Patriots Win Big Early

Earlier today I wrote about how the New England Patriots had landed Albert Haynesworth from the Washington Redskins. In accordance with their love of risk, the Pats have also landed celebrity wide receiver Chad "Ochocino" Johnson. This addition will help fill the void left when Randy Moss was traded last season. Also, the tandem of Ochocinco, Wes Welker and Dion Branch should provide Tom Brady with the depth needed to win big again. Stay tuned, there's more to come.

The NFL Has Returned

            After months of waiting and uncertainty, the NFL is officially back in business. The lockout that plagued the league for half a year ended last week, and the mad scramble of free agency has begun. There have already been noteworthy moves and trades, with every team trying desperately to put something together in the days before preseason starts.

            The first major move to happen was Hasselback leaving the Seattle Seahawks for the Tennessee Titans. Hasselback lead the Seahawks to a surprising first round playoff victory this past season over the 2010 champs, the New Orleans Saints. The soon to be 36 year old will replace the troubled Vince Young in Tennessee as both franchises try to move forward.

            The Washington Redskins then offloaded two unsurprising yet major deals. Donovan McNabb, whose time in Washington can be described as frustrating, was sent to the Vikings to replace Grandfather Favre. Then, Albert Haynesworth, the defensive tackle who never got off the ground in D.C., was shipped to New England for a 2013 fifth round draft pick. These moves were basically Washington’s way of saying “We bet wrong.” Both players are solid, and in the right environment can prosper. McNabb is ready for his last go round as a starter, and Haynesworth (assuming he passes the conditioning test) can thrive in the Patriots’ multiple fronts. Belichick loves to gamble. They have succeeded with Corey Dillon and Randy Moss, so this move should pay off.

            The Saints parted ways with their star running back, Reggie Bush, as he was shipped off to Miami. And finally, the Eagles dealt quarterback Kevin Kolb to Arizona. Keep your eyes peeled for the final moves of the offseason. Thank God for football.

The Battle for the Debt Ceiling

            There’s been plenty of action lately; the winds of change might not be category five yet, but things are getting exciting for the first time in a while. The big issue is the showdown in D.C. raging right now. A battle royale between John Boehner’s Republicans and Harry Reid’s Democrats. The issue is as basic as could be: how to best deal with our national debt. We are less than a week away from the painstakingly real possibility that the federal government will not be able to borrow any more money. But the two sides (or at least their figureheads) are offering very different answers.

            Boehner wants a short term fix. His plan would make $900 billion in cuts and would raise the debt ceiling for just a few months. Meaning we would have to revisit this whole debate again in the fall. Reid and other leading Democrats have said they will kill this bill immediately if it were to pass the Republican controlled House. Reid’s plan would call for the debt ceiling to be raised throughout 2012, while making $2 trillion in cuts.

            Both sides are having closed door, clandestine meetings for their parties, excluding opposition from coming in and making deals. At America’s most desperate time domestically, the leaders of the country continue to act like spoiled brats on the school yard at recess; they whine and moan and storm off when they don’t get exactly what they want. But at the heart of it, both sides want the same thing. Neither really wants some great victory for the American people; they simply want to see the other party lose.

            There will be a vote on Boehner’s bill tonight. And win, lose or draw, the politicians come out the same as ever; greased and grinning ear to ear, paycheck still in hand. As long as it looks like they tried, or even if it looks like they tried to make it look like they were trying to help the rest of us they can hang up their rock and roll shoes and call it a day.  No matter what happens tonight, they’ll still come out on top, and the rest of us will have to sigh and shoulder even more.