This week’s TMQ, after the jump…
When oh when will the NFL switch to a seeded-tournament playoff format?
How about “never”, Gregg? Is “never” good enough for you?
Perhaps we should wait for the results of those “many games remaining to be played” before we advocate for radical changes in the playoff format, yes?
Two touchdown passes for each one interception is among the definitions of a good quarterback. Rodgers, Brady, Peyton Manning and Roethlisberger are at very nearly a 5-to-1 ratio. Is the NFL becoming the Arena League?
No, but the NFL is de-emphasing defense, which probably contributes a lot to these numbers.
Stats. Sweet: Arizona. New Orleans gets their own special sour treatment. Mixed: Kansas City – Buffalo.
“Interstellar” is unrealistic. There’s also a spoiler of sorts buried in TMQ’s whinging, so you may want to skip this item. In any case, we don’t care: we kind of want to see the movie anyway.
(Side note: we also really want to see “Foxcatcher”, though it doesn’t seem to be opening in Austin this week.)
“Can Gerrymandering Be Stopped?” What’s the rule: any time there’s a question mark in a headline, the answer is “No”?
It specifies that states may regulate the “manner” of national voting — this is why there are so many different election-day rules — but that “Congress may at any time by Law make or alter” state election rules.
Article 1, Section 4:
We read that as saying Congress may alter the “times, places, and manner” that the states prescribe, not as giving Congress the ability to override state decisions on redistricting. But we’re not Constitutional lawyers; if this ever comes to court, we plan to pop a big bag of popcorn.
TMQ mocks Montgomery County, Maryland’s public paper shredding event. Too bad he doesn’t mention that, in addition to shredding paper (good for preventing identity theft) this event is also accepting clothing and household goods, “Benefiting Goodwill of Greater Washingon, Lupus Foundation, and National Children’s Center, Inc.”
Packers first-half possession results versus Chicago: touchdown, touchdown, touchdown, touchdown, touchdown, fumble, touchdown.
We just wanted to quote that.
TMQ fav Gina Raimondo won the Rhode Island governor’s race. We forgot to note that Buddy Cianci didn’t win the Providence mayor’s race. But he came in second, running as an independent.
“Adventures In Officiating“: Buffalo, Tampa Bay, New Orleans.
“Readers know my compromise with my Baptist upbringing is to be pro-topless but anti-gambling.” Ah, the first sighting of that old TMQ evergreen this year. As WCD reminds our readers every year, our compromise with our Christian upbringing is to be pro-full frontal nudity, pro-gambling, pro-autonomous robots selling Glocks and heroin (although to be honest, we would prefer that the robots sell 1911s instead of Glocks), and opposed to government intervention in personal moral decisions. Meanwhile, “prize-linked savings accounts are beginning to catch on.”
More “authentic games” standings pulled from TMQ’s neither regions. Something something Philadelphia – Carolina. What are “quasi-fatigues”? Wacky food of the week: doughnuts. We couldn’t dig up a lot about those 8,000 year old fossilized doughnuts, but you might find this interesting.
Universes, multiverses, and more on “time streams”.
Then if time travel occurs in Universe/B, another brand-new reality, Universe/C, comes into being and so on. This concept is just as nutty as multiverse conjecture, but nutty in a different way.
That’s from noted physicist Gregg Easterbrook, folks.
Some academics like the multiverse concept because it seems to explain how our universe could be suitable to organic life, entirely by calling on random chance — there are millions or billions of universes, most are hostile to life, purely by chance ours has the physical laws and natural constants that are necessary for life.
Actually, isn’t that closer to the Anthropic principle than the multiverse theory?
The football gods continue to chortle. We’re doing fine, thanks for asking: we were sore for a few days during our recent travels, but that was to be expected, as we were on our feet a great deal.
Hidden plays: SF – New Orleans, Buffalo – Kansas City, “Genetically Engineered Surimi” (nonsense term) – Detroit.
Creep. The NBA has no shame this week. Actually, we’re kind of shocked at the use of the words “LA Clippers” and “goodwill”.
Perhaps this is a good reason to get rid of the silly mileage requirement?
“What to make of the Browns?”
We have an answer to the question about Nick Saban’s taxes (he can exempt his capital gains, but has to pay income tax on the fair-market rental value of his home). More interestingly:
“Fostering national or international amateur sports competition” should be tax-free? Sports are wonderful, but don’t serve any public purpose.
Is TMQ suggesting that donations to support Olympic athletes shouldn’t be tax-free? We’re not sure he’s thought through the implications of his suggestion. Also, once again, TMQ confuses allowing taxpayers to keep more of their money with a subsidy.
Chicken-(salad) kicking: Pittsburgh, Kansas State, University at Buffalo. The 500 Club. The 600 Club. Paine 45, Benedict 34.
Single worst plays of the season, so far: Zack Bowman of the New York Football Giants, and the entire Chicago Bears defense.
That’s a wrap for this week, folks. Next week we hope to be on a closer to normal schedule.