Here's this week's lineup in our charity pro football underdog pool. Lots of double-digit possibilities here for our players. Which of these 'dogs (in caps) do you think can win its game outright?
11.5 TAMPA BAY vs. New Orleans
11 WASHINGTON at Dallas
11 SEATTLE at Minnesota
10.5 KANSAS CITY vs. Pittsburgh
10.5 NY JETS at New England
10 OAKLAND vs. Cincinnati
9.5 ST. LOUIS vs. Arizona
8.5 BUFFALO at Jacksonville
6.5 SAN FRANCISCO at Green Bay
6.5 ATLANTA at NY Giants
4.5 TENNESSEE at Houston
3.5 CLEVELAND at Detroit
3 MIAMI at Carolina (Thursday)
3 CHICAGO vs. Philadelphia
1 BALTIMORE vs. Indianapolis
Players, please be sure that your pick reaches me by Saturday at 11:59 p.m. -- or if you're taking Miami, by kickoff time on Thursday, 5:20 p.m. on the West Coast. If you send your pick by e-mail and request a receipt, I will gladly send you one. Picks can also be left in the comments to this post if you wish (although then other players will see them). If you need to consult our current standings, they are here.
May you have better luck than I have had this season. I may have to abandon my recent methodologies in favor of an older technique. As always, advice and kibitzing are welcome.
UPDATE, 11/20, 11:06 p.m.: None of our group picked Miami, and they won, earning a phantom 3 points. No oddsmakers are posting a point spread for Denver and San Diego, and so by our rules, that game is off our board this week.
Comments (21)
There's no line for San Diego at Denver yet -- but could be by Thursday, see the rules.
Not a very tantalizing week. Best bet looks to be SD over DEN (currently 3 pt. spread). Dallas has never lost to Wash. on TG Day, and Riggins' old team is still in worse disarray than the Cryboys, so that big win is very unlikely -- at that altitude, I'd try TB over NO instead (betting against a streak with NO on the road).
But back to earth, my suggested second choice to SD is Titans over Houston (bad blood there with Oilers hauntings, etc.). Count how many Houston fans give ol' Bud Adams the finger -- I think the over/under on that is 10,000.
Jeff Fisher will have his team ready, though, and it might be a difficult pick on that one for you, Jack, with your hot/cold Houston history compounding the picking there. Maybe the Buffalo Bills go wild with all of the coaching trauma and drama going on, but their rush defense is last in the league and JAC should be way too much for them. Ugly udog week. Maybe you could buy a vowel or something. SD over DEN (Simms is a crummy QB (Orton's out), and Brandon Marshall's hurt to boot).
Careful, Annie (and Jack?). Belichick & the Pats will be playing this one with special intensity after choking against Indy before a national tv audience (with vast majority of pundits and former pros ridiculing his 4th down game-changing go-for-it-from-our-own-30 failure vs. Indy), and they always play against the Jets extra hard because of the bad blood from the Jets reneging on Belichik deal to hire Parcels. And then you add to that "Spygate" and fact that NE will be @home with all of their weapons and angry defense (this week for sure after being dissed in effect by Belichik not trusting them to stop Manning)....Jets coach Rex Ryan will probably be crying again this week. I wouldn't bet the Jets in this game even with the points. But, it will be one of the compelling games to watch this weekend, and if the Jets win, it would be one of those memorable contests, that's for sure. I just think it's smarter and healthier to lay off that game. If NE loses, any homefield advantage that they might get for 1st rd of the playoffs would be in jeopardy, though.
Hard picks this week. I may be getting desperate enough to throw caution to the wind and pick Josh Freeman and TB for the mega-point, streak ending upset over NO, who has injuries aplenty in their secondary. If the rational part of me takes over, I'm looking at Tennessee or Atlanta.
CORRECTION: The Mojo filter was set for HST (Holiday Savings Time), so I was a week early thinking TG was today, hence the context of my tout on the Dallas-Wash game was whacked. Analysis still valid, though. Now, who wants some stuffing?
P.S. -- Just watched Mark Schlereth & Herm Edwards on ESPN re the Buffalo situation and maybe those players will be playing with job-saving mania. Other thoughts: Maybe their special teams will come through or TO synchronizes his time in this dimension with the offensive coordinator & QB finally. Do they feel lucky?
P.P.S. -- MIA's Pat White may be featured several times out of the wildcat, and he's very talented QB & runner. Should be a good game tonight.
Charamba, Douro 2008
Horse Heaven Hills, Cabernet 2010
Lorelle, Horse Heaven Hills Pinot Grigio 2011
Avignonesi, Montepulciano 2004
Lorelle, Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2011
Villa Antinori, Toscana 2007
Mercedes Eguren, Cabernet Sauvignon 2009
Lorelle, Columbia Valley Cabernet 2011
Purple Moon, Merlot 2011
Purple Moon, Chardonnnay 2011
Abacela, Vintner's Blend No. 12
Opula Red Blend 2010
Liberte, Pinot Noir 2010
Chateau Ste. Michelle, Indian Wells Red Blend 2010
Woodbridge, Chardonnay 2011
King Estate, Pinot Noir 2011
Famille Perrin, Cotes du Rhone Villages 2010
Columbia Crest, Les Chevaux Red 2010
14 Hands, Hot to Trot White Blend
Familia Bianchi, Malbec 2009
Terrapin Cellars, Pinot Gris 2011
Columbia Crest, Walter Clore Private Reserve 2009
Campo Viejo, Rioja, Termpranillo 2010
Ravenswood, Cabernet Sauvignon 2009
Quinta das Amoras, Vinho Tinto 2010
Waterbrook, Reserve Merlot 2009
Lorelle, Horse Heaven Hills, Pinot Grigio 2011
Tarantas, Rose
Chateau Lajarre, Bordeaux 2009
La Vielle Ferme, Rose 2011
Benvolio, Pinot Grigio 2011
Nobilo Icon, Pinot Noir 2009
Lello, Douro Tinto 2009
Quinson Fils, Cotes de Provence Rose 2011
Anindor, Pinot Gris 2010
Buenas Ondas, Syrah Rose 2010
Les Fiefs d'Anglars, Malbec 2009
14 Hands, Pinot Gris 2011
Conundrum 2012
Condes de Albarei, Albariño 2011
Columbia Crest, Walter Clore Private Reserve 2007
Penelope Sanchez, Garnacha Syrah 2010
Canoe Ridge, Merlot 2007
Atalaya do Mar, Godello 2010
Vega Montan, Mencia
Benvolio, Pinot Grigio
Nobilo Icon, Pinot Noir, Marlborough 2009
Portuga, Rose 2011
Revelation, Chardonnay, Pays d'Oc 2010
Beaulieu, Cabernet, Rutherford 2005
Monte Alto, Tinto Reserva 2005
Chateau Ste. Michelle, Cabernet, Indian Wells 2009
Espiral, Vinho Rose
Vin-Koru, Pinot Gris 2011
14 Hands, Hot to Trot Red 2009
Rodney Strong, Cabernet, Sonoma 2009
Abacela, Vintner's Blend #11
Portuga, White 2010
La Bourgeoisie, Red 2009
Januik, Red 2009
Three Rivers, River's Red 2008
Kirkland, Alexander Valley Merlot 2008
Muga, Rioja Rose 2010
Quinta das Amoras, Vinho Tinto 2009
Mauro Molino, Barbera d'Alba 2009
Garda Chiaretto Rose
Columbia Crest, Two Vines Vineyard 10 White
Chateau Ste. Michelle, Pinot Gris, Columbia Valley 2009
L'Hortus, Rose de Saignee 2010
Maculan, Pino & Toi 2008
McKinley Springs, Bombing Range Red 2008
Trader Joe's Pinot Gris 2009
Montes Alpha, Cabernet 2007
Gran Sasso, Sangiovese, Terre di Chieti 2009
Garda, Classico Chiaretto Rose
Beaulieu, Cabernet, Rutherford 1999
Picos del Montgo, Tempranillo 2008
Chateau de Montmirail, Vacqueyras 2008
La Granja 360, Syrah 2009
Montgras, Carmenere Reserva 2009
Lange, Pinot Gris 2009
Columbia Crest, Horse Heaven Hills Cabernet 2008
Kirkland, Pinot Grigio 2010
Trader Joe's Coastal Syrah 2009
Columbia Crest, Horse Heaven Hills Merlot 2008
Trader Joe's Coastal Chardonnay 2009
Vieux Papes Red
Domaine de l'Aujardiere, Chardonnay 2009
Santa Rita, Cabernet, Medalla Real 2007
Penfold's, Koonunga Hill Shiraz Cabernet 2008
Guild, Red, Lot #02 2008
Dievole, Dievolino Sangiovese 2008
Laforet, Burgogne Chardonnay 2009
Columbia Winery, Merlot 2007
Bonterra, Cabernet 2008
Elk Cove, Pinot Gris 2009
Maquis Lien 2006
Scott Paul, Pinot Noir, Le Paulee 2007
The Occasional Book
Hope Larson - A Wrinkle in Time, the Graphic Novel
Rudyard Kipling - Kim
Peter Ames Carlin - Bruce
Fran Cannon Slayton - When the Whistle Blows
Neil Young - Waging Heavy Peace
Mark Bego - Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul (2012 ed.)
Jenny Lawson - Let's Pretend This Never Happened
J.D. Salinger - Franny and Zooey
Charles Dickens - A Christmas Carol
Timothy Egan - The Big Burn
Deborah Eisenberg - Transactions in a Foreign Currency
Kurt Vonnegut Jr. - Slaughterhouse Five
Kathryn Lance - Pandora's Genes
Cheryl Strayed - Wild
Fyodor Dostoyevsky - The Brothers Karamazov
Jack London - The House of Pride, and Other Tales of Hawaii
Jack Walker - The Extraordinary Rendition of Vincent Dellamaria
Colum McCann - Let the Great World Spin
Niccolò Machiavelli - The Prince
Harper Lee - To Kill a Mockingbird
Emma McLaughlin & Nicola Kraus - The Nanny Diaries
Brian Selznick - The Invention of Hugo Cabret
Sharon Creech - Walk Two Moons
Keith Richards - Life
F. Sionil Jose - Dusk
Natalie Babbitt - Tuck Everlasting
Justin Halpern - S#*t My Dad Says
Mark Herrmann - The Curmudgeon's Guide to Practicing Law
Barry Glassner - The Gospel of Food
Phil Stanford - The Peyton-Allan Files
Jesse Katz - The Opposite Field
Evelyn Waugh - Brideshead Revisited
J.K. Rowling - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
David Sedaris - Holidays on Ice
Donald Miller - A Million Miles in a Thousand Years
Mitch Albom - Have a Little Faith
C.S. Lewis - The Magician's Nephew
F. Scott Fitzgerald - The Great Gatsby
William Shakespeare - A Midsummer Night's Dream
Ivan Doig - Bucking the Sun
Penda Diakité - I Lost My Tooth in Africa
Grace Lin - The Year of the Rat
Oscar Hijuelos - Mr. Ives' Christmas
Madeline L'Engle - A Wrinkle in Time
Steven Hart - The Last Three Miles
David Sedaris - Me Talk Pretty One Day
Karen Armstrong - The Spiral Staircase
Charles Larson - The Portland Murders
Adrian Wojnarowski - The Miracle of St. Anthony
William H. Colby - Long Goodbye
Steven D. Stark - Meet the Beatles
Phil Stanford - Portland Confidential
Rick Moody - Garden State
Jonathan Schwartz - All in Good Time
David Sedaris - Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim
Anthony Holden - Big Deal
Robert J. Spitzer - The Spirit of Leadership
James McManus - Positively Fifth Street
Jeff Noon - Vurt
Road Work
Miles run year to date: 32
At this date last year: 66
Total run in 2012: 129
In 2011: 113
In 2010: 125
In 2009: 67
In 2008: 28
In 2007: 113
In 2006: 100
In 2005: 149
In 2004: 204
In 2003: 269
Comments (21)
There's no line for San Diego at Denver yet -- but could be by Thursday, see the rules.
Posted by Jack Bog | November 17, 2009 10:49 PM
I'm hopelessly behind so this is somewhat a Hail Mary, but put me down for Washington to stun Dallas.
Posted by George Anonymuncule Seldes | November 17, 2009 11:51 PM
I'll take Tennessee to beat Houston.
Posted by Hank Stern | November 18, 2009 7:23 AM
What a boring week in the NFL.
Posted by Kevin | November 18, 2009 10:41 AM
Only until a couple of the double-digit dogs shock people.
Posted by Jack Bog | November 18, 2009 10:42 AM
I'll choose later. That Cleveland-Detroit game looks depressing.
Posted by Doug | November 18, 2009 12:44 PM
I will take WASHINGTON, because it looks like the Cowboys are starting their December swoon early this year.
It is fall here in the mountains of NC. We know this because the leaves are turning to yellow and the winos are turning to reds.
Posted by Sid | November 18, 2009 2:24 PM
Not a very tantalizing week. Best bet looks to be SD over DEN (currently 3 pt. spread). Dallas has never lost to Wash. on TG Day, and Riggins' old team is still in worse disarray than the Cryboys, so that big win is very unlikely -- at that altitude, I'd try TB over NO instead (betting against a streak with NO on the road).
But back to earth, my suggested second choice to SD is Titans over Houston (bad blood there with Oilers hauntings, etc.). Count how many Houston fans give ol' Bud Adams the finger -- I think the over/under on that is 10,000.
Jeff Fisher will have his team ready, though, and it might be a difficult pick on that one for you, Jack, with your hot/cold Houston history compounding the picking there. Maybe the Buffalo Bills go wild with all of the coaching trauma and drama going on, but their rush defense is last in the league and JAC should be way too much for them. Ugly udog week. Maybe you could buy a vowel or something. SD over DEN (Simms is a crummy QB (Orton's out), and Brandon Marshall's hurt to boot).
Posted by Mojo | November 19, 2009 12:01 AM
P.S. -- that 3-pt. SD-DEN line might slip some yet. Still, 2 pts. are better than none.
Posted by Mojo | November 19, 2009 12:06 AM
I'm taking the Jets.
Posted by annie | November 19, 2009 7:49 AM
Careful, Annie (and Jack?). Belichick & the Pats will be playing this one with special intensity after choking against Indy before a national tv audience (with vast majority of pundits and former pros ridiculing his 4th down game-changing go-for-it-from-our-own-30 failure vs. Indy), and they always play against the Jets extra hard because of the bad blood from the Jets reneging on Belichik deal to hire Parcels. And then you add to that "Spygate" and fact that NE will be @home with all of their weapons and angry defense (this week for sure after being dissed in effect by Belichik not trusting them to stop Manning)....Jets coach Rex Ryan will probably be crying again this week. I wouldn't bet the Jets in this game even with the points. But, it will be one of the compelling games to watch this weekend, and if the Jets win, it would be one of those memorable contests, that's for sure. I just think it's smarter and healthier to lay off that game. If NE loses, any homefield advantage that they might get for 1st rd of the playoffs would be in jeopardy, though.
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/293081-jets-ryan-on-crying-im-man-enough-to-be-me
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/292339-sunday-was-no-fluke-rex-ryan-defenses-dont-finish-football-games/page/2
Posted by Mojo | November 19, 2009 9:41 AM
I'll take San Fran.
Posted by Michael Welch | November 19, 2009 9:57 AM
Hard picks this week. I may be getting desperate enough to throw caution to the wind and pick Josh Freeman and TB for the mega-point, streak ending upset over NO, who has injuries aplenty in their secondary. If the rational part of me takes over, I'm looking at Tennessee or Atlanta.
Posted by jmh | November 19, 2009 1:08 PM
CORRECTION: The Mojo filter was set for HST (Holiday Savings Time), so I was a week early thinking TG was today, hence the context of my tout on the Dallas-Wash game was whacked. Analysis still valid, though. Now, who wants some stuffing?
P.S. -- Just watched Mark Schlereth & Herm Edwards on ESPN re the Buffalo situation and maybe those players will be playing with job-saving mania. Other thoughts: Maybe their special teams will come through or TO synchronizes his time in this dimension with the offensive coordinator & QB finally. Do they feel lucky?
P.P.S. -- MIA's Pat White may be featured several times out of the wildcat, and he's very talented QB & runner. Should be a good game tonight.
Posted by Mojo | November 19, 2009 1:51 PM
I'll take SF to beat Green Bay.
Posted by GaryK | November 19, 2009 2:44 PM
I'll take Miami please. :)
Posted by jmh | November 20, 2009 9:11 AM
I'll take Miami too, but only if my pick for ATL doesn't work out.
Posted by Kevin | November 20, 2009 9:32 AM
I'm going to take St Louis. And some antidepressents so I make it through the Bills game this week.
Posted by Dan F | November 20, 2009 4:02 PM
I'm panning for gold this week with my pick-- the 49ers to beat Green Bay.
Posted by Rick | November 20, 2009 10:39 PM
Maybe my fortunes will change if I post my pick for all to see. Naked as it was born.
I'll take the STL Lambs to upset the AZ Cardinals.
Posted by Flynn | November 21, 2009 8:47 AM
Ok Jack, I'm going big or going home. Give me Tampa Bay over New Orleans.
Posted by jmh | November 21, 2009 8:57 PM