Christian Right Calls Al Franken a Liberal Bully for Exposing Their Big Lie

Remember when Al Franken took apart the testimony of the lying Tom Minnery of Focus on the Family at a DOMA hearing? Minnery claimed that a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services report showed that “children living with their own married biological or adoptive mothers and fathers were generally healthier and happier.” Al Franken (D-MN) set him straight in front of “God and everybody.” Well, it may not surprise you to know that the religious right is unhappy about how that turned out – not that Minnery lied, of course, but that he got exposed as a liar. And since they were unable to really defend him for lying they seem to be embracing a new spin to put on the story that they think will take the focus off Minnery as a lying snake and put it on Al Franken as a mean former comedian. (Apparently it’s not so much a sin to lie as it is a sin to point out that a Christian fundamentalist is a liar. This is your religion, Jesus. You listening?)

Right, enough of that.

After three games of the preseason I have turned the commentary off in Madden NFL 11. Four reasons:

1. It got repetitive really fast. I understand we cannot lock Gus Johnson and Cris Collinsworth in sound-proof booth to record different comments for every situation (although the idea of locking these two away for crimes against broadcasting is another topic) hearing "he drives it deep!" on every freaking kickoff was annoying.


2. The commentary is incomplete. Again, there probably wasn't enough time to record every single player's name, but when you get a mixture of player names and guys being identified by number only it is jarring. And, of course, there are any number of moments where the AI is faced with a complex situation and choses a bad comment. I had a play where three of my defenders were fighting a Vikings receiver for possession of a long pass in the end zone. Everyone got a hand on the ball as it was batted around before falling incomplete. The commentary? "Pass is knocked away."


3. It synced poorly. This wasn't a huge problem, but every so often you'd get a comment three or four seconds after the play. Hearing an excited "knocked out of bounds at the 15!" while on screen the two players involved in that play are jogging back to their respective huddles while discussing their off-shore tax havens sort of blows the moment.


4. Finally, and this is a really personal one... it's distracting. I'm trying to coach a game here! I'm reading what the other team has out on the field, picking a play, deciding what my audible will be if the defense shifts to cover my play.. shut up, you blathering idiots!

Niners finish the preseason 4-0 after a nail-biter against the San Diego Chargers, 26-23. Chargers scored two touchdowns in the last two minutes to tie the game, and I had to kick a 50-yard field goal to secure the win.

My tweets

• Sat, 15:04: Why S&P’s Downgrade is No Joke - Edmund L. Andrews - NationalJournal.com: http://t.co/nqpUMvW via @AddThis #fb
• Sat, 16:26: Pedicab War Erupts on the Waterfront http://t.co/S25pm1P via @thebaycitizen #fb