Sunday, October 30, 2011

Week 8 picks

last week: 3-9-1

season: 42-55-4

Indianapolis @ Tennessee (-7): Tennessee

Jacksonville @ Houston (-9 1/2): Houston

Minnesota @ Carolina (-3): Carolina

New Orleans (-13 1/2) @ St. Louis: New Orleans

Arizona @ Baltimore (-12): Baltimore

Miami @ NY Giants (-9 1/2): Miami

Washington @ Buffalo (-4): Buffalo

Detroit (-3) @ Denver: Detroit

New England (-2 1/2) @ Pittsburgh: New England

Cleveland @ San Francisco (-8 1/2): San Francisco

Cincinnati (-1 1/2) @ Seattle: Cincinnati

Dallas @ Philadelphia (-3): Dallas

San Diego (-3) @ Kansas City: Kansas City

Saturday, October 22, 2011

Week 7 picks

Last Week (yuck): 3-8-2

Season: 39-46-3

At least now you know that if I pick a game, go the other way and you’ll be fine. Damn!

Chicago (-1 ½) @* Tampa Bay: Ah, the annual London game…what a crock. It’s one thing to make Buffalo Bills fans hike out to Toronto for a home game, but I truly hate that the NFL does this crap in the regular season. Kickoff to preseason, no worries. How about one of those 3rd week of preseason games so the fans would see at least a half of good football? No? Well, I tried for you folks in the armpit of Florida, I really did. The Bucs have been in England for a few days, while da Bears flew in on Friday. Does that matter? I think it does. Tampa Bay

Washington (-2 ½) @ Carolina: Oh, how I loathe ‘Skins HC Mike Shanahan and his QB and RB roulette. Here’s a thought, stick with one guy, for like 4 games straight. In this case, when you have 2 QBs, you have none. Carolina will not be doing the backdoor cover this week. Washington

San Diego @ NY Jets (-1): Can we call this the ‘Gimme something to believe in’ Bowl? Do you believe in Philip Rivers or Mark Sanchez? Norv Turner or Rex Ryan? The Chargers barely winning or the Jets beating inferior teams only (sans the giveaways from Dallas QB Tony Romo)? Says here that defense travels, as well as a passing game that goes deep. And the Jets are terrible against the run, I don’t care if they think Monday night’s win vs. Miami was an elixir to losing, it’s a mirage. San Diego

Seattle @ Cleveland (-3): Seattle starts a male model at QB and can’t stop the pass. Cleveland is at home and can barely run. Hmmmm, what to do? Cleveland

Houston @ Tennessee (-3): Don’t you hate it when you don’t know which Jekyll or Hyde team will show up…for either combatant? Just a hunch, Tennessee

Denver @ Miami (Pick ‘Em): It’s Tebow Time! Denver

Atlanta @ Detroit (-3): Atlanta will have to bring the run game for 2 reasons-1)Detroit is terrible against the run, and 2)it keeps the Lions offense off the field. For Detroit, they have to let last week go, just not sure their coaching staff is mature enough to do so yet. Detroit

Kansas City @ Oakland (-3 ½): Wish it were the case that this would be a trap game for Oakland, but since it’s a division game, expect no one to be taken lightly. Oakland

Pittsburgh (-4) @ Arizona: Way too small of a line, but I thank the odds-maker. Pittsburgh

St. Louis @ Dallas (-13): It has just been announced that AJ Feeley will be starting at QB for St. Louis. Boy am I glad I picked up the Dallas D in 2 of my fantasy leagues. Dallas

Green Bay (-10) @ Minnesota: Vikings CB Chris Cook was just arrested for domestic violence this morning and won’t get a hearing until Monday. Green Bay chucks the ball. Guess Packers QB Aaron Rodgers will have to stand up for women’s rights by whoopin’ up on the Minnesota secondary. Green Bay

Indianapolis @ New Orleans (-13 ½): At first glance, this line is too high. Then you realize that the Saints defense doesn’t do anything special and Indianapolis doesn’t get creamed by 2 TDs that often. Yup, I probably just jinxed it. Indianapolis

Baltimore (-8 ½) @ Jacksonville: Dear NFL-fire the guy that made the schedule, especially the prime time games. Christ, this is terrible. Baltimore

Saturday, October 15, 2011

Week 6 picks

Last Week: 6-6-1

Season: 36-38-3

St. Louis @ Green Bay (-15): Not even sure this spread is high enough. I keep hearing that the Rams can try and limit the Packers possessions. It will matter not. Aaron Rodgers continues to cut his swath of destruction on the Packers record books. Green Bay

Jacksonville @ Pittsburgh (-13): Too high, that was my first thought about this line. Pittsburgh made a nice game last week, finally putting a TE to block for QB Ben Roethlisberger, forcing 3 step drops and making sure that there was an effort of a running game. But they are a banged up bunch. The will be missing 2 D-Lineman and LB James Harrison this week, and the Jaguars are top 10 against the run. Why is this line almost 2 TDs then? Jacksonville

Philadelphia (-3) @ Washington: I must have missed something-who is leading the division? Who hasn’t met expectations? Who has the worst (via the eye test) run defense? Who can’t protect their QB? Who made the decision to use their O-Line guru and make him D-Coordinator? Those answers, in case you were wondering, were ‘Redskins’, and the rest ‘Eagles’. Washington

San Francisco @ Detroit (-4 ½): The 49ers have a great defense, but mostly against the run. Detroit comes out firing and is in the top 5 in pass attempts. Lions, at home? Detroit

Carolina @ Atlanta (-4): So here we have the spread-bustin’ Panthers against the underachieving Falcons. Does Cam Newton continue to do what he does? Or does Atlanta decide to say ‘screw it’ and run the ball all game long? I’m guessing with my heart. Carolina

Indianapolis @ Cincinnati (-7): Is this line too high? Nope, it’s just that no one is really watching the Bengals, and it’s too bad. Cincinnati

Buffalo @ NY Giants (-3): Dear Giants coaching staff-run the damn ball. Quit putting the game in Eli Manning’s hands, he isn’t built for it. He’s more than a game manager but less than a stud QB, got it? And I’m wondering if there is any magic in the Bills once they leave Ralph Wilson stadium. NY Giants

Houston @ Baltimore (-8): Two matchups for you passing fans-1) Ravens rookie WR Torrey Smith against Texans CB Jason Allen and 2)Safety Bernard Pollard vs. Texans TE Owen Daniels. Allen cannot really cover anyone on an out route, I’ve seen his last 2 games…yuck. And Pollard? He’s just about the worst cover safety in football. Numbers don’t lie. Houston badly needs a win on the road to silence critics. No one knows which Baltimore team will show up, the one from the first game of the season, the one from the Sunday night game that set football back to leather helmets? Or the team that lost to Tennessee? I don’t see them ‘up’ for this game. Houston

Cleveland @ Oakland (-7): Cleveland, welcome to the buzzsaw. Oakland, at home for the first time since owner Al Davis has passed away. Yikes. Oakland

Dallas @ New England (-7): I have no clue why everyone thinks the Cowboys can play in New England. Tony Romo will find a way to gift away this game. New England

New Orleans (-5 ½) @ Tampa Bay: Tampa Bay had a lot of expectations coming into this year. Uh, they’re young and will not be meeting those expectations. Saints QB Drew Brees has a field day picking apart this Tampa 2 defense. New Orleans

Minnesota @ Chicago (-3): Someone tell Bears QB Jay Cutler to duck & cover. Minnesota will rely on RB Adrian Peterson. Hopefully QB Donovan McNabb can remember to throw the ball past 10 yards, it’s getting to be quite embarrassing. McNabb will have the chance to make more throws. Minnesota

Miami @ NY Jets (-7): Ah, so nice to see the Jets infighting. Can they put it to the side to beat a poorly put together opponent? Miami shows up with a backup QB and a rookie RB with a tender hammy. They’ll keep giving him the rock. Miami

Saturday, October 8, 2011

Week 5 picks

Last Week: 8-8

Season: 30-32-2

San Diego (-4) @ Denver: I have no faith in Norv Turner turning the Chargers into a team that should dominate from the opening kickoff. I do, however, have faith in Kyle Orton this week. Denver

Kansas City @ Indianapolis (-2 ½): Yuck. No way the Chiefs are still listening to their coach, who is still yelling about not having enough blueberries in his morning muffin. Indianapolis

Arizona @ Minnesota (-2 ½): The Vikings know they play 2 halves, right? They’ve been outscored handily in the 2nd half of every game. They get this one right at the end. Minnesota

Philadelphia (-2 ½) @ Buffalo: Raise your hand if you thought the Eagles and Bills records would be swapped? Yup, unanimous, just as I thought. Such a weird game, expect scoring. Buffalo

Oakland @ Houston (-6): With the passing today of Raiders owner Al Davis, do they win one for the gipper? Does Houston have the firepower without WR Andre Johnson? Won’t matter, the guys on the field are the ones that play, Oakland still can’t stop the run. Houston

New Orleans (-6 ½) @ Carolina: Now there is a team out there that keeps screwing up the end of games by scoring with less than 2 minutes to go when they are well past beaten, and that’s the only reason you can take them. Carolina

Cincinnati @ Jacksonville (-2 ½): Seems like this line should be flipped to the other team. Cincinnati

Tennessee @ Pittsburgh (-3): Why oh why are the Stillers still giving points? I’ve seen them play 3 times, and that team is in big, big trouble. Tennessee

Seattle @ NY Giants (-10): NY Giants, and I appreciate the gimme

Tampa Bay @ San Francisco (-3): Yes, hiring Jim Harbaugh was worth every penny. And if you know any Dolphins fans, like my brother, feel free to mention it to them at every waking moment. San Francisco

NY Jets @ New England (-9): Line feels too high. And you just know that Rex Ryan will have the Jets all geeked up, because they never set the tempo, they play to it. Pats QB Tom Brady? I’ll know in the 1st 4 passes if he’s raring to go. NY Jets

Green Bay (-6) @ Atlanta: All Falcons, line up right next to the Steelers under the banner that says “Frauds”. I don’t believe in them, but I damn sure believe in Aaron Rodgers. Green Bay

Chicago @ Detroit (-5 ½): Putting the Roar back into the Lions, it does have a nice ring to it. The game will remind me of old Monday Night games back when I was a kid-Detroit will make it feel like an event. Still, they may win, but Chicago will bring the running game. Chicago

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

post-it clean up time

Got busted at work for having Mozilla on my computer. Yup, the guy who checks his bank balance, scores, reads Google News, his yahoo! email account, LinkedIn to see what people who love what they do for a living are talking about, and his fantasy football teams, I'm the reason no one has any bandwidth at work and productivity is way down.
What's that? My numbers are stellar and I'm looked at as a the leader without the title, that people gravitate towards me? That I keep coming up with good little morale boosters for my team (shadup, it happens)? The same guy who doesn't take a break and finishes his lunch 5-10 minutes early? Yes, all of the above is me. I am a rule breaker for 'breaching the security code'...you have to be shitting me. I owned it, too. Yup, I did, I totally downloaded Mozilla for my work computer. Wanna know why? Because it's faster and better than IE. There, I said it. If I had wanted, I'd download Chrome and Safari, too. Not really the point. I didn't point the finger at anyone else, and believe you me there are plenty of folks to point out. But in this instance, and hopefully moving forward, this is just the way it will be, take ownership, move on. I know my director dislikes me very highly-oh, not because of the work that I do. It could never be about business. It has to do with me calling her out on the carpet for not owning the processes, procedures, fire drills and general malaise that happens when she comes around. I don't respect her, professionally or personally. She's everything I loathe about humankind. Professionally, she makes snide comments about her superiors in front of us, and that kids is known as Dirty Pool. Personally, she treats different people differently. She talks down to the 2 black people I work with, and is sugary sweet to the 3 blonde-locked females. She started the last kickoff meeting with my team with "You guys are doing a great job, but..." I admit, I quit listening after that, because that is just an awful way to inspire people. I feel like throwing her a book about Herb Brooks, Vince Lombardi, John Wooden or hell, John Gruden. I'm not making this stuff up, it's all the truth.

Before I get to the rest of this, a moment of silence for Steve Jobs, a man who did all of us a giant solid by making technology easy to use and even easier to get.

I have a ton of sticky notes on my desk, again, for topics I wanted to touch base on. And on and on it goes:
I may have to wait until 2013, I might still be in Denver-maybe, but Dunkin' is coming to me!!!

However, with that great news comes news that Friendly's isn't doing so hot. Makes me kinda sad as I spent many a night eating giant Reese's Pieces Sundaes. Yeah, ice cream, hot fudge and warm peanut butter with Reese's Pieces sprinkled all over it. A fat kid's delight and a diabetics nightmare. Oh, and there was never any of that 3-scoop nonsense, it was always about the 5-scoop...I haven't lived there in 14 years, no wonder they're closing 63 stores!!

Yes I read conservative news sites (!gasp!) and even a libertarian pundit (oh dear heavens), deal with it or don't. When it comes to this new Jobs Act that the Prez is pitching, you're either really dumb and naive or you're like most people who see thru the bullshit. Apparently we need to build bridges (duh), get more teachers in schools (duh-wait, what kind of schools?) and more firefighters and police. Hmmmmm, do you know what all of those types of workers have in common? The union, well, of course they would be union jobs. And it would be paid for by the evil rich. Anyone ever call them the nice rich, the good-natured rich, or the giving rich? Funny, I never hear that. Oh, and to those find people protesting Wall Street, you took a wrong turn. You should be on K Street in Washington, DC protesting every lobby and lobbyist. They're the reason we're in this mess. All of 'em. Or wait, is this all still W's fault? Either way, the dumb guy at the head of this travesty (I think he's called President, but he certainly doesn't deserve the title) keeps asking for a vote on the Jobs Act-guess what? Someone said "fine, let's do it", but that wuss Harry Reid wouldn't let it go to the floor. Gee, there's Democrat-majority filled Senate but the Majority leader won't let a vote happen-hmm, wonder why that is? Could it be that it doesn't have the votes? Nah, good ol' Harry will just blame the House.
I'm tired of the tax the wealthy crap. Who defines wealthy? What if you knew someone who made $500K, is that wealthy? What if you knew they worked their ass off for it? What if they did all the studying, took the tests, wrote the papers, graduated and have proven their mettle day in and day out in the workforce? What if they have certain expenses out of pocket? Like student loans, or health care expenses, or they pay for family members utility bills every once in awhile? What if they donate every perk they ever get at their job? Still wealthy? Sure, but fuck it, they earned it. Not you, not me, them. They did it. You know what's cost most of the rest of us our chance at some wealth? The God Damn TV, Madison Avenue, and our lack of accountability and restraint. Yup, I'm on the soap box and I'm just gettin' warmed up.

I'm tired, you see. Tired of watching people break others down so that they can have a friend to wallow in misery with. People so afraid of losing what little they have that they stand in silence while their hopes and dreams fade away into a distant flicker. I'm inspired, so just run alongside with me. I've been watching some things lately, and been talking to some good, damn good people, while weeding out those that just flat out suck. They're known as energy vampires, and they bring nothing good to this or any other world. There are more of them than there are of the good hearted and hard working people out there, like my friends. Maybe even like me. I'm known to say that 'People Suck', and for the most part, that's true. I believe that. But there are also good people, with kind hearts, that don't get celebrated enough. To them, for them, I'm thinking the rest of this blog is for you.

Seriously, I watch and read the news, talk to my friends and wonder one thing..."What the fuck happened to men?" This is not some rant on guys manscaping or metrosexuals or men who bake (Yeah I made scones a couple of weeks ago, and they were delicious), but rather where is the John Wayne type, or more recently, the Al Pacino in 'Scent of a Woman', standing up when no one else will. I know I've cost myself thousands of dollars in salary and promotion by NOT keeping my big fat mouth shut. You know what else? I wouldn't change a damn thing. I'm not getting an ulcer by trying to play some weak-minded, weak-willed, weak-worded game where no one wins. Sometimes in life, there actually is a winner and a loser, and not 'shades of gray'. Wimps. I got called into a conference room because I'm, and I quote, "so very direct" that it "sometimes puts people on edge"...yeah, so? How is this my problem again? Why say in 22 words what I can say in 4? Look, want me to wax poetic, be a pretty woman who I'm nuts about or get me friggin' cocked. Either way, I don't really care. You don't like that I called you out on messing something up, well, here's a thought-don't screw up!

Speaking of manly men, how about the head of Oracle, sandbagging his keynote speaker a mere day before he was to speak?

This story baffles me. A woman wants to get her kids a better education, so she uses her parents address. She gets found out, and is charged with a felony? Yup, our priorities aren't messed up at all. Meanwhile, no school vouchers, so she has no choice. Thank goodness someone had the good sense to get her some clemency. I'm going to have to rent "Waiting for Superman", as this story makes me shake my head in disgust. Nope, don't worry about the gang bangers, drug addicts and politicians lying and stealing, this woman is trying to rob someone of a free education....come again?

Nancy Grace and I agree on something. Can someone tell me who killed Meredith Kercher?

I just watched the espn documentary 'Catching Hell'...Cubs fans are dicks and they owe Steve Bartman a day in the center of Wrigleyville where they can all apologize.

Brett Fav-ruh just doesn't get it, does he? The best part of this link? Stephen A. Smith schooling Skip Bayless. Now this link? The sentiment we all have-Brett, go away.

Hey, Indianapolis Colts fans, stinks when your franchise QB goes down, right? They have no one to blame but themselves.

After watching 4 weeks of football, if you're a fan of the Falcons or Steelers, start worrying. Like, now. Both of your squads are frauds. Eagles, too, their linebacking corp is awful and getting run all over. Not to mention that all 3 of these teams QBs won't make it to November they way that they are all getting hit.

Hockey starts tomorrow night! I will have to DVR the B's game (and hopefully the banner unveiling) as I have class #3 for comedy writing.

Last week's class was a little strange-I did a 5 minute set in front of the class, went first even (got the jitters out of the way), but was 'critiqued' for an hour. Uh, it's an intro class. And then, there was a lot of "I would do the joke this way"...kinda confused. Critiquing to me is to help me out with structure, not how you'd do a joke. And no one can do Fat Kid Index, it's mine. Who knows, there could be an open mic night in the next 2-3 weeks.

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