How to Bet the Big Bowl game (Something for the pro picks player)

By Louis “The King of Roncesvalles” Pisano…

Pittsburgh Steelers VS Arizona Cardinals +6.5 Total 46.5

This is one most highly wagered on events of the year. Reported by the Nevada state gaming commission, Super Bowl XLII had 92.1 million dollars bet on the event. That’s a lot of dough!

The line for this game has fluctuated between 6.5 where it opened and then went up to 7 and back down to 6.5 as the money comes in.

There are many angles on which to lay your money out on this mammoth game aside from just picking the winner. You can lay your money on such craziness as, Team to win coin toss, Team to call 1st time out, and other, in my mind, stupid card flips so to speak. But within these Game Props and Player Props I believe there is money to made. Deciphering and decoding these, while navigating through the other guessing games is the tricky part! I thought I might give you a few funky ones that I have found and will be wagering on, some with more value than others.

Larry Fitzgerald is the workhorse for the Cards and should see a lot of action as he has all year, he’s Zona’s go to receiver and even though he has seen double coverage while Boldin was out, he still made the catches to get the Cards here to the big show and his YAK is . The reason for taking him over Hines Ward is the fact that Ward has been injured and has brought his hyperbaric chamber from Pittsburgh down to Tampa and has it in his room, obviously trying to be as ready as possible with his sprained knee, but with one hit he could be out of the game as he was in the conference championship. Knowing how tough he is he must have been hurt pretty bad. This type of injury doesn’t just heal in two weeks.

Player Match ups

Larry Fitzgerald VS Hines Ward +23.5 Receiving yards

Take Larry Fitzgerald -125

Player Props

Larry Fitzgerald Receiving yards O/U 90.5 Take the Over -125

He’s had over 100 receiving yards in his last 5 consecutive games!

In his 3 playoff games he’s had 419 receiving yards

He’s averaging 18.2 yards per catch.

Larry Fitzgerald Receptions O/U 6.5 Take the Over -110

He’s had 23 receptions in 3 playoff games (Over 7 catches/game, on avg.)

Hines Ward Receptions U/O 5 Take the Under -115

Will he finish the game, that’s questionable!

Only 7 times this year out of 20 games has Hines Ward caught more than 5 balls including playoffs.

Team to Receive opening kickoff Pit +150 AZ -200

I’ve heard a lot of talk about this and how everyone thinks that Pittsburgh even if they win they coin toss will elect to give AZ the ball and get their tough D in there first to make a statement, this makes sense, but at -200 is it worth it. Perhaps a little sniff.
Arizona’s team rushing O/U 76.5, I’m looking at the under here.

Pittsburgh as a team ranked 2nd in the NFL and only gave up a measly 80.2 yards/game on the ground, and as we know Arizona’s running game ranked 32nd overall and averaged only 73.6 yards on the ground/game. 2nd versus 32nd, is some miracle running game going to show up and is Pitty’s run defence going on vacation? I think not! Take the under!

Kurt Warner’s Pass Attempts U/O 37.5, I’m looking at the under here.

Only 8 games out of 20 has Warner attempted over 38 passes and 0 of the last 5 games has he gone over that mark. Are they going to change up offensively what has gotten them here? Taking the under 37.5 at -120.

For ProPicks players

Roethlisberger completions under 18.5 (went over this number 5/20)
Warner completions under 23.5 (went over 8/20 games)

Larry Fitzgerald over 98.5 yards (even though this number is inflated from sports book lines by 8 yards he still had over 100 yards in his last 5 games, kind of tight though)

Longest Pass completion over 48.5 (Warner should sling one deep to L.Fitz or A.Bol)

Finally who will win this game, in my humble opinion I think Pittsburgh prevails and takes home the trophy and the Cinderella story for the Cards ends here. But…Arizona may hang around and may cover. I might be inclined to buy a few points on either side, perhaps AZ +7.5 -140 and/or Pitty -5.5 -130. That’s all for the NFL season, enjoy the game!

Ship it, send it, chalk it and lock it, from the King of Roncesvalles to your sports books, good luck boys. All the best!

Warner warrants Hall of Fame consideration!

by Michael Seff… The Arizona Cardinals are partying like it’s 1999. That’s because Kurt Warner has dipped into the fountain of youth and rediscovered his old touch. Warner will become just the second quarterback to start a Super Bowl for two different teams when his Cards meet the Pittsburgh Steelers on Feb. 1 in Tampa. In a renaissance year for lucky number 13, it’s time to start thinking of Warner as one of the game’s elite.

One of the key arguments against Warner going into the Pro Football Hall of Fame is that his career has been essentially defined by five seasons in two stints separated by roughly six years. From 1999-2001, Warner was the toast of the NFL, winning two league MVP awards, two NFC titles, and leading the St. Louis Rams to victory in Super Bowl XXXIV. He had eye-popping statistics for a team dubbed “The Greatest Show on Turf”. Here in 2008, Warner is lighting up the league once again leading Arizona to its first-ever Super Bowl. But what happened in between?

An injury-riddled 2002 season in which Warner didn’t win a game was the beginning of the end of his time in the Midwest. He started one game in 2003 an was gone after that. He helped pave the way for Eli Manning in New York in 2004, then fell back into obscurity in the desert. It has also been pointed out that only three times has Warner started an entire NFL season.

But 2008 should serve as a reminder that although there were some less-than-flattering years, Warner has been a steady, if not outstanding, signal-caller in his storybook career. The former Arena League standout has thrown 182 touchdown passes to just 114 interceptions, good for a career quarterback rating of 93.8. In the last two seasons, Warner has thrown for exactly 8,000 yards along with 57 touchdown passes. Twice in St. Louis he amassed 4,000 yards. And his postseason record is a stellar 8-2.

One can say that Warner has fallen on hard times occasionally throughout his 10-year career, but there is no denying that Warner’s good years have been spectacular. Kurt’s best should be enough to get him a leg up in Hall of Fame voting.

Montreal Canadiens: Time to Panic?

by Miah D… For the first time in nearly two years, the Montreal Canadiens have dropped four games in a row. Before calling them rude names, let’s all breathe in and out, relax, and keep track of what is important—the season is still rolling.

So breathe in, breathe out, take a drink, sit, and calm down.

Yes, it is quite frustrating. The All-Star Weekend fairytale just turned into a nightmare. Five goals allowed in the last two games is quite bugging indeed.

As usual, let’s keep our cheerful, positive (or maybe just fool) spirit—we are still in the playoff run.

We have lost four games in a row, our No. 1 goalie looks shaky for a No. 1 or even a No. 2, we take stupid penalties. The playoff picture still includes us.

Pointing fingers would be the easiest way to go. It is cheap and non-professional, it doesn’t hurt, and it is fast.  Once again, let’s keep our cool and fun-spirited minds—this is the closest to success we have ever gotten in more than a decade! At least, from an expectations outlook.

However, the question is quite simple—why? What is it that doesn’t work? The passion should be there, the talent should be there, the fun should be there. They start to play, looking like they are in pain. They have a “get this over with” attitude.

Is it Guy Carbonneau and his line changes? Does it affect the players and the team chemistry at a degree that the coach doesn’t seem to realize? There is no perfect winning combination, of course, but stability isn’t a bad thing either.

Is it the return of the injured players? After all, the youngsters did quite well, and the team had an average run despite the ankle problems, back pains, and the broken arms. In the latter possibility though, it is better to keep it simple and call it coincidence.  There is no solution, other than hope for the best.

We can’t tell them not to come back for the sake of chemistry, can’t we?

Is it that the team relies too much on Carey Price?  I would agree with Carbonneau—the goalie needs to be able to steal games now and then.

The answers seem to be locked in some place that the forum ghosts are trying to discover.

On a higher note, since we are positive people, Alex Kovalev seems to roll at a high pace since the MVP Award at the All-Star Game. Unfortunately, the razzle dazzles—although always impressive—are less enjoyable without the goals.

If there was a “razzle dazzle cup,” we would have had a shot. Unfortunately, those are features found only in “Kovalev and Price in Wonderland.”

The reality is obviously much harder.

“Success is a science, if you have the conditions, you the results.” - Oscar Wilde

Go Habs!

Eugene Melnyk Tells Me To Blow Myself Up

by Josh Lewis… Despite mounting evidence that the Ottawa Senators are moving further away from the playoffs and not closer, owner Eugene Melnyk lashed out at his team’s critics on Wednesday for suggesting the organization should go back to square one and try again.

“Anybody that says we should blow up this organization should get their own bomb and blow themselves up,” said Melnyk, in response to continuing calls for a rebuild in Ottawa.

With apologies to Melnyk, I am not going to follow his advice. I’m 22 years old. I have too much to live for.

I should make it clear, I have tremendous respect for Eugene Melnyk. I like him as a person and I only wish that he owned the Maple Leafs instead of their archrivals in the nation’s capital. He’s almost the perfect owner—a man who is passionate about hockey and is willing to open his wallet for success, but allows his people to do their jobs.

That being said, when a falling safe is about to hit you, you don’t try to convince observers that your head is hard enough to withstand the impact. You get the hell out of the way.

Yes, the Senators have a lot more talent than their record shows; that’s why Melnyk is clinging to the hope of turning things around.

But a year and a half of watching his skilled team play like uninspired doormats should be enough to convince the owner that this group of players is not capable of getting it done. And that’s without even mentioning all the years of playoff futility before the team made it to the Cup final in 2007.

It’s time to wake up and smell the antibiotics, Eugene.

Aside from your captain, your entire core is comprised of players who don’t know how to win. You have one of the poorest prospect pools in the NHL, and Daniel Alfredsson is going to retire before this team gets anywhere near a Cup.

It’s time to blow it up. Not with a bomb. With a general manager and a BlackBerry.

Which Raptors will survive the change?

by James Borbath…

With the Raptors struggling midway through the season, it’s time to take a look at some of the changes on the horizon.

Perhaps the team’s biggest concern surrounds Chris Bosh’s contract, which expires after next season. However, unless Bosh whispers in Bryan Colangelo’s ear that he’s leaving, he’ll be staying in Toronto through the end of 2010. That hasn’t happened, allowing Colangelo to shift his focus to a potential Jermaine O’Neal trade, which could allow the team to gain cap space this summer. That scenario would be a smart fallback for the GM, who would get one more chance to rebuild the team and convince Bosh to stay. Though the 2009 free agent class isn’t as hyped as next season’s, there are some players out there that could make a difference for the Raptors. Also, with 2010 looming, other teams may back off and save their money.

Other players that will likely survive moving forward are Jose Calderon and Andrea Bargnani. Calderon, signed to a five-year deal last summer, is locked in. An injury-plagued first half hasn’t changed Colangelo’s plans to build around him, and he remains one of the East’s top point guards when healthy. Bargnani’s emergence has given the Raptors the option of dealing O’Neal, as he’s finally shown the upside Colangelo envisioned when he made him the top pick in the 2006 draft. He’s here to stay, and the fact that he’s stayed in the starting lineup with O’Neal back proves the team has faith in him.

Another likely change this off-season will be at head coach, as a big second half turnaround is the only thing likely to keep Canada’s Jay Triano at the helm. With seven coaches fired already this season, there will be several looking for jobs this summer. Jeff Van Gundy, Eddie Jordan, Avery Johnson and Marc Iavaroni are names likely to be on Colangelo’s list, with talk he could even look to Europe for the team’s next bench boss.

Two things are likely to happen with the Raptors in coming months — they’ll miss the playoffs and change will ensue. With a decent draft pick and potentially money to spend, Colangelo will have his work cut out for him.

Colangelo, here’s my number

by Michelle C. Williams…

I have been saying since before Vince upped and left us that I could at least play bench for the Raptors.  I could have been their Michael “Yogi” Stewart getting a $24 million-6 year contract to barely play.  I could have dished out the one or two great passes that Alvin Williams offered up on the rare occasions when he wasn’t injured.

There is no reason why most of us fans (or foes) of the Toronto Raptors can’t suit up and play.  What’s the worst that can happen?  We’d win a game?

Our record from season to season would give the average fan of another team a heart attack.  We don’t always suck but we aren’t always good.  After having a dismal record from 2002 to 2006 we turned around and made it to the playoffs in 2007 and even made a brief appearance in 2008.  This season though we’re back on the bottom (third from the bottom of the Eastern Conference to be exact).

Our horrible standing has me thinking again that it’s time for me to let them know I’m available.  The only difference between me and those that have donned the red uniforms (formerly purple) is that I won’t need a jock strap (but I will need a sports bra though).

All jokes aside though, I had higher hopes for the Colangelo Era.  When he came to us in 2006 I thought he was the best move that Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment had ever made concerning the Raptors.

Now, two and a half seasons deep, Colangelo’s only saving grace would be to drastically shake up the team.  Can you say trades, trades and more trades along with a higher calibre coach? I was a member of the We Need to Fire Sam Mitchell club for eons—I wasn’t only a member, I was practically the president—but had I’d known that we’d give him the boot just to hire Jay Triano in the interim, I would have picketed to keep Sam.

Yes, the Raptors are the only NBA team in Canada but that doesn’t mean we need a Canadian coach.  I heart Triano—I do—but more so as Team Canada’s former coach, where the pressure to win is obviously less than it is in the NBA.

Bad decisions aside, I still think Colangelo can make it happen.  He was with the Suns when they acquired Shawn Marion and Amare Stoudemire and when they freed up enough in their salary cap to obtain Steve Nash who became the league’s two time MVP.  Colangelo proved himself worthy of being made GM of the team that his father owned and he is capable of earning his keep in Toronto.

In the meantime, Colangelo might want to know that I shoot about .333 from the field so that makes me better than (in no particular order) Nathan Jawai, Hassan Adams and Jake Voskuhl.

If giving me a contract isn’t a good idea to Colangelo then maybe a 3 for 1 deal where they’d trade, I dunno, maybe Jawai,  Adams and Voskuhl, to make room to acquire one decent player to compliment Bosh’s leadership and O’Neil would better suit him.

He could then hire a reputable coach.  Preferably a coach with experience in the NBA rather than another NCAA coach like Kevin O’Neill.  Good coaching is what put Detroit on top a few years ago.  They didn’t have superstars and they worked together and won a championship.

And if all else fails, I’m here to serve for my team.  For about two slices of Pizza Pizza pizza per game I’d suit up and at least warm the bench like Kris Humphries.

Guess This Bartender!

by The Captain…

Send an email to [email protected] and receive a groovy prize.

Cars I’ll Never Drive

by Adam “Sully” Sullivan…

Dukes of Hazard Car

A guy driving this would have to be named Zeke or Bo or something like that. To him, formal wear would be the gray wife-beater. You would think that gasoline fuels a car like this, but it’s actually racism. It gets about a half gallon of racism to the mile, non-highway.
In The Glove Box: One of those old revolvers where you have to cock the hammer before each shot.In The Trunk: “Urrrm…Rusty lawn chairs, a 24 of Bud, and the kids ‘cuz my fishin’ buddies are takin’ up all them seats”

Pontiac TransAm
A guy driving this car surely still lives at home. He’s got his guitar and amps set up in the garage and mom doesn’t even care if he smokes in there. His hair? Long and frizzy. His highlights? Blond. His t-shirt? “Van Halen 1984 Worldwide Tour, I was THERE, MAAAAN!” Enough said. The car has to be parked on the lawn because his garage is stacked high with demo tapes and unrealized dreams.

In The Glove Box: The gnarliest collection of cassette tapes ever assembled.
In The Trunk: “Demo tapes, brother…tell your friends. This is the year of Silver Magma

Volkswagen Beetle

The gent driving this car is lean, mean, and…British? This car just screams pussy, but not the kind that you intercourse. There’s a spot of tea on the passenger’s side and I’m not talking about stains. The fine English leather upholstery happens to also be the favorite cologne of this wheelman, which makes the “racing” stripes embarrassing for everyone. These cars run on fluoride which accounts for the rarity of it being found in British drinking water and dental offices.

In The Glove Box: handkerchiefs and mystery novels

In The Boot: “Some crisps, a carton of fags, and a mess of lagers to forget me cock ups and get right arseholed. Then maybe I’ll pull a dishy bird and bonk her with the old John Thomas. This bender will be the dog’s bollocks!” (British Dictionary)

Shitty Run-down Station Wagon

Anyone driving this car has given up on their dreams. They probably didn’t plan on having 3 brat kids, an obese wife, and a pile of bills, but hey…what can you do right? He has sex twice a year (his birthday and anniversary), and honestly, he’s sick of it. Life isn’t worth living anymore and last week, he stood on the train tracks and was about one more diet Fanta away from jumping in front of a speeding steam engine. He went home and masturbated quietly in the basement instead.

In The Glove Box: Snacks for the kids (wife), soda for the kids (wife), appetite suppressants for the kids (do I really have to say it again? wife.)

In The trunk: “Trunk? What the heck is a trunk? There’s a hatch back there, that’s where the dog sleeps, but he’s sick. The operation is too expensive.”

Ferrari Enzo
The guy who drives this car’s dad was extremely successful. Now while he’s at the office closing big shot important business deals, his son is out chasing ass at the gym, buying rounds of wheat shakes on the credit card his dad still pays for. The Enzo is a little cramped to have sex in, but that’s okay because his dates always seem to get really tired right when he’s about to make his move.

In The Glove Box: Dad’s check book, dad’s credit card, and dad’s reminder note to “pick up his goddamn dry cleaning on time this time”

In The Trunk: “Oh it’s jam packed back there. I have a tube of Mentos and a day-planner.”

Jeep with No Doors
Ah yes, the California douche bag special. The owner of this bad boy took off the roof cover to give his faux-hawk some breathing space. The room created by removing the doors provides freedom to pack this beast full of high school girls who don’t know any better. Research (that I just conducted in my head) shows that this is the car most likely to be driven drunk; which is great because, according to more imaginary research, the idiot drunk driving this is most likely to not be missed when he rolls the son of a bitch off a California cliff side.

In The Glove Box: Mousse, gel, hair spray, surfboard wax

In The Trunk: “There’s no trunk, brosef…just heavenly babes lathered to perfection in only the finest of tanning oils.”

The T.O.SPORTS Mailbag - Is The World Baseball Classic All Hype But No Substance?

By English Paul…

Hey, its time for another mailbag.  Any questions you have, I’ll answer them.

Q:  Do you think the World Baseball Classic has any chance of becoming a huge success?  I really don’t like tournaments like this, because they just come across as another all star game.  Lots of hype, but no substance, especially with the rules they use in the first round.

- Tom, Scarborough

EP:  There’s nothing like national pride and the World Baseball classic fit’s the bill.  Look at the World Cup.  Let’s say you support Newcastle you pretty much know you won’t win the Premiership.  However, the World Cup offers another team to support.  The passion that naturally comes from following a team on an international level (think the Olympics) adds something special to the occasion.  That’s why I think the competition has a chance to become a huge success, but it will take time.

Having said that, the rules need to change.  The double-elimination format, new for this tournament, has to go.  They should return to the set-up for 2006.  Four groups of four teams for the first round, with everyone playing the rest of they’re division once.  The winners and the four teams with the next best records would qualify, with a lottery draw deciding who plays who in the quarter-finals and semi-finals.  This might also pacify the MLB managers, who are fretting about the extra games their players are competing in.  The most any team would play is six.

Q:  I’d love to see one of the Winter Classic games played in Canada.  However, I read somewhere that this isn’t likely to happen anytime soon.  Why?

- Danielle, Brampton

EP:  For me, it’s a couple of reasons.  First, the NHL is still trying to gain more interest in America.  The winter classic is key to this.  In the NHL’s mind, the game’s big enough in Canada, who already have their own tradition with Hockey Night in Canada.

Second, the game is televised on NBC, an American network.  There would be a major problem with ratings and advertising deals if a Winter Classic game was played in Canada.

Q.  Of late, expansion in all of the major sports leagues has been quiet.  Is the expansion era over?

- Kyle, Toronto

EP.   Not necessarily, but it will be interesting to see which direction is taken in the near future.

For example, the MLB should do something about its current set-up, with 14 teams in the American League and 16 in the National League.  They can either move one team over to the AL or add two franchises.  Also, it’s no secret the NFL would love to have a team back in Los Angeles again, because of the huge TV market out there.

My personal favourite for a new team, no matter the league, would be Las Vegas.  Forget Denver’s high-altitude, you’d have the ultimate home-field advantage in Las Vegas.

The opposition would be beaten before they even stepped onto the field after a night of drunken debauchery.  And don’t think the head coaches will be enforcing a curfew the night before a game.  We all know Norv Turner will be playing blackjack using the following days game plan for collateral, while Andy Reid props up the bar and George Karl pays for yet another lap-dance.  Yep, it’s gonna get messy if it ever happens.

Right, I’ve just seen a missed call from my lawyer.  I better go and see what he wants.

Paul Taylor can be contacted on [email protected]

BATLEY COMES TO TORONTO

by Murray Crawford…

A slow start led to the firing of Glenn Clark.  At least that’s what we’re being told.  Clark coached, “a crackerjack team,” one that was unpredictable on any given night.  And, while he may have been the scapegoat for the Toronto Rock’s slow start, the onus is on incoming head coach Jamie Batley to get this team out of neutral.
Batley comes to Toronto from Peterborough by way of Chicago.  In fact, had the Chicago Shamrox not folded in the offseason this kind of opportunity would never have happened.
Just what does Batley bring to the table that Clark didn’t.  For one, overall coaching experience.  Clark was a player with the Rock during their glory years and made the transition to coach almost immediately after retirement.
Batley was the coach for the Colorado Mammoth for three years, posting a winning record and guiding the team to three consecutive playoff appearances.  After leaving Colorado he became the first and only coach of the Chicago Shamrox, they finished a game behind the Rock in their only season.
But aside from the NLL credentials Batley has had success in the summer as well.  He guided three Peterborough Laker teams to Mann Cup titles, and four consecutive Mann Cup appearances.  He restored lacrosse glory to a city that had not seen a title in nearly 20 years.  He brought in some of the games best talents to do so as well.  Goalie Pat O’Toole forwards John Grant Jr. and Tracey Kelusky.
The team Batley inherits is also full of familiar faces.  Josh Wasson plays his summers in Peterborough.  While Cam Woods, Blaine Manning and Jon Harasym play for the Brampton Excelsiors in the summer.  The past five Major Series Lacrosse finals have featured Brampton and Peterborough, so there is some familiarity there.
In fact, the Rock picked up some of Batley’s former players, from the Shamrox, in the dispersal draft that followed Chicago’s fold.  One was Wasson but the other was Bill McGlone.
Knowing players and having a winning history are the keys that make Batley the right choice for the Rock’s head coach.  The question is why wasn’t this done sooner.  Clark did not succeed as head coach last year, and with someone with Batley resume.  To fire Clark three games into the season is losing those games.

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