.... in the regular season, every great athlete is going to be remembered for what he does in the playoffs. What a choke job by Steve Nash last night in San Antonio. Now the Suns are reportedly cutting ties with a good coach in Mike D'Antoi and are on the hook to pay a washed up Shaq somewhere in the neighborhood of 8 billion dollars over the next 2 seasons. Well done. The lesson here is never bet money on a Canadian.
I don't feel like writing anything "funny" or "interesting" today but I owe it to my many, many readers to be entertaining so I have come up with what I feel is a fair compromise: I will be linking you all to several sites I enjoy. This way it will appear that I have taken time out of my day to entertain you all when really I'll just be passing off the work of others onto you, so I can go out, get drunk, and watch the 'Zards game.
Here we go:
**** http://www.mikeymillz.blogspot.com/
This guy is a new member of the blogging community with a style all his own. A must read for blogging fans. In fact, I am as positive as Magic Johnson that you will enjoy this guy's blog. Nice work, Mike.
**** http://http://www.golfodds.com//
Now here's a good site. Golfodds.com has been mentioned in the LA Times, NY Times, Sports Illustrated, and USA Today. If you don't believe me just ask the guy who runs it. I also heard something about it being in Ebony Magazine for some reason. Seriously, this site has a lot of good information for golf enthusiasts and fans of sports betting. But to me the best part is the way that the proprietor of the site never tries to impress anyone by mentioning its many accolades and he always takes the time to welcome new people to the fascinating world of website management with dignity and class. Thanks a lot, Jeff. Keep up the good work!
**** http://sports.espn.go.com/broadband/video/videopage?videoId=3373995
Here's a link to a video of ESPN's Bill Simmons taking a trip to Caesars Palace where he is welcomed into their back room and allowed to help create a prop bet. Interesting to note that Simmons chooses not to call out the proper rotation numbers when making his bet. It is hard to remember (or at the very least remember to write down) 3 and sometimes 4 digit numbers when approaching the betting window so I guess I'll let it go. He looks like he had been hanging out with Austin and Chad the previous night, too. The only thing I don't understand about this video is why Simmons didn't go to the best sportsbook in the world: The Red Rock. Maybe he wanted to make a halftime wager? Enjoy.
**** http://www.basketball-reference.com/
I saved the best for last. This could be the greatest website I've ever seen. Last night I was on the internet for an undisclosed amount of time playing the following game with one of my old buddies from high school: Name a random NBA player, then create an "Over/Under" total for how much money that player made during his playing career, and see how close you come to the actual figure. It was one of the greatest wastes of time of my entire life and also the most fun I've had since college.
This site is great but there are some drawbacks. You may end up becoming addicted to it and you may end up throwing up a little in your mouth when you see things like the fact that Shawn Bradley made almost $70 Million to play basketball. They also give you the option of "sponsoring" individual player's pages for X amount of dollars per year. In my opinion this has no ceiling in terms of comedic potential. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll feel sick when you see how much money Stephon Marbury is being paid to do nothing. There's nothing about this site I don't love. You're welcome and I'm sorry.
I like the Dodgers and the Rangers tonight.
( See what I did there, Chris? I was able to express who I like without having to give my numbers because I didn't actually say I was betting on them. This way if they both win I can say I bet on them at really good prices but if they both lose I'll just say I "liked them" but never got around to betting it. I am good. )
Trivia Question for Wednesday - Name the four defensive linemen who comprised the Minnesota Vikings famed Purple People Eaters Front Four. I could only think of 3 and had to look up the 4th so I consider this a pretty good question.
** Sunday/Monday's answer - Dave Winfield was drafted by the NFL, NBA, MLB, and ABA. He was a Minnesota Golden Golpher. Congrats to CG for correctly answering a small percentage of that question.
Enjoy the game.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Monday, April 28, 2008
We're approaching 3 AM
.... in Denver but the blog is willing to bet that Nuggets stars Allen Iverson and Carmelo Anthony are still out on the town despite this being the eve of Game 4 of Denver's first round playoff series with the Los Angeles Lakers. This blogger is making a wild prediction for that game: back and forth for the first 3 quarters, the Lakers will make a run and open up a lead, and the Nuggets will pack it in. Break out the brooms and fathers be sure to keep a close on your daughter's as Kobe's going to have something to celebrate on Monday night.
The NFL Draft wrapped up on Sunday afternoon with the St. Louis Rams selection of Idaho LB David Vobora. I had 10 dimes on Mr. Irrelevant being an offensive player so that was a bit of a blow. It took me a long time to get that much down too, what with Bodog's limit of "To Win 10 Bucks," but whatever. I may need to switch to Fezzik's book which was reportedly taking up 500 grand on that prop.
For the record, ESPN describes Vobora as a "physical linebacker who plays with a mean streak." In other words, he is slow and white. I wish someone would compile an official translation guide for all NFL draft terms. For instance, "tremendous upside" means that a player is very talented but so far has been too stupid to put it together. "Lacks athleticism" means that a player is white. "Heady" means that a player sucks, and so on....
As promised, I will now break down the draft. At least the draft for the 4 NFC East teams.
If you'd like another team's breakdown, shoot me an e-mail or call my hotline. We can work something out.
Dallas Cowboys
Best Pick: Mike Jenkins, CB, South Florida
This 1st round pick makes a lot of sense to me. Jenkins is a fine backup plan in case Pac Man Jones is arrested this season which is probably about a 60/40 proposition.
Worst Pick: Tashard Choice, RB, Georgia Tech
This 4th round pick seems dumb to me. ESPN describes Choice as a a player who "doesn't have breakaway speed and will put the ball on the ground." And they already drafted RB Felix Jones in the 1st round. And they already have a Pro Bowl RB in Marion Barber III, who is actually really good. Nice pick, Jerry.
Final Grade: A-
They had an extra first round pick because they somehow talked the Browns into giving them a 1 for Brady Quinn last year. That alone gets them my highest NFC East draft grade.
Philadelphia Eagles
Best Pick: I'm not particularly crazy about any of the players Philly got but I loved the trade they pulled off with Carolina. This was by all accounts a relatively weak draft and the Eagles managed to get the Panthers 2009 1st rounder and pick up several picks in this year's draft in exchange for the 19th pick this year. Keep in mind that Carolina is one injury to Jake Delhomme away from starting something named Matt Moore at QB. Plus Delhomme sucks. This move may look pretty awesome next April.
Worst Pick: Jack Ikegwouno, CB, Wisconsin
I don't even know where to begin with this one. Ikegwuono is out for the season with a torn ACL. He has never had great speed and teams were concerned about his ability to play corner in the pros BEFORE the injury. And to make matters worse all the talking heads on NFL Network were gushing about what a steal he was. I'll set the line right now at 'pick' whether this guy ever plays a down in the NFL outside of special teams.
Final Grade: B
I didn't like their draft but all the moron Eagles fans hated it so it must be better than it looks. Carolina's 2008 season will go a long way to determining how good this draft really was for Philly.
Washington Redskins
Best Pick: Chad Rinehart, G, Northern Iowa
He's big, he's strong, and he's neither a WR or TE. I love this pick.
Worst Pick: Fred David, TE, USC
The Redskins have holes at almost every position on the field so they traded down to acquire extra picks in the draft. Makes sense. What doesn't make sense is turning around and using one of their 3 2nd round draft choices on a position where they already have a Pro Bowl player (Chris Cooley) who is 26 years old. Unbelievable. You know a pick is bad when it can be considered the worst pick of the draft by a team that takes Colt Brennan.
Final Grade: C-
Why do I feel like I could do a better job running this team than the braintrust of Dan Snyder and Vinny Cerrato?
New York Giants
Best Pick: Kenny Phillips, S, Miami (FL)
The Giants needed a safety after losing Gibril Wilson to the Raiders in free agency. So they calmly waited until it was their turn to pick and drafted the best safety in the draft. Makes sense to me.
Worst Pick: Andre Woodson, QB, Kentucky
There must be something wrong with him if he fell all the way to the 6th round. Plus he jeopardizes fellow UK grad Jared Lorenzen's roster spot. Not to mention the fact that I wasted almost 5 minutes trying to figure out how to put an accent mark over the "E" in his name. No, I am not happy about this pick at all.
Final Grade: B-
I can't believe this garbage team actually won the Super Bowl.
Damn, that is a lot of blogging and I have't even made any picks for Monday or mentioned Jorgen. Yes, there's Jorgen's name. You can all stop skimming down now. I'll make a few jokes about him. Try to contain yourselves. The "Name Jorgen's First Born Son" contest is still going on and the name "Gunnar" seems to be in the clubhouse pacing around nervously like a young Ryan Moore. Let's see who can top that one. Working with the golf theme, how about Jesper (pronounced Yesper) as in the golfer Parnevik? Yesper Yohnson. We're also accepting boxing names, since Jorgen has consistently proven himself to be something of a boxing oracle. How does Cassius Johnson sound? I wonder if Dan's library has a big book of Swedish boxing names....
I did so much damn blogging tonight I had no time to thoroughly research Monday's baseball games. Fortunately, it's really, really easy to pick AL winners and I've unearthed this gem, as well as 2 other plays:
Oakland A's (AL Lock of the Day)
Boston/Atlanta Under
Flyers
The blog went 3-2 on Sunday with winners on the Jays, 'Rats, and Stars. The Rangers and 'Zards were losers. Hope for better things on Monday.
As for the trivia section, I'll give you all a second chance to answer this question because I think it's a good one:
Trivia Question for Sunday/Monday - Dave Winfield was drafted by 4 professional sports leagues. Name them. Bonus point(s) for naming any/all of the teams or what college he went to.
Enjoy the game.
The NFL Draft wrapped up on Sunday afternoon with the St. Louis Rams selection of Idaho LB David Vobora. I had 10 dimes on Mr. Irrelevant being an offensive player so that was a bit of a blow. It took me a long time to get that much down too, what with Bodog's limit of "To Win 10 Bucks," but whatever. I may need to switch to Fezzik's book which was reportedly taking up 500 grand on that prop.
For the record, ESPN describes Vobora as a "physical linebacker who plays with a mean streak." In other words, he is slow and white. I wish someone would compile an official translation guide for all NFL draft terms. For instance, "tremendous upside" means that a player is very talented but so far has been too stupid to put it together. "Lacks athleticism" means that a player is white. "Heady" means that a player sucks, and so on....
As promised, I will now break down the draft. At least the draft for the 4 NFC East teams.
If you'd like another team's breakdown, shoot me an e-mail or call my hotline. We can work something out.
Dallas Cowboys
Best Pick: Mike Jenkins, CB, South Florida
This 1st round pick makes a lot of sense to me. Jenkins is a fine backup plan in case Pac Man Jones is arrested this season which is probably about a 60/40 proposition.
Worst Pick: Tashard Choice, RB, Georgia Tech
This 4th round pick seems dumb to me. ESPN describes Choice as a a player who "doesn't have breakaway speed and will put the ball on the ground." And they already drafted RB Felix Jones in the 1st round. And they already have a Pro Bowl RB in Marion Barber III, who is actually really good. Nice pick, Jerry.
Final Grade: A-
They had an extra first round pick because they somehow talked the Browns into giving them a 1 for Brady Quinn last year. That alone gets them my highest NFC East draft grade.
Philadelphia Eagles
Best Pick: I'm not particularly crazy about any of the players Philly got but I loved the trade they pulled off with Carolina. This was by all accounts a relatively weak draft and the Eagles managed to get the Panthers 2009 1st rounder and pick up several picks in this year's draft in exchange for the 19th pick this year. Keep in mind that Carolina is one injury to Jake Delhomme away from starting something named Matt Moore at QB. Plus Delhomme sucks. This move may look pretty awesome next April.
Worst Pick: Jack Ikegwouno, CB, Wisconsin
I don't even know where to begin with this one. Ikegwuono is out for the season with a torn ACL. He has never had great speed and teams were concerned about his ability to play corner in the pros BEFORE the injury. And to make matters worse all the talking heads on NFL Network were gushing about what a steal he was. I'll set the line right now at 'pick' whether this guy ever plays a down in the NFL outside of special teams.
Final Grade: B
I didn't like their draft but all the moron Eagles fans hated it so it must be better than it looks. Carolina's 2008 season will go a long way to determining how good this draft really was for Philly.
Washington Redskins
Best Pick: Chad Rinehart, G, Northern Iowa
He's big, he's strong, and he's neither a WR or TE. I love this pick.
Worst Pick: Fred David, TE, USC
The Redskins have holes at almost every position on the field so they traded down to acquire extra picks in the draft. Makes sense. What doesn't make sense is turning around and using one of their 3 2nd round draft choices on a position where they already have a Pro Bowl player (Chris Cooley) who is 26 years old. Unbelievable. You know a pick is bad when it can be considered the worst pick of the draft by a team that takes Colt Brennan.
Final Grade: C-
Why do I feel like I could do a better job running this team than the braintrust of Dan Snyder and Vinny Cerrato?
New York Giants
Best Pick: Kenny Phillips, S, Miami (FL)
The Giants needed a safety after losing Gibril Wilson to the Raiders in free agency. So they calmly waited until it was their turn to pick and drafted the best safety in the draft. Makes sense to me.
Worst Pick: Andre Woodson, QB, Kentucky
There must be something wrong with him if he fell all the way to the 6th round. Plus he jeopardizes fellow UK grad Jared Lorenzen's roster spot. Not to mention the fact that I wasted almost 5 minutes trying to figure out how to put an accent mark over the "E" in his name. No, I am not happy about this pick at all.
Final Grade: B-
I can't believe this garbage team actually won the Super Bowl.
Damn, that is a lot of blogging and I have't even made any picks for Monday or mentioned Jorgen. Yes, there's Jorgen's name. You can all stop skimming down now. I'll make a few jokes about him. Try to contain yourselves. The "Name Jorgen's First Born Son" contest is still going on and the name "Gunnar" seems to be in the clubhouse pacing around nervously like a young Ryan Moore. Let's see who can top that one. Working with the golf theme, how about Jesper (pronounced Yesper) as in the golfer Parnevik? Yesper Yohnson. We're also accepting boxing names, since Jorgen has consistently proven himself to be something of a boxing oracle. How does Cassius Johnson sound? I wonder if Dan's library has a big book of Swedish boxing names....
I did so much damn blogging tonight I had no time to thoroughly research Monday's baseball games. Fortunately, it's really, really easy to pick AL winners and I've unearthed this gem, as well as 2 other plays:
Oakland A's (AL Lock of the Day)
Boston/Atlanta Under
Flyers
The blog went 3-2 on Sunday with winners on the Jays, 'Rats, and Stars. The Rangers and 'Zards were losers. Hope for better things on Monday.
As for the trivia section, I'll give you all a second chance to answer this question because I think it's a good one:
Trivia Question for Sunday/Monday - Dave Winfield was drafted by 4 professional sports leagues. Name them. Bonus point(s) for naming any/all of the teams or what college he went to.
Enjoy the game.
Sunday, April 27, 2008
I'm going to wait
.... until after Day 2 to hand out my official NFL Draft grades. It's impossible to give the Redskins a grade until I see just how many WRs they end up with. I have to move on from this topic because there is no profanity allowed in the blog.
Here's what I'm playing on Sunday:
N.Y. Rangers (Silver Bullet Special)
Toronto Blue Jays (AL Lock of the Day)
Dallas Stars
Washington Wizards
Pittsburgh Pirates
Busy day for the blog. I'm doing that thing where I don't post the numbers I get on any of my plays so I can lie about them afterwards. No one has called me out on it yet so I figure I can keep getting away with it for the time being.
Since I know most of you just skim ahead until I get to Jorgen anyway.... Let's talk about the contest.
It's pretty simple. You can either post a name suggestion by commenting at the end of the blog or you can send me an e-mail at john051@hotmail.com. I've received some good name ideas so far but I think we can do better. My current personal favorite is Gunnar.
Sorry for the short blog today. I'll be back strong tomorrow with my NFL Draft recap. Send in those names!
Trivia Question for Sunday - Dave Winfield was drafted by 4 professional sports leagues. Name them. Bonus point(s) for naming any/all of the teams or what college he went to.
Friday's answer was Gar Heard. That one was too easy.
Enjoy the game.
Here's what I'm playing on Sunday:
N.Y. Rangers (Silver Bullet Special)
Toronto Blue Jays (AL Lock of the Day)
Dallas Stars
Washington Wizards
Pittsburgh Pirates
Busy day for the blog. I'm doing that thing where I don't post the numbers I get on any of my plays so I can lie about them afterwards. No one has called me out on it yet so I figure I can keep getting away with it for the time being.
Since I know most of you just skim ahead until I get to Jorgen anyway.... Let's talk about the contest.
It's pretty simple. You can either post a name suggestion by commenting at the end of the blog or you can send me an e-mail at john051@hotmail.com. I've received some good name ideas so far but I think we can do better. My current personal favorite is Gunnar.
Sorry for the short blog today. I'll be back strong tomorrow with my NFL Draft recap. Send in those names!
Trivia Question for Sunday - Dave Winfield was drafted by 4 professional sports leagues. Name them. Bonus point(s) for naming any/all of the teams or what college he went to.
Friday's answer was Gar Heard. That one was too easy.
Enjoy the game.
Friday, April 25, 2008
Feel free to hit the snooze button
.... tomorrow morning. The NFL has decided to push back the start of their draft to 3 PM EST on Saturday instead of the traditional Noon start time. A lot of you have e-mailed the blog asking if I knew why. Here's what I have come up with: The new start time gives jackass Giants and Eagles fans an extra 3 hours to get drunk enough to embarass themselves booing their newest player for no apparent reason. See: McNabb, Donovan.
I got a lot of calls this week from people wanting to talk shop about the Draft. My plan was to do team-by-team Draft Day previews of all 32 teams. Then it hit me: I am in no way qualified to do that. I really don't know anything about the NFL, let alone the NFL Draft. I certainly don't have any inside contacts that could at least clue me in to what teams are thinking. Therefore, I have decided to only do previews of the teams I know best. These four teams comprise the only relevant division in the NFL. Together they have represented the NFC on Super Sunday 19 times and won 11 Super Bowl Championships. ( This division is so strong that you could take away the Philadelphia Eagles many accomplishments and you'd still have 11 Super Bowl crowns! ) Without further ado, the blog offers its advice to the four NFC East teams for this weekend's NFL Draft:
Dallas Cowboys
This team appears to be headed in the right direction. Dallas already has a bright, young coach in Wade Phillips and arguably the greatest QB in the history of the NFL in Tony Romo. With 0 career playoff wins and an almost unfathomable career average of more than 1 INT per game despite his team almost always playing with the lead, Romo has established himself as one of the game's true greats. Romo only threw 20 picks last season so it might not be possible for him and the offense to be any more efficient in 2008 than it was a year ago. However, I feel that the inevitable trade for Chris Henry and first round draft choices spent on Arkansas RB Felix Jones and California WR Desean Jackson will somehow make things even easier for Romo than they already are, and give the Dallas offense the boost it needs to choke in a later round than they did last season.
What The Blog Would Do: Draft Jones and Jackson
What the Cowboys Will Do: I'm hearing that Dallas Owner Jerry Jones has spotted some young talent in the prison system and may not use his draft picks, instead opting to use rookie salary cap money to bring in some more "misunderstood" players.
2008 Prediction: Dallas will choke in the playoffs again but I know if I saw this team walking down the street, I'd quickly cross to the other side.
Philadelphia Eagles
Speaking of incarcerated youths, Eagles Head Coach Andy Reid has to be feeling the heat in Philly after his club was the only NFC East franchise to miss out on last year's postseason. Reid has acted accordingly this offseason with agressive moves, such as signing CB Asante "Hands" Samuel who brings his clutch skills to Philly and will provide a huge upgrade over the garbage Lito Sheppard. The Eagles have to be considered a darkhorse contender in the NFC East this season with Reid and durable QB Donovan McNabb leading the way.
What The Blog Would Do: Finally draft a WR.
What the Eagles Will Do: Draft another bland defensive lineman who will battle lingering injuries and be out of the NFL in 4 years.
2008 Prediction: Philly rebounds and makes the playoffs. All of their fans will still bitch about everything that happens this season.
Washington Redskins
The Redskins returned to the postseason in 2007 but were vanquished by the Seattle Sehawks in the first round, prompting Joe Gibbs to retire for a second time. Enter Jim Zorn, former Seahawks coach and QB to take over Dan Snyder's fantasy team. After making trade offers for WRs Chad Johnson of the Bengals and Anquan Boldin of the Cardinals, it is pretty clear what direction the Redskins are looking to go in with their first round pick. The team needs a reliable possession WR, something they have not had since Rod Garnder....I mean Michael Westbrook.... ok.... Art Monk. They want Michigan State WR Devin Thomas but it is unlikely that he will fall to the 21st pick.
What The Blog Would Do: Hope that Derrick Harvey falls to the 21st pick and take him. The Redskins haven't had a good pass rusher since Dexter Manley was allowed out in public.
What the Redskins Will Do: Reach for some garbage WR who never pans out. I wonder what Taylor Jacobs is doing these days.
2008 Prediction: Winning at the Giants on opening night will most likely be the highlight of the season. Without Gibbs there to work his December magic, this team probably misses the postseason.
New York Giants
I should just leave this space blank. With Head Coach Tom Coughlin leading talented players like Eli Manning and Brandon Jacobs onto the field every Sunday, it's hard to believe this team actually lost a game last season. I don't see any way to improve this team. There's no holes on this roster.
What The Blog Would Do: Keep the design for the "Throw a Hail Mary into a Sea of Players in Opposing Jerseys and Hope that a Garbage WR Who Will Probably Be Cut This Season Miracously Catches the Ball Off His Helmet" play under wraps to ensure that none of the other teams copy it. Plays like that are exactly why Bill Belichick owns so much surveillance equipment.
What the Giants Will Do: Draft a safety to replace Gibril Wilson. Kenny Phillips is good.
2008 Prediction: 19-0, Super Bowl champs. What a team.
I know this was a particularly long blog but I felt I owed it to my readers after taking the last two days off. A lot of you have e-mailed me stating that I need to feature Jorgen Johnson in this space even more than I already do. Without you guys, the blog would be nothing, so I am taking your advice and starting a new contest called "Name Jorgen's First Born Son." Simply comment at the end of the blog with your prediction on what Jorgen and Amanda will be naming their first son. Possible names include Anders, Sven, Jorgen Junior, Yorgen Yunior, Ulf, Bjorn, and Leif. When you post your suggested name, please leave your contact information. The person who comes up with the best name will win an as yet undetermined prize.
I spent too much time blogging today to place any bets. I need the Suns to win tonight to keep my future ticket alive.
Trivia Question for Friday - Which former NBA head coach made one of the most famous shots in NBA history from the top of the key to force triple overtime in Game 5 of the 1976 NBA Finals between the Boston Celtics and Phoenix Suns?
** Tuesday's answer - Joe Barry Carroll was traded from the Warriors to the Celtics in exchange for Robert Parrish and a draft pick used on Kevin McHale. Bonus point to ES for knowing that Carroll went to Purdue. Cheers.
Enjoy the game.
I got a lot of calls this week from people wanting to talk shop about the Draft. My plan was to do team-by-team Draft Day previews of all 32 teams. Then it hit me: I am in no way qualified to do that. I really don't know anything about the NFL, let alone the NFL Draft. I certainly don't have any inside contacts that could at least clue me in to what teams are thinking. Therefore, I have decided to only do previews of the teams I know best. These four teams comprise the only relevant division in the NFL. Together they have represented the NFC on Super Sunday 19 times and won 11 Super Bowl Championships. ( This division is so strong that you could take away the Philadelphia Eagles many accomplishments and you'd still have 11 Super Bowl crowns! ) Without further ado, the blog offers its advice to the four NFC East teams for this weekend's NFL Draft:
Dallas Cowboys
This team appears to be headed in the right direction. Dallas already has a bright, young coach in Wade Phillips and arguably the greatest QB in the history of the NFL in Tony Romo. With 0 career playoff wins and an almost unfathomable career average of more than 1 INT per game despite his team almost always playing with the lead, Romo has established himself as one of the game's true greats. Romo only threw 20 picks last season so it might not be possible for him and the offense to be any more efficient in 2008 than it was a year ago. However, I feel that the inevitable trade for Chris Henry and first round draft choices spent on Arkansas RB Felix Jones and California WR Desean Jackson will somehow make things even easier for Romo than they already are, and give the Dallas offense the boost it needs to choke in a later round than they did last season.
What The Blog Would Do: Draft Jones and Jackson
What the Cowboys Will Do: I'm hearing that Dallas Owner Jerry Jones has spotted some young talent in the prison system and may not use his draft picks, instead opting to use rookie salary cap money to bring in some more "misunderstood" players.
2008 Prediction: Dallas will choke in the playoffs again but I know if I saw this team walking down the street, I'd quickly cross to the other side.
Philadelphia Eagles
Speaking of incarcerated youths, Eagles Head Coach Andy Reid has to be feeling the heat in Philly after his club was the only NFC East franchise to miss out on last year's postseason. Reid has acted accordingly this offseason with agressive moves, such as signing CB Asante "Hands" Samuel who brings his clutch skills to Philly and will provide a huge upgrade over the garbage Lito Sheppard. The Eagles have to be considered a darkhorse contender in the NFC East this season with Reid and durable QB Donovan McNabb leading the way.
What The Blog Would Do: Finally draft a WR.
What the Eagles Will Do: Draft another bland defensive lineman who will battle lingering injuries and be out of the NFL in 4 years.
2008 Prediction: Philly rebounds and makes the playoffs. All of their fans will still bitch about everything that happens this season.
Washington Redskins
The Redskins returned to the postseason in 2007 but were vanquished by the Seattle Sehawks in the first round, prompting Joe Gibbs to retire for a second time. Enter Jim Zorn, former Seahawks coach and QB to take over Dan Snyder's fantasy team. After making trade offers for WRs Chad Johnson of the Bengals and Anquan Boldin of the Cardinals, it is pretty clear what direction the Redskins are looking to go in with their first round pick. The team needs a reliable possession WR, something they have not had since Rod Garnder....I mean Michael Westbrook.... ok.... Art Monk. They want Michigan State WR Devin Thomas but it is unlikely that he will fall to the 21st pick.
What The Blog Would Do: Hope that Derrick Harvey falls to the 21st pick and take him. The Redskins haven't had a good pass rusher since Dexter Manley was allowed out in public.
What the Redskins Will Do: Reach for some garbage WR who never pans out. I wonder what Taylor Jacobs is doing these days.
2008 Prediction: Winning at the Giants on opening night will most likely be the highlight of the season. Without Gibbs there to work his December magic, this team probably misses the postseason.
New York Giants
I should just leave this space blank. With Head Coach Tom Coughlin leading talented players like Eli Manning and Brandon Jacobs onto the field every Sunday, it's hard to believe this team actually lost a game last season. I don't see any way to improve this team. There's no holes on this roster.
What The Blog Would Do: Keep the design for the "Throw a Hail Mary into a Sea of Players in Opposing Jerseys and Hope that a Garbage WR Who Will Probably Be Cut This Season Miracously Catches the Ball Off His Helmet" play under wraps to ensure that none of the other teams copy it. Plays like that are exactly why Bill Belichick owns so much surveillance equipment.
What the Giants Will Do: Draft a safety to replace Gibril Wilson. Kenny Phillips is good.
2008 Prediction: 19-0, Super Bowl champs. What a team.
I know this was a particularly long blog but I felt I owed it to my readers after taking the last two days off. A lot of you have e-mailed me stating that I need to feature Jorgen Johnson in this space even more than I already do. Without you guys, the blog would be nothing, so I am taking your advice and starting a new contest called "Name Jorgen's First Born Son." Simply comment at the end of the blog with your prediction on what Jorgen and Amanda will be naming their first son. Possible names include Anders, Sven, Jorgen Junior, Yorgen Yunior, Ulf, Bjorn, and Leif. When you post your suggested name, please leave your contact information. The person who comes up with the best name will win an as yet undetermined prize.
I spent too much time blogging today to place any bets. I need the Suns to win tonight to keep my future ticket alive.
Trivia Question for Friday - Which former NBA head coach made one of the most famous shots in NBA history from the top of the key to force triple overtime in Game 5 of the 1976 NBA Finals between the Boston Celtics and Phoenix Suns?
** Tuesday's answer - Joe Barry Carroll was traded from the Warriors to the Celtics in exchange for Robert Parrish and a draft pick used on Kevin McHale. Bonus point to ES for knowing that Carroll went to Purdue. Cheers.
Enjoy the game.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
I have to apologize
.... to my many, many readers who are loyal fans of NASCAR and specifically the Sprint Cup Series. I did not mean to get your hopes up with talk of this week's race at the Talladega Superspeedway. This week's race will be what us NASCAR experts refer to as "restrictor-plate racing" and therefore is nothing to get overly excited about. The only thing to look forward to at this Sunday's Aaron's 499 is seeing how many drunken 'Necks they can fit in to that joint. I'm setting the total at 160,000.5. Over is -190. I am also setting the total for arrests made at 159,999.5 with the Over at -300. If you want to bet into these numbers, you have MY number.
For the record I am picking Dale Jr. to ride the #88 car to victory and send the crowd home happy. Well, at least send all the fans who are coherent enough to actually know what's happening home happy.
Tough Juice and the Washington Wizards (from here on out we will be calling them the "Zards" in the blog) took it on the chin last night in Cleveland and now trail their first round series, 2-0. Watching that game, I couldn't help but wonder why Eddie Jordan gets to be an NBA Head Coach and I don't. Life is not fair sometimes. I also couldn't help but think that the Timberwolves would have made the playoffs if they were in the Eastern Conference. I just love those pesky bastards. Let's Build It.
Here's what I'm playing on Tuesday:
Phoenix Suns +2 (Silver Bullet Special)
Texas Rangers +150
Liverpool PK -150
Those damn "Sherman's People" beat me to the 2.5 on the Suns. I'm getting sick of those guys. If they are going to beat us normal people to all the sharp numbers, they could at least have the decency to blog about it afterwards and let us know what we are doing wrong. In my day, I could have bet the Suns at +5, but I digress....
I spent a lot of time on the phone today, but not just talking with loyal readers about this weekend's NFL Draft as I had hoped. Most of Monday's phone time was spent talking to curious horse race players inquiring about the Kentucky Derby. One can't help but wonder if my job would be easier if the Hilton employed a Racebook....what's the word I'm looking for here.... Coordinator? Yeah, Coordinator works.... who could answer these calls and take care of such things for me. I'll run that up the flagpole to the bosses and see if we can't work something out. It sure would give me a lot more time to focus on the blog and those of you who have called to talk shop about the draft.
We will be covering the Draft ad nauseam later this week but for now let's go to the trivia:
Trivia Question for Tuesday - Which center did the Boston Celtics trade to the Golden State Warriors in exchange for Robert Parrish and the draft pick they used to select Kevin McHale, in one of the most lopsided trades in NBA history?
** Monday's answer - The original "Hogs" were Joe Jacoby, George Starke, Russ Grimm, Mark May, and Jeff Bostic. Tight ends Don Warren and Rick "Doc" Walker were also considered Hogs by their teammates. Running back John Riggins was later named as an honoray Hog, while Quarterback Joe Theismann was never included in the group despite constant pleading.
I apologize for such an easy question. Hopefully, Tuesday's query will prove to be more challenging.
Enjoy the game.
For the record I am picking Dale Jr. to ride the #88 car to victory and send the crowd home happy. Well, at least send all the fans who are coherent enough to actually know what's happening home happy.
Tough Juice and the Washington Wizards (from here on out we will be calling them the "Zards" in the blog) took it on the chin last night in Cleveland and now trail their first round series, 2-0. Watching that game, I couldn't help but wonder why Eddie Jordan gets to be an NBA Head Coach and I don't. Life is not fair sometimes. I also couldn't help but think that the Timberwolves would have made the playoffs if they were in the Eastern Conference. I just love those pesky bastards. Let's Build It.
Here's what I'm playing on Tuesday:
Phoenix Suns +2 (Silver Bullet Special)
Texas Rangers +150
Liverpool PK -150
Those damn "Sherman's People" beat me to the 2.5 on the Suns. I'm getting sick of those guys. If they are going to beat us normal people to all the sharp numbers, they could at least have the decency to blog about it afterwards and let us know what we are doing wrong. In my day, I could have bet the Suns at +5, but I digress....
I spent a lot of time on the phone today, but not just talking with loyal readers about this weekend's NFL Draft as I had hoped. Most of Monday's phone time was spent talking to curious horse race players inquiring about the Kentucky Derby. One can't help but wonder if my job would be easier if the Hilton employed a Racebook....what's the word I'm looking for here.... Coordinator? Yeah, Coordinator works.... who could answer these calls and take care of such things for me. I'll run that up the flagpole to the bosses and see if we can't work something out. It sure would give me a lot more time to focus on the blog and those of you who have called to talk shop about the draft.
We will be covering the Draft ad nauseam later this week but for now let's go to the trivia:
Trivia Question for Tuesday - Which center did the Boston Celtics trade to the Golden State Warriors in exchange for Robert Parrish and the draft pick they used to select Kevin McHale, in one of the most lopsided trades in NBA history?
** Monday's answer - The original "Hogs" were Joe Jacoby, George Starke, Russ Grimm, Mark May, and Jeff Bostic. Tight ends Don Warren and Rick "Doc" Walker were also considered Hogs by their teammates. Running back John Riggins was later named as an honoray Hog, while Quarterback Joe Theismann was never included in the group despite constant pleading.
I apologize for such an easy question. Hopefully, Tuesday's query will prove to be more challenging.
Enjoy the game.
Monday, April 21, 2008
Sometimes I might catch a severe case of writer's block
.... but who can blame me? With no Cup race over the weekend and the Timberwolves season now officially over, what do you people expect me to blog about? What else is there?
It wasn't a good weekend for this blogger as my Chicago Fire bet went up in flames (pun intended!) on Sunday afternoon and I lost quite a bit on a golf matchup of Sean O'Hair over Brandt Snedeker. Instead of dwelling on my losses, I will focus on the lessons I learned from these setbacks:
1. I need to renew my MLS Direct Kick subscription so I can keep tabs on the world's 14th best soccer league
2. Don't bet against "Sneds"
The blog did enjoy one major victory on Saturday night as Joe "The Italian Dragon" Calzaghe defeated Bernard "The Executioner" Hopkins by split decision. Incidentally, I did not get any "hot tips" this week from Jorgen (I believe it's Jorgen or Yorgen. It might be a soft "J") Johnson who famously put a dent in my bankroll with his ridiculous inside information in last week's Chad Dawson fight. Just a horrible, horrible tip....
It's going to be a big week for the blog as there is a lot to look forward to. We start with two enticing matchups in the Champions League during the week, the Sprint Cup Series returns to action this weekend, and of course the highlight of the month takes place in New York City at the NFL Draft.
The blog will be your source for up to the minute draft updates and unsolicited opinions on what each of the 32 teams should do. I am also inviting readers to call in all week long to chat about the Draft at 702.556.1801.
This seems like a good time to point out that I do not have a radio show or any form of podcast. The above number is my personal cell phone number. Before you take the time to "Call in," you should probably realize that there will not be anyone listening to our conversation. It's just going to be the two of us talking about the Draft and/or any other current events I feel are relevant. This has upset a lot of people in the past so I felt it was time to put that disclaimer in the blog....
Now that we have that cleared up, let's move on to Monday's picks:
Washington Wizards +2 (Silver Bullet Special)
Florida Marlins -110
Boston Bruins +180
Look for the Wizards to be carried to victory on Monday night by Caron "Tough Juice" Butler as they even their series with the Cavaliers and Head Coach Mike "What? You Guys Want a Play? Just, just give it to LeBron...." Jones.
Nicknames have been a common theme in today's blog and with that in mind, here's Monday's trivia question:
Name two of the three wide receivers who comprised the 1980s Denver Broncos trio known as the "Three Amigos?"
Editor's Note: This question was originally going to be name three of the five original "Hogs" but we felt that Redskins offensive line group was just too widely known and that it would be too easy.
Last Tuesday's Answer - The Oakland Raiders linebacker who recovered that fumble was Greg Biekert. Nobody got that one....
Enjoy the game.
It wasn't a good weekend for this blogger as my Chicago Fire bet went up in flames (pun intended!) on Sunday afternoon and I lost quite a bit on a golf matchup of Sean O'Hair over Brandt Snedeker. Instead of dwelling on my losses, I will focus on the lessons I learned from these setbacks:
1. I need to renew my MLS Direct Kick subscription so I can keep tabs on the world's 14th best soccer league
2. Don't bet against "Sneds"
The blog did enjoy one major victory on Saturday night as Joe "The Italian Dragon" Calzaghe defeated Bernard "The Executioner" Hopkins by split decision. Incidentally, I did not get any "hot tips" this week from Jorgen (I believe it's Jorgen or Yorgen. It might be a soft "J") Johnson who famously put a dent in my bankroll with his ridiculous inside information in last week's Chad Dawson fight. Just a horrible, horrible tip....
It's going to be a big week for the blog as there is a lot to look forward to. We start with two enticing matchups in the Champions League during the week, the Sprint Cup Series returns to action this weekend, and of course the highlight of the month takes place in New York City at the NFL Draft.
The blog will be your source for up to the minute draft updates and unsolicited opinions on what each of the 32 teams should do. I am also inviting readers to call in all week long to chat about the Draft at 702.556.1801.
This seems like a good time to point out that I do not have a radio show or any form of podcast. The above number is my personal cell phone number. Before you take the time to "Call in," you should probably realize that there will not be anyone listening to our conversation. It's just going to be the two of us talking about the Draft and/or any other current events I feel are relevant. This has upset a lot of people in the past so I felt it was time to put that disclaimer in the blog....
Now that we have that cleared up, let's move on to Monday's picks:
Washington Wizards +2 (Silver Bullet Special)
Florida Marlins -110
Boston Bruins +180
Look for the Wizards to be carried to victory on Monday night by Caron "Tough Juice" Butler as they even their series with the Cavaliers and Head Coach Mike "What? You Guys Want a Play? Just, just give it to LeBron...." Jones.
Nicknames have been a common theme in today's blog and with that in mind, here's Monday's trivia question:
Name two of the three wide receivers who comprised the 1980s Denver Broncos trio known as the "Three Amigos?"
Editor's Note: This question was originally going to be name three of the five original "Hogs" but we felt that Redskins offensive line group was just too widely known and that it would be too easy.
Last Tuesday's Answer - The Oakland Raiders linebacker who recovered that fumble was Greg Biekert. Nobody got that one....
Enjoy the game.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
First we pick the winners
.... then we get the money. Then we get the khakis. THEN we get the chicks. Seems simple enough but lately I can't pick a winner to save my life. I've been running bad. How bad you ask? So bad that Jorgen's girlfriend won't even call me back - and that girl calls everyone back, if you know what I mean....
Yesterday I recommended some great fade sites to check out and the proprietor of one of those sites proved me right as he released a "Max Key Teaser" of the day. I don't even have a joke here.
I'm obviously not above handing out solid gambling advice to my readers so here's a tip for Tuesday - tune into ESPN Radio 1510 this morning and listen to the advice of golf expert Jeff Sherman, as he recaps this weekend's action at Augusta and previews some upcoming tournaments. Not only is Jeff a renowned golf sharp, he is also one of the classiest men in our industry. On Monday he took the time to congragulate me for cashing my Phil Mickelson to finish in the top 8 of the Masters ticket. Even though he did not agree with the play, he complimented me on winning my bet instead of mocking me in a petty, childish manner. Thanks a lot, Jeff.
There's no MLS until Thursday and no Sprint Cup race for nearly 2 weeks so my search for Tuesday winners will most likely be a futile one. Having said that....
Here's what I'm playing on Tuesday:
Florida Marlins (Silver Bullet Special)
Montreal Canadiens
Anaheim (Mighty?) Ducks
Minnesota Timberwolves
I don't know about you but I always feel good when I have my money on Hanley Ramirez, the blog's pick to be the 2008 NL MVP, and surely a safer fantasy bet than say, Chase Utley. I'm not posting any lines today. I'll just lie in tomorrow's blog and say I got better numbers than I really did, like a true tout would do.
I can already tell that Tuesday is going to be a long day. What kind of country is this where people have to go to work on the day the NFL releases its official schedule? How can we be expected to concentrate on anything other than the Week 8 matchups? This blogger will look into getting this day turned into a national holiday. It just doesn't seem right....
I was so pissed at Jorgen Johnson yesterday ( Jorgen - next time you get a hot tip, keep it to yourself. Unbelievable. What an idiot. I still just can't get over this one. Like they fix boxing matches in this day and age. Incredible. A college educated guy - with a gaming degree no less - getting duped like this. Some people need to stay on the farm ) I couldn't summon the strength to post a trivia question but we're back live today.
Speaking of Jorgen's "tip", I know I owe you money Austin.... I just, I just need more time, bro.... I'll make it up to you, I promise. I'll put the Nets-Bobcats game on the main TV with sound.
Trivia Question for Tuesday - Which linebacker recovered the Tom Brady fumble, forced by Charles Woodson, that was ludicrously ruled an incomplete pass in the 2001 AFC Divisional Playoffs?
Enjoy the game.
Yesterday I recommended some great fade sites to check out and the proprietor of one of those sites proved me right as he released a "Max Key Teaser" of the day. I don't even have a joke here.
I'm obviously not above handing out solid gambling advice to my readers so here's a tip for Tuesday - tune into ESPN Radio 1510 this morning and listen to the advice of golf expert Jeff Sherman, as he recaps this weekend's action at Augusta and previews some upcoming tournaments. Not only is Jeff a renowned golf sharp, he is also one of the classiest men in our industry. On Monday he took the time to congragulate me for cashing my Phil Mickelson to finish in the top 8 of the Masters ticket. Even though he did not agree with the play, he complimented me on winning my bet instead of mocking me in a petty, childish manner. Thanks a lot, Jeff.
There's no MLS until Thursday and no Sprint Cup race for nearly 2 weeks so my search for Tuesday winners will most likely be a futile one. Having said that....
Here's what I'm playing on Tuesday:
Florida Marlins (Silver Bullet Special)
Montreal Canadiens
Anaheim (Mighty?) Ducks
Minnesota Timberwolves
I don't know about you but I always feel good when I have my money on Hanley Ramirez, the blog's pick to be the 2008 NL MVP, and surely a safer fantasy bet than say, Chase Utley. I'm not posting any lines today. I'll just lie in tomorrow's blog and say I got better numbers than I really did, like a true tout would do.
I can already tell that Tuesday is going to be a long day. What kind of country is this where people have to go to work on the day the NFL releases its official schedule? How can we be expected to concentrate on anything other than the Week 8 matchups? This blogger will look into getting this day turned into a national holiday. It just doesn't seem right....
I was so pissed at Jorgen Johnson yesterday ( Jorgen - next time you get a hot tip, keep it to yourself. Unbelievable. What an idiot. I still just can't get over this one. Like they fix boxing matches in this day and age. Incredible. A college educated guy - with a gaming degree no less - getting duped like this. Some people need to stay on the farm ) I couldn't summon the strength to post a trivia question but we're back live today.
Speaking of Jorgen's "tip", I know I owe you money Austin.... I just, I just need more time, bro.... I'll make it up to you, I promise. I'll put the Nets-Bobcats game on the main TV with sound.
Trivia Question for Tuesday - Which linebacker recovered the Tom Brady fumble, forced by Charles Woodson, that was ludicrously ruled an incomplete pass in the 2001 AFC Divisional Playoffs?
Enjoy the game.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
If you're looking for winners
.... you've come to the wrong place. I'm not making any picks today. However, I am going to hand out some betting advice. Take the time to visit these sites at your leisure:
http://www.fadeatyourownrisk.blogspot.com/
http://www.checkingthenuts.blogspot.com/
I have been in this industry for over 40 years and these bloggers are literally the two best fades I have ever come across. It is truly astounding how bad their plays are.
Down to your book and need to make up some ground? Fade these guys.
Need some cash for a hot date with Chad's mom? Fade these guys.
Just want to show off to your friends how easy it is to pick winners? Visit these sites and play the opposite of these guys' plays. It's that easy.
Alright, enough of that. I've given enough golden gambling advice for one day. Now I want to rant about something, or specifically someone - Jorgen Johnson. On Friday morning (Ok, it was 3:30 in the afternoon) I arrive at work prepared for another solid shift and this dipshit stops me on my way in. With wide eyes and a stupid grin on his face he "fills me in" on a boxing match that he is just sure is fixed. He then talks me in to betting a large percentage of my bankroll on the fact that this fight will not go the distance. Seems like a good idea, especially at +270. Well, as it turns out, not only have the sect known as "Sherman's People" already moved this number by 30 cents to the garbage I got it at, but the fight is NOT fixed. It turns out that Jorgen, in fact, knows nothing about this fight. He has no inside information whatsoever. I don't know who is dumber - him or me for following his lame advice.
I've been looking for an excuse to rant this week but I just keep winning every bet I make because I am so damn sharp. Well I finally found my excuse - J. Johnson. I am so mad at this kid right now. I hate his Woe Is Me attitude at work. I hate his big red man-purse. I hate his stupid haircut. I hate the way he doesn't swipe patron's players cards on both sides, even when he knows the Sherman's Person in front of him is an MTL waiting to happen. Because of this kid I don't have any money to pay my bookie on Tuesday. Speaking of that, I now find myself in debt to someone, let's call him A. Bhushan (no wait, that's too obvious - let's call him Austin B.) an exorbitant amount of money because Tiger Woods has Scott Hoch - like touch on the greens at Augusta. I can't possibly pay Austin B. on Tuesday because I already blew everything I have on Jorgen's "sure thing" boxing play. Austin B. is going to break my thumbs....
Just an all around bad weekend and one man to blame for it. What an idiot.
No trivia question today. I'm not in the mood. Sunday's answer was Paul Lawrie. Congrats to E.S. for nailing that one.
That's it. I'm done.
Enjoy the game.
http://www.fadeatyourownrisk.blogspot.com/
http://www.checkingthenuts.blogspot.com/
I have been in this industry for over 40 years and these bloggers are literally the two best fades I have ever come across. It is truly astounding how bad their plays are.
Down to your book and need to make up some ground? Fade these guys.
Need some cash for a hot date with Chad's mom? Fade these guys.
Just want to show off to your friends how easy it is to pick winners? Visit these sites and play the opposite of these guys' plays. It's that easy.
Alright, enough of that. I've given enough golden gambling advice for one day. Now I want to rant about something, or specifically someone - Jorgen Johnson. On Friday morning (Ok, it was 3:30 in the afternoon) I arrive at work prepared for another solid shift and this dipshit stops me on my way in. With wide eyes and a stupid grin on his face he "fills me in" on a boxing match that he is just sure is fixed. He then talks me in to betting a large percentage of my bankroll on the fact that this fight will not go the distance. Seems like a good idea, especially at +270. Well, as it turns out, not only have the sect known as "Sherman's People" already moved this number by 30 cents to the garbage I got it at, but the fight is NOT fixed. It turns out that Jorgen, in fact, knows nothing about this fight. He has no inside information whatsoever. I don't know who is dumber - him or me for following his lame advice.
I've been looking for an excuse to rant this week but I just keep winning every bet I make because I am so damn sharp. Well I finally found my excuse - J. Johnson. I am so mad at this kid right now. I hate his Woe Is Me attitude at work. I hate his big red man-purse. I hate his stupid haircut. I hate the way he doesn't swipe patron's players cards on both sides, even when he knows the Sherman's Person in front of him is an MTL waiting to happen. Because of this kid I don't have any money to pay my bookie on Tuesday. Speaking of that, I now find myself in debt to someone, let's call him A. Bhushan (no wait, that's too obvious - let's call him Austin B.) an exorbitant amount of money because Tiger Woods has Scott Hoch - like touch on the greens at Augusta. I can't possibly pay Austin B. on Tuesday because I already blew everything I have on Jorgen's "sure thing" boxing play. Austin B. is going to break my thumbs....
Just an all around bad weekend and one man to blame for it. What an idiot.
No trivia question today. I'm not in the mood. Sunday's answer was Paul Lawrie. Congrats to E.S. for nailing that one.
That's it. I'm done.
Enjoy the game.
A combined total of zero
.... major championships have been won by Trevor Immelman, Brandt Snedeker, Steve Flesch, and Paul Casey heading into Sunday's final round at Augusta.
This blogger expects Tiger Woods to keep it that way on Sunday. There's Tiger and there's Sunday Tiger. Hopefully, wearing a red shirt will empower him to make putts longer than 5 feet. There's going to be a lot of choking going on in Augusta on Sunday and it won't be by Eldrick Woods.
Speaking of great athletes, the Timberwolves' trio of Kirk Snyder, Ryan Gomes and Al Jefferson all posted double-doubles on Saturday to lead Minnesota to its 21st victory of the season. I knew the T-Wolves were going to be strong this season but even I am surprised to see them soar this far over their season win total. With games left against a Pistons squad with nothing to play for and a Bucks team with no good players, it is conceivable that Minnesota could finish with 23 wins. In just one season! Let's Build It.
Special congrats to Ryan Gomes for being mentioned in the blog 2 days in a row.
On to Sunday's card:
Tigers Woods to Win the Masters +400 (Silver Bullet Special)
Texas Rangers +145
Philadelphia Flyers +140
Special thanks to Jorgen Johnson for telling me about the "fixed" boxing match last night in Tampa Bay. Benny Silman, you are not. You have an extra bedroom right buddy?
Also congrats to Jorgen for joining Ryan Gomes as people mentioned in the blog 2 days in a row. Not easy to do....
Trivia Quesiton for Sunday - Who won the 1999 British Open Championship famously choked away by French loser Jean Van de Velde?
** Saturday's answer - The "Lucky dog" rule known as the Free Pass or officially the Beneficiary Rule is a NASCAR rule. The rule allows the driver of the next lapped car or truck behind the leader to gain back a lap during a caution. The driver is called to move to the end of the longest line of the cars at the end of that caution period. This rule was instituted to prevent drivers from racing back to the start/finish line when a caution was called.
Yes, I did copy and paste that.
Enjoy the game.
This blogger expects Tiger Woods to keep it that way on Sunday. There's Tiger and there's Sunday Tiger. Hopefully, wearing a red shirt will empower him to make putts longer than 5 feet. There's going to be a lot of choking going on in Augusta on Sunday and it won't be by Eldrick Woods.
Speaking of great athletes, the Timberwolves' trio of Kirk Snyder, Ryan Gomes and Al Jefferson all posted double-doubles on Saturday to lead Minnesota to its 21st victory of the season. I knew the T-Wolves were going to be strong this season but even I am surprised to see them soar this far over their season win total. With games left against a Pistons squad with nothing to play for and a Bucks team with no good players, it is conceivable that Minnesota could finish with 23 wins. In just one season! Let's Build It.
Special congrats to Ryan Gomes for being mentioned in the blog 2 days in a row.
On to Sunday's card:
Tigers Woods to Win the Masters +400 (Silver Bullet Special)
Texas Rangers +145
Philadelphia Flyers +140
Special thanks to Jorgen Johnson for telling me about the "fixed" boxing match last night in Tampa Bay. Benny Silman, you are not. You have an extra bedroom right buddy?
Also congrats to Jorgen for joining Ryan Gomes as people mentioned in the blog 2 days in a row. Not easy to do....
Trivia Quesiton for Sunday - Who won the 1999 British Open Championship famously choked away by French loser Jean Van de Velde?
** Saturday's answer - The "Lucky dog" rule known as the Free Pass or officially the Beneficiary Rule is a NASCAR rule. The rule allows the driver of the next lapped car or truck behind the leader to gain back a lap during a caution. The driver is called to move to the end of the longest line of the cars at the end of that caution period. This rule was instituted to prevent drivers from racing back to the start/finish line when a caution was called.
Yes, I did copy and paste that.
Enjoy the game.
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Let's go racing, boys
.... tonight as the Sprint Cup series takes center stage in Avondale, Arizona. Being a Southern redneck from Virginia, my interest in NASCAR is purely a love of watching cars turn left over and over and over. I have heard that people are allowed to place wagers on these events but have no interest in such things. I feel like it will ruin my enjoyment of the sport. However, if I did bet on NASCAR, I would have bet on the #99 car driven by Carl Edwards.
I know we're all looking forward to the Cup race tonight but I feel like I owe it to the Minnesota Timberwolves to feature them in today's blog. The mighty 'Wolves shocked the sports world last night, picking up their 20th win as a double digit dog in Orlando. Special thanks to Ryan Gomes for knocking down 2 clutch free throws with 2 seconds left to give the 'Wolves a 1 point victory. Let's Build It. Take that Plaza.
Note: I will be going to the Plaza late at night and cashing the ticket at the cage to avoid the heat for betting an obviously wrong number. Special thanks to noted scumbag Jorgen Johnson for that tip. Cheers.
My plays have been on fire lately and since I feel bad for my many, many square followers, I will post my full card today:
Arizona Diamondbacks -134 (Silver Bullet Special)
Chicago Cubs +135
Tampa Bay Rays -115
A noted sharp known only as "CB" gave me his recommendation on the D-Backs play, finalizing it as the Silver Bullet Special.
Trivia Question for Saturday - What does the NASCAR term "Lucky Dog" mean?
I would again like to ask our Southern 'Neck readers ( see: Virginia ) to abstain from answering this question and give normal people a chance. Some of you e-mailed me to point out that most people in the South don't own a computer (and certainly would not know how to operate one if they did) so it's pointless to put this disclaimer in my blog but just in case there are actually educated people in Virginia, I will continue to put this in my trivia section.
** Thursday's answer - NASCAR's top series was known as the Grand National Series before changing its name to Winston Cup in 1972.
Go Eldrick, Go Carl, and please don't forget to....
Enjoy the game.
I know we're all looking forward to the Cup race tonight but I feel like I owe it to the Minnesota Timberwolves to feature them in today's blog. The mighty 'Wolves shocked the sports world last night, picking up their 20th win as a double digit dog in Orlando. Special thanks to Ryan Gomes for knocking down 2 clutch free throws with 2 seconds left to give the 'Wolves a 1 point victory. Let's Build It. Take that Plaza.
Note: I will be going to the Plaza late at night and cashing the ticket at the cage to avoid the heat for betting an obviously wrong number. Special thanks to noted scumbag Jorgen Johnson for that tip. Cheers.
My plays have been on fire lately and since I feel bad for my many, many square followers, I will post my full card today:
Arizona Diamondbacks -134 (Silver Bullet Special)
Chicago Cubs +135
Tampa Bay Rays -115
A noted sharp known only as "CB" gave me his recommendation on the D-Backs play, finalizing it as the Silver Bullet Special.
Trivia Question for Saturday - What does the NASCAR term "Lucky Dog" mean?
I would again like to ask our Southern 'Neck readers ( see: Virginia ) to abstain from answering this question and give normal people a chance. Some of you e-mailed me to point out that most people in the South don't own a computer (and certainly would not know how to operate one if they did) so it's pointless to put this disclaimer in my blog but just in case there are actually educated people in Virginia, I will continue to put this in my trivia section.
** Thursday's answer - NASCAR's top series was known as the Grand National Series before changing its name to Winston Cup in 1972.
Go Eldrick, Go Carl, and please don't forget to....
Enjoy the game.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
We had them right where we wanted them
.... but the Hornets managed to squeak out a victory last night over my beloved Timberwolves, 122-90. The game was actually a lot closer than the score indicates.... Personally I took offense to the Hornets putting in someone (presumably a fan contest winner) named Ryan Bowen for the last 5 minutes of the game so that starting C Tyson Chandler could laugh at his lame attempts to score. It was like watching Chad go to work on the ladies at the Hard Rock but with a much bigger audience.
The fact remains that we still need a win to go over the total of 19.5 for the season. My advice to the T-Wolves is to rest all our key guys Friday night in what will surely be an embarassing loss at Orlando and take our chances with a fresh roster Saturday night in Memphis. Getting that 20th win would be a big boost for team morale going into next season. Let's Build It.
All of my morning plays were winners so I'm already way up for the day... just kindof forgot to post them in the old blog. Sorry about that. But I really did pick exclusively winners this morning and I really did bet them for large amounts of money. You'll just have to take my word for it....
On to the plays for tonight:
Red Sox -125 (Silver Bullet Special)
Marlins +110
Flames +190
Trivia Question for Thursday - What was NASCAR's top racing series called before it was known as the Winston Cup Series?
Note: I would like to ask our Southern readers ( see: Virginia ) to please sit this one out and give all of our non-Redneck readers a chance to answer this one. Thank you.
** Tuesday's answer - Senator Barack Obama's middle name is Hussein. Barack Hussein Obama. That is his name.
Barack Hussein Obama.
Anyways, I would like to congratulate Andy Ross for correctly answering this question first. It appears that even the biggest squares in our industry know how to use Wikipedia. Congrats.
Enjoy the game.
The fact remains that we still need a win to go over the total of 19.5 for the season. My advice to the T-Wolves is to rest all our key guys Friday night in what will surely be an embarassing loss at Orlando and take our chances with a fresh roster Saturday night in Memphis. Getting that 20th win would be a big boost for team morale going into next season. Let's Build It.
All of my morning plays were winners so I'm already way up for the day... just kindof forgot to post them in the old blog. Sorry about that. But I really did pick exclusively winners this morning and I really did bet them for large amounts of money. You'll just have to take my word for it....
On to the plays for tonight:
Red Sox -125 (Silver Bullet Special)
Marlins +110
Flames +190
Trivia Question for Thursday - What was NASCAR's top racing series called before it was known as the Winston Cup Series?
Note: I would like to ask our Southern readers ( see: Virginia ) to please sit this one out and give all of our non-Redneck readers a chance to answer this one. Thank you.
** Tuesday's answer - Senator Barack Obama's middle name is Hussein. Barack Hussein Obama. That is his name.
Barack Hussein Obama.
Anyways, I would like to congratulate Andy Ross for correctly answering this question first. It appears that even the biggest squares in our industry know how to use Wikipedia. Congrats.
Enjoy the game.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
That one
... was never in doubt, bros. My "Shoe-In" of the Week on Kansas moneyline was gold last night. You're all welcome.
There's a lot to choose from on Tuesday but there's only game I want to "blog" about - Timberwolves @ Bobcats. That's right, loyal readers - our beloved T-Wolves are still stuck on 19 wins, just 1 W away from going over the season win total of 19.5 that the Plaza put up last October. At the time I assumed that number was a mistake and I saw the opportunity to pounce. When a book puts up what I consider to be a bad number, I smell blood in the water (call me a young Sherman) and I can't wait to get my money down.
However, over the course of the season that number has proven to be sharper than I thought. Apparently a team of college All-Stars (and Michael Doleac) does not have much of a chance against teams with full NBA rosters. They even managed to blow a 20 point lead at home last week against a disinterested Tayshaun Price, the last 3 guys off the Pistons bench, and someone named Amir Johnson.
That's your 2007-08 Minnesota Timberwolves - "Let's Build It."
Here are some other plays I am touting for Tuesday:
Red Sox -160 (My Silver Bullet Special)
Those Fightin' Phils +130
Tennessee Lady Vols PK
Just a straight unit (or $100,000) on each. Slow day, obviously. Let's bring the T-Wolves bet home....
Trivia Question for Tuesday - What is Senator Barack Obama's middle name?
** Monday's answer - Steve Sax played for the New York Yankees after leaving the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1988.
Enjoy the game.
There's a lot to choose from on Tuesday but there's only game I want to "blog" about - Timberwolves @ Bobcats. That's right, loyal readers - our beloved T-Wolves are still stuck on 19 wins, just 1 W away from going over the season win total of 19.5 that the Plaza put up last October. At the time I assumed that number was a mistake and I saw the opportunity to pounce. When a book puts up what I consider to be a bad number, I smell blood in the water (call me a young Sherman) and I can't wait to get my money down.
However, over the course of the season that number has proven to be sharper than I thought. Apparently a team of college All-Stars (and Michael Doleac) does not have much of a chance against teams with full NBA rosters. They even managed to blow a 20 point lead at home last week against a disinterested Tayshaun Price, the last 3 guys off the Pistons bench, and someone named Amir Johnson.
That's your 2007-08 Minnesota Timberwolves - "Let's Build It."
Here are some other plays I am touting for Tuesday:
Red Sox -160 (My Silver Bullet Special)
Those Fightin' Phils +130
Tennessee Lady Vols PK
Just a straight unit (or $100,000) on each. Slow day, obviously. Let's bring the T-Wolves bet home....
Trivia Question for Tuesday - What is Senator Barack Obama's middle name?
** Monday's answer - Steve Sax played for the New York Yankees after leaving the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1988.
Enjoy the game.
Monday, April 7, 2008
My Shining Moment
.... comes tonight as I release my "Shoe-In" of the Week in the National Championship game between the Kansas Jayhawks and Memphis Tigers.
On Sunday I gave you my 5 star play on the LSU Lady Tigers and they easily covered to almost make up for the blow of losing my Lock of the Night on the Lady Huskies of Connecticut in heartbreaking fashion. I'm pretty sure that game was fixed.... but I'll blog about that in my "Friday Night Rants" later this week.
On to Monday's championship game.... after pouring over the Covers.com stats sheet, I found that Kansas is 4-1-1 ATS on Mondays, 2 days after beating an ACC team, in stadiums also used for football, in the Central time zone.... over the last 12 seasons! That really puts this play over the top. Let's call it a 2 unit (or $200,000) release. That's right - this is almost as much as I put down on the Davidson halftime over Georgetown a couple weeks back.
A lot of you have e-mailed me asking how I am able to get down such astronomical numbers on things as stupid as college basketball halftimes. It's surprisingly simple. Most sportsbooks in Las Vegas will take a dime on college basketball halves. Therefore, if you want to bet say 200 grand, all you need to do is find 200 books that all have the number you want and send in your 200 runners to simultaneously bet the side you like. What if you can't find 200 runners, you ask? Sign up for offshore accounts which usually take as much as $500 on these halfimes wagers!!
So to recap - I am going with Kansas as my "Shoe-In" of the Week. I am not going to say what number I got it at in order to cover my ass. This way I can lie after the game and claim to have either won (or at least pushed) on a bet that I would have clearly lost.
I also made a side bet on Brandon Rush "Over" 16 points. Before you bet on that one, let me remind you that if Rush has 0 points in Monday's game, "Under" is the winner. Keep that in mind - if Rush does not score, the "Over" ticket will in fact be a losing one. I cannot stress this enough people - if you don't think he is going to score any points, do not bet the "Over" on this prop.
The NBA and NHL are idle on Monday and I don't see any plays I like on the diamond. However, if you are one of those compulsive types that just absolutely has to bet and can't think for yourself, try this gem out - Giants +105 over the Padres. This is just an opinion play. I have no stat sheet to back it up. Do not bet more than 50 dimes on this game.
Be sure to keep in mind that I know very little about the Boys of Summer compared to this blogger -
http://www.rays2008.blogspot.com/
There's some truly sharp stuff in there.... besides his April 3rd filing which was oddly out of place. I will adress that entry later this week....
Trivia Question for Monday - What Major League team did Steve Sax go to after leaving the Los Angeles Dodgers?
Enjoy the game.
On Sunday I gave you my 5 star play on the LSU Lady Tigers and they easily covered to almost make up for the blow of losing my Lock of the Night on the Lady Huskies of Connecticut in heartbreaking fashion. I'm pretty sure that game was fixed.... but I'll blog about that in my "Friday Night Rants" later this week.
On to Monday's championship game.... after pouring over the Covers.com stats sheet, I found that Kansas is 4-1-1 ATS on Mondays, 2 days after beating an ACC team, in stadiums also used for football, in the Central time zone.... over the last 12 seasons! That really puts this play over the top. Let's call it a 2 unit (or $200,000) release. That's right - this is almost as much as I put down on the Davidson halftime over Georgetown a couple weeks back.
A lot of you have e-mailed me asking how I am able to get down such astronomical numbers on things as stupid as college basketball halftimes. It's surprisingly simple. Most sportsbooks in Las Vegas will take a dime on college basketball halves. Therefore, if you want to bet say 200 grand, all you need to do is find 200 books that all have the number you want and send in your 200 runners to simultaneously bet the side you like. What if you can't find 200 runners, you ask? Sign up for offshore accounts which usually take as much as $500 on these halfimes wagers!!
So to recap - I am going with Kansas as my "Shoe-In" of the Week. I am not going to say what number I got it at in order to cover my ass. This way I can lie after the game and claim to have either won (or at least pushed) on a bet that I would have clearly lost.
I also made a side bet on Brandon Rush "Over" 16 points. Before you bet on that one, let me remind you that if Rush has 0 points in Monday's game, "Under" is the winner. Keep that in mind - if Rush does not score, the "Over" ticket will in fact be a losing one. I cannot stress this enough people - if you don't think he is going to score any points, do not bet the "Over" on this prop.
The NBA and NHL are idle on Monday and I don't see any plays I like on the diamond. However, if you are one of those compulsive types that just absolutely has to bet and can't think for yourself, try this gem out - Giants +105 over the Padres. This is just an opinion play. I have no stat sheet to back it up. Do not bet more than 50 dimes on this game.
Be sure to keep in mind that I know very little about the Boys of Summer compared to this blogger -
http://www.rays2008.blogspot.com/
There's some truly sharp stuff in there.... besides his April 3rd filing which was oddly out of place. I will adress that entry later this week....
Trivia Question for Monday - What Major League team did Steve Sax go to after leaving the Los Angeles Dodgers?
Enjoy the game.
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Carl Edwards
May be the blog's biggest hero....
