Pending Picks
SUNDAY, JULY 9
| Game | Time(ET) | Pick | Units |
|---|---|---|---|
| TEX at WAS | 12:05 PM | WAS +180 U 10.5 | +500 +500 |
| CHC at NYY | 01:35 PM | CHC +120 U 8.5 | +500 +500 |
| OAK at BOS | 01:35 PM | OAK +150 U 9.5 | +500 +500 |
| PHI at MIA | 01:40 PM | MIA -125 U 7.0 | +500 +500 |
| KC at CLE | 01:40 PM | KC +205 O 8.5 | +500 +500 |
| TOR at DET | 01:40 PM | TOR -135 O 8.0 | +500 +500 |
| ATL at TB | 01:40 PM | TB -130 U 8.5 | +500 +500 |
| BAL at MIN | 02:10 PM | MIN -150 U 8.5 | +500 +500 |
| SEA at HOU | 02:10 PM | SEA -135 U 8.0 | +500 +500 |
| STL at CHW | 02:10 PM | CHW -130 U 9.0 | +500 +500 |
| CIN at MIL | 02:10 PM | CIN +110 O 9.0 | +500 +500 |
| COL at SF | 04:05 PM | SF -275 O 8.0 | +500 +500 |
| PIT at ARI | 04:10 PM | PIT +140 O 9.5 | +500 +500 |
| NYM at SD | 04:10 PM | NYM +110 U 8.0 | +500 |
Pending Picks
| Date | League | Game | Score | Status | Pick |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 9, 2023 | MLB | Colorado San Francisco | - - | 04:05 PM | Over 8.0 |
Completed Picks
| Date | League | Game | Score | Pick | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 7, 2023 | WNBA | Las Vegas Dallas | 78 80 | DAL +8.5 | Win |
| Jul 6, 2023 | MLB | Baltimore NY Yankees | 14 1 | BAL -130 | Win |
| Jul 5, 2023 | WNBA | Phoenix New York | 95 99 | NY -15.0 | Loss |
| Jul 4, 2023 | MLB | NY Mets Arizona | 8 5 | Under 9.5 | Loss |
| Jul 3, 2023 | MLB | Seattle San Francisco | 6 5 | Over 7.5 | Win |
| Jul 2, 2023 | MLB | San Francisco NY Mets | 4 8 | Over 9.0 | Win |
| Jul 1, 2023 | MLB | LA Dodgers Kansas City | 4 6 | Over 9.5 | Win |
Completed Picks
| Date | League | Game | Score | Pick | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 9, 2023 | MLB | Colorado San Francisco | 0 1 | Over 8.0 | Loss |
| Jul 7, 2023 | WNBA | Las Vegas Dallas | 78 80 | DAL +8.5 | Win |
| Jul 6, 2023 | MLB | Baltimore NY Yankees | 14 1 | BAL -130 | Win |
| Jul 5, 2023 | WNBA | Phoenix New York | 95 99 | NY -15.0 | Loss |
| Jul 4, 2023 | MLB | NY Mets Arizona | 8 5 | Under 9.5 | Loss |
| Jul 3, 2023 | MLB | Seattle San Francisco | 6 5 | Over 7.5 | Win |
| Jul 2, 2023 | MLB | San Francisco NY Mets | 4 8 | Over 9.0 | Win |
| Jul 1, 2023 | MLB | LA Dodgers Kansas City | 4 6 | Over 9.5 | Win |
Completed Picks
Past Completed Picks| Date | W-L-T | % | Units | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 07/09/2023 | 13-14-1 | 48.21% | -125 | Detail |
| 07/08/2023 | 11-18-1 | 38.33% | -5050 | Detail |
| 07/07/2023 | 14-16-0 | 46.67% | -2250 | Detail |
| 07/06/2023 | 6-15-1 | 29.55% | -5575 | Detail |
| 07/05/2023 | 16-12-0 | 57.14% | +1900 | Detail |
| 07/04/2023 | 19-9-0 | 67.86% | +5150 | Detail |
| 07/03/2023 | 11-7-0 | 61.11% | +1600 | Detail |
| 07/02/2023 | 11-13-1 | 46.00% | -3275 | Detail |
| 07/01/2023 | 17-11-0 | 60.71% | +2375 | Detail |
MLB JULY'S BEST BETS !
07/09/2023.............................7 - 8.................................46.66%..........................+ 4.25
07/08/2023.............................7 - 15...............................31.81%..........................- 52.75
07/07/2023.............................9 - 8.................................52.94%..........................+ 3.75
07/06/2023.............................4 - 11...............................26.66%.........................- 41.25
07/05/2023.............................7 - 10...............................41.17%.........................- 15.25
07/04/2023............................13 - 5................................72.22%.........................+ 44.75
07/03/2023..............................7 - 4................................63.63%........................+ 14.00
07/02/2023.........................7 - 9 - 1.................................43.75%.........................- 19.00
07/012023..............................12 - 6................................66.66%........................+ 29.00
TOTALS............................73 - 76 - 1...............................48.99%..........................- 32.50
07/09/2023.............................7 - 8.................................46.66%..........................+ 4.25
07/08/2023.............................7 - 15...............................31.81%..........................- 52.75
07/07/2023.............................9 - 8.................................52.94%..........................+ 3.75
07/06/2023.............................4 - 11...............................26.66%.........................- 41.25
07/05/2023.............................7 - 10...............................41.17%.........................- 15.25
07/04/2023............................13 - 5................................72.22%.........................+ 44.75
07/03/2023..............................7 - 4................................63.63%........................+ 14.00
07/02/2023.........................7 - 9 - 1.................................43.75%.........................- 19.00
07/012023..............................12 - 6................................66.66%........................+ 29.00
TOTALS............................73 - 76 - 1...............................48.99%..........................- 32.50
Armadillo Sports
Monday’s 6-pack:
NBA Summer League scores:
—Blazers 85, Spurs 80 — Victor Wembanyama had 27 points, 12 rebounds.
— Nets 98, Knicks 80— Brooklyn was +32 with Jalen Wilson on the floor.
— Rockets 113, Pistons 101— Jabari Smith scored 38 points.
— Wizards 103, Celtics 98— Wizards’ bench was +35, their starters minus-10.
— Pelicans 94, Warriors 86— Golden State shot only 34.3% from the floor.
— Hawks 98, Nuggets 93— Tyrese Martin scored 21 points in 24:37 of play.
Quote of the Day
“A little song, a little dance…….a little seltzer down your pants.”
Chuckles the Clown, from The Mary Tyler Moore Show
Monday’s quiz
Which QB has thrown the most TD passes against the New Orleans Saints?
Sunday’s quiz
In the movie A Few Good Men, Kevin Bacon played the losing lawyer in the climactic courtroom scene.
Saturday’s quiz
Allen Ludden hosted the game show Password for 19 years; he was married to Betty White.
************************************************
Monday’s Den: Thoughts, observations at the All-Star break
It is the All-Star break already; time flies. It has been an interesting baseball season. Here are some quick notes/impressions from the season so far:
— AL Central is terrible; Cleveland (45-45) is in first place, with the Twins (45-46) a half-game behind. All in all, the AL Central is 124-191 (.394) outside its division this season.
— AL East is very good; the Red Sox (48-43) are in last place. All in all, the AL East is 190-127 (.599) outside its division this season.
— In five of six divisions, the division leader has a lead of 2 games or less— lot of close races. Only the 60-29 Atlanta Braves have a decent-sized lead, leading NL East by 8.5 games. Braves have won 27 of their last 32 games.
— Mets have a payroll of $377,380,805; they’re 42-48, seven games out of a playoff spot.
Mets are 32-27 vs righty starting pitchers, 10-21 vs lefty starters.
— Padres have a payroll of $250,806,874; they’re 43-47, six games out of a playoff spot.
— Cincinnati has a payroll of $83,688,333; they’re 25-8 in last 33 games, lead the NL Central.
— Miami Marlins have a payroll of $103,692,500; they’re 53-39, 21-6 in one-run games, and right now, they’re a playoff team.
Last time the Marlins had a winning 162-game season was 2009, when they went 87-75- they were 31-29 in the short season of 2020. Skip Schumaker is your favorite for National League Manager of the Year.
— Texas Rangers have five starters in Tuesday’s All-Star Game, the most for any team since the 1976 Cincinnati Reds.
Rangers haven’t been in the playoffs since 2016; the last three years, they were 150-234 (.391) but Bruce Bochy is a Hall of Fame manager and Texas is much improved at 52-39 this season, even though they hit the All-Star break on a 5-11 skid.
Texas has $200,684,308 payroll; will they look to enhance their roster at the trade deadline?
— This stat is a little weird, but thru Saturday’s games, in AB’s when Mets’ 1B Pete Alonso had an 0-2 count him, he is 5-68 this season. 5 for freakin’ 68 (.074).
By way of comparison:
Freddie Freeman is 20-67 (.299) this season after having an 0-2 count.
Fernando Tatis is 10-52 (.192)
Luis Arraez is 16-53 (.302).
— Bronx Bombers have a payroll of $273,528,489; Aaron Judge is hurt obviously, but they’ve got other stars, and those stars aren’t producing. New York is 49-42, and right now they’re on the outside looking in at the playoff picture.
Bronx is 14-17 since Judge got hurt, hitting .218 in those games; they fired hitting coach Dillon Lawson after Sunday’s loss to the Cubs.
It is New York’s first in-season coaching change since Nardi Contreras replaced Billy Connors in July 1995 as pitching coach on Buck Showalter’s staff. 28 years without an in-season coaching change, long time.
Funny thing is, Bronx opens the post-All-Star Game part of the year in Colorado Friday, where they figure to put up better-than-usual hitting numbers.
— Los Angeles Angels have a payroll of $215,490,192, but Mike Trout is hurt, Anthony Rendon has been a complete bust and the Halos are 45-46, losing nine of last 10 games. Shohei Ohtani is a free agent after this season; the Angels are 5 games out of the last playoff spot.
Angels are 37-29 vs righty starters, 8-17 vs lefties.
Would they trade Ohtani and if they wanted to, what could they get for a guy who will be a free agent three months from now?
— Tampa Bay Rays started the season 13-0, then 29-7; since then, they’re 29-28 and lead the AL East by only two games over Baltimore. Tampa’s starting rotation has been ravaged by injuries; would they make a move at the trade deadline?
—- Toronto Blue Jays are 50-41, seven games behind the Rays— they’d be a Wild Card team right now. Blue Jays are 7-20 vs their AL East rivals, 43-21 against everyone else.
— Teams that are struggling in one-run games:
San Diego 5-15
St Louis 9-19
Minnesota 9-15
Seattle 10-16
Texas 5-12
— Movie of the Day— Rounders (1998)— A young gambler returns to playing high stakes poker to help a friend pay off loan sharks, while balancing his relationship with his girlfriend and his commitments to law school.
Matt Damon is the gambler; Edward Norton plays his friend. John Malkovich is a Russian mobster who runs a poker room, John Turturro plays Joey Knish, e veteran gambler who is a mentor of sorts. Martin Landau is a law professor.
This movie helps propel the poker boom in the late 90’s/early 2000’s. Very good movie, written by the same guys who write the Showtime series Billions.
— College football bowl trend of the day— In the Reliaquest Bowl, SEC teams are 6-2 SU vs Big 14 teams the last eight years.
— If the baseball playoffs started today (they don’t)
NL: Braves, Reds, Dodgers. Wild Cards: Arizona-Marlins-Giants
AL: Rays, Guardians, Rangers. Wild Cards: Orioles, Astros, Blue Jays.
Monday’s 6-pack:
NBA Summer League scores:
—Blazers 85, Spurs 80 — Victor Wembanyama had 27 points, 12 rebounds.
— Nets 98, Knicks 80— Brooklyn was +32 with Jalen Wilson on the floor.
— Rockets 113, Pistons 101— Jabari Smith scored 38 points.
— Wizards 103, Celtics 98— Wizards’ bench was +35, their starters minus-10.
— Pelicans 94, Warriors 86— Golden State shot only 34.3% from the floor.
— Hawks 98, Nuggets 93— Tyrese Martin scored 21 points in 24:37 of play.
Quote of the Day
“A little song, a little dance…….a little seltzer down your pants.”
Chuckles the Clown, from The Mary Tyler Moore Show
Monday’s quiz
Which QB has thrown the most TD passes against the New Orleans Saints?
Sunday’s quiz
In the movie A Few Good Men, Kevin Bacon played the losing lawyer in the climactic courtroom scene.
Saturday’s quiz
Allen Ludden hosted the game show Password for 19 years; he was married to Betty White.
************************************************
Monday’s Den: Thoughts, observations at the All-Star break
It is the All-Star break already; time flies. It has been an interesting baseball season. Here are some quick notes/impressions from the season so far:
— AL Central is terrible; Cleveland (45-45) is in first place, with the Twins (45-46) a half-game behind. All in all, the AL Central is 124-191 (.394) outside its division this season.
— AL East is very good; the Red Sox (48-43) are in last place. All in all, the AL East is 190-127 (.599) outside its division this season.
— In five of six divisions, the division leader has a lead of 2 games or less— lot of close races. Only the 60-29 Atlanta Braves have a decent-sized lead, leading NL East by 8.5 games. Braves have won 27 of their last 32 games.
— Mets have a payroll of $377,380,805; they’re 42-48, seven games out of a playoff spot.
Mets are 32-27 vs righty starting pitchers, 10-21 vs lefty starters.
— Padres have a payroll of $250,806,874; they’re 43-47, six games out of a playoff spot.
— Cincinnati has a payroll of $83,688,333; they’re 25-8 in last 33 games, lead the NL Central.
— Miami Marlins have a payroll of $103,692,500; they’re 53-39, 21-6 in one-run games, and right now, they’re a playoff team.
Last time the Marlins had a winning 162-game season was 2009, when they went 87-75- they were 31-29 in the short season of 2020. Skip Schumaker is your favorite for National League Manager of the Year.
— Texas Rangers have five starters in Tuesday’s All-Star Game, the most for any team since the 1976 Cincinnati Reds.
Rangers haven’t been in the playoffs since 2016; the last three years, they were 150-234 (.391) but Bruce Bochy is a Hall of Fame manager and Texas is much improved at 52-39 this season, even though they hit the All-Star break on a 5-11 skid.
Texas has $200,684,308 payroll; will they look to enhance their roster at the trade deadline?
— This stat is a little weird, but thru Saturday’s games, in AB’s when Mets’ 1B Pete Alonso had an 0-2 count him, he is 5-68 this season. 5 for freakin’ 68 (.074).
By way of comparison:
Freddie Freeman is 20-67 (.299) this season after having an 0-2 count.
Fernando Tatis is 10-52 (.192)
Luis Arraez is 16-53 (.302).
— Bronx Bombers have a payroll of $273,528,489; Aaron Judge is hurt obviously, but they’ve got other stars, and those stars aren’t producing. New York is 49-42, and right now they’re on the outside looking in at the playoff picture.
Bronx is 14-17 since Judge got hurt, hitting .218 in those games; they fired hitting coach Dillon Lawson after Sunday’s loss to the Cubs.
It is New York’s first in-season coaching change since Nardi Contreras replaced Billy Connors in July 1995 as pitching coach on Buck Showalter’s staff. 28 years without an in-season coaching change, long time.
Funny thing is, Bronx opens the post-All-Star Game part of the year in Colorado Friday, where they figure to put up better-than-usual hitting numbers.
— Los Angeles Angels have a payroll of $215,490,192, but Mike Trout is hurt, Anthony Rendon has been a complete bust and the Halos are 45-46, losing nine of last 10 games. Shohei Ohtani is a free agent after this season; the Angels are 5 games out of the last playoff spot.
Angels are 37-29 vs righty starters, 8-17 vs lefties.
Would they trade Ohtani and if they wanted to, what could they get for a guy who will be a free agent three months from now?
— Tampa Bay Rays started the season 13-0, then 29-7; since then, they’re 29-28 and lead the AL East by only two games over Baltimore. Tampa’s starting rotation has been ravaged by injuries; would they make a move at the trade deadline?
—- Toronto Blue Jays are 50-41, seven games behind the Rays— they’d be a Wild Card team right now. Blue Jays are 7-20 vs their AL East rivals, 43-21 against everyone else.
— Teams that are struggling in one-run games:
San Diego 5-15
St Louis 9-19
Minnesota 9-15
Seattle 10-16
Texas 5-12
— Movie of the Day— Rounders (1998)— A young gambler returns to playing high stakes poker to help a friend pay off loan sharks, while balancing his relationship with his girlfriend and his commitments to law school.
Matt Damon is the gambler; Edward Norton plays his friend. John Malkovich is a Russian mobster who runs a poker room, John Turturro plays Joey Knish, e veteran gambler who is a mentor of sorts. Martin Landau is a law professor.
This movie helps propel the poker boom in the late 90’s/early 2000’s. Very good movie, written by the same guys who write the Showtime series Billions.
— College football bowl trend of the day— In the Reliaquest Bowl, SEC teams are 6-2 SU vs Big 14 teams the last eight years.
— If the baseball playoffs started today (they don’t)
NL: Braves, Reds, Dodgers. Wild Cards: Arizona-Marlins-Giants
AL: Rays, Guardians, Rangers. Wild Cards: Orioles, Astros, Blue Jays.
Tuesday’s 6-pack:
— Spurs shut down Victor Wembanyama for the summer; ESPN can’t be happy.
— Northwestern fired football coach Pat Fitzgerald because of hazing issues.
— Vladimir Guerrero Jr won the Home Run Derby in Seattle.
— Wake Forest had six players taken in the second day of the MLB Draft.
— A’s took a P named Jackson Finley, a fitting name for an Oakland player.
— Jacksonville Jaguars signed TE Josh Pederson out of the USFL; his dad Doug is the Jaguars’ head coach.
Quote of the Day
“It’s very important to us that there be a person [in charge], and this is independent of sovereign wealth funds. I think that in terms of the connection with the community, the connection with the players and their other partners in the league.”
NBA commish Adam Silver, discouraging the idea of other countries buying an NBA team
Tuesday’s quiz
OF/1B Pete LaCock played nine years in the major leagues for the Cubs/Royals; his father was a famous game show host. Who was his father?
Monday’s quiz
Matt Ryan (47) has thrown the most TD passes against the New Orleans Saints.
Sunday’s quiz
In the movie A Few Good Men, Kevin Bacon played the losing lawyer in the climactic courtroom scene.
*************************************************************
— Air Force
Air Force won its last four bowl games, scoring 34.3 ppg.
Calhoun is 35-26-2 ATS as an underdog.
— Boise State
Since 207, Broncos are 8-2 ATS as a road underdog.
Last three years, Boise is 7-13 ATS coming off a win.
— Colorado State
Rams lost their last four bowls, giving up 41.3 ppg.
Their last bowl win was in 2013, 48-45 over Washington State.
— Fresno State
Under Tedford, Bulldogs are 10-3-1 ATS
Fresno win its last four bowl game, scoring 30.8 ppg.
— Hawai’i
Since 2019, Rainbows are 11-3-1 ATS as a home underdog.
Since 2014, Hawai’i is 7-22-1 ATS as a home favorite.
— Nevada
Since 2017, Wolf Pack is 11-17 ATS outside the Mountain West.
— UNLV
Rebels haven’t been to a bowl game since 2013.
UNLV’s last bowl win was in 2000.
Since 2014, Rebels are 19-32 ATS at home.
— New Mexico
Last six years, Lobos are 15-52 SU
Last two years, New Mexico was 2-13-1 ATS in Mountain West games.
— San Diego State
Since 2013, Aztecs are 10-3-1 ATS as a home underdog.
Aztecs are 18-32 ATS in last 50 games as a home favorite.
— San Jose State
Since 2014, Spartans are 16-24 ATS as a road underdog.
Under Brennan, San Jose is 17-13-1 ATS at home.
— Utah State
Over last 10 years, Aggies are 25-14-2 ATS as a home favorite.
Over last 10 years, Aggies are 5-13 ATS as a home underdog.
— Wyoming
Under Bohl, Wyoming is 30-21-1 ATS at home.
Since 2016, Cowboys are 21-14 ATS coming off a loss.
— Spurs shut down Victor Wembanyama for the summer; ESPN can’t be happy.
— Northwestern fired football coach Pat Fitzgerald because of hazing issues.
— Vladimir Guerrero Jr won the Home Run Derby in Seattle.
— Wake Forest had six players taken in the second day of the MLB Draft.
— A’s took a P named Jackson Finley, a fitting name for an Oakland player.
— Jacksonville Jaguars signed TE Josh Pederson out of the USFL; his dad Doug is the Jaguars’ head coach.
Quote of the Day
“It’s very important to us that there be a person [in charge], and this is independent of sovereign wealth funds. I think that in terms of the connection with the community, the connection with the players and their other partners in the league.”
NBA commish Adam Silver, discouraging the idea of other countries buying an NBA team
Tuesday’s quiz
OF/1B Pete LaCock played nine years in the major leagues for the Cubs/Royals; his father was a famous game show host. Who was his father?
Monday’s quiz
Matt Ryan (47) has thrown the most TD passes against the New Orleans Saints.
Sunday’s quiz
In the movie A Few Good Men, Kevin Bacon played the losing lawyer in the climactic courtroom scene.
*************************************************************
Tuesday’s Den: Mountain West football trends……..
— Air Force
Air Force won its last four bowl games, scoring 34.3 ppg.
Calhoun is 35-26-2 ATS as an underdog.
— Boise State
Since 207, Broncos are 8-2 ATS as a road underdog.
Last three years, Boise is 7-13 ATS coming off a win.
— Colorado State
Rams lost their last four bowls, giving up 41.3 ppg.
Their last bowl win was in 2013, 48-45 over Washington State.
— Fresno State
Under Tedford, Bulldogs are 10-3-1 ATS
Fresno win its last four bowl game, scoring 30.8 ppg.
— Hawai’i
Since 2019, Rainbows are 11-3-1 ATS as a home underdog.
Since 2014, Hawai’i is 7-22-1 ATS as a home favorite.
— Nevada
Since 2017, Wolf Pack is 11-17 ATS outside the Mountain West.
— UNLV
Rebels haven’t been to a bowl game since 2013.
UNLV’s last bowl win was in 2000.
Since 2014, Rebels are 19-32 ATS at home.
— New Mexico
Last six years, Lobos are 15-52 SU
Last two years, New Mexico was 2-13-1 ATS in Mountain West games.
— San Diego State
Since 2013, Aztecs are 10-3-1 ATS as a home underdog.
Aztecs are 18-32 ATS in last 50 games as a home favorite.
— San Jose State
Since 2014, Spartans are 16-24 ATS as a road underdog.
Under Brennan, San Jose is 17-13-1 ATS at home.
— Utah State
Over last 10 years, Aggies are 25-14-2 ATS as a home favorite.
Over last 10 years, Aggies are 5-13 ATS as a home underdog.
— Wyoming
Under Bohl, Wyoming is 30-21-1 ATS at home.
Since 2016, Cowboys are 21-14 ATS coming off a loss.
Wednesday’s 6-pack:
Top-selling baseball jerseys this year:
1) Ronald Acuna, Atl
2) Shohei Ohtani, LAA
3) Fernando Tatis, SD
4) Aaron Judge, NYY
5) Jose Altuve, Hst
6) Mookie Betts, LA
Quote of the Day
“There’s no way to cookie cut hitters, and if you start doing that, you get into trouble and underutilize strengths they may have. I’m going to get to know each player and their approach at the plate. One thing I will stress is controlling the zone and hunting in the zone. ”
Sean Casey, new hitting coach in the Bronx
Wednesday’s quiz
WR Larry Fitzgerald will be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame some day; he caught 48 TD passes from Hall of Famer Kurt Warner, the most he caught from any QB. What QB threw him the 2nd-most TD’s (29)?
Tuesday’s quiz
OF/1B Pete LaCock played nine years in the major leagues for the Cubs/Royals; his father was a famous game show host, Peter Marshall, who hosted the Hollywood Squares for 16 years.
Monday’s quiz
Matt Ryan (47) has thrown the most TD passes against the New Orleans Saints.
******************************************************************
I’m stumbling thru my channels late at night this week and I find one of my favorite TV shows when I was a kid, Green Acres.
A New York City lawyer (Eddie Albert) and his wife (Eva Gabor) try to live as farmers in the bizarre community of Hooterville; the wife isn’t too happy about it.
I bring this up for two reasons:
1) When I was a kid, I spent a ridiculous amount of time watching TV re-runs; Green Acres was one of my favorites. It was insanely stupid at times; my father would walk in the room, say “Why the hell are you watching this?” then five minutes later, he’d be laughing harder than me.
2) In the pilot episode, they point out that Eddie Albert’s character (Oliver Wendell Douglas) was born in Saratoga, because his father wanted to go to the racetrack that day and he wanted to stay for all the races—- his wife had her baby that same afternoon.
Anyway, the annual horse racing season at Saratoga starts tomorrow, thought it was fitting to point that out.
— Sounds like Major League Baseball is getting ready to expand, as soon as the A’s/Rays sort out their stadium/relocation issues. Getting the major leagues up to 32 teams will recoup some of the $$$ MLB lost during the shortened 2020 season.
— Monday, A’s drafted a pitcher named Jackson Finley, a fitting name for an A’s player, seeing how Charlie Finley owned the A’s during their glory years in the 70’s, when one of their best players was an outfielder named Reggie Jackson.
— Random baseball trivia— The last pitch Hall of Famer Bob Gibson threw in the big leagues was hit for a grand slam by the Cubs’ Pete LaCock, whose father is Peter Marshall, the host of the Hollywood Squares for 16 years back in the day— a great gameshow.
10 years after LaCock’s grand slam, he faced Gibson in an Old Timers’ Game at Wrigley Field, and Gibson drilled him.
Peter Marshall, by the way, is 97 years old and lives in West Virginia.
— Bronx Bombers hired former big leaguer Sean Casey as their new hitting coach. Casey, 49, has been working as an analyst for MLB Network since he retired as a ballplayer in 2008.
Bronx is 14-17 since Aaron Judge got hurt, hitting .218 in those games; they fired hitting coach Dillon Lawson after Sunday’s loss to the Cubs.
— All-Star Game; National 3, American 2
National League wins their first All-Star Game since 2012.
Elias Díaz won the game with an 8th-inning home run.
— FOX had Nathan Eovaldi miked as he pitched the 2nd inning; seems like a bad idea, especially if you wagered on the AL. he didn’t give up and runs, but still……..
— I liked it better when players in the All-Star Game wore their team’s uniforms during the game. MLB tries to sell these AL/NL jerseys; maybe they make lot of $$$ doing it, but it was a lot cooler when you got to see the various uniforms on the field.
— Kansas City Royals drafted a high school catcher with the 8th pick in the first round Sunday; he is the first catcher taken in the top 10 of the draft since 2008— that guy never made it to the big leagues.
— Big month for LSU baseball; Tigers won their first National Championship since 2009, also had the top two picks in the MLB draft, as well as three other top-100 selections: LSU coach Jay Johnson deservedly got lot of airtime on TV during the baseball draft Sunday night.
— Movie of the Day: Begin Again (2013)— A down-and-out music executive and a young singer-songwriter, new to Manhattan, cross paths by chance and they collaborate on an album. Can the talented singer save the music executive’s job, while making a career for herself?
Keira Knightley is the singer, Mark Ruffalo is the executive. James Corden is great as Knightley’s friend from back home in England.
If you like music, you’ll enjoy this movie.
— College football bowl Trend of the Day— Underdogs are 7-3 ATS in last ten Orange Bowls.
— Veteran guard Patty Mills has been traded three times in the last 10 days:
Brooklyn traded Mills to Houston
Rockets traded Mills to Oklahoma City
Thunder traded Mills to Atlanta
Has to suck getting traded three times in 10 days, but Mills has earned $68,753,853 during his career, so he can laugh all the way to the bank.
34-year old Mills was the 55th pick of the 2009 Draft, but he played 10 years for San Antonio, helping the Spurs win a title in 2014; he has a $6.8M contract that expires after next season.
— Spurs’ coach Gregg Popovich signed a 5-year, $80M contract extension; Popovich is 74 years old, has led San Antonio to three NBA titles.
Speaking of the Spurs, I’m not sure why they shut down rookie Victor Wembanyama for the summer— he showed enough that they should sell lot of tickets in San Antonio, but would it kill him to play a couple more games?
Will the Spurs play the 18-year old a lot this season, or will they take the route Oklahoma City did last year with Chet Holmgren?
NBA is a developmental league now, with younger players joining the league. The popular wisdom seems to be that 18-year old kids need time to get more physically mature before they become full-time players.
Kids jumped from high school to the NBA 20 years ago, but they weren’t coddled as much as is being done these days.
— Random trivia: Anthony Morrow holds the summer league’s single-game scoring record with a 47-point game back in 2009, Morrow wound up playing nine years in the NBA for seven different teams— he scored 5,327 points in the NBA, earned a hefty $24,237,958 in his career.
— NBA is going to have an in-season tournament in November; the details haven’t all been worked out, but every player for the winning team gets an extra $500,000.
Top-selling baseball jerseys this year:
1) Ronald Acuna, Atl
2) Shohei Ohtani, LAA
3) Fernando Tatis, SD
4) Aaron Judge, NYY
5) Jose Altuve, Hst
6) Mookie Betts, LA
Quote of the Day
“There’s no way to cookie cut hitters, and if you start doing that, you get into trouble and underutilize strengths they may have. I’m going to get to know each player and their approach at the plate. One thing I will stress is controlling the zone and hunting in the zone. ”
Sean Casey, new hitting coach in the Bronx
Wednesday’s quiz
WR Larry Fitzgerald will be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame some day; he caught 48 TD passes from Hall of Famer Kurt Warner, the most he caught from any QB. What QB threw him the 2nd-most TD’s (29)?
Tuesday’s quiz
OF/1B Pete LaCock played nine years in the major leagues for the Cubs/Royals; his father was a famous game show host, Peter Marshall, who hosted the Hollywood Squares for 16 years.
Monday’s quiz
Matt Ryan (47) has thrown the most TD passes against the New Orleans Saints.
******************************************************************
Wednesday’s Den: Mid-week musings………
— Amazon Prime is the graveyard of old TV shows/movies; you can find almost anything from the old days on there, some of it is even free.I’m stumbling thru my channels late at night this week and I find one of my favorite TV shows when I was a kid, Green Acres.
A New York City lawyer (Eddie Albert) and his wife (Eva Gabor) try to live as farmers in the bizarre community of Hooterville; the wife isn’t too happy about it.
I bring this up for two reasons:
1) When I was a kid, I spent a ridiculous amount of time watching TV re-runs; Green Acres was one of my favorites. It was insanely stupid at times; my father would walk in the room, say “Why the hell are you watching this?” then five minutes later, he’d be laughing harder than me.
2) In the pilot episode, they point out that Eddie Albert’s character (Oliver Wendell Douglas) was born in Saratoga, because his father wanted to go to the racetrack that day and he wanted to stay for all the races—- his wife had her baby that same afternoon.
Anyway, the annual horse racing season at Saratoga starts tomorrow, thought it was fitting to point that out.
— Sounds like Major League Baseball is getting ready to expand, as soon as the A’s/Rays sort out their stadium/relocation issues. Getting the major leagues up to 32 teams will recoup some of the $$$ MLB lost during the shortened 2020 season.
— Monday, A’s drafted a pitcher named Jackson Finley, a fitting name for an A’s player, seeing how Charlie Finley owned the A’s during their glory years in the 70’s, when one of their best players was an outfielder named Reggie Jackson.
— Random baseball trivia— The last pitch Hall of Famer Bob Gibson threw in the big leagues was hit for a grand slam by the Cubs’ Pete LaCock, whose father is Peter Marshall, the host of the Hollywood Squares for 16 years back in the day— a great gameshow.
10 years after LaCock’s grand slam, he faced Gibson in an Old Timers’ Game at Wrigley Field, and Gibson drilled him.
Peter Marshall, by the way, is 97 years old and lives in West Virginia.
— Bronx Bombers hired former big leaguer Sean Casey as their new hitting coach. Casey, 49, has been working as an analyst for MLB Network since he retired as a ballplayer in 2008.
Bronx is 14-17 since Aaron Judge got hurt, hitting .218 in those games; they fired hitting coach Dillon Lawson after Sunday’s loss to the Cubs.
— All-Star Game; National 3, American 2
National League wins their first All-Star Game since 2012.
Elias Díaz won the game with an 8th-inning home run.
— FOX had Nathan Eovaldi miked as he pitched the 2nd inning; seems like a bad idea, especially if you wagered on the AL. he didn’t give up and runs, but still……..
— I liked it better when players in the All-Star Game wore their team’s uniforms during the game. MLB tries to sell these AL/NL jerseys; maybe they make lot of $$$ doing it, but it was a lot cooler when you got to see the various uniforms on the field.
— Kansas City Royals drafted a high school catcher with the 8th pick in the first round Sunday; he is the first catcher taken in the top 10 of the draft since 2008— that guy never made it to the big leagues.
— Big month for LSU baseball; Tigers won their first National Championship since 2009, also had the top two picks in the MLB draft, as well as three other top-100 selections: LSU coach Jay Johnson deservedly got lot of airtime on TV during the baseball draft Sunday night.
— Movie of the Day: Begin Again (2013)— A down-and-out music executive and a young singer-songwriter, new to Manhattan, cross paths by chance and they collaborate on an album. Can the talented singer save the music executive’s job, while making a career for herself?
Keira Knightley is the singer, Mark Ruffalo is the executive. James Corden is great as Knightley’s friend from back home in England.
If you like music, you’ll enjoy this movie.
— College football bowl Trend of the Day— Underdogs are 7-3 ATS in last ten Orange Bowls.
— Veteran guard Patty Mills has been traded three times in the last 10 days:
Brooklyn traded Mills to Houston
Rockets traded Mills to Oklahoma City
Thunder traded Mills to Atlanta
Has to suck getting traded three times in 10 days, but Mills has earned $68,753,853 during his career, so he can laugh all the way to the bank.
34-year old Mills was the 55th pick of the 2009 Draft, but he played 10 years for San Antonio, helping the Spurs win a title in 2014; he has a $6.8M contract that expires after next season.
— Spurs’ coach Gregg Popovich signed a 5-year, $80M contract extension; Popovich is 74 years old, has led San Antonio to three NBA titles.
Speaking of the Spurs, I’m not sure why they shut down rookie Victor Wembanyama for the summer— he showed enough that they should sell lot of tickets in San Antonio, but would it kill him to play a couple more games?
Will the Spurs play the 18-year old a lot this season, or will they take the route Oklahoma City did last year with Chet Holmgren?
NBA is a developmental league now, with younger players joining the league. The popular wisdom seems to be that 18-year old kids need time to get more physically mature before they become full-time players.
Kids jumped from high school to the NBA 20 years ago, but they weren’t coddled as much as is being done these days.
— Random trivia: Anthony Morrow holds the summer league’s single-game scoring record with a 47-point game back in 2009, Morrow wound up playing nine years in the NBA for seven different teams— he scored 5,327 points in the NBA, earned a hefty $24,237,958 in his career.
— NBA is going to have an in-season tournament in November; the details haven’t all been worked out, but every player for the winning team gets an extra $500,000.
Thursday’s 6-pack:
Odds for the Scottish Open golf tournament:
6-1— Scottie Scheffler
7-1— Rory McIlroy
12-1— Patrick Cantlay
16-1 Xander Schayffele/Tyrrell Hatton
18-1— Viktor Hovland
20-1— Rickie Fowler
Quote of the Day
“I’ll get to the bottom of this, if I have to go all the way to the top.”
Colonel Flagg, M*A*S*H
Thursday’s quiz
Which current NBA coach was an assistant coach for the San Antonio Spurs, when Jerry Tarkanian coached the Spurs in 1992?
Wednesday’s quiz
WR Larry Fitzgerald will be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame some day; he caught 48 TD passes from Hall of Famer Kurt Warner, the most he caught from any QB. Carson Palmer threw him the 2nd-most TD’s (29).
Tuesday’s quiz
OF/1B Pete LaCock played nine years in the major leagues for the Cubs/Royals; his father was a famous game show host, Peter Marshall, who hosted the Hollywood Squares for 16 years.
**********************************************************
— Oklahoma was 6-7 SU last year; from 2013-21, they were 97-21.
— Since 2016, Kansas State is 18-9 ATS as a road underdog.
Under Klieman, K-State is 15-7 ATS as a favorite.
— Since 2016, TCU is 10-21-2 ATS as a home favorite.
Horned Frogs are 18-12-2 ATS in their last 32 games outside the Big X.
— Last four years, Baylor is 31-19 SU, +33 in turnovers.
Last two years, Bears are 7-2 ATS as a home favorite.
— Last three years, Texas Tech is 19-17 SU, despite a minus-22 turnover ratio.
Last four years, Red Raiders are 5-11 ATS as a road underdog.
— Since 2015, Oklahoma State is 17-8 ATS as an underdog.
— Central Florida is 4-10 ATS in last 14 games coming off a loss.
UCF is 16-24 ATS in its last 40 games as a favorite.
— Under Campbell, Iowa State is 21-11-2 ATS as an underdog.
— In his career, Leipold is 29-14-2 ATS in home games.
Last ten years, Kansas hasn’t been favored at all on the road.
— Last seven years, BYU is 12-4 ATS as a road underdog.
— Last five bowl games, West Virginia is 1-4 SU/0-5 ATS.
Since 2018, Mountaineers are 11-5 ATS as a home favorite.
— In his career, Houston coach Holgorson is 18-12 ATS as a road underdog, 27-42-1 ATS in home games.
— Last three years, Cincinnati was 31-6 SU, but 0-3 in bowl games, losing by a combined score of 75-34. New coach Satterfield is 4-1 SU in bowl games.
— Movie of the Day: Hoop Dreams (1994)— A documentary following the lives of two inner-city Chicago high school kids who struggle to become college basketball players on the road to going pro. Real life movies are generally better than fiction; no happy endings here.
One player goes to a private school, the school Isiah Thomas went to, but he hurts his knee which hampers his play. He winds up playing three years at Marquette.
The second player winds up playing at a public high school, then in college at Arkansas State.
Neither player made it to the NBA.
This is a good movie, realistic as documentaries are.
— College football bowl Trend of the Day— Underdogs are 6-2 ATS in last eight Alamo Bowls.
— Random extra college football trend: Last three years, Alabama is 13-5-1 ATS as a home favorite.
Odds for the Scottish Open golf tournament:
6-1— Scottie Scheffler
7-1— Rory McIlroy
12-1— Patrick Cantlay
16-1 Xander Schayffele/Tyrrell Hatton
18-1— Viktor Hovland
20-1— Rickie Fowler
Quote of the Day
“I’ll get to the bottom of this, if I have to go all the way to the top.”
Colonel Flagg, M*A*S*H
Thursday’s quiz
Which current NBA coach was an assistant coach for the San Antonio Spurs, when Jerry Tarkanian coached the Spurs in 1992?
Wednesday’s quiz
WR Larry Fitzgerald will be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame some day; he caught 48 TD passes from Hall of Famer Kurt Warner, the most he caught from any QB. Carson Palmer threw him the 2nd-most TD’s (29).
Tuesday’s quiz
OF/1B Pete LaCock played nine years in the major leagues for the Cubs/Royals; his father was a famous game show host, Peter Marshall, who hosted the Hollywood Squares for 16 years.
**********************************************************
Thursday’s Den: Big X college football trends……..
— Last 10 years, Texas Longhorns are 27-36 ATS coming off a win.— Oklahoma was 6-7 SU last year; from 2013-21, they were 97-21.
— Since 2016, Kansas State is 18-9 ATS as a road underdog.
Under Klieman, K-State is 15-7 ATS as a favorite.
— Since 2016, TCU is 10-21-2 ATS as a home favorite.
Horned Frogs are 18-12-2 ATS in their last 32 games outside the Big X.
— Last four years, Baylor is 31-19 SU, +33 in turnovers.
Last two years, Bears are 7-2 ATS as a home favorite.
— Last three years, Texas Tech is 19-17 SU, despite a minus-22 turnover ratio.
Last four years, Red Raiders are 5-11 ATS as a road underdog.
— Since 2015, Oklahoma State is 17-8 ATS as an underdog.
— Central Florida is 4-10 ATS in last 14 games coming off a loss.
UCF is 16-24 ATS in its last 40 games as a favorite.
— Under Campbell, Iowa State is 21-11-2 ATS as an underdog.
— In his career, Leipold is 29-14-2 ATS in home games.
Last ten years, Kansas hasn’t been favored at all on the road.
— Last seven years, BYU is 12-4 ATS as a road underdog.
— Last five bowl games, West Virginia is 1-4 SU/0-5 ATS.
Since 2018, Mountaineers are 11-5 ATS as a home favorite.
— In his career, Houston coach Holgorson is 18-12 ATS as a road underdog, 27-42-1 ATS in home games.
— Last three years, Cincinnati was 31-6 SU, but 0-3 in bowl games, losing by a combined score of 75-34. New coach Satterfield is 4-1 SU in bowl games.
— Movie of the Day: Hoop Dreams (1994)— A documentary following the lives of two inner-city Chicago high school kids who struggle to become college basketball players on the road to going pro. Real life movies are generally better than fiction; no happy endings here.
One player goes to a private school, the school Isiah Thomas went to, but he hurts his knee which hampers his play. He winds up playing three years at Marquette.
The second player winds up playing at a public high school, then in college at Arkansas State.
Neither player made it to the NBA.
This is a good movie, realistic as documentaries are.
— College football bowl Trend of the Day— Underdogs are 6-2 ATS in last eight Alamo Bowls.
— Random extra college football trend: Last three years, Alabama is 13-5-1 ATS as a home favorite.
Armadillo Sports
Friday’s 6-pack:
Six NFL teams who haven’t won a playoff game in the last 10 years:
— Bears
— Lions
— Raiders
— Dolphins
— Jets
— Commanders
Quotes of the Day
Robert Hays: “Surely you can’t be serious.”
Leslie Nielsen: “I am serious… and don’t call me Shirley.”
From the classic movie, Airplane!
Friday’s quiz
Which USFL team did Hall of Famer Jim Kelly play for?
Thursday’s quiz
Knicks’ coach Tom Thibodeau was an assistant coach for the San Antonio Spurs, when Jerry Tarkanian coached the Spurs in 1992.
Wednesday’s quiz
WR Larry Fitzgerald will be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame some day; he caught 48 TD passes from Hall of Famer Kurt Warner, the most he caught from any QB. Carson Palmer threw him the 2nd-most TD’s (29).
***********************************************************
Friday’s Den: Random stuff with the weekend here……..
— One thing to remember when college football season starts; clock won’t stop anymore after first downs, except in last 2:00 of each half, so college games will have lot fewer plays than in previous years, which means that scoring should decrease.
Something to think about if you wager on totals in college football.
— According to the Interweb, baseball commissioner Rob Manfred makes $17M a year.
In the history of the world, no one has ever looked more miserable while earning $17M a year.
Cheer up, Rob!!! Instead of a graphic during the baseball draft that says, “Robert D Manfred Jr” how about “Rob Manfred”? And lose the tie, kind of like Roger Goodell does during the NFL’s draft. I know Goodell isn’t a lawyer, but he’s a really good commissioner.
It is baseball, it is summer, have fun. Pretend you like baseball; you make $17M a year, smile once in a while.
— Here is some Rob Manfred can smile about; ballgames are 27 minutes shorter this season, so his rules changes to quicken the pace of play are working.
— Baseball season resumes tonight, with 18 days until the trade deadline.
— White Sox OF Luis Robert tweaked his right calf in Home Run Derby, sat out the All-Stsr Game Tuesday. He is questionable for the White Sox’ series in Atlanta this weekend.
— A’s OF Brent Rooker went 4-32 in the majors last year, playing for Royals/Padres. Imagine how excited he must’ve been Tuesday, not only playing in an All-Star Game, but hitting a double in the game?
Understood that he was there only because he plays for a cruddy team and every team has to be represented, but Rooker is still having a very good season. Hope he is enjoying it.
— National League won the All-Star Game Tuesday for first time since 2012; last time the NL won an All-Star Game, the managers were Tony LaRussa and Ron Washington.
Only two guys who started in that game who are still playing?
Justin Verlander and Joey Votto.
— Baseball players’ union would like the pitch clock rules to be relaxed a little bit when the playoffs roll around. It is unclear whether that will happen, but it would be hideous if a playoff game ended on a pitch clock violation.
— 2024 baseball season will begin when the Dodgers-Padres play two games in South Korea, on March 20-21.
March 28 is Opening Day on this continent.
— Movie of the Day: Up In the Air (2009)— Ryan Bingham lives out of a suitcase for his job, traveling around the country firing people, but finds that lifestyle threatened by a new hire presenting a new business model.
George Clooney is the star; Anna Kendrick is his new co-worker, Vera Farmiga is his female friend who he hooks up with on his road trips.
Jason Bateman plays Clooney’s boss; there are cameos by JK Simmons, Sam Elliott, Zach Galifianakis. Good movie, though the scenes where people get fired are a little unpleasant.
— College football Trend of the Day— since 2015, Temple is 12-5-1 ATS as a home underdog.
— Green Bay Packers punted 54 times last year; Jets punted 83 times. Numbers should be much closer this year, with Aaron Rodgers living in New Jersey now.
— NBA is supposedly looking at Seattle/Las Vegas as cities for expansion teams.
— Portland Trailblazers’ star Damian Lillard would like to be traded to the Miami Heat; someone on the Interweb posted that if Lillard were to get traded to the Heat, he would save a total of $21,000,000 in taxes over the remainder of his very large contract.
Thats million, with an M.
— They played the Futures Game in Seattle Wednesday, a minor league All-Star Game. One thing they experimented with in the game; teams could challenge ball/strike calls, with the decision coming from an automated strike zone.
I’m afraid we’re not too far away from the automated strike zone becoming a thing in the major leagues. There is no perfect system, I’d prefer umpires to still call balls/strikes.
Friday’s 6-pack:
Six NFL teams who haven’t won a playoff game in the last 10 years:
— Bears
— Lions
— Raiders
— Dolphins
— Jets
— Commanders
Quotes of the Day
Robert Hays: “Surely you can’t be serious.”
Leslie Nielsen: “I am serious… and don’t call me Shirley.”
From the classic movie, Airplane!
Friday’s quiz
Which USFL team did Hall of Famer Jim Kelly play for?
Thursday’s quiz
Knicks’ coach Tom Thibodeau was an assistant coach for the San Antonio Spurs, when Jerry Tarkanian coached the Spurs in 1992.
Wednesday’s quiz
WR Larry Fitzgerald will be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame some day; he caught 48 TD passes from Hall of Famer Kurt Warner, the most he caught from any QB. Carson Palmer threw him the 2nd-most TD’s (29).
***********************************************************
Friday’s Den: Random stuff with the weekend here……..
— One thing to remember when college football season starts; clock won’t stop anymore after first downs, except in last 2:00 of each half, so college games will have lot fewer plays than in previous years, which means that scoring should decrease.
Something to think about if you wager on totals in college football.
— According to the Interweb, baseball commissioner Rob Manfred makes $17M a year.
In the history of the world, no one has ever looked more miserable while earning $17M a year.
Cheer up, Rob!!! Instead of a graphic during the baseball draft that says, “Robert D Manfred Jr” how about “Rob Manfred”? And lose the tie, kind of like Roger Goodell does during the NFL’s draft. I know Goodell isn’t a lawyer, but he’s a really good commissioner.
It is baseball, it is summer, have fun. Pretend you like baseball; you make $17M a year, smile once in a while.
— Here is some Rob Manfred can smile about; ballgames are 27 minutes shorter this season, so his rules changes to quicken the pace of play are working.
— Baseball season resumes tonight, with 18 days until the trade deadline.
— White Sox OF Luis Robert tweaked his right calf in Home Run Derby, sat out the All-Stsr Game Tuesday. He is questionable for the White Sox’ series in Atlanta this weekend.
— A’s OF Brent Rooker went 4-32 in the majors last year, playing for Royals/Padres. Imagine how excited he must’ve been Tuesday, not only playing in an All-Star Game, but hitting a double in the game?
Understood that he was there only because he plays for a cruddy team and every team has to be represented, but Rooker is still having a very good season. Hope he is enjoying it.
— National League won the All-Star Game Tuesday for first time since 2012; last time the NL won an All-Star Game, the managers were Tony LaRussa and Ron Washington.
Only two guys who started in that game who are still playing?
Justin Verlander and Joey Votto.
— Baseball players’ union would like the pitch clock rules to be relaxed a little bit when the playoffs roll around. It is unclear whether that will happen, but it would be hideous if a playoff game ended on a pitch clock violation.
— 2024 baseball season will begin when the Dodgers-Padres play two games in South Korea, on March 20-21.
March 28 is Opening Day on this continent.
— Movie of the Day: Up In the Air (2009)— Ryan Bingham lives out of a suitcase for his job, traveling around the country firing people, but finds that lifestyle threatened by a new hire presenting a new business model.
George Clooney is the star; Anna Kendrick is his new co-worker, Vera Farmiga is his female friend who he hooks up with on his road trips.
Jason Bateman plays Clooney’s boss; there are cameos by JK Simmons, Sam Elliott, Zach Galifianakis. Good movie, though the scenes where people get fired are a little unpleasant.
— College football Trend of the Day— since 2015, Temple is 12-5-1 ATS as a home underdog.
— Green Bay Packers punted 54 times last year; Jets punted 83 times. Numbers should be much closer this year, with Aaron Rodgers living in New Jersey now.
— NBA is supposedly looking at Seattle/Las Vegas as cities for expansion teams.
— Portland Trailblazers’ star Damian Lillard would like to be traded to the Miami Heat; someone on the Interweb posted that if Lillard were to get traded to the Heat, he would save a total of $21,000,000 in taxes over the remainder of his very large contract.
Thats million, with an M.
— They played the Futures Game in Seattle Wednesday, a minor league All-Star Game. One thing they experimented with in the game; teams could challenge ball/strike calls, with the decision coming from an automated strike zone.
I’m afraid we’re not too far away from the automated strike zone becoming a thing in the major leagues. There is no perfect system, I’d prefer umpires to still call balls/strikes.
PHILADELPHIA is 63-87 SU (-32.7 Units) after 3 or more consecutive road games in the last 3 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 10-19 SU (-16.2 Units) in road games vs. an NL team with a batting average of .255 or worse in the second half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
MIAMI is 11-2 SU (8.8 Units) after 6 or more consecutive home games in the current season.
TORONTO is 11-1 Under (9.9 Units) when playing on Friday in the current season.
NY METS are 53-84 SU (-39.4 Units) against left-handed starters in the last 3 seasons.
CINCINNATI is 7-1 SU (5.9 Units) after 2 straight games where the bullpen gave up no earned runs in the current season.
ATLANTA is 17-5 SU (13.1 Units) vs. teams whose hitters draw 3 walks or less/game in the current season.
TEXAS are 8-1 SU (6.9 Units) after having lost 4 of their last 5 games in the current season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 11-2 SU (8.8 Units) when playing on Friday in the current season.
KANSAS CITY is 133-166 SU (-49.6 Units) against right-handed starters in the last 3 seasons.
ST LOUIS are 66-44 Over (17.6 Units) after 2 or more consecutive wins in the last 3 seasons.
NY YANKEES are 8-1 SU (6.9 Units) as a road favorite of -125 or more in the current season.
HOUSTON is 10-2 Over (7.8 Units) revenging a one run loss to opponent in the current season.
OAKLAND is 71-40 Over (27 Units) in home games after 4 or more consecutive losses since 1996.
SEATTLE is 10-2 Over (7.8 Units) in home games after batting .225 or worse over a 5 game span in the current season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 10-19 SU (-16.2 Units) in road games vs. an NL team with a batting average of .255 or worse in the second half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
MIAMI is 11-2 SU (8.8 Units) after 6 or more consecutive home games in the current season.
TORONTO is 11-1 Under (9.9 Units) when playing on Friday in the current season.
NY METS are 53-84 SU (-39.4 Units) against left-handed starters in the last 3 seasons.
CINCINNATI is 7-1 SU (5.9 Units) after 2 straight games where the bullpen gave up no earned runs in the current season.
ATLANTA is 17-5 SU (13.1 Units) vs. teams whose hitters draw 3 walks or less/game in the current season.
TEXAS are 8-1 SU (6.9 Units) after having lost 4 of their last 5 games in the current season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 11-2 SU (8.8 Units) when playing on Friday in the current season.
KANSAS CITY is 133-166 SU (-49.6 Units) against right-handed starters in the last 3 seasons.
ST LOUIS are 66-44 Over (17.6 Units) after 2 or more consecutive wins in the last 3 seasons.
NY YANKEES are 8-1 SU (6.9 Units) as a road favorite of -125 or more in the current season.
HOUSTON is 10-2 Over (7.8 Units) revenging a one run loss to opponent in the current season.
OAKLAND is 71-40 Over (27 Units) in home games after 4 or more consecutive losses since 1996.
SEATTLE is 10-2 Over (7.8 Units) in home games after batting .225 or worse over a 5 game span in the current season.
MLB
Friday, July 14
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Friday, July 14
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Friday’s 6-pack:
Six NFL teams who haven’t won a playoff game in the last 10 years:
— Bears
— Lions
— Raiders
— Dolphins
— Jets
— Commanders
Quotes of the Day
Leslie Nielsen: “Can you fly this plane, and land it?”
Robert Hays: “Surely you can’t be serious.”
Leslie Nielsen: “I am serious… and don’t call me Shirley.”
From the classic movie, Airplane!
Friday’s quiz
Which USFL team did Hall of Famer Jim Kelly play for?
Thursday’s quiz
Knicks’ coach Tom Thibodeau was an assistant coach for the San Antonio Spurs, when Jerry Tarkanian coached the Spurs in 1992.
Wednesday’s quiz
WR Larry Fitzgerald will be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame some day; he caught 48 TD passes from Hall of Famer Kurt Warner, the most he caught from any QB. Carson Palmer threw him the 2nd-most TD’s (29).
*************************************************
Something to think about if you wager on totals in college football.
— According to the Interweb, baseball commissioner Rob Manfred makes $17M a year.
In the history of the world, no one has ever looked more miserable while earning $17M a year.
Cheer up, Rob!!! Instead of a graphic during the baseball draft that says, “Robert D Manfred Jr” how about “Rob Manfred”? And lose the tie, kind of like Roger Goodell does during the NFL’s draft. I know Goodell isn’t a lawyer, but he’s a really good commissioner.
It is baseball, it is summer, have fun. Pretend you like baseball; you make $17M a year, smile once in a while.
— Here is some Rob Manfred can smile about; ballgames are 27 minutes shorter this season, so his rules changes to quicken the pace of play are working.
— Baseball season resumes tonight, with 18 days until the trade deadline.
— White Sox OF Luis Robert tweaked his right calf in Home Run Derby, sat out the All-Stsr Game Tuesday. He is questionable for the White Sox’ series in Atlanta this weekend.
— A’s OF Brent Rooker went 4-32 in the majors last year, playing for Royals/Padres. Imagine how excited he must’ve been Tuesday, not only playing in an All-Star Game, but hitting a double in the game?
Understood that he was there only because he plays for a cruddy team and every team has to be represented, but Rooker is still having a very good season. Hope he is enjoying it.
— National League won the All-Star Game Tuesday for first time since 2012; last time the NL won an All-Star Game, the managers were Tony LaRussa and Ron Washington.
Only two guys who started in that game who are still playing?
Justin Verlander and Joey Votto.
— Baseball players’ union would like the pitch clock rules to be relaxed a little bit when the playoffs roll around. It is unclear whether that will happen, but it would be hideous if a playoff game ended on a pitch clock violation.
— 2024 baseball season will begin when the Dodgers-Padres play two games in South Korea, on March 20-21.
March 28 is Opening Day on this continent.
— Movie of the Day: Up In the Air (2009)— Ryan Bingham lives out of a suitcase for his job, traveling around the country firing people, but finds that lifestyle threatened by a new hire presenting a new business model.
George Clooney is the star; Anna Kendrick is his new co-worker, Vera Farmiga is his female friend who he hooks up with on his road trips.
Jason Bateman plays Clooney’s boss; there are cameos by JK Simmons, Sam Elliott, Zach Galifianakis. Good movie, though the scenes where people get fired are a little unpleasant.
— College football Trend of the Day— since 2015, Temple is 12-5-1 ATS as a home underdog.
— Green Bay Packers punted 54 times last year; Jets punted 83 times. Numbers should be much closer this year, with Aaron Rodgers living in New Jersey now.
— NBA is supposedly looking at Seattle/Las Vegas as cities for expansion teams.
— Portland Trailblazers’ star Damian Lillard would like to be traded to the Miami Heat; someone on the Interweb posted that if Lillard were to get traded to the Heat, he would save a total of $21,000,000 in taxes over the remainder of his very large contract.
Thats million, with an M.
— They played the Futures Game in Seattle Wednesday, a minor league All-Star Game. One thing they experimented with in the game; teams could challenge ball/strike calls, with the decision coming from an automated strike zone.
I’m afraid we’re not too far away from the automated strike zone becoming a thing in the major leagues. There is no perfect system, I’d prefer umpires to still call balls/strikes.
Six NFL teams who haven’t won a playoff game in the last 10 years:
— Bears
— Lions
— Raiders
— Dolphins
— Jets
— Commanders
Quotes of the Day
Leslie Nielsen: “Can you fly this plane, and land it?”
Robert Hays: “Surely you can’t be serious.”
Leslie Nielsen: “I am serious… and don’t call me Shirley.”
From the classic movie, Airplane!
Friday’s quiz
Which USFL team did Hall of Famer Jim Kelly play for?
Thursday’s quiz
Knicks’ coach Tom Thibodeau was an assistant coach for the San Antonio Spurs, when Jerry Tarkanian coached the Spurs in 1992.
Wednesday’s quiz
WR Larry Fitzgerald will be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame some day; he caught 48 TD passes from Hall of Famer Kurt Warner, the most he caught from any QB. Carson Palmer threw him the 2nd-most TD’s (29).
*************************************************
Friday’s Den: Random stuff with the weekend here……..
— One thing to remember when college football season starts; clock won’t stop anymore after first downs, except in last 2:00 of each half, so college games will have lot fewer plays than in previous years, which means that scoring should decrease.Something to think about if you wager on totals in college football.
— According to the Interweb, baseball commissioner Rob Manfred makes $17M a year.
In the history of the world, no one has ever looked more miserable while earning $17M a year.
Cheer up, Rob!!! Instead of a graphic during the baseball draft that says, “Robert D Manfred Jr” how about “Rob Manfred”? And lose the tie, kind of like Roger Goodell does during the NFL’s draft. I know Goodell isn’t a lawyer, but he’s a really good commissioner.
It is baseball, it is summer, have fun. Pretend you like baseball; you make $17M a year, smile once in a while.
— Here is some Rob Manfred can smile about; ballgames are 27 minutes shorter this season, so his rules changes to quicken the pace of play are working.
— Baseball season resumes tonight, with 18 days until the trade deadline.
— White Sox OF Luis Robert tweaked his right calf in Home Run Derby, sat out the All-Stsr Game Tuesday. He is questionable for the White Sox’ series in Atlanta this weekend.
— A’s OF Brent Rooker went 4-32 in the majors last year, playing for Royals/Padres. Imagine how excited he must’ve been Tuesday, not only playing in an All-Star Game, but hitting a double in the game?
Understood that he was there only because he plays for a cruddy team and every team has to be represented, but Rooker is still having a very good season. Hope he is enjoying it.
— National League won the All-Star Game Tuesday for first time since 2012; last time the NL won an All-Star Game, the managers were Tony LaRussa and Ron Washington.
Only two guys who started in that game who are still playing?
Justin Verlander and Joey Votto.
— Baseball players’ union would like the pitch clock rules to be relaxed a little bit when the playoffs roll around. It is unclear whether that will happen, but it would be hideous if a playoff game ended on a pitch clock violation.
— 2024 baseball season will begin when the Dodgers-Padres play two games in South Korea, on March 20-21.
March 28 is Opening Day on this continent.
— Movie of the Day: Up In the Air (2009)— Ryan Bingham lives out of a suitcase for his job, traveling around the country firing people, but finds that lifestyle threatened by a new hire presenting a new business model.
George Clooney is the star; Anna Kendrick is his new co-worker, Vera Farmiga is his female friend who he hooks up with on his road trips.
Jason Bateman plays Clooney’s boss; there are cameos by JK Simmons, Sam Elliott, Zach Galifianakis. Good movie, though the scenes where people get fired are a little unpleasant.
— College football Trend of the Day— since 2015, Temple is 12-5-1 ATS as a home underdog.
— Green Bay Packers punted 54 times last year; Jets punted 83 times. Numbers should be much closer this year, with Aaron Rodgers living in New Jersey now.
— NBA is supposedly looking at Seattle/Las Vegas as cities for expansion teams.
— Portland Trailblazers’ star Damian Lillard would like to be traded to the Miami Heat; someone on the Interweb posted that if Lillard were to get traded to the Heat, he would save a total of $21,000,000 in taxes over the remainder of his very large contract.
Thats million, with an M.
— They played the Futures Game in Seattle Wednesday, a minor league All-Star Game. One thing they experimented with in the game; teams could challenge ball/strike calls, with the decision coming from an automated strike zone.
I’m afraid we’re not too far away from the automated strike zone becoming a thing in the major leagues. There is no perfect system, I’d prefer umpires to still call balls/strikes.
