Ricki C. Calls "Bullshit" On Rolling Stone Magazine's Lou Reed "Tribute"

A coupla weeks ago I bet my good friend Joe Peppercorn of The Whiles five bucks that Rolling Stone wouldn't put Lou Reed on the cover of the next issue, that they'd half-ass his Death Tribute Remembrance by putting some jag-off like Ryan Seacrest or Miley Cyrus on the cover and just do a few pages on Lou's passing inside the mag.  The bet came about at a late-night discussion held at Quinn Fallon's Little Rock bar, after a gig at the Rumba Cafe where Colin's Lonely Bones opened a show for Willie Phoenix's new band, Blues Hippy & The Soul Underground.

The four people involved in the discussion were me, Joe, Colin, and Michael "Biggie" McDermott, road manager extraordinaire of Watershed, so we had at least three generations of rockers involved, ranging in age from 30's (Joe) to 60's (me), therefore rock & roll as it relates to mortality rates seemed an apropos topic.

I never welch on a bet, so I'm gonna pay Joe next time I see him, but I'm only paying off $2.50 due to Rolling Stone's bullshit move of putting Lou on one cover, but then running an "alternate" back cover of some half-naked Latina babe, so that each individual retail outlet can make their own decision on which cover to display.  (case in point: In the Giant Eagle, Kroger & Meijer I was in this week, the cheesecake cover predominated.  The only store that featured the Lou version was the oh-so-erudite Barnes & Noble.  Either way, it's a pussy move on Rolling Stone's part: why not one cover and the rack jobbers have to sink or swim with Lou?) 

The actual Rolling Stone coverage was equally watered-down & tepid.  (Not that I really expected better, Rolling Stone hasn't really been a rock & roll magazine since maybe 1969, when Jann Wenner made his rock & roll bed by championing hometown San Fransciscans Jefferson Airplane and The Grateful Dead and leaving what he considered the Great Unwashed Midwestern Heathen Rock of The MC5 and The Stooges and the oh-so-nihilistic New York noise of The Velvet Underground out in the Great Rock & Roll Wasteland.  But I digress.)  The David Fricke article was workmanlike but hardly inspired and the remembrances from various rockers & arty film types ranged from touching (Reed's widow Laurie Anderson may almost have brought a tear to my jaded eye) to typical & rote.  (Why does Rolling Stone insist on having U-2's Bono contribute a full-page eulogy every time somebody dies?  It's like being born Irish entitles him to some Grand Vision we lesser Americans are not privy to.  I like Bono, but he's hardly James Joyce.  Or even Frank McCourt.)  And where were contributions from surviving Velvet Underground members John Cale or Maureen Tucker?

The low point of the "tributes" was Michael Stipe of REM's totally exclusionary, humorless casting of Lou Reed as an Outsider Gay Icon.  If I'm going to take Stipe's piece at face value, I myself, as a heterosexual working-class boy in the 1960's, would not have been permitted to enjoy the music of The Velvet Underground because I did not possess the Proper Hipster Cred that Stipe seems to want to demand of Lou listeners.  Shame on you Michael, rock & roll is supposed to be for Everybody, not just The Cool Kids. - Ricki C. / November 13th, 2013

ps. By far the best, most moving tribute I've read for Lou was by his fellow poet/rocker Patti Smith on The New Yorker website that my pal Hamell On Trial sent me.  Check it out here: 

PATTI SMITH ON LOU REED 

"An Arlington Hobo" - A Coffee Shop Conversation by Colin G.

Colin's Coffee conversation 9/23/13

"Hey man, check out this video." 

As I general rule, I do not check out what other people want me to watch on Youtube. As the only person working at Colin's Coffee, if I say yes once, it would set a precedent and most of my day would disappear being called to table after table watching endless loops of skateboard videos and clips of elephants that can brush their teeth.  So I usually just politely respond, "No, I am not going to check out your video. No offense, I just don't watch other people's Youtube clips."

But every once and a while I'll let my guard down and take a gander. I figure it's part is my penance for forcing hundreds of unsuspecting late-night visitors to sit through Cheap Trick Live at Navy Pier on VHS back in the day.

On this cool, cloudy Thursday morning I glanced at an I-phone to see a clip of what looked like a uni-bomber type character quickly filming his face and then a shot down of railroad tracks from the moving train he was apparently riding on.

He explained, "That's my buddy. We graduated together from U.A. He is a hobo now. That is him hopping a train from Portland down to Sacramento." 

It seemed odd to me that a hobo would take the time to post this clip from a semi-expensive piece of technology, but what do I know about the state of hobos circa 2013? Maybe they all roll with I-phones. I suppose the GPS and train schedule app would be pretty helpful.

 "Yeah, him and his son just hop trains and travel all around the country. it's pretty dangerous because if they get caught it is a federal crime".

"His son? How old is his son?" I asked.

"26" 

"Oh," was all I could muster. My brain came up empty for a response to make sense of  this new piece of information.

"Yeah, they just hop trains and sometimes play music to make some money to fill their bellies. I really admire their courage. I'm pretty jealous. What an awesome life." 

"I have to imagine the hobo lifestyle has its downside as well." 

"Not for these guys, if they ever get in serious trouble they just bust out the debit card." 

"What do you mean? Do they have money?" 

"Oh yeah, he is loaded. Inherited a ton of cash." 

"Uh, dude, I don't think your friend is a hobo, I think he is just a rich guy fucking around."

Colin Gawel works at Colin's Coffee and plays in the band Watershed. Sometimes he writes things for Pencilstorm. 

Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Nominations - 2013 by Ricki C.

I have a host of problems with the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame (hereinafter referred to as R&RHOF).  Some of these have been previously dealt with in this blog, but let's restate them here in a nutshell: 

1) Rock & roll music was once a free, living, anarchic Wild Thing.  (The Troggs - who hit with "Wild Thing" in 1966 - are not in the R&RHOF, by the way.)  Once an art-form/force of nature such as rock & roll starts getting codified and rigidized into establishing a Hall Of Fame, that art-form/force of nature is OVER.

2) Sports should have Halls Of Fame because the contributions of its members can be quantified in some definitive manner: home runs hit, touchdowns scored, baskets or goals made, championships won, contributions made to the players' teams, etc.  By its very nature, rock & roll is not quantifiable: i.e. if we were going to go simply on one quantified measurement - say, record sales - then Michael Jackson and The Eagles would have been the first acts inducted into the R&RHOF and thank God, Allah, Buddha, Jehovah, L. Ron Hubbard (fill in your own chosen deity), they were not.

3) To extend the question of quantifiability: who can REALLY say who is important to rock & roll music, and HOW important they are?  Sure, Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly, The Beatles, Bruce Springtseen and David Bowie (to list the first five off the top of my head) are important to rock & roll, but are they any MORE important than One or Two-Hit Wonders like The Left Banke?  Would 1960's rock & roll have been as wonderful as it was if "Walk Away Renee" or "Pretty Ballerina" had never existed?  How about The Syndicate Of Sound's "Little Girl" or "Psychotic Reaction" by Count Five?  And what about 60's bands that have never even been NOMINATED to the R&RHOF even though they had a fuckload of hits: The Beau Brummels, The Standells, Paul Revere & The Raiders, Herman's Hermits, Manfred Mann?  Pertinent question: Why are The Hollies and The Small Faces - both talented but essentially hit-making hackmeister British Invasion bands - in the R&RHOF, but Gerry & The Pacemakers and The Searchers are not?  My Answer - Because The Hollies contained Graham Nash (later of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young) and The Small Faces morphed into The Faces which contained Rod Stewart & Ron Wood, a future Rolling Stone.  And let's face facts, folks: Jann Wenner loves him some Rich Hippies and Big Names.

Which brings us to the current crop of nominees.......

1) Deep Purple / Yes - Deep Purple?  Seriously?  I liked Deep Purple.  I liked them when I was in high school in the 1960's and they were goosing mediocre Joe South and Neil Diamond tunes ("Hush," "Kentucky Woman") into Heavy Rock Hits.  I liked them for being a reliable mid-level Heavy English band. I liked them less later when organist Jon Lord came up with Concerto For Group & Orchestra and moved them into Ponderous Orchestrated Symphonic-Rock (?) Territory, a genre later perfected by Yes.  (And let's face facts: if it wasn't for Yes we would not have been subjected to their hopelessly inferior American copies - Styx, Marillion, Pegasus, Journey, and, the most-dreaded of all, Kansas.)  Are either Deep Purple or Yes more important to rock & roll than fellow Englishmen Mott The Hoople?  I think not.  (And Mott's Ian Hunter wrote "Cleveland Rocks" for chrissakes, but still can't get a nomination to the Rock Hall on the shores of Lake Erie.)

2) Kiss - Kiss?  Kiss?  I really have to laugh at this one.  I hate to run afoul of my good friends Colin Gawel & Joe Oestreich of Watershed here, but I think even they would agree that it's lamentable that The MC5 and The New York Dolls (without whom, let's face facts, Kiss would not exist) have never been considered for the R&RHOF, but Kiss gets nominated.  I suppose I should be heartened that the Rock Hall has relaxed its rather genteel May-I-Pour-You-A-Cup-Of-Tea-Darling? Standards to include a hard-rock band like Kiss in the nominations, but why choose a mediocre, overblown Spectacle-Over-Music hard-rock band when you could consider the melodically-inventive, most perfectly-balanced combination of power & pop hard-rock band EVER - Cheap Trick?  (Oh yeah, now I remember, because Kiss are from New York City and Cheap Trick are from the Midwest.)   

3) Linda Ronstadt - This nomination is just sad for a number of reasons, most of them completely unrelated to music.  Ronstadt's fellow California Soft Rock Compatriots - Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Eagles, Jackson Browne - have been in the R&RHOF for years, if not DECADES, but Ronstadt has never gotten a nomination until this year, when it was revealed she has Parkinson's Disease.  Condescending?  Yeah.  Sexist?  Yeah.  Ronstadt was a reliable hit-maker all through the 1970's and a fairly good interpreter of singer-songwriter material  (I'm sure Jackson Browne, Warren Zevon and even Elvis Costello appreciated the publishing royalties that lined their pockets from Ronstadt covers of their songs), but she can't get a Rock Hall nomination until she contracts Parkinson's?  Sad.

4) Chic / LL Cool J / N.W.A. - Okay, I have no problem with these three acts being considered for a Rap Hall Of Fame or Soul/R&B Hall Of Fame, but the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame?  Please.  And before anybody levels a Racism Charge, allow me make my point.  There are many black artists who belong in the R&RHOF: Chuck Berry (without whom rock & roll might not even exist, and certainly wouldn't be as much fun as it is), Little Richard, Bo Diddley, Sly & The Family Stone, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Prince, etc.  If we're going to nominate Chic, LL Cool J or N.W.A., where are the nominations for Love, The Chambers Brothers, Bad Brains or Living Color, all of whom are more vital black contributors to the legacy of rock & roll?

5) The Paul Butterfield Blues Band / Peter Gabriel / Hall & Oates / The Meters / Cat Stevens / Link Wray - ZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.  Why bother?

6) The Zombies - These guys certainly deserve to be in the R&RHOF, but I would hate to think they were only nominated this year because of Pop Culture Zombie Mania - The Walking Dead, World War Z, etc.

7) Nirvana / The Replacements - As a rocker, I suppose these were the two nominations that made the most sense.  But it's going to be sad to me when Nirvana makes it into the Rock Hall on their first try and The Replacements don't.  It's probably not entirely fair but I kinda blame Nirvana - and specifically Kurt Cobain - for the current Dire Straits Of Rock & Roll.  (note; Mark Knopfler's band is not in the R&RHOF either.)  First Cobain knocked Hair Metal (which, though I certainly wasn't a fan, was at least FUN in a rock & roll sense) off the charts, radio, and MTV, thus ushering in The Age Of Alternative.  He then went on to CONTINUOUSLY bellyache (literally, he had an ulcer) about Fame, His Fans, The Pressures of Rock Stardom, etc.  That is not a Good Message to send to aspiring rock stars.  And when The Biggest Rock Star In The World blows his brains out in a Seattle garage, the lesson to young boys & girls with guitars is that Genius Is Pain and you should just roll around and wallow in your grief rather than use rock & roll to escape that darkness.  And that's not Rock & Roll.

The Replacements are rock & roll.  And that's exactly why I'm betting they don't get into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame in 2013.  We'll see.  - Ricki C. / Oct. 25th, 2013

Why I Am Voting For the Arlington School Levy by Colin Gawel

I recently attended a Q & A house party with new Upper Arlington School superintendent Paul Imhoff and I came away very impressed. Paul took tough questions and provided solid answers for over an hour in a sometimes heated exchange of ideas over Issue 52. The fact that he has been willing to get out on the front lines of this issue and attend over SIXTY of these type meetings tells me he is passionate about his new job and what he believes is best for the U.A. school system. I trust his opinion and am now convinced, without a doubt, that failing to pass Issue 52 would do damage to both our kids and the overall well being of Upper Arlington. 

Standing behind the counter of Colin's Coffee I have heard numerous arguments from intelligent well-meaning people on both sides of the issue and  I have noticed that the biggest issue brought up, by far, is teachers' salaries. This was the dominant theme at the house party as well. Here is what I learned and would like to share.

* Voting no on Issue 52 does not have an effect on the collective bargaining agreement with the teacher's union. Is this clear? Your vote "no" does not impact collective bargaining, it will not affect teacher salaries. It just slashes funds for the schools.

* Arlington teacher salaries are in line with other comparable districts (New Albany, Bexley, Dublin). Our average salary is higher overall because as a land-locked district, we add very few new teachers, unlike Dublin which adds thirty new teachers a year, at the lowest starting salary, which drags down their overall average.

* Once again, the teachers salary structure is a collectively bargained "step & ladder" type pay scale. I am not going to bore you with the numbers, but basically, whether Issue 52 passes or not, it has zero effect on the system currently in place statewide. On a related note, you get what you pay for. Very few successful companies proudly announce they are seeking the cheapest CEO and/or labor available. 

* Superintendent Imhoff, though not allowed by law to comment on contract negotiations, said he has heard the concerns of the voters and will work to meet their goals. He assured us that he will continue to be frugal and provided numerous examples of the steps already being taken. The man knows his stuff.

Speaking of numbers, it's easy to get lost in the numbers provided by both sides. I think it is important to remember that there are kids behind these numbers. Just for fun, let's say Issue 52 fails and all the taxpayers save $200 a year. The trade-off is that UA eliminates counseling services for elementary students to balance the books. (Like Olentangy recently did.). Let's say five kids really suffer due to the lack of these services and eventually end up in trouble and with poor grades. These kids could have become productive citizens with a little help at an early stage but never reached their potential due to the elimination of this program. Is a $200 saving worth the lives of five kids? I don't have the answer. Maybe yes or maybe no. You can decide. I'm just trying to reframe the argument so we remember there is a human element to all these statistics both sides are so fond of stuffing in your mailbox.

Basically, it is up to the voters to decide if education is a priority or if it isn't. My wife and I moved to Upper Arlington for the schools and so far we haven't been disappointed. Our son Owen is in the 4th grade at Wickliffe and if I could give the school a grade it would be A+++. 

In closing, I think failing the school levy last year sent a message that the voters wanted more accountability from the school system and I think they have responded. It is my opinion that Superintendent Imhoff is the right person to meet these challenges. I would like to give him an opportunity to see what he can do with our support and not see him hamstrung right out of the gate. No matter how you vote on Nov 5th, it is important to remember that in the history of the world, no community ever benefits in the long run by repeatedly de-funding education. It always ends up poorly for the kids, the property values and in the end, everybody loses. Always. How close do we want to cut it? Is it worth the risk? I'm cool with one school levy failing but not two in a row. That isn't the Upper Arlington I know and love.

 I am voting for Issue 52 on November 5th and I hope you will join me.

Colin Gawel wrote this at Colin's Coffee. He plays in the band Watershed and edits the website Pencilstorm. His lives in Upper Arlington with his wife Erin McHam and son Owen who is in the 4th grade at Wickliffe Progressive. 

Your Team Sucks Unless It's The Seahawks by Brian Phillips

I've seen enough. Let's start passing judgement on all 32 NFL Teams. I'll be your guide. I'm Brian Phillips and yes, I am a life long Seahawks fan. (In the interest of accuracy I pre-date the Seahawks.) As a child I remember attending the Seahawks' first win ever, a thrilling come from behind 17-16 win over San Diego in the late great sewer pipe The Kingdome.

Mercury Morris was playing for the Chargers. Fortunately I was in the upper deck and did not pick up a contact high. My hero Jim Zorn threw the winning touchdown pass as I remember it, which makes no sense because it was a preseason game and he should not have still been in the game. Maybe it was Matt Leinhart. He's tried to make it with so many teams perhaps he traveled back through time or something.  

AFC North

Cincinnati (6-2)

The Bengals look to be in good shape in this middling division. A 49-9 beating of the Jets notwithstanding Cincinnati can be a bit hard to figure. A huge come from behind win at home over the Packers was followed immediately by a bizarre 17-6 loss in Cleveland. The Bengals also struggled to beat an undermanned Buffalo squad in overtime. From here on out the schedule seems to shape up in their favor.... 

Final Record: 11-5

Baltimore (3-4)

The modern salary cap NFL means you live for today. The Ravens' today was last season. Their well documented talent drain puts the onus on Joe Flacco, reupped at $52 million bucks guaranteed. The results thus far have been uninspiring... Baltimore sits in the middle to lower half in major offense categories, but it's not all on Flacco. Ray Rice has seen his production fall off a clilff this season, another reminder that running backs age quickly. Rice, at only 26, should have some more good years in front of him though. At 2.8 yards per carry as I write and only 24 catches they'd better hope so. Any shot at the playoffs is predicated on Ray Rice turning his year around.

Final Record 8-8

Cleveland (3-5)

The Gods are cruel. The Browns trade Trent Richardson and then win three in a row to leap to the top of the division at 3-2. While winning game number three though break through quarterback Brian Hoyer tore up his knee, and Cleveland came, like a lost Soviet satellite, crashing back to earth. After a slow start in Kansas City Jason Campbell played well to give Browns' fans another dose of false hope.

Final Record: 5-11

Pittsburgh (2-5)

The Steelers' 0-4 start had me wondering about how bad it could get. Would this team rival the last truly awful Steeler team? You'd have to go all the way back to the 1969 squad that went 1-13 to find a Pittsburgh team rivaling the way this one looked. Since then though the ship had begun to lurch in the right direction with two straight wins... and then they went to Oakland, gave up 197 yards rushing, and managed only 35 themselves. That's not Steelers football.

Final Record: 4-12

AFC East

New England (6-2)

Is there any more deceptive record than the Pats'? It's truly being done with mirrors. The injuries seem never ending.... Gronk (now returned) Amendola (in and out as usual and always great in theory) Wilfork (they may end up missing him most of all) Mayo, Vereen, etc. And yet in two of the past three weeks they've come back from the dead to win (New Orleans and Miami). Their upcoming schedule leans a bit on the favorable side, Gronk will get ramped up, and Vereen is in a soft cast now. Despite Tom Brady being down right mortal another division title seems likely.

Final Record: 11-5

 New York Jets (4-4)

Hockey season is here so how about a hockey related stat: The Jets have a plus/minus of -68. 143 points for, 211 against. The defense has been good, at least until a 49-9 thrashing at the hands of Cincinnati. Geno Smith is a better option than Mark Sanchez, but the .500 mark is more fluke than anything.

Final Record: 6-10

Miami Dolphins (3-4)

Well what happened.... A 3-0 start is quickly forgotten on South Beach with three losses in a row capped by a big lead evaporating in Foxboro Sunday. The Dolphins allowed another 6 sacks, and Ryan Tannehill turned the ball over three times. The defense isn't what we thought it was either, at least not since that third win.

Final Record: 7-9

Buffalo Bills (3-5)

I think Bills fans can feel it... Good times are drawing nearer... Just not this year. Still this is a fiesty bunch, almost knocking off the Bengals and then beating Miami with scrap heap quarterback Thad Lewis at the helm. E.J. Manuel will return and he's going to be a solid pro. The C.J. Spiller/Fred Jackson combo may be the best 1-2 backfield punch in the league. Statistically the defense has been middle of the pack, but they have some good players, and rookie MLB Kiko Alonso was a steal in the second round. He's a future all pro.

Final Record: 6-10

AFC West

Kansas City Chiefs (8-0)

I'll give Scott Pioli this... he assembled some kick ass talent for Andy Reid to coach. Pioli is gone now because by all accounts he's an asshole. That wouldn't be a problem if at some point his Chiefs were 8-0. What the Chiefs are missing is a franchise quarterback. Alex Smith is decent, but sometimes he seems like he'd rather get sacked than risk any chance of a pick. That's great and all, but with the Chief's talent base on offense, he ought to live a bit wilder. Dwayne Bowe is starving out there. Jamaal Charles is having a career year though, and that defense is feasting. The schedule gets rougher now however, and two games with Denver still await. 

Final Record: 12-4

Denver Broncos (7-1)

You might have heard something from ESPN about Peyton Manning returning to Indianapolis just over a week ago, and the Colts beating the Broncos. All the hype had nothing to do with Denver losing, but the game was instructive. The Broncos missing their two offensive tackles will be an issue going forward. With Von Miller back, their pass rush was sparked to life against the Redskins Sunday. Manning has a couple of bum ankles now, but with all those weapons on offense they will have their way most weeks.... and hey the playoffs are a long way away.

Final Record: 15-1

San Diego Chargers (4-3)

It's pretty simple: New head coach Mike McCoy and offensive coordinator (former Cardinals head man) Ken Whisenhunt have designed an offense to save Philip Rivers' career. Get it, get rid of it. In that sort of scheme ex-Patriot Danny Woodhead has been a huge addition for the Bolts. Ask Tom Brady about that. Let's not get too excited though. This squad seems a bit schizoid. Not a ton of scoring for all those yards, and the defense is middling. (their great effort against Indy not withstanding.) The remaining schedule is a bit rough.

Final Record: 7-9

Oakland Raiders (3-4)

Well... three wins ain't bad, and they did give the Colts a scare week one. Former Buckeye Terrelle Pryor looks here to stay behind center. Yeah.... When Al Davis died he left behind a lot of old guy hair goo and a big pile of cap misery. All shitty teams need to treat draft picks like gold, but Davis Jr. traded two of them to Seattle (a team that values every draft pick) for QB Matt Flynn.... a man they've cut. 

Final Record: 5-11

AFC South

Indianapolis Colts (5-2)

The Colts had quite possibly the widest range of pundit predictions coming into the year. It makes sense.... Two games vs the Texans (more on them below), four against the NFC West, etc. So much for that as the Colts beat the Seahawks, 49ers, and Broncos through the most brutal stretch of their slate. Hopefully for their sakes they won't look back too ruefully on losses to Miami and San Diego. Andrew Luck? The real deal. They made the right choice and it has nothing to do with beating the Broncos.  A winner in every sense. The Richardson trade looks stupid thus far, but I understand why they did it. Losing Reggie Wayne could be the difference in the negative.

Final Record: 11-5

Tennessee Titans (3-4)

Do not sleep on the Titans. Sure they've dropped three in a row, but two of those games were without Jake Locker. and they had to stand off against Kansas City, Seattle, and San Francisco (Combined record: 18-3). Locker is quietly becoming an effective pro starter. If they can keep him on the field, and figure out the enigma that is Chris Johnson they might be able to scratch themselves out a wild card slot. The defense has been good, especially against the run. They still have two against Jacksonville too....

Final Record: (8-8)

Houston Texans (2-5)

It's simple to trace the end of Houston's season, and it's not that disastrous 4th quarter meltdown against Seattle in week four. It's the prior week, when the Texans went into Baltimore and were completely dominated by a mediocre Ravens team. Matt Schaub is done as starter in Houston, but coach Gary Kubiak will be first to leave town, probably the day after the season ends. The Ravens took advantage of their window, the Texans' has already closed.  Arien Foster is injured, and stud MLB Brian Cushing is now done for the year (again). Maybe if their fans hadn't cheered their quarterback being injured I might feel sorry. Thanks though Houston! I will always remember Richard Sherman dashing off for that pick six.

Final Record: (6-10)

Jacksonville Jaguars (0-8)

Ugh... I feel horrible for former Seahawks defensive coordinator Gus Bradley. The Jags are so far away from even mediocrity that he probably destroyed his head coaching career even taking this gig. I feel awful for Maurice Jones Drew too. He's beat up now, and will never cash in on how great he was. Fortunately he's a smart dude, and has his pick of TV gigs waiting for him on the other side. The draft is quaterback rich, and they'll take one as Gabbert and Henne are no answer, but you knew that. Their new uniforms have a Sunbelt Conference feel to them. I got nothing. This is one of the worst teams to ever take the field. (Fyi Houston at Jacksonville is Thursday night football on December 5th..... Holy shit.) Bonus: I have Cecil Shorts on both my fantasy teams and he's a weird source of cheap points in a PPR league. We Shorts owners call him "Garbage Time." Maybe he's sitting around on your waiver wire I don't know. 

Final Record: 0-16

NFC North

Green Bay (5-2)

Simple: With Aaron Rodgers the Packers will be there at the end. Losing Randall Cobb and Jermichael Finley is not good to be sure, but on the other hand Green Bay found that long elusive running game in rookie Eddie Lacy. The schedule from here on out is very favorable. 

Final Record: 13-3

Detroit Lions (5-3)

Well, these kids can chuck the ball around the lot. Stafford, Megatron, Bush... It's all fine. The defense should be better, but there doesn't seem to be a ton of discipline on that side. Playoffs in 2011, 4-12 last year.... Whack job team, hard to figure. That drive to knock off Dallas yesterday was something! Schedule ain't bad from here on out.

Final Record: 9-7 (And that's a wild guess. I have no stinking clue with this bunch.)

Chicago Bears (4-3)

This Bears squad had it all figured out. Jay Cutler looked great and wasn't doing nearly so much stupid shit. Matt Forte is having a career year. Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffrey are dynamic weapons. The defense isn't your typical Bears unit sure... and then Cutler rips a groin muscle. He's out at least a month, but having never ripped any muscle let alone a groin, I'm guessing it's going to be longer and enough for 2013 to float away from da Bearsssss.  

Final Record: 8-8 

Minnesota Vikings (1-6)

And here we have a squad that I swear to God made the playoffs last year. Any team on their third starting quarterback in seven games is probably 1-6 if they're lucky. 19th in the league in rushing is just the capper. Trading for Josh Freeman and paying him 3 million bucks? Stupid. Lose with the ones that brought ya! The Vikings defense isn't good either. They should have at least kept punter Chris Kluwe. At least he was interesting. 

Final Record: 3-13 (exactly where they were two years ago)

NFC East

Dallas Cowboys (4-4)

In yesterday's 31-30 loss at Detroit the Cowboys surrendered 623 yards of total offense. 623! If Dez Bryant were stomping around the sidelines because of that I'd have his back. Jerry Jones has built a decent Big 12 team here, and they'll probably stumble into a division title. Good for them.

Final Record: 8-8

Philadelphia Eagles (3-5)

We knew Michael Vick wouldn't make it through the year without injuries. If Vick and Nick Foles can't answer the bell Sunday in Oakland the Eagles will lose again. I'm not going to pass judgement on Chip Kelly in the NFL yet because he doesn't have enough good players. They need them on both sides of the ball.... it could take awhile.

Final Record: 5-11

Washington Redskins (2-5)

Working his way back from a very serious knee injury RGIII finally started to look like his old self in a 41-38 win over Chicago. And then the Skins went out to Denver and let the second year man get the shit beat out of him. Part of it is on RGIII. Get rid of the ball kid. Get rid of it. Mike Shannahan is a terrible coach. The Redskins were running the ball in the first half in Denver, and then just quit. Alfred Morris should have run it 15 more times. Stupid.

Final Record: 5-11

New York Giants (2-6)

A 15-7 win over the Eagles thanks to five field goals and all of the sudden they're crowing about being in the race out East. Not if you can't score even one TD against the Eagles at home dudes. 

Final Record: (3-13) 

NFC West

Seattle Seahawks (6-1)

This team is built so well it's difficult to find things to quibble about. The biggest flaw I can think of is the lack of a big time number one outside receiver. Someone in the mold of a Megatron, A.J. Green or Larry Fitzgerald. Percy Harvin looks to begin playing soon, but that's not his role. The offensive line has been leaky, but considering the Hawks have had to run out up to three back ups at a time it hasn't been so bad. The toughest part of the schedule is now past with only the Saints and 49ers posing realistic challenges. Russell Wilson is the real deal, and seems to have the stuff to take this bunch to the promised land.

Final Record: 14-2

San Francisco 49ers (6-2)

The Niners got off to a bumpy start because they got away from what got the to the Super Bowl last year. They've settled in again by pounding the ball, and letting Colin Kaepernick do what he does best. Some day he may be more of a pocket passer, but for now, as freaky an athelete as he is you just gotta turn him lose. The defense has been good as expected, though you can run on them. The Seattle/San Francisco rematch is going to be epic. 

Final Record: 13-3

Arizona Cardinals (4-4)

I had something else entirely written before yesterday's easy win over Atlanta. Rookie Andre Ellington ran for 154 yards (ok 80 on one play) and took some pressure off Carson Palmer. With Palmer only having to throw 18 times, and their stout defense doing it's job, the Cards may have turned a corner. They're not there yet however, and should look for someone in next spring's quarterback rich draft around whom to build. 

Final Record: 7-9

St. Louis Rams (3-4)

Look, without Sam Bradford, who really has been pretty lousy this year, these guys are done. They know it, and did even before they called Brett Favre. You can't put it all on Bradford. The Rams have no running game, and their defense has been surprisingly leaky. I really thought that would be a strength this year. They've taken a big step backwards. 

Final Record 4-12

NFC South

New Orleans Saints (6-1)

We all know the offense is great, but what makes this team intriguing going forward is the vast improvement on defense. Rob Ryan has these guys playing well.... 4th in scoring defense, 9th against the pass.... The rush defense remains a concern as they look to the toughest part of their schedule. Seattle, San Francisco, and two games against division rival Carolina all post a stern test there. Jimmy Graham's foot issues may limit his snaps in the second half as well.  

Final Record: 13-3

Carolina Panthers (4-3)

Unbelievable.... This marks the first time the Panthers have been over .500 in the Cam Newton era. It would be nice for them if they could find a better passing game. They're 8th in rushing though, and seemingly getting better. Their defensive numbers indicate a team that can win more than they lose in the second half. Top ten in the major categories. They're getting close in Charlotte.... 

Final Record: 10-6

Atlanta Falcons (2-5)

It turns out if your best players are hurt you don't win. Missing both Roddy White and Julio Jones is obviously not good, and without Stephen Jackson Atlanta sit dead last in the league in rushing. The defense has been middling. Hard to fathom how fast things have gone south. This is a lost season.

Final Record: 5-11

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 0-7

And now Tampa Bay's first regular season win ever, almost two seasons into their history. 

Their first win of 2013 will probably come at some point.... after Greg Schiano is fired.  

Final Record: 1-15