BK SPORTS BLOG

Skittles: Taste (a part) of the rainbow.

2013-02-06T11:39:00.000-06:00

Football is over. I hate it. It's cold outside, and the insanely long and boring baseball season is still several weeks away. And please STOP with this pitchers and catchers reporting BULLSHIT!! I don't care, until the regular season starts, it's just EXHIBITION.

Anyway, I digress. I'm bored blogging about sports, and I'm an angry cranky soon-to-be-old man that is upset that my favorite time of the year (i.e. football season) and come and gone, again. The Super Bowl was great, outside of the RIDICULOUSLY LONG HALFTIME SHOW THAT PROBABLY ONLY CATERED TO ABOUT 5% OF ACTUAL FOOTBALL FANS. Oh, and that 30+ minute power outage!! Sorry, I have to stop, I could write for days about how stupid the halftime shows are. Let me get to my point.

I AM MAD AT SKITTLES!!!!! I have had enough, and I am going to put an end to my anger once and for all. I recently purchased a bag of Skittles and ONLY received THREE red skittles in the entire BAG! ARE YOU KIDDING ME!! So I took it upon myself to write up a complaint to Skittles (i.e. Wrigley/Mars), and tell them how I feel about them right now.

Here is the letter, in it's entirety:

Dear Skittles Company:

I recently purchased a bag of Skittles out of the vending machine here at work. I was shocked and appalled after opening the bag and ONLY finding 3 red skittles in the bag!! Red skittles are BY FAR the best flavor, and I have at least 3 office mates that agree with me (Tom, Mindy and Joe). I'm sure most people feel this way. In fact, if you sold bags of ONLY red skittles, I'm sure it would totally be a great thing and so many people would just buy those. I'm not even sure how yellow and green got in the mix, and purple is average at best. It's the 20th century now, and there has to be a machine or robot invented that can sort these colors better. I have google, but have not researched enough to know if the red skittles cost more to make, but I don't think that is it, because most things that come in different colors cost the same, EVEN CARS!

I am at a loss at what to do. I have tried contacting Martin Radvan the LEADER of your company but cannot find his email address anywhere. Your company is OBVIOUSLY avoiding this, and other issues by making it hard to get in touch with him or others including the people that sort the Skittles or their supervisors.

I have CC'd this letter to THE WHITE HOUSE AND THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA because I do not KNOW who else to turn to.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/submit-questions-and-comments

In retribution for the HORRIBLE experience I have had with your company, I demand that you make changes on your sorting line, starting with the hiring of robots that can do the job arbitrarily, or offer full bags of ONLY RED SKITTLES. If neither of these demands can be made, I will settle for one or two bags of free Skittles (WITH PROPER NUMBER OF RED ONES!!!). Those can be sent to me at the address provided on the complaint form. But I REALLY want you to try the robot sorters first.

In addition to sending this complaint, I have posted this information on my sports blog (bksportsblog.com) which gets AT LEAST 10 or 15 hits a day, and at LEAST half of those are by real humans and not spammers. I have also tweeted that link to @Skittles. I have been in contact with the people over at Starburst, and I may be switching to them. At least with Starburst I KNOW what colors I will be getting, even though THE YELLOW STARBURSTS SUCK TOO!!! I also twitted this myself, and have over 100 followers, SO MY VOICE WILL BE HEARD!!!

I apologize for the lengthy complaint, but this has really got me upset, and enough is enough. Please forward this to the desk of Martin Radvan ASAP.

Thank you in advance for a speedy response to these matters.

Sincerely,

Brian Kenealy

PS- You have 48 hours.

Only three reds? ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

I am very curious to see how or if they respond. I don't think my demands are THAT outrageous??

These are the things that I obsess over when I don't have football to keep my mind focused. AND IT'S ONLY BEEN 3 DAYS SINCE THE SEASON ENDED!!

On another note, been tweeting a lot lately (@bk1374), and following some REALLY funny tweeters, I encourage you to check them out. Here are a few samples. Some of it is really OUT THERE, but still a good laugh:

OK, that's all I got for today.

Thanks,

BCS Nonsense, NFL Playoffs, HOF Shut Out and the ND Haters Guide!

2013-01-12T12:33:00.001-06:00

A few topics today. A quick recap of the BCS Title Game, and an interesting find regarding one of the BCS computers that is further proof the system is flawed. We'll touch on the HOF shutout, RG III's injury, and this weekend's football match ups.

As most of the world knows by now, Alabama absolutely stomped Notre Dame in last Monday's BCS Championship game. It's Bama's second title in a row, and third in four years. It was a complete domination from the opening kick. A couple days later I found this nugget of an article on cbssports.com.

http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/blog/eye-on-college-football/21534509/notre-dame-still-1-in-one-bcs-computer-ranking

If you don't want to read it, I will break it down. It basically says that one of the six computers the BCS uses to compile it's rankings STILL has ND ranked #1 over Alabama!!!! These are the SAME computers that are used to compile the standings during the year and help determine who will play in the BCS Bowls, including the title game. How ridiculous is that!!?!?! It's complete circular unlogic!! ND and Bama each only have one loss. Bama lost to a 2-loss Texas A & M team, and ND lost to Bama. Bama is CLEARLY the best team, so by virtue of ND's only loss coming against the clear top team, they must be #1. Makes perfect sense??!?!?! I'm sure SOS and other factors play into it as well, and the article does state that margin of victory does not factor in. Blah blah blah. Further proof that the current system is so jacked up beyond repair. We'll see how next year goes with the new 4 team playoff. I can't imagine it will be any worse!!! In hindsight, a Bama vs. Oregon National Title Game would have been sweet. Not sure if Oregon had the D to stop Bama, but they would have surely put up a better fight. Oh well.....

SB Nation posted an interesting photo the other day. It was a screen shot of ESPN's show Sports Nation:

"How much do you blame Jay Cutler for RG III's injury?"

Huh!??!?!??!!? ESPN is now just making things up to discuss on their shows apparently!!!! In case you don't recall. Cutler suffered an injury two years ago in the NFC Championship game (TWO YEARS AGO) and did not return to the game. Many fans and media questioned his "toughness" and the severity of the injury, and thought he should have come back in. Fast forward to last week and RG III tweaks his bum knee early in the game, but stays in the game, and eventually gets knocked out and does some serious damage to his knee. Does anyone in their right mind think that RG III, Mike Shananhan or any other Redskins personnel thought about Cutler's specific injury when decided whether or not to send him back in?? Absurd. And to specifically ask IF CUTLER IS TO BLAME???? So silly, and that is putting it nicely.

In baseball news. No one was elected to the HOF this year. It's happened before, but not since 1996. Craig Biggio was the top vote getter, but still came up short. I thought Biggio would get in, and think he deserves it. Sometimes writers don't like to put guys in on the first ballot. Whatever, that's fine. He'll get in eventually. The real debate is regarding all the alleged steroid users (Sosa, Bonds, Clemens, Palmeiro et al). These are sportswriters. That's who votes these guys in. That's the way it's always been. If you don't like sportswriters, then find a different HOF to complain about. Without specifically debating whether or not anyone on this year's ballot deserved to get in, I LIKE the idea that it's possible no one can get in. There are a LOT of great baseball players NOT in the HOF. That's the way it should be. I don't want every single player that had a very above average career to get in. That's not what it's for. It also makes for some GREAT debates about who should/shouldn't be in. You don't have the same debate for the NFL HOF (sans Ray Guy), they let 6-7 people in every year!!! The steroid debate is interesting though. Some of them did get a lot of votes, so you never know. The whole baseball era of the 90's and early 00's is tainted to me, and not sure what to make of it all. If you want to see the exact voting results, the link above has it.

Now, on to this weekend's football games.

The first game today is Baltimore at Denver. Weather is supposed to play a factor, and could slow down an already slow Baltimore offense. Denver has a pretty decent D too. Couple that with the altitude, and Peyton Manning, and it's clear as to why Denver is a 9pt favorite. I'm not sure I want to lay that many points, so I am leaning towards the OVER 43.5 instead. Unless weather conditions are extremely bad, I see Denver putting up some points.
Denver 31 - Baltimore 20

Next up is the Packers at San Francisco. The Niners got a bye, and play a home game here. The Packers have looked more beatable this year than in years past, but still have a formidable offense, and should be right in this game. The Niners are a 3 point favorite at home, which tells you the books see this one pretty much as a coin toss. I will take the veteran QB here over the rookie in a close, hard fought game.
Green Bay 27 - San Francisco 23

Tomorrow's early game is Seattle at Atlanta. Seattle seems to be the trendy pick to come out of the NFC. They have a great D, and are playing really good football of late. Atlanta is known for playoff let downs, and despite their great home regular season record in recent years, always seems to disappoint. This year, I think Atlanta gets it done though!! Again, we have a rookie QB making a road start, and I like Atlanta's offense to have enough fire power to get some scores on Seattle's D. Seattle played great last week in their win at Washington, but RG III's was obviously hobbled, and that was the deciding factor. I think their nice run ends this week.
Atlanta 28 - Seattle 17

The final game is Houston at New England. A rematch from a game a few weeks ago where New England absolutely destroyed Houston. I doubt we see a repeat of that, but Houston has looked very mortal the past month+, and I just don't see them shutting down the Pats enough to escape with a win. Not sure I want to lay the 9.5 pts though either.
New England 31 - Houston 21

Lastly this week. If you hate ND, please check out this link. It's really funny, even if you are an ND fan, you might find the humor in it. And if not, perhaps you'll better understand why some root against them.

http://deadspin.com/5963736/the-haters-guide-to-notre-dame

I bash ND a lot, so I will just leave it at that for now!!!

Thanks for stopping by!! Enjoy the games!

bk

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Cotton Bowl, NFL Playoffs, and Collin Klein's Wife

2013-01-04T13:28:00.003-06:00

Yeah, how sucky would it be if we had to watch Oregon play the winner of Monday's Alabama vs. Notre Dame game?? That would be really boring. Instead, let's keep having half filled stadiums for BCS games in the name of keeping this antiquated Bowl system relevant. (<<<<<SARCASM!!!) Ah, what can you do. The Rose Bowl was entertaining at least, and last night's Fiesta Bowl was too, despite the semi-lopsided score. I really thought K-State would keep it closer, but Oregon's high powered offense proved to be too much. My biggest gripe about the game was how ESPN kept showing Collin Klein's wife, over and over again. Like FIVE times in one drive, and then a few more times during the rest of the game. Seriously, who cares?? And she was pretty ugly to boot, and possibly jaundice. But that's just my opinion, and I am not a doctor.

Photo Courtesy of Bleacher Report

As the Bleacher Report reports HERE, Klein and his spray-tanning wife were married last summer. And Klein had his FIRST KISS as the alter!! Listen, Collin Klein seems like a nice guy, and he is a pretty damn good quarterback, but his NFL chances just took a major blow, as the NFL already has one Tebow, and that is the MAX ALLOWED. I'm guessing Klein knows his NFL chances are slim, thus sealing the deal on the wife now. Hey, who am I to judge. Actually, I am BK, and this is my blog, so I will judge ANYTIME I want!! Careful, you might be next! Speaking of ~~douche bags~~ Tim Tebow, it was nice to see Tebow blatantly showing off his over sized Jeebus cross on the sidelines at the Sugar Bowl. Another reason I'm glad Florida lost.

OK, sorry about the anti-goodie-two-shoes rant. I don't have anything personally against either one, just think they are both toolbags. Nice jacket, asshat.

NFL Playoffs start Saturday!!! Some good matchups this weekend. The Colts roll into their former home Baltimore to take on the Ravens, the Vikings and Packers rematch from last week, and two rookie QB's face off in Washington as the RG III led Skins play host to Russell Wilson's Seattle Seahawks. The Bengals also take on the slumping Texans, in the least attractive game of the weekend. Another rookie QB awaits in the Divisional round, as Collin Kaepernick and the 49ers earned a first round bye. Ponder and Dalton are both still pretty green too, as the NFL Playoffs have youth-run-a-muck at QB this year. And let's not overlook the possible Brady-Manning rematch in the AFC title game!! Story lines galore!! Should make for some fun weekends in the next month. I don't have any bold predictions to make here, as I think both the AFC and NFC are up for grabs this year. But for argument's sake, I will say a Denver vs. Green Bay Super Bowl!!

What was that sport played in winter, where you slid around on frozen water trying to put a little black thing in the net? Oh well.....can't remember........moving right along......

Tonight the BCS's unofficial fifth game takes place at Jerry Jones' Stadium in Dallas, as Texas A & M plays Oklahoma. I will keep my analysis short and sweet. A&M is overvalued here due to their win at Alabama, and due to the Manziel Heisman Hype. I think OU is the better team, so I am taking them +3.5 and playing the ML (+130) as I think they win. Probably a high scoring game too, and I think it could near 80pts total in the end. I just hope that the coverage includes several dozen commercials reminding me how AWESOME insurance companies are, and how we'd all be screwed without them when disaster hits. Um, correct me if I am wrong, BUT ISN'T IT THE INSURANCE COMPANIES JOB TO HELP REBUILD PEOPLE'S LIVES WHEN DISASTERS HIT? A JOB THAT WE ARE PAYING THEM BILLIONS AND BILLIONS OF $$$$$$$$$$$$ TO DO EVERY YEAR?? Sorry...ranting again!

Well...that's all I have for today!!! Go Sooners!!

Thanks for stopping by:

bk

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Bowl Games 12/27/2012 and "Golden Domers vs Mobile Homers".

2012-12-27T11:59:00.000-06:00

First, let me address the new Notre Dame T-Shirt available. The "Golden Domers vs. Mobile Homers" shirt that has been circulating.

Ok, fine....it's kind of funny. But let's not pretend that there are no "mobile homers" that live in Indiana, or that are ND supporters!! It's kind of contradictory if you ask me! But, I'm sure it's all in good fun. I tried to do some research on what % of US residents actually live in mobile homes. The best I could find was this map with %'s on it. I have NO idea how accurate it is. If it is accurate, OK, Bama has more, but Indiana still has it's fair share!! (6.5% for IN, 14.7% for AL)

Interesting map.

OK, now onto to today's bowl games!! I won't bother to dwell on last night's game, as CMU just had more offense than WKU, and outplayed/outcoached them. A loss is a loss.

First up is the Military Bowl in Washington DC that has San Jose State making the cross-county trek to take on Bowling Green. BGSU had stout defensive numbers all year, but for the most part, played a lot of really crummy offenses. Everyone is touting the under on this one, as only 1 of BGSU's 11 games went over the posted total on the year. It was bet down from the 48 opening number to 43, and is back up to 45 in some places. Personally, I think both teams will score, and it goes over 44.5 (which is where I got it). I think it will be a hard fought close game that San Jose State wins 31-24.

One side note on this game. Even though Central Michigan might take the cake for ugliest uniforms, this could be the worst uni matchup of the bowl season, as both are pretty gross to look at!

Ok, I guess BGSU's aren't THAT bad, but I just don't like the brown look.

Next up....

The Belk Bowl!! Whatever that is.

Cincinnati and Duke square off in Charlotte, NC. Cincy opened up as about a 7pt favorite, but it's climbed up to 9.5 by now. I think Duke is pretty bad, and even a Big East team like Cincy should have no issue winning this game. The line movement scares me though, as I'm sure Cincy is getting a lot of public action, so it's a no play for me. Cincy 34 Duke 21.

Last, we have the Holiday Bowl from San Diego that features two high scoring offenses, Baylor and UCLA. I was impressed with Baylor down the stretch, and think they can get the win here today. However, they do have some tackling issues, so UCLA will score. I am not sure it can hit the total which is currently at 82.5, so my lean is to take the under. But I will be on Baylor +3 for sure.

Hoping these games go a little better than last night!!!

Happy Bowl Watching, and thanks for stopping by!

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Are you ready for some FOOTBALL!!!

2012-12-26T13:48:00.001-06:00

Bowl season is under way, and there have already been a few games played, but it really gets moving this week. In fact, there is at least one football game EVERY day from now through January 7th, including this Sunday's NFL slate, and the NFL playoff games on January 5th and 6th.

I know I beat the proverbial dead horse about having too many bowl games, and too many crappy teams playing in them. However, there is upside to it, as it means more games to watch (erm, gamble on?)!

Here is a link to the full slate of bowl games from here on out.

http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/scoreboard

I like how CBS Sports now includes the point spread and totals for each game. Another step towards the main stream media not tiptoeing around the fact that gambling drives the ratings for these games up, up, and up.

Tonight however, is a pretty mediocre match up between Western Kentucky and Central Michigan. Fitting that it's the Little Caesars Bowl, as that is some of the worst pizza in existence. CMU was probably one of the last teams to get a bowl bid this year. They are 6-6 on the year, however 4 of those wins came against some pretty poor competition (SEMO d2, UMASS, EMU and Akron). They have a poor run D, and WKU can run the ball. I see no reason why WKU won't win this game. To boot, CMU has just suspended one of their top wide receivers for tonight's game, Titus Davis (LINK HERE) who led them in receiving yards and TDs, along with two other players as well. This can't bode well for an already mediocre team. The only thing CMU has going for them is the hundreds and hundreds of "home" fans they'll have there cheering for them!!

The real games this week start up tomorrow, and continue through Saturday. Baylor vs UCLA on Thursday night should be an exciting game, as both teams can put up some serious offensive numbers.

In unrelated news, the NHL is still on strike.

Still a lot to be determined in the NFL as well. Some NFC playoff spots still up for grabs, and while the AFC playoff teams are set, still a lot to be gained/lost in terms of seeding. The NFL is really up for grabs this year, and no teams are safe bets to make it to the Super Bowl. Should be an exciting playoff year for sure. As for my Dallas Cowboys, not sure how I feel about their chances. If RGIII is hobbled still, they have a decent chance, but I still think they are pretty average at best. We'll see.

Also, in poker news, here is a good story about Greg Raymer and his four wins on the HPT this year. Raymer is kind of dorky, but always seemed like a really nice guy and a good poker ambassador. So good for him! One of my goals in 2013 is start playing more poker!!! Not sure why, but the past couple days I really starting missing on-line poker. But live is way better anyway, so look out poker world!

In more unrelated news, I got married on December 15th!! Of course, all six people reading this probably already knew that! Regardless, that plus the holiday season has kept me beyond busy the past few weeks, thus the lack of posts here.

Hope everyone out there has had a safe and wonderful holiday season. I have definitely discovered many things in life that I am very grateful for. Would love to add a WKU 7+ point win tonight to the list! Sorry, can't help myself.

Thanks for stopping by!

bk

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BCS Playoff....Let's play "What if"

2012-12-05T13:30:00.000-06:00

Every year for the past 4 or 5, I have played the "what if" game in regards to a college playoff. Obviously, with the new implementation of the 4 team playoff, we are getting closer and closer to that finally happening. Still, there are many hurdles to get over, and of course like most things, it boils down to the almighty dollar. So I'll spare you the lecture on WHY we need a playoff, and just propose it to show how many great games there could be!! The entire nation loves the NCAA Basketball tournament, so why not follow suit!

Let's say there is an 8 team playoff. Let's also say that no more than 3 schools from any given conference can make it. I think that's fair. You don't finish in the top 3 in your own league, you are out. To remove my own subjective nature, I will just use the final BCS standings, in order to determine who plays who. I have also eliminated any conference matchups in the first round, although that might not even be necessary.

Here are the final BCS Standings.

As you can see, there are 4 SEC teams in the top 8, so LSU would be OUT under my rules. We'd actually have to go to #11 Oklahoma to get our 8th team. Also, based on the seedings, to avoid an SEC first round matchup, we'll have to drop #7 Georgia (who would have played #2 Bama) to the #8 seed, and slot OU up to #7. Here would be the brackets:

#1 Notre Dame vs
#8 Georgia

#4 Oregon
#5 Kansas State

#2 Alabama
#7 Oklahoma

#3 Florida
#6 Stanford

That's a pretty awesome slate of games!

Let's say now that we move to a 16 game playoff. Again, no conference match ups in the first round, but this time I put no restrictions on how many teams could come out of a league, and just used the top 16 schools, with some minor seed adjustments to avoid conference matchups.

#1 Notre Dame
#16 Nebraska

#8 LSU
#9 Oklahoma

#4 Oregon
#13 Clemson

#5 Kansas State
#12 South Carolina

#2 Alabama
#15 Northern Illinois

#7 Georgia
#10 Florida State

#3 Florida
#14 Oregon State

#6 Stanford
#11 Texas A & M

Again, some great match ups, great storylines, and just good football, especially as things get narrowed down.

There is really no reason for something like this to not be practical, aside from $$. Please don't give all that bullshit about travel and fans and bowl games with hurt feelings. People also say that there would still be controversy because the #9 or #17 team would be left out. Yeah, so what? Unless you LITERALLY put EVERY team into the playoff, that is ALWAYS going to be the case.

So while I am still optimistic that the system is finally changing for the better, it's still not where it needs to be, and might not be for a long while. Hopefully the powers that be keep moving forward, and don't plateau with this 4 team playoff idea.

Thanks, that is all!

bk

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Saturday Football Preview and Picks.....

2012-11-30T23:51:00.000-06:00

Friday night's two great games have set the bar high this weekend. Let's hope Saturday can keep it going! Kent did fall short of having a BCS shot. But does a team that lost to Kentucky really deserve a BCS birth? Well, it would have sort of cool to have them in I guess. NIU is a longshot, but needs help.

Before we get to the games I like on Saturday, how about the over/under line in the Oklahoma vs. Baylor game?? It opened at 81.5 and has climbed all the way to an absurd 88.5!!!! It's the highest total in recorded Vegas history. Covers.com did a nice write up on it. I think it certainly has the potential to get that high, however any value in taking over would probably have to have been done near the open, and is probably gone now. Still might hit 90, but I see no value in betting it. No way I'm touching the under.

Now....on to the games.......

Kansas at West Virginia (1:30 PM CT)

Current Line (West Virginia -20, O/U 71)

Big 12 bottom feeder Kansas rolls into Morgantown to take on WVU. This one is pretty simple for me. WVU has had their struggles on D, no secret. But for the most part, their struggles were against teams with above average offenses, and that could move the ball through the air. KU is not that team. Conversely, WVU should have no issue getting in the end zone vs a team that gives up a lot of points on the road. Lay the points here. West Virginia 49, Kansas 17: Play (West Virginia -20)

Florida State vs Georgia Tech (7:00 PM CT)

Current Line (FSU -14, O/U 61)

If you read my post yesterday, you know what I think of Georgia Tech. They are bad, very bad. FSU has had a few ups and downs, but not this week. FSU rolls and clinches their spot in the Orange Bowl. No other thinking necessary on this one. Oh, did I mention Georgia Tech sucks?? They do, watch the game if you don't believe me. Florida State 42, Georgia Tech 14: Play (FSU -14)

Those are my two top plays. Here a couple more I like, but might not play, or will play smaller.

Wisconsin +3 vs Nebraska

Just got a feelin' the Badgers keep this one close and pull out the win.

Hawai'i -6 vs South Alabama

This is such a garbage game I can't believe I'm even considering it, but Hawai'i is playing better, and South Bama just plain sucks, and now has to travel half way across the world, almost literally. If you like this game, take it now, as it might be -7 by kickoff.

OK, now onto the big game.

The SEC Championship game, the "national semifinal" if you will. Bama opened up at -7.5 and the line has pretty much held there all week. Not sure I like it that much on that side of a key number. However, I am just having a hard time figuring out how Georgia is going to stop Bama. Georgia has given up some points and yards this year to some less than impressive offenses (Buffalo, FAU, South Carolina, Kentucky). I'm not saying UGA is a bad team, they are really good, but from what I've seen from Bama they are just better. They struggled for one half against A & M, but once they started opening things up, they really showed what they had, but just came up short. UGA is going to have to pressure McCarron and force some turnovers. I just don't see it. Not calling for a blowout, but I think Bama wins by 10+. Alabama 31, Georgia 17: Play (Alabama -7.5)

Now for the kicker....I won't be able to watch most of these games thanks to my company office party!! Oh well, at least it's an open bar!!

Good luck!!!

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Falcons Helmets, Too Many Bowl Games, and an SEC Teabagger!

2012-11-30T10:39:00.002-06:00

"So, why are in you prison?"
"Well, I took out my genitals and rubbed them on the head of a passed out LSU fan."
"Mmmmm..you are going to fit right in around here"

In case you missed it, Alabama fan Brian Downing has plead guilty and could face up to 2 years in prison for his teabag prank on a passed out LSU fan after their game earlier this month. Moron. That will lead to some interesting jail introductions, in the event that he is sentenced to prison time. And what's with the dude picking the LSU fan's nose? Good job man, you got another guys boogers on your fingers, well done!

Staying in the south, the Atlanta Falcons wore their throwback red helmets last night in their game vs. New Orleans. They were always one of my favorite helmets growing up, and for whatever reason, I always enjoy it when they wear them. I wish they would go the full 9 and get the red jerseys on too, but I will take what I can get.

Trivia question: Why do the Falcons have two gold stripes on their red helmets? Answer at the bottom of the page. I already knew. If you are a helmet nerd, like myself, check out THIS WEBSITE which has basically EVERY helmet, ever worn by any pro or college team, current or defunct. It's actually pretty cool, and the guy has done a great job.

I usually bitch and moan about commercials and ads I see, as most are pretty insulting to the average person's intelligence. But sometimes I see one that is well done, and makes me laugh. This is one of the good ones. The kid is great.

It's particularly funny now, in light of Cam's sophomore slump!

In laughable news, Georgia Tech has had their waiver to become bowl eligible approved by the NCAA. They are currently 6-6, and play FSU on Saturday. A game in which they will likely lose. Normally a team must be 0.500 or better to be eligible. This is just further proof that there are TOO MANY BOWL GAMES! The MAC is upset, as this ruling may keep one of their teams out of a bowl game. While I understand that perspective, is it really better to send Bowling Green?? No, it's still just mediocrity. If you have seen Georgia Tech play, you know they just aren't very good. Their 6 wins have come against mostly poor competition, and their only win vs a team with a record over 0.500 was vs UNC (8-4). Last year UCLA had the same waiver approved, and lost to Illinois in some bowl game no one watched. Too many bowl games, too many bowl games, too many bowl games. Can't say it enough. Although, on the upside, there are more games to gamble on!!

Thanks for stopping by! The answer to the trivia question is below.

bk

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The reason Atlanta has gold stripes on their helmet is: When they decided on black and red as their primary colors, they did not want to alienate the Georgia Tech fans (coincidentally enough), since red and black are the colors of GTech's instate rival U of Georgia. So they added the gold stripes in Tech's honor.

NBA, Rutgers, and the "Actually it's Seven" girl.....

2012-11-29T10:40:00.001-06:00

If you are reading this, I assume you didn't win Powerball either. : (

So am I the only one out there that just can't tolerate watching the NBA?? I mean, I was really into it back in the day, but being a Bulls "fan" and watching Jordan and co. win title after title, it was just fun. Maybe the game has changed, maybe I have changed, I don't know. What I do know is that occasionally I try to watch an NBA game (usually because I made a silly bet on a game), and it's just painful. Just seems to lack any team approach, and has a choppy flow. Thank god for ~~the NHL~~ and College Hoops! Anyway, I did come across this hilarious photo taken from an NBA game. It's a classic.

So, I guess there are TWO good reasons to go to an NBA game at least! ; ) Snickers and Skittles, of course.

Rutgers takes on Louisville tonight in a battle of two teams on their way OUT of the Big East. (Rutgers to the Big 10 and Louisville to the ACC in 2014) Some are calling it the biggest game in Rutgers football history. And a long history they do have (since 1869 to be exact). In fact, this is only the 5th time in history that Rutgers has been ranked, and faced off vs. another ranked team. It's big for them, as a win should put them into a BCS Bowl. That would be huge for exposure, especially for a program about to make the jump to a more competitive league. So the game is getting some hype, especially from ESPN (who is carrying it), but in reality, it's just two mediocre teams fighting one out in prime time, and regardless of represents the Big East in a BCS Bowl, they will likely get rolled over. The line on the game is Rutgers -3, which is a pretty standard line for two "even" teams on paper. I'll probably just watch the NFL game instead!

Anyone out there completely SICK of seeing this commercial?

I just want to smack her face with a 2 x 4 every time I hear "actually it's seven" come out of her non-football watching mouth. I mean really, do the NFL and Verizon really think you can just become a fan because you watch a few games on your cell phone? Of course they don't, but they do want people to remember their ads, AND talk about their products, so......mission accomplished I guess! Also, who let Drew Brees into that party with a sport coat and T-shirt??? And who served him a plate of diarrhea?? On a side note, if anyone knows who the girl in the ad is, let me know, I could not find out. I'd like to send her some fan mail!

Small card of college games this week, but some big games to discuss......which I will do...........at another time.

Thanks for stopping by!

bk

ND in the BCS Title Game...sigh.

2012-11-26T21:20:00.000-06:00

I guess it's official now, so no use in denying it any longer. ND held off USC on Saturday night, cementing themselves into the BCS Championship game. While I am usually critical of ND (a "hater" as some tools might say!) you have to give them credit for winning all their games. Their ranking, and spot in the title game are deserved. Their opponent is yet to be determined however. Although it is apparently 100% for sure going to be the winner of this Saturday's SEC Championship Game between the Georgia Bulldogs and the Alabama Crimson Tide. I'm not sure exactly where in the "LAW OF THE BCS" where it states the SEC Champ is automatically in, but I guess that's the case. So congrats to ND and their fans, and they had better start working on their offense, because Bama might be a little tougher to score on then USC.

Speaking of USC......what was with Layne Kiffin's HORRIBLE play calling on ND's goal line stand? I understand you have a very green QB, but you can't just try and cram it down their throat three times?? It's not a secret ND has a strong D, and a very stout front 7. Then instead of kicking the FG on 4th down to make it a one possession game, he runs a play action pass which was thrown too low. I can somewhat understand going for it, as you never know when you'll get that close to a TD again, but the whole sequence was odd, and I think he out coached himself there.

In case you missed it, there was an odd play in the Lions-Texans game on Thanksgiving Day. The Texas RB was stopped, appeared to be down, but no whistle blew, and he kept running (smart move), and ran all the way to the end zone for an apparent touchdown. However, once the replay was shown, it was obvious that his knee was down where he was first contacted. Lion's coach Jim Schwartz got a little trigger happy with his challenge flag, and forgot for a second that all scoring plays are reviewed, and tossed his flag anyway. Well I guess that is against the rules, as it does stop the play, and almost gives them a free timeout. So a coach could just randomly do it to stop play for a moment without reason. I get the rule, but man is that bizarre, as then there is no review that can help the Lions, and the play stands as called!! Check out this link for the full video and some commentary on the play, as the NFL is now reviewing the rule. I understand why the rule is in place, but unless him throwing the challenge flag really gave his team any edge, I don't see why they should be penalized. Or perhaps that is too much objectivity for a ref to handle??

Oh....Dallas played on Thanksgiving too. Or did they? Pathetic. The sad thing is that they still have a chance to make the playoffs!!! There are two too many teams in the NFL, and too many in the playoffs. I'd just assume see Dallas tank the rest of the year and start cleaning house, starting with Romo and Garrett. How's that for being a fan?

In football fashion news, there were a few alt unis that caught my eye over the weekend. I'm not usually a big fan of the mono-chromatic theme, but I like both Arizona and UCLA's looks over the weekend.

Of course, both teams lost!!

In the UGLY department, San Jose State took the cake. Props to them on a great season, and for turning around their program, but they really need to ditch these eyesores!! Conversely, their opponent Louisiana Tech has some simple, yet solid unis, and I LOVE their helmets.

Again, the team with the less ugly uniforms, lost the game. Hmmmm.....

....I'm not sure what is more annoying, the fact that there is no NHL, or the fact that there IS NBA???

Hope everyone is recovered from Thanksgiving. One more good night of sleep and I'll be back in form.

Have a good week!!

bk-- and check out the video below too.....love the Avett Brothers!!
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The Day After Dinner..........and Cajun Au Gratin Potatoes!

2012-11-23T20:24:00.000-06:00

We had a pretty low-key Turkey Day. Went for a hike with the dogs and family in the morning, then went out for dinner in the evening. I still managed to completely stuff myself though (BBQ ribs), to the point where I couldn't even finish my apple pie. After dinner, we just came home and had a few drinks, then hit the hay. So this morning, (after sleeping until 10am) I was surprisingly UNhungover. Quite an odd feeling for me, as Thanksgiving is usually filled with an inordinate number of drinks. D's dinner wasn't as quite as fulfilling as mine, so she decided that she wanted cheesy potatoes today, and went to the store to get the ingredients and a few other things.

I've never made cheesy potatoes, so I had to google up some recipes and figure out what the hell to do. I finally found one that looked OK, and that called for ingredients I knew I had for the most part.

http://www.cajuncookingtv.com/potatoes-au-gratin

Now, I called them "Cajun" but I'm not really there was anything Cajun about them at all. Aside from the
Tony Chachere's seasoning I used, of course, which I use on just about everything I cook with anyway.

So, I set out all the ingredients, and got to work!

The recipe called for 6-8 potatoes, or 2 per person (I was cooking for 4), but our potatoes were small, so I just used 11 small ones. I'm not a big recipe follower anyway. A lot of times I just use them to get the basics that go in, and for cooking temps and times. Peeling and slicing the potatoes was a bitch. Easily the worst part of the process. Once peeled I washed them in a colander then got to slicing. After slicing, all the potatoes went into a pot of ice cold water.

I intended to follow the cheese sauce part of the recipe to a T, but found we were a little short on some of the ingredient quantities. I wasn't going out to the store, so I just winged it. The recipe called for 3 cups of milk or whipping cream, but we only had 2. So I just went with it. I used a little more butter than it called for in the white roux, cause no one ever got hurt cause of little extra butter. I added the heated cream and whisked, as directed.

The recipe also called for 4 cups of shredded cheese, and we only had 2. So I chopped up about 5 big slices of Pepper Jack, and that seemed to fill the void. Put all the cheese into the cream sauce, and stir it in. It melted right up, and smelled great. I added some Cajun seasoning, a little salt, a little pepper, and a dash of ground cumin. Strain the soaking potatoes and spray the casserole dish (I think that is what I used, it was glass and big, like a pan you'd use for brownies).

The rest is pretty easy. Put the potatoes in the dish, pour the sauce over them, and mix it up pretty good. Cover with foil, and put in the over for 40 minutes. I think I had it at 400 degrees. I usually just cook everything at 400-425. Whatever! I did notice at this point, that the recipe called for more cheese to be added on top after they are to be taken out, and that sounded like a fantastic idea, so off I went. It worked out though, as I needed to grab a couple other things, including some garlic bread, which ended up being a great addition.

After 40 minutes, you take off the foil and cook for another 40 minutes. At this point I got going on the rest of the meal. That consisted of a rib-eye steak for me, green beans, the aforementioned garlic bread, some dinner rolls, and some apple-cornbread stuffing.

Took the potatoes out right as directed, and let them cool on the stove top while I finished everything up. Miraculously, everything else timed out pretty well, and dinner was served. The potatoes came out AMAZING!!! The lacking in cheese and cream in the recipe was not evident (perhaps I didn't use enough potatoes, and it all evened out). It was VERY cheesy, and just really good. I am an amazing cook!! Everything else turned out really good too, especially the rib-eye we got from Whole Foods, which was fantastic, and reasonably priced (about $12).

We did some damage to them, that's for sure!!!

OK, I'm sure that this dish is pretty hard to mess up, and there really isn't much to it. Still, I was glad they turned out good, and I was proud of myself! It ended up being a great meal, and a really nice day.

Been pretty bummed since Oregon lost last weekend. Not that I went there or anything, and I'm some big fan. Just liked that team, and was disappointed they lost the way they did. They still have an outside chance of backing into the BCS title game, but it will be a long shot.

Tonight, I have one play. Arizona-ASU UNDER 72. I know both these teams can put up some points, but that is A LOT, and ASU's defense isn't horrible. At 18 pts per quarter, you'd only be at a push. This could end up being a complete shoot out and still go under. I'm hoping since it's rivalry game, both teams come out a little tight before things open up.

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving, and enjoy the rest of the weekend!!!

Maryland and Rutgers likely to join the Big Ten....

2012-11-19T17:33:00.001-06:00

http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/blog/eye-on-college-football/21056732/

The Maryland Board of Regents voted to approve a move out of the ACC, and into the Big Ten. It's obviously about $$$$, as are most things nowadays. Maryland's President admitted as much himself. The real question is, what the hell is a "Board of Regents"? I think I want one of those for me.

Dear BK's boss:

The BK Board of Regents has voted and concluded that BK is too tired to attend his place of employ on this dreary and sunless Monday morning. If you shall be in need of his assistance, he will be perched on his couch watching recorded episodes of Kitchen Nightmares, whilst sipping hot tea and ignoring your phone calls. Good Day Sir!

Sincerely,

The BK Board of Regents

Accepting applicants ask we speak!

Honestly, I don't see what all the fuss is about. All these big conferences are making moves right now, and everything is in a state of flux. It's probably going to keep up for the next several years. The ACC will nab Louisville and UCONN from the dying Big East, and blah, blah, blah, round and round we go. Yeah, it really doesn't make the Big Ten that much better, or worse. Rutgers is probably better than at least half the B10 football teams this year, and Maryland (if they can regain some of their glory of years past) will be decent in basketball. It gives the Big Ten a broad geographic fan base, and it keeps $$$ in the pockets of schools like Maryland and Rutgers, to help avoid cutting other programs, or perhaps just to line the pockets of their Board of Regents. I don't think too much stock should be put into the current state of Rutgers and Maryland athletics, in order to determine if it's the right move. They could get worse, they could get better, who knows.

Honestly, my biggest concern is Maryland's uniforms, and I seriously hope by 2014 (their estimated entry into the B10) that they have settled on some nice solid non-ugly uniforms. PLEASE JUST GET RID OF THE YELLOW AND BLACK CHECKER THING! The Big Ten is home to some of the best college football uniforms and helmets around, let's try to keep it that way!

Seriously, WTF is that?

Now, for some real news. How about this lady who paid $200 for an IPAD that was actually a MIRROR! In an ironic twist, I purchase most of my mirrors from the Apple Store.

GOOD DAY SIR!

bk

ps- Board of Regents

Monday 11/19/2012 (BCS, Oregon, Byron Leftwich...and more)

2012-11-19T14:27:00.001-06:00

.....BREAKING NEWS.....THE NHL LOCKOUT CONTINUES. Sorry............moving right along......

Let's just get this out of the way. Very disappointed in Oregon's performance on Saturday night. A loss that will in all likelihood keep them out of the BCS Championship game. You have give Stanford a lot of credit for containing Oregon's speedy-high paced offense. Oregon still had plenty of chances to get the win, and in the end their kicking failed them yet again. I know the Pacific NW is a big soccer region, so you'd think they could get a more reliable kicker!! Maybe they are all playing soccer. Regardless, with a program as high profile as theirs, that is one position you cannot afford to overlook. Missed kicks aside, the turning point in the game for me was in the early 2nd quarter, when MariOta broke one down the sideline for what should have been an easy TD and a 7-0 lead, but Deanthony Thomas tried to outrun his QB, instead of blocking the only Stanford defender that could, and did save the TD. Then of course, a few plays later UO was stopped on 4th down, and Stanford got the ball back still tied.

On a side note, I did like the Ducks unis again......too bad they put more time into that, than their kicking game.

I have a lot more to say about how this game, and K-State's loss (which I hinted might happen)will shake things up for the BCS Title game. Of course, Alabama is automatically back in the title game for some reason, and 2 other SEC schools are right behind. Apparently their losses don't count as much as losses for Florida State, K-State, Oregon and others. ND deservedly moved to #1, and only needs to get by USC Saturday to make the title game.

If you were keeping track of my picks from Saturday, you are probably wishing you were my bookie! Aside from winning the Baylor game........the rest were atrocious!! I knew it was a bad omen when Marshall had a 38-17 lead late in the 3rd quarter and choked it away, only to save a sister-kissing-push on the last play. It was pretty much downhill from there.

So, I see the Steeler's double-dipped on their throwback uniforms last night and wore them for the second time. Did they forget their regular ones at home? Maybe lost a bet?? I am creating a new position for the NFL, called "Throwback/Alternate Uniform & Helmet Approver" and I am applying for the position myself. The truth is, in both pro and college some of the "alt" uniforms and helmets are just plain UGLY........and something needs to be done about it!!!! Although, I do admit I am more of a traditionalist when it comes to that stuff. I will let you know if the NFL approves my idea. I've sent several hundred emails to the league office so far, and still no responses Speaking of Pittsburgh, anyone else think that Byron Leftwich looks like Kenan Thompson (who is some child star actor)???

And no, I did not know Kenan Thompson's name before I wrote this. And YES, I did google "fat black child star nickelodeon" to find him, and I'm not ashamed to admit it!

Speaking of UGLY uniforms, looks like Maryland and Rutgers might be joining the Big Ten. That's sort of big news. I'm not sure how I feel about it yet. I don't think you can just judge the move based on how those teams football programs are doing right this second. I am waiting for more details on it, before I officially take a stance.

I mean really......I get that you are proud of your state flag, but that is just too much. Especially now that you'll be in the Big Ten, a conference with some of the best uniforms in college football.

If you are looking for a good laugh....check out this video from the Jimmy Kimmel show from last week that Kid Dynamite posted on his blog on Friday. It's fisting hilarious.

That's all for today. I cannot wait to get home and watch the Bears-Niners game with my eyes closed!!!

bk

OK...one more treat....random Beastie Boys video.........

Why the BCS sucks (and the college bowl/voting system in general)

2012-11-17T10:14:00.000-06:00

I will keep this short and sweet.

The BCS system sucks, duh. Let's apply this same system to college hoops. We'll have the NCAA basketball tourney, as normal. But once we get to the Final Four, we'll just have a bunch of people vote and use a computer and pick the "best" two teams to play in the Championship game, even if they've already lost in the tournament.

How stupid would that be?

So, essentially, in football.....the entire season is really just a big tournament. You don't lose, you keep playing. you are undefeated, THEN YOU KEEP PLAYING UNTIL SOMEONE BEATS YOU. Now, I understand that there are still 3 unbeatens, and it would suck if the season ended that way and one (read: Notre Dame) is left out. Hopefully the 4 team playoff will start to alieviate some of this nonsense next year, but it's still a flawed system.

SO SUCK IT BAMA FANS..YOU'D BETTER HOPE TWO OF THOSE TEAMS AHEAD OF YOU LOSE.

That is all.

Saturday Sports..............11/17/2012

2012-11-17T01:09:00.001-06:00

After being painfully forced to watch two garbage games on Friday night, I am really looking forward to some good games on Saturday.

On a side note, caught some college hoops for the first time this season. Watched the tail end of the LBSU vs. North Carolina game. My girlfriend "D" who lived in Cali, informed me that LBSU was from Long Beach. Which now qualifies her to broadcast for ESPN! Congrats on the demotion honey!! I casually said, yep, they're the 49ers. "No" she says, they're from Long Beach. OK.......conversation is pretty much over. I told her to run down to the nearest sports bar and grab 100 people, and we'll all take a collegiate nickname test, and I guarantee I beat 100 of them. My point is, I don't care WHY they're called the 49'ers, but they ARE. Don't argue with me. Side note: UNC won, and no one cares, because it's NOVEMBER.

(for those of you too stupid to figure out why the above exchange is funny, Long Beach is in SOCal, and the "49ers" are known to be more NORCal...oh never mind.......)

....on another side note. If anyone was bored (read: degenerate) enough to watch the Hawai'i v. Air Force game tonight, you found out (several times) that #1 Baylor lost to #4 Stanford in women's college hoops. Yawn, yawn, yawn. But the line of the night by some ESPN "analyst" was "Stanford was ranked 4, you have to think they move up now", really Einstein, no SHIT, I wonder who they'll pass????

OK, so I made my points, I know more about college nicknames than my girlfriend, and I hate ESPN....

....now, finally..............let's get to some games!!

Recent unbeatable #1 SEC powerhouse Alabama attempts to regain some control of their BCS stout by hosting....Western Carolina???? Sorry Bama!!! But....I'm sure Bama will find a way to sneak into the BCS Championship game again after ND loses to USC and KState falters against someone. Which is just FINE with me, because Oregon will beat them....which leads me to my first game....

Stanford @ Oregon -- Can anyone stop Oregon? Rhetorical question. No. Have you seen them play? OK, maybe their D isn't top tier quality. It doesn't have to be when their offense scores at will. Stanford will score, big whoop. Oregon will score more, a LOT more. Will UO cover the 20.5 spread....hmmm..not sure, but the game total will go over 65. Oregon 49 - Stanford 27

Stanford/Oregon OVER 66

Wake Forest @ Notre Dame -- zzzzzz, wake me up when NBC gets their c**k out of Mantei's mouth. ND has no quality wins, aside from their OT squeaker vs Stanford. If you watch this game, do everyone a favor, and do it with a Jewel bag over your head (plastic please).

ND -3 intelligent viewers = zero audience

KState @ Baylor -- Here is one to watch out for. Baylor could pull off the upset, if it wasn't for their ineptitude for tackling. I still think Klein and co.get it done, but I would take the points here.

Baylor +12.5

OK, those are the "marquee" games.......how about a shit game lock?? Got one.

Marshall -3 vs Houston -- Last year Houston was an above average CUSA team with a great QB, Keenum, who is now gone. This year Houston is a BAD CUSA team, facing an only slightly better CUSA team in Marshall. However, Houston cannot play D, and Marshall has a decent offense, relatively speaking. Take the home team here and lay the FG.

Marshall -3

OK, one more and I'll let you go.....I have no real write up, but I think Texas State and Navy goes way over 57. Both teams struggle to stop on D, and I just think it's a 38-35 kind of game.

Now...back to watching UofILL lose @ Hawai'i in hoops.

Happy gambling....or whatever it you normals do on Saturdays!!!! Go Ducks!! QUACK QUACK!!

bk

Just a few random thoughts.....

2012-11-15T11:20:00.000-06:00

The football games tonight are complete trash, and I'm not betting NCAA hoops yet, so I don't have a ton to say right now........ But, a big thanks to the NFL Network for the epic Bills @ Dolphins match up!! This would have been a great match up, in 1991. Yawn.

Congrats to R.A. Dickey on his Cy Young Award!! GO KNUCKLEBALLERS!! I've always thought the knuckleball was cool pitch. Glad he won, as it was deserved.

...also, this just in, Texas A & M, (by virtue of beating a supposed "NFL caliber" Alabama team) has been promoted to the N.F.L.!!! WOW!!! The Jacksonville Jaguars have agreed to be relegated to the SEC. This probably means Blaine Gabbert will get drafted too high....again. As part of the agreement, the Jags (despite their poor record) were deemed to be bowl eligible. They will play the Duke Blue Devils (also bowl eligible) in the Hey If You Are Watching This You Might Be Interested in Shooting Yourself Bowl. Johnny Manziel might win the Heisman Trophy AND NFL Rookie of the year! I kid obviously, but that was a HUGE win for A&M, not to mention Oregon, Kansas State and Notre Dame! This is usually the time of year when I get on my ANTI-BCS soapbox, but I will give it a rest........for now.

....and I still can't get enough of watching the highlights of Celtic FC's EPIC upset over Barcelona last week.

Here are the full highlights:

..and a shorter video taken from the crowd of 18 year old Tony Watt's decisive goal to put Celtic up 2-0.

That's all for today. Go Ducks!! Quack Quack!!!

bk

OFFICIAL KENTUCKY DERBY PICKS 05/05/2012

2012-05-04T23:24:00.004-05:00

I posted them on my analysis post as well, but to keep them separate and accessible, here they are:

HERE ARE MY OFFICIAL PICKS THAT I WILL BE MAKING TOMORROW AT EITHER ARLINGTON PARK, OR THE LOCAL OTB:

#5 DULLAHAN $5 WPS

#15 GEMOLOGIST $2WPS

#5/#15/#3/#4 $1 EXA BOX

#13 WENT THE DAY WELL $2 W

Pretty small stuff, I know. But as I have said, the Derby is TOUGH, and I have not done well in recent years. $35 is enough for me to invest! If I do go to Arlington, and do well in the early races, perhaps I will up some of these bets. We'll see!!

Good luck!!

The Eve of the 138th Kentucky Derby: Analysis, Info and PICKS!

2012-05-04T19:53:00.000-05:00

It's Derby time!! Time to sift through the field of 20 horses to find out who gets the honor of being my losing pick!! Let's face it, the Derby is tough to bet. There are 20 runners, and most of the them are legit. I have a history of "liking" too many, and it causes me to make too many bets. This year, going light. Picked out a couple horses I like, for different reasons, and will focus on them, and probably throw in a few small exotics and longshots for fun.

I haven't watched any racing at all this year, so I am basing my picks on the general info that anyone has access to. I usually try to stay away from the so-called "experts" analysis, but did find one article on the net that I found helpful. I used this after I had a general feel for who I liked.

There are some links below to each horses page, along with a short blurb I spit out.

The two horses I am focusing on are #5 Dullahan and #15 Gemologist. Supposedly, the pace is supposed to be quick. This should benefit a closer like Dullahan. The danger could be him falling back too far, and having too much ground, and too many horses to work around. He was 8-1 this morning, which isn't a bad price if he can pull it off. Gemologist is another solid horse, who has yet to lose in his career, albeit a short one (5 races). I actually had a dream the other night (before the numbers were drawn) that the #15 horse won! I know, deep handicapping methods!!! Don't laugh, ok? So, I was happy to see that a good horse drew the 15 slot, and really think he has a chance to win.

EDIT: HERE ARE MY OFFICIAL PICKS THAT I WILL BE MAKING TOMORROW AT EITHER ARLINGTON PARK, OR THE LOCAL OTB:

#5 DULLAHAN $5 WPS
#15 GEMOLOGIST $2WPS
#5/#15/#3/#4 $1 EXA BOX
#13 WENT THE DAY WELL $2 W

Pretty small stuff, I know. But as I have said, the Derby is TOUGH, and I have not done well in recent years. $35 is enough for me to invest! If I do go to Arlington, and do well in the early races, perhaps I will up some of these bets. We'll see!!

Let's take a look at this years runners:

(number/name/jockey/trainer)

#1/Daddy Long Legs/Colm O'Donoghue/Aidan O'Brien
You'll never guess where this horse is from!! Yup, Ireland. Won the UAE derby back in March, it's only race as a 3 year old to date. Finished 12th in last year's Breeders Cup Juvenile, despite a clean trip and has not proven to be able to run on dirt. Post position won't help either.
Morning odds: 30-1

#2/Optimizer/Jon Court/D. Wayne Lukas
Finished 9th in the Arkansas Derby, and has not won a race since August of last year. Has been run in three big stakes races this year in addition to Arkansas, finishing 2nd in the Rebel and 9th in the Risen Star. Going to be hard to back a horse with those results, considering the rest of the field. Would be a shocker to see it in the money, let alone win.
Morning odds: 50-1

#3/Take Charge Indy/Calvin Borel/Patrick Byrne
Won the Florida Derby (wire to wire), and finished 5th in last year's Juvenile. Very good pedigree as T.C. Indy is the grandson of Triple Crown Winner Seattle Slew, and son of 1992 horse of the year A.P. Indy. Has to be a horse to consider as he has the stamina to stay up front and finish. Calvin Borel is also a proven winner at Churchill, and the inside draw is to his liking. Considering throwing T.C. Indy in some sort of exacta box.
Morning odds: 15-1

#4/Union Rags/Julien Leparoux/Michael Matz
Came in 3rd in the Florida Derby in March, won the Fountain of Youth in February. Has never finished out of the money in his short career (six starts). Going to be one of the more popular picks on Saturday and may end up favorite. Similar to T.C. Indy, could make a showing, and should be considered in some exotic wagering.
Morning odds: 9-2

#5/Dullahan/Kent Desormeaux/Dale Romans
Won the Toyota Blue Grass last month, and has had decent results in most of his 8 career starts. Desormeaux has won before 3 times too.   Half brother to 2009 Derby long shot winner Mine That Bird. He is a closer, that will benefit a fast pace. Has to be on most handicappers short list. If the pace is as fast as some predict, he could make serious run with Churchill's long home stretch. I will have some of my money on him for sure!
Morning odds: 8-1

#6/Bodemeister/Mike Smith/Bob Baffert
So far, looks like the Arkansas Derby winner is the favorite to win this year's Derby. Finished 1st or 2nd in all four career starts. Baffert has won this race before as has Mike Smith (Giacomo). Favorites have a history of coming up short here, so we'll see. Since 1888, no horse has won the Derby that did not race as a 2 year old. But, he sounds a lot like Budweiser, so might not be a bad pick! I'm going to throw him out, because you can't bet on them all!
Morning odds: 4-1

#7/Rousing Sermon/Jose Lezcano/Jerry Hollendorfer
Not bad results over 9 career starts (2/2/3), but finished out of the money in two of his three starts this year. I believe both trainer and jockey are winless in the Derby as well.
Probably explains the long odds. However, this is just the kind of horse to sneak in the money and mess up everyone's bets!! He is a closer, so if the pace is quick, and he has a good ride, perhaps can sneak in the money.
Morning odds: 50-1

#8/Creative Cause/Joel Rosario/Mike Harrington
Won the San Felipe Stakes, 2nd in the Santa Anita (to I'll Have Another), and has placed in all 8 career starts (4/1/3). Is showing up on a lot of experts top 5 lists, and should go off at a decent price. Could definitely be in the money, so consider in your combo bets. Conversely, this could be the horse that doesn't show up at all. Another decent horse I will leave out, for the sake of not betting too much.
Morning odds: 12-1

#9/Trinniberg/Willie Martinez/Bisnath Parboo
Won a couple lesser (Grade III) Stakes races this year, and had OK results as a 2 year old before finishing 7th in the BC Juvenile Sprint last November. Has never won beyond 7 furlongs, and would be a long shot to do so here. He will get out in front and set the pace, but would be a major shock to finish in the money.
Morning odds: 50-1

#10/Daddy Nose Best/Garrett Gomez/Steve Asmussen
DNB has also won a couple Grade III Stakes races this, but is getting a lot more love than Trinniberg, since he's more likely to stay back in the pack. Gomez has won here before, and Asmussen is a proven winner. I'm just not buying it! Of course that means this will be the horse to F me!!
Morning odds: 15-1

#11/Alpha/Rajiv Maragh/Kiaran McLaughlin
Has some decent results in 6 career starts, with his only dud coming in the BC Juvenile (11th).  Was a close second to Gemologist in the Wood Memorial. Has some decent pedigree too. Another horse that could spell trouble for the favorites, but will have to run a very clean race, something he has not done of late.
Morning odds: 15-1

#12/Prospective/Luis Contreras/Mark Casse
Has some up and down results, but does have 4 career wins, including the Tampa Bay Derby back in March. But a 6th at the Blue Grass Stakes, and a 13th in the BC Juvenile stand out as well. Those erratic results are probably the reason for the longer odds.
Morning odds: 30-1

#13/Went The Day Well/John Velazquez/H. Graham Motion
Thirteen is my lucky number, so I always throw a few bucks on it. This year I will do the same! I know, REAL advanced system there! This horse hasn't been tested too much, but has shown decent results in the 5 career starts he had. Including a win in the Vinery Racing Spiral GIII Stakes in March. Probably not a great price for a horse that most will consider a longer shot.
Morning odds: 20-1

#14/Hansen/Ramon Dominguez/Mike Maker
Hansen is a grey horse, if that's your sort of thing!  He's had very impressive results in his short career with 4 wins and 2 places in 6 starts, including the BC Juvenile last November. Came in 2nd to Dullahan at the Blue Grass Stakes last month. I really wanted to find a way to bet on Hansen, but I'm afraid I have to leave him off. He has the speed, but will he have the stamina?
Morning odds: 10-1

#15/Gemologist/Javier Castellano/Todd Pletcher
Never lost in 5 times out, including a close win over Alpha in the Wood Memorial. Has had the same mount every race, and Pletcher is a proven winner. This horse could have the right combination of stamina and speed to take this one home. Will be on my card for sure. Aside from my "dream" theory, I do think he has a chance to get it done.
Morning odds: 6-1

#16/El Padrino/Rafael Bejarano/Todd Pletcher
Another Pletcher trained horse with a few wins under his belt. Won the Risen Star and finished 4th in the Florida Derby. Could be one to keep an eye on, despite not being talked about much. I'm passing, as I think you can find better value at this price.
Morning odds: 20-1

#17/Done Talking/Sheldon Russell/Hamilton Smith
Illinois Derby win was far and away his best win. Mixed results otherwise. Not getting much love, would be a long shot to get in the money. Definite pass.
Morning odds: 50-1

#18/Sabercat/Corey Nakatani/Steve Asmussen
A 3rd in the Arkansas Derby is respectable, some mixed results outside of that. We'll see how this horse does coming from the outside. Another closer that might get in them mix, but past results don't merit putting anything major on him.
Morning odds: 30-1

#19/I'll Have Another/Mario Gutierrez/Doug O'Neill
The winner of the Santa Anita is getting a lot of talk here. A lot of racing experts think he has what it takes to win out the 19 slot. Probably get a decent price here too. Have to consider this one in the mix.
Morning odds: 12-1

#20/Liaison/Martin Garcia/Bob Baffert
After 3 wins last year, Liaison has not cracked the money in 3 starts in 2012. That coupled with it's outside draw will drive this price up, justifiably. Too many better options here.
Morning odds: 50-1

I will make my final picks and post them later.

Here is the link for the website I used to help me decide, and get a lot of the info found above. It's a good read, even if you already have your mind made up.

www.kentuckyderby.com also has decent info, included each horse's past performances. If it's expert picks you are after, try here.

Thanks, and good luck!!

bk

BK Sports Blurbs 05/02/2012

2012-05-02T10:23:00.000-05:00

05/02/2012

Kentucky Derby post position draw will be held today at around 4pm (CDT). You can catch it live on NBC SportsNetwork (formally VS.). Probably take a look later this evening or tomorrow to come up with my losers for this Saturday's race!

Devils even their series with Philly behind 4 3rd period goals. Does anyone outside of Philly root for the Flyers. Not that I'm a Devil fan by any stretch, but I was definitely rooting for them, for no apparent reason other than they are playing Philly! One note, 19 year old Adam Larsson scored his first even playoff goal. While most 19 year olds are sneaking alcohol passed their dorm R.A.'s, this kid is sneaking goals past NHL goalies, in the PLAYOFFS. Pretty cool.

Speaking of 19 year olds, Bryce Harper made his home debut for the Nationals last night, but went 0 for 3. However, he did make another AMAZING throw from left field on a sac fly. However, the runner was called safe despite replays that showed otherwise. Check out the video and be the judge for yourself (0:55). Also, what's with the dude clapping at 0:14?? Come on buddy, you can clap better than THAT!

Matt Kemp went 1 for 4, dropping his average to 0.409. Man, he SUCKS! He did drop to 2nd in RBI's, as his teammate Andre Either drove in 3 to pass Kemp on the year.

Albert Pujols STILL has not homered on the year! He did drive in his 5th run though, despite going 0 for 4. Anyone want to do a pool on when he'll get his first? It can be kind of like one of those "guess when the baby will be born" pools.

The Bulls played their first post-season game without Rose, and got crushed by 17. We'll see if they can adjust, but right now, things are looking bleak. I discussed the Rose debate the other day in THIS POST.

Full slate of MLB games today, including a few day games. Two NHL games, and three NBA games as well, so plenty of sports to be watched!!!

Thanks for stopping by!

bk

Celtic v. Rangers: Old Firm Derby

2012-05-01T13:35:00.000-05:00

This past Sunday, the Scottish Premier League's "Old Firm" match between Celtic and Rangers took place. It's by far the biggest rivalry of the SPL, and considered one of European football's biggest league rivalries (ranked #4 by the Bleacher Report). These teams, and fans really hate each other.
Watching (on TV, I was NOT in Scotland) last Sunday's match was an awesome experience. It was played at Celtic Park in Glasgow, and the singing, chanting, cheering and jeering from the crowd was pretty much non-stop from the 1st minute to the last. Right at kickoff the crowd sings "You Will Never Walk Alone", which continues on, until completion, even as the game is being played. It was quite stirring. Keep in mind Celtic is a SCOTTISH based team, not Irish, and the game is being played in Glasgow.

(note: the videos below are NOT from this past Sunday's match)

I'm not sure what it is about all the singing and chanting at soccer matches that draws me to it, but it sure does. Perhaps the lack of scoring on the pitch forces the crowds to entertain themselves. Regardless, for me, it's cool to witness, even if just on TV.

The rivalry has WAY more to it than just the teams and players on the pitch. Politics, religion, and even immigration have played a major role over the years. I'm not going to get into any of that right now, but let's just say that even as a non-catholic, I side with Celtic.

I know, I know, most Americans think soccer is boring and lame. That's fine, we're all entitled to our opinions. But I would have to think that even the biggest soccer cynics in the US would appreciate the passion these fans have for their teams!

Oh, and by the way, Celtic won 3-0!!

Here are a few more links of videos, and other info on the clubs.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celtic_F.C.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rangers_F.C.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scottish_Premier_League
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBbVuQj5lw4&feature=fvst
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qXmDyGKgi8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXHx9KnzgSY&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McJJ7BlzEWc&feature=relmfu

You'll Never Walk Alone Lyrics
When you walk through a storm,
Hold your head up high,
And don't be afraid of the dark,
At the end of a storm, there's a golden sky,
And the sweet silver song of a lark.

Walk on through the wind,
Walk on through the rain,
Though your dreams be tossed and blown

Walk on, walk on, with hope in your heart,
And you'll never walk alone,
You'll never walk alone

Walk on, walk on, with hope in your heart,
And you'll never walk alone,
You'll never walk alone...

bk

BK Sports Update 05/01/2012 (EPL, Andy Petitte, Yu Darvish, NHL and more...)

2012-05-01T08:44:00.000-05:00

Tuesday, May 1st:

Soccer: First, to recap the EPL match between Man United and Man City. Man U's agenda was obviously to play super tight D and be content with the draw. But Man City snuck in a header on a corner kick just before half for a 1-0 lead. City would hold on in the end to take the 3pts and now sits atop the EPL table with just two games left. City definitely deserved the W Monday, as they outplayed United for most of the match. They still need to take care of business in their last two games, but should they win both, they will likely take home the title, unless Man U can overcome a goal differential of 8.

MLB: My Cubbies looked like they might get 3 out of 4 in Philly when they rallied for 3 runs in the top of the 8th to tie the game, but they gave up 2 in the bottom half, and Philly held on to get the split. It's going to be a long season, as expected. However, for the first time in a while, I actually feel like this team might be going in the right direction.

Mr. Triple Crown (Matt Kemp) homers again, his 12th!! He ended up going 1 for 4, as the Dodgers fell to the Rockies 6-2. Kemp now leads the NL in ALL three Triple Crown categories (HR, RBI and AVG).
On a side note, Andy Petitte is making a comeback and is reportedly (by himself) ready to jump into the Yankees rotation!! REALLY?!?! Here is a link to the report from cbs.com. In case you were wondering, Petitte is 102 years old and is part robot. No, but he will turn 40 this June, and has 16 MLB seasons under his belt. Here are his career numbers. I am at the age now where any professional athlete that is older than me, gets my respect. I can barely do 20 push ups without breaking a massive sweat. We'll see how this plays out for the Yanks, who seem to be back on track anyway.

Yu Darvish had another stellar outing for the Rangers going 7 IP and only gave up 1ER on a homer, and allowed only 4 hits and 2 walks total. Also struck out 9. He moves to 4-0 and has looked really good since he his first outing which was a little shaky.

Albert Pujols watch! Pujols went 1 for 4 last night, and was again homer less. Last year in April he had 7 HR, so he is JUST a bit behind that pace! I'm sure he'll get hot eventually, the question is when. It has to be killing him to be struggling like this. Especially considering the Angels are in dead last in the AL West.
Not much too exciting on the plate for Tuesday night. Of course, there is always the Bryce Harper watch!! I'm not one that usually gets sucked into the hype, but I am very interested to see how Harper does at this level. So far, I've been nothing but impressed with what I have seen.

NHL: Only got to watch the 3rd period of the Rangers-Caps game, as I had to watch the soccer match on DVR first. It was a pretty exciting period though. The Rangers tied it up on the power play, only to have the Caps answer with a PP goal of their by Ovechkin. Rangers hit the cross bar in the last minute with the goalie pulled, and had a couple other chances, but came up short so the series is now tied at 1 and headed to DC.

The Kings won their second in a row at St. Louis, putting the Blues in a very tough 0-2 hole. Watch out for these Kings, as they are not your average 8 seed, and have a goalie (Quick) that can get VERY hot and carry them. In the NHL, sometimes all it takes to advance is some good goal tending and timely scoring.

Only one game tonight as the Devils will try to even their series vs. the Flyers in Philly tonight.

I admit, I was a bad hockey fan this year, but I am really getting into the playoffs this year. Been some really exciting games. In fact, I bet I have watched more games in the playoffs than I did the entire regular season!

NBA: Blah blah blah, there were some NBA games, the Heat beat the Knicks I think, and Indiana and OKC won as well. Tonight the Rose-less Bulls host Philly, Atlanta hosts Boston and the Lakers host Denver, with all three home teams up 1-0.

I'll only briefly touch on the Amar'e Stoudemire incident, in which he apparently punched a glass fire extinguisher case. Dumb, da dumb, dumb dummmmmmb! What can you say really. What really struck me as odd was the press conference with Knicks coach Mike Woodson. Now, until yesterday, I had no idea what the Knicks coach's name was, nor could I have picked him out of crowd. But based on what I saw from the 1 minute clip, he has NO control on this team. He didn't even have info on the incident, aside from the fact that Stoudemire was "cut". No shit sherlock. Why don't you go find out WTF is going on you moron!!

Again, I have spent too much time on the NBA.

In off the field news, Delmon Young was suspended 7 games by MLB for his shenanigans, and some Laker player I never heard of choked some family out. YAAAAAWN! Of course, the Lakers news is being reported by none other than TMZ!! LOL!

DON'T FORGET!!! THIS SATURDAY IS KENTUCKY DERBY DAY!!! I literally have watched ZERO Horse Racing this year, and aside from browsing over the horses today, I have done ZERO homework on it. I did have a dream about horse racing Sunday night, and in the race that took place, the #15 horse won!! The post-draw for Saturday's Derby takes place on Wednesday, so we'll see who the lucky horse that pulls the 15 hole!! Regardless, it's always a fun race to watch, and to throw a few bucks at. More coming this week on the Derby after the posts are drawn, so stay tuned.

bk

Derrick Rose: Should he have been in, and where do the Bulls go from here?

2012-04-30T12:16:00.001-05:00

As most saw, and heard about already, Bulls point guard, and team leader, Derrick Rose tore his ACL on Saturday, ending his season, and probably the Bulls title hopes for 2012. The growing debate on the matter is should he have even been in the game in the first place? The Bulls had a 12 point lead with about 1:30 left in the game. That kind of lead is usually pretty safe, and it would have been big news had Philly pulled off a comeback to win Game 1. However, it is the NBA, and 90 seconds can be an ETERNITY sometimes. Had Rose been on the bench, and Philly made any sort of run, I'm sure the same critics would be chastising Tom Thibodeau all the same for taking him out. I know Rose was banged up all year, but this injury is a total freak accident, and likely not related to any injury woes Rose might have had of late. So, we can sit here and play the "what if" game all day long, it's not going to change anything. My first thoughts when I heard about the injury (of course I was NOT watching it!) were to question why he was in there, but after mulling it over, I think the odds of Philly coming back were still better than this sort of injury occurring. Regardless, it's very unfortunate, and horrible timing for the Bulls, who have made it back to being one the top teams in the NBA for the first time since the Jordan era. Bull's GM Gar Foreman has stood behind his coach's decision to leave Rose in the game. This is hardly shocking, as now would be a very inopportune time to start a riff with your head coach. The bottom line is, while debatable, it was likely not a horrible decision to keep Rose in. I know the results argue otherwise, but with something like that, you cannot be too results oriented, as they don't necessarily determine the correct decision. Yeah, Tommy Thib can sleep at night now that he has my approval!!!

Where do the Bulls go from here? Well, some Chicago fans are remaining optimistic that they have a chance still, as the Bulls were 18-9 without Rose during the regular season. Personally, while they may still get past Philly, I can't see the Bulls getting to, or winning the NBA Finals without their top player. I know they've done well without him this year, but when you play the same team for an entire series, it's easier for them to make adjustments and expose your weaknesses. I would say a best case scenario would be getting to the Eastern Conference Finals, but even that might be a stretch. I can't see the Bulls beating the Miami Heat in a best of 7 series, so unless the Heat get upset in round 1 or 2, the Bulls finals chances are toast.

So, Chicago is left with a spring and summer of watching mediocre baseball, and dreaming of NBA Finals passed! Bulls fans will have to wait another year (at least) to get that seventh title, as the Jordan era moves another year into the distant past. Don't worry Chicago, many a douchenozzle Bear fan have claimed that Brandon Marshall is their key to getting back to the Superbowl! LMAO!! Oh Bear fans, you crack me up! Four months until football season, and it can't get it here soon enough!!!

On a side note, perhaps this is karma for Rose cheating on his SAT tests?? Ha! Sorry, had to throw that one in there. Oh right, I forgot, in Chicago we're supposed to IGNORE the fact that Rose cheated his way into college. Never mind!! I'll still keep an eye on the ticker to see how the Bulls do, as I watch the NHL Playoffs and MLB action!! And who knows, perhaps they'll prove me wrong and make a run at the title anyway. As indifferent to the NBA, and Bulls, as I have become, I would still rather see ANYONE make it to the Finals other than Lebron and the Heat.

That's all for now, as I have already spent WAY too much time on the NBA!!

Thanks for stopping by....

bk

BK Sports Update 04/30/2012

2012-04-30T10:42:00.000-05:00

I started this blog a little over a year ago, and wasn't really sure what I wanted to use it for. As it turns out, I'm still not sure! For the most part, it just ended up being a place for me to post my gambling bets for the day, with a few opinionated posts thrown in every now and then. Problem is, I never really stuck it with, and I attribute that to just not being content with the material being put out. I mean c'mon, no one really want to see my mediocre gambling picks every day, do ya?

I have decided to go a different direction. I'm going to use it as more of a news/opinion blog, with daily updates on current sports goings on, and mix in anything else I find interesting in life.

So, without further ado, here we go!

Monday, April 30th, 2012:

The big news in the sporting world (key word being 'world') today is the match between Manchester City and Manchester United. Of course, this is really only true if you live anywhere other than North America! Nevertheless, the rest of the world will be watching closely, as City tries to prevent United from their 5th Premiership title in 6 years. City currently trails United by 3pts in the EPL standings, so anything less than a victory will likely mean a 2nd place finish. City currently leads United in goal differential (which would be the tiebreaker if they finish tied) at +60 to +54. So a win for City today would put them in the drivers seat to win the title, with only 2 games left after today's match.

Coverage of today's match starts at 1:30 (CDT) on ESPN. If you want to read more about it, HERE is an article from ESPN today about the big match. There is also coverage of the match on the official EPL Website. I am actually DVR'ing the game, and hope to NOT find out who wins until I watch it when I get home. Wish me luck with that!!!

Now, here are things happening on THIS continent!

MLB: The big news over the weekend was the debut of Washington National's prospect Bryce Harper. Harper collected a hit in each of his first two games, and made a couple outstanding plays in the outfield. I watched most of his first 7-8 plate appearances, and he seems to have a VERY natural plate presence, and at just 19 years old, seems ready for full time MLB action. Two games is hardly enough of a sample size to know that just yet though, so we'll keep an eye on him over the next couple weeks and see how he does. The Nationals are surprisingly in 1st place in the NL East (tied with the Braves at 14-8), but have dropped four in a row, including a 3 game sweep by another surprise first place team, the LA Dodgers. However, it should be noted that those four games were lost by a combined 5 runs. The Dodgers currently sit in 1st place in the NL West at 16-6, led by Matt Kemp and his paltry 0.425 batting average. Obviously that will be a tough average to maintain, but so far he is showing that he has a legit shot at a Triple Crown run. The Nats are off tonight and the Dodgers travel to Colorado. Here is a link to today's full MLB slate.

Nothing too intriguing on the MLB schedule for the day. The Cubs are in Philly looking to take 3 of 4 from the banged up Phillies. Japanese import Yu Darvish (3-0, 2.42 ERA) takes the hill for the Rangers tonight. One afternoon game as well, as the slow-starting Marlins host a get-away-day matinee vs. the Diamondbacks. The Marlins are off to a disappointing 8-13 start and find themselves 5.5 games out of first. While there is still plenty of time to turn things around, they really can't afford to fall too much further back, as the NL East is proving to be a tough division this year. Corbin (ARZ) vs Buehrle (MIA) today at 11:40AM (CDT).

NBA: The Derrick Rose injury stole most of the NBA headlines the past two days. I won't touch too much on it here as I plan to do a separate write up about it, and the debate over whether or not he should have been in the game. Yesterday's game 1 results were Atlanta over Boston, San Antonio over Utah, Lakers over Denver, and the Clippers big come from behind win over Memphis (outscored them 35-13 in the 4Q to win by 2). Tonight the Knicks take on Miami (Heat up 1-0), Dallas at OKC (Thunder up 1-0) and Orlando is at Indiana (Magic up 1-0).

NHL: Sunday saw the Flyers upend the Devils 4-3 in OT to take a 1-0, and Phoenix take down the Preds 5-3 to go up 2-0. Tonight the Capitals try to even their series with the Rangers at 1-1 in NY, and LA looks to go up 2-0 at St. Louis.

That's it for today's sports update! Thanks for stopping by.

You can find me on Facebook at
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Bksportsblogcom/167216773333921?ref=tn_tnmn

or follow me on Twitter @bk1374.

Thanks!

bk

The Portland Timbers: My take

2011-04-17T01:10:00.000-05:00

I like soccer. Whether you call it soccer, ''football'', futbol, or footy, matters not. I've always kind of liked it, at least at an international level. The crowds for a lot of European soccer matches always had an electricity about them that was very foreign to me, yet so intriguing. I've always been a huge a fan of the World Cup, especially since the U.S. hosted in 1994. There is something cool about nations fighting it out on the pitch to see who will come out on top. The World Cup is so much more than one month of soccer, fought between 32 nations. The qualifications start up to a couple years before, and many nations hopes and dreams are already squashed long before the opening ceremonies and first kickoff even take place. Once you appreciate the entire process, you can really appreciate why the actual "World Cup" is such a big deal.

International league soccer has always been a little harder to follow. Sure, when an English Premier League came on, I would try to tune in. The crowds are so passionate and vocal, it's almost hard NOT to watch. Sometimes the teams and results almost become irrelevant to the actual experience. But in the U.S., following league soccer is tough, even in the age of instant information and 500+ cable channels. Especially when I am already allotting so much time following sports that actually take place in my own country. I mean, there are only so many hours in the day, right?

When the MLS came into play in 1996, I gave it a look, but something just wasn't right. The stadiums were too large, and the crowds were too small. Not to mention the talent level was obviously more than a few notches below the top foreign leagues. It was hard to even get excited about my local team, the Chicago Fire. Let's face it, the Fire were taking a back seat to way too many other things in Chicago. Cubs, Sox, Bulls, Hawks, traffic, politics, weather, actual fires, etc. Even when the Fire moved into their smaller venue at Toyota Park, I still just never found the time to show interest in them.

But I digress.

Fast forward to Thursday night------------>

I heard about an MLS game that was taking place on Thursday. Portland vs. Chicago. Now, for all I knew, Portland and Chicago could have been the biggest rivals in the MLS. I had no idea that this was even a big deal, let alone a HUGE deal to the fans in Portland. To me, on the surface, it was just another wagering option on an otherwise slow betting Thursday night. Then, a few more people mentioned it, and a few more. So I decided to tune in, despite the late 10pm (Chicago time) kick off. During the pregame, it became VERY clear, that this was not just some "event" for the Portland faithful. Perhaps this was the Timbers first MLS game, but it was very evident that their supporters were far from soccer newbies. They were energetic, vocal, and everyone seemed to be in the best of moods. So, I had to dig a little further.

It seems the Portland Timbers have been around for quite some time. Almost as long as I have been around, in fact. I suggest this LINK to their official site for a little background into their history. This may have been the Timbers first ride on the MLS "bull" (at home at least), but it was hardly their first rodeo. If I did not know any better, I would have guessed the match was taking place somewhere in dreary ole England, as it was complete with rain and all.

The climax of the pregame festivities came at the National Anthem. Listening to, and watching the National Anthem's in an international soccer match is one of my favorite things in the world. The passion shown by the players, and fans alike, is hardly outdone in any sporting arena. (And this is coming from a Chicago Blackhawks fan). So, when the Anthem finally commenced on Thursday night, I was quite taken aback with it, in a very good way. I will let the Timber's Army show you for yourself......

I mean, if you're not moved by that then.........well...........I feel sorry for you.

Turns out Portland, Oregon is quite the soccer town. I seriously doubt this was a flash in the pan, one time kind of deal for them. Their passion for their team runs very deep, and this is not the trendy, hip thing to do in town. In fact, the Timbers Army has been around for some time now, complete with their own WEBSITE, chants, songs, and even instructions, for beginners and veterans alike.

Now, I'm not some expert businessman, or marketing genius, but why it took so long for the MLS to get a team in Portland is beyond me. Obviously, the red tape and logistics of it all are probably very complicated. But it seems to me that this is EXACTLY the type of franchise the MLS needs to not only survive, but to thrive in the US sports market. Let's face it, the MLS is NEVER going to supplant any of the big four sports in the U.S. (NHL, NBA, MLB, and NFL.) That's just a fact. But once the MLS

Or, perhaps I am being naive, and American soccer has already found it's place, and I am just now discovering it for what it is. What I can tell you is this, until last Thursday I had never watched an entire half of MLS soccer before, and had it not been such a late start, I'm sure I would have watched the entire match. I can tell you with 100% certainty that I have NEVER been more excited to see another MLS game as I am right now. I know most the games are not televised nationally, but I will do my best to find a way to tune into the next Timbers match, be it home, or away.

As someone who holds no allegiance to any MLS team, or soccer club in any league for that matter, I think I have found a team that I can really support and root for. I don't want to just jump on to some trendy thing that I happened upon, but really, we all have to start somewhere. As a 36 year old adult, I am I far removed from the days when I may have questioned one's allegiance to a team or sport, or needed justification or proof of one's "fanhood" to a team. I answer to myself, and you should do them same. But if you are looking for an MLS team to root for, are just a curious soccer observer, or fence-sitter on the sport, I seriously suggest you check out the Portland Timbers. I have a feeling you be welcomed. And as with anything, you will get back, what you put in.

So, until the next Timbers match, I will leave you with a highlight of their first goal (at home) in MLS history from their 4-2 win over the Chicago Fire on Thursday night!! Congrats on the win!! The Portland team, fans, and city all deserved it!!!

Good luck!

bk

Search Amazon.com for Portland Timbers

Chicago Cubs: Opening Day Thoughts

2011-04-01T11:20:00.000-05:00

I thought I would share some thoughts about the Chicago Cubs, being that it is their home opener today.

Well, what CAN you say about the Cubs? I suppose you can't say much about them if you don't include their historic run of being one the most losingest sports franchise in American history. I know, I know, what about their back to back World Championships in 1907 and 1908?? Yes, that is impressive. Not many teams can say they have won back to back World Series'. Hell, a lot of franchises would be happy with just back to back playoff appearances. Of course, back in those days, there were no playoffs, and the Cubs only had to best 7 other N.L. teams to make it to the World Series. To put things into perspective, the world of 1908 was closer in years to the end of the American Civil War, then today's world is to World War II, or even the Kennedy assassination! 103 years is a long time, no matter how you look it. That's not to say they didn't have their chances. Let's take a closer look.

Since their World Series victory in 1908, the Cubs have had plenty of opportunities to bring back the Championship to Chicago. From 1910 until 1945 the Cubs made it back to the World Series 7 times. Not too shabby, about 20% of the time. Of course, there were STILL only 7 other teams to beat to get there. Still, they never could get a win in any of those. Only making it to a 7th game one time, in 1945, falling to Detroit at Wrigley Field. That would be the last time the fall classic would be seen at Clark and Addison.

The Cubs wouldn't sniff the post-season again for some time. Of course, we all know what happened in 1969, with the "Miracle" Mets meteoric rise to the top and/or the Cubs choking away the NL East. But in 1984, they finally made it back to the playoffs. Now, MLB had adopted a "Championship Series" format by then, meaning the Cubs had to face off vs. the NL West winner in the NLCS, to determine who would represent the NL in the World Series. Everyone thought fate was on their side, but Steve Garvey and Leon Durham had other plans in mind.

1989, 1998, 2003, 2007, and 2008. Ultimately, all the same results. Failure. In fact, since their 1908 Championship, the Cubs are a dismal 18-50 in post season games, and were victorious in only ONE post-season series, while dropping 13. It's sad really, when you stop and think about it. I think the Cubs have more statues and dedications to their dead announcers then they do World Series trophies??

Why? Why so bad? Why so long? Why the Cubs? Well, it's obviously been pondered over by many a baseball expert over the years. Billy Goat curses, errors, Bartman, etc. Personally, I don't have the time or the energy to expend on figuring it out. I believe the bottom line is simple. When you have mediocre ownership and management, you end up with a mediocre product. That philosophy is certainly not unique to just baseball. But let's face it, the Cubs are mediocre, from top to bottom. Now, there are a lot of franchises that are just as mediocre, and a lot that are worse! What separates the Cubs from those teams, is that they have been mediocre for a loooooooooong, looooooooooong, time.

But, now they have new ownership!! Will that change things? Is next year, finally here? I guess only time will tell. Personally I think they still have a lot of work to do to compete with baseball elites franchises. And let's face it, they are a business. The driving factor behind a successful business is making money. And the Cubs DO make money. Perhaps the new owners will find ulterior motives and make the Cubs just as successful ON the field, as they have been off.

So, enjoy the game on this opening day!! Whether it's watching at home, getting updates at work, or freezing your butt off sitting in your overpaid seats, and leaving in the 6th inning to go stand in line to get into a trendy bar!!! At least baseball is back, right? Just be sure to have your car-window-W-flags ready to display in case they do win!!

bk

Disclaimer: I am short the Cubs today vs. Pittsburgh! (wink wink)

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