Latest update on the Georgia football riot:
January 25, 2012: Hancock County grand jury returns NO INDICTMENTS for the Warren County-Hancock County incident.
February 14, 2012: Warren County ends it's men's basketball season by forfeiting (as it said it would) when they were paired with Hancock County in Division 7-A.
Next year, this won't happen: The state board has allowed Warren County to ensure it won't have to play Hancock County in anything.
Monday, February 27, 2012
Another reason that I get pissed at all the stuff going on with these thug athletes...
About 15 1/2 months ago, I posted on this blog the story of Mason Holland, the Florida player who was arrested and expelled for assault on a referee.
Well, what do I find as I look for updates on the story? Not only has Holland been arrested for fucking up a 12 year-old girl, but his coach (who was fired over the incident on the court!) was arrested for trying to pay off the family!
Holland is still awaiting trial on both the assault on the referee and the sexual assault. He faces a maximum of five years for the referee assault (Felony III) and 15 for the sexual assault on a minor (Felony II).
Well, what do I find as I look for updates on the story? Not only has Holland been arrested for fucking up a 12 year-old girl, but his coach (who was fired over the incident on the court!) was arrested for trying to pay off the family!
Holland is still awaiting trial on both the assault on the referee and the sexual assault. He faces a maximum of five years for the referee assault (Felony III) and 15 for the sexual assault on a minor (Felony II).
Friday, February 17, 2012
Just a thought...
We all know that Roger Goodell has taken lessons from David $tern...
Does anyone else actually think all this "Linsanity" is just a little too convenient?
Just a thought... Shaq has retired, the Lakers are a joke, and we all know $tern is a Knick homer...
Does anyone else actually think all this "Linsanity" is just a little too convenient?
Just a thought... Shaq has retired, the Lakers are a joke, and we all know $tern is a Knick homer...
Monday, February 13, 2012
Now that I have the opportunity, let's take a look at the South Korea debacle.
I believed it then, I believe it now. South Korea fixed it's way into the World Cup semifinal in 2002, probably mostly on a combination of home-field intimidation and Asian influences with the betting.
I didn't realize this until I went over some of the posts I had made on the tournament, but there were FIVE dodgy matches in the Round of 16 in just that tournament.
Senegal-Sweden: 1-0 to Sweden, and watch at 1:05 (offside? own goal?? It did look like the Senegal player had stopped to ensure he wasn't offside. Replay at 1:22 appears good.). There were also three penalty claims waved off within about a 20-minute stretch of the first half around that effort. Senegal are able to equalize, and win 2-1 in extra time.
United States-Mexico: And this is the match BEFORE the Frings handball on (over) the line!
McBride puts the US up 1-0 after a Reyna run and a Wolfe pass. Donovan doubles the advantage in the second half, against all run of play. However, the match is marred when it appears as if Mexico could've had a goal, but a clear US hand ball denies it and send the US through.
Denmark-England: Probably the only dodgy game where the officiating did not determine the outcome, as Denmark had a goal wiped out for phantom offside, but England were 3-0 comfortably ahead in the first place.
Belgium-Brazil: Watch at :51 of this clip. 1st half, scoreless. You tell me where the foul is here.
The Brazilian is even throwing up his hands as if to wonder what the whistle was on the guy who had just "scored" on the header against him!
Watch 1:05 and onward for an even better view! There's no foul there!
But it's Brazil!! They win 2-0 and eventually play Germany in the Final.
But before we get there, the curious story of South Korea and one of the most crooked spates of officiating in the history of world soccer. A YouTube clip of the controversies is here.
We'll start, for convention's sake, with their Round of 16 match with Italy. Italy go 1-0 up on a Vieri goal in the 18th minute.
49th minute, clear foul in midfield not called. 22 for Korea pulls the Italian's shirt, then an ELBOW by the other guy.
Totti fouled all over the place in the 57th minute.
Bad tackles in both the 64th and the end of the 68th minutes against Italy by the Koreans. (Studs up to the thigh on the latter -- should be "see ya".)
Gee, I thought mugging was illegal under the rules.
Another harsh tackle right in front of the referee at the 77th minute.
Totti gets destroyed with the ball at the top of the box a minute later and the referee plays advantage -- to South Korea!
And, wouldn't you know it... After all this non-called dirty play, South Korea equalizes three minutes from full time, and we go to (then) golden-goal overtime.
Totti is mugged (for about the twelfth time in the match) in the box in the 103rd minute, and gets sent off as a result, for his second yellow -- for DIVING??? The referee instantaneously has six players in his face.
#22 for South Korea (again!) clearly knees Totti in the back of the knee. (1:59 - 2:00) Not only has he not dived, Totti has probably earned a game-winning penalty!!
110th minute: Italy, at ten men, still get someone through and apparently score the winner, but blown for offside. Watch the super-slo-mo at 2:13 - 2:14 and convince yourselves the Italian was offside.
And the Koreans get the ordained result 5 minutes later. 2-1, off to the quarterfinals.
Where they get Spain!!
Early in the match, #13 commits a harsh interference foul without call.
The South Korean #10 is clearly shirt-pulling the arm of the Spaniard shortly thereafter in clear view of the linesman -- no call, he's from South Korea after all!
South Korea's dirty, rough-housing tactics were a hallmark of this tournament, as numerous harsh tackles went uncalled in this match by the Egyptian referee or his linesmen.
And then, in the first of a number of bad calls at the goal, Spain has a goal disallowed for handball when the ball is shown in the replay to go off the KOREAN'S shoulder!!
And then probably the worst of all, a Spain cross on the line finds an unmarked offensive player on the far side, deposited for the win -- except the ball has been deemed to go out over the line (and I believe the call was actually that the ball went over the line in the air -- which was laughable if you look at the ground-level replay at about 4:15 of the clip).
Then a flagrantly bad offside call in the extra session as a Spain player gets free on the keeper.
South Korea wins on penalties.
You still want to believe the games are legitimate?
I didn't realize this until I went over some of the posts I had made on the tournament, but there were FIVE dodgy matches in the Round of 16 in just that tournament.
Senegal-Sweden: 1-0 to Sweden, and watch at 1:05 (offside? own goal?? It did look like the Senegal player had stopped to ensure he wasn't offside. Replay at 1:22 appears good.). There were also three penalty claims waved off within about a 20-minute stretch of the first half around that effort. Senegal are able to equalize, and win 2-1 in extra time.
United States-Mexico: And this is the match BEFORE the Frings handball on (over) the line!
McBride puts the US up 1-0 after a Reyna run and a Wolfe pass. Donovan doubles the advantage in the second half, against all run of play. However, the match is marred when it appears as if Mexico could've had a goal, but a clear US hand ball denies it and send the US through.
Denmark-England: Probably the only dodgy game where the officiating did not determine the outcome, as Denmark had a goal wiped out for phantom offside, but England were 3-0 comfortably ahead in the first place.
Belgium-Brazil: Watch at :51 of this clip. 1st half, scoreless. You tell me where the foul is here.
The Brazilian is even throwing up his hands as if to wonder what the whistle was on the guy who had just "scored" on the header against him!
Watch 1:05 and onward for an even better view! There's no foul there!
But it's Brazil!! They win 2-0 and eventually play Germany in the Final.
But before we get there, the curious story of South Korea and one of the most crooked spates of officiating in the history of world soccer. A YouTube clip of the controversies is here.
We'll start, for convention's sake, with their Round of 16 match with Italy. Italy go 1-0 up on a Vieri goal in the 18th minute.
49th minute, clear foul in midfield not called. 22 for Korea pulls the Italian's shirt, then an ELBOW by the other guy.
Totti fouled all over the place in the 57th minute.
Bad tackles in both the 64th and the end of the 68th minutes against Italy by the Koreans. (Studs up to the thigh on the latter -- should be "see ya".)
Gee, I thought mugging was illegal under the rules.
Another harsh tackle right in front of the referee at the 77th minute.
Totti gets destroyed with the ball at the top of the box a minute later and the referee plays advantage -- to South Korea!
And, wouldn't you know it... After all this non-called dirty play, South Korea equalizes three minutes from full time, and we go to (then) golden-goal overtime.
Totti is mugged (for about the twelfth time in the match) in the box in the 103rd minute, and gets sent off as a result, for his second yellow -- for DIVING??? The referee instantaneously has six players in his face.
#22 for South Korea (again!) clearly knees Totti in the back of the knee. (1:59 - 2:00) Not only has he not dived, Totti has probably earned a game-winning penalty!!
110th minute: Italy, at ten men, still get someone through and apparently score the winner, but blown for offside. Watch the super-slo-mo at 2:13 - 2:14 and convince yourselves the Italian was offside.
And the Koreans get the ordained result 5 minutes later. 2-1, off to the quarterfinals.
Where they get Spain!!
Early in the match, #13 commits a harsh interference foul without call.
The South Korean #10 is clearly shirt-pulling the arm of the Spaniard shortly thereafter in clear view of the linesman -- no call, he's from South Korea after all!
South Korea's dirty, rough-housing tactics were a hallmark of this tournament, as numerous harsh tackles went uncalled in this match by the Egyptian referee or his linesmen.
And then, in the first of a number of bad calls at the goal, Spain has a goal disallowed for handball when the ball is shown in the replay to go off the KOREAN'S shoulder!!
And then probably the worst of all, a Spain cross on the line finds an unmarked offensive player on the far side, deposited for the win -- except the ball has been deemed to go out over the line (and I believe the call was actually that the ball went over the line in the air -- which was laughable if you look at the ground-level replay at about 4:15 of the clip).
Then a flagrantly bad offside call in the extra session as a Spain player gets free on the keeper.
South Korea wins on penalties.
You still want to believe the games are legitimate?
And those aren't the only examples of Super Soccer Fraud:
Pulled up an YouTube post of an iTV special on the five (worst) refereeing calls which shook the world, and I want you to see just how bad Sepp Blatter and the like want the officials to determine the games a certain way.
Number 5: Germany-England, World Cup 2010, South Africa, Round of 16.
England were 2-0 down to Germany fairly quickly, but got one goal back before something utterly shocking happened.
At about :45 of the clip, DeFoe goes to Lampard, who is able to chip over the goaltender and off the crossbar and basically down.
Shortly thereafter (1:03), you see a replay which openly shows that the goal was, in fact, scored. The whole of the ball needs to go over the whole of the line, and it does so. Clearly.
No goal, England loses 4-1.
Sepp Blatter has been so damnated against replay in soccer that he clearly needs the officials to have every mechanism at their disposal to fix the matches. But when a goal can be clearly shown to be at least by one entire width of the soccer ball -- perhaps more! -- it is clear that the match is fixed.
For the referee to miss the call, as well as his linesman, when the ball is that far over the line, it is a deliberate act of malfeasance which indicates that England, under NO circumstances, was going to win on that day.
And he was removed, and he should've been removed. You HAVE TO make that call. That ball was, by the announcers' estimation, a yard over the line. Tell Sepp Blatter to go to Hell if you have to, but a goal is a goal.
Number 4: West Germany-France, World Cup 1982, Spain, Semifinals
When a respected official, on camera, tells the world that this is the worst refereeing mistake ever made in the history of soccer, that should get a red flag up immediately.
The score is 1-1, and France's Patrick Battiston appears to go through cleanly for a 1-on-1 with the goalkeeper for Germany, Harold Schumacher.
What happened next, Battiston was asked on the clip...
"I don't know. I was unconscious."
Battiston takes his shot and misses it -- probably because Schumacher comes flying at him and basically takes Battiston's freaking head off! (3:26 starts the clip, contact at the left side of the screen at 3:31.)
Now, it's not a red for Denial of a Goal-Scoring Opportunity, as Battiston's panic probably ends the GSO, but that's red for a violent tackle of the first order. Battiston lost three teeth and broke a vertebrae, according to the clip, but the referee not only does not send Schumacher off, he doesn't even render the contact to be a foul whatsoever -- goal kick to West Germany!!
If you watch the clip at about 4:03, you find out that the guy basically elbows Battiston in the head, his feet at least a foot off the ground!! To no-call that on not only a red card, but a penalty to France is abjectly criminal!
At least some levity is done with a funny little joke at the end of that series, so have a laugh at that before we go to Number 3...
West Germany win the game in penalties after a 3-3 draw, but lose the final to Italy.
Number 3: Croatia-Australia, 2006 World Cup, Germany, Group H, Third Match
You know you're in trouble when a referee cannot count to two.
You know you're in more trouble when FOUR officials can't count to two.
Graham Poll is one of the most respected referees in the entire world, one of England's best -- or at least he was before this match.
This was a tournament marred by a massive amount of foul play (one of the most-carded tournaments in the history of soccer).
It still doesn't excuse, however, how Croatia's Josep Simunic could, in the course of the second half, get THREE yellow cards.
After a 61st-minute card for dissent, the second card by Simunic should've been straight-red to begin with -- not only is it a cynical tackle (two, in fact, in the center circle -- about 5:35 or so in the clip), but Simunic bumps Poll as he receives what was his second yellow card in the 90th minute, which would've sent the Croatians to nine men versus Australia's ten. (In fact, all three men were sent off (including Simunic three minutes later on his third yellow) after the 85th minute of the match!)
So, short of a fix or something, why does Poll not send him off, and why do the other three officials not communicate with Poll as to the fact that Simunic had already been cautioned about a half-hour before?
The tackles merited straight-red to begin with. But to miss a fundamental count of two?
There's "everybody makes mistakes", but for the mistake to be that obvious (a literal "everybody in the stadium can see it" situation -- and that's if you don't send Simunic off directly for the tackles in the 90th!), something has to be up. FIFA is effectively forced, according to the match report through Wikipedia, to disown the yellow card in the 90th, even though the whole situation could've merited two red-card offenses (one for the tackles, one for bumping the official).
In fact, the clip notes that it was some time, and a DVD, later that Poll found out that he had given Simunic three cards. HOW IS THAT FUCKING POSSIBLE?
Graham Poll, and rightly, removed himself from any further tournament final matches permanently after that Cup, and retired from domestic officiating within a year. That level of malfeasance, even under the color of "mistake" (and, given the culture of world soccer, I don't believe that for a second -- the match is 2-2, and Croatia needs a win to advance, the draw advancing Australia -- and Simunic has committed two cynical tackles and bumped you), cannot occur. It -- simply -- cannot.
Number 2: Argentina-England, 1986 World Cup, Mexico, Quarter-Final
The Hand of God. Nothing more really need be said.
Maradona, in a scoreless match in the 51st minute, deliberately punches the ball after slicing through three defenders before passing the ball and getting the ball back through three more.
(Clip starts about 8:18)
In fact, he's borderline offside when the pass comes back to him, but he basically punches the ball past the goalkeeper (who otherwise makes the save!), for 1-0 to Argentina!
The second replay (at about 9:00) conveniently cuts off the key part of the situation, but it's clear by this time that he punched it in.
To add insult to injury, he seals the 2-1 victory (which basically inferno-ed the Argentina-England rivalry) with The Goal of the Century four minutes later -- when Maradona dribbled past six English defenders to go 2-0 up (my guess? the same six guys in the first clip).
So what call could be considered more earth-shaking than The Hand of God???
Number 1: England-West Germany 1966 World Cup, England. FINAL
Yep, the Grand Final of the tournament, home side in the Grand Final.
In fact, the match is now in extra time at 2-2. Thirty minutes of play, then penalties for the World Cup.
Alan Ball takes a cross to Geoff Hurst (clip starts about 10:51) who fires the ball off the crossbar (much like the England-Germany match previously referenced in this post!) and the ball drops tantalizingly close (much closer than the 2006 call) to the line.
After consultation with the Soviet linesman, Swiss referee Gottefried Dienst scores the goal for 3-2, and England is in hysterics, champions at 4-2 at the end of the two hours.
But was that 3-2 goal good? All of the ball over all of the line?
The original angle is completely inconclusive -- the ball is directly behind the goalkeeper and you can't see anything!
The key angle appears to be the ground angle at 11:33 of the clip. From the angle of the camera (even by 1966 camera work), it is almost impossible, by any measure, to believe this was a goal at any time.
But the match is in England, and I believe intimidation and the possibility of a riot should West Germany have won the match basically gave Dienst and the Soviet linesman an opportunity to fix the match -- which I believe they did.
Number 5: Germany-England, World Cup 2010, South Africa, Round of 16.
England were 2-0 down to Germany fairly quickly, but got one goal back before something utterly shocking happened.
At about :45 of the clip, DeFoe goes to Lampard, who is able to chip over the goaltender and off the crossbar and basically down.
Shortly thereafter (1:03), you see a replay which openly shows that the goal was, in fact, scored. The whole of the ball needs to go over the whole of the line, and it does so. Clearly.
No goal, England loses 4-1.
Sepp Blatter has been so damnated against replay in soccer that he clearly needs the officials to have every mechanism at their disposal to fix the matches. But when a goal can be clearly shown to be at least by one entire width of the soccer ball -- perhaps more! -- it is clear that the match is fixed.
For the referee to miss the call, as well as his linesman, when the ball is that far over the line, it is a deliberate act of malfeasance which indicates that England, under NO circumstances, was going to win on that day.
And he was removed, and he should've been removed. You HAVE TO make that call. That ball was, by the announcers' estimation, a yard over the line. Tell Sepp Blatter to go to Hell if you have to, but a goal is a goal.
Number 4: West Germany-France, World Cup 1982, Spain, Semifinals
When a respected official, on camera, tells the world that this is the worst refereeing mistake ever made in the history of soccer, that should get a red flag up immediately.
The score is 1-1, and France's Patrick Battiston appears to go through cleanly for a 1-on-1 with the goalkeeper for Germany, Harold Schumacher.
What happened next, Battiston was asked on the clip...
"I don't know. I was unconscious."
Battiston takes his shot and misses it -- probably because Schumacher comes flying at him and basically takes Battiston's freaking head off! (3:26 starts the clip, contact at the left side of the screen at 3:31.)
Now, it's not a red for Denial of a Goal-Scoring Opportunity, as Battiston's panic probably ends the GSO, but that's red for a violent tackle of the first order. Battiston lost three teeth and broke a vertebrae, according to the clip, but the referee not only does not send Schumacher off, he doesn't even render the contact to be a foul whatsoever -- goal kick to West Germany!!
If you watch the clip at about 4:03, you find out that the guy basically elbows Battiston in the head, his feet at least a foot off the ground!! To no-call that on not only a red card, but a penalty to France is abjectly criminal!
At least some levity is done with a funny little joke at the end of that series, so have a laugh at that before we go to Number 3...
West Germany win the game in penalties after a 3-3 draw, but lose the final to Italy.
Number 3: Croatia-Australia, 2006 World Cup, Germany, Group H, Third Match
You know you're in trouble when a referee cannot count to two.
You know you're in more trouble when FOUR officials can't count to two.
Graham Poll is one of the most respected referees in the entire world, one of England's best -- or at least he was before this match.
This was a tournament marred by a massive amount of foul play (one of the most-carded tournaments in the history of soccer).
It still doesn't excuse, however, how Croatia's Josep Simunic could, in the course of the second half, get THREE yellow cards.
After a 61st-minute card for dissent, the second card by Simunic should've been straight-red to begin with -- not only is it a cynical tackle (two, in fact, in the center circle -- about 5:35 or so in the clip), but Simunic bumps Poll as he receives what was his second yellow card in the 90th minute, which would've sent the Croatians to nine men versus Australia's ten. (In fact, all three men were sent off (including Simunic three minutes later on his third yellow) after the 85th minute of the match!)
So, short of a fix or something, why does Poll not send him off, and why do the other three officials not communicate with Poll as to the fact that Simunic had already been cautioned about a half-hour before?
The tackles merited straight-red to begin with. But to miss a fundamental count of two?
There's "everybody makes mistakes", but for the mistake to be that obvious (a literal "everybody in the stadium can see it" situation -- and that's if you don't send Simunic off directly for the tackles in the 90th!), something has to be up. FIFA is effectively forced, according to the match report through Wikipedia, to disown the yellow card in the 90th, even though the whole situation could've merited two red-card offenses (one for the tackles, one for bumping the official).
In fact, the clip notes that it was some time, and a DVD, later that Poll found out that he had given Simunic three cards. HOW IS THAT FUCKING POSSIBLE?
Graham Poll, and rightly, removed himself from any further tournament final matches permanently after that Cup, and retired from domestic officiating within a year. That level of malfeasance, even under the color of "mistake" (and, given the culture of world soccer, I don't believe that for a second -- the match is 2-2, and Croatia needs a win to advance, the draw advancing Australia -- and Simunic has committed two cynical tackles and bumped you), cannot occur. It -- simply -- cannot.
Number 2: Argentina-England, 1986 World Cup, Mexico, Quarter-Final
The Hand of God. Nothing more really need be said.
Maradona, in a scoreless match in the 51st minute, deliberately punches the ball after slicing through three defenders before passing the ball and getting the ball back through three more.
(Clip starts about 8:18)
In fact, he's borderline offside when the pass comes back to him, but he basically punches the ball past the goalkeeper (who otherwise makes the save!), for 1-0 to Argentina!
The second replay (at about 9:00) conveniently cuts off the key part of the situation, but it's clear by this time that he punched it in.
To add insult to injury, he seals the 2-1 victory (which basically inferno-ed the Argentina-England rivalry) with The Goal of the Century four minutes later -- when Maradona dribbled past six English defenders to go 2-0 up (my guess? the same six guys in the first clip).
So what call could be considered more earth-shaking than The Hand of God???
Number 1: England-West Germany 1966 World Cup, England. FINAL
Yep, the Grand Final of the tournament, home side in the Grand Final.
In fact, the match is now in extra time at 2-2. Thirty minutes of play, then penalties for the World Cup.
Alan Ball takes a cross to Geoff Hurst (clip starts about 10:51) who fires the ball off the crossbar (much like the England-Germany match previously referenced in this post!) and the ball drops tantalizingly close (much closer than the 2006 call) to the line.
After consultation with the Soviet linesman, Swiss referee Gottefried Dienst scores the goal for 3-2, and England is in hysterics, champions at 4-2 at the end of the two hours.
But was that 3-2 goal good? All of the ball over all of the line?
The original angle is completely inconclusive -- the ball is directly behind the goalkeeper and you can't see anything!
The key angle appears to be the ground angle at 11:33 of the clip. From the angle of the camera (even by 1966 camera work), it is almost impossible, by any measure, to believe this was a goal at any time.
But the match is in England, and I believe intimidation and the possibility of a riot should West Germany have won the match basically gave Dienst and the Soviet linesman an opportunity to fix the match -- which I believe they did.
Sunday, February 12, 2012
And, in another case of stating the absolutely obvious (World Cup Soccer):
Yahoo! Sports, with a hat-tip to Brian Tuohy on his Twitter:
Argentina's 1978 World Cup win against Peru was fixed in a brutal political deal, former senator says
To wit I have to say that that's about as much a surprise to me as the sun rising in the East and setting in the West.
Why? Ten years ago, in South Korea, one of the greatest frauds in the history of the World Cup was perpetrated with the co-hosts from South Korea advancing with a suspicious round-of-16 win over Italy and an even more suspicious quarterfinal win over Spain.
Especially with the Koreans being the most-advanced Asian team in the history of the Cup (and the first Asian team to advance to the quarterfinals since 1966), one has to take a look at the allegations of Declan Hill in his book The Fix to see what probably went down.
NOTE: Videos and further commentary on the knockout wins by South Korea will be added at another time, hopefully within the next day or two. Too many on the (non-home) network to access videos here at this point.
Argentina's 1978 World Cup win against Peru was fixed in a brutal political deal, former senator says
To wit I have to say that that's about as much a surprise to me as the sun rising in the East and setting in the West.
Why? Ten years ago, in South Korea, one of the greatest frauds in the history of the World Cup was perpetrated with the co-hosts from South Korea advancing with a suspicious round-of-16 win over Italy and an even more suspicious quarterfinal win over Spain.
Especially with the Koreans being the most-advanced Asian team in the history of the Cup (and the first Asian team to advance to the quarterfinals since 1966), one has to take a look at the allegations of Declan Hill in his book The Fix to see what probably went down.
NOTE: Videos and further commentary on the knockout wins by South Korea will be added at another time, hopefully within the next day or two. Too many on the (non-home) network to access videos here at this point.
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Does Gisele Bundchen know something we don't?
Well, leave it to Gisele Bundchen, the supermodel Mrs. Tom Brady, to steal the spotlight post-Super Bowl.
Gisele's ire was raised at the number of New England drops in Sunday's game, and she laid into the wide receivers as a result.
Of course, there's also the story about how the Patriots spent the post-Super Bowl evening partying it up, leading to tight-end Rob Gronkowski taking off his shirt and dancing.
I believe if there's any fix at all, someone got to the receivers and the like and told them to take a dive. Maybe Gisele knows something we don't. There's enough smoke that it appears something could be looked at here.
Gisele's ire was raised at the number of New England drops in Sunday's game, and she laid into the wide receivers as a result.
Of course, there's also the story about how the Patriots spent the post-Super Bowl evening partying it up, leading to tight-end Rob Gronkowski taking off his shirt and dancing.
I believe if there's any fix at all, someone got to the receivers and the like and told them to take a dive. Maybe Gisele knows something we don't. There's enough smoke that it appears something could be looked at here.
Monday, February 6, 2012
Tuohy's FBI FIles on the NFL -- Part One
I would urge anyone who did not come here through Brian Tuohy's site to go check out the NFL Files he has gotten (through the Freedom of Information Act) from the FBI as research for his upcoming second book on sports fixing.
He has posted four cases so far, and I'm not going to requote them here (it would do him a disservice, as he has done all the legwork and really should be given the credit for what he has been able to find), but I will leave some comments here.
Case I: December 1962, Los Angeles
There was just a raid from the LAPD and the FBI on a major bookie ring in Los Angeles, and this is one of the results they found.
After giving some opinion, the report goes on to note that many people in the ring and around it believed Sammy Baugh, now in the Hall of Fame (In fact, he was inducted the very next year, 1963!). By this time, Baugh had been out of the league about ten years.
But in his fifteen years in the NFL, the report notes, he was believed to be in league with those who would demand games being fixed.
My comments: This is NO SECRET. In fact, if you really want your illusions blown about the NFL, and especially it's origins, go read Dan Moldea's book Interference. The NFL, from it's inception, had mob ties all over the freaking place. You might get your belief system shattered on that classic Super Bowl III "guarantee", for one.
The Green Bay Packers, who would become NFL Champions later that same month for 1962 (their third-straight title, four years before Super Bowl I) were seen as particularly suspect.
This was probably because of gambling ties of the likes of even the great Paul Hornung, as Moldea points out in his book.
In fact, the report notes that their Week 5 game that year with the Minnesota Vikings was believed by most bookmakers (this was still de-centralized, unlike the Vegas-centralization of the sportsbooks today) was rigged, and no one would take any action on it as a result.
As Moldea points out, this was commonplace, especially with teams like the Kansas City Chiefs and their quarterback, Len Dawson. (The game must've been fixed for the Pack -- they won 48-21.)
Case II: Albuquerque, New Mexico
Same file, another angle.
The file appears to refer, Tuohy suspects, to Hall of Fame (1967 class) Pittsburgh quarterback Bobby Layne, but the name on the text is still redacted.
The problem with that is that Layne died 25 years ago, so there would be question as to why Layne's name would be redacted in this manner. It's not as if people didn't know that top-level and Hall of Fame players were in with illegal gamblers (The aforementioned Paul Hornung was actually suspended for one entire NFL season (1963) for his part in a gambling scandal!)
Basically, this apparently was a Pete Rose situation: The Steeler always bet on his team, and bookies and bettors took his action as a "tell" to bet on the Steelers.
Case III: January, 1963 -- Gambling Scandal Exploding?
As the Hornung (and others) Scandal began to take hold, the FBI was trying to figure out how best to handle it all.
Basically, the memo which Tuohy quotes from is a request to get a hold of the commissioners of both the NFL and the AFL to get all information they've received, as they had opened a significant investigation over the previous months.
J Edgar Hoover basically said that the allegations were being "down-graded" and that nothing could be expected from the parties involved.
This is no surprise. Consider what would happen today if the NFL were revealed to be the sham it is. Consider what would happen to the multi-billion dollar business that is not only the NFL, but also networks like the NFL Network and ESPN, plus all the radio stations and the like. The law, in this country, is what rocks the fewest boats.
Case IV: Dallas, TX, later in January, 1963
You can tell that the first of these files Brian has posted pretty much coincide with the Hornung (and others') Scandal which broke later in 1963, resulting in Hornung's suspension from the NFL, along with other players, for the 1963 season. (It was actually supposed to be indefinite, but Rozelle, after further consideration in 1964, reinstated the players.)
This, however, was a precursor to the later problems with Len Dawson and the Kansas City Chiefs (this being about the franchise when it was the AFL's Dallas Texans).
An FBI Lieutenant, through an intermediary, gave information regarding game fixing on the Texans to their owner, Lamar Hunt, and coach, Hank Stram.
These were purportedly actions and games during the 1961 season.
They got evidence of three players who, through actions and the like, were believed to be fixing games.
All three were off the Chiefs. One retired, two others went to the Raiders (one traded, another cut and signed by the Raiders).
So.... With this information, could we be able, thanks to our friends at Pro Football Reference, be able to discern who these three players are?
I refer to the 1961 Dallas Texans roster page on PFR, and then the 1962 Oakland Raiders roster page.
Matches are the following:
He has posted four cases so far, and I'm not going to requote them here (it would do him a disservice, as he has done all the legwork and really should be given the credit for what he has been able to find), but I will leave some comments here.
Case I: December 1962, Los Angeles
There was just a raid from the LAPD and the FBI on a major bookie ring in Los Angeles, and this is one of the results they found.
After giving some opinion, the report goes on to note that many people in the ring and around it believed Sammy Baugh, now in the Hall of Fame (In fact, he was inducted the very next year, 1963!). By this time, Baugh had been out of the league about ten years.
But in his fifteen years in the NFL, the report notes, he was believed to be in league with those who would demand games being fixed.
My comments: This is NO SECRET. In fact, if you really want your illusions blown about the NFL, and especially it's origins, go read Dan Moldea's book Interference. The NFL, from it's inception, had mob ties all over the freaking place. You might get your belief system shattered on that classic Super Bowl III "guarantee", for one.
The Green Bay Packers, who would become NFL Champions later that same month for 1962 (their third-straight title, four years before Super Bowl I) were seen as particularly suspect.
This was probably because of gambling ties of the likes of even the great Paul Hornung, as Moldea points out in his book.
In fact, the report notes that their Week 5 game that year with the Minnesota Vikings was believed by most bookmakers (this was still de-centralized, unlike the Vegas-centralization of the sportsbooks today) was rigged, and no one would take any action on it as a result.
As Moldea points out, this was commonplace, especially with teams like the Kansas City Chiefs and their quarterback, Len Dawson. (The game must've been fixed for the Pack -- they won 48-21.)
Case II: Albuquerque, New Mexico
Same file, another angle.
The file appears to refer, Tuohy suspects, to Hall of Fame (1967 class) Pittsburgh quarterback Bobby Layne, but the name on the text is still redacted.
The problem with that is that Layne died 25 years ago, so there would be question as to why Layne's name would be redacted in this manner. It's not as if people didn't know that top-level and Hall of Fame players were in with illegal gamblers (The aforementioned Paul Hornung was actually suspended for one entire NFL season (1963) for his part in a gambling scandal!)
Basically, this apparently was a Pete Rose situation: The Steeler always bet on his team, and bookies and bettors took his action as a "tell" to bet on the Steelers.
Case III: January, 1963 -- Gambling Scandal Exploding?
As the Hornung (and others) Scandal began to take hold, the FBI was trying to figure out how best to handle it all.
Basically, the memo which Tuohy quotes from is a request to get a hold of the commissioners of both the NFL and the AFL to get all information they've received, as they had opened a significant investigation over the previous months.
J Edgar Hoover basically said that the allegations were being "down-graded" and that nothing could be expected from the parties involved.
This is no surprise. Consider what would happen today if the NFL were revealed to be the sham it is. Consider what would happen to the multi-billion dollar business that is not only the NFL, but also networks like the NFL Network and ESPN, plus all the radio stations and the like. The law, in this country, is what rocks the fewest boats.
Case IV: Dallas, TX, later in January, 1963
You can tell that the first of these files Brian has posted pretty much coincide with the Hornung (and others') Scandal which broke later in 1963, resulting in Hornung's suspension from the NFL, along with other players, for the 1963 season. (It was actually supposed to be indefinite, but Rozelle, after further consideration in 1964, reinstated the players.)
This, however, was a precursor to the later problems with Len Dawson and the Kansas City Chiefs (this being about the franchise when it was the AFL's Dallas Texans).
An FBI Lieutenant, through an intermediary, gave information regarding game fixing on the Texans to their owner, Lamar Hunt, and coach, Hank Stram.
These were purportedly actions and games during the 1961 season.
They got evidence of three players who, through actions and the like, were believed to be fixing games.
All three were off the Chiefs. One retired, two others went to the Raiders (one traded, another cut and signed by the Raiders).
So.... With this information, could we be able, thanks to our friends at Pro Football Reference, be able to discern who these three players are?
I refer to the 1961 Dallas Texans roster page on PFR, and then the 1962 Oakland Raiders roster page.
Matches are the following:
- Ben Agajanian, a kicker who only played three games with the Texans that year. He also was picked up by the Packers later that same year (he played weeks 7-9 with the Texans and 10 and 14 with the Packers), so Stram and Hunt might not have acted on him with these rumors.
- Max Boydston, a tight-end with the Texans in 1961, went to the Raiders in 1962, which was his final season. According to the Biographical Dictionary of American Sports, Boydston was, in fact, traded from the Texans to the Raiders after the 1961 season. (Page 380, 1992-95 supplement)
- Cotton Davidson, the starting quarterback for the Texans in 1961, and the starting quarterback for the Raiders in 1962! He handled punting, and also some kicking on both teams. He was also traded from the Texans to the Raiders in 1962 (he apparently was on the Texan roster for one game of 1962), for the #1 Draft Pick in 1963.
It appears as if they may well have acted on those rumors to drop Agajanian, as he is the only match not to have been traded from the Texans to the Raiders. It is unclear, however, as to whether Boydston or Davidson is the other player (the one having been traded) being referred to here.
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Comments on what might've actually gone down as a legit Super Bowl...
And, if that's the case, that'd be the first one since One Yard Short (Rams-Titans).
The reason I say that:
There were at least four questionable calls during the course of the game that went against the Giants:
The reason I say that:
There were at least four questionable calls during the course of the game that went against the Giants:
- 2nd quarter, about five minutes left, 9-3 Giants. Giants are driving and are in New England territory, and they get a first down to get in outer-field goal range. So what happens? A questionable holding call on Mr. Boothe sets them back to their own territory, and an incomplete pass later gets the Patriots the ball back.
- Next drive, about 3 or so minutes left. Ball about midfield, and New England is about to get a first down when Waters is called for holding. What he should've been called for was a 15 and possibly a toss: He had his arm clotheslining the guy in the neck!
- Same drive, 15 seconds to go til Madonna rocks the Super Bowl. (And she did!) Brady back to pass, and has five seconds to find Woodhead in the end zone for the touchdown. Of course, it's not hard when the main pass rusher is being dragged down by his arm.
- The worst one of them all was the fourth-quarter missed pass interference call that even Cris Collingsworth caught. There were a couple of them that I think the Patsies got away with, but that one was just blatant!!
So, when Mr. Bradshaw can't figure out how to surrender himself at the 2 or 3 yard line and scores, you just knew the ball was going to be in the air at the gun toward the end zone.
Fortunately, and I say this honestly, the referees' and league's plans for the Patriots' canonization of Brady and Belicheat will have to wait.
Of course, there is one way this could've gone the other way:
Some of the play of those wide receivers for the Patriots was awfully bad, borderline suspicious.
But this game has got a better shot at legitimacy than most Super Bowls.
Friday, February 3, 2012
Some things I thought I knew about this season in the NFL...
Well, time to pick fun at myself, as we see what went right and what (more) went wrong with my Fall 2011 Predictions Post from September 7, 2011:
NFC East
Philadelphia: Picked 12-4 -- Went 8-8.
Really thought they'd put Vick over this year, but knew it pretty much was in the crapper that one game that I could've sworn that I saw a Philly runner intentionally fumble the ball to the opposition (I want to say Washington, IIRC...). Shocked Andy Reid is coming back -- but if Philly wants to go over, they have to get some people willing to see Michael Vick holding the Lombardi, because I don't think a lot of the Eagles are even so inclined.
Dallas: Picked 9-7 -- Went 8-8.
Train-wreck city to get that far. Tony Romo is a celebrity, not an elite NFL quarterback.
Giants: Picked 8-8 -- Went 9-7 and won it all!
Want a good example of how useless the regular season is getting? The 6 seed out of the NFC won Super Bowl XLV, and the 4 seed out of the NFC wins Super Bowl XLVI.
Washington: Picked 6-10 -- Mike and Mike were on the number at 5-11.
Daniel Snyder must go. That is all.
NFC North
Green Bay: Picked 12-4 -- Went 15-1.
I'm always loathe to go much higher than 12-4. In fact, I said in the post:
"Green Bay should even be better than 12-4, but they always get rather severely banged up."
The thing is that they really were an 8-8 team with that defense. The league gave them at least six wins, if not seven, through their benefit of the offense. So why the league abandons them cleanly in the post-season, I have no real idea.
Detroit: Picked 7-9 -- Went 10-6 and was the best team in the division.
Perhaps that's testament as to how good they were -- the league was screwing them over because of Suh and some of the other crap. This is a scary-good team in Detroit, and once/if they can prove to not be so dirty about it, they just might get to a Super Bowl.
Chicago: Picked 7-9 -- Went 8-8.
Minnesota: Picked 7-9 -- Went 3-13!!!
OUCH!! This team didn't even belong on the same field with the Wisconsin Badgers, much less the Green Bay Packers! It's clear they have many severe problems, and will probably be moved before they can become a relevant franchise again.
NFC South
Atlanta: Picked 12-4 -- Went 10-6.
I think a lot of that is that the league just went so pass-happy that Drew Brees went off like no other.
To wit:
New Orleans: Picked 9-7 -- Went 13-3.
See Bay, Green.
Tampa Bay: Picked 11-5...
And I won't even dignify how bad this team quit whenever they seemed to take one good punch to the mouth. There are some serious problems of boys just picking up a paycheck down there in Tampa.
Carolina: Picked 4-12 -- Went 6-10
Part of that was Tampa's suck-fest -- the rest was that the league went even more heavily into $Cam Newton than I thought. Give this guy some more pieces, and he'll take Carolina places, whether or not he's really talented enough to do so.
NFC West
San Francisco: Picked 5-11 -- Went 13-3!!
You have GOT to be kidding. Especially in a year where the quarterbacks were kings, how does a team with it's best offensive player being Frank Gore go 13-3? A gift of a schedule -- they really had no meaningful wins to speak of (the only one which otherwise might have been was the Monday nighter over Pittsburgh, but Rapist-burger was injured)
Arizona: Picked 6-10 -- Went 8-8
Seattle: Picked 6-10 -- Went 7-9
St. Louis: Picked 8-8 -- Went 3-13.
You know, there's such a thing as having pride and professionalism. The Rams have neither. If I'm Andrew Luck, I seriously consider pulling a Philip Rivers, even if it means a year in Canada or so. This team and franchise is one of the worst in football. (And you can add the college level to that discussion.)
Basically, missed the NFC completely. Didn't take into account two quarterbacks with 5,000 yard seasons (and a third who would've if he had played week 17!), plus Michael Vick and the Eagles going dysfunctional.
-----------
AFC East
New England: Picked 14-2 -- Went 13-3.
Loathe to go that high, but felt it warranted, and Brady went for over 5,000 yards as well.
New York Jets: Picked 10-6 -- Went 8-8.
Depush for the Animal House. Someone has got to get Rex Ryan by the throat and order him to knock it off or find another job.
Buffalo: Picked 5-11 -- Went 6-10.
Miami: Picked 4-12 -- Went 6-10.
Both did a little better than expected, but neither is in very good shape at all.
AFC North
Baltimore: Picked 12-4 -- Went 12-4
Pittsburgh: Picked 10-6 -- Went 12-4
Still a bit of a depush for Rapistburger and the boys. Another depush probably coming unless someone can get James Harrison, et. al., in check.
Cleveland: Picked 6-10 -- Went 4-12
Didn't think they were that good, but thought Cincinnati was going to blow chunks.
Cincinnati: Picked 4-12 -- Went 9-7!
Probably the biggest pleasant surprise in the NFL!
AFC South
Houston: Picked 10-6 and win the division, and that's exactly how it went.
Houston's been the "sexy sleeper pick" for years now -- finally came through.
Jacksonville: Picked 7-9 -- Went 5-11
Dysfunctional franchise might well need a change of scenery for any relevance.
Tennessee: Picked 5-11 (thinking the situation with that running back would be a dismantling issue)
It wasn't. They went 9-7 as a result.
Indianapolis: Picked 6-10, thinking there were a few NFL players on the roster not named Manning nor Vinateri.
Welcome Andrew Luck. Would not be surprised if he's in Indianapolis this weekend!
AFC West
San Diego: Picked 10-6 -- Went 8-8
One of the victims of Tebow Time
Oakland: Picked 6-10 -- Went 8-8
Probably some sympathy for the late Al Davis, but the screwjobs were still there!
Kansas City -- Picked 7-9 -- Went 7-9
Denver -- Picked 6-10 -- Went 8-8 -- Should've went about 2-14 or worse!!
Tebow Time saved the franchise this year.
I did successfully pick New England to win the AFC (and for them to beat Baltimore to do it!), but didn't take into account Tebow Time when I made that pick. I clearly would've abandoned it later.
But, again, the idea is that you have to make it LOOK good and legitimate -- with that Denver team: Forget it, kid!
NFC East
Philadelphia: Picked 12-4 -- Went 8-8.
Really thought they'd put Vick over this year, but knew it pretty much was in the crapper that one game that I could've sworn that I saw a Philly runner intentionally fumble the ball to the opposition (I want to say Washington, IIRC...). Shocked Andy Reid is coming back -- but if Philly wants to go over, they have to get some people willing to see Michael Vick holding the Lombardi, because I don't think a lot of the Eagles are even so inclined.
Dallas: Picked 9-7 -- Went 8-8.
Train-wreck city to get that far. Tony Romo is a celebrity, not an elite NFL quarterback.
Giants: Picked 8-8 -- Went 9-7 and won it all!
Want a good example of how useless the regular season is getting? The 6 seed out of the NFC won Super Bowl XLV, and the 4 seed out of the NFC wins Super Bowl XLVI.
Washington: Picked 6-10 -- Mike and Mike were on the number at 5-11.
Daniel Snyder must go. That is all.
NFC North
Green Bay: Picked 12-4 -- Went 15-1.
I'm always loathe to go much higher than 12-4. In fact, I said in the post:
"Green Bay should even be better than 12-4, but they always get rather severely banged up."
The thing is that they really were an 8-8 team with that defense. The league gave them at least six wins, if not seven, through their benefit of the offense. So why the league abandons them cleanly in the post-season, I have no real idea.
Detroit: Picked 7-9 -- Went 10-6 and was the best team in the division.
Perhaps that's testament as to how good they were -- the league was screwing them over because of Suh and some of the other crap. This is a scary-good team in Detroit, and once/if they can prove to not be so dirty about it, they just might get to a Super Bowl.
Chicago: Picked 7-9 -- Went 8-8.
Minnesota: Picked 7-9 -- Went 3-13!!!
OUCH!! This team didn't even belong on the same field with the Wisconsin Badgers, much less the Green Bay Packers! It's clear they have many severe problems, and will probably be moved before they can become a relevant franchise again.
NFC South
Atlanta: Picked 12-4 -- Went 10-6.
I think a lot of that is that the league just went so pass-happy that Drew Brees went off like no other.
To wit:
New Orleans: Picked 9-7 -- Went 13-3.
See Bay, Green.
Tampa Bay: Picked 11-5...
And I won't even dignify how bad this team quit whenever they seemed to take one good punch to the mouth. There are some serious problems of boys just picking up a paycheck down there in Tampa.
Carolina: Picked 4-12 -- Went 6-10
Part of that was Tampa's suck-fest -- the rest was that the league went even more heavily into $Cam Newton than I thought. Give this guy some more pieces, and he'll take Carolina places, whether or not he's really talented enough to do so.
NFC West
San Francisco: Picked 5-11 -- Went 13-3!!
You have GOT to be kidding. Especially in a year where the quarterbacks were kings, how does a team with it's best offensive player being Frank Gore go 13-3? A gift of a schedule -- they really had no meaningful wins to speak of (the only one which otherwise might have been was the Monday nighter over Pittsburgh, but Rapist-burger was injured)
Arizona: Picked 6-10 -- Went 8-8
Seattle: Picked 6-10 -- Went 7-9
St. Louis: Picked 8-8 -- Went 3-13.
You know, there's such a thing as having pride and professionalism. The Rams have neither. If I'm Andrew Luck, I seriously consider pulling a Philip Rivers, even if it means a year in Canada or so. This team and franchise is one of the worst in football. (And you can add the college level to that discussion.)
Basically, missed the NFC completely. Didn't take into account two quarterbacks with 5,000 yard seasons (and a third who would've if he had played week 17!), plus Michael Vick and the Eagles going dysfunctional.
-----------
AFC East
New England: Picked 14-2 -- Went 13-3.
Loathe to go that high, but felt it warranted, and Brady went for over 5,000 yards as well.
New York Jets: Picked 10-6 -- Went 8-8.
Depush for the Animal House. Someone has got to get Rex Ryan by the throat and order him to knock it off or find another job.
Buffalo: Picked 5-11 -- Went 6-10.
Miami: Picked 4-12 -- Went 6-10.
Both did a little better than expected, but neither is in very good shape at all.
AFC North
Baltimore: Picked 12-4 -- Went 12-4
Pittsburgh: Picked 10-6 -- Went 12-4
Still a bit of a depush for Rapistburger and the boys. Another depush probably coming unless someone can get James Harrison, et. al., in check.
Cleveland: Picked 6-10 -- Went 4-12
Didn't think they were that good, but thought Cincinnati was going to blow chunks.
Cincinnati: Picked 4-12 -- Went 9-7!
Probably the biggest pleasant surprise in the NFL!
AFC South
Houston: Picked 10-6 and win the division, and that's exactly how it went.
Houston's been the "sexy sleeper pick" for years now -- finally came through.
Jacksonville: Picked 7-9 -- Went 5-11
Dysfunctional franchise might well need a change of scenery for any relevance.
Tennessee: Picked 5-11 (thinking the situation with that running back would be a dismantling issue)
It wasn't. They went 9-7 as a result.
Indianapolis: Picked 6-10, thinking there were a few NFL players on the roster not named Manning nor Vinateri.
Welcome Andrew Luck. Would not be surprised if he's in Indianapolis this weekend!
AFC West
San Diego: Picked 10-6 -- Went 8-8
One of the victims of Tebow Time
Oakland: Picked 6-10 -- Went 8-8
Probably some sympathy for the late Al Davis, but the screwjobs were still there!
Kansas City -- Picked 7-9 -- Went 7-9
Denver -- Picked 6-10 -- Went 8-8 -- Should've went about 2-14 or worse!!
Tebow Time saved the franchise this year.
I did successfully pick New England to win the AFC (and for them to beat Baltimore to do it!), but didn't take into account Tebow Time when I made that pick. I clearly would've abandoned it later.
But, again, the idea is that you have to make it LOOK good and legitimate -- with that Denver team: Forget it, kid!
Thursday, February 2, 2012
My Super Bowl Prediction
Let's take a look at a couple things before I announce this:
1) The league, this year, has been about points, Points, and MORE POINTS...
2) The only real angle I can see about having the Giants in this is to reprise Spygatebowl -- in fact, the official Bud Light tagline on their banners in one of the bars I walked past to go to lunch this afternoon: "Here We Go Again".
(Now, if we could get an 80's-era Tawny Kitaen... Oh, wait... That's "Here _I_ Go Again"...)
3) What I said last night: All four previous Brady-era New England Super Bowls have been decided by precisely three points. Right now, the money seems to be coming in on the Giants' side of the equation, and many books now have the line at NE -2.5.
4) And remember how much people are paying for the adspace this year: $3.5 million for a 30-second ad.
5) And let's also understand that the playoffs have featured two overtime games, and three more games in which the margin of victory was seven or fewer points.
All that in mind, here's my prediction for Super Bowl XLVI:
The game goes over the 54.5 -- BIG. This, to me, would be about the only real play I'd make on the game. I realize that this just begs for a Vegas squeeze and the game end something like 24-21, but I just don't see it. This league has been pushing the QB's and the passing game down our throats this year. The Patriots' defense sucks, and we know from the first Packer-Giant game that a great offense can score on the Giants.
The second thing: With all the money on the commercials and the like (and trying to get the game exclusively to legal outlets -- the US just shut down 16 Internet streaming sites which illegally streamed professional sporting and pay-per-view events.), there's little to no chance that we aren't staring another close game in the face so that people can see Melanie Amaro and a Pepsi commercial which, end of the day, probably cost about $12-15 million.
I think we are looking at the first-ever Super Bowl OVERTIME.
Finally, who wins? Well, let's be honest here: The only reason the Patriots didn't go 19-0 is because the Boston Globe blew the lid off of Spygate one week before Super Bowl XLII -- and it would appear that this is payback. Also, with Tom Brady probably getting near the end of his career, to get him a fourth Super Bowl would put him on that pantheon with Bradshaw and Montana. (Rightly or wrongly, it would.)
Also, there is the concept that Vegas would have to pay 100-1 odds to any New York Giant fans who took them to win the Super Bowl after they were 6-6 about eight weeks ago.
So, my prediction is that New England wins, by three points, and in overtime:
New England 38
New York Giants 35
Overtime.
MVP: Tom Brady
1) The league, this year, has been about points, Points, and MORE POINTS...
2) The only real angle I can see about having the Giants in this is to reprise Spygatebowl -- in fact, the official Bud Light tagline on their banners in one of the bars I walked past to go to lunch this afternoon: "Here We Go Again".
(Now, if we could get an 80's-era Tawny Kitaen... Oh, wait... That's "Here _I_ Go Again"...)
3) What I said last night: All four previous Brady-era New England Super Bowls have been decided by precisely three points. Right now, the money seems to be coming in on the Giants' side of the equation, and many books now have the line at NE -2.5.
4) And remember how much people are paying for the adspace this year: $3.5 million for a 30-second ad.
5) And let's also understand that the playoffs have featured two overtime games, and three more games in which the margin of victory was seven or fewer points.
All that in mind, here's my prediction for Super Bowl XLVI:
The game goes over the 54.5 -- BIG. This, to me, would be about the only real play I'd make on the game. I realize that this just begs for a Vegas squeeze and the game end something like 24-21, but I just don't see it. This league has been pushing the QB's and the passing game down our throats this year. The Patriots' defense sucks, and we know from the first Packer-Giant game that a great offense can score on the Giants.
The second thing: With all the money on the commercials and the like (and trying to get the game exclusively to legal outlets -- the US just shut down 16 Internet streaming sites which illegally streamed professional sporting and pay-per-view events.), there's little to no chance that we aren't staring another close game in the face so that people can see Melanie Amaro and a Pepsi commercial which, end of the day, probably cost about $12-15 million.
I think we are looking at the first-ever Super Bowl OVERTIME.
Finally, who wins? Well, let's be honest here: The only reason the Patriots didn't go 19-0 is because the Boston Globe blew the lid off of Spygate one week before Super Bowl XLII -- and it would appear that this is payback. Also, with Tom Brady probably getting near the end of his career, to get him a fourth Super Bowl would put him on that pantheon with Bradshaw and Montana. (Rightly or wrongly, it would.)
Also, there is the concept that Vegas would have to pay 100-1 odds to any New York Giant fans who took them to win the Super Bowl after they were 6-6 about eight weeks ago.
So, my prediction is that New England wins, by three points, and in overtime:
New England 38
New York Giants 35
Overtime.
MVP: Tom Brady
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Couple of interesting things as I ponder this Super Bowl...
Over-under has been coming DOWN?? With these two defenses? We're at about 54 - 54 1/2...
But here's the big one... The line is about New England -3 -- but there is definite shots at a Super Bowl middle if you know where to play. The Mirage, the Peppermill, and the South Point, according to Vegasinsider, has it at NE -2.5, and has had it that way for a week!
I think I'm about to predict the game, but here's one more tidbit for you which you can look up.
The four Brady-era Super Bowls (the three wins and the one loss) have one thing in common: They were all decided by three points -- EXACTLY three points.
Seems that money is coming in on the Giants and the under.
I think you're wrong on both ends.
But here's the big one... The line is about New England -3 -- but there is definite shots at a Super Bowl middle if you know where to play. The Mirage, the Peppermill, and the South Point, according to Vegasinsider, has it at NE -2.5, and has had it that way for a week!
I think I'm about to predict the game, but here's one more tidbit for you which you can look up.
The four Brady-era Super Bowls (the three wins and the one loss) have one thing in common: They were all decided by three points -- EXACTLY three points.
Seems that money is coming in on the Giants and the under.
I think you're wrong on both ends.
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