This page contains a single entry from the blog posted on November 20, 2012 11:43 AM.
The previous post in this blog was Holiday reminder.
The next post in this blog is Speaking of Oswald.
Many more can be found on the main index page or by looking through the archives.
We've got the lines for most of this weekend's pro football games ready for our charity underdog players, and here they are:
10.5 KANSAS CITY vs. Denver
9.5 OAKLAND at Cincinnati
6.5 NEW YORK JETS vs. New England (Thursday 5:20 p.m. Pacific)
3.5 WASHINGTON at Dallas (Thursday 1:15 p.m. Pacific)
3 DETROIT vs. Houston (Thursday 9:30 a.m. Pacific)
3 BUFFALO at Indianapolis
3 MIAMI vs. Seattle
3 JACKSONVILLE at vs. Tennessee
2.5 NEW ORLEANS vs. San Francisco
2.5 GREEN BAY at New York Giants
1 TAMPA BAY vs. Atlanta
1 ST. LOUIS at Arizona
1 BALTIMORE at San Diego
Lots of pups there. But there are still three games as to which lines aren't posted at present: Carolina/Philadelphia Monday, Minnesota/Chicago Sunday, and Pittsburgh/Cleveland Sunday. By rule, we'll keep checking and add lines for those games as updates to this post, if and when we find any between now and Thursday night.
Players, if you are picking one of the three Thursday games, your pick is due by kickoff time of that game. Otherwise, picks are due Sunday at 10:00 a.m. Good luck!
UPDATE, 6:32 p.m.: Pittsburgh/Cleveland is a pick-'em and therefore off the board for the week.
UPDATE, 11/22, 5:54 a.m.: Jacksonville is at home this week, not on the road.
UPDATE, 11/22, 7:55 a.m.: Add this chihuahua:
1 PHILADELPHIA vs. Carolina (Monday, pick still due Sunday morning)
Comments (6)
Injuries, moves, delay posting of the odds. For example:
Steelers' Leftwich has broken ribs, will not start against Browns
Two sources close to Leftwich revealed he has broken ribs, injured when he fell in the end zone following his 31-yard touchdown run early in the game. He played the rest of the game with the injury, but the Steelers are not likely to let him do so in their next game against the Browns.
Veteran backup Charlie Batch would likely start in Cleveland on Sunday and the Steelers will search in earnest to add a quarterback to their roster.
NEWS FLASH
D.B. Cooper, the mysterious hijacker who plummeted out of existence when he jumped from a Northwest jet 41 years ago tomorrow, has flown back into the news again. It seems that the FBI, who never closed the case, has come up with a new lead which might ultimately identify the elusive criminal. Cooper, the man or perhaps the ghost, has been the leader of prolific blogger, Jack Bogdanski’s, NFL underdog pool for a number of weeks. Now, the FBI feels confident they can bring him down. They have broken his Chip Kelly like algorithms and are now ready to bring him back down to earth.
Continue reading here, http://humoroutcasts.com/2011/where-in-the-world-is-d-b-cooper/
Mojo - The Browns v. Steelers game is apparently off in the betting lines this week. Thanks for the interesting info anyhow because it sort of sheds a light on the Steelers Sunday night loss.
Yeah, and the injury (concussion) to the Eagles' excellent RB LeSean McCoy, is an even worse bad break for that struggling team.
I expect Roethlisberger back for the rematch in Baltimore and to hook up with Burress like old times (only now trailing in an area cleared out by Mike Wallace going post). Burress always gave the Ravens fits, even in Ed Reed's salad days.
Btw, Ed Reed's suspension was lifted on appeal, which included support from Steelers' S Ryan Clark.
Mojo's Best Bet "Save West Hayden Island? YES!" Edition
Each week it gets tougher and tougher to pick up any significant points. Bearing that in mind, here we go:
Best Bets
(Last week: 0-2; Overall: 7-8 (.466))
NEW ORLEANS (+2.5) vs. San Francisco -- Looks like 49ers will be going with second string QB Colin Kaepernick once again (coming off his MNF primetime vivisection of the Bears last week), while starting QB Alex Smith continues to recover from issues stemming from his concussion two weeks ago:
"Quarterback Colin Kaepernick will take all the first-team reps for the San Francisco 49ers this week leading into Sunday's game against the New Orleans Saints, quarterback Alex Smith told ESPN on Wednesday night.
Smith told ESPN that coach Jim Harbaugh informed the two quarterbacks of the practice split Wednesday."
(Information from ESPN's Trent Dilfer and The Associated Press (Wed., 11/21)).
The Bleacher Report says it boils down to this: "The Saints continue to surge after their 0-4 start to the season. The team seems to be hitting on all cylinders and should be a handful for the 49ers secondary. It will be quite the game watching the Saints second-ranked passing attack vs. the 49ers' second-ranked pass defense."
I believe that the key to this game is the Saints' ability to run adequately enough to keep the 49ers defense honest enough. Their resurgence is very much a result of the improvement of their running game over the past several weeks. While it may be difficult for Saints' QB Drew Brees to tie Dan Marino's 300-yard games record this week, if Brees can keep his INTs down to one or none, the Saints have a 60% chance of winning any game no matter the opponent or the spread. Go with the Saints and their "dome field advantage."
Upset Special
(Last week: 0-1; Overall 5-6 (.454))
MIAMI (+3) vs Seattle -- I really like Seattle's team and performance this year, but it's awful tough going back east all the way across the country for 1:00pm game, even coming off of a bye week. Will be interesting to see if Dolphins' RB Reggie Bush rises to the occasion in competition with Seattle's superb Marshawn Lynch. Extra added fuel to the fire is Bush playing against his former coach at USC, Pete "Sorry 'bout those violations, but I gotta move on" Carroll. Also, good rookie QB matchup in this one between Seahawks' Wilson and Dolphins' Tannehill -- so keep an eye out for turnovers popping up at critical times. All eight of Wilson's INTs have come on the road. Defense and special teams decide this one. The Fish over the Seahawks this time around.
NY JETS (+6.5) at New England -- This is the Jets' last hurrah. Picking them here could be the kiss of death. Then again, weirder things have happened. For example, the Jets signed Tebow. Better put him to work in this one, Rex. You need all the help you can get. This could be a heck of a game for TG night, or it could get out of hand before halftime. Time and a word will tell.
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
Comments (6)
Injuries, moves, delay posting of the odds. For example:
Steelers' Leftwich has broken ribs, will not start against Browns
Two sources close to Leftwich revealed he has broken ribs, injured when he fell in the end zone following his 31-yard touchdown run early in the game. He played the rest of the game with the injury, but the Steelers are not likely to let him do so in their next game against the Browns.
Veteran backup Charlie Batch would likely start in Cleveland on Sunday and the Steelers will search in earnest to add a quarterback to their roster.
More http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/sports/steelers/sources-steelers-leftwich-has-broken-ribs-will-not-start-against-browns-662815/
It's official: Steelers sign Burress, add quarterback
The Steelers this afternoon signed wide receiver Plaxico Burress and quarterback Brian Hoyer to one-year contracts.
http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/sports/steelers/its-official-steelers-sign-burress-add-qb-662942/
Posted by Mojo | November 20, 2012 12:12 PM
NEWS FLASH
D.B. Cooper, the mysterious hijacker who plummeted out of existence when he jumped from a Northwest jet 41 years ago tomorrow, has flown back into the news again. It seems that the FBI, who never closed the case, has come up with a new lead which might ultimately identify the elusive criminal. Cooper, the man or perhaps the ghost, has been the leader of prolific blogger, Jack Bogdanski’s, NFL underdog pool for a number of weeks. Now, the FBI feels confident they can bring him down. They have broken his Chip Kelly like algorithms and are now ready to bring him back down to earth.
Continue reading here, http://humoroutcasts.com/2011/where-in-the-world-is-d-b-cooper/
Posted by Bad Brad | November 20, 2012 3:33 PM
Mojo - The Browns v. Steelers game is apparently off in the betting lines this week. Thanks for the interesting info anyhow because it sort of sheds a light on the Steelers Sunday night loss.
Posted by Usual Kevin | November 20, 2012 6:23 PM
Yeah, and the injury (concussion) to the Eagles' excellent RB LeSean McCoy, is an even worse bad break for that struggling team.
I expect Roethlisberger back for the rematch in Baltimore and to hook up with Burress like old times (only now trailing in an area cleared out by Mike Wallace going post). Burress always gave the Ravens fits, even in Ed Reed's salad days.
Btw, Ed Reed's suspension was lifted on appeal, which included support from Steelers' S Ryan Clark.
VIDEO -- Ravens Ed Reed on Steelers Ryan Clark
7:1AM EST, November 20, 2012 – (02:34)
Baltimore Ravens safety Ed Reed talked about his childhood friend Ryan Clark. (Kevin Richardson/The Baltimore Sun video)
http://www.baltimoresun.com/videogallery/73387895/Sports/VIDEO-Ravens-Ed-Reed-on-Steelers-Ryan-Clark
Ravens' Reed wins appeal, avoids suspension
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/football/nfl/11/20/ed-reed-suspension.ap/index.html?xid=si_nfl
What I want to know, Usual Kevin is: Do we dare pick the Jets to upset the Pats on TG night?
Patriots vs. Jets: 5 Matchups That Will Decide Thanksgiving Night Clash by John Rozum
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1416868-patriots-vs-jets-5-matchups-that-will-decide-thanksgiving-night-clash
Posted by Mojo | November 20, 2012 10:14 PM
Cast Your Fate To The Wind ~ Vince Guaraldi Trio
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRweuGJg65g
Posted by Mojo | November 20, 2012 10:18 PM
Mojo's Best Bet
"Save West Hayden Island? YES!" Edition
Each week it gets tougher and tougher to pick up any significant points. Bearing that in mind, here we go:
Best Bets
(Last week: 0-2; Overall: 7-8 (.466))
NEW ORLEANS (+2.5) vs. San Francisco -- Looks like 49ers will be going with second string QB Colin Kaepernick once again (coming off his MNF primetime vivisection of the Bears last week), while starting QB Alex Smith continues to recover from issues stemming from his concussion two weeks ago:
"Quarterback Colin Kaepernick will take all the first-team reps for the San Francisco 49ers this week leading into Sunday's game against the New Orleans Saints, quarterback Alex Smith told ESPN on Wednesday night.
Smith told ESPN that coach Jim Harbaugh informed the two quarterbacks of the practice split Wednesday."
(Information from ESPN's Trent Dilfer and The Associated Press (Wed., 11/21)).
The Bleacher Report says it boils down to this: "The Saints continue to surge after their 0-4 start to the season. The team seems to be hitting on all cylinders and should be a handful for the 49ers secondary. It will be quite the game watching the Saints second-ranked passing attack vs. the 49ers' second-ranked pass defense."
NFL Week 12 Predictions: Latest Odds and Picks Against the Spread
by John Degroot
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1417278-nfl-week-12-predictions-latest-odds-and-picks-against-the-spread/page/14
I believe that the key to this game is the Saints' ability to run adequately enough to keep the 49ers defense honest enough. Their resurgence is very much a result of the improvement of their running game over the past several weeks. While it may be difficult for Saints' QB Drew Brees to tie Dan Marino's 300-yard games record this week, if Brees can keep his INTs down to one or none, the Saints have a 60% chance of winning any game no matter the opponent or the spread. Go with the Saints and their "dome field advantage."
Upset Special
(Last week: 0-1; Overall 5-6 (.454))
MIAMI (+3) vs Seattle -- I really like Seattle's team and performance this year, but it's awful tough going back east all the way across the country for 1:00pm game, even coming off of a bye week. Will be interesting to see if Dolphins' RB Reggie Bush rises to the occasion in competition with Seattle's superb Marshawn Lynch. Extra added fuel to the fire is Bush playing against his former coach at USC, Pete "Sorry 'bout those violations, but I gotta move on" Carroll. Also, good rookie QB matchup in this one between Seahawks' Wilson and Dolphins' Tannehill -- so keep an eye out for turnovers popping up at critical times. All eight of Wilson's INTs have come on the road. Defense and special teams decide this one. The Fish over the Seahawks this time around.
Long Distance Runaround/The Fish (Schindleria Praematurus)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2owo2ekRnM
Gamblers Corner
NY JETS (+6.5) at New England -- This is the Jets' last hurrah. Picking them here could be the kiss of death. Then again, weirder things have happened. For example, the Jets signed Tebow. Better put him to work in this one, Rex. You need all the help you can get. This could be a heck of a game for TG night, or it could get out of hand before halftime. Time and a word will tell.
Yessongs ~ the full concert film
Rainbow Theatre, London (Dec. 15 & 16, 1972)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVrmwJbnK5w
Posted by Mojo | November 22, 2012 12:21 AM