Out With The Old

Now, before we get started, let's have a quick geography lesson.  Everyone appears to be going crazy about the idea of TCU going to the Big East because they are nowhere near the east.  Apparently, nobody realizes how big this country is and that there is land west of the Mississippi (spell checked by Alabama ticket office).  The furthest trip TCU will have now is to Stoors, Connecticut to play UCONN.  That comes in at about 1,725 miles.  Meanwhile, with Boise joining the Mountain West, TCU would have to travel 1,600 miles to get there...not a huge difference.  While we are at it, Fort Worth, Texas to Syracuse, NY is 1545 miles while getting from Fort Worth to Fresno, CA, another new team to the Mountain West, is 1,536 miles.  TCU also has to travel to San Diego, which is 1,332 miles but now traveling to South Florida it will go 1,135 miles.  The point of this little lesson???  TCU is nowhere closer to the schools it is currently playing than it is to the schools in the Big East.  It's time to throw out any preconceived ideas of conferences based on geography and accept that college is football is about one thing; MONEY.

That being said, let's eliminate another concept related to college football, conferences.  I thought about this last year after the season and we are starting to see it happen already.  Do away with conferences for football and create 4 super conferences divided into 2 divisions of 9 teams each.  The reason for 9 teams in each division is that you can truly have a division champion.  In these current conferences with divisions, not every team is playing the same conference schedule.  Hardly a fair way to truly determine your champion.  Under my format, each team plays 8 games against the other teams in their division.  The other 4 games on the schedule are filled by each team, but three of them have to be against a team from one of the other 3 super conferences.  But to keep teams from only scheduling the easiest teams, the division champions would be determined by division record only, so please, feel free to schedule some good games.  Another caveat would be that you don't play any team from the opposite division in your super conference, making the title game for your conference a bit more interesting.  That title game would also in effect be the first game of the playoffs.  After those title games, the four teams that are the conference champions are left to play for the title.  That leaves all those other teams for the irrelevant bowls that exist only for the sake of making money for those that run them and the athletic directors of said schools.  (Side note:  if you have not yet done so, check out the article in Sports Illustrated from a couple weeks ago about the current bowl structure).  So, now that the structure is in place, I know you are all wondering one thing, how would one divide up all the teams?  Well, I'm glad you asked because I have already done this.  So, without further ado, I give to you the new face of college football.

Mid-East                           
Ohio State                        
Michigan                          
Michigan State                 
Notre Dame                    
Boston College                
Cincinnati                        
Indiana                             
Purdue                              
Wisconsin                        

Penn State                        
Pittsburgh                       
West Virginia                   
Virginia Tech                    
Virginia                            
Syracuse                           
Connecticut                       
Rutgers                            
Navy                               

South                          
Florida State               
Miami(Florida)           
Florida                        
Tennessee                  
Georgia                        
Georgia Tech         
Wake Forest          
Louisville                  
Kentucky    

Alabama
Aubrun
LSU
South Carolina
Clemson
N.C. State
North Carolina
Maryland
South Florida

Mid-West
Nebraska                      
Arkansas
TCU
Missouri
Kansas State
Kansas
Illinois
Northwestern
Minnesota

Oklahoma
Oklahoma State
Texas
Texas A&M
Texas Tech
Mississippi
Mississippi State
Vanderbilt
Baylor

West
Arizona
Arizona State
Utah
BYU
Air Force
Colorado
Iowa
Iowa State
Boise State

USC
UCLA
California
Stanford
Oregon
Oregon State
Washington
Washington State
Fresno State

 

The only team currently in a BCS conference that didn't make the cut was Duke.  Navy had to find a way in so it came down to Vanderbilt and Duke, and Vandy has been to a bowl game more recently,so tough luck Duke.  All in all, this keeps most every big rivalry game in tact while keeping it all pretty well balanced.  And since you will have to schedule at least three games with teams from another conference, Wisconsin can still play Minnesota...not that anyone outside of those two schools will care.    

Well, what a rough Thanksgiving weekend with the picks as I went 1-3-1 to bring the overall record to 9-10-2.  Second half collapses by the Lions and Crimson Tide accounted for two losses and the Saints collapse and subsequent comeback got me the push.  Nevada not only won with the points, but won straight up to change the landscape of college football for this season.  Then there is Oregon, doing exactly what I thought, but winning by 19 while I was laying 19.5...damn that hook.  Now that college football is wrapping up its' season, finding picks to give you will be much tougher, since the lines for basketball games come out the day of the game, but we'll do the best we can.  The Thursday night NFL gimmick game is Houston at Philadelphia, with the Eagles laying 9.5 points.  As bad as the Texans have played lately, I think their defense keeps them in this game so I will take the points.  Also on Thursday, the University of Arizona hosts their rival, Arizona State.  Arizona held their own against Oregon...for one half.  I expect this to be a close game and Arizona's second half swoon to continue, so give me the 6 points...but I will hope to get 7 before game time hits.  Finally, in college basketball the ACC-Big Ten Challenge is this week, and the marquee game is Michigan State at Duke.  Both are top teams, but Duke is playing much better at the moment than Michigan State.  MSU is always better at the end of the year than they are early in the season, plus the game is at Cameron.  Duke will be a deserved favorite, but if you have to lay more than 6, don't do it.  Good luck and remember, don't bet more than you can afford to lose. 

Guilty Pleasures

Thanksgiving is nearly upon us and once again time for all of us in the United States to stuff our faces.  Grab some extra turkey, pour on a bit more gravy and go back for that extra piece of pumpkin pie.  But that isn't the guilty pleasure I am excited about.  Today I am nearly giddy over watching Ben Roethlisberger get punched by Richard Seymour.  Was it wrong? Yes.  Would I ever do something like that?  Probably not.  Was it great to see someone else do it?  Definitely.  There are a few people in the sports world that, quite simply put, are slimy.  The type of guy that if you shook their hand you might feel the need to wash it immediately.  Barry Switzer, Urban Meyer and John Calipari come to mind.  One more of those guys is Roethlisberger.  He just reeks of being the arrogant bully everyone had to tolerate while in school.  The guy that was always bigger than everyone else so tended to get his way all the time.  Roethlisbergers behavior as an adult seems to be the same, allegedly.  But after incidents in both Nevada and Georgia, the NFL finally did something, implementing a 6 game suspension that was then reduced to 4 games for good behavior.  The most interesting aspect of the punishment and attitude of Roethlisberger since then is the easy compliance and lack of any real denial.  The most valuable position in sports, as it relates to marketing, is a NFL quarterback.  Being the quarterback of a popular franchise like the Steelers should make Roethlisberger one of the most valued commodities in the sports marketing world.  By basically accepting everything that has been said and not putting up a fight, Roethlisberger is forfeiting millions of dollars and more or less acknowledging some form of guilt.  Unfortunately, nobody other than him and the women involved will truly know what happened.  But for one day I feel that a small measure of justice took place.  As misplaced as the punch was, it felt great to watch it happen.

Money money money.  After a 3-0 weekend I have gotten over the .500 mark, now standing at 8-7-1.  Since we are on a roll, time to do what everyone wants to do at Thanksgiving and sit at the big boy table.  Normally I give you two picks today and three on Friday, but with the holiday, I am giving myself Friday off.  That being said, you will get 5 picks today so you can make plenty of money Thursday and Friday while enjoying all the football action.  First up, the traditional games on Thursday as the Patriots visit Detroit and the Saints travel to Dallas.  The third game that day is a ridiculous marketing gimmick from the NFL so I am ignoring it.   New England goes into Detroit as a 6.5 point favorite and coming off of back to back emotional games against Pittsburgh and Indianapolis.  The Lions are a much better home team and even with a back up quarterback are starting to resemble a real franchise.  In a bit of a letdown for New England, they will win a close one so give me the points.  In Dallas, things have turned since the coaching change and the Cowboys are playing much better.  The problem is, the Saints are on fire lately and come in with revenge on their mind as the Cowboys gave New Orleans their first loss last year.  The Saints are laying three points and that is where my money will go as I expect a bit of a reality check for the Cowboys.  Friday is a great day of college football, with three of the top four teams playing in big games.  First up will be the Iron Bowl with Auburn going to Alabama.  Auburn is coming off a bye but so is Alabama basically, as they played last Thursday night against Georgia State.  Auburn is heading to the SEC title game next week while Alabama is playing for nothing more than knocking the Tigers out of the BCS title game.  I am expecting a few points to go up on the board in this game but Bama to get a few more stops than Auburn.  I will lay the 4 points with Alabama.  Next up that day is Arizona at Oregon, where the Ducks are a 19.5 point favorite.  Arizona is coming off of back to back losses while Oregon struggled to win at Cal.  Both teams had byes last week which I think will benefit the Ducks more.  Their style of offense wears down other teams, but I have to believe the rest did their own legs some good.  Eugene is a tough place to play and I expect the Ducks to send the nation a message so I am laying the points.  Finally that night, Boise State travels to the great state of Nevada to battle the Wolfpack of Nevada-Reno.  Boise has won 10 straight in this series by an average of 34 points per game.  But this Nevada team is much better than most of those other teams and last year only lost in Boise by 11 after falling behind 27 to 3 late in the second quarter.  The home team is getting 14.5 which I will be taking.  Boise should win, but that is all they will care about so play the Wolfpack and enjoy cashing all your winners.  Have a great Thanksgiving holiday and don't forget, never bet what you cant afford to lose.   

How many faces does your favorite team have?

What do Willie Mays, Joe Namath and Johnny Unitas all have in common?  Besides all being hall of fame players in their sports, they each finished their careers with teams nobody associates them with and most people probably don't even realize they played with.  For Mays it was back to New York with the Mets, Namath went to L.A. to play for the Rams and Unitas played for the San Diego Chargers.  Why am I bringing this up???  Cause I'm tired of hearing about Derek Jeter and how he has to come back to the Yankees.  The argument goes that he is the face of the franchise.  Well, that may be the case for this current generation of thirty somethings, but I know quite a few people that would argue Mickey Mantle was and is the face of the Yankees.  I would also bet that if their is anyone old enough to remember seeing them play a case would be made for Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig and Joe DiMaggio, and for me personally, when I think of the Yankees, I think of Yogi Berra.  If there was ever a sports franchise that isn't tied to one player or one moment in time, it is the New York Yankees.  Now, should they decide to bring him back...great.  If not, I don't need to hear how the universe is unraveling at its' seams cause Jeter will be in another teams jersey.  The Yankees will continue to be a top tier team with or without #2 and before long they will have another "face of the franchise."  Perhaps that player will help pull the curtain on Jeter's plaque in Monument Park, cause either way, he's getting there.

Two more mid week picks, and we did a bit better than most mid weeks going 1-1.  How about those fighting Zips staying close and almost pulling out the win??  Looks like they have a good coach in Akron as he isn't letting his team quit during the midst of a winless season.  As for the Falcons...blah.  What an uninspired performance against your top rival.  This was set up to be a rebuilding year in Bowling Green, but that was tough to watch.  We head into the weekend with a cumulative record of 5-7-1, but the weekend was made for more than just Michelob...it was made for cashing tickets.  Last week the well went dry on me with Michigan games going over, but I think I found a new well and it is spelled H-O-K-I-E-S.  Virginia Tech is playing some great football, but this is nothing new for them at the end of seasons.  Even on the road, they have won 11 of their last 12 November games.  This week they are at the U and taking on the Hurricanes.  Miami will be playing the freshmen quarterback again this week and I fully expect the Tech defense to be too much for him.  Currently Virginia Tech is a two point favorite, so lay the points but don't go higher than three.  Next up is a trip to the Big House as Wisconsin battles Michigan.  I don't see how Michigan can stop the Badgers from scoring at will.  Wisconsin still has alot to play for while the Wolverines became bowl eligible last weekend.  I think -4 is a bargain as Wisconsin drives toward a berth in the Rose Bowl.  Finally for this lackluster weekend let's head down to the Bayou where Mississippi (spell check optional in Tuscaloosa) plays LSU.  With Auburn clinching the SEC West last week, not much to play for if you are a Tiger.  This game will also be played in the afternoon, so not as big of an advantage as a night game in Baton Rouge.  The Rebels are getting 16.5 which I will take, but I will also be shopping around or waiting to get 17 if possible.  Good luck and remember, never bet what you can't afford to lose.

Yaaawwwwwn

I know, this is a football driven sports universe and the NFL is our "GOD".  But this was a really boring week of football games.  There were quite a few close games in the NFL, but nothing that was overly exciting.  I mean, really, the Texans and Jaguars is the most exciting game???  The Browns-Jets game was competitive, but hardly must see t.v., unless you are thinking of applying to be the next Jets place kicker.  Plus, if not for the complete breakdown on how to tackle in the open field, the game would have probably ended in a tie.  At least the Vikings lost...again.  Maybe now EsPN can stop with the constant updates from Eden Prairie, Minnesota.  I feel sick even knowing the name of the city where the Vikings practice.  Of course I'm sure it won't be long till there is a ticker at the bottom of the screen for Favre watch 2011.  Anyway, looking at college, a few close scores, but I doubt more than a handful of people east of the Mississippi (yes, that is how you spell it University of Alabama, http://www.wreg.com/news/wreg-alabama-tickets-spelling,0,6471064.story) even stayed up to watch the Oregon-Cal game.  And raise your hand if you took the time to find the VS network on your dial to take in the TCU-San Diego State contest.  This past week and the week coming up are examples to me of why you can make a playoff in college work, shorten the regular season.  I realize money is driving the bus, but wasn't there a time when college football teams only played 10 games??  Now we are up to 12, unless you play at Hawaii, in which case they allow you to schedule a 13th game.  Then there is your bowl game and if you are a senior, all star showcases for NFL scouts.  But of course education is the primary function of these universities and the NCAA ;)  I will leave it at that for now, but trust me, I have much more to say on this matter of playoffs and bowl games, but we'll get to that down the road. 

Backtracking for a second, how the hell does that ticket mistake happen???  Seriously...how???  I have worked in sports ticket offices before, including one for a major university, and this is ridiculous.  We had a minimum of ten different people proof read the master copy of tickets before sending them off to the printer.  Apparently the bonus money for winning the BCS title game isn't enough to keep all the athletic offices staffed with competent people.  I guess the NCAA and BCS conferences better go to the networks for some more money. 

Now on to making some money for us common folk.  The weekend games were a push as I went 2-2.  A very ugly game in West Lafayette between Michigan and Purdue kept that from going over and what was I thinking laying points with a bad Louisville team, even at home.  NO MORE BONUS PICKS!!!  Just kidding, if there is ever a game you really want my opinion on, let me know.  A couple of easy wins with Virginia Tech and Oklahoma State, so now I am 4-6-1 for the life of this blog.  But this week we turn the tide toward profit as there will be no mid week NBA selections.  It's a MAC football bonanza this week and the sports books better fire up their printers cause they will need some more money.  First up is Miami(OH) at Akron.  To be honest, I don't have any real info to back up this pick, but my gut is screaming at me to take the points with Akron.  Currently getting 10.5, Akron is coming off a game that was their closest to a win all season.  But what stands out more than that to me is this is Miami's third straight road game, and their last win made them bowl eligible.  This looks like a great spot for a letdown from the Redhawks.  That game is on Wednesday night, the same night the biggest game in Ohio takes place, Bowling Green at Toledo.  The Rockets just got hammered at Northern Illinois while the Falcons lost at home on the last play of the game to Miami.  The oddsmakers have Toledo as a 10 point favorite, which feels like too many to me in this rivalry game.  BG has beaten Toledo three straight times and this season are 4-2 ATS on the road while Toledo is 1-3 ATS at home.  I will gladly take the points.  Good luck and remember, never bet what you can't afford to lose. 

I Smell A Rat...Or Two

First and foremost, a belated thank you to all our veterans!!!!  Yesterday was Veterans Day and like all Americans, I would like to extend my appreciation to all former and current members of the military for protecting our freedom and from dangers we don't even realize exist.  THANK YOU!!!

Now on to some sports talk. The biggest news in the sports world, by far, is the Cam Newton situation at Auburn University.  As a brief review, several individuals with ties to the Mississippi State football program have accused Cam's father of looking for money to get his son to commit to their school.  There was also a "leak" from the University of Florida, where Cam originally attended before transferring to a junior college, that he cheated in three classes and was on the verge of getting expelled.  Obviously, I have no idea what is true regarding this situation, but it isn't looking good for Cam.  But one thing i definitely notice is a common thread among the coaches.  The head coach at MSU, Dan Mullen, was the offensive coordinator at Florida while Cam was there.  It seems that being an assistant for Urban Meyer teaches you more than just being a good coach.  Could it be just coincidence that these stories are getting out to the media at the same time???  The cynic in me says no chance.  This information seems to be coming out at the perfect time to distract Cam and his teammates as they push forward to win the SEC West and then play in the SEC title game against...most likely Florida.  Auburn losing and looking bad will greatly benefit MSU in recruiting and winning a SEC title obviously looks good for Florida, especially in what is considered a down year for them.  In a world of millions of dollars for universities, football programs and football coaches, I put nothing past anyone involved in this story. 

Apparently, mid week picks are not my forte.  Miami(OH) beat Bowling Green by three, which was good for me as I had them minus 2.5, but some of you may not have gotten as good of a number.  Given that, I will call that game a push for me, especially since I was even willing to lay as many as four.  As for the Spurs, they did once again beat down the Clippers, but by only 12.  I was expecting the line to be about 10 but it was actually at 14, so no good for me.  That teaches me to be a little bit more specific when giving out future picks.  All that said, the 0-1-1 mid week leaves me at 2-4-1 since I began this blog.  But the weekend is here and if last weekend tells us anything, this is where we can make a little coin.  First up is a visit to the well.  I am hoping it isn't dry yet as Michigan takes on Purdue this week, with an over/under number at 61.5.  The last three years these teams have played the scores have been, 48-21, 48-42 and 38-36, for an average of just under 78 points.  The injuries on Purdue's offense scares me a bit, but I have faith in the failings of Michigan's defense...give me the OVER.  Next up is Virgina Tech travelling to Chapel Hill to play North Carolina.  The Hokies are currently favored by 3.5.  The visitor in this series has won 4 of 6 and Tech is 19-2 in conference games played in November.  Since the letdown against James Madison, Virginia Tech has not lost and is looking like the preseason top 10 team we all thought they were.  North Carolina has done itself proud playing through all the distractions and suspensions, but now they have lost Johnny White, starting RB, for the season.  Against a great team it will be a bit too much this week.  I am laying the 3.5 and taking the Hokies, but shop around on the number...I was able to get it at minus 3.  My third pick of the week is Oklahoma State at Texas, where the Cowboys are favored by 5.  I may be getting suckered here, but OSU should win this game by double digits, easily.  Texas just isn't very good this year and everyone just keeps waiting on them to be the same team they have been the last decade.  Well, they were for one week, against Nebraska, but now it's just all downhill for the Longhorns.  Give me the Cowboys minus the 5.  Normally I will give you three games for every weekend, but this week you get a bonus game.  In response to a loyal reader, I took a closer look at the South Florida at Louisville game.  In this series, the visitor is 0-7.  Louisville is coming back home after back to back road games, which they split,  and South Florida is coming off a very unimpressive win against Rutgers.  I tried to trust Coach Holtz and the QB BJ Daniels I saw light up Cincinnati, but I can't stay on that bandwagon.  I'll take the Cardinals minus 2.5.  Good luck and don't forget, never bet what you can't afford to lose.

M I C...K E Y....M O U S E

I don't want to ever take up much time here looking back, but please tell me you took my advice and watched Zenyatta run in the Breeders' Cup Classic.  What a show!!  As predicted by many more people other than myself, Zenyatta fell to the back and charged hard at the end, but this race she came up just a nose short.  The horse that won, Blame, is a great champion in his own right and showed that on Saturday.  No matter what you were hoping to see, one thing you got without question was a great race between two amazing horses. 

One other thing I don't want this blog to become is a review and critique of sports media, but sometimes something needs to be said.  The baseball analysts employed by the Mickey Mouse of sports coverage are, to put it bluntly, awful.  John Kruk may be the best, but his Phillies bias gets quite annoying.  I can't understand half of the things Eduardo Perez says and Chris Singleton has never offered any insight worth listening too.  But last week I heard a comment that literally left me scratching my head.  I must first apologize because I only heard it and was not looking at the television when it was stated so I don't know who said it, but in reality it doesn't matter.  Most everything from the Mouse is scripted and planned, so the voice doesn't make a difference, the message is always the same.  But one "expert", when discussing the impending Cliff Lee free agency stated that, "while the Yankees are the front runner, it would be a great story if he stayed with the Rangers."  My response is quite simply...WHAT THE @!#%????  Really???   A team that outbid the Yankees on the trade market to rent a player for the stretch run keeping said player makes a great story???  Why??  What history does Lee have with the Rangers that him staying there makes it so great???  He was barely there long enough for a cup of coffee.  Does that mean going back to the Mariners, Phillies or even the Indians would be a great story??  Lee is a baseball player that is about to get his biggest contract ever and guarantee himself and his family a future that won't require worrying about money.  It doesn't matter who he signs with, it isn't a great story, it's just a story.  I really don't understand how these people get on television and have nothing constructive to say.  But as I once heard and agree 100% with, when the E became more important than the S, the Mickey Mouse of sports coverage was never the same and simply gets worse day after day.  The name should be changed to EsPN. 

Now that I got that off my chest, let's take a look at the weekend picks.  After a rough start with the WMU pick, fumbling inside the 5 as they were going in for the winning score, I bounced back with two wins on Saturday.  The 2-1 weekend brings me to 2-3 since this blog was started, but more importantly, has me on a 2 game win streak.  For this weeks mid week action, not much is popping out to me.  My eyes were drawn to the Miami(OH) at Bowling Green game however, since these are two schools I am familiar with.  The Falcons are a 4 point dog at home, which normally I love to take, but in this case I simply can't do it.  I have to lay the points with Redhawks.  While comparing common opponents doesn't always mean much, Miami has a clear edge.  They also seem to be improving as the year rolls along while the Falcons still can't find themselves.  The history between these teams also points to the Redhawks, so lay the points and hope that the Cradle of Coaches can pull it out.  The second game is in the NBA.  The Spurs own...and I mean own...the Clippers.  The Wednesday night game is in San Antonio and the Clippers will be on the road for a second straight night as they play in New Orleans on Tuesday.  This could be a big spread, but I'll be laying the points.  Good luck and never bet what you can't afford to lose.

The King is back!

No, I am not talking about LeBron.  I am talking about the sport of Kings, horse racing, and in a weekend lacking great football games, the spotlight is brightest in Louisville, Kentucky.  This weekend is the Breeders Cup from Churchill Downs and the sports world is highly anticipating the Classic featuring Zenyatta.  For those who don't know, Zenyatta is looking to defend her title and finish her career at 20-0.  If you have not seen her race before do not miss this last opportunity.  She is an amazing horse that simply refuses to lose.  No matter how far back she is, do not give up on watching, Zenyatta will turn on the jets and make it an exciting finish.  There is no way I would guarantee she pulls out the win, and I certainly wouldn't recommend betting on her as the return won't be all that great, but this is must see television.  It feels strange to be writing this but the times I have seen Zenyatta race there is clearly a look in her eyes...dare I say the Eye of the Tiger??  Horse racing will never be what it once was but for one weekend...for one race...do yourself a favor and tune in to see what happens. 

Looking back at my mid week picks, all I can say is...oops.  I am off to a 0-2 start, but all that tells me is there is no where to go but up.  There is so much to pick from on a weekend this time of year that finding a few top picks can be tough, but here we go.  First up is some exciting MAC football on a Friday night.  Western Michigan travels to Central Michigan in a rivalry game with both teams seemingly going in different directions.  Records are very similar but WMU is playing at a much higher level.  They are getting points but I don't think they are needed.  Play the Broncos on the money line and enjoy that better than even money return.  Two items that stand out to me on Saturday come from BCS conferences.  First up is the Illinois at Michigan game.  The total is 57 and I am definitely going over the total.  Michigan's defense can't stop anybody, but not too many teams can even slow down the Wolverines attack.  Weather looks to be cold but clear, so no sloppy conditions.  Also on Saturday Colorado travels to Lawrence to take on the Kansas Jayhawks.  Both of these teams are awful and would have trouble staying .500 in any conference outside the Sun Belt this year.  Even with as bad as both teams are, one team is getting 9 points...and it's the home team.  I could be way off here, but when bad teams match up, I'll take the points, especially at home.  Enjoy the weekend of sports and remember, never bet what you can't afford to lose.

Let's get this started

We are in the middle of football season, middle of the World Series, basketball and hockey seasons have begun and college basketball begins later this week, yet this feels like a slow Monday.  The college football games went pretty much as expected this past weekend and the NFL produced very little drama.  The Giants look to be the much better team at this moment, making the World Series anti-climatic and the basketball and hockey seasons are so long it's hard to get too worked up over anything going on there.  So what is there for me to rant about today???  How about the idea of MLB to expand the playoffs while not shortening the season???  Brilliant!!  Let's take a sport, one which I love by the way, and make an already too long season even longer.  Somebody within the league office should be able to make these owners realize that sometimes less is more.  Yes, maybe in the short term you will lose a bit of money by cutting back on a few home games, but if it increases the overall interest in your game, the money will be there in the long term.  Please...please...just one time...I would love to see baseball make a decision based on what is good for the game and not what is good for business.  I know this is asking alot but one can always hope. 

Ok, on to some fun stuff.  My goal will be to write on this blog twice a week, Mondays and Fridays.  One thing I will always leave you with will be a pick or several on upcoming games.  After taking a look at the Wednesday night college football game,  I will be laying the points with South Florida.  This is a team that used to get worse as the season would go along, but now with Skip Holtz, look for them to get better each week.  They are coming off a huge road win at Cincinnati but have had plenty of time off to get the euphoria out of their system.  Rutgers is struggling on the field and is not the same team that has owned South Floida in recent years.  Weather could also be a factor and will have a much greater impact on the Scarlet Knights.  One other game to consider will be in the NBA on Tuesday night.  The Bucks will be getting the Blazers on the second night of a back to back and my hunch is that the Blazers focus will be much greater for the Bulls than for the Bucks.  Good luck and never bet what you can't afford to lose!!