I haven’t blogged about the Colts much because I’m terribly superstitious when it comes to my sports teams, and I don’t want to jinx them. But I did find it amusing that this USA Today article called Peyton Manning’s performance this weekend “uncharacteristically sloppy.” He was 21 for 27 for 237 yards and two touchdowns, with once interception. He did also have a fumble. But if completing more than 70% of your passes, having twice as many TDs as interceptions, and 230 yards is “sloppy,” you’re doin’ alright.
Speaking of Sunday’s game, I watched it from a bar in Arlington’s Crystal City. It was packed, so you had no choice but to hear the conversations all around you. Directly behind me, three middle-aged guys were having some of the most brain-numbingly banal conversation you could possibly imagine. Like, you-wanna’-cram-a-fork-in-your-ear banal. I’ll give you an example. During one telecast, the network put up a graphic of some mildly interesting statistic — that each of the overall first-round picks from the last four years have chosen uniform numbers in sequential order. This led one guy to say, “wow, that’s quite a coincidence.” To which the other guy responded, in all seriousness, “Yeah it is. Say, what do you think is the most coincidental fact?”
I couldn’t make this up. The three of them then spent the next twenty minutes coming up with “coincidental facts,” then debating which was the “most coincidental.” Of all time, I guess. One suggestion they came up with, which I hope to God, but am not entirely sure given the quality of the remainder of the conversation, was in jest: The coincidence that every day, there’s just enough news to fill up the newspaper.
I’m very excited to see how the post-Reggie Pacers fare. Preseason prognisticators have us looking pretty good. One thing I’m a little bewildered by, though: They changed the uniforms. The Pacers’ previous pinstripe look was pretty darned classy, and they were consistently voted the best uniforms in the NBA, by fans and sportswriters alike. The new ones aren’t terrible, but the old ones had a throwback feel that captured Indiana’s rich basketball history. So why switch?
The Washington area is displaying its typical overexuberance with its 4-2 Redskins squad. Last year, the town was talking playoffs after winning the first game. They finished 5-11. This year’s team is certainly better, but they’ve won four games against teams with a combined record of 13-13. And two of those teams (Seattle and Chicago) only have the wins they do because they play in weak conferences. And I’m with Tony Kornheiser, who this morning correctly pointed out that those who say critics owe Joe Gibbs an apology are nuts. The guy was simply dreadful last season. It doesn’t matter what he does this season. Playing him last year was a mistake. 15 year vets don’t get a year to develop.
The NBA dress code flap is ridiculous. Is it really all that much to ask guys banking millions to throw on a jacket for a couple of hours per day, four days per week? Don’t get me wrong. I hate wearing a tie. Back in my dot-com days, it was jeans, shower sandals, and baseball cap damned-near every day. But Jesus, to say that a mandate from your employer that you dress like a grown-up is racist? Come on. It’s not even unreasonable. You’re a pro. Dress like a thug/slacker on your own time. And the players’ demand that they be paid an additional per diem to buy appropriate clothing is insulting.
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on Monday, October 24th, 2005 at 8:42 pm by Radley Balko
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