Hall of Lame?

Courtesy of www.abc6onyourside.com

Courtesy of examiner.com

Tonight the Hall of Fame selections for the NFL’s class of 2012 were made.  Congrats to Curtis Martin, Chris Doleman, Willie Roaf, Dermonti Dawson, Cortez Kennedy and Jack Butler.  I don’t want to take away from these guys’s moment but there is a travesty going on right now.  To me the Hall of Fame is for the best of the best.  Most guys’ selection is not arguable.  It’s usually the guys that get left out that leave people arguing.  My usual rule of thumb is if you have to think a long time about it then said player is not a HOFer.  That leads me to the point of the post.  Who is and who isn’t a HOFer?  

The 2012 class includes many legends.  In fact I can’t argue with any of them…expect one.  Cortez Kennedy?  Before I go further let me preface you with why I, as an east coast fan, know anything let alone a lot about a Seattle player.  My uncle, yes my dad’s own flesh and blood, has made a conscious decision to be a Seattle Seahawks fan.  No, he’s never been there.  No he probably couldn’t name the starting team, but he’s a fan.  He’ll tell you about Steve Largent and how great he was.  How Brian Bosworth was the next coming.  Dave Krieg is comparable to Joe Montana….yes he’s that kind of fan. (Remember, none of us can choose our family) 

The reason I bring up Uncle Boomer (names have been somewhat changed to protect the innocent......)  is this…Cortez Kennedy gets a Hall of Fame spot?  For real?  This guy to me is a Jerome Brown wanna be.  God rest his sole but JB would've destroyed this guys career.  You see because Uncle “Boomer” was a Hawks fan, I not only had the chance to follow them but I did watch and pay attention to them more than most East Coast fans.  Cortez was a decent player, don’t get me wrong.  Hall of Fame?  Ehhhh? I’m not so sure.

Courtesy of http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com

  We going stats?  Kevin Greene. Clyde Simmons. Leslie O’neal.  Check the numbers.  Not taking anything from Cortez but still, those cats deserve it more.  Especially Kevin Greene.... WWF career aside.....

Courtesy of crwflags.com

Speaking of deserving players.  Cortez Kennedy makes it but Chris Carter doesn’t?  As far as I’m concerned, Andre Reed, Chris Carter and Tim Brown are in way before Cortez.  Don’t think so?  Check the stats.  Yep, I also expect to see Randy Moss and Terrell Owens there, but I’ll save that for later.  Kevin Greene?  In.  Bill Parcells?  As much as I hate to admit, in.  Cortez?  Great player but Hall of Famer?  Is it possible that people look at his stats and forget he played in Seattle and didn’t “wow” anyone?  Never wowed me.  He was a player at the beginning  of the  ESPN saturation.  Never “wowed” me enough to leave my Eagles.  Maybe my dad instilled enough of his Philly #1 conviction in me?

Courtesy of losthatsportsblog.com

Speaking of the Eagles #1 and my father's parenting, I still am biased to my Birds.  Especially those cats from 87-93, you know Gang Green.  The great defensive team that was built by Buddy Ryan.  Hall of famers? I could name a few..... but not all of them.  Randall Cunningham?  Yep.  Check the numbers.  Better than Aikman’s….minus the Super Bowls.  Clyde Simmons?  If Cortez is than yep, Clyde is.  Eric Allen?  In my opinion, yep.  Seth Joyner?  Borderline.  You get the point.  Those teams were good. Don't forget Reggie.......

Hell I think Donovan McNabb gets consideration.  Yes, I know I know.  I drove the McNabb bus since the day he was drafted.  Remember when cats wanted Ricky Williams?  I’d say McNabb had a tad bit better career.  Look at the numbers.  He doesn’t puke in the huddle in Super Bowl 39 he’s a shoe in.  Like I said, you get it.  You can make the argument for a number of former birds.  Unfortunately much like this weekend, as an Eagles fan I’ll spend Super Bowl Sunday wondering what if?  Every year when I see who did make the HOF I have to wonder…

What if those teams from 87-93 had won a playoff game?  Fuck the Fog Bowl.  What if Donovan hadn’t puked? 

Courtesy of cheesesteakswithbarkley.wordpress.com

What if I had been born in Pit…ok, that’s it, don’t want to go there….that’s it for today.  Remember the pick is the Patriots because Tom Brady is that damn good.  Until next time this is Jimbo saying despite being a Seahawks fan in Philly, we all love our "Uncle Boomer".  Love to hear my NFL fans' opinion this post.  Is Cortez that good?  Is Chris Carter that bad?  Let me hear it.

Change for the Poor?

 You can fool some people sometimes; but you can’t fool all the people all the time - Bob Marley, Get up Stand Up.

Courtesy of Seattlepi.com

In the wake of everything that has been on the news of late with the Occupy movement, I found it odd when I came across the story of the couple in Seattle that has been scamming the welfare system since at least 2003.  Here is a link to the article .  For those of you who are either too lazy or just didn’t feel like clicking the link, the jist of the article is that a couple has been receiving welfare checks (totaling over $1000 a month enough for over $130,000)  all while living in a million dollar lake front house and driving Jaguars.  Did I mention the husband is a chiropractor? 


I have a few issues with this obviously.  You may be surprised to know that I’m not mad at this couple.  In fact, kudos to them.  They were working the system to their benefit and in all actuality should be commended.  The issue I have is with the government.  How the HELL does this go on for at least 8 years without any red flags?  Part of the money they were receiving was for Section 8 housing; apparently there are no “home inspections”?  I say shame on our national government, shame on the Washington State government, as well as the local Seattle government.

Courtesy nps.gov

This is exactly what’s wrong with America.  It’s not corporate greed or the 1%.  It’s our government.  As I’ve stated before, the problem is in Washington.  Our Congress makes the laws with the loopholes that encourage businesses to go overseas.  They make the laws that allow the couple from Seattle to get away with this for at least 8 years.  You think this is an isolated incident?  Hardly.  Without going into too much detail, it’s rampant.  There are people that are on public assistance that apparently can’t afford to pay for their own kids’ lunches, but they have $80 Polo Shirts (5 different colors/styles), IPhones, Xbox 360s,  $100 sneakers and drive far nicer cars than a lot of working people (like myself).  There are people that actually are better off not working and collecting welfare.  In all seriousness though, who can blame them?  Again, kudos to them for knowing how to and having the balls to work the system.

Despite this, the outrage is placed elsewhere.  Why?  I have a good reason and I’ve stated it before on this blog.  Protesting for welfare reform is not sexy.  Why not occupy that?  Maybe if our government wasn’t wasting so much money on dumb shit, there wouldn’t be as many problems.  But it’s sexy to protest corporate greed, the death penalty, and animal abuse.  That’s why the whole occupy movement annoys me.  Welfare reform would help the government save money and it definitely would help the people that need it the most.  Maybe it’s because some of the Occupiers are abusing the system??? 

I don’t know what the best solution is but I’d start with putting certain restrictions on what people can buy.  I worked in the grocery business for over 12 years before becoming a teacher so I saw how people abused the system.  You’re on food stamps?  You don’t get Filet Mignon.  I have a fucking job and I don’t get to eat Filet.  You’re on Welfare?  No lottery tickets.  There is no need for you to spend $50 a day on the lottery.  Gambling is not an appropriate or sensible retirement plan. Sorry, if you can’t pay for your kids lunch, no Polo boots.  You want public assistance?  Take a drug test.  You fail, you’re booted out.  Most people have to take a drug test for their jobs so why should you get high on the government’s (i.e. MY dime?).  You don’t like it?  Get out then or find a job that allows you to get high….good luck with that.

What is the answer for Welfare reform?  I don’t know but the current system sucks.  When I see or hear stories like this couple from Seattle it pisses me off.  Not at them or any of the people that abuse the system for Polo boots, lottery tickets, and Filet.  I do say kudos for them. 

Courtesy of logoeps.com

They found the loophole and much like the big corporations that take their business overseas, they are using it to their advantage and in fact are pretty much encouraged to cheat the system.  The problem lies with our politicians who allow these loopholes to exist.  How bout we occupy them?  After all, the ugly, non-sexy causes need love too.  Until next time this is Jimbo saying, I like Filet.