It's Free Money. Week "2"

The Yankees won the World Series. Yet, strangely in a very sick and twisted way I was rooting for them. It’s not that I’m a Yankees fan, it’s just that over the past decade or so I’ve really had no reason to despise the Yankees. Their wild spending on player payroll failed to yield any benefits over the past decade and watching them sign guys to epically bad deals (refer to: Kevin Brown, Carl Pavano, Kei Igawa) was fun at first, but after a while a part of me had died – the part that always hated the Yankees.

I saw the past decade open up things for the Sawx and the enigma that is “Red Sawx Nation” (something which I hate even more than I did/do the Yankees). I also saw Steinbrenner be reduced from a polarizing icon to a diminishing old man that I couldn’t be angry at anymore, his life was literally eroding in the public spotlight. And the house that Ruth built was destroyed. I couldn’t get pissed off at all the “ghosts of Yankees past” casting their eerie spell over the opponent.

I found myself wanting A-Rod to win a Series so the media would pipe down about him, if only for a few months. I wanted Jeter to get another ring outside of the 4 he won early in his career to prove he still had something left. I wanted Girardi to win one so I didn’t have to hear about him wearing the number 27 anymore. But most importantly I wanted the Yankees to win the World Series so that order could be restored to the baseball universe. For generations, literally, the Yankees have won. My grandfather grew up hating the Yankees, my dad grew up hating the Yankees, I grew up hating the Yankees, and my future son will grow up hating the Yankees. But it’s hard to hate something that doesn’t get the best of everyone else. Now they have. Raise a glass and let’s toast – this one is for hating the Yankees and damn does it feel good.

Now let’s get to the picks of the week. Last week we saw yours truly (BW) go 1-1 in NCAA picks and 1-2 in NFL picks. Meanwhile, senior staff writer PC went 0-2 in NCAA picks and 1-2 in NFL picks. We also have a bonus college pick this week that may become a regular feature here on the column. Here are your Free Money picks of the week…

NCAA

LSU @ Alabama

PC: I am so excited for this game. It probably won't be entertaining, but who cares. LSU is yet to beat a talented football team. Their loss to Florida showed a lot about their program. Their offense sucks, and their defense is solid. Les Miles was quoted saying "If you punt it and go play defense, that's a good choice," Miles said. "There is nothing wrong with that." I Disrespectfully diasgree coach. How about you go into the ball game with an offensive gameplan? I dunno maybe try and score more than 3 points? Was the loss against Florida a moral victory? Play like a man. On the other hand... Alabama is by far the better team. If you have a better offense, defense, and special teams, PLUS a home game, you should win. It all depends on how well Alabama can run the football. They haven't aired it out much this year but still have the most talented player in the country in Julio Jones. If they can get #8 the ball downfield then this game is ovahhhhh.

PC: Alabama -8

BW: Everybody is all over the SEC’s balls like they are the best thing to ever happen to football. While I agree it’s the best top-to-bottom conference in the nation currently, I’m selling the notion that it features teams incapable of losing to anybody outside of its own conference. I’m not big on either team, have no allegiance to either, and don’t know a whole bunch about the dynamics of this game. What I do know is there will be plenty of tie-wearing, mop headed hair-do, croakie wearing, mega-douchebag southerners at the game. Give me LSU and give me the points.

BW: LSU +8


The Ohio State University @ Penn State

PC: TOSU sucks at Happy Valley. Penn State sucks at football. TOSU thrives in close games because I always root against them. Penn State chokes in big game. I hate TOSU. If you want to hear real sentences then read the review below mine.

PC: Penn State -5

BW: I have no idea what to make of this match-up. Pryor can’t throw the ball accurately to save his life and Penn State has already lost to Iowa – Iowa – at home this year. Joe Pa is nothing but a figurehead at this point and each offense has about as much imagination as Wyoming has blacks. Look for Pryor to start doing more zone-reads, keepers from the spread, etc. He had an epic fumble last year against Penn State and he’ll be playing in his home state for the first time since leaving high school. Pryor will have a big game, but it’ll look like he’s playing backyard flag football half the time. Give me TOSU

BW: The Ohio State University +5

Feature NCAA Match-Up

St. Olaf College @ Gustavus Adolphus (picking straight-up winner)

PC: I'm not researching this game because I have a final at 8am. HOWEVER!!!! NEW STADIUM THEORUM (NST) is in effect. Gusties win.

PC: GA win.

BW: Nothing gets the blood going quite like this epic match-up between two 3-5 teams hailing from the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. It’s going to be hard for the St. Olaf Oles (pronounced O-lees) to come into the new Gustavus football stadium (5,000 seat capacity) and be able to keep up with the mighty Golden Gusties. Despite these two teams having some of the most fucked-up mascot names I’ve ever heard of I’m going with the Gustavus Adolphus Golden Gusties. Look for Gusties quarterback Jordan Becker (121-238 comp/att, 1588/yds, 15TD’s, 10INT’s, 198.5avg. yds a game) to have a monster performance. I’m also officially going on record as Jordan Becker being a sleeper candidate for the Heisman.

BW: St. Olaf College Oles 23, Gustavus Adolphus 34

NFL

Philadelphia @ Dallas

PC: I hate Dallas and Philly. Dallas will win at home. Woohoo great opnion

PC: Dallas +1

BW: Roy Williams is mouthing off to the media that he is still the number one receiver for the Cowboys, but isn’t having the ball ‘thrown to him correctly’. Apparently getting a football between the numbers isn’t good enough for Mr. Brickhouse hands. The Dallas passing game is going through Miles Austin. Miles who? Oh don’t worry he’ll be double teamed during the night and will have little impact and I doubt Witten will go off for 150 yards receiving. Tony Homo will come out and lay an egg again on a, err, ‘big stage’ in Sunday Night football.

BW: Philadelphia -1

Shittsburgh @ Denver

PC: Fat man cost me $500 this year. Denver is going to be LOUD now that the Broncos are good and they realize this is a big game. It is going to be cold and nasty and I just like Denver plus points because they have a better record and are GETTING POINTS AT HOME. WTF VEGAS.

PC: Denver +4

BW: Not sure what to make of this one. Is this the beginning of the end for a Denver collapse? Does Shittsburgh’s offense continue the Jekyll and Hyde routine? Does Troy Palamalou actually use Head and Shoulders?? I’m saying No. Yes. Damn I wish I knew. As a human I am incapable of picking Shittsburgh to succeed in anything other than being a rusty hell-hole of sub-humanity.

BW: Denver +4

HIDE ALL WOMEN AND CHILDREN! IT’S THE NFL GAME OF THE WEEK!!

DETROIT ‘WHERES MY PAPERBAG MASK’ LIONS @ SEATTLE SEMENCOCKS

PC: You dont give up 10 points to the Detroit Lions and expect to cover the spread... if you're the seahawks that is (ended sentence in preposition).

PC: Detroit +10

BW: The line in this game is Seattle -10. That’s an absurd line for an absurd game. Both teams are horrible, but the Lions could very well be without top wide-out Calvin Johnson and top running back Kevin Smith. Yeah the Seattle Semencocks are terrible, but for Christ sake it’s the Lions they’re playing. I’m giving the points.

BW: Seattle -10