Fries and Ketchup: Expired Faith

The weekly column where we try and mention anything we missed in the last week (or longer). It's a lot like those moments when you're out of ketchup, at a fine fast food restaurant, but lack the energy to go and get more; so you scrape away at the dregs on your hamburger wrapper, until all you can see is silver aluminum foil. It's classy, yet unrefined.


Black hole sized, head ache:
It's been an odd week in the NFL with the Eagles signing Vick, the Vikings signing Favre, the NFL's unveiling of doggy jerseys, Plaxico getting two years for shooting himself in the leg, and Esteban Ocho Cinco possibly gaining kicker eligibility for fantasy football. But none of these stories come close to the madness happening in Alameda.

Earlier this week news broke that head coach Tom Cable allegedly cold-cocked an assistant coach, giving him a fractured jaw. That coach was none other than Randy Hanson, the same coach suspended by Lane Kiffin for a week last season. Kiffin claimed Hanson had medical issues, suspended him and wanted him fired. Al Davis instead backed Hanson. Kiffin was let go, and Cable talked with the defensive staff and agreed that Hanson should be fired. Fast forward a couple months and Cable allegedly dropped Hanson after he runs his mouth again. I don't bring this up to talk about the possible legal ramifications or how this will affect the team ,although it seems that they are taking the news rather well, but because it's another disheartening story about the Raiders.

Every time I get even a little bit excited about the team's progress, something negates any reason to be optimistic. This time it's the leadership, or lack thereof. Ever since he has taken over the reins as head coach in Oakland, things looked as if they were changing. They ended the season on a good note, knocking both the Broncos and Buccaneers out of the playoffs. This season looked like it would continue that trend of improvement, and it showed in their depth against the Cowboys. However, after hearing news that the coaches are supposedly attacking each other, it makes you think that things may actually be regressing in the black hole that is the Raiders franchise. Like Jerry McDonald said,

...if Cable did send one of his assistants to the hospital, is this the guy you want teaching self-control and discipline to a team desperately in need of self-control and discipline?

But maybe Mark Schlereth and Adam Schefter are right, maybe this will bring the team together. Maybe this will show the team that Cable is ready to fight for them. Maybe, just maybe, they can start their march toward respectability. If so, "Cable, bumaye. Cable, bumaye."

Buy this album:
YACHT "See Mystery Lights"
I could write a long-winded review, but myself and Pitchfork are on the same page on this album. Plus, they are huge in Sweden, so you know, they must be awesome.

Links from Teach

A lot of people, for various reasons, will root for Tyler Hansbrough to fail on the next level. A lot of people start debates about whom the best Carolina players are, with their sole purpose seeming to be the degradation of Hansbrough. Most people want to talk about all the things he's not, but here's an article that talks about all the things he is.

Here is one of the few articles that offered a fresh spin on the whole Favre saga, without demonizing or deifying the quarterback. Covering this story objectively has become quite the Herculean feat.

This joke was on Washington Post Live:

Q: When is a Final Four appearance not a Final Four appearance?

A: When Calipari's the coach.

Well, at least testing in baseball hasn't had to go this far. Wouldn't the WNBA be the place this is most likely to happen in American sports?