NFL Week 2: Lawn Care

Well, that was a rough start to the 2014 NFL season. 1-4 in the Supercontest picks (although 1 better than someone I know), a losing record overall, lost 2 of my 3 fantasy leagues, and of course the Browns lose in dramatic fashion. I should have known; I watched the game in Macau where it's now a trend with the Browns losing heartbreakers when I watch the game at the Venetian:

2010: NY Jets 26, Cleveland 20, OT
2013: New England 27, Cleveland 26
2014; Pittsburgh 30, Cleveland 27

Oh well. A 3 point road loss to Pittsburgh isn't the end of the world. Let's move to week 2.

We have a picture from 2011 when we still lived in our apartment in the city and came out to visit friends of ours at the Golden Lake housing complex. (In 2012, we moved out to Golden Lake and no are very good friends with this family). Here is their side yard - you can see our boys playing on the trampoline (with Martin, age 3, trying valiantly to get on).

But what's that to the left of the trampoline? That's lawn care in China. There are two workers from the complex on the knees - well, actually squatting - and doing lawn care. I think in this picture they are actually weeding. They spent over an hour weeding the lawn by hand - with one of those hand-held, two prong gardening instruments.

This photo I think shows the dichotomy of China right now . It wants to be modern and more "Western", but still relies heavily on good old man-power to get things done. It's as if the industrial revolution hasn't come to parts of China yet. I have played golf where we go by a bunker and there are 10 ladies - all dressed in hats, long sleeves, and long pants on a 100-degree day - doing a "relay" of sod squares to repair a bunker. 10 people!

It also highlights the rich-poor gap in China. There are insanely rich Chinese people (not counting the ex-pats), and yet, in the same city, we have workers doing hand-weeding as a full time job. I may have a picture of some of the cars in the garage of our apartment (where we used to live) - Bentleys, 4-door Lamborghinis, etc.

I guess this is the result of a society with a low cost of labor........but what happens when the labor costs go up and these manual jobs disappear? I think a lot of economists are trying to figure that out, and are a bit frightened at the possibilities. Some sort of class war will be coming here....not this year, not in the next 5 years, but probably in our lifetime. I don't think I want to be here when it happens.

Anyway, on to lighter things...it's clear now that we have a rich-poor gap in the NFL. Wes Welker can be re-instated, the Doobie Brothers on the Steelers can face no punishment for their pot-smoking hijinks, but Josh Gordon? No way in hell - 10 games for you. It's like we will always be the weeders on the lawn looking up at those ex-pats on the trampoline ....until we get a quarterback.

(Do we have one? This week will tell a lot).

On to the games:

Mia 23, Buf 20. I've been going back and forth on this one - I just am more impressed with Mia's win than Buffalo's. Should be a very close game.

Was 27, Jax 13. How the hell did Jax not cover last week? They could not score at all once Phi stopped turning the ball over - and Washington's defense impressed me.

Dal 27, Ten 24. Romo can't have 2 disasterous games back to back, can he? Don't answer that.

Az 20, NYG 16. Maybe the preseason does matter, after all. My Giants pick last week could be the dumbest pick I have made in a while.

NE 31, Min 20. I'll take this even as the line increases above 5. I refuse to believe that the Patriots are "done", with all that talent. They will score here, and I don't think the Vikes can keep up.

Cin 27, Atl 16. I'm impressed with Cincinnati. Moved up and down the field against the Ravens - who may have a good defense. They will score TD's against the Falcons.

Car 27, Det 24. Again, not sure what to think here. Two evenly matched teams; I don't know if the Lions D is as good as they showed Monday night.

TB 27, StL 10. Banking on a bounceback from the Bucs and a continuation of the mess in St Louis.

Sea 19, SD 17. This is a scary game for the Hawks. They don't usually play well outdoors, on the road, against halfway-decent defenses.

Oak 19, Hou 17. Just a feeling here. Don't think Fitzpatrick can get it done on the road for the Texans.

GB 31, NYJ 17. The Jets will struggle on O - GB has a weak pass D, but how do the Jets take advantage of that?

Den 31, KC 23. Reid will have this team ready on the offensive side of the ball - but Denver is just too much.

Chi 28, SF 27. I don't think the Niners are elite; Dallas gave them the game last week, and Dallas was moving at will.

Ind 30, Phi 24. The improvements on the D side will help the Colts.

Best bets: 16 of them; last week: 5-9-1:
Was -6
Dal +3 1/2
Az/NYG under 42 1/2
NE -5 1/2
Cin -5 1/2
Atl/Cin under 49
Det/Car over 44
TB -5 1/2
SD +5
Sea/SD under 44
Oak +3
GB -7 1/2
KC +12
Chi +7
Chi/SF over 48
Ind -3


Supercontest picks: Last week: 1-4
Was -6
Dal +3 1/2
NE -3
Cin -5 1/2
Chi +6 1/2