Oh wow, this is surprising.

Seven months after Cuyahoga County signed a deal for a $425 million convention center complex downtown, unexpected costs have pushed officials to consider a new site for the medical mart.

I don't know who would have seen this one coming. Never happens.

College Week 10

KPR with a 27-16 lead over The Campaign Junkie. The rout continues.

Kansas at Kansas State: TCJ: KU, KPR: KSU
Ohio State at Penn State: TCJ: OSU, KPR: OSU
Kent State at Akron: TCJ: AKR, KPR: KENT
Florida State at Clemson: TCJ: CLEM, KPR: FSU

Upset Specials, worth 2
TCJ: Purdue over Michigan
KPR: Duke over North Carolina

Hey, not much to say except the better team won. The Yankees got clutch hits, the Phillies really didnt. The Yankees had solid starting pitching, and outside Cliff Lee we really didnt. The Yankees didn't make critical mistakes. We did. I thought after Game 1 there was no chance New York would win the series. I was wrong.

Still, a lot to be proud of. Back to back National Leauge Championships. Back to back to back East Division Champions. So tough to get back to the World Series, and the Phillies did it. And they will be around in 2010, with the core of the team coming back. Can't win 'em all, you know. Congrats to the Yankees, and I speak for almost all Phillies fans in saying we'd love a rematch next season.

Ohio will have casino gambling. Bad deal for the state when you look at neighboring states. Great deal for those that bankrolled Issue 3. It was just a perfect storm for it to pass. But on the flip side, 34,000 new jobs for Ohio. And if you believe that, well then, I don't know what to tell you. Very disappointed to see something that was repeatedly rejected pass on a 5th try.

Christie wins in NJ. McDonnell in VA. Owens in NY-23. None that surprising, nor should they have been.

More tomorrow when I am not about to fall asleep at my keyboard.

NFL Picks Week 8 / College Week 9

Ben was busy and asked me to combine these into one post. First up, the ongoing NFL contest. The race for first continues to be tight, with a three way tie at the top. UPDATED

Bob Turkley, KPR IT Director, 15-13: (17-15)
Cleveland* (+13.5) at Chicago
Atlanta at New Orleans* (-10), Monday
Denver at Baltimore* (-3)
Carolina* (+10) at Arizona

Best of the Rest:
BJ, 19-9: CLE (+13.5), NO (-10), IND (-12.5), NYG (Pick) (19-13)
TheCampaignJunkie, 19-9: CHI (-13.5), NO (-10), NYG (Pick), MIA (+3) (21-11)
Mike D, 19-9: CHI (-13.5), NO (-10), DEN (+3), NYG (Pick) (20-12)
SmittyPop, 15-12-1: CHI (-13.5), ATL (+10), BAL (-3), PHI (Pick) (19-12-1)
KCook, 10-18: CHI (-13.5), ATL (+10), HOU (-3), SEA (+9.5) (13-19)

College Football, KPR with a 25-14 lead.
Texas at Oklahoma State: TCJ: OK ST, KPR: TEX
USC at Oregon: TCJ: ORE, KPR: ORE
South Carolina at Tennessee: TCJ: TENN, KPR:SC
Michigan State at Minnesota: TCJ: MSU, KPR: MSU

Upset Specials (worth 2):
TCJ: Georgia over Florida
KPR: Indiana over Iowa

Update: KPR maintains 12 point lead, 27-16

I'm going to have some questionable internet starting on Saturday for a few days, so I wanted to get this out while I have the chance.

I think, that no matter what happens, people will read too much into what happens on Tuesday in the few elections out there. That is what happens when there aren't that many races.

Issue 3: I'd be very surprised if this wasn't very close. Support for the casinos is polling in the mid-50's in the public poll. Typically, this would be bad news for proponents, as things like this tend to then underperform at the actual polls. I'm tempted to say that won't be the case this time, but who knows. People are scared about the economy and are looking for any answer. Those who support the casinos can taste victory. This certainly isn't like previous ones where everyone knew casinos would be defeated at the ballot. If it was ever going to pass, this would be the time, and what I wrote about this past fall/winter is coming true. It only takes one perfect storm to pass something that has been defeated soundly 4 times prior (albeit in different variations). I don't really know what is going to happen. There has just been so much money in favor of Issue 3. Wild guess, it fails. Barely.

You know, one other thing that I don't think has been discussed a lot is the plan by those bankrolling the casinos - smart move (both electorally and for their wallets) to put a casino in the four biggest cities to try and swing the votes in Lucas, Cuyahoga, Franklin, and Hamilton Counties.. Go back to the 2008 election results and see where the results there. It was going to be in Clinton County...which ended up being one of the handful of counties where it got a majority for it (along with Brown, Fayette, Highland, and Scioto). Now look at a map. Brown , Fayette, and Highland border Clinton. Scioto is just a quick trip away. The surrounding counties of Clinton that had a majority no? Clermont and Warren were relatively closer than those who are not. Greene also borders but it was soundly defeated there; however, you see the trend I am getting at.

I voted absentee, which I don't like doing. Obviously no on 3. Yes on 1. No on 2. The rest of stuff was judge and school board stuff.

Virginia Governor: Bob McDonnell is just the better candidate. Creigh Deeds is lousy. McDonnell in a blowout. GOP tries to play it up as a huge win, but more so just the standard rotation of parties in charge in VA.

New Jersey Governor: The GOP has been constantly burned in the Garden State, though I have always been skeptical and picked the Democrats. I don't know if it is an upset, but I think Chris Christie is going to defeat Jon Corzine. Probably will regret this pick, but this isn't a pick like "John Sununu over Jeanne Shaheen" when I knew I would be wrong and just wanted to be right. Independent candidate Chris Daggett is losing steam, and I think it will benefit Christie. Corzine seems to have a cap of around 42% or so. In a three way race, that could be enough. I'll say it won't be. Christie by a couple.

NY-23: Not really worked up over this one. I'll say the Democrat wins due to Republican fracture. Hopefully, wrong as Democrats will really crow about this victory because it has literally been since pre-Civil War time since they held this seat. I don't think a lot should be made out of this race either, even if Conservative Party Hoffman wins.

Probably will all be wrong. Also not sure why Michelle Obama decided to don what looked like a youth small jacket tonight for her World Series cameo.

*Also, I wanted to throw this news in here...potential bad news for Republican Steve Stivers in OH-15. Hopefully the this third party candidate won't be his undoing like it was in 2008. You would hope people in the 15th that were unsold in Stivers last time around realize what that third party vote means.....more Kilroy.

World Series, Game 1. 3.

Cliff Lee is superhuman. Those who know me know that I predicted a Phillies series win in 5. No reason to go back on it now. These guys are the best in baseball. There really isn't a doubt about it.

McRib comes back to McDonalds, starting Monday. Good times I guess.

No surprise, as Fox News (station that broke the Bush DUI in 2000 that about sunk his campaign) sees a ratings increase of 10% since the White House declared war. I understand the hate of Fox by both the White House and by the left, as they don't just parrot the lefty line. I have no problem with that - just like I have no problem with MSNBC being far left, I just wont watch. What I don't understand is why the White House decided to play up the feud.

Additionally, CNN is 4th in primetime. Behind Headline News.

NFL Picks, Week 7

No longer a three way tie for first, as BJ became the leader by 2 over The Campaign Junkie and Mike D.

Bob Turkley, KPR IT Director, 12-12 (15-13)
Green Bay at Cleveland (+9)
Philadelphia (-7) at Washington, Monday
Atlanta at Dallas (-4)
San Diego (-4.5) at Kansas City

Best of the Rest
BJ, 17-7: CLE (-9), PHI (-7), IND (-13.5), CHI (+1.5) (19-9)
TheCampaignJunkie 15-9, GB (-9), PHI (-7), SD (-4.5), NO (-6) (19-9)
Mike D, 15-9: GB (-9), PHI (-7), IND (-13.5), NO (-6) (19-9)
SmittyPop, 12-12: GB (-9), PHI (-7), HOU (-3), NO (-6) (15-12-1)
KCook, 9-15: CLE (+9), WSH (+7), NYJ (-5.5), MIN (+5.5) (10-18)

TV maps here; local viewers to see Packers-Browns at 1 on FOX with a doubleheader at 4 showing Bears-Bengals on CBS and Jets at Raiders on FOX. Raiders two weeks in a row. Love how at the end of the Raiders win last week the announcers were saying "this is a win that could turn the Raiders season around." No, they are one of the worst NFL teams in the past 20 years.

College Football, Week 8

Leading 21-12 over The Campaign Junkie and looking to expand the lead. Here are this week's selections. We both picked Florida State but didn't post it. No reason to lie, we aren't doing this for money and someone down 9 wouldn't agree to it anyways.

Florida State at North Carolina, Thursday: TCJ: FSU, KPR: FSU
Penn State at Michigan: TCJ: PSU, KPR: MICH
Iowa at Michigan State: TCJ: IOWA, KPR: MSU
South Florida at Pitt: TCJ: SF, KPR: PITT

Upset Specials
TCJ: Illinois over Purdue
KPR: Kent State over Ohio University

25-14 KPR.

Agreement with this. The RNC and NRCC should ask for their money back for the candidate they support in the NY-23 special election.

This lady running, Dede Scozzafava, is not a Republican. I have no problem with some representatives having a few policy differences, that is the only way to get back in the majority. The whole "big tent" thing. But this lady is a Democrat. Or as it has been coined, DIABLO, Democrat in all but label only. The last straw for most was a recent incident - her husband calling the police on Weekly Standard reporter John McCormack, who was attempting to question the GOP nominee on some of her policy stances following a campaign event.

Doug Hoffman is running on the Conservative Party line as a third candidate. The district is pretty evenly split, and is currently vacant because the Republican who represented it resigned to become Army Secretary. Hoffman is probably going to cause the Democrats to win. Normally, I object to runs like this, but in this case, if a Democrat is going to win, I'd just assume the Democrat who identifies as one win.

Los Angeles and California approve a deal to build a football stadium just east of the city. There were a couple absurd things in this article, but here is one that I definitely don't understand how someone can say and expect people to believe it:

Majestic guaranteed parking lot attendants and concession stand workers would be paid middle-class wages, said Maria Elena Durazo, head of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor. "This is true economic development," Durazo said. "It's going to benefit everyone in our community."

So lets just assume that Los Angeles does get a team to move there (which we shouldn't). They will play 10 home games a year, including the preseason games. Maybe a home playoff game or two. So at an absolute maximum, there would be 12 games. And I am sure there would be an occasional college game there and maybe some other event. Lets just say - and I am way overshooting here on purpose - that the new stadium hosts 30 events a year.

So parking lot and concession stand workers will be working approx. 2-3 days per month. So either working at the new LA Stadium would be the best job ever because you would work maybe an average of 3 days a month and earn a livable wage, or Durazo is just lying. Probably the latter.

National League Champions.
4.