Schloss-Blog has some problems with football today.
Notice, not THE Schloss-Blog. Mostly because Ohio State has filed for trademark protection on "THE," to use on licensed merchandise mostly, but what happens to broader uses (by the way, it has no chance of being approved - then again, Ohio State had no chance of Urban Meyer leaving after his suspension, when he should've been fired, really).
What if that trademark was approved? No more, "The" New York Football Giants. No more "The U."
There could never be a "The Notre Dame." Or a "The Northwestern." Or "THE Man Who Loved Cat Dancing." And "THE Ten Commandments" would simply be "Ten Commandments."
To which I say, "THE F___ You" to THE Ohio State.
But not to Andrew Luck.
Shocker, indeed. Luck announces his retirement; he's not thrilled about the game anymore because of all the injuries he's suffered.
Bad news for Colts fans. Good news for Jacoby Brissett, who takes over - again - as quarterback, making this the second season in the last three that two Tom Brady backups are starters (we see you, Rolling Meadows' Jimmy Garoppolo).
The Colts are stuck with Brissett, although he's pretty good. We'll see how good if he can get out of these players this year what Luck got out of them last year.
Meanwhile, something tells me Luck will be back. He'll heal, get the itch and come back. Somewhere. Maybe New England after Brady retires after losing the Super Bowl to Eli Manning and the Giants (you heard it here first). That would be a New England/Belichick maneuver, stealing a star QB like that in that manner, and paying a token price for him to Indy. And where are they going to get a better quarterback to replace Brady?
Mark it down - Luck to New England to replace Brady, after this year or next.
Like Trump, he's The Chosen One.
I mean, Chosen One. Sorry, THE F---in' Ohio State.
Saturday, August 24, 2019
Saturday, August 17, 2019
Just For The Sling Of It
The Schloss-Blog is watching a lot of hyped-up quarterbacks perform.
Like Daniel Jones. Hallelujah. Looked sharp against the Bears. Da Bears (hey defense, Monsters of the Midway, where are you?). Can Jones take Eli's job? Not this year, not till after Eli beats Brady for a third time in the Super Bowl (believe it).
Like Dwayne Haskins. Looked good. Of course, that was against the Cincinnati Bengals. Will he be the starter for the Redskins? Who cares, they suck.
Like Kyler Murray. Looked awful against the Raiders. The Raiders! The Raiders suck, or do they? Healthy quarterback, franchise receiver and a stepped-up defense and all of a sudden, one disastrous year later, Jon Gruden looks like a genius coming out of retirement.
Murray looked like crap against a mediocre Raiders team. Imagine when he goes up against one of the good teams in his own division. Kyler, meet Aaron Donald.
The only thing worse I saw this week was Donald Trump's disgusting tweet that got Israel to ban two American Congresswomen from entering Israel. Trump continues to prove he's racist. Period. Those two congresswomen aren't exactly my two favorites, but they're Americans and as part of their oversight responsibilities, they have privilege to travel overseas and see where and what for American foreign aid is going.
Even AIPAC, the American-Israeli political action group, supported their right to enter Israel. Here we go, once again, Donald Trump using political action against minorities and women.
What else is new? Hey America, if you want a racist president, then re-elect him. Otherwise, Sleepy Joe will do just fine, or almost any of the other surviving Democratic candidates.
Meanwhile, listen all day tomorrow to radiofreephoenix.com. Not only am I subbing on the morning show (6-10 a..m., Arizona time), but I'm doing my own usual Sunday shift, a little after 9 p.m. to midnight, Arizona time (Pacific, in August).
Will be spending the day wishing happy anniversary to Radio Free Phoenix on its 15th, happy anniversary to Woodstock, on its 50th, with special musical rock 'n' roll sets all day, but announcing our 15th-anniversary party for RFP at Flicka's in Scottsdale on Sunday, Sept. 29, 4-10 p.m. Come out if you're in the neighborhood and meet me (yeah, me) and all the other RFP radio on-air personalities, including founder Andy Olson and my mentors, Sharon Lynn Kelley and Liz Boyle. RFP has changed my life and given me reason to get excited about Thursdays, when the weekend playlist is issued and I see what I've got to work with for my shift.
And most of all, happy birthday to the love of my life - Jordan, my grandson, who turned 6 this weekend. He is so chill, so chill. The kid is amazing. Nothing fazes him, nothing. As I've long told my daughter, it skips a generation.
Hah.
Good night, Mrs. Calabash.
Like Daniel Jones. Hallelujah. Looked sharp against the Bears. Da Bears (hey defense, Monsters of the Midway, where are you?). Can Jones take Eli's job? Not this year, not till after Eli beats Brady for a third time in the Super Bowl (believe it).
Like Dwayne Haskins. Looked good. Of course, that was against the Cincinnati Bengals. Will he be the starter for the Redskins? Who cares, they suck.
Like Kyler Murray. Looked awful against the Raiders. The Raiders! The Raiders suck, or do they? Healthy quarterback, franchise receiver and a stepped-up defense and all of a sudden, one disastrous year later, Jon Gruden looks like a genius coming out of retirement.
Murray looked like crap against a mediocre Raiders team. Imagine when he goes up against one of the good teams in his own division. Kyler, meet Aaron Donald.
The only thing worse I saw this week was Donald Trump's disgusting tweet that got Israel to ban two American Congresswomen from entering Israel. Trump continues to prove he's racist. Period. Those two congresswomen aren't exactly my two favorites, but they're Americans and as part of their oversight responsibilities, they have privilege to travel overseas and see where and what for American foreign aid is going.
Even AIPAC, the American-Israeli political action group, supported their right to enter Israel. Here we go, once again, Donald Trump using political action against minorities and women.
What else is new? Hey America, if you want a racist president, then re-elect him. Otherwise, Sleepy Joe will do just fine, or almost any of the other surviving Democratic candidates.
Meanwhile, listen all day tomorrow to radiofreephoenix.com. Not only am I subbing on the morning show (6-10 a..m., Arizona time), but I'm doing my own usual Sunday shift, a little after 9 p.m. to midnight, Arizona time (Pacific, in August).
Will be spending the day wishing happy anniversary to Radio Free Phoenix on its 15th, happy anniversary to Woodstock, on its 50th, with special musical rock 'n' roll sets all day, but announcing our 15th-anniversary party for RFP at Flicka's in Scottsdale on Sunday, Sept. 29, 4-10 p.m. Come out if you're in the neighborhood and meet me (yeah, me) and all the other RFP radio on-air personalities, including founder Andy Olson and my mentors, Sharon Lynn Kelley and Liz Boyle. RFP has changed my life and given me reason to get excited about Thursdays, when the weekend playlist is issued and I see what I've got to work with for my shift.
And most of all, happy birthday to the love of my life - Jordan, my grandson, who turned 6 this weekend. He is so chill, so chill. The kid is amazing. Nothing fazes him, nothing. As I've long told my daughter, it skips a generation.
Hah.
Good night, Mrs. Calabash.
Saturday, August 10, 2019
Speaking of Sports, of All Sorts
The Schloss-Blog today is actually going to stick to a topic in which it is knowledgeable - sex.
No, just kidding. Sports - we're gonna' talk about sports.
Being out here in The Valley, it is easy to get caught up in the Kyler Murray fever. Can't wait to see him play - even in just an exhibition game, for one series, that ended in a punt. But everyone was raving about the play-action, wide receiver screen to Larry Fitzgerald.
Which went nowhere.
Hey, Kyler can play. No question. He put up impressive numbers last season in the playoff game against Alabama, which might as well be a pro defense (except against Clemson).
But we've seen this kind of QB fever before. Anyone remember Johnny Manziel in Cleveland? He couldn't wait to "wreck this league," he said in a mid-draft text. The Browns fans rallied around him as the franchise savior in this, its reincarnation into the National Football League.
He was last seen trying to play for the Memphis Express of the AAF, which folded.
Then there was Robert Griffin III, the Heisman Trophy-winning savior of the Redskins. Two injuries and one short-lived playoff appearance later, he's backing up flashy sophomore-season QB Lamar Jackson in Baltimore. Redskins' fans rose up around him, rallied and wrote songs about the glory he would bring the franchise and bring it back to its Super Bowl-winning days.
Of the last millennium.
Of course, some guys with a lot of flash and dash have made a splash in the NFL when they entered. There's Baker Mayfield, who brought a breath of air to the Browns last year and gave their fans hope of becoming a playoff team for the second time since being reincarnated in 1999.
So far, his most impressive play, as far as the Schloss-Blog is concerned, is running from the police in Arkansas. When he gets the Browns into the playoffs, without tickets, let me know. Then I'll start paying attention.
Maybe it'll be worth going to the Browns-Cardinals game to see the Oklahoma quarterbacks tangle later this season, much later, as in December. The 15th. We'll see if both or either are playoff contenders by then or if the only thing that matters about that game is that two Heisman-winning quarterbacks from Oklahoma both started under center. That'll be the difference between Joe Buck and Thom Brennaman doing the play by play.
The only time you'll see me at that stadium in Glendale though is when the Rolling Stones come through The Valley on Monday, Aug. 26.
I'm watching my Giants, where I hear all the clamor is about Daniel Jones, the surprise 6th pick in the draft (instead of the much more impressive Dwayne Haskins of Ohio State - pardon me, THE Ohio State University).
Jones looked every bit the pro quarterback in his Giants exhibition debut that Murray did for the Cardinals. Even better, in fact. But it's still Eli's job and he'll retire after he beats Brady - again - in the Super Bowl this season.
You heard it here first.
OK, back to some politics next week. Not worth reviewing Trump's trips to Dayton and El Paso to talk about himself instead of utter the soothing, calming, uniting words the nation needs to hear in the wake of the shootings and racial slurs that have come out of the White House. And so many of the wounded who survived the shootings did not want to see the president, especially in El Paso.
Should be an interesting presidential campaign next year. Maybe Trump will get sent back to the country from which he came.
Queens.
Meanwhile, you never know who gets a shout out on the Howard Hours on radiofreephoenix.com tonight, sometime roughly after 9 p.m., Arizona time, or whenever that English guy who always infringes on the starting time of my show finishes up his harangue. Like, 9:15 or so. Anyway, happy anniversary, Lauren and Fernando, and happy new car to me and new job(?) to my daughter.
Good night, Mrs. Calabash.
No, just kidding. Sports - we're gonna' talk about sports.
Being out here in The Valley, it is easy to get caught up in the Kyler Murray fever. Can't wait to see him play - even in just an exhibition game, for one series, that ended in a punt. But everyone was raving about the play-action, wide receiver screen to Larry Fitzgerald.
Which went nowhere.
Hey, Kyler can play. No question. He put up impressive numbers last season in the playoff game against Alabama, which might as well be a pro defense (except against Clemson).
But we've seen this kind of QB fever before. Anyone remember Johnny Manziel in Cleveland? He couldn't wait to "wreck this league," he said in a mid-draft text. The Browns fans rallied around him as the franchise savior in this, its reincarnation into the National Football League.
He was last seen trying to play for the Memphis Express of the AAF, which folded.
Then there was Robert Griffin III, the Heisman Trophy-winning savior of the Redskins. Two injuries and one short-lived playoff appearance later, he's backing up flashy sophomore-season QB Lamar Jackson in Baltimore. Redskins' fans rose up around him, rallied and wrote songs about the glory he would bring the franchise and bring it back to its Super Bowl-winning days.
Of the last millennium.
Of course, some guys with a lot of flash and dash have made a splash in the NFL when they entered. There's Baker Mayfield, who brought a breath of air to the Browns last year and gave their fans hope of becoming a playoff team for the second time since being reincarnated in 1999.
So far, his most impressive play, as far as the Schloss-Blog is concerned, is running from the police in Arkansas. When he gets the Browns into the playoffs, without tickets, let me know. Then I'll start paying attention.
Maybe it'll be worth going to the Browns-Cardinals game to see the Oklahoma quarterbacks tangle later this season, much later, as in December. The 15th. We'll see if both or either are playoff contenders by then or if the only thing that matters about that game is that two Heisman-winning quarterbacks from Oklahoma both started under center. That'll be the difference between Joe Buck and Thom Brennaman doing the play by play.
The only time you'll see me at that stadium in Glendale though is when the Rolling Stones come through The Valley on Monday, Aug. 26.
I'm watching my Giants, where I hear all the clamor is about Daniel Jones, the surprise 6th pick in the draft (instead of the much more impressive Dwayne Haskins of Ohio State - pardon me, THE Ohio State University).
Jones looked every bit the pro quarterback in his Giants exhibition debut that Murray did for the Cardinals. Even better, in fact. But it's still Eli's job and he'll retire after he beats Brady - again - in the Super Bowl this season.
You heard it here first.
OK, back to some politics next week. Not worth reviewing Trump's trips to Dayton and El Paso to talk about himself instead of utter the soothing, calming, uniting words the nation needs to hear in the wake of the shootings and racial slurs that have come out of the White House. And so many of the wounded who survived the shootings did not want to see the president, especially in El Paso.
Should be an interesting presidential campaign next year. Maybe Trump will get sent back to the country from which he came.
Queens.
Meanwhile, you never know who gets a shout out on the Howard Hours on radiofreephoenix.com tonight, sometime roughly after 9 p.m., Arizona time, or whenever that English guy who always infringes on the starting time of my show finishes up his harangue. Like, 9:15 or so. Anyway, happy anniversary, Lauren and Fernando, and happy new car to me and new job(?) to my daughter.
Good night, Mrs. Calabash.
Saturday, August 3, 2019
All Things Lead to the Marquee
When words can inspire lone wolves to shoot up a mall, a superstore and night-spot district in major metro areas of the United States, it's pretty bad.
When it's the words of the President of the United States, it's a crime.
The Schloss-Blog has so much going on, (a BG reunion, a UB40 concert with Sugahbeat opening for them, and NFL training camps), but definitely has time enough to mourn and think deeply about the upcoming elections. Do you support a local politician who supports a racist and attracts racist support? Do you support a local politician who won't do anything about gun control laws and loopholes that allow for the types of shootings and arms gatherings that happened in this country in the last week?
Maybe it's time to rethink your political leanings. I know I have.
Meanwhile, it's tough enough following all the races. Democratic presidential, NFL playoffs and bigoted.
Take Donald Trump's racism, please. He says his tweet about Elijah Cummings' home being broken into wasn't racist but was a serious expression of concern. About as serious as my blogs about him...
There's the race for the Democratic presidential nomination between Joe Biden and 20 people you never heard of nor ever wanted to. Seems Barack Obama wasn't too popular with all of them, except Biden.
When did Obama become unpopular? With his own party? That will not trend well into the national election.
Well, at least that race should be easier to follow going forward. There will be a lot fewer candidates on the stage at the next Democratic debate in Houston next month because they won't hit the required fundraising numbers in dollars or number of contributors.
Thank God.
This was getting worse than when there were 20-plus Republicans running for the nomination in 2016 and somehow Trump emerged anyway.
Has anyone noticed the trend though? The Republicans are running away from him. One told a media outlet, in confidence, he's sick and tired of making excuses for explaining away Trump's political, lifestyle, racist and social media indiscretions. It's gotten to the point that Trump has scared many Republican members of the House of Representatives into not running, including the only black, Will Hurd of Texas. And now the candidate recruiter for the Republican National Committee is stepping down from her position in frustration over Trump's indefensible racist espousals.
It's almost as if Trump doesn't want to win reelection, even though he'll likely face indictments if not reelected. He likes a fight so he's actually itching for impeachment, which is why Nancy Pelosi won't give it to him.
Yet.
She will, eventually, when she's good and ready and thinks it will come at a point when it will hurt him the most politically and irritate him the most personally, so personally that it'll get under his skin to the point he'll screw up even more than he already has with all his racist tweeting and commentary.
But so much for politics. Let's get to real races, like the NFC North, which, as we all know, the Bears will win handily. Will they, or will they read their own press clippings and show up and get their butts kicked?
Every year, of the 12 teams that make the playoffs in the NFL, at least four do not repeat, despite their confidence and braggadocio that they will not only repeat but go further. Sorta' like the Bears - they were not only not in the playoffs the year before, they went from worst to first in the division just like that, and then typically double-doinked themselves out of the playoffs. For instance, Pittsburgh, Jacksonville, Buffalo, Minnesota and Carolina did not repeat, regular season '17 to regular season '18.
S__t happens.
So, NFL fans, Bears fans, do not take them for granted this year. Strange things happen when teams with chips on their shoulders go after teams with supposedly superior talent.
Even Mick Jagger noted it when the Rolling Stones played Soldier Field. Strolling out to about midfield on a runway to a platform from which the band played a few songs, Mick noteat he was standing approximately where the Bears missed a field goal in the playoffs the year before. The low murmur that ran through the 70,000 people there was just audible enough to barely register on the annual Chicago sports frustration chart.
You can bet at least four more teams that made the NFL playoffs last year will miss them this year. Don't take the Bears for granted. Don't take anything for granted.
And you can double-doink down on that.
***
Don't miss the Howard Hours tonight on radiofreephoenix.com at 9 p.m. Arizona time. Like I always say, you never know who gets a shout out. And Arizonans, don't miss Sugahbeat opening for UB40 at the Marquee Theater in Tempe on the 29th of the month. Surefire fun show.
And Buffalo Grove's class of '79 reunion is upcoming in September. BG alums, be there for the football team that almost won a state championship and "Back those Bison."
When it's the words of the President of the United States, it's a crime.
The Schloss-Blog has so much going on, (a BG reunion, a UB40 concert with Sugahbeat opening for them, and NFL training camps), but definitely has time enough to mourn and think deeply about the upcoming elections. Do you support a local politician who supports a racist and attracts racist support? Do you support a local politician who won't do anything about gun control laws and loopholes that allow for the types of shootings and arms gatherings that happened in this country in the last week?
Maybe it's time to rethink your political leanings. I know I have.
Meanwhile, it's tough enough following all the races. Democratic presidential, NFL playoffs and bigoted.
Take Donald Trump's racism, please. He says his tweet about Elijah Cummings' home being broken into wasn't racist but was a serious expression of concern. About as serious as my blogs about him...
There's the race for the Democratic presidential nomination between Joe Biden and 20 people you never heard of nor ever wanted to. Seems Barack Obama wasn't too popular with all of them, except Biden.
When did Obama become unpopular? With his own party? That will not trend well into the national election.
Well, at least that race should be easier to follow going forward. There will be a lot fewer candidates on the stage at the next Democratic debate in Houston next month because they won't hit the required fundraising numbers in dollars or number of contributors.
Thank God.
This was getting worse than when there were 20-plus Republicans running for the nomination in 2016 and somehow Trump emerged anyway.
Has anyone noticed the trend though? The Republicans are running away from him. One told a media outlet, in confidence, he's sick and tired of making excuses for explaining away Trump's political, lifestyle, racist and social media indiscretions. It's gotten to the point that Trump has scared many Republican members of the House of Representatives into not running, including the only black, Will Hurd of Texas. And now the candidate recruiter for the Republican National Committee is stepping down from her position in frustration over Trump's indefensible racist espousals.
It's almost as if Trump doesn't want to win reelection, even though he'll likely face indictments if not reelected. He likes a fight so he's actually itching for impeachment, which is why Nancy Pelosi won't give it to him.
Yet.
She will, eventually, when she's good and ready and thinks it will come at a point when it will hurt him the most politically and irritate him the most personally, so personally that it'll get under his skin to the point he'll screw up even more than he already has with all his racist tweeting and commentary.
But so much for politics. Let's get to real races, like the NFC North, which, as we all know, the Bears will win handily. Will they, or will they read their own press clippings and show up and get their butts kicked?
Every year, of the 12 teams that make the playoffs in the NFL, at least four do not repeat, despite their confidence and braggadocio that they will not only repeat but go further. Sorta' like the Bears - they were not only not in the playoffs the year before, they went from worst to first in the division just like that, and then typically double-doinked themselves out of the playoffs. For instance, Pittsburgh, Jacksonville, Buffalo, Minnesota and Carolina did not repeat, regular season '17 to regular season '18.
S__t happens.
So, NFL fans, Bears fans, do not take them for granted this year. Strange things happen when teams with chips on their shoulders go after teams with supposedly superior talent.
Even Mick Jagger noted it when the Rolling Stones played Soldier Field. Strolling out to about midfield on a runway to a platform from which the band played a few songs, Mick noteat he was standing approximately where the Bears missed a field goal in the playoffs the year before. The low murmur that ran through the 70,000 people there was just audible enough to barely register on the annual Chicago sports frustration chart.
You can bet at least four more teams that made the NFL playoffs last year will miss them this year. Don't take the Bears for granted. Don't take anything for granted.
And you can double-doink down on that.
***
Don't miss the Howard Hours tonight on radiofreephoenix.com at 9 p.m. Arizona time. Like I always say, you never know who gets a shout out. And Arizonans, don't miss Sugahbeat opening for UB40 at the Marquee Theater in Tempe on the 29th of the month. Surefire fun show.
And Buffalo Grove's class of '79 reunion is upcoming in September. BG alums, be there for the football team that almost won a state championship and "Back those Bison."
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