Putting That MBA to Work… For A Change

Wow, Gabe, that was actually well-reasoned. Well, except for the part about buying breakfast. In fact, I’m pretty sure you don’t want me going into any personal history on this. Your wife thinks highly of you, I hate to ruin that in a blog post.

So instead I will ruin one of your theories. If the line is “off” for ND, Texas, Alabama, Oklahoma, etc., then savvy gamblers will recognize that there is free money out there to be had. Once that money has poured in to arbitrage it away, there would be too much on one side and Vegas, which isn’t really in the prognosticating industry so much as the risk-mitigation business, would have to move the line accordingly.

Efficient markets. Look into the concept.

Anyway, I went 1-3 last week to cement my place among the world’s worst clairvoyants (7-21 on the season). I think you are doing better only because you stopped counting.

So you stick to your rules, I’m going to use some of my own to pick your games.

 

No, Seriously. What The Fuck Is Wrong With Kansas?

So I got another genius comment from what I am going to presume is a Jayhawk supporter. I’m making that assumption based not on the content of the comment itself (see below), but more on the inability to use anything resembling proper grammar (‘your’ not ‘you’re,’ no capitalization, etc.)

But, again, the fact that Kansas is undefeated doesn’t mean that their schedule hasn’t been easy. The latter actually facilitates the former. Who is their biggest win against? The worst Nebraska team maybe ever? An OSU team that blew a 21 point fourth quarter lead at home to Texas?

To this point (November 13) the Jayhawks have beaten exactly one team that was ranked when they played them. That was a K-State team that is now 5-5.

 

Fútbol Haiku Fantasies

Shit week. Job. Girls. Family. Money. Everything. Just a shit week. I even made my flight reservations for a friend’s wedding to the wrong city. Oops.

It all kind of makes fantasy sports seem even dumber and gayer than they already are. Yet, I’m in three leagues (2 football, 1 fútbol… I’m actually in 2 of these but I lost the l/p to the one for That’s On Poitnt (Sorry Cardillo, I’m the dick in last place still starting Reo Coker)). Anyway, I took a beating akin to a 12- year-old’s penis after he just discovered masturbation. In all leagues. Just piling on I suppose.

Bust after a decent start I am just getting raked in my fantasy fútbol league. EPL info is too hard to come by and I seem to cause players to score multiple goals by dropping them and cause them to get red cards by picking them up. So fuck all of them. And fuck them 5-7-5 style.

 

Feeling the Pressure Like Mark Mangino’s Knees

The World’s Worst Prognosticator (that’s me) only managed to go 3-1 last week by not actually prognosticating. Really, it was a totally random finger to the computer screen. And I almost went 4-0 had the coach at Troy not called timeout 3 times in the last 30 seconds of the game to get one more touchdown and the cover.

Dick.

So I raise my record to a pathetic 6-18. I’m almost disappointed that I couldn’t manage to go 0-4 a third straight week but, again, I actually took myself out of the equation. And the two games that Gabe Kaplan’s Stylist picked that I contemplated doing, I went 0-2 on. So, I might have pulled it off had I tried, but that would have required effort and stuff.

Anyway, it’s pretty clear what to make of what I say. So with that in mind…

Play in traffic. Take candy from strangers. Invest on stock tips found on the Internet. Share a needle with Keith Richards. Go hunting with powerful politicians. Have unprotected sex next time you’re in Estonia.

More bad advice after the jump. And this week, like guys with no stamina, it comes early.

 

If Only I Knew Your Name Mr. Line Judge

Bad officiating is as much a part of life as hangovers and Nora Ephron movies. You hate to have to suffer through them but, ultimately, as a prelude to maybe getting laid, they seem inevitable (the drinking and the chick flicks that is, not the umpiring).

But did anyone else watch the 4th quarter of the Boston College v. Florida State game on Saturday—what, so I had a hard time getting my ass off the couch to make it out that night—and think it wasn’t just bad, but curiously bad? And by ‘curiously’ I mean: ‘Dude, if you bet the money line, try to be a little more subtle.’

Specifically there were two spots, both made by the same line judge, both nowhere close to accurate, and both in favor of Boston College.

 

So Very, Very Bad

I am defying all kinds of statistical probabilities this year. The line is supposed to make it a 50-50 proposition*. So just by randomly picking teams, I should be around .500. It’s not a large sample size, but it’s getting large enough.

I’m not close. I am 3-17, including an 0-fer my last 8. For what it’s worth, I don’t think I’ve gotten laid in the last couple of weeks either, so I’m failing in pretty much every aspect of my sinning life.

Although getting drunk? Still not a problem.

Anyway, my .150 winning percentage is beyond bad. And I watch a lot of college football. It’s not healthy. So you’d think I’d be better at this. Nope.

I’m giving up. I’m not quitting, just switching tactics. I’m going to be a monkey throwing his own poo at a computer screen and see what happens. I brought up a page with all the games and the lines, closed my eyes, put my finger to the screen and picked the team my finger landed on. And I’m just going to justify it after the fact.

And if that doesn’t work, I’m going buy a hooker and hope that turns everything around next week. Picks after the jump.

 

If You’re Going to Steal, At Least Steal Something Original

Okay Gabe. I have no idea what you are talking about. Really, what prompted the diatribe about Kuh-lee-for-nee-ah? Is this your way of saying that people whose homes are on fire get what they deserve for living in the modern Sodom and/or Gomorrah?

And if you are going to poke fun of people’s intelligence, at least try to spell ‘proletariat’ correctly.

Also, try to stay up with the big kids. I did the Constanza schtick last week. But if you want to give people a sense of deja vu—only this time without the party hats— then well played. Here’s the fun part though… It killed me. I would have gone 4-0 had I not gotten cute with the “I’ll just do the exact opposite of ordering tuna on toast and I’ll screw the girl at the counter and get a job with the Yankees” crap. Instead I threw-up an 0-fer and lowered my percentage on the season to something resembling a pitcher’s batting average (a pitcher not named Micah Owings).

This week’s wisdom-free advice after the jump…

 

I Really Will Publish Almost Any Comment… Especially If It Lets Me Post Pictures of Mark Mangino

Yes, I will publish any comment no matter how stupid.

But please, at least make an attempt to provide accurate information, or lie well enough to where I don’t think you are a complete dumbass. To wit:

E-mail : Bill@aol.com
URL : http://Bill.com
Whois : http://ws.arin.net/cgi-bin/whois.pl?queryinput=68.103.26.172
Comment:
Get over yourselves. You’re all just mad that KU is sweet and undefeated! good call on Nebraska also you idiots! 7-0 NUMBER 9 baby

First off, this comment is so bland I cannot understand why anyone would want to hide their actual identity behind ‘bill@aol.com.’ What? Are you taking your cues from ESPN Conversation? Second, uh, the fact that Kansas is 7-0 is actually supporting the original contention, specifically that KU has a butt-easy schedule this year. So what exactly is there to get over?

Of course, if you are going to be that stupid, maybe it’s best you keep your actual identity to yourself. At least it gives me a chance to post another picture of the gigantor that is Mark Mangino.

My caption. “No, I said ‘Throw the whole doughnut,’ not ‘Throw the doughnut hole.’”

 

Waiting for Godot Gabe Kaplan’s Stylist

Let’s celebrate consistency—we can make little party hats and serve cupcakes—because ‘consistent’ is the only thing I am. Well, I’m also smart enough not to bet my own picks but after 3 weeks of this, I am 3-9, having gone 1-3 every week.

I would have gone 2-2 but OU can’t seem to convert a fucking extra point(…and that’s why you live in Norman). At least I didn’t put up an 0-fer as Gabe Kaplan’s Sylist did. And I was dead on when I predicted that Kurt Warner’s God would abandon him. I might not know football, but I am a theological genius.

So let it be written.

I think I’ve joked about just taking my advice, going the other way, then retiring. Seriously, if I were 9-3, I’d have a 900 number and a trophy wife by now. Well, I’m going to take my own advice on taking my advice and I’ll be knee deep in hookers and poundcake by this time next week.

Let’s go to the videotape.

 

Nope, Not Bitter At All

Notre Dame has been BC’s bitch for, well, all of this century as the kids from Chestnut Hill have taken five of the last six from the Irish. So naturally ND responded the only reasonable fashion: they took the Eagles off the schedule. (Oh and Kevin White, now that Tom O’Brien is gone, this might actually prove to have been a pretty bad idea).

While the recent lack of success against our brethren Catholics has been frustrating to say the least, the lingering resentment for Irish fans goes back to the 1993 game. Really, beating Bob Davie and Ty Willingham? Big deal. Spoiling that season? Still stings right here.