9/29/2012

Man's (New) Best Friend(s) or: How the Hell Did I Become a Cat Person?




This weekend a year ago sticks out as clear to me as a weekend possibly could. Putting down man's best friend is no easy task for anyone, especially when that pet has been a staple of your family for a 15 year period.
Buddy (RIP) and Pixie
After I got home from bowling last night, I came home to a sleeping g/f who had work in about 6 hours, so I figured I'd hop on my computer for a little bit and watch some baseball highlights on mute. I knew that this was the weekend we put the old man down, but it wasn't until this silence in the early morning hour of the night (I know that doesn't make sense, but not sure what to call 2am) when I started thinking about every little detail from last year.

Around that time last year, it was when I shared one last Miller Lite with Buddy. It felt awkward sharing that beer with him, when I knew of his fate the next day but he didn't. Naturally, these thoughts brought some tears to my eyes.

Bella sleeping next to me moments after my reflections of Bud
And wouldn't you know? One of my new pets Bella, inherited when I moved in with Jen in June, hops up next to me as I have these sad thoughts and falls asleep (albeit briefly) on a spiral notebook sitting next to me.

The unusual thing about these new pets is that they're not dogs, but rather of the feline persuasion. Yes - I am now a person who lives with cats. And the timing last year of meeting/dating Jen right around the time we put Buddy down couldn't have worked out better. I've always been a pet person. Correction - I've always been a dog person, having always had one in my parent's homes for the first 29 years of my life.

The cats sharing rare moment of peace and friendliness together
I knew that Pixie (unfairly portrayed in this story as 'the other dog') wouldn't be enough to fill the void that Buddy's companionship left in my life. While the two cats still cannot compare in my mind to a childhood dog, it's remarkable in my eyes that I'm even mentioning these cats in the same breath as my old dog.

Once you live with the cats for a while and see how these particular cats warm up to you (well, her male cat Tenders is a whore to everyone while Bella is very selective in her love of humans), it's hard not to fall in love with them. Collectively, they are as close to dogs as I've ever seen any cats be with the affection they've shown me as I've gotten to know them the past year.

If you want to see how much these new pets of mine mean to me, all you have to do is look at the pictures in my phone to figure it out. Even pictures of Lauren's cat Tigger are plentiful in the phone.

While the void of Buddy (and dogs at our new place in general) is impossible for me to replace, the transition into a guy who has cats couldn't have went any smoother.

I can now say that I love cats. Or at least these ones (and Tigger too, Lauren). To be honest, those are the only ones I need to love.

9/28/2012

Bad Bad Beats & Why I Need a Break from Betting & NFL Week 4/NCAA Week 5

Sometimes, you just gotta take a step back to take a step forward.

I could go with many different cliches here, but I'll go with that one for now, which describes my attitude towards gambling.

I don't know how I managed it, but I went like 5-21 last week between football and baseball bets. Most of them were well thought out bets too that just fell flat on their asses.

After betting New England money line with my final bet of the weekend and seeing the final field goal go over the goal post to give Baltimore the 1 point win, it was then that I realized that I need to take a break from this crap.

It could be a week. Could be two weeks. Who the hell knows. There's just certain times with certain things where you need to take a step back, reassess what the hell is going on, then hop back in.

It was fitting that I committed to taking this week off, as within 24 hours of the hiatus, Green Bay gets one of the worst beats handed to them by the last game the replacement refs would officiate this season. Up by 5 with one play left in the game, most people who bet Green Bay (I likely would have bet GB -3 or the under) felt like their chances of victory were good, provided the replacement refs didn't do something stupid.

Lucky for Seahawks backers, they did. It broke Packers' fans and bettor's hearts alike. I hardly ever avoid betting a Monday Night game, but in this case, I'm glad I did. That would have been too much to handle.

It reminded me of some of the worst beats I've had in my gambling lifetime - ones that would scar the strongest of soul.

I'll avoid basketball bad beats because that's the sport that hands the roughest beats of all. Meaningless shots at the buzzer have done in many a gambler of college or pro basketball - especially college.

In no particular order, some good football bets gone bad.

Indiana +17.5 at Iowa (10/31/2009) - I remember this being a really windy day in Iowa, blowing in one particular direction of the field that made it virtually impossible to move the ball against the wind.

Indiana held a 10 point lead going into the 4th quarter, but then Iowa scored 4 unanswered touchdowns, including the final TD with 1:12 left - with the extra point giving Iowa the 0.5 point cover. This one started a tradition for me and Tim Wolf (who also bet the game) where we fade Iowa on the Saturday before Halloween every year.

It didn't work out so well in 2010 (Iowa stomped Michigan State), but it paid off last year, as Minnesota scored the upset win straight up at home (unfortunately I only bet the spread of the game).

Chicago/Detroit Under 46 (9/30/07) - Outside of a few gamblers I follow on Twitter, I don't know many people who like to bet Unders of football games. Nobody wants to root against scoring, even if they feel like there won't be much of it to go around. This game is the game that the rare Under bettor would remember and never want to bet an Under again.

The Bears took a 13-3 lead into the 4th quarter of the game, with the Lions in scoring territory as the quarter started. Naturally they scored a TD just four seconds into the final quarter. A minute later, the Lions picked off Brian Griese for a TD. The ensuing kickoff saw Hester take one to the house. What started as a bet that looked like it was going to come in easily was suddenly being threatened with 21 points in just over two minutes of the fourth quarter.

The scoring didn't stop - the final score ended up being Detroit 37, Chicago 27. Just the sickest turn of events I've ever had with a football total.

Ohio State/Penn State Over 38 (11/19/11) - This was the sickest beat I took last year. The game started out at a great pace, with Penn State scoring a TD on its first possession of the game en route to taking a 20-14 lead into halftime.

Unfortunately for myself, that would be the final score of the game. All that was needed was a touchdown, or two field goals, or three safeties. None of these things happened in the second half of the game. Nothing happened in the second half of the game. Luckily, I was only following this one on my phone, but the pain I felt from this loss was rough.

Honorable mention: Indy -3 at Tennessee 12/9/10 - I didn't bet this (I bet the Over, but not the -3), but I had a friend (let's call him Jim Wolf) who did. Indy pretty much dominated this game throughout, but as the fourth quarter came around, the Colts gave Tennessee bettors a chance to win via "backdoor cover", which is basically a team scoring a meaningless score that covers the spread but doesn't really do anything for the actual outcome of the game.

Tennessee had the ball with just under three minutes left down 9 points and proceeded to score such a touchdown with no time left. Since the NFL forces teams to attempt the extra point, the PAT put this out of cover range (although I think Tim may have gotten Indy at 3.5/4 where it didn't matter. Even though I didn't bet it, I felt the pain of a bet gone bad for my friend "Jim".

There's probably some other big ones I'm missing, but those are the ones clearest in memory where I had a rough idea of when the game took place where I can look up a box score only to curse quietly in my head as Jen sleeps.

Anywho....

As a result of my hiatus, I can only give you "leans" on what I think will happen -  but I won't be backing these myself.

NCAA: Minnesota +7; Ohio St. +3; Baylor +11
NFL: Fool's Gold (1-2 record) - Jax +2.5 (MJD huuuuuge day against poor rush D).
Other NFL Picks: SF/NYJ Under 41.5, StL +2.5, Phil -2, Dal/Chi Over 41.5

Given that these are leans and not bets, these will probably all come in, so bet accordingly.

Have a good weekend.

9/24/2012

Fantasy Football - Not Just A Guy's Game Anymore

(I wrote this article for a league I am in, which features about a half dozen female owners)

Do any of you girls jump in the air with your Urlacher jerseys when watching football? Yeah, I'm sure you do. I'd say I jump, but my vertical is negative inches. Yes - I sink when I try jumping.

Before this season, I had never been in a serious fantasy football league that had women in it. There was a league back at my old job that had a couple females, but that league was just to pass the time at a shitty job.

Now, I'm in two leagues where there is female presence. And they're not walkovers on the schedule for us guys in the league.

The day after Jen and I started going out last year, she gave me the password to her fantasy football team in this league. I believe it was her first competitive league, and it showed (sorry Ivy). Throughout the season, I tried helping making moves for her team to make it somewhat competitive. She had Stafford as her QB, but not much else around him.

This year? Her team is one of the best in our league, and no thanks to me really. Other ladies in the league have a presence as well. If they're anything like Ivy, they're checking their teams constantly on Sundays, asking their boyfriends/husbands/whatevers who they should start. She doesn't ask a lot though - so I give her all the credit for the managing and success of all of her teams. I hope all of you females are managing these teams independently for the most part.

This isn't your 1990s/2000s fantasy league with old guys who had to "meet" their "women" in AOL chat rooms. This is the new age fantasy football league: a pro game played by men but fantasied by men and women alike. A shot of estrogen has been added to leagues now, and I for one applaud this movement.

Almost as important all those other movements in American history. Almost.

9/21/2012

NFL News & #BolekBestBets - NFL Week 3/NCAA Week 4

Good afternoon NFL fans and betting buddies of mine.

I'm short on time, so I will probably not give a ton of analysis - probably good for you.

Couple random NFL stories I wanted to mention:


  1. Overreaction to Week 1 gives way to Overreaction to Week 2. If you live in the Chicago Bears market, you know exactly what I'm talking about. Week 1 - Bears destroy Colts and they're Super Bowl bound. Week 2 - they lose to the Packers (last I checked, the Packers are pretty damn good) and now the world is falling. This happened with a few teams (Packers, Cowboys, Giants, Broncos, etc). Odds are, your team that rotated wins and losses in Week 1 with differing performances in the games is probably not as good as their win and not as bad as their loss shows. Calm down, take a breath, and enjoy the rest of the season.
  2. Too much fluff on these sports shows. The fact that I heard that Eli threw for over 500 yards, which has only happened a handful of times in history, about 1000 times less than the last play spat between the coaches is pathetic. Why is so much time spent on stuff that has little/nothing to do with the outcome? Are we so dumb as sports fans that they're catering to our supposed need for this? I'd like to think most people I know are better than this. I care about results, what happened to get to those results (i.e. stats). I don't need TMZ-style analysis entering ESPN and other sports shows.
  3. If you got a ring, it don't mean a thing. Tom Brady yells at his offensive line. Peyton Manning yells at his offensive line. Aaron Rodgers yells at his offensive line. Jay Cutler yells at his offensive line. Guess who is the only one who gets critiqued for it....the guy without the ring - Jay Cutler.

    Peyton Manning makes a big mistake in a playoff game and throws a pick-6 to the Saints to help New Orleans seal their Super Bowl win years back. Despite having the best record in the past 7 years, Tom Brady hasn't won a Super Bowl in that time. Tony Romo fumbles a field goal snap that costs his team a chance at winning a first round playoff game. Guess who is the only one who gets critiqued for it....the guy without the ring - Tony Romo

    I'm not saying these guys (Romo and Cutler) shouldn't get blame for the mistakes that they make, but please have some perspective and realize that these other guys make mistakes too. If Peyton hadn't beaten the Rex Grossman-led Chicago Bears to win his lone Super Bowl, his mistake against the Saints would have been the main story of the Super Bowl, not the Saints winning their first Super Bowl.

    The media and general public tend to forgive the mistakes of QBs who have won Super Bowls. Keep in mind, there's only a handful of current QBs who have won a Super Bowl: Rodgers, both Mannings, Brady, Big Ben, Brees (six total QBs). Any QB not on this list who is considered good/great will eventually hear it from media/public if they fail to make the next step.
NCAA Week 4

K State +15
Baylor -8.5
Temple +7.5
USC -16.5

NFL Week 3
Fool's Gold Pick (0-2 so far) Oakland +4
San Fran -6.5 (falling for the trap)
NE +2 (or ML)
Cle +3
Ariz +3.5
Dal -7.5

I'm out of Survivor League for Don after picking New England like a sucker. If I was still alive today, I'd pick Dallas this week.

I don't have updated records - but for NFL, I know they're bad. I won my under bet last night, so I'm hoping I can get some betting momentum heading into the next couple weeks.

Good luck to everyone this week on bets and fantasy.

A Year in Headlights

Remember that short dating blog that I did last year? That was by far the most interested people were in reading my blog. I know people connect to more human stories - my human stories about the Bears not covering last week just won't cut it for the average reader I guess.

In all seriousness, I appreciate any reader that comes to my site and spends a few minutes every week (or even every month) taking a look at my opinion/thoughts on whatever the topic may be. The political blog I wrote last week was by far my most shared blog I ever wrote. I can't say I'll write a ton of those - if I had to guess, maybe one or two more before the election to be honest.

I've been straying away from the personal blogs lately because I get so hyped up on football season coming around that I lose some of my focus about other things around me. I'm going to try changing that.

Tonight's topic, however briefly I may address it, comes as the one year mark of my dating site adventure officially coming to an end. Anyone with a Facebook and who looked at my page today saw that Jen and I just celebrated our one-year anniversary, which went very well. I usually end up going overboard with days like this - so naturally I gave her a rose at midnight, bought ourselves a Galaxy 10.1 tablet, made breakfast for dinner, sent her flowers to her work and also spelled out "I heart U" in Coke Zero, Fresca and 312 cans - all of which were consumed in the apartment in the past 3 days - on our living room floor. The cans are still sitting there btw.

The guys reading this are hating me because their girls who are reading this are hating them - at least that's what I'm aiming for. I don't think you have to go as extreme as I did, nor do I think you should limit it to just special days (like anniversary, Valentine's Day, crap like that) - which I don't. Just make sure you don't take your relationships with anyone (including friendships, bonds w/ family, etc)  for granted.

Heading back to the dating relationship topic...the longer you are in a relationship with someone, the more settled you become, which may make you less spontaneous. I wasn't sure at first what I wanted to do for our one year, but knew I wanted to do something special. I'm usually pretty good at this stuff but was taking a while to come up with an original idea, something that would be something new from the Bolek arsenal.

I think I need to heed my own advice and start being a little more spontaneous with people, show them I care and that I won't take them for granted.

As the second year of me and Jen's great relationship begins, I'll need to keep this in mind. Spontaneous, random stuff are the stories we tell (or at least the stories we prefer to tell), not the boring routine. Most of you don't need to know how much sports I consume on a weekly basis or who my favorite bet is for the week (unless you're looking to completely fade my pick, which I understand). It's the randomness that people enjoy talking about AND hearing about.

I hope to keep things fresh and make the second year just as new and fun as the first year was.

9/14/2012

#BolekBestBets - NFL Week 2/NCAA Week 3

Week 2 NFL Theme - Redemption Song


Yikes!
Looking to sing the Redemption Song this week after a bad start to my NFL gambling  in Week 1

I hope you didn't follow my bets from the blog last week, at least the NFL ones. I went 3-1 on the NCAA picks, but my overall NFL record was a perfect mess.

On the Sunday bets, I recorded an 0-6 record. I didn't end up betting the Colts (which was obviously a good thing).

Here's a rundown of my bets from Sunday and how bad they lost by the spread:

KC Moneyline (lost to Atlanta 40-24) -16
Ten +5 (lost to New England 34-13) -16
NO -8 (lost to Washington 40-32) - 16
GB -6 (lost to San Fran 30-22) - 14
Car/TB over 45.5 (26 combined points) - 19.5
Pitt/Den under 45 (50 combined points) - 5

If you average those out, I lost my bets by over two touchdowns PER BET. I admit it was easier to stomach being completely wrong on most of these than to squeak out losses on the games.

Luckily, MNF I was up a little bit, going 3-2 with my bets (won first half Cin/Balt over, SD/Oak under, SD in-game next-score; lost Cin +7, in-game Cin/Balt under).

The good thing is - I remain confident and am not just firing bets out there at random. No steam bets, no large wagers to chase losses, none of that shit. Too many times, I used to do that, only to dig myself a bigger hole.

Let's look at next week, shall we?

Fool's Gold - Week 2


All right, all right, all right!
Last week's fool's gold highlighted (or in retrospect, lowlighted) Tennessee Titans as having a good shot of covering/beating the Patriots, who much of the public was craving to bet. That, of course, is the theme of Fool's Gold. This is meant to highlight a particular game that the average Joe Public bettor thinks is "just too good of a line to pass up", only to realize he was wrong in his assessment.

Looks like my foolish ass was wrong in Week 1, but I look to change that in Week 2. There are several good candidates this week. I considered Jacksonville +7 vs. Houston; Seattle +3.5 vs. Dallas; and St Louis +3.5 vs. Washington, but this week, I want to highlight the ultimate Fool's Gold pick, a rare road underdog that has the love of the general public.

Baltimore enters Week 2 as a popular pick with Vegas spotting them 2 points against the Philadelphia Eagles, who struggled to beat a Cleveland Browns team considered by many to be one of the worst teams in the league. On paper, you're thinking, "What the hell? The Ravens are +2 after their impressive win on Monday Night Football versus a team who barely beat the Browns?"

Several reasons to reconsider your Ravens pick

  1. Isolated Game Perception. The Ravens played under the lights of Monday Night Football, which definitely helps shape people's perspective than your average Sunday early game. This goes for any isolated game, which is the only game in town - thus, the average person is likely to consume that game than any particular game on Sunday before the NBC game. What you saw was the Ravens look great, and likely, all you saw of the Eagles game (unless you watched it on DirecTV) was the final score and the stats, which clearly disappointed you since you own a couple Eagles in fantasy football.
  2. Letdown Game. Similar theory to 1, except this includes the fact that last week, besides being Week 1 on MNF, was that it is a division game. I expect there to be a letdown playing an out-of-division foe  (like the Ravens experienced in Week 2 last year after destroying the Steelers in Week 1).
  3. The Eagles are good. The Eagles aren't favorites for no reason. The Eagles were still in division contention last year despite their pitiful 4-8 start. Entering this year, they were considered the second or third best team in the NFC based on chance to make it to the Super Bowl. They got great talent at all of the skill positions. Vick is probably over-rated (not an elite QB), but he's still better than most QBs overall. They also have a pretty good defense. I attribute the offense's struggles in Week 1 more to the imbalance of the offense (2:1 pass/run ratio, despite having one of the most talented RBs in the league). I expect McCoy to get more carries this week, which should open up the pass game a little.
  4. Short Week for Ravens. Granted, this is probably one of the weaker reasons for backing the Eagles, but it could come into play.
Fool's Gold Pick: Philly -2 over Baltimore
Fool's Gold YTD: 0-1


Elimination Pool Pick: I forgot to add this feature last week. Week 1, I squeaked out a Detroit Lions win over the Rams. Week 2, I'm going with the lay-up pick: New England

Elimination Pool Pick(s) to Avoid: I believe that Dallas & Houston will be challenged this week.

Other NFL Week 2 Picks

Jax +7 vs Houston - Gabbert has a new "I may actually not suck" aura about him now. MJD should be sharper. I have a great gut feel for this one. May even take Jax money line.
Seattle +3.5 vs Dallas - Everyone is hammering the Cowboys after their impressive win in the league opener in Week 1 (possible isolated game perception by the public). Seattle is an improved team this year, plus their stadium, known for the 12th man for their loud crowd noise, is a hard place to place.
StL +3.5 vs. Wash - Who got the most coverage this past week in the NFL? RGIII. Who currently has one of the highest percentage of bets placed for this week? Washington. St. Louis had Detroit, a playoff team, on the ropes in their road opener. The Rams are an improved team (QB is healthy, experienced coach, good 2012 draft). I expect the public to be way wrong on this one.

Considering...Denver +3 at Atlanta; New Orleans/Carolina Over; KC +3 at Buffalo

Week 1: (4-9, -5.215 units)
NFL YTD: (5-11, -6.315 units) - includes GB/Chi bets
(Check my Twitter for my latest picks) @BrianBolek

NCAA Week 3 picks

Ohio State -16.5 over Cal - Urban Meyer is a covering monster in his coaching career for nonconference games (35-8 record - 81%). Plus, this is a really early game for Cal (9am Pacific time). I expect OSU to roll by 3+ scores. Already bet this (1.07 to win 1 unit)
Northwestern -3.5 over BC - Both teams are closing their non-conference schedules out. Both are coming off of impressive wins. I like NU's wins better (at Syracuse, who looked good against top-ranked USC, vs Vandy, who looked good against highly ranked South Carolina) compared to BC's only win last week. I'm gonna wait on this game and see if it goes down to -3 (always want to get the best line if possible). If not, I'll likely take it at -3.5 or 4.
UL-Monroe +16.5 over Auburn - Some people might be afraid that UL-Monroe was a fluke and could have a letdown here, but if you look at the stat sheet, they just flat out beat Arkansas everywhere (yards 550-377, first downs 30-21, almost a 2/1 possession ratio). I haven't seen Auburn play this year, but everything I've read/heard about Auburn is that they're just not that good this year. Auburn will likely win, but I think it will be a struggle.

Might add a few more NCAA games - haven't looked too closely at the schedule yet. I'll be at a family function tomorrow, so I may not bet too many games tomorrow outside of those.

Week 2: (3-1, +2.93 units)
NCAA YTD: (11-5, +6.035 units)

Football combined: (16-16, -0.28 units)

Enjoy the football weekend everyone.

Rocking the Vote: How I Went From Politically Disengaged to Actually Giving a Crap About Politics

Starting back in January when I wrote a little bit about SOPA, the law that could essentially give government the right to control the Internet and censor a good chunk of it, is when I started to become political. Probably for the first time in my life.

Disengaged from Politics

I have voted in two elections in my lifetime, with my first ever vote being for the wonderful Rod Blagojevich for Illinois governor in 2002 and my last vote in 2004 for the ever-charismatic John Kerry for US President (among other candidates on the ballot). Admittedly, I knew little about the people I was voting for. I grew up in a liberal household, so naturally, my tendencies of voting were Democrat-Centric.

When I placed those votes, I don't remember having any feeling of "Hey, my guy is gonna make a difference" or "I'm proud of myself for voting for a guy whose views I respect and generally agree with". I placed these votes mainly because of my upbringing - which many people do. And trust me, there was absolutely nothing wrong with my upbringing, but my impression of "the other party" was not as favorable with what they stood for and what they wanted out of government.

After the 2004 election, I became disillusioned completely with government processes. When I moved back home with my parents, I never renewed my voting information from the time I voted as a senior in college. The limited stuff I read about politics in-between 2004 and January 2012 was basically such garbage on both sides that it made it impossible to follow for someone who just doesn't care.

And that's where they get you! All those negative ads that both parties run, it's not necessarily to get you to vote for the candidate who is funding the commercial. It's to get people to not vote for the opponent or just not vote at all! At the end of the day, one non-vote for someone's opponent is just as good as a vote for the candidate engaging in the negative ad campaign.

I'm sure there's books on all this stuff, with people who are smarter than me and more engaged in these processes that could better explain how these two parties seem more focused on negative campaigning against their opponent rather than actually presenting their own views - of which the main parties share way way more than either party could ever admit. The negative campaigning does its job a lot of times in keeping people who were unsure of who they were voting for (but maybe leaning a certain way) out of the voting booth altogether. I can say it honestly worked on me - I haven't gave a crap about politics my whole life, particularly the past 7 years before 2012.

Obama ran on a platform of "Change", which was wildly popular and very effective in its messaging of moving on from the presidency of George W. Bush. I don't know why I didn't bother voting in 2008 - maybe it was because I knew Obama was going to win our state and electoral votes anyways, or maybe there was a skeptical part of me that thought this guy was too good to be true. (Now I've realized that local elections are probably more important than the Presidential vote due to their more personal, direct effect on your everyday life, so my attitude has changed on this for sure).

In his four years as President, I wouldn't say he's been the worst president we've ever had (as some Republican folks would tell you - although I'm not politically savvy enough to rank presidents from best to worst), but I certainly would say he's fallen way short on a lot of the campaign change he promised. Guantanamo never closed, unfettered executive powers expanded (including indefinite imprisonment of Americans without trial), and withdrawing from Afghanistan - what happened with that? All of this was definitely not the "Change" that he promised from George W. Actually, it was pretty much more of the same.

What Changed for Me

When the SOPA/PIPA stuff started trending in January, I decided to write our US senators Mark Kirk and Richard Durbin about how in its current form, SOPA would be a dangerous bill that would hinder many of the freedoms that the Internet allows. You can say all you want that the government would enforce it strictly along the lines of copyright, but do you really buy that?

I was encouraged to get a response from Senator Mark Kirk in a relatively quick manner. He expressed his distaste with SOPA in its current form as well as the same worries I had about censorship of the Internet and stifling the innovation that the Internet creates (I later learned he voted for the National Defense Authorization Act, which is a direct violation of the Sixth Amendment for the right to a trial by jury - so much for being about freedoms).

I got a response from Dick Durbin, who I later found was one of the senators pushing for this legislation, that basically gave a cookie-cutter explanation for why SOPA/PIPA needed to be passed to protect copyrights and all that jazz. Durbin has a stranglehold on his Illinois Senate seat, so he doesn't need to worry about supporting legislation like this.

This is the problem! Guys like this shouldn't just be able to stay in power for unlimited terms, presenting the same stale ideas that didn't work before, won't work now, and will not work in the future. Certain areas of the country will always be Democrat while some will be conservative - I get that. But I also don't get it at the same time. When politicians know that their seat in government is essentially protected based on whatever district/ward/state they live in, they don't have as much incentive to do their due diligence when it comes to representing the people that voted him or her into office.

If people who voted for Durbin and are against SOPA/PIPA actually knew what Durbin stood for (and who he stands with) on this issue, do you think they'd be less inclined to vote for him in the future? Perhaps, or perhaps it's a case where we'd rather have Durbin in there because he is "the lesser of two evils", with the potential "worse" evil being another Republican Senator.

Lesser of Two Evils - What Garbage

That term has always cracked me up - lesser of two evils. It's as if you're knowingly and willingly voting for a shit head who you know is probably not going to live up to half of the stuff he or she said on the campaign trail. It's one thing if you actually like the political views of Obama and Romney and actually want to vote for them (hint: I do not). I respect the voting process and believe people should vote for the candidate that they believe best represents what their vision is for the most ideal government for America. However, I cannot stand, and will not stand for, people voting for one of the two major parties based on the notion that they're voting for the guy who seems less evil. In many ways, I'd rather people who vote like this not vote at all. But really, I'd just like people to find another candidate to vote for.

Why I Am Voting Now

If you've read this far, I appreciate your interest in my renewed interest (or you could say my initial interest) in politics. With this interest, I will likely tout some of the stuff of people who I plan on voting for from time to time. However, my goal is not necessarily to get you to vote for the guy(s)/gal(s) I'm voting for - I can't lie, that may end up being an implicit message when I express these views. I will also refrain from the vicious name-calling and other negative attacks that really have nothing to do (or should have nothing to do) with the political process.

I will be looking to inform my friends and family - the people I care deeply for - about policies and ideas that candidates who I am interested in represent.

I get it - I know many of  the folks in my social group and social network sites who will likely be unswayed and will stick to the candidate who represents their party, and that's perfectly fine. I just want to make sure that different views are at least being presented, perhaps a new way of looking at something that may open your eyes on a particular issue.

Based on my research of the candidates in the Presidential election, I will likely be voting for Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson. I'm willing to bet many people who are voting this year haven't even heard of Johnson, yet alone know all of the ideas and views that he represents. I recommend doing some Internet research on Johnson, former Republican governor of New Mexico who is well-known for his vetoing of bills and being elected twice as governor in a predominately Democratic state.

A Wasted Vote? Nope.

Some might say I am wasting my vote because Johnson won't win, but my viewpoint on this has changed 180 since I was voting initially. Why the hell should I vote for a guy who won't win? No one wants to vote for a guy who is going to lose - what's the point?

This viewpoint is likely held by many who may actually agree more with a third party candidate like Johnson (or perhaps Bob Barr, Ralph Nader or Ross Perot, et al.) in other elections but decide to vote for a Democrat or Republican because a third-party vote is a waste. This falls right into the hands of the two-party system, which is set up in such a way that third parties have a very limited platform to express their views and often fight legal battles just to be on the ballots in some states. Democrats and Republicans want to keep it a two-party system to keep the cycle of politics going.

While Johnson will be hard-pressed to make a run for the White House, I will be voting for a candidate who represents who I am and what I want out of government the best. At the end of the day, I can live with myself knowing that I voted for a guy (win or lose) that I believed would be the best guy to run our country's executive branch for the next four years. Personally, I see too many similarities between the major parties to vote for either one of them. You may disagree, but that's the way I see it.

Vote how you will, and I encourage people, especially those who feel disengaged from the process and hate politics, to take the time to look into these candidates a little and make an effort to vote. I just hope people vote for the right reasons.

If you vote for Romney, vote for him because you believe in him and what he stands for, not because "Obama is evil" and/or "Romney is the lesser of two evils".

If you vote for Obama, likewise, vote for him because you believe in him and what he stands for, not because "Romney is evil" and/or "Obama is the lesser of two evils".

And any other candidate you vote for, especially in your local elections, carry the same attitude with you. Just be as smart and educated as you can be before entering the voting booth in November. I have a lot to read up on in the meantime myself, so I'll be right there with some of you (hopefully).

Any who, I'm done with this political brouhaha for now. I hope you got something out of this.

In the meantime, let's try being as civil as we can this election season. Easier said than done, I know.

9/08/2012

The Bear Necessities: A 2012 Preview from Bears' Fans Point of View

With all the coverage I did on fans of out-of-market teams, I figured I should ask some questions to some Bears fans and see what they thought of this year. I was able to get nine fans to respond to the questions I sent them.

For the record, I have the Bears at 11-5 and winning the NFC North. I like their Super Bowl odds of 26/1 that can currently be found on 5dimes.com, although I don't have them winning it. I just find it to be good value.

Jennette Swick (w/ her b/f Chris)
Most of the people interviewed (ages range from early 20s to mid 40s) have been fans their whole lives. Jennette Swick's parents, whose first anniversary was the day the Bears won the Super Bowl in 1986, raised her on the Bears from a young age. On Sundays in the Fall, you'll catch her in her Dick Butkus jersey at Buffalo Wild Wings watching the game with the guys in her boyfriend Chris' fantasy league.

She admires players like Butkus who she believes played for the love of the game.

"They weren't making multimillion dollar contracts and doing hold outs," she said. "Yet alone, they were out there playing with broken bones."

While she's able to watch her Bears on a weekly basis, Sherman Griffin seems to have issues with getting a job that allows him to be off on Sundays.

Peanut Lovers

Like Jennette and several others who completed this survey, Sherman's favorite player is Peanut Tillman. He likes the way that Peanut plays.

"He hustles and gives me a chance to yell 'BALL' during the game," Sherman said.

Jennette and Brad Zoeteman, the youngest of survey participants, cited Peanut as their favorite based on his off-the-field endeavors.

"He definitely has a big heart when it comes to charities," Jennette said, "and I believe he plays with a lot of heart."

Brad's pre-game routine is similar to Jennette's, except he has a customized jersey that he has to put on before every game.

Concerns about 2012

Unlike many people who cited the Bears' offensive line as a potential worry heading into 2012, Brad is more worried about the health of the defensive core, which includes Peanut, Lance Briggs, Brian Urlacher & Julius Peppers.

"Finally a great offense, but now the defense is gonna crumble," Brad said.

Brandon Marshall/Jay Cutler

Most believe that Brandon Marshall will have an immediate impact. Don Flynn is predicting 1200 yards and nine visits to the end zone, while Bears fanatic Elias Valaveris is tabbing Marshall for 100 catches, 1300 yards and 10 TDs.

Paul Bodenlos (left), who apparently loves ranch.
Nick Pazoles thinks Marshall will be the best receiver the franchise has had in a long time, but feels his value is being overblown with all the weaknesses they have.

"The two biggest worries are directly tied together: weak offensive line and Cutler's health," Nick said. "People seem to ignore the fact that he has been hurt the last two seasons."

Paul Bodenlos agrees with the Cutler worry.

"This year's team can make a deep run," he said. "But the Bears proved already that a healthy Cutler is the key to the team's success."

As soon as Cutler joined the team, he instantly became Elias' favorite player. He likes his attitude and thinks Cutler is the best quarterback the Bears have ever had.

"I think he is a bad ass and doesn't care what people think of him," he said. "That is a quality that QB's should have. I'm so tired of watching all the scrubs that the Bears have had the past couple of years. I like watching a real QB."

Predictions

Everyone who answered the survey (all nine) believes the Bears will be at/above 8 wins. The most optimistic of predictions have the Bears winning the Super Bowl (Elias, Sherman, Rick Ryzner, Bob Flynn), while others seem to believe the Bears will be around 10 wins, which is slightly above what Vegas projects for the team (over/under 9.5 wins).

"I don't think there are any questions about them besides the O-Line," Sherman said. "They have been phenomenally better than in previous years."

Rick, whose been a fan since the early 80s, is the eternal optimist when it comes to the Bears and their Super Bowl chances.

"I always predict they're going all the way," he said. "Don't care if I'm wrong in the end."

Like many others, Rick's been to multiple games (in his case, a total of 10). He had the privilege of meeting Walter Payton, who was cited the most as favorite Bear of all time.

Pre-Game Rituals/DA COACH
Bob Flynn

Bob Flynn is among those who admire Sweetness. Bob, the man with the mustache, became a fan of the Bears when Ditka grew out his stache. He has the most established and detailed routine of those who participated in the survey.

Bob has a picture sketch of "DA COACH" in a frame on his wall that he prays to before games. Depending on the situation, he will drink Ditka wine during the games.Whether he watches the game out on the deck or in the living room, Bob has to sit in his round Chicago Bears egg chair.

"It's the only way," he said.

Paul was lucky enough to meet Ditka the night of his bachelor party in Vegas.

"Getting to shake his hand may sway my favoritism," Paul said.

He also has a good ritual, at least in my eyes.

"Pregame routine consists of cracking open a beer, drink the beer. And then cracking open another beer. And then another, and another, and another," said Paul, who recently moved to Arizona and will rely on Sirius radio to listen to Bears games. Luckily, he has a Bears bar within walking distance that he plans on attending a few times this year.

Super Bowl Shuffle

Don in his Forte jersey with his friend Christopher.
Bob doesn't remember the words to the whole Super Bowl Shuffle, but he has a chance to memorize them now that he has an original cassette tape of it. He will likely be playing it on a continuous loop if his prediction of a Bears over Patriots Super Bowl comes in.

His brother Don also doesn't know all the words of the hit 80s song, but he has an excuse.

"Years of drinking way too much made me forget a lot," Don said.

No one surveyed said they knew all of the lyrics, but Nick had a particular favorite part of the song that he remembers.

"If you put the music on, I could sing along," Nick said. "Gary Fencik is by far my favorite part."


Memorable Moments

Everyone surveyed has been to at least one Bears game except Sherman, who is hoping to change that this year.

Here's some of their favorite moments:

Jennette (doesn't remember the exact game): It was snowing so hard, we could barely see a thing cause the wind was whipping it around and we were freezing. Now that I look back at that, it was the only way to truly enjoy a classic Bears game.

Bob (opening day of 2005 season): The Bears beat the Lions pretty impressively that day but the awesome thing comes in my personal experience. I got to meet Keith Van Horne of the 85 Bears and got to see his Super Bowl ring right up close.

Don (vs Broncos): Bears over Broncos in overtime. Two run backs by Hester in the game.

Rick (vs Tampa Bay): 7 degrees against Tampa was a fun game - Tampa lost.


Elias (right) and yours truly at SF/Chi 2009
Elias (vs San Fran in San Fran, November 2009): I will always remember Cutler throwing five interceptions and almost somehow winning the game. And then we didn't get that bus back to the hotel for a while and I was pretty pissed.

Brad (vs. Detroit): Some broad was wearing a Favre jersey and they put her on the Jumbotron and the place erupted in boo's. Then she gave the finger.

Nick Pazoles: no memorable moments.

Paul (week 17 game a few years back in a game not featuring the Carolina Panthers): My sister was dating her husband at the time. The Bears were out of the playoffs. But it was one of the coldest days on record. We stayed all four quarters of a meaningless game...My brother-in-law is a Panthers fan.

9/07/2012

#BoleksBestBets - NFL Week 1/NCAA Week 2

Now that I just got done lecturing people with my latest blog on do's and don'ts of gambling, it's time to write one of my favorite blogs of the year - the first of many gambling features on NFL & NCAA. I'll try updating this as accurately as possible. I forgot to post a lot of my NCAA plays on Saturday, which of course pretty much all ended up winners.

NCAA gambling in week 1 started out terribly, as I lost my first 4 bets placed, including taking one on the chin when I backed Navy +14.5 against Notre Dame in their game played in Ireland. After that though, it was smooth sailing, as I closed out the rest of the gambling weekend with 8 straight wins.

Lost: South Carolina -6.5, South Carolina/Vandy Over 21.5 2nd half, Minnesota -9, Navy +14.5
Won: Ohio +6.5, NIU +7.5, Hawaii +42.5, Alabama -13, Oregon team total over 54.5 points, Oregon 2nd half team under 21.5, SMU/Baylor Over 57, Georgia Tech +7.5

Overall, I ended up 8-4, +310.50. I'll try keeping this up to date (win or lose). Hopefully most weekends, I'll be able to keep this updated. For most updated picks, best to check my Twitter: @BrianBolek

Largest Spread Ever

On 5dimes, you can bet on Savannah State vs. Florida State. Question is: do you feel comfortable betting on Florida State spotting its opponent 65.5 points? That's what the line is. At some places, the line is over 70. If for some reason you think this game will be decided by 66-70 points, then maybe you want to bet both sides of the game. If you're a sane gambler, you'll probably just avoid it.

NCAA Week 2

Purdue +14 at Notre Dame - Expecting a Notre Dame letdown after a successful overseas trip. Also, Purdue has a chance to be a sleeper team in the Big Ten. Ask @BerserkHippo.
Penn St. +10 at Virginia-  Penn St. looked bad in the second half against Ohio, but I think Ohio is better than people expected. This line in the preseason was at about Virginia -3, so to say that PSU got 7 points worse based on the players they lost and their Week 1 performance seems a bit much. From what I've read about Virginia, there's nothing special about them. I still think PSU will be about a 5-6 win team, and here, I think they keep it closer than the line says.
Oregon State +7 vs. Wisconsin - Playing the angle of  non-conference game, travel cross country for Wisconsin. Big Ten teams tend to struggle in these situations.
Duke +15.5 at Stanford - This is more of a gut play. Plus, what Stanford showed in its opener is that it will struggle without Andrew Luck and company, while Duke, not exactly a powerhouse in its own right, but has bowl aspirations this season and opened the season on a strong note. They are led by potential pro prospect Sean Renfree, who is the ACC's active career leader in yards and completions. I think Duke keep it within two scores.

NFL Week 1

Dallas +3.5 & Dal/NYG Over 23.5 first half - Games already bet, but I split these bets (1-1, +48.50)

KC +3 vs Atlanta - KC is highly under-rated and has a great home field at Arrowhead. Injuries devastated them last year. If I am right, they will win the AFC West this year. This will be the first step.

GB -5 vs San Fran - Check out my 49ers Fan Federation Blog for detailed analysis on this. I think Packers start season off strong, motivated by sour taste in mouth based on last year's ending.

NO -7.5 vs. Washington - Lots of hype behind RG III, but I think it'll take some time for him to get acclimated to the NFL landscape. Plus, the Superdome is a rough place for a debut. Saints roll.

Indy +10 at Chicago - Andrew Luck appears to be the real deal, and he is a great candidate to beat Cam Newton's one-year old record of rookie passing yards in a season. The Bears had a poor secondary last year. While I think the Bears will win, I think it'll be by one score, not two. Don't be shocked if there's a backdoor cover (i.e. a late score by the Colts that helps them cover the spread).


NFL betting YTD (including Fool's Gold): 1-1, +48.50 (follow me on Twitter @BrianBolek for official bets, which may include additional bets than the ones mentioned here)

Fool's Gold Pick of the Week

Tennessee +5.5 vs. New England - Nothing seems right about this line. Tom Brady - the Tom Brady - isn't even spotting more than a touchdown to second-year starter Jake Locker? What gives? Like the Bears, the Patriots had a poor secondary, which allowed teams with decent attacks to stay in games. I think Nate Washington, Jared Cook and Kendall Wright are a sufficient trio and between them will get a couple of Jake Locker touchdowns in the opener. Brady should put up points, but I believe the Titans will too. Look for this to stay within a field goal, with a possibility of a Titans upset in Week 1. I think this will be one of the higher scoring games of the week, so you should probably bet the Under.

Fool's Gold YTD: 0-0, $0

Enjoy the start of the NFL season.

B List - Gambling Dos & Donts (List 15)

It's been a few weeks without a B List. My apologies to those who were looking forward to that as a weekly feature. It should be back on, but it may be more sports related as I am amped up about football season being back.

As I prepare for the 9,000 fantasy leagues I've entered, I am also getting ready to start my favorite gambling season of all - NFL & NCAA gambling.

I know many friends of mine who are casual gamblers, some of them are more of the daily type of gamblers - you all know who you are, damn degenerates. In this B List, I'll focus on some of my personal do's and don'ts when it comes to gambling. I've gotten better at following most/all of these, but there are times where the degenerate in me comes out and I piss away my money.

Enjoy.

7. Do some research. It sounds simple, but it's an important part of gambling. It can be something as simple as reading a couple of pre-game stories or studying the injury report or as complicated as studying gambling trends of the teams in the game. I haven't found a specific routine when I study before a bet. With baseball, I like to use stats I find on baseball-reference.com. Also, SportsInsights.com offers free betting information that shows you what sites offer what lines and how heavily each team/side is being bet.

Occasionally, I will go with a gut pick, and obviously Week 1 picks are based on hunches, as we haven't seen the current ensemble of players play together in a meaningful game. As you've seen more games from a team, you should have a better idea on how a team will play together.

6.  Don't bet if you are the type to get mentally/physically ill from losing money. Whether you bet just $5 or $100, if you can't handle losing, then I suggest not betting. Gambling is not for the faint of heart. When you do this as long as I have, you'll encounter some messed up losses and unreal wins. Anyone can handle the wins, but not everyone can handle the losses. If you're one of those folks, never gamble.

5. Don't bet with your heart. Too many people I know bet on their favorite teams, many of them blindly. Long term, this isn't a good approach. Your judgement on whether your team will win or not will usually err on the side of "win". If you're a real fan of the team, watching the game without betting on it should be good enough without adding the extra stress of wagering money on them to cover the 10 point spread.

4. Do expect to win if you gamble. Don't look at it as gambling - look at it as sports investing. Entering the gambling world with a little bit of confidence is good, but just don't expect to win every single bet. At the same time, don't bet if you've got the mindset, "I'm likely to piss this money away."

3. Do set limits for yourself. If you make 200-300 bucks a week, you probably shouldn't be gambling as much as someone who makes closer to a grand. I've heard different theories on how much of your bankroll you should risk on every game, but don't make a habit of risking anything close to what you make in a week. You're just asking for broken legs from bookies and/or really crappy

2. Do not chase losses. If your early bet lost, don't feel compelled to bet on a later game that you had no intention of betting just to try cancelling out the loss from earlier. This usually results in losing double the amount of money for the day, as you'll usually just end up making a bet for the sake of betting.


1. Do take a closer look at gambling lines that seem like "Locks". In case you hadn't noticed, Vegas and other places who rely on gambling revenue for survival don't just hand money out. If you see a line that makes you think they're handing you free money, maybe you should take a closer look at it. You're likely missing some key factors in why the line is lower than what you think it should be. Some folks frown upon this, but I often end up betting against what the general public bets. My weekly gambling column features "Fool's Gold", which highlights a line that seems too good to be true and usually has a high volume of public bettors betting on it.

9/06/2012

Bolek Blog Series - Fans of Out of Market NFL Teams: Pittsburgh


As many of you have seen through my whored out Facebook statuses, I am profiling people who live in the Chicago area and are fans of out of town teams.

Thank you to everyone who has filled out a survey so far. If you're a fan of an out-of-town team and I haven't given you a questionnaire to fill out, please let me know ASAP, as I am looking to profile as many people as possible.

My tenth feature highlights a Pittsburgh Steelers fan. Mike Walsh was born and raised in Chicago but became a fan of the Steelers during the Steel Curtain days of the 1970s. I know Mike from my days at the Daily Southtown (now the SouthtownStar) when I would call him on a weekly basis (he works at De La Salle) for the team's latest's stats.

Here's a list of other blogs in the out-of-town feature series:

1. Dallas Cowboys
2. Tennessee Titans
3. New Orleans Saints 
4. Minnesota Vikings
5. Denver Broncos


A lifelong Chicagoan, Mike Walsh grew up in the age of the NFL where the Pittsburgh Steelers & their "Steel Curtain" were making their presence known as one of the most formidable and feared franchises in the league in their 1970s dynasty. This, along with the Steelers garb, was a big selling point in Mike's choice of favorite football team.

"I became a Steelers fan because they were really good in the 70s when I was a little kid and starting to follow football," Mike said. "I loved the black uniforms and the helmet as well."
Mean Joe Greene was one of Mike's favorites. Pretty sure the little kid is not Mike.

His favorite players of all time came from those teams: Mike Webster, Jack Lambert, Joe Greene & Lynn Swann - all of whom are immortalized in the Hall of Fame.

Thanks to their success that started in Mike's childhood and has continued into modern times, the Steelers are often featured on national TV and prime-time games. This allows Mike to consume many of the games on regular TV, not DirecTV like many fans of out-of-town teams must do. Otherwise, he'll watch the NFL Red Zone channel, catch the highlights and read the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette online.

Just because he is a Steelers fan does not mean Mike hates the Bears. In fact, he considers himself a fan of his hometown team, just not as much as Pittsburgh.

"I root for the Bears every game except on the rare occasions when they play the Steelers," he said. "I do consider the Bears my 1-A NFL team."

In addition to following some Bears stuff in the local papers, Mike has also attended a Bears game at Soldier Field when they faced the Steelers in the early 90s. He went with a friend who was a Bears' season ticket holder and was given specific instructions when attending the game.

"He threatened to kick my ass if he saw any Steelers apparel," Mike said. "It was winter, so I was OK".

He believes that B-Bo Knows prediction of the Steelers (10-6, AFC North champs) is close to his own thoughts, but he went a step further in his prediction. In addition to a division title, he expects Pittsburgh to be AFC Champs and a legitimate contender to win the Super Bowl.

Speaking of which, the Steelers own 6 Super Bowl titles, the only team in NFL history with that distinction. Mike enjoys this fact and makes sure his football-following friends know about it.

"It means everything since I am a diehard Steelers fan and two good friends despise my beloved Steelers," he said. "It gives me bragging rights and allows me to gloat, good-naturedly."

Mike Walsh
(whole life in/near Chicago)
Favorite team Steelers
A fan since… 1970s
# of games attended 1 (in Chicago)
Choice of Team Consumption National TV, RedZone 
Channel, Pittsburgh Gazette
Favorite Player All-Time Mike Webster, Lynn Swann
Jack Lambert, Joe Greene
Favorite Player Currently Heath Miller (O)
Troy Polamalu (D)
2012 Prediction (12-4, AFC Champs)
Vegas Projection for team 10 wins
(as of 9-6-12) 5dimes.eu
Over/under? Over
Odds to win division - 5dimes.eu (+115)
Super Bowl odds 20/1 (+2000)
(as of 9-6-12) - 5dimes.eu

9/03/2012

Bolek Blog Series - Fans of Out of Market NFL Teams: NY Giants


As many of you have seen through my whored out Facebook statuses, I am profiling people who live in the Chicago area and are fans of out of town teams.

Thank you to everyone who has filled out a survey so far. If you're a fan of an out-of-town team and I haven't given you a questionnaire to fill out, please let me know ASAP, as I am looking to profile as many people as possible.

My ninth (and possibly final) feature highlights a very humble New York Giants fan. Russ Williamson has been a Chicagoan since 2005. Before that, he grew up in New Jersey, where he became a big Giants fan (no, I'm not going for a triple entendre there, although perhaps I am). An aside - If you happen to be going to the city sometime soon, I recommend checking out his comedy act - just look him up.

Here's a list of other blogs in the out-of-town feature series:

1. Dallas Cowboys
2. Tennessee Titans
3. New Orleans Saints 
4. Minnesota Vikings
5. Denver Broncos



Russ Williamson may be a man who makes a living off of making people laugh, but he is dead serious about his allegiance to the New York Giants.

A man who makes people laugh, Russ was not amused at B-Bo Knows NYG prediction
He was dumbfounded by B-Bo Knows prediction of the Giants missing the playoffs with a 7-9 record, a year after winning their second Super Bowl against the Patriots in the past five years.

"I didn't really like your prediction," Russ told me. "I don't know where you got that from."

Russ's fandom began around 1990, when the underdog Giants, missing their Hall of Fame QB Phil Simms, upset the Buffalo Bills (the first of four straight Super Bowl losses for the Bills). The game is remembered for the Scott Norwood missed kick as time expired that would have put the Bills ahead.

Russ remembers it for a similar reason, but on a more personal level.

"My dad is a huge Giants fan," he said, "and my earliest memory was how happy he was when the Bills missed that field goal and the Giants were champs."

He doesn't have any issues following the Giants, relying on the Internet to keep him up-to-date on team news and scores. He also has no problem with being a fan of the Giants in a Bears town, unless his team happens to be the opponent.

"When your team plays the Bears, you will be called a (gay slur) at some point (by a Bears fan)," Russ said.

"I don't have a problem with the Bears," he said, "but if they're playing the Giants, I want them to fail miserably."

Being the humble person he is, Russ didn't want to make any predictions about the Giants for the 2012 season.

Ok, I lied.

"I'll be the first to say it here," Russ said, "the Giants repeat."

His thoughts about Eli being immortalized at Canton after winning his second ring - just as indifferent.

"Eli is a Hall of Famer, no doubt," he said.


Russ Williamson
(Chicagoan since 2005)
Favorite team Giants
A fan since… 1990 (Giants/Bills in Super Bowl)
# of games attended 1 at MetLife
Choice of Team Consumption TV/Internet
Favorite Player All-Time Lawrence Taylor
Favorite Player Currently Jason Pierre-Paul
2012 Prediction Super Bowl champs
Vegas Win Projection
(as of 9-3-12) 5dimes.eu 9 wins
Over/under? Over
Odds to win division - 5dimes.eu (+205)
Super Bowl odds 45/2  (+2250)
(as of 9-3-12) - bovada.lv

Bolek Blog Series - Fans of Out of Market NFL Teams: New England


As many of you have seen through my whored out Facebook statuses, I am profiling people who live in the Chicago area and are fans of out of town teams.

Thank you to everyone who has filled out a survey so far. If you're a fan of an out-of-town team and I haven't given you a questionnaire to fill out, please let me know ASAP, as I am looking to profile as many people as possible.

My eighth feature will highlight a New England Patriots fan. Adam Stefko became a fan of this team because of his dad's allegiance when he was a kid, not because of their Super Bowl run in the 2000s (which many people may suspect).

Here's a list of other blogs in the out-of-town feature series:

1. Dallas Cowboys
2. Tennessee Titans
3. New Orleans Saints 
4. Minnesota Vikings 
5. Denver Broncos


Don't mistake Adam Stefko for a fair-weathered New England Patriots fan. He didn't become a fan of the team when their run of success began in the early part of this century.

"I became a fan of the team the same way I'm a fan of any team," he said. "My dad liked them so I automatically just followed suit. Of course, I can think for myself now, but they happen to be a good team, so why not keep the loyalty?"

While he doesn't mind the Bears, Adam doesn't go out of his way to root for them.

"I would say I typically kind of root for them," he said, "but I often end up reaffirming the reason I don't like them as much as the Patriots."

He hasn't had any issues with following the Patriots in his life, including his last couple years living in the suburbs of Chicago. He doesn't get too much of a hard time about the Patriots since most people end up agreeing that they are a good team.

Lately, his main consumption of New England football is the Red Zone channel, which he thinks he prefers over having NFL Sunday Ticket.

"It's not the easiest following the Patriots when all you hear on the news is the Bears, but I do alright on Sundays," Adam said.

I couldn't find many others of him on FB w/ Pats gear. Hence, the look.
He's never been to a New England game, even though he had a chance to go to Soldier Field in 2010 when the Patriots routed the Bears 36-7. He ended up passing on the chance to go due to the high ticket prices, but he didn't mind missing out on the extreme weather conditions.

"It was a ridiculously cold day, so I think my body thanks me for not going," he said.

Adam believes that B-Bo Knows predictions of the team are accurate, but hopes they go a little further than the prediction of a loss to the Texans in the playoffs.

"Obviously, I hope that they do even better and win the AFC Championship and the Super Bowl," he said. "But who knows. If it doesn't happen, it doesn't happen. I'd be alright with that."

Despite consistently being one of the best teams in the league over the past decade, the Patriots haven't won a Super Bowl since the 2004 season.

Nevertheless, Adam doesn't think that Bill Belichick & Tom Brady have anything to prove to maintain or enhance their legacy as the elite coach/QB combo.

"Even without that recent of a Super Bowl win, they have proven throughout the regular season and postseason that they've got a great system and still perform rather well," he said.



   
  Adam Stefko
  (few years in suburbs of Chicago)
Favorite team Patriots
   
A fan since… childhood
   
# of games attended none
   
Choice of Team Consumption Red Zone Channel
   
Favorite Player(s) All-Time Tedi Bruschi
   
Favorite Player Currently Aaron Hernandez
   
   
2012 Prediction (14-2, Super Bowl Champs)
   
Vegas Win Projection 12
(as of 9-3-12) 5dimes.eu  
Over/under? Over
   
Odds to win division - 5dimes.eu (-360) (bet 360 to win 100)
   
Super Bowl odds 23/4 (+575) co-favorites w/ GB
(as of 9-3-12) - 5dimes.eu