An interactive, analytical and hopefully entertaining look at the world of sports and all things otherwise
Football seasons are so odd. They hold a character all their own, complete with lingering blasts from the past, a solid middle ground, and an unanticipated, perhaps even premature evolution. These ingredients remain the perfect recipe for ever-expanding ratings. 2025 Continue reading The NFL and the burden of expectation →
3 days ago | 0 reads
“He’s better at this than I’ve ever been at anything in my life. He’s better at this than you’ll ever be, at anything. My son has a gift.” Joe Mantegna in “Searching for Bobby Fischer” “I think about it every Continue reading NFL’s pursuit for parity reaches new heights; Fans can’t get enough →
9 days ago | 0 reads
Source Right now, the playoff road feels a little less bumpy for Seattle and Denver. Both teams earn first-round byes after finishing on top of their conferences, and that’s no small thing. Fewer games mean fewer chances for chaos, bad Continue reading The Super Bowl Matchups That Could Swing Betting Action →
12 days ago | 1 read
An entire nation of sports fans had just watched a captivating football game, one of the best of this long season. The winner would play for a national title; the loser would go home. Miami versus Ole Miss, two teams Continue reading Miami wins; Herbstreit responsible? →
15 days ago | 0 reads
We wake up every fall Sunday morning and go about our business. Football is inevitably a part of it. We place our wagers, set our fantasy lineups, and plan where to watch the day’s games. We either head out to Continue reading Book Review: Every Day is Sunday by Ken Belson →
21 days ago | 0 reads
Let’s talk about information. After all, information is the most important factor, or at least should be, when it comes to placing wagers. It’s difficult for Kevin and I or anyone for that matter, to place wagers well ahead of Continue reading Week 18 College/NFL Picks: The Grand Finale →
22 days ago | 0 reads
Two weeks left in the regular season. If you’re lucky, you’re plotting the demise of a good friend in your fantasy Super Bowl. I happen to be in such a position. Our fantasy teams aren’t the only ones striving for Continue reading Week 17 College/NFL Picks: Dave Bradley Stands up →
28 days ago | 0 reads
Our NFL season is coming to an end. Booooooo!!! Which means the playoffs are finally starting to take shape. Yaaaaay!!! Ten teams are vying for seven playoff spots in the NFC, nine are still alive in the AFC. All we’re Continue reading Week 16 College/NFL Picks: The Barber Slices and Dices →
about 1 month ago | 5 reads
What a barnburner of Thursday night game we witnessed! What made it even more exciting is that I cashed TWO separate bets on both the Rams AND Seahawks to win when, of course, only the Seahawks did. How does this Continue reading Tales from the Hard Rock, Vol. 7: Rams, Seahawks, Comebacks and Daring Lessons in Live Wagering →
about 1 month ago | 2 reads
The NFL has achieved perfection in its chase for parity. Quickly, off the top of your head, name one dominant team, one you’re assured will make a solid run through the post-season. You can’t do it, can you. The NFL Continue reading Week 15 College/NFL Picks: Searching for Bobby Kady →
about 1 month ago | 6 reads
Let’s look at trends, for what is gambling other than the constant push and pull to determine whether to gamble with trends, or against them. A good friend recently reminded me of the time, years ago, when we popped into Continue reading Week 14 College/NFL Picks: Back where Brother Bill Belongs →
about 2 months ago | 1 read
Source As we approach the 2025/26 playoffs, the 2025 NFL futures market is already running hot. Bettors and analysts are drawing lines in the turf, trying to forecast which franchises have that mix of roster balance, health, and hunger Continue reading NFL Futures 2025: Analyzing Which Teams Are Gaining Odds Momentum →
about 2 months ago | 6 reads
I went to the racetrack with some friends last week for opening day. 100th season for the Tampa Bay Downs. It was quite the spectacle, hundreds of us dolled up, celebrating horsey season, cashing winners or crumpling tickets, all of Continue reading Week 13 College/NFL Picks: The Storms, they are a Risin’ →
about 2 months ago | 1 read
Before getting to this week’s edition of fruitlessly picking games against the spread, I thought I’d kick things off with a little history lesson. According to the internet, the origins of the phrase “back to the drawing board” can be Continue reading Week 12 College and NFL Pick ‘Em: Darrell Hardens our Hearts →
2 months ago | 2 reads
We’re at the point of the NFL season where we ask ourselves, “Can you believe it’s already Week 11?” If you haven’t asked a friend that lately, you’re clearly not as obsessed as you should be about football and should Continue reading Week 11 College/NFL Pick ‘Em: D Gets Heavy →
2 months ago | 1 read
There are very few authors whose releases I count down the days for. Chuck Klostermann is one of them. Shea Serrano is undeniably the other. I’ve been familiar with Serrano’s work for a while now, his trilogy on basketball, hip-hop Continue reading Book Review: “Expensive Basketball” by Shea Serrano →
2 months ago | 5 reads
Bloodbath. That bad Vin Diesel superhero movie. Oh no, wait, that’s Bloodshot. Bloodbath, that super cheesy ‘80s action film starring Jean-Claude Van Damme. Wrong again, that’s Bloodsport. Bloodbath, that Sylvester Stallone movie where he’s a forest-dwelling Vietnam veteran who just Continue reading Week 10 College/NFL Pick ‘Em: Swoops Sweeps In →
3 months ago | 4 reads
Source The NFL doesn’t just dominate the sports calendar; it defines it. Every fall weekend in America often revolves around the schedule of kickoffs, tailgates, and primetime games. However, in recent years, the way fans experience football has undergone a Continue reading The NFL’s Grip on America: Why Fans Love to Track NFL Odds in Real Time →
3 months ago | 2 reads
“Does Chauncey Billups know about this poker game?” I asked jokingly as I walked into the clubhouse. The old men sitting around the table looked up at me, briefly, not all of them, as if they couldn’t be bothered. Every Continue reading Conversations from the Course: Chauncey Billups, Florida Coaches and Going All In →
3 months ago | 5 reads
I’m proud of myself. Pats self on back. Last week, I took my time to delve through a limited slate of games. I found wagers I liked, placed them and struck gold. It was my third most accurate, and profitable, Continue reading Week 9 College/NFL Picks: TJ’s Turn to Tussle →
3 months ago | 1 read
Let’s discuss “the hook” for a moment, shall we? It’s generally annoying to hear an amateur gambler use this expression, offering up verbiage like “seven-and-the-hook” or “I lost by the hook,” so what does it mean when they say that? Continue reading Week 8 College/NFL Picks: The Wife and the Hook →
3 months ago | 6 reads
My entire batch of college buddies are wholeheartedly, unabashedly and unashamedly delirious, and not solely because of all the partying we engaged in during our undergrad years and beyond. No, my fellow fan base, without a single exception other than Continue reading Lose, Rinse and Repeat: Entitled Gator Football Program Set to Stuck on Suck →
3 months ago | 3 reads
I’ve had a few requests for updated standings so here we go. So far, our celebrity guests are holding their own, while Kevin is scrounging up spare change to pay off his bookies before they send Moose and Rocco. This Continue reading Week Seven College NFL Picks: Long Lost Lisa Lays the Lumber →
3 months ago | 1 read
“Every time he goes to a different team, it seems like he learns more about the league and more about himself” – Nate Burleson on Baker Mayfield When I think about Baker Mayfield, I inevitably think of Colin Cowherd. Those Continue reading MVP Candidate Baker Mayfield Still Putting People in Their Place →
3 months ago | 4 reads
Many moons ago, I lived overseas underneath a military dictatorship. Rights were repressed and freedom of speech was halted. The media was controlled and many of the nation’s people lived in fear, remembering all too keenly the coup that had Continue reading Unadulterated Signs of Impending Authoritarianism, or A Day at the Movies →
3 months ago | 5 reads