Nurse the Hate: Sisyphus, American Oak Barrels, Childhood and NFL Week 8

I have decided to make some more wine, this time giving myself a bigger challenge.  I have secured some Walla Walla tempranillo grapes, the same type of grape used in Spain's most celebrated wines in Rioja.  I am going to try to take an Americanized spin on traditional Spanish winemaking.  The Spanish have a long tradition of aging their reds in American Oak barrels, so I had to go out and buy a new oak barrel, which isn't A) cheap or B) largely available.  I found a reasonably good quality option at a wine making supply shop in Erie PA, so I made a drive out to Erie to pick it up yesterday.  The low hanging dark gray and blue clouds reminded me of my childhood.  There is a consistent backdrop to Erie Autumn Life of those oppressive cloud covers.  I even took a swing past my boyhood home where the houses all seem to have shrunk, the yards gotten smaller, and the trees much larger.  I don't think I have seen that house in 36 years.  A skinny little tree that I remember helping to plant as a nine year old is now a mammoth twisted presence in the backyard.  Revisiting something from that long ago that is so familiar yet so oddly off in small details from your old memory is like having a disorienting dream.   

I spent the drive home listening to a four album set of early albums from The Jazz Butcher as The Brit slept in the passenger seat.  Heck, she had been a gamer to endure four hours in the car to get a barrel, so she earned a good nap.  The mid 1980s snarky Jazz Butcher records were a perfect soundtrack to driving away from The Past.  I had tried to find many of those elusive records back in college, back when listening to these surprisingly literate yet playful songs was somehow "subversive".  Pat Fish, aka "The Jazz Butcher" suddenly passed away a couple weeks ago.  The news of his passing brought him back to my attention and I was surprised to see these re-packages of the first 8 full lengths existed.  I think I always liked him because he couldn't play very well, couldn't sing exceptionally well, yet made these records that always had a few songs that popped you in the nose.  Fish and his always revolving cast of characters made music to primarily entertain themselves, and that seems to be where the best material is born.  Check out "Partytime", "Southern Mark Smith" and "Drink" and get on board.  It's great stuff.

I tried listening to some football talk, but I couldn't get past the Gritty Baker Mayfield saga of this fool playing with a broken shoulder.  Sample caller:  "I haven't seen anything this gutty since Bob Avellini bled out on Soldier Field while losing to the Vikings in 1972!!!  You know why?  DO YOU KNOW WHY?  BECAUSE HE RESPECTED THE GAME!  THAT'S WHY!  THAT'S FOOTBALL!!!!"  I think I am just not zoned in right now.  I am not on the same wavelength.  I have been getting KILLED in the NFL this season.  It's easily the worst I have done in a decade.  I am going to keep pushing that rock up the hill though, like Sisyphus.  One foot in front of the other...           

I am placing faith in Geno Smith, and that is no place to find yourself on a Sunday wager.  It's like betting "Alex Kintner" over "shark" on a Memorial Day Weekend swimming wager.  Here's the situation I see in Seattle.  They are 2-5, Russell Wilson is out and has been saying for a couple of years "these guys aren't giving me help".  The vultures are starting to circle Pete Carroll.  He's 70 something, and despite being a very youthful 70 something, the war drums will start to beat to replace "the old coach that let the game get past him".  If the Seahawks are 3-5, they can cobble together a season when Wilson comes back.  If they are 2-6, Wilson probably starts trade demands.  Seattle HAS to win.  This is their season. 

Normally I don't bet on teams that are in must-win situations.  The narrative is too clean to cling to, that everyone that finds their chips down will somehow rally to victory.  As we all know from our personal experiences filled with public embarrassments and painful defeats, that does not always happen.  In fact, it rarely happens, so when it does, it becomes the stuff of legend.  However, this week the Jacksonville Jaguars roll into town.  If there was ever a team to "get right" on, it's Jacksonville.  Yeah, the Jags are coming off a bye, but I don't picture Urban Myer slaving over film coming up with ways to "solve Geno Smith".  That guy is probably sniffing around on that LSU job.  The Jags aren't playing for anything, their winless season off their backs last week, while Seattle has EVERYTHING to play for.  I think the Seahawks find a way, even with Geno Smith.  Good God is that terrifying to type.  Seattle -3.5

Denver looked like absolute shit against the Browns 10 days ago.  Bridgewater is playing on mannequin feet.  They have no legit receiving threat, and their running backs are crap.  The once feared defense is riddled with injuries.  However, as opposed to the Browns very good offensive line, this week they get to play "The Football Team" from Washington, an organization in chaos without a legitimate starting QB, and defense that ranks towards the bottom in all categories.  No one has been more disappointing than The Football Team, except the Dolphins.  They were supposed to contend for the NFC East, but instead they play low scoring shit games on regional TV.  The Football Team has lost 3 in a row, getting soundly defeated by the Packers, Chiefs and Saints.  Does that seem like a team that is going to roll into Denver and get a win?  I'll roll the dice and hope Denver got healthy with their long break.  This is a game that the Broncos have probably put on their "we probably win" list.  Denver -3.5

I will likely be morning the death of Baker Mayfield at 4pm when he loses his arm and bleeds out in front of a stadium full of people in Cleveland, so I won't watch the Bucs v Saints game.  The Saints have gone from a high scoring offensive machine that was fun to watch to a "grind-it-out-don't-let-Jameis-toss-a-pick" team.  Sean Peyton has come up with great game plans to stall out Tampa's offense, and I think he can do that again, especially with some of the injuries the Bucs are dealing with in Gronk/Antonio Brown.  I think the Saints dink n dunk, and the Bucs try to get a lead and then grind clock.  I would be greatly surprised if this turns into a track meet, especially at New Orleans.  Bucs/Saints UNDER 49.5.      

Season record:  8-16