Spooky's what was i thinking new years week express

[Spooky]

Six-pack for Thursday

Some trends for Week 2 in the NFL........

-- Titans are 10-2 vs spread in game after their last twelve losses.

-- Eagles covered six of last eight as a home favorite.

-- Patriots covered 17 of last 23 as a road favorite.

-- Broncos covered three of last 20 as a home favorite.

-- Vikings are 2-8 as a road favorite in divisional games.

-- Rams are 5-12-1 vs spread when getting more than seven points.

[Spooky]

Thursday's List of 13: Our college football List of 13.......

Unlike other lists, this isn't a ranking; just some teams that made an impression over the first two weekends.

13) SMU-- They're 6.5-point favorites at Washington State Saturday-- if they win, they're 3-0 for first time in 25 years. How long will Mustangs be able to keep June Jones in Dallas?

12) Ohio State-- Ignorant jerks are thrashing Jim Tressel for losing last week to USC; who do they think would be a better coach? The guy has made Michigan a personal pinata (7-1), he's won five national titles, one at Ohio State, but he isn't good enough? Ugh.

11) Colorado-- What jackass scheduled a Sunday night game against a rival, followed by a Friday night road game in Ohio? Its one thing to put a coach on the hot seat, but did he approve the ridiculous schedule?

10) Central Michigan-- Down 27-20 in East Lansing, Chippewas scored a TD with 0:35, stupidly went for two, didn't get it, then recovered an onside kick and won game on a last-second FG. QB Lefevour is one of country's better quarterbacks.

9) Purdue-- Fun team to watch, with senior QB Elliott getting his first chance to start; whacked Toledo 52-31 in opener, then lost tough game out in Oregon, 38-36. I like teams that score a lot of points.

8) Auburn-- Haven't heard Charles Barkley bitching about Gene Chizik lately; Tigers have the most fun offense they've had since Bo Jackson.

7) Utah-- Team's with nation's longest win streak is an underdog against the Ducks in Eugene this week.

6) Pitt-- Joe Flacco is an NFL starter, Tyler Palko got cut this summer in training camp; any Pitt fans worried that Dave Wannstedt isn't too good a judge of talent, since he chose Palko to start over Flacco at Pitt?

5) BYU-- If Notre Dame had done what Cougars have done so far this year (beat Oklahoma in Dallas, win by 50 at Tulane), they'd be ranked in top three in country. BYU is currently ranked 7th in one poll and 9th in the other. Go figure.

4) Florida State-- Lost tough game to Miami, damn near lost as 34-point favorite to Jacksonville State (scored two TDs in last 0:35 to win 19-9) and is a 7-point dog at BYU this week. Big game for Jimbo Fisher.

3) Fresno State-- Will go anywhere and play anyone out of league, but was surprised to hear they've never won WAC title under Pat Hill- its almost like they gear their season moreso to the non-league games.

2) UCLA-- QB Prince has broken jaw, so freshman takes reins for Rick Neuheisel's offense this week; if Bruins beat Kansas State, they're 3-0 heading into conference play. Pac-10 is little down in '09, except at....

1) ........Cal-- This running back Best was tremendous vs Maryland, but now Bears visit 2-0 Minnesota this week. Last year, Cal headed east as big favorite and got ambushed by Maryland. This is an interesting test.

[Spooky]

SPOOKY'S FAB FIVE FOR THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2009

Happy Thursday everyone.

1. Quick Hits

The Jets were fined $75-thousand, and G.M. Mike Tannenbaum and former coach Eric Mangini $25-thousand each for lying about Brett Favre's injury status last year.

You may have been tired of the Brett Favre story, but not his fans. Favre's jersey is the top seller in America. And would you believe
Michael Vick's is the top seller in 3 states?

Yankee catcher Jorge Posada was suspended 3 games for being a hothead. Actually he and two others were suspended for their Tuesday night fight with Toronto.

NCAA president Myles Brand dies of cancer at the age of 67.

2. The Jewish Jordan

Remember a few years back when Tamir Goodman was touted as the "Jewish Jordan?" He wound up playing basketball at Towson. He then played in the Israeli basketball league. But now, at the age of 27, he
has retired. Michael Jordan, he was not. (Who is?) But how sad. I was so hoping that pamphlet on the "Great Jewish Pro Athletes" could have been expanded by 5 pages.

3. PSL's

Yesterdays item about contraction in pro sports sparked some thoughts from a few guys.

A friend of mine said 8 years ago he put his 6 year old son on the waiting list for Giants tickets. The wait was over 30 years. Last week his son, now 14, was offered a chance to buy season tickets at $250 per game per seat and a PSL (Personal seat license) of $7500. His son said take the money and buy big screen TVs for every room in the house! Smart kid.

4. Fred Cusick (1918-2009)

Many forum guys from Boston wanted me to mention the passing of longtime Boston Bruins TV announcer Fred Cusick. He was their voice during the glory years of Bobby Orr and Phil Esposito. In this era of announcer schtick, Fred was a solid and knowledgeable voice without the hype.

5. Fore!

Make your reservations. Just one month until opening day for a new golf course in Australia. 848 miles and 171 yards. It stretches clear across the Outback. You play a hole, spend the night, and drive to the next tee. As you approach your ball you might run into sheep, kangaroos, or you might not find your ball if birds of prey swoop down and swipe it. Sounds like fun, but hell on caddies.

Happy Birthday: The Baby Bull. Hall of Famer Orlando Cepeda. 72.

Bonus Birthday: Another Hall of Famer, this one in football. George Blanda. 82.

Today in Sports: Reggie Jackson hits his first career home run. 1967. Also Reggie Jackson hits his 500th career homer. 1984.

Bonus Event: Cy Young and the Boston Pilgrims clinch the American League Pennant. They go on to beat Honus Wagner and the Pittsburgh Pirates in the first ever World Series. 1903.

[Spooky]

COLLEGE FOOTBALL ANALYSIS

Thursday's game

LY, Georgia Tech ran ball 56 times for a ridiculous 472 yards (8.4/carry) in a 41-23 thrashing of the 'canes, their fourth straight series win (other wins by 4-7-3 points). Tech is 12-4-1 as road underdog since '04- they hung on to beat Clemson 30-27 last week, after grabbing early 21-0 lead thanks to TDs on punt return/fake FG. Tech had 301 rushing yards last week but completed just 4 of 15 passes. Miami had 10 days to prepare here- they've covered 12 of 40 (30%) as a home favorite since 2002.

Friday's game

Boise State won seven of last eight vs Fresno, but split last two visits to this site, winning 34-21 in '07 (-3), losing 27-7 in '05 (+9), when Fresno was ranked 20th in country. Broncos are 19-13 as road fave since 2002, 6-3 the last two years- they won first two games by combined score of 67-8. Bulldogs did everything but win at Wisconsin last week, gaining 468 yards but throwing three picks in OT loss. Fresno is just 3-13 vs the spread at home since 2006, 1-5 as a home underdog.

Saturday's games

Top games

Navy almost took Ohio State to OT, they're now 22-9 vs spread as dog on road since 2001; Middies crushed La Tech 32-14 last week after 14-0 early deficit, so they're pretty good. Pitt is 4-8 as home fave since 2006; they gave up 433 passing yards in 54-27 win at Buffalo last week- they ran ball for 209 yards and had four takeaways (+4).

Syracuse held Penn State to 79 rushing yards in 28-7 loss last week; this is their third straight Big 11 foe. Orange were outgained 484-225 in 30-10 loss at Northwestern LY (+11)- they're 3-8 last 11 games as a home dog. Wildcats are 7-4 as road favorite since '01- they barely hung on to 21-3 halftime lead last week, holding off Eastern Michigan 27-24.

Underdog won last four Boston College-Clemson games SU; Tigers ran ball 62 times for just 133 yards in last two meetings- they're 18-23-1 as home favorite this decade, 7-13 vs spread in game following a loss. BC has QB making first road start after they whacked two cupcakes to start season- they're 11-2 vs spread as a road underdog since 2002.

Vanderbilt, Mississippi State both lost SEC road games last week, which makes this game more important (loser falls to 0-2 in SEC); State is 4-1 in last five series games (favorites 4-1 vs spread)- teams split last couple games played here. Vandy is 5-12-1 as home favorite since '01, 22-16-1 vs spread in game after a loss. State is 12-20-1 as a road dog since 2002.

Oregon scored two defensive TDs last week, hung on to beat Purdue in 38-36 shootout; Boilers outgained Ducks 451-356, but Oregon did run ball for 193 yards. Utes have longest win streak in nation, but have new QB who played JC ball LY- they're 12-4 as road dog since 2001. Oregon is 15-7 as home favorite since '05. Utes had 251 rushing yards, 248 thru air in 24-14 win at San Jose State last week (-13).

Virginia Tech (+7) won 35-30 at Nebraska LY, running ball for 206 yards and averaging over 11 yards/pass attempt. Hokies are 7-10-1 as favorite at home after crushing Marshall last week. Huskers are 5-11 as road dog this decade; this is first road start for QB Lee, who is 47-66/589 passing against pair of Sun Belt teams. Huskers ran punt back for TD vs Tech inlast year's game. Hokies had kick return for TD in this year's opener.

Visitor won seven of last eight Michigan State-Notre Dame games; State won last six visits here- they lost 29-27 to Central Michigan last week in game they led 27-20 with 0:40 left. Irish are 11-18 as home fave since '03 but routed Nevada 35-0 in '09 opener. Spartans are 5-3 as road dog since '06; their QB is making first road start. Notre Dame had ball and lead in last 3:00 in Ann Arbor last week, but couldn't finish against frosh QB.

West Virginia had 271 rushing yards in 34-17 win vs Auburn LY (-3.5), averaging 7.7 yds/rush (TY was 445-260), scoring 31 unanswered points. WVa is dog for first time since their 44-34 loss at Louisville in '06 (+1). Auburn scored 86 points in winning its first two games, running ball for 300+ yards both times. Tigers also had 454 passing yards, so they have had tremendous balance, but this is big step up in competition.

Tennessee as 29-point dog? Vols lost 59-20/30-6 to Florida last couple years, and they lost 19-15 at home to UCLA last week, passing for just 93 yards with three picks. Kiffin opened his yap about Florida when he got hired, now he's in Swamp where Gators beat Troy 56-6 last week-- they're 11-2 vs spread as a home favorite since '07. Long day for Vols.

Baylor (+13) lost 31-28 at UConn LY, giving up 225 rushing yards to Huskies, who are 5-14 as road dog since '04. Bears are 8-3 as home fave since 2001- they had 197 rushing yards in 24-21 win at Wake, surviving 90 penalty yards. UConn has road win at Ohio already, but they gave up nine points in last 1:30 of brutal 12-10 home loss to UNC last week.

Kentucky beat Louisville 27-2/40-34 last two years; this is just second time in last nine series meetings UK is favored (1-2 as series fave). UK held Louisville to 154 rushing yards last two meetings, after they ran it for 1,073 yards in four meetings before that. Cards are 2-3 as a road dog last four years- first road start for their QB. Wildcats have SEC opener with Florida (22 straight losses to Gators) up next.

Florida State was down 9-7 with 1:00 to play as a 34-point favorite to a I-AA team last week, snuck out with an ugly 19-9 win, now face BYU squad that won at Tulane by 50 and beat Oklahoma in Dallas. Seminoles are 2-4 as a dog last two years- hard to endorse them after debacle last week. Cougars outgained Oklahoma by 92 yards but Bradford got KO'd.

Georgia's schedule is too hard- they lost 24-10 at Oklahoma State, then outlasted Gamecocks 41-37 last week (outgained 427-308, 13 penalties), so they've been tested plenty, while Arkansas' only game was 48-10 win over I-AA Missouri State. Hogs are just 11-14 vs spread in last 25 home games. Dawgs covered 12 of last 17 SEC games, won 30 of 35 on road.

Texas Tech ruined Texas' season LY with dramatic 39-33 win, but now Tech comes to Austin with QB making first road start- Raiders lost last five visits here by average of 28 points. Tech held Texas to 80-92 yards in last two series wins; Horns had 205+ in last eight wins. Texas is 16-9 vs spread in last 25 games as HF. Tech is 2-5 as a road dog since 2005.

Oregon State came east and got waxed 34-3 by Cincinnati two years ago on a Thursday night (-3.5); Beavers had seven turnovers that night. OSU is 9-4 as home favorite last three years- they had 184 rushing yards, 198 passing in 23-21 win in Vegas last week (-6). Bearcats are 9-4 vs spread on road under Kelly after winning 47-15 at Rutgers Labor Day weekend.

Other games

-- Ball State lost to I-AA UNH last week, after losing as 17-pt favorite in opener. Army covered three of last four games as home favorite.

-- Purdue scored 88 points in first two games; they're 6-3 as home fave since 2007. Northern Illinois is 4-1 as a road dog under coach Kill.

-- Michigan had dramatic win last week, has Big 11 opener next week, so letdown alert vs EMU squad that lost 27-24 at Northwestern last week; they're 17-15 as road dog since '07, and have a senior QB.

-- Penn State won its last three games vs Temple by combined score of 123-3- they have revenge game with Iowa on deck. Five members of the Temple coaching staff played at Penn State- so much for mercy.

-- North Carolina scored nine points in last 1:30 last week, getting out of Nutmeg State with 12-10 win. ECU is 13-4 as road dog after getting shut out in second half of 35-20 loss at revenge-minded West Virginia.

-- Miami OH lost first two games under new coach 42-0/48-0, getting outgained by 287 yards/game- they've lost seven games in row, dating back to LY. Western Michigan is 6-8 as home favorite since 2004.

-- Colorado is 8-12 as home favorite since 2003, 15-22 vs spread in their last 37 non-league games. Wyoming is 3-10 as a road dog since 2006.

-- Iowa covered four of last 13 as home favorite; they're 9-18 vs spread in game after their last 27 wins. Arizona covered three of their last four tries as a road underdog.

-- Akron is 5-7 as home favorite since 2005. Indiana is putrid 13-29 as road dog this decade- they're 2-0 after beating WMU 23-19 last week, in game where Hoosiers survived 13 penalties for 106 yards.

-- Kansas is 16-6 as home favorite since '04; they covered 21 of their last 28 home games overall. Duke was outgained 385-236 at West Point last week but scored four second half TDs to beat the Cadets 35-19.

-- Virginia is 6-12 as road dog since '03; they were outrushed 203-57 in a 30-14 home loss to TCU last week. Southern Miss won C-USA opener last week, 26-19- they're 8-11 vs spread as home favorite since '05.

-- Washington coach Sarkisian was USC OC before coming to Seattle; his Huskies lost opener 31-23 here to LSU (+16). Trojans are off comeback win at Ohio State- they crushed Washington 56-0 LY (-45).

-- UCLA will have freshman QB making first start with Prince out (jaw) Bruins are 14-7 as home favorite since '04. Kansas State got upset down at UL-Lafayette last week 17-15; they covered five of six as road dog.

-- Toledo lost 52-31 at Purdue in opener, then crushed Colorado 54-38 last Friday. Ohio State lost late to USC, is taking ton of grief this week- they're 28-15 vs spread in last 43 games as a favorite.

-- Washington State gave up 626 yards in 38-20 loss to Hawai'i last week in Seattle (+2.5); Coogs are 2-5 as home dog under Wulff. SMU travels a long way, trying to go 3-0 for first time since 1984.

-- San Diego State (-11) beat Idaho 45-17 LY, going 26-40/445 thru air. Aztecs are 0-3 vs spread as a road favorite since 2004. Vandals are 4-7 in last 11 games as a home underdog.

-- Colorado State snuck past I-AA Weber State 24-23 last week, after an upset of rival Colorado in opener; Rams are 7-4 as road dog since 2001. Nevada had last week off after getting trounced 35-0 at Notre Dame.

-- Marshall is 8-2-1 as home dog this decade; they gave up 44 yards in a 52-10 loss at Va Tech LW. Bowling Green led in second half at Missouri last week, lost 27-20- they covered last four tries as road favorite.

-- Cal came east LY and got upset by Maryland; Bears are 1-6 vs spread as road favorite, have Pac-10 opener vs Oregon next week. Minnesota is 2-0 after beating Air Force; they're 3-8 as a home underdog since '02.

-- Buffalo won opener at UTEP of C-USA; they're 15-5 as dog on road under Gill. Central Florida lost league opener at Southern Miss last week getting outgained 409-194, 156-15 on the ground.

-- Poor Rice- they got whipped 55-10 in Lubbock, giving up 508 yards in air; now they get angry Oklahoma State club off loss to Houston as a 16-point favorite. Cowboys are 10-4-1 vs spread coming off a loss.

-- Oklahoma won last four games vs Tulsa by average score of 47-9, as Hurricane lost two visits here, 31-15/58-0. Freshman QB Jones got first start vs I-AA Idaho State last week, completing 18-32/286 yards.

-- Texas A&M is 11-8 as home favorite since '04, just 9-18 vs spread in last 27 non-league games. Utah State covered 10 of last 15 as road dog.

-- Iowa State got crushed 35-3 in rivalry game last week, throwing five picks; Cyclones are 0-4 as road favorite since 2002. Kent State is 4-6 as home dog last four years- they lost 34-7 last week at BC (+21).

-- Home side won four of last five Air Force-New Mexico games; Lobos lost first two games this year 41-6/44-10, converting 5-29 on 3rd down. Air Force covered three of last four tries as a road favorite.

-- New Mexico State beat local rival UTEP 29-24/34-33 last two years, but Aggies struggled to beat Prairie View 21-18- they completed 8 of 20 passes, not good. UTEP is 3-7 as a road favorite under Price.

-- Hawai'i spent week on mainland after waxing Washington State 38-20 in Seattle; they're 10-7 vs spread in last 17 road games. UNLV is 4-14 as a home favorite since 2002.

-- Stanford won/covered six of last seven games vs San Jose State, with five of six wins by 21+ points. Cardinal are 9-3 as home fave since '02. Spartans are 11-22 as a road underdog since 2003.

-- Florida International covered in 40-14 loss at Alabama last week, with a KR for TD; they're 5-8 as road dog under Cristobal. Rutgers is 11-8 as a home favorite the last 4+ seasons.

-- North Texas won as 17-point dog in opener, then lost in OT to Ohio last week; they're improved, but Alabama beat Sun Belt's FIU 40-14 in home opener last week. Crimson Tide has SEC opener next week.

-- Middle Tennessee (+13) gained 402 yards in 24-14 win vs Maryland LY; MTSU beat Memphis 31-14 LW (TY 436-219). Terps needed OT to beat I-AA JMU last week, after getting crushed at Cal in opener.

-- South Carolina is off pair of tense games (7-3 win; 37-41 loss); they're 7-3 as home fave, but have ESPN game vs Ole Miss Thursday. FAU has senior QB, but they lost opener 49-3 at Nebraska (+21.5).

-- UAB's wild comeback fell just short vs SMU last week; they scored 77 points in first two games. Blazers won last two meetings vs in-state rival Troy, 27-7/21-3. Trojans are 10-7 as a home favorite since 2004.

-- UL-Lafayette upset Kansas State at home last week, now visit Baton Rouge, where LSU covered just three of last 13 as home favorite. Tigers won SEC opener last week, are at division rival Miss State next week.

-- Arizona State is 7-4 as home favorite under Erickson; they need sharp effort here with trip to Georgia on deck. UL-Monroe is 13-7 as a road dog since 2006.

[Spooky]

Six-pack for Friday

Some trends for Week 2 in the NFL........

-- Titans covered five of their last six games against Houston.

-- Ravens covered five of their last seven as a road underdog.

-- Chiefs are 4-11-1 vs spread in their last sixteen home games.

-- Seahawks covered nine of their last twelve divisional games.

-- Bucs covered six of last 25 non-divisional road games.

-- Bengals covered their last five non-divisional road games.

[Spooky]

Friday's List of 13: Random stuff as we offer the last chance to enter some contests

Its been a long couple days and some tough losses this week, but we're heading towards the weekend, so with that in mind, we've got some quick thoughts.......

13) It must be fun to live in a big league city like Atlanta, where if game starts late because of rain, like the Braves have the last two nights, you could go out to the park and basically have your pick of great seats. Of course from the look of it, not many Georgians agree with me.......

12) Remind me again why the Indians traded Victor Martinez.......

11) Why does every college football coach other than Pete Carroll look like they're sitting in the dentist's chair, and they're all out of novocaine?

10) Al Davis is 80 years old; there are Raider fans who are upset because his mom lived to be 102, and they're afraid longevity is in his genes.

9) So Kendra Wilkinson's reality show takes an odd turn because Eagles had to activate Michael Vick, which means boyfriend Hank Baskett got released, then relocated to Indianapolis. Hopes she likes Steak 'n Shake.

8) What is the over/under on technical fouls for Rasheed Wallace if the NBA season starts with replacement referees?

7) My A's are stuck in last place, but they're hitting 33 points higher after All-Star break than they did before it. Rajai Davis has 27 stolen bases in his last 59 games, and is hitting .347 in second half of season.

6) Thursday's Cleveland-Oakland starting pitchers featured young guys the teams acquired when they traded big stars-- Cleveland traded Victor Martinez to Boston for Masterson, A's traded Matt Holliday to Cards and one of the three players they got back was Mortensen.

5) Jacory Harris, the Miami Hurricanes' QB has improved a lot and is a darned good prospect as a sophomore. Gotta hope he stays at Miami all four seasons-- just think that helps a quarterback develop better.

4) They're playing preseason hockey games already. Season starts in a couple weeks-- with winter Olympics this year, there will be a 2-week All-Star break in the season. Olympics are in Vancouver, by the way.

3) I'm convinced that major league umps are schooled that on close plays on the bases, they're to call the runner out. Just get that feeling......in the games I watch on TV, majority of bang/bang plays are called out.

2) On June 23, 1971, a pitcher named Rick Wise threw a no-hitter and hit two home runs, undoubtedly the greatest game for any pitcher ever. Unfortunately for the Cardinals, they traded Steve Carlton to get him.

1) Interesting college game Friday, with Boise Broncos going to Fresno for a WAC battle with the Bulldogs. Fresno lost in OT at Wisconsin in their last game- they're out to avenge a 61-10 drubbing in Boise LY.

[Spooky]

Spooky's helpful tips for Friday, September 18

OH-HI-Woe

It just keeps getting worse for the Ohio State Buckeyes. After choking away a late-lead against USC, the Buckeyes found out their three-year starter at right tackle, Jim Cordle, will miss at least three weeks with an ankle injury. The team must now plug in a backup or retool its offensive line. The Buckeyes figure to have plenty of talent to outmuscle Toledo (+20.5) on Saturday in Cleveland, but the Rockets, who are averaging more than 42 points per game, are becoming a more and more enticing play.

How ‘bout a Revolution?

The New England Revolution (+125) must be licking their chops about a trip to play the New York Red Bulls. The Revolution are fighting desperately for a playoff berth and will look to get the full three-points against a team they have gone 5-0-5 against since 2006. Even better for New England, the Red Bulls could be without leading scorer Juan Pablo Angel (nine goals), who is nursing an ankle injury and missed the team’s last game. No Angel, means hell for New York.

Bullpen banter

Santiago Casilla. Michael Wuretz. Brad Ziegler. Craig Breslow. Andrew Bailey. Sounds like a beer league softball team right? How about the hottest bullpen on the hottest team in the Majors. The Oakland Athletics are an MLB-best 8-2 their past 10 games and can thank these hurlers for it. During that stretch, the pen has pitched 38 2-3 innings and allowed a meager seven earned runs. Oakland might be out of the playoffs, but they will be a tough out the rest of the season.

Can you tell me how to get to Sesame Street?

Atlanta might want to re-think its home court advantage. The Sky dropped the opening game of their best-of-three series against the Shock in Detroit, and now must play Game 2 on Friday night at Gwinnett Arena in Duluth, Ga., because Phillips Arena already had booked Sesame Street. The defending champion Shock (+6) won nine of their final 11 games to make the postseason, and won’t be intimidated by Oscar, Elmo or Snuffy.
These guys are still good

No PGA this weekend? No problem. Look close, and there is a very solid play on the Champions Tour this weekend at the Greater Hickory Classic. Normally, we wouldn’t say that about a golfer who has just one top 10 finish this season, but R.W.Eaks is a special cat. Eaks is the two-time defending champion on the course, nearly set a record-low last year, and says his knees feel the best they have all season. Listed at +2500, Eaks is such a good value, he makes you want to scream.

[Spooky]

SPOOKY'S FAB FIVE FOR FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2009


TGIF everyone

1. Quick Hits

Double dribble. The lead negotiator for the NBA refs says a lockout of referees is unavoidable. The NBA pre-season begins in 2 weeks.

Roger Federer was fined $15-hundred for cursing at the chair umpireduring the U.S. Open final.

The Cowboys will debut their new stadium Sunday night against the Giants. Since their $40-million dollar TV screens were hung too low over the field, there's a chance "do-overs" will be called if they interfere with punts.

2. The Way of the World

How crazy has it become for celebs? A front page New York Times story yesterday talked about Florida Quarterback Tim Tebow. He was approached by a woman at Radio Shack to take a picture. But the instant before her mother snapped the pic, the woman tried to take off her shirt. Give me a break. Is everyone looking for their Michael Phelps gotcha moment? Do athletes have to live like monks in today's society? Kinda sucks.

3. Nailed

Another sign of the times. I feel a twinge of sadness that Lenny Dykstra is putting his 1986 Mets World Series ring on the auction block. Of course he's the one who plunged head first into his financial mess. Mets fans still feel a special glow about that magical World Series win. In today's sports world everything is up for sale.
Even memories.

4. Quote of the Day

"There are a group of agents who do things the right way -- contacting the coach and then contacting the parents. And then there are those that contact the kids on Facebook. Anybody that I find who goes behind my back to get my kids, I'll do everything in my power to see that they're not involved in the process."


Wake Forest hoop coach Dino Gaudio, talking about agents

5. Fans of the Week

I know you are more used to cynicism than corniness in the Fab 5, but my fans of the week are Steve Monforto and his 3-year old daughter Emily. Steve is the Phillies fan who caught a foul ball, gave it to Emily, who threw it back onto the field. Steve then gave her a big hug as the world went "aww." They've since been given autographed
baseballs and jerseys. After a week of crappy behavior in tennis and music, we needed a feel good story to end the week. Thanks Steve and Emily.

Happy Birthday: Cyclist Lance Armstrong. 38.

Bonus Birthday: Former teen idol Frankie Avalon. 70.

Today in Sports: Joe Louis knocks out Tami Mauriello in the first round at Yankee Stadium to retain his heavyweight title. 1946.

Bonus Event: A horse raced a locomotive in a 9 mile race in Baltimore, and the horse won! 1830.

[Spooky]

Saturday six-pack

Some trends for this week in college football............

-- Kansas covered 16 of last 22 games as a home favorite.

-- Georgia is 30-5 SU on the road under Richt.


-- Michigan State won its last six visits to Notre Dame.


-- Iowa State lost its last 17 road games SU.


-- Kentucky covered just one of last six as a home favorite.


-- South Carolina covered seven of last 10 when laying double digits.

[Spooky]

Saturday's List of 13: Things I'm looking for this weekend....

13) Georgia is playing its third tough game, at an Arkansas team whose only game has been against I-AA Missouri State. Which is better, to be battle tested or have your confidence built up against stiffs?

12) LY, Cal Bears came east and got ambushed at Maryland; Saturday, the highly touted Bears are in Twin Cities to play Minnesota-- they're frauds if they lose to the Gophers.

11) How badly is Florida going to beat Tennessee, and how quickly will the Gators get Tebow to the bench and out of harm's way?

10) Aaron Corp is starting his first college game at Washington against his old offensive coordinator, Steve Sarkisian. USC is loaded, of course, but if Corp plays really well, does he keep job when Barkley is back?

9) Notre Dame lost last week, in large part because Charlie Weis' clock management was poor; how do his Irish bounce back against a Michigan State squad that won its last six visits to this stadium?

8) If Colorado doesn't beat Wyoming at home this weekend, candidates can start sending their head coaching resumes to Boulder.

7) The over/under on smiles by the head coaches in Cleveland-Denver game Sunday is 1.5, and no one is playing the over.

6) Jake Delhomme has been the media's pinata all week; can he regroup and play well in Atlanta? If not, AJ Feeley will be warming in bullpen.

5) With community of Jacksonville not selling out Cardinal-Jaguar game Sunday, will that hurt the Jags' chances of winning? Thats the only NFL game in first two weeks that didn't sell out. It won't be the last.

4) With two biggest defensive names (Polamalu/Urlacher) both out with injuries, will Steeler-Bear game turn into a shootout?

3) Kevin Kolb (backup QB), Sean McDermott (defensive coordinator) are the two Eagles most under the gun when the Saints come calling this week. For Kolb, its a one-game audition for the rest of the league, and for McDermott, its a chance to get out of the late Jim Johnson's shadow.

2) Monday night, there will be 100,000 people in the JerryDome; funny that the Giants are playing the first game there, since late Giants' owner Wellington Mara helped make the league what it is 50 years ago when he agreed to revenue sharing. The JerryDome is the reason that there won't be any more revenue sharing as we know it two years from now.

1) Will the Jets play as well as they talk? If they do, they might make it to Miami in February.

[Spooky]

Spooky's helpful tips for Saturday, September 19

Brave new world

Who has the best starting pitching in the majors? Right now, it’s Atlanta. The Braves are 8-2 in their past 10 games thanks to their rotation. During that streak, the starters have amassed 66 innings and allowed only 16 earned runs. Tommy Hanson, Jair Jurrjens, Javier Vasquez, Derek Lowe and Kenshin Kawakami have allowed Atlanta to stay in the NL Wild Card hunt. Can the Braves keep it up in a weekend set against the Phillies? A 9-6 record this season against the Phils says they can.

Cunningham big score for Dallas

FC Dallas forward Jeff Cunningham is licking his chops to play at Kansas City Saturday night. Cunningham made the most of an opportunity against the Wizards earlier this season when he started at striker in place of the transferred Kenny Cooper. Cunningham lit up Kansas City for four goals in a 6-0 win. Coming into Saturday’s match, he is riding the high of a two-goal, two-assist performance in a 6-3 win at Los Angeles. FC Dallas (+200) should see more of the same Saturday.

Secondary issues are primary concern

No Chris Canty on the defensive line is a blow to the Giants when they face Dallas Sunday. But with the unit’s depth, it’s not nearly as concerning as the team’s secondary. Both said starting safety Kenny Phillips (knee) and cornerback Kevin Dockery (hamstring) missed Friday's practice, with their status uncertain. Dallas quarterback Tony Romo threw for 353 yards and three touchdowns last week, and had 244 yards and two scores in his only game against the G-Men last year. A healthy Dallas (-3) is a healthy choice.

Home, Sweet, Canada

Aleksandra Wozniak might petition to have a new Grand Slam in Canada. The tournament’s No. 3 seed hails from Blainville, Que., and cruised into the quarterfinals of the Bell Challenge in Quebec with a 6-2, 7-5 win over Regina Kulikova. Wozniak (-500) is a heavy favorite against Alla Kudryavtseva, but is a very intriguing play at -5 (-125) against the Russian, who has failed to make it past the second round of a tournament this calendar year. Look for Wozniak to cover with the crowd on her side.

Silver Stars good as gold

The Phoenix Mercury looked poised to cruise to the WNBA Finals. Then, they drew the Silver Stars in the opening round. San Antonio is a stunning 6-2 ATS in its past eight meetings with the Mercury, including Thursday night’s 92-91 win in Texas. The key for San Antonio is three-point field goal defense, as Phoenix, shot a meager 27.8 percent from beyond the arc in the loss. San Antonio (+7.5) has a chance to close out the series, and even if it doesn't, the score should still be close enough.

[Spooky]

Spooky's helpful tips for Sunday, September 20

Juan gone

Juan Pablo Montoya had no problem conquering the world of Formula 1 racing. He appears on the verge of making NASCAR his next victim. Montoya took the poll for Sunday’s Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Even better, he finished first at all three practice sessions on the track. Get Montoya (+600) at a good value, before he’s gone.

A nickel short

Redskins third corner and extra defensive back in the team’s nickel package, Fred Smoot, is listed as doubtful for the team’s game against St. Louis with an undisclosed rib injury. The injury, however, doesn’t figure to be pivotal, as the Rams mustered a meager 191 yards passing against the Seahawks with quarterback Mark Bulger. Washington (-10) not having Smoot should be moot.

Bird is the word

A stolen in-bounds pass and last-second layup allowed Seattle to force a decisive Game 3 in Washington on Sunday. But it was the play of guard Sue Bird that allowed the Storm to walk away with the 75-74 win. Bird was a horrendous 1-of-9 from the floor in a Game 1 loss, but was 5-of-12 in Game 2. Bird’s shot is heating up, meaning the Storm (-1) should make it rain.

Fit to be tied

The Columbus Crew and Chicago Fire must like kissing their sisters. Because it seems every time they get together, they leave the field feeling like they just have. Five of the team’s past seven meetings have ended in a draw, including both meetings this season. And with host Columbus without injured defensive star Chad Marshall, the Crew figure to play very conservatively. Win or lose? The draw (+225) figures to be the smart play.

Meet the Mets

Just how far should you stay away from the Mets? Well, if they are in New York, Nebraska would be a good start. The Mets were ridiculed for September collapses the past two years, going 13-12 in 2007 and 14-14 in 2008. But this year, they are a hideous 5-13, dropping 10 of their past 11. Four of their past six losses have come by a single run, and the lineup is giving away at-bats by swinging freely and averaging just 3.6 runs per game over their past 10. Avoid this train wreck if possible.

[Spooky]

Six-pack for Sunday

-- Twins scored four runs in bottom of 8th to beat the Tigers and chop another game off Detroit's tenuous lead in the AL Central.

-- Jake Peavy pitched for first time in 104 days and won 13-3 against the Royals-- it was his first start for the White Sox.

-- Colorado picked up a game on the Giants by pulling away from the Diamondbacks 10-4, while the Dodgers crushed San Francisco 12-1.

-- I know it doesn't matter, except to them and me, but the A's are now 11-2 in their last thirteen games. Winning is always better than losing.

-- A total of $345,000 in fines were levied after Week 1 in the NFL.

-- A player on the Cleveland Browns was fined $1,700 by the team because he didn't pay for a $3 bottle of water in his hotel room on one of the preseason road trips. Eric Mangini would be better off teaching high school gym or being an undertaker.

[Spooky]

Sunday's List of 13: Wrapping up a college football Saturday....

13) First of all, totally impressed by Tennessee, Texas Tech even though they lost Saturday; no one thought they would play as well as they did, so hats off to them. Then there is Washington, which was winless last year, and now is happy as hell after upsetting USC in Seattle. How long before Steve Sarkisian (Sark the Shark) has a contender in Seattle?

12) Lookalikes: Sarkisian and comedian Jimmy Kimmel.

11) Florida State was an 8-point underdog at BYU. On Gameday, FSU alum Lee Corso said his school would lose by three TDs . Then a game started, and FSU ran for 311 yards, converted 12-15 on 3rd down and didn't turn the ball over in a 54-28 beatdown of favored BYU. Wow.

10) Sometimes the noon games get lost in the shuffle, since it seems like they were played last week, but what a tough guy Minnesota WR Eric Decker is. Great hands, too. He got hit so hard on his first TD Saturday, he had blood streaming from his mouth as the trainers tended to him. But he kept playing, and playing well. Could be we'll be seeing him on Sundays the next few years.

9) Alabama QB McElroy was 13-15/176 passing Saturday against an old friend; North Texas coach Todd Dodge was McElroy's high school coach in the Dallas area. Dodge's son is UNT's starting QB, but he missed the games with an injury. Bama crushed the Mean Green, 53-7/

8) East Carolina has been outscored 41-5 in the second half this season; they've outscored those same opponents 61-49 in the first half.

7) Lane Kiffin's wife and father-in-law both went to Florida.

6) Greg Paulus got his first win as a QB, completing 24-35/346 and two TDs as Syracuse beat Northwestern 37-34. Its kind of amazing what he is doing, playing D-I football afer playing hoops the last four years.

5) I go through every boxscore, every week, and I cannot remember a box like the Utah State-Texas A&M box-- both teams had 30+ first downs. You just never see a game where both teams move the ball that well, and especially when A&M had 147 penalty yards, State 66.

4) I know it was raining at Clemson, but Boston College was 5-21 for 25 yards passing for the whole game in their 25-7 loss. Looks like the magic has finally run out for the perenially overachieving Eagles, because they just don't have a competent quarterback now.

3) Virginia led Southern Miss 27-10 at the half in Hattiesburg Saturday, then the struggling Cavaliers let it slip away, losing 37-34. Won't be too long now before head coaching candidates will be faxing resumes to the Virginia athletic department. USM started its comeback with a 100-yard kickoff return, which has to make losing especially bitter.

2) Then there is SMU, which had the ball and a 24-7 lead with 1:30 left in the third quarter, trying for their first 3-0 start since 1984; they throw a pick-6, and wind up losing 30-27 to previously winless Washington State, so the Coogs head to LA next week off a win, which is more than their wounded opponents next week will be able to say.

1) Last game of the day/night ended at 2:16am ET, with UNLV pulling out a dramatic 34-33 win over Hawai'i out in Vegas. Winning TD scored on an alley-oop pass to Philip Payne on the right sideline with 0:36 left.