Established in 2014, Tampa Bay Rants and Raves is a weekly airing of local and national news, sports and historical notes from a politically incorrect viewpoint.

First thing on our mind:

It would be bad form to try to kill off your political opponent, but is that any worse than Biden/Harris and company providing a team of Barney Fifes to protect our 45^th President?

Leading off: Why do we elect these people?

Election Day is a little over a month away and Americans are stuck with two distasteful choices to lead our country, although one is much more distasteful than the other. Locally, we in District 13, having been spoiled by Bill Young for years, are now saddled with an upstart freshman who is simply over the top. Her most recent gambit is a mailing advertizing a series of group meetings designed to “help” you deal with government agencies. All of these meetings were conveniently planned from two months to one week before the general election. That is shoddy enough, but by labeling the mailing as “help with government,” Anna Paulina Luna was able to have we the taxpayers pay for what is blatantly a campaign advertisement. It’s too late now, but surely we could find someone much better and much more ethical for 2026.

Tampa Bay, politics and notes

A look into the future: last week we barely avoided a vehicle which ran a stop sign; then about a third of a mile down the road pulled into an establishment with a “Yes on Proposition 3” sign in front. With the wrong outcome, driving could become so much more adventurous after November.

Yet another lesson in economics for Kamala: she continues to mention high food prices and gouging in the same word salad. With margins of 1 to 2 percent in the grocery business, there’s precious little room for gouging.

As thousands of illegal aliens pour across our borders, the Catholic Diocese of Patterson, NJ is forced to sue the Justice Department to keep it from hassling foreign priests, legally in the country, ministering to 400,000 people in the diocese.

Related, Pope Francis recently advises Americans to choose the lesser evil presidential candidate. That makes it easier.

According to a survey published by Hillsdale College, over half of Americans (57%) have never read the U.S. Constitution. That may explain a lot. (Thanks to our friend TL).

Walgreens is nailed with a $106 million fine for false payment claims. Funny, you never read that about the old-time corner drugstore.

Banks are rewarding us with two tenths of a percent return on our savings, but are charging folks with lines of credit 12 percent without even blushing.

From the 5:05 Newsletter entertainment room: Some people exercise every day. On the other hand, I’m sitting here watching a TV show I don't like because the remote fell on the floor.

This week five years ago (TBRR 9/22/19) we handicapped the 2020 Democratic race thusly: The Democrats best play is to run Biden knowing full well he will be too old to serve in 2024 even if elected and focus on finding a more palatable choice for 2024. Well, we were sort of half right.

Sports, media and other notes:

By the time you read this, the hapless Chicago White Sox will have set the MLB record for losses in a season (120). While it has nothing to do with their record (we think), their team plane is pretty much a twin to the one in Major League.

Idle thought: we noticed a friend had 886 friends on his Facebook account. We’re not sure we know that many people.

If the aged Mick Jagger can keep a concert schedule, why do musicians half his age keep coming up with phony excuses for concert cancellations?

The AAC, which includes Tampa’s USF among its member schools, is looking to add Air Force which would group all three service academies in the same conference – neat idea.

We so enjoy the unique Athletic poll of all 134 Division One teams. As in most polls, Texas supplanted Georgia at #1, at the other end of the scale was Kent State remaining at 134. As for Florida squads: Miami (6); UCF (36); USF (62); UF (67); FSU (87); FAU (106) and FIU (109).

So when was the last time Miami, UCF and USF were all ranked above the Gators and Noles?

One last thing: George

Was there ever a more complex and confusing man in the world of sports than George Steinbrenner? He ran through managers and general managers like we run through shirts. He more than once (there is really no nicer word) screwed business associates, several here in the bay area. On the other hand, he anonymously did incredibly good deeds for people struck by tragedy. Many schools, including our wife’s, were beneficiaries of his largesse. Yet there is not even a simple plaque in that school to recognize his benevolence – at his request. Peter Golenbock’s book George lays out the contradictions in detail, although is troublesome in its errors – Roger Maris is not in the Hall of Fame and Lackland AFB is in San Antonio, not Houston. Shame on a well-known author like Golenbock for allowing these and other errors go to print. But overall, it is a fascinating read about an inscrutable man.

NEXT UP: Schiller & Plant; Postseason; Jimmy; Prospect Towers

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