Archive for October 5th, 2010

Pop quiz, hotshot.

Tuesday, October 5th, 2010

What figure recently in the news:

  • Took spinning classes?
  • Participated in a 5K run, and turned in a time several minutes below average?
  • Stated on an employment application filled out before taking his current job that he enjoyed skiing, and had participated in the Baker to Las Vegas relay race, which covers 120 miles?
  • And went out on patrol with his officers, impounding cars and writing traffic tickets?
  • While claiming a law enforcement disability pension?

Your answer is here.

(Previously.)

TMQ watch: October 5, 2010.

Tuesday, October 5th, 2010

Let’s just jump right into this week’s column again, shall we?

Something something pink. Something something Bill Belichick. Something something special teams. (Not in TMQ’s column, but WCD notes that the Dolphins fired their special teams coach this morning.)

Recruiting violations continue. The solution? Buy the ESPN Rise Recruiting Guide, with an introduction by TMQ himself, for only $4.95. You could also read TMQ’s “Thousand Word Guide to College Recruiting” for free.

WCD was initially tempted not to even comment on the thousand word guide. Then we were tempted to snark on it. But after reading it, we find that much of the advice is actually excellent; not just for high school athletes who might be recruited to play college sports, but for high school students period.

Okay, Gregg. Heather C. is a good choice.

Sweet and sour plays: St. Louis – Seattle, Chicago – Giants, San Francisco – Atlanta.

Creep. Easterbrook moves closer to dropping Christmas Creep.

Poorly run teams ignore or deny problems in the offseason, then panic when the season starts, evidenced by San Francisco firing its offensive coordinator after three games and Buffalo waiving its starting quarterback after three games.

TMQ remains the only sports column, to the best of our knowledge, that’s willing to talk about Gliese 581g.

If Jimi Heselden had been walking, he’d be president alive today. “The Segway is the SUV of the sidewalk.”

Offensive linesmen throwing passes and taking handoffs.

Christine O’Donnell is not a witch. We would, however, pay money to see her turn Gregg Easterbrook into a newt.

Jerry Rice, a great football player, or the greatest of all time?

Is ESPN getting better about reporting concussions?

“I prefer my salads defused.”

Jacksonville fooled Indy into thinking they were just going to run out the clock and go into overtime. Indeed, Jacksonville may have fooled themselves into thinking that as well, until Indy called a late timeout.

Consider the case of Larry Coker, fired from Miami because he wasn’t winning by large enough margins. Now he’s building a new program at the University of Texas – San Antonio, and already has teams lining up to schedule his program as a cupcake.

Wacky disclaimer: “The Last Airbender”.

“Trailing Washington 17-6 with 10 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, the Eagles punted on fourth-and-5 from the Redskins’ 44. TMQ wrote the words ‘game over’ in our notebook.” WCD is amused by this statement, as we were also watching the game at that time, saw that punt, and wrote in our notebook, “TMQ wrote the words ‘game over’ in his notebook.”

TMQ meta-analyzes the NYT analysis of the Baltimore Ravens’ opposition to changing the overtime rules.

Eschewing the punt; how’s that working for you? Plus more on the 3-4 fad.

Texas Lutheran 28, Sul Ross State 11. Saint Scholastica 41, Crown 21.

Reader comments: police escorts, stupid targeted advertising for services you already subscribe to, great nicknames, “this is Tuesday Morning Quarterback, I don’t need a reason”, under-12 tackle football, machismo as a factor in head injuries, trick plays, and the Trojans play in the Coliseum.

The “Single Worst Play of the Season – So Far” returns, with the Lions punting on 4th and 9 from Green Bay’s 37, down by two points late in the 4th quarter. It figures that this would be a preposterous punt.

If TMQ did bring up the O.J. situation with Ralph Wilson, he does not discuss their conversation in this week’s column.

Tune in next week when, if we’re unlucky, Gregg Easterbrook will drag out his autotext about the 1972 Miami Dolphins.

On a stick watch.

Tuesday, October 5th, 2010

Top 10 New Foods at the 2010 State Fairs“, by way of No Silence Here.

I confess, the deep-fried cheddar-bacon mashed potatoes on a stick actually look pretty good to me.

On the other hand, the original tornado potato doesn’t sound like a bad idea, but this year’s modification sounds awful. When I think of great tastes that taste great together, my list does not include “potato” and “chocolate”.

And then, of course, there’s the number 1 item on the list, which you may remember from our previous coverage.

Breakdown of the list: two items from the Texas State Fair, three items from the Minnesota State Fair, two from the San Diego County Fair, one from the “San Diego State Fair” (could this be a typo? The link to “My Burning Kitchen” indicates yes), and one each from the Indiana and Wisconsin State Fairs.

Edited to add: Speaking of “My Burning Kitchen”, “deep-fried butter in both garlic and cinnamon sugar flavor“? So not only does deep-fried butter actually exist, it comes in flavors?

“What flavor is it?” “It’s butter, innit. It’s bloody butter, it’s not any bloody flavor!”