CSzem's Corner

(BOD - Stacey Dash)

Tewks' Picks: Vikings (-5.5), Browns (+4.5), Broncos (+9.5), Giants (-7), Bears (-4.5), Packers (-9.5), Saints (-6.5), Falcons (-2), Raiders (+13), Seahawks (-6), Colts (-5), Rams (-3.5), Ravens (-3), Jets (+3.5)

Last Week: 6-9
This Week: 1-0
Overall: 31-27

Congrats to Tewks for winning in his first ever NFL pick. That must have been quite exhilarating. I remember my first gambling win, as a wide-eyed 17 year old (18 as far as the Canadian government is concerned). I won $1,000 playing Pro-Line (seriously). Probably the worst thing that ever happened to me, since it basically guaranteed a lifetime of being a degenerate gambler.

Tewks, no doubt, has the itch now as well. After his beginner’s luck wears off, I look forward to the inevitable column on his new site, “The Why Me?!?!”. Indeed, a career as a professional baseball player is likely unattainable with two broken kneecaps.

On to the picks!!

Bills (+5.5) @ Vikings

Bills seem to be playing everyone tough. I am a little worried about God seeking some revenge on Steve Johnson for getting blamed for Johnson’s ridiculous drop in the endzone (in OT, no less) last week against the Steelers. But according to Johnson’s Twitter page, they seem to have reconciled their differences as the week went on. Still too much respect for the Vikings.

Browns (+4.5) @ Dolphins

As I correctly wrote last week, the Browns play up (or down) to their opponent, narrowly sneaking out a win (and cost Gretzpo $400 in our Survivor Pool, as well….that was fun). The Dolphins continue to be rock solid on the road, and horrid at home.

Broncos (+9.5) @ Chiefs

I am already terrified at the fact that I keep taking underdogs. Chiefs might be better than I think they are. Tough, old-school, AFC West rivalry though. If the Broncos have any pride, they’ll at least make this competitive.

Giants (-7) v. Redskins

In all honesty, I originally had the Redskins but changed it so I wasn’t picking another ‘dog. This is a good line. Giants are clearly the better team, and they should take care of business here.

Lions (+5) v. Bears

Classic letdown game for the Bears after their big win against the Eagles. I’m thinking they sleepwalk through the first bit of the game and then wake up enough to make sure they win (but don’t cover). Apparently the Lions haven’t won a division game since 2007. How is that even possible??

Packers (-9.5) v. 49ers

Packers in a walk.

Bengals (+6.5) v. Saints

You know what’s crazy about the fact that I’m taking all of these underdogs? In my “Straight Up” pool (no spread), I took literally all of the favourites to win. So pretty much the only way I can win money this week in both is if every single game is close, and ridiculously entertaining, but won by the favourite. Perfect, that always happens.

Falcons (-2) @ Bucs

This is the start of the three game road trip where we’re going to find out if Atlanta is actually the best team in the NFC (and maybe the NFL). If they’re as good as everyone thinks they are, they’ll get this done.

Chargers (-13) v. Raiders

This line absolutely blew me away when I saw it. Thought it was going to be maybe 9.5. Seems insanely high. But the Chargers just won by 22 AT Indy, in primetime. No one does that. They are destroying people right now.

Seahawks (-6) v. Panthers

I’m thinking last week was going to be the Panthers last shot to win a game this year. The Pacific Northwest is a tough place to travel to for a football game (but a great place to learn how to climb trees).

Colts (-5) v. Cowboys

This game is going to tell me whether or not the Colts are done. I think they’ve got enough in them to win this one and eventually win the division.

Cards (+3.5) v. Rams

I cannot wait for a 7-9 team to win the NFC West. I think Jon Gruden’s head might explode.

Jets (+3.5) @ Pats

What a great game this is going to be. I might actually stay up for the second half (dammit, I’m starting to sound like Tewks). In a game like this, I think you have to take the points. The Jets could win this game, and the Pats could win by a FG. Could the Pats cover? Sure, but I don’t think that’s any more likely than either of those other two things, and two out of three ain’t bad.

Ravens (-3) v. Steelers

Is Rogers the Saviour of MLSE?

(BOD - Jessica Rabbit)

Thursday NFL Picks: Tewks - Philly (-8.5), CSzem - Philly (-8.5)

In a word: No.

Ok, see you all next week.

Truthfully, I could end today’s column there and my thoughts on the Rogers Communication takeover bid of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment would be captured perfectly. But since I’m down to one column a week on this site (be sure to check out http://proballorbust.blogspot.com), I figured I owe it to my loyal readers to come up with some reasons why this merger is such a terrible idea.

I love how, when the story first broke, everyone was saying that this was the shot in the arm MLSE needed to start producing winning franchises.

Really? Rogers is the organization that will teach the Leafs, Raptors and TFC how to win? How many titles have the Blue Jays won under the stewardship of Rogers? Zero. How many times have they reached the playoffs? Zero.

This partnership would be more like the blind leading the blind.

The only thing his merger would guarantee is that the coverage of the putrid performances of Toronto’s sports teams would covered to such a pervasive degree that every fan watching in the GTA will be able to see and feel each loss like it’s a member of their own family producing such disappointment.

Can our teams win? Not a chance. But we’ll talk about them and spin rosy images about how we’re just on the cusp of breaking through on a myriad of sports channels all led by talking heads whose command of the English language is as underwhelming as their sports knowledge.

Is every Rogers customer going to receive a stake in the newly formed conglomerate since it’s the wildly overpriced and overvalued cable services Rogers charges for that has allowed the company to make the takeover bid in the first place?

The part I hate most about this story is that its being pitched as a business move pure and simple, with talks of ‘branding’, positioning’ and ‘marketplace.’ Way to take the fun and passion out of sports in Toronto. Why not talk about winning and bringing championships to the city?

I know I’ve said this before, but the biggest problem the Toronto sports scene has is that none of the teams have a billionaire owner at the helm. I’m convinced that you cannot win championships unless you have an owner whose only concern is winning and not the bottom line.

I’m sorry, but winning sports franchises cannot be treated as a business. They need to be treated as a billionaire’s plaything (analogous to a trophy wife). The owner’s desire to win has to trump everything, including the bottom line. Sports cannot be run thinking about profits and losses. They should only be measured in championships.

And until that happens in Toronto, we will be forced to deal with losing season after losing season, no matter what billion dollar company is at the helm.

Talkin' with Tewks Live: Twitter and The Heat

The podcast is back after last week's unfortunate misstep. We covered CSzem's abhorrent gambling performance last weekend and disscussed our upcoming showdown on this week's slate of NFL games. CSzem also gave me a crash course on all things Twitter and suggested a few things to make I Dream of Long Bus Rides more pervasive on the web.

Then we dissected the 2010 Miami Heat and tried to figure just what is wrong with LeBron and company.

Talkin' with Tewks Live - Twitter and The Heat

Enjoy.