When opening up a website to read a story or watch a video, or hell, even an up-and-coming blog, you'll often see a comment section at the bottom of the page. It can be tied to people's Facebook pages or simply just a stand-alone comment section.
If all you do is read the comments section of pages, you are likely among those people who think the world is going to hell or already there. With the exception of a handful of people, most commentators on websites are complete morons.
In most web stories that allow commenting, the items posted usually end up devolving into very polarizing, ignorant, and absolute statements. I'm convinced that any story or video posted on the web that allows commenting can eventually become an argument about race, gender, religion, politics or sexuality.
A story about bubble gum? A couple comments down, you could get into an argument about abortion.
A lost dog? "Your" a racist.
The music industry failing? "F- you, you liberal piece of shit".
These particular examples might be made up - at least I believe I made them up. But if you look closely at the comments posted on the stories you read, your IQ will go down about 10-15%. And many of them may be on innocent stories like the topics I mentioned above - which have nothing to do with the t
Very little is gained from a comments section. I can understand why my friend Nick closed it off on his site (www.berserkhippo.com), even though I don't know how much spam/stupid comments he would get if he had it open.
The comments section on my blog is usually empty. When it's not, it's usually filled with coherent information that doesn't look like it was crafted at a junior high Klan meeting. I appreciate my audience and feel that they can comment on stories as they wish - and I look to respond to those folks as soon as possible. I would not hesitate to shut that function off if I felt like morons were taking over my blog with their ignorance. So to reiterate, this commenting beef is not with my folks - my comment people are great.
It's all the other sites, the sites that lend themselves to massive amounts of views and clicks. I believe many of these sites would benefit to go the way of my friend Nick and get rid of their commenting sections. Very little is gained from their presence on stories posted on Yahoo or some newspaper chain.
I hope that the people who randomly comment on stories here keep commenting, because they're usually well-versed folks. If I have to start moderating moronic comments, that may be the day I heed the advice I'm giving to the news conglomerates and shut down the ability to comment.
Added after blog post: looks like I already wrote a similar blog in July 2011. I guess this can happen from time to time when one is nearing 300 total blogs. The same moronic things are cyclical apparently.
2/22/2013
An Early Look at MLB & Teams Who I Have My Eye On
Here's a look at each team's odds to win their respective divisions, according to 5dimes.com. The teams I have bolded below are the teams I find to have the best value, not necessarily who I think will win the division.
Tampa - Ever since their surprise World Series appearance years ago, the Rays have been in the thick of the AL East race. Even when they trade away pieces that people think will end the Rays' run, Tampa keeps rolling. With all the years of sucktitude that they had, the Rays were able to stockpile a wealth of young talent, which allows them to make these moves. This is the toughest division in the majors to predict, especially now with all the talent that Toronto acquired, but out of all the teams, I think the Rays have the best value.
Kansas City - The Royals made some moves. Wait...the Royals...made....moves? A solid starting rotation that can eat innings (Ervin Santana, James Shields & Wade Davis join Jeremy Guthrie & Luke Hochevar). They have some guys who can rake (Butler's one of the most under-rated guys in the majors). It'll take a strong effort for any of these AL Central teams to take the division away from the Tigers, but if there is going to be a team who does it this year, I believe it'll be the Royals (not the White Sox).
Oakland - If you watched the way they ended the year last year, you'd be hard-pressed to tell me that they should be a 6/1 shot to win the division. This team improved every month of the year, with a miraculous comeback to take the division from the Texas Rangers on the last day of the season. Yoesnis Cespedes is a stud and should get better this year. And now with them having the Astros to whip around, there should be a good shot of Oakland getting in the 85-90 win range again.
St. Louis - Every year, the Cardinals are in the talk for the playoffs. Outside of the Yankees, the Cardinals are the team you associate with making the playoffs on a consistent basis and having a reasonable shot to win the World Series every year. I don't even need to know what offseason moves they made, because simply put, they always make the right moves. Letting Pujols go was the smart move. (an aside: Do you see how bad A-Rod looks at the end of his huge deal with the Yankees? That could very well be Phat Albert in about five years.) St. Louis isn't a huge underdog in this division, but they're doggish enough to have value. Wainwright is scheduled to start the year - Carpenter is scheduled to miss the entire year. That didn't seem to matter a couple years back when it was the reverse that happened as they won the World Series in dramatic fashion.
Philly - Last year's prohibitive favorite to dominate the NL East thanks to a stalwart pitching staff, the Phillies ended up underachieving to a level that only the Marlins and maybe the Red Sox could relate to. A pitching staff with Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee can go far and do wonderful things together if they can stay healthy. With their increased age (Halladay will be turning 36 in May while Lee turns 35 in August), you can only hope they can pitch their elite-level 200+ innings. With Hamels in the mix, this will continue to be a devastating rotation. If they can get some production from some of their younger hitters (like Domonic Brown) and some of these older guys can find the fountain of youth or undetectable PEDs (I'm looking at you Ryan Howard, Jimmy Rollins & Chase Utley - a trio of guys who feel like have been with the team for 20 years together), they can easily contend again for the NL East crown.
Arizona - The Diamondbacks are a year removed from winning the division. While the Giants were busy winning their second World Series in three years and the Dodgers were spending money like Steinbrenners, the Diamondbacks made some rather curious moves, trading for Heath Bell (coming off a disastrous year) and trading Justin Upton in separate deals. However, like many of the other teams on this list, I like them for their pitching. Ian Kennedy, Brandon McCarthy, Trevor Cahill & Wade Miley are all capable of 200+ quality innings. Solid pitching can keep a team in contention till the very end, and I think Arizona is very capable of winning this division.
I'll be writing a blog in the next couple weeks with official predictions. I figured I'd get out of my lack-of-writing blues that seem to hit after the Super Bowl every year.
Happy Spring Training, y'all!
Tampa - Ever since their surprise World Series appearance years ago, the Rays have been in the thick of the AL East race. Even when they trade away pieces that people think will end the Rays' run, Tampa keeps rolling. With all the years of sucktitude that they had, the Rays were able to stockpile a wealth of young talent, which allows them to make these moves. This is the toughest division in the majors to predict, especially now with all the talent that Toronto acquired, but out of all the teams, I think the Rays have the best value.
Kansas City - The Royals made some moves. Wait...the Royals...made....moves? A solid starting rotation that can eat innings (Ervin Santana, James Shields & Wade Davis join Jeremy Guthrie & Luke Hochevar). They have some guys who can rake (Butler's one of the most under-rated guys in the majors). It'll take a strong effort for any of these AL Central teams to take the division away from the Tigers, but if there is going to be a team who does it this year, I believe it'll be the Royals (not the White Sox).
Oakland - If you watched the way they ended the year last year, you'd be hard-pressed to tell me that they should be a 6/1 shot to win the division. This team improved every month of the year, with a miraculous comeback to take the division from the Texas Rangers on the last day of the season. Yoesnis Cespedes is a stud and should get better this year. And now with them having the Astros to whip around, there should be a good shot of Oakland getting in the 85-90 win range again.
St. Louis - Every year, the Cardinals are in the talk for the playoffs. Outside of the Yankees, the Cardinals are the team you associate with making the playoffs on a consistent basis and having a reasonable shot to win the World Series every year. I don't even need to know what offseason moves they made, because simply put, they always make the right moves. Letting Pujols go was the smart move. (an aside: Do you see how bad A-Rod looks at the end of his huge deal with the Yankees? That could very well be Phat Albert in about five years.) St. Louis isn't a huge underdog in this division, but they're doggish enough to have value. Wainwright is scheduled to start the year - Carpenter is scheduled to miss the entire year. That didn't seem to matter a couple years back when it was the reverse that happened as they won the World Series in dramatic fashion.
Philly - Last year's prohibitive favorite to dominate the NL East thanks to a stalwart pitching staff, the Phillies ended up underachieving to a level that only the Marlins and maybe the Red Sox could relate to. A pitching staff with Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee can go far and do wonderful things together if they can stay healthy. With their increased age (Halladay will be turning 36 in May while Lee turns 35 in August), you can only hope they can pitch their elite-level 200+ innings. With Hamels in the mix, this will continue to be a devastating rotation. If they can get some production from some of their younger hitters (like Domonic Brown) and some of these older guys can find the fountain of youth or undetectable PEDs (I'm looking at you Ryan Howard, Jimmy Rollins & Chase Utley - a trio of guys who feel like have been with the team for 20 years together), they can easily contend again for the NL East crown.
Arizona - The Diamondbacks are a year removed from winning the division. While the Giants were busy winning their second World Series in three years and the Dodgers were spending money like Steinbrenners, the Diamondbacks made some rather curious moves, trading for Heath Bell (coming off a disastrous year) and trading Justin Upton in separate deals. However, like many of the other teams on this list, I like them for their pitching. Ian Kennedy, Brandon McCarthy, Trevor Cahill & Wade Miley are all capable of 200+ quality innings. Solid pitching can keep a team in contention till the very end, and I think Arizona is very capable of winning this division.
I'll be writing a blog in the next couple weeks with official predictions. I figured I'd get out of my lack-of-writing blues that seem to hit after the Super Bowl every year.
Happy Spring Training, y'all!
| MLB American League East Mon 4/1 1:05PM | |
|---|---|
| New York Yankees | +175 |
| Toronto Blue Jays | +185 |
| Tampa Bay Rays | +340 |
| Boston Red Sox | +600 |
| Baltimore Orioles | +750 |
| MLB American League Central Mon 4/1 1:05PM | |
|---|---|
| Detroit Tigers | -290 |
| Chicago White Sox | +645 |
| Kansas City Royals | +700 |
| Cleveland Indians | +1000 |
| Minnesota Twins | +2200 |
| MLB American League West Mon 4/1 1:05PM | |
|---|---|
| Los Angeles Angels | -150 |
| Texas Rangers | +190 |
| Oakland Athletics | +600 |
| Seattle Mariners | +1450 |
| Houston Astros | +6000 |
| MLB National League East Mon 4/1 1:05PM | |
|---|---|
| Washington Nationals | +110 |
| Atlanta Braves | +225 |
| Philadelphia Phillies | +250 |
| New York Mets | +1700 |
| Miami Marlins | +3300 |
| MLB National League Central Mon 4/1 1:05PM | |
|---|---|
| Cincinnati Reds | -130 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | +210 |
| Milwaukee Brewers | +580 |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | +1050 |
| Chicago Cubs | +1800 |
| MLB National League West Mon 4/1 1:05PM | |
|---|---|
| Los Angeles Dodgers | -110 |
| San Francisco Giants | +230 |
| Arizona Diamondbacks | +400 |
| San Diego Padres | +1900 |
| Colorado Rockies | +2500 |
2/17/2013
Fit Happens Chapter 3: The No Booze Cruise (Part 1)
As I did three years ago, I have devoted the month of February to no alcohol drinks whatsoever (editors note: we shall never speak of the events of February 3rd, which was reserved for the consumption of a plethora and variety of craft brews imbibed during the 49ers loss in the Super Bowl).
This no-alcohol month was done in two parts: (1) to give myself a challenge that I knew would be tough, especially with how many alcohol-based situations I am in on a weekly basis and (2) to help in the process of losing weight for the Fit Happens challenge.
I knew the chances of repeating as the Biggest Loser based on percentage for the month of February would be difficult, so I figured some kind of dietary change had to occur for this to happen (in addition to working out harder and more frequently).
I have kept track of all of the potential drinking opportunities and how difficult it was for me to abstain from drinking. I'm actually surprised at how often I'm in drinking situations, which surprises me that it surprises me.
Without further ado (listed by the date where temptation presented itself)
1st - As is the case every Friday, bowling always presents its share of temptation of delicious beer, usually 312. It is also harder to not drink when the team when you are bowling is a bunch of booze hounds - which was the case today. Seeing as though I bowled below average this particular week (peaking at a 191 in game 2) as our team got swept, a pint couldn't have hurt. Temptation Level: Medium
2nd - This day contained visits to two separate bars - Olivers and Zante's. Oliver's was with the family (not with my usual Wednesday night hooligans, so no difficulty there. Zante's was a different story.
Here's a story on Yelp a few years ago from someone who went there:
1/6/2011
This summary sums up my thoughts on the place. The best part of the place this particular night was that there was one table of awesome people and an awesome birthday girl. Otherwise, this review is how I feel about the bar. So needless to say, the urge to drink this night was particularly high. I did buy drinks...but they weren't for me. Ada (the birthday girl in question) and Jen enjoyed a lemon drop shot as part of my birthday drink gift. My 3-4 glasses of water were my only beverages consumed. Temptation Level: High; Total Bar Visits: 2; (Month-to-Date: 2)
3rd - (We're forgetting about this day. Damn Ravens)
6th - Wednesday night bowling doesn't usually have the same alcohol temptation that Friday does, but there are a few teams we enjoy bowling against whose enjoyment of a couple drinks might get our team to do the same. However, when the team you are facing is named "BYE" and has no people on the team, the possibility of being tempted by them is nil. After bowling is usually a trip to Olivers, but sticking with the theme of a BYE week, my usual duo of knuckleheads were both MIA - no appearance to Olivers necessary. Temptation Level: Low
8th - Another bowling night, but with a team that doesn't interact with us in a way that others do (where there may be a shot here and there), there was no temptation to drink, although sadly, I have to say we all did take shots from a shot glass. They contained water. I bowled well that night (610 series, topping out at a 241 in the first game), so that's all I really need from a bowling night I realized. Temptation Level: Low
9th - I went to visit my friend who lives in Bloomington. If you know anything about us, you'd know that pretty much every time we've hung out (dating back to the start of our friendship in college times), there has been a couple of beers consumed. We did go to a bar, but we just grabbed lunch and then hung out at his place before heading back home to the South Loop in the early evening.
After this was one of the most alcohol-filled situations I've been in: Geno & Jen's engagement party. Over two dozen people were at the party - I believe all of them except one thinning white boy with a faux hawk were drinking something that night. With celebration drinks and clinking glasses surrounding me, I stayed strong with my 36 ounce water jug (between Bloomington and this party, I refilled the jug about 8 or 9 times - over 300 oz's of H2O in my body throughout the day). Talking about brewing beer with Ed didn't help matters. We also went to a bar (The Shamrock) after for a couple of drinks. But, as is the theme with this story, I stayed strong. Temptation Level: High; Total Bar Visits: 2 (Month-to-Date: 4)
10th - Another day with G & J, another day of bowling, but surprisingly, not as much temptation. This bowling league on Sundays is more of a social league than a serious one, but on this particular day, no one on the team was drinking. I'm a substitute for the team, bowling when needed. Afterwards, we went to Diversey's to grab dinner and catch some of the Blackhawks game. Again, shocked to see no one was drinking. Jen and I left before the game ended. However, at the bar, I set up my next drinking temptation event, which coincidentally enough, involved going to a Blackhawks game. Temptation Level: Low; Total Bar Visits: 1 (Month-to-Date: 5)
12th - I was invited to go to a Blackhawks game with Geno, for the low price of buying him a couple rounds of drinks. At this point, he knew that I was not drinking this month - and as such, he respected my stance of not drinking this month. We took a free shuttle from The Crossroads to the United Center. After not drinking there amid a 3-2 Blackhawks defeat, I went back to the bar with Geno (but not before running into New Orleans Saints running back Pierre Thomas, who I took a picture of with Geno). The urge to drink was a little higher than the previous temptation, but certainly not as bad as it's been this month. Temptation Level: Medium; Total Bar Visits: 1 (Month-to-Date: 6)
This no-alcohol month was done in two parts: (1) to give myself a challenge that I knew would be tough, especially with how many alcohol-based situations I am in on a weekly basis and (2) to help in the process of losing weight for the Fit Happens challenge.
I knew the chances of repeating as the Biggest Loser based on percentage for the month of February would be difficult, so I figured some kind of dietary change had to occur for this to happen (in addition to working out harder and more frequently).
I have kept track of all of the potential drinking opportunities and how difficult it was for me to abstain from drinking. I'm actually surprised at how often I'm in drinking situations, which surprises me that it surprises me.
Without further ado (listed by the date where temptation presented itself)
1st - As is the case every Friday, bowling always presents its share of temptation of delicious beer, usually 312. It is also harder to not drink when the team when you are bowling is a bunch of booze hounds - which was the case today. Seeing as though I bowled below average this particular week (peaking at a 191 in game 2) as our team got swept, a pint couldn't have hurt. Temptation Level: Medium
2nd - This day contained visits to two separate bars - Olivers and Zante's. Oliver's was with the family (not with my usual Wednesday night hooligans, so no difficulty there. Zante's was a different story.
Here's a story on Yelp a few years ago from someone who went there:
Frankfort, IL
3rd - (We're forgetting about this day. Damn Ravens)
6th - Wednesday night bowling doesn't usually have the same alcohol temptation that Friday does, but there are a few teams we enjoy bowling against whose enjoyment of a couple drinks might get our team to do the same. However, when the team you are facing is named "BYE" and has no people on the team, the possibility of being tempted by them is nil. After bowling is usually a trip to Olivers, but sticking with the theme of a BYE week, my usual duo of knuckleheads were both MIA - no appearance to Olivers necessary. Temptation Level: Low
8th - Another bowling night, but with a team that doesn't interact with us in a way that others do (where there may be a shot here and there), there was no temptation to drink, although sadly, I have to say we all did take shots from a shot glass. They contained water. I bowled well that night (610 series, topping out at a 241 in the first game), so that's all I really need from a bowling night I realized. Temptation Level: Low
9th - I went to visit my friend who lives in Bloomington. If you know anything about us, you'd know that pretty much every time we've hung out (dating back to the start of our friendship in college times), there has been a couple of beers consumed. We did go to a bar, but we just grabbed lunch and then hung out at his place before heading back home to the South Loop in the early evening.
After this was one of the most alcohol-filled situations I've been in: Geno & Jen's engagement party. Over two dozen people were at the party - I believe all of them except one thinning white boy with a faux hawk were drinking something that night. With celebration drinks and clinking glasses surrounding me, I stayed strong with my 36 ounce water jug (between Bloomington and this party, I refilled the jug about 8 or 9 times - over 300 oz's of H2O in my body throughout the day). Talking about brewing beer with Ed didn't help matters. We also went to a bar (The Shamrock) after for a couple of drinks. But, as is the theme with this story, I stayed strong. Temptation Level: High; Total Bar Visits: 2 (Month-to-Date: 4)
10th - Another day with G & J, another day of bowling, but surprisingly, not as much temptation. This bowling league on Sundays is more of a social league than a serious one, but on this particular day, no one on the team was drinking. I'm a substitute for the team, bowling when needed. Afterwards, we went to Diversey's to grab dinner and catch some of the Blackhawks game. Again, shocked to see no one was drinking. Jen and I left before the game ended. However, at the bar, I set up my next drinking temptation event, which coincidentally enough, involved going to a Blackhawks game. Temptation Level: Low; Total Bar Visits: 1 (Month-to-Date: 5)
 |
| Pierre & Geno |
13th - I headed to Atlanta for a few days, where I was to meet with my co-workers, including my new boss (who I had never had the chance to meet before). I was in my hotel room for several hours before I got a call from him to meet him at the hotel bar. As I did many times so far this month, I explained my no-drink situation, so my beverage of choice was water throughout the 48 hours together. I also managed to avoid drinking at a restaurant we went to when Jake got into town. I did take a shot of something - strangely, it was an oyster/calamari shot. I assured the new boss that I would be enjoying adult beverages with them on our company trip next month in Hawaii. Temptation Level: High; Total Bar Visits (including the hotel bar): 2 (Month-to-Date: 8)
14th - The second night featured dinner with a client in a downtown restaurant and visiting a pub where the boss wanted to see an old friend of his that he hadn't seen in a couple years. The client dinner was fantastic - no drinks, no worries. Same with the visit to the bar. We didn't stay there long, as every one of us was tired and wanted to get some shut eye. Temptation Level: Low; Total Bar Visits (including restaurant): 2 (Month-to-Date: 10)
15th - I got back into Chicago around 7:30 pm, just in time to get back to the suburbs for bowling. Like the bowling situation on the 1st, we faced a team full of guys who are never shy about their consumption of buckets full of piss water known as Coors Light. Avoiding drinking was not a problem though. Temptation was lower than normal, considering the team we are bowling against. One thing I did notice - as I go with beer drinking at bowling, so goes my team. Not once this month has my team had a beer to drink while bowling. Temptation Level: Low
More to come on this as the month finishes. I will also update everyone on my weight loss and whether or not I am able to defend my Biggest Loser crown from January. Peace!
2/10/2013
Big Boys Don't Cry; They Drink: A Reflection of a Sad Niner Fan's Super Bowl Experience
It took me a week to finally reflect on the Super Bowl. Here goes nothing.
That normal sadness that follows a Super Bowl usually has to do with the season being over. The normal depression after the game usually has to do with me incorrectly assessing the wagers I made on the game (New England, I'm looking at you in your last two appearances).
This year, I had no such thoughts. No lamenting that the last game of the season had just been played. And no sadness about wagers lost. I only had one wager that was directly tied to the game with a friend, but I didn't care if my San Francisco -3.5 bet lost. Winning by 1-3 points would have been ok with me too.
Instead, the Niners left me with a hole in my heart that I tried to preemptively fill with close to a dozen craft beers. I missed the halftime show as I stood outside in the cold drinking a Gumball Head. My appearance in the frigid air would have a repeat performance, right after Jacoby Jones opened the second half with a kickoff return for a touchdown. I went outside again, trying to keep myself composed as my favorite team was in the process of getting demolished.
Then, the infamous power outage, which served to drag on the pain and provide false hope at the same time. When the outage was fixed, the Niners stormed back but couldn't finish the deal. Yes, there was a hold on the Niners' last offensive play, but that wasn't what caused the game to be lost.
After all, a 28-6 deficit entering your first offensive play of the second half isn't exactly something you can pin on a missed holding call. Chris Culliver became a trending name earlier in the Super Bowl week for his comments denouncing the idea of having and playing with a gay teammate. On Super Bowl Sunday, Culliver trended for a different reason - #HorribleCoverage. He was burned on Flacco's TD to Boldin to open the game and on his last TD to Jacoby Jones. Not to mention a costly pass interference that extended a Baltimore drive right after the Niners closed the big gap down to 31-29.
There's many other reasons to blame for the loss: the declining play of the defense (which has quietly been a problem since Kaepernick has taken over), Harbaugh not calling a single running play inside the 10 on that last drive, and so forth.
All the while, when the Niners were coming back, I was acting like a drunken fool and taunting everyone in the basement with random actions that I can't quite even comprehend why I was doing them. It was all the more reason to justify my month of sobriety which started with the Monday after the Super Bowl and continues till at least the beginning of March.
Once I woke up with a little hangover on Black Monday, I was mostly over the loss. The thoughts of a meaningful NFL game not appearing for another seven months were soon the main thoughts.
And they remain my thoughts for now. College basketball is starting to get back onto my sports radar, particularly with March Madness a month away.
Stay tuned for a blog in the near future, where I will simulate the 2013 NFL Draft, but with a little twist.
That normal sadness that follows a Super Bowl usually has to do with the season being over. The normal depression after the game usually has to do with me incorrectly assessing the wagers I made on the game (New England, I'm looking at you in your last two appearances).
This year, I had no such thoughts. No lamenting that the last game of the season had just been played. And no sadness about wagers lost. I only had one wager that was directly tied to the game with a friend, but I didn't care if my San Francisco -3.5 bet lost. Winning by 1-3 points would have been ok with me too.
Instead, the Niners left me with a hole in my heart that I tried to preemptively fill with close to a dozen craft beers. I missed the halftime show as I stood outside in the cold drinking a Gumball Head. My appearance in the frigid air would have a repeat performance, right after Jacoby Jones opened the second half with a kickoff return for a touchdown. I went outside again, trying to keep myself composed as my favorite team was in the process of getting demolished.
Then, the infamous power outage, which served to drag on the pain and provide false hope at the same time. When the outage was fixed, the Niners stormed back but couldn't finish the deal. Yes, there was a hold on the Niners' last offensive play, but that wasn't what caused the game to be lost.
After all, a 28-6 deficit entering your first offensive play of the second half isn't exactly something you can pin on a missed holding call. Chris Culliver became a trending name earlier in the Super Bowl week for his comments denouncing the idea of having and playing with a gay teammate. On Super Bowl Sunday, Culliver trended for a different reason - #HorribleCoverage. He was burned on Flacco's TD to Boldin to open the game and on his last TD to Jacoby Jones. Not to mention a costly pass interference that extended a Baltimore drive right after the Niners closed the big gap down to 31-29.
There's many other reasons to blame for the loss: the declining play of the defense (which has quietly been a problem since Kaepernick has taken over), Harbaugh not calling a single running play inside the 10 on that last drive, and so forth.
All the while, when the Niners were coming back, I was acting like a drunken fool and taunting everyone in the basement with random actions that I can't quite even comprehend why I was doing them. It was all the more reason to justify my month of sobriety which started with the Monday after the Super Bowl and continues till at least the beginning of March.
Once I woke up with a little hangover on Black Monday, I was mostly over the loss. The thoughts of a meaningful NFL game not appearing for another seven months were soon the main thoughts.
And they remain my thoughts for now. College basketball is starting to get back onto my sports radar, particularly with March Madness a month away.
Stay tuned for a blog in the near future, where I will simulate the 2013 NFL Draft, but with a little twist.
2/02/2013
Prop-aring for the Super Bowl & The Madness of Super Bowl Betting
Here are a few questions to ponder:
- How long will Alicia Keys take to finish the national anthem?
- Will she add or forget any words when she is singing it?
- Will Jay-Z appear on stage with Beyonce at some point during her halftime performance?
- Will Beyonce's hair be curled, waved or crimped?
And while you're pondering them, you can also gamble on them. Yes - online sportsbooks offer gamblers a chance to win (or likely lose) a ton of money on the craziest stuff you can think of.
Now of course, there's close to a thousand props for people who use 5dimes.com to bet on (921 to be exact), ranging from the non-football bets above to bets such as a team's exact margin of victory and a lot in between.
Some of the larger odds:
- If you think there will be a score within the first 30 seconds of the game, you can throw a few dollars on that at 50/1 odds.
- If you think both QB's first passes will be interceptions, you can bet that at 400/1 odds (i.e. $10 nets you $4,000)
- If you think the score will be tied at the half and at the end of the fourth quarter, you get those odds at 55/1.
- If you believe the first score (like in last year's Super Bowl) will be a safety, you're getting 100/1 odds.
- Betting on San Fran to win by exactly 41 points, you get 550/1 odds. Betting Baltimore to win by that same margin is a 2000/1 proposition. (Most exact margins of victory pay the most, but these are the highest).
Now, some of the ones I am considering:
- Total missed FGs: Over 1 +275: Including the postseason, Justin Tucker missed only 3 of 35 field goals in his rookie year. However, the veteran on the other sideline has been awful. David Akers has missed 14 of 44 field goal attempts, including a miss in 10 of 18 games. He had 4 multi-miss FG games. I think this offers value, as you can get at least a push if there's only one miss.
- LaMichael James: Over 5.5 carries/25.5 rushing yards: I've lumped these two together. I believe that the Niners' best chance to win will be on the ground. James is fresh, and with little game tape of the Oregon speedster, I believe Harbaugh (the Jim version) will have him featured more. With the Ravens having allowed 125+ rushing yards in 10 of 19 games, I believe there will be plenty of opportunities for Gore and James to get theirs.
- Score in first 4 minutes (+270): San Fran has had a tendency in both postseason games to start slow, with an early pick-6 by Green Bay and a quick first drive by Atlanta in the NFC title game to open up the scoring. Don't be surprised (if Balt gets ball first) for Flacco to go deep to Torrey Smith to start the game.
- Michael Crabtree MVP (+1800): I made the case for Crabtree in a previous blog. If San Fran wins thanks to Kaepernick, there's a decent chance he's been targeting Crabtree. As long as Crabtree grabs the majority of Kaep's yards & TDs, I think he has good value at 18/1, as long as Kaepernick doesn't run for 50+ yards as well.
101 Bets
In case you missed last year's feature, I interviewed a couple of friends on their annual tradition of betting on 101 separate props. This year was no exception to their betting adventures. The Man of Little Stature won the coin toss and made his first pick "The Football Travels Over 1499.5 yards", which has become his new favorite bet over "the pylon gets knocked down".
Here's a list of their bets for this year. This...is how professionals do it:
| LM | TS | |
| 1. Heads/tails: | Tails | |
| 2. Calling team picks: | Tails | |
| 3. Calling team wins/loses coin toss: | Loses | |
| 4. Coin toss winner chooses/defers: | Chooses | |
| 5. Football travels ov/un 1499.5 yards (Net offensive yards + return yards + punt yards + penalty yards + successful FG yards): | Over | |
| 6. NFC first play from scrimmage, pass/run: | Run | |
| 7. AFC first play from scrimmage, pass/run: | Pass | |
| 8. First score, TD/FG: | FG | |
| 9. First team to score: | SF | |
| 10. First turn-over, fumble/interception: | Int | |
| 11. Which team commits the first turnover: | Balt | |
| 12. Which team commits more turnovers: | Balt | |
| 13. First team to take a timeout: | SF | |
| 14. First team to challenge play: | SF | |
| 15. Total number of red flag reviews in game, over/under 1.5: | Under | |
| 16. First quarter points, over/under 9.5: | Over | |
| 17. Total points second quarter, over/under 14: | Under | |
| 18. Total points third quarter, over/under 10: | Over | |
| 19. Total points forth quarter, over/under 13.5: | Over | |
| 20. Total points for game, over/under 47.5: | Under | |
| 21. All timeouts used in the first half: | No | |
| 22. All timeouts used in second half: | No | |
| 23. First penalty committed by which team: | Balt | |
| 24. Length of first penalty, over/under 9.5 yards: | Under | |
| 25. Most penalties, NFC/AFC: | Balt | |
| 26. Most penalty yards, NFC/AFC: | Balt | |
| 27. More QB rushing yards, NFC/AFC: | SF | |
| 28. Most team passing yards: | Balt | |
| 29. Most team rushing yards: | SF | |
| 30. Most team passing TDs: | Balt | |
| 31. Most team rushing TDs: | SF | |
| 32. AFC/NFC starting RB, more rushing yards: | SF | |
| 33. More starting RB TDs, AFC/NFC: | SF | |
| 34. More FG/TD in game: | TD | |
| 35. Will there be a score in the first 6:30 of the game: | Yes | |
| 36. Will there be a score in the last 2:00 of the half: | No | |
| 37. Will there be a score in the last 3:30 of the game: | Yes | |
| 38. Will there be a safety in the game: | No | |
| 39. Will there be an OT: | No | |
| 40. Will there be a successful 2 point conversion: | No | |
| 41. Last team to score: | SF | |
| 42. Last team to score win/lose: | Win | |
| 43. Anyone ejected from game: | No | |
| 44. From kick off to end of final play, over/under 3h 45m 00s: | Under | |
| 45. First/second half, most points scored: | 2H | |
| 46. Which team will record more sacks: | SF | |
| 47. Will there be 3 unanswered scores: | No | |
| 48. Most tackles by team leader, AFC/NFC: | SF | |
| 49. Longest play of the game from scrimmage, over/under 35.5 yards: | Over | |
| 50. Which team will score the longest TD: | SF | |
| 51. Will there be a defensive TD: | No | |
| 52. Will there be a special teams TD: | No | |
| 53. Which team will kick the longest FG: | Balt | |
| 54. Will there be a successful onsides kick: | No | |
| 55.Will game be tied after 0-0: | Yes | |
| 56. Longest scoring drive of the game, over/under 6m 30s (game clock): | Over | |
| 57. Winner of Super Bowl: | SF | |
| 58. Penalties resulting in first down, ov/un 1.5: | Over | |
| 59. Highest passer rating starting QB AFC/NFC: | Balt | |
| 60. AFC QB throw TD/Int first: | TD | |
| 61. NFC QB throw TD/Int first: | TD | |
| 62. Will starting NFC RB fumble: | No | |
| 63. Will starting AFC RB fumble: | No | |
| 64. Which team will recover more fumbles (not only turnovers): | SF | |
| 65. Which team will intercept more balls: | SF | |
| 66. NFC QB first pass complete? | Yes | |
| 67. AFC QB first pass complete? | Yes | |
| 68. More special teams yards, NFC/AFC: | SF | |
| 69. More offensive yards, NFC/AFC: | SF | |
| 70. After red flag review, more reversals/call stands: | Stands | |
| 71. Longest pass completion of game, NFC/AFC: | SF | |
| 72. Longest rush of game, NFC/AFC: | SF | |
| 73. Longest kick off return, NFC/AFC: | SF | |
| 74. Longest punt return, NFC/AFC: | Balt | |
| 75. Which team punts from deepest spot: | Balt | |
| 76. Which team kicks for more points: | Balt | |
| 77. Longer punt average, NFC/AFC: | Balt | |
| 78. Number of drives that start inside own 15 yard line, ov/un 1.5: | Under | |
| 79. Which is greater, AFC/NFC RB receiving yards: | Balt | |
| 80. 4th down conversions, over/under 1.5: | Under | |
| 81. Longest FG, over/under 44.5 yards: | Over | |
| 82. Will there be a FG attempt over 50 yards: | No | |
| 83. Will there be a missed FG: | No | |
| 84. Last score, FG/TD: | TD | |
| 85. Will there be a red zone turnover: | No | |
| 86. Who places more punts inside the 20: | SF | |
| 87. Will a Super Bowl pylon be seen knocked over during the game: | Yes | |
| 88. Will there be a roughing the passer penalty: | No | |
| 89. Will there be a blocked FG: | No | |
| 90. Will there be a blocked punt: | No | |
| 91. Will a non-QB attempt a pass: | No | |
| 92. Will a timeout be called to ice a kicker: | No | |
| 93. More receptions by team leader, AFC/NFC: | Balt | |
| 94. More receiving yards by team leader, AFC/NFC: | SF | |
| 95. Longest scoring drive, over/under 75 yards: | Under | |
| 96. Shortest scoring drive, over/under 35 yards: | Under | |
| 97. Is a double digit lead ever established: | No | |
| 98. Who spends more clock time in the lead: | SF | |
| 99. Who has more time of possession: | SF | |
| 100. More points, kickers vs. NFC QBs: | SF | |
| 101. More points, kickers vs. AFC QBs: | Kickers |
2/01/2013
Fit Happens Chapter 2: A Healthy Competition
Month 1 of 2013 brought some true change to this country. No, this isn't the political type of change or the even more devalued change in our pockets after buying a candy bar. This was something bigger. Or should I say, a bunch of someone's bigger.
Weighing in at a combined 1015.1 pounds, the quartet in the 2013 Fit Happens Challenge had a lot of extra baggage to remove to start the new year. Better choices had to start being made: cutting out the cheeseburgers for something more healthy, curbing/eliminating the amount of fast food eaten, the switch from Diet Cokes to water. These are just some of the ways the four of us approached the weight loss challenge.
Combined Weight to Start January: 1015.1 pounds
Weighing in at a combined 1015.1 pounds, the quartet in the 2013 Fit Happens Challenge had a lot of extra baggage to remove to start the new year. Better choices had to start being made: cutting out the cheeseburgers for something more healthy, curbing/eliminating the amount of fast food eaten, the switch from Diet Cokes to water. These are just some of the ways the four of us approached the weight loss challenge.
How It Started...
I must say that I am starting to feel the energy I had just before I stopped working out in July 2010, when the combination of getting a job where I worked from home and going to night class three times a week in the middle of the week caused me to curb my visits to the gym.
At my peak between 2008 and 2010, I would be going to the gym 5 times a week regularly, going from 220 pounds at the time of my gym membership start to about 175 at its lowest over the 2 years at the gym. When my work/school schedule changed, so did my gym habits. 5 times a week turned into twice a week. Twice a week turned into twice a month. Pretty soon, I just gave up going to the gym, and my body responded appropriately.
At the end of 2012, I was tagged on an email with a couple of friends and their friend, all of whom had discussed starting up a weight loss contest that would present motivation for the four of us to get trimmer heading into 2013. In addition to prizes given for monthly winners and the overall winner, there are also parameters in place where everyone in the contest will have to stay motivated, no matter the difference in % of weight lost.
While we all seem to be in the clear of the most dangerous of those motivating factors (anyone who loses less than 2% of their original body weight will have to wear a dress in public), there is also the threshold of getting at least 7.5% weight lost or risking the loss of your gamer tag for a year (or changing of a FB profile picture for a month).
Luckily for us, we all started out the month strong...
| User | lbs | % |
|---|---|---|
| Dave | -11.8 lbs | -4.09% |
| Hippo | -11.4 lbs | -4.62% |
| LionEsquire | -13.2 lbs | -5.41% |
| B-Bo Knows Weight Loss | -13.0 lbs | -5.52% |
One Month In...
You might have an idea what my name in the contest is. Luckily I lived up to my name, reaching the end of the month in first place with 5.52% of my weight lost, edging out my nearest competition by 0.11%.
The 13 pounds lost in a month has to be a record for me. Which is surprising, because I don't think my eating habits have dramatically improved during this month.
Well, I should say what I choose to eat hasn't changed. I've definitely been eating/snacking less than before. But for the most part, my diet hasn't changed. I have cut back dramatically on alcohol and my Diet Cokes, opting for some agua instead. I'd say the conversion to a near-water beverage diet has helped a lot, although I still had a couple of weekend nights where I imbibed on a few too many.
The Next Month
Here are a few things I am expecting from Month 2 of the contest
- The weight loss will be tougher. From my experiences working out 5 years ago, I know that the dramatic weight loss will likely tail off in month 2. This is why I've set a reasonable goal of 6-8 pounds loss for February. It won't be for lack of trying - I'm hoping to prove myself wrong and get past that mark, but not counting on it.
- I expect to continue to get more energy the more I work out. I've been going to the gym about 3-4 times a week this year so far. The workouts, focused moreso on cardio activities, have increased in length and intensity since the beginning of the year. The first week or so was spent on the treadmill, walking at about a 3.5/4 mph pace. In the past two weeks, I've been starting to jog on the treadmill, around a 5/5.5 mph pace. The workouts aren't always as long, but I end up losing way more calories with the jogs. I am looking to get back to running around a 6mph pace like I was able to at the same point of my weight loss in 2008.
- My diet will improve. It may not improve dramatically, but cutting out soda and alcohol (save for the Super Bowl) for the entire month of February will have to help somewhat. In fact, I meant to ask if anyone wanted to join me on this No Booze Till March campaign. And no, my non-drinking friends don't need to be smartasses and agree to go on this campaign with me - I'm looking for my alcohol-soaked friends to hop on the Sober Train, which I think is more reliable than the CTA/Metra.
- I don't expect to win the weight loss title again. But that doesn't mean I won't aim for a repeat. I figure if I win it a second month in a row, I must be doing something right and will be in much better shape when the month of February comes to a close.
When this contest first started, I must say I was slightly motivated by winning it. But then I realized that this is more than just a contest to win by losing weight. This is about making better decisions, whether it be to lay off fatty snacks and eating fruit instead or going downstairs to the gym to workout instead of sitting on the couch watching 1990s sitcoms and crappy college basketball games throughout the early evening.
I must say that win or lose, this contest is exactly what I needed to start making some better decisions. Thank you to Chris, Nick and Dave for the invite in what promises to be a healthy competition.
Combined Weight to Start January: 1015.1 pounds
Combined Weight to End January: 965.7 pounds
Weight loss total - 49.4 pounds (4.9% lost)
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Do not come here on a weekend if you like your sanity. This place THINKS they are a Chicago club and so do the people that frequent it. They have a freakin' bathroom attendant... seriously thanks but I can wipe my own damn hands and I'm not paying you a dollar for a stick of gum. The door guys/ bouncers are rude (probably from the hair gel leaking through their skulls.
AVOID AVOID AVOID