Spooky's so i met this girl first week of october express

[Spooky]

Hope everyone had an easy fast for all my friends out there

Spooky's helpful tips for Monday, September 28

Barber not too trim

Dallas Cowboys running back Marion Barber, nursing a quadriceps injury, needs a "miraculous" recovery to play Monday Night vs. Carolina, FOX Sports reported. According to the report, Barber did not participate in Sunday's pre-game walkthrough. Felix Jones will get the bulk of the carries and Tashard Choice will spell him. The Cowboys are -9 with a total of 47.5.

For the birds

The Baltimore Orioles have lost 10 straight games as they head to Tampa Bay, where they have lost 10 of their last 12 contests. They are facing Jeff Niemann, who is 5-2 with a 2.63 ERA at home, nearly two runs lower than his ERA on the road. The Orioles are +202 with a total of 9.5.

Can't bear to watch

The Baylor Bears had about the worst 68-13 victory a team can have. Hotshot sophomore quarterback Robert Griffin suffered a knee injury on the opening series vs. Northwestern State and was diagnosed Sunday with a torn ACL, even though he returned to complete the first half. He was replaced by senior Blake Szymanski, who suffered a bruised right shoulder in the fourth quarter. Baylor hosts Kent State (no line) on Saturday before beginning its Big 12 slate.

Greinke sandwich

The Minnesota Twins were stopped by Kansas City's Zack Greinke on Sunday and remained two games behind the first-place Detroit Tigers in the AL Central. They begin a crucial four-game series at Detroit on Monday before finishing up against Kansas City - and probably seeing Greinke again Friday. Despite the loss Sunday, Minnesota has won 11 of 13 and starts Nick Blackburn, who has won his last two starts, allowing two earned runs in 13 1-3 innings. In his only start at Detroit this season on May 5, he gave up nine runs and eight hits in 3 1-3 innings. The Twins are +114.

Losing bucks on this Buc

The Pirates have lost 13 of the last 15 games started by lefthander Zach Duke, who goes against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Duke is 2-10 during that stretch, receiving more than four runs of support just three times. There is no line yet on the afternoon matchup.

Bigger mountain to climb

With its BCS dreams already scuttled, Utah took a blow to its Mountain West Conference title hopes when starting running back Matt Asiata was declared out for the season with a torn ACL. Asiata, who had 330 yards and four TDs in three-plus games despite being slowed by nagging injuries, suffered the tear on a first-quarter TD run Saturday.

Asiata was replaced by Eddie Wide, who had a career-high 129 yards in Utah's 30-14 win over Louisville. The Utes (3-1) open their MWC slate Saturday at UNLV, which has no line.

Gopher it

The Los Angeles Angels are 1-5 in the last six games started by righthander Ervin Santana, with all five losses coming as favorites. In that stretch, Santana is just 0-2 and has pitched at least six innings five times. But he has given up nine homers in 37 2-3 innings, including seven in his last three starts. The Angels are -160 against the Texas Rangers.

A Monday off?

After sweeping the Boston Red Sox to clinch the American League East, the Yankees may rest a bunch of their regulars against Kansas City on Monday. They are pitching fifth starter Chad Gaudin, who doesn't figure in their postseason plans. There is no line yet, but make sure to check the Yankees' lineup before making a decision.

Notable quotable

"We not only got the monkey off our back, we got King Kong off our back. I'm hoping that this gets us over that hump and gives us a winning attitude."

-- Detroit Lions owner William Clay Ford, after his team ended a 19-game losing streak that included a winless season with Sunday's 19-14 win over the Washington Redskins.

[Spooky]

Six-pack for Monday

New college football rankings are out-- here are top six teams.......

6) Virginia Tech-- Good Lord, there's no way this is the sixth best club in America. Would they beat Nebraska in Lincoln? Ummmm...no.

5) Boise State-- Is there any chance they lose before their bowl?

4) LSU-- Captain Obvious checks in with his thought that since three of the top four teams are in the SEC, thats the best league, right?

3) Alabama-- Hey Bama fans-- You'll be happy to know Jaguars got their first win of the season Sunday, so Mike Shula's happy today.

2) Texas-- Down 47-7 at half to Longhorns Saturday, I bet Mike Price really regretted giving those strippers his Alabama credit card to order breakfast with. The moral: sign your contract before hiring strippers.

1) Florida-- Tim Tebow kept getting up to answer the doorbell at his apartment today, but no one was at the door. Uh-oh.

[Spooky]

Monday's List of 13: Wrapping up an NFL Sunday.........

13) I still don't think Brett Favre will bring Vikings a Lombardi Trophy, but what a home opener he gave them. High drama as he hit on a 32-yard TD pass to Greg Lewis with 0:02 to stun the 49ers, 27-24. That one will be on the highlights for years to come.

12) Tennessee's Ryan Mouton fumbled a kickoff, muffed a punt, giving the Jets two short-field TDs, as they held on to beat the Titans 24-17, giving them a 3-0 record. The muffed punt really hurt, as Tennessee had all the momentum and a 21-17 lead when it happened.

11) Bad day to be the Bucs: 36 plays, 86 yards in a dreadful 24-0 home loss to the Giants, who had 14 first downs in first half, while Bucs ran a total of just 14 first half plays.

10) Bucs-49ers-Chiefs combined to convert 0 of 31 on third down.

9) No team has ever won the Super Bowl after losing to Tampa Bay in the regular season; not many teams may get into that category this year.

8) Congrats to the Lions, who snapped their losing streak in front of 40,896 loyalists. Detroit has won one playoff game since 1957.

7) So the Redskins lose in Detroit, after an uninspiring 9-7 win against a offensively-challenged St Louis team. Tough times for Coach Zorn.

6) Sunday was first time in almost four years all four NFC North teams won in the same week. Week 10 of 2005, I do believe.......

5) Can someone explain to me why Peyton Manning is throwing passes with 3:10 left and the Colts leading 31-10?

4) Interesting to hear Troy Aikman say he dreaded rainy games, since he wasn't good at throwing wet footballs.

3) I'm so confused; Jets beat the Tennessee Titans wearing New York Titan uniforms; Tennessee was wearing Houston Oiler uniforms, while the Houston Texans lost to Jacksonville while wearing all red unis that Boog Powell once described as "looking like human blood clots" when he wore similar duds for late-70's Cleveland Indians. Bad uniform day.....

2).......especially in Seattle, where the Seahawks wore lime green jerseys that looked like roller hockey uniforms. They rivaled Florida A&M for the worst uniforms in the history of sports. Rattlers sport orange and bright green unis with an orange helmet. Clowns wouldn't wear them.

1) Favre's heroics overshadowed a 49er team that scored TD off blocked FG on the last play of the first half. Minnesota outgained SF 377-246, but were very lucky to win, thanks to the heroics of their new QB. So far, so good for #4 in the Twin Cities. Long trip home for the 49ers.

[Spooky]

NFL Monday, September 28 Tips and Trends

Carolina Panthers at Dallas Cowboys
[ESPN | 8:35 PM ET]

Panthers: The 0-2 Panthers haven’t started a season with three straight losses since 1998. So this already becomes a crucial game for Carolina considering only three teams that started 0-3 have made the playoffs since 1990 when the NFL expanded the playoff field to 12. Carolina’s defense has noticeably slipped allowing 28 or more points in seven of their last nine games. The Panthers are giving up 33 points this season and have just two sacks. Quarterback Jake Delhomme has committed 12 turnovers in his last three games. Steve Smith remains a premier deep threat, though, and the Panthers are 28-15-1 against the spread as a road underdog under John Fox. They are 34-20-1 against the spread as a ‘dog under Fox. The Panthers have a good track record of bouncing back from a loss covering eight of the past 10 times following a defeat.

The Over has cashed in 8 of Carolina’s past 10 games.
The Panthers are 4-9-1 ATS in September.

Key Injuries - Linebacker Na’il Diggs (ribs) is out.
Safety Chris Harris (knee) is doubtful.
Defensive end Everette Brown (ankle) is doubtful.
Fullback Brad Hoover (back) is doubtful.

Cowboys (-9, O/U 48): Dallas has defeated Carolina seven straight times during the regular season with the last victory occurring in 2007. Quarterback Tony Romo is looking to bounce back after having one of his worst games ever last week in a home loss to the Giants. Romo was just 13-for-29 for 127 yards and a touchdown with three interceptions. Romo is going to have to play better because Dallas’ defense has allowed 877 yards, third-worst in the NFL through Week 2. Dallas led the NFL in sacks last season with 59, but is the only defense that has yet to record a sack or force a turnover this year. The Cowboys are 0-6 against the spread at home after playing the Giants and 0-4 against the number during their last four Monday night appearances. Star running back Marion Barber may be held out because of a quad injury.

The Under is 15-6 in the Cowboys’ last 21 home games versus an opponent with a losing road record.
Dallas is 17-8-1 ATS following a defeat.

Key Injuries - Marion Barber (quad) is doubtful.

[Spooky]

Tuesday six-pack

-- Orlando Magic finally extended Stan Van Gundy's contract thru the 2010-11 season; what took them so long?

-- Josh Beckett was scratched from his Monday night start (back)

-- Twins-Tigers were rained out Monday, will play twice on Tuesday.


-- Surprised Auburn is unbeaten yet unranked. They're explosive.

-- Michigan QB Tate Forcier says he never lifted weights when he was in high school. Hard to believe a kid like that never lifted weights.


-- Our thoughts and prayers are with USC RB Stafon Johnson, who had emergency surgery Monday night after a weight bar fell on his throat while he was weightlifting.

[Spooky]

Tuesday's List of 13: Our NFL List of 13.........
13) Eagles-- Should get McNabb back after their bye week in Week 4.

12) Cowboys-- Putting together a team their stadium can be proud of.

11) Chargers-- Surprisingly looking up at Broncos in the standings.

10) Falcons-- Gave up 166 rushing yards in Foxboro, as Ryan struggled in his return to Beantown.

9) Patriots-- Bandwagon can start filling back up now.

8) Bengals-- After watching them lose to Denver in opener, never would have thought both teams would have won their next two games.

7) Broncos-- Allowed 16 points in three games, as Mike Nolan does an excellent job coaching the defense.

6) Vikings-- Greg Lewis caught winning TD pass Sunday; it was only his 4th play on the field the whole game. He was in because the starter was tired from running several consecutive fly patterns.

5) Ravens-- Happy for Cam Cameron, who went 1-15 as Miami's coach two years ago. Now he's an offensive guru in Baltimore.

4) Jets-- Last rookie QB to win his first three starts in the first three games of his rookie season? Greg Cook of the 1969 Cincinnati Bengals.

3) Giants-- Showed their depth in easy win at Tampa; another cakewalk on tap this week in Kansas City.

2) Colts-- Consecutive prime time road wins; Manning is league's MVP through first three weeks of season.

1) Saints-- More impressed by them yesterday, when they won with a defense and a running game. Previous Saint teams lose that game.

[Spooky]

Spooky's helpful tips for Tuesday, September 29

Backfield in motion

Less than 24 hours after saying that his team's 0-3 start was not the fault of quarterback Byron Leftwich, Tampa Bay Buccaneers first-year coach Raheem Morris announced Monday that Leftwich will be replaced by Josh Johnson when the Bucs face the Washington Redskins on Sunday. "He gives you the dynamic that you all know about," Morris told the St. Petersburg Times. "He creates a better chance to break out of the pocket and make a play with his feet."

Leftwich was 7-of-16 for 22 yards in Sunday's 24-0 home loss to the New York Giants in which Tampa Bay did not have a first down until the third quarter. Johnson came on in the final period and was 4-of-10 for 36 yards on one series, also scrambling for 15 yards - which made him the leading rusher for the Bucs. Tampa Bay is +7 with a total of 37 at Washington.

Rocking your world

Two years ago, the Colorado Rockies stunned baseball by winning 14 of their last 15 games to overtake San Diego, win the NL West and eventually reach the World Series. Are the Rockies about to fall victim to a similar charge? The Atlanta Braves have won 12 of their last 14 games to move within two games in the loss column of the Rockies, who hold the NL wild card slot.
Atlanta faces Florida before closing with four games against Washington, so the hot streak certainly has a chance to continue. The host Braves should be favored against the Marlins.

Katie bar the door

The Phoenix Mercury (23-11) have homecourt advantage over the Indiana Fever (22-12) in the WNBA Finals, primarily because of their win at Indiana during the regular season. But that 106-90 win on Sept. 8 came with the Fever missing Katie Douglas, who makes Indiana go. With the teams at full strength in Phoenix on Aug. 8, the Fever notched a 90-83 win with Douglas collecting 28 points, 10 rebounds and five assists. The Mercury are -4 with a total of 175 for Tuesday's opener of the best-of-five series in Phoenix.

Looking out for number two

The playoff-bound New York Yankees will spend the rest of the regular season getting some rest for their regulars and trying to determine their No. 2 starter for the postseason. CC Sabathia will certainly start Game One of the AL Division Series, but it remains to be seen whether A.J. Burnett or Andy Pettitte starts Game Two - and possibly Game Five.

Pettitte has a huge edge in experience, but Burnett can take a huge step forward with a strong start against Kansas City. In his last two starts - both on the road - he has allowed just three earned runs while striking out 17 in 12 2-3 innings. The Yankees are -235 vs. the Royals.

Road warriors?

Historically, Hawaii has had trouble when playing on the mainland. But the Warriors are off to a good start this season. Wednesday's game at Louisiana Tech is Hawaii's third straight mainland game, and it has covered the first two. Hawaii is getting 3.5 points from Louisiana Tech.

Rotating rotation

The Red Sox scratched righthander Josh Beckett from Monday's start with back spasms, then later announced that lefthander Jon Lester - knocked out of his last outing by a line drive to the knee - will start Thursday vs. Cleveland. According to mlb.com, Lester had no pain in his right knee after a bullpen session Monday.

Notable quotable

"He's the toughest guy in college football, without a question and without a doubt in my mind. I've been around this game a long time and a lot of places and I've never seen a guy like him. Who he is as a person, his mental and physical toughness is just superior."

-- Florida offensive coordinator Steve Addazio, talking about Tim Tebow, who is recovering from a concussion.

[Spooky]

SPOOKY'S FAB FIVE FOR TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2009

Happy Tuesday everyone.

1. Quick Hits

The Angels clinch the AL West. In their locker room celebration they soak the jersey of Nick Adenhart in champagne. The 22-year old pitcher died in an April car accident.

With less than a week remaining in the baseball season 3 of the 6 divisions have been clinched. (Yankees and Cardinals the others.) The Yanks will be the only team to win 100 games this season.

The star running back for USC, Stafon Johnson, had his neck and larynx rushed in a weight room accident. He is not likely to play this season.

The Dallas Cowboys win for the first time in their new stadium, beating Carolina last night 21-7. Sad to report, after two games, no punts have hit the massive video boards that hang over the field.

2. Tuesday This & That

In retrospect, would it have killed the NFL to lift the blackout for those long suffering (economically and otherwise) Lions fans? Detroit missed seeing the Lions first win since 2007.

-----
Loved the Giants, Jets, and Red Sox/Yankees all starting early Sunday. As the old song goes, "Yom Kippur comes but once a year."

-----
In nuptial news, Lamar Odom of the Lakers married Khloe Kardashian. How many Kardashians are there exactly? And remind me (other than having Bruce Jenner as a stepfather) why they're famous?


3. Don't Kill the Messenger

The Raiders don't like their former quarterback Rich Gannon. Gannon has been publicly critical of the organization. So when Gannon was set to broadcast Sunday's game (another loss) against Denver for CBS, the Raiders requested he not be part of the broadcast crew. They went even further, threatening to not allow him into their practice facility for a TV production meeting. If the Raiders banned everyone who's been
critical, their games wouldn't have announcers

4. The September Classic

When you realize how times have changed in sports. One of the greatest plays in World Series history occurred in September. Did you know that game 7 of the World Series this year is scheduled for November 5th. Do you wonder about the Twins new outdoor stadium next season, and how those lovely Minnesota nights will be so conducive to baseball. Bring your parkas and snow boots. Say Hey, a couple of snowouts here and there and the World Series will become the Turkey Day Classic.

5. Class Warfare

A fourth grade teacher in Baldwinsville New York, made a 9 year old kid wear his Yankees shirt inside out. The teacher is a Red Sox fan, and has Red Sox paraphernalia strewn around the classroom. Just one more cogent argument for home schooling.

Happy Birthday: Former Oilers and Saints coach (and father of Cowboys coach Wade Phillips) Bum Phillips. 86.

Bonus Birthday: Swedish bombshell Anita "La Dolce Vita" Ekberg. 78.

Today in Sports: Giants center fielder Willie Mays makes "The catch" against Vic Wertz of the Indians in game 1 of the World Series at the Polo Grounds. 1954.

Bonus Event: Teresa Brewer's song "I Love Mickey (Mantle) peaks at #87 on the top 100 chart.

[Spooky]

Mangini Still Sucks And Other Things That We Know...

Anyway, we're three weeks into the season now and I think it's safe to say that about eight to ten teams have already been eliminated from the playoffs. It is also OK to start generalizing who teams are and what we should be expecting over the next 3-4 months. So I just want to take a little time today to discuss some things that I've noticed over the first three games.

• The Jets are annoying. Someone needs to put these queers back in their place. When you combine Mike Greenberg, Rex Ryan being a loudmouth asshole, and everyone sucking Mark Sanchez's cock, this team is so fucking hateable. I will be rooting against them every week. The worst thing to happen to this league was rookie QB's being good. I hate it. They should all suck like Brady Quinn and need to go to another team to potentially salvage their career. They shouldn't be starting playoff games.

• Something is off about the Pats. They have no fucking rhythm on offense. It's fucking mind-boggling. Is Moss finally showing his age? Is there any reason why Joey Galloway still has a job? Why is Brady subconsciously being a pussy? Quit fucking with my sons fantasy team, goatfucker!!!

• This whole Vick thing is not going to end well. Seriously, he told James Brown that he envisioned himself starting by now? He shouldn't have been a starter BEFORE he went to prison. And now he is dropping hints that the wildcat is a gimmick and not his style? Dude, you are lucky to be a free man let alone a millionaire. They gave you a fucking chance and an offensive set that you should thrive in. Quit your bitchin'. The Eagles may win the NFC, but I have a strong feeling that it will have next to nothing to do with Dogkiller.

• Great organizations tend to produce great teams. Seems simple, doesn't it. The Giants, Eagles, Colts, Ravens, etc.: all great and viable Super Bowl contenders. The Raiders, Browns, Lions, Redskins : fucking terrible.

• By the way, the Ravens are fucking awesome. Look out. They are going to beat the Pats by double digits in Foxboro this weekend. Willis McGahee is this year's DeAngelo Williams.

• The Browns need to start over again. This team has now lost 9 in a row in which they have scored less than 5 td's in those games. Their coach now has grievances filed against him by his players. The owner cares more about his Euro soccer league team. This franchise is terrible from top to bottom. What in the hell can you do though? This is, at the least, a 4 year rebuild. I may have been too generous when I said that they will win 1 game.

• It's about catching breaks. The NFL is cool in that the line between wins and losses is so razor thin. Examples: the Bengals are a fluke tip away from being 3-0. The Steelers are two missed Bironas chippy's from being 0-3. I'm not selling on the Stillers yet, but those WR have GOT to start catching the ball. I never realized how valuable Head and Shoulders Polamalu was either because that defense without him is just a bit better than average. As far as the Bengals go, let's see how they do in Cleveland this weekend. The old Bengals would choke this game away.

• Who's your three week MVP: Brees or Peyton? I probably lean toward the guy without the face mole right now.

• I still hate Brett Favre. When you admit that you had no idea who it was that you were throwing to, go fuck yourself. Ruined my day even more seeing coach Brown Eye walk away from that a loser. The 49ers should be 3-0!!! I will admit though, I am looking forward to the MIN/GB MNF game next week.

• The Broncos suck. Fortunately, none of you are dumb enough to believe in these guys. They should kick all the teams west of the Rockies out of the NFL.

I'm too tired to come up with a conclusion.

[Spooky]

No comment on the express.




Bowling for dollars for tonight


Lets throw out a play for tonight.

MLB

SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS -147

[Spooky]

Wednesday's List of 13: Random thoughts as September ends.....

13) Catcher Chris Iannetta hit a 2-run homer in the 11th inning, as the Colorado Rockies put a very large nail in the Atlanta Braves' coffin with a 7-5 win over the Brewers at Coors Field. 8th walkoff win of the year for Colorado, which now leads the Braves by 3 games in Wild Card race.

12) If Colorado makes the playoffs, it'll be tenth year in a row that the Rockies' Jason Marquis will be on a team that made the playoffs. He's a free agent this winter, so lot of teams will want him just for that.

11) Justin Verlander got Detroit a split of its twinbill with Minnesota, so the Tigers' lead in AL Central remains at two games.

10) In two home games this season, Arizona Cardinals haven't scored a TD in first half of either game, getting outscored 34-9 before halftime.

9) The last eight times they got inside opponents' 20-yard line, Patriots have scored one TD, kicked seven field goals. Thats not good.

8) Was surprised to learn last week there are at least four artificial turf football fields at high schools in this area, which is not anything close to a high school football hotbed. Where's all that money coming from?

7) There was a high school football game last week between Lakeland and de la Salle. Lakeland is in Florida, de la Salle is in California. Where does a game like this come from? Who pays for the travel costs?

6) According to the analyst on Colorado Rockies games, 39% of leadoff walks in the major leagues wound up scoring this season.

5) If you look at the football teams in the Big 11 and their non-league schedules, you'll see that underdogs are 17-8 vs spread in those games.

4) Big weekend up in Minnesota/Wisconsin area-- not only does Favre go up against the Packers Monday night, but Gophers-Badgers go at it on Saturday in Minnesota's new outdoor stadium. Good weekend there.

3) Tough start for New Mexico football coach Mike Locksley, who has already been hit with sexual harassment and assault charges before he's even won a game with the 0-4 Lobos. Locksley got into a scuffle with an assistant coach, which seems to be happening more these days. Losing to in-state rival (and perennial loser) New Mexico State is even worse.

2) Looks like the NBA will start the season using replacement referees; as much as I dislike a lot of the way the league was run before this, there is no freakin' way I'll buy the NBA package this year. Basketball is not my favorite sport, but the NBA caters to stars too much, at the expense of the game itself. Now they're busting the refs' balls. Terrific.

1) "Minicycles of opportunity" Thats a phrase Cleveland Indian GM Mark Shapiro used to describe the plight of small market baseball teams in today's world. Makes me feel real optimistic about my A's. Ugh.

[Spooky]

Spooky's helpful tips for Wednesday, September 30

Tiger's tale

In a crucial matchup with the Minnesota Twins, the Detroit Tigers are going with rookie righthander Eddie Bonine, who is making just his ninth major league start. Bonine is 0-1 in three starts this year, but the Tigers are 2-1 in those games, primarily because Bonine has a 3.06 ERA and a 1.25 WHIP in 17 2-3 innings. Detroit is +109 with a total of 9.5.

A long, strange trip

Here is Hawaii's itinerary leading up to its game at Louisiana Tech: On Monday, the Warriors flew into Dallas against the time zones and practiced there Monday night and Tuesday. After Tuesday's practice, they flew to Monroe, La., and spent the night there. On Wednesday, they will make a 30-minute drive from Monroe to Ruston, the site of Louisiana Tech's campus. Hawaii is getting 3.5 points and has covered its first two games on the mainland. The total is 56.

Right man for the Joba?

New York Yankees righthander Joba Chamberlain makes what likely will be his last start for some time when he faces the Kansas City Royals. Chamberlain will be used out of the bullpen in the AL Division Series before returning to the rotation if the Yankees advance.

Chamberlain pitched six innings in Friday's win over Boston, his first outing since Aug. 16 of more than four innings. The Yankees have been trying to limit his innings, which are at a career-high 152 2-3 entering his final start. Since going on the "Joba Rules" in mid-August, Chamberlain is 1-4 with a 7.64 ERA. The Yankees are -175 with a total of 9.5.

Dwight not right

Indianapolis Colts defensive end Dwight Freeney, the leader of the team's pass rush, reportedly will miss at least two weeks with a right quadriceps injury. Freeney is third in the NFL with four sacks - registering at least one in each game - and the Colts are tied for eighth with seven sacks.

Two of those belong to fellow defensive end Robert Mathis, who figures to see the double-teams normally reserved for Freeney. There is no line yet on the Seattle-Indianapolis matchup Sunday, likely because Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck remains questionable.
Lilly of the (Wrigley) Field

Chicago Cubs lefthander Ted Lilly has endured knee and shoulder injuries but has been the team's most consistent starter this season. When working at Wrigley Field, Lilly has been almost untouchable. He is 8-1 with a 1.60 ERA and a startling 0.91 WHIP in 12 home starts, and the Cubs are 11-1 in those games.

The Cubs haven't lost at home with Lilly on the mound since April 22, when they were shut out by Cincinnati. The Cubs are -270 against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Go West, young man

Did you know NBA teams started practicing Tuesday? Neither did Cleveland Cavaliers guard Delonte West, who was absent without an excuse from the team's first day of practice.

West, who admitted to bouts of depression last year and was arrested on weapons charges recently, was at Media Day on Monday, saying he was taking his medication and everything was fine. West is Cleveland's starting shooting guard and averaged 11.7 points last season. The Cavaliers are 3-1 to win the NBA championship.

Vote for Pedro

Philadelphia Phillies righthander Pedro Martinez makes his first start in 11 days, finally recovered from a neck injury. The Phillies won the first seven starts made by Martinez before he lost his last start, working just three innings. This will be Martinez's last start until the playoffs, where he may get the nod over J.A. Happ or Jamie Moyer as the fourth starter. The Phillies are -300 against the visiting Houston Astros.

Notable quotable

"Anybody that was there would tell you that it was a beautiful event and it was real. I don’t need that (publicity). I get enough with the Lakers. I do well for myself."

-- Los Angeles Lakers forward Lamar Odom, responding to suggestions that his weekend wedding to reality show personality Khloe Kardashian was a publicity stunt.

[Spooky]

SPOOKY'S FAB FIVE FOR HUMP DAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2009

Happy Wednesday everyone.

1. Quick Hits

The Red Sox lose to Toronto, but clinch the Wild Card and stage a private champagne party in their clubhouse when Texas loses a couple of hours later.

Detroit and Minnesota split a day-night doubleheader. The Tigers still lead the Twins by 2 games for the AL Central.

The Cubs are eliminated for the 101st straight season.

Miami Dolphins quarterback Chad Pennington is done for the year with a shoulder injury.

Nothing quite says "bowl game" like winter time in the Bronx. The Yankees will announce a college bowl game today at Yankee Stadium starting in 2010. Wonder what their version of the Rose Parade will be?

2. Political Football

You knew it was inevitable. President Obama is going to Copenhagen this week to pitch Chicago for the 2016 Olympics and some Republicans are carping "doesn't he have more important things to do?" Granted, the Olympics, unlike Afghanistan and health care, aren't life and death. But if our President (no matter what the party) wants to make a sales pitch in the name of sports for our country, I say "go get 'em Prez." And today President Obama will present Arnold Palmer with a Congressional Gold Medal for all he's done.

3. Tweet Tweet

Being a "twit" myself even though I am not on twitter. I am bemused by the twitter controversy in sports. Jets coach Rex Ryan benched wide receiver David Clowney for the mildest of tweets about his playing time. And at Texas Tech the coach has banned all of his players from tweeting after one of his linebackers tweeted that the coach was late for a meeting. Doesn't the First Amendment guarantee freedom of tweech?

4. Wednesday six-packOdds to win the 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs

-- Detroit Red Wings, 7-2
-- San Jose Sharks, 7-1
-- Pittsburgh Penguins, 7-1
-- Washington Capitals, 10-1
-- Chicago Blackhawks, 10-1
-- Boston Bruins, 10-1


5. Happily Wedded Bliss

As a public service, I'd like you to know there's some sportsbooks that's taking bets on how long Lamar Odom of the Lakers will stay married to Khloe Kardashian. The over/under is 25 months. Is this a Spooky Express special wager shouldn't that read 25 weeks?

Happy Birthday: 5 time Grand Slam winner Martina Hingis. 29.

Bonus Birthday: "Chances Are" that Johnny Mathis is 74 today.

Today in Sports: The Babe hits his 60th home run. A magical record that stood until Roger Maris broke it 34 years later. 1927.

Bonus Event: The not so happy couple. Boxer Mike Tyson and his wife Robin Givens appeared on the Barbara Walters show. Eight days later she filed for divorce. 1988.

[Spooky]

You know what. I am going to keep posting my plays in the Weekly Express.

Its gonna be like Where's Waldo.

Find the picks and find a few nuggets of gold.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT

MLB

DETROIT TIGERS +106

[Spooky]

Spooky's Stats of the Week

Stats of the Week No. 1: The state of New Jersey is 6-0.



Stats of the Week No. 2: In 2008, Miami was a league-best plus-17 for turnovers; so far in 2009, Miami is second worst at minus-5.



Stats of the Week No. 3: Going back to last season, the Tennessee Titans have followed a 13-2 stretch with a streak of 0-5.



Stats of the Week No. 4: Going back to last season, Tampa has followed a 9-3 stretch with a streak of 0-7.



Stats of the Week No. 5: Buffalo has failed to score an offensive touchdown in four of its last five home games.



Stats of the Week No. 6: The Bills have more touchdowns from their defensive ends (2) than from Terrell Owens (1).



Stats of the Week No. 7: Missouri's teams, the Chiefs and Rams, have lost 48 of their past 59 games.



Stats of the Week No. 8: Cleveland possession results in the Browns' past six quarters: fumble, punt, punt, punt, punt, interception, interception, punt, punt, punt, end of half, interception, field goal, punt, interception, interception, punt, end of game.



Stats of the Week No. 9: Indianapolis has 12 consecutive regular-season wins.



Stats of the Week No. 10: Stretching back to last season's playoffs, in Carolina's past four games, one in every 10 Jake Delhomme passes has been intercepted.







Buck-Buck-Brawckkkkkkk No. 1: Reaching fourth-and-inches on the Cincinnati 1-yard line in the first quarter, defending champion Pittsburgh launched a passive kick -- and needless to say, went on to lose. The defending Super Bowl champion is afraid to try to gain a few inches? Nor did Pittsburgh simply power-rush at the goal line: Later, reaching second-and-goal on the Cincinnati 6, Pittsburgh went incompletion, incompletion, kick.



Buck-Buck-Brawckkkkkkk No. 2: Trailing the hapless Lions 13-7 in the fourth quarter, facing fourth-and-3 at midfield, Jim "Dan Snyder Hasn't Fired Me Quite Just Yet" Zorn ordered a punt. Needless to say, Washington went on to lose to a team on a 0-19 streak. So what if a fourth-and-goal attempt failed in the first quarter. That was then, this is now! Fortune favors the bold!



Buck-Buck-Brawckkkkkkk No. 3: Trailing Philadelphia 27-7 with 9:47 remaining, Kansas City punted on fourth-and-1. Who cares if the Flintstones were on their 24, this was Kansas City's last-gasp to remain in the game. Unlike in the NCAA, there are no style points in the NFL -- better to go down swinging than to punt in hopes of restraining the margin of the defeat. Five snaps later, Kansas City trailed 34-7.




Fortune Favors the Bold!: It wasn't all temerity in NFL playcalling. Game tied at 24, Jax's run was stuffed by Houston on third-and-1. On fourth-and-1, Jax went for it, converted, and scored the winning points on the possession.





College Notes: Ball State, 12-2 in 2008, is 0-4 this season, including a humiliating loss to always-dreadful North Texas. Coach Stan Parrish said last week "the football gods" had decided to punish the school. Yea, verily, for your faith you will be rewarded! Look for Ball State to bounce back.




Who Looks This Stuff Up? In Week 2 versus Houston, Tennessee's Chris Johnson became the first NFL player to record a 90-plus-yard touchdown rush, a 60-plus-yard touchdown reception and a 50-plus-yard touchdown rush in the same game.

[Spooky]

Thursday six-pack



So how old do I feel. My youngest son is 18 years old today.



Happy Birthday buddy!


-- Surprised to see Nike re-signed Michael Vick to a contract to wear their gear; no word on how much, if anything he's being paid. Good to see Vick getting a second chance at life. Hope he's grateful.


-- Indians are only team to trade reigning Cy Young winners in two consecutive seasons, so of course they fired the manager for losing too much. If he still had Sabathia, Lee he might have won more, no?


-- NBA banned players from tweeting, starting 45 minutes before the game, until the game ends.


-- Someone wrote a book called I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell, and it now being made into a movie. Some title.


-- Raiders' assistant coach Randy Hanson has told Napa Valley police that head coach Tom Cable broke his jaw with a punch during training camp this summer. Interesting to see if charges get filed.


-- NHL must really hate this Jim Balsillie; they refused to let him own the Phoenix Coyotes (and move them to Ontario) even though he put up an offer of $242M. Something about him not being trustworthy.

[Spooky]

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


13) How will USC fare in Berkeley after a tumultuous week where one of their RBs had his larynx crushed in a weightlifting accident?

12) Can Georgia protect the ball? They're minus-9 in turnovers, going -2 or worse in all four games. LSU is their fifth straight BCS opponent, so they could be a little tired. They were lucky to beat Arizona State.

11) How will Oklahoma freshman QB Landry Jones do at Miami, in his first road start? He tossed six TDs against Tulsa's Golden Hurricane, but Miami's Hurricanes provide a much stiffer test.

10) Can South Florida take care of business at Syracuse after their huge win at Florida State? PJ Daniels will make just his second career start.

9) Which Seminole team shows up at Boston College this week? The one that crushed BYU in Provo, or the one that lost to USF and damn near lost to I-AA Jacksonville State? Very strange team, Florida State.

8) How will Auburn's explosive offense do in their first road game, up in Knoxville against Monte Kiffin's Tennessee defense?

7) How many fans will jam into JerryWorld for Arkansas-A&M game?

6) Can the Redskins finally put away an inferior opponent? Tampa Bay is awful, but so are the Rams/Lions- Washington struggled against both.

5) Bucs' Josh Johnson, Dolphins' Chad Henne both are making their 1st NFL start; Florida's three NFL teams are a combined 1-8. Not good.

4) Can Baltimore hang 30+ on the Patriots in Foxboro? Ravens average a whopping 34.3 ppg; something tells me they won't get to 34 Sunday.

3) Trap game for Bengals in Cleveland, after a rare win over the Steelers. Derek Anderson gets the start at QB for the Browns, who don't appear to be enjoying the Eric Mangini era very much.

2) Sean Payton's offense vs Rex Ryan's defense. Tremendous matchup in the Superdome, with unbeaten Jets visiting the unbeaten Saints.

1) Brett Favre against the Packers? It doesn't seem right, kind of like if Batman went up against Robin, or Mr Fuji against Professor Tanaka.

[Spooky]

Week 4 NFL games


Raiders (1-2) @ Texans (1-2)-- Road team won Texans' first three games, as Houston lost both home tilts, 24-7/31-24, after losing goal-line fumble late in Jaguar loss- they struggle to stop the run, allowing 190-240-184 yards in first three games. Foes converted 50% on third down in first three games. Russell is horrible as Oakland's QB, completing 19 of 45 passes for just 141 yards the last two games. Raiders covered six of last nine as road underdog- they're 9-16 vs spread as non-division road dog since 2003. Texans won two of last three against the Raiders, with all three of those games played in Oakland.


Titans (0-3) @ Jaguars (1-2)-- Third road game in four weeks for a Tennessee squad that is 0-3 and desperate; they've outrushed foes 353-182, usually good indicator of success, but they turned ball over twice in kicking game last week, and have eight turnovers in three games (-3). Titans are also just 13-38 on third down, which contributes to them losing field position battle by 11-8-14 yards in three losses. Jags don't have much of home field edge- they're the only NFL team that won't sell out any of their home games. Road team is 6-4 in last ten series games. Titans 3-2 in last five visits here, winning last two, 13-10/24-14.


Ravens (3-0) @ Patriots (2-1)-- Red-hot Baltimore scored 38-31-34 points in first three wins, scoring 13 TDs on 32 drives; they've picked off six passes in last two games, have outrushed opponents 470-153, but they've played both Chiefs, Browns, two awful teams. Patriots ran ball for 168 yards vs Atlanta last week; they only have three takeaways (+1) and are really struggling in the red zone, with one TD, seven FGs on last RZ eight drives. They've converted 18 of 34 on 3rd down in their two wins, 5-15 in their loss. Pats are 14-18-1 in last 33 games as home favorite. Ravens covered six of last eight as underdogs.


Bengals (2-1) @ Browns (0-3)-- Can Bengals back up huge win vs Pitt with a win vs hapless Browns, who have one TD on 32 drives this year, outrushed 553-214 with a minus-7 turnover ratio? Cincy is 6-2 in last eight series games, winning three of last four here- they shut Browns out in last two wins here, lost 51-45 here in '07. Palmer makes huge difference for Bengals; they're 12-26 on 3rd down last two weeks, converted two 4th down plays on winning drive vs Steelers. Browns failed to cover last seven tries as single digit dog. Bengals are 1-5 as road favorite last two years; they're in a Steelers/Ravens sandwich.


Giants (3-0) @ Chiefs (0-3)-- Big Blue had glorified scrimmage in easy win at Tampa last week, have another one here, against KC club that is 7-36 on third down this year, losing first three games by 14-3-20 points. Upsets in games like this need turnovers by favorite- KC has only two takeaways so far in '09, Giants have no giveaways last two weeks. Chiefs are just 4-7 as home dog last two years; Giants are 12-4 in last 16 tries as road favorite, 9-3 in non-division games. Chiefs lost last seven at home- they're 4-10 in last 14 as non-divisional home dog. Third game in row on road for Big Blue, a historic NFL soft spot.


Lions (1-2) @ Bears (2-1)-- Detroit ended 19-game skid last week; they're 6-2 vs spread in last eight tries as road dog, but lost six of last eight series games, dropping three of last four here, losing by 32-27-4 points. Underdog covered four of last five series games here. Bears won last two games but they haven't run ball well this year (86-43-85 yards)- they haven't led at the half yet, but outscored foes 41-21 in second half. Since 2001, Lions are 7-19-2 vs spread in game after a win. Former Lion head coach Marinelli is an assistant with Bears. Detroit is 13-5 as a double digit dog, but 0-2 this year, losing by 18-14 points.


Bucs (0-3) @ Redskins (1-2)-- Washington lost to Lions last week after shaky 9-7 win vs Rams week before, so natives are restless, but Tampa is really bad, losing first three games by 13-13-24 points. Bucs were outrushed 244-85 last two weeks and now 2nd-year QB Johnson gets first NFL start in only second game action. Bucs are just 9-38 on 3rd down. Redskins are 5-11-1 as favorite at home since '06; they've been outscored 37-13 in first half, and have no TDs in first half of last two contests. Under is 12-2-1 in last fifteen Redskin games. Home side won four of last five series games, all decided by 7 or less points.


Seahawks (1-2) @ Colts (3-0)-- Indy off pair of primetime road wins, are just 2-6 in last eight games as home favorite, winning 14-12 in only '09 home game. Colts has big Monday night game at divisional rival Tennessee next week; they are 4-5 in last nine games as double digit fave, but 8-6 as non-divisional home fave. Seattle is live if Hasselbeck goes, off-limits if Wallace is QB- they're 8-14 as road dog since '04, 6-14-2 in last 22 games as non-divisional road dog. Bad news for Colts is pass rushing star Freeney is out. Manning is on top of game, averaging 12.3/10.8 ypp last two weeks; they're better without Harrison????

Jets (3-0) @ Saints (3-0)-- Two hot teams meet here; Jets have yet to give up more than 4.6 ypp this year, while Saints averaged 10.5/8.0/5.0 in first three games, while also running ball for 157-133-222 yards, so they're balanced more than previous years. NO won its first three games by 18-26-20 points- they've covered five of last six as home fave, but are just 6-10 as non-divisional home fave. Jets are 13-6 as road dog since '06; they are 9-14-1 vs the spread vs NFC teams since '03. Saints' WR Colston played college ball at Hofstra, where Jets used to train, but Jets didn't draft him. Over is 5-2 in last seven Saints' games.


Bills (1-2) @ Dolphins (0-3)-- Pennington is out for year, Henne gets his first NFL start vs Buffalo team that is 7-3 in last ten series games, but lost twice to Miami LY (25-16/16-3). Dolphins ran ball for 239-149 yards last two games, but haven't averaged 5.0 ypp yet- they have only one takeaway this year (-6). Saints ran ball down Buffalo's throat in 4th quarter last week (222 yards for game) would expect to see lot of Brown/Wildcat here. Buffalo is 6-3 as a road favorite since '04. Miami is 8-13 as home dog. Owens didn't catch pass in a game last week for first time in 12 years, expect Bills to get him involved early.


Rams (0-3) @ 49ers (2-1)-- Niners had brutal loss in Metrodome last week as Favre pulled game out with :02 left, but SF is much-improved team that is 6-2 in last eight series games, with only one win by more than seven points. Rams lost best WR Robinson last week, but got upgrade at QB when Bulger hurt his shoulder and Boller came in; they've been outscored 30-3 in second half, when defense gets worn down from being behind so much. Rams are 6-11 vs spread in last 17 games as road dog, 0-6 in last six division road games. Gore is out for 49ers, which hurts running game; they've only turned ball over twice in 2009.


Cowboys (2-1) @ Broncos (3-0)-- Road game on short work week for Dallas team missing two best RBs; despite that, Cowboys ran for 251-212 yards in last two games. Denver is off quickly, giving up 5.5 ppg (one TD/31 drives); after getting lucky in opener at Cincinnati, they crushed woeful teams the last two weeks, running ball for 401 yards. Cowboys are 10-7-1 as home favorite since '06, covering six of last seven as favorite of three points or less. Broncos are 3-1 as home dog this decade, 4-6 as dog of three or less points. Defending Romo this week is huge step up, after seeing Quinn/Russell in last two games.


Chargers (2-1) @ Steelers (1-2)-- Pitt not running ball as well this season (84.3 ypg this year); they lost last two games by FG each, failing to stop Bengals on pair of 4th down plays on final drive last week. Chargers are throwing it well with LY out (6.2/9.0/8.2 ypp) but they've also given up 148-130-149 yards on ground, so interesting to see if Pitt can keep ball away from Rivers. Steelers are 11-7 as home fave since '06, 9-6 in non-division games- they beat Bolts twice LY, 11-10/35-24. Chargers are 15-4-1 vs spread in last 20 games as a road dog, but lost 12 of last 14 to Steelers, with both wins coming in playoff games.


Packers (2-1) @ Vikings (3-0)-- Favre plays first game against team that made him famous; rivals split last eight series games, with two LY decided by total of six points. Vikings are 8-10 in last 18 games as home favorite, pulling out a dramatic win on last play last week, overcoming getting FG blocked for a TD. Pack is already +8 in turnovers, picking off seven passes- they allowed 151-149 yards on ground last two games, good news for Peterson, who was held under 100 last week. Vikes scored 34-27-27 points in first three games, taking all three games, despite trailing all three at halftime. Rodgers has been sacked 12 times in three games, not good.

[Spooky]

Spooky's helpful tips for Friday, October 2

Barber of Dallas

The backfield situation for the Dallas Cowboys appears to be a bit more stable. Star back Marion Barber will play on Sunday against the Denver Broncos, said owner Jerry Jones. Barber missed the team’s 21-7 win over Carolina with a left quad injury, but should be healthy enough to face Denver. This is huge news for Dallas, as the team is expected to be without backup and kick returner Felix Jones, who is suffering from a knee injury, and third-teamer Tashard Choice is not a feature back. Dallas is listed as a 3-point favorite over the Broncos.

McKelvin gets buffaloed

The Buffalo Bills pass defense just got worse. The 28th ranked unit in the league – allowing more than 273 yards per game through the air – will be without starting cornerback Leodis McKelvin for the remainder of the season. McKelvin broke his leg in the first quarter of a loss to New Orleans last week and was placed on the IR on Thursday. Journeyman Drayton Florence will take his place on Sunday in Miami against the Dolphins (+1). The Dolphins have the league’s 30th ranked passing attack and are without quarterback Chad Pennington, but should look to exploit Florence early and often.
Dodge the Dodgers

Los Angeles might be a team you want to avoid. The Dodgers have lost six of their past 10 and are headed for some rough territory. The team ends the season with three games against Colorado starting Friday night, and if the Rockies sweep, they will drop down from NL West champs to Wild Card winners. The reason for the Dodgers fall fade is a streaky offense that continues to disappear in big spots. The team is averaging a meager two runs per game in its past six losses and even less during its four-game losing streak. Stay away from L.A.

Galaxy quest

The Los Angeles Galaxy also have been struggling down the stretch. Los Angeles has suffered three of its six losses in the past seven games, including getting shutout three times over that span. The team looks to take a step closer to securing a playoff berth against Chicagoon Sunday, but also will be without midfielder David Beckham who is nursing an ankle injury. Chicago has conceded four goals in its past two games, but is a sparkling 6-2-5 on the road this season and a great value at +185 to win on Friday night.

Broad street bullies

The Philadelphia Flyers are hanging their hats on defense this season. And low-scoring games have been a staple of the squad’s games against the Hurricanes last year. The Flyers, who open on the road in Carolina Friday night, saw three of their four meetings with the Hurricanes fall under the total last season. Philadelphia also will give loads of ice time to perennial All-Star defenseman Chris Pronger, who is expected to be the team’s leader after getting traded for this offseason. With a total set as high as six, it figures to be the smart play to take the under.

[Spooky]

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

13) Wyoming-- Get a map. Find Laramie, WY on it, then find Miami. It is a very long road trip for the Cowboys this week, at Florida Atlantic.

12) USC-- You don't think every high school/college team in country lectured their players this week on the importance of having spotters in weight room? Having a spotter probably saved Stafon Johnson's life.

11) Baylor-- Lost star QB Robert Griffin (ACL) for the year; backup is also banged up. Good news is basketball practice starts in two weeks.

10) South Florida-- Travel north to Syracuse after biggest win in school history; redshirt freshman QB Daniels looks like the real deal.

9) Houston-- Had great win over Texas Tech, but then three players had their helmets stolen in the celebration. As of Thursday morning, one had been returned. Hard to play without a helmet.

8) Michigan State-- Lost last three games by total of 13 points, even as Spartans scored 87 points in the three losses. Now the Wolverines visit East Lansing-- they've won last three visits here.

7) Kansas State-- I-AA Tennessee Tech kicked off twice to K-State in their one-sided game, and Wildcats ran them both back for TDs. Never heard of that happening before.

6) California-- Went to Eugene as national title contenders, came back to Berkeley 42-3 losers. Now USC comes to town. Bad week for Tedford.

5) Notre Dame-- Last three games were decided by total of 10 points. It is still amazing to me that Purdue called timeout with 0:36 left last week, when Irish were going to spike ball to kill clock on 3rd down. They won the game on their second play, which they wouldn't have had otherwise.

4) New Mexico-- They're 0-4, lost to New Mexico State, and the coach has already punched an assistant, been charged with sexual harassment. Other than that, its been a good season so far in Albuquerque.

3) Boise State-- Now that there will be a bowl game in the Bronx, Boise is no longer the worst destination for a team to go bowling. Nothing like freezing to death at your bowl, instead of, say, Vegas or Hawai'i.

2) NC State-- Why did they play back/back I-AA teams? They're better than that. How can coaches measure progress if they're playing crummy teams? I just don't like it when BCS schools play I-AA opponents.

1) UAB-- Got first-ever win over Southern Mississippi Thursday night, so big night for the Blazers, who are led by senior QB Webb, one of the better players you probably won't see play this season.