Orchid of the Day: Matthew Stafford
Quotes of the Day:
“I mean, you can’t write this story any better. I’m at a loss for words. I’m just having a blast playing ball with these guys. And, shoot, we got one more at the home stadium. Let’s get it done. I don’t know that I ever thought about what I would be feeling in this moment, I probably just sat there and wished I could be in those games. I’m so happy that I’ve got the opportunity to be in them. And I have an opportunity to be in another one that I’ve always wanted to play in.” Matthew Stafford told Fox’s Erin Andrews in the immediate aftermath of the Rams’ 20-17 comeback win over the 49ers in the NFC Championship Game.
“We went out and got him because we thought it was a chance to be able to get a great player of his magnitude. Those things don’t come around often. What he’s done, he’s elevated everybody around him. He’s made me a better coach; he’s made his teammates better. He’s such a great person. I think you guys know from getting a chance to interact with him, if you don’t root for this guy, something’s wrong with you. And he’s a great competitor. I think we saw that each of the last – we’ve seen that really throughout the whole season but think it’s really been on display these last couple weeks. We talk about competitive greatness all the time. Being your best when your best is required. He embodied competitive greatness today.” Los Angeles Ram’s coach Sean McVay on Matthew Stafford
“I have watched my husband have his heart broken every Sunday during football season, for over 30 years!!!! That guy still puts on his blue and grey and sits his ass down to root on his team, even though they always let him down. Yesterday though, he was hooting and hollering and jumping up and down like a Kangaroo. Now, personally, I don’t give a rats butt what the Lions do in the draft, or any other day of the week, they could draft a time machine and go get Brett Farve, Walter Payton, and bring back Barry Sanders for all I care, but If Stafford and the Rams make my boo happy, I’m happy!” the wife of a long suffering Lions fan.
“We cannot have the Lion’s draft picks messed with. They are the building block of our great franchise.” Sincerely, Joey Harrington, Chuck Long, Andre Ware, Aaron Gibson, Charles Rogers, Roy Williams, Mike Williams, Gosder Cherulis, Javid Best, Eric Ebron, Laken Tomlinson, Jarrad Davis.
Onion of the Day: Detroit Lion fans who are upset with every game Stafford and the Rams win in the playoffs this year lowers the draft pick the Lions get for part of the compensation of trading Stafford to the Rams.
Rafael Nadal made history Sunday at the Australian Open, defeating Daniil Medvedev for a record-setting 21st Grand Slam men’s singles title. But it didn’t come easily. In a rematch of the 2019 U.S. Open final that Nadal won in five sets, the 35-year-old Spaniard took down the 25-year-old Russian again in five sets after dropping the first two, 2-6, 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-4, 7-5.
From Nolan Finley editorial January 30.
What’s come to light since Lee Chatfield’s sister-in-law outed him as a pervert indicate the politician’s problems may not all be tucked behind his zipper. The sexual abuse allegations opened the door to a reexamination of Chatfield’s conduct as House speaker, and reveal he used his position to enrich his friends and indulge his playboy fantasies. Reporting by The Detroit News and Bridge Michigan reveals Chatfield raised $2 million from anonymous donors for a nonprofit that was supposed to serve a social welfare mission.
In reality, much of the money that poured into the Peninsula Fund was spent on lavish travel by Chatfield, provided second salaries to his House staffers, and paychecks for two of his brothers — including the one he wronged — to run and fetch for him. In 2020 alone, Chatfield spent a half-million dollars on airplane tickets, hotels, and food. The brother whose wife Chatfield misused said the married father of five would summon him in the middle of the night to drive him to strip clubs or rendezvous with women.
You might think such personal luxuriating on other people’s money might get a fellow in hot water with the law. But the IRS does not require Chatfield to account for who donated to the Peninsula Fund, or how the money was spent. And Michigan law doesn’t demand elected officials account for much of anything. Michigan has among the flimsiest ethics and financial disclosure laws in the nation, creating a wild west environment that Chatfield and others exploited. Good proposals are still floating around in the Legislature to force more transparency on lawmakers and other elected officials, and place stricter limits on their slush funds. But they have to be moved and passed by those in the Legislature who have such funds of their own, and don’t want to jump off the gravy train. Politicians like Chatfield, who believe their public service entitles them to lifestyles of the rich and famous, will always grab as much as they can get away with. Michigan needs stronger laws to put that temptation out of their reach.
Dr. Johnny Fever has died. Howard Hesseman, the actor and improvisational comedian best known for playing a stuck-in-the-’60s radio disc jockey in the TV sitcom “WKRP in Cincinnati,” died on Saturday in Los Angeles. He was 81.
What are you doing to stop the violence? Get vaccinated and get your booster.
Video/Song of the Day: Dr. Johnny Fever