Random Tuesday Morning Thoughts

• I have no idea whether the Ferguson cop should have been indicted, but that DA is mentally challenged. He holds a press conference to announce the decision at 8:00 p.m. at night with all sorts of notice? The only thing he didn't do was send out RSVP cards to potential rioters.
• And a grand jury isn't like a regular jury. This isn't a situation of "they've reached a verdict -- time to announce it."  He controls everything about them. What we saw last night was a grasp at 15 minutes of fame.
• And I actually agree with Michelle Malkin: "St Louis Prosecutor McCulloch criticizes media/social media at press conference timed for maximum media/social media coverage."
• Did you hear him say that he didn't present any evidence to the grand jury but that he left the process up to his two assistance? Good lord. That's as crazy as Kenneth Starr's admission that he never interviewed or spoke to Monica Lewinsky. 
• The DA also said his office didn't make a recommendation to the grand jury. He's lying. I ran the Wise County grand jury for eight years. I worked in grand jury section of the Tarrant County DA's office as well. Prosecutors always make a recommendation. And even if they didn't, you cannot present a case without inserting your opinion. Heck, grand jurors want to know your opinion. 
• With the reputation of prosecutors being at an all time low right now due to withholding evidence and unethical conduct, that guy was the last thing they needed last night. 
• And his "sympathies for the cops run deep. His father was a St. Louis policeman killed in the line of duty by a black man when McCulloch was 12. His brother, nephew and cousin all served with the St. Louis police. His mother worked as a clerk for the force for 20 years. McCulloch would have joined the force too, but he lost a leg in high school due to cancer. 'I couldn’t become a policeman, so being county prosecutor is the next best thing,' he once said."  Good grief.
• "Former New York state Chief Judge Sol Wachtler famously remarked that a prosecutor could persuade a grand jury to 'indict a ham sandwich.' The data suggests he was barely exaggerating: According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, U.S. attorneys prosecuted 162,000 federal cases in 2010, the most recent year for which we have data. Grand juries declined to return an indictment in 11 of them." Source. (Yes, I know the Ferguson grand jury was a state grand jury, but the data would be the same.) 
• Bottom line: There was never a chance in the world there would be an indictment. (And I said that at the courthouse last week.)
• "This is the biggest indictment of all: The Jets' special teams are worse than the offense." -- Sports Illustrated's goofy Peter King's tweet at the moment the Ferguson indictment news was being released. He later apologized saying he wasn't aware of the news (which means he didn't engage in dark humor but instead is oblivious in general.) 
• I came home last night and everyone in the house was wearing glasses. New. Prescription. Glasses. 
• Today, BagOfNothing discusses my "how can you care about who wins in professional sports?" point from yesterday. I know I'm in the minority on this. However, the ultimate defining moment for me was when a Dallas Cowboy, after losing a critical last season game of the year, yelled "Free agency, baby!" as he entered the locker room. (Someone help me out and find out who that was. I can't locate it. It wasn't Pacman Jones, but it was around the same time.) 
• TCU/Texas on Thanksgiving night is fascinating. At first I wanted TCU to lose since it would cause Baylor to jump them in the rankings. But if you are of the belief that Baylor, if they win out,  will jump TCU regardless (which should be true), Baylor should want TCU to win.  I have Sports Confusion.