Well, the Superbowl is just 3 days from now, and here are Raymond and I's picks for the big game.
Straight Up:
Jared: Pittsburgh
Raymond: Pittsburgh
Against the Spread:
Jared: Arizona +7
Raymond: Pittsburgh -7
Point Total:
Jared: Over 47
Raymond: Under 47
As mentioned on the show, I am a huge fan of prop bets, and here are a few that I like for this Sunday.
Will either team score three unanswered times in the game?
Yes (3 Unanswered Scores) -190
No (3 Unanswered Scores) +155
I really like the "No" option in this one, especially at +155. I just can't see either team scoring 3 unanswered times in this game. Arizona's offense is too good to have three straight possessions in this game without scoring, and even if they did, I don't think Pittsburgh could score on 3 straight possesions. The play on this bet for me is really all about finding bets that you feel are wrong, and this is one of them. I would have expected to see the "No" option at -190, and the "Yes" option at +155, so I think this is a bet that is backwards and I really like my chances on this one, and the +155 is a nice money line bet, so I will definately take the "No" option on this one.
A bet that I might make a small play on would be the alternate total points scored:
Over 54 1/2 +200
Under 54 1/2 -260
or
Over 57 1/2 +275
Under 57 1/2 - 350
I think this is going to be a high scoring game, and wouldn't be surprised to see it be a 31 to 28 game, which is 59 points. I just think that these offenses are going to put up points despite what we have been hearing about their defenses. I could be completely wrong on this, but I like the high money lines of +200 and +275 on what I think is a realistic chance of being a high scoring game. I would not be surprised to see this game get over 57, and a small play on either of those overs could net some nice change.
Another prop bet that I like is:
The largest lead of the game by either team will be:
Over 14 1/2 -115
Under 14 1/2 -115
Even though I think this game will be high scoring I don't think either team will get a big lead on the other, I see it more back and forth. Plus, with it being at 14 1/2, that means one team has to get up 3 scores on the other, with at least 2 of those scores being touchdowns, and I don't see that happening. The odds at -115 aren't great, but they aren't terrible either, and I think it is another chance to make some change.
There are alot of other bets that I do like, but we went over those on the show, as well as some of the more amusing bets, such as how many times will John Madden mention a food item, over/under 1 1/2. So, if you want to check out the rest of them, head over to the iTunes music store and search podcasts for "What's Your Fantasy", download it and happy listening.
So there are some of my favorite prop bets and Raymond and I's picks for the big game. Feel free to post a comment leaving your picks for bragging rights later.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Monday, January 19, 2009
Hall of Famer, Kurt Warner?
Not exactly something you planned on talking about going into the 2008 NFL Season, but maybe we should be talking about it now.
So what are the qualifications of a Hall of Famer anyways? Some think, it is all based on whether or not you win the Superbowl. Some think you need to be the best player at your position for an extended period of time. Others think it is all about the stats. I have heard some say they judge Hall of Famers based on whether or not you can tell the story of the sport without mentioning that player. Whatever you think the criteria is, Kurtis Eugene Warner pretty much hits them all.
Warner has only been a member of the NFL since 1998, since he spent two seasons in the Arena Football League with the Iowa Barnstormers, and one with the Amsterdam Admirals of the now defunct NFL Europe. He then joined the St. Louis Rams for the pre-season of the 1999-2000 NFL Season.
In 1999, after a pre-season injury to Trent Green, Warner became the starter and in fact in his first three NFL starts threw three touchdown passes in each of those three games. That my friends is an NFL record, and the first of many for Kurt.
When people make up catch phrases based on your offense or defense, i.e., The West Coast Offense, The Steel Curtain, Monsters of the Midway, or the Greatest Show on Turf, chances are it is pretty special. The Greatest Show on Turf, lead by Warner is the only team in NFL history to have three consecutive seasons scoring over 500 points. They began that run in 1999, that season Warner led the league in almost every single offensive category. His 4,353 yards were 2nd, his 41 TD passes were 1st, his 65.1% completion percentage was 1st, and his 109.2 passer rating was 1st. In 2001, he again led the league in TD passes with 36, again led the league in completion percentage with 68.7, again led the league in passer rating with 101.4, and this time led the league in passing yards as well with 4,830 which is the 3rd most passing yards in a season behind Dan Marino and Drew Brees. In fact, Kurt Warner has only had three NFL seasons in which he started all 16 games. In 1999, and you saw those numbers already. In 2001, and you saw those numbers as well, and finally in 2008 with his third NFL team the Arizona Cardinals. All three of those seasons he had over 4,300 passing yards, 30 or more TD passes, a completion percentage of over 65%, and a passer rating of over 96. He is one of only 6 players to have ever won the NFL MVP and Superbowl MVP in the same season, the other five were as follows: Bart Starr, Terry Bradshaw, Joe Montana, Emmit Smith, and Steve Young. Are you tired of stats yet, because I could go on and on. He is also a two time league MVP, has one Superbowl victory, and now after the win on Sunday, three Superbowl appearances. I will leave you with one final stat that is probably the most impressive. Kurtis Eugene Warner has only started 16 games for three NFL seasons. He has made the Superbowl in EVERY single season. His playoff record in those three seasons is 8-1, with a chance on February 1st, to make it 9-1, and be a two time Superbowl winning QB. If you didn’t believe me that Kurt Warner is a Hall of Famer before reading this article, I am pretty sure you do now. If you don’t, then you my friend are just a hater.
So what are the qualifications of a Hall of Famer anyways? Some think, it is all based on whether or not you win the Superbowl. Some think you need to be the best player at your position for an extended period of time. Others think it is all about the stats. I have heard some say they judge Hall of Famers based on whether or not you can tell the story of the sport without mentioning that player. Whatever you think the criteria is, Kurtis Eugene Warner pretty much hits them all.
Warner has only been a member of the NFL since 1998, since he spent two seasons in the Arena Football League with the Iowa Barnstormers, and one with the Amsterdam Admirals of the now defunct NFL Europe. He then joined the St. Louis Rams for the pre-season of the 1999-2000 NFL Season.
In 1999, after a pre-season injury to Trent Green, Warner became the starter and in fact in his first three NFL starts threw three touchdown passes in each of those three games. That my friends is an NFL record, and the first of many for Kurt.
When people make up catch phrases based on your offense or defense, i.e., The West Coast Offense, The Steel Curtain, Monsters of the Midway, or the Greatest Show on Turf, chances are it is pretty special. The Greatest Show on Turf, lead by Warner is the only team in NFL history to have three consecutive seasons scoring over 500 points. They began that run in 1999, that season Warner led the league in almost every single offensive category. His 4,353 yards were 2nd, his 41 TD passes were 1st, his 65.1% completion percentage was 1st, and his 109.2 passer rating was 1st. In 2001, he again led the league in TD passes with 36, again led the league in completion percentage with 68.7, again led the league in passer rating with 101.4, and this time led the league in passing yards as well with 4,830 which is the 3rd most passing yards in a season behind Dan Marino and Drew Brees. In fact, Kurt Warner has only had three NFL seasons in which he started all 16 games. In 1999, and you saw those numbers already. In 2001, and you saw those numbers as well, and finally in 2008 with his third NFL team the Arizona Cardinals. All three of those seasons he had over 4,300 passing yards, 30 or more TD passes, a completion percentage of over 65%, and a passer rating of over 96. He is one of only 6 players to have ever won the NFL MVP and Superbowl MVP in the same season, the other five were as follows: Bart Starr, Terry Bradshaw, Joe Montana, Emmit Smith, and Steve Young. Are you tired of stats yet, because I could go on and on. He is also a two time league MVP, has one Superbowl victory, and now after the win on Sunday, three Superbowl appearances. I will leave you with one final stat that is probably the most impressive. Kurtis Eugene Warner has only started 16 games for three NFL seasons. He has made the Superbowl in EVERY single season. His playoff record in those three seasons is 8-1, with a chance on February 1st, to make it 9-1, and be a two time Superbowl winning QB. If you didn’t believe me that Kurt Warner is a Hall of Famer before reading this article, I am pretty sure you do now. If you don’t, then you my friend are just a hater.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
SuperBowl XLIII Matchups Set!
Championship Weekend has come to a close with the Arizona Cardinals defeating the Philadelphia Eagles, and the Pittsburgh Steelers defeating the Baltimore Ravens. This means we will have the Arizona Cardinals vs. the Pittsburgh Steelers in Tampa Bay, Florida two weeks from now on February 1, 2009.
If you listen to our show from 1/14/2009, you will know that I selected Arizona plus the 4 points, and the Steelers minus the six. Both teams covered and after last weekend, where I went 3-1 vs. the spread, that puts me at 5-1 for the past two weekends, so you will definately want to come back for our Superbowl picks, which should be on the January 28th show. There is a good chance we will have Mr. Mark Franco of www.francosports.com joining us LIVE from Las Vegas to help us break down the Superbowl and go over some of the interesting prop bets that come out every year.
Before that show though, we have this week's show on Wednesday, January 21st at 11:00 PM EST, so you will want to be sure to check that out. We will have our breakdown on what we saw from Championship Weekend, and also we will be joined by Sigmund Bloom of footballguys.com and draftguys.com. Sigmund is working live from Alabama this week at the Senior Bowl. He will let us know what guys are really impressing the coaches and which players are maybe costing themselves a few draft positions. You won't want to miss it, hope to see you there!
If you listen to our show from 1/14/2009, you will know that I selected Arizona plus the 4 points, and the Steelers minus the six. Both teams covered and after last weekend, where I went 3-1 vs. the spread, that puts me at 5-1 for the past two weekends, so you will definately want to come back for our Superbowl picks, which should be on the January 28th show. There is a good chance we will have Mr. Mark Franco of www.francosports.com joining us LIVE from Las Vegas to help us break down the Superbowl and go over some of the interesting prop bets that come out every year.
Before that show though, we have this week's show on Wednesday, January 21st at 11:00 PM EST, so you will want to be sure to check that out. We will have our breakdown on what we saw from Championship Weekend, and also we will be joined by Sigmund Bloom of footballguys.com and draftguys.com. Sigmund is working live from Alabama this week at the Senior Bowl. He will let us know what guys are really impressing the coaches and which players are maybe costing themselves a few draft positions. You won't want to miss it, hope to see you there!
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Jason Garrett believed to be new Rams HC
Adam Schefter of the NFL Network is reporting Cowboys Offensive Coordinator Jason Garrett traveled back to St. Louis on Friday night. With the Rams expected to make a coach decision by Monday, the trip has fueled speculation that the Rams have already made their choice and are just trying to work out the details.
There are several story lines here. The first revolves around the risk the St. Louis Rams are taking hiring Garrett. If you listen to the show, Jared and I have been vocal in our skepticism about Garrett's coaching ability. The simplicity of the offense and his inability to adapt the offense to Brad Johnson's skill set seems to suggest he is not prepared to be an Offensive Coordinator, much less a head coach. He also showed a level of immaturity if the reported "me or TO" conversation actually took place. Although he had a twelve season NFL career, all as a back-up, his coaching experience is very limited. He was Quarterbacks Coach in Miami for two years before moving to the Cowboys Offensive Coordinator job two years ago, not enough experience for a NFL head coach.
The other story line is about the reported "me or TO" situation. ProFootballTalk.com's Mike Florio said, "If Garrett is the guy [in St. Louis], and if reports that Garrett gave the Cowboys a 'me-or-T.O.' ultimatum are true, it means that the Cowboys have decided to bring back Owens -- at the expense of losing their offensive coordinator." It is a common viewpoint, but one that I do not know if it is completely true. I still think there is a definite possibility that Owens is not a member of the Cowboys next year, even if Garrett is headed to St. Louis. Owens is owed a 3.1 million dollar roster bonus in June and Garrett certainly was not the only person that had problems with Owens. I think there is probably a feeling in the front office that the talent difference between Owens and Roy Williams is not that far, and I would not be surprised if a good offer came in on draft day for Owens, possible a 2nd and a 5th, that the Cowboys would pull the trigger.
The bigger issue, however, is not if the Cowboys will part ways with TO, it is should they. Jean Jacques Taylor of The Dallas Morning News wrote, "...there's not a player or coach on this team with a strong enough personality to bring out the best in [Owens], while limiting his charismatic influence in the locker room." I think he hit the nail on the head, the problems in the locker room stem from the fact that there is not a leader on the team or on the coaching staff. The problems can be helped by dropping Owens, but he still is one of the most talented wide receivers in the league, and talent like his is not something you thoughtlessly part ways with. I think a better solution would be to bring in a player or, even better, a head coach that has the clout and personality to handle TO. When Owens was in San Francisco with Steve Young and Jerry Rice, he was not a problem. It was not until after Young was forced to retire and Garcia took over that the problems began.
So what do the Cowboys really need? To drop a still productive and talented wide receiver, or to hire an actual head coach and sign a respected veteran player that can handle Owens? I will always choose the option that gives me more talent to work with.
There are several story lines here. The first revolves around the risk the St. Louis Rams are taking hiring Garrett. If you listen to the show, Jared and I have been vocal in our skepticism about Garrett's coaching ability. The simplicity of the offense and his inability to adapt the offense to Brad Johnson's skill set seems to suggest he is not prepared to be an Offensive Coordinator, much less a head coach. He also showed a level of immaturity if the reported "me or TO" conversation actually took place. Although he had a twelve season NFL career, all as a back-up, his coaching experience is very limited. He was Quarterbacks Coach in Miami for two years before moving to the Cowboys Offensive Coordinator job two years ago, not enough experience for a NFL head coach.
The other story line is about the reported "me or TO" situation. ProFootballTalk.com's Mike Florio said, "If Garrett is the guy [in St. Louis], and if reports that Garrett gave the Cowboys a 'me-or-T.O.' ultimatum are true, it means that the Cowboys have decided to bring back Owens -- at the expense of losing their offensive coordinator." It is a common viewpoint, but one that I do not know if it is completely true. I still think there is a definite possibility that Owens is not a member of the Cowboys next year, even if Garrett is headed to St. Louis. Owens is owed a 3.1 million dollar roster bonus in June and Garrett certainly was not the only person that had problems with Owens. I think there is probably a feeling in the front office that the talent difference between Owens and Roy Williams is not that far, and I would not be surprised if a good offer came in on draft day for Owens, possible a 2nd and a 5th, that the Cowboys would pull the trigger.
The bigger issue, however, is not if the Cowboys will part ways with TO, it is should they. Jean Jacques Taylor of The Dallas Morning News wrote, "...there's not a player or coach on this team with a strong enough personality to bring out the best in [Owens], while limiting his charismatic influence in the locker room." I think he hit the nail on the head, the problems in the locker room stem from the fact that there is not a leader on the team or on the coaching staff. The problems can be helped by dropping Owens, but he still is one of the most talented wide receivers in the league, and talent like his is not something you thoughtlessly part ways with. I think a better solution would be to bring in a player or, even better, a head coach that has the clout and personality to handle TO. When Owens was in San Francisco with Steve Young and Jerry Rice, he was not a problem. It was not until after Young was forced to retire and Garcia took over that the problems began.
So what do the Cowboys really need? To drop a still productive and talented wide receiver, or to hire an actual head coach and sign a respected veteran player that can handle Owens? I will always choose the option that gives me more talent to work with.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Welcome to What's Your Fantasy!
Welcome to the all new "What's Your Fantasy?" blog! This will be the official blog of the radio show which airs every Wednesday night at 11:00 PM EST on the Fantasy Sports Channel on www.blogtalkradio.com/whatsyourfantasy. We will have different blog posts at least once a week, and probably more as the Fantasy Football season nears. Look for alot of posts as the NFL draft nears, and free agency gets under way. Hope to have alot of people comment on the blog and start alot of great discussion.
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