Well its finally here for NYG and NE fans. Though I'm no longer a Pats fan, I can't deny I grew up a fan of them and still root for them except when they play the Buccaneers. The Pats opened up favored by 3.5 which was immediately bet down to 3. A lot of money has come in on the Giants and almost everyone I hear is picking them to win. Which makes me feel that the Pats will probably find a way to win. Whenever everyone is betting one way, it's time to bet the other way. This is true for sports and the stock market.
When you look at the teams everything seems to point to a Giant victory. They have played a tougher schedule and seem to be playing better down the stretch. Eli Manning has played very well in some very tough situations like the monsoon they had in SF 2 weeks ago. They are completely healthy now which was not true for most of the season. Their defensive line is putting a lot of pressure on the QB, they are running the ball better and playing better defense. They beat the 1st and 2nd seeded teams in the playoffs on the road. Everything seems to be setting up for a magical finish for them today.
The Pats on the other hand played a very easy schedule compared to NY and you can't say they looked great in beating Baltimore on a missed field goal (after a dropped TD) to get into the superbowl. Of course Baltimore was a tough team to play and I was impressed on how they handled the Ravens running game for the first 3 quarters and if they didn't turn it over 3 times, they might have taken down the Ravens a lot more easily. While their defense was not great during the season, they have played pretty well in the playoffs. But the injury to Gronkowski is going to hurt them today.
How do I see it. The Patriots win if they successfully run the ball. They have to negate the Giant's pass rush to have any chance to go downfield to Gronkowski and more importantly Hernandez. Those 2 are matchup problems for any team but if they cannot use play action to freeze the linebackers, it's gonna be a long day for the Pats. You can run on the Giant's D and if you do and get time to pass, the Giant secondary is not very good. They cannot turn it over 3 times. You have to think the Gmen will be able to score some points with Nicks, Cruz, and Manningham not to mention Bradshaw and Jacobs. If the Pats turn it over and fall behind by 10 or more, they're cooked. Then it's Brady back to pass and Giant linemen pinning their ears back and heading for the QB. And Tom may be terrific but he ain't so fleet of foot.
For the Giants the recipe is exactly the same. Ensure they can run the ball, avoid turnovers, and don't fall behind. They have been very good protecting the ball and getting turnovers. At some point that has to end. Maybe today. Belichik is supposed to be the genius at designing defenses, does he confuse Eli enough to make a few mistakes? Logically no. You cannot defend good wideouts like the Giants have with converted wide receivers and expect to keep them contained. So logically I have to give the Giants the edge in this game. And if the Pats turn it over, this could be a blowout win for the Gmen. But I just don't think so.
I think we'll see a large dose of Benjarvis Green Ellis today for the Pats. Run and run and run again until they've softened up the Giants D enough to complete some big plays to the tight ends. And Green Ellis doesn't fumble, in fact he hasn't lost a fumble in his career. If he is making yards and keeping the Pats in manageable 2nd and 3rd downs, they can control the game and maybe win it. If the Giants shut him down without overloading the box it'll be a long day for the Pats. Everything seems to be setting up for the coronation of Eli Manning as the new elite QB of the league but I just feel he doesn't have a great game today and turns it over early. The Pats get a lead which allows them to continue to run the ball and then take shots downfield. So I'll take the Pats to win - and probably have to eat my words.
Well time to go all. Enjoy the game, lets hope its a good one. I'll be at my sis in laws to watch the game. Looks like I'll be the lone NE fan there but they'll take pity on me due to my upbringing and recent dental surgery. Or they'll laugh in my face everytime NY scores. Have fun everybody.
Showing posts with label football. Show all posts
Showing posts with label football. Show all posts
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Sunday, January 22, 2012
"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil...........
is for good men to do nothing" Edmund Burke British Member of Parliament, political theorist and philospher.
Joe Paterno died today. One of the greatest college football coaches of this generation, perhaps of all time. And yet he was forced from his revered position under a black cloud for supposedly doing nothing and allowing an evil man to continue his depradations. By my view he did what he was supposed to do and reported what he had been told, which is 2nd hand information, to the people who are in charge of investigating such matters. What they did or didn't do was criminal but the resulting firestorm engulfed the entire administration and to appease the critics, the board of trustees fired Joe Paterno.
While he didn't do nothing, in many people's opinion he also didn't do enough. I'm sure at least part of the problem was due to the fact that many good people, people of morals and convictions, cannot conceive the depravity of those who are evil. Unless they actually witness that kind of poison first hand, they often can't believe a friend, acquaintance, or person known to them is actually not the person they appear to be and capable of such heinous acts. So Joe Pa probably could have done more to make sure something was done about Sanduskey besides his resigning as coach, but I think its very possible he just couldn't see his friend and associate in that kind of light. And in my opinion, he was scapegoated by the Board of Trustees at Penn St. Not without reason as Joe Pa was a lightning rod for the Sandusky scandal. Guilty or innocent, having him on the sidelines put the scandal out front and center every Saturday. But I gotta believe his good name was severely damaged and almost destroyed by this scandal and while lung cancer killed him, losing everything he was known for and being forced to leave the way he did could not have helped him. I do think the past 6 months took the life out of a guy who lived to teach young men how to play football and how to live. Facing this killing disease and with his reputation tarnished as well as being forced out of doing what he had loved for the past 60 years had to suck the life out of him. While I've never been a Penn St fan, I had always admired Paterno for his demeanor and how he never got flustered no matter how bad things could get. As a teacher of men, he was a class act according to all who played for him. As a cancer survivor I know how scary that diagnosis is and yet you never heard a word about it from him while this whole ordeal played out in the media. As I said, he was a class act.
Now back to my original thesis as I'm sure I've bored you enough. The triumph of evil. It's up to all of us to recognize it and do what we can to stop it. Many of us are only peripherally aware of what evil really is. We see it on the news and online but we don't see it on that close a basis. Unless we are unlucky enough to experience it or see it first hand we don't really get it I fear. Cops, soldiers, and victims do. The rest of us often don't. The PQ used to be a court clerk. She saw the evidence, the crime scene pics and got to sit within 10 feet of some pretty nasty people. When I met her she was anti capital punishment. Now she knows about the evil that men (and sometimes women) do and she is very much in favor of capital punishment.
And what about on the poker table? While our opponents are not necessarily evil, they are the villains in our universe. They'll steal your chips if they get the chance. You can't always prevent them but you gotta make sure you don't make it easy on them. I'm not saying you have to call em down with 3-5 off but you need to make sure they can't raise your blinds with impugnity also. And when you have position on them you have to make them pay for raising crap out of position. Too often we get passive in games and tourneys when we are faced with a real loose aggressive player. But you can't give in here. Every once in a while you gotta point the gun at their head and let them know there is a price in chips for raising you as you are coming for them. They don't know what you have and usually they don't have much. If you've been tight for awhile, a healthy raise or reraise will get some respect. It's risky, maybe he actually has a hand, but you gotta take that stand, even when you aren't catching cards. But whatever you do, remember you're the good guy (or gal) so don't do nothing and let evil triumph.
Last night the PQ and I hit the poker tables again. Neither of us were at our best as we were both a little tired. I spent all day Tuesday in Lakeland at a gun show, looking at tools to help me defeat evil if I should ever run into it up close and personally. I did not make a purchase however. The PQ went even further to Orlando for our niece's day at cello camp. She is a pretty good cellist and there were 20 or kids from different high schools around the state for a bit of instruction and work from some really fine musicians. She did very well the PQ said. Anyway I got home a little after 5 and got about an hour's nap in before heading to the poker room. The PQ went straight there from Orlando and didn't get there till almost 8 pm. I was playing Omaha 8 by then and didn't feel up to playing a tourney so I didn't join in but she did. She played well and final tabled it again but just missed cashing going out 7th. She had to struggle with a short stack for quite awhile and went out when her AK did not improve against 88. I was up early in Omaha, then went cold and lost all of my winnings plus half my stack before making it up at the end. I finished up a whole 10 bucks which beat losing. I'd have done a whole lot better but for my last 2 hands. I folded a straight into a flush on the board and it turned out 4 other people in the hand did not have the flush. Damn. Right after that I flop the broadway straight with KJ23. I bet every street and the turn and river are the 8 and 4 of spades and I lose the high hand to the ace high flush. Of course there was a flush that time. At least I did make the nut low with the 23 so I made money cuz a bunch of people stayed in the whole way.
This one lady directly on my left was an example. She was willing to push or call down with flushes but not with the nut flush. Now I made some chips with non-nut flushes but you have to be careful there. Cuz some guy with A3 of spades beats your KQ every time on the flush. She had about $400 in front of her and was preparing to leave but decided to play a few more hands. She got a little pissed when she got unlucky and lost some chips so she stayed to make them back. And gave them ALL away. I had already seen how she would push non nut flushes if you let her think she was ahead. So when I won a hand with a Q high flush when everyone folded, I showed it to let her think I did the same. I don't usually but I had a good read on the hand and was pretty certain I was good. Everyone folded even though there was a low on the board and I didn't have a low hand. I figured I could use that to my advantage later. I did.
Late in my session I am down and pick up 2559. Crap hand but I'm in the big blind so I see the flop with 6 others. Flop is a bingo, 556 with one spade. Since I'm early to act I check. I don't want to advertise this hand yet. It gets checked around to a lady one off the button who bets. I call with 3 others including my friend to my left. Turn is a spade jack. I almost bet then but didn't and it gets checked to the same lady again. I think about check raising there but I'm next to act and there are 3 more to bet behind me so I decide to call again. Possibly a mistake as I think I get called by low draws and maybe by spade draws there. But maybe not if they put me on JJ with a made full house. Lady on my left calls as well as another guy. River is both good and bad. A seven of spades. Puts a low on the board so this is almost definitely a split hand. Good thing is it put a flush up as well so I can get callers from low draws as well as flushes I hope. I take a chance and check because I can see the lady to my right still wants to bet. She does and this time I check raise. Lady on my left calls for the last of her chips as well as the original bettor though the other guy reluctantly folds. Original bettor has A2 of spades for the nut flush and nut low, I flip over quads, and lady to my left has KQ of spades along with a 24. She put in the last of her chips on 2nd best flush (with a paired board) and a so/so low. And called all the way with nothing made and only 2 not great draws. And she had done that for the past hour or so in giving away all her chips. Works in Hold em to not have the nuts or nut draw but in Omaha, it'll get you killed.
Will NE be able to run on the Ravens? That is the X factor. Other good running teams have been able to move the ball on the ground this year against them. But to call NE a good running team is a bit much. So a big day from Brady is just about a necessity today.
On the flip side, Baltimore has a good running game. They can and have won without much from the QB. Which is a good thing because they haven't gotten much from him lately. NE will sell out to stop the run, they have to. And like Pittsburg vs Denver, they may get burned by that tactic. Baltimore does have a speed receiver in Torrey Smith which can cause problems in a 1 on 1 matchup if (and it's a big if) Flacco can deliver the ball. I'm guessing Joe plays better than he did last week and that's the difference. If NE can get ahead by more than a TD and force Baltimore into a passing contest they win, if not I give the edge to Baltimore. Turnovers will be the difference maker I think. A close game where Baltimore can go to Rice and use play action to hit a home runs to Smith is what I see. Possibly in OT. I hate the Ravens but the PQ hates NE, even though she knows her wonderful hubby grew up 20 minutes from Foxboro.
In SF, I want to pick the Giants. I do but I'm taking SF. Lord crucify me now if I'm gonna take Alex Smith in 2 big games in a row. And really if you had to take the better QB, you have to pick NY and Eli Manning. He has looked great over the past 4 or 5 weeks and played a near perfect game in GB last week. Also, in a receivers matchup, the only SF receiver who would start for NY is Vernon Davis the tight end as the Gmen have excellent wideouts while the best you could call the SF receivers is non-descript. But people seem to forget the Gmen have had problems all year stopping the run. They were lucky to play a Packer team that hasn't run well all year in the playoffs and even there they won due to the Pack receivers not being able to come up with catches they had all year long. And pressure on the QB from the D line. SF won't fall into that trap I think. They will give to Gore, give to Hunter, give to the United Way to win.
NY has a good running tandem in Bradshaw and Jacobs but they have had problems blocking for them most of the year. Eli has taken over the Manning mantle as best QB in the family, mostly due to injury, but also due to his stellar play down the stretch this year. The Giant receivers are all healthy at the same time for the first time since the season started making them hard to defend. If Eli gets time to throw, he can definitely beat up on the SF secondary. If they can run enough to set up play action throws and give Eli time to throw, they can win this. Drew Brees proved you can throw on SF if you get time. Eli may not be Brees but he's played as well of late. And endorsing Alex Smith to win again makes me sick. He's the Michael Corleone of the bad QB doghouse. Every time he is getting out they suck him back in. But I am holding my nose and taking SF to negate the Giant pass rush by running and making enough big plays to win. And like Alex Smith, isn't Eli due a bad game at some point as well? I hope I'm wrong as I would love to see a Pats/Giants rematch.
One final note on Super Bowl contenders. It is rare in this day and age for a coach over 55 to win a Super Bowl. The last time was 2008 when NYG won with 61 year old Tom Coughlin and they beat a coach who was almost 56 himself in Bill Belichick but prior to that we go all the way back to 2000 and 63 year old Dick Vermeil. Coaching is a young man's game it seems. The hours, the passion, it's just hard to maintain, especially after you win like Coughlin and Belichick already have. I am in awe of how Tom Coughlin and Bill Belichick do what they do to get their teams to perform. But I think we have the brothers Harbaugh in the Superbowl this year. Call the Superbowl No Country for Old Men II. I don't think I want to watch myself.
Joe Paterno died today. One of the greatest college football coaches of this generation, perhaps of all time. And yet he was forced from his revered position under a black cloud for supposedly doing nothing and allowing an evil man to continue his depradations. By my view he did what he was supposed to do and reported what he had been told, which is 2nd hand information, to the people who are in charge of investigating such matters. What they did or didn't do was criminal but the resulting firestorm engulfed the entire administration and to appease the critics, the board of trustees fired Joe Paterno.
While he didn't do nothing, in many people's opinion he also didn't do enough. I'm sure at least part of the problem was due to the fact that many good people, people of morals and convictions, cannot conceive the depravity of those who are evil. Unless they actually witness that kind of poison first hand, they often can't believe a friend, acquaintance, or person known to them is actually not the person they appear to be and capable of such heinous acts. So Joe Pa probably could have done more to make sure something was done about Sanduskey besides his resigning as coach, but I think its very possible he just couldn't see his friend and associate in that kind of light. And in my opinion, he was scapegoated by the Board of Trustees at Penn St. Not without reason as Joe Pa was a lightning rod for the Sandusky scandal. Guilty or innocent, having him on the sidelines put the scandal out front and center every Saturday. But I gotta believe his good name was severely damaged and almost destroyed by this scandal and while lung cancer killed him, losing everything he was known for and being forced to leave the way he did could not have helped him. I do think the past 6 months took the life out of a guy who lived to teach young men how to play football and how to live. Facing this killing disease and with his reputation tarnished as well as being forced out of doing what he had loved for the past 60 years had to suck the life out of him. While I've never been a Penn St fan, I had always admired Paterno for his demeanor and how he never got flustered no matter how bad things could get. As a teacher of men, he was a class act according to all who played for him. As a cancer survivor I know how scary that diagnosis is and yet you never heard a word about it from him while this whole ordeal played out in the media. As I said, he was a class act.
Now back to my original thesis as I'm sure I've bored you enough. The triumph of evil. It's up to all of us to recognize it and do what we can to stop it. Many of us are only peripherally aware of what evil really is. We see it on the news and online but we don't see it on that close a basis. Unless we are unlucky enough to experience it or see it first hand we don't really get it I fear. Cops, soldiers, and victims do. The rest of us often don't. The PQ used to be a court clerk. She saw the evidence, the crime scene pics and got to sit within 10 feet of some pretty nasty people. When I met her she was anti capital punishment. Now she knows about the evil that men (and sometimes women) do and she is very much in favor of capital punishment.
And what about on the poker table? While our opponents are not necessarily evil, they are the villains in our universe. They'll steal your chips if they get the chance. You can't always prevent them but you gotta make sure you don't make it easy on them. I'm not saying you have to call em down with 3-5 off but you need to make sure they can't raise your blinds with impugnity also. And when you have position on them you have to make them pay for raising crap out of position. Too often we get passive in games and tourneys when we are faced with a real loose aggressive player. But you can't give in here. Every once in a while you gotta point the gun at their head and let them know there is a price in chips for raising you as you are coming for them. They don't know what you have and usually they don't have much. If you've been tight for awhile, a healthy raise or reraise will get some respect. It's risky, maybe he actually has a hand, but you gotta take that stand, even when you aren't catching cards. But whatever you do, remember you're the good guy (or gal) so don't do nothing and let evil triumph.
Last night the PQ and I hit the poker tables again. Neither of us were at our best as we were both a little tired. I spent all day Tuesday in Lakeland at a gun show, looking at tools to help me defeat evil if I should ever run into it up close and personally. I did not make a purchase however. The PQ went even further to Orlando for our niece's day at cello camp. She is a pretty good cellist and there were 20 or kids from different high schools around the state for a bit of instruction and work from some really fine musicians. She did very well the PQ said. Anyway I got home a little after 5 and got about an hour's nap in before heading to the poker room. The PQ went straight there from Orlando and didn't get there till almost 8 pm. I was playing Omaha 8 by then and didn't feel up to playing a tourney so I didn't join in but she did. She played well and final tabled it again but just missed cashing going out 7th. She had to struggle with a short stack for quite awhile and went out when her AK did not improve against 88. I was up early in Omaha, then went cold and lost all of my winnings plus half my stack before making it up at the end. I finished up a whole 10 bucks which beat losing. I'd have done a whole lot better but for my last 2 hands. I folded a straight into a flush on the board and it turned out 4 other people in the hand did not have the flush. Damn. Right after that I flop the broadway straight with KJ23. I bet every street and the turn and river are the 8 and 4 of spades and I lose the high hand to the ace high flush. Of course there was a flush that time. At least I did make the nut low with the 23 so I made money cuz a bunch of people stayed in the whole way.
This one lady directly on my left was an example. She was willing to push or call down with flushes but not with the nut flush. Now I made some chips with non-nut flushes but you have to be careful there. Cuz some guy with A3 of spades beats your KQ every time on the flush. She had about $400 in front of her and was preparing to leave but decided to play a few more hands. She got a little pissed when she got unlucky and lost some chips so she stayed to make them back. And gave them ALL away. I had already seen how she would push non nut flushes if you let her think she was ahead. So when I won a hand with a Q high flush when everyone folded, I showed it to let her think I did the same. I don't usually but I had a good read on the hand and was pretty certain I was good. Everyone folded even though there was a low on the board and I didn't have a low hand. I figured I could use that to my advantage later. I did.
Late in my session I am down and pick up 2559. Crap hand but I'm in the big blind so I see the flop with 6 others. Flop is a bingo, 556 with one spade. Since I'm early to act I check. I don't want to advertise this hand yet. It gets checked around to a lady one off the button who bets. I call with 3 others including my friend to my left. Turn is a spade jack. I almost bet then but didn't and it gets checked to the same lady again. I think about check raising there but I'm next to act and there are 3 more to bet behind me so I decide to call again. Possibly a mistake as I think I get called by low draws and maybe by spade draws there. But maybe not if they put me on JJ with a made full house. Lady on my left calls as well as another guy. River is both good and bad. A seven of spades. Puts a low on the board so this is almost definitely a split hand. Good thing is it put a flush up as well so I can get callers from low draws as well as flushes I hope. I take a chance and check because I can see the lady to my right still wants to bet. She does and this time I check raise. Lady on my left calls for the last of her chips as well as the original bettor though the other guy reluctantly folds. Original bettor has A2 of spades for the nut flush and nut low, I flip over quads, and lady to my left has KQ of spades along with a 24. She put in the last of her chips on 2nd best flush (with a paired board) and a so/so low. And called all the way with nothing made and only 2 not great draws. And she had done that for the past hour or so in giving away all her chips. Works in Hold em to not have the nuts or nut draw but in Omaha, it'll get you killed.
If you ain't got the nuts, you ain't got shiat
To finish let me look at today's games a little. I'm rooting for the Pats but I'm unfortunately picking the Ravens today. I just think this game is going to be about defense and turnovers rather than offensive prowess. Yes the Pats are a points machine but they aren't a speed machine and unless you can run well, you can't beat them without someone who can stretch the field a bit. To win Brady has to get hot and complete passes BUT if the Ravens can get a pass rush without having to blitz it puts a lot of pressure on the NE receivers to get open quickly. I like Gronandez abilities in the passing game but you can't get tight ends open down field on seam routes without time and if Brady is on his ass, he isn't throwing long to any TEs. So that leaves him Welker and Branch, neither of whom sets a land speed record when they run. And passing into tight windows can lead to bad things like pickoffs. Will NE be able to run on the Ravens? That is the X factor. Other good running teams have been able to move the ball on the ground this year against them. But to call NE a good running team is a bit much. So a big day from Brady is just about a necessity today.
On the flip side, Baltimore has a good running game. They can and have won without much from the QB. Which is a good thing because they haven't gotten much from him lately. NE will sell out to stop the run, they have to. And like Pittsburg vs Denver, they may get burned by that tactic. Baltimore does have a speed receiver in Torrey Smith which can cause problems in a 1 on 1 matchup if (and it's a big if) Flacco can deliver the ball. I'm guessing Joe plays better than he did last week and that's the difference. If NE can get ahead by more than a TD and force Baltimore into a passing contest they win, if not I give the edge to Baltimore. Turnovers will be the difference maker I think. A close game where Baltimore can go to Rice and use play action to hit a home runs to Smith is what I see. Possibly in OT. I hate the Ravens but the PQ hates NE, even though she knows her wonderful hubby grew up 20 minutes from Foxboro.
In SF, I want to pick the Giants. I do but I'm taking SF. Lord crucify me now if I'm gonna take Alex Smith in 2 big games in a row. And really if you had to take the better QB, you have to pick NY and Eli Manning. He has looked great over the past 4 or 5 weeks and played a near perfect game in GB last week. Also, in a receivers matchup, the only SF receiver who would start for NY is Vernon Davis the tight end as the Gmen have excellent wideouts while the best you could call the SF receivers is non-descript. But people seem to forget the Gmen have had problems all year stopping the run. They were lucky to play a Packer team that hasn't run well all year in the playoffs and even there they won due to the Pack receivers not being able to come up with catches they had all year long. And pressure on the QB from the D line. SF won't fall into that trap I think. They will give to Gore, give to Hunter, give to the United Way to win.
NY has a good running tandem in Bradshaw and Jacobs but they have had problems blocking for them most of the year. Eli has taken over the Manning mantle as best QB in the family, mostly due to injury, but also due to his stellar play down the stretch this year. The Giant receivers are all healthy at the same time for the first time since the season started making them hard to defend. If Eli gets time to throw, he can definitely beat up on the SF secondary. If they can run enough to set up play action throws and give Eli time to throw, they can win this. Drew Brees proved you can throw on SF if you get time. Eli may not be Brees but he's played as well of late. And endorsing Alex Smith to win again makes me sick. He's the Michael Corleone of the bad QB doghouse. Every time he is getting out they suck him back in. But I am holding my nose and taking SF to negate the Giant pass rush by running and making enough big plays to win. And like Alex Smith, isn't Eli due a bad game at some point as well? I hope I'm wrong as I would love to see a Pats/Giants rematch.
One final note on Super Bowl contenders. It is rare in this day and age for a coach over 55 to win a Super Bowl. The last time was 2008 when NYG won with 61 year old Tom Coughlin and they beat a coach who was almost 56 himself in Bill Belichick but prior to that we go all the way back to 2000 and 63 year old Dick Vermeil. Coaching is a young man's game it seems. The hours, the passion, it's just hard to maintain, especially after you win like Coughlin and Belichick already have. I am in awe of how Tom Coughlin and Bill Belichick do what they do to get their teams to perform. But I think we have the brothers Harbaugh in the Superbowl this year. Call the Superbowl No Country for Old Men II. I don't think I want to watch myself.
Won the Academy Award & Penelope Cruz.
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Finally getting my due
I finally received my just recognition for my superior refereeing today. I must say it has taken long enough for this to come but it was well worth the wait. Today I had to referee a couple of youth playoff games. Both games were very close, the first one ended 19-13 and the second one was even closer. In the second game, the score stood 0-0 until there was 1:20 left in the game. Both teams were able to move the ball some but never got too close to the end zone.
But as we got near the end of the game, the home team (East Lake) took a run wide to the right and managed to out run everyone to the end zone. Boom, finally someone scores, now we won't have to go overtime. East Lake kicks off and for some reason kicks an onside kick. Me, I kick it deep and make them go the whole field but maybe they were worried someone on the visitors (Lakewood)would take it all the way. Anyway the ball gets kicked past the front line guys, is scooped up by a guy in the next line who goes left around the end and runs it all the way for a TD. Boom tied up again. Of course both teams missed the extra point so a minute later we are in OT.
East Lake got the ball first. 4 tries from the 10 yard line to score then the other team gets a shot. On 4th down, East Lake is just inside the 3 yard line still. They hand it off and the runner is stopped inside the 1 but before he goes down he reaches the ball out and gets it to the goal line. I look over to the linesman and he is charging in from the side with his hands in the air as I nod yes to him that the runner was not down when he put the ball out. So we give them the TD. They don't get the extra point but they have the lead. Lakewood gets the ball and scores on a run on the first play but it's called back for holding by the head ref. One of the blockers grabbed a defender's shirt right at the point of attack and kept the guy from participating. No TD. Lakewood ends up not scoring and we all head for home.
I was limping toward my car (I hurt my calf in the first game and it was really aching by then) and outside the gate I ran across an old lady, The old lady said to me "There you are you cheater. That wasn't a touchdown. You stole that game from our kids." I explained to the lady that the runner had reached out and the ball had reached the goal line.
"No it didn't, we were right on the line and that ball never crossed the goal line." I decided not to get into a fruitless argument in the parking lot and continued walking while I was thinking - sure lady, you are 40 or 50 yards away from the action and blocked off from view on your side and you saw it better than 2 referees who were 10 yards and 5 feet from the action. As I walked away she continued, "I hope you were well paid for your call."
"Thank you, I was" I called over my shoulder as I limped to my car and drove away.
Really lady, it's the ref's fault you grandson's team lost? Because we ruled the ball reached the goal line and you didn't think so? There are times when a referee's call can be significant but hell, these 2 teams went at it for an entire game and were still tied after that. Also a lot of these people don't understand about the goal line and the end zone. The end zone starts at the edge of the goal line closest to the field. For my part, I imagine where the goal line begins is a pane of glass extending up in the air and if the tip of the ball just kisses that glass, it's a touchdown. It doesn't have to get into the end zone, it doesn't even have to cross the line, it just has to reach it. And from my point of view, it more than reached it. So too bad lady, your team lost. But at least you gave me my due.
My wife gave me my due tonight as well. No not like that you bunch of pigs, get your mind out of the gutter. She gave me my due for cooking up dinner after coming home tonight. I made some roasted pepper chicken penne for dinner tonight and was well complimented by her and my mother in law. So at least she didn't think I cheated her.
Well thats all for me. Off to bed and to rest my calf. Other than the calf I feel pretty good. Tired. At least Mark Sanchize and the Jetskis came through for my wallet today. And at the half, Pitt and Balt have only scored 15 points. Of course the Pats and NYG had 0 points at the half and ended up with 44 so things can definitely change there. Good night all. Hope you get your due as well.
But as we got near the end of the game, the home team (East Lake) took a run wide to the right and managed to out run everyone to the end zone. Boom, finally someone scores, now we won't have to go overtime. East Lake kicks off and for some reason kicks an onside kick. Me, I kick it deep and make them go the whole field but maybe they were worried someone on the visitors (Lakewood)would take it all the way. Anyway the ball gets kicked past the front line guys, is scooped up by a guy in the next line who goes left around the end and runs it all the way for a TD. Boom tied up again. Of course both teams missed the extra point so a minute later we are in OT.
East Lake got the ball first. 4 tries from the 10 yard line to score then the other team gets a shot. On 4th down, East Lake is just inside the 3 yard line still. They hand it off and the runner is stopped inside the 1 but before he goes down he reaches the ball out and gets it to the goal line. I look over to the linesman and he is charging in from the side with his hands in the air as I nod yes to him that the runner was not down when he put the ball out. So we give them the TD. They don't get the extra point but they have the lead. Lakewood gets the ball and scores on a run on the first play but it's called back for holding by the head ref. One of the blockers grabbed a defender's shirt right at the point of attack and kept the guy from participating. No TD. Lakewood ends up not scoring and we all head for home.
I was limping toward my car (I hurt my calf in the first game and it was really aching by then) and outside the gate I ran across an old lady, The old lady said to me "There you are you cheater. That wasn't a touchdown. You stole that game from our kids." I explained to the lady that the runner had reached out and the ball had reached the goal line.
"No it didn't, we were right on the line and that ball never crossed the goal line." I decided not to get into a fruitless argument in the parking lot and continued walking while I was thinking - sure lady, you are 40 or 50 yards away from the action and blocked off from view on your side and you saw it better than 2 referees who were 10 yards and 5 feet from the action. As I walked away she continued, "I hope you were well paid for your call."
"Thank you, I was" I called over my shoulder as I limped to my car and drove away.
Really lady, it's the ref's fault you grandson's team lost? Because we ruled the ball reached the goal line and you didn't think so? There are times when a referee's call can be significant but hell, these 2 teams went at it for an entire game and were still tied after that. Also a lot of these people don't understand about the goal line and the end zone. The end zone starts at the edge of the goal line closest to the field. For my part, I imagine where the goal line begins is a pane of glass extending up in the air and if the tip of the ball just kisses that glass, it's a touchdown. It doesn't have to get into the end zone, it doesn't even have to cross the line, it just has to reach it. And from my point of view, it more than reached it. So too bad lady, your team lost. But at least you gave me my due.
My wife gave me my due tonight as well. No not like that you bunch of pigs, get your mind out of the gutter. She gave me my due for cooking up dinner after coming home tonight. I made some roasted pepper chicken penne for dinner tonight and was well complimented by her and my mother in law. So at least she didn't think I cheated her.
Well thats all for me. Off to bed and to rest my calf. Other than the calf I feel pretty good. Tired. At least Mark Sanchize and the Jetskis came through for my wallet today. And at the half, Pitt and Balt have only scored 15 points. Of course the Pats and NYG had 0 points at the half and ended up with 44 so things can definitely change there. Good night all. Hope you get your due as well.
Saturday, November 5, 2011
The days go too slow and the years go too fast
A couple of days ago, the PQ and I celebrated our 27th anniversary. We didn't do anything overly special but I did take her out to dinner at an Italian place up the road that night. Last year I took her to a really nice local place and would have taken her back there this time but I couldn't get a reservation before 8pm. The place was closed for remodeling for quite a while, they redid the dining and kitchen areas, and since they reopened they've been pretty busy. On a Thursday night when we had to work on Friday, we didn't want that late of a dinner. So I checked around and this place in Palm Harbor had a good reputation and had no problem getting us in.
What a nice dinner we had. Started with mushrooms stuffed with italian sausage in a sherry wine sauce which may have been the highlight of the meal. The PQ had chicken saltimboca and I had veal abruzzi. Both were delicious. We also got a bottle of reisling to go with it. When they showed us the wine list they told us every bottle was $29. Not a terrible price for a bottle of decent wine at a restaurant. Then I noticed they had Eroica which is a reisling that was produced by Chateau St Michelle in Washington state with the help of a famous German winemaker Dr Loosen. When it came out it was listed as one of the best 100 wines in the world and I had tried it a couple of times and loved it. It also normally goes for around $25 a bottle (maybe 21 or 22 at Total Wine, my favorite place to shop) so to get it for $29 at the restaurant was a steal. The PQ had never had it so I'm not sure when I drank it without her but she loved it as well. Needless to say we enjoyed a splendid dinner. PQ was just raving about dinner to her sister a few minutes ago, especially the stuffed mushrooms.
Last night I had to referee a football game. Kind of a weird game, a lot of turnovers and crazy stuff happened, and I was with a put together crew of guys I had not worked with before. The head ref was very good though. Both coaches were mad at us at different points, the visitors especially so after we spotted the ball favorably for the home team on a 4th down play and they made a first down by millimeters. I had one oddball call for assisting the runner. The visitors had gotten an interception and run it back to the home team's 20 yard line. On first down they tried a run off tackle. The runner got hit about 2 yards into the run but before he gets tackled one of his teammates grabs him and helps drag him forward. They go 4 or 5 more yards. Well since it happened right in front of me I felt it was my duty to drop a penalty flag for assisting the runner since you really aren't supposed to do that. Unfortunately for the visitors that was the best thing to happen on that play. Before the runner finally gets taken to the ground another guy hits him and knocks the ball out. It falls to the ground and the home team recovers. Visitors were unhappy about that as well but it was a good fumble. If the runner hadn't been helped he would have fallen to the ground my earlier and never fumbled.
No youth games for me today. Today starts playoffs for the youth league. They are playing games on both Saturday and Sunday. I don't ref today but have 2 playoff games tomorrow. Its nice to be able to rest today, I hurt my achilles a little last night. Nothing too bad but it is sore a bit today. Many years ago I was playing with my boys in the backyard. I slipped on the grass and ruptured my achilles tendon pretty badly. It occasionally bothers me today. Luckily it is the other leg that is sore today. I should be fine tomorrow I think but am glad I get today to rest.
On to the short term investment strategy for today. Last week was a very bad week. Only Andrew Luck tying the game against USC and going to OT saved me from a goose egg. 1-4. First bad week all year. Then on Thursday, Transocean (RIG) reports a horrible quarter missing earnings by quite a bit. The stock which I was up 10% on at the time got crushed, down over $7 a share in no time. It finished the day falling from 56.5 to 49 and now I'm down a couple percent in it. Friday it was up $1 so I am close to even. I'm not crushed by this, I have faith RIG will turn it around and I almost sold out of something else to buy more shares. Probably should have. I plan on selling some stocks over the next 2 months. I think the market will be pretty good through the end of the year so I am definitely selling some winners (and losers) to raise cash so that when the bear returns - which I think will happen within the next 6-9 months or less - I can pick up some bargains along the way. I am keeping my gold positions and may even add to some of them. I missed an opportunity to pick up some Yamana when it temporarily tanked when gold got hit last month. It's now back up to 16 so I'm leaving off of that for now. But I think they are in great position to take advantage of today's gold prices not to mention how gold may go a lot higher soon. They are one of the lowest cost producers in the business and they have more and more gold coming out. I expect a very nice quarter from them on their next report. Ok enough of the stock talk, now for the very short term investments.
I'm taking Alabama -4.5 in the big game against LSU. 2 things motivate this call. Satan is the coach of Bama and Les Myles will never be confused with Jesus. I have also heard the head of the sports book at Caesars said he would set the line at Bama -6 and take all the action he could get on LSU. If he is that confident with Bama, so am I, and I only have to give 4.5.
Give me UNC -3.5 over NC State. Big rivalry game and NC State is just not very good. 4 wins but outside of beating a decent Virginia squad, they have wins against Liberty, Central Mich, and South Alabama. Not Va Tech, Michigan, and Bama by any stretch.
I also like Washington getting 16 at home against Oregon. This is a decent UW team but not in Oregon's class however Oregon may be caught looking ahead to their huge matchup with Stanford next week. Its a home game for Washington and they're gonna be pumped up for this one. I think Oregon wins a close one. Last week that would translate to a 45-3 win for Oregon. We'll see about this week.
Ow ow ow ow I just got a leg cramp in my calf. Time for a V8. I should have drunk one last night when I got home.
I also might bet Virginia -3 over Maryland. Maryland is terrible, I don't know how they beat Miami early in the year cuz they are regressing. After losing close ones to good Ga Tech and Clemson teams they get blown out by a decent FSU (next year they'll be a really good team) and then lost to a baaaad BC squad. UVa is up and down, but they have victories against both Ga Tech and Miami sandwiching a loss to NC St.
I am also looking at Arkansas -5.5 at home vs South Carolina. I liked this better at 4.5 but I might play it here anyway. Arkansas is a better team, especially at home and though South Carolina is good I don't think they cover this.
Well that's enough for now, gonna drag my aching leg into the shower and get ready for the day ahead. Still putting together another unfortunately non-poker post. Not much poker in my life, a little online small stakes stuff but I have been too busy with football and such to play much. I did just get my winnings from my death pool victory last night. 200 bucks Sweeet. Well I hope you all have a great weekend. Stay warm, it's even a little chilly here. Last night was pretty cool and windy to boot. When we went out for the pregame I was regretting not putting on my long sleeved shirt for the game but as soon as I started running around I warmed up quickly. Hope my short term investments warm up as well. Get lucky or stay lucky my friends.
What a nice dinner we had. Started with mushrooms stuffed with italian sausage in a sherry wine sauce which may have been the highlight of the meal. The PQ had chicken saltimboca and I had veal abruzzi. Both were delicious. We also got a bottle of reisling to go with it. When they showed us the wine list they told us every bottle was $29. Not a terrible price for a bottle of decent wine at a restaurant. Then I noticed they had Eroica which is a reisling that was produced by Chateau St Michelle in Washington state with the help of a famous German winemaker Dr Loosen. When it came out it was listed as one of the best 100 wines in the world and I had tried it a couple of times and loved it. It also normally goes for around $25 a bottle (maybe 21 or 22 at Total Wine, my favorite place to shop) so to get it for $29 at the restaurant was a steal. The PQ had never had it so I'm not sure when I drank it without her but she loved it as well. Needless to say we enjoyed a splendid dinner. PQ was just raving about dinner to her sister a few minutes ago, especially the stuffed mushrooms.
Last night I had to referee a football game. Kind of a weird game, a lot of turnovers and crazy stuff happened, and I was with a put together crew of guys I had not worked with before. The head ref was very good though. Both coaches were mad at us at different points, the visitors especially so after we spotted the ball favorably for the home team on a 4th down play and they made a first down by millimeters. I had one oddball call for assisting the runner. The visitors had gotten an interception and run it back to the home team's 20 yard line. On first down they tried a run off tackle. The runner got hit about 2 yards into the run but before he gets tackled one of his teammates grabs him and helps drag him forward. They go 4 or 5 more yards. Well since it happened right in front of me I felt it was my duty to drop a penalty flag for assisting the runner since you really aren't supposed to do that. Unfortunately for the visitors that was the best thing to happen on that play. Before the runner finally gets taken to the ground another guy hits him and knocks the ball out. It falls to the ground and the home team recovers. Visitors were unhappy about that as well but it was a good fumble. If the runner hadn't been helped he would have fallen to the ground my earlier and never fumbled.
No youth games for me today. Today starts playoffs for the youth league. They are playing games on both Saturday and Sunday. I don't ref today but have 2 playoff games tomorrow. Its nice to be able to rest today, I hurt my achilles a little last night. Nothing too bad but it is sore a bit today. Many years ago I was playing with my boys in the backyard. I slipped on the grass and ruptured my achilles tendon pretty badly. It occasionally bothers me today. Luckily it is the other leg that is sore today. I should be fine tomorrow I think but am glad I get today to rest.
On to the short term investment strategy for today. Last week was a very bad week. Only Andrew Luck tying the game against USC and going to OT saved me from a goose egg. 1-4. First bad week all year. Then on Thursday, Transocean (RIG) reports a horrible quarter missing earnings by quite a bit. The stock which I was up 10% on at the time got crushed, down over $7 a share in no time. It finished the day falling from 56.5 to 49 and now I'm down a couple percent in it. Friday it was up $1 so I am close to even. I'm not crushed by this, I have faith RIG will turn it around and I almost sold out of something else to buy more shares. Probably should have. I plan on selling some stocks over the next 2 months. I think the market will be pretty good through the end of the year so I am definitely selling some winners (and losers) to raise cash so that when the bear returns - which I think will happen within the next 6-9 months or less - I can pick up some bargains along the way. I am keeping my gold positions and may even add to some of them. I missed an opportunity to pick up some Yamana when it temporarily tanked when gold got hit last month. It's now back up to 16 so I'm leaving off of that for now. But I think they are in great position to take advantage of today's gold prices not to mention how gold may go a lot higher soon. They are one of the lowest cost producers in the business and they have more and more gold coming out. I expect a very nice quarter from them on their next report. Ok enough of the stock talk, now for the very short term investments.
I'm taking Alabama -4.5 in the big game against LSU. 2 things motivate this call. Satan is the coach of Bama and Les Myles will never be confused with Jesus. I have also heard the head of the sports book at Caesars said he would set the line at Bama -6 and take all the action he could get on LSU. If he is that confident with Bama, so am I, and I only have to give 4.5.
Give me UNC -3.5 over NC State. Big rivalry game and NC State is just not very good. 4 wins but outside of beating a decent Virginia squad, they have wins against Liberty, Central Mich, and South Alabama. Not Va Tech, Michigan, and Bama by any stretch.
I also like Washington getting 16 at home against Oregon. This is a decent UW team but not in Oregon's class however Oregon may be caught looking ahead to their huge matchup with Stanford next week. Its a home game for Washington and they're gonna be pumped up for this one. I think Oregon wins a close one. Last week that would translate to a 45-3 win for Oregon. We'll see about this week.
Ow ow ow ow I just got a leg cramp in my calf. Time for a V8. I should have drunk one last night when I got home.
I also might bet Virginia -3 over Maryland. Maryland is terrible, I don't know how they beat Miami early in the year cuz they are regressing. After losing close ones to good Ga Tech and Clemson teams they get blown out by a decent FSU (next year they'll be a really good team) and then lost to a baaaad BC squad. UVa is up and down, but they have victories against both Ga Tech and Miami sandwiching a loss to NC St.
I am also looking at Arkansas -5.5 at home vs South Carolina. I liked this better at 4.5 but I might play it here anyway. Arkansas is a better team, especially at home and though South Carolina is good I don't think they cover this.
Well that's enough for now, gonna drag my aching leg into the shower and get ready for the day ahead. Still putting together another unfortunately non-poker post. Not much poker in my life, a little online small stakes stuff but I have been too busy with football and such to play much. I did just get my winnings from my death pool victory last night. 200 bucks Sweeet. Well I hope you all have a great weekend. Stay warm, it's even a little chilly here. Last night was pretty cool and windy to boot. When we went out for the pregame I was regretting not putting on my long sleeved shirt for the game but as soon as I started running around I warmed up quickly. Hope my short term investments warm up as well. Get lucky or stay lucky my friends.
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Saturday night's all right for fighting
Let's hope not as I'd prefer not having to deal with that in my games tonight. Looks like it's gonna be another rainy day today. We got rain off and on last night and its really wet out there today. This morning has been more of the same. I wouldn't be too worried about it for my games tonight if I was in Seminole but I gotta ref in Pinellas Park. Seminole's field is in good shape and drains pretty well. Rain all day would make it a bit messy but nothing bad. Pinellas Park's field is not in great shape. It drains poorly. Last time there was major rain on a game day, the field was a quagmire and a good part of it was under water. If it keeps raining today, I don't want to see what the field will be like when I get there at 5 tonight. Well, I can pray for some sunshine still. Won't dry the field but will keep it from getting worse at least.
I just checked today's forecast and this afternoon should be partly cloudy with a high in the 70s. It could be worse. I could be back in Rhode Island where they're expecting a high in the 40s and snow tonight. Snow in October? I remember some flurries that early a couple of times growing up but not anything that stuck. Never had to ref in the snow thankfully. Late last year we had to do a game at night when it was windy and in the 40s. That was cold. But it wasn't snowy or rainy. That would have been ugly.
Congrats to the St Louis Cardinals on another World Series win. I was half rooting for them as I admired how they had come back from the dead just like the Rays and made it to the playoffs. I was also half rooting for the Rangers as I used to be a fan of theirs when I lived there and they've never won one before. But since the Rangers knocked out the Rays from the playoffs in both the last 2 years I was also rooting against them. I've heard the ESPN talking heads call game 6 of this series one of the greatest games ever. Really?? Exciting, yes but great game?? I don't think so. 3 Cards errors leading to Ranger runs. And I'm not talking about a booted ground ball or a bad throw, I'm talking a pop fly to left turning into "you got it, no you got it, no I got it, no nobody's got it" A bunt fielded and thrown into centerfield. Wild pitches. The works. Then in key positions the Rangers can't get the final out to end the game including Cruz not catching Freese's drive to right that ends up being a tying triple in the 9th. That was a very catchable ball. A good right fielder makes that play. Guys like Cesar Geronimo or Dwight Evans made that play routinely in the 75 series. Still it was very exciting. Too bad I was too beat to watch the last couple of innings. Or maybe a good thing as I got some sleep instead.
Well this has been a quiet week on both the work and referee fronts. I haven't done any games since last Saturday and my hip now feels fine. It was a good time for a little break, my body was really feeling it and this rest gave me a chance to recover. Work settled down a little this week. And the market rocked. Europe finally got off their ass about the Greece issue and put out some semi concrete plans on how to deal with it that made some sense to the powers that be. It is no real solution, just kicks the problem down the road a ways but it brought some stability to the issue and the markets responded really favorably. It worked out well for a number of my holdings. Gold was up nicely (I'm sure Mojo is please that Goldcorp went from $45.50 to $50 this week), Sanofi which is the French drugmaker who makes a lot of the flu vaccines, took off for me this month, going from 31.88 to 37.50 this month. Doesn't happen if a deal isn't announced. Transocean (RIG) really went up as well. It started October at 46 and finished Friday at 60. That was a nice month. I almost bought more when it got down that low but I had no extra cash and didn't want to sell anything then. I probably should have.
Now time for some short term investment information. I'm looking at a few games today. College has really been good for my bankroll this year, much better than the past 2 years. First off I want Wisconsin -7.5 over Ohio St. OSU has been improving but they're not in Wisconsin's class yet. Wisconsin has to be disappointed about the way they lost to Mich St. Are they mad about the loss? If so, they spank OSU. If not, they play a sluggish game and hopefully still cover. I'll take them.
Next I like Penn St -5.5 over Illinois. Illinois is 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games. Their only cover against a woeful Indiana team. Penn St has been improving as the year goes on. Lets take them at home on a day likely to be pretty sloppy.
Give me Arkansas -10 at Vanderbilt. Vandy is 4-3 and playing at home but lets look at who they've beaten. Elon? A bad Mississippi team. An ok UConn and an ok Army team. Nothing much. Arkansas has played much tougher competition and had their scare at Mississippi last week. They won't overlook Vandy.
I kinda like Kansas St +13 at home vs Oklahoma. OU cannot be happy about last week's loss to Texas Tech but KSt is playing really well especially at home. 3 teams in common so far this year with similar results from both teams. I can't see OU winning that big as much as Stoops wants to.
Finally give me the over 61.5 in the USC/Stanford tilt. Both offenses put up a lot of points. Should not have a problem exceeding the number.
That's all I got today. I'm gonna wrap this up by hoping everyone stays warm and dry up there in the northeast. I will write again tomorrow as I've been working on a different post but have a lot more to do with it. Till then I hope you all stay lucky. Make good picks everyone.
I just checked today's forecast and this afternoon should be partly cloudy with a high in the 70s. It could be worse. I could be back in Rhode Island where they're expecting a high in the 40s and snow tonight. Snow in October? I remember some flurries that early a couple of times growing up but not anything that stuck. Never had to ref in the snow thankfully. Late last year we had to do a game at night when it was windy and in the 40s. That was cold. But it wasn't snowy or rainy. That would have been ugly.
Congrats to the St Louis Cardinals on another World Series win. I was half rooting for them as I admired how they had come back from the dead just like the Rays and made it to the playoffs. I was also half rooting for the Rangers as I used to be a fan of theirs when I lived there and they've never won one before. But since the Rangers knocked out the Rays from the playoffs in both the last 2 years I was also rooting against them. I've heard the ESPN talking heads call game 6 of this series one of the greatest games ever. Really?? Exciting, yes but great game?? I don't think so. 3 Cards errors leading to Ranger runs. And I'm not talking about a booted ground ball or a bad throw, I'm talking a pop fly to left turning into "you got it, no you got it, no I got it, no nobody's got it" A bunt fielded and thrown into centerfield. Wild pitches. The works. Then in key positions the Rangers can't get the final out to end the game including Cruz not catching Freese's drive to right that ends up being a tying triple in the 9th. That was a very catchable ball. A good right fielder makes that play. Guys like Cesar Geronimo or Dwight Evans made that play routinely in the 75 series. Still it was very exciting. Too bad I was too beat to watch the last couple of innings. Or maybe a good thing as I got some sleep instead.
Well this has been a quiet week on both the work and referee fronts. I haven't done any games since last Saturday and my hip now feels fine. It was a good time for a little break, my body was really feeling it and this rest gave me a chance to recover. Work settled down a little this week. And the market rocked. Europe finally got off their ass about the Greece issue and put out some semi concrete plans on how to deal with it that made some sense to the powers that be. It is no real solution, just kicks the problem down the road a ways but it brought some stability to the issue and the markets responded really favorably. It worked out well for a number of my holdings. Gold was up nicely (I'm sure Mojo is please that Goldcorp went from $45.50 to $50 this week), Sanofi which is the French drugmaker who makes a lot of the flu vaccines, took off for me this month, going from 31.88 to 37.50 this month. Doesn't happen if a deal isn't announced. Transocean (RIG) really went up as well. It started October at 46 and finished Friday at 60. That was a nice month. I almost bought more when it got down that low but I had no extra cash and didn't want to sell anything then. I probably should have.
Now time for some short term investment information. I'm looking at a few games today. College has really been good for my bankroll this year, much better than the past 2 years. First off I want Wisconsin -7.5 over Ohio St. OSU has been improving but they're not in Wisconsin's class yet. Wisconsin has to be disappointed about the way they lost to Mich St. Are they mad about the loss? If so, they spank OSU. If not, they play a sluggish game and hopefully still cover. I'll take them.
Next I like Penn St -5.5 over Illinois. Illinois is 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games. Their only cover against a woeful Indiana team. Penn St has been improving as the year goes on. Lets take them at home on a day likely to be pretty sloppy.
Give me Arkansas -10 at Vanderbilt. Vandy is 4-3 and playing at home but lets look at who they've beaten. Elon? A bad Mississippi team. An ok UConn and an ok Army team. Nothing much. Arkansas has played much tougher competition and had their scare at Mississippi last week. They won't overlook Vandy.
I kinda like Kansas St +13 at home vs Oklahoma. OU cannot be happy about last week's loss to Texas Tech but KSt is playing really well especially at home. 3 teams in common so far this year with similar results from both teams. I can't see OU winning that big as much as Stoops wants to.
Finally give me the over 61.5 in the USC/Stanford tilt. Both offenses put up a lot of points. Should not have a problem exceeding the number.
That's all I got today. I'm gonna wrap this up by hoping everyone stays warm and dry up there in the northeast. I will write again tomorrow as I've been working on a different post but have a lot more to do with it. Till then I hope you all stay lucky. Make good picks everyone.
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Yep, this is what we have become
From referees getting beaten up to referees who deserved to be beaten up. I posted about a fellow ref who was hurt in a brawl down here a few weeks back. He is doing well now. Well due to all the work I've been putting in on field, I missed this one last weekend.
I'm feeling a bit like damaged goods here today. It's been another busy week between work and football and I am one tired puppy right about now. At work, a number of people were on vacation or out sick this week. That crud I had is still making the rounds it appears. I know I'm still coughing occasionally. Kept those of us still in the salt mines busy mining and such.
Thursday night I had a JV game at Northside Christian. It was a typical small school JV game and I had a good time with the guys. The weather was just starting to turn chilly. Nice night. Nothing much to talk about otherwise. Friday night was a bigger game as I had Largo at Boca Ciega. Largo has been one of the best teams in the county over the past 5 years while Bogie has been a perpetual underachiever but I figured this game would be fairly close. It was a perfect night for a football game with temps in the 60s at game time. As we got out on the field pregame to check the field and talk to the coaches we got to see a beautiful purple and pink sunset. Made it worth it to be out on that field.
The game started with a bang as Largo took the opening kick off to the house. 7-0 ten seconds into the game. Bogie drives down the field later on and ties the game up. Then kicks off to the same guy on Largo. This time they managed to tackle him on the 16 yard line. Their 16. Largo punches it in and goes up 14-7. In the second quarter, Largo ran a halfback option with a throwback to the quarterback from around midfield. The QB juked out the one defender with a shot at him and took it all the way. 21-7. Good thing the coach warned us they might run this play. Late in the quarter Largo scores again after a Bogie turnover and at the half they lead 28-7. By the score it looks like Largo is killing them but really, Bogie had been able to move the ball on Largo and mostly stop Largo's running game. Largo's QB was not really effective passing. Some big plays had led to most of Largo's points.
In the second half Bogie continues to stop Largo, who does no favor to their cause by continually trying to pass instead of running and taking time off the clock. Midway through the quarter, Bogie hits a couple of big passes to go from their own 20 to a TD and is down 28-14. Largo then fumbles a few plays later deep in their own end and Bogie punches that in for a score. On the TD play a few players get into it in the end zone. No punches are thrown so we don't have to toss anyone (throwing a punch is automatically an ejection, even if it doesn't connect) but we ended up calling 2 personal fouls on Bogie and one on Largo. The Largo coach wants us to enforce the penalties on the next kickoff but because these were dead ball fouls that occurred after the TD was scored and not live ball fouls, we had to enforce them on the extra point. So Bogie had to kick the extra point from the 18 and got it blocked. Still we are in the 4th quarter and it's 28-20. Late in the game Largo got moving a little and Bogie was desperate to stop them when a guy for Largo breaks a run and gets the clinching TD. On that play I got bumped from behind and my left when I turned to follow the play. It wasn't much of a hit but I guess I stepped wrong when it happened because I felt this pain in my hip. Felt kind of like a pulled muscle but I didn't think much of it.
The game ended soon after and as I was walking back to the locker room, I felt the pain in my hip. "This isn't good" I thought as I walked to my car later. It hurt to do anything much. I just hoped it was a bruise and would go away over a short time. I got home a bit before 11 and after eating a bite the PQ rubbed some Ben Gay like stuff on my hip and I went to sleep. 6:50 came awfully early Saturday morning. I had another 4 game set to work, all on the field. I felt ok but still sore a bit. Unfortunately I still felt pain in my hip. I hoped it would loosen up while I worked.
When I got outside to go to the game I felt how really cool it was outside. It was maybe 55 degrees. Chilly by Florida standards. I was in my usual shorts and short sleeved referee shirt but I brought my long sleeve shirt with me in case it stayed chilly. Fortunately when I got to the field it was already starting to warm a bit. I was working the first 2 games with a very experience group of guys. Not a problem, I figured we would knock those games right out easily. Young kids, only 8 minute quarters, should be quick games. Yeah right. As I warmed up and stretched I felt more pain in my hip. Not good. Stu the guy on the clock told me if I couldn't go, he'd be willing to fill in for me. I told him he might have to as I just didn't know how long I could go.
The first game would have been hysterically funny if it hadn't been so long. 2 teams of 7-8 year olds who mostly hadn't played football before this year. Even though this is week 8 or 9 of their season, they still are all over the place. We could have thrown penalty flags on every play. The visitors were all over the place, the home team was a little better. And anytime someone got tackled hard it seemed, they got hurt. We had so many injury time outs where the kid got removed then was back playing in 2 or 3 plays. Instead of this game being done quickly, it just kept dragging on. Late in the game I turned to the head ref during a time out and said, "Jim, this is like herding cats out here." He agreed. Surprisingly the team mother for the visitors heard my remark and told me "You don't know half of it. The whole team are 7 year olds. Getting them all to do the same thing at the same time is impossible." Mercifully the game finally ended with the home team winning 19-0. But we are already behind after one game time wise and the home team is doing parent appreciation day so before every game they are introducing all the players and their parents and family while they walk on the field. Fortunately I didn't have to run much so my hip didn't trouble me too much.
The next game is the next age group up. Not so new to the game but a little bigger and faster. Even so, we make up a lot of time during the game. Unfortunately, the game ends 0-0 and we have to play overtime. Just one overtime and we do the KC tiebreaker like they do in college. Both teams get the ball on the ten yard line and get 4 plays to score. The visitors score and run in the extra point. The home team scores on 4th down but gets stopped short of the goal line for the extra point and loses. So we don't make up much time in the end. My hip is hurting a bit more but I still didn't have to run much. The only thing saving me right now.
The third game are JV Pee Wees. That's the next age group up, kids around 12 years old. These kids run and pass a lot more. Again both teams are pretty evenly matched. The home team scores in the 2nd quarter but misses the extra point. Still it looks like we'll avoid overtime and the game is going well. Not many penalties or big plays making me run too much. Passing to a minimum. Unfortunately that changes in the 4th quarter. The visitors hit a couple of passes and a big run. I had to chase the plays a bit and I'm hurting, especially when they get a first down inside the 5. I'm hoping for a turnover to keep the visitors from scoring but it's not to be as they get the tying TD. Now I'm hoping they hit the extra point. Wrong again. We are tied 6-6 when the game ends and go to OT again. The home team has the ball first but throws an interception on 3rd down. The visitors run on first down and get to the 6. The home team jumps offsides the next play and the visitors now have 2nd and goal from the 3. They punch it in the next play for the win. I'm pretty much dragging my leg behind me now and I tell Stu up on the clock that I can't go any more so he comes down to take over. Dragging my ass up the stairs to the press box was no picnic but I made it. Good thing I did.
The next game had a lot more action and long plays in it. I'd have melted out there. Late in the first half we had another one of those muffed kicks I mentioned a week or 2 ago. One team kicks off and the ball kinda rolls around for a bit. The receiver goes back to get it and drops the ball when he tries to pick it up. A guy on the kicking team picks up the ball and sets off for the end zone. The head ref chases the play to the end zone and when the guy gets in he gives the touchdown signal. I'm up in the press box telling the announcer that they're blowing the play. When he asked what I meant I told him, that was a muffed kick, not a fumble and the kicking team gets possession at the spot they recover the ball but they don't get to advance it. Luckily Stu was on top of the play and marked the spot of possession. After the TD signal he calls the head ref over and they talk a second then spot the ball on the 24 yard line where it was recovered. And the announcer looks smart telling the crowd why that wasn't a TD. We don't always get the calls right, but we try to. When the game finally ended I slowly dragged my way down to my car and called the PQ to see what was up for lunch. It was about 2:30 and I still hadn't had a bite all day.
I met up with the PQ, her sister and my niece for lunch at 5 Guys. Best burgers and fries ever. If you're unlucky enough to live in an area without 5 Guys, you are missing out. If you do have them around and go to any other chain, you are being extremely foolish and your taste buds will revolt eventually. After lunch we made it home and I basically passed out. I barely got my picks in by 4pm for today's NFL games, the PQ had to keep waking me up as I was snoozing in front of my computer. I did get in 2 good short term investments taking Michigan St +7.5 over Wisconsin and the over in the Penn St/Northwestern game. The over hit before halftime and Sparty did me proud in a wild finish. I trooped off to bed and slept for about 2.5 hours. Could have gone a lot longer but had to get me and the PQ some dinner. I really wanted breakfast so we went to IHOP and I got me breakfast while the PQ had the more traditional dinner at night.
Today I woke up feeling a good bit better. My legs are a bit sore but my hip hasn't bothered me all day. I will go outside and jog shortly as we're going to get our flu shots in a few minutes. We'll see how the hip feels then. So I guess I'm off. No NFL bets today though I might take GB over Minnesota. I am putting something down on Baltimore over Jax tomorrow though. Gotta think what to make for dinner tonight as well. So I'm off. I hope you guys stay lucky.
Hey give me the damned ball ref
Arizona was playing at home and whipping UCLA 42-7 just before halftime when a student decided he would make a spectacle of himself by repeating the glory of the 70s and streaking down the field. Here is a link to that bit of nostalgia. Of course a second video in this link also features the 80s era brawl that broke out right after that trip down memory lane. Yep fun times in Arizona. Now it turns out the referee impersonator is being charged with a felony called "criminal impersonation" that can put him in jail for 18 months. Wait a minute, impersonating a referee is a felony in Arizona? Really? A college prank is worth 18 months in jail? You can't blame him for that brawl starting can you? Maybe. According to this report the guy admitted to streaking so he could put it on his application to be on the game show Wipeout. Really dude? Putting on a fake ref uniform and streaking in a televised football game to get on a game show? Maybe you don't deserve 18 months in jail for that but maybe the cops should have tased you when they took you down so you can feel a little bit of pain to go along with your stupidity. Now I wish the head ref had handed you the ball when you went on the field. Then one of those players would have an excuse to flatten you (a la Mike "Maddog" Curtis in 1971) and really make me chuckle. BTW, can you really charge someone for that if they are actually refereeing a game? Hope not, I'd hate to have a few cops putting the cuffs on me when I'm walking off the field. This is what we have become isn't it?
I'm feeling a bit like damaged goods here today. It's been another busy week between work and football and I am one tired puppy right about now. At work, a number of people were on vacation or out sick this week. That crud I had is still making the rounds it appears. I know I'm still coughing occasionally. Kept those of us still in the salt mines busy mining and such.
Thursday night I had a JV game at Northside Christian. It was a typical small school JV game and I had a good time with the guys. The weather was just starting to turn chilly. Nice night. Nothing much to talk about otherwise. Friday night was a bigger game as I had Largo at Boca Ciega. Largo has been one of the best teams in the county over the past 5 years while Bogie has been a perpetual underachiever but I figured this game would be fairly close. It was a perfect night for a football game with temps in the 60s at game time. As we got out on the field pregame to check the field and talk to the coaches we got to see a beautiful purple and pink sunset. Made it worth it to be out on that field.
The game started with a bang as Largo took the opening kick off to the house. 7-0 ten seconds into the game. Bogie drives down the field later on and ties the game up. Then kicks off to the same guy on Largo. This time they managed to tackle him on the 16 yard line. Their 16. Largo punches it in and goes up 14-7. In the second quarter, Largo ran a halfback option with a throwback to the quarterback from around midfield. The QB juked out the one defender with a shot at him and took it all the way. 21-7. Good thing the coach warned us they might run this play. Late in the quarter Largo scores again after a Bogie turnover and at the half they lead 28-7. By the score it looks like Largo is killing them but really, Bogie had been able to move the ball on Largo and mostly stop Largo's running game. Largo's QB was not really effective passing. Some big plays had led to most of Largo's points.
In the second half Bogie continues to stop Largo, who does no favor to their cause by continually trying to pass instead of running and taking time off the clock. Midway through the quarter, Bogie hits a couple of big passes to go from their own 20 to a TD and is down 28-14. Largo then fumbles a few plays later deep in their own end and Bogie punches that in for a score. On the TD play a few players get into it in the end zone. No punches are thrown so we don't have to toss anyone (throwing a punch is automatically an ejection, even if it doesn't connect) but we ended up calling 2 personal fouls on Bogie and one on Largo. The Largo coach wants us to enforce the penalties on the next kickoff but because these were dead ball fouls that occurred after the TD was scored and not live ball fouls, we had to enforce them on the extra point. So Bogie had to kick the extra point from the 18 and got it blocked. Still we are in the 4th quarter and it's 28-20. Late in the game Largo got moving a little and Bogie was desperate to stop them when a guy for Largo breaks a run and gets the clinching TD. On that play I got bumped from behind and my left when I turned to follow the play. It wasn't much of a hit but I guess I stepped wrong when it happened because I felt this pain in my hip. Felt kind of like a pulled muscle but I didn't think much of it.
The game ended soon after and as I was walking back to the locker room, I felt the pain in my hip. "This isn't good" I thought as I walked to my car later. It hurt to do anything much. I just hoped it was a bruise and would go away over a short time. I got home a bit before 11 and after eating a bite the PQ rubbed some Ben Gay like stuff on my hip and I went to sleep. 6:50 came awfully early Saturday morning. I had another 4 game set to work, all on the field. I felt ok but still sore a bit. Unfortunately I still felt pain in my hip. I hoped it would loosen up while I worked.
When I got outside to go to the game I felt how really cool it was outside. It was maybe 55 degrees. Chilly by Florida standards. I was in my usual shorts and short sleeved referee shirt but I brought my long sleeve shirt with me in case it stayed chilly. Fortunately when I got to the field it was already starting to warm a bit. I was working the first 2 games with a very experience group of guys. Not a problem, I figured we would knock those games right out easily. Young kids, only 8 minute quarters, should be quick games. Yeah right. As I warmed up and stretched I felt more pain in my hip. Not good. Stu the guy on the clock told me if I couldn't go, he'd be willing to fill in for me. I told him he might have to as I just didn't know how long I could go.
The first game would have been hysterically funny if it hadn't been so long. 2 teams of 7-8 year olds who mostly hadn't played football before this year. Even though this is week 8 or 9 of their season, they still are all over the place. We could have thrown penalty flags on every play. The visitors were all over the place, the home team was a little better. And anytime someone got tackled hard it seemed, they got hurt. We had so many injury time outs where the kid got removed then was back playing in 2 or 3 plays. Instead of this game being done quickly, it just kept dragging on. Late in the game I turned to the head ref during a time out and said, "Jim, this is like herding cats out here." He agreed. Surprisingly the team mother for the visitors heard my remark and told me "You don't know half of it. The whole team are 7 year olds. Getting them all to do the same thing at the same time is impossible." Mercifully the game finally ended with the home team winning 19-0. But we are already behind after one game time wise and the home team is doing parent appreciation day so before every game they are introducing all the players and their parents and family while they walk on the field. Fortunately I didn't have to run much so my hip didn't trouble me too much.
The next game is the next age group up. Not so new to the game but a little bigger and faster. Even so, we make up a lot of time during the game. Unfortunately, the game ends 0-0 and we have to play overtime. Just one overtime and we do the KC tiebreaker like they do in college. Both teams get the ball on the ten yard line and get 4 plays to score. The visitors score and run in the extra point. The home team scores on 4th down but gets stopped short of the goal line for the extra point and loses. So we don't make up much time in the end. My hip is hurting a bit more but I still didn't have to run much. The only thing saving me right now.
The third game are JV Pee Wees. That's the next age group up, kids around 12 years old. These kids run and pass a lot more. Again both teams are pretty evenly matched. The home team scores in the 2nd quarter but misses the extra point. Still it looks like we'll avoid overtime and the game is going well. Not many penalties or big plays making me run too much. Passing to a minimum. Unfortunately that changes in the 4th quarter. The visitors hit a couple of passes and a big run. I had to chase the plays a bit and I'm hurting, especially when they get a first down inside the 5. I'm hoping for a turnover to keep the visitors from scoring but it's not to be as they get the tying TD. Now I'm hoping they hit the extra point. Wrong again. We are tied 6-6 when the game ends and go to OT again. The home team has the ball first but throws an interception on 3rd down. The visitors run on first down and get to the 6. The home team jumps offsides the next play and the visitors now have 2nd and goal from the 3. They punch it in the next play for the win. I'm pretty much dragging my leg behind me now and I tell Stu up on the clock that I can't go any more so he comes down to take over. Dragging my ass up the stairs to the press box was no picnic but I made it. Good thing I did.
The next game had a lot more action and long plays in it. I'd have melted out there. Late in the first half we had another one of those muffed kicks I mentioned a week or 2 ago. One team kicks off and the ball kinda rolls around for a bit. The receiver goes back to get it and drops the ball when he tries to pick it up. A guy on the kicking team picks up the ball and sets off for the end zone. The head ref chases the play to the end zone and when the guy gets in he gives the touchdown signal. I'm up in the press box telling the announcer that they're blowing the play. When he asked what I meant I told him, that was a muffed kick, not a fumble and the kicking team gets possession at the spot they recover the ball but they don't get to advance it. Luckily Stu was on top of the play and marked the spot of possession. After the TD signal he calls the head ref over and they talk a second then spot the ball on the 24 yard line where it was recovered. And the announcer looks smart telling the crowd why that wasn't a TD. We don't always get the calls right, but we try to. When the game finally ended I slowly dragged my way down to my car and called the PQ to see what was up for lunch. It was about 2:30 and I still hadn't had a bite all day.
I met up with the PQ, her sister and my niece for lunch at 5 Guys. Best burgers and fries ever. If you're unlucky enough to live in an area without 5 Guys, you are missing out. If you do have them around and go to any other chain, you are being extremely foolish and your taste buds will revolt eventually. After lunch we made it home and I basically passed out. I barely got my picks in by 4pm for today's NFL games, the PQ had to keep waking me up as I was snoozing in front of my computer. I did get in 2 good short term investments taking Michigan St +7.5 over Wisconsin and the over in the Penn St/Northwestern game. The over hit before halftime and Sparty did me proud in a wild finish. I trooped off to bed and slept for about 2.5 hours. Could have gone a lot longer but had to get me and the PQ some dinner. I really wanted breakfast so we went to IHOP and I got me breakfast while the PQ had the more traditional dinner at night.
Today I woke up feeling a good bit better. My legs are a bit sore but my hip hasn't bothered me all day. I will go outside and jog shortly as we're going to get our flu shots in a few minutes. We'll see how the hip feels then. So I guess I'm off. No NFL bets today though I might take GB over Minnesota. I am putting something down on Baltimore over Jax tomorrow though. Gotta think what to make for dinner tonight as well. So I'm off. I hope you guys stay lucky.
Monday, October 17, 2011
Bruised and battered
Even though I wasn't feeling great, I went to work on Wednesday. My coughing was way down and I was actually able to sleep in my own bed on Tuesday night, albeit not particularly well. It was still more restful than sleeping in my recliner was. I didn't think I'd make it through the whole day on Wednesday but I did. People could tell as the day went on that I was pretty far gone though. They commented on how quiet I was as the afternoon went on. When I got home I ate and coughed for awhile then put together my gear to ref on Thursday as I had a JV game to referee.
I was still pretty tired on Thursday after another fitful night of coughing and sleeping. The medication my doc gave me was helping but I was still waking up in the middle of the night coughing a couple of times. Figured the times I wasn't awake were not the most deep sleeps either. Again by the time I got out of work I was pretty tired but still had to get to the game. I managed to get through that with the mininum of fuss and not too much effort. Fortunately the game started at 6 so I was home by 8:30. The wife made me a bite to eat and sent me off to bed when I started falling asleep by 9:30. I slept hard till about 4 am then off and on till I got up a bit before 6:30. I was still dragging a bit when I headed off to work even after a pretty good night's sleep. I had another game to do on Friday night at Anclote High School, a relatively new school just north of Pinellas County in Pasco. I had never been there before but knew it would take a while to get up there. Going anywhere north of here after work is a major pain so going to schools like Tarpon Springs and East Lake which are in the far northern part of the county are a long ride time wise. Anclote was a bit further than Tarpon making it even more fun.
Friday was another tiring day at work. I left work a little early, went home and gathered up my gear, then took PQ's car and drove up to Anclote. It took me a bit over an hour to go a little over 20 miles to get to the school. What a nice school. Though I was a bit surprised at the location. If we have a hurricane, even a relatively minor one is gonna flood that area. The school is about 3 feet above sea level and maybe 3/4 of a mile from where the Anclote River meets the Gulf of Mexico. So let's lay out a ton of money on a new school that will be completely destroyed if we ever get a big hurricane through here. Besides which you'll never be able to use it as a shelter as most people there would be in more danger than staying in their own homes. Brilliant use of money Pasco County School Board. And we wonder why municipalities are short on money. Once the big one comes, they'll be the first ones to plead poverty because they have to repair all the buildings that they put in the wrong spots. I mean this is not 1940, why are we building new schools in areas that we KNOW will be flooded. Admittedly, building a school anywhere in Holiday is going to put it an area that's likely to flood as I doubt any part of the city is in an area that won't flood in a major storm but still, why not build up the land you put your brand new school on so that it won't be flooded by just about any hurricane?
I wasn't with my normal group for this ball game, I was filling in for a guy on another crew who was off camping with his family for the weekend. I'd worked with this crew before so it wasn't a big deal for me to work with them and they were used to me so I don't think they had an issue either. It was a nice night for football, temps in the 70s with a bit of a breeze. Anclote had a fair amount of players but they were not a very big team size wise. Not unexpected as the school is still mostly freshmen and sophomores due to it's newness. The visitors from Zephyrhills only had 27 or 28 players but these guys were BIG.
The first quarter was without much action but the home team got a drive going and hit a field goal to take the early lead. The next drive, Zephyrhills drove down the field pretty well and then they got me pretty good. There was a running play to my left and I turned and started moving that way to cover it. The left guard for Zephyrhills came through the line and hit the linebacker to my right and bounced him into me. The edge of the linebacker's shoulder pad scraped my arm just under the shoulder and I thought "That's gonna leave a mark." I was hoping I wasn't cut as I didn't want to have to stop the game so I could get myself attended to. Can't have a player or referee bleeding on the field. Bloody players we send off to the sidelines and continue the game but a ref has to be fixed up (or carted off in some cases) before we can continue. I was hurting but didn't feel any blood so we kept on going. Zephyrhills finished the drive with a TD and never looked back after that. At the half they were up 20-7 and we went inside to discuss the half and drink something. I managed to suck down a bottle of water and most of a Powerade while we talked. I checked out my arm and it had a nice looking scrape but nothing too bad. But it did hurt.
The third quarter was more of the same. Zephyrhills scored a 49 yard TD on a broken play that Anclote defended well, then the runner turned back the other way and it was all green to the end zone. They kicked off to Anclote and the returner goes 90 yards for a TD. Anclote kicks back off to Zephyrhills and their returner takes it 80 yards for a TD. Three touchdowns in less than a minute. I turned to the head ref after the last extra point and told him, "If this next kick goes coast to coast, it's definitely coming back for an illegal block" and we laughed about it. Luckily the next kick was not a TD.
In the 4th quarter Zephyrhills took a 35 point lead when they hit a short field goal and we could then run the clock without stopping for the rest of the game. They kicked off and the same guy for Anclote again goes coast to coast. 85 yards this time. We get set up after the extra point and Anclote kicks off to Zephyrhills and damned if their returner doesn't take it to the house as well! I've been in games with multiple kickoff returns for TDs but I've never been in a game where both teams did it back to back twice. Just crazy. The final score was 51-16.
Needless to say by the time that game finished I was pretty beat. I had 4 games to work Saturday starting at 8am. Why that early I have no idea. All year I've been working the last 3 games of the night starting at 5pm. This time I was scheduled originally to work the games at 11 and 12:30 and on Wednesday my schedule was changed and I was given 8 and 9:30am as well. Not exactly what I was planning for my Saturday morning. So after the game Friday night I headed straight home. I got home about 10:30 ate a bite and then headed to bed. I was asleep about 11:30 and had my alarm set for 6:50 am. Didn't need it. About 6:10 I woke up and even though it was earlier than I planned, I felt good. I felt better than I had in over a week. I figured I ought to be pretty tired and sore but outside of my shoulder/upper arm, I really felt great. I went into the bathroom to look at my arm and this is what I saw
Not a pretty sight huh? That's about as bad a bruise as I've ever had, even during my ball playing days. Anyway I got ready for my games and was out the door about 7:10. Even though the first game wasn't slated to start until 8, if we can start them a little early, I'm all in favor of it. It was a nice morning, cloudy and cool with a good breeze blowing. I got to the field just as the sun began rising to the east. The clouds were streaked with pink and orange and the field was still covered with dew. I was working the first 2 games with a ref I had worked with occasionally and a couple of new guys I didn't know. It was good to work a bit with the newbies. I had to show one how to handle the 1st down chains for the changeover at the end of the quarter. He got it reversed the first time, but he'd never done it before. I remember my first games refereeing.
The first game was the youngest kids and they were the JV youth team as well so these are almost all kids who never played before this year. They actually played pretty well though I let a lot of holding calls go or I would have thrown a flag almost every play. The second game was much the same thing as these were slightly older kids but still pretty small. And inexperienced. We called this one a little bit tighter but still let a lot go. Both games were close and played pretty well all things considered. After the second game, both the head ref and one of the new guys were finished and 2 new guys took their place. Jack was the head referee and I knew him pretty well. I was telling Evan the other new ref that Jack was the referee of the first game I ever did. I brought that up to Jack before the coin flip and we got a good laugh out of it. I was not a very good referee when I started. Probably drove Jack crazy as he worked a number of games with me. He on the other hand is a very good ref.
Both of our next 2 games went pretty well. They were closely contested and nothing ugly happened during either game. By the 2nd half of the last game though, I was getting really tired. Seems like my energy was just about gone. It took all my strength just to walk to my car and drive home. When I got home I had a quick lunch and took a shower. By 3 pm I was nodding off trying to watch football and maybe figure out a few short term investments. It was too much for me so off to bed I went. 3 hours later the PQ woke me up as she wanted to play in the 8pm poker tourney that night. I was so groggy I didn't want to think about it but I went off with her and since they had an Omaha table going when I got there, I decided I would play that while I tried to wake up. Unfortunately most of the players had been there a good while and they packed it in not long after I got there so that was out. My choices then were between the tourney and playing hold em. I eventually decided on hold em. Should have just not played anything and bet the dogs or something. I ended up giving up $60 and missing out on winning a big pot when I folded AJ preflop to a raise/reraise and seeing the flop come out JJJ. The raiser had 10-10 and I was all set to call her raise to $4 but the reraiser had KK and when he came over the top to $12 I put him on a big hand and dumped it. Much to my dismay. That cost me a big pot as they continued betting post flop. Also I would have won $100 for hitting quads at that time. It's been forever since I've hit quads playing NLHE. After that just about nothing went right but I did manage to keep from going down completely with a couple of timely raises and a decent bluff. Losing $60 beats losing $120 anyday. The PQ did not last long in the tourney as her AA ran into 55 that rivered a straight and then she played some hold em as well with not very good results. Just a bad weekend all around I guess. Enough for now. Stay lucky people, luckier than I.
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Excuse me sir
I believe that's my lung. I managed to cough it up at least 5 or 10 times today. No work for me today, not because it's Columbus Day as the markets were still open today. Nope, it's because I didn't want to infect the rest of the office not to mention I barely slept last night. I was coughing so much I couldn't lay down and so after trying twice and coughing like a madman when I laid down, I spent the rest of the night trying to sleep in my recliner. I got some sleep but it was pretty fitful. There was no chance I would be able to work today so I called off. Went to the doctor and got a couple of prescriptions to help me with the coughing and help me sleep but nothing else she can do for me as she believes this is a virus and there aren't any drugs that will take care of it.
Sunday did give me some good news at least. Besides the Jets covering by 1/2 a point anyway. I am in a death pool with some guys at work and a bunch of other guys. All told 61 people pitched in $10 and the payouts are $310 for first, $200 for second and $100 for third. When this weekend started there were still 31 people left. I barely made it out of week 1 myself as I had Arizona over Carolina and Carolina led that game for a good chunk of time. But Az did come back and save me unlike KC and a few others. Since then I've had some pretty good picks like GB last week. This week there weren't a lot of games I looked at and felt comfortable with. One of the biggest lines was Seattle at NYG. I really thought about taking the Giants, a lot of other people did take it, but in the end I just do not feel comfortable with Eli Manning in a game he should roll in. So I took San Diego over Denver instead.
And I was right. Seattle led much of the game then the Giants took the lead and knocked out Tavaris Jackson who was lighting them up pretty good. Figure this one is over. Nope, Seattle comes back
The greatness that is Charlie Whitehurst takes them 80 yards downfield in a little over 2 minutes and punches in a TD to take a 4 point lead. I wasn't really paying all that close attention to the death pool as I was feeling so lousy and watching my fantasy teams more than anything. Still there was more than 2 minutes left for Eli and the GMen to take this one down. Eli lead them straight down the field mostly using his new favorite toy, Victor Cruz instead of my guys, Nicks and Manningham. 1st down NY on the Seattle 5 with 1:27 left. Plenty of time for NY to run a couple of plays to try to punch it in but on 1st down they get a false start penalty to get moved back to the 10. Bad teams do that, get false start penalties at home in key situations. First and goal from the 10 and Eli tries to hit Cruz in double coverage and leads him just a little too much, tips off his hands and is grabbed by a Seahawk who goes coast to coast for the TD. Game over, thanks for the memories Eli.
This was such an important game because 27 of the 31 players remaining had taken NYG. While this is going on I'm watching the end of the Houston/Oakland game. I looked at the death pool then to make sure I hadn't taken NY as I had thought pretty hard about taking them early in the week. When I saw how many people got knocked out I looked at who was left. 3 of us had taken SD and one guy had Houston. I watched Oakland sitting on a 25-17 lead try to pull defeat out of the jaws of victory. I really thought they would lose it as Houston moved almost at will down the field late in the game. But Richard Seymour got a big sack and forced them to take a FG. Houston kicks off to Oakland who does a quick 3 and out and here comes Houston again. This time Seymour roughs Schaub on an incomplete pass and Houston is down on Oakland's 26, I know this time they're gonna punch it in and it looks pretty good as with 8 seconds Houston is down on the 5 but Schaub scrambles out of trouble on the next play and throws an inexplicable dead duck with no pressure on him that is picked in the end zone. Game over. We're down to 3.
Now all I have to do is depend on Norv Turner and the Chargers to beat Denver in the late game. I hate depending on untrustworthy coaches in big games, but if SD pulls it off, we're in the money. I like being in the money. San Diego jumps on Denver early and it's 23-10 at the half. I'm feeling pretty good. We're 26-10 in the 4th quarter but I see Denver has finally brought in Tebow to play QB. Now do I think Tebow is a young gun who will light up San Diego, not really. But there is something about the kid. He is a winner and he makes things happen around him. He runs a ball in from 12 yards out and they get the 2 point conversion to close to 26-18. Next series Rivers gets sacked and fumbles and Denver has the ball on the 33. Couple of plays later Tebow throws a screen to Moreno and he takes it all the way in. I can see it now, Denver gets the 2 point conversion, ties the game then wins it late. But they just missed a pass in the end zone and SD still leads 26-24.
SD takes the kickoff and for some reason starts passing. There's only 3 minutes left, is it too much for me to expect you to run some time off the clock. Incomplete, Incomplete. 2 plays and they take 9 seconds off the clock. But somehow Rivers hits a 42 yard pass on 3rd down and they take it down field and chew up clock finally kicking a field goal w2ith 28 seconds left. SD kicks off and Denver starts on the 20 with no time outs. Tebow hits Lloyd on the sideline for one of the nicest catches I've seen this year. Originally called incomplete but reversed and Denver is on the 40. He hits Fells in the middle of the field for 31 more yards and they're down on the Charger's 29. I can't look. Tebow spikes it with 1 second left. Oh no. One last play and they are easily in range. San Diego is not the most imposing pass defense either. Tebow takes the snap, runs around some, gets away from some tacklers and unleashes one into the end zone. It hits a Charger then a Bronco but fortunately falls incomplete, game over. And the 3 nicest words pop into my head, In the Money. Amazing that if Denver catches that TD, all 31 people remaining lose on the same day in the death pool and everyone is still alive. I know 28 others were rooting for Denver at the end. But it was not to be. We might do a split and everyone get 200 or we might play it out, I don't know yet. Since I wasn't at work today I didn't do anything about it.
So I want to thank ole Eli Manning for pulling defeat from the jaws of victory on Sunday and killing off 27 players in the death pool all at once. I heard the screams. Damn Chicago just missed scoring the back door cover at the end of the Detroit game so I went 1-1 on the pros. Well it's bed time for me. Doubt I will be working tomorrow unless my cough is a whole lot better. I hope you all had a better weekend than I did, but knowing I cashed the death pool makes me feel so much better.
Sunday did give me some good news at least. Besides the Jets covering by 1/2 a point anyway. I am in a death pool with some guys at work and a bunch of other guys. All told 61 people pitched in $10 and the payouts are $310 for first, $200 for second and $100 for third. When this weekend started there were still 31 people left. I barely made it out of week 1 myself as I had Arizona over Carolina and Carolina led that game for a good chunk of time. But Az did come back and save me unlike KC and a few others. Since then I've had some pretty good picks like GB last week. This week there weren't a lot of games I looked at and felt comfortable with. One of the biggest lines was Seattle at NYG. I really thought about taking the Giants, a lot of other people did take it, but in the end I just do not feel comfortable with Eli Manning in a game he should roll in. So I took San Diego over Denver instead.
And I was right. Seattle led much of the game then the Giants took the lead and knocked out Tavaris Jackson who was lighting them up pretty good. Figure this one is over. Nope, Seattle comes back
The greatness that is Charlie Whitehurst takes them 80 yards downfield in a little over 2 minutes and punches in a TD to take a 4 point lead. I wasn't really paying all that close attention to the death pool as I was feeling so lousy and watching my fantasy teams more than anything. Still there was more than 2 minutes left for Eli and the GMen to take this one down. Eli lead them straight down the field mostly using his new favorite toy, Victor Cruz instead of my guys, Nicks and Manningham. 1st down NY on the Seattle 5 with 1:27 left. Plenty of time for NY to run a couple of plays to try to punch it in but on 1st down they get a false start penalty to get moved back to the 10. Bad teams do that, get false start penalties at home in key situations. First and goal from the 10 and Eli tries to hit Cruz in double coverage and leads him just a little too much, tips off his hands and is grabbed by a Seahawk who goes coast to coast for the TD. Game over, thanks for the memories Eli.
Something stinks in NY
This was such an important game because 27 of the 31 players remaining had taken NYG. While this is going on I'm watching the end of the Houston/Oakland game. I looked at the death pool then to make sure I hadn't taken NY as I had thought pretty hard about taking them early in the week. When I saw how many people got knocked out I looked at who was left. 3 of us had taken SD and one guy had Houston. I watched Oakland sitting on a 25-17 lead try to pull defeat out of the jaws of victory. I really thought they would lose it as Houston moved almost at will down the field late in the game. But Richard Seymour got a big sack and forced them to take a FG. Houston kicks off to Oakland who does a quick 3 and out and here comes Houston again. This time Seymour roughs Schaub on an incomplete pass and Houston is down on Oakland's 26, I know this time they're gonna punch it in and it looks pretty good as with 8 seconds Houston is down on the 5 but Schaub scrambles out of trouble on the next play and throws an inexplicable dead duck with no pressure on him that is picked in the end zone. Game over. We're down to 3.
Now all I have to do is depend on Norv Turner and the Chargers to beat Denver in the late game. I hate depending on untrustworthy coaches in big games, but if SD pulls it off, we're in the money. I like being in the money. San Diego jumps on Denver early and it's 23-10 at the half. I'm feeling pretty good. We're 26-10 in the 4th quarter but I see Denver has finally brought in Tebow to play QB. Now do I think Tebow is a young gun who will light up San Diego, not really. But there is something about the kid. He is a winner and he makes things happen around him. He runs a ball in from 12 yards out and they get the 2 point conversion to close to 26-18. Next series Rivers gets sacked and fumbles and Denver has the ball on the 33. Couple of plays later Tebow throws a screen to Moreno and he takes it all the way in. I can see it now, Denver gets the 2 point conversion, ties the game then wins it late. But they just missed a pass in the end zone and SD still leads 26-24.
SD takes the kickoff and for some reason starts passing. There's only 3 minutes left, is it too much for me to expect you to run some time off the clock. Incomplete, Incomplete. 2 plays and they take 9 seconds off the clock. But somehow Rivers hits a 42 yard pass on 3rd down and they take it down field and chew up clock finally kicking a field goal w2ith 28 seconds left. SD kicks off and Denver starts on the 20 with no time outs. Tebow hits Lloyd on the sideline for one of the nicest catches I've seen this year. Originally called incomplete but reversed and Denver is on the 40. He hits Fells in the middle of the field for 31 more yards and they're down on the Charger's 29. I can't look. Tebow spikes it with 1 second left. Oh no. One last play and they are easily in range. San Diego is not the most imposing pass defense either. Tebow takes the snap, runs around some, gets away from some tacklers and unleashes one into the end zone. It hits a Charger then a Bronco but fortunately falls incomplete, game over. And the 3 nicest words pop into my head, In the Money. Amazing that if Denver catches that TD, all 31 people remaining lose on the same day in the death pool and everyone is still alive. I know 28 others were rooting for Denver at the end. But it was not to be. We might do a split and everyone get 200 or we might play it out, I don't know yet. Since I wasn't at work today I didn't do anything about it.
So I want to thank ole Eli Manning for pulling defeat from the jaws of victory on Sunday and killing off 27 players in the death pool all at once. I heard the screams. Damn Chicago just missed scoring the back door cover at the end of the Detroit game so I went 1-1 on the pros. Well it's bed time for me. Doubt I will be working tomorrow unless my cough is a whole lot better. I hope you all had a better weekend than I did, but knowing I cashed the death pool makes me feel so much better.
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Thirty bucks.....that's it???
What word best describes how I feel today? Bad doesn't quite do it justice, but horrible may be too much. I guess lousy is the closest I can come to it. I'm a little chilled, pretty sore and coughing quite a bit. Not a fun way to spend Sunday. Good thing the NFL is on as that's about all I can handle today.
Last night I had 3 games to referee. The weather was pretty crappy. It was cloudy and very windy when my first game started a little after 5. Temps were around 80 so it wasn't cold but the wind was blowing pretty good, around 20 miles an hour with gusts over 30. We could see dark clouds coming from the east so we felt it was a pretty good bet we would get wet. We were right.
The first two games went without a hitch. I had a really good group of guys to work with and that makes it a lot more fun to do. Everyone had a good bit of experience which is not always the case for the late games. A lot of the experienced refs don't want to do the games late on Saturday. They have a point as most of them do games on Thursday and Friday nights and their wives and families would like to spend some time with them. The problem is the late games on Saturday have the oldest and best players and you really want to have more experienced people doing the games. So some weekends we have some pretty inexperienced people doing games but last night was not the case. Everybody there had been refereeing for quite a while and I had worked with all of them many times before. So we were having a pretty good time but by the second game it started raining. Not too hard but with the wind, it was a bit chilly and a pain to ref in.
The third game started and we knew this was gonna be some work. The teams were not too far apart talent wise but they were kind of sloppy. I had a couple of unusual calls in this game. Early in the game I was covering a kickoff. The home team kicked it deep and as the return was developing I watched a blocker on the receiving team coming back toward the ball carrier to block for him when one of the kicking team hits him dead in the back. So I flagged the kickers for blocking in the back. The home team coach was quite unhappy about that one. In truth I have only thrown that penalty maybe 3 times in 9 years but it's never a good idea to ignore a block in the back, even away from the ball. People who get hit in the back and knocked down want to retaliate unless you give them a little penalty justice in my experience. Before you know it you have guys out looking to take cheap shots all over the field. And we can't police everything.
At the half, the home team is leading by 14-0 and looking pretty good but they've picked up a fair share of penalties for holding, block in the back, etc. A couple of them were completely unnecessary and cost them TDs. So they aren't real happy with us. They kick off to start the second half and kind of pooch the kick over the first couple of lines of players. The ball lands and then hops toward a receiver and bounces off of him and right to one of the kicking team. He plucks the ball out of the air and sets sail for the end zone. He's gone. Except there I am whistling the play dead and giving the kicking team the ball on the 33 yard line where the guy caught it. The coach (and fans) start yelling and we have to explain to them that a muffed kick which is what this was, cannot be advanced by the kicking team as the ball has never been possessed. If the receivers catch and run with the ball then fumble, anyone can advance the ball, but a kick cannot be advanced unless it has been possessed and fumbled. A muff is not possession. It took me a moment when the guy first caught the ball and took off but I realized it pretty quick. I have seen that miscalled on kickoffs and punts a number of times.
The next play the quarterback rolls to his left and is looking to pass. I run forward to cover the line and make sure he doesn't step over the line before he throws. While I'm rushing forward, a receiver is coming across the field from the right side to either catch a pass or block, I don't know which. Didn't matter because he hit me right in the small of the back. That stopped him but it didn't do me any good either. That hurt. The head ref stopped the game for a couple of minutes to make sure I could continue and though it hurt a little, it wasn't too bad. I'm surprised it isn't really sore today but the way my knees feel right now, I'm pretty glad it isn't.
Late in the third quarter I was covering a punt and as the return went on a kid tried to tackle the runner and got hit and broke his arm near his wrist. He just laid on the ground screaming and we had to have the paramedics come take him to the hospital. That delayed the game for about 20 minutes all told. When we started the game up again, it started pouring. The wind was blowing and water was just dripping off my hat. I was not unhappy when that game ended and I made my dripping way home.
The daughter was home from school this weekend. It wasn't planned that way but she was having some car trouble and brought it home to be fixed. She is starting a job soon so this was probably the best time to get her car fixed. It turned out to be a relay for her engine fan and all is well now so everyone is happy. She is preparing to head back to school and said she was hungry and my wife suggested I give her a little cash to get a bite and some gas as well. So I gave her $30 and her reply became the title of my post. Since when is $30 not enough to get a bite to eat and some gas. I'm not talking about filling her tank, I know that's more but still. I looked at her and said "Hey I worked hard in the rain last night for this $30." And she smiled at me and I gave her another 20. I'm just a sucker and she knows it.
Well back to football for me. I have 2 pro picks this week. I'm taking the Jets +9.5. I hate the Jets and Mark Sanchez but lately they have either beaten or played close with the Pats. Every time they look like they are in trouble they put a good game together. Kinda like Pittsburgh.
I'm also taking Chicago +6 over Detroit. Detroit has played well but also been lucky to come back from big deficits. In fact they ought to send a check or 2 to Tony Romo after that last fiasco. If they fall behind big again, I don't think they get back in this one. I'm not sold on Chicago being a good team but give me the points on this one.
I went 3-2 in college yesterday fortunately taking the over in the Texas/OU game and not playing a side. Nebraska did their best to lose to OSU but came back to win but unfortunately not cover. That hurt. And GTech surprised me by only winning by 5 over Maryland. But the rest went well as UGA's defense came up big and Arkansas put the wood to Auburn. Hope your picks were better than mine. Stay lucky
Saturday, October 8, 2011
What can I say?
Not much to talk about today as I'm just not feeling it. Actually I'm not feeling overly well at this point. I started coughing a bit yesterday and by last night it was a full blown cold. At least it mostly waited until I was done refereeing but when I got home last night I started hacking up a storm. It's not better so far today either.
I've been a busy referee bee this week, had a JV game on both Wednesday and Thursday nights and then a varsity high school game last night. I can feel it in my knees this morning. Tonight I'm supposed to do 3 youth games and I hope I can hold up. I didn't think I'd make it through last night at one point. I was watching a play develop in front of me and to my right and as I started to turn I caught a blocker coming at me from my left out of the corner of my eye. He slams into a linebacker to my left and both of them end up into me. I really thought I was about to get flattened and to make matters worse, the running back turned upfield and gets hit right in front of me. I barely kept to my feet and that was a good thing as the whole pile of tacklers and running back end up at my feet. That was a close one.
I've been run into, blocked into, and a few times I've been knocked off my feet in games. Fortunately I've never found myself in the pile of people where the ball carrier gets tackled. That's where a lot of bad things happen. I even managed to tackle a kid earlier this year. It was one of the youth games a few weeks back. Down near the goal line a kid comes tearing through a hole and heads right at me. Now in those situations, I have nowhere to go and if I try I'll probably make things worse. I can't see where the tacklers are behind and to my side so if I step one way or the other, I may be stepping into more problems than I have in front of me. So my best bet is to stand there and let the kid decide whether to cut left or right then step the other way. I wait and this kid doesn't cut. He comes right at me and hits me in the thigh then falls to the ground. And then he's pissed I didn't get out of the way. Guess the kid never got the message. Maybe next time he will. Good thing he wasn't any bigger or I might have ended up in one of those piles. Anyway last night was the closest I've come to being in my own disaster.
Work has been the usual disaster lately. Seems like almost everything I touch turns into a huge mess that takes me hours to repair. It keeps me busy and gives me job security at least. I've been getting a bit of a reputation in my department for being a go to person for certain issues such as issues involving AT&T (figuring cost information for this company is a complete disaster if it goes back any time at all) and complex problems involving corporate actions. So one of the guys asks me about looking up an old price on GM.
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One of the stocks I will never buy as well as one of the vehicles I will never again own is General Motors. Besides being disgusted by how the whole GM bankruptcy was handled and the money the taxpayers forked over for that, I am really a bit peeved over how the current General Motors almost ignores the company history prior to 2009. Everything that happened prior to then was another company and they have gone out of their way in my opinion to disassociate themselves from their previous selves. And the way they tried to reorganize after the bankruptcy - with our governments assistance and insistance - and cut out the people who had a legal claim to GMs assets in favor of the unions who had no legal claim just made it worse. It got so bad the bond holders rebelled and threatened to back out of the deal. That would have forced the GM to dissolve and pay off the creditors rather than reorganize. Eventually bond holders were given a better deal in the new GM and they relented and the reorganization went through. Once the IPO for the new GM came to pass, old GM bondholders were given shares in the new GM as well as warrants allowing them to purchase more shares at set prices. There were a lot of bond holders so we had to process a lot of corporate actions to convert the bond holders shares to new common stock and warrant shares. I did much of that work as well as determining what the proper quantities and cost basis percentages would be. A bit later on I was trying to look up info on old GM and went to the corporate website where I found they basically ignored all of their history prior to 2009. Which I thought was pretty crappy of them but not unexpected. Some companies embrace their history, others ignore it and then repeat it.
**********************************************************************************
Because I was pretty involved in the corporate actions surrounding the reorganization, I've got a fair amount of GM info trapped in my noggin. So one of the reps had a question on getting prices for old GM shares and I gave him what the old GM stock symbol was as well as what I thought the old cusip. A cusip is a 9 digit number used to identify a stock in the US and every stock, mutual fund, and bond has a different one. When a company goes through a corporate action like a reverse stock split, a merger, or a name change they usually get a different cusip and to look up info on the old security, you need to know the old cusip. There are 3 stocks I have dealt with on a regular basis that require a lot of work to untangle sometimes, AT&T, Verizon, and GM. I know the cusip of the original AT&T stock by heart as well as Verizon's and I knew most of GM's cusip and guessed the rest. Which impressed a few of the people around me, though I don't know why. It's a 9 digit number, almost like knowing a phone number. So I know 3 phone numbers by heart. Or maybe I'm a bit anally retentive on numbers. I still remember my family phone number from when I grew up and we haven't lived there in 30 years. Anyway, because of this and a couple of other things, I've been getting a lot of requests for assistance on some complex issues. It eats into my time a little but I'm glad to share a little knowledge and help out my fellow man (and woman) on occasion.
No poker for me this weekend. The not so little girl is home from school for the weekend while we fix her car up. Her engine fan and a relay appear to be bad and the car runs hot when it sits in traffic too long. I'm so busy reffing this weekend besides coughing up a lung that I have no desire to play. I guess I'll get my gambling jones out by placing some short term investments today. Here's what I like today.
Give me Nebraska -10.5 vs Ohio State. Ohio State is in disarray and you know Bo Pellini is going to run the boys ragged after the pounding Nebraska took from Wisconsin last week. This is their Big 10 home opener and I figure they want to open up right in front of the home town fans.
I'll take Ga Tech -14.5 over Maryland. Since their season opening win vs Miami, Maryland has been in disarray winning only once over might Towson St and losing to West Virginia as well as getting pounded by Temple. GT has been a juggernaut offensive though their defense is not so great. You almost can't get a high enough line to not hit the over in their games. I'm tempted to play the over at 63.5 but I don't trust Maryland enough.
I'm looking at Texas +10 vs Oklahoma today. It's Texas/OU weekend today which means the State Fair of Texas is wrapping up again. I do miss Texas. Anyway though I like the spread a bit, I like the over/under a lot more. Both teams put up bunches of points. For Texas this is another revenge game as they have pounded both UCLA and Iowa St after losing to them last year. I doubt they pound OU but I do anticipate a shootout and I'll take over 56 here.
I also like the under in the Tennessee/Georgia game today. UGA is playing good defense and the only good defense that Tennessee played was against Florida where they were shut down completely. I look for UGA to do the same and score enough to carry the day. I'll take under 55.5
I'm looking at Arkansas -10 vs Auburn today. I'm not sure if I want to play it here but I like Arkansas and don't care for Auburn. Still Arkansas had an emotional come from behind win last week and maybe has a hangover this week. But they are a good young team playing at home.
That's my weekend in a nutshell it seems. I'm gonna take it easy until it's time to referee and make it through the day I hope. I may put in a couple of picks for the pros tomorrow as I'm looking at a couple of games. If I survive tonight. I hope you all stay lucky. Hope I do too.
I've been a busy referee bee this week, had a JV game on both Wednesday and Thursday nights and then a varsity high school game last night. I can feel it in my knees this morning. Tonight I'm supposed to do 3 youth games and I hope I can hold up. I didn't think I'd make it through last night at one point. I was watching a play develop in front of me and to my right and as I started to turn I caught a blocker coming at me from my left out of the corner of my eye. He slams into a linebacker to my left and both of them end up into me. I really thought I was about to get flattened and to make matters worse, the running back turned upfield and gets hit right in front of me. I barely kept to my feet and that was a good thing as the whole pile of tacklers and running back end up at my feet. That was a close one.
I've been run into, blocked into, and a few times I've been knocked off my feet in games. Fortunately I've never found myself in the pile of people where the ball carrier gets tackled. That's where a lot of bad things happen. I even managed to tackle a kid earlier this year. It was one of the youth games a few weeks back. Down near the goal line a kid comes tearing through a hole and heads right at me. Now in those situations, I have nowhere to go and if I try I'll probably make things worse. I can't see where the tacklers are behind and to my side so if I step one way or the other, I may be stepping into more problems than I have in front of me. So my best bet is to stand there and let the kid decide whether to cut left or right then step the other way. I wait and this kid doesn't cut. He comes right at me and hits me in the thigh then falls to the ground. And then he's pissed I didn't get out of the way. Guess the kid never got the message. Maybe next time he will. Good thing he wasn't any bigger or I might have ended up in one of those piles. Anyway last night was the closest I've come to being in my own disaster.
Work has been the usual disaster lately. Seems like almost everything I touch turns into a huge mess that takes me hours to repair. It keeps me busy and gives me job security at least. I've been getting a bit of a reputation in my department for being a go to person for certain issues such as issues involving AT&T (figuring cost information for this company is a complete disaster if it goes back any time at all) and complex problems involving corporate actions. So one of the guys asks me about looking up an old price on GM.
**********************************************************************************
One of the stocks I will never buy as well as one of the vehicles I will never again own is General Motors. Besides being disgusted by how the whole GM bankruptcy was handled and the money the taxpayers forked over for that, I am really a bit peeved over how the current General Motors almost ignores the company history prior to 2009. Everything that happened prior to then was another company and they have gone out of their way in my opinion to disassociate themselves from their previous selves. And the way they tried to reorganize after the bankruptcy - with our governments assistance and insistance - and cut out the people who had a legal claim to GMs assets in favor of the unions who had no legal claim just made it worse. It got so bad the bond holders rebelled and threatened to back out of the deal. That would have forced the GM to dissolve and pay off the creditors rather than reorganize. Eventually bond holders were given a better deal in the new GM and they relented and the reorganization went through. Once the IPO for the new GM came to pass, old GM bondholders were given shares in the new GM as well as warrants allowing them to purchase more shares at set prices. There were a lot of bond holders so we had to process a lot of corporate actions to convert the bond holders shares to new common stock and warrant shares. I did much of that work as well as determining what the proper quantities and cost basis percentages would be. A bit later on I was trying to look up info on old GM and went to the corporate website where I found they basically ignored all of their history prior to 2009. Which I thought was pretty crappy of them but not unexpected. Some companies embrace their history, others ignore it and then repeat it.
**********************************************************************************
Because I was pretty involved in the corporate actions surrounding the reorganization, I've got a fair amount of GM info trapped in my noggin. So one of the reps had a question on getting prices for old GM shares and I gave him what the old GM stock symbol was as well as what I thought the old cusip. A cusip is a 9 digit number used to identify a stock in the US and every stock, mutual fund, and bond has a different one. When a company goes through a corporate action like a reverse stock split, a merger, or a name change they usually get a different cusip and to look up info on the old security, you need to know the old cusip. There are 3 stocks I have dealt with on a regular basis that require a lot of work to untangle sometimes, AT&T, Verizon, and GM. I know the cusip of the original AT&T stock by heart as well as Verizon's and I knew most of GM's cusip and guessed the rest. Which impressed a few of the people around me, though I don't know why. It's a 9 digit number, almost like knowing a phone number. So I know 3 phone numbers by heart. Or maybe I'm a bit anally retentive on numbers. I still remember my family phone number from when I grew up and we haven't lived there in 30 years. Anyway, because of this and a couple of other things, I've been getting a lot of requests for assistance on some complex issues. It eats into my time a little but I'm glad to share a little knowledge and help out my fellow man (and woman) on occasion.
No poker for me this weekend. The not so little girl is home from school for the weekend while we fix her car up. Her engine fan and a relay appear to be bad and the car runs hot when it sits in traffic too long. I'm so busy reffing this weekend besides coughing up a lung that I have no desire to play. I guess I'll get my gambling jones out by placing some short term investments today. Here's what I like today.
Give me Nebraska -10.5 vs Ohio State. Ohio State is in disarray and you know Bo Pellini is going to run the boys ragged after the pounding Nebraska took from Wisconsin last week. This is their Big 10 home opener and I figure they want to open up right in front of the home town fans.
I'll take Ga Tech -14.5 over Maryland. Since their season opening win vs Miami, Maryland has been in disarray winning only once over might Towson St and losing to West Virginia as well as getting pounded by Temple. GT has been a juggernaut offensive though their defense is not so great. You almost can't get a high enough line to not hit the over in their games. I'm tempted to play the over at 63.5 but I don't trust Maryland enough.
I'm looking at Texas +10 vs Oklahoma today. It's Texas/OU weekend today which means the State Fair of Texas is wrapping up again. I do miss Texas. Anyway though I like the spread a bit, I like the over/under a lot more. Both teams put up bunches of points. For Texas this is another revenge game as they have pounded both UCLA and Iowa St after losing to them last year. I doubt they pound OU but I do anticipate a shootout and I'll take over 56 here.
I also like the under in the Tennessee/Georgia game today. UGA is playing good defense and the only good defense that Tennessee played was against Florida where they were shut down completely. I look for UGA to do the same and score enough to carry the day. I'll take under 55.5
I'm looking at Arkansas -10 vs Auburn today. I'm not sure if I want to play it here but I like Arkansas and don't care for Auburn. Still Arkansas had an emotional come from behind win last week and maybe has a hangover this week. But they are a good young team playing at home.
That's my weekend in a nutshell it seems. I'm gonna take it easy until it's time to referee and make it through the day I hope. I may put in a couple of picks for the pros tomorrow as I'm looking at a couple of games. If I survive tonight. I hope you all stay lucky. Hope I do too.
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