Single father. Retired @suntimes and @thedailybeast book critic. Likes sports, econ, history, movies, comedy. ✝️️
Joined February 2009
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If you’re interested in having a civil discussion, I’m here for it. If you agree with me, disagree with me, it doesn’t matter. As long as people are polite, you’re welcome. But if you just want to insult me or otherwise be rude, please don’t bother. Life is too short.
Whatever the opposite of hot takes are, that is what these are. Very smart, measured and well thought out critique. Thank you for sharing it.
Thoughts on week 8
1. The Bengals are capable of losing anytime and against any opponent. Any team with Burrow, Chase and Higgins has to be good. Cincy is undisciplined; multiple procedure penalties, botched handoffs, poor play calling and shoddy defense is a direct reflection on Head Coach Zach Taylor.
Myself and 349 other people are certainly glad we don't have to pick the Bengals in Circa survivor again.
2. The Jets spit another game up yesterday. It just seems like they choke down the stretch of games. I like Aaron Glenn, but I think they need a coaching change for next season. The roster is decent and with the draft capital they have, the Jets should be a playoff team next season.
3. The Vikings need to bench Kyler Murry. You could see the rage on Justin Jefferson's face during the game. The players know they have a super bowl contending team if they just get an average QB.
I have to eat crow and say Professor was right; I would kill if the Vikes had Kirk Cousins RN 🤣
4. All 4 quarters in the Bucs-Falcons game were played in a driving rainstorm. Baker Mayfield did not complete one pass, but he is the absolute best QB to have going in those conditions. Bucs might win the division.
Very pleasant watch when having Tampa and under.
5. The Steelers are a sneaky good team. Roger's lack of mobility is the one thing that could hinder them. I bet them to make the playoffs and go over 9.5 wins before the Cleveland game yesterday which they completely dominated.
6. That Cowboys game was disheartening. I'm not sure I even know what the problem is because there are so many things. The one thing you thought you could count on was the offense, and that unit sucked yesterday.
I'm buried in Dallas futures and lost the teaser yesterday, but surprisingly they are not out of the division race.
7. The Eagles are pathetic. I have them power rated as the worst team in the league RN. It was a sweat, but the under got there last night.
8. I seldom feel bad for professional athletes, but I'm cringing watching Justin Herbert play football. Seems like a great kid, and the look on his face is gut wrenching. I hope he can figure it out.
9. The Baltimore Raven situation is dire to say the least. They have to play Thursday night and I'm not sure WTF they can do at this point.
10. Keep your eye out for the Colts fire sale this week, after the drubbing they took from Jacksonville. I'm Hoping Pittsburgh gets Josh Downs, and I think the Packers have a shot at Johnathan Taylor. HC Steichen is a heavy favorite to be the first coach fired.
I didn't see Mrs. Irsay taking notes on the field. Maybe because it was raining.
2-2 yesterday with Seahawks -3 tonight, 19-12 on the season.
Professor had 2 easy total winners which I tailed and hopefully some of you did as well.
Zack caught a bad break with Lamar going down.
NFL Betting Edge back Wednesday night for week 9
@RyanBrownPgh
linktr.ee/NFLBettingEdge
How on earth does @Franklin_Graham support this man?
I’m not a lawyer and don’t regularly read briefs. (Is this a brief?) Can someone explain what is wrong with this opening? I don’t know anything about the validity of the opinion. But the writing is fine.
This quoted post is unavailable.
DEI protects and promotes Muslim Arabs? Are you sure about that? I’m pretty sure they get greeted most places with the same reaction that Vance is giving them.
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He is STILL talking about that silly pool, while things are going to hell around him. How about ending the war, you senile old fool?
This is after countless stories of people getting screwed over by them at the World Cup. Come on, @stubhub! I promise to NEVER buy from you again until you fix this nonsense. @ScottFriedman3
The sickening stories keeping coming in…😢😢😢
SHAME ON YOU, @StubHub.
Imagine being a kid, a HUGE @Brewers fan, and finding out you’re going to see your team play in the WORLD SERIES! ⚾️💙💛
The excitement. The anticipation. The memories you’re already imagining making.
Now imagine having that excitement ripped away because a company sold your 3 tickets that you bought, that they apparently can’t deliver.
That’s exactly what we’re dealing with right now.
We purchased THREE tickets to the Milwaukee Brewers World Series for Game 1 last Tuesday(13th) through StubHub. We selected our section, our row, paid for our tickets, and received our order confirmation.
Everything was supposed to be set.
Then suddenly, StubHub tells us they’re “searching for replacement options” because they can’t provide the tickets we purchased.
ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!
How does a company accept someone’s hard earned money, confirm a purchase, and then turn around and say they can’t fulfill it?!
And their solution? We can request a refund while they continue looking for tickets.
THIS ISN’T ABOUT THE MONEY.
It’s about the experience. It’s about the memories. It’s about the excitement of a kid, his dad, and grandpa, who thought they were going to watch their favorite baseball team play on the biggest stage in baseball.
Look at the first picture. That’s the disappointment you’re creating, StubHub.
A refund doesn’t replace that moment.
And here’s what really bothers me…
StubHub advertises a “FanProtect Guarantee” and tells customers their orders are “100% guaranteed.”
Guaranteed WHAT, exactly?!
Because from where we’re sitting, that guarantee doesn’t feel worth much when you can’t deliver the tickets you sold us.
We did everything right. We purchased through a major ticket marketplace. We trusted the confirmation. We trusted the guarantee.
Now it’s time for StubHub to make it right.
We aren’t asking for anything extra. We want the three tickets we paid for, or comparable or better seats together, at no additional cost.
Stubhub…DO BETTER.
Please SHARE this. Not just for us, but for every fan who has trusted a ticket company with an experience that means so much more than the price of admission.
ℹ️Brandon Barker
“A lawyer with his briefcase can steal more than a hundred men with guns.” —Don Corleone
This Forbes investigation is a must-read.
Donald Trump pulled in roughly $1.4 billion from crypto in 2025, plus more than $200 million from real estate, and faced a projected tax bill north of $500 million. So his company donated the "development rights" to his Jupiter, Florida golf course to a land trust, argued the course was a natural habitat worth protecting, and kept right on running the club. Forbes estimates the write-off could land around $825 million.
He has done this at least five times since 2005. New York's attorney general alleged two of those appraisals were inflated. In Doral, he claimed a deduction of up to $323 million, more than double what he paid for the entire resort.
A month after the Jupiter deal, he sued the IRS. The settlement his own Justice Department signed bars claims against him over matters that "could be pending," language that appears broad enough to cover this year's taxes. A federal judge found the case was brought to manipulate the judicial process. And the man now running the IRS, who took the job as this deal was being assembled, has a home backing onto those same Jupiter fairways.
This is absolutely ridiculous. Nobody should be able to use the presidency to write his own tax bill.
forbes.com/sites/danalexande…
This is truly vile. I didn’t think Vance would sink this low. For him to call out a private citizen who was the victim of sexual abuse is so inappropriate. I don’t see how his wife can put up with this.
Vance: The media and the Democrats in the state of Ohio are obsessed because Vivek Ramaswamy had the audacity to run a TV commercial which calls it out like it is and calls Amy Acton a liar.
Readers added context they thought people might want to know
The ad features Amy Acton's estranged mother disputing Acton's account of childhood homelessness, rape and abuse. Both 1978 Mahoning County court records and Acton's brother, Phillip Stearns, corroborate her account of living in a tent and abuse.
wyso.org/2026-10-20/amy…
Let them play golf.
I am pleased to announce that the Department of the Interior, under the auspices of Secretary Doug Burgum, and in conjunction with famed Golf Course Architect, Tom Fazio, has developed a plan to build a World Class Championship Golf Course on the site of the current East Potomac Golf Links, located in Washington, D.C. When completed, it will be open to the Public while, at the same time, designed to the Highest Level of Golf and able to hold World Class Tournaments such as the U.S. Open, the PGA Championship, the Ryder Cup, and the Presidents Cup. This Course will create many Jobs, and have a tremendously positive Economic Development impact on Washington, D.C., and the surrounding area. Millions of Dollars will inure to the Capital area. The current Course is old, broken, dilapidated, and of no further use or effect. It is in very poor condition, with falling, dangerous, and disease infested trees and, importantly, a collapsing and hazardous seawall. When the East Potomac Course was originally built, it was famous for no trees, with views of Washington, D.C., for all to see, but now, it is completely overgrown, dysfunctional, and unsafe. Restoration work will begin on the Fazio Design on November 15th, when the old Course will be closed to play. The new Course will be opened in approximately 15 months. The United States Golf Association, PGA of America, and the PGA Tour have already been notified that they will soon have one of the Best and Most Spectacular Golf Courses anywhere in the World to put on their list of great places to play, and hold Major Events. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP
( TS: Oct 18 2026, 10:09 AM ET )
If you believe this bullshit, then you deserve those bad things that are happening to you in life.
It may sound harsh, but it’s fair.
Trump: "We have 5 states where your child goes off to school as Tim and comes back as Tammy 3 or 4 days later. It's true. And teachers make a decision. 'Goodbye Timmy I love you so much, I'll see you later.' And you say, 'Where's my son? My son is in the hospital.' Can you imagine? They don't even need approval"