NFL picks
OK, we pledged to do NFL picks. Last week’s offerings were so off-base – Texas and Cincinnati were favored by a combined 8 points and lost by a combined 42 points without scoring a TD – you would think we had a sponsorship deal with Rocco’s Neighborhood Entertainment Parlor and Pay Day Loan Lounge.
Ouch-standing.
Well, if there’s one thing we know, is you have to get back on that horse and ride.
Giddy-up. (And no we’re not due. The only things due are postage and library books.)
Quick side note: Vegas is paying a lot of attention to the Gawd-awful quarterback play. The over/under in Cleveland-Baltimore is 38.5; the over/under in New Orleans-New England is 56. The Raiders are a two-touchdown pick over the Jets in the latest version of the Heidi Bowl.)
Titans minus-1.5 at Jacksonville. OK, normally we ride trends. Giddy-up. This time we’re bucking a pretty significant trend with these Titans. Tennessee is a ridiculous 1-16-1 against the number in their last 18 divisional road games. Read that again. That said, we expected this Titans bunch to done different on a lot of levels, and if they are going to get to the postseason, this is a game they have to win. Period. History be danged.
Arizona minus-6.5 over Indianapolis. Yes, this is another road favorite. Yes, this is a West Coast team coming to the Central time zone for an early kick. Yes, this is an Arizona team that lost its best player for the foreseeable future when David Johnson broke his wrist. But the Colts are being quarterbacked by either Scott Tolzein or Jacoby Brissett. Yes please.
New England minus-6 over New Orleans. Let’s review. Is there anyone who thinks the Patriots are going to lay two eggs and be bagel-and-2 to start the season? Anyone? Bueller? Now, let’s review the calendar: The Patriots played a week ago Thursday, getting 10 days off to stew about their stinking. The Saints played Monday night in Minnesota, getting back early Tuesday morning to get about three practice days. Now add in the fact that Brandin Cooks knows the Saints offense from his previous stop there. Think Bill Belichick has picked Cooks’ memory bank? Yes, the late Drew Brees-to-Michael Thomas score on the backdoor cover is a possibility, but here’s thinking this is a double-digit Pats win.
Dallas minus-2 over Denver. The Cowboys are on the shortlist of the most complete teams in the league. Denver is on the shortlist of the best defenses in the league. See the difference? His name is Dak Prescott. In fact, looking back in a few years, the Broncos spending a first-rounder on Paxton Lynch and Prescott falling to the Cowboys in round four will be one of those, “Wow” draft stories.
Last week: 1-3 against the spread. (Not good.)
This season: 1-3 against the spread. (Still not good.)
Clemson wide receiver Deon Cain (8) gestures after a catch as Auburn defensive back Carlton Davis (6) reacts during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Sept. 9, 2017, in Clemson, S.C. (AP Photo/Rainier Ehrhardt) From Andrew
If you’re in need of Mailbag, I saw an article earlier this week saying it was time for Notre Dame, Auburn, and Ohio State to go “back to the drawing board” because they are facing similar problems this year that they have in the past. How early is to early to jump ship on the season especially since all these games were out of conference and Auburn and Notre Dame played road games?
Andrew –
Great question, and there are layers.
Notre Dame and Auburn, the page-turning would require head coach changes. At THE Ohio State, a reset would mean J.T. Barrett’s time at quarterback is done.
None of those should jump ship yet. There’s still a lot of play for.
But the instant analysis of today also leads to instant reaction. That plays into it.
What also plays into it is history.
Brian Kelly was 4-8 at Notre Dame last year, and he’s now 1-8 in his last nine games decided by one score.
Gus Malzahn has only topped Georgia and Alabama one time apiece and one was the Prayer in Jordan-Hare and the other was the Kick Six. Auburn fans are weary of hearing the same hype and watching the same anemic offensive plan. (Hey Justin, I wish we had a good high school offense. So there’s that.)
As for Barrett, well, THE Ohio State is expected to contend for titles and they got housed at home.
The other thing about the coaches, too, is the quick trigger will be only quicker this year because of the Chip Kelly sweepstakes.
So there’s that.
Canelo Alvarez, left, and Gennady Golovkin pose for photographers during a news conference Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2017, in Las Vegas. The two are scheduled to fight in a middleweight title fight Saturday in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher) From Chad
Why are you not writing more about boxing? There’s a big fight this weekend – way bigger than that clown show between McGregor and Mayweather.
Chad –
To be fair, there’s been a lot going on this week, but that sounds more like an excuse than anything.
To be more direct, we’re not overly familiar with either GGG or Canelo Alvarez, but the way everyone is speaking of each of these cats, this seems to be a very big deal.
But that’s where we will pick nits with your assertion of the McGregor-Mayweather deal being a clown show.
Maybe on the front end of that fight, that would have been a fine prediction, but the way it played out and the monster numbers it did on pay-per-view rebuts that assertion.
In truth, the promoters of this fight could have taken a page from the books of the hype from McGregor-Mayweather.
This could be a great fight that will feature a couple of middleweights who have true knockout power.
And the winner Saturday can lay a serious claim to the title as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world since Mayweather has retired. (And as less a deal as boxing is today than it used to be, the title “pound-for-pound, the best fighter in the world” is still pretty boss.)
Former Georgia tailback Herschel Walker rushed 36 times for 150 yards and two touchdowns against Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl after the 1980 regular season despite sustaining a dislocated shoulder on the game’s second play.From Mike –
Who is your favorite SEC football player ever? Just wondering. If you want to use that in the mailbag, fine.
Love the 5-at-10 and you and Paschall are great on Press Row.
Mike –
Thanks for reading and listening. And we’ll definitely ask Paschall the same question later today.
We’d have to divide our SEC Rushmore of favorites into Auburn and non-Auburn sides.
Auburn: Bo Jackson (hey we named our bulldog Bo Jackson friends), Dameyune Craig, Ronnie Brown and Cam Newton, who likely tops them all since he took us to a place that a lot of AU folks did not know we would ever see. (And you anti-Cam folks can say all you want about paying or what have you. Know this: No matter Cam Newton got from Auburn, he delivered way more in return.) Just missing the list is William Andrews, but we grew to love him as a player because of his time with the Falcons more than with the Tigers.
Non-Auburn, and this one was tougher than we expected: Herschel (Dude growing up outside the A-T-L in the early 80s, Walker was a demigod); Danny Wuerffel (who won us a lot of money during a time that we may have made a wager or three for a little more than entertainment); Marcus Lattimore (loved watching him run the ball, and our heart truly aches for what injuries cost that dude) and Derrick Thomas. Just missing were Al Wilson and Darren McFadden.
Great question and thanks again for playing along with the craziness, Mike.
This week’s Rushmores and on this day
Rushmore of doughnut styles: Krispy Kreme plain, Blueberry, mini-powdered and Dunkin’ Donuts chocolate glaze.
Rushmore of Moses: The Moses, Edwin Moses, Moses Malone and Amos Moses from the Jerry Reed song.
Rushmore of Johnny Cash songs: Hurt, Sunday morning coming down, Folsom Prison Blues, Boy named Sue (hard to leave God’s Gonna Cut You Down off, but a Rushmore is a Rushmore).
Rushmore of female broadcasters: Beth Mowins (she’s really good and may be the best college hoops play-by-play announcer regardless of gender), Sam Ponder, Hannah Storm and Dottie Pepper on golf.
On this day in 1616 the first free public school in Europe was opened.
On this day in 1928, penicillin was discovered by Andrew Fleming.
On this day in 1998, google.com is registered as a domain name. (Here’s thinking that one may work out.)
On this day in 1254, Marco Polo was born.
On this day, Agatha Christie was born in 1890.
On this day in 1918, Nipsey Russell was born.
On this day in 1938, Gaylord Perry was born.
On this day, Tommy Lee Jones turns 72. So does Oliver Stone.
On this day, Dan Marino turns 56.
And to the less-than-fan mail (and there were a lot of them this week, so there’s that)
Congratulations. For the second time in less than a year your conservative propaganda has caused me to cancel my subscription to what was once a great newspaper. ‘Liberal narrative’?!? It is no such thing. It’s called the truth. The President had a chance to repudiate the neo-Nazis and DID NOT! End of story. There’s no ‘narrative’, just as ‘liberal media’ is a convenient fiction designed to undermine the credibility of the free press. You should be ashamed.
Wait, we’re not done
You absolutely kill me with the way you like to throw the word “Liberal” around, as though saying or thinking the word makes horns grow out of someone’s head. The ESPN commentator was speaking the truth about this so-called President and I for one am glad she did. People, you included, want to bury your hand in the sand and pretend 45 is not encouraging white bigotry all for the sake of the Republican party, because Lord knows, that would hurt the agenda.
As I have said before and will state again, you, sir, need to stick to the sports page and forget the commentaries. Your articles are a reflection of your lack of intelligence.
Wait, we’re still not done
I was listening today, as I often do, while riding around town. David Paschall was talking about an area team, Atlanta United, and their extraordinary success in a recent game. Throughout the brief report Jay Greeson kept letting everyone know how much he dislikes soccer and how he could not care any less for Atlanta’s soccer team and the sport in general. Does he realize he is on a sports talk show. If they are going to regularly discuss ‘yawn fest’ sports like golf and tennis and even baseball to a large extent then he needs to have a little patience when David decides to briefly talk about soccer. I’d say there are a lot more people interested in that sport than NASCAR (which doesn’t seem like a true sport) or tennis, which are discussed regularly on the show. He could show a little professionalism and let David finish his brief story and then move on to the next story without being a (cuss word) about it.
Good talk.