You may recall that before Saturday's game some critics questioned whether the Seahawks deserved to be in the playoffs and if the rules needed to be changed to prevent such a travesty from happening in the future. 48 hours later those same experts are singing the praises of the Hawks and wondering if the resilient bunch has another miracle up their sleeve.
Let me take off my homer cap for the moment. Anyone who watched the game knows the stars aligned just right for the Seahawks and their improbable victory over the defending Super Bowl champs. It was a little chilly. The crowd was pumped beyond belief. Marshawn "Beast Mode" Lynch stiff armed defensive backs like he was playing pop warner. Matt Hasselbeck threw 4 TOUCHDOWNS!
Qwest Field is a hostile environment to play in and anything is possible. In a season where the Seahawks were supposed to be rebuilding and evaluating talent for the future, the success of the team has accelerated expectation. Now all the talk is about hosting the NFC championship game if the Packers can beat the Falcons. This is not the way ANYBODY drew it up, but now it's reality and the city of Seattle is buzzing with anticipation. I'll be honest, I didn't think the Seahawks had much of a chance against Atlanta on the road. Chicago is quite a different story. Jay Cutler doesn't scare me and neither do those scrubby receivers the Bears have. If the Seahawks can score more than 25 points they can win. Special teams will decide the outcome of this battle whether it's Devin Hester breaking our hearts or Leon Washington giving us hope. This is when sports gets really fun. Go Hawks!
Monday, January 10, 2011
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Is Barry Bonds A First ballot Hall Of Famer?
As you'll recall on Thursday I voiced my displeasure about Roberto Alomar not being a first ballot hall of famer despite his exemplary credentials on the field. I also said I would address the Barry Bonds question today so here it is. Is Barry Bonds a first ballot hall of famer? YOU BET YOUR ASS HE IS! I'm not just saying that because I'm a Barry Bonds fan (Barry is one of my top 5 favorite athletes of all time) I'm saying it because the numbers support it.
Barry Bonds has the all time record for total home runs (762), home runs in a season (73), walks (2,558), and intentional walks (688). He won the MVP award a record 7 times (should've been 9) and 8 gold gloves. He is one of 4 players to ever hit 40 home runs and steal 40 bases in the same season and the only player in major league history to ever hit 500 home runs and steal 500 bases for a career. With numbers like that you don't ask whether he is a first ballot hall of famer, you ask whether he's the greatest baseball player of all time or not.
The skeptics will tell you that his accomplishments on the field are a direct result of his involvement with BALCO and performance enhancing drugs and that the numbers are skewed and can't be trusted. The truth is maybe the alleged substances Barry took helped a little, but they weren't illegal at the time according to the major league guidelines. The numbers Barry put up are so gaudy that even if you subtracted 20% of his total numbers (which is WAY too high) and attributed them to PED's he's still a first ballot hall of famer. This is a player steroid or no steroid opposing pitchers wouldn't throw a strike. In 2001 Barry Bonds played a 4 game series against the Houston Astros and saw exactly 5 pitches in the strike zone in over 20 at bats. 5. I don't condone everything Barry Bonds has done in his career and I won't sit here and defend his callous, abrasive, smug, arrogant attitude, but is he a first ballot hall of famer? Without question. Anyone who says different has a personal, moral settle to score or doesn't know baseball. Plain and simple.
Barry Bonds has the all time record for total home runs (762), home runs in a season (73), walks (2,558), and intentional walks (688). He won the MVP award a record 7 times (should've been 9) and 8 gold gloves. He is one of 4 players to ever hit 40 home runs and steal 40 bases in the same season and the only player in major league history to ever hit 500 home runs and steal 500 bases for a career. With numbers like that you don't ask whether he is a first ballot hall of famer, you ask whether he's the greatest baseball player of all time or not.
The skeptics will tell you that his accomplishments on the field are a direct result of his involvement with BALCO and performance enhancing drugs and that the numbers are skewed and can't be trusted. The truth is maybe the alleged substances Barry took helped a little, but they weren't illegal at the time according to the major league guidelines. The numbers Barry put up are so gaudy that even if you subtracted 20% of his total numbers (which is WAY too high) and attributed them to PED's he's still a first ballot hall of famer. This is a player steroid or no steroid opposing pitchers wouldn't throw a strike. In 2001 Barry Bonds played a 4 game series against the Houston Astros and saw exactly 5 pitches in the strike zone in over 20 at bats. 5. I don't condone everything Barry Bonds has done in his career and I won't sit here and defend his callous, abrasive, smug, arrogant attitude, but is he a first ballot hall of famer? Without question. Anyone who says different has a personal, moral settle to score or doesn't know baseball. Plain and simple.
Friday, January 7, 2011
Young Sam Rothstein Cools Down
I have to admit going 2 for 4 on Tuesday almost humbled me a little. It's almost as if the sportsbook gods were trying to punish me for my arrogance. No matter, I still have my finger on the pulse of the sports world and my confidence won't waver. As I've said many times the sportsbook is not an exact science. Human performance can drift out of your control. In one of my losses Zach Randolph went for 31 and 16 for Memphis against OKC and in the other loss Wilson Chandler went for 31 and 9 for the Knicks against San Antonio. Both of these performances were an anomaly. The once unbeatable Spurs have lost 2 straight on the road for the first time all season. Follow trends and apply knowledge I always say. Let's see how the prodigies did.
Sally:
On the 2 straight bets Sally won with Miami and Portland, but lost with OKC. She did however come back to win a 2 team parlay with Miami and Portland.
Started with: $100
Wagered: $40
Won: $32
New total: $132
Baxter: Baxter also won 2 straight bets with Miami and Portland, but lost with San Antonio. He won a 2 team parlay, lost a 2 team parlay, and lost a 3 team parlay.
Started with: $500
Wagered: $250
Won: $42
New total: $542
Freddy: Freddy took a bit of a blow. He split his straight bets winning with Miami and losing with OKC. He won a 2 team parlay and lost a 2 team parlay. The 2 3 team parlays were a disaster.
Started: $2,000
Wagered: $1,200
Lost: $320
New total: $1,680
This game has got valleys and peaks so watch how Fast Freddy turns it around ion the following weeks. Here's my locks for the weekend.
Philadelphia -3 over Green Bay. The big 3 got a chance to rest last week for Philadelphia and Michael Vick got a chance to recharge his battery. Philly by 5.
Oregon +2 1/2 over Auburn. Cam Newton is the real deal, but Oregon's offense is too powerful and Auburn's defense sucks. Take the points.
Chicago -1 over Philadelphia. Chicago misses Joakim Noah, but Carlos Boozer is playing inspired ball. Chicago wins.
Golden St. over Cleveland. This one is a bit of a stretch, but Golden St. is at home and the Cavs don't score enough points typically to keep up with the high flying Warriors. This one could get ugly.
Sally and Baxter will continue with their regular betting pace, but Fast Freddy is going to scale it back a bit. There will be no 3 team parlays for him until he gets back to even money. Enjoy!
Sally:
On the 2 straight bets Sally won with Miami and Portland, but lost with OKC. She did however come back to win a 2 team parlay with Miami and Portland.
Started with: $100
Wagered: $40
Won: $32
New total: $132
Baxter: Baxter also won 2 straight bets with Miami and Portland, but lost with San Antonio. He won a 2 team parlay, lost a 2 team parlay, and lost a 3 team parlay.
Started with: $500
Wagered: $250
Won: $42
New total: $542
Freddy: Freddy took a bit of a blow. He split his straight bets winning with Miami and losing with OKC. He won a 2 team parlay and lost a 2 team parlay. The 2 3 team parlays were a disaster.
Started: $2,000
Wagered: $1,200
Lost: $320
New total: $1,680
This game has got valleys and peaks so watch how Fast Freddy turns it around ion the following weeks. Here's my locks for the weekend.
Philadelphia -3 over Green Bay. The big 3 got a chance to rest last week for Philadelphia and Michael Vick got a chance to recharge his battery. Philly by 5.
Oregon +2 1/2 over Auburn. Cam Newton is the real deal, but Oregon's offense is too powerful and Auburn's defense sucks. Take the points.
Chicago -1 over Philadelphia. Chicago misses Joakim Noah, but Carlos Boozer is playing inspired ball. Chicago wins.
Golden St. over Cleveland. This one is a bit of a stretch, but Golden St. is at home and the Cavs don't score enough points typically to keep up with the high flying Warriors. This one could get ugly.
Sally and Baxter will continue with their regular betting pace, but Fast Freddy is going to scale it back a bit. There will be no 3 team parlays for him until he gets back to even money. Enjoy!
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Roberto Alomar Deserved Better
Hall of fame voting is a time when sports writers get to pass judgement on some of the greatest players the game has ever known. It is their opportunity to establish a criteria that lives up to their standards. Last year the voters passed on a 12 time all star, 10 time gold glove winner (a record for 2nd base), and a back to back World Series champion. 365 days later the same player got into the hall of fame with 90% of the vote, a 17% increase from last year. Did the player's numbers change? Was his greatness enhanced? Of course not. The only thing that changed was the cynical attitude of the media.
it is clear that the sports writers felt the need to punish the greatest 2nd baseman of his generation for an incident that happened 15 years ago. Umpire John Hirschbeck blew a call in a critical game causing all star Roberto Alomar to come unglued. He inexplicably lost his cool and spit on the umpire. Although Alomar personally apologized to Hirschbeck and the two have become friends since the incident the media continues to hold a grudge. It is irresponsible and childish to overlook an entire body of work for the sake of one incident. I don't condone the actions of Roberto Alomar on that day in 1995, but I won't let it define a 20 year career either. A first ballot hall of famer is a first ballot hall of famer no matter what. Sports writers should be able to put their personal feelings aside and vote based on athletic performance. It should be irrelevant whether you approve or disapprove of an isolated incident. There aren't 3 people in the history of baseball that have ever played the position of 2nd base better than Roberto Alomar. That's a first ballot hall of famer in my book. And what do I think about Barry Bonds as a first ballot hall of famer? Tune in Saturday to hear my thoughts.
it is clear that the sports writers felt the need to punish the greatest 2nd baseman of his generation for an incident that happened 15 years ago. Umpire John Hirschbeck blew a call in a critical game causing all star Roberto Alomar to come unglued. He inexplicably lost his cool and spit on the umpire. Although Alomar personally apologized to Hirschbeck and the two have become friends since the incident the media continues to hold a grudge. It is irresponsible and childish to overlook an entire body of work for the sake of one incident. I don't condone the actions of Roberto Alomar on that day in 1995, but I won't let it define a 20 year career either. A first ballot hall of famer is a first ballot hall of famer no matter what. Sports writers should be able to put their personal feelings aside and vote based on athletic performance. It should be irrelevant whether you approve or disapprove of an isolated incident. There aren't 3 people in the history of baseball that have ever played the position of 2nd base better than Roberto Alomar. That's a first ballot hall of famer in my book. And what do I think about Barry Bonds as a first ballot hall of famer? Tune in Saturday to hear my thoughts.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
The Andrew Luck Dilemma
If Andrew Luck declares for the NFL draft in the spring it is a foregone conclusion that the Carolina Panthers will select him with the #1 pick. It's impossible to do better than that and history has shown us there is no guarantee that opportunity will present itself later if he passes on it now. If Andrew Luck stays he will have the chance to cement his legacy as the greatest quarterback to ever play at Stanford and a possible shot at the national championship. There are pros and cons for staying in school for one more season. Let's review them.
The Pros:
1. Andrew Luck gets to stay one more year and enjoy the college experience while perfecting his craft.
2. His father was an NFL quarterback so the family isn't strapped for cash.
3. The Carolina Panthers need more than a quarterback to change their fortunes and there is uncertainty at the head coaching position.
4. The NFL labor negotiations aren't going very well and the possibility of a lock out is very real.
5. There will be a rookie salary cap in the next collective bargaining agreement so the money from one year to the next won't be significantly different.
The Cons:
1. There's nothing to prove in college after leading Stanford to a 12 win season and an Orange Bowl victory.
2. There's a good chance he won't be the #1 pick next year if he comes back for one more season (Locker and Leinart are perfect examples).
3. He unnecessarily risks injury.
4. He may wind up with a team worse than the Carolina Panthers if he stays (Oakland, Cincinnati, Buffalo).
5. The extra time gives the media more opportunity to scrutinize all of his flaws and create unrealistic expectation.
6. Jim Harbaugh will not return as head coach.
In the end I always say leave when you have maximized your value and accomplished all your goals. In my opinion Andrew Luck would be a fool to return to Stanford next year and not take advantage of his current situation. The risk is too great. Stranger things have happened though. Stay tuned.
The Pros:
1. Andrew Luck gets to stay one more year and enjoy the college experience while perfecting his craft.
2. His father was an NFL quarterback so the family isn't strapped for cash.
3. The Carolina Panthers need more than a quarterback to change their fortunes and there is uncertainty at the head coaching position.
4. The NFL labor negotiations aren't going very well and the possibility of a lock out is very real.
5. There will be a rookie salary cap in the next collective bargaining agreement so the money from one year to the next won't be significantly different.
The Cons:
1. There's nothing to prove in college after leading Stanford to a 12 win season and an Orange Bowl victory.
2. There's a good chance he won't be the #1 pick next year if he comes back for one more season (Locker and Leinart are perfect examples).
3. He unnecessarily risks injury.
4. He may wind up with a team worse than the Carolina Panthers if he stays (Oakland, Cincinnati, Buffalo).
5. The extra time gives the media more opportunity to scrutinize all of his flaws and create unrealistic expectation.
6. Jim Harbaugh will not return as head coach.
In the end I always say leave when you have maximized your value and accomplished all your goals. In my opinion Andrew Luck would be a fool to return to Stanford next year and not take advantage of his current situation. The risk is too great. Stranger things have happened though. Stay tuned.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Young Sam Rothstein And His New Prodigies
I made a mistake yesterday. I posted on the blog that I was 3 for 3 on my new years picks last Thursday, but I was actually 4 for 4 (San Antonio, San Diego, Tennessee, and Chicago). Congrats to Alan from Portland for hitting a 3 team parlay, a 2 team parlay, and 3 straight bets. An extra $1,500 gets the new year off to a good start. Another shout out goes to Byron from Huntsville for cashing in on a $300 3 team parlay and a $200 2 team parlay. He's $2,300 closer to getting that jet ski he's always wanted. Ladies and gentlemen, family, friends, fans, and followers school is in session. It's time to show you how to make some money. Picking the winners is one thing, but showing you how to apply the knowledge is quite another. I'll start by introducing my 3 new prodigies.
Sally is a conservative house wife from Amarillo, TX. She stole $100 from her husband while he was sleeping and hopes to use the power of the sportsbook to earn a little spending money to get her nails and hair done.
Baxter is a marketing manager from Redmond, WA. He's trying to save enough money for a vacation to Belize in November. I'll show him how to turn $500 into $2,500 with a little patience and execution.
Freddy is a bartender from Las Vegas, NV. He sees all the high rollers around him and aspires to be one of them. He wants to fly by the seat of his pants and ride the sportsbook roller coaster. Get rich quick or die trying is his motto. He'll start with $2,000. His goal is $15,000 by the end of June.
The motivation and goals of my 3 prodigies is different so the betting philosophy will be different. There is a sliding scale of risk involved. You'll see all 3 of them do well over the course of this experiment. If you have any questions or comments please feel free to express them and contact me whenever you wish. Here are the locks for the day.
Miami -9 1/2 over Milwaukee. Ride the hot hand. Miami has won 18 out of the last 19 games and demolishes sub .500 teams (Milwaukee is 13-18). The spread is probably a point higher than I might like, but I'm riding the South Beach wave.
San Antonio -5 1/2 over New York. New York is without Danilo Gallinari and the Spurs won't let the Knicks run up and down the court like they want. San Antonio shows off in their only trip to the Garden.
OKC -2 over Memphis. Memphis is confident after their big win over LA on Sunday. That will work against them tonight.
Portland +4 1/2 over Dallas. The Mavs have no scoring since Dirk Nowitzki has been hurt and Caron Butler is out of the picture as well. Take the points.
We'll start Sally out with 3 straight bets ($10 a piece) and a 2 team parlay for $10. Baxter will wager $120 on 3 straight bets ($40 a piece) $80 on 2 team parlays ($40 a piece) and $50 on a 3 team parlay. Fast Freddy is going to hit the ground running with 2 straight bets ($200 a piece) 2 2 team parlays ($200 a piece) and 2 3 team parlays ($200 a piece)
Straight bets pay 1 to 1, 2 team parlays pay 2 1/2 to 1, and 3 team parlays pay 6 to 1. We'll tally up the results for you on Friday. Enjoy!
Sally is a conservative house wife from Amarillo, TX. She stole $100 from her husband while he was sleeping and hopes to use the power of the sportsbook to earn a little spending money to get her nails and hair done.
Baxter is a marketing manager from Redmond, WA. He's trying to save enough money for a vacation to Belize in November. I'll show him how to turn $500 into $2,500 with a little patience and execution.
Freddy is a bartender from Las Vegas, NV. He sees all the high rollers around him and aspires to be one of them. He wants to fly by the seat of his pants and ride the sportsbook roller coaster. Get rich quick or die trying is his motto. He'll start with $2,000. His goal is $15,000 by the end of June.
The motivation and goals of my 3 prodigies is different so the betting philosophy will be different. There is a sliding scale of risk involved. You'll see all 3 of them do well over the course of this experiment. If you have any questions or comments please feel free to express them and contact me whenever you wish. Here are the locks for the day.
Miami -9 1/2 over Milwaukee. Ride the hot hand. Miami has won 18 out of the last 19 games and demolishes sub .500 teams (Milwaukee is 13-18). The spread is probably a point higher than I might like, but I'm riding the South Beach wave.
San Antonio -5 1/2 over New York. New York is without Danilo Gallinari and the Spurs won't let the Knicks run up and down the court like they want. San Antonio shows off in their only trip to the Garden.
OKC -2 over Memphis. Memphis is confident after their big win over LA on Sunday. That will work against them tonight.
Portland +4 1/2 over Dallas. The Mavs have no scoring since Dirk Nowitzki has been hurt and Caron Butler is out of the picture as well. Take the points.
We'll start Sally out with 3 straight bets ($10 a piece) and a 2 team parlay for $10. Baxter will wager $120 on 3 straight bets ($40 a piece) $80 on 2 team parlays ($40 a piece) and $50 on a 3 team parlay. Fast Freddy is going to hit the ground running with 2 straight bets ($200 a piece) 2 2 team parlays ($200 a piece) and 2 3 team parlays ($200 a piece)
Straight bets pay 1 to 1, 2 team parlays pay 2 1/2 to 1, and 3 team parlays pay 6 to 1. We'll tally up the results for you on Friday. Enjoy!
Monday, January 3, 2011
Weekend Observations
The city of Seattle is in perfect bliss after this weekend's events. The Husky football team routed the Nebraska Cornhuskers on national TV 91-7 and along the way ended up signing highly touted defensive lineman Danny Shelton away from the Oregon Ducks. If the Huskies can continue to capitalize on the momentum of the Holiday Bowl win they may be looking at a 9 win season next year. The UW men's basketball team completed the rare LA sweep with a come from behind win against USC and a solid performance against UCLA. The Pac 10 championship is off to a good start. As I have been predicting for weeks now the Seattle Seahawks made the playoffs with an impressive victory over the St. Louis Rams 16-6. South Alaska is the place to be right about now. I won't say I'm clairvoyant, but I definitely have my finger on the pulse of the sports world these days. Young Sam Rothstein went 3 for 3 and the new year will only get better. Here are some observations from the weekend.
The NFL:
I have a hunch that road teams will do better than expected in the playoffs. Look for New York, New Orleans, and Baltimore to make it interesting.
Mike Holmgren will coach the Cleveland Browns next season.
College Football:
The Big 10 is overrated and full of hot air. The Wisconsin debacle in the Rose Bowl exposed the conference as weak and slow. I don't want to hear about Michigan, Michigan St., or Ohio St. anymore.
Jim Harbaugh will coach in the pros next season. There are too many job openings for him to return to Stanford. He's done all he can there.
The NBA:
The Miami Heat followed up their Christmas victory over the Lakers with a win on New Years Day over Golden St., a game in which they trailed by 20 points at one time. It's time to get scared about what they can do.
If the Lakers don't find a 2nd scorer Kobe's legacy could be in jeopardy. It's not time to panic yet, but lets just say the latest Laker woes have caught my attention.
The NFL:
I have a hunch that road teams will do better than expected in the playoffs. Look for New York, New Orleans, and Baltimore to make it interesting.
Mike Holmgren will coach the Cleveland Browns next season.
College Football:
The Big 10 is overrated and full of hot air. The Wisconsin debacle in the Rose Bowl exposed the conference as weak and slow. I don't want to hear about Michigan, Michigan St., or Ohio St. anymore.
Jim Harbaugh will coach in the pros next season. There are too many job openings for him to return to Stanford. He's done all he can there.
The NBA:
The Miami Heat followed up their Christmas victory over the Lakers with a win on New Years Day over Golden St., a game in which they trailed by 20 points at one time. It's time to get scared about what they can do.
If the Lakers don't find a 2nd scorer Kobe's legacy could be in jeopardy. It's not time to panic yet, but lets just say the latest Laker woes have caught my attention.
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