And, even after Week 1, gambling is still gambling.  The comebacks on both Sunday and Monday nights really hurt, as the swings at the end of the fourth quarter resulted in two losses from what looked like two very good wins, and ultimately a $420 swing ($100 per game that I didn't win, to $110 per game that I lost due to the vig).  But hey, at least the Joe Flacco Rebirth Tour continues in full effect covering my Big Bet!!!

For those new to WeMakeItRain, I will select each game, placing a $100 wager on all but one game.  That game, the Big Bet, will be for $250, and is obviously the one I think is the biggest guarantee of the week (yeah, right?!).  All picks are against the spread, and their will be no over/unders in this column until the playoffs (when the number of games is fewer).  Anyway, let's get to the picks!!!

Green Bay Packers -3 1/2 v. Washington Commanders

A refrain that you will read over-and-over-and-over again this  year, take the home team on a short week.  Doesn't hurt that the Packers looked like one of the best three teams in Week 1 - the others being the Bills and Ravens.

Detroit Lions -6 1/2 v. Chicago Bears

So the Bears simultaneously looked like the Bears, and looked like a much-improved team, taking a 14-3 Minnesota squad down to the wire while the Bears defense was missing three starters, including two cornerback that would have been responsible for covering Justin Jefferson.  But, the Bears played Monday night, and the Lions have a lot to prove after they looked ordinary against the Packers.  If the Bears had a full week, I might honestly take these points, but they don't.

Los Angeles Rams -5 1/2 at Tennessee Titans

Beware the road favorite, but luckily for betting me, Nashville plays in the Central Time Zone - not Eastern - so I am not as concerned with travel as I ordinarily would be.  The Rams won a low scoring game against the Houston Texans, and the Titans lost a close battle to the Denver Broncos, despite Titans receivers dropping some critical passes.  I think Tennessee's game was more of a function of Denver not playing well, and I think Los Angeles takes this one handily.

Pittsburgh Steelers -3 1/2 v. Seattle Seahawks

Both teams had hard-fought battles in Week 1, the Steelers winning a shootout against the Jets and the Seahawks falling to the 49ers, Seattle is travelling east and playing at 1:00, and Aaron Rodgers is playing like Aaron Rodgers.

New York Jets +6 1/2 v. Buffalo Bills

Ok, Ok, calm down.  The Jets are not going to WIN this game.  But, as I stated a number of times last week, I hate selecting road favorites in intra-divisional games.  Plus, given that the Bills started with a huge comeback win against Baltimore, this might be a little bit of a letdown game.  Also, the Jets looked spry last week against the Steelers.  Spry enough to keep this somewhat close.

Dallas Cowboys -5 1/2 v. New York Giants

Dallas looked like an actual football team last week in a 24-20 loss to the Eagles, and they were a couple of CeeDee Lamb drops away from defeating the defending Super Bowl champion.  The Giants, were, well the Giants.

Cleveland Browns +11 1/2 at Baltimore Ravens

Baltimore is going to have to be pissed after handing a sure-fire win to Buffalo last week, but ... 11 1/2 is A LOT of points to a divisional rival, especially one experiencing the Joe Flacco Rebirth Tour!!!  I'll take the points in an otherwise comfortable Ravens victory.

New Orleans Saints +3 1/2 v. San Francisco 49ers

This is the worst game of the week - yes even worse than the next game I will be selecting.  Mac Jones starting for the 49ers, George Kittle out.  They still have a healthy McCaffrey and Ricky Pearsall, but there is just too much unknown.  I'll take points at home in this situation, even if those points involve Spencer Rattler.

New England Patriots +1 1/2 at Miami Dolphins

Just judging on Week 1, Miami IS the worst team in the league.  The problem is that Week 1 causes A LOT of overreactions.  The domestic assault investigation (yes another one) into Tyreek Hill is another issue.  Give me the points.

Cincinnati Bengals -3 1/2 v. Jacksonville Jaguars

Jacksonville proved a lot to me last week, which isn't much as I expected them to be one of the worst teams in the league this year, and the Jags finally cutting ties with Trevor Lawrence, but again, they only beat Carolina.  Cincinnati struggled with Cleveland, but I think we all expected that.  Is it possible that by jettisoning Tank Bigsby, Travis Etienne can become more comfortable and the offense can really settle down and play?  We will see.  Cincinnati will be in playoff contention all year, and they win at home by a touchdown.

Arizona Cardinals -6 1/2 v. Carolina Panthers

Arizona looked good at times last week, albeit against the Saints, but a touchdown reception by the uber-talented Marvin Harrison, Jr. is HUGE!  Carolina, on the other hand, did not look good at all against Jacksonville.  I wish this was around 4 1/2 to 5 points to feel more comfortable, but it isn't.  I still have to give the points at home.

Denver Broncos -1 1/2 at Indianapolis Colts

Is this the NFL or the Kentucky Derby?  All that seem to be missing are the old USFL Birmingham Stallions and the current UFL Birmingham Stallions.  Denver's offense struggled a bit against the Titans, and the Colts were ON FIRE against the Dolphins, but this game is a different type of race.

Philadelphia Eagles +1 1/2 at Kansas City Chiefs

Philadelphia was challenged by Dallas last week, so the question is ... Has Philly taken a step back, or is Dallas pretty good?  We have been asking the step-back question about Kansas City constantly over the past few years, but even then, they never do, even when they do.  Philly is still better overall, especially on the lines, so I will take the points.

Atlanta Falcons + 3 1/2 at Minnesota Vikings

Minnesota really showed us something in the fourth quarter against the Bears, and they seem like they could be a dangerous team this year.  But, Atlanta needs to rebound badly from their loss to Tampa Bay in order to avoid starting 0-2, and Minnesota is on a short week.  Minnesota 28-27.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers +2 1/2 at Houston Texans

I was more disappointed by Houston than any other team last week.  9 points?  Really?  You always need to avoid overreacting to Week 1, but I can get points against the Texans right now?  Yes, please.

Las Vegas Raiders + 3 1/2 v. Los Angeles Chargers

I HATE this pick.  HATE it, HATE it, HATE it.  You get the picture?  Well, Pepster, why are you picking the Raiders, then?  Because it is early in the season and there is less to really study before making picks, so I really, really need to rely on traditional betting rules, like not taking a divisional road favorite.

BIG BET:

Dallas Cowboys -5 1/2 v. New York Giants

Dallas looked like an actual football team last week in a 24-20 loss to the Eagles, and they were a couple of CeeDee Lamb drops away from defeating the defending Super Bowl champion.  The Giants, were, well the Giants.

This just seems too obvious.  Cowboys played to the level of the Eagles last week, and the Giants played to the level of the Giants.  If this keeps up, Dallas will win big.  Javonte Williams also looks more than serviceable enough as the Dallas passing attack searches for balance from the running game.

Last Week Record:  7-9

Last Week Big Bet: 1-0

Year-to-Date Record:  7-9

Year-to-Date Big Bet:  1-0

Last Week Winnings (Losses):  ($140)

Year-to-Date Winnings (Losses):  ($140) 

Picks of the Week - NFL Week 1

WE ARE BACK BABY!!!  The NFL, and NFL gambling!!!  The time when Thursday, Sunday and Monday (and the occasional Friday and Saturday) are consumed by professional football (and bets).  And now is also the time when every NFL fanbase is overly excited about their chances of winning a Super Bowl, and every gambler is overly excited about their chances of winning a mint!  (Sense a theme, here?!)  Anyway, we love this time of year, and you can expect this weekly column to be posted throughout the season.

For those new to WeMakeItRain, I will select each game, placing a $100 wager on all but one game.  That game, the Big Bet, will be for $250, and is obviously the one I think is the biggest guarantee of the week (yeah, right?!).  All picks are against the spread, and their will be no over/unders in this column until the playoffs (when the number of games is fewer).  Anyway, let's get straight to the picks!!!

Dallas Cowboys + 7 1/2 at Philadelphia Eagles

Yes Philadelphia is the defending champion.  Yes, they are the favorites to win again this year.  Yes, they return a whole lot of talent on offense.  But, they lost some talent on defense, especially in the secondary.  And although I expect them to win, I also expect Dallas to play better than a lot of people expect.  Sure they lost Micah Parsons.  But the Dallas offense is going to score a lot of points, especially with the addition of George Pickens who, although nowhere near as productive as he thinks he is good, is very talented and will take a lot of pressure from defensive coverage away from CeeDee Lamb.  Add in Javonte Williams who is only 25 years old, and the Cowboys WILL score.  This game seems like a back-door cover to me.  [Ed. Note - So it wasn't a back-door cover, as Dallas played way better than even I thought, I'll take the W!]

Los Angeles Chargers + 3 1/2 v. Kansas City Chiefs in Sao Paolo, Brazil

This game is being played in the world's 4th most populous metropolitan area, and the largest in the western hemisphere, and the Brazilian city gets a similarly huge quarterback battle between Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert.  Add to the fact that this is an early-season divisional game, and we could be looking at a classic tonight.  The Chargers loss of Tackle-extraordinaire Rashawn Slater will hurt theme more-and-more as the season progresses, but for now, everybody is fresh, and I expect both teams to spread the ball around to their entire offenses.  I don't know that Los Angeles will win, but I expect this game to be close.

Atlanta Falcons + 1 1/2 v. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

I hate taking road favorites in intra-divisional games, but this game started out as Tamps -2 1/2, which means the early money all floated to Atlanta. So, I might usually entertain going against the early money (lots of reasons for that).  And, although I expect this Tampa team to be explosive offensively, especially with the addition of Emeka Egbuka, the injury to Tristan Wirfs is HUGE.  Tampa is overall more talented and should win the division, I will just take the points at home.

New York Jets + 2 1/2 v. Pittsburgh Steelers

OK, I get it.  This seems ridiculous.  Pittsburgh has playoff aspirations and the Jets are, well the Jets.  But, we always have some surprises opening week, and Justin Fields - the Jets quarterback - did lead Pittsburgh to a 4-2 record when Russell Wilson was out last week.  Add to that the fact that Breece Hall might be auditioning for a trade (Chicago Bears, anyone?), and this Jets offense could keep it close.  Plus, the Jets defense has Quinnen Williams on the defensive line and Sauce Gardner at corner, as well as possibly the most underrated defender in the NFL, Jamien Sherwood, at linebacker.  The big question for Pittsburgh is can DK Metcalf turn an aging-superstar - who shall remain nameless - back into his former self?  Gimme the points.  And, I have a big feeling I will regret this pick.

Miami Dolphins +1 1/2 at Indianapolis Colts

This pick is as much about the Colts QB position as anything else.  Daniel Jones being selected over Anthony Richardson as the starter says a lot about the Colts decision to draft Richardson 4th overall than anything else.  Miami, on the other hand, looks flawed, but always plays better with a healthy Tuanigamanuolepola, and he is healthy at least for the start of the season.  Tyreek Hill has to have a better season than last year, and the return of pass rushers Bradley Chubb and Jaelyn Phillips can be enormous for a defense that also brought back Minkah Fitzpatrick.

Carolina Panthers +3 1/2 at Jacksonville Jaguars

I am bullish on the Panthers, as Bryce Young was exponentially better the last half of last year than prior (imagine that, a player DEVELOPING?!), and they brought in Tetairoa McMillan as a weapon on the outside.  I am equally bearish on the Jaguars, and I feel this might be the year that the Trevor Lawrence (Experience/Experiment?) comes to an end in Jacksonville.  

New York Giants + 5 1/2 at Washington Commanders

Man, those Giants sure had a great pre-season, and they seem so loose with Jameis Winston leading the way.  Hell, even as a backup QB that guy should be the captain.  And Malik Nabors might just be enough weapons for an experienced Russell Wilson at quarterback.  With superstar Dexter Lawrence around to take some pressure off some amazing looking young pass rushers like Brian Burns with Kayvon Thibodeaux and rookie Abdul Carter SHOULD (well Burns isn't exactly young).  Jayden Daniels is amazing, and Deebo Samuel added to a wide receiving corps that already has Terry McLaurin should do well in the long run, but week 1 can be weird, and Daniels may not always have enough time to reach his wide receivers.  Washington still wins, but close.

Arizona Cardinals -6 1/2 at New Orleans Saints

The Saints very well could be fighting for the number 1 draft pick next year.  Six and a half points is a lot on the road, but gotta take some chances.  The question for Arizona is, as always, is Kyler Murray actually any good, or are we as sports fans punished by not getting to see his baseball career?

Cleveland Browns + 5 1/2 v. Cincinnati Bengals

How many times have we been surprised by Joe Flacco keeping a team in a game that they have no business being in?  And although there are no stars, the Browns do have a plethora of running backs and receivers from which to choose.  Expect a Cedric Tillman breakout.  With Myles Garrett being Myles Garret, Mason Graham will have a great opportunity to produce from the interior of the defensive line.  And if Denzel Ward and Greg Newsome can be what scouts think they can, this defense could be legit.  That being said, Cincinnati is the more talented team, especially on offense, and should win this game.  But Cleveland will keep it close, especially at home.  Remember I hate road favorites in intra-divisional games.

New England Patriots -2 1/2 v. Las Vegas Raiders

Lots of hype with the Raiders and Ashton Jeanty, and with Geno Smith coming over, this team finally has a QB upon whom they can depend.  But, this axiom is important, west coast teams traveling east and playing in the 1:00 time slot fail to cover about 2/3rds of the time.  Drake Maye had a great start to his career, and could really blossom this year, especially with rookie Trayveon Henderson running the ball and Stefon Diggs running routes.  Taking the home team.

San Francisco 49ers -1 1/2 at Seattle Seahawks

Once again, the dreaded road favorite in an intra-divisional game, but it is only 1 1/2 points - not too much.  Especially since this Seahawks team overall is not very talented.  Sure Jaxon Smith-Njigba is really good, and Kenneth Walker can be - when healthy - but just not on the same level as McCaffrey, George Kittle, Trent Williams, Nick Bosa, Fred Warner, Kyle Juszczyk and a possible breakout year for Ricky Pearsall.  Gimme the Niners.

Denver Broncos -8 1/2 v. Tennessee Titans 

No non-Titans fan is as excited about Cam Ward's potential as a quarterback in the NFL than I am, excepting perhaps his family, but Tennessee just don't have the same talent Denver does.  Bo Nix looks like a budding superstar, Courtland Sutton is an upper-echelon receiver, and on the other side of the ball Patrick Surtain II and Nik Bonitto are as good as anybody at their positions.  Calvin Ridley will give some relief to Ward, but Denver is the class of this game.

Green Bay Packers -1 1/2 v. Detroit Lions

I, like most everyone else, might just be lowering Detroit's expectations because of the loss of Offensive Coordinator Ben Johnson (to the Bears) and Defensive Coordinator Aaron Glenn (to the Jets), more importantly might be the losses of center Frank Ragnow (retirement) and Guard Kevin Zeitler (Tennessee Titans).  But, with lots and lots of talent all over the field (St. Brown, Gibbs, Sewell, Hutchinson, Branch, et. al.) I have a feeling that the Lions will still be in the playoffs.  However, the addition of Micah Parsons may just elevate the Packers from the playoffs to conference championship level.  Being at home, I will take the Packers.

Houston Texans +3 1/2 at Los Angeles Rams

Yes, I know that people consider the Rams Super Bowl contenders this year, but remember where we thought Houston could be last year, at least before Niko Collins was hurt.  And now he is back.  And I get more than a FG?  Yes, please!

Baltimore Ravens -1 1/2 at Buffalo Bills

Let's be honest, I consider the Ravens the class of the AFC this year.  Buffalo is right there with them, and this game is at home, but Jackson fresh off the insult - real or perceived - of Allen winning the MVP last year, and with the addition of Jaire Alexander into the defensive backfield as a corner, to team with safety Kyle Hamilton, this Ravens team might be its best of this iteration.  Gotta start by winning this one on the road, or else they will have to travel on the road in January.

Chicago Bears +1 1/2 v. Minnesota Vikings

You already know what I think about road favorites in intra-divisional games.  Add to that the new faces in the Bears coaching staff - not only Ben Johnson (HC) and Dennis Allen (DC) but also Eric Bienenmy (RB) - and the fact that a healthy Jaylon Johnson (IF he is healthy) is one of the few corners that can limit Justin Jefferson, and this might just be the perfect start for the Bears.  Monday night at home and the possibility of taking out a division foe with an essentially rookie QB?  And I am getting points?  Thank you!

BIG BET:

Cleveland Browns + 5 1/2 v. Cincinnati Bengals

How many times have we been surprised by Joe Flacco keeping a team in a game that they have no business being in?  And although there are no stars, the Browns do have a plethora of running backs and receivers from which to choose.  Expect a Cedric Tillman breakout.  With Myles Garrett being Myles Garret, Mason Graham will have a great opportunity to produce from the interior of the defensive line.  And if Denzel Ward and Greg Newsome can be what scouts think they can, this defense could be legit.  That being said, Cincinnati is the more talented team, especially on offense, and should win this game.  But Cleveland will keep it close, especially at home.  Remember I hate road favorites in intra-divisional games.

I really like taking home teams as my Big Bet, so if I can find one getting points, usually better.  That leaves out Houston and Carolina, since they are both on the road.   I hate giving points on the road, so that leaves out San Francisco, which I also considered.  Denver was another consideration, but 8 1/2 was just TOO many.  So basically, my decision was between Cleveland and Tampa, and Cincinnati has been starting slow out of the gate recently, so, here we are ...  Already hating my Big Bet.

Last Week Record:  0-0

Last Week Big Bet: 0-0

Year-to-Date Record:  0-0

Year-to-Date Big Bet:  0-0

Last Week Winnings (Losses):  $0

Year-to-Date Winnings (Losses):  $0 

The Final Four Chronicles: The Conclusion/FAQs

 

So, now that a couple of weeks have passed since the conclusion of this year's Final Four in San Antonio, Texas, it is time to address the questions that have come in from our readers.  This is a segment we started a couple of years ago, and we feel it is a great way to sum up our adventures.

Q:  Why do you Chronicle?

A:  For several reasons, the most important being that we love looking back through the years at all of the happenings of the various Final Fours we have attended, and it is a great way to enhance our memories as some of the tournaments fade into the distance.  A secondary effect is that we have become hyper-aware of our surroundings - the people, the places, and the conversations around us - to enable us to enjoy someone or something upon which we may never have picked up, or heard if we were not trying to chronicle all of the minutiae of the event.

Q:    Who does the Chronicling?

A:    We get this one every year.  We all take notes throughout the day, and we all contribute to the process of uploading the events to the blog.  Once we feel everything has been typed, we each take a turn at editing, sometimes for content, sometimes for grammar and diction, and sometimes just because.  So, in short, we all do.

Q:    I am confused.  Why are the women tagged in the Facebook postings of the Chronicle?  Do they attend, and if not, why not?

A:    This year our respective wives did not attend, but they have in the past, and they are always invited/welcome.  But, for two primary reasons they have not been attending in some time:  (1) For as far back as we can remember only one of us has won the lottery for tickets in any given year, so we only have 4 tickets to the games; and (2) I am not sure they can really stand us all together four days+ straight.  And frankly, I don't blame them.  They key to remember is, that they are always invited.  We tag them so they, like the rest of our readers, can follow along with our adventures.  And, at least one of our wives LOOKS FORWARD to reading our entries.  We should note that we also get this question every year.

Q:    Why do we care what time you wake up and what you have for breakfast?

A:    We don't necessarily think you do, and sometimes neither do we.  But the day - and thus the Chronicle - has to start somehow, and it makes sense to start from the beginning.

Q:    How is San Antonio as a host city?

A:    As a host city, San Antonio ranks pretty high.  Very walkable Riverwalk and a very walkable to the stadium from the Riverwalk.  Other areas of the city, like say, The Pearl, have a lot going on within their own area/neighborhood, and they are walkable among themselves, but not so much with the rest of the city.  Lots of bars/restaurants, but very slanted toward Mexican/food and drinks, as well as themed chain restaurants/bars.  That being said, San Antonio is good place to host the Final Four, but alas it is dropping out of the rotation.  A stadium that seats 20-35K less people than other cities, and newer, bigger, domed stadiums in other cities (Dallas, Detroit, and Las Vegas for example), make it hard for the NCAA to return.

Q:    How is San Antonio in general?

A:    Well, the Riverwalk is very entertaining with a lot, and we mean A LOT, going on.  But, as Kev-O put it, "Riverwalk is like Bourbon Street and EPCOT mated and had a baby."  And that is incredibly accurate.  The city itself, despite being the 7th most populous city in the United States, has almost ZERO skyline.  What it does have a lot of is large leg tatoos.  It also has a visible unhoused population, although that is something we have noticed in most of the southern states over the past few years (Phoenix/Scottsdale/Glendale last year, Houston before that, and New Orleans before that).  We had a lot of fun, and some really good food, but San Antonio is good for all of that, but not necessarily great.

Q:    As for the games, weren't they great?

A:    Yes, and no.  The games were close and highly competitive, and it is unusual that we see all three games be that close.  But they were not great games.  Very sloppy, by all teams.  Part of that is because Houston plays tough, in your face, defense forcing sloppy play, while also being a bit sloppy themselves, and Florida has struggled with turnovers this whole year.  So exciting, Yes; great, No.

Q:    Have you ever seen an ending like Houston's last play in the Final?

A:    No, we haven't, but that ending was so very appropriate for that particular game.

Q:    Who had the best fans?

A:    Certainly not Duke.  Auburn fans could not have left sooner after the end of the semifinals than they did.  They must have already had their flights purchased.  Houston was out IN FORCE in the finals, but they were not omnipresent around town like their numbers would have suggested.  That is probably because a lot of Houston fans live/work in and around the San Antonio area and just came in for the game.  Doesn't lend itself to any additional contributions to the ambiance of the event.

Q:    Who were you cheering for?

A:    Never Duke.  Pepster and Sinickal had selected Florida to win in their respective NCAA Tournament Pool brackets - Pepster even had Florida over Houston - but we were captivated by how Houston controls the game, even when they lost.  Oh, and by the way - NEVER DUKE!

Q:    Did Florida State actually win the 2020 NCAA National Championship?

A:    No.  It was canceled because of Covid.  But, that was probably FSU's best chance ever to win.

Q:    Who was one of the Carolina Panthers who Pepster knew his alma mater?

A:    Adam Thielen - Mankato State.

Q:    What was so interesting about the story of a co-worker asking Allison if she works outside of the home?

A:    Interesting? No.  Possibly degrading and hilarious?  Yes.  The question basically just asked if she had a job.

Q:    How are the academic credentials of Virginia overrated?

A:    In short, a large number of classes may be taken Credit/No Credit, instead of for a grade.  This doesn't apply to general education credits or your major classes, but still.

Q:    While we are on the topic of ACC academic credentials, what type of majors for Duke students was discussed?

A:    You don't want to know.

Q:    Christian Laettner played basketball and "offsides" is a football term.

A:    Not a question, and precisely.

Q:    What is the R. Kelly joke?

A:    You don't want to know.  And if you do, ask us in person.  Not going on this blog.  [Ed. Note - It vilifies R. Kelly, not celebrates him, but still.]

Q:    Why do you call Day 3 of the Chronicle "The Interregnum?"

A:    In general, an "Interregnum" refers to a time between leaders.  Although British history has had a couple of famous interregnums, this term is often used in conjunction with the Papacy (timely note given Pope Francis' recent passing.)  With regard to the Papacy, conclaves couldn't always meet immediately, and sometimes they could not agree immediately, so the Interregnum could last two to three years.  In our case, Sunday is the "Interregnum" because it is the day between games.

Q:    Why were you discussing the Intricacies of Monitoring the Transfer Portal as an NAIA school?

A:    Sounds like a future presentation topic.

Q:    What "Profession" is Tony in?

A:    Never you mind!

Q:    Did Racecar actually text Pepster, "Don't be sloppy" in reference to the Gators play?

A:    Yes she did.  And she was very prescient.  Turns out the Gators won anyway.  As a refresher, Racecar is a University of Florida alumna.

Q:    Cancun Queso Cooler.  That is brilliant.

A:    Not a question, but yes, yes it is.

Q:    Where is next year's Final Four.

A:    Indianapolis, Indiana.  Just a great - and we mean GREAT - Final Four city.  Plus St. Elmo's.

Q:    Will the WeMakeItRain crew be in attendance?

A:    The plan is yes.  The AirBnB rental is already in progress, some or most of us have already put in for the lottery for tickets, and Pepster has already made the reservation for St. Elmo!!!

The Final Four Chronicles: Day 5 - The Departure

 

Not gonna lie.  This trip has been exhausting.  Not going to be much for the Departure, or at least not as much as in past chronicles.  But, we owe it to our readership, and to ourselves, to at least publish something.  So, here we go.

4:29 (C.D.T.) - OMG ITS EARLY:  Kev-O leaves for his flight to Chicago.  Yes, its an early flight, but it is for work, so it was either that or miss the Championship game.  Good choice Kev-O.

Also very early:  It may be early, but at least Kev-O got to have breakfast together with Tubby Smith at a burrito spot in the airport! 

06:00 - Kev-O wheels up for Chicago.

06:45 - Sinickal is up.

07:00 - Tony awakens and sees the door to Kev-O rooms closed.  Immediately panics.

07:00:30 - Phew.  Kev-O is gone.

07:30 - Pepster arises.

0730 - Sinickal is cleaning out the refrigerator. Late night drunken shopping at the Circle K and food deliveries from Taco Cabana may not have been our best idea. The inventory remaining in fridge includes six egg and bean burritos, a sausage egg and cheese biscuit, several candy bars, and a lot of Miller Lite and Bud Light. It's like we are reliving our late 20's here. 

07:30 - 08:30 - Prepare AirBnB for exit, and watch Bill Simmons' podcast. This house was interesting in that the washer and dryer were outside in the carport area. The instructions for exiting the house included stripping the beds and putting all dirty laundry on top of the washer. Outside. 

08:46 - Say goodbye to our lovely old home on Calhoun Street.

09:00 - At the Newstand for breakfast and coffee.  Breakfast sandwich here costs $17, but was we are on the way to drop Pepster at the San Antonio airport, we are kind of stuck.

09:06 - Sandwich arrives and it is HUGE!  Understand the $17 now.  Bacon, egg and pimento cheese sauce.  It is delicious!

09:50 - Drop Pepster off at airport.

11:15 - While on the plane for his 10:58 flight, the captain of Pepster's flight makes an announcement that the flight will be delayed an hour - until 12:15, since there is a ground stop at Fort Lauderdale international due to weather.  Apparently Miami airport is affected too.

11:18 - Some already served older men just start chanting, "It's Great.  To Be.  A Flo-ri-da Gator!"  Nonstop.  Well, they had their fun.

11:33 - Kev-O notes that his total sleep for the night/day was 5 hours, including the 45-minute nap he had in the cab from the airport.

12:16 - Pilot on Pepster's flight now announces that there is an additional thirty-minute delay, but that we will take off at 17:45.  As everyone does the calculations, Pepster has to reassure those around him that 17:45 announcement was Greenwich Mean Time, which would still be in thirty minutes.  (HE HOPES - GULP?!).

12:28 - Tony drops Sinickal off at airport in Austin

12:45 - Pepster is wheels up to FLL.

12:46 - Sinickal has finally gotten through TSA. Ignores the CLEAR line which has several hundred people in it. TSA Pre isn't a better option, so Sinickal ends up in the priority boarding line at regular TSA. Only a couple of people in the line, but now shoes come off and laptops come out. So common. 

12:58 - After a short wait and a waiver for being at the airport too early, Sinickal sits at the bar in the Delta Sky Club. Orders a bourbon and soda and says to the bartender "don't lose track of that bottle. I will be here a long time!"

16:34 - Pepster wheels down in FLL.  Airport is a shitshow thanks to the ground stop.  We literally stop on the runway for 20 minutes until the tower can tell the pilot where to hide the plane - since no gates are available.

16:51 - Sinickal is wheels up to DTW

17:23 - Pepster is finally at the gate.

17:45 - Sinickal is at the Detroit Sky Club, which closes in 15 minutes. Is able to grab a drink and get a bite to eat. While eating, the staff keeps coming by and placing more food on my table saying that it is going to be thrown out so take all you can. Club is wild at closing.

18:50 - Sinickal is wheels up to DCA

18:26 - Pepster finally retrieves luggage.  That ground stop almost ruined this airport.

19:31 - Pepster arrives at home.

20:10 - Kev-O checks in from Chicago. His sales meeting attended the Cubs baseball game this evening. Kev-O didn't have warm enough clothes for the game and arranged with Sinickal to buy back a Cubs jacket that he purchased for the game. Unfortunately, the "Cubs gear lost to a Brooks Brothers sale in Chicago O-Hare Airport." 

21:15 - Sinickal arrives at home. 

Thursday, April 10, 2025

Kev-O gets rebooked on flight number 2 out of Chicago Midway, and the tequila bar forgot to keep their queso warm.  This reminds Kev-O of some things we forgot to mention on Finals night, namely that Ted Cruz was in attendance.  Since Texas teams always lose whenever Ted Cruz attends, Kev-O had originally dubbed him the Cancun Cooler.  After today's episode, Kev-O revises that to the Cancun Queso Cooler.

Friday, April 11, 2025

At some time, Tony will get to fly back home to New York, after spending the rest of this week in meetings in Austin, Texas.

The Final Four Chronicles: Day 4 - The Finals

 

We survived our meat coma and are raring to go.  Today is the Finals.  The culmination of the entire college basketball season, the culmination of every NCAA Tournament gambling pools, and the zenith of our trip.  Who will win:  The Florida Gators or the Houston Cougars?!

07:30 - Pepster awakens.

07:45 - Sinickal comes out of his room.

08:10 - Tony comes downstairs.  With laundry.  One of the "joys" of travelling a lot for work is you have to find a way to get some laundry done.

09:30 - The Bourne Identity is on.

11:11 - Watching The Right Time with Bomani Jones.  He has this gem about Houston's win over Duke, "Houston did it for everybody that has ever been raised right on this earth!"

11:13 - And this one, "Cooper Flagg doesn't feel nearly as insufferable as you would expect someone named 'Cooper Flagg' to be."

11:52 - Enter the Ridge at the Hill for lunch.

12:06 - Kev-O says that Southwestern Central is like the beignets we had at NOLA yesterday, fluffy and substantial on the outside, but lacking any substance on the inside.

12:20 - Sinickal to Tony, "You are just using a fork to eat french fries to taunt us right now."

12:51 - To the Riverwalk we go.

12:57 - Pepster is talking about his issues getting a seat reserved for his flight home. Sinickal suggests that he must be flying Southwest. Pepster replies "I wish!"

13:12 - Enter Mad Dog's British Pub.

13:13 - While walking up to the bar, each of us hit a Florida fans' Cowboy hat that was sticking into the aisle as he was wearing it, because IT WAS IN THE AISLE.  He looked at us as if we did something wrong.  Buddy, that hat is wrong.

13:22 - Techno dance remix of "I Won't Back Down!" Eight Gator fans just pulled a Sally from When Harry Met Sally

13:26 - Tony asks the bartender if they have Topo Chico.  She says, "Yes!"  Comes back, "No."  Maybe some downstairs?

13:28 - Throwback stained glass at the British pub.

Maybe the "God Save the King" one is on back-order.

13:39 - So many people wearing Florida hockey sweaters.

13:52 - They don't really like Ted Cruz in this part of the state.  This is in the bathroom.

13:53 - We think Ted Cruz and Rick Pitino are related vampires.

14:08 - DJ plays Kendrick Lamar, and at the correct part, nobody in the bar is chanted "O-V-Ho".  We are so disappointed, and none more disappointed than Pepster.

14:09 - Never mind.  More disappointed.  Nobody else yells out "A-Minor!"  That is a worse omission.

14:30 - Crazy discussion on the Intricacies of Monitoring the Transfer Portal for NAIA schools.

14:46 - We remember the discussion we had about Zach Collins at River North Icehouse yesterday while watching the Bulls game.  Sinickal says, "That is a good-looking white man.  6'9".  NBA player.  Just running through the Chi.  I fully expect to see in the news come playoff time that "Collins is out for 2 to 3 weeks.  Unspecified STD."

14:49 - Free Green Tea shots!

15:12 - Free Coors Lites.

15:13 - DJ plays Baby Got Back.  Sinickal remembers that back in the day, white girls with small assess on the dance floor trying to twerk.  Pepster chimes in, and when a guy starts to push up on her and she backs it up, guy gets injured!

15:18 - DJ LAZ!!!

15:19 - Pepster tells a story about DJ LAZ being from Miami and getting in an accident resulting in him now having one leg shorter than the other. Sinickal is angry that he can't come up with the correct G-Reg, 7th Floor Crew joke.

15:30 - Time to journey to the Hard Rock.  This is the University of Florida's home bar.

15:36 - While waiting to order a drink at the bar, a much older gentleman walks up to Pepster to ask him if he could order a margarita on the rocks for his wife.  Pepster asks if he can have the wife's number.  Man responds, "I don't know it!"  After that line, yes, we can order a margarita for your wife.  Guy tries to hand Pepster money, Pepster says, it's OK.  Your response was hilarious.  Turns out the guy lives in Pepster's home town, and the lady he gave the margarita to was a smokeshow.  Turns it it was his daughter-in-law.  Not sure why he called her his wife, but we are too many drinks if for a psychological evaluation.

16:00 - Sinickal meets another Syracuse alumnus and they start a Let's Go Orange chant.

16:11 - On to County Line Barbecue.  Sinickal and Pepster immediately recognize this place as the location where we crucified Hopps back in 2018.  You can see some of that HERE!

16:12 - We tell Kev-O about the curcifixion story.

16:18 - Tony and Sinickal's friends from the "Profession" join us.  Marty and Craig were in town as sponsors of a golf tournament.

17:54 - Leave County Line.

17:55 - As we are walking the Riverwalk, we hear Freestyle coming out of Fat Tuesday's - Lil Suzy and Gucci Crew!

18:04 - Pepster receives a text from Racecar.  It reads, "Have so much fun.  Go Gators.  Don't be sloppy.  That was for the Gators not you.

18:08 - Tony's friend from the "Profession", Diane, joins us for the walkup to the game.

18:28 - Enter Francis' Bogside.  You might remember this is the official Duke bar for the weekend.  Pepster orders a Makers rocks, splash of Duke tears.  Waitress says that they are only serving simple drinks this weekend.  We think Pepster's order broke her.

19:06 - We are disappointed that we did not keep a running tally on cougars spotted.

19:37 - Leave Bogside for stadium.  It's two blocks away.

19:51 - Tipoff.  We forgot to get a picture.

Radio Silence during game.

20:44 - Houston dance team dances to Teach Me How to Dougie.

21:01 - Second half starts.  After only 4 fouls in the first half, there is no way anybody can get into foul trouble.

22:09 - Florida wins!!!

22:13 - While making our way into the lower bowl to watch One Shining Moment, we pass a guy wearing a "Girls Are Drugs" tshirt.

22:21 - Olivier Rioux stands on his own two feet to cut the net.

22:23 - One Shining Moment.  They have like 4 total plays from the Finals.  Definitely had to re-cut that to add some good plays from the earlier rounds.

22:42 - Leave the Alamodome.

23:10 - In the car.

23:30 - Home already, after some seriously Brooklyn driving by Tony to get us out of the parking lot!

23:31-00:00 - Final beers and reminiscing as we prepare for next year.

ROCK FIGHT!!! The NCAA Block Squares Pool

 

We have a champion?

Sure. Congratulations Florida, you won a nearly unwatchable rock fight. In person, it was an even more brutal watch. Foul after foul in the second half. So many missed shots throughout the game. And Houston, what the hell were you doing in the last 10 minutes of that game?!

We were trying to figure out what was going on inside the stadium in the second half of this mess. After a poorly played, but efficient 1st half (4 total fouls called), we could only assume that CBS called down to the floor to remind the refs that they had ad sales to get through. 

The 2nd half of that game opened with 5 fouls on Florida inside of the first 3 minutes of play. Then a technical foul on the Florida bench. Ten next 12 fouls called in the game went against Houston putting their two big men on the bench and tilting the action in favor of Florida. Apparently, working the refs really does work!

Florida came from 12 points down in the 2nd half to win this, and their defense down the stretch was outstanding. Still, what in the fu&k was Houston doing offensively in that game? Their offense consisted of dribbles and handoffs 25 feet away from the basket for the majority of the shot clock, then an awful and contested shot heaved at the rim with the hope of an offensive rebound. It seemed to be the most reliable play they had for the last 12 minutes of the game.

Worse to watch was the ending. Houston's last three possessions in the game ended without a shot. 

What did we just watch?! 

I don't know, but I guess I was just happy to be in person to watch 7' 9" Olivier Rioux cut down his portion of the net without using the ladder. Again, he is a walk-on and a redshirt at the University of Florida. That is insane.

Sports are insane. 

Congratulations Gary Ventimiglia! With three blocks won including the final, he is our big winner in the block squares pool. A list of all of the winners during the tournament is provided below.

I will be closing the tournament throughout the day. If you are a winner, you will receive your award via the method you paid your donation to the tournament.

As always, it has been a joy to host this tournament and I hope that those of you reading the posts enjoyed the engagement. We will see you down the road.

--Your Commissioner

2025 NCAA Tournament Pool (Preliminary Results)

 

As I sit on the plane on the tarmac because of a groundstop for weather in Fort Lauderdale, I will give you the preliminary pool results.  Give me some time this week to go do final recalcualtions of those brackets at the top, and then I will send out the winnings.

1.  Measha Leonardo Williams - 184

2.  Paul Cummings - 170

3.  Steven Usma 2 - 165

4.  Matt Hopps - 163

5.  George Walks 3 - 162

6.  Justine Frank - 159

     Jane Reynolds & Carolyn Fowler - 159

     Measha Donatello Williams - 159

9.  Bill Ganoe 1 - 158

10.  Guy Hughes - 157

11.  Alyssa Hopps - 155

12.  Pepe Sosa - 154

13.  Mike Wolff 2 - 152

14.  Brent Bellinger 2 - 151

15.  Vincent Plamondon - 150

16.  Rachel Bornn - 149

17.  Xavier Conway - 148

18.  Max Macon 3 - 147

       Sean McInerney IIII - 147

       Silas Nichols - 147

21.  Mark Holbert - 146

22.  Shane Dogmillionaire - 145

23.  Jazz Piasecki - 144

24.  Kyle Henderson 1 - 143

       Dave Wilson - 143

26.  Max Macon 1 - 142

27.  Katie Kollmeyer - 141

28.  Brent Bellinger - 138

       Kevin Dick - 138

       James Garvin - 138

       Lily Spuhler - 138

       Jonathan Wasserman - 138

33.  Jenna Finkelstein - 137

34.  Sean and Barbie McInerney - 136

       Jeremy Spuhler - 136

36.  Preston Holbert - 134

       Jason Spuhler - 134

38.  Dan Barsky 1 - 133

       Dave Piasecki - 133

       Mike Wolff 1 - 133

41.  Benny Frank Finkelstein - 104

42.  Jonathan Cox - 132

43.  Martha Kroesen - 130

44.  Shane Jernigan - 129

45.  Caroline Spuhler - 127

46.  Kingfish Parham - 126

       Barbie McInerney - 126

       Ashley Poer 2 - 126

       Brittany Sosa - 126

       Stacia Wilkaitis - 126

51.  Max Macon 4 - 125

52.  Theo Frank - 124 

       Hannah Sosa - 124

54.  Christina Gomez - 123

       Adam Jorgensen - 123

56.  William Pujals - 122

       Cheryl Spuhler - 122

 58.  Javier Rodriguez 2 - 121

        Rich Samuels 1 - 121

        Day Yi 2 - 121

      

61.  Bill Ganoe 3 - 120

       Alvaro Gonzalez - 120

       Marcus Jackson - 120

64.  Sean McInerney III - 119

65.  Braeden Helland - 118

       Dan Laishley - 118

       Measha Raphael Williams - 118

68.  Brandon Satterwhite - 117

       Bubba Zdrowak - 117

70.  Dan Barsky 2 - 116

       Eric Inge - 116

       Kisha Marzouca - 116

       Brigadier General Kareem Montague - 116

74.  Measha Michaelangelo Williams - 115

75.  Chris Simmons - 114

       Marcus Spruill- 114

       Steven Usma 3 - 114

78.  Kline Kroesen - 113

       Logan Spuhler - 113

80.  Steven Usma 1 - 112

       Steven Usma 4 - 112

82.  Sean McInerney II - 111

83.  Kyle Henderson 2 - 110

84.  Colleen Giamberini - 109

       Natalie Moon - 109

86.  Sasha Moon - 108

87.  Ty Hedgpeth - 107

       Chuck Whitcomb - 107

89.  Paul Cummings 2 - 106

       Salvatore Plamondon - 106

       Joshua Zdrowak - 106

92.  Joel Chernoff - 105

       Karen Katz 2 - 105

94.  George Walks 2 - 104

95.  Christina Zanzig - 103

96.  Dustin Lansing - 102

       Si Nichols - 102

98.  Rich Samuels 2 - 101

99.  Max Macon 2 - 100

       Justin Yung - 100

101.  Javier Rodriguez 1 - 98

102.  Jacey Fowler II - 96

         Allison Parker - 96

         George Walks 4 - 96

105.  John Hedgpeth - 94

106.  Jeff Plamondon - 93

107.  Bill Ganoe 2 - 91

         Karen Katz 1 - 91

         Kisha Marzouca 2 - 91

108.  Day Yi - 90

109.  Jim Coleman - 89

         Katie Zdrowak - 89

 113.  Sean McInerney 1 - 87

          Biscuit Zdrowak - 87

115.  Ashley Poer 1 - 85

         Keith Zdrowak - 85

117.  Quinn Jackson - 84

118.  Carolyn Fowler - 82

         Jane Reynolds - 82

120.  Jacey Fowler I - 81

121.  George Walks 1 - 77

122.  Tyler Giamberini - 75

123.  Jessica Samuels - 74

         Amy Zdrowak - 74

125.  Arlene Amo Hopps - 73

         Dave Marzouca - 73

127.  Chris LaForte - 71

128.  Ferris Spuhler - 69

129.  Dave Marzouca 2 - 66

         Amanda Staudt - 66

131.  Stephanie Henderson - 63

132.  Luna Frank - 60

133.  Wes Wiggins - 59

134.  Barkley Sosa - 41