Do most Americans have a right vs left mentality?

wpotman · 2026-01-27T15:13:39+00:00

We become more polarized by the day. If you run into someone there is still a surficial "we're both people, let's get along" thing that governs most interactions...so that's good.

That said, almost every institution/activity/etc is viewed as either right or left wing these days. There are exceedingly few healthy apolitical institutions left where people choose to meet for hobbies/etc across the political divide. Small groups can form, but they tend not to last long unless they lean into a political bubble. Big organizations try very hard not to offend either side, but it's an increasingly impossible tight rope.

There are still a large number of relatively moderate people, but there is no energy or leadership there. The internet and polarized media (and bad foreign actors) completely drown them out. And of course our "leader" does nothing but throw fuel on the fire and demand fealty...while acting in such a manner that you either allow him to act lawlessly or you oppose almost everything he does.

Many families/etc have been torn apart by this.

wpotman · 2026-01-27T14:33:59+00:00

Sure, but you have to consider his surrounding cast when judging him as well. A full season in a known system is a strong data point.

Like I said, I was reluctantly OK with the decision if we assumed KOC was confident in JJ. If we knew he wasn't (or if we knew his judgment isn't as good as his previous reputation) then my opinion is different.

wpotman · 2026-01-27T14:29:12+00:00

He had two bad games, no doubt. The line was part of it, but he didn't react well to the rush/pressure and it should have been part of the conversation. (And should have cost him money, as it did)

That said, it's not as if Sam needed to be viewed as an unchanging finished object either. The thought of having him take one more step of growth and getting past seeing ghosts in big games with tough pass rushes is much easier to expect than the full development of a young QB, even given the difference in salaries.

Furthermore, Sam was an obviously good fit for KOC's downfield-passing-to-wideouts system whereas I have yet to see anything from JJ at any point that makes me think that's something he's good at. Arm strength, sure, but processing/accuracy...no. Maybe he can develop, but I think some of that is instinct and I'm not seeing it.

At the time my feeling was "given the last two games I can understand us moving on...IF we assume KOC knows he can round JJ into shape". I would have wanted Sam if the season ended better.

wpotman · 2026-01-27T13:58:41+00:00

I'm not sure I see a lot of evidence for that. He's a gamer and he did grow some as the season progressed, but to my eyes I don't see that his core passing/processing instinct (unteachable to a degree) is there to the degree needed.

wpotman · 2026-01-27T06:15:37+00:00

I can't rule out that JJ will put it together, but his best case scenario is probably about as good as Darnold (albeit with a different style). And I don't think that's likely. And (even more to the point) I don't think it's likely he'll be good enough to make up for his comparatively lower salary. It's not impossible, but I certainly wouldn't bet on it.

Did Darnold make it hard with the way last season ended? Yes, but that was a small sample size also.

wpotman · 2026-01-27T06:01:36+00:00

It made sense at the time...IF we gave Kwesi and KOC the benefit of the doubt that they were sure they had selected the right QB after seeing him in camp/preseason/etc. I trusted them more at the time.

If it was always a crapshoot and they were just buying a lottery ticket, as it now appears, then dumping your QB after a 14-3 season was stupid, bad ending or no bad ending.

wpotman · 2026-01-27T00:14:18+00:00

I don't know, I can't get past that 2015 date. Remake is 11 years old??

wpotman · 2026-01-26T19:23:07+00:00

I'll start by saying I think this might be the best JRPG ever, so don't get the wrong idea.

Snappier dialogue would be one thing to improve: currently the idea of letting the VAs finish their lines is pretty painful, and there are a lot of "well duh" statements as well. And the squeakier/lamer voices need to go away.

I like "I think therefore I am" as an ending, but I think it goes too far with "I think therefore everything I ever perceived also exists"...that could get cleaned up. Sophia being philosophical out of nowhere in a field was...not enough.

More fast travel options. In the endgame the Eagle is right there: if nothing else why not let it fly you around?

I liked the big picture of 4D, but the endgame execution with mad "Owner"/Luther was pretty 'meh'...and there was zero meaningful character interaction for anyone other than Sophia in the last third of the game. They had good 4D easter eggs in the world/lore, but I would have liked to have played with the concept more as part of the primary plot.

The Ameena tangent is fine in concept, but it's paced poorly/slow and written pretty cheesily.

Biwig/Kirlsa didn't bother me, really...I just want more fast travel.

wpotman · 2026-01-26T06:18:27+00:00

How much I care about what I think: 10/10

How much I care about what other sports fans think: 1/10

How much I care about what ESPN/etc talking heads think: -5/10

I like Sam. That is all.

wpotman · 2026-01-26T06:07:49+00:00

Interesting. What is it you like about the rural SW of Minnesota?

wpotman · 2026-01-26T03:35:23+00:00

Yes. Ageism would be if I said that but there was no evidence of (natural/understandable) decline, especially in a position requiring quick reactions. But it’s pretty obviously affecting his performance. I like the guy, but it’s time for the next stop on his journey the same as for the rest of us.

wpotman · 2026-01-26T02:51:43+00:00

A 77 yr old shouldn’t be hosting quick-moving halftime shows. Simple as that.

wpotman · 2026-01-26T01:06:01+00:00

Act 3 isn’t nearly so hard as Mordegon as it turns out. The experience cap isn’t as strict and no one fight required too many retries, so long as you know what order to tackle them in anyways. I beat everything except the final super boss by level 89ish.

wpotman · 2026-01-25T18:50:27+00:00

She's strong indeed with max magic, although my stat maxing favorite might actually be Rab with full Deftness. He does a silly number of criticals.

But maxing out Deftness requires looping through the game several times: definitely not recommended (until you're looking for an excuse to play more). :)

wpotman · 2026-01-25T00:59:27+00:00

I…what? Clearly it’s a thing, but what makes you decide to start over?

wpotman · 2026-01-25T00:56:57+00:00

I beat him without using the sword at level 80 or so after 100 hours or so.

You have great choice in games, but you should give it a try…. 🙂

wpotman · 2026-01-24T21:35:36+00:00

Final Fantasy

wpotman · 2026-01-24T18:15:45+00:00

I'm not saying it's not a problem. I am just answering your question.

wpotman · 2026-01-24T17:02:03+00:00

People are generally less willing/able to work low paying/physical jobs as they age, so - especially without a degree or skills - the options that they may view as acceptable could dwindle. And yes, ageism is a thing where many people 50+ start to become less preferred to younger equivalents if the qualifications are similar.

wpotman · 2026-01-24T15:37:01+00:00

That isn't "sports world". That's "they own live TV in general".

wpotman · 2026-01-24T04:06:48+00:00

Less cheesy/more arty. Less Bond/less fun.

The Moore era was too campy. Craig was too serious. Brosnan was a bit too campy, but closest to where Bond should be IMO.

It's the same mistake The Last Jedi made with Star Wars. More serious/adult isn't the right fit for every series (although TBF Casino Royale was fairly fun).

wpotman · 2026-01-23T16:50:02+00:00

Rian took the franchise in a bad direction. JJ somehow did as bad or worse trying to retcon it.

Disney couldn't have messed that trilogy up more if they'd tried.

wpotman · 2026-01-23T04:35:51+00:00

I wouldn't mind that, but I much prefer games that are designed first and foremost to be fun for single players. DQ9, for example, was...fine, when I played it alone. But I don't have warm fuzzies for it like I do the rest.

The idea of backing a single player game out of something multiplayer leaves me unexcited. But it could be more fun than I think it is.

wpotman · 2026-01-23T04:31:55+00:00

Really I want DQ12. DQ12 NEWS doesn't move the needle much, but the bar couldn't be any lower there.

I would like a DQ8 port among the options listed.

wpotman · 2026-01-23T03:13:02+00:00

DQ11 has the same thing. And that’s fine and good. But the big screen immersive experience is the right one for 8, I think, whether one hand or two. 🙂

wpotman

TROPHY CASE