Da Dos

Author: ButchDeadLift

  • So I ran, I ran so far away…

    So I ran, I ran so far away…

    So one of the perks of running a blog is I can post whatever the hell I want! That being said, I’m trying to steer away from ‘political’ posts. Some don’t want that in classrooms, Twitter, or dinners, and I totally get it. The comments are another matter; still, since I’m now the Blog Don, I’m trying to cut down even on that [I really hate that “moderator” tag!]. Besides, y’all know where I stand in most issues so no need.

    However, sometimes it’s hard to ignore politics. Growing up, my mom never discussed politics. A single-mom raising two kids has little time for anything but work. Her biggest worries were paying rent and being able to afford us new clothes and shoes every school year. Likewise, I was way too busy as a kid or teen to pay much attention to politics. Like most, I just wanted to hang with my friends, party, and talk to girls. CNN and Fox were for old fogies. I was truly apolitical

    When I attended college, all that changed. The environment itself is politically charged so hard to ignore. All the same, I wasn’t on a ‘team’ yet. I read Ayn Rand and Karl Marx all the same. Heck, I even picked up some of those Lyndon LaRouche pamphlets!

    “Just because you do not take an interest in politics does not mean politics will not take an interest in you. ”
    ― Pericles

    It took a while to sift through like 5,000 years of history and find some wobblily footing about the present. Even now, despite being much more knowledgeable and experienced, I sometimes wonder, “What if I’m wrong?”

    IMO, that’s a healthy attitude to maintain as it keeps one from becoming arrogant, complacent, or worse – dogmatic – perpetually frozen like those denizens in Dante’s lowest circles of hell.

    With that in mind, I’d like to share two YouTube channels that help keep me informed

    [Neither are inherently political in case you’re wondering. They both simply sum up and extract the most vital data in an easily digestible manner ]
    —————-

    The first I actually came across as a WWII aficionado, so if you’re looking for a great WWII channel, check out Mark Felton Productions

    Here they briefly cover the modern history of Iran

    The second channel I found thanks to our very own GP

    It’s the CapsianReport; they mostly dissect the geo-political facets of wars as well as the nuts and bolts from battle philosophies, numbers, assets, equipment to strategy, tactics and logistics. What I like about them is they tend not to sugar-coat topics

    So if you’re looking to catch up on a country we may possibly invade [or nuke], two great YouTube channels to enlighten us on the crisis.

    As for Bear news, the only real tidbit worth noticing is the on-going thirty 2nd rounders who have as yet to sign. Likely they want more guarantees and might be waiting for Shough’s negotiations to conclude to see if they can benefit.

    Leave it to the Bears to draft three 2nd rounders in a year when nearly all are holding out for who knows how long… enjoy your weekend!

  • Have you heard? Cowherd is the word

    Have you heard? Cowherd is the word

    Still not much to report, thankfully

    Colin Cowherd apparently dined and talked with Kevin Warren.
    Here’s the thing about Cowherd. He’s basically an L.A. guy now, and as such, pretty plugged in with the L.A. sport’s scene, especially USC, so he’s relatively reliable when relaying L.A. gossip. The usual is covered – Caleb Williams struggled, but still played a solid rookie campaign despite disastrous coaching, yada yada.
    More interesting is what I pointed out in my 2-part Caleb piece. Namely, that Caleb’s college bad habits indeed carried over, and perhaps worsened with terrible coaching and interior Oline.

    “The first year at USC, Caleb Williams was absolutely magical. The first 6 games in his 2nd year at USC he had 21 TD’s and 1 INT. If you look at his first 18 games at USC he was unbelievable. Then the last 6 games it was a disaster, so what happened? Notre Dame sacked him 6 times. USC had been doing smoke and mirrors in pass protection and it all unraveled against a really good coach and Notre Dame defense. That point forward Lincoln Riley knew he had the #1 draft pick and didn’t want him to get hurt. He went into protection mode with Caleb. He shrinks the playbook, didn’t allow him to run certain stuff. And then Caleb, knowing he’s going to be the #1 pick, went into survival mode. He was just trying to get into the season. He ends up in Chicago with a staff in survival mode. Caleb Williams was in survival mode. There’s no growth in survival mode. So Ben Johnson’s job in Chicago is extreme QB makeover. The talent is all there but they’ve gotta renovate the house.” – Cowherd

    Some Twitter silliness

    Of course best nickname is Sweetness! Which NFL nickname is 2nd best though?

    I’m also trying to remember best [non-gangsta…get da papers, get da papers] nickname I knew growing up

    Hmmm…I knew a guy we called Gizmo. That was pretty funny.

  • Movie Monday: Final Destination Bloodlines & The Babadook

    Movie Monday: Final Destination Bloodlines & The Babadook

    Been thinking about this installation for a while, but usually SOME Bear story breaks over the weekend; however everything as of right now is ho-hum [which is better than Bengals’ or perennial Cowboy’s drama]

    From time to time, I may do a Movie Monday – informally review and recommend a movie I have recently watched or RE-watched

    I’m not an avid movie-goer, but I have watched far too many flicks. Besides, many of the best ones are based on books, plays and graphic novels, and those I have read aplenty

    So, without further ado…

    If you have nephews, nieces or grandchildren in their teens, it’s a bit hard to find good flicks to watch together. They’re either too graphic, or cheesy, or related to comics in some way, but “Final Destination Bloodlines” is just a good ole fashion thriller-action-light comedy flick you won’t have to overthink. I went into it assuming I was going to hate it, but immediately found myself a little unnerved as it touches on an audience’s phobias through cinematic mastery. I won’t get into the specifics, but many scenes vividly depict something we may have winced at some time or other; nevertheless, it doesn’t totally devolve into a gory snuff film like the “Saw” or “Hostel” franchises

    When the credits rolled, all I could say was – that was fun! I almost regretted not being able to watch this in 4DX [those tickets were sold out to my shock, but relief to my wallet] as it may have taken the tension to another level

    The final scenes of Tony Todd [aka “Candyman”] also made this movie surprisingly poignant

    RIP TONY TODD

    So if it’s still out in theaters, and you want some fun with teens or family who fancy mindless horror, I definitely recommend this

    [Spoiler alert. Just don’t schedule an MRI appointment in the near future like my dumbass!]

    This ever happen to you? Someone recommends a movie; you’ve never even heard of it,  assume it’s new, and they inform, “Oh no. it’s been out for 10 years.”
    Well, “The Babadook” was one [of many] of those flicks for me

    I’m a sucker for Horror and Psychological Thrillers, and this subtly blends both. The watcher really doesn’t know what to make of it as it seems more like an indie drama for
    a large part of the setup. We are left ‘waiting’ for the show to start, but it doesn’t quite where one expects. About the only thing a viewer can be sure of is that kid is annoying AF!

    Yet, as the mother begins unravelling, and the mysterious episodes become more frequent, a certain creepiness and uneasiness spreads – both qualities of a solid thriller

    click for spoiler By the end of it, your alliance switches from sympathy for the mom, to sympathy for the kid, when you begin to realize that The Babadook may be all in her head – That she indeed may be clinically insane: the guilt, trauma and unrelenting social choke of being a single mom raising a hyperactive [to say the least] son only disintegrates her sanity to the point where she essentially gives up on trying to defeat the ‘demon’ once-and-for-all like in so many other horror flicks where the priest emerges victorious
    The mother must meekly cede that The Babadook can’t be ignored much less exorcised or killed. She is somewhat doomed to forever feed it, literally or metaphorically with the help of the only one who stood by her through it all
    Her son
    Which is way more relatable to the millions battling psychological disorders and the loved ones somehow vainly trying to help

    In other words, if you’re looking for a somewhat more recent horror-thriller, go watch The Babadook – preferably in the dark – alone

  • Happy Father’s Day!

    Happy Father’s Day!

    78. Real Prosperity

    A rich man asked Sengai to write something for the continued prosperity of his family so that it might be treasured from generation to generation.

    Sengai obtained a large sheet of paper and wrote:

    “Father dies, son dies, grandson dies.”

    The rich man became angry. “I asked you to write something for the happiness of my family! Why do you make such a joke as this?”

    “No joke is intended,” explained Sengai. “If before you yourself die your son should die, this would grieve you greatly. If your grandson should pass away before your son, both of you would be broken-hearted. If your family, generation after generation, passes away in the order I have named, it will be the natural course of life. I call this real prosperity.”

    “What’s the daddy’s song? Pappa Was a Rolling Stone!”

    “If you ain’t first, you’re last!”

  • Broken Statues

    Broken Statues

    Those of you familiar with my posts through the years know I like Zen. However, I also appreciate Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche
    Some may see this as paradoxical since Nietzsche essentially deems Eastern Philosophy [and Christianity] ultimately too passive and nihilistic
    After all, what can be more ridiculous than “the will to nothingness”?
    But hey, Zen is all about paradoxes, as is Nietzsche

    “For if a poet should be consistent
    How could he ever show things existent?” – some Romantic, likely Shelly

    I’m no Nietzsche acolyte [believe me, you run across them in certain circles], but he is what I would coin a “dark prophet”

    A keen eye that observes humanity and comes away mostly disgusted

    Much in the same vein as Machiavelli, Thomas Hobbes or more recently the Coen Brothers

    With that in mind, I came across a fascinating breakdown as to why power corrupts, and why humans fall for strongmen such as Caesar, Napoleon, Najib Razak, Putin…

    I cannot recommend this psychological topology enough

    ——-crib notes———

    • According to Harvard and University of Chicago, 40% of corrupt politicians in certain regions consistently win elections – why?

    “Sometimes you need someone willing to break the rules” and “They get things done”

    • “When personal control feels impossible during economic instability, social upheaval, or personal failure, we become susceptible to anyone who offers us a share in their apparent power”
    • “Ressentiment” – a festering psychological condition born from perceived powerlessness, suppressed vengeance and redirected rage:

    “Man would rather will nothingness than will nothing at all”

    Some would rather destroy than meekly watch; at least destruction gives the illusion of personal power

    • “When we elevate leaders to heroic or even quasi-religious status, we become invested in defending their mythic image rather than evaluating their actual behavior. Supporters of controversial leaders often integrate their personal identity with narratives about their leader’s greatness. Abandoning their leader would require reconstructing their own identity making criticism feel like self-betrayal”
    • “Beware that statue does not crush you”

    “Ozymandias”

    Percy Bysshe Shelley
    1792 –1822

    I met a traveller from an antique land,
    Who said—“Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
    Stand in the desert. . . . Near them, on the sand,
    Half sunk a shattered visage lies, whose frown,
    And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,
    Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
    Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
    The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed;
    And on the pedestal, these words appear:
    My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings;
    Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!
    Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
    Of that colossal Wreck, boundless and bare
    The lone and level sands stretch far away.”
  • Moving on up?

    Moving on up?

    Oct 29, 2023; Santa Clara, California, USA; Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Germaine Pratt (57) intercepts the pass by San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (13) during the third quarter at Levi’s Stadium. Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images

    So I mentioned (LB) Germaine Pratt before. Bengals cut him likely to make room for (DE) Trey Hendrickson. He’s 29, 6’3, 250, racked up 143 tackles in ’24 plus has a knack for making clutch plays

    On the negative side, he may not have the wheels Ben Johnson and Allen seem to covet NTM Poles may be keeping his powder dry for a possible DE

    [Update]

    Germaine Pratt signed with Raiders

    Which brings us to some rumors

    So apparently, D.J. Moore sold his Chicago condo.

    “Chicago Bears wide receiver D.J. Moore on June 6 sold his three-bedroom, 3,272-square-foot duplex penthouse condominium in a building in Lincolnshire for $870,000,” Bob Goldsborough of the Chicago Tribune reported on June 9.

    There’s been some chatter about a possible trade to acquire picks to turn into a DE

    Like I said in the pre-draft piece, how B.J. judges any of the leftover Flus roster is an unkown unknown. He may love D.J.; he may have seen him check out since Caleb arrived or jogging off the field mid-play


    “It’s important to consider that Moore and his family are expecting a third child“

    So if we hear D.J. is buying a bigger home, well, then chalk this up to June boredom

    However, if not, this story could blow up fast especially if Hendrickson and T.J. Watt continue disgruntled

    Stay tuned…

  • Critiquing Caleb, Part 2

    Critiquing Caleb, Part 2

    J.T. O’Sullivan [former NFL QB and Founder of “The QB School”] watches about as much film as any Chicago superfan ever has especially last year
    His specialty is evaluating QBs, but in the process analyzes everything else

    His breakdowns last season showed a lot of details, some of which was unpleasant, like the baffling route concepts, D.J. Moore loafing, and Keenan Allen looking old and hurt
    All of which carried over into the regular season
    Cole Kmet looking like a stud in PS sadly did NOT carry over

    The Score catches him a year later and asks “What went wrong?” J.T. seems like he pulls some of his punches but still offers some insight

    Some notes.

    1.‘How can this guy not have the resources to go out there and be successful? but also, if you’re unhappy, and you’re the guy, walk in there, put your fist on the table and demand help’

    2. ‘I was in systems where the starter is responsible for watching film on corners- the backup would be in charge of watching film on safeties – the 3rd guy responsible for the nickel’
    [Seems obvious this wasn’t the type of system Waldo ran though Warner puts film watching squarely on the QB]

    3. ‘PS loafing was a big red flag for Eberflus’ culture.’ [as was skipping on Jalen Carter, but that’s for a future post]

    Once the PS games kick-off, J.T. is someone you may want to follow

    I found this curious. I actually don’t know exactly what to make of it since many believed Brock Purdy was Captain Checkdown and according to PFF, he is not

    OTOH, Caleb Williams and Purdy went a combined 11-23 in ’24 season, so that isn’t ideal

    Particularly when one considers that Caleb was terrible going deep, sacked a whopping 67 times and likely scrambled instead of checking down….meanwhile the 9ers just guaranteed Purdy a cool $185M! Go figure

    So on top of pocket awareness, presnap reads, deep ball and consistency, Caleb also needs to work on the checkdowns [or throwaways to avoid sacks]

    Fret not though. In 2022 Jalen Hurts [yes, the same who went bombs away in two SBs] checkdowned 3.3%, and if you read the comments, they’ll sound awfully familiar

    https://x.com/JackPConnell/status/1530307608091017218

    Needless to say, Caleb Williams, Ben or no Ben, has his work cut out for him in 2025

  • Zen 4

    Zen 4

    “I’m not young enough to know everything.” – J.M. Barrie

  • Critiquing Caleb, Part 1

    Critiquing Caleb, Part 1

    Todd Rosenberg/Getty Images

    Preamble:

    “We are what we habitually do; therefore, excellence is a habit” – Aristotle

    A father took his young protege son to get taught by a master. “He’s great now. I can imagine how much better he’ll be after the master’s tutelage”
    The protege played for the master.
    “You undeniably play well, but alas, I cannot help you”
    The father, shocked, inquired, “Why?”
    “His technique is beyond repair”

    “Cutler was ruined before he even entered the NFL. Running for his life on a weekly basis at Vandy ingrained terrible habits he never unlearned.
    He was throwing from his back foot ‘til his very last NFL game” – a quote I always remembered back when the Jay debate was raging

    It’s OTAs, and the circle-jerkathon is in full force. We already got the spunky 7th rounder from Rutgers. Now all we need for the annual Bears’ summer is some lil known try-hard to win the Joe Anderson Trophy

    So it’s important to keep everything in perspective without rose-tinted glasses. Get past all the Ben Johnson honeymoon bouquets, FA stars and draft ‘studs’…

    This season will MOSTLY depend on the most vital position in all of sports:

    Quarterback

    It’s hard to quantify where great coaching ends and great QBing begins. Belichick/Brady make a fascinating study. However, I do believe that a superb coach, like a good parent, master or teacher can make a difference IF the learner is caught early.

    As Frederick Douglass once expressed, “It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.”

    The #1 question for the foreseeable Bears’ future:

    Is Caleb broken beyond repair already or can Ben Johnson still build him up?

    Greg Cosell, Senior Producer at NFL Films, wonders this very question

    Few points from the vid

    – Pocket awareness

    “NFL goes back years and years, and often guys who get sacked a lot in college – who tend to retreat backwards – don’t do well”

    “Shadeur Sanders retreats a lot too. It might be innate. A longtime coach said that’s going to be really hard to fix”

    [Notice how all, Cutler, Caleb and Shadeur, played behind porous college olines? Does this create irreversible “happy feet” esp if they are thrown into a similar setup in the NFL which only reinforces it?]

    ‘Often QBs create their own sacks. Feel pressure that isn’t there. I don’t know if you can teach a QB to hang in the pocket and hit a receiver with defenders barreling down’

    – Assessing Ds [the Kurt Warner angle]

    ‘In the NFL it can’t be pure progression [where the D almost doesn’t matter]. In the NFL knowing how the D lines up is a BIG factor, and it’s hard to diagnose a D if there’s only 4 seconds on the clock’

    Those are two YUGE areas Caleb MUST solve, and quick. The third I would add is consistency
    Caleb Williams creates many ‘wow’ plays. But so did Jay Cutler
    Then the next play he throws it right into the gut of a DT or 4 INTs to DeAngelo Hall
    Rex Grossman won NFC Offensive Player of September, and look how that ended…

    Can’t win a SB like that
    Caleb must show up for the first 3 QTRs

    On the bright side, Cossell asserts BJ will at least help Caleb unlike the previous regime:

    ‘Ben Johnson does a great job of creating separation to make it easier for QBs
    [think prime GB with Rodgers when Jordy Nelson and gang ran free on crossing routes]

    But in the end your kid has to swim; your kid has to ride down the hill without training wheels; your kid has to drive on his own with his buddies acting like maniacs…

    As Caleb must himself ascend to that near mythic and ever elusive ‘generational QB’ and not flatline into another Bad Rex or Smoking Jay

  • “Gridiron Glory” by guest reg I Bleed Navy and Orange

    “Gridiron Glory” by guest reg I Bleed Navy and Orange

    It was the last football play of my life.

    I knew it would be my last game; I saw no future in it for me – only finality.  We were a sub-500 Division III team ending the season on a low note. So deeper meaning largely escaped me.

    With less than 3 minutes to go, we were down 20-3, and the other team had all their subs, scrubs, and seniors playing instead of their starters. In the defensive huddle, our SAM spit blood onto the ground. He had lost his mouthguard a few plays back and bit his lip during a tackle. I remember pulling my foot out of the way; for some reason I didn’t want to get my weathered shoe bloody. We broke the huddle and I laughed at myself: why should I care? I was going to throw those cleats away before nightfall.

    The offense lined up in an inverted wishbone. I was Rover–a strong safety who could line up in a number of different places, depending on the offensive formation and down/distance. Our SAM set up on the inside shoulder of the tight end, acting like he was going to rush. I bounced around his outside shoulder a yard off the line, faking like I would blitz, too. The QB took the snap and after a half step forward, the SAM and I both dropped into coverage–he dropped to his hook zone, and I zoomed toward the flat.

    Sure enough, the tight end looked to block someone, but no one was engaged with him. The offensive line stuttered, then let the defensive rush through. The strong-side halfback snuck forward, and I felt like the rest of my team knew with as much certainty as I exactly where the ball was going.

    The backup playing QB didn’t have a speck of dirt or grass stain on his uniform, and for all I know hadn’t played in a game before this one. He was hyped up, and his pass rainbowed way too high, over halfback and over even the linemen setting the center screen. Our SAM caught the overthrow against his shoulderpad, took one step and caught the arm of one of the offensive linemen, who was diving to make the tackle.

    I knew that fireplug of a SAM, all 5’10” and maybe 230lbs, could break that arm tackle. The play had started from about their 20 yard line; there was a chance we could actually score on defense! one last burst of glory. I saw the tight-end in his pristine jersey, still not engaged with anyone, and knew my SAM would need help getting past. I ran to block so my SAM could score.

    I popped the tight-end and tried to drive him as  I felt my cleats catch in the cold turf. In spots, the mud was half-frozen and plastic.

    And then my SAM broke the tackle, but not clean. He fell into my right leg. All 230 lbs of him, right into the side of my knee. Somehow everything was moving slowly enough that I felt him hit, and knew the only way I wouldn’t blow my knee out would be to collapse it, so I did.

    But my cleats were stuck in the mud and grass, and could not release–especially with my weight, the goon tight end’s weight, and now 230 lbs of linebacker pushing everything down.

    I felt the bones grinding together in my ankle and screamed, but that didn’t help, and the pain didn’t end. What I remember the most was the feeling of tension–of things being pushed and pulled in ways they aren’t supposed to go–and a grinding that sounded in my brain like massive stone blocks being dragged over each other. I remember squeezing my eyes shut and seeing bright red against the backs of my eyelids, despite the late-afternoon shadows on the field.

    The next thing I knew, I was crawling off the field, refusing to look back. I was certain my foot had been ripped off my leg, and at best was dragging behind me by my sock… but more likely, it had been pulled clean off and was still stuck in the turf. The pain was immense, but the fear was even bigger. How long before the amputated foot couldn’t be reattached?

    I got to the sideline and I guess I was whimpering something about my foot being gone, and before the trainers got to me, someone told me no, everything’s still attached.

    “Is it hanging there limp?” I asked, still not bearing to look.

    No, they reassured me. Looks like it’s pointing the right direction and everything.

    The trainers got me into a seated position and I risked a look. It was already swelling, and they cut my shoe off, but it didn’t look as hideous as it had felt when it happened. It was bad–very bad–but I wasn’t going to lose my foot.

    I didn’t find out until much later that the interception had been for nothing. The game ended 20-3.

    For years, I avoided the fate my original ortho predicted–that the bone was degenerating and within 10 years I would need my lower leg unzipped from both sides and a graft from my hip put into the tibia.

    But this past spring, my new ankle doc gave me the bad news from a new MRI. Next week I get a bone graft in the talus, and cadaver cartilage to replace all the stuff that got ground away 33 years ago.

    This is the price we pay for fleeting glory on the gridiron – in a forgotten game at the end of a meaningless career, on a frozen field. The last time I took off my helmet wasn’t some moment of meaning that I kept crystallized in my memory; I tore it off and tossed it aside while injured and never saw it again.

    My buddy and I had a saying: “broken bones heal; pain is temporary; chicks dig guys with scars.” I add another one to the collection in June.