Friday, November 10, 2006

Saints Be Praised

Joey Porter’s Pit Bulls are perplexed. The Steelers are 2-6, and the Saints are 6-2. So, who’s favored? Well, the Steelers, of course! By 4½ points, for cryin’ out loud.

We don’t get it. The Steelers have given no indication they can beat the Morningside Bulldogs, let alone a decent team like the Saints. The Saints are no fluke. On offense, the totally rebuilt offensive line has held together, and the Saints have five big-time skill position players: Drew Brees, Deuce McAllister, Joe Horn, Marques Holston and Reggie Bush. Expect to see lots of spread formations and swing passes to put Bush out in space, in the open field (hey! … there’s an idea -- maybe the Steelers could do something similar with Willie Parker!).

The Saints’ defense has played pretty well, too, as have the special teams (oh-oh!)

Prediction? We have no clue. See the post below.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Place Your Bets

Take it from one who knows. Betting on football is bad business. Except for the bookies and casinos.

There’s a reason why bookies drive Caddies and bettors drive Chevvies, if not Chevy trucks (fuck you, Mellencamp). This, from a guy who watched a bet that was “won” go maddeningly bad … and ended up losing money on the infamous Cal-Stanford game that ended with a football being spiked in one of the many tubas on the field. Yeah, that game. Which made me a loser for all eternity and the reason I quit betting football some years ago.

But that shouldn’t deter you.

So, let’s make a bet: Will the Stanford football Cardinal win a game this year? Stanford currently stands at 0-9. Joey Porter’s Pit Bulls are interested in Stanford’s fortunes this year because the Coach Death Watch is on. And the head coach at Stanford is Walt Harris, the arrogant prick who formerly coached the Pitt Panthers.

At Pitt, he built a finesse team with undersized lines on both sides of the ball, which Dave Wannstedt inherited, a team that continues to wilt under pressure from football powers such as, oh, shall we say, South Florida (?!)

So, even if Stanford does manage to win a game this year, Walt “Offensive Genius” Harris is almost certain to be fired immediately after the season, if not sooner.

Wanna bet on it eactly when that will happen?