This ledger business isn’t going to go away anytime soon, no matter how much we might wish it would. I’m not going to devote a whole lot of time to it, though, so here are some of the highlights.
First, our good buddy Mike Florio gently rips Jason Cole and Yahoo a new one over their revised exclusive (does the revision count as a second scoop?). The week 3 2009 Buffalo game was originally given as an example from the ledger of payments for injuries. Oops: no injuries. So now the example is the week 9 Carolina 2009 game. Oops: no injuries. Just typical NFL propaganda, folks. Nothing new to see here.
But AngryWhoDat wasn’t satisfied. He went over the tape of the entire Panthers game, noting down the “payable” big plays. None of them involves an injury, let alone a cart-off.
[And this, for the record, is my position: I have never doubted that the Saints had an incentive program that paid players for big plays. That's against the rules, and if caught they deserve to be punished. By being fined a few thousand. Incentive programs are no big deal when it comes to either competition or safety. The NFL has blown it up into a huge scandal by conflating performance with "bounties."]
Andrew Juge does a good job of cutting to the chase regarding not only The Ledger, but all the other evidence the NFL has leaked in an attempt to frame the Saints:
“The more the NFL attempts to publicly incriminate the Saints players, the less they seem guilty, and the worse it makes Roger Goodell look. What no one understands is what or who exactly they are trying to protect? The other theory is they just don’t really have anything, and they’ve been called out on it, so now they are backed into a corner. Once again, let’s be clear about this: NO ONE TRUSTS YOU ANYMORE.”
Well, not no one. Mike Freeman still trusts Roger. He continues to pump out advice to Jonathan Vilma: “Yeah, well…maybe there’s no smoking gun, but you’re still full of bullet holes, so there.” When will Yahoo finally get it through their heads that this guy is a laughingstock? About the same time Roger Goodell apologizes? Yeah, you’re right.
In other news: Mike Detillier gives us his meticulous take on what’s happened in Metairie so far this spring. Pat Y hasn’t been to the Saints minicamp (because the next session starts Tuesday), but gives a sort of preport as to what he will be looking for (hint: stuff). And if you ever wondered what that phrase “football IQ” means, check out Matt Bowen’s breakdown of Drew Brees’ 44-yard TD to Darren Sproles against San Francisco.
On the Jukebox
First, a personal note. A few of you may be aware, from comments I’ve posted elsewhere, that I’m a heavy user of adblockers and custom stylesheets for my preferred browser, Safari. That’s because most of the interwebs experience reminds me of a long drive on a short bus. What that means, though, is that large portions of even sites I like simply do not display for me—things like sidebars, which are usually a mass of widgetized irrelevancy. Occasionally, though, I do miss something—such as the fact that Grandmaster Wang has, for only he knows how long, offered “Today’s Tuneski” on his site. Just wanted to let you know, Wang: I had no idea when I started this that I was stepping on your turf. Does this mean I’ll stop? Fuck no. Get a grip.
AcquiredPanicJune 4, 2012 at 12:06 pm
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Safari is the shit……only browser I use.
Doc BoudinJune 4, 2012 at 2:15 pm
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Agreed. Safari is shit. Oh, wait, you’re saying, …oh.
I gave up on Safari a while ago, largely because I’ve been too cheap to update my Mac system (I’ve got too much software I’d have to change if I made the jump, and, as noted, I’m too fucking cheap). I’ve been using Firefox as my default for about three years now.
HimselfJune 4, 2012 at 4:20 pm
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I bet my stuff is older than yours. I still use Safari 3. For that matter, in my work I still use Photoshop 3–not CS3, plain 3. As in 1995. Because it still works the way it was meant to on a Mac (which happens to be OS9).
Doc BoudinJune 4, 2012 at 7:33 pm
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You win. Holy shit. And I was feeling out of date because I’m the last one at work using OS 10.4 and Elements 4.0. I hope it’s at least a machine that uses 10.0 with Classic mode? I put my last pure 9.0 machine in the attic in 2004.
If you need them, I’ve know where I can lay my hands on a crapton of punch cards…
HimselfJune 4, 2012 at 9:05 pm
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I have two G4 towers running OS9. Well, one of them actually has a bum power supply right now, so I’m down to one. But I also have an iMac and 10.5. I don’t think I can upgrade past that because it wouldn’t run Safari 3, and SafariBlock doesn’t work on any later version.
What’s more, Safari 4 and up have autocomplete in the search field. I HATE autocomplete! Who ever thought that was a good idea? It’s like having some idiot midget next to you shouting “Card! Cardiac! I know, Cardinals! Claudia Cardinals!”
AcquiredPanicJune 4, 2012 at 12:08 pm
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When are we gonna get a Sean Pamphilon photoshop? I think the time has come…..
FriarBobJune 4, 2012 at 1:27 pm
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What base should we use? Jabba the Hutt (disgusting, slimy, pompous and self-important worm) sounds appropriate to me.
AcquiredPanicJune 4, 2012 at 3:40 pm
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I have no idea….M-E is a master so I figured he could come up with something better than anything I suggest.
HimselfJune 4, 2012 at 4:18 pm
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I was thinking of Pamphilon as Ignatius Reilly–smug, intolerably self-satisfied, and convinced that everyone is out to get him.
AcquiredPanicJune 4, 2012 at 5:34 pm
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Before my time but after looking it up, it sounds like something I would enjoy reading.
Doc BoudinJune 4, 2012 at 7:35 pm
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A New Orleans classic. I think they tried making a movie out of it a few years ago with John Goodman, but nothing ever came of it.
HimselfJune 4, 2012 at 8:04 pm
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The problem with C of D is that it’s really an artifact of its time: back when drinking fountains were segregated and pornography was an underground industry. It’s not just distant from the rest of America in place, but in time as well. And the whole New Orleans thing: yats get it, but who else?
I read they tried making one starring Will Ferrell. I can NOT see that.
Doc BoudinJune 4, 2012 at 8:21 pm
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Will Farrell? That’s wrong. Just plain wrong. Blasphemers.
metrymanJune 5, 2012 at 1:29 am
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Don’t see Ferrell either, and such a provencial book …. the movie would take a special director/actors to pull it off. So tricky. But I’ll throw a name out, Director John Sayles, he did a small movie called Passion Fish early 90′s.
Coen Bros, Farrely Bros, even Tarantino could darken it up. I’m surprised Hollywood hasn’t revisited this book.
WangJune 5, 2012 at 6:46 am
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I am SHOCKED AND APPALLED that the WDSC would feature a musical number with each post. I INVENTED THAT!!! Way back in 2007!!!Heh. ;)
I wholeheartedly endorse any and all measures that help to drown out the inane babbling of the stooj.