Random Thoughts On a Saturday Afternoon
First off, I'm from L.A., and this business of rain and temperatures dropping below 50 degrees is not okay by me.
Did something happen with Tiger Woods?
Okay, with Tiger, a few things surprised me. First, I didn't think he was this stupid. Second, I had an argument with a friend a couple of years ago when Marvin Harrison got into trouble. We tried to figure out who the least likely athletes to get dragged through the mud would be. I said Derek Fisher, my friend said Tiger Woods. We ended up agreeing on Tiger. Third, how bad are Tiger's PR people? He didn't commit a crime that we know of yet he's being talked about as if this story is O.J. Simpson the Remix. How does Tiger Woods end up being a top story on MSNBC for a whole week? Tiger needed to pull a David Letterman, get out in front of the story, then go his own rout using golf's schedule, disappear for a few months, then come back and play in The Masters. Honestly, I don't care what really happened in Orlando. He's a ridiculously rich athlete who cheated on his wife with multiple women. I'm sorry if I'm not getting all that riled up over this. I was more interested when Tiger blew it against Yang in the PGA and I'd be more interested to see the economic impact of a Tigerless golf season if we didn't already see it last season.
I'm glad Allen Iverson is back in my life. Basketball's not the same without him.
Why does Goodell hate Chad Ochocinco so much? He brings positive energy to a league that features more felons and steroids users than any other major sport I can think of. Sorry, I forgot the word, "alleged."
I apologize for not analyzing the Heisman but I stopped caring about the award when its winner graduated then tried to walk onto the Rams as a safety after winning the Heisman as a QB the year before. That was ten years ago. It hasn't gotten better. The only way I would have been following the race would have been if the NCAA didn't suspend Dez Bryant for being friends with Deion Sanders or whatever other nonsense he was suspended for. If I was Suh, I'd rather be the #1 pick in the upcoming draft than with the Heisman.
I enjoyed going to Pauley Pavilion and watching UCLA play against Kansas. UCLA did look young and inexperienced but it still smells of a team that can be good in a couple of years. I liked the energy. I like Malcolm Lee. I'm not a fan of losing to every Division III school in California but I think there can be some middle ground here.
Sorry I was too excited to write about it last week when it happened, but I was at the Kobe vs. Dwyane Wade matchup last week and I was sitting seven rows behind the Lakers bench. I have to say, there is no other sporting experience like a Lakers game. I can't believe they let the Clippers play in the same building. It's a sham. The Lakers home games feel like events. There are celebrities and just this aura of invincibility wafts in the air. In a star driven league like the NBA, there's no better place to watch than at Staples Center when the Lakers play. Oh, and did I mention that I got to watch Kobe and Wade go at it, watch Fisher hit that money three (that I called during the timeout), and then stay for ten minutes saying, "I CAN'T BELIEVE HE HIT THAT," over and over and over again with everyone else lucky enough to be in the building that night.
There are some good freshmen in college basketball this year. I saw Xavier Henry in person at Pauley but Wall is just a machine at Kentucky. He's truly fun to watch.
Fine, I am a sucker for some good Tiger Woods jokes, but I swear, the details of the story mean nothing to me. John Daly's offering the guy public advice. Are you kidding me? I know it's skinny John Daly, but still.
For anyone who says the BCS never gets it right, you're wrong. No, I'm not saying Texas/Bama is the matchup we all want to see, I'm saying the BCS gets it right . . . for the people the BCS is supposed to benefit. Sponsors and bigtime college football programs. The BCS exists to make money. It doesn't exist to ensure fairness or assure the fans that we get the national championship we're supposed to. The BCS' success is measured in dollars and cents, in ratings and gates. You want the BCS to go away? You want a playoff? Boycott college football. The sponsors know you're not going to do it so the BCS isn't going anywhere anytime soon. And just in case you thought Congress was going to do something about it, perhaps you haven't been watching the race to healthcare "reform." The people with money at stake will spend it to make sure their pockets keep staying filled. Again, the BCS is going nowhere.
I hope the Giants make the NFC Playoffs. Hobbled Eli Manning on the road? I'd lay at least 10 points. With a HUGE smile on my face.
You know what needs to start getting more publicity? The McCourts' settlement/litigation talks. This has a chance to dramatically affect the L.A. Dodgers.
Mark Cuban on Monday Night Raw was classic, at least the clip that ESPN showed.
Have you seen a more unassuming team go 12-0 than this year's Indianapolis Colts team? Maybe it's because they play close games and have zero star power outside of Peyton Manning, but this is an impressive run.
I still can't get over how the UCLA/USC football game ended. 'SC was trying to take a knee with less than a minute left, UCLA called timeout down by a ton, USC came back and threw it up top for a score. Benches clear. I was arguing who was more at fault, Neuheisel or Carroll then realized that choosing between the two on moral grounds is like choosing between a poopy flavored lollipop and actual poop. Waste of time. I may have written about this previously but it begs repeating, for me at least. I can't stand college football coaches claiming moral high ground on anything.
I had a realization last night. It's okay to cheer now when Sasha Vujacic comes into the game because that means the Lakers have a double digit lead now. Life as a Lakers fan is good.
My picks are below, and yes I made my Thursday night pick prior to the game. I just refused to rush an article again because the NFL had Cleveland playing a Thursday night game. No Polamalu? Take the other team, even if it's Cleveland. At this point in the year, you're playing with fire anyway though. The oddsmakers know how to get you. Did anyone have Jacksonville beating Houston even though we all knew it was a weird spread?
WEEK 14 PICKS
Cleveland +10 vs. Pittsburgh
Houston -7 vs. Seattle
Cincinnati +6.5 at Minnesota
Indianapolis -6.5 vs. Denver
Tampa Bay +4 vs. New York Jets
Buffalo -2 at Kansas City
Green Bay -4 at Chicago
Detroit +14 vs. Baltimore
Miami +2.5 at Jacksonville
Carolina +13 at New England
Atlanta +10 vs. New Orleans
Tennessee -13 vs. St. Louis Rams
Oakland +1 vs. Washington
Dallas -3.5 vs. San Diego
New York Giants +1 vs. Philadelphia
Arizona -3.5 at San Francisco
LAST WEEK: 8-8
SEASON: 109-81-2
Did something happen with Tiger Woods?
Okay, with Tiger, a few things surprised me. First, I didn't think he was this stupid. Second, I had an argument with a friend a couple of years ago when Marvin Harrison got into trouble. We tried to figure out who the least likely athletes to get dragged through the mud would be. I said Derek Fisher, my friend said Tiger Woods. We ended up agreeing on Tiger. Third, how bad are Tiger's PR people? He didn't commit a crime that we know of yet he's being talked about as if this story is O.J. Simpson the Remix. How does Tiger Woods end up being a top story on MSNBC for a whole week? Tiger needed to pull a David Letterman, get out in front of the story, then go his own rout using golf's schedule, disappear for a few months, then come back and play in The Masters. Honestly, I don't care what really happened in Orlando. He's a ridiculously rich athlete who cheated on his wife with multiple women. I'm sorry if I'm not getting all that riled up over this. I was more interested when Tiger blew it against Yang in the PGA and I'd be more interested to see the economic impact of a Tigerless golf season if we didn't already see it last season.
I'm glad Allen Iverson is back in my life. Basketball's not the same without him.
Why does Goodell hate Chad Ochocinco so much? He brings positive energy to a league that features more felons and steroids users than any other major sport I can think of. Sorry, I forgot the word, "alleged."
I apologize for not analyzing the Heisman but I stopped caring about the award when its winner graduated then tried to walk onto the Rams as a safety after winning the Heisman as a QB the year before. That was ten years ago. It hasn't gotten better. The only way I would have been following the race would have been if the NCAA didn't suspend Dez Bryant for being friends with Deion Sanders or whatever other nonsense he was suspended for. If I was Suh, I'd rather be the #1 pick in the upcoming draft than with the Heisman.
I enjoyed going to Pauley Pavilion and watching UCLA play against Kansas. UCLA did look young and inexperienced but it still smells of a team that can be good in a couple of years. I liked the energy. I like Malcolm Lee. I'm not a fan of losing to every Division III school in California but I think there can be some middle ground here.
Sorry I was too excited to write about it last week when it happened, but I was at the Kobe vs. Dwyane Wade matchup last week and I was sitting seven rows behind the Lakers bench. I have to say, there is no other sporting experience like a Lakers game. I can't believe they let the Clippers play in the same building. It's a sham. The Lakers home games feel like events. There are celebrities and just this aura of invincibility wafts in the air. In a star driven league like the NBA, there's no better place to watch than at Staples Center when the Lakers play. Oh, and did I mention that I got to watch Kobe and Wade go at it, watch Fisher hit that money three (that I called during the timeout), and then stay for ten minutes saying, "I CAN'T BELIEVE HE HIT THAT," over and over and over again with everyone else lucky enough to be in the building that night.
There are some good freshmen in college basketball this year. I saw Xavier Henry in person at Pauley but Wall is just a machine at Kentucky. He's truly fun to watch.
Fine, I am a sucker for some good Tiger Woods jokes, but I swear, the details of the story mean nothing to me. John Daly's offering the guy public advice. Are you kidding me? I know it's skinny John Daly, but still.
For anyone who says the BCS never gets it right, you're wrong. No, I'm not saying Texas/Bama is the matchup we all want to see, I'm saying the BCS gets it right . . . for the people the BCS is supposed to benefit. Sponsors and bigtime college football programs. The BCS exists to make money. It doesn't exist to ensure fairness or assure the fans that we get the national championship we're supposed to. The BCS' success is measured in dollars and cents, in ratings and gates. You want the BCS to go away? You want a playoff? Boycott college football. The sponsors know you're not going to do it so the BCS isn't going anywhere anytime soon. And just in case you thought Congress was going to do something about it, perhaps you haven't been watching the race to healthcare "reform." The people with money at stake will spend it to make sure their pockets keep staying filled. Again, the BCS is going nowhere.
I hope the Giants make the NFC Playoffs. Hobbled Eli Manning on the road? I'd lay at least 10 points. With a HUGE smile on my face.
You know what needs to start getting more publicity? The McCourts' settlement/litigation talks. This has a chance to dramatically affect the L.A. Dodgers.
Mark Cuban on Monday Night Raw was classic, at least the clip that ESPN showed.
Have you seen a more unassuming team go 12-0 than this year's Indianapolis Colts team? Maybe it's because they play close games and have zero star power outside of Peyton Manning, but this is an impressive run.
I still can't get over how the UCLA/USC football game ended. 'SC was trying to take a knee with less than a minute left, UCLA called timeout down by a ton, USC came back and threw it up top for a score. Benches clear. I was arguing who was more at fault, Neuheisel or Carroll then realized that choosing between the two on moral grounds is like choosing between a poopy flavored lollipop and actual poop. Waste of time. I may have written about this previously but it begs repeating, for me at least. I can't stand college football coaches claiming moral high ground on anything.
I had a realization last night. It's okay to cheer now when Sasha Vujacic comes into the game because that means the Lakers have a double digit lead now. Life as a Lakers fan is good.
My picks are below, and yes I made my Thursday night pick prior to the game. I just refused to rush an article again because the NFL had Cleveland playing a Thursday night game. No Polamalu? Take the other team, even if it's Cleveland. At this point in the year, you're playing with fire anyway though. The oddsmakers know how to get you. Did anyone have Jacksonville beating Houston even though we all knew it was a weird spread?
WEEK 14 PICKS
Cleveland +10 vs. Pittsburgh
Houston -7 vs. Seattle
Cincinnati +6.5 at Minnesota
Indianapolis -6.5 vs. Denver
Tampa Bay +4 vs. New York Jets
Buffalo -2 at Kansas City
Green Bay -4 at Chicago
Detroit +14 vs. Baltimore
Miami +2.5 at Jacksonville
Carolina +13 at New England
Atlanta +10 vs. New Orleans
Tennessee -13 vs. St. Louis Rams
Oakland +1 vs. Washington
Dallas -3.5 vs. San Diego
New York Giants +1 vs. Philadelphia
Arizona -3.5 at San Francisco
LAST WEEK: 8-8
SEASON: 109-81-2
Comments