Vox

On To NYC

So, Mike D'Antoni is leaving the desert to coach the Knicks. Four years, $24 million - more power to him.

Considering the Knicks horrendous record this past season, he almost can't fail. They are bound to show improvement, and he will look like a genius - just like when he came to the Suns.

I'm glad he got a good deal, I hope it works out for him. Truth is, I will probably miss him, despite the lack of post-season glory. He brought us a style of basketball which, when combined with Steve Nash, was fun to watch. It was a true team sport (if that team didn't have any players on the bench), it was fast, it was exciting.

True, he had no defense. He didn't seem to hold players accountable. He had a short memory for when a player went cold and would continue to play him, despite having a pretty decent line up of bench players. He needed to work on some things and seemed completely closed off to constructive criticism. Perhaps our new coach will alleviate those problems.

But, I doubt it will be as much fun to watch.

Basketball is about entertainment and with the Suns the last few years, I have been reintroduced to a sport I loved as a child growing up around the corner from Alvan Adams*. And I have been heart-broken. And excited. And frustrated.

But always entertained.

* I also share my birthday with #33...me and the Suns, we go way back. ;-)

Eight Belles - R.I.P.

Why I hate horse racing.

Arizona Sports Teams

..will break your heart.

Every time.

more. more. more. more.

We're Number 4!

Forbes.com made a list of the cities that suffer the most sports misery - and we couldn't even win that.

Still, at number four, there is lots to whine about. I've said it many times, Arizona sports teams will break your heart. Well, not the Cardinals - no one ever expects them to go anywhere. The other teams, however, play well enough to get your hopes up . . . and then they crash and burn.

Here is their list of why we are considered a Miserable Sports City:

4. Phoenix, Ariz.

Teams: Cardinals (NFL), Diamondbacks (MLB), Suns (NBA), Coyotes (NHL)

• Title round record: 1-2 (21st)
  
• Semifinal round record: 3-7 (25th)
  
• Total seasons/early playoff-round exits (or baseball 2nd place): 82/28 (23rd)
  
• Total seasons/championships: 82/1 (22nd)
  
• Years since last title: 7 (8th)
  
• Teams lost: 0

The Suns have lost six times in the NBA's Western Conference finals, and twice in the NBA finals, without a ring

Once again, the Diamondbacks are setting us up to believe...I'm trying really hard not to fall for it.

Don't even get me started on the Suns.......

Why I Am Glad The Giants Won

My list, in no particular order:

• I have disliked the Patriots since the '80s. The only time I want them to win is when they play a team I dislike more.


• I generally pick the New York teams, unless they are playing a team I like more.


• We can finally stop talking about the Pats 'perfect' season. Though, I agree with D about Mercury Morris, and think he is irritating and should not be a spokesman for Miami's perfect season.


• Randy Moss is a loser. The only way having his team lose could have made me happier, is if they had a chance to win and he dropped the pass in the end zone. Forever branded as the guy who cost 'em the big game - I would have loved that.


• Michael Strahan got his ring. (Though I do feel bad for Seau)


• I won my bets except the total score. (Who'd have thought these two teams, playing in the ideal conditions of a domed stadium, would only put 31 points on the board?)


• Just about everyone was pulling for the Giants at the Super Bowl party we attended, making for a loud and exciting win.


• Brady, Moss, et alia will associate Glendale (and UoP Stadium) with the big loss for years to come.


• The play. Manning somehow slips out of the grasp and throws down field to Tyree who sacrifices his body and defies physics to make the grab. Unbelievable and amazing.


• Jordin Sparks is adorable. Her father, besides playing for the National Champion Glendale Community College football team, played for the New York Giants. It is fitting that the Giants would win in Glendale when Jordin sang the National Anthem.


• Plaxico's prediction. When Burress suggested the Giants would win with a final score of 24-17, he was chastised by the media for a boast that would surely get the Patriots fired up, ensuring the loss NY would inevitably suffer to be especially humiliating. Tom Brady said something along the lines of "Oh, he thinks we will only score 17 points?" Turns out they couldn't even score 17 and Plax's prediction was as close to perfect as New England's season - missed it by that much.

I'm sure there will be more that come to me.....

HyperBowl

I love football.

I am sad that there is only one more game this season.

But...I am so glad that it is almost over.

I live in west Phoenix, D lives west of the stadium, which means I drive past it almost every day. I can't wait for life (and traffic) to get back to normal. Not to mention getting our local news reporting back to something other than which celebrities are at which "hot spot" and how we mere mortals can meet them. Oh, puh-leeze!

Fixed Outcome

I think that San Diego has a good case to go to the NFL and request an investigation into the refs calling this game. We assumed that Indy would win, but the refs are trying their best to ensure it.

Horrifyingly bad calls.

Do you suppose that this NFL crew were betting along with the NBA refs?

UPDATE: Just reading the glog on CBS sports, seems we are not the only ones feeling that way.

ASU vs UofA

The battle for the Territorial Cup became a battle of receivers. Both quarterbacks were terrible, but ASU had receivers who were able to turn some really ugly passes into some really impressive catches. Several would-be (should-be) interceptions were dropped.

Carpenter just got luckier than Tuitama. Which works for me 'cause I'm an ASU girl.

Record Setting

For Future Reference

Since it took me weeks to remember this URL:

Comprehensive sports statistics, Covers.com

Job Opportunity

Rumor has it that, with Warner injured and Rattay stinking up the place, the Arizona Cardinals will be holding open tryouts to fill the quarterback position.

Well, that's what I think they should do.

For Cardinals Fans

Matt Leinart may be bad

but at least he isn't Rex Grossman bad.

No Longer Winless

The Raiders actually won today!

They didn't cover the point spread, winning by only 2 points, but I will take it just the same.

Oh, and the Cardinals didn't look hideous, at least once they took Leinart out. Unfortunately, they waited a bit too long so they still lost - but for a while there, Kurt Warner was making the Ravens defense look pretty pathetic.

Let The Games Begin

My Raiders are actually favored to win - wow, Detroit must really suck.

Bad News/Good News

First the bad news - temperatures are going down. It hasn't even reach 100° today. Summer is on it's way out and the cold weather is just around the corner.

Now the good news - football season! I thought I had to wait until Sunday for the first game, but D just informed me that we do, indeed, have Thursday night football to look forward to. Woo hoo. Sure, my team sucks, and the NFL has some serious issues with players' behavior - but it is still a great game.

Are you ready for some football?

Kickin' Tail

Congratulations to the ladies from U of A, back to back national championships! This was their 8th National title in 12 appearances, and their third back-to-back championship win.

Though the winning run in game two was controversial, they put any questions to rest with their convincing 5-0 run tonight. U of A's Taryn Mowatt pitched 17 shut-out innings (10 last night, 7 tonight). Way to go, girls!

At the risk of offending feminists everywhere, I also have to add that this series featured some of the hottest female collegiate athletes I have ever seen. Not just U of A, though I think they were the best looking overall, Tennessee had some real cuties, as well.

Suns Win

In honor of the Lakers, who were dismissed from the NBA playoffs by the Suns Tuesday night.

The Weepies - Not Your Year

Draft Report

According to the Yahoo! sports guy, the Raiders get an A for their draft picks this year. The only team he scores higher is New England, with an A+.

The Patriots took Randy Moss off our hands and I say good riddance. He should have been a perfect fit for Oakland but didn't seem willing to break a sweat - or maybe he was worried about breaking a nail. Either way, he rarely seemed willing to put forth any effort. I have no need for lazy, prima donna players on my team.

We're Number One!

Of course, when it comes to the NFL draft, that means we SUCKED worse than anyone else last year.

My Raiders took JaMarcus Russell with their number one pick.

    Is he going to be any help at all?

March Madness

For those who might be interested...here is my bracket.

"What Fun It Is To Watch The Suns"

The Suns set a franchise record (15 wins in a row), and gave the fans a corny Christmas carol (leave the sound on, don't "skip intro").

I told you it was corny......

Disturbing

This is . . . odd.
Mom, Sis, don't click on it - please.

I guess it would be less disturbing if the vocals were done by a female...but just barely.

Out Of Bounds

I know the Cardinals have plenty of real problems, but I just have to ask.

Do their cheerleaders go to the worst plastic surgeons they can find for augmentation? Seriously, those are some of the worst looking boob jobs I have ever seen.

No, not all of them. Some of those might actually be real - but the ones that are fake are REALLY fake

Forgot to Mention

The "DBacks" new uniforms are ugly.

That is all.

Esteem Builders

Apparently, when life is not going so well and you need a pick up, all you have to do is play the Cardinals.

The only team without a win on the season, my beloved Raiders, spanked 'em. Tragic.

It looks to me like Randy Moss has lost his edge. There was a time when he always put forth that extra effort, get the ball anywhere near him and he would own it. Now it most often looks as if he is just phoning in his performance. He can't be bothered to sprint full out, doesn't even seem to think about stretching or reaching for a ball, and regularly drops balls that are right in his hands. I miss the old days of washed up players coming to the Raiders and getting their second wind, not coming there to fizzle out.

Against My Own Team

OK, you all know I love the Raiders - and we all know they suck (even more than normal) this year.

Tonight is NOT the night for them to show up. I need them to lose...by a lot.

All you Broncos fans out there, send them your positive mojo and I'll be a happy camper.

UPDATE: Unbelievable! Since when does Shanahan not run up the score against Oakland? Why would he not play more aggressively, especially at home? ONE touchdown?!?! At home?!?! Unreal.

FOOTBALL 06 - Week 4

I think I lost a day last week, I kept thinking yesterday was Saturday. That may be a contributing factor to me completely neglecting to make any picks.

{ { sigh } }

Tonight, I like Green Bay. I'm not sure they'll win, but I like them.

Of course, I like Philly a lot more now that TO has moved to Dallas - a team I already disliked.

Of yesterdays games that I know how I would have picked, I got 5 right. There are a couple I could have gone either way on, and the rest I would have been wrong. So, I can't claim better than 39% this week......

T.O. O.D.s

He may be one of my least favorite athletes, but it is a shame to see this happen.

Terrell Owens attempts suicide.

UPDATE: Perhaps he just isn't very bright....

FOOTBALL 06 - Week 3

Well, for the past two weeks I strayed from my usual system of picks, trying instead to go with the stats and the odds makers - and I am at a pathetic 56.3%. Ouch.

I am going back to my emotional picks - at least if I am going to lose, it will be with some teams I like.

UPDATE: Wow - could I have done any worse. Not even 43% this week. There were a couple of mistakes I made because I was in a hurry.

I almost always go with Cinncinati, but for some reason I just had Polomalu on the brain and went with the Steelers. By the time I realized my mistake (Rothlisberger is a pin head, Palmer I like) the game had started. It was still early, but I felt changing my pick at that point would be cheating.

I didn't realize it was the first game back in the Superdome. If that isn't huge homefield advantage, nothing is.


My picks are underlined
Favorites have an *, two-digit favorites have two **

* Carolina	Tampa Bay
* Chicago	Minnesota
Cincinnati	* Pittsburgh
Green Bay	* Detroit
Jacksonville	* Indianapolis
N.Y. Jets	* Buffalo
Tennessee	* * Miami
* Washington	Houston
* Baltimore	Cleveland
N.Y. Giants	* Seattle
* Philadelphia	San Francisco
St. Louis	* Arizona
Denver	* New England
* Atlanta	New Orleans

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FOOTBALL 06 - Week 2

Well, we all got our picks done and I entered them in the database - but I haven't written the code to display them, yet.

Things you can count on; She always picks the Raiders, He always gets more right than her, Jr always picks TO's team (currently the Cowboys).

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Stadium Patch

Well, since I didn't get the answer from you guys, I went straight to the source. I emailed the Cardinals office to find out why they had that stupid patch on their jerseys - and they actually answered:

The patch was worn during the preseason and for the first regular season game at Cardinals Stadium. They will not wear it for the remainder of the season.

Thank you!

OK, that isn't really much of an answer, at least not to the question which was WHY they were wearing the patch. I guess I will settle for knowing that they won't be wearing it anymore :-)

Oh, The Shame

I still love 'em, I am still a Raider girl, but......

Ooooooh

While I am discussing it - why why why why why would they not kick the field goal at the end of the game? Janikowski is money in the bank, almost guaranteed 3 points, especially from that distance. They weren't going to win, even if they got a touchdown, but they could have avoided the shutout. They hadn't been shut out at home for over 20 years, they hadn't been shut out by San Diego in over 40 years. What, exactly, is the point of allowing yourself to end the game with a big fat ZERO?

OK, that's it - no more soda for me until they win. That should be plenty long enough for me to kick the habit!

FOOTBALL 06 - Week 1

Yep, it is time to start posting those picks again. I am going to try and get even more detailed this year - picks will be; straight up, against the spread, and over under. All games will have picks, but we are highlighting those we feel very strongly about with three that we would bet, and one that is our "lock" of the week.

Last year saw SG at 63.2% straight up to my 47.7%. His picks ATS came in at 53.3%. This new set up is bound to allow him to kick my tail even more convincingly this year.....

Away	Home	Home Team Odds	Over Under
Atlanta Falcons	Carolina Panthers	-5	39	o ~ u
Baltimore Ravens	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	-3	34	o ~ u
Buffalo Bills	New England Patriots	-10	41	o ~ u
Cincinnati Bengals	Kansas City Chiefs	-1	47½	o ~ u
Denver Broncos	St. Louis Rams	4	46	o ~ u
New Orleans Saints	Cleveland Browns	-3	37	o ~ u
New York Jets	Tennessee Titans	-3	35½	o ~ u
Philadelphia Eagles	Houston Texans	6	37	o ~ u
Seattle Seahawks	Detroit Lions	+6½	45	o ~ u
Chicago Bears	Green Bay Packers	4	35	o ~ u
Dallas Cowboys	Jacksonville Jaguars	-1	36½	o ~ u
San Francisco 49ers	Arizona Cardinals	-7½	42½	o ~ u
Indianapolis Colts	New York Giants	+3½	48	o ~ u
Minnesota Vikings	Washington Redskins	-4	35	o ~ u
San Diego Chargers	Oakland Raiders	3	43	o ~ u

Week 1	Straight Up	ATS	Over/Under
His	68.8%	62.5%	31.3%
Hers	56.3%	n/a	60.0%

His lock of the week: Patriots - 100%
Her lock of the week: Rams - 100%

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Testing The Scoreboard

Apparently, you have to click "setup", then you can choose which sport you want scores for...cool! Wish I could ensure it defaulted to NFL, though.

FOOTBALL 06 - WK 1

Both votes go for Pittsburgh tonight, though I think he is a bit more sure than I am.

UPDATE: We both win. Woo Hoo, I'm at 100% for the season!

Close To Their Hearts

I haven't been paying much attention to the Cardinals this year - why break with tradition. I did notice, however, that they have an image of the new stadium on their jerseys.

Can anyone tell me why?

Boom Boom Club

A few weeks ago, we took a day trip up to Prescott to visit this shop - now I am a gun owner (some might call it a canon).

The first range we took it to was Shooters World; conveniently close to work, air-conditioned indoor range. At $13 per hour (or portion thereof) it is a bit pricey, though. Also, though they may be watching through the windows, there aren't many employees on the firing line with the customers. If you need help or instruction you are on your own - though you may be able to get it in a class for a fee. It was a very humbling experience shooting at targets on a range, seeing how inaccurate I was at the various distances.

Yesterday we went to Ben Avery - what a difference. $5 gets you a whole day of shooting, or as much of it as you can take...we made it about 3 hours. There are an abundance of safety officers on the line, all quite friendly and open to questions. From that humbling experience at Shooters World, I was feeling pretty bad about my skills. I grabbed one of the range volunteers and told him I needed help - he gave me two tips and I hit just on the edge of the bullseye with my first shot. I emptied the whole clip in a 5-7 inch group. Wow - I was amazed :-) Now, that was sitting down and at a target 5 yards away. I didn't do quite as well standing up or at a longer distance, but I did SO MUCH better than I had been doing.
The boyfriend and his buddy had their hunting rifles, which one of the range workers sited in for them...quickly and for free.

A great way to, as Len says, "turn money into noise" - in my case just shy of 200 rounds and the range fee.....about $30 all together.

BTW: Forgot to mention that they carded me when I went to buy ammo. My birthday on Wednesday is decades away from the ammo buying threshold, so I thanked him profusely for making my day :-)

Say It Ain't So, Steve

I just couldn't handle it if this were true - one of my favorite athletes, the one who brought me back to Suns basketball, a low-down, dirty, cheating pig?!? No, No, No!!!

I am going to go with her denial for now ("110% not true")- 'cause I don't want to give up my team. Bad enough they lost the game last night, but to have the guy I thought brought a little stability and class to the team turn out to be just another adolescent with too much cash and too little impulse control would SUCK.

Maybe people are confused because his wife is a cute little Latina and they mistook her for Furtado? Maybe? Please?

UPDATE 6/6: Steve Nash has issued his denial, and says he only met Furtado once, with his wife, when she performed at his charity gig. I would link the denial if I could, but I can't find it online. I am going to believe him on this one.

Because I want to, and because I have no reason not to - all his other off court behavior (at least what I've heard about) seems to be above board and classy.

On The Line

Suns 101, Mavs 117

Stats:

Field Goals
Suns 45.6%
Mavericks 47.2%

Three Pointers
Suns 41.7%
Mavericks 52.9%

Free Throws
Suns 95.0% (19/20)
Mavericks 85.7% (24/28)

Well, we got our free throw percentage back, for all the good it did - of course, they pulled their percentage up, as well.

What a bunch of bogus calls in the last game. I wish the refs would just let them play but, barring that, at least be consistent. How can something not be a foul in one quarter, or on one end of the court, or from one player - but be one in the same situation later? Then, the next time it's not?

And don't get me started on Cuban - what a jerk! I wish he would send in that clip, since it shows Griffin mauling Marion, not Marion throwing an elbow.

Suns are favored by 1 tonight - I hope they can get a more convincing win than that. We'll see.

C'MON SUNS!

All Tied Up

Now THAT'S more like it!

Suns 106, Mavs 86

Stats:

Field Goals
Suns 54.4%
Mavericks 41.8%

Three Pointers
Suns 46.7%
Mavericks 30.8%

Free Throws
Suns 61.9% (13/21)
Mavericks 72.7% (16/22)

Once again, though, our free throw percentage is atrocious! The best free throw shooting team in the league in the regular season, 62% in this game. Argh! We did manage to hang on to the ball a little better, ending up with half as many turnovers as the Mavs.

Loved seeing the team so upbeat, and the crowd right up there with them. It would be great to go and win the next one in Texas - and it would upset the odds makers who are giving Dallas a 7 point edge.

GO SUNS!

Down By One

Suns 88, Mavs 95

Stats:

Field Goals
Suns 42.7%
Mavericks 41.1%

Three Pointers
Suns 36.8%
Mavericks 26.7%

Free Throws
Suns 84.6% (11/13)
Mavericks 75.6% (13/17)

Wow, those are not playoff numbers for either team. Ouch!

I do wish D'Antoni would go a bit deeper on the bench. I know we are plagued by injuries, and I know that the starting line-up is rocking, but they just can't play that many minutes without it running them down. He seems willing to give House court time (and he is no great shakes in this post season) why not let Burke, Grant, and Tskitishvili mix it up? At the very least, it would allow our stars to catch their breath.

One & One

Suns 98, Mavs 105

Stats:

Field Goals
Suns 44.9%
Mavericks 47.5%

Three Pointers
Suns 43.5%
Mavericks 36.4%

Free Throws
Suns 72.7% (8/11)
Mavericks 69.4% (25/36)

Ouch - the numbers say it all. We missed the shots. Nash was playing a lot better than his numbers show, however. He got the ball to the rest of the team when they had wide open shots - but just couldn't get them to go down.

Once again I have to say the officiating sucks, and has through the whole post season, not just in the Suns games but across the board. There were so many bad calls; some in our favor, mostly not. You know that when one team is shooting 36 free throws and the other is shooting 11 there is some inconsistency in the foul calls. It almost seems as though the officials were told to make sure the Mavs didn't lose at home again. Even so, I think we could have pulled it out if we were on, but shooting less than 45% ain't gonna do it.

That's One

Suns 121, Mavs 118

Stats:

Field Goals
Suns 55.3%
Mavericks 50.5%

Three Pointers
Suns 33.3%
Mavericks 18.8%

Free Throws
Suns 75.9%
Mavericks 91.3%

The Suns were only 75% from the free throw line? What is up with that?
Diaw with 34 points, Marion with 24 - Woo hoo! Nash 27 points & 16 assists - yowsa!

Bell with a torn or strained calf - dammit. Last I heard, he will be out for 5-7 days.

BTW: You can dress up your computer with some Suns wallpaper. I mean, not that I would do anything like that.....

OK, I actually put my own Suns wallpaper together a couple of weeks ago. I'm a fan, what can I say.

Clipper ElimiNation

How sweet it is to win back-to-back Game 7's against a team from Los Angeles.
I found that caption with the image above on the Suns website. Interestingly, that picture is from earlier in the game when the Suns got hit with a VERY bad call - Cassell ran over Bell, yet they called the foul on us. He was, understandably, upset and arguing the call - and Tim Thomas came in to calm him down. Guess their caption is more upbeat ;-) (Found it with the correct info, and here is a shot of Bell after Cassell knocked him to the ground)

The gang was definitely firing on all burners, despite the fact that the Clippers played a great game and Elton Brand was once again scoring pretty much at will (61%).

The stats were:

Field Goals
Clippers 52.6%
Suns 60.0%

Three Pointers
Clippers .0% (OK, that is really bad)
Suns 55.6%

Free Throws
Clippers 96.2% (25/26)
Suns 84.2% (16/19)

Round 3 here we come!

UPDATE: Doesn't it look like Maggette is attempting a trip here?

BTW: I also was glad to see the Dallas Mavericks advance, despite the fact that I dislike them (or their owner anyway) a great deal. I just dislike the Spurs (mostly Ginobli and Parker) even more.

Suns Game

Ouch!

I didn't really watch much of this one, but I know they lost pretty convincingly. Maybe it's my fault, if I had been glued to the screen bouncing around like I normally do, they would have won like they normally do.

Or maybe not

MVP All The Way

The Suns continue to be just incredible to watch. Such a great TEAM, such effective players. We have so many scorers, and so many 3 shooters, it just isn't even fair. You can't argue that Steve Nash is the man, but one of the things that makes him great is the team dynamic. Barbosa and Diaw have really stepped up, Marion continues to be the go to guy (despite my trepidation at his past his post season performance), Tim Thomas is just a gift (what were the Bulls thinking?), gotta love Bell... The bench is so strong, with the only big albatross in the line-up being Eddie House. Argh!

The Clippers played great, shooting 60% for 123 points. Their star player, Elton Brand, hit nearly 90% of his shots for 40 points (he was scoring at will, we had no way to stop him). That is a winning game!

Unless you are playing the Suns. The Suns can shoot at only 55% and still outscore you by 7. Ouch.

Focus

Scott Adams isn't always funny - sometimes he can be downright poignant

March Madness

In the past, March Madness basically passed me by. It was just another excuse for retail establishments to have sales.

Last year I watched a couple of games with SG, but, since I had no horse in the race, I didn't really get into it. This year, however, I set up a bracket. Now I am all riled up - just silly. You should see me watching the games that have been far too close and threatened to bust my bracket.
Luckily, my bracket remains intact - and my pick percentage is at 69%.

Here are my choices, if you are interested.

Flaw In That Plan

I entered an online contest to pick the perfect bracket in the NCAA tournament (my picks were not perfect, but I am still doing OK) After I filled out the form, I received a confirmation email to the email address I signed up with. So far, so good.

They are awarding points based on correct picks along the way, so I tried to log back in to see my picks - they even have a link for that "Click here to see your picks" However, when I try to log in they say that the email address does not exist in their system. I went back and checked my confirmation - even copied and pasted the address from it - still says I don't exist.

So I sent them an email asking why my account had disappeared and explaining how I was unable to log in. I also asked if they thought it was a good introduction to their service (it is sponsored by an online gambling site) to just lose a customers account. I got a reply:

We are having difficulty finding your account. Please reply to this e-mail including your full name and customer ID number (which appears on your grey betting ticket underneath your name when you log into your account). Once we have received this information, we will be able to help you with your contest query.

The emphasis is mine, because they obviously don't see the glaring problem with my fulfilling that request.......

Super Ads

Just a quick thought on the Super Bowl ads -

The companies are spending millions for production and air time, and the best Pepsi has to offer is "Brown and Bubbly".
That's their new slogan? Brown & Bubbly!?!?

Yeck!

FOOTBALL - SUPER BOWL

Tough Super Bowl for me. I can't stand Pennsylvania teams (long, sordid, boring story). I don't care for the Seahawks too much, either.

However, I love Troy Polamalu - despite his playing for USC. He is such fun to watch. He puts so much into the game and he seems to have some mastery of physics that allows him to cover large areas of the field at once. The guy comes out of nowhere. He also seems to be enjoying himself, as if he knows it is a game and that he is fortunate to be getting paid to play. He and Steve Nash are my favorite athletes right now for the same reasons - but they both need to get their hair cut.

Also adding to the mix, the Seahawks are my oldest brother's favorite team. It's always fun to have someone to taunt for the big game.

So I am going with the Steelers. 34-21.
Don't like my pick? Mike did a very detailed breakdown and came to the same conclusion.

The Horror

No football this weekend

Poetry In Motion

Sooo much fun to watch Steve Nash on the court!

He is just phenomenal.

Show Me The Money

I have a general sports question that was spurred by the recent 5 game suspension of Antonio Davis. It was reported that he would lose $600,000 ($120,000 per game!) - where does that money go?

Does the team get to keep it?
Does it go to some sort of NBA general fund?

Same with these situations in the NFL, NHL, MLB.....
Anybody?

FOOTBALL - Conference Championships

	Road	Home
AFC	Pittsburgh	Denver
NFC	Carolina	Seattle

Disclaimer: If any of you were thinking of picking the underdogs this week, you may want to note that I have picked them - and my record this year is a stunning 47.7%. I'm just sayin'...

UPDATE: Jake Plummer played exactly as I expected - so Denver lost. Jake Delhomme didn't play like I expected at all - and so Carolina lost. Carolina looked like they couldn't have won a college game. What is up with that after the last two weeks of domination?

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FOOTBALL - Div Playoffs

Looks like I am pulling for the underdogs this week:

Road	Home
Washington	Seattle
New England	Denver
Pittsburgh	Indianapolis
Carolina	Chicago

UPDATE: 0 for 3 so far - I am good.

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Football - Wild Card

Down to the wire, and no Raiders....

Oh well, there's always next year

Road	Home
Washington	Tampa Bay
Jacksonville	New England
Carolina	N.Y. Giants
Pittsburgh	Cincinnati

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FOOTBALL - week 17

Not that many of the games really matter this week...

One of my best weeks ever - 11 of 16 :-)

Road	Home	Sunday Ticket Channel
Denver	San Diego
N.Y. Giants	Oakland
Arizona	Indianapolis	705
Baltimore	Cleveland	709
Buffalo	N.Y. Jets	712
Carolina	Atlanta	704
Cincinnati	Kansas City	710
Detroit	Pittsburgh	707
Miami	New England	711
New Orleans	Tampa Bay	708
Seattle	Green Bay	713
Houston	San Francisco	716
Tennessee	Jacksonville	715
Chicago	Minnesota	706
Washington	Philadelphia	714
St. Louis	Dallas

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FOOTBALL - week 16

I'm not even at 50% this year ~


>New England -6

Road	Home	Sunday Ticket Channel
Atlanta	Tampa Bay -3	712
Buffalo	Cincinnati -14	704
Dallas	Carolina -5	709
Detroit +3	New Orleans	710
Jacksonville	Houston +6	706
N.Y. Giants	Washington -3	713
Pittsburgh -7	Cleveland	705
San Diego -1	Kansas City	707
San Francisco +9	St. Louis	711
Tennessee +6	Miami	708
Philadelphia +1	Arizona	716
Indianapolis	Seattle -10	715
Oakland +13½	Denver	714
Chicago -7	Green Bay
Minnesota	Baltimore -3
N.Y. Jets

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FOOTBALL - week 15

And the winners might be....

Road	Home	Sunday Ticket Channel
Tampa Bay	New England -6
Kansas City +3	N.Y. Giants
Denver -9	Buffalo
Arizona -2	Houston	704
Carolina	New Orleans +9½	706
N.Y. Jets +9	Miami	710
Philadelphia +3½	St. Louis	712
Pittsburgh	Minnesota +3	711
San Diego +7	Indianapolis	709
Seattle -7	Tennessee	707
San Francisco +16	Jacksonville	705
Cincinnati -8	Detroit	713
Cleveland +3	Oakland	714
Dallas +3	Washington	708
Atlanta	Chicago -3
Green Bay	Baltimore -3½

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FOOTBALL - week 14

Almost forgot to post these......

Road	Home	Sunday Ticket Channel
Chicago	Pittsburgh -6	711
Cleveland	Cincinnati -13½	705
Houston +6½	Tennessee	708
Indianapolis	Jacksonville +9	706
New England -4	Buffalo	704
Oakland +6	N.Y. Jets	707
St. Louis	Minnesota -7	710
Tampa Bay +6½	Carolina	709
N.Y. Giants -9	Philadelphia	716
San Francisco	Seattle -16	717
Washington -4	Arizona	715
Baltimore	Denver -14½	713
Kansas City +3	Dallas	712
Miami	San Diego -14	714
Detroit	Green Bay -6
New Orleans	Atlanta -10

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FOOTBALL - week 13

You know the drill...

Road	Home	Sunday Ticket Channel
Atlanta +3	Carolina	709
Buffalo	Miami -5½	707
Cincinnati +3½	Pittsburgh	708
Dallas +3	N.Y. Giants	713
Green Bay	Chicago -7	710
Houston +8	Baltimore	704
Jacksonville	Cleveland +3	705
Minnesota -3	Detroit	711
Tampa Bay -4	New Orleans	712
Tennessee	Indianapolis -15½	706
Arizona -3	San Francisco	717
Washington -3	St. Louis	716
Denver -1	Kansas City	714
N.Y. Jets +10½	New England	715
Oakland	San Diego -11
Seattle -4	Philadelphia

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11/15 * 9/15 7/15

Proof

"...nice thing about sports is that they prove men do have emotions and are not afraid to show them."

~ Jane O'Reilly

Heh

FOOTBALL - week 12

Vox picks are underlined
SG's are italic
Point spread listings are SG's picks against the spread, negative numbers are the favorites.
Winners are bold

Road	Home	Sunday Ticket Channel
Baltimore	Cincinnati -9½	708
Carolina -4	Buffalo	704
Chicago +3	Tampa Bay	706
Cleveland	Minnesota -4	710
New England +3	Kansas City	709
San Diego -3½	Washington	711
San Francisco	Tennessee -8½	707
St. Louis	Houston +4	705
Jacksonville	Arizona +3½	714
Miami	Oakland -7	715
Green Bay +4½	Philadelphia	712
N.Y. Giants	Seattle -5	713
New Orleans	N.Y. Jets -1½
Pittsburgh +8½	Indianapolis

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Come on, Cowboys!

Never thought I'd be saying that

At this moment Bledsoe's passing stats are almost exactly double Plummer's - other than the fact that he only has 48 more yards. Hmmmmm.

PASSING
	CP/AT	YDS	TD	INT		CP/AT	YDS	TD	INT
J. Plummer	10/16	122	1	1	D. Bledsoe	22/32	170	2	2

BTW: The running total is now here - Football Picks.

FOOTBALL - Thanksgiving

Vox picks are underlined
SG's are italic
Winners are bold
Point spread listings are SG's picks against the spread, negative numbers are the favorites.
Running total

Road	Home
Atlanta	Detroit +3
Denver -2	Dallas