Benster and D Pick Your Games -- Don't Talk about Playoffs Edition

So, Old Dude, let's talk about playoffs.

You're kiddin' me.

Baby, I'm not foolin'.

I gotta whole lotta love for playoff action, even if  a certain team we don't like is involved. But we'll troll Gino later. And I have a good one for our pal Gino. Watch me work!

Indianapolis Colts (+1) vs. Houston Texans. First, a little housekeeping. Jim Mora has nothing to do with this Colts team. This game is not exciting to me. Yes, I said I have a whole lotta love for the playoffs, but these are two of the most generic teams in the NFL. The Colts were left for dead in October, but they have been red-hot down the stretch. I think the Texans blew a chance at a first-round bye and the Colts are a bad matchup. Colts 21, Texans 6.

Keep it coolin', baby. I'm at best lukewarm about this one myself. It should be a good matchup but I'm still trying to figure out how the Colts are winning. I think the Texans are a better overall team. And since they are at home. . . Texans 28, Colts 23.

Seattle Seahawks (+2) vs. Dallas How Bout Dem Cowboahs? Great. These clowns again. Two of the most obnoxious fan bases in the league and they get the prime-time slot. And two of the coaches we love to hate. It's Rah-Rah Cheat Carroll vs. Jason "Sparky the Sea Lion" Garrett, always clapping his hands. My rule of thumb for the playoffs -- is your quarterback a proven performer. Russell Wilson fits that bill. Dak Prescott? Not yet. I think Seattle will jump out early and take Zeke away, which means Dak will have to win the game on his own. Can he do it? He has about as much chance of that as Skip Bayless has of getting a meal in Green Bay without the cooks spitting on his burger. Seahawks 28, Cowboahs 0.

Mmmm, a bacon cheeseburger with loogie sauce! It might be more palatable than this game, actually. I share Benster's contempt about these two franchises, but I agree with his analysis. The Seahawks have done this before. The Cowboys? Not since Benster had a rattle in his hands. Expect some rattling tonight. Seahawks 24, Cowboys 13.

Los Angeles Chargers (+2.5) vs. Baltimore Ravens. If you're looking for an upset this weekend, this game is going to be the one. The Ravens, for my money, are the best defense in the league. I'm going to be interested to see how the Chargers start, considering it's an early kickoff on the East Coast. I know Lamar Jackson has never started a playoff game, and I'm going against what I've written earlier. If I'm an NFL coach, Baltimore is a team I do not want to see, either tomorrow or down the line. Ravens 17, Chargers 10.

I would love to see Phillip Rivers have one last playoff run to cement his place in history as a great NFL quarterback. He's had a wonderful career, but often he's been away from the cameras, as the Chargers are only sporadically a glamour team. Baltimore is a very tough place to win, though. This Ravens team is nasty and built for the playoffs. They will be too much. Ravens 24, Chargers 20.

Philadelphia Eagles (+6.5) vs. Bear Down Chicago Da Bearz Still Suck. Gino would like to remind you that his Bears are the NFC North Champions. I would like to remind Gino that he has a namesake who committed this crime against music:

Gino's been lost, living inside himself all season long. But now come the playoffs and the defending champion Eagles are coming to town. Do you remember this playoff game?

That was a weird game. Bears fans, including our man Gino, have been claiming their team is for real all season long. I must admit they are a legitimate team. That being said, they are playing the defending champions. This season won't be a failure for the Bears, but I don't think they can win. Eagles 35, da Bears 31.

I must admit the Gino Vannelli is a nice touch. I'm also glad you spared us all a look at his chest hair. Anyway, this is a matchup that will put hair on your chest for sure. The Eagles were much better down the stretch than they had been, but there's a reason they are a #6 seed, beyond the obligatory Vikings reference. The Eagles aren't consistent. The Bears have been remarkably consistent all season. The key, as is often the case, is can Mitchell Trubisky not lose the game. This week, I think he survives. Besides that, I really want to see a Bears/Rams playoff game next week. Bears 24, Eagles 14.

Clemson Tigers (+5.5) vs. The Crimson Tide of Alabama, in Santa Clara. This is the National Title Game that nobody wanted, but here it is anyway. I'm sick and tired of both of these teams. It was fun the first time, but this is like a cash grab sequel. I would like Clemson to win, since they are slightly less annoying than Alabama. Maybe next year we could have something new and different. Better get rowing that boat, there, P.J.! Clemson 34, Alabama 33.

Do they still make Brylcreem? It seems like a perfect product for the Clemson coach to market. A little Dabo do ya? Well, do ya, Clemson? Alabama really ought to petition the NFL for an expansion franchise at this point. I am with Benster on this one -- it's bad for the game if you have the same two behemoths battling it out every year. As for this game, Alabama is better. Again. Yawn. Alabama 41,  Clemson 30.

Well, that's a lot of territory we covered, old dude. And up to now, I haven't even used the word HYYYYYYYYPPPPPPE! But I got it in. Contractual obligation. Ben out!

Benster and D Pick Your Games -- Desperation Edition

Hi everyone! This post is coming out early because we are on assignment this weekend.

Important mission. Very hush-hush.

Speaking of assignments, the Vikings fired John DeFilippo and are facing the reality that a promising season could swirl away from them. I really hope that the Packers do not hire him.

More likely to get a job with the South St. Paul High School Packers at this point, but you never know. 

Meanwhile, Gino is very happy that the Bears are in a good position and have a chance to avenge a loss that is personal to them.

You realize everything is personal with Bears fans, right? 

I do, but I am too busy feeling the HYYYYYYYYYYPPPPPEEE!, so it is time to watch me work.


Miami Tuna Net Victims (+7.5) vs. Minnesota Vikings. The Vikings look listless on Monday against the Seahawks on offense. The Vikings-approved KFAN heads will try and spin this on Kirk Cousins and DeFilippo, but the head coach and the general manager should raked over the coals for this turn of events as well. Mike Zimmer is the head coach, and I wonder if he is spending too much time in the defensive meeting room. The Vikings offense is talented, and the front office agreed to hire DeFilippo and give Kirk Cousins a boatload of money. The Vikings have not beaten a single team that currently has a winning record and has crapped the bed in 2 straight prime time road games. Now, they have to come across the country on the short week and play a Miami team that is more talented than you might think. The Dolphins beat the Bears and are coming off a great win against the Patriots on a miracle finish. This game is not an easy one, and the Dolphins need to be respected as a worthy opponent. Maybe Mike Zimmer should consider giving up calling the defense, and instead spend more time with his offense and call the plays himself on offense. Dolphins 27, All My Zimmers 20.

Well, that's one way to get what he wants. Desperate team at home is very much in effect here, but the Vikings had better step lively. I don't know what to think about the coaching circus, but it is worth noting that DeFilippo is the second offensive coordinator that Zimmer has forced out in his tenure here. I think it might be time to take Jerry Burns's utterly NSFW advice:

Purple coaches like to work blue, apparently. I can only assume Burnsie had watched a VHS tape of Planes, Trains, and Automobiles and was inspired by Steve Martin's rant (also NSFW). It's much the same and I assume Sid Hartman and Edie McClurg were kindred spirits. But remember this -- it's not Schnelker's fault. Vikings 24, Dolphins 19.

Glorious Green Bay Packers (+6.5) vs. Bear Down Chicago Da Bearz Still Suck. First of all, Gino would like to remind you that the Chicago Bears are in first place and just came off a dominant performance at home against the Rams. I think most Bears fans would agree that this game is personal to them. The reason? They had a 20 point lead at Lambeau and had Aaron Rodgers knocked out of the game, and it looked like they had shocked the world. Then, Rodgers came back and led one of the greatest comebacks in NFL history against impossible odds. I speak for most Packers fans that this game is our Super Bowl for the year, a chance to say that we beat the Bears twice. The Packers probably are not going to make the playoffs, but looked pretty good against the Falcons last week. The offensive line could be shorthanded, which scares me. I'm also a delusional Packers fan who still believes in the playoffs this year. If you thought I was going to pick against the Packers, you don't know me very well. Packers 31, Da Bearz Still Suck 0.

That's okay, young fella. Picking against the Packers is my job this season. I do think the Bears could be had, but I don't see how the Packers are going to get both Khalil Mack and Akiem Hicks blocked effectively. I see a low scoring game, but I don't see a victory. Bears 17, Packers 14.

Enjoy your weekend. You know I will. The Bears still suck, and always will. Ben out.

Lightning Round -- 121118

A few random thoughts:

• I don't care what Kyler Murray tweeted when he was 15 years old. I didn't care what Josh Hader tweeted, either. The news outlets that report such things are more vile than anything a 15-year-old boy might be thinking.
• We had a good discussion yesterday in the comments section concerning the election of Harold Baines and Lee Smith to the Baseball Hall of Fame. I really enjoyed watching Harold Baines throughout his career; he was a rock-solid player and a true gentleman who is a credit to the game. That's not nearly enough to make him a Hall of Fame member, however. Lee Smith was a dominant closer for over a decade, in the transition period between the Goose Gossage-style multi-inning dominators of the 1970s and the one-inning matadors of the current era. Smith is a borderline case in my estimation, but as we start sorting the great from the okay in terms of modern era pitchers, Smith is certainly a defensible choice. I do worry about the various Veterans Committees that the HOF is currently employing becoming similar to the committees of the 1970s, when a lot of dubious guys were honored because, at bottom, they were pals with the committee members.
• Another question -- is Joe Mauer a Hall of Fame player? Yes, I think so. If you consider him a catcher, which he was for the majority of his career, his overall numbers and defensive effectiveness are clearly above the bar. If you consider him a first baseman, not so much. His career numbers don't rank high on the all-time list, but he was, in many cases, a great player. Kirby Puckett had a similar career arc, although his career was cut short. The numbers are important in considering players, but the eye test still has value. If you watched Mauer and Puckett play, you saw greatness on a regular basis.
• I'm not going to write about the latest efforts from the Trump Scandal Factory for at least a few days. I remain convinced a counterpunch is in the offing, but it's not yet clear when that will happen.
• The Packers are pretty much dead for this season and it appears the Vikings are in trouble, too. Somewhere in California, a guy we know is smiling.

Benster and D Pick Your Games -- Happy Thanksgiving Edition

Happy Thanksgiving to all of our readers, and may the turkey not put you to sleep. If the turkey won't do it, watch the LOLions crap the bed in the Kitty Litter Box.

What could be a more traditional Thanksgiving greeting? And, as always, our Thanksgiving pal sends his regards:

Bon Appetit, y'all!

Every time I give thanks for the many blessings in my life, I never forget to contemplate one of the central blessings I've had, Old Dude!

What's that?

That you didn't raise me to be a Lions fan!

CPS would have come for me if I'd done that. So you're welcome, I guess?

That's a good point. But enough talk -- it's time to discuss the LOLions, in their traditional HYYYYYYPPPPE-less glory.  Watch me work!

Bear Down Chicago Da Bearz Still Suck (-3) vs. Detroit LOLions. Believe it or not, the Chicago Bears are still in first place in the NFC North. Gino has reminded us of that many times this season. But we do need to acknowledge that the first-place Bears coughed up a grizzly hairball at Lambeau earlier this season. The Bears are apparently going to rely on Chase Daniel to be their quarterback this afternoon. The Lions are not very good this year. I'm sure that's not particularly surprising to you, since we could say the same thing about the Lions every year since 1957, which is so long ago that even Old Dude wasn't born yet. The Bears should win because of their defense and running game. Bears 31, LOLions 20.

The Lions are not only bad, but they're kinda schizo this year. They get killed by the Jets, then kill the Patriots. No one knows which Lions team will show up. That makes it difficult to pick their games. Mitchell Trubisky is the little girl with the curl; when he's good, he's very good, but when he's bad, he's awful. The problem for the Bears is no one knows what the Bears are when the little quarterback with the curl is missing. Vegas must hate this game. I think Khalil Mack gets his, so. . . Bears 24, Lions 20.

Enjoy your Thanksgiving, everyone! And remember, if you don't like your family that much, it would be a really nice gesture to start an argument about Trump when the cranberries are being passed. Ben out!

Benster and D Pick Your Games -- No College Games Edition

Old dude, I wonder how angry Mike Zimmer is right now?

I bet the ol' nostrils are flaring a bit.

No, that's Mom. I was watching the game with her last night and she was not pleased with the defensive effort.

That's right. Let's go to the highlights:

Some say that Jared Goff is still throwing touchdowns.

And on the one to Cooper Kupp, it looked like Anthony Barr was trying to hail a cab.

Of course, we Packers fans shouldn't be too full of ourselves, because we haven't looked much better:

If you look closely enough in that video, Clay Matthews gets called for roughing the passer, even though wasn't even born when this was filmed.

He totally had it coming, though.

Yes. Yes he did. Anyway, with both the Badgers and the Gophers on bye, and Knox might as well be on bye with the quality of their recent performances, we'll move on to two NFL games. Gino, this one's for you. Watch me work!

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+3) vs. Bear Down Chicago Da Bearz. Some dude in SoCal tells us da Bearz are in first place. I checked the paper, and he is right. I'm stunned, actually. It's clear that the Khalil Mack trade has worked out for da Bearz. We don't know who the Bucs are going to start, but I would prefer they send FitzMagic out there, since he's more experienced and less likely to steal seafood from a Publix or grope an Uber driver. He should consider alternative transportation; maybe he can hail a cab with Anthony Barr! Anyway, da Bearz will go as far as Mitchell Trubisky will take them. Da Bearz 42, Bucs 17.

The Bears will go as far as Mitchell Trubisky can take them? I hear the Metra goes out to Elgin. The Bucs have been a high-scoring outfit, but they have been playing mostly sieve-like defenses thus far. The Bears will give them a test. Hey Gino -- we're both picking your Bears! Bears 27, Bucs 17.

Buffalo Bills (+8.5) vs. Glorious Green Bay Packers. I'm not going to mince words; the Packers execution was a joke last week. That was one of the worst Packers performances I've seen in over a decade of following the team. To make matters worse, everyone thought the Bills were going to be a speed bump for the Vikings last week. But then we found out that Josh Allen is in the Matrix:

And look, old dude! It's Anthony Barr trying to get a Lyft! I think the Packers can win this game, but they need to step up and actually be prepared. As an Eagle Scout, I'm an expert on the subject of being prepared. Packers 17, Bills 13.

I don't think Anthony Barr is going to be sending you a Hickory Farms gift basket for the holidays, Seabiscuit. But after last week's hambone performance in Washington, the Packers need to get better in a hurry. I think they get the Bills blocked more effectively than the Vikings did and that should be enough. Packers 31, Bills 24.

I won't take any more shots at Anthony Barr. And see, Gino? We do love you! Ben out!

Benster and D Pick Your Games-------Border Battle Editon

Old dude, the Packers have crossed the St. Croix and are looking to beat up on those Vikings.

You could hear them coming all the way from Hudson.

I know that Carl Gerbschmidt is getting excited to call into Bumper to Bumper on Sunday.

You realize Gerbschmidt is a bit, right? Not a real person, right?

Yes, but whoever is doing the voice does a decent job of capturing the tone of the rivalry.

You might want to ask a Vikings fan about that.

Vikings fans? Why ask? Just watch. They are really feeling the HYYYYYYPPPPEE!, and this rivalry matters in Minnesota in a way that is hard to explain to outsiders.

That's true. Minnesota fans would like to treat the Wisconsin sports teams like Little Brother, but it's not so easy.

Especially when they lose. But we'll get to that later. It is time to get down to bidness. Watch me work!

Michigan State Spartans (-4) vs. Minnesota Elite Boat Rowers. The P.J. Fleck Elite Boat Rowing Experience has gone down a couple of rapids lately, with the Gophers 0-2 in conference play. I would probably put the West title out of reach for the Gophers, but this a winnable game for them. Sparty had a huge win over Jim "Lost the Super Bowl to my Brother" Harbaugh and the always overrated Wolverines in Ann Arbor last weekend. The danger I see for the Spartans is that they have to play a game that is not as big to their team, and I think Fleck gets a good win, if not a signature win. Row Row Row Your Boat 34,  Spartans Hate Walls 29.

I don't know what to make of Sparty. I think winning in Michigan Stadium is a pretty good trick, but I could see it going sideways on them tomorrow. Gophers 24, Spartans 20.

Purdue Boilermakers (+17) vs. Beloved Wisconsin Badgers. The Badgers continue to quietly keep playing well, as evidenced by a very good win on the road in Memorial Stadium last weekend. I am surprised that nobody is giving freshman sensation Jonathan Taylor any credit for being the best running back in the conference and he should be a contender for a trip to New York in December. Purdue is a team that has improved and has played teams pretty tough, but I think the Badgers will continue to play well enough to get a routine home win. Badgers 42, Spoilermakers 13.

Purdue is getting better. Not good enough to beat the Badgers in Madison, though. Badgers 34, Purdue 17.

Grinnell College Pioneers (NL) vs. Knox College Prairie Fire.  There is a good chance that I will be at this game, since the Knosher Bowl is one of the most iconic and legendary venues in all of college football. Only Camp Randall and the Rose Bowl are more iconic than the Knosher Bowl in terms of great places to watch a game. Knox should get a nice home win, and the guys on the Knox team are great guys who are Champions of Life. Knox 89, Grinnell 0.

I might add that Grinnell is terrible. Knox cruises at home. Knox 35, Grinnell 3.

Glorious Green Bay Packers (-3) vs. Minnesota Vikings. The Packers come into the Twin Cities on a major high after winning an epic game in Dallas against the Cowboys. The Vikings will roll with Case Keenum yet again at quarterback, but are coming in on a short week after playing on Monday night. The Vikings will play the Packers tough, and are going to be fully ready to go. I think the Packers can win, but it will not be a huge blowout. Packers 31, Vikings 20.

The Vikings will hit the Packers in the mouth and might even lead for a time. But they won't be able to hang with the Packers down the stretch. Packers 27, Vikings 21.

Bear Down Chicago Da Bearz (+6.5) vs. Baltimore Ravens. For the Bears, this season is still a mess. I know that Trubisky looked pretty good against the Vikings, and that the Chicago fans and media are looking for the quarterback to finally lead them back to the top of the mountain, but this Bears team is not good enough yet. I feel bad for poor Gino, going to a Bear bar every Sunday and having to watch his team get beat, but it warms my Packer fan heart. The Ravens should get this win at home, no problems at all. Ravens 10, da Bearz 0.

Gino will be okay with it. He's used to it by now. If the game were in Chicago, I'd pick the Bears. Not in Baltimore. Ravens 24, Bears 14.

That is all from us, and enjoy your football this weekend, and please help and pray for those dealing with natural disasters in this country. Ben out!

Gino explains, yet again

Our friend Gino explains, yet again, the motivation:

Trump may go down, as the Press, the DNC and the GOP all plot against him... but these issues will still remain.
See, you keep thinking it's about Trump. And for for those who oppose him, it is.
But it's not.
We didn't vote for Trump, The Man.
Trump, The Man came to us... offering deliverance.
A deliverance that nobody else believed we deserved.
Why is that?

Click on the link to see the reason. His conclusion rings true:

We have ceased to be a democracy and have become a mobacracy.
The strongest mob runs the show.
Unfortunately, the ones who voted for Trump, we who drastically need the change in policy, are too busy working overtime while trying to provide for our families, to 'mob up' and cause trouble... until the day arrives, when we decide that there is nothing left to lose...
(when we decide to act like college students, you won't soon forget it.)

It's taken me a long time to understand what Gino is saying. My worldview comes from a half-century of living and a sense that I should aspire to get beyond the provincialism and paper mills of my hometown. That I should be a person of culture and learning, a person who has read the Great Books and grappled with the Big Ideas of western civilization. The joke's been on me, though -- the institutional keepers of those traditions have been gone for a long time. If you look to academe today, you see a bunch of shrieking harp seals who are more into intellectual parlor games and raw power mongering than in the life of the mind. It's been a thoroughgoing betrayal. It's been an ongoing project for nearly 100 years, but you have to stand apart from it to see it. We've gone from Julien Benda to Jacques Derrida and the applause has never ceased. You don't have to necessarily know who these two very different French philosophers are to understand the process, and I don't have enough time this morning to explicate it, but you've experienced it. And the ruin is everywhere.

Gino, and people who share the challenges that Gino faces, have had just about enough. We need to be listening.

You run your mouth and I'll run my business, brother

Advice that will not be taken:

Just days after President Trump spoke of a “running war’’ with the media, his chief White House strategist, Stephen K. Bannon, ratcheted up the attacks, arguing that news organizations had been “humiliated” by the election outcome and repeatedly describing the media as “the opposition party” of the current administration.

“The media should be embarrassed and humiliated and keep its mouth shut and just listen for a while,” Mr. Bannon said in an interview on Wednesday.

“I want you to quote this,” Mr. Bannon added. “The media here is the opposition party. They don’t understand this country. They still do not understand why Donald Trump is the president of the United States.”

I immediately thought of this song:

You run your juicy mouth and I'll run my business, Brother, 
Just run your juicy mouth and I'll run my business, Brother, 
You always tellin' me what to do, 
Sayin', "I wouldn't do that if I was you!"
You run your mouth and I'll run my business, brother.

Trump has been president for a week and one thing we certainly know about his presidency is that people who buy ink by the barrel and really, really, really outraged about it. The internet is replete with news media types who are so busy denouncing the Leader of the Free World that they aren't actually spending enough time unpacking what he's doing. They are, however, quite certain of some things. The New York Times article I've linked makes this assertion shortly after recording Bannon's broadside:

The scathing assessment — delivered by one of Mr. Trump’s most trusted and influential advisers, in the first days of his presidency — comes at a moment of high tension between the news media and the administration, with skirmishes over the size of Mr. Trump’s inaugural crowd and the president’s false claims that millions of illegal votes by undocumented immigrants swayed the popular vote against him.

Emphasis mine. We know this is false? I really don't know how many illegal aliens undocumented immigrants voted, because those who would ordinarily be charged with investigating such things won't do it. I have no idea if Trump is right. I don't think he is, but I don't know it. And neither does the Times, but that doesn't matter if you have an agenda to pursue. I'll run my mouth and they'll run their business, brother.

It's easy to look at Bannon's statements and believe he's being thuggish. It's always unnerving if a government official tells anyone to keep their mouth shut. But the second part of Bannon's statement is the key point -- the continual shrieking from Trump's many opponents means any understanding of why he won the election isn't important. His election and his presidency are both illegitimate by definition.

I've spent a lot of time in this feature trying to answer the question the Times refuses to consider. I've been trying to listen. Gino offers insight over at his place:

"Somebody on our side, for a change."
I heard variations of this phrase most of the day.

As I've stated before, I'm a mill worker. I've been there just shy of 25yrs. Fully one half of my co-workers have been there longer than I. Needless to say, we are an aging bunch without many options left, and this is still the best gig we can get.

It's still the best gig because after this, there is not an other gig to be had.
The factories are closing. Automation has made it possible to do more with fewer workers. This is not a bad thing. Automation also makes the work a little less hard on our aging bodies, too.

Progress being progress, me and my 125 co-workers are under pressure with every contract. Give up more benefits (we've not much left anymore). Give up more pay. (a 40hr paycheck can no longer pay a man's rent in Southern California. There was once a time men bought agreeable homes and raised families with stay-at-home mothers. Those guys are all retired now.)

The author of the Times piece, Michael M. Grynbaum, really ought to talk to Gino, or Gino's co-workers. He won't, though. He'll run his business, brother.

Gino is back in the game

After about a year away, our friend Gino is blogging again. And he cuts to the heart of the matter, as he is wont to do, in re his reluctant but steadfast support of the president-in-waiting:

Though it was a choice I had decided to not make in the beginning, Trump was the only one out there actually speaking to the issues that mattered the most to me, and to most people who reside within my socio-economic tribe: the loss of our nation's manufacturing base, the transfer of decent jobs across the border, the unwillingness to defend our borders, and a perceived (if not real) all out assault from the Powers That Be on what being an American was all about.

Standing where I was on the sidelines while in much agreement with those of my Tribe on the issues, it really pissed me off seeing Trump's supporters branded as ignorant, racist, stupid, deplorable, and 'not part of America'. I had to stand with my people. There was nothing else... no other righteous decision left for me to make.

Over the past year, my operating assumptions were different, but since Trump won the election it's become increasingly clear that the Left is essentially unhinged. By training and background, I'm actually part of a different "Tribe" than Gino, but I've come to similar conclusions since the election. Back to Gino:

Something very different and polarizing was happening in my country... Where one side used to try to convince the other side that their cause was better, we had a complete turn around. It came down to "if you are not on our higher moral plain, then you suck!"

He's right about that -- the Left in this country is censorious 24/7. The statements I see now from the port side are not reasoned arguments. Instead, we get denunciations. I've long had the sense that the Left's demands are simply calls for orthodoxy. When someone is more interested in identifying and punishing apostates than in finding converts, it's always a sign of trouble.

I'm almost certain Trump will disappoint his voters, in large ways and small. Politicians all do that. Still, I sense there's at least an opening now for a needed discussion, rather than a listening tour that's really a lecture. We'll see. This much I know -- I'm glad Gino is back in the game.

Bring Out Your Dead Pool 2017 -- Carryover Plus One

As you've likely noticed, 2016 will go down as a year in which a lot of celebrities and others left this mortal coil. Oddly enough, one of the best ways to survive the year was to be listed in the Dead Pool for this blog: We only had four people listed who began their long dirt naps in 2016:

Picklesworth was correct on Nancy Reagan and Harper Lee
Fearless Maria was correct on Craig Sager
Ace Commenter Brian (are you out there?) was correct on Fidel Castro

So this year, we are doing things as follows:

• If you are already competing, you get to keep your current picks and add one more individual, for a total of seven entries. If you have picks that have already died, you retain credit for those.
• If you are not in, you can join and pick up to seven names not already in the pool
• It's first come, first served, so get your names in by the end of the day on Monday, Jan. 2. You can post your picks in the comment section of this entry
• If someone dies before Jan. 2 and they are not already on your list, they don't count

Rules of thumb:

• You can pick Sid Hartman, but he's going to bury us all
• Ditto for Keith Richards
• We do not wish anyone to die, but we all enjoy being freelance actuaries

My additional pick for 2017 is Don Rickles. Now, the floor is yours. Play on, playas.

Benster and D Pick Your Games -- Lord I Can't Go Back There Edition

Old dude, they're going back to Indy! But the Committee refuses to give Wisconsin and Penn State the respect they deserve!

Well, you don't know that, because the final pairings haven't been announced yet. But you're probably right about the Playoff.

Many people in Indiana have that attitude, Seabiscuit!

Well, that is true. And I have to honor my word about a promise I made the other day: Skip Bayless is a genius, and who am I to question him?

I'll just leave that burnt offering alone.

Okay, now that I got that off my chest, watch me work!

Big Ten Championship, at Indianapolis: Beloved Wisconsin Badgers (-2.5) vs. Penn State Nittany Lions. Wisconsin's winning the Big Ten West was a surprise, but not completely unbelievable. Penn State winning the East? That was a shocker! If you are a fan of team in Ohio, and I don't mean the Browns, you better hope to the heavens that this game is close. Penn State is a deserving team and they have been getting better all season long. However, the Badgers have played all the big boys in the Big Ten and are not scared of Penn State. Badgers 45, Sad Valley 21.

I agree with the pick, but not the points. The Badgers have made their name with defense this season and will hold Penn State's explosive offense down somewhat. At this point, Penn State's star running back Saquon Barkley is going to play, but he comes in with an ankle injury that is likely to limit him. The Badgers do a great job of pursuing and keeping teams off the edge, so it's difficult to see where Penn State will get their big plays. On offense, the Badgers are improving, but I don't see them scoring 45 points. I do think they will win, however. Wisconsin 24, Penn State 14.

Houston Texans (+6.5) vs. Glorious Green Bay Packers. What a difference a week makes. Suddenly, the Packers looked like the Packers again. The good news for the Packers is that they still get to play of their divisional opponents and they get the Seahawks at home next week. There is still the matter of this week and how they will do against an inconsistent Texans team. The biggest thing the Packers are going to need is to put points on the board right away. It's also important for every Packer fan in attendance to not boo. Positivity, baby! Packers 35, Texans 21.

Brock Osweiler, the Texan quarterback, has been a big disappointment for the Texans. He looks the part, but he seems to make bad decisions under pressure. The Packers will be providing rather a lot of pressure this week and while the Texan receivers are talented enough to win their battles, Osweiler is going to have a tough time completing passes from his back. This one should go well for the Green and Gold. Packers 28, Texans 20.

San Francisco Kaepernicks (pick) vs. Bear Down Chicago da Bearz. I'm wondering Gino's going to protest how bad the Bears are playing by taking a knee throughout the entirety of this game. If you are unfortunate enough to get this game on television, you might consider burning your television. It's going to be Must Not See TV. But since Gino is a good guy, and Colin Kapernick is not, I figure da Bearz are going to win and Gino's fantasy team will go down in flames. Da Bearz 56, 49ers 8.

We were fortunate enough to get an advanced screening of this game:

Maybe we had the wrong channel. In any event, it's not likely to be a very good game. Someone will win, though. Bears 17, 49ers 14.

Hopefully your holiday preparations give you more joy and HYYYYYYPPPPPPE! than da Bearz are likely to provide. But that's a low bar. Ben out!

A dude in Toronto makes Gino's argument

I don't typically read the Canadian press, so I'm not familiar with John Ibbitson, but this piece from the Globe and Mail makes a variation of the argument that Ace Commenter Gino has been making all year long:

Donald Trump will probably lose the election. But he is a final warning. Unless political elites of both the left and the right become more humble, unless they once again ask themselves how their agendas will play in Peoria, the next rough beast might slouch over the corpse of the republic.

As Ibbitson notes, Peoria was, back in the day, seen as the ultimate example of Middle American values. And as he further explains, things aren't so great in Peoria these days:

Peoria is hurting. The city is home to Caterpillar. But the heavy-equipment giant has outsourced most of its work force overseas or to so-called right-to-work states.

But what does Washington care? The left worries more about combatting global warming than about blue-collar workers with bad backs and no jobs. The right promises to retrain them, but somehow never gets around to it.

Yes, the sneer about right-to-work is a tell that Ibbitson is part of the Left, but like Thomas Frank, he senses the earth is moving. More:

Let’s not sign those trade deals until we know which jobs will be at risk and what we can do for those workers. Let’s not shut the coal mines without a thought for what will become of the miners. Don’t offer amnesty until you have control over the border. As we move to driverless cars and machine learning and an economy in which any action that is repeated can be automated, let’s spare a thought for the kids who only get Cs in school. What will become of them? What do you mean you have no idea? That’s your job! Let’s bring some small measure of consensus back to political culture. Let’s bring humility back. Let’s go back to asking: Will it play in Peoria? And if it won’t, then let’s think about that before we push ahead. Because you really, really don’t want to see what comes after Donald Trump.

Hillary Clinton is asking for a poisoned chalice. She will get her wish.

Bring Out Your Dead Pool -- 2016

The results are in and it is time to recap the entries and entrants for the 2016 Dead Pool!

Our first contestant is Ace Commenter Brian:

Brian's Picks:
Fidel Castro
Billy Graham
Vince Neil (of Mötley Crüe fame)
Max von Sydow
Garrison Keillor
Gwyneth Paltrow

Comments: Brian carried over two picks (Castro and Graham) from the previous Dead Pool. Both are likely to go at any time. Brian has reported that he saw Neil on the Crüe farewell tour recently and that he didn't look too good, so perhaps a more permanent farewell might be in order. Keillor is a Minnesota institution who has looked a bit shaky as well. Brian's rationale for the Paltrow pick ("because you have to admit it would be kind of funny") rings true. It also would prevent the possibility of future duets with Huey Lewis, which ought to be avoided at all costs:

Overall grade: Solid. Very solid indeed.

Next up, the man who needs no further introduction -- Gino!

Gino's Picks:
Bob Dole
George H. W. Bush
Lamar Odom
Pete Rose
Tommy Lasorda
Any Kardashian chick, "just for the ratings."

Comments: Gino carried over Dole and the elder President Bush, who are both the dictionary definition of doddering these days. I think his pick of addled ex-NBA star Odom is a savvy choice, as Odom seems to favor copious pharmaceutical consumption and hookers, rarely a winning combination for a healthy life. Rose and Lasorda, while baseball icons, are both pretty long in the tooth and certainly ripe for ripening. And the strategic ambiguity of the Kardashian chicks opens up a variety of possibilities. It would also be a welcome result for the public airwaves, which are altogether too filled with the trashy exploits of that particular clan.

Overall grade: Cagey. A definite contender.

Next up, west central Iowa's favorite pastor and poet, W. B. Picklesworth:

Picklesworth's Picks:
Nancy Reagan
Herman Wouk
Prince Phillip
Kirk Douglas
Harper Lee
Barack Obama

Comments: Picklesworth is new to the competition, so he had no holdover picks. Mrs. Reagan is quite frail and Kirk Douglas is nearly 100 years old, so these seem like sensible picks. Herman Wouk is 100 years old and it's quite possible that a stiff breeze could fell the author of "The Winds of War." We heard from Harper Lee last year with great fanfare, as her book "Go Set a Watchman" finally saw publication, although we didn't see much of Lee herself. She's apparently been infirm for years. While Prince Phillip seems strapping enough, he's 94. While the pick of the sitting president might raise eyebrows, we can assure the Secret Service that we wish the Leader of the Free World continued health and, based on today's bravura performance, a box of Charmin.

You don't know what the sound is, darlin'/It's the sound of my tears fallin'
Or is it the rain? You don't know

Overall grade: Solid, but unexpectedly damp.

Next up, the king of HYYYYYYYPPPPPE himself, the Benster:

Benster's Picks:

Virginia McCaskey

Pope Benedict XVI

Ruth Bader Ginsberg

Duchess of Cornwall

Keith Jackson

Chip Kelly

Comments: Benster carried over Pope Benedict and the notorious RBG, who are both frail but surprisingly feisty. For my money, the savviest pick on Benster's board is Virginia McCaskey, the daughter of Papa Bear Halas and owner of the the Chicago Bears. Mrs. McCaskey may be alive, but she's been forced to die at least a little bit nearly every Sunday in the fall for years now. For those keeping score at home, the Duchess of Cornwall is better known as Camilla Parker-Bowles, the consort of Prince Charles. Our panel seems a bit hostile to royalty, no? Keith Jackson is the great retired voice of college football and, while not as old as some of the other entrants, certainly is now approaching the end zone. The Chip Kelly pick may seem outlandish, but that's how the Benster rolls.

Overall grade: Longshots, but you discount the Benster's skills at your peril.

Next up, high school superstar Fearless Maria:

Fearless Maria's Picks:
Queen Elizabeth II
Betty White
Donald Sutherland
Craig Sager
Beverly Cleary

Gordon Ramsey ("from a severe nervous mental breakdown or vocal cord rupture")

Comments: Fearless Maria is a first-time contestant, so her picks are all new. She leads off with yet another prognostication of demise for the royal family, making this blog post the equivalent of Oliver Cromwell. Children's author Cleary is 99 years old, so that is a good, conventional pick, while White and Sutherland are certainly getting up there as well. Sager, the NBA sideline reporter best known for his questionable taste in clothing, has recovered from a recent bout of cancer, but unfortunately cancer can come back. And let's face it -- Ramsey is liable to blow at any minute.

Overall grade: Intriguing, with serious upside.

Finally, it's my turn:

Mr. D's Picks:
John Kundla
Bobby Doerr (the old Red Sox player and the oldest living member of the Baseball HOF)
Tom Brokaw
Chuck Berry
Johnny Manziel
Donald Trump

Comments: I carried over John Kundla, the ancient coach of the Minneapolis Lakers. Doerr was a teammate of Ted Williams and has not indicated that he is interested in going cryogenic like Teddy Ballgame. Brokaw has been in ill health. Johnny Manziel is a remarkably self-destructive fellow who is in the process of flushing his NFL career. Chuck Berry is due to turn 90 this year, believe it or not. As for Trump, well, again we remind the Secret Service that we wish him continued health, but I have a hunch.

Overall grade (from Fearless Maria): In a stunning turn of events, Mr. D has surprised us all by drafting a surprisingly boring list of picks again this year. Not that I would recall from past years, but I have my hunches, just as he has his hunches about his most interesting pick, Donald Trump. Overall, the motives behind each pick exhibit great intelligence and clever utilization of "Deadoralive.com." We will see who kicks the can, or in Johnny Manziel's case, thinks the can is a blunt and tries to smoke it, or in Trump's case, mocks its IQ and issues a Twitter rant. It's sure to be an eventful Dead Pool. May the odds be ever in your favor, unless you're gonna die!

Thanks, Maria. A very tidy summation indeed! Good luck to all our contestants and we'll keep track of things on the blog.

Bring Out Your Dead Pool -- Back for 2016

Fun for the entire family!

Because we were traveling in California last year, I didn't get around to renewing the Dead Pool for the previous year, so we just let the 2014 Dead Pool picks ride through 2015. As the year quickly comes to a close, let's take a look at where we ended up:

Benster's picks:
Jimmy Carter
Ralph Wilson -- RIP (3/25/14)
Pope Benedict XVI
Bashar Assad
Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Fantasy Football Superstar Gino's picks:
George H. W. Bush
Bob Dole
Betty White
Zsa Zsa Gabor
George Zimmerman
Angelina Jolie

My picks:
Eli Wallach -- RIP (6/24/14)
Theodore Hesburgh -- RIP (2/27/15)
John Kundla
Al Molinaro -- RIP (10/30/15)
Harper Lee
Rob Ford

Ace Commenter Brian's picks:
Dick Cheney
Fidel Castro
Billy Graham
#3 guy in Al Qaida
#2 guy in North Korea -- RIP (4/30/15)

First Ringer's picks:
Jerry Lewis
Kirk Douglas
John McVie
Valerie Harper
Frankie Muniz

The obvious conclusion? Celebrities who wish for longevity should find a way to have this distinguished panel select them to die. A second conclusion? Some people who were on these lists aren't in the news much any more. Does anyone think of Rob Ford these days? And the final conclusion: I kicked all y'all's butts.

So, here are the rules:

• Pick 5-6 people who you believe are going to begin the long dirt nap in the coming year. Five should be people who are old, infirm or notably reckless (the Amy Winehouse model), while the bonus sixth pick should be someone who no one would see coming.
• Previous competitors, should they choose to play, can carry over up to two of their previous picks to 2016. For the record, I am carrying over John Kundla, the former Minneapolis Lakers coach who is still hanging on into his late 90s.
• Send me your picks in the comments section by no later than the end of the day on January 3, 2016 to enter. First come, first serve!

One bit of housekeeping; other than Kundla, I'll have the rest of my picks made by end of day today; I need to speak to my elite actuarial advisory team first. Have fun!