Throwball Playoff Wild Card Game: Raiders @ Texans

“Good evening, Mr. and Mrs. America from border to border and coast to coast and all the ships at sea. Let’s go to press.”

Yes folks, it’s that time of year again where your decide which team you hate the least unless it’s the Packers of course. Is this bias? Sure!

Stockton-

If you consider the great journalists in history, you don’t see too many objective journalists on that list. H. L. Mencken was not objective. Mike Royko, who just died. I. F. Stone was not objective. Mark Twain was not objective. I don’t quite understand this worship of objectivity in journalism. Now, just flat-out lying is different from being subjective.

So much for Objective Journalism. Don’t bother to look for it here — not under any byline of mine; or anyone else I can think of. With the possible exception of things like box scores, race results, and stock market tabulations, there is no such thing as Objective Journalism. The phrase itself is a pompous contradiction in terms.

There are a lot of ways to practice the art of journalism, and one of them is to use your art like a hammer to destroy the right people — who are almost always your enemies, for one reason or another, and who usually deserve to be crippled, because they are wrong. This is a dangerous notion, and very few professional journalists will endorse it — calling it “vengeful” and “primitive” and “perverse” regardless of how often they might do the same thing themselves. “That kind of stuff is opinion,” they say, “and the reader is cheated if it’s not labelled as opinion.” Well, maybe so. Maybe Tom Paine cheated his readers and Mark Twain was a devious fraud with no morals at all who used journalism for his own foul ends. And maybe H. L. Mencken should have been locked up for trying to pass off his opinions on gullible readers and normal “objective journalism.” Mencken understood that politics — as used in journalism — was the art of controlling his environment, and he made no apologies for it. In my case, using what politely might be called “advocacy journalism,” I’ve used reporting as a weapon to affect political situations that bear down on my environment.

So consider this a box score or a race result. My Sports Reporting is the most objective thing I do, though it’s all actual factual and not ‘Fake’ News like the legacy media.

The Texans are an expansion team so there’s no reason to hate them other than that they’re from Texas.

The Raiders (12 – 4) are 3 point underdogs and will be starting 3rd stringer Connor Cook after a week 17 injury to Matt McGloin. The Texans are no better starting Brock Osweiler after Tom Savage was injured by the Titans.

The last time these 2 teams met was in Mexico City during week 11 and the Raiders won 27 – 20. Of Course that was under QB Derek Carr. I told you Connor Cook was 3rd string. A victory today is a testament to the team.

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  1. Vent Hole

  2. Anthem

      • TMC on January 7, 2017 at 16:56

      With a Texas twang. Ow, my ears

  3. Texans receive on their 25

  4. Texans from their 42

  5. Texans from Raider’s 45

  6. Punt. Raiders’s from their 5

  7. 4 and out. Texans from Raiders’s 40

  8. Field Goal. Texans 3 – 0

  9. Raiders’ from their 23

  10. INT. Flags. Texans from Raiders’ 4.

  11. TD. Texans 10 – 0

  12. Raiders from their 25

  13. Raiders from their 44

  14. Challenge on an incomplete call.

    • TMC on January 7, 2017 at 17:06

    The NYT’s predicts that the Texans will win this:

    The Texans have the No. 1-ranked defense in the N.F.L. The Raiders counter with the clubhouse leader for the Defensive Player of the Year Award, Khalil Mack.

    Given the available quarterbacks, this game has all the makings of an offensive slog.

    In Carr’s absence, the Raiders rookie Connor Cook is set to become the first N.F.L. quarterback to make the first start of his career in the postseason. With Houston’s late-season starter, Tom Savage, in the concussion protocol, its $72 million quarterback, Brock Osweiler, will come back from the bench — where he was sent in Week 15 along with his 16 interceptions against 14 touchdowns.

    The Texans will saturate the pocket with unhealthy amounts of the Pro Bowl pass rusher Jadeveon Clowney (16 tackles for a loss). Combine that with the return of the 1,073-yard rusher Lamar Miller (ankle), plus a 7-1 home record this season, and Houston should like its chances.

    The Raiders’ defense will struggle to get off the field. Oakland’s offense has only 13 first downs in its 15 post-Carr drives — a sure way for the Raiders to wear out their own defense from overexposure. They will need their sixth-ranked rushing game to buy time if they are to survive the franchise’s first postseason game in 14 years. Pick: Texans

  15. Call stands Punt. Touchback.

  16. 4 and out. Punt. Raiders from Texans’ 48

  17. Raiders from the 20

  18. Raiders from the 7

  19. TD. Texans 10 – 7

  20. Texans from their 18

  21. Punt. Raiders from Texans’ 43

  22. Oh and Texas 10 – 7 at the end of the 1st. Check your pool.

  23. Texans from their 5

  24. Texans from Raiders’ 35

  25. Texans from Raiders’ 24

    • BobbyK on January 7, 2017 at 17:32

    Shows just how much I’ve been paying attention this year. I’m surprised the Raiders made it to the play offs. They usually are basement dwelling.

    • TMC on January 7, 2017 at 17:32

    Texans ball on Raiders 24

    1st and 10

    • TMC on January 7, 2017 at 17:34

    Texans ball on Raiders 20

    3rd and 6

    • TMC on January 7, 2017 at 17:37

    4th and 6. Texans punt

    Nick Novak 38 yard field goal attempt is GOOD.

    Texans 13 – Oakland 7

  26. Texans scored a Field Goal in there that I missed. Texans 13 – 7. Raiders 3 and a Punt., Texans from their 22.

    • TMC on January 7, 2017 at 17:41

    After 4 plays ball turns back to Texans. at thier own 15

    • TMC on January 7, 2017 at 17:44

    Texans ball on own 28

    1st and 10

    Last Play: Penalty: Holding on Oakland (David Amerson) 5 yards.

    • TMC on January 7, 2017 at 17:45

    Texans 3rd & 6 @ own 32

  27. Texans from their 44

    • TMC on January 7, 2017 at 17:46

    Texans: 1st & 10 at own 44

    • TMC on January 7, 2017 at 17:47

    Texans ball on 50

    3rd and 4

    • TMC on January 7, 2017 at 17:48

    Texans ball on Oakland 48

    4th and 2

    • TMC on January 7, 2017 at 17:50

    Raiders ball on own 20

    • TMC on January 7, 2017 at 17:53

    Raiders ball on own 23

    2nd and 7

  28. Raiders from their 20

    • TMC on January 7, 2017 at 17:54

    Texans Time out, their 1st

  29. 2 Minute Warning (in the half)

    • TMC on January 7, 2017 at 17:54

    Raiders ball on own 22

    3rd and 8

    • TMC on January 7, 2017 at 17:55

    4th down. Raiders punt to Texans

    Texans 1 & 10 on own 40

  30. Texans from their 32

      • TMC on January 7, 2017 at 17:58

      Texans ball on Oakland 41

      1st and 10

      Last Play: Brock Osweiler pass to the middle to Will Fuller V for 19 yards to the Oak41. Tackled by David Amerson.

    • TMC on January 7, 2017 at 17:56

    2 minute warning. Break for commericials

  31. Texans from Raiders’ 41

  32. Texans at the 4

    • TMC on January 7, 2017 at 18:00

    Texans 1 st & goal at Raiders 3

    • TMC on January 7, 2017 at 18:01

    Raiders timeout

  33. TD Texans 20 – 7

    • TMC on January 7, 2017 at 18:04

    I’m done for the night.travel day tomorrow, early AM flight.

  34. 2nd Half. Raiders start from their 20. Touchback.

  35. Texans from their 22

  36. Raiders on the march. @ Texans 42.

  37. Texans start from their 11

  38. Raiders from their 38

  39. Punt. Texans from their 22

  40. Texans from their 38

  41. Punt. Raiders from their 10.

    • BobbyK on January 7, 2017 at 18:59

    AND another drop.

  42. Texans from their 47

  43. Texans from the Raiders’ 41

  44. Texans at the 1

  45. Oh Texans 20 – 7 at the end of the 3rd. Check you pool.

  46. TD. Texans 27 – 7

  47. Barring a big comeback (4 scores, 2 TDs and 2 FG) it seems like this is over.

    • BobbyK on January 7, 2017 at 19:14

    Good night Raiders
    Good night Raiders
    Good night Raiders
    We hate to see you go.

  48. Raiders from their 26

  49. Raigers from the 8

  50. TD. Texans 27 – 14. 8:10 to Play.

  51. Raiders from Texans’ 47

  52. INT. Texans at their 46

  53. 2 Minutes to Play. Texans 27 – 14. Raiders at their 7.

  54. Final. Texans 27 – 14.

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