The Triumph of Shame: Thursday Open Thred

I’d like to start by congratulating our British readers on their new Prime Minister:

Much digital ink has been spilled in relation to Boris Johnson’s various scandals about his longstanding resistence to stepping down, despite being a giant festering ball of blubbering dogsnot.  It’s weird to the American eye, because the British tradition (for as long as most of us can remember, going back to Maggie Thatcher) is for the Prime Minister to voluntarily resign as either PM or head of party when it seems that they have lost the support of their own party. As Johnson has faced severe criticisms for his many, many failings as a leader, a man and a sentient organism, it looked to us like he should have resigned a year ago under this system.

This is because we don’t understand you, and the concept of shame in politics has become alien to at least half of our electorate. Trump signaled the final death of “shame” “embarrassment” or “common decency” in our politics, but it began with Iran-Contra and spread from there.

That was Boris’ downfall. He thought as Smarter Trump he could brazen his way through scandal after scandal in an increasingly partisan political environment just like Donald or Bush II. The problem is that certain things Americans will put up with will not fly in the UK, despite the close cultural parallels.

For example: compare the ill-fated European Super League proposal in Lesser Footy to the Singularity of college football we are approaching after the last week. Both were naked money grabs involving beloved institutions that threatened to upend decades-old structural assumptions of the sport.

In America, we view this as largely inevitable. Rich programs get richer and jettison their conferences at the chance for an extra dollar. College football analysts who moaned about athletes making money Destroying the Soul of the Sport immediately pivot to Who Should Jump Ship Next.

In Britain, they fucking rioted.

So kudos to the 50+ sycophants who had the courage to finally betray their rotten boss and resign from his disgusting “government”. Would that our spineless twatweasels had half your courage to flee a sinking ship instead of holding the passengers at gunpoint.

NFL NEWS:

Not much. We are all still absorbing the shock and implications of the Baker-to-Carolina news.

Just kidding. Other than fucking over Jimmy G and/or the 49ers, there really aren’t any implications.

NON-NFL NEWS: Tennis continues unabated. Pray for the people of Southeast England.

WHAT TO WATCH:

The NHL Draft. Players Who Might Help Your Team in Three Years Fever- Catch It!

It’s on ESPN this year!

I still find it hard to care, because (like MLB) the developmental delay means even if your team hits on a guy, you may not see them in uniform until your current coach, GM and mascot have been sacked.

Also, because the NHL changed the draft rules specifically to dick the Sabres out of Connor McDavid. Fuck Gary Bettman