The Perfect Season: Ode to the 0-16 Detroit Lions

The year was 1997. I was in the midst of my last semester of high school during the fall of that year, and the Indianapolis Colts were in the midst of a terrible season. They began their campaign losing 10 straight games. Everyone was predicting they would run the table in reverse. I was caught up in this backward euphoria, only to be disappointed as Indy beat the Packers to get win number 1. From that point on, I began every NFL year keeping track of potential heirs to the winless throne. There were certainly close calls - The 2000 Chargers began 0-11, last seasons Dolphins were a tantalizing 0-13, and most notable the 2001 Detroit Lions were 0-12. In fact, those Lions were the subject of late night punchlines throughout that run, which made 2008 all the more fitting. We can now be assured it was certain that the Lions franchise would be the one to complete the seemingly impossible task of losing EVERY game out of 16 game schedule. Remember, this isn't college ball. Presumably every NFL team can come out victorious against any other - see Giants vs Browns this year. The NFL expanded its schedule to 16 games in 1978 - the year I was born - and it took 30 years in the interim for the Detroit Lions to complete an imperfect season. We'll never remember off the top of our heads who this year's Super Bowl winner will be down the road, but what the Lions accomplished will be set in stone in everyone football fan's mind. It may never happen again this century...well, assuming the Lions get a decent quarterback in 2009.

NFL 5 Guys

Best political ads for 2008 election

First, for the magnanimous American hero John S McCain:




And for the winner, Mr Obama"



My favorite"

Dragon Man

Cheney Waits Until Last Minute Again To Buy Sept. 11 Gifts

Busy dealing with important paperwork and other vice presidential duties in recent weeks, Dick Cheney was forced to put off until the last minute a cherished annual tradition: gift-shopping for his favorite holiday,...

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Obama-Palin ticket

Firstly, we here at OotC salute John McCain's choice for his running mate. Sarah Palin exudes a fresh profile for the Bush party, one that can't be so conveniently linked with the current chief. Sarah will surely raise the confidence of the conservative voter who have found their new heroine. So in essence, she's Barack Obama to the GOP, just with less stature being second fiddle. Wouldn't it be fascinating to have the two tickets switch their VP's. That race would give us Obama/Palin against McCain/Biden. Now think about that for a second, the former is made up of two (relatively) young, attractive, vibrant, political unknowns. Obama and Palin both played basketball in their hey days, and have roots in the two far-away non-contiguous states. Conversely, McCain and Joe Biden are carbon copies of seemingly every duo that's held the White House since this country's inception, two senior citizen European-Americans with all the pizazz of a Kinkos.

Now America was or still is in need of unity and change - so what better combination than Obama and Palin. They would bridge all known ideological and political divides, and give every vote something to hang their hat on. Overlooking the inconceivability of all this, its amusing at least to take note of. Its times like these that I wish Obama was a conservative, in which this ticket could have transpired. Nonetheless, great to have Sarah Palin added to the campaign going forward!

The end of General Musharraf

Oct 12 1999 - Aug 18 2008. So shall read the political tombstone of another Pakistani head of state, one who led the nation as both head of its most powerful and revered military unit, as well as an all too brief civilian role. History is replete with examples of ill-chosen directives given by people in power - the proverbial invade Russia pratfall. In the case of President Musharraf, the most erroneous misstep involved the overreaching move to silence the sitting chief judicial figure in March 2007. This led to a series of boisterous public conventions involving lawyers and politicians across the land, exclaiming an utter betrayal of what they held most dear - an independent judiciary to give some semblance to a democratic state of affairs. From that point on, the General's track was derailed from completing another term as head of state, culminating in having to reconcile with his adversaries who then conspired together to separate Musharraf from his leading role.

He stood nearly nine years in power, longer than what any US president is legally allowed to carry, and to have it end with a resignation amidst national acrimony and economic doldrums was ordained. For, you see, in the annals of the country's history, this day closes yet another rueful chapter in this thing called Pakistan.