Despite notching a second consecutive 4-1 week, dp laments his one loss: Atlanta beat San Francisco 20-16 to prevent dp's prediction perfection.
Unfortunately, dp's defining premise for backing the 49ers was the belief that RB Frank Gore, listed as questionable on the injury report, would actually play, and play well, against the Falcons. Gore suffered an ankle injury two weeks ago against the Giants, but he played last week against the Saints, so dp figured he would be fine on Sunday. Therein lies the danger in making picks on Friday (or even Saturday). dp was dismayed to learn about an hour before kickoff that Gore was in fact inactive for the game. Unfortunately, while dp immediately wanted to flip his pick and back the Falcons, this last-minute switch was impossible because dp was stuck in traffic on his way back to New Haven from Boston, where he had traveled to catch the Celtics home opener against the Wizards on Friday. (Note to self: obtain I-phone to ensure full internet access during future road trips.) Oh well. Detroit blew out Denver 44-7, Cleveland roared back from a 21-6 deficit to eke past Seattle 33-30 in overtime, and both Buffalo (33-21 over Cincy) and Green Bay (33-22 over Kansas City) made exciting fourth-quarter comebacks to pull out victories, which dp enjoyed watching simultaneously with the Bills backers at dp's neighborhood pub, Anna Liffey's. With friends like Gary the bartender, dp could be mistaken for that other Dude....
Green Bay at Kansas City (-1 opening; now at -2.5: moved due to heavy action on Chiefs) This is one of the funny games where the average fan automatically picks the Packers, while the professional gamblers back the Chiefs. Let's take a closer look at what both are thinking. First, the fans look at the Packers and see a 6-1 team that's on a roll with Brett Favre playing like the 3-time MVP of 1995-97. Meanwhile, the bettors look at the Chiefs and see a team that's playing at home, has won four of its last five games, and perhaps most significantly, has never lost to Brett Favre. In fact, KC is the only team in the NFL that Favre has yet to beat (0-3 career). Consequently, oddsmakers are begging for anyone to lay some loot on the Packers to hedge the book. dp says bet the house. This is the rare game where the conventional wisdom of the average fan is correct; simply put, the bookies are overthinking this one. The Pack is on one of those streaks where just enough happens to help them win each week, and it will continue against the Chiefs.
San Francisco at Atlanta (-3) With the Falcon's release of NT Grady Jackson, Frank Gore should find lots of running room this week. The 49ers will look to use Gore often to control the clock and wear down the Atlanta D. Alex Smith can bounce back with some play action passes downfield.
Seattle at Cleveland (-1) Cleveland could score a bunch of points and still lose with their porous defense, but they should have just enough of a cushion to hold on for the win.
Cincy at Buffalo (-3 opening; now it's a coinflip) Well, while dp is finally giving up on the Bungles after getting burned (again) for backing them last week. It seems the rest of America is still seduced by the playmaking trio of QB Carson Palmer and WRs Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh (who has scored a touchdown in seven straight games) because heavy early week betting action on Cincy has moved the point spread a full field goal. The layman would figure that because Buffalo has gone from a 3-point favorite to a 1-point underdog in some sportsbooks, the smart money is on the Bengals, but in reality the opposite is true. Vegas oddsmakers are practically begging bettors to put some loot down on Buffalo, and dp agrees with them. Buffalo is the pick.
Denver at Detroit (-3) Denver is still reeling from their heartbreaking home loss in OT to Green Bay on Monday night. With a short week of preparation, they won't have enough in the tank to knock off a tough Lions squad.
The popularity of motor sports all over the world is on the rise. At the highest level, this reality is reflected by the presence of four athletes from the racing domain among Forbes’ list of the top 25 earners in sports in 2007: the current Formula One champion, Finland’s Kimi Raikkonen, at No. 4 with $40 million; a retired Formula One legend, Germany’s Michael Schumacher, at No. 5 with $36 million; a Grand Prix motorcycling superstar, Italy’s Valentino Ross,i at No. 11 with $30 million; and the five-time NASCAR champion, America’s Jeff Gordon, at No. 21 with $24.5 million.
NASCAR has never been more popular, as the NEXTEL Cup Series has created a playoff-type atmosphere with its season-ending Chase for the Cup. With three races remaining in this third season of the Chase, Gordon holds a slim nine-point lead over his Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jimmie Johnson, who narrowed the gap with his eighth win of the season last Sunday in Atlanta. Even though most elite drivers like Gordon and Johnson are part of multi-car teams, many people assume auto racing to be a completely individual sport featuring drivers who are a bunch of ultra-competitive macho men. This certainly seems to be a valid conclusion, especially in light of the ongoing feud between Roush Fenway Racing teammates Carl Edwards (currently fourth in the Chase) and Matt Kenseth (eleventh). After the finish of the Oct. 21 Subway 500 at Martinsville, an irate Edwards physically confronted Kenseth in an infamous scene that has been replayed hundreds of thousands of times by YouTube viewers. NASCAR’s culture simply doesn’t allow for backing down on or off the track, but this kind of scary excitement doesn’t say much for sportsmanship or teamwork. Check out hotheaded Edwards despicable display below:
Yet Gordon and Johnson’s relationship offers a much more positive example for young fans. A big part of why these two are running first and second in the standings is that they actually communicate well and share information with one another in order to dominate the rest of the field. It’s refreshing to know that even at the highest level of the ultimate individual sport, there’s still room for cooperation.
Meanwhile, as NASCAR speeds toward Taft with the construction of the new track at Enos Lane and Interstate 5, the World Off Road Championship Series (WORCS) comes to Taft’s Honolulu Hills Raceway this weekend and next for the final bike and ATV races of the season. While the events will bring a lot of visitors who will boost revenues for local businesses, what’s even better is that they highlight the positive impact that motor sports enthusiasts produce for the community.
Just ask eight-year-old Kenny “Nac-Nac” Owens, currently the “Featured Rider” on taftracing.com. Kenny loves racing because he gets to compete with friends and hang out with his family at the races. Just as the community comes together to rally around more traditional sports entities like the 8-1 Taft Wildcats football team (Good luck against Arvin!), so, too, can this kind of collective spirit be found on the track.
Check out Kenny's favorite Moto superstar, Travis Pastrana completing the first double backflip in competition history at the 2006 X-Games:
Whether our children are singing and dancing on stage, chasing a ball on grass, or racing dirtbikes in mud, shouldn’t we recognize the benefits of any form of performance? As our kids develop their bodies and minds through practice, exercise, competition, and teamwork, our communities are also made stronger as we come together to witness and celebrate our shared values like dedication to a common cause, determination to face challenges and improve, and participation in something bigger than the self.
Brett Favre hit Greg Jennings with an 82-yard bomb on the first play of overtime to defeat the Broncos 19-13 on Monday night. After a rough second half in the loss to Chicago and a poor performance in a win over Washington where a couple of underthrown deep passes had (foolish) critics questioning his arm strength, Favre bounced back against Denver's 6th-ranked pass defense, finishing 21 for 27 with 331 yards and two touchdowns. Even better, Favre torched both of Denver's All-Pro cornerbacks: Jennings burned Dre Bly to win the game, and in the first quarter, rookie James Jones beat Champ Bailey deep with a 79-yard touchdown.
Unlike some of the NFL's other elite teams, the Packers are winning with class, too. Just listen to the humble Jennings in a post-game interview with Suzy Kolber:
Meanwhile, the Pack's win iced dp's best week yet in underdog predictions. Only dp's stubborn refusal to believe that the Bengals actually do completely suck this year prevented a perfect 5-0 mark. While Chincy bungled their way to an seventh-straight home loss against Pittsburgh, dp's road warriors all won: Philly 23-16 at Minnesota, Buffalo 13-3 at NY Jets, and New Orleans 31-10 at San Francisco, and of course Green Bay.
As if capping dp's triumphant week 8 wasn't enough, Favre's dramatic game-winning pass also gave all three of dp's X Country Packbackin fantasy squads improbable come-from-behind victories. That's right: by the end of regulation Monday night, dp trailed his opponents by less than ten points in all three matchups, only to snatch victory at literally the last possible moment.
When it was all over, dp could hardly be happier if he was a member of the Boston Red Sox. Week 8 record: 4-1 (10-3 overall) Season: 19-13 (77-39 overall)
Genarlow Wilson woke up this morning in his own bed to enjoy his third day of freedom since being released from prison. He spent 32 months behind bars for receiving consensual oral sex from a 15-year old sophomore girl (who admittedly instigated the act) when he was a 17-year old senior. He was finally released on Friday when the State Supreme Court ruled that his 10-year mandatory minimum sentence as a sex offender constituted cruel and unusual punishment.
Georgia's State Attorney General Thurbert Baker said he hopes Friday's ruling puts "an end to this issue as a matter of contention in the hearts and minds of concerned Georgians and others across the country who have taken such a strong interest in this case." Back in June, after a judge ruled that Wilson's punishment was cruel and unusual, Baker appealed the decision, and Wilson remained locked up. dp wishes that Friday's ruling put an end to Baker's political and legal career. Hopefully, the good people of Georgia will demand Baker's resignation.
As Wilson was losing nearly three years of his life, the man who prosecuted him, Eddie Barker, had said, "We can set aside his sentence. Legally, it's still possible for us to set aside his sentence and give him a new sentence to a lesser charge. But it's up to us. He has no control over it." In fact, the archaic law under which Wilson was prosecuted was changed in the wake of his trial, but it inexplicably wasn't applied retroactively. dp hopes that Barker's self-righteous megalomania causes his head to explode before he can bark up the wrong tree again.
Barker's boss, Douglas County District Attorney David McDade, said he disagreed with the Supreme Court's decision, but he respects the court "as the final arbiter." dp does not respect McDade, considering him a disgrace to the notion of justice and a menace to Douglas County society.
Meanwhile, Wilson refuses to criticize these madmen who have conspired to make his life a living hell. dp hopes that the former football star, homecoming king, and honor student can reclaim his once-promising potential. Go get 'em, Genarlow. At 5' 9" and 170 pounds, you're a much bigger man than any of the fatcats in Georgia's judicial and legislative branches ever will be.
Examining the Week 8 schedule, dp uncovers triple dog potential. That's right: three underdogs will win outright.
In the first upset special, Cincinnati will knock off four-point favorite Pittsburgh in a high-scoring affair.
Second, the Buffalo Bills, last week's underdog darlings by defeating Baltimore, look to keep their overachieving streak alive at the Jets (-3).
Third, Green Bay travels to Denver (-3) Monday night to pile on more mile-high frustration for Colorado sports fans, who will still be reeling from the Rockies' fall from Rocktober to Rockedtober. (Just as dp predicted, it's all Soxtoberfest this fall.)
Fourth, Philly will win a coinflip at Minnesota. Even the Vegas oddsmakers can't figure this one out, as some sportsbooks have the Vikings and others have the Eagles as a one-point favorite. Either way, Philly's the pick.
Fifth, in dp's Sunday afternoon hangover shot (of Bourbon St.) in the dark, the Saints will win at San Francisco.
Short and sweet, yet packing some wallop. Just like Maker's Mark.
From professional leagues to personal extremes, FLICKsport's got the scoop. I'm your humble host, the digital producer, the unassisted double play, the deep poet: dp.
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