“Did you see it?”

“Yeah, I saw it, it was awesome!”

“What’s wrong with his voice?”

“Who cares! It’s great! He’s great!  It was a great message!”

Last night, Twitter was ablaze with references [...]]]> The chatter around the water cooler at the office this morning is about the Clint Eastwood commercial from last night’s SuperDooperBowl.

“Did you see it?”

“Yeah, I saw it, it was awesome!”

“What’s wrong with his voice?”

“Who cares! It’s great! He’s great!  It was a great message!”

Last night, Twitter was ablaze with references to The Commercial.  I would say that 80% of it was favorable.  Don’t hold me to that number, it’s very much a guesstimation, but it’s directionally correct.  Most people said they liked it.  They especially liked the quick reference to the Madison protests.  If you didn’t see it, here it is.

I’m in the 20% camp who didn’t like the commercial.  I found the message manipulative, exploitative and, in retrospect, a hollow vision of America as a corporate controlled wasteland.  The rah-rah of Corporate America, represented by the Chrysler automotive group, never referenced the destruction of good jobs in America through an endless series of trade agreements, championed by these corporate hacks, that moved work offshore and destroyed the manufacturing base of the midwest.  With apologies to Saint Ronoldus, patron Saint of Crony Capitalism,

Chrysler isn’t the solution to our problem, Chrysler is the problem!

Forgive me if I can’t get all misty when a gravely-voiced Clint Eastwood tells me how we’re going to come back stronger than before.  I’m sorry.  I can’t do it.  I’m not buying what Chrysler is selling through their High Plains Drifter spokesmodel.  Because that’s what he is.  A spokesmodel for a corporatist vision of America.  The lone gunman.  The guy who can overcome all obstacles.  Except that that’s a lie.  It’s the biggest lie we tell ourselves as Americans.  The lie of the American Dream that anyone can make it.  They can’t.

You see, the deck is stacked against the average American to a degree we haven’t seen in more than 100 years.  Income inequality and intragenerational income rigidity have combined to make America pre-Revolutionary France.  Born Rich – Die Rich.  Born Poor – Die Poor.  It’s now the American Way.

Forgive me for not cheering.

Though I’m loathe to root for either team, I can’t stand the New York Giants, so I’ll be pulling for New England to pull out a win.

Who will you be rooting for today?

27 goals in two games.  Wow…  Well done!

I’m a recent transplant to Wisconsin and I have to say, I’ve never seen a more enthusiastic NFL fan-base.  The rest of [...]]]> Public Policy Polling did a survey of voters and asked about some key NFL teams.  Based on their research, the Cowboys need to hand over their “America’s Team” status to the Packers.

I’m a recent transplant to Wisconsin and I have to say, I’ve never seen a more enthusiastic NFL fan-base.  The rest of America shares Wisconsin’s love of the Green & Gold.

22% of voters say the Packers are their favorite team in the NFL to 11% for the Cowboys, 8% for the Bears, Giants, and Steelers, 7% for the Saints, 6% for the Patriots, 4% for the Redskins, and 2% for the Jets. 24% say someone else is their favorite team or that they don’t have a favorite.

But it gets better… The Cowboys, who I grew up despising as a long-suffering Redskins fan, are actually America’s least favorite team.

The Cowboys did come out first on one question in our poll: Americans’ least favorite NFL team. 22% pick the Cowboys on that front to 11% for the Bears, 8% for the Packers, 7% for the Patriots and Redskins, 6% for the Steelers, 4% for the Jets and Giants, and 1% for the Saints.  The Cowboys may deliver awesome tv ratings but these numbers suggest that’s in large part because people are watching them and hoping they lose.

I know that’s the only reason I ever watch the Cowboys play.  As the old joke goes, “my two favorite teams are the Redskins and whoever is playing the Cowboys!”

Politically, since this is a political blog, the Packers are something that unite us as a people.

In an era of unprecedented political divisiveness liking the Packers better than the Cowboys is something Americans across the political spectrum can agree on- Democrats prefer the Packers 44-26, Republicans do 60-29, and independents do 44-30.

That’s what one Long Island administration said Wednesday when it suspended a group of high school athletes for replicating Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow’s popular pose in the hallway at school.

Jordan Fulcoly, Wayne Drexel and brothers Tyler [...]]]> A group of high school kids, have been put into in-school suspension, for “Tebowing”.

That’s what one Long Island administration said Wednesday when it suspended a group of high school athletes for replicating Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow’s popular pose in the hallway at school.

Jordan Fulcoly, Wayne Drexel and brothers Tyler and Connor Carroll of Riverhead High School were all handed a one-day suspension Wednesday, after three days of taking a knee with their foreheads resting on their fists, the same way Tebow does in the end zone and on the sidelines

The incident saw about 40 students engaging in the popular Tebowing. Only the four students, all athletes, were suspended. Caroll told Prep Rally that the administration told them “that our Tebowing was blocking the halls and could potentially cause a riot, because they were growing in number and if the wrong kid gets pushed a brawl could ensue.”

How can anyone brawl while doing the Tebow? I personally think that many administrators and adults in general just need to chill sometime! Let kids be kids! At least they were NOT doing the "Sam Hurd".

As a quick aside, here is a great line from Doug Farrar of Yahoo Sports on this story:

Apparently, Chicago Bears receiver Sam Hurd’s close personal proximity to Tim Tebow last Sunday in the Bears’ overtime loss to the Denver Broncos did nothing to clean up Hurd’s act.