Comments on: This and that: Zemeckis, Fey, Carrell, Lou Dobbs and football helmets

By: Outlaw13

Outlaw13 — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 11:25:09 +0000

Here's a happy Christmas tune...
Weird Al Yankovic - Christmas At Ground Zero (Official Music Video) - Watch more amazing videos here

By: Mr. Sideous

Mr. Sideous — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 16:59:55 +0000

I wonder who the libtards are talking to. Themselves? When 80% of the country is not on board with their crap, they become like the annoying drunk at the Xmas party wobbily telling the same joke over and over and over again, until someone, somewhere will laugh at it.

If you speak Libtard, you know what she’s saying: “Wow, now that the enlightened are in charge, I can’t believe we still put up with these neo-cons who, by just disagreeing with us, demonstrate their ignorance and bias which will endanger us all”.

These clowns are so lost they don’t even know they’re lost. Damn, I can’t wait for the adults to return.

By: trzupr

trzupr — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 16:49:20 +0000

This line from the “Oprah goes full out for an Oscar” link is precious. The writer is someone called Jenni Miller, who apparently lives on the planet Zoltron:

“If anything, President Obama has allowed us to see more clearly than ever that racism is still a huge problem in America. In fact, his presidency has brought racists out of the closet in full force, and in a manner that is unbelievably tolerated.”

I’m not sure what part of that declaration is the most stupid. Is it the fact that what Obama’s Presidency has done is to highlight the lengths that Americans, and particularly the media, are willing to go to avoid criticizing a black President, no matter how badly he governs, rather than “bringing racists out of the closet”? Or is it the two word construction: “unbelievably tolerated”? I thought this was the age of tolerance. Maybe I missed the memo. It toleration no longer on the PC-approved list? Oh wait. I’m a conservative. No toleration (or soup) for me!

By: Rufus

Rufus — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 16:29:00 +0000

Lars,

I agree it is a very weak ballet and the story is nonsense, but the score is phenomenal. Oddly enough there is not a lot of Christmas classical that is “pop” music. There are plenty of masses, but few breezy, fun pieces associated with Christmas. Without the music of the Nutcracker it would be all 20th century pop.

By: Lars Walker

Lars Walker — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 16:11:58 +0000

What is it with the Nutcracker, anyway? Mothers drag their kids to it, every year, in the hope that it’ll give them a love of culture.

The danged thing has NO STORY! NO STORY! It’s all spectacle, like a bad Dreamworks film, but with even less substance. I say, drive a stake through its heart. Keep the music for background stuff in malls during the Christmas season, but kill the ballet.

By: Rufus

Rufus — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:47:33 +0000

I saw that article in the journal but have not had time to read it yet. When I was playing I heard some coaches and older, former players lament the introduction of the facemask. They said guys used to hit a lot more cleanly before the facemask was added. When it’s your nose on the line one tends to be a lot more focused on where that helmet is going. I’ve only played with a modern helmet and facemask, so it’s hard to say. My hands were constantly getting beat up by facemasks. When a player would have my forward progress halted it was very common for one of the defensive backs to fly in, face first, and try to dislodge the ball to force a fumble. That means I had to keep the ball and my hand in place, so as to not fumble, while a facemask with plastic coated metal bars was slamming into my fingers and knuckles. Think about the force behind a 150 – 180 pound body, moving at 15mph, all concentrated on a round surface area about 1/4″ in circumference, and that surface area is dense metal. That’s a lot of psi’s hitting a guy’s fingers.

Also, safeties and defensive backs were prone to fly into pile-ups head first, putting their necks and backs at great risk, because they knew the helmet would protect their skulls and faces. However, I’m sure without facemasks there would be a lot of broken noses and eye and eye socket injuries. Guys were constantly punching and gouging me when at the bottom of a pile, out of sight of the refs.

So, it’s a tough call. I know a fair amount of the old timers I’ve talked to say the facemask changed technique, and the game, for the worst, and believe facemasks contribute to injuries. I don’t think the issue should be helmets, or no, but facemasks or no.