Supreme Court Rules on Obamacare, American Taxpayers Lose

I pay almost $400 a month to cover myself with health insurance which I feel is my own responsibility. Now I'll have the great honor to be taxed some more for people who could and should be paying for their own. I understand helping kids, seniors, the disabled and veterans but paying a single cent for some able bodied person insurance’s is nothing but robbery.

Our federal government is quickly leading us down the path of economic suicide and taking our freedoms away from us one by one in the process. Now the main stream media who fully support Obama will use this victory as vindication for Obama and his Presidency. I don’t even have to turn on the news, I’m sure they’ve all but assured him a win. Romney needed this Supreme Court decision just as bad as we did. He’s in a horrible spot now and Obama will be able to say in every speech or debate that “Romneycare” was the model used for Obamacare.

After today’s final beat down on Romney, the GOP and hardworking taxpayers everywhere I hope a 3rd Party candidate runs for President. I’ve had it with the GOP. Romney’s chances of winning are slim and I’d rather vote for a candidate who’s a real Conservative. And NO it isn’t Ron Paul either. Paul is a moron. Maybe someone will step forward who I can vote for and feel as though I voted for real change but I have no idea who that person is because these politicians have no courage to stand up and fight for what they know in their heart is really right. At least I could say I did voice my opinion with my vote even though it’ll be in vain.

It’s a sad day, I pray for my country and my kids because our country is going right straight to hell and doing it in record time. And I personally feel totally hopeless and powerless to anything to help stop it.

Hero and Mentor Rick Gutierrez dies at 56

Rick is the guy in the middle of the front row with the tie. 

I had a conversation with my Mother who lives in Powell, WY today and found out that a very dear friend died. Rick Gutierrez died on May 30, 2012 at the age of 56 at St. Vincent’s in Billings, MT.

I owe Rick an extreme debt of gratitude. In 1986 when I lived in Worland, WY Rick was President of the Worland Jaycees. After months and months of his badgering phone calls he convinced me and several others to join the Worland chapter in January of that year. In the beginning of my Jaycee career Rick was right there encouraging and supporting me every step of the way.

Joining the Jaycees was a real turning point in my life. I learned so many things in the Jaycees that sent me on a totally different life path. I learned how to be a better public speaker, how to manage projects and gain a ton of self confidence that translated to my personal and professional life. I could write an entire book on the tremendous impact the JC’s have had on so many areas of my life.

Rick with his Granddaughter. 

Less than 5 weeks ago I was in Powell to see my Mother who was ill and run into Rick at one of the local grocery stores. He looked great, I shook his hand when I saw him and thanked him for being so a good friend and being the man who led me to the Jaycees. He invited me for a get together while I was there but I told him since my Mom’s situation was so bad I couldn’t commit to seeing him. I told him the next time I came to Powell we’d get together and have a beer. And so it goes…

It came as a real shocker to hear this news today. Rick was only 56, way too young to be taken at such an early age. Rick was very well liked by many and was a real community service oriented person his whole life.

My thoughts and prayers go out to Laura his wife of 31 years and his children Chad, Mandy and Ryan. He’ll be missed; he was a fine man and good friend. God speed Rick and thank you so much for what you gave me, I’ll never forget it.

Sturgeon Fishing on the Columbia River

It's no fishing story, I caught the biggest Sturgeon of the day.

 Without a doubt this was one of best fishing days of my entire life. The weather was windy and cold but the fishing was amazing. We caught over 30 Sturgeon in the Columbia River.

Billy Davis of Gale Force Guides based in Warrenton, OR was the fishing Charter we used and he was an expert at helping us catch them. If you want the best Sturgeon Charter in NW Oregon book your trip with Gale Force Guides.

It was fun fishing with my Wife Jenny Jacques, my Step-Son Kane Charlson, my Brother David Jacques and our 2 dear friends Ryan Taggart and Trevor Taggart.

It’s a fact: The worst day of fishing is better than the best day at work.

The Dreessen and Tamme Reality

Gronkowski won't reproduce monster numbers again this season.

Fans must first understand that Joel Dreessen and Jacob Tamme were back up TE’s and neither IMO can be considered to be in the elite just yet. Dreessen has just 13 career TD’s in his 7 year career for 1352 yards. Tamme has a measly 5 career TD’s and for 885 yards and was signed for the league minimum. Tamme is a small TE at 236 pounds so he won’t start many games because he doesn’t have enough bulk to be an effective blocker. Blocking isn’t as sexy as yards or TD's but if a TE can’t block his role will be limited.

Yes, hopefully since Peyton Manning throws to TE’s in his offense they’ll see more balls but calling them a great one two punch without any games yet being played would be laughable to any objective 3rd party but a Broncos Fan homer.      

The inconsistent amount of times even a good TE contributes from game to game from season to season is even rarer still. The Patriots TE’s Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez are talented Receivers and both had a great season last year in part because Brady’s only other weapon at WR was Wes Welker. So many times since they couldn’t run the ball effectively Brady was forced to check down to the TE. Gronkowski had monster stats last year but if I’m a betting man he won’t reproduce those numbers this year and the Defensive Coordinators he'll face will be targeting him in their game plans.

Many times a team that relies heavily on a TE is weak at WR and at RB like the Patriots. Brady won games with these guys but didn’t have a run game nor any consistent WR’s other than Welker. Since the Patriots were a weak team defensively with no run game they couldn’t win the final game.

For years Tony Gonzales and Shannon Sharpe put up great stats because their team was not deep with good WR’s. Comparing Dreessen and Tamme to Sharpe is a bad one to make; he was the best who ever played the game. Not only was he a clutch receiving TE he was a good blocker. Gonzales was even better at being a blocking TE.

The good TE’s in the league must be able to block, putting up stats is important and helps the team win games but it’s just as important that they can block in the running game and pass protect. Tamme and Dreessen as of yet have not proved to be consistent in all 3 phases of the game or they wouldn’t have been on the bench.

The Broncos should be better at TE than what we had last season but predicting this early that they’ll be big contributions is premature even in Manning’s offense. Taking the optimistic view is great but throughout the NFL there historically have been only a hand full that end up being major contributors to winning games or championships.

Brock Osweiler: The Elway 2.0 Project

Brock Osweiler's great arm and quick release isn't enough.

Instead of posting this as a reply to some of the debate I’ve been in the last 3 days about him, I’ve decided to cram it into a blog. Most probably won’t get through the first paragraph of this rant but I’m going to write it and post it anyway because it’s still bugging the holy hell out of me.

The stuff I read said he made questionable decisions in games and didn't always play smart. The trouble is he doesn’t have a large body of work to even judge if he is football smart. I think the Mark Sanchez example is the perfect one; he only played one college season. He played on a good team in a horrible defensive conference and by draft day he was projected to go in the 1st round then eventually the Hall of Fame.

It took a while but his ass and his game have finally showed itself in living color. He couldn’t beat the lowly Broncos team last year could he? Then what happens… irony of ironies the Jets trade for Tim Tebow, go figure? What does that say about an unproven college QB with a very small sample size of a record? And Sanchez’s resume at first glance makes Osweiler’s look like a chump. I know he’s not a chump I’m just saying.

All the arm strength in the world, all the pretty long balls in the world, all the quick release throws in the world don’t mean squat if that guy isn’t a winner. In clutch time I’d rather have a warrior who wins games ugly than a strong armed QB who loses pretty. The fact is losing is never pretty, it’s always about winning. So it’s extremely infuriating and nonsensical that we traded away a “Project” for another even more unproven “Project” and call that a brilliant personnel move or still dumber building for the “future.”

In this case Elway’s ego took over. He forgot why he signed Peyton Manning apparently. As I’ve said about a dozen times in the last 3 days as I understood it we signed him, paid him the big bucks and gave up cap room money so Manning could come in and win a championship NOW. Manning wasn’t hired to help rebuild the Broncos, it was to win NOW.

The better move in this draft was to sign a player who could contribute immediately with the 2nd round pick for that reason. If Elway thought that Caleb Hanie wasn’t going to cut it I don’t understand why he wasted the time, money and the roster spot when he wasn’t sold on him. Even so the Broncos would have been better off by signing some other cheap experienced free agent QB rather than wasting a pick grooming a 3 year “Project.” Hanie could carry the team for the short term if the worse thing happens to Manning. He isn’t going to be the next big thing we all know that but even he could have carried on for a half season if Manning got hurt. Then the following year the Broncos could have focused solely on getting a replacement either through free agency or the draft.

By the way fans, had we not drafted Osweiler guess what? They’ll be more QB’s available in the draft and free agency next year. Osweiler is not the first nor will he be the last great young “Project” in the history of the game

Regardless, the whole ffing strategy behind signing Manning was to win NOW. Not to sign a guy who’ll set on the bench for 3 years. Yes we need a back up for Manning but we also need every good player we can get that can tackle, cover, block, catch a pass or run well with the ball today not tomorrow. Osweiler does none of that, he detracts from it in fact and in this bid to win a championship NOW if that’s what we want we have to have players on the field that can help us do that NOW!

Broncos needed more D from 2012 Draft

I spent last night with wife at the Astoria Crab Festival and didn’t get home until late and never saw any of the draft coverage on TV. This morning I purposely didn’t read any scouting reports from the Denver Post or the Broncos official website because I’ve learned over the years that they almost always talk up the strengths of players and never the weaknesses. I wanted to have an objective first look at the players they picked before I engaged in any homerism.

I was happy the Broncos took an interior DL with their first pick because it was the biggest position of need on the D. I’ve been reading about Derek Wolfe today and looking at film. He’s big guy 6’5 295 pounds. His size is certainly not going to be a factor he has all the size we need. Here’s the NFL.com scouting report on him and the rest of the players in my blog.

Overview of DL Derek Wolfe: 2nd Round

Wolfe is a big interior lineman who plays very instinctively to be a factor in the run game. He is a slow-moving, pedestrian athlete, but this doesn't define his ability -- he finds other ways to be a factor. He can get overpowered by double teams and will need to continue to develop his technique to not be erased when he faces them. Based off his frame and potential, he has late-round value in the draft.

Strengths

Wolfe is an instinctive player who understands how to engage a lineman, extend his arms and read the flow of the play to move off his blocks. He sees screens well and can work off his man to disrupt plays inside. He can defeat single blocks well and is a decent pass rusher when put in the right scheme where he can slant and stunt to get in good position.

Weaknesses

Wolfe struggles off the ball to get into his slants. He is a slow mover and will not blow back any offensive lineman off the ball. He sometimes relies too heavily on his ability to diagnose, as it appears he is reading the play so long that blockers negate him. Double teams will give him a lot of trouble and he is on his back often when faced with them; NFL teams will see right through that and get an extra hand on him in the run game.

My spin on Wolfe:

I watched his highlight film and was impressed with what I saw. It was his highlight film so he did show him making sacks, forcing fumbles and playing well between the tackles. He certainly has great size and strength, his speed looks average. It must be pointed out he played in a weak Big East Conference. West Virginia and Cincinnati were the 2 best teams last year so the strength of the foes Wolfe faced in his career is not up to the level of some of big conferences.

Everybody says he has a good motor and whatever he lacks in speed and push maybe this will be the intangible that’ll make him a great player for the Broncos.

Overview of QB Brock Osweiler: 2nd Round

Osweiler is an intriguing early-entry prospect out of Arizona State. A good athlete for the position, Osweiler was originally signed to play basketball at Gonzaga before opting to play football at ASU. He has the arm strength to be a first-day pick but hasn't shown the consistency that is characteristic of guys who deserve first-round money.

Strengths

Osweiler has a very deliberate, quick-twitched setup. He slings the ball naturally, and even though he pats the ball before throwing, his release is so compact and effective he isn't hindered. His shining asset is his arm strength; he can hit nearly any NFL-caliber throw at this point in his career. He is a good leader and looks in control in the huddle and on the field. He has the pocket presence of a first-day pick and doesn't go down easily.

Weaknesses

Osweiler had on-the-field judgment issues and isn't reliable to protect the ball from turnovers. It seems as if he starts to get rolling in a game, and the more confidence he builds, the more of a gunslinger mentality he adopts. This severely hinders his play. When under control, early in the game, he is athletic, accurate, and a good game manager. He is likely a developmental prospect who could struggle if forced to play early.

My spin of Osweiler

I don’t understand this pick at all. Osweiler is more of a project than Tebow was. He only had 15 career college starts. His body of work at ASU is suspect and as the scouting reports says he didn’t play smart in too many games. The Broncos should have gone for a CB or LB in this spot and attempted to get a player who could contribute right away on D. He’s definitely a long term project. The Broncos should have just looked to find a veteran free agent QB to back up Manning and used the pick for D instead. This one had to be Elway’s pick.

Overview of RB Ronnie Hillman: 3rd Round

Hillman is an early entry junior to the draft from San Diego State, where he started every game for the Aztecs in the past two years and was first team All-Mountain West. He is a bit undersized but has the speed and quickness to have an immediate impact in the NFL. He likely won't demand the bulk of the carries for an NFL team but is a good "change of pace" guy who does a lot of things well enough to project to make an impact.

Strengths

Hillman relies heavily on his quickness and immediate vision to find a seam to be an effective runner. He has decent speed for his size, but his quickness is his biggest asset. He has a natural feel for how to find daylight and can be patient to wait for a pulling interior lineman to get to the second level. He has a good burst in a short area to make guys miss, and has the quickness to be an effective short-yardage back in the NFL.

Weaknesses

Hillman is a very smooth mover but is not very explosive with the ball in his hands. He likes to feel his way through the line of scrimmage and usually gets to the second level with ease, but he struggles to run with power or elusiveness to make defenders miss and really break for a big gain. He averaged 5.5 yards per carry in his senior year, but those numbers were a bit skewed thanks to some long runs.

My spin on Hillman:

First of all the guy isn’t 5’9 and 200 pounds, he’s more like 5’7 or 5’8 and 185 to 190 pounds because as we all know in football height and weight for smurfs is always exaggerated. He is very small and not that muscular for his size.

I watched him play a full game against my Wyoming Cowboys last fall. His speed did impress me in that game. Once he gets to the outside (where his strength lies) and gets to the second level not many guys will catch him. I can’t say I know if he’s a good pass receiver or not because in that game I don’t remember it.

Clearly Hillman will be a situational player and not an every down type RB for the Broncos. He isn’t going to be an inside the tackles runner. He may come in on 3rd down and catch passes on short screens. He won’t be an effective blocking back because of his size. Doug Martin from BS was the second best RB with size in the draft and the Broncos couldn’t get him. In the RB rankings Hillman was ranked 10th on most boards so it’s not really a certainty that Hillman will be a big contributor for the Broncos offense other than as a small role player.

In the 4th round the Broncos took Omar Bolden a 5’10 202 pound CB from Arizona State and Philip Blake a 6-3 311-pound C from Baylor. In the 5th round they took Malik Jackson a 6’4 284 pound DT from Tennessee. In the 6th they took Danny Trevathan a 6’ 237 OLB from Kentucky.

Bolden has a knee injury he must overcome. Blake looks to be the best late round pick the Broncos got because he may be able to be a backup Tackle as well as a Center. Jackson is a situational DE and Trevathan while he looked as though he was a great tackler at Kentucky is way too small to be a starting outside LB. He’ll probably play special teams.

In short I’m disappointed the Broncos didn’t go for LB or a CB or even a Safety with the second pick in the second round. The Osweiler pick had to be an Elway invention. Fox surely didn’t want this pick but since Osweiler is supposed to have the best arm strength in the draft, so Elway won out.

The Broncos didn’t draft a WR and Hillman may contribute as a 3rd down back but the Broncos didn’t really improve themselves with any offensive skill players. Maybe Hillman can but he's such a smurf you have to question how good his durability will be in the NFL.

My prediction is Wolfe, Blake and Hillman may be the only guys who make the team by the time they break camp. Osweiler won’t have to prove much, it’s clear he’s a project so he’ll have a spot no matter how he plays. Until the preseason camps I guess there’s not much to add. Let’s hope some of these guys can help us get to the next level.

The Art of War by Sun Tzu: Book Review

The Art of War by Sun Tzu

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


What an incredible and amazing book. It s unreal and scary how this book totally translates well today into so many areas of life and not just in war. In 2 hours there was so much smart information to absorb I was overwhelmed by it. Reading this book might be daunting and difficult for some but listening to it is easy, very easy. This book should be required reading or listening for every American male. It’s a timeless piece of literature that spells out the principles by which you achieve victory and success in life’s struggle.

I’m saving this one and plan on listening to it again and again it’s brilliant. It’ll be filed away in my manhood section of my library for life.

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