B-Bo's Bucket List: The Sports Version

Watching the Saints get the cover in the last 4-5 minutes of the game left me with a taste of football in my mouth. Immediately after the game ended, Jen and I had just left her apartment Saturday night to head to the Loop for a birthday get-together.

It was as I walked out of the apartment that I decided that watching football on TV this month wasn't enough. I had to go to a playoff game!

New Orleans' victory ensured them of a Saturday afternoon matchup at Candlestick Park against San Francisco - my favorite squad. A month earlier, me and Jen discussed going to a game together but didn't know what weekend it would be since they hadn't clinched a week off at that point. Jen's job of working at a salon forces her to have set appointments a month ahead of time, so this plan of us going was put on the scrap heap.

Between realizing that we couldn't go together and that moment Saturday night, I hadn't thought much about going to San Fran. I figured that if me and Jen weren't going, I wouldn't go, especially since none of my friends that I hang out with consistently are Niners fans.

With a simple Facebook status posted, I found out that lacking a Niner fan background did not matter to some of my friends. My friend (we'll call him Kudes) instantly texted me and was on board with the idea. Tickets for the game and flights were bought and a nice hotel was reserved for a three-night stay. Another friend (we'll call him Tom) showed interest but after the purchases were made.


(Check out our seats - Section 28 (Upper Reserved), Row 1)

Another friend (ok, Wolf is his name and we'll call him that) said that he would have loved to go as well, whether it was his team or not. All of this interest got me thinking...what would I put on my sports bucket list of sports events or experiences that I would like to see at some point in my life?

In the spirit of the new year, I'll name '12 different sports events/experiences (in no particular order) that I'd love to do (some I've done, some I haven't)

1. Baseball Road Trip (Achieved) - Fitting enough, this man we call "Kudes" was part of this original trip of sporting awesomeness in my life. Along with the Luzzman, we visited 12 different baseball stadiums in a 12-day span. This includes five stadiums that have since closed and a city that lost its baseball team (au revoir Expos). This once-in-a-lifetime trip is remembered more for the travels to and from places rather than the games themselves (life motto: process of traveling to destination oftentimes > destination itself).
2. Watch the Final Game of a Sport (Achieved) - Luzzman won the right to buy tickets to the 2010 Final Four in Indianapolis (Sounds silly I know). The hometown Butler Bulldogs came within a halfcourt heave away from winning the title against Duke. It was amazing seeing a close game to close the season of a sport. I did miss Easter with the family but we did enjoy a nice Easter dinner with my friend Phil and his wife who live in Indy.
3. Attending NFL Playoff Game (Will Be Achieved) - As noted, this will be achieved Saturday. Our seats are in the first row of the upper deck. We will be playing the role of tourists on Friday. The only thing in question now is the flight leaving on time. Normally I don't care about snow, especially working from home. However, any delay will annoy me slightly. Nevertheless, a little snow won't ruin my mindset as I get ready to watch one of the NFL's best defenses play against one of the NFL's best offenses.
4. Attend MLB Playoff Game (Achieved) - After seeing a dud of a game in the 2000 playoff season, which was the start of the White Sox getting swept by the Mariners, I had higher expectations going to the 2005 ALCS opener against the Angels, who were on little sleep after long flights from NY to Cali and back to Chicago and were starting John Lackey on short rest. Needless to say, the Sox lost. Luckily, I can tell the story of going to the White Sox's only postseason loss that year for the rest of my life.
5. Yankees/Red Sox
6. Duke/North Carolina (NCAAB)
7. Packers/Bears (not achieved) - I lumped all of these things together. All of these games are at or near the top of their respective sports' best rivalries and I have yet to see any of them. Obviously the latter is the most likely based on geography. I think I can get out to a game of the other two at some point. For all of these games, it doesn't even matter what venue I see them at - seeing as though I'm not a fan of any of these teams. I'd probably lean going to NY to see the new stadium but Duke/NC can be seen anywhere...someday....someday.
8. Big Ten football stadium outside of Illinois (likely Mich vs. OSU) (not achieved) - I'd like to see a good college football rivalry game, so odds are the Mich vs. OSU game would be the best one to go to geographically. If Wisconsin and Mighigan State continue to stay strong, I wouldn't mind to go to either of their stadiums to see a good matchup
9. SEC football (LSU, Bama or Florida) (not achieved) - The nation's best college football has been in the southeast for the first part of the 21st century, and I don't see that changing anytime soon. I'm not sure if I'm ready to handle the craziness of this type of atmosphere, but I figure to blend in after about a beverage or ten and I can grow a wicked mullet.
10. The first weekend of March Madness...
11. and the Super Bowl....in Vegas (not achieved) - Yeah, yeah, yeah. I've been to Vegas a half-dozen times. In fact, the first time I went was about four years ago around this time, in which I lost my first 4-5 bets placed (including some NFL playoff bets). However, there's something about the merging of certain times of year and Vegas that seem like a perfect marriage (see: peanut butter & jelly; rice a roni & applesauce; David Lee Roth and Van Halen). With March Madness, there are 32 games in the first 2 full days of the tournament and would go from 9am till about 10-11pm Pacific time in the four days.
    
    On the other Spectrum, the Super Bowl is one game, but it is THE GAME. It is by far the most bet-on game of the year (legally and illegally) and lately has featured some amazing matchups. Any sports fan who likes the reaction of fans as a game swings one way or another needs to go to a sports book when a point spread is on the line. It's a great site to see the agony of defeat on dozens of peoples faces at once (one of those faces is usually mine) contrasting the joy seen in the gentlemen who won thousands on games. I must go to Vegas for these events at some point. At the same time, I must be prepared to lose a ton of money
12. The Super Bowl (not achieved) - I put this near the bottom since I consider it the least likely of events to attend. This is all due to cost. I'd pretty much have to win tickets to the Super Bowl or get an awesome 30th birthday gift to go to the 2013 game (cough, hint). Actually, I wouldn't expect anyone to fork over money for that. This year's Super Bowl's cheapest seats on Stub Hub are going for $2200 apiece. These Super Bowl tickets are not going to get any cheaper.
    
    On the other hand, going to the Super Bowl site and just hanging out is always an option. I may consider going to the Indy area if the Niners somehow make it there. I know a couple of friends of mine that made the trip to Miami 5 years back just to watch the Bears against the Colts at a local bar and had a good time. I'd likely do this with the lady if she agreed to go - don't think I'd do this solo.

There's probably some games/events that I am missing. Feel free to share your ideas and maybe I'll add them to my own list.

I have many years to achieve these items on the Bucket List. Let's hope I can get this list whittled down sooner rather than later.

The Views from Vegas: Observations Finally Put to Words After Vegas VI

Another Vegas trip is in the books. Another couple hundred dollars down the drain - and I loved every minute of it.

From Jen making her first sports bets, including one on her own, to the delicious food and buffets we had, I enjoyed Vegas as I always do.

I've always had these observations and thoughts before about Vegas, but haven't put them into words until now. Here goes nothing:

(1.) Everyone at the sports book bets the favorites. I pointed this out to Jen, and even she started to notice this as well. Out of my 6 bets, 5 of them were on underdogs - funny enough, the only favorite I bet was my boys in San Fran laying 10 points, which they held on to cover. So it helped that I noticed it most in this scenario. The reason why Vegas wins so much money every year is that they set lines at such a consistent and balanced rate of favorites and underdogs covering spreads.

One of my 6 bets (and my largest winner), a bet that was unpopular with
Public folks that like to bet on the favorites.

According to Covers.com, favorites are 77-76-7 this season against the spread. Also, home teams are 76-77-7 against the spread. Even my theory on betting against road favorites has a similar record around 50% (25-24-2). Most years, this number hovers around 50%, and since people need to win around 52-53% to break even if they bet the same each game (i.e. flat bet), Vegas wins.

I saw a lot of people rooting on the favorites, rooting every single score and first down for the favorites. A pair of guys next to me - sounded New Yorkish based on their accents - were rooting on one of their pools in which they went perfect in the first set of games for a Vegas contest in picking teams straight up. All he needed was Atlanta, Chicago, San Fran and St. Louis to come in to end the afternoon games perfect (all favorites). The first set of games featured only one team (Oakland) that was considered an underdog by Vegas standards. I'm just guessing, but with the lack of upsets there were at that point, a perfect record is probably shared by about 100 people.

Anyways, what was I getting at? Oh yeah, Vegas rules. At both setting lines and providing a good time.

(2.) Vegas is exactly like how Chappelle Show depicts "The Internet".

In case you are not familiar with this skit, here it is:

This is exactly how Vegas is allllllll the time. From left to right, up the escalators and down, you get hounded and raped by people trying to sell something. They get right in your face, trying to sell you on some show or strip club. You can't avoid them, even when you're in the hotel you're staying at and approaching the elevator.

This is probably the most annoying feature of Vegas. I understand most of Vegas is tourists and you need to find a way to sell your product - and often face-to-face is the best way to do it. I just wish I could go 5 feet without a piece of paper being thrown in my face about some club I will never go to.

(3.) People don't know how to walk. A common occurrence in Vegas goes as such. Person A is with Person B about 30 feet away from me. One of them stops, trying to figure out where they want to go next. One of them points. They stand there for another second or two. Then as we get to within a foot of them, they decide where they want to go and either cut us off or walk deathly slow in front of us.

Lord knows I have a city walk that I can't get rid of. I got yelled at a few times for walking too fast, but I had to tell her I can't help it...it's just the way I walk. But for as fast as I walk, there are some people who walk twice as slow as the national average of walkers*.  These people all go to Vegas.

*National Average is about 4 miles per hour. No need to look it up.

(4.) If you ask someone if they've ever been to Vegas and they answer, "Not since I was a kid," they've never been to Vegas. For anyone who has ever been to Vegas, you know this to be the ultimate truth. When you're a teenager, the only things you can really experience in Vegas involve meals and shows of the PG-13 kind or weaker. Not only that, but you're likely with your parents or someone else in a position of authority. And what fun is that in Vegas? You need to be able to gamble a little and imbibe on some adult beverages to enjoy the true Vegas. Sure, you can get away with not gambling and not drinking while you're in Vegas, but if you're gonna do that, why not just go somewhere closer and more local?

This brings me to my next point....

(5.) When (or If) I have kids, I will NEVER bring them to Vegas. I can't stress this enough. I saw a bunch of people with their kids at the Bellagio buffet (or The Buffet as they call it)* and also walking the strip. I can't think of the many reasons it is wrong to bring kids to Vegas, but I'll attempt to.

(a) Not old enough to appreciate Vegas - See Point 4 above
(b) It's Sin City for a reason. Do you really want your kids exposed to those folks who are hawking the strip club cards and others who are so drunk they can't even spell their own names**?
(c) They take away from your fun. What adult really wants to have a PG-rated Vegas trip? If I can't gamble, go to the sports book and enjoy a few beverages, then it's not Vegas to me.

I'm sure there's more that I'm forgetting, but I think I made my point. If you bring your kids to Vegas and have fun nonetheless (and aren't BSing me because you think your spouse reads this blog)***, please tell me to disprove my point.

Any who, these are just some things I've thought of. Any frequent visitors of Vegas, please feel free to chime in with your own thoughts.

*The Ohio State University is shameful in its use of "The". Contrarily, The Buffet is being modest.

**Just guessing. I've never been this drunk, but in Vegas, people are dumb enough to get this drunk

***Awfully full of myself to think that married couples read this crap, but figured I'd insert this nonetheless.


Vegas Results:

NFL bets: 3-3 record, -$105
Roulette: 2 sessions, -$150
Horse bets: 2 horses bet, 2 losses: -$40

Have a happy Thanksgiving everyone!

NFL Picks for Thanksgiving

Detroit +6, Mia/Dal Over 45, Balt/SF Under 40

Thanks-Filled: What This Guy is Thankful For

With less than a week till Thanksgiving, we all have something to be thankful for. More importantly, we all have someone or many someones to be thankful for.

Some things to be thankful for:

Life - Hey, I'm still living and breathing as I type this, so I have to be thankful for that. Without it, I don't know you, and you don't know me. Maybe you don't want to know me - but tough.

Family - Granted, it's a collection of someones. But I think that lumping the family together is appropriate given what they do for me as a collective unit. I love my family - which yes, includes pets - and they love me back. There's no questioning this. I couldn't live without them. This includes immediate and otherwise.

Friends - I could probably leave this category out, since many of my friends have turned into family and are actually embraced as family by my own family. I feel like I'm in several families myself with the friends that I have gotten to know over the years. On one hand, you get a family based on birth, which is your real family. Once you grow older, this is when you pick your extended family (your friends). In both cases, my extended family and my real family are big parts of me and define who I am. I've always believed that the friends you have are a true reflection of who you are as a person. I have great friends, and I am a greater man because of it.

Employment - In this day and age, it can't be understated how good it is to have a steady job that pays the bills. I work with a great company with a great boss who has my back and appreciates the work that I do. In March, I will be going to Costa Rica on a company trip with these folks. I'm really happy to be with this company and the people who are in it.

Sports - Everyone who knows me and reads this blog knows of my passion for sports. Ever since I was the age of 5 or 6, I've been a sports nut. I'd wake up early even in grade school and watch the 30 minute Sportscenter on repeat 4-5 times over before going to school. I've memorized & internalized an unhealthy amount of sports facts and trivia. However, as I have become an adult, I realize the true role that sports have in my life. They are a distraction, they provide us entertainment and pointless arguments. At the end of the day when the game is over, we still have our lives to live. We still have all of the above things I've mentioned to appreciate. So my fellow sports fans: never lose perspective on what sports provide to us and how they should be in our lives.

(Digression alert: I usually try avoiding arguments with people and sports though - when our teams lose, many people think they are smarter than the coaches and general managers and think we can hire better coaches and design better plays and strategies, when in fact we don't know a tenth of what these guys know)


There's probably plenty more to be thankful for, but most of it in my life can be traced to the above items.

Like my reflection on Veterans last week, make sure that today and beyond, you appeciate and be thankful for everything good that is around you. Our time in this world is limited, so don't spend it being angry or upset.

Crucial Taunt - More B-Bo NCAA Ramblings & Football picks for Week 9

I hate that taunting is a penalty...wait, let me be more specific...I hate that it is a penalty in NCAA that can actually take points off the board. It's a new rule this year that if a guy showboats before reaching the endzone (at least by the ref's descretion), they get flagged for a personal foul and lose the touchdown. Here's an example of it from last month above. Keep it the way it was before - 15 yard penalty on the kickoff. While I hate showboating in general, I don't think it should strip away someone's score.

The unofficial play-in game for the BCS title game is going on this weekend...LSU heads to their rival Alabama's home field for a Saturday night tilt that will decide who goes to the championship game. This is dependent on the winner not slipping between now and then - but for all intents and purposes, the winner will have a chance to extend the SEC's dominance in the title game. Oddsmakers currently have Bama tabbed as a 5 pt favorite with an O/U of 41. I have no idea what side to play, so I shouldn't. If anything, I think I'd like the Under in this battle. Watch for Les Miles to do something crazy that will make or break LSUs chances of going into January undefeated and going for the crown.

How come college programs don't get penalized for leaving conferences...and yet, players who dare transfer these same college programs to other college programs have to sit out a year (unless they have special circumstances)? I think a good deterrant for these teams would be to enforce the same rules that they have for the players - if they decide to switch conferences, they have to sit out a year. That'd really make WVU reconsider leaving the Big East. While I think my idea is slightly drastic, I hate that the NCAA continues to spew these double standards where multi-million dollar coaches can switch programs w/ no problem, teams that can switch conferences at will, yet unpaid players who want to switch teams have to miss a season. Sounds fair to me. F you, NCAA.



Fools Gold Pick of the Week (NFL Week 9)

Last week, we suffered another loss, 5-3 now (4-3, +$10). This week presents a different twist on the Fools Gold platter.

San Fran -3.5 at Washington - Washington is coming off a few sloppy losses, including a shutout at the hands of the Buffalo Bills - who aren't exactly known for their stout defense. Meanwhile, you have San Fran coming into town. The Niners boast one of the best defenses in the NFL, including an amazing stat of no rushing TDs allowed in the team's first seven games.

Normally this year, I would either avoid this game or bet against the deceiving line. However, I already threw some money on San Fran in this game. I can't even say it's a homer bet. I just don't see where Washington gets their points in this game. Alex Smith has been fantastic in managing the games (only 2 picks thrown this year) and the team continues to utilize Gore in the running game. I recommend not betting this game because of the deceiving line, so do as I say, not as I do.

Fools Gold Pick: Washington +3.5 (betting opposite of this for the first time this year)

Other NFL picks this week I am considering (follow me @brianbolek on Twitter for a full blast of games)

NYG (+9) at NE - I have already bet NYG. They always play up to the level of their competition. I expect their pass rush to give Brady fits. I expect this game w/in a touchdown either way.

SD (+5.5/6) vs. GB - I consider SD a buy-low candidate here. They're usually a good home team. I'd like to see SD go to +7 but doubt it. Haven't bet it yet.

Chi +8 at Phil - Too many points to spot the Bears. They contained Vick well last year, and Forte vs. the Eagles presents a big advantage to the Bears. Also might consider the under of this game as well (total of 47)

NCAA picks for Saturday
Iowa +4 vs. Michigan - play of the day
Washington +17 vs. Oregon
LSU/Alabama under 41
Ohio St/Indiana over 52
Wake Forest +13.5 (maybe catch it at 14)

Week 8	Week 9
NFL 5-3, $104.10	NCAA 5-4-1, $165
Totals 1-2, -$60	Totals 2-1-1, $60
MLs 1-1, -$5.90	MLs 0-2, -$90
Spreads 3-0, $170	Spreads 3-1, $195
YTD: 31-25-3, $438.20	YTD: 15-19-1, -$209
Totals: 10-8-1, $219.60	Totals: 2-4-1, -$160
MLs: 4-2, $202.60	MLs: 0-5, -$260
Spreads: 17-15-2, $16	Spreads: 13-10, $256

rock out with your lock-out: NoBody cAres

What's there to talk about in the sports world on this, the 12th day of October?

Hmmm....

In the NFL, you got some surprise teams on the good side (Lions, Bills, Niners), some on the bad side (Eagles, Falcons, Jets), dominant QBs and the defending champs looking every bit the part so far this year.

In college football, the SEC is once again making waves, with a November matchup between LSU and Alabama acting almost as a play-in game for the BCS championship in January. Also in this neck of the woods, you have the already bowl-eligible Illinois, 6-0 and facing Theeeeeeeeeee Reeling Ohio State Buckeyes.

In baseball, the playoffs have some exciting teams still left. Personally, I'd love to see a Verlander vs. Carpenter matchup in a week with a World Series game on the line.

Hockey season just opened, so for those into hockey, there's that.

So what about basketball? Yeah, not getting your blood bubbling that they're locked out?

I'm sure there are those diehard fans that are missing the sport and will miss watching the season from November through April, but when is the NBA our primary focus at this time of the year anyways? Most NBA fans I know are fans of one of the above sports more. I haven't heard much complaining about the NBA getting locked out, potentially for an entire season.

I also got a couple gambling friends who will be missing NBA if it's not in session, especially for the day-to-day fix that NBA feeds for gamblers. Look at it as a way to save some money, gents.

I don't mind a shortened season (50 games like 1998-99), since it will make the regular season games mean more. I would be disappointed if the season was cancelled, but my expectation of the season being done for is making it easier to deal with that possibility.

When the dark days of sports are accompanied by the dark days of winter in February and the Packers finish repeating as NFL champions, that's when most of us will notice the lull in the sports world and the sports depression will set in. If you're an NBA fan, I predict this is when the lack of NBA will affect you the most.

In the meantime, enjoy the best sports month of the year in the best weather month of the year.

Go Niners and Illini.

Alls Well That Ends: The Wirtz Effect and How a Death Can Help a Business

News just broke that Al Davis has died. My condolences to him and his family.

As far as his business goes, it might not be the worst thing to happen. In fact, it may help them out greatly, if the Bill Wirtz Effect comes into play.

As many Chicago Blackhawks fans remember all too well, the mismanagement of their beloved team caused the team to be an afterthought at best in one of the biggest hockey markets in America, and of course, one of the Original Six teams. Wirtz, notoriously known by many as "Dollar Bill", was considered by many to be the lynch pin behind this terrible stretch of Chicago hockey.

This stretch of time he was president (over 4 decades), he banned home games from being played on TV - for fear of fans not going to the games if they were able to stay home and watch them. I never understood this reasoning, seeing as though just about every team in every sport shows their teams' home games (I know that the NFL has restrictions on showing home games in markets where a game has not sold a certain percentage of tickets). If he was so smart in the business world with liquor distribution and real estate, you figured he might have seen other pro franchises having no problem with this.

Anyways, we all know the Blackhawks' story - they've become relevant again. People actually want to watch them now. Through their actions, the Wirtz kids have amended their father's wrongdoings to the franchise by promoting the Blackhawks through the addition of home games to TV, the Winter Classic to Wrigley Field in 2009 as well as introducing a successful annual convention for Blackhawks fans to attend. This idea came from the bright mind of John McDonough, former Cubs and now Blackhawks president. They went from being to the worst ran franchise in sports to one of the best in a few short years thanks to the actions of the younger Wirtzes and McDonough. Winning a Stanley Cup for the first time in a couple generations didn't hurt things either.

Enter Al Davis. While he didn't have the extended run of no championships/championship appearances like Wirtz did, Davis has become significantly more irrelevant in the past couple decades. His run of success in the 70s and 80s has devolved into the 90s and 2000s Raiders that have been pitiful for the most part. Aside from their playoff appearances in 2002 (where their playoff run ended in the infamous "Tuck Rule" game) and 2003 (where they got slaughtered by their former coach and the Tampa Bay Bucs, not much but bad can be said about the Raiders.

Since that brief run of success, here's a list of QBs who have started for the Raiders: Rick Mirer, Marques Tuiasosopo, Kerry Collins, Andrew Walter, Aaron Brooks, Josh McCown, Daunte Culpepper, Bruce Gradkowski, Charlie Frye, and Jason Campbell. I feel like I'm missing someone...

Oh yeah, JaMarcus Russell! Say what you will about recent first overall picks being busts, but no doubt in my mind is Russell the worst first pick of all time. After three seasons with the Raiders in which he finished with a 7-18 record, he was released. But not before collecting a shit ton of money. I wouldn't be surprised if he's already burned through the money that he got from his $61 million ($32M guaranteed) contract from the Raiders in 2007.

Sadly, one of the best first round picks the Raiders made in the past 15 years was for A KICKER! Sebastian Janikowski, who recently tied the league record for longest field goal (63 yards) was a first round pick for the Raiders in 2000. A fucking kicker in the first round! This from the same team that drafted a punter (Ray Guy) as a first round pick - to date, the only punter ever drafted in the first round.

With Davis' death, I'm hoping that the Wirtz Effect happens and hopefully the Davis heirs are half as intelligent as the Wirtzes were following their dad's passing. The NFL is a lot better league when the Raiders are relevant. Davis was a great contributor to the NFL, but his time of relevance and success had passed.

Let's hope that his passing can lead to the Wirtz Effect for the Raiders and they can return to a proud franchise again.

No Comments: Why Some People Shouldn't Talk

Note: The piece of information that I use at the beginning of this piece do not represent my views on race, etc. This is merely to point out the absurdity of people in Internet forums.


Here are some comments left after a story I just read:

"Watermelon withdrawal!"

"how do you stop 5 black guys from raping a while woman? throw them a basketball! ha ha ! that's just a joke so don't freak out people ok ?"

"I would suggest that 95% of black America has a mental disease. It seems to me that they are
nothing but a bunch of antagonistic, habitual liars. Go back to Africa, please"

Is this story about race relations in America? Not quite. These are comments left after an NFL story concerning wide receiver Brandon Marshall being diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, which this Yahoo story said is a disorder that 1 in 50 adults suffer from. And mind you, I didn't even bother looking past the first four comments of the story (these were three of the four). I'm sure there were other comments of race that appeared below this.

Unfortunately, this garbage is what appears on the majority of stories' comment boards. And very infrequently, the stories have something to do with a race issue. Often times, it's people hiding behind computer screens spewing their racist views into any and every story that they can. A story about Brandon Marshall discussing his personality disorder has nothing at all to do with race. Whether the diagnosis is part of the 21st century mantra of diagnosing anything and everything can be up for debate- especially the "sex addictions" that Tiger Woods and Anthony Weiner supposedly suffered from and needed treatment on. I digress.

The worst comments that I've seen normally come from political stories. Whether a person is extremely left, extremely right or anything in between, I see many articles about politics that go so far off the topic of what the story was about that in the end, it just ends up with a bunch of the same non-sensical name-calling and finger-pointing that never produces quality public discourse. Maybe there are some sites out there where people actually discuss these matters in intelligent forums and actually present facts and ideas into stories rather than calling someone a nutjob for having different ideals than them. I don't read enough political sites to know if there are such sites- mainly because the news I do come across is much like the Brandon Marshall story above, except with political semantics attached to it.

Don't get me wrong - I have my opinions about people and do think some people are nutjobs. But is telling someone this inside a comments section actually going to contribute anything to anything? If you're going to say something, make sure it's not some pointless drabble and "Internet anger" (anger that people feel more comfortable expressing faceless but would never do as such to a person's face). I just made up that term, although perhaps some other genius coined it before me. I digress again.

If you guys write in comments sections of stories, I really hope you're avoiding this crap of name-calling and other nonsense that makes me wish that some sites would disallow comments (in my eyes, not the same as limiting freedom of speech). Not every story on the Internet needs comments following it. For example, if someone signs a free agent contract with a team, all I need to know is what team and how much. If I have opinions about the story, I don't need to share my thoughts to strangers halfway across the world. People should have friends to discuss these things with. Or go to a bar or something and discuss it there - although there are a lot of morons in the general public, so maybe finding a friend or two to discuss something with is a better option.

Note2: You may say that a blog would be a contradiction to this idea of not needing to share my ideas with strangers. But with my limited readership and the fact that I promote this exclusively to friends, I don't feel it to be a contradiction. You may disagree. Anyways, I digress, part 3.

I don't advocate censoring speech - just wish that some people would never talk. So please, if you know anyone who should stop talking, have them read this blog so they can anonymously attack me and call me a piece of liberal white trash. Definitely not politically attached to any party and the trash part I'd have to say is incorrect. At least they'd get the white part right.

Ok, no more digressing. The end.

End of an Era: Bookmaker (2007-2011)

If you are reading this, you are likely friends with me on Facebook. Posted earlier today, I lamented on the loss of my sportsbook, Bookmaker. The US Department of Justice and Homeland Security seized its domain today, as seen in the image below:

Bookmaker's death sentence, as handed down by The United States of Big Brother

Tim Wolf first brought this to my attention yesterday, saying that Bookmaker already had an alternate site ready to use in the event of site seizure. The takeover was official today, leaving millions of gamblers such as myself looking for new ways to get the gambling itch fixed. Trust me - people will get their gambling done one way or another.

The seizure of their site (and other poker sites a month ago and I'm sure numerous other sites in the near future) begs the question: in a free country that proclaims democracy and freedom to make choices as individuals, why is it illegal for Americans to gamble on sports outside of Vegas? Some states (Delaware and Oregon for example) allow very limited sports gambling, but Nevada is the only state where sports gambling is legal.

The amount of money that other states could make from sports gambling is sick to think about.  I have at least 10 friends who would love having the ability to sit at a local casino and bet the sports that we have been betting online and through other venues for years - and we'd hardly be the only ones. Not only that, but we'd be modestly gambling when compared to the high rollers - if it's anything like Vegas sports books. In my trips to Vegas, it wasn't uncommon to see guys wagering 10 to 100 times more in a given bet than me. Considering my average bet in Vegas ranges from $50-200, we're talking about a very profitable operation, especially since the book makes money on any gambler that doesn't hit more than 53% of their bets.

Other sites are still in operation for gamblers to use, but it's a matter of time before they get shut down. From what I read, it appears as though Bookmaker's problem (as it was for the banned poker sites) was for money laundering, not for the act of allowing American gamblers to deposit money onto their site.

Nevertheless, this wouldn't be a problem if gambling on sports was legal!

I suspect that Vegas lobbyists and America's desire to limit freedoms (not expand them) as part of their Mommy/Daddy role they play with their citizens are the main reasons that sports gambling is not legal.

They'll say they're protecting the poor from losing their money, but they don't give a rat's ass about that. If people will not lose their money with sports gambling (the way the government has it now), people will lose their money through other venues, many of them just as self-destructive as sports gambling (such as drinking, smoking and many other unhealthy ways).

The government tried Prohibition (didn't work); they've tried "Say No to Drugs" (many people "Said No to Nancy Reagan" and did and continue to use drugs anyways); they continue to try stopping people from being gay by attempting to ban gay marriage in particular states (won't work).

Now, the sports gambling spectrum, at least the online forum, is controlled by the government. If they think this won't drive people to underground methods (as it did to all of the above "bans" or "warnings"), they're dumber than I thought - which is saying a lot.

I'm willing to bet that this is not the end of my "Gambling Outside of Vegas" era. And instead of collecting money from me in a sports book, where some of my money would be going to the government via taxes, my money will be going elsewhere.

Suck it, government.

Don't Stress, Young Man

I need to see someone about my sports addiction problem.

There's no reason a human being should get so worked up about any angle of sports where it affects the person even in the slightest.

Don't get me wrong. Sports are a good release from real life, where we have to deal with work, bills, recession stuff, etc. When sports help you forget about those things for a while, no one would argue that as a bad thing. However, there are just some times where I get worked up about certain aspects of sports that make me question why I get so involved in it emotionally.

Gambling

This devil of a thing entered my life at a young age. Around the age of 8 or 9, I was aware of point spreads and wasn't too bad for my age in guessing what a line would be in football. A few years later, I organized a football picking pool with me, my dad and two neighbors on the block to guess the winners straight up every week.

That morphed into the once famous confidence pool that had me and some friends competing for money every week and for end of year prizes by ranking the teams we thought had the best chance of winning every week in descending order. As that dissolved, online gambling became my new outlet. Outside of a few decent cashouts, that has been mostly sewer money.

And who could forget Vegas, the place I will have visited for the 6th time in 3 1/2 years after my June trip is complete. While others get their thrills in Vegas from black jack, poker, clubs and shows, my Dream Vegas is plopping my ass in the sports book after a nice fattening Bellagio breakfast with mimosas. While I've never lost more than a couple hundred while in Vegas, I've never really won much either.

Gambling changes the way I watch sports in that I am often rooting for teams and outcomes that I would not care about otherwise. I will say that I am as objective of a gambler as there is when it comes to judging how an official/referee/umpire may or may not be impacting my bet. Which brings me to the next thing that bothers me about sports....

Blaming the Officials

Going into game 2 of the series between the Heat and the Bulls, I told my friend Tim that I guaranteed that Bulls fans and "fans" would find a way to complain about the referees if the game was close (I said within 10 points) and the Bulls lost.

Sure enough, right on queue, I saw a few items on a social network (hint: it rhymes with Schmace schmook) of a handful of complaints about the refs as the Heat were closing out their 10 point win. I didn't realize referees caused the Bulls to shoot 34 percent from the field and 61% from the free throw line, but I'm glad a few people were out there to remind me that it was the men in the zebra outfits who caused that. Sure as hell beats thinking that, I don't know, your team got outplayed almost as bad as they did to you in the previous game.

Even while completely expecting a few people to blame the refs, it still annoyed me to no end to read some of those comments. I typed out comments and hit the backspace button before sending the comments, for fear of getting in a War of Turds with some of the haters of striped shirts. I knew arguing specific calls that the Bulls got in their favor would do no good, so I resisted and decided that venting about it to the 10 people who read this would be a better outlet.

(Editor's note: I did bet the Heat with 5 people but promise you that I will not blame the refs if the Heat lose this series. Neither team needs the ref's help to win the series.)

So the point of this subsection, I guess, is that if I didn't get so worked up about sports, I wouldn't get worked up about people blaming the refs for crap that their players did or did not do. Even in the small increments that I see this happening, this probably annoys me more than the gambling aspect of sports.

If it weren't for the refs, the Bulls would be 92-0 at this point in the year, well on their way to the first perfect season in NBA history.

That last sentence is probably believed by 5-10% of Bulls fans- which scares the shit out of me.

My teams suck

The teams I have decided to follow in my life - mainly the White Sox and 49ers - aren't exactly for the faint of heart. Combined since 2002 the teams have combined for 2 playoff appearances - White Sox in 2005 and 2008. The World Series championship seems so far away, especially given the lack of follow-up to that season in any of the subsequent seasons despite consistently high expectations year in, year out.

On the other end, the Niners have lowered my expectations during that time, to the point where I thought an 8-8 season in 2009 was "a good season". We've had the luxury of having a healthy rotation of coaches since our last playoff appearance in 2002. We're tried offensive-minded coaches, defensive-minded coaches, coaches who had their fathers successfully coach in the league, coaches who used to be successful players a few decades removed. You name it, we've hired a sucky version of it.

While I consider myself somewhat of a Bulls fans, to be fair to the fans of the team through the thick and thin, I will not speak of them in my fandom. For the most part, I root for the Bulls (that is, when I don't have $110 and 10 pitchers on the line). By no means am I a diehard though.

I wish I was though - because I could really use a winning team in my collection of teams I root for (sigh). Losing is tough to swallow, no matter the sport. If only my teams could play without refs....then we'd probably lose every damn game.

Why?

So why the hell am I so loyal to anything and everything relating to sports, given all these factors that annoy me daily or annually? Why would any person deal with the stressors that sports cause, especially when sports are actually supposed to relieve stress of daily life?

I'd say that the main reason that I will continue to love sports despite the above things is the camaraderie that comes from watching sports with my friends. It is unlike any other social aspect of my life. Getting together with friends to watch a sporting event, regardless of gambling/rooting interest or sport, is a priceless time. Also, if it wasn't for sports, I probably would talk to many of my guy friends a lot less than I do. I certainly don't want to take that out of my life. Throwing a few back, wagering a few bucks and sharing laughs and stories outweighs the bad that some aspects of sports create for me.

I suppose I am fine without a sports psychologist in my life. It's not like I'm gambling more than I can afford to lose, getting heart attacks from sports arguments or losing sleep over my teams sucking ass.

In the meantime, I bet you that the refs will cause the Bulls to lose again and that my White Sox will lift up my hopes and then let me down again.

At least my Niners will miss the playoffs along with 31 other teams if there's no season.

Finally, a victory cigar is in order.

I'm With The Band (wagon): How Do You Know Who is Who?

The past couple of hockey playoff seasons, I've observed the sudden rise in the Blackhawks. And while most people in my position (not a hockey fan and not really part of the wagon or true Hawks fan) wouldn't give a crap, I've always wondered if there's an easy way to spot out a bandwagoner from a true fan.

Are there certain signs that I should be looking for from the bandwagoners that wouldn't be seen in a true fan? Would quizzing people on the team's past (like anything from beyond the past 4-5 years) prove anything in their status? Are there certain jerseys that bandwagoners have that are considered too trendy for a "true" Hawks fan to get? I'm actually legitimately asking these questions, because I have no clue as an outsider to observes a plethora of Hawks love on social media - and while I know some of them are true fans, I also know there are some who are following the Hawks (much like some folks following the Bulls) because it's the cool thing to do.

I'm sure you (whoever reads this as a Hawks fan) know who, among your group of friends and "friends" on facebook, is a true fan. My question to you is: how do you distinguish between a true fan and a bandwagon?

If any of you have answers to this, I'd welcome some comments on the subject.

Big sports day in Chicago Tuesday. Buckle up where ever you watch the games.

-B

Now What: Filling a 20 Hour Weekly Void

If they only had a Brain. Now- he's gone from the Center of Illinois Broadcasting and looking for stuff to do.

What a great past couple of days to wrap up my time at school. Social events with my classmates bookended between a graduation where the school's dyslexia was in full display in the above picture (name and internship both messed up). Today was a good recovery/rest day from all of the excitement and madness that has ensued from the past week/month. But when Tuesday comes around, what will I do with the 20+ hours that I will now have to myself?

Sports: There's been some amazing basketball being played right now, which should fill some of the void. I've missed out on the majority of weekday sports since starting school. Luckily, during that time, I did pick up a CrackBerry, which allowed me to follow the scores of the games I was most interested in (i.e. the games I bet on). I had a brief early season buzz with the White Sox, but I am more interested in the NBA playoffs at this point. I'm sure I'll go to close to a dozen ball games this summer with my friends. I thought about doing the Ozzie Plan with the partial season ticket plan, but I don't like the idea of going to a baseball game with one other person for 13 games (I'd rather go to 13 games with 3-4 people). However, I don't have the cash to throw down on 39-52 tickets with the risk that I can't sell some of the tickets. Hopefully, sports will fill some of the void.

Bars/Drinks: To watch sports, I will likely go out every now and then to watch the big games and just to get out of the house. I already know of one bar having Summer Shandy on tap (Olivers), so that may be my bar for the summer. I need to go to Wild Wings more. My boneless wing craving has not been met enough this year. The question with the bars/drinks option is: Will I be able to get anyone to go out with me on a somewhat regular basis? That is the $20K question.

Bowling Leagues: More bowling leagues you say? Yes- much needed in my summer life. Last year's summer league was the highlight of what was otherwise a dull/depressing summer. And with the main league about to end in a few weeks, I'll need to keep sharp in the summer. I may look to bowl two summer leagues.

Job Searching: With school now over, it's time to put this education to use better than I did with my previous degree. I have been given some websites to use for job leads in the video editing field. I'm gonna take a week or two to myself before I start looking.  Then it'll be time to start cranking out resumes and sending out my video editing demo in hopes of securing a gig. I'd like to get a part-time video editing gig to start if possible so I can keep my current job- which I do enjoy. If I do secure a part-time gig, I could see myself being a video editor at home- which means I'll need to score me a Mac and the new Final Cut program, which comes out in June.

Trips: A trip to Vegas is already set in stone, with a trip to Minnesota and Nashville, among others, on the horizon of being planned. These trips will help fill some of this downtime that comes from the ending of school.

I'm sure there's other things I'm forgetting, but luckily, it seems like I'll have a lot of potential outlets to kill the 20+ hours I will gain from not having school any more.

While it is bittersweet that we had to say goodbye to each other, it will be worth it for all of us ICBers in the end for the experience we went through together. It will make the future "Hellos" all the more sweet.