F-R-E-D
M-E-R-T-Z
FRED MERTZ!
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My reaction to the Lamar Jackson signing? The proof will be in the pudding. Also, if Jackson had continued to hold out for a fully guaranteed contract after Jalen Hurts signed his deal, which is not fully guaranteed, then Jackson would have never signed.
Speaking of football…I did watch the first round of the NFL Draft in its entirety last night. As I have written on more than one occasion, Mel Kiper–who is covering his 40th draft for ESPN–and I have been friends for more than 30 years.
While I am not an obsessed draftnik, I do like to read scouting reports on players who will be drafted. Usually, one or two players will just resonate with me in that I think they will be drafted higher than the consensus or will be better than where they will probably be drafted. Adalius Thomas (2000 NFL Draft) and Justin McCariens (2001) are two examples of this. Of course, I am not always right, but to me–anyway–it seems as though I am right more than I am wrong.
This year’s player is Will McDonald, an edge rusher from Iowa State. He just “read” to me like a player with a chance to be very productive in the NFL. (Believe it or not, I meant to write about McDonald yesterday, but simply forgot to do so while composing my post.)
The consensus was that he would be a late first- or early second-round selection. He just sounded better to me than that. Sure enough, the New York Jets picked him with the 15th overall pick, the middle of the first round.
OK, what did I like about McDonald’s scouting reports? He had the combination of traits (the current “in” word for measureables like 40-yard dash time and vertical jump) and productivity in a Power 5 conference that one likes to see. Just as important, he (supposedly) has great flexibility in his hips and ankles that allow him to quickly flatten his rush path (arc) to the opposing quarterback.
A key reason why Jadeveon Clowney (the first overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft) never became a sack “monster” is, despite his great size/speed combination, he did not have McDonald’s ankle/hip flexibility. Clowney can run fast in a straight line, but not in an arc.
Of course, how accurate my assessment of Will McDonald is probably will not be known for at least two seasons. The proof will be in the pudding.
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If a man says that a woman “was asking for it” before she was sexually assaulted, almost all of us would react negatively as I think we should. Well, the US is filled with lunatic legislators who hold similarly bizarre views.
From this Free Press piece comes this:
“L.A. City Councilwoman Nithya Raman came right out and said it: is it really stealing if it’s just begging to be stolen?
Raman, who I [Bari Weiss] once sat next to at a very strange dinner, voted against a motion that would make it illegal to possess a catalytic converter that isn’t, you know, yours. In an incredible feat of logic, Raman blamed the car manufacturers rather than the thieves.
“I think one of the things that really infuriates me is that we have a company, Toyota, that makes the Prius, that essentially has a device on their cars which is super easy to remove.” She added that Toyota should “manufacture a car that is not so easy to be stolen.” While we’re at it, we might as well make houses that aren’t so break-in-able, and kids that aren’t so kidnap-able! (Toddlers are very easy to carry, for example.)”
I think we have the government we “deserve,” at least to the extent that can be ascertained from a distance. Most adults in this country can’t find North Dakota on a map or know which countries the US fought in World War II. It should be no surprise that idiots are elected to represent us. I am so tempted to name a few, but discretion is the better part of valor.
#FredFriday
#WillMcDonald
#IdiotsInGovernment
#somanyCARSjustonelife
#disaffectedmusings
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Disaffected Musings 
The reason most Americans can’t find North Dakota on a map is because the public schools stopped teaching geography. In the 5th grade (round 1957) each student in the class was given a map of the continental United States, 4 ft. x 8 ft. on which we had to label each State and each State capitol. We also had to memorize them all. Please note that this was before the addition of Alaska (No. 49) and Hawaii (No. 50). As a freshman in high school, one of my social studies elective classes was World Geography. I shall not rant about the pap they attempt to teach my grandchildren.
I also shall not rant about many of the elected “leaders” which are elected in so many jurisdictions.
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” Well, the US is filled with lunatic legislators who hold similarly bizarre views.”
In other news, water is wet, fire is hot.
This issue of the stupid being elected has gone on forever. People are for the most part gullible and will believe any lie the politicians pump out. Doesn’t matter the office, local dog catcher or president of the country, they all lie. I learned this 25 years ago as a volunteer lobbyist, then as a volunteer on a gubernatorial campaign. Honesty in politics doesn’t have near the power as “bought and paid for” candidates have. And with the amount of money being spent to get elected to ANY office, yes every candidate is bought and paid for.
I try not to get too involved in politics these days, as I have enough blood pressure issues already. What I do read about politics of any level, just makes my left eye start to twitch and words not used in polite company emerge from my lips.
Lastly, you can’t fix stupid. At least not legally.
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“Lastly, you can’t fix stupid. At least not legally.”
Sad, but true.
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We are a country of labels. “Caution… Do not use this product for the purpose for which it was created.”
It’s partly our own fault. As a nation, we must challenge authority. After all, who are you to tell me the stove is hot? Yes, I am blaming the victim.
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Thanks, JS. Yes, we are not supposed to blame “the victim,” but many times the “victim” has at least some culpability in his/her fate. For example, over a third of pedestrians killed by an automobile were legally drunk at the time of their deaths.
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Latest news from the lunatic legislators and unelected appointed boards from the Marxist government of Kalifornia, is they want to ban medium and heavy duty diesel trucks and limit the idling of trains. The unintended costs of this lunacy will far out weigh the estimated “savings” of their plan.
I too once spent some time as a lobbyist at the plantation down on the Potomac, working for my unnamed electric utility. Congress was working on legislation about low level radioactive waste that would seriously effect our nuclear power plant. This engineer got to go and work with the utility’s lobbyist and I actually wrote an amendment that was successfully adopted by the committee and made it into the final legislation. John McCain did some actual work that was helpful at that time.
“You can’t fix stupid. At least not legally.” No, but you can profit from the stupidity. There are tee shirts being marketed that portray the Yellowstone bison “fixing” the stupidity of those idiots who want to go out and pet the “fluffy” cows.
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I wish it were not true that stupidity was so rampant that it could be used as a profit center, but I also wish I could poison certain world “leaders.” It is what it is…
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I have been contacted by a journalist who is writing a book. . .I think it was a book. He is writing about Earl Weaver, and he wanted to interview you. I told him I would send his e-mail address to you, and then you could respond.
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Thanks, Bill. I will send him an email, but don’t know how much I can contribute or even remember.
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