HopsGuy

Ummm, a Nazi Youth rally?

Don't truncate my superlative. I can find deep meaning in rap. I just can't find anything deeper. It's all right there on the surface. Nothing wrong with that. In fact, it's the best recipe when playing to the lowest common denominator. BTW, I probably listen to the Gourd's version more often that Snoop's anymore. It's all good. I ain't no music snob. Heck, just getting the I, IV, V chords worked out on all the major scales is perplexing enough for me.

Fo' shizzle.

You're slipping crayonz. It was Keith Urban, and he was only singing about the predictions laid out by the Hunchback of Notre Dame.

That's why rap is so popular. You every try to find a deeper meaning to "Gin 'n Juice"? Me neither.

I remember Don Henley saying that "Hotel California" sounds like it's about the occult, but in reality he simply strung together whatever sounded cool. He called it "junk sculpture".

How many of you jackasses (and I mean that in the most sincere way possible) are coming down here?

If you can get the logo, you can go to cafepress.com and make your own shirt. We're pretty close to game time, but they might be able to accomodate you.

TV is pretty sharp. He has lots of options open to him, but something tells me that he might have his sights set on Gene Upshaw's job.

Your argument is well constructed, and I might even buy into the fact that a large casino might be able to introduce a betting strategy that has quantified risk parameters in place. (I don't think that your example is true quantification, more of a "Best Guess". It's not like there is a derivatives market to hedge, either.) Large funds employ trading algorithms in just such a manner. I believe (though I have no proof) that a large portion of sports gamblers lose money, some tread water, and a small portion (~5%) make good money. I'm just guessing, but this is pretty much how it breaks down in the stock/futures world. It would stand to reason that these people at the top could gain these jobs at the Vegas casinos as handicappers. So okay, Vegas casinos may not be only interested in simply balancing the money. But like I said, you'd better be pretty good. Those palaces in the desert are built on the premise that the house ALWAYS has the advantage (over time). That being said, let's say the Broncos-Rams game starts at Den -3.5 and enough money comes in from the sharps on the Rams to push it to 2.5. Now we're in that middling area that casinos loathe. If there is some malfeasance at play, I'd think it would be elsewhere. Perhaps TheNose76 could comment on this. He's in the business (so to speak). Anyway, who do you like this week? There are 4 HUGE lines, but this week every one of them seems reasonable. Maybe Minnesota. Maybe the Bills. I'm not all that thrilled with anything right now.

Your assumption that 3.5 was an incorrect line (hindsight doesn't count) assumes a vast conspiracy amongst all bookmakers. This might have worked back in the day when bettors only had a few options. These days, the lines are available via the web creating almost perfect information dissemination. At gametime, efficient market theory dictates that the lines are ALWAYS correct. If one betting venue was "wrong", the action of "sports arbitrageurs" would quickly correct it. Go back and read that entry on "middling" again. eball's mention of the shading is correct to an extent, but that is still really just to balance the books. If the line is "too high (like it almost always is for Notre Dame), the "sharps" will pounce. Most Vegas casinos subscribe to a sports line service. They employ a master handicapper in charge of setting their line, making adjustments and laying off excessive action on one side to another casino. Basically he/she is a risk management specialist. Vegas casinos engage is risk - managed risk. Any handicapper that starts playing fast and loose with casino (and thereby shareholder) money will soon find himself out of a job. Quarterly earnings can't be connected to the accuracy of Jeff Wilkins' right leg. I had the Rams, too. No conspiracy theory, I just like home dogs. I didn't have the Raiders because I don't like Art Shell. As for a "REALLY" good reason? I dunno. They guys setting the initial lines are human and still believed that Jake Plummer is the man? They thought that with a new coach that the Rams aren't still "The Greatest Show on Turf" and would easily lose to a superior AFC playoff team? Why weren't the Bears favored by 14? When I hear of conspiracies, my BS detector goes off. Secrets are hard to keep. Just ask Andy Fastow. There's nothing wrong with believing what you believe in this case. Heck, it's probably even a great starting point to try to figure out who you want to bet. In the end, it's almost a coin-flip. Sometimes you'll win, sometimes you'll lose. Sometimes you'll push. I don't know if I've convinced you. In the end, does it really matter? It's all good. Happy gambling.

That's a nice theory, but its completely wrong. Nothing personal.

1. John McLaughlin, a former Jesuit Priest, hosts "The McLaughlin Group".

Thud!

Probably something from this page.

You're thinking of the Jan 1996 playoff game. During Kelly's absence, Alex Van Pelt threw a TD pass to Tony Cline. Without Bruce (flu), our D just couldn't get off the field. I seem to remember Yancy Thigpen making a ridiculous sideline tip-toe catch on 3rd and forever to sustain a drive.

I've been to the FL-UGA game in Jacksonville twice (Worlds Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party). I have to give the nod the girls from Athens. I think its the fact they were all wearing tight red tops and black pants. It's really something to see.

About two weeks ago, I saw a video online. I can't remember if it was a featured video on myspace or youtube or somewhere else. I can't remember the name of the band or the artist. I've tried all sorts of searchs at those places and Google and there is no luck to be had. Here's how it goes: A guy is walking down the street when a sneaker falls from the top of a building. He looks up and sees a girl that looks like she's about to jump. He rushes to the top and stops her and they go for coffee. She's smitten with the guy and tries to kiss him, but he's married. Now she's all upset and is hitting the dude. After all this, you see her back at the top of the building. Another dude is walking by and now you see her kicking off her sneaker to catch his eye. The song was okay, but the story is what caught my eye. Anyone know what I'm talking about?

Given to Fly Pearl Jam, West Palm Beach, FL 4/11/2003 Lots of vids from that show. I just picked this one.

I see you're a Bill Simmons fan. Here's what he had to say about it: After I posted my YouTube column back in June, a few readers were outraged that I didn't include the Tommy Seebach Band's video for "Apache," which I had never seen before and have now watched about 375 times in the past 12 weeks. It's fantastic. It's epic. It's otherworldly. I never thought Journey's "Separate Ways" video could be topped, but "Apache" simply blows it away. I can't even calibrate it for the Unintentional Comedy Scale because it's impossible to believe that everyone involved was serious, but since the video was filmed in the late-'70s, when things like this consistently happened, we have to assume that, yes, everyone in the video was serious. And if that's true, then I'm giving this a 119 out of 100 on the UC Scale. (Note: There's an excellent chance that you will watch this three times in a row, then find yourself unable to get the chorus out of your head for about 72 hours. Know this going in.)

I have a baby momma sitting about 15 feet from me. Biological played for years in the NFL (I'm not naming names). He's doing his part financially, so it's all good. She's a pretty cool chick and can hang with all the sports banter here. 18 years 18 years She got one o' yo kids Got you fo 18 years

I'm sure there's still a line at the Dinosaur BBQ pit. I think my favorite fair activity was watching people sign up for credit cards with fake info so they could get the cooler/towel/tchotchke. They guy taking the info would then quiz them on what they put down. Quite a few fraudsters-in-training bearing sheepish grins would walk away, summarily thwarted. Good times.

This whole thing stems from the fact that there are no cats in Solvay. That's why there's such a large mouse problem. If you don't know what I'm talking about, you're not from Syracuse.

I posted this excerpt from Chuck Klosterman a few weeks ago, but I'm nothing if not repetitive. I said I'm repetitive.

Dinkin' Flicka.