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And that kids, is why you don't bet what you don't have. 2-3 on the week. Not good... At least next week we'll have a better idea of what's going on in the NFL...
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3-1-1 on the week. Florida had a lower line earlier in the week, but i was late getting on it. Puts me at 7-4-1 on the season. I can deal with that...
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Enjoy your weekends everyone...

Ok kids, back for the week. One change: I'm only picking five games each week, in College and the NFL. 7 games is just too much. So with that said, onto the picks!

Penn St. -15.5 over Oregon St.
Penn. St looked really good last week, is at home, and Oregon State traditionally struggles early and on the road. Not a good combination.

Florida -23 over Miami
This line keeps going up. Either way, i think Florida rolls. Miami is not what they used to be.

W. Virginia -7.5 over ECU
There is zero chance ECU pulls off another upset this week.

Washington +9.5 over BYU
Not sure Washington can pull off the upset, but like them to cover. Which, by the way, is a terrible way to bet. If you bet a 'dog, you should do so because you think they can win. So i'm violating my own rule here. Take that for what's worth.

Kansas -20.5 over La. Tech.
La. Who? Exactly...




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This is a short version of the picks, as i want to get tonight's pick in. I'll have the full version sometime this weekend.

New York Giants -4.5 over Washington
Somehow i think the defending Super Bowl Champion Giants should be getting more than 4.5 points against the Redskins. At home.



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Wow, i don't even know where to being this week with people who have failed at life. So many people to choose from...

First off is the story of Tatum Bell, ex-RB of the Detroit Lions. Bell was released from the Lions after they signed RB Rudi Johnson, and apparently was a tad disgruntled. While Johnson was in the coaches office agreeing to terms on a contract, Bell stole Johnson's luggage while it sat outside the office.

I first saw that story last night, and Bell was a lock to be featured in this week's column. That was until i got to work today and i saw the following story. While attending the NBA Rookie Symposium in Rye Brook, NY, former Kansas University standouts and NCAA Tourney Heroes Darrell Arthur and Mario Chalmers were caught with marijuana in their hotel room they were sharing. Both were sent home from the Symposium, in which new NBA players are taught how to adjust to NBA life, how to manage their money, and how to stay out of trouble, among other things.

Arthur and Chalmers, per League policy, will be required to attend the session again next year, and there are rumors they may start the season on the Suspended List as well. They are also both $20,000 lighter in the pockets thanks to their toking.

Call me strange, but a place where you are learning how to be a good citizen isn't the best place to bring a bag of weed.

Darrell Arthur and Mario Chalmers: You Have Failed At Life.

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Alright, 4-3 was not a great start to the year. Michigan sucked, which i should have known (and told my brother to bet Utah, go figure), and Tennessee should have won by 20 but their quarterback was awful. UCLA threw four picks in the first half and Tennessee only scores-- points? Worthless...

Regardless, still above .500. And i'm feeling good about this year...




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This one needs no lead-up, no explanation, nothing. Just the story. Chad Johnson, who would already be perfect for this feature for a multitude of other reasons (including just the picture below alone), has officially changed his name to Chad Ocho Cinco.
Chad Johnson, You Have Failed At Life...

Time for my weekly(ish) feature: Where You Came From, in which i examine the different countries that people have visited this site from and the search terms that brought you here. Enjoy!

In the last week people have visited this site from: Czech Republic, Jamaica, India (2), United Kingdom (2). Again, not a lot of countries, but Jamaica is a new one. That's always fun...

Anyway, here are the search terms that brought people here. As always, the search terms are reproduced here unedited, and i have added the number of times the search appeared and my commentary in parentheses.

1) failed at life (2) (I hope that wasn't someone who was depressed. And if it was, i hope they got a laugh at least...)
2) open kicker tryouts (again?)
3) soccer world cup 2010 to be hosted in usa (I wish buddy...)
4) 2010 dallas cowboys could sell games (I bet they will this year and next year too...)
5) dodgers 2010 tryouts (Shoot higher pal, maybe you could try out for them in 2009!)
6) dennis green laughs commercial
7) Gene Upshaw
8) lpga english
9) Marwan Williams (3) (he's back! And in full force! Marwan makes his triumphant return after an inexplicable 6-week absence. Besides anything relating to Dennis Green, he is the most searched for term that leads people here...)
10) amare stoudemire brother arrest (There he is again! Though if you want to be technical he is his half brother...)
11) 4x100 press conference
12) usa basketball see post game press conference
13) R.I.P Gene Upshaw t-shirts (Would someone actually wear this?)
14) dennis green they are who we thought they were bears
15) Kevin Seitzer good hitting coach? (Short answer: No)
16) NFL CBA
17) "plan b" "world cup 2010" (this search came from the U.K. No doubt hopeful the plan b includes England...)

So there you go. As always, thanks for stopping by. Feel free to tell some friends or leave some comments. Oh, and enjoy the Holiday Weekend. Football is back! Go Hawks!


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That's right kids, they're back! It's picks time!

I finished a pedestrian 39-34-2 last year, for a .520 winning percentage. Not the 55% you need to break even. Man i suck...

This year i'm trying to stick to picking 7 games each week. Last year i was kinda all over the board on how many picks i would make.

On a side note, picking the first week is always the hardest because i haven't seen anyone play yet. Also, you should know i'm not nearly as informed and prepared going into the season as i was last year. It happens.

On to the picks!

South Carolina -14.5 over N.C. State
South Carolina is at home. Also, this game is tonight (Thursday), so i just threw it in there to have something to root for tonight.

Hawaii +35 over Florida
To be clear, i am not picking Hawaii to win. I am picking them to cover a 35 point spread, which is ridiculous. Then again, it is Florida and Hawaii lost their QB and coach... Screw it, i just change my mind. Florida -35 over Hawaii.

Michigan -3.5 over Utah
A lot of people are calling this a trap game for a Michigan team that a) lost their 4-year QB, b) lost their 4-year RB, c) lost their coach, and d) is installing a new system. Especially since they managed to lose at home to Appalachian St. last year. And Utah should be good this year. All that being said, i think Michigan will have enough to beat Utah by 4 or more...

Nebraska -14.5 over W. Michigan
Bo Pelini is the coach Nebraska should have hired last time they were looking for a coach when they hired Bill Callahan instead. Pelini has restored the defense to where it should be, and their QB Ganz should have a good year. Memorial Stadium will be rocking.

Clemson -4.5 over Alabama
I think Clemson could have a great year, and this is where it will begin. Plus they are at home, which is actually a tough place to play.

Missouri -9.5 over Illinois
Consider me one of the people who doesn't think Illinois can repeat what they did last year. I've seen the Zook up close and personal, and he is a terrible game coach. Terrible. I can't even describe to you how bad he is. Example A is the stampeding Iowa put on a Zook-led Florida team in the Outback Bowl in 2003. They will miss Mendenhall. And Missouri should be good.

UCLA +7.5 over Tennessee
I like Neuheisel at UCLA, if he manages to stay out of trouble. Tennessee doesn't play particularly well on the West coast against Pac-10 teams early.

So there you go. I managed to pick all favorites except for one. Next time i'll do better...

Ok, so it isn't exactly a press conference, but it is an interview. And it is awesome.

The always best-dressed* Craig Sager was being interviewed and had an interesting story to tell about Ted Turner, Jane Fonda, and TBS's broadcasting line-up. Listen and enjoy...



*Not actually best-dressed. Actually, worst-dressed. Like, every time he's ever been on television in his life.

(H/T to AA for the find...)

Unlike last year, when i devoted entire posts and previews to each of the BCS conferences, i'm doing a more stream-lined version this year. The reason for this is two-fold: One, you probably don't really care about most of what i have to say except for the actual picks (if you even care for those), and two it's a little late to get rolling on all of those in too much depth since the football season starts in two days (two days!).

So, with that said, here's a streamlined college football preview, where i pick the winners of each conference and various other things.

Big Ten: Ohio St. Obviously. Should roll through the Big Ten, with only Wisconsin giving them any trouble.

Big Twelve: Oklahoma. Poised for a great year behind QB Sam Bradford.

Pac 10: USC. Self-explanatory.

ACC: Clemson. Great backfield. North Carolina isn't ready yet, and Miami and FSU are still struggling a bit.

Big East: W. Virginia. Let's see if this team can continue to burn me anytime i pick them to do anything...

SEC: Georgia. After claiming the #1 ranking in both polls, there has been a lot of backlash about their schedule and inexperience at key positions. I like Stafford, love Moreno, and think they can pull it off.

National Championship Game: Georgia vs. Oklahoma. Georgia will probably have a loss, but with the SEC strength can probably still get in. I like Georgia to win it as well.

Heisman Trophy Winner: Sam Bradford. Had a fantastic freshman season, should really breakout this year. Don't look for Tebow to repeat, he's no Archie Griffin. That's still a taboo.

That's it for me preview this season. Of course, i will resume my picks each week. Hopefully i can do better than i did last year on that front...

This week's winner (loser) of my You Have Failed At Life feature is none other than:

You've probably heard by now that the LPGA is requiring all players to learn English by the end of 2009 or face losing their tour card. While i can understand (sort of) their interest in having their players know the language, it still seems a bit harsh. Not exactly a beaming declaration of the support of diversity...LPGA, You Have Failed At Life.

In what is quickly becoming this site's fourth feature, though unintentionally, here are a few words from ESPN's TMQ regarding Gene Upshaw and what he did for the NFLPA:

"Eugene Upshaw, 1945-2008: Gene Upshaw died young last week, and many of the same people who had denounced him while he was alive praised him after he was dead. When their words could be heard and inflict hurt, they slammed him; when their words could not be heard, they were gracious. As TMQ argued a year ago in detail, Upshaw did a fabulous job for players -- winning 59 percent of the richest pot of gold in sports is hardly to be sneezed at. In 1993 the NFLPA, under Upshaw's leadership, adopted cooperative bargaining as its core tactic. Since then, adjusting to today's dollars, NFL payments to players and retirees are up from $1.3 billion to $3.8 billion, an increase of about 13 percent per year. How many professions do you know where pay rises an inflation-adjusted 13 percent annually? Recently, the NFL owners voted unanimously to exercise a clause that lets them opt out of the Collective Bargaining Agreement two years early. When that same deal was signed in 2006, Upshaw was roundly ridiculed by sports pundits, and by retired NFL players, as a lapdog, because he worked cordially with the owners rather than calling a strike. That the owners unanimously opted out, after having time to think about what they had agreed to, is the proof the NFLPA, not the owners, won the 2006 negotiating round. If some lapdog union leader had agreed to a weak deal, the owners wouldn't be opting out, would they? Upshaw had a difficult personality, and the NFLPA gets self-inflicted bad press because its public-relations operation is among Washington's worst. But in terms of substantive accomplishment, the NFLPA under Eugene Upshaw provided magnificently for its members, including for its retired members. My advice to all who play touch football with Upshaw in the afterlife: watch for the trap block; even in paradise, this guy is unlikely to ease off."

TMQ is what it is, a sometimes interesting, sometimes incessantly rambling column about the NFL. That said, i thought it was a nice summary of some of the things Upshaw accomplished before passing.

This picture just kills me...

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Enjoy your weekend everybody...

(H/T to Failblog)