Halas Trophy in Hand, Lombardi Trophy in Sight

from Green Bay Press Gazette

Does anyone have an extra ticket or two to give away? It doesn't hurt to ask, right?!? That's how I got to see the Ice Bowl game for the 1967 NFL championship.

That Super Bowl XLV is being played in Arlington is only one local connection to the game. Another one, even closer to home, my Richardson school district home, is that Lake Highlands High School grad and Green Bay Packers rookie Marshall Newhouse is headed to the Super Bowl. The Advocate has the story.

Judging by the graphic above from the Green Bay Press Gazette, the mood in Green Bay is ebullient. Meanwhile, the mood in Chicago is black. Here, for example, is ESPNChicago.com's Michael Wilbon:

"Perhaps never has there been more despair in Chicago over quarterback incompetence than in the wake of the loss to the Packers in the NFC Championship Game on Sunday. Forbidding the mention of the name Jay Cutler may be the best way to cope with winter. Only a Bears quarterback could stink out the joint and then get worse while sitting on the sideline."

Ouch.

Website Redesign and Pay Wall at TDMN

Jeffrey Weiss of The Dallas Morning News asked readers for their opinion of the newspaper's website redesign. That's easy. The old site was cluttered and navigation a nightmare. The new look is cleaner and more consistent throughout. That's good.

There are still some rough edges. Most annoying: headlines that serve as links to stories don't have dates associated with them. It's impossible to tell if a story is an hour old or several months old. For example, the fourth headline in "Top Stories" for Richardson Berkner sports is "Richardson Berkner 37, Samuell 6." It turns out that's a football score from last November. Hardly a "top story" anymore. A date would help readers know that.

After the jump, why website design is largely irrelevant anyway and the more important issue, the new pay wall at The Dallas Morning News.

Shutting the Door to the City on a Hill

In his farewell address to the nation on January 11, 1989, President Ronald Reagan turned one last time to an image he frequently referred to over his long career in public office:

"I've spoken of the 'shining city [upon a hill]' all my political life, but I don't know if I ever quite communicated what I saw when I said it. But in my mind it was a tall, proud city built on rocks stronger than oceans, windswept, God-blessed, and teeming with people of all kinds living in harmony and peace; a city with free ports that hummed with commerce and creativity. And if there had to be city walls, the walls had doors and the doors were open to anyone with the will and the heart to get here. That's how I saw it, and see it still."

I was reminded of President Reagan's farewell address when reading about the draconian state budget proposed by Rep. Jim Pitts (R-Waxahachie), Chairman of the Texas House Appropriations Committee.

After the jump, how we've lost sight of Reagan's vision.

"We have billions in surplus."

"We have billions in surplus."
-- Governor Rick Perry, February 8th, 2010 in a TV advertisement

"Public education in Texas faces massive cuts"
-- Headline, January 19, 2011, in The Austin American Statesman.

After the jump, wrapping my head around the contradiction.

What Happened at the Big Public Hearing?

The big public hearing over the rezoning request for the vacant land surrounding the Bush Turnpike Station in Richardson was held last night. It was the biggest thing to hit the Richardson city council since Channel 8 accused the council of trying to set up a red light district in Richardson.

After the jump, the reason for the question mark at the end of the headline.

Election Whining and Losing

There are no announced candidates yet, but the Richardson City Council election is already heating up. I predicted that the issues would be taxes and spending. It may still turn out that way (depending on who chooses to run), but the early grumbling on the blogs suggests that personal attacks are going to play a bigger role than any issues regarding city government.

After the jump, some personal attacks from comments on other blogs.

Second-Guessing a Touchdown

When is a first down better than a touchdown?

The New York Jets upset the New England Patriots Sunday, 28-21. The winning touchdown came with 1:41 remaining in the game, as the Jets' Shonn Greene rushed to the right for 16 yards into the end zone, giving the Jets a 28-14 lead. While the Jets celebrated on the field, drawing a 15 yard penalty, I sat at home looking ahead and thinking about Tom Brady. Did Shonn Green make a tactical error by leaving Tom Brady and the Patriots time for a comeback?

After the jump, what Tom Brady did with 1:41.