The Lake it is said never gives up their dead when the skies of November turn gloomy

We are 4 bottles into the Edmund Fitzgerald sixer and the Badgers somehow did not freaking blow their game against the sharpshooters from Virginia Tech to get the Big 10 up 1-0 in this year's version of the challenge.

In addition, we have salmon in the oven and some brown rice ready to go on.

Oh, and MLR just got home. So with that, thank you all (none of you) for attending and have a great evening



And later that night when his lights went out of sight came the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald...

I like the little things

God Bless John Spencer and Leo McGarry:

Good scotch sits in a charcoal barrel for 12 years, very good scotch gets smoked for 29 years, Johnnie Walker Blue is 60 year old scotch.



There are firsts in life that forever are tattooed in your memory- your first kiss, your first ballgame, your first job offer, the feeling of your car being hit in your first accident, the freezing cold temperature of the water on your feet the first time you waded into the Pacific, and for me on Thanksgiving there was another first- my first glass of Johnnie Walker Blue.

It happened innocently enough. A chat with my uncle about scotch, a casual remark about a recent whiskey tasting I attended, and then the remark from him

"What was the scotch Jed Had in West Wing?"
"Jed? You mean Josh?"
"The Chief of staff"
"Oh, Leo- um, Johnnie Walker Blue"
"Yeah, you want some?"
"YOU HAVE JOHNNIE WALKER BLUE?????"

Indeed he did, but it took a few minutes to get it as he could not find it. Yeah, a MISSING bottle of Blue. A cruise purchase from Mexico from "6-8 years ago" but it was found.

Until this moment I was pounding merlot, the bottle was presented to me- just like I remember from gazes at liquor stores and the finer bars out there- only this time it was there in front of me. He looked to pour me a glass in my wine glass- the one that most recently held a glass of wine from an $11 bottle of merlot. I was aghast.
"I need a better glass than this"
My cousin found a waterford brandy glass- worked for me.

I was given a sip- just to see if I liked it. I took a whiff- it smelled good. Like every good brown smell combined: oak, rye, vanilla bean, ale, catchers mitt, hardwood floor, leather, espresso. I would have detailed my car with that smell- I would relish my ride to work. Instead, I sat and sucked in that moment- tried to sober up the best I could to take it all in. I swirled, sniffed, gazed, pondered, raised my glass, sniffed again, closed my eyes, raised it some more, found my lips and took it in- Johnnie Walker Blue..

It was smooth, it was deep, it was sophisticated, it was different. Scotch, bourbon, whiskey usually stings the back of your throat, usually brings some pain with the pleasure- it makes you work for it. Blue did none of that. Blue seduced you with a wink of its eye. It realized you worked hard to obtain blue- why trouble you more than needed? Afterall, you were drinking blue to relax- so lets relax.

Johnnie Walker Blue is 60 year old scotch.

I put the glass back down and was given another pour, a larger one. My first glass of Blue.


That's what I remember...

OH! Sweet England how we love ya!

Very excited at the news of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers "hosting" the Patriots in London at Wembley next year.
From a 2009 season perspective, this might not be the most strategic decision, but this is going to be great exposure for the Bucs, a great experience for the players, and with the Bucs playing Tom Brady and the Pats this will be a big game.

The only thing I wished would have happened instead is that the game would have been played in Manchester at Old Trafford- home of Manchester United, which is ownded by Glazer family who also owns the Bucs.


With that and with the NHL email I figured now was a good time to list the 20 Premiership teams in the order of hate to love. Lets roll!

20. Sunderland: Fuck Sunderland, Fuck Roy Keane, Fuck their fans, Fuck the Stadium of Light

19. Tottenham: During my first season of being a Newcastle supporter Sunderland was not in the EPL, so the team I chose to hate was Totty. I still hate them. GFY, Spurs fans!

18. Liverpool: Sure, I'll pull for them in the CL, but I hate the Scouse

17. Stoke: I just don't respect them

16. West Ham: Cheaters, and they have Craig Bellamy

15. Man City: Ooooh, you are owned by Sheiks who like to spend money. Might as well just call yourself the "Parisian Whores"

14. Bolton: This team does not belong in the EPL.

13. West Brom: Sure, West Brom has done nothing to me, but they are going to be down again next season- why even bother caring

12: Wigan: See above, but they'll be back next year.

11. ManU: Could be higher, could be lower. The bottom line is I respect them but I do not like them

10. Middlesborough: Sure I guess they are a NUFC rival, but Garreth Southgate's uncanny resemblance to Joel Osteen makes me wish they succeed so I can make cracks that only I get every weekend

9. Chelsea: Had I gotten into the EPL 2 years earlier Chelsea would have been my team. Higher now that Jose is gone

8. Portsmouth: Pompey could be higher after I read Bloody Confused, but for now, this is about right

7. Blackburn: I want them to stay up, just not at the expense of the Magpies: Come on You Rovers!

6. Everton: Should have have picked teams again, Everton would have made the final 4.
Yes, they are Scousers, but they are not Scousers.

5. Hull: It's just a great story, hope they can continue to be competitive going into the cruelest month

4. Fulham: The Americans, the cottage, Dodi, "Trendy Fulham" Yes, they are up there

3. Aston Villa: Ok, had I done this thing over again, Villa might have won- American owners, just abover mediocre tradition, I like Villa.

2, Arsenal: The Gooners are my Big 4 team, certainly helps that BG is a big fan and drags my ass to the Globe to see Arse play once a month. I also have a shirt.

1. Newcastle: What, like I'd change after 2 subpar seasons? I'm a Cubs fan! I was a fan of the Tampa Bay Bucs for 8 10+ loss seasons. I do not jump ship. COME ON NEWCASTLE!

That's Debatable....

Remember my Youppi! post from a few days ago? (scroll down)

Well, this is the copy of an email I wrote in early October when I was not publishing here. This would have been a perfect addition- but better late than never:

Friends:





With the NHL season upon us it is once again time for me to choose my team for the 08-09 season.


As many of you will recall, last season the decision was based upon the most Finnish players per team. The Minnesota Wild were deemed the winner of my affections and then really did not do anything to earn it, so it is time to move on.



This year the decision was made on several factors:





-Tradition, but also giving credence to new teams with new energy


-Finnish Players


-Ex-Badgers


-Places I want to visit to maybe see a game


-Uniforms/logos


-Preference given to Canadian/Northern teams


-Stadium name


-Prejudice against cities I hate.





With that in mind I ranked the 30 teams with my choice being listed at the bottom.





Enjoy...





Absolutely Not:





30. Detroit Redwings: For someone who is mostly indifferent to hockey, it is strange that out of all the professional leagues in North America, the team I hate the most is the Detroit Redwings. I will never root for them.





Never even considered:





29. Columbus Blue Jackets: I cannot root for anything from Cbus, nor can I condone a team that allows for a girl to die while at her birthday party.





28. St. Louis Blues: Still bitter over the Blackhawks first round loss from like 1993.





27. Philadelphia Flyers: If I did not pick them last year based on the most Finns, I am certainly not picking them this year based on no real standard.





26. New York Rangers: Yes, I wanted to go tradition, but then I saw Linda "Horse Face" Cohn picked them to win it all. NEXT!





25. Los Angeles Kings: I could not come up with one reason to pick them other than "I would like to go to an event at the Staples Center" However, I would much rather see the Clips or Lakers than the Kings





24. Minnesota Wild: Last year's pick kept me excited for all of about 48 hours, even the puck gum got ruined. That's a bad omen right there





23. Pittsburgh Penguins: With my dad now switching his baseball allegiance to the Pirates, I just cannot support another Pittsburgh team.





22. Edmonton Oilers: So far away. I would have 0 connection with this team.





21. Calgary Flames: See above, but at least they have some daylight in Calgary over the winter





20. San Jose Sharks: If I am going west coast there are other teams I would consider first. Plus, I cannot think of one reason I would ever end up in San Jose. Not one.





There's always next year:





19. Dallas Stars: I've never been to Dallas and I cannot think of a better excuse to go. But, again, I tend to hate the other teams in the Hawks division and I cannot support a team that moves from a hockey hotbed like Minnesota for Dallas.





18. Washington Capitals: The Caps were my team circa 1996, but that fizzled away. Plus, when I lived in DC I never made it to a game (of course that was the season they were on strike) if I didn't go then, why would I care now?





17. Carolina Hurricanes: Unlike the Stars leaving Minn, I kind of think it was funny when the Whalers left Connecticut. What was not funny was when Carolina, with fans who probably did not even know what a blue line was, won the Stanley Cup. I cannot condone that.





16. Anaheim Ducks: Once again, another former TR one year wonder. I still have at least one Mighty Ducks hat, but since they dropped the "Mighty" they dropped any chance of me rejoining the flock.





15. Boston Bruins: Another traditional team, but if I have one rule when picking a sports team it is, Never ever take a team from Boston. Done.





One Major Issue from Greatness:





14. New York Islanders


I like the uniforms and there is no major reason keeping me from picking them, but really, what is the reason TO pick them? I can't come up with one





13. Florida Panthers


Maybe its hard to believe that the Panthers made it this far, but please keep in mind a)Miami b)new team and c)using such a rare local animal as a mascot is kinda cool.





12. Buffalo Sabres


I wanted to put them higher but they are immediately disqualified for 2 reasons. 1. I am already on the Buffalo/Toronto Bills bandwagon and that is all I can handle from Buffalo and 2.Their involvement in Bruce Almighty; I cannot support them.





11. Phoenix Coyotes


"New" team, Phoenix (place I want to go) and some potential for greatness. Then I remembered the Wayne Gretzky factor...NEXT!








Sorry, but I did not choose you





10. Colorado Avalanche


Good team, good energy from their fans and a unique color scheme. But "The Lanche" pretty much means I can never root from them


Bottom Line: They would be a lot higher if they still had Steve Reinprecht





9. NJ Devils


The Devils were fun to root for back in the mid 90s and Martin Brodeur deserves mad respect no matter where your allegiance lies. Also, they have a cool logo.


Bottom Line: The Putty thing from Seinfeld was like 15 years ago. The Devils are no longer as much fun to root for.





8. Nashville Predators


Nashville was my 06-07 selection and they did not disappoint by making the playoffs. I once met the original owner of the Preds, love the jerseys, and they are fun. But they no longer have a copious amount of Finns and "The Sommet Center" is a dumb name for an arena


Bottom Line: Their window has passed, it is time to move on.





7. Toronto Maple Leafs


You cant get much more traditional or hockey hotbededness than Toronto and the Leafs and while I really wanted the Leafs to be higher I kept struggling for a reason to pick them.


Bottom Line: If they were still skating at Maple Leaf Gardens, this could be different, but they are not.





6. Vancouver Canucks


I spent a grand total of 1 hr in Vancouver this summer, which means the rule that places I go have good seasons could apply. Plus, I figure the fact that we saw Killer Whales while sailing towards Vancouver might make me more inclined to buy the jersey. Oh, and going to a game was featured on 10,000 things to do before you die.


Bottom Line: General Motors Place. Really? Am I really expected to support bad business decisions? It just rubs me the wrong way. Plus, I was just there, why would I go back?





THE THREE RUNNERS UP





5. Atlanta Thrashers


Positives: Kari Lehtonen gives them a Finnish tinge, Atlanta is certainly a potential destination. The have that new energy, plus they were good last year. Also, Scott Ferrall was their first play by play man.


Negatives: No Badgers, the ATL is not a hockey town (nor any sport for that matter) Philips Arena: I compete against them, plus they once had Scott Ferrall as their play by play man


Bottom Line: Even L'il John and his Crunk Cup can't get me to root for Atlanta ever getting a Stanley Cup





4. Ottawa Senators


Positives: Ottawa rocks as a city, I would love to go back, but just maybe not during the winter. They have a Finnish contingent as well as one of the greatest Badgers- Danny Heatley. Also, from what I hear the fans are infreakingsane up there- I can do that.


Negatives, this team consistently underachieves, and their uniforms are just ok.


Bottom Line: If I got to Ottawa it won't be during the regular season, also I have enough underachieving from my baseball team.





3. Tampa Bay Lightning


Positives: The fact that I was once a Lightning fan means I have a hat. High potential for a visit and some new energy with some young studs and Barry Melrose as a coach.


Negatives: Barry Melrose is their head coach. St. Pete Times Forum- I prefer the Tampa Trib. Also, I was a fan when TB took the Cup, it would just be downhill from there.


Bottom Line: Even though Chicago is Tampa Bay's B*tch, I am staying away from the Lightning, at least for this season. I'll be back.





THE FINAL 2











2. Chicago Blackhawks


Positives:


Tradition: check, but you also get some new energy because of a new focus on this team, a new owner, and some incredible young talent


Badgers: Yes, in Jack Skille and Adam Boom Boom Burish


Finns: YES, a decent Finnish contingent including goaltender Annti Niemi.


Uniforms: Top notch


Intangibles: Friend has season tickets, Winter Classic to be held in Wrigley Field, Hawks fans are stoked for this season, Commit to the Indian slogan is top notch.





Negatives:


Fans are too stoked, like Bulls fans last year. Chance for a massive meltdown that I want nothing to do with


Arena: United Center: eh, at least it has been that way since it opened


Not really a destination team, I mean, I like 20 mins away from the arena (I guess that could be a positive)





Bottom Line: If I am not going to Commit to the Indian this year either a)It's never going to happen or b)I risk becoming a fair weather fan. Still, not sure if I am feeling it. Still, Go Hawks.








1. Montreal Canadiens:


Positives:





Tradition: The Canadiens are celebrating their 100th season this year-the NHL is only 91 years old, yeah they have tradition. In fact, they have a whole page dedicated to their centennial season


Finns: Only one, but it's Saku Koivu and he wears the letter "C" so that is kind of important.


Destination: Could not be higher, I check airfare to Montreal on almost a weekly basis. IwannagoIwannagoIwannago.


Energy: You might be able to find a more hockey crazed town than Montreal, but it wont be easy. In fact a few years ago their fans got so upset that the goal song was changed to U2's Vertigo, that they petitioned to have it changed back


Jerseys: I like em: red, easy to identify


Intangibles: A ton: the 100 year thing is calling me. I can work on my francais since the website is in both English and French. The nickname of "Habs" I still don't really get it, but its cool. ESPN has picked them to do well and the fact that they are in the east SHOULD NOT upset Hawks fans too much.





NEGATIVES:


No Badgers


I just got out of one dreadful centennial relationship, do I want to enter into another?


I was expected to give them a huge boost because they play in the Molson Centre, alas it is now Centre Bell: WTF does that mean?


Fans might not be accepting, I fear that hard core Habs will snuff out my bandwagonness and throw me overboard and then chuck bottles of Molson at me.


Also, their fans have been known to boo the US National anthem at games. Normally this would be enough to rank them somewhere in the 20s, but then back when Quebec was trying to secede from Canada they booed the Canadian national anthem, I won't take it too personally then, friends.


Bottom Line: This team is just calling to me. I'm sorry guys, I want the Hawks to win the west and pummel the Dead Things. But, Je me Souviens. I want to sing to goal song! I want to be a Hab! Montreal, you are my team! LETS GO HABS!

Speaking of thanking technology

Dear Direct TV


Thank you very much for bringing back the Beyonce "upgrade" ad.

Sincerely,
Dudes everywhere

We got lights, we got cameras- bitching technology!

For almost 2 years now I have been an unabased defender of Sirius Satellite radio. Having Sirius has changed my life- and made my commute to and from NB much more enjoyable. But over the last few months we have had issues- my radio has deteriorated, I am not a fan of the Sirius/XM music channels, Sirius seems to be hemmoraging college athletic events to XM and the NBA is gone. Over the last few weeks my radio would freeze up after 15-20 minutes and then today it stuck on channel 130- which in an almost perfect world would have at least been NFL radio or Sirius Vinyl but is, instead, Bloomberg radio. Yeah, great.

So I called Sirius today to complain/threaten to cancel and I was pleased to hear my guy Adam listen to my complaints and almost immediately offer me a free radio and 2 months free.

Thanks Sirius- now please put a rush on that radio- I don't know how much more of Mike&Mike I can take.

BLOGSPLOSION

I have a sixer of Edmund Fitzgerald, we have snow outside, the Big 10/ACC challenge on the tv- yup time to get at least one Blogsplosion in before the end of 2008.

GO BADGERS!

TR Would like to thank the Green Bay Packers for participating in the 2008 NFL Season

Please take your commemorative Lombardi trophy and Super Bowl collectors programs and have a nice off-season (just make sure you beat the Lions should they be 0-15 the last week).

Mitt makes his points

More cutting and pasting here. Mitt Romney hits the nail on the head in regards to the auto bailout with last week's Op-ed from the NYT:

IF General Motors, Ford and Chrysler get the bailout that their chief executives asked for yesterday, you can kiss the American automotive industry goodbye. It won’t go overnight, but its demise will be virtually guaranteed.

Without that bailout, Detroit will need to drastically restructure itself. With it, the automakers will stay the course — the suicidal course of declining market shares, insurmountable labor and retiree burdens, technology atrophy, product inferiority and never-ending job losses. Detroit needs a turnaround, not a check.

I love cars, American cars. I was born in Detroit, the son of an auto chief executive. In 1954, my dad, George Romney, was tapped to run American Motors when its president suddenly died. The company itself was on life support — banks were threatening to deal it a death blow. The stock collapsed. I watched Dad work to turn the company around — and years later at business school, they were still talking about it. From the lessons of that turnaround, and from my own experiences, I have several prescriptions for Detroit’s automakers.

First, their huge disadvantage in costs relative to foreign brands must be eliminated. That means new labor agreements to align pay and benefits to match those of workers at competitors like BMW, Honda, Nissan and Toyota. Furthermore, retiree benefits must be reduced so that the total burden per auto for domestic makers is not higher than that of foreign producers.

That extra burden is estimated to be more than $2,000 per car. Think what that means: Ford, for example, needs to cut $2,000 worth of features and quality out of its Taurus to compete with Toyota’s Avalon. Of course the Avalon feels like a better product — it has $2,000 more put into it. Considering this disadvantage, Detroit has done a remarkable job of designing and engineering its cars. But if this cost penalty persists, any bailout will only delay the inevitable.

Second, management as is must go. New faces should be recruited from unrelated industries — from companies widely respected for excellence in marketing, innovation, creativity and labor relations.

The new management must work with labor leaders to see that the enmity between labor and management comes to an end. This division is a holdover from the early years of the last century, when unions brought workers job security and better wages and benefits. But as Walter Reuther, the former head of the United Automobile Workers, said to my father, “Getting more and more pay for less and less work is a dead-end street.”

You don’t have to look far for industries with unions that went down that road. Companies in the 21st century cannot perpetuate the destructive labor relations of the 20th. This will mean a new direction for the U.A.W., profit sharing or stock grants to all employees and a change in Big Three management culture.

The need for collaboration will mean accepting sanity in salaries and perks. At American Motors, my dad cut his pay and that of his executive team, he bought stock in the company, and he went out to factories to talk to workers directly. Get rid of the planes, the executive dining rooms — all the symbols that breed resentment among the hundreds of thousands who will also be sacrificing to keep the companies afloat.

Investments must be made for the future. No more focus on quarterly earnings or the kind of short-term stock appreciation that means quick riches for executives with options. Manage with an eye on cash flow, balance sheets and long-term appreciation. Invest in truly competitive products and innovative technologies — especially fuel-saving designs — that may not arrive for years. Starving research and development is like eating the seed corn.

Just as important to the future of American carmakers is the sales force. When sales are down, you don’t want to lose the only people who can get them to grow. So don’t fire the best dealers, and don’t crush them with new financial or performance demands they can’t meet.

It is not wrong to ask for government help, but the automakers should come up with a win-win proposition. I believe the federal government should invest substantially more in basic research — on new energy sources, fuel-economy technology, materials science and the like — that will ultimately benefit the automotive industry, along with many others. I believe Washington should raise energy research spending to $20 billion a year, from the $4 billion that is spent today. The research could be done at universities, at research labs and even through public-private collaboration. The federal government should also rectify the imbedded tax penalties that favor foreign carmakers.

But don’t ask Washington to give shareholders and bondholders a free pass — they bet on management and they lost.

The American auto industry is vital to our national interest as an employer and as a hub for manufacturing. A managed bankruptcy may be the only path to the fundamental restructuring the industry needs. It would permit the companies to shed excess labor, pension and real estate costs. The federal government should provide guarantees for post-bankruptcy financing and assure car buyers that their warranties are not at risk.

In a managed bankruptcy, the federal government would propel newly competitive and viable automakers, rather than seal their fate with a bailout check.

Where are they now: Youppi!

This article is three years old but as you will hopefully soon see (as long as MM saved the email) there is a point to it.

“With the Expos no longer in existence and him needing a home, I think the Montreal Canadians and Youppi! will fit nicely together,” Gainey said at a news conference as the mascot sported the team’s famous red jersey.


LETS GO HABS!

These pirates don't just want pewter

Anyone who is not fascinated by the Pirate attacks in Somalia needs to either lighten up or drop whatever hobby is keeping them from being un-fascinated.

Check out this must-read article:

Dhows rest on a white sand beach in front of a few dozen ramshackle homes. A creek cuts inland, traced by a dirt road that runs to a craggy fishing settlement two miles away. Until recently Eyl was a remote and rundown Somali fishing outpost of 7,000 people. Now, thanks to some spectacular ocean catches, it is a booming mini-town, awash with dollars and heavily armed young men, and boasting a new notoriety: piracy capital of the world.

At least 12 foreign ships are being held hostage in the waters off Eyl in the Nugal region, 300 miles south of Africa's Horn, including a Ukrainian vessel loaded with 33 tanks and ammunition that was hijacked last month.

They are being closely watched by hundreds of pirates aboard boats equipped with satellite phones and GPS devices. Hundreds more gunmen provide backup on shore, where they incessantly chew the narcotic leaf qat and dream of sharing in the huge ransoms that can run into millions of pounds.

In a war-ravaged country where life is cheap and hope is rare, each successful hijack brings more young men into the village to seek their fortune at sea.

"Even secondary school students are stopping their education to go to Eyl because they see how their friends have made a lot of money," Abdulqaadir Muuse Yusuf, deputy fisheries minister for the Puntland region, said yesterday.

The entire village now depends on the criminal economy. Hastily built hotels provide basic lodging for the pirates, new restaurants serve meals and send food to the ships, while traders provide fuel for the skiffs flitting between the captured vessels.

The pirate kingpins who commute from the regional capital, Garowe, 100 miles west, in new 4x4 vehicles splash their money around. When a ransom is received the gunmen involved in hijacking the particular ship join in the splurge, much to the pleasure of long-time residents. Jaama Salah, a trader, said that a bunch of qat can sell for $65 (£44), compared with $15 in other towns. Asli Faarah, a tea vendor, said: "When the pirates have money I can easily increase my price to $3 for a cup."

Somalis in the diaspora - especially in Kenya, the United Arab Emirates, Canada and the UK - finance the pirate gangs and keep a large chunk of the ransom money, estimated at more than £20m this year alone, far more than Puntland's annual budget. But the gangs of gunmen sometimes split hundreds of thousands of pounds between them.

In the region's bigger towns, such as Garowe and Bosasso on the Gulf of Aden coast, a successful hijack is often celebrated with a meal and qat-chewing session at an expensive hotel.

One successful pirate based in Garowe, Abshir Salad, said: "First we look to buy a nice house and car. Then we buy guns and other weapons. The rest of the money we use to relax."

The pirates appear to have little fear of arrest by the weak administration, who many suspect of involvement in the trade. By spreading the money to local officials, chiefs, relatives and friends, the pirates have created strong logistical and intelligence networks, and avoided the clan-based fighting that affects so much of the rest of the country.

And though few believe the pirates when they claim to be eco-warriors or marines defending Somali waters from foreign exploitation, their daring and wealth has earned them respect. It has become something of a tradition for successful pirates to take additional wives, marrying them in lavish ceremonies.

Naimo, 21, from Garowe, said she had attended a wedding last month of the sort "I had never seen before".

"It's true that girls are interested in marrying pirates because they have a lot of money. Ordinary men cannot afford weddings like this," she said.



Beware of Captain Jack Abdul Al Asi Sparrow

Spoilin for a Fight

As I listen to AC/DC's Black Ice for about the 3000th time this week I wanted to follow up on a conversation with MM last night involving the greatest albums of all time.

This came up because the bar we were in- that shall remain nameless- played some Michael Jackson and I remarked that Thriller is one of the 5 best albums of all time. When asked to name the rest of top 5 I came up with Who's Next (The Who) Pet Sounds (Beach Boys) Back in Black (AC/DC) and then MM added some Billy Joel crap to round it out.

So I ask my loyal reader(s) what have I missed? What are your top 5 albums of all time?

London's Calling

So Fabio Capello is at the Newcastle-Fulham match at Craven Cottage...HUH??? Michael Owen is not playing and Barton could never be selected without creating an international incident. So did Capello really go all the way out to west London to see Bullard or is there nothing else to do on a Sunday evening in the greated London area?

Meanwhile, NUFC is atrocious in the midfield, Fulham has controlled the first 21 minutes of this match.

COME ON NEWCASTLE!

Now for something completely different

It's time for my Big Ten Power Rankings!!!!!!!

1. Penn State: The #3 team in the country and the undisputed #1 in the BT

2. Ohio State: By virtue of their crushing of MSU

3. Michigan State: Because they are better than anyone else who is left

4. Northwestern: Their impressive win over the weekend gives them this spot- could a NYD Bowl game be in their future?

5. Minnesota: The Gophers need to be careful to not let the rest of their season turn into a massive tailspin all the way to Tempe

6. Iowa: The Hawkeyes played the Illini tough in Champaign and they handled the Badgers

7. Wisconsin: By virtue of beating the Illini and since they should have won in East Lansing

8. Illinois: They are on about the same level as the 2 in front of them and way better than the remaining 3. A disappointing year for the Illini

9. Purdue: A fitting way for Joe Tiller to go out

10. Michigan: Some fire over the past few weeks from the Wolverines, look for them to get one more win before the end of the season

11. Indiana: Hope they enjoyed their bowl trip last season

Last dance

My favorite line from last night, from DP at about 6PM Central:

"You know the sad thing is that if Obama wins tonight he'll take all of these people with him to Washington and they can do for this country what they have done for Illinois."

God bless America...we need it.

Winners and Losers,

Since anyone and everyone seems intent on doing a winners and losers list today I thought I would throw my hat into the ring:

WINNERS:

Mark Kirk and Chicago area congressional incumbants. Biggert, Roskam, Bean, Kirk, and Foster completely rolled their opponents. A big thumbs up to Mark Kirk whose 6 point win hopefully ended the political career of Dan "My ads are incredibly boring" Seals. Dan, you will not be missed.

Rod Blagojevich: Blago and his 13% approval rating gets a chance to be loved and appreciated for the next 6 weeks. He he can bump those numbers up and jump start his re-election campaign with a good selection

The Virginia Democratic Party: Those guys might have had the best night of any state party- winning congressional seats, a blowout in a Senate race, and delivering the state to Barack Obama. The GOP is going to need to get this state back in the fold by 2012.

Mitch McConnell: Never been a fan of Mitch, but he got a good win and he is now the most powerful Republican in the country

Moderate Democrats: Sure we just elected the most liberal President and congress ever, but at the same time the GOP continues to kill off their moderate representatives. That just means an easier playing field for moderate dems across the country

Right Wing Talk Radio: The influence of guys like Limbaugh really took off after the election of Bill Clinton in 1992. It should happen again, especially if the Dems in congress do try and push the fairness doctrine.

Chicago 2016: The election might have just delivered the 2016 games to Chicago

Americans Traveling Abroad: We are all loved by the French now...for whatever that is worth

The Palestinians: The softest Pro-Israel President in a generation.

Senator Sarah Palin: Yeah, like she's going back to being Governor of Alaska.


THE LOSERS:

Mark Begich: Buddy, how do you lose this one?

Minnesotans who wanted the election to go away: sorry, not for another 6 weeks

Suburban Chicago Republicans: Losing 3 seats on the DuPage County board and watching Melissa Bean and Debbie Halvorson roll up big wins does not bode well for districts that were once considered safe.

The Wisconsin Republican Party: What has happened up there since I left?

Challengers to candidates prone to "foot in mouth" disease: Bachmann and Murtha both get wins- great, cleaning up the dead weight in Washington is more difficult than ever.

The Reputation of the state of Alaska: A beautiful place with nice people, but I'm not terribly impressed today by your voting choices.

The Woman who believes Obama will take care of her every needs: Good luck with that one.

Patrick Fitzgerald: Yeah, Obama and his cronies are not going to let you keep that job, sorry. You might want to think about that political career of yours.

First Thoughts

So at about midnight last night I asked for a group of our most ardent supporters to meet up in one of the rooms of the suite at the Hilton (one that did not overlook Obamarama) in an effort to put closure to the campaign and YP's for McCain. Here is a recap of my remarks:

I wanted to quickly get everyone together tonight just to thank you all for everything that everyone in this room has done. Every person in this room tonight worked hard and busted their butts to help John McCain, Tony Peraica and our Republican candidates. We went to Ohio, to Missouri, and to Wisconsin, and we made thousands of calls into houses in both of those states to help John McCain. So thank you again, it was great meeting so many of you over the past 9 months and I wouldnt trade this experience for anything in the world- well, maybe except for a win.

You know, someone earlier tonight told me that he's moving to Canada. That's garbage, we do not ever quit, we get right back up and we try again. We work harder, we get smarter and we get it done. And I know I speak for everyone in this room when I say we have only begun to fight. Two years from now we will have a competitive senate and gubernatorial race, not to mention several congressional races that we can impact and win for our side. I'm not giving up and I know no one else in this room will give up.

So with that I have two toasts I want to make tonight. First, to John McCain- one of the bravest men this country has ever produced, a genuine hero, a great statesman, a great man, and someone who dearly loves his country. I only wish tonight would have been better for him and for us- to John McCain...

My second toast is to President-Elect Obama- may God grant him the wisdom he needs to be the best president that we need him to be- to Barack Obama...

Thank you all so much.

Hello Again Everybody

One more "Steve Howe" chance here. Let's get it done, kids.