"Don't Blame the Ref!"

Soon we will be back in the FOOTBALL SEASON!! I really like football; my wife doesn't appreciate it as much as I do; I don't know why. I have been a football fan for many decades and watched hundreds of games, both college and professional. I can't count the hours I've spent in front of my television glued to the screen, studying every play and re-play. In the "off season" I have the NFL NET and I do spend some time watching "games gone by". I still don't understand why my wife doesn't like football as much as I!

As I watch football,I critique each play; placing blame, and giving credit to individuals upon the outcome of nearly every play. There are times I have great praise; there are times of great rancor, football definitely has its ups and "downs" (no pun intended). Probably the most criticized people on the field are the referees; they bear the brunt of cat-calls and second guessing from most fans. Sometimes the fans are correct; the refs "blew the call", but by and large the refs are pretty good at their jobs. I believe all of the "armchair quarterbacks" make more bad calls than those refs do. They are experts in the game and its rules; it is their job to point out infractions, and assign penalties. We don't like it when our favorite team gets a penalty; we yell at the refs quite a bit!

Over the course of the last week or so, we've seen our economy take some pretty heavy hitting from S&P. Our bond rating has gone from AAA to AA+; not a very good situation for America; our stock market prices are plummeting and investors are holding on to their money.

Strangely, since early last year, the TEA Party has been preaching fiscal responsibility, the same message that S&P has been sending to our present administration. It seems those messages fell on "deaf ears" until our "economic back was against the wall". Now we are seeing statements flowing in like flood waters, accusing the TEA Party of being responsible for America's economic downgrade. Such fiscally responsible people like John Kerry and Barney Frank are casting blame on the people who said to rein in spending and cut entitlements before there is an economic consequence that would rock the nation. It certainly sounds like "armchair quarterbacks" looking at the penalty, and "yelling at the refs". All of their rantings and ravings can't change the fact that runaway spending and huge entitlements have multiplied under their watch; and they don't like to have those facts put under a spotlight.

I believe America is smarter than Kerry and Frank; I believe America can see the "play on the field", and they know whose fault it really is. The "flag has been thrown", and the penalty rests on those who drove us into this situation; not the TEA Party, it is the taxers and free spenders. Well,I wonder if Mr. Obama and his "team" can hear the "whistle" and see the "flag"? His game is getting "out of reach"; like that old football axiom says "PENALTIES KILL YOU!"

(I will be off on Friday with some appointments; have a good week-end! T.P.)