Monday, November 24th, 2008

I heard a rumor that the Dallas Cowboys traded for and gave a huge contract to wideout Roy Williams. Anybody able to confirm? Haven't seen him...one fine gentleman was ejected at Friday's Toronto Raptors game for riding coach Sam Mitchell a little too hard from the blue blood seats behind the Raps bench. The same guy was back yesterday and leading a very audible "Jeff Van Gun-dy" chant from the same seat. Not sure about you, but I'm loving this guy. Would also love to see Balki take over for SMitch...New England QB Matt Cassel is going to earn some huge cash as a free agent this off-season. No way he stays with the Pats. Meanwhile, the two guys he watched for four years at USC - Carson Palmer and Matt Leinhart - both hold clipboards. Cassel and the Patriots crushed the Miami Dolphins...the Tennessee Titans are unbeaten no more after a dismal performance against the New York Jets. I still don't believe in the Jets. When you lose to the Oakland Raiders, that tends to happen. As for the Titans dropping their first, somehow I don't figure the Patriots of 2007 are popping champagne corks like those grumpy old men from the 1972 Miami Dolphins...why PVR's rule: I watched the entire Dallas Cowboys win over San Francisco in just over 90 minutes. Watch a play, skip forward 30 seconds. Next play starts...good NBA teams do not open 2-5 at home. Ergo, the Toronto Raptors are not a good team. The Raps looked like boys to the Boston Celtics men in a 118-103 loss. Oh, and if you had "November" for when Jermaine O'Neal became an injury concern, you win. That's two straight now that slO'Neal started a game but didn't finish...the MLS Cup final, won by Columbus Crew 3-1 - and it said in these parts that was easy pickins' - was as good a one game final as you'll see in any sport as both sides went all out to win, and entertain. Who says a team from Columbus can't win a title?...in the last four games, the St. Louis Rams have been outscored in the first half 123-13...they might not be able to keep Ben Roethlesberger healthy but the Pittsburgh Steelers have managed to keep all 11 teams they've faced under 300 total yards. That there is an AFC side not getting nearly enough love in the championship discussion...the "Grey Cup is thrilling" thing seems more legend than reality of late, no? The Calgary Stampeders won 22-14 over the Montreal Als, who could only manage a point in the entire second half. An easy under!...one more mistake - including missing a meeting - and Adam "Pacman" Jones is in line for a lifetime ban. Talk about operating without a net. Does it even seem possible that he can stay out of trouble for the next two months, nevermind for years?...baseball writer extraordinaire Buster Olney at ESPN says he can see a reunion in New York of two guys who got their pro starts in Cleveland: CC Sabathia and Lebron James...14-8 now on Prime Time Picks thanks to a late drive by the Indianapolis Colts to down the San Diego Chargers. Bolts coach Norv Turner had best get the resume polished up. Tonight, liking Green Bay +3 at New Orleans. As usual, get your wagers down at Pinnacle, enjoy the ride...have a great Monday.

Sunday, November 23rd, 2008

Another NBA team - the New York Knicks - is making deals to clear cap room for the prized 2010 free agents of Lebron James, Chris Bosh and Dwayne Wade...funny that the Toronto Star mentions that Toronto Raptor Anthony Parker was beat by Wince Carter to send Friday's game to overtime, but when it came time to describe the dunk that finished the game, no mention was made of Jose Calderon going pylon...the Grey Cup goes today and as much as Calgary has been the class of the CFL all year, tough to go against Montreal when they're playing at home and it is a pick 'em. Love the under at 57. That game goes at 6pm on TSN...the MLS Cup goes on ABC today at 3:30 and represents the easiest wager of the day for yours truly. I'm tipping the Columbus Crew to down the New York Red Bull...the Prime Time Picks are a rocking 14-7 heading into tonight, and we're riding the San Diego Chargers at -3 to down the Indianapolis Colts...how can CBC not run a ticker of other scores during Hockey Night in Canada? Hell, they don't even do it between periods...incredibly, the top four in the English Premier League yesterday were all scoreless...I would never dare to call myself the biggest follower of NCAA football, but I do follow it enough to take great pleasure in any loss by Notre Dame. At home. To Syracuse. Yeah, good thing they've got Charlie Weis inked to coach well into the next decade...Guns N Roses Chinese Democracy hits stores today, I'm off to Best Buy to get me mine. Have a great Sunday.

Monday, November 17th, 2008

Detroit Red Wing Johan Franzen has 36 goals in his last 43 games yet somehow flies under the radar...the Department of Lame is at it again: if you want tickets to the World Baseball Classic, you have to purchase tickets to each game at that venue. Guess baseball hasn't learned from the Buffalo Bills that that kind of selling doesn't fly in Toronto, where Canada will host the U.S. I predict they'll have similar success...the New York Red Bull will face Columbus Crew in the MLS Cup next Sunday. Prediction? Red Bull win, and ratings that the NHL could only dream of...with the economic crisis where it is, you've gotta think that if the NBA is concerned about its impact, it has to be ready to euthanize the WNBA...it is a time honored tradition that Toronto Raptors fans point out that the back-up point guard is undefeated as a starter, which Will Solomon is after a 107-96 win over Miami. And what was with Jose Calderon doing his "six fingers" to indicate a three pointer thing for other guys buckets? Glory hound...usually a big fan of the Toronto Sun's Steve Simmons, but when he says he misses Chuck Swirsky on Raptors broadcasts, I'm less a fan of Simmons. Matt Devlin is a night and day improvement...in a prison somewhere yesterday at around 7:00pm, Tim Donaghy watched the Pittsburgh Steelers and San Diego Chargers finish and thought the fix was in...seven Liverpool players have had their houses robbed in the last year while they were playing...the most popular ingredient on pizza in Costa Rica is coconut. Seriously...Marion Barber looked like a rejuvenated man coming off the bye week. His impact in the Dallas Cowboys win over Washington was far greater than Tony Romo's. There is still a pulse in that team...banner day for Vegas and gambling houses everywhere yesterday. When a tie in the NFL happens like it did with Philadelphia and Cincinnati, you've got money line losers across the board. That was the first tie since November 10th, 2002...most impressive win of the day? That has to be the New York Giants shredding the Baltimore Ravens 30-10, who came in real hot and playing airtight defence...Yankee fan Lebron James, good friends with CC Sabathia, says "we're gonna get him, absolutely." Good enough for me...13-6 on Prime Time Picks. Heady times, indeed. Tonight, going to make it 14-6 by riding the Buffalo Bills at home (-4.5) who will take the Cleveland Browns down with a double digit win in what should be a frigid, snowy Buffalo. Do yourself a favor and pick up some free Christmas shopping money at Pinnacle..have a great Monday.