RIP Levi Stubbs

Levi Stubbs, better known as lead singer of the Four Tops, died today at the age of 72.

While the Four Tops as a group have produced some of the most memorable music in Motown history, Stubbs himself reminds me best of one specific role he did in the movie Little Shop of Horrors:


God rest his soul. But at least dentists everywhere can now breathe a sigh of relief.

NFL Week 6-7 Team Rankings

This NFL season is parity run amok. If the rankings look a little insane, consider that a symptom of this crazy season.

In coming up with these rankings, I had to consider some games as flukes. Frankly, more games than I would want to consider flukes.

Without further ado, here they are, in descending order:

Titans
Steelers
Panthers
Chargers
Jets
Redskins
Cardinals
Bills
Jaguars
Broncos
Buccaneers
Falcons
Bears
Colts
Vikings
Patriots
Saints
Eagles
49ers
Texans
Dolphins
Cowboys
Packers
Ravens
Browns
Giants
Seahawks
Rams
Chiefs
Raiders
Bengals
Lions

NFL Week 5-6 Team Rankings

GOOD

Giants: Still the undefeated world champs. They deserve their own category, especially after the "can o' whoop ass" they laid on the Hawks.

GOOD

Redskins: Ever since their loss to the Giants, the Skins have been a different team.
Cowboys
Broncos
Panthers

AVERAGE

Chargers: Losing to the Broncos and Panthers? Perfectly understandable. But the Dolphins?
Titans: Sure they're undefeated. But the best team the Titans played was the Vikings.
Vikings: A MUCH better team with Gus Frerotte at QB.
Saints
Buccaneers
Bears
Eagles
Steelers
Patriots
Jets
Cardinals: Beating the 49ers and the Bills gets them here. I cannot see them any higher than this.
49ers
Bills
Jaguars
Colts
Falcons: Beating the Lions and Chiefs doesn't say much. Beating the Pack in Green Bay is a statement game.
Packers
Texans
Ravens
Browns
Seahawks
Dolphins: The Wildcat play is a neat gimmick. Emphasis on "gimmick".
Raiders: Enter "Tom the Cable Guy"...
Bengals: Teatering on the brink of "bad".

BAD

Lions
Rams
Chiefs

NFL Week 4 Team Rankings & Al Davis

No time for team comments this week, but I do want to comment on the Raiders firing of Lane Kiffin.

It seems easy for everyone to take shots at Al Davis, whose actions have marked him as clearly past his prime as an owner. However, what I heard in that press conference was a guy with a passion for his team from which many owners could learn. How many times do we see owners fly through the league for a few years then walk away with their profits? Not Davis. NEVER Davis. The Raiders are his passion. Even at his age, that passion shows.

Especially when it involves betrayal like he feels that Kiffin did. Davis would literally die for his team, and he expects nothing less from them. In this day and age of people changing jobs like pants, Davis is a leftover from a long ago era when people worked in jobs for their entire lives.

A lot of people say they would never want to work for Davis. While he is demanding, you would also know that he has your back. I cannot imagine anyone in the world I would rather work for.

GOOD

Giants
Redskins
Cowboys
Broncos
Panthers
Chargers

AVERAGE

Saints
Buccaneers
Bears
Eagles
Steelers
49ers
Patriots
Titans
Bills
Jaguars
Colts
Packers
Vikings
Texans
Ravens
Browns
Seahawks
Jets
Cardinals
Raiders
Bengals
Dolphins

BAD

Lions
Falcons
Rams
Chiefs