Bobref

The ACA just survived its third challenge in SCOTUS, by a 7-2 decision this time. Although the case did not reach the merits of the legislation (the decision was based on Texas’ lack of “standing” to bring the case), I found it interesting that with all the Trumpers’ crowing about his Court appointments and how they would “undo” this or that legislation, both Justices Kavanaugh and Barrett voted with the majority. Equally wrong is the notion from the other side of the aisle that in order to protect the country from the evils of the Trump appointed justices, the Court needs to expand to 13 (which is a done deal before the end of Biden’s term, according to @DanteEstonia). Once again I say, trying to predict how a Justice is going to vote on a particular case is a dicey business.

Hmmmm…. And at the end, Mayor Lightweight chimes in. https://wgntv.com/news/chicago-bears-submit-bid-to-buy-arlington-park/ Chicago Bears submit bid to buy Arlington Park ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. — The Chicago Bears announced Thursday the organization has submitted a bid to buy Arlington Park. Bears President and CEO Ted Phillips released a statement to WGN News that said: Developers and investors needed to submit offers to the owners of Arlington International Racecourse by this week. Currently, there are fewer than 10 prospective buyers who have serious proposals on the table when it comes to sealing the deal. Churchhill Downs Inc., which owns Arlington Park, announced plans to sell the property in February. “On behalf of Churchill Downs Incorporated (CDI), real estate firm CBRE has received strong proposals from numerous parties interested in redeveloping the 326-acre Arlington International Racecourse site. All proposals will be evaluated confidentially. CDI will provide an update on the sale process at the appropriate time in the coming weeks,” President Tony Petrillo said. However, this, according to the village mayor is a soft deadline. The racetrack has been around for almost 100 years, with horseracing being a huge part of its history. The Bears have been at Soldier Field since 1971 after playing at Wrigley Field from 1921-1970. The Chicago Park District owns Soldier Field and the Bears’ lease with the stadium is up after the 2033 season. In 2002, the Bears played at Memorial Stadium at the University of Illinois as Soldier Field was being renovated. The controversial reconstruction left the Bears with the smallest stadium in the NFL — with a capacity of 61,500. Mayor Lightfoot released a statement slamming the franchise, saying “and like most Bears fans, we want the organization to focus on putting a winning team on the field, beating the Packers finally and being relevant past October.”

Very glad to hear it. He’s one of the good ones.

The Manual is now available for download on your my.IHSAA dashboard. Any non-officials who would like to see it — and I’d like to hear from some coaches, too — message me with your e-mail address and I’ll send you a copy. After all, it is the coaches whose votes determine playoff advancement. I believe that imposes an obligation to inform yourself as to the standard to which our crews are to officiate. They say the hardest thing to know about a subject is what you don’t know. If you look at the Manual, you’ll come away with an understanding that officiating proficiency is neither easy, nor obvious. I will say that we looked at an awful lot of manuals. This is the only one that quotes both Aristotle and Bobby Knight. 🤣😂

I don’t know this for a fact, but I thought I heard he had some health issues. Don’t know if that was the reason he took a break for a while.

Often wrong, but never in doubt. i don’t know the answer. But I know it’s not simple. There are far too many variables involved.

How do you explain randomness? There are endless explanations, none of which can be “proved” with any degree of certainty.

@DT, your prose is deathless. And, as usual, you’re not afraid to stick your neck out, prediction-wise. But while you make some very good points — and make them well — I don’t really see anything original here. It has long been accepted that elevated socioeconomic status confers certain advantages which some programs use, while others do not. In this regard, it is like many other factors such as large numbers of participants, continuity and excellence in coaching, community buy-in, a supportive administration, great tradition, and the list goes on. Sustained program success is the product of many factors. It’s an overstatement to point to any one factor as determinative. There are just as many athletic failures in affluent communities (Munster is 3-27 during the last 3 seasons, for example) as there are successes.

Yet another consequence of the omnipresent social media.

I understand the thought, but don’t agree with it. As a sports society, we have become so enamored of championships, that we tend to view anything short of that as a failure. Every year there are 6 champs — and over 300 non-champs. Championships are, in many ways, a crap shoot. Injuries, travel, weather, a lot of things can affect the ability to win a championship. I don’t think you meant it that way, but too many people have the “Ricky Bobby” mentality of “2nd place is just the first loser.” At the high school level at least, there is so much more to it than that.

Great guy and a great coach. Glad to hear he’s doing well.

My bad. I should have known that. One of the best games I ever worked was the 2003 semistate, Seeger @ Adams Central. Those people treated us like royalty. A class program.

Yet another example of “The Law Of Unintended Consequences.” It might be my favorite law.

The Starfires are great, no doubt. But it’s hard to overlook Pioneer at this level. Their girls have won titles this year in basketball, volleyball, and softball. We know what the football team has done. They are becoming the “Carmel” of 1A. But then you get to their facility. 😂🤣

The value of this is largely underestimated. In addition to making more athletes available, you build an athletic culture that translates to all sports. Sure, you can work out all year round, concentrating on a single sport. But it’s the competition of actually playing that builds the culture.

Just a few. https://www.si.com/college/ohiostate/recruiting/ohio-state-football-recruiting-2022-indiana-defensive-tackle-caden-curry-top-schools

I’m wondering what these programs could do in the way of “athlete amenities “ that they’re not already doing. https://www.businessinsider.com/photos-clemsons-football-facility-2017-10 I believe the next level of “athlete amenities” will be schools lining up people to compensate their athletes for their image and likeness. Having a great locker room facility is attractive … but not as attractive as cash in your pocket. And it’s all legal.

If playing football for a living at the highest level is what this kid wants to do someday, then he’s crazy if he doesn’t get with the best program possible. More exposure. Better coaching. And most importantly, the ability to test himself repeatedly against the “best of the best” and hone his skills. Sure, he might find himself lower on the depth chart to start. If your goal is to be a world class surgeon, you don’t go to med school in the Caribbean, or even at IU (which is a fine medical school) or Ohio State. They’re fine, but not elite. You go to Harvard, or John’s Hopkins, or Stanford, or Duke, or NYU. Football is no different.

I guess I have lost your point. If someone can be fired only for “cause,” whether that “cause” is spelled out in a statute or contract makes no difference. If you can only be fired for “cause,” by definition you’re not an at-will employee.

Or, because he is such a standout compared to those 2/3 stars, he spends all his time getting double-teamed and chipped and, as a result, he doesn’t stand out.

I think many people realize that the Church is, in many respects, just another huge multinational corporation, and it behaves like one. You can get your religion fix without having to deal with the rest of the crap.

Yes, but not for any other reason. Thus, they are not employees at will. In at-will employment you can be fired for any reason — or no reason — just not for an illegal reason, e.g., race, religion, etc.

And this is the biggest plus of a 12 team tournament. Right now, Bama, Clemson, OSU have a huge recruiting advantage by telling recruits they’ll be in the playoff virtually every year. Expand to 12, and the top tier talent might well start to trickle down to the 2nd tier programs that had little prospect of anything other than occasionally appearing there when the stars align. Now, however, out of the 12 slots, probably 6 or so will go to perennial qualifiers, who were not able to break into the top 4 on a consistent basis.

My first thought is that USC, like Navy, will be a fixture on any ND schedule. I don’t see that changing unless and until Stanford replaces USC as the premier program in the West.

Most public school teachers are not employees at will. They have contracts.