Benster and D Pick Your Games----Don't Count Out Wisconsin Edition

I heard rumors that there was a boat crime at TCF Bank Stadium last weekend. A group of Badgers just sunk a boat carrying Gophers, and stole back an Axe. I also heard it was a performance that was #Elite. You really hate to see it.

Well, some people hated to see it. 

That performance was awesome. The odd thing is that the Golden Elite Rowers of the Boat won 10 games, but lost to Iowa and Wisconsin. That is a stinging feeling.

Well, yeah. No Axe, no Pig. P. J. wasn't too happy about it, but someone else was:

Got me an Axe back, Jack

And he does, Geritol Fan! Enough talk about the Gophers, it's time to feel the HYYYYYPPPEEE!, and watch me work.

A School In Columbus (-15.5) vs. Beloved Wisconsin Badgers, in Indy The Badgers came through when it mattered last weekend, and get a second crack at A School in Columbus. But before we get there, it's time for another Very Special Comment.

:

Very, very special

Ahem. Obviously our graphics department coughed up another hairball.

Could have been worse:

Come on feel the Joey Lawrence

Would you stop that? Now, as I was saying, I wanted to say a lot of nice things about the Buckeyes, I really did.

I don't believe you.

No, old dude, I really did. Now go soak your dentures and let me continue. Yes, I wanted to say something nice about the Buckeyes. But, once again they find a way to get attention for all the wrong reasons. I don't blame Chase Young for taking money, because he's not the first player to ever take money when he's not supposed to. It sucks that he grew up poor, and I hope he lives a good life in the NFL with money he will have earned. On the other hand, where was the Ohio State compliance department and the coaching staff in avoiding this mess? I find it hard to believe that Ryan Day and Ohio State AD Gene Smith weren't on top of this. That mess impacts the program, and they know that the football team at Ohio State is the glamour program in the state of Ohio. Especially considering that Day is now the third straight head coach to be involved in a scandal, and that it's becoming a pattern that disturbs me. If I were the NCAA and/or the president of the university, I would have held Young out for the rest of the season, and Ryan Day would have been suspended the same length.  Ryan Day is the head coach, and it's his job to know what's going on with his team. This is the reason I hate Ohio State football right here. They keep getting involved in scandals, and the school and the Big Ten don't have the guts to clean up the mess.

Now that we got that out of the way, we can talk football. The Badgers are a better team then they were in the first meeting, and this time Ohio State won't get to play in front of a home crowd. We all know that the Buckeyes are very elite, even more elite than #Elite, and that the Badgers might get blown out. What history teaches us is that Wisconsin has won 2 Big Ten title games after losing the first time to their opponent. Upsets happen, and this will be the biggest upset since Kansas State beat Oklahoma in the 2003 Big XII title game. Badgers 31, Buckeyes 28.

Uh, no. The Badgers are an excellent college team. The Buckeyes are a malevolent force of nature. It won't be 59-0 ugly, or even 38-7 ugly, but it won't be pretty. Ohio State 35, Wisconsin 17.

Georgia Bulldogs (+7.5) vs. LSU Bayou Bengals, in Atlanta This game is a virtual quarterfinal for Georgia, and should be a fun game. One thing to remember is that the Georgia campus is very close to Atlanta, and the Bulldogs will be backed by a very partisan crowd. I'm not convinced that Joe Burrow is the Heisman favorite, and I would give it to the aforementioned Chase Young. LSU has looked very great on offense, and I love Coach O for keeping it real and changing the narrative around himself. I expect LSU to win a close game. Bayou Bengals 35, Hate Feeds the Dogs 30.

I want LSU to win for one reason only -- if they beat the Bulldogs, we won't have two SEC teams in the playoff. That needs to happen. And I think LSU is better anyway. LSU 31, UGA 27.

Detroit LOLions (+12.5) vs. Minnesota Vikings The Vikings no longer control their path to the NFC North after the Seahawks beat them. At least this time people can stop with the Kirk Cousins bashing. The bigger culprit is the Mike Zimmer defense, which has been a bit questionable at times. I honestly thing the one weakness that Zimmer has is that he created that defense, and he might not be willing to change it up. It's what ended up dooming Lovie Smith in Chicago. Smith helped invent the Tampa 2, and couldn't adapt to a changing league. Zimmer is still going to go down as a smart defensive mind and a respected Vikings head coach, but can he win a championship? It's a rhetorical question, not just an observation I made. The LOLions are beat up, and David Blough is just a backup. The Vikings should roll in this one. Vikings 42, LOLions 0.

I dunno about the shutout, but I agree the Vikings will win. Vikings 34, Lions 14.

Washington Gridlocks (+12.5) vs. Glorious Green Bay Packers The Packers are back on track, and are in a great position. They have 3 easily winnable games left, and only need to win 3 of the next 4 games to get the NFC North title and a home playoff game. The defense looked great against the Giants, although I know that Daniel Jones is far from a finished project. Washington is a mess, and Dan Snyder makes James Dolan look like a competent owner. If you follow the Knicks, that is a strong statement. The worrying thing is that Adrian Peterson is still playing, and he runs over the Packers every single time. I think the Pack should be fine, and they can keep our eyes on the prize. Packers 31, Hail to the Deadskins 10.

The Redskins are playing better lately, but they aren't very good. And they won't have much fun in Lambeau, either. Should be an easy win for the Pack. Packers 38, Redskins 20.

If the Badgers win, you heard it here first. Ben out!

Just so we're clear

I haven't written much about the Trump impeachment charade, because it is a charade, but we did learn something about the depravity of the Democrats yesterday -- while they noisily decry Trump for imagined abuses of power, they abuse the hell out their power:

The most stunning aspect of the report, to me anyway, was the inclusion of telephone records of House Intelligence Committee ranking member Devin Nunes, Nunes’ aide David Harvey, President Trump’s personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani, and investigative reporter John Solomon. Schiff refused to say how he was able to obtain these records.

The mainstream media is abuzz with stories about Nunes communication with “Rudy Giuliani during key aspects of his Ukraine pressure campaign.” Nunes was in touch with John Solomon around the times he published major articles. And on and on. The telephone records don’t include the actual conversations. They identify who was calling whom and how long they spoke.

Schiff has crossed the line of decency with this move. Once again, he has abused his power. Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton tweeted that obtaining these records is a remarkable abuse of President Trump’s constitutional rights. I would argue that it’s an abuse of the constitutional rights of all of the above. These are KGB tactics.

The author of this piece, Elizabeth Vaughn, is probably understating the meaning of this. What we've learned is the Democrats will stop at nothing to wield power. Any notions of fairness or decency are gone. We are in "whatever means necessary" territory. Our friend Gino has been warning us about this mindset for years, based on his experiences with the California donks. It's not coincidental that two California donks, Adam Schiff and Nancy Pelosi, are at the helm.

Trump will survive the attempt, but that's not enough. The Democrats must be stopped. They should never, ever have any power again.

Benster and D Pick Your Games----Row That Boat Axe Chili Hot Edition

Old dude, we're in Madison, but the game is in Minneapolis. What were you thinking about?

Huh? Can't hear you over the storm.

Well, you can't say no to the family, and Fleck would say that you row the boat through the snow. Of course, he has bigger things to worry about.

Yeah, I suppose he does.

The Gopher fans are feeling the HYYYYYYYYPPPEEE!, and it is time to watch me work.

Beloved Wisconsin Badgers (-2.5) vs. Minnesota Golden Elite Rowers of the Boat That line makes no sense to me, and I would have flipped it around. It turns out that P.J. Fleck can coach, and this is a massive game. This game is so important, that Fleck needs to outsource his pregame speech. Tim Brewster, is that chili hot?

 The winner gets to be a sacrificial lamb to A School in Columbus, but you still want to win. The storm will make things more difficult for the underrated Tanner Morgan as well as the underrated Jack Coan. I would not be surprised to see the Gophers win this game, but the thing is that in rivalry games, you look at the senior class. Wisconsin has the more accomplished senior class, winning 3 bowl games, including two straight New Years Six bowl games. Wisconsin also is a run heavy team, which the Gophers have struggled with at times. The Gophers may be an amazing story, but sometimes the bad guy gets to win. Badgers 24, Gophers 21.

Weather. Here's the early forecast for the game:

Or was it this?

Either way, Lee Corso is gonna hate it. If it's just sloppy, advantage Gophers. If it's worse, advantage Badgers. Gophers 17, Badgers 16.

Glorious Green Bay Packers (-6.5) vs. New York Football Giants  Last week was a disaster for the Packers, but the good news is that the schedule gets easier for them for a few weeks. The Giants are a team that quite frankly doesn't look good. The worrying thing is that this is a long flight, and the Packers struggle with long flights. The Packers should be fine and cruise home to a comfortable win, and can put the pressure back on the Vikings to match. Packers 35, All Hail The New York Giants 17.

We ran the Madagascar clip before, so we'll dispense with that. Packers need this one. They'll get it. Packers 28, Giants 13.

Minnesota Vikings (+2.5) vs. Seattle Seachickens The Vikings on the other hand are facing a more difficult opponent and a stadium that they could not conquer last year. Vikings fans generally seem happy with Cousins, but this is the type of game that the narrative says he doesn't win. The narrative is that Cousins can't beat winning teams, can't win on the road, and can't win on national television. I think the narrative is unfair, but I didn't start it. Seattle needs this game because they are hot on the tails of the 49ers. In this game, I go with the desperate team at home theory, which usually makes sense. Seahawks 14, Vikings 8.

The Vikings might be better than the Packers overall, but winning in Seattle on a Monday night ain't happening. Seahawks 20, Vikings 17.

Be safe in the storm. Also, be on the lookout for an Axe in Minnesota or Wisconsin. Ben out,

Benster and D Pick Your Games----1990s Flashback Edition

Old dude, this might be the first time since the 1990s that the Packers and the 49ers will have a sustained rivalry. It's just better for the league to have both teams at their best.

The Rams and the Vikings might disagree.

Wait, does anyone care what they think?

There's at least one person in this house who cares.

Good point.

Sometimes I know a few things.

I'll let that pass. Speaking of the Vikings, they are on bye this week, so we might be running out of games for a while to discuss.

Can you make do with less?

Sure, but I maximize the HYYYYYYYPPPPEEE!, and it's time to watch me work.

Minnesota Golden Elite Rowers Of The Boat (-13.5) vs. Northwestern Wildcats One week after winning their most important victory in who knows how long, the Gophers lost a game in Iowa City that puts all of their goals in jeopardy. P.J. Fleck can spout all of his sayings out, but he certainly did not help his team. The penalty for running out onto the field to yell at the refs gave Iowa 15 extra yards, and was not #Elite. I also think he should have kicked the field goal instead of passing on that fateful down, as well as managing the clock better in the 4th quarter. This game against Northwestern is a trap game waiting to happen if the Gophers aren't careful. The Wildcats are always a tough out, but thankfully for P. J. they save all of their annoying tendencies for the Badgers. Even if Tanner Morgan can't go, the Gophers should survive and advance. Gophers 31, Wildcats 10.

Northwestern doesn't have a lot left this year. Injuries galore and they weren't deep to start with. Pat Fitzgerald will have them back in the hunt soon enough, but tomorrow they don't have much chance. Gophers 24, Wildcats 13.

Purdue Boilermakers (+24.5) vs. Beloved Wisconsin Badgers Thanks to events in Iowa City mean that the Badgers now have their path in front of them. Last week was not a pretty win by any means, but you can't argue with the results. Purdue is a team that has been shredded by injuries all year, and are not likely to get much help back on offense. The Badgers need a good defensive game, because winning the Axe back will require near perfection. I expect to see a comfortable win by the Badgers to make sure that JT and the seniors get a better farewell than last year's group of seniors. Badgers 35, Boilermakers 14.

This could get ugly. Purdue is missing most of their best players. The Badgers are not. And the Badgers have better players anyway. Badgers 42, Boilermakers 10.

Glorious Green Bay Packers (+3.5) vs. San Francisco 49ers  The Packers got a great win before the bye week against Carolina, and are fully rested and ready to go to the Bay Area. The winner of this game should claim home field advantage, so a win will be critical. The Niners have looked loose in the turns the past couple of weeks, and don't seem to be that invincible anymore.If the Packers want to win, they have to tighten up on defense, and will need to play very well. I think we can do that, but this game won't be easy. Packers 27, Niners 23.

This one isn't complicated. Block the 49ers pass rushers and the Packers will win. If they don't, they lose. I think they get 'em blocked. Packers 20, 49ers 14.

New York Football Giants (+6.5) vs. Bear Down Chicago Da Bearz Still Suck This game is going to be a dumpster fire. If you get stuck watching this game and you don't have a rooting interest or fantasy football interest, then I seriously suggest watching something else. Both teams are offensively challenged, and somewhere Wellington Mara and Papa Bear Halas are looking down in disgust. At least neither of these teams are bumbling for Joe Burrow or Tanking for Tua. Da Bearz Still Suck 7, Giants 4.

Obligatory:

The Bears might like Tua, actually. He also might drop in the draft far enough to take him. Would they, though? Interesting question. As for this game, uh, let's just say this isn't 1985. But that's always true for the Bears. Bears 20, Giants 13.

Enjoy your football this weekend. Ben out.

Ambassador Sondland, he presumes

I haven't spent much time on the impeachment hearings because it's the same thing every day:

1. Witness implicates Trump in something nefarious in opening statement
2. Republicans ask questions that reveal nothing nefarious actually happened
3. Newscasts show opening statement
4. Lather, rinse, repeat

But for the record, Gordon Sondland, actually spoke to Trump, unlike most of the other witnesses who didn't actually witness anything. And if you read the headlines, you see he says there was the dreaded quid pro quo. But if you read further, you find out, well. . . .

"Is that your testimony today, Ambassador Sondland, that you have evidence that Donald Trump tied the investigations to the aid? Because I don't think you're saying that." Rep. [Mike] Turner asked.

"I said repeatedly [...] I was presuming," Sondland noted.

After some more grilling, Congressman Turner asked again, "Is it correct, nobody else on this planet told you that Donald Trump was tying this aid to the investigations? Because if your answer is yes, then the chairman's wrong and the headline on CNN is wrong. No one this planet told you that President Trump was tying aid to investigations, yes or no?"

"Yes," Sondland replied.

"So, you've really have no testimony today that ties President Trump to a scheme to withhold aid from Ukraine in exchange for these investigations?" Turner asked.

"Other than my own presumption," Sondland said. 

"Which is nothing," Turner responded.

Presumption. Hey, being presumptuous isn't a bad thing, so long as it's in the service of whatever agenda the odious Adam Schiff is currently pursuing. And yet we're likely to have Trump impeached over this crap show, unless the focus group data says otherwise. We can stipulate until the cows come home that Trump is someone many people find distasteful. But that doesn't mean he's done anything wrong.

Is he serious, though?

I read plenty of righties who are worried that Bill Barr is going to pull his punches when it's time to drop the IG report and unleash his prosecutor John Durham. Is Barr really a swamp creature?

A lot of swamp creatures certainly hope so. But if this observation from Barr has any meaning, the game will be changing soon:

In any age, the so-called progressives treat politics as their religion.  Their holy mission is to use the coercive power of the state to remake man and society in their own image, according to an abstract ideal of perfection.  Whatever means they use are therefore justified because, by definition, they are a virtuous people pursing a deific end.  They are willing to use any means necessary to gain momentary advantage in achieving their end, regardless of collateral consequences and the systemic implications.  They never ask whether the actions they take could be justified as a general rule of conduct, equally applicable to all sides.

They never ask because the Left counts on the Right to go all Marquess of Queensbury on the deal. "We're better than that," like that. Well kids, we don't have that luxury. And I disagree that what is being sought here is a momentary advantage. They are playing for keeps. Adam Schiff may look like an unholy amalgam of Charlie Brown and Marty Feldman, but operationally he's a straight-up Lavrentiy Beria. Barr seems to understand what motivates the Schiffs of the world, but he'd better damn well start dealing with them in kind. The boot is inches over our throats.

Benster and D Pick Your Games---Talk To Your Kids About An Undefeated Minnesota Edition

Old dude, the Golden Elite Rowers of the Boat made me eat more crow last weekend. This might be happening.

Bon appetit!

Have some!

The lime slices really add to the flavor, you know.

Thanks for the tip there, Galloping Gourmet! Gophers also got screwed over by the committee. That sound you heard earlier was me starting to grind my axe. I've got words for them, and I have to set the record straight.

Will I need a hazmat suit?

You always need a hazmat suit, old dude.

Hard to argue with you there, grasshopper.

They are feeling the HYYYYYYYYYPPPEE!, in Dinkytown, and it is time to watch me work.


Minnesota Golden Elite Rowers of the Boat (+2.5) vs. Iowa Hawkeyes. Before I unleash, how in the world are the Gophers an underdog? That makes no sense. Last week, the Gophers had a successful plan in place, and looked very strong against a good Penn State squad. I thought Tanner Morgan in particular looked very impressive, and credit belongs to Row the Boat and his staff for focusing on football instead of selling oar branded merchandise at Goldy's Locker Room. Before I get to what I think about the game, it's time for a Very Special Comment.

I understand that the committee has a tough job in ranking teams, and it will always be an inexact science. The Gophers not being ahead of LSU, A School In Columbus, and Clemson is fair. Heck, if they were ranked 5th behind an undefeated Baylor it would at least make sense to me. In what sense can they honestly defend ranking them at 8? The Gophers haven't lost a game, whereas Utah, Oregon, Alabama, and Georgia all lost one game. What is really stupid is that Alabama and Georgia are ahead of the Gophers. The SEC fan dancers in the media always like to go on and on about how their league is so superior to other leagues. Well, the SEC plays 8 conference games and freely allows their schools to schedule cupcake games in November. The Big Ten has strongly limited FCS schedules, and mandates 9 conference games. Georgia lost to a bang average South Carolina team at HOME and they are somehow the 4th best team in the land? Seriously? Then there is the Alabama Crimson Tide. Alabama is a team that lost at HOME to LSU, and all week long I've heard Alabama and SEC sycophants like Paul Finebaum try and excuse the loss because of Tua being injured. I'm sorry, but that is a lazy excuse. Tua was clearly healthy enough to play, and if Alabama had won everyone would have praised Tua to no end as being cowboy tough while waxing poetic about how Nick Saban is a coaching god.

Let's get one thing straight, the SEC always gets the built in advantages of having to play almost all of their games in the South, and the Big Ten always has to play the biggest games of the year in the SEC turf. All of the major bowl games are in the South and West, and the Big Ten never gets thrown a bone. How come semifinal games are never played in Chicago, Minneapolis, Green Bay, Indy, Cleveland, Cincy, or Detroit? All of those cities have quality venues that would be great hosts. All those venues in the North have football fields that are regulation sized, and the NFL will play important playoff games in the North without batting an eye, and nobody complains about them awarding Super Bowls to locations in the North. If college football is such a national game, then why is the north shut out from hosting games that matter in the playoff? You bet your butt that the SEC would complain if it was the other way around. If anyone that I called out wants to debate me, or if ESPN wants to have me on as a guest, I'm ready to debate the issue anytime of the day. College football was thriving long before the SEC was relevant, and always will thrive regardless of how well the SEC is doing.

Boy, I needed to get that out of my system. This game is interesting for the Gophers, because Iowa played very tough in Camp Randall last week. The Hawkeyes have a reputation for pulling upsets against ranked teams at Kinnick. I think the Gophers can win, but this game could go the other way. Row Row Row Your Boat Elitely 24, Hawkeyes 21.

You had your Wheaties for that one, didn't ya? Righteous rage becomes you, Seabiscuit. I'm not so sure people really want to see college football playoff games in Green Bay, but one could certainly take place at the People's Stadium, or Ford Field, or Lucas Oil Stadium. The Fargodome may not get the nod, either, but there you go. As for the game. . . the Gophers are feeling more and more like the 1993 Badgers, the team that finally broke through. Iowa City is a tough place, especially at this time of year. But if the Gophers are going to have their year, it has to continue tomorrow. I think it will. Gophers 31, Iowa 21.

Beloved Wisconsin Badgers (-14) vs. Nebraska Cornhuskers. The Badgers had a narrow escape last week, but still are the fox to the Gopher hound. Nebraska is a team that is a long way off from where it was hoped they be. I think Scott Frost is the right man for the job, because he will be given the time he needs, based on his background as a Nebraska legend and his national championship at UCF. This game won't be easy because Lincoln is a tough place to play, and Nebraska can play without worrying about the results in Iowa City. Badgers 31, Cornhuskers 21.

UCF national champions? You need an asterisk the size of Alpha Centauri for that one, young fella. Badgers still have goals this season and Nebraska is not currently built to slow those goals. I have more confidence in the Badgers than you do. Badgers 38, Nebraska 17.

Denver Broncos (+10.5) vs. Minnesota Vikings. The Vikings kept pace with the Packers last week with a very impressive performance in Jerry World. They can gain half a game in the division thanks to the Packers being on bye this week. Denver is a team that has talent, but quite frankly has not been a good outfit. The strange thing is that they are not that far away in the AFC West, and with some results could steal the division in the middle of the night. I expect the Vikings to have a routine win at home, and go into the bye week in a comfortable place. Vikings 28, Broncos 7.

John Elway was a great quarterback, but he's no good at picking quarterbacks. The Broncos have a strong defense, but I don't see them getting much done on Sunday, either. Bet the under. Vikings 20, Broncos 3.

Bear Down Chicago Da Bearz Still Suck (+6.5) vs. Los Angeles Rams. Both of these teams have been humongous letdowns. Who would have thought that the Bears would take a step back after playing a Charmin UltraSoft schedule last year, and actually playing real teams this year? The Rams have been a joke, and are going to pay the piper for that awful Goff contract. Both these teams are wastes of talent, and at least this game won't be a horrible brawl like the last primetime game. When in doubt, go with the desperate team at home theory. Rams 50, Bears Blew a 20-0 Lead to the Packers 0.

Did you mean this bear?

Giggling

All's fair in cheap shots, I suppose. The Bears still need to figure out the quarterback situation. I'd suggest they don't talk to John Elway. Meanwhile, Rams are in deep kimchi as well, but they still have a chance. The hour grows short, however. Rams 24, Bears 16.

I can't wait to see what excuses that the committee will dream up with to screw over the Gophers next week, but the old dude and I are both certain Ruff Ruffman Paul Finebaum is on the case. Ben out.

Standard setting

Mike Quigley, a congressman from Illinois, said this:

"I think the American public needs to be reminded that countless people have been convicted on hearsay because the courts have routinely allowed and created needed exceptions to hearsay," Quigley, a Democrat from Illinois, said to close his questioning of Kent and Taylor. "Hearsay can be much better evidence than direct, as we have learned in painful instances and it's certainly valid in this instance."

I was told Mike Quigley enjoys sex with barnyard animals. It's hearsay, but do you have better evidence it's not true?

Won't be missed

Good news:

Dean Lotter, 49, is unconcerned with the approaching Minnesota winter. He’ll be gone by Thanksgiving.

The New Brighton city manager has accepted a job running Eureka, a coastal city of 27,000 in northern California.

This guy is one of the most sanctimonious weasels I've encountered in local politics. Although his position is supposed to be non-political, he is political to the core, to the detriment of the citizenry. I will get back to this topic later this week.

Benster and D Pick Your Games---Row That Boat Edition

Old dude, the Golden Elite Rowers of the Boat claim that they are for real. Well, they will be tested against Penn State.

I know a boat you can get on.

Always with the show tunes with you, Geritol Fan! So distracting. Anyway, back to the topic at hand. Let's see if Gopher Nation is going to get over that Gameday didn't come here, and instead went to the Alabama-LSU "Game of the Century", which is not even the game of the year.

It's not difficult to understand why they went there:

Lee Corso wants to stay warm

That's cold, old dude.

Some day you'll understand.

I'm feeling the HYYYYYYYYPPPPEEE!, and it is time to watch me work.

Penn State Nittany Lions (-6.5) vs. Minnesota Golden Elite Rowers of the Boat.  So, this is the biggest home game for the Gophers since 2003. If you remember, the Gophers blew a huge lead to Michigan back then, and they didn't ever recover under Glenn Mason. There is a lot of excitement around these parts, but this is the first real opponent that the Gophers have faced, and people forget that they narrowly escaped a loss 3 times outside of league play. Penn State has big game experience, and will not be overawed by the environment. The biggest advantage that Penn State has is that they will be in football mode strictly, whereas the Gophers have to listen to the local media hype them up as contenders. It's too early to think about the playoff or Pasadena, because the Gophers will get exposed badly. The Gophers have not won a big game in years, and until he proves me wrong, P.J. Fleck is still a snake oil salesman who only cares about himself and his brand. Penn State 35, Capsize Your Boat Elitely 10.

It's a nice brand, though. You may be right. I think it's close, because the Gophers have improved, but Penn State has seen this before. Penn State 28, Gophers 20.

Iowa Hawkeyes (+8.5) vs. Beloved Wisconsin Badgers This game is going to be a lot closer than you may think. Iowa and Wisconsin have always played very close, and this game matters in the Big Ten West. It's not a guarantee that the Gophers are going to go to Indianapolis, despite Gopher homer and Gophers approved KFAN commentator Justin Gaard's protestations. The Badgers haven't been playing well lately, but they are historically a very good team in November when coming back in the division. Iowa will be a tough out, because history tells us that. Badgers 24, Iowa 17.

I actually listen to Barreiro's show when I'm driving home from work and, oddly enough, the Gophers have only been getting moderate levels of hype. And, not surprisingly, the Badgers and the Hawkeyes aren't a topic this week. Bucky and Iowa both have had a week to nurse their wounds. Game is in Camp Randall and that should be enough. Wisconsin 21, Iowa 10.

The 131st Bronze Turkey Bowl: Knox College Prairie Fire (NL) vs. Monmouth College Scots This is by far the most important rivalry game happening this weekend. My beloved Prairie Fire are venturing onto Monmouth's home turf, for the legendary Bronze Turkey Bowl game. Take it from me, a totally unbiased source. I am a proud Knox alum, and Monmouth College is our biggest rival. We might not be very good at sports, but we did host Abraham Lincoln once. I wrote this blog post, and Monmouth College gave me a degree in English with highest honors and named me valedictorian. Knox 49, Monmouth 0.

They are generous at Monmouth. But the nasty Scots also kick Knox's butt in football every year. And this year will be no exception. Monmouth 49, Knox 20.

Minnesota Vikings (+2.5) vs. Dallas How Bout Them Cowboahs? So the Vikings are heading into Jerry World to take on the Cowboys in a pretty good game. Adam Thielen is going to miss this game due to injury, which sucks for the Vikings. The biggest culprit in last week's loss for the Vikings was a bad shank of a punt, that made it easier for the Chiefs to walk off as winners. What the Vikings need to do is to jump on the Cowboys and force them to pass. It worked for the Packers last month, and that should be the recipe. If the Vikings lose this game, they would have to make up a likely 2 game deficit on the Packers, and would be looking at winning three road playoff games in the playoffs. Cowboys 31, Vikings 17.

I don't trust either of these teams. Kirk Cousins struggles in prime time, but this time the good Cousins shows up. Vikings 28, Cowboys 24.

Carolina Panthers (+4.5) vs. Glorious Green Bay Packers The Packers had a terrible performance last week in California, but thankfully everyone else in the division lost. Carolina has improved under Kyle Allen, who honestly has some talent. I remember him being good as a Texas A&M Aggie and a Houston Cougar. The Packers are going to have to avoid looking ahead to two weeks down the line in the Bay Area. The Packers just need to play better and get back to what makes them good. Packers 35, Panthers 24.

Christian McCaffrey scares me. A lot. The Packers will have to outscore the Panthers. Fortunately, they will. Packers 41, Panthers 31.

Enjoy your football weekend, and be safe if you are going out hunting this weekend. Ben out.

Miller time

Marvin Miller didn't play baseball, but it would be difficult to think of anyone who was a more consequential figure in the baseball world in the last 50 years. Miller was the head of the Major League Baseball Players Association from 1966 through 1982, but his influence went well beyond his tenure. He was instrumental in bringing the end of the reserve clause and the start of free agency, and baseball salaries increased exponentially as a result of his leadership. He changed the game. And the powers that be hated him.

Marvin Miller

Miller is one of 10 candidates for the Hall of Fame that the Veterans Committee will consider next month, along with nine "Modern Era" players, including the following:

Dwight Evans
Steve Garvey
Tommy John
Don Mattingly
Thurman Munson
Dale Murphy
Dave Parker
Ted Simmons
Lou Whitaker

I saw all of these guys play; the only one I didn't see in person was Garvey, but he was one of the most prominent players of the era and he was on television all the time, especially during his time with the Dodgers. Do you think of any of these guys as worthy of the Hall?

At this point, all of them probably deserve a look, especially if Harold Baines is the standard. If I had a ballot and could pick four, I'd pick Miller and then Whitaker, Simmons, and Murphy. Munson was a fine player, but he was already in decline as a player when he died in a plane crash. Garvey was a good offensive player, but he was a poor defensive first baseman. Evans and Parker strike me as classic examples of very good players who didn't do enough to merit consideration. Mattingly was a great player but his career ended too soon because of injuries. I think John has a fairly strong case, but no stronger than Jim Kaat, who is also on the outside looking in.

There aren't a lot of second basemen in the Hall and Whitaker is probably the best one not there, although you could also make an argument for Bobby Grich. Whitaker's double play partner, Alan Trammell, is already in the Hall and deservedly so. Whitaker and Trammell might be the best overall double play combo of all time. Whitaker also had surprising power for a middle infielder, with 244 career homers. He also won three Gold Gloves. That's a Hall of Fame career.

Simmons got lost because he played his career in the shadow of Johnny Bench, but in his best seasons he was Bench's equal. A switch hitting catcher who was a career .285 hitter with power, Simmons was the face of the Cardinals in one of their few lean periods, but he was also a key member of the only Brewers team to appear in a World Series. If I had to choose between Simmons and Munson, it would be no contest.

Murphy won back-to-back MVP awards in the 1980s and was a perennial Gold Glove outfielder. He also hit 398 home runs in his career, although in a favorable hitter's park (Atlanta Fulton County Stadium, a/k/a the Launching Pad). If you think of the best players in the National League in that era, he has to be on the list. Parker was his contemporary and played on better teams, but wasn't as consistent.

What do you think?

Benster and D Pick Your Games -- Trash Big Ten Edition

Old dude, there is a disturbing lack of Big Ten quality games this week. What gives?

Instead of scheduling the Citadel and Furman like the SEC does, the B1G has byes. And this week could go bye-bye for sure.

I blame the schedule makers, they want us to watch other leagues.

I blame Furman.

You should blame someone else.

Like this guy?

Fetch!

Old dude, that's Ruff Ruffman -- he was on some PBS kids thing when Maria was little.

Oops. I thought it was Paul Finebaum.

It's obvious you weren't paying attention.

It should be equally obvious why I wasn't paying attention.

Good point. Either way, so many crappy games makes it hard to feel the HYYYYYYPPPPPEEE!, but a man has to do what a man has to do. Watch me work.

Georgia Bulldogs (-6) vs. Florida Gators, in Jacksonville The World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party is a game that we normally wouldn't pick, but the dearth of games makes it slightly appealing. Both teams come in with a loss both overall and in league play, so this game will impact not only the SEC picture, but the national picture as well. Georgia has the worst loss, to South Carolina at home. Say what you will about the Badgers losing at Memorial Stadium, that was a road game. I haven't seen much of the Gators, but me thinks that Georgia should win. Georgia 35, Florida 24.

If you're gonna talk cocktails, you really ought to bring some. I don't know. I guess Georgia is better. Georgia 31, Florida 19.

Everton FC (NL) vs. Tottenham Hotspur Because the slate of football games sucks this weekend, we have to pick the Premier League match that involves my beloved Everton against the old dude's beloved Spurs. Everton won our League Cup tie against Watford at home on Tuesday, taking the pressure off Marco Silva. Spurs haven't looked great either, and lost last weekend to Liverpool at that evil place named Anfield. Both teams have been kinda crap lately, and this has all the looks of a draw that will help nobody, and both sets of supporters can have a moan. Everton 3, Tottenham 1.

Crap is the operative word. But when you're dealing with crap, choose the one with the better pedigree. Spurs 2, Everton 0.

Minnesota Vikings (NL) vs. Kansas City Chiefs The reason there is no line is because we are not sure about Patrick Mahomes and his injury status. The Chiefs hung in there against the Packers, but could not finish the job last week. The Vikings are coming in red hot, and are aiming to keep the pressure on the Packers. This game will not be easy, but the Vikings can win this one. Honestly, it could go either way. Vikings 28, Chiefs 24.

Why yes. Yes it could. Kirk "Kirktober" Cousins is overdue to cough up a hairball. Chiefs 28, Vikings 20.

Glorious Green Bay Packers (-3.5) vs. Los Angeles Chargers The Chargers have no fan base in LA, which means there will be many Packers fans attending this game. It's awesome that Dean Spanos has to see his team play road games at home because he couldn't realize that screwing over loyal fans in San Diego to make a quick buck was not a good move. This game is probably going to be a shootout between Rodgers and Phillip Rivers, because that is the script of other games in the past when these two greats lock horns. This game could be difficult, but I expect the Packers can gut it out. Packers 56, Go Back to San Diego 41.

Bet the over, you say? Won't be that high scoring, but I agree on the victor. Packers 34, Chargers 20.

Bear Down Chicago Da Bearz Still Suck (+4) vs. Philadelphia Eagles. I would have picked this game earlier, but Matt Nagy didn't trust me to and had me take a knee before sending me out to try a field goal. This is a rematch of the infamous Double Doink game, where Bears fans blamed Cody Parkey instead of acknowledging that the Bears lucked out last year and played a Charmin UltraSoft schedule. In fact, we have video evidence of the Double Doink:

The Eagles are in no great shape because they let Nick Foles walk, which was a stupid decision. He was the better quarterback than Wentz, and did nothing to lose his job. That mistake will haunt them forever. I expect the Bears will lose on a missed field goal again, because the football gods love seeing that happen again. Eagles 16, Da Bearz Still Suck and Blew a 20 point lead to the Packers 15.

I have a hunch the Bears bounce back. No reason other than why the hell not. Bears 24, Eagles 21.

Never forget that the Bears blew a 20 point lead to the Packers after they knocked Aaron Rodgers out of the game. Ben out!

Don't bother, they're here

There ought to be clowns, we are told. Lots of them. Items to note:

• I know I’ve said this before, but it’s been obvious from the jump why this particular Schiff-scented impeachment confection had to take place at this time. While I expect IG Horowitz to pull his punches again, Durham won’t. The entire point of the charade is to allow the Democrats to characterize the Durham investigation as revenge, rather than the pursuit of justice.
• Angie Craig and Dean Phillips must have looked at the polls and decided this faux impeachment vote won’t hurt them. Perhaps they’re right; suburbia is filled with minivan Mensheviks and Bad Orange Man offends a lot of sensibilities in places like Eden Prairie and Eagan. Craig in particular may feel the wind is at her back since Jason Lewis is gunning for Tina Smith instead, but she’s still gonna get challenged. 
• Collin Peterson voted against impeachment. He’s looking at the polls, too. Prediction: if this blows up on the Democrats and yet Peterson still survives, he’ll cross the aisle in 2021, especially if the House flips. It may be his only way to survive.
• Speaking of worried Democrats, you may also have noticed that Barack Obama spoke out recently against “cancel culture.” This isn’t a matter of intellectual bravery or principled liberalism, to the extent principled liberalism is even possible at this particular hour. Obama’s stance is really about something else: he’s seen the Lion King and knows what happened to Scar. He’s already getting “OK Boomer” sneers from some quarters and he knows the revolutionaries he nurtured are now coming of age. And they may come for him soon enough.

Question for the audience

Technical question, actually:

• Do you use an ad blocker?
• If you don't, do you see ads on my blog?

The reason I'm asking is my ad blocker indicates it's blocked multiple ads on my site. And I don't have ads on my site, at least that I've authorized.

Let me know -- I'm curious about this.

Worth remembering

“The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time, and still retain the ability to function.”

                                                                   -- F. Scott Fitzgerald

In practice:

1. Some things Donald Trump do are counterproductive at best.
2. Donald Trump has been wronged countless times since he came down the escalator in 2015.

Or, if you'd prefer:

1. Donald Trump is not the sort of person you'd want to be president in an ideal world.
2. We don't live in an ideal world and the current batch of Democrats are uniformly horrible people who should have no power, ever.

Benster and D Pick Your Games---Vikings Win Edition

Old dude, the Vikings won, and people are still complaining?

Yep. Apparently a lot of Vikings fans bet the over or something. I heard a bunch of moaning about Zimmer's 4th and 1 call in the game. It's not as though the Redskins were going to score, so I don't get it.

It's like they want Zimmer gone. Maybe Brad Childress could give Zimmer a ride to MSP.

They don't really want Zimmer gone, but some folks can't handle prosperity. Winning by 1, or 10, or 40 counts the same. No style points in the NFL.

If the Vikings want to feel mad, they could watch this:

I'm matriculating down the field and feeling the HYYYYYYYYYPPPPEEE! Okay, it's time to watch me work.


Maryland Terps (+16) vs. Minnesota Golden Elite Rowers of the Boat The Gophers hold the inside track to Indianapolis right now, thanks to events we will discuss later. They are a good team, but now they have the pressure all to themselves. The spotlight will shine on them starting this week. Maryland seems to be building something, though this is going to be a very difficult ask. I don't expect the Gophers to fall into a trap similar to what happened last week at Memorial Stadium. Gophers 31, Terps 0.

Maryland isn't terrible, but they are inconsistent. The Gophers should win. Minnesota 28, Maryland 20.

Beloved Wisconsin Badgers (+14.5) vs. A School in Columbus Well, last week was quite simply a horrible loss and embarrassment to the entire Badger program. I was very upset with the performance of the entire team and the coaching staff. I still love them all, but sometimes you have to tell the truth. This game is going to be very difficult, and will require near perfection to win. Everyone knows what I think about the Buckeyes as a general rule, but they are arguably the best team in the nation. That's the standard the Badgers are going to have to play at to win. Badgers 24, Buckeyes 17.

Ohio State looks frightening. But you have to face your fears. I think the Badgers will rebound and play very well. But it may not be enough. Ohio State 24, Wisconsin 20.

Glorious Green Bay Packers (-4.5) vs. Kansas City Chiefs This game got more interesting and less interesting simultaneously with the news that Patrick Mahomes cannot play because of injury. This sucks, because this game should have been a fun shootout between two MVP quarterbacks. The Packers looked very good on offense last week and have proven they can win without Davante Adams. The key defensively is to get some pressure on Kansas City and do not let Hill and Kelce make plays. Packers 45, Chiefs 21.

The Chiefs are decent and Arrowhead is a very tough place to win. I think the Packers have only one once in that stadium. Make it two. Packers 31, Chiefs 24.

Los Angeles Chargers (+4) vs. Bear Down Chicago Da Bearz Still Suck The Chargers are playing yet another road game, and it's amazing that they have to play 20 road games if you count the preseason. Da Bearz lost a tough one at home to the Saints, and look like they are out of the race already in the NFC North. Mitch Trubisky is in danger of being run out of town by angry Chicago fans. Even Marty McFly stopped going back to 1985, and the Super Bowl Shuffle crew is not walking through that door alongside Mateen Cleaves. Da Bearz should win, though. Da Bearz Still Suck 14, Chargers 7.

Have I mentioned the Chargers are dumb? Look at where they are. They have a nice team, but Benster is right -- they don't have a fan base and every time they play at home, the other team's fans fill the place. I expect to see a lot of Navy and Orange in the stands on Sunday. And while Trubisky seems to be channeling Moses Moreno, the Bears can still play defense. And they will. Bears 17, Chargers 10.

I'm walking outside that door. Ben out.

Showtime?

It's on:

Winter may be coming but it's already Springtime for Lawyers in Washington, D.C.  The list of people lawyering up these days would probably fill this page and lap over onto the next. It's just been announced that the John Durham investigation into the provenance of the Russia probe has turned into a criminal investigation. 

Subpoenas and grand juries are coming, real ones, not the Star Chamber counterfeits being orchestrated by the panicked Democrats and their junior league Southern California Torquemada.

The whole point of the phony impeachment inquiry was to muddy the waters. By getting out ahead of Durham, the Dems and their MSM buddies will now claim the inquiry is partisan revenge and therefore illegitimate. As always, you get more projection out of the Democrats than you see at a 20-screen multiplex theater.

The real question -- will Durham really do what he needs to do? Or will he bury it, like all the other scandals before? I would like to believe, but speaking of projection -- we've seen this movie before.

Benster and D Pick Your Games---Enough With The Thursday Games Edition

Old dude, can the NFL stop with the Thursday games outside of Thanksgiving? It's getting absurd.

Have you ever seen the movie Cabaret, old chum?

I'd never seen Roger Goodell wearing a top hat before!

If you're fortunate, you never will again.

I know, but it's not like the NFL was doing poorly before.

Not the point. It's all about the money. Player safety? Player schmafety! Adam Thielen can't play? Too bad. Get the money.

These midweek games make you even more cynical than usual, Geritol Fan. Time to discuss the Vikings. Watch me work!

Washington Gridlocks (+16.5) vs. Minnesota Vikings. Unlike other events involving Washington, this one will be done in full view of the public. The Gridlocks are a terrible football team, and the federal government is probably better run these days. This game is interesting because of the quarterback duel. Case Keenum returns to Minnesota for the first time since the Minneapolis Miracle, and he is generally viewed favorably around these parts. Kirk Cousins on the other hand has a more complicated relationship with the locals, and will face the Gridlocks for the first time since leaving them in free agency. This game provides a natural comparison between the two, and there should be a lot of takes depending on the outcome. No Thielen is going to hurt the Vikings, but they were fine against Detroit after he went out. In addition, the short week always is a difficult ask for any team. The Vikings should win, but I would expect Washington to cover. Vikings 28. Gridlocks 17.

Yeah, the story lines are all over this matchup. Not much else, though. Cousins seems to have found his groove and he's played quite well since he was removed from the Solder Field turf with a spatula a few weeks back. I think it will go well one more week. Vikings 31, Redskins 14.

We will be back Friday to pick the rest of the games. Ben out!

Star Chamber Schiff Gets Bum Rushed in the SCIF

I’m glad the Republicans finally stormed the castle today, disrupting the reindeer games of Adam Schiff and his merry band of miscreants. At no point since the putative “impeachment inquiry” began has there been any actual inquiry going on. What happens in that super secret room is narrative manufacturing. It’s crap, and the Democrats know it. But they also know their confreres in the media will report whatever they manufacture as news. Can you get a career denizen of Foggy Bottom to contradict the Bad Orange Man? Of course. That’s easy. And whatever serves the narrative is probative, no matter how many other officials contradict the statements, and no matter that this most recent dude is reporting third-hand.

The Republicans in Congress have been letting this charade go on for a month now. It should have stopped the day it began. The only way to conduct a legitimate inquiry is to let both sides participate. That hasn’t happened and the Dems have had no intention of allowing anyone to provide any scrutiny of their manufacturing process. We currently have auditors in my office -- they come every year because the company where I'm currently working is transparent. The Congress needs plenty of auditing. And an enema.

Benster and D Pick Your Games---No Refs Were Harmed Edition

Old dude, you mentioned that I am going to have words about what happened to the LOLions on Monday Night Football?

Well, I figured you would.

I do, but I will save those comments for when we discuss that game.

Building up a head of steam, as usual, Grasshopper?

Oh, it'll be red hot steaming.

Benster is red hot, D's picks are doodly squat, then?

You're catching on. Old guys can be educated! I am feeling the HYYYYYYYYYPPPPEEE!, and am ready to work.

Minnesota Golden Elite Rowers of the Boat (-28.5) vs. Rutgers Scarlet Knights. The Gophers finally got ranked after taking Nebraska to the woodshed last weekend, and they get a reward of going to a Rutgers squad that is terrible once again. This game is going to be very noncompetitive and not worth the investment unless you are a fan of these two teams or are betting on this. When will the Gophers actually play a real opponent that will actually challenge them? Row Row Row Your Boat Elitely 50, Buttgers 0.

Rutgers ought to try the Midwest Conference. They might be able to handle that. Gophers roll. Gophers 38, Rutgers 7.

Beloved Wisconsin Badgers (-31) vs. Illinois Fighting Illini.  First of all, let us bask in the glory that is Lovie Smith's beard. It is a work of art, and testament to the natural beauty that our world contains. Wisconsin looked dominant on defense yet again against a Spartan team that looked overmatched and could not handle the Badgers. The danger in this game is that people are going to be looking ahead to the showdown against A School In Columbus. This game could be tight, but the Badgers should win and then worry about the Buckeyes. Badgers 38, Illini 17.

It is lush and luxuriant:

Like the cliffs of Dover, but in handy beard format

Unfortunately, his team? Not so much. Bucky keeps it going in Champaign. Badgers 52, Illini 3.

Minnesota Vikings (-2) vs. Detroit LOLions Before I unleash my thoughts, let me offer some thoughts on the Vikings. They looked very impressive last week, and it was great to see Kirk Cousins get involved in the offense and have him take some pressure off Dalvin Cook. It was a comfortable win, and they are in a good position right now. With that being said, it's time for a Very Special Comment.

Everyone duck and cover!

Benster's gonna drop the bomb!

Are you through yet? Never interrupt a trained professional when he is working, mkay? Ahem. The Detroit Lions are getting a lot of sympathy from the national media because the officials inserted themselves into the game at Lambeau. The reason that the narrative has spread is because of ESPN announcer Booger McFarland. McFarland complained about the officiating during the final drive, and what he didn't realize was that there was at least 13 million viewers watching his broadcast on ESPN. I say at least because the game was simulcast on local stations in the Packers and Lions home markets, so there was probably more people watching on those stations, in addition to people watching at restaurants. He gave no credit to the Packers for taking advantage of getting those breaks, and fighting through adversity. The Lions were +3 in the turnover battle, but only got field goals out of those turnovers. The Lions fan base has a victim mentality when it comes to the refs, but they never blame ownership for making terrible hires, or admit they lost. That mentality disgusts me, as they can't give the Packers any credit. McFarland really should understand how he set the narrative, and he should be ashamed for selling the Packers short.

This is a desperation game because of the tightness of the NFC North. Thus, I default to the desperate team at home rule. LOLions 24, Vikings 10. 

Glad you feel better now. Booger had a point, I suppose, but he's also trying to save his job because the folks at ESPN have not been happy with him, so a little controversy never hurts, I guess. In any event, this is actually a pretty crucial game. I need to disagree with you at some point, so. . . Vikings 27, Lions 23.

Oakland Raiders of Las Vegas (4.5) vs. Glorious Green Bay Packers The Packers had a very narrow escape at home against the LOLions, and are going to be very shorthanded at receiver. It's also a short week, and the Raiders come in fully rested after their win in London over da Bearz. This game might be a little closer than one would think, but the Packers should win to keep pace in the NFC North. It's vital that the Packers hold the head to head tiebreaker on everyone else in the division as well as the 3-0 record in the division. Packers 31, Raiders 20.

This game concerns me, because the Packers don't have a lot of wide receivers. Not sure if they called back Terry Mickens (remember him?), but they should be able to get past a decent Raiders team. Packers 27, Raiders 17.

New Orleans Saints (+4) vs. Bear Down Chicago Da Bearz Still Suck Well, Mitch Trubisky is going to return to start, and this game is going to be interesting. The Saints have looked good without Drew Brees, and it's great to see Teddy Bridgewater back and happy. The Bears need this win at home to keep pace in the division. This game is very interesting, and I expect a lot of offense. Saints 45, da Bearz 28.


The Saints have done well with Teddy. But now they have to play the Bears without Brees and without Alvin Kamara? In Chicago? Good luck with that. Bears 17, Saints 14.

Who goes by Booger, anyway? That's not even a good stage name for the WWE. Ben out!

il miglior fabbro

John "Doc Zero" Hayward doesn't get a lot of attention because he plies his trade at Breitbart, but he's a wonderful writer and observer. He writes about foreign policy issues these days and this summation of the most recent Dem debate is spot-on, especially on the matter of Syria:

None of the Democrats wanted to discuss Turkey’s claims of a severe security threat from northeastern Syria, discuss why the international community did nothing to address those claims, or explain why the United States was held solely responsible for preventing Turkey from taking action. They treated the notion of Russian and Syrian involvement against the Turkish assault as inherently outrageous without explaining why the Syrian government should not be held responsible for protecting its own citizens and securing its own borders. They complained about escaping ISIS prisoners without discussing why thousands of them were still parked in Kurdish prison camps and how long they should be left there.

None of the Democrats was asked to present a war plan for fighting Turkey or discuss how much the U.S. depends on Turkish bases for operations in the Middle East. None of them, not even Biden, was pressed on how the Obama administration set the table for current events. None of them acknowledged the difficulty of getting reliable information from any party involved in the savage Syrian civil war, although Gabbard came close when she pointed out how dodgy some of the groups supported by the Obama administration were.

And of course, CNN would not dream of asking the Democrat candidates — several of whom are sitting senators — why their caucus did not authorize military force against Turkey to protect the Kurds, instead spending all of its time on an impeachment crusade against President Trump. Trump said he wanted to pull troops out of Syria almost a year ago, and Erdogan was threatening to invade long before that. The Democrats had plenty of time to pass the appropriate congressional resolutions and send a strong message to Turkey, but that would have involved putting real political capital on the line instead of sniping from the sidelines.

I asked a question about troop levels in Syria yesterday because I don't know these answers. But I recognize demagoguery when I see it. As always, read the whole thing.

Question for the audience

How many actual troops did we have stationed in Syria? And where are they going? I guess that's two questions.

Random observations

Still not too focused on blogging, but I do have a few thoughts:

• We were having trouble with our television last night (dang it, Comcast), so even if I'd wanted to watch the Dems debate I wouldn't have been able to. But there was no appetite for the topic in our house. The post-mortems indicate Elizabeth Warren didn't have a great night and that Bernie hasn't let a heart attack stop him from yelling at clouds. In a deeply divided nation, it's possible one of the luminaries on the stage might be president in 2021, but I wouldn't count on it.
• Yes, the officiating in the NFL is screwed up. Did it benefit the Packers on Monday night? Everyone seems to think so. To which I respond -- fine. But to hell with the Lions anyway. If the Lions want to assuage their wounds, they can take their frustrations out on the Vikings this week. Benster will likely have a few words about this topic later in the week.
• Congratulations to the Nationals, in the World Series for the first time in franchise history. I wonder what the fans of the Montreal Expos think about it.
• It was always argued that "Seinfeld" was about nothing. The Dems are running a Seinfeld impeachment.

Benster and D Pick Your Games----It's Too Cold Edition

Old dude, in what world does it make sense for there to be snow in the early part of October? What is going on in this state?

Life barely above the 45th parallel, young fella.

Well, it could be worse. Our fellow contribute Stinger is going to be at the Golden Elite Rowers of the Boat game, and hopefully he doesn't freeze.

The warmth of P. J. Fleck will keep everyone at the stadium glowing. Or something like that.

I actually admire P. J. He's even more into HYYYYYYYYYYYPPPPPPPE! than I am. But enough of that -- it is time to watch me work.

Nebraska Cornhuskers (+9) vs. Minnesota Golden Elite Rowers of the Boat Well, Minnesota is getting no love from the pollsters despite being undefeated. It could be because they have looked very mortal against competition that has not been top shelf. But, they have won all their games, and that is all you can ask. Nebraska fans understand that Scott Frost will need some time to rebuild the dynasty, but the good news is that Nebraska fans always live in the past. Johnny Rodgers is not walking through that door. It's going to be a cold one under the lights, but I think Nebraska can pull the upset. Nebraska 17, Row Row Row Your Boat Elitely 9.

Then again, Rick Upchurch isn't walking through the door of  TCF Bank Stadium, either. But don't you wish he was?

Touchdown, Goooolden Gophers!

That's some really old stuff. But then again, Ray Christensen isn't walking through that door, either. Gophers 24, Nebraska 20.

Michigan State Sparty the Spartan (+10) vs. Beloved Wisconsin Badgers Well, this is going to be a more difficult game for the Badgers than Kent State. The Spartans worry me because they are a pretty good defensive outfit, and Mark Dantonio is very good at motivating players when he is an underdog. The difference is that this game is in Madison, and JT is going continue his Heisman candidacy for another week. I expect a fairly close game, but one that the Badgers win after a good 4th quarter. Wisconsin 31, Sparty 14.

So, Bucky beats the spread? Yeah, I think so, too. Sparty is okay, but it's going to be Badger weather and Jonathan Taylor is going to romp. Wisconsin 28, Michigan State 13.

Philadelphia Eagles (+3) vs. Minnesota Vikings Well, the Vikings survived their trip to the Meadowlands and beat an injured Giants team. That's not the Vikings fault, it's just what they had to do. The Eagles will not be intimidated by the Vikings, since they pulled a win out on the road against the Packers in Lambeau. This game is not going to be as easy as some Vikings-approved homers on KFAN might have let you know. Doug Pederson matches up well against Mike Zimmer's defense, and the Eagles won their last game here in Minnesota. This is the game when we find out if Kirk Cousins will be earning his money. Eagles 34, Vikings 24.

You insult Meatsauce at your peril there, Grasshopper. Will Kirk Cousins earn his money? Well, the check will clear. Eagles 17, Vikings 16.

Detroit LOLions (+4) vs. Glorious Green Bay Packers The Packers went into Dallas and owned the Cowboys like the Yankees own the Twins, and Skip Brainless is still mad about that. This sets up very well for the Packers if they win. Should that happen, the Packers will be 3-0 in the division and own the tiebreakers over every other team in the NFC North. To do that won't be easy. As much as the LOLions have a history of underachieving, they have talent. Also, the Packers haven't beaten them in a couple of years for some reason. This is not a gimme like in other years. However, these are the LOLions, and hope is a dangerous thing for them. Packers 42, LOLions 0.

Matt Patricia has had an extra week to prepare. That may work against him, actually. Packers have something to prove. I think they will. Packers 24, Lions 21.

Washington Gridlocks (-3.5) vs. Miami Tuna Net Victims This game would ordinarily be one that would never be picked under normal circumstances, but this game is one of the most atrocious NFL games ever. Both teams are trying to lose out in order to draft Tua, and quite frankly both could lose to an XFL team. This game shows us why tanking is a terrible thing in sports. This game could set the sport back into the dark ages of the NFL. I'm serious when I say you would be better off watching anything else on television. The NFL should send both of these teams down to the Arena Football League. At least then there would be some scoring. Gridlocks -3, Tuna Net Victims -30.

Did someone say Dark Ages?

Have some Doug Kotar! You know you stink when a 24-minute highlight film of your 1976 team starts with 3 minutes of introductions of your team from 1956. But the Giants aren't in this game. Then again, neither are the teams who will be playing. Washington 7, Miami 3.

Boy, that Miami game is going to be a terrible watch. Ben out.

Thursday night talkers

As I write this, Donald Trump is speaking at the Target Center in Minneapolis, and Dick Cheney is speaking at Eaton Chapel at my alma mater, Beloit College. I'm not particularly fond of either of these gentlemen, but their respective enemies are the sort of people who should never have power, either.

Lately I've been listening to a country singer named Sturgill Simpson. Here's a blistering performance of his on, of all places, Saturday Night Live:

You can tell he's country by his proto-Waylon Jennings (about a half-octave higher) voice, but this arrangement gives you a Sprinsteenian raveup and a little Blues Brothers, too. And the lyrics are pure pox on everyone's house:

Well nobody’s looking up to care about a drone
All too busy looking down at our phone
Ego’s begging for food like a dog from a feed
Refreshing obsessively until our eyes start to bleed
They serve up distractions and we eat them with fries
Until the bombs fall out of our fucking skies

But he's not done:

Turn off the TV
Turn off the news
There's nothing to see here
They’re serving the blues
Bullshit on my TV
Bullshit on my radio
Hollywood telling me how to be me
The bullshit’s got to go

Alas, it ain't going anywhere.

Saying what needs to be said

P. J. O'Rourke doesn't write much any more, but he's in fine form in this piece:

To be woke is to maintain a state of mind where you are constantly and acutely alert to social injustice and permanently on the lookout for more social injustice to be alert to. Or what I would call a good reason to take a nap.

Which you’d think would be acceptable since being woke doesn’t actually entail doing anything. But, thankfully for the jester, hypocrisy never sleeps. If you’re woke you must stay ‘conscious’, in order to continually ‘communicate’ how vigilant you are about toxic masculinity, how mindful you’re becoming about cultural appropriation and so forth ad infinitum.

Being woke is a parody of being Born Again: instead of your accepting Jesus, people like Jesus (‘privileged’, famously well- connected fathers) have to accept you.

Well, that and the Chinese government (looking at you, Pop and Kerr). The Bad Orange Man noticed:

When you're runnin' down our country, hoss

Swapping out your shibboleths doesn't indicate thought or discernment. It's actually intellectually lazy. It's past time to start laughing at Woke people.

Random thoughts

• I don’t care that much about Ilhan Omar’s marital status per se, which has never been easy to sort out. What I do care about is it has been a marker for corruption, including the likelihood that she was a participant in, among other things, immigration fraud. And I especially care about the chance she has been paying her paramour a salary. That’s a big issue.
• Are the Packers for real? It’s always difficult to tell in the week-to-week world of the NFL, but for the moment the answer is yes. One thing is certain – Aaron Rodgers is not carrying the team on his back. If anything, he was along for the ride yesterday against Dallas. That’s by far the most promising development of the season thus far. Having said that, if Rodgers were to suffer a season-ending injury, it would be a disaster. Beating Dallas in Dallas is big, but beating Detroit in Green Bay next week is even more important, because it would establish clear supremacy within the division. Vic Ketchman, the retired Packers.com writer who is one of the best football minds around, thinks the Packers should be 11-2 when they hit the end of the season. If that happens, it could be a very special season. But then again, I’ve thought the Bears and the Vikings were actually the more dominant NFC North team at different points this season, only to see both of them underperform in key moments. This much seems to be true – while the Packers have not been dominant in any one game, they’ve done enough to win four games of five in the NFL, and have defeated three of the preseason favorites to be content for the NFC championship. That matters. Still, it’s best to trust no one.
• The local community newspaper chain that covers New Brighton and its neighbors has apparently gone out of business. In recent years, they haven’t done much other than print DFL politician press releases and semi-amusing police reports (no, seriously). Ad revenue hasn’t sustained their operations, and almost no one took a “voluntary” subscription to subsidize their efforts. It’s not surprising; many such small publishers have gone out of business in recent years, but it’s still a little sad. Almost no one covers the local scene any more and if any local government could use a little scrutiny, it’s New Brighton’s. I may have to step up my efforts on this beat.

Benster and D Pick Your Games -- Where in the World Is Stefon Diggs Edition

Old dude, is Stefon Diggs trying to get out of town? Maybe he wants to watch the Twins take out the Yankees. I'm very excited to see how my beloved Twins do, and maybe this is the year that the boogeyman can get slain.

Did someone say boogie?

There is no exception to the rule.

I watch videos like that and it really explains a lot about you, Geritol Fan. How old were you when that came out?

15 or 16, something like that.

Child abuse. That's what it was.

Actually, no. Bass lines and the Sold Gold dancers -- yeah, that was about what a guy that age would have wanted back then.

Can't say I blame you. That was not something that I was expecting.

I've been managing expectations for years, grasshopper.

Especially your won/loss record in this feature. But now, it's time to watch me work.

Illinois Fighting Illini (+14) vs. Minnesota Golden Elite Rowers of the Boat The Gophers clearly are getting zero respect for being undefeated, though I don't blame the pollsters for this at all. They have been very loose in the turns this year, and haven't looked great against very weak competition. This game should be another game that looks easy, but the Gophers will find a way to make life difficult for themselves before pulling another victory out of a hat. Gophers 21, Illini 17.

Game is here. That makes a difference. I still greatly appreciate the lush beard of Lovie Smith:

No one is confusing him with Lovey Howell

There's almost a serenity about Lovie these days. I guess when you know your team is destined for the bottom of the division, you can relax a bit. Gophers do need to play better, but I think this one is set up well for them. Gophers 31, Illini 20.

Kent State Golden Flashes (+35) vs. Beloved Wisconsin Badgers The Badgers didn't look amazing against Northwestern, but they won. Kent State is not a good MAC team this year, and the Badgers will be prepared to play against a weaker opponent having learned their lesson from BYU last year. This should be a nice win and a routine one to get the Badgers ready for tougher meat in the Spartans next week. Badgers 42, Golden Flashes 10.

Have I mentioned that Northwestern is really annoying? Kent State is a bit of a footwipe in the MAC, so it's difficult to imagine Bucky having any trouble in this one. Badgers 56, Kent State 3.

Minnesota Vikings (-5) vs. All Hail the New York Football Giants. The Vikings did not look great in Chicago, and that was due to a variety of factors. I was told by a valued commentator that my take on the Vikings offense was questionable. Well, the Bears gave my view some legs. That was a winnable game for the Vikings after Trubisky was knocked out of the game, but they could only score 6 points against the Bears. To be fair, Chicago has a great defense, and they had a lot of success with their game plan. What really hurt the Vikings was not getting Cousins into the game flow, and now you have people taking their grumbling public. Kirk should have just taken Diggs, Theilen, Zimmer, Kubiak, and Stefanski out to Pizza Ranch so they could buffet their way. The Giants have looked better since they made the switch to Daniel Jones, and Wayne Gallman has been pretty good filling in for Saquon Barkley. The good news for the Vikings is that the Diggs story is getting overshadowed by the Twins and Gophers talk locally. This game will tell us a lot about the future of the Vikings, and it might not be what people want to know. All Hail the New York Giants 24, Days of our Zimmers 20.

Once more, with feeling:

Vikings have to win this game. The Giants are a terrible defensive team. If Kirk Cousins is going to salvage his season/career, it could start in the Meadowlands on Sunday. Vikings 31, Giants 23.

Glorious Green Bay Packers (+3) vs. Dallas How Bout Them Cowboahs Well, this game is going to be very interesting this weekend. The Packers had a very frustrating loss, and Davante Adams will be in street clothes on Sunday. That is going to make this game very difficult. However, the Cowboys are going to be banged up on the offensive line, which matters a lot. The Cowboys offensive line is the best in football, and a lot of the success of Dak and Zeke is based on that line. There is no doubt that both are very talented, but it helps when they can get large holes to run through and enough time to develop passing plays. The Packers are going to have to find plays from someone in the passing game, and are going to need to make a couple big plays on defense. Aaron Rodgers has a strong affinity for playing in Jerry World, and he's beaten the Cowboys plenty of times before. It's not going to be easy, but I think the Packers can pull it off. Packers 24, Cowboys 21.

We will learn a lot about the Packers on Sunday. The loss to the Eagles was disquieting. I have little doubt the rest of the division will continue to keep pace, so the Packers don't have much margin for error. Dallas needs this win, too. A hunch, though. . . Packers 31, Cowboys 24.

Bear Down Chicago da Bearz Still Suck (-5) vs. Oakland Raiders of Las Vegas, in London. I don't know what the fine folks of Las Vegas are going to think about the Raiders when they move after this year. They freed themselves from the antics of Antonio Brown before his current legal troubles, and have not looked very sharp. Da Bearz won a very important game behind Chase Daniel, who will start for da Bearz this week. I like their chances, as their defense has been a real equalizer this year, and Daniel has won games as a backup for them before. Da Bearz Still Suck 30, Raiders of Las Vegas 14.

Is it possible the Bears are better without Trubisky? I think they are. Chase Daniel is just a guy, but he follows instructions well and he keeps his eyes downfield when he's under pressure. He shouldn't see a lot of pressure on Sunday. Bears 31, Raiders 10.

Let's see how the Twins can do against the boogeyman that has haunted them for a long time. Ben out!

Rules are for suckers

The invaluable Sean Davis, writing for the Federalist, looks at how the whistle began blowing:

On Monday, the intelligence community inspector general (ICIG) admitted that it did alter its forms and policies governing whistleblower complaints, and that it did so in response to the anti-Trump complaint filed on Aug. 12, 2019. The Federalist first reported the sudden changes last Friday. While many in the media falsely claimed the ICIG’s stunning admission debunked The Federalist’s report, the admission from the ICIG completely affirmed the reporting on the secretive change to whistleblower rules following the filing of an anti-Trump complaint in August.

The ICIG also disclosed for the first time that the anti-Trump complainant filed his complaint using the previously authorized form, the guidance for which explicitly stated the ICIG’s previous requirement for firsthand evidence for credible complaints. The Federalist reported last week that it was not known which form, if any, the complainant used, as the complaint that was declassified and released to the public last week was written as a letter to the two chairmen of the congressional intelligence committees.

So why does the form matter? Back to Davis:

The ICIG’s claim that it would have been incorrect to perceive a requirement for firsthand information is bizarre considering the previous version of the form clearly stated in unambiguous language that firsthand evidence was required in order for “urgent concern” whistleblower complaints to be deemed credible. It said, in bold, underlined, all-caps text, “FIRST-HAND INFORMATION REQUIRED”:

Second-hand news

Because the complaint did not allege wrongdoing against a member of the intelligence community (the president of the United States is an elected constitutional officer, not an employee of a statutory agency), did not allege wrongdoing with regard to an intelligence activity (a phone call between two elected world leaders is basic diplomacy, not the execution of a statutorily required intelligence activity), and relied primarily on hearsay rather than firsthand evidence, both the director of national intelligence (DNI) and the Department of Justice Office of Legal Counsel determined that the anti-Trump complaint was not an “urgent concern” under the law and was therefore not required to be transmitted to the relevant congressional committees. In spite of those determinations, the ICIG on its own and after revising its internal guidance and policies regarding firsthand evidence decided the complaint did qualify as an “urgent concern” and forwarded the anti-Trump complaint to Congress.

The rules, in other words, are whatever someone with an animus against a sitting president, says they are. For his part, Donald Trump was tweetin' last night and called this thing what it is:

He's right, you know

I was NeverTrump once. Some of my friends who remain bloggers are still highly critical of Trump for his boorishness. I'm sorry, but aesthetics don't matter at this point. Trump's political enemies cannot succeed. If they do, we don't have a country. It's possible, even probable, they already have. You can't have unelected, unaccountable people changing forms and changing lives. The bureaucracy serves at our pleasure, but they have every reason to believe they rule. And why wouldn't they?

Showdown

The impeachment frenzy is strong now because it's obvious Barr, Durham, and Huber are over the target. It's all coming down soon, one way or another.