Greg has some excellent and extensive hitting advice over at The End Zone.

Throughout my life, I believed I was an excellent hitter in tough situations. I believed my teams were lucky to have me at bat in those situations. I often believed, of everyone on the team, I had the best chance of succeeding against tough pitching in tough situations. I would often be really wanting to win, and I would think "Thank God I'm coming up - my coming to bat really gives us a good chance to win this game," or "My coming to bat is bad luck for those other guys - they are screwed," or "Those other guys have no idea how much trouble they are in with me coming to bat. I'm the last person they want up there - even if they don't know it." Was that true? It doesn't matter if it was true or not! The important thing is to believe it - to have confidence. My father used to say "If you think you cannot, you cannot." He was right about that.

Posted by: annika at 05:34 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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My percentage of picks in Six Meat Buffet's Tournament Challenge is 17%. Abysmal, but I did worse in my own fantasy baseball league last year.

Here's how my Oakland regional picks turned out:

What gets me is how someone like Preston can hit 96.8% of his picks. He oughta change his name to Prestondigitator. Or the current leader, Duane, with an astonishing 98.5% score. How do you do that without a crystal ball?

I guess it helps if you know something about college hoops.

But I bet I can accessorize better than both of 'em. I know a little something about hoop earrings, you see.

Anyways, the last two spots in the Final Four will be filled tonight. I say it will be Villanova (whom i've picked to win it all) and UConn. I saw yesterday's games and LSU looked damn strong. LSU and 'Nova in the final? What do you think?

Update: George Mason? I thought he died in season two?

Posted by: annika at 10:28 AM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
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As a teaser, I'm revealing one quarter of my tournament bracket for you all to harsh on.

I'm in Six Meat Buffet's ESPN group. As you can see, I'm really a believer in 'Bama. Also, the 'Zags don't make it to the sweet sixteen on my chart and Kent State gets shot down in the first round. But am I dreaming when I pick Memphis to make the final four? Stay tuned.

Update: Fuck. Oklahoma is out. There goes my Minneapolis bracket.

Posted by: annika at 08:07 PM | Comments (5) | Add Comment
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Cal beat Oregon last night, and will play #13 UCLA today for the PAC-10 championship! It's now an intrafamily rivalry Saturday, my dad being a UCLA graduate.

California (20-9) reached its first Pac-10 tournament final with a 91-87 double-overtime victory Friday over Oregon. The Bears, who finished third in the conference, likely will make the field of 65 regardless of the outcome of this game.

Forward Leon Powe claimed a Pac-10 tournament record for the second straight game, scoring 41 points to better the previous mark of 39, set by UCLA's Reggie Miller in 1987.

The senior, whose late basket forced the second overtime, established a new rebounding record Thursday by pulling down 20 in a victory over Southern California.

Ayinde Ubaka added 12 of his 17 points in the two overtime periods for Cal, which rallied from a 16-point first-half deficit and a seven-point gap in the final 2:45 of regulation.

The win gave Ben Braun his sixth 20-win season at Cal, moving past Hall of Fame coach Pete Newell for most in school history.

The teams have split two all-time Pac-10 tournament games, with Cal posting a 67-61 win in the 2002 quarterfinals. The road team won both games in the season series, with Bruins guard Arron Afflalo scoring 44 points in the two games.

Posted by: annika at 08:25 AM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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Crash wins.

...

Okay, now that that's over with, on to March Madness. You gotta like Duke again this year. Villanova too. Arizona and Gonzaga will disappoint, as they do every time. And Geo. Washington is overrated. Keep an eye on Alabama. If they make the tourney, they're worth at least one upset.

Posted by: annika at 12:59 PM | Comments (17) | Add Comment
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The Winter Olympics are over. I've always liked the Winter Games better than the Summer Games. In almost every winter sport the athletes risk serious injury. You can't say the same about the summer version. But this year's Winter Olympics was pretty lackluster. Utterly forgettable. And that's all I have to say about that.

Posted by: annika at 06:45 AM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
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1 Except for say, Apolo's sweet, fine fine self. *sigh* But yeah, pretty lackluster this year other than him (for me anyway).

Posted by: Amy Bo Bamy at February 27, 2006 08:58 AM (Wz2Gp)

2 As one who is partially of Austrian descent and still has relatives back in the old country, the skiin' this year was pretty damn sweet.

Posted by: Hugo Schwyzer at February 27, 2006 03:32 PM (TGpyr)

3 I agree with you Amy, about Apolo's dreaminess. And yes, Hugo, the alpine events were the highlights this year for me. But they always are. I love downhill especially. Still, it seems to me the skiiers in years past were more daring and exciting. Or maybe the course in Torino wasn't as good.

Posted by: annika at February 27, 2006 05:52 PM (fxTDF)

4 I just returned from attending the Winter Olympics. It was a once in a lifetime trip that I can recommend to everybody. But I won't go again as it is very expensive, lots of hassles getting from one venue to another, and you can see every event better on TV. What surprised me about the Olympics was how closely matched the top ten competitors in every event were. One eye blink too many, and you drop a place in the standings. The pressure on these athletes must be unbelievable. I think the Olympics would have been more exciting for Americans if we had won more gold medals. The Italians, Russians and Norwegians were very excited about the Olympics. They all had a large number of very vocal fans at every event.

Posted by: Jake at February 27, 2006 06:52 PM (r/5D/)

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Apparently, there is no Mandarin translation for "why why why!" When they bang their knee in China, they finish the program.

Posted by: annika at 11:27 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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As Butch Cassidy once remarked, "who are these guys?"

Update: 38 to 33 with 3:08 left. I hope you all took the over.

Update 2: :19 left. Oh.My.God.

Update 3: That game was as good as the ABC announcers were biased.

Posted by: annika at 08:54 PM | Comments (36) | Add Comment
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1 Hook 'em, Horns!!

Posted by: JohnL at January 04, 2006 09:37 PM (dYzx6)

2 Holy shit! Awesome! Just awesome! Best football game I've seen in years. Fan-freakin'-tastic! And I couldn't be happier with the outcome. USC deserved that, if for no other reason than what they did to my beloved Irish.

Posted by: Matt at January 04, 2006 10:06 PM (/d8B9)

3 I got my undergrad degree at Notre Dame and my master's at Texas. I am now officially in Happycamperland! And it was one of the best games I've ever seen to boot.

Posted by: Go 4 TLI at January 04, 2006 10:07 PM (TmKwU)

4 THIS IS UNBELIEVABLE!!! USC IS STILL A GOOD SECOND PLACE TEAM THOUGH.

Posted by: d-rod at January 04, 2006 10:19 PM (bgRIi)

5 I shall restrain myself as I glory in my vindication. I've been right all year. I truly do feel bad for Shelly, however in six months, we'll reload and shoot it out again!

Posted by: Casca at January 04, 2006 10:49 PM (2gORp)

6 HAH, Screw Shelly, All that talk about USC threepeating. In reality they have 1 & 1/2 championships. Besides ESPN had all these scorecards of how USC could have beaten the Roman Empire, Sauron's Orc army, and the entire Jedi Council. Screw them too. YEEEHAAWW.

Posted by: kyle N at January 05, 2006 03:21 AM (wokbK)

7 Butch Cassidy? That dude the Caps fired a few years ago?

Posted by: Victor at January 05, 2006 04:24 AM (L3qPK)

8 Good point Kyle. The only time to kick a man is when he's down. Pete "go for it" Carrol, really IS a dumbass. He believed his own press clippings, and launched his invincibles against a defense that didn't even get any respect in the awards ceremony. Did you hear John Saunders handing the Defensive Player of the Game trophy to that kid from Texas? "It wasn't much of a defensive game", or words to that effect. What an ass. Tressel teaches coaching camps, maybe Carrol should go? He'd tell him, "Up by five with under two minutes left, ball at midfield, 4th and 2, let your kicking game and defense earn their keep. Whatever you do, don't pull an idiot John Cooper move and go head-to-head on the line." I believe that my opinion of Keith Jackson is already a matter of record. For the record, there were two great coaches in the BCS this year, and their teams both played Monday in Tempe. The rest are also rans. For Procain Amy, we'll be down to Austin come September in what will surely be the battle of preseason number 1 & 2. Even if you still have Vince, it's gonna be ugly, so put the kids to bed early.

Posted by: Casca at January 05, 2006 06:30 AM (y9m6I)

9 What an awesome game!! Much better than watching the Cowboys this past season.

Posted by: Amy Bo Bamy at January 05, 2006 07:08 AM (Wz2Gp)

10 Biased? Haha. Hook 'em Horns!!! Yee-haw!!!!

Posted by: Jason H. at January 05, 2006 07:25 AM (jTuRA)

11 Casca - USC had averaged 5 1/2 yds per rush and White had over 6+ yds per attempt. I think PC made the right move to go for it - he played to win instead of not to lose. Having said that, I agree he certainly could use some coaching refreshers. (1) If you are trying to run out the clock and force the other team to burn their time outs, you don't try a pass on second down. (2) You don't keep your star player - and the Heisman Trophy winner - on the sidelines on the fourth down play. Even if you intend to run it inside, at least force the defense to consider that you have multiple options. (3) If the same guy has beaten you multiple times with essentially the same tactic (VY runs to his right), you may want to use a defensive scheme that specificaly assigns one or two players to stay there. If you get beaten by the pass, so be it. (4) Someone on his defensive/special teams staff should have known that if UT scores, they'll obviously go for two points (heck, I would have Vince Young start sprinting back to his goal and burn off the 20 seconds). Unbelievable USC had to burn a timeout. (5) Ditto on the kickoff. Why he didn't have WR and RB along the 20-30 yard line (folks who could have run with the ball) and dared UT to kick it normally is beyond me. Watch the game with TV announcers on mute and radio broadcast on.

Posted by: Col Steve at January 05, 2006 07:59 AM (pj2h7)

12 Between Carrol's ridiculous 4th down decision and two specific USC players' inability to stay home on defense(#90, #55) nearly the entire game, USC gave away a game that they should have won---- despite the entire defense forgetting how to tackle. I've literally seen high school games this year with better tackling and harder hitting. How many USC guys are gonna look at film and see themselves with their heads down and arms out, wondering how in the hell they missed a tackle. Jeeezzzz that's frustrating to watch. p.s. I don't even know where to begin with Bush's "lateral."

Posted by: Blu at January 05, 2006 08:03 AM (xWE3I)

13 We lost, they won. They deserved to win, we didn't. We made bonehead plays (the lateral by Bush was just plain hot-dogging). We had several opportunies and couldn't convert. No one laid a finger on Vince Young; they couldn't stop him. Watch for this kid Sanchez to beat out Booty next year, but the defense will mature and we'll beat Tressel in the Fiesta or whereever at the end of the season. Shit, it was a great game and I am observing mourning today so don't pile on. (We should have sold our six seats on the 50 in the 22nd row for $60,000 and gone to Vegas, but we would have bet it on USC anyway and lost.)

Posted by: shelly at January 05, 2006 08:17 AM (6mUkl)

14 4th and 2 with SC's offense and the championship on the line? I would have gone for it too.

Posted by: annika at January 05, 2006 08:20 AM (2vRJo)

15 Yep, all us SC folks felt that was the right decision. But Reggie only touched the ball THREE (3) times in the last quarter. You just don't keep your Heisman runner under wraps, so you have to give him a chance, whether they we spying on him or not. Me, I felt they were laying for LenDale on 4th and 2, and I would have called a play action pass/run by Leinart, which is always good with a swing to the fullback. But Pete Carroll is a great coach, and like he says, "I prefer College to Pro's because I get 23 first round picks instead of one." I hear the recruiting has been awesome again, and this kid Sanchez is outplaying Booty in practice. We'll be back strong again next year. Time to get ready for March Madness.

Posted by: shelly at January 05, 2006 08:50 AM (6mUkl)

16 Of course you would have. That's why you're not coaching in the big leagues. Despite all the good reasons to do it. It's a fundamentally dumb move, and indicitive of USC's loose and undisciplined style of play. USC is certainly the most talented offense in the nation, their problem is that they were playing the best defense that they had faced all year, and as JT would tell him at camp, "defense wins championships." Carrol should have used his.

Posted by: Casca at January 05, 2006 08:51 AM (y9m6I)

17 15 yards for piling on.

Posted by: shelly at January 05, 2006 09:10 AM (6mUkl)

18 It's OK Shelly, all is for the best. You'd have been insufferable in victory.

Posted by: Casca at January 05, 2006 10:31 AM (y9m6I)

19 The way White and the Trojans' O line had been making a mockery of UT's defensive line in the second half, I'd have gone for it, too.

Posted by: Matt at January 05, 2006 10:45 AM (10G2T)

20 I'd be right with you guys if it had been 4th and 2 on the 25. But, it wasn't. The ball was basically at mid-field. I was in a room full of ex-players and many of us have coached. To a man, we were all yelling "Punt!" It is easy to get caught up in one play, though. SC made a whole lot of dumb plays prior to that 4th and 2 call.

Posted by: Blu at January 05, 2006 01:28 PM (xWE3I)

21 Blu, Where'd you play, and where do/did your friends coach? Look: You can voluntarily give the ball back to UT with 2:13 on the clock, and accept the small risk of a runback. But think about this. In 11 possessions last night (I'm excluding the one that started 2 seconds before halftime), prior to the final one, UT scored 6 times. Two of those were 80 yard drives that consumed seven plays and ended in touchdowns. One of those 80-yard drives took 1:53; another took 2:02. In the second half, UT scored three touchdowns and a field goal in six possessions and should've scored another field goal. All the second-half drives but the one for the missed field goal took less than three minutes, and all their touchdown scoring drives in the second half took less than 2:40. Let me put that another way: UT scored touchdowns on 4 of 11 possessions last night, prior to the final drive. None of those touchdown drives took more than 2:39. The shortest was 51 yards. Rational conclusion if I'm Pete Carroll: If I let Vince Young touch that ball right now there's a goddamned good chance that he'll win this football game. On the other hand, I've got this kid, White. He's touched the ball nineteen times this game, so far. The result of each possession up to this point? 4, 4, 9, 5, 9, 7, 3, 2, 14, 3, 12, 8, 6, 15, 1, 9, 4, 3 and 5 yards. One of the four-yarders and one of the three-yarders are touchdowns, from the 4 and 3 yard lines, respectively. And during the third quarter I gave White the ball on fourth and 1 on the UT 12, and he gave me a touchdown. If I need two yards, only one of these runs clearly doesn't cut it, and only one is even questionable. So I'm looking at 17 out of 19 chances that White gets me two yards and we win the game. My alternative is to give Vince Young the ball with 2:13 left, and bank on him not being able to do again what he's already done twice tonight (counting only the 80-yard, sub-2:13 drives). No way, man. No way. Carroll believed in his offense more than his defense. I would have, too.

Posted by: Matt at January 05, 2006 05:13 PM (wUWh3)

22 Good points all, Matt. But, the bottom line is that Texas won that game with (I can't quite remember)about 15 seconds. The extra 20 - 30 yards made the difference. But, hey, anybody who reads your email above can obviously make a very strong case for Carroll. I just wouldn't have done it. (And if I did, I would not have run the play that everybody knew was coming and that Texas was defending against. 2 yards is a very long ways in that situation---USC should have learned from the sneak attempt earlier. I would have rolled Leinart out and ran a similar play to the one they ran successfully earlier.) Regardless, Young was fucking amazing. And Pete Carrol, to that point, had won 2 consecutive championships. I, on the other hand, have won none.

Posted by: Blu at January 05, 2006 05:28 PM (xWE3I)

23 The only truly inexcusable coaching mistake/decision was the timeout on the 2-point conversion. If Carroll didn't know that UT was going to go for two, then he didn't deserve to win that game. I'd also question the decision not to put a spy on Young on every play, but he was so fast that there probably were times they had someone on him but he was left out of frame. As for the 4th and 2 call, to quote Joe Gibbs: "Ya gotta dance with who brung ya."

Posted by: Trevor at January 05, 2006 06:14 PM (GtBBB)

24 Whoa Nellie we've got an old fashioned barn burner here tonight!

Posted by: Pursuit at January 05, 2006 07:28 PM (n/TNS)

25 Good points Blu, but two Championships AND a very close second would be more accurate. Carroll is a class act. He is not complaining about the knee down lateral by Young or the stripped catch that was ruled incomplete. He rolled the dice to win and he lost and he takes it like a man. That's why these kids play their heart out for him. My grandson will attend his camp this summer for the third time. The first day ever, he came home and complained that no one walks, ever. They run up the Coliseum steps and down to the locker room, run to meals and back to practice. But he looks forward to doing it again this coming summer; can't wait. I was privy to one of his pep talks to these youg kids, and he is truly inspirational. As long as Pete is at USC, they will be contenders, and he isn't going anywhere. Think Howard Jones, John Robinson, John McKay.

Posted by: shelly at January 05, 2006 09:37 PM (6mUkl)

26 No, no Shelly, this is where you eat crow, dynasty boy. At least Carrol had the presence of mind to be publicly gracious. I'll never forget Larry Coker's official move to "Loser" status. After losing in triple OT to the Buckeyes, he refused to talk to the press. It's been a long downhill slide ever since. Good players make good coaches. Great coaches have teams that come through in the clutch. Great coaches have disciplined players/teams who demonstrate mental toughness. What's the difference between Notre Dame under Willingham, and the domers under Weis? That's my knock on Carrol. He's got a talented but undisciplined team, that was carried through some close games by PAC-12 officials to feed the media created myth of Trojan invincibility. I'm still trying to erase the mental image of the halftime Michael Jackson tribute by the USC marching band, BLECH! Don't get me wrong, I want Pete at USC when the Buckeyes show up. Tressel will beat him nine times out of ten. There's a reason why Buckeyes spell LLLLoyd with four L's.

Posted by: Casca at January 06, 2006 06:33 AM (y9m6I)

27 OK, Annie, it's time to move on here. Let's post about something else. My week is already ruined here, and to boot I have to go watch my 11 year old super athlete grandson go play point guard for (ugh) Notre Dame in the basketball league on Sunday. I'm not sure if Ohio State will ever get to USC, but as former Chair of the Coliseum Commission, I still have a few priviliges; one will be to host Casca and watch him squirm while OUR refs show him why OSU will never beat a Pete Carroll team. -30-

Posted by: shelly at January 06, 2006 08:42 AM (6mUkl)

28 That's what I get for knowing next to nothing about football. Nothing in this comment thread even remotely resembles English to me. A bunch of random numbers... a few names thrown about as if they were figures from Bible stories... terms like "passing" and "conversion," which lead me to believe this game is some sort of Buddhist-Christian allegory... The only thing I know about football is that the players don't dribble... but they do drool. Kevin

Posted by: Kevin Kim at January 06, 2006 10:00 AM (1PcL3)

29 Kevin, Did you get your ass kicked a lot growing up? Or are you just really gay? Regardless, after you get done giving your Dungeons and Dragons buddy his daily reach around, go play with your Malibu Barbie.

Posted by: Blu at January 06, 2006 10:31 AM (xWE3I)

30 "The extra 20 - 30 yards made the difference." Umm, no. There's no way to know that. You're assuming that the rest of the game would've been the same in the event of a punt, but that's obviously not true. It's kind of a sensitive dependence on initial conditions thing.

Posted by: Matt at January 06, 2006 11:26 AM (10G2T)

31 Hey, what happened to poetry Wednesday? A football game t'other night? I've never seen such a sight! 'Cause on the east coast From pillar to post The game ends well past mid-nite.

Posted by: Victor at January 06, 2006 12:15 PM (L3qPK)

32 I love it that the homophobic rhetoric is coming from a guy named Blu. That's funny on so many levels. Kevin

Posted by: Kevin Kim at January 06, 2006 12:32 PM (1PcL3)

33 Do you know how I know your gay? You actually wrote "homophobic rhetoric."

Posted by: Blu at January 06, 2006 01:41 PM (xWE3I)

34 Matt, How can I possibly debate you when you start bustin' out the fancy diagrams?' I officially surrender. You and Pete are right!!!

Posted by: Blu at January 06, 2006 01:43 PM (xWE3I)

35 My apologies, Kevin, for the spelling error. I, of course, meant "you're." I like my insults to be grammatically correct.

Posted by: Blu at January 06, 2006 01:51 PM (xWE3I)

36 All has now been revealed. Matt is a tricky lawyer, and Kevin stays in Seoul to blend in with the meat-gazers in the public baths.

Posted by: Casca at January 06, 2006 05:56 PM (2gORp)

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After Kobe drops 62 on the Mavs in only three quarters, you gotta wonder if Wilt's record might be in danger. Wilt's 100 point game in 1962, for the Philadelphia Warriors, always seemed to me like a more unbreakable record than Hank's 755 or Maris' 61. Wilt's record survived all 3 Michael Jordan eras. But i think Kobe can, and should do it. Apparently, he took himself out of the game last night. If Kobe wanted to, against the right defense, he could get to 101. Unlike Wilt, Kobe is almost automatic at the line, and he's got the advantage of a three point shot that didn't exist in 1962. i'd love to see it happen.

Posted by: annika at 12:42 PM | Comments (10) | Add Comment
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Atlanta at home vs. New Orleans. Atlanta favored by 10½. Atlanta will cover, no prob.

Posted by: annika at 01:35 PM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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Trust me on this one. Go with the Steelers and the eight points. Let the crowd bet Indy, they're going down. Trust me.

Update: Or not.

Posted by: annika at 04:44 PM | Comments (14) | Add Comment
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1 Thanks for the scoop. In the spirit of Costanza, I'll be betting my pile on the Colts.

Posted by: Casca at November 28, 2005 05:38 PM (qBTBH)

2 Bold. Very bold. My heart is with you, but my head still says Indy.

Posted by: zombyboy at November 28, 2005 05:42 PM (2Msy9)

3 I feel for the referees on this one...how can they screw BOTH these teams?

Posted by: MacStansbury at November 28, 2005 05:54 PM (FmdLR)

4 Damn, should Manning get paid for shit like that? I mean, he didn't even break a sweat, and now he's on the sidelines in his baseball cap sipping gatorade. They should make him buy a ticket. Poor Cower, it's too early in the evening to be bleeding from the ass already.

Posted by: Casca at November 28, 2005 06:16 PM (qBTBH)

5 Yes, it's still early, but I'm thinking you'd be willing to give up those 8 points and take Indy right about now. Fewest points allowed, second-most points scored. If you're betting on points, you wouldn't want to bet against Indy this year.

Posted by: Daniel J at November 28, 2005 06:19 PM (dF3La)

6 Well it's official. After the onside kick, Cower doesn't just "look" stupid...

Posted by: Casca at November 28, 2005 07:53 PM (qBTBH)

7 Oh, Anni, Anni... I love my Colts, but I feel so bad for your MNF record this year. Please don't pick Indy to win the Superbowl. Pleeeaaaase don't.

Posted by: E.M.H. at November 28, 2005 09:04 PM (ZswBn)

8 OK, Annie: Time to hang up your cleats. This was as bad as your Tom Cruise dream.

Posted by: shelly at November 28, 2005 10:28 PM (6mUkl)

9 I hope Indy can go the distance and get those '72 Dolphins to shut up.

Posted by: Kyle N at November 29, 2005 03:54 AM (n1Ilb)

10 Annie, I think that you should have stuck with last week's pick method.

Posted by: physics geek at November 29, 2005 06:40 AM (Xvrs7)

11 Anni, I think I see the great harmonic of your life: Your political ideology and football handicapping methodology are about equal in their constricted view of reality.

Posted by: Strawman at November 29, 2005 07:33 AM (0ZdtC)

12 Annie: USC opens a 21 1/2 point favorite over UCLA Saturday afternoon/evening. How about a blog on the REAL Biggest Game? (Maybe, just maybe, if we ignore him he'll go away.)

Posted by: shelly at November 29, 2005 08:27 AM (6mUkl)

13 These should make you feel better, annika, although I admit I'm not sure about the bow, either.

Posted by: Victor at November 29, 2005 09:25 AM (L3qPK)

14 no the bow is fine.

Posted by: annika at November 29, 2005 10:54 AM (zAOEU)

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Look for the Falcons to beat the Lions in Detroit and cover the 3 point spread. In the battle of division leaders, look for Dallas to squeak by Denver. Take Dallas at home, plus the 2 points.

Enjoy your turducken, too.

Posted by: annika at 10:35 AM | Comments (19) | Add Comment
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1 out of context, but I thought this article was funny, and maybe Casca and you would get a kick out of it: "Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara said U.S. ground forces, with the exception of the Marines, are "extremely incompetent" and would be unable to stem a Chinese conventional attack." Marines, still scaring the Japs after all these years...the 'honorable' Mayor continued: "Indeed, he asserted that China would not hesitate to use nuclear weapons against Asian and American cities—even at the risk of a massive U.S. retaliation. The governor said the U.S. military could not counter a wave of millions of Chinese soldiers prepared to die in any onslaught against U.S. forces. After 2,000 casualties, he said, the U.S. military would be forced to withdraw." Gee, I wonder why he thinks that...

Posted by: Scof at November 23, 2005 12:38 PM (RDouC)

2 Gotta remember to send him a copy of Ken Burns' Civil War series.

Posted by: Casca at November 23, 2005 12:51 PM (y9m6I)

3 Happy Thanksgiving Annika... all the best!!!

Posted by: maizzy at November 23, 2005 10:28 PM (fO3iI)

4 Happy Thanksgiving!!

Posted by: Amy Bo Bamy at November 24, 2005 07:40 AM (2ZXkL)

5 & 2 u 2!

Posted by: annika at November 24, 2005 05:39 PM (YMch9)

6 Close. But, no cigar. Gotta do better than one for two to make it, as the vig will kill you. Where can you get a turducken in California? The only ones I ever has were from the city that Katrina leveled, and had to be ordered weeks in advance so they'd get to L.A. by Turkey Day. I figure they didn't ship this year. Oh well, back to the books, a sure winner for life.

Posted by: shelly at November 25, 2005 02:45 AM (6mUkl)

7 Turducken is overrated. I marinated my turkey in brine, then I stuffed it with home-maid Boudain. Then I used my super-glaze. It was very moist after cooking. Yummm maybe I should write a cookbook

Posted by: Kyle N at November 25, 2005 05:14 PM (/jhxG)

8 no need for a cookbook, just send me the recipe. sounds yummy

Posted by: annika at November 25, 2005 06:13 PM (mdEch)

9 Actually, Wilford Brimley's recipe for turkeyis the one most of us prefer...

Posted by: shelly at November 26, 2005 02:31 AM (6mUkl)

10 In the words of Lee Corso, "Not so fast my friend!" I'm thinkin' that "Turd" "ucken" is a joke, and Turkducken is the dish John Madden made famous, lmao. Call me crazy, but I don't eat anything with "turd" in the name.

Posted by: Casca at November 26, 2005 01:58 PM (qBTBH)

11 Turducken: A chicken, stuffed inside a duck, which is stuffed inside a turkey. Can be tasty if cooked correctly. Turd: MRE (or Lee Corso) Turkey stuffed with oatmeal: See Wilford Brimley recipe.

Posted by: shelly at November 26, 2005 06:47 PM (6mUkl)

12 I'll pioneer and actually first post on topic: NFL Football. Bad call on the Cowboys (not that I'm unhappy). But IMHO the NFL overtime rules suck! The Cowboys lost that game on a coin toss. At least my cherished Fightin' Irish had a shot to answer Michigan State's sudden death TD earlier this year. When they didn't, the issue was resolved. --HH P.S. Recipes: Start with either a decent sized pumpkin (8" diameter) or sweet potato. Enough to put in the oven at 350 degF for three or so hours to yield 1 1/4 cups of paste when you get through peeling and mashing. For pie add: 3/4 cup sugar 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 tsp ground ginger 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg 1 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp flour 2 eggs, lightly beaten 1 cup evaporated milk 2 tblsns water Mix and pour into pie shell (exercise left to the student) Bake at 400 degF for 15 min Bake at 350 degF for 35 min or until edge of crust is browned Cool and serve For soup soutee: 1/2 lb. cut mushrooms 1/2 cup chopped onions 2 tbsp. butter Add: 2 tbsp flour 1 tbsp curry powder* 3 cups (1 can or so) chicken broth The aforementioned pumpkin or sweet potato puree 1 tbsp honey dash ground nutmeg dash salt dash pepper 1 cup evaporated milk Heat. * Be careful with the curry !!! It will overpower the pumpkin / sweet potato taste in a New York Minute! Enjoy your friends being impressed with your yumminess!

Posted by: Go 4 TLI at November 26, 2005 11:49 PM (TmKwU)

13 Blech, sounds awful! All baked goods should be purchased from professionals, and one should exercise EXTREME care when consuming any pumpkin based product. Pecan pie on the otherhand may be freely consumed by almost anyone in large quantities as long as it is served hot/warmed with a copious amount of vanilla ice cream.

Posted by: Casca at November 27, 2005 08:21 AM (kIzY0)

14 ah yes. the great pecan vs. pumpkin controversy. i had hoped to avoid this controversy. it can become very heated. in fact, it's good heated, as you say, with a scoop of vanilla.

Posted by: annika at November 27, 2005 08:50 AM (QCpZv)

15 I've always thought of you as a Praline & Pecan kinda gal.

Posted by: Casca at November 27, 2005 01:21 PM (qBTBH)

16 Nah, who ever heard of a Princess turning into a pecan or a praline at midnight? Or, Peter, Peter, Pecan eater?

Posted by: shelly at November 27, 2005 03:08 PM (6mUkl)

17 Xactly! Who wants a woman that you have to lock up in a pumpkin because she's giving it away all over town? As for the damsel in distress in borrowed clothes and pimped pumpkin ride, as much as I hate to quote Dr Laura, "When you rescue a damsel in distress, all you get is a distressed damsel."

Posted by: Casca at November 27, 2005 04:57 PM (qBTBH)

18 LMFAO - ROF. That woman is evil, but that is really funny.

Posted by: shelly at November 27, 2005 07:09 PM (6mUkl)

19 Yes, but did an adult beverage come out your nose?

Posted by: Casca at November 27, 2005 07:15 PM (qBTBH)

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Big NFC North matchup tonight. Minnesota Vikings vs. Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. i'm going to try out a new analysis today, so stay with me and you'll see the beauty of it, then you can laugh at the suckers later.

Now the line opened with Green Bay favored by 3½ points. The current line is up to 5½ points. The conventional wisdom says Green Bay will do well in November at home against their arch-rivals, who play in a dome. Also, Brett Favre and company have a lot to make up for, with their recent Monday night debacles. Plus, the Vikings are without their star Daunte Culpepper, while the Packers are still led by fading superstar Favre. The Packers are also coming off a huge victory against the Falcons last week, and they will hopefully ride into this game with some momentum and renewed confidence.

So, naturally i would pick the Packers tonight. However, this week i am going with the George Costanza rule, which states as follows:

If every instinct you have is wrong, then the opposite would have to be right.

Posted by: annika at 01:24 PM | Comments (16) | Add Comment
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So Randy Moss don't wanna play with TO? That's good. i'd hate to watch yet another future Hall of Famer riding the bench for Al Davis.

Posted by: annika at 08:13 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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i don't do college football predictions, because i don't know enough about it. But since i've had such luck with the pros this year, and since all you people seem to want to talk about is college ball, here goes.

The Big Game: Cal is favored by seven. The Bears will crush Stanford by fourteen.

Alabama vs. Auburn: i love Auburn. Defense appears to be their weak spot, but i expect them to get the W, if not cover their seven point spread. Alabama will then drop in the BCS, opening a post season bowl spot for the undeserving Ducks.

Syracuse vs. Notre Dame: Just because i'm Catholic, do i have to root for Notre Dame? i don't think so. i read a spirited defense of ND's number 6 ranking, but i'm not buying it. One close game against SC doesn't convince me that they're better than Ohio State, for instance. On the other hand, i've always had this unreasonable dislike for Syracuse. i don't know why. It may have something to do with a tournament pool i lost a few years back, thanks to them. The Green will trounce the Orangemen.

The Ohio State University vs. Michigan: The hidden offense will be revealed, just in time. OSU by a TD.

Southern Cal vs. Fresno State: Looking at Fresno's mascot, i'm wondering whether John Thompson should be their coach. Talk about over-rated. Who have they beaten this year? Carroll and Leinart will embarrass the Hoyas by at least three touchdowns. No, make it four.

Penn State vs. Michigan State: Penn State is back, baby. i can't understand why they're only 7 point favorites over the 5-5 Spartans. i'd spot Michigan State at least 17.

The Civil War: Since 1997, the winner of this rivalry has alternated between Oregon and Oregon State every year. It's the Duck's turn this year. Ducks by seven with their quarterback platoon.

Posted by: annika at 09:04 AM | Comments (34) | Add Comment
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So the Clippers are 6 and 2, and number one in the West? Don't worry, the planets are not out of orbit. The Dodgers had a great start this year too.

Posted by: annika at 08:11 AM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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What's the spread? i don't know. Oh well. Phillies vs. Cowboys. The Cowboys will win.

Update The Phillies are favored by three at game time. i stand by my prediction. Of course now that it's already 7 to nothing, i'm starting to second guess myself.

Posted by: annika at 07:04 PM | Comments (10) | Add Comment
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1 wtf?

Posted by: d-rod at November 14, 2005 07:37 PM (1Skit)

2 I need a favor: whenever the Seahawks play...um, anybody, pick them to lose, would ya? Seriously, I picked the Eagles to lose, too. Who'da thunk it, eh?

Posted by: Stevin at November 14, 2005 09:03 PM (LfL8N)

3 I'm sure that you're right, and anyone who thinks differently deserves exactly what they may get... NUTHIN'!

Posted by: Casca at November 14, 2005 09:35 PM (qBTBH)

4 All your readers should be voting for you in this poll: http://aarons.cc/2005/11/11/deck-o-bloggers-2005-hearts-voting-open/

Posted by: dawn summers at November 14, 2005 10:57 PM (FrOrQ)

5 That's a sweet comment Dawn. I don't care what Karol says about you anymore.

Posted by: d-rod at November 14, 2005 11:25 PM (W8uIM)

6 Cowboys Come Back in Thriller The Cowboys are dominated for much of the game, but they stun the Eagles with a late rally. Dallas strikes for touchdowns on both offense and defense in 25 seconds to steal a 21-20 road victory. OK, Annie, the only mistake you made tonight was to doubt your own superiority and infallability. Of course, it took and offensive and defensive TD in 25 seconds to make it a reality, but as we say...there are no pictures in the score book.

Posted by: shelly at November 14, 2005 11:29 PM (6mUkl)

7 Well, they didn''t beat the pitiful spread. Infallable? Not.

Posted by: d-rod at November 14, 2005 11:37 PM (W8uIM)

8 I could not stay up long enough to watch the end. they start those things too late for the east coast and central time zones. Besides I have to get up at 5:00 every morning. Damm, I fell like such an old man at times.

Posted by: kyle at November 15, 2005 04:30 AM (iH+PC)

9 d-rod, you stay out of football as well. The Cowboys were an UNDERDOG. As my grandson says, "Annika rules, d-rod drools".

Posted by: shelly at November 15, 2005 07:49 AM (6mUkl)

10 Dang. okay, annika is awesome.

Posted by: d-rod at November 15, 2005 11:56 AM (XuVja)

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Colts vs. Patriots, at Foxboro. Indianapolis is 7 and 0 this season, but they've only played one team with a winning record. They're soft and they've lost to New England the last six times they've met. You could say that Indy is due for a win against the Pats. But you could also say that Indy is due for a loss this season. The law of averages cancels itself out. New England has had a much tougher schedule, and they seem to have been reborn with Bruschi's return last week.

Indy is favored by 4 points. i really think it will be a close game, so i'm taking Indy [New England] and the points.

Update: Okay, i'm an idiot. That was a typo, obviously i meant to say New England up there.

Update 2: i'm now 2 and 5. That's a .286 winning percentage, which is better than the Jets, the Ravens, the Titans, the Texans, the Packers, the Saints, the Cards, and the Niners. Plus, i'm cuter.

Posted by: annika at 07:19 AM | Comments (10) | Add Comment
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1 Bruschi's a beast, singlehandedly he will destroy the Colts, taking inspiration from his alma mater which two days prior laid the smack down on the #7, formerly underfeated, UCLA bruins. Colts manage 16 points before limping home.

Posted by: Scof at November 07, 2005 08:38 AM (tzeux)

2 I think you get hurt (again) on this one. The Colts are due for one allright. Another ass whuppin by the Pats and Co. led by the most brilliant active football coaching mind in the game. PATS 28 - COLTS 10

Posted by: americancrier at November 07, 2005 09:28 AM (tKVmW)

3 "Indy is favored by 4 points. I really think it will be a close game, so i'm taking Indy and the points." Let's see, you are taking Indy AND the points. How do I get the name of your bookie? Last time I looked, when a team is favored, you LAY the points, not TAKE them. I guesss I took the wrong classes at PSU.

Posted by: shelly at November 07, 2005 02:42 PM (6mUkl)

4 i don't have a dog in this hunt. But I think Indy will probably win due to the way they have been kicking ass so far. BTW Eli is a better QB than his brother.

Posted by: Kyle N at November 07, 2005 04:32 PM (DDcxw)

5 Crap. Obviously, that's a typo. i'm taking NE and the points.

Posted by: annika at November 07, 2005 05:13 PM (zAOEU)

6 I think you chose the right team the first time.

Posted by: Casca at November 07, 2005 06:15 PM (qBTBH)

7 About. Damn. TIIIIME! Jeez... us Indy fans've been bloody waiting for YEARS for a win over the Pats. Damn, they're a good team! Sheesh! 'Scuse me... flung that blasted simian off our collective backs onto the ground... now gonna go join in the mutual monkey stompage. Involves copious amounts of beer. And it's after midnight here in Indiana, and I gotta work in the mornin'... thank God for sick days Damn good Pats team... they fight, even when they're down. Gotta hand it to them. Finally!

Posted by: E.M.H. at November 07, 2005 09:19 PM (Ynd4F)

8 Like I said, Annie, you and Casca need to stick to SCOTUS picking or something a little more esoteric; football is definitely not your thing. Me, I gave up trying to bet the Pro's years ago. My daddy tole me never to bet on anything that can talk, or is controlled by anything that can talk. I just root for my favorite team, that is, whoever the Raiders are playing that week.

Posted by: shelly at November 07, 2005 10:55 PM (6mUkl)

9 Don't make me have to get out the whoop-ass, shelly.

Posted by: d-rod at November 07, 2005 11:44 PM (kWaTj)

10 Aw c'mon d, he's old, drooling, senile, and his stream is weak.

Posted by: Casca at November 08, 2005 06:22 PM (qBTBH)

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Tonight, Pittsburgh hosts Baltimore. The line started out at 7½ points and is now inflated to 11½ points.

i always have trouble with big spreads on Monday night. Even with a sucky team like Baltimore, you know they don't want to embarrass themselves in front of half the country. But they're missing two key defensive starters, and Roethlisberger is back for Pittsburgh. i expect him to regain his pre-week 6 form tonight.

But will the Steelers cover the big spread? Looking at Baltimore's previous losses, you'll find: a 14 point loss to Indy, a 15 point loss to sucky Tennessee, an 18 point loss to suckier Detroit, and Chicago held them to two field goals last week.

So with the overconfident air that i've adopted this season, i'm absolutely reasonably certain that Pittsburgh will probably cover the spread. Take the Steelers and laugh at the suckers later.

Update: Nobody likes to get embarrassed on MNF. i should always go with my first impulse.

Posted by: annika at 03:06 PM | Comments (5) | Add Comment
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Last week was my bye week, so i'm coming back well rested and with a sure thing, no brainer pick.

Tonight, the Falcons, who i hate, are playing the Jets, who i kind of like even though their quarterback is my least favorite QB of all time, Vinnie "INT" Testaverde. The Falcons are at home and favored by 7½ points.

The Falcons are overrated. They survived with a win over the Saints last week, but they should really be a 3-3 team. The Jets however, are not overrated. Everyone knows they suck. It should be a rout tonight, so take the Falcons minus the points and laugh at the suckers later.

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