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