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Why Was Josh Innes Hired?

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The justifiable angst over the firing of Charlie Pallilo from his Drive Home slot on KBME AM 790 has also given rise to the question of exactly why was roundly disliked provocateur and obvious racist Josh Innes hired to replace him?  Innes’ departure from KILT was less than amicable and his short tenure at Philadelphia’s WIP was marked by ugly controversy over racist remarks and his general churlishness.  According to several sources,  was suspended earlier this year for calling a white Eagles’ player a “house negro.”  He was fired in August after racist mocking of fake racist caller on Mike Missanelli’s show on FM 97.5 – another Philadelphia sports talk station.   Innes is also known for his intemperance – having engaged in “feuds” with other sports talk radio morons including one incident that boiled over at an Eagles practice in 2015 – and his rudeness and mocking of callers.  Some have suggested that the racist incidents were merely the excuse used by management to get rid of Innes.  The suggestion is that he was  not liked by anyone at WIP and everyone was glad to see him go.  Add to that the fact that Innes was getting crushed by Missanelli – his  major competition in Philly.  Missanelli dominated Innes in audience share in the key men’s 25-54 demographic beating him by more than 3 points in recent ratings.   As one source put it, , “in some ways it will be a shame if he got fired for racial comments as opposed to the reality of sucking and getting bad ratings. Because now Innes will be able to play the martyr role.”

As for the rumor that fellow radio racist bloviator Michael Berry had input into bringing Innes back to Houston, it is just speculation for now.  But birds of feather as they say . . .

 

Red’s NFL Picks – Week 4

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Last week Red was 1-5, dragging season totals down to 5-13. Help me Jesus, it’s going to be a long season for old Uncle Red as he appears to be violating the first rule of holes – all the more complicated by the very tough line up of games this week.

Sure Bet Pick of the Week – Broncos over Buccaneers. The less said about last week the better.  And the less said about this week – even better.  It is hard to see a real sure fire bet this week, but Red created this monster and has to ride it until the end of the season.  Broncos will have to overcome double time zone, inverse altitudinal and humidity index hexes to win this one.  They seem up to the challenge so far.  Meanwhile, things on the west coast of the Sunshine State are not going as well as expected.  Jameis, the would be felon, is racking up the stats but mostly in garbage time.  The defense seems incapable of stopping anyone.  In the Mile High City, Coach K seems to have his quarterback mojo back and is doing amazing things with TS. Take Denver giving up 3 if you are incorrigible, but if you really must put some green down on this one, go with the over at 44. Denver 33 Tampa Bay 20.

Underdog Pick of the Week – Jets over Seahawks. Red goes with the full triple time zone, inverse hipster hex here. And the fact that Ryan Fitzpatrick usually follows a god-awful performance with a competent one. It’s a tough challenge this week going against the supposed top-ranked Seahawk defense, but RF has a decent running game to fall back on.  Meanwhile the Seahawk offense has been overly reliant on Christine Michael – that is a branch that is going to snap at some point.  Red thinks it happens this week as Jets defense stifles the running game and forces Wilson to heave it up.  New Jersey 24 Seattle 17.

Rivalry Game Pick of the Week – Cowboys over 49ers. Well this used to be a rivalry anyway.  Now it may be just another game.  Cowboys look to be on a roll but wait until December.  The Niners are not as bad as they look – they are actually far worse.  Two low mediocre defenses will at least keep this one exciting on some level. Arlington 32 Santa Clara 30.

Texas Franchise Pick of the Week – Texans over Titans.  Speaking of last week might just get your ass kicked in the Texans locker room right now.  Texans were humiliated in Foxboro, but have had 10 days to regroup for their first division outing.  All well and good until the JJ Watt news broke yesterday.   With the glamour seeking superstar probably out for the season, the Texans may actually have better focus and realize that they can’t just wait around for Watt to make a game-winning play.  The big problem is where it has been for several seasons.  They have a second string quarterback playing behind a makeshift offensive line.  Nothing will fix that, but it should be good enough to win over the weak sisters of the league like the Titans. Houston 24 Tennessee 11.

Prime Time Pick of the Week – Vikings over Giants.  Red’s pick of the Vikings is starting to look brilliant.  At least something is going right.  Red’s pick of the Giants is okay so far, but they likely lose division lead to the Cowboys this week.  That’s okay because the Cowboys always suck in December. Minnesota 26 New Jersey 23.

Shit Bowl Pick of the Week – OTNAs over Browns. The Browns have to win at least one game this season.  This one won’t be it. Do something you’ve been putting off – like having open heart surgery – rather than waste 3 hours of your precious Sunday afternoon watching this beastly bowel battle.  Landover, Md 17 Cleveland 0.

Today in Texas History – September 29

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From the Annals of Bravery – In 1864, Sgt. Milton Holland earned the Medal of Honor for action at Chaffin’s Farm and New Market Heights, Virginia.  Holland was born into slavery probably in Austin in 1844.  He was the slave and likely the son of Bird Holland who would later become Texas Secretary of State.  He was freed by Holland in the 1850’s and sent to the Albany Enterprise Academy in Ohio.  He enlisted in the United States Army in 1863 at the age of 19.  He joined the Fifth United States Colored Troops under the command of Gen. Benjamin Butler.   He quickly rose to the rank of regimental sergeant major.  During the engagements at Chaffin’s Farm and New Market Heights all of the white officers were killed or wounded.  Holland assumed command and led his regiment in action as it routed the Confederates.  He was wounded in the battle and for his actions received the Medal of Honor on April 6, 1865.  His commendation contained the following quote regarding his action after the regiment suffered heavy losses in the battle:

 “But, with a courage that knew no bounds, the men stood like granite figures. They routed the enemy and captured the breastworks. The courage displayed by young Holland’s regiment on this occasion called for the highest praise from Gen. Grant, who personally rode over the battlefield in company with Generals Butler and Draper.”

Butler promoted Holland to Captain for his service, but the War Department refused the commission because of his race.  After mustering out of the army on September 20, 1865, Holland lived in Washington, D.C., where he worked in the Auditor Office of the United States government.  He later became chief of collections for the Sixth District. He also established the Alpha Insurance Company, one of the first African-American-owned insurance companies. He died in 1910, at his farm near Silver Springs, Maryland, and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

Photo from the National Park Service.

Red Goes to the Movies

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Or more accurately, Red sits on his behind and watches a classic at home.  This time it was the film adaptation of Raymond Chandler’s thriller Murder My Sweet.  Red had low hopes for this one – mostly because it starred lightweight Dick Powell as hard-boiled LA private detective Phillip Marlowe.  Powell was best known as an affable romantic lead in frivolous fare such as Gold Diggers of [insert year here], Stage Struck and Footlight Parade.  Legendary director Edward Dmytryk was allegedly furious at having the lightly regarded Powell cast as Marlowe, but soon came to realize that not only was Powell up to the task – he was a superb choice as the pithy street-wise PI.  The movie was helped by the fact that Chandler was the co-screenwriter and the action and dialogue follows the novel almost exactly.

Red believes that this is the finest film adaptation of one of the Marlowe novels ever made.  Powell is incredible and his stinging repartee as Marlowe is impeccably delivered.  And a fine supporting cast of Anne Shirley as the tempestuous female lead, Otto Kruger playing his usual elegant but evil criminal mastermind (ala his role in Hitchcock’s Saboteur) and long-time character actor heavyweight Mike Mazurki in the role of his career as Moose make this one sizzle with understated excitement.  Shot in film noir style, there doesn’t appear to be a daylight shot in the entire movie.  Red gives this one 5 stars.

Red’s Texas College Football Game of the Week

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This week the Javelinas of Texas A&M-Kingsville travel to Commerce to face the Texas A&M Commerce Lions in the battle of Texas A&M satellite schools located in towns that Red doesn’t want to live in.   The Lions have been steamrolling inferior competition in the first 3 weeks of the season.  Take the 62-0 ass-whomping they put on the University of Faith (not a recommended tackling technique) in the season opener. The Lions are averaging 50 points a game so far behind the incredibly accurate (75% completion rate) of QB Luis Perez.   The Javelinas are no slackers but last week’s loss after a step up in competition to Midwestern State probably indicates that they are not ready for the high-powered attack of the Lions – especially on the road in the hostile Piney Woods of East Texas.  This one could last a while.  Lions 55 Javelinas 40.

Red’s NFL Picks – Week 3

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Well crap! Last week Red was 2-4 again, dragging season totals down to 4-8 which, let Red tell ya’, is a hole that is mighty hard to dig yourself out of. And those hanging on to Red’s Sure Bet Pick of the Week, sure lost their shorts and possibly their socks too.  So with trepidation in his heart, Red forges on undaunted by lack of success.

Sure Bet Pick of the Week – Cardinals over Bills. Red is going against the double forward time zone, obverse latitudinal, differential seasonal onset hex on this one.  But the Bills look truly lost and the Cardinals are coming off an absolute shellacking of what Red thinks is a pretty decent Buccaneers team.  Moreover, the Cards have weapons, while the Bills have wounds. After last week’s SBPOW, which had “Seahawks Blowout” written all over it – albeit in disappearing ink, Red is reluctant to call anything sure.  The line looks to be about -4 for the Cardinals right now.  If it drops to -3, jump on it.  Red also likes the under at 47.5.  Arizona 24 Orchard Park 14.

Underdog Pick of the Week – Lions over Packers. The foul odor of defeat is permeating the western shores of Lake Michigan. Something has happened to previously considered god-like A. Rodgers.  His all to mortal feet have been stuck in the permafrost for almost a full season now.  Since last November, the great one has varied between mediocre and terrible.  Rodgers has not posted a QB rating of over 100 in his last 14 games and his 3 fumble, 1 interception game against the Vikings last week made Texans fans start thinking – Hey, Brian Hoyer wasn’t so bad after all.  Don’t get Red wrong, the Lions suck and beating the Packers will not be easy. But that is why they are the UPOW.  Detroit City 31 Green Bay 17.

Rivalry Game Pick of the Week – Giants over OTNAs.  For those who thought Kirk Cousins was the answer in old DC (or environs), Red asks – What was the question?  What will it take for our team to regress from mediocrity back to true suckitude?  What overrated QB can Dumbass Dan over pay this season?  How can we extend almost 25 years of playoff misery?  Where’s my head?  Answers to all these questions and more, next week.  New Jersey 29 Landover, MD 3.

Texas Franchise Pick of the Week – Bears over Cowboys.  For the record, Red is perfectly fine with Dak Prescott being the “new” Tony Romo.  That being the Tony Romo that will end his career having won all of two meaningless first round playoff games and having repeatedly choked his team out of the playoffs in December.  Chicago 13 Arlington 11.

Prime Time Pick of the Week – Saints over Falcons. Only because under this new self-imposed format Red has to pick one of the prime time games and he waited too late to blow it on the Texans-Patriots game. New Orleans 21 Atlanta 10.

Shit Bowl Pick of the Week – Dophins over Browns. Of all the games likely to offend Red’s olfactory senses this season, this one could be the most fetid of all.  Lock up all sharp objects and have some duck tape oven mitts on your hands if you dare to watch this terrible turd tilt, lest ye be tempting sever you carotid artery well before the two minute warning of this one.  Miami 3 Cleveland 2.

Congratulations Mr. Mercilus

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The appropriately named Whitney Mercilus was named AFC Defensive Player of the Week.  Mercilus, the Texans OLB, was indeed merciless against the Bears on Sunday. Mercilus recorded four tackles,  two sacks, two quarterback hits, one tackle for loss and one forced fumble in Houston’s 23-14 season-opening victory.

Mercilus is an interesting guy to boot.  The University of Illinois graduate of Haitian descent has taken an interest in his adopted city and loves classical music.  Lots of NFL players have so-called foundations which are frequently just a way to pay for a party, but the Mercilus Foundation seems to be the real deal.  According to Mercilus, the focus of the MF “is helping underprivileged families raising kids with disabilities.  It’s what I studied in college – Community Health Disability and Rehabilitation Concentration – essentially helping disabled people with home accommodations, home living, work space, transportation and more.” Expect big things from Mercilus on and off the field.

Rick Perry – Dancing for the Troops?

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Our former Poor Idiot Governor Rick Perry bombed in his Dancing With the Stars debut last night.  Perry received the lowest scores of any of the so-called “Stars” fox-trotting, quick-stepping, rhumbaing, two-stepping, tangoing or otherwise breaking it loose on the DWTS stage.  Perry and partner Emma Slater cha cha’ed to “God Blessed Texas” by the band Little Texas.   What’s next – Waltz Across Texas?

Perry claims that he wants to win the show “for the men and women of our military.” Somehow Red thinks that our soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines could not possibly care less about Rick Perry dancing his way into America’s hearts.  And for the record, you couldn’t make Red watch DWTS if you promised him that Perry would rip his pants live on TV.

 

Red’s Texas College Football Game of the Week

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Image result for kyle field

This week features a match up of the two oldest public universities in the State.  And you probably can’t guess at least one of them.  For the first time in 140 years, Texas A&M and Prairie View A&M will meet at Kyle Field on Saturday.  Although the schools are only about 45 miles apart, more than geography has separated the two institutions.  Texas’s first public universities were created by the same legislation, but separated by race for more than 100 years.

As far as football goes, the two programs are vastly different.  PV suffered through the longest losing streak in college football history losing 80 straight at one point.  TAMU has been a regular in the Top 25 for decades.  It’s the first time that the Aggies will play a Southwestern Athletic Conference team from one of the historically black colleges.  For PV, it’s the first time they will have played a team from one of the Power Five conferences.

Kudos to A&M System Chancellor John Sharp for making this game a priority.  Red hopes that PV takes away something more than the $450,000 boost for their athletic program.  Chancellor Sharp has similar sentiments.

“The money part is not the most important thing. It’s being associated with a great university. Playing in a game like that is something that enhances their reputation.”

Still it seems unlikely that the Panthers can keep pace with the Aggies, but it might be a more competitive game than expected as PV has turned its program around.  Red calls TAMU 42 PV 22.

On a final note, is there a university out there with a more romantic sounding name than Prairie View?  Only Bowling Green comes to mind.