dc.

I don't understand what's not to like about Durkin, except that he's not a big name? Durkin was rated the top recruiter in the NATION in 2012 by Rivals. In the B1G, we need that more than ever and have more leverage than ever. He just led a dominant defensive unit. Mostly, I also love his contract - huge payouts to UMD if he leaves us early (possible) and good that we only pay percentages of his salary if we fire him. As for "winning a national championship" - while that's the goal, that's not where this team or program are. We are in gaining reputation and performance mode. And honestly, I'd take a guy like Durkin (or Richt) and 100 years of playing good football and comepting in the Top 25 without complaining about the "national championship" being missing. How long did guys like Boeheim (bball) have to wait for a title? Who "will get one" is just a crap shoot unless you get "the guy."

I disagree pretty strongly with that. He's certainly no more up their ***es than any other regular beat contributor - or even worse: Hunter, Davis, etc. He isn't afraid to say the truth about what they are pursuing and why - and why it doesn't make sense to him. I don't mind the "move" in terms of Clevenger. I just don't like the addition of Trumbo. His numbers are fading and we desperately need guys who can get on base and put the ball in play. That's not Trumbo. We might not find 20 HRs sitting on the market, but we could easily find 240-300-400.

Maybe - wouldn't be hard to rewind tape and see the "official" LOS the league is talking about. And the league hasn't changed many calls but has admitted its mistakes this year - even in similar moments. So why not now?

Just looked up Trumbo's stats recently... ugh. No defense. No OBP. High K rate. Power waning. What exactly are we after here? Nothing we need. Roch swears Davis is still on the table, though. Forgot to add - we did re-add LJ Hoes after the Astros DFA'd him. They never gave him a great shot, though he never earned it much either. But I'm still happy to have him back. 370 OBP in minors...

NFL has already said they disagree... they say two things: 1. the line on the screen is not official; LOS is slightly futher back, etc... and 2. imply that the player got back a bit further after the pic there. Meh.

So, two big moves this week - Price to Red Sox for huge deal and Zimmerman to Tigers for nearly as huge deal given his talent... reading that it means there's even less chance that we get Chen back (not that there was much). We've never paid over $50m for a pitcher (Ubaldo only one...) and Zimmerman, with numbers close to Chen, just got $115m. Ouch. Meanwhile - just read, O's trade Clevenger to Mariners for Mark Trumbo. I read two things: 1. Wieters means they don't see Steve as having value for us anymore... sad, local guy, good hitter, never got his real chance, Buck never liked his defensive struggles. 2. We're already preparing the Chris Davis gap plan. Trumbo can play OF too, but definitely reading that we're not banking on Davis at all - and really, if he wants more than 4 years (he does, of course), I don't blame them. By 33/34, if not sooner, things will tumble fast...

100% agree on most of this - again. Definitely on blaming ourselves for a lot... we never think long-term, we're never consistent. It hurts. Though, sometimes, I have to give the benefit of the doubt to those fighting different battles in the past (Soviet era, etc) Two thoughts... You cite the borders of Ukraine, etc being drawn so haphazardly... but isn't that true with almost all 20th century border disputes? Certainly so in the Middle East, as was posted in here with Wilson and the other "Mandates" of post WWI and post WWII. Our fingerprints - and others - are all over these regimes and regions. How else do we wind up with so many places, like Syria, where a small minority sect has almost complete political and economic power over large majorities? Meanwhile, I certainly don't want to be in Ukraine - or almost anywhere else again - but I also can't justify letting Russia just gobble up neighbors and resources and redraw its own borders again. It's a double edged sword... I think the best solution in some ways is to expand NATO and the EU (like adding Ukraine), which really hurts Russia's entire gameplan of tactfully pushing without crossing the line. But that also creates political relationships that require future interventions, or even immediate interventions. We let Putin take part of Georgia... now he's taking part(s) of Ukraine... what's next? And how do you stand in his way?

How do you think I feel? When I 'met' you all I could eat cardboard and still move. This year I've thrown out my back three times... little kids are heavy and awkward!

If we played in the NFC East we'd be I've game out of first. If the refs called Jax for not being set, we'd be one game out of first in our division. (Not complaining, just laughing at how bad the league looks this year)

All you need to know about the US response is how the state of MD responded to "the rain tax" ... Misinformation, oversimplifications, lies... It'd die.

When I see Pettine (not schurmer... It's late), this is all I see: http://i2.wp.com/radaronline.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/storage-wars-2.jpg Not a compliment. Meanwhile, that Schaub their would have been five yards behind the receiver even if he didn't send it to Dansby

Ooh no, a Barry Glazer ad! Legal attorney for the urinated upon...

That was refreshing.

Two crazy reads on ISIS - what they want, where the come from, how closely related they are to so many others... Sorry if either has been shared here before, I can never remember where I get the links I read! Graeme Woods: What ISIS Really wants... http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2015/03/what-isis-really-wants/384980/ Reading ISIS magazine... http://www.cracked.com/blog/isis-wants-us-to-invade-7-facts-revealed-by-their-magazine/ That YT video really gets at the heart of a lot of what is wrong - and so hard to deal with - in the entire Muslim-world fight we are seeing now. And both articles above, and huge numbers I've seen previously, link ISIS to Saudi Arabia so strongly... it is scary to consider. Meanwhile - a thanks for the "pundit" remark above. Look at that, we agree on something!... though, not sure I actually have anything figured out except that it's all f'ed up royally. Ha. I learned about a decade ago that I'm not a guy who really enjoys literature, but I can read dozens of articles a night on "the issues" and really try to keep that way. Longreads, shortreads... I love to wrap my brain around it all. I fail frequently. As for "saying it" - almost a decade teaching has definitely helped my ability to 'break it down.' In this case, a few years trying to explain Syria to 14 year olds... never hurts.

Fair. But you choose posting about watching Trainwreck over sleep. As a parent of small children, I resent you. Lol

Interesting. I've always wondered about the idea of fair use in most of that anyway - if it's a true story, I wouldn't have to pay to write a book using your name... So why different in a movie?

Go to sleep, Spen

I disagree on the analysis of Putin here. I think Putin is a lot more shrewd than all that - specifically, I think he is using exactly the rhetoric you mention above to gain domestic support for his actions, but I think he pursues then solely for political positioning and gain, not from any moral compass guiding him. In Ukraine he undoubtedly claims that "his people" are in need, and that gains him tremendous support at home among a xenophobic and nationalist base that has long been fueled by his own policies of Russian exceptionality. But I have little belief he is actually interested in his people and far more interested in the political and economic value of that territory. Crimea has been on Russian radar since before Peter the Great - and the idea that it is Russian territory goes back a bit, but it's not really true to say they are "his people" in my mind. (Of course, I'm not Russian not from Crimea) As for Syria, much the same. Though, like many politicians, it's weird to hear him say in this breath that sovereignty matters just months after invading Crimea, I have little doubt that such a claim garners him support at home. But I don't think his legitimate interest or moral guide is Syrian sovereignty, and if it were, what a hypocritical ass. I think the greater reality is that Russia and Putin need allies. Without Assad, they lose great influence as their coalition isn't strong as it is. I think he also loves being able simply to stick it to the west and assert his own influence. I think Putin legitimately believes that Russia is a strong nation and can/will be a superpower again. Some even say he is after another union of larger states and I don't really doubt it as his goal. But I do entirely doubt his capability to make it happen by anything other than shrewd maneuvering - he's not going to win in the battlefield. He's going to win a game of chess aligning pieces on his side and against other great powers, etc. I still don't think he can actually do it - and I think internally Russia will boot him sooner than some think - but I have little doubt that's his goal. There is no grand moral philosophy behind it all except that strong Russia is good. In the end, I always have to remember Putin is ex KGB and a product of a failed democracy. Democracy in eastern Europe is practically a dirty word since the rocky, corrupt and downright oligarchical dissolution of the Eastern Powers. Putin doesn't believe in the same values; he was raised working against them and manipulating their failure in his own nation.

I'd have to watch again, but I thought they had scenes in the NFL offices with logos on walls, etc... Not that it matters.

I meant more the NFL logos and such that I remember in the trailers, both the actual NFL shield and individual team logos - wouldn't NFL have to approve use?

Brief addition: I am perhaps most sympathetic to the Kurds.

No, I don't want Putin doing anything! I was more doing that as bad as it looks, I'm less worried because he doesn't have it in him- and for good reason as you stated. Russia is not in a good spot. I agree 100% on a lot of the rest of your post on Syria. I like the little article simply because it identifies everyone involved as assholes and demonstrates pretty clearly how messy everything is - I didn't read it as telling us what to do, except as a response to people saying to refugees "stay and fight." I always respond, "fight who?" There's 30 sides there and it's a proxy war at this point between how many super powers? Right answer? I see none. Is there any good guy? Certainly not.

Yeah - had that immediate thought about the movie too. I am curious, though, that it seems like the movie uses NFL logos and such ... so I assume there had to be some cooperation? But I have heard it is an incredibly damning look at them and not helpful. Several articles say it will be the start of the league's slide... add to that the Gifford news among many others and CTE...

Disagree on #4... Only because revenue sharing at 100%means no matter what team you field, good bad or horrid, you make a ton of money. And it doesn't matter what you pay coaches or scoring or what your facilities look like... If the league does OK, you're swimming in cash to start with

http://www.nfl.com/photos/0ap3000000489769