NFL Draft Predictions

Forget players, here is a list of what the NFL teams need to draft this off season:

1. Houston Texans - Lowered Expectations, They went from Post Season contenders to worst record in the league in one year, come on people, give them a break.

2. Washington Redskins (Traded to STL) - The ability to not have their team name be brought up during the draft. Trading away this years first round pick was a good step in accomplishing this.

3. Jacksonville Jaguars - They need to stop eeking out a win once a month, The team with net 50 fewer net points then the team with the worst record tells you that these guys just don't know how to get a #1 overall pick. This will be the 3rd straight year with a top 5 pick while never having the number 1 overall.

4. Cleveland Browns - For Lebron James to move back to Cleveland and give Browns fans something to cheer about.

5. Oakland Raiders - To have the team learn to change a tire, that way they all stop showing up for a blowout <snicker snicker>

6. Atlanta Falcons - To draft some guy with the last name Vick that will wear number 7. that way I can finally start wearing my Falcons jersey while walking my dog again.

7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - To see Janet Jackson's teet again, it seemed to work out pretty well for them the first time, and it's been pretty much downhill ever since.

8. Minnesota Vikings - A New Stadium, there is a new one coming up next year, so just trade away this pick and hold out until then. Any old un-drafted college stadium should do until then.

9. Buffalo Bills - They need Berman to stop insisting that they "Circle the wagons." They tried that, it doesn't work!

10. Detroit Lions - For someone to remind the franchise that there are games that occur after the regular season.

11. Tennessee Titans - To give Jake Locker some comedy lessons, the last time he shared something with his receivers, it went over their heads.

12. New York Giants - To start a residential lawn clean up service, that way they could pick up a yard.

13. St. Louis Rams - Develop a website, that way they could string three 'W''s together.

14. Chicago Bears - A new exercise bike for Cutler to use while his team has the ball.

15. Pittsburgh Steelers - Ditch the Slow and Old, get back to the Black and Gold.

16. Dallas Cowboys - The Owner needs to have a serious talk with the General Manager.

17. Baltimore Ravens - A home opener, they kind of got screwed last year.

18. New York Jets - To resign Tim Tebow and create a new offensive formation with Geno Smith in a wishbone with Micheal Vick and Tebow in the backfield. I call it the 'WHAT THE F#%&!!' formation.

19. Miami Dolphins - To get over their perfect season, we get it, 40 some odd years ago you were really good, so was ABBA, Grease, and Pong!

20. Arizona Cardinals - For the NFL to expand the playoffs to an additional 4 teams.

21. Green Bay Packers - Laser removal on Aaron Rodgers face.

22. Philadelphia Eagles - For Eagles fans to stop having their Superbowl dreams from being crushed when their mothers wake them in the morning. <snicker snicker>

23. Kansas City Chiefs - Change something? Are you kidding me? I've never seen Chiefs fans more ecstatic over their odds!

24. Cincinnati Bengals - To find a way around having to play such good teams in the playoffs.

25. San Diego Chargers - I've been saying 'A new coach' for years, but they got that last year, so I think they are good.

26. Indianapolis Colts (Traded to CLV) - For Denver to host a pregame tribute to Peyton Manning the week that they play the Broncos.

27. New Orleans Saints - A call to Pope Francis about finally getting some of these guys canonized. They are, after all, already Saints!

28. Carolina Panthers - To not fall under any sense of disillusionment that going 12-4 again will be easy. Just look at Houston and Atlanta.

29. New England Patriots - Somebody needs to locate Tom Brady's cell phone, he can't seem to find his receiver. <snicker snicker>

30. San Francisco 49ers - To sign Mark Sanchez as a back up... and a warning.

31. Denver Broncos - For the NFL to accept the fact that they are playing in a state that has a fully legal product that can be used to treat pain caused by glaucoma, nerve damage, and devastating Super Bowl defeats.

32. Seattle Seahawks - A massive endorsement deal with Skittles Candies.

I think Iran is Winning...

To paraphrase what happened the other day, the quote would read;

"Why didn't someone stop this!" 
                               -The only person who could have stopped this.

That is the brief synopsis of what happened when US Ambassador Samantha Powers took to Twitter to cry her outrage at the electing of the Islamic Republic of Iran and more than a dozen other repressive regimes to top committees charged with protecting women’s rights and overseeing the work of human rights organizations.

"Yet again #Iran ran unopposed & was "elected" to Commission on Status of Women. Given record on women's & human rights, this is an outrage."

                -Samantha Powers via Twitter 4/24/2014

Her outrage is completely justified given Iran's long and checkered history in Woman's Rights, but who is Samantha powers upset at? I doubt too many people that follow her on Twitter would have had a say in the affairs of the UN. 

Well, it turns out, Samantha Powers had an opportunity to speak up, and did not.

There were 11 vacancies to fill on the CSW, and each of the five regional groups put forward “closed slates” – the same number of candidates as there were vacancies available for that group.

Even so, had just one member of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) objected to Iran’s candidacy, a secret ballot vote would then have been called. And had Iran not received the required minimum 28 votes, that would have allowed another member state from Iran's regional group, Asia, to step in as an alternative.

Yet neither the U.S. nor any other member of ECOSOC objected. Other democracies on the council include 13 European nations, Canada, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea and India.

I don't know where the official scoreboard is being kept at, but I do believe the tally of Iranian victories in making the US look foolish (as easy as this administration seems to be making it) and garnering international credibility seems to be very much in their favor as of late. Let's check in on the recents events involving US Iranian Relations;

Iran sends Warship to US maritime borders +1 Iran

Obama vows to veto any Iranian sanctions -1 US

Iran gets backing from several world powers on Arak reactor plan +1 Iran

US is isolated as objector to Arak deal -1 US

US blocks visa for Iran's UN envoy involved in 1979 Hostage Tacking +1 US!

Iran challenges law as violation of 1947 Headquarters agreement -1 US

And now this story gives me a quick tally of Iran:2, US:-2. 

As you can see, it's less about what they are doing right and more about what we are doing that is wrong.

Casi-NO! What Is Cedar Rapids To Do Now?

The Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission (IRGC) rejected a proposed $174 million Cedar Rapids casino Thursday, saying it would hurt existing casinos.

Supporters of the Cedar Crossing Casino development have said it would give an economic boost to Cedar Rapids and the region. They also argued it would be a catalyst for development in an area ravaged by a 2008 flood, create jobs and generate millions for tax revenue and charities.

But representatives of casinos in Riverside, Dubuque, Meskwaki, and Waterloo fought the plan, saying it would take business away from them.

The five-member commission voted 4 to 1 against the new casino during a meeting in Council Bluffs, with more than 300 people attending, including the mayor and members of the Cedar Rapids council. There is no process to appeal the decision.

Mayor Corbett visibly upset over 4-1 vote 
against granting a new license 

The Cedar Rapids council was in visible shock and disappointment, though personally, I struggle to understand how and why. The criteria charged to the IRGC was simple, is there again to be had to the state. Not the city, not even the county, the impact for the state, and the vast majority study and evidence presented to the commission stated that most of the gain to the City of Cedar Rapids would come at the expense of surrounding, in state, casinos who have their own microcosms of economic well being to support.

It was a selfish venture for the City of Cedar Rapids, a point that was glaringly obvious when hearing Mayor Ron Corbett talk about the impact to other casinos after the latest studies showed the impact of existing casinos.

"The reality is the casinos in Eastern Iowa have taken a lot of money out of Cedar Rapids over the last five to seven years, and no one is talking about cannibalization in the reverse," Corbett said. "They’ve been cannibalizing the revenue out of Cedar Rapids and Linn County since they’ve been opened." -Mayor Corbett 2/26/2014

That is not the voice of someone who has the greater region's interest first and foremost, I do not fault the Mayor for wanting Cedar Rapids to have a larger slice of the proverbial pie, but an honest admission that a new casino would not dramatically increase the total pie size was the mission from the discussion. Indiscriminate openings of casinos is exactly the point of the IRGC, for better or worse, and trying to say that the commission failed to have the states best interest at heart is a dishonest argument.

Now that I have that mini-rant off my chest, the big question is, what is next for the City of Cedar Rapids. Specifically, what to do with these now vacant lots purchased by the city after the 2008 Flood on the North West side of downtown. The question has already been posed to members of the council in the wake of the IRGC decision not to grant a gaming license.

From the Cedar Rapids Gazette interviews;

---Council member Monica Vernon said the dust was still settling Friday, and she said the city still needed to determine if the casino idea “was completely over.”

Council member Pat Shey, said he could envision legislation that would permit a new casino with the stipulation that it be required to share revenue with an existing casino that suffers a loss of business because of the new competition.

Council Member Poe said, “At this point, it’s hard to drive down there because we had the vision of the casino with a parking ramp almost ingrained in our mind, It’s very difficult to imagine what else can be there.”---

In short, the City has little intention on putting up a 'For Sale' sign unless they can have their say in the development of that area. A voice that, given the City has been gearing a larger part of City Hall staff and resources towards developmental services, the council appears eager to exercise.

Last minute lobbying in Council Bluffs on the eve of the vote

Going forward, let the same people who are criticizing the role of the IRGC for being a barrier against free enterprise for an industry that is deliberately regulated for the benefit of the greater community not stand in the way of anyone who has a legitimate business plan in that area. The city was a breath away from giving that land away for all but free for promises of supporting the west flood protection. Now that we have this wade of cash for said protection, any fair market offer for a parcel of land needs a fair consideration. The council has been very active in imprinting their vision into the landscape of downtown Cedar Rapids that if they continue to dictate the specifics of too many projects then they will have proven themselves to be no better then the IRGC, only that their reach would encompass all industry, not just the highly regulated gambling industry.

Hopefully, the irony of being upset with the IRGC, being the body that undercut the City's plans of developing that land in a particular way is not lost when they forbid people from purchasing up individual parcels from this now vacant land because the plan does not conform to the vision that the council has for that part of the City. Hopefully, a valid business opportunity is not nixed because of a far-fetched hope that a bustling gambling district is not "completely over". And, hopefully, the events of last week are not the scapegoat in the event that this grand rebuilding plan does not go according to, well, plan.