Rose(y) Rust

Posted: November 8, 2013 in Anarchy Journal Constitutional
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@anarchyroll 's sports writing blog

ajclogo1by @anarchyroll
11/7/13

This just in! If you have to have reconstructive surgery on your good knee you won’t be able to play basketball very well for a while.  Derrick Rose and the city of Chicago are finding this out first hand. Adrian Peterson was the exception, not the rule…the freakishly fast healing exception.  I shudder to think what talk radio would be saying if Rose didn’t hit that game winning shot against the Knicks last week.

Rose’s rust is actually a good thing, because it is creating low expectations for the Bulls this season. After the opening night slaughter to the Miami Heat, low expectations is just what the doctor ordered for this team. The Chicago Bulls of 2013-14 have everything needed to win an NBA championship, IF they stay health and their starting five plays up to their potential.  The injury bug biting is out of the organizations circle of influence.  Playing up to potential, well that is the dictionary example of something within the circle of influence.  What does that mean for the Chicago Bulls?

Let’s start with Luol Deng since believe it or not, he is who will determine whether the Bulls win a title this year or not.  How him? Why him? Because he is supposed to be Scottie Pippen to MJ, he is supposed to be Manu Ginobli to Tim Duncan, he is supposed to be Moses Malone to Dr J, he is supposed to be Kevin McHale to Larry Bird. I mean, he’s paid like he is the number two guy. In an era barely a decade ago, he is getting paid number one guy money.

Deng’s salary makes his a poster child of disappointment.  His character, poise, integrity, kindness, humble attitude make him a poster child of how a professional athlete should act. The “nice guys finish last” paradigm first Luol Deng like a glove. He is too soft to be successful the way the Bulls need and have needed him to be successful. He doesn’t have the guts to charge the lane when we need him to, he doesn’t have the heart to make the big shot when D Rose is triple teamed at the end of the game. If he made 1/3 of his salary, Deng would be a Chicago hero due to his attitude and defensive effort, but he doesn’t make Andres Nocioni money.

Can I write a book about how awesome Joakim Noah is?! I just might. But for now all you need to know about Noah is he has been dubbed “The Heart and Soul of the Chicago Bulls”. If he can stay healthy, there’s no punditry needed. He isn’t paid to make jumpers, he earns his check and then some every second he spends in the paint on both sides of the floor.

Jimmy Butler seems to be getting saddled with the expectations Chicago used to have for Luol Deng. Butler is young and will still go through growing pains.  Thibs will whip him into shape defensively, no doubt about that. The question is, can the young fella play up to his potential consistently when the lights are brightest during the three month NBA postseason. That war of attrition can make cowards of the bravest regular season heroes.

Lastly we come to the new Reverend Run himself D Rose.  Mr. Adidas has earned a grace period of sucking it up and being off his game.  The yellow streak that was popping out of the back of all of his clothes last season is faded and forgotten…for now.  Championship or bust is the expectation around the city whether the team, organization, or press want to admit it or not.  Expectations come with the salary and endorsements, much like Luol Deng the fact that Rose is a soft spoken humble fella will buy him plenty of good will but only so much patience in a major market like Chicago.

If the Bulls maintain the status quo on defense, Rose returns to form, Noah does his thing, Butler plays slightly beyond his years, and Deng earns his money in the playoffs there is no one in either conference that the Bulls can’t beat in a seven game serious.  The question is which will be more fragile come playoff time, D Rose’s knee or Luol Deng’s will to win?

#Obama shows there’s No Clemency for Real #Change

Posted: November 8, 2013 in Anarchy Journal Constitutional
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by @anarchyroll
11/7/2013

“Citizens have to fight against the suppression of information about affairs of essential importance for the public,” he wrote. “Those who speak the truth are not committing a crime.”  Edward Snowden from “A Manifesto for the Truth” in German newspaper Der Spiegel published at the same time President Barack Obama denied the NSA whistleblower’s appeal for clemency.

This despite acknowledgement from both houses of the legislative branch and the executive branch of the United States government that his revelations have brought about a necessary dialogue and policy revision(s).  Legislation has been introduced in the House of Representatives to peel back and/or halt the massive data collection of the National Security Agency.  The author of the Patriot Act that enabled the NSA metadata collection addiction has called for a re write to halt current and prevent future massive data trove collection.  Does this sound like change brought about by a traitor denied clemency?

If Snowden brought about these healthy democratic changes, why would he be denied clemency? Is it because he “stole” digital government documents?  Daniel Ellsberg isn’t living abroad, disallowed from entering the continental United States.  Is it because of his whistle blowing? Or is it perhaps because the presidents or prime ministers of Brazil, Germany, Mexico, and Spain have accused the United States and the NSA of assaulting each country’s sovereignty with their massive metadata collection.  Or in the case of Germany, tapping into the phone of Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Ask yourself, is Edward Snowden being denied clemency because he did something wrong? Or is he being denied clemency for causing international blowback for the United States government.  Is he being denied clemency for making it harder for the United States to secretly break international laws and Fourth Amendment of the United States Constitution?  If he did something so wrong, why is another member of the United Nations and G8 willing to grant him asylum?

Low Tax Rate = Collapsing Bridges

Posted: November 8, 2013 in Anarchy Journal Constitutional, Excess and Algorithms
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eanda logoajclogo1by @anarchyroll
11/7/2013

At some point during the 1970s the tax code in the United States of America was deliberately turned in a complex labyrinth of small typed font, subsections, exemptions, and  industry speak double talk.  It is not a coincidence that from 1970 until now, the infrastructure of the United States has been in consistent decline.  Parallel to this urban decay that all of us have seen that driving through any major metropolitan city has been a rise of gated communities and McMansions, again not a coincidence.

“Between 1946 and 1970, very prosperous years, the highest tax rate for the top earners was never below 70%—even under Dwight Eisenhower, whom no one called a socialist. We have so much deferred maintenance on roads and bridges and tunnels and ports. Money does not have to be raised, and the rich have never been as rich.” Robert Reich in the 10/7/13 issue of TIME magazine.

This is part of what the Occupy Wall Street movement is referring to with their 99% slogan.  The income/wealth of the top 1% is more than the rest of the 99% possess in combined.  There is no one reason why this is the case, however the fact that marginal tax rate for top earners is 39.6% leads one down a rabbit hole of simple math. If the top wage earners in America are playing 30% less in taxes, then what things can’t local, state, and federal government(s) able to do with that missing tax revenue?

Build bridges, pave roads, renovate schools, not have to privatize stuff because of massive budget short falls. Do you know any old people who talk about the good ole days? They’re referring to the years between WWII ending and Vietnam taking a turn for the worse. During that time part of what made things so good was everything felt new, fresh, safe, etc…a direct contributor to that was that local, state, and federal government(s) had money to pay for anything and everything. Police, post offices, highways, homeless shelters, etc, etc, etc, et f’n c…

Ask yourself, why can’t the rich pay more in taxes? Why haven’t they? Why would the rich rather pay lobbyists and politicians money to keep taxes low, rather than just use that money to pay more in taxes?

Innocent bystanders in public places will keep dying due to collapsing infrastructure until they do.  What do you think the breaking point body count is? I have my guesses, but this isn’t a long form piece.

Emo AJ? I think Not

Posted: October 13, 2013 in Anarchy Journal Constitutional
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potatoshooterlogoby @anarchyroll
10/11/13

Stop calling AJ Styles Emo AJ, that hair is clearly Scene.  The emo title is clearly warranted for kayfabe heel Dixie Carter, living proof that acting isn’t as easy as the greats make it look.  Oh Total Non Stop Action Wrestling what has become of you?

In the fall of 2009 you were as consistently entertaining as any wrestling product since the end of the Attitude Era.  AJ Styles was defending the World Title against Chris Daniels and Samoa Joe, Kurt Angle was in a personal feud with Nigel McGuiness, Amazing Red and Homicide were going at it for the X Title, and the tag division saw the Dudley Boys wrapping up putting over Beer Money, the Motor City Machine Guns, and the British Invasion.

Now, what?  What exactly has Hulk Hogan and Eric Bishoff left behind? What can still be blamed on Vince Russo? EV 2.0, Fourtune, Immortal, Aces and Eights? They rely on faction warefare like Michael Bay relies on explosions. Name me the top five contenders in each division? Can the top five be named across every division? Belts don’t matter you say, okay. Name me the three storylines that Bound For Glory IX is being built and hyped around?

Hulk Hogan’s highlights in TNA were recently shown, not counting the pyro included in his entrances can you count how many on more than one hand? How many total highlights/successes were there in four years of his tenure?  I can’t believe how much good will that TNA and Dixie carter have spoiled over the years.

I used to be such a fan, such a defender, such an apologizer for TNA. I’ll still put their years 2005 and 2007 against WWE month by month, match by match, angle by angle.  But it isn’t the same company anymore, literally, it’s Impact Wrestling now.

Chi Bears Cave Rotting from the Inside

Posted: October 13, 2013 in Anarchy Journal Constitutional
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@anarchyroll 's sports writing blog

by @anarchyroll
10/10/13

I’m very happy that I picked the Bears with my heart before the season started as opposed to with my head. My head didn’t do me much better since I picked the Atlanta Falcons to go all the way, please if you have a heart, light a candle for Tony Gonzalez, he deserves better.

The Bears are having a good season so far, regardless of what talk radio in Chicago would have you believe. They are tied for first place in their division, and have been since the season started.  Their offense has entered the modern era, and the defense hasn’t skipped a beat after the departures of Lovie Smith and Brian Urlacher.  Devin Hester and the special teams unit have been producing their now expected high quality results.

However there is a sense of doom and gloom beyond the perennially toxic talk radio scene in the Chicagoland area.  The Bears have lost their two starting defensive tackles and their offensive line appears to be regressing enabling Jay Cutler to follow suit. At least Cutler nailed his performance in The League on FXX, and by him, I mean his wife.

But in all seriousness, or as serious as talking about sports in an age of record high poverty and infrastructure crumbling, if the lines on both sides of the ball crumble, the rest of the team will fall like a house of cards.  If that happens, much like Kevin Spacey’s stream show of the same name, the Bears won’t be receiving any awards for their work no matter how hard they try.  Much like the Best Drama Series category, the Bears play in a stacked division which makes the situation worse.

Offense wins games, defense wins championships, and franchises are built from the inside out. Inside out means from the offensive and defensive lines out to the skill positions. The Bears are legit stacked at all of their skill positions. They have a franchise quarterback, two running backs, a tight end setting the league on fire, three reliable wide receivers, an all time great return game, franchise best kicker, pro bowl linebackers, and corners that create turnovers in mass.  All of those are players and franchise qualities the fans of Jacksonville would sacrifice Tim Tebow to the sun god for; but if you’re team is getting dominated in the trenches you don’t have a chance to win the in the NFL.

Steroids can give the appearance of strength, and can satisfy the ego’s thirst of vanity.  But the muscles are just for show and put the test are prone to break and tear. A high powered offense and a defense that scored looks great, fantasy owners can’t snatch up Bears skill players fast enough. But without strength at the line all the Bears will be able to do is score points in the regular season while watching the playoffs from their homes in Florida and Arizona.

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