Wednesday’s 6-pack:
Teams with first six picks in tomorrow’s NFL Draft:
1) Chicago Bears
2) Washington Commanders
3) New England Patriots
4) Arizona Cardinals
5) Los Angeles Chargers
6) New Jersey Giants
Quote of the Day
“You never get over it, but you get to where it doesn’t bother you so much.”
Jeffrey Eugenides
Wednesday’s quiz
In the movie A League of Their Own, what was the name of the team that Tom Hanks managed, that also had Madonna and Geena Davis playing?
Tuesday’s quiz
Romeo Crennel was the Kansas City Chiefs’ coach before Andy Reid.
Monday’s quiz
Randy Johnson is the Arizona Diamondbacks’ all-time leader in pitching wins.
***********************************
Clippers’ bench shot 5-23 from the floor.
Doncic scored 32 points, had nine assists.
Series is 1-1.
— Pacers 125, Bucks 108
First win by a road team in these playoffs.
Siakam scored 37 points, grabbed 11 rebounds, had 6 assists.
Series is 1-1.
— Timberwolves 125, Suns 108
Phoenix led 51-50 at halftime.
McDaniels scored 25 points; Minnesota was +24 with him on court.
Minnesota leads series, 2-0.
— So far this season, Rory McIlroy has earned $1.7M on the pro golf tour.
Tim Scott has earned $1.8M this year; he is Scottie Scheffler’s CADDY.
— Matchups for the Big East-Big X basketball challenge next fall:
Baylor @ UConn
Kansas @ Creighton
Butler @ Houston
Marquette @ Iowa State
Kansas State @ St John’s
Xavier @ TCU
Cincinnati @ Villanova
BYU @ Providence
Oklahoma State @ Seton Hall
Georgetown @ West Virginia
DePaul @ Texas Tech
— Famous birthdays for April 24th:
Shirley MacLaine, 90
Barbra Streisand, 82
Eric Bogosian, 71
Vince Ferragamo, 70
Michael O’Keefe, 69
Dino Radja, 57
Melinda Clarke, 55
Jeff Brohm, 53
Chipper Jones, 52
Carlos Beltran, 47
— Pirates 2, Brewers 1
Monday night, Pirates’ rookie P Jared Jones threw six innings/91 pitches in his 4-2 win over Milwaukee, six nights after he was taken out of a game he led 1-0 after five innings, when he had thrown only 59 pitches.
What changed in six days? I’m guessing there were some conversations in the Pittsburgh front office after they basically gave away a game while they were 11-6, off to a surprisingly good start- they lost their next four games, too.
Now they’ve won two games in a row, are 13-11; will be interesting to chart Jones’ starts from this point on.
— Angels 7, Orioles 4
Mike Trout batted leadoff for the first time in three years; he hit his first leadoff home run in 11 years— he hit leadoff all the time when he was a rookie. His last leadoff home run was against Texas, when the Rangers’ manager was current Angels’ manager Ron Washington.
Monday night’s loss was the 10,000th game in Angels’ history.
— Rockies 7, Padres 4
San Diego scored twice in first inning; Colorado has now trailed in all 24 of its games this year, the first team to do that since the 1939 Reds.
Brendan Rodgers hit a grand slam for the struggling Rockies, who are 2-8 in their last 10 games.
— Cubs 7, Astros 2
Mike Tauchman homered twice for the Cubs.
Houston is 7-17, first time since 2016 they’ve been 10 games under .500.
— Guardians 4, Red Sox 1
Cleveland is 17-6, their best start in franchise history.
Game was scoreless after six innings.
Jose Ramirez homered for Cleveland.
— Tigers 4, Rays 2
Riley Greene had his first multi-home run game.
Detroit is 5-0-1 in road series, first time they’ve done that well since 2007.
— Braves 5, Marlins 0
Marlins got shut out two nights in a row.
Max Fried threw a 92-pitch complete game for Atlanta.
— Twins 6, White Sox 5
Alex Kirilloff hit a two-out, walk-off single, after Byron Buxton tied the game with a home run, as the White Sox fall to 3-20 on the season.
— Giants 5, Mets 1
Mets have scored only six first-inning runs this season, least in MLB.
Logan Webb threw eight shutout IP for San Francisco.
Teams with first six picks in tomorrow’s NFL Draft:
1) Chicago Bears
2) Washington Commanders
3) New England Patriots
4) Arizona Cardinals
5) Los Angeles Chargers
6) New Jersey Giants
Quote of the Day
“You never get over it, but you get to where it doesn’t bother you so much.”
Jeffrey Eugenides
Wednesday’s quiz
In the movie A League of Their Own, what was the name of the team that Tom Hanks managed, that also had Madonna and Geena Davis playing?
Tuesday’s quiz
Romeo Crennel was the Kansas City Chiefs’ coach before Andy Reid.
Monday’s quiz
Randy Johnson is the Arizona Diamondbacks’ all-time leader in pitching wins.
***********************************
Wednesday’s Den: Mid-week musings…….
— Mavericks 96, Clippers 93Clippers’ bench shot 5-23 from the floor.
Doncic scored 32 points, had nine assists.
Series is 1-1.
— Pacers 125, Bucks 108
First win by a road team in these playoffs.
Siakam scored 37 points, grabbed 11 rebounds, had 6 assists.
Series is 1-1.
— Timberwolves 125, Suns 108
Phoenix led 51-50 at halftime.
McDaniels scored 25 points; Minnesota was +24 with him on court.
Minnesota leads series, 2-0.
— So far this season, Rory McIlroy has earned $1.7M on the pro golf tour.
Tim Scott has earned $1.8M this year; he is Scottie Scheffler’s CADDY.
— Matchups for the Big East-Big X basketball challenge next fall:
Baylor @ UConn
Kansas @ Creighton
Butler @ Houston
Marquette @ Iowa State
Kansas State @ St John’s
Xavier @ TCU
Cincinnati @ Villanova
BYU @ Providence
Oklahoma State @ Seton Hall
Georgetown @ West Virginia
DePaul @ Texas Tech
— Famous birthdays for April 24th:
Shirley MacLaine, 90
Barbra Streisand, 82
Eric Bogosian, 71
Vince Ferragamo, 70
Michael O’Keefe, 69
Dino Radja, 57
Melinda Clarke, 55
Jeff Brohm, 53
Chipper Jones, 52
Carlos Beltran, 47
— Pirates 2, Brewers 1
Monday night, Pirates’ rookie P Jared Jones threw six innings/91 pitches in his 4-2 win over Milwaukee, six nights after he was taken out of a game he led 1-0 after five innings, when he had thrown only 59 pitches.
What changed in six days? I’m guessing there were some conversations in the Pittsburgh front office after they basically gave away a game while they were 11-6, off to a surprisingly good start- they lost their next four games, too.
Now they’ve won two games in a row, are 13-11; will be interesting to chart Jones’ starts from this point on.
— Angels 7, Orioles 4
Mike Trout batted leadoff for the first time in three years; he hit his first leadoff home run in 11 years— he hit leadoff all the time when he was a rookie. His last leadoff home run was against Texas, when the Rangers’ manager was current Angels’ manager Ron Washington.
Monday night’s loss was the 10,000th game in Angels’ history.
— Rockies 7, Padres 4
San Diego scored twice in first inning; Colorado has now trailed in all 24 of its games this year, the first team to do that since the 1939 Reds.
Brendan Rodgers hit a grand slam for the struggling Rockies, who are 2-8 in their last 10 games.
— Cubs 7, Astros 2
Mike Tauchman homered twice for the Cubs.
Houston is 7-17, first time since 2016 they’ve been 10 games under .500.
— Guardians 4, Red Sox 1
Cleveland is 17-6, their best start in franchise history.
Game was scoreless after six innings.
Jose Ramirez homered for Cleveland.
— Tigers 4, Rays 2
Riley Greene had his first multi-home run game.
Detroit is 5-0-1 in road series, first time they’ve done that well since 2007.
— Braves 5, Marlins 0
Marlins got shut out two nights in a row.
Max Fried threw a 92-pitch complete game for Atlanta.
— Twins 6, White Sox 5
Alex Kirilloff hit a two-out, walk-off single, after Byron Buxton tied the game with a home run, as the White Sox fall to 3-20 on the season.
— Giants 5, Mets 1
Mets have scored only six first-inning runs this season, least in MLB.
Logan Webb threw eight shutout IP for San Francisco.
Thursday’s 6-pack:
Last six players picked first in the NFL Draft:
2023- Bryce Young, QB Carolina (Alabama)
2022- Travon Walker, DE Jacksonville (Georgia)
2021- Trevor Lawrence, QB Jacksonville (Clemson)
2020- Joe Burrow, QB Cincinnati (LSU)
2019- Kyler Murray, QB Arizona (Oklahoma)
2018- Baker Mayfield, QB Cleveland (Oklahoma)
Quote of the Day
“Pressure is something you feel when you don’t know what the hell you’re doing.”
Peyton Manning
Thursday’s quiz
Peyton Manning was first pick in the 1998 NFL Draft; which QB was the second pick?
Wednesday’s quiz
In the movie A League of Their Own, the team that Tom Hanks managed, that also had Madonna and Geena Davis playing, was the Rockford Peaches.
Tuesday’s quiz
Romeo Crennel was the Kansas City Chiefs’ coach before Andy Reid.
****************************************
St Brown was the 17th wide receiver drafted in 2021, another example of how the draft is such a fascinating process. He’s caught 315 passes in his first three NFL seasons.
— This stat is kind of weird, in a bad way.
Chicago White Sox are playing in their 8th series this week; in their eight series openers, White Sox have scored a total of two runs. 2.
They’ve been shut out in six of eight series openers.
— James Shields was a good big league pitcher: 145-139 career record in 13 years, led the league in games started three years in a row, but he gave up a couple memorable home runs:
October 5, 2014, he gave up a home run to Mike Trout in Game 3 of the ALDS; Shields won the game 8-3. That home run is Trout’s only hit in 12 career post-season at bats.
May 7, 2016, Shields gave up a home run to Bartolo Colon in San Diego, his only home run in 326 career plate appearances.
— Baltimore Orioles have gone 99 consecutive series without being swept, the longest streak in American League history, third-longest streak ever. Cardinals went 142 consecutive series without being swept, back from 1942-44.
— Rookie 2B Jackson Holliday is wearing #7 for the Orioles, like his dad did when he played in the majors. Holliday is the first Oriole to wear #7 since Bill Ripken; Ripekn wore #7 because that was the number his father Cal Ripken Sr wore when he managed the Orioles from 1985-88.
Holliday is off to a 2-34 start as a 20-year old rookie. He got rushed to the majors to a little bit, but how do they handle this? Orioles are a playoff contender, but they don’t want to crush the kid’s confidence. This will be interesting to follow.
— I get 7-8 e-mails a day from people trying to give me a job, which is funny, since sometimes, the jobs are for lawyers or counselors and Lord knows, you definitely wouldn’t want me being your counselor, much less your lawyer, although I do watch Law and Order re-runs a lot.
If someone wants to send me a job offer to be a basketball analytics person, I’d listen…….
— Sampling of the college basketball transfer portal:
Kentucky poached a big guy who was very good for Drexel.
Syracuse poached a guard from Hofstra.
UCLA poached a guy from South Dakota State
Drexel was 20-13 last year, 13-5 in CAA; losing this kid hurts.
— Famous birthdays for April 25th:
Al Pacino, 83
Tony Phillips, 65
Art Schlichter, 64
Hank Azaria, 60
Gina Torres, 55
Tim Duncan, 48
Sean Mannion, 32
Trevor Williams, 32
AJ Puk, 29
Last six players picked first in the NFL Draft:
2023- Bryce Young, QB Carolina (Alabama)
2022- Travon Walker, DE Jacksonville (Georgia)
2021- Trevor Lawrence, QB Jacksonville (Clemson)
2020- Joe Burrow, QB Cincinnati (LSU)
2019- Kyler Murray, QB Arizona (Oklahoma)
2018- Baker Mayfield, QB Cleveland (Oklahoma)
Quote of the Day
“Pressure is something you feel when you don’t know what the hell you’re doing.”
Peyton Manning
Thursday’s quiz
Peyton Manning was first pick in the 1998 NFL Draft; which QB was the second pick?
Wednesday’s quiz
In the movie A League of Their Own, the team that Tom Hanks managed, that also had Madonna and Geena Davis playing, was the Rockford Peaches.
Tuesday’s quiz
Romeo Crennel was the Kansas City Chiefs’ coach before Andy Reid.
****************************************
Thursday’s Den: Doing some thinking out loud……..
— Detroit Lions signed WR Amon-Ra St Brown to a 4-year deal for $120M, with $77M of that guaranteed, the most guaranteed money for a WR in a single contract in NFL history. They also signed OT Penei Sewell to a 4-year, $112M deal.St Brown was the 17th wide receiver drafted in 2021, another example of how the draft is such a fascinating process. He’s caught 315 passes in his first three NFL seasons.
— This stat is kind of weird, in a bad way.
Chicago White Sox are playing in their 8th series this week; in their eight series openers, White Sox have scored a total of two runs. 2.
They’ve been shut out in six of eight series openers.
— James Shields was a good big league pitcher: 145-139 career record in 13 years, led the league in games started three years in a row, but he gave up a couple memorable home runs:
October 5, 2014, he gave up a home run to Mike Trout in Game 3 of the ALDS; Shields won the game 8-3. That home run is Trout’s only hit in 12 career post-season at bats.
May 7, 2016, Shields gave up a home run to Bartolo Colon in San Diego, his only home run in 326 career plate appearances.
— Baltimore Orioles have gone 99 consecutive series without being swept, the longest streak in American League history, third-longest streak ever. Cardinals went 142 consecutive series without being swept, back from 1942-44.
— Rookie 2B Jackson Holliday is wearing #7 for the Orioles, like his dad did when he played in the majors. Holliday is the first Oriole to wear #7 since Bill Ripken; Ripekn wore #7 because that was the number his father Cal Ripken Sr wore when he managed the Orioles from 1985-88.
Holliday is off to a 2-34 start as a 20-year old rookie. He got rushed to the majors to a little bit, but how do they handle this? Orioles are a playoff contender, but they don’t want to crush the kid’s confidence. This will be interesting to follow.
— I get 7-8 e-mails a day from people trying to give me a job, which is funny, since sometimes, the jobs are for lawyers or counselors and Lord knows, you definitely wouldn’t want me being your counselor, much less your lawyer, although I do watch Law and Order re-runs a lot.
If someone wants to send me a job offer to be a basketball analytics person, I’d listen…….
— Sampling of the college basketball transfer portal:
Kentucky poached a big guy who was very good for Drexel.
Syracuse poached a guard from Hofstra.
UCLA poached a guy from South Dakota State
Drexel was 20-13 last year, 13-5 in CAA; losing this kid hurts.
— Famous birthdays for April 25th:
Al Pacino, 83
Tony Phillips, 65
Art Schlichter, 64
Hank Azaria, 60
Gina Torres, 55
Tim Duncan, 48
Sean Mannion, 32
Trevor Williams, 32
AJ Puk, 29
ORLANDO is 10-1 Under (8.9 Units) in home games when playing with double revenge - 2 straight losses vs. opponent in the current season.
NEW YORK is 9-1 ATS (7.9 Units) in road games after scoring 105 points or less in the current season.
DENVER is 85-55 ATS (24.5 Units) in road games when playing against a marginal winning team (Win Pct. 51% to 60%) - 2nd half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
NBA
Dunkel
Thursday, April 25
NBA
Long Sheet
Thursday, April 25
NEW YORK is 9-1 ATS (7.9 Units) in road games after scoring 105 points or less in the current season.
DENVER is 85-55 ATS (24.5 Units) in road games when playing against a marginal winning team (Win Pct. 51% to 60%) - 2nd half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
NBA
Dunkel
Thursday, April 25
NBA
Long Sheet
Thursday, April 25
Friday’s 6-pack:
— A’s 3, New York 1- Spunky A’s split four games in the Bronx.
— Dodgers 2, Nationals 1- Yamamoto tossed six shutout innings.
— Rockies 10, Padres 9- Colorado scored six runs in bottom of 8th.
— Brewers 7, Pirates 5- Sanchez hit pinch-hit homer in 8th for 16-8 Milwaukee.
— Phillies 5, Reds 0- Harper homered, in his first game after paternity leave.
— Cubs 3, Astros 1- Rookie OF Crow-Armstrong’s first MLB hit was a home run.
Quote of the Day
“He makes some big plays … [but] he’s going to need some work in reading defenses, reading coverages. He’s kind of quick to bail out of the pocket, he’s going to have to hang in there a little bit longer, I think, and find those receivers. … This is a kid that can make all the throws. He just needs to be more consistent.”
Bill Belichick, talking about Drake Maye, the Patriots’ new QB
Friday’s quiz
Which NFL team drafted Hall of Famer John Elway?
Thursday’s quiz
Peyton Manning was first pick in the 1998 NFL Draft; QB Ryan Leaf was the second pick, by the Chargers.
Wednesday’s quiz
In the movie A League of Their Own, the team that Tom Hanks managed, that also had Madonna and Geena Davis playing, was the Rockford Peaches.
***************************************************
— Before we start talking football, let me vent for a second; I’m in my 60’s, since 2019 I’ve had three operations on my right eye. The eye is fine now, thanks to my two surgeons, but I’m still a stickler for taking good care of your eyes.
It drives me nutty when I see people wearing sunglasses indoors; take care of your damn eyes!!! Why were several guys at the draft wearing sunglasses inside? It is nonsensical.
— Chicago Bears had the first pick in this draft, the first time since 1947 they had the first pick; they took USC QB Caleb Williams, then later took Washington WR Rome Odunze with the 9th pick. Bears have never had a QB throw 30+ TD’s in a season, or for 4,000+ yards in a season; they seem determine to break those trends.
In two years at USC, Williams took only seven snaps under center (as opposed to the shotgun) but lot of college QB’s have gone thru that recently, so no big deal there.
— Commanders/Patriots followed by doing the expected, taking QB’s Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye; this was the 4th time since 1971 that the first three picks in a draft were QB’s.
— Before the draft, Eagles signed WR AJ Brown to a 3-year extension worth $96M, with $84M of that guaranteed.
— NFL commish Roger Goodell had back surgery 3-4 weeks ago, so his greetings on stage with guys who got drafted were a little more subdued this year.
By the way, they estimated that there were 275,000 people at the draft in Detroit. Must have been a solid night for the pickpockets in the crowd.
— Atlanta Falcons stunned lot of people (including newly acquired QB Kirk Cousins) by drafting Washington QB Michael Penix with the #8 pick. Penix has already torn his right ACL twice, and separated both shoulders; he wasn’t even at the draft, but went with the 8th pick.
— Vikings traded up one spot and drafted Michigan QB JJ McCarthy; they later traded up again and took Alabama LB Dallas Turner.
To get Turner with the 17th pick, Vikings gave Jacksonville a 5th round pick this year, plus 3rd and 4th round picks next year- they must really like him.
This was the earliest the Vikings have ever drafted a QB; in 1999, they took Daunte Culpepper with the 11th pick in the draft.
— Denver drafted Oregon QB Bo Nix with the 12th pick; Mel Kiper said Nix reminds him a little bit of Drew Brees. Nix started 61 games at Auburn/Oregon, the all-time record for college starts; he gets to learn from Sean Payton, one of the better QB gurus.
— Famous birthdays for April 26th:
Carol Burnett, 91
Gary Cuozzo, 83
Doug France, 71
Phil Olsen, 66
Kevin James, 59
Cole Beasley, 35
Joey Wendle, 34
Aaron Judge, 32
— One of the surprising things about the Falcons drafting a QB is that they need defense; over the last three years, Atlanta has a total of only 81 sacks, least in the NFL.
— Apparently, Vikings/Patriots both called the Chargers and tried to trade for QB Justin Herbert; both were told to take a hike.
— Cardinals drafted WR Marvin Harrison Jr; he is the 5th first round pick ever whose dad was an NFL Hall of Famer.
— Two LSU receivers went in the first round:
Giants took Malik Cabers, Jaguars took Brian Thomas.
Last three LSU receivers drafted in the first round:
2021- Ja’Maar Chase
2020- Justin Jefferson
2014- Odell Beckham
— First 14 players drafted play offense, which is an all-time record.
— Lot of media people are obsessed with “Who won the trade?” but it is possible for both teams to win (or lose) a trade.
— Rams had their first 1st round pick since 2016 (Jared Goff); they took DE Jared Verse of Florida State, who played his first two college years at I-AA Albany, where I went to school. With Aaron Donald retiring, Rams need to bolster their defense.
— Last month, Steelers traded a 6th round pick for QB Justin Fields; word comes out that they’re not going to pick up his 5th-year $25M option next winter, since they also acquired Russell Wilson.
— Six of the first 12 picks were quarterbacks, tying 1983 for the most QB’s taken in the first round; for what its worth, four of those six players transferred during their college careers.
— Draft continues Friday, with the 2nd/3rd round picks happening then.
— A’s 3, New York 1- Spunky A’s split four games in the Bronx.
— Dodgers 2, Nationals 1- Yamamoto tossed six shutout innings.
— Rockies 10, Padres 9- Colorado scored six runs in bottom of 8th.
— Brewers 7, Pirates 5- Sanchez hit pinch-hit homer in 8th for 16-8 Milwaukee.
— Phillies 5, Reds 0- Harper homered, in his first game after paternity leave.
— Cubs 3, Astros 1- Rookie OF Crow-Armstrong’s first MLB hit was a home run.
Quote of the Day
“He makes some big plays … [but] he’s going to need some work in reading defenses, reading coverages. He’s kind of quick to bail out of the pocket, he’s going to have to hang in there a little bit longer, I think, and find those receivers. … This is a kid that can make all the throws. He just needs to be more consistent.”
Bill Belichick, talking about Drake Maye, the Patriots’ new QB
Friday’s quiz
Which NFL team drafted Hall of Famer John Elway?
Thursday’s quiz
Peyton Manning was first pick in the 1998 NFL Draft; QB Ryan Leaf was the second pick, by the Chargers.
Wednesday’s quiz
In the movie A League of Their Own, the team that Tom Hanks managed, that also had Madonna and Geena Davis playing, was the Rockford Peaches.
***************************************************
Friday’s Den: Wrapping up the first round of the NFL Draft…..
Lot of stuff going on; baseball, NHL/NBA playoffs, but tonight I focused on the first round of the NFL Draft.— Before we start talking football, let me vent for a second; I’m in my 60’s, since 2019 I’ve had three operations on my right eye. The eye is fine now, thanks to my two surgeons, but I’m still a stickler for taking good care of your eyes.
It drives me nutty when I see people wearing sunglasses indoors; take care of your damn eyes!!! Why were several guys at the draft wearing sunglasses inside? It is nonsensical.
— Chicago Bears had the first pick in this draft, the first time since 1947 they had the first pick; they took USC QB Caleb Williams, then later took Washington WR Rome Odunze with the 9th pick. Bears have never had a QB throw 30+ TD’s in a season, or for 4,000+ yards in a season; they seem determine to break those trends.
In two years at USC, Williams took only seven snaps under center (as opposed to the shotgun) but lot of college QB’s have gone thru that recently, so no big deal there.
— Commanders/Patriots followed by doing the expected, taking QB’s Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye; this was the 4th time since 1971 that the first three picks in a draft were QB’s.
— Before the draft, Eagles signed WR AJ Brown to a 3-year extension worth $96M, with $84M of that guaranteed.
— NFL commish Roger Goodell had back surgery 3-4 weeks ago, so his greetings on stage with guys who got drafted were a little more subdued this year.
By the way, they estimated that there were 275,000 people at the draft in Detroit. Must have been a solid night for the pickpockets in the crowd.
— Atlanta Falcons stunned lot of people (including newly acquired QB Kirk Cousins) by drafting Washington QB Michael Penix with the #8 pick. Penix has already torn his right ACL twice, and separated both shoulders; he wasn’t even at the draft, but went with the 8th pick.
— Vikings traded up one spot and drafted Michigan QB JJ McCarthy; they later traded up again and took Alabama LB Dallas Turner.
To get Turner with the 17th pick, Vikings gave Jacksonville a 5th round pick this year, plus 3rd and 4th round picks next year- they must really like him.
This was the earliest the Vikings have ever drafted a QB; in 1999, they took Daunte Culpepper with the 11th pick in the draft.
— Denver drafted Oregon QB Bo Nix with the 12th pick; Mel Kiper said Nix reminds him a little bit of Drew Brees. Nix started 61 games at Auburn/Oregon, the all-time record for college starts; he gets to learn from Sean Payton, one of the better QB gurus.
— Famous birthdays for April 26th:
Carol Burnett, 91
Gary Cuozzo, 83
Doug France, 71
Phil Olsen, 66
Kevin James, 59
Cole Beasley, 35
Joey Wendle, 34
Aaron Judge, 32
— One of the surprising things about the Falcons drafting a QB is that they need defense; over the last three years, Atlanta has a total of only 81 sacks, least in the NFL.
— Apparently, Vikings/Patriots both called the Chargers and tried to trade for QB Justin Herbert; both were told to take a hike.
— Cardinals drafted WR Marvin Harrison Jr; he is the 5th first round pick ever whose dad was an NFL Hall of Famer.
— Two LSU receivers went in the first round:
Giants took Malik Cabers, Jaguars took Brian Thomas.
Last three LSU receivers drafted in the first round:
2021- Ja’Maar Chase
2020- Justin Jefferson
2014- Odell Beckham
— First 14 players drafted play offense, which is an all-time record.
— Lot of media people are obsessed with “Who won the trade?” but it is possible for both teams to win (or lose) a trade.
— Rams had their first 1st round pick since 2016 (Jared Goff); they took DE Jared Verse of Florida State, who played his first two college years at I-AA Albany, where I went to school. With Aaron Donald retiring, Rams need to bolster their defense.
— Last month, Steelers traded a 6th round pick for QB Justin Fields; word comes out that they’re not going to pick up his 5th-year $25M option next winter, since they also acquired Russell Wilson.
— Six of the first 12 picks were quarterbacks, tying 1983 for the most QB’s taken in the first round; for what its worth, four of those six players transferred during their college careers.
— Draft continues Friday, with the 2nd/3rd round picks happening then.
MILWAUKEE is 7-0 Under (7 Units) as a dog of 3.5 to 9.5 in the current season.
LA CLIPPERS are 8-0 ATS (8 Units) in road games after playing 3 consecutive home games in the current season.
MINNESOTA is 35-20 Over (13 Units) in road games versus poor pressure defensive teams - forcing <=13 turnovers/game in the last 3 seasons.
NBA
Dunkel
Friday, April 26
NBA
Long Sheet
Friday, April 26
LA CLIPPERS are 8-0 ATS (8 Units) in road games after playing 3 consecutive home games in the current season.
MINNESOTA is 35-20 Over (13 Units) in road games versus poor pressure defensive teams - forcing <=13 turnovers/game in the last 3 seasons.
NBA
Dunkel
Friday, April 26
NBA
Long Sheet
Friday, April 26
Armadillo Sports
Saturday’s 6-pack:
Last six New York Mets with 4 hits, 4 RBI in same game:
July 3, 2016— Wilmer Flores
April 11, 2017— Yoenis Cespedes
June 18, 2018— Brandon Nimmo
July 23, 2019— Robinson Cano
April 8, 2024— Brandon Nimmo
April 24, 2024— Francisco Lindor
Quote of the Day
“I look at it as a blessing and as an opportunity to show the work I put in in the offseason. I lost some weight to be more athletic and I’m excited for the opportunity.”
White Sox OF Tommy Pham, now on his 8th team in 11 MLB seasons
Saturday’s quiz
Who was the Oakland Raiders’ QB, the last time they played in a Super Bowl?
Friday’s quiz
Baltimore Colts drafted Hall of Fame QB John Elway, then traded him to Denver.
Thursday’s quiz
Peyton Manning was first pick in the 1998 NFL Draft; QB Ryan Leaf was the second pick, by the Chargers.
************************************
Saturday’s Den: Wrapping up a busy Friday night…….
— Friday night, retired NFL stars announced the picks that their old teams made; the Chargers’ representative was former kicker Rolf Benirschke, who kicked for the Chargers for ten years, then later hosted Wheel of Fortune for six months in 1989, when Pat Sajak left briefly to host an ill-fated talk show.
— Sounds like eventually, the NFL is going to go to an 18-game schedule, with each team having two byes, which would put the Super Bowl on Presidents’ Day weekend.
— 23 of the 32 picks in the first round were offensive players, six of the top 12 QB’s, but since then, no other quarterbacks have been taken.
— 5 of the first 62 players drafted were offensive players from the Washington Huskies.
— Since 2002, the Washington Commanders have drafted five QB’s in first round:
2002- Patrick Ramsey, Tulane
2005- Jason Campbell, Auburn
2012- Robert Griffin III, Baylor
2018- Dwayne Haskins, Ohio State
2024- Jayden Daniels, LSU
By way of comparison, the Saints haven’t drafted a QB in the first round since Archie Manning, way back in 1971.
— With the 100th pick in the draft, Washington drafted Rice WR Luke McCaffrey, Christian McCaffrey’s brother.
— Rookie quarterbacks shouldn’t start, they should observe and learn: here are Aaron Rodgers’ stats for his first three NFL seasons:
7 games, no starts
35-59 passing, for 329 yards, one TD, one INT.
That is for his first THREE YEARS in the NFL.
Rodgers’ record as an NFL starter is now 159-85-1.
— Famous birthdays for April 27th:
George Gervin, 72
Herm Edwards, 70
David Whitehurst, 69
Sheena Easton, 65
Roland Williams, 49
Keenan Allen, 32
JD Davis, 31
Corey Seager, 30
One of my favorite actors, Jack Klugman, was born on this day in 1922.
— Cubs 7, Red Sox 1
Shota Imanaga is a surprising 4-0, 0.98 for the 17-9 Cubs.
Michael Busch went 3-4, with two runs scored.
— Brewers 7, New York 6 (10)
Joey Ortiz had the walk-off single and 4 RBI for 17-8 Milwaukee.
Brewers’ bullpen tossed five scoreless innings.
— Rangers 2, Reds 1
Marcus Semien homered in the bottom of 8th inning.
Texas bullpen pitched three perfect innings.
— A’s 3, Orioles 2 (10)
Oakland is 3-2 this week, despite scoring 3 or fewer runs in all five games.
Abraham Toro tied game with a 9th inning double.
Brent Rooker’s double plated the game-winning run.
Orioles sent rookie 2B Jackson Holliday back to AAA, after he went 2-34 in ten games.
— Giants 3, Pirates 0
Patrick Bailey snapped a scoreless tie with a walk-off, 3-run homer.
Pirates were 0-7 with runners in scoring position.
— Couple of prominent pitchers got hurt Friday:
Marlins’ lefty Jesus Luzardo (elbow tightness) went on the IL
Arizona ace Zac Gallen (hamstring tightness) left his start in the 6th inning
— Royals 8, Tigers 0
Seth Lugo tossed 7 shutout IP, allowing five baserunners.
Game was 1-0 in ninth inning; Royals scored seven runs in the ninth.
— Astros-Rockies are playing two games in Mexico City this weekend; Mexico City is in high altitude; total on Saturday’s game is 16.5, a very high total.
Saturday’s 6-pack:
Last six New York Mets with 4 hits, 4 RBI in same game:
July 3, 2016— Wilmer Flores
April 11, 2017— Yoenis Cespedes
June 18, 2018— Brandon Nimmo
July 23, 2019— Robinson Cano
April 8, 2024— Brandon Nimmo
April 24, 2024— Francisco Lindor
Quote of the Day
“I look at it as a blessing and as an opportunity to show the work I put in in the offseason. I lost some weight to be more athletic and I’m excited for the opportunity.”
White Sox OF Tommy Pham, now on his 8th team in 11 MLB seasons
Saturday’s quiz
Who was the Oakland Raiders’ QB, the last time they played in a Super Bowl?
Friday’s quiz
Baltimore Colts drafted Hall of Fame QB John Elway, then traded him to Denver.
Thursday’s quiz
Peyton Manning was first pick in the 1998 NFL Draft; QB Ryan Leaf was the second pick, by the Chargers.
************************************
Saturday’s Den: Wrapping up a busy Friday night…….
— Friday night, retired NFL stars announced the picks that their old teams made; the Chargers’ representative was former kicker Rolf Benirschke, who kicked for the Chargers for ten years, then later hosted Wheel of Fortune for six months in 1989, when Pat Sajak left briefly to host an ill-fated talk show.
— Sounds like eventually, the NFL is going to go to an 18-game schedule, with each team having two byes, which would put the Super Bowl on Presidents’ Day weekend.
— 23 of the 32 picks in the first round were offensive players, six of the top 12 QB’s, but since then, no other quarterbacks have been taken.
— 5 of the first 62 players drafted were offensive players from the Washington Huskies.
— Since 2002, the Washington Commanders have drafted five QB’s in first round:
2002- Patrick Ramsey, Tulane
2005- Jason Campbell, Auburn
2012- Robert Griffin III, Baylor
2018- Dwayne Haskins, Ohio State
2024- Jayden Daniels, LSU
By way of comparison, the Saints haven’t drafted a QB in the first round since Archie Manning, way back in 1971.
— With the 100th pick in the draft, Washington drafted Rice WR Luke McCaffrey, Christian McCaffrey’s brother.
— Rookie quarterbacks shouldn’t start, they should observe and learn: here are Aaron Rodgers’ stats for his first three NFL seasons:
7 games, no starts
35-59 passing, for 329 yards, one TD, one INT.
That is for his first THREE YEARS in the NFL.
Rodgers’ record as an NFL starter is now 159-85-1.
— Famous birthdays for April 27th:
George Gervin, 72
Herm Edwards, 70
David Whitehurst, 69
Sheena Easton, 65
Roland Williams, 49
Keenan Allen, 32
JD Davis, 31
Corey Seager, 30
One of my favorite actors, Jack Klugman, was born on this day in 1922.
— Cubs 7, Red Sox 1
Shota Imanaga is a surprising 4-0, 0.98 for the 17-9 Cubs.
Michael Busch went 3-4, with two runs scored.
— Brewers 7, New York 6 (10)
Joey Ortiz had the walk-off single and 4 RBI for 17-8 Milwaukee.
Brewers’ bullpen tossed five scoreless innings.
— Rangers 2, Reds 1
Marcus Semien homered in the bottom of 8th inning.
Texas bullpen pitched three perfect innings.
— A’s 3, Orioles 2 (10)
Oakland is 3-2 this week, despite scoring 3 or fewer runs in all five games.
Abraham Toro tied game with a 9th inning double.
Brent Rooker’s double plated the game-winning run.
Orioles sent rookie 2B Jackson Holliday back to AAA, after he went 2-34 in ten games.
— Giants 3, Pirates 0
Patrick Bailey snapped a scoreless tie with a walk-off, 3-run homer.
Pirates were 0-7 with runners in scoring position.
— Couple of prominent pitchers got hurt Friday:
Marlins’ lefty Jesus Luzardo (elbow tightness) went on the IL
Arizona ace Zac Gallen (hamstring tightness) left his start in the 6th inning
— Royals 8, Tigers 0
Seth Lugo tossed 7 shutout IP, allowing five baserunners.
Game was 1-0 in ninth inning; Royals scored seven runs in the ninth.
— Astros-Rockies are playing two games in Mexico City this weekend; Mexico City is in high altitude; total on Saturday’s game is 16.5, a very high total.
ORLANDO is 18-2 ATS (15.8 Units) in home games versus poor pressure defensive teams - forcing <=13 turnovers/game in the current season.
NEW ORLEANS are 40-24 ATS (13.6 Units) after having lost 4 or 5 of their last 6 games in the last 3 seasons.
BOSTON is 32-13 ATS (17.7 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season in the last 3 seasons.
LA LAKERS are 135-99 Under (26.1 Units) revenging a straight up loss vs opponent as a home favorite since 1996.
NBA
Dunkel
Saturday, April 27
NBA
Long Sheet
Saturday, April 27
NEW ORLEANS are 40-24 ATS (13.6 Units) after having lost 4 or 5 of their last 6 games in the last 3 seasons.
BOSTON is 32-13 ATS (17.7 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season in the last 3 seasons.
LA LAKERS are 135-99 Under (26.1 Units) revenging a straight up loss vs opponent as a home favorite since 1996.
NBA
Dunkel
Saturday, April 27
NBA
Long Sheet
Saturday, April 27
Sunday’s 6-pack:
Conference with most players drafted by the NFL this week:
59— SEC
43— Pac-12
42— Big 14
41— ACC
31— Big X
6— Sun Belt
Quote of the Day
“We came up with a decision, this is what we plan to do. And Kirk (Cousins) does not have to look over his shoulder every time he throws a bad pass. Like, that is not the case.”
Falcons coach Raheem Morris, when asked about drafting a quarterback this week
Sunday’s quiz
Atlanta Falcons have played in two Super Bowls; who were their quarterbacks in those two games?
Saturday’s quiz
Rich Gannon was the Oakland Raiders’ QB, the last time they played in a Super Bowl.
Friday’s quiz
Baltimore Colts drafted Hall of Fame QB John Elway, then traded him to Denver.
*******************************************
— After 23 offensive players were taken in the first round, 20 defensive players were taken in Round 2, the most in any Round 2 since 2016.
— Mel Kiper Jr thrashed the Falcons for drafting QB Michael Penix, when they already have Kirk Cousins; Atlanta ranked last in the league in pass rush win rate (30.9%) last year and 29th in takeaways (16)- there hadn’t been a defensive player taken in the first seven selections- they would’ve had their pick of the lot.
— New England drafted two QB’s in the first six rounds, first time a team did that since the Redskins in 2012, when they picked Robert Griffin III and Kirk Cousins.
— Arizona Cardinals had seven of the first 90 picks in the draft; three of those picks are defensive backs.
— Would you rather watch the draft on ESPN or NFL Network? At first I was going to listen to Bill Belichick on the McAfee broadcast, but then I thought better of that, just listened to Mel Kiper Jr on ESPN. NFL Network host Rich Eisen annoys me, no idea what they see in him- I try to avoid him as much as possible.
— Chicago Bears acquired some new receivers, they drafted a hotshot QB with the first pick, so why did they draft a punter in the 4th round?
— Famous birthdays for April 28th:
Ann Margret, 83
Paul Guilfoyle, 75
Jay Leno, 74
Mary McDonnell, 72
Tom Browning, 64
Mark Bavaro, 61
Barry Larkin, 60
Jessica Alba, 43
Matt Chapman, 31
— White Sox 8, Rays 7
Coming into Saturday, Andrew Benintendi was hitting .169 with 4 RBI in 89 AB’s this season; Saturday, he went 3-for-5 with two homers, 6 RBI, including a walk-off home run.
— Guardians 4, Braves 2 (11)
Game was scoreless after seven innings.
Steven Kwan went 2-5, scored twice; he’s hitting .345.
— Pirates 4, Giants 3 (10)
Reynolds/Hayes hit back/back homers in 10th inning.
Game was scoreless after five innings.
— Reds 8, Rangers 4
Hunter Greene tossed 7 scoreless IP, allowing 2 baserunners.
Jonathan India was 4-4 with four RBI
— Astros 12, Rockies 4
Houston snapped a 5-game losing skid.
Yordan Alvarez was 3-5 with two homers, 3 RBI
— Tigers 6, Royals 5
Kansas City led 3-1 in 7th inning.
Matt Vierling’s 3-run homer was the key hit for Detroit.
— Cardinals 7, Mets 4
Paul Goldschmidt snapped out of a slump, is 7-20 with 6 runs scored this week.
Mets lost five of their last six games.
Conference with most players drafted by the NFL this week:
59— SEC
43— Pac-12
42— Big 14
41— ACC
31— Big X
6— Sun Belt
Quote of the Day
“We came up with a decision, this is what we plan to do. And Kirk (Cousins) does not have to look over his shoulder every time he throws a bad pass. Like, that is not the case.”
Falcons coach Raheem Morris, when asked about drafting a quarterback this week
Sunday’s quiz
Atlanta Falcons have played in two Super Bowls; who were their quarterbacks in those two games?
Saturday’s quiz
Rich Gannon was the Oakland Raiders’ QB, the last time they played in a Super Bowl.
Friday’s quiz
Baltimore Colts drafted Hall of Fame QB John Elway, then traded him to Denver.
*******************************************
Sunday’s Den: Wrapping up a sports Saturday…….
— 6 of the first 12 players drafted this week were quarterbacks, but it was 137 more picks before the 7th QB got taken, when the Saints drafted South Carolina QB Spencer Rattler.— After 23 offensive players were taken in the first round, 20 defensive players were taken in Round 2, the most in any Round 2 since 2016.
— Mel Kiper Jr thrashed the Falcons for drafting QB Michael Penix, when they already have Kirk Cousins; Atlanta ranked last in the league in pass rush win rate (30.9%) last year and 29th in takeaways (16)- there hadn’t been a defensive player taken in the first seven selections- they would’ve had their pick of the lot.
— New England drafted two QB’s in the first six rounds, first time a team did that since the Redskins in 2012, when they picked Robert Griffin III and Kirk Cousins.
— Arizona Cardinals had seven of the first 90 picks in the draft; three of those picks are defensive backs.
— Would you rather watch the draft on ESPN or NFL Network? At first I was going to listen to Bill Belichick on the McAfee broadcast, but then I thought better of that, just listened to Mel Kiper Jr on ESPN. NFL Network host Rich Eisen annoys me, no idea what they see in him- I try to avoid him as much as possible.
— Chicago Bears acquired some new receivers, they drafted a hotshot QB with the first pick, so why did they draft a punter in the 4th round?
— Famous birthdays for April 28th:
Ann Margret, 83
Paul Guilfoyle, 75
Jay Leno, 74
Mary McDonnell, 72
Tom Browning, 64
Mark Bavaro, 61
Barry Larkin, 60
Jessica Alba, 43
Matt Chapman, 31
— White Sox 8, Rays 7
Coming into Saturday, Andrew Benintendi was hitting .169 with 4 RBI in 89 AB’s this season; Saturday, he went 3-for-5 with two homers, 6 RBI, including a walk-off home run.
— Guardians 4, Braves 2 (11)
Game was scoreless after seven innings.
Steven Kwan went 2-5, scored twice; he’s hitting .345.
— Pirates 4, Giants 3 (10)
Reynolds/Hayes hit back/back homers in 10th inning.
Game was scoreless after five innings.
— Reds 8, Rangers 4
Hunter Greene tossed 7 scoreless IP, allowing 2 baserunners.
Jonathan India was 4-4 with four RBI
— Astros 12, Rockies 4
Houston snapped a 5-game losing skid.
Yordan Alvarez was 3-5 with two homers, 3 RBI
— Tigers 6, Royals 5
Kansas City led 3-1 in 7th inning.
Matt Vierling’s 3-run homer was the key hit for Detroit.
— Cardinals 7, Mets 4
Paul Goldschmidt snapped out of a slump, is 7-20 with 6 runs scored this week.
Mets lost five of their last six games.
PHILADELPHIA is 9-1 ATS (7.9 Units) on Sunday games in the current season.
DALLAS are 9-1 ATS (7.9 Units) in home games after 2 or more consecutive unders in the current season.
INDIANA is 36-20 ATS (14 Units) in home games after a game where they failed to cover the spread in the last 3 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 36-20 Over (14 Units) in road games versus poor pressure defensive teams - forcing <=13 turnovers/game in the last 3 seasons.
NBA
Dunkel
Sunday, April 28
NBA
Long Sheet
Sunday, April 28
DALLAS are 9-1 ATS (7.9 Units) in home games after 2 or more consecutive unders in the current season.
INDIANA is 36-20 ATS (14 Units) in home games after a game where they failed to cover the spread in the last 3 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 36-20 Over (14 Units) in road games versus poor pressure defensive teams - forcing <=13 turnovers/game in the last 3 seasons.
NBA
Dunkel
Sunday, April 28
NBA
Long Sheet
Sunday, April 28
Armadillo Sports
Monday’s 6-pack:
Major league leaders in batting average:
.387— Mookie Betts, LA
.367— Will Smith, LA
.365— Alec Bohm, Phil
.352— William Contreras, Milw
.342— Jose Altuve, Hst
.340— Marcell Ozuna Atl/Salvador Perez KC
Quote of the Day
“I’m not a system player — I am a system.”
LA Clippers star James Harden
Monday’s quiz
Who was the Bronx Bombers’ manager, before Aaron Boone?
Sunday’s quiz
Atlanta Falcons have played in two Super Bowls; Chris Chandler, Matt Ryan were their quarterbacks in those two games.
Saturday’s quiz
Rich Gannon was the Oakland Raiders’ QB, the last time they played in a Super Bowl.
**************************************
Monday’s Den: Way too early NFL trends…….
NFL Draft is over, 2024 schedule comes out in a couple weeks; here are some NFL trends to ponder, with the season only 4+ months away:
NFC East
Cowboys
Since 2015, they’re 2-5 in playoff games.
Haven’t been in a conference championship game since 1995.
Giants
QB Daniel Jones makes $40M a year; he is 23-37-1 as an NFL starter.
Since 2012, Giants are 2-10 SU/1-11 ATS in their home opener.
Eagles
Won/covered their last eight pre-bye games.
Since they won Super Bowl in 2017, Eagles are 3-5 in playoff games.
Commanders
Washington’s last playoff win was in 2005.
New coach Dan Quinn was 46-44 coaching Atlanta, 3-2 in playoff games.
NFC North
Bears
Since losing Super Bowl in 2006, Bears are 1-3 in playoff games.
Chicago is 2-7 ATS in its last nine road openers.
Lions
Detroit’s 2 playoff wins LY were their first since 1991.
Last 12 years, Lions are 10-2 ATS in their post-bye game.
Packers
Green Bay won its last 11 home openers (8-3 ATS)
Since 2014, Packers are 6-1 SU in their first playoff game of a season.
Vikings
Last 12 times they were in playoffs, Vikings went WL 8 times, 0-1 four times.
Minnesota is 12-3 in its last 15 pre-bye games.
NFC South
Falcons
Atlanta hasn’t been in the playoffs since 2017.
Last 20 years, Falcons are 16-4 ATS in their last 20 home openers.
Panthers
Dave Canales is Carolina’s 4th head coach in six years, not counting interim coaches.
Since losing the Super Bowl in 2015, Panthers are 0-1 in playoff games.
Saints
Since winning Super Bowl in 2009, Saints are 4-7 in playoff games.
Last nine years, New Orleans is 1-8 ATS in their home opener.
Buccaneers
Since 2002, Bucs are 3-4 in home playoff games, 6-1 away from home.
Last seven years, Tampa Bay is 1-6 SU/ATS in its pot-bye game.
NFC West
Rams
Under McVay, Rams are 7-0 SU/5-2 ATS in their road opener.
Before McVay, Rams had missed playoffs 12 years in a row; in his seven years with LA, they’re 7-4 in playoff games.
Cardinals
Since 2009, Arizona is 2-4 in playoff games, with both wins in overtime.
Cardinals covered their last five road openers.
49ers
Last six times they were in playoffs, 49ers went WWL
Last ten years, under is 8-2 in their home openers.
Seahawks
Pete Carroll was 147-98-1 in Seattle, 10-9 in playoff games.
Since 2017, Seahawks are 1-4 in playoff games.
AFC East
Bills
Since 2020, Bills are 5-3 in playoff games, losing at home last two years.
Buffalo is 0-9 in last nine road playoff games; last road win, 1992 at Miami.
Dolphins
Miami hasn’t won a playoff game since 2000, an OT win over the Colts.
Last nine years, Dolphins are 7-2 ATS in their road opener.
Patriots
Last five years, New England is 0-2 in playoff games.
Last 11 years, Patriots are 8-3 ATS in their pre-bye game.
Jets
Jets haven’t made the playoffs since 2010.
Jets haven’t played a home playoff game since 2002.
AFC North
Ravens
Last eight years, Baltimore is 7-1 ATS in its Week 1 game.
Since winning Super Bowl in 2012, Ravens are 3-6 in playoff games.
Bengals
From 1991-2020, Bengals were 0-7 in playoff games.
Since Joe Burrow has been a Bengal, they’re 5-2 in playoff games.
Browns
Cleveland is 1-3 in playoff games (only win, 48-37 at Pittsburgh in 2020)
Last six years, Browns are 4-2 ATS in their road opener.
Steelers
Last six years, Steelers are 1-5 SU/0-6 ATS in their home opener.
Pittsburgh hasn’t won a playoff game since 2016 (0-4 since then)
AFC South
Texans
Houston went WL in 5 of their 7 playoff appearances.
Texans are 4-2 in home playoff games, 0-5 in road games.
Colts
Last 11 years, Colts are 9-2 ATS in their pre-bye game.
Last nine years, Colts are 7-2 ATS in their post-bye game.
Jaguars
Last seven years, Jaguars are 5-2 ATS in their road opener.
Jacksonville is 4-1 in home playoff games, 4-7 in road games.
Titans
Last eight years, Titans are 2-6 ATS in their home opener.
Tennessee lost its last three home playoff games, scoring 10-13-16 points.
AFC West
Broncos
Broncos haven’t been in playoffs since winning Super Bowl in 2015 season.
Last seven years, Denver is 1-6 SU/2-5 ATS in their road opener.
Chiefs
Andy Reid is 16-7 in playoff games as coach of the Chiefs.
Last 11 years, Kansas City is 8-3 ATS in its road opener.
Raiders
Since losing Super Bowl in 2002 season, Raiders are 0-2 in playoff games.
Last nine years, Raiders are 7-2 ATS in their road opener.
Chargers
Chargers haven’t played a home playoff game since 2009.
Last seven years, Bolts are 2-5 ATS in their home opener.
Monday’s 6-pack:
Major league leaders in batting average:
.387— Mookie Betts, LA
.367— Will Smith, LA
.365— Alec Bohm, Phil
.352— William Contreras, Milw
.342— Jose Altuve, Hst
.340— Marcell Ozuna Atl/Salvador Perez KC
Quote of the Day
“I’m not a system player — I am a system.”
LA Clippers star James Harden
Monday’s quiz
Who was the Bronx Bombers’ manager, before Aaron Boone?
Sunday’s quiz
Atlanta Falcons have played in two Super Bowls; Chris Chandler, Matt Ryan were their quarterbacks in those two games.
Saturday’s quiz
Rich Gannon was the Oakland Raiders’ QB, the last time they played in a Super Bowl.
**************************************
Monday’s Den: Way too early NFL trends…….
NFL Draft is over, 2024 schedule comes out in a couple weeks; here are some NFL trends to ponder, with the season only 4+ months away:
NFC East
Cowboys
Since 2015, they’re 2-5 in playoff games.
Haven’t been in a conference championship game since 1995.
Giants
QB Daniel Jones makes $40M a year; he is 23-37-1 as an NFL starter.
Since 2012, Giants are 2-10 SU/1-11 ATS in their home opener.
Eagles
Won/covered their last eight pre-bye games.
Since they won Super Bowl in 2017, Eagles are 3-5 in playoff games.
Commanders
Washington’s last playoff win was in 2005.
New coach Dan Quinn was 46-44 coaching Atlanta, 3-2 in playoff games.
NFC North
Bears
Since losing Super Bowl in 2006, Bears are 1-3 in playoff games.
Chicago is 2-7 ATS in its last nine road openers.
Lions
Detroit’s 2 playoff wins LY were their first since 1991.
Last 12 years, Lions are 10-2 ATS in their post-bye game.
Packers
Green Bay won its last 11 home openers (8-3 ATS)
Since 2014, Packers are 6-1 SU in their first playoff game of a season.
Vikings
Last 12 times they were in playoffs, Vikings went WL 8 times, 0-1 four times.
Minnesota is 12-3 in its last 15 pre-bye games.
NFC South
Falcons
Atlanta hasn’t been in the playoffs since 2017.
Last 20 years, Falcons are 16-4 ATS in their last 20 home openers.
Panthers
Dave Canales is Carolina’s 4th head coach in six years, not counting interim coaches.
Since losing the Super Bowl in 2015, Panthers are 0-1 in playoff games.
Saints
Since winning Super Bowl in 2009, Saints are 4-7 in playoff games.
Last nine years, New Orleans is 1-8 ATS in their home opener.
Buccaneers
Since 2002, Bucs are 3-4 in home playoff games, 6-1 away from home.
Last seven years, Tampa Bay is 1-6 SU/ATS in its pot-bye game.
NFC West
Rams
Under McVay, Rams are 7-0 SU/5-2 ATS in their road opener.
Before McVay, Rams had missed playoffs 12 years in a row; in his seven years with LA, they’re 7-4 in playoff games.
Cardinals
Since 2009, Arizona is 2-4 in playoff games, with both wins in overtime.
Cardinals covered their last five road openers.
49ers
Last six times they were in playoffs, 49ers went WWL
Last ten years, under is 8-2 in their home openers.
Seahawks
Pete Carroll was 147-98-1 in Seattle, 10-9 in playoff games.
Since 2017, Seahawks are 1-4 in playoff games.
AFC East
Bills
Since 2020, Bills are 5-3 in playoff games, losing at home last two years.
Buffalo is 0-9 in last nine road playoff games; last road win, 1992 at Miami.
Dolphins
Miami hasn’t won a playoff game since 2000, an OT win over the Colts.
Last nine years, Dolphins are 7-2 ATS in their road opener.
Patriots
Last five years, New England is 0-2 in playoff games.
Last 11 years, Patriots are 8-3 ATS in their pre-bye game.
Jets
Jets haven’t made the playoffs since 2010.
Jets haven’t played a home playoff game since 2002.
AFC North
Ravens
Last eight years, Baltimore is 7-1 ATS in its Week 1 game.
Since winning Super Bowl in 2012, Ravens are 3-6 in playoff games.
Bengals
From 1991-2020, Bengals were 0-7 in playoff games.
Since Joe Burrow has been a Bengal, they’re 5-2 in playoff games.
Browns
Cleveland is 1-3 in playoff games (only win, 48-37 at Pittsburgh in 2020)
Last six years, Browns are 4-2 ATS in their road opener.
Steelers
Last six years, Steelers are 1-5 SU/0-6 ATS in their home opener.
Pittsburgh hasn’t won a playoff game since 2016 (0-4 since then)
AFC South
Texans
Houston went WL in 5 of their 7 playoff appearances.
Texans are 4-2 in home playoff games, 0-5 in road games.
Colts
Last 11 years, Colts are 9-2 ATS in their pre-bye game.
Last nine years, Colts are 7-2 ATS in their post-bye game.
Jaguars
Last seven years, Jaguars are 5-2 ATS in their road opener.
Jacksonville is 4-1 in home playoff games, 4-7 in road games.
Titans
Last eight years, Titans are 2-6 ATS in their home opener.
Tennessee lost its last three home playoff games, scoring 10-13-16 points.
AFC West
Broncos
Broncos haven’t been in playoffs since winning Super Bowl in 2015 season.
Last seven years, Denver is 1-6 SU/2-5 ATS in their road opener.
Chiefs
Andy Reid is 16-7 in playoff games as coach of the Chiefs.
Last 11 years, Kansas City is 8-3 ATS in its road opener.
Raiders
Since losing Super Bowl in 2002 season, Raiders are 0-2 in playoff games.
Last nine years, Raiders are 7-2 ATS in their road opener.
Chargers
Chargers haven’t played a home playoff game since 2009.
Last seven years, Bolts are 2-5 ATS in their home opener.
MIAMI is 11-3 Under (7.7 Units) when playing 4 or less games in 10 days in the current season.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 15-2 ATS (12.8 Units) off a road win by 10 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
LA LAKERS are 51-74 ATS (-30.4 Units) after a game where they covered the spread in the last 3 seasons.
NBA
Dunkel
Monday, April 29
NBA
Long Sheet
Monday, April 29
OKLAHOMA CITY is 15-2 ATS (12.8 Units) off a road win by 10 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
LA LAKERS are 51-74 ATS (-30.4 Units) after a game where they covered the spread in the last 3 seasons.
NBA
Dunkel
Monday, April 29
NBA
Long Sheet
Monday, April 29
