Falcons Commit War Crimes at Doyt, Crush WMU

The Falcons raced all over the Broncos today. A wipe out from about the fourth play on. After the botched reverse on the kickoff, I started to think our streak of bolting downfield and scoring on our first drive would end at three, but, no we drove 99 yards and scored. Later in the quarter we did it again.

550 yards in the first half. 49 points in the first half, a school record. A blocked punt, 3 INT's. (We make no turnovers again). It was a dominant performance, and the Falcons deserve credit. WMU has moved the ball on some teams today, but we got our first shut out since UM's first season.

Running up the score? Nope. Read this from Coach Darnell, who, one has to assume is on his way out of Kalamazoo.

"I want to really congratulate Gregg Brandon, his staff, his football team, because they were absolute class-act today. Anyone that was there, anyone that saw it on TV knows that they could have named the score today. That was huge on Gregg's part."

So, here's the key question as we head into the games agains the Marshall and Toledo--which we must win to stay in the MAC race, and which we must win for a long-shot bowl bid. Is this team better than last year's team?

Its hard to tell, because we have played six straight very poor football teams. But I actually believe this team IS better than last year's team, making the defeat at NIU all the sadder. Consider this:

*Last year, bad teams (CMU, EMU, Kent) hung around on us. Not this year. Most games are over before there are 5:00 off the clock.

*Omar is setting a school record for passing accuracy. He's a better passer than Josh ever was, though not a running threat. Receivers are great--when was the last time a pass was dropped?

*Last year we had a negative turnover ratio. We almost never turn the ball over now. I'll check the numbers later, but of all Omar's passing plays, he's had only 5 or 6 sacks and interceptions COMBINED.

*Last year's team was average in the red zone. This year's team is money.

*The defense is much improved, in my view. This WMU has scored on some people, but we shut them out. The backfield is much improved. A pass rush is developing. Keon is the best player on the team (2 INT's against the Broncos).

*The special teams are outstanding. Suisham is money, return teams are good, and the punting is good.

Anyway, for these reasons, its possible this team is better than last year's team. Big challenges ahead, but both games are winnable. If we continue to perform at this level (and we must be at a high level of confidence), we will finish 9-2 and will have earned a bowl bid.

(Crowd was in the 18,000 range--respectable, on a beautiful day in Bowling Green).

As usual, Bill Clinton is on target

Bill Clinton is the most insightful and brilliant political mind of his generation. Clearly he has his faults, but he's usually on the mark.

In speaking before the Urban Land Institute, Clinton said that Democrats had to stop whining. Correct.

He also said we had to accept responsibility for the defeat. Correct.

He said that it we couldn't convince people we were for freedom, and families and hard work, that was our fault, not theirs. Correct.

And if we didn't have a message, we would continue to lose. Correct.

Here's my take on Tuesday's devastating outcome. More than half of the people in the country don't see it our way, and that's how it goes. We are, in my opinion, in danger of dropping into a half-century in the wilderness.

I do not buy theories from various bloggers that we are making progress. We are not. No incumbent President with Bush's record should ever have been re-elected. It never should have been close.

Imagine, if you will, if a Democratic president had lost jobs, started a war he couldn't finish, failed to catch Osama Bin Laden, make us international pyriahs and rewarded cronies with war contracts, do you think that Democratic President would have been returned to office? Or won a state?

No. He would have been toast. And for all our focus on the ground war, you need a message and you need a strong candidate who doesn't have the baggage that Kerry had (I'm speaking of his dizzying track record of votes and resulting justifications from Iraq, most of which were votes determined by Howard Dean).

Don't get me wrong. Kerry is a strong leader, and made a good candidate. And electable. But he couldn't seal the deal.

I don't buy that things are getting better because we picked up a legislative seat in Peoria. They are not getting better. We are being pushed to the very edges of the country--look at the map below. We are basically a non-presence over most of the country, and while we came perilously close to picking the electoral lock while losing by three or more points nationally, our non-presence in, for example, Kentucky, merely allows the GOP to concentrate their resources on a dwindling number of states. And since those states only add up to 272 EV, they only need one (hello, Ohio) to pick us off.

And if they turn California--even to competitive--we can kiss our butts good bye.

To the future, let me say this. Hillary Clinton will never be President of this country. I don't care who they run, she is too polarizing, and too energizing to their base to get elected. Why don't we try someone who APPEALS to people who are in the GOP base. Kind of like they did with Reagan. Wow.

Candidly, I doubt if Edwards will either, though I like his ability to connect with people.

I don't know who it will be, and I doubt it will happen at all. Much as I hate his guts, Zell was right about one thing...we are a national party no more.

We have to craft a compelling, relavent vision of the future, and soon, and we have to have someone come out of the primaries who is out best candidate, or we will lose in 2008 and spend then next 30 years as an irrelevant party.

We have to do more than Hate Bush. We're about to get steamrolled on Social Security and taxes, and the war will go on in Iraq--a terrible wrong ratified by our nation.

We should have beaten Bush. It shouldn't have been close. It shouldn't have mattered that it rained. A real opposition party would have held the President accountable. We did not.

This says a lot

From North America's top blogger, Warren Kinsella, author of Kicking Ass in Canadian Politics.

I have often thought I was a misplaced Canadian.

Falcons and the Broncos

The Broncos D is horrendous, and we should win this one big...and I mean big. We could torch up 70 today. Gary Darnell is going to have to find another line of work.

Last night's Akron-Marshall game was a classic, especially for those of us who hate the Herdnation. A total Marshall collapse. Its a three way tie now for the east, and Akron and Miami finish the season against each other. If we beat Marshall, they leave the MAC as the losers they are. Maybe Akron as the MACC loser wouldn't get a bid, either. Who knows.

We need three more wins to make anything happen. Go Falcons!

Spurrier is out at Florida

Ur-Ban Mey-er. (Clap-clap, clap-clap-clap)
Ur-Ban Mey-er. (Clap-clap, clap-clap-clap)
Ur-Ban Mey-er. (Clap-clap, clap-clap-clap)
Ur-Ban Mey-er. (Clap-clap, clap-clap-clap)
Ur-Ban Mey-er. (Clap-clap, clap-clap-clap)
Ur-Ban Mey-er. (Clap-clap, clap-clap-clap)

Brandon Bronco Presser

Interesting as always. He gives good press.

Gregg Brandon Press Conference Quotes :: Falcons face Western Michigan on Saturday at 1 p.m.

Porcher Retires

After a great career, Robert Porcher packs it in. A class act, a businessman and a community leader, we're going to miss him. His skills had declined, and pro football is a cruel business, but he was someone you could be proud to have as a Lion.