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Week 11 Observations

  • I just lost about 1200 words because I accidentally refreshed the page before posting. Feel like making a home video addition to Thornbury's blog.

  • It's too bad the Titans don't face the Jets later this season - dying to see what would happen in a Randy Moss-Darrelle Revis rematch. Speaking of which - does anyone have film on the Titans the last two games? Is Moss still being double covered and opening up opportunities for Nate Washington and Chris Johnson? Or is that just a myth, and there's no reason the Titans are paying half his salary since they're not targeting him.

  • Vince Young acted unprofessionally after hurting his thumb, but why did Jeff Fisher say Young would have been benched next week even if he weren't out for the year? Young has an 8.0 YPA with 10 TDs and 3 picks, and he was 12-of-16 for 165 yards (10.3 YPA) on Sunday before he got hurt. When you consider Fisher refused to play Young over Kerry Collins last year until the Titans were 0-6 (and only at the behest of owner Bud Adams), it's probably not due to on-field performance. I can't see Young and Fisher co-existing in Tennessee next year, but unlike Charles Robinson who wrote the linked article above, I'm not convinced Young is solely at fault for the split.

  • Peyton Manning made one of the worst decisions I've seen in the last couple years, throwing a ball into tight coverage from an odd angle while under pressure with his team in FG range down three and seconds left on the clock. Of course, the announcers immediately absolved Manning, saying the pressure caused the pick. You can't let facts get in the way of a narrative. Manning did get 393 yards, but it took him 55 passes (7.6 YPA), and now he's up to 7.0 on the season. After the three picks, Manning is now 11th in QB rating among qualified players as well.

  • Speaking of the Texans', watching them give away the game to the Jets on plays by Braylon Edwards and Santonio Holmes, even though the Jets had no time outs, needed the TD and couldn't run or throw short passes was surprising even by their standards. And those standards (109.1 QB rate, 25 TD, 6 INT, 8.4 YPA) are low. In fact, the average QB against the Texans is better than Philip Rivers (103 QB rate, 19 TD, 8 INT, 8.9 YPA) against an average defense. (Rivers' stats through Sunday). When you think about how bad they are (and also Jacksonville 8.8 YPA, 103.9 QB rating), it's shocking that Manning's having the worst statistical season since his rookie year despite 30 percent of his games being against those two.

  • Eli Manning falling on his face and fumbling for no reason with the game on the line was one of the most unathletic things I've ever seen an adult do. And I don't mean an NFL-playing adult. Once in a while you'll see an uncoordinated eight-year old do something like that, but even then it's rare. The Giants defense had played great against Michael Vick in the second half to that point, too.

  • Has Richard Seymour been watching too much "Dexter" lately? By the way, this season has easily been the best yet. A friend of mine suggested a month ago that the writing in "Dexter" was in some respects better even than "The Sopranos," and I dismissed it. But after Sunday's episode, I'm seeing his point.

  • Somehow in my six leagues, I missed the boat on Dwayne Bowe, Steve Johnson, Terrell Owens, Peyton Hillis, Brandon Lloyd, Kyle Orton and Michael Vick. I am heavily invested in Randy Moss, Ryan Mathews, Beanie Wells, Steve Smith (CAR) and Jay Cutler, however.

  • Consider the odds before the season of Buffalo (Terrible QB, 3 quality RBs) heading into Cincinnati (AFC North division winner based on running and defense) and not only winning, but combining for 80 points. You might want to remember that next year before saving teams in survivor or drafting players based on their playoff schedules.

  • If any of you are parents of a star high-school running back, rest assured Thomas Jones will steal carries from your son when he reaches the NFL.

  • Chris Ivory leads rookie running backs in rushing. What seemed like one of the best rookie classes in years at the position has been one of the worst. Incidentally, Ivory's the only Saints running back I'd want to own right now.

  • With Hakeem Nicks out for at least three weeks, and Steve Smith for two, the Giants' No. 1 WR is Mario Manningham, and their number two is Derek Hagan (who signed six days ago). That's because Domenik Hixon, Ramses Barden and Victor Cruz are on IR. Eli Manning goes from near automatic starter to very borderline.

  • The Packers and Eagles are the two best teams in the NFC and probably the entire league.

  • Brad Childress' firing was a welcome development - it was only two years too late.

    • Comments

    By: Jacobdk
    On: 11/23/2010 8:48:00 AM    		 Okay, here's my idea for making the 18 game schedule work: get rid of the bye week, but make every player eligible for only 16 weeks of the season. That way you protect their health, but get the extra games for revenue (coaches would have to declare players ineligible on Tuesday's to protect Fantasy leagues). Obviously it would make backup players (depth) more important, and the only downside I could see is pissed off ticket buyers who expected to see Tom Brady play.

    Sorry--that was my brainstorm last night. I'm still skeptical of Atlanta, but I'm skeptical of the Packers and Eagles too, so I'd have to put them in that best NFC team conversation.
     
    By: Chris Liss
    On: 11/23/2010 9:39:00 AM    		 I say they make the season 32 games, make it two-hand touch on the quarterback, no big hits on the receiver, and if you have a concussion, your career is over. Also, pass interference of any kind is a 10-point penalty and every play gets a booth review. That's where we're headed anyway, so why not just get it over with.
     
    By: Mario Puig
    On: 11/23/2010 9:56:00 AM    		 I think the first two seasons of Dexter are the best show ever, but the third season was absolutely awful.

    I'm assuming the fourth/fifth are better than that one?
     
    By: Chris Liss
    On: 11/23/2010 9:59:00 AM    		 Agreed that season 3 went south, but this year's is the best of all of them in my opinion.
     
    By: seps
    On: 11/23/2010 12:28:00 PM    		 Fisher's had a bug up his a@# for Young since day 1... obviously he wasn't Fisher's 1st choice and as you said, he wouldn't play him until they were 0-6 last year, and the owner forced him to do so. I can't see them both in TEN next year... I wonder if Young never requested to go back in the game after his injury like Fisher claims. If so, why would Young throw his pads in the stands?
     
    By: Erickson
    On: 11/23/2010 6:29:00 PM    		 One humble opinion - from someone who hasn't yet seen Breaking Bad or Mad Men, but my top 3 are:

    1. The Wire
    2. Dexter
    3. Sopranos

    I like Lost better than most, but it falls short of those three.
     
    By: Erickson
    On: 11/23/2010 6:30:00 PM    		 Glad to see you post on Vince Young vs. Fisher, too. I've seen far too many knee-jerk condemnations of Young in the past couple of days. It's possible he's a complete chucklehead, but I too am not impressed with how Fisher has handled him. Seeing the reports on how Young was banned from the facility on Monday, and the immediate backtracking afterward doesn't reflect well either.
     
    By: Kevin Payne
    On: 11/23/2010 7:03:00 PM    		 I agree Fisher isn't going about things the right way, but this is Jeff Fisher. I'd welcome him as the coach of the Bills in a heartbeat. The Titans are making a huge mistake if they somehow enter next season without him and VY as their starting QB.

    Last year Dexter was bad. You can't go from being an alien on Third Stone from the Sun to being a serial killer and having it dragged out forever with so many chances for Dexter to kill him. Did we ever get complete verification that Trinity killed Rita? Many people knew how he killed and he never admitted, although I think he alluded to it before he died. The ending of Sunday's episode was great; I can't help but think of Julia Stiles dancing on the table to Biggie Smalls in "Ten Things I hate About You" every time I see her on the show.
     
    By: Chris Liss
    On: 11/23/2010 7:17:00 PM    		 I think there are some pretty deep themes going on this year. I like John Lithgow by the way - guy has enough range to pull off both convincingly.
     
    By: Mark Stopa
    On: 11/23/2010 7:40:00 PM    		 Your point about the Bills proving the NFL is unpredictable is well-taken. I'm absolutely floored that Fitz and SJohnson are doing what they're doing. When Johnson was named the starter at WR in pre-season, and James Hardy and others got cut, I thought "Gailey must like JOhnson," but I then thought "it doesn't matter because their QBs and O-line suck." I knew the NFL is unpredictable, and I knew that WRs emerge in their third year, but I still refused to accept the possibility that Johnson could emerge as a fantasy stud. I think the problem was that I had already pre-determined that the Bills were going to have a crappy offense because they did last year. Generally, that's how things go, but we all have to accept the possibility that a team will improve unexpectedly.

    Next year, we all need to write columns that predict things that sound absolutely asinine, then give Johnson as an example to show it could happen.
     
    By: Erickson
    On: 11/23/2010 8:56:00 PM    		 I never watched 3rd Rock from the Sun, so I didn't have a problem casting Lithgow. I thought that Season 4 rocked, as a result.

    And my point about Fisher is pretty much just that - everyone reflexively vouches for him, and while that might be right, it's possible that he's the one that screwed up here, no?
     
    By: Kevin Payne
    On: 11/23/2010 9:13:00 PM    		 Jeff - First the "stone" comment was in jest. Ironically, Lithgow's son in thathow was the guy who was after Julia Stiles' sister in "Ten things I hate about you." I thought the season (4) played out too long once Lithgow was discovered. I'm not counting but there isn't too many episodes to take out the big villian here, related to the total number of episodes from last season.

    I think there's something personal here between Fisher (I'm not saying he's innocent in all this) and VY (thanks Captain Obvious!). That being said, if I start a new team tomorrow, I want Fisher and not VY on my team building from the ground up. Just my opinion.
     
    By: Mark Stopa
    On: 11/23/2010 9:18:00 PM    		 VY obviously over-reacted, but maybe some of the over-reaction was justified if he really wasn't injured that badly (but Fisher pulled him anyway because he doesn't like him). Imagine if a stud QB like Manning or Rivers had an injury he felt like he could play through - we know he'd be pissed if the coach pulled him out, and he'd be lauded as a competitor for complaining.
     
    By: MarsBlackmoon
    On: 11/23/2010 9:43:00 PM    		 Hey Chris, I told you stay away from Moss.. :/
     
    By: MarsBlackmoon
    On: 11/23/2010 9:52:00 PM    		 Also as far as Ryan Mathews, i wouldn't put my faith in a rookie back. he went first round in a lot of leagues. why pick up Mathews when manning rodgers and rivers are still available? Beanie Wells did well last year but he was splitting carries with Tim, and Steve Smith (CAR) will never reach his potential in Carolina.
     
    By: Mark Stopa
    On: 11/24/2010 5:28:00 AM    		 Ryan Mathews could have does what Arian Foster is doing. If that's how things had panned out, nobody would be criticizing. It was totally reasonable to think that was possible - look how good the Chargers offense is. You have to take some risks to win competitive leagues. Sometimes those risks work, sometimes not.
     
    By: Mario Puig
    On: 11/24/2010 6:41:00 AM    		 Moreover, Mathews was only a risk in hindsight. Looking at his situation before this year, there was no reason to think he wouldn't be worth a late first.

    1. His team traded way up to draft him, taking him well before anyone thought Mathews would go. This was a solid indicator that the team planned to lean heavily on him (and they probably did and still do).

    2. The guy is a superb talent

    3. Norv Turner (and thus Ricky Williams, Emmitt Smith, etc.)

    4. The AFC West was looking much weaker than it does today

    In fact, if it weren't for the ankle injuries, few would be complaining about Mathews right now.

    It's funny to see that in google, one of the most searched for terms with Mathews is 'bust.' How dumb.
     
    By: ryanthemagi
    On: 11/24/2010 7:20:00 AM    		 Hey guys if you're gonna talk about Dexter PLEASE do not post any spoilers (or at least give warning). I'm in the middle of season 4 and to have read someone's post about what happens kind of sucks.
     
    By: elsicilian
    On: 11/24/2010 8:06:00 AM    		 Hey ryanthemagi, when a columnist offers an unsolicited opinion (totally devoid of spoilers) regarding the quality of this season's episodes of any particular television show relative to those of other seasons, you should probably assume the worst, expect some spoilers in the comments/response section, and just skip the comments altogether if you are particularly sensitive to such revelations. When you're trying to sustain a cloud of ignorance over a season and a half of programming, you've got to be *a little* proactive, buddy!

    Personally, I find this season of Dexter to be somewhat disappointing. The whole Julia-Stiles-as-serial-killer-in-training is pretty derivative of the Jimmy Smits storyline from season 3, while Quinn/Stan Liddy's investigations of Dexter from inside the force rehash a lot of the same situations as Doakes from seasons 1 and 2. Also, Dexter's cumulative sloppiness (which has steadily escalated over the course of the entire series) is seriously challenging my suspension of disbelief (which has been taxed fairly heavily from the beginning). His ability to evade capture has gone from sublime to ridiculous, so it's difficult to even pretend to imagine those keystone cops as a credible threat.

    I thought last season was amazing, and really did touch on a lot of new/different themes (the final scene was one of the greatest moments in television history), but this season just seems like the same old same old. There is usually some sort of midseason twist or revelation that spices things up, and I am hoping we get one soon in Season 5. I'll keep watching, but I am a lot less enthusiastic than many of you seem to be.
     
    By: Tenac
    On: 11/24/2010 8:14:00 AM    		 Yep, that was some seriously poor spoilers etiquette by Mr. Payne there. Whoops!

    Dexter Season 4, episode 9, titled "Hungry Man" is possibly the greatest episode of Dexter ever. So good. Season 4 had the worst finale though, IMO. Too forced and deus ex machina...didn't do justice to the season long build up.
     
    By: Tenac
    On: 11/24/2010 8:18:00 AM    		 "the final scene was one of the greatest moments in television history"

    Heh, different strokes for different folks. I thought it was cheap and the biggest disappointment so far in the Dexter franchise.
     
    By: elsicilian
    On: 11/24/2010 8:34:00 AM    		 Personally, I thought the biggest disappointment of the franchise was (SPOILER ALERT) Deb falling in love with that cucumber sandwich eating wet blanket pedophile Frank Lundy, but as you said, "different strokes for different folks." Heh.
     
    By: Kevin Payne
    On: 11/24/2010 8:38:00 AM    		 Sorry about the spoilers guys, but I assume that most are caught up since Season 4 was almost done last year at this time.
     
    By: Mario Puig
    On: 11/24/2010 9:23:00 AM    		 MUFASA DIES?!
     
    By: Chris Liss
    On: 11/24/2010 9:35:00 AM    		 What's great about this year is the themes - the show's not really about a serial killer on one level. It's about someone trained for self-preservation at all costs going through the motions to fit into society, while his true desires remain hidden. Slowly but surely, he's able to reveal them to people who earn his trust, though in some cases (Miguel, Lila, etc.) that trust was misplaced. The serial killer device is a dramatization of how much one's true desires are often demonized and suppressed in the interest of fitting in. In Sunday's episode, his father says: "Sorry I let you down. If I had known how much potential you had, maybe I wouldn't have steered you down this path." That was a deep admission because for four seasons it's gone without question that his father did the best he could with him, and self-preservation and hiding his true self was the best he could hope for. Which is also an indictment of how children are raised generally - to find some job that pays well enough and fit in and suppressing their deeper natures.
     
    By: MarsBlackmoon
    On: 11/24/2010 10:04:00 AM    		 mark and mario, i agree mathews is an amazing talent, and yes no risk no reward. by no means at all is mathews a bust. also mario you are right he went first round in alot of leauges. my only point is it is extremely risky to draft a rookie back in front of proven talent at the QB position.
     
    By: elsicilian
    On: 11/24/2010 10:26:00 AM    		 Chris, I like your analysis in general, and I don't disagree that you've identified some of the key ingredients that has made the series appealing over its five seasons. I would argue that those selfsame themes have already been mined pretty deeply through the first four seasons, and recasting them in superficially different but fundamentally similar circumstances this year just feels a bit stale. It's funny that you quoted his father from last week's episode because that line really jumped out at me as well, though for very different reasons. Within the context of the show, Dexter's father is figment of his preconscious (perhaps a physical manifestation of the "dark passenger" to which Dexter frequently refers?), and the degree to which he resembles Dexter's actual father is very ambiguous. In any case, "growth" on its part actually represents a tectonic shift in Dexter's own psychosis. Accordingly, absolution from his "father," while superficially rewarding to Dexter, really suggests a degradation of "the code," which serves as Dexter's lifeline to the civilized world. In short, his father's approval is not at all the unqualified triumph it appears to be on the thematic level.

    The beauty of Dexter is its deep allegory, because as much as it's not really about a serial killer, it really IS about a serial killer. Forsaking that complexity for a more thoroughly symbolic narrative robs the show of much of its appeal, and I think this season probably emphasizes the latter to its detriment, in my humble opinion. But as Tenac wisely noted, "different strokes for different folks."
     
    By: Chris Liss
    On: 11/24/2010 10:47:00 AM    		 elsicilian - I disagree he's getting absolution from his father, or degrading the code. I think he's realizing that the rigidity of the code he had deemed necessary for his survival is starting to crack. The code symbolizes the compartmentalization of his life in order to function and fit in, and now he's learning that it was a false choice - that there's room for his true desires in his life, which now has meaning beyond simple survival.
     
    By: elsicilian
    On: 11/24/2010 11:28:00 AM    		 Chris, I think you are again correct ... on the broader symbolic level, as previously discussed. The "code" our parents give us isn't always ideal, and as we grow up, we eventually reassess and embrace our own morality, which may or may not resemble theirs in all sorts of ways, but which ultimately suits the man/woman we have finally become.

    But on a more literal level (again within the context of the show's narrative) Dexter's "Code" is a rigid ethics of pragmatism (mostly devoid of conventional morality) that allows him to manage his innate bloodlust and function in civilization without landing on death row, and it allows Dexter to appear more Harry Callahan than Jeffery Dahmer, in the eyes of the viewer as well as his own. But The Code's very inflexibility is its sine qua non, and Dexter is *clearly* treading a dangerous path when he empowers his paternal avatar to undermine it in any way. I really hope the show's writers acknowledge that in future episodes, but I am deeply afraid that Dexter will instead stumble down some sort of road toward "redemption." Barf.
     
    By: Chris Liss
    On: 11/24/2010 11:47:00 AM    		 Right, he's definitely taking a risk in breaking from the code. The risk of being found out for what he is. But, of course, if he's never found out by Lumen or anyone else, then he's doomed to a life of solitude. The improvement of Lumen over Rita is that he's actually allowed to be himself with her. I mean as a viewer, Rita was annoying, and I'm glad they got rid of her. But the reason she was annoying was the relationship was based on a massive lie, and she was a force for perpetuating the lie rather than delving into the truth. Even his relationship with Trinity helped him delve deeper into his own nature... Anyway, I hear you - but I doubt any sort of conventional redemption is really necessary. I mean we like him, and we like Harry Callahan, so does he really need to be redeemed? It seems the process of having genuine connections to Harrison, Lumen and Rita's kids show that his initial trauma was not a death sentence for his humanity, even if it did give rise to a "dark passenger." But notice how the dark passenger is being integrated into his life - what he's doing with Lumen, how he gets rid of his daughter's friend's evil stepfather, etc. Is that the pat redemption you're dreading? Instead of chopping people up, he becomes some kind of noble tough guy?
     
    By: vtadave
    On: 11/24/2010 11:52:00 AM    		 I like the idea of making asinine predictions. I'll do that for baseball this year. Even if I get a 10% hit rate, I'd golden.

    Now, where's this week's Beating the Book? Must make Turkey Day bets in order to be able to survive the day with the in-laws.
     
    By: Mark Stopa
    On: 11/24/2010 12:39:00 PM    		 I've made "contrary to the industry" predictions in baseball and football, but I've realized that none of the predictions were crazy enough. Bautista hitting 50 HRs (or however many he finished with). Steve Johnson with 9 TDs already. That's the sorta stuff we need to be predicting.
     
    By: Chris Liss
    On: 11/24/2010 1:11:00 PM    		 yeah, but outrageous predictions are usually outrageously wrong: http://www.rotowire.com/football/showArticle.htm?id=10582
     
    By: ryanthemagi
    On: 11/24/2010 4:32:00 PM    		 elsicilian: I didn't exactly expect to find spoilers from Dexter in a comment section for fantasy football. Can't really blame me on this one.
     
    By: Mark Stopa
    On: 11/24/2010 4:51:00 PM    		 That's true, Chris, but it forces people to be in the right mindset to realize that when a guy like Steve Johnson has a good game or two it may be the start of a new norm.
     
    By: elsicilian
    On: 11/24/2010 9:27:00 PM    		 A few last thoughts on Dexter, before I mercifully turn my complete attention to to my football fantasy:

    I think we can all agree that one of the show's great achievements is taking an essentially horrific character and making him palatable to a mainstream audience (a la Milton's Paradise Lost), even though he's really only a twist of convention away from Jeffrey Dahmer. That narrative sleight of hand is accomplished mostly via "The Code," which under Harry Morgan's direction has shaped a ruthless proto-sadist (the adolescent Dexter Morgan) into a sympathetic anti-hero, equal parts everyman and noble vigilante. But The Code itself is a delicate construct that both suppresses and obscures his fundamental inhumanity ... in his heart of hearts, the guy is still a cruel and vicious sociopath masquerading as a likable protagonist, and that irresolvable conflict is the crux of much of the show's dramatic tension.

    Ultimately, there really is no "room for his true desires in his life," since the most prominent of those desires tend toward the unforgivably obscene. As much as we like Dexter right now (and a whole lot of that good will should be attributed to Michael C. Hall's nuanced portrayal of the character's subtleties), everyone he knows and/or loves - including his sister, his kids, and even Lumen, as well as the audience itself - would abandon him if he forsakes The Code and gives full reign to those "true desires." Accordingly, there is no actual redemption out there for Dexter Morgan ... the best he can hope for is to strictly observe The Code, and thereby pass through the world mostly unnoticed, while channeling his vice into arguably forgivable (if not totally productive) "contributions" to society.

    Dexter's futile desire to break those chains and transcend his ignoble condition is rich with dramatic potential, as it echoes neo-classic tragedies of irresolvable human suffering, with recurring themes of original sin and damnation (just as each of his presumptuous efforts to live outside The Code can be considered classic expressions of tragic hubris). If you believe (as I do) that much of the show's pathos can be attributed to its essential nature as a post-modern tragedy, you will concede that a fundamentally evil Dexter is a necessary component of the entire formula, just as his most sincere efforts to transform himself must necessarily end in spectacular and heart-wrenching failure.

    As we've all acknowledged, the show can be interpreted and enjoyed on many levels; but this is the one that resonates the most with me, and I am desperately hoping that that show's writers don't forsake it in favor of some sort of milquetoast redemption story ... but I am not terribly optimistic. Nor am I terribly optimistic about my wide receiving corps, which like yours includes (SPOILER ALERT) Randy Moss and Steve Smith (CAR). But that's a story more appropriate for a sports blog ...
     
    By: Chris Liss
    On: 11/25/2010 7:43:00 AM    		 The only thing I'll add is that while his true desires are obscene, you never get the sense that he needs to restrain himself from acting out against innocent people, i.e., it's not like Deb, Astor, Cody or Harrison are in danger around him. He's not like a tiger set loose in the house where he could go off and kill anyone. The only restraint he has to employ is when he's got a likely bad guy in his sights but he hasn't proven it yet. So the code is more about (1) Don't get caught; and (2) Be 100 percent sure you have the right guy. But you don't get the sense that it's about: (3) only kill bad guys, because he doesn't seem inclined to kill anyone but bad guys anyway. He doesn't even seem inclined to kill his enemies like Quinn. So if he's breaking the code, it's merely that he's risking getting caught by letting other people in on what he does and also by helping other people. So while executing people sadistically with only your own form of due process (which is pretty rigorous) might still be considered evil and ignoble, (particularly the selfish enjoyment he gets from it), the show has taken great pains to make him likable and even good as he protects the innocent, even to the point of stopping Lumen from killing the wrong guy in one episode. So if he scrapped the code entirely, he might get caught, but it does not seem like he'd just go "27 Days Later" on everyone. Or maybe if he weren't 100 percent sure of someone's guilt, it could be a slippery slope where he just kills anyone he feels like, and that's the danger, but again, he doesn't even seem inclined to kill innocent people. If he were, you think when he were "hungry" he'd start having fantasies about killing his co-workers or family. But as much internal monologue as we get from him, we *never* hear even a hint of that. So either he's internalized that part of the code to the point where he doesn't even consider breaking it, or he really only gets off on doing justice (his version of it), which for good reason is illegal and for 99.99999 percent of the population extremely ill-advised, but for him (given his skill set and ability to have scientific proof of guilt) actually workable without turning him into a dangerous monster you wouldn't want to have walking around.
     
    By: elsicilian
    On: 11/25/2010 9:49:00 AM    		 I know I promised I would abandon this topic, but I just want to reiterate one last point that I think you are glossing over a bit too much. Namely, The Code does not beget the killing; rather, the killing begets The Code.

    You (Chris) are absolutely correct when you say that "you never get the sense that he needs to restrain himself from acting out against innocent people," and that phenomenon is one of the show's most impressive achievements; because there is ample evidence to suggest that the man's *entire life* has been one long exercise in restraint from acting out against innocent people. The show has repeatedly emphasized that Dexter's bloodlust is innate and indiscriminate (remember the neighbor's dog when he was thirteen?). In fact, it is only The Code that dictates who he may kill and under what circumstances. Similarly the code *explicitly* requires that Dexter kill not just bad guys, but actual murderers (presumably effecting a net positive return on decent folks living in society). Over the years, many of Dexter's investigations of potential targets have been hampered if not thwarted by his inability to definitively establish that some obvious scumbag was an actual killer.

    As mentioned previously, the strict confines of The Code allow Dexter to not simply get by in society as he satisfies his abject bloodlust, but also (and perhaps more importantly) to be perceived favorably by the audience. But all the while, the show makes it very clear that Dexter is still a violent sociopath at heart, who kills *exclusively* for personal pleasure (the sort of pleasure he always craves but never quite gets from "normal" relationships and personal interactions). He would be an ineffective protagonist if we believed from scene to scene that he might snap at any point, and begin senselessly killing innocents like Quinn, Cody, Astor, his sister, et. al., but the show clearly suggests that is *exactly* what would happen, had Dexter not been raised to observe The Code religiously, and what might indeed happen should he stray too far from its tenets.

    Accordingly, Dexter's ongoing attempts to "reinterpret" or "expand" the code (while wonderful metaphors for personal growth on the broader thematic level), paradoxically become a hair-raising game of high-stakes Jenga on a more literal level within the context of the narrative. Each small modification destabilizes The Code's underlying structure, and the only possible outcome is an eventual collapse into the abyss. It's not a question of "if," but rather "when" ... hence the tragedy of Dexter Morgan.

    Once again, this is why I desperately fear any sort of "redemption story" for Dexter's character. Earlier in our discussion, our friend Tenac deplored last season's finale as "too forced and deus ex machina." I don't find that criticism particularly valid, since nothing about Trinity's slaughter of Rita appeared to contradict his character, or significantly undermine the internal logic of the narrative. Conversely, any conclusion to the series that allows Dexter to "outgrow" his tragic flaw (or even worse, posits that he was never really an inveterate sociopath to begin with), will be an absolutely intolerable resolution, much more deserving of that specific criticism.

    Anyway, I have probably restated the argument too much, but I have very much enjoyed this conversation, and the opportunity to discuss a few key aspects of a brilliant show that I have always admired but never really articulated. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone ... enjoy the turkey and football!
     

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    Just a few things that caught my eye ...
    • Alexander Semin was on the wrong side of the grocery stick most of the night. You know, that spot between the back-up goalie and the rest of the team ... the one where the dead wood goes so it doesn't get in the way of on-the-fly changes.
    • Honey badger don't care. Honey badger doesn't give a $%!&.  T.J. Oshie gave up four inches and 50 pounds to Dustin Penner, but he didn't care. Then again, honey badger didn't care when he hit Rick Nash a few years ago, either. I wonder if the NHL would let me get a Blues #74 jersey with Honey Badger on the back.
    Buy Lowest
    Every year, we hear advice about how it's time to "buy low" on struggling stars like Albert Pujols, Giancarlo Stanton and Robinson Cano. "Get them now for cheap before they heat up!" Except that the market for superstars - at least in competitive leagues - usually doesn't move much after one bad month. (Whether it should in these cases is another question). It's more likely that the Pujols and Stanton owners are doubling down, figuring that only a hot streak from a player of that caliber can undo the damage that's already been done.

    That doesn't mean you can't take advantage of the market's early overreaction, but you'll have to aim a little lower and take on quite a bit more risk. The players listed below are those who should be available at an actual discount.

    Fantasy Rookies
    Now that the 2012 NFL Draft is complete and rosters look about the way they will when training camps open in late July, it’s time to start the speculation train full steam ahead to fantasy draft days. Many players taken in this class will have a fantasy impact, some immediate, some in small spurts as rookies and some not for years to come.
    Cowboys Draft: First Blush Thoughts
    My initial reactions to the 2012 Dallas draft crop.

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