Happy New Year!

POTpourri

• Cannabis studies were all the rage in 2016
• Sign this petition to keep Tracy Claeys as the Minnesota football coach. 
• The Trump cabinet appears to be shutting out workers. 
• LeBron James named SI 2016 Sportsperson of the Year. 
• North Carolina is no longer classified as a democracy. 
• Why is Scott Walker so afraid of acknowledging climate change? 
• Check out The Ringer's 28 Favorite Sports Moments of 2016. 
• 2016-17 NFL Pro Bowl teams named.  
• President Obama lowers the boom on Russia for their hacking. 
• RIP George Michael, Carrie Fisher, Debbie Reynolds & Lavell Edwards. 
• Sam Brownback actually wants Donald Trump to enact his tax cuts on America. 
• Rex Ryan fired by the Buffalo Bills. 
• Randy Edsall returns to UCONN as head football coach. 
• Rolling Stones ranked the 100 Greatest TV Shows of all time. 
• Bruce Boudreau is working wonders with the Minnesota Wild. 
• There is absolutely nothing wrong with fit girls!  
• I'm of the thought that the Twins need to trade Brian Dozier soon. 
• The Verge took a pretty good look at The Year in Pop Culture of 2016. 
• Count me as someone who feels that New Year's Eve is highly overrated. 
• Republicans seem okay with millions of people having no healthcare. 

The Year 2016 in Review

TPSG Best of 2016

Person:  Barack Obama 
Movie:  "Moonlight" 
TV Show:  "The Americans" 
Entertainer:  Lin-Manuel Miranda 
Book:  "The Underground Railroad" - Colson Whitehead
Song:  "The Sound of Silence" - Disturbed
Band:  Red Hot Chilli Peppers 
Sports Story:  Summer Olympics - Rio 
Sports Person of the Year:  Michael Phelps
Sports Team:  Chicago Cubs
Fight (Boxing):  Vargas vs Salido
Fight (MMA):  Lawler vs Condit
News Story:  Trump wins Presidency
Arizona Athlete:  David Johnson
Arizona News Story:  Joe Arpaio Ousted
Politician:  Barack Obama
Pariah:  Donald Trump 
Invention:  Hmbldt Vape Pen
Hottest Woman:  Galina Dubenenko
Porn Star:  Adriana Chechik

Holiday Bowl

Minnesota 17, Washington State 12

The Gophers concluded their 2016 football season tonight with a 17-12 win over Washington State tonight in San Diego.  The Gophers finish their season with an 9-4 record.  Their defense played incredibly well tonight given the loss of of 3 key secondary contributors due to the EOAA investigation.  It may just be the most impressive defensive performance that I've seen from a Gopher football team.  I hope this win puts to rest any thought of moving on without Tracy Claeys.

Observations:

• That Mitch Leidner touchdown pass to Shannon Brooks was so Mitch Leidner.
• The first half tonight was the first time WSU had been held without a TD in a half this season.
• That sure did look like an incomplete pass by Mitch Leidner to me.
• Coney Durr did a nice job in his first collegiate start.  Hopefully, he's not hurt seriously. 
• Not having Tyler Moore at Center did not help the Gophers offense tonight. 
• I will not miss watching Mitch Leidner throw the football. 
• The Gophers offense really struggled on 3rd down once again. 
• Ryan Santoso did a heckuva job punting the ball tonight. 
• Washington State came into this game with the 2nd best passing offense in college football. 
• The Gopher OL was without Tyler Moore, Jared Weyler & Vincent Calhoun for this one.
• How do you overthrow a 6'10" Tight End? 
• This was a low scoring Holiday Bowl.  WSU was averaging 40.3 points/game.  
• It did appear that the Gophers muffed that punt in the early 4th quarter. 
• The Gophers offensive line had all sorts of trouble with that shifting WSU defensive line.
• So happy for Kunle Ayinde, he's taken a lot of heat this season. 
• The Gophers lead the nation in targeting calls.  They'll need to clean that up. 
• Blake Cashman plays so hard on every play.  
• I can see three Gophers getting drafted in the 2017 NFL Draft. 
• Jay Sawvel has impressed me as Defensive Coordinator this season. 
• It'll be interesting to see what the future holds for Golden Gopher football.  

In Memoriam 2016

Cardinals 34, Seahawks 31

The Cardinals beat the Seahawks 34-31 yesterday in Seattle.  The Cardinals improved to 6-8-1 on the season with this win.  Oddly enough, this may have been one of their better games this year, a week after being eliminated from the playoffs.  Personally, for draft positioning, I'd have been fine with a hard fought close loss.  Bruce Arians is all about the W's though and I guess that's not a bad thing.

Observations:

• David Johnson just keeps putting up big numbers.  
• I like the future of Cardinals DE Markus Golden. 
• The Cardinals really need to find a way to keep Calais Campbell. 
• I don't know how the Cardinals don't bring back Chandler Jones. 
• Jermaine Gresham needs to keep his cool. 
• This may have been Justin Bethel's best game playing CB. 
• Cardinals QB Carson Palmer plays well in Seattle.  
• Corey Peters has very quietly put together a nice season. 
• The Cardinals may have a keeper in CB Harlan Miller. 
• J.J. Nelson has really made great strides this season. 
• That was a bush league hit on Jermaine Gresham by Jeremy Lane. 
• It'll be interesting to see if Chandler Catanzaro is back next season. 
• That was a heckuva goal line stand to close the 1st half by the Cardinals.
• Matt Wile was solid punting the ball for the Cardinals. 
• Rodney Gunter showed up big in this game. 
• There are at least 3 legitimate Pro Bowlers on the Cardinals.  Maybe more.
• Sio Moore was a surprisingly good mid season pick up for the Cardinals. 
• At this point, the Cardinals are slated to draft number 11 overall in the 2017 NFL Draft. 
• The Seahawks are really not the same team without Marshawn Lynch. 
• Up next?  @ Los Angeles Rams next Sunday.  

Merry Christmas!

Packers 38, Vikings 25

The Vikings fell to the Packers 38-25 today in Green Bay.  With this loss, the Vikings fall to 7-8 on the season.  This loss also officially eliminated from playoff contention.  What a disappointment this season has become.  They started out 5-0, then proceeded to go 2-8 thru their next 10 games.  I've never seen anything like it.  Injuries (specifically to the offensive line) have just decimated them.  I didn't see much passion or drive out of them down the stretch either.  Embarrassing.

Observations:

• The Vikings vaunted defense appears to be highly overrated.  
• Adam Thielen has been quite the revelation this season. 
• The margin for error for the Vikings offense is really small. 
• You know the Vikings offensive line is bad when you pine for Matt Kalil.   
• Why does it always seem like the Packers get all the calls against the Vikings?
• The Vikings red zone offense continues to struggle. 
• That was a heckuva catch by Adam Thielen early on in the game. 
• Danielle Hunter is now up to 12 sacks on the season. 
• Turnovers:  Vikings 2, Packers 0
• Eric Kendricks showed up to play.  Not many other Vikings bothered.  
• Once again, Sam Bradford is the least of the Vikings problems. 
• The Vikings offensive line play has been godawful this season. 
• Kai Forbath may have earned himself a job for next season. 
• Stefon Diggs needs more touches for the Vikings offense.  
• The Vikings offense is unbelievably unimaginative on third downs. 
• That may have been the worst QB snap ever by Nick Easton. 
• Packer fans didn't seem to appreciate Adam Thielen's Lambeau Leap. 
• It would be nice if the Vikings had a number 1 draft pick this coming off season. 
• The Vikings plane skidding of the runway was a bad omen. 
• Up next?  Chicago Bears in Minneapolis to close their season. 

SNL Christmas Song

I love this!  Merry Christmas!

2,864,974

2,864,974 is the number of votes that Hillary Clinton won the popular vote by in the 2016 U.S. Presidential election.  That is the widest margin of victory ever by someone who did not become President of the United States.

To put that in perspective:

That's more than the population of 17 states:

Nevada	35	2,790,136
New Mexico	36	2,085,287
Nebraska	37	1,868,516
West Virginia	38	1,854,304
Idaho	39	1,612,136
Hawaii	40	1,404,054
State	Population Ranking	Population
Maine	41	1,328,302
New Hampshire	42	1,323,459
Rhode Island	43	1,051,511
Montana	44	1,015,165
Delaware	45	925,749
South Dakota	46	844,877
Alaska	47	735,132
North Dakota	48	723,393
District of Columbia	49	646,449
Vermont	50	626,630
Wyoming	51	582,658

GOP Guide to Screwing America

Courtesy of Daily Kos & Jen Sorensen

POTpourri

• Here's a great cannabis gift guide for the Christmas season. 
• Donald Trump officially wins the Electoral College. 
• Russia tied to manipulate the recent U.S. Presidential election. 
• Louisville QB Lamar Jackson wins the 2016 Heisman Trophy. 
• Baseball America new list of the Top 10 Twins prospects here. 
• Major Applewhite named new head football coach at Houston. 
• The far left ate up the fake news just as bad as the far right. 
• What do Republicans have against American steel?  
• Jerry Kill named offensive coordinator at Rutgers. 
• Do Trump voters really support the gutting of Social Security & Medicare? 
• RIP Alan Thicke, Zsa Zsa Gabor & Yorman Landa. 
• A select committee to investigate the Russian hacking sounds like a good idea.
• Seattle Sounders win the 2016 MLS Cup. 
• Lane Kiffin named new head football coach at Florida Atlantic University.
• Donald Trump is a populist in words only, not actions. 
• Los Angeles Rams fire head coach Jeff Fisher. 
• Charlie Strong named new head football coach at South Florida. 
• I was not aware that the University of North Dakota had finally picked a mascot.
• In most cases I'm against the death penalty, Dylann Roof is the exception though.
• Jacksonville Jaguars fire head coach Gus Bradley.  

Electoral College Vote Today

Here's an explainer.  I say we end this outdated relic of a policy.  It's perverting our system.

Saints 27, Cardinals 27

The Cardinals knocked off the Saints 48-41 today in Glendale.  The Cardinals fall to 5-8-1 on the season with this loss.  They were also officially eliminated from the playoffs.  They also guaranteed themselves of a losing record.  It's not quite the season many people had envisioned for them this season.  Which of course was part of the problem in my opinion, they seemed to be reading the headlines and thinking they were better than they were, then compounded it by perhaps not working as hard as they could have.  That's my theory anyways and I'm sticking to it.

Observations:

• David Johnson is easily this team's MVP this season.  
• That late hit call on Sio Moore was pretty questionable in my book. 
• It's hard to believe that the Cardinals had the top ranked defense in football prior to this game. 
• If that was Calais Campbell's last home game as a Cardinals he went out with a bang. 
• Carson Palmer is not the problem with this team, I'd welcome his return. 
• The Cardinals only forced one punt this whole game. 
• I was curious as to why Mark Ingram was so angry about not being used at the goal line. 
• Turnovers:  Cardinals 2, Saints 1
• Time of Possession:  Saints 37:13, Cardinals 22:47
• Total Yards:  Saints 488, Cardinals 425
• I remember Tim Hightower!  Long time no see. 
• The Cardinals have been surprisingly bad at finishing off games this season. 
• Let's hope that Larry Fitzgerald decides to come back next season. 
• It was nice to see Smokey John Brown finally show up for a game. 
• I'd wager that Chandler Catanzaro is not back with the Cardinals next season. 
• Kerwyn Williams is a pretty good wildcat quarterback. 
• I did not realize that Brandin Cook was that good. 
• If the season ended today, it appears that the Cardinals would draft 10th overall. 
• I'm thinking that Drew Brees will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame someday. 
• Up next?  @ Seattle Seahawks next Saturday. 

Colts 34, Vikings 6

The Vikings lost 34-6 to the Colts today in Minneapolis.  The Vikings fall to 7-7 on the season with this loss.  With just 2 games left, their playoff chances at this point are slim to none.  They'd have to win their last 2 games and would need a lot of help.  After watching the Vikings game today, I would call them underdogs in their next 2 games too, it was a pretty pathetic display of football, in front of their home fans in no less.  Injuries have really taken their toll on this team, their offense is just unable to sustain drives, that leaves their defense on the field way too much, that leads to a tired defense, it's a vicious cycle.  It wasn't pretty.

Observations:

• The Vikings seemed really flat today. 
• Adrian Peterson's rehabilitation abilities are second to none. 
• Injuries have cost the Vikings 3 starters on the OL thus far this season.  
• Those short third down passes by the Vikings are just maddening. 
• The Vikings defense really had trouble getting of the field on third down today. 
• Harrison Smith was really missed in the Vikings secondary. 
• Was Linval Joseph trying to hurdle that blocker on that field goal attempt?
• Kai Forbath is still perfect since donning Purple.
• Time of Possession:  Colts 37:02, Vikings 22:58
• Turnovers:  Vikings 3, Colts 0
• Total Yards:  Colts 411, Vikings 282
• Rushing Yards:  Colts 161, Vikings 34
• That was quite a hit that Adam Thielen took today. 
• Quarterback is not the problem with the Vikings offense. 
• I cannot imagine that Adrian Peterson is back with the Vikings next season.
• Zero sacks today by the Vikings vaunted pass rush. 
• I cannot recall the last time that Anthony Barr made a big play. 
• Adrian Peterson does fumble the ball way too much. 
• It would be nice if the Vikings had a number one draft pick this offseason. 
• Up next?  @ Green Bay Packers next Saturday. 

SNL - Hillary Actually

SNL is at it's best in election years.

Top 10 Prison Movies

Top 10 Prison Movies: 

1. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
2. Cool Hand Luke (1967)
3. Escape From Alcatraz (1979)
4. The Longest Yard (1974)
5. Bad Boys (1983)
6. Brubaker (1980)
7. The Green Mile (1999)
8. A Prophet (2009)
9. Bronson (2008)
10. Birdman of Alcatraz (1962)

I'm a hug fan of prison movies.  In my opinion, The Shawshank Redemption is the best of them, and really, one of the best films of any kind ever made.  It's just a classic.  "Cool Hand Luke" is not far behind, it's one of my favorite Paul Newman films.  "Escape From Alcatraz" is another classic, easily one of Clint Eastwood's better films.  If you need to watch a "The Longest Yard" movie, definitely watch the original, it's far superior and hella funny.  "Bad Boys" is one of Sean Penn's earliest works and one of his best films, it's a haunting tale that stays with you for awhile.  "Brubaker" is equally as haunting as Robert Redford goes undercover as an inmate to see the abuse going on in the prison he will soon be the warden of.  Tom Hanks is fantastic in "The Green Mile".  "A Prophet" is a haunting tale of brutality.  "Bronson" wonderfully follows the demise of convict Michael Peterson and his descent into madness. "Birdman of Alcatraz" is a classic tale of redemption.  Good movies, check them all out if you have a chance. 

Emily Ratajkowski

You really should subscribe to the Love Magazine YouTube Channel.

AZ Tidbits

• Arizona GOP wants feds to block medicinal marijuana. 
• It'll be Ohio State vs Clemson at the 2016 Fiesta Bowl. 
• Scottsdale named one of America's Most Sinful Cities. 
• More people need to vote in Arizona. 
• Former Alabama QB Blake Barnett set to transfer to Arizona State. 
• Arizona Diamondbacks sign free agent catcher Jeff Mathis. 
• Phoenix is a surprisingly good place for singles. 
• Arizona State kicker Zane Gonzalez wins the 2016 Groza Award. 
• Do not drive more than 10 mph over the speed limit in Arizona. 
• Scottsdale named the Most Vain City in America. 
• Arizona GOP is already trying to weasel out of new minimum wage law.
• Boise State is set to take on Baylor at the 2016 Cactus Bowl. 
• The financial mismanagement of Arizona is becoming quite appalling. 
• Arizona State WR coach Jay Norvell named Nevada head coach. 
• Phoenix projected as number one U.S. housing market in 2017. 
• It'll be South Alabama vs Air Force in the 2016 Arizona Bowl. 
• Arizona Governor Doug Ducey is all about the spin. 
• Why was Tim Jeffries the head of Arizona DES in the first place?
• Arizona Diamondbacks sign free agent pitcher Fernando Rodney. 
• University of Arizona QB Anu Solomon set to transfer. 
• Arizona Cardinals release WR Michael Floyd. 

Seth Meyers on Russian Hacking

Good stuff from Seth Meyers.

Federalist Papers #68

Interesting read:

"To the People of the State of New York:

THE mode of appointment of the Chief Magistrate of the United States is almost the only part of the system, of any consequence, which has escaped without severe censure, or which has received the slightest mark of approbation from its opponents. The most plausible of these, who has appeared in print, has even deigned to admit that the election of the President is pretty well guarded.1 I venture somewhat further, and hesitate not to affirm, that if the manner of it be not perfect, it is at least excellent. It unites in an eminent degree all the advantages, the union of which was to be wished for.

It was desirable that the sense of the people should operate in the choice of the person to whom so important a trust was to be confided. This end will be answered by committing the right of making it, not to any preestablished body, but to men chosen by the people for the special purpose, and at the particular conjuncture.

It was equally desirable, that the immediate election should be made by men most capable of analyzing the qualities adapted to the station, and acting under circumstances favorable to deliberation, and to a judicious combination of all the reasons and inducements which were proper to govern their choice. A small number of persons, selected by their fellow-citizens from the general mass, will be most likely to possess the information and discernment requisite to such complicated investigations.

It was also peculiarly desirable to afford as little opportunity as possible to tumult and disorder. This evil was not least to be dreaded in the election of a magistrate, who was to have so important an agency in the administration of the government as the President of the United States. But the precautions which have been so happily concerted in the system under consideration, promise an effectual security against this mischief. The choice of SEVERAL, to form an intermediate body of electors, will be much less apt to convulse the community with any extraordinary or violent movements, than the choice of ONE who was himself to be the final object of the public wishes. And as the electors, chosen in each State, are to assemble and vote in the State in which they are chosen, this detached and divided situation will expose them much less to heats and ferments, which might be communicated from them to the people, than if they were all to be convened at one time, in one place.

Nothing was more to be desired than that every practicable obstacle should be opposed to cabal, intrigue, and corruption. These most deadly adversaries of republican government might naturally have been expected to make their approaches from more than one querter, but chiefly from the desire in foreign powers to gain an improper ascendant in our councils. How could they better gratify this, than by raising a creature of their own to the chief magistracy of the Union? But the convention have guarded against all danger of this sort, with the most provident and judicious attention. They have not made the appointment of the President to depend on any preexisting bodies of men, who might be tampered with beforehand to prostitute their votes; but they have referred it in the first instance to an immediate act of the people of America, to be exerted in the choice of persons for the temporary and sole purpose of making the appointment. And they have excluded from eligibility to this trust, all those who from situation might be suspected of too great devotion to the President in office. No senator, representative, or other person holding a place of trust or profit under the United States, can be of the numbers of the electors. Thus without corrupting the body of the people, the immediate agents in the election will at least enter upon the task free from any sinister bias. Their transient existence, and their detached situation, already taken notice of, afford a satisfactory prospect of their continuing so, to the conclusion of it. The business of corruption, when it is to embrace so considerable a number of men, requires time as well as means. Nor would it be found easy suddenly to embark them, dispersed as they would be over thirteen States, in any combinations founded upon motives, which though they could not properly be denominated corrupt, might yet be of a nature to mislead them from their duty.

Another and no less important desideratum was, that the Executive should be independent for his continuance in office on all but the people themselves. He might otherwise be tempted to sacrifice his duty to his complaisance for those whose favor was necessary to the duration of his official consequence. This advantage will also be secured, by making his re-election to depend on a special body of representatives, deputed by the society for the single purpose of making the important choice.

All these advantages will happily combine in the plan devised by the convention; which is, that the people of each State shall choose a number of persons as electors, equal to the number of senators and representatives of such State in the national government, who shall assemble within the State, and vote for some fit person as President. Their votes, thus given, are to be transmitted to the seat of the national government, and the person who may happen to have a majority of the whole number of votes will be the President. But as a majority of the votes might not always happen to centre in one man, and as it might be unsafe to permit less than a majority to be conclusive, it is provided that, in such a contingency, the House of Representatives shall select out of the candidates who shall have the five highest number of votes, the man who in their opinion may be best qualified for the office.

The process of election affords a moral certainty, that the office of President will never fall to the lot of any man who is not in an eminent degree endowed with the requisite qualifications. Talents for low intrigue, and the little arts of popularity, may alone suffice to elevate a man to the first honors in a single State; but it will require other talents, and a different kind of merit, to establish him in the esteem and confidence of the whole Union, or of so considerable a portion of it as would be necessary to make him a successful candidate for the distinguished office of President of the United States. It will not be too strong to say, that there will be a constant probability of seeing the station filled by characters pre-eminent for ability and virtue. And this will be thought no inconsiderable recommendation of the Constitution, by those who are able to estimate the share which the executive in every government must necessarily have in its good or ill administration. Though we cannot acquiesce in the political heresy of the poet who says: "For forms of government let fools contest That which is best administered is best,'' yet we may safely pronounce, that the true test of a good government is its aptitude and tendency to produce a good administration.

The Vice-President is to be chosen in the same manner with the President; with this difference, that the Senate is to do, in respect to the former, what is to be done by the House of Representatives, in respect to the latter.

The appointment of an extraordinary person, as Vice-President, has been objected to as superfluous, if not mischievous. It has been alleged, that it would have been preferable to have authorized the Senate to elect out of their own body an officer answering that description. But two considerations seem to justify the ideas of the convention in this respect. One is, that to secure at all times the possibility of a definite resolution of the body, it is necessary that the President should have only a casting vote. And to take the senator of any State from his seat as senator, to place him in that of President of the Senate, would be to exchange, in regard to the State from which he came, a constant for a contingent vote. The other consideration is, that as the Vice-President may occasionally become a substitute for the President, in the supreme executive magistracy, all the reasons which recommend the mode of election prescribed for the one, apply with great if not with equal force to the manner of appointing the other. It is remarkable that in this, as in most other instances, the objection which is made would lie against the constitution of this State. We have a Lieutenant-Governor, chosen by the people at large, who presides in the Senate, and is the constitutional substitute for the Governor, in casualties similar to those which would authorize the Vice-President to exercise the authorities and discharge the duties of the President.

PUBLIUS."

23 and 1/2 Hours a Day

Go ahead and sit for 23.5 hours a day.  It'll be okay.

Dolphins 26, Cardinals 23

The Cardinals fell to the Dolphins 26-23 today in Miami.  The Cardinals fall to 5-7-1 with this loss. Although they are not technically eliminated from the playoffs, their chances of making the playoffs at this point are all but gone.  What a disappointing season this has been for them, hopes were so high after last season.  I guess that's the nature of the NFL though, windows can open and close very quickly.

Observations:

• The Cardinals beat themselves today. 
• The Cardinals did have the ball with a tied score with less than 2 minutes to play. 
• I don't think I've seen a Cardinals team with this bad of special teams play. 
• Don't tell J.J. Nelson that he's too small to play in the NFL. 
• The Cardinals once again struggled with early east coast starting time. 
• I hated to see Ryan Tannehill go down with that apparent ACL injury. 
• David Johnson continues to gain yards. 100+ total yards again.
• Was that WR Britt Golden playing DB for the Cardinals? 
• Turnovers:  Cardinals 4, Dolphins 3
• Talk about a simultaneous catch. 
• No player in NFL history has more 90+ catch seasons than Larry Fitzgerald.
• Drew Butler actually had one very nice punt today. 
• The Cardinals really overlooked the value of a good long snapper this season. 
• The Cardinals really got beat up in this game. 
• So that's what a south Florida rain storm looks like. 
• Slow motion replay of the Dolphins cheerleaders in the rain was my highlight today! 
• The Dolphins won despite 14 penalties and 3 turnovers today. 
• Jerome Boger appears to like being on TV. 
• At this point the Cardinals are slated for the 12th pick in the 2017 NFL Draft.
• Up next?  New Orleans Saints @ Glendale next Sunday. 

Vikings 25, Jaguars 16

The Vikings knocked off the Jaguars 25-16 today in Jacksonville.  The Vikings improve to 7-6 on the season with this win.  They are 2 games back of the Lions in the NFC North with 3 games to go (and the Lions swept them this season) so their only realist chance at the playoffs at this point will be a wildcard spot.  The Giants, Buccaneers and Redskins are all ahead of them for the 2 wildcard spots so they will need to keep winning and will need some help along the way to make the playoffs.  Even if they did make the playoffs though, I wouldn't suspect a long run given the problems they continue to have on the offensive side of the ball.

Observations:

• The Vikings have to have the worst goal line offense in football. 
• It's really hard to move the ball when you can't control the line of scrimmage. 
• Sam Bradford is not the problem with the Vikings offense. 
• The Vikings averages 2.9 yards per carry today on 29 carries. 
• Adam Thielen continues to impress at WR for the Vikings.  
• Kyle Rudolph has been very solid for the most part this season. 
• The Vikings really seem to miss Marcus Sherels returning punts.  
• I really like the pass rush the Vikings can generate. 
• Fourth Quarter Scoring:  Vikings 13, Jaguars 0
• Somehow the Vikings did not give up a sack today. 
• Anthony Harris was sound replacing Harrison Smith today. 
• Danielle Hunter has crept into the Top 5 in the NFL in sacks. 
• That was a pretty weak roughing call on the Jaguars Jalen Ramsey. 
• There appeared to be a lot of purple in the EverBank Field. 
• Kai Forbath has been really solid since replacing Blair Walsh. 
• The Jaguars had an amazing 14 penalties today. 
• If I was a betting man I'd guess that this is Gus Bradley's last season in Jacksonville. 
• Mike Zimmer looked like a pirate on the sidelines today. 
• I didn't realize how rare a 25-16 score was in the NFL. 
• Up next?  Indianapolis Colts @ Minnesota next Sunday. 

SNL on Trump Transition

Funny stuff from Saturday Night Live.

POTpourri

• I distinctly recall Republicans railing against crony capitalism. 
• The 2016-17 NCAA College Football Playoffs teams have been selected. 
• Oregon hires Willie Taggart as new head football coach. 
• That higher minimum wage in Seattle is working out quite well.  
• 2016 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show photos here, here and here! 
• Donald Trump's idea of a populist movement seems a bit out of touch. 
• The 2016-17 NCAA football Bowl Schedule has been announced. 
• I rather enjoyed Trevor Noah's interview with Tomi Lahren. 
• Could Joe Biden run for President in 2020? 
• Purdue hires Jeff Brohm as new head football coach. 
• RIP John Glenn & Rashaan Salaam. 
• More millionaires and generals added to Trump administration. 
• Donald Trump named 2016 Time Magazine Person of the Year. 
• LSU RB Leonard Fournette declares for the 2017 NFL Draft. 
• Repealing the Affordable Care Act could have dire consequences. 
• Apparently its okay for the police to shoot fleeing people in the back. 
• Paul Ryan does not seem to have any sort of soul whatsoever. 
• Baylor hires Matt Rhule as new head football coach. 
• Hillary Clinton's popular vote lead is now up to 2.6 million votes. 
• Great to see sound minds prevail on the Dakota Access Pipeline.
• How do you pick a climate change denier to head the EPA? 

Samantha Bee on Fake News

Samantha Bee and crew was on fire this week.  Great stuff.

College Football Thoughts

Just a few thoughts on the recently complete regular season of college football:

• I think the NCAA got the 4 college football playoff teams correct.  You could maybe make a case for Penn State over Ohio State, but in the end I think that 39 point Penn State loss to Michigan was a deal breaker for them.  I suspect Alabama will easily handle Washington, and Clemson will handle Ohio State, setting up a repeat of last years championship game.  I also suspect that Alabama will have no problem dispatching Clemson and winning their second straight National Championship. 
• If the NCAA had gone with an 8 team playoff, I suspect that the next 4 would have been Penn State, Oklahoma, Michigan and Wisconsin.  That would make 4 of the 8 being from the Big Ten, that's pretty impressive for the Big Ten given the hype the SEC has gotten the past few years.  The tide seems to be shifting and I'm loving it.  
• If I had a Heisman Trophy vote, my vote this year would go to Michigan CB Jabrill Peppers. I don't think there was a better football player in college this football this year, he played both ways, he played special teams, he did everything and excelled at everything.  I'm guessing that Louisville QB Lamar Jackson wins it though as he was probably the most electrifying player that college football has seen in quite some time.  
• I've been impressed with all of the new college football coaching hires so far this year, I don't think anyone has made a bad move.  Willie Taggart is a great hire for Oregon.  Matt Rhule is a much better hire than I had thought that Baylor would get.  Everyone wanted Tom Herman and he landed at Texas.  Purdue got a nice hire in Jeff Brohm.  Indiana's hiring of Tom Allen was a bit underwhelming, but he's got a solid reputation and seems worthy of a promotion.  Ed Orgeron was long overdue for another head coaching job and there is no better fit for him than LSU.  The only thing that surprising to me is that nobody has scooped up P.J. Fleck yet, he's a heckuva coach. 
• My suggestion for the remaining head coaching openings?  If I'm Houston I make a run at Lane Kiffin (if USF doesn't beat them to him).  Gary Schiano might be a nice fit at USF too.  Cincinnati should be doing everything they can to secure Charlie Strong.  Les Miles would fit at any of these opening too, he's too good of a football coach to not have a job somewhere.  
• I was very happy to hear that Minnesota will be extending their head coach Tracy Claeys.  He got 8 wins out of the Gophers this year with very substandard QB play.  While there were a few red flags with him (namely recruiting & clock management), it was only his first year as head coach and I think he can improve.  I just really like their approach too, both offensively and defensively, run first, work the clock, win the time of possession battle, keep the defense rested, it's going to keep them in most games.  If they can find a QB and get that offense straightened out they will be a team to watch going forward.  If they had Deshaun Watson playing QB they may have run the table this past season.  
• I'm very discouraged with Arizona State though.  The way they closed this season really made me lose faith in Todd Graham.  I expect better from a coach in his 5th season at the helm.  They seem to be regressing and if I was Arizona State AD I would have cut ties with him.  I'm guessing money had something to do with keeping him around for at least another year and if that's the case that's unfortunate because I think that will only set the program back in the long run.  They seemed to have recruited okay in the Graham years but that hasn't translated to the field which leads me to suspect that he just chasing stars without much sense to how well they will fit into his system and that he's not doing a good enough job of developing the talent once they arrive (the continuing instability of the coaching staff may have something to do with that too).  And don't even get me started on that God awful defense.  Hopefully, I'm wrong and they can turn the corner next year, I'm not betting on it though.