Monday, November 07, 2011

This Is Too Serious to Even Make Fun of the Penn State Alumni

Penn State and its alumni are a frequent target of my humorous barbs on this site. Not today. This time I am calling for Joe Paterno's resignation not because he's a senile, old fool but because of his lack of action after very serious allegations were made against former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky.



Sandusky, 67, was a longtime Paterno assistant until he retired in 1999. Even after his retirement he was given unfettered access to university facilities. Sandusky used his position as a Penn State coach to lure young boys whom he originally met through his charity, called Second Mile.

Sandusky started the charity to help troubled boys. According to the grand jury's indictment, he molested them. 8 victims are named over a period of several years.

Sandusky invited victims to his home, they slept over, he gave them tickets to Penn State games and drove them to Eagles games. And he often gave boys a tour of the Penn State facilities, culminating in showing them the shower.

Victim #1 started sleeping over at Sandusky's house in 2005 and 2006 when he was in 6th or 7th grade, so roughly 11 or 12 years old. Sandusky would come down to the basement where the boy was sleeping and "crack" the boy's back. It became a bedtime ritual. Then Sandusky moved on to rubbing the boy's butt, then blowing on his bare stomach, then sucking his dick. The boy claims Sandusky performed oral sex on him 20 times. And he did it to Sandusky once.

Victim #4 says Sandusky rubbed his genitals on his face and even put his dick in the boy's mouth. And ejaculating! He said Sandusky also tried to put his finger and his penis in the boy's ass.

The other victims claims fall short of those, mostly that he showered with them, touched them, and made them uncomfortable. Perhaps if they didn't resist he would have done more to them.

This is right out of the child molester's handbook written by Michael Jackson. Pick on underprivileged boys from bad family situations. Start slowly, so those that object right away don't have real charges. And most importantly, you need to have people who will cover up for you.



And that's where victim #2 comes in. Graduate assistant and former QB Mike McQueary went to put sneakers in his locker at 9:30 one night. He saw the lights and the showers on, and heard what sounded like people have sex. He saw a naked boy, who looked to be about 10, with his hands on the wall, being anally violated by Sandusky.

Doing the right thing, McQueary told Coach Paterno the next day. The matter was never reported to police. Paterno, AD Tim Curley and another university VP Gary Schultz all claim McQueary only told them of inappropriate behavior, not sexual activity explicitly.

Even so, they decided taking away Sandusky's keys to the locker room was sufficient punishment.

Curley and Schultz have resigned, they are charged with crimes. Paterno, who was not charged, should resign too.

This is not just an embarrassment. This is a trusted member of the coaching staff using his positions, and the university's facilities to systematically engage in sexual molestation of young boys. And it's clear university officials including Joe Paterno allowed this to happen.

What Do You Give Me For? Kris Humphries and Taylor Lautner

What do you give me for the Kim Kardashian's soon-to-be ex-husband Kris Humphries and Twilight star Taylor Lautner?






Story Suggested by Damino

Sunday, November 06, 2011

Weekly Picks

Lack of power didn't hurt me too bad last week. Though I got off to a bad start I closed the show with two of my easiest victories of the year. Still looking for teams to totally reverse course from their performance last week.

ARIZONA -2 1/2 st. louis
St. Louis was 0-6 and just pulled a huge upset of the Saints. I think they still stink. Unfortunately the Cardinals stink too. But I like them at home in this one, even though Kevin Kolb is out and John Skelton, the pride of Fordham, is starting.

OAKLAND -7 denver
I'm going to keep picking against Tebow. Even his own coaches don't believe in him. They are just doing this to get the fans off their back.

NEW ORLEANS -8 tampa bay
The last time the Saints played the ExpensiveCornPrices they lost, and rebounded by delivering one of the biggest ass-kickings in history. Then they went out and lost to the Rams. They bounce back again.

BUFFALO -2 1/2 new york jets
This spread makes it look like people think the Jets are the better team. It's ok to believe in the Bills now. And if you do, you have to pick them giving so few points at home.

BEST BET
KANSAS CITY -4 miami

Another spread that seems way too small. The Chiefs have won 4 in a row and seem to have their problems figured out. The Dolphins have a lot more problems and they haven't got answers to any of them.

Last week: 2-3 (3 points)
Season: 21-19 (23 points)
Best Bets: 1-0 (5-3)
Home Favorites: 0-2 (8-8)
Home Underdogs: 0-0 (0-0)
Road Favorites: 2-0 (6-6)
Road Underdogs: 0-1 (7-5)

Saturday, November 05, 2011

Free Prostate Exam

Check out this goal celebration in the Iranian soccer league:



While I think this was an accidental grab and squeeze, you can tell the squeezee wasn't pleased, as he swatted the offending hand away.

Lest you think this was merely harmless, grabass hijinks, don't forget this took place in Iran. Both players, even the unwilling participant, are banned forever from Iranian soccer stadia because of "immoral behavior."

Friday, November 04, 2011

We Would Never Pull This on Chase

Jimmy Kimmel challenged parents of America to tell their kids they had eaten all the Halloween candy, and record the reactions and post them to youtube. Kimmel compiled the best ones into this clip:



My favorite is the one who said "dad, you're ugly."

Thursday, November 03, 2011

Happy Halloween

2011 was another great Halloween. Despite the weather, the subsequent power outage and the weekday timing, most of our neighborhood was home and gladly distributing candy. Except there was one house completely cordoned off with "Danger/Peligro" tape. I thought to myself, what cool Halloween decorations. Until I realized the house actually was taped off because of a downed power line in the front yard.
Chase remembered to say "trick or treat" at nearly every house but mostly forgot his "thank yous." His favorite part may have been giving the candy to the kids who came to our door, though there were few since we stayed out for nearly two hours.
Julian didn't really have a favorite part. He didn't like being in the stroller that long and he didn't like have the dragon's hood over his head.

Cute family picture
Sir Chase-a-Lot and his pet fire-breathing dragon
hello

Hall of Famer Dan Uggla

Despite one of the worst starts to a season anyone has ever had (568 OPS through July 4th) Braves second baseman Dan Uggla is still on his path for Cooperstown.
Here's where I originally suggested Uggla's homers and RBI from a second baseman could be good enough to make the Hall of Fame.
This season Uggla hit 36 home runs (a career high), giving him at least 30 for the fifth straight season. No other second baseman in major league history has reached 30 homers more than three times overall.
Through 6 seasons he has 192, meaning he could easily have 400 after 14 or 15 years. He only needs 352 to be the all-time leader among second baseman.

a cool picture of future Hall of Famer Dan Uggla

Wednesday, November 02, 2011

The NFL is Poop - Week 8

Can't Figure Out the Saints
It was just three short weeks ago that the Saints were 4-1 with their only loss being to the Packers. The 4-game winning streak was snapped by the ExpensiveCornPrices. They bounced back from that defeat with the biggest blowout in modern NFL history. Then they lost to the previously winless Rams. And they allowed 31 points to a team that had been averaging only 9. Turnovers are part of it but more importantly, they just do not have a good, consistent defense, especially against the run.

Or the Chiefs
After their last game against the Chargers the Chiefs were left for dead. They were 0-3 and they had been outscored 109-27. Now the Chiefs are on a 4-game winning streak. And with the Raiders struggling with an injured QB and the Chargers doing their normal disappointing shenanigans the Chiefs look like a pretty decent bet to make the playoffs.

The Year of the (Rookie) Quarterback
Five quarterbacks were taken in the first 35 picks of the 2011 NFL Draft. Cam Newton (1), Jake Locker (8), Blaine Gabbert (10), Christian Ponder (12) and Andy Dalton (35). Four of them are starting and their accomplishments are very impressive. Cam Newton is setting all kids of rookie passing records. Andy Dalton led his team to a 4-0 record in October. Ponder rescued the Vikings from Donovan McNabb and nearly beat the Packers before triumphing over the Panthers. If I had to project right now I would say Newton will be a huge star, Ponder will be a good QB, Dalton will be a good game-manager who wins but never puts up big numbers. And one or both of Gabbert and Locker will be busts.

The Tim Tebow Excitement Wore Off Quickly
So many people want to believe in Tim Tebow. I would love to see him succeed. But it is not going to happen. As I have said before, he possesses every single trait you need to be a great NFL quarterback, except, he can't throw. And he couldn't bring his team back heroically in this one. In a 45-10 loss to the Lions he completed only 18 of 39 passes for not even 4 and a half yards per attempt. He was also sacked 7 times. I predict Tebow will not even last the season as the starting QB. And even if he does, he will never start another game at QB in the NFL after this year.

A Brief Rant About the Redskins
The Redskins stink. John Beck is not good. I have no idea what Shanahan saw in him that led him to dump Rex Grossman after one bad game. But without Tim Hightower, Chris Cooley and Santana Moss this offense can't move the ball. And they can't protect Beck to give him time to find a receiver. The Bills sacked him 9 times, more than doubling their season total to this point. And the defense, which had held up well in the first four games as completely collapsed under the weight of carrying this team.

Who is the Second Best Team in the NFL?
We all know that the Packers are the best team with a perfect 7-0 record. Deciding who is next is a little more difficult. There is only 1 team with a 6-1 record, the San Francisco 49ers. And they're only loss was that overtime killer to the Cowboys in Week 2. And they have beaten some teams with good records Detroit (5-2), Cincinnati (5-2) and Tampa Bay (4-3). Which means they still have 2 games each with St. Louis and Arizona. They could easily win 11 games, 13 if they really are this good.

Pictures of the Week
A disappointing number of teams dressed their cheerleaders up in Halloween costumes. The best coming to us from Tennessee and Baltimore.

Titans cheerleaders
sexy Elvis cheerleader


If the Super Bowl Were Played Today
Green Bay Packers 31 Pittsburgh Steelers 25

The Steelers take the AFC's top spot by beating the Patriots. But neither of those two teams looks Super Bowl worthy right now. A lot still to shake out in the AFC.

Song of the Week

"Break Even" - The Script

Sunday, October 30, 2011

Weekly Picks

Doing these from the Blackberry because the power is out.

BALTIMORE -12 1/2 arizona

philadelphia -3 dallas

indianapolis +9 TENNESSEE

CAROLINA -3 1/2 minnesota

Best bet
Detroit -3 DENVER


Last week: 3-2 (2 points)
Season: 19-16 (20 points)
Best Bets: 0-1 (4-3)
Home Favorites: 1-1 (8-6)
Home Underdogs: 0-0 (0-0)
Road Favorites: 1-1 (4-6)
Road Underdogs: 1-0 (7-4)

Friday, October 28, 2011

Nothing to Apologize For

Rob Gronkowski has nothing to be sorry about. The Patriots tight end was pictured with porn star BiBi Jones. She was wearing his jersey, he was not.



This created quite a fitrestorm and eventually led to Gronk apologizing to Robert Kraft. Apparently, they think he sullied the Patriots image by allowing a porn star to wear the precious jersey.

The only good part of this fiasco is that the world was introduced to BiBi Jones, who is apparently a major groupie. She says she did not fuck Gronkowski, but she did sleep with Phoenix Coyotes player Paul Bissonette and Dan Uggla (that should get him into the Hall of Fame). She also claims she was used as a recruiting tool for an agent. He took her to spring training in Arizona in 2010 and would take her out to bars at night.

"You know, baseball players would come and I’d introduce myself. And then I got to hook up with baseball players and have fun. It was like a dream come true because I love athletes and baseball’s my favorite sport."

Jones claimed that she slept with "more than 10" players.

But Jones says she didn't fuck Gronkowski even though she wanted to.

Gronkowski should feel remorse about that.

porn star Bibi jones also seems to like the Yankees


Wednesday, October 26, 2011

The NFL is Poop - Week 7

It's Tebow Time
The debate over Tim Tebow is reaching a boiling point with each side gaining more ammunition based on his performance in the Broncos 18-15 over the Miami Dolphins. The Tebow supporters were heartened by him pulling victory from the jaws of defeat, the first ever comeback of more than 14 points in less than 3 minutes. "He's a winner," they say.
The Tebow detractors point to his performance in the first 55 minutes when he was absolutely dreadful, 4 for 14 for 40 yards. "He'll never have a comeback like that against a real team."
I'm firmly in the second camp, with one exception. I really, really, really, really like Tim Tebow. I think he is a hell of a guy and I love him as a player. But not as a quarterback. I do think there is a large psychological component to the position. I think it does take a special kind of person to make the big play when the game is on the line.
Unfortunately, I also think throwing arm and accuracy are way more important traits. And I don't believe he has them, or can learn them.



Old-Fashioned Ass-Whupping
The Saints put a hurt on the Colts, the worst beating in the history of the modern NFL. 62 points tied a post-merger record, as did the 55-point margin of victory. They scored every single time they had the ball until the very last drive, 5 touchdowns, 2 field goals, then three more touchdowns, the last of which came on an interception return. Just a complete and total domination.

How Much Does a Quarterback Really Matter?
Last year the Colts were 10-6 and made the playoffs. This year they are 0-7. The biggest difference. Peyton Manning is not playing.

How Much Does a Quarterback Really Matter? II
The Raiders were 4-2 with the good, not great, Jason Campbell running the team. He got hurt and Kyle Boller and Carson Palmer combined to throw 6 interceptions in a 28-0 loss to the Chiefs, who were averaging 30 points per game entering this game.

Suck for Luck
Dolphins fans didn't even seem too upset by their historic collapse against the Broncos. They are hoping the Fins can "Suck for Luck" and get the first draft pick, which will allow them to take Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck. Problem is, they may not be the only winless team tanking. The Colts and Rams are equally atrocious, but neither of those two teams is as desperate for a QB as Miami. The Rams have Bradford, and unless Manning is too hurt to ever play again, the Colts will give him a few more years, since they paid him so much money. It'll be interesting to see if the Dolphins blatantly start dumping games in order to draft him.

I Have Seen the Light
I wasn't convinced before the season started, but now I am sure, Cam Newton is going to be a big star in this league for a very long time. He is not the White Tim Tebow or the Sane Vince Young. He's more like a better Daunte Culpepper. He is a great running quarterback as shown on a ridiculous run he had early in the first quarter against the Redskins, while evading about 5 tacklers. But Newton doesn't run at the first sign of trouble, he doesn't need to, he's a great passer. He's not in the Brady, Brees, Rodgers class of guy who throw the ball to open spots with perfect accuracy to let their receivers catch it, but he's close. He nailed so many perfect throws, especially to Steve Smith. It was very impressive to watch.



A Brief Rant About the Redskins
All the hope I had after the 3-1 start is gone. The offense stinks and now it's being run by John Beck who is not as good as Rex Grossman, but for some reason the Shanahans like him better. Now Chris Cooley and Tim Hightower are out for the season and Santana Moss is out until December. The offense looks even worse. And the defense which had been great couldn't tackle Cam Newton or defend Steve Smith.

If the Super Bowl Were Played Today
Green Bay Packers 31 New England Patriots 14

The Packers got a scare from Christian Ponder but held on. The Patriots will solidify their spot if they can beat the Steelers this week.

Song of the Week

"Real Love remix" - Mary J Blige featuring Notorious B.I.G.
One of the funniest moments in my life occurred during this song. We're at a crowded bar and TON's friend KayTee points his finger straight up in the air. He gives us just enough time to look around and act confused because we have no idea what he is pointing at. Then we hear "Look up in the sky..." Genius



Note: That awesome beat is a sample from Betty Wright's "Clean Up Woman"

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Stand Up for Gary Carter

25 years ago today Gary Carter stepped to the plate with no one on, two men out and his team trailing by 2 runs.
Carter singled to center field to start the most amazing rally in the history of baseball (stakes included).
Now Carter faces a much tougher opponent, cancer. Carter is battling brain cancer with chemotherapy and other treatments.
His former batterymate Ron Darling "stands up" for Carter in a new ad.

The Greatest Day of My Life

There was a time in life when I was young and innocent. I always believed. And why not? I rooted for the Mets, the 1986 Mets in particular.
Those Mets were one of the greatest teams in the history of baseball. And it wasn't just that they won, it was the way the won.
Like July 3rd, when they trailed 5-3 in the 10th inning and then Darryl Strawberry homered to tie it and Ray Knight who had already struck out 4 times, homered in his 5th at bat to win it.
Or July 22nd, when the Mets beat the Reds in 14 innings while shuffling relievers between the mound and the outfield after several players got ejected during a bench-clearing brawl. I have described this game as one of my favorite games ever.
Or the entire NLCS against the Astros. The Mets constantly had their backs to the wall but they always won. They always believed and so did I.

25 years ago today, the Mets staged their greatest comeback.

Trailing by two runs, with two out and nobody on Gary Carter singled.

I don't remember exactly how I felt at the moment, but I know I hadn't given up the way I would have now.

Kevin Mitchell singled.

I remember watching this game with my entire family. We were crammed onto my parents bed.

Ray Knight singled. Gary Carter scored. Kevin Mitchell advanced to third.



At some point my mom admitted this game was "a little exciting."

Bob Stanley throws a wild pitch. Kevin Mitchell scores to tie the game. Ray Knight advances to second.



"Here comes Mitchell! Here comes Mitchell!"

And then it happened. The moment of pure joy and happiness that has stayed with me for 25 years.

Mookie Wilson hits a slow roller down the first base line.

Then Bob Murphy utters the 3 greatest words in the English language:

"Gets By Buckner!"

And in that moment we all started jumping on my parents' bed, as I am sure young kids all over New York did the same.



I'm getting chills while writing this. It was 25 years ago.

What an incredible moment. Proof that anything can happen, as long as you keep trying to make it happen.

The ensuing 25 years have not been kind to those Mets. Two days later (there was a rainout), they won the World Series. Three days later Dwight Gooden missed the victory parade because he was snorting coke in a hotel room. A confession he made only recently, though everyone knew it for years. Gooden served a suspension for drugs at the beginning of 1987 and the rest of the pitching staff was wracked by injuries. Then in 1988 the Mets lost in the NLCS to an inferior Dodgers team. By 1989 Carter and Hernandez and Mookie were too old and this amazing team only won one World Series.

Gooden and Strawberry were drug addicts. Kevin Mitchell was crazy too, reportedly killing a cat. Jesse Orosco, Doug Sisk and Danny Heep were the "Scum Bunch" who used to sit on the back of and drink and act like assholes. Gary Carter was media-obsessed and unpopular with his teammates.

But none of that mattered on October 25, 1986. All I know is the Mets won in the most impossible, unbelievable, exhilarating, thrilling and memorable fashion.

So memorable that it was turned into one of the greatest season highlight videos ever: "1986 Mets: A Year to Remember."

Note: that video uses the radio broadcast which is why I use Bob Murphy's "gets by Buckner" as opposed to Vin Scully's "gets through Buckner" even though I was watching on TV and listening to Scully at the time.

Over the years I have watched that video so many times and each time it brings me back to that moment on my parents' bed, with my family, jumping, screaming, hugging, and enjoying a moment the likes of which I have never seen in the 25 years since, and will likely never see again.

Monday, October 24, 2011

Say Yes to the Excess

I recently noticed an increase of hits for a very old post about a creepy cop, which was being prosecuted by fellow Susan Wagner High School alumnus Autumn Levine.
After I did some sleuthing I deduced the interest in Autumn stems from her recent appearance on TLC's wedding show "Say Yes to the Dress."



This video is only a minute long. But we can learn a few things. She still talks like a Staten Islander. She loves dark eye makeup. Her future husband is very rich. And she probably did get fake tits since high school, as rumored.

Saturday, October 22, 2011

Weekly Picks

Got saved from disaster last week by the Jets. Salvaged three points and I am still on a pretty decent pace. I also think I learned a lot which I will apply to my picks this week.

NEW ORLEANS -14 1/2 indianapolis
I am worried about a spread this big but I love the Saints to win coming off that horrible loss to the ExpensiveCornPrices. A big win here would confirm what I believe about the league: always pick a good team coming off a bad loss or against a bad team coming off a good win. They should have the offensive fire power to bury Curtis Painter.

pittsburgh -3 1/2 ARIZONA
Good team versus bad team. Small spread because home field is overrated. Also the Steelers had a bad game last week against Jacksonville, no points in the second half. They should put up more points than that this week.

OAKLAND -3 1/2 kansas city
It doesn't matter who starts at quarterback. The Raiders are a good team, the Chiefs are a bad one and the spread is really small because of uncertainty. The Raiders are a team equipped to deal with a situation like this because they rely on their running game and defense. I'd rather see Palmer start because I think the whole "system" thing is incredibly overrated so coaches can prove their value. What matters is talent and the Raiders have more of it than the Chiefs.

houston +3 1/2 TENNESSEE
I think the Texans are a better team.

BEST BET
san diego chargers -1 NEW YORK JETS

I wonder if I have ever picked a team as my best bet one week, then picked against them as my best bet the very next week -- after they covered. Even in a big win, the Jets didn't seem very good. This is a big step up in competition and I expect them to lose.

Last week: 2-3 (3 points)
Season: 16-14 (18 points)
Best Bets: 1-0 (4-2)
Home Favorites: 1-3 (7-5)
Home Underdogs: 0-0 (0-0)
Road Favorites: 0-0 (3-5)
Road Underdogs: 1-0 (6-4)

Friday, October 21, 2011

A Yankee Fan I Actually Like

Leave it to the New York Post to put a New York-centric spin on the killing of Muammar Qaddafi. The Libyan rebel who claims to have fired the fatal bullet (there's no way of knowing for sure) was wearing a Yankee hat.
The post gives him credit on its cover "Khadafy Killed by Yankee Fan."
But the subheading was even better "Gunman had more hits than A-Rod."

new york post cover khadafy killed by yankee fan

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Cain is Able

Presidential candidate Herman Cain used to run a company called Godfather's Pizza, unfamiliar to many of us on the East Coast. But apparently it was a big thing in the Midwest. Here's Cain in 1991 at the Omaha Press Club singing an ode to pizza to the tune of John Lennon's "Imagine."
His singing starts at :44



"Imagine there's no pizza
I couldn't if I tried
Eating only tacos
Or Kentucky Fried."

I really liked it, and think Cain is actually a pretty good singer. Several other big name musicians seem equally impressed and plan to release Cain-themed cover versions of their most popular songs.

Prince: "I only wanted to see you laughing in the ---, Herman Cain. Herman Cain, Herman Cain."

Wayne Newton: "Herman Cain, darling, Herman Cain. Thank you for, all the joy and pain."

Rob Base: "Joy. HermanCain. Sunshine. Rain."

Tay Zonday: "Herman Cain. Some stay dry while others feel the rain."

Update:
Scorpions: "Here I am. Rock you like a Herman Cain."

If you don't think it's funny, please click on the artist's name to hear the original.
If you still don't think it's funny try singing the new version out loud.
If you still don't think it's funny, you're a moron.

Thanks to Albino for his help on this

Song of the Week

"I'm a Thug" - Trick Daddy
There's a surprising number of good candidates for 2001. But I like this one the best. And I was trying to pick the song I liked the best, not the one that best exemplifies the era, or was the most popular.



Note: this seems to be an alternate version of the video. The original, in which he orders from Wings N Thangs cannot be embedded.

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

The NFL Is Poop - Week 6

Nice Game, Pal
The biggest story from Week 6 didn't even happen during a game. Everyone is talking about the postgame fight between Jim Harbaugh and Jim Schwartz. The seeds of discontent may have been sown earlier in the game. Harbaugh got a 15-yard penalty for challenging an unchallengeable play. It was a scoring play, and new for this season, all scoring plays are automatically reviewed. Schwartz allegedly made a comment similar to "know the rules" in Harbaugh's general direction.
After a close, tense game, the two met and midfield for a postgame handshake. An excited Harbaugh overzealousy shook Schwartz's hand and emphatically clapped him on the back.
It seemed like Schwartz said something, Harbaugh fired back, Schwartz chased him down and a melee ensued.

shall we dance?

In my opinion, Schwartz greatly overreacted to Harbaugh's display of enthusiasm. But in order for there to be something to overreact to, there had to be an initial act and that is where Harbaugh is to blame.
I think they both embarrassed themselves and failed to act as leaders of men should. But if I have to pick one, and I do, that's what the poll demands, I will say Harbaugh was more wrong.




Topsy-Turvy World
I've talked about this many times in the past, but it always pays to be reminded, especially when trying to pick games, the NFL is a roller coaster. Teams play like shit next week, and world beaters the next. This week's examples: The ExpensiveCornPrices who lost to San Francisco by 45, then beat the Saints the next week. And the Giants who lost at home to Seattle and then beat the Bills.

Ahmad Bradshaw goes head over heels, a microcosm for the league

White Guys Can Run, Can't Jump, But Can Run
There are very few white wide receivers in the NFL, but two of them have exploded for the biggest plays this season. There was Wes Welker outrunning everyone for a 99-yard TD against the Dolphins. And this week Aaron Rodgers hit Jordy Nelson for a 93-yard TD against St. Louis.

Pretty fast for a white boy

Ain't That a Shame
A couple weeks ago, I marveled at what I thought was an unusual occurrence. Two different quarterbacks both named Jason Campbell. Until Billy informed me that the Jason Campbell playing so capably for the Raiders was in fact the same Jason Campbell who used to play so poorly for the Redskins. Now, Jason Campbell's career renaissance has been delayed due to a broken collar bone. That's unfortunate for Campbell and for the Raiders. Backed into a corner with a solid running game and a good defense, they had no choice but to get a new quarterback. Unfortunately they had to drastically overpay, two first round picks, for Carson Palmer. But with Oakland at 4-2, they couldn't just trust their season to Kyle Boller.

A pained Jason Campbell sees his season end

Picture of the Week
Unsung hero and one of my favorite players in the league, Ovie Mughelli (Oh-vee Muh-hail-ee), celebrates after scoring a touchdown. Part of a dying breed of fullbacks, Mughelli has touched the ball only about 100 times in his 6-year career.




A Brief Rant About the Redskins
How quickly things change. On Saturday the Redskins were in first place with a surprising Rex Grossman enjoying a career revival. On Monday the Redskins are struggling and in the midst of a quarterback controversy. Despite the horrid start, the Redskins had several chances to get back in this game. The turning point should have come when OJ Atogwe picked off Michael Vick at the 1-yard line, preventing the Eagles from extending their 20-6 lead. Ok, so a 99-yard drive is too much to ask. But the Redskins got the ball back at the Eagles 18, and Grossman was intercepted. Then they stopped the Eagles on 4th down and Grossman was intercepted again. At that point Shanahan had no choice but to go to John Beck. But it was too late.
The question is: who should Shanahan start now? A tough stretch is coming up at Carolina, at Buffalo, San Francisco, three teams who are much better than we thought they would be. I think he should stick with Grossman. If the Redskins can keep games close, he likely won't make the mistakes he made against the Eagles when he was forcing the ball in order to lead a big comeback.

If the Super Bowl Were Played Today
Green Bay Packers 35 New England Patriots 21

Am I ever going to be able to put a different team in one of these two slots for the rest of the season? Probably not. So I will keep playing around with the score. This week I use the score from when the Packers beat the Patriots in Super Bowl XXXI.

Legal Sea Food Ads

My favorite seafood joint, Legal Sea Food is out with a series of cheeky new ads. They start as faux-environmental ads with messages like "Save the Trout" but they end with "save the trout so we can grill that baby up real nice."
As an environmentalist, an animal lover, a food lover, someone who believes the natural order of the universe allows even requires animals to eat other animals, and an avowed smartass, I love the ad campaign.
But of course the PETA wackos are up in arms over it.




Monday, October 17, 2011

It's Getting Ugly

Senator Scott Brown was elected two years ago in a special election after the death of Ted Kennedy. He has to run for re-election next year and already the Democrats are lining up against him. Elizabeth Warren, who was the TARP cop for the Obama Administration pulled out the dagger first.
When asked how she paid for college, Warren said "I didn't pose naked."
Brown did, in Cosmopolitan when he was 22.

Scott Brown posed naked, thank God Elizabeth Warren didn't

When Brown was asked about Warren's comment that she didn't pose naked, he said "Thank God."



Now women's groups are calling him sexist. Even if his remark was a little bit petty and catty, I don't blame him, for two reasons. First of all, she started it. Second of all, she's ugly.

Sunday, October 16, 2011

Weekly Picks

Finally pieced together two good weeks in a row to get my total points on pace (need to average three per week to have a good season). I got kind of lucky because both New England and San Diego covered on late field goals. But it still counts and I hope to keep it going this week with a bunch of home favorites laying big lines.

NEW ENGLAND -6 1/2 dallas
I think I am pretty much going to pick New England every week. I think they are really great on offense and almost no team can keep up with them. I also like the half point I get if New England can win by a touchdown there's no push.

OAKLAND -7 cleveland
The Browns are really bad and it's being disguised because their early season schedule was weak. The Raiders are actually pretty good and their quarterback Jason Campbell (Bill confirms he is the same Jason Campbell who sucked for the Redskins) has been a great game manager, allowing the running game to dominate.

jacksonville -13 PITTSBURGH
I was looking for one underdog and this was the only one I liked. The Steelers got their big blowout last week. I don't think they're a great team that's gonna roll over everyone all the time. And I don't think the Jaguars are that bad.

DETROIT -4 1/2 san francisco
Last week's 48-3 win over the ExpensiveCornPrices was a total aberration. The 49ers are not that good. As long as Alex Smith is the QB, a team that can rush the passer like the Lions can, will pressure him and force turnovers.

BEST BET
NEW YORK JETS -7 1/2 miami

All this shit is swirling around the Jets this week, and I kind of like when that happens. The Dolphins are really bad and if the Jets don't turn it over (far from a given), they will win this game big.

Last week: 3-2 (4 point)
Season: 14-11 (15 points)
Best Bets: 1-0 (3-2)
Home Favorites: 1-0 (6-2)
Home Underdogs: 0-0 (0-0)
Road Favorites: 1-1 (3-5)
Road Underdogs: 1-1 (5-4)

Thursday, October 13, 2011

CNN's Head is Up Uranus

CNN says the blackberry outage is "impacting users on almost every planet."



Not on Uranus!

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Song of the Week

"Something to Talk About" - Bonnie Raitt
I'm going in a different direction this week for 1991. Too many of the other songs were cheesy cliches like "I Wanna Sex You Up," "Things That Make You Go Hmmm" and "More Than Words."

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

The NFL is Poop - Week 5

The Nightmare Team
Vince Young's proclamation that the Eagles were a Dream Team is turning into a nightmare. At 1-4, the Eagles can tolerate only 2 maybe 3 more losses in the next 11 games. Anymore than that and that almost certainly means no playoffs. So why did things go so wrong for the Eagles? First of all, Michael Vick is not a very good quarterback. He is an incredible playmaker, as a runner he's unstoppable (90 more yards yesterday) but he is not a good passer. Even though his completion percentage and yards per attempt stats are in line with what he did last year, and better than his Atlanta career, I still think he tries to force the ball into tight spots and thus us has thrown 7 INTs this year, as opposed to only 6 all of last year (in 12 games). I also think the Eagles may have read their own press clippings. They know how much talent they supposedly have, and think they can win on talent alone. The biggest manifestation of that comes from turnovers, 15 of them so far, by far the most in the league. They refuse to go down when tackled and often end up getting stripped. Vick refuses to take a sack, thinking he can always make something out of nothing. And they take dumb penalties. They had a chance to get the ball back against the Bills, 4th and 1, no way was Buffalo going for it. But the Eagles jumped. Just the latest stupid mistake that sabotaged their promising season.

The Anti-Michael Vick
Maybe the player least similar to Vick in the whole league is Tim Tebow, a big, strong, nice, moral guy. And I know for some reason we never compare the playing styles of players from different races but I see a lot of Michael Vick in Tim Tebow. Please allow me to explain. Like Vick, Tebow is better off as a running back. Like Vick, he is not a good passer. Like Vick, he wreaks havoc for opposing defenses when he tucks the ball and runs.
Right after Tebow was drafted in 2010, I wrote that I didn't think Tebow would ever be a good NFL quarterback.. After watching him down the stretch of the game against the Chargers, I stand behind my prediction. I also predicted (in the poll) that he would get no more than 32 career starts at quarterback. He will get number 4 in the Broncos next game. John Fox has named him the starting QB. The timing is good because the Broncos have a bye, and then a game against the weak Dolphins. So we'll see what the kid can do when given the chance.

Back to the Drawing Board
During the offseason ESPN came out with a new quarterback rating system, designed to completely eclipse the current passer rating, by being much more accurate. Taking more things into account and weighting them more accurately. I think that system needs to be reworked in light of the following result: Tim Tebow (4-10, 79 yards, 2 TTDs) had a better QBR than Aaron Rodgers (26-39, 396 yards, 2 TDs). I guess the reason is Tebow produced 2 TDs in a lot fewer plays than Rodgers, and avoided the sacks and penalties that hurt Rodgers. But any rating system that ranks Tebow's game, higher than Rodgers's is of little or no value.

A Brief Rant About the Redskins
Because of everything I said about the Eagles in the first item, they will probably beat the Redskins by 20 points this week.

Picture of the Week
Dewayne Bowe (or as I call him "Taste Dewayne Bowe" made one of the best catches I've ever seen. After being completely interfered with (a flag was thrown), Bowe shook off the defender, tipped the ball to himself a couple times and made the catch.



Ten and Oh My God That Would Be Awesome
Right now the only two undefeated teams are 5-0 Lions and the 5-0 Packers. Those two division rivals will meet on Thanksgiving Day. Because their upcoming schedules aren't that tough, there's at least a reasonable chance they will both be 10-0.

If the Super Bowl Were Played Today
Green Bay 49 New England 48

Even though they fell behind early against Atlanta the Packers showed their offense cannot be stopped. Patriots looked good, but not invulnerable against the Jets.

Sunday, October 09, 2011

Marching Bands Get Funky

The Syracuse University Marching Band aka the Sour Sitrus Society unveiled a new song (or at least I had never heard them play it before), "Hate Me Now" by Nas.
Though I enjoyed the song and thought it was an inspired choice, it was nothing compared to the version of LMFAO's "Party Rock Anthem" by the Ohio University Marching Band:

Weekly Picks

A good week last week but I really need two or three best bets in a row to really get rolling. The absence of a few teams makes things a little harder this week.

NEW ENGLAND -7 1/2 new york jets
I really wanted to make this game my best bet but I'm actually a little afraid of the Jets. They play New England well and really need this game. But most of all I was scared off by their piss-poor performance last week. I expect a better effort with fewer turnovers this week.

philadelphia -3 BUFFALO
This goes against my number one philosophy for early-season games: "believe what you see, not what you believe." But I just have a funny feeling that the Eagles are not ready to have their season end this early on.

tampa bay +2 1/2 SAN FRANCISCO
Everyone is talking about the 49ers being 3-1. But they are still not good. Even though the ExpensiveCornPrices let me down last week, I still think they have a good enough defense to get this win on the road.

kansas city +1 1/2 INDIANAPOLIS
Call this one a hunch. Hard to figure two really bad teams. But I just don't think the Chiefs are or should be that bad. The Colts are, and they've already covered two spreads in a row.

BEST BET
san diego -4 DENVER

The Chargers always screw me, especially as road favorites. But I just see the talent gap in this game being a lot wider than four points.

Last week: 3-2 (4 point)
Season: 11-9 (11 points)
Best Bets: 1-0 (2-2)
Home Favorites: 1-1 (5-2)
Home Underdogs: 0-0 (0-0)
Road Favorites: 1-0 (2-4)
Road Underdogs: 1-1 (4-3)

Saturday, October 08, 2011

Baseball is Poop - Division Series

162 Games and It All Comes Down to This
The Yankees and the Phillies were the best teams on paper going into the season, and on grass during the season. And then in 5 games, poof, it's gone. The Yankees had a glaring hole in their rotation, exacerbated when CC Sabathia could really only pitch one game. But then again, AJ Burnett gave them much more than expected in Game 4. The Phillies rotation almost lived up to expectations in the series, but their offense completely deserted them. These are the two teams in the league I hate most, so I don't feel sad at all, but I do think it is kind of unfair that the best record over 162 games seems to matter so little in a 5 or 7 game series.

Numbers Don't Lie
There is always a big debate among statistically-inclined fans (of which I am one) and those who believe in "clutch" performances (I'm in that camp too). The statheads say a player who gets hits or home runs at a certain rate during the regular season, will eventually revert to that same pace in the postseason (with a minor adjustment for facing better pitchers. But this game is played by human beings not robots. And it's clear whenever Alex Rodriguez gets up in a key spot his brain prevents his body from performing at its normal level. A-Rod had two more big strikeouts in Game 5 against the Detroit, the killer in the 7th with one out and the bases loaded and the formality to end the game. If you look at his total postseason record it actually isn't terrible, 884 OPS in 299 plate appearances (better than Jeter, btw). But he has had some really awesome series (all 3 in 2009, and the ones he played in before becoming a Yankee) and some terrible ones (the two against Detroit come to mind). But he has struck out 64 times in 299 PAs, a very high rate, which occasionally leads to him walking off the field sullenly while someone celebrates behind him.



A Tiger Triple is Possible
Justin Verlander is a lock to win the AL Cy Young and a near-lock to win the MVP as well. With only 4 teams left he has a roughly 25% chance of winning the World Series too. The last two times a pitcher won a World Series, the Cy Young and the MVP in the same series they were both Tigers. Gulliermo Hernandez in 1984 and Denny McLain in 1968.

No One Ever Uses Magnificent in Front of Allen Craig's Name
In Game 3 of the Phillies-Cardinals series, the Cardinals loaded the bases with one out in the 8th inning. They were trailing 3-1 with Allen Craig up and The Magnificent Pooh Holes on deck. This was not second-guessing, I said before the at bat, Craig should have struck out on purpose. It seems crazy but I really liked their chances better with Pooh Holes up and two outs. Craig grounded into a double play and Pooh Holes led off the next inning with a double. But the Cardinals lost 3-2.

Revisiting The Last Night of the Regular Season
There has been a lot of talk about expanding the playoffs, maybe by one more team in each league and having the two wild card teams play a one-game "series" to strengthen the advantage of winning your division (would certainly give a rotational advantage). At first I was in favor, but now I have changed my mind. That great final night of the season would have been meaningless because Boston, Tampa Bay, St. Louis and Atlanta would have all sewn up spots. And I know an exciting race could still happen between the 5th and 6th teams in each league, but I think that is watering it down a little too much. You'd have barely adequate teams competing for final playoff spots, like in hockey and basketball. Better to keep it to only the very best teams, so we can continue to get exciting well-played playoff series.

Can't Buy Me Love
With the elimination of the Phillies and Yankees, none of the four remaining teams is in the top 9 highest payrolls. The Tigers are 10th, Cardinals 11th, Rangers 13th and the small-market Brewers are 17th. It will be interesting to see if that changes next year as both NL teams have free agent first basemen who will surely get $20m per year contracts. I expect Pooh Holes to stay with St. Louis, but Fielder is almost certainly a goner.

Friday, October 07, 2011

Have an Easy Fast Everyone

A very observant Jew in Philadelphia went to his rabbi to complain that he wouldn't be able to watch the Phillies game tonight:
"Rabbi, why does God do this to us. All my gentile friends get to watch the game and I have to be at Kol Nidre and I can't watch the game."
The rabbi said "don't worry, this is why God created the DVR."
"You mean I can DVR Kol Nidre?"

Wednesday, October 05, 2011

Song of the Week

"How Bout Us" - Champaign
"Some people are made for each other
Some can love one another for life
How bout us"
One of the best songs of 1981


Tuesday, October 04, 2011

The NFL is Poop - Week 4

Roaring Back
The Lions have to stop doing this to their poor fans. They are going to be responsible for an increase in heart attacks in Michigan. For the second straight week the Lions fell behind by 20+ points, and for the second straight week they won the game. This is a double-edged sword. Sure it's great that Matthew Stafford keeps bringing them back and Calvin Johnson keeps catching touchdowns like Noah (in 2s, get it?) but they can't keep coming back like this. Can they?

Many Happy Returns
The Jets and Ravens combined to put up 51 points, while their quarterbacks each had ratings in the 30s. So how did they put up so many points? Return TDs. 5 of the 6 TDs in the game were returns. 2 interceptions, 2 fumbles and a kickoff. Amazing performance by the defense and special teams (can't totally blame the QBs when Sanchez is getting smashed in the back by Ed Reed), but a mostly shitty one by Flacco and Sanchez.

Many Happy Returns Part II
Devin Hester aka Windy City Flyer set the NFL record with his 11th career punt return for a touchdown. He also had a 73-yard kickoff return to set up a touchdown. He has 4 kickoff return TDs, giving him a record 15 combined kick return TDs.



A Giant Break
The Giants got a huge break when the referees ruled Victor Cruz down, having given himself up, instead of ruling it a fumble. Everyone is debating whether it was the right call, but no one is answering the key question: when did the whistle blow? If the whistle blew when he was on the ground then the refs made the right call, regardless of whether they actually should have ruled him down as the rule dictates, if they blew the whistle, then Cruz was right to lay the ball down. If they never blew the whistle, then the play was not over and should have been ruled a fumble.



Admiral Ackbar Tried to Warn Them
Often times teams coming off big wins over quality opponents will then suffer an embarrassing defeat to an inferior opponent the very next game. This is commonly known as a "Trap Game." The Buffalo Bills fell into that trap, losing to the Bengals 23-20. The letdown was even worse considering they had a 17-3 lead. With the Eagles, Giants, Redskins and Jets in the next four game we will soon know whether the Bills are for real.



Picture of the Week
A game-torn jersey? This one actually held up pretty well as the Texans tried to rip it off Ben Roethlisberger's body.



Brief Rant About the Redskins
The Redskins should be 4-0 right now and the toast of the league. But I have to be satisfied with 3-1, considering my expectations going into this season. Rex Grossman has done a decent job of building leads and not blowing them. Well, maybe the defense deserves more credit for not blowing these games. Against Arizona and now St. Louis, the D had to hold off a furious comeback. And with the next 7 games against very beatable teams, I think the Redskins have good chance to be 7-4 or maybe even 8-3 going into Decemeber.

If the NFC Championship Game Were Played Today
Green Bay Packers 35 Detroit Lions 34
The only two unbeaten teams in the league are both in the NFC. They are both very exciting. And if they both keep this up they could well meet for the third time this season in the NFC title game.

Saturday, October 01, 2011

Weekly Picks

Burned by the push again. Not off to a good start with only 7 points but as usual my overall record of 8-7 is still decent, above .500.

pittsburgh +3 1/2 HOUSTON
Let Houston win this game by 3. I really think the Texans are overrated and the Steelers should bounce back after a subpar effort against the Colts.

TAMPA BAY -10 indianapolis
I really think the Colts are putrid and I like the ExpensiveCornPrices. The crowd should be jacked for a Monday Night game. Even though I don't believe in that sort of thing. I just like the 'Prices.

detroit +2 1/2 DALLAS
Detroit is not going to give the Cowboys and Tony Romo a free pass the way the Redskins did. I also expect Detroit to play a little better offensively than they did last week when they stunk it up for the first half.

SAN DIEGO -7 miami
The Dolphins are a bad team. I like the Chargers to break through, they are 0-3 ATS so far this year. That can't last forever. St. Louis is also 0-3 ATS and the Raiders are 3-0. Everyone else is 1-2 or 2-1. That is why no one ever comes out ahead betting on football.

BEST BET
new england -6 OAKLAND

The Patriots are going to be angry.

Last week: 2-3 (1 point)
Season: 8-7 (7 points)
Best Bets: 0-1 (1-2)
Home Favorites: 2-0 (4-1)
Home Underdogs: 0-0 (0-0)
Road Favorites: 0-2 (1-4)
Road Underdogs: 0-1 (3-2)

Friday, September 30, 2011

Playoff Predictions

Division Series:
Diamondbacks over Brewers (5 games)
Phillies over Cardinals (3 games)
Yankees over Tigers (4 games)
Rangers over Rays (5 games)

League Championship Series:
Phillies over Diamondbacks (5 games)
Yankees over Rangers (6 games)

World Series:
Phillies over Yankees (6 games)

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Baseball is Poop

Oh What a Night
They're calling it Wild Card Wednesday. Four teams went into the day tied for two spots. And the Braves and Red Sox had blown leads of 8 1/2 and 9 games in September. The Braves and Rays were facing their toughest division rivals, teams already in the playoffs, and the Cardinals and Red Sox were facing last place teams. The NL was just a footnote, the Cardinals blew out Houston and the Braves lost to the Phillies in extra innings. After rookie closer Craig Kimbrel blew the save in the 9th.
But the real action came in the AL where the Red Sox held a 3-2 lead (with the help of a scoreless inning from Daniel Bard and his 11.70 ERA in September). But Jonathan Papelbon blew it in the bottom of the 9th. Meaning the Red Sox needed the Yankees to win. But the Yankees blew (on purpose?) a 7-0 lead to the Rays, and in the bottom of the 12th, just minutes after Papelbon's implosion, Evan Longoria homered inside the foul pole to give the Rays the AL wild card.

perfect picture of Evan Longoria's home run just as it leaves the bat

The only other walk-off home run to clinch a playoff spot in the team's final game of the season, was the Shot Heard Round the World by Bobby Thomson.

So Close
The Amazing Pooh Holes came into the final game of the season with a chance to extend his 10-year streak of hitting at least .300 with 30 homers and 100 RBI. It was the longest such streak in major league history. That streak is over. But his streak of 11 seasons batting at least .299 with 30 homers and 99 RBI was extended to 11 years.

No Way Jose
I'm very disappointed with the way Jose Reyes went about winning the batting title. I thought the bunt was a little cheap, but acceptable, but pulling himself out of the game goes against the spirit of competition. You either win the title by competing hard or you lose it. He did deserve the title because he played great all season, it was just a sour note to end the season. And even more sour because it's likely the last game he'll ever play as a Met.



Picture of the Week
Ryan Roberts rounding the bases pays tribute to his manager, Kirk Gibson, by imitating the home run trot Gibson used in the 1988 World Series. Roberts hit a walkoff grand slam in the bottom of the 10th inning after Micah Owings had given up 5 runs in the top of the inning.

Jesus, The Professor and the Ponzi Scheme

The Department of Justice amended its complaint against Full Tilt Poker, alleging the online site was a giant Ponzi Scheme.
When the site was shut down for U.S. players in April for illegally processing player deposits, many players expected to be fully repaid for the account balances which they could no longer use.
PokerStars repaid players in an expeditious fashion. Full Tilt did not, because it could not. According to the DOJ, player accounts totaled $440 million, but Full Tilt only had $60 million on hand.
And here's where the Ponzi Scheme accusation comes in: the site's owners and directors, including famous poker pros Chris "Jesus" Ferguson and Howard "The Professor" Lederer are alleged to have been paid millions over this time, $40m to Lederer and $25m to Ferguson (though he was promised much more because he owned nearly 20% of the company).
Full Tilt says it was not a Ponzi Scheme it just got in trouble because it got scammed by a payment processor and in other cases it elected to fund player accounts before the payments actually cleared. And when those payments didn't materialize, a huge hole grew. And when Full Tilt got shut down in the U.S. it had no way to fill that hole.
Obviously, no matter what happened, Full Tilt had an obligation to keep most if not all of player money in a liquid account (they can invest it and earn interest). But there are a couple extenuating circumstances here. We don't know for sure if Full Tilt intended to be a Ponzi Scheme or it just became one when they ran into trouble collecting funds.
But most importantly, internet poker should not be illegal. I lost less than $5 in this incident. I also lost my chance to play poker from my home, a hobby I greatly enjoy. But what I have been robbed of most of all is televised poker.
The World Series of Poker will likely survive because it can get other sponsors, but it may end up being the only poker show on TV. Because they cannot survive without the sponsorships from the poker sites.
But I've probably watched my last episode of Poker After Dark and The Big Game (although this still airs online), which is the best poker show for advanced players.
And that's what has me so angry. I can't even watch what I want on TV because of the government. And though many in the poker community are hopeful this will get repealed and internet poker will be legal and regulated, I don't think that will ever happen.
And it's a damn shame.

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

L'Shana Tova

May 5772 be the best year yet.
"Everyday I'm shecklin"

Song of the Week

"Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)"
This song hit the top of the charts in 1971, 40 years ago. The Temptations had already several personnel changes up to this point. They had begun to transition into the psychadelic style that was becoming popular. This song was a throwback to the bluesy, harmonies that made them famous in the 1960s.

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

The NFL is Poop - Week 3

Bills Beat Brady
It's too early to tell if the Bills are for real, but they are certainly exciting. Their second straight huge comeback at home. It certainly looks like their offense is going to be strong with Harvard quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, a good running game and a big group of fast wide receivers. Their defense is questionable though, even with 4 interceptions, a couple of them were lucky. And they are still allowing a lot of points. After Cincinnati the schedule gets a little tougher. As for the Patriots, they are still a great team and I think they can still go on an historical offense roll if they can get their defense in shape is another matter.

The Lions Roar Back
The other surprising 3-0 team, the Detroit Lions, also needed a big comeback to stay unblemished. It's their first 3-0 start since 1980. And they did it was Matt Stafford to Calvin Johnson and some nasty defensive pressure from Suh and Crew. Not sure why they were so bad in the first half but it doesn't matter. Detroit became the first team to get shutout in the first half and trail by 20 points or more and come back to win since the Chicago Bears did that against Arizona Cardinals. Remember that game?



How's That Donovan McNabb experiment working out?
Through 3 games Donovan McNabb has presided over 3 Vikings collapses. Minnesota has blown 10-point halftime leads in all 3 games. And McNabb's offense has scored 6 points combined in the three second halves. This goes back to something I said last season, when the game is on the line, he just cannot make the plays needed to win games. The fact is, McNabb used to be good, but he isn't anymore. Minnesota needs to transition to Christian Ponder at some point this season.

Let's See Him Keep That Up
The first 3 catches of Torrey Smith's career were 74-yard, 41-yard and 18-yard touchdowns. All in the first quarter. A pretty good way to start a career.



A Brief Rant About the Redskins
This is the difference between winning teams and losing ones: putting games away. Just an atrocious performance at the end of that game -- in fact the whole game. Missed field goals, fumbles, bad play-calling in the red zone. And most regrettably several plays where the ball was snapped way over Tony Romo's head, and the Redskins could recover. One of those plays Romo actually flung the ball and got a completed pass -- avoiding a big loss. Now it wasn't one play that cost us the game, more like 6 or 8, but the most galling was allowing a 30 yard reception on 3rd and 21 (with the game on the line, they would have had to have gone for it on 4th down) and then tacking on a 15-yard facemask, basically giving the Cowboys the game. The Redskins schedule remains fairly easy for the next 8 games (especially if neither the Eagles nor the Bills are for real) but they have to start making those crucial plays that win -- and lose games.

Pictures of the Week
A sudden monsoon turned the first half of the Panthers-Jaguars game into a sloppy water-logged contest. At one point a replay review was made nearly impossible because the camera lenses were so wet you couldn't make out the play between the drops.


3000 Words

Labrador Retriever Hawkeye lies next to the casket at the funeral for his owner Navy SEAL John Tumilson who was killed when he his chopper was shot down in Afghanistan.



Man born with 6 fingers on each hand



Dodgers fan expresses his dissatisfaction with the team's current financial state

Monday, September 26, 2011

Sunday, September 25, 2011

Weekly Picks

A good week finally though I needed my best bet to rally from 17-0 down and a somewhat favorable spread getting 4 with the Raiders. But a junk touchdown by Carolina cost me a perfect 6.

pittsburgh -10 1/2 INDIANAPOLIS
This could be just a terrible year for the Colts. I'm talking about zero wins. I think the Steelers will force Collins into more turnovers and dominate this game the way they did against Seattle last week.

atlanta +1 1/2 TAMPA BAY
I'm still rolling with Atlanta as my Super Bowl champion. And I think this year Tampa Bay will have some breaks go against it, as compared to last year when everything went its way. But I still wouldn't want the ball in Josh Freeman's hands at the end of a game.

NEW ORLEANS -4 houston
The Texans are very overrated. Let's see them keep up with the Saints this week.

CAROLINA -3 jacksonville
Cam Newton has to come back to earth doesn't he? And everyone wants to pick against the Jaguars because they have a rookie quarterback, but Gabbert has to be better than Josh McCown right?

BEST BET
detroit -3 MINNESOTA

I always get sucked in by these road favorites giving 3 or 3 1/2 points. They always seem to win by that field goal margin. I guarantee either Detroit or Carolina wins by exactly 3. But I really think Donovan McNabb sucks and Detroit's pass rush is just going to be too much for him.

Last week: 4-1 (5 points)
Season: 6-4 (6 point)
Best Bets: 1-0 (1-1)
Home Favorites: 2-0 (2-1)
Home Underdogs: 0-0 (0-0)
Road Favorites: 0-1 (1-2)
Road Underdogs: 2-0 (3-1)