The favorite backing suckers, I mean players, now urged on to bet by ads that include Phil Simms’ descent from excellent quarterback to bad announcer yielding the far worse/non winner Romo and further down into sell out, had won for 3 straight weeks, something virtually unprecedented, before losing big last week.
Yesterday it was carnage for them and worse than losing for one who knows the score which is that none of us know anything, namely me. It was “my kind of “dog day afternoon” that carried into the night with “Alfalfa” and the unbearable, never, ever quiet Collinsworth presiding “under” (7-2) Tennessee plus 7 and a fraction (28-16) at L.A. vs the now (6-2) Rams. This one hurt the most as I let a “roto rooter,” (I can be one, I hate to admit as I approach 66, if they “screw” with me) get me.
Trust me, I am glad that I bet small and though I must battle the disease each day, I have done what few have, namely ignore any betting except sports, where rooting and worse anti-rooting have hurt me far more than any gambling. Add the fact, I suffer sitting alone with no forum for my great knowledge and passion regarding sports, while so many exponentially less qualified prosper, is a true hell that does not help.
Anyway, after the Colts covered and all teased the Jets on Thursday night (by the way, only New England, whose ex ‘Bama (Oh Barack, do not you know that when you praise the ilk of Tony Kornheiser or Stuart Scott, it cheapens the rightful praise you have heaped on Edward Brooke, Ted Kennedy or the immortal/courageous John Lewis) QB, Mac Jones, one I like, pulled on a defender’s ankle in a non penalty called “dirty play,” capping a week of the Ruggs tragedy, Henry injury (Tenn won anyway and though this s–t is p–ny, one would think Henry being out is bad for them, but again who knows?!1, and a “mailed in” (20-14) Alabama not even close to a cover as a 4 TD plus fave in a Fowler tilt (SEC, ‘Bama/LSU and Fowler, why?!!!) vs LSU), KO’d a “dog teaser.”
Sorry for the excessive tangents. 12 NFL tilts so far, Pitts minus 6 vs Chi tonight, only Carolina among the 12 underdogs was KO’d in a teaser. 8 underdogs covered, the big stat being 6 won outright, including 14 plus point(s) u/dog “Jax” vs Buffalo and 10 point underdog, Denver, dealing (6-2) Dallas its first loss vs the spread, as with “Mr. Ed”/Elway there, the Broncos scored the game’s first 30 points and cruised to a (30-16) win.
That is far from it, as aforementioned 7 plus point(s), “dog” “Tenn” outrighted the Rams, TD dog Atlanta (27-25’d) New Orleans while Arizona, no Ky Murray, no problem cruised as a bet from 2 to 5 point “dog” at S.F. By the way, the Cards sans a crown since their lone such while based in Chicago in 1947 (that is “reverse the digits” 74 years ago and an ignored by me, omen was that inexplicably, while in Connecticut two days back, as a passenger in “Anne Sam’s” car, out the window stood a “billboard type,” not with the Giants, Jets or Pats schedule, but that of the Arizona Cardinals), have the top NFL mark at (7-1).
The 2 and a fraction point underdog Browns won at Cincy, while the field goal u/dog, Giants won by a touchdown vs the Las Vegas (what a day for the “books” out there!!) Raiders. Balti no covered Minne, winning by 3 in OT while KC let GB in the “back door,” a late GB TD yielding a 7 plus point(s) fave K.C. “by 6” no cover.
Faves L.A. Chargers, bet vs from 2 plus to just a 1 point such and Miami also bet vs (thus the books won and the schmucks lost on those as well) 7 to 5, won by 3 and 8 respectively vs Philly and Houston.
The week before Josh Allen celebrated wildly on the TD that covered the ‘Phins, in my opinion a “no no.” His “Buff” blew as 2 td plus faves, while Miami covered.
Also last week the Rams up (38-0) somehow did not cover as say 17 point faves vs Houston. Yesterday Houston, though alive in the tease lost to the spread.
However, the Rams, still a viable threat to win it all, down “the comeback” (21-3) score at half, lost. I lost because I only won “peanuts,” on a day that was the proverbial “w-t dream,” for dog bettors, such as myself.
Holy esoteric, Andy B, however, here goes.
The just completed Atlanta Braves’ 6 game (road team win, home team wins games (2-4), road team wins 5th and 6th games) triumph/configuration vs the Houston Astros is the first such home/road configuration in the 117 year World Series annals.
However, it almost mirrored two previous World Series (’48 and ’92, each a 6 game Braves’ World Series loss) that had the same home/road win(s) configuration.
In both 1948 (that year and this one have the same calendar) and 1992, the Braves lost the then “Classic,” in 6 games, respectively as the Boston Braves to Cleveland and as Atlanta to Toronto.
Each of those W.S. manifested in home/road/home/home/road/road wins in the 6 games. This year the road team and then the home team won the first two and otherwise the next four were the same home or road wins as in ’48 and ’92.
Have I cited any pro or for that matter any, “pig,”/football at any point this season?! I think not.
In tribute to the late great Val Pinchbeck, a long time “maker” of the NFL schedule and I guess those making it now, some notes and updates regarding the NFL, follow.
There are 5 Super Bowl rematches this week, including those of the first and third such tilts, which respectively affirmed NFL superiority (Green Bay 35 Kansas City 10) and gave the then recent merger credibility, (Jets 16 Colts 7).
Already, the 10 plus point(s) “faves,” the now (4-5) Colts won by 15 (45-30), vs the now (2-6) Jets two days back. In the aforementioned third Supe, the Jets were 18 point(s) or so underdogs.
Due to the fact Aaron Rodgers tested positive for the still very much with us, COVID 19, (Rodgers has a superior IQ, however, he as in the case of the over analytical, John Smoltz, another excellent player, refused to get vaccinated–as Ray Collins as “Trask” said on a “Perry Mason” episode, “oy gevalt”), (4-4) K.C. which is (3-15-1) vs the point spread in their last 19 games, is a 7 plus point(s) favorite at home in the late Sunday afternoon “Bucky-Boo-er.”
The Chiefs have won 2 Supes and in each a Buck “crowned” them, Jack in the 4th such vs the “(0-4) in Supes, Vikings,” and his offspring (look I am way too intense in my rants vs one Joe Buck.However, he has everything and flaunts it. His “at the wallllll” elongated calls, a la the deteriorating, yet infinitely better than the farce named Tirico, who will replace him on NBC “pig” coverage, Al Michaels, indicate he is at best mediocre in play by play. His father, so much better on local Cards broadcasts when being a homer actually helped, was no bargain either. Hey Pat Cooper would say “another bargain”–think of me as a Pat Cooper ripping almost all sports announcers of today) “crowned” the Chiefs in 2019, via a “Feb” 2020, pre pandemic? win vs the S.F. 49ers.
This week, powerful Dallas now a 150 to1 “sure shot” to win the NFC East and only a 5 to 1 “vs” to win the NFC and if so play the last “Alfalfa”/Al Michaels Supe on NBC, a network on which they won 3 titles in 4 seasons (somehow NBC got the ’92 and ’93 season Supes and then after “Alfalfa and the gang” (reference to the show intended, but only after I thought Alfalfa and the crew as “gang,” did I realize it) “ABC’d” the ’94 season tilt, did so again in the ’95 season version.
Dallas eased and routed Buffalo in the ’93 and ’92 Supes and this season the (5-2) Bills are plurality faves as 2 to 1 “dogs” to gain Super Bowl entry. In the other Dallas NBC Supe, they “no covered” the Steelers. Pittsburgh is (4-4) thus far this season.
“Alfalfa” Michaels also “called” the “on the #” by 7 (this week as was the case in the ’99 season Supe, except with the “hook”/half point, the Rams are again that “Mantle” # vs the Titans) Rams 7 point victory vs the Titans in the ’99 season Super Bowl. On Sunday night he calls their “reg” tilt. The Rams are (7-1) but only tied with Arizona (Michaels has Arizona ties, he attended Arizona State U) in their “div.” Tennessee, unfortunately without star runner and run into the ground by Vrabel, Derrick Henry, enters the tilt (6-2).
It was not a good week for ex Alabama football stars, Henry’s injury and the tragic circumstances surrounding one Henry Ruggs, now no longer with the (5-2) Las Vegas (you think Vegas and the drinking go together?!!!) Raiders.
The 5th Supe redux matches the 3 plus point(s) (4-4) New England Patriots, with last year’s national title winning QB, Mac Jones, no relation to my man “Mockin” Mack Jones, once of the Braves, and with either a 2-11 or 12 or 3-11 or 12 “Strato” home run, which Mr. Brown, rolled far often than the odds would dictate, facing the (4-4) Carolina Panthers, who broke a 4 game loss skein, last week).
N.E. no covered Carolina, riding a second Supe winning, I believe, game ending Adam Vinatieri field goal to do so and win by 3, as 6 or 7 point “faves,” (I went for a 6 and 7 and as with almost all the things in my life, failed to get it) in that 2003 season Supe.
Let me add that Greg Gumbel, never to be confused with Ray Scott as great or Pat Summerall as very good, has improved a great deal. Once he was the CBS top banana (I am heading to hedge fund capital, Greenwich, Connecticut to a diner, NOT a mansion–evoking current top banana, Nantz there now) and was the “lead” when N.E. no covered Carolina, now nearly 18 years ago.
The also great Curt Gowdy, not as great as Ray, let me “Richard Nixon” (another guy, who has “improved”) “make that perfectly clear,” was on Jets/Colts (NBC) and in dual coverage, he on NBC and Mr. Scott, perhaps Buck/others? on CBS “did” Pack/Chiefs. “Super” Summerall was on Cowboys/Broncos.
Gowdy, Nixon, Summerall and Ray Scott are dead, Gumbel and Michaels get to call reduxes of Supes they called respectively 22 and 18 years ago.
For once not to criticize, but also not to praise “Bucky Boo”/Joe Buck.
He just “broadcast?” his 24th World Series and now 11 teams have one title won with Buck “broadcasting.”
The Yankees and Red Sox lead with four each, the former winning titles in ’96,’98,’2000 and 2009 with Buck, while Boston, which had not titled in 86 won in 2004,2007,2013 (by the way the last team to clinch the crown (it appears “Spencer” about Diana is a good film) at home and 2018.
San Francisco’s Giants have 3 “Buck” crowns, the first ending a 56 year title drought, (’10,’12,’14) while “Every Body’s Talking At Me’s” childhood team, the St. Louis Cardinals, have two. (’06.’11).
Eleven teams have one such crown, the ’01 Diamondbacks,’02 Angels,’03 Marlins, ’05 White Sox, who ended an 88 year title drought, the ’08 Phillies, ’15 Royals, ’16 Cubs, who ended a 108 year title drought, the Astros in ’17, which was their first and I guess sadly, their lone crown in their 59 completed seasons, the ’19 Washington Nationals, their first franchise title in 50 completed seasons as the Expos and Nationals, the 2020, 60 game season Dodgers, ending a 32 year title drought and now a first Braves’ crown in 26 years.
World Series MVP, Jorge Soler hit a 3RHR with 2 out in the top of the third inning, which gave the Atlanta Braves the lead to stay, as they blanked the Houston Astros (7-0) in #6 (no 30 million for “Mattress Mac,” still and likely never, a managerial World Series title for Dusty Baker and I “paid” “so” Fox did not get a 7th), to win their second World Series as the Atlanta Braves, accounting for the only 2 Atlanta major North American sports league crowns in a combined 181 completed seasons. (Thus it was one title in 180 completed seasons, 55 Falcons, 54 Braves, 53 Hawks, 11 (once NHL, now as Winnipeg Jets, Thrashers) and 7 (once NHL, now in Calgary), Flames.
Max Fried got the victory, pitching 6 shutout frames, while Dansby Swanson, who hit, perhaps the key blow of the series, a game tying solo homer in #4 (Soler followed with a pinch homer, one of 3 he hit, as he deservedly won the series MVP, cashing at 35 to 1 for one, Jason Weingarten–I listened to a ViSN clown and wasted a “fin” (that’s right bet small, if at all) on Joc Pederson, he of the pearls around his neck which adorn along with a second consecutive title ring, won with L.A. (Dodgers) last season in a “bubble,” overcoming a (3-1) NLCS deficit to the Braves in route) vs Christian Javier, belted a 2RHR vs him, making it (5-0) Atlanta T5.
Houston fell to (3-9) in home World Series games, having lost 6 of 7, since a (13-12) #5/’17 W.S. home win gave them a 3-2 series lead vs L.A. in an eventual 7 game triumph, (note the 3’s and 2’s, alas Houston is (1-3) in World Series play, as Atlanta, the Braves are (2-4), all-time they are (4-6)– Atlanta is (2-6) (the Falcons are 0-2), in final round entities, while Houston also with just one other final round participant (the Rockets) are (3-5).
It is I believe a record 7th straight time a road team clinched the World Series (’14-2021, last year was at a neutral site, L.A. did bat last in their clincher).
They/road teams did so for 6 straight seasons from (’54-’59, in a 7th game from ’55-’58, all involving the Yankees.
Dusty Baker teams, with him as a player (2-7),an N.L. manager (1-7) and A.L. manager with league shifting Houston (Astros) (3-3), are now (6-17) in Tuesday post-season games.
Jorge Soler, pictured above.
Sorry, Bradford Doolittle and ESPN, where are your editors?!!
This is still up on ESPN.com I thought you would have to take my word for it. However, here/there it is at 1:36 P.M. but Doolittle, their editors and especially ESPN, with its unbearable programming and power, will go on.
Here it is!!
“At that point, history was not on Houston’s side. The Braves became the first team to score four runs in a potential World Series clincher since the 1961 Yankees, who went on to cruise to a 13-5 win over the Reds to win the title 60 years ago.”
I know you meant 4 runs in the first inning, but again you are well paid, (I sure as h–l, am not) get it correct!!
Also the result was not good for those of us rooting for the World Series to end and deny the unbearable Buck and Smoltz another game.
How could 45 year man Snitker (Baker called him that, I do not grant him “Brian,” as he had (4-0) “wood” and let an unknown (Tyler Davidson) yield 2 right back and compound that “sin,” by bringing him out for the third inning) do what he did?!!
Teams down (3-1) in a Braves’ best of 7 are now (1-11) in game 5, the Braves are (0-7), (0-6) as Atlanta, (0-2) this year and (0-3) the last two seasons.
They fell to (5-18) (reverse of John Podres in 1961) in Sunday post-season tilts as the Atlanta Braves.
Fox has been blessed, (me cursed) again hearing Buck and Smoltz, with a #7 World Series game in 3 of the 5 “Smoltz” seasons, 3 of 4 not played in a bubble/neutral site.
The ‘Stros are 6 to 5 faves to make it happen again. I think I have enough on Houston to avoid that, but is not my attitude, at least as pathetic, if not more so than the fact it is Buck and Smoltz.
In some shame, I admit that it is.
Alas, home after the excellent “Brecht on Brecht,” I saw T1, turned on “Psycho,” went to sleep, awoke/bathroom/call to the phone scores (by the way nobody was ever better or even as good as me, doing that back in the day, for Score Phone, a “welcher” named Dominick owes me 2K, but as with all of this, there is nada, I can do. I will let it go!!) heard Atl first and with 5, but when I heard “Hous” 4, I was negative, not even knowing it was at one time, (4-0) Atlanta.
Tomorrow I will try to watch. If you can’t beat them, endure them!!!
Dansby Swanson and Jorge Soler (he was on the ’16 title winning Cubs, homered in his first big league at bat and days back became the first player to homer as the first batter up in the 117 year history of the World Series) hit consecutive, 1 out, solo, HR’s B7 yielding a (3-2) Atlanta lead and eventual same score win in #4 and a seemingly commanding 3 games to 1 lead vs the Houston Astros in the 2021 World Series.
The Braves seeking just theirs and Atlanta’s second major North American sports league crown, is now (7-0) at home in this year’s ‘offs, hoping to become just the third team since the advent of extra playoff entities, to go unbeaten at home during the ‘offs and win the crown. (Likely only the ’08 Phillies and ’99 Yankees have gone unblemished at home since the extra playoff entities began in ’95).
Atlanta (5-17) as the Atlanta Braves in Sunday post-season tilts hope to wrap up the title tonight. If they fail to do so, Fox with Smoltz, who completely botched the point regarding the unprecedented all road team wins,’19 World Series gets another game, breaks at least even, helping fuel their Unique” rhetoric.
It was sad, (was it?) to watch Astros’ manager Dusty Baker finish the writing in his notes after the loss that put Houston in a steep but not insurmountable hole and only I remark that the one time Baker was part of a title team (as an L.A. Dodgers player in strike marred 1981) he and his team benefitted from consecutive, bottom 7, solo homers that turned a one run deficit into a one run/same score win.
Then Pedro Guerrero homered off the excellent Yankees’ pitcher Ron Guidry to tie the game followed by Steve Yeager hitting a go ahead blast. Jerry Reuss went the route (now pitchers leave after 5 innings or less and get ridiculous praise) and L.A. took a (3-2) World Series lead, eventually winning the crown in game 6 when Baker, who did not have a good overall series, delivering a key hit.
The Atlanta Braves scored 2 runs, held the Astros to 2 hits (none yielded by Ian Anderson through 5 innings before he was lifted) and won (2-0) in game 3 and took a 2 games to 1 World Series lead. I wolfed down over priced, but delicious Oreos with vanilla fudge and went to sleep, again watching none.
“El telefono” yielded Atlanta first, with it, the Braves broke a 5 game home World Series losing streak, all at the hands of once Braves player and manager, Joe Torre’s Yankees (add 2 more losses by the Braves at home to the Yankees in the ’58 World Series, when sorry Joe, brother Frank was a bit of a goat and the Braves have lost 7 straight home World Series tilts to the Yankees) and ended a 4 game Houston road World Series game(s) win skein.
Austin Riley, as I finally detail some of this, delivered another big post-season hit, this a 1rbi double, that “tuned” NLCS MVP Eddie Rosario in the bottom of the third.
Meanwhile Anderson for 5 innings and Minter and Jackson for the next 2 held the ‘Stros sans or just type, without a hit.
In inning 8, a Diaz hit dropped in front of the non diving Rosario (protecting vs the extra base hit is more important) and pennant clinching pitching hero Manzek got out of it.
In the “bottom,” Travis D’Arnund, who hit the first homer of #2, surely at nice betting odds, albeit in defeat, homered to center, for (2-0) insurance.
Wil Smith retired Michael Brantley, an excellent hitter, who happened to make the last out of the ’19 World Series as his Houston lost to “Wash” (by the way do you think even with hedges, not to mention furniture sales, ‘they’ are letting Mattress Mac win over 30 million dollars, which he would via his original “‘Stros to title” bet?!!) and one week earlier on a Friday night, caught the last out, as Houston clinched a third straight odd year pennant.
Speaking of Fridays, the Braves are now (4-0) vs the Astros in Friday post-season tilts, all 3 wins in eventual “bastardized”/division series wins, vs them in consecutive odd years,’97,’99 and ’01.
Tonight game 3 of the World Series (I am so glad I saw the funny, extremely talented once Yes keyboarder, Rick Wakeman rather than game 2, the World Series negative being the Fox presentation lowlighted by throw it in our faces, Joe Buck and not the teams, which bothers many) at Atlanta, with the series tied a game apiece.
The Astros are in their fourth World Series, this the second that is tied (1-1). Meanwhile the Braves, in their 10th World Series (2 each in Boston and Milwaukee, which were win then lose and the 6th in Atlanta, (1-4) in previous), and just the second that is (1-1). Those were in ’48, ’57 and ’92, resulting in Braves’ losses in ’48 and ’92 with a glorious win in ’57, ending with the great Ed Mathews stepping on third base, after a nice stop of a smash.
While Houston is only an actual poor, (3-8) at home in home World Series tilts, they are (5-4) in road tilts. The Braves are (13-13) all-time in home World Series games, and (11-16) on the road.
When game 2 losing pitcher, Max Fried faced Alex Bregman in that #2, it marked the first time a Jewish pitcher faced a Jewish batter in the 117 year history of the World Series. Kudos to those who got that note. It was not me.
Surely Buck, a “lucky spermer,” from the Midwest, who evoked “God willing” for his and OKman’s (Aikman, another sickening individual and an over-rated, albeit excellent quarterback) being at the 2022 season Supe. Really if God is dealing with whether this spoiled, given it all, luck sperm club president/Emperor, who did not get the year right for the Ice Bowl, at a tribute to his father, one of that classic game’s broadcasters (he said ’69 for that 12/31/1967 game), then it is no wonder the world is what it is) did NOT note it.
Let me calm down, give you Yes “Roundabout” and ask Joe Buck nicely to stop throwing it in our collective faces, as to all you have–when indeed you “talk at us” (check “Cowboy” and why the ex Dallas Cowboys such as Aikman (3 Supes won, never a big comeback win) and Romo, who NEVER EVEN WON AS MUCH AS A DIVISION Round GAME).
Andy B Sports 