And Ootie is older than dirt.

-Superman-

12-14 game seasons, rules stacked against the passing game, blah, blah, blah. Emmitt certainly has nothing to apologize for. The dude gave everything he had and was one tough SOB. I'd still take others over him every time, though. Perhaps including Dorsett.

WOW!!! I'm kick'n ass this week 1 out of 4. Pretty good.

Seriously, I'm doing so bad this year that I decided too continue and post my loser picks as a public service announcement to all of you who bet.

...so tell me, is it a bad sign when the guy at the sports-book rips your tickets for you when you place you bets?

Jim Brown (whom I saw on TV many times and in person against the Detroit Lions) is still the greatest running back to ever play football (albeit statistically others have surpassed him). Brown was physically so much superior to his contemporaries it was ridiculous. DBs just bounced off him, yet defensive linemen were not much bigger/heavier than him and certainly not as athletic.
Much like Wilt Chamberlain in his early years was so much bigger/stronger/more athletic than his peers that his numbers were staggering. Shaq is much the same. Greatness derived from being much heavier, stronger, athletic than the other 7footers enabling him to post up in the middle of the paint.
Brown played 9 years and left on top, still the best runner in the league (I know of no other pro athlete who left their game still the VERY best).
I'm sure I'll be flamed for saying this, because his personal life after football has rightfully earned him a place lower than whale shit, but OJ was probably the second best running back to play in the NFL (although his time at the very top was less than a half-dozen years).
Guys like Emmitt Smith, Walter Payton and Barry Sanders certainly deserve respect for being outstanding players and good people (sorta like a top tier AB chica) ... just not the VERY best.

I'll give the nod to Emmitt for longevity and remaining relatively injury free. But when it comes to how great you were when compared to your contemporary peers or the excitement generated by one of your runs, Jim Brown was the greatest followed by Gale Sayers, Walter Payton, OJ, and Barry Sanders. Further, if Sanders hadn't retired prematurely, we wouldn't even be having this discussion about Emmitt.

A Running back himself (as in running back to TJ every now and then) kind of guy,

Out-of-Towner

Am not old enough to have seen Brown play, heck I was living in a different country. But the best 3 running backs I have seen in last 20 years were Bo Jackson, Barry Sanders and Walter Payton.
If I needed to start a team, I take Bo in a heartbeat, who needs a blocking rb when he is a threat to get first down every time he touches the ball.
Emmitt Smith is a great player. I was going to say was a great player.
Jim must have been one heck of a player, avg over 5 yards a carry and over 100 yards a game.

Porker
You sound like the nfl expert, it's always better to take the under when in mid 50's or higher. Trent Green tried all day to keep Raiders in the game.
Wow I can't believe this but my chargers -7 are the early lock of the week vs Jets. Eagles -6 sounds promising vs Bears. Other candidates Steelers with Maddox -3 at Browns, Bills -3 vs Pats.

I think Emmitt is one of the really great running backs of all time. Not great now, but in the early ninties he was unbelievable.

When you also add in his personally life, character and team leadership he wins by a landslide over Jim Brown, O J Simpson Barry Sanders and Eric Dickerson. Greatnest in my opinion also includes helping a team win games.

How about Earl Campbell?

Duane Thomas?

My picks indeed sucked about as bad (or worse) as Snapper's. Re: O/U in the 50's, the only teams that merited those numbers were the Rams, and sometimes there D was good and sometimes it sucked. The Raiders O vs. Chiefs D and vice versa merited mid-50's plus. But that's why they play the game. I'm sure the steady rain didn't help.

The best backs at their peak I ever saw were OJ, Dickerson, Sanders, Terrell and Earl Campbell in no particular order. Emmitt, like Payton, was consistently excellent and played a long time. Gee, Curtis Martin and Jerome Bettis are on that career path too. The biggest thing Emmitt has going for him besides the all-time rushing yards and TD records are his amazing postseason #'s.

Bo Jackson? Are we slicing this best ever question down to a handful of CARRIES? If college counts throw Herschel Walker in there! If junior college counts start writing odes to Marshall Faulk!

Ben:

Duane Thomas???...Okay, if Thomas is in, then I also vote for Chuck Foreman and Larry Brown...Jim Kiick, too...Maybe even Lydell Mitchell...

YoungBrig

Everyone seems to have forgotten Gale Sayers, probably a more shifty back than Barry Sanders.

Gale and Barry very much alike, although it seems to me Gale was a little faster in the open field.

Hey how about Brian Piccolo for slowest running back?

What's the debate? I've seen them all play. Without question, the all-time greatest is Jim Brown. Best combination of speed and power.

He also excelled at other sports including tossing blondes from second story balconies and smashing windshields.

Of course, it's also without question that I'm biased. Grew up in The Mistake by the Lake and am still a diehard Browns fan.

Fuck the Steelers and Ravens. Wishing we could play the Jets (sorry Ootie)and Bengals every other week.

If you like teaser 3 gimmes this week:
Chargers -7.5 vs Jets
Eagles -6.0 at Bears
Falcons -7.5 vs Ravens
Sorry JoCannon Steelers -3 vs Browns is almost a gimme.
If you like dogs watch for Vikes +7 at Bucs, Redskins +2.5 at Seahawks and Dolphins +4 at Packers.
I thought Ootie was a Giants fan, man they suck.

Athos can you explain how a teaser works

thanks and no teasing me please

Milky

You buy points between 6 to 7 pts, odds of winning are same as picking straight bets. The idea is for degenerate hombre like me thinks he has a feel for the games.
You can bet between 2 team to 6 team teasers.
2 team 6 pts -110
3 team 6 pts +5/2
4 team 6 pts +200
5 team 6 pts +400
6 team 6 pts +600
For example this week, I would tease the Chargers -1.5 and Eagles -0.5 instead of betting eagles -6.5 straight.

Thanks Athos I take back all the bad stuff I said about you well at least most of it.

So being a big better if i bet 20 buck on a 6 team teaser i would win ?

thanks
Milkman

+600 $20 * 6 = $120 minus +1% tax so +$118

Only hope for the future of the NY Giants is free agent Jake the Snake Plummer

To clarify, I'm a Giants fan primarily, but I also root for the Jets. So in other words, I'm waiting for next season already, unless Athos allows me to jump on the Charger bandwagon.

Fassel is going to "take charge" of the offense this week so it might be a good betting angle to play the OVER due to the great pressure for the Giants to put up a lot of points this week at home. Without Keith Hamilton, the Giants are hurting defensively too.

A We'll see if I'm brilliant after Sunday kind of guy,

Out-of-Towner

And you think that will actually WORK? Town Drunk Collins will somehow quit fumbling, Tiki will turn into a 220 pounder that can take a pounding, Dayne will get the rock AND quit dancing before he hits a hole, Toomer will get a competent running mate and Shawkey will begin living up to the hype? Man, what's your secret to being so optimistic? I'd like to be the kid that dives into a mountain of horsecrap looking for the pony too!

Seems to me the Giants would be better off hoping that a Super Bowl caliber defense will magically reappear instead of hoping that the offense will 'fix itself'. You know, keep Strahan from being fat, dumb and happy now that he got paid and remind Sehorn that a career in TV is a place where EX players are seen. Hmmm... maybe that's a little farfetched too. Ootie, is Buffalo nearby?

I have the Chargers as the lock of the week to cover teaser vs Jets.
Giants have good D, problem is non existing rushing game which makes Collins useless.
Jets have no D, decent O but very difficult to win any game with patsies on D.

I hear ya, Porker.

But if I was betting the OVER in a game, I'd sure be happier to know that the coaching staff was specifically looking to put more points on the board than in past games, rather than a more ball control type of offense or win it with defense mindset. That's the case with the Giants this week. Fassel is under huge pressure to produce this week. Huge! Of course, that's no guarantee of anything, just like nothing else is a guarantee; that's why they play the game. But at least it's something to hang your hat on. I won't have any money on the game, but I'm interested to see how it turns out.

Athos, there's a sports radio personality in the NY area who said today that he has this major hunch that the Jets will put out a very solid game this week. There were accusations that some of the Jets quit last week and that this week will be all about pride. Even so, I'd pick the Chargers and lay 7.5 because they should win by 21 on paper; but again, that's why they play the game.

A NY kind of guy,

Out-of-Towner

Count me in as another guy that thinks the Jets will come-out ready to play this Sunday...They were up 21-6 at the half last week, and at that point I thought they were well on their way to "re-birthing" their season under the direction of young and strong-armed Chad Pennington...

How they let that game get away from them, I'll never know...

The Chargers have had two full weeks now to read their press clippings and get soft, mentally...Herm Edwards' squads have shown character and toughness in the past (read: their two game series against the Raiders last season) and I expect a gritty performance from them tomorrow...

NYJets + 7 1/2...

YoungBrig

I have the chargers -1.5 and eagles -0.5 in teaser.
My take is the Browns are horrible and the Jets mediocre. Pennington has looked good so far till he meets Marcellus Wiley, Jamal Williams on Sun wearing throwback uniforms in sold out stadium.
Jets have soft D besides having no D. Good receiving core so they have a chance on O.
Buschbaum from PFW thinks matchup is so lopsided he would not be surprised to see Jets win.
Seau is also back. Brees and Conway sounded great during interviews on Tues. Edwards has not had a pick in 2 weeks so it's time for him for another one.
Herman Edwards sounds like a nice guy but I'd fire him at end of season. Also while you're at it get rid of Jim Fassel too.
Check the Jets weekly show on MSG network, panic panic...
The Chargers are better than average but I have only the Broncos ranked ahead of them. This year is very weak on good teams and Chargers are getting the breaks, play in miami without fiedler, play rams next week without Warner. chargers match up very well vs Rams so I expect Chargers to be 8-1 before tough 4 games stretch: 49ers, Miami, Denver and Raiders.
I'll be very surprised if Jets win after cross country flight for a regional tv game.

i can't find the number right now, but i think jets + should be a good bet in the first half.

Athos:

Buschbaum at PFW is smart; this game on paper is SO tilted to the Chargers that frankly-- in the unpredictable world of Tagliabue's NFL-- it would scare me if I were a serious bettor or Chargers fan...

E.g., Jets 31st in the league in Total Defense, now matching up against Tomlinson and a rested, topnotch OL; Jets giving up 5.0(!) yards per rush, Chargers averaging 4.8-- it goes on from there...

Let me say this: The Jets under Edwards have proven that they can come out to the West Coast and be competitive...For those of us not playing the teaser, taking the Jets means that we will be getting a playoff team from last year AND a touchdown...

Those 7 points, and a little ball control courtesy of Curtin Martin-- hey, do I see a SD 23, NYJets 17 final score?...

YoungBrig

YB
7.5 was too much for me to parlay but I would have gone for 7.
Buschbaum is a stud.
23-17 will do fine for me.

ok, I have seven picks this week. I'm hoping if I'm really, really lucky I'll win two of 'em.

and here are my losers:

Cleveland +3
Houston -3
San Diego -7.5(sorry about the jinx Athos)
Arizona +3
Jacksonville +3
Buffalo/New England OVER 47
Green Bay/Miami OVER 41.5

As veteran sportscaster Warner Wolf might lead his sportscast, "If you had the Chargers and 30 points, YOU LOST!!!". That first half of the season for the J-E-T-S, no problem at all. It's on to Superbowl now in today's MFL!

I won't gloat too much since Chargers are my third favorite team (behind Jets and whoever is playing the Raiders). Ah, sweet Sunday watching Al Davis grimace immediately following end of the Jet game.

Dogster's prediction for the Superbowl this year:
One of the following 3 teams will win it: San Francisco, Denver, San Diego.

Bet on it!

Dogsterwhoisnotbettingoneredcentonthisprediction

Pro football...traditionally a TEAM sport and a coach's sport. This year's playoffs however, will come down to great individual performances by impact players along with the usual heavy influence of special teams play and turnovers. The TEAMS are all too even. It is going to be about individuals. Suggestions: Donavan McNabb; Brett Favre; Jeff Garcia (or is that Jerry Garcia?); Warner/Faulk (Nah); Miguel VICK!!!; Pennington/Moss???. Fagetaboutit dept.: Ricky Williams; Griese; Strahan; Al Davis.

I like the Chargers but please Dogster. They are up and coming but FAR from ready this year - even if they are as the L.A. Times characterized them: this year's version of the now commonplace MFL scenario of worst to first. Was that pick a troll?

But has it ever been this difficult to project the Super Bowl half way through the season?

My (ballsy) pick: Philly

I'll take Green Bay. When in doubt, bet on Favre.

-Superman-

Uhh, isn't it spelled Farhrverruherer?

Erip, I used to HATE Warner Wolf. The Dr. George Fishbeck of NY (and DC before that) sports.

Who's Warner Wolf?

-Superman-

Since my retirement that is another thing I miss about not going to TJ.That is sitting in the Caliente inside the Pueblo Amigo hotel in the back watching the Sunday football games.
Denver will go all the way this year,you can bet on it.They will play the Patriots,watch.

What was the final over/under number on the Giants/Jax game?

PS. Welcome back Specific.

A Wondering if I was a genius or a loser kind of guy,

Out-of-Towner

I am so depressed...
F. Chargers did it again. My 2002 dreams are shattered. I was so upset I could not get laid last night.
Jets basically suck, did not do anything as Chargers would have lost to Texans and Bengals.
But Pennington is their new leader.

Chargers definitely self-destructed, but it is incredibly unfair to say that the Jets did nothing. In fact they did everything right in preparation and execution as the Chargers did everything wrong. Just one of those days...the kind of day that YOUNG talented teams are destined to experience.

Superman...Warner Wolf is (or was) a big time local sports reporter on the East Coast. As Porker said, first in D.C., then in NYC. I've lost track. But I used to get a kick at how he'd lead his Saturday night reports regarding unbalanced NCAA football matchups...his animated observations that if you had let's say Kansas State against Nebraska and 55 points, YOU LOST! (those were different times for K-State).

What a game Brady had against his former Jedi master.
He still has a lot to learn so his past few games were a learning curve.
How did the chargers do >? lol

The Rams are picking it up !!!
How bout the Steelers what a story that has been.
Do they trade Kordell for a pick or use him for a reciever / special teams ?

A not knowing what team will when what type of guy
milky

Ok, of my six picks for this week I won 0, lost 6, and pushed on 1. That brings my three week record to 1 win, 12 loses, and one push.

I really hope some of you guys are placing some parlays opposite of my picks.

-loser-

Ootie
I am always here checking but I have to be very careful.My chica after only 8 months knows more about computers than I do.She would be very upset if she knew I looked at this and other sites about the zona.

Specific - I thought you said that Amy-CC knows you, your handle, and reads this website, and that she purposely screwed with you by telling your girlfriend that she (Amy) had sex with you in the past. Aren't you afraid that Amy is reading this and will try to screw you again, or are you banking on that she isn't a football fan?

A Do be careful kind of guy,

Out-of-Towner

OMG, Snapper. You are RED HOT (albeit in a negative sense). If you were throwing dice, I'd bet the "don't pass" line. I can't wait for this week's picks from you.

An I've bet against cold throwers before in Vegas kind of guy,

Out-of-Towner

Ootie
My chica has no idea who Amy is.She really was only in the zona a short time.She was in Mexico City for 5 years though.
Speaking of Amy,is she still around.I only have been to the zona twice in the last 8 months.A few months ago I did spend some time(no sack time)with Perlita who was asking me to get her a date with a very rich gringo.I did stop by CC but I did not see Amy.She is your girl anyway.Like I said many times.She needs a strong hand but with patience who knows,but you already know her better than I ever did.There are diamonds there but you have to get them out of the zona.They really are just whores trying to survive the best they can there.Outside with your guidance who knows what they can become.

"Speaking of Amy,is she still around."

Yes.

"She is your girl anyway."

No. I guess you're not kidding when you say you've been away. But when you were here, I do remember you explaining that Amy purposely screwed with you and your girlfriend.

A Will dig up your post when I get time kind of guy,

Out-of-Towner

Ootie
That was a different girlfriend.Who is now married.Remember I have had a few.My present one came after her and has been with me for the last 8 months,here in La Jolla.
Ootie I was going to the zona in its hay day.Six years ago and posting.I was doing Perlita and Smith(Alejandra) when they were really young and beautiful.I remember talking to you about your father.I have had many zona experiences being a latino myself.
Amy was a very small part of that zona experience for me.She was and is a big one for you.Get her out of there and who knows.Anyone who writes about the zona as much as you could handle a chica and all her problems because you will never really be surprised,or bored.

Amy is dating the AB manager who looks so happy in her presence. I don't see where Ootie and Amy fit in this NFL thread :-)

My fault, Athos.

An Apologetic kind of guy,

Out-of-Towner

The Vegas oddsmakers are a helluva smarter than me, and they have multibillion-dollar empires to prove it. But how ANYONE that has seen the Redskins and the Jaguars play recently could make the Jags 3 point faves in this game I have no frickin' clue. I know the Redskins will be going for 3 in a row and that's nosebleed territory for them, but Jacksonville absolutely SUCKS. A clear case of teams going in opposite directions right now. But of course, they still will play the game.

Porker,,,On HBO's Real Sports a while back, a they did a real good story on Vegas books. The odds are made and adjusted so that there's about an even amount bet on both sides. They could really care less who wins. Just as long as they are covered by bets on both sides. It was a real interesting look into the sports book.