SuperContest - Week 6

This is not going very well...I've already lost count of my record, and it is just very lucky that I actually didn't put up the $1500 to be in this contest.

As many of the sports talk people have mentioned the last couple of weeks the underdogs are taking over. They are something like 16 games over .500 for the season which hurts everyone's pocket.

Well, with all that said, let's see if I can make a move up the imaginary standings. One quick aside - if you didn't see my tweet the other week, I was very impressed with myself on two betting ventures. The first was the over/under baseball contest from Vegas Watch. In this contest you picked 10 teams, and based on the Vegas line, would they go over or under their season win total. Out of the 260 people who entered the contest, I finished 17th and nailed the tie breaker exactly - what will be David Wright's slugging percentage. I guessed that in April! This was a huge improvement over last season when I finished 260th...no joke. The other success was my fantasy baseball league with 15 random strangers who follow the @montreal_expos on twitter. It was a very competitive league and I ended up on top led by strong pitching (Halladay and Jiminez) and some good power up the middle (Tulowitzki and Josh Hamilton). Giving myself a pat on the back.

Now on to the picks...
Chargers -8 over Rams: This is when the Chargers normally heat up. Plus they caved and brought Marcus McNeil back and Vincent Jackson is on his way back as well. All adds up well for the San Diego Super Chargers.

Falcons +3 over Eagles: The Eagles are smoke and mirrors right now. We don't know who will be at QB (Kolb or Vick) and they just traded for a running back who as 12 carries on the season (Jerome Harrison). The Falcons are for real and will separate themselves from the rest of the NFC with this win on the road.

Seahawks +7 over Bears: Even though the Bears are 4-1 they have been so lucky. Last week with only 36 yards passing and 4 interceptions, they managed to win by 17 points! This can't continue and even though the Seahawks are bad, they should be able to keep this one close with their stout defence.

Steelers -14 over Browns: Both teams start QB's for the first time this season, the Steelers bring back Ben Roethlisberger after his suspension and the Browns start rookie Colt McCoy after both Jake Delhomme and Seneca Wallace are ruled out with ankle injuries. The Steelers defence will be too much for the rookie and the infusion of Big Ben into the Steelers offence, this one should be over after the first half.

Raiders +7 over 49ers: The 49ers were supposed to win the division and their owner still believes it is possible. The Raiders were supposed to be epic bad, but have been frisky in all their games and won against the Chargers last weekend relying on defence and special teams. The 49ers haven't shown anything to be favored by this many points, so the Raiders is the pick.

Here is one more just pick for fun...

Bye -3 over Buffalo Bills: The Bills just can't win no matter who they are playing. Unfortunately for them, the #1 pick in the NFL draft isn't clear cut (reminds me of when the Raptors got the first overall pick and chose Bargnani) and they need so much help, but also probably don't want to spend the money. Bad situation all around.

Go Yankees?

It may be blasphemous to say "Go Yankees" around these parts, but for the next month, the Yankees are pretty much the team I will be rooting for during the MLB playoffs.

Why the Yankees you ask when there are so many better options. Well, let me break it down for you.

1 - the National League is not for me. So that obviously rules out both the Phillies and the Giants. Although, I do have a soft spot for Roy Halladay, because of his connections to Toronto, but that is as far as my "brotherly love" goes. The Phillies have been free spenders on the free agent market and have mortgaged their future for the present. If they can bring another championship to Philadelphia, I guess why not. I just won't be cheering for them.

The NL West is probably the division I follow the least in baseball. Besides playing late games and therefore never really being able to watch them on TV and missing their highlights constantly, the teams are blah. The Giants and Dodgers would still be better served playing in New York. The Giants don't have much going for them besides Tim Lincecum and Pablo Sandoval so why would I cheer form. Besides that fact, they have little to no chance of beating the Phillies, so why would I waste my time cheering for four games.

2 - The Rangers and Rays are both the up and comers of the American League and while it might be fun to cheer for them for awhile, as a fan I will just get frustrated watching their young players try and make it through the post-season.

Also, the Rays "fans" bug me. They averaged a little over 20,000 fans per game which ranked 22nd out of 30th in the Majors. Now, they are pulling back tarps to uncover seats in the highest parts of the stadium to accommodate the new support. If they didn't start the games at 5pm, they might not average 10,000 fans as all the seniors in Tampa need to head home early for the news.

The Rangers have tried to be the Yankees for as long as I remember. Overpaying for over the hill and mediocre talent and then they are shocked when they finish last in the AL West. This year they finally made a trade that made sense when they acquired Cliff Lee and hit the jackpot when they poached Josh Hamilton from the Rays, but even there recent all-stars like Michael Young have fallen on hard times. It will be nice if they win a playoff series so they can say they have done it, but other than that, the Rangers aren't a team I will cheer for.

3 - So that leaves the Yankees. It makes sense because they are in the AL East and if the World Series champs come from the division of the Jays, at least I can say we beat the best head to head this year and it gives me hope for the future.

Also, the Yankees have tradition like no other franchise. When you have won 27 World Championships, you might not need another one in the trophy case, but why not build up the resume a little further.

This season, the Yankees have had added motivation of losing key members of the organization. The most prominent being owner George "the boss" Steinbrenner and long time voice of Yankee stadium announcer Bob Sheppard. Although most of the current players don't have any connections to Steinbrenner or Sheppard they know how much it means to the fans and the rest of the organization to see the two of them off as winners.

So there it is, I'm going to join Spike Lee, Jay-Z and Billy Crystal and don the Yankees cap for the next month...

The Most Unimpressive Record Ever

Yesterday in the National Football League wasn't a good one for the gambling set. Many underdogs won, there is parity all around and with so many injuries you can't tell which team is going to be good from week to week.

For the first time in 40 years the NFL doesn't have a team that is 4-0. What does this mean - well, for starters, the 1972 Dolphins get to celebrate again. As the only undefeated team in NFL history, the players from the 1972 Dolphins celebrate annually with a bottle of champagne when the last undefeated team falls and there is no longer a threat to their record.

There have been many close calls for the Dolphins alum recently, most notably the Patriots from 2007 who went 18-0, but lost in the Super Bowl to the NY Giants. Another close call, was the 2009 Indianapolis Colts who were 14-0, had clinched a playoff berth, and decided to rest starters, so they ended up losing their last two games. In fact, the 2009 season marked the first time in history where two teams started 13-0 (Colts and Saints).

For all the close calls, especially recently, does it matter if a team really goes undefeated for a season as long as they win the championship? Apparently not for both the Colts or Saints, who put winning the Super Bowl ahead of the perfect season. If this is true, then does this record of being the only undefeated team in NFL history really matter anymore? Should the 1972 Dolphins be indulged year after year with news stories when the last of the undefeated teams lose, like the KC Chiefs did on Sunday?

With the longer season, more injuries and obviously more parity, the undefeated season is a thing of the past in the NFL. As a fan we can no longer expect that this will happen again and although, this was once an impressive record to hold, it is no longer something to hold up as a be all and all of football superiority.

In other sports, an undefeated season is still something to be proud of. Whether it is men's or women's college basketball a approx record of 40-0 is needed to win the championship. In NCAA men's college football a record of 13-0 would get you the BCS National title and with all of the rivalries and expectations placed on teams of "boys", small errors happen regularly that can cost teams a game each Saturday.

Obviously, the baseball, hockey and basketball seasons are too long for an undefeated season. One record that might be approached this year in though, is the best record ever for a basketball team. The 1995-96 Chicago Bulls had 72 wins and only 10 losses. The new "big three" in Miami of LeBron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh will do their best to get 73 wins. If they don't though, it won't be considered a big deal, unless they don't win the championship.

Winning the last game matters, not winning them all.

Week 3 - SuperContest

So, here we go again. Week 3 of the NFL season. You might think you've learned something so far, but the Bucs and Chiefs are both 2-0 and it is highly likely one of them will be 3-0 after Sunday.

What have I learned...football players are fragile. The bigger players, faster players are leading to more violent collisions, therefore more injuries. This is especially true of the "glory" players - QB, RB and WR, but it is also because an injury to a offensive lineman doesn't seem as important even though it can be devastating to consistency.

So with all the injuries you gotta becareful with your picks. After two weeks I have a record of 4-5-1. Bill Simmons let us know that he is 3-6-1. I'm I super star! Here are this weeks picks...

Patriots -14.5 (vs. Buffalo) - Ryan Fitzpatrick is worse than Trent Edwards if that is possible.
Falcons +3.5 (vs. New Orleans) - Falcons look like an offensive juggernaut and good defense. Saints don't look put together yet...
Redskins -3.5 (vs. St. Louis) - Looks like Dan Snyder spent money wisely on the new QB and coach.
Ravens -10.5 (vs. Cleveland) - Ravens might only score 11 points and that would be enough to cover.
Packers -3 (vs. Chicago) - Bears have been good this season but Cutler won't have the same amount of time in the pocket. Go Pack Go!


I promise some actual new content next week...

SuperContest - Week 2

Well week one wasn't kind to me. I went 2-5 and have to thank Chan Gailey for that extra win as he took a safety in the last minute of play to give the Dolphins a five point win.

So here we go...

Packers -14 (vs. the Bills) - Gonna go against the Bills every week I think
Steelers -5.5 (vs. the Titans)- Titans used up too much offence last week.
Panthers -3.5 (vs. the Bucs) - Matt Moore bounces back.
Patriots -3 (vs. the Jets) - Rex Ryan is regretting Hard Knocks about now...
Texans -3 (vs. the Redskins) - Thinking that Foster can tear it up again.

Hopefully, this week goes better than last, it can't go much worse.

NFL Week 1 - SuperContest

If you are an avid reader and follower of ESPN sports writer Bill Simmons you would have heard him this week talk about the "SuperContest". This is a gambling contest that him and fellow ESPN writer Chad Millman will take part in this year. The contest costs $1500 to enter and you pick try to pick the winners of 5 NFL games against the spread each week.

Now you might be thinking this sounds pretty easy, but apparently those that enter are all the "sharps" (professional betters with connections) who make a living at this. Simmons and Millman have basically conceded in week 1 that they aren't winning the contest and just want to be respectable. I am going to aim to do the same thing. Although, I am making this easier on myself by not plopping down the $1500, I'll pick 5 games each week vs. the spread using the Bodog lines on Saturday morning. I'll keep the tally going and see how I fair against Simmons and Millman and the rest of the "sharps".

For week 1, here we go. Current record 0-0 (tied for first!)

Miami Dolphins -3 (vs. the Bills)
Indianapolis Colts -2.5 (vs. the Texans)
Green Bay Packers -3 (vs. the Eagles)
Carolina Panthers +7 (vs. the Giants)
Cleveland Browns +3 (vs. the Bucs)

Wish me luck and if I prove that I am good at this, someone can stake me the $1500 for next season.

Who are your locks of the week?

5 Big Things

With all the major sporting events this year the start of the National Football League and all the off season moves have been a little overshadowed. With the season just under a week away, there is still time to get all caught up on the five biggest story lines going into the season that I am looking forward to.

1. Fantasy Football
Fantasy football has taken over the NFL. With over 29 million people playing fantasy football and spending almost nine hours a week online checking their teams, adjusting rosters, picking up and dropping players and proposing trades. Many fans do not even have favourite teams anymore, they have their favourite player as long as he is on their roster. NFL players now get cheered for their performance based on how many fantasy points they have accumulated. Even the NFL players are now involved in fantasy football. Last season, their was a youtube video of some Washington Redskins teammates sitting around and drafting their teams. This season, Jacksonville Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew will publish a fantasy football column every week at Sports Illustrated.com. His first order of business was to draft a team and of course, made some big trades to be able to draft himself. At least now he can only blame himself for losing, unlike the rest of us.

2. QB Moves - McNabb, Kolb, Jason Campbell, Matt Leinart
The quarterback position is so important in the National Football League. You can look back at the franchises that won Super Bowl’s and almost all of them had a super star under center. Whether it was the Steelers and Cowboys in the 70’s with Terry Bradshaw and Roger Staubach, the 80’s 49ers with Joe Montana or Cowboys with Troy Aikman, and most recently the Colts with Peyton Manning or the Patriots with Tom Brady. So, when big name quarterbacks moved around this off season, it opened the door for a couple of new teams to challenge for the Lombardi trophy. The biggest name to move was former Philadelphia Eagle Donovan McNabb, who is now a Washington Redskin. This is not only news because it gives the Redskins a experienced quarterback, but it was also a trade within their division. Taking over for McNabb in Philadelphia is Kevin Kolb. The fourth year quarterback has only started in 2 games in his previous years, so although those two games last season where good, it will interesting to see if he can keep it up for 16 games and take the Eagles back to the playoffs. Since McNabb moved to Washington, their starter – Jason Campbell needed to find a new home. He has packed his bags and moved to Oakland. The Raiders have been in need of a serviceable quarterback for the past 20 years, so hopefully Campbell can give them something to cheer about. One franchise (unfortunately, not the Minnesota Vikings), the Arizona Cardinals had their quarterback retire. Kurt Warner decided to hang up the cleats and has been replaced by Matt Leinart. The “pretty boy” from USC in his fifth season will finally get the ball to himself. Every year, he has gone into training camp as the starter, only to lose the job. This season, without much competition behind him, he should be able to blossom. Although, these were the big moves, some other teams did get new pivots. The Browns acquired Jake Delhomme from the Carolina Panthers. The Panthers then replaced Delhomme with young Matt Moore.

3. Labour Issues - 18 game schedule, concussions, salary cap, draft age (rookie salary cap)
Although, this is not exactly an issue for this season, it will begin to dominate the headlines. The NFL and NFL players association need to agree on a new labour agreement before next season, so there is a next season. Some of the big questions that need to be agreed upon are a salary cap and especially a rookie salary cap. The veterans are unhappy each year when first round draft picks become the highest paid players in the league without playing a snap. There are also health concerns, such as what an expanded 18 game schedule (instead of the current 16) would do to a players body and how they would be compensated for those extra games. Also, head injuries have become more common and a bigger concern for players. In the light of some recent deaths of ex-NFL players, and the on-going study of their brains has shown that playing football causes long-term damage. The NFL and its players need to address how to help the current players from doing damage to themselves and how to assist the retired players if they have sustained long-term damage. Unfortunately, this will be a topic many casual fans (those playing fantasy football) won’t care too deeply about until it affects them next September.

4. NFC East - could all the teams go 8-8 or better?
In the NFL getting to the playoffs is the goal and usually 9 wins will get you there. Once you are in the playoffs anything can happen. For the best division in football, nine wins will probably not do the trick this season. The Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Redskins all have the talent to make the playoffs and contend for the Super Bowl. Every conference game will be an event this season. Whether it is the Eagles welcoming back McNabb, the Cowboys going into the New Meadowlands for the first time or the Cowboys trying to go to the Super Bowl in their own stadium, it should be the game of the week every time they hook up.

5. How will the players act this year? (arrests, twitter)
As we have seen, not all the news is on the field this year. Between the potential labour stoppage and fantasy football, just as much is happening off the field as on. The other topics to be on the look out for are how players are getting into trouble. Whether it is DUI, drug possession or assault, NFL players seem to be getting themselves in hot water constantly. Popular football blog site profootballtalk.com even has a “days since last arrest” counter on their website. Since commissioner Roger Goodell has been notoriously tough on offenders, suspending players for almost every incident, it is especially important for players to keep their noses clean. One player who actively searches out fines is Chad OchoCinco of the Cincinnati Bengals. OchoCinco was recently fined $25 000 for tweeting during a pre-season game. Many NFL players use the popular social networking site Twitter to communicate with fans, but the last thing coaches and fans need is a player so distracted with what to tweet next that they cannot concentrate while on the field.