Roethlisberger
Allow me now to go through a sigh and wonder about what might have been. Ben could have been a Brown. Damn.

The Panel: Week 8
The Panel
Aaron Rund: Going to Halloween as Mike Tice
Andy Barch: Going as Bill Goldberg
Joel Hammond: Going as an invisible ghost
Nihar Vasavada: Going as a Dentist ... oh wait
Phil Prusa: Going as an Arizona retiree
Vivek Vasavada: Going as Lenord Nimoy (Spock)
Curtis A: Going as a disgruntled postal worker (See last week's 2-12 record)
Zach: Going Republican Pollster

Sunday, Oct. 31
Arizona at Buffalo, 1:00 p.m.
Aaron: Arizona
Andy: Buffalo
Joel: Arizona
Nihar: Arizona
Phil: Buffalo
Vivek: Buffalo
Curtis:Arizona
Zach: Buffalo

Baltimore at Philadelphia, 1:00 p.m.
Aaron: Philadelphia
Andy: Baltimore
Joel: Philadelphia
Nihar: Philadelphia
Phil: Philadelphia
Vivek: Philadelphia
Curtis: Philadelphia
Zach: Philadelphia

Cincinnati at Tennessee, 1:00 p.m.
Aaron: Cincinnati
Andy: Cincinnati
Joel: Cincinnati
Nihar: Cincinnati
Phil: Cincinnati
Vivek: Cincinnati
Curtis: Tennessee
Zach: Tennessee

Detroit at Dallas, 1:00 p.m.
Aaron:Detroit
Andy: Dallas
Joel: Detroit
Nihar: Dallas
Phil: Detroit
Vivek: Detroit
Curtis: Detroit
Zach: Dallas

Green Bay at Washington, 1:00 p.m.
Aaron: Green Bay
Andy: Green Bay
Joel: Green Bay
Nihar: Green Bay
Phil: Green Bay
Vivek: Green Bay
Curtis:Green Bay
Zach: Washington

Indianapolis at Kansas City, 1:00 p.m.
Aaron: Kansas City
Andy: Indianapolis
Joel: Kansas City
Nihar: Indianapolis
Phil: Kansas City
Vivek: Indianapolis
Curtis:Kansas City
Zach: Indianapolis

Jacksonville at Houston, 1:00 p.m.
Aaron: Houston
Andy: Jacksonville
Joel: Houston
Nihar: Jacksonville
Phil: Houston
Vivek: Jacksonville
Curtis: Houston
Zach: Jacksonville

N.Y. Giants at Minnesota, 1:00 p.m.
Aaron: New York
Andy: Minnesota
Joel: Minnesota
Vivek: Minnesota
Nihar: Minnesota
Phil: Minnesota
Curtis: Minnesota
Zach: Minnesota

Atlanta at Denver, 4:05 p.m.
Aaron: Atlanta
Andy: Atlanta
Joel: Denver
Nihar: Denver
Phil: Denver
Vivek: Denver
Curtis: Denver
Zach: Denver

Carolina at Seattle, 4:05 p.m.
Aaron: Seattle
Andy: Seattle
Joel: Seattle
Nihar: Seattle
Phil: Seattle
Vivek: Carolina
Curtis: Seattle
Zach: Seattle

New England at Pittsburgh, 4:15 p.m.
Aaron: New England
Andy: New England
Joel: New England
Nihar: Pittsburgh
Phil: New England
Vivek: Pittsburgh
Curtis: New England
Zach: New England

Oakland at San Diego, 4:15 p.m.
Aaron: San Diego
Andy: San Diego
Joel: San Diego
Nihar: San Diego
Phil: San Diego
Vivek: Oakland
Curtis: San Diego
Zach: San Diego

San Francisco at Chicago, 8:30 p.m.
Aaron: San Francisco
Andy: San Francisco
Joel: San Francisco
Nihar: San Francisco
Phil: San Francisco
Vivek: San Francisco
Curtis: San Francisco
Zach: Chicago
Monday, Nov. 1

Miami at N.Y. Jets, 9:00 p.m.
Aaron: New York
Andy New York
Joel: New York
Nihar: New York
Phil: New York
Vivek: New York
Curtis: New York
Zach: New York

Movies
I haven't been to a theater since moving 10 months ago, but I am really going to try to see "Ray."
Jamie Fox looks, acts and appears as Ray Charles in the previews. It reminds me of Ben Kingsley's performance in Ghandi, where you forgot you were watching an actor.
So I really want to see the film.

Vitamin Z's Magnificent 7: Favorite John Denver songs
It was almost exactly seven years ago that John Denver's plane went down in California. I am an unabashed fan of his, so in honor of a a very underrated songwriter, here is my list:
1. Rocky Mountain High
2. Prisoners
3. Annie's Song
4. Calypso
5. Country Roads
6. Sunshine on my Shoulders
7. Darcy Farrow

OBL and the Sullivan response
I was at a football game last night between to undefeated teams, psyched up for a gridiron classic. Spotting my friend on the sidelines, I went up to him and we talked for a few minutes. Talk turned to the election and he ( a major supporter of the democrats) changed my whole night with one sentence: "Did you hear the latest?"
I prepared myself for something I guessed occurred miles away from Ohio.
"No," I said. "I am in moratorium today. I haven't read anything politically."
"Osama put out another tape," he said. "And he looks good."
I didn't know how to take this, and my friend (knowing my obsessive compulsive side) apologized roughly 30 times for bringing it up.
"Focus on football," he said. "You were so excited five minutes ago."
But the truth is that I have been able to think about little but politics for the last 30 days. As someone who is 1000 percent behind the president's re-election, I have become a political junkie, reading every article by Christopher Hitchens, Andrew Sullivan and Hugh Hewitt that I could find. I went to real clear politics and like Dick Morris, read every poll for every state. All that stopped yesterday, when I became determined to avoid politics all together, even avoiding Mike Ubaldi's site. No politics means just that.
Then the tape. And the fact that it's now Saturday morning. Back to Mike's site, back to Mr. Hewitt and back to the grind. (I am however, not going to look at real clear politics. It's a great site, but I did decide to scale back just a bit for the election.)
Of all the reactions I have read, it is Andrew Sullivan's that interested me the most. A man with generally sound politics, Andrew has endorsed Kerry and up until today had (like the paranoid me) all but predicted a Kerry win. Sullivan responded to the OBL tape like this:
Bummer. I'd hoped he was buried under rubble. What to make of the rant? The parroting of idiotic Michael Moore points was a little pathetic for an alleged spiritual mastermind. And the re-calibration of the rationale for 9/11 - again retroactively talking of Palestinians - was the usual vile opportunism. But why release a tape just before the elections? The obvious impact will be to help Bush. Any reminder of the 9/11 attacks will provoke a national rallying to the commander-in-chief. The deep emotional bond so many of us formed with the president back then is Bush's strongest weapon in this election, and OBL has just revived it. The real October Surprise turned out not to be OBL's capture (sorry, Teresa!) but OBL's resilience. I have a feeling that this will tip the election decisively toward the incumbent. A few hours ago, I thought Kerry was headed for victory. Now I think the opposite. I also have a sinking feeling that that was entirely bin Laden's objective.
I don't agree that OBL wants Bush to win, but the perspective is something I think deserves some credence.
Three days till the election. I will celebrate Wednesday morning by ... going to work really early and laying out pages. I am a wild one.

Vitamin Z's Magnificent 7: Favorite David Bowie Songs
1. Changes
2. Heroes
3. Oh! You Pretty Things
4. Space Oddity
5. Is There Life on Mars?
6. Ashes to Ashes
7. Andy Warhol

Just saw the Bush-Cheney "Wolves" ad and ...
What the hell was that?
But then I hate most political ads.

Song Quote of the day
I didn't mean to hurt you
I'm sorry that I made you cry
I didn't want to hurt you
I'm just a jealous guy--John Lennon

Happy Birthday
... to Kevin Kline.
I would make a list of best seven Kline movies, but found that I just really like a few.

Onion-cutting
Hey, BG friends, find anything cool about this?

Thanks to Sussman.

The Panel: Week 7
The Panel:
Aaron Rund: Political Jimeny Cricket on my shoulder
Andy Barch: New Vitamin Z Columnist
Joel Hammond: Sportswriter
Nihar Vasavada: Betting dentist
Phil Prusa: Professor
Vivek Vasavada: Rapid fire Neocon
Curtis A.: Browns optimist

Sunday, Oct. 24

Atlanta at Kansas City, 1:00 pm
Aaron: Atlanta
Andy: Atlanta
Joel: Kansas City
Nihar: Kansas City
Phil: Atlanta
Vivek: Atlanta
Curtis: Atlanta
Zach: Kansas City


Buffalo at Baltimore, 1:00 pm
Aaron: Buffalo
Andy: Buffalo
Joel: Baltimore
Nihar: Baltimore
Phil: Baltimore
Vivek: Baltimore
Curtis: Buffalo
Zach: Baltimore

Chicago at Tampa Bay, 1:00 pm
Aaron: Tampa Bay
Andy:Tampa Bay
Joel: Chicago
Nihar: Tampa Bay
Phil: Tampa Bay
Vivek: Tampa Bay
Curtis: Tampa Bay
Zach: Tampa Bay

Detroit at N.Y. Giants, 1:00 pm
Aaron: New York
Andy: Detroit
Joel: New York
Nihar: New York
Phil: New York
Vivek: New York
Curtis: New York
Zach: New York

Jacksonville at Indianapolis, 1:00 pm
Aaron: Indianapolis
Andy: Indianapolis
Joel: Indianapolis
Nihar: Indianapolis
Phil: Indianapolis
Vivek: Indianapolis
Curtis: Indianapolis
Zach: Indianapolis

Philadelphia at Cleveland, 1:00 pm
Aaron: Philadelphia
Andy: Cleveland
Nihar: Philadelphia
Joel: Philadelphia
Phil: Philadelphia
Vivek: Philadelphia
Curtis: Cleveland
Zach: Philadelphia

San Diego at Carolina, 1:00 pm
Aaron: San Diego
Andy: San Diego
Joel: San Diego
Nihar: San Diego
Phil: San Diego
Vivek: San Diego
Curtis: Carolina
Zach: Carolina

St. Louis at Miami, 1:00 pm
Aaron: St. Louis
Andy: St. Louis
Joel: St. Louis
Nihar: St. Louis
Phil: St. Louis
Vivek: St. Louis
Curtis: St. Louis
Zach: Miami

Tennessee at Minnesota, 1:00 pm
Aaron: Minnesota
Andy: Minnesota
Joel: Minnesota
Nihar: Minnesota
Phil: Minnesota
Vivek: Minnesota
Curtis: Minnesota
Zach: Minnesota

N.Y. Jets at New England, 4:05 pm
Aaron: New York
Andy: New York
Joel: New England
Nihar: New England
Phil: New England
Vivek: New England
Curtis: New York
Zach: New England

Dallas at Green Bay, 4:15 pm
Aaron: Green Bay
Andy: Green Bay
Joel: Green Bay
Nihar: Dallas
Phil: Dallas
Vivek: Dallas
Curtis:Dallas
Zach: Green Bay

New Orleans at Oakland, 4:15 pm
Aaron: New Orleans
Andy: New Orleans
Joel: Oakland
Nihar: New Orleans
Phil: Oakland
Vivek: Oakland
Curtis: Oakland
Zach: Oakland

Seattle at Arizona, 4:15 pm
Aaron: Seattle
Andy: Seattle
Joel: Seattle
Nihar: Seattle
Phil: Seattle
Vivek: Seattle
Curtis: Seattle
Zach: Seattle

Monday, Oct. 25
Denver at Cincinnati, 9:00 pm
Aaron: Denver
Joel: Cincinnati
Andy: Denver
Nihar: Denver
Phil: Denver
Vivek:Denver
Curtis: Denver
Zach: Cincinnati

The Panel: Week Six Results
1. Joel: 11-3 (48-39)
1. Vivek: 11-3 (50-37)
2. Phil: 10-4 (54-33)
3. Andy: 9-5 (38-35)
4. Nihar:8-6 (52-35)
4. Aaron: 8-6 (51-36)
4. Zach:8-6 (50-37)
5. Curtis: 6-8 (40-47)

*And Phil takes the lead.

Andy Barch's Ruthless Aggression:Offense wins More than Just Games
Before we begin, don’t judge my credibility by the record displayed in my weekly NFL Picks.
By doing so, my articles will carry as much weight as Ally McBeal soaking wet and will be about as useful as a day care center run by Michael Jackson. Although I’m sure that day care would end up being a “Thriller”. We’ve all heard the old adage, offense wins games and defense wins Championships.
How much of this has actually held water in the MLB Post season or the early goings of the NFL season? Offense has dominated both the ALCS and the NLCS. Tons of runs have been scored making offense the name of the game in this exciting post season. Here are the cold hard facts. In the ALCS there were only 3 games in which fewer than 10 runs were scored between both teams combined. The 2 teams scored 86 runs combined in the 7 game series, an average of 12.2 runs per game.
That in itself is amazing. In the NLCS the scoring wasn’t quite as extreme but they still did average just over 9 runs per game in the 7 game series. Proving that offense was the name of the game in both League Championship Series Matchups. Essentially, it was the offense that won those championships.
Want to talk more offense? How about the NFL early on in the 2004 campaign? Sure its still relatively early and a lot of these statistics may be obsolete in a few weeks but right now its fun to speculate and determine what these mean exactly. So far, if anything, its been proven that a good defense doesn’t amount to Jack Squat. Here are the numbers. Of the top 10 defenses in the league through 6 weeks, only 4 have winning records and the combined record amongst all 10 teams is 26-31. For the top 10 offensive teams in the NFL teams it’s been a completely different story. Count them out, 8 of the top 10 offensive teams in the league have winning records, and of the 2 teams without a winning record one stands at an even 3-3 (Houston). Combine that with the fact that the 10 teams with the top offenses in the league have a combined record of 39-15. Numbers which are astounding in a league that has predicated itself on the idea that Championships are typically won with top-notch defenses and mediocre offenses.
I’ll be the first to tell you that at the beginning of the ALCS I wasn’t all that excited. I’m all about the element of surprise, when I saw that the Sox and Yankees were ready to square off I thought to myself….”didn’t I just see this last fall?” When the Yanks took the first three games of the series, like 99% of the baseball world I began to recite the words of Lil’ Flip’s “GAME OVER”. Then I started to recite the lines of the song “Game Over” which was performed by Ice Cube, Dr. Dre and Scarface back in the mid 90’s but at that point I drew a bunch of blank faces and I cleared out the room. Little did I know that I should have been reciting the words to Chumbawumba’s “Tub Thumper”. Who would have guessed it? After all these years of this rivalry and the recent off season involving so much hype, many thought this would be the year that the Red Sox would overcome the Evil Empire in the post season. However, Curt Schilling’s ankle looking liking Randy Orton’s face after Taboo Tuesday, Pedro’s recent track record against his illegitimate fathers in New York and Manny Ramirez looking as confused as a 3rd grader attempting an algebra equation in the outfield and on the bases were all reasons to believe why the Red Sox would allow history to repeat itself. Alas though, the Red Sox defied the odds and became the first team in baseball history to erase a 3-0 deficit in the post season. So many Boston brethren at this point are fubared to the fullest extent, meaning they will not be able to recover in time for the beginning of the fall classic this weekend. Sometimes I wonder if the purpose of this season was to eliminate the Yankees or win a championship and eliminate the curse. Which is why I like the Cardinals in the World Series.

*Speaking of the Cardinals, how entertaining was that series? Didn’t see it? Don’t worry, you’re not alone.
Sickening to think that this series just didn’t get the attention it deserved, partially because this is the kind of series that we expected to see from the Yankees and the Red Sox.
Personally, I had more of an emotional attachment to this series than I did to the Yanks-Red Sox series. I couldn’t help but watch to see if the Killer B’s were going to continue to break this post-season hex and make their first appearance in the Fall Classic. At the same time what’s not to like about this Cardinal team? Pujols may be the best right hand hitter of this era, Jim Edmonds just might be the best defensive Center fielder of this era, and who could forget their post game antics after their series against the Dodgers?
This is the kind of series that you watch, and wish that both teams could win. What was hard for me to swallow here was the fact that there were many occasions in which Tony LaRussa wasn’t “managing”. Instead, he was doing a live on camera interview with Fox, while the game was in progress.
Does anybody else find this ridiculous? Whats next? In the 9th inning will they have Isringhausen talk to Joe Buck and Tim McCarver after every pitch he throws with a 1 run lead facing Cabrera, Ramirez and Ortiz? It is absolutely ridiculous. Interviews with players, managers and umpires are pre and post game activities in baseball. Is Tony LaRussa not managing or not thinking about the game when his team is on the field? The entire concept is absolutely ridiculous. Leave the managers and players alone during the game, there is no need to take LaRussa away from the game while its going on. That would be like asking Joe Buck to stop doing play by play during the broadcast to ask fans to log on to Foxsports.com to vote on the play of the game……wait a minute, that would be like asking Joe Buck to stop doing play by play during the broadcast to tell the fans about the 18 new fall shows coming up on Fox……wait a minute. I’m not getting too far with that.
Essentially, it would be like asking Joe Buck to stop doing the play by play, and speak at a charity event during the game. While Joe Buck doesn’t mind speaking at charity events, I’m sure he’d be quite perturbed if he were asked to engage in a different activity while he was required to conduct the play by play, quite like the managers and coaches who are trying to do their jobs during the game and are being asked to stop what they’re doing to speak to the media. After the game fine, before the game, that’s just great, during the game, absolutely not. The integrity of the game is being questioned by this kind of activity. All jokes aside, this should be a great series. Enjoy the offense and the edited version of the Big Lebowski.

One more thing
This week I had the privledge to spend two evenings, on assignment, in the now world-famous Clark County. (I am a sports reporter, so I wasn't covering the story itself) I spent six hours there grand total, talked to a few people and realized after I returned that the words "Guardian" never came up. Of course, their children were playing volleyball and soccer, so you have to take that into account as well.

Daily Telegraph
Interesting article here about Bush and the war on terrorism. As noted, I am a one issue voter in this election and while I'm not sure I am quite as pessimistic that John Kerry won't see "the big picture" when (or perhaps "if" is a better word) taking office, I think the article makes a good case for the president and his re-election.

Hitchens and the mighty read
I just finished Christopher Hitchens' No One Left to Lie to. If you are at all interested, love, hate or feel like you know Bill Clinton, I advise you to read the book and draw your own conclusions.

Athletes for Bush
I have always found these things kind of well stocked with blandness. I also doubt that these things will change anyone's mind. But it does strike me as interesting that celebrities go left and athletes go right. Financially, they make about the same. So why the difference?
Anyway, here is the letter.
To our fellow Americans:
We have given much thought to the values and characteristics that make a great athlete. Our lives have been spent trying to run farther, push further, and jump higher than the person beside us, or across the field of our chosen sport.
With years of training and exhaustive competition beneath our belts, we have identified the values necessary to compete and win – values like personal strength, determination, a sense of fair play and faith.
The same qualities that make a great athlete make a great President – the determination to do what is right, regardless of the latest polls, the personal strength to bear the weight of the nation on your shoulders, and the faith that a higher power will direct the actions of good people.
We see in President Bush these same qualities.
In 2001, our nation was attacked without cause or provocation. The President's values saw us through those dark days after the terrorist attack.
The economy was rocked by the dual blows of the terrorists' cowardly action and the reckless disregard of the rules by a few rogue executives. But President Bush's decisive, principled leadership has moved America forward, and today our nation is safer and our economy is strong and getting stronger.
The fight against terrorism takes decisiveness. It takes continued support for our troops and first responders. But most importantly, it takes courage and inspirational leadership in the White House. In these critical times, our President has had the courage to stand up and do what's right.
For that and for his unwavering character, we choose George W. Bush as our President for the next four years. He is a leader we can depend on to make the tough decisions and the right decisions. Please join us in supporting a candidate of courage, President Bush – a leader who backs our troops defending our nation and shares our values.
The athletes who signed it:
Ernie Banks,Daniel Beery, Carlos Beltran, Craig Biggio, Josh Davis, Adam Dunn, John Elway, Bob Feller, Natalie Golda, Matt Hasselbeck, Bernie Kosar, Steve Largent, Karl Malone, Anthony Munoz, Jack Nicklaus, Mary Lou Retton, Dot Richardson, Nolan Ryan, Janet Lynn Salomon, Chris Spielman, Roger Staubach,Kerri Strug, Lynn Swann, Todd Walker.
Some names I know, others I have no idea. The only name that surprises me is Ernie Banks, only because if memory serves, he attended the Democratic National Convention in 1996.

Fried
It's playoff week at my dwelling, which is why my posts have been infrequent lately. So here are some notes:
-Congratulations to the Red Sox for pulling off the greatest comeback in modern sports. I am not a Red Sox fan, but am always glad to see the hated Yankees vanquished. Tonight the Astros will take on the Cardinals in the NLCS. I am pulling for Houston, but we'll see.
-Andy Barch and I are discussing him writing a weekly sports column for the site. Andy ought to bring some good old "ruthless aggression" to the blog. I am excited about this.
-Bernie Kosar is one of several former and current athletes endorsing the president in a letter to the general public. I will post the letter later tonight, along with a list of the athletes who have signed it. The left has the celebrities, the right has the athletes. Well, except for Steve Nash.

Overall Panel standings through week 5
1. Nihar: 44-29
1. Phil: 44-29
2. Aaron: 43-30
3. Zach: 42-31
4. Vivek: 39-34
5. Joel: 37-36
6. Andy: 29-30
7. Curtis: 34-39

*These standings don't include the most recent results, which still need to be tabulated.
* Aaron finally fell out of the top spot, overtaken by a professor and a dentist.
*Curtis is having a good run of bad luck. But I expect him to surge soon.
*Andy has less games because of a bye week in week two. Other panelists may choose to either skip a week or drop their lowest one after the season.

Buchanan endorses Bush ... I wish he hadn't
I don't like, don't trust and would never vote for Pat Buchanan. So his support of the same candidate I support is somewhat irritating.
Buchanan's critics have called him racist, anti-semetic and ...does it even really matter? If I were to rank my least favorite Republicans, (which I think I did once) he'd be at the top of the list.
So, I'll take Ed Koch, John McCain and the social moderates who have endorsed the president and pretend this endorsement doesn't exist.

Song quote of the day
There's no success like failure
and failure's no success at all--Bob Dylan

Bonds
Well, THIS certainly doesn't sound good for Barry.

The Panel: Week 6
Aaron Rund: BGRSO
Andy Barch: Best Minor League Announcer in the country
Joel Hammond: Sharp Dressed Man
Nihar Vasavada: The Good Doctor
Phil Prusa: The Professor
Vivek Vasavada: Neocon Football Wizard
Curtis A.: Rebound King

Sunday, Oct. 17
Carolina at Philadelphia, 1:00 pm
Andy: Eagles
Joel: Eagles
Nihar:Carolina
Phil: Eagles
Curtis: Eagles
Vivek: Eagles
Aaron: Eagles
Zach: Eagles

Cincinnati at Cleveland, 1:00 pm
Andy: Browns
Joel: Bengals
Nihar: Browns
Phil: Browns
Curtis: Browns
Vivek: Browns
Aaron: Bengals
Zach Bengals

Green Bay at Detroit, 1:00 pm
Andy: Lions
Joel: Green Bay
Nihar: Lions
Phil: Lions
Curtis: Lions
Vivek: Lions
Aaron: Green Bay
Zach: Lions


Houston at Tennessee, 1:00 pm
Andy: Titans
Joel: Texans
Nihar: Titans
Curtis: Titans
Phil: Texans
Vivek: Titans
Aaron: Titans
Zach: Titans


Kansas City at Jacksonville, 1:00 pm
Andy: Chiefs
Joel: Jaguars
Nihar: Kansas City
Curtis: Chiefs
Phil: Chiefs
Vivek: Jacksonville
Aaron: Chiefs
Zach: Chiefs


Miami at Buffalo, 1:00 pm
Andy: Bills
Joel: Bills
Nihar: Bills
Phil: Bills
Curtis: Dolphins
Vivek: Bills
Aaron: Bills
Zach: Bills

San Diego at Atlanta, 1:00 pm
Andy: Atlanta
Joel: San Diego
Nihar: Atlanta
Phil: Chargers
Curtis: Atlanta
Vivek: Atlanta
Aaron: San Diego
Zach: Falcons


Seattle at New England, 1:00 pm
Andy: Seahawks
Joel: New England
Nihar: New England
Phil: New England
Curtis: Seahawks
Vivek: New England
Aaron: Seahawks
Zach: New England


San Francisco at N.Y. Jets, 1:00 pm
Andy: Jets
Joel: Jets
Nihar: Jets
Phil: Jets
Curtis: Jets
Vivek: JETS
Aaron:Jets
Zach: Jets

Washington at Chicago, 1:00 pm
Andy: Washington
Joel:Bears
Nihar: Redskins
Phil: Bears
Curtis: Bears
Vivek: Redskins
Aaron: Redskins
Zach: Bears


Denver at Oakland, 4:15 pm
Andy: Broncos
Joel: Denver
Nihar: Denver
Curtis: Oakland
Phil: Broncos
Vivek: Denver
Aaron:Denver
Zach: Broncos


Pittsburgh at Dallas, 4:15 pm
Aaron: Cowboys
Andy: Cowboys
Joel: Steelers
Nihar: Dallas
Phil: Steelers
Curtis: Dallas
Vivek: Dallas
Zach: Cowboys


Minnesota at New Orleans, 8:30 pm
Andy: Vikings
Joel: Vikings
Nihar: Saints
Phil: Vikings
Curtis: Vikings
Aaron: Vikings
Vivek: Vikings
Zach: Vikings

Monday, Oct. 18
Tampa Bay at St. Louis, 9:00 pm
Aaron:Rams
Andy: Rams
Joel: Rams
Nihar: St. Louis
Curtis:St. Louis
Phil: Rams
Vivek: Rams
Zach: Rams

The worst America has to offer
God knows I support free speech and free speech means just that. But if I had a "jackass of the week" award, it would go to this waste of space.
Calling 9-11 "justice" of any kind is something that deserves 1,000 different boycots, and I hope Kris Parker gets them.
Democrat, Republican, it doesn't matter. September 11 was a day that deserves rememberence, not satisfaction. So many innocent people died, and to call it what he called it shows practically no human feelings.

Oscars to Rock
Chris Rock is hosting the Oscars this upcoming year, which I think is a good choice. In honor of this, I will give you:
Vitamin Z's Magnificent 7: Favorite Comedians
1. Rodney Dangerfield
2. Steve Martin
3. Dennis Miller
4. Denis Leary
5. Chris Rock
6. Lewis Black
7. Dave Chappele

Like Namath and the Rams, Robert Parrish with the Celtics ...
It will be difficult to see Barry Larkin in any other color than red on the baseball diamond. I grew up pulling for the Reds (while retaining my more intense loyalty for the hometown Indians) and have never been a fan of them when Barry was not there.
It will be weird and it's sad too, in a comparitive sense.
The Reds should have kept Larkin until he decided it was time to go. He had earned that loyalty.
But loyalty means nothing in sports anymore. We all know that.

Ed Koch and me
I imagine I agree with Ed Koch on only a few things on the domestic front. But his view of terrorism is spot-on, in my opinion.
Even as a conservative, I am not always in agreement with the president.
I don't agree with the president on gay marriage, I'm not on board with his health care plan, and I have never been the biggest advocate of the need for citizens to be armed.
Koch is much the same way.
But for me, this election is about terrorism.
Koch puts it better than I can. His article today is a must-read.

On a somewhat lighter note:
John Edwards has completely lost his mind.

The Panel Week Four Results
1. Zach: 9-5
2. Phil: 8-6
2. Nihar: 8-6
3. Andy: 7-7
3. Joel: 7-7
3. Vivek: 7-7
4. Aaron: 6-8
5. Curtis: 4-10

*Overall records will be added as soon as I figure out how to add correctly.

Obituaries
-A couple of sad notes today, as there are two deaths that need mention.
The first is Christopher Reeve, who died today of heart failure. The man who played Superman may best be remembered for his courage following a freak accident that left him paralyzed. Reeve didn't give up, but rather worked hard in the hope of walking again, and became an activist for victims such as himself.
Rest in peace, Mr. Reeve.

-In another untimely death, Ken Caminiti, who won the National League MVP in 1996, died yesterday from an apparent heart attack.
Caminiti may have attained more notoriety after his career, when he not only admitted to using steroids, but said that half of baseball was also taking them.
According to the AP story, he tested positive for cocaine earlier this month, which was a problem for him after baseball.
May he rest in peace.

From April:
You know, I already saw, in person, Ben Roethlisberger torch my team TWICE this past college season. Now I need to get used to that feeling for the next decade or so.--From the Archives of this site.

See, I can be right every now and then.

The Panel
Aaron Rund: BGRSO
Andy Barch: Charleston Alleycat Announcer
Joel Hammond: Sportswriter
Phil Prusa: Professor of Gridironology
Nihar Vasavada: Floss expert
Vivek Vasavada: Neoconservative Nixonite
Curtis A.: The Rodney Dangerfield of the Panel

Sunday
Cleveland at Pittsburgh, 1:00 pm
Aaron: Pittsburgh
Andy: Pittsburgh
Joel: Pittsburgh
Nihar: Pittsburgh
Phil: STEELERS
Vivek: Cleveland
Curtis: Browns
Zach: Steelers

Detroit at Atlanta, 1:00 pm
Aaron: Atlanta
Andy: Atlanta
Joel: Atlanta
Nihar: Detroit
Phil: FALCONS
Curtis: Falcons
Vivek: Atlanta
Zach: Atlanta

Miami at New England, 1:00 pm
Aaron: New England
Andy: NE
Joel: NE
Nihar: NE
Phil: PATRIOTS
Vivek: NE
Curtis: New England
Zach: Patriots

Minnesota at Houston, 1:00 pm
Aaron:Houston
Andy: Minnesota
Joel: Minnesota
Phil: TEXANS
Nihar:Minnesota
Vivek: Vikings
Curtis: Houston
Zach: Minnesota

N.Y. Giants at Dallas, 1:00 pm
Aaron:Dallas
Andy: Cowboys
Joel: Giants
Nihar: Dallas
Phil: COWBOYS
Vivek: Giants
Curtis: Dallas
Zach: Dallas

Oakland at Indianapolis, 1:00 pm
Aaron: Colts
Andy: Colts
Joel: Colts
Phil: COLTS
Vivek: Colts
Curtis: Colts
Zach: Colts

Tampa Bay at New Orleans, 1:00 pm
Aaron: New Orleans
Andy: Tampa Bay
Joel: Saints
Nihar: Saints
Phil: BUCCANEERS
Vivek: TB
Curtis: New Orleans
Zach: New Orleans

Buffalo at N.Y. Jets, 4:05 pm
Aaron:Jets
Andy: Jets
Joel: Jets
Phil: JETS
Nihar: Bills
Vivek: Bills
Curtis: Buffalo
Zach: Jets

Jacksonville at San Diego, 4:05 pm
Aaron: Jacksonville
Andy: Jacksonville
Joel: Jaguars
Phil: CHARGERS
Nihar: Jax
Curtis: Jacksonville
Vivek: Jacksonville
Zach: Chargers

Arizona at San Francisco, 4:15 pm
Aaron: 49ers
Andy: Arizona
Joel: Arizona
Phil: CARDINALS
Vivek: 49ers
Nihar: 49ers
Curtis: Arizona
Zach: Arizona

Carolina at Denver, 4:15 pm
Aaron: Denver
Andy: Denver
Joel: Panthers
Nihar: Denver
Phil: BRONCOS
Vivek: Denver
Curtis: Denver
Zach: Denver

St. Louis at Seattle, 4:15 pm
Aaron: Seattle
Andy: Seahawks
Joel: Seattle
Nihar: Seattle
Phil: SEAHAWKS
Vivek: Seattle
Curtis: Seahawks
Zach: Seahawks

Baltimore at Washington, 8:30 pm
Aaron:Washington
Andy: Washington
Joel: Ravens
Nihar: Ravens
Phil:RAVENS
Vivek: Redskins
Curtis: Redskins
Zach: Baltimore

Monday
Tennessee at Green Bay at 9 pm
Aaron: Green Bay
Andy: Green Bay
Joel: Green Bay
Nihar: GB
Phil: PACKERS
Vivek: GB
Curtis: Tennessee
Zach: Titans

Australia and the Electorate
Today is Australia's election day. As a known conservative, I am pulling for John Howard and the Coalition party, but most polls have the race as close as the one in the United States.
Howard, who has been a staunch U.S ally, is leading by a few points in the major polls against Labor's Mark Latham, who is not nearly as pro-American, or at least pro-Bush. He and his party have wanted to remove their troops from Iraq.
America ought to keep an eye on this one.
UPDATE
Latham has conceded defeat. Howard has won and will remain prime minister.

Manuel manages again?
According to ESPN, former Indians manager Charlie Manuel will be interviewed for the managerial job in Philadelphia, vacated after the firing of Larry Bowa.
Just a guess, a GUESS, but Jim Thome will probably put in a good word for him.
Don Baylor and former Indians (and Manuel's) bench coach Grady Little will be interviewed for the job as well.
Charlie in the National League? Hmmm. I don't know.

NFL Power Rankings: Post Week Four
1. Philadelphia
2. New England
3. Indianapolis
4. Seattle
5. Atlanta
6. Minnesota
7. NY Jets

Rock for Same
I dedicate this post to Vivek and Nihar Vasavada, who attended the Rock for Change concert in Cleveland.
Thanks to Matt Sussman for providing the link.
-I was thinking the other night why we can't have a Rock for Same tour. Maybe it's because it would include Larry Gatlin, the Oak Ridge Boys, Foghat, Kiss and Ted Nugent. That lineup would just confuse the masses.

Cheney
I'm not the biggest fan in the world of Dick Cheney, but I honestly thought he wiped the floor with John Edwards in last night's debate. I believe debates are judged much like our speeches were in middle school--by presentation and points.
Cheney provided an excellent presentation and brought the content to back it up. I thought Edwards had the presentation but not the content.
In talking to my mom, I said "Edwards may be getting his clock cleaned, but he looks good doing it."
Sometimes that can be enough, but I think Cheney was clutch for the administration last night.

The Panel: Week four results
1. Nihar: 11-3 (36-23)
2. Phil: 8-6 (36-23)
3. Curtis: 7-7 (30-30)
3. Vivek: 7-7 (33-26)
3. Zach: 7-7 (33-26)
4. Joel: 6-8 (30-30)
4. Aaron: 6-8 (37-21)
5. Andy: 5-7 (22-23)

-Nihar overwhelmed us all this week with a tremendous 11-3 record. The good doctor told me a few weeks ago he, Vivek and Curtis had something to prove, not being sports people. He certainly proved it this week.

-Aaron has seen his lead slip to one game over Nihar and Phil.

Rodney Dangerfield dies
One of the funniest men on the face of the earth has passed away at 82. His performance in Caddyshack may be one of my favorite in film.
We will always have the jokes, the movie lines and the movies themselves.
We will miss you Rodney.
Rest in peace, Mr. Dangerfield.

The Panel: Week four
Aaron Rund: Undecided cheerer on Browns Redskins.
Andy Barch: Fresh off his bye week with a new outlook on life.
Joel Hammond: Carolina on his mind
Phil Prusa: Professor of Pigskin
Vivek Vasavada: Kissenger-style picker
Nihar Vasavada: Hawkeye
Curtis A.: Browns optimist

Cincinnati at Pittsburgh, 1:00 pm
Aaron: Pittsburgh
Andy: Steelers
Joel: Bengals
Phil: Steelers
Vivek: Bengals
Nihar: Bengals
Curtis: Pittsburgh
Zach: Pittsburgh

Indianapolis at Jacksonville, 1:00 pm
Aaron: Indianapolis
Andy: Jaguars
Joel: Jags
Phil: Colts
Vivek: Colts
Nihar: Colts
Curtis: Jacksonville
Zach: Indianapolis

New England at Buffalo, 1:00 pm
Aaron: New England
Andy: Bills
Joel: Pats
Phil: Patriots
Vivek: NE
Nihar: New England
Curtis: Buffalo
Zach: New England

N.Y. Giants at Green Bay, 1:00 pm
Aaron: Green Bay
Andy: Packers
Joel: Packers
Vivek: Packers
Curtis: Green Bay
Phil Packers
Nihar: Green Bay
Zach: Green Bay

Oakland at Houston, 1:00 pm
Aaron: Oakland
Andy: Raiders
Joel: Texans
Phil: Raiders
Vivek: Raiders
Nihar: Houston
Curtis: Houston
Zach: Oakland

Philadelphia at Chicago, 1:00 pm
Aaron: Philly
Andy: Eagles
Joel: Eagles
Phil: Eagles
Vivek:Eagles
Nihar: Eagles
Curtis: Philly
Zach: Philadelphia

Washington at Cleveland, 1:00 pm
Aaron: Washington
Andy: Redskins
Joel: Skins
Phil: Redskins
Vivek: Browns
Nihar: Browns
Curtis: Cleveland
Zach: Washington

Atlanta at Carolina, 4:05 pm
Aaron: Carolina
Andy: Falcons
Joel:Panthers
Vivek: Carolina
Phil:Panthers
Nihar: Atlanta
Curtis: Atlanta
Zach: Carolina

New Orleans at Arizona, 4:05 pm
Aaron: New Orleans
Andy: Saints
Joel: Saints
Phil: Saints
Vivek: Saints
Nihar: Arizona
Curtis: New Orleans
Zach: Arizona

Denver at Tampa Bay, 4:15 pm
Aaron: Tampa Bay
Andy:Bucs
Joel: Broncos
Phil: Broncos
Vivek: Broncos
Nihar: Denver
Curtis: Denver
Zach: Denver

N.Y. Jets at Miami, 4:15 pm
Aaron: Jets
Andy: Jets
Joel: Jets
Phil: Jets
Vivek: Jets
Nihar: Jets
Curtis: Jets
Zach: Miami

Tennessee at San Diego, 4:15 pm
Aaron: Tennessee
Andy: Titans
Joel: Titans
Phil: Chargers
Vivek: Titans
Nihar: San Diego
Curtis: Tennessee
Zach: San Diego

St. Louis at San Francisco, 8:30 pm
Aaron: San Francisco
Andy: Rams
Joel: Rams
Phil: Rams
Vivek: Rams
Nihar: 49ers
Curtis: St. Louis
Zach: St. Louis

Monday, Oct. 4
Kansas City at Baltimore, 9:00 pm
Aaron: Kansas City
Andy: Ravens
Joel: Ravens
Phil: Ravens
Vivek: Ravens
Nihar: Kansas City
Curtis: Kansas City
Zach: Baltimore