Quick Hits: Volume CCCLXI

 - Hey, did ya hear? Donald Trump was elected President Tuesday! No, I'm talking about November 5. I'm referring to today when each state's electors cast their votes. 

all of the electors are officially counted. final tally is 312-226, no faithless electors this year! pic.twitter.com/EjCu2sGR8e

— Central Valley Politics (@CV__Politics) December 18, 2024

Maybe I'm in a bubble, but doesn't it feel as though progs became so demoralized after 11/5 that they're barely putting up a mild squawk over Trump returning to the White House? I mean, I was half expecting a collection of smug, vapid celebs re-upping their 2016 plea for GOP electors to not vote for Trump. 

 

While the various talking heads at MSNBC and CNN clutched their collective pearls during Trump's first term, they certainly didn't object to the ratings boon that came with frothing leftists tuning in to have their Trump Derangement Syndrome justified. However, those networks are in for a rude awakening this time around given that their viewers realize they were being given a false sense of security ahead of this past election. Progs are most definitely going to take their seething elsewhere. 

- A mea culpa nearly 20 years in the making.

If you really wanna be enraged, watch the ESPN 30 for 30 special Fantastic Lies. Sure, Ms. Mangum deserves the scorn heaped upon her for her false accusations, but corrupt D.A. Mike Nifong is the epitome of one of my favorite lawyer jokes. What's the difference between a lawyer and a catfish? One's a bottom-feeding scum sucker and the other's a fish. 

Anyhow, Ms. Mangum's apology comes on the heels of her converting to Christianity while in jail for second degree murder. As such, I genuinely hope she finds the peace she obviously didn't possess on the outside. 

- This news is both unsurprising as well as somewhat jarring. 

🚨 🚨 🚨

The #Falcons are making a major change, as Michael Penix Jr is expected to take over at QB, with Kirk Cousins going the bench.

Atlanta is still in the thick of the playoff hunt, and Cousins has struggled mightily. Now, Penix takes over. pic.twitter.com/xTPLBovmOd

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 18, 2024

The move is unsurprising in that Cousins has been struggling mightily, having thrown only 1 touchdown and 9 interceptions in his past five starts (the Falcons have gone 1-4 in that time frame). But it's jarring in the sense that Atlanta signed Cousins to a 4-year, $180 million dollar contract (with $100 million guaranteed). But not even a year into that deal, the Falcons are seemingly ready to bail on Cousins and the huge financial commitment they made this past spring (I said at the time that given the enormous price tag that I was glad my Vikings were willing to let him walk). 

In the end, it's hard to feel too bad for Cousins. He earned about $185 million in his six seasons in Minnesota and will rake in $100 million, minimum, from Atlanta even if he never plays another down in the NFL. While he has no chance of ever being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, he's a first ballot HOF'er if there's ever such an honor for most successful contract negotiator. 

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