Chicago -
By Tony Tellez
The betting odds came out with the home team San Francisco 49ers favored by -4 points with an over under of 38 1/2 points. Early money has landed on the side of the home team as San Francisco is now favored by -5 points. The total has not moved off the opener of 38 1/2 points.
Posted on November 19, 2012
By Mike Luce
Much like the arrival of fall color and migratory birds taking to the wing, the seasonal pasting of hapless FCS (Div I-AA) teams begins each September.
While birders can park themselves in one spot and be guaranteed – more or less – a good view of passing flocks (or gaggles? bouquets? congresses?) of migratory birds, college football fans must monitor dozens of games across the country to spot a shocking upset.
But the overwhelming majority of these games are boring for all but gamblers, who wager on enormous point spreads posted by the LSUs (-43) of the world over the likes of Towson. (Towson covered by 27 in a 38-22 loss in Week Five, a huge upset in itself.)
Several years ago, the NCAA allowed FBS (Div-IA) teams to “count” one victory against a Div-IAA team toward the seasonal win total for purposes of bowl qualification. While scheduling cupcakes is nothing new, every FBS team suddenly had a substantial incentive to bring in (often to the tune of six figures) some woefully overmatched opponent in a tune-up game, typically scheduled prior to the start of conference play.
But for some reason this season, a number of top flight (if you will) teams will face off against cupcakes in Week 12. Why? We don’t know.
Posted on November 16, 2012
By Carl Mohrbacher
Houston, We Have A Doldrum
If you’re like me, then one of the highlights of your day is taking a nice big dump. That’s why I wash down my morning chili with a hearty 32oz bottle of room temperature Hollywood Diet.
The downside of having your day peak in the AM mid-BM is that the best part is usually over before work.
Ever the innovators, Chicago’s offense had no such problem on Sunday, opting to stretch out the fun by crapping down their leg between about 8 p.m. and 10:30 p.m.
Posted on November 15, 2012
By Dan O’Shea
Calvin Johnson, who many consider the best in fantasy football at his position, or certainly no worse than second best, had a huge Week 10, posting 207 yards receiving and a TD. What’s really notable about the performance is that the TD was only his second of this season and his first since Week 3.
The man they call Megatron does lead the league in receiving yards with 974 yards, so maybe fantasy owners feel they have been getting their money’s worth, but for my money, a top five WR needs to score more often.
Posted on November 14, 2012
By Steve Rhodes
How many concussions is enough?
Jay Cutler has had at least six of them, according to reports. Which means he’s probably had at least 12 of them.
Concussions are brain injuries.
Jay Cutler has had at least 12 brain injuries.
And as The Score’s Dan Bernstein has frequently pointed out, the real danger to athletes isn’t the concussions per se but the steady pounding of non-concussive hits.
Welcome to early onset dementia, Jay.
Posted on November 13, 2012
By Jim Coffman
This was the play of the game, win or lose. Let’s take a look from several angles.
1. Hey coach Lovie, hopeful challenges are always a bad idea and that was a hopeful challenge toward the end of the first half when the concussed Cutler was penalized for throwing that pass after he had crossed the line of scrimmage.
Remember, in those situations there needs to be clear and convincing evidence that a call was wrong and, while it was close, there definitely was not clear and convincing evidence.
Posted on November 12, 2012
By Mike Luce
Week 11 of the college football season was bad for big business.
Through Thursday, the Dow was off 281.84 points, the S&P 500 was down 36.69, and the Nasdaq had dropped 86.55 points, or 2.9 percent – the largest percentage drop of the three. Despite falling unemployment claims and rising U.S. exports, investors worry that the impending “fiscal cliff” could severely hurt an economy that has shown signs (the Dow is up 593.76 on the year) of improvement.
What is the fiscal cliff, you ask? We have no idea. But as a rule of thumb, whenever you see a word like fiscal used alongside a geological (and/or geographical, for the picky) term meaning “a significant vertical, or near vertical, rock exposure,” we assume it’s not good, especially if there’s no mention of carabiners, harnesses, and the like. We feel the government would be wise to coin a new, less frightening, term, like the Wiley Coyote Predicament. Wiley Coyote couldn’t hurt anyone, right? He’s like the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man.
Posted on November 9, 2012
By Carl Mohrbacher
The Tillman With The Iron Fists
Most . . . Valuable . . . Puncher.
But if history has taught us anything, Peanut is either going to have to start throwing touchdowns or step it up on the statutory rape if he is going to bring home the real MVP.
Garbage Pail Offense
Taking a page out of the 2008 Patriots playbook (25 point lead = endless passing), the side of the ball that is paid to move it forward finally did so in the fourth quarter on Sunday.
Last time I told my wife to hang out for 40 minutes while I worked out the kinks in my aerial attack (Two Words: Helicopter Balls), I did not score three times, so kudos to the Bears for getting it done in the face of disinterest.
Next time, let’s call the 40-yard bomb to Brandon Marshall in the second quarter.
Thanks Tice.
Posted on November 7, 2012
By Dan O’Shea
This is my third post in a row about a young QB, but I feel like I’m just following the hot leads. Redskins rookie Robert Griffin III has been the most pleasant surprise in fantasy football season, while Panthers sophomore Cam Newton has been among the biggest fantasy busts. Now, Colts newbie Andrew Luck is seeing his fantasy stock soar at just the right time.
Luck threw for an NFL rookie record 433 yards in Week 9. He is not the dual threat that RG3 is, but he has thrown for the fourth-most yards (2,404) among all QBs this season so far. He also has 13 total TDs (10 passing, three running), just one fewer than RG3’s overall TD mark. His timing for hitting his fantasy stride is good because for the next five weeks, which pretty much covers the rest of the regular season for most fantasy leagues, he does not face any particularly scary pass defenses.
Posted on November 7, 2012
By Jim Coffman
Which punch did you prefer during the most extraordinary individual performance in the NFL on Sunday and maybe the most extraordinary single game in the league this season?
There is much to be said for the first, when the performer in question, Charles Tillman, slipped in behind Titan receiver Kenny Britt and executed a clean, crisp right cross that popped the ball right out of the powerfully built receiver’s hand on Tennessee’s first offensive play of the game. Brian Urlacher crashed in for the recovery and the Bears were on their way.
Posted on November 5, 2012
