IN THIS ISSUE:
1. From The Editor's Desk
2. "This Just In...."
3. National Affairs: Turning On Obama
4. The Old School Beatdown of The Week
5. BCS: "Boredom Coming Soon....."
6. The NFL Playoffs:
Should Teams Have to be "Bowl-Eligible?"
7. The NFL Season: Too Long?
8. Coaching Matters --- Because ("Coaching Matters")
9. FIFA Follies: The Fallout Continues
10. RIP, Dandy Don Meredith
11. "The Association"
12. Reader Comment of The Week
1. From The Editor's Desk:
Like its Dear Readers, TG$SFR is gearing up for the
Holidays....But stay tuned for our special Xmas "We're
Making a List" edition, and in the meantime, Best of The
Season to all of our loyal readers.
2. "THIS JUST IN...."
WE INTERRUPT OUR
REGULAR EDITION
FOR
BREAKING NEWS...
 |
| Diego Armando Maradona |
Dateline Tehran, December 6, 2010:
REPORT: ARGENTINA SOCCER LEGEND
DIEGO MARADONA TO COACH
IRAN'S NATIONAL TEAM
Argentina's soccer legend Diego Maradona may be the next coach of the Iranian National Football team, Iran's semi-official Mehr news agency reported on Monday.
In a recent ceremony to honor Iran's medal winners at the Asian games, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad confirmed plans to host a visit by Maradona and nodded when asked if the football great was coming to coach the national team, Mehr news reported.
Rumors of Maradona coaching Iran's national football first swirled last month when Iranian football officials announced a planned visit by the former coach of the Argentine national football team.
Ahmadinejad didn't make it clear when Maradona planned to visit Iran.
"Maradona will come to Iran but his visit is delayed," Mehr news quoted the president as saying.....
Diego Maradona scored the most notorious goal in football (soccer) history, the infamous "Hand of God"
strike against archrival England in the 1986 World Cup.
Had The Great One pulled off another miracle?
TG$SFR prides itself on spanning the globe to bring its devoted readers the latest updates, without fear or favor, showing no bias or blessing. Still, we couldn't help but wonder.....
Let's see, now...
Hard-Partying....
Womanizing.....
Coke-Snorting ("Allegedly")......
Out-of-Control.......
Party Boy.....
Signs on to coach
national team
national team
for fundamentalist
Islamic Republic
Islamic Republic
that hates to lose ---
(at anything)
(at anything)
 |
| "It seemed like a good idea at the time, Jefe'...." |
WHAT COULD POSSIBLY GO WRONG WITH THAT?
2. National Affairs:
Turning On Obama
Meanwhile, U.S. politics took a surprising turn, as the Holy Trinity of progressive commentators turned on President Barack Obama with unconcealed fury and a previously unforeseen level of personal contempt.
Nobel-winning columnist Paul Krugman started things off on Friday, December 2nd, with a withering dismissal of the President's pay freeze on federal workers:
 |
| Paul Krugman |
Freezing Out Hope
By PAUL KRUGMAN
After the Democratic “shellacking” in the midterm elections, everyone wondered how President Obama would respond. Would he show what he was made of? Would he stand firm for the values he believes in, even in the face of political adversity?
On Monday, we got the answer: he announced a pay freeze for federal workers. This was an announcement that had it all. It was transparently cynical; it was trivial in scale, but misguided in direction; and by making the announcement, Mr. Obama effectively conceded the policy argument to the very people who are seeking — successfully, it seems — to destroy him.
So I guess we are, in fact, seeing what Mr. Obama is made of...
Two days later, on Sunday, December 4th, Pulitzer-winning Frank Rich, the uber-analyst of all things progressive, figuratively cut off the President's head and paraded it on a stake for all to see, comparing 44 to a hostage captured by the Republicans and suffering from "Stockholm Syndrome":
 |
| Frank Rich |
All the President’s Captors
By FRANK RICH
THOSE desperate to decipher the baffling Obama presidency could do worse than consult an article titled “Understanding Stockholm Syndrome” in the online archive of The F.B.I. Law Enforcement Bulletin. It explains that hostage takers are most successful at winning a victim’s loyalty if they temper their brutality with a bogus show of kindness. Soon enough, the hostage will start concentrating on his captors’ “good side” and develop psychological characteristics to please them — “dependency; lack of initiative; and an inability to act, decide or think.”
This dynamic was acted out — yet again — in President Obama’s latest and perhaps most humiliating attempt to placate his Republican captors in Washington. No sooner did he invite the G.O.P.’s Congressional leaders to a post-election White House summit meeting than they countered his hospitality with a slap — postponing the date for two weeks because of “scheduling conflicts.” But they were kind enough to reschedule, and that was enough to get Obama to concentrate once more on his captors’ “good side.”
And so, as the big bipartisan event finally arrived last week, he handed them an unexpected gift, a freeze on federal salaries. Then he made a hostage video hailing the White House meeting as “a sincere effort on the part of everybody involved to actually commit to work together.” Hardly had this staged effusion of happy talk been disseminated than we learned of Mitch McConnell’s letter vowing to hold not just the president but the entire government hostage by blocking all legislation until the Bush-era tax cuts were extended for the top 2 percent of American households.
The captors will win this battle, if they haven’t already by the time you read this, because Obama has seemingly surrendered his once-considerable abilities to act, decide or think....
But the harshest blow would come on Tuesday, December 7th from
ever-erudite "Countdown" host Keith Olbermann, the new "Mouth That Roared," as he compared President Obama's compromising with the Republicans to no less than Neville Chamberlain's appeasement of Hitler in 1938:
 |
| Keith Olbermann |
"The economy is surprisingly simple. If business and the rich won't spend, and the middle class can't spend, the only factor left to keep pushing money into the insatiable maw of capitalism is the government. So, should the government give the money to the rich who keep it, or to the not rich, who spend it? Apparently this President does not know the answer to that question, even though he has his own Council of Economic Advisers . Mr. President, for these meager crumbs, you have given up costly, insulting, divisive, destructive tax cuts for the rich, and you have given in to Republican blackmail, which will be followed by more Republican blackmail."
"I won't fight if anybody wants to draw a comparison between what you've done with our domestic politics of our day to what Neville Chamberlain did with the international politics of his. The rest of what Churchill said, paraphrased, but only slightly paraphrased, bears repeating again. The terrible words have for the time being been pronounced against this Administration : "Thou art weighed in the balance and found wanting." And do not suppose that this is the end . This is only the beginning of the reckoning. This is only the first sip of a bitter cup which will be proffered to us year by year unless by a supreme recovery of moral health and political vigor, we arise again and take our stand.."
On a substantive note, what most of the commentators left unsaid was that the "compromise" with the Republicans contained two additional poison pills that would come back to haunt Obama and the Democrats in the not-so-distant future: First, the ""extension" for 2 years meant that the "renewal" would come up in the middle of the 2012 Presidential campaign, and who was kidding whom? --- the Democrats would stand virtually no chance of letting any tax cuts expire in an election year...Second, and even more pernicious, was the fact that the tax cuts were likely to lead to greatly expanded deficits --- leading for even more strident calls for cuts in Democratic social and physical infrastructure programs by FY 2012.....
But on the perhaps more important political note, the open rebellion by the leading Democratic tribunes --- sentiments shared by many of their followers, also known as "voters," spelled a new, very dangerous moment for Barack Obama. With those left, right, and middle questioning the young President's courage and political savvy, the question had to be asked:
COULD THE STORY OF THE FIRST TWO YEARS OF THE OBAMA PRESIDENCY JUST AS EASILY BE CALLED
"KWAI-CHANG CAINE ---
THE EARLY YEARS"?
Or, to put it another way..............
HAD POTUS BECOME
"GRASSHOPPER"?
 |
| Grasshopper with Master Po |
Did The White House
and Our Young Novice President
Need to Watch
This 1-Minute Classic Video
Every Morning In Order
to Find The Way
and Get Their Chi (Mojo) Back?
Did Grasshopper Need to Learn How To Strike the Republicans, Instead of Always Seeming to be the One Being Struck?
How to "Hear" What He Could Not "See"?
BEATDOWN OF THE WEEK
Patriots 45, Jets 3:
Back to The Drawing Board, Rex......
 |
| The Boring Fat Man |
 |
| The Charismatic (Yet Puzzled) Fat Man |
AS IS ITS CUSTOM, TG$SFR GIVES PROPS TO THE PATRIOTS AND NEW ENGLAND HEAD COACH THE BORING FAT MAN WITH "THE OLD SCHOOL JAM OF THE WEEK".....
4. WHO'S GOING BOWLING?
BOREDOM REIGNS AT THE
BCS...
BCS SCHEDULE
5. See What You've Done Now? Heartbreak at the Heisman
Cam Newton's father says he won't attend Heisman ceremonies
Cam Newton's father will not attend the Heisman Trophy ceremonies this weekend in New York where his son is expected to win college football's highest award.
Cecil Newton issued a statement through his attorney that said he does not want to be a distraction to his son, Auburn quarterback Cam Newton, this weekend. The NCAA has concluded that Cecil Newton sought money for his son to play at Mississippi State, but have found no such arrangement involving Auburn. The NCAA ordered Auburn to grant Cecil Newton only limited access to the school.
Cecil Newton's statement says:
"The events to take place in New York at the Heisman Trophy ceremony this weekend will serve as a crowning moment for the athletes and their families alike.
"For all of my fifty years of life, coupled with 25 years of marriage, I have made an exhausting attempt to be a good husband, father, and generally a good person of integrity. The past 60 days have caused all that my family worked to accomplish to come into question."
"So that my son Cam Newton can receive all the honors and congratulations that he has worked so hard to accomplish and without distraction, I have decided not to be in attendance at the Heisman ceremony, as it will perhaps rob Cam and the event of a sacred moment."
With Deepest Respect,
Cecil Newton
TG$SFR cannot imagine a sadder state of affairs. Your son wins the Heisman Trophy, and you can't be there.
Was it all worth it, Cecil Newton?
6. The NFL Playoffs:
Should Teams Have To Be
"Bowl-Eligible?"
With the NFC West coming down to a battle between the hapless Seahawks and the 49ers, neither of which might finish with a winning record, the question grew louder throughout the country: should NFL teams at least need to be .500 (or in NCAA terms, "Bowl-Eligible") to make the playoffs?
This made a doubly difficult weak for Seahawk Coach Pete Carroll, who during Heisman Week and the controversy surrounding Cam Newton, had to once more fend off questions concerning former Trojan Reggie Bush.
 |
| Smilin' Pete (aka Ice, Ice Baby) "It's Good To Be King" |
Carroll, still appalled that some doubted his story that he had no idea --- "no idea!" --- that Reggie Bush had accepted more than $1,000,000 in improper benefits while leading the House of Troy to 2 national titles, held an off-the-record briefing with the national media to once more lay down his defense. TG$SFR is proud to be able, through its global network of hidden cameras and microphones, to bring you a secret video recording of Smilin' Pete as he recounted his stunned reaction when the NCAA investigators finally laid out
all of thehundreds of pages of
damning evidence against Reggie Bush:
Meanwhile, Singletary changed QBs for the 50th time this season, and NFL observers came to believe that his future in Baghdad By The Bay was limited at best....[See "Coaching Matters" below]
 |
| Mike Singletary |
TG$SFR Solution? Seeding.
Let Division winners be Division winners, whether under or over .500. The regular season has to mean something. But no bye or first-game homefield advantage for sub-.500 playoff qualifiers.....
8. The NFL Season:
How Long Is Too Long?
The owners want to go to 18 games. Why?
OK, we get it. After all, we put the "$" in "G$". Still, TG$SFR sez: "Bad Idea."
8. COACHING MATTERS --
BECAUSE
("COACHING MATTERS")
As Singletary's job increasingly appeared to be in jeopardy....
Speculation turned to Stanford Coach
Jim Harbaugh.....
Who was also said to be in the running should his alma mater Michigan end the Rich Rod experiment....
 |
| "Is It Just Me -- Or Is It Cold In Here?" |
But Harbaugh appeared set on The Farm for at least a few more years.... So speculation then inevitably turned to former Raider honcho and ESPN analyst/funnyman Jon Gruden....
 |
| ""Tuck Rule?" Are You Kidding Me?" |
Gruden, fed up with the constant rumor mill, held an off the record briefing of his own. Once more TG$SFR hidden microphones were there.....
"There's no way I'm going back to coaching this year," Jonny G. said. I'm having way too much fun at ESPN...."
"...and I'm finally getting to spend some time with my family."
 |
| Coach Gruden and Family |
"And one more thing," the NFL's winningest young coach continued...."I've never understood all this "Chucky" stuff. I mean, where do people even get that from?"
 |
| Chucky |
 |
| TMWBNRTC |
"It gets worse," the anti-Jaworski continued. "One of the things I've enjoyed most about my break from coaching is having time to spend with my family, and the opportunity to do things like travel and see the world. But the madness has gone global. I don't even speak French, but there I was in Paris with my wife, and people were calling me "Son of Chucky." I don't get it. I just don't get it..."
 |
| Son of Chucky |
 |
| TMWBNRTSOC |
7. FIFA Follies:
The Fallout Continues
 |
| FIFA President and Dollar Bill BFF Sepp Blatter |
Fifa president Sepp Blatter has labelled England 'bad losers' following their failed 2018 World Cup bid.
Russia and Qatar were last week chosen by Fifa's executive committee to host the 2018 and 2022 World Cups respectively, with England's bid falling at the first hurdle after only receiving two votes from a possible 22.
The decision has sparked an expected negative reaction up and down the country, with bid chief Andy Anson
claiming that the voting process needs to be reformed, saying England were promised votes that never came.
claiming that the voting process needs to be reformed, saying England were promised votes that never came.Suggestions have been made that Fifa were influenced by reports of corruption from within the British media, after the Sunday Times revealed that committee members Amos Adamu and Reynald Temarii accepted money in return for their votes.
Blatter admits he has been surprised by the response in England, and also criticised the reaction of all losing bidders.
"To be honest, I was surprised by all the English complaining after the defeat. England, of all people, the motherland of fairplay ideas," Blatter told Swiss magazine Weltwoche.
"Now some of them are showing themselves to be bad losers. You can't come afterwards and say so and so promised to vote for England.
"The results are known. The outcome came out clearly.
"I really sense in some reactions a bit of the arrogance of the western world of Christian background. Some simply can't bear it if others get a chance for a change.
"What can be wrong if we start football in regions where this sport demonstrates a potential which goes far beyond sport?"
Here's where FIFA got it wrong: football (soccer) is the world's game, and it's right to spread it (and the pinnacle of football competition, the World Cup) to all areas of the globe. But football also -- or maybe above all --- belongs to the fans. And the fans, during the month-long celebration that is the World Cup, want to somewhere fun, not just somewhere new. FIFA should have had Russia in 2018, then a major tourist destination in 2022, then Qatar in 2026. But what is done is done.
10. RIP, Dandy Don Meredith
 |
| Dandy Don, The Mouth That Roared, and Kathy Lee's Husband: The Best Booth Ever |
11. "The Association"
The Knicks appeared to be back --- for the first time in years --- winning 7 in a row...
 |
| New Knick Amare Stoudemire |
Meanwhile, Miami's Big Three
Also Led The Heat to 7 in a row....
Ooops! Our Bad. Wrong Big Three....
12. Reader Comment
of the Week:
"Irish John" Buscher of Washington D.C. asks:
How lame are the BCS bowl games going to be?
Where is Jim Harbaugh going - Miami? Michigan? Anywhere?
Is anybody watching the NBA anymore? Empty seats in the stands around the country. Pending lockout...
Is hitting .296 with 27 HRs and 85 RBIs in 2010 worth paying $126 million over 7 years? Hello Washington Nationals and Jayson Werth. That's better than Jeter. I've known Derek Jeter. Derek Jeter was a friend of mine. Jayson, you're no Derek Jeter.
With the suspension of Albert Haynsworth by the Redskins, will his $100 million contract go down as potentially the worst contract ever - in any sport?
Graeme McDowell staring down Tiger in Tiger's OWN tournament, and coming back from 4 strokes down (never done before) to beat him in a one-hole playoff? Is the magic gone, or just re-emerging slowly...
