Game 1 is tonight, nothing else is out there to bet on, so here's my mythical Finals bets for tonight:
- DAL +4.5
- OVER 187
I can't see MIA not winning this series, but I think DAL will steal one of these first 2 games. 187 feels really light to me - but there could be some jitters on both sides in Game 1 that cause poor shooting. I'm going to try these 2 for tonight.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Wednesday Stuff
Two days in a row on the blog, can you tell it's getting closer to FB season??
4 things today...here we go:
1) HUSKERS at GOPHERS
Homecoming 2011 has been set for a 2:30 ABC game on OCT 22. Game times should continue to be released as we get closer to the season - not all of them but a lot of the big ones are coming out. Gophers will also host NDSU in the evening on BTN.
2) #1 Coaching Hire in 2011 Off-season was...
Well, according to Athlon magazine, it's our guy Jerry Kill. Pretty nice praise for our guy at this point. I haven't seen the details or read the article, but it's nice to hear. I wonder where TE Timmy was ranked back in 2007 when he was hired?
3) PURPLE +9 at CHARGERS
Team Purple is the biggest week 1 dog thus far. Everyone continue to be in love with the Chargers, but I think I'll be taking 9 points in week 1.
4) Relegating teams at the end of the season
Now, I'm not really a soccer follower, but on SVP show yesterday they were talking about how at the end of the season the worst teams in the league have to play to even have a spot in the league the following year. I love this rule for our pro sports. How much better would the Wolves late season games be if they were fighting to stay our of the relegation game, or better yet, how great would it be to watch the Wolves play for their lives in a relegation game against CLE or somebody like that. This would also be a great plan for MLB with all of the garbage franchises who never even attempt to win and just turn a profit every year. It would keep teams from tanking too much in all leagues, because if you are in the bottom 4, for example, you have to play it off in a final game to keep your franchise and your player contracts for the next season. Obviously, this will never happen, but damn it would be fun and add a lot of drama to the meaningless games involving bad teams at the end of the year.
98 days and counting...
4 things today...here we go:
1) HUSKERS at GOPHERS
Homecoming 2011 has been set for a 2:30 ABC game on OCT 22. Game times should continue to be released as we get closer to the season - not all of them but a lot of the big ones are coming out. Gophers will also host NDSU in the evening on BTN.
2) #1 Coaching Hire in 2011 Off-season was...
Well, according to Athlon magazine, it's our guy Jerry Kill. Pretty nice praise for our guy at this point. I haven't seen the details or read the article, but it's nice to hear. I wonder where TE Timmy was ranked back in 2007 when he was hired?
3) PURPLE +9 at CHARGERS
Team Purple is the biggest week 1 dog thus far. Everyone continue to be in love with the Chargers, but I think I'll be taking 9 points in week 1.
4) Relegating teams at the end of the season
Now, I'm not really a soccer follower, but on SVP show yesterday they were talking about how at the end of the season the worst teams in the league have to play to even have a spot in the league the following year. I love this rule for our pro sports. How much better would the Wolves late season games be if they were fighting to stay our of the relegation game, or better yet, how great would it be to watch the Wolves play for their lives in a relegation game against CLE or somebody like that. This would also be a great plan for MLB with all of the garbage franchises who never even attempt to win and just turn a profit every year. It would keep teams from tanking too much in all leagues, because if you are in the bottom 4, for example, you have to play it off in a final game to keep your franchise and your player contracts for the next season. Obviously, this will never happen, but damn it would be fun and add a lot of drama to the meaningless games involving bad teams at the end of the year.
98 days and counting...
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
99 days and counting...
Yep, we're under 100 days until the first snap of the College Football season...which seems like forever since we have no real sports team to keep our interest right now.
I hope you've all given up on the Twinkies by now, I did about 3 weeks ago. Yeah, I still watch on occasion because it's summer and there is nothing else happening (until the NCAA Football replays start from last year on ESPNU and BTN!).
Not much in the way of news today, but it's been a week so I figured I should touch base a little with the Football Challenge masses.
- PFT says there likely won't be NFL games until NOV and even that is maybe optimistic...I can't begin to express how stupid this is. If they miss any games it will be a huge mistake, you just can't leave $$$ like that on the table.
- Vandy (GR's adopted SEC team) is turning over a new leaf this year and holding open tryouts for the student body to try and snag a few extra players. New head coach James Franklin says they are down about 25-30 guys from where they want to be(!!!) so for the first time in a long time they are having open tryouts. 20 guys tried and 5 actually made it including 1 as a QB!! You can see some of these interesting fellas on DrSaturday.com, so check it out if you want. It might be hard to tell the difference between these 5 guys and 5 of us going out and playing football. What can we get out of this...Vandy might have a tough one this year.
- How bad is the Penn State hoops job? Their coach just left to take the head job at Navy! Wow, unless the Admiral is coming back for the Midshipmen, I'm guessing that's not a real up and comer of a program. I think Talor Battle finally graduated after 11 years of running the point for the squad so now they have nothing left. Speaking of bad coaching jobs, how about Tulane's OC --> he left to take a High School job! Leaving a D1 program to take a HS Football job...I think that says all you need to know about the state of the Green Wave's program.
The Gophers continue to get tons of press on the interwebs and the newspapers around here. I think Kill and his crew are the only source of hope for the next year. The Twins are dead, the Purple won't be playing, the Wild are terrible, the Wolves are even worse. It's a great spot for the coach and his team to be in, now if they come out and produce some W's...
If you don't read the Fringe Bowl Team blog, you should. Here's the site: www.fringebowlteamblog.com . Anyway, this guy is printing up t-shirts with Kill's most famous quote to date, "Stroke the Post, Let's Go!" I've considered getting one, it's for a good cause and it's a great quote...so maybe shoot him a note if you want one.
Golf looks like 9 strong - I haven't heard from anyone else on not being able to make it, so I'm going to lock it down for 9. Pete said his golf game is in great shape so he and JG will be looking to defend their championship belts. I'll let everyone know when more details are available.
I hope you've all given up on the Twinkies by now, I did about 3 weeks ago. Yeah, I still watch on occasion because it's summer and there is nothing else happening (until the NCAA Football replays start from last year on ESPNU and BTN!).
Not much in the way of news today, but it's been a week so I figured I should touch base a little with the Football Challenge masses.
- PFT says there likely won't be NFL games until NOV and even that is maybe optimistic...I can't begin to express how stupid this is. If they miss any games it will be a huge mistake, you just can't leave $$$ like that on the table.
- Vandy (GR's adopted SEC team) is turning over a new leaf this year and holding open tryouts for the student body to try and snag a few extra players. New head coach James Franklin says they are down about 25-30 guys from where they want to be(!!!) so for the first time in a long time they are having open tryouts. 20 guys tried and 5 actually made it including 1 as a QB!! You can see some of these interesting fellas on DrSaturday.com, so check it out if you want. It might be hard to tell the difference between these 5 guys and 5 of us going out and playing football. What can we get out of this...Vandy might have a tough one this year.
- How bad is the Penn State hoops job? Their coach just left to take the head job at Navy! Wow, unless the Admiral is coming back for the Midshipmen, I'm guessing that's not a real up and comer of a program. I think Talor Battle finally graduated after 11 years of running the point for the squad so now they have nothing left. Speaking of bad coaching jobs, how about Tulane's OC --> he left to take a High School job! Leaving a D1 program to take a HS Football job...I think that says all you need to know about the state of the Green Wave's program.
The Gophers continue to get tons of press on the interwebs and the newspapers around here. I think Kill and his crew are the only source of hope for the next year. The Twins are dead, the Purple won't be playing, the Wild are terrible, the Wolves are even worse. It's a great spot for the coach and his team to be in, now if they come out and produce some W's...
If you don't read the Fringe Bowl Team blog, you should. Here's the site: www.fringebowlteamblog.com . Anyway, this guy is printing up t-shirts with Kill's most famous quote to date, "Stroke the Post, Let's Go!" I've considered getting one, it's for a good cause and it's a great quote...so maybe shoot him a note if you want one.
Golf looks like 9 strong - I haven't heard from anyone else on not being able to make it, so I'm going to lock it down for 9. Pete said his golf game is in great shape so he and JG will be looking to defend their championship belts. I'll let everyone know when more details are available.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
NBA Lotto & Golf Update
Oh boy, it's that time of the year again where the NBA has to decide where they want to try and shift the balance of power and who they should reward with the top pick. My annual preview has been fairly accurate in the past, so let's see how the contenders stack up this year:
1) Woofs
Why do I think we have a slight chance at #1 this year? Well, the draft has been labeled as historically weak this season and a Duke PG is the projected #1. We have a good track record with those guys. Honestly, I really doubt we land #1, because we never move up and there is no reason for the NBA to give us any reason to watch this team for the foreseeable future.
2) CAVS without LEBRON
This squad is about the equal to the Woofies. If not for a great run down the stretch where they won a couple of their last 10 to pass up the Pups, this would have been the team with the 25% chance at #1. Will the league feel sorry for this club and reward them with the top pick to replace the gaping LBJ hole in the lineup. They couldn't hold on to a star from their own city, so why would the league have any thoughts about giving them another one.
3) TORONTO
I think the NBA regretted putting a franchise in TOR about 2 years after doing it. They still seem to be trying to find a way to dump them and relocate or contract, so no I do not think they have any chance at landing #1.
4) WASHINGTON
They had their chance last year with the great John Wall, no chance of hitting it again.
5) SACRAMENTO
A franchise in major need of some help, so I think the league has to decide if they want to keep this as a viable franchise or not. If so, then they have a great shot. If not...well, they gone.
6) UTAH
For some reason, I think the NBA still likes having Utah as a consistent winner and playoff team. For that reason, I think they have a good shot at winning this thing.
7) DETROIT
Dumars has pretty much run this thing into the ground, but it's a city with some NBA history so there may be a chance to do something here.
8) CHARLOTTE
They are still pretty terrible and I don't think that will change this year.
9) MILWAUKEE
No.
Anyone with a less than 1% chance I have eliminated from the running. So, here are my predictions:
These are the 6 that have a chance to get in the Top 3...MN, CLE, WAS, SAC, UT, DET.
I think the NBA decides to do this: Keep the people in CLE sane by giving them the #3 pick and a glimmer of hope for the future. I think they are going to realize that SAC is a viable NBA city and needs another player so they land #2. And at #1, I think they throw a bone to UTAH and give them a new star to build around.
So in summary: UTAH, SAC, CLE is my lotto prediction for 2011.
Quick golf update - looks like we are locked in with 9 guys. So it will be 4 teams, with one of them being a group of 3. I'm going to lock in the times in the next week or so, please let me know now if you cannot make it. Here's my list:
TIM R, CHRIS R, MIKE R, GREG R, JAMES R, JARED G, BOMB, LUKE, PETE
1) Woofs
Why do I think we have a slight chance at #1 this year? Well, the draft has been labeled as historically weak this season and a Duke PG is the projected #1. We have a good track record with those guys. Honestly, I really doubt we land #1, because we never move up and there is no reason for the NBA to give us any reason to watch this team for the foreseeable future.
2) CAVS without LEBRON
This squad is about the equal to the Woofies. If not for a great run down the stretch where they won a couple of their last 10 to pass up the Pups, this would have been the team with the 25% chance at #1. Will the league feel sorry for this club and reward them with the top pick to replace the gaping LBJ hole in the lineup. They couldn't hold on to a star from their own city, so why would the league have any thoughts about giving them another one.
3) TORONTO
I think the NBA regretted putting a franchise in TOR about 2 years after doing it. They still seem to be trying to find a way to dump them and relocate or contract, so no I do not think they have any chance at landing #1.
4) WASHINGTON
They had their chance last year with the great John Wall, no chance of hitting it again.
5) SACRAMENTO
A franchise in major need of some help, so I think the league has to decide if they want to keep this as a viable franchise or not. If so, then they have a great shot. If not...well, they gone.
6) UTAH
For some reason, I think the NBA still likes having Utah as a consistent winner and playoff team. For that reason, I think they have a good shot at winning this thing.
7) DETROIT
Dumars has pretty much run this thing into the ground, but it's a city with some NBA history so there may be a chance to do something here.
8) CHARLOTTE
They are still pretty terrible and I don't think that will change this year.
9) MILWAUKEE
No.
Anyone with a less than 1% chance I have eliminated from the running. So, here are my predictions:
These are the 6 that have a chance to get in the Top 3...MN, CLE, WAS, SAC, UT, DET.
I think the NBA decides to do this: Keep the people in CLE sane by giving them the #3 pick and a glimmer of hope for the future. I think they are going to realize that SAC is a viable NBA city and needs another player so they land #2. And at #1, I think they throw a bone to UTAH and give them a new star to build around.
So in summary: UTAH, SAC, CLE is my lotto prediction for 2011.
Quick golf update - looks like we are locked in with 9 guys. So it will be 4 teams, with one of them being a group of 3. I'm going to lock in the times in the next week or so, please let me know now if you cannot make it. Here's my list:
TIM R, CHRIS R, MIKE R, GREG R, JAMES R, JARED G, BOMB, LUKE, PETE
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Golf Update
I haven't heard from most of you on the golf for JUNE 18th.
I spoke with the guy at Stonebrooke yesterday...here's the deal:
$58 for 27 holes + cart - this is a great price, about $30 less than last year, and you get to ride the ferry on one of the holes!
Here are my options for booking:
1) Lock in tee times as an event through this guy, but I would be locked in for the number of golfers and have to pay for everyone up front.
2) Wait until 8 days out and book the tee times through the normal process and not be held to any commitments.
I'm all for option 1 if I can get a strong commitment from everyone who plans on coming. So far, I have 9...waiting on answers from the following:
Tait
Corcoran
Heinert
Olson
If any of you 4 plan on playing, please let me know. I'd like to book this in the next 2-3 weeks, so check your calendars and see if it will work.
115 days until the Kill era kicks off...and about 149 days until VEGAS...but who's counting.
I spoke with the guy at Stonebrooke yesterday...here's the deal:
$58 for 27 holes + cart - this is a great price, about $30 less than last year, and you get to ride the ferry on one of the holes!
Here are my options for booking:
1) Lock in tee times as an event through this guy, but I would be locked in for the number of golfers and have to pay for everyone up front.
2) Wait until 8 days out and book the tee times through the normal process and not be held to any commitments.
I'm all for option 1 if I can get a strong commitment from everyone who plans on coming. So far, I have 9...waiting on answers from the following:
Tait
Corcoran
Heinert
Olson
If any of you 4 plan on playing, please let me know. I'd like to book this in the next 2-3 weeks, so check your calendars and see if it will work.
115 days until the Kill era kicks off...and about 149 days until VEGAS...but who's counting.
Monday, May 2, 2011
June 18th - Golf Tourney
Working out the details for the Golf Tournament in June, but I think we are locked in on the Saturday before Father's Day again, which is June 18th.
Location: Moving to Stone Brooke is my plan, I haven't booked yet, but I don't think we'll have too much trouble locking in 3 tee times in mid June.
Please let me know if you are in for playing so I can get numbers and book the tee times appropriately. If we end up with a weird number we'll throw in a threesome or two to make up the difference rather than trying to invite a bunch of ringers at the end. I'm hoping for about 12 again so we can get 6 teams of 2, but we'll see how it goes.
Once again, the plan will be to start early and play 18 - then regroup and play 9 more holes based upon where you sit on the leader board. Afterward, we will grab some food and drink, possibly Floyd's again, and then to my porch for some poker.
So far I have JG, AW, LW?, MR, CR, TR, JR on the confirmed list. That's 7, I assume Greg and Pete are in although I have to confirm...which puts us at 9. RO, I think you said you may be able to make it work, let me know. MH/MC/SS/TN - not sure on you guys yet, shoot me a note on if you think you can make it or not.
$$$
I'm thinking if we end up with 12 we'll go $50/guy - $25 for tourney and $25 for skins. That would put payouts at $200 for 1st place team, $100 for 2nd place team, and $300 in skins cash. Obviously, more guys or less guys would change this a bit, but this is the basic layout I'm thinking. The golf should be cheaper than Island View last year, but I'll get you a $$$ figure once I have it.
I'm hoping we can see a bigger turnout for the subsequent card game(s) this year, which became a little ridiculous last year. I think we all have obligations for Sunday, so feel free to sleep at my place for a few hours and head out early for whatever you have planned on Sunday.
For those that are ?, please let me know one way or the other as soon as you can so I can get us locked in.
Check out the website for the course - JG and I played it last year and it was great, so we'll give it a whirl. Hopefully they won't be nazi's about the pace of play like last year!
http://www.stonebrooke.com/
Thanks.
Location: Moving to Stone Brooke is my plan, I haven't booked yet, but I don't think we'll have too much trouble locking in 3 tee times in mid June.
Please let me know if you are in for playing so I can get numbers and book the tee times appropriately. If we end up with a weird number we'll throw in a threesome or two to make up the difference rather than trying to invite a bunch of ringers at the end. I'm hoping for about 12 again so we can get 6 teams of 2, but we'll see how it goes.
Once again, the plan will be to start early and play 18 - then regroup and play 9 more holes based upon where you sit on the leader board. Afterward, we will grab some food and drink, possibly Floyd's again, and then to my porch for some poker.
So far I have JG, AW, LW?, MR, CR, TR, JR on the confirmed list. That's 7, I assume Greg and Pete are in although I have to confirm...which puts us at 9. RO, I think you said you may be able to make it work, let me know. MH/MC/SS/TN - not sure on you guys yet, shoot me a note on if you think you can make it or not.
$$$
I'm thinking if we end up with 12 we'll go $50/guy - $25 for tourney and $25 for skins. That would put payouts at $200 for 1st place team, $100 for 2nd place team, and $300 in skins cash. Obviously, more guys or less guys would change this a bit, but this is the basic layout I'm thinking. The golf should be cheaper than Island View last year, but I'll get you a $$$ figure once I have it.
I'm hoping we can see a bigger turnout for the subsequent card game(s) this year, which became a little ridiculous last year. I think we all have obligations for Sunday, so feel free to sleep at my place for a few hours and head out early for whatever you have planned on Sunday.
For those that are ?, please let me know one way or the other as soon as you can so I can get us locked in.
Check out the website for the course - JG and I played it last year and it was great, so we'll give it a whirl. Hopefully they won't be nazi's about the pace of play like last year!
http://www.stonebrooke.com/
Thanks.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Chrisitan Ponder
I think I'm in the minority, based on what I've heard and read over the last 2 days, in liking the Ponder pick. We it a reach at 12 - no doubt. But can this guy be our QB for the next 10 years - most definitely. I'll take 1/2 credit for making the call on him, I thought there was no way they made him their choice at 12 which is why I had them pegged to take Prince but trade back up into late round 1 to grab Ponder. I guess I underestimated their desperation for a young QB, but that doesn't mean it was a bad move.
I will admit, I was disappointed when it wasn't the Purple making the move up to 10 to get Gabbert and I assumed we would be relegated to another year of piecing together a bunch of C- to D+ options at QB and try again next year in the draft. When the pick was made, I was a little shocked...but in about 10 minutes I actually feel really good about it.
Ponder is the complete antithesis of TJack/Daunte. He's doesn't have the huge arm and anonymity of the 2 small school QB's who have been our last 2 designated "franchise" QBs. At FSU, I probably watched him 12 times over the last 3 years. Which is about 12 more than I saw DC or TJack in college. My point here is that everyone has seen his flaws or perceived flaws so he might not have that appeal that the other 2 did, albeit for a short while in TJack's case. Ponder played in a big-time program in a complex offense and won a lot of games. He's extremely intelligent, has huge hands, and is very athletic. He gets knocked for his deep ball ability and being injury prone. Well, he had a shoulder injury all of last year which greatly effected his arm strength so I am not 100% buying the label as a weak arm guy. The injury prone thing is very subjective, Matt Stafford was never hurt in college but hasn't made it through more than 1/2 an NFL season. I guess injuries seem to be more of a luck thing to me, and knowing that Ponder played through a severe injury most of last year tells me what I need to know about his toughness.
So we have a guy who won games, is very bright, is tough and labeled as a leader by his former coach and teammates and we're all anti-Ponder because we took him too early? I doesn't make sense to me, I guess when meatballs like PA get the whole world riled up for a guy like Jake Locker and then you draft a guy that fewer have heard of or talked about (even though he won twice as many games and completed his passes at a much higher rate in college than Locker) then you get the reaction we have had.
Give it time, you can usually tell in the first 6-8 games the guy plays whether you've got something or not. Personally, I'm thrilled to finally have a guy who I think can elevate this team and answer the always tricky QB question that we seem to have had ever since I can remember. Maybe he'll get the Jerry Kill treatment where the knee jerk reaction is uber negative, but after discovering what we have the people will love him. Have I pre-ordered my Ponder jersey yet, no, but I'm thinking about it. Do I feel 100% better about the Purple than I did on Wednesday night...yes.
My prediction, he shows flashes this year on a decent team that should be fringe playoffs and next year he takes us up a level and emerges with Gabbert as the best QB's of the bunch from this week's draft.
Beyond Ponder, I like the Rudolph pick. Very questionable 4th round pick with the DT from Iowa...the guy got busted at the combine for pot and we still pick him? Imagine that, an Iowa guy busted for drugs?! Beyond that, who knows...not worth thinking about for at least 2-3 months when we finally start seeing some action on the field...hopefully.
Skol.
I will admit, I was disappointed when it wasn't the Purple making the move up to 10 to get Gabbert and I assumed we would be relegated to another year of piecing together a bunch of C- to D+ options at QB and try again next year in the draft. When the pick was made, I was a little shocked...but in about 10 minutes I actually feel really good about it.
Ponder is the complete antithesis of TJack/Daunte. He's doesn't have the huge arm and anonymity of the 2 small school QB's who have been our last 2 designated "franchise" QBs. At FSU, I probably watched him 12 times over the last 3 years. Which is about 12 more than I saw DC or TJack in college. My point here is that everyone has seen his flaws or perceived flaws so he might not have that appeal that the other 2 did, albeit for a short while in TJack's case. Ponder played in a big-time program in a complex offense and won a lot of games. He's extremely intelligent, has huge hands, and is very athletic. He gets knocked for his deep ball ability and being injury prone. Well, he had a shoulder injury all of last year which greatly effected his arm strength so I am not 100% buying the label as a weak arm guy. The injury prone thing is very subjective, Matt Stafford was never hurt in college but hasn't made it through more than 1/2 an NFL season. I guess injuries seem to be more of a luck thing to me, and knowing that Ponder played through a severe injury most of last year tells me what I need to know about his toughness.
So we have a guy who won games, is very bright, is tough and labeled as a leader by his former coach and teammates and we're all anti-Ponder because we took him too early? I doesn't make sense to me, I guess when meatballs like PA get the whole world riled up for a guy like Jake Locker and then you draft a guy that fewer have heard of or talked about (even though he won twice as many games and completed his passes at a much higher rate in college than Locker) then you get the reaction we have had.
Give it time, you can usually tell in the first 6-8 games the guy plays whether you've got something or not. Personally, I'm thrilled to finally have a guy who I think can elevate this team and answer the always tricky QB question that we seem to have had ever since I can remember. Maybe he'll get the Jerry Kill treatment where the knee jerk reaction is uber negative, but after discovering what we have the people will love him. Have I pre-ordered my Ponder jersey yet, no, but I'm thinking about it. Do I feel 100% better about the Purple than I did on Wednesday night...yes.
My prediction, he shows flashes this year on a decent team that should be fringe playoffs and next year he takes us up a level and emerges with Gabbert as the best QB's of the bunch from this week's draft.
Beyond Ponder, I like the Rudolph pick. Very questionable 4th round pick with the DT from Iowa...the guy got busted at the combine for pot and we still pick him? Imagine that, an Iowa guy busted for drugs?! Beyond that, who knows...not worth thinking about for at least 2-3 months when we finally start seeing some action on the field...hopefully.
Skol.
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