Jason Garrett is One of the Worst/Most Overrated Coaches in History

So I've been away for a while, but after watching the Sunday night NFL game this evening, and the Dallas Cowboys over the past several seasons, I had to vent about a point I have made to friends for a few years now - Jason Garrett is not only a bad coach but one of the worst I've seen. To wit, he has had two really talented quarterbacks and excellent supporting casts at his disposal for much of his 10 seasons in charge, but compiled a record of 82-63 (made worse by the mediocre level of most of the NFC East over the period), with two excellent seasons padding those numbers. He has had only four winning records over those 10 years, finishing 8-8 on three separate occasions, winning only two playoff games (and losing three) in that decade in charge. And, though I could not find specific statistics to support this, has a long history of losing close games - both in the regular season and playoffs, often through bad decision-making and clock management. 

Tonight epitomized all that is wrong with him as a coach in close games. The Cowboys were down 4 and driving toward what could well have been a winning TD. At second and 3 with less than 1:30 left, and inside the 15-yard line he elected to run Ezekiel Elliott, one of the best running backs in the league, but a player who had been stuffed all night (his yards per carry for the night was 2.4 yards), not once but twice. I understand trying to run some time off the clock, but do it on first or second down (the first run was thus okay, though not great). But on third down? What in the hell was he thinking?

Not only did Elliott not get the first down, he lost yards on third down and then put incredible pressure on Dak, who had a spectacular night, to get the first down on fourth down. A great play from a Vikings cornerback stopped the Cowboys quarterback from doing so and the Cowboys ultimately lost the game by four points. At 5-4 and with a much tougher schedule over the last seven games than an Eagles side they are now tied with at the top of the NFC East, there is a strong chance they will miss the playoffs yet again. 

Please, Jerry Jones, finally do the right thing and get rid of Garrett now. And while you're at it, please hand a pink slip to yourself. You've been trying to prove you could win without Jimmy Jones for 25 years now and though you've made yourself and the league boatloads of money, let's admit you have failed miserably at putting a winner on the field every Sunday. Garrett has to go if we are not to waste the incredible talent and thus opportunity to win that is now at our disposal. Jason, if Jerry won't do it, axe yourself ...

Rebecca (1938) Aims of Lecture Consideration of Rebecca as an adaptation of Jane Eyre, to be itself adapted by women writers Introduction to Du Maurier. - ppt download

Rebecca (1938) Aims of Lecture Consideration of Rebecca as an adaptation of Jane Eyre, to be itself adapted by women writers Introduction to Du Maurier. - ppt download: Rebecca’s impact Has one of the most famous opening lines in English Literature Was adapted as a stage play in 1939 In 1938 Neville Chamberlain was said to have a copy of the novel in his briefcase as he flew to Munich in the hope of ‘peace in our time’ Hitchcock directed a film version in 1940 Novel accused of plagiarism by two authors and is said to bear a strong similarity to A Successora (a Brazilian novel by Caroline Nabuco – the similarity explained away by their resemblance to Jane Eyre As the model for romantic fiction ever since

There's Just No Accounting for Taste

So I've been gone for a while, but I'm off the sports beat for the summer and thought I would start occasionally posting my thoughts on politics and popular culture again here. To get us back in the swing of things, I thought I would start, in my usual curmudgeonly manner, with another head scratcher regarding human tastes in the popular culture landscape of today. 

We do know that some of the biggest franchises and stars are essentially immune to bad reviews these days, particularly by the now paramount measure of opening weekend box office. In fact, one could well argue that the critics and average moviegoers have diverged more and more over the years as the quality of Hollywood mainstream films has arguably declined while dedicated franchise audiences have proliferated (and really kept the business profitable). There has always been a tension between critics and moviegoers on this point, with the former more likely to want beauty and a message in their films and the latter more likely to want to be entertained and empowered by what they watch. Critics understand that film is about desire, at least some of them, but it is audiences that often unknowingly are going to the movies to have that desire sated in the formulas that have now worked for almost a century. So that divergence is understandable, though moments still arise when the distance becomes hard to reckon with. 

One such space is the Adam Sandler universe, where a "comic" personality like Laurel and Hardy before him, leaves the critics cold while continuing to bring in huge audiences. His latest foray into the critically panned but successful film is Murder Mystery for Netflix. According to the streaming site, an incredible 30 million people watched the film over the weekend, which, at $9 a ticket, would have brought in the third biggest opening weekend ever ($556 million). 

There is, apparently, a tinge of Agatha Christie (once the best selling author in human history) in the story, which mostly revolves around "clever" dialogue between Sanders and Aniston, but that is not enough to explain that sort of an "opening weekend." Instead it might be that the familiar is becoming more and more appealing as we work our way through the most abnormal political moment in American history. Or that a fan base once solidified, will keep buying your popcorn, even if they know there are better brands one or two shelves down. But maybe, most of all, it just reminds us of H. L. Mencken's point that "Nobody ever went broke underestimating the taste of the American public."

Romney Deification Just Slightly Overblown?

Not too long ago it was the posthumous encomiums to George Bush, who one shouldn't forget gave us his son, that spread across far too much of the mainstream media. Earlier it was the son who found renewed respect after what was, arguably, the worst presidency in history. Now the love affair for conservatives not quite as bad as Trump has spread to Mitt Romney for an op ed that stated the obvious with some pretty serious caveats segments of the media seem to be ignoring. So let's, as George Michael used to say, go to the "video tape." 

“It is not that all of the president’s policies have been misguided,” he wrote. “He was right to align U.S. corporate taxes with those of global competitors, to strip out excessive regulations, to crack down on China’s unfair trade practices, to reform criminal justice and to appoint conservative judges. These are policies mainstream Republicans have promoted for years. But policies and appointments are only a part of a presidency.”

Then the critique so many loved began. But lest us forget that this is the guy who is essentially part of the same cabal. Maybe a little more seasoned and polished, but still someone who took 1000s of jobs to feed the Wall Street machine, who pushes the same pro-corporate agenda that has squeezed the middle class and increased poverty. The same one who continues to try to stuff the courts with conservative ideologies who no longer even pretend to not be "activist" judges litigating our private and public lives. And who ramped up the anti-immigrant rhetoric that had largely disappeared from the mainstream of the party with the turn of the new century (at least his omission of a critique of this component of Trump made sense).

So let's respect that someone is willing to stand up to Trump who happens to be a Republican not retiring from the Senate or dying, but forgo the overly exuberant veneration of that conservative, particularly when we disagree with almost everything he stands for ... just a thought. 

Facts vs. "Trump Truth:" Polling Data

Classy Trump decided the funeral of President Bush (I) was the perfect day to tout his new approval rating: 

Beyond the poor taste, of course, is the reality that his approval ratings are not even close to 50%. “The president is citing a poll from @Rasmussen_Poll, which said that Republicans would win the popular vote for the U.S. House,” said FiveThirtyEight’s Nate Silver, who once described Rasmussen as “biased.” “Instead, Democrats won it by 9 points.” (WP)

According to FiveThirtyEight, which has been updating its calculation of the president’s approval rating from all major polls, Trump’s aggregate approval rating is around 42 percent, as of Wednesday. The aggregate average is almost the same on RealClearPolitics, where Trump is at about 43 percent, according to polling conducted between Nov. 14 and Tuesday.

Fact vs. "Trump Truth": Immigration Edition

As is the new normal on an almost daily basis over the past two years, there is the truth and the then the "truth" as told through the heavily refracted lens of Trump and his supporters' magic alternative reality universe (the Washington Post has kept a helpful running tally for the less truth adverse amongst us: Counter). As a new feature to the blog, I will occasionally highlight the large chasm that currently exists between the two:

The respected, non-profit Pew Research Institute has come up with a new study that shows the lowest levels of "illegal immigrants" in a decade, in 2016, with the steepest decline coming from the much-discussed border with Mexico: Pew

On the same day this report was released, we hear from Trump that he has a Plan B if Congress fails to authorize the $5 billion he is requesting to build his wall. This comes on top of the unnecessary dispatch of troops to the border to help Republicans in the just past election, fake stories about the caravan being led by conservative bete noire George Soros, absurd claims about caravan child grabbers, and the general fear mongering that appears to have little relationship to the reality that less people are coming to the U.S. these days (including foreign students and tourists, if you hadn't heard).  

Gun Violence in America

It is extraordinary sometimes to consider how easily ideology gets in the way of the collective future of our children. Whether it's global warming, educational funding, excessive corporate power, insane governmental debt or, of course, gun control, the ideological firmaments that many refuse to pass blind them to the effects their actions not only have on children in general but even their own.

Exhibit A in this myopic worldview is current debates around gun control and those inured to their position on the premise that no legislation, as benign as it might be, should pass to address the alarming increase in mass shootings over the past two decades. To wit, is the latest numbers from the Washington Post showing that over 200,000 students have been touched by gun violence since the Columbine shooting in 1999. Here is a visual representation of that reality (each dot is 10 students, click on image to enlarge).

Democracy in Retreat

Trump and the Republican Congress continue to abrogate their responsibility to actually represent the people who elected them by passing, or trying to pass, extremely unpopular legislation. This was true of the Obamacare overhaul that fell only one vote short, the tax cut for the wealthy that passed last month and now the attempt to dismantle the Dream Act, that has caused the government shutdown we are currently mired in ...

To be fair, the majority of Americans are not supportive of either Trump or the Republican-led Congress, but that is little salve for the majority of Americans suffering through the first year of this dysfunctional, Russian-sponsored, administration. 

The Rampant Cynicism at the Heart of the GOP

As we near a potential constitutional crisis over the alleged collusion between the Trump campaign and Russian operatives, the Republicans are trying to shove through a tax bill that hurts the vast majority of Americans to help a chosen few. Together with earlier failed attempts at healthcare “reform,” their complicity in Trump’s attack on our environment and democracy and the shoving through of cabinet members clearly unqualified to run the agencies they now do, this latest bill lays bare the cynicism at the heart of the Republican party today, not only on the fringes but straight through to the mainstream and even more moderate members.

The bill cuts Medicaid, which provides healthcare to poor children and adults, by over $1 trillion over the next 10 years (costing 15 million Americans their insurance). It cuts Medicare, which provides healthcare to the elderly, by $473 billion. And it includes huge cuts to education, nutrition programs, affordable housing and transportation (of approximately $200 billion). And why? To give tax cut to our wealthiest citizens and corporations still hording their record profits, rather than passing them on to their employees. Eighty percent of the cuts go to the top 1 percent of wage earners and a full 40 percent of that to the top 0.1 percent. This includes ending the alternative minimum tax, which will hand $400 billion in tax cuts to that group, and repealing the estate tax yet again (handing $240 billion to the the richest .02%). And it gives another huge handout to corporations (cutting the corporate rate from 35 to 20 percent, which translates to $2 trillion in lost revenue they then have to make up), many that pay little to no taxes to begin with. The middle class? They might actually see a tax rise.

Remember that healthcare bill that would have taken health insurance away from about 32 million Americans and only failed by a single vote? This bill is much worse. It is symptomatic of a party that has ceased to cultivate any new ideas or substantive policies beside lowering taxes on the rich, cutting services to the poor and serving the interests of corporate America, no matter at what cost to the environment, workers, our children or our collective future.

With each of the bills introduced by the Republicans since taking control of all levers of the federal government, there has been an attempt to release the bill’s details in relative secret, avoid the criticism of the media and their constituents by any means necessary and then slip it through, though those efforts have largely failed to date. As with the healthcare bill, which was even less popular, they appear to care little that only 25 percent of Americans support it or that they continue to push an agenda that is detrimental to the average (and majority) of Americans.

One could argue that the Republican party today, with an assist to politicians like the Clintons and other DLCers from the 90s, first cultivated the rampant cynicism that has spread across the country like a plague and are now attempting to capitalize on it to further hurt average Americans, in the process only further propagating that cynicism. This is accomplished through a number of avenues, but the most important might be the uber-partisanship that now reigns in Washington. When they are out of power, they simply block as much of the agenda as possible, and then speak to the fact that nothing is getting done. At the same time, they attack government in general, based on this “policy blockade,” further perpetuating the idea that government can’t solve any of our problems. And they simultaneously attack all of the other social institutional that could hold them accountable for their cynical actions, from the media and universities to our schools and unions.

As a final piece to the puzzle, they play on the fears and anxieties of average Americans, distracting them with fake news (aka propaganda) and conspiracy theories and then stoking the flame of their racism, sexist, homophobia and xenophobia, to avert attention from the real source of so many of the problems in this country – too much economic power in the hands of too few, the continued growth in power and size of our biggest multinational corporations and the dramatic and growing inequality in the country.

“Make America Great Again,” feel more and more like “corporate fascism rocks!”everytime a new policy agenda item comes to light.   

Fake News Hits the Holocaust

Fake News, as I argued in an article here last year, is not a new phenomenon, as many in the media (and Trump) seem to imply. And yet the acceleration of “counternarratives” (aka lies) accelerate and proliferate across our fiber optic and airwaves, the truth has become more tenuous than at any time since science came along to challenge the hegemony of religion, mythology and old world traditions. The latest parry in this ongoing war on knowledge, beyond the daily barrage by the Trump administration, comes thanks to one its former members, Anthony Scaramucci.

In an online poll on his twitter account, the Scar (my nickname), asked the following question:

How many Jews were killed in the Holocaust?
o Less than 1 million
o Between 1-2 million
o Between 2-3 million
o More than 5 million

Holocaust deniers are not new, either, of course, but is this really a question we have to continue to debate in the mainstream of American politics – or at least the new “mainstream?” Beyond the absurd response that they were simply “testing people’s knowledge” of the tragedy is the fact that it was 6 million Jews who died in the Holocaust, which is substantially more than “more than 5 million.”

If you’re wondering, the results as of the time of the Washington Post story was 69 percent for the theoretically “correct” answer, 7 percent who thought it was 2-3 million, 4 percent who believed 1 to 2 million and an astounding 20 percent who claimed “less than a million.”

With global warming, past presidential phone calls, Iranian nuclear weapon activities, the real beneficiaries of tax cuts and Russian interference in our election all up for debate just the past week, is it any wonder we return to perpetuating one of the ugliest lies repeated over the past 60 years? Not with our current Commander and Thief in charge of the public dialogue …

Arsenal Win Second on the Bounce (3-1 Over Cologne)

After the humiliating losses to Liverpool and Stoke and the two-week international break, Arsenal have righted the ship with two straight wins on the bounce, though the real test comes Sunday at Stamford Bridge. First, they dominated Bournemouth in a 3-0 victory Saturday then followed that up with a come-from-behind 3-1 win over a game Cologne tonight. Both matches saw them dominate possession (to the tune of 72 percent possession and 16(7) shots to 10(4) against Cologne) and both included three goals from very different sides. However, they have played well at the Emirates since last March and it is their patchy road form that must improve if they are to improve on last season’s fifth place finish in the league.

Three thoughts on the Cologne game and a By the Numbers Summary of the Bournemouth game last weekend:

1.    Sanchez Looks Set to Play Key Role

At times, Sanchez continues to look like a player that would rather be elsewhere. And yet, his brilliant goal in the 67^th minute gave Arsenal a 2-1 lead and it appeared to wake him up, as he ran all over the pitch for the remainder of the game, providing several opportunities for his teammates to build on the lead while almost sneaking in a cheeky chip at the far post from an acute angle late on. His commitment and productivity will be key to any chance Arsenal will have in the league, the Cups or Europe and it is clear he can link up well with one of the best bargains of the summer, in Kolasinac, who scored the equalizer and appears to be a player that can contribute on both ends of the pitch.

It seems all but inevitable that Sanchez will leave at the end of the season, if not during the Winter transfer window, and that Ozil might well follow him out the door. Sanchez will be all but impossible to replace, but if Arsenal plan well, they can find a decent replacement, blood their younger talent, continue to eradicate the dead weight and move forward. With his help, it could be back in the Champions League next season. Or he can start to dream of his preferred destination to the Northwest and Arsenal’s season could collapse, leaving the team in tatters for what is likely to be Wenger’s last season. Let’s hope it’s the former …

2.    Defense Still Looks Shaky

Rob Holding showed real promise last season in limited participation, but he seems to have developed some bad habits including poor passing from the back, pushing too far forward and getting caught out, reckless challenges around the box and getting beaten to balls in the box. His performance in the first half was largely forgettable and while Cologne didn’t capitalize with its chances after the opener, he too often left the other defenders exposed. It is particularly important that he show defensive discipline with the sluggish Mertesacker by his side. And Monreal, while an asset for the Gunners for several years, is just not good enough to play in the back three. One issue appears to be his height, but another is his tendency to get beaten down the right channel a little too often for comfort.

If Arsenal is to truly rebound in the league and challenge for a Top Four place in the new Top 6 (or 7), they will have to solidify their defensive deficiencies, and much will depend on the consistency of Koscielny, improvements from Mustafi and slotting in a reliable third centreback when they play the back three that worked so well at the tail end of last season. It is unclear who the best option is for that third slot, with each of the alternatives having clear deficiencies. Mertesacker’s lack of pace can be covered by Kos and Mustafi in most cases, but is still an important liability. Holding still has work to do to stake a place and Monreal just doesn't seem as reliable as he has been in the past. If they move back to a back four, Kolasinac provides their best offensive threat, allowing Sanchez to move further forward, as was the case in the second half against Cologne, and Bellerin’s pace provides strength on both sides of the pitch. But Wenger will have to show flexibility and be willing to leave Monreal on the bench if it helps shore up the back.

3.  Europa League Might Provide Perfect Platform to Create Competition

Theo Walcott continues to confound, missing several chances to score and finding himself offsides a bit too often in the Europa League tie Thursday, though at least one of those calls was wrong. Jack Wilshere played for the side for the first time in over a year and it showed, with the midfielder heavy with his touches and average with his passing. Ospina’s poor clearance and positioning gave Cologne their 9^th minute opener. And youngster  Maitin-Niles showed his age (20) starting out at left back.

On the other hand, it was good to see Mertesacker back in the side, in what will be his final season. Holding clearly needs time to develop his skills and discipline and this might be the perfect platform to cultivate his talent. Iwobi, as well, took a step backwards last season and needs game time to try to find the form that was close to scintillating a couple of years back. Elneny also needs game time as an important substitute and spot starter this season and the Europa League should give Giroud the starts he is unlikely to experience much in the league.

Overall, it was a good first game in the competition for the Gunners, continuing what was a largely positive week for England in Europe, with City, Chelsea, Tottenham and United all winning, Liverpool drawing 2-2 and only Everton losing in a rather humiliating 3-0 loss to Atalanta. After the Chelsea match Sunday, Arsenal have a nice run of winnable fixtures across competitions, with Doncaster in the League Cup, BATE in Europe, Brighton and Watford in the League and then Red Star Belgrave on the road, before a visit to a struggling Everton. If they can get a positive result at Stamford Bridge, or in the matches that follow if they do fall short, they could well build momentum heading into a tough early November schedule.

4. Arsenal-Bournemouth by the Numbers

0 - Goals for the ageless Bournemouth striker Jermain Defoe at the Emirates. He almost got off the snide Saturday, though his header early in the second half hit off the post. In his career with Sunderland, Tottenham, West Ham and Bournemouth, he has played against Arsenal 24 times in the league, winning 4, losing 12 and drawing 8, though he has only scored three times in those 24 games (1 each for West Ham, Tottenham and Sunderland). He is also scoreless in four league cup matchups. 

2 in 2 - Lacazette's goal return for Arsenal, after scoring 37 in all comps last season in France. Makes you wonder why he didn't start against Liverpool ... while we’re at it - Kolasinac provided the assist for the opener (his second to Welbeck in three games), but he too started on the bench two weeks ago. Wenger madness? We’re used to it.         

5-0 - on the back of a convincing 4-0 thrashing of Arsenal, Liverpool decided to return the favor to City, though giving up a full quintet of goals. Four of those five came after Sadio Mane got confused and thought he was in a UFC contest with new City keeper Ederson, giving him a cleated kick to the face. Klopp complained about the red, but come on!

6 in 6 - heading to the Championship, Nottingham Forrest has conceded 6 set piece goals in 6 matches, which might make Liverpool feel a little better. Many might think of Arsenal, but they actually led the league in fewest set piece goals conceded last season with 6.

43% - Welbeck, after two forgettable games on the bounce where he missed 4-5 chance in the 1-0 loss to Stoke and was largely invisible in the Liverpool thrashing, came through with a goal and assist in the first half Saturday, then the third for Arsenal in the 51st minute with a inch-perfect finish across Begovic to the far corner. That's 3 in 4 for the English international in the league, while also scoring for England during the international break. It was his first brace since December 13, 2013 (for United at Aston Villa). His three goals for Arsenal are 43% of their 7 total, only behind the 50% for James Vardy at Leicester (3 in 6)

59% - Possession for Arsenal in the game Saturday, alongside outshooting Bournemouth 17(9) to 7(2).

89 - Granit Xhaka is leading the league in total passes completed after four games, at a clip of 89 a game, with an 82 percent completion rate. He hasn’t scored yet this season, but has chipped in with two assists in four. Not bad for a player criticized ceaselessly last season after his move from the “other” Borussia.

91st - Bournemouth's position in English football when Eddie Howe took over. After two good seasons in the Premier league in the wake of the march upward, he is experiencing early trouble with his side, who have one goal and no points from four games. 

99 - Super sub Olivier Giroud has been stuck on 99 goals for four games now.