Good time for "Hard Knocks"
I believe in my soul that the producers of the HBO preseason camp docu-series "Hard Knocks" would take the Dallas Cowboys every season.
Sure, getting one look behind the curtain of the all-powerful Beli-Oz would be intriguing, too, but let's be clear. That ain't happenin' anytime soon.
So the Cowboys take the center stage, as they always do, because of their logo, their history, their uniforms, their owner and all the rest that goes into making them America's Team.
(Side note: Most of y'all know I grew up in Smyrna, a small burg just northwest of the A-T-L. I attended more Braves and Falcons games than I can count and have remained fans of both. But in the 1970s, rooting for the Braves and Falcons was akin to rooting for the teenagers making out near Crystal Lake with Jason Voorhies looming in the dark.)
So as the Braves and Falcons sprinted to the cellar and with limited viewing options of which teams would be the TV on the weekends, I also followed the Dodgers and, of course, the Cowboys. (Side note: In the 1970s NFL, you were either a fan of your hometown team, the Cowboys, the Steelers or maybe the Dolphins, Rams or maybe the artists now known as the Washington Football Team.)
And I still follow the Cowboys, through all the drama and disappointment and underachieving that has happened since Jerry and Jimmy split because Jerry got his plastic-surgery-revamped nose out of joint.
So I'm in tonight. Big time. For Dak and Zeke. For the coaching hot seat drama and the Jerry Jones interviews. I'm there for the traditional rookie pranks and which long shot the cameras follow to see if he makes the club.
Who's with me?
Speaking of 'Hard Knocks'
Well, that got a little sidetracked, no?
I was going to include this above but felt we needed to break away.
Big picture, what we can bet on these days is nuts. Like literally nuts. Presidential elections. Prop bets on Gatorade baths and coin flips.
And, our friends at SportsBetting.ag, have embraced the lure - and our love for football - of the Cowboys with a slew of "Hard Knocks" prop bets.
The odds are subject to change of course, but as of Monday, here's a list of some of the "Hard Knocks" betting options:
Who will speak first?
-Dak Prescott +150 (bet $100 and win $150)
- Ezekiel Elliott +200
- CeeDee Lamb +300
- Amari Cooper +350
Who will speak first?
- Mike McCarthy -200 (bet $200 and win $100)
- Jerry Jones +150
Who will be shown first?
- Cowboys Cheerleader -150 (bet $150 and win $100)
- Jerry Jones +110
What will be shown first?
- Player fight -150 (bet $150 and win $100)
- Rookie hazing +110
When will "America's Team" be said?
- On or Before 10-minute mark -150 (bet $150 and win $100)
- After 10-minute mark +110
Will video of Prescott ankle injury be shown?
- Yes -300 (bet $300 and win $100)
- No +200
What will be shown first?
- Prescott ankle X-ray -140 (bet $140 and win $100)
- Prescott ankle surgery +100
NFL movements
For the most part, the news out of training camps right now is seldom good.
We've moved past the Aaron Rodgers thing, although that seems to be a one-year hiatus more than a solution. (And yes, I will move Heaven and Earth to get AA-Rodg on my fantasy team because I think he's going to have a Scorched Earth tour in his Packers swan song.)
It appears DeShaun Watson's time is done in Houston, and we can't help but wonder if his time in the NFL is in danger.
But the one that is truly puzzling is how the Saints-Michael Thomas relationship has unraveled in a heartbeat.
CBSsports.com is now listing seven destinations for Thomas, who, when healthy, is one of the three best WRs on the planet.
And some of those places could reshape the dynamics of Super Bowl favorites.
Because, when he returns from surgery - a surgery the Saints maintain he delayed, which will threaten his availability for the start of the season - imagine Thomas in Kansas City. Or Baltimore. Or even New England, with a motivated and restocked Patriots defense.
And I also would love to see the Jags move pieces - they have the cap space with a surefire QB star in place for the next five years on a rookie deal - to get Trevor Lawrence a legit A1 wideout.
Thoughts?
This and that
- The biggest value in sports is Nick Saban. He's worth $50 million a year and Alabama is paying him $10 million. I think Patty Mahomes will win multiple Super Bowls because he negotiated a decadelong deal that around year four or five will present him as a great value in a salary-cap league. I think big picture, the best value in general terms is the NFL starting QB on a rookie deal. After that, I think the next biggest value in sports is the legit 1A NBA superstar because the game is so marketed toward stars and you can't win it all with a legit 1A alpha dog. It's with that caveat that even at five years and $207 million, here's betting the Dallas Mavericks sprinted to the bank to make sure the check to Luka Doncic was covered.
- Holy buckets of cold drinks and cash. Quinn Ewers, the five-star QB who reclassified to enroll at THE Ohio State and skip his senior year of high school, just sent out this one on social media: "I may be leaving Texas soon to take it to the next level but I made sure to take the best Texas drink company with me. I am pumped to be representing Holy Beverages for many years ahead so that they will always make sure my fridge is loaded with Holy Tepache and Holy Kombucha." Yeah, that's costing the Holy Beverages a few numbers in front of the comma.
- You know the rules. Here's Paschall on the UT offensive line and the demands - and joys - of Coach Josh Heupel's offense.
- Here's today's A2 column about how, in some ways, NBC's Olympics ratings nightmare is part of the painful walk into sports and streaming for the Peacock.
- Also, when he connects, TFP ace sports columnist Mark Wiedmer is, well, aces. He got a 96 mph fastball on the screws today and delivered an excellent column on Bobby Bowden, who is among the greatest college football coaches ever and never wanted to be defined by his college football career.
- For what it's worth, and there may be more on this in the coming days/weeks, but I'm going to get more involved in the betting conversation. We'll have at least one offering each day moving forward. Deal? Deal. As for today, well, having had some success with some of the "To hit a home run" bets of late, we'll stay there. Give me Kyle Seager of the Mariners at +280 to hit a homer off Kolby Allard. Seager is 4-for-11 lifetime against Allard with two homers.
- We got a "Jeopardy!" dude running things right now. He blistered the competition last night - it was like $44K to $1K to a few hundred heading into Final Jeopardy! - despite losing $34,000 on the final clue. He's now fourth all-time in "Jeopardy!" winnings with more than $440,000.
Today's questions
Hey, true or false, it's Tuesday after all, right Ernie?
True or false, the Dallas Cowboys are still America's Team?
True or false, the single coolest Bobby Bowden moment in retrospect was his small part in the "We Are Marshall" movie as West Virginia's head coach. Yeah, the chill bumps are emerging.
True or false, Luka will win multiple MVPs.
True or false, with the Saints unraveling and all the questions across the NFC South, the Bucs are the best bet to win their division in the NFL.
You know the drill, answer some T or F, leave some T or F.
As for today, Aug. 10, let's review. (Side T or F: On 8/10, the Rushmore of QBs who wore 8 is better than the Rushmore of QBs who wore 10.)
Antonio Banderas is 60 today. Rushmore of current Hispanic movie stars. Go.