7.5 BALTIMORE at New England
2.5 NEW YORK GIANTS at San Francisco
A reminder of our prize structure:
First prize - $510 to player's favorite charity
Second prize - $165 to player's favorite charity
Third prize - $105 to player's favorite charity
Fourth prize - $75 to player's favorite charity
Fifth prize - $55 to player's favorite charity
We still have 10 players with a shot at the five prizes. In fact, all 10 have at least a mathematical possibility of getting a piece of the first prize. But everybody else in the contest, don't give up -- make that last pick just for pride. Folks at the top, good luck with the chess game.
In case of ties, the prizes will be split. For example, if two players are tied for second, we'll combine second ($165) and third ($105) and give their charities each half ($135 each). There are no tiebreakers in the underdog contest.
Picks are due by noon Pacific Time on Sunday.
Comments (7)
Sweet, we can have a NY Giants Super Bowl Rematch regardless of who wins the AFC...
Mojo's Best Bet & Upset Special
(Last week 2-1; overall 21-38)
NY GIANTS (+2.5) at San Francisco -- This game is probably going to be decided by the comparative play of the QBs, and I just don't know how anyone would sensibly bet against Eli Manning this week. I don't care how rah-rah Coach, and former NFL QB, Jim Harbaugh is, or how well SF QB Alex Smith played last week. And while it was so heart warming to see SF TE Vernon Davis have that game performance for the ages last week, Manning is every bit as hot as Brady right now, if not more -- and he's the difference-maker in this game.
We can call the rushing attacks of these two teams basically even, with perhaps a slight edge to the Giants only because they've got two good ones and SF has but the one excellent one. Their defenses are both performing at high levels, with the 49ers especially tough against the run, but the Giants pass rush is by far the best one left in the playoffs. The Giants came out of the chute hitting the Packers so hard (on special teams as well), it had an immediate and reverberating effect in last week's game.
As much as the 49ers respond to Jim Harbaugh's inspirational coaching, the Giants are playing that much harder for Tom Coughlin, who has years of big game playoff experience.
The Niners have the all-around offensive edge in special teams (even though NY has the sensational Victor Cruz as a return man), with punter Andy Lee averaging over 50 yards a punt and with the NFL's best kicker, David Akers, likely to be their hero if SF is going to survive this formidable challenge from the G-Men. Ted Ginn, Jr. better make sure he hangs onto the football in kick returns, or the Giants are going to eat him alive. And if you believe the NFL games are fixed -- especially after last week's "outer limits" refereeing in Green Bay -- with the spread here at 2.5 you might want to lay off this one and go for the big upset with Baltimore. Just sayin'.
Me? After what has gone on so far this season, I think the Giants are going to win it all now.
Gambler's Corner
BALTIMORE (+7.5) at New England -- While the Ravens defense and special teams might save them, their struggles with offensive consistency and scoring, and the unpredictability of QB Joe Flacco makes this underdog pick a bona fide gamble. Keep your eyes on Baltimore's blazing WR Torrey Smith, tough. And Anquan Boldin is a very tough match-up for the Patriots to counter, and look for Flacco to go to him early on 3rd downs, alternating with throws to RB Ray Rice out of the backfield at times. The Ravens need to be up at halftime by at least 10 to have an honest chance at pulling off this very possible upset.
Belichick and JoePa replacement-to-be, Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien, have crafted an near-unstoppable pinchers blitzkrieg maneuver using their beastly tight end combo of Gronkowski and Hernandez -- aka "The Boston TE Party." Meanwhile, Wes Welker is a buzz bomb underneath, especially if he's slipping behind the TEs in the midfield. Don't forget about him. He's a game-breaker. The pressure is on Ravens defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano to transfer pressure directly onto Tom Brady through Ravens monster linebacker Terrell Suggs -- with strategic blitzes from the CB and S positions. Look for that in key 1st and 3rd down situations, especially in the 2nd half.
You should be able to gauge the Ravens' chances of success based on the condition of Patriots' QB Tom Brady's uniform. For the Ravens to win, Brady's uni has to be smudged up good before halftime, and on throughout the second half, most of all.
Going into this game the shadow of doubt has been lurking in the Ravens camp (S Ed Reed dissing QB Flacco; Ed Reed knee injury; Flacco in a flak about skateboarding at home, etc.), while the Patriots quietly and intently prepare in their usual championship mode to do what it takes to defeat them. Not a good sign for Baltimore.
Tough to bet against the Pats this weekend to pick up underdog points -- though I expect the Ravens will cover the spread by the 0.5 offset. And for you long-shotters, don't expect any help from Mother Nature, because the weather isn't expected to be a factor this week or weekend. It's straight-up, hand-to-hand combat. The best team performance on Sunday will win it.
And this weekend's game reminds me of this all-time great who played for both the 49ers & the Giants, and is still with us at the age of 85. Surely, he'll be watching! --
There has been some crazy weather this week that will affect Sunday's playoff games. San Francisco? Well, let's just say that city looks like the animals are lining up two by two, waiting to get on the ark. Noah himself might need to get the two teams to the stadium with all the rain they're having. I know the 49ers and New York Giants have been talking about it and are aware that this could be a Mud Bowl.
And Chad Ochocinco tweeted this morning that he had to shovel out his driveway, which means that the New England Patriots and Baltimore Ravens will have to cope with cold and possibly snow, always a threat in the Northeast.
The Ravens finished the regular season 4-4 on the road. However, they have gone 7-0 against teams that made the playoffs this season, and 7-1 versus teams that finished the regular season with winning record. The Patriots have not beaten a team that finished with a winning record all season.
****
The Ravens have a star running back, one of the game's best defenses, and more than enough veteran leadership to win on this stage. The Patriots have a Hall of Fame quarterback and coach, an embarrassment of riches on offense, and home-field advantage. In other words, this could be a classic AFC championship game that isn't decided until deep in the final quarter. And if that is the case, it's nearly impossible to bet against Brady, who is seemingly on a mission to get the Patriots back to the Super Bowl....
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
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: 21
At this date last year: 52
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
Players in our charity underdog game, here ye be:
Comments (7)
Sweet, we can have a NY Giants Super Bowl Rematch regardless of who wins the AFC...
Go G-men!
Posted by Don Smith | January 17, 2012 9:26 AM
Fly Ravens Fly...
Posted by Calabrese | January 17, 2012 7:41 PM
Mojo's Best Bets
Bad Luck Shadow Edition
Mojo's Best Bet & Upset Special
(Last week 2-1; overall 21-38)
NY GIANTS (+2.5) at San Francisco -- This game is probably going to be decided by the comparative play of the QBs, and I just don't know how anyone would sensibly bet against Eli Manning this week. I don't care how rah-rah Coach, and former NFL QB, Jim Harbaugh is, or how well SF QB Alex Smith played last week. And while it was so heart warming to see SF TE Vernon Davis have that game performance for the ages last week, Manning is every bit as hot as Brady right now, if not more -- and he's the difference-maker in this game.
We can call the rushing attacks of these two teams basically even, with perhaps a slight edge to the Giants only because they've got two good ones and SF has but the one excellent one. Their defenses are both performing at high levels, with the 49ers especially tough against the run, but the Giants pass rush is by far the best one left in the playoffs. The Giants came out of the chute hitting the Packers so hard (on special teams as well), it had an immediate and reverberating effect in last week's game.
As much as the 49ers respond to Jim Harbaugh's inspirational coaching, the Giants are playing that much harder for Tom Coughlin, who has years of big game playoff experience.
Coney Island Baby ~ Lou Reed
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPHbbvQEA1E
The Niners have the all-around offensive edge in special teams (even though NY has the sensational Victor Cruz as a return man), with punter Andy Lee averaging over 50 yards a punt and with the NFL's best kicker, David Akers, likely to be their hero if SF is going to survive this formidable challenge from the G-Men. Ted Ginn, Jr. better make sure he hangs onto the football in kick returns, or the Giants are going to eat him alive. And if you believe the NFL games are fixed -- especially after last week's "outer limits" refereeing in Green Bay -- with the spread here at 2.5 you might want to lay off this one and go for the big upset with Baltimore. Just sayin'.
Me? After what has gone on so far this season, I think the Giants are going to win it all now.
Gambler's Corner
BALTIMORE (+7.5) at New England -- While the Ravens defense and special teams might save them, their struggles with offensive consistency and scoring, and the unpredictability of QB Joe Flacco makes this underdog pick a bona fide gamble. Keep your eyes on Baltimore's blazing WR Torrey Smith, tough. And Anquan Boldin is a very tough match-up for the Patriots to counter, and look for Flacco to go to him early on 3rd downs, alternating with throws to RB Ray Rice out of the backfield at times. The Ravens need to be up at halftime by at least 10 to have an honest chance at pulling off this very possible upset.
Belichick and JoePa replacement-to-be, Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien, have crafted an near-unstoppable pinchers blitzkrieg maneuver using their beastly tight end combo of Gronkowski and Hernandez -- aka "The Boston TE Party." Meanwhile, Wes Welker is a buzz bomb underneath, especially if he's slipping behind the TEs in the midfield. Don't forget about him. He's a game-breaker. The pressure is on Ravens defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano to transfer pressure directly onto Tom Brady through Ravens monster linebacker Terrell Suggs -- with strategic blitzes from the CB and S positions. Look for that in key 1st and 3rd down situations, especially in the 2nd half.
You should be able to gauge the Ravens' chances of success based on the condition of Patriots' QB Tom Brady's uniform. For the Ravens to win, Brady's uni has to be smudged up good before halftime, and on throughout the second half, most of all.
Going into this game the shadow of doubt has been lurking in the Ravens camp (S Ed Reed dissing QB Flacco; Ed Reed knee injury; Flacco in a flak about skateboarding at home, etc.), while the Patriots quietly and intently prepare in their usual championship mode to do what it takes to defeat them. Not a good sign for Baltimore.
Tough to bet against the Pats this weekend to pick up underdog points -- though I expect the Ravens will cover the spread by the 0.5 offset. And for you long-shotters, don't expect any help from Mother Nature, because the weather isn't expected to be a factor this week or weekend. It's straight-up, hand-to-hand combat. The best team performance on Sunday will win it.
Johnny Otis ~ Bad Luck Shadow
feat. Shuggie Otis (1975)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RidQIFVLoAc
Hey, it's been a fun, kids. I hope you've gotten a kick of it too. And thanks again, Jack, for running this charity game. "Wintry mix" to you!
Posted by Mojo | January 20, 2012 3:01 AM
Here's an insightful statistical analysis of Sunday's NY-SF game by Doug Farrar @Shutdown Corner --
Smarter Stats: New York Giants at San Francisco 49ers
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-shutdown-corner/smarter-stats-york-giants-san-francisco-49ers-003708255.html
Posted by Mojo | January 20, 2012 12:55 PM
And this weekend's game reminds me of this all-time great who played for both the 49ers & the Giants, and is still with us at the age of 85. Surely, he'll be watching! --
Fallen Giant
By Michael Shapiro
Smithsonian magazine, February 2007
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/people-places/fallen_giant.html
Posted by Mojo | January 20, 2012 1:42 PM
Joe Namath’s Playoff Blog: Conference Championship Edition
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-shutdown-corner/joe-namath-playoff-blog-conference-championship-edition-024919034.html
Excerpt:
There has been some crazy weather this week that will affect Sunday's playoff games. San Francisco? Well, let's just say that city looks like the animals are lining up two by two, waiting to get on the ark. Noah himself might need to get the two teams to the stadium with all the rain they're having. I know the 49ers and New York Giants have been talking about it and are aware that this could be a Mud Bowl.
And Chad Ochocinco tweeted this morning that he had to shovel out his driveway, which means that the New England Patriots and Baltimore Ravens will have to cope with cold and possibly snow, always a threat in the Northeast.
Posted by Mojo | January 21, 2012 2:13 PM
Weight of future championship falls on Flacco's shoulders
http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/ravens/bs-sp-cowherd-column-0122-20120121,0,1311884,full.column
Scouting report: Ravens at Patriots (AFC championship)
"Jeff Zrebiec breaks down each facet of the AFC championship game between the Ravens and Patriots at Gillette Stadium, and he offers his prediction."
http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/ravens/bal-scouting-report-ravens-at-patriots-20120120,0,5236013.photogallery
Excerpt:
The Ravens finished the regular season 4-4 on the road. However, they have gone 7-0 against teams that made the playoffs this season, and 7-1 versus teams that finished the regular season with winning record. The Patriots have not beaten a team that finished with a winning record all season.
****
The Ravens have a star running back, one of the game's best defenses, and more than enough veteran leadership to win on this stage. The Patriots have a Hall of Fame quarterback and coach, an embarrassment of riches on offense, and home-field advantage. In other words, this could be a classic AFC championship game that isn't decided until deep in the final quarter. And if that is the case, it's nearly impossible to bet against Brady, who is seemingly on a mission to get the Patriots back to the Super Bowl....
Posted by Mojo | January 21, 2012 6:11 PM