NFL Week 9 Anagram

This week's anagram:

"Brick Degen"

That could have been my nickname as a small forward for the 1988-89 SCDS Cavaliers, as I constantly put up missed shots (but I was helping my teammate's offensive rebounding numbers in the process) - but rearrange those letters to form the name of what famous NFL announcer?

One hint this week - and you may have to do research on this - "Where's Huddles?"

NFL Week 8: Al Michaels

Our announcer in focus this week is: Al Michaels!

I don't have the space or the time here to detail Al's entire career here. Any sort of casual sports fan knows he is currently the #1, premier announcer in all of sports broadcasting right now - yes, even over Jim Nantz. I think Al was at his best about 5-10 years ago, and is starting to slip ever so slowly on broadcasts - but still, when he is doing an event, you stand up and take notice.

Al started at ABC in 1977; before that, he bounced around doing local broadcast in Hawaii, San Francisco, and yes, Cincinnati. He was the Reds play by play announcer with Joe Nuxhall for the early days of the Big Red machine. His first year was 1972 - which was the first year the Reds made the World Series. Here's the deciding game 5 at Old Riverfront,  9th inning, with the Pirates leading 3-2. Bench homers to tie it up; after a couple more singles, the winning run for the Reds comes in....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4EijwKZaCI

It's amazing how similar Michaels is to Vin Scully on some of those calls.

He then went to ABC sports in 1977 where he became an instant superstar in 1980 with the Winter Olympics and the call of the US-USSR hockey game. Legend has it that the ABC Olympics team had no one who did Hockey play by play regularly; they asked for volunteers and Michaels said he had done 1 game in the past - so voila! He's doing hockey!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gfD134ED54

I am just amazed at how Michaels can keep getting the Russian names correct during that last minute. How do you maintain the professionalism and call the play with 5 and 6 syllable foreign names during that? Amazing.

In the 80s, ABC seemed to be the premier network for sporting events - they had baseball, boxing, and the Olympics, and Monday Night Football. Michaels was on the call for the 1989 series - the Quake - and then the 1985 Series. Going back and watching game 6 of the 1985 series, I underestimated how tense this was. A team (Royals) trying to win their first series against their cross-state rival that clearly made them feel inferior.

And I don't know how I would have reacted if I was a Cardinal fan and seeing this happen to my team....this is worth a watch if you have a free 15 minutes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5iL_W9MucEk

(Fun fact: When I played in the 2005 Iowa Mid-Am at a country club in Waterloo, IA, we had a rain delay; we all went into the locker room to wait out the storm; I was changing into dry clothes next to Don Denkinger's locker. Didn't have a camera phone at the time)

Al's gambling references are now legendary. Here's the best one I could fine, from 2013; the over/under on this game was around 50.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ol_2OjtDieA

As for the Browns, not too many highlights on Michaels doing Browns games. I do remember this Monday Night game from 1990; this is a Browns-Broncos game in Denver in early October; this is after we had lost the AFC Champ to Denver in 3 of the past 4 years. We were 1-3 are really needed a win...... we cut Matt Bahr in training camp for a CFL kicker, Jerry Kauric....down 29-27, we'll let Al take it from here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56vQgMtoU7o&t=132s

I remember watching that as a sophomore and getting excited. OK! We're back! 2-3! Now we will rally and win the weak AFC Central!

We won one more game that year; finished 3-13 and hired a new coach next year..... whose name we all know.

More recently, the last time the Browns were on Sunday Night football was in 2008 for week 2, at home against the Steelers. I know, many of you can't believe this - but Michaels and Madden were in Cleveland for a Sunday Night Game! In our lifetime!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d45ucbB2Tx0&t=15s

I was so ready for this game - we were going to kick their ass! Do I remember watching this game? No. Hurricane Ike came through Cincinnati that afternoon, knocking out power for 300,000 people in Cincinnati (including us), and causing ~$15,000 of damage to our roof. Power was out at our place for 4-5 days, and that was fun with a 2 week old Martin in the house.

Of course, we lost.

Vegas has put up odds:
Will Michaels be the play by play announcer for another Cleveland Browns game in his career?

Yes +300
No -450

I assume we will lose 30-10 this morning, by the way.

On to the games:
Buf 27, Oak 16. I can't see the Raiders putting up the same emotion on the road as they did last week. Their defense also has issues.

Cin 23, Ind 13. Don't like either of these two teams. Look for a low scoring game in the rain/cold.

NE 26, LAC 13. Not sold on the Chargers' O. They should have scored more against Oakland and Denver. The Pats' D is getting better. I don't see how they stay close here.

NO 31, Chi 17. Maybe I'm even being generous with the 17. How will the Bears score if the other team doesn't give them points?

Atl 27, NYJ 16.  Betting that the Falcons are trying to save their season with this game. If the Browns could outgain the Jets by 200 yards, I have to believe the Falcons will find something.

Phi 24, SF 20. The inevitable letdown by Philly. And I still like Kyle Shanahan.

Car 30, TB 23. The Bucs' D is awful. Carolina has to be pissed after last week. And is Winston hurt?

Sea 24, Hou 22. Sea's W last week masks their problems they still have on O. They can't reliably move the ball. Everyone is focusing on Watson vs the Seahawks D, but what about Sea O vs Hou D?

Dal 23, Was 20. Something about this game tells me both teams will try to run the ball. And what the heck happened to Terrelle Pryor?

Pit 27, Det 24. I see a high scoring game here, lots of passing, and a patented 4th quarter Detroit comeback/flurry before a last second Steeler field goal.

KC 23, Den 20. KC is vulnerable against the run, and I expect Denver to run run run the ball to keep it close. They have no other choice.

Best bets: 13 of them. Last week: 6-6-2; overall: 57-39-2
NO -9.5
Atl -6.5
Car +1.5
Car/TB over 46
SF +12.5
Buf -2.5
Ind/Cin under 42.5
NE -7
LAC/NE under 48
Hou +6.5
Dal/Was under 46.5
Pit/Det over 45.5
Den +7

Supercontest picks: Last week: 2-3; overall: 21-14
Buf -2.5
Atl -4.5
Car +2
Hou +5.5
Den +7

NFL Week 8 Anagram

OK, I have to do better than get the anagram out on the Saturday night before a morning Browns game.

This week's anagram:

"Each is mall!"

That could be what Chinese real estate investors say to each other when flying over America and wondering what those large, empty buildings are dotting the landscape with huge parking lots..... but rearrange these letters to form what NFL announcer?

Your Browns hint:

Hurricane Ike

NFL Week 7: Ian Eagle

This week's announcer in focus: Ian Eagle!

Ian is following a typical announcer's path to national prominence; he started at Syracuse while a student, doing play by play, and upon graduation got a job in New York at WFAN. From there, he got gigs with the Jets and then the Nets, before CBS pulled him to do games for the NFL in 1998. He has worked steadily upward on the CBS ladder since then, going from the #7 announcing team (where he did a record 9 Browns broadcasts in 2004*) to now being part of the #2 broadcast team for CBS with Dan Fouts.

*- OK, that was an exaggeration. But only slightly.

I love his voice and his professionalism, while at the same time being able to have fun when needed. He can pull stories out in boring 3rd quarters of Browns games when we are down 17 to actually make the telecast a bit enjoyable. His nickname is the "bird" and , with his current partner being Dan Fouts with his beard, the team is now known as "the Bird and the Beard". I think the nickname was born during a horrible Browns-49ers game in San Fran back in 2011.

Here's a sample of some levity they bring to a typical broadcast, including a Doug Henning reference!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UT_RmUU44zE

Ian is the play by play announcer for the Nets - which has to be a curse in its own right; there should be a special recognition for play-by-play announcers of teams that are horrid; lifetime honorees would include Herb Score, Jim Donovan, Ian Eagle and Van Miller. Ian also does plenty of CBS work during the year, such as being the host of Amen corner coverage and doing NCAA tournament games. He did the famous Pittsnogle game in 2005 where hometown boy Mike Gansey got hot:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMRokCAYpU0&t=55s

He is also one of the main radio play by play guys for the tournament; Westwood One provides the coverage (and is probably another international shadow company like Jefferson Pilot). Here's his radio call from last year's Wisconsin Florida classic:

https://soundcloud.com/cbssportspodcasts/03-24-florida-wins-84-83-on-chiozza-buzzer-beater-in-otmp3

As far as the Browns, I found two main highlights for Ian; the first has to do with this week's opponent - Tennessee . Another miracle comeback by the Browns in 2002 in the playoff season- down 14 with 3 minutes left to win. You have to watch at the 1:40 mark for the greatest onside kick I have even seen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDeI4LSVLuo&t=191s

This last highlight is a favorite around these parts; this is a famous 2007 game at the Ravens with the controversial field goal by Dawson that took 5-10 minutes to rule as good. I still hate the ref under the right goalpost - why are you signaling it no good? Talk with your partner!

And this is when all Browns fans learned of the word "stanchion" - the curved support bar of the goalpost....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=en65Ws1FNxE

Notre Dame 49 points last night...I'm sure that will rub off on Kizer today.... I'm so apathetic about this team. On to other games:

Buf 23, TB 17. I don't like what I see from TB; lack of discipline and Winston is getting loose with the ball. The Bills are solid and should take advtanage of Tampa's mistakes.

Car 27, Chi 17. I know Luke is out- but Car can take away the run game for the Bears - then what of they have left? Carolina should have enough offense to win.

NO 24, GB 23. Not completely sold on the Saints' D yet, and Hundley has a week to prepare. But a lot of questions for the Packers' D too!

Jax 23, Ind 17. Jax's pass defense should stop Brissett, meaning Grandpa Gore or Turbin willhave to win the game for the Colts? I don't think so.

LAR 30, Az 19. Boy, Arizona's pass D is awful. I was nervous all last week taking the Cards even when they were up 31-0. I will trust Goff and the short passing of the Rams in London.

NYJ 19, Mia 16. Who knows? I think Mia won games due to incompetence of opponents rather than anything good they did.

Bal 20, Min 17. I know the Ravens look awful on O - but their D is still stellar; how will Minnesota score, without Diggs? Low scoring game - meaning the Ravens can pull out one of their special miracles.

Dal 30, SF 27. Impressed with Beatherd last week in relief. I don't see Dallas fixing their defensive issues anytime soon.

Pit 23, Cin 20. Should be closer than most think; Pit still struggles to move the ball but will somehow get a win here due to their hex over the Bengals.

Den 27, LAC 13. First, who thinks the Chargers are any good? They beat the Giants in that injury game and they only scored 17 against the awful Oakland D. I give Denver a mulligan.

Sea 26, NYG 16. Explain to me how the Giants will score. Sea has a top pass D; they are weak in the run D but the Giants can't run. And Wilson won't make mistakes.

NE 27, Atl 24. This is one of those games that will go against all conventional wisdom. Somehow, one or both defenses will play well.

Phi 24, Was 20. So impressed with the Eagles. Their ball control offense with Wentz doing enough will take them far in the weak NFC.

Best bets: 14 of them. Last week: 8-4; overall: 51-33
Buf -3
Car -3
Jax -3
LAR -3
LAR/Az over 46
NYJ +3
Bal +4.5
SF +6
Dal/SF over 49
Pit/Cin over 40.5
Den -1
Sea -3.5
Atl/NE under 56.5
Phi/Was under 49

Supercontest picks: Last week: 4-1; overall: 19-11
Car -3
Bal +5.5
LAR -3.5
Den +1.5
Sea -5.5

NFL Week 7 Anagram

Your anagram for Week 7:

"Eel, again?"

This may have been what Eric said after his third business dinner in Suzhou, China, where seafood is the main cuisine .... but rearrange these letters to form the name of what NFL announcer?

I'll make the clues easy for you. Your Browns related clue:

a Stanchion

Your non-Browns related clue: Bird and Beard

NFL Week 6: Mike Patrick

This week's announcer in focus: Mike Patrick!

OK, I have to admit something. I like Mike Patrick. I think the team of Patrick and Paul McGuire was brilliant. I know this opinion is not very popular in many circles - especially as Mike Patrick gets up in age now and his mistakes are becoming more common. But he brought energy to the play by play broadcast and then set up McGuire excellent so McGuire could do his Tony Romo-like cheering. (The addition of Theismann in the booth with them - well, not so much).

Patrick is a native of Clarksburg, WV - which is actually the hometown of one of my friends in college, so I actually know where that is. He got his first job as a sports director in Jacksonville in the 70s and then quickly moved up to WJLA - Channel 7 - in Washington.

Patrick became one of the lead voices for the Jefferson Pilot broadcasts of college sports in the 80s. The 80s were a time when some college football and most college basketball games were independently produced and syndicated to all sorts of oddball stations. For instance, the Terps B-ball games that I remember were shown on Wednesday nights on channel 45 or 54 or something. (God forbid WJZ was going to pre-empty Knots Landing for Adrian Branch.)

(Was Channel 54 - WNUV - formed in the 80s just to be able to show ACC games and I Love Lucy re-runs? I need an answer to this....)

To be honest, I never really know what Jefferson Pilot was when I grew up. Was it a two-bit broadcasting company headquartered in Greensboro that had a good-ol-boy hold on the ACC broadcasts?  Some international conglomerate set up in Switzerland to pay off officials and ensure the Terps would always lose every close game to good teams? (That was always my thought). Just now, I am learning the Jefferson Pilot was in insurance and was bought out by Lincoln Financial in the past 10 years. Who knew?

Anyway, Mike Patrick became a staple of those broadcasts and was a voice in our house every Wednesday night during the winter. Here's a clip of an intro from those Jefferson Pilot broadcasts. Watch the whole thing to understand mid-Atlantic sports and why Lefty had no hair....( watch the first 2:30)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLhXbHnBv0c

(HOLY crap!!! For us Ohio folk, look who shows up at the 5:10 mark of that above clip....Wow...)



Mike joined ESPN and in the late 80s became the voice of the new Sunday Night football broadcast on ESPN. We'll get to the important Browns game on SNF in a minute. He did Monday Night football broadcast for 18 years - 18! - ending in 2005. His trademark catch phrase - "Holy Cow!" was used on almost every routine 15 yard catch multiple times each quarter.

The most famous broadcast he did was in 1999 - a Wild Card playoff game for ESPN/ABC. I don't even have to set this up - just click on the link. It's amazing what your opinion is when you see this play live and how it changes when you see the replay....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pfz4JViRkoA

In 1989, the Week 16 Sunday Night game happened to be Cleveland at Houston - and the two teams were tied for the division lead going into the last week. ESPN hyped it up as "the AFC Central Championship". And it was! Kosar! Moon! Slaughter! Givins! Mike Patrick was there...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3TcH3wNn7g8

And it provided a heart attack moment for Eric - this was a play during the game at a key moment. Tight game, Moon goes back, sacks, and fumbles! Clay Matthews picks it up - and - what??? What does he do? IBM takes it from there....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqeOFMW6Xqc

(Boy, I miss "IBM presents You Make the Call" and "Alcoa's Fantastic Finishes!")

Ok, yeah, yeah, Browns at Houston this week. Boy, I wish we were in a position in a draft to take a young quarterback like Carson Wentz or Deshaun Watson. But we never seem to be in the right spot in the draft to take one. We're just unlucky, I guess.

On to the games:

Atl 31, Mia 13. How does Miami have 2 wins? Their offense seems to be as bad as ours. Atlanta should - should! - come off ready to play off their bye.

Bal 20, Chi 17. Just don't know how Baltimore scores without help from the other team...and this is Mitch's first road game. Have to believe Fox will be ultra conservative with the game plan..

GB 28, Min 24. Packers usually struggle in Minnesota, and their defense has holes. I know Diggs is out, but Minnesota still has some weapons and there will be points here.

NO 27, Det 24. Not sure about this game at all. How banged up is Detroit's O line? How good are each team's defense?

NE 28, NYJ 16. After watching the debacle last week - and other Jets games - I just don't see how they can sustain drives against anyone.

Was 30, SF 16. SF has come close 3 straight weeks - and now is on their 3rd straight road game. I see Washington coming out and dominating; I'm sure I'll lose this one by the back door.

Az 27, TB 20. Looked at Tampa's stats - they are very weak against the pass, and that's the one thing Arizona can still do. I think the Cards pull this out.

Jax 23, LAR 20. What a great, unexpectedly interesting game. Be interested to see Gurley vs. the Jags questionable run D.

Pit 20, KC 17. Pit has the Chiefs' number, and their backs are against the wall. They circle the wagons here and get the win. How many big games can KC show up for in a row?

LAC 26, Oak 24. Just not impressed with the Raiders, even if Carr plays. When the Ravens can move the ball downfield on you, what is Rivers going to do?

Den 20, NYG 13. Classic Milton Berle game here; Denver will do just enough to win the game - and their offense isn't dynamic enough to cover a huge spread like this.

Ten 23, Ind 13. The more I watch Brissett, the more I don't like his footwork. Can LeBeau take advantage of this? The Colts D is bad enough that it doesn't matter who the QB is for Tennessee.

Best bets: 12 of them. Last week: 10-4; overall: 43-29
Atl -13
Chi +6.5
GB/Min over 44.5
NE -9
Was -11
Az +1.5
Pit +4
Pit/KC under 47
LAC +3.5
NYG +12.5
NYG/Den under 39
(Ten -6.5)

Supercontest picks: Last week: 3-2; overall: 15-10
Was -10
Az +2.5
Pit +4.5
LAC +3.5
Ten -6.5

NFL Week 6 Anagram

Your anagram for this week:

"Rekick it, Pam!"

No, this is not what Jim said when his girlfriend hit the opening kick backward when starting off the office's annual soccer game - but rearrange these letter to form what announcer?

Your Browns clue is - the Astrodome!
'







Your non-Browns clue is:

NFL Week 5: Tom Hammond

This week's announcer in focus is Tom Hammond of NBC!

Tom is a native Kentuckian, and graduated college with a degree in Animal science, not broadcasting. He got his start in broadcasting at the 1984 Breeders' Cup - the first one! - and was brought on by NBC as a specialist alongside the main host - Dick Enberg. Hammond was apparently so impressive in his debut that NBC Sports signed him to be a part of the staff.

Here's the clip of the coverage - go to the 16:00 mark where Enberg doesn't even know his name; Hammond corrects him and then flawlessly predicts the winner. Grey horses are never supposed to win - but Hammond picked her!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Ma-_Jjdinc


(sorry- got distracted watching that clip - Pete Axhelm and Jack Klugman talking horse racing at the 11:00 mark)....

Tom began doing more and more sports for NBC in the mid- and late-80s; he was part of the NBC Olympics broadcasting team in 1992 where he did track and field. Can't find a seminal moment from the track at those Olympics; his color analyst for track and field that year was....you guessed it, OJ. The last Olympics OJ did as a broadcaster.

Tom continues to do Olympic broadcasting today; he is now involved with the Winter Olympics as well and is the exact definition of a "third wheel" during figure skating coverage. He is the straight, play-by-play man in figure skating in the booth with Tara and Johnny. I'm not sure if he is proud or bewildered to be with these two.....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=of7CGdZ50JY

As many of you know, NBC had the AFC football broadcasts up until 1999. NBC put Hammond in as one of the rotating play by play guys usually doing the #4 or #5 game for NBC. He was paired with an up and coming young color guy from the Midwest - a receiver that, to me, seemed to talk too much. Cris Collinsworth. Hammond did a playoff game for NBC as recently as 2010.


NBC got the Notre Dame contract in the 90s, where it was the sole broadcaster for all Notre Dame home games, and quickly became recognized as the voice of the Irish. I guess the most famous moment in that package is a game in 2005 vs. USC. We all know the final play of the game....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pz8rBlhSxeg

Now, to the Browns.....in 1993, we in Cleveland were starting to realize that maybe this Belichick guy could coach - a bit. Resurrecting a team with zero talent and old in 1990, Bill went 6-10, 6-10 in his first two years (note: we would give a coach a parade now for 12 wins in 2 seasons) and the team looked better going into '93. We had a 4 pm home start against the Steelers in October (remember those? East Coast games actually starting at 4 pm????)....and Tom was on the call.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZANnuzSFdag

You better watch the whole clip.....

I tried to put our answering machine up to our recording of the game to have Hammond's call of the 2nd punt return be our outgoing message on the machine in our apartment. That technology transfer didn't work so well as Hammond's voice did not come through on the machine.

Note: I think I still have 3 Metcalf jerseys somewhere in the basement.

When will we have excitement like that again in Cleveland????

On to the games:

Buf 23, Cin 20. Can we really trust Buffalo? They still have very little passing game. Can we trust the Bengals after looking good vs. the Browns?

Det 27, Car 20.  I think Detroit's defense is underrated and their D will stop Carolina enough. Detroit should score enough at home.

Ind 30, SF 20.  I like what I see out of Brissett over the past 2 weeks. This game is at home; he's comfortable, and he does have some weapons at receiver. Can Indy's D do enough?

Mia 27, Ten 19. The true home opener for the Dolphins; I think Cutler and Miami will do enough against a bad pass D for the Titans. And Mia's run D is good; so Ten has to pass with Cassel. Not a great strategy.

LAC 31, NYG 26. This should be a shootout with 2 teams that love to pass. And the Chargers getting out of LA should help them.

Phi 26, Az 20. I just don't see how Arizona puts up enough points here. Their D may keep them in the game - but can they actually move the ball with no running game?

Pit 24, Jax 13. Still not 100% that Pit's O is back to where it was last year. I'd love to see the Jags upset here, but can't trust them on the road.

LAR 23, Sea 20. On paper, this could be a Rams blowout; however, I have to believe that Carroll will be into his bag of tricks as he desperately needs to win this game. The coaching matchup will make this a close game.

Bal 20, Oak 17. All right, trusting the Ravens' D on this one. Not sure how Manuel and the Raiders will move the ball against the #1 D. Can Flacco find some holes in the Raiders' D? I think so.

Dal 30, GB 24.  Love this spot for the Cowboys. Coming off a loss and they are desperate, facing an injured Packers team at home. Dallas just needs to contain Rodgers and they should win.

KC 23, Hou 17. Will never bet against KC ever, ever again after Monday night. Watson can't play as well as he did last week. Can he?

Min 27, Chi 17. Although there is a good chance that us Cleveland fans will see another star QB born for another team on MNF....

Best bets: 14 of them. Last week: 8-6; overall: 33-25
Det -2.5
Ind -2
SF/Ind over 44.5
Mia +1
LAC +3
LAC/NYG over 45
Pit -7.5
Jax/Pit under 43
Sea/LAR under 47.5
Bal +3
Dal -3
KC -1
KC/Hou under 45
Min -2.5

Supercontest picks: Last week: 2-3 (with an asterisk); overall: 12-8
Det -2.5
Ind -1.5
Mia +3
Bal +2.5
Dal -2

NFL Week 5 Anagram

The anagram this week is:

"Damn - Hot Mom!"

This could be what Brian Griffin says about Lois in every Family Guy outtake - but rearrange these letters to form which NFL play by play announcer?

Two clues: First, the Browns-related clue; the announcer called a game with this famous player in it: Eric Metcalf!

Second clue: non-Browns related:

NFL Week 4: Bill Macatee

This week's announcer in focus is CBS's Jack of all trades, Bill Macatee!

Every sports network needs one of those announcers that are so versatile, they can be called on at any moment to do any sports needed. In the past, this role was held by people like Tim Ryan at CBS (who seemed to always be on some random mountain in the Alps for a World Cup ski race) and Al Trautwig for NBC (who had the 8th position in the draft for Olympic coverage, and gets biathlon/water polo).

Bill plays that same utility player role, but now for more premier events.

He started back in the 80s for NBC and was a host for NBC Sportsworld. Remember that? I didn't until yesterday. Sportsworld was NBC's answer to "Wide World of Sports" - except no one actually watched it. Here's a clip of what would be shown on Saturdays - boxing, auto racing, and a golf retrospective of the 1968 US Open (why?). Other sports in other clips include Sumo and figure skating....
(our hero is seen at the 0:35 mark).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykkUjUPm6lY

Bill went to the USA network in 1990 - USA, at the time, was the home for the early rounds of the PGA tour and the US Open tennis tournament. He then joined CBS in 1995 and did - well, almost everything. Most hard core golf fans know that he is the stand in for Jim Nantz in the tower at 18 when Nantz isn't there; I do believe that Nantz has a contract that states that Nantz will not do any sporting events that are held within 50 miles of Iowa or Arkansas. That's why - every single year - Bill Macatee is the main play by play guy for the John Deere coverage in Iowa. Nantz won't step foot in the Hawkeye state.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjadfYXScQo

Bill also was the lead announcer for the US Open tennis tournament from 2010-15, the last years that CBS had the rights to it. He was actually very good at this, building on his USA experience to call the men's final for 5 years. He worked that for CBS for 15, and I think I heard his voice 12 hours straight in August-September 2008, when we had CBS's US Open coverage of the middle weekend on in our hospital TV for the 2 days after Martin was born.....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJ39mDYWEqA&t=8s

So Bill is a great addition to the CBS football team; whenever they needed a 4th or 5th announcer, he always filled in. Of course, he wasn't going to get the premier games - that was for Nantz - but they keep sending him to Buffalo, Nashville, Jacksonville and Cleveland to fill in spots. One of those games he did was a predicted yawner in 2010, when New England came to Cleveland as a double digit favorite. It was the "hoodie", Bill Belichick, vs. his student/disciple, Eric Mangini. And then a legend was born......the future cover boy of Madden.....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJ39mDYWEqA&t=8s

Even now, I ask - how did that game happen? Did I dream that? How did we beat the Pats by 17? Even those years - in 2010 - we actually won games in convincing fashion while going 5-11. Now, we just hope to stay within single digits. It's sad......

Let's try not to get blow out today, ok?

On to the games:

NO 31, Mia 27. Neither team has a defense - last week NO got lucky and played an awful Carolina team on O.

Atl 20, Buf 17. Love Buffalo's D; the home field for Atlanta will just be enough to get them across the line here.

Pit 19, Bal 16. No idea. I'm not sure either of these teams are good.

LAR 27, Dal 24. I'm starting to be a believer in the Rams. And what has Dallas showed so far that is impressive?

Hou 28, Ten 20. Tennessee's pass defense is vulnerable - and I think Watson is slowly improving and will take advantage.

Det 24, Min 20. Min's outburst last week was mainly due to turnovers; if Stafford holds on to the ball, the Lions win.

NE 24, Car 17. We will see how bad NE's defense is with this game. If Carolina gets in the 20s, then Pats fans can truly panic.

Jax 23, NYJ 13. I know this is a big trap - but the Jax Run O should dominate the game.

Az 23, SF 17. I wanted to pick the upset here, but SF's defense is just too weak.

Phi 31, LAC 28. Can't pick the upset here. Can't trust the Chargers until they play 4 complete quarters.

TB 30, NYG 26. Just not understanding all the Giants love in this game. They still don't have an offensive line.

Oak 24, Den 17. What is so impressive about Denver? If Oakland can stop the run, they should win comfortably.

Sea 24, Ind 16. The line is 13 on this game....Seattle has trouble scoring 13 points in a game.

KC 23, Was 20. Should be a great Monday night game. Was's defense should keep them well in the game.

Best bets: 14 of them. Last week: 10-6; overall: 25-19
(in no order)
NO/Mia over 50.5
Buf +8
Buf/Atl under 48.5
Pit/Bal under 42.5
LAR +6
Hou +2.5
Car/NE under 49
Jax -3
Phi +2.5
Phi/LAC over 47.5
NYG/TB over 44.5
Oak +3
Ind +13
Was +7

Supercontest: 4-1 last week; 10-5 overall:
LAR +6.5
Hou +1.5
Jax -3.5
Oak +2.5
Was +6.5

NFL Week 4 Anagram

Here we go with the Week 4 Anagram:

Climate? Able!

This is not a predicted refrain from the 2018 Republican Senate Primary in Maryland for Ben Cardin's seat - as the candidates talk about the possible effects of global warming. However, rearrange these letters to form what NFL announcer?

Two clues this week:

The first clue is non-Browns related. In fact, the first clue has nothing to do with football.

However, I have to give some sort of Browns related clue! This second clue does have to do with a Browns game in the past where this person was the announcer....
(hint to the hint: the group pictured below is Hey Violet)

NFL Week 3: Charlie Jones

This week's announcer in focus: Charlie Jones!

You want to talk about a typecast announcer - here he is! Charlie was a staple of fall afternoons/evenings in the 80s; he always, always seemed to have the late AFC West game on NBC. I distinctly remember so many early evenings in the fall/winter in Baltimore - around 6:00 pm, when it was pitch black - and watching the late NBC game on the TV in my parents' bedroom. It always was a divisional matchup - Raiders/Broncos, Chiefs/Seahawks, Chargers/Raiders, etc.

You could tell where the game was by just looking at Charlie. If he (and longtime partner Todd Christensen) had those Puffy-inspired NBC parks on, then they had to be doing an Elway game from Denver. If Charlie was wearing a short sleeve shirt, then of course they were doing a Fouts game from San Diego.

Charlie started doing national football games for NBC in 1965, and did his last game in 1998. 33 years! About in the midpoint of his career, he saw this comeback by the Vikings in 1980. Since the Browns were the visitors, NBC had this matchup in November, 1980, at the old Metropolitan stadium in Minneapolis.

We join the coverage with the Browns just taking the lead, 23-22, and the Vikings having the ball at their OWN 20 with :14 left and no timeouts. It's in the bag for Cleveland, right?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AwWdA-o04sg

I don't recall this game live; this is probably the latest Browns heartbreak that I don't remember. This was the year of the Kardiac Kids as we won the '80 division championship; there was another heartbreak in the playoffs that I have wrote about before.

(Of course, the winning TD was caught by Ahmad Rashad; this is why I still refuse to watch re-runs of Inside Stuff on NBC.


(And if you can't draw the connection between Pudding Pops and Ahmad Rashad, then you never watched the Cosby Show).

Three broadcasts of significance that Charlie was involved in: (I learn so much doing the research for these blog posts):

1. He was the track and field announcer for the 1988 Seoul Olympics --- recall, young ones, that the 1988 Seoul Olympics was the first true world Summer Olympics that we remember. This was a BIG DEAL. 80 was the US boycott; 84 was a US exhibition; 88 was the first true competition for the Olympics in our lives (as I had no recollection of Montreal 76).

This race - and the aftermath - was huge. And Charlie was on the call:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTM_mvA4kas

(note: at 3:42, I want Charlie to announce the results of my breathalyzer tests)

2. Charlie was also one of the key announcers for the '91 Ryder Cup - the War at the Shore at Kiawah. He was paired with some whippersnapper named Johnny Miller, who was just starting his career. Here's a clip of highlights of the pressure-packed match between Calcavecchia and Montgomerie, where Calc was 5 up with 5 to play - and ended up getting the half.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXsstH3k3Qk

Charlie was there, trying to make his broadcasting "mark" on the moment... "into the watery grave" - and Johnny was over-analyzing everything, talking over Charlie on the broadcast. I guess Johnny couldn't break that habit over his 27+ years in the booth).

(I don't recall Charlie announcing my comeback from 4 down with 4 to play in the 2005 Iowa Match Play, round 1, to a current Web.com pro...maybe he was booked that day).

3. Finally, I think Charlie's broadcasts were the first to use the sideline reported. Charlie and Todd would throw it down to the field for an on-the-spot report from the field, usually talking about injuries. Here's a picture of the first sideline reporter on Charlie's team...I wonder what happened to him.

I loved Charlie...what a voice. Unfortunately, he passed away in 2008 at his home in La Jolla.

On to the games:

Bal 23, Jax 16. I've seen enough; Baltimore can be a dominant defense against a below-average offense. That includes the Bengals, Browns, and yes, the Jags.

Buf 23, Den 17. Are we sure Denver is any good? It's like we are crowning Simien as the next Brady. They took the Chargers to the wire - whoopee, everyone does that - and beat a messed up Cowboys team in a lightning delay, both at home.

Car 27, NO 24. Don't like the look of Carolina's offense; they won't put the Saints away here. I see some scoring on both sides.

Pit 27, Chi 17. We'll give the Bears a mulligan for last week; they'll give Pittsburgh some fight, esp. with their running offense, but just don't have enough fire power.

Det 24, Atl 20. Detroit's D has really impressed me. Perfect letdown spot for the Falcons.

Min 23, TB 20. Minnesota will have one week of practice for case under their belt, and Tampa can not play any better. I think Minny's D will rattle Winston.

NE 27, Hou 16. Watson should move the ball some against the weak NE D, and the Hou D line will at least contain the Pats a bit.

Mia 20, NYJ 17. Just a hunch here; Miami's offense wasn't sharp (although it was week 1), and the Jets will bring something for their first home game. McCown will do enough to stay in it.

NYG 27, Phi 20. Upset special. Philly's pass defense is aveage, and Eli (I hope) will be motivated to play decent this game. I don't think the Eagles are good enough yet to blow divisional foes out of the water.

Ten 26, Sea 16. Seattle's line is a mess; LeBeau will have fun picking Wilson apart. The question is- can the Titans score enough?

GB 27, Cin 13. Green Bay, off a loss, coming home to face a chaotic Bengals team? This won't be Alabama - Vandy, but I think Rodgers has something to prove.

KC 30, LAC 27. Thinking about a shootout here for Charlie Jones's sake.

Oak 26, Was 23. This will tell us a LOT about Oakland's defense. Are they just average - which limits how far the Raiders can go? Or can they win a game on the road for Oakland?

Dal 30, Az 16. Cowboys will be ready to bounce back, and Palmer has shown me nothing yet this far.

Best bets: 16 of them. Last week: 9-7; overall: 15-13.
In order:
NYG +6
Buf +3
Det/Atl under 51
Ten -2.5
GB -9
Dal -3
Det +3
Min +3
NYG/Phi over 42.5
NO/Car over 46.5
Bal -3.5
NYJ +6
NYJ/Mia under 43.5
GB/Cin under 46.5
KC/LAC over 47.5
Hou +14

Supercontest picks: Last week: 4-1; overall: 6-4
Buf +3
Min +3
NYG +6
Ten -3
GB -8.5

NFL Week 3 Anagram

Your announcer anagram for week 3:


Heil Scone Jar!


No, this is not what Heinrich Himmler would say as he passed the Dusseldorf bakery each morning on his way to Nazi HQ......rearrange these letters to spell which famous NFL TV Announcer?

Your clue: Jell-O Pudding Pops!

NFL Week 2: Dick Stockton

Your announcer of the week: Dick Stockton!

Did you realize that Dick has been around for almost 50 years now - and still going strong! He is 74 years old - however, every time I listen to him (doing some 4th tier NFC game), he seems to have lost a few steps, waiting a bit on the names and even mispronouncing some. I think FOX tried him for some playoff baseball recently - to negative reviews.

His most famous call - besides those drug-laden NBA telecasts on CBS in the 80s - was the call of Fisk's homerun in the 75 world series. Yes - it was his voice calling the HR in extras in Game 6 for the Sox to win. Here's the call.....unmistakably Stockton.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_m6GHOPrGcs

That World Series causes some consternation here in Cincinnati - most people think that Fisk's HR won the Series for the Sox - because they show the HR so many times. In fact, the Reds came back and won game 7 in Fenway - the first WS for the Big Red Machine.
People in Cinci refer to the result that year sarcastically as the year the Red Sox won in 6, 3 games to 4. They have a point.

(by the way - I didn't mean to allude that Stockton was taking drugs during the 80s. He was the voice of the NBA on CBS in the 80s and 90s.  Click on this for a sample of your childhood.....
I dare you NOT to dance to the music....


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58MMcODdIZs  )

He is doing the Bears-Bucs game this weekend in Tampa. Still active! Since he worked on CBS/FOX, he rarely did Browns games - but there was one memorable moment. It was the opener of the 2012 season - and Brandon Weeden was our savior! Our 1st round draft pick was going to lead us to the promised land! Weeden was going to start the opener. The opponent - the Eagles, who resurrected Vick for his first start as an Eagle.....

I was pumped; I woke up at 1:00 am to watch the kickoff - and then slumped into depression when the American Flag attacked him before kickoff....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mToSXz3JEcM


Vick threw 4 interceptions, but could not give the game away to us as we lost, 17-16.

(by the way - anyone wanting an idea for a Christmas gift for me? How about the collection of CBS Announcer cards! We can put Verne's card on the UTH table every March......)

On to the games:

Car 24, Buf 13. I have no faith in Buffalo - how will they score?

Az 23, Ind 20. Yeah, people think the Colts are the worst team in the NFL. Maybe. But the Cards just don't look right. How can they give 7 on the road?

Jax 23, Ten 20. I don't trust Mariotta and I believe the influence of Coughlin is helping the Jags.

KC 27, Phi 17. Run, run, run. That's all Reid will do here against an Eagles D vulnerable to the run.

NE 31, NO 23. Nope - won't do it. This screams a trap game. Will be closer than people think.

Pit 27, Min 24. Let's be clear. The Pit defense is average, at best. Minnesota will exploit it. However, Pit's offense is exemplar. This will be high scoring.

TB 26, Chi 16. Dick will inspire Jameis to throw for 3 TDs!

Oak 31, NYJ 13. Just can't see the Jets staying around in this game. Too much firepower for the Raiders.

LAC 30, Mia 23. I like what I see from the Chargers' O. I think they played admirably vs. an elite D on Monday.

Den 23, Dal 20. If you take Elliott away, the Cowboys have Dez....and that's it. I think the Broncos can handle the Cowboys O and do just enough on their side of the ball.

LAR 19, Was 16. The Skins won't give points away...they have a veteran quarterback like Cousins....oh wait......

Sea 24, SF 13. I'm sorry, something is wrong with Seattle's O. This is going on 2 years now. If you have no line, your O will struggle. SF will keep this close.

Atl 30, GB 24. Just a perfect spot for the Falcons. GB coming down from a big win vs. Seattle and the Falcons needed to play well for their fans.

Det 24, NYG 18. I hate the Giants makeup right now. Nothing on O...especially without OBJ.

Picks: 16 of them. Last week: 6-6
Jax +1
Car -7
Buf/Car under 43
Ind +7
KC -5.5
Pit/Min over 45.5
TB -6.5
Oak -13
LAC -3.5
LAC/Mia over 45.5
Den +2.5
LAR -2.5
Was/LAR under 46
SF +14
Atl -3
Det +3

Supercontest picks: Last week: 2-3
Ind +7
KC -5.5
LAC -4
Den +2.5
Atl -3

NFL Week 2: Anagram

Nick Dock Tots

No, these words are not instructions for a serial killer to take a Gillette Mach 5 and attack privileged children on a Martha's Vineyard pier......but rearrange these letters to form what NFL announcer?

Your clue: The American Flag

(As mentioned, the clue is related to a Browns game where this person was the announcer)

NFL Week 1: Andrew Catalon

Good morning and welcome to week 1 of the annual NFL Themed picks!  This year - as stated earlier - we will be giving anagrams of our weekly theme for you, the valued reader, to solve before Sunday. This weeks answer: Andrew Catalon! He was the announcer for that great Cleveland comeback in 2014. And that's our theme this year - Eric's favorite play-by-play announcers on national broadcasts.

Being a Browns fan, we get the #4, #5 teams for the network a LOT - so we've have had a number of Catalon games in the past and will probably continue to have him as long as the Browns play Merry-Go-Round with quarterbacks and Jim Nantz continues to have pictures of Les Moonves.

(I kid....maybe)

Andrew is fine to have as an announcer - doesn't get in the way of the game, has a steady voice, seems to know the players and the game. What else can you ask for? He seems to have solidified his career after his one on-air gaffe back in 2014 in the NCAA Tournament.

Andrew was the play-by-play announcer doing a second-round Gonzaga game, with his color man Mike Gminski. Gonzaga had that huge center from Poland on their team...Gonzaga was up by 8-10 late, and Gonzaga's opponents had to foul. Catalon pointed out that the center had the lowest FT% on the team, so the team should employ the "Hack-a Polack" strategy.

Hoo boy. Even Gminski called him out right away on that one. Catalon later apologized, and all was well.

So - we start the themed picks on the blog with Andrew Catalon. Anagrams and clues for the week will show up in the middle of each week for you to solve by Sunday. Now - everyone knows these play-by-play announcers, so I won't be giving away clips of the games for you to watch (since you will be able to easily guess the voice); instead, I'll give a clue that tangentially relates to a Browns game that this person has called. You better study up on the 15 losses for the Browns in 2016!

On to the picks:

Az 27, Det 20. I don't think Det improved their defense at all, and this season is Arizona's last stand.

Was 27, Phi 20. Yes, I'm drinking the Terrelle Pryor Kool-Aid. He will make this team better. And there's too many questions for Philly's offense.

Atl 24, Chi 17. Need to see how Chicago will actually score here. Glennon has no weapons. can they run on Atlanta? No..... and let's see how the Falcons recover from last year.

Hou 20, Jax 17.  I really wanted to pick the upset here, but I can't see how Jax O-line will stop that dominating D-line of Houston. How will they stop the rush? Bortles under pressure? No thanks.

Buf 20, NYJ 13. Yeah, Yeah, yeah - Jets are tanking and all of that. But has anyone looked at this Bills team? They have McCoy and....that's it.

Ten 27, Oak 23. I'll sit back and stay away from this game to watch it and see what these two teams are all about. Too much hype on both sides here.

Cin 27, Bal 17. Too many questions for Baltimore's offense - how is Flacco? Who is the running back? Who is catching the ball? Cinci has Ross and Eifert back to support Green.....

LAR 23, Ind 13. Speaking of Kool-Aid, love the fact that the Rams hired a 31 year old coach. Could be a Sean Peyton wanna-be, innovative and crazy. That is the exact sort of coach to win against Chuck Pagano.

Car 23, SF 21.  I love me some Kyle Shanahan and Brian Hoyer. I saw these two make beautiful music together in 2013. Kyle is a brilliant mind. Carolina needs to watch out here.

GB 30, Sea 20. Seattle's secondary is old and one of these days, people will see that they have become average. I just think that Seattle has nothing in the run game to keep defenses honest.

Dal 26, NYG 20. No idea here. Anything can happen and probably will.

Min 27, NO 20. Not crazy on the changes that the Saints made on D, and the Vikes will have the momentum edge for the opener.

Den 20, LAC 19. If you think Brock Osweiler caould be an answer to your problem, then you have issues. However, that defense....Rivers will be under fire all day. Not sure what will happen here.

Best bets - 12 of them. This year, we will put them in relative order of preference.

Was +1
Cin -3
GB -3
Min -3
SF +4.5
Az -2
Buf/NYJ under 40
Ind/LA Rams under 41.5
Atl/Chi under 48.5
NYJ +8
LAR -4.5
Jax +5

Supercontest picks: Here we go again!
Was +1
Cin -2.5
GB -3
SF +5.5
Min -3

Let's get ready for the season!

Some things to clean up before we publish the picks tomorrow morning:

1. A tradition that started in China; time to post highlights of old games/pre-game shows on the blog right before week 1. We will continue that with this compilation of missed chip shot field goals. I could watch this for 2-3 hours, on end....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABDiZieU4dI

Some great names in there missing some chippies.

2. Record-keeping update: here's my record last year and lifetime with the picks:

Blog picks:
2016: 107-104-7
overall: 1341-1247-76   (51.8%)

Supercontest picks:
2016: 44-39-2
overall: 255-241-14  (51.4%)

Let's get back over the 52.3% mark this year....

3. As for the anagram for week 1: a few hints:
   - the answer is not a player on either team
   - the name of the person is actually seen on the video from that Cleveland-Tennessee game

2017 NFL Picks - Puzzle Time!

Welcome to the start of another NFL season! This year, our theme will be in the form of a puzzle - specifically, an anagram. I will post the anagram here in the middle of the week for you to solve -- and then give the answer on Sunday.

Week 1 Clue:

Cadre Want Loan !

No, this is not a description of a group of the local Crips heading down to the bank to request money - rearrange these letters to form the name of what person involved in the greatest road comeback in NFL History --- Cleveland 29, Tennessee 28, in 2014?

To refresh your memory, feel free to watch the highlights here! What a game this was - yes, I watched it from the darkness of my living room in China......

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7Xs8a_nASo

Answer on Sunday - the NFL is back!

Vegas 2017 Diary, Part 5

OK, I better finish the diary off before football season starts. Don't want to still have Vegas entries to do when we start focusing on the NFL - and mixing up Vegas stories with my themed NFL picks. What will it be this year? Top 17 Sesame Street characters? Top PSAs from the 80s? Best Headline News anchors? (David Goodnow would be #1)

Anyway, on to the final installment of the diary...

Saturday, March 11

It's the free day! A day with no obligations and we just go with the flow. Important NCAA games starting at 8:30 am and continues on until about 11 pm; 3rd round golf from the most boring tournament out there (the Valspar); Premier league; drinking; possible Bare - too much for mere amateurs to handle.

Where did the day start off? Of course - at the UTH table, around 6 or 7 or so. Had a moderate session and then off to craps to find any sort of lightning in a bottle - no luck this time. A boring early morning. Went off to put the parlay in - I had the last game of the day, the New Mexico St. Aggies -3 at the Orleans vs. Bakersfield. A rematch from last year - the Aggies wanted revenge. That would tip at 9 pm; it was now 8:00 am when the ticket was put it. 13 hours to wait.

Of course, I threw out the recommendation of Vermont 2nd half against Albany; the score was tied and Vermont would crush them by more than 6 in the 2nd half!

Breakfast was a surprise - McDonalds! - where we plotted all our golf and basketball bets for the day, and tracked Albany hanging with Vermont the whole way, losing by only 3. Thanks guys.

Serious gambling commenced after breakfast - back at the UTH table; plenty of Baileys and coffee and vodka lemonades were flowing as the table got hot. We were there for 2, 3 hours or so and I think everyone had a wonderful session. What to do with all those profits and you want to get more drunk? There was only one option for me....it was not salon blackjack......it was baccarat!

Yes, showing up buzzed at an empty baccarat table at 11 am is a great idea! Glenn, the dealer from Pittsburgh, was there, surprised to see us - and he remembered Layup and I. Layup and I did our old alternating driver trick - the driver makes the call (player or banker) until he loses, then it switches. I sat down and ordered a Redbreast 15 right away - an Irish Whiskey I had on our Ireland golf trip last year. Just superb! I think I had 2, maybe 3 at the table.

The baccarat sessions was lukewarm to begin; maybe we had a slight profit after the first 45-60 minutes or so - then it went downhill quickly. We ended up losing our profits from UTH and more by the end. But - the good news - I was feeling super drunk. Happy drunk! At 12:15 pm!

Back to UTH - where I have a note that the table was on fire. I think everyone made a bundle - except me; I did well but the numbers don't show anything memorable for me. Hopefully everyone has memories from that session. We got up; I went over to craps (with Leland, maybe?) - a lady that was a virgin roller rolled all the numbers except "4" before a 7 showed up; nice job, except that 7 would have been really nice.... that was the only bright spot for an hour as I proved again that I could not roll this trip.

We decided to get lunch at this point at CPK - and this is when I hit the wall. I was coming down from an alcohol buzz and started to feel exhausted ---- the food took forever to come (it was probably just 10 minutes) and I don't think I said a word at the table. Layup, Wiz and Leland went outside to the pool; I went and took a nap.

Afterwards, back to the craps table where Leland and I had our only winning session; I didn't double my money but made a nice profit. I couldn't roll and I got a little aggravated so I left....walked around a bit, watched basketball. I came back to the table 30 minutes later and Leland was smiling like he got away with murder. "The table got so hot! I was trying to find you to call you back over because everyone was hitting points!" I can't complain, since I did leave with a profit but......there is this new invention called a phone that will allow you to send messages to others that aren't there. I may have to show Leland how to work a phone during Vegas 2018.

Back to UTH to join the others where now my UTH luck was running cold. No good news there. It was now 6 pm or so and I just needed a break. I needed to get out of the casino for a bit. I think it was Mike, Mike and I took a walk down the strip - up north - and over to the TI just to get fresh air and walk around. I needed a full timeout.

I think - need confirmation from others - that we were all lazy and just went to the buffet for dinner. After that, still time for some gambling -and there were no seats at the UTH table; I was hovering around multiple tables (UTH and Pai Gow near Revolution for a while). Leland was at the Pai Gow table playing with 2 drunk cowboys that were obnoxiously trying to get the Asian dealer to bump fists for every winning or tieing hand. It was amusing the first 4 times - and then it got old quick. Leland was the dealer's only outlet for sanity. A seat opened up and I joined; big mistake as I got crushed.   

We went over to the host to get our bill straightened out; everything was fine - and we got to watch the New Mexico St. game (remember that) in the "Million Dollar Craps" room in the back of the Salon. One last gambling session for the day; I was done with UTH for the night and went back to craps for any scraps of magic; there were none and I ended with another loss. To bed....

Sunday, March 12.

Some of the group left early at 6 am or so (like Wiz and Mike A, I think). I didn't have to get to the airport until about 9 or so - so I had some time for one last UTH session. Layup and I played some early morning UTH - and it was an interesting session. First, I was on first base (on the corner), and I knew the dealer at the Pai Gow table next to me. She had no one at her table, so she was an active spectator at our table - yelling at our dealer to give us winners. After a while, I would show her my hand and then bet; I would play by the book and go 4x on K-8 and A-3 and Q-J.

She acted like a concerned mother. After I showed her a Q-10 or so, I went 4x....

"No! What are you doing? Don't do that! Wait for the flop..."

There were three hands in a row where I got 4x hands....

"Oh no! You are giving me a heart attack! Don't go 4x!"

I half enjoyed making her sweat; I should have gone 4x on 7-3 to see what she would do.

The perfect ending for the trip came near the end of the session; I had a K-7 where both cards were black. Time to go 4x again! The flop came with the 6 and 8 of spade. Interesting!

The river was both the 9 and 10 of spades. Oh my! I know I have a black 7.... Layup and Mike A had straight flushes this trip....can it be my turn? Did I have the 7 of spades, or was it the 7 of clubs?

The dealer turned his first card over....7 of spades. Nice. He had the straight flush.

(I had the king of spades, for a losing K-high flush).

Went to the airport, dropped Layup's car off, hung out in the Am Ex lounge with Don - went to the restroom and looked in the mirror - and I saw a bunch of grey hairs for the first time. Not the greatest way to end Vegas 2017....