For days heading into the election, we heard over and over how Brown was campaigning as the 41st vote against health care and Coakley was campaigning as the 60th vote for health care.  I even heard Brown has a nickname “41″ because he claimed to be the 41st vote against everything Obama wanted.

I’m not sure what fantasy world Mr. Rich is living in, but it’s hard to trust the analysis and opinions of anyone who is able to make up their own view of reality so easily.

gk

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I mentioned this a few weeks ago, but it seems to be getting more and more likely that the Dems may be in for a replay of 1994.

In general, Americans don’t like politicians who go to extremes, and when any one party is in control, they ALWAYS go to extremes.  Clinton tried pushing through health care and it was a disaster for the Dems.  Bush got it in 2002 and pushed through the Iraq fiasco – which led to the current Dem majority.   Now it appears that Obama is heading down the same path.

You know things are bad for Democrats when the NY Times opinion page has 3 stories – and they are all complaining about Democrats.  Check them out.

The Lady and the Arlen – Gail Collins

They Still Don’t Get It – Bob Herbert

Mobs Rule – Charles Blow

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Wheelchair-bound Christina Mills, 32, of Sacramento, California said disabled workers could not afford to have subsidies for assistants cut as the governor proposed.

“If they didn’t have home-care workers to help them get dressed in the morning, they wouldn’t be able to go to work.”

Hey Christina – that sucks doesn’t it?  It’s sad, but true – if you need someone else to pay for you to get to work, you’re not earning enough to make your job worth the investment in you!  It would be cheaper for everyone if you stayed home and we payed to take care of you there.  Plus, you wouldn’t be in denial about how much your work is actually worth.

Yes, it’s harsh.  But it’s also true.

gk

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Could health care (and the resulting loss of individual and states rights) prove to be Obama’s defining moment as it was with Hillary care?  Stay tuned….

gk

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Aaron Rodgers evidently ain’t too bright, cause he can’t count to “one thousand four”.  Watching the Dallas/Green Bay game and it’s pitiful watching him get hit time after time after 4 or 5 seconds.  In the NFL, you normally only get 3 seconds – throw the freaking ball Rodgers!  He deserves to get hurt playing that stupid.

With the defense GB has this year, they could be one of the best in the league if Rodgers would make a freaking decision and throw the ball in under 4 seconds.  Instead, the probably won’t even make the playoffs.

Darrelle Revis is pretty damn good….

I watched Maurice Jones-Drew fall down at the 1 instead of going in for the TD.  That sucked in two ways:

1) Jacksonville was trailing by one.  That would’ve been a brilliant play if they’d have been winning by one, but there are no sure things in the NFL.  Garrard might’ve fumbled the next snap, could have a bad snap on the kick, the kicker could miss, etc, etc, etc.  1o different things could’ve happened that would’ve caused Jacksonville to lose that game because of  that decision.  Even tho it worked out in the end, it was dumb.

2) I have MJD on my fantasy team.  Sonofabitch cost me 6 points. 

The Cardinals need to forget about the run.  They are UNSTOPPABLE when they are throwing on every down.  When they run they get out of rhythm and don’t look good at all.  Use your strengths!

Chris Johnson is officially the best RB in the league.  He not only got 132 rushing yards, he had 100 yards on 9 receptions.  He’s so much faster than everyone else on the field it’s crazy….  I tried to trade for him this week (offered Greg Jennings, Steve Breaston, Reggie Bush and Mike Bell for him to an owner with 3 #1 RB’s but only one good WR) but I didn’t get him.  Now the trade deadline in my league has passed.  Shit.

Reggie Bush could still be a superstar – if the Saints would use him like they did today.  He’s a slightly slower version of Chris Johnson.  Or maybe a larger version of Ray Rice. 

The Saints defense is much worse without Sharper and Porter – they better get them back soon or they’ll get beat very soon.

San Diego looks so good one minute and so bad the next.  If they could stay “good” they’d be a contender for the Super Bowl.  As it stands, they’re simply another team that’ll be happy to get into the playoffs.

One of the best things that could happen to the Seahawks is if Jones is out for awhile.  That way they could use Forsett and actually have a running game.

Hey Seattle – rushing 3 and dropping 8 into coverage will get your ass picked apart by Warner.   He makes mistakes if you pressure him.

We’re into the 4th quarter and Vincent Jackson still doesn’t have a catch.

Watched the various pre-game shows this morning, and most everyone (especially Fox) was ready to annoint the Cowboys as the NFC East Champs.  At one time that might have meant something.  But with the Giant’s, Eagles, and Redskins all looking so bad lately, not so much anymore.

gk

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I remember staying up all night, watching CNN live as people tore down sections, as people took sledge-hammers, screwdrivers, even rocks to the hated wall, tearing it down piece by piece.  Amazing.

At least 136 people died trying to cross the wall and get out of East Berlin.  I can’t put into words how impossible it seemed to me back in the early 80’s that the wall would come down without a war.

Reagan called the Soviet bluff – and the Soviet Bloc was exposed as a bluff when Reagan gave the famous speech.  Here’s an excerpt.

Where four decades ago there was rubble, today in West Berlin there is the greatest industrial output of any city in Germany–busy office blocks, fine homes and apartments, proud avenues, and the spreading lawns of parkland. Where a city’s culture seemed to have been destroyed, today there are two great universities, orchestras and an opera, countless theaters, and museums. Where there was want, today there’s abundance–food, clothing, automobiles–the wonderful goods of the Ku’damm.

From devastation, from utter ruin, you Berliners have, in freedom, rebuilt a city that once again ranks as one of the greatest on earth. The Soviets may have had other plans. But my friends, there were a few things the Soviets didn’t count on–Berliner Herz, Berliner Humor, ja, und Berliner Schnauze. [Berliner heart, Berliner humor, yes, and a Berliner Schnauze.]

In the 1950s, Khrushchev predicted: “We will bury you.” But in the West today, we see a free world that has achieved a level of prosperity and well-being unprecedented in all human history. In the Communist world, we see failure, technological backwardness, declining standards of health, even want of the most basic kind–too little food. Even today, the Soviet Union still cannot feed itself. After these four decades, then, there stands before the entire world one great and inescapable conclusion: Freedom leads to prosperity. Freedom replaces the ancient hatreds among the nations with comity and peace. Freedom is the victor.

And now the Soviets themselves may, in a limited way, be coming to understand the importance of freedom. We hear much from Moscow about a new policy of reform and openness. Some political prisoners have been released. Certain foreign news broadcasts are no longer being jammed. Some economic enterprises have been permitted to operate with greater freedom from state control.

Are these the beginnings of profound changes in the Soviet state? Or are they token gestures, intended to raise false hopes in the West, or to strengthen the Soviet system without changing it? We welcome change and openness; for we believe that freedom and security go together, that the advance of human liberty can only strengthen the cause of world peace. There is one sign the Soviets can make that would be unmistakable, that would advance dramatically the cause of freedom and peace.

General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization: Come here to this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!

Gorbachev didn’t tear down the wall, but the East Germans did.

gk

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But I read a post from The Daily Reckoning today that made quite a bit of sense in looking at the future in an optimistic light by comparing it to what we faced in the 1970’s.  I’ve copied it here because it’s worth reading to put things into perspective.  Enjoy!

gk

And finally today, back to Bill…

Our old friend John Mauldin answered last week’s note. Our point was that our children face a different world than we did. From what we can make out, it will be a tougher world. Everything was looking up with the baby boomers. Especially in the lives of the luckiest of them – your editor and John included. Is everything still going up? The US economy? The power and wealth of the US empire? And how about our children? John and I started out with nothing to lose. Our children can slip down as well as slide up. John has today’s Daily Endnote for us. Please enjoy…

It’s More Than Half Full.

Ok, Bill, let’s review those wonderful days from whence we sprang, so fraught with the advantages of having nothing. So potent with opportunity. It was the middle of the ’70s when we started our careers. Inflation was high and rising. The Soviets were seen as a major threat. Japan was beating our brains out and buying everything, even if nailed down (like Pebble Beach and New York skyscrapers). I had to borrow money at 15% (or more) to buy paper in order to meet customer demands for printing. And guess what? The banks got into trouble and called loans willy-nilly. (My bank even called my mother and threatened her to pay my loan – against written agreements – and she did. Evil sons of bitches. The more things change… And they delightedly did fail! Not that I hold a grudge.)

There were multiple successive and deeper recessions. Gold was rising as the dollar was seen as a joke. Howard Ruff (a good friend to both of us when we were starting out!) and almost every newsletter writer were telling people to buy gold and freeze-dried food to protect themselves against a near certain economic, if not apocalyptic, catastrophe. Unemployment was high and rising for a decade.

The correct answer to the question, “Where will the jobs come from?” back then was “I don’t know, but they will.” And it is the correct answer today.

In 20 years, no one will want to come back to the halcyon days of 2005. Our kids (all 13 of them) are getting ready to live through what will be the most exciting period in human history. There will be a century’s worth of change, measured by the standard of the 20th century, just in the next ten years, and then we will double that pace in the next ten after that. Medical miracles that will mean our kids and grandkids will live a lot longer than their dads, although I intend to be writing well into my 80s, like our mutual hero Richard Russell.

There will be whole new industries developed in the US. How do I know that? Follow the money. The rest of the world spends a fraction on research and development that we do. Where do you go if you are looking for venture capital?

Do I care if the Chinese and the “developing” worlds are far better off, relatively speaking, than the US in 20 years? Not a whit. Good on them. I hope they make discoveries and inventions and new businesses that benefit us all. But we are not going into some long dark night. We, and our kids, get to choose how we respond to what is the reality of the day.

Our nation had to almost hit the wall in 1980 before a Volker could come along and force us to take the pain of recessions to beat back inflation. And we will have to come perilously close to the wall this time before we take action as a nation. Way to close for comfort. Maybe you are right, and we have a soft depression. I hope not, but even so, the world will be better, far better, in 20 years, with far more opportunities than today.

It was not fun starting new businesses in the ’70s and early ’80s. But we did. I remember coming to Baltimore and being (literally) afraid to get out of the car to visit your offices in the slums. But that was what you could afford. A far cry from the chateau in Ouzilly.

I lived in a small mobile home. Tiffani was born there, and we converted part of the kitchen to be her bedroom. (Yes, I was white “trailer trash.”) But I got up every morning just like you did and killed as many alligators as I could. The rest had to wait till the next day.

And that is the legacy our kids have. They know what it is to wade into the swamp every morning. Never quitting. In thinking about this, you may be the father I respect the most. You have raised your kids to be multi-lingual children of the world. What a work ethic. How did you get them to scrape window shutters at your chateaus? (I actually saw this, and my kids marveled.

Thereafter I threatened to make them go live with you when they did not act right!)

You have given your kids the opportunity to follow their dreams, even demanded that they do so. And such dreams they (and mine) have. Will they succeed? Who knows? But they will go at it with gusto, in a world with more opportunities than you and I ever imagined 40 years ago. And, oh boy, were we optimists back then. How else could we have done what we did? If we believed the rhetoric that the world was coming to an end, would we have dared to venture out?

You cannot have raised your kids to be such bold adventurers without instilling in them a certain high level of optimism. I am going to out you, Mr. Bonner. You present yourself to your readers as a bona fide end of the world pessimist. But you are a really and truly a closet optimist. Your whole business empire (and what an empire it has become!) is based on finding people who are optimists, in the sense that they think they can actually get people to send them money for what they write. Which they do! Even if it is to read why the world will come to an end, which it thankfully never does.

You are right in this: it is personal gumption that makes or breaks us. There are those who started out with less than we did (hard to imagine but true) and made a lot more. And there are those who started out with far more and made less. But there are very few who are happier than either of us. Or luckier.

Our kids? It is not the times which dictate the man (or daughter!), but the response of the man which dictates his own time. Today has a brighter future for someone young than any other time in history, whether they are in the US or Brazil or China. They just have to seize it.

And as our kids do just that, and as the millions of kids of those who read us do so, and the billions of kids who are just now getting ready to bust loose all work to achieve their dreams, the world is going to be a far more fantastic place. Smooth ride? Not a chance. We didn’t get one, and in thinking through history, there have not been many smooth rides. Why should we think we will get any better? Our kids will just have to live with our generational (and individual) iniquities, government debt and all, and figure out how to master their own fates. But if I had a choice to take the ’70s or today? In less than a heart’s beat I choose today. And I bet you would too!

Regards,

John Mauldin
for The Daily Reckoning

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From the numbers I’ve seen, 2010 and 2011 are the years when most of these Option ARM’s are due to reset to “real” interest rates.  House prices aren’t done bottoming yet.

gk

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What’s the deal with supposedly “power” conferences padding stats by playing whatever area high school team needs some cash?

Props to Alabama, Georgia, and LSU for actually playing college football teams in their openers.   The rest of the SEC proved absolutely nothing.

What does it tell you about your team when they beat Miami of Ohio, Western Carolina, Missouri State, or that other contender – Charleston Southern University?

Nothing.  And that’s the amount of respect I give teams who schedule pushovers.  If you want to be a big time team, you need to play big time opponents.   The SEC stayed on the porch opening weekend.

gk

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Sorry, I don’t see anyway to link directly to the post, so you may have to search for it.  But you gotta love the dry humor of the writer who evidently isn’t a fan of  Favre.

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A: They all scored more fantasy points in PPR leagues last year than Adrian Peterson.

I have the #1 pick in my PPR league his year.  I’ve never had the #1 pick before.  I don’t like it.  Not because of getting the first pick – I love that – it’s because of all the primo players that will get drafted before I get to pick again at #24.  Wish I could trade down, but this league doesn’t allow that.

Back to Peterson.  AP led the NFL in rushing last year with 1757 yards.  He led the league in all purpose yards with 1882.  He had 10 TD’s.  He caught 21 passes.  And he finished 9th among running backs in PPR scoring in 2008.   Freaking Ninth!

Assuming he doesn’t get injured and he has another great year, he could possibly match those stats in 2009.  But why would I draft a guy at #1 who’s barely in the top 10 in a PPR scoring system?

Who will I pick at #1? I honestly don’t know right now.  I’ve eliminated a few, including AP, but I haven’t settled on anyone.   Jones-Drew, Forte, and Jackson are being considered right now.  With some very very very slight consideration being given to a WR, such as Fitzgerald or one of  the Johnson’s, Calvin or Andre – but I can’t see that happening.  I’ve played out several draft scenario’s, and I simply can’t make that one work.

BTW:  I don’t know who I’ll pick at numbers 24 and 25 either.  But I know it won’t be AP. 

gk

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I also just added some new buttons for Digg, Twitter, Facebook, Reddit, and Yahoo Buzz.  The old one were so small and bland that they practically faded into the background.  The new buttons which appear at the end of each post and page are more like what you’re used to seeing on other sites. I’m still playing with this, so it may change, but if you like the site, spread the word by using the buttons!

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Lots of things are taken into account here, but there are quite a few unknowns at this point.  For example, take Brandon Marshall.  (Please!)  Today the Bronco’s announced that he’s suspended for the 2 remaining pre-season games, so I have no clue how to rank him.  He’s definitely has less fantasy value today than he did yesterday, but how much less?  He missed training camp, he hasn’t played yet this year, he had off-season surgery, he has a new head coach, he has a new QB (Orton, who I think sucks, but in any case Orton is not as good a QB as Cutler was) and he’s admitted that he doesn’t know the playbook.

In short, Marshall is a huge gamble right now, no matter where you take him.  IF – and that’s a big if – he gets his shit together, he COULD be one of the top receivers in a PPR league.  But on draft day, you have to know that the guy is gonna be on the field if you draft him in the top 100.  With Marshall you simply don’t know as of today.  Watch the news and read the latest updates before drafting him.

Another example is the RBBC that Tampa Bay announced this week.  WTF?  They are planning on a 2-2-1 split of carries between the top 3 running backs.  At this moment that would mean that Graham would get 2 carries, Ward would get 2 carries, and Williams would get 1, because that’s the order of their depth chart.  I still think that Ward has the most fantasy value in a PPR league, but all of them are devalued because of the decision.   But where do they rank today?  Below is my best estimate.  (I really like Cadillac Williams, and I hope he can stay healthy, but there’s no way he’s in the top 100 as of today.)

You’ll note that this order doesn’t line up perfectly with my individual position rankings from last week.  It’s close in most cases, but while I took those into account, I tried to make this list as up to date as possible, so some players have moved up and some have moved down.   I’ll probably update this sometime before next weekend, because I’m guessing most fantasy drafts will be Labor Day weekend.  Mine are.

Enjoy!

Well, what do you think?
gk

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KFFL also has updated PPR rankings as of today.  Not the same as mine, but then again, they’re not me. 

It’s one of my favorite PPR sites.  Be sure to check out all their fantasy football articles at KFFL.com/fantasy-football

Note – The Average Draft Position (ADP) they show in their rankings are not correct for PPR leagues!

Update 8/26:  Here’s a different take on PPR draft strategy from FantasySharks.  Some interesting tidbits in this one, like taking Brees or Brady high – and if you don’t get either one of them, waiting until 11 QB’s are taken before getting either Matt Ryan or Matt Schaub.  It’s an excellent read, and I agree with a lot of his analysis – like letting someone else take Turner early.

Here’s a good one from another story at FantasySharks.  Not that it has anything to do with PPR, simply that I thought it was funny. They’re talking about rule changes for 2009.  Here’s a new rule:  A defensive player on the ground may no longer lunge or dive at the quarterback’s lower legs

And the commentary….   This rule was created based on the knee injury that Tom Brady sustained in the Patriots opening game last year.  This will be known as the “Brady Rule,” but actually should be called “Brady Rule 1.2” since the “Tuck Rule” is already unofficially Brady’s.

Pretty soon there will be a whole rule book developed by Brady, including how many points a team must be up by before they should stop throwing Hail Mary TD passes and when it is OK to leave your pregnant girlfriend to marry a super model.

Bonus: Brady might even make it to the second half of Game 1 this year.

gk

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It’s just getting to halftime of the  Redskins/Steelers game, and – except for a couple of plays – it’s been a pretty lame game.  Reed missed a 53 yard field goal as time expired – but there was an offsides penalty on Washington, so he got to try again from 48 yards.  He missed again.  It’s been that kind of game.

Brown, D Williams, and Garrard all had decent highlights in the Miami/Jacksonville game.  Forte looked quick for Chicago playing against what should be a good Giants defense, and Stafford didn’t look very good in the first half tonight.

What’s up with the audio on the NFL Network games?  Almost every game I’ve watched on it this year has had audio cutting out.  It may just be the HD feed, as it didn’t happen when watching a standard def broadcast of the same game.  Fortunately Theismann is announcing tonight so I don’t want to hear it anyway.  He actually said “When the defensive player grabs the offensive player it’s defensive holding” – or words to that effect.  Duh.

Anyway, the commercials are fine and never cut out.  Neither do any of my other channels on Direct TV.  Just NFL Network during the games.  Annoying as hell.  I guess it’s preseason for them too.

Some good fantasy stories on the web this week.

Fantasy Clicks on SI.com has a “PPR Spectacular” post this week.   I disagree with some of it (I’ve yet to hear an explanation of why it’s better to have a QB and WR from the same team in PPR) but it’s a good article with some great stats.

Be sure to check out the number of targets each wide receiver had last year.  In some cases that will NOT carry over to this year (think Marshall in Denver) but if you look at the receivers who received the most targets last year, you’ll notice that almost every one of them is a top fantasy receiver – especially in PPR leagues.  You can’t get yardage, receptions, or touchdowns if the QB isn’t throwing the ball in your direction….

ESPN has a writeup on a recent fantasy draft they conducted.  It’s NOT a PPR draft, so ignore the specifics if you’re in a PPR league – Reggie Bush went in round 8 as the 80th overall pick! – but I thought some trends were notable.

• You can wait on running backs this year.  With the proliferation of RBBC’s, there isn’t much difference between an RB ranked #12 and #22, or 22 and 32.
• Because of that, it’s officially ok to draft a WR in the first round  – IF you don’t have one of the first 5 or 6 picks.
• You can also wait on QB’s.  McNabb went at #92 and Cutler at 102.  Probably not 2 points a week difference between McNabb and whoever happens to finish number 3 in fantasy this year.  Use that 3rd or 4th round pick for a solid RB or WR instead.
• Get solid players in the first 4 or 5 rounds, then get creative – draft a rookie or oft injured player who has top 10 potential if…. (the stars align, player x gets hurt, blah, blah, blah).

Look at the players available in round9.  Keep in mind that it’s a 10 team league, but still….

Cooley is probably a top 5 TE, Felix Jones, Darren Sproles, and LeSean McCoy are all gonna get some fantasy points – especially in PPR -  and they are all just one twisted ankle away from being top 15 RB’s.  There’s even an official RB starter in J Jones still on the board at number 89 overall.

Chase Daniels just threw his 2nd TD pass of the night (against the third string Pitt defense) for Washington.  He’s not a typical NFL QB, and he’s certainly not buff, but he moved the team well.  (No, don’t get cute and draft him as a deep sleeper.  He’s battling for third string.)

FritoLay BBQ flavored sunflower seeds are a decent substitute for smoking.  At least it’s worked for me for the past 28 days.  Well, that and nicotine patches, nicotine gum, and Ranch flavored sunflower seeds.

I’m gonna watch the Denver/Seattle game in bed.  I’m interested in a few players in that game.  Will Orton suck as bad as he did last week?  Is Hasselbeck still ok?  How is TJ Housh adjusting to the Seattle offense and Hasselbeck?  Could Julius Jones really be a factor in fantasy this year?  I liked John Carlson last year – is he still improving?  Could Carlson really be a top 5 TE?  Will Branch ever be relevant again?  Who will be the main RB in Denver?  Will (I can’t believe I’m actually interested in this) Prater be a worthwhile kicker without Cutler there to get the offense moving?

Inquiring minds want to know…..

gk

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Let me say this again – if you are in a standard scoring league (non-PPR) these rankings suck. 

In my first run at the rankings last week, I ranked the top 20 RB’s, WR’s, and QB’s, and I’m going to expand that to the top 40 this time.   You should always check for new posts in the “Fantasy” category to find updated information.  I’m tired of getting emails and comments complaining that my info is wrong because it’s out of date when the reader hasn’t bothered to check for updates.

These rankings are based on projected stats from several fantasy sites, and in some cases simply a gut feeling.

For example, I’m not a Michael Turner fan, and I think a lot of his production in 2008 came from the easy schedule Atlanta had as a result of their horrible 4 win season in 2007.  Lot’s of running backs had great stats against Detroit, KC, St Louis, Oakland, Green Bay, and New Orleans.  But when Turner faced tougher rushing defenses like Chicago, Philly, and Minnesota, he didn’t do as well.

In 2009, Turner will be facing the Giants, Jets, Philly, Miami, Dallas, Washington, San Francisco, Chicago, and New England – all of whom finished in the top half of the NFL in rushing defense last year.  So I think his PPR fantasy point total at the end of 2009 will be a lower than it was in 2008.  Maybe not a lot lower, but I don’t think there’s anyway Turner will end the year with more points than he had last year – and he finished last year with exactly 8 more PPR fantasy points (270 total) than Tomlinson and Thomas Jones (262).

Another example is Brian Westbrook.  Westbrook finished as the number 8 RB in my PPR league last year, and he’ll probably finish among the top 10 running backs in PPR leagues again this year.  But I will not draft him unless he’s available in the 4th round.  Why?  Simply because you never know when he’s going to play.  Almost every week Westbrook is listed as “questionable” or “probable” and he’s a “game time decision”.

You simply don’t know if he’s going to play – or how much he’ll play – until the game starts.   And since you have to set your lineup before the game, you have to gamble each and every week on him.  I understand that certain players like Kellen Winslow, Reggie Bush, Frank Gore, and Marion Barber are high injury risks.  I can deal with that when I KNOW they are listed as “doubtful” because I know they most likely aren’t going to play – and if they do play they won’t be a big factor in the game.  But with Westbrook, you simply don’t have a fucking clue if he’s going to play.  So Westbrook takes a big hit in my rankings.

One other thing to note – this is NOT the order in which I think players will be drafted – or should be drafted.  Just because I think Reggie Bush will finish the year in the top 10 does not mean you should draft him there!   Bush (as of today) has an average ADP of 58 in NFL.com leagues, so most likely you can get him in the 4th or 5th round.

Getting round 1 value in round 4 or 5 is how you win.   So get ANOTHER top 10 ranked RB in round 1 instead and grab Bush in round 4 or 5.   Now you’ve got 2 top ranked running backs on your team while most everyone else has just one.  With just that 1 smart pick, you’ve tremendously increased your chances of winning your league!

With those explanations out of the way, here are my PPR rankings as of August 22nd.

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He talks about how he would “without question, query or censure, be treated by the NHS at no cost to myself.”

Really?  Who paid for it Stephen?  Ahh, that’s right, the “government”, so it’s “free” to you – or is it?

Someone still had to pay for the “not one but two ambulance crews“; the “services of consultant orthopaedic surgeons, anaesthetists, doctors, nurses, ambulance crews, physiotherapists, x-ray staff, porters and even chaplains.“; and that so far he has “spent three weeks in hospital, had four operations under general anaesthetic, daily home visits from district nurses and face weeks, if not months, of more care.“  Who is paying for that Stephen?

He talks about what his care would have cost if he had broken his leg in the US.  “$12,000 per operation; up to $3,500 for anaesthetics each time; hospital at $500 a day and ambulance $300 a trip. That’s not counting the cost of medicine. It adds up to more than $76,000” while in the same sentence saying “I can’t tell what my treatment has cost the NHS“.

He talks about paying for service when he was told there was a “nine-month wait to use the new, multimillion-pound NHS-provided MRI scanner at the hospital to investigate my aching shoulder“  and when he paid for it he “was booked in for an appointment – same scanner, same specialist, same hospital, same treatment – within the week.”

And he still doesn’t get it.  He also can’t understand why “Americans always hone in on the state of our teeth?”

gk

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• Eli Manning doesn’t deserve to be the highest paid player in the NFL.   Don’t get me wrong – I don’t think he totally sucks – but he’s nowhere near good enough to be paid more money than every other player.  More like 50th.  Maybe.
• Hakeem Nicks isn’t going to be the #1 receiver in NY.  At least for a year or two.  He needs a lot of work.  And I saw no hint of him having great hands like the infamous video from college shows.  The annoyance of Jaworski talking about his hands also got old.  No one cares if he has big hands if he can’t catch!
• Hixon or Manningham might have the potential to be THE guy for the Giants, but neither is close right now.
• Bradshaw looked stronger than he did last year.  If Jacobs gets hurt, he could surprise a lot of people in fantasy land this year.  Plus he can catch, which makes him more valuable in PPR leagues.
• Carolina RB Mike Goodson is another one of those “Damn, is he really that fast?” RB’s that get my attention.  I’ve heard it said many times  that the biggest adjustments rookies in the NFL need to make is to adjust to the speed of the NFL, that they need to learn that they can’t just bounce it outside and outrun people like they did in college.  I watched Goodson do that tonight.  Twice.
• The expression on John Fox’s face when they went for two and tied the game with 50 odd seconds to go in the game was priceless.
• Did I really just hear them say “The most dramatic finish in the history of preseason!”?  Nuts…. 
• DeAngelo Williams looked good in his few plays.
• Regardless of what ESPN says, Williams is not “the best running back in football.”  At least as far as I’m concerned.
• Delhomme has a chance to be good – but he didn’t impress me tonight.
• Gruden thinks the wildcat formation is great and here to stay.  I agree, but for different reasons.  Maybe I’ll get into it more later.

Check the “Fantasy” category for my latest thoughts on fantasy football.

gk

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• Stafford is the real deal.  If Keary Colbert could catch a cold (he had at least 3 drops) Stafford would have had some great stats.   I was very impressed with his arm strength and accuracy – a couple of times he threaded passes into very tight spots and they were perfect.
• I don’t think Culpepper will be the starter very long.
• Keary Colbert makes Braylon Edwards look like he has good hands.
• Braylon Edwards still has hands of stone.  He picked up right where he left off last year, dropping an easy TD from Quinn.
• You want a deep sleeper?  Take a look at Detroit RB Aaron Brown.  I’d never heard of him before today, but I watched him take off and outrun everyone and score.  Twice.  Brown is crazy fast – Chris Johnson kinda fast.  The other players appeared to be in slow motion fast.  I’m serious – Brown has a chance to be good.   Really good.  Appears to have good hands too.
• Tony Gonzalez is going to be a favorite target of Ryan in Atlanta.
• I’m still not a Turner fan.  I know he’s good against bad teams – I want to see him do good against a good run defense – last year his stats tanked when he face good defenses.  Atlanta has a tougher schedule this year.  Just saying.
• Roddy White is showing the effects of his holdout.  He and Ryan weren’t on the same page a couple of times.  He”l be fine by the time the season starts.
• Orton sucks.  Denver is going to regret that trade.  Marshall and Royal probably already do, and their fantasy value has to drop big time as long as Orton is the QB in Denver.
• Cutler didn’t impress me with his play either.  It’s gonna take some time for him to elevate the game of the Chicago receivers.
• Hester still doesn’t know how to run a route.
• Tomlinson looks fine, and could once again be THE guy in fantasy.
• Sproles value dropped a bit for me when I saw how well LT was making cuts.
• Hasselbeck is back – and his back appears just fine.
• Seneca Wallace also looked sharp – I guess it helps to have receivers that are able to stand upright.
• Houshmandzadeh is gonna be a favorite target in Seattle.
• So is TE John Carlson.
• Rivers looked sharp.
• So did Vincent Jackson.
• Chambers not so much.
• Gates is still a force.  Saw him line up wide right once, but a cornerback covered him well on a fly pattern.  He’s much better going over the middle where he’s covered by a linebacker.
• The Rams are not good.  Stephen Jackson is about the only thing they’ve got, and he can’t run very far without a decent offensive line.
• Brady looked fine.
• That’s great news for Moss and Welker.

That’s it for now.  Check out my other fantasy football posts if you’re bored.  Don’t forget the Fantasy Football 2009 post that’s linked at the top of every page.

gk

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