A number of things dealt with At once



I have to do revisions on my novel, so posting will be light for a while. I placed this under miscellany because I'll be treating several topics in one shot.

The VP Debate: Edwards, like JFK, came off better on TV than on the radio. For Cheney, the reverse was true. I called it a tie when I was in my car (where I only heard the second half of the debate. Work. Work. Work.), but after watching the replay on television, I'd say Edwards came out looking better. Cheney seemed annoyed and unhealthy, and did a great deal of transparent lying. He played the role of Bush's hatchet man well, but nobody likes a hatchet man--especially when they have a much sunnier, friendlier guy sitting next to him. Edwards seemed in command for most of the debate. He explained the $87 billion vote in a way that really got under Dick Cheney's skin, and toward the end it seemed that Cheney actively hated and envied Edwards. Edwards' victory wasn't as clear as his boss's last Thursday, largely because Cheney is a reasonably articulate man who is good at sounding authoritative even when he's spouting fantastic lies, but I'd say the edge still goes to our man in North Carolina.

Raiders vs Colts: It'll be a tough game for our guys. We've won two straight in Indy's building, but that was with a healthy Rich Gannon at the controls and Charlie Garner in the backfield. I think we can still pull it off, but the Raiders have to do a few things:

1. Keep the pressure off Collins. Because Collins isn't mobile enough to consistently buy time in the pocket, the Raiders need to buy it for him. They'll need a strong running game, combined with draws and screens to punish pass rushers for overcommitting. If Collins has time to throw, and the secondary has to at least respect the possibility that someone will break a short pass for a long gain, the deeper routes will open up.

2. Keep the safeties guessing. The Colts will probably run a 2-deep shell for most of the game. This should leave seam opportunities down the field for Doug Jolley, and short circle and crossing routes for Amos Zereoue, Justin Fargas, and Jerry Rice. You want to force them to commit a safety to the middle of the field, which will leave one side of the field open for a receiver on a streak or deep out pattern. In the alternative, you want to force the linebackers to guess between the throw over the top (to the tight end or slot receiver) or the throw underneath (to a back or crossing receiver). Drive the Colts linebackers into confusion, and the middle of the field will belong to the Raiders.

3. Run. Run. Run. Fargas, Zereoue, Crockett. Wheatley (if healthy). Run them all. They should combine for 35 to 40 touches on the day (including short receptions and screens). Run draws, traps, and screens. Run inside. Run outside. Take advantage of the physical abilities of Robert Gallery and Barry Sims. Dominate the line of scrimmage. The Raiders should try to control the ball for at least 35 minutes of this game.

4. Stop E. J. The Colt's running back will be key. Hold him to under 3.5 yards per carry. Penetrate the line. Frustrate him. Force the Colts into 3rd and long. Employ run blitzes and make generous use of the 46 and 3-4 max pressure sets. Secure the edges.

5. Disguise coverages. It is nearly impossible to stop Peyton Manning. What it is possible to do is confuse him and force him to make bad decisions. This was how the Patriots beat the Colts. The Colts could move up and down the field, but the Patriots were always able to confuse Manning in the red zone, making him throw the stupid ball, even when he wasn't under a great deal of pressure. The result for the Colts? Turnovers, wasted yardage, defeat.

6. Impress upon Collins that some yards are better than no yards, and that no yards are better than turnovers. Collins tends to be overaggressive. So impress upon him in film study the importance of taking the safe throw if it's the only one available, or of throwing the ball away or taking the sack if no one's open. (On one of Collins's interceptions, Norv Turner pointed out that Ronald Curry was wide open on the other side of the field, and might have scored with a good run after the catch if Collins had seen him). Also, let him know that hitting the short completion may actually turn out better than trying the bomb all the time. The Raiders' receivers have tremendous athletic ability. Let them use it to get yards after the catch. That'll force the defense to play tighter, even in clear passing situations, and make longer routes more available when Collins needs or wants them.

Jackie Brown (1997): Bitterspice loves this movie. I watched her copy of it last night, and I loved it as well. While the dialog isn't as flashy as the dialog in Pulp Fiction and the visuals aren't as striking as those in Kill Bill, the story struck me as richer and more deeply layered, and the storytelling more confident and mature. Or, to put it another way, I quote the lines from Pulp Fiction. I remember images from Kill Bill, but I remember all the people from Jackie Brown. I could have spent two hours alone with any of them, without feeling I'd wasted a minute. It was damn good work (not that I'm running down Kill Bill or Pulp Fiction. I'm certainly not.)

And by the way, just to delve into the complaint department for a moment, isn't it about time that we force cable and phone companies to include all the taxes and fees in their advertised prices? I understand that some of these taxes are local, but ads can be adjusted for locality as well (Computers being wonderful things). It just pisses me off because Qwest told me that my phone bill would be $19.95 per month (given the features and options I selected). My bill came yesterday for $30, thanks primarily to the various taxes and fees. Let's just say there was a lot they didn't tell me when I signed up. Fuckers.

Posted: Tue - October 5, 2004 at 09:51 PM        

©