Fast Food

With a new baby and little support locally, I have had a great opportunity to get involved again with fast food. Now the strange thing is that I've actually lost about 10 pounds since the new baby despite eating some of this crap below. Comments and thoughts are welcome.

Top 10:

10. Taco Bell- The only way to explain this ranking is that their soft tacos must trigger some memories of the great times back in high school, sitting outside of the cockeysville taco bell with the gang laughing and plowing through tacos. Currier and I still need to have our soft taco eat off someday.

9. Arby's- This used to be in my top 5, but I guess with expansion in southern CA, it has worn out its welcome. The only time it is still a treat to me is when I stop for it in Baker on my way to and from Vegas. And the only thing keeping them in this list is their Arby's and Horsey sauce, that I could put on anything and it would taste great.

8. In-n-Out- I'm starting to think that I enjoy a McDonalds cheeseburger just the same as one of their hamburgers. And I don't have to wait 20 minutes to eat it like at In-n-Out. Their "animal style" fries are still the best out there.

7. Wendy's- I love their grilled chicken sandwich, Jr bacon cheeseburger, and the ability to get chili or a side salad with my combo. Their honey mustard is my second favorite dipping sauce next to the hot mustard at McDonalds.

6. McDonalds- Their breakfast food is head and shoulders above everyone elses with their sausage mcmuffin being my favorite sandwich. And everytime I try a new place I seem to be comparing it to McDonalds. They have that stupid monopoly game that I'm a sucker for and of course my favorite sauce in hot mustard. And how could I forget about the mcribb. mmmmm.

5. Panera- I guess one would consider this fast food. Their sandwiches are solid and one of my favorite soups, french onion is outstanding for a fast food joint.

4. Chipotle- Had one of their burritos last night and I forgot how amazing their food continues to be.

3. Panda Express- This has made a huge jump since the last time I thought about this list. I've tried some other Chinese fast food, but theirs continues to be the best and cheapest. A two order consisting of Bejing Beef and Orange chicken makes so excited at times.

2. Chick Filet- Best chicken nuggets hands down. Best chicken sandwich by far. Now that they have Diet Dr. Pepper and their Chick Filet sauce available it's a struggle for me not to eat this everyday.

1. Chronic Taco- A Southern CA chain that has by far the best fish tacos and nachos I've come across. Their chicken nachos, listed as an appetizer, will fill me up on its own.

Yes, Really

I saw this score flash across the screen the other day and had to check it out.

http://www.cbssports.com/ncaawbasketball/gamecenter/recap/NCAAW_20091228_NCCEN@DUKE

Wow. I'm stunned.

As a side note, I'm completely hooked on UTH. I may cancel my room for March as I suspect I'll be glued to a seat at this table. I know, its a long term net loss, but I'm hooked. I'll have a card with "the book" strategy ready to go for those that are interested.

NFL Week 16: Nandina

What the hell type of plant is "Nandina"? Sounds like that old song fromTony Orlando and Dawn. I've never heard of Nandina - they should just name this hole "Eisenhower" and get it over with.

The 17th, to me, is a kind of a filler hole. Not much excitement happens here. You can'tget in too much trouble - even if you did hit the Eisenhower tree, you should still make bogey. The green is sloped severly, but I don't think it is too exceptional on this course. Memories? Well, of course, "Maybe....yes sir!" was born here, O'Meara birdied this hole to quietly tie for the lead in 98, and then we have Perry's bladed chip. Any other memories?

( I assume most of you have heard why the tree is named the Eisenhower tree....if not, click here..... I mean, really, we all have our demons on each course we'd like to eliminate. The Zahn bunker on Blue Ash 7. I think Don would like to blow up the 17th green at Blue Ash and start over. (see below). Steve has been in the creek left of #3 at Granville many times.

The hole doesn't distinguish the field. If you were out of it - you're not going to get back in it with a birdie. Likeiwse, you're not going to see doubles to take people out. If you are in contention, you most likely will stay in contention after 17.

With the clouded mess inthe AFC, are there any true elimination games? May the Mia-Hou loser is out. Is Pit eliminated with a loss? Other than that, you could see a scenario where an 8-8 team gets a wild card - meaning a loss today may not eliminate anyone (like the Jets, Jaguars, etc.)

My personal 17th? Well, I like the 17th at Blue Ash, mainly because I have a 90% success rate vs. Don on that hole. Invariably, he will be 50 feet away on the wrong side of the hole and 3 jack, while I hack away from the trees on the left and make par. 1-up going to 18!

However, I have to look back on a course from 1991 - Longue Vue Club in Pittsurgh, site of the 91 UAA Championship. I was struggling down the stretch, trying to make all-conference for a second year in a row. 17 was a 400 yard par 4; I hit 3-wood, 4 iron on to the green - I was a terrible long iron player back then, so hitting the green with a4 iron was an accompishment. I then sank a 25 footer for birdie. A par on the last gave me an 8th place finish and all conference honors.

This was the tournament where my teammate, the immortal Brian Stadlemaier, taught me a new words. As I was around the 18th green after finishing my round, I was wishing bad luck for all the players coming in so I could improe my position. He calmly pointed out that I was practicining "Schatenfreud".

What the hell is that?

"The pleasure you get when seeing bad things happen to others".

Oh yes! Yes, I do experience that a lot. Like hopefully today when the Ravens and Chiefs win.

(We could have 15 blog posts about Stadlemaier. Maybe the next time I am in Vegas, I will pull racquetballs ou of my bag and practice putting with them before the round in his honor).

On to the picks:

Bal 27, Pit 20: The Steelers are not that good.

NYG 31, Car 16. I think the Giants are ready for their final push for the playoffs.

NO 30, TB 13. The Saints will be eager to right the ship.

NE 23, Jax 20. As with the Steelers, the Pats are overrated.

Cle 17, Oak 16. You just KNOW that Derek Anderson will throw for 300 yards this week and next - creating another QB controversy for 2010.

Cin 20, KC 17. Boy, oh boy, do I want the Bengals to lose here.

Atl 17, Buf 10. Brohm! Redman! The battle of Louisville!

Mia 27, Hou 20. It's time for the Texans to lose, once the games count again.

GB 28, Sea 17. I need another great day from Rodgers in my championship game in our church league.

SF 30, Det 20. What happens when bad offenses play the Lions? See the Browns this year.

Az 28, StL 13. I can't figure if the Cardinals are rising or sliding.

NYJ 22, Ind 20. Just a gut feeling here.

Phi 23, Den 17. It's about time for the Eagles to fall into their "one-dimnesional" all-passing offense, isn't it?

Was 23, Dal 20. I can't decide whether the Redskns willplay hard vs. the Cowboys, or if they are as bad as the "mail-it-in" Browns of 2008. I reserve the right to change this pick.

Min 20, Chi 17. I think this will be a close game. Cutler can't fail again on Monday night...can he?

Best bets: 13 of them. Last week: 8-6; overall: 94-104-2

Bal +2.5

NYG -8

NO -14

TB/NO under 49

Jax +10

KC +13

Buf/Atl under 40.5

Mia -1.5

Det +14

Det/SF over 41

NYJ +4

Was +7

Chi +7

This shit is crazy

Not good crazy, bad crazy. I'm so sleep deprived I'm actually blacking out. I don't even remember getting up in the middle of the night and helping carol with the baby. Apparently I did, several times actually, but I really don't remember a thing. Things have been so bad that I accidentally opened a 04 Cab I was saving for....actually I don't know what the reason was but I was saving it for something and ended up drinking it out of a plastic cup as I took Morgan for a 2 hour walk to calm her down and put her to sleep. Yes, drank a BV 04 Cab out of a plastic cup.

Some other highlights:

1. I've spent more time on Itunes buying lullaby music than on my fantasy teams. Let's just say I'm out in everyone of my fantasy leagues and I'm knee deep in some new age piano/wave music.

2. It took me one hour to drive to Baby's R Us, buy a humidifier, eat at Chick-a- Fillet, and return home, but it took me almost 90 minutes to get out the door to do these things.

3. Speaking of Baby's R Us, fuck them. Fuck everyone in that place. What a fucking rip off. I wouldn't step foot in that place if people didn't send us gift cards. So overpriced, the employees are absolute idiots, and the merchandise seems dirty. I've fallen in love with Amazon.

4. Almost got in an accident today because I was playing UTH on my i phone. I can't stop playing. No sleep and trying to read my phone to see if I was go 4 times or check caused me to swerve into the lane next to me. I stopped playing for 5 minutes and then resumed.

5. I'm going to video tape Morgan the next time she goes into one of her 3 hour scream fests that sends me over the edge so people believe me. Spent yesterday down at Carol's friends house and Morgan slept the entire time. I'm then going to save this and use it as a reason why I'm not going to pay for a $100K wedding or allow her to wear skirts.

Last Minute Gift Ideas

Are you searching for a last-minute present for that special someone? How about a gift for the author(s) on this blog who would appreciate a nice gesture from the many readers?

Look no further! Click here for wonderful deals on last minute gifts!

I am surprised that the Richfield Coliseum is not on this list. Or has that already been blown to smithereens?

NFL Week 15: Redbud

Well, here we are at the most pivotal and historic hole at Augusta. The 16th. So many memories here: Nicklaus in 75 - and then again in 86. The start of Sneed's choke in 79. Tiger and the failed high five in 05. Perry's shot last year that should have sewed it up for him.



It seems that after this hole, the contenders are set. This is the last chance for anyone that are 2-3 back to make the run and hopefully charge up the board. I remember Nicklaus's miracle run in 98 - as a 52 year old - making the charge and getting to within 3 or 4 of O'Meara and Duval. He came to the 16th - and had a 15 footer for birdie. It was a must make if he wanted any chance to win his 7th jacket.



He missed, and ended up 4 back in a tie for 6th. If he made this putt, he would have gotten to within 2, and who knows what would have happened.



By the way - it's time to move the pin here. It's been nice to have that pin down in the back left for 20 years or so - but now it seems easy and routine. Hit the ball on the slope, and let it roll down. That's an awfully large target for the 70th hole of a major.



I really believe that the Sunday pins should change every 5 years or so. My rotation to use for 2010-2015:


10: Back right ( The Hoch position)
11: Back left (the Mize position)
12: Right (ok, we will keep that)
13: Back left (giving them an impossible pitch if they go over)
14: Right (like 86)
15: Left, in the sliver
16: Back right
17: Front?
18: Back. I'm starting to hate the front left. Again, the payers can aim for the slope, giving them a bigger target than it seems.


Anyway, this is the 15 footer for a lot of teams, like Dallas (who made the putt), Miami, Tennessee, Atlanta, San Fran, Pit. A loss here and those teams are done. Period.

As for my personal 16th hole, the best I could think of is the 16th from an old favorite course, the 16th at Apple Valley. Apple Valley hosted the Ohio Public Golfers' champ 6 times over the past 12-13 years - and the 16th is a 170 yard par 3 with water (short). The green is two -tiered, and long is usually death (although not for Kermit). It seems innocent, until you get on the wrong tier or miss the green on the wrong side.

To the picks:

NE 24, Buf 17. I'm starting to think this Pats team is fatally flawed. Could they lose in the 1st round at home?


Hou 24, StL 10. My God, Keith Null was awful last week.


Ten 27, Mia 23. The Game of the Week here. A slugfest to the end.


Arz 31, Det 10. A classic bounce back game for Warner.


NYJ 20, Atl 17. The Jets continue to rise while feasting on inferior competition.


KC 20, Cle 16. Do we really see the Browns winning 2 in a row?


Den 27, Oak 9. It's Charlie Frye! I've seen this movie before, and I know how it ends.


SD 27, Cin 16. Any guesses on how the Bengals will respond?


Phi 20, SF 13. San Fran is incompentent on offense, especially on the road.


GB 27, Pit 20. I really do feel like the Steelers are imploding from within.


Sea 24, TB 13. The Seahawks are a different team at home - a decent one.


Bal 24, Chi 9. I've seen this movie too - a hungry Ravens team vs. an opponent rolling over.


Min 28, Car 17. Why is this game on Sunday night?


Was 27, NYG 20. Another Monday night surprise by the home team.


Best bets: 14 of them. Last week: 6-8. Overall: 86-98-2.





Hou/Stl under 43.5
Ten/Mia over 43
Arz -14
Arz/Det under 47
Atl +7
Den -14
SD -7
SF/Phi under 40.5
GB +2
GB/Pit over 41
Sea -6.5
Bal -11
Chi/Bal under 39
Was +3

Wow. That's all I can say about this entire kid thing. Instead of writing this long post and having all the current parents just say "I told you so" the best way I can describe what is going on in my world right now is relate this situation to the opening scene in Saving Private Ryan. Two nights ago I woke up and walked into the living room and then everything went to slow motion. Baby crying, dirty diapers everywhere, Carol crying on the couch, and I think one of our cats was walking by me dragging the corpse of a dead mouse.

NFL Week 14: Firethorn

First of all - most of you know the news by now. Layup and Carol had their baby yesterday (early) morning.....a baby girl, 7 lb 6 oz. Name forthcoming. Everyone is doing well - or as well as can be expected! Congrats to the new parents!

Well, here we are at what I think is the greatest hole on the course. It's just an expertly designed hole - a shortish par 5 that allows most of the field to go for it in 2 - but the target area is quite small and there aren't any "nice" bailout areas. You want to lay up? Fine - now you have an 80 yard downhill pitch to a car hood.

The tournament, I think, is shaped by ths hole more than any other. Starting with Sarazen in 1935, Firethorn has decided many a tournament. Think Nicklaus (and Ballesteros!) in 86. Beck in 93. Norman's last stand in 99. Rose in 08.

(Ok - Layup and I are still pissed at that, as our sleeper pick for 08 hits two in the water on 15 in the third round to douse our chances. This - along with not picking Tiger that year - caused us to finish one spot out of the money).

This is where shots can be made up in a hurry - and given away quickly. This is the turning point of the home stretch.

And we are at that point in the NFL season. Will the contenders eagle? Or hit it in the pond? We've already seen one fraud be exposed, as the Steelers made an 8 this week and are now out - much to the joy of the gallery. Will the Dolphins make an eagle? The Niners? Will the Packers dump one in the pond? Ravens? Jets? Giants? This is a make-or-break week for many teams.

My personal 15th hole? Wow....not hard at all.....a reachable par 5 that has a memorable bridge (like the Sarazen bridge) and is sentimental? Easy....

The 15th at SugarBush, up in northeast Ohio is a 520 yard par 5 that is all downhill from about 200 in. A creek runs to the right and along the back of the green. A railroad car is used for the bridge to cross the creek and go on to the next tee.

Well, in the mid 90's , I was playing this hole with Steve and Kermit. My drive was bad, forcing me to layup - I think I had about 150 in for the third. I pushed it right - onto the car path, where it bounced....and bounced........into.........the railroad car.

Now what? This being March, there were no hhazard lines anywhere. But - as fate would have it, my ball, he open door, and the flagstick were all in line. Yes! We will play from the railroad car! The horizontal beams laying in front of the door were a challenge, but I successfully pitched out of the car from the asphault to about 10 feet - where I made par.

This is a true story, with witnesses....I think. I think I have all the details right. Maybe I got there in 2 and pitched out from the car but did not get up and down......anyway, I made a par from the railroad car bridge somehow.

Back to the games......

NO 30, Atl 20. Are the Saints slowly spiraling downhill...and headed for a first round playoff exit?

Chi 24, GB 17. The Bears can't continue to play this bad, can they? And I truly believe in the Monday Night hangover for the Packers.

Ind 31, Den 17. You figure the Broncos out. I can't.

Buf 20, KC 17. How do you market the Chiefs right now! "Come and see the Bills this Sunday! And if you can't make it , come next week when the Browns are in town!"

Min 27, Cin 24. I think the Bengals will raise their game as the competition gets better.

NE 27, Car 16. Another team I can't get a handle on - the Pats. You'd thinnk they are 9-3, but they are 7-5 and in real danger.

TB 23, NYJ 20, OT. Yes, I'm biased. So what - when we are 2-11, you look to root against other teams as well.

By the way - did anyone see this from last Thursday's Jets-Bills game? I could watch this 100 times in a row...and it still wouldn't get old....

Mia 23, Jax 21. I think the Dolphins are playing inspired football, trying to do anything they can to win.

Bal 20, Det 10. The big question is....are we sure the Ravens are much better than the Steelers? Are we really sure about that?

Hou 30, Sea 13. It's rollercoaster time! Time to get back on the Texans' bandwagon!

Ten 24, StL 14. I'll be shocked if the Rams score more than 2 touchdowns.

Was 17, Oak 13. The Raiders, I believe, are overrated.

Dal 27, SD 23. It would be too easy to take the Chargers and believe in the Cowboys' December swoon.

Phi 27, NYG 20. How many weeks in a row am I taking the Eagles? I swear, I'm not a fan - I truly am neutral here - but the matchup is good!

SF 23, Arz 17. The last stand for the 9ers and a letdown game for the Cards.

Best bets: 14 of them. 6-10 last week; overall: 80-90-2.

Chi +4

Ind -7

Cin +6.5

Cin/Min over 43

TB +4

NYJ/TB over 36.5

Mia +3

Det +14

Det/Bal under 39.5

Hou -7

Was -1

Was/Oak under 37.5

Phi -1

SF +3.5

New reader coming soon!

Update from California: Layup and Carol are in the hospital, and right now they are on hour number 9 of labor. This may be the lucky day!

Suck it

I know we are (now) 2-11.So what.
We beat the freaking Steelers tonight.

My middle son, Warren, was 6 weeks old when we last beat the Steelers.

He is in 1st grade now.

It's great to see Tomlin cry on the podium - and, more importantly, it's great to see the Steelers all but knocked out of the playoffs.

2nd year in a row that we beat the defending Super Bowl champs in a prime-time game. We have New Orleans on the schedule next year! And New England!

Make fun of me crowing about a 2-11 team all you want. I don't care. We beat those fucking inbreds.

Loose ends

Some topics I wanted to post last week but never got around to:

1. Just saw this in the Washington Post - about 60 million Americans are "unbanked" - no checking or savings account - or "underbanked". How do they define underbanked?

The FDIC defined underbanked households as those that have a checking or savings account but use non-bank money orders, check-cashing services, payday loans, rent-to-own agreements or pawnshops at least once a year.

So - am I part of this count when I use the check-cashing service at the Peoria casino once a year? Or any of us when we use this in Vegas?

2. Talking about Vegas, how about getting together with this guy in Vegas? The Journal* has a story about a whale who lost $127 million over a year. I'd love to know what he was wagering on.

3. Changing to science, this news from the UK. When doing an experiment where you compare two groups of people, you want to find the same number of samples in each population subset and then do your measurements and/or observations.
But what happens when - to your surprise - you can't find any members of a particular group?

Researchers were conducting a study comparing the views of men in their 20s who had never been exposed to pornography with regular users.

But their project stumbled at the first hurdle when they failed to find a single man who had not been seen it.

I wonder how much government funding they needed to come up with that finding!

4. Tiger: too much to talk about. Comments welcome.

* - see, I'm becoming better! See my use of "the Journal" in everyday vernacular?

NFL Week 13: Chinese Fir

The 14th at Augusta is sort of a breather between the excitement at the 13th and 15th - but, when you think about, the breather really only happens at the tee. Once you are in the fairway, absolute concentration is needed to make sure your approach stays on the correct level/tier of the green. The 14th green is the most severly sloped on the course - and many 3-putts (or more) are seen to knock players out.

For instance, take Freddie Couples. In probably one of the most painful moments to watch (without involving Norman), Couples was 1 down to Mickelson in the 2006 Masters. He hit is approach in to 30 or so feet - but in the wrong tier. He got to 5 feet for his par - and ran it by 4 feet. He then missed the comebacker for bogey. A 4-putt essentially handed the tournament to Mickelson.

People say it's "impossible" to 2 putt from various locations on that green - but I would like to try. In my prime (say, 2001-2005), I could 2 putt from anywhere. And I mean anywhere. Many of the readers has seen my escapes at: #8 at Champions; #17 at Hawk's Nest; #4 at Blue Ash; #9 and #15 at Walden; and (most importantly) #16 and #18 at Maketewah when my hands were shaking. The 2-putt on 16 - after topping my drive on a 370 yard hole and hitting a 7 wood in to 75 feet in the US Open Local Q - remains the best 2 putt I have ever had.

So extreme care must be taken on this hole to get out with a par. A delicate touch is needed to keep any momentum going from teh 13th and to continue the charge to the 15th.

The 14th is an overlooked hole - much like this week in the NFL, with the fantastic college games last night - but players just need 4 strong shots to continue on. Likewise, nothing spectacular is required from many teams this week - but teams like Denver, Cincinnati, Philly, Green Bay, and either the Giants or Dallas just need to play solid and advance for another week.

I think an apt comparsion to Augusta 14 is Yankee Trace 14. A very inocuous par 4- especially with the "New York" finish ahead ** - 14 at Yankee can get you in trouble. The drive is wide open, but you have to be on the corect tier on the green. I've won many holes from Don on this hole due to his 3 putting here.

(By the way - I am starting to loathe that back left position on the 14th. A lot of the putting excitement is taken away with that location.)

On to the games:

NE 26, Mia 23. Miami's last stand - but it won't be good enough agaist an angry Pats team.

NO 23, Was 13. A mandatory letdown fo the Saints?

Pit 27, Oak 10. Should be 24-3 at half, and the Steelers wil be on cruise control.

KC 24, Den 21, OT. Denver is not tough recently away from home.

Hou 27, Jax 17. Shut up, Layup. I think the Texans are ready for their last stand.

Ind 28, Ten 27. Yes, I do beleive the Titans will make a run at winning this - but will come up just short.

Cin 27, Det 10. I don't see how the Lions will score much vs. the Bengals. And the Bengals have not covered for 2 straight games - time for that trend to reverse.

Chi 26, StL 13. Just what Cutler needs - a 1-10 opponent.

Car 24, TB 20. Tampa has not given up - that's all I know about this game.

Phi 30, Atl 21. Please stop me - why do I believe in this Eagles team?

SD 23, Cle 3. I should go heavy, heavy, heavy on the under (42.5?????) - but then we will lose 40-3.

Sea 24, SF 13. Just when you think it is safe to believe in the 9ers......

NYG 24, Dal 20. Yes, my anti-Cowboy hatred is blinding me.

Az 31, Min 28. I just have a feeling, although neither team has much to play for here.

GB 27, Bal 20. Again, I remain unimpressed with the Ravens, and the Packers are playing better recently.

Best bets: 16 of them. Last week: 8-5; overall: 74-80-2.

NO/Was under 47

KC +6

Den/KC over 39

Hou -2

Ten +6.5

Ten/Ind over 46

Cin -13

Chi -9.5

Phi -5.5

Phi/Atl over 43.5

SD/Cle under 42.5

Sea +1

NYG +1.5

Az +3

Min/Az over 48.5

GB -3.5

** - if you can go even on holes 15-18, you can par anywhere. A nickname Craig, Don, Mike and I made up.

Got this from Ben this morning. San Diego PD's clip of some Border Patrol action a couple of years back. The ATV guys have night vision that makes it pretty easy to grab anyone running around on the border. The helicopter guy is pretty funny when the BP agents make an appearance. The problem remains that there are too many illegals to grab. And yes, Ben is happy to be in Buffalo and out of this crap.

Vegas Thanksgiving

Nothing says Thanksgiving more than dice, ultimate texas holdem, and a nice buffet. So Carol wanted to get out of town for Thanksgiving since our friends were gone for the weekend,we didn't really want to cook, and we couldn't fly. Below are some of the highlights and lowlights:



1. Ahhh the looks from people. Priceless. Totally worth it. The dealers were awesome about it. Actually met a couple of great people this trip. Had a great session at blackjack with another couple and an outstanding dealer.


1a. Ultimate Texas Holdem- God I love this game. Played it day and night. But man the swings are so intense. Especially since I'm supporting two people. Jay and Laura, I don't know how you guys do it.


2. Is there something during the interview to be an UTH dealer that finds out if you are capable of holding a conversation and dealing cards? I don't think they do since everytime I play it is a struggle for some of the dealers to actually deal cards. Ugh. I had a 10 minute conversation with one of the dealers about middle names for my kid. It took everything in my body not to light my cigar and put it out on her forehead.


3. Friday night it was busy and Carol and I were playing at the UTH table by Revolutions. An older man sat in seat one that had a direct view of the dancers at Revolutions. He nearly had a heart attack. He kept on looking at the girls, then looking at his cards, then looking at the girls and then looking at the dealer with a stare of "Is this real? Are there really girls dancing 20 feet away in barely nothing while I'm playing cards?"


4. Despite it being busy on Friday, on Thanksgiving morning at 8:00am I walked around the Mirage and there was a total of 5 people playing table games in the entire casino.


5. Overheard a conversation between a couple in their early 20s from the South over at the Venetian.


Girl: "Guess what I found? A row of restaurants sponsored by the Food Network."


Boy: "Is there one with that Bam guy?"


Girl: "I didn't see one."


For those of you that don't know, Emril does have a restaurant and there is no Food Network row. Just a bunch of really good restaurants. What was the first thing I thought of when I heard this? Don and what his reaction would of been to hearing this. Disgust? Laughter? A public thrashing?


6. Speaking of Emril, he took over the Palazzo's sportsbook. Made some changes, like putting a BJ, Pai Gow, and Craps table in the sportsbook, new colors, and a bunch of regular tables.


7. Emril's sportsbook now offers in game gambling. Very nice now that we don't have to travel 30 minutes outside of Vegas to try this out.


7. The Pai Gow pit is now gone at the Mirage.

8. I heart massages. Just a great break from gambling all day long.

9. Craps- Could not get hot. Wide open tables to be had and I got gun shy after my first run at an open table. Played only 3 sessions and took a beating.


10. Now onto the big story. The Mirage put in a BB King's blues bar and restaurant that replaced their old cafe. Pretty nice and lively. Carol and I ate there for dinner on Friday night to get a break from the UTH table. Food was OK. About 4 hours later my stomach started to hurt. Went to the bathroom and thought nothing of it. Carol and I stopped gambling around midnight and went up to bed. At 4:00am on Saturday morning Carol started to throw up every 15 minutes for about 2 hours. I started to get a little worried and decided to leave to get closer to home. I really didn't want to have to go to the local hospital there to get Carol treated so we left around 8 and I drove around 90-100 mph the entire way home with Carol just spewing in the passenger seat the entire way. I couldn't drive fast enough. I was guessing that if I got pulled over I had my pregnant wife with her trashbags full of vomit in the passenger seat would get me a free ride.





Got home and then Carol got worse. Ended up taking her to the hospital and a whole lot of shit happened that I won't get into, but in the end she had food poisoning and severe dehydration. After 11 hours we checked out and went home. Baby is healthy and doing just fine, but man what a scare. Not a good ending to a wonderful trip.

NFL Week 12(b): Azalea

When you see this picture, you know this is where the fun begins. The 13th. Challengers that are 4-5 back can make a big stride with an eagle. People in the 2nd, 3rd, or 4th to last grops must make birdie to stay in the hunt. he leaders have to make sure they don't trip up here.

So many good memories. Seve's apprarent locking up of the tournament in 86. The Norman/Olazabal winks in 98. Zack's excellent execution of this hole in 07. Tiger's putt into the water 2 (?) years ago. (Why isn't that shown more as a highlight??)

This is where the fun really begins. This is Augusta. The 13th.

And really, we have a good setup today - just like a Saturday or Sunday of a major. The early games involves some contenders that need to keep going and maybe get a big win - like an eagle. The Panthers. The Texans. The Dolphins. Atlanta. The 4:00 games are better, with more contenders playing. Jax-SF. Arizona-Tennessee. Chicago-Minnesota. The 2nd to last game is a good one - I don't care that Big Ben isn't playing. And then, of course, it's the Tiger-Phil matchup for the last game of the week, Patriots-Saints.

It's all fun from here for the next 3-4 weeks or so.

My personal 13th hole - a par 5 that is reachable with water in play - has to be one where I played in the 1st round of the 2001 US Amatuer Qualifier up in Cleveland. This was my first experience to the "new" golf - to the young bombers that would really change the game this decade.

The 13th hole at Hawk's Nest in Creston is a 530 yard par 5, off an elevated tee, with water down the right side and also water crossing in front of the green. I was playing very well - even through 11 in the qualifier - so I played conservatively - 3 wood, 5 iron, wedge, 2 putts, par - and off I go.

My playing partner was a 17 year old from California. He took out the driver and hit it 300, a beautiful draw that landed on the left side of the fairway. But - I thought to myself (and to Steve as well) - he's still got 220 over water - he can't possibly....

Oh yes- he pulled out a 2 iron, hit the highest 2 iron I have ever seen that fluttered down within 15 feet. He didn't make the egle, but it was a great birdie - and then I knew that golf in the 2000's would be different.

(This hole also is a favorite of Steve and I - we were playing a practice round here, and Steve was driving. I got a snack at the turn and was trying to eat my bag of Munchos that came with my sandwich, as Steve gunned it down the hill. My Munchos went flying out of the cart.

I immediately screamed, like a 7 year old boy * - "My Munchos!". They were lost forever in the creek. )

On the games:

Stl 20, Sea 17. I'm starting to like the fact that the Rams have not given up on the season or their coach yet.

Phi 27, Was 13. "Philadephia is angry, my friends....like an old man trying to return soup at a Deli".

Car 23, NYJ 20. Have to go against the Jets until they prove otherwise.

Ind 24, Hou 20. I can't pick the Colts-Texans games.

Cin 27, Cle 20. We will keep it close - certainly under the 13 point number.

Mia 24, Buf 17. Miami is ready to make their playoff push.

Atl 24, TB 20. Atlanta is severly overrated, and Tampa is "frisky". This will be close.

SF 16, Jax 13. The 49ers of 2 weeks ago return in a game that will be described as a "throwback" game.

SD 31, KC 20. I like the fact this could be a shootout.

Ten 27, Az 17. Do I thin the Titans can run the table and go 10-6? Maybe, just maybe.

Min 27, Chi 20. I just think that the Bears can hang for a while here.

Bal 23, Pit 10.No line on this game yet - so I will make the Ravens a best bet if the line is under 10.

NO 31, NE 24. I think people are overvaluing the Patroits.

Best bets: Last week: 7-5; Thanksgiving: 3-0. Overall: 69-75-2. 10 more here:

StL +4

Phi -9.5

Car +3.5

Mia -3.5

TB +12

Jax/SF under 41.5

KC/SD over 45

Ten -2

Chi +11

NO -1.5

* - Many of you must be saying to yourself: "You mean you whined like normal, like a 7 year old boy". Yes, that is correct.

NFL Week 12(a): Golden Bell

Going to squeeze in two holes at Augusta this week so that the math evens out and we end on the 18th hole for Week 17.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! And Thanksgiving means - NFL Football! Everyone makes a big deal about NFL Football on Thanksgiving, but usually that means the Lions lose early and the Cowboys win late. When is the last time we had some good, suspenseful Thanksgiving day games? The only one that comes to mind is the Leon Lett game - Dallas Miami, back in 1993. NFL Thanksgiving day games are tradition - but it's not like there are any recent memories from the games itself.

Well, I'll say it. Thanksgiving day NFL football is like the 12th hole at Augusta. It's a great hole - don't get me wrong - but it's resting on its reputation and we revere it because of "tradition". What tournament memories do we have from that hole? We have Couples' miraculous escape in 92. That's about it.

"Oh, but people hit it in the water and lose!!!" That's BS. Phil was not going to win the Masters last year. He's Phil. He's done. Rocco wasn't going to win in 3-4 years ago when he made a 10. And Norman, in 96, was 2 down when he dunked it in the water agaisnt Faldo.

There are no charges that start on the 12th. It's not really a birdie hole. It's a formal tradition - you aim for the fat part of the green, make par or bogey, and move on. If you are dumb enough to go for the flag, you are dumb and don't deserve to win.

Would I like to play it? Hell yes. But you never - never - see any highlights for the 12th hole on any CBS promos for the Masters (save for Couples' miracle). One highlight in 20-30 years.

(The 12th at Elks Run is the closest hole to Augusta - it's a 150 yard par 3, downhill, with water short and to the right. The green is large, however - and par is a good score. I hit my 8-9 iron, take 2 putts and leave, knowing that the meat of the course is ahead. Very much like Augusta).

The games tomorrow:

GB 27, Det 13. I'm not sure how Detroit will score with Culpepper.

Dal 31, Oak 10. God, the Raiders are bad. The Benglas gave them the game last week - and I was dancing for joy just watching that.

Den 24, NYG 23. I'm surprised at how consistently bad the Giants' D has been this year. This is a perfect time for the Broncos to snap out of their funk.

Best bets: (3 tomorrow: Last week: 7-5. Overall: 66-75-2).

GB/Det under 47

Dal -13.5

Den +6

What's the obsession?

Quick question:

Why does everyone highlight that their food has "applewood smoked" bacon? What is so special about Applewood bacon? Can't I just have regualr bacon? Who was part of this focus group? Should I make up a name....like "Peargrass Bacon" and sell it to Burger King for marketing purposes?

iOdds

Those with an iPhone have to download the iOdds application. It is a free app that shows current the spreads on all sports. It also shows halftime lines, moneyline odds and gives you in game scoring as well. But perhaps the best part of the app, is it shows the team "rotation #" which is the number you need to tell the book when wagering. Since this is the same at each casino, you can have your betting sheets all generated before you actually go to the window. This will be handy come march.

Open up App Store -> Search for "iOdds" -> install -> awesomeness ensues.

NFL Week 11: White Dogwood

The 11th hole. This is where Augusta starts to turn and be a little nasty. A stern test awaits here on this hole - now a monstrous 505 yard par 4.

Has anyone ever seen the tee box? I think the closest the gallery can get to the 11th tee is now 100 yards away - at least. The tee shot is a blind, narrow one - and a wayward drive has sanred many a recent contender. Remember Phil's foray into the woods a few years ago? The one where he tried to claim that some dumnped grass clippings in teh woods was ground under repair? He was so deep in the woods that he was an extra in a Blair Witch sequel! (bah da bum).

The approach, however, is disappointing. This view is about what you see. Most players (except if your name is K.J. Choi) have no choice but to bail right - and from there it's a 50/50 shot at a par.

This is a tough hole - where par is a great score and most golfers are looking to survive. Like teams this week - looking to somehow surivie a tough game. Teams like Atlanta, SF, Chi and Philly, Houston, the Jets, and Baltimore - all can't afford a Phil-like drive and drop a shot here. This Sunday night game will be fascinating - as it is an effective elimination game for two disappointing teams.

I had a hard time coming up with an 11th hole from my golfing history - I have most of the back nine set so far - but the best I could do is the 11th at Walden Ponds. A par 4 of 400 yards, I somehow always have trouble on the drive. The drive does not set up well for me at all. The apporach is very similar to Augusta, with a lake of the right instead of the left. All of us usually bail left. The one saving grace for me is that for some unknown reason, I always make putts on this hole. I have made countless par puttts of 12 feet on this green. I don't know what it is.

Here we go, starting with the game of the week:

Det 20, Cle 10. Yes - you guessed it! Don Criqui is confirmed to be the announcer this week for this game! This means he has done the Browns/Bills classic 5 weeks ago, this game - and I will wager that he wil lbe on duty to do the Browns/Raiders game on Dec 27.

Dal 31, Was 13. I've gone back and forth on this one. I think good Dallas will prevail here.

GB 23, SF 20, OT. The inconsistent Packers come out again.

Pit 29, KC 17. The Steelers will get a big win here.

Min 24, Sea 13. Not much to say here - an easy win for the Vikes.

NYG 27, Atl 17. A must win for the Giants, and I will go with the desperate team. I think the Falcons' season is over.

NO 30, TB 20. I refuse to pick any more Bucs' games.

Jax 20, Buf 19. No reason - new coach in Buffalo, plus a letdown of sorts for the Jags.

Ind 27, Bal 20. I still don't believe the Ravens are that good. Hwoever, I'm scared of a letdown from the Colts.

Az 31, StL 17. How many weeks in a row now are the Rams a home underdog?

SD 23, Den 13. No word yet on who the Denver QB will be.

Cin 20, Oak 14. Here's the letdown of the week. Cincy will score a late touchdown to win.

NE 30, NYJ 13. The Pats have to fired up for this one, right?

Chi 23, Phi 17. The Eagles have no running game - and a good defense wil be abale to cpaitalize on that.

Hou 30, Ten 24, OT. A barn burner on Monday night- to make up for last week's debacle. Sorry about that, folks!

Best bets: Do I have to? 12 this week. Last week: 4-9; overall: 59-70-2.

Dal -11

SF +6.5

Pit/KC over 40

Sea/Min under 46.5

NYG -7

Buf +8.5

Ind -1.5

Az -9

Oak +9.5

NE -10.5

Chi +3

Ten/Hou over 48

Vegas Caddies

I'd like to see Eric putt in Vegas with one of these caddies:

ParMates

And yes, that's Royal Links in the background.

Quick note

As we prepare to shock the world tonight*, I musy say publicly that I applaud Belichick and feel he made a good decision.

For thsoe in stats:

P (converting on a 4th and 2) > 0.5 > P(stopping Manning on an 80 yard drive with 2:00 left)

In other words:
- it's better than 50/50 that if you punt, you lose
- You have a better chance to make the 4th and 2 than you do to stop the Colts

So -why not play the statistics and go for it? It's a smart move. It didn't work out.

* - by "shock the world", I mean either:
a. having a coach fired during the 3rd quarter of the game
b. Using 4 quarterbacks in a half
c. By having less than 5 turnovers

Vegas Countdown

Roughly 8 pay periods left until Vegas!

Layup and I were discussing craps strategy and I am hoping to get in one last practice run prior to Vegas. I feel like I need a little more time at the range before we tee off for real, but I'm not sure that I'm going to get up to Foxwoods prior to the trip. If I can't get out prior to the trip, I might sneak away on Wednesday night for a quick $5 craps session at the Monte if anyone's interested.

Why the Monte? Well, besides being able to work on my tan while indoors, I'll get the MGM Mirage comp points and I'm hoping that the Monte will have $5 tables on Wednesday night.

Are you a nerd?

So Layup texted me on Monday. His text was:

"TASC made the front page of the journal".

(TASC was the first company I worked for, and it has been bought out twice. )

Now, if your first thought after reading that text is:

"Hmmm...I wonder what scientific journal Layup is reading? "

then you are a nerd. I would wager that Laura and probably Kermit had the same thought as I.

The rest of you obviously saw "journal" and associated it with the Wall Street Journal. You are normal, well-adjusted business people. Not I.

NFL Week 10: Camelia

Well, this picture just warms the heart, doesn't it? This is where the course becomes familiar to many of us. From here on out, we know the holes, the history, the tradition behind the back 9 of the Masters.

At this point, the field of golfers where the winner will come from starts to get winnowed down. I still don't believe that "the tournament begins" here, but it does start to get defined.

No one remembers shots in the final round of the Masters from the front 9 - but the shots on the back 9 will live in infamy. There are plenty of good and bad memories of this hole:

- Crenshaw's putt in 1984
- Nicklaus's birdie to keep it going in 86

- Plenty of errant shots to the left - Norman always seems to spring to mind - that results in a bogey, at best

(and - by the way - Masters playoffs should always start on 10. None of this "go back to 18" crap. When you think playoff at Augusta, you always think #10. I wish they would go back to this....)

Likewise, the NFL season start to define itself and winnow down its opponents at this time. We've already found out that the Bears are not going to represent the NFC. The loser of the Jets/Jags game is probably out of the playoffs. Another Atlanta loss cripples their hopes. The loser of the Eagles/chargers game is in real trouble. Green Bay needs win, or else. So does Seattle. And - if the Bengals win this week, it's a franchise defining moment - like Crenshaw's putt in 84.

In many ways, the 10th hole defines the round for any golfer. I remember the 1986 State Qualifier, played at Rocky Point. Back then, I hit a 210 yards banana slice off the tee. I somehow birdied 6 and 7 to get to 2 under - 2 under!!!!! - in the state qualifier. A routine bogey on 8 and a par on 9 sent me to the 10th hole at 1 under.

My only thought on the entie walk from the 9th green to the 10th tee was: "Don't hit it in the bay. Don't hit it in the bay". The 10th hole was a longish par 4 that hugged the Chesapeake Bay, with the Bay all down the right side.

With my pulse racing, I teed off --- the ball started down the right hand side of the fairway....and kept going right. I think I made 7.

(However, I did eventually qualify for the State with a smooth 89.......which then led me to be escorted to the State Championship in a police car with 5 Dulaney assholes. But that's another story for another time.)

On to the picks:

Den 23, Was 16. I think the Skins are a cure for what ails any team in the NFC (The Browns are the elixir for AFC teams).

Ten 27, Buf 20. I think this will be a surprisingly entertaining game.

NO 34, StL 16. The Saints will want to have an easy game for once - get on top and stay ahead for a while. None of this comeback stuff this week.

Pit 27, Cin 17. I am already hearing Steelers' fans excuses for this game. "It's not fair we have to play them on a short week! Boo hoo!"

NYJ 24, Jax 13. I refuse to believe that the Jaguars are good enough to win this game.

Min 30, Det 17. The late pick-6 against Detroit killed me last week. This is the classic back door cover - Minnesota will be up 23-0 at half; Tavaris Jackson will come in, and the Lions will score lots of garbage points.

Mia 27, TB 13. Do you realize how many points the Packers GAVE the Bucs last week? The Bucs are no good. No good at all.

Car 27, Atl 20. I think the real 2009 Falcons have shown themselves over the last 2 games.

KC 20, Oak 17. May rival the Browns-Bills classic as "worst game of the year". However, we still have Browns-Raiders week 16 and Browns-Chiefs Week 15, so stay tuned! This award is not over yet!

Phi 24, SD 23. I give up on both these teams.

Dal 29, GB 17. The Packers are overrated.

Az 24, Sea 20. There's some desperation here for the Seahawks.

Ind 31, NE 24. Something just isn't right for the Patrioits this year. They are good, but not dominant. I think the Colts win by 7.

Bal 27, Cle 13. The nation will be subjected to wathcing the dreck I have to watch every week. I predict record high ratings for Leno on Modnay night.

Best bets: 13 of them. Last week: 4-12 (ugh). Overall: 55-61-2.

Den -3.5

Buf/Ten over 41

NO -13.5

Pit -7

NYJ -6.5

Det +16.5

Mia -10

Car +1.5

KC +2

Dal -3

Sea +8.5

Ind -2.5

NE/Ind over 48.5

7 favorites and only 4 dogs. I don't like that.

College Basketball Picks....

....to make fun of!

I will try to follow the Ohio Valley conference all year. We'll see how long this lasts.

Picks for 11/13 - and feel free to make fun of them:

Morehead +26 vs Kentucky
Austin Peay +23 vs Tennessee
Minnesota -19 vs Tenn Tech
Siena -10.5 at Tenn St

Bonus:
Youngstown St +20 vs Xavier

NFL Week 9: Carolina Cherry

The 9th hole is where things start to get serious at the Masters. You start to settle in for the long haul - you get your bowl of radishes and the beer nearby - and when the leaders approach the 9th, that's the start of 3 hours where you don't move from the couch. It's the start of the stretch where you know the lay of the land for each hole - and where not to hit it.

For instance, who will leave it short on 9 and have it spin back off the false front? Who will be abvoe the hole and have a 60 foot putt where you aim 90 degrees away from the hole?

It's where the tournament starts to take shape. This is where Norman spun the ball off the green and made double to lose his lead in the 1996 Masters. It's where Nicklaus started his birdie barrage of 3 in a row in 86.

And - look at the games this week - this week is where the NFL season will start to really shape itself. Look at all the key games! Many games feature two contenders going head to head that will start to decide things. Mia-NE. Hou-Ind. Bal-Cin. SD-NYG. Dal-Phi. Pit-Den. We're starting to play important games here that will form the concrete memories of the 2009 season.

Talking about memories, one of the greatest golf lines ever was spoken on the 9th hole. Back in the late 90s, Steve, Kermit and I would meet in Columbus 5-6 times every spring and summer to meet up and play a round. One April day - it was cold and windy - we met at Bent Tree, just north of Columbus.

Steve and I were teammates - and we were playing Kermit and Ken ( I think). The weather being 45 degrees, Kermit was in hs customary T-shirt and shorts attire.

Anyway, we were playing our normal game - $2, 2-down auto presses - and a new bet started on the 9th hole. We get to the 9th, and I think Steve and I were both in with bogies.

Kermit had about a 9 footer left for par to win the hole and (at that time) a lot of money.

Steve and I tried to psych him out - "look out for that break! Mine broke left but Eric's broke right". Kermit would have none of it.

He rose from his crouch after reading the putt and said, loudly and clearly:

"This putt is as straight as my long, hard, erect dick".

There was no doubt in my mind that we lost at that moment. I think Kermit even putted it in left handed just for emphasis.

With that visual, the games for week 9:

GB 27, TB 10. I don't have a lot of faith in the Packers - with the young offensive line - but geesh, Tampa is horrid.

NE 31, Mia 16. I think this is a let down game for the Dolphins - and Belichick won't let the Pats forget last year.

Jax 20, KC 13. Yikes. How many people will show up for this one in Jacksonville?

Ind 34, Hou 17. It's time to go against the Texans again. And I think this is a statement game for the Colts - to make sure everyone know who's still boss in the AFC South.

Cin 27, Bal 24. I still have a lot of questions about Baltimore's pass defense. Palmer will be able to move the ball against them.

Az 23, Chi 16. Boy, for winning 30-6, the Bears were thoroughly unimpressive against us last week. And I have benched Forte for good.

Atl 24, Was 13. I keep being disappointed in the Falcons. Something tells me they should be better than they are.....but they aren't.

Sea 23, Det 20, OT. Just a wild hunch.

NO 27, Car 20. I think this is the real Carolina - they are not a bad team if Delhomme doesn't shoot them in the foot.

SF 27, Ten 13. Nope - not buying Vince against a decent 49ers team.

NYG 31, SD 20. I just can't see Norv coming to NY and beating a Tom Coughlin-coaached team that is angry and has lost 3 in a row.

Phi 26, Dal 17. I give up with the Cowboys. Going with my heart and sayign the Eagles' pressure will force too many mistakes by Romo.

Den 27, Pit 20. A high scoring game here, especially with Pittsburgh's offense. I think McDaniel will have them ready at home on Monday night. Just like next week, right? The home team will be ready to go next Monday night? Right? Right? Hello? Is this thing on?

Best bets: 16 of them this week. 7-5 last week; 51-49-2 overall.

GB -9.5

GB/TB under 43.5

NE -10.5

KC/Jax under 41.5

Ind -8.5

Cin +2.5

Bal/Cin over 44.5

Az +2.5

Det +10

Car +13

SF -4

NYG -4.5

Phi -2.5

Dal/Phi under 50

Den +2.5

Pit/Den over 40

Monopoly

Lee and I were chatting last night about what is something new that we can do out in Vegas for our March trip and while we already decided on Monopoly tourney, Lee added a wonderful component that could take it to the next level. Instead of using play money, we use real money instead. We are still working out the details and how much money will need to be put up to support the bank (maybe we can contact the Feds who can help out) but holy crap this would be exciting.

We got Eric on the horn to help us out with details and all we heard from him was "you guys are idiots." No solutions.

So we need some assistance on how we can keep the entry fee within reason but still play with real money.

Election Day Preview

So many things going on right now - for example: George Kokinis, the GM of the Browns, being escorted out of the building.....

.....but it's time for a quick Election day 2009 Preview! Some very interesting races to watch tomorrow:

1. Virginia Governor: Obama won this state and officially made it "purple"; it may have even been purple when Jim Webb defeated George Allen in 2006 (with the help of the Macaca comment and the Washington Post).

However, the Republican (McDonnell) is solidly ahead of the Democrat (Deeds). Off-the-record reporting has the White House already complaining about the campaigning style of Deeds.

This race was close for a while - but now it seems that the Republican is pulling ahead. If the margin is 12-15%, this should send shivers down the spines of many Democrtic senators and reps that were elected from purple states like Virginia.

A McDonnell win of 14% or more signifies a massive vote against Obama in VA; a win of 6-7% or less can be spun favorably for the White House.

EZ line: McDonnell -10.3%

2. New Jersey Governor: Jon Corzine (D) is one of the most unpopular governors in the country - and still may win tomorrow. His ceiling for hte vote is about 43-45%; the race is complicated, as a moderate, heavy-set Republican (Chris Christie) is running as well as a rich Independent. The Indepedent is consisntely polling over 10%.

( I call out Christie's weight because - well, he has done so himself. He has challneged Corzine to stop with the snide comments on his weight and said "Man Up, Governor - Call me Fat!")

The polls are all right around 44-44-12; this is a classic race where the independent voters will decide it and figure out who to vote for - and whether they feel like making a statement by voting for the independent. If the independent gets over 15%, Corzine wins; if he gets less than 10%, Christie wins. It will be fascinating to see how many people say "to hell with both parties" and vote for the Independent.

EZ Line: Corzine -1.0%

3. New York 23rd Congressional: Wow. Where do I start here? This is a special election for a representative in Congress in a traditional Republican district. The parties' nominees were determined by the parties, not by a primary - and the Republicans nomintes a moderate- to - liberal woman, Dede Scozzafava.

Well, the Conservative Party in New York - who usually also nominates the person nominated by the R's - decided not to back Dede, but a conservative, Doug Hoffman. (Just don't ask about New York's wild election rules/parties).

The Conservative party is dominated by the "Tea Party" activists - those for less spending, less taxes, and less government intervention.

Most of the R leadership - but not all - supported Dede to begin with, but some signifncant others, like Glenn Beck and Sarah Palin, supported Hoffman.

As of last week, this was a very tight 3-way race, with Hoffman gaining momentum.

Then on Saturday, Dede dropped out - and today, she threw her support to.....the Democrat, Bill Owens!

There really isn't a precedent for a race like this in American politics, so it's impossible to figure out what is really going on or predict what will happen. Nonetheless, this is a fight for the Republican party and its principles - and how powerful the Tea Party movement really is.

This race can give many clues for 2010 and beyond. How poluar is the Tea Party? Should the Republicans really stand for something distinct from the last 6-8 years? Do voters really see much of a difference between the two parties - and are they comfortable going otuside the box?

EZ Line: Hoffman -1.5%.

4. Ohio Issue 3. This is like the Cleveland Browns of the 1980s- 3 times the Browns were within one step of the Super Bowl - and 3 times they were turned away.

This is the third attempt to pass legalize Casino gaming on Ohio in the past 4 years. Is this the year? Polls say it will pass....but we have heard this before. I will not get my hopes up.

EZ Line: No, -3.3%

5. Ohio Issue 2. Frankly, I don't care about this - but I did a little vote trading with my mother-in-law. She is a big Issue 2 supporter; I said I would support it if she voted yes on Issue 3. We have a deal!

EZ Line: Yes, -5.6%

Short Rest

OK, I get having CC pitch on short rest - he has a proven record of pitching well on short rest. However, once you go down that road - now you are forced to bring back Burnett on short rest. And forced to bring back Pettitte on short rest. Do we know how they will perform on short rest? Burnett who has had TJ surgery in his career, and Pettitte pitching HGH-free at this advanced stage in his career?

All I am saying is that this series ain't over! :)

NFL Week 8: Yellow Jasmine

OK, I'll say it: this hole is porbably the most boring hole on the course. An uphill par 5 with one fairway bunker on the right and a blind shot to teh green which is well guarded by - mounds. Mounds! When you think par 5's at Augusta, you think Water. Rae's creek. The Sarazen bridge.

Here? You think of a big mound to the right of the green - which today's players, with their creativity and prowess, can handle very well.

This is a perfect hole for the players to catch their breath; eagles are extremely rare, and you won't be passed by the field if you par. Just don't make a big mistake and move on.

That's what this week is in the NFL - another "big" bye week, with 6 of the teams sitting out (including my second favorite team this year, the Kansas City Chiefs). There is one marquee game - the Packers-Vikings showdown - but this is so overhyped it's sad. It's like Tiger and Phil walking through #8 - in the 11th group off the tee. Yeah, it's big, but there's so much more going on out there (like the World Series, NBA, the big NY-23 Special Election.....)

It's a boring hole representing a boring NFL week. It was hard for me to remember any 8th holes that are par 5's and fit this bill. The only one I could think of is the 8th at Moraine CC in Dayton, which of course probably none of you have played. It's a downhill, open, 580 yard par 5 that is devoid of any distinguishing characteristics. It's a space filler to get you from the 7th green to the 9th tee.

It's 4 in the morning. I can't do much better than that right now. On to the games:

Bal 27, Den 17. This should be an interesting game; I have to believe the Ravens will come out ready to play for this one.

Chi 28, Cle 10. Ugh.

Hou 24, Buf 16 The Ryan Fitzpatrick tour for the Bills has got to come to an end, right? And it's Houston's turn for a good week.

Ind 33, SF 16. Really - who can stop the Colts right now? Anyone?

Mia 24, NYJ 21 The Dolphins will force Sanchez to try to beat them - and he can't. That's how the saints won last week against Miami - through the air; the Jets don't have the passing game righ tnow to do that. They are very one-dimensional. Miami will take advantage and sweep the series.

StL 27, Det 26. I just can't believe the love the Lions are getting. They still are a 1 win team, you know. People see the Lions as one of the "better" bad teams in teh league. They still have no defense - and the Rams have weapons. I'm calling the upset.

Dal 28, Sea 20. Two teams I have no handle on.

NYG 27, Phi 20. I just don't think the Eagles are that good. I mean, they are good - but not at a high level. And the Giants will be pissed.

SD 27, Oak 10. I don't trust the Chargers to cover this large spread here.

Jax 23, Ten 13. Vince Young returns! please form a line if you are picking him up for your fantasy team.......

Min 28, GB 24. Just a hunch here. Allen vs the Packers' young offensive line, take 2.

Az 27, Car 10. Wow - I do not fathom how the panthers are this awful.

NO 31, Atl 26. Atlanta is a good team. They won't be embarrassed for a second straight week - especially not on Monday night.

Best bets: 12 of them. Bad week last week: 5-8-1; overall: 44-44-1

Bal -3.5
Hou -3

Ind -13

Mia +3.5

StL +4

StL/Det over 43.5

NYG -1

Jax +3

Jax/Ten under 44.5

Min +3

Az -10

Atl +11

For those who lean to the right

Eric, I am assuming this is already on your BlackBerry.

Lots of action

Love these short little posts everyone is going with. Feels like I'm twittering but a little more cumbersome. Almost like when email came about and you had that one friend that continued to send letters. Classic.

Anyway, had to complete 2 hours of Sexual Harassment training yesterday and they had skit that hit a little too close for home. They had this thing about blogging and the content that is posted and how that cane come back on you at work. Hmmm. Better be careful.

Fashion Question

So today, I see someone walking down our hallway in blue jeans....and a formal dark blue blazer.

Quick poll: Is this fashionable or douchy? I say douchy, but most of you know my taste in fashion lacks a lot.

I'm Torn...

I hate the Yankees, but I also hate the National League and all things Philadelphia (minus the cheesesteaks). So, short of the stadium collapsing, I'm not sure what to root for.

Clearly, Schillzilla has let his Yankee hatred make his pick for him. I think that that's an easier call when you're a Red Sawx fan, but it's not that cut and dried for me. I watched the game last night and figured that I would just naturally root for one team that would just be what it was. I found myself rooting against both teams, hating it when either was successful, unable to enjoy either team's success.

Can anyone help me make this decision? Or should I just start my Patriot league college hoops prep now and write off baseball all together?

Its good to have Pedro back

In the spirit of Pedro, I think I might be the most influential blogger on the Internet.

I hope Burnett craps all over himself tonight. Mwuhahahah!

What's worse?

Listening to people complain about bad beats in poker or people complaining about fantasy football.

Let's go Skins.

Wow the Skins are bad. And I know it was hammered into the ground tonight by the announcing crew, but these players stink. Not too sure if it is the play calling.

1. Had a big integration presentation at one of the new company's office location today. Had to talk for 90 minutes while this fat older lady in the front row sat with her legs semi open in a mini skirt right in front of me. Sort of distracting. And not in a "Hmmm, what do we have here" way, but in a "WTF, close your legs woman!!!" type of way.

2. I've been wondering what products Trader Joes sells that attracts an insane amount of attractive women compared to other grocery stores. The answer after many mornings and evenings of research? Greek Yogurt and 29 cent apples.

3. Carol and I were discussing what to do for Thanksgiving and my wonderful wife wants to go to Vegas. Done and done. 4-1 odds that Carol will have the baby on the floor of the Mirage. Even odds that I won't walk away from a hot craps table if she is having the baby on the floor of the Mirage.

A statement

At 2:45 this Sunday, I went outside and played football in the backyard with Freddie and Warren. It was a lot of fun - a nice, 65 degree day. Freddie is practicing punting - he loved to kick off to us - and then I would lateral to Warren and "hold" Freddie so Warren could run all the way across the yard.

Some of you think that this is a wonderful moment in the life of a father. And it is!

Some of you can also understand the hint of sadness as I write that.

NFL Week 7: Pampas

Many people say that the tournament at Augusta starts on Sunday on the 10th tee. I disagree. I think the 7th hole is where the pressure starts to mount and where the players are first fully tested. The 7th is where we start to figure out who is for real and who just got lucky for the first 6 holes.

Maybe it's because of the CBS TV coverage - where for many years, TV coverage on Saturday and Sunday was only limited to 3 hours - so the 7th was really the first hole that TV viewers got to see many golfers play.

It's a tight par 4 that now requires an accurate drive to thread the trees. What's left is a mid iron to a very narrow, sloped green that is well bunkered. A par is a good score - and it will punish any off line shots for those not on their games.

Think about it. You come out of commercial - and Jim Nantz tells you "Let's go to 7 - here is Justin Rose, making an early move...he's -3 thru the first 6. " And then whack - into the trees. He's done. You know it, Nantz knows in, Feherty knows it. The 7th is the first test for these pretenders. Rose is on his way to a 6, and you don't worry about him again.

It works the other way as well...."Here's Shingo Katayama with a delicate downhill putt.....and it's in! He's now 2 back!" Now you unconsciously consider him a contender.

The most appropriate equivalent hole for the 7th at Augusta is the 7th at Blue Ash. A medium length, tight hole - it requires a good drive. The 7th at Blue Ash has one fairway bunker - a bunker that I hit 6 straight times in 2006-07 that it is now known as the Zahn bunker.

(I made par from there 4 out of 6 times, however, much to the dismay of Don).

So - this is the week to separate the leaders from the possible contenders. Which teams at 4-2, 3-3, 3-2 will birdie and go up the leaderboard -and which will mess up here and not be heard from again on the telecast? This is a crucial week for Stephen Ames-like and Scott Verplank-like teams, such as Dallas, San Diego, Green Bay, NY Jets, Arizona, and Philly.

NE 34, TB 13. Will Belicheck be comfortable enough to run up the score for the Brits in London? I say yes. They will see more points here than in a season of Aston Villa games.

(Ha! I kill me....)

Ind 34, StL 19. St Louis can move the ball - I predict a couple of garbage touchdowns here for the Rams in the 4th quarter.

Pit 26, Min 24. NFL secret #1 that I told you last week: Baltimore's pass defense isn't very good.

Secret #2: Pittsburgh's isn't much better.

SD 22, KC 21. Cracks are showing in the Chargers' armour! LT vs Norv! Offense vs Defense! Will the Broncos clich the division by week 10?

SF 27, Hou 20. Gore is back - the 49ers are on a bye - and the zig-zag theory says the Texans are due for a bad game. This game may not even be this close.

Cle 20, GB 17. If I'm the Packers, I am scared of this game. The Browns play better at home (well, let's be clear - Derek Anderson plays better at home). The Browns are not as bad as they are made out to be (I believe we are 34th in the power rankings) because of our schedule (4 of the last 5 on the road, we've played 5 playoff contenders (2 of them undefeated), and the Browns have not quit/abandoned the coach. Mangini is made out to be the devil because he installs discipline- yet Rex Ryan is now starting to make the Jets run laps in New York and he's regarded as a genius who is bringing tough love at the right time.

Cleveland, though void of talent, will not beat itself. The Packers have weaknesses, and may be looking forward to next week's home game vs. Favre.

NYJ 20, Oak 10. I truly believe that last week represents the best that Oakland can play - and they still only won by 4 over an Eagles team willing to give them the game.

Car 24, Buf 10. Likewise, Buffalo played about as good as they could last week - and won in overtime against a team that threw 6 interceptions. That's not happening again. (you do know that Jake Delhomme is still the QB in Carolina, right? -ed.)

NO 20, Mia 17. Don't you think that Miami's strategy against the Saints will be the same one that almost worked against the Colts?

Atl 23, Dal 17. In Dallas - there's no "there" there. What does Dallas do well? Quickly......

They have no wins of note. They struggle vs. good defenses. I don't see it.

Cin 30, Chi 20. I think Cincinnati is another "zig-zag" team. They will bounce back.

NYG 28, Az 20. No real idea on what will happen here.

Phi 19, Was 16. The last stand for Zorn and the Skins. They will make a game of this.

Best bets: 14 this week. (Last week: 9-6-1; overall: 39-36-1)
NE -15
Ind/StL over 45.5

Min +6

KC +5

SF +3

NYJ -6

Car -7

Mia +6

NO/Mia under 47.5

Atl +4.5

Atl/Dal under 48

Cin pk

Chi/Cin over 42.5

Was +7

What a racket

So - after months of using the gym for the treadmill, pool and hot tub (and the occasional pick-up basketball game), I got the courage to go to the personal training desk and ask for an initial consultation with a personal trainer. My goal was to see if I could get advice on exercises that I could do to get better in shape and improve my golf performance.


Wow - I really did not know what kind of shark-tank used-car salesman atmosphere I signed up for.


So, the initial meeting started off by me filling out a questionnaire. One of the first questions:

"How motivated are you to achieve your fitness goals?" (on a scale of 1-10)

Honestly? I mean, I could lie and put "10" - but I know that Sausage McMuffins with egg trumps that motivation every time. So I put "4". I think that's realistic.

"What do you eat for meals each day?" I mean, what kind of question is that? I don't eat the same thing for lunch or dinner. Breakfast? I was honest again and said "nothing, or a granola bar". Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's bad.

Snacks? Well, a cookie in the afternoon....

Then I did a series of tests. First was the upper body strength test. They gave me a bar (hooked up to a computer), and asked me to "curl" it like a bicep curl.

He said go - I pulled - and the bar did not move. After 2 seconds of panicing, he told me it was not supposed to move. Thanks for having me think I was as strong as a 10 year old girl.

Next was the flexibility test. I sat on the ground, feet straight out and against the wall, and my back at a 90 degree angle to the floor.

Then, I put my hands straight out. He then instructed me to bend forward and reach as far forward as I can.

I didn't miss a beat. I said "you mean, in addition to what I am doing now?" My arms went forward a good 3-4 inches more.

Next, the fat test. They were supposed to use that caliper thingy and pinch my fat to figure out a body percentage. I have no idea what that is supposed to do, or measure. They tried to get some skin in an area between my nipple and arm pit (would this be called the upper right chest area?)


Well, after 5 attempts at doing this, they couldn't "grab" a good enough sample, so they just took some measurements and said that was good enough. I wasn't sure if I should feel embarrased or thankful.

Finally, there was the heart rate/VO2 test....whatever VO2 stands for. I ran for five minutes on a treadmill without passing out.

The results came back. He reviewed them with me:

- Upper body strength came back as "average". I'm as shocked as anyone about this. I can't believe I am considered as high as average. Well, that's good!

- Flexibility was off the charts bad. Well, I shouldn't say off the charts. On the bar chart that showed where I stood in relation to people in my age group, I saw a slight sliver of the bar on the left. So I guess there is one or two 37 year olds in America that is less flexible than me.

- Body fat? Hoo boy. Let's just say my body fat percentage equals a good 9-hole golf score for me. Is this really right?

- I have average-to-above-average cardio performance.

I mean, you think about the above results - it's like I am four different people. How can I have that high body fat and yet run 6 miles a day?

Now came the hard sell.

"What's your target weight loss?" he asked. Wel, most of you can guess within 10 pounds or so on my weight. I said I would like to lose 20 pounds.

"Well, I think - in 10 months - we can get to you a target weight of 158 pounds".

I just laughed at him.

Next, he stressed the importance of understanding my heart rate and how it affects my workout. "Here are monitors that can give you that infomration during your workout" - starting from $200 to $400. I said no, I'll pass for now.

Now, the final sell.

"As far as a training plan, I can work with you 2 or 3 times a week, where we work on different areas to get you in shape.Maybe even have you run a mini-marathon!"

How much is each session, I wondered?

"Each session with me is $69. So that's a cost of..... $550-$800 dollars per month."

I was literally speechless for 30 seconds as I tried to process that information.

Am I expecting too much if my expectations are:
- to meet with a trainer once a month (or so)
- get some ideas for exercises from teh trainer
- I go off on my own and do them (let's be honest - maybe 8 times a month)
- check in with him every month to review progress
?

Is this not an option in their world?

Ian Poulter's Closet

A little video:

Ian Poulter's Closet

Now, I know you guys probably hate him cause he's a Euro but this is crazy. 26 pairs of shoes. Quote of video "I'm gonna have to be feeling confident to go on the course..." referring to a pair of red and pink golf shoes. I wouldn't have thought he had a problem with confidence and his attire.

NFL Week 6: Juniper

The 6th at Augusta is a relatively short par 3, downhill to a large but tricky green. The scenery is beautiful - it is next to the 16th and you have to hit over a hill filled with blooming flowers - but the hole itself is unremarkable, except for the green.

You must position yourself on the correct portion of the green to guarantee a par - if you are on the wrong tier, it's death - and you can't 2 putt. The tee shot is not the issue - the problems arise on the green.

As I was going through the games, the picking seemed fairly striaghtforward this week until the later games - then it became difficult. The 1:00 games seemed easy to pick winners - but the 4:00 and onward presented challenges. Az-Sea? Chi-Atl? Den-SD? A good day picking can be for nought if you don't finish properly.

As I was racking my brain for 6th holes that are a par 3 that fit this description, the only one that came to mind was the 6th at Grand Victoria. A short par 3 (140 yards) over water puts you on a green that is severely sloped. A certain Phillies fan on the blog putted off the green last time we played. However, it's easy to lose concentration on a casino golf course - if you get off to a bad start, all you want to do is leave after 9 and go roll the dice. They should hold all Amateur tournaments at Casino golf courses to additionally test the mental states of golfers.

But then I came upon anohter par-3 6th hole, one that is probably the highlight of my golfing career. It was at Kirtland CC in Cleveland, and I was playing in the 2003 US Open Sectional. If I win, I go on to play with Tiger, im Furyk and all at Olympia Fields (in, honestly, one of the more forgettable US Opens in memory).

After chipping in for birdie on #1 (why didn't the USGA replace the 36-hole round with a sudden death playoff?), I was even coming to #6. I hit the green, and faced a very delicate 25 footer down the hill.

There were about 40 people around the green - half were part of the Youngstown Mafia* following my playing partner (we were in twosomes), and half were there to see Chad Campbell playing 4 groups behind. The 6th green was near the clubhouse, so it was a logical point for spectators to gather watching players go by.

I somehow rolled in the 25 footer to go 1 under, and with the crowd gently clapping (which included Kermit, who managed to get out of bed at get to the course by 9:30 am!) - I gave them my patented pompous, arrogant wave. It's the smug one-handed subtle wave that I used to piss Steve off with in 1990 - and I kept it ever since.

Anyway, with that trip down memory lane over, let's see if the Browns will allow me to give that arrogant wave to my Steelers neighbor this week. On to the picks:

KC 20, Was 17. Gees, most of you probably think I'm a Chiefs fan - by the way I pick them every week.

TB 17, Car 16. I think Carolina is awful and can lose on the road to anyone.

Pit 20, Cle 13. I don't think people realize that the Browns defense has actaully been playing solid the last few games.

NO 27, NYG 20. I base this solely on the fact that the Giants haven't beaten anyone of note.

Bal 31, Min 24. I'm interested to see how Baltimore stops Jared Allen - like we did in week 1. And also the fact that Minnesota strgguled to win against the only decent team they played (San Fran). And I don't think the Ravens will lose 3 in a row. You could say that I'm trying to buy a Ravens loss here. If they win , well, I win money. If they lose, I'm happy.

The perfect score here is Min 25, Bal 24.

Jax 23, StL 13. Ugh. And someone actually was thinking of taking the Jags in the suicide pool?

GB 31, Det 17. No defense for Detroit will allow Rodgers to take advantage and score early and often.

Hou 24, Cin 23. Based on the zig-zag theory, it's time to pick the Texans; and the Bengals are due for another letdown. They had the big win vs. the Steelers, then laid an egg against the Browns; they had a big win against the Ravens last week. I don't think the Bengals are good enough to bring their A game week in and week out, consistently.

Sea 23, Az 17. I have no idea on the NFC West. Really.

Phi 27, Oak 7. You have to go against Oakland every week until 1) they cover, or 2) the line is 20 or more. Right?

NYJ 27, Buf 10. I want to say so many things here about the trade, the Bills, the Jets..........but I'm afraid I will gooch the Browns with my thoughts. Yes, the thoughts all relate to the Browns.

Let's just say that I enjoyed seeing a win again for the Browns, and am happy they are playing fundamental football. Playing mistake-free football will allow you to win games that the opponents hand to you. That's what Buffalo did. Excelling in the fundamentals will give you 4-5 wins a year, no matter what the talent level - because the coaching on other teams is so bad.

NE 33, Ten 17. CMON, CMON Brady - break out here. I need you.

Atl 26, Chi 23, OT. No real good gut feeling on this game.

SD 24, Den 17. I do believe in the power of being desperate - and SD, off a bye, is desperate.

Best bets of the week: 16 of them. Last week: 7-7; overall: 37-37.

KC +6

TB +3

Car/TB under 39

NO -3.5

Bal +3

Bal/Min over 44.5

StL/Jax under 43

Hou +5

Sea -3

Az/Sea under 46.5

Phi -14

Phi/Oak under 40.5

NYJ -9.5

NE -9

Ten/NE over 42.5

SD -3.5

* - I don't believe I am lying about the Mafia thing. There were some truly shady characters in our gallery all day. Steve - thoughts?