Recently in Football (NCAA, NFL, Fantasy) Category

My daily routine is changing. Entries here will be posted at different times and not necessarily on a daily basis any more. Life just sometimes gets right in the way of my hobbies.

Boo, Atlanta Journal-Constitution. When I clicked on your link, I was blasted by two very loud ads. I wasn't able to turn the sound down or off on one of them because the buttons don't f%^king work but I was finally able to find the pause button. I couldn't even tell where the other ad was coming from.

About today's QOTD: Not the biggest fan of Warren Sapp but he's exactly right about Ndamukong Suh.

About today's BOTD: It was a nice try on his part but his analysis is a bit faulty. The pick in his illustration was charged to Brees because all interceptions are but that one was on Jimmy Graham. He ran the wrong route. He was supposed to cut in front of the defender who made the interception. Jimmy Graham is a joy to watch. He sometimes runs the wrong route, he drops too many passes, and he occasionally has passes bounce off of him because he isn't looking for the ball. He has very little football experience and he's thinking entirely too much. Despite that, he is the best tight end in football and he's getting better every week. He's also a great kid and his enthusiasm is infectious. Love him.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Waiting For The Day - Gerry Rafferty - City To City
2. Downtown - Petula Clark - AM Gold 1965
3. I Never Loved A Man (The Way I Love You) - The Commitments - The Commitments
4. Eli's Coming - Three Dog Night - Captured Live At The Forum
5. Circus - Eric Clapton - Pilgrim

Quote of the Day

I was like, what are we appealing here? You don’t want to roll that tape again, do you? … That was Thursday. That was Thanksgiving. Moms and grandmas are watching. … You can’t do that.

Warren Sapp, Showtime

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "For this week’s play breakdown, I will show you two plays below -- one where Brees throws it up and ends up throwing a pick, while the other shows a touchdown throw."

At some point this season, the LSU Tigers moved on from being the team that was playing the best football in the country to simply the very best football team in the country. Head Coach Les Miles should be given ALL of the credit for both. There's a lot of talk that the upcoming SEC Championship Game versus SEC East Champ, Georgia, is meaningless. I don't think the Tigers are listening. They want it. If we learned anything this season, we have learned they take what they want. Says here they beat the Dawgs handily and head to the Louisiana SuperDome for the BCS Championship Game. Whoever shows up in New Orleans to face them is in for a world of hurt and that includes Alabama. If the Tigers finish undefeated, we'll have witnessed one of the greatest seasons of all time. They did not load up on cupcakes. They beat mostly ranked teams. What they've done so far has been nothing short of incredible.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Bye Bye Love - The Cars - The Cars
2. Just What The Doctor Ordered - Ted Nugent - Ted Nugent
3. Reason To Believe - Rod Stewart - Unplugged... And Seated
4. Melissa - The Allman Brothers Band - Eat A Peach
5. Jennifer Juniper - Donovan - Donovan's Greatest Hits

Quote of the Day

This is a championship game. You get a ring for this game. That’s what we came here to do, so we’re going to take this game very seriously.

Eric Reid, LSU Tigers

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Betonline.com has posted a line on the title game, and LSU is listed as a 2-point favorite over the Tide."

Wish I was there.

Happy Birthday, Mom

Love,
Rob&Patsy

Picked up a few songs at iTunes last night, including one that Marie and Kim recommended from Marc Cohn. Lissie also has a new album of covers out. Was cheap enough. From her, I love Nothing Else Matters but I think I like Pursuit of Happiness, a new song to me, even better.

Tigers keep rolling. They still have two or, possibly, three tough games ahead, though. They need to focus on them, not on who they might face in a potential BCS Championship game.

Tough game in Atlanta today for the Saints. Kickoff. Will have to finish this entry later. Hogshead cheese and a Saints game await.

Today's QOTD from yet another professional journalist.

I offer a little color from the CrabAppleLane backyard. Very little.

CrabAppleLane Backyard - November 13, 2011

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Pursuit of Happiness - Lissie - Covered Up With Flowers
2. Walking In Memphis - Marc Cohn - Marc Cohn
3. Early Bird (Bonus Track) - Mark Knopfler - Get Lucky (Bonus Track Version)
4. Boulevard of Broken Dreams (feat. John Gallagher Jr., Rebecca Naomi Jones, Stark Sands & Company) - Green Day - American Idiot (The Original Broadway Cast Recording)
5. Everybody Wants You - Billy Squier - Billy Squier: Absolute Hits

Quote of the Day

When Mike Smith first decided to go for it on fourth-and-inches in overtime, I liked the call. I thought it was gutsy and ambitious. After watching Michael Turner get stuffed, I changed my mind. Smith should have punted and taken his chances with his defense.

Pat Yasinskas, ESPN NFC South Blog

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Prepare yourself for this epic battle of NFC South heavyweights. The team that wins this game will have the early upper hand for the division. As Falcons fans, we do not want to get stuck in this wild card race. This is the first big step toward winning the division, and the Falcons must take care of business as home in divisional games."

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1. Teach Your Children - Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young - Déjà Vu
2. I Think I'm Paranoid - Garbage - Version 2.0
3. Pictures Of Matchstick Men - Status Quo - The British Invasion: The History Of British Rock, Vol. 8
4. Still Crazy After All These Years - Paul Simon - Negotiations And Love Songs 1971-1986
5. Nothing Else Matters - Metallica - Black Album

For the first time in 22,638 days — Nov. 19, 1949 — the Penn State Nittany Lions played a football game in which Joe Paterno was neither the head coach nor an assistant.
John Taylor, College Football Talk

Finished Page Eight last night. The War on Terror has turned into the same kind of gold mine of material for the film industry that the Cold War was. The problem with this current gold mine is that there is always a question. The question is this: Is this a movie with a message or is it just a movie? When I went to see Three Days of the Condor or Day of the Jackal, I didn't ask myself that. As a movie, it has a fine plot, lots of intrigue, a couple of subplots, fine performances all around, and a fitting end. As a movie with a message, it has a lot of tired assumptions, a pretty good helping of fancy, and just enough realism to add credibility but only if you're inclined to believe the message. I watched it as just a movie and liked it. If you prefer the movie with a message perspective, you'll only like it if you like the message. I will always prefer to watch movies as simple entertainment. It should be playing on your local PBS station in America. See it for yourself.

Today's QOTD is my new favorite expression.

Tuesday Morning Quarterback - Week 9, 2011

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Someday Henry Gross - One More Tomorrow - The Best Of Henry Gross
2. Private Investigations - Dire Straits - On The Night (LIVE)
3. We Are The Dead - David Bowie - Diamond Dogs
4. Astronomy Domine (Live) - Pink Floyd - Take It Back
5. Crossroads - Cream - The Cream Of Clapton

Quote of the Day

Are you going to throw a wobbly?

Muna Hammami, Page Eight

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "South East London has always seemed to be an after-thought of where to go or live. However in recent times I have heard more and more people getting excited about it, even suggesting that it might be the 'New Hoxton / Shoreditch'."

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Started Page Eight last night but it was too late to finish it. I recorded it because of its stellar cast but I also pretty much a sucker for "Masterpiece anything" on PBS. Page Eight is being presented as Masterpiece Contemporary but it could have just as well been presented as Masterpiece Mystery. I have no idea what the difference is. Maybe the sponsors? No idea when I'll get to finish it. Anyway, just look at that cast. :)

Good weekend for Louisiana football. The LSU Tigers came away from Tuscaloosa with a win over the Alabama Crimson Tide. The New Orleans Saints got a much-needed win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers yesterday. Former LSU star, Patrick Peterson, won the game for the Arizona Cardinals yesterday with an electrifying punt return for a touchdown in overtime and hometown hero, Eli Manning, led the New York Giants to a great win over the New England Patriots in Foxboro.

Penn State? They should have gotten out in front of that sooner.

Why does the media continue to give a guy like this the prestige he craves?

Love the nonchalance in the QOTD. Is that all?

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Underway - Fleetwood Mac - Then Play On
2. Sweet Thing - David Bowie - Diamond Dogs
3. Take It Easy - The Eagles - Their Greatest Hits
4. Train In The Distance - Paul Simon - Negotiations And Love Songs 1971-1986
5. You Didn't Have To Be So Nice - The Lovin' Spoonful - AM Gold 1966

Quote of the Day

Western Kentucky, which is now riding its first five-game winning streak since 2004, heads to Louisiana State next week for an out-of-conference matchup.

Chad Bishop, Bowling Green Daily News

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "It's fun to watch LSU out-Saban Saban. You hate offense? Oh, we really hate offense. We hate offense more than you'll ever hate offense, Nick Saban. We hate offense so much we'll put Jordan Jefferson in at quarterback, but first let Jarrett Lee throw two picks just to give you what you want in the form of turnovers, but then take it away with good defense and suffocating your precious run game. We hate offense so much we kill both yours AND ours. That's how much we want to ironically be you, but even better."

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Hard, hard fought game last night in Tuscaloosa. Didn't look like much if you're a fan of pretty football but it looks fine this morning to this Tiger fan.

Saints are up, 17-3, at the half over a tough Tampa team in a pretty chippy game so far. They need to not let up. Update: Saints, 24-9, with 11 minutes remaining.

Think I have everything back to normal here. I think. Everything that was giving me trouble before seems to be working now. We'll see. Your patience is appreciated.

I offer one image of what passes for color changes here at CrabAppleLane. No comparison to what my northern friends get to see.

CrabAppleLane Backyard - November 6, 2011

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Tyrant (Live) - Judas Priest - Living After Midnight
2. Armageddon It - Def Leppard - Hysteria
3. Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head - B.J. Thomas - AM Gold 1969
4. All Mixed Up - The Cars - The Cars
5. I Know You're Out There Somewhere - The Moody Blues - Moody Blues Greatest Hits

Quote of the Day

LSU still rules. Not because someone said so, but because it came here and took what it wanted.

Scott Rabalais, Baton Rouge Morning Advocate

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "We Need to Talk About Kevin is powerful, visceral cinema. It’s the kind of movie that makes you want to take a nice long, hot shower after coming home."

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The practice of "oversigning". There is a perspective that is getting short shrift in every article I've seen on that matter. How many student-athletes each school signs is a matter of public record. Who they have signed and who they already have on their roster is established. What's being given short shrift is that potential recruits must realistically evaluate their chances before they commit. The usual blame being tossed around is that coaches are not being forthright with the recruits. I'm sure that's partly to blame.

Oversigning is a luxury that only the big time football schools enjoy and it's an understandable evil. You ask kids to commit to your program in February. It's going to be September before you play a game. You're counting on him. In those seven months, the kid flunks a history exam and becomes academically ineligible ... or he has a swimming accident and he can't play ... or he falls in love and decides to go straight to work in the family business.

In other news, I think I've resolved the issues that readers have been encountering here lately. At least, I hope I did. There are still some minor issues I'm having trouble with but, hopefully, they won't affect you.

It's Game Day. If you watch a single college football game this season, LSU-Alabama should be it.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. For Your Love - The Yardbirds - Heart Full Of Soul And Other Hits
2. Sing Child - Heart - Dreamboat Annie
3. One More Heartache - Blackhawk - BlackHawk
4. This Girl's In Love With You - Dionne Warwick - AM Gold 1969
5. Don't Cry (Original) - Guns N' Roses - Use Your Illusion I

Quote of the Day

I want the players to enjoy the glare and the light of the big stage. I want them to enjoy the opportunity to play for a big victory. Once I've prepared the team and after I feel I've done a quality job, I want the players to play with freedom.

Les Miles, LSU Head Coach

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Much to the chagrin of some, though, there have been very few mentions of “oversigning”. Some have latched on to every single chance to hassle the national media into covering this “crisis”. As the internet’s self appointed defender of oversigning, let’s tackle this once more."

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My first trip to Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge for a football game was for the LSU-Alabama game in 1973. Both teams were undefeated at 9-0. Alabama was ranked Number 1. LSU was ranked Number 7. LSU had Mike Miley at QB. He was a two sport star (Baseball & Football) at LSU and a hometown hero. He played at East Jefferson High School, which was only a few miles from where I grew up. Alabama had All American tailback Johnny Musso. I remember two plays from that game. I remember LSU's Brad Davis getting a big gain on the Tigers' first play from scrimmage. Then, the second play I remember: We were in the endzone stands. Alabama had the ball and their backs to us. They ran the Wishbone offense then. Tide quarterback Terry Davis took the snap, ran to the end of the offensive line with Musso trailing him waiting for the pitch. When Davis got to the end of his offensive line, he turned upfield ... and there was nothing between him and the endzone except the green, green grass of Tiger Stadium. Everyone in the stands gasped. He ran about 70 yards untouched.

My fondest memory of that game and, perhaps, my fondest memory of any game I attended had nothing to do with the play on the field. Because the game had national interest, it had been moved from Saturday night to Thanksgiving Thursday night. That upset a lot of LSU fans, who view Saturday night football as religion. That's how I ended up with free tickets. I digress. We were there early. About two hours before the game, the Alabama bus arrived. Bear Bryant, in his houndstooth hat, walked onto the Tiger Stadium turf along with his players, dressed in their black slacks, tie, and brilliant crimson blazers. They were very impressive. The student section rose and started yelling TIGER BAIT - TIGER BAIT - TIGER BAIT at them. The rest of the stadium rose and joined in. People milling about on the ramps and at the concession stands hurried into the stadium to join in, too. Thanks, Bear. You were truly a one-of-a-kind crowd pleaser.

Oh, Alabama won, 21-7.

The oddsmakers have installed Alabama as a 5pt favorite for tomorrow night’s big game. In my view, they’re giving them 3 points because the game is in Tuscaloosa and 2 more points because of Alabama head coach, Nick Saban. LSU head coach, Les Miles, has been underestimated his whole time in Baton Rouge and he’s being underestimated now. Saban may be stronger on X’s and O’s and techniques but Miles is better with his players. He believes in them. Always. He also has that does-he-have-any-idea-what-he’s-doing thing going for him that drives other coaches crazy, particularly tightly-wound coaches like Nick Saban. Les Miles is NOT overmatched. This is his kind of game. He enjoys this and that carries over to his players. They’ll be ready.

About the game: Both teams have great defenses. Both teams like to run the ball. Both teams are loaded with NFL-type talent. I’m a homer but I like LSU in this game because they have more experience at quarterback and because they have a wide receiver, Reuben Randle, who is a matchup problem for the Tide. Overall, I think the Tigers have more playmakers across the board.

Today's QOTD comes from a lovely article about LSU head coach, Les Miles.

One more thing:

Man up, Tide. The Tigers are coming.

There is still some unexplained wonkiness here at the CrabAppleLane Blog. Getting mysterious 500 Internal Server errors when people comment sometimes but not always. If you get one, your comment is here. It may or may not be published, though. From CrabAppleLane's host:

I am sorry that you are having troubles with receiving intermittent 500 internal server errors. Our engineering team is aware of the issue and working to resolve it as soon as possible. We do not have actual time frame at this time.

I hope this gets straightened out soon and, again, your patience is greatly appreciated.

5 song iTune shuffle from the CrabAppleLane Five Star playlist:

1. Highway Star - Deep Purple - Machine Head (Roger Glover Remixes)
2. Gimme Shelter - Grand Funk Railroad - Caught In The Act
3. Ashes to Diamonds - Tom Cochrane & Red Rider - Tom Cochrane And Red Rider
4. Temptation Eyes - The Grass Roots - 20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection: Best Of The Grass Roots
5. Death On Two Legs (Dedicated To...) - Queen - A Night At The Opera

Quote of the Day

The crowd stands and applauds. Other parents offer congratulations. He is happy. There will be plenty of time to recruit and watch film, solitary meals eaten out of Styrofoam with a plastic fork, endless hours spent on his team. He will undoubtedly put his work above everything else in the days and years ahead, but tonight, on Friday, Oct.28, he chose family.

Wright Thompson, ESPN

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Are you going to really concentrate at work today? Yeah, me neither."

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There is still some unexplained wonkiness here. Getting mysterious 500 Internal Server errors sometimes but not always. If you get one, your comment is here. The error is coming up afterward and only on this blog. Still working on identifying the problem.

DirecTV somehow reached an agreement with Fox yesterday. We also have our local CBS affiliate, WWL, this morning but that could still change. My guess now is the parties are feeling the heat from subscribers on one side and advertisers on the other to reach a deal.

I know we like computers that multitask but do we really want people doing it? Would you want your heart surgeon multitasking? How about your waiter? It is inevitable because the "new normal" is to get by with as little manpower as we can but is it a great thing?

Tuesday Morning Quarterback and Happy 45th Birthday, New Orleans Saints.

Today's QOTD is from Dell Computers. I'm sure everyone got one but I still felt special.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. A Passage To Bangkok - Rush - Chronicles
2. Firefly - Main Theme Song - Joss Whedon - Firefly
3. Watermark - Enya - Watermark
4. Isn't Life Strange - The Moody Blues - Moody Blues Greatest Hits
5. Am I In Love? - Asia - Then & Now

Quote of the Day

Hello beautiful

Dell Mass Email

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "OEM customers are not your usual bunch. They create products on top of Dell’s products, and they are engineers, not IT staff. For OEM customers, Dell’s new Windows tablet is a hot topic, because users are now expecting tablets – thanks to the iPad – even in applications where the iPad is not viable."

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The Saints were being embarrassed by the Rams, 24-0, when I started this entry. It was hard to watch. Gonna be a long plane ride home. Leave left tackle, Charles Brown, in St Louis, please. Rams win. It's the second time in Sean Payton's tenure that a winless Rams team has beaten them. Neither game was a fluke. Tip of the cap to the Rams for a solid effort. Drew Brees got a garbage TD at the end to keep his streak going of consecutive games with a TD pass so there's that. No one should be happy about this performance. Must win game next week against Tampa.

Gearing up for LSU-Alabama next Saturday. If you're a college football player, coach, or fan, a game like this is what you live for. No excuses, no quarter. Man up, Tide. The Tigers are coming.

I offer one today from the CrabAppleLane hearth. Patsy bought Crispin a new bed. He approves of the new bed and its placement.

Crispin - October 30, 2011

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Stealin' - Uriah Heap - Sweet Freedom
2. A Light In The Black - Rainbow - Rising
3. I Hear Them All - Old Crow Medicine Show - Big Iron World
4. I'm Shipping Up to Boston - Dropkick Murphys - The Warrior's Code
5. Sweet Dreams - Marilyn Manson - Smells Like Children

Quote of the Day

Fighting
Killin'
Wine and women
Gonna put me to my grave
Runnin' hidin'
losin' cryin'
Nothing left to save
But my life

Uriah Heep, Stealin'

Blog of the day is here.

here">Quote from said blog: "With Footballageddon a mere six days away, perhaps it would be instructive to pick where Alabama and LSU left off a year ago in Baton Rouge as a way of gaining some perspective for this upcoming Saturday."

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Game 5 to the Rangers, 4-2, or as Zak Schmoll rightly predicted, "There will be a lot of runs scored during this World Series unless strong pitching is able to triumph". Strong pitching. Schmoll is 5 for 5. Cards on the brink and its their own doing. Left too many on base, made too many really bad baserunning decisions, and didn't get nearly enough hitting with men in scoring position. Tip your cap to the Rangers for that. If the Cards lose the Series, they can point to Game 5 for the many opportunities they squandered. I will never understand running with Pujols at the plate. Yeah, it probably will catch most teams by surprise but it's also kinda dumb. When you open up first base, you're taking the bat right out of his hands.

From the My-Wife-Married-A-Dummy Department: Asked her to get me shave cream when she went to the store because I was almost out. She did. It fit nicely next to the unopened can I had that was hiding in plain sight.

Why did Moammar have to be buried in a secret location? Who makes the rules, who has to follow them, and who gets to be outraged?

Tuesday Morning Quarterback

Sad anniversary. 8 years and I still think of him every day.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Just Like This Train - Joni Mitchell - Court And Spark
2. Spaced - Aerosmith - Get Your Wings
3. Space Truckin' - Deep Purple - Machine Head 25th Anniversary Edition
4. Trampled Under Foot - Led Zeppelin - Physical Graffiti
5. Drowned - The Who - Quadrophenia

Quote of the Day

A night that exposed the Cardinals' suddenly enigmatic offense underside left the Rangers one win from the first World Series championship in 40 seasons since moving to the Metroplex. The AL champs did so by exploiting their one opportunity to take control of the game after the Cardinals had declined at least five similar chances.

Joe Strauss, St Louis Post-Dispatch

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "I asked God for a bike, but I know God doesn’t work that way. So I stole a bike and asked for forgiveness."

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Game 4 to the Rangers, 4-0, or as Zak Schmoll rightly predicted, "There will be a lot of runs scored during this World Series unless strong pitching is able to triumph". Strong pitching. Schmoll is 4 for 4. He's psychotic. He has ESPN. Should be another good one tonight.

About today's QOTD: It's true. The hapless Colts were out of this game early in the 2nd quarter. I and most Saints fans felt bad for them. The Saints have been on the other side of that more times than we care to remember and we know exactly what it's like. For what it's worth, the Saints took the second half kickoff in for the score that put the game out of reach and spent the rest of the game just trying to kill the clock. They pulled Drew Brees in the 3rd quarter and started substituting liberally. Chris Collinsworth mentioned that Sproles was still in the game in the 4th quarter but if it wasn't him, it would have been Pierre Thomas or Mark Ingram. The Saints don't have any reserve running backs. They use them all. I disagree with the BOTD, though. The game last night is on the players, not the coaches.

5 song iTune shuffle from the CrabAppleLane Five Star Playlist:

1. Burn - Deep Purple - Burn
2. Total Eclipse Of The Heart - Bonnie Tyler - Love Bites: More Romantic Power Ballads
3. The World - Earlimart - Mentor Tormentor
4. Music Box Dancer - The London Pops Orchestra - 14 Fantastic Hits Of The 70's
5. Paranoid - Black Sabbath - Paranoid/li>

Quote of the Day

Man, they scored so much, their fans got tired of cheering

Robert Mathis, Indianapolis Colts

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "After watching tonight however, it seems Caldwell may have finally lost the locker room."

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Game 3 to the Cards, 16-7, or as Zak Schmoll rightly predicted, "There will be a lot of runs scored during this World Series unless strong pitching is able to triumph". A lot of runs. Schmoll is 3 for 3. It was the Albert Pujols Show and baseball fans will be talking about it for years. If you didn't see that first home run he hit, this is it and you don't see many like that. After Game 1, Lance Berkman said he didn't think the Cards wanted to get into a gorilla ball game with the Rangers. The Cards have the biggest, baddest gorilla in baseball. Why not? I see tonight as a must win for the Rangers. If they go down 3-1 and have to face Chris Carpenter in Game 5, it's going to be very tough.

The LSU Tigers dispatched the Auburn Tigers yesterday easily and set up one of the most anticipated games in college football history. This is Nebraska - Oklahoma 1971 or Michigan State - Notre Dame 1966. It is LSU-Alabama. Both teams are 8-0. Both teams have two weeks to prepare. For the fans, the wait will be almost unbearable.

Saints take on the Colts tonight in a rematch of Super Bowl XLIV. The game has no luster without Peyton Manning. It's a shame that Peyton's last chance to play in his hometown will only come if he gets the Colts to the Super Bowl next year. I don't see it. That team is much better when he is quarterbacking them but I don't see them as a Super Bowl contender.

The CrabAppleLane TV will mostly watch the Saints tonight but will also keep an eye on the Cards. This is what a DVR is all about.

About today's QOTD: 26 for 26 is amazing. I don't think many people can go 26 for 26 playing catch in their backyard. Doing it with a pass rush in your face and tacklers being near the receivers is phenomenal. Quite an achievement.

I offer one from the CrabAppleLane backyard.

A little privacy, please?

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Tusk - Fleetwood Mac - Tusk
2. Eagle - ABBA - The Album
3. 2112 - Rush - 2112
4. Caleb Meyer - Gillian Welch - Hell Among The Yearlings
5. Blowin' Free - Wishbone Ash - Live Dates [1973]

Quote of the Day

In one of the more amazing statistical performances you’ll ever see, East Carolina quarterback Dominique Davis completed all 26 of his pass attempts for 251 yards in the first half against Navy.

CollegeFootballTalk

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Pontchartrain Beach"

Pontchartrain Beach was a landmark and institution on the New Orleans lakefront for a long time. Cool pictures of Elvis. -Rob

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About football techniques. Shoe polish is acceptable. Charcoal is acceptable. Stickers? NEVER. Not even on cheerleaders.

World Series moves to Arlington tonight.

The Tigers of the SEC play each other in Baton Rouge today. Naturally, we're pulling for the LSU species. Today's QOTD is referring to Auburn not being able to decide whether they're Tigers, Plainsmen, or War Eagles. Got a new one for them. DEAD MEAT.

5 song iTune shuffle from the CrabAppleLane Five Star Playlist:

1. Polk Salad Annie - Tony Jo White - Download
2. Wind Up - Jethro Tull - Aqualung
3. Warrior - Wishbone Ash - Live Dates [1973]
4. Waitin' for the Bus - ZZ Top - The Best of ZZ Top
5. Son Of A Preacher Man - Dusty Springfield - Women In Rock, Vol.1: 1953-1971

Quote of the Day

It’s GameTime: LSU vs. Auburn in Tiger Stadium. Having three mascots won’t help them. GEAUX!!! TIGERS!!! #LSUAU

LSU Facebook Page

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "The Charcoal Project is now officially up and running in Rubaare, Uganda, thanks to the generous contributions from donors who answered our call for support in August!"

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The Rangers are hot and confident. They should be. They rolled over the Rays and Tigers and are back in the Series. The Cards are playing with house money. They don't belong in the World Series. They shouldn't have been in the playoffs at all. The pressure is entirely on the Rangers. No predictions here except that the Cards are going to give those guys a run for their money. What do they have to lose?

About today's QOTD: A professional journalist wrote that.

Saints Tight End Jimmy Graham

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Patty's Place - Danny Elfman - The Frighteners
2. Don't Make Me Dream About You - Chris Isaak - Heart Shaped World
3. Walking On The Moon - The Police - The Police Greatest Hits
4. Theme From A Summer Place - Percy Faith - The Ultimate Rock & Roll Collection: The 60's
5. Mood For A Day - Yes - Fragile

Quote of the Day

There will be a lot of runs scored during this World Series unless strong pitching is able to triumph.

Zak Schmoll, Arlington Star-Telegram

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Rangers second baseman Ian Kinsler was philosophical on the Cardinals getting the home-field for the Series (thanks to the NL's win in the All-Star game) instead of a division winner like the Rangers."

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Should be a great World Series. The Cards are lined up to have their best pitcher on the mound for Game 1. They are in as good a position as they can be in. Whether it's enough to beat the red hot Rangers remains to be seen. There are some who are sorry to see the Phillies, Tigers, Yankees and all of those golden arms staying home but I'm not one of them. :) Play Ball.

R.I.P., Dan Wheldon.

I'm not taking anything away from the Bucs in their victory over the Saints yesterday because they surely deserved to win but I do wonder what might have been had Head Coach Sean Payton not gotten injured. He is such an integral part of the Saints sideline on game days. Roaming back and forth, talking up his players and coaches, and just taking in the ebb and flow of the game, I'm certain he'd have made a difference. He's having surgery this morning to repair a torn MCL and a broken knee and that hurts just typing it. Good Luck, Sean, and get well soon.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. On The Run - Pink Floyd - Dark Side Of The Moon
2. Should, Woulda, Coulda - Wishbone Ash - Bona Fide
3. Winter's Come and Gone - Gillian Welch - Hell Among the Yearlings
4. Black Betty - Ram Jam - Hard N' Heavy: 70's Greatest Rock Hits, Vol. 1
5. A Song Simply Remixed - Elijah Bossenbroek - Carpe Lumen

Quote of the Day

Dan Wheldon, the 2011 Indianapolis 500 winner and one of the most popular drivers in open-wheel racing, died Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in a horrific multi-car crash on Lap 11 of the IndyCar Series season finale.

ESPN.com news services

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "This one is pretty easy. Of course, I am talking about Bob Gibson and Chris Carpenter."

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Tweet from Jim Irsay, Indianapolis Colts owner:

No,the trade rumors aren't true...I'm negotiating 2 buy Mars though..so I can ensure inter-galactic,NFL dominance for the 25th century

Never was a big fan of the Irsays but more quotes like that can win me over. Like my friend, Marvin, though, I'd like to know just who he's negotiating with. The Illudium Q-36 Explosive Space Modulator is not to be trifled with.

Hated to see all of those Milwaukee Brewer errors last night. Yeah, right. Those hurt but the game wasn't lost because of them. The game was lost because they could only muster one run against Cardinal pitching. If the Cards can close the Brewers out in six, they'll have Chris Carpenter on the mound to open the World Series in St Louis.

When I was a kid growing up watching and listening to LSU and Tulane football on TV and radio, LSU was the one who would get fired up to play the visiting NCAA heavyweights like Alabama, USC, Notre Dame, and Texas. Now, LSU is one of the heavyweights. They're playing Tennessee in Knoxville this afternoon. The Vols will definitely be fired up. They cannot beat the Tigers without significant help FROM the Tigers. Memo to Tigers: Just don't give them any help.

About today's QOTD: Not sure who issued that t-shirt. It could be just about any member of the SEC, including UT.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Raising Steam - Jethro Tull - Crest Of A Knave
2. Do You Like The Way - Santana Featuring Lauryn Hill & Cee-Lo - Supernatural
3. Anno Domine - Trans-Siberian Orchestra - The Lost Christmas Eve
4. Sweet Thing (Reprise) - David Bowie - Diamond Dogs
5. Yeager's Triumph - Bill Conti - The Right Stuff

Quote of the Day

You can't spell slut without UT

SEC T-Shirt

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "I'm trying not to be too negative about this game, I really am, but asking questions that are realistic is sort of at odds with that, so forgive me for the following Guessing Game questions for tomorrow:"

Pretty negative if you ask me :) -Rob

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Baseball: If any of this is true, it's disgraceful. I suspect ALL of it is. They deserve every bit of criticism they get. See today's QOTD about three of baseball's best pitchers and the BOTD for more, if interested.

Basketball: I don't know how the NBA lockout gets resolved. Unlike their big brother NFL, there actually ARE franchises in the NBA that are losing money or cannot compete. None of the labor disputes that come before the professional sports leagues have much to do with labor. The issues are always big markets versus small markets or new owners versus old owners. You have New York City competing with Kansas City. You have new owners, who bought their teams at a premium, and you have old owners, who inherited their teams. Those are the real issues.

Football: What is the underlying goal of having more NFL games in London, especially since this year's game probably won't sell out? It's a pretty nice payday for the NFL. I get that. It's very hard on the teams involved, though, isn't it? Are they really gauging interest and logistics of placing a team there permanently?

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Blue Jeans - Lana Del Rey - Video Games - EP
2. The Scar [Instrumental] - Carly Simon - Working Girl
3. I Gotta Go - Robert Earl Keen - I Gotta Go
4. Cry Like A Baby - The Box Tops - Rock 'n Roll Relix 1968-1969
5. Evening Falls - Enya - Watermark

Quote of the Day

The indifference of Beckett, Lester, and Lackey in a time of crisis can be seen in what team sources say became their habit of drinking beer, eating fast-food fried chicken, and playing video games in the clubhouse during games while their teammates tried to salvage a once-promising season.

Bob Hohler, Boston Globe

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "To sum up, according to the article the team's best player in Ellsbury hates them. Yay! Francona was a pill popping recluse. Beckett, Lester, Lackey and to a lesser extent Buchholz are worthless do-nothings who held up in the clubhouse drinking beer, eating ice cream, mainlining lard, and playing stupid video games while the city burned. Tim Wakefield only cares about reaching the team's all time win mark, nothing more, including eating and breathing air. The team took advantage of Francona's trust and John Henry's largess all the while the strength coach occasionally tapped one of the pitchers on the shoulder to say, "Um, excuse me, kind sir, but might I inquire if you've done your conditioning work today?" to which the pitchers replied, "Back off, Dork. Why don't you make like a tree and get out of here or I'll stuff you back into your locker again!""

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Tough win today for the Saints over a determined Panthers team. Carolina is going to be pretty nasty down the stretch. They're young and have a lot going for them. They just haven't quite learned how to finish. Cam Newton is a terrific young quarterback. Carolina fans should be excited about him. Saints have a lot of work to do. They're winning but they can definitely play better.

My thoughts on Al Davis passing.

I offer one on this typical fall CrabAppleLane Sunday. It is a partial view from my back deck, where I'll probably be grilling in a few minutes while watching the wildlife and the sunset. Enjoy the rest of the weekend.

CrabAppleLane Backyard - October 9, 2011

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. The Fox - Nickel Creek - Nickel Creek
2. Candidate (Bonus Track) - David Bowie - Diamond Dogs
3. Electric Eye - Judas Priest - Living After Midnight
4. It's Too Late - Johnny Rivers - Johnny Rivers - Anthology 1964-1977
5. O' Come All Ye Faithful - Trans-Siberian Orchestra - The Lost Christmas Eve

Quote of the Day

Davis' moves opened the gates for what was termed "franchise free agency." The owners were helpless to block the Baltimore Colts from moving to Indianapolis; the Houston Oilers from moving to Nashville, Tenn., and the Cleveland Browns from moving to Baltimore.

Gordon Forbes, USA TODAY

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Well once again the Carolina Panthers got close but couldn’t close the door against the New Orleans Saints as the Panthers lost 30-27. With the loss the Panthers move to 1-4 on the season. The game as a whole wasn’t bad and honestly the Panthers should have probably won this game. They had opportunities but just couldn’t ever put the Saints away."

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Marie alerted me to the story of Island Girl this morning. Quite an amazing story and I think it's a real treat that she was spotted on the Illinois Capitol. The tracking map shows a quite amazing journey. If you click on any one of the dates it will show you the coordinates and time of where she was at that moment. UTC time is 5 hours ahead of me here (CDT). You can just copy&paste the coordinates into a Google window and a map will come up showing you where she was if you're not familiar with coordinates. Cool stuff. GEAUX Island Girl.

Terry Francona is one of the good guys in baseball. I suppose it was mutually beneficial for him and the Red Sox to depart the way he did but I think most Sox fans are going to miss him two or three years from now. There is not much difference between the way the Red Sox and Yankees do business any more and that breaks my heart. Francona will land on his feet and he'll get offers to manage again. He was the smallest part of the problem. The Red Sox will have to blow that team up and clean house if they want to avoid seasons like this past one and that's fairly easy to do in Major League Baseball, especially in a place like Boston. All one needs do is open the checkbook.

LSU is off to a slow start against Kentucky this morning. It's 7-0 Tigers at the end of the first quarter. They're favored by 27½. Not watching it. Just kinda following along on the internet while I procrastinate from doing way overdue yardwork.

In today's QOTD, Rob Ryan is stating that the Dallas Cowboys receivers are better than the Lions' Calvin Johnson. Not true but nice of him to say.

Entries here from September 3 through September 16 and all of their comments are being restored slowly but surely. 19 entries total. Invest in ibuprofen.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Bad To The Bone - George Thorogood & The Destroyers - The Baddest Of George Thorogood & The Destroyers
2. Fly By Night - Rush - Hard N' Heavy: 70's Greatest Rock Hits, Vol. 1
3. Suicide Solution - Ozzy Osbourne - Blizzard Of Ozz
4. Come Back When You Grow Up - Bobby Vee - Super Hits 1967
5. Smackwater Jack - Carole King - Tapestry

Quote of the Day

We work against better receivers with Miles Austin and Dez Bryant

Rob Ryan, Dallas Cowboys

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "These are the 10 best movies in which Reese Witherspoon, Renee Zellweger, Sandra Bullock or Holly Hunter appear."

Not true. The Man in the Moon, her first, was the best movie Reese Witherspoon ever did.

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Will undoubtedly get on the tractor sometime today because the yard is not at its best but I would surely like to stay on the computer a little longer this weekend ... as sad as that sounds. Still restoring entries on the blogs here. Finished Our Family Blog, halfway through the Saints Blog (Done 6:07PM), and I'm saving CrabAppleLane Blog for last. It will take the most time and effort. I just hate things hanging over my head.

LSU is in Morgantown to take on the West Virginia Mountaineers. Both teams are ranked and it figures to be an electric atmosphere. It will be broadcast nationally on ABC tonight. Games like this make college football what it is. Good Luck, Mountaineers but ...

The Houston Texans arrive today to take on the Saints tomorrow in the SuperDome. That also figures to be a great game. It will be the 5th anniversary of the SuperDome re-opening after Hurricane Katrina. I'll have some thoughts on that tomorrow on the Saints Blog. That was a great night for Saints fans and a pretty emotional night for all Louisianians.

About today's QOTD: The linked article is beyond ridiculous. Who is letting these guys out? Six arrests in two months? I'm trying to wrap my head around someone looking at this guy's record and saying, "He's been arrested five times in the last few weeks. Let's let him out and see what happens". Sorry but this is NOT the answer, either.

About today's BOTD: I agree wholeheartedly. West Virginia is a natural fit for the SEC. If the SEC is aiming for 16 and I think they are, they need to take these four: Texas A&M, West Virginia, Missouri, and Louisville. That would give them 8 good year-end rivalry games. Louisville-Kentucky, Tennessee-Vanderbilt, Alabama-Auburn, Florida-Georgia, Mississippi-Mississippi State, West Virginia-South Carolina, Arkansas-Missouri, and LSU-Texas A&M.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. La Serenissima - Loreena McKennitt - The Book Of Secrets
2. Ship Of Fools - Robert Plant - Now And Zen
3. When I'm Gone - 3 Doors Down - Away From The Sun
4. Eye - Smashing Pumpkins - Lost Highway
5. If I Could - Seal - Seal

Quote of the Day

A revolving door gives the connotation that you actually get out of your car and walk through the door. This is a drive through. These kids don't even get out of a car any more. They just drive through the system and it is a frustration.

Ronal Serpas, New Orleans Police Superintendent

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Personality/culture wise, it's a natural fit. I'm not sure your rabid fan base fits in the Big 10, or even the ACC. WVU also seems to carry that chip-on-the-shoulder mentality that every school in the SEC (sans Alabama) walks around with. It's that whole objecting to Northern elitist principles, I think."

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Ever wonder how much business is lost and how much time is wasted because people wait until the printer runs out of paper before refilling it? It's not quite the same as waiting until your car runs out of gas before refilling but it's not far off in some cases.

Weekend at Bernie's fans. Wondering if they stiffed their servers. They write themselves ... probably better than the one I wrote, though.

The Tigers beat Mississippi State last night in Starkville. The 19-6 final score is a bit misleading. LSU thoroughly dominated that game. If they continue to practice and get a little better every week, they will be very nasty by year end. There is a lot of big, fast, strong, scary talent on that team, particularly on defense. Most definitely a title contender.

Tough game coming up for the Saints this Sunday. More on that here.

The QOTD is from Charlie Sheen's image restoration campaign tour. Good Luck with that, Charlie.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Uncle Charlie Interview #1 - The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band - Uncle Charlie & His Dog Teddy
2. Mr. Bojangles - The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band - Uncle Charlie & His Dog Teddy
3. Mony Mony - Tommy James & The Shondells - Rock 'n Roll Relix 1968-1969
4. Billy's Revenge - Robert Plant - Now And Zen
5. Don't Shoot Shotgun - Def Leppard - Hysteria

Quote of the Day

I thought I could come back like you did.

Charlie Sheen to Jay Leno

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Sheen read my obviously idiotic article and was so impressed at what he saw as an incredibly astute observation, that he reached out to me. He wanted me to ghostwrite a Self-Help book for people looking to imitate his lifestyle, or as he put it in the text he sent me, "u need me to let my nuts flap on your brain until a victory book comes out the other side, and how about that? Chaaaarrrrlieeee.""

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It's 9/11. Please say a prayer, observe a moment of silence, ring a bell, or something else to honor the memory of those lost today 10 years ago. No Saints game today so the day, to me, is mostly about fantasy football and remembrance. More here if you like.

After I refilled the primary CrabAppleLane hummingbird feeder and hung it back out, I was buzzed by 12-15 hummingbirds. They are really swarming right now. They're about to head south. I held out my hand near the feeder and several came by and fanned me. Decided to see if I could capture that image. Thanks, hummingbirds. Today, I needed that kind of joy.

CrabAppleLane Hummingbirds - September 11, 2011

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. The Galician Waltz, Breton Dances - Maggie Sansone - Music In The Great Hall - Instrumental Music From The Ancient Celtic Lands
2. Sweet Lorraine - Uriah Heep - The Best Of Uriah Heep
3. O Can Ye Sew Cushions? - Joemy Wilson - Dulcimer Lullabies
4. Back In The Saddle - Aerosmith - Rocks
5. In The Light - Led Zeppelin - Physical Graffiti

Quote of the Day

Ten years ago, it was just another morning — a Tuesday, a day when ordinary people did the most ordinary of things: Scrambling to work, hurriedly kissing their families goodbye, running for the train. And then there was the dark gash and the ball of fire high up in one of the buildings, and a few minutes later, a second gash, a second ball of fire and a plume of smoke visible for miles.

James Barron, The New York Times

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "It is far above our poor power to say anything that can encompass the events of that day. But in bringing together bloggers from New York, we thought it fitting to provide a place for us to share our writing from that time. This page is linked to the subway stations now closed after the destruction of the World Trade Center."

I started noticing blogs on the internet after 9/11. -Rob

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It's showtime in the NFL ...

I expect the Packers and Saints to put on a great show tonight. Should be a fun time. More thoughts on the game here and here. Don't bother to call. The ringer will be OFF. Just one more thing ...

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Epilogue (Nothing 'Bout Me) - Sting - Ten Summoner's Tales
2. I Am A Rock - Simon & Garfunkel - Simon & Garfunkel's Greatest Hits
3. Badge - Cream - The Cream Of Clapton
4. Ballad of the Beacon - Wishbone Ash - Wishbone Four
5. Wake Me When September Ends-The Saints Are Coming-It's a Beautiful Day - Green Day & U2 - Saints-Falcons Pre-Game Show

Quote of the Day

The Saints are coming

Green Day-U2, The Saints are coming

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "As matchups go, this game may be one of the best of the season. It features two of the leagues best head coaches in Sean Payton and Mike McCarthy, two of the league's most inventive and aggressive defensive coordinators in Gregg Williams and Dom Capers and two of the league’s best quarterbacks in Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers."

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We're inside today because of Lee. We're also under a tornado watch. It has rained all night, all morning, and is still raining. Most of the gas stations on the main highway near my workplace were out of gas yesterday or had really long lines but the ones off the beaten path had gasoline and no waiting. I filled up with ease. Super Wal-Mart was also rather crazy yesterday. Patsy went out earlier today for cat medicine and some groceries for the long weekend. No street flooding yet but drainage ditches are full and the ground is saturated. Lee is due here tomorrow. There is some concern here at CrabAppleLane.

LSU v Oregon tonight from Cowboys Stadium in Arlington. Both teams have had some off-field issues and most fans will be happy just to see their team on the field. Cowboys Stadium is a neutral field but LSU will have far more support. I know quite a few people who made this road trip. Should be a good game.

About today's QOTD: Miss America is my favorite Styx song. The links will take you to both the studio version and the live version. I prefer the studio version. The lyrics are pretty mean but I think that's what I like most about the song.

5 days until football season ...

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. By The Time I Get To Phoenix - Johnny Rivers - Johnny Rivers - Anthology 1964-1977
2. Naya's Song - Joemy Wilson - Dulcimer Lullabies
3. The Sign - Ace Of Base - The Sign
4. My Morphine - Gillian Welch - Hell Among the Yearlings
5. Miss America - Styx - The Grand Illusion

Quote of the Day

Well, it's true
Just take a look
The cover sometimes makes the book
And the judges?
Did they ever ask?
To read between your lines

In your cage
At the human zoo
They all stop to look at you
Next year
What will you do?
When you have been forgotten?

Styx, Miss America

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "According to a public advisory issued as I've been writing, at 1am tonight (Saturday) by the National Hurricane Center, the center of tropical storm Lee is expected to make landfall on the coast of southern Louisiana late Saturday, bringing along sustained winds near 50mph (80 kilometers/hour) with higher gusts, and dumping up to 20 inches of rain over the areas affected."

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Petty, petty politics has a Presidential address airing on the same night as the Packers-Saints season opener next Thursday. The Republicans didn't like the President asking for Wednesday night because it would conflict with their televised debate so they said no and suggested Thursday night. Petty all around. Petty for the President to choose Wednesday night knowing it would rankle the Republicans and petty for the Republicans to suggest Thursday night knowing it would conflict with the NFL opening night extravaganza. Are these really the only two nights on the calender? What is wrong with these people?

7 days until football season ...

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Alien - Bush - Sixteen Stone
2. Little Lovin' - Lissie - Catching a Tiger
3. Snakeskin Cowboys - Ted Nugent - Ted Nugent
4. Maybe Tomorrow - Badfinger - The Very Best Of Badfinger
5. Waiting For The Man - Nazareth - Play 'N' The Game

Quote of the Day

Either way, NBC is caught in the middle. If Obama — a Bears fans — opts to try to overshadow the kickoff to the NFL season, and if NBC opts to televise the address to Congress on MSNBC and to proceed with the football game on NBC, the ratings could be phenomenal, given that the NFL would be the only major-network alternative for the millions of folks who have decided that the latest developments in partisan politics no longer need to witnessed live.

Or at all.

Mike Florio, PFT

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "For the first time in its history, the editors at The New Yorker know which articles are being read. And they know who's reading them."

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New DirecTV receiver installed. Sometimes, it goes smoothly. Then, there was today. Sometimes, tech support gives you some insight. Then, there was today. Sometimes, I truly need their help. Then, there was today. I knew this was something simple. Their troubleshooting protocols couldn't find it. I found it but I'm not entirely sure what I did because I did so many things. Normally, that would concern me. Then, there was today. I'm declaring victory.

Glad my friends in Joisey and Philly are OK today. Irene did considerable damage. If you're in that area and you want to start cleaning up, be very careful. If you hurt yourself with a chainsaw, some other power tool, or just manage to cut yourself on something, you may not have a clear path to an emergency room because trees are down in the roadway. Even if you can reach an emergency room, it may be without power, understaffed, and overwhelmed. I recommend you get the immediate debris out of your way and leave the rest of the job for another day or two until things settle down and return to normal. This procrastination advice is no charge to CrabAppleLane readers. Be safe.

The CrabAppleLane Fantasy Football team for 2011. Also my thoughts on tonight's nationally-televised Saints-Raiders game.

I offer one today from the CrabAppleLane Hummingbird flock.

CrabAppleLane Hummingbird - Guarding his feeder from all comers - August 28, 2011

11 days until football season ...

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground - The White Stripes - White Blood Cells
2. Head Like A Hole - Nine Inch Nails - Pretty Hate Machine
3. Spawn - Silverchair & Vitro - Spawn
4. American Woman - The Guess Who - AM Gold 1970-1974
5. Killer - Alice Cooper - Killer

Quote of the Day

If you can hear a piano fall
You can hear me coming down the hall
If I can just hear your pretty voice
I don't think I need to see at all
I don't think I need to see at all

The White Stripes, Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Saw them at ID Fest on Jones Beach this last weekend, and this song was bonkers."

"Bonkers" is probably not a bad description but I don't mean it the way he does. -Rob

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Gonna be a tough weekend for the east coast. Keep them in your thoughts.

Fantasy Football Auction tonight. Looking forward to it. Go Death on Two Legs.

Today's QOTD is a comment about the Grateful Dead considering another tour. Struck me as funny.

Some chinks in the World Champion armor according to the Green Bay Gazette. I only watched a little of it. What I saw was pretty impressive for a preseason game. Aaron Rodgers was sacked 4 times after I switched channels so maybe the GBG is on to something. This Saints fan hopes so. :)

12 days until football season ...

5 song iTune shuffle from the CrabAppleLane Mark Knopfler playlist:

1. Stargazer - Mark Knopfler - Local Hero
2. Red Dirt Girl - Mark Knopfler & Emmylou Harris - Real Live Roadrunning
3. Going Home - Theme From 'Local Hero' - Dire Straits - Alchemy: Dire Straits Live
4. The Scaffolder's Wife - Mark Knopfler - Kill To Get Crimson
5. The Car Was The One - Mark Knopfler - Get Lucky

Quote of the Day

Only saw them once ... kinda. My date at the time had a panic attack and her blood pressure fell like a brick. The EMTs asked her what she was on and she replied, 'birth control."

Dennis Smith

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "The Packers’ pass protection – well, if you want to call it that – in fact the overall play of the offensive line, including run blocking against the Colts Friday night, was nothing short of frightful."

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As yet another DirecTV receiver went belly up on me (Upstairs), I started thinking about just how many of these things I've been through. We built our house in late October 1994 and moved in February 9, 1995. It was going to be a while before cable was out here and local TV reception was pretty spotty. We were going to need a satellite dish. DirecTV was brand new then ... on the market just a few months. I liked it and we signed up. Speaking of the living room only, the first receiver (1) was replaced just a few months in under warranty. The second receiver (2) was replaced by a Microsoft UltimateTV receiver (3), our first DVR. When UltimateTV failed, I replaced it with a TiVo receiver (4) because UltimateTV was gone. I replaced TiVo with a DirecTV HD-DVR (5). That one was damaged by a lightning strike and was replaced by insurance. The replacement (6) was replaced by another (7) just a few weeks ago when I relocated the dish as part of my service agreement. That's seven receivers in my living room in just over 16 years. I'm up to 6 or 7 upstairs, too. I didn't pay for all of them and some of this was no fault of the receiver's. Still, that's a lot of equipment in a relatively short period of time. My Mitsubishi TV is probably still working somewhere for someone. It was almost 20 years old when I finally gave it away because I wanted to upgrade.

The New Orleans Saints got out of town and headed for Oxnard, California to get away from the weather. It was a good move. The heat and humidity have been totally unmerciful here. I can't imagine working hard outside loaded down with equipment.

What does it say about a government's legitimacy if the leader is afraid to be seen in public?

CrabAppleLane 2011 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet

15 days until football season ...

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Good Times Bad Times - Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin I
2. Lady In Black - Uriah Heep - The Best Of Uriah Heep
3. I'm Not Afraid to Die - Gillian Welch - Hell Among the Yearlings
4. Le Clochard - Focus - Moving Waves
5. Don't Fear The Reaper - The Mutton Birds - The Frighteners

Quote of the Day

The rebel force entered the compound Tuesday after fighting for five hours with Gadhafi loyalists, using mortars, heavy machine guns and anti-aircraft guns. They killed some of those who defended the compound and hauled off thousands of rifles, crates of weapons and trucks with guns mounted on the back in a frenzy of looting.

msnbc.com news services

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "TBR Tuesday is a way to talk about the books we own but haven't read, see what other people think about them, and help us decide whether to bump it up our list or knock it off completely."

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About today's QOTD: The fights and other incidents are already a "sad indication of our society", Josh. The reactions to them range from sadder, the cancellation of the series, to the thoroughly obnoxious, 49ers dipstick owner suggesting an 18-game season would help prevent 49er-Raider fan violence. I've seen fan violence outside of a stadium after a game. No idea how it started but it spread into an all out free-for-all and it was frightening. How cancelling the preseason series will prevent these incidents is beyond me and just doesn't make much sense. They can happen for regular season games and playoff games, too. The only real solutions are more security and, unfortunately, less alcohol.

16 days until football season ...

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Flick Of The Wrist - Queen - Sheer Heart Attack
2. Life Of My Own - 3 Doors Down - The Better Life
3. Statesboro Blues - The Allman Brothers Band - At Fillmore East
4. Telegraph Road - Dire Straits - Love Over Gold
5. Big Man With A Gun - Nine Inch Nails - The Downward Spiral

Quote of the Day

It's a shame that it has to be that way but, if they need to end it to stop stuff like that, we need to put the price of people's lives and all that ahead of rivalry and what sells tickets. It would be a sad indication of our society if we view the other thing more than we do human life.

Josh McCown, San Francisco 49ers

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Games between the 49ers and Raiders throw together the rougher elements of these teams' fan bases in large numbers, with alcohol readily available. The shooting that marred the Raiders-49ers game Saturday night took the usual fighting to more dangerous levels."

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From the Communication-Is-A-Wonderful-Thing Department: The Saints-Texans game was broadcast on the NFL Network last night. If you don't get the NFL Network, you missed some first half offense but that's about it. I get the NFL Network on DirecTV. The game was also broadcast on the local Fox affiliate in New Orleans. When someone in the New Orleans viewing area tuned to the NFL Network, though, they got a DirecTV message saying they were not subscribed to this channel, which is a whole different thing than "this broadcast is not available in your area". That "not subscribed" message undoubtedly prompted a ton of unnecessary "Hey, I DO subscribe" phone calls. Why didn't anyone at that multi-billion dollar corporation see that coming?

Got the yard done yesterday but it cost me a lawnmower. It was on its last legs anyway but I wasn't expecting it to throw a rod. Clear through the case. Will be spending less on the next one. My yard just has too many lawnmower booby traps. Big rocks and stumps hidden by tall grass and tree roots, lots of tree roots, are the main culprits. I've gone through three lawnmowers in the last 20 years or so. I really shouldn't complain. It's just that they weren't cheap lawn mowers. A Snapper and two John Deeres.

I offer three from the CrabAppleLane yard on this hot and sunny Sunday. 1) The Big Leaf Magnolia is still alive but is struggling with the Bush summer. I keep a black mesh over it. No more leaves have been burned but growth has also slowed. 2) The hummingbirds have started coming to this feeder because wasps are hovering around the one they prefer. I can't find the wasps' nests. 3) As I was watching the wasps hovering around the other feeder through my camera lens, a terrible racket occurred right in my ear. Startled me (Actually, it scared the hell out of me). A Twelve-spotted Skimmer dragonfly hit the ground with a thud. It was struggling for a moment and then it stopped. I thought a wasp had attacked it. As I approached it, it flew away with something on its back. I was shooting pictures by the CrabAppleLane backyard pond when I heard the same loud racket. It wasn't as close this time but they landed and I got a shot of it. What you see there is Eastern Pondhawks in the "wheel position", which only goes to show what I know. I thought it was dragonfly porn.

CrabAppleLane Big Leaf Magnolia - August 21, 2011

CrabAppleLane Hummingbird - August 21, 2011

CrabAppleLane Dragonflies - August 21, 2011

18 days until football season ...

5 song iTune shuffle from the CrabAppleLane "Recently Added" playlist:

1. Good Riddance (Time of Your Life) - Green Day - Nimrod
2. Steady As She Goes - The Raconteurs - Broken Boy Soldiers
3. Bring On the Wonder (feat. Sarah McLachlan) - Susan Enan - Bones (Original Television Soundtrack)
4. Music Box - Phillip Glass - Candyman
5. Broken Boy Soldier - The Raconteurs - Broken Boy Soldiers

Quote of the Day

Psychologists have often remarked that reality shows tend to attract people who thirst for fame or are otherwise damaged in some way.

Sharon Waxman and Tim Molloy, TheWrap.com

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Eventually a cartwheeling pair of darners pitched down onto a rotting stump. He was off smartish but she stayed to lay eggs and pose, the first Variable Darner I’ve managed to photograph."

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Have a date with the yard this afternoon. Was looking forward to it earlier today but not so much now. I ate too damn much. :)

Patsy and I finally took the plunge and updated our mobile phones. Patsy had a sweetheart deal that we weren't going to be able to renew so we had to do something. We have the same exact kind now so we'll be able to help each other. I still plan to use mine mostly for emergencies but I will probably use it a little more than I have used any of my previous mobiles ... mainly because it works so much better.

Plan to work on my fantasy football spreadsheet and have it ready by tonight or tomorrow morning. I'll make it available for download for any fantasy football players out there. This season has been more difficult than most because of the lockout, the size of rosters, player movement, and all of the uncertainty that comes with a shortened time frame. If you bought one of the fantasy football magazines from a newsstand or bookstore, I think you totally wasted your money.

Interesting theory about why the Saints didn't honor a non-existent gentleman's agreement last week against the 49ers from the Houston Chronicle. The Saints defense blitzed on almost every play.

Head coaches sometimes speak to one another before a preseason game to discuss how long the starters will play and where the thing goes from there.

When Payton didn’t hear from 49ers rookie head coach Jim Harbaugh, he pretty much told Williams, “Go for it.”

Williams called 18 blitzes in the first half, and his Saints forced two fumbles and got five sacks on their way to a 24-3 victory.

Florio of PFT has the same story. I don't think I buy it. For one thing, I don't think Sean's feathers ruffle that easily. My thinking goes almost the complete opposite, that they DID talk, and Harbaugh asked for the all-out treatment of his new just-installed offense. In the end, it doesn't matter. Both head coaches are tasked with getting their own team ready within the rules. Period. End of story. There are no points for politeness and there are no unwritten rules. To quote one of my favorite movies, "A gentleman's agreement presupposes there's a gentleman involved". If Harbaugh or any other coach is expecting gentlemanly behavior from his opponent, he'd better keep his résumé up to date.

The Saints take on the Texans tonight in Houston. It will be on the NFL Network but I think it will also be on one of our local broadcast stations. It's a game that is a bit tricky for both sides. Normally, teams like to get some work in for their starters in the 2nd and 3rd games of the preseason. These two teams will be playing in Week 3 of the regular season, too, so neither is going to want to show the other too much. More here, if you're interested.

19 days until football season ...

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Lonely Days - Bee Gees - 2 Years On
2. Game Of Love - Wayne Fontana & The Mindbenders - AM Gold 1965
3. Gerundula - Status Quo - STATUS QUO The Collection
4. Sara - Fleetwood Mac - Tusk
5. Remedial Interruption - Shawn Phillips - Second Contribution

Quote of the Day

"SlutWalks" originated in Toronto, Canada, where they were sparked by a police officer's remark that women could avoid being raped by not dressing like "sluts."

Schalk Van Zuydam, Associated Press via MSNBC

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Because a SlutWalk article pissed me off…"

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The Saints released Jon Stinchcomb yesterday. He's been a fave here for a while now. Jon is a good guy in a tough business. He may have other opportunities this season but I think he'd be better off if he took time off and healed before he pursued any of them. He played through a knee injury last year. He had surgery during the offseason to re-attach his quad muscle and he still doesn't look fully recovered from it. The 49ers ran around him Friday night fairly easily. Good Luck, Jon.

23 days until football season ...

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. The Rocks and the Water - Mark Knopfler - Local Hero
2. Your Latest Trick - Dire Straits - On The Night
3. Cat Scratch Fever - Ted Nugent - Harley-Davidson Cycles: Road Songs
4. Lift The Lid - Nazareth - Close Enough For Rock 'N' Roll
5. Eyes Of Fire - Rainbow - Straight Between The Eyes

Quote of the Day

I'm just really appreciative of the experience I had as a Saint, being a part of this organization, this team and getting to be a part of this community

Jon Stinchcomb

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "My brother’s trial for the murder of my parents is scheduled to begin in less than a month, and although there have been rumors of a continuance until Spring, neither side has requested one as I write this. I’ll be there whenever it happens, of course, and I’ve been told it could take three weeks to a month. I don’t know if that is merely for the trial of fact, or whether it includes a hypothetical penalty phase — as I’ve mentioned before, the prosecutors have announced their intention to seek the death penalty."

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I loved pinball and was a fair player as a kid but there were guys way better than me. They all cheated. :) There is a technique some players developed that we called "biffing". When the ball goes down one of the sides and starts going to the return, a timely bump or biff could put the ball back in play. I was not very good at that. I dropped all my money on pinball more than a few times. Those guys could play on a quarter all night. I had no idea pinball machines have been around for 140 years. Amazing.

The QOTD mystifies me as does most of that industry. Hooray for Hollywood, I suppose. OK, I guess I'll bite. Why can't Corey be the one? Anyone?

Starting tonight, the Saints play 5 games in 27 days. The first four don't count and I don't care if they win any of those. They'll be taking on the 49ers and new head coach, Jim Harbaugh, tonight. More here if you're interested.

27 days until Saints v Packers

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Fade To Black - Dire Straits - On Every Street
2. Paranoid - Grand Funk Railroad - Live Album
3. Nothing Is True - Earlimart - Mentor Tormentor
4. The Grand Finale - Styx - The Grand Illusion
5. Nitty Gritty Mississippi - Ry Cooder - Crossroads

Quote of the Day

There's one person to blame in the death of Corey Haim. And that person happens to be a Hollywood mogul. And that person needs to be exposed, but, unfortunately, I can't be the one to do it.

Corey Feldman

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Forget buying gifts for other people — what should Hollywood fans get for themselves?"

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It's the end of a chapter in the New Orleans Saints story. Reggie Bush has been traded to Miami. No, it's not Babe Ruth to the Yankees. Not by a longshot. Still, I'm sad to see him go. It was exciting when he got the ball in his hands. He didn't live up to expectations in his time here but, to be fair, his expectations were ridiculously high. He was NOT a bust. He had some spectacular games and he was a difference maker in quite a few of them. There shouldn't be any second-guessing anywhere about the Saints taking him with the 2nd overall pick in the 2006 draft. He was a spectacular player at USC and he had enormous buzz about him the year he came out. The Saints were coming off of the horrible Katrina season and that buzz was needed. Picking Bush was good football AND good business. There was NO WAY they could have passed him up. Good Luck, Reggie.

Saints are practicing for the first time today. The full regular season starts in less than six weeks. All NFL teams will be practicing before the weekend is out. Each team will have 90 players on their training camp roster and the coaching staffs probably haven't even met half of them. The fans aren't the only ones who will need a program. Some think the quality of play will be off the first few weeks because of the time lost to the lockout. I don't think anyone will notice.

One last thing: The Patriots seem to have totally moved away from their philosophy of acquiring team-first players. It started a few years ago with Randy Moss but was totally completed this year with the moves for me-first players, Chad Johnson Ochocinco and Albert Haynesworth. There is just not enough aspirin in the world.

41 days until Saints v Packers

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Solid Rock - Dire Straits - Alchemy: Dire Straits Live
2. You're Missing - Bruce Springsteen - The Rising
3. Rock 'n' Roll Singer - AC/DC - High Voltage
4. Baby What You Want Me To Do (Live) - Wishbone Ash - Time Was- The Wishbone Ash Collection
5. Fire And Ice - Pat Benatar - Love Bites: More Romantic Power Ballads

Quote of the Day

I wish the New Orleans Saints the best of luck I will always be a fan! The team, coaches, and fans will be deeply missed!

Reggie Bush

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "No hard feelings, as Bush is traded to Miami"

Ever order a Coke and have the attendant ask you if Pepsi will be OK? Our local theater switched from Coke products to Pepsi products sometime since the last time we were there. Most annoying. It is NOT OK. I prefer Coke. The wife prefers Diet Coke. We do not like Pepsi. That is the precise reason your attendants have to ask before they pour, theater owners. I know Pepsi probably made you a great deal and you'll save some money short term. That concession special you run where we get two large drinks and a large popcorn for $20, where at least $18 of it is profit? It's going to another theater next time.

44 days until Saints v Packers

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Blue Angel-(w Robben Ford & Vince Gill) - Sonny Landreth - From The Reach
2. Goodnight - Cheap Trick - Cheap Trick/In Color/Heaven Tonight (3 Pak)
3. Lord Of The Thighs - Aerosmith - Get Your Wings
4. Don't Make Me Dream About You - Chris Isaak - Heart Shaped World
5. Tears In Heaven - Eric Clapton - Unplugged

Quote of the Day

Football is back

Roger Goodell, NFL Commissioner

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Once more, I will say that the Coca-Cola evolution is admirable and few companies — probably just GE — can claim to have extended their identity heritage across three centuries, but Coca-Cola isn’t perfect and as much as I despise the new Pepsi identity — which in no way am I trying to defend — I believe a fair comparison is in order."

New deal to be signed sometime today? I hope so but I'm not going to discount the possibility of another snag. This has been a ridiculously drawn out ordeal for everyone except the two parties. More here, if you're interested.

The one sign that the NFL season is about to get underway is the annual Brett Favre unretirement dance is starting or is that the sign of the apocalypse? I forget.

45 days until Saints v Packers ... I hope

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Bad Boyfriend - Garbage - Bleed Like Me
2. Armageddon It - Def Leppard - Hysteria
3. Miss Misery - Nazareth - Hair Of The Dog
4. The Fool And Me - Robin Trower - Bridge Of Sighs
5. Lady Double Dealer - Deep Purple - Stormbringer

Quote of the Day

Otto Loevik had to decide who to pick up on his boat and who to leave behind as he came under fire trying to rescue fleeing teenagers. "He remembers the faces of the youths he left behind," Loevik's wife, Wenche, told Reuters.

Reuters via MSNBC

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg quickly went on national television to assure the public that although the government offices had been severely damaged, the Government was still functioning, and would coordinate all operations."

The NFL is scheduled to start seven weeks from tonight and, as of right now, there is no NFL football. Can they go from 0 to 100 in 49 days? I doubt it. 0-65, maybe. I think one thing will linger even after they sign a new collective bargaining agreement. That is the mistrust the two sides have for each other. They've both accused the other of "bait and switch". Both have selectively leaked unresolved negotiating issues that make the other side look bad, greedy, or unreasonable. The acrimony will last although the participants won't. If the new CBA is for 10 years, as expected, most of today's players will be gone and a good many of the owners will be gone and, I suppose, that's probably a good thing. Some of the current younger owners will remember this, though. Check back here in 10 years. :)

The American Space Shuttle Program came to an end this morning. See QOTD. I'm kinda sad about that but anxious to see what's next.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Out From The Deep - Enigma - The Cross Of Changes
2. Power - Rainbow - Straight Between The Eyes
3. She Moves Through The Fair - Boyzone - Celtic Myst 3
4. Back Off Bitch - Guns N' Roses - Use Your Illusion I
5. Double Agent - Rush - Counterparts

Quote of the Day

Atlantis is home

NASA control

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "I am with school librarians in New Zealand, at the 2011 SLANZA Conference. This Monday morning saw me bright eyed, ready, and presenting their first Keynote – to set the foundations for three busy days."

First things first. Game is about to start here.

Update: It's halftime now and it's a scoreless tie or should I say the score is nil-nil? The US team needs to hit one or two of those shots on goal. The second half just started and the US team missed another opportunity.

Update:

Update to the update: Japan just tied the game. Out until it's over.

Quite anxious to see where Marie's story goes from here. Love the way she writes.

Finished the team-by-team fantasy football review for 2011. Started on players today.

Some story about August Busch IV and the Anheuser-Busch Corporation. I always thought the Busch family was St Louis royalty but, apparently, there is much more to it. WOW.

I picked a watermelon today. It's a Sugar Baby variety and was a bit overripe. As soon as I cut into it, it started breaking up. It's in the refrigerator now ... jes chilling. :)

CrabAppleLane Watermelon - July 17, 2011

CrabAppleLane Watermelon - July 17, 2011

Patsy took the one below a couple of weeks ago at my request. This is a sign at St John's Coffee House in Covington.

St John's Coffee House - Covington, LA

5 song iTune shuffle from the CrabAppleLane Led Zeppelin playlist:

1. Ten Years Gone - Led Zeppelin - Physical Graffiti
2. In The Evening - Led Zeppelin - In Through The Out Door
3. Hots On For Nowhere - Led Zeppelin - Presence
4. Immigrant Song - Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin III
5. Communication Breakdown - Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin I

Quote of the Day

Team Destiny, meet Team Destiny.

Ravi Ubha, ESPN.com

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Your Friday afternoon dose of cute has arrived..."

R.I.P., Dick Williams and John Mackey.

Baseball and football both lost Hall-Of-Famers Thursday. It was a very sad day for both sports.

Dick Williams was a terrific manager. To me, the best baseball managers win with what they have. Williams was one of those. His teams played gorilla ball in Oakland and small ball in Montreal. He gets extra credit from me for putting up with Charlie Finley as long as he did. Finley was easily the most meddlesome owner in professional sports. The Cowboys Jerry Jones and the Yankees deceased George Steinbrenner don't hold a candle to him.

When I was a kid, the Baltimore Colts and St Louis Cardinals played an exhibition game in City Park Stadium in New Orleans. My dad took me and some friends to that game. He wanted to see LSU's Jerry Stovall, who was a cornerback for the Cardinals. We saw a lot of great players that day. Johnny Unitas, Ray Berry, Jimmy Orr, Lenny Moore, and John Mackey of the Colts and Johnny Roland and Larry Smith of the Cardinals. John Mackey was a fantastic tight end and a playmaker back in the days when tight ends were mostly just blockers. That he got in the Pro Football Hall of Fame on his last year of eligibility is obscene. From Wikipedia:

It has been speculated that Mackey's actions as a high-ranking member of the players' union may have led to the delay in his election.

I don't know about that. Why would sportswriters care about his union activities? There must have been a non-football reason, though, and I would surely like to talk to some of those selection committee members. If you ever saw that guy play and, presumably, they did, you could never say he wasn't one of the best ever. He could run and break tackles better than the tight ends of today and he played in an era of much better tackling defenses. There is no excuse from any of those sportswriters that I could accept. He should have been voted in the first time his name appeared on the ballot.

About today's QOTD: It would be maybe the coolest thing ever if they did. :)

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. After Erasmus - Al Reingold - After Erasmus
2. Rosealia - Better Than Ezra - Deluxe
3. Going To Work - Martina McBride - The Way That I Am
4. Eyes Without A Face - Billy Idol - Rebel Yell
5. Witchy Woman - The Eagles - Their Greatest Hits

Quote of the Day

It doesn't mean that we're one day going to find a skull with a hole in its head from the stone that David slung at him, but it nevertheless tells that this reflects a cultural milieu that was actually there at the time

Aren Maeir, Bar-Ilan University

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "He is considered by many to be the first truly modern tight end, and by some to be the greatest ever at his position."

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Today's QOTD is the fitting conclusion to a lovely tribute to Led Zeppelin, warts and all. It has always been fashionable for music critics to trash Zeppelin and the 70s. Rolling Stone Magazine has led the way since the 70s. LZ sold more records and their shows outdrew every band, except maybe the Rolling Stones. Love the Keith Richards line: "A jury of my peers would be Jimmy Page, a conglomeration of musicians, guys who have been on the road and know what's what. My peers are not some lady doctor and a couple of plumbers." I love a lot of the music of the 70s and all of my memories of Led Zeppelin are fond.

I was really hoping the NFL lockout would be over by now. There seemed to be so much progress in the last few weeks and an announcement before the 4th of July weekend would have revved up some excitement for the upcoming season. They don't seem to be concerned about that and I think it's a terrible miscalculation on their part. The 2011 season is in serious jeopardy because of everyone's dawdling.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Jump Start - Jethro Tull - Crest Of A Knave
2. Phoenix - Wishbone Ash - Argus
3. Sick Again - Led Zeppelin - Physical Graffiti
4. Poison - Alice Cooper - Alice Cooper Classicks
5. Please Read The Letter - Page & Plant - Walking Into Clarksdale

Quote of the Day

This is Led Zeppelin when they sucked. And wouldn't it be wonderful if all things were this bad?

Chuck Klosterman

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Jimmy Page sat in with singer Donovan on Friday night in London, in a way reprising an in-studio collaboration dating back to the days before Led Zeppelin was founded."

There's a connection between Page and Donavan I didn't know about. -Rob

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Anyone who follows football knows who Drew Brees is. If you don't, I'll tell you. He is the star quarterback of the New Orleans Saints, the face of the franchise, and the unquestioned leader of the team. He is also a leader in the New Orleans community, a fantastic ambassador for that community, and an all around good guy. He is 100 feet tall in Louisiana and growing. Full Disclosure: I am a huge Drew Brees fan.

The NFL and its players are in the middle of a dispute and are trying to negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement. Drew has been outspoken for the players in this matter and has been the target of some ridicule and criticism. Bear in mind that he didn't have to do this. He has nothing to gain. He's a superstar. He'll be fairly compensated, regardless of what the final CBA looks like, and he could have taken the low profile route that Tom Brady and Peyton Manning are taking now and like Joe Montana took before them. That's not who he is. He stands up for what he believes. As for the criticism, that's fair enough. He put himself out there. That said, most of the ridicule/criticism is ludicrous at best, childish at worst, and most of it coming from people who have not sat in on any of those meetings or talked to any of the parties. Such as:

I’m tired of Brees, he has stuck his foot in his mouth and said horribly annoying things too many times for me to ever want to like him, turd. - bittersonicsfan

Brees has turned into a major douche. I have so little respect for him after all this. - rooneyruleblues

You don't have to look hard to find many more like that. Disagreement is fine. It's the American way. In all of his remarks, Drew has never been uncivil. I don't consider myself a civility hawk. Harsh criticism is fair and even warranted sometimes. I've engaged in it, myself. If comments like the two above are the best you've got, here's a little harsh criticism for you: You're a fucking idiot.

And, now, for something completely different: There is some embarrassment to the Chicago Bears in this "Exxxotica Expo 2011" story but the best line is in the video when the reporter says family-friendly Rosemont is going to put this expo in a corner so as to not arouse the public.

If there is to be a full NFL season in 2011, it will start 12 weeks from today. That would include about 6 weeks of training camp and preseason-don't-call-them-exhibition games and a pretty short time to get a whole lot of rookies and free agents signed. What normally takes several months to shake out will be compressed into a couple of weeks. Hectic is the word that comes to mind.

About today's QOTD: Let me remind you. :)

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Lonely Days - Bee Gees - 2 Years On
2. Boy Inside the Man - Tom Cochrane & Red Rider - Tom Cochrane And Red Rider
3. I Saw Her Again - The Mamas & The Papas - AM Gold: The '60s Generation
4. I'll Be The One - Badfinger - The Very Best Of Badfinger
5. Hand In Hand - Dire Straits - Making Movies

Quote of the Day

You can't teach something that you don't have. So two men will never be able to teach a woman how to be a woman.

David Tyree, Former New York Giants receiver

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Three Tabby Cats in Vienna are hosting this Weekend of Remembrance."

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Last night's episode of Justified ended with Gillian Welch's Annabelle playing in the background. It was so fantastically appropriate. A lot of Gillian Welch's songs and lyrics are very dark. Patsy and I are big fans of hers. Justified apparently sent a few people looking for the song title according to the comments.

Big sports night in New Orleans. While the Hornets will be in the city at the New Orleans Arena taking on the Lakers in the playoffs, the Saints will be in the suburbs participating in the NFL Draft.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Annabelle - Gillian Welch - Revival
2. Laguna Sunrise - Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath Vol. 4 (Remaster)
3. Cajun Waltz - Sonny Landreth - South Of I-10
4. Chant Of The Ever Circling Skeletal - David Bowie - Diamond Dogs
5. Space Truckin' - Deep Purple - Machine Head (Roger Glover Remixes)

Quote of the Day

When I'm dead and buried I'll take a hard life of tears
For every day I've ever known
Anna's in the churchyard, she's got no life at all

She's only got these words on a stone

Gillian Welch, Annabelle

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "So, the next day I picked up my phone as my wife looked at me like I was crazy (she had missed out on the whole discussion) and forgave Google Maps and told it that it needs to do better next time."

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I get the concern about player safety. Except for the opening kickoff and the kickoff to open the second half, the NFL can eliminate them altogether as far as I'm concerned. The opening kickoff to a big game, when anticipation has reached its peak, is one of the most exciting plays in all of sports. Moving the kickoff up five yards is going to triple the number of touchbacks. Most kickoff specialists are getting a high percentage of touchbacks now and most of them can reach the goal line consistently. Putting them and the coverage team five yards closer will just make the kick go deeper and the return man less likely to bring it out with the coverage team that much closer.

Maybe the NFL owners do want to make a deal. They quite wisely kept the Chargers A.J. Smith away from the negotiations. That guy is a piece of work. Most general managers are little known. NFL fans know their own team's GM and they know the tools. Smith is not my team's GM.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. It's Not My Cross To Bear - The Allman Brothers Band - The Allman Brothers Band
2. Baby Step Back - Gordon Lightfoot - Complete Greatest Hits
3. Hand In Hand - Aine Furey - Celtic Woman
4. Rosealia - Better Than Ezra - Deluxe
5. Where Were You When I Needed You - The Grass Roots - 20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection: Best Of The Grass Roots

Quote of the Day

A Taco Bell customer enraged that the seven burritos he ordered had gone up in price fired a BB gun at an employee and later fired an assault rifle at officers before barricading himself in a motel room, police said.

msnbc.com news services

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "We live in Connecticut. I was raised on Aunt Jemima, Mrs. Butterworth's and Log Cabin fake maple syrup."

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Hate to see a three-day weekend end but I feel good about this one for what I got done. Still working on a mysterious water leak, though. It's a little discouraging. I'm going to keep trying until I've exhausted everything I can think of and everything I can do. I do not want to tear the house apart looking for it and I can't really afford to have someone else do that.

LSU learned this weekend why the Florida Gators are rated as the top baseball team in all of the polls. They were three closely contested games but to be swept at home is a sobering reality check. Back to work, Tigers.

Besides the revenue from the hotel rooms they stay in, which they probably got at a discount, I doubt the NFL owners meeting here in New Orleans will have any noticeable economic impact on the city despite the enormous wealth represented. So how about you twits put your heads together and figure out a way to make a deal with the players. Waiting them out or fighting them in court will put games in jeopardy and you'll probably end up with a deal you can make now, anyway.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Anam - Clannad - Anam
2. Tell Mama - Etta James - Women In Rock, Vol.1: 1953-1971
3. Live With Jesus - Wynonna - Wynonna
4. Fields Of Gold - Mary Black - Celtic Myst 3
5. Bridge Over Troubled Water [Live] - Simon & Garfunkel - Simon & Garfunkel's Greatest Hits

Quote of the Day

You get the lawyers involved, and sometimes you get too much lawyering and not enough business sense, you know? So I think it's more important than ever -- I don't like this court stuff -- that we sit down and work out our mutual interests. That's what we're trying to do. Nobody's trying to hurt the players, and the sooner they understand that, for our mutual interests, we will keep this game going for a long, long time.

Tom Benson, New Orleans Saints owner

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Admittedly, most days I tend toward critique, not praise of digital media and technology. Aware of my proclivity, I try to compensate and hope that I strike a reasonable balance."

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We watched Morning Glory last night. I was in the mood for a light comedy. This one fits that bill to a T. Morning Glory is formula film. Person gets fired from a job, gets a job that's even worse, endures all of the things that make it worse, and transforms it through boundless energy and will power. We see everything that's coming from a mile away. Morning Glory works because of Rachel McAdams. She is in almost every scene and she simply carries it. Harrison Ford and Diane Keaton are on hand to lend box office but this one belongs to Rachel and it's a star maker. Well worth your time.

With the events that are going on in Japan and Libya, with no end in sight to a difficult economy, and with spring and tomato season upon me, I find it impossible to take the current NFL labor strife seriously. As someone once said, "I've got more important things to do than spend my time growing old with you". Get it done, don't get it done. If you're here in September, fine. If you're not, I'll do something else.

Congrats to the LSU Tigers on their sweep of the Cal State Fullerton Titans this weekend.

Two CrabAppleLane spring indicators below:

CrabAppleLane Red Tops - March 13, 2011

CrabAppleLane Gum Tree - March 13, 2011

About today's QOTD: There are lessons here for all of us. The Japanese are managing or trying to manage an epic emergency without blaming citizens, government agencies, or leadership. The first person who snipes publicly should go straight to jail. DO NOT PASS GO. Hopefully, FEMA is helping or, at least, watching and learning.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. The Needle And The Damage Done - Neil Young - Harvest
2. Polk Salad Annie - Tony Jo White - iTunes Download
3. From This Moment On - Shania Twain - Come On Over
4. Sussudio - Phil Collins - Hits
5. Miracles - Jefferson Starship - At Their Best

Quote of the Day

Japan races to prevent nuclear reactor meltdowns

NBC, msnbc.com and news services

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "California Olive Ranch sent me this bottle. Hey ranch guys? Thanks. It’s fantastic. Bottom line? I will be buying this product in the future. Took my midday arugula and tuna salad up a whole notch. I save your oil for dipping bread, making sandwiches and on salads—not for cooking. The flavor is worthy of straight consumption."

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Signs of CrabAppleLane spring below. The Bradford pear trees and the Eastern Redbud tree are in full bloom.

CrabAppleLane Front Yard - March 4, 2011

There's some wonkyness at CrabAppleLane. My not-lofty-to-me goal was to be wonk-free all year. That I couldn't even get through February is more than a little annoying. Mysterious water leak has reappeared. Will be going at the shower drain again this weekend. I really think that's the culprit. It did this exact same thing once before many years ago. I did a better job of resealing it then. Our propane range's broiler started spitting and sputtering about a year ago. We don't use it that often so it was no big deal. The oven and burners work fine. Patsy has been having the hankering for some broiled speckled trout lately so we decided to get it fixed. She does a restaurant-quality trout. The Maytag repairman left a little while ago after giving us a $500+ estimate to repair our originally-priced $800, 16yr-old range. We'll live without the broiler a while longer and we'll set our eyes on sales.

The Saints finally agreed to a contract with Pierre Thomas. It looks like he signed for about the same numbers that were on the table last year. Big fan of Pierre Thomas here. I think all Saints fans welcome this news. He's a fan fave. Undrafted free agent rookie RB beats out 4th round draft pick RB and becomes household name in his team's city. Hard not to root for that guy.

It’s that time again. I’m asking for guest blogger volunteers for the week of March 7-11. If you’ve never blogged before, here’s your chance to see what it is all about. If you use different blogging software, here’s your chance to see what Movable Type does. If you already blog, here’s a chance to do something different and shamelessly plug your own blog to maybe some different readers. If you’re interested, email me for details. If you don’t already have my email address, leave a comment here and I’ll respond with the details. I’m not going anywhere. I’m just taking a break from daily blogging. I’ll be around to lend technical support for anyone who wants it.

About today's QOTD: The whole Charlie Sheen thing is not really ridiculous any more. It started there but has now evolved past ridiculous into territory that is truly beyond my adjectives. Please carry on.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Good Love (B Side) - Nazareth - Play 'N' The Game
2. Baby's Song - Joemy Wilson - Dulcimer Lullabies
3. Sons Of Freedom - Page & Plant - Walking Into Clarksdale
4. Se A Cabo (Live) - Santana - Abraxas
5. (I'll Give You) Money - Peter Frampton - Frampton Comes Alive!

Quote of the Day

Well now, it's warlocks to Charlie Sheen: Hey, bud, don't pick a fight with us.

Cathy Lynn Grossman, USA TODAY

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees has reportedly agreed to join a high-profile list of plaintiffs if the NFL's players choose to file an antitrust suit against the league. Several media outlets, including ESPN, have reported that Brees will join Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning, New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and Patriots guard Logan Mankins as named plaintiffs in the class-action suit, if it comes to that. There would be nine named plaintiffs, according to ESPN."

Please don't let it get this far, dweebs. -Rob

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They've pushed each others' buttons for almost two years now. I think today's deadline will come and go without an agreement and the NFL will have a work stoppage. Is it really about the money now or is it about winning? From the fans perspective, the players are winning the PR battle because the core issues for the owners are ludicrous. 18 game season? No one wants it. Rookie wage scale? There already is one. The salaries are slotted by where the players are selected. Have been for some time now. Besides, do they really need player permission to protect themselves from themselves? More upfront money for "new construction", particularly in places like Los Angeles that don't even have a team? Bringing up growth at a time when all other businesses in America are hunkering down and just trying to survive ... that's a tough sell. I get it, though. The community taxpayer well has dried up and they're looking for new contributors. If the players contribute to that, though, doesn't that make them owners, too?

To those who have taken the owner side simply because they're anti-union, I have to wonder how they feel about cartels. To those who think the NFL should lock out all of the players and just start over, I say that any professional football league that does not include Aaron Rogers, Drew Brees, Adrian Peterson, Dwight Freeney, etc, can count me out.

To the players: I don't care if you lose your health insurance in the event of a lockout. Stop bringing that up. Not only would Cobra or a widely-available individual plan prevent a lapse in coverage but most of you can afford most medical bills even if you had to pay the entire amount. Stick to your "we just want to play" mantra. That one is working.

And, now, for something less: 101 spam comments here in the last 14 hours. 14 or 15 of them made it through the defenses and got posted. They've been removed. All of them have been reported to the various anti-spam services and defenses will eventually catch up. I only have about 10 entries open to comments on this whole website. What annoys me about this is EVERYTHING.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Tomorrow Is A Long Time - Nickel Creek - Why Should The Fire Die?
2. Evening Wind (75) - Scorpions - In Trance
3. For The Sake Of Our Brother - Trans-Siberian Orchestra - The Lost Christmas Eve
4. Do It - Neil Diamond - Classics: The Early Years
5. Overton Square - Henry Gross - One More Tomorrow The Best Of Henry Gross

Quote of the Day

There’s no reason why men of intelligence and goodwill can’t figure out how to carve up a $9 billion pie in a fair and appropriate way.

Mike Florio

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "With unemployment still at historic highs in many areas, a common concern is what to do about health insurance."

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I was listening to the LSU-SLU game last night on the way home. In the top of the first inning, a single and a two-base error on the LSU pitcher put a SLU runner on third with no outs. With no outs, the infield played at regular depth for the 2 hitter. They were conceding the run. It's the first inning and you don't want them to have a big inning so you swap the run for an out. That makes sense to me. LSU got the out and they were also able to hold the runner. They then brought the infield in with one out for the 3 hitter. Why? I would have thought the same strategy applied to one out as to no outs at that time of the game. No one will ever ask me to manage a ball club and maybe it's because I don't understand these things. :) LSU won and they are now 8-0.

On another baseball note: I love the Tigers but their schedule is stacked way too much in their favor. They play 20 of their first 21 games at home, 37 of their 56 at home, and 4 of their 19 road games are in Louisiana against in-state rivals where Tiger fans will outnumber their opponent substantially. No doubt they have a strong team but if I was a voter in any of the polls, their scheduling would weigh on me. It's not all on LSU, though. The Tigers lead the nation in baseball attendance every year and a game at The Box is a nice payday for some of those schools that really need it.

The Saints signed Shaun Rogers yesterday. It's a one-year deal, which seems appropriate. If he returns to near Pro Bowl form, the Saints will have upgraded their defense and he'll have earned himself a nice payday by season's end. If he has another injury-plagued-can't-stay-on-the-field season, he'll have to move on. The Saints are now one of the teams in the NFL that can ask for and get something out of these kinds of players at a reasonable price and that's a delightful development to this Saints fan. They used to have to throw a ton of money at them to keep them away from the Patriots, Redskins, Cowboys, or 49ers.

It’s that time again. I’m asking for guest blogger volunteers for the week of March 7-11. If you’ve never blogged before, here’s your chance to see what it is all about. If you use different blogging software, here’s your chance to see what Movable Type does. If you already blog, here’s a chance to do something different and shamelessly plug your own blog to maybe some different readers. If you’re interested, email me for details. If you don’t already have my email address, leave a comment here and I’ll respond with the details. I’m not going anywhere. I’m just taking a break from daily blogging. I’ll be around to lend technical support for anyone who wants it.

About today's QOTD: I think it safe to say he means the last man or woman not named Gadhafi. I know he's loony but you would think even he can see this uprising and the attendent international reaction is too strong for him to quell. If he can't, someone very near him can and will either convince him to leave with as much loot as he can take or will take matters into their own hands and end it, probably quite unpleasantly.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Wild Is The Wind - David Bowie - Station To Station
2. You Were on My Mind - We Five - AM Gold: 1965
3. MISS Mistreated - Rainbow - Straight Between The Eyes
4. Carefree Highway - Gordon Lightfoot - Complete Greatest Hits
5. Midnight Special - Johnny Rivers - Johnny Rivers - Anthology 1964-1977

Quote of the Day

We will fight until the last man and woman. We will defend Libya from the north to the south.

Moammar Gadhafi

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "U.S. warships arrive get closer to Libya"

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Fi has some lovely pictures up of Christchurch from before the two devastating earthquakes. The loss of life and the loss of what was is just heartbreaking.

The collective bargaining agreement between the NFL and its players expires one week from today. Aside from some minor posturing and speculation, things have been awfully quiet on that front lately.

Not sure what to make of today's QOTD. My money is on his king being the last standing dictator.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Ruby Tuesday - The Rolling Stones - Hot Rocks, 1964-1971
2. What A Wonderful World - Louis Armstrong - Sings - Back Through The Years/A Centennial Celebration
3. On the Run - Pink Floyd - Pulse
4. Words Of Love - The Mamas & The Papas - The Best Of The Mamas & The Papas: 20th Century Masters
5. The Buford Stick - Drive-By Truckers - The Dirty South

Quote of the Day

Rest assured that final knock will come sooner than Qaddafi and the gang might think. He and his kind are on their way out, no matter how dirty they fight. The end is nigh. You don't have to be an armchair pundit to see it. The people power will triumph in Libya, just as it has in Tunisia and Egypt. The juggernaut of change unleashed by the desperate action of a Tunisian fruit vendor across the Middle East will come to a rest only when the last dictator standing has gone.

AIJAZ ZAKA SYED | ARAB NEWS

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "New Zealand has Auckland, the ‘City of Sails’, and also the most diverse range of landscapes anywhere in the world."

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The Saints released tight end Jeremy Shockey yesterday. No surprise whatsoever. His contract is much too large for his diminishing role on the team. I was hoping they could work out a deal on his salary but I think it best that he test the market before doing that here. Rookie phenom Jimmy Graham really came on late last season and that made Shockey expendable. Everyone wants to see more of Graham next year. Note to fantasy football players: Graham looks like the next Gates/Gonzales but he's bigger and faster than both of them ever were and Brees likes to use him. He'll go very high around here but other players elsewhere might be able to get him cheap.

Finally made a little headway into speeding things up around here. Comments are still the big issue, though. I'm not at all satisfied with the performance I'm getting in that area. The problem I'm having right now is that all searches I perform related to my issue are from 2006-2007-2008. I'd like to find something a little more current. By the way, I have that same information problem with WordPress. I installed the latest of WordPress and everything I found on the problem I'm having is from 2006-2007-2008. Someone on their team should know about it by now and it should have been resolved several versions ago. That puts me off a little.

Hare-brained idea of the day: Instead of talking about the national debt, why don't we all just pay it down. Probably won't work, though. Congress would just treat it like found money and spend it.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. My God - Jethro Tull - Aqualung
2. Jennifer Juniper - Donovan - Donovan's Greatest Hits
3. Philadelphia Freedom - Elton John - Greatest Hits 1970-2002
4. Get Back Up - Tom Cochrane - Mad Mad World
5. Make Love To Me - Anne Murray - The Best .... So Far

Quote of the Day

Always will remember my time in New Orleans. What a city, you all welcomed me like one of your own, and we had a great run. Onto the next chapter, the Deep Unknown.

Jeremy Shockey, Tight End

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "It’s the ultimate blog/CMS software smack-down. The open source WordPress versus the new media giant Movable Type. I’ve been blogging since 1998 and after coding my pages by hand for five years I tried Movable Type in 2003 and loved it. But after five years I grew tired of difficulties with Movable Type and switched to WordPress."

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GEAUX Tigers. Nice sweep this weekend over Wake Forest. Tiger fans gave a well-deserved standing ovation to the Demon Deacons Head Coach Tom Walter when he was announced in Friday's opener. Coach Walter donated a kidney to one of his players. The kindness ended with the ovation. The Tigers scored 6 runs in the first inning, 6 more in the second, and coasted home for a 15-4 win in the opener. A close win Saturday and another blowout yesterday completed the sweep. It's still early but the Tigers are off to a good start and that's always a good thing.

A one for nine trade. Wish I'd gotten to see him play although it would mean I'd have to be quite a bit older. R.I.P, Ollie.

While compiling the iTunes shuffle this morning, I discovered that I have three totally different songs in my iTunes library with the same title. Three Dog Night, Queen, and The Cranberries all recorded a song called Liar. Queen's Liar off of their first album is one of my all time faves. Three Dog Night's Liar is very good, too. The Cranberry's Liar was on the Empire Records soundtrack and is the only reason I have it.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Going Home - Theme From 'Local Hero' - Dire Straits - Alchemy: Dire Straits Live
2. Not The Only One - Bonnie Raitt - Luck Of The Draw
3. Robin & Marian - Nickel Creek - Nickel Creek
4. I'll Be The One - Badfinger - The Very Best Of Badfinger
5. Liar - The Cranberries - Empire Records

Quote of the Day

The weather is warmer, the sun is brighter and Alex Box Stadium will soon be packed. It's baseball season in Baton Rouge.

Rowan Kavner, The Daily Reveille

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin said Monday that collective bargaining cost his state money and reiterated that he would not stand down in a budget face-off that has become national news."

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About today's QOTD: It's from an op-ed that's appearing in newspapers today. I'd like to know why the NFL "needs" a new stadium in Los Angeles, Roger. There is no team there. Has the threat of moving existing teams there lost its cache? L.A. has rejected two NFL teams and has done just fine without a team for a long time now. That's what really galls you, isn't it?

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Sixteen Tons - Tennessee Ernie Ford - Hotdogs, Hits and Happy Days
2. Life Is A Highway - Tom Cochrane - Mad Mad World
3. No One Needs To Know - Shania Twain - The Woman In Me
4. Part1: Telegram - On Your Way - Nazareth - Close Enough For Rock 'N' Roll
5. She's Only Happy When She's Dancin' - Bryan Adams - Reckless

Quote of the Day

We need new stadiums in Los Angeles, Minneapolis, San Francisco, Oakland and San Diego; and the ability for more league investment in new technology to improve service to fans in stadiums and at home.

Roger Goodell, NFL Commissioner

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "NFL player costs in 2009 were $4.5 billion. NFL players have doubled their compensation in the past 10 years, and the average player salary is about $2 million."

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Today's QOTD is about the news that New Orleans Saints Head Coach Sean Payton has bought or is going to buy a house in a Dallas suburb. The news isn't going over well in New Orleans. Earlier reports had him commuting from Dallas to New Orleans. Current ones have him maintaining dual residences. At some point in the article, this statement appears:

I can't imagine Saints owner Tom Benson is too happy about that.

We can talk about Benson's dual residences some other time. What bothers most fans, including this one, is where he's moving. Payton enjoyed his time in Dallas and he likes the area. He eventually wants to retire there. He's made all of that abundantly clear and if he was moving to a suburb of Memphis or Chicago or Kansas City, I don't think anyone would be worried. We are. Here's why: Cowboys owner Jerry Jones wants him. There is no doubt about that. Jerry Jones and Tom Benson are both billionaires. Jones will not offer Payton anything Benson couldn't match. However, he could quite possibly offer something Benson won't match and Sean could lose his mind just long enough to take it.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Sun In My Hand - Scorpions - In Trance
2. The Lucky One - Alison Krauss & Union Station - Live
3. Creole Angel - Sonny Landreth - South Of I-10
4. Birthday Boy - Drive-By Truckers - The Big To-Do
5. A Passage To Bangkok [Live] - Rush - Chronicles

Quote of the Day

Sure, Payton is under contract for two more years. Sure, he has got a future Hall of Fame quarterback in Drew Brees, a hands-free owner and savvy general manager who allow him to run his program with near complete autonomy.

Jeff Duncan, The Times-Picayune

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "The actors appear to be big fans of the Firefly universe, and it's quite evident that what they lack in spit and polish they make up for in sheer joy and exuberence. There are plenty of references to both the series and the movie "Serenity" (for instance, in the opening scene the ship has just delivered a cargo of beagles and the discussion is how cows may be a better cargo) so it ties in well. It's as if a bunch of fans got together to make a movie."

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It was a fun game. The difference was the turnovers. The Steelers had them, the Pack didn't. I, for one, am happy that the Super Bowls are turning into exciting games. Remember 30-35 years of super duds? This is a great development. Aaron Rodgers really throws darts. If his receivers ever learn how to handle them ... :)

Thinking this morning that a Saints-Packers showdown at Lambeau would make a perfect NFL Kickoff Classic next season.

Where on Earth did this come from? I know they're friends but I just can't imagine why Sean Payton would want to work with Jerry Jones looking over his shoulder. He has no one looking over his shoulder in New Orleans. Which situation is better? Besides, he's 100 feet tall in New Orleans. He'd be just another ship passing through in Dallas. Still, the Saints felt the need to make a statement. That concerns me.

About today's QOTD: Please don't start calling him that. Please.

More complaints about the host. The game was undoubtedly a moneymaker. The attendance figures and the prices they were charging had to make it so. They'll learn from this and do better next time. Too bad for those fans, though. Geez.

Very surprised that Steeler fans outnumbered Pack fans by so much. I thought the Packers had a better following. Steeler fans were surely louder.

Finally, I hope the players and owners can figure out a way in the next three weeks to divvy up the megatons of cash that flow into their coffers. In this difficult economy, the money all of you guys are making is almost obscene. Your problems are trivial. Work it out.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Prelude 12 - Styx - Equinox
2. Stop - Pink Floyd - The Wall
3. Romeo And Juliet - Dire Straits - Alchemy
4. Wish - Nine Inch Nails - Broken
5. The Chain - Fleetwood Mac - Rumours

Quote of the Day

I didn't expect anything less from A-Rod

B.J. Raji, Green Bay Packers defensive tackle

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "As the NFL sets up the stage at midfield for the trophy ceremony, it's time to bring this blog to a close. The Vince Lombardi Trophy is returning home to Green Bay. Aaron Rodgers is your MVP. Much more analysis to come on SI.com tonight and Monday from Don Banks, Joe Posnanski, Peter King and plenty of others. Thanks for reading. One more time: Green Bay 31, Pittsburgh 25. Super Bowl XLV is in the books."

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I offer two images on this CrabAppleLane Super Sunday. One is from the other day, though.

A leaf falls in Covington - February 2, 2011

CrabAppleLane - February 6, 2011

One thing is certain about Super Bowl XLV. It will be at the top of the list of Super Bowls that had logistical nightmares. I think they even topped the one held in Pontiac at the SilverDome, where most of the ticket holders had to commute an hour to the stadium. Not to brag much but New Orleans is still, by far, the best city to host the Super Bowl. The SuperDome, the hotels, the great restaurants, the French Quarter, and the New Orleans night life are all within walking distance or a 10-minute cab ride from each other. It's a no-brainer. It should be held here every four or five years. A great time for all is guaranteed. One more thing.

Bet any house you have to lose. Lest you think I know nothing about predicting football outcomes (You'd be right), I offer the QOTD. It is an expert prediction on last year's Super Bowl.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. You Won't Change Me - Black Sabbath - Technical Ecstasy
2. Chest Fever - Three Dog Night - Captured Live At The Forum
3. Somebody - Bryan Adams - Reckless
4. My Wife - The Who - Who's Next
5. She's Gone - Eric Clapton - Pilgrim

Quote of the Day

It says here: Indy in a blowout.

Frank Deford, Sports Illustrated

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "What is the role of these platoons exactly ?? Is there any fear on the U.S embassy !!? I do not understand this provoking news for real."

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Got plans for tomorrow? The game figures to be fun. Both teams play decent defense. I think they're both vulnerable to the pass, though, and both teams throw the ball around pretty good. I expect a shootout. I'll be watching at home ... pulling for the Packers because they're NFC and because I like Aaron Rodgers.

I'd like to mention once again how idiotic it is to have one of the world's biggest events in a place where the weather can have a direct impact. The Super Bowl is the most important NFL game of the season. It is a week-long extravaganza. This week's weather and the host city's inability to cope with it will only affect the week's extra-curricular activities. The game, itself, will be played inside at JerryWorld although the weather, traffic, and security will undoubtedly make for some late arrivals and a few no-shows. In two years, the NFL is risking the extra-curriculars AND the game. Dumb, dumb, dumb.

I don't envy the workers at my local Papa John's this weekend. Papa John's is running specials all weekend and they're also the "Official Pizza Sponsor of the Super Bowl". Pizza is always a favorite but it's a big favorite on Super Sunday. If last night's activity is any indication, it's going to be a whale of a weekend for them. The store I go to is always busy but I've never seen anything like what I saw last night. They were rolling. A 30-second spot for this year's Super Bowl broadcast goes for about $3 million. My order was $20. Most were larger than that last night. At $20, Papa John's needs to make 150k orders to make $3 million. At least 50 orders left or were picked up in the 10 minutes I was there. No need to worry about how they're going to pay for their sponsorship.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Skellig - Loreena McKennitt - The Book Of Secrets
2. Fields Of Gold - Sting - Ten Summoner's Tales
3. Space Truckin' - Deep Purple - Machine Head 25th Anniversary Edition
4. One Man Band - Three Dog Night - The Best Of Three Dog Night
5. Magic Man - Heart - Dreamboat Annie

Quote of the Day

Baby, let me be your one man band
Your one man band
I just wanna be your one man
Your one man band
I just wanna be your one man
Your one man band

Three Dog Night, One Man Band

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "People estimate that they use an average of 2,566 text messages a month. However, the average person uses 1,555 text messages a month."

Both of those are staggering figures if you ask me. -Rob

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Before any NFL game, the teams do some warmup exercises and then they do a walk-through where each team's offense lines up against their own defense and runs a few plays. There's no hitting involved. That's exactly what the Pro Bowl looks like now, particularly on the AFC side. The AFC defense yesterday wanted no part of physical runners like Adrian Peterson, Steven Jackson, and Michael Turner. No one really wants this game any more. The fans are only watching the game, probably with their eyes closed, to see that their guys don't get hurt. They're our best players. The players want the free trip to Hawaii, the paycheck, and the lollies that come with being selected but they surely don't want to risk injury in a meaningless game. Just do away with it.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. 1984 - David Bowie - Diamond Dogs
2. A Warm Place - Nine Inch Nails - The Downward Spiral
3. Callas Went Away - Enigma - MCMXC a.D.
4. Going Home [Theme of the Local Hero] - Mark Knopfler - Local Hero
5. There's A World - Neil Young - Harvest

Quote of the Day

I want the gas pedal down.

Sean Payton, New Orleans Saints Head Coach - Super Bowl XLIV

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Then again, it is the Pro Bowl. It’s kind of funny to watch, definitely entertaining. And it does make for a high-scoring game, which is just what you’d expect from the Pro Bowl."

Definitely entertaining? -Rob

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From the Everything is BIGGER in Texas Department: Via Kate. I found a few more.

And this ...

Bogue Falaya Wayside Park - January 26, 2011

From the To Whom It May Concern Department: If I fall in, I'm ignoring that sign.

Growing up in Kenner, Louisiana, I could hear the ships on the Mississippi River sound their horns. Living around the Mississippi in the Greater New Orleans area all of my life, I have read about people who fell into, jumped into, or even tried to swim the Mississippi. The next thing you read about that person was about the body being recovered. For every one of those stories I read about or saw on TV, I "heard" about 5 or 10 others, not one of them a tale of survival. The Mississippi in New Orleans and south Louisiana is not the same as it is upriver in Minneapolis, St Louis, or even Baton Rouge. It is much wider, the current much swifter, and the whirlpools and undertows much more treacherous. Old Man River is not to be trifled with.

The Reeds grew up in this area, too. They know all of the same stories I know. Ed Reed is a famous, All-Pro, potential Hall-Of-Fame football player for the Baltimore Ravens. His brother, Brian, lived a different life. I don't know what his sins were because I still have only read the headlines and that's probably as much as I'll ever read about Brian Reed. The only thing I can be sure of is that if he thought jumping into the Mississippi River to escape from the police was a better option than taking his chances in court, he had to be pretty desperate. Condolences to the Reed family.

Dumbass move of the day: Stepped out of the house and it didn't seem that cold. I was not expecting a thick sheet of ice on the windshield. Got the defogger going and sprayed washer fluid but it wasn't doing much. Sometimes, I can drive down the driveway and up Crabapple Lane and the defogger and washer fluid start doing their job before the blinding sun forces me to stop. I had to stop this time. I didn't see my scraper immediately. Rather than spend any time looking for it, I tried the wiper spray one more time while I was getting back into the truck. The wiper nozzle sprays the whole windshield and about six inches to either side. I sprayed myself right in the face, mostly in the eyes. Thankfully, it was diluted enough not to cause any discomfort.

So Drew Brees was injured earlier this year and played through it. Doesn't much matter now although it was a bone of contention amongst sports pundits and fans at the time and it was used against Jay Cutler this past weekend. The inference was that Drew played through it and Cutler didn't. Even though I am a huge, huge fan of Drew Brees and no fan at all of Jay Cutler's, I'm not sure that's fair to Jay. These things are a matter of degree. We don't know whose injury was worse although I don't see Drew ever coming out of a championship game with anything less than a Joe Theisman injury (I can't link to that. Proceed with caution if you want to see it. It's pretty gruesome.). The past matters. Brees and Cutler have different slates. Jay's toughness was called into question mainly because he whiny-babied his way out of Denver. Still, I'm not sure what was gained by concealing Drew's injury and denying it all year but you can add Sean Payton to the list of head coaches who are less than forthcoming about his team's injuries. I think that makes 32 head coaches in the NFL now that do that.

About today's QOTD: Politicians on all sides have been saying something like that for about 50 years. When should we take them seriously?

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Is There a Ghost - Band of Horses - Cease to Begin
2. From Baltimore to Murfreesboro - Kim Novak - Pancake Bellyache
3. Seasons Of Wither - Aerosmith - Get Your Wings
4. Just What The Doctor Ordered - Ted Nugent - Ted Nugent
5. Give It Time - Bachman-Turner Overdrive - The Anthology

Quote of the Day

Our nation is approaching a tipping point. We are at a moment, where if government's growth is left unchecked and unchallenged, America's best century will be considered our past century.

House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan, R-Wis

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Religione a mano armata"

I don't speak Italian and the only reason this is the BOTD is that image. Not particularly squeamish about guns but I find that image disturbing in a way that I can't entirely explain. -Rob

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Before I turn the page on this NFL season, I'd like to go back to last season just one more time. A year ago today, the Saints and Vikings met in the NFC Championship game in the Louisiana SuperDome. For Saints fans, the hype and the anticipation were almost unbearable. For most of the season, the Vikings and Saints were the two best teams in the NFC. Mike Tanier of the New York Times said it this way:

The N.F.C. has become a two-team conference. The brutal, efficient Vikings are in one corner and the electrifying Saints are in the other. All other contenders are just fodder.

The two teams had lost some of their luster over the last few weeks of the season. It was thought the Cowboys and even the Cardinals were playing better football down the stretch. 31-point beatings on those two in the divisional round put an end to that talk. The Saints and Vikes were the only NFC heavyweights. No ifs, ands, or buts. They had pushed each other all season and this was the matchup everyone wanted.

It was not a particularly well-played game. There were too many turnovers, mistakes, penalties, and questionable calls. Both teams were aggressive and both teams were very physical. After 60 minutes of intense, emotional, gut-wrenching, and wildly entertaining football, they hadn't decided anything. The score and the teams were still dead even. The Saints went on to win in overtime. Those were the two best teams in football and that game was easily the most intense, dramatic, and hard-fought game I had ever seen involving my team, the New Orleans Saints. The Vikings would have beaten the Colts, too.

Looks like a great matchup on paper and has real potential for a shootout. Much is said about the defenses these two teams have but the truth of the matter is that they're built to win their divisions and they both struggle against good quarterbacks and good passing teams, which they don't see much. The Patriots, a good passing team, beat both of them. The Packers and Steelers have good quarterbacks and are both good passing teams. Figures to be fun.

The last thing the world needs is another Wal-Mart but trying to prevent one from being built "near" a historic Civil War battlefield is a bit too much. Near? What does that mean? Three blocks over? Same zip code? Preservationists need to, ahem, pick their battles better. There is a real danger that developers will someday land a strip mall on a historical site like Antietam or Manassas. Some of the Civil War sites are on prime real estate and will always be under pressure from developers. That temptation needs to be removed entirely but the Feds will have to do that. States are too busy wooing those developers for business for their state and state reps are too busy wooing those developers for campaign money.

5 song iTune shuffle from the "Purchased" list since April 3, 2010:

1. Tornadoes - Drive-By Truckers - The Dirty South - 10/12/2010 10:52 PM
2. Waitin' for the Bus - ZZ Top - The Best of ZZ Top - 12/8/2010 8:53 PM
3. Where the Devil Don't Stay - Drive-By Truckers - The Dirty South - 10/12/2010 10:27 PM
4. The Great Salt Lake - Band of Horses - Everything All the Time - 1/23/2011 9:54 PM
5. Poison - Alice Cooper - Alice Cooper Classicks - 10/24/2010 9:21 AM

Quote of the Day

At least 23 people were killed and more than 130 injured in a blast at Moscow's Domodedovo airport on Monday, state-run RIA news agency reported, citing the Russian Health Ministry.

MSNBC Breaking News

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "The news that Osama bin Laden, or someone impersonating him, released a new audio message on Friday has been greeted with as little fanfare as reports on Thursday that Terry Jones, the pastor of a Florida microchurch, was denied permission to enter Britain to address 30 fans of his work.

That so little attention is now paid to these two men, who have been largely tuned out by most media outlets, is a reminder of how important the oxygen of publicity remains, even in an era when everyone has access to the digital megaphones of Twitter, Facebook and YouTube."

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Not knowing what The Reader was about was the only way I would have watched it. The collective guilt of a generation of Germans over The Holocaust and the various degrees of moral outrage later generations of Germans feel towards that generation, except for maybe their own parents, grandparents, and great grandparents, is something I really have no desire to understand and the shame the two main characters felt over the choices they'd made didn't reach me. I don't care.

The performances in The Reader were OK but one casting choice was curious. David Kross as young Michael Berg speaks with a pronounced German accent and Ralph Fiennes as the not much older Michael Berg speaks with a posh British accent. I stayed to the end but it was all pretty depressing. Not what I'm looking for on a Saturday night.

Pulling for the Packers today and just ever so slightly for the Steelers. Don't really care about the AFC.

Caught the tail end of an Austin City Limits show featuring Band of Horses. I came in during the middle of the finale. It was a song called The Funeral. Fantastic. Enjoy.

Got rid of the smilies here. What a pain that was to accomplish. I may install a better version of them at some point or might install the version I have in a better way.

I offer a few from the CrabAppleLane Backyard.

CrabAppleLane Backyard - January 23, 2011

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. The Funeral - Band of Horses - Everything All the Time
2. I'd Love To Change The World - Alvin Lee - A Space In Time
3. Tears - Rush - 2112
4. Crossroads - Cream - The Cream Of Clapton
5. Walk The Line - Live - Live At The Paradiso

Quote of the Day

What we feel isn't important. It's utterly unimportant. The only question is what we do. If people like you don't learn from what happened to people like me, then what the hell is the point of anything?

Professor Rohl, The Reader

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Here's some of what you'll see if you take a look at A Fire in My Belly, the video by David Wojnarowicz that the National Portrait Gallery removed from Hide/Seek, its current exhibit about "sexual difference" in American portraiture: a legless beggar dodging traffic on his stumps, a mouth being stitched shut with a needle and thread, a bowl of blood, and fire ants on a crucifix."

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Quite amazing to me that the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers have only met once in the playoffs and that was almost 70 years ago. I have never been a fan of Jay Cutler or the Bears, although I give them a lot of credit for playing hard in the last game of the regular season this year when they didn't have to. That may pay off this weekend. I have always been a big fan of Aaron Rodgers, though. I love the way he plays. I'm expecting a hard-fought game in this Sunday's NFC Championship. I'm pulling for the Packers.

Today's BOTD is referring to a dust up caused by Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio. He did later apologize but that seems to be the latest shtick amongst sports reporters. Make an outrageous accusation and then later apologize if they have to. He took an easy, dirt cheap shot at Aaron Rodgers. Based on a 3-second video clip, he went to print with a story that Rodgers doesn't care about his fans. The fan in question this time was a breast cancer survivor. The horror. What I saw in that clip was a player walking to the locker room, listening to his iPod, head down, not making eye contact with anyone, alone in his thoughts, and totally focused on the task at hand. Baseball pitchers basically do the same thing. That's why no one tries to talk to them in the dugout when they're pitching. He was not ignoring her, specifically, he was ignoring everyone and everything. Florio should have seen that, too. Turns out Rodgers knew her and had done other things for her. She wasn't complaining. He simply didn't see her. Quite understandable in the game day state he was in. That Rodgers had to take time out from his preparation this week to address this thing is the worst part of it. Shame on you, Florio.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Tiny Broken Heart - Alison Krauss & Union Station - Live
2. Scarborough Fair/Canticle - Simon & Garfunkel - Simon & Garfunkel's Greatest Hits
3. Rock Candy - Montrose - Montrose
4. Behind Blue Eyes - The Who - Who's Next
5. Have A Cigar - Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here

Quote of the Day

The band is just fantastic
That is really what I think
Oh, by the way
Which one's Pink

Pink Floyd, Have A Cigar

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Florio’s original post was high on fact-free moralizing and short on actual reporting. He used a three-second clip of Rodgers walking past Cavanaugh to indict Rodgers’ character and draw sweeping conclusions about the character of the Packers’ quarterback. It was a cheap attempt at character assassination. And it failed."

Florio did later apologize for his remarks. -Rob

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Via Mom: Like model trains? You could probably observe this thing for weeks. More at its website. Since no one can really take it all in, every minute detail has to be perfect. Visitors are going to stop wherever there's an opening on the railing. Looks like an expensive production requiring constant maintenance. No idea how something like that pays for itself at the relatively nominal prices they charge.

Former Saint, Scott Fujita, who is now most famous for the best Super Bowl trash talk ever (To Peyton Manning: "Peyton ... I can eat Oreos faster than you"), lays out the player's side to the upcoming NFL lockout. The thought of labor strife in the NFL, whose goose lays the goldenest golden eggs in history, is LUDICROUS. I don't have much sympathy for the players but I have even less for the owners. They have not issued a single compelling statement to support their argument that the current system is broken. The game is more popular than ever and everyone is making money. The owners opted out of the current agreement. They should be in nonstop negotiations right now and they should lose the 18-game season proposal. Most of the players can't stay healthy for 16 games. This is really a squabble between owners if you ask me. Jerry Jones and the owners of his ilk simply hate revenue sharing. They feel they're putting more into the pot than they're taking out. They are ... and that's what really needs to be addressed. I side with the players but I don't need to see Congress involved.

5 song iTune shuffle from a CrabAppleLane iTunes "Genius" playlist:

1. America - Simon & Garfunkel - Simon & Garfunkel's Greatest Hits
2. But I Might Die Tonight - Cat Stevens - Tea For The Tillerman
3. Monday, Monday - The Mamas & The Papas - The Best Of The Mamas & The Papas: 20th Century Masters
4. Out On The Weekend - Neil Young - Harvest
5. If You Could Read My Mind - Gordon Lightfoot - Complete Greatest Hits

Quote of the Day

I wish we won, to shut 'em up, but we didn't.

Tom Brady, New England Patriots

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Former Dallas Cowboys linebacker Scott Fujita wasn't shy about criticizing owner Jerry Jones on Tuesday. Fujita's a member of the NFLPA executive committee and wasn't pleased with some of Jones' comments during a recent "60 Minutes" in which he said a lockout would not be "devastating" to the league."

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The Super Bowl could be a matchup of the two lowest playoff seeds. Won't that send the purists, pundits, and knee-jerk-rule-changers into a tizzy? The Jets beat the Steelers in Pittsburgh just a few weeks ago and the Packers simply have the look. For my money, they're the team to beat.

About today's QOTD: I remember when news broke about Tiger Woods getting in an accident. I thought then that it was much ado about nothing. Man, was I wrong. Woods still hasn't recovered. Elin seems to be doing OK, though.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Like Crying - Fleetwood Mac - Then Play On
2. Maybelline - Johnny Rivers - Johnny Rivers - Anthology 1964-1977
3. Freewill - Rush - Chronicles
4. Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head - B.J. Thomas - All The Hits
5. Radar Love - Golden Earring - Harley-Davidson Cycles: Road Songs

Quote of the Day

The adage that diamonds are a girl's best friend apparently no longer rings true for Tiger Woods' ex-wife, Elin Nordegren.

Tom Weir, USA TODAY

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "But it doesn’t really take much to set someone off. A lot of people are angry over a lot of things — usually when they don’t feel as though they’re getting their fair share — and sometimes the release of that anger is a combination of motivation and opportunity."

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Political, religious, social commentary in this space ... deleted. Didn't like the way it was going and didn't care to deal with whomever may have stumbled upon it. Not what I like to do here.

The Kids Are All Right is the kind of movie, well, let's just say that I didn't pick this one last night. It is appropriately named but there's another part to the title. The Kids Are All Right ... The Adults Are Screwed Up. Movies that tend toward characters over stories get an extra star in all reviews. Bear that in mind if you're perusing them looking for a movie to rent or go see. This one had everything a critic wants but almost nothing an audience wants. Movies that want to make me think lose a star in my eyes unless they're very good. The Kids Are All Right does not reach that level.

After watching the Falcons get pummeled last night by the Packers, my guess is the Saints and their fans are seething even more this morning about that lousy defensive effort the team put forth last week. I know I am. They'd be playing the Bears in cold and snowy Chicago today and a tough win there would have sent the NFC Championship to the SuperDome. The Saints hung 51 points on the Packers the last time they played in the SuperDome. None of these would have been givens, of course. Sean Payton's Saints have never won a game in Chicago and the Bears are currently kicking the Seahawks asses, 28-0. These are fun ifs and buts and they're all moot because the defense DID put forth that lousy effort last week. Grrrr.

Homer alert: Today's QOTD comes from Jeff Schultz of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. It is quite an admission and he's right. I commented on the Saints mental toughness earlier this season. It goes into remission once in a while but they do have it and they'll be stronger next year because of it. The Falcons don't have it and their fortunes will still be tied to which way the ball bounces. The two playoff teams out of the NFC South next year (If there is a next year) will be the Saints and the Bucs.

I offer one from our lazy Sunday afternoon. The plan is to read a little or watch some TV and then go find an inexpensive place to eat.

A Lazy CrabAppleLane Sunday Afternoon - January 16, 2011

5 song iTune shuffle from a CrabAppleLane iTunes "Genius" mix:

1. Harry's Game - Clannad - Anam - New Age
2. The Mummers' Dance - Loreena McKennitt - The Book Of Secrets - New Age
3. Miss Clare Remembers - Enya - Watermark - New Age
4. Christmas Eve (Sarajevo 12/24) - Trans-Siberian Orchestra - Christmas Eve And Other Stories - Holiday
5. Sacred Ground - Craig Chaquico - Harley-Davidson Cycles: Road Songs - Rock

Quote of the Day

They’re not as close as we thought they were.

Jeff Schultz, Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Well, ladies and gentlemen, it's game day, and I'm sure you'll be in agreement with me when I say that this game makes me really nervous. We could easily win or lose this game based on just a few plays, so here's to hoping we bring our A game this week. Specifically our (A)aron Rodgers game. Har har har, see what I did there/shazam/etc."

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It's another feather in the cap for the SEC and I'm sure that's going to gall football fans of other conferences. Too bad. Four SEC schools are responsible for the last five BCS Championships. They are Florida, LSU, Florida again, Alabama, and Auburn. When you take into account Arkansas, Georgia, Ole Miss, and Tennessee, who also have National Championships in their histories, you're looking at a conference that is not dominated by one or two teams and you're pretty much always looking at a well-tested, though not always undefeated conference champ.

In the past, the SEC has been shut out of the national championship conversation because of conference tie-ins, a pronounced sportswriter bias toward northern and western college football powers, and because they almost always had a bloodied and bruised one-loss champion. The year this latest SEC run started, the BCS came within a whisker of ordering a Michigan-Ohio State rematch, which would have boxed Florida out. For lack of that whisker, Florida got to play Ohio State. They mauled the Buckeyes. The pendulum has swung too far towards the SEC now (I would have given Florida's second BCS title to Utah) but sportswriters probably won't be swinging it back via the polls. An undefeated SEC Champion is guaranteed a berth in the title game now and a one-loss champion will be given a lot more consideration than any other conference's one-loss champ and even more than some undefeated conference champions. If those other conferences want the same consideration, more of their teams will have to do it on the field ... consistently.

About today's QOTD: Already looking forward to that one. Wonder who the LSU head coach will be. Les Miles is being romanced by Michigan.

5 song iTune shuffle from the CrabAppleLane Five Star playlist:

1. Walk The Line - Live - Live At The Paradiso
2. Found Out About You - Gin Blossoms - New Miserable Experience
3. Brown Sugar - The Rolling Stones - Hot Rocks, 1964-1971
4. Fat Bottomed Girls - Queen - Jazz
5. Miss Misery - Nazareth - Hair Of The Dog

Quote of the Day

The future was already on the Ducks' minds. They open against LSU in 2011 in Cowboys Stadium. That means they face another tough defense with lots of time to prepare.

Ted Miller, ESPN

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Fairley has pretty much been unblockable all season. He was again against the Ducks and then some."

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Thoughts and sympathies to ALL of the victims and their families of the shooting rampage in Tuscon yesterday. In the coming days and weeks, you will see some trying to blame others for inciting the violence. You will see some blaming others for trying to make political points out of the tragedy. You will see some blaming guns. You will see others defending guns. You will see some say the gunman was simply deranged and it's just a tragedy. If any of them are counting on me to listen, though, they're wasting their breath and their time. I'm sick of all of them.

Congratulations to the Seattle Seahawks on a great win yesterday. They deserve to advance. They outcoached and outplayed the Saints. Matt Hasselbeck and Marshawn Lynch were brilliant and Pete Carroll's game plan was terrific. I'll talk more about the Saints below the jump.

Once again, the weather was gorgeous on Friday so we had lunch in the park. We didn't have the park entirely to ourselves, though. There had to be two or three other people there. I offer one below from that day.

Bogue Falaya Wayside Park - January 7, 2011

5 song iTune shuffle from the CrabAppleLane Five Star playlist:

1. Crazy Train - Ozzy Osbourne - Blizzard Of Ozz
2. Peaceful Easy Feeling - The Eagles - Their Greatest Hits
3. Snakeskin Cowboys - Ted Nugent - Ted Nugent
4. Wicked Game - Chris Isaak - Heart Shaped World
5. Misty Mountain Hop - Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin IV

Quote of the Day

If this was Matt Hasselbeck's Seattle swan song, he nailed it.

Seahawks Blog

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Thud. That is the sound of our 2010 season hitting the ground against the cold fieldturf of Qwest Stadium."

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The Saints open the NFL playoffs in Seattle today. Curious why the NFL chose the west coast game as the early game unless maybe they think the other game will be better and more suited to prime time. The Saints are short-handed and it will probably rain or snow. Even short-handed, the Saints have more talent, more experience, a better quarterback, and a better head coach but the Seahawks are playing with house money. No one expects anything out of them. I think they'll meet those expectations today. The Saints should win this game.

In the other game tonight, the Colts are going to send the loudmouthed Jets home for the winter.

About today's QOTD: That's only part of his rant. My opinion of Hugh Hefner's lifestyle has changed considerably over the years but there's no way I could get as worked up about him as that guy did. Live and let live, Egan.

About the quote selected from the BOTD: People are paying extra for a 20oz beer but they're not getting any extra. Reminds me of this from my youth: Automated car wash machines were still fairly new when I started driving. Back then, they advertised "Hot Wax". They charged you extra for it. There were at least two things they didn't tell you. 1) The machines back then couldn't turn it off. You got hot wax whether you paid for it or not. 2) One of the gas station employees I knew told me that they used mineral spirits when they were out of wax.

5 song iTune shuffle from the CrabAppleLane Five Star playlist:

1. American Pie - Don McLean - American Pie
2. Enter Sandman - Metallica - Black Album
3. I'm Just A Singer (In A Rock And Roll Band) - The Moody Blues - Seventh Sojourn
4. Welcome to the Machine - Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here
5. Stone Cold Crazy - Queen - Sheer Heart Attack

Quote of the Day

Hugh Hefner is repulsive.

Timothy Egan, New York Times

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "We received a copy of the YouTube video showing the quantity of liquid served in the 16 oz. beer cup is the same quantity that fits into the 20 oz. beer cup."

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LSU v Texas A&M in the Cotton Bowl tonight. The two universities used to play regularly but discontinued their series 15 years ago. The Tigers have played very well in bowl games under Les Miles and I expect they will tonight. There is considerable speculation that Miles may be headed to Michigan again. This came up three years ago. Then, the Tigers were playing for the national championship and Tiger fans wanted to keep him around. LSU stepped up and offered incentive for him to stay. Now, there are more than a few Tiger fans that hope he'll take it, if offered. Not sure where the university and current AD stand on the issue. Says here Tiger fans will miss that guy when he's gone.

If you're an NFL fan this season and you've seen the Saints and Seahawks play once or twice, you have to love an article that contains a paragraph like this:

And just because top-10 lists are so overdone, I'm going to give you the top 12 reasons why the Seahawks are going to beat, defeat and maybe even pummel the Saints:

That from Jim Moore of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Full speed ahead, Jim.

About today's QOTD: 98.6 was all over the radio one summer when I was a kid (1967 according to Wikipedia). It came up about every third song on the bowling alley jukebox. If you're too young to remember it, you're also probably too young to remember playing a 45rpm record. The link provides that experience. I don't miss the hissing and popping but it's still a fond memory.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Oh, Atlanta - Bad Company - Desolation Angels
2. Spaced - Aerosmith - Get Your Wings
3. 98.6 - Keith - Super Hits 1967
4. Same Situation - Joni Mitchell - Court And Spark
5. In Fortune's Hand - Clannad - Anam

Quote of the Day

Good mornin' sun I say it's good to see you shinin'
I know my baby brought you to me
She kissed me yesterday hello your silver linin'
Got spring and summer runnin' through me
Hey 98.6 it's good to have you back again, oh
Hey 98.6 her lovin' is the medicine that saved me
Oh I love my baby

Keith, 98.6

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Coach Pete Carroll said Thursday that Hasselbeck will start the Seahawks' playoff game against the New Orleans Saints on Saturday, ending a week of speculation and coy responses to inquiries about who would play."

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[Soapbox]There are going to be some loud-mouthed, influential sports pundits calling for a change to the playoff format because they don't like the idea of a 7-9 team getting into the playoffs while two 10-6 teams that beat them stay home. It is an anomaly. It's hardly ever going to happen. I don't like the idea of changing rules whenever we don't like the outcome. The teams that made the playoffs did what they had to do to get in. The teams staying home didn't. The competition committee should convene every 10 years, not every year. Leave the game alone. Let it evolve naturally. Safety-related rules changes should still be adopted as necessary.[/Soapbox]

The Saints came out of yesterday's game with the Bucs pretty nicked up. They also turned their drive to win completely OFF as the scores started coming in from Atlanta. Sean Payton pulled Drew Brees early in the 4th quarter. I'm not at all concerned about the loss. The only thing that concerns me right now is that they'll likely be short-handed this week against the Seahawks. We won't know until game day because Payton is very tight-lipped about injuries. Last year, the Saints coasted for the last game and a half like they were ready for the regular season to be over. They turned it on in the playoffs. I hope they remember where that switch is. It will be a longer, harder road this time.

A tip o the cap and a what were you thinking to the Chicago Bears this morning. I kinda like that you played all out to eliminate the Packers in a game that meant nothing to you but you let your quarterback get sacked 6 times. Dumb.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye - Steam - Rock 'n Roll Relix 1968-1969
2. Feelin' Bad Blues - Ry Cooder - Crossroads
3. Right Now - Mark Knopfler & Emmylou Harris - Real Live Roadrunning
4. Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Parts VI-IX) - Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here
5. Supertzar - Black Sabbath - Sabotage

Quote of the Day

There's no reason why we can't go back and do this again.

Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Listen. You can hear it already. The murmurs, the whispers that will soon turn into a crescendo on Monday morning. The cacophony of complaints that neither the Rams nor the Seahawks are deserving of a playoff berth."

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Today's QOTD uses a little more vivid imagery than I would have but it's absolutely true. The Saints mauled the Bucs the first time out. Their offensive line simply manhandled the Bucs defensive line. They had no chance. How much chance they have today depends entirely on the Saints level of interest in winning the game. Carolina and Atlanta are hooking up in the Georgia Dome. As soon as that game gets out of hand in favor of the Falcons, Sean Payton will start yanking his starters ... despite his claims to the contrary. It would be idiotic to risk getting important players injured in a meaningless half of football if your team is heading into the playoffs.

I offer one from the CrabAppleLane Backyard. We are being overrun by Goldfinches and Chipping Sparrows. We're OK with that. :) Wish we could find some relatively inexpensive, fresh thistle, though. Goldfinches prefer that to the white millet they're getting here. They won't touch stale thistle and the fresh thistle around here is ridiculously expensive.

CrabAppleLane Seed for a Song Feeder - January 2, 2011

5 song iTune shuffle from the CrabAppleLane Top 25 Most Played List:

1. Firefly - Main Theme Song - Joss Whedon - Firefly - 13 plays
2. On Every Street - Dire Straits - On The Night (LIVE) - 8 plays
3. Further On (Up The Road) - Bruce Springsteen - The Rising - 8 plays
4. Lookout Mountain - Drive-By Truckers - The Dirty South - 7 plays
5. Locked Within the Crystal Ball - Blackmore's Night - Secret Voyage - 8 plays

Quote of the Day

The Saints beat the Bucs 31-6 on Oct. 17 at Ray Jay and it was basically a seal-clubbing.

Joe Henderson, The Tampa Tribune

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "This Buccaneer team has had an impressive season, but it still hasn't beaten a team with a winning record."

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I did not know there were any WWI veterans still alive. His cause seems worthy to me. We should have memorials to all of our wars. They are reminders of the cost. Good Luck, Corporal Buckles.

Oddsmakers aren't buying Lovie Smith's claim that his Bears will be playing to win this Sunday at Lambeau. They've installed the Packers as 10pt favorites. I think they'd normally be 3 or 4pt favorites. The Bears will probably know before kickoff if they have any chance to improve their playoff position. If the NFL was serious about teams not going all out, they would "flex" ALL relevant games to the same time on the final weekend or even the final two weekends. 5 of 16 games this week have no playoff implications whatsoever. Play those 5 games early and let everyone else play late. Having the Rams and Seahawks play last is appropriate because that IS a playoff game.

About today's QOTD: I think "fighting for relevancy in the growing mutant world of psychotic political commentators" is one of the funniest true things I've read in a while.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Keep On - Shawn Phillips - Second Contribution
2. Rock 'n Roll With Me - David Bowie - Diamond Dogs
3. The Hands Of Small Children - Marilyn Manson - Smells Like Children
4. Day Of The Eagle - Robin Trower - Bridge Of Sighs
5. I Believe - Tears For Fears - Tears Roll Down (Greatest Hits 82-92)

Quote of the Day

If you missed it, Carlson — fighting for relevancy in the growing mutant world of psychotic political commentators — called for the execution of Michael Vick this week for crimes against past Labradors, never mind the 23 months he already spent in prison and the loss of 27 gazillion dollars. I think it pretty much confirms Vick is not on Carlson’s Fantasy League team.

Jeff Schultz, Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Last night’s MNF game was entertaining to say the least, but did little to help the Buccaneers make the playoffs."

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The Town has an all star cast, a fabulous trailer, and a couple of plots winding through it. There wasn't much suspense, though. A busy, machine gun wielding, bank robbing crew can't just meld into the landscape forever. The film and director Ben Affleck both recognize that and it moves right along. On the way to its inevitable conclusion, it turns in a pretty good movie. The performances overwhelm the story. That's almost always the case with this kind of cast. Too bad. I think they had the ingredients here to make an unforgettable film. You know those films you've seen many times and still think about? The Town won't be one of those.

A tip of the cap to the Minnesota Vikings on a surprising effort last night. They didn't look like they had any life in them last week against the Bears but they slapped a very good Eagles team around last night at the Linc in Philadelphia. I don't know that Joe Webb is their long term answer at quarterback but he pretty much put Tarvaris Jackson out of business in Minnesota. As for the Eagles, I cannot get over how they laid such a big egg with so much at stake. They had a very good shot at a bye. Gone now. They'll very likely have to play the Packers, who beat them at the Linc way back in Week 1.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Live And Let Die - Guns N' Roses - Use Your Illusion I
2. So Many Things to Say - Wishbone Ash - Wishbone Four
3. Fade To Black - Dire Straits - On Every Street
4. All The King's Men - Tom Cochrane - Mad Mad World
5. Country Girl: Whiskey Boot Hill/Down, Down, Down/Country Girl (I Think You're Pretty) - Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young - Déjà Vu

Quote of the Day

This is the not fucking around crew so get me something that looks like a print because this not fucking around thing is about to go both ways.

FBI Special Agent Adam Frawley, The Town

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "What remains to be seen is whether the Saints go for broke and play all their starters for the duration of Sunday's game."

I think they will. -Rob

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Looks like the Saints can still play on the big stage. It wasn't pretty. Well, that's not entirely true. The last two Saints drives were very pretty. They were a 90-yard drive for the touchdown to go ahead and a 3-minute drive to kill the clock. They still have a lot to work on but it was a good win. To borrow a popular current movie title, the Saints have True Grit. They didn't play all that well but still beat one of the best teams in the NFL at their place. Next time and I really think there will be a next time, I'd like to see how well the Falcons handle the Saints without so much help FROM the Saints. They played fairly stupid in both games against the Falcons this year and they still coulda shoulda woulda won both of them. They can play much better than they did last night and that can't be too comforting to the Falcons.

Drew Brees v Matt Ryan: There have been a lot of comparisons made between the two quarterbacks in the last few weeks. Brees tries to make plays and the bar is set very high on him. It's been difficult to watch this year because he's made some terrible mistakes. He made one last night. Ryan's sole function is to not make mistakes and the bar on him is set much lower. To be fair, he usually doesn't make mistakes. He doesn't throw into tight coverage. If his receivers are not wide open, he doesn't throw to them. I'm sure that's the directive from his head coach and he's very good at what he does. When the game was on the line last night, though, Drew made plays. Matt didn't.

I agree with today's QOTD. The Saints will see more of the blitz. They've seen more than their share of exotic defenses this year. Can't wait to see how the other playoff teams fare when they start seeing them in about two weeks. :)

I'll probably watch some Tuesday Night Football tonight ... because I never have. I was not born the last time the NFL played a Tuesday Night game. The Eagles are a potential playoff opponent for the Saints.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Almost Seems (Too Late To Turn) - Clannad - Macalla
2. Swayin' To The Music (Slow Dancin') - Johnny Rivers - Johnny Rivers Anthology: 1964-1977
3. Under My Wheels - Alice Cooper - Killer
4. Going To California - Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin IV
5. The Lemon Song - Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin II

Quote of the Day

The Saints won and Brees delivered when it mattered most, so you can't say Atlanta's blitz-happy defensive strategy was a total success. But I'm sure opposing defenses would rather take their chances with New Orleans having to throw 49 times to generate just 17 points, believing they'll eventually force Brees into some game-changing mistakes.

Don Banks, Sports Illustrated

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "This had all the hallmarks of heartbreak. A team at home against a hated divisional rival, playoff implications abounding and an inexplicable implosion that makes fans grind their teeth into a fine powder. And you know what? That sucks. I'm not going to drench it in a glaze made of fairy giggles and unicorn joy."

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The Saints take on the Falcons tonight in a game that is much bigger for the Saints than the Falcons. A Falcons win tonight will wrap up the division and the top seed and they could then rest their starters next week. A Saints win tonight will wrap up a #5 wildcard seed, keep them alive for the division and the top seed, and force the Falcons to play their starters next week against Carolina at least for a little while. The #5 seed is the considerably more desirable wildcard berth. The #5 seed will end up in St Louis or Seattle. The #6 seed will end up in Philadelphia or Chicago.

Now, for the game ...

When the Falcons are on offense, they are the most patient, most deliberate team in the NFL. They're the kind of team that drive other fans crazy. They run, throw short passes, convert third downs, and they keep moving the chains and eating the clock. They'll take a few shots downfield to keep defenses honest but they're mostly a grind-it-out sort of team. The Saints defense will have opportunities to get them off of the field on third down. They'll have to step up and do it. A few turnovers wouldn't hurt.

When the Saints are on offense, they pose problems for the Falcons all over the field. The Saints stopped themselves in the last game with turnovers and stupid penalties. They still should have won. The Saints have been pretty quiet all week. I'm hoping all of this talk about the the Falcons Matt Ryan being better than Drew Brees this year is having the effect I think it's having. I'm expecting a big night out of Drew. If they take care of the ball, they WILL take care of the Falcons.

One other thing: The Georgia Dome may be home to the Falcons but there will be a lot of Saints fans there tonight. It is a great night for football. Oh, and

Another one bites the dust. Today's QOTD is about the fired 49ers head coach, Mike Singletary. I think he might have been a better head coach had his opportunity come up later in his career. He wasn't ready.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Althea - Robin Trower - Essential
2. Dried Up, Tied And Dead To The World - Marilyn Manson - Antichrist Superstar
3. Planet Of New Orleans - Dire Straits - On Every Street
4. Last Kiss - J. Frank Wilson & The Cavaliers - AM Gold: The Mid-'60s
5. Before You Accuse Me - Eric Clapton - Unplugged

Quote of the Day

What everybody saw was Singletary getting in another heated argument with his quarterback, this time engaging with Troy Smith a few series before he benched him in favor of Alex Smith in the fourth quarter.

David White, San Francisco Chronicle Staff Writer

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Matt Ryan should have time to throw the ball against the Saints so he should have success throwing the ball down the field. Roddy White, Michael Jenkins & Tony Gonzalez should be able to make some plays against the Saints’ secondary."

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Here's the thing about constantly trying to attract attention to yourself. You tend to get it. I have not seen Rex and Michelle Ryan's foot fetish video and don't care to see it. What consenting adults do is their own business ... until it ends up on the WORLD WIDE WEB. Saying it's a "personal matter" is not ever going to make it go away. Even though some may have a personal ick factor about such things, I say you should just embrace it, Rex, ... for foot fetishists everywhere. :)

First things first. Congratulations to my niece, Brianne.

The Saints lost a tough one yesterday in Baltimore. They couldn't stop Ray Rice at critical times. No excuses. They were beaten. However, the Falcons win in Seattle rendered this game moot anyway. They now need a miracle to win the division. They'll have to beat the Falcons next Monday night and the Bucs the following week but the miracle will have to come in the form of the Falcons losing the following week at home to Carolina. Not likely. The only thing left for their regular season now is to go to Atlanta, wrap up the #5 seed, slap the Falcons around a little bit, and make them play their starters against Carolina. Just do it, guys. Go into the postseason this time with a little momentum.

From Mike Florio at PFT:

With all due respect to the four other NFC teams that will qualify for the playoffs, it’s hard not to root to see Vick return to the Georgia Dome in a conference title game.

For the record, I will not have any difficulty doing exactly that.

I'm really curious to see how the field holds up tonight at TCF Bank Stadium in Minneapolis and how the players hold up as the temps drop and the field hardens even more. I'll surely check in on it but I won't watch it in its entirety. I'm obviously not an engineer or a safety expert but I wonder why they didn't just stabilize the roof and play the game in the Metrodome with the rips and tears. I wonder if this is the first time a team played two Monday night games in a row. .

I love today's QOTD. How does a pretty decent team give up 4 touchdowns in less than half of one quarter? It should be noted that Andy Reid and the Eagles fought on late in the 4th quarter even though they were down by three touchdowns. Last year, with a similar amount of time left also down by three touchdowns, Bill Belichick and the Patriots raised a white flag.

5 song iTune shuffle from the CrabAppleLane Five Star playlist:

1. Green Grass And High Tides - The Outlaws - Harley-Davidson Cycles: Road Songs
2. A Hole To Hide In - Foghat - Foghat
3. Down To The River To Pray - Alison Krauss & Union Station - Live
4. Anyone's Daughter - Deep Purple - Fireball
5. Going Home [Theme of the Local Hero] - Mark Knopfler - Local Hero

Quote of the Day

With a few minutes left in the game and the Giants leading by three touchdowns, I decided to pick up a few things at the pharmacy, assuming the game was over and assuming a Giant victory. I just returned from the pharmacy. I now must make a second trip to pick up some vodka.

Job from Princeton, N.J.

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "We said goodbye to "Aunt Louise", to Rob Schulte's sister and to the greatest hurricane expert that ever lived, Mr. Nash Roberts."

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Today figures to be a tough game for the Saints. I know the Baltimore Ravens pretty much by reputation only. I don't get to see them that much. I watched some of their game Monday night versus the Texans. The Ravens defense did not live up to their reputation in that game. I expect them to revert to form today but they're going to see a Saints offense who can do everything the Texans did and I expect they'll try to do just that. They'll play up tempo, run personnel groups in and out, and make the Ravens pass rush a lot and chase receivers, tight ends, and running backs all over the field. It figures to be a slugfest but if the Saints take care of the ball, they'll take care of the Ravens. Just one more thing

I offer one from the backyard today. Hope it's this nice where you are, especially if you're in Baltimore. :)

CrabAppleLane Backyard - December 19, 2010

5 song iTune shuffle from the CrabAppleLane Five Star playlist starting with "N”:

1. Natural Thing - UFO - No Heavy Petting
2. Never Gonna Change - Drive-By Truckers - The Dirty South
3. New Slang - The Shins - Oh, Inverted World
4. No Easy Road - Wishbone Ash - Wishbone Four
5. Not Fragile - Bachman-Turner Overdrive - Not Fragile

Quote of the Day

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "When the Ravens have the ball: The Ravens don’t likely want to engage in a shootout with the Saints. With that in mind, I think they are going to come out running the ball with Ray Rice & Willis McGahee this Sunday. The Saints only have 9 interceptions so far this year so Joe Flacco should have plenty of time to throw the ball. Flacco will likely take some shots down the field to Anquan Boldin, T.J. Houshmandzadeh and Derrick Mason."

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Can't say I saw that coming. I haven't been keeping up but I thought the Rangers and Yankees were the only clubs in the running for star pitcher, Cliff Lee. Putting Lee on the staff with Cole Hamels, Roy Oswalt, and Roy Halladay gives the Phillies four aces. In poker, four aces is not unbeatable but it's pretty good. Same in baseball. Doesn't quite solve their Giants problem, though. The Giants not only eliminated the Phillies last year, they beat Lee twice in the World Series. There's your two favorites in the National League. When is spring training?

Didn't get to see any of the Vikings-Giants game last night. It wasn't shown here. Dave has a summary from a Viking fan perspective. There are a few storylines to the game but the main one will be the rather unceremonious end to Brett Favre's most famous record (297 consecutive games started) and, quite possibly, his career. There is no reason for him to play now. The Vikings are eliminated from postseason contention and they need to start looking for some answers for the future. Brett cannot be in their future. I like Brett and I'll remember him as the battered and bloodied warrior from last year's NFC Championship game. Unfortunately, this normally forgettable season will be remembered for all of the wrong reasons: The Childress firing, the Randy Moss trade and release, and the Sterger mess. Vikings fans deserved better.

Didn't see much of the Ravens-Texans game last night. The Saints travel to Baltimore this Sunday to take on the Ravens. I'm encouraged that the vaunted Ravens defense gave up 28 points and almost 500 yards. Still figures to be a tough game. Bring the wood, Saints.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. C'mon Everybody - Humble Pie - Smokin'
2. The "In" Crowd - Ramsey Lewis Trio - AM Gold 1965
3. Storm Of Worry-(w Eric Clapton) - Sonny Landreth - From The Reach
4. Shotgun In My Soul - Cowboy Mouth - Mercyland
5. We Hide & Seek - Alison Krauss & Union Station - Live

Quote of the Day

If ya got a lady and ya want her gone
But you aint got the guts
She keeps naggin at ya night and day
Enough to drive you nuts
Pick up the phone
Leave her alone
It's time you made a stand
For a fee
I'm happy to be
Your back door man

Ac/DC, Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "It's going to be an intense week in Owings Mills with the New Orleans Saints coming to town. I don't see how the Ravens defense is going to slow down Drew Brees, and all the balls the Texans were dropping in the first half, the Saints will likely be catching next week."

I'd like to think that, too, but the Saints have had their share of drops and Drew is throwing untimely interceptions. They'll need to play better this week. -Rob

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What a classy organization the New York Jets are. From the New York Times:

The Post’s Brian Lewis said he tried to talk with Alosi after the game, but security intervened.

Alosi tripped a player from the other team that was running past the Jet sideline and the team's first reaction was to circle the wagons? Yeah, that'll play well.

Sam Bradford looks like a guy the Rams can build around. He made some mistakes yesterday but so did the much more experienced Drew Brees. I'm glad to see Brees and the Saints overcoming their turnovers but I'd much rather see the turnovers eliminated or at least reduced. His first interception was just an awful pass. The team they play next week, the Ravens, in Baltimore won't be nearly as forgiving. I talked a little bit yesterday about Steven Jackson. Seeing him yesterday didn't change one thing in my eyes. The guy can play. What struck me, though, was his very short stride when he runs the ball. It's kind of surprising for such a big man and I had never noticed it before. For contrast, the smaller Adrian Peterson has a much longer stride. He practically gallops. I don't think it's good or bad, just unusual.

Today's QOTD is about the Cowboys' Tashard Choice getting the Eagles' Michael Vick to sign his glove after the Eagles had just beaten the Cowboys. I have to let everything about that roll about in my skull for a while before I undoubtedly say nothing about it.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Hey Baby - Ted Nugent - Ted Nugent
2. Cluck Old Hen - Alison Krauss & Union Station - Live
3. I Do Not Want This - Nine Inch Nails - The Downward Spiral
4. Rock 'N Roll Widow - Wishbone Ash - Wishbone Four
5. Bring It On Home - Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin II

Quote of the Day

The autograph, according to Choice, was for a young family member who is a big fan of Vick.

Tim McMahon, ESPN

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "The Ravens should dismantle the Texans and while their offense is too good to shut down, they should be able to outscore them and wear them down in the latter stages of the game to a point that a last minute comeback is out of the question. A win will keep them firmly in the hunt of the playoff race and within striking distance of the AFC North division leading Steelers."

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I'm convinced that the only difference between me and professional mechanics, aside from the knowledge, training, and experience, is that they always know where their tools are and I don't. I spent a good 20 minutes today looking for my grease gun. Speaking of grease guns, the manual has pretty explicit step-by-step instructions for how to load the grease gun for the first time but no instructions whatsoever for how to replace the old cartridge.

I offer two images from the job. The axle shaft in the first image should be straight.

Old - December 12, 2010

New - December 12, 2010

About today's QOTD: The Giants-Vikings game was already under duress because the Minneapolis weather had shut down air travel. The Giants were diverted to Kansas City yesterday. Now, because of the Metrodome's roof failure this morning, they will play this week's game in Detroit ... assuming the Vikings can get out of Minneapolis. It will be a road game for both teams. I'm wondering what kind of attendance it will generate. I doubt it will be much of a home crowd for the Vikes or a hostile crowd for the Giants. If you don't mind an short ad, FoxSports has some quite remarkable footage of the collapse.

I tend to agree with Chicago Bear Quarterback Jay Cutler and you won't often hear me say that. Normally, I think he's a big baby. Soldier Field in Chicago has the worst playing surface in the NFL.

The Saints and I get our first good look at Sam Bradford in a Rams uniform today. Still not sure why this game was scheduled for 3PM instead of noon. St Louis and New Orleans are both on Central Standard Time. I hope the Saints are not taking the Rams lightly. Steven Jackson is a great player by any standard and would probably be a Hall of Fame candidate had he been playing somewhere else for his entire career. They'll have to contain him at least a little and get the Rams in some 3rd and long situations. I'd like to see 60 minutes of football out of the Saints today. It would be a first for 2010. Broken record time. If they take care of the ball, they'll take care of the Rams. And one more thing:

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Everywhere I Go - Lissie - Catching a Tiger
2. Hey Jealousy - Gin Blossoms - New Miserable Experience
3. Yukon Railroad - The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band - Uncle Charlie & His Dog Teddy
4. Run Baby Run - Garbage - Bleed Like Me
5. The Sounds Of Silence - Simon & Garfunkel - Simon & Garfunkel's Greatest Hits

Quote of the Day

Shortly after 5 a.m. [Sunday] it appears that three panels of the Teflon roof gave way to the pressure

Roy Terwilliger, Head of the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "On Sunday, December 12, the Minnesota Vikings will square off with the New York Giants. The Minnesota Vikings are coming off of a 38-14 win over the Buffalo Bills and have won 2 straight."

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I had never heard of Bob Lamey until yesterday although I have heard some snippets of his broadcasts. He is the Indianapolis Colts play-by-play man. Just about every show NFL Films puts together uses the team's own broadcast team's remarks on the soundtrack. They're never named and I hardly ever know who they are. They are employed by the various teams and their broadcasts belong to the teams and the NFL. Any show featuring the Colts or Colts players will have the Colts broadcast team on the soundtrack. There is one call of Lamey's that I've heard more than a few times. It is today's QOTD from Super Bowl XLIV on the Pierre Thomas touchdown. ENTIRELY is emphasized because that's how he said it.

Lamey is in a little hot water today because he made some extremely disparaging remarks about Peyton Manning. He has apologized to Manning but I'm not sure that will be enough. What he said is out there. More of the story here, if you're interested. Basically, he said the league has figured Manning out, that the Colts should bench him in favor of his backup, Curtis Painter, for the remainder of the season, and that the Colts should draft his replacement next year. WOW ... where to start. Not only was that dumb to say out loud, it's dumb to even think. Peyton is still the star of the show in Indy. This isn't his best year but the Colts have a lot of problems. They have a terrible offensive line, no running game, and limited options in the passing game but their biggest problem is that they have become overly dependent on spectacular play from him. The league hasn't figured out Peyton Manning as was suggested, they have figured out the 2010 Colts. Make sure your resumè is up to date, Lamey. I think your days are numbered.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Time - David Bowie - Aladdin Sane
2. Carouselambra - Led Zeppelin - In Through The Out Door
3. I Don't Need No Doctor - Humble Pie - Rockin' The Filmore
4. I'm A Believer - The Monkees - AM Gold 1966
5. Under My Wheels - Alice Cooper - Killer

Quote of the Day

We're not tackling. We're not doing anything right now and the Colts are behind for the first time and this game has swung ENTIRELY to the New Orleans Saints.

Bob Lamey, Super Bowl XLIV

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Sure, like everyone else I know in the Colts organization, Bob gets red-faced and mad at me whenever I write anything critical of the team. Bob is fiercely loyal to the blue shoe, and he's as much of a Colts homer as any Colts fan who goes out there with blue paint on their bare chest and cheers for the defense on Sundays."

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After watching parts of the Ravens-Steelers game last night, I would say that both teams are living more on reputation than skill. Good quarterbacks can throw the ball easily against both of those vaunted, over-hyped defenses.

The Pats-Jets game tonight looks like fun. Doubt I'll see much of it.

My fantasy teams are pretty much done except for consolation tournaments. One will finish at 4-9 and the other could still win tonight to go 6-7 if the Jets D/ST can get me four points somehow.

My Saints won a squeaker yesterday but they can't be happy with the way they're playing. I like that they're still finding ways to win. Not so crazy about the way they're creating those opportunities. They're doing so by not finishing off their opponents. They've done it that way the last two weeks and that's like playing with fire. Good to see that they can do it but it's time to put that back in their bag of tricks and store it for later use against the better teams. If they hadn't set the bar so high last year, it would be noted here that the Bengals and Cowboys both have more talent than their records indicate and that their problems mainly reside between their ears. As close as the Saints were to those guys, I'm hoping stupid football is not contagious. The Saints are showing those symptoms, though. It's time to quit fooling around, guys.

I like this quote from Sports Illustrated's Peter King:

Drew Brees is very good at the No-Brainer Freeze. Pat Sims is not.

The No-Brainer Freeze is a play the Saints run on 4th down. They line up like they're going for the first down but they have no intention of snapping the ball. They go through the whole exercise for the sole purpose of drawing the other team offsides. Drew does it very well but that's not why it works. It works and has worked several times in the last five years for one reason and one reason only: Sean Payton's aggressive reputation. There is always the chance that they actually are going for it.

In more important news, I love ordering pizza online and I love picking it up on my way home. I also love being able to pay for it online. I do not like having to sign a credit card receipt that has a line for a tip. All they're doing is turning around, locating my order, and handing it to me. That does not rate a tip in my opinion but you'll get a dirty look if you don't give one. I have started to put just $1 on that line regardless of the amount of the order but I'd rather not see or sign anything.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Little Lovin' - Lissie - Catching a Tiger
2. The Jack - AC/DC - High Voltage
3. Stay - David Bowie - Station To Station
4. Love Is Here And Now You're Gone - The Supremes - The Ultimate Collection
5. Shining In The Light - Page & Plant - Walking Into Clarksdale

Quote of the Day

Are we in first place? I don't know. We've got New Orleans on Sunday.

Steve Spagnuolo, St Louis Rams Head Coach

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "The Rams won this game on guts. Fortunes turned on the Cardinals this season, but, as expected, Arizona head coach Ken Whisenhunt had them ready to make a stand. Arizona's defense, in particular, played tough, physical football, defending the bunker with the ferocity you might expect from a last garrison. The Rams were tougher."

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Man, I must be old: When I started working and I first had to see someone's driver's license, I remember thinking this person is "really old". He had a 4-digit Louisiana license number. I had a low 7-digit Louisiana license number at the time so the number of people that got their license between him and I was in the low seven digits. I thought that to be a fairly good indicator of age. I saw a high 8-digit Louisiana license number the other day. I don't care to think about it any more.

New discovery: Stopped at the local Winn-Dixie grocery store yesterday to pick up some ham and turkey for po-boys for lunch. When I asked for a pound and a half of smoked turkey, the nice lady at their deli counter asked me if I'd like to try their in-store rotisserie turkey. Sure, why not? I have always loved to make sandwiches with leftover turkey. It was the best part of Thanksgiving dinner and Christmas dinner. Store-bought sliced turkey is just not as good. This rotisserie turkey is. Thank you, Winn-Dixie deli lady.

NCAA: Congratulations to the Auburn Tigers for their SEC Championship. I expect them to take care of Oregon, too. TCU at 12-0 is odd Horned Frog out. They did everything they could do and it wasn't enough. Nothing fair about it and, once again, the NCAA and BCS will have to explain themselves. That part is good.

NFL: Saints are in Cincinnati today battling the Bengals AND the elements. Expecting wind, bitter cold, and snow flurries. Advantage: Bengals.

Images: I offer two from the backyard. One was taken this morning and the other was taken about 8 months ago. That bright green grass you see in the garden is rye grass. I haven't planted rye grass in many, many years. It typically doesn't come back on its own in this area. I think tilling the garden in the spring for tomato planting protects the rye seeds from the hot Bush summer sun.

After - CrabAppleLane Backyard - December 5, 2010

Before - CrabAppleLane Vegetable Garden - April 3, 2010

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Ballad of Dwight Fry - Alice Cooper - Love It to Death
2. Feelin' Bad Blues - Ry Cooder - Crossroads
3. She Came In Through The Bathroom Window - Joe Cocker - Joe Cocker!
4. Bargain - The Who - Who's Next
5. Come Sail Away - Styx - The Grand Illusion

Quote of the Day

I think I lost some weight there
And I'm sure I need some rest
Sleeping don't come very easy
In a straight white vest

Alice Cooper, Ballad of Dwight Fry

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "When Portland designer, filmmaker, and photographer Lubosh Cech was ready to build his own chicken coop, he wanted it to be a work of art."

The blog features about 1001 ways to build a chicken coup ... with pictures. Awesome. -Rob

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About the Falcons-Packers: I watched this game yesterday. The Falcons are the most methodical team in the NFL. They're very patient. They run the ball, they throw short passes, they move the chains, they eat the clock, and they don't make a lot of silly mistakes or take stupid penalties. The Packers are infinitely more exciting but they couldn't get ahead and get the Falcons out of their game.

About the Bills-Steelers: That was the third tough overtime loss for the Bills this season. They're on the right track. This will make them stronger. And dude, YOU HAVE TO CATCH THAT. James Harrison, a weak case could be made FOR you for some of your other fines this season. Someone other than me would have to make it, though. The NFL is going to throw the book at you for that one yesterday (I think it's the first highlight here if you haven't seen it). Not like you haven't been warned, Harrison. Wonder if he'll think about quitting again.

About the Texans-Titans: Most fistfights in football are laughable. You're much more likely to hurt yourself if you land a punch than you are to hurt the other guy. Yesterday's fistfight was different. The two players got each others' helmets off. One of those players, Johnson, is a superstar and the other, Finnegan, is a journeyman. Fines will hurt the journeyman more but suspensions will hurt the superstar. Fines to the players don't hurt the teams and, in this case, they shouldn't. Marginal players starting fights with superstars for the sole purpose of getting both players ejected is one of the oldest tricks in the book. Johnson should have known better.

One last thing: From Sports Illustrated's Peter King:

This is going to be a very good week if you're a fan of the Saints. Trust me on that one.

This Saints fan has no idea what he means and I don't trust him on that one. Sorry.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Kentucky Woman - Neil Diamond - Classics: The Early Years
2. Morning Morgantown - Joni Mitchell - Ladies Of The Canyon (Remastered)
3. Sinking Like A Sunset - Tom Cochrane - Mad Mad World
4. Down the Dustpipe - Status Quo - STATUS QUO The Collection
5. Reflections - The Supremes - The Ultimate Collection

Quote of the Day

Matt Ryan, operating at a more deliberate pace out of the power formations instead of the team's no-huddle offense, completed 24 of 28 passes for 198 yards and one touchdown. Atlanta won the time of possession battle, 31:40 to 28:20.

D. Orlando Ledbetter, Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Cincinnati once again had the ball teed up and in position only to have it yanked away by Lucy in a 26-10 Thanksgiving loss to the New York Jets. And in case you’re wondering, Lucy plays for the Cincinnati Bengals on offense, defense, and special teams. She coaches as well."

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You might think online shopping would lessen the impact of Black Friday for retailers. If it has, it is negligible. Retailers still have sales today, still open early, and consumers still stampede to get in on it. The throngs of shoppers will be orderly in most places but not all. I wish retailers would abandon this tradition. The only thing worse than shopping in one of those retail stores on Black Friday is working in one of those retail stores on Black Friday. If you work in retail today, you have my condolences.

The Saints took back a game that was almost taken from them yesterday. They came out smoking but then fell into the funk they've been in all season of turnovers, missed opportunities, and just not finishing the job. They are still a work in progress. The Saints' Malcolm Jenkins made a great play to strip the ball from the Cowboys' Roy Williams. That guy should have been doing everything to protect against it. He should have gone down as soon as a defender got near him. Said it's "not in his nature" to do that. I agree. Playing smart is not in his nature. They needed the ball more than they needed the points. Better luck next time, Roy, for you and your new team. That play gave the ball to the Saints at their own 11yd line down by 4 with 3 minutes to play. They covered those 89 yards in a little over a minute. I was worried they scored too soon.

I read somewhere last night that the Cowboys had to use a silent count at times in yesterday's game against the Saints. Teams use a silent count in hostile stadiums where the opposing team's fan noise is loud. The Cowboys were home yesterday but some estimates had as many as 30,000 Saints fans on hand in Dallas. 30,000 Saints fans versus 63,000 Cowboys fans --- Advantage: Saints. :) Oh, yeah ...

There has been talk both last year and this year about taking the traditional Thanksgiving game away from the Lions because of ratings and their perennial troubles fielding a decent team. Too bad. If I had a vote, it would be a resounding NO to that. The Lions started this and it's a fine tradition. It belongs to them more than it does the NFL. Leave them alone.

5 song iTune shuffle from the CrabAppleLane Five Star playlist starting with "C”:

1. Communication Breakdown - Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin I
2. The Circle Game - Joni Mitchell - Ladies Of The Canyon (Remastered)
3. Choctaw Hayride - Alison Krauss & Union Station - Live
4. Christmas Canon Rock - Trans-Siberian Orchestra - The Lost Christmas Eve
5. Crazy On You - Heart - Dreamboat Annie

Quote of the Day

Instead of getting ugly, instead of the approximately 30,000 Saints fans in the crowd of more than 90,000 at Cowboys Stadium having one of their all-day parties, the Cowboys turned the game upside down.

Tim Cowlishaw, The Dallas Morning News

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "The day is both anticipated and dreaded. The day is greatly anticipated by parents wanting to get the best deal on gifts for the kids. It's anticipated by businesses hoping to push into the profit range (getting out of the "red" and into the "black"). It's dreaded by the people working in retail."

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Happy Thanksgiving
From CrabAppleLane

The Saints need a win today in Dallas. A win would put pressure on the Falcons and Bucs in the division. They have tough games this week, too. The Cowboys are pretty much eliminated from playoff contention so they can throw caution to the wind. I expect them to be fired up, too. The Saints will have to be ready for anything and everything. I hate this kind of game and I'm thinking Saints Head Coach Sean Payton does, too. Still, I can't help but sound like a broken record so here it is: If the Saints take care of the ball, they'll take care of the Cowboys.

If you decide to watch today's Saints-Cowboys game, look for some very healthy Saints support in Dallas. A lot of Saints fans are going to that game.

About today's QOTD: How many injuries and deaths due to consumer stampedes will it take before we decide that the Black Friday tradition needs to die? We shouldn't be glorifying it, enhancing it, or justifying it. We should be doing what I and the rest of the sane universe will be doing tomorrow: Avoiding it.

5 song iTune shuffle from the CrabAppleLane Five Star playlist starting with "C”:

1. Cocaine Habit - Old Crow Medicine Show - Big Iron World
2. The Calm Before - Elijah Bossenbroek - Harmony in Disarray
3. Caleb Meyer - Gillian Welch & David Rawlings - Hell Among The Yearlings
4. Classical Gas - Mason Williams - Am Gold 1968
5. Christmas Eve (Sarajevo 12/24) - Trans-Siberian Orchestra - Christmas Eve And Other Stories

Quote of the Day

So you've camped out all night in front of the store, you're tracking the special deals by cellphone, you're quick-witted and agile. So who's going to beat you out for the hottest deal when the door opens? Someone with a store floor plan, of course. But not anymore. Click here to for USA TODAY's searchable link to store plans in your area. Seriously.

Doug Stanglin, USA Today

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "When these two teams met last season, the one area that really stood out for the Cowboys was their ability to make plays in their nickel defense. There is going to be a tremendous amount of pressure on the Cowboys secondary in this game. Mike Jenkins, Terence Newman and Orlando Scandrick will need to be at their best if the Cowboys are going to be successful in this game."

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I've now seen a few episodes of The League. From its website: "Set against the backdrop of Fantasy Football, The League is about friendship, marriage, parenting, and growing up or refusing to grow up.". That's fairly accurate from what I've seen so far. It has some really funny moments and it features enough fantasy football truth to make any player smile. I like that the show thinks there are enough of us to comprise a worthwhile audience because there is a lot of stuff in it that only fantasy football players will get. The show depicts a fantasy football league that hardly exists any more. There is razzing, trash-talking, and gamesmanship. Neither one of the leagues I'm in is much like that. I kinda wish they were. The League is CME for fantasy football players. What's not to like?

About today's QOTD: The Saints offense has not looked sharp for a whole game all season. They're overdue for a big performance.

5 song iTune shuffle from the CrabAppleLane Five Star playlist starting with "R”:

1. Rockin' In The Free World - Neil Young - Freedom
2. Red Staggerwing - Mark Knopfler & Emmylou Harris - All The Roadrunning
3. Rock Bottom - UFO - Phenomenon
4. Romeo And Juliet - Mark Knopfler & Emmylou Harris - Real Live Roadrunning
5. Rollin' On - Mark Knopfler & Emmylou Harris - All The Roadrunning

Quote of the Day

Repeatedly using his deceptive eyes to move the Seahawks secondary out of position like pawns on a chessboard, Brees finally silenced a spoiled contingent of Who Dats (for this week, anyway) that grumbled aloud about why the Saints offense had yet to look like the Super Bowl Saints offense.

William Kalec, Tacoma News Tribune

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Nobody's "cooler" than Jon Kitna."

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Nail-biter for the Tigers in Baton Rouge Saturday. Ole Miss and LSU have played some of the most bizarre games in NCAA history. That's a post for another day because there are so many that I'm certain to leave something out. On to Little Rock for a showdown with the Hogs.

Very sloppy win by the Saints yesterday. They had some good moments but I didn't find them particularly sharp. The defense gave up too many plays and the offense left a lot of points on the field. Drew Brees threw two interceptions in the endzone. They can play better and they really need to start doing it. On the plus side, they're short-handed on both sides of the ball and that won't last forever. On to Dallas for a Thanksgiving Day tilt with the rejuvenated Cowboys.

Speaking of Dallas, 47 years now. WOW. A much more delightful occurrence happened a few years later on this day. Happy Birthday, Fi.

Good year if you're an NFL head-coaching candidate. I think there will be a lot of choices for you. Dallas, Minnesota, San Francisco, Cincinnati, and Carolina will have openings. There may also be openings in New York if the Giants fade again, Chicago if the Bears don't make the postseason, and Cleveland if Holmgren decides he wants to coach again.

5 song iTune shuffle from the CrabAppleLane Five Star playlist starting with "R”:

1. Robot Man - Scorpions - In Trance
2. Rebel Yell - Billy Idol - Rebel Yell
3. Roundabout - Yes - Fragile
4. Rock And Roll - Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin IV
5. Rock 'N Roll Widow - Wishbone Ash - Wishbone Four

Quote of the Day

Indeed, if the Saints can’t find a way to overcome the one-game lead that Atlanta holds in the AFC South, New Orleans would have to get back to the Super Bowl not via a pair of black-and-gold parties in the Superdome, but by winning a trio of January road games, possibly in places like Lambeau Field.

Mike Florio, ProFootballTalk

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "He may not have been mad, but the idea of kayaking solo around Ireland in three months is a daunting one, and Duff’s narrative takes us into the quaint villages along the coast, the ancient ruins and castles that dot the shore, and the blistering storms and waves that batter the western shore."

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Congratulations to Sheila O'Malley on 8 years blogging. I stumbled across her blog almost 7 years ago. Her blog is a joy.

One of my favorites of hers. I remember where I was and what I was doing that day.

Glad to see The Beatles finally arrive on iTunes. I don't need their whole collection but I do have a few songs I'd like to have that weren't worth the price of buying complete CDs. You ever ponder what one single song of theirs generated in revenue? The Beatles Hard Day's Night was released on 45, on LP, on several compilations, on CD, on CD compilations, on remastered CD, and now, digital.

$40 million guaranteed, $78 million total? For Donovan McNabb? That's just a whisker below superstar QB money. I like McNabb but he's just a whisker above journeyman. A few tiers were skipped. I hope he got that contract signed before last night's performance. Dan Snyder is right up there with Jerry Jones in the How-To-Wreck-A-Franchise column. The Redskins are insane. Carry on, please.

Speaking of last night: Much as I hate to say it, Michael Vick is playing his way into a big contract for next year.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Blue Angel-(w Robben Ford & Vince Gill) - Sonny Landreth - From The Reach
2. Sea And Sand - The Who - Quadrophenia
3. Little Things - Bush - Sixteen Stone
4. I Dreamt I Dwelt In Marble Halls - Meav - Méav
5. Road Fever - Foghat - Rock & Roll

Quote of the Day

A spokesman for Prince Charles said Prince William gave Kate Middleton the engagement ring that belonged to his late mother, Princess Diana.

NBC News

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "It’s either awesome or pathetic. Let’s go with awesome!"

Absolutely. Awesome. -Rob

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Wasn't much of a weekend at CrabAppleLane for football. The Saints were off and LSU played an in-state powderpuff for homecoming. LSU's National Championship hopes went up in smoke when Auburn beat Georgia Saturday but I'd surely like to see them close out with wins against Ole Miss and Arkansas and get a shot at Oregon, Boise St, or TCU.

About today's BOTD: A lot of the bowl prognostications I'm seeing have Auburn losing to Alabama in the Iron Bowl in a couple of weeks and falling out of BCS favor. I have seen both teams play many times this season. Auburn is the better team. That's not to say they'll win. The game is in Tuscaloosa and the Tide is formidable but it is certainly not a foregone conclusion that they'll lose. From the prognosticator at CrabAppleLane: If Cam Newton plays, they'll win the Iron Bowl, the SEC Championship Game, and the BCS National Championship Game. If Newton takes one step toward the line of scrimmage when he's back to pass, all of his receivers break open or he runs for a touchdown.

I don't know who is the best team in the NFL at the moment but it aint the Steelers. They're great against the run but a good passing team beats them. It aint the Giants, either. They give up too many big plays. That was their problem last year, too. One other thing: Contrary to what the sports pundits say, the top teams in the NFC can certainly hold their own with the top teams in the AFC.

About today's QOTD: The Bears-Vikings game was the one broadcast in the New Orleans area yesterday in the absence of a Saints game. I feel for my Minnesota relatives and friends. The Vikes have to pretty much win out to make the playoffs and even that may not be enough. The team I saw yesterday doesn't look like they have it in them. The quote is a little silly but it's accurate if they miss the playoffs. That team was expected to do well THIS year. Their performance is not entirely on the head coach but he's the one who will pay.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Mozart: The Marriage Of Figaro - Overture - London Philharmonic Orchestra - Top 100 Masterpieces Of Classical Music, Vol. 3 (1776-1787)
2. Baby I Need Your Lovin' - Johnny Rivers - Johnny Rivers - Anthology 1964-1977
3. To Sir With Love - Lulu - The Ultimate Rock & Roll Collection: The 60's
4. Find Your Way Back - Jefferson Starship - At Their Best
5. Will You Love Me Tomorrow? - Carole King - Tapestry

Quote of the Day

There can't be any question that Brad Childress is Dead Mustache Walking, right?

Gene Wojciechowski, ESPN.com

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Some of the best gifts in life come out of the blue. This 2010 Auburn football season has been a gift straight from the heavens for all of us."

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I thought I had spotted our Buff-Bellied Hummingbird friend, whom we had nicknamed Buffy, last weekend. We missed Buffy last winter. As it turns out, I don't think this one is Buffy. The one visiting us right now (Pictured below) does not have as much green and does not chatter, chatter, chatter like Buffy did. Wish I'd had better light today. I think this new visitor is a female Rufous Hummingbird. She's quite welcome here and I will keep nectar out for her as long as she wants to stay. We've decided to name this one Roofie (Original, I know).

CrabAppleLane Rufous Hummingbird - November 14, 2010

CrabAppleLane Rufous Hummingbird - November 14, 2010

5 song iTune shuffle from the CrabAppleLane Five Star playlist:

1. A Light In The Black - Rainbow - Rising
2. Rock 'n Roll Soul [Live] - Grand Funk Railroad - Caught In The Act
3. '39 - Queen - A Night At The Opera
4. You're The One - Maire Brennan & Shane McGowan - Circle of Friends Soundtrack
5. Won't Get Fooled Again - The Who - Who's Next

Quote of the Day

Goudie said the Honda passed the motorcycles, but a Dodge Avenger swerving to avoid hitting the Honda struck the motorcycles head on.

Rick Martin, CNN

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Since Great Horned Owls start nesting in January — one of (if not the) first nesting birds of the year — the winter doldrums are helped when I can find a nest to watch and photograph."

Love the fuzz. -Rob

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NFL fans: You be the judge. Was it pass interference? In my view, it's close. He definitely pushed off but the defender went down pretty easily, which leads me to believe there might have been some acting involved. Roddy White gets that call as much as Drew Pearson and Michael Irvin ever did. On the lone touchdown that the Saints' Jabari Greer gave up last season, Roddy White pushed him out of the way with both hands. Officials can call penalties on either team on every play. Personally, I'd like to see the more grievous ones get called and the less grievous ones ignored but it's a tough situation for the officials. They can't be everywhere, they can't see everything, and someone is going to be mad no matter what they do. They try to get it right. Last night, Roddy White should have been flagged on that play.

Here nor there: From the "Guys, Don't Try This At Home" Department. Via Cullen.

What a thrill for those kids. No doubt it will have an impact on them.

5 song iTune shuffle from the CrabAppleLane Five Star playlist:

1. Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In - The 5th Dimension - AM Gold: The '60s Generation
2. The Real Me - The Who - Quadrophenia
3. Sucker Row - Mark Knopfler - Shangri-La
4. Because The Night - The Patti Smith Group - Easter
5. (Can't You) Trip Like I Do - Filter & The Crystal Method - Spawn

Quote of the Day

I think you guys all saw it and everybody can have their own opinion on it.

John Harbaugh, Baltimore Ravens Head Coach

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "The Palace’s famous façade, originally constructed as a private mansion in 1882, twinkles among a sea of Midtown skyscrapers. Its superb holiday decorations (historically among New York City’s best) combined with its proximity to Fifth Avenue shopping, ice skating and the famous tree at Rockefeller Center, and the Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall, make the Palace a prime holiday hotel pick."

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There's not much to say about the Saints win yesterday. I don't think they played particularly well. The team they played, Carolina, has no offense. They have no experience at quarterback and, after injuries, they were down to their 4th running back. They really didn't have a chance. Look at today's QOTD. I have a lot of respect for their head coach, John Fox, though. Even though he's a lame duck and his team has very little talent, no one there has quit. They play hard. What's happening in Carolina is on the owner, not the coaches or players. He ordered the fire sale and rebuilding job. That's something you do before a head coach's first season, not his last. He did it for the sole purpose of saving money in case of a lockout next season. If life was fair, he'd lose 40,000 season ticket holders over it.

What's happening in Dallas, on the other hand, is a more complete team effort. You have a meddling owner who calls all of the shots. You have a coaching staff that the owner, not the head coach, put together. You have a gutless team with considerable talent who totally quit when the going gets tough. I'm sure they'll have it together when the Saints visit on Thanksgiving Day, though.

We're about to enter Week 10 in the NFL season and I think there are still about 24 contenders for the 12 playoffs berths. Will make for some excitement in the next few weeks.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. The Weight - The Band - Harley-Davidson Cycles: Road Songs
2. Paperback Writer - The Beatles - 1
3. I'd Die Babe - Badfinger - The Very Best Of Badfinger
4. Daddy's Cup - Drive-By Truckers - The Dirty South
5. Two Hearts - Phil Collins - Hits

Quote of the Day

The most efficient guy on the Panthers' sideline was the driver of the cart shuttling injured players to the locker room.

Joseph Person, Charlotte Observer

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "They're fundamentally broken. The Dallas Cowboys of 2010 have plunged to the depths of the NFL; the absolute beatdown they took from the Green Bay Packers to the tune of 45-7 should be enough to wake up Jerry Jones. Something has to be done."

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Russell Crowe and Ridley Scott give us a slightly different and slightly gritter version of Robin Hood. I don't think the title character is called Robin Hood even once in the film. Fair enough. It's not all grit and dirt and this-is-what-it-must-have-been-like, though. It's quite fanciful in its own way. The Sheriff of Nottingham is only a minor, whiny character in this tale. The real villain in this film is a double agent and that makes for an interesting twist. Crowe is fine as Robin Hood and Cate Blanchett is fantastic, as always, as Lady Marion. The legend of Robin Hood never really gets old with me but this particular film did. It was way too long ... but not at all bad. Thumbs up.

What an exciting game yesterday in Baton Rouge. Excellent win for the Tigers. Les Miles has been coaching in the shadow of Nick Saban since he's been at LSU. People, including a fair number of Tiger fans, were even somewhat skeptical of his national championship. Those skeptics say he did that with mostly Saban players. Well, yesterday, a team of his players beat a team of Nick Saban's players and he thoroughly outcoached Saban in the second half. Miles loves his team. His team doesn't always give anyone good reason to believe in them but he always does ... and just what the hell is wrong with that?

About today's QOTD: Someday, Tiger fans are going to miss Les Miles.

Carolina is not a very good team but they always play well against the Saints. I expect a tough one today in Charlotte.

We fired up the wood pellet stove for the first time yesterday. Winter is around the corner at CrabAppleLane. I was very pleased with its performance, which is a relief if it continues. I had a lot of trouble with it last year. I have a better understanding of its operation today than I did yesterday thanks to a visit to The Woodstove Shop.

While cleaning the stove yesterday, I had to stop midway through the job due to a Buffy sighting. I'm not absolutely certain it's Buffy but it's definitely not a ruby-throated hummingbird. I washed my hands immediately and filled her feeders with fresh nectar. I didn't see him/her at all last winter. We don't know if Buffy is male or female but Patsy gave her the name so we're just referring to her as Buffy until we have conclusive proof that she should have a different name. No sign of her this morning, though, and that kinda bums me out. I was hoping for another winter with her. I'm keeping an eye out for her and I'll be keeping the nectar fresh. I offer one from the CrabAppleLane backyard.

CrabAppleLane Backyard - November 7, 2010

5 song iTune shuffle from the CrabAppleLane Five Star playlist:

1. The Boy Who Wouldn't Hoe Corn - Alison Krauss & Union Station - Live
2. Victim Of Changes - Judas Priest - Sad Wings Of Destiny
3. Clocks - Coldplay - A Rush Of Blood To The Head
4. Communication Breakdown - Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin I
5. You Really Got Me - Van Halen - Van Halen

Quote of the Day

It wasn’t just that the Bayou Bengals came back twice from fourth-quarter deficits, or that they once again used some slight-of-hand trickeration to stay in the game, or Jarrett Lee‘s improbable 47-yard completion on third-and-13 with under 2:40 left and clinging to a three-point lead, or that… well… yes it was all of that, every damn bit of it that inexplicably worked in symphonic concert with that horseshoe the Mad Hatter has shoved somewhere on/up his person in 2010 that crushed the Tide’s hopes in Nick Saban‘s second return trip to the Bayou.

John Taylor, NBC Sports

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "It is a rich and ancient legend, the popularity of which is no doubt sustained across the decades because of its fascinating links with contemporary affairs. Green issues? Environment? Recession? Banker’s bonuses? It’s all in there. Even, sadly, issues concerning East / West wars."

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Big game in Baton Rouge today at 2:30PM ... 2:30PM. It's ridiculous. ALL Tiger home games should be at night, especially the big ones. Both teams have had two weeks to prepare. I think that benefits LSU more than it does Alabama. The Tiger defense matches up much better with the Alabama offense than they did with the Auburn offense. The Tide has no one like Cam Newton on their roster. I expect both offenses to struggle. The Tigers will win it at home.

About today's QOTD: Not really. LSU has good rivalries with Auburn, Alabama, Florida, Arkansas, and Ole Miss but none of them qualify as an arch rival. Eventually, it's going to be Arkansas. Ole Miss has Mississippi State, Auburn has Alabama, and Florida has Georgia. To be a true arch rival, the game has to be the biggest game of the year for both teams. That's just not the case yet with Arkansas and LSU. The Razorbacks are still fairly new to the SEC and the two schools haven't quite warmed up to each other but they've played some great games. It will happen.

Thursday's lunch was so nice that we decided to try it again on Friday. It was very nice yesterday, too. Normally, we like to find a shady table but it was cool and windy so we decided to sit at a sunny table. The view from the ant perspective yesterday below.

Bogue Falaya Wayside Park - November 5, 2010

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. All The Roadrunning - Mark Knopfler & Emmylou Harris - Real Live Roadrunning
2. (Sittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay - Otis Redding - Am Gold 1968
3. Almost Ready - Bill Conti - The Right Stuff / North and South
4. Countin' On A Miracle - Bruce Springsteen - The Rising
5. The Prophet's Song - Queen - A Night At The Opera

Quote of the Day

The only opponent that really gets LSU seeing red is Alabama.

Glenn Guilbeau, Gannett Louisiana

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "The Alabama football team practiced in full pads on Tuesday in preparation for the LSU Tigers."

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Yesterday's trip to the endodontist went better than I expected. For those who don't know, an endodontist is a root canal specialist. I was referred by my regular dentist, who had performed the original root canal procedure on this tooth. Yesterday's "re-treatment" wasn't particularly painful, except in the wallet, and I didn't spend an unusually long time in the chair. It was about the same as having a cavity filled. If you've ever had a root canal, you know that's not normally the case. I felt a little shaky but otherwise fine when it was over. Feel a little weird this morning, though. Hopefully, it's just the antibiotics and other residual medicine in my system. My last bout with antibiotics cleared up the infection but did a number on the rest of my system.

I would also like to correct an oversight on my part the other day.

5 song iTune shuffle from the CrabAppleLane Five Star playlist:

1. If You Could Read My Mind - Gordon Lightfoot - Complete Greatest Hits
2. Throw Down The Sword - Wishbone Ash - Live Dates [1973]
3. Jumpin' Jack Flash - The Rolling Stones - Hot Rocks, 1964-1971
4. Paranoid - Black Sabbath - Paranoid
5. Get Lucky - Mark Knopfler - Get Lucky

Quote of the Day

This ride didn't last much longer than an inexperienced cowboy atop a prized rodeo bull, and it may have inflicted just as much damage.

Jon Krawczynski, Associated Press

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "We hope these grants will help new ideas blossom and encourage experimentation. As Thomas Edison once said, "When there's no experimenting, there's no progress. Stop experimenting and you go backward." We look forward to working with the journalism community to help digital news move forward."

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It was a good win last night for the Saints. I know they can play better, though. The offensive line is still not playing all that consistent. The Saints can play defense even as banged up as they are. There is no doubt in my mind that the offense will eventually get it together. They need to hang around the NFC leaders until they do. If they can get by Carolina this week in Charlotte, they can head into the bye no worse than a game behind the Falcons and Bucs in the NFC South and the Giants in the NFC. Division title, top seed, nothing is out of reach. Focus on getting better and healthier ... and the Panthers.

I usually don't like the disruption to my weekend routine. I usually prefer the Saints play at noon on Sunday. They're now 3-0 at night this season, though, and only 2-3 during the day. More night games, please.

Lots of trouble in Dallas. The Texas Rangers are on the verge of elimination in the World Series. The Dallas Cowboys have already crossed that line. The worst sports columnist in the country, Tim Cowlishaw of the Dallas Morning News, says the Cowboys should fire their head coach. He's done this before. In between calling for the head coach's job those two times, he predicted a Bengals-Cowboys Super Bowl this season. Both teams are in last place in their divisions at the moment.

On the fantasy football front, I think I'll have two victories on the weekend for the first time this season. One game is pretty much out of reach and the other is sewed up. More of that, please.

5 song iTune shuffle from the CrabAppleLane Five Star playlist:

1. White Wedding - Billy Idol - Billy Idol
2. I Am A Man Of Constant Sorrow - Alison Krauss & Union Station - Live
3. The Jean Genie - David Bowie - Aladdin Sane
4. Bron-Y-Aur Stomp - Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin III
5. The Circle Game - Joni Mitchell - Ladies Of The Canyon

Quote of the Day

There's no point in making the opponent one-dimensional if that one dimension is lethal.

Gene Collier, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "It is just one game and it's not a death blow by any means, but, quite frankly, New Orleans isn't an elite team this year and the Steelers looked nothing but average in a big game."

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Happy Halloween

Got plans? You might think mine involve the game tonight. You'd be right. :)

Steelers (5-1) v Saints (4-3) tonight in the SuperDome. Turnovers will be the key tonight like they almost always are for the Saints. When they take care of the ball, they win. When they don't, they usually lose. Turnovers killed them in all three of their losses. The opponent doesn't much matter. Every single team the Saints have faced this season has had some fire in their belly. They need to return fire tonight. I'd like the Saints chances better if they were healthier but no excuses, no quarter. Play your game, Saints. Take care of the ball and you'll take care of the Steelers.

As of this writing, the Jaguars are up on the Cowboys, 28-3, in Dallas. Big Trouble brewing in Big D. Someone may get fired DURING that game.

I offer three from the CrabAppleLane Backyard. If you're keeping score, it goes no maintenance, maintenance, no maintenance. The maintenance is the bent axle. It needs to be replaced. I always bend the right front axle on the finish mower. This is the third time I've done it. It happens when I don't lift the mower when I'm cutting near my driveway. You ever try to merge onto the interstate when they're resurfacing and the interstate is higher? Finish mowers aren't built for that sort of thing.

CrabAppleLane Blue Ginger - October 31, 2010

CrabAppleLane Required Maintenance - October 31, 2010

CrabAppleLane Trail Flowers - October 31, 2010

About today's QOTD: If you've ever read anything about Vlad the Impaler, you will know he is much scarier than the Dracula in Bram Stoker's novel. Bram Stoker's Dracula is very loosely based on Vlad. For what it's worth, Dracula is my all-time favorite book. Love it. There is a passage in that novel that still sends shivers down my spine. Anyone who has read the book knows the exact passage I'm talking about.

5 song iTune shuffle from the CrabAppleLane Five Star playlist:

1. Only Happy When It Rains - Garbage - Garbage
2. Til I Hear It From You - Gin Blossoms - Empire Records
3. Wind Up - Jethro Tull - Aqualung
4. Sultans Of Swing - Dire Straits - Alchemy
5. All Mixed Up - The Cars - The Cars

Quote of the Day

I think it's really clever to bring tourists in with the Dracula myth. But it's our duty to share real stories with tourists.

Mark Tudose, Transylvania

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "The Saints are thin at running back and banged up in the secondary while the Steelers are banged up on the defensive line. Both teams can be really dangerous on offense and through the air. The Saints certainly miss what Reggie Bush adds to the offense and Brees has played very un-Brees like thus far in 2010. I think you could see some high scoring in this game and quite a few big plays. I think the Steelers are the deeper of the two teams still and are better coached as well. Steelers get a late defensive or special teams touchdown to win this one. Final Score: Steelers 34 Saints 31"

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The World Series gets underway tonight with Cliff Lee pitching against Tim Lincecum. Excellent pitchers both. When the playoffs started, I'm guessing not many people figured the last two standing would be the Rangers and Giants. This baseball fan likes seeing a different set of teams in the Series now and again. MLB and The Fox Network would prefer at least one of the teams to be the Yankees, Red Sox, Mets, or Dodgers. I expect this World Series to deliver on the drama. Both teams are fighters and they seem evenly matched. I like the Giants in seven.

About today's QOTD: I know the names of a handful of assistant coaches around the NFL. I know Cincinnati Bengals Defensive Coordinator Mike Zimmer because his son, Adam, coached for the Saints and because his wife, Vicki, died suddenly last year and it was in the news. When his wife died, he continued to coach that week and was awarded the game ball when the Bengals beat the Ravens. The NFL Network aired that moment on their Sound FX show. When he took the game ball and told his players that his wife loved all of them, it was pretty special. In the QOTD, he's talking about Bobby Petrino, the former head coach for the Atlanta Falcons and his former boss, who walked off the job in the middle of his first season and took the head coaching position at Arkansas. Didn't breathe a word of it to his staff or his players. You assemble a staff and a team, ask them to leave their jobs or pass up other opportunities, ask them to believe in you and your methods, and then abandon them a few weeks in because you don't like it any more? Yeah, that's gutless.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Telegraph Road - Mark Knopfler - Live From The Ryman
2. I'm Still Standing - Elton John - Greatest Hits 1970-2002
3. I Shot The Sheriff - Eric Clapton - The Cream Of Clapton
4. Day After Day - Badfinger - The Very Best Of Badfinger
5. Lions - Dire Straits - Dire Straits

Quote of the Day

He's a gutless bastard. Quote that.

Mike Zimmer, Cincinnati Enquirer

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "During the American League Championship Series games in New York between the Yankees and Rangers, fans were extremely rude to Kristen Lee, spitting and throwing beer in her direction and shouting obscenities."

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I saw one scene from Deception while channel-surfing a few nights ago and decided to record it the next time it came on. As I've probably told you a million times, it's one of the wondrous features of a DVR. As a rule, I don't care for my absurdity in small doses. If I'm going to have it, I'd prefer to immerse myself in it. Deception has too much absurdity to be a top notch thriller and not enough to be top notch CME. We have the patsy, Ewan McGregor. He's an auditor for a high-priced accounting firm and that's his whole life. We have the hustler, Hugh Jackman, who lures him into the world of sex clubs for executives. We're to believe that the hustler can move around in that world of high finance and know about various slush funds the company keeps in deeply hidden sub-accounts even though he doesn't have access to them. That last part is why he needs the patsy. Then, we're to believe that he can open an account in Madrid in his patsy's name, blackmail his patsy into wiring $20 million to that account from those various slush funds, and close the account and withdraw the $20 million in cash a week later. See, he plans to kill the patsy and steal his identity. Finally, we're also to believe that a shot could ring out in a Madrid park and no police would come running and no citizens would run away. Sorry, but these kinds of activities would have called a lot of more attention to themselves in real life than they did in the movie. Deception was better than a poke in the eye but that's about it.

Thankyou, Jason Witten. Good game for my team. It was a total team effort to overcome that monster game Kenny Brit had.

About today's QOTD: Love the lyrics in that song. Love the song, too.

5 song iTune shuffle from the CrabAppleLane Five Star playlist:

1. Another Brick In The Wall (Part 2) - Pink Floyd - The Wall
2. The Real Me - The Who - Quadrophenia
3. Knocking At Your Back Door - Deep Purple - Perfect Strangers
4. Tunnel Of Love - Dire Straits - Alchemy: Dire Straits Live
5. Ballroom Blitz - The Sweet - Desolation Boulevard

Quote of the Day

Back in the thirties when the dust bowl dried
And the woods in Alabama didn't see no light
My Daddy played poker by a hard wood fire
Squeezing all his luck from a hot copper wire

Drive-By Truckers, Where The Devil Don't Stay

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "At the beginning of 1923 postwar adjustments seemed to be over and the outlook was bright. By the end of the year, however, a dark cloud of depression hung once more over the industry. This time it lasted for a long period: 1925 and 1927 were two of the worst years in the history of American woolens."

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Pretty lousy day for the Saints and their fans yesterday. A tip of the cap to the Cleveland Browns for a great win. The encouraging thing I keep telling myself is that the problem with the Saints is the offense. They're not taking care of the ball. The defense is playing winning football. Colt McCoy was held to 74 yards passing. The Browns had 125 yards rushing but 68 of them came on a fake punt the Saints were somehow unprepared for. The special teams are below average but they haven't been an overwhelming factor. The Browns had two big plays on special teams that resulted in 10 points but that shouldn't have been enough to win this game. Two of the three losses (Cardinals and Browns) are totally on the offense. They're not playing smart and they just make too many killer mistakes. The only reason I can see to be encouraged is that we know the Saints offense will eventually figure things out. There is too much talent there. How they're going to stay close to the pack in the meantime is the big question.

5 song iTune shuffle from the CrabAppleLane Five Star playlist:

1. Im A Doun - Meav - Méav
2. Long Distance Runaround - Yes - Fragile
3. On Every Street - Dire Straits - On The Night
4. A Light In The Black - Rainbow - Rising
5. 20th Century Boy - Placebo - Velvet Goldmine

Quote of the Day

thank you guys for your continued support...we're being tested right now as a team, we're going to fight through and come out better for it.

Jonathan Vilma, New Orleans Saints

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Just win. That's all that matters in the National Football League. The Pittsburgh Steelers did just that in Week 7 with a 23-22 victory against the Miami Dolphins in a highly entertaining and tightly-contested game."

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So much for what I think. LSU was lucky to be in that game at all. Cam Newton had his way with the LSU defense. He ran on them and he passed on them. LSU had no answer for him. Nothing fancy about it, either. They had good defenses called most of the time. He just broke the tackles. He's this year's Heisman Trophy winner. They can start engraving his name now.

Congratulations to the

On their way to World Series to face the Texas Rangers. The networks weep. Good. :)

Oh, and Ryan Howard, how do you not swing at that pitch? Down to your last strike for the season, you have to protect the plate. I don't think it was a strike, either, but the "swing at anything close with two strikes" philosophy applies to the big leagues, too.

On paper, the Saints-Browns game today in the SuperDome should be no contest. They don't play the game on paper, though. The Saints will be playing without their two starting cornerbacks and their two starting running backs. They'll be OK at running back because of Chris Ivory. Don't know what to expect at cornerback (Update: It has already cost the Saints a touchdown). The Browns play decent defense and I'm not sure what to expect out of Colt McCoy. Last year's Saints players, Scott Fujita and Mike Bell, will be on the field today for the Browns. I hope they get a warm reception. They contributed their share to the Super Bowl team last year. As usual ... if the Saints take care of the ball, they'll take care of the Browns (Saints are down, 0-10 already. I hate slow starts.).

I offer one on this mild CrabAppleLane Sunday.

CrabAppleLane Grilling - October 24, 2010

About today's QOTD: Are the photos now going to be compared to the ... oh, never mind. There's no way this isn't going to be a distraction for him or his football team. It may have had a chance to go away at one time but not now.

5 song iTune shuffle from the CrabAppleLane Five Star playlist:

1. Poison - Alice Cooper - Alice Cooper Classicks
2. Live Wire - Starz - Starz
3. My Parties - Dire Straits - On Every Street
4. Because The Night - 10,000 Maniacs - MTV Unplugged
5. Already Gone - The Eagles - Their Greatest Hits

Quote of the Day

Brett Favre admitted to the NFL this week that he did leave voicemails for Jenn Sterger, but denied sending the former sideline hostess any lewd photographs when he was a member of the New York Jets, Fox Sports reported Sunday.

ESPN

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "They estimate that 66 million pounds of sheep’s cheeses are imported to this country every year, yet very little sheep cheese is produced in the United States."

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ALL eyes here on LSU-Auburn this afternoon. This has turned into a pretty good SEC rivalry. The Tigers of LSU have talent out the wazoo at every position except quarterback. They've been very inconsistent there. The Tigers/Plainsmen/War Eagles of Auburn have talent out the wazoo at quarterback in Heisman favorite, Cam Newton, but I think they're suspect everywhere else. If LSU completes enough passes to keep the Auburn defense honest, they'll have the edge. If they can't and they get behind by more than one score, the edge swings to Auburn. I don't think Newton is going to have his way with the LSU defense the way he did with the Arkansas defense last week. If Arkansas quarterback, Ryan Mallett, hadn't gotten hurt last week, that game might have ended up in a 105-105 tie. There was no defense on the field at all.

About today's BOTD: I have never heard The Corn Dog Story. I'm thinking it's a little too clever to come from Auburn, though. They probably got it from Vanderbilt. :) And for what it's worth, there's not an ounce of truth to it. Corn dogs are county fair food. Louisiana doesn't have counties. We have parishes. :)

Finally, congratulations to the

On their way to their first ever World Series.

5 song iTune shuffle from the CrabAppleLane Five Star playlist:

1. Never Gonna Change - Drive-By Truckers - The Dirty South
2. The Load-Out - Jackson Browne - Running On Empty
3. Music Box Dancer - The London Pops Orchestra - 14 Fantastic Hits Of The 70's
4. Green Grass And High Tides - The Outlaws - Harley-Davidson Cycles: Road Songs
5. Clocks - Coldplay - A Rush Of Blood To The Head

Quote of the Day

My doctor put me on
Milk, cream, and alcohol, alcohol
My doctor put me a description, wrote me a prescription
Johnny, get milk, cream, and alcohol, alcohol, alcohol

John Lee Hooker, Serves Me Right To Suffer

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "I think this may be why a lot of fans get beaten up by LSU fans. If you attend a game in Baton Rouge, try to avoid telling them that they smell like corn dogs. Say something else instead. Like, "Wow, LSU sure does have a great team this year. This is going to be a great SEC game.""

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Congratulations to Drew and Brittany Brees. The New Orleans Royal Family has a new member. :)

At 10:20AM and 10:20PM today, it will be 10:20 10/20 2010. At 8:10PM tonight, you can go military and it will be 20:10 20/10 2010. Pretty cool. I like tens and twenties. I don't get to see nearly enough of them. :)

My neighbor read on the blog that I was having trouble finding Brussel sprouts plants and seeds the other day. In our mailbox yesterday was a pack of Brussel sprouts seeds. No idea where they found them but I am eternally grateful. Hopefully, the rabbits will leave them alone. I am optimistic on that because they have left the lone surviving Brussel sprout plant untouched. They devoured the broccoli and cauliflower plants. Thanks again, neighbor. :)

What I know about Major League Baseball: Going into the playoffs, I thought the Texas Rangers were the least imposing of the four American League teams. They got by the Rays in a close series, which was kind of surprising but not that surprising. They are just mauling the Yankees and I don't think anyone saw that coming. Crazy things can happen in baseball and teams have come back from a 3-1 deficit but the Rangers and Yankees I saw last night are heading in opposite directions. I think only one team will be heading back to Texas tonight ( NTTAWWT:) ) .

The talk of the NFL this week is the league's get tough policy on what they call "devastating hits". There were four hits that were deemed "devastating" this week, two by James Harrison and one each by Dunta Robinson and Brandon Meriweather. All of the players were fined. I've seen all of the hits. In my view, only the Meriweather hit deserved a fine. The others looked clean to me or, at least, unintentional. And, then, there is this. What a twit.

A little background is in order for today's QOTD: NFL Films saw fit to rank the top 100 football players of all time. Naturally, such a list is highly subjective. Deion Sanders is miffed at his ranking. I think it's about right. I digress. In a letter to Sports Illustrated's Peter King, Joe F from Canton, Ohio mentions another list. I couldn't find the list that he mentions and its rules for inclusion. Since it was compiled last year according to him, I will guess that they only considered players that were retired a certain number of years. I can't imagine a top all-time list in the NFL that doesn't include Jerry Rice. He's probably the best football player I ever saw. He made touchdowns.

5 song iTune shuffle from the CrabAppleLane Five Star playlist:

1. Enter Sandman - Metallica - Black Album
2. For Your Love - The Yardbirds - Heart Full Of Soul And Other Hits
3. Temptation Eyes - The Grass Roots - 20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection: Best Of The Grass Roots
4. Wind Up - Jethro Tull - Aqualung
5. Piper To The End - Mark Knopfler - Get Lucky

Quote of the Day

The Canton (Ohio) Repository did a good job last year ranking its top 50 Hall of Famers of all-time, and while Deion would not have been eligible for that list (neither would Jerry Rice and some others), I would have a hard time putting Deion in the top 40.

Joe F - Canton, Ohio

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Obviously, it’s a bit too soon to anoint rookie Colt McCoy as the long-awaited quarterback messiah for the Cleveland Browns, but man did he turn in a promising debut on the road against the Pittsburgh Steelers."

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Next time you find yourself saying something like "he drives like an old lady", keep this in mind.

Not usually a big fan of remakes of good films but remaking True Grit sounds interesting. The original film was only OK to me. There are better actors and, undoubtedly, it will be quite a bit darker this time. ALL modern westerns seem darker to me except for the kinda silly Silverado.

I flipped to the Jaguars-Titans game last night with about 7 minutes left. I had no interest in the game except that I needed a fantasy football player of mine to have a bigger night than he's ever had in his life. Didn't happen. I digress. The Jags were down, 23-3, and they were at the Titans 7yd line. They ran the ball on two successive downs for minimal or no gain and huddled after each play. No urgency whatsoever except maybe to hit the showers. Down by 3 scores, they ran over 2 of the remaining 7 minutes off the clock on those two idiotic calls. The handful of Jaguars fans left booed. I would have, too. Somehow, that team is 3-3, which includes a victory over the Indianapolis Colts. Last year at this time, the Vikings, Saints, and Colts were taking over the NFL. Nothing like that is happening this year.

5 song iTune shuffle from the CrabAppleLane Five Star playlist:

1. Let's Live For Today - The Grass Roots - 20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection: Best Of The Grass Roots
2. Killer Queen - Queen - Sheer Heart Attack
3. (Don't Fear) The Reaper - Blue Öyster Cult - Agents of Fortune
4. New Slang - The Shins - Oh, Inverted World
5. The King Will Come - Wishbone Ash - Live Dates

Quote of the Day

She says, 'Daddy has a boo boo, but God and the doctors are making Daddy's boo boo all better

Dallas C. Wiens

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "We keep hearing Mangini talking about how close this team is to turning the corner. He references the Patriot teams he coached. Sometime's all you need is a domino to fall in the right direction. Something to set off that chain reaction."

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I would surely like to see more of yesterday's New Orleans Saints and a whole lot less of last Sunday's New Orleans Saints. They didn't play a great game yesterday but it was a whole lot better than their performances since the season opener, which is very underrated by Saints fans but I think they'll learn to appreciate it more as the season wears on. The best thing about yesterday's win was the way the offensive line played. I still think they can do even better. Part of their performance, of course, was due to the play of Tampa's defensive line. They were severely overmatched.

Today's QOTD is about a play that happened late in the game and that is the only reason it came up. Jenkins hit Tampa QB Josh Freeman low and out of bounds. He was committed to making the tackle before Freeman stepped out of bounds. It was stupid but it wasn't dirty and it didn't look to me like he was intentionally trying to hurt him. Freeman and some other Bucs thought otherwise and took exception to it but they did so mainly because it was hot and they were getting blown out. Jenkins will be fined by the league but some of those Bucs should be, too. They have a rule in the NHL about "third man in". Not sure what the penalty is. Basically, the issue was between Jenkins and Freeman. The third man and any subsequent man that joins in receives an automatic penalty/fine/ejection/whatever. ALL major sports should have that rule.

NFL players don't like low tackling like the one described above. They also don't like high tackling like this one. It's a difficult thing to deal with in professional tackle football. If you don't hit a professional ball carrier hard, you won't tackle him. There is talk of suspending defensive players for those kinds of hits. Not sure that's fair. When a 200lb defensive back puts his helmet and shoulder pads into the chest of a 200lb wide receiver, it's a penalty and a fine. When a 270lb running back puts his helmet and shoulder pads into the chest of a 200lb defensive back, nothing. They can't eliminate hard hitting. I think the league needs to have former players review film every week for the express purpose of judging intent. No one knows better than the players whether someone was intentionally trying to hurt someone or whether it could have been avoided while still trying to make the play.

5 song iTune shuffle from the CrabAppleLane Five Star playlist:

1. Working Man - Rush - Rush
2. Mad Russian's Christmas (Instrumental) - Trans-Siberian Orchestra -Christmas Eve And Other Stories
3. Sad Lisa - Cat Stevens - Tea For The Tillerman
4. Gimme Shelter - The Rolling Stones - Hot Rocks, 1964-1971 [Disc 2]
5. Burn - Deep Purple - Burn

Quote of the Day

They said I punched somebody. I just know I got rushed by about seven people and pushed somebody off me, and they threw another flag on me. So I don't know. ... I've never seen anybody get a 30-yard penalty.

Malcolm Jenkins, New Orleans Saints

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "The truth is that Tampa Bay is a good, young team with strong leadership and plenty of playmakers."

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Yet another pissing match between a network affiliate and a cable company with the viewers/customers stuck right in the middle. There is no doubt that cable and satellite companies would like to bypass local affiliates. They'd like to find agreeable affiliates somewhere, anywhere and transmit their network broadcasts nationwide. By law, they can't. There is a good reason for this. Local affiliates, along with the local news and other local programming, would die. There is also no doubt that your local affiliates know the law protects them and that gives them a bargaining advantage. The loss of viewership in the market doesn't seem to bother either side much. Until the two sides have equal positions and equal motivation for a resolution of differences, we can all expect more contentious negotiations. Coming to a market near you ... .

Much like last week, I don't know what to expect from the Saints in today's Saints-Bucs game. The Saints offense has yet to put up a big game. There is no reason for them to be playing the way they are. They're dropping passes, they're turning the ball over, they're not blocking very well. They're just not playing smart. They absolutely can play better. The defense is playing OK. They're not the problem. Tampa is playing well, though. If the Saints play their C game today, they're going to come home with a loss. Time to pick it up, guys.

About today's BOTD: The only thing I care to say is Good Job, Tim. I'm no lip reader but there are times I can make out what someone is saying. After the umpire called a ball on yet another pitch Lincecum wanted, the camera zoomed in just in time to see him mouthing, "Ball, my f@cking a$$". I like that kid. :) I'm pretty sure the Fox cameraman will have different instructions for his next start. :)

CrabAppleLane is in the midst of a drought. One of the by-products is succulent broccoli plants are vulnerable to disease. The two images below offer evidence of the almost always fatal disease known as rabbititus. Don't think we're going to have a successful fall garden here.

CrabAppleLane Broccoli plant - October 17, 2010

CrabAppleLane Broccoli plant - October 17, 2010

5 song iTune shuffle from the CrabAppleLane Five Star playlist:

1. Won't Get Fooled Again - The Who - Who's Next
2. Back On The Road Again - REO Speedwagon - Arch Allies: Live at Riverport
3. Christmas Canon Rock - Trans-Siberian Orchestra - The Lost Christmas Eve
4. Smoke On The Water [Live] - Deep Purple - Made In Japan [Disc 1] [Live]
5. Rock Bottom - UFO - Phenomenon

Quote of the Day

I am impatient because the world is not getting better fast enough, or for enough people.

Melinda Gates

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "We expect nothing less, Phillie fans. Now, don't you have preteen girls to vomit on?"

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Today's QOTD comes from an article in the Tampa Tribune. Neither of the area's professional sports franchises can fill their stadiums. That wasn't the only quote that caught my eye. Here's another:

The league blames it foremost on the economy, he said. But the growth of fantasy football is having an impact, too, because many fans are more interested in what happens to the players on their fantasy teams — who could be on any of the 32 teams — than on their home team.

It's unclear to me who is saying this, the NFL or the reporter. Whoever it is knows nothing about fantasy football, though. I've been playing fantasy football a long time. It has zero impact on attendance. "I'd go to the game today but my fantasy football team needs my attention?" No, that's not even a blip in this discussion. Assuming there is a decent product as is the case in Tampa Bay, it's the other factors that are keeping people away ... ticket prices, concession prices, and parking prices, which the league rightly blames on the economy. The NFL is built for good times and a robust economy. Taking a cheap shot at an activity that has no bearing on the matter serves no purpose.

About the quote from today's BOTD: I just cannot quite wrap my head around "featuring an overwhelming multitude of choices, along with pre-set dishes that remove stress for the chronically indecisive."

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Running On Faith - Eric Clapton - Unplugged
2. Eye Of The Tiger - Survivor - Greatest Hits
3. House Of Love - Page & Plant - Walking Into Clarksdale
4. Let It Ride - Bachman-Turner Overdrive - The Anthology [Disc 1]
5. Don't Damn Me - Guns N' Roses - Use Your Illusion I

Quote of the Day

I don't think you can shame residents into spending their unemployment checks on watching Price pitch.

Vince Gennaro, Columbia University

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Not so at Fresh. Here, cereal is just one part of a greater formula involving sandwiches and salads, featuring an overwhelming multitude of choices, along with pre-set dishes that remove stress for the chronically indecisive."

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I'd like to think the new optimism expressed by some NFL owners for a collective bargaining agreement is real and not just posturing but we're talking about NFL owners here. They'd like to be seen in a positive light even while threatening a lockout. The players have been getting some mileage out of that. If negotiations aren't completed and next season is at risk, will it really matter who is right in the eyes of fans? A few months ago, I was worried about that. I'm not any more. The owners have already lost. They should just go back to the table and take the best deal they can get. Season ticket renewals go out at about the same time as the CBA expires in March. Think we might get to see how that uncertainty in these tough economic times affects ticket sales? The whole house of cards is built on fan interest and fan interest is directly tied to the games. The games must go on.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Phoenix (Live) - Wishbone Ash - Live Dates [Disc 1]
2. Cursum Perficio - Enya - Watermark [Bonus Track]
3. Destinations - Al Reingold - After Erasmus
4. Machinehead - Bush - Sixteen Stone
5. Where the Devil Don't Stay - Drive-By Truckers - The Dirty South

Quote of the Day

Where I call to the Lord with all of my soul
I can hear him rattling the chains on the door
He couldn't get in I could see he tried
Through the shadows of the cage around the forty watt light

Drive-By Truckers, Where The Devil Don't Stay

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Drugs, desperation, suicide, Alabama-born bed-time stories, and quirky southern character studies — a little bit country and a whole lot of rock ‘n roll. In other words, a Drive-By Truckers album."

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Horrible, stupid, well-deserved loss yesterday for the Saints in Arizona. This one is on the offense. They're turning the ball over and they're not finishing drives. The offensive line is struggling in the running game and the passing game. Drew is getting hurried when he drops back to pass and the line is getting pushed into the backfield almost every time they try to run. Receivers are not getting open and Brees is making some uncharacteristic bad throws. The oft-maligned defense is playing good enough to win. They are not the problem. It's not time to panic yet but I think they need to get a little angry about what's going on. They can absolutely play better than they played yesterday.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Love Ain't for Keeping - The Who - Who's Next
2. Animal Instinct - The Cranberries - Bury The Hatchet
3. Summer Wine - Nancy Sinatra & Lee Hazlewood - Nancy & Lee
4. Hall Of Mirrors - Béla Fleck & The Flecktones - Live At The Quick
5. Doom - Danny Elfman - The Frighteners

Quote of the Day

It was terrible. You know, it was terrible. It's going to get you beat every time.

Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints Quarterback

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Yippee!!!! This is fun."

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Today's date is pretty cool: 10/10/10

Great win for the LSU Tigers against Florida last night in The Swamp. Wild finishes have become commonplace for the Tigers. They are not boring. I may have been wrong about them. Last night, both Tiger quarterbacks made plays when they had to. That's been the missing ingredient all season. They have a good SEC defense. They have a great running game. They have terrific wide receivers that are a mismatch against just about everyone. What they have lacked is a quarterback who can get them the ball enough to keep defenses honest. They also have Head Coach Les Miles. There is not a soul anywhere that knows what's going on in his head. It makes opponents crazy. It makes LSU fans crazy, too. He's consistent. :)

It's not surprising that the Yankees won their series over the Twins. What is surprising is how easily they did it. I don't think the Rangers or the Rays can beat them right now, either, but I'll be rooting for one of them next week. Now that the Twins are gone, I'm rooting FOR the Phillies and AGAINST the Yankees.

Would like to say I captured the image below as it was happening. Would also like to be able to say it is what it looks like. I did ... almost. It's not what it looks like. The leaf was not falling to the ground. It was suspended by an unseen spider web.

Going down?

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Transformer Man - Neil Young - Trans
2. Iron Hand - Dire Straits - On Every Street
3. So I Need You - 3 Doors Down - The Better Life
4. Helpless Dancer - The Who - Quadrophenia [Disc 1]
5. That Evening Sun - Old Crow Medicine Show - Tennessee Pusher

Quote of the Day

Logic dictates that the Saints should win this game. But something in the gut tells me the Cardinals are going to pull the upset.

Kent Somers, The Arizona Republic

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Brees and the Saints offense hasn't looked the same as their magical 2009 team, but remains deadly nonetheless."

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Baseball playoffs start today. Wish I could watch all of them. Clearly, the marquee matchup is Twins-Yankees. I think the winner of this one will take the pennant. I'm a Twins fan and a Yankee hater. GEAUX Twins.

In the other American League series, I think the Rays will handle the Rangers in five. In the National League, I like the Giants over the Braves in seven and the Phillies over the Reds in five. Overall, I think the Phillies are the team to beat.

About today's QOTD: With the ingredient they're about to add to an already volatile mix, the Vikings will land in the Super Bowl or on the moon. Assuming they make the trade today with the Patriots, signing Randy Moss to a gigantic contract beyond this season just doesn't make any sense to me. I think he'll play for Brett Favre and Brad Childress this season but will he play for Tavaris Jackson, a rookie draft pick, or some other NFL journeyman retread and maybe even a new head coach next season? He's a great player when he's on a great team that's doing well. He's a cancer on a team that is struggling.

In unrelated matters, don't you hate when you see a mistake you can correct ... if only the internet was working?

5 song iTune shuffle from the CrabAppleLane Four Star (Out of five) playlist:

1. Time - Pink Floyd - Dark Side Of The Moon
2. Station To Station - David Bowie - Station To Station
3. Ailein Duinn (Dark Alan) - Meav - Méav
4. All For You - Sister Hazel - ...Somewhere More Familiar
5. Mistreated - Deep Purple - Burn

Quote of the Day

Moss would be the absolute perfect fit

Mark Craig, Minneapolis Star-Tribune

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "While surfing youtube for Twins commercials, I came across some classic spots for the 1991 team. These are so early-nineties and just too unintentionally hilarious not to share, and since that season ended pretty well, I thought they might provide some inspiration for our boys."

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Last year at this time, the closest anyone came to the Saints in any game was 14 points. This year, there is only a 7-point difference for all four games. As a Saints fan, I am less concerned this morning about four straight close games than I am about the injuries that are beginning to mount. Their starting strong safety was out yesterday and they lost two to injury during the game but their fourth-stringer probably made the play of the game dropping DeAngelo Williams for a loss when all the Panthers needed was a yard or two to try a makeable game-winning field goal. The Saints have yet to play a game that resembles any of their big wins from last season but they're staying close to the leaders in the division and the conference. They're finding other ways to win. There is time to get on track to becoming a great team again ... if they can get and stay healthy. Wouldn't hurt to stop turning the ball over, though.

The QOTD offers one observation. I'll offer another.

No team in the NFL looks very good yet. There is something wrong with all of them.

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Torn Apart - Stabbing Westward & Wink - Spawn
2. Prospero's Speech - Loreena McKennitt - The Mask & The Mirror
3. Cotton Needs Pickin' - Ry Cooder - Crossroads
4. One More Time (Same Old Habits) - Tom Cochrane & Red Rider - Tom Cochrane And Red Rider
5. Fundamentally Loathsome - Marilyn Manson - Mechanical Animals

Quote of the Day

Something's wrong with the Saints.

Mike Florio, ProFootballTalk

Blog of the day is here.

Quote from said blog: "Given the closeness of this one and the number of nice things the Panthers did in defeat, I'm modifying my normal "5 things I didn't like" blog today to make it "5 things I didn't like and 3 I did." (Also, I wrote my column about this game on Jimmy Clausen's up-and-down afternoon and also a story about DeAngelo Williams living and dying by the cutback run.)"

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The LSU Tigers are 5-0 this morning after a bizarre game in Tiger Stadium yesterday. Despite lopsided statistics in LSU's favor, I think Tennessee outplayed them. The Tigers will probably move up in the polls but they are frauds. The Tigers have fantastic athletes all over the field and that has made up for horribly undisciplined play at times. It has also made up for very poor play at quarterback. The meat of their schedule is here now and that won't continue. The calls for Les Miles' head are getting louder every week. The SEC is loaded with great athletes and great coaches. One or the other is not enough. If LSU wants to contend, they need both. They have the athletes.

No turnovers the first two weeks: Two wins. Three turnovers last week: Loss. The Panthers have never been an easy out for the Saints. They have been in the same division since the Panthers came into the league. There is a lot of history to draw from. Both Saints starting running backs, Reggie Bush and Pierre Thomas, and Saints strong safety, Roman Harper, are out for this afternoon's game. Even as short-handed as they are, there is no way Carolina should beat the Saints today without generous help ... from the Saints. Don't be so generous this time. Take care of the ball, take care of the Panthers.

I don't give much of a darn about the Ryder Cup but it did make for a spectacular image.

I offer two from the back deck on this gorgeous autumn CrabAppleLane Sunday.

CrabAppleLane - October 3, 2010

CrabAppleLane Backyard - October 3, 2010

5 song iTune shuffle:

1. Music Box - Phillip Glass - Candyman
2. Not Th