POTpourri

• Do you know Mitch McConnell's opinion on Climate Change?  
• If you vote Republican in November expect a war on working families.
• U.S. job openings at highest level since 2001.  
• IMO "Gotham" & "black-ish" are the class of this seasons new TV schedule. 
• It was a nice run Landon Donovan.  
• When it comes to income inequality, how much is too much? 
• What part did Texas play in that tragic ebola case?  
• Can't we all now admit that Citizen's United has been a complete disaster? 
• I tend to side with Paul Krugman on the Obama Presidency. 
• Yes, Emily Ratajkowski looked great in "Gone Girl".  
• Let's not forget that there are real world consequences to austerity measures. 
• The planet just had it's hottest September in recorded history. 
• RIP Jan Hooks & Elizabeth Pena. 
• A great read on former Bears QB Jim McMahon can be found here. 
• I always find it amusing when Republicans accuse Democrats of overreach. 
• Bill Gates agrees with Thomas Piketty about income inequality. 
• What in the world is going on with the Miami Hurricane football program? 
• Do not forget where Republican leadership led us on the economy & foreign policy.
• I don't care what you think, I am still a big fan of the thigh gap!
• Australian Rugby star Jarryd Hayne quits Rugby for the chance at the NFL. 

Ayn Rand

How is she still a thing?

Arizona General Election

It's time for my 2014 Arizona General Election endorsements!

Keep in mind, I'm a democrat, I almost always vote democrat, I suggest others follow suit.  I'm also not listing every race, only those I'm familiar with.

Governor:  
Fred DuVal (D) over Doug Ducey (R)

Secretary of State:
Terry Goddard (D) over Michelle Reagan (R)

Attorney General:
Felicia Rotellini (D) over Mark Brnovich (R)

Superintendent of Public Instruction: 
David Garcia (D) over Diane Douglas (R)

Corporate Commission:
Sandra Kenney (D) & Jim Holway (D) over Doug Little (R) & Tom Forese (R)

U.S. Representative (District 1):
Ann Kirkpatrick (D) over Andy Tobin (R)

U.S. Representative (District 2): 
Ron Barber (D) over Martha McSally (R)

U.S. Representative (District 3):
Raul Grijalva (D) over Gabriela Saucedo Mercer (R)

U.S. Representative (District 4): 
Mikel Weisser (D) over Paul Gosar (R)

U.S. Representative (District 5):
James Woods (D) over Matt Salmon (R)

U.S. Representative (District 6):
W. John Williamson (D) over David Schweikert (R)

U.S. Representative (District 7):
Rueben Gallego (D) over Joe Cobb (L) & Jose Penalosa (I)

U.S. Representative (District 8): 
Stephen Dolgos (I) over Trent Franks (R)

U.S. Representative (District 9):
Kyrsten Sinema (D) over Wendy Rogers (R)

State Senator (District 24):
Katie Hobbs (D) over Bill Follette (R)

State Representative (District 24):
Ken Clark (D) and/or Lela Alston (D) over Lei Lani Cortez (R)

Scottsdale City Council:
Linda Milhaven, Jennifer Petersen & Dennis Robbins over David N Smith, Cindy Hill & Kathy Littlefield

Scottsdale Unified School District Budget Increase:  YES

Proposition 122:  NO, it's a power grab by the state's Republican led wackos.

Proposition 303:  YES, go watch "Dallas Buyer's Club" and you'll understand.

Proposition 304:  NO, they don't deserve a raise.

Proposition 480:  YES, I fully support anything that will improve our healthcare system.

Lewis Black on Voter Suppression

Good stuff from Lewis Black!

Cardinals 30, Redskins 20

The Cardinals came off their bye week today with a 30-20 win over the Washington Redskins at University of Phoenix in Glendale.   The Cardinals improved to 4-1 on the season with this win.  Injuries, and there are lots of them, are sure not slowing them down!  I love watching this team, they are a true reflection of their head coach Bruce Arians, they are always fighting, always playing aggressively.  First place!

Observations:

• Welcome back Carson Palmer, it was nice to see you playing today! 
• Cardinal QB's haven't thrown an interception in 20 quarters.  
• Chandler Catanzaro continues to be quite the revelation.  
• Jerraud Powers had a nice game in the Cardinals secondary. 
• This was easily Larry Fitzgerald's best game of the season. 
• Turnovers:  Redskins 4, Cardinals 0
• Time of Possession:  Cardinals 34:19, Redskins 25:41
• I found it interesting that Antonio Cromartie as back deep fielding kick offs. 
• 14 penalties by the Cardinals, they need to clean that up. 
• I'm still not sure if Andre Ellington is an every down RB. 
• Alex Okafor has really been stepping up his game. 
• I love the way Bruce Arians keeps pushing the ball down the field.  
• I'm still not sold on Drew Butler as a punter. 
• It was nice to see the Honey Badger contributing again. 
• The Cardinals got a break on that horrible fumble call on Andre Roberts. 
• It appears that there was quite the protest over the "Redskins" name before the game.
• I don't think that Ben Shelly made many fans today.  
• The Cardinals 4-1 start has come off the toughest schedule in the league.  Impressive.
• I'm not a fan of Kirk Cousins, as a starter he makes for a nice back up. 
• Up next?  @ Oakland to take on the Raiders. 

Lions 17, Vikings 3

The Vikings fell to 2-4 on the season today with a 17-3 loss to the Lions at TCF Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.  The Vikings offense just couldn't get anything going once again this week, I do not like the way this is trending.  The losses of Adrian Peterson, Kyle Rudolph, Matt Cassel & Brandon Fusco have not helped either.  This is shaping up as potentially another very long season for Viking fans.

Observations:

• The Vikings defense continues to put the Vikings into early holes.  
• Once again, no rushing game to speak of for the Vikings.  
• I really can't blame Bridgewater for 2 of his 3 interceptions.  
• Recognizing the above, there is still plenty of room for improvement from Bridgewater.
• Let's not forget, the Lions defense this year has been as good as anyones. 
• You cannot give up 8 sacks and expect to win many ball games. 
• Jeff Locke is no Chris Kluwe.  Just saying. 
• Mike Zimmer does not appear to be happy with the performance of his team.
• The Vikings offensive line has been quite a mess this season.  
• Turnovers:  Vikings 3, Lions 0
• On the bright side, Anthony Barr continues to flash tons of promise. 
• No Vikings QB has thrown a TD pass in the past month. 
• Norv Turners reputation as an offensive genius is taking a hit this season.
• I'm still waiting for more Cordarrelle Patterson touches. 
• The Vikings secondary did show some improvement.  Of course, there was no Megatron.
• As much as I want to blame injuries for the Vikings struggles, both teams had injuries.
• Is it too early to talk 2015 NFL Draft?  Todd Gurley would look nice in purple. 
• Yes, that was the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Vikings game. 
• Matt Prater is no Jason Hanson.  Of course, not many are. 
• Up next?  @ Buffalo, to take on the Bills. 

Minnesota 24, Northwestern 17

The Gophers improved to 5-1 on the season today with a 24-17 win over Northwestern from TCF Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.  The Gophers are on a roll, they are playing really well right now.  The offense being a bit more balanced has probably contributed to that, their confidence appears to be growing by the day too.  Nice win Gophers!

Observations:

• Why wouldn't Mitch Leidner rush the ball in short yardage situations? 
• Jalen Myrick is fast!.  See for yourself. 
• Northwestern did a relatively nice job of containing David Cobb.  Load the box. 
• You only need to get the ball close to Maxx Williams!
• Peter Mortell is a really under appreciated part of the Gophers success. 
• And true freshman OG Connor Mayes burns his redshirt year. 
• Matt Limegrover has done a nice job of offensive play calling the last few games. 
• Derrick Wells is one tough son of a gun. Can't hold him back. 
• The Gophers bend but do not break defense can be a bit maddening at times.  
• Minnesota has now won 6 of their last 8 Big Ten games!
• Was that LB DeNiro Laster lining up at DE in the 2nd half? 
• The Gophers just don't lose under Jerry Kill when they are leading at halftime. 
• Just kick the ball out of the end zone Ryan Santoso.  No need to over think it. 
• Gophers OT Jonah Pirsig is one huge individual. 
• Gophers needs to do a better job of getting Donovahn Jones & Berkley Edwards involved.
• I really liked the looks of the Gophers gold helmets today!
• That fourth quarter TD drive by Northwestern was impressive. 
• Justin Jackson sure is a slippery little running back for Northwestern. 
• Trevor Siemian did a nice job at QB for Northwestern. 
• Up next?  Purdue @ TCF Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. 

AZ Tidbits

• The US Supreme Court set to hear Arizona Redistricting case. 
• Are you familiar with Doug Ducey's ties to the Koch brothers? 
• The Arizona Coyotes set to sell controlling interest of the hockey team.
• Was that a UFO flying over University of Phoenix Stadium? 
• The Arizona State Fair is now open, it runs from 10/10/14 thru 11/02/14.
• All Phoenix needs is 4 million tree's!  How do you water them though? 
• The Arizona Diamondbacks will have the first pick of the 2015 MLB Draft. 
• You can track your Sprint phone coverage upgrades here. 
• Doug Ducey's economic plans sounds much like the disasters of Kansas & Wisconsin.
• Arizona fares poorly in new poverty and growth rankings.  Thanks GOP!
• Here's a complete preview of the 2015 Arizona Coyotes. 
• Katy Perry appears set to perform at halftime during Super Bowl XLIX in Glendale.
• The Arizona Fall League season has started.   
• Are you aware of the differences between Doug Ducey & Fred DuVal on social issues?
• Early ballots are now being mailed in Arizona!  Please vote!!!
• Larry Fitzgerald to the New England Patriots?  Doubtful. 
• Rickie Fowler is dating former ASU bikini model. 
• Arizona could be facing a $1 billion deficit in 2015.  Is it time for the T word? 
• Here's a good place to track the Arizona Diamondbacks manager search. 
• "The Joe Show" debuts.  Here's a couple of reviews for you. 

Micro Bikinis

Hot girl + micro bikini = Heaven!

POTpourri

• Are you aware of the four big marijuana elections this November? 
• We really should be trying to be more like Germany. 
• 2015 NFL Draft is headed to Chicago.  
• The J.P. Gibson signing was the best free agent signing of the year!  
• States with higher black voter turnout are more likely to restrict voting.
• Anna Kournikova is still looking extraordinary.  
• It appears that Republicans would like to cook the books.  
• I think that it's long past time that the Vikings release Christian Ponder. 
• How powerful do Republicans actually think that Barack Obama is? 
• Did you know that free birth control can lower abortion rates? 
• This whole Stephen Collins story is a real tragic tale.  
• Corporate debt has fallen to lowest levels since 1990.  CEO pay up. 
• As election nears, let's not forget the Republican role in the government shut down.
• I really wish Dems wouldn't run away from Obama as the election nears. 
• Are you still watching Fox News?  Please stop already.  Just stop. 
• Why is congress being so chicken shit about military strikes against ISIS?  
• Netflix continues to redefine how we watch TV and movies.  
• Do you know why I don't give money to panhandlers?   Watch. 
• Is the NFL headed back to Los Angeles?   Hopefully, not the Chargers.
• Why disenfranchise thousands to combat essentially a non-existent problem? 

Ron Gardenhire Fired

Yeah, I know, it's old news by now, but since I'm lifelong Twins fan I just wanted to give my two cents on the Ron Gardenshire firing.  Let me start by saying that I don't think that Ron Gardenhire is a bad manager, I don't think that he is solely responsible for the miserable product on the field the past 4 years (I'm looking at you Terry Ryan, Bill Smith & Deron Johnson) and I doubt that he will be unemployed long, but someone had to take the fall after 4 straight 90+ loss seasons.  It would just send a horrible message to the players and the fans if there wasn't some accountability.  He did have his faults as a manager too though, and a fresh approach was/is long overdue (personally, I would have done it last year).

As for a possible replacement?  I'm torn, there are a lot of really good internal candidates to choose from, but at the same time I wonder if it's not also time to just blow the whole thing up and bring in an outsider with a fresh approach and a new way of doing things.

Anyways, here are my Top 10 candidates to replace Gardenhire:

1. Paul Molitor - I'd be shocked if Molitor doesn't get the job, he's been interviewed twice already, he's a Hall of Fame player, he's local, he's well liked, he knows the current roster and he's familiar with the Twins minor league system, he seems like the logical pick. 
2. Doug Mientkiewicz - If Molitor doesn't get the job, I'm betting it goes to Mientkiewicz.  The Twins brass reportedly loves the guy, he impressed everybody with his work at Fort Myers.  Being younger he can probably relate better to the young roster the Twins will be fielding in the upcoming years, his fiery approach would also be a welcome addition. 
3. Gene Glynn - I'm a big Gene Glynn fan, he's done a fantastic job at AAA-Rochester.  He seems to have a knack of getting the most out of his talent.  He's a long time minor league manager and has experience as a coach at the big league level.  He also speaks Spanish so he would be able to relate to the Twins latino players.  
4. Terry Steinbach - Steinbach was Gardenhire's bench coach so he knows the personnel well, he's also a former catcher, and as we well know, former catchers seem to have a high success rate as big league managers.  Another selling point for Steinbach is all of the years he spent playing for Tony LaRussa, that can only be seen as a positive.  He doesn't have an interview scheduled yet though and I'm guessing he's number 4 among the Twins internal candidates. 
5. Ozzie Guillen - He doesn't appear to be on the Twins list of candidates but I think he should be, outside of that disaster in Miami he had a pretty nice run as manager of the White Sox.  He's reportedly made it known that he would be interested, he speaks Spanish, he'd shake things up, I'd be all for it.  
6. John Russell - Russell is currently the bench coach of the Baltimore Orioles, he was formerly a manager in the Twins minor league system, he has also managed the Pittsburgh Pirates.  I guess you could label him a quasi-outsider.  This name doesn't do much for me to be honest.  
7. Chip Hale - Hale is currently the bench coach for the Oakland Athletics, he has also coached and managed in the Mets system.  He is also a former utility player for the Twins.  His main advantages being that he is familiar with the way the Twins do things and he would probably bring with him some of the things the Athletics do well.   
8. Dave Martinez - Martinez is the bench coach of the Tampa Bay Rays, his experience working with Joe Madden has to be seen as a big positive as would his young age and his ability to speak Spanish.  
9. Torey Lovullo - He's set to interview.  He's currently the bench coach for the Red Sox, he previously coached for the Blue Jays and he also played for various teams over an 11 year playing career. He seems on the cusp of getting a managers job somewhere, it's just a matter of when and where.  I see him as along shot for the Twins, but someone to keep an eye on.   
10. Joe McEwing - McEwing is currently the 3rd base coach for the White Sox.  He's also apparently in the running for the Diamondbacks manager's position.  He's a very well thought of baseball man, he learned from Tony LaRussa and he would bring a fresh approach to the Twins. 

Bad Boys of Congress

How do these clowns keep getting elected?

Broncos 24, Cardinals 20

The Cardinals lost their first game of the season today, falling 24-13 to the Broncos in Denver.  The Cardinals fall to 3-1 on the season.  This was easily the Cardinals weakest performance of the year, they were outclassed on both sides of the ball.  Their depth is really being tested at this point too as the injuries continue to pile up.  On the bright side, the Cardinals are still in 1st place.  

Observations:

• Drew Stanton struggled filling in for Carson Palmer today.
• Logan Thomas you are on the clock!  No other alternatives!
• Chandler Catanzaro continues to roll, he's now 11 for 11 on FG attempts.
• Feel free to save a few timeouts for later in the half Bruce Arians. 
• Too many dropped passes by the Cards today.  
• It's quite evident that Calais Campbell played TE in high school. 
• That was a cheap chop block on Calais Campbell by the way.  
• When are we going to see more of Tyrann Mathieu? 
• Passing Yards:  Broncos 476, Cardinals 178
• Rushing Yards:  Broncos 92, Cardinals 37
• First Downs:  Broncos 24, Cardinals 9
• You are not playing touch football Patrick Peterson. 
• Has Peyton Manning ever even been to Omaha?  
• I'm pretty sure Michael Floyd was out there, I didn't see him though. 
• Bobbie Massie had his hands full with Von Miller.  
• Antonio Cromartie did not have his best game.  
• It was nice to see Dave Zastudil back punting for the Cards. 
• 500 career touchdown passes for Manning.  He's still good.  
• Demaryius Thomas is a very good WR.  He smells like beer too.
• Up next?  Redskins @ University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale. 

Bercovici to Strong

Wow. What a finish.  What a win!

Arizona State 38, USC 34

The Sun Devils improved to 4-1 on the season tonight with a 38-34 win over USC at the Los Angeles Coliseum.  Wow, what a comeback, what a game, there was no quit in the Sun Devils tonight and to do it with their back up QB makes it even more impressive.  Bercovici, Strong, Simone & Randall all showed up huge in this win, props to them.  Great win Devils!

Observations:

• Mike Bercovici has got a nice throwing arm!  27-45, 512 yards, 5 TD's!!! 
• There's really no need to rush Taylor Kelly back.  Just saying.  
• Jaelen Strong is going to be playing on Sundays.  10 catches, 204 yards, 3 TD's. 
• Arizona State's defense is really young, inexperienced & mistake prone.  
• Special teams was not Arizona State's friend in this game. 
• D.J. Calhoun had his best game as a Sun Devil.
• Arizona State's 2 minute defense needs some work. 
• USC did a very nice job of neutralizing D.J. Foster.  10 carries, 13 yards. 
• The Sun Devil short yardage offense is not very good. 
• Time of Possession:  USC 37:18, Arizona State 22:42
• Rushing Yards:  USC 220, Arizona State 28
• 0 turnovers for Arizona State tonight after having 4 last week. 
• Does Laiu Moeakiola get hurt in every game? 
• Easy with those timeouts Todd Graham, they are not candy!
• That sure did look like a catch from Jaelen Strong to me in the 2nd quarter. 
• The Sun Devils really need to find a way to generate a pass rush. 
• These 2 teams really like the pooch punt.  
• Where did Jordan Simone come from?  He was all over the field. 
• 200 ASU games called by Tim Healey!  Nice job!
• Up next?  Stanford @ Sun Devil Stadium 2 weeks from today.