BoSox Tavern Weekly NFL "Pick 'EM" Challenge (Week 3)

CONGRATULATIONS to George—(hey, that’s me! (Yea!))—for being our BoSox Tavern NFL “Pick ‘Em” Week 3 Champion, with 8 wins.  This win come as a result of a tie with Zeb who also scored 8 wins, but George’s total score (33) comes closest to the final totals score (26) than Zeb’s guess of 43 pts.  So, the golden ring goes to me, but Zeb still leads the pack with a total of 28 overall picks.  It was close this week—no one ran away with it, but in the end, the Georgie wins on a last second Hail Mary.  (The “Hail Mary” in your face: the replay official is with thee.  Blessed art thou in the no-huddle offense, and blessed is the 1st down marker!) 

So back to the Skins, with Week 3 in the books, it’s become painfully clear that RGIII is not the Messiah on Capitol Hill.  We Redskins fans have to remember there are nine other guys on the offence, but it takes a defensive village to raise the flag of victory (sorry, Hillary)!  So, I guess I’ll just have to sit back, calm down, and watch the Skins mature…(for another 20 years).  In the meantime, there’s always the NATIONALS.  Magic Number:  5!  J

So, this week’s results are: 

THIS WEEK’S RESULTS:                                                                       SCORES:

- George:           8 wins                                                             Seahawks: 13      Packers:  12
- Zeb:                  8 wins                                                             Cardinals: 27      Eagles: 6
- Aaron:             7 wins                                                             Falcons: 27           Chargers: 3
- Shelly:             7 wins                                                             Texans: 31            Broncos: 25
- Rick:                6 wins                                                             Bengals: 38           Redskins: 31
- Jim:                   6 wins                                                             Raiders: 34           Steelers: 31
- Brent:              6 wins                                                             Bears: 23               Rams: 6
- Robbie:           5 wins                                                             Bills: 24                  Browns: 14 
                                                                                                         Cowboys: 16         Bucs: 10
                         STANDINGS:                                                   Titans: 44               Lions: 41
   Weekly Wins                 Points                                         Jaguars: 22            Colts: 17
- Zeb:                  1            Zeb:             28                                Jets: 23                    Dolphins: 20
- Shelly:             1            Shelly:         26                                Vikings: 24            49ers: 13
- George:           1            Brent:          25                               Chiefs: 27               Saints: 24
- Robbie:           0            AA:               24                                Ravens: 31             Patriots: 30
- Aaron:             0            Rick:            24                                       
- Jim:                   0            Robbie:      23                                                      
- Rick:                 0            Jim:              23
- Brent:              0            George:       22

Time to get your picks in for next week (Week 4):

CLE/BAL          WAS/TB           CAR/ATL          NE/BUF            MIN/DET         SD/KC
SEA/STL           SF/NYJ              TEN/HOU        OAK/DEN        MIA/ARI           CIN/JAX
NO/GB               NYG/PHI          CHI/DAL (Monday)  

BYE:  INDIANAPOLIS, PITTSBURGH

FINALLY I Get to See a Brewers Win

I've been attending Brewers games across the country ever since I joined the Marine Corps back in 1980. (I still haven't seen them in NEW Miller Park -- which is going on 10 years now, and they always seem to be on the road when I'm home.) I've seen them play in Oakland and Anaheim, been to a lot in Baltimore; but since they joined the National League, I've only seen them in Washington, DC. Sad fact of the matter is, I haven't seen them win since Cecil Cooper hit a home run in extra innings in old Memorial Park probably back in 1986? I've seen them get sweep in Oakland when I was there in 1981/2. My buddy, Jeff Raatz, lived and worked for the Angels when I was at Camp Pendleton and Twentynine Palms between 1986-1988, 1989 through 1999, and I'd try to either go to games with him, and then later on with him and my son, Eddie. Heck, he even informed me of what hotel the Brewers were going to be staying at over Robin Yount's last West Coast swing so I could try to get Eddie to meet Robin; but Eddie was a little shaver then and had to get to bed. I left Eddie in the room and hung out in the lobby until I met Robin. Want to talk about an honest to God, down-to-earth guy? We talked for about 30 minutes about our Dads!!! But I digress, the Brewers lost both games that weekend.

When the Expos moved to DC in 2005, my cousin, John Samuels, got me to once again start attending Brewers games against the Nationals. Now, I believe I saw Alfonso Soriano steal his 40th base -- in a Brewer's loss. I remember some long forgotten Nationals' banjo hitting second baseman hitting a frozen rop of a home run in extra innings in another loss. On the same day my mom went into her unsuccessful heart valve surgery, ("No, don't come home, I'll see you next month,") I watched Randy Wolf in his first year with the Brewers pitch as if home plate was high and outside. Yeah, he was supposed to be a control pitcher who'd pound the strike zone. Last year, the Friday night game got rained out and the Nats offered a traditional double-header. The Brewers couldn't lose both games; could they? Well, Livan Hernandez won the first game throwing his junk and pitches slower than the national speed limit, and Yovanni Gallardo was ineffective in the second game.

This year, things had to change. John and I attended Saturday's game but the match-up wasn't good. Wily Peralta was going against Gio Gonzales, who was going for his 20th win of the season. To top it off, Dierkes Bentley was giving an after the game concert. With those two factors, and the Nats in first place in the NL East, of course it was sold out. Tried as we might, we could only get tickets on the first base side in the right-field corner. Wily didn't last through the third inning, Livan Hernandez threw batting practice to the Nats in the fourth, and the Brewers lost 10-4 -- it wasn't even that close of a game.

However, hope springs eternal in the baseball mind. Giovanni Gallardo was pitching for the Brewers on Sunday against, what I hoped to be a throw away pitcher by the Nats, Chien-Ming Wang. The Brewers had won 10 in a row when Gallardo started, 8 straight victories for Gallardo. This had to be the perfect Brewer game; right?

First off, I had to attend because the Packers are playing on Monday night, Redskins were playing on Sunday in their home opener. DC's a football town AND they just sold out the day before. I listened to the sport talk radio network and all they talked about was the Redskins -- shit, their team's in first place in the NL East!  I figured all the Redskins fans would either be at the game or at home watching. I put the over/under at 18k but was wrong. I never heard the actual attendance of the game, but I guessed at over 30k. So when I got to the park, I got John and I tickets right away behind the third base dug out, seven rows up. If you're ever in DC and want an iconic DC flavor, you have to have Ben's Chili Dogs and Chili Cheese Fries. It's like going to Chevez Ravine and getting Dodger Dogs. Zeb came down to a hockey game, Caps and Lightning, a couple of years ago, and I took him to Ben's. It's that good.

Well, the game was kind of anti-climatic. Gallardo went five innings but got the no decision. The sun ended up being more of a factor in the game due to balls dropping in the outfield. I didn't understand Brewers's manager Ron Roenicke's decision to platoon a bunch of pitchers and then go with a sloppy arm in the ninth before settling on John Axford for the final out. But the Brewer's won, and now I got to remember what I wore to that game so I can wear it to the next to see if that's the factor.

As a final zinger to this piece, John has invited me to next weekend's game of the Orioles vs. Red Sox at Camden Yards, where they're going to be handing out Brooks Robinson statuettes to all attendees. It seems he has an extra ticket to the game that he bought months ago for $13.  Now, was it the Brewer jersey with the ManU/Barcelona t-shirt and khaki shorts or the Brewer jersey with USMC t-shirt and grey shorts? Oh, and I'm definitely going over to Boog's Pulled Pork. Sounds like another post.

10 College Football Predictions - Week 4

Holy Smokes.  This year, I am picking horribly.  How can you look at USC and say that they will lose to Stanford without Andrew Luck?  How can you pick Pittsburgh over Virginia Tech when Pitt has looked like a horrible High School team?  I am continuing with the picks, but right now it might behoove you to go against the picks.  That way, you might get a .500 week.

Shelly Wins Week 2

CONGRATULATIONS to Shelly for being our BoSox Tavern NFL “Pick ‘Em” Week 2 Champion, with 10 wins, falling one short of Zeb’s Week 1.  Good Job, Shelly!  Hoooah!

With Week 2 in the books, here’s my opportunity to say:  “Welcome to the (real) NFL, Mr. RGIII!” (which does not mean “Rex Grossman, 3^rd String).  My Skins absolutely, truly stunk up the joint in St. Louis.  Last week, I launched a mini-rant over how undisciplined the team appeared in their apparent “romp” over the Saints.  But this week was a different story.  Notwithstanding the very questionable (read: terrible) officiating, I can’t blame the game on the zebras.  I place the loss squarely on the shoulders of No. 15, Joshua Morgan who caught a short pass from RGIII that was just short of a first down, but likely enough for a 45-yard field goal to tie the game with about a minute left.  But Mr. Morgan got roughed up by the Rams safety and he took offense and threw the ball at him, causing a 15-yard unsportsmanlike penalty, putting Cundiff outside of his range for a 62-yard FG.  Thank you, Mr. Morgan for your self-discipline.  Perhaps it’s me—I’m getting old and a lot more conservative, but I honestly believe professional athletes are acting less and less “professional” these days!  The entire game was plagued with fights and in-your-face beefs in this “Hey—cameraman, it’s all about me!” Narcissists Flamboyancy League (NFL).  I am amazed that people who are earning as much money as these guys are have no ability to control their emotions, or have the awareness of their surroundings to not fuck it up for everyone else as they pursue their selfish vanity.

Anyway, back to the “Pick ‘Em” league (I shouldn’t steal Shelly’s spotlight)…

THIS WEEK’S RESULTS:                                                        SCORES:

- Shelly:             10 wins                                            Packers: 23          Bears: 10
- Brent:              9 wins                                              Dolphins: 35        Raiders: 13
- Zeb:                  9 wins                                              Texans: 27            Jaguars: 7
- Robbie:           9 wins                                              Bills: 35                  Chiefs: 17
- Aaron:             8 wins                                              Bengals: 34           Browns: 27
- Jim:                   8 wins                                              Colts: 23                Vikings: 20
- Rick:                 8 wins                                              Eagles: 24             Ravens: 23
- George:           6 wins                                               Panthers: 35        Saints: 27
                                                                                        Cardinals: 20       Patriots: 18
                                                                                        Giants: 41             Buccaneers: 34
                                                                                        Rams: 31               Redskins: 28
                                                                                        Seahawks: 27       Cowboys: 7
                                                                                        Chargers: 38         Titans: 10
                                                                                        Steelers: 27           Jets: 10
                                                                                        49ers: 27               Lions: 19
                                                                                        Falcons: 27           Broncos: 21

Time to get your picks in for next week (Week 3):

NYG/CAR         SF/MIN             DET/TEN         CIN/WAS         TB/DAL            STL/CHI

BUF/CLE          NYJ/MIA           KC/NO               JAX/IND            ATL/SD             PHI/ARZ
HOU/DEN        PIT/OAK          NE/BAL            GB/SEA (Monday)

10 College Football Predictions - Week 3

So far this year, the picking gods have not been with me.  From Mississippi state winning their 1st SEC Opener in over a decade to Iowa looking like they are back in the 1940's and can't find any offense, the first couple of weeks have been tough.  It is time to turn it around and get on the right side of .500 for the season.

The Red Sox are Champions!

The Pawtucket Red Sox anyway.

The the 2012 winners of the Governor's Cup, awarded to the International League champs each year.

BoSox Tavern NFL pick 'em week 1

 

So, Week 1 is in the books and the NFL rookies fared very well (at least the top rookie in Washington did!) The Zebster wins bragging rights outright for the week.  Shelly led the pack from the giddy-up, but faded on Monday night (don't worry, you'll get 'em next time!)

THE RESULTS WERE:                                          SCORES:

- Zeb:              11 wins                                   Cowboys 24    Giants 17

- Brent:           10 wins                                   Redskins 40    Saints 32

- Rick:             10 wins                                   Chicago 41      Colts 21

- AA:               9 wins                                     Eagles 17        Browns 16

- Robbie:         9 wins                                     Lions 27          Rams 23

- Shelly:           9 wins                                     Patriots 34      Titans 13

- Jim:               9 wins                                     Falcons 40      Chiefs 24

- George:         8 wins                                     Vikings 26      Jaguars 23

                                                                        Jets 48             Bills 28
                                                                        Texans 30       Dolphins 10

                                                                        49ers 30          Packers 22

                                                                        Cardinals 20   Seahawks 16

                                                                        Bucs 16           Panthers 10

                                                                        Broncos 31      Steelers 19

                                                                        Ravens 33       Bengals 13

                                                                        Chargers 22    Raiders 14

Time to get your picks in for next week:

 

CHI / GB                     DEN / ATL                 TEN / SD                    DAL / SEA
WAS / STL                 DET / SF                     NYJ / PIT                    HOU / PIT
KC / BUF                    CLE / CIN                   MIN / IND                  OAK / MIA
ARI / NE                     TB / NYG                   BAL / PHI                   NO / CAR

Commitment To Stupid Mistakes

Different year, same ol’ Raiders.

Mistakes in all aspects of the game cost them a game they could have won. Sure, some people might make the excuse that without starting wide receivers Denarius Moore and Jacoby Ford in the lineup the Raiders were doomed before kickoff, but I know different. It wouldn’t have mattered with the comedy of errors that occurred starting with the opening kickoff.

Here’s why the Raiders lost a winnable game, in no particular order:

• TAIWAN JONES: He started the game by fumbling the opening kickoff, and then botched a double reverse and turned it into a twenty-five yard loss. With the exception of him taking a knee in the end zone every time Nate Kaeding kicked off for the Chargers, Jones never played the rest of the game – and deservedly so. If he can’t be mentally prepared to play in the NFL, he should take his world class speed and run track. Then again, he’d get penalized for dropping the baton in the 4x400 relay. Forget I said that.
• TOMMY KELLY: He played a decent game overall but his two boneheaded offsides calls on one drive allowed the Chargers to score the game’s only touchdown. These calls were momentum killers, and the Raiders for all intents and purposes never recovered.
• GREG KNAPP: I have to put some of the blame on the new offensive coordinator. With targets like Marcel Reece barely getting any touches, Knapp should have called more plays to stretch the field and create more opportunities for other players. By the time the likes of Brandon Myers and Rod Streeter had a chance to get on the stats sheet, it was already too late. The Chargers made adjustments and keyed on Darren McFadden while teeing off on Carson Palmer in the backfield.
• TRAVIS GOETHEL: I have never, ever seen such poor play at one position in my life. Considering I’ve watched JaMarcus Russell miss a five-yard slant pass to Darren McFadden AND Ryan Leaf go 1-for-15 in a game that’s saying a lot. In four plays after long snapper Jon Condo left the game with a concussion, Goethel skidded two snaps along the infield dirt and the other two arrived in Shane Lechler’s hands so late that one of his punts was blocked. If the Raiders pick Condo as their MVP this season, I’m all for it. Without him in the lineup the Raiders don’t have a kicking game.

Even though the Raiders lost the game, there were a few things I liked:

• CARSON PALMER: Even though the offense was limited by Knapp’s play calling, he threw for 297 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions. You couldn’t ask him to play a better game.
• DARREN McFADDEN: The Chargers defense stopped the running game but they couldn’t stop him on those short passes he turned into first downs.
• MILES BURRIS: The former SDSU Aztec starred at linebacker in his first NFL game and led the Raiders with eight tackles, some of them for losses. He made me forget about the losses of Kamerion Wimbley and Quentin Groves during the offseason very quickly.
• RICHARD SEYMOUR: Big Rich had a great game, disrupting the Chargers offense every chance he got. If he knee was hurting him, I didn’t notice.
• THE RAIDERS DEFENSE: They held the Chargers to 32 yards rushing and one touchdown, despite the Chargers getting the ball deep in Raiders territory on multiple occasions. Unlike previous seasons, they didn’t quit when they got hopelessly behind. But it’s only Week 1, so we’ll see what happens after a few more weeks.

Top 10 College Football Predictions - Week 2

Last week, I underestimated some favorites and over estimated some underdogs.  It looks like another long year in Boulder for Colorado football.  I overestimated Mike Leach and the amount of work he has to do at Washington State.  And I still don't believe that South Carolina is a credible threat in the SEC.

1.  Auburn (+3) at Mississippi State - The Tigers should be able to beat the Bulldogs by double digits.  I don't understand this line.
          Auburn 31, Mississippi State 21
          Actual Score:  Mississippi State 28, Auburn 10.   LOSS

2.  East Carolina (+21.5) at South Carolina - Lattimore is back from his injury last year but QB Shaw for South Carolina has questions surrounding his arm and whether or not it is injured.
          South Carolina 35, East Carolina 20
          Actual Score:  South Carolina 48, East Carolina 10 .  LOSS

3.  Iowa State at Iowa (-5) - This pick is one of those that could go either way.  The history says that Iowa will win this one since it is in Iowa City.  However, the Hawkeyes did not look very good against Northern Illinois last week.
          Iowa 27, Iowa State 21
          Actual Score:  Iowa State 9, Iowa 6.   LOSS

4.  Florida (+1.5) at Texas A&M - There is lots of big talk coming from the Aggies camp about how well they are going to do their 1st year in the SEC.  Well, they start out with one of the heavyweights and the Gators aren't in a good mood.
         Florida 31, Texas A&M 28
         Actual Score: Florida 20, Texas A&M 17.  WIN

5.  South Florida at Nevada (-1) - The Wolfpack are looking good and having South Florida come across the nation for the game won't hurt either.
         Nevada 37, South Florida 28
         Actual Score:  South Florida 32, Nevada 31.   LOSS

6.  Wisconsin (-8) at Oregon State - Wisconsin is hoping to be in the National Title race, so they need to prove that they can control games against inferior opponents.  This is the 1st test.
          Wisconsin 45, Oregon State 27
          Actual Score:  Oregon State 10, Wisconsin 7.   LOSS

7.  New Mexico State at Ohio (-21) - The Bobcats can be undefeated this year.  The team is laden with Juniors and Seniors and beat Penn State last week.  The MAC favorites should have an easy time with New Mexico State.
          Ohio 38, New Mexico State 14
          Actual Score:  Ohio 51, New Mexico State 24.  WIN

8.  UTEP at Mississippi (-7) - Mike Price has a good job with UTEP but they are not a team that should be able to hang with an SEC team, even if it is Ole Miss.
          Mississippi 38, UTEP 24
          Actual Score:  Mississippi 24, UTEP 10.   WIN

9.  Georgia (-1.5) at Missouri - Remember when Georgia starts to run up the score about all the talk coming from Columbia about Georgia playing "Old Man Football".  Such talk from a underachieving program.
          Georgia 48, Missouri 28
          Actual Score:  Georgia 41, Missouri 20.   WIN

10.  Vanderbilt (-3.5) at Northwestern - Vandy came close to pulling the upset against South Carolina last week.  This week they play a less talented Northwestern team.  Coach Franklin's team should win on the road.
           Vanderbilt 24, Northwestern 19
           Actual Score:  Northwestern 23, Vanderbilt 13.  LOSS

Bonus Pick:

Oklahoma State (-11.5) at Arizona - Arizona is undergoing a change on top and shouldn't be able to put up too much of a fight against the Cowboys that are looking like the offense will still be able to score boatloads of points.
          Oklahoma State 49, Arizona 27
          Actual Score:  Arizona 59, Oklahoma State 38.  LOSS

Last Week Results:

Overall: 5-5
Road Favorite:  1-2
Road Underdog:  2-1
Home Favorite:  1-0
Home Underdog:  1-2

2012 - A Big 10 Preview

Once upon a time, the Big Ten was the premier conference in the nation.  Now, they are 3rd at best according to most people.  The conference has seen their top teams, Ohio State and Wisconsin not be able to win their big bowl games.  Michigan might be on the verge of a resurgence.  Iowa, Michigan State, and Penn State haven't performed up to expectations.  Speaking of Penn State, you might not have heard that they had a rough last 12 months at the school.  Something about sexual misconduct or something like that.  Nebraska is the new school in the conference and last year they weren't the team that everyone expected.  Illinois, Indiana, Purdue, Northwestern, and Minnesota bubble up and surprise people every once in a while.  But the big whale in the sea, Notre Dame, has said that there is no incentive in becoming a member of the Big 10.  Until that happens, the conference might be stuck in the mud.