SEX APPEAL & MONEY

You know I've been thinking about how it seems that a lot of how happiness is measured in American life is based on how either how sexy something is or how much money is attached to it. I know, this isn't a groundbreaking thought. But this is not just a question of how rich someone is or how good looking they are. This observation can apply to many different facets of American life and I'll try to hit on a couple in this post.

To me, the reality of Sex Appeal and Money is maybe the least attractive aspect of being alive in the USA today. A person perceived as being "sexy" but lacking in substance will always get the nod over someone who is bland or unsexy but deep and intelligent. Also, if you have sex appeal and money, no recession or depression can get you down and opportunity will usually be just around the corner. If you have one or the other, opportunities are there for you although you still have to work at building the American Dream. Lack either one however, and life will probably be an unrelenting struggle to find happiness. So it goes.

Finally, I would like to add that when I refer to sex appeal, I'm not just talking about looks. I'm talking about the perception of cool, of hipness, the ability to generate excitement in others. I'm talking about charisma and charm. I'm talking about the perception of being on the cutting edge or ahead of the curve. I'm talking about the quarterback, not the offensive lineman. Facebook as opposed to MySpace. It's the director as opposed to the screenwriter. The sizzle and not the steak. You know what I mean.

Kyle Orton?! Is That the Kid from South Park?

At one time the Denver Broncos had sex appeal and money. Now they've hired a kid coach, pissed off and then traded their petulant quarterback and it seems to me they've got neither. A six-and-ten season seemed inevitable with an unhappy Jay Cutler and a rebuilding, disjointed defense. Now, even that record seems like a pipe dream for 2009, unless the Broncos parlay their ten draft picks into their version of a lotto jackpot.

(See here for the latest story about the Broncos trade of Jay Cutler to the Chicago Bears.)

All that being said, I'm not a 100% convinced that Kyle Orton actually will be the Denver Broncos starting quarterback. I could see the Broncs turning around and packaging Orton, one of their 2009 first round picks and/or a later round pick in a deal for one of the Cleveland Browns' quarterbacks, most likely Derek Anderson. Or they can send a similar package to draft pick starved Carolina for defensive end Julius Peppers--then they could sign one of the remaining veteran free agent quarterbacks still remaining, like Byron Leftwich (who I like) or Jeff Garcia (not so much).

Whether Orton stays or not, one thing is clear--the Denver Broncos, one of the league's proudest and most successful franchises over the last 30 years, are in a full on rebuilding mode. I wish them luck, but when you're not sexy anymore, it gets a lot harder to keep people's interest and convince them that you're worth anything.

Now, could we please talk about something else, PLEASE?!

The Least Surprising Headline of the Week

Former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich was indicted on corruption charges today.

In a separate case, his hair was also indicted on seven counts of fraud, perjury and general ridiculousness.

Peace...