Raiders of the Simplicity Principle: Week 6 Picks

Plato taught that the beauty of style, harmony, grace and good rhythm depend on simplicity.

Uncle Babis was a damn good purveyor. He curated fruit and vegetables like he was prepping exhibits at the Louvre. Like a wild boar stalking its prey each of his five senses were acutely engaged as he examined oranges, lemons and watermelons.

He would track the dimples on their rind gently, reading sweetness, acidity and juice content. His nose could pick up details unfathomable to even the finest manavi; fertilizers, astringency and God forbid, pesticides. To him a watermelon’s echo was a melody of succulence, sugar and shelf life. 

His dream was to broker in Athens at the Varvakeios Agora in Renti. Against premonition he set off for the big lights and late nights in the urban jungle. Athens was a different animal than Argos. His profound love of produce was overshadowed by the savage, unrelenting and frenetic pressure of cut throat deal making. Different values were celebrated and he lost his edge.

Like cud for a cow Babis was chewed up, sent down the chute, chewed and churned again. 

His confidence was broken, his ego tattered and his dream was lost. He longed for Argos and the simple life. It was there that he fell in love with the land and its bounty. It was there that his methodical rhythm was celebrated. It was there that he returned and reopened his famous produce stand much to the gratitude of his people. 

Quarterbacking is as much mental as it is physical and technical. Daniel Jones flight from the churn of the big Apple has given respite to his frazzled psyche. On the Fitz and Whit show he said, “A lot of things are simpler here in Indy; the city, the football, it’s been fun…”

Even his teammates have noticed; Riley Leonard told John Gruden, ”…the most important thing he (DJ) taught me is how to keep my life extremely simple…”

With a clear headspace Danny Dimes isn’t playing skittish. He’s been dishing out dimes at a 64.5% clip against the blitz in Indy vs 40.9% against in NY. Dodging pedestrians, yellow cabs, media jabs and 300 lb. linemen may be too much to ask of a simple boy from Charlotte. 

Kazantzakis wrote in Zorbas the Greek, "I felt once more how simple and frugal a thing is happiness: a glass of wine, a roast chestnut, a wretched little brazier, the sound of the sea. Nothing else.” 

For a season this truth resonated in Babis. He was back in step with his rhythm, his people, his land. He could operate seamlessly, simply, at peace with place and time away from the relentless noise and raucously unnerving chatter. 

In time though, it seems Babis had opened a Pandora’s box that couldn’t be closed. The echo of his Athens undoing was too persistent, too pervasive and too obtrusive. He had tasted the big stage and couldn’t shake the stain of his epic failure. His ego had taken a punch he couldn’t survive. We found the remains of what the vultures didn’t pick away at the bottom of Didima Crag.  

Ultimately, tragedy is often an inescapable arc. Jones’ time in NY was too long, the failure too deep the burn of the scorn too harsh not to haunt him and foretell his demise.

You can safely back him most of the season until the pressure ratchets up and the Colts play the Chiefs on November 23, the finish the year with the Jaguars and Texans twice, the Seahawks and the 49ers.

Indiana Jones has a really good supporting cast around him, but the big games are like the big city and spotlight for Babis. It's too tough for Jones to hack it.

This week we'll take him to cover over depleted Arizona (-7.5). The line has moved several points due to the injuries to the Cardinals. We also like Drake “Maybe” and the Pats to cover the -3.5 over the feisty Saints, whose QB should be congratulated for winning his first game in 11 starts.

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Season 7-5