CBS Sports: NFL-1985-Week 11-Chicago Bears @ Dallas Cowboys: Full Game

Source:The New Democrat

Going into this game, it is no wonder why CBS Sports had their top broadcast duo of Pat Summerall and John Madden call this game. Great matchup at least on paper with perhaps the two best teams in the NFC in 1985. The history of the two great franchises and the members of both clubs that worked with the other team, or was from Chicago or Texas, or played there. Like Mike Ditka, who was a long time assistant coach under Tom Landry in Dallas. And then of course of how dominant the Bears were in 85, 10-0 at this point going up against a Cowboys team that was still very good, at least as far as talent. That dominated the NFC and NFL in the 1970s and was still one of the better teams in the league at this point.

But when you don’t protect your quarterback, you don’t protect your punter and get punts blocked and turn the ball over the way the Cowboys did in the second quarter that led to 17 points and 24-0 halftime Bears lead, horrible things happen to you. The student’s teams beat the hell out of the teacher’s team in this game. The Bears played on completely taking your offense out of the game. And beating the hell out of your quarterback and runners with their 46 Defense. That dared teams to throw deep against them. And if your receivers didn’t get open quickly and your quarterback didn’t get rid of the ball quickly, horrible things happened to you. Huge sacks and turnovers. That Bears the offense could score from and many times that season the Bears defense did the scoring.

It was already pretty clear that Cowboys at this point in the 1980s had started stagnating, if not in decline. With the San Francisco 49ers, Redskins, Bears and New York Giants already taking steps up to becoming the new powers in the NFC. And they all had great games against each other in that decade. But this 44-0 ass kicking by the Bears in 1985 was sort of that tipping point and perhaps final nail. That the Cowboys not only were not the main power in the NFC, but several teams had passed them. And the Cowboys were no longer a team that was expected to go to the Super Bowl or even NFC Championship. But a team that making the NFC Playoffs, or winning the NFC East was a good year for them. When in the 1970s and early eighties that was expected of them.

Richard Waldrup: Video: CBS Sports: NFL 1985-Week 15-Chicago Bears @ New York Jets: Full Game

This post was originally posted at The New Democrat on WordPress

A great week 15 matchup even though it was an inter-conference matchup between the Bears and Jets. The Bears were 15-1 in the 1985 regular season and the Jets were 11-5. The Jets, Los Angeles Raiders and perhaps the Cleveland Browns were the top three underachievers of the NFL in the 1980s, at least in the AFC. You could argue that even though the Bears won Super Bowl 20 and won an NFC Championship and played in three NFC Finals in the 1980s, they or the Raiders were the biggest underachievers of that decade.

Because as dominate as the Raiders were in 1985 they almost looked mediocre at least in comparison for the rest of that decade. The Raiders won two Supers Bowls in the 1980s. But continued to have great talent throughout that decade and yet were barely a playoff team after they won Super Bowl 18 in 84. But the Jets were just as good talent wise as the Raiders and Bears on both offense and defense from 81-82, until 86. And only played in one conference championship. When they lost to an inferior Miami Dolphins team in 1982. This was a great matchup on paper, but a battle of underachievers, in the Bears-Jets.

USFL Forever: Video: ESPN: USFL 1985-Week 3-Baltimore Stars @ Memphis Showboats: Full Game

This post was originally posted at The New Democrat on WordPress

I just looked it up and the Baltimore Stars were 10-7-1 in 1985 and yet they won the USFL Championship that season. Not exactly a great record for a championship team. That would be like a 9-7 record in the NFL. Teams with records like that generally barely make the playoffs and don’t do much in the playoffs, or just miss the playoffs. But generally don’t go all the way. But if you listen to the commentary of this game, they are talking about after the first two games of the season, the Stars were still winless. And turning the ball over a lot and not scoring touchdowns in the red zone.

The Memphis Showboats were 11-7 in 1985 and also made the playoffs, but didn’t go very far. Solid record with a solid team, but not exactly championship material as their record would indicate. A defensive oriented running team, that played fairly conservatively on offense. The Stars were fairly similar in style, but with a better quarterback in Chuck Fusina, a better passing game and a great running back in Kelvin Bryant. Who would go on to the NFL with the Redskins. And be a major factor in the 1987 Redskins Super Bowl Championship team. So this was a very good matchup with two very tough teams with very good defenses.

CNN: Penn Jillette on Indiana RFRA- 'You're Not Being Forced to Have Gay Sex'

Source:Reason Magazine- Penn Jillette, on CNN Tonight with Don Lemon.

Source:The New Democrat 

"Via Mediaite comes footage from CNN last night in which hardcore libertarian and atheist Penn Jillette weights in on the Indiana RFRA hoohah.

Given his libertarian bona fides, many folks in the blogosphere have been surprised that Penn has come out in favor of anti-discrimination laws that would force business owners to bake cakes and shoot video at gay marriages even if they didn't believe in such things. Part of his contribution... 

From Reason Magazine

This whole so-called religious freedom law debate (which is really what this isn’t about, but about creating some new right for people who are lets face it, are homophobic and hate homosexuality) is not about expanding religious freedom, or protecting religious freedom. It’s about creating a right for people who are so against homosexuality to the point they view gays as second-class citizens and not deserving of the same rights as straights, to discriminate against people simply because they are gay.

When business’s go public and are open for the public, they are exactly that. Whose the public? It’s all of us and all of our races, ethnicities and yes even sexualities. If you don’t want to serve the public, then open a private club and have it open for private membership only. 

And with your club you could only allow Christians, or Anglos, or Caucasians in general, or men, or straights of whoever you want your club to be open to, to serve. But if you run a store or a restaurant or some other business that is open to the public, then that is what you are. And you can’t deny service to people simply because you don’t like their race, color, ethnicity, or sexuality.

Protecting gays equal access to America is not about creating new rights for people. Since they already have the same rights as straights anyway. Fundamentalists Christian men aren’t being told that they have to bang men, or go to jail! And fundamentalist Christian women aren’t being told they have to bang women, or go to jail! 

If they want to continue to believe that gay sex and homosexuality is immoral and should be illegal, but people banging their cousins, or aunts, or uncles is perfectly legitimate and if anything should be expanded, then they are more than welcome to continue to believe in those things. And be looked down upon as the crazy idiots that they are. But a public business can’t deny access to people simple because of who they are.