RAMBLINGS FROM OXYCODONE & LORTAB
I haven't posted anything here since Sunday evening, it's just been too painful. I have extreme knee pain & swelling. I'm scheduled to receive an injection of Synvisc next Monday. But that will take weeks to take hold, so what I'm feeling right now will continue well into January. I am unable to sleep in bed, being horizontal is the most painful, so I'm dozing sitting up in a chair in the media room. Sitting at my desk hurts pretty bad too, so I haven't been here since Sunday. I'm falling apart, my geezer body is failing me. I need shoulder surgery & I will need a knee joint replacement sooner rather than later. I have a cold which just adds to the misery. But no matter, I have Schedule II drugs. While in this fog, I better throw you some red meat. Something to read during your morning coffee break or at lunchtime.
I'm hoping to have a better day today than I had yesterday, I could barely walk & popped the pills eagerly in a vain attempt to sleep, even for just a half an hour. I've been looped for several days, but still no sleep. I need to make a major grocery run on Wednesday as the forecasters are promising us a White Christmas beginning Thursday night, complete with freezing rain & heavy snow. Since we live in the middle of nowhere, being prepared for such weather is a necessity. Freezing rain can bring power outages, at least it has in the past, so plenty of dry firewood, propane for our portable stove, drinking water & a full bathtub for flushing the crapper are all on the checklist. Food for at least 7 days is a must as well. Four years ago, we were trapped in our house for 6 days & by day six, we were eating saltines with peanut butter & jelly for lunch & dinner.
Because of the forecast & my condition, we aren't going to Kansas City for Christmas celebrations with Linda's family. I felt bad we weren't going because of my condition, but now that we have storm warnings, we wouldn't be going regardless of how I feel, don't want to get stuck up there. So it will be Linda, Chief & me for Christmas. I need to figure out something suitable for a holiday dinner, I'm leaning toward a Butterball turkey breast. I've heard ham doesn't go well with narcotic painkillers. I'm just sayin'.
If you check in here & see nothing new, it could be because we have no power or internet service due to ice. It might be because I'm unable to sit here for an hour & pound out a post. I'll do my best to provide plenty of stuff to read. The Office Pool Picks will be here, come Hell or high water, late tonight.
The Green Bay Packers got their franchise quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, cleared by both team & independent doctors. He suffered a concussion ten days ago & didn't play in their narrow defeat to New England. The Pack hosts the Giants & it is essentially a playoff game, the winner moves on, the loser is out. With New Orleans holding a a 1-game lead over the Giants & two over Green Bay, this matchup in Lambeau this Sunday is it. Can New York get up off the mat after being nearly K.O.'d by the Eagles? Do the battered Packers have enough to win two more & get into the post season tournament? Tough to know, Vegas has the game listed as pick 'em, so no one sees an edge.
Other big matchups this weekend include the Jets at Chicago, the Bears giving 1 1/2. Tennessee at K.C. with the Chiefs laying 5, which IMO is too much. Indy travels to Oakland, the Colts are minus 3 & Monday night, the Saints will battle Atlanta in the Georgia Dome, the birds are -2 1/2.
Speaking of point spreads, there were two pretty bad beats last Sunday. Jacksonville, trailing 27-24, was covering the 4 1/2 point spread & preparing to kickoff with less than 2-minutes left in the game. Josh Scobee kicked a really lame onside attempt. The ball was caught on one hop by Indianapolis linebacker Tyjuan Hagler & he went untouched 41-yards for a touchdown & a 10-point lead. I'm glad I didn't have a piece of that one. Moments later in the New Orleans-Baltimore game, the Saints gave up the ball on downs inside their 30-yardline. The Ravens were able to run out all but 11-seconds of the clock & leading by only 3-points, I figured John Harbaugh would run the ball on 4th down & leave New Orleans with just one snap to move the ball 40-yards & kick a field goal. Obviously, it can't be done. But what if the Ravens attempted a field goal & it was blocked? As conservative as Harbaugh has been, surprise, surprise, they kick a field goal with 9-seconds left & now the Saints get the ball back with a chance. I thought it was a bad decision to kick the field goal. Of course, I had New Orleans +3 & had a push in the bank until Billy Cundiff split the uprights to win the game by 6. Could have been worse, I could've had the Giants, how brutal was that finish?
Brett Favre made a surprise start Monday night but didn't survive the first half, slammed to the turf, scrambling his melon. He might play a few snaps this Sunday in Detroit if he's cleared by doctors. I think he'd like to walk off the field for the last time under his own power, not carried off like has been the case recently.
I think Matt Cassel won over his teammates by playing Sunday. No matter how you cut it, starting at QB in a must-win NFL road game gets people's attention, especially those in your locker room. He is now the unquestioned leader of the Kansas City Chiefs. Thankfully, nothing happened to complicate his recovery, but the respect he earned by playing, producing & winning in St. Louis went beyond his own team, he became an topic of conversation & some new found respect.
The "Wow Factor" that Michael Vick can create from time to time has clouded some people's objectivity. Vick is considered to be one of the 2 front-runners for the NFL's MVP award. Tom Brady being the other. I have a decided preference in this 2-man derby. Yes, Vick does have the "Wow factor." He can do things no other quarterback can do. He has learned to become both a better passer & leader since his return to the NFL. I will never forget what he did to be sentenced to 21-months in Leavenworth, he did pay his dues & our system calls for a second chance. Vick has made the most of it to be sure, I doubt we'll ever see him in trouble again. But, Vick has played 3 fewer games than Brady, Vick plays with a far superior supporting cast with DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin & LeSean McCoy. Compare those three to Wes Welker, Deion Branch & Danny Woodhead, not even close. Brady leads the league with 31 touchdown passes with just 4 interceptions. Vick has 20 & 5 in three less games. Vick does have 8 rushing scores as well. If you were to take Brady out of the New England lineup, they wouldn't win 6 games. If Kevin Kolb was still the starter in Philly, I honestly believe the Eagles would still be a playoff team or close to it. In my eyes, Vick makes the Eagles the team to beat in the NFC. FOX is praying they end up with an Eagle-Falcon NFC Championship game. The return of Vick to Atlanta, I think you'd see 20,000 Vick fans pulling for the Eagles in the Georgia Dome. I say Brady wins the MVP by a very slight margin, he's carrying his team on his back & deserves this award.
How irrelevant is Randy Moss? Unhappy he didn't get a contract extension from the Patriots, he spoke out & his public whining got him traded to Minnesota. Finally playing with Brett Favre, returning to where he became the most feared WR in the NFL. He caught 13 passes during his short stay in Minneapolis. Once again he spoke out & the next thing you know, Moss is wearing a Tennessee Titans' uniform. In his 6-weeks as a titan, he has 5-catches for 62-yards & no scores. At age 34, has Moss played his last NFL season? Even if he gave a sincere 16-game effort, would anyone run the risk of signing him & then looking like fools when he implodes? I think Moss is finished, just too much risk for so little return at this point.
The same case can be made for 37-year old Terrell Owens & soon-to-be 33, Chad 85. Too much distraction with too little production. To be fair, much of their reduced stats come from QB Carson Palmer having a lousy year. He could be on his way out of Cincinnati as well. Rebuilding this offense around RB Cedric Benson, TE Jermaine Gresham & WR's Andre Caldwell & Jordan Shipley. T.O. & Ochocinco make a lot of money & it's easy to question their focus, reality shows, touchdown celebrations & Twitter seemingly come ahead of the team. Owens' recent public criticism of the Bungle hierarchy wasn't a smart thing to do, but it wasn't the 1st time he'd done such finger-pointing. One of them might be back, but not both, no way.
Tonight the Maaco Las Vegas Bowl will be contested between Boise State & Utah. Sadly they might be playing in miserable conditions, Vegas has been pelted by rain for several days & the precipitation should continue tonight. The Broncos are a 16-point favorite. We'll be watching it as well as the Mizzou-Illinois hoops game. After not sleeping for two days, I'll probably nod off just as they kickoff/tipoff.
I'm hoping to have a better day today than I had yesterday, I could barely walk & popped the pills eagerly in a vain attempt to sleep, even for just a half an hour. I've been looped for several days, but still no sleep. I need to make a major grocery run on Wednesday as the forecasters are promising us a White Christmas beginning Thursday night, complete with freezing rain & heavy snow. Since we live in the middle of nowhere, being prepared for such weather is a necessity. Freezing rain can bring power outages, at least it has in the past, so plenty of dry firewood, propane for our portable stove, drinking water & a full bathtub for flushing the crapper are all on the checklist. Food for at least 7 days is a must as well. Four years ago, we were trapped in our house for 6 days & by day six, we were eating saltines with peanut butter & jelly for lunch & dinner.
Because of the forecast & my condition, we aren't going to Kansas City for Christmas celebrations with Linda's family. I felt bad we weren't going because of my condition, but now that we have storm warnings, we wouldn't be going regardless of how I feel, don't want to get stuck up there. So it will be Linda, Chief & me for Christmas. I need to figure out something suitable for a holiday dinner, I'm leaning toward a Butterball turkey breast. I've heard ham doesn't go well with narcotic painkillers. I'm just sayin'.
If you check in here & see nothing new, it could be because we have no power or internet service due to ice. It might be because I'm unable to sit here for an hour & pound out a post. I'll do my best to provide plenty of stuff to read. The Office Pool Picks will be here, come Hell or high water, late tonight.
The Green Bay Packers got their franchise quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, cleared by both team & independent doctors. He suffered a concussion ten days ago & didn't play in their narrow defeat to New England. The Pack hosts the Giants & it is essentially a playoff game, the winner moves on, the loser is out. With New Orleans holding a a 1-game lead over the Giants & two over Green Bay, this matchup in Lambeau this Sunday is it. Can New York get up off the mat after being nearly K.O.'d by the Eagles? Do the battered Packers have enough to win two more & get into the post season tournament? Tough to know, Vegas has the game listed as pick 'em, so no one sees an edge.
Other big matchups this weekend include the Jets at Chicago, the Bears giving 1 1/2. Tennessee at K.C. with the Chiefs laying 5, which IMO is too much. Indy travels to Oakland, the Colts are minus 3 & Monday night, the Saints will battle Atlanta in the Georgia Dome, the birds are -2 1/2.
Speaking of point spreads, there were two pretty bad beats last Sunday. Jacksonville, trailing 27-24, was covering the 4 1/2 point spread & preparing to kickoff with less than 2-minutes left in the game. Josh Scobee kicked a really lame onside attempt. The ball was caught on one hop by Indianapolis linebacker Tyjuan Hagler & he went untouched 41-yards for a touchdown & a 10-point lead. I'm glad I didn't have a piece of that one. Moments later in the New Orleans-Baltimore game, the Saints gave up the ball on downs inside their 30-yardline. The Ravens were able to run out all but 11-seconds of the clock & leading by only 3-points, I figured John Harbaugh would run the ball on 4th down & leave New Orleans with just one snap to move the ball 40-yards & kick a field goal. Obviously, it can't be done. But what if the Ravens attempted a field goal & it was blocked? As conservative as Harbaugh has been, surprise, surprise, they kick a field goal with 9-seconds left & now the Saints get the ball back with a chance. I thought it was a bad decision to kick the field goal. Of course, I had New Orleans +3 & had a push in the bank until Billy Cundiff split the uprights to win the game by 6. Could have been worse, I could've had the Giants, how brutal was that finish?
Brett Favre made a surprise start Monday night but didn't survive the first half, slammed to the turf, scrambling his melon. He might play a few snaps this Sunday in Detroit if he's cleared by doctors. I think he'd like to walk off the field for the last time under his own power, not carried off like has been the case recently.
I think Matt Cassel won over his teammates by playing Sunday. No matter how you cut it, starting at QB in a must-win NFL road game gets people's attention, especially those in your locker room. He is now the unquestioned leader of the Kansas City Chiefs. Thankfully, nothing happened to complicate his recovery, but the respect he earned by playing, producing & winning in St. Louis went beyond his own team, he became an topic of conversation & some new found respect.
The "Wow Factor" that Michael Vick can create from time to time has clouded some people's objectivity. Vick is considered to be one of the 2 front-runners for the NFL's MVP award. Tom Brady being the other. I have a decided preference in this 2-man derby. Yes, Vick does have the "Wow factor." He can do things no other quarterback can do. He has learned to become both a better passer & leader since his return to the NFL. I will never forget what he did to be sentenced to 21-months in Leavenworth, he did pay his dues & our system calls for a second chance. Vick has made the most of it to be sure, I doubt we'll ever see him in trouble again. But, Vick has played 3 fewer games than Brady, Vick plays with a far superior supporting cast with DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin & LeSean McCoy. Compare those three to Wes Welker, Deion Branch & Danny Woodhead, not even close. Brady leads the league with 31 touchdown passes with just 4 interceptions. Vick has 20 & 5 in three less games. Vick does have 8 rushing scores as well. If you were to take Brady out of the New England lineup, they wouldn't win 6 games. If Kevin Kolb was still the starter in Philly, I honestly believe the Eagles would still be a playoff team or close to it. In my eyes, Vick makes the Eagles the team to beat in the NFC. FOX is praying they end up with an Eagle-Falcon NFC Championship game. The return of Vick to Atlanta, I think you'd see 20,000 Vick fans pulling for the Eagles in the Georgia Dome. I say Brady wins the MVP by a very slight margin, he's carrying his team on his back & deserves this award.
How irrelevant is Randy Moss? Unhappy he didn't get a contract extension from the Patriots, he spoke out & his public whining got him traded to Minnesota. Finally playing with Brett Favre, returning to where he became the most feared WR in the NFL. He caught 13 passes during his short stay in Minneapolis. Once again he spoke out & the next thing you know, Moss is wearing a Tennessee Titans' uniform. In his 6-weeks as a titan, he has 5-catches for 62-yards & no scores. At age 34, has Moss played his last NFL season? Even if he gave a sincere 16-game effort, would anyone run the risk of signing him & then looking like fools when he implodes? I think Moss is finished, just too much risk for so little return at this point.
The same case can be made for 37-year old Terrell Owens & soon-to-be 33, Chad 85. Too much distraction with too little production. To be fair, much of their reduced stats come from QB Carson Palmer having a lousy year. He could be on his way out of Cincinnati as well. Rebuilding this offense around RB Cedric Benson, TE Jermaine Gresham & WR's Andre Caldwell & Jordan Shipley. T.O. & Ochocinco make a lot of money & it's easy to question their focus, reality shows, touchdown celebrations & Twitter seemingly come ahead of the team. Owens' recent public criticism of the Bungle hierarchy wasn't a smart thing to do, but it wasn't the 1st time he'd done such finger-pointing. One of them might be back, but not both, no way.
Tonight the Maaco Las Vegas Bowl will be contested between Boise State & Utah. Sadly they might be playing in miserable conditions, Vegas has been pelted by rain for several days & the precipitation should continue tonight. The Broncos are a 16-point favorite. We'll be watching it as well as the Mizzou-Illinois hoops game. After not sleeping for two days, I'll probably nod off just as they kickoff/tipoff.
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