1984Echoes

Just thought I would toss this into the discussion ring for those season long types of issues...

To whit: https://www.yahoo.com/news/screwed-anguished-house-gop-seeks-233759265.html ...Yet there’s little hope for relief among the bitterly divided GOP, where the fruitless search for a speaker has become so miserable that some members even floated a return to former Speaker Kevin McCarthy — with Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) as an “assistant speaker.” (The idea has not been taken seriously inside the conference, though McCarthy later received 40-plus votes on the final ballot, coming in second to Johnson.) Others are again mulling ways to empower acting Speaker Patrick McHenry, maybe even without a formal vote on the floor, an idea that risks constitutional challenges. “The animosity is high,” Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.) said. Fellow Floridian Rep. Mike Waltz, added: “My fear is that if we keep doing this somebody is going to side with the Democrats."

Straight: They'll bring it to the floor to try and pressure for Johnson to win, even if he doesn't have the 217 in conference. Which opens the floor up to anything, including 5 deciding to do a switch to Jeffries in order to end the pain. Subterfuge: Mods say: "yeah yeah, sure... we're on board"; but do not actually agree with any agreement that caters to the Fascist Faction. On the full House vote...

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The Dems can send any signals they want... It means nothing until the Republicans FIRST state: "Let's talk." Nothing happens until then. The only choice the Dems have, at this point, is to vote 100% Jeffries. They get nothing anyways... so just wait to see if the Republicans will eventually talk to them (0% chance. At this point in time. Republicans already stated "We don't talk with the Dems until we hit rock bottom"). Have they hit rock bottom yet?

How about both?

The moderates could, possibly, fold not to MAGA but to bipartisanship and vote for Jeffries. It would be an FU to Trump & MAGA (who deserve it); and probably an FU to their careers. But in the name of the Constitution of the United States of America, they should do it.

On the Vikings: The Lions just need to win ("just"?) their two matchups and they're good. The Vikings are still a pretty damn good team, as they were last year. Just with different luck/ different year. They look like the 2nd best team in the division, as long as the Lions win their matchups and with a 2-game lead, we've pretty much got the division. On playoff matchup nightmares (IE: '91 Redskins), noone scares me in the NFC except the Eagles. Not the 49'ers, not the Seahawks, not the Cowboys or anyone else... just the Eagles. Super Bowl? Crazy thought... but if we were to actually get there, it'd be the Chiefs (at 100% or close-to-it health), the Ravens, and Miami's offense.

I think that was more the Org pushing their versatility mantra rather than a final summation of where Wenceel should play (as a utility guy). Even if that might be all he is anyways. I'm still interested to see what happens on the field before calling it as one way or the other (or as a AAAA player, which may also be a possibility). And I get you're trying to read tea leaves here (or the stark lack thereof...); but I'm going to stick with "just see what happens" or "see it to believe it", either of which works well enough for me. I don't believe a lack of touting a prospect necessarily = a lack of love. But, we'll see...

OK... I'm signing on to this...

Turkey’s Erdogan Backs Sweden NATO Membership After Long Delay https://finance.yahoo.com/news/turkey-erdogan-backs-sweden-nato-153334096.html

What does that mean exactly? Do you have any specific management quotes to that effect? Because he was in AAA this year. (not kicked to the street like a guy they aren't interested in...)

Cruzer and I have been big on him for around 6 or so... Yeah, only 23.

Looking forward to the day I can turn you into a Brodric Martin convert... 😉

I definitely agree with this...

I thought that was SS and he was fine at 2B. I could be wrong though... I believe he has superior range over most of these other guys... glove/ hands/ pivot/ arm all come into play as well... So I don't know the answer to that to be honest...

Jung is going to make a hard push to open up with Detroit. I don't know if he's ready... but we'll see in ST. If he is, then both Keith and Jung will play a lot (not bench material guys) one of them at 2B and the other at 3B. Take your pick at which position. If he's not ready and is at Toledo, then it's just Keith. So, if he can hold 3B and we're looking at 2B as you've outlined above... I think you just started the 2B'man list for next year. Add in Maton, Wenceel (they'll give him a look), and also Jung as, even if he doesn't open in Detroit I believe he'll still be seeing time in Detroit... sooner or later. 2B could be a pretty busy turnstile next year... I'm just sayin'...

Garbage in, Garbage Out. Bush relied on garbage information. To make a garbage (ASININE, ILLEGAL, and BS, invasion of Iraq) decision.

They relied on an ex-Iraqi for all of that misinformation. Ex as in multiple years and... nebulous connections to any of the current (at that time) actual Iraqi intelligence. Yeah, that looks beyond ridiculous. But accurate and... they did.

1) This I agree with. 2) I also agree with this. And I would add: health at key positions. And learning curves (and health) from rookies who are playing key parts in the Lions season this year: And that includes Branch & Campbell, as well as Gibbs, Jamo (essentially a rookie), and LaPorta. Further, maybe this time next year, with just growth from our existing players, rookies and all (and pretending that we have zero players adds/ minuses from now till then): I think we also play much better. 1 Year additional experience playing at a higher level and against top=level teams. We'll have a 1st place schedule next year instead of an easy one this year. Health (maybe). And second year of experience for all of the above-mentioned. And even add in Brodric Martin who they're trying to mold into a monster DT (super-raw right now from team reports) and we have absolutely no clue how that will turn out... So yeah, I think next year results are different from this years results (better, IMO). I'm eager and brainstorming and scheming right now though... how to get the Lions to that upper echelon level, versus their very very good but not with the top dawgs level it looks like they're in right now... Just me 2 cents.

It is. Our defense can't hold a candle to theirs or the 49'ers. This isn't some hidden secret. It's just a fact, and a known fact by anyone who follows football. And you're still giving ZERO credit to Lamar Jackson. Why?

Word!

This part I disagree with. It just seems funny to me how everyone is giving ZERO credit to Lamar Jackson, John Harbaugh, their defense... and relying on "we only needed to execute better" as the reason...

The 2023 Ravens: With Lamar Jackson. And a new offense, that appears everyone on their team actually figured out how to run it, yesterday. And the NFL's #2 defense (as of yesterday). And #1 pass-rush (as of yesterday). Will show us the rest of this season whether or not they are an unstoppable juggernaut. I won't make anymore comparisons until after the end of the season until we see where that ends up...

So we have to find similar level playmakers elsewhere. I agree with Tater on Jalen Carter, but I still like who we drafted, and it wasn't just Gibbs. But yeah, a Carter, a Surtain and a Crosby, or close-enough facsimile's... would do this defense wonders. Happy hunting Holmes...!