Tag: NFL

Mayor of LA Says He Didn’t Even Want the Chargers in LA

By on • ( Leave a comment )

Yahoo –  I’ve written often about how the Los Angeles Chargers‘ relocation is the worst in modern American professional sports history, how L.A. didn’t want the Chargers and how its apathy has grown more obvious now that games have started…Even Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti can’t pretend to be fired up…“We embrace any team that comes, we’re certainly happy to have the Chargers in L.A.,” Garcetti said during a recent interview on “The Dan Patrick Show.” “But I think we could have been happy with just one [team], too.”

Bahaha. What a slap in the face for a team that just basically told their fans of 50 years to screw as the Chargers moved down to LA to become the second team that city didn’t need. Its like breaking up with your longterm girlfriend only to have the smokeshow you left her for get sick of you in 2 weeks. We all said it. LA is too apathetic, too many transplants, no one will care about an NFL team, let alone two. And now the fucking mayor is even saying it.

 “I think we could have been happy with just one [team], too.”

Thats gotta sting if your Chargers owner Dean Spanos. Sure Garcetti later goes on to say getting the Chargers was “gravy” but thats like a girl calling her fat friend “nice.” Not exactly a ringing endorsement.

“It’s amazing. Through the years, cities have treated landing a new pro team like a historic, city-changing event. In many ways, it is. Los Angeles didn’t exactly go crazy about the Rams, but there was some buzz. There’s practically none for the Chargers, and Garcetti said the city would have been fine had the Chargers stayed in San Diego.”

Lets face it, moving 2 hours down the road from San Diego to LA is not nearly as sexy as a team making the pilgrimage from St. Louis and relocating to LA. Plus, as the Chargers are now learning:

Maybe moving into the shiny new Inglewood stadium in a couple of years will help, but they’re always going to be the little brother team as the Rams started this whole SoCal operation. Buttt the Rams do suck pretty bad at football, so who knows maybe the Chargers get good before the Rams and become the city’s favorite football team…behind USC.

Picking Up the Pieces: How’d I Do Gambling NFL Week 2?

By on • ( Leave a comment )

Season record: (8-7)
Last week: N/A

Somehow we missed the Bills-Panthers in Week 2’s column, so by technicality we get outta here above .500. We’ll try to do better in Week 3. But hey if you’re coming here for gambling advice you have a much larger problem. Enjoy your meager winnings!

NFL Week 2

Texans (0-1) at Bengals (0-1), Thursday
Opening line: Bengals, -3 points

Bengals threw up an absolute stinker, losing 13-9, as people are legitimately starting to question if the Red Rifle is cooked meanwhile Tyler Eifert remains about as healthy as the goddamn bubble boy.
Our pick: Bengals to cover – L (0-1)

Jets (0-1) at Raiders (1-0)
Opening line: Raiders, -14 points

Did not expect the Jets to win, but did not expect the Raiders to cover a 14 pt spread. Cover they did, winning by 25 points.
Our pick: Jets to cover – L (0-2)

Browns (0-1) at Ravens (1-0)
Opening line: Ravens, -7.5 points

Ravens more than covered the -7.5 spread, winning by 14 pts. We got a W in the book!
Our pick: Ravens to cover – W (1-2)

 

Cardinals (0-1) at Colts (0-1)
Opening line: Cardinals, -7.5 points

Cardinals continue to be the definition of mediocre, eeking out a 3 point win over the Colts who were coming off a blowout to the lowly rams. Needless to say they did not cover.
Our pick: Cardinals to cover – L (1-3)

Patriots (0-1) at Saints (0-0)
Opening line: Patriots, -4.5 points

As predicted, the Patriots blew doors, smoking the Saints 36-20, easily covering the initial -4.5 spread.
Our pick: Patriots to cover – W (2-3)

Vikings (1-0) at Steelers (1-0)
Opening line: Steelers, -7 points

After looking like the goddamn MVP of the league, Sam Bradford came back down to earth on his graham cracker knees and the Vikings got smoked by the Steelers 26-9. Thats a no show.
Our pick: Vikings to cover – L (2-4)

Dolphins (0-0) at Chargers (0-1)
Opening line: Chargers, -4 points

Rather than winning by at least 4, the Chargers actually lost by 2 to Smokin Jay Cutler in his first game post retirement. FML.
Our pick: Charges to cover – L (2-5)

Titans (0-1) at Jaguars (1-0)
Opening line: Titans, -1 point

Titans easily covered the -1 pt spread, smoking the Jags 37-16. Blake Bortles continues to drift further and further away from being a respectable NFL quarterback, which is weird because just a couple of seasons ago he was one of the top fantasy QBs in the game.
Our pick: Titans to cover – W (3-5)

Eagles (1-0) at Chiefs (1-0)
Opening line: Chiefs, -4 points

As predicted the Chiefs continued their winning ways, beating the Eagles by a TD, covering the -4 point spread.
Our pick: Chiefs to cover – W (4-5)

 

Bears (0-1) at Buccaneers (0-0)
Opening line: Buccaneers, -6 points

The Bucs kicked the shit out of the Bears 29-7, much to the chagrin of every other Jordan Howard fantasy owner in the world, easily covering the -6 point spread.
Our pick: Bucs to cover – W (5-5)

 

Redskins (0-1) at Rams (1-0)
Opening line: Rams, -2.5 points

As bad as the R-words have looked, its still the Rams and I would hammer a -2.5 point spread every day of the week as Washington won by a TD.
Our pick: R-words to cover – W (6-5)

 

Cowboys (1-0) at Broncos (1-0)
Opening line: Cowboys, -2.5 points

Cowboys were a -2.5 point favorite, which I felt good about, but the Broncos smoked the Boys 42-17, with Hall of Famer LaDanian Tomlinson calling out Zeke for quitting on his team. Great. Swing and a miss.
Our pick: Cowboys to cover – L (6-6)

49ers (0-1) at Seahawks (0-1)
Opening line: Seahawks, -12.5 points

Seahawks were a -12.5 point favorite, which I felt was way too big for a struggling Seattle offense, which turned out to be dead on as the Hawks had to use a late game drive just to barely win. Seattle snuck out of town with a 12-9 win and we all won some money.
Our pick: Niners to cover – W (7-6)

 

Packers (1-0) at Falcons (1-0)
Opening line: Falcons, -2.5 points

I was very confident in Green Bay winning outright despite Atlanta being a -2.5 favorite, buttt nope the Falcons looked like the Falcons of 2016 in their new stadium winning 34-23. Nuts.
Our pick: Packers to cover – L (7-7)

Lions (1-0) at Giants (0-1), Monday
Opening line: Giants, -5 points

This was a tossup as technically Odell Beckham played, but he clearly didn’t look like himself and only had 4 catches for 36 yards. Since ODB himself said this was a 6-8 week injury, I’m not picking the Giants in a close game until I see him back to his old ways. I’m giving myself this one.
Our pick: Lions to cover – W (8-7)

Week 2 Predictions Grade: C+ – Average, not my best effort, room for improvement. You made a little money if you bet every game, but you’re not gonna be buying rounds at the bar or anything.

RGIII and Santana Moss are Beefing Over…..Mike Shanahan?

By on • ( Leave a comment )

ESPN – Robert Griffin III celebrated when the Washington Redskins fired coach Mike Shanahan, former teammate Santana Moss said. However, Moss told a local radio station, Griffin’s giddiness hurt him in the end. Griffin denies having done so and, via Twitter on Tuesday, told Moss that “to openly lie about me is a betrayal.”

If I’m Robert Griffin ya know what I’m saying to Santana Moss? Fuck you bro. Seriously. So RGIII denies Santana Moss’ claim below that Griffin celebrated when Shanahan got fired by the R-words.

“When the whole thing went about, we hear that Mike Shanahan’s not coming back the next year, then we hear the quarterback like, ‘Hey. Mm-hmm,'” Moss told The Fan. “Like, basically saying that, ‘Hey, you got me out of here not playing last year, the last few games, then that’s what happens. You get fired.”

Griffin SHOULD have celebrated. Shanahan fucking RUINED Griffin’s career. After being the second overall pick in 2012, playing at a record setting level and winning Rookie of the Year, Griffin was poised for an exciting and game changing career. Then after hurting his knee in the playoffs Shanahan’s the guy running his franchise QB back out into a game on a shaky knee that he should not have been playing on; especially not as a mobile QB.

Not surprisingly Griffin completely fucks his knee up and his career is basically over after that as he’s never the same. So if I’m RGIII I’m dancing on Mike Shanahan’s grave when he gets fired a year later. Especially if I’m now reduced to playing pickup ball at the YMCA like a washed up high school workout warrior.

My advice? Embrace the hate Robert. Blow up Mike Shanahan and Santana Moss’ spot. People would respect that. Hell maybe thats what gets you back in the league because its definitely not your lightning rod politics that are keeping you out of the league. Develop a bad boy reputation, embrace the haters. No pressure no diamonds.

Remember that Rob. I’d watch out if I was Santana though, RGIII isn’t even subtweeting anymore. The gloves are clearly off now.

For one of the most exciting players of the last 10 years, RGIII just cannot catch a break. #FreeRGIII

Eli Manning is Probably Having a Rough Morning

By on • ( Leave a comment )

These primetime games have featured some HELLACIOUS hits the first two weeks of the season. First we had JJ Watt nearly cutting a guy in half on Thursday night and last night on Monday Night Football we had Eli getting absolutely smoked. Looking like the lady out of the Life Alert commercial.

I’m sure all the tough guys and practice heroes will say stop babying the QBs, put a skirt on em etc. etc. but my god thats a 300 pound dude falling on your neck and head. Not a great position to be in, especially for a guy with two brothers that have had spine/neck injuries. Despite Gruden saying “thats why” Eli Manning is great, my advice would be to bail out on those ones before you look like this:

I’m Not Worried About All the Patriots Injuries, You Are

By on • ( Leave a comment )

The Patriots cruised to a blowout win over the Saints yesterday so its all popsicles and sunshine around here. Kind of. Not to throw cold water on a great victory, but we saw some key players exit the game or clearly playing at less than 100% with various injuries. I’m not yet in panic mode, but this shit has me straight up concerned.

  • Julian Edelman (IR)
  • Malcolm Mitchell (IR)
  • Matthew Slater (OUT – hammy)
  • Danny Amendola (OUT – concussion/knee)
  • Philip Dorsett (came out of the game)
  • Chris Hogan (was in and out of game, severely limping)

“It really, really sucks that Edelman is done for the year, but if there was ever a year to have an injury at receiver, its this year.” I said those words after Edelman went down because we still had Hogan, Amendola, Mitchell, and of course the newly acquired Brandin Cooks. Now? Frighteningly thin. Sure, Brady went out there and had one of his best games ever with fucking fullbacks lining up out wide, but that game had an eerily-2006 feel to it when Brady was basically throwing to trashcans in the AFC championship game.

  • Dont’a Hightower (OUT – knee)

Reports are still pegging this at  2-3 week “minor” injury, but the fact that it happened in Week 1 after the Pats and other teams in Free Agency were concerned with Hightower’s health is not a great sign. If he misses a lengthy period of time, then this Pats defense is cooked against the better teams in this league.

  • Rob Gronkowski (left the game with a groin injury)

Here’s my real-time reaction to Gronk making a reception and taking a hit before gingerly getting up and taking himself out of the game.

And its true, I legit can’t bear to watch the guy take hits anymore because you never know which one is gonna be the one that ends his season this time. But in the sick paradox that is football, its the only way for Gronk to be effective. If he’s not out there being a physical monster, then he’s just not making an impact. It seems like this is a groin injury and not too serious; Gronk said he was “fine” after the game. Thankfully its not the back as Tony Romo pointed out multiple times on the broadcast. Romo’s career was effectively ended by back injuries so this guy knows what he’s talking about, which is scary. Hopefully its just a tweak and Gronk’s back out there next week.

  • Eric Rowe (left the game with a groin injury)

Role players for the Pats (except both started against the Saints) so to see these guys exit the game with injuries is concerning as well. Rowe is the 2nd or 3rd corner depending on what day it is, so to lose that guy for any period of time is a huge hit for the D.

  • Rex Burkhead (left the game with a rib injury)

Burkhead looked like yet another wrinkle in the Pats offense that McDaniels could have some fun with before leaving the game with a rib injury. Its unclear how serious that injury is, but he didn’t return to the game. Sure the Pats have a stable of RBs, but their effectiveness is in the combined efficiency of their diversity, ya know kind of like the Captain Planet Planeteers. So the more of them that are healthy the better off the Pats will be.

So long story short, injuries are starting to pile up for the Patriots and its not even October yet, which has me concerned. Combine the recent injuries with preseason losses like top draft pick Derek Rivers (ACL) and Rob Ninkovich (delicious Bud Lights in retirement and arguing with Felger on TV) and the Pats are getting thinner each week on both sides of the ball. They looked awesome against the Saints, but hopefully some of these injuries clear up or Tom Brady will literally have to carry this team on his back like the old 2006 squad.

I Just Want to Apologize for My Patriots Prediction

By on • ( Leave a comment )

I apologize to anyone that listened to The 300s Podcast last week where I all but promised the Patriots would win by three touchdowns.

They only won by 16. I am truly sorry for that. Just 1-point less than a true three score victory, but we don’t accept moral victories around here. In the blog I tempered that to a 10 point victory, but I’m a man of my word and what I say on the podcast lives on. Now…my other gambling takes are taking a Week 1 beating, which we’ll give the post mortem on tomorrow, but for now lets just bask in that Patriots blowout on Bourbon Street.

Rams and Chargers Combined Attendance Still Lower than USC Last Week

By on • ( Leave a comment )

Yahoo – The Rams, playing in the cavernous L.A. Coliseum, drew just 56,612 people to their game against Washington. The Chargers meanwhile, playing in the 27,000-seat StubHub Center in nearby Carson, had a measly 25,381 patrons watch their loss against Miami. The combined attendance for the Rams and Chargers was 81,993. These numbers are especially low considering that on Saturday night, the USC-Texas game – also played in the Coliseum – had 84,714 fans.

The famously sports crazed and empathetic city of Los Angeles cannot support two NFL franchises, let alone one. Color me shocked.

When you see it side by side like though its got to be startling for the owners. The Rams are bad, but still they are 1/32, an elite group, and they can’t even fill half the stadium. Sure the Coliseum is 100k seats, but jesus christ just give some tickets away to avoid a picture like this:

Bad optics man. Perception is reality. And the perception here is that no one is showing up to watch the NFL in LA. And granted the Chargers are playing in a goddamn MLS stadium that only holds 27,000 fans, but even that they couldn’t sell out. People should be lining up to watch a game there, if for nothing else than the novelty of seeing a real, live NFL team in a tiny stadium that was designed to host soccer players making $100K a year.

I understand the want and maybe the need for the NFL to be in one of, if not the, biggest TV markets in the country, but sometimes you need to step back and see a bad idea for what it is. I’m sure the owners and the league will make their money back on Super Bowls, concerts, bowl games, and everything else that new LA stadium will hold, but I seriously doubt either team will ever have a ravenous fan base.

Maybe if the team is GREAT, which both are far from being, then the fans will come out. But that is the No. 1 problem with LA as a fan base for a franchise; the majority of the city is transplants. So if the team sucks, then why should I come out and spend my money? Its not really *my* team. Being from Boston obviously the teams are usually pretty good, but even when they’re bad we still show up. Its in our blood. We don’t have any other choice and its what we were raised on. Thats what helps build passion. Not shiny new stadiums.

Johnny Manziel May Be Close to Signing With a Football Team

By on • ( 1 Comment )

Yahoo – Johnny Manziel has officially told the Hamilton Tiger-Cats to squat or get out of the litter box. David William Naylor of TSN reports that Manziel has activated the 10-day window that compels the CFL team that holds Manziel’s negotiating rights to make him a contract offer. The move forces the hand of a franchise that has been slow-playing its flirtation with Manziel in the aftermath of the failed effort to hire Art Briles. Naylor says the Tiger-Cats must sign, trade, or release Manziel within the next 10 days.

LETS GO. Get Johnny Football back in my life. I don’t care if I have to (legally) stream CFL games from some undisclosed bunker, I need Money Manziel back in my life. #FreeJohnny

It seems like Manziel may be back on the (wider) football field sooner than later. I still don’t fully grasp the goofy CFL contract rules because I know random teams still “hold” the rights of guys like Vince Young, Tim Tebow and other NFL flameouts. So thanks to this David Naylor guy for clearing that up for me. Looks like Johnny might have to play on the cheap though if the TiCats try and low ball him

As PFT understands it, however, the Tigers-Cats are required simply to make Manziel a “fair offer,” not sign him. If so, it makes the move a calculated risk for Manziel; the Tiger-Cats may choose to simply serve up a lowball offer, forcing Manziel to either take it or to continue to not play.

Do it Johnny, just play ball, get out there and dominate the CFL and win a few Grey Cups. It worked for Doug Flutie and it can work for you.

Its pretty much Manziel’s only shot of playing football again, ya know, unless the USFL makes a comeback.

Plus I would 10/10 buy a Johnny Manziel Hamilton Tiger-Cats jersey because I am a child. So its a win-win situation really.

JJ Watt May Be Wanted for Murder After This Hit Last Night

By on • ( 1 Comment )

So on the final play of the game last night, Bengals lineman Russell Bodine nearly got cut in half by JJ Watt after a goddamn buddy pass from Andy Dalton.

Pretty sure a Center isn’t the greatest guy to get the ball to in a last second, desperation, lateral play, but hey to each his own. Unfortunately for Bodine, he was right on the motherfucking train tracks and JJ Watt SMOKED him.

Just to put this into perspective Bodine, an NFL lineman, is 6’3″ 308 lbs and JJ Watt wrapped him up like a goddamn Christmas present.

Man just one time I’d love ESPN to bring back our favorite CTE inducing segment. He got…….JACKED UP!