NFL Week 17 Predictions

The last week of the NFL season is here. There shouldn't be any fantasy implications so its purely about whether or not your team is in or out of the playoff race - or if you're in a season long pick 'em league like myself. Either way - it should be a fun last week of the season culminating in the showdown that all football fans will be watching, Giants / Cowboys in New York. Let's get to the picks after the jump...

NFL Week 16 Recap

Now that's what I call football. A Saturday on the eve of Christmas watching game after game with playoff implications and wild plays - including this gem from Jerome Simpson. Arguably the play of the year to this point in the season. After the Giants finished dismantling the Jets and made Rex Ryan eat his own words - the rest of the weekend became about the Saints' Drew Brees - both for historical passing record purposes and for Fantasy Football purposes. He came through in both regards. Check for more insight and thoughts after the jump...

NBA Week 1 (Christmas Games)

The NBA is BACK - probably the best xmas present I could have asked for - you know, if Santa Claus was real... New players in new cities (CP3 is a Clipper / Mike Dunleavy is a Buck), the Mavs are flying completely under the radar with no one giving them a chance to repeat, the Heat will look to improve on their runner up finish last year with the Big Three. But arguably the best reason to have the NBA back is that we get our first legitimate contributor to the blog - Ram Narayanan (NBA extraordinaire). There's really not much of an intro needed, so I'll let the blog speak for itself. Check out the Xmas game picks after the jump...

NFL Week 16 (Continued)

Off to another 1-0 start after the Colts comeback victory over the Texans. This week really does feel like the 16-0 week that I've been promising. Haven't seen an easier slate of games all season - it's also my buddy Asante's birthday - so I feel like I might need to live blog the entire Christmas Eve day. Stay tuned for that - but here are the picks for the remainder of week 16...

Road to the Final Four (Week 7)

The last week in college basketball has been very uneventful - no major games, no major shakeups, so really nothing to write about. There are a couple of games this week that feature top 25 teams playing against some stiff competition - so there might be somewhat of an impact on the road to the final four. Click for this week's picks after the jump...

NFL Week 16 (Thursday Night Only)

Here we go - two more weeks left in the NFL season - some great games this weekend (Jets/Giants, Eagles/Cowboys, Chargers/Lions, Falcons/Saints - all with significant playoff implications. Unfortunately, it feels like every Thursday Night game has been horrible. This week is no different - but we do get the "Wait, who's their Quarterback?" match up of the year! Check for the pick for Texans/Colts after the jump...

NFL Week 15 Recap

Just when things started to look like they might all make sense - everything was flipped upside down in week 15 of the NFL. The Packers, Texans, Ravens, Jets, Steelers, Giants, Broncos were all teams heading into this weekend that were in a position to make the playoffs. All of those teams lost. Also - the Colts won! So not only did we end the 16-0 dream for the Packers, we avoided an 0-16 misery for the Colts. But I have to be honest - the only thing I cared about this weekend from a sports standpoint was my fantasy match ups. Click after the jump for more of a recap of week 15 and to see if I advanced in my quest for fantasy supremacy...

NFL Week 15 (Continued)

Finally got off to a 1-0 start as the Falcons crushed the Jaguars. Now let's finish up with 15 wins in the NFL and 2 wins in Fantasy. Right, back to reality after the jump...

NFL Week 15 (Thursday Game Only)

These Thursday games are starting to get under my skin - mostly because I never get them right but also because they're usually not interesting match ups (except for Tebow/Jets). Honestly - nothing else matters to me in the NFL this weekend since it's Fantasy Football Playoff time. Full Disclosure: Here are players that I will be rooting for in my two leagues: Brees, Calvin, Lesean, Pettigrew, McGahee, Antonio Brown, Eli, Dez, Miles Austin, Michael Bush, Witten, and Manningham. Here are players that I will be rooting against: Matt Ryan, MJD, Colston, Desean, Steve Smith, Ben Tate, and All of the Patriots (Brady, Welker, and GRONK). I'm screwed, I know. But its good to keep this in mind for when I predict things like a Broncos 2-0 victory over the Patriots. Now for the Thursday Night Pick...

NFL Week 14 Recap

Arguably the best game of the season occurred at the tail end of week 14. I didn't pay any attention to the MNF game - so the Cowboys/Giants gem that took place on Sunday Night capped a solid end to the week 14 games. A lot of people are going to make a lot of hoopla about how the Giants are back and the Cowboys inevitably choke every close game. They'd absolutely be right. From 1960 - 2010 the Cowboys have blown two games in the fourth quarter after being up by 12 or more. This year alone the Cowboys have conquered that feat on three separate occasions. Strong work all around. Are the Giants ready to take control of the division and run away with it? Probably Not. Check out more first class analysis on this week's game after the jump...

Road to the Final Four (Week 5)

After some of the blockbuster match ups that we've had early in the season week 5 of college basketball has been pretty quiet. There are a couple of games worth mentioning this week - so I'll do just that after the jump...

NFL Week 14 (But more so MLB/NBA thoughts)

As most of you are aware - this week has been consumed by talks in Major League Baseball on where the most coveted free agents - Albert Pujols, Jose Reyes, C.J. Wilson, and Prince Fielder - would end up. As well as rumors in the NBA about where the two most coveted free agents for the class of 2012 (Chris Paul "CP3" and Dwight Howard "D12") will be traded to. It's no secret that I'm a fan of wild speculation - so all week I've been glued to my twitter account, adding 'insiders', and watching the rumors fly around like a prepubescent drama queen. I love it. So instead of sharing my usual expert analysis on each of the week 14 match ups this week - I'll stop to think about what happened this week, and what it all means going forward...

NFL Week 14 (Thursday Game Only)

Is it me or has the NFL been taking a backseat to wild NBA trade speculations and MLB signing this week? I feel like the rest of America is with me when I say week 14 of the NFL doesn't really do too much for me and the game that we have on Thursday Night doesn't help the case. Let's get this game right, and head into Sunday/Monday with a winning record. Click for the pick after the jump...

NFL Week 13 Recap

Preet Braich (pictured middle) fends off best friend
Deepi (on his ass) as the two fight for a loose ball.

There were a lot of good games played this weekend in College as well as the NFL - but there was one match up that I enjoyed significantly more than the rest: The one-on-one basketball game that took place between two best friends Preet Braich & Sundeep Sunny Deepi Boparai Saini Singh. What started as some post-dinner Saturday night banter quickly turned into a night full of drinking and trash-talking. The two competitors took to the court early Sunday morning in the mean streets of Boston, MA donning hangovers, sweatshirts, and a no rules attitude. 


In a game that was played up to 11 - Deepi quickly silenced his critics (myself and Sunny) as he leaped out to a 5-0 lead using an assortment of And-1 moves and lucky turnaround hook shots. It was at this point this his coach/agent/hypeman - Sanj, asked if a Chode rule was in effect at 7-0? Wrong question. Preet finally got on the board as he was able to use his over-bearing build to back down Deepi at will. As the game wore on - the two of these competitors (pictured right) battled for every loose ball and gripped and clawed for every point. And by "gripped and clawed" I mean settled for outside shots and tried to avoid playing any defense. In the end, it was Preet that would be victorious by a score of 11-8 - subsequently cementing Deepi's legacy of choking in the big moment. Overall, it was a fun game to watch and one that should take place more frequently. 


Onto some fun facts, observations, and expert analysis on week 13 of the NFL after the jump...

NFL Week 13 Predictions (Continued)

An absolute dud by the Eagles as their nightmare season continued on Thursday Night versus the Seattle Seahawks. Looks like DeSean Jackson took my advice and has completely mailed in the rest of this season - he's simply not even trying. Missing blocks downfield for his RB, running routes with a limp and his head down, and avoiding any verbal communication with anyone wearing a green jersey. Solid work, DeSean. The Cowboys and Giants definitely approve of this behavior. Let's not harp on the bad, let's get to the good. Any by 'good' I mean our picks this week, hopefully...

Fab Five - Week 14 (NCAAF Predictions)

A lot of conference championship games this weekend in College Football. At the outset of every season the objective is to come out with a winning record and make it to a BCS championship game. I have the chance to finish with a winning record for the year. That's a lot of pressure for a rookie prognosticator. Nonetheless, If you like college football you should watch these games and keep my picks in mind. Or don't, either way its cool...

Road to the Final Four (Week 4)

There are some premiere college basketball match ups this week between the ACC and the Big ten in their annual challenge. Basically the match ups between the two conferences are set up depending on skill levels of the teams coming into the season. Usually the Big 10 blows - but that's not the case this year so it might actually make for an exciting 'challenge'. I'll make some picks on the week 4 lineup of basketball after the jump...

NFL Week 13 Predictions (Thursday Game Only)

I've found that I've recently struggled with the games in the NFL because I've been posting my picks and analysis on Thursday - which gives me one less day to check out recent news, injury reports, and to see if any coaches get fired - R.I.P. to Jack Del Rio's tenure with the Jacksonville Jaguars. This past week I was successful posting just the Thanksgiving picks on Thursday so this week I'll try the same recipe - Thursday Game prediction and then follow it up with the Sunday/Monday predictions whenever I get around to it. Just trying to give the fans what they want. Check for the Thursday Night pick after the jump...

NFL Week 12 Recap

What a fun 12th week of action in the NFL. First we had TebowMania strike again! I know doing "the Tebow" has become a nationwide phenomena but I think Chargers K Nick Novak is doing it wrong here. Then Lions DT Ndomakong Suh was given a 2 game suspension after he showed a Packers offensive lineman what he was thankful for on Thanksgiving - and the always creative Stevie Johnson gave us a highlight to remember the Bills 2011 season with his TD celebration against the Jets. He also then promptly dropped a ball that would have given the Bills great field position on the final drive - but that's just how the season has gone. Click for some more highlights and in-depth expert analysis on week 12 after the jump...

NFL Week 12 Predictions (Continued)

From about 10am on Thursday morning until 12 midnight on Thanksgiving my entire day was consumed by football. Started out with the inaugural CJSA Turkey Bowl in which the teams were simply 'old heads' vs. 'young heads'. For those keeping track at home I was on the 'young heads' team aka players born in 1985 or later. We won the game thanks to some late game magic from yours truly and "No. 1 Pick" Sunny Randhawa. Physically brutal game - 32 hours later and I'm still having trouble putting my boxers on - ladies? Anyways, we got three gems from the NFL - with hopefully some more great games to follow this weekend. I'll make some picks and hope to get a majority of them right...

Fab Five - Week 13 (NCAAF Predictions)

A crazy week last week for fans of the BCS system. We saw three of the top 5 teams lose games outright for the first time since October, 2001 (No. 1 Oklahoma, No. 3 UCLA, and No. 5 Virginia Tech). Thanks to Oklahoma St., Oklahoma, and Oregon we know have a complete mess atop the BCS standings. With six one-loss teams and only two more weeks left there is still a lot to figure out - I wonder what would have happened if Boise St. would have stayed undefeated against TCU...Check out this week's picks after the jump.

NFL Week 12 Predictions (Thanksgiving Games Only)

Thanksgiving = Family, Food, and Football. I simply can not wait for the CJSA Turkey Bowl that will take place at 11am on Thanksgiving morning. The rest of the day will consist of rehashing stories from the game, eating loads and loads of high quality food at my Aunt's place - and of course, sitting in front of the television and watching NFL games. This week's slate of games is as good as its been all year. Click after the jump to get some predictions on what may or may not happen in the NFL on Thanksgiving...

Road to the Final Four (Week 3)

Back this week with some college basketball games. I've had some pretty good success in college basketball so far (5-0) so I'll make every attempt to ruin that good streak by picking some more games today. Plus the Monday Night Football game doesn't interest me at all - so it'll give me something else to look forward to today. Check for some basketball picks after the jump...

NFL Week 11 Recap

I ran 13.1 miles on Sunday. After that - the rest of the day was a blur. It also looked like the Bills ran 13.1 miles right before the start of their game against the Miami Dolphins. I'm not really sure what happened this week in the NFL. So I'll look through some headlines and see if there are any interesting things to learn going forward...

Fab Five - Week 12 (NCAAF Predictions)

Collegiate Athletics just cannot catch a break. One week after the WORST scandal in the history of the NCAA - not only does another similar scandal come to light involving the Syracuse Men's basketball program - but Oklahoma State is now reporting that the Women's Head Coach, Kurt Budke, and assistant coach Miranda Serna have died in a plane crash when they were on their way to a recruiting visit. This tragedy occurs 10 years after Oklahoma State faced a similar tragedy in which 10 men associated with the Men's Basketball program were killed in a plane crash. Brutal. These past couple of week's have really highlighted the importance of life - doing what's right - and helping those in need. 
Click for predictions on this week's insignificant games after the jump...

NFL Week 11 Predictions

This week's slate of games is loaded with a bunch of duds. The best analogy I can come up with is as follows: Imagine your at a "happening" party, everything has been going great, and you're in line at the bar waiting for a drink. Then out of nowhere this foul-smell hits your nostrils and you realize that someone has just cut one of the most rotten farts. Soon enough everyone has cleared the bar and the party momentarily stops as everyone gags for fresh air. That what this weeks NFL Matchups feel like. The entire NFC West plays against one another, the Jaguars and the Browns square off in what should be an offensively handicapped matchup, and the Chiefs and Broncos somehow score primetime games this week. Basically this will be one of the hardest weeks to hand out our weekly "game to avoid watching at all costs." Click after the jump to see if we can sift through the crap to find some winners this week...

NFL Week 10 Recap

As expected - this was another tough week to predict games in the NFL. Eight games in which the point spread was 3 points or less - basically a toss up throughout the slate of games. I probably should have known it was going to be a rough Sunday when my morning started in Chinatown. I've never been out to Chinatown in Philly, but after this weekend, I'll definitely be getting some more late night Asian persuasion in my life especially if scenes like this continue to take occur:

Click for more about this week in the NFL after the jump...

Road to the Final Four (Week 2)

With the College Basketball season now entering week two - similar to College Football, I figured I would try to track the important games of the season in this segment called "Road to the Final Four". Really it just gives me the opportunity to write a little more about basketball since the NBA won't be starting anytime soon and also gets me to pay more attention to college athletics. Now to be fair, unlike College Football - I do have a horse in this race. The Dragons of Drexel lead by Coach James "Bruiser" Flint are the only team I openly root for - I also have ties to Pitt thanks to my brother, and Mercer County Community College thanks to my mother, cousin, and the summer camps that I spent learning how to juggle, hit forehands and backhands, and master the art of how to turn a computer on. Unfortunately, MCCC doesn't have a D-1 team. Click for Tuesday's picks after the jump...

Pacquiao / Marquez III Prediction

Fight Night! Another boxing fight tonight that doesn't include both Mayweather and Pacquiao. Which means I'll hold onto my 50 bucks and avoid the PPV costs for this fight. These guys need to fight already. Boxing has lost its appeal and the UFC now has a stranglehold on Boxing according to viewership especially now that they have worked out a deal with Fox to broadcast their fights. I still enjoy the hand to hand combat that Boxing offers - but if these two don't fight soon, I don't know how much longer I'll be able to last - thats what I told her... Manny "Pac-Man" Pacquiao will fight Juan Manuel Marquez tonight in what will be the third time they do battle. These two bunny rabbits fought their first bout in 2004 which ended in a draw (even though Marquez went down three times in the first round) and the fight in 2008 was awarded to Manny Pacquiao via split decision. Click after the jump to see what prediction I make...

College Basketball's Veterans Day Tribute

I know that the College Basketball season officially started on Monday - but the Veterans Day "Carrier Classic" between UNC and Michigan State tonight feels like the true kickoff to the season. These two storied basketball programs will be playing a game outdoors on an Aircraft Carrier,  the U.S.S. Carl Vinson, on which Navy Seals buried Osama Bin Laden at sea. The carrier is docked in the Naval Harbor off the coast of San Diego and will host President Obama and many active duty men and women of the armed forces. I'll have a prediction on the game after the jump, but first - here's a pretty cool video showing the preparation of the Basketball court on the carriers deck:

Fab Five - Week 11 (NCAAF Predictions)

College Football has been the largest headline-grabber in the country this week. I thought it would have been because of the response to Alabama/LSU game that occurred last weekend - not because of the turmoil that has come to surface at Happy Valley. In what started off as a few minor headlines Sunday Night, this story has Snowballed into an infuriating account for so many reasons. I'll tip-toe carefully around the Penn State saga and make some picks and predictions after the jump...

NFL Week 10 Predictions

Football on a Thursday! Brings me back to week 1 when the Packers and Saints squared off on opening night. All sorts of excited to get Professional Football on a Thursday - splits up the week so nicely but gives me one less day of researching the world wide web for quirky stats. Unfortunately for us, we get the Raiders and the Chargers - can't win em all. A quick look at the games and its easy to notice that there are A LOT of close spreads this weekend which means all we have to do is pick the better team. Should be pretty easy. Let's see if we can make it two winning weeks in a row after the jump...

NFL Week 9 Recap

I played and watched a dizzying amount of sports on Sunday. Started off with the Softball playoffs at 9am. We lost back to back games in a best of 3 series even though we were clearly the better team. I couldn't have played better defensively and watching Jay Vala put on a hitting clinic was equally impressive - but there was only so much myself and the Vala Brothers could do. With that, I'm announcing my free agency today. Championships are the only thing that matter to me at this point in my career and I don't know how many more defensive gems I have left in me. So if anyone needs a Dustin Pedroia-esque second basemen for their team - just talk to my agent, my contract with "Half-Baked" is currently in negotiations. We followed the Softball playoffs by consuming 11 hours of Foooootballlll - I'm pretty sure I overdosed this weekend. I could barely keep my eyes open at the end of the night for Flacco's game-winning drive - but here's what I remember happening in the NFL this weekend after the jump...

NFL Week 9 Predictions

Week 9 in the NFL means that we're at the mid point of the NFL Season. If the playoffs started tomorrow, the Bills, the Bengals, the 49ers and the Lions would be in the playoffs. That's the type of season it has been so far and quite frankly I couldn't be happier. Let's change things up a little this week with a midseason Awards blog. Click for first half winners and some predictions after the jump...

Fab Five - Week 10 (NCAAF Predictions)

Here. We. Go.... No. 1 vs. No. 2 for all the marbles. And by marbles I mean the undisputed No. 1 Ranking in College Football for at least a week! Alabama/LSU this weekend - There's no way it will be the high-scoring shootout that we got with Stanford/USC (still can't believe USC lost this game against the spread) - but it should be a great game. Lets get to this weekends picks after the jump...

NFL Week 8 Recap

There were a lot of good story lines from this week in the NFL. The Steelers got a huge win over the Patriots which probably thrusts them into the drivers' seat of the AFC. The Bills Defense pitched a shut out - I can't believe I just typed that sentence in all seriousness. Tim Tebow gave an entire generation of youngsters hope that they could one day become starting Quarterbacks in the NFL. And the St. Louis Rams fresh off the Cardinals World Series win - SHOCKED the Saints with a convincing win at home. All that being said there was one team that absolutely garnered much of my attention - the Philadelphia Eagles - click for more about the Eagles, some fantasy tid bits, and the rest of the NFL after the jump...

NFL Week 8 Predictions

A lot of division matchups this week which should make for a better weekend of football than last weekend. It also just dawned on me that now that there's no more Baseball - we're left with only Football and Hockey as professional sports - which leaves me with no rooting interest in Fantasy sports during the week. So Commissioner David Stern - I know you're reading this... get it together, grow a pair, and tell the owners to buck up and play ball - I have fantasy leagues to win. Let's get to this weeks picks after the jump...

Fab Five - Week 9 (NCAAF Predictions)

Struggled a little bit this week in the College Football scene (1-4) - but I'm not mad because we truly got one of the greatest finishes I've seen to end a game. Ever. That Michigan State win over Wisconsin on Saturday Night was unbelievable. Here's a quick highlight of what happened in case you were already out getting hammered:

My Favorite part of this clip is the Referee coming out to make the game winning call and immediately turning and running to avoid the ensuing stampede. Great game. Great Ending. LSU-Auburn isn't until next weekend, but we have some pretty solid matchups this week so lets get to the picks after the jump...

NFL Week 7 Recap

As I had expected this was notttt a good week of football. A lot of this years marquee teams were on their bye week - and it just felt like every game this weekend was a battle of field goals or an unwatchable blowout. The story of the weekend was probably how Tim Tebow looked like a QB that didn't belong in the NFL for 57 minutes - and then 'heroically" lead his team to a 15 point come back on the 'road'. He literally helped bolster both sides of the argument for/against him being a successful NFL QB. I think that this game had less to do with Tebow and more to do with the Dolphins' LUCKy Loss. Get it - because they want Andrew Luck? Read for more expert analysis and insight after the jump...

NFL Week 7 Predictions

FOOOOOTBALLLLLLL - this week is going to be a bit lackluster because a lot of the teams that I enjoy writing about and following are on a bye this week. The Bills, 49ers, Patriots, Eagles, and Giants are all off this week - which means that I can consume as much alcohol that I want without having to worry about waking up before 1pm - wait, what? Click for the predictions after the jump...

Fab Five - Week 8 (NCAAF Predictions)

Things are starting to heat up in College Football as the season comes down to the final few weekends. We stayed on track going 3-1-1 last week on the Fab Five predictions. The BCS Rankings came out for the first time this week with LSU holding the top spot followed by Alabama, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, and Boise St. Things are bound to get shaken up as LSU and Alabama play for what will likely be the SEC Championship next week and Oklahoma and Oklahoma St. will mix things up at the end of the year for the Big 12 title. A lot to still be figured out - but let's see if we can figure out five games that will be on national television this weekend...

MLB World Series Prediction

2011 MLB World Series: The St. Louis Cardinals and the Texas Rangers!


Just how everyone imagined it, right? It doesn't surprise me that these two teams made the final series, because that's exactly how this year has gone in baseball. We've learned to expect the unexpected. Both of these teams lost their BEST pitcher from the previous year. The Cardinals lost Adam Wainwright to injury before the season started, and the Rangers lost their Ace Cliff Lee to free agency. Both teams were expected to regress - neither team was supposed to be here. That's what makes this an interesting World Series and one that I will absolutely watch. Click after the jump for more cutting edge analysis and a Prediction! We all know I love to speculate wildly...

NFL Week 6 Recap

Today is my birthday. I'm thinking about going to #OccupyWallStreet for a little bit - but I'm not sure how that would look for my blogging career - No but seriously thank you to my family and all of my friends. I'm grateful for the love you have shown, the support you have provided, and the jokes we've had throughout the years. Alright on to more important things - Click for a recap of what happened in the NFL after the jump...

NFL Week 6 Predictions

Not going to lie - this week has kind of been a blur for me. Started off in NYC - that was a fun weekend. Then found out Sunday Night that I'd be taking a flight across the country to SoCal. I was out there visiting schools, hanging out with tourists from Contiki Tours, playing (and winning) beach football, and watching Preet earn himself a free dinner - good week overall - but I haven't been able to pay much mind to the NFL or sports in general this week. Let's see if this unanticipated week will help me predict the outcome of the games in week 6 after the jump...

Fab Five - Week 7 (NCAAF Predictions)

Solid week last week in the collegiate football spectrum as we went 4-1. Our only loss came because Texas got absolutely reamed out by Oklahoma - can't win em all. I'm getting kind of hype for the start of college basketball, which will definitely have to serve as my basketball fix with this impending NBA lockout. We'll see if we can continue to stay lukewarm with the college picks this weekend after the jump...

NFL Week 5 Recap

Happy Birthday to my Brother from the same Mother - Sanj! I love you kid - you make me laugh more than anyone else I know and youmakemesoproud :) Hope that you have an awesome day. 


There was a lot of good football this weekend, some close games, some big upsets, and the crumbling of a dream. Click after the jump for a recap of what happened this weekend...

Fab Five - Week 6 (NCAAF Predictions)

Another losing week in College - still slightly above .500 on the season. This week's games look very easy to me - so that probably means 0-5. Click for the picks after the jump...

NFL Week 5 Predictions

I woke up this morning to the drum-pounding feeling of about 11 Miller High Life's. Classy, I know. But that was my way of coping with the Yankees last night. Don't really feel like talking about it. Let's get to the picks this weekend after the jump...

NFL Survivor - Week 5

Not sure if anyone actually watched it - but there was a football game on Monday Night. The Buccaneers (our survivor pick) ended up holding off the Colts, 24-17. That brings us to 4 winning weeks in a row! In the pool that I entered there were nearly 13,000 players to start with. Through four weeks - only 5,060 remain or 40% of the original entrants. Not too shabby. Last week's biggest offender was the Eagles who eliminated 8.3% of the remaining players. Good going. Click for this week's pick after the jump...

NFL Week 4 Recap

I'm bitter. Weeks like this happen, I understand that - but it just felt like this entire weekend was one big circle jerk. Maybe it wasn't just Wednesday night that marked the Collapse. Perhaps this was the week of the Collapse. At around 3pm on Sunday I looked down the list of games and saw only 2 definitive losses on my card (Browns and Rams). The Cowboys were sitting pretty up 27-3, the Bills up 17-3 looked to be in control against the Bengals, and the Eagles were pouring it on 23-3 against the 49ers. All of these games were in the second half. Then I hopped in the car, drove to the airport to scoop my pops, and when I got back not only had those teams lost against the spread - but they lost the games outright. I thought it was a joke. To make matters worse the Markets have plummeted nearly 800 points since last Tuesday. So when I say this hasn't been my week, this really hasn't been my week. Click for more thoughts about this weekends games after the jump...

Fab Five - Week 5 (NCAAF Predictions)

Had my first losing week in either College or NFL so far this year. Stings a little bit. We went 2-3 last week bringing the Fab Five record to 8-6-1 ATS so far. Now that I'm back in Philly I feel more connected to the college scene so I definitely look to turn it around this week. Click for the picks are the jump...

NFL Week 4 Predictions

This is probably one of my favorite times of the sports year. Meaningful baseball is about to start. College Football is starting conference play. We're starting to get a clearer picture of the contenders in the NFL. And the NBA season is right around the corner... It's also Rosh Hashanah which is my favorite Jewish Holiday because it phonetically sounds exactly like my mother's full name. So at least we have that going for us... click for NFL Week 4 picks after the jump.

MLB Division Series Predictions

The 2011 MLB Playoffs kick off tonight. We needed all 162 games to figure out which teams were worthy of being in the playoffs all while witnessing the two largest September collapses in the history of Baseball... If Wednesday night was evidence of the drama and the ridiculousness that we are going to see this year then we are in for an absolute treat. Just as long we don't get the Rangers and the Diamondbacks in the World Series. Click for the Division Series predictions after the jump...

Random Thoughts - Night of Collapse / Moneyball

The Braves and the Red Sox did it. Both teams successfully completed epic collapses. The Braves blew a 10.5 game lead over the Cardinals in the National League and the Red Sox gave up a 9 game lead to the Rays in the American League. The funny thing is - no one gives a crap that the Braves are not in the Postseason. And if you are a Braves fans on a day that has to be one of the worst in the teams storied history you can take solace in the fact that the Red Sox are the ones garnering all of the collapse attention. Click for more after the jump on the Night of Collapse and Moneyball...

NFL Survivor - Week 4

You know what? The Titans pick last week didn't feel very good. I have to admit - I was trying to be too cute and with the Broncos up by 4 in the fourth I thought it was all over. Hate when that happens, but a win is a win so I'll take it and move on to week 4. But believe you me, there will be no beating around the bush in this one. I'll be looking at a game that I have full confidence in. Click for the pick after the jump.

NFL Week 3 Recap

Are the Buffalo Bills for real@!? Wow - what a game that was. Going down 21-0 to the Pats and Tom Brady I thought to myself - no way. And then we just started chipping away - at first I was just rooting for the Bills to cover and keep it manageable - then it turned it to a wait a minute, if we can just stop Brady oneee more time we might have a shot at this. With the help of 3 second-half Brady Interceptions and Ochocinco shitting the bed, the Bills D absolutely answered the call. Even in the late game situations, it looked like the Bills, not the Patriots were the team that were accustomed to winning. I know its only week 3 of the season - but these first three weeks have had more excitement, hope, and drama than any 3 week stretch I can remember as a fan of the Bills. It feels good to be relevant - heck, it just feels good to not be part of the "Suck for Luck" sweepstakes. Click after the jump for more about we we learned besides the Bills stranglehold on the rest of NFL...

Fab Five - Week 4 (NCAAF Predictions)

We picked it up a bit - going 4-1 on the College Football predictions last week bringing the season record to a solid 6-3-1 ATS. It's usually easier to pick games at the beginning of the season before conference play picks up but I'll take the 66% win record and continue to try to be on the right side of these Nationally Televised games. Click for this weeks picks after the jump...

NFL Week 3 Predictions

New Season of "The Office" premiered last night! First episode without Michael Scott as the lead guy. That's the second season premier that I've watched this week where the lead guy is no longer around (Charlie Sheen - Two and A Half Men). Times are changing. It's also my good friends birthday today so shout out to Mr. Massimo. A little advice with the birthday candles "don't blow too hard, it gets a little sloppy if you do" -- That's What She Said! See what I did there? Started off with Michael Scott... finished up with a TWSS. I entertain myself. No, but for real, Happy Birthday Boss, wish you nothing but the best. Click for week 3 picks after the jump...

Random Thoughts - Conference Realignment

I have to admit. All of this talk about conference realignment in collegiate sports is kind of making my head spin. I'm not even sure people care - but I do know that it comes down to one thing and one thing only. Money. Schools are scurrying all over the country to make 'super conferences', but believe what you will about rivalries and keeping traditions in tact, Schools are just going where they will have financial stability and the opportunity for their institutions to profit the most. And you know what? I'm not mad at them. Read for more thoughts on the realignment fiasco after the jump...

NFL Survivor - Week 3

We survived another week! Pittsburgh absolutely cruised to a 24-0 win over the Seahawks, so unlike week 1, we were able to breathe easy throughout the entire game. 42.0% of all survivor players also had the Steelers and the only big casualty last week would have been the Ravens (5.1%). So we move on to week 3 and will have the pick after the jump.

NFL Week 2 Recap

Another whirlwind weekend in the NFL. The Bills/Raiders definitely highlighted the 1 o'clock games (which besides that game were pretty lackluster) and the Cowboys/49ers gave us all we could handle in the later games. Then there was the Falcons/Eagles game to cap off the day. I'll be honest I missed the first half because I had an 8pm tennis match. And as good as the tennis match was, that will definitely be the last time I agree to play when two of the top teams in the NFC are competing on national television. It was absolutely a game of swings in momentum. One second the Eagles look like they're going to coast to victory up 10 in the fourth. Then Matty Ice leads the Falcons on two TD scoring possessions in the fourth quarter to give the Falcons control. Finally, backup QB Mike "I'll eventually get traded for a 3rd round pick and sign a 4 year contract" Kafka led an impressive drive that ended with a dropped pass on 4th down by WR Jeremy Maclin who had himself a career game. From a fan's perspective it had all the drama you could ask for. Fortunately we were on the right side of that game. Click for more thoughts from week 2 after the jump...

Ortiz / Mayweather Prediction

So there's a fight tonight. Unless Mayweather, Pacquiao, or Amir Khan is fighting you can count me out for boxing. For me fight night is never quite right without some good pre-fight hype between two fighters as well as a nice wager so that we have a rooting interest. The HBO series 24/7 is about as good a documentary that there is on television. Just gets me amped for a fight. Plus it provides all types of comedy such as this expletive-filled exchange between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and his father Mayweather Sr.  (Skip to about 1 min 20 seconds). Just great television. Click after the jump for my pick tonight.

Fab Five - Week 3 (NCAAF Predictions)

We're back this week for five of the top games in College Football this week. We started the season an extremely average 2-2-1. We'll look to build on that .500 week and try to make it a winning one. Click for the picks after the jump...

NFL Week 2 Predictions

We really dominated week 1, huh? Just came out with a bang, got things going our way early on and never took our foot off of the proverbial throttle on our way to a completely dominant performance. 


That 'We' I'm referring to is the Buffalo Bills. That's right I'm on the team. Although I could see how you might mistake it with my work as a prognosticator in week 1. But much like the Bills - I'll have to try to keep momentum going now that expectations have been raised, everrrrr so slightly. Click for my Week 2 picks after the jump...

Random Thoughts on Baseball...

We're coming down the stretch of the MLB season and well some things just never change. For the 19th, that's right, the 19th consecutive season the Pittsburgh Pirates have assured themselves a losing record. Remember when the Pirates were in a three way battle for first place of the NL Central at the end of July? Yeah, neither do I. Good going Pittsburgh. On the bright side, at least they're not the Cubs. Click to read more random thoughts about Baseball after the jump...

NFL Survivor - Week 2

We're back for the week 2 survivor pick. We got a good win from the Chargers last week as they were able to hold off the Vikings at home. I've found in years past that the first week is the hardest to survive because of the uncertainty of the upcoming season. Looking at my league this year- Atlanta, Cleveland (biggest offender), and Kansas City all succumbed to their opponents in week 1. Nearly half of our league was unable to move on to week 2. That's good news for me. Click for this week's pick after the jump.

NFL Week 1 Recap

1 week down. 1 week closer to a Bills / 49ers Superbowl, CIRCLE THE WAGONS! I only kid, but Chris Berman would definitely approve.

What a week we had in the Week 1 predictions and in the Survivor play of the week . We went a solid 12-3-1 in games ATS and Survived week 1 with our Chargers pick. I even got a couple of 'thank you' and 'good shit' messages from readers that were able to take advantage of both set of picks. Although I'm not entirely certain that the ladder message was in reference to my Week 1 picks… Anyways, tell everyone you know to look out for my week 2 predictions - they are bound to be mediocre. Click to read more about what I learned this week…

Things Heating up in the AL Wild Card Race...

The Boston Red Sox were supposed to be a lock for the MLB postseason. That's no longer the case. At the end of August, the Red Sox held a 1.5 game lead in the AL East heading into a three game home-series with their division rival - New York Yankees. At that time, fans and experts were only thinking about the division title. No one thought that the Red Sox would be in a fight for the AL Wild Card race just two weeks later. Since that series with the Yankees, things have spiraled out of control for the Red Sox as they are currently in the middle of a five game losing streak and  have dropped 9 of their last 11 games. 

U.S. Open Prediction (Men's Final)

I have to start this off by saying the match between Federer and Djokovic on Saturday afternoon was an absolute classic. You can make any analogy you want, but at the end of the day it was a heavyweight boxing match, it was two gladiators going toe-to-toe, heck it was the passing of the torch. Down double match point, 5-3 in the fifth set, the return of service that Novak hit had to be one of the greatest returns of all time. Perhaps a career-ending shot for Roger Federer, and a career stepping stone for Novak Djokovic. I know that may seem a bit extreme, but realistically this was one of the last legitimate opportunities for Federer to win another Grand Slam. I hope that he can prove me wrong, but I just feel like this match will have too much of a crippling effect on him going forward. 
See prediction for finals after the jump...

U.S. Open Predictions (Semis)

1, 2, 3, 4....

For the second time this year the top four seeds in Men's tennis will square off in the Semi-Finals of a Grand Slam tournament. The first time at the French Open we saw Rafa outlast Federer in four grueling sets to win his sixth French Open title. That was France, this is America. Click to read who will make the U.S. Open Finals after the jump...

Fab Five - Week 2 (NCAAF Predictions)

In an effort to pay a little more attention to College Football this year than I have in the past - I'll be going through the weekly matchups and narrowing them down to five potential plays for the week in a segment called Fab Five. Since I like being able to watch the games on television, I'll try my hand on the nationally televised games. Also, having graduated from the national sports powerhouse that is Drexel University you can be rest assured that I have no allegiances to any college football program, so all picks will be completely unbiased... Click for the picks after the jump

U.S. Open Predictions (Quarters / Semis)

"Rain Rain go away, that's what all my haters say." - Wocka Flocka


Wocka Flocka speaks so eloquently and on behalf of all tennis fans at this point. Fortunately we were able to get through all of the 4th round matches as Rafeal Nadal and Andy Murray made quick work of G. Muller and Donald Young respectively. And the two Americans, Andy Roddick and John Isner, each needed 4 sets to dismiss their counterparts setting up a Nadal/Roddick and Murray/Isner Quarterfinal for the bottom half of the draw.


At the top half of the draw Novak Djokovic advanced over fellow countrymen Janko Tipsarevic by way of a fourth set retirement. Roger Federer looked all types of impressive as he made quick work of the usually pesky #12 seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, setting up a Djokovic (1) v. Federer (3) semi-final


For today's Quarterfinal matchup predictions - please read after the jump...

The NFL Season Underway

Now thattttt is how you start the Gambling NFL Season. Blink and you miss a 72 yard touchdown return by Darren "the muskrat" Sproles... flip the channel? Miss a measly 108 yard kickoff return by Randall "The first 90's Baby in the NFL" Cobb. He's fucking fast. Just an onslaught of offense and big plays, and some late game drama to conclude the night. As a football fan you could not have asked for a better start to the season. And as an investor - the Over was most Definitely the play. For those keeping track at home we're a cool 1-0 on the season picks as Green Bay held on to avoid the backdoor cover by the Saints.

Thank God for football. 

The Introduction of MattyBonez

Gambling can be defined in a multitude of ways.  The free dictionary claims that gambling is "to bet on an uncertain outcome" or "to play a game of chance for stakes."  It can also be defined as "taking a risk in the hope of gaining an advantage or benefit".  But when it comes to MY personal gambling, I think old Merriam Webster has it nailed correctly when they say gambling is "To engage in reckless or hazardous behavior".  Because truthfully, when it comes to gambling, everything I do is reckless!!!!  I have no qualms about it either.  I have gained such an affinity and appreciation for losing that I just seem to do in every area of my existence.  Yanks win 6 straight, I bet em in game 7 at home against the orioles, they have a lineup with Jeter, Granderson, Cano and Texieira on THE BENCH and lose 5-4.  Milwaukee winners of 7 straight, with their best pitcher Greinke on the hill at home, I bet em, they lose to the struggling Cardinals.  I angrily say screw sports betting and head to the shadiest casino in the world, Harrahs in Chester, PA, and blow 500 playing blackjack….then blow another 500 on my way out the door in my "Its only 500" mode.  The long and short of it, is that gambling is probably my second favorite thing to do in the world, aside from the obvious, and I just so happen to suck at both (ask my ex girlfriends…they will gladly agree).  But the reason I am here is not to vent to you about my gambling losses or lack of amazing sex life, well it kind of is, but it is to fill you in on current times in sports in different light than you see from everyone else out there.  My intention is to give you some good stories about what you are actually interested in reading about and not do it in the manner that every other news feed out there does it in.  I will be rash.  I will be harsh.  I will talk about fantasy sports, gambling, and real sports, while sprinkling in some personal stories about my own personal gambling and sex life escapades.  Hopefully you enjoy.  And with that, my first order of business has to be week 1 of the NFL... click to read the rest after the jump -

NFL Survivor - Week 1

Another popular fantasy/gambling game that has picked up steam among friends and gambling addicts alike is the Survivor Pool. This is a game in which contestants get the opportunity to pick ONE Winner every week. If you select correctly, you survive on to the next week. If you don't, you're dead. The person to 'survive' the longest wins. The one catch is that once you pick a team, you can no longer use that team for the remainder of the season. Pretty simple, right? Click to read this year's thought process as well as this week's pick after the jump...

NFL Week 1 Predictions

Are you ready for some FOOOOOOOOOOTBALLLLLLLLL - FOOOOooooTTTTT BALLLLLLLLL!!!!!????

Sorry - had to highlight a little of my excitement for the season's kickoff. With the NFL Season kicking off tomorrow night, I decided to start a season-long tally of my NFL picks for the 2011 season. All point spreads for this blog are used courtesy of Sportsbook.Com - without further ado..

Thursday, September 8th (8:30PM)

New Orleans Saints vs. Green Bay Packers (-4.5)
Two great teams with stellar offenses and even better quarterbacks to get this season underway. I have Drew Brees as my QB in my big money league - so I'll have a rooting interest at least for a lot of points in this game. Quite frankly I think that the Packers are too deep and have too many weapons on both sides of the ball for the Saints to keep up with them. I like the Packers to win and cover their first game at home.

Check for weekend picks after the jump...

U.S. Open Predictions (4th Round / Quarters)

With half of the Quarters already set (Djokovic/Tipsarevic & Federer/Tsonga), I'm not really going out on a limb to give a prediction on who I will think makes the semis and finals. But I do think there are some intriguing matchups and story lines still yet to be seen. Read more after the jump...

Cherry-Popping

If you are reading this blog - it's likely because you have very little else to do. This is mostly just a space for me to write down thoughts and feelings about the world of sports.


This is a Fantasy-Heavy week for the NFL so I'll make my cherry-popping blog about my fantasy predictions...