Tuesday, January 21, 2025

Hitting the ground running vs. hitting the ground with a thud

Fresh off being inaugurated the 47th President of the United States, Donald Trump didn't waste any time getting to work. 

Here are some video clips of his working away in the Oval Office Monday evening while also answering questions from media for about an hour: 














Stephen Miller (no, not Trump's senior adviser) noticed something different about this President compared to the previous administration. 





Yup. In fact, the media was enduring those "catty aides" (and thus aiding and abetting the cover-up of Biden's decline) literally within the first few days of the Biden administration.  





If you're wondering why that Griffin character chose to hone in on the barking dogs as opposed to media members being shooed away is because he's part of the leftist cabal at MSNBC. They were among the chief gaslighters when discussing Biden's very obvious physical and mental decline. 


Oh, and in the event you're curious as to whether the legacy media has done any introspection over why their industry is deemed less trustworthy than a used car salesman, here are a few excerpts from Monday. 









Keep in mind that it is we the American taxpayers who are funding PBS, which has degraded into little more than a leftist propaganda arm. 


The good news is, as I conveyed in my Monday post, the media is so untrustworthy that their nonsensical takes and attempts to go "viral" have only empowered Trump, so much so that Independents and moderates are no longer buying what they're selling (see CNN and MSNBC's imploding ratings). Yes, today's mainstream media is essentially a prog echo chamber which offers little more than a place for leftists to "hate watch." Hard to imagine that's at all a sustainable business model. 

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Monday, January 20, 2025

Inauguration Day

In the aftermath of the January 6, 2021 riots at the U.S. Capitol building, this meme circulated: 





The message here is that on 1/20/2017, Donald J. Trump went from being easily the biggest outsider ever to be inaugurated the President of the United States to his term ending in a bizarre, carnival-like fashion. I was convinced that shameful display by some of his most ardent supporters on 1/6/2021 would define Trump's legacy. Throw on top of that a second impeachment as well as multiple criminal indictments, it seemed a forgone conclusion that a third campaign for President of the United States would be even a bigger joke than how people viewed his 2016 run.

And yet......here we are today as Trump was officially inaugurated the 47th POTUS in the culmination of the most improbable political comeback our nation has ever seen. 




Said comeback would still be tops if he "only" faced a perpetually hostile media, two impeachment attempts and those multiple indictments. But add to that two assassination attempts during the 2024 campaign and you now have a President Trump who is far more empowered and emboldened than he was his initial term. Yes, any attempts to gin up, say, a "Russia collusion" type hoax will be met with scoffing and ridicule due to the fact Trump effectively broke the collective backs of the legacy media. Until that institution does some serious introspection, alternative forms of media (i.e. podcasts, online streaming, etc.) will continue to dominate the day. The crazies know this, which is why there have been attempts to kill Trump. It's literally the only option to stop the proverbial Trump train. 

I have been a frequent critic of Trump and thus haven't been shy of the fact that I wish he would have imposed a self-banishment. And while I won't shy away from pointing out areas where I feel he is in grave error, I will absolutely give credit where credit is due here: Donald J. Trump is the most compelling political figure of my lifetime and he has overcome challenges which I believe no other presidential candidate could have surmounted. Like his predecessors, he will be in my daily prayers. 

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Sunday, January 19, 2025

Out of the office

I will be absent from the Patriot bunker the next two Sundays due to an arising need within my family. 


In the interim, my friend and NARN colleague Mitch Berg will be in for me today and a surprise special guest host next Sunday the 26th. 


Talk soon!


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Friday, January 17, 2025

2024 NFL Playoffs: Divisional round

Houston Texans (+8) at Kansas City Chiefs: I wasn't shocked that Houston defeated the L.A. Chargers last week, but I was taken aback how dominant they were after the first quarter. Their defense, which looked leaky much of the second half of the season, really stepped up in that game. And despite a drop off from his 2023 Rookie of the Year campaign, QB C.J. Stroud seemed to have his mojo back. However, Chiefs' defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo has designed some of the best postseason game plans in the 21st century. As such, Stroud & Co. may well be in for a long day. 


Through 16 games of the 2024 season, the Chiefs were 15-1, yet appeared to be the most boring 15-1 team in NFL history. They also seemed to be going through the motions in the '23 campaign, but were able to flip that switch when playoff time arrived. They even had to go on the road for the first time in the Patrick Mahomes era, yet were able to win tough games in Buffalo and Baltimore to get to the Super Bowl. After repeating as champs last year, KC is going for the first ever "three-peat" in the Super Bowl era. In his first six years as Chiefs' starting QB, Mahomes has never been ousted prior to the AFC Championship game. At minimum, that trend will hold this year. 

Kansas City 24 Houston 13



Washington Redskins Football Team Commanders (+9-1/2) at Detroit Lions: I'm hard pressed to recall a rookie quarterback as unflappable as Washington's Jayden Daniels. In his first ever playoff game in Tampa last week, he was as accurate and poised as he'd been all season in leading his club to a victory over the Buccaneers. If there was an opportunity for a "do over" in the 2024 draft, is there any question Daniels would be the top pick? I know the Commanders are going into a tough environment at Detroit's Ford Field, but they will definitely move the ball effectively against a depleted Lions defense. The question is can the Commies defense get any stops against the Lions dynamic offense? 


The Lions were still kinda playing with house money last year, and got within a whisker of the Super Bowl. But as the NFC's top seed, anything short of the ultimate game will be a disappointment. The matchup to watch here is Lions RB Jahmyr Gibbs going up against a defense which ranked 30th in the NFL in stopping the run. And if that's not bad enough for the Commanders, RB David Montgomery was just activated off the I.R. list. I believe QB Jared Goff will get his, but it would behoove the Lions to keep Daniels and Co. off the field, so just keep pounding the ball.


I have a feeling Washington will hang tough and be right in it at the end, but the Lions just have too much firepower on offense. 

Detroit 38 Washington 31



Los Angeles Rams (+6-1/2) at Philadelphia Eagles: Even though these teams played each other back in Week 12, it feels like Philly RB Saquon Barkley is still ripping off 10-yard runs against the Rams. Barkley led the NFL this season with 2,005 yards rushing, including a career high 255 in that 37-20 win in L.A. And that Eagles defense is downright stifling having allowed the second fewest points this season and the fewest yards. 


Not much more to say about this one other than we may be witnessing the final game in the stellar career of Rams QB Matthew Stafford. 

Philadelphia 31 Los Angeles 17



Baltimore Ravens (-1) at Buffalo Bills: In Week 4, the Ravens crushed the Bills 35-10, which was easily Buffalo's worst game of 2024. The Ravens also wore down the Bills defense to the tune of 271 yards rushing. And given there's a decent chance of snow in upstate New York on Sunday, why not continue to pound Derrick Henry & Co.? 


Of course, the story of this game is the quarterbacks as Baltimore's Lamar Jackson and Buffalo's Josh Allen are the top two contenders for NFL MVP. Allen will definitely get his against one of the worst pass defenses in the NFL and Jackson will do his Lamar thing with the dual threat of pass and run. As the 1-point spread indicates, this game is pretty much a toss up.

Baltimore 27 Buffalo 24


My 2024 postseason record:

Against the spread: 2-4

Straight up: 3-3


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Thursday, January 16, 2025

(D)isrespectful

Remember when Minnesota State Rep. Melissa Hortman (DFL-Brooklyn Park) declared on the House floor that she was "tired of women of color, in particular, being ignored?"


Flashback to nearly eight years ago:





So, what was Rep. Hortman's reaction to newly elected House Speaker Lisa Demuth, who happens to be the first woman of color elected to that post, being ignored by every single solitary Democrat this week? Well....we have no idea since she's part of the collective that is not only ignoring Speaker Demuth but also not even showing up in the House chamber. 


I guess in Mel's world, not all women of color are created equal.


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Tuesday, January 14, 2025

The good news and bad news of the Vikings' 2024 season

One of the best regular seasons in the 64-year history of the Minnesota Vikings ended with a resounding thud Monday evening. 

With that, here are some quick good news/bad news bullet points of the 2024 campaign: 


Good news: The Vikings appear to have gotten it right with the head coach hire in Kevin O’Connell. He’s the only Vikes coach in franchise history to have multiple seasons of 13 or more wins. 

Bad news: In his three seasons at the helm, O’Connell has guided his club to the postseason twice, going “one and done” both times. 


Good news: Through the first 16 games of the 2024 regular season, QB Sam Darnold lived up to the hype that resulted in his being the #3 overall draft pick in 2018. His borderline MVP performance was projected to land him a free agent contract in the neighborhood of 4 years, $220 million.

Bad news: The ’24 regular season finale and Monday’s playoff game show why he was written off after his first few seasons. Those awful performances also likely cost him nearly nine figures in guaranteed money. 


Good news: The Vikings have identified their franchise quarterback, having selected JJ McCarthy #10 overall in the 2024 draft. 

Bad news: The club may take a step back in the early part of next year due to McCarthy having zero experience playing in an NFL regular season. 


Good news: The expectations were absurdly low for the Vikings coming into this season, but they proved they have legit talent all over the roster. 

Bad news: They’re still woefully deficient on the interior offensive line (a decade-plus problem) and red zone running game. 


Good news: The Vikings should be able to adequately shore up their weaknesses given they have nearly $70 million in salary cap space going into the offseason.

Bad news: They can't miss on any of the free agent signings since their 2025 draft capital is scarce. As of right now they possess merely three picks (first round selection and two fifth rounders). 


Good news: Even with little salary cap flexibility last offseason (they had a $25 million dead cap hit from Kirk Cousins’ contract), the Vikings shored up their defense with the acquisitions of pass rushers Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel (both Pro Bowl selections) as well as LB Blake Cashman. As a result, they allowed the fifth fewest points in 2024.

Bad news: With the D’s stellar performance, this may well result in the unit’s architect, Defensive Coordinator Brian Flores, being hired as a head coach elsewhere. 


Good news: With stud WR Justin Jefferson locked into a long-term contract extension and the temptation removed to retain Darnold, people can finally STFU about either Jefferson or McCarthy being traded. 

Bad news: These same trade speculation idiots are now glomming onto a report of teams inquiring about a trade for coach O’Connell. 


On to 2025!

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Will they or won't they? (UPDATE: They didn't)

With the 2025 Minnesota legislative session slated to begin today at Noon, the question remains whether or not DFL House members will follow through on a threat to sit out the first two weeks. When the idea was first broached, the Dems were reminded that they don't get paid if they aren't officially sworn in as legislators. 





Their solution? Why, get sworn in out of the public view before session even begins, natch.





Look, this kinda thing wouldn't surprise me were it executed by House members in Minneapolis & St. Paul districts as well as reps in solid blue first-ring suburban areas. But literally all 66 House DFLers (including a DFLer whose "victory" is still in a legal dispute) went along with this, even those who barely won races in swing districts that could easily tilt the other way in 2026. Not only would this appear to be political suicide, but its legality is also in serious question. 





In the end, none of this makes any sense. Even if the GOP miraculously won the special election in House District 40B or a possible new election in the disputed 54A (thus giving them a majority for at least the next two years), the governor's mansion will still be occupied by a Dem this next biennium. Any legislation that somehow made it to Gov. Tim Walz's desk would likely have significant bipartisan support due to a (likely) Dem controlled Senate and, at worst for the DFL, a slight GOP House majority. I mean, far be it from me to try to prevent Democrats from running into a sawblade, but there is just absolutely no upside to this. 


We'll definitely check back in at Noon today. 


UPDATE: DFL members don't show up. GOP moves forward with a quorum (Yes, 67 of 133 is a majority, thus a quorum) and elects the first ever African-American female Speaker of the House!



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Monday, January 13, 2025

2024 NFL Playoffs: Wildcard (Monday game)

Minnesota Vikings (-2-1/2) vs. Los Angeles Rams: Due to the horrific wildfires plaguing Southern California, this game has been moved to the home stadium of the Arizona Cardinals in Glendale, AZ. While this definitely benefits the Vikings, this isn't exactly like the Green Bay Packers having to abandon a home game at Lambeau Field. 


In this matchup, my Vikings take on one of the two teams who defeated them in what was a shockingly great regular season. In what was supposed to be a bridge year to 2025 when the Vikings would hand the reins to QB JJ McCarthy as well as sport an augmented roster due to the likelihood of spending big money in free agency, the Vikes exceeded all expectations by going 14-3. And while I expected coach Kevin O'Connell to unlock something in QB Sam Darnold in much the same way he did with Kirk Cousins, I never envisioned a scenario where Darnold would be considered a top 5 MVP candidate as late as Week 17. But after a (to be charitable) clunker in the regular season finale at Detroit, Darnold now faces even more pressure in a "win or go home" scenario, a situation he's never experienced in his NFL career. 


You could argue the turning point of the Rams' 2024 season was that Week 8 win over the Vikings. After starting the season 1-4, the Rams limped to an unimpressive win over a mediocre Raiders club four days before that Week 8 contest. There was already serious discussion at that point that if L.A. didn't turn things around, Pro Bowl WR Cooper Kupp and possibly QB Matthew Stafford could be traded by the November 5 deadline. But the Rams finished strong by winning 9 of 11 games after that 1-4 start, thus conquering the NFC West. 


After the loss to the Rams on Thursday Night Football in Week 8, some Vikings coaches admitted they were caught flat-footed by the return of star WRs Kupp and Puka Nacua, who were both activated from the Injured Reserve list just prior to that matchup. In addition to that, the Vikes were without LB Blake Cashman, which severely hampered their blitz packages. Since Stafford is statistically the worst NFL QB when blitzed, you better believe Defensive Coordinator Brian Flores will bring the house more than the mere 20% put forth in that regular season matchup, especially with Cashman back in the fold. 


There were multiple times during this Cinderella season where skeptics were certain Darnold & Co. were about to turn back into a pumpkin only to see the Vikes bounce back in impressive fashion. Last week's loss to Detroit was another opportunity for the doubters to feel validated. For one week, however, I believe the Vikings will rise up again. 

Minnesota 27 Los Angeles 21


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