Working On Something Special

Dear avid readers and those of you who have stumbled upon this gift to the world for the first time,

I invite you to count your blessings. I have been fired up this whole week about the people and their positions on Proposition 8 (a prop on this year's ballot here in California for anyone who might be reading this from some exotic location such as Asia, Europe, the Caribbean, or Missouri). I was all ready to get on my "I'm Smarter Than You" soapbox and lay some knowledge on everyone as the introduction to this week's Link Dump, but I decided against it. I realized (1) I am not about to turn GameTime, TBD© into a hot bed of political debate, it goes against everything I stand for; (b) I do not think most of you would find it very entertaining, which is the point of the weekly Link Dump; and (iii) my Detroit Lions are working on something special this season.

Entering Week 8 of the NFL season, the Lions are 0-6, with losses against such powerhouses as the Atlanta Falcons, San Francisco 49ers, and, most recently, Houston Texans. Having already had their bye week, things do not get any easier the rest of the way. Of their remaining games, only two teams currently have sub-.500 records (Minnesota Vikings and New Orleans Saints), and it is like that by the time they play, those teams will be above .500. It is also likely that their last three opponents (at Indianapolis, home vs. New Orleans, at Green Bay) will be in the middle of the playoff race, not having necessarily clinched spots and, therefore, not resting players. The Lions have not had a quarterback throw for more than 300 yards (Kitna had 276 in Week 2) or a running back rush for more than 100 yards (Johnson had 83 in Week 3) in a game this year. And with the Washington Redskins coming to town this weekend (the first Lions game to be blacked out locally since Ford Field opened), that is not likely to change anytime soon.

While the general consensus is that the Kansas City Chiefs are the worst team in the NFL, they have something the Lions do not: a win. The Lions are on track to do something that not even the 2007 Miami Dolphins could do: go 0-16. Yes, I know that the Cincinnati Bengals are also currently winless, but I think they have enough offensive talent to squeeze out one or two wins before the season is over, especially since they close out the season at home against the previously-mentioned Chiefs. Since the 1970 merger of the NFL and AFL, only the 1976 expansion Tampa Bay Buccaneers have gone oh-for-the-entire-season, finishing 0-14 (yes, I know, Baltimore went 0-8-1 in the strike-shortened 1982 season, but they did not lose every game). So, I encourage everyone to watch the scoreboard closely this weekend (or, if your brother-in-law has DirecTV's Sunday Ticket, you can watch the game live) and follow the Lions' Odyssey-esque quest to become the first team to go winless over a 16-game season.

Best Regards,

The Management

P.S. Here are some things you might have missed:

• Marisa Miller did a photoshoot for . . . you are probably not even reading this anymore, so who cares.
• "Coach" athletes who do not care to be coached or hang out with his soon-to-be-second ex-wife (third wife overall)? Interesting decision Lute.
• Seriously people, if my concealed weapons permit does not allow me to pull a gun on my child's soccer coach in a dispute over playing time, why have one?
• Rachel Glandorf fans of the world rejoice (for those of you scratching your head right now, this is Rachel Glandorf . . . not to be mistaken with Glandorf the Grey of course).
• Remember when boys used to throw pebbles at girls in P.E. to "flirt"? Would this then be considered the college version of that?
• You seek revenge against a fellow athlete who dropped a few racial slurs at a party that you were not at. Do you (a) report him to school officials so that they can discipline him, or (b) hold up the wrong people at (B.B.) gun point while robbing them, thankful that you left your illegal sawed-off shotgun at home?
• In this weeks edition of "It Could Happen to You": meet Matt, a Tarleton State (where?) transfer student who kicked a 30-yard field goal to win free rent for a month and may now being kicking for your Texas Tech Red Raiders (that's right, the #8 team in the nation) this weekend.
• Some have been hit harder than you would have expected by this economic downturn.
• I must have missed the church service where the pastor explained where the Bible tells us that girls can not play football. Can someone please point me to the right verse?
• In non-sports related news, allow me to offer some advice: when pulling off the good ol' "dine-and-ditch", it is best that you do not leave your purse behind. Yes, I am talking to you Miss Teen Louisiana.

P.P.S. As for your weekly viewing enjoyment, I have put together quite an impressive combination of videos for you. You might say that I hit the motherload this week. So you can officially write off the rest of your Friday:

• Nice stick, but next time wrap him up (or, you could go with the blow-to-the-head like they do in high school).
• The world is a better place because of post-game press conferences.
• A behind-the-scenes look at the strenuous life of an Oregon cheerleader.
• "Mom, help! I am pathetic." [I'm just guessing, I don't speak Asian.]
• What is creepier, the guy's hair or what his step-daughter has to say about it? [with great Fargo-like accent goodness]
• People think that SNL has been a little biased in its campaign coverage. Where could they have possibly gotten that idea?
• Be warned: click on this link and you will have the song stuck in your head for the next four days. Oh, the wonder that is local television commercials.

P.P.P.S. Have a great weekend everyone!