Cnotes 2021-2022 nhl trends, news, best bets and opinions thru the playoffs !

[Udog]

Armadillo Sports

Friday’s 6-pack
Pointspreads for some NFL games this season:
Week 1— Steelers @ Cincinnati (-6)
Week 2— Dolphins @ Baltimore (-4)
Week 3— Packers @ Tampa Bay (-3)
Week 4— Vikings (-1) @ New Orleans
Week 5— Colts @ Denver (-3)
Week 6— Cowboys (even) @ Philadelphia

Quote of the Day
“A journey of 1,000 miles begins with a single step.”
Confucius

Friday’s quiz
Where did Steve Kerr play his college basketball?

Thursday’s quiz
Houston Astrodome was the first domed stadium in the major leagues.

Wednesday’s quiz
Buck Showalter was the first manager of the Arizona Diamondbacks.

**********************************

Friday’s Den: Random stuff and Week 8 USFL notes

Celtics 120, Warriors 108:
— Golden State led by 12 after the third quarter.
— Celtics outscored them 40-16 in 4th quarter, including a 17-0 run.
— Boston was 21-41 on arc; they made their first seven 3’s in 4th quarter.

Brewers 5, Padres 4:
— Milwaukee scored four times in bottom of ninth.
— Andrew McCutchen walked it off with a one-out single.
— This was Milwaukee’s first home game this year where the game-winning run scored from the 7th inning on— they’re 8-4 in such games on the road.

Mariners 7, Orioles 6 (10)
— Jesse Winker had three hits for Seattle, which blew a 6-3 lead in sixth inning.

— Mets’ SS Francisco Lindor missed the game in Los Angeles Thursday; he slammed his right middle finger in a hotel door.

— Portland Trailblazers aren’t for sale, but Nike boss Phil Knight put in an offer to buy the team anyway. Nike headquarters are in Oregon, so that makes sense.

— Ryan Fitzpatrick retired this week, after a 17-year NFL career that spanned nine teams. He is expected to sign on with Amazon to be part of their NFL TV crew.

— October 5-6 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Lakers are going to play couple of exhibition games, against the Suns on the 5th, against Minnesota the next night.

Week 8 USFL games……..
Pittsburgh vs New Jersey (-9)
Pittsburgh Maulers (1-6)
— Have been outscored 98-38 in first half of games.
— Last five weeks, allowed 172 rushing yards/game.
— Five of their last six games went over total.
— Covered spread three of last four weeks (3-3-1 ATS for year).

New Jersey Generals (6-1)
— Won last six games (4-2 ATS), scoring 23.6 ppg in last five.
— Generals held last six opponents 15 ppg.
— Outscored last five foes 53-32 in second half.
— 2-2 ATS as a favorite
— Three of their last four games went over the total.

First meeting:
— Generals (-9.5) 21, Maulers 13 (Week 4)
— Total yardage: 313-256, New Jersey
— Pittsburgh completed only 15-32 passes.

New Orleans vs Birmingham (-3.5)
New Orleans Breakers (5-2)
— Scored 23+ points in their wins, 13-17 in losses.
— Last four games went over the total
— Last five games, they’re minus-5 in turnovers (5-10)
— Won their only game this year as an underdog.

Birmingham Stallions (7-0)
— Trailed at halftime in four of seven games
— Outscored opponents 114-44 in second half.
— Outrushed last four foes 656-335
— 6-1 against spread

First meeting
— Stallions (-5.5) 22, Breakers 13 in Week 3
— Total yardage: 316-313, New Orleans
— Birmingham was +2 in turnovers; they led 10-6 at halftime.

Michigan vs Philadelphia (-5.5)
Michigan Panthers (1-6)
— Have four losses by 5 or fewer points- lost in OT last week.
— 0-4 in games decided by 5 or fewer points.
— Outgained five of their seven opponents.
— Their only win was 24-0 over 1-6 Pittsburgh.
— Last four games went over the total.
— Michigan is 1-3 ATS as an underdog.

Philadelphia Stars (4-3)
— Won three of their last four games, are 1-2-1 ATS as favorites.
— Last four weeks, they’re +6 in turnovers.
— Gave up 23+ points in all seven games (over 5-1 last six).
— Have been outgained in six of seven games (2-4-1 ATS).
— Scored 30-26-35-35 points in wins; 17-16-17 in losses.

First meeting:
— Stars (+1) won 26-25 (Week 4); Michigan missed 21-yard FG on last play.
— Total yardage: 301-293, Michigan
— Stars were +2 in turnovers; game was 17-17 at halftime.

Tampa Bay (-5) vs Houston
Tampa Bay Bandits (3-4)
— Bandits lost three of their last four games.
— Minus-10 in turnovers— have only three takeaways.
— 2-2 ATS as a favorite.
— Scoring 10.6 ppg in first half, 7.3 ppg in second half.

Houston Gamblers (1-6)
— Lost their last six games (2-4 ATS)
— Led all seven games at halftime, won only once.
— Last six games went over total
— Outscored 107-39 in second half.

First meeting:
— Tampa Bay (-2) 27, Houston 26 in Week 3
— Gamblers led 23-14 at halftime.
— Total yardage: 400-365, Houston- they ran for 160 yards.

 

[Udog]

TAMPA BAY is 12-3 Over (8.7 Units) in road games after covering 4 of their last 5 against the spread in the current season.




NHL
Dunkel

Friday, June 3

NHL

Friday, June 3

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Trend Report
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Tampa Bay @ NY Rangers
Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
Tampa Bay is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games
NY Rangers
NY Rangers is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
NY Rangers is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Tampa Bay


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Lightning are 6-1 in the past seven games overall.
Lightning are 49-22 in the past 71 as a favorite.
Lightning are 22-9 in the past 31 playoff games as a fave.
Rangers are 5-1 in the past six games overall.
Rangers are 43-20 in the past 63 home games.
Rangers are 2-6 in the past eight as an underdog.
Rangers are 7-2 in the past nine as a home 'dog.
UNDER is 5-1 in the past six for the Lightning.
UNDER is 13-7 in the past 20 road games for the Lightning.
UNDER is 6-3-3 in the past 12 Conference Finals games for the Lightning.
OVER is 6-2 in the past eight home games for the Rangers.
UNDER is 7-3-1 in the past 11 playoff games as a 'dog for the Rangers.
OVER is 5-0 in the past five as a home 'dog for the Rangers.
Lightning are 1-5 in the past six meetings.
Underdog is 5-1 in the past six meetings.

 

[Udog]

Armadillo Sports

Saturday’s 6-pack
Odds to win the college football national title this season:
+198— Alabama
+328— Georgia
+460— Ohio State
+1180— Clemson
+2340— Texas A&M
+2500— USC

Quote of the Day
“I was in his hip pocket all the time. I was standing behind him in the huddle sometimes, listening to what he was saying before the start of a period. I was sitting in meetings with him, [taking] a ton of notes. I was watching hours of film on Mondays and Tuesdays trying to give him a little advantage for the week if I saw something that might help him in a game.

I would print out this reports every week. It had all the DB’s we were playing and the catches that were against them and the little things I saw on film. I always joked that he just toss them in the bin on the way out. But for me it was the best thing to learn to prepare for a game.”
Aaron Rodgers, on how he learned pro football from observing Brett Favre

Saturday’s quiz
Who was Golden State’s coach before Steve Kerr?

Friday’s quiz
Steve Kerr played his college basketball at Arizona.

Thursday’s quiz
Houston Astrodome was the first domed stadium in the major leagues.

********************************************

Saturday’s Den: 13 of my favorite TV/movie quotes…….

13) “……here’s the thing. If you can’t spot the sucker in your first half hour at the table, then you ARE the sucker.”
Mike McDermott, Rounders

12) “I’ve got a trig midterm tomorrow and I’m being chased by Guido, the killer pimp.”
Miles, Risky Business

11) “You’re a goddamn quarterback! You know what that means? It’s the top spot, kid. It’s the guy who takes the fall. It’s the guy everybody’s looking at first – the leader of a team – who will support you when they understand you. Who will break their ribs and their noses and their necks for you, because they believe. ‘Cause you make them believe. That’s a quarterback.”
Al Pacino, Any Given Sunday

10) “He’s a great player, but I don’t think we can get him in academically.”
Jerry Tarkanian, Blue Chips

9) “Listen, Lupus, you didn’t come into this life just to sit around on a dugout bench, did ya? Now get your ass out there and do the best you can.”
Walter Matthau in The Bad News Bears

8) “I’ll get to the bottom of this……if I have to go all the way to the top.”
Colonel Flagg, M*A*S*H*

7) “Do whats in your heart, son. You’ll be fine.”
Robin Williams, from Good Will Hunting

6) “God likes me!!! He really, really likes me!!! What a day!!! What a fabulous day!!!”
Richard Dreyfuss in Let It Ride

5) “Being perfect is not about that scoreboard out there. It’s not about winning. It’s about you and your relationship with yourself, your family and your friends. Being perfect is about being able to look your friends in the eye and know that you didn’t let them down because you told them the truth…….”
Billy Bob Thornton, Friday Night Lights

4) “Why would you want to dance with someone who doesn’t want to dance with you?”
Adam Sandler, The Wedding Singer

3) “It’s supposed to be hard. If it wasn’t hard, everyone would do it. The hard… is what makes it great.”
Tom Hanks in A League of Their Own

2) “A little song, a little dance……a little seltzer down your pants”
Chuckles the Clown, from The Mary Tyler Moore Show

1) “There’s no such thing as a sure thing, thats why they call it gambling.”
Oscar Madison, The Odd Couple

 

[Udog]

COLORADO is 13-3 Over (9.7 Units) in road games after 3 straight games with 33 or more shots on goal over the last 2 seasons.




NHL
Dunkel

Saturday, June 4

NHL

Saturday, June 4

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Trend Report
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Colorado @ Edmonton
Colorado
Colorado is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Colorado is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
Edmonton
Edmonton is 18-3 SU in its last 21 games at home
Edmonton is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games at home


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Avalanche are 5-0 in the past five road games.
Avalanche are 19-7 in the past 26 playoff games as a favorite.
Oilers are 21-9 in the past 30 games overall.
Oilers are 20-6 in the past 26 home games.
Oilers are 8-17 in the past 25 as an underdog.
Oilers are 2-5 in the past seven playoff games as a 'dog.
OVER is 4-1 in the past five games overall for the Avalanche.
OVER is 4-1 in the past five road games for the Avalanche.
OVER is 4-1 in the past five playoff games as a fave for the Avs.
OVER is 5-2 in the past seven games overall for the Oilers.
OVER is 17-7 in the past 24 home games for the Oilers.
OVER is 4-1 in the past five as a 'dog for the Oilers.
Favorite is 8-0 in the past eight meetings.
Home team is 7-1 in the past eight meetings.
Avalanche are 5-1 in the past six meetings.

 

[Udog]

Armadillo Sports

Sunday’s 6-pack
NFL teams with most room under the salary cap:
$40,965,823— Cleveland
24,761,087— Carolina
22,629,843— Las Vegas
22,552,602— Dallas
22,242,500— Chicago
20,696,961— Pittsburgh

Quote of the Day
“I didn’t know anything about fronts, route combinations, defenses, footwork…..I didn’t know anything about that.”
Luis Perez, QB of the USFL’s New Jersey Generals, explaining how he learned a lot about playing QB from watching videos on YouTube

Sunday’s quiz
Mets have played in five World Series, under five different managers; who are they?

Saturday’s quiz
Mark Jackson was Golden State’s coach before Steve Kerr.

Friday’s quiz
Steve Kerr played his college basketball at Arizona.

*****************************

Sunday’s Den: Wrapping up a sports Saturday

13) Our fantasy baseball league is 18 years old; it is a keeper league. We have 14 teams now, started out with 18 teams. Our first draft took 87 days to complete; it was a running draft, the person whose turn it was would text me their pick, and I would post it. It went the whole damn winter, just about.

My first three picks that year were Matt Holliday, Brandon Webb, Adam Dunn; I bring this up because Matt Holliday’s son is expected to be a first round pick in the amateur draft next month, another thing that is making me feel old(er).

12) Phillies 7, Angels 2— Joe Girardi got fired this week, because teams with lousy pitching don’t win much, especially when they don’t field well. Phillies spent lot of $$$ this winter on couple of sluggers, Schwarber/Castellanos, but they aren’t good fielders.

Enter the Angels, who have a similar approach; outscore your opponents. Well, the Angels have now lost 10 games in a row; they’re 27-27 and Mike Trout hasn’t had a hit in a week. Think Joe Maddon is on the hot seat?

11) Dodgers have a payroll of $310.6M, will be subject to a tax of $47M or so, which would be a new MLB record. Dodgers are 36-17; they’ve been in the playoffs nine years in a row- they sell out a lot of games, and by the way, their pitching, when healthy, is pretty good.

10) Mets sent 1B/OF Dom Smith to AAA this week; it took him a few days to catch up with his new team, but he’s gone 3-9 in his first two AAA games, with 2 runs scored, 3 RBI. It figures that sometime this summer, Smith will be dealt for a pitcher.

9) Former big league catcher AJ Pierzynski does games on FS1; he is a good analyst, speaks his mind, which isn’t always the case. He was talking last night about how catching foul tips is mostly luck, no real skill to it. He should know, having caught in the big leagues for 19 years.

8) There are three current big leaguers with a career .300 average and 100+ stolen bases:
Jose Altuve, Mike Trout, Trea Turner

7) Albert Pujols played in his 3,000th career game Saturday, quite a milestone. He is only the 10th big leaguer ever to play in 3,000 games.

6) Cardinals 7, Cubs 3 (10)— Chicago is 0-25 when it trails after six innings.

5) Las Vegas sportsbooks are posting odds on football games already; SouthPoint opened UNLV as a 33-point underdog at Notre Dame. Golden Nugget posted that game at 26; wonder how many people played the middle in that game, taking UNLV +33, Notre Dame -26, hoping the game falls in between those two numbers.

4) Yordan Alvarez signed a 6-year, $115M deal with the Astros this week; he celebrated by hitting couple of home runs Friday, off a pitcher on my fantasy team. Awesome.

3) Auburn-USC will play a home/home basketball series this year and next; this fall’s game is at the Galen Center at USC December 18.

2) Game 2 of the NBA Finals is tonight; Game 1 was Thursday. I understand that they don’t want games on Saturday, because fewer people watch TV on Saturdays, but shouldn’t they play Game 1 on Friday- you don’t need three days between games when there is no travel.

1) Not sure I’ve ever seen this before, and if I have, its been a while:

Bottom 4th in LA, Mets lead 6-4. Dodgers have guy on 2nd, two out, Mookie Betts is up. Betts hit a 3-run double in his last at-bat, off starter David Peterson, but they leave Peterson in.

Betts hits a vicious line drive down the left field line, just foul. 0-1 count; Buck Showalter had seen enough. He takes Peterson out, brings in a righty reliever, who strikes Betts out looking.

Not often a pitcher is removed during a count.

 

[Udog]

NY RANGERS are 41-20 Under (19 Units) in road games after 1 or more consecutive unders in the last 3 seasons.




NHL
Dunkel

Sunday, June 5

NHL

Sunday, June 5

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Trend Report
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NY Rangers @ Tampa Bay
NY Rangers
NY Rangers is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Tampa Bay
NY Rangers is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Tampa Bay's last 7 games


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Rangers are 4-0 in the past four games overall.
Rangers are 4-1 in the past five following a win.
Rangers are 2-6 in the past eight road games.
Rangers are 2-6 in the past eight as an underdog.
Rangers are 1-5 in the past six as a road 'dog.
Lightning are 6-2 in the past eight games overall.
Lightning are 37-15 in the past 52 home games.
Lightning are 49-23 in the past 72 as a favorite.
UNDER is 7-2 in the past nine as a road 'dog for the Rangers.
UNDER is 8-3-1 in the past 12 playoff games as a 'dog for NYR.
UNDER is 6-1 in the past seven games overall for the Lightning.
UNDER is 3-1-1 in the past five Conference Finals for the Lightning.
OVER is 11-4 in the past 15 as a favorite for the Lightning.
OVER is 8-3 in the past 11 home games for the Lightning.
Underdog is 5-0 in the past five meetings.
OVER is 4-1 in the past five meetings in Tampa.

 

[Udog]

Armadillo Sports

Monday’s 6-pack
NFL teams with least room under the salary cap:
$1,007,383— New England
4,754,181— San Francisco
5,278,202— LA Rams
5,663,870— Buffalo
6,649,869— NJ Giants
7,369,070— Houston

Quote of the Day
“I’m so happy for (Bryson Stott), man. What an at-bat. What a situation for him. Being able to put our trust in our young guys the last couple days, and really let them just play. It’s been great. And it paid off today………The thing about Bryson is he’s got to play. He’s used to playing every day. From high school, to college, to minor league baseball, to now. He’s used to playing every day, and that’s what we’ve got to do for our young guys…”
Bryce Harper

Monday’s quiz
In the movie Last Vegas, what hotel do the four old friends stay in for the weekend?

Sunday’s quiz
Mets have played in five World Series, under five different managers:
Gil Hodges, Yogi Berra, Davey Johnson, Bobby Valentine, Terry Colline

Saturday’s quiz
Mark Jackson was Golden State’s coach before Steve Kerr.

********************************

Monday’s Den: Wrapping up a sports weekend……..

13) Golden State 107, Boston 88:
— Warriors outscored Boston 35-14 in third quarter.
— Celtics shot only 15-43 (34.9%) inside the arc.
— Series heads east to Boston, tied 1-1.

12) Phillies 9, Angels 7:
— Angels led 6-2 in 8th inning.
— Harper hit grand slam in 8th; Stott walked it off with a homer in 9th.
— Phillies are 4-0 since they changed managers.

11) Meanwhile, Angels have now lost 11 games in a row; Mike Trout is 0 for his last 26, and if Joe Girardi got fired this week, can Joe Maddon be far behind? Angels are 27-28; much like the Phillies, they don’t have enough pitching, no matter who the manager is.

10) Mets 5, Dodgers 4 (10)— In 12 career games at Dodger Stadium, Pete Alonso is hitting .360, with 7 homers, 16 RBI, 11 runs scored. Mets blew a 4-2 lead in ninth inning here, but scored in 10th inning and split this four-game series.

9) Dodgers messed up a new rule in Saturday night’s game; trailing 9-4 after eight innings, LA wanted a position player to pitch the ninth inning, but there is a new rule that says a team has to be behind by six runs to use a position player to pitch.

Dodgers had no idea about the new rule; all of this caused an 11-minute delay in the game; they let the regular pitcher take his normal warm-ups, which greatly annoyed the Mets’ TV crew.

8) Why do people discuss the MVP race on June 5th? Season still has over 100 games left, long way to go, but talking heads on TV have to speculate who the MVP will be. Come up with better things to talk about, such as………

While the Dodgers are going to pay a $47M payroll tax this year on their $310M payroll, the entire payroll of the Oakland A’s is $48,411,301. For the whole team; that seems fair.

Week 8 of the USFL……..
7) New Jersey 29, Pittsburgh 18:
— Generals have won seven in a row.
— Pittsburgh has been outscored 121-45 in first half of games.
— New Jersey outgained Pittsburgh 379-290.
— Maulers had a pretty good QB in Vad Lee, but benched him; not good.

6) Birmingham 10, New Orleans 9:
— I’ve been upbeat about the USFL, but this was a sloppy game.
— Both teams turned ball over three times.
— Stallions kicked a field goal with 1:48 to keep their perfect record (8-0) intact.
— Breakers scored 23+ points in their wins, 13-17-9 in losses.

5) Philadelphia 46, Michigan 24:
— Stars outgained Michigan 25-6 in second half.
— Philadelphia averaged 8.8 yards/pass attempt.
— Last five weeks, Stars are +9 in turnovers.
— Michigan is 1-4 ATS as an underdog.

4) Tampa Bay 13, Houston 3:
— Gamblers have now lost seven games in a row.
— Houston outgained Bandits 244-214; Tampa threw for only 69 yards.
— Neither team scored in second half.
— Tampa Bay is 4-4 despite their minus-11 turnover ratio.

3) Quin Snyder quit as coach of the Utah Jazz after eight years there; he had a 372-264 record in regular season games, 21-30 in playoffs. Apparently the Utah front office tried to talk him out of it, but Snyder believes the Jazz “……need a new voice”

2) Is it my imagination, or do more hitters swing at 3-0 pitchers now, figuring that might the only time they’re ever going to see a fastball?

1) Orioles pitching prospect Grayson Rodriguez has a Grade 2 lat strain, could miss the rest of the season. Rodriguez is listed as MLB’s #5 prospect; he was expected to make his major league debut this summer. Now next spring looks more likely.

 

[Udog]

EDMONTON is 12-3 Under (8.7 Units) off a home loss in the current season.




NHL
Dunkel

Monday, June 6

NHL

Monday, June 6

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Trend Report
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Colorado @ Edmonton
Colorado
Colorado is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Colorado is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
Edmonton
Edmonton is 18-4 SU in its last 22 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Edmonton's last 7 games when playing Colorado


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Avalanche are 6-0 in the past six road games.
Avalanche are 20-6 in the past 26 playoff games as a favorite.
Oilers are 21-10 in the past 31 games overall.
Oilers are 20-6 in the past 26 home games.
Oilers are 8-18 in the past 26 as an underdog.
Oilers are 2-6 in the past eight playoff games as a 'dog.
OVER is 4-1 in the past five road games for the Avalanche.
OVER is 4-1 in the past five as a road favorite for the Avs.
OVER is 17-8 in the past 25 home games for the Oilers.
OVER is 4-1 in the past five as a 'dog for the Oilers.
Favorite is 9-0 in the past nine meetings.
Home team is 7-2 in the past nine meetings.
Avalanche are 6-1 in the past seven meetings.

 

[Udog]

Armadillo Sports

Tuesday’s 6-pack
Odds to win the Canadian Open golf tournament this weekend:
17-2— Scheffler
9-1— Thomas
10-1— McIlroy
12-1— Cam Smith
14-1— Burns
16-1— Fitzpatrick

Quote of the Day
“He’s brilliantly smart. He came in, got in his book and got to work. He’s just one of those guys that works at it. And in some respects, it was similar to when I was in San Diego and I saw the way Philip Rivers was, how smart Philip was. And this guy is smart. Watching Carson (Wentz), it’s like, this guy’s got it, and he really did remind me of Philip to a degree. … It was really pleasing to see,”
Washington Commanders’ coach Ron Rivera

Tuesday’s quiz
Whose picture is on the $10 bill?

Monday’s quiz
In the movie Last Vegas, the four old friends stay at the Aria Hotel for the weekend.

Sunday’s quiz
Mets have played in five World Series, under five different managers:
Gil Hodges, Yogi Berra, Davey Johnson, Bobby Valentine, Terry Collins

********************************

Tuesday’s Den: Doing some thinking out loud…….

13) Good news: Rams signed DT Aaron Donald to a $40M raise over the final three years of his contract, which makes him the highest non-quarterback in the NFL.

12) Cleveland Browns’ season over/under for wins and Super Bowl odds are all off the boards until the Deshaun Watson situation is resolved. It figures that Watson is going to be suspended for at least six games; training camp starts next month, a decision is due fairly soon.

11) Wasn’t sure if I knew this or not, but during the season, NFL starting quarterbacks are required to meet with the media twice a week. Once Watson’s suspension is over, his press conferences will become required viewing.

10) Was little weird watching the Celtics-Warriors game Sunday night; Vivek Ranadive, the guy who owns the Sacramento Kings, was sitting right behind the Celtics’ bench during Game 2.

What makes it weird is that Mike Brown is an assistant coach for Golden State, but as soon as the Finals end, he becomes Sacramento’s head coach. Is Ranadive doing Brown a favor, being close enough to the Boston bench to hear what they’re saying?

It is a little paranoid to suggest that, but stranger things have happened.

9) Random fact: in 1892, Benjamin Harrison became the first American President to go to a major league baseball game.

8) 40 years ago, Mike Fratello applied for but didn’t get the head coaching job for the Chicago Bulls; one of Chicago’s co-owners decided that Fratello was too short to command the respect of NBA players.

Seriously; he didn’t get hired because he is 5-foot-7.

Fratello wound up coaching three other NBA teams, compiling a 667-548 record (.549) with 11 winning seasons out of 16. Then he became an excellent broadcaster.

7) Things turned out OK for the Bulls; they did lousy with the coach they did hire, fired that guy, did lousy again the next year, then drafted a guy named Michael Jordan. Things got better.

6) When Bryce Harper hit a game-tying grand slam Sunday, it was the first time the Phillies hit a game-tying grand slam in the 8th inning or later since 1954, against the Brooklyn Dodgers.

5) Red Sox 1, Angels 0— Michael Wacha threw a complete game shutout; Angels have now lost 12 games in a row, but hey, at least Mike Trout got a hit. He is now 1 for his last 28.

4) Colorado 6, Edmonton 5 (OT):
— Avalanche sweeps Edmonton 4 games to 0.
— Oilers led 4-2 midway thru third period.
— Big year for Colorado owner Stan Kroenke, who also owns the Super Bowl champion Rams.

3) Missouri Tigers poached one of the best remaining transfers; Isiaih Mosley picked the Tigers over Kansas and Mississippi State. Mosley scored 20.4 ppg, grabbed 6.2 rebounds/game while hitting 42.7% of his 3-pointers as a junior last year.

2) Since 2019, Jimmy Garoppolo’s passes have averaged 6.8 yards after catch, by far the best average in the NFL; this is what the Miami Dolphins are hoping will happen with their QB, Tua Tagovailoa, why they acquired WR Tyreek Hill.

Miami brought in Mike McDaniel to run the Kyle Shanahan offense; we’ll see if Tagovailoa can pull it off.

1) College baseball tournament is going on now; a pitcher on Maryland threw 109 pitches in Saturday’s game, then pitched again in relief Monday. This is where college baseball becomes dicey; if the kid is a pro prospect, does the manager risk that career for the good of his team?

I remember LSU’s Ben McDonald pitching in relief in the College World Series, the day after he threw a complete game. McDonald wound up pitching nine years in the majors; could he have had a better, longer career had that not happened? We’ll never know.

 

[Udog]

NY RANGERS are 12-3 ATS (8.7 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent as a road favorite in the current season.




NHL
Dunkel

Tuesday, June 7

NHL

Tuesday, June 7

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Trend Report
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NY Rangers @ Tampa Bay
NY Rangers
NY Rangers is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games
NY Rangers is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Tampa Bay's last 8 games


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Rangers are 4-1 in the past five games overall.
Rangers are 2-7 in the past nine road games.
Rangers are 2-7 in the past nine as an underdog.
Rangers are 1-6 in the past seven as a road 'dog.
Lightning are 7-2 in the past nine games overall.
Lightning are 38-15 in the past 53 home games.
Lightning are 50-23 in the past 73 as a favorite.
UNDER is 8-2 in the past 10 as a road 'dog for the Rangers.
UNDER is 9-3-1 in the past 13 playoff games as a 'dog for NYR.
UNDER is 7-1 in the past eight games overall for the Lightning.
UNDER is 4-1-1 in the past six Conference Finals for the Lightning.
OVER is 11-5 in the past 16 as a favorite for the Lightning.
OVER is 8-4 in the past 12 home games for the Lightning.
Underdog is 5-1 in the past six meetings.

 

[Udog]

Armadillo Sports

Thursday’s 6-pack
What ballplayers are charging for their autograph at Cooperstown on Hall of Fame weekend:
$299— David Ortiz
$119— Johnny Bench
$99— Jim Kaat
$59— Andre Dawson
$49— Rich Gossage
$39— Dwight Gooden

Quote of the Day
“I think for me, I’m going to be respectful of the investigation, of the legal proceedings and let that play out.”
Browns coach Kevin Stefanski, the guy who is going to wind up getting fired when this Deshaun Watson thing blows up in Cleveland’s face

Thursday’s quiz
Who has thrown the only no-hitter in San Diego Padres’ history?

Wednesday’s quiz
Trent Green got hurt in a 1999 exhibition game that made Kurt Warner the Rams’ starting QB.

Tuesday’s quiz
Alexander Hamilton’s picture is on the $10 bill.

************************

Thursday’s Den: Nobody asked me, but…….

13) Celtics 116, Warriors 100:
— Boston led 68-56 at halftime.
— Celtics held Golden State to 11 points in 4th quarter.
— Celtics lead the series 2-1

In NBA Finals series that were 1-1, the Game 3 winner has won 32 of 39 series.

12) This was Boston’s 51st home game this season; you would think by now that their crew that lays everything out for the game wound know how high a basket is supposed to be. But no.

About an hour before this game, Warrior players complained that the basket they were shooting at was too high and……..they were right and their warmup was disrupted.

Purely accidental, I’m sure. Uh-huh.

11) Los Angeles Angels haven’t been in the playoffs since 2014, they haven’t won a playoff game since 2009, despite being a big market team with an owner who spends a lot of money. They haven’t finished a season over .500 since 2015.

Interim manager Phil Nevin is the first major league manager who was also the Home overall pick in the amateur draft; Astros took him with the first pick in the 1992 draft.

10) Neglected to mention this the other day, but Eduardo Escobar hit for the cycle Monday night in San Diego, the first Met in 10 years to hit for the cycle. Cycles happen less frequently than no-hitters. Escobar got a triple in his last at-bat Monday.

9) Retired tennis star Andre Agassi is helping fund a third-party NIL program to financially benefit UNLV athletes; this is what college sports are coming to, rich boosters openly giving money/opportunity to athletes who attend their school.

Mark Cuban went to Indiana; I’m guessing the same stuff is going on there, and everywhere, if teams want to win.

8) Cubs got rained out in Baltimore Wednesday; they’ve scored at least one run in the first inning in seven of their last eight games.

7) This Saudi-backed golf tour, the LIV Tour, will have 54-hole tournaments (LIV is the Roman numeral for 54) and no cuts. So far, 10-12 well-known players have bolted to the LIV Tour, which starts this week in England— the next tournament is in Oregon.

6) Was watching the replay of an old Jets-Rams game from 2004, when Mike Martz coached the Rams and Marc Bulger was the QB. Rams finished 8-8 that year, winning their last game in OT, which put them in the playoffs— they had a minus-24 turnover ration.

It is astounding that a team with a minus-24 turnover ratio made the playoffs, and then won a game in the playoffs.

5) Speaking of the Rams, they extended WR Cooper Kupp’s contract, giving him $20M a year or so, which he obviously has earned, being Super Bowl MVP and all. Not bad for a guy who played his college football at I-AA Eastern Washington, where the home turf is bright red.

4) Canadian football League starts this week; BC Lions have two QB’s, Nathan Rourke, Michael O’Connor, both of whom are Canadians.

Was reading online that this is the first time in CFL history a team will have two Canadian QB’s.

3) Phillies 10, Brewers 0— This could just be a coincidence, but Philadelphia is 5-0 since they fired manager Joe Girardi.

2) Was reading an article on the Interweb about ten guys who could be traded before the August 2 trade deadline; three of the first five guys on the list are on my fantasy team. Hopefully they won’t all get traded at the same time, if they’re traded at all.

Actually, Dom Smith also figures to be traded, and he wasn’t on that list. I need him to get dealt to a team that needs a productive hitter, which he is.

1) Actor Matthew McConaughey is from Uvalde, TX, where 4th graders were murdered in their school a couple weeks ago; not sure if his voice will help fix anything, but you wonder what is wrong with people when stuff like that happens, and nothing changes. Politicians are so corrupt they they value the $$$ they get from the NRA over 10-year olds getting murdered. Not good.

 

[Udog]

NY RANGERS are 9-1 ATS (7.9 Units) in home games revenging a loss vs opponent as a road favorite in the current season.




NHL
Dunkel

Thursday, June 9

NHL

Thursday, June 9

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tampa Bay @ NY Rangers
Tampa Bay
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Tampa Bay's last 9 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Tampa Bay's last 6 games when playing NY Rangers
NY Rangers
NY Rangers is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games at home
NY Rangers is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------




Lightning are 8-2 in the past 10 games overall.
Lightning are 51-23 in the past 74 as a favorite.
Lightning are 35-16 in the past 51 playoff games as a fave.
Lightning are 6-1 in the past seven following a win.
Rangers are 4-1 in the past five games overall.
Rangers are 44-20 in the past 64 home games.
Rangers are 5-1 in the past six as a home 'dog.
Rangers are 3-8 in the past 11 as an underdog.
UNDER is 8-1 in the past nine for the Lightning.
UNDER is 4-1 in the past five road games for the Lightning.
UNDER is 5-1 in the past six as a favorite for the Lightning.
UNDER is 8-3 in the past 11 overall for the Rangers.
UNDER is 6-2 in the past eight as a 'dog for the Rangers.
UNDER is 10-3-1 in the past 14 as a playoff 'dog for the Rangers.
Home team is 4-0 in the past four meetings.
Underdog is 5-2 in the past seven meetings.
UNDER is 5-1 in the past six meetings.

 

[Udog]

Armadillo Sports

Friday’s 6-pack
MLB leaders in OPS:
1.055— Aaron Judge, NYY
1.026— Yordan Alvarez, Hst
1.017— Paul Goldschmidt, StL
1.007— Jose Ramirez, Clev
1.001— Bryce Harper, Phil
.989— Mike Trout, LAA

Quote of the Day
“Is there some question about whether that was good move or not? Do you know what [Turner] hits against left-handed pitching with 0-1 or two strikes? Do you know what Muncy hits with two strikes against a left-handed pitcher? Is that really a question? We had an open base and Muncy happened to be the guy behind him and that’s a better matchup.”
Tony LaRussa, after walking Trea Turner intentionally with a 1-2 count

Friday’s quiz
Who was the Knicks’ coach last time they won a playoff series?

Thursday’s quiz
Joe Musgrove threw the only no-hitter in San Diego Padres’ history.

Wednesday’s quiz
Trent Green got hurt in a 1999 exhibition game that made Kurt Warner the Rams’ starting QB.

**********************************

Friday’s Den: USFL Week 9 preview and other random stuff

— When a major league manager makes an unusual strategic move and it blows up, he gets raked over the coals, doubly so if the team is struggling.

Thursday in Chicago, Dodgers led White Sox 7-5 in top of 6th inning; Trea Turner had a 1-2 count on him, with Freddie Freeman moving to second base on a wild pitch. With a lefty on mound, first base open with two outs and lefty Max Muncy up next, White Sox skipper Tony LaRussa had Turner walked intentionally, even with a 1-2 count.

Muncy hit a 3-run homer; the peanut gallery was not amused. White Sox are 26-29; they’ve had lot of injuries, but they’re struggling and LaRussa is 77 years old and people are fickle- they don’t care that LaRussa is already in the Hall of Fame, that he was managing in the big leagues before any active major leaguer was born.

What have you done for me lately?

— Oakland A’s are having a terrible season because they have a minor league roster, but the guys who are playing for Oakland are doing their best; it just isn’t good enough.

1B Christian Bethancourt hit his second home run of the season Thursday; this is a guy who played for the Braves/Padres from 2013-17, then was out of the major leagues…..until this year.

He went six years in between major league home runs; that doesn’t happen much.

— New York 10, Minnesota 7: Thursday night in Minnesota, Garret Cole gave up home runs to Arraez-Buxton-Correa, the Twins’ first three batters. This was only the 7th time in MLB history a team hit back-back-back homers to start the first inning of a game.

Twins are second of those seven teams to lose after starting with three home runs.

Gerrit Cole makes $36M a year; you figure based on 32 starts, that is $1.125M per start. Here is what New York got for their $1.12M Thursday:

70 pitches, 2.1 IP— 8 hits, 7 runs allowed, all earned runs. He gave up five home runs.

— Minnesota Twins have lost their last 18 playoff games, the longest postseason losing streak, not just in baseball, but in any sport.

— Marlins 7, Nationals 4— Stephen Strasburg pitched in his first MLB game in a year, coming off of thoracic outlet surgery; he allowed seven runs in 4.2 IP (83 PT)

From what I’ve heard on TV, thoracic outlet surgery is difficult to come back from, more so than other injuries pitchers usually suffer.

— Angels 5, Red Sox 2— Angels snap a 14-game losing streak; Ohtani threw seven innings and also hit a home run.

— Phillies 8, Brewers 3— Phillies are 5-0 since they changed managers, are only 2.5 games out of the last playoff spot.

Week 9 USFL games……..
Michigan vs New Jersey (-7.5)
Michigan Panthers (1-7)
— Lost their last five games (0-4-1 ATS)
— 0-4 in games decided by 5 or fewer points.
— Last five games, they’re minus-7 in turnovers.
— Their only win was 24-0 over 1-6 Pittsburgh.
— Last five games went over the total.
— Michigan is 1-4 ATS as an underdog.

New Jersey Generals (7-1)
— Won last seven games (5-2 ATS), scoring 24.7 ppg in last six.
— Generals held last six opponents to 16.7 ppg.
— Outscored last two foes 40-10 in first half.
— 3-2 ATS as a favorite
— Four of their last five games went over the total.

First meeting:
— Week 1, Generals (-1) beat Michigan 10-6.
— Game was 10-6 at half, scoreless in second half.
— Total yardage: 263-258, Michigan
— New Jersey won, despite being minus-2 in turnovers.

Houston vs Birmingham (-13.5)
Houston Gamblers (1-7)
— Lost their last seven games (2-5 ATS)
— Led seven of their eight games at halftime.
— Have a bad record, despite a +5 turnover ratio.
— Six of last seven games went over total
— Outscored 107-39 in second half.

Birmingham Stallions (8-0)
— Both their quarterbacks were banged up last week.
— Trailed at halftime in half of their eight games
— Outscored opponents 117-50 in second half.
— Outrushed last five foes 797-404
— 6-2 against spread, 0-2 last two weeks.

First meeting
— Stallions (-3) beat Houston 33-28 in Week 2.
— Gamblers led that game 18-13 at halftime.
— Total yardage: 391-285, Stallions.

Tampa Bay vs New Orleans (-3)
Tampa Bay Bandits (4-4)
— Bandits lost three of their last five games.
— Minus-11 in turnovers— have only four takeaways.
— 1-2 ATS as an underdog.
— Were shut out in second half in 4 of 8 games.
— Under is 5-3 in their games.

New Orleans Breakers (5-3)
— Scored 23+ points in their wins, 13-17-9 in losses.
— Four of last five games went over the total
— Last six games, they’re minus-5 in turnovers (8-13)
— 2-0 ATS this season as an underdog.
— Lost on last play LW, 10-9 to 8-0 Birmingham.

First meeting:
— Breakers (+2.5) waxed Tampa Bay 34-3 in Week 2.
— New Orleans was +3 in turnovers; they led 21-3 at halftime.
— Bandits were only 11-29/64 yards passing.
— Breakers outgained Tampa Bay, 374-194

Philadelphia (-8.5) vs Pittsburgh
Philadelphia Stars (5-3)
— Won four of last five games, are 2-2-1 ATS as favorites.
— Last five weeks, they’re +9 in turnovers.
— Gave up 23+ points in all eight games (over 6-1 last seven).
— Have been outgained in six of eight games (3-4-1 ATS).
— Scored 30-26-35-35-46 points in wins; 17-16-17 in losses.

Pittsburgh Maulers (1-7)
— Have been outscored 121-45 in first half of games.
— Are 1-7 with an even turnover ratio.
— Completed less than half their passes in four games.
— Six of their last seven games went over total.
— Covered spread three of last five weeks (3-4-1 ATS for year).

First meeting:
— Stars (-7) beat Pittsburgh 30-23 in Week 2.
— Maulers outrushed Philly 123-45, outgained them 348-303
— Philly led 21-16 at halftime.
— Stars won despite turning ball over three times (-1).

 

[Udog]

No games today.... playoffs resume tomorrow.

 

[Udog]

Armadillo Sports

Saturday’s 6-pack
Spreads for NFL games this fall:
Week 10 — Arizona @ LA Rams (-5.5)
Week 11— Chicago @ Atlanta (-1)
Week 12— Baltimore (-4.5) @ Jacksonville
Week 13— Buffalo (-3) @ New England
Week 14— Carolina @ Seattle (-2.5)
Week 15— Philadelphia (-3) @ Chicago

Quote of the Day
“You only live once, but if you work it right, once is enough.”
Joe E Lewis

Saturday’s quiz
Who was the last player from Santa Clara drafted by an NBA team?

Friday’s quiz
Mike Woodson was the Knicks’ coach last time they won a playoff series.

Thursday’s quiz
Joe Musgrove threw the only no-hitter in San Diego Padres’ history.

**************************

Saturday’s Den: Random stuff with weekend here……..

13) Warriors 107, Celtics 97:
— Golden State outscored Boston 58-43 in second half.
— Steph Curry scored 43 points, had 10 rebounds.
— Series is tied 2-2; the accountants are happy.

12) Warriors have won at least one road game in 27 consecutive playoff series, which is an NBA record. Golden State was +13 on the boards in Game 4.

11) Charlotte Hornets are expected to hire Kenny Atkinson as their new coach; he would be the second Warriors assistant to be hired as a head coach this spring. Mike Brown will be Sacramento’s coach next season.

10) New York 2, Cubs 1 (13)— Teams combined to go 1-37 with runners in scoring position. Cubs played nine games last week; this was their second game this week.

9) Giants 7, Dodgers 2— LA starter Walker Buehler will undergo an MRI on Saturday after leaving this game early because of discomfort in his right elbow.

8) Indians 3, A’s 2— Oakland led 2-0 in ninth inning, but because this is the A’s worst season since the end of the Charlie Finley era in the late 70’s, Cleveland scored three times in the ninth inning, sending Oakland to its 10th consecutive loss.

7) Friday was also an especially dreadful night for my fantasy baseball team, so I watched a movie on HBO Max; Card Counter, which was only a little bit about poker, and mostly about an ex-military interrogator haunted by the ghosts of his past.

Pretty good movie until the end, which was extremely disappointing, but it was still better than watching the under-achieving Armadillos go 8-35 with one RBI.

6) Phillies 7, Arizona 5— Philadelphia has won eight games in a row, is 7-0 under interim manager Rob Thompson, who may not be an interim manager for long.

5) Washington 11, Milwaukee 5— Brewers have lost seven games in a row.

4) Hot teams:
Braves have won 9 in a row.
Phillies have won 8 in a row
Marlins have won 4 in a row

Cold teams
Angels have lost 15 of their last 16 games.
Oakland has lost 10 in a row
Milwaukee has lost 7 in a row

3) Baseball injuries:
— Detroit P Casey Mize (elbow) is out for the year
— Boston P Garrett Whitlock (hip) is on the IL
— Tampa Bay P Andrew Kittredge (elbow) is out for the year
— Minnesota SS Royce Lewis (knee) is out for the year.

2) If the baseball playoffs started today (they do not):
NL— Mets, Cardinals, Dodgers Wild Cards: Milwaukee, San Diego, San Francisco
AL— New York, Twins, Astros Wild Cards: Blue Jays, Rays, Red Sox

1) Los Angeles Chargers owner Dean Spanos has been accused of “misogynistic” behavior, “self-dealing” and repeated “breaches of fiduciary duty” by his sister in a lawsuit that escalates the siblings’ ongoing legal battle over control of the team.

Four Spanos siblings each own 15% of the team; a trust owns 36% of the team, 4% is owned by non-family members. The legal struggle is over control of the trust.

Also, Baltimore Orioles CEO John Angelos was accused in a lawsuit this week of seizing control of the team at the expense of his brother, Lou — and in defiance of their father Peter’s wishes.

Orioles’ owner Peter Angelos turns 93 next month; there will be a struggle over who controls the franchise, because the franchise is worth a ten-figure sum.

It is good to know that rich people have problems too.

 

[Udog]

TAMPA BAY is 155-110 ATS (42.9 Units) against good starting goalies - (saving >= 91.5% of shots against) in the 2nd half of the season over the last 3 seasons.




NHL
Dunkel

Saturday, June 11

NHL

Saturday, June 11

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NY Rangers @ Tampa Bay
NY Rangers
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of NY Rangers's last 7 games when playing Tampa Bay
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of NY Rangers's last 6 games on the road
Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Tampa Bay's last 10 games


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------




Rangers are 1-5 in the past six road games.
Rangers are 3-9 in the past 12 as an underdog.
Rangers are 17-41 in the past 58 playoff games as a 'dog.
Lightning are 9-2 in the past 11 games overall.
Lightning are 39-15 in the past 54 home games.
Lightning are 36-16 in the past 52 playoff games as a fave.
UNDER is 4-0 in the past four games for the Rangers.
UNDER is 5-1 in the past six road games for the Rangers.
UNDER is 4-0 in the past four as an underdog for the Rangers.
UNDER is 4-0 in the past four games for the Lightning.
UNDER is 4-0 in the past four home games for the Lightning.
UNDER is 4-0 in the past four as a favorite for the Lightning.
Rangers are 2-5 in the past seven trips to Tampa.
The home team is 4-1 in the past five meetings.
UNDER is 4-0 in the past four meetings.

 

[Udog]

Armadillo Sports

Sunday’s 6-pack
— Seattle 7, Boston 6— Mariners scored twice in bottom of 9th.
— Phillies 4, Arizona 0— Phillies have won nine games in a row.
— Braves 10, Pirates 4— Atlanta scored eight times in 7th inning.
— Angels 11, Mets 6— Jared Walsh hit for the cycle.
— Padres 2, Rockies 1 (10)— Winning run scored on a throwing error after a wild pitch.
— Lightning 3, Rangers 2— Tampa Bay vs Colorado is the Stanley Cup final.

Quote of the Day
“Obviously, like I’m gonna go with 15 (Mahomes) as the strongest arm, but as far as accuracy-wise, I’m going with Tua all day.”
WR Tyreek Hill, newly signed with the Dolphins

Sunday’s quiz
Keith Hernandez wore number 17 with the Mets; what number did he wear with the Cardinals?

Saturday’s quiz
Steve Nash was the last player from Santa Clara drafted by an NBA team.

Friday’s quiz
Mike Woodson was the Knicks’ coach last time they won a playoff series.


***********************************

Sunday’s Den: 13 of my favorite quotes

13) “I think everyone should go to college and get a degree, and then spend six months as a bartender and six months as a cab driver. Then they would really be educated”
Al McGuire

12) “It’s not that I’m so smart; it’s just that I stay with problems longer”
Albert Einstein

11) “Be nice to people on way up, because you meet them on your way down”
Jimmy Durante

10) “Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forwards”
Soren Kierkegaard

9) “Money won is twice as sweet as money earned”
Fast Eddie Felson, from The Color of Money

8) “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work”
Thomas Edison

7) “To be trusted is a greater compliment than to be loved”
George McDonald

6) “I have always thought the actions of men the best interpreters of their thoughts”
John Locke

5) “The best way to cheer yourself up is to cheer everyone else up”
Mark Twain

4) “Success is never final”
Winston Churchill

3) “I’m a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work, the more of it I have”
Thomas Jefferson

2) “The secret of success is sincerity. Once you can fake that, you’ve got it made”
Jean Giraudoux

1) “Trust everybody, but cut the cards”
Fimley Peter Dunne

 

[Udog]

No games today.... finals begin Wednesday.

 

[Udog]

Armadillo Sports

Monday’s 6-pack
— Seattle 7, Boston 6— Mariners scored twice in bottom of 9th.
— Phillies 4, Arizona 0— Phillies have won nine games in a row.
— Braves 10, Pirates 4— Atlanta scored eight times in 7th inning.
— Angels 11, Mets 6— Jared Walsh hit for the cycle.
— Padres 2, Rockies 1 (10)— Winning run scored on a throwing error after a wild pitch.
— Lightning 3, Rangers 2— Tampa Bay vs Colorado is the Stanley Cup final.

Quote of the Day
“If teams are gonna give us favorable one-on-one matches against their best corner, I don’t see why teams don’t utilize their best receiver. And that’s where probably like me and the Chiefs fell apart right there. When I’m like, yo, I don’t mean to talk or be a diva in some situation, but can I see the pill some time, please? Just give me the ball, please.”
WR Tyreek Hill, newly signed with the Dolphins. If he didn’t like playing with Patrick Mahomes, not sure how he’ll feel about catching passes from Tua Tagovailoa

Monday’s quiz
Who scored the first touchdown in the Super Bowl four months ago?

Sunday’s quiz
Keith Hernandez wore number 17 with the Mets; he wore number 37 with the Cardinals.

Saturday’s quiz
Steve Nash was the last player from Santa Clara drafted by an NBA team.

************************************

Monday’s Den: Wrapping up a sports weekend……..

13) When they vote for the Pro Football Hall of Fame next winter, these two quarterbacks will be up for the vote. Here are their blind resumes:

— Quarterback A: 72-72 regular season W-L record, 8-2 in playoffs, won 2 Super Bowls.
— Quarterback B: 117-117 regular season W-L record, 8-4 in playoffs, won 2 Super Bowls.

Is Player B more qualified because of the extra 90 regular season (45-45) games?
Interesting question.

12) Was watching the replay of last year’s Super Bowl last night; I forgot that Dick Vermeil is getting inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame this summer, which is just tremendous. His speech should be excellent.

11) Mets 4, Angels 1— Unfortunate scheduling; this was the last game of an 11-day road trip for the Mets, and was the ESPN Sunday night game. That means that you might be reading this before the Mets’ plane landed back in New York City, expected to be around 9am Monday.

10) Rangers 8, White Sox 6 (12)— Chicago isn’t playing good baseball; this game ended with a runner getting thrown out at third base, when he tagged up after a fly ball. That run meant very little; you can’t ever get thrown out in that situation. It just isn’t smart.

9) Since 2015, Tampa Bay Lightning has won 82 NHL playoff games, more than any other team; Pittsburgh is next on that list, with 45.

USFL Week 9 games:
8) New Jersey 25, Michigan 23:
— Generals won their last eight games.
— Michigan outgained the Generals, 336-251.
— 1-8 Panthers turned ball over three times (-2).

7) Generals’ QB Luis Perez has bowled 12 perfect 300 games; he bowled four games of 299 before his first perfect game, which came when he was 12 years old.

6) Houston 17, Birmingham 15:
— First loss of season for the Stallions, who scored 10-15 points in last two games.
— Birmingham outgained the Gamblers, 329-187
— Houston snapped a 7-game losing streak.

5) New Orleans 17, Tampa Bay 6:
— Breakers clinch spot in playoffs in two weeks.
— New Orleans led this game 17-0 at halftime.
— Tampa Bay outgained the Breakers 352-215, but turned ball over four times (-2)

4) Philadelphia 17, Pittsburgh 16:
— Pittsburgh kicker made a 58-yard FG, also threw a TD pass on a fake FG.
— But he also missed a 49-yard FG with 0:59 left in game.
— Pittsburgh is a much better team when Vad Lee plays QB, like he did in this game.

3) Wondering why pro golfers are bolting to this LIV Tour? Charl Schwartzel banked $4.75M for winning the tournament in London this weekend. The big-name players got paid ludicrous amounts of money to join this tour— Dustin Johnson is rumored to have banked $100M, just for showing up.

Johnson’s father-in-law is Wayne Gretzky; I’m wondering what the conversation was like, when Johnson told him that he was skipping the Canadian Open to play in this LIV. Gretzky could be the most popular person in all of Canada.

2) In major league history, there have been 316 no-hitters, 337 cycles. Jared Walsh of the Angels hit for the cycle Saturday night in Anaheim.

1) Last five World Series champs finished in the top 5 in batting average with runners in scoring position (RISP), something to keep an eye on as the season goes on.

 

[Udog]

No games today.... finals begin Wednesday.