Thursday, December 30, 2010

Dave's LOCKS of the Week: Week 17 -- Dave's Unpredictables of the Week

Here we go, the last one of the Week... it's time for

Dave's (clomp!)
LOCKS (clink!)
of the Week (slam!!)

Dave's UNPREDICTABLES of the Week
Week 17

Week 17... it's often come upon many unpredictable twists and changes, some which we could never have expected. What's to come this week for the NFL in its final Sunday of the regular season? Let's GO TO THE PICKS!

First, in Atlanta, the Falcons suffered a setback and failed to clinch the #1 seed in the NFC. This week vs the visiting, quitting Panthers, I have a sneaky feeling the Falcons playoff pressure is getting to them. Dare I say the PANTHERS sneak up and cover +14.5?? Seems like the Falcons are about to swoop into Carolina's path to me! Carolina +14.5

Next, to Cleveland Browns Stadium, where the Browns face the Steelers, still without Polamalu (we think). Cleveland is a +6.0 point underdog at home. That seems like a mistake! McCoy is back, the team wants to finish on a big note, and let's face it, it's not what it was, but it's still Steelers/Browns, and these teams and fans really go at it! Best of times, worst of times, who cares? I'm taking the Brownies and the points. Cleveland +6.0 .

and finally, to the Northwest we go and Qwest Field, where the Seahawks try to make the playoffs by hosting their rival, the St. Louis Rams. Interestingly, the Sea-birds are a +3.0 underdog, but call me crazy... I'M PICKING THE HAWKS!!

So we're looking at three big Week 17 upsets here on

Dave's (boom!)
LOCKS (klunk!)
of the Week (screeeeeeech!)

It's been great compiling LOCKS of the Week. Happy New Year to you all, and hope you all celebrate responsibly.

To Review: Carolina +14.5; Cleveland +6.0; Seattle +3.0

Friday, December 24, 2010

Dave's LOCKS of the Week: Week 16 -- The Next to Last LOCKS of the Week

Ho Ho Ho, and a Merrry

Dave's (clink!)
LOCKS (clunk)
of the Week (konk!)

Dave's LOCKS of the Week
Week 16: The Pentultimate One

Merry Christmas everyone! On this Christmas Eve Santa Dave offers these three selections. Didn't mean to post this so late but here we go!

In Cincinnati, look for the Bolts to short circuit the Bungles and win *very* convincingly. San Diego -7.5

In Buffalo, I know they're hot, and I'll say that the Patriots continue the momentum and fry the Buffalo Bills on the road. Patriots -7.5

And finally, out in the BLACK HOLE of Oakland, I'm looking for the Colts to put a HUGE black hole sized dent on the Oakland Raiders. Colts -3 for a team that's a rare home favorite.

Our picks, our fun our seasonal wishes on

Dave's (crinkle)
LOCKS (rip!)
of the Week (slap)

To Review: SD -7.5; NE -7.5; Ind -3

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Dave's LOCKS of the Week -- Week 15 Jolly Good Jubilee Pt. 2 La La la la la laaa LOCKS of the Week

'Tis the season to be jolly, fa la la la la la laa laaa
Dave's (boink)
LOCKS (conk!)
of the Week (snap!)

Dave's Fa La La LOCKS of the Week
Week 15

You know? It's an unusual circumstance when our Christmas Picks spread over three long weeks, and this year is one of those cases. Come now and enjoy our three LOCKS of the Week. To the Picks and Prizes...

In San Diego, I had to get this one in, expect the 49ers to dig up nothing but a lump of coal as they get shocked by the Chargers. San Diego -9 Easily at SF.

Also this great and festive weekend, look for the Eagles to peck out the Giants and swoop to a thrilling 3 point (or more) victory. We're taking the Eagles and the points to FLY EAGLES FLY at the New Meadowlands. Philly +3.

and finally, in the Steel City, watch for the new curtain to close the Jets season as the Steelers ground the Jets onto the tarmac at Three Rivers. Steelers -6.

Season's Greetings from
Dave's (Ka-ching!)
LOCKS (carrack)
of the Week (jingle..)

To review: SD -9; Philly +3; Pit -6

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Dave's LOCKS of the Week: Week 14 -- Jolly Good Jubilee and Football Prognostications (of the Week)

Greetings fellow Christmas Season followers!

Come and join in our festive Christmas, Hannukah, and other seasons of the Winter. Come, come all to our festive feast...

Dave's (jingle)
LOCKS (jangle)
of the Week (poof!)

Dave's Jolly Good Jubilee of the Week
Week 14

Boy do these games get tougher to pick or what? I'll tell you what, we are in for a monster finish in the NFL and to get it all going in this Holiday season we go... TO THE PICKS!

First, off to the Moootor City, vroom vroom, where the Lions host the Packers. Meat, meet the Lion, oooh, no good no good!

But this week, the Lions won't devour their meat... far from. Anyone who's anyone knows that Aaron Rodgers absolutely DOMINATES in the D... Expect him to throw at least 3 touchdowns this week and expect Green Bay to pack up a THOROUGH beat down of the Lions. Packers -6.5.

Let's cruise down the highway from Michigan down to the Bayou in Louisiana. It's the Rams hosting the surging Saints, and these red hots have been close to the outs many times this year. The tricky pickin's this week involve the Saints who host a competent quarterback in Sam Bradford. New Orleans wasn't cooking so much as a cornbread last week in the Queen City, Paul Brown Stadium. I doubt they pick up the entire 9, even at home. Look for the Rams to bounce the Saints into territory too close for comfort. Rams +9.

Finally, we come up the Mississippi River and out towards Lake Michigan where the suddenly Superior (get it? Michigan? Superior? The Great Lakes! Wokka Wokkaaaa!), ahem suddenly Superior New England Patriots meet the Chicago Bears. The Patriots thrive on down the middle passing, but the Bears also have some tricks up their sleeves: namely, a GOOD DEFENSE, which I dare say can cover the middle pretty well. This is the first shot at the Pats meeting a defense that can attack their strength, and at this point it's all they got. The Patriots are *dead last* in all passing defensive categories. Fortunately, the spread is only -3 points, so I'm picking the *Spirit of New England* to gut out the victory (or at least push!). Pats -3 on the road.

And that does it for

Dave's (brr!)
LOCKS (bzzz)
of the Week (clank!)

To Review: GB -6.5; STL +9; NE -3

Friday, December 3, 2010

In Memoriam: Ron Santo

To the greatest homer in MLB Broadcasting: Ron Santo, we hope you rest in peace.

He may not have been the greatest...
He may not have been the funniest...
But he was authentic, and his enthusiam was rarely matched.

For Ron Santo, the World's Greatest Cubs Fan, thank you, for making Chicago a better place.

Ron Santo
1940-2010

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

The 25 Christmas Songs Everyone Loves to Sing!

Here they all are! in no particular order

1. White Christmas
2. We Wish You A Merry Christmas
3. O Christmas Tree
4. Jingle Bells
5. I'll Be Home For Christmas
6. Happy Holiday
7. Deck the Halls
8. Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer
9. Let it Snow
10. Ave Maria
11. Carol of the Bells
12. Hark the Herald Angel Sings
13. Silver Bells
14. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
15. Silent Night
16. Frosty the Snowman
17. Over the River and Through the Woods
18. Santa Claus is Coming to Town
19. The Christmas Song
20. The 12 Days of Christmas
21. The Little Drummer Boy
22. Joy to the World
23. O Come Let Us Adore Him
24. Do You Hear What I Hear
25. O Holy Night

To this list, we'll add a 26th Song:

26. Artist's Personal Song about the Holidays

Dave's LOCKS of the Week: Week 13 -- Dave's RANDOMS of the Week

Oi!

How about going 0-3 last week? Just goes to show that sometimes, at the end of the day, you're better off just throwing darts to see who to select in a big game:



Let's try it again on

Dave's (squeak!)
LOCKS (slap!)
of the Week (smash!!)

Week Numeral 13
The Redemption.

A Horrible Week Last week, so let's get to it and throw up some random draws for Week 13 in the NFL. To the picks!

IN SEATTLE, look for the Panthers to drench the Seahawks in rainy Se-attle with a torrent of unlikely touchdowns and some continued success from Matt Moore. Panthers roar on to hunt down the Seahawks and take the +6 on the road.

IN MINNEAPOLIS, as the city awaits word on whether they get to keep their team, the Vikings will pillage the innards of the woeful Bills. Look for the Vikings to feast on the stumbling Buffalo and hoo-OOOOOOOOT to a huge, HUGE -6 cover.

IN GLENDALE (Arizona), I'm taking the Rams -3 on the road. I TAKE THESE PICKS SERIOUSLY! I PUT MY HEART AND SOUL INTO THIS @#$@$ EVERY SINGLE WEEK.

and St. Louis will throw their hearts out at U of P stadium with Bradford leading the wa--

I'M JUST TELLING YOU WHAT I DO EVERY SINGLE WEEK! EVERY SINGLE WEEK, I STUDY MY ASS OFF and... ok I'm done... I'm done here...

Dave's (slam!)
LOCKS (crumple)
of the Week (bink)

-- and I hope you're enjoying these picks, *every* single week. Til next time!

To Review: Carolina +6, Minnesota -6, St. Louis -3

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Dave's LOCKS of the Week: Week 12 -- Dave's THANKS of the Week

Dave's (gobble)
LOCKS (gobble)
of the Week (gobble gobble!)

We have much to gobble on for this Thanksgiving Weekend and much to give thanks for:

-- I give thanks for my health and well being, 28 and still going strong.
-- I give thanks for the success of the sports teams I root for, especially those on the football field: the Trojans over the years and the Steelers today.
-- I give thanks for the people who supported me, my friends, family, and those who listen to the DITC podcast at http://daveinthecity.podbean.com .

Onward, to the selections!

Ah, we have a gorgeous Turkey of a game for you, look at it up above where 35th street is, they're sponsored by the Ford Motor company and it's a Lion of a feast. Now, Jim, this is what you call the New England Patriots, and they come from a long lineage of victories including last weeks against the Colts. Oh and you'll see its acompanying piece, the Detroit Lions, who had a pretty good passing effort against Dallas but doesn't seem to get over the top... OHH it just trampled a traffic signal.

Matt, I think we gotta give some points to the Lions for Effort. We'll take them +7.

Our next floating game is the size of a dome, the SUPER dome, Jenny, and boy does it look great! It's called the "Saints" and you can see it rising higher and higher. Watch it soar now right over the Cowboys. A mighty feat... we gotta give some points to New Orleans for the crafting of this terrific sight. -3.5 for New Orleans.

Lastly, a late comer to the party, it's a special inflatable from Baltimore known as the Raven. It's slogan, "Never More!" Ho ho, that sounds marvelous, Jim, and they tell us that the Raven(s) also have a commanding ground feature that will trample Buccaneers to and fro. The Bucs unfortuantely don't have a real defense for the ground features, so we gotta give the Raven a score of -7.5 . Marvelous on a nice day like this one, isn't it?

We'll be back with a special performance by Justin Bieber right after this message from...

Dave's (bang!)
LOCKS (pfffft)
of the Week (chomp!)

To review: Detroit +7; New Orleans -3.5; Baltimore -7.5

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Dave's LOCKS of the Week: Week 11 -- Dave's QUICKIES of the Week

Once a year I get caught up in the other things and try to write a Cliffs Notes version of our...

Dave's (clomp)
LOCKS (clank!)
of the Week (bong!)

Dave's QUICKIES of the Week
Week 11

We keep it short and concise this week, so here we go: To the picks!

IN PITTSBURGH, I like the Raiders off a bye week to keep the game against the Steelers closer than the +7.5 . The Steelers have a very soft defense, that didn't really come to light until the Patriots game. The quick short passing scheme NE used is pretty similar to what Oakland does outside of the occasional deep route to a guy like Ford from Campbell. Not to mention, the Raiders are among the best pass coverage teams in the NFL, which is really going to inhibit the Steelers' offense. This game will be much closer than expected so I take the Autumn Wind and the Raiders to whistle over the Steel Curtain's fortress of 7.5 points.

IN SAN FRANCISCO, the Bucs are on another mission to prove their worth against a slightly surging 49er team. The Bucs, on the road, are not great... they have not a single win away from home. Their last such test was a failure at Atlanta. Nonetheless, I think the Bucs take this and take the points +3. I mean ARE YOU KIDDING with the 49ers?? Niner fans still think this is a playoff team, a "talented team" (not my words, theirs). Nobody ever said 49er fans weren't delusional. This is the easiest LOCK of the bunch. Bucs should *win* by 3, and most likely more. Why? Because I think TB will clean up on turnovers, and LeGarrette Blount figures to have a decent game on the ground. So long as Freeman doesn't throw too many times, I think the Bucs take this game easily, even at Candlestick.

IN PHILLY, the Eagles will be in for a crash landing after a prolific, yet tiresome performance on Monday Night Football. The Giants will rumble in to meet an Eagle team that has a short week, a tired arm, and a recently elated staff of Philly Players. The Giants, meanwhile, are much better than they showed in their annual home letdown game (tm) against Dallas. The Giants, still, have one of the best running games in the NFL. Assuming they keep Eli Manning upright, the Giants should be able to pound the football and keep Vick off the field. I like the G-Men and I like 'em a lot. Take the GIANTS and the Points, NYG +3!

and those are the quickies on

Dave's (splat!)
LOCKS (fwap!)
of the Week (drip)

To Review: Oak +7.5, TB +3, NYG +3

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Try again, NFL.

I couldn't help but smile. Sam Farmer's sole purpose in life is to stir the pot on a ficticious NFL franchise in Los Angeles. He's made a career out of it! But this Los Angeles Times writer is once again in for some sobering reality.

I caught wind of Peter King's MMQ and his report, really RUMOR, of the Wasserman's proposing a new stadium in the LA Live Area.

All along, what's held the NFL back is either that the league didn't really want to be at the Coliseum -- and USC wasn't crazy about having the NFL there -- or the league didn't want to be in the endless 'burbs of southern California. But the backers of the new stadium, Casey Wasserman and Tim Leiweke, are well-connected guys who want to build the kind of retractable-roof events center that could be used to attract the 2022 World Cup final (or some future World Cup) and Final Fours, as well as an NFL team. Influential owners in the league are excited about the Los Angeles prospect ending a generation-long drought in the city, and these are owners who -- I can tell you with certainty -- have not been nearly as excited about any of the previous L.A. ventures.

Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/201...#ixzz15Sn0qZVv


This is nearly all speculation! The Wassermans already tried this over five years ago. Unbelievable. The most striking element here is that it is now clear to me that the NFL needs LA much more than LA needs the NFL. It's a good thing.

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Dave's LOCKS of the Week: Week 10 -- Dave's Night Moves of the Week

Dave's (zing!)
LOCKS (bonk!)
of the Week (doink!)

And it's here... Dave's LOCKS of the Week
Week 10

It's time here on LOCKS of the Week that we look into three night games, juicy games under the lights that are screaming to be bet on. To the picks!

First, we start with tonight's big showdown in Atlanta. Normally Atlanta is HOT lanta, and the Falcons have a remarkable home field advantage and tremendous running game. The 92nd (or whatever) Battle of the Birds features an improving Matt Ryan vs a Struggling Joe Flacco. Not to mention, the Ravens defense lately is pitiful on the edges. They give up tons of passing yards and I think the Falcons will fly right over Baltimore's D-Line and take this by more than the -1 point they give. Only one point? Falcons -1, and that's a layup!!

Next, we fly out from Atlanta to another night game up in Pittsburgh, PA. The Steelers will host the Patriots at home and while I don't think much of the Patriots defense, and while I think NE is vastly overrated, and while Tom Brady is hurt, I do think this presents an interesting matchup for the Steelers. I figure the Pats will utilize ball control and keep Pittsburgh's offense off the field, and the game will likely be closer than the +4.5 . I'll take the points and salute Patriotism with the Pride of New England at the Steel City. Pats +4.5!

Lastly, we head out to Washington D.C., where the Redskins host the Philadelphia Eagles. Once again, the Redskins are a 3 point underdog at home! While I was sure to give the road favorite the points the last time (GB), this time out, I'm going to take the points and go Washington and the +3. Tribe owns Eagle... boom. Washington and the Points along the Potomac.

That's your Night Cap for this week's

Dave's (blink)
LOCKS (click)
of the Week (snap!)

To Review: Atl -1, Pit +4.5, Wash +3

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Dave's LOCKS of the Week: Week Love Potion Number 9!


It's love, it's passion... IT'S A TRAP!

It's

Dave's (smooch!)
LOCKS (smack!)
of the Week (squish)

Dave's LOCKS of the Week
Week Loooove Potion No. 9!!

We don't get to have a Valentine's Day edition of the LOCKS of the Week normally so I though to dedicate a love, betrayal, sex, edition of our LOCKS of the Week.

We're coming up on Week Nine of the NFL Season, and we have many trap games to enjoy. Of those games, some of them, of our LOCKS of the Week!

To the picks..!

First to Sweet Georgia (Brown Leaves) and Atlanta where the Falcons are hosting the visiting upstart Buccaneers. Coach Raheem Morris of the Bucs says "Who cares about the stats?! We're a great team."

All right mister Ice Cream, *prove it!*

The Bucs have a lot to prove as they defend their record against a pretty good although not perfect Atlanta Falcons team atop the NFC South. I still think the Falcons have tremendous depth at WR, RB, as well as a good QB and should have a very good game, but that line: way too high! I'll take the Bucs to cover +8.5 but not win and pillage the line of scrimmage by the yaarrrrrd.

Onward, from the Georgia Dome over to the State of Texans, where Texas baseball and football teams have combined to go 0-4 since Sunday Afternoon. YOI! This week the struggling Texans return home to face the visiting Chargers on a Sunday afternoon. The Texans lost at Indy last week, but I am NOT going to write off Houston just like that. The Houston front seven is still a great asset and will most definitely give Philip Rivers fits. I look for the Texans to dominate, and take the +1.5 points easily at home!

Finally, out West we go to Seattle and we see the home of tremendous foils and folly: Qwest Field, home of the Seahawks. Many have already crowned the New York Giants kings of the NFC East, but not so fast! The Giants often struggle in unusual places: at home, in bad weather conditions, and in Seattle. Who could forget Jay Feely's THREE missed field goals on that very field one fateful evening in 2005? Seattle is truly the house of horrors for NFC East Talent, as witnessed by Tony Romo's bobbled snap to win the game in the Wild Card round on that same field.

This week, we may enjoy the Giants success so far, but it ends right here. Look for the Seahawks to trash the Giants O-Line and rip apart Eli Manning. Seahawks should take the +5.5 games and possibly win this Sunday Afternoon.

Three Dogs on a Dog Eat Dog week on

Dave's (bark!)
LOCKS (woof!)
of the Week (arf!)

To Review on this Week Love Potion No. 9 with all the Traps: TB +8.5, HOU +1.5, SEA +5.5

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Dave's LOCKS of the Week: Week 8 Hallowed LOCKS of the Week

Ghosts and goblins rule the night..
Monsters stare and watch in fright...!
But Dave's predictions see the light

on

Dave's (howwwwwwwl)
LOCKS (boo!)
of the Week (Aieeeee!)

Dave's Hallowed LOCKS of the Week
Week 8

Many screams of jubilee as Dave went 2-1 for thee
Now to this week's hand of picks, on we go, it shall be SICK!

[To the picks...]

At Louis, the Saint, a flock appears... We'll take the Rams, give (-3) and fearrr..

AAAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAAHAHAHHHH!!!

Next, to the home of Paul Brown, sight of Orange Hue, the road dogs, nay, Dolphins, shall take the deuce (+2).

HUHUHUHUHUHHH!!! AAAH HAHAHAHAH!! (blam!! blam!!!)

And last in the land of the ragged Saints, this Hallowed Night, strange things eminate.
I take the Saints (-1), to haunt and hail, the Steelers D is doomed... to FAIL.

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA AAAAH HAHAHAHAHAHAHH!!! (BLAM!!!!)

Do be careful on Night of the Dead
Treat Responsibly, I said...

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooh

with

Dave's (chop!)
LOCKS (clang!)
of the Week (bonng)

To Review: Rams -3, Dolphins +2, Saints -1

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Dave's LOCKS of the Week: Week 7 -- LOUTS of the Week

Hi friends!

Wow, who went 0-3? It's me! It's me!

Ugh... all right let's start it up, y'all...

Dave's (donk)
LOCKS (binng!)
of the Week (THUMP)

Dave's LOUTS of the Week
Week 7

Nuts.. I can't catch a break. I had a edge on all three of my LOCKS last week and ALL THREE of them were blown in the 3rd quarter!! All three!!!!!! COME ON NOW!! Can't I catch a break?

We'll try to do it all again, STARTING...

...in HOT-lanta where the Falcons continue to get it done, with some exceptions. The Flirty Birds always flirt with the line on the road but not last week. A total PATHETIC effort at Philadelphia, but in better news, Atlanta is now at home, facing the Bungles. Take the Falcons to peck all across the Bungle's Fir. Atlanta -3.5!

Next, out of the deep south and into the beaches of Florida. It's going to hurt me to pick this but I gotta go with the flipping Dolphins against the visiting Pittsburgh Steelers. The Dolphins will jump through those steel hoops and drown the curtain in Sunny Miami Gardens and we will take the DOLPHINS +3

And finally, we'll hover over to the big spaceship in Arlington, Cowboys Stadium for the big Monday Nighter with Dallas and NYG. The Cowboys, as desperate as ever (don't listen to what Wade Phillips says) will put forth some GREAT pressure, as they tend to do, on the Giants and Eli Manning and DOMINATE on the big stage, giving the -3 points easily.

And that will hopefully flip, whip, and peck things around on

Dave's (whiirrrrr)
LOCKS (zzzzzzzzzzzzz)
of the Week (rattle...!)

To Review: Atlanta -3.5; Miami +3; Dallas -3

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Dave's LOCKS of the Week: Week 6 -- Disappointments of the Week

Hiya Folks!

HIIIII DAAAVE!

I had a bad week last week!

HOWWW BAD WAS IT...

It was so bad, the Packers took the field and at the end of the game, the Detroit Lions walked off of it. ZING!! I'm killing it, on

Dave's (Bonk!)
LOCKS (brrrrp)
of the Week (zzzzzt!)

Dave's DISAPPOINTMENTS of the Week
Sixth Edition

Oi! My streak of winning weeks on LOTW hung in the air and rested on a ball Mason Crosby kicked near the end of Regulation at FedEx Field against the Redskins. And by God, it was so close to hitting, and with it, my unbeaten streak. But no!! It hit off the crossbar despite having plenty of distance!! The Packers would go on to lose in Overtime and blow the -2.5 point cover. Argh!

Enough of the rants, we try to rebound as we enter...

DISAPPOINTMENTS of the Week. To the picks!

We start in HOU-STONNNN! Where the Texans face the Chiefs. Ok, so "HOU-STONNN" doesn't have quite the ring that "KAN-SAS City!" does, but what does ring is the ears of the Texans after getting beaten to death by the NY Football Giants. This week, I dare say the Chiefs start a new streak, that is, a LOSING one, as the Ranging Texans (yipee, yee ha!) stampede the sneaking Chiefs (HOW, Otowe!) and destroy the (-4.5) point spread. Texans by 5+ at least!.

Onward, from the Texas Toast up to the Spirit of New Englannnnd! (WBZ Booostoonn!) and Gillette Stadium. At the Razor this week: The Patriots host the surging Baltimore Ravens who are slowly finding their offense. Flacco has been off to a rough start no doubt, but quoth this Raven... "Never more!" The Brady Bunch will not have that easy of a start and as you remember, the Ravens still have them figured out if last year's Wild Card game was any indication. Look for the Ravens to peck all over the Minute Men in Massachussets and cover the +3 easily.

Now let's go on to our DOG of the Week (woof woof!)

Down the rivers and lakes we go from Massachussets to Cleveland Ohio. Big Ben makes his return for the Steelers on the road at Browns Stadium. The Steelers coming off a bye and looking hungry, but wait just a second! The Browns have given many teams a tough time all year long and have had 3 point spreads almost every week. Now all of a sudden they're a +13.5 point underdog?? Something is amiss, and these bloodhounds will sniff it out. Let's take the points in Cleveland with the Moon over Parma and take the BROWNS to bark out the points (+13.5) against the visiting Steel Curtain.

And THESE are our rebound picks for

Dave's (boinnng!)
LOCKS (dink!)
of the Week (blamm!)

To Review: Houston -2.5; Baltimore +3; Cleveland +13.5

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Dave's LOCKS of the Week: Week 5 -- One Liner's of the Week

Hey! You ever hear the one about the Rabbi that went to the Casino and did

Dave's (bang!)
LOCKS (ka-ching!)
of the Week (rrriing)

Dave's ONE LINERS of the Week
Week 5 Edition

I had a great week last week, HOW GREAT WAS IT???

I went 2-1 in LOTW and it felt like Moss joined the Vikings again. ZING!

To the picks (wah wahhh...)

Why did the Packers Cross the Redskins and cover (-2.5)? To get to the other hyde! Get it?? Zing!!!

Knock Knock... (who's there?) Big Blue... (Big Blue hoo?) Houston's (-3.0) gonna make Big Blue go BOO HOO!! Aahhh I'm killing it! Tapaiya!

What do you get when you cross an Falcon (-3.0) with a Brown? The Dirty Bird!! Aaaahhahahahaha That's all I got, good night everybody!!!

on

Dave's (yaaay!)
LOCKS (neiiiiggghhh)
of the Week (clank)


To review: Three Favorites this week, and I'll probably get one of them: GB -2.5, Houston -3.0, Atlanta -3.0

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Dave's LOCKS of the Week: Week 4 -- Dave's ?'s of the Week

Hey hey!! Who wants to play...

Dave's (bang!)
LOCKS (clanggg!)
of the Week (plop)

Dave's LOCKS of the Week
Week Numero Quatro.. (that's Week 4 for those of you who don't speak Spanish)

Success! Last week, the LOTW went 3-0, to bring LOCKS of the Week to a remarkable 6-1-2 to start the year. NOW, it starts to get *very* dicey, and I don't anticipate great results, but here we go: To the Picks......!

We start in Buffalo where the Bills have really been picked apart, wing by wing, from start to finish. Would you believe the Bills covered the spread last week? An unusual finish at Foxboro as Buffalo nearly sauced the Pats in Massachussetts.

This week: expect a much different story as the Jets fly into Ralph Wilson Stadium coming off their best offensive effort of the year so far, an effort against a presumably good Dolphins Defense, but also one where the Jets defense played its worst game yet. Not surprising, given they were without Star CB Darrelle Revis. You might think the Bills will rise up and keep pace with the Jets. BUT THIS IS THE BILLS and Proud Buffalo Bill ought to be left in the dust as the Jets fire afterburners, and fry the Buffalo Bills straight into Hidden Valley (Ranch, that is). I'm taking J-E-T-S JETS! JETS! JETS! and giving the -5.

Our flight continues at high altitude then lands at the home of Three Rivers, the Steel City, Pittsburgh, PA. At stake: Pride, Power, and a stint atop the AFC North (possibly). The Steelers (3-0) against the Ravens (2-1). Baltimore is the team everyone expects to take the AFC North this year, BUT NOT SO FAST! It's the Black and GOLD who've been just golden on defense, whether it be Harrison, Polamalu, and the like. Nonetheless, look for the Ravens to float onto Heinz field and pour the ketchup on the new Steel Curtain. Take the Ravens AND the +1.5 points, in another tough fought, defensive, physical game.

Finally, down the river and into the everglades we go as we see the Indianapolis Colts visit the Jacksonville Jaguars, and boy are they bad. Traditionally, the Colts have run and passed all over Jacksonville, and this week will be no different. Jaguars are capable creatures but against THESE Stallions? No chance! Manning will pass it up big time and I will give the -7.5 to the Colts.

And that is your line or three on

Dave's (zzzzzzz!)
LOCKS (ping!)
of the Week (clink!)

To review: NYJ -5; Bal +1.5; Ind -7.5

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Dave's LOCKS of the Week: Week 3, It Just Seems Too Easy.

Who's ready for a free ride?
A soul tide?
Well, open wide!

Dave's (creak)
LOCKS (squeak)
of the Week! (tweak!)

Dave's LOCKS of the Week
Week Number 3

It seems too easy doesn't it sports fans? I had a good week in LOCKS last week, despite the 1-1-1 record. Pushes are frustrating... you could take them as either a win or a loss. In this case, it felt like a win with Houston down double digits at DC. I'll take it!

Now then, to the picks!

Last week felt hard, but this week, WHOOF, so so easy! SO easy! Let's eeeease into Reliant Stadium. Ah yes, easy, reliable... but can you rely on the Cowboys lately? They've been shut down by two teams that no one expected to do so. Suddenly, Dallas is a painful 0-2 going to Houston this Sunday. But look for the Cowboys to ride 'em HIGH and show Houston who the *real* Texans are! Yipee Kai-Yo-Kai-YAY as we take Dallas and the meager +3 points off into the sunset.

Riding off from Houston to the Carolinas, we see the Bungles of Cincy meet the Panthers of Charlotte. If you think the Panther are at all a good team, you are FOOLING yourself. These meager kittens switch their RBs like they switch socks, and the QB is nothing to speak of with or WITHOUT Casey Klaussen. *Lame.* You can take Cincinnati and give the (-3). Then, laugh it all the way to the bank.

Ka-CHING!

Now on to Denver in the next annual battle of the stallions. The Broncos are nursing grief from the death of a fallen WR. The Colts are hungry and hoping for a big showing. Given the circumstances I'm taking the horseshoes over the non-horseshoes. Colts gallop to a big win and give (-5.5) . In fact, I'm amazed that's the line is that low!

We like it a lot and we're going favorites here on

Dave's (wheeeeeeze)
LOCKS (clank!)
of the Week (bonnnng!)

To Review: Dallas +3, Cincy -3, Indy -5.5

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Dave's LOCKS of the Week: Week 2 -- The Sequel

One good week of picks deserves another, bring it on!!

Ba-baaaaaa!

Here comes the latest

Dave's (clank!)
LOCKS (squish)
of the Week (crumble..)

Dave's LOCKS of the Week
Week 2: The Sequel

IMPRESSIVE week on my part last week, going 2-0-1 in picks for the NFL in Week One. I can't believe it? I have a winning record? Let's make it TWO, as we get...

--to the picks!

First, out to Cleveland, Ohio where the Browns host the Chiefs in a showdown for nobody. All right, I know that the Brownies were my "1" that I pushed on last week, but let me tell you, the Browns are here to play.

The Chiefs did a remarkable feat last week. Kan-sas City won a game with no offense and spe-cial teams. How do you even do that?? It boggles the mind but the smoked meat goes South this week as the Dog Pound laps up the table scraps from the ol' Monday Night affair. Look to the Browns to cover AFC North of -1.5 (that's it?!) at the mistake by the lake. What can BROWNS... do for you?

Shipping out from the great midwest to the Potomac and into to FedEx field, a place where UPS company is NOT welcome, but nonetheless, a package of Titans vs Redskins awaits us. Witness, gentlemen, the young, feisty Texans stampede onto the grass and take on the Tribe. And if you saw their "act" a week ago you can tell the Tribe ain't got bite in their offense. Bows and Arrows won't be enough to take down the Red White and Houston Blue, so I am taking the TEXANS and giving the Points (-3) with their ever improving run game and pass rush.

Onward, up the river and back around the bend, South Bend that is, and upwards to Indy, where the Defending AFC Champion Colts host their first home game. OOH, can you imagine the excitement when the fans get to hoist their... what?! The Colts *lost* the Super Bowl?? --and LOST Week 1 to Houston? ...and LOST their safety Bob Sanders?!?! Indy's defense so far is a season of losses, but as they do in the brickyards, look for the Colts to ZOOM to a resounding victory over Big Blue, the G-Men, and take their home opener just above the (-5.5) point spread. These Colts always take it *right* to the finish line!

It's a wrap! And another day of excitement on

Dave's (Screech!)
LOCKS (Vroom!)
of the Week (Bonk)

Enjoy this less than thrilling Week 2, folks. Hope to do more of the same next week.

To review: Browns -1.5, Texans -3.0, Colts -5.5

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Dave's LOCKS of the Week - Week 1: Two Dogs for the Price of One!

Football is a great game...
It is a grand game...
It is, the only game...

[MLB] Heyyyy!! What about baseball!

[NFL] Get out of here! Two cow-town teams just beat you in the ratings!

[MLB] Waaaaaaaaahhhhh!

Ahem, where was I?

Played no where else on Earth... it is, the best game...

It deserves: The Best Picks

Annnd NOW, beginning it's FOURTH SEASON: Here it is!!!

Dave's (clank!)
LOCKS (bink!)
of the Week! (pi-yoiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing!)

Dave's LOCKS of the Week
Week 1

Let's get to it boys! (yeaaaaahhh!) TO THE PICKS. Week 1

We're calling out the Dogs this week. Read on, enjoy, devour!

We will NOT be selecting from the Vikings/Saints game. The revolution... will NOT be televised. We start instead in Tampa Bay! Ohh Tampa... uh... damn, there's no Tampa Bay theme song is there? Landmarks? No? Really?! Ok, anyway, the Bucs are (-3) point favorites at home to rebuilding Cleveland Brownies. Tampa Bay is HORRIBLE, they have a lot of ?'s and few options offensively. Freeman is not really what you'd call a quarterback, but while the Browns don't offer much either, they finished on a high note winning their last month of games, and featuring new direction (Holmgren), a better defense, and perhaps some leadership from one Jake Delhomme. The better QB usually wins, so I'm baking the Brownies and taking the points. Browns +3.

Nothing says lovin' like Brownies from the oven but NOTHING says "junkpile" than our sail up the Atlantic and up through New York to BUFFALO where the Dolphins are on the road to face the Buffaloooo Bills! Buffalo Bill, on top of a hill, he fetched a pail of water, the owner flipped out, the team fell back and no one came watching thereafter. C.J. Spiller could have potential, Evans might have another decent year, but I'd rather go with the better coverage defense. The Dolphins will splash all over the Buffalo, water or non, and I'll EASILY take the -3 points.

Does anyone realize how BAD the Bills are?

Onward! From the meager slopes of Upstate NY down to the Meadowlands we go for the Monday night showdown with the Jets and the Ravens. Defense, both teams have it. Offense... oooh, not so much. And who would have guessed the flyin' Ravens would have a better air attack than Jets? It's true! Look at Flacco over the season and compare with Turnover Sanchez on the Jets. I dare say we'll see some Joe Cool outlast the Dirty Sanchez over in NJ. Take the Ravens and the points. Quoth the Ravens: "We had a lockdown defense way before you did and you stole our idea to go on HBO and do the Hard Knocks Show too!" Ravens +2.5.

Two Dogs... for the price of one! Right here on...

Dave's (bang!)
LOCKS (bong!)
of the Week (BOOOOOM!)

Low point spreads but I'm still riding high. To review: Cleveland +3, Miami -3, Baltimore +2.5

Dave Medina vs the Universe (beat it, Pilgrim!)

Okey folks! Here's the Official Dave in the City College Pick'em, Week 2
(brought to you by themikefrancesa.com)

Thursday

Miss St. +1.5 (I must be nuts)

Friday

West Virginia -12.5
Houston -19.5

Saturday

SCAR -3.5
Hawaii +3
Florida -15
OU -7.5
Michigan +4
Iowa -13.5
Miami +8.5
Tennessee +12
BYU +1
Bama -11.5
Stanford -6
USC -19.5

Aren't you glad you used NFL?

Here it comes!

Walkin' down the street...

Everybody you look for blah blah meet.

Hey hey it's Football, the best stinkin' sport a-r-ounnnd

And everybody's singing... because their favorite team's in townnnn.

HEY HEY! It's Football... don't you just love to sit down?

Watch a little pregame with munchies..

America is kickoff BOUND!

[What is it with me leading off every NFL season with a TV theme spoof?]

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Sorry, Boise... Not Impressed.

Saw the Boise State/Va Tech game last night. I thought it was a great game. Unfortunately, because it was so great, and so close, I have to dock Boise State some points. You watch: If Virginia Tech gets its head kicked in this season, and I mean by anybody, that is going to be a BIG hit on Boise State. Boise barely beat this team. Now I know that it was very impressive the way Boise State came back after giving up the lead, and I know they were initially up 17-0, but that they let the team back into the game in *this* manner doesn't speak well for the Broncos.

I'll explain... There've been other teams in history that have gone out on the road and dominated in games just like this. USC, in basically the same situation took care of Virginia Tech handily, 24-13. Same location as last night too. To win by only 3 points?! And on a desperation drive?? And with Virginia Tech basically STILL having a chance to win at the end?

Color me unconvinced.

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Beginneth the College Footballeth

Alllll right, folks! For better or worse, here comes College Football!

Here's my picks for the weekend:

Thursday Night:

Don't know who that opponent is, but I'll take SCAR -14
Pitt +3
Hawaii +21

Rest of the Schedule:

Az -15
Illinois +11
Vandy -5.5
Purdue +11
Michigan -3
Kentucky -3
BYU -3
Oregon State +13.5
Fresno State -3.5
Texas Tech -14
Navy -6.5
Boise -2.5

Monday, August 30, 2010

Manny Ramirez is Alllll Right with Me

Hey hey...

I don't really care about baseball right now, but I heard that Manny argued a *first pitch strike* at Coors in a pinch hit effort and was thrown out.

uh... ok. If you want to start railing on him for that, whatever. I still think he's been great for us and I'm not going to suddenly say "he's a bum or he's this or that". Nope... I just am not going to fall for it.

Besides this isn't Manny's fault. This is more on the Dodgers and White Sox for not working out a deal sooner. I know Tuesday is the deadline but c'mon we already know what's going to happen they should have had something figured out already.

Now Manny will leave basically for nothing in return from Chicago. Again, I'm not blaming Manny for this, I blame McCourt and Reinsdorf and the two teams.

--

In better Dodger News, I understand that today they'll start trials to determine who gets ownership of the Dodgers. That means, between Frank and Jamie, one of them will control the team and these meetings will decide who it is. I know I bag on Frank a lot, but for GOD's Sake, please don't give this team to Jamie! You do that and its Georgia Frontiere part two. Complete with relocation to St. Louis (or wherever Jamie is from). Even as lame as McCourt is, I want Frank to own the team, if I had to choose between the two. Hopefully the jurisdiction has a brain and decides to do the right thing.

--

With the White Sox 4.5 games behind the Twins, a Manny Ramirez pickup would be nothing more than a shit-show. I certainly hope Manny does well, but this White Sox team ain't that great. Too old, too beat up, not very athletic aside from Beckham and Alexi Ramirez, and with suspect pitching and a HORRIBLE bullpen. So as for Chicago taking the division... FORGET IT.

Monday, August 23, 2010

Predicting the BCS Top 10

The NCAA Pre-Season rankings were released over the weekend with the following teams:

AP Top 25
RKTEAMRECORDPTS
1Alabama (54)0-01491
2Ohio State (3)0-01400
3Boise State (1)0-01336
4Florida0-01237
5Texas (1)0-01223
6TCU0-01160
7Oklahoma (1)0-01104
8Nebraska0-01033
9Iowa0-01007
10Virginia Tech0-0973

To be honest with you, I think these are great rankings! A lot of people complained about Boise State. And? Boise State has a lousy schedule and their only competition is a neutral site game against Virginia Tech, which they'll win of course, to fan the flames.

I don't think Boise has the kind of players that can compete with any of these other teams on a week to week basis. Not even TCU. Va Tech is the only exception. I'd probably put Oregon above Va Tech with my limited knowledge of College Football.

So! Who of these teams will hang around and remain in the Top Ten at the end of the year (and by "Top Ten" we mean the BCS Top Ten which gets released in November)?

My picks:

Alabama
Florida
Ohio State
Texas
Oklahoma

I definitely wanted to include Nebraska, but Suh will now be an NFL player and I'm not familiar with the remainder of the team to make a competent prediction. It's possible to see them in there. Alabama is an easy one: they returned many of their starters and figure to at least be in the Top Five. Ohio State should be ready to go: they're well coached and now feature a seasoned Terrelle Pryor. Pryor is overrated, but is also good enough to win the majority of their games.

Texas continues to recruit well, so despite losing McCoy, I think that is a team to beat in the salvaged Big XII. Florida will win on the strength of their size and speed, but won't contend for a National Title (remember, Tebow is now a pro at Denver).

Boise State has too much pressure. I can't help but think about all the expectations weighed on Oregon a year ago when LeGarrette Blount nearly derailed the season in Week One! Ironically enough, that game went to Boise State. Nonetheless, the Ducks carried on, rebounded and made the Rose Bowl.

The difference is, Oregon had a large conference with USC on its schedule which really boosted the brownie points when the Ducks beat the Men of Troy. What will Boise State fall back on? Fresno State?! Idaho?!?! It's a no-win situation for Boise State, but it's also their own fault for not willing themselves to schedule more road games out of conference. SC would have been happy to host the Broncos. Any SEC team would pony up. Boise State has to go out and challenge the best to be the best. Remember: that's what USC does, and always has done.

So in all, it leaves Boise with no room for error. Lose one game and their ranking drops a ton. They may finish in the mid-teens.

Who knows how much of this list will truly remain. I listed 5 teams but that may be generous. We shall see.

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

The *other* New York Team...

Last night I got to see the first football game (and no, soccer does not count!) at the new Meadowlands Stadium. Giants... Jets... a clash between two NY institutions.

So you look into this game (which featured a *nasty* hit to Eli Manning! Oof!) and start to wonder about the Jets. This is the team a lot of people, and I mean a LOT, picked to do big things this year. Can you believe everyone forgot about the Giants?

I don't know about you, but I think the Giants looked like the team ready to make a big post-season run. The Giants looked like they were hungry and ready (not that the Jets weren't but the G-Men seemed poised and ready for the challenge [well, for preseason]). The Giants looked experienced. The Giants acted as if they were there before.

And while it was pre-season it seemed like Big Blue dominated Gang Green in the First half, and ultimately, the game, which the Giants won 31-16. Jets fans seem to be shrugging this off, but I won't.

All along I thought the G-Men were getting overlooked. First, by the SUPREMELY Overrated Redskins who suddenly became a Super Bowl team because they added one over the hill QB. Next, understandably, by the Eagles, who I also think are pretty darn good and could have a nice season with Kolb and Co. Lastly, and predictably, by the Cowboys, who by all means *should* be a favorite to win it all.

Yet, it seems to me like the Giants might be a team that could get it done. I was in Las Vegas last week and saw they were 15/1 favorites to win it all. At one point they were 20/1 and 25/1 favorites. Kind of crazy to do this for a team with an improving defense plus two nice pickups from the Titans to augment said defense, they being Bullock and Antrelle Rolle.

Nuts! The Jets get all the hype but it seems like the Giants are a more sound team. Offensively? Ok, they're still limited. The Running game may never be good again post-EWF. The Giants are still looking to find their playmakers. Fair enough. But the Giants may be the sleeper of sleepers: a team multiple pundits predict to wallow nondescriptly that *instead* becomes the team to beat in the NFC East.

We shall see. The division seems to be weaker than in years past, which means its as wide open as it's ever been.

Monday, August 9, 2010

Clash of the Texans?

Houston Texans owner Bob McNair is going to meet with NFL Commissioner Roger Goddell in an attempt to reduce or (in a fantasy world) eliminate Brian Cushing's 4 game suspension for PED violations.

We'll see the results of this in a few hours, but take a look at the NFL Super Bowl Odds today:

(courtesy of Sportsbook.com)

Odds to win Super Bowl XLV (as of 8/7/10)

Arizona Cardinals: 75/1
Atlanta Falcons: 20/1
Baltimore Ravens: 12/1
Buffalo Bills: 100/1
Carolina Panthers: 100/1
Chicago Bears: 25/1
Cincinnati Bengals: 30/1
Cleveland Browns: 100/1
Dallas Cowboys: 8/1
Denver Broncos: 75/1
Detroit Lions: 100/1
Green Bay Packers: 8/1
Houston Texans: 40/1
Indianapolis Colts: 7/1
Jacksonville Jaguars: 100/1
Kansas City Chiefs: 100/1
Miami Dolphins: 30/1
Minnesota Vikings: 15/1
New England Patriots: 10/1
New Orleans Saints: 8/1
New York Giants: 20/1
New York Jets: 10/1
Oakland Raiders: 100/1
Philadelphia Eagles: 20/1
Pittsburgh Steelers: 18/1
San Diego Chargers: 10/1
San Francisco 49ers: 20/1
Seattle Seahawks: 100/1
St Louis Rams: 200/1
Tampa Bay Buccanneers: 200/1
Tennessee Titans: 40/1
Washington Redskins: 30/1

Anyone notice Houston's odds? 40/1! Seems like an awfully talented team to be 40/1, and more importantly this team has been so close to making the playoffs the last three years, I think this year is when they finally break through.

Although, in so doing, they'll have a formidable schedule, and not to mention a VERY tough season opener at home against the Defending AFC Champion Indianapolis Colts. Yep, the same team that is 15-1 lifetime against the Texans with their only loss coming, ironically, on December 24, 2006, the Colts Super Bowl Season.

And believe *me*, today's Texans are measures better than the 2006 team. I think, even though it's a Week 1 game, this could be a HUGE indicator of things to come for Houston. Tune in, won't you?

Thursday, August 5, 2010

Gut Check Time for the Dodgers: Rev. 2.0

It seemed like a week ago when the Dodgers had a chance to save their season against the Padres, and they failed miserably. They scored not more than 2 runs in a game for the whole series. It was, in a word, awful.

Today, the same scenario repeats itself, but this time with the Dodgers even further back in the standings. Today, LA is 7 games back of the San Diego Padres. If the Dodgers win, it gives them a slight window of opportunity, but realistically they still are too far to have a shot to get to the playoffs.

At this point, Dodger Fans want to see a team with some fight in it. If they can win tonight, maybe some of that fight will return. Anyone notice how Russell Martin and Rafael Furcal did not play last night due to injury, yet, it seemed like offense was more fluid than before.

It may have been a fluke. Going into the Giants series, Furcal was red hot. Hard to figure. Martin, though, needs a break.

The Dodgers had their first real break-out game in a month, when they beat the frontrunning Padres 9-0, with the aid of a Complete Game 2 hit Shutout by Vicente Padilla. Excellent performance, and the best performance I've ever seen from Padilla. He mixed in a curveball that was so fluttery, so fluffy, yet, with its slow motion glory fooled about every hitter in the lineup. Padilla also had 9 strikeouts on the night in a moment where he was "Going the Distance."

Great to know movie studios are plugging another mediocre movie set in New York about a boy and a girl who find the perfect match. Yuck. I've seen this movie 1000 times. Try again, Hollywood.

But for LA... it's been a very tough season, and I think this is just a temporary success story that will eventually be erased by another slide in the standings. Tonight will set the pace for the rest of the season. Billingsley will need to be great once again. Can he do it three times in a row?

Thursday, July 29, 2010

The Mother of All Bandwagons

Get ready for it everyone. You think Brett Favre is a bandwagon... it'll look like a midget compared to the Death Star of bandwagons... the 2011 Miami Heat.

More and more people are jumping on the bandwagon, even NBA guys who are usually keen on the league. It's unfortunate.

To Riles' credit, he's augmented the lineup very nicely with what little he has. But a lot of these guys are spot up shooters, like Miller and Z and Maglore and Arroyo.

But seriously where's the defense??? We all know the rub with spot shooters. When they go cold, it becomes an infection and what if one of the Big 3 is having an off night? I guess I'm underestimating Bosh during all this since I basically ignored him in all my analysis.

I just don't think this team has the defense NOR the front court to match up with Orlando, Boston, SA, LA, and possibly Oklahoma City. So suddenly this team is a "LOCK" to win the NBA Finals? I must be nuts... either I am or they are. Which is it?

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Your Weekly Pennant Race Showdown Predictions

-- with all due respect to Awful Announcing

Today we're looking into the big Pennant Race matchups in MLB. Some of these series may already be in progress.

A quick outlook:

Dodgers vs Padres: Tough pitching matchup for all three games. I'm going to go with LA to take 2 of 3 despite some empirical statistical advantages for pitchers on the SD rotation.

Marlins vs Giants: I think this is a series split. The Marlins can't close games. The Giants can't get hits in weird spots (or at best, they're very streaky). We saw a sample of it last night when Ricky Nolasco (of all people) shut down the G-Men.

Red Sox vs Angels: Surprisingly, I think the Red Sox will win this one. The Angels have fallen on hard times, and Haren's minor setback last night isn't a great sign. Boston has won game one, so we'll see what happens from here on.

Phillies vs Diamondbacks: Phils on a win streak. D'backs basically quit on their season. Just by default, I'm going to guess the depleted Phils overtake the Diamondbacks' dreadful club.

Cardinals vs Mets: I think the Mets have this series. While they had a terrible road trip, remember, the Mets are equally as good at home. Mets get 2 of 3.

Braves vs Nats: A better series than you might expect. I'll call for the upset on the strength of Strasburg's start. Nats take the series.

Friday, July 23, 2010

Other Superpower Teams in the NBA...

I thought of this this morning while I was in bed. With Chris Paul potentially joining the New York Knicks, I figured they'd be able to make some real noise.

If the LeBron/Wade/Bosh team is "Superteam." That'd make the Knicks, "Batman-team". Stoudamire, Paul, and elusive combo with many weapons. Although in the end they're just regular guys with toys, so they don't have much for defense.

What other Comic Book groups can we assign our NBA Super Powers? I came up with these ideas.

Lakers: The Fantastic Four! Kobe Bryant, Gasol, Odom, and Artest.
Celtics: The Justice League. You may not beat them, but their toughness makes you pay!
Magic: The Spidermen. Look at how Dwight Howard can scale walls and swat things away! He can leap from building to building with the best of 'em.
Atlanta: The X-Men. You never know what to expect from these jokers.

There's more, but I thought this was a good start.

Monday, July 19, 2010

The Rebound: Who recovers?

Four teams had terrible four game series over the weekend:

The Dodgers lost 4 straight to the Cardinals
The Red Sox lost 3 of 4 to the Rangers
The Phillies lost 3 of 4 to the Cubs
The Mets lost 3 of 4 to the Giants

Who rebounds? I think we'll go into a week long projection (which takes us to next Monday).

I say...

Dodgers split their next two series
Sox win their next two series
Phillies lose their next two series
Mets split their next two series

And THAT's why they call 'em "LOCKS of the Week" :)

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

The Weekend: East vs West

Two big baseball series pepper the weekend, among others (such as LA/StL):

Mets vs Giants
Rangers vs Red Sox

Basically you're looking at East division vs West Division contenders in both cases. One NL, one AL.

Predictions: Believe it or not I'm going to select the Giants to take three of four at home. They tend to play well there, and I imagine the 1-2-3 for SF beats the 1-2-3 for NY. And looking at probables...

Dickey vs Lincecum: Are you kidding me? Timmy will dominate compared to R.A. Dickey. Dickey can barely get a wiffle ball across the plate!
Niese vs Zito: Going with the experience here. Zito is a workhorse and will keep the Giants in the game throughout. All he needs is some run support.
Pelfrey vs TBA: Well it's that always tough TBA... TBA really has a wicked curveball and an underrated slider. More importantly, Big Pelf has come apart in the last week. I think TBA will display more poise.
Santana vs TBA: No telling who Bochy will start here, but if he goes with Cain, this might be a tight, 0-0 game. But I do think the Mets gut it out to break the sweep.

For the Rangers and Red Sox:

Hunter vs Wakefield: Gotta give the edge to the youngin'. His stuff easily beats Wakefields 50/50 knuckleball. You can never tell for sure, but I'd go Hunter for the win.
Lewis vs Doubront: No idea. Not familiar with either pitcher but I imagine they cancel each other out. I'll give it to Boston on the strength of Home Field.
Lee vs TBA: Jury's still out on Lee. He *has* pitched at Fenway before, but he has a career ERA of 5.79 there with a WHIP of 1.6! Go for TBA.
Wilson vs TBA: You'd have to think the Red Sox would find a way to work in Jon Lester or possibly Clay Bucholz in this series. If either pitches in this game, I go with the Red Sox.

In total, I think both the Rangers and Red Sox split the four games.

So predictions are set... let's play ball! (tomorrow)

note: R.I.P. George Steinbrenner. He was an iconic figure and a memorable character. I don't know if he was good for the game of baseball. We'll know for sure as the years go by.

Sunday, July 11, 2010

Announcer, "Number One", Mr. Bob Sheppard... "Number One"...

Rest in Peace Mr. Bob Sheppard. You've been a great longtime Yankee Announcer, have been as much a part of the tradition as the pinstripes and frieze, and we all are grateful for your many contributions. Condolences go out to the Sheppard family from all of us here at LOCKS of the Week.

Saturday, July 10, 2010

The (Micro) Preview: World Cup Final -- Netherlands vs Spain

I probably know less about International Soccer than I do about any other sport, including swimming. That said, I think we're in for a real dog-fight Sunday Afternoon (Sunday Night over in South Africa)!

The Spaniards and the Dutch: Two people who have never tasted a World Cup Championship before. Doesn't it feel like Super Bowl XVI at the Silverdome? A new(ish) building, a new power, a new matchup... two teams that had never been there before. There was a lot of wonder leading up to that matchup.

Actually there were some additional firsts to that game. For CBS, it was the first Super Bowl Featuring John Madden and Pat Summerall. It was, more or less, the first Super Bowl held in a Cold-Weather City.

Today, some additional freshness and wonder evades the tip of the African Continent. For the match, I predict the Spaniards win it. For me, I hope they can pull it off. They've been to a few international events with high expectations, only to meet their demise. I do think it will go into extra time, and the goal will be scored there.

Again, I really have no semblance of expertise with Soccer, but I hope there's a great game in the making!

The final score? 2-1 Spain in the Extra Time.

Rockies/Padres Prediction (well, for two games)

Great comeback by Colorado last night! Down 8-5, a run, then a Grand Slam put the Rockies ahead 10-8, after which the lead stood up.

Today, the Rockies try to repeat the recent trend. Three of their last wins have been come from behind efforts. Hard to think that will continue. It's also hard to think the Padres will keep winning with dinks and dunks and lucky bounces.

The Rockies take one of these next two and start to put some pressure on the Padres this season. Almost everyone predicts SD will fall off, and we could be close to seeing it now.

Thursday, July 8, 2010

The Prediction: LeBron James

The last two nights, the world has been lit ablaze with the prospect of LeBron James on a new team. Last night, it came to a head as Chris Broussard of ESPN leaked a detail that LeBron was "by all accounts" going to sign with the Miami Heat. He'd join Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.

Since then I've been skeptical of that "leak." I don't even know if it is going to hold up. Tonight, the real decision begins! At 9pm ET, LeBron James will announce his intentions.

And LOCKS of the Week believes...... drumroll here please..........

LeBron is going to the New York Knicks!

--and you say "Whaaaaat?" It's true! He spends so much time there in that city that I feel like he's bound to do so. But notice he planted seeds in every town: Condos in Chicago, Hotel Reservations in Miami, a Gym Workout in Ohio, and on and on and on. But the most activity seems to have been in NYC. I think it happens. Tune in, won't you, as millions of lives are affected by this decision.

Please remember, though, it's just a game, and just a sport. Back with more predictions soon!

I'm baaaaaack

Hi everyone,

Boy am I sorry for the extremely long hiatus I've had here on the program. And wouldn't you know: the Magic didn't even come CLOSE to winning the damn Eastern Conference. Who knew???

Thanks so much for being there for the DITC podcast here on LOCKS of the Week, and now, I think I'm going to start doing some posts again.

The problem, in the past, was that I tried too hard. I wanted to do some very analytical, fact supported articles akin to those on Baseball Prospectus or other Sports Blogs. I tried to be a columnist in the footsteps of Bill Simmons or Jim Murray. Why do that? Why couldn't I do it differently??

So, I thought, instead of being some generic sports commentary site, I have determined that this blog space will now be the home for all of my crazy wacky predictions. Just as it was in the very beginning, except this time, I'll be doing predictions for sports other than football.

Let the prognostication begin!

Monday, May 17, 2010

-- and then the Magic won the Eastern Conference Finals

This morning proves once and for all the media is a widely broadcast group of bandwagoners. All month we said that the Magic would storm through the East and now because of one game against Boston suddenly the Magic are a bus full of weaklings?

How about we settle down some? Now granted, the big comeback from Orlando doesn't prove anything except Boston has the tendency to let up with a big lead.

Otherwise, you can't conclude *anything* from Game 1! Magic were rusty, Celtics happened to play very well and summoned a lot of effort despite the short rest. C's played good defense in the first half and well there you go.

so?

That's why we suddenly throw the Magic under the bus and proclaim the series over? and trust me, this isn't just Herd, Herd's just piling on. its all these other commentators and other fans who are giving up on the Magic. The same two teams met a year ago minus two players: KG and Jameer Nelson. And despite these deficiencies, the Magic won the series... and won game 7 AT BOSTON.

So it's very very short sighted to award the Celtics the Eastern Conference championship... after ONE GAME! A little early fellas...

Magic will be fine. They'll bounce back here in Game 2, and then we'll have a series.

Monday, March 29, 2010

vtred predicts the Mets will win 98 Games

On themikefrancesa.com one very optimistic Mets fan said the following:

98 wins for the Mets this year...mark it down...done!

98 wins, well, to put it in perspective, no NL team has won 98 wins since the St. Louis Cardinals won 100 games in 2005. These predictions are all in good fun, and for a talented team like the Mets, 2010 is going to be a fun watch!

Special thanks to themikefrancesa.com for the added juice and inspiration (TheMikeFrancesa.com Website)

Butler, West Virginia, Michigan State... the Season of Miracles

On the Dave in the City Podcast I went over all the upsets that littered this year's College Basketball Tournament. Syracuse, Ohio State, Kentucky, Marquette, Kansas... GONE, GONE, GONE, GONE, GONE.

It's a fun one this year, and now you have a chance for a team, Butler, to win its first ever Championship in the 64+1 Tournament Era. Same goes for West Virginia... heck, the last time they made the tournament Jerry West was on it!

So are you ready? Set? ...MADNESS!!

Dave joins the Duke Bandwagon

I'm shocked, just as you are... but I think Duke is pretty good.

They're more physical than I thought.
They're better defensively than I thought.
They're experienced, just as I thought, but they were certainly prepared and didn't let up.

What can I say? I underestimated the Duke Blue Devils. Congratulations to them for making the Final Four.

Sunday, March 7, 2010

The Perfect Weekend

Here are LA teams since Wednesday, leading up to this morning's game between the Lakers and Magic:

Lakers: 0-2
Clippers: 0-3
UCLA: 0-2
USC: 0-2
Kings: 0-2

Now THAT's losing! Nothing like "The Perfect Weekend" to buoy those spirits in the Southland. The rain seems to be fitting for a lousy sports weekend such as this.

Saturday, March 6, 2010

Bob Miller Misses a Kings Game... It's News!

First, before going on... WHO DAT!!!! Saints win the Super Bowl. Did I call it?

Onward....

I got home in West LA just a few minutes ago and come to find out that Jim Fox started to comment on the LA Kings to start the 3rd period. Then the period started, and he kept going!

I was shocked. Where was Bob Miller? --the Longtime, Legendary, Very Good Hockey Play by Play man Bob Miller?

As it turns out, he is missing today's game due to illness, for the first time since 2002. All reports indicate it's not a serious illness, and interestingly enough Bob Miller misses a good number of Kings games for other reasons. For example, a good number of games are not televised due to scheduling conflicts or the little-known rule that FSN will not produce road telecasts North of the Border.

Even so, this is a momentous occasion and a rare one. Get well soon, Mr. Miller!

Note: Jim Fox and Radio Analyst Daryl Evans are covering the Canadiens/Kings game in Bob's absence. To be honest, Jim is doing a pretty good job. Reminds me of the one time Chick Hearn had laryngitis and Stu Lantz did play by play for the second half. They even got Derek Fisher off the bench to help provide color commentary.

Monday, February 1, 2010

The only man in America who picks the Saints to win the Super Bowl

Well, friends, here it is: Super Bowl Week.

On the "Dave in the City" podcast, I begin a series of podcasts about why I think the Saints are the team which will bring home the Lombardi Trophy.

There are long odds, to be sure. The Colts are a 5.5 point favorite, Peyton Manning is the reigning NFL MVP, and Indianapolis has Super Bowl Experience to boot! Even so, I am undeterred in my pick. Here's why:

1. Dwight Freeney means more to the Colts than we know, and he won't be 100%. We learned earlier today that Dwight Freeney has a torn ligament which may be more severe than we think. Freeney will play, but he'll be only half as effective on the pass rush.

2. The Colts appear to be the superior offense, but look at the teams they played against. They faced an up-and-down Baltimore Ravens squad and a mediocre (at best) New York Jets team led by Rookie QB Mark Sanchez. It's easy to look like a good offense when the other team can't score points.

3. Defensively I give the edge to the Saints. The Colts have the aforementioned Freeney, but with or without him, the D looks slow and overmatched. This would be the first time, I think, the Colts secondary has faced multiple competent receivers. Baltimore featured only Mason. New York featured only Cotchery. With New Orleans, you get Colston, Moore, and Henderson. I'm not about to say the Saints defense is a picnic, but I'd be more confident placing a bet on their pass coverage vs Indy's pass coverage.

4. The "Chip On Their Shoulder". The Saints are almost universally panned as a Super Bowl contender. Most experts believe they "can" win the game, but almost everyone I know has given the edge to the Colts. Just about everyone has roundly criticized New Orleans for their lackluster defensive performance in the NFC Championship game. The Saints couldn't put the game away. The Saints gave up the ball too many times. The Saints had an awful passing performance in the 3rd and 4th quarter. Yet, I honestly think the Vikings had more to do with this than the Saints inherent problems "closing games." Come now, this isn't baseball! If you're good, you're good!

I've seen the Saints go toe to toe with many of the league's best teams this season: The Patriots, the Jets, the Cowboys (in a loss), and so on. Who's to stop them from keeping it close with Indy? And WHO, dare I ask, is to stop this Saints team from taking it all? In the end, I think the better defense wins, and if you ask me, that defense lies in New Orleans. Sharper and Co. will make it happen.