I'm really not sure what bugs this donkey in Gaza City most, the fact that they painted him like a Zebra or the fact that he has to give little kids rides.
Is it too early to be panicking if you are a Cowboy fan? I don't think so.
Here’s why panic among Cowboys fans could be premature
By RANDY GALLOWAY
Ft. Worth Star Telegram
rgalloway@star-telegram.com
galloway Here’s a feeble attempt at a sliver of sunshine on a dark and gloomy week in the Chicken Fried Nation, while understanding that dark and gloomy has nothing to do with the local monsoon rains:
Watch for it on Sunday. And then the next Sunday. In fact, mark it down as must-watch for the next four games involving the Broncos of Denver.
Maybe that defense up there is really that good. As good as it looked against the Cowboys, when the performance was pretty much sensational.
The forever tendency around here is to magnify the Cowboys’ failures in a loss — sometimes even in a win — and not properly credit the other side (count me among the guilty).
But the Broncos host New England this week, then go to San Diego, then to Baltimore, and then the Steelers will visit, which is one stout four-game stretch.
We’ll know then. Know for sure about the Denver D.
By then, however, we’ll also know much more about the Cowboys, starting Sunday in Kansas City, and even against the 0-4 Chiefs, does anybody think this is a gimme game? Plus, Atlanta, Seattle and back-to-back road contests at Philly and Green Bay come up in the next month. Ugh.
Back, however, to the sliver of sunshine:
An NFL guy I know says the local panic over the Cowboys is premature, citing a couple of reasons, one being the offense was doing fine until the Denver visit, particularly in displaying a run game when a run game was needed. In other words, this was a loss that doesn’t necessarily mean the roof has caved.
His assessment of the Cowboys’ wide receiver situation was the same as anyone else: Limited overall depth and ability, because of management’s repeated failures to address the position in the draft. But a strong rushing game should help those wideouts, even if that wasn’t the case in Denver.
NFL guy’s main criticism was aimed at the logical targets:
Tony Romo, Jason Garrett and Wade Phillips as a head coach. I think we’ve heard those names before, although I wish he’d also have worked Jerry Jones in there.
Romo, this NFL guy says, is a good quarterback who is regressing (no breaking news on regressing) and the blame goes to Garrett and Phillips. Again, don’t forget Jones, who hired Garrett and Phillips.
Even if that’s letting Romo off the hook, it’s an outsider’s opinion shared by many.
Then again, if you picked up a Sports Illustrated this week, there’s a story on the Broncos-Cowboys game (meaning it’s about the Broncos) that makes you wonder if Denver wasn’t stealing Dallas mail.
Based on this written opinion, the Denver coaches work harder, spotted stuff on film, and used it against the Cowboys, who didn’t know they were being outwitted.
How so?
Because Josh McDaniels, the boy head coach, and his new defensive coordinator, Mike Nolan, game-planned the Cowboys to perfection, particularly Nolan.
Two instances were cited:
The Dodgers pulled one out by the skin of their teeth last night. They had no men on, 2 outs in the 9th and were down 2-1. Then Holliday makes an error in left field and the next thing you know the Dodgers win 3-2 and take a two nothing lead in the series.
Now it's a Dodgers given: They won't be giving up
Bill Plashke
Los Angeles Times
The line drive pounded below Matt Holliday's chest and the dormant Dodgers' heart started pumping.
A chance . . . a chance . . . a chance.
With two out in the ninth inning of a certain loss, the tying run was suddenly on second base and blue blood was again coursing wildly through Chavez Ravine, fans screaming, Dodgers alive.
A chance . . . a chance . . . a chance.
It pumped through Casey Blake's arms as he fought through the best clutch plate appearance of the season: nine pitches, three foul balls, one walk.
"A bundle of nerves, just trying to get ahold of myself," he said.
It pumped through Ronnie Belliard's wrists as he tied the score with a first-pitch single up the middle.
"I just swing at everything I see," he said.
Finally, it pumped through Mark Loretta's mind, the pinch-hitter facing a St. Louis Cardinals closer -- Ryan Franklin -- against whom he was hitless in 15 career at-bats.
Imagine that. You are not only pulled off the bench with the most important game of the season on the line, but you are asked to win it against a guy who has owned you.
"I knew it," said a grinning Loretta. "But I suppressed it."
That's the only thing he held back, as he lined a second-pitch fastball up the middle to score Blake with the winning run in a 3-2 comeback victory that left Dodger Stadium shaking and Dodgers record books stirring.
"I can't describe it," said Manager Joe Torre.
This was about more than just the Dodgers taking a two-games-to-none lead over the Cardinals in the best-of-five National League division series.
This was about cementing a dugout belief that could last long past next week.
"Until that last out, nobody ever gives up," Loretta said.
This was about cementing a Hollywood footprint that will last even longer.
"Man, this is fun," said Matt Kemp.
It's only the fourth walk-off victory in Los Angeles Dodgers postseason history and the first since, well, you know who in 1988.
This is very good news, ABC has ordered full seasons of their Wed night comedies, Modern Family, Cougar Town and the Middle. We've found all 3 to be very funny. The one we don't find funny is Hank, that one was left off the list. In kind of puzzling news, NBC canceled Southland before it's 2nd season premiere.
ABC orders full seasons of three comedies
Fate of Kelsey Grammer's 'Hank' still undetermined
By Nellie Andreeva
Oct 8, 2009, 06:23 PM ET
Hollywood Reporter
ABC on Thursday handed full-season pickups to three of its four new fall comedies, the single-camera half-hours "Modern Family," "Cougar Town" and "The Middle."
"Modern Family," one of the best received new series, and the Courteney Cox starrer "Cougar Town" have been early ratings standouts.
While they dipped in their third airing this week, the two shows continue to be solid anchors of ABC's all-new two-hour Wednesday comedy block in the 9-10 p.m. hour.
"The Middle," which stars Patricia Heaton, has been less impressive at 8:30 p.m., but has built on its "Hank" lead-in in both airings so far.
As for "Hank," the fourth piece of ABC's comedy block, there is no word on its future.
"Hank," starring veteran Kelsey Grammer, is the only multi-camera comedy among the foursome and has fared much worse than the others in critical response and in the ratings.
ABC is yet to make a decision on the fifth new Wednesday series, low-performing dramedy "Eastwick."
Bruce played the 4th of 5 shows at Giants Stadium last night.
October 8 / Giants Stadium / E. Rutherford, NJ
Notes: "Thank the Lord for this beautiful night tonight," said Bruce at the fourth of five nights under the New Jersey sky. Despite a little autumn chill in the air, it was indeed a beautiful night for this second-to-last outdoor show of the tour, and the penultimate show at Giants Stadium ever. "Wrecking Ball" opened once again, this time with the houselights all the way up. Also returning was Bruce's crowd surfing in "Hungry Heart," as impressive a feat of derring-do as last time.
As for the Album of the Night, we've cycled back around to Born to Run. "This is the one that really kind of brought us here tonight," Bruce said, recalling, "I remember when I wrote it — I was trying to create this picture of one long summer day... and night." In addition to Curt Ramm on trumpet, "Tenth Avenue" was fleshed out further by Ed Manion and Clarence's nephew Jake, for the first horn section on this one since the Super Bowl.
Rather than relegate the requests to the encore, as he did on Night One, Bruce gathered signs after "Waitin' on a Sunny Day" (it's a rare show that drops "The Promised Land"). A nice selection followed, including "Saint in the City," "My Love Will Let You Down," and "Because the Night," featuring another stellar solo from Nils. "Human Touch" was a definite high point of the night, an all-too-rare chance for the E Street Band to bring their power to one of Bruce's '92 compositions. It killed, as it did in its Greensboro premiere earlier in the year. "Human Touch" also put the spotlight on Patti Scialfa, who returned to the stage tonight after a lengthy leave of absence.
Beginning the encore, Bruce expressed his appreciation for all the overseas fans who came from afar to the swamps of Jersey: "They've come a long way to see these shows... from Spain, Italy, Holland, Germany... Ho-Ho-Kus!" Taking the band into "Sandy," he said, "We're gonna send this one out to Danny," also talking about the Danny Fund and the fight against Melanoma. Following "Rosalita, which closed the first two nights of this stand, Bruce and the band reached into their bag for one more... sense of occasion fully intact, it was the stadium breaker: "Twist and Shout." Wrapping up the night at exactly the three-hour mark, Bruce hollered, "We love you! We'll be back tomorrow night with Born in the U.S.A.!"
Setlist:
Wrecking Ball (with Curt Ramm)
Out in the Street
Outlaw Pete
Hungry Heart
Working on a Dream
Thunder Road
Tenth Avenue Freeze-out (with Jake Clemons, Ed Manion, Curt Ramm)
Night
Backstreets
Born to Run
She's the One
Meeting Across the River (with Curt Ramm)
Jungleland
Waitin' on a Sunny Day
Raise Your Hand (instrumental)
It's Hard to Be a Saint in the City
My Love Will Not Let You Down
Because the Night
Human Touch
Lonesome Day
The Rising
Badlands
No Surrender
Encore
4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)
Bobby Jean
American Land (with Curt Ramm)
Dancing in the Dark
Rosalita
Twist and Shout
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