The Clutchness of the Gambling Gods III.

I did win $200 earlier this week on a 6-teamer and since then my confidence has been soaring:

176ers(Philadelphia) 1stHalf 41
1Bobcats(Charlotte) 1stHalf 41 11/24/08(19:10 ET)
1Bobcats(Charlotte) +1.5

176ers(Philadelphia) 1stHalf 41
1Bobcats(Charlotte) 1stHalf 41 11/24/08(19:10 ET)
Under 90

1Bucks(Milwaukee) 1stHalf 47
1Magic(Orlando) 1stHalf 58 11/24/08(19:10 ET)
1Magic(Orlando) -5

1Bucks(Milwaukee) 1stHalf 47
1Magic(Orlando) 1stHalf 58 11/24/08(19:10 ET)
Over 97

1Rockets(Houston) 1stHalf 56
1Heat(Miami) 1stHalf 48 11/24/08(19:40 ET)
1Rockets(Houston) -1.5

1Rockets(Houston) 1stHalf 56
1Heat(Miami) 1stHalf 48 11/24/08(19:40 ET)
Over 95

I was never really threatened in this parlay. My risk pick was taking the Bobcats to cover and I was pretty surprised that they did, I'm not gonna lie. But the thing is...they're actually very reliable on covering first half point spreads for some reason.

I cashed that out minus $20 (as any smart man in my position would do). The Gods would get their revenge though in a myriad of ways. Example 1:

Parlay (3 Teams) 11/25/08 00:25 ET
bet 15.00 to win 90.00 Result: Wager Lost
Navy 16
NIllinois 0 11/25/08(19:10 ET)
Over 51

WMichigan 22
BallSt 45 11/25/08(19:10 ET)
BallSt -10.5

WMichigan 22
BallSt 45 11/25/08(19:10 ET)
Over 53

I was under the impression that both defenses were mediocre; which really didn't turn out to be the case at all. A gross miscalculation on my part- since I ravaged the Ball State game pretty easily.

Example 2:

Parlay (5 Teams) 11/26/08 10:31 ET
bet 6.00 to win 143.00 Result: Wager Lost
Cardinals(Arizona) 20
Eagles(Philadelphia) 48 11/27/08(20:20 ET)
Over 47

Seahawks(Seattle) 9
Cowboys(Dallas) 34 11/27/08(16:35 ET)
Seahawks(Seattle) +12.5

Seahawks(Seattle) 9
Cowboys(Dallas) 34 11/27/08(16:35 ET)
Under 46.5

Titans(Tennessee) 47
Lions(Detroit) 10 11/27/08(12:40 ET)
Titans(Tennessee) -11 (-115)

Titans(Tennessee) 47
Lions(Detroit) 10 11/27/08(12:40 ET)
Over 44

There was no doubt about the Tennessee game. The O/U was put at 44 because they'd figure it'd be a 34-7 game or some shit like that but I wasn't fallin for it. I'm just upset that Seattle simply didn't come to play in the first half of the Cowboys game because in the 2nd half they played OK. Julius Jones' fumble in Cowboys' territory on the Seahawks' first possession really was what did me in; because after that the Boys drove down the field, made it 14-0 and was a wrap from there.

Example 3:

Parlay (6 Teams) 11/28/08 14:22 ET
bet 5.00 to win 232.05 Result: Wager Lost
1Duquesne 1stHalf 32
1Duke 1stHalf 52 11/28/08(15:05 ET)
1Duke -11.5

1Duquesne 1stHalf 32
1Duke 1stHalf 52 11/28/08(15:05 ET)
Over 75.5

1Oklahoma 1stHalf 36
1Purdue 1stHalf 40 11/28/08(16:00 ET)
1Purdue -0.5 (-115)

1Oklahoma 1stHalf 36
1Purdue 1stHalf 40 11/28/08(16:00 ET)
Under 65

1UTEP 1stHalf 33
1WakeForest 1stHalf 42 11/28/08(15:55 ET)
1WakeForest -5

1UTEP 1stHalf 33
1WakeForest 1stHalf 42 11/28/08(15:55 ET)
Over 71.5

This one was tough for me to handle. The irony here is that Purdue was behind for a while, but they went ahead...yet in the process both teams began scoring quite a bit. As I placed this bet, the O/U shifted from 64 to 65. I shoulda took that as a hint to take the over but I did not.

Example 4:

Parlay (8 Teams) 11/28/08 17:13 ET
bet 5.00 to win 750.00 Result: Wager Lost
176ers(Philadelphia) 1stHalf 28
1Celtics(Boston) 1stHalf 46 11/28/08(19:40 ET)
Over 94.5

1Bobcats(Charlotte) 1stHalf 53
1Pacers(Indiana) 1stHalf 48 11/28/08(20:10 ET)
Over 95.5

1Bucks(Milwaukee) 1stHalf 49
1Pistons(Detroit) 1stHalf 62 11/28/08(20:10 ET)
1Pistons(Detroit) -5

1Bucks(Milwaukee) 1stHalf 49
1Pistons(Detroit) 1stHalf 62 11/28/08(20:10 ET)
Over 94

1Hawks(Atlanta) 1stHalf 50
1Raptors(Toronto) 1stHalf 46 11/28/08(19:10 ET)
Under 100.5

1Heat(Miami) 1stHalf 57
1Suns(Phoenix) 1stHalf 44 11/28/08(20:15 ET)
Over 99

1TWolves(Minnesota) 1stHalf 44
1Thunder(OklahomaCity) 1stHalf 48 11/28/08(20:10 ET)
Under 95.5

1Warriors(GoldenState) 1stHalf 52
1Cavaliers(Cleveland) 1stHalf 58 11/28/08(19:40 ET)
Over 109

What an erroneous error on my part going for the Sixers-Celtics over. The thing was though, Boston had been slacking on defense recently. But I should have figured that the Sixers suck at scoring. The Gods just to spite me have the Warriors-Cavs game barely go over (win) shit. Everything else was relatively safe.

Total I barely missed out this week: $1,215.05

And so on.

NFL Week 13 Bettors Guide.

Last Week: 12-4 straight up; 11-5 against the spread.

Past 3 weeks: 30-15-1 straight up; 24-19 against the spread.

Lately I haven't been in too much of a mood to explain myself with these picks but I'm gonna try my best anyway.

Thanksgiving:
Tennessee Titans (-11.5) @ Detroit Lions (1230pm): Something has to give. The Titans haven't failed to cover on the road all year. The Lions haven't failed to cover when they're 10+ point underdogs. I woulda had the Lions covering except the Titans went out and got their asses handed to them by my Jets. Chris Johnson and the running game is gonna have a field day; meanwhile the Titans' defense is gonna take out a lot of frustration. Tennessee 34 Detroit 14

Seattle Seahawks (+12.5) @ Dallas Cowboys (415pm): Dallas is 1-2 ATS when favored by 10+ points; while for Seattle they're 1-0 in this situation. Seattle's actually covered the last three times they've been on the road. The main problem with the Seahawks lately is that they cannot execute down the stretch; they've been playing decent football though. Dallas is desperate to keep pace with the Giants in the division and they'll win yes. But fail to cover. Dallas 27 Seattle 17

Arizona Cardinals (+3) @ Philadelphia Eagles (815pm): Arizona has covered in 5 of their last seven games...however they are 0-3 ATS this year vs. the NFC East; while Philadelphia is 3-0 ATS vs. the NFC West. A lot is at stake for both teams, but with the mini-turmoil going down for Philly with their QB situation, I gotta go with the squad that has less distractions going on. A win for Arizona here gives them the NFC West crown. Both teams will score, but it will be hard for Philly to keep up with the Air Cards. Arizona 31 Philadelphia 24

Sunday 1pm Games:
San Francisco 49ers @ Buffalo Bills (-6.5): It's hard for me to get really excited about either team to be honest. Buffalo though is 2-0 ATS versus traveling West Coast teams (Seattle, San Diego) and with how the NFC West (minus Arizona) is these days, they tend to slack off after a while. Buffalo 24 San Francisco 17

Miami Dolphins (NL) @ St. Louis Rams: There's probably no line on this game yet because quite frankly; it's becoming too easy to bet against the Rams- who have absolutely nothing left in their tank. Miami 28 St. Louis 10

New Orleans Saints @ Tampa Bay Bucs (-3.5): The general rule of thumb is within the NFC South, take the home team to win every time. Tampa Bay 24 New Orleans 20

Carolina Panthers @ Green Bay Packers (-3): Green Bay had a perplexing loss to New Orleans on Monday and the most bi-polar team in the NFL has six days to recover from this, facing a Panthers team that has a solid defense, but a truly unremarkable offense. Whoever makes the least mistakes wins. Green Bay 21 Carolina 14

NY Giants (-3.5) @ Washington Redskins: The team on a mission (Giants) takes on a Redskins team that appears to have been figured out. Clinton Portis is gonna get his; but Jason Campbell hasn't really gotten his WRs involved as much as he should. Plus if Jacobs and Plaxico come back, forget about it. It also helps the Giants have won 4 of the last 5 in this series straight up- including 2 straight/ATS at FedEx. NY Giants 24 Washington 13

Baltimore Ravens (-7) @ Cincinnati Bengals: The only question here for me is whether the Ravens' defense will outscore the Bengals. They might. Actually the Bengals' defense has been OK (don't laugh)...it's just that their offense is a complete joke. Baltimore 24 Cincinnati 7

Indianapolis Colts (-5) @ Cleveland Browns: So, Derek Anderson returns as QB for the rest of the season. What does it matter? None. They lost to the Texans for God's sakes. You think Peyton Manning isn't salivating about his prospects to take advantage of this shit secondary? It could be -10 and I'd still take the Colts. Indianapolis 31 Cleveland 17

Sunday 4/815pm Games:
Atlanta Falcons @ San Diego Chargers (-4.5): There comes a time in every team's season where they simply have to take control of their season. Norv Turner has been way too conservative with this team. They're far too talented to be 4-7. I love the Falcons this year but they shouldn't be able to win here. Or can they? I'll probably regret this one. San Diego 28 Atlanta 21

Denver Broncos @ NY Jets (-7.5): I'm gonna finally drink the Kool-Aid here. But that's because Denver's defense is so shitty. If you allow Oakland's offense to rack up 31 points; good luck stopping or even slowing down the AFC's highest scoring offense. Don't get me wrong, the Cutler/Marshall express will get theirs too. But in the end, the Jets win a game they're supposed to...even though they're 0-3 ATS versus the AFC West (inexplicably) this year to this point (they're 7-1 ATS vs. all other divisions). NY Jets 38 Denver 24

Kansas City Chiefs @ Oakland Raiders (-3): I really am gonna take Oakland to cover here. Why? For one, they completely dominated KC back in week 2 (even though that was eons ago) and KC cannot stop anybody on offense these days. Granted, Oakland doesn't have anywhere close to the firepower of any team in the NFL but fuck it. KC can score themselves, but Oakland's D > KC's D. Yeah I said it, it's gonna be high-scoring lmao. Oakland 27 Kansas City 20

Pittsburgh Steelers @ New England Patriots (-1): Really this game could go either way. Matt Cassell is gonna have a hella tough assignment facing this ferocious defense of Pittsburgh's...but if he repeats what Tom Brady did last year...yikes. Meanwhile, Pittsburgh SHOULD be able to move the ball on the Pats' mediocre defense. AOL Keyword: should. I won't be surprised if this game becomes a pick'em by game time but here goes nothing- New England 24 Pittsburgh 21

Chicago Bears @ Minnesota Vikings (-3.5): Good luck trying to figure out the NFC North and especially these two teams. The Vikings' formula is gonna be simple- Adrian Peterson all day everyday. I've semi-given up on the Bears and they are who I thought they were: nothing special. Minnesota 23 Chicago 17

Monday Night Football:
Jacksonville Jaguars @ Houston Texans (-3): Both teams having disappointing seasons, but the Jags in particular are having a nightmarish season. As a matter of fact, the loser of this one finds themselves in last place. The Texans are favored WTF?? But it's their first ever Monday Night home game in franchise history and at least they've been showing a pulse as of late. The Texans actually have the 4th most productive offense in the NFL and unless the SageCopter comes out- the Texans will finally get their first division win of the season. Houston 27 Jacksonville 14

And so on.

Thanksgiving.

Being at my internship on a Wednesday where the office is gonna close at some point between Noon and 1pm- I'm tryin pretty hard to focus. Oh wait, I don't really have shit to do/they want me to do so I'm like fuck it. I'm on Facebook n I'm readin all these ppl's statuses talkin about Thanksgiving this Thnaksgiving that. So I decided to think of the things that I look most forward to doing on that day:

1) Sleeping in. I normally have to get up around 7-710 in the mornin 3x/week. Ever since the Crapple store got rid of me it's just those three days really but still I find it annoying as fuck to go somewhere where I'm not gettin paid.

2) Football. Granted the Titans-Lions game and the Seahawks-Cowboys games are projected bloodbaths but hey- sometimes those are the most entertaining games because they're like accidents; you want to see just how bad it is. We like to witness other people's misery, etc. But fuck it, I'll be watchin because I'm not gonna subject myself to a Twilight Zone marathon or some shit.

3) Gettin bent. I haven't really been drinkin that much recently but for the holiday- hittin up my aunt's house and sippin on some cognac is necessary right about now. Get to the house round 430, find a glass, pour some Henny and watch the Seahawks-Cowboys shit as people file in and the food gets ready.

4) The food. But honestly my fatass doesn't care much for it. Turkey is dry so I ain't really a fan, the ham is OK, etc. I normally take a little bit of everything and of course some Apple Pie...but I ain't gonna be the one that gets severe 'itis after eatin my food. I still have an exercise/diet to uphold and I ain't gonna let this ruin me.

Yeh after you eat the food, Thanksgiving is over. Then you got Negro Friday, I mean, Black Friday. I feel sorry for you suckas who gotta work that day; I did last year from 445am-2pm NEVER AGAIN.

Lemme see what I have to be thankful for right now:
1) My improved gambling skills
2) My workout regemein
3) This internship
4) Adidas work
5) Bein black
6) Havin an iPod to drown out mothafuckas
7) Facebook
8) Breathin
9) Mike Tyson quotes
10) Youtube

That's pretty much it. I ain't the type of nigga to go on a long-winded schpel to make hearts flutter tellin you that God, my fam and my friends make me who I am because that should be a given. I just do what I do, unfortunately the hand I'm bein dealt with right now is what I gotta fuck wit but I'm sure it's a test of the emergency broadcast system. Only a test.

And so on.

College Football Top 25 Bettors Guide.

Ahh Rivalry week. Usually at this time of year all bets are off; throw away the records all that good shit because far too often when you label a team an underdog, that just adds more fuel to their fire and they wind up pulling off the upset. Hence, you'll usually see these point spreads a bit lower than usual...well in most games. It can be a tough week; but you gotta also be realistic at the same time.

Last Week: 9-5 straight up; 7-6 against the spread (no line in the Citadel-Florida massacre)
Past 3 Weeks: 38-14 straight up; 26-25 against the spread.

Tonight:
Western Michigan @ #15 Ball State (-10.5) (7pm- ESPN2): Ball State is the forgotten mid-major team ranked in the BCS. Even if they win out they won't make it to one of the lucrative bowl games (Utah has that on lock) but they have plenty incentive enough in this one. Western is 9-2, 6-1 in conference themselves and an upset for them here could force a 3-way tie (if Central Michigan beats Eastern Michigan- a loss by Central in that case would send Western to the MAC title game). Ultimately I think BSU's emotions of Senior Night and knowing what's at stake for themselves get them over the hump in a high-scoring one. Ball State 38 Western Michigan 24

Thanksgiving:
Texas A&M (+35) @ #2 Texas (8pm- ESPN): Good God almighty. For a team who has won 2 straight in this series and to be pegged as this much of an underdog has got to be fluxommed. But Texas A&M has been pretty horrible in their Big 12 South games this year (yes including Baylor)- allowing 56, 41, 43 and 66 points in those contests and losing by an average of 26 ppg. Texas is gonna be looking for some sweet revenge and with Heisman Trophy candidate Colt McCoy in the house, there'll be no worries for Longhorn faithful in terms of a victory. But asking to cover 5 TDs is a bit much. Texas 52 Texas A&M 21

Friday:
West Virginia (-3.5) @ #25 Pittsburgh (Noon- ABC): Last year down in Morgantown, Pitt pulled off a 10-6 upset of the then #2 ranked Mountaineers and ended their hopes of going to the National Championship game (even though WVU had already clinched at least a share of the Big East title). This year, the stakes are equal for both teams as they both have faint chances to still win the Big East and an Orange Bowl berth. Nothing strikes me as impressive with either team but WVU is a tad more balanced and gets the close W. West Virginia 21 Pittsburgh 17

Fresno State @ #9 Boise State (-21) (6pm- ESPN2): Surprisingly there's not much at stake here for either team. Both teams are firmly entrenched in bowl berths, and Boise isn't gonna leapfrog Utah for the BCS berth even with a win here. Plus they clinched the WAC last Saturday. Nevertheless, here we are...Boise attempting to defend their blue-turf and win their 49th straight game at home. That hasn't been a problem vs. Fresno State- winning the last 3 home meetings by an average of 29 points. I expect the same here. Boise State 35 Fresno State 13

Saturday:
#22 Georgia Tech @ #11 Georgia (-8) (Noon- CBS): Georgia Tech had a convincing victory over The U last Thursday and is riding a wave of momentum heading into this one. Meanwhile, Georgia has had a week off after two straight close calls on the road with Kentucky and Auburn. Georgia has won 7 consecutive times although there have been some close games recently; with 4 of the past five years being decided by less than 10 points. They suck covering the spread...but I think for once, they will overcome. Georgia 27 Georgia Tech 17

I'm getting lazy so I'm just gonna go express-style from here on in.

Syracuse @ #16 Cincinnati (-22) (Noon): It's fitting that Cinci beats the Orangemen...to punch their ticket to the Orange Bowl. Expect them to show no mercy on Syracuse. They're not Notre Dame ya know? Cincinnati 35 Syracuse 10

Kansas vs. #13 Missouri (-14) (1230pm- FSN): This could be 25 and I'd take Missouri. Face it, Kansas doesn't show up against ranked opponents. Mizzou 49 Kansas 24

Auburn @ #1 Alabama (-14) (330pm- CBS): Bama just knows all they gotta do is keep winning and they're OK. I'm sure they wanna do more than just that however especially on Auburn's hapless offense. Alabama 24 Auburn 7

#4 Florida (-16.5) @ #20 Florida State (330pm- ABC): Most important rule of betting in college football- ALWAYS TAKE FLORIDA TO COVER. Florida 41 Florida State 21

Baylor @ #7 Texas Tech (-20.5) (330pm): Baylor is okay like I've said before...but when they face ranked teams they get smacked around...and you know TT is gonna want to take it out on someone. BAD. Texas Tech 55 Baylor 24

Maryland (+7) @ #21 Boston College (330pm- ABC): These are the games Maryland thrives on. 4-0 as an unranked team facing a ranked team. They'll assist Florida State into getting to the ACC title game because of this. Maryland 21 Boston College 20

#23 Oregon @ #17 Oregon State (-3.5) (7pm- Versus): Oregon State has come full circle this year and that win versus (no pun intended) USC...pays off in what will be a close tight game. Oregon State 28 Oregon 24

#3 Oklahoma (-7) @ #12 Oklahoma State (8pm- ABC): For a team that thrives on napalming opponents in the first half this is ridiculously generous. OK State does play OU tough in Stillwater, but this psychotic offense of OU will "Let'er Rip". Oklahoma 56 Oklahoma State 31

Notre Dame (+30) @ #5 USC (8pm- ESPN): USC sucks versus the spread. Notre Dame should be embarassed after what happened to them versus Syracuse. It won't be pretty but like I said...USC can't cover spreads, and their offense hasn't caught up to their defense just yet. But on Saturday night it will not matter. USC 31 Notre Dame 3

And so on.

NFL Playoff Projections/Power 5/Powerless 5.

For the next few weeks on Mondays I'm going to project the seedings for the AFC and NFC. I'm not gonna predict who wins the matchups or any of that though. Also, my Top 5 teams in the league and Bottom 5 teams in the league.

Playoff Projections:
AFC:

1) Tennessee (13-3): wins over Det, Cle and Hou but losses to Pit and Ind at the end.
2) NY Jets (12-4): wins over Den, Buf, Mia and SF. upset loss to Sea prevents them from clinching homefield.
3) Baltimore (11-5): they have a more favorable sked down the stretch than the Steelers. I'll take my chances facing Cin (W), Was (W), Pit (upset W), Dal (L), Jax (W)
4) San Diego (8-8): losses to Ind, TB but they'll beat Atl, KC, Oak and Den in the last game of the year
5) New England (11-5): wins over Pit, Sea, Oak, Buf. loss to Ari
6) Pittsburgh (10-6): wins over Ten and Cle but losses to NE, Dal and Bal

NFC

1) NY Giants (13-3): wins over Was, Phi, Car. losses to Dal and Min (last game- resting starters)
2) Arizona (11-5): wins over StL, Sea, NE, Min. upset loss to Phi
3) Tampa Bay (11-5): wins over NO, SD, Oak. losses to Atl and Car
4) Green Bay (10-6): they can feasibly go through this gauntlet undefeated but I see it as this- wins over NO, Car, Hou, Chi, Det. upset loss at Jax
5) Dallas (11-5): late season push has them winning over Sea, NYG, Pit and Bal but losing to Phi last game of the season as they rest their starters
6) Carolina (10-6): a late-season collapse occurs but they're barely able to hang on. wins over Den and TB but losses to GB, NYG and NO

My Power 5:

1) New York Giants (10-1): Their defense was severely tested by the air Cardinals down in Phoenix, and they were held to half their rushing average. However, winning without Jacobs AND Plaxico Burress shows just how well-oiled their machine is especially on offense. They're in the zone right now.

2) New York Jets (8-3): Call me biased, but when you win at New England and Tennessee in consecutive weeks, you have made a statement. If it weren't for the Giants, the Jets would be the hottest team in all of football. They'll no longer be flying under the radar and with the media expected to tab them as a force to be reckoned with, they can ill afford to get caught in the hype now. The AFC East (most competitive division in football) isn't even a guarantee at this point.

3) Tennessee Titans (10-1): They got punched in the mouth and were unable to respond to the count. They still feel they're the best team in the AFC and you can argue that they MIGHT be in the wide open AFC. Just not now. Their run game was nullified and the Jets simply killed them with the short, quick passes that ultimately stretched out their defense. The poor Lions are gonna suffer Tennessee's wrath on Thanksgiving and it will not be pretty.

4) Pittsburgh Steelers (8-3): Their defense is top-notch and has kept them in every game this season. Come playoff time they are the team I fear the most. Their offense is a step behind however and if the game gets away from being a slugfest, this team could have problems. With that said, their extremely tough sked continues and it's gonna be real interesting to see if and/or when they begin wearing down from all of this.

5) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-3): There isn't anything that strikes you with this team. No WOW factor whatsoever. But they have a pugnacious defense, you can't really throw on them and Jeff Garcia is still extremely underrated. They took it to Detroit last week after being generous guests for one quarter. Also, they beat the teams they're supposed to. They have no "bad losses" of note.

My Powerless 5:

1) Detroit Lions (0-11): Tampa Bay already was preparing for Thanksgiving, being good sports in spotting the Lions 17 points. It went downhill from there in a HURRY though.

2) St. Louis Rams (2-9): Did they really beat Washington and Dallas in back-to-back weeks? They made the Bears look like we thought they were...for a week. Then again, they could make the Washington Huskies look like a National Championship contender at this rate.

3) Kansas City Chiefs (1-10): They really made Trent Edwards look like Tim Tebow. Their offense is no longer the problem, but good lord that defense. Oakland might score 35 on them next week. I'm not joking.

4) Cincinnati Bengals (1-9-1): They hung in there versus the Steelers but did you seriously think that 7-0 lead would stand up? They have three players who have caught TDs this year. Pathetic.

5) Seattle Seahawks (2-9): They're just so poor. They have their chances to win games...but somehow find a way to flub up in the waning moments of the game. And that homefield advantage? Where the hell did it go?

My next NFL blurb will be on Wednesday with my predictions and all that good shit.

And so on.

High School Reunion.

On an otherwise unremarkable weekend; I decided for the fuck of it to hit up my high school's 5-year reunion. Mainly I wanted to go for the humor aspect of the situation- I was that dude in HS that knew just about everyone but didn't bother gettin too close to anyone (and I'm still like that to this day). My HS (St. Francis Prep) there's just a unique aspect to it. Our graduating class was 650 and in general it's a huge school...yet you always felt like it was home. It was very cliquish but everyone was in harmony at the same time. The lunch tables were perfect examples of this hah- they were separated based on where you were from (ie- ppl from Whitestone sat on one table, ppl from Howard Beach, Cheerleaders, Football Team, Black ppl, etc.) I couldn't do that after a while though since I was a social butterfly.

Nevertheless, for $40 I figured it'd definetly be worth it to say "Oh shit" about 70 times and say whats good to ppl. When I got there, it's not like many people looked much different, if at all. The only difference really was now everyone was LEGALLY able to drink hah. The girls still looked bangin, even if I still have no chance with them- unless liquor is involved then it increases from 0 to 7%. One thing that surprised me was how there were a lot of friendships that successfully carried over from Prep that have passed the test of time...and that's the weird advantage of being such a big school- the ppl who are regional to you you share that common bond that manages to last.

Thank God there was an open bar because as dope as the first hour being there was...it just became a lot of walking around for me after a certain point. Most of my convos with people generally lasted about 3-5 min and for it being a 5-year and with the shit economy...I'm not gonna lie I found it a bit awkward asking and answering that "so what're you doin now" question ugh. The people who I expected to be there weren't, and vice-versa. The shocker of the year was that I didn't get much of the way of "let's hang out sometime" nor number exchanges. It was a combination of seeing right through it, and general apathy to be honest. I'm terrible at following through with phone calls and shit because I've gotten to the point where especially with chicks, even if I do call...I ain't gonna get an answer so I get apathetic. I did get this one chick's digits...will I call her? Probably not; but if she's on Facebook I'll go that route first hah.

God Bless Facebook.

Oh, afterwards, everybody decided that we would go down the infamous Bell Blvd to this spot called Sullivans to drink more. To my shock, a lot of the Prep Heads actually wound up there and stayed til the wee-hours of the morning. Bell Blvd is not my cup of tea- as I rarely ever hung out there...but it was straight. I would have stayed there longer but I had to go to the city to meet up with some people...which turned out to be a bad idea; backfiring in my face and leaving me more frustrated than I was even before...but I'm not even gonna go there right now.

Do I wish I was back in High School? Sometimes yes, sometimes no. I wish I never damaged my shoulder and actually played my senior year in football. I do wish I hadn't gone to an all-boys school prior to Prep- as I felt like I was playing catch-up. I sorta wish I was a "cool transfer" and went to more Sweet 16s (but I never got invited to any really...except one or 2). If Prep was college...it'd be hilarity at its finest. I'm sure I'll come back on November 2013 for the 10-year and I'll see these Prep Heads married with each other and all that good shit. And hopefully, we'll hang out sometime.

And so on.

NFL Week 12 Bettors Guide.

Last week: 9-6-1 straight up; 6-8 against the spread (there was no line on the Bears-Packers game until late).

Past 2 weeks: 18-11-1 straight up; 13-14 against the spread

Tonight:
Cincinnati Bengals (+11.5) @ Pittsburgh Steelers- Thus far on Thursday night NFL the road team is 2-0 straight up/ATS. It will be 2-1 straight up after tonight. Cincinnati is injury-ravaged and has had major issues moving the ball...even though they've been playing more inspired football. Meanwhile, the Steelers while still ferocious on defense- they've been having issues on the offensive side of the ball as well. Plus at home this year, the Steelers while 3-2...are a mere 1-4 ATS. This is gonna be one boring as hell game IMO. Pittsburgh 17 Cincinnati 7

Sunday's 1pm Games:
San Francisco 49ers (+10) @ Dallas Cowboys- The Cowboys got a much needed victory off of their bye on the road last week in Washington...meanwhile Mike Singletary's boys have been playing much more inspired the past couple of weeks including last week's 35-16 complete domination of the Lambs, I mean, Rams. Both teams have the capability of scoring, each with 230 points to their credit on the season, and their defenses have been lackluster- 275 allowed by the Niners; 229 by the Cowboys. Expect a high scoring one with the Cowboys winning...but the Niners for the 3rd week in a row coming out to play and covering. Dallas 27 San Francisco 20

Philadelphia Eagles (+1) @ Baltimore Ravens- Both teams here need this one. The Ravens got owned by the World Champs last week...meanwhile the Eagles played to an embarassing tie of the lowly Bengals. Considering how these two play defense (both ranked in the top 10 overall), you can expect a low-scoring affair that'll put these offenses to the test. The Eagles have a bit more explosiveness in their O however and should pull this one out. Philadelphia 20 Baltimore 13

NY Jets (+5) @ Tennessee Titans- The 1pm game of the week. The AFC's highest scoring offense goes up against the NFL's most stingy scoring defense and usually when a matchup like that happens...the defense usually comes out on top. These teams are eerily similar in that both teams have their most success running the ball (and have success stopping it also). In order for my Jets to have a chance against the spread-covering beasts from Nashville (9-0-1 ATS; 10-0 S/U) they're gonna have to continue getting Dustin Keller involved in the passing game...and the secondary is gonna have to come up huge when Kerry Collins does decide to air it out. I really hope I'm not getting ahead of myself here but here goes nothing: NY Jets 20 Tennessee 17

Buffalo Bills (-3) @ Kansas City Chiefs- One team has been completely falling apart (Buffalo); meanwhile another team keeps coming so close (Kansas City). The problem for both teams lately has been stopping the other team when it needs to most and digging themselves into holes they cannot climb out of later. KC is 2-0 ATS versus the AFC East and this is the inverse for Buffalo versus the AFC West. The sense of urgency should be higher for the Bills and THIS TIME...they'll get off the schnide. Buffalo 23 Kansas City 17

I'm not gonna waste much time explaining the rest since I'm in a rush to continue my 10K training so here goes:

Minnesota Vikings (+2.5) @ Jacksonville Jaguars: Jags= done. Vikings will get the job done here. Minnesota 21 Jacksonville 14

New England Patriots (+1) @ Miami Dolphins: The Pats haven't been swept by the Fins since like 1998. Dolphins have struggled versus shitty teams and the Pats though injury-ravaged, are seeking revenge that they'll get. New England 21 Miami 17

Chicago Bears (-7.5) @ St. Louis Rams: No more blind faith in these Lambs anymore from me. They're just playing out the string here, while the Bears are trying to find themselves. Complete domination shall ensue. Chicago 31 St. Louis 13

Houston Texans (+3) @ Cleveland Browns: Both teams are confusing as all hell. As long as the weather is not bad, they'll put up points on each other like a ping-pong. SageCopter however knowing that the Browns are even worse at blowing games than he is, will pull this one off. Houston 28 Cleveland 24

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-7.5) @ Detroit Lions: The Lions really beat the Bucs 23-16 last year. The Lions are nowhere near as good as last year's squad even if the Bucs are remarkably unremarkable at 7-3. The spread is too low for the Lions to cover (they're beasts when it's over 10 tho). Tampa Bay 24 Detroit 6

Sunday 4/815pm games:
Oakland Raiders @ Denver Broncos (-9): Yeah I understand the Raiders-Broncos series has played some close games...and Oakland has an above-average secondary. But if the Broncos score more than 17...I mean really now...Denver 28 Oakland 9

Washington Redskins @ Seattle Seahawks (+3.5): They need to hope Clinton Portis is at full strength because the Seahawks actually showed some feistiness last week...which was a shock. I'm calling the upset here only because: Seattle 20 Washington 17

NY Giants (-3) @ Arizona Cardinals: The 4pm game of the week. Regardless of whether Brandon Jacobs plays or not, the Giants can mash it with the best of them. The Cardinals can pass it with the best of them. The one thing the Cards' don't have? A pass rush, and Warner will not face one as intense as the one he'll face this Sunday. He'll make enough mistakes to lead his team to an L. NY Giants 31 Arizona 20

Carolina Panthers @ Atlanta Falcons (-1): The underrated game of the week. Carolina is on fire...even if their two wins over the Raiders and Lions have been unremarkable. Atlanta fell short last week versus the Broncos and are looking to make sure that was nothing more than a blip on the screen. Delhomme's mediocrity gets the best of Carolina this week. Atlanta 24 Carolina 17

Indianapolis Colts (+2.5) @ San Diego Chargers: The Chargers are the NFL's unluckiest team; meanwhile the Colts are probably the NFL's luckiest. Their 6-4 record could easily be 3-7 but Peyton Manning has nearly singlehandedly won his boys those games. The Chargers are in an identity crisis phase right now and it'll get even worse this week in a Sunday Night Football upset. Indianapolis 23 San Diego 20 in OT.

Monday Night:
Green Bay Packers (+2.5) @ New Orleans Saints: When you have an opportunistic defense like Green Bay's, yes it'll lead to points for the other team if their gambles are off...BUT they are gonna get theirs too. Drew Brees is gonna have to air it out to win this one again...and once again I don't think it'll be enough. Green Bay 34 New Orleans 24

And so on.