Rez

I think this judge should be forced to recuse himself. Judges are not supposed to be interested parties in their cases, and this one has turned himself into the ONLY interested party in this case, as the defense and the prosecution both support dismissing it. And, even after the higher court orders him to dismiss the case he refuses to do so? I hope he gets sanctions. 

14 minutes ago, CardinalBacker said:

I kinda think that the presidency is headed towards being more of a figurehead than a chief executive. 
 

The days of an old General becoming the president are gone. There will be no more Eisenhowers, Grants, or Washingtons for that matter. Bill Clinton was the first president who’d never served in the military, and nobody elected since has, either.... unless you’re counting GWB’s stint down at the armory. 
Our last two presidents weren’t even experienced at all as executives in any level of government.  There weren’t any governors or former governors with their name in the hat this time. Obama was a first time senator and Trump had never served anywhere. It’s just a popularity contest at this point. We should switch over to voting by phone American Idol-style and just select The Rock to the the next President. I think that’s where we’re headed anyways. 

Elections are literally popularity contests, and have always been so. 

22 hours ago, WOSdrummer99 said:

Guilty conscious and the court of public opinion.

If you are trying to get ahead of the story and you think it clears your name, releasing a video is a good idea whether or not you have a guilty conscience. 

What about the "Blue Chain"? Its (1) easier to say, and (2) more intimidating than "Blue Link," and (3) actually references the TEAM aspect of a good defense.  

The "Blue Link" is a stupid name, regardless of what it is replacing. Mustangs' defense went from having the most intimidating name in the area to having what sounds like a bad attempt at innuendo. The players have got to be furious. 

2 hours ago, png9mon said:

As far as PNG vs Big Ned, there is one thing that cements atmosphere. When each sides students are committed enough to pour & spray powder into the air, thus infesting people's bodies for future restrictive lung disease & mesothelioma, now that is a group of committed fans!  Or at the very least, a group of fans that should be committed & locked away.  Along with the adults that allow this practice.  

Just sayin' "atmosphere."

If it is against the rules (and I have heard that it is against the rules at both stadiums) why don't the school administrators police it better? It seems like an easy thing to control. All they have to do is kick one person out, and the problem would be 99% solved for the rest of the students, at least for several years. 

12-5a div. 2 is ranked more highly than I would have expected. It's definitely a meat grinder though. Not the best teams in the state, but overall well-balanced. Hard to predict who will win district. 

1 hour ago, Hagar said:

I agree.  Pleasant Grove runs a Slot T type, but they sling the ball.   First requirement for a Slot T QB is his ability to run.   Finding one that can do that and pass decent is the real trick.

Vidor CAN do it. The coach just needs to teach it. 

45 minutes ago, Hagar said:

If Silsbee is crazy enough to pull a Crosby (all 11 within 5 yards of ball), Vidor might do that.   But it’ll surprise everyone if they do.  Vidor passing is scarcer than hens teeth.  Crosby just went all in on stopping the run.   Might be one of the worst examples of coaching ever.  I watched the film on Maxpreps.  They repeatedly filled the box, even after Vidor kept completing passes.

If they would throw just enough to keep teams honest it could be a game changer. 

Nothing new in this article, but here's Tepper's article on the subject for those who haven't seen it: 

I think this is very good news. 

9 hours ago, Hagar said:

The biggest problem Matthews has is getting the Pirates to play with the same intensity they played with in 5A.   The teenage mind may be thinking, “We’re in 4A now.  All we have to do is show up & we’ll win”.   If he can lite a fire in their bellies, I think the Pirates could make a decent run in the playoffs.   Region 3 in 4AD1 is not a powerhouse.   I think the Silsbee game will indicate that, one way or the other.

It certainly helps that Carthage is in D2 now also. 

1 hour ago, Mytwocents3788 said:

Was waiting on someone to use that word lol. But yes I agree. Discipline is how you stop this offense. If you’re not used to seeing it then it may catch you off guard more than a few times. Especially with the wrinkles that Jeff has added thru the years.

I should say, I don't expect Silsbee to have much trouble containing Vidor. My issues with the secondary are in defending the pass. In this case, Silsbee's secondary get to just be extra linebackers. My prediction is Silsbee wins by two touchdowns. I could be wrong though. I think if Vidor could complete ten passes a game (not a magic number, just an estimate) it would change the entire way teams would have to cover them and their run-heavy game would have just a little more space. 

1 hour ago, BMTSoulja1 said:

United is 5A D1 right now.... not 6a...

Right - I knew that. Even better. 

5 hours ago, Yeoj said:

If my team lost to a team 20+ years in row, I would probably say that to. What will be your excuse this year when United doesn't do well? 

United seems to be on the rise. They still have the disadvantage of being small in 6a, so they probably won't go far in the playoffs, but they looked dangerous last year. 

Just now, Bigdog said:

One thing to add,  people coming back into town from all over the country to see the game.

Right - I have flown in just for MCM before

Silsbee's secondary is about as bad as PNG's, historically. Maybe a little worse. Those two rarely have disciplined secondary. 

21 hours ago, BMTSoulja1 said:

It’s a factor,  it not important.  And you didn’t answer my question...

To answer your question "attendance" and "atmosphere" are not the same thing. Attendance can contribute to atmosphere. This assumes "atmosphere" is even something we can define. 

However, atmosphere is important. It isn't necessarily the most important thing, or even the second most important thing. But it does matter when it comes to evaluating something as subjective as a rivalry. "Atmosphere," as far as MCM goes, is extremely hard to produce, or reproduce. We've been working on MCM's atmosphere for about a century. If it wasn't hard to produce, every school in the area would have an "atmosphere" to speak of. Remember, we aren't talking about what wins games, we are simply talking about what factors matter for comparing one rivalry to another, and in the case of MCM, the atmosphere is an important factor. 8,000 to 13,000 people in attendance (and everyone knows that it would be higher with bigger stadiums), with who knows how many others tuning in on the radio, with people listening in from all over the country (and, on occasion, from all over the world -- I've listened to PNG/NED games with people emailing in from Korea, Europe, Iraq, and all over the USA, and that's just on the PNG side of the broadcast). And throw in the fact that both teams are usually among the stronger teams in the area, with absolutely rabid fan bases. Then throw in the fact that the communities are basically right next to each other and tightly intertwined. Then throw in the nearly year-round trash talk and the crazed roar of the crowd throughout every second of the game. It's a pretty good recipe for "atmosphere," and an important factor for comparing one rivalry to another. You can judge it based on the attention the game gets on this site alone. 

If we were talking about what wins games, the above wouldn't matter as much (though I'm certain it contributes to why other teams find it so hard to beat PNG and Nederland at home).

34 minutes ago, BMTSoulja1 said:

So is ‘atmosphere’ synonymous to attendance?

Why wouldn't attendance be relevant in comparing one rivalry to another? I'm not saying its the only factor, but attendance IS an important factor. 

14 minutes ago, BMTSoulja1 said:

‘Atmosphere’ does not count.  

PNG & Nederland:

The rivalry is coming up on 100 years old

Easily brings in the most attendance for any rivalry game in the area (and can certainly challenge other rivalries in the state for attendance)

Back-and-forth from year-to-year

Close, intense games (almost every year) usually decided by one score

Recognized as the best rivalry in the state 2x by Texas Football magazine

Silsbee will win. Vidor will do well this season, but Silsbee has some key starters coming back. They’ll be a well-oiled machine, favored to make a very deep playoff run.  

On 5/31/2020 at 3:52 PM, Realville said:

Probably the biggest concern is if this area gets hit by another  big hurricane or biblical rain storm. Hopefully we’ll be spared this year.

Knock on wood

On 6/1/2020 at 11:11 AM, SmashMouth said:

If I’m not mistaken, they’re digging a trough for a makeshift potty until they can get enough time to build proper restrooms. It’ll be akin to a litter box but for people. They’ll even leave some loose dirt for the potty-goers to cover their waste. Pretty efficient if you ask me. Cheap too! Perhaps I’ve been wrong this whole time. (Sorry folks...literally could not help myself.)

Aren’t you just describing the current bathrooms? 

2 hours ago, baddog said:

Didn’t I say, “that’s just me”?

I understand that -- I'm just throwing in my two cents. I hope it didn't seem like I was attacking you. 

15 minutes ago, baddog said:

Yes, you said it was illegal detainment. How can a show exist if this is true? The felony stops are done with pistols drawn. The suspicious stops are done until searches can be done. The lone officer will cuff for his protection, especially if there are numerous people in the vehicle. I have no problem with that. Grandma?????
 

I couldn't get all the facts from the video ( what was said or anything like that). Maybe he thought he was armed. I still don’t see the problem. I also know not all cops follow protocol. The way they have been “HUNTED and EXECUTED” lately, I give them a little leeway with their stops.....but that’s just me.

I don't give cops any leeway. The Constitution always trumps their feelings. In any official interaction between law enforcement and a citizen, the cop has a gun to your head, whether the gun is drawn or not. They don't get to abuse my rights simply because they get nervous or angry. We, as citizens, trade a little bit of our freedom to law enforcement in the name of safety and protection. In exchange, law enforcement is permitted to use force to secure its objectives, including and especially deadly force. I can't use deadly force against cops, and it would be extremely hard to prove to a jury that a person was using deadly force against a cop in self-defense. So cops have all the power in relation to the person they are stopping. In a routine traffic stop, you might find yourself billy clubbed , or killed, over a cop's misunderstanding. There are plenty of video-recorded examples of citizens being gunned down for absolutely no reason, simply because the cop got scared. I don't care if they get scared, at least as far as my attitude toward them not murdering people goes. So I don't give them any leeway at all, and none of us should. They are to be held to a far higher standard than the rest of us, because their failure to rise to that standard is often deadly. If that is too stressful or too difficult, or too Constitutionally limited, they need to choose a different career. That being said, I am a strong supporter of law enforcement in general, and fully respect many of those who choose to pursue it -- It is an honorable profession. However, I reject any tendency to treat them as if they are above the law because their job is hard. A lot of jobs are hard, but that doesn't mean they get to be trigger-happy over it. 

On 5/22/2020 at 11:59 AM, tvc184 said:

That isn’t correct for the gas salesman unless he knew that they were going to commit a crime with it. It is intent. 

 The video guy took intentional action as part of the incident. He wasn’t a guy on the porch who happened to catch the action. In the example I gave it was two guys breaking into cars and one guy selling it to a third who knew the property was stolen. They all knowingly took part in crimes. 

 The guy selling gas had no clue. 

Zimmerman complied with the dispatcher (who has no authority to give him an order). Legally it wouldn’t have mattered but Zimmerman complied. 

i don’t think the state is reaching however without actually knowing the evidence, it is a complete guess. Let’s play what if.....  what if 3 guys see Arbery prowling around. It is suspicious but not a crime. So the three get together and say, let’s teach this guy a lesson. Or perhaps they say, we don’t know what he is up to but maybe he is the guy that has been committing crimes in this area. In either case they have no probable cause to arrest. I read the GA citizen arrest law and it says witnesses a crime, not suspects a crime and can detain like an officer. So the video guy in either case says, great and I will video and tell you where he runs. 

 Under that scenario, video guy is directly involved in the outcome. If so, it sure isn’t reaching. If “all” the guy did was video and took no part in the attempted detention, it is a reach. 

Some thoughts:

The video guy is "involved," but he did not, by taking the video alone, participate in furtherance of a crime. Taking a video of anything, as you know, is protected free speech, unless there is some statute saying you can't do so (such as in areas that contain sensitive national security information). If there was evidence that the video guy had entered into a conspiracy with the other two there would be a reason to indict him (as you have noted). But the video by itself does not evince his intention to further a crime. All of the evidence made available to the public indicates that he and the other two thought they were in the process of a lawful citizen's arrest. The video is only evidence of his intention to record the event. 

I'm worried that charging this guy will discourage private citizens from taking videos of crimes. The video he took is crucial, valuable evidence, without which the world would have to rely on only the testimony of the shooter. In other words, there would have been no charges without the video. So we are charging a guy for providing the only evidence upon which the state's case is based, evidence which he voluntarily turned over. I'm not trying to paint him as a saint. But I am arguing for an extremely liberal approach to the right to film public events. We need people to do so. My gut feeling is that the fewer videos that are taken of events like this, the more it benefits either one of two groups to the detriment of the public: (1) criminals and (2) public officials who wish to hide things. We should encourage people to take such videos.

All of that aside, I think he is being charged, not for taking the video, but for "moving" his car in a way that blocked Arbery. I have some concerns with that. If the citizen's arrest law was triggered, moving the car in a way to block Arbery to further that arrest was arguably a lawful action. However, even if the arrest law was not triggered, it is extremely difficult to tell from the video that he did anything at all, so I think the prosecution is grasping at straws. My guess is they are using this charge to get the video guy to spill on the other two in exchange for leniency. 

Also, on a somewhat unrelated note, the Georgia citizen's arrest law does not require that the citizen doing the arrest "witness" the crime. See Ga. Code 17-4-60. It is sufficient if the crime occur within the citizen's immediate knowledge. The question then becomes what qualifies as a "crime" within "immediate knowledge?" In this case, there had been multiple reports of trespassing (and apparently reports of theft) and Arbery was seen sprinting out of the house (as well as being caught on video multiple times). Importantly, if the suspected crime is a felony, the citizen doesn't even need to have "immediate knowledge." Where the crime is a felony, it is sufficient only to have "reasonable and probable grounds for suspicion." Burglary is a felony in Georgia. The important thing is that the citizen doesn't need to know that the person suspected of the crime has committed a felony. So when citizens see a guy sprinting out of a home that was not his, and had been caught on video multiple times in that dwelling that was not his, it was at a minimum reasonable for the neighbors to suspect that the felony of burglary had been committed, thus triggering a citizen's arrest under Georgia law. And, even if burglary were not the crime, trespassing is a crime, and they had "immediate knowledge" of it. Under both types of crime presented in the statute, the citizen's arrest law was triggered, or it is at least reasonable to argue that it was. 

That being said, I think the Georgia citizen's arrest law is stupid. Citizen's arrest laws in general are mind-numbingly stupid. They should only exist as a protection against a charge of kidnapping or false imprisonment in cases where citizens seize a person out of necessity where the crime is grave and has been committed in their presence, to protect life, or in other serious circumstances where the urgency of the moment requires private citizens to take action by holding another person. They should not exist as a proactive open door to citizens to take the law into their own hands, particularly where there is no immediate threat or urgency, as was the case in Georgia. Citizens arrest laws as written invite the profound stupidity we've witnessed in Georgia, where any dummy thinks the law allows him to turn into Batman. The problem is, the law actually says you can be Batman, without providing any guidance or limitation as to how such action should be taken (For example: Can you use a gun? How long can you hold the person? What force is appropriate?). So among the people we should blame are stupid legislators writing stupid laws, the effects of which will never accrue to them but cause untold damage down the road.