherous that by the time I got there my back was sore. That doesn't usually happen, but walking on ice messed up my gait pretty thoroughly.

[Shaggy Hiker]

I won't be sorry to see the ice go away. Unfortunately, the snow in the mountains might go with it. That wouldn't be so good.

[wes4dbt]

I don’t know about that. Look at Joe Burreaux and Mac Jones.

That's true. I shouldn't have said "nobody". Though I wouldn't say Mac Jones is a success story, yet. lol

It is a very popular choice now a days. I think Jackson started the current fad. He managed be very productive and to stay healthy for a few years. I guess it's a lot easier to find a young kid that can run than finding someone that can read defenses and make the necessary split second decisions, plus preform at their best under pressure. I'm not a fan of the running qb. There's a lot a qb has to learn and by the time they do a running qb is pretty beat up. Maybe Hurts or Allen will prove me wrong this year. It does seem that their coaches are trying to reduce the amount they run.

[Shaggy Hiker]

Allen spent a lot of time throwing to the wrong team for the first few years. He had to grow into his role. I also think that Jackson wasn't first in this new generation of running QB. It seems like Mahomes came before him, and RG III certainly did. RG III was all that is right and wrong about running QBs, too. He was great his first year, then got hurt, and that was pretty much the end of him. He was a backup, last I heard, and might be out of the league this year.

[Shaggy Hiker]

I'm a little surprised that RG III didn't start out with the Browns. His career arc is a very Brown's style of arc: Start with a lot of promise, flame out fast.

[dday9]

Look at Colin Kaepernick too. For one season he was really good because he’d run around but had a cannon for an arm. The issue with him was that defenses started putting a nickel spy on him and his game was over because he had accuracy issues. Then all the politics put the nail in his coffin.

[wes4dbt]

Allen spent a lot of time throwing to the wrong team for the first few years. He had to grow into his role. I also think that Jackson wasn't first in this new generation of running QB. It seems like Mahomes came before him, and RG III certainly did. RG III was all that is right and wrong about running QBs, too. He was great his first year, then got hurt, and that was pretty much the end of him. He was a backup, last I heard, and might be out of the league this year.

I don't put Mahomes in the same category as Jackson. KC's offense isn't designed around Mahomes running. He is a good runner, a smart runner. I've always considered him as a very mobile qb. I put Allen somewhere between Mahomes and Jackson. Hurts and Philly are very interesting this year. Both the offense and defense seem to be really good. Though they did just give up 41 to Dallas.

As long as Tampa Bay doesn't win the Super Bowl (not that I think that's likely) I'll have fun watching how this all unfolds. Brady winning another SB would just be too annoying. lol

[Shaggy Hiker]

Kaepernick also had trouble getting through his reads. If his first was covered, he'd tend to take off running.

[Shaggy Hiker]

Will Tampa Bay even make the playoffs?

[wes4dbt]

Will Tampa Bay even make the playoffs?

Yeah, if they win out. If the Panthers win out then they will be division winners. They play each other this week.

[Shaggy Hiker]

Tampa can barely beat weak teams, this year.

[dilettante]

Dug the car out after it sat for 6 days through the winter storm. Started right up, so perhaps the battery doesn't need to be replaced yet after all.

Took a drive to put a little charge back on it, and midpoint went grocery shopping in the one-horse town. Short on some things like eggs and bread and prices pretty high but I'm sure they can use the business. Shocked to find that my "loyalty card" for the small local chain of stores is still good. Had to use it by giving my phone number, I haven't used the card in 20 years and probably don't have it in physical form any more.

They even gave me the "senior discount" which is the first time I've ever been offered that.

I can tell things are warming up, my round trip averaged a hair over 41 miles/gallon. So far my winter average is only 37.5 so I'll take the temporary improvement.

[Shaggy Hiker]

I got a senior discount at 21 or 22. I was hiking the AT and a hotel gave me the discount. It was basically that I was poor, but I like to think that I also looked pretty decrepit.

[dilettante]

Decrepit? I'll have to hang onto that hat then after all.

[dilettante]

Being old, feeble, and boring I'm not much of a tippler. But with New Year's Eve coming again I wonder how others go through the night imbibing.

Sure, lots of us have our reasons to abstain, but for the rest of you what's the game plan look like? Gradually soaking up beer? Toasting with wine? Champagne countdown(s)? Random punch? White bow tie and shaken but not stirred?

Is it a TV event, or a hall full of nostalgic crooners and swing dancers?

[Shaggy Hiker]

I don't drink, and I don't intend to increase my uptake of tea just because of a date on the calendar, but I'd also say that I am not going to stay up late to watch an arbitrary time on a clock.

[wes4dbt]

I don't drink, and I don't intend to increase my uptake of tea just because of a date on the calendar, but I'd also say that I am not going to stay up late to watch an arbitrary time on a clock.

Looking at the world so logically sounds awfully boring. lol

Though I'm not doing anything, I can remember some fun times on New Years eve. I'll be awake, I'm always awake at midnight. I'll probably have some wine after dinner, I usually do anyway. The explosions going off in the neighborhood will go on till @ 1.

[dilettante]

This normally is a quiet evening at home for me these days as well, along with the pops and bangs of low-end pyrotechnics you described.

It came up because some of the neighbors here are looking at the abnormally high temperatures we expect a planning an outdoor event. They've since come to their senses and realized "warm" is only a relative thing and that most who go out for NYE at all already have plans.

We're left with the flyer that went out asking for preferences for music, whether to have a keg, and the possibility of going in on grilling brats and dogs.

I've never been a heavy NYE boozer, but beer seemed like an odd choice to me. In the past we mostly went with a little sparkling wine or even non-alcoholic sparking white grape juice. I'm told that's pretty dated now and people are more likely to go with completely artificial fruit-flavored grain alcohol concoctions.

[wes4dbt]

Yeah, an outdoor NYE party this time of year doesn't sound very inviting. Burrrr

Though I did go to one at a camp up by Yosemite. It was in a large meeting hall indoors but no heat except a fireplace. To darn cold but still managed to have fun. But I was 25yrs old, it would kill me now a days. lol

[Shaggy Hiker]

We had our warm temperatures. A storm is moving in, currently. It likely won't be snowing or raining by midnight in the valley, though it might be.

I had forgotten about the fireworks. That'll likely wake me up, unless the storm dampens people's enthusiasm...or at least their wicks.

[Shaggy Hiker]

Oops, I forgot what day it was. The storm will be over by New Years Eve. Maybe I should go skiing?

[dilettante]

My neighbor hit the duty-free shop on the way back from Canada last weekend.

Among other things they picked up a gross of something called "BuzzBalls" and gave me a pair. One lime and one peach. They swear these aren't as awful as they may look and sound.

Probably the most drinking alcohol in this house for at least 4 years.

[Shaggy Hiker]

So far, we've done well on the snow in the latest round. Rain in the valley, though, which is also good. Safe walking conditions.