Nurse the Hate: Hate the News and NFL Week 18

 

I haven't been reading the news as diligently lately, mostly because it's fear mongering and tedious.  For example, I know that climate change is probably past the tipping point, but my using the recycling bin isn't going to make up for relentless Chinese construction or the clearing Amazon rain forests.  I don't need a confirmation of helplessness each morning by reading "7 Billion tons of tires set on fire in ocean by oil company" or whatever the new self destructive headline reads.  Yet, I'm becoming more interested in the next election, not because of my position on any policies really, but rather to see if my pessimistic views about the American public get confirmed.   

This is an interesting time in history as individuals can choose their own reality.  There is an enormous group of people in the United States that refuse to engage with the idea that Donald Trump tried to overthrow the election and keep power with whatever stupid ideas he and his boys came up with post election.  It's not like you even needed to pay attention or do independent research.  I mean, it was on live TV for God's sake.  You've got Trump facing 91 felonies for his various crimes.  He keeps being found guilty time and time again because, and this is easy to follow, he did all the things he's accused of.  Yet, it doesn't matter.  In my community there's a guy that drives around with enormous flags of Trump on his car equating Trump with Jesus.  That guy lives on an entirely different planet than I do.  He didn't like what he saw around him and found a world that fit his needs.  To any rational person, that guy with the flags is a kook.  He probably thinks of himself as a hero.  No one is ever the bad guy in their own story.  There is no way to convince him of what Donald Trump is, because that would destroy his whole world.    

If you would have pitched a movie script in 1990 that a cult would envelop about a third of the United States that worshipped Donald Trump, you'd get laughed out of any room before you got halfway through it.  He was a pompous clown that would be a last guest on the David Letterman Show.  He was a joke, but he was a good TV guest.  No one ever thought, "what if people didn't get the joke and forgot he was a rich kid fuck up?".   It's reminds me of a scenario with a little fella with a mustache you might have heard about.  We live in 1936 Germany, but everyone is less educated, drives monster trucks and drinks energy drinks.  As a kid I always wondered how people got duped by Hitler, but this is the same shit with different details.  I get it now.    

The Supreme Court is going to hear the case about Trump being found ineligible to be on the ballot because of the totally logical argument that he had violated his eligibility to run for office with that little coup attempt.  However, there is concern that a large part of the country will freak the fuck out if Trump can't run because they live in a world where there was no insurrection, Georgia election interference, etc.  How can you operate a system of governing the population when there is no such thing as shared reality?  The Supreme Court, not exactly thought of as a bastion of legitimacy at the moment, is in a tricky spot.  Who knows what the hell they will do, but my guess is they do what anyone in a good paying job with great benefits will do, which is "we are going to hand this hot potato to someone else and punt.  Who wants to go out for salmon?".  How this thing shakes out is anyone's guess.

Something I do have a sense of confidence in is the Ravens won't roll over for Pittsburgh today.  Baltimore is going to rest a bunch of players, but this is the Ravens.  Harbaugh plays to win preseason games.  I can't think of any reason why he won't play to knock Pittsburgh out of the Playoffs.  Frankly, they lost to the Steelers earlier this year, and they probably don't want to see them again down the road.  Hundley is a decent backup, but he's no Lamar obviously.  Still, I'd rather have him than Rudolph at QB.  The weather is supposed to be shitty.  Gimme the points at home.  Baltimore +3  

The narrative of "needing the win" to be a reason to bet a team is flimsy.  There are a bunch of teams that have a "win to get in" this week, so I reflexively want to bet against them.  The one that stands out as being almost impossible to pull the trigger on is taking Carolina +4.5 over Tampa.  If Tampa wins, they win the NFC South and Mayfield finally gets a big contract.  If they lose?  That's bad for everyone.  Still, having watched Carolina play a few times, I just can't do it.  I know I should, but I can't.  How about the Eagles?  They've lost four of the last five and now are laying points to the Giants.  If Dallas beats Washington (which I assume they will), Philadelphia is the five seed.  I'll tell you this.  If Dallas is up big at halftime, the Eagles will rest everyone that matters.  Tyrod Taylor is the best QB the Giants have had all year.  They might win outright.  Giants +4.5.  The Jaguars need to beat the Titans to get the #4 seed and host the Browns.  If they lose, they need Pittsburgh and the Raiders to win to get in as the #7.  The Jags are sorta shitty.  They've lost 4 of their last 5 ATS.  Vrabel always has his team motivated.  He's a red ass.  I'm sure they'd love to send Jacksonville home.  Tennessee +4.5.   

It's almost impossible to get past the "Buffalo is back!" narrative, despite barely getting past New England last week even with four turnovers.  The counter narrative about Miami is "it's too bad they are so injured, the dream is over".  Everyone and his brother is going to bet Buffalo.  Are we really on board with this idea that Buffalo just figured it out in the last month?  I'm looking for a devastating Josh Allen turnover to be the difference just like it's been all season.  I'm getting on Miami +2.5.

Current Record:  28-22-2