East Coast Bias

Finally, A Clear Layman's Guide to Understanding American Football

noreply@blogger.com (J-Red) — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 16:30:00 +0000

I have been frustrated by the lack of a single, clear guide to American football written for the person who has only a passing familiarity with the game. I understand - the NFL and college football have become near pathological obsessions for the majority of American men, and a decent chunk of women as well. We have reached the point where not having a passing knowledge of how the game is played can actually have a negative impact on your career potential, appeal as a romantic partner, or even your marriage.

I took the time to create what I believe is the best basic guide to understanding American football. Rather than forcing the vocabulary that has never worked, especially the cursed downs and penalties, I wanted to give people who are new to the game a basic understanding that will allow a basic understanding of why people are running in the direction they are running. Yes, it is 76 slides, with some nice illustrations and images thrown in. No, I have no commercial purpose for this (and I believe we no longer have paying advertisers since this blog has been pretty well defunct for a while - fair use, perhaps?)

Please enjoy it, and share it with your mother, girlfriend, wife, awkward work friend, first- or second-generation immigrant, sheltered nerd, or print it and give it to the Amish. Like it or not, knowing football is a required life skill in the United States.

Permalink to the guide HERE. (PDF)

College Football Picks - Week 10

noreply@blogger.com (Russell) — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 01:17:00 +0000

A little more patience and consideration this week in an attempt to turn things around:

Air Force (-7) over ARMY - Air Force gave Oklahoma all they wanted in Norman, and finally broke through against Navy. Count on them winning the Commander's Cup with ease. Army's record is better, but the quality of the competition does not compare.

MIAMI (-8) over Maryland - If Harris plays, this should not be close. Wait to put your money to find out his condition.

Illinois (+3) over MICHIGAN - The Wolverines' porous D is still porous, and was gashed last week by Penn St, which isn't exactly an offensive juggernaut this year. The Illini are a tough, physical team, which can't be said for Michigan.

Oklahoma (-3) over TEXAS A&M - The Aggies have struggled against good teams this year, with losses to OK State, Arkansas, and Missouri. Expect a margin similar to the 30-9 loss to Mizzou.

KANSAS ST (+4) over Texas - Consecutive home losses to UCLA, Iowa St, and Baylor have me down on the Horns. K State is playing better right now, even after a loss to the Cowboys, and I'm not sure Texas is really going to play as desperately as they need to if they want to make a bowl game at all.

Tcu (-5) over UTAH - The Utes are good, but not nearly as good as the Horned Frogs. The spread being under a TD is a gift.

Arizona (+9) over STANFORD - This game was a classic last year, and I think the Wildcats have improved since last year. The Cardinal doesn't have Gerhart any more. Stanford will probably win at home, but this spread is too large.

Alabama (-6.5) over LSU - The Mad Hatter just doesn't have enough offense for this one. You have to like the under (44) in this one.

Last week: 3-5
Season: 29-24-3

College Football Picks - Week 9

noreply@blogger.com (Russell) — Sat, 30 Oct 2010 00:54:00 +0000

A little more time to make this week's picks should lead to a better result. I'm planning to spend all day on the couch watching so let's see where all the excitement will be.

Clemson (-7) over BOSTON COLLEGE - As long as the Tiggers don't implode on the road and turn the ball over repeatedly, this should be an easy cover. Clemson manages to lose games they shouldn't surprisingly often.

IOWA (-6.5) over Michigan St - Not quite sure what to make of this spread. Sparty beat the Badgers, the Badgers beat Iowa (even if it was thanks to a fake punt). Iowa has looked really good at times, but has also managed to lose twice already. This game being at Iowa is a big deal, I think the Hawkeyes pull this one out and fairly decisively.

Kentucky (+6.5) over MISS ST - The Bulldogs have struggled to score all year and have been turnover-prone. The Wildcats are certainly inconsistent but one good half from them might be enough to win or at least cover, and the Cats won't quit (see the SC game).

Auburn (-7) over MISS - The Rebels are shockingly terrible this year.

GEORGIA (-2.5) over Florida - 4 weeks ago, Florida would have been a prohibitive favorite, but the Dawgs have turned it on, and the Gators haven't shown anything resembling an offense.

Oklahoma St (-5) over K ST - I still think the Cowboys are a really good team, even if they couldn't stop Martinez. The Cowboys' offense didn't struggle against what's supposed to be a good Huskers D.

Michigan (-3) over PENN ST - The freshman QB continues to struggle and no offense equals no wins for the Nittany Lions. See losses to Illinois and Iowa, for example. This is true even against the Wolverines porous D.

USC (+6.5) over Oregon - I'm buying into the hype about this being their bowl game. They certainly have the athletes to compete with the Ducks, and I think this game could look similar to the Stanford-USC game where neither team could stop the other in the 2nd half.

Last week: 2-4 (disappointing)
Season: 26-19-3

College Football Picks - Week 8

noreply@blogger.com (Russell) — Sat, 23 Oct 2010 15:55:00 +0000

After a week out of town, it's speed pick time just before noon, with a bunch of very tough spreads to choose from:

KENTUCKY (+4) over Georgia

AUBURN (-5.5) over Lsu

IOWA (-6) over Wisconsin

OK ST (+6) over Nebraska

Maryland (+4) over BC

Notre Dame (-6.5) over NAVY

Last week: 2-2-1
Season: 24-15-3

College Football Picks - Week 7

noreply@blogger.com (Russell) — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 16:11:00 +0000

Last week would have been outstanding if I hadn't expected too much out of both teams the week after the Alabama-Florida showdown. I said earlier in the year that I expected SC to win the SEC East, and I should have stuck to my guns. Anyway, on to this week's picks:

NEBRASKA (-9.5) over Texas - The Huskers have made some decent competition look terrible, including blowouts against Washington and K State. Texas does not appear good enough to stop them, especially on the road in a grudge matchup from last year's conference championship.

Iowa (-3) over MICHIGAN - By far the best D that Shoelace has seen so far. The Wolverines D will once again be the difference, in a bad way.

Oregon St (+1) over WASHINGTON - Back-to-back road wins is a tough ask, but Oregon St is improving and still much better than they're being given credit for. Their two losses are to Boise St and TCU, both on the road, and they just beat Arizona on the road.

Ohio St (-3.5) over WISCONSIN - I expect the Buckeyes to be very unhappy about their projected #5 spot in the BCS. This might get ugly. The Badgers are too one-dimensional, and have struggled against the only good opposition they've played (Arizona St, Mich St).

AUBURN (-4) over Arkansas - The Razorbacks struggle on the road, and the Tigers will be too physical for them over the course of the game.

Last week: 5-3
Overall: 22-13-2

College Football Picks - Week 6

noreply@blogger.com (Russell) — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 16:11:00 +0000

A disappointing final result last week on my picks, after NC State had a disastrous second half and Oregon St came up a half point short. However, a 3-3 week isn't too bad. This week is a good time for improvement, and I'm confident the following picks will deliver.

Michigan St (+4.5) over MICHIGAN - The Wolverines' porous defense will keep Sparty in the game, and the State D will significantly outperform the Hoosiers' D from last week. Look for more modest numbers from Shoelace.

NC STATE (-9.5) over Boston College - It's gonna be a rough year for the Eagles, and nothing's changing this week as O'Brien will beat up on his old team.

WAKE FOREST (+4.5) over Navy - The Midshipmen are clearly having a down year, and Wake just played the same offense, giving them a significant advantage in preparation.

GEORGIA (-11.5) over Tennessee - This is a classic WTF line, and the Dawgs have been improving. Even though I think the Vols are superior in the trenches, the home crowd and AJ Green for a full game may be enough to help the Dawgs cover.

Alabama (-6.5) over SOUTH CAROLINA - Vegas must be expecting a let-down from the Tide, which isn't going to happen. The Gamecocks don't have the physical strength to keep up with Bama.

FLORIDA (-6) over Lsu - The Tigers have no offense, and this is the game that it catches up to them.

ARKANSAS (-5.5) over Texas A&M - Mallett will be too much for the Aggies.

STANFORD (-9.5) over Usc - The Trojans' reign in the Pac-10 will officially and conclusively end with a rout at Stanford this weekend. Kiffin's not the same coach Carroll was and the talent doesn't seem to be the same either.

Enjoy the games!

Last week: 3-3
Season: 17-10-2

College Football Picks - Week 5

noreply@blogger.com (Russell) — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 16:22:00 +0000

There were some very surprising scores last week, headlined by Texas' flop at home against UCLA, but it didn't result in too much movement in the conference pictures. But this week some division and conference championships will probably be decided. Should be an exciting week.

OKLAHOMA (-3.5) over Texas - In this year's battle for the Big 12 South (aka Red River Shootout), I expect the experience of Landry Jones to make the difference. If Texas doesn't fix the problems that were exposed last week, things could get ugly.

NC STATE (+4) over Virginia Tech - Color me impressed with the Wolfpack after a pounding of GT last weekend, and the Hokies haven't done much this year. A road victory over BC doesn't mean much. Russell Wilson has the Wolfpack in the driver's seat for that division of the ACC.

OREGON ST (-3.5) over Arizona St - Two good teams, but the Beavers are a little underrated after road losses to TCU and Boise.

Notre Dame (-3) over BOSTON COLLEGE - I don't think the Eagles have much this year.

Florida (+8) over ALABAMA - I'm not saying the Tide won't win, but Urban is getting things figured out on offense, and the Gator defense is really good. Look for a close low scoring game. I actually like the under on 48 pts a lot.

OREGON (-7) over Stanford - Too much speed and athleticism for the Ducks, combined with deafening crowd noise. Luck and the Cardinal have not seen this before. This game will put the winner in the driver's seat for the Pac-10 title.

Last week: 3-4

Season: 14-7-1

College Football Picks - Week 4

noreply@blogger.com (Russell) — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 16:19:00 +0000

After a little bit of a slow week and a disappointing record of 2-2, there's a lot of interesting matchups this weekend with enticing spreads. Conference play is starting and that's always a good thing.

GEORGIA TECH (-8.5) over NC State - The option at home after a big road win will dominate. Tech's D still has room to improve, but is playing well enough to get the job done.

Georgia (EVEN) over MISSISSIPPI ST - In a battle of 0-2 teams in SEC play, the experience of Richt and the Dawgs is the difference. This game is for Richt's job and the entire UGA season. They'll find a way to win.

Alabama (-7) over ARKANSAS - The Tide is the much more physical team and will dominate the line of scrimmage. The Razorbacks may get a few TDs on the Tide secondary, but Mallett won't have enough time to pass for most of the game. Ingram and Richardson will be too much for an Arkansas D that struggled against UGA at times.

Oregon St (+17.5) over BOISE ST - I expect a very close game. The Broncos are really good, and it's on the blue field, but the Beavers gave TCU a close game and I expect nothing different here.

Stanford (-4.5) over NOTRE DAME - The Cardinal won't need a fake FG in OT to defeat the Irish. The Cardinal are better on both sides of the ball, especially at the line of scrimmage. TD Jesus will definitely need to make multiple appearances for Brian Kelly to have a shot at a win.

Nevada (-4) over BYU - I don't think the Wolfpack's pounding of Cal was a fluke, and this BYU squad clearly misses Max Hall and the other seniors who graduated off last year's team.

South Carolina (+3) over AUBURN - I like the Gamecocks to win the SEC East this year, and this is a crucial game for them. Garcia's experience makes the difference, in spite of Auburn's confidence coming off the Clemson game last week.

Last week: 2-2

Season: 11-3-1

College Football Picks - Week 3

noreply@blogger.com (Russell) — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 16:29:00 +0000

There's not as much hype coming into this week, and that's no surprise after surveying the matchups. Here are the games I'm interested in:

Arkansas (+2) over GEORGIA - Mallett is supposed to be the best QB in the SEC this year and lead the Razorbacks to a good season. This is a road game they have to have. But the Dawgs will be none too thrilled about the prospect of 0-2 to start their SEC season. Look for a high scoring game.

NORTH CAROLINA (-1.5) over Georgia Tech - UNC was pretty impressive against LSU, and has had an extra week to prepare. Meanwhile, Tech lost on the road, looking porous on defense and not so great on offense either. This is the game where it becomes really obvious how much the Jackets miss having a #1 WR.

Clemson (+7.5) over AUBURN - In a battle of Tigers wearing orange, I was not sufficiently impressed with Auburn's performance last week to think they will dominate a solid Clemson team.

Iowa (-1.5) over ARIZONA - The Wildcats still have to prove they're good against someone other than other overrated Pac-10 teams. Iowa's a pretty solid team.

Last week: 5-0 (!!)
Season: 9-1-1

College Football Picks - Week 2

noreply@blogger.com (Russell) — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 16:28:00 +0000

The primetime games in Week 1 sure didn't disappoint in excitement, let's hope Week 2 can come close to living up to its hype. There should be no lack of good games, as premier inter-conference matchups between ranked teams are balanced by interested divisional matchups in the SEC, among others. Let's see how much we learned from last week. I know not to trust the ACC in big games until proven wrong.

SOUTH CAROLINA (-3) over Georgia - The Dawgs' rookie QB will make his first road start Sat against a very solid D, and without his best WR. Coupled with the experience of Garcia on the other side, I expect a Cocks victory.

Michigan (+4) over NOTRE DAME - I think RichRod finally has a capable team, and Brian Kelly's bunch hasn't worked all the kinks out yet in the new schemes.

ALABAMA (-11.5) over Penn St - A true freshman QB on the road against Nick Saban's D, need I say more?

OKLAHOMA (-7.5) over Florida St - Landry Jones is a year older and wiser. Don't let last week fool you.

OHIO ST (-8.5) over Miami Fl - The Buckeyes will shut down the Canes offense enough to allow Pryor and the offense to take over.

Last week: 4-1-1

College Football Picks - Week 1

noreply@blogger.com (Russell) — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 16:14:00 +0000

Welcome back to another exciting season of college football! And a thank you to those of you still paying attention to ECB after a slow summer.

With all the shuffling of conferences coming up the next couple seasons, this year's games should hold extra meaning, especially in rivalries. I hope you're as excited as I am. So let's get straight to the picks for the first week's best games:

Pitt (+3) over UTAH - This is the first really good matchup of the year, played tomorrow. Homefield and the altitude will help a solid Ute team, but I think the physical play of the Panthers and a steady diet of Dion Lewis will carry them to victory.

MICHIGAN (-3) over UConn - What has the college football world come to? Is this spread real? Even with Rich Rod at the helm, I have to think the Wolverines can pull this off. I know UConn is no chump team, but they're not even the best team in the Big East.

BYU (-3) over Washington - The Cougars at home are still good enough to beat an improving Huskies team.

LSU (-1) over North Carolina - Seriously?

Boise St. (-2.5) over VIRGINIA TECH - Does anyone still think Boise is a fluke? Played on a neutral site, this game will be a fascinating mix of styles. However, the Hokies have started slow recently, and the experience of the Broncos will pay dividends. This may be Boise's biggest game of the year, and Peterson won't let them forget that. Boise played terribly in last year's opener against Oregon and still won.

NAVY (-6.5) over Maryland - I think all I need to say here is that Navy almost won at Ohio St last year in their first game, and the Midshipmen will be extra motivated for state bragging rights.

PS. The spreads I'm looking at on USA Today have Georgia at home against ULL as a 28 pt underdog which has to be a typo even with UGA's QB issues. If your local bookie will give you that line, bet a lot.

Enjoy the season!

Tour de France 2010 Preview

noreply@blogger.com (Brien) — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 12:09:00 +0000

Saturday marks the start of the Tour de France, and this year promises to offer plenty of great storylines, great drama, and huge surprises.

Old vs. New

The big story Versus is selling us is the rivalry between Lance Armstrong and Alberto Contador. While that’s an interesting angle, ultimately I don’t think it will have much of a bearing on the yellow jersey. Armstrong showed last year that he’s lost a few steps (no shame in that at his age) and Contador has been absolutely untouchable in the Grand Tours. Condador may not wear yellow into Paris, but Armstrong certainly isn’t going to be the one to deny him.

The Other Guys

Photo Credit kwc.org

Leipheimer, Scheck (x2), Evans, Sastre, Vandevelde, and others think they have a chance to stand atop the podium (or at least wear the yellow jersey for a few days). Longtime readers know I’m a huge Andy Schleck fan, so I’d love to see him challenge Contador. Sastre is a former race winner, but like Armstrong, his best days are behind him. Leipheimer and Vandevelde just aren’t quite good enough, and Cadel Evans is a proven loser.

Won’t Someone Fix the Pavement?

The third stage of the Tour will be contested on cobblestones, which are normally part of the one-day classics, but not traditionally part of the Tour de France. In theory, this should benefit Lance Armstrong, since Contador doesn’t normally ride the classics. What it really means, though, is that viewers are likely to see a much more interesting stage than a typical early flat stage (Crashes! Yeah! Road Rash!).

The Pyrenees

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Tour’s first foray into the Pyrenees. To celebrate that fact, this year’s course tackles some of the most famous peaks, including a finish atop the Col de Tourmalet in the must-watch stage of the Tour.

Vino’s Back

Alexander Vinokourov is back in the Tour this year after a three year absence following his positive test for blood doping. Before that scandal, Vino had been one of the most exciting riders in the Tour. He’ll be supporting Contador this year, but he could still pull off some surprises (or he could test positive again and create another scandal).

Controversy

In the run up to the Tour, allegations emerged of riders using small motors hidden in the frame of their bikes to help them use less effort to go up hills. That’s right. There’s a danger that the Tour de France will be a clandestine moped race. Kill me now.

Sprinters

Can anyone beat Mark Cavendish? The British rider dominated the early stages of last year’s Tour before quitting halfway through like a pussy. He talks a lot of trash, particularly about American Tyler Ferrar, but I’d like to see him wear the Green Jersey in Paris before he initiates a self-coronation.

It’ll also be interesting to see how well Robbie McEwen does after returning from an injury (and missing the last Tour de France).

Conclusion

So buckle up, we’re set for three full weeks of cycling action! For those of you who read the blog but hate the Tour, I’m sorry. But if you haven’t given televised cycling a chance yet, you definitely should. You might be surprised.

Next US Soccer Manager

noreply@blogger.com (Brien) — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 14:46:00 +0000

I’m not usually one to blame a coach for a team’s poor performance, and certainly the Yanks’ performance in the World Cup wasn’t a total disaster. I wouldn’t be upset if Bob Bradley was given another 4 years to improve the team (and find a striker).

However, in an unlikely place, I found the perfect candidate to take US Soccer to the next level. Last night, I watched The Two Escobars (which was excellent) and couldn’t help but think how awesome it would be if Francisco Maturana coached the US.

He was very enthusiastic, encouraged creativity and free-flowing play, and has a proven track record with Colombia (even though they bombed in the World Cup 94).

He’s currently coaching Trinidad and Tobago, but we shouldn’t have a problem stealing a manager away from them. Let’s start the campaign here: Francisco Maturana should be the next coach of the US Men’s National Team!

Strasburg Lives Up to the Hype So Far

noreply@blogger.com (Brien) — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 11:41:00 +0000

This post sponsored by Sportsbetting.com, our favorite online sportsbook.

Whenever the media picks up the story of a young sports phenom, you have to wonder whether he’ll live up to the hype. For every Lebron James or Tiger Woods who exceeds the impossible expectations set for them, there are innumerable can’t-miss prospects who do, in fact, miss.

It’s too early to say where Stephen Strasburg will end up on that spectrum, but certainly the early results are encouraging for Nats fans. And “Nats fans” is a designation that encompasses more and more people every day. If there’s one thing the nation’s capitol likes, it’s hype. People with no interest in baseball are coming out of the woodwork to express their uninformed opinions about the latest big thing.

This couldn’t have come at a better time for the Nationals. With the luster falling off the new stadium, the team needed something else to attract fickle DC sports fans. What better than a young phenom pitcher?

For Orioles fans, this couldn’t have come at a worse time. The O’s are languishing with the worst record in baseball, no manager, and no direction. Most fans like the team on the field, but there’s no question the results aren’t good enough. The Orioles need their own Stephen Strasburg.

World Cup Preview

noreply@blogger.com (Brien) — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 11:53:00 +0000

This post sponsored by Sportsbetting.com, the best place for sports betting online.

I don’t have anything to say about the NBA or NHL finals (or the Belmont, for that matter), so here’s a World Cup Preview from the always hilarious “Stuff White People Like.”

Dennis Hopper, "Shooter" in Hoosiers, Passes Away

noreply@blogger.com (J-Red) — Sat, 29 May 2010 19:38:00 +0000

This post sponsored by Sportsbetting.com, the best sportsbook online.

By now the news has made it almost the entire way around the Internet that Dennis Hopper passed away at the age of 74. Hopper will probably always be best remembered for his roles in Easy Rider and Blue Velvet, but those iconic roles belie a career that spanned SIX decades and resulted in two Oscar nominations.

In fact, his only Oscar nomination for an acting role came not from those two movies, but as a result of his portrayal of Wilbur "Shooter" Blatch in Hoosiers. As if you don't remember, Shooter is the alcoholic father of one of Coach Normal Dale/Gene Hackman's players. In a typical Hollywood sports-mean-more-then-sports turn, Shooter is able to use basketball and his relationship with his son, Everett, to dry out and join the team as an Assistant Coach. In a critical moment, Shooter steps into Dale's shoes and the transformation is complete.

Without Hopper, Hoosiers is just Mighty Ducks. As a rare actor with whom three generations can identify, he will be missed.

Disappointing Season for Maryland Lacrosse

noreply@blogger.com (Brien) — Mon, 24 May 2010 11:54:00 +0000

This post sponsored by Sportsbetting.com, the best sportsbook online.

After a good regular season that left them ranked #3 in the country, Maryland fell to Notre Dame in lacrosse. Bringing another disappointing postseason finish for Terps lacrosse. In the wake of that loss, Dave Cottle is out, which is not too surprising given his postseason woes.

For a school with such a rich lacrosse history, it’s crazy that the Terps haven’t won a National Championship in 35 years. Hopefully the coaching change will help things, but I can’t help but feel like the program has been stuck in a rut.

Another Uninformed Lebron Opinion

noreply@blogger.com (Brien) — Mon, 17 May 2010 12:41:00 +0000

This post sponsored by Sportsbetting.com, the best place for online sports betting.

Since Lebron-mania has become the biggest sports story in the country, eclipsing the NBA playoffs, I thought I should weigh in with my opinion.

It’s easy to say Lebron is rich enough, and that he should pass on trying to capitalize on the huge payday he has coming to him. It’s been said many times by many hacks, but I’m going to say it too.

Lebron has a chance to be a hero. I think it’s tough for jaded columnists and cosmopolitan blog readers to understand just how huge a figure Lebron could be in Cleveland. In New York, he would be a big deal. In Chicago, he’d be the top story. In Cleveland, he’s infallible.

I’ve seen first hand what that level of deification looks like. In Baltimore, Cal Ripken is a god. He’s not just everyone’s favorite baseball player, he’s the hometown boy who won us a title and played his whole career here. It’s difficult to describe just how much people in Baltimore love Cal Ripken. Lebron has a chance to reach that level if he stays in Cleveland.

Kobe, Shaq, and MJ were never going to be heroes for their city. If Larry Bird had landed with the Pacers, he could have had his picture on the Indiana state flag.

So here’s my plea as a comfortable hack with no skin in the game: Stay in Cleveland, Lebron. If you do, those people will love you unconditionally for the rest of your life. That’s not something that comes along every day.

2010 Preakness Picks

noreply@blogger.com (Brien) — Thu, 13 May 2010 12:27:00 +0000

So my Kentucky Derby picks weren’t very good this year, but I’m hoping to make up for that with a successful Preakness.
First off, I’m really disappointed Ice Box isn’t running. I loved the way he tore through the field after a bad start at the Derby, and I thought he’d be a great pick here.
Now for the horses that are running on Saturday (check the Past Performances if you want to follow along):

Aikenite (20-1): Hasn’t won since he broke his maiden last August.
Schoolyard Dreams (15-1): The extra 1/4 mile over his longest money finish is going to be too much.
Pleasant Prince (20-1): He’s run 6 times already in 2010, including 3 times in the past 8 weeks. Primed for a burnout.
Northern Giant (30-1): Just broke his maiden in February, and hasn’t done a ton since then.
Yawanna Twist (30-1): Not a ton of experience, but good showings with good Beyers in two G3 races this year. I like him.
Jackson Bend (12-1): Not a factor in the Derby. Seems to have plateaued.
Lookin At Lucky (3-1): Had a tough trip in the Derby, but showed he belonged there. File it as a maybe.
Super Saver (5-2): Another rail bid at the Derby by Calvin Borel. This horse looks too good to ignore, but I’m not wild about him as a Triple Crown threat.
Caracortado (10-1): A synthetic specialist who was 5-0 until he moved up in class and faced stiffer challenges.
Paddy O’Prado (9-2): Great run out of nowhere in the Derby. Maybe he likes the dirt better than turf or synthetic?
First Dude (20-1): The results just aren’t good enough to justify putting him in this race.
Dublin (10-1): Lost ground in the Derby at the end, and that’s never a good sign.

Unfortunately, I liked the three favorites, Lookin At Lucky, Super Saver, and Paddy O’Prado.
I’ll wuss out and take an exacta box of those three, and I’ll also put $5 on Yawanna Twist across the board.
So that’s:
$2 Ex Box 7,8,10
$5 WPS 5
That’s a $27 bet, and I can only hope that a chalk finish would win me my money back. Ugh.

Speaking of running, our friend Jason Reddish is running for Clerk of Court in Howard County. Check out his website at http://www.reddish2010.com.

Preakness Week

noreply@blogger.com (Brien) — Mon, 10 May 2010 11:48:00 +0000

This post sponsored by Sportsbetting.com, our favorite online sportsbook.

Today officially kicks off Preakness week here in Maryland. The initial forecast calls for partly cloudy skies and a high around 80, which should be just about perfect weather.

It will be interesting to see if attendance picks up at all this year. For reference, here are pictures taken at Preakness the last two years:

2008

2009

I’m glad J-Red was wrong with his prediction that last year’s Preakness would be Maryland’s last, but I’m not really optimistic about the long-term prospects. I’ll be back later in the week with picks, but until then you can check out our Preakness coverage from previous years.

Quick Hits – May 3

noreply@blogger.com (Brien) — Mon, 03 May 2010 12:10:00 +0000

This post sponsored by Sportsbetting.com, the best place for sports betting online.

Kentucky Derby

So my Derby picks weren’t so great, yet again. I focused too much on wins, and not enough on the fact that Super Saver was getting better and better with each race.

I really can’t stand Calvin Borel, though. The overwrought emotionalism and homespun Cajun charm are just a bit too much. I’m sure he’s a perfectly nice guy, but his public person is tailor-made for soft-focus NBC puff pieces before races.

Todd Pletcher, on the other hand, just seems like an a-hole.

I can’t wait to watch Ice Box in the Preakness and/or the Belmont. That horse was closing with a purpose at the end of the race, and if he hadn’t been boxed in and bumped for so much of the race, the final result would have been much different.

Orioles

What happened to the Orioles this weekend? Four wins all season and then a 3-game sweep of the Red Sox? Two extra-innings wins? That’s nice to see, but I’m certainly not going to get my hopes up.

La Liga

I watched a little bit of the Real Madrid-Osasuna match on ESPN2 on Sunday. The ESPN coverage uses the Spanish feed for the video, just like they use the British feed for the Premier League matches. For the La Liga matches, though, this means that all the on-screen graphics are in Spanish (the announcers are from ESPN and speak English). It’s a bit disconcerting at first, but you get used to it quickly, and you can figure out pretty quickly what most of them mean. I think this is a case of ESPN showing a lot of respect for its viewership, though. It would be easy for some network exec to say that no one would watch a soccer game with Spanish language graphics. But someone at ESPN clearly understands that there are people who want to watch good soccer matches and a little bit of Spanish won’t deter them (these are the same people who will watch matches on Telemundo if there aren’t better alternatives).

The game ended with a spectacular header by Christiano Ronaldo to keep Madrid’s title hopes alive.

I have to say I couldn’t be more excited for the World Cup next month. Let’s just hope the US has a good showing.

Kentucky Derby Picks

noreply@blogger.com (Brien) — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 13:07:00 +0000

The past performances for the race are available from DRF here, with a surprisingly good “Easy Form” version available here.

It’s that time of year again, the first Sunday in May is coming up fast, and with it, the most exciting two minutes in sports.

Lookin At Lucky (3-1): I just can’t see taking a horse at those odds in a 20-horse field. The past races look good, if you can throw out the latest result, a Show at the Santa Anita Derby where he was steadied. He’s run in great class over the last 8 months, and won most outings.
Ice Box (10-1): Took a huge jump in Beyers over the off-season, and has been prepping at 9 furlongs all year (3 races at that distance). We’ll keep an eye on him.
Noble’s Promise (12-1): He’s lost to Lookin at Lucky three times, and was beaten by 3 other Derby horses in his last outing.
Super Saver (15-1): Consistently improving Beyers, but not a lot of wins to show for it.
Line of David (30-1): Came out of nowhere to win the Arkansas Derby (after two turf wins). This is the type of horse I like to watch at Churchill.
Stately Victor (30-1): Came out of nowhere to win the Bluegrass after two poor showings on turf (sound familiar?). He’s a closer, which is always good at the Derby distance.
American Lion (30-1): Won the Illinois Derby (G3) from the front, but doesn’t look to have the stamina to go a mile and a quarter.
Dean’s Kitten (50-1): Never run on a real dirt surface (mostly turf and a few synthetic races). The dirt workouts don’t look very good either.
Make Music for Me (50-1): Another one with no dirt experience, and no wins off the turf.
Paddy O’Prado (20-1): Best results on turf, may have the stamina for the distance.
Devil May Care (10-1): The only chick in the race is one of only three horses to hit a 100 Beyer figure, but she’s taking a big jump in class going against the big boys. Also, I don’t like to see “shied from whip” in the notes.
Conveyance (12-1): Consistent high Beyers, but hasn’t raced a G1 and didn’t win his only attempt at 9 furlongs.
Jackson Bend (15-1): Always a bridesmaid, he doesn’t look to have what it takes to cross the line first.
Mission Impazible (20-1): There’s nothing to write home about here. A good, but not spectacular, showing in the Louisiana Derby.
Discreetly Mine (30-1): Not enough stamina.
Awesome Act (10-1): I don’t know why he’s getting odds this short, he hasn’t run much distance, and had mixed results over the last 6 months.
Dublin (12-1): Doesn’t win races, doesn’t have the legs to run 1.25 miles.
Backtalk (50-1): Awful Beyers, no wins lately against good competition, totally out-classed.
Homeboykris (50-1): Another out-classed wannabe
Sidney’s Candy (5-1): Great results, but all on synthetic, and he’s got a long way to go from the far outside.

OK, so who do we like?

Ice Box
Line of David
Stately Victor

And I’m wishy-washy on the favorites

Lookin at Lucky
Sidney’s Candy

So I’ll take a $2 exacta with Ice Box, Line of David, and Stately Victor over those three plus Lookin at Lucky and Sidney’s Candy. A $24 bet that should pay out nicely if it hits.

If you’re going to the track, that’s:

$2 EX 2,5,6 | 1,2,5,6,20

It’s Not Trembley’s Fault

noreply@blogger.com (Brien) — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 12:17:00 +0000

This post is sponsored by Sportsbetting.com, the best sportsbook online.

The Orioles suck this year, just like everyone expected. They actually beat the Red Sox yesterday in extra innings, but that followed a blown 4 run lead.

How can we lose with the Priceline Negotiator at the helm? (pic via Bleacher Report).

Yesterday’s victory brings this season’s win total to a whopping 3. Honestly, one win per week is bad even for the Orioles. To add insult to injury, the Nats are still flirting with .500.

No one is really surprised by these results, though, so it seems crazy to blame any of this on Dave Trembley. I am always opposed to the “blame the coach” attitude when bad teams lose. Managerial changes cause a lot of instability, and in the Orioles’ case, it’s not going to really help anything.

I’d much rather see the O’s stick with Trembley and continue nurturing the great core of young players (Roberts, Markakis, Jones, and Wieters). Stop toying around with the team and just be patient. That’s the only hope we can still cling to.

Quick Hits – April 19

noreply@blogger.com (Brien) — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 12:02:00 +0000

This post is sponsored by Sportsbetting.com, our favorite online sportsbook.

I watched a lot of sports this weekend, but nothing jumped out as deserving its own post. So you know what that means, more bullet points!

Capitals

Washington was very close to a major sports meltdown on Saturday if the Caps had gone down 0-2 to the Canadiens.
Caps fans are normally a bit more well-adjusted than the rest of the DC sports scene, but expectations are so high this year that an 0-2 deficit would have been a disaster.
You could see the fans in the stands starting to rationalize away the season when they were down 4-1. “I knew this would happen! They always choke in the playoffs!”
The Caps still have to win another 11 games to make the Stanley Cup Finals and have the season not be a complete disappointment.

F1 in China

Even with a little bit of rain, the Chinese GP didn’t live up to the last two races.
McLaren looked very strong, but some of that was due to a great call by Button to stay on dry tires early in the race.
Hamilton also looked very quick, maybe he’s breaking out of his early-season funk.
I still think Vettel is the favorite to win the drivers’ championship.
The new pit reporter on Speed, Will Buxton, isn’t nearly as good as Peter Windsor. Hopefully he’ll improve with time, but he looked very uncomfortable on camera.

Maryland Lacrosse

It took a season where the Blue Jays are under .500, but the Terps finally beat Johns Hopkins.
I was screaming at the television about Maryland’s time-killing strategy at the end of the game. Instead of getting some insurance goals, they tried to eat clock and ended up letting Hopkins back into the game.
Now the ACC Tournament and the NCAA Tournament will really test the Terps. They haven’t had great success against the best teams in the country, but now they have a chance to get some wins when it really counts.
Dave Pietramala looks like an asshole, doesn’t he? I’m sure he’s a great coach and all, but I wouldn’t want to play for him.

Role Reversal

noreply@blogger.com (Brien) — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 11:48:00 +0000

This post sponsored by Sportsbetting.com, the best sportsbook online.

The Mickelson-Woods rivalry hasn’t always been as close as golf fans would like. For years, Woods was winning majors and Mickelson was being branded a choker.

As Phil won his third green jacket yesterday, it was a bit surreal watching the role reversal.

Tiger had the up and down round.

Phil went bogey-free.

Tiger missed the tap-in par because he rushed it.

Phil calmly recovered and made pars after errant tee shots.

Tiger couldn’t come up with birdies when he was in sight of the lead.

Phil didn’t panic when he took the lead.

Tiger hasn’t won the Masters since 2005.

Phil has won twice since 2005.