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Friday, February 24, 2012

Ryan Braun Wins Appeal

NL MVP Ryan Braun failed a drug test in October for elevated testosterone and was suspended 50 games. He appealed it, and somehow won.

He claimed all along that he was innocent and according to the over turned suspension maybe he was? Either way he was the first MLB player to appeal a suspension, and win.

It just doesn't seem fair to have a player that failed a drug test not get suspended. It's not fair to all the players in baseball that are clean. Did Braun get off because of who he is? If anyone else besides the reigning NL MVP tests positive do they win an appeal?

So much of the game as of late has been in question because of the use of performance enhancing drugs. McGwire, Sosa, Bonds, Palmerio, Clemens all these guys and many more have either been accused of or admitted using. Talk of many baseball experts is that these guys should never be allowed into the Hall of Fame because of it. So if Braun was accused of using but got off his suspension and ends up having a Hall of Fame worthy career should he be allowed in?

My personal opinion is you have to let these guys in the Hall of Fame. They have set many records and there numbers are worthy of it. Just put on their plaque something about being accused of PED's. You can even expand a section of the Hall if you wanted to of alleged PED use to help make the public aware of the harm it can do and what these guys are doing to their bodies for the love of the game.

At any rate Ryan Braun failed a drug test and is not getting in any trouble at all. He has reported to camp as if nothing has happened. There is talk that he could have to face a Federal trial. Either way this won't be the last you will hear of it. Once I have more time and details I will add to this story. I would love to hear some feedback on how you feel about Braun getting away with failing a drug test, and how you feel when accused PED users will be on the Hall of Fame ballot.

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

The Playoff Beard





With hockey playoffs right around the corner and March Madness on it's way it is almost time for the greatest time of the year. Beard growing season.

I personally am a HUGE fan of the beard.I have rocked a beard for roughly 9 years. Any excuse I can come up with I try to grow the beard out as long as possible. The best reason to grow one though is for playoffs. When your team is in the playoffs you have to grow it out. No shaving allowed. Plus I help coach high school basketball and we are in playoffs so my beard is in full effect.

Here is the playoff beard explanation from Wikipedia for all of you who have no clue what I am talking about: "A playoff beard is the practice of a National Hockey League player not shaving his beard during the Stanley Cup playoffs. The player stops shaving when his team enters the playoffs and does not shave until his team is eliminated or wins the Stanley Cup. The tradition was started in the 1980s by the New York Islanders."

"The tradition is also practiced by nearly all North American hockey leagues, to include high school leagues and the NCAA hockey teams, as well as minor league affiliates.The tradition has also spread to hockey leagues in Europe and is practiced by many fans as well. According to some observers, one may trim the beard after a loss in an effort to change the team's luck; Jim Dowd and Roberto Luongo were such practitioners."

"It's not known whether the origins of the practice are purely superstitious. Hall of Famer Denis Potvin says that the Islanders of the 1980s would "play four games in five nights in the first round and it was just something that kind of happened." Other players have said the beard is both a reminder of team unity and a way to get you thinking about the playoffs from the moment you look in the mirror in the morning. The 2009 Red Wings used the slogan "The beard is back" for the final series of their 2009 Stanley Cup playoffs run. They played the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Stanley Cup Final that year (won by Pittsburgh) in which most of the players (and the owner of the team, Mario Lemieux) grew beards as well."

The playoff beard started in the NHL but has now grown to almost every other sport. Playoff beards have started to turn into everyday beards for some people. Brian Wilson of the SF Giants rocks his beard year round now and has gained national attention. Brett Keisel of the Pittsburgh Steelers also grows his out for the season. Both have made "Fear the beard" popular and even raised money for charities.

Here are some of the best playoff beards of all time.

#10 Jean Sebastian Giguere

















#9 Paul Mara












#8 Scott Hartnell










#7 Kris Draper













#6 Chris Mason

















#5 Lanny McDonald

















#4 Ken Daneyko












#3 Scott Niedermayer

















#2 Ken Morrow


















#1 Mike Commodore


















Will you be growing out your playoff beard? If so send pictures in. Best playoff beard win's a prize that will be determined at a later date.

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

NCAA College Basketball Free Picks

Happy Fat Tuesday. Here are some free NCAA Basketball picks for you.

Georgetown -2
Michigan +2.5
Kent St -2
Cleveland St -1
North Carolina -6.5
Virginia -2
Wofford -1.5
Miami -2.5

Good Luck

Monday, February 20, 2012

Pittsburgh Pirates 2012 Preview


With the Pittsburgh Pirates opening camp in Bradenton, Florida it's the most exciting time of the year for a Pirates fan. It's the time of the year they are tied for first in the league at 0-0. There is still hope of breaking the 19 year slump of being under .500. Even hope that maybe, just maybe they can sneak into playoffs.

The Pirates were leading the Central division last July until coming back to earth and finishing at 72-90. They were ranked 27th in runs scored (610), 26th in hits (1325), 27th in home runs (107), 23rd in average (.244), 17th in ERA (4.04), 12th in saves (42), 13th in earned runs (650), 28th in strike outs (1031), and 28th in batting average against (.270).

The pitching had been better that it has in the past but lack of offense gives you no chance to have success. The Pirates have a lot of young talent that they hope can start producing and some they need to keep producing to get them into the playoffs.

Their lack of strikeouts last year was something clearly the Pirates wanted to improve on this year. They went out and signed AJ Burnett and Erik Bedard who both have had 200+ strikeout seasons in the past. If both of these players can stay healthy and be consistent then the Pirates have a chance to add not only more strikeouts but add more win's. Win's the Pirates could desperately use to help break the streak.

Another big key to this years season is Pedro Alvarez. He needs to develop into the big bat the Pirates need. If he can be that big bat in the middle of the lineup it will help produce more runs and open better at bats for everyone around him.

Along with the young talent in Pittsburgh they also signed a couple of veterans. The signed catcher Rod Barajas, Clint Barmes, and ex-Pirate all-star Nate McLouth. Barmes can hopefully provide the Pirates with a short stop that can produce, something they haven't had in years. If Barajas can accept their potential role of role players and provide a spark in being the veterans they could help provide a couple key wins.

With Albert Pujols and Prince Fielder leaving the NL Central it helps the Pirates not only have a positive mental factor going into the year knowing to not have to face those great players, but the fact they don't have to face them at all gives them a boost. Pujols has always been a Pirate killer almost beating them single handedly.

Here is who I think will be the starters for opening day at home vs the Philadelphia Phillies.

1) Jose Tabata OF
2) Alex Presley OF
3) Andrew McCutchen OF
4) Neil Walker 2b
5) Garrett Jones 1b
6) Pedro Alvarez 3b
7) Clint Barmes SS
8) Rob Barajas C
9) A.J. Burnett P

I am predicting Pirates lose opening day 5-1.

I think the starting rotation will be as follows.

AJ Burnett
Erik Bedard
James McDonald
Charlie Morton
Jeff Karstens

The Pirates will most likely finish under .500 and add to their embarrassing record of 20 straight losing seasons, but I just like any other Pirate fan still have hope. They have the pieces to compete in the Central it's now time to do it.

My prediction is the Pirates will end up 75-87.

Go Pirates.

Friday, February 17, 2012

RIP Gary Carter


As most of you already know Hall of Fame catcher Gary Carter passed away at the age of 57 after a battle with brain cancer.

Carter spent most of his impressive MLB career in Montreal and New York. He was nickamed "the kid" for always showing signs of youthfulness even late in his career. He always had a smile and was one of the most liked players in MLB. He was an 11 time all star and part of 1 World Series championship. He had a career .262 batting average, 324 home runs, and 1,225 rbi's. He is the only player in MLB history to hit two home runs in an All Star game and two home runs in a World Series game.

Gary Carter you may be gone but your legacy will always live on. RIP

Break In the Action


Due to a nasty flu we are taking a couple of days to get better. Thanks for your patients. If you have a topic you would like written about please email 30mclear44@gmail.com. Thanks.

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Mayweather: Lin in Spotlight for Race Not Play?

By Matt McLear February 14th 2012



I have to admit as much as I love boxing movies and shows I do not follow boxing anymore. It's not the same sport as it used to be. If I was a betting man though I would bet Mayweather has a fight coming up. If not then it boggles my mind why he is even talking NBA and trying to gain attention on talking race.

If you don't know what I am talking about let me get you up to speed. Boxer Floyd Mayweather thinks that New York Knicks most talked about player these days Jeremy Lin is getting national attention because of his race, not his out of nowhere hot streak that has the Knicks on a 5 game win streak.

"Jeremy Lin is a good player but all the hype is because he's Asian. Black players do what he does every night and don't get the same praise," Mayweather wrote on his Twitter account on Monday afternoon.

"Its OK for ESPN to give their opinion but I say something and everyone questions Floyd Mayweather," the boxer tweeted. "I'm speaking my mind on behalf of other NBA players. They are programmed to be politically correct and will be penalized if they speak up.

"Other countries get to support/cheer their athletes and everything is fine. As soon as I support Black American athletes, I get criticized."

Yes Jeremy Lin is the first NBA player of Chinese or Taiwanese decent to play, but the fact of the matter is he is American. He was born in California. He speaks better English than myself or anyone I know. Granted he was a Harvard graduate so should be pretty well spoke. Lin is getting national attention because he has the New York Knicks on a 5 game winning streak without their two big name players Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire. Any player who has been putting up Lin's numbers would be on the national spotlight regardless of race.

Mayweather if this is your sick way of gaining attention and trying to get Manny Pacquiao to actually fight you, I think it's wrong. Stick to something that you know what you are talking about, and stop playing the race game. You have made National headlines before with your racist comments but leave a 23 year old up and coming star alone. Let him shine in his time in the spotlight because he may never get another chance to again, unlike you.

NCAA College Basketball Free Picks

Here is your two times Tuesday edition of NCAA Free Picks. We had a pretty good week last week so hope you did as well. Here we go...


Virginia +1
Texas A&M -4
Georgia St -4
Kent State -4.5
Delaware +3
Florida -3.5
Creighton -7.5
Texas -3
Manhattan -4
Pacific -5.5
Youngstown st +5.5
Jacksonville St +8


Good Luck and thanks for checking us out.

Friday, February 10, 2012

NCAA College Basketball Free Picks

I had the write up for yesterday and forgot to post it. So I will post it here a long with my Friday picks.

Thursday 2/9 I liked:
North Carolina St -4.5
Mississippi St -8
North Texas +1
Utah +11
Fresno St -2.5
California -8
Weber St -10.5
Montana -6
Portland State +1.5
Montana State +4
South Dakota St -11
South Alabama -4
Louisiana Tech +9.5
Wisconsin +1
UC Riverside +11

Those picks went 15-4 so was a pretty good day.

On to Friday's.

There is not a lot of action on Friday's usually Ivy League games. So here is what I am thinking as of right now:

Harvard -5.5
Yale +2.5

Check back in for more free NCAA picks this weekend.

Is Jeremy Lin For Real?

By Matt McLear February 10th 2012




A big talk of the NBA right now is Jeremy Lin. If you go on any sports website there is an article about him. So let me ask the beernutsworld community, do you think Jeremy Lin is for real?

For those of you who live under a rock and have no clue who Jeremy Lin is here is a quick who is Jeremy Lin update for you.

Jeremy Lin is a six foot three 23 year old point guard with the New York Knicks. Lin is the first American player in the NBA to be of Chinese or Taiwanese descent. He played college ball at Harvard. He is also the first player to play in the NBA from Harvard. He was not drafted by anyone and had a brief stint in Golden State.

Before Lin's two weeks of out of nowhere great play for the Knicks he was kind of a nobody. Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni can remember exactly how he felt the first time Lin had meaningful minutes with the Knicks. "kinda neutral," "I wasn't excited." D'Antoni said.

It's kind of hard to imagine that image of Lin now seeing how Lin is now drawing comparisons to Victor Cruz and Tim Tebow. There is also now Linsanity in the NBA. The guy went from a nobody to one of the main attractions, just as Knicks fans were getting antsy and praying for Baron Davis's herniated disk to heal ASAP.

After D'Antoni claimed he wasn't excited with Lin's play, he then played in two of the next three games sparingly. There was no Linsanity, there were no Lin T-Shirts filling the stands, there were no comparisons to Tebow or Cruz. Just another bench guy filling minutes and stats.

Then came three straight games of at least 20 points and 7 assists, a three game winning streak for the Knicks, a highlight reel dunk and Linsanity. It was almost a miracle or an answered prayer from Lin (who is very religious and looks up to Tebow), for him to get the chance to play and start the Linsanity.

With a compressed NBA season caused by the lock out there are fewer practice and even fewer chances for a new guy to get their chance to shine. The chances were even more slim for Lin because of the guards the Knicks had invested time and money in already. Tony Douglas who showed a lot of promise last year, Mike Bibby a well known veteran in the league, and Knicks rookie Imam Shumpert were all a head of Lin in the depth chart.

Douglas has not been able to keep the progress he showed last year. Shumpert started off playing well but has become a non factor, and Mike Bibby is showing that he isn't the player he used to be. In a desperation move to either get the other guards to work harder for their playing time or even just a last resort move D'Antoni turned to Lin in their February 4th game and Linsanity was born.

But is Jeremy Lin actually for real? Or will he fade just as fast as he became a star? He has put up great numbers against some poor teams in New Jersey, Utah, and Washington. If you have watched any of his games his jump spot is not great and ugly at times. Once team's start to adapt to knowing what Lin is capable of and add him into their game plan I think his success will quickly burn out and his numbers will come back to what they should be. With Carmelo and Stoudemire returning to the line up he will then lose touches and shots and if he wants to keep his numbers up he will have to be a lot more efficient.

It's hard to take away the hope and buzz around the league with his great three game performance though. He did put up those great numbers against Deron Williams and John Wall, two pretty elite guards. The offense also looked more fluid and efficient even without their two stars. The other guards like rookie Shumpert and Landry Fields are even playing better.

So even if his numbers decline, what he can bring to the team in court vision and intelligence will not go away. Maybe he is what the Knicks need to get back on track and get this team to gel. Maybe with him now in a game plan it can open up easier looks for Anthony and Stoudemire.

If Linsanity is a fluke or not is yet to be determined. Either way Lin the undrafted NBA point guard from Harvard has not only done more then everyone thought he would, he has created a buzz that many players will never be able to do in their career. So is Jeremy Lin for real? Only time will tell.

Thursday, February 09, 2012

Why Are We So Mad At Lebron?

By Tom Dening February 9th 2012 10:48 AM EST



I was listening to Mike and Mike this morning and they were going on about how a week after LeBron tweeted about Blake Griffin’s dunk which Posterized (Mosgov’d) Kendrick Perkins, and how Perkins was apparently now upset about it a week after the tweet. It got me thinking, why are we really so mad at LeBron?


Now clearly any Miami Heat fan more than likely isn’t mad at LeBron at all, they may have been a little pissed off how he completely vanished in the Finals last year against Dallas, but need I remind you he has done this before. All you need to do is go back one year prior in the playoffs to realize he basically gave up on a Cleveland team against Boston which many favored to get to the NBA Finals and possibly win it. So let’s move into why everyone else in the world or at least most NBA fans are completely disgusted with the NBA star formerly known as “The King.”

Let’s start with the easy part, Cleveland fans. Nothing needs to be said here, he took complete advantage of the situation, gave them some false hope, and then threw it right back in their face. Not even in a one-on-one situation but by doing it on ESPN in front of everyone that sat there watching that night and making the organization he helped re-build find out that same exact way. Leaving that night, and the awful series against Boston the last memory of LeBron as part of the Cavs organization, they have every right in the world to be angry.

Moving on with the rest of the world, or at least the part of it that cares about the NBA or currently pretends to care about LeBron, why do we hate LeBron so much? Usually it comes down to a handful of things, the most I hear about are: they don’t like him (and never did), ‘The Decision,’ the actual decision he made, and in Kendrick Perkin’s case “Superstars shouldn’t act like that.”

To get the whole Perkin’s business out of the way, man up, you’re a talented NBA player that is getting butt hurt over something that LeBron was acknowledging to his fans, he in no way disrespected you...let’s be honest, you disrespected yourself trying to block that dunk.


General consensus on why most people don’t like LeBron seems to come down to the decision, whether it was why he did it, how he did it, or what he ended up deciding. Without actually being LeBron we will never truly know why he decided on “The Decision” to be his forum for his selection. It may not have been the best way to make his selection, however he did try to save face by donating to kids through anything he made off of that show that night. How he made his decision disgusted most people, he sat there and made everyone wait and watch him decide where he was officially going including his old team and organization where only his closest circle of friends and family knew ahead of time.

This brings us to the last point, as LeBron is quoted and made fun of for his statement, “I’m taking my talents to South Beach!” Clearly there are a lot of reasons, the big one yet to be determined (NBA Championship) for LeBron to go to Miami. Florida income tax is a great reason in itself, playing with one of the best players in the NBA in Wade, and a solid PF in Chris Bosh who is starting to look more like the Bosh from Toronto…when LeBron and/or Wade were out with injuries at least. Just based on these two justifications it’s awfully hard to blame LeBron for wanting to go to Miami. If he would have chosen Chicago and teamed up with Rose would we have been as disgusted, how about the Cavs, Knicks or Nets where he could have been “The King” still. The greater question is if the same thing happened on that summer night and LeBron doesn’t take the easy out and go to Miami, do we hate ‘The Decision’ as much as we all do today?

In my opinion, I don’t think we do. I think if he holds his 1 hour segment of TV on ESPN and tells us all he is going to NY, or possibly NJ, which leads to Brooklyn next year, I think he would be celebrated (sorry Cavs fans once the show was announced you knew he wasn’t coming back). How sad is that, one little difference in his decision making and he goes from NBA villain to reigning supreme. Now obviously we will never know for sure if this would be the case, but I almost guarantee that night would have been a completely different story and for the last year and a half we wouldn’t be talking about this topic, instead we would be cherishing how LeBron is willing to take on the role of the next NBA icon and work towards carving his legacy, rather than being seen as a piece of a dominant NBA team.

In the end I almost think most our hatred, anger, and dislike of LeBron isn’t that at all. I think it’s more of a feeling of dissatisfaction that he took the easier road, the fact that he had a chance to make himself into the next Kobe, or Jordan. But instead decided to choose Championships (at least he hopes) over his personal legacy. So in his most selfish act, he almost acted selfless. He gave up being not just an icon, but The Icon, the Face of the League for the next 10 years, all for ‘in his mind’ a better shot at what any player on a team strives for, a Championship. This will never change some of our minds on LeBron, he made his decision, and now most people wait and hope his plan doesn’t work out.


Wednesday, February 08, 2012

UNC Vs Duke Preview: Round 1


It's one of the most exciting times of the year, rivalry week. Syracuse hosts Georgetown tonight at 7 kicking off the excitement followed by one of the greatest rivals in any sport pro or college, #9 Duke vs #5 UNC.

Every time Duke plays UNC my buddy and me get together and watch the game. There is a lot of beer, cursing, and smack talk. Great combo I know. Just add boxing gloves and a web cam and you would probably get a million hits. It's another great reason why a rivalry game is one of the most exciting games to watch. Not only for the players and coaches but for friends that grew up hating the other team and their fans.

Instead of writing about some of the many great moments of the Duke vs UNC rivalry,check out this You Tube video and tell me now you don't plan on watching one of the greatest rivalries in any sport.


Now you are caught up to speed on the teams and rivalry it's time to give my prediction of the game. UNC is playing at home and is a 6 point favorite. Duke is coming off an embarrassing and rare home loss to Miami. That loss to Miami is just fuel on the fire. The game will be close and heated but I think this game comes down to the play of the big men. I think UNC's big's are more athletic and will be the key factor in their victory. Henson and Zeller will change a lot of shots and control the glass. Barnes will have a big game playing on prime time TV. Look for him to drop 25-30. With all that being said I think UNC wins this in close fashion by 5.

Go UNC!!!

NCAA Basketball Free Picks

Happy hump day every body. Here is your February 8th NCAA basketball free picks of the day. Yesterday we went 2-1-1 with the loss being Creighton, the lock of the day. That game should have hit but didn't. Even if you took all four I suggested you are still up. With 58 games tonight I am going to pick a couple more games.

Here are the free picks of the day:

Georgia St -9
Southern Mississippi -3
Arkansas -1
Illinois St -7.5
Missouri St -4
Michigan -3
Morehead St -5.5
SUNY Buffalo -9
Kent State -6.5
Syracuse -9
Duke +6
Drexel -7

So there you have it my 12 picks for you to take tonight. Good luck.

Tuesday, February 07, 2012

Super Bowl XLVI Thru Half Open Eyes


Well the Super Bowl has came and gone and I figured I would do a little write up of how a Steelers fan spent his day and viewed the game at his house party.

It started off a little like most Sundays at the house with a slight hangover and the excitement of getting to watch football. I was a little more excited though because I was hosting the Super Bowl party again and knew all my friends would be coming over and there would be a lot of food. So after cleaning the house and getting the food prepped, the pre gaming began.

I cracked my first beer at 11:42 am. Miller Lite bottle. Had some people stop in and out during the morning dropping off food and getting it heated up in their crock pots. Most of the guests arrived between 2-4.

We kicked off the festivities with some Mario Kart. Good game to kick start the drinking. I mean who doesn't love Mario Kart? When people started to get angry because they sucked at Mario Kart we then turned up the surround sound and cranked some old school rap. It sure feels good to be a gangster. We also watched Duke lose to Miami which was a great thing for this Carolina fan.

We then began talking about the game and how there would be so many Giant fans at my house and one lonely Patriot fan. When all of a sudden an idea hit me. We should fire up the web cam and do some interviews and watch the reaction of the lonely Patriot fan during the game. The idea then turned into let's broadcast the whole party.

So we fired up the web cam and broadcasted the party to the world. Matt Tynon did his advertising via Facebook and Twitter and the viewers came in. Mainly we only had a couple of friends that lived in Buffalo checking us out but I think at one point we had almost 100 viewers. (Could be wrong I was really intoxicated) Not sure if they thought we were showing the game or just happened to stumble upon a bunch of drunk Irish guys just slugging beer but either way we had ALOT more viewers then expected.

We deep fried a turkey, cooked 16 pounds of Just Pizza wings, and made 10 pounds of fries. All this on top of a table full of just about any other food and dips you can eat while watching football. I don't think I have ever had that much food in my house at one time, it was great. Although to be honest I don't really remember eating much, I think I was afraid it would ruin my buzz. So if anyone can let me know how it was that would be great. Half time we made some Just Pizza three cheese steak pizza. I do recall eating that chased by a broadcasted shot of us doing shots of Jameson.

I do recall the first touchdown by the Giants and the safety by the Patriots. I remember just about all the scores and it being 17-15 for awhile. I had a square pool going around at my house and won both the first and second quarters. That was also nice.

I am going to say the party had give or take 25-30 guests. We filled two bags of empties and did some damage on a bottle of wine or two and a bottle of Jameson. Almost all the food was gone and the house was not dirty at all which was weird. The only mess was the kitchen and all the dishes. If any of you helped clean after the game when I was really blacked out I thank you.

As the night went on I don't remember a single commercial other than the fact the first one was a Bud Light Platinum one, I think. I had to look up how long the national anthem was though. Apparently Kelly Clarkson did well by not forgetting any words and went over on the prop. We had some side bets on Gatorade colors the winning coach would wear I thought Orange, it was water. We were all wrong. I remember the coin toss being heads as well. I also remember the reaction of Luke Powers watching his team be crowned world champs. Priceless. Also the lonely Patriot fan accepted defeat like a true gentlemen, a lot better than I would have.

All in all it was a great night and hopefully anyone that watched us online got a good laugh. As great as it is to have your team in the Super Bowl I have to admit it's a lot less stressful not having them in there. You can relax enjoy the party and not have to worry about seeing the team you lose to be allover TV saying "i'm going to Disney World". Plus being a Steelers fan you know that your chances of getting back to the Super Bowl are pretty good. That next year you could be back to being stressed out dealing with everyone rooting against you, because everyone hates your team when they are in the big game especially if it's the Steelers.

Congratulations to the NY Giants and all their fans it's a great feeling being a fan of a world champion. The only thing that can't happen now is to have the Rangers be Stanley Cup champs. Go Pens. If you are looking for this wild crew to stream our next party, stay tuned for St Patty's Day. If we stream that the viewers should go through the roof.

Would love to hear some wild Super Bowl parties so share yours here or email me at 30mclear44@gmail.com also if you were at mine comment on all the things I can't remember.

NCAA Basketball Betting Tips

Here is the Tuesday edition of beernutsworld free NCAA college basketball bets. Not a lot of action tonight but there is 4 games I think you could take and make money.

A hunch tell's me Iowa St. could win this game so I like them +2.
Maryland is getting 8 points and I like them to either win this game or lose a close one. So take Maryland +8.
Alabama -5 I think is going to hit as well.

My NCAA Basketball lock of the night is Creighton -5.5.

Short and sweet. Good luck hope this helps.

Friday, February 03, 2012

Peyton Manning Cleared To Play

By Matt McLear February 3rd 2012




If you haven't turned on any sports channel today or looked at any website pertaining sports and somehow made your way here first Peyton Manning has been cleared to play football again.

This news kind of shocked me today. I honestly expected Peyton to never be able to play football again or at least have some kind of announcement if he could or could not play a couple months down the road. The announcement came today just days before Super Bowl XLVI that his current team Indianapolis is hosting. Is this some kind of media play to try and get an already excited Indianapolis city more excited knowing now their QB has been cleared? Much like a Buffalo Bills fan my gut feeling says the Colts will be let down.

They have the number 1 pick in the NFL draft this year and have pretty much told the world they plan to draft Andrew Luck. Colts owner Jim Irsay tweeted after hearing that Manning was cleared "Peyton has not passed our physical nor has he been cleared to play for The Indianapolis Colts." Isray and Manning have been battling through the media as of late giving a feeling that it could be time for Manning and the Colts to part ways. Is this the best choice for the franchise?

Personally I think the best situation for their franchise is if Manning can play you let him play. Luck could become a great NFL QB gaining valuable knowledge sitting behind and practicing with Peyton. Granted Luck could come in a starter this year and do great things but with the hype and pressure having to instantly have success he doesn't have a lot of room for failure. He would also have to come in and win over the locker room, Peyton's locker room.

I think a real issue besides if Manning can get to where he was before the injury, is the money. Manning if remains a Colt will receive a $28 million option bonus that will trigger the final four years of a five-year, $90 million contract he signed before the 2011 season. The quarterback already received $26 million as part of that deal. There is no way to tell exactly what contract Luck will sign but if it's anything like Sam Bradford's 6 year $78 million dollar contract, Luck would be making around that if not more so let's say $15 million his first year. Can the Colts afford to pay 2 players $43 million? 2 players would receive more than a third of the $120 million salary cap. The Colt's 2011 salary was $97 million.

If the Colts release Manning he would become a free agent and with the NFL's signing period to start March 13th, Manning could be a free agent as early as next week. Reports say that the Washington Redskins, Miami Dolphins, Arizona Cardinals, and possibly the New York Jets are front runners to sign Peyton.

It appears that even after Super Bowl XLVI is over with we will still have something to look forward to in the NFL. Even though my team has no chance of getting Peyton it's still exciting as a fan of the game to see where one of the all time greats is going to play in 2012. My gut feeling says Peyton will find a new home in 2012. I would love to hear where you guys think he will go. So comment back or email me at 30mclear44@gmail.com with your predictions.

Thursday, February 02, 2012

NCAA College Basketball Free Picks

Well it's Thirsty Thursday so might as well get a couple of free picks right? There is a lot of college basketball on tonight some games are top 25, several are not. Doesn't mean you can't make some money off it. Here are some games that could help you put a little bit of money in your wallet.

Jacksonville St -4.5
Valparaiso -2.5
Youngstown St -2.5
San Diego + 19
Nevada -7.5
Pacific +4
College of Charleston -4.5
Jacksonville St -4.5
SE Missouri St -7.5
Morehead St -7.5
Weber St -11
CS Sacremento +7.5
Duke -5.5
Eastern Washington -6
South Dakota St -2.5
Manhattan -15
Canisius +23.5
UC Irvine -11
Middle Tenn St -5

If you have to just pick one my lock of the night is Jacksonville St -4.5.


Good luck.

Rick Carlisle NBA Champion, Not a Soccer Player


I wrote an article the other day about one home town guy that made it big, so I figured why not write a little piece on another guy that did. Rick Carlisle from Lisbon, NY.

Rick Carlisle is the head coach of the defending NBA Champions the Dallas Mavericks. He has also coached the Detroit Pistons and Indiana Pacers. Carlisle was raised in Lisbon, NY. He gradueted from Worcester Academy and went on to play college basketball at the University of Maine for two years and then transferred to the University of Virginia.

He was drafted by the Boston Celtics with the 23rd pick in the third round. He had the chance to win a NBA Championship with Larry Bird in 1986. He also had short stints with the New York Knicks and the New Jersey Nets.

In 1989 he accepted an assistant coaching position with the New Jersey Nets where he spent 5 seasons. In 1994 he then joined the Portland Trail Blazers as an assistant coach. He spent three season in Portland until he accepted an assistant coaching job in 1997 with former teammate Larry Bird in Indiana. When Larry Bird decided to step down as head coach he pushed for Carlisle to be promoted to the head coaching position but the team president decided to give the job to Isiah Thomas.

In 2001 the Detroit Pistons named Carlisle their new head coach. Carlisle lead the team to consecutive 50-32 records with central divions titles and playoff apperances. He was also named coach of the year in 2002. Even with all of the success after the 2002-2003 season they fired Carlisle and hired Larry Brown.

Once the 2003-2004 season rolled around Carlisle was re-hired be the Indiana Pacers but this time he was named head coach. In his first season as Pacers head coach he lead them to the Eastern Conference championship losing to the Detroit Pistons. He was nominated to coach the All-Star game that year.

In 2005 Carlisle was put into a situation no coach or player can ever plan for and would never want to be a part of. The infamous Pacers Pistons brawl. I'm sure everyone knows what that is and most likely remember it. If not here is the details of what happened. Despite all the injuries he had that year, and the suspensions from the brawl he was able to to get the Pacers into the Playoffs.

He then resigned from being the head coach of the pacers and executive vice president of the Pacers. After he left Indiana he worked as a studio analyst for ESPN before he signed with his current team the Dallas Mavericks.

As a head coach he is 443-295 and since 2001 as a coach has only missed the playoffs once. He is one of the only 11 people to win a NBA Championship as a coach and as a player.

He has had an impressive career so far any hopefully will continue to prosper. He get's a lot of credit from players, coaches, and anyone associated with the NBA on how great of a coach and person he really is. He is a reflection of his upbringing in Lisbon, NY. A hard working, polite, generous man who would do anything for his family , friends, and community. He continues to attend local camps when he has time which is a great way to help give back to the community in which he started his basketball career.

So in reading the headlines today on how Carlisle kicked a ball into the fans just remember that he is just like any of us and lost his temper. We all do that from time to time. Also remember that he learned how to kick that ball on the same field and same school as the one myself and my friends played on and graduated from.

Wednesday, February 01, 2012

NCAA College Basketball Free Picks

Looking to place a bet on some college basketball tonight? Well here is a couple of games that I feel have the best chance of hitting tonight.

Geoirga State -5
Xaiver -5.5
George Mason -5.5
Easter Michigan +8
Ohio -15
Southern Miss -3
Wyoming -3.5
St Lous -10
Houston +8.5
Creighton -10.5
Umass -3.5

Remember take my advice at your own risk. I have done a little research and I am posting this information for free to help you if you are unsure and looking for a little advice.

Good Luck

Aaron Rodgers Bummed By NFC's Effort


Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay packers was bummed by the NFC pro bowl's effort. The NFC a 5 point favorite lost 59-41 to the AFC. Rodgers was also quoted as saying "I was a little bit disappointed. I felt like some of the guys on the NFC side embarrassed themselves."

The pro bowl to me is a useless game and a waste of money. Don't get me wrong it is a great honor to be voted as a pro bowler and get the chance to go to Hawaii and play with the Pro Bowlers. Do these guys who make millions really need an all expense paid vacation to Hawaii? Do they really need to be out there playing in a game that means nothing but revenue to someone?

In MLB the All Star game mean's something. They are playing for home field advantage in the World Series. In NBA and NHL there might not be as much meaning in the game but they are different games. I mean in hockey you could still get hurt with an arrant slap shot or an accidental high stick but the game isn't played like it normally is with the big hits. In NBA it's more of a pick up game style of game just with a group of very rich athletic guys. In the NFL and the game of football every single play someone gets hit. The risk of getting hurt is a lot higher. So why risk getting hurt over a game that means nothing? Why risk getting hurt when it could effect next years season, the season that gets you your pay check?

The NFL this year is having an award ceremony show to award all the player their awards. For what reason? To make more money. So why not come up with a different solution for the All Star/Pro Bowl week in the NFL. Why not still have the award ceremony like they plan on doing this week but also have a skills competition like they used to?

As a fan I admit I did not watch the Pro Bowl and will probably not watch the award ceremony. Having the depressing week of no football was too much to have to settle for a game (the Pro Bowl) that is being played half speed. If they had the skills competition back, I would watch every single second of that. It would be similar to the love I had for the NFL Quarterback video game.

In 2007 they had the last skills competition and had the following events:

40 yard dash
Throwing Accuracy
Distance Kicking
Catching
Bench Press


You could throw in several more events to not only make it last a little longer but to make it so more players in the pro bowl can participate, and to have it be more view able for fans. Have a contest to see what QB can throw it the farthest, or race the big OL in the 40 yard dash to see which of the slowest guys in football are the fastest. Have an obstacle course the players can race through. Have a touchdown celebration contest free of fines and flags. I could go on and on thinking of fun events. I honestly think you could have a day of skills challenges and a night of NFL awards to help fill the void instead of having a meaningless game that bums Aaron Rodgers out.

So NFL if you are listening please do something to help make the fan experience better. Even if players get upset they don't get a free trip to Hawaii do something great for the people that help pay those players payroll.