The GOAT vs. The Kid: Everyone—at least those interested in sports—is naturally focusing on the upcoming Super Bowl battle between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the reigning champion, the Kansas City Chiefs.
More specifically, they are locked in on the matchup between the teams’ respective quarterbacks—Tom Brady of the Bucs, tagged the GOAT, the greatest of all time, with six titles out of nine previous Super Bowl appearances during a storied 20 year stint with the New England Patriots, and the upstart kid, Patrick Mahomes, acknowledged as the best of current quarterbacks with a one year old Super Bowl ring on his finger earned in just his third year in the NFL.
It is a story line hard to resist. But for my money the winner will be decided by how elusive KC’s speedy receivers—Tyreek Hill and Mecole Hardman—will be once they catch a Mahomes’ pass. If Tampa Bay can contain their yards after catch, the Bucs have a chance. If they run wild, as they did against the Buffalo Bills Sunday, it’s game over, no matter how marvelous Brady plays.
Force of Habit: Though my sense of relief is palpable, I cannot shake a habit of checking the news feed on Dailymail.com each night after I get into bed. Many times in the middle of the night if I cannot fall back asleep I check it again. First thing in the morning, another check. A bad habit impressed on me through four years.
For four years I dreaded discovering the latest trauma our fearful leader inflicted on us. I knew it was wrong to be so obsessed, but with no more restraint than a moth displays as it wings its way to a fiery death I could not tear my eyes away.
He is gone but neither forgotten nor to be ignored, especially as his impeachment trial begins in two weeks and, more importantly, there are too many would be claimants to his throne as chief rabble rouser. Cruz, Hawley, Johnson, Jordan, Gaetz and more too numerous to mention. Already he is plotting revenge on those he feels betrayed him, lining up candidates for state and federal elections.
I’ve noticed that most of my email and Facebook friends have had their outrage soothed by Joe Biden’s inauguration. Regrettably, some Trumpers among my feeds live on in a delusional reality.
Surprised? You Shouldn’t Be: Anyone surprised by all the executive orders Biden is issuing to reverse Donald Trump’s imprint on America and world affairs clearly slept through the last year.
Republican dyspepsia over Biden’s signature spree is pure political theater. Elections have consequences. Trump did the same to many of Barack Obama’s initiatives. All of Biden’s reversals were part and parcel of his campaign, from his high profile promise to reenter the Paris Climate Accords to his reinstatement of transgender troops to the military.
Perhaps the only regret anyone should be voicing is Biden’s inability to quickly resolve Trump’s inefficient distribution of the rapidly developed COVID-19 vaccines Trump proudly and rightfully claimed as an achievement.
Too bad Trump failed to realize that vaccines not injected into people’s arms were as worthless as degrees from Trump University. Trump’s handling of the pandemic crisis is another example of his overall business history—all sizzle with no substance. Unfortunately, from this failure more than 420,000 have died. So many could have been saved if Trump publicly took the crisis seriously and advocated wearing masks.