ELTEDE Limited

SOME APRIL PHOTO SAMPLES

2011-04-27T13:02:00.000-04:00

Delaney has introduced a cat to the house and she appears willing to take over. She seems to pay no mind to Dewey's growls and would rather play with Molly than any toy she might have. Here are a few pictures of the animal house.

A RARE FLORIDA SIGHTING

2011-04-16T14:49:00.000-04:00

When I go on my route around the neighborhood I like to take some pictures of the wildlife and different things I may see along the way. Usually I'll get a decent picture of some things that you would ordinarily see on the ponds around here like cranes, ducks or alligators, etc.

Today, I got a rare treat. I was able to take a picture of something you used to see all the time in Florida. But in the last few years the opportunity to see them in the wild has become more rare. Now I admit, there have been times when I thought I saw one but the moment was fleeting and I really couldn't be sure. Today I had my phone with me and was able to snap a couple of pictures. These are not the best pictures that could have been taken but I dared not get too close for fear that they may be scared away.

Because these have become so rare in Florida in recent years I believe they have protective status so I wanted to enjoy the sight but not take the chance that they would not come back. The positive thing regarding their preservation is that these two appeared to be in some type of reproductive dance or positioning. We can only hope that their spawn will flourish in these parts. Most of us would like to see them spread from the Tampa area to all of Florida.

I hope you enjoy the picture that I did get so that you too can pass the word that they do exist and they will be making a comeback right here in Florida.

MANAGING MEMBER

2011-01-21T10:42:00.000-05:00

As the newly installed Managing Member of ELTEDE, LLC I thought it would be appropriate at this time to make a few announcements. As you may know there have been a few changes here lately and I thought it would be appropriate to let everyone in on what I have been thinking and acting on. Most of these relate to sports in general but to life in particular (pretty deep, huh).

As a matter of public safety I will no longer be picking football games for this season after February 6th. This is being done for the good of anyone who might think I have any idea of what I am doing with these picks but mostly because the season will be over.
I will not be making a pick for the Pro Bowl game. Sorry.
Anything I say in this blog regarding the selection of any team in an NFL playoff game should be taken with a grain of salt. Hasn't it become obvious that I don't get it.
Starting Monday I will be officially looking forward to baseball. Maybe I'll even give my take on the off-season activity.

With that being said I need to make my picks for this week's Conference Championship. I'll try not to give too much analysis with these, but here goes without point spreads.

NFC Championship. Green Bay Packers at Chicago Bears.
I like Green Bay. Both of these teams have some holes but I think Green Bay pulls it off.

AFC Championship. New York Jets at Pittsburgh Steelers.
Although I'd like to see a Super Bowl between two of the great dynasty teams I think the Jets will pull this one out. Defensively the Jets should wear down the Steelers injured offensive line and the Jets also have a way of looking like hell for long periods on offense and then pulling out a clutch performance in the end to get a win. So, begrudgingly. I will pick the Jets but cheer for the Steelers.

Good luck everyone, stay healthy so the Super Bowl will be entertaining and remember that there are now just over twenty days until pitchers and catchers report.

JOB CLICHES

2010-12-30T12:06:00.000-05:00

I saw this top ten list of most overused buzzwords from LinkedIn profiles and wondered if I could make a personal job history using all of them. The list was compiled by Manu Sharma at Linkedin. I didn't check but I wonder how many of these buzzwords are in his profile. Manu compiled this list as an end of year Linkedin posting for the buzzwords of 2010.

Did you use one of these 10 most overused buzzwords in your LinkedIn profile this year?

Extensive experience
Innovative
Motivated
Results-oriented
Dynamic
Proven track record
Team player
Fast-paced
Problem solver
Entrepreneurial

My own buzzword-infested profile could look like this.

I am a Results-Oriented (4) team player (7) with extensive experience (1) and proven track record (6) as an innovative (2) problem solver (9) within entrepreneurial (10), fast-paced (8), dynamic (5) environments where motivated (3) groups delivered superior value-added enterprise solutions.

Should I post this to my LinkedIn profile?

Thorasic Thursday

2010-12-09T10:59:00.001-05:00

I used the title "Thorasic (sic) Thursday" due to the fact that my arms are getting tired from being stuck in the air while cheering for the Patriots and Red Sox this week. So bare with me; typing is difficult today.
The week began with the Red Sox going back and forth with their new Minor League affiliate (San Diego Padres) over a deal for a hitter who can even hit homeruns in that big ballpark in downtown San Diego. I think he will pepper the wall with his swing and will benefit with extra base hits to his power spots of right-center and center. Adrian Gonzalez made the Red Sox even more dangerous than they were with Adrian Beltre in the lineup. I know Beltre's numbers were good last year but I think Gonzalez will duplicate those every year. So Sunday was back and forth until the deal was done. That gave us a break until the Monday night Armageddon that was coming with the New York Jets.
All I will say about the Patriots win Monday night is WOW!!!!.
This morning I woke up to the news that the Red Sox signed Carl Crawford to a seven year deal. WOW!!!. The only problem I can see with this deal is that now the Sox may be too-left handed. Is that possible in Boston? The Red Sox of my youth were known as the country club team for big, slow right handed hitting white guys who today would make for a good DH. Now the Sox have two of the best base stealers in the game in Crawford and Ellsbury. Two of the most hard-nosed players in the game in Pedroia and Youkilis, great hitters in Gonzalez and Ortiz as well as a hell of a defensive team in the field. School is still out on the catching staff and bullpen but the starting pitching can be matched against anybody. If the Yankees don't get Cliff Lee the argument could be made that the new "Evil Empire" is rising.
Arms up everybody!!!!!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
P.S. I also need to make an NFL pick for tonight. I have to selct between two teams headed in the wrong direction. Indianapolis and Tennessee have been through quite a year so far. Manning has no reliable weapons, his arm is sore and the Colts defense stinks but they seem to be world's ahead of the Titans whose quarterback quit, his replacement is old and slow and Randy Moss has been an invisible waste. I guess I'll take the Colts and give the 3.5 points, what the heck. That doesn't mean I have to watch it.

SOME NOVEMBER SAMPLES

2010-11-30T17:50:00.001-05:00

TAKING IN SOME SUN

HEY, LET ME IN ALREADY. IT'S COLD OUT HERE, IT'S GOTTA BE IN THE SIXTIES.

EXPERIMENTING IN THE DARK

THANKSGIVING

The One About Peyton Manning

2010-11-21T22:03:00.000-05:00

I usually don't like to gush about my favorite teams' opponents but this blog will be the second time this month. The first was when Derek Jeter won the Gold Glove Award and I defended him. Even though I am genetically conditioned to despise the Evil Empire that is the Yankees I still think he is one of the best. Now I come to praise Peyton Manning, not bury him.

The Patriots may have beaten Indianapolis today but the fact that this game was even close is a testament to the greatness of Peyton Manning. Let me just say that the Colts stink out loud, with or without injuries. That defense was pathetic today except for one Patriots possession. If it weren't for a couple of drops the Pats could have run up the score. Did they have any negative yardage plays? The Colts offense is nothing to write home about as well without Manning. Could you imagine that team without him? As it was he had three interceptions and still almost pulled off the come back.

Although I don't think the Colts will go deep in the playoffs (if they make them) I think Manning should be handed the MVP trophy right now. Sure Brady, Vick, Rivers, Matthews and others are having great years but all of them at least have a competitive team to battle with.

When he was younger I always felt that Manning was guaranteed to give it away in a tight playoff situation. It usually was a certainty. That can no longer be said after they won a Super Bowl but I still have questions. However, in the regular season I've never seen anyone better. I wish him well watching the playoffs this year.

USF - Rutgers pix

2010-11-04T11:54:00.000-04:00

My visit to Raymond James last night gave me an opportunity to experiment a little more with my camera. Some of these came out OK, others, not so much. The game was interesting and exciting if not a thing of beauty but the fact that USF pulled it out was a treat.

This call was reviewed for a Rutgers TD. Can you tell if he got in?

This is the same play zoomed in. This is when I think it would be nice to have a better camera.

EVERYONE COMPLAINS ABOUT THE POLITICAL ADS...

2010-10-31T10:51:00.000-04:00

but they don't do anything about it. I say they shouldn't.

As predicable as the press complaining about the large number of themselves at the Super Bowl and the Boston writers over rating the next great Red Sox prospect, the political coverage of the last week or so is centered on the number of negative election ads.

Please stop!

This is not a rant about any of the parties involved. My rant is in favor of these commercials. Hey, everyone is complaining about the state of the economy. Did you ever stop to think that the obscene amount of money spent on these ads is serving a number of purposes? First of all it allows the politicians to spend their own and donors money which is a pretty cool way of spreading the wealth. They are, after all, making transactions to get these ads run. On the other hand it allows those who have more spend more, which again, create transactions that spur the economy.

My old Communistic Sociology teacher used to describe Capitalism as simply as the 'Economics of Beer', others call it 'Trickle Down'. Without getting into all aspects of the details his premise, which I'm betting he used for his doctoral thesis, was that Capitalistic (be it Market or Keynesian) spending helps to spur the sale of beer. Basically with additional capital available to producers, more construction is needed to fulfill capacity, which leads to the hiring of construction workers. Construction workers like to drink beer. When construction workers are paid they will spend money on beer, among other things. The purchase of beer needs to take place at a local store owned by a proprietor (in his case personally or state owned). Because there is greater demand for beer, the proprietor will order more from the distributor, who gets his take and passes the orders to increase demand to the brewer; and so the cycle continues.

In the case of elections that process takes place in a different arena but with similar results. The problem comes with election day. After that the process just suddenly ends and there is no major national election for another two years. Like Archie Bunker's solution to end hijacking by giving everyone on the plane a gun, I say let's have a national election referendum on something every six months. That way the money will keep flowing to those sign makers, videographers, political consultants, television stations and bartenders who profit from the election cycle. Of course we may need to take a break for the more important voting issues in this country; you know, things like American Idol.

SOME OCTOBER PHOTOS

2010-10-27T10:41:00.000-04:00

I've been lugging this thing around for a couple of weeks.

The old and New Lowell.

Sunset in Lowell

The Hunter's Moon in New England.

NFL WEEK 7 RESULTS

2010-10-27T10:25:00.000-04:00

Well, it seems that .500 is slipping further from my grasps. I had another losing week. That's three in a row and I am now 7 under .500. Here are the results.

Visitor	2005 Pts. Allowed	Home	2005 Pts. Allowed	Selection	Point Spread	Result	Win	Loss
Cleveland Browns	301	New Orleans Saints	398	Cleveland Browns	+14.5	W	1
Jacksonville Jaguars	269	Kansas City Chiefs	325	Jacksonville Jaguars	+9.0	L		1
Buffalo Bills	367	Baltimore Ravens	299	Baltimore Ravens	-14.5	L		1
San Francisco 49ers	428	Carolina Panthers	259	Carolina Panthers	+2.5	W	1
Philadelphia Eagles	388	Tennessee Titans	421	Philadelphia Eagles	+2.5	L		1
St. Louis Rams	429	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	274	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	-2.0	L		1
Pittsburgh Steelers	258	Miami Dolphins	317	Pittsburgh Steelers	-3.0	W	1
Cincinnati Bengals	350	Atlanta Falcons	341	Atlanta Falcons	-3.0	W	1
Washington Redskins	293	Chicago Bears	202	Chicago Bears	-2.5	L		1
Arizona Cardinals	387	Seattle Seahawks	271	Seattle Seahawks	-7.0	W	1
Oakland Raiders	383	Denver Broncos	258	Denver Broncos	-9.0	L		1
New England Patriots	338	San Diego Chargers	312	San Diego Chargers	-1.0	L		1
Minnesota Vikings	344	Green Bay Packers	344	Minnesota Vikings	-1.0	L		1
New York Giants	314	Dallas Cowboys	308	Dallas Cowboys	-3.0	L		1
							5	9
							38	41
							43	50

WORLD SERIES THOUGHTS

2010-10-26T21:14:00.000-04:00

I actually thought long and hard about whether or not I should post anything for the World Series. If anyone had selected the LCS's based on my selections they would be behind the eight ball right now. So, following my horrendous call for a New York - Philadelphia rematch I get the chance to look at the two teams I hoped would win but didn't really think would be.

Texas vs. San Francisco. I think the Giants would show a lot of guts if they would do what I think they should do and that is having Brian McCann throw out the first pitch of the first game. It would be appropriate because McCann of Atlanta was the man who got the All Star game's winning hit to allow the National League home field advantage in the World Series. I think that is actually the key to this series. Although Texas now plays more of a running style and doesn't necessarily rely on the long ball I think that there bigger hitters will struggle in San Francisco. AT&T Park is a pitcher's park with long gaps and a deep center field where the ball doesn't travel very well. The ballpark in Arlington has that jet stream from right-center to left-center that carry many balls out that wouldn't ordinarily go out. However, as the weather has cooled that doesn't seem to be happening as much.

San Francisco plays the Earl Weaver game of pitching, defense and three run home runs and I think that should work. Of course, I've been wrong about both teams so maybe I should reserve my right to change my mind.

Selection: San Francisco.

NFL WEEK 7 SELECTIONS

2010-10-22T11:46:00.000-04:00

I wanted to see how past defense correlates to today's game and make my scientific decisions based on that. Nah, I just picked a year and a stat that would make sense. So I am looking at a comparison of 2005 Points allowed as the indicator for selections this week. Here are the picks.

Visitor	2005 Pts. Allowed	Home	2005 Pts. Allowed	Selection	Point Spread
Cleveland Browns	301	New Orleans Saints	398	Cleveland Browns	+14.5
Jacksonville Jaguars	269	Kansas City Chiefs	325	Jacksonville Jaguars	+9.0
Buffalo Bills	367	Baltimore Ravens	299	Baltimore Ravens	-14.5
San Francisco 49ers	428	Carolina Panthers	259	Carolina Panthers	+2.5
Philadelphia Eagles	388	Tennessee Titans	421	Philadelphia Eagles	+2.5
St. Louis Rams	429	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	274	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	-2.0
Pittsburgh Steelers	258	Miami Dolphins	317	Pittsburgh Steelers	-3.0
Cincinnati Bengals	350	Atlanta Falcons	341	Atlanta Falcons	-3.0
Washington Redskins	293	Chicago Bears	202	Chicago Bears	-2.5
Arizona Cardinals	387	Seattle Seahawks	271	Seattle Seahawks	-7.0
Oakland Raiders	383	Denver Broncos	258	Denver Broncos	-9.0
New England Patriots	338	San Diego Chargers	312	San Diego Chargers	-1.0
Minnesota Vikings	344	Green Bay Packers	344	Minnesota Vikings	-1.0
New York Giants	314	Dallas Cowboys	308	Dallas Cowboys	-3.0

NFL WEEK 6 Results

2010-10-20T13:12:00.000-04:00

I'm not sure what this week's results prove. Either the experts really do know what they are talking about with their picks or the odds makers are even better with theirs. This weeks results were poor again with at least four games being either a push or the results were a half point difference. It was "that" close. Here are my results.

Visitor	1999 Pts Scored	Home	1999 Pts Scored	Selection	Point Spread	Result	Win	Loss
Atlanta Falcons	285	Philadelphia Eagles	272	Atlanta Falcons	+3.0	L		1
Seattle Seahawks	338	Chicago Bears	272	Seattle Seahawks	+6.5	W	1
Kansas City Chiefs	390	Houston Texans	0	Kansas City Chiefs	+4.5	W	1
Baltimore Ravens	324	New England Patriots	299	Baltimore Ravens	+3.0	L		1
San Diego Chargers	269	Saint Louis Rams	526	Saint Louis Rams	+8.5	W	1
Miami Dolphins	326	Green Bay Packers	357	Green Bay Packers	PK	L		1
New Orleans Saints	260	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	270	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	+4.5	L		1
Detroit Lions	322	New York Giants	299	Detroit Lions	+10	L		1
Cleveland Browns	217	Pittsburgh Steelers	317	Pittsburgh Steelers	-13.5	W	1
New York Jets	308	Denver Broncos	314	Denver Broncos	+3.0	L		1
Oakland Raiders	390	San Francisco 49ers	295	Oakland Raiders	+6.5	L		1
Dallas Cowboys	352	Minnesota Vikings	399	Minnesota Vikings	-1.5	W	1
Indianapolis Colts	423	Washington Redskins	443	Washington Redskins	+3.0	L		1
Tennessee Titans	392	Jacksonville Jaguars	396	Jacksonville Jaguars	+3.0	L		1
							5	9
				Overall from Previous Week			33	41
				Overall record			38	50

LCS SELECTIONS

2010-10-15T20:26:00.000-04:00

I've had a couple of days to not consider the New York media's declarations that the Phillies - Yankees matchup is inevitable and have come to the following conclusions.

AMERICAN LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

New York vs. Texas. In my view this matchup is similar in a lot of ways to the Texas - Tampa Bay matchup, but in reverse. This time Texas is the team that may not hit as much as the Yankees but will do all the little things that will pester the hell out of the Yankees. Like the Rays, if the Rangers can get on base they will disrupt the Yankees defense by running, taking extra bases and just being all around pests. Not to mention that they have the ability to knock it out of the park on occassion. It is very likely that the Rangers will be able to get on base against the Yankees pitching the question will be whether or not they will be playing from in front or trying to catch up to New York's hitters. Tampa Bay's mediocre lineup was overmatched by Texas' better pitchers but I can't see that happening too often with New York.

Selection: New York. I think the biggest question in this series will be whether or not the Yankee pitching can hold down the Ranger offense enough to win. My bet is they will and that New York's clutch hitting takes it.

NATIONAL LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

San Francisco vs. Philadelphia. Pitching, pitching and more pitching. That's what this series is supposed to be, so there will probably be three or more games with double digit scores on both sides. That being said, I think this series turns on the bullpens of both teams. Regardless of whether they are high or low scoring games they should be somewhat close and that is where the bullpens come in. San Francisco's pen has been solid all year, however, Philadelphia's pen has the experience of big games. Offensively, San Francisco would have a tough time staying with the Phillies sluggers but they seem to play the old Earl Weaver way; pitching, defense and three run homers. They seem to score in bunches but not as consistently as Philadelphia.

Selection: Philadelphia. As long as they stay hungry Philadelphia has the more experienced, talented team and although I hate to admit it I see a Philadelphia - New York rematch for the World Series.

NFL WEEK 6

2010-10-15T08:24:00.000-04:00

Alright, I took a beating last week and this week has the potential for the same. For this week I looked at a football only stat to see how it affects this week's games. Basically, the team with the most points in 1999 gets the edge. The interesting result is that my selections end up being underdogs this week by a large majority. There is only one favorite who gets the pick, and that is the largest spread on the board. That's why I say this could be a very difficult week. But let's see what happens, it could be interesting.

Visitor	1999 Pts Scored	Home	1999 Pts Scored	Selection	Point Spread
Atlanta Falcons	285	Philadelphia Eagles	272	Atlanta Falcons	+3.0
Seattle Seahawks	338	Chicago Bears	272	Seattle Seahawks	+6.5
Kansas City Chiefs	390	Houston Texans	0	Kansas City Chiefs	+4.5
Baltimore Ravens	324	New England Patriots	299	Baltimore Ravens	+3.0
San Diego Chargers	269	Saint Louis Rams	526	Saint Louis Rams	+8.5
Miami Dolphins	326	Green Bay Packers	357	Green Bay Packers	PK
New Orleans Saints	260	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	270	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	+4.5
Detroit Lions	322	New York Giants	299	Detroit Lions	+10
Cleveland Browns	217	Pittsburgh Steelers	317	Pittsburgh Steelers	-13.5
New York Jets	308	Denver Broncos	314	Denver Broncos	+3.0
Oakland Raiders	390	San Francisco 49ers	295	Oakland Raiders	+6.5
Dallas Cowboys	352	Minnesota Vikings	399	Minnesota Vikings	-1.5
Indianapolis Colts	423	Washington Redskins	443	Washington Redskins	+3.0
Tennessee Titans	392	Jacksonville Jaguars	396	Jacksonville Jaguars	+3.0

DIVISION SERIES' RESULTS THOUGHTS

2010-10-13T10:11:00.000-04:00

Now that the Divisional Series' in each league have completed it's appropriate to look forward at the upcoming League Championship Series'. But before I get to that let's take a look at the results of the Division Playoffs.

ALDS

I selected Minnesota to beat the Yankees. I should know better. Minnesota really disappointed me by how they played and the approach they took against the Yankee lineup and pitching staff. When they get to the point where they don't stand around and gaze in wonder at the Yankees then maybe they can beat them (or anybody for that matter). But until that happens the results will be the same as this year, and last year and... well you get the point.

I selected Texas to beat Tampa Bay and was correct but it didn't exactly play out the way I thought it would. I couldn't and wouldn't have picked the visiting team to win every game. I thought Texas would split in St. Pete and go back to Arlington to win it. Well, not exactly. However, Texas is much better than most give them credit for.

NLDS

My selection of San Francisco to beat Atlanta in a very close battle was correct. Every game was close and, as I mentioned, Atlanta pieced things together this year but that is what may have done them in. Having people playing out of position or hurt can work for a short period of time but in the long run it'll get you.

My no-brainer pick was Philadelphia. That series played out much as expected with Philadelphia's pitching dominating. A no hitter by Halladay was not expected but it was obvious that their staff was deeper and even though Cincinnati had the best hitting team of the regular season Philadelphia had the experience of hitting in the clutch that was needed.

I will not make my selections with this posting because I do have a couple of days to consider things and it'll give me a chance to think about baseball even longer. Not a bad thing.

NFL WEEK 5 SELECTIONS

2010-10-08T13:37:00.000-04:00

To continue with my theme with irrelevant facts determining the outcome of NFL games I will make this week's selections opposite to last week's and select games by the number of consonants in a team's name.

This works for a couple of reasons. The first being that last week was not a great week for the vowels. My picks went 6 - 8 for the week bringing my totals to 30 -32 against the spread this season. Still somewhat respectable but definitely slipping. I need a big week from this week's picks.

The second reason to pick consonants this week is that it's easy. I just need to reverse my counts and go with it. So here are the selections for NFL Week 5.

Visitor	Consonants	% of Letters	Home	Consonants	% of Letters	Selection	Point Spread
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	11	55.00%	Cincinnati Bengals	11	61.11%	Cincinnati Bengals	-7.0
Green Bay Packers	10		Washington Redskins	13		Washington Redskins	+2.5
Kansas City Chiefs	10	55.56%	Indianapolis Colts	10	55.56%	Kansas City Chiefs	+8.5
Atlanta Falcons	9		Cleveland Browns	11		Cleveland Browns	+2.5
Denver Broncos	9	64.29%	Baltimore Ravens	9	56.25%	Denver Broncos	+7.5
New York Giants	9		Houston Texans	8		New York Giants	+2.5
Saint Louis Rams	8		Detroit Lions	7		Saint Louis Rams	+2.5
Jacksonville Jaguars	12		Buffalo Bills	8		Jacksonville Jaguars	PK
New Orleans Saints	10		Arizona Cardinals	9		New Orleans Saints	-7.5
San Diego Chargers	10		Oakland Raiders	8		San Diego Chargers	-7.0
Tennessee Titans	9	56.25%	Dallas Cowboys	9	64.29%	Dallas Cowboys	-8.0
Philadelphia Eagles	10		San Francisco Forty Niners	15		San Francisco Forty Niners	-3.0
Minnesota Vikings	10		New York Jets	8		Minnesota Vikings	+3.0

NFL Week 4 Results

2010-10-07T06:00:00.000-04:00

Someone complained that I haven't posted my results so I thought I would place them out there this week. It wasn't a very good week for the vowels. They went 6 - 8. So this week I will reverse it and pick based on consonants. But here are the totals from last week.

Visitor	Vowels	% of Letters	Home	Vowels	% of Letters	Selection	Point Spread	Result
New York Jets	3		Buffalo Bills	4		Buffalo Bills	+5.5	L
Cincinnati Bengals	6		Cleveland Browns	4		Cincinnati Bengals	-3.0	L
Baltimore Ravens	6		Pittsburgh Steelers	5		Baltimore Ravens	+1.0	W
Denver Broncos	4		Tennessee Titans	6		Tennessee Titans	-6.5	L
Detroit Lions	5	38.46%	Green Bay Packers	5	29.41%	Detroit Lions	+14.5	W
San Francisco Forty Niners	8		Atlanta Falcons	5		San Francisco Forty Niners	+7.0	W
Carolina Panthers	6	35.29%	New Orleans Saints	6	33.33%	Carolina Panthers	+13.5	W
Seattle Seahawks	6		Saint Louis Cardinals	8		Saint Louis Cardinals	+1.0	W
Indianapolis Colts	7	38.89%	Jacksonville Jaguars	7	35.00%	Indianapolis Colts	_7.5	L
Houston Texans	5		Oakland Raiders	6		Oakland Raiders	+3.0	L
Washington Redskins	5		Philadelphia Eagles	8		Philadelphia Eagles	-6.0	L
Arizona Cardinals	7		San Diego Chargers	6		Arizona Cardinals	+8.0	L
Chicago Bears	5		New York Giants	4		Chicago Bears	+4.0	L
New England Patriots	6		Miami Dolphins	5		New England Patriots	-1.0	W

MLB Divsion Series Thoughts

2010-10-04T19:28:00.000-04:00

MLB Playoff Preview

ELTEDE Team by Team Breakdown

Before I make any predictions, I think it is worth noting that I have never seen a more competitive outlook on paper among the four American League teams. There seems to be very little to separate them, however, there are some differences.

One of the problems in picking the American League series' is how each team finished. Nobody was really lighting it up on their march to October. Each struggled with one or many parts of the game or with injuries. Many times it is relatively easy to pick winners based on who was hot coming down the stretch. In this case it might be difficult to determine winners based on who was the least unproductive.

On paper the National League seems like a complete slam dunk for one team. However, over the years we've all seen that this can also prove tricky with some team's pitching staff getting really hot in the playoffs and carrying them past the favorites. I'm not sure if that will happen this year but I wouldn't rule it out.

This week I will be selecting my picks for the American and National League Division series winners only. I will wait until the next round before sticking my neck out too far to pick those winners.

AMERICAN LEAGUE

Texas vs. Tampa Bay.

Texas' strength is hitting and their vulnerability is in the starting rotation. Whereas Tampa Bay's strengths lie in in their pitching, defense, speed and ability to manufacture runs. However, the Rays starting pitchers have been mediocre at best outside of David Price in September and their hitting has been almost non-existent. Yet they still managed to squeak out the division by being able to produce runs by any means possible. How they hit against Texas' average pitching will dictate how this series plays out. The Rays have the POTENTIAL to put up a lot of hits but only do so in streaks.

Texas, on the other hand, can hit with anybody. If their starting pitchers can stay in the game long enough to get to the end of their pen they could be tough to beat. Cliff Lee and David Price in Game 1 are a toss up but after that the Rays have the pitching advantage. Good pitching usually beats good hitting. However, the mediocre pitching the Rays have displayed could be in trouble. If the real Matt Garza and James Shields show up then the Rays have the edge.

Selection: Texas. If the Rangers can split the first two in St. Pete then I think they will go home and really hit in Arlington and it may not come back to Tampa Bay.

New York vs. Minnesota.

Minnesota won their division the way they have for so many years. They played sound fundamental baseball with clutch performances at the most crucial times of August and September. The fact that they struggled after they clinched is a bit of a concern because they still had the best record to play for, but then again, the Yankees struggled down the stretch too.

The Yankees struggled coming down the stretch and although that may not seem to be a concern to some fans because the feeling is usually 'hey they are the Yankees, they'll figure it out' I would disagree. The biggest mess I saw with the Yankees in September was the pitching staff. While most people were concerned with the starters after Sabathia I couldn't help but notice that their bullpen is in complete shambles and Mariano Rivera is not as invincible. This might be due to him having to pitch longer in tight situations because Giradi didn't have as much faith in everyone else in the bullpen.

Selection: Minnesota. The Yankees will have to rely on out hitting the Twins in order to win this series. But I think the bullpen acquisitions made by Minnesota this year may prevent that situation from getting too far away from them. I think the Twins have more bullpen weapons than they ever had in order to stop the Yankees.

NATIONAL LEAGUE.

Cincinnati vs. Philadelphia.

If ever there appeared to be a mismatch on paper this series would appear to be it. Philadelphia will pitch three starters in this extended series who could be aces somewhere else. Cincinnati has a bunch of mid-level starters and an average bullpen. Dusty Baker managed to get a lot out of these guys this year.

Against most teams you could say that the Reds have the hitting advantage that will cover up the pitching issues. But this is the Phillies we're talking about. With two launching pads for stadiums in this series it would appear that 11 – 10 games would be commonplace. But see above; three aces. Cincinnati will need an extraordinary effort to pull this one out.

Selection: Philadelphia

Atlanta vs. San Francisco.

One of the better debates for this series might be who deserves Rookie of the Year honors. The choice is between Buster Posey and Jason Heyward. Although the votes need to be in before the playoffs start wouldn't it be nice to see the two have a head to head showdown for the award.

To my eye it looked like Atlanta pieced this thing together all year to get where they are. They have a pretty good pitching staff with a good deal of experience in the clutch. They have played good defense and have shown a lot of versatility in their lineup. They also have the good luck charm Eric Hinske coming off the bench. If the Braves make it past the National League it will be the fourth year in a row he has been in the World Series, all with different teams.

San Francisco's major strength in September was their pitching staff. They can throw three to four above average starters out there and be followed up with a very solid bullpen. They have also had very clutching hitting in the last month. However, I like Atlanta's starting eight offensively over San Francisco.

Selection: San Francisco. I think the home field advantage will be the difference in this one. I expect this series to be the most competitive and compelling going down to the fifth game. Sorry Bobby Cox.

MLB Playoffs

2010-10-02T08:35:00.000-04:00

My MLB playoff picks will be out Tuesday. No goofy machinations with letters , stats or any other way to possibly manipulate having the Yankees lose; hmmm, but then again that might not be so bad.

NFL Week 4

2010-10-01T15:37:00.000-04:00

OK, Week 3 turned negative with a 7-9 record against the spread so I am looking at a .500 average after 3 NFL weeks. Still not bad but I would like to compare it to the people making a living off picking them for your money.

This week to make things even more random I am going with a letter scheme. I am going to base this week's pick on the number of vowels in the names of the teams. The team with the most vowels will get the selection. In case of a tie, the selection will be based on the team who has the highest percentage of vowels in its name.

Here are this week's picks.

Visitor	Vowels	% of Letters	Home	Vowels	% of Letters	Selection	Point Spread
New York Jets	3		Buffalo Bills	4		Buffalo Bills	+5.5
Cincinnati Bengals	6		Cleveland Browns	4		Cincinnati Bengals	-3.0
Baltimore Ravens	6		Pittsburgh Steelers	5		Baltimore Ravens	+1.0
Denver Broncos	4		Tennessee Titans	6		Tennessee Titans	-6.5
Detroit Lions	5	38.46%	Green Bay Packers	5	29.41%	Detroit Lions	+14.5
San Francisco Forty Niners	8		Atlanta Falcons	5		San Francisco Forty Niners	+7.0
Carolina Panthers	6	35.29%	New Orleans Saints	6	33.33%	Carolina Panthers	+13.5
Seattle Seahawks	6		Saint Louis Cardinals	8		Saint Louis Cardinals	+1.0
Indianapolis Colts	7	38.89%	Jacksonville Jaguars	7	35.00%	Indianapolis Colts	_7.5
Houston Texans	5		Oakland Raiders	6		Oakland Raiders	+3.0
Washington Redskins	5		Philadelphia Eagles	8		Philadelphia Eagles	-6.0
Arizona Cardinals	7		San Diego Chargers	6		Arizona Cardinals	+8.0
Chicago Bears	5		New York Giants	4		Chicago Bears	+4.0
New England Patriots	6		Miami Dolphins	5		New England Patriots	-1.0

Some September Samples

2010-09-28T09:33:00.000-04:00

Coffee Makes Me Happy!

Smith Sharks Basketball Fever. Catch It

There's Work To Do.

This I KNOW. But convince me otherwise

2010-09-27T10:43:00.000-04:00

It's Monday morning and the Sunday night syndrome got me thinking about what is real and what is not.

Maybe because it was Sunday I was thinking that spirituality is a vital human component. I'd like to express this to the world and this is probably my way. However, I don't like people shoving it down my throat, why should I do it to someone else. My version of spirituality may, or probably does, conflict with what others believe. I do not feel qualified to tell others they are absolutely wrong, but I know that those who think they are qualified probably aren't.

How can EVERYTHING be political? I think my razor cursed at me this morning for shaving the left side of my face first.

The baseball gods have a sense of humor. OK, this isn't really a spiritual issue but the fates of baseball cannot be called anything else. How else do you explain the Rays working so hard to get into first place only to lose to Seattle, have Minnesota also lose so that Tampa Bay couldn't gain on them and then New York wins a game in extra innings where two of the best closers in the game each blew a save. The Rays could have provided themselves a cushion with a win and Twins and Yankees losses but the gods do not want it to be easy.

Ichiro is worth the price of admission. However, I went to Sunday's game on someone else's ticket.

I'm learning photography. I don't care if I'm awful at it now. It will get better. I'll post some examples later.

At this time I want to do so many things with my career that it is hurting my chances of getting a job in any one area.

More stuff kept me up last night but I can't go on as long as I was awake so I'll save them until later.

NFL Week 3

2010-09-24T14:14:00.000-04:00

Alright, last week was just average. I finished 8-8 for the week which brings me to 17-15 overall. Still not bad for the first two weeks relative to the professionals.

This week I am going into a completely irrelevant and different sport at a different level than the pros. What I am looking at this week is the comparison of records of the most local universities major baseball programs winning percentage. The level of competition is irrelevant, however, I am trying to stick to Division 1 programs. If a team's local university plays in the ACC but has a worse record than a team in the Horizon league for example, it doesn't matter. The team represented by the better winning percentage gets the selection, regardless of conference.

With that in mind, here are this week's selections.

Visitor	School	Win %	Home	School	Win %	Selection	Point Spread
Cincinnati Bengals	U Cincinnati	.500	Carolina Panthers	UNCC	.696	Carolina Panthers	+3.5
San Francisco 49ers	U of SF	.500	Kansas City Chiefs	U Missouri	.527	Kansas City Chiefs	+2.0
Detroit Lions	Wayne State	.615	Minnesota Vikings	U Minnesota	.516	Detroit Lions	+11.5
Dallas Cowboys	TCU	.794	Houston Texans	Rice University	.635	Dallas Cowboys	+2.5
Atlanta Falcons	Georgia Tech	.758	New Orleans Saints	Tulane U	.571	Atlanta Falcons	+4.0
Pittsburgh Steelers	U Pittsburgh	.679	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	U South Florida	.448	Pittsburgh Steelers	-2.5
Cleveland Browns	Cleveland State	.218	Baltimore Ravens	Coppin State	.298	Baltimore Ravens	-11.0
Tennessee Titans	Vanderbilt	.697	New York Giants	Rutgers	.536	Tennessee Titans	+3.0
Buffalo Bills	Canisius	.650	New England Patriots	Boston College	.517	Buffalo Bills	+14.5
Philadelphia Eagles	Temple	.275	Jacksonville Jaguars	U Jacksonville	.482	Jacksonville Jaguars	+3.0
Washington Redskins	George Washington U.	.481	St. Louis Rams	St. Louis U	.532	St. Louis Rams	+4.0
San Diego Chargers	U San Diego	.627	Seattle Seahawks	U Washington	.500	San Diego Chargers	-5.5
Oakland Raiders	UC Berkeley	.537	Arizona Cardinals	U Arizona	.586	Arizona Cardinals	-4.5
Indianapolis Colts	Butler	.420	Denver Broncos	Northern Colorado	.586	Denver Broncos	+5.5
New York Jets	Rutgers	.536	Miami Dolphins	Florida Atlantic	.623	Miami Dolphins	-1.5
Green Bay Packers	UW Milwaukee	.559	Chicago Bears	U Illinois	.500	Green Bay Packers	-3.0

Check back next week to see how it went.