Picks of the Week

Week 3 of the NFL Season, which means week 3 of my picks.  Hopefully I have learned some things about a few of the teams.  Also, I don't feel like doing much analysis due to the Jose Fernandez news.  So, I am just going to type this our while wearing  my Fernandez jersey.

My long time readers know how this works, but for everybody else,  a reminder.  Each pick is using the spread (straight up is for wussies), and the betting line is from the same website each week as of the time of typing the entry. I keep a running tally of my record, plus my winnings/losses. We will "pretend" that I bet $100 on each game, with one game each week going for $250. Winnings/Losses will be calculated including a 10% vig to make the math that much simpler.

New England Patriots -1 v. Houston Texans

Belichick at home on a short week.  Now, I didn't expect what occurred, though.

Arizona Cardinals -3 1/2 at Buffalo Bills
Yes, I am taking a road favorite, and a west coast team playing the early game on the east coast.  Both of those rules tell me to take Buffalo.  However, they are just that bad.

Carolina Panthers -7 v. Minnesota Vikings
First no Bridgewater, but Sam Bradford played well.  Now, no Adrian Peterson, and only Jerick McKinnon and Matt Asiata to replace him.  That will not work, as Cam Newton is rekindling his connections with Kelvin Benjamin and Greg Olsen is the best tight end in the game right now.

Denver Broncos +4 at Cincinnati Bengals
I would not be shocked if Cincinnati won this game, but I do not foresee Denver's defense giving up enough points that Cincinnati covers the spread.

Detroit Lions +6 1/2 at Green Bay Packers
As every sportscaster/reporter has noted all week, Aaron Rodgers has not played like Aaron Rodgers in a long time.  But, Matt Stafford has.

Jacksonville Jaguars +1 v. Baltimore Ravens

I am hoping that the egg Jacksonville laid last week was an anomaly, and that they turn it around this week.  Mike Wallace is looking like Mike Wallace was supposed to look for the Dolphins.  If Chris Ivory comes back to run, the Jaguars should have enough balance on offense to beat the Ravens.

Cleveland Browns +9 1/2 at Miami Dolphins

That is just a big number for a team that is playing with a lot of spirit.  Who knows, Cody Kessler may actually be the QB Cleveland has been searching for.  Ok, maybe not, but I see the Dolphins winning by a touchdown.

New York Giants -3 v. Washington Racists

Washington is horrible.  The Giants, well, they aren't horrible.

Oakland Raiders -1 1/2 at Tennessee Titans

Tennessee surprised me against Detroit last week, but I do not expect them to win against two quality opponents in a row.  Although Oakland is a road favorite and a west coast team heading east, Nashville is in the central time zone, not the east, and 1 1/2 points is not that much of a favorite.

San Francisco 49ers +9 1/2 at Seattle Seahawks

The Seahawks offense has been less than prolific against the Dolphins and Rams, so it might be hard for them to cover this spread, regardless of whether they win or not.  The 49ers have united behind Colin Kaepernick AND Blaine Gabbert, and they keep it close.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers -3 1/2 v. Los Angeles Rams
The Rams played great defense last week, but Seattle hasn't exactly been lighting things up.  Jameis Winston shoulders more of an offensive burden with Doug Martin's injury, and he will be up to the challenge.

Indianapolis Colts pick 'em v. San Diego Chargers

I have been saying for two weeks that the Colts are not going to make the playoffs.  Why do I pick them in this game?  The Chargers loss of Danny Woodhead, who does so many things for their offense, may be more of a loss than Keenan Allen, who is also out.  Plus, it's football and weird things happen.

New York Jets +2 1/2 at Kansas City Chiefs

Brandon Marshall is playing today, although he might be on a snap-count.  Nevertheless, I think the Jets score just enough against the Cheifs defense to win outright by a field goal, so I will take the points.

Pittsburgh Steelers -3 1/2 at Philadelphia Eagles
What the hell, I have already taken two road favorites.  Might as well make it 3.

Chicago Bears + 6 1/2 at Dallas Cowboys

No, the Bears will not win as they quickly try to prepare DeShaun Watson to be their next quarterback, but they keep it within a touchdown.

Atlanta Falcons +2 1/2 at New Orleans Saints

Atlanta's offense is rolling, as they are first in passing yards and second in total yards.  New Orleans is 30th in passing defense and 31st in total defense.  And I get points?

Big Bet Game of the Week

Tampa Bay Buccaneers -3 1/2 v. Los Angeles Rams
The Rams played great defense last week, but Seattle hasn't exactly been lighting things up.  Jameis Winston shoulders more of an offensive burden with Doug Martin's injury, and he will be up to the challenge.  At home, giving up only a few points and they need to make a statement - all good reasons for me to pick the Buccaneers this year.

Last Week's Record:  7-8-1
Last Week's Big Bet: 1-0
Year-to-Date Record: 17-14-1
Big Bet Year-to-Date: 1-1
Last Week's Winnings (Losses): ($30)

Winnings (Losses) Year-to-Date: $145

Picks of the Week

Week 2 of the NFL Season, which means week 2 of my picks.  A good start to my season, going 10-6 last week.  I hope to keep that momentum moving forward, and perhaps be more successful on my guaranteed pick.  A couple of notes, I reviewed last week's picks and I had listed the Jaguars at -4 1/2 against the Packers.  Of course that was supposed to be + 4 1/2.  Also, I watched the Thursday game with my buddy Glen, and I posted my selection, "Jets +1?!" on Facebook prior to kickoff.  This means I took the Jets, but was not happy about it.  Turns out, I was happy about it.

My long time readers know how this works, but for everybody else,  a reminder.  Each pick is using the spread (straight up is for wussies), and the betting line is from the same website each week as of the time of typing the entry. I keep a running tally of my record, plus my winnings/losses. We will "pretend" that I bet $100 on each game, with one game each week going for $250. Winnings/Losses will be calculated including a 10% vig to make the math that much simpler.

New York Jets +1 at Buffalo Bills

Despite all of the statistics that showed how much the Ryan brothers own Ryan Fitzpatrick, a lot of that data came when Rex was the coach - and thus had at his disposal - the Jets defense when Fitzpatrick was toiling in Buffalo.  This time, Fitzpatrick has Matt Forte.  Let's not forget how bad Buffalo looked in week 1.

Carolina Panthers +13 v. San Francisco 49ers
I hate, HATE, that I am giving up virtually 2 touchdowns this early in the season before we get a really good feel of all of the teams.  But, San Francisco played the absolute latest game they could last week (the second Monday Night Football game starting around 10:00 p.m. Eastern), and they travel east to play the earliest of games this week.

Baltimore Ravens -5 at Cleveland Browns
I hate, HATE, giving up points on the road (the dreaded road favorite), but this Cleveland team is not good, super young (14 rookies!) and lost their starting quarterback last week.  The Ravens get a gift of schedule starting with Buffalo and Cleveland.

Detroit Lions -6 v. Tennessee Titans
The Lions looked good on the road against Indianapolis, whereas they now get to host the troubled Titans, who looked downright pedestrian against Minnesota.  Matt Stafford looked great without Calvin Johnson, spreading the ball around to everybody, with 6 receivers having at least 3 catches, and 8 receivers total catching balls in the game.

Kansas City Chiefs +1 at Houston Texans
It may take me a while to determine exactly what we have with Houston, as they seemed like two completely different teams last week against the Bears.  The same could be said about the Chiefs, except they are a more known quality, with an amazing team defense and a steady Alex Smith.  If the Chiefs can get to Brock Osweiler, this is a solid bet.

Miami Dolphins +6 at New England Patriots

This pick is completely counterintuitive for me, and I may rue the day that I made it, but, despite how impressive the Patriots looked against Arizona and how great a coach Bill Belichick is, but, the Dolphins played great defense against the Seahawks, and except for a dropped pass by Kenny Stills is the likely winner.  Not sure the Dolphins win this game, but should play within a touchdown.

New Orleans Saints +4 at New York Giants

The Giants defeated a tough Cowboys team last week in a game that was completely devoid of big plays.  The Saints lived on big plays last week in a loss to the Raiders.  I suspect that the Saints will make 1 or 2 big plays to at least cover this spread.

Cincinnati Bengals +3 at Pittsburgh Steelers

Boy did Pittsburgh look impressive last week, but I suspect that part of that display was due to the ability - or lack thereof - of their opponent, the Washington Redskins.  In a close divisional battle, I will usually take the points.  Plus, all three games last year between Cincinnati and Pittsburgh were won by the visiting team.

Dallas Cowboys +3 at Washington Redskins

Boy did the Redskins look awful last week, but a large part of that could be attributed to playing the Pittsburgh Steelers.  The Cowboys defense could be exactly what aids an ailing run defense.  What could also help the Redskins inept rushing offense is finding a running back that was more than a backup in college (I am looking at you Matt Jones and Chris Thompson).  Prescott looks like he could be really good, and if I am Josh Norman, I am not looking forward to playing Dez Bryant (oh wait, he probably won't).  Kirk Cousins should hit on a big play or two to DeSean Jackson.  With all of these thoughts, and the fact that this is a rivalry game, I'll take the points.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers +7 at Arizona Cardinals

Do not be surprised if this turns out to be the best game of the weekend.  Jameis Winston is the real deal, and he spreads the ball around without just focusing on his star receiver Mike Evans.  This strategy was successfully used by the Patriots last week.  Arizona's offense can be prolific, but the linebacking corps of the Bucs, led by Lavonte David, is awesome.  I expect a great, close game.

Los Angeles Rams +6 v. Seattle Seahawks
This is my least favorite selection on the board.  But, I  just cannot select a second road favorite (see Baltimore v. Cleveland), and the Rams did defeat the Seahawks not once, but twice last year.  This sure does seem to be a much worse Rams team, but they still have some All-Pro players on defense, and Seattle did not look impressive against the Dolphins.  I will say that the Rams score a late touchdown to lose 28-24.

Denver Broncos -6 1/2 v. Indianapolis Colts

I said last week that I did not think the Colts were going to be a playoff team.  The Broncos looked phenomenal against the Panthers.  Yes, the Colts scored lots of points last week against the Lions, but this Broncos defense is much more stout than the Lions defense.

Atlanta Falcons + 4 1/2 at Oakland Raiders

I am completely on the Raiders bandwagon, and I still feel that they can win this game.  However, the defense gave up too many big plays to the Saints, and the Saints do not have Julio Jones.  For that reason I look for the Falcons to cover this spread, and possibly win outright.

Jacksonville Jaguars +3 at San Diego Chargers
I have no idea what happened with San Diego last week against the Chiefs, as the Chargers looked like world beaters in the first half, and like beaten dogs the second.  Does Keenan Allen mean that much?  Perhaps.  The Jaguars played the Packers tough, even without any semblance of a running game.  It would appear to me that Chris Ivory will become the starting running back, once healthy, and that could make quite a bit of difference.  Can Travis Benjamin step in to fill Keenan Allen's shoes?  Probably not this soon.

Green Bay Packers -2 at Minnesota Vikings

OK, so here is my second road favorite, but the Vikings will be starting their second quarterback - Sam Bradford - in two games.  The Packers already won one game on the road - at Jacksonville - and the Vikings still looked lackluster despite their victory against Tennessee last week.

Chicago Bears -3 v. Philadelphia Eagles

Carson Wentz looked good in his first game, but that was against Cleveland.  The Bears defense looked much better, led by free agent middle linebackers, Jerrell Freeman with 17 total tackles and Danny Trevathan with 11 total tackles, plus a sack.  The Bears should harass Wentz enough to give the Bears the victory.

Big Bet Game of the Week

Denver Broncos -6 1/2 v. Indianapolis Colts

I said last week that I did not think the Colts were going to be a playoff team.  The Broncos looked phenomenal against the Panthers.  Yes, the Colts scored lots of points last week against the Lions, but this Broncos defense is much more stout than the Lions defense.
I generally like to get points for the Big Bet, but the fact that Denver's defense could neutralize Indianapolis's offense, coupled with the fact that CJ Anderson looks really healthy to start the season gives me confidence in the Broncos this week.

Last Week's Record:  10-6
Last Week's Big Bet: 0-1
Year-to-Date Record: 10-6
Big Bet Year-to-Date: 0-1
Last Week's Winnings (Losses): $175
Winnings (Losses) Year-to-Date: $175

Picks of the Week

It is back.  The NFL is back.  I know, it started Thursday, but I lost that pick so nobody can accuse me of cheating.

My long time readers know how this works, but for everybody else,  a reminder.  Each pick is using the spread (straight up is for wussies), and the betting line is from the same website each week as of the time of typing the entry. I keep a running tally of my record, plus my winnings/losses. We will "pretend" that I bet $100 on each game, with one game each week going for $250. Winnings/Losses will be calculated including a 10% vig to make the math that much simpler.

Carolina Panthers -3 at Denver Brocncos

The Panthers want to prove themselves I said.  Trevor Siemian is untested, I told myself.  What I should have said was, "Don't take road favorites".

Chicago Bears +6 at Houston Texans
No, this is not a homer pick.  I just don't think that Brock Osweiler is ready to lead a team to a 7 point victory when J.J. Watt is hampered by injuries and likely not 100%.  The Bears signing of Josh Sitton from the Packers was huge.

Tampa Bay +2 1/2 at Atlanta Falcons
This is the year of the Winston, as Jameis starts strong, opening up a punishing fourth quarter rushing game by Doug Martin.  Atlanta - once again - is all flash an no substance.

Buffalo Bills +3 at Baltimore Ravens
Tyrod Taylor is bette than most people think, and I think the Ravens will be battling for the number 1 pick this year.

Jacksonville Jaguars + 4 1/2 v. Green Bay Packers
Perhaps I learned my lesson about selecting road favorites.  I think the Jaguars look like they are going to good this year, in essence getting two first round picks with Dante Fowler returning to action.  Chris Ivory will provide some punishing runs.

Kansas City Chiefs -5 1/2 v. San Diego Chargers

Honestly, I have no idea what we have in the Chargers.  With the Chiefs, we have an incredible defense and a steady Alex Smith.

Oakland Raiders +1 1/2 at New Orleans Saints

Since New Orleans is in the central time zone, I don't have to worry about the west coast team playing the early game in the east coast theory, so I can take points and bet on the up-and-coming Raiders offense.  I think Amari Cooper has a big game torching the Saints secondary.

New York Jets +2 1/2 v. Cincinnati Bengals

Ryan Fitzpatrick proves he should have been the glimmer in the Jets' management eyes the entire time.  Plus, home team getting points.  The Bengals are down to only A.J. Green as returning receivers, so it may take a few games for the offense to start gelling.

Philadelphia Eagles -3 1/2 v. Cleveland Browns

I almost went the other way with this one, but it may be a few weeks too early to start picking them to cover, as they kept all 14 of their draft picks on the roster.  Not sold on Philadelphia either, but they may just be happy that Chip Kelly is gone.

Tennessee Titans +2 1/2 v. Minnesota Vikings

Ladies and gentlemen, Shaun Hill is getting 2 1/2 points.  SHAUN HILL?!

Miami Dolphins +10 at Seattle Seahawks

Way too early in the season to start giving double digit spreads.  If Arian Foster can still run, this should be a close loss for the Dolphins.

New York Giants pick 'em at Dallas Cowboys

Dallas was -22 in turnover margin last year (last in the NFL) and now they are starting a rookie quarterback.  Although Prescott is talented, he will make mistakes.  Eli is a solid veteran, but even with an unsteady running game, he has ODB!

Detroit Lions +3 at Indianapolis Colts

I feel the Colts are a bit overrated, and may not make the playoffs this year.  Detroit's offense was one of the league's best the last quarter of the season last year, and look to continue that production.

Arizona Cardinals -7 v. New England Patriots

Arizona has both one of the league's most explosive offenses, and one of the most staunchest defenses.  New England has Jimmy Garropolo and only 4 receivers on the entire roster.

Washington Redskins +3 v. Pittsburgh Steelers

I will take points at home, and the Redskins have the making of a really nice offense with Kirk Cousins, Matt Jones - if he can hold onto the ball - and a revitalized DeSean Jackson and Pierre Garcon out wide, and Jordan Reed up the middle.  If their defense can finish middle of the road or better, this team can win their division.

San Francisco 49ers +2 1/2 v. Los Angeles Rams

Even though Blaine Gabbert is starting, this team is coalescing around Colin Kaepernick.  Expect a healthy dose of Carlos Hyde.  The Rams need an identity, and you would think it would revolve around Todd Gurley - and it ultimately may - but we need to see it.

Big Bet Game of the Week

Tennessee Titans +2 1/2 v. Minnesota Vikings

Ladies and gentlemen, Shaun Hill is getting 2 1/2 points.  SHAUN HILL?!

I really was not sure which game to pick here, but I did find a home team getting points, and going against Shaun Hill.  I expect Mariota to have an excellent season this year, especially with a more potent running game than last year.

Last Week's Record:  0-0
Last Week's Big Bet: 0-0
Year-to-Date Record: 0-0
Big Bet Year-to-Date: 0-0
Last Week's Winnings (Losses): $0
Winnings (Losses) Year-to-Date: $0

Are you Ready for some Football?!

It is that time of the year again, time for the start of college football.  We have already had a fascinating start to the season with 6 ranked teams losing (and a record-breaking 7th to fall tonight, as FSU and Ole Miss - two ranked teams - faceoff in Orlando).  What would the start of college football be without a preseason All-American list? Once again, I am here to give you my preseason All-Americans. As usual, there will be more than 11 on each side, to account for the different types of formations (spread, three receiver set, 4-3, 3-4, etc). I explain some of my picks, while others I do not. Why? Because I can.  (Starters in capitals).

Offense

QB - DESHAUN WATSON, Clemson; Pat Mahomes, Texas Tech; Greg Ward, Jr.,  Houston  - Watson is one of the easiest selections on this list.  Mahomes might be the biggest and strongest quarterback that Kliff Kingsbury has ever had at Texas Tech and Greg Ward, Jr. is the best quarterback nobody (except Florida State) has heard of.

RB - LEONARD FOURNETTE, LSU; CHRISTIAN MCCAFFREY, Stanford; Dalvin Cook, Florida State; Nick Chubb, Georgia; Samaje Perine, Oklahoma - The returning talent of this group is absolutely astounding.  Any of these five could be the load-carrying feature on this all-star team.  I start McCaffrey because he blocks, and catches better than Cook.

WR - JUJU SMITH-SCHUSTER, USC; MIKE WILLIAMS, Clemson; Christian Kirk, Texas A & M; Calvin Ridley, Alabama; Corey Davis, Western Michigan - Nowhere near the names of the other positions (especially running back), but this is an exciting group of receivers.  Kirk is a threat to score every single time he touches the football.

TE - O.J. HOWARD, Alabama; Jake Butt, Michigan - Howard makes his third straight appearance on this list.  Although Butt will likely have better stats because of the overall talent of the skill positions at Alabama, Howard is a beast.

OL - CAM ROBINSON, Alabama (T); RODERICK JOHNSON, FSU (T); PAT ELFLEIN, Ohio State (C); DAN FEENEY, Indiana (G);  DORIAN JOHNSON, Pittsburgh (G); Zach Banner, USC; Conor McDermott, USC; Quenton Nelson, Notre Dame - Elflein returns from last year's All-American team, and Feeney is one reason why Jordan Howard was such an effective runner at Indiana last year.  Robinson and Johnson are the prototypical college star tackles.

Defense

DE - MYLES GARRETT, Texas A & M; JONATHAN ALLEN, Alabama; Charles Harris, Missouri - Between Garrett and Allen, we could see 50+ tackles for loss this  year.  Harris completes the SEC trifecta on the outside of the line.

DT - MALIK MCDOWELL, Michigan State; CARLOS WATKINS, Clemson; Lowell Lotulelei, Utah - Not just big space eaters, McDowell and Watkins both make plays from the interior of the defense.

LB - RAEKWON MCMILLAN, Ohio State, REUBEN FOSTER, Alabama; DEVONTE FIELDS, Louisville; Anthoney Walker, Northwestern; Jabrill Peppers, Michigan; Tim Williams, Alabama - With McMillan on the field, you better diversify your plays, bitches.  Foster is a tackling machine, and Fields is the type of playmaker that has moved Louisville into the upper echelon of college football programs.

CB - DESMOND KING, Iowa; JOURDAN LEWIS, Michigan; Jalen Tabor, Florida - Desmond King won the Jim Thorpe award as the nation's best defensive back last year, with 8 interceptions.  Lewis had 20 passes defensed.  Tabor is the second consecutive Jalen to make this list.

S - DERWIN JAMES, Florida State; BUDDA BAKER, Washington; Jamal Adams, LSU - JAMES is the heir apparent to Jaylen Ramsey, while Baker returns after a phenomenal year last year for the Huskies.

Special Teams

K - ANDY PHILLIPS, Utah - Phillips was on the team last year (behind Aguayo) for no reason that I just thought we should have three kickers on the team (kickers means kickers and punters).

P - JK SCOTT, Alabama - A booming punter who grew 1 1/2 inches this offseason.

KR/PR - EVAN BERRY, Tennessee - Berry led the nation in kickoff return average last  year, beating second place by almost 5 whole yards per return.  No backups needed because the two Christians can also return very well (McCaffrey and Kirk - not a religious reference).

Olympics - Rio 2016 - Day 19

Day 19 - August 21

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T-oday's Events:  Basketball, Handball, Mountain Biking, Track and Field, Volleyball, Wrestling

Olympic Word of the Day:  Opposite - In volleyball, the player that plays opposite the setter.  Generally a hitter, but may often be called to set if a bad pass from the back makes it difficult for the setter to get to the ball.  Also important in outside blocking.

There were two absolutely phenomenal games played today.  The first ties into the Olympic word of the day, that being the bronze medal volleyball match between the US and Russia.  The US lost a match against Italy in the semi-finals in five sets, after being up 2 sets to 1, whereas Russia was absolutely annihilated by Brazil.  How would those matches affect the finals?  Well, we may not have had a chance to know, as the United States bus did not have the proper credentials to get through the new blockades set up for the Closing Ceremonies (the volleyball stadium is near the Olympic Stadium), so the team had to exit the bus and walk over a mile to the arena in the rain.  So we don't know if it was the after effects of the semi-finals hangover or the problems with arrival, but either way, the United States started off slow losing the first two sets 23-25, 21-25.  But, in the second set coach John Speraw inserted veteran outside hitter Reid Priddy, who had played exceedingly sparingly throughout the tournament, and the veteran erupted.  Although the 38 year old is retiring from the national team, with his hitting, movement and skills, I would expect to see him on the beach volleyball scene in the near future. Behind Priddy, and with Middle Blockers/Hitters Max Holt and David Lee providing devastating slams from the middle, and opposite Matt Anderson heating up from the outside, the United States overcame many problems from the service line to win the final three sets 25-19, 25-19, 15-13.  Brazil, behind the tournament-long hitting of Wallace, took the gold over Italy in straight sets, making up for the silver medals won by the country in volleyball in the last two Olympics.

For Russia, the semi-finals marked the last game of Sergei Tetyukhin, who was playing in his 6th Olympics.  Tetyukhin didn't just play sparingly, he was involved in almost every minute of these games.  Although he did not go out with a medal, Teyukhin's talent were necessary for Russia to advance to the bronze medal game.

The second fascinating game of the day was the gold medal match in the Men's Team Handball, between Denmark and France, with the Danes winning 28-26.  Mikkel Hansen who was amazing throughout the Olympics again starred for Denmark, scoring 8 times in the match to defeat the world number 1 ranked, and defending gold medalist, France.

On another Court, the United States Men's Basketball team bounced back from a close group play victory (3 points) over Serbia to win the gold-medal game over the same country 96-66.  Carmelo Anthony announced his retirement from the U.S. National team.  For Serbia, the play of point guard Milos Teodosic should earn him a contract in the NBA.  In a fascinating bronze medal match, Spain defeated Australia by 1 in  a match that was won on a great defensive stand by the Spaniards, who held Australia without a shot that could have put the Aussies ahead.

Just as their were two matches that carried the last day of the Olympics, two very different protests helped close out the games of the XXXI Olympiad.  The first was incredibly amusing.

As the clock ticked up to 6:00 (the final time in a wrestling match) in the bronze medal match at the 65kg weight class, Ganzorigiin Mandakhnaran of Mongolia was beating Uzbekistan's Ikhtiyor Navruzov 7-6.  At around 5:54 and 5:55, Mandakhnaran began celebrating by pumping his hands in the air.  The referee considered this fleeing, and awarded a point to the Uzbek, making the score tied at 7.  Those that recall yesterday's post will know that in wrestling the tiebreaker goes to the person that scored the last point, and since time had expired, that was Navruzov.  As the Mongolian's started to understand what had just happened, the coaches threw the challenge mascot.  (Instead of a challenge flag, each coach had mascot they could throw onto the mat which would trigger a video replay.)  However, this situation is not reviewable.  The coaches, Tserenbaatar Tsogtbayar and Byambarenchin Bayaraa, started their own protest by stripping, one coach took off his shirt, and the other stripped down to their underwear.  This resulted in another point for Navruzov, solidifying his claim for the bronze with an 8-7 victory.  It should be noted that the three judges from Navruzov's quarterfinal match were sent home for malfeasance earlier in the tournament.  Congratulations to Navruzov, but the fans were definitely supportive of the Mongolians as they shouted "Mongolia, Mongolia!"  Here are the coaches.

 
Another more serious protest occurred on the marathon course, where Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya crossed the finish line in first place in 2:08:44 for fold.  American Galen Rupp, fresh off his 5th place finish in the 10,000 meters and running in only his second marathon - his first being the Olympic trials, was third in 2:10:05.  However, the important action occurred after Kipchoge finished and ahead of Rupp.

Ethiopia's Feyisa Lilesa finished second in 2:09:54, capturing the silver medal.  However, as Lilesa neared and crossed the finish line, he raised his arms to form an "X".

The "X" was not a celebration, or a cue to family or friends, but a gesture that could lead to Lilesa's execution, or at least jail.  The formation has become a formal protest of the Oromo tribe in Ethiopia, the largest single ethnic group in the country.  The government has marginalized the Oromo people, taken away their land, jailed them, and worse, killed them - over 400 since last November.  Although Ethiopia's Communication Minister said that Lilesa has nothing to fear upon returning to Ethiopia for his protest, it should be noted that the state run television station edited out the gesture once noticed, and has not replayed Lilesa's finish.  The Guardian is reporting that Lilesa is seeking asylum, but details are scarce as to whether that will be in Brazil or elsewhere.  The Guardian quoted Lilesa as saying "Maybe I stay here [Brazil].  If I can get visa, I can go to America".

For taking this stand in the face of imprisonment or death, Feyisa Lilesa and his marathon finish are the story of the day.

The closing ceremonies completed the event, with the proverbial - and almost literal - passing of the torch from Rio de Janeiro to Tokyo, Japan, that will host the Summer Olympics in 2020.  Interestingly, representing Tokyo is the Governor of Tokyo, Yuriko Koike accepted the Olympic flag, the traditional closing of the games, even though she was only elected 3 weeks ago.  Also appearing was Japan's Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, in a tribute to Mario Brothers that stunned the stadium.

Olympics - Rio 2016 - Day 18

Day 18 - August 20

Today's Events:  Badminton, Basketball, Canoe, Golf, Handball, Mountain Biking, Soccer, Volleyball, Water Polo, Wrestling

Olympic Word of the Day:  Stalling - In wrestling, failing to engage the opponent, presumably to waste time.  First infraction is a warning, and at the time of the second "warning" the action is stopped so that the athlete is "put on a clock", at which time he has to score a point within 30 seconds, or else the opponent is awarded a point.

On Saturday, nobody capped a more memorable Olympics that Isaquias Quieroz dos Santos, the Brazilian canoer nicknamed "Missing Kidney".  On Saturday, he secured his third medal of the Olympics, a silver in the men's 1000 meters, to go along with his silver in the men's doubles 1000 meters and a bronze in the men's 200 meters.  Three medals to signify each of the three times he almost lost his life.  At age 3 a pot of scalding water fell on him, and the doctor's told his mother he was not going to make it.  At 5, he was kidnapped, but later returned unharmed.  And, at 10, he climbed a tree to get a better look at a snake out on a branch, fell onto a rock with the fall breaking a kidney in half.  He has been nicknamed "Missing Kidney" ever since.  

From the remarkable to the sublime, the United States Women's Basketball team secured gold by demolishing Spain 101-72.  Nobody, with the possible exception of Simone Biles, was more dominating at the Olmpics than this U.S. team.  Diana Taurasi, who along with Sue Bird and Tamika Catchings earned her fourth gold medal, has been complaining - rightfully so - that the team has not garnered more attention.  It hasn't received more attention because they were too good, and the games have not been that interesting.  A weird dichotomy, sure, but domination sometimes has its price.

In today's lesson on sportsmanship, American J'Den Cox won the bronze medal by defeating Cuban Reinaris Salas.  Cox. who late in match was leading by one, was warned for stalling.  He had thirty seconds to win a point, otherwise Salas would be awarded a point.  This was important because in freestyle wrestling, ties are broken by whomever scored last.  Cox attacks, and attacks, and attacks, has the big Cuban up, flips him, and Salas still has a hold of Cox's ankle, so a point is awarded to Salas with just six seconds left.  Cox's team challenges, and upon video replay, Cox is awarded 2 points for a take down, and since he scored points, no penalty is awarded to Salas, thus taking his point away.  A 3 point swing.  Instead of being tied, Cox is now up 3.  After a brief protest by his coaches, Salas refuses to continue the match.  Cox technically wins by disqualification.

That should be contrasted with the actions of Malaysia's Lee Chong Wei.  Wei, the number 1 ranked badminton player in the world lost the gold medal match to China's Chen Long to secure his third Olympic silver in his fourth Olympics.  Lee, crying, then apologized to all 30 million Malaysians that he could not give give them the gold medal they expected.  This juxtaposed with Ryan Lochte, who, just apologized for embellishing a story, that was not actually accurate to begin with.

On the track, the Americans again excelled, with Matt Centrowitz winning the gold medal in the men's 1500 meters.  In winning a very tactical race that Centrowitz controlled from the beginning, he became the first American male to win at that distance since 1908.

For the sixth consecutive time, the American women won the 4x400 meter relay, in convincing fashion.  Another repeat winner was Great Britain's Mo Farah, who followed up his gold medal in the 10,000 meters with another gold in the 5,000 meters, completing the double that he accomplished in London in 2012.

Gwen Jorgensen won the gold medal in the women's triathlon, becoming the first American to do so in that event.  Jorgensen, who completed the course in 1:56:16, defeating silver medalist Nicola Spirig of Switzerland by 40 seconds, with bronze medalist Vicky Holland of Great Britain just 5 seconds behind Spirig.

Despite all of the triumph listed here, none came close to the triumph of these Olympics:  Brazil's triumph over Germany for the gold medal in men's soccer.  The game, tied a 1-1 through regulation and extra time, went to penalty kicks.  Germany, going first, scored on each of its first four spot kicks, while Brazil countered scoring on each of its first four kicks.  Then, Brazilian goalie Weverton guessing correctly by diving to his left, made a spectacular save on Germany's Nils Pieterson, who blistered his kick to the goalie's left.  Then Neymar, recognized as one of the world's greatest soccer players coming off his spectacular curling free kick in the first half that gave Brazil a 1-0 lead, buried his penalty into the top of the net after a stutter step to clinch the gold medal.  It was difficult to see who was crying more, the Brazilians for winning, or the Germans for losing, but the emotions ran extremely high at Maracana.  That, was the story of the day!

Olympics - Rio 2016 - Day 17

Day 17 - August 19

Today's Events:  Basketball, Boxing, Canoe, Field Hockey, Handball, Soccer, Track and Field, Volleyball, Wrestling

Olympic Word of the Day:  Indictment - A formal charge or accusation of a serious crime

On "Today's News With Ryan Lochte", American swimmer James Feigen was allowed to travel back to the United States after he "purchased the right to his own passport" for $10,800.  This was reportedly in exchange for Brazil not pressing charges against Feigen.  Lochte, however, being in the US the entire time that this story has broke, could still be charged by the authorities and/or suspended by FINA - the governing body of international swimming - or USA Swimming.

Lochte, from the comforts of his own home - or wherever he is staying, posted an apology on Instagram.  His apology starts, "I want to apologize for my behavior last weekend - for not being more careful and candid in how I described the events of that early morning."  Clearly, Lochte doesn't even know what he needs to apologize for.  What a dope.

Our first real doping scandal at the Olympics - not to be confused with the Russian doping scandal prior to the Olympics - occurred when weightlifter Izzat Artykoff of Krzygystan lost his bronze medal after testing positive for strychnine.  STRYCHNINE!!!

At the golf course, Lydia Ko of New Zealand shot a 29 on the front nine, helped by a hole-in-one on the 140 yard par-3 8th hole.  She was joined in the aces club by Lin Xiyu - who actually recorded her hole-in-one on the same hole earlier in the day.

The United States Women's Water Polo team dominated Italy 12-5 in the gold medal game, earning the Americans their second straight water polo title.

The Cinderella ride for the coward Swedish soccer team ended as the fell to Germany 2-1 in the gold medal game.  All jokes about Hope Solo aside, Sweden, behind former American coach Pia Sundhage, did well to earn silver, as Germany was easily the best side in this tournament.

Since a little bit of refresher on sportsmanship is needed after any Hope Solo reference, I submit these words from Jordan Burroughs, a gold medal favorite in wrestling after losing in the quarterfinals to Aniuar Geduev of Russia.

“I feel like I let my family down, my kids,” you said. “I missed a lot of important milestones in my children’s lives to pursue this sport. I didn’t see my son walk for the first time. I’ve left my wife at home with two kids for long periods of time to go to training camps, to foreign countries. She did that joyfully, not begrudgingly, because she knew on days like these I always fulfilled my end. Now I feel like I let her down. I let her down, I let my family down. This is supposed to be my year. This is supposed to be my breakthrough performance that cemented me as a legend in the sport. And it almost retracted my position in the sport. It hurts me. It hurts a lot, man. It hurts.”

Jordan, you are a three time world champion with an international record of 130-4.  You let nobody down.

Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia defeated Lin Dan of China in the semi-finals of men's badminton.  This sets up a huge final with China's Chen Long for the gold.

On the track, the United States women dominated in the 4 x 100 meter relay, running the second fastest time in history - from LANE 1!  Amazing.

On the men's side, Jamaica defended its gold medal by cruising to an easy victory in the same event.  Usain Bolt took the baton roughly even with several other teams, only to win handily over Japan and the United State - who were ultimately disqualified for passing the baton outside of the area.  Canada ends up with the bronze medal.  Even though the American protest was denied, the members of the team still do not know what they did wrong.

No match was as amazing as the Denmark-Poland semi-final in handball, in which Denmark prevailed 29-28 in overtime.  Denmark will now play the reigning champions France for the gold medal.

If any game could match the handball match, it was the gold medal game in women's field hockey, as Great Britain earned the gold medal by defeating the Netherlands in a shootout.  Great Britain, you win the story of the day!