Television

So, last night I watched the series premiere of "Madame Secretary," which conservatives have been slamming for months as a liberal Hollywood plot to pave the way for Hillary Clinton's presidential run. You know -- tough-talking, blonde secretary of state takes on the establishment and blah, blah, blah.

Pity the NFL. Stung by criticism of its fumbling of the Ray Rice controversy, it seems befuddled about how to handle accusations against Adrian Peterson:

Janay Rice, victim of husband Ray's knockout punch, is lashing out at the media for "making us relive a moment in our lives that we regret everyday" and for taking "something away from the man that I love." That prompts this question:

A worthy rebuttal from the one person qualified to make it — or an attempt to shift blame?

During any hot story, people will use the buzz generated as an opportunity to trot out a pet theory. This is my favorite from this week: NFL is in tatters, and only Condi Rice can save it!

Little tribute in that headline to Joan Rivers, who might appreciate this if she weren't ailing:

Well, congratulations. We've survived to enjoy another NFL season. Pro football is about the only sport I still pay attention to, so naturally I'm on the opposite side of all those thumb-sucking dweebs who think our passions are fraught with symbolism about all that's wrong with the world:

I suppose I should take this seriously, Maybe I will, if I can ever stop laughing:

Wow. Hot stuff from the new president of NBC News:

NBC News President Deborah Turness had some tough words for "Meet the Press," telling the New York Times in an interview published Sunday that the show had been raking over the "cold embers" of news from the week before.

Boy, I hate to admit it, but Dan Rather sort of has a point. Or at least he brings up something that deserves greater discussion:

I don't have anything to say about Robin Williams the performer or public figure. That's been well-covered all over the say. But I'm a little troubled by all the posible reasons given for the depression that led him to commit suicide:  He had money trouble, his career was sputtering, he had survivor's guilt, his drug and acohol abuse caught up with him. Michael Levine, a publicist who knew him for 30 years, gets it right: