Selasa, 31 Januari 2012

Superbowl 46 Giants @ Patriots: Betting preview


Here it comes. One of the World’s greatest sporting events is just around the corner. The Superbowl will be exploding on to your big screen TVs this coming Sunday night February 5th around 11 pm Irish time. Superbowl 46 (or Superbowl XLVI for you Latin lovers out there) is absolutely dripping with intrigue and drama. It is a repeat of Superbowl 42 where the 10-1 underdog Giants caused a major upset by shocking New England 17-14.



This current Giants team is riding a Tsunami wave of momentum, whilst the Patriots appear angry and itching for revenge. It is a heavyweight bout with a truckload of side stories. Will Tom Coughlin crack a smile if the Giants win? Just how high can Tom Brady squeal ‘We’re baaaack!’ if the Patriots win? What colour hoody is Bill Belichick going to go with?

The most important question for you, the punter, is naturally, ‘Where is my $ going?!”.
For the vanilla lovers in the audience there is match, handicap and total points betting. For the more adventurous tastes there is everything from winning margin to first coach’s challenge to first team to call a timeout (and back!).

The game itself is a tough one to call, and that is reflected in the relatively even match and handicap betting. The Giants are available at 23/20 while the Patriots can be lumped into at 8/11, should the mood take you. The handicap is one of the smallest, shortest margins in recent Superbowl history, the Patriots slightly favoured by the odds-makers at -2.5. If none of those options appeals, or if you are a neutral and you just fancy a high scoring shoot-out, then the total points market currently set at Over +55 points might appeal. You can nibble away at that at 10/11.

For the passionate, dedicated Giants fans (and those Jets fans that feel left out) there are plenty of appealing markets. You can grab Mario Manningham to score a touchdown anytime at 10/11 or you can get on Victor Cruz to pull in Over +83.5 passing yards at even money (not a bad option when you consider the Patriots young, inexperienced secondary).

If you believe that afore mentioned secondary is ready to break at any second, if you are a big Eli Manning fan, or if you are just a big fan of Quarterbacks who look permanently terrified, you will love the Player A Total Passing Yards market, with Eli Manning facing a hurdle of Over +315.5 at odds of 5/6.

Perhaps the most appealing action available to Giants fans, apart from match and handicap betting, is the 1st Half Away Team Total Points market. If you think the Giants are good for two first half touchdowns, or a first half touchdown combined with two field goals, or any other wacky combination adding up to 14 points or more, then get stuck into Over +13.5 at 5/6. Even most Patriot fans would consider that one.

Patriot Nation eagerly awaits this historic rematch. For some reason the odds-makers have Tom Brady at Over +307.5 in the Player B Total Passing Yards market. Maybe they mixed Eli and Brady up, or maybe they are Giants fans. Either way, if you think Brady is coming out firing, that could be the market for you. Brady has to hook up with a target for that to happen, and veteran Deion Branch looks tasty at 13/10 to score a touchdown anytime. Branch was a Superbowl MVP once, and knows his way into an endzone.

Betting on the Patriots running game is a risky venture however BenJarvus Green-Ellis looks decidedly underrated at Over +52.5 rushing yards. All he would need is one or two big rumbles and that yards total would crumble. If you are an extremely confident Patriots fan, and there are plenty of those about, New England can be taken on the Alternative Handicap market -7.5 points at an attractive 7/4.

For the more deluded of Patriots fans out there, or those who remember that stretch of wipe-out, lopsided score Superbowls, how about New England to win by 43 points or more, available at a juicy 200/1?

For me, the two most appealing markets of the night are slightly unusual. Chances are this game could come down to a field goal. If that’s the case, the Last Score of Match market should appeal. It is currently at Touchdown on 1/2 versus Field Goal/Safety at 6/4. Then there is the gem amongst the coal, in my opinion. Check out the Player B Total Rushing + Receiving Yds market, bearing in mind Rob Gronkowski, the part of the ‘HernandeGronk’ double act attracting most attention, is likely either to play hobbled, or not play at all, and Aaron Hernandez looks extremely appetizing at Over +82.5.

Good luck, and most of all, enjoy the big game.

Recommended bets:
  • Player B Total Rushing + Receiving Yds: Aaron Hernandez Over +82.5 5/6
  • Last Score of Match: Field Goal/Safety 6/4.
  • Player B Total Passing Yards market: Tom Brady Over +307.5 5/6
  • Anytime touchdown: Deion Branch 13/10



Linkage
Diposting oleh di Tidak ada komentar:
Label: ,

Senin, 23 Januari 2012

What's that Tim Thomas, you hate the Troops? Really?


There is a great moment in the seminal mini-series ‘Band of brothers’ where Captain Sobel attempts to march past Captain Winters without acknowledgement due to his personal distaste for the latter. Winters stops him and says, with authority;


‘Captain Sobel, we salute the rank, not the man’.


Apparently Tim Thomas has never seen ‘Band of brothers’.

The Boston Bruins were bestowed the great honour yesterday of meeting the President of the United States at the White House yesterday, to celebrate their fine Stanley Cup victory last season. Tim Thomas, Bruins goalie extraordinaire, chose not to attend due to his political beliefs. Every single other Bruin attended, no matter what their beliefs.

This was a day to celebrate with his team mates. This was a day to enjoy the camaraderie that anyone who has had the luck of being on a team for any protracted length feels.

Instead Tim Thomas made a woeful decision and selfishly turned it into a day about him. Those same team mates had their day in the sun hijacked by someone ignorantly putting themselves first ahead of their band of brothers. That’s the worst thing you can do in team sports, put yourself ahead of your team mates. Not only did Thomas choose not to celebrate this fine achievement with his brothers, he stole the moment from them with his poorly thought out, selfish and ill conceived decision. He has insulted his team mates and he has insulted hockey. He has come out and said, 'My archaic, angry and divisive beliefs are bigger than my team mates and the game of hockey'.

Thomas made an enormous mistake in not attending, and he did so on a fundamentally simple principle. Respect is respect, respect shouldn’t be a variable in any situation. No matter who is sitting in the Oval Office, one should respect them. Choosing not to attend shows a simple lack of respect by Thomas. Lack of respect for the station of the President of the United States, lack of respect for his team mates, lack of respect for the game of hockey and lack of respect for the United States.

It should be noted that Thomas was a silver medal winner with the United States hockey team. If he wants to make a statement, well then give the medal back. If you disrespect the President of the United States, you are disrespecting the country as a whole, no matter what turgid, redundant political ‘spin’ you try to put on it.

There will be plenty of clowns who ignorantly blather ‘But hasn’t he got the freedom to do that, freedom of speech and so forth’ yes of course he does, but do so in a respectful and dignified manner.

Make no mistake, Thomas’s action is a despicable course.

One would assume Thomas is a big part of the ‘respect the troops’ ideology that is currently sweeping the States. If that’s the case, Tim Thomas has directly spat in the eye of all the armed forces of the United States. The President is the overall commander of those same troops, and Thomas has gravely disrespected the Office of the President.

To use the dangerous, vitriolic rhetoric of the right wing goons Thomas has now forever associated himself with, apparently Tim Thomas hates the soldiers of the United States. Those same ‘freedom fighters’ he would so quickly have you believe he worships. Well, it turns out he hates them. Hate the commander, hate the troops.

Tim Thomas has tried to pull a Captain Sobel. He has tried to march past The President of the United States without saluting. It is every single United States citizens duty to their country to take him to task on that. No matter what your particulat political beliefs, salute the rank, not the man.

Massachusetts is the home, the birth place, the origin of so much that is good in the United States 'set up'. Brilliant men and minds originated from there. Sadly today it is the home to a selfish, disrespectful, backward thinking goalkeeper who cares more about his stagnant political beliefs than camaraderie, honour, team and respect.

And we're not talking about Tuukka Rask.



Linkage
Diposting oleh di Tidak ada komentar:
Label: ,

Minggu, 22 Januari 2012

The thing about Marco: The Scutaro trade; maybe leave it to the professionals


As baseball fans, we tend to react first, and think later. If at all. The Red Sox trade of Marco Scutaro to the Rockies, announced on Friday, is a case in point. Within moments of the announcement, Facebook, twitter, and that dark murky place otherwise known as ‘the comments section of all sports media sites’ were awash with a tide of negative commenting that made the tide at Omaha beach look virgin pure.

‘This is a horrible trade!’ we screamed as a fan base.

The knee jerk reaction was full of bravado and hyperbole. Within ten minutes of reading the collected masses opinion, it was abundantly clear that; Cherrington is in over his head. The Sox are panicking. The Sox don’t know what they are doing and so forth.

People get so angry, so riled up, don’t they? The Internet may be a valuable source of information, however it seems to encourage people to, well, to say really stupid, angry things.

On calmer reflection it looks as if the Red Sox know exactly what they are doing. Scutaro, much as many of us Sox fans love him, is 36 and earning a relatively large slice of change, $6 million approximately per season. He is a nice guy, a good clubhouse presence and a decent bat. He is not the second coming of Ozzie Smith nor is he the second incarnation of Hanley Ramirez.

The Sox saw an opportunity to use any of a number of in-house options at short (Iglesias\Avilez\Punto) while putting the $6 million saved towards bidding on the services of one Roy Oswalt.

So first things first, if you are perhaps still angry at the trade, would you trade Marco Scutaro for Roy Oswalt?

Look, here’s the thing. The Red Sox front office are doing due diligence. They spend hours upon hours, days, breaking down all possible moves, with all the best information at their fingertips. With all due respect, ‘Bob’ in Framingham, commenting angrily on the ESPN website, probably isn’t the absolute best judge of whether the Scutaro trade is for the best of the Boston Red Sox or not.

To quote the great Keith Foulke, Johnny from Burger King may feel like it is important that he (or indeed she) rains down a carpet bombing campaign of negative feedback on this trade, but at the end of the day the only people who have actually put the hours in to researching and analyzing all possible permutations involved are the Red Sox front office.

Now I say this to myself as much as anyone else, because at first glimpse I wasn’t wildly enamored with the idea of the trade, but maybe people should sit back and think about the reasoning behind a big trade or other move before plonking themselves down in front of the keyboard and banging out a poorly written, scrambled, angry reaction.

Maybe think for two seconds.

There is generally a method to the madness.




Linkage
Diposting oleh di Tidak ada komentar:
Label: ,

Kamis, 19 Januari 2012

Patriots travelling to London again? Might be. Rams potential 'hosts'.


Word on the proverbial street is that the NFL game in London next season could be Patriots @ Rams (the latter officially serving as hosts). Initial word pinballing around the Internet was Rams v Jets, however that soon changed to Rams v Patriots. That appears to be common consensus as we speak early Friday morning.

One St Louis paper went as far as to say;
‘’ League sources told the Post-Dispatch on Thursday night that the team will play an AFC foe — believed to be the New England Patriots — during the 2012 regular season in London.’’

So, that kinda looks official, no?

Actual official word is coming later today. You can keep your eyes on this site

As soon as we at Boston Irish find out what the actual game is, and if it is indeed going to be Patriots @ Rams, we will tweet it from here, so, there’s that.

This is fantastic news for the legions of Patriots fans in Ireland and England. Personally speaking, my brother and I travelled to the Patriots v Tampa game and had a whale of a time. Rams fans, meanwhile, seem somewhat less than delirious about the potential news, if there online forums are anything to go by.

Take this angry fellow;
‘’Such a bunch of garbage that we have to lose a home game over this. Have an exhibition game there. Quit screwing with the actual NFL schedule.’’

Some people just can’t take ‘change’ (Even this is actually ‘continuation’, not ‘change’ per say)
How about this chap;
‘’That is what really annoys me most. How can they expect to play a game that matters in really off time zone. Sure both teams get the effect, but then it's just two teams playing like cr@p. Totally unfair to both teams.’’

Thankfully, there are some positive Rams fans out there
‘’been to london a few times
I will be there’’



Linkage
Diposting oleh di Tidak ada komentar:
Label: ,

Selasa, 17 Januari 2012

Two to read: Jimmy Rollins in Uganda and Bob Ryan's crusade (kinda)


First things first, absolutely adored this piece in ESPN about the Phillies Jimmy Rollins on an MLB Goodwill trip to Uganda. If this article doesn’t make your day, then nothing will. Rollins seems like a real class act, and we are blessed as baseball fans to have him around.

There is so much negativity and greed doing the rounds at the moment, it’s nice to get lost for a short time in a story about a truly generous, friendly and positive person. Not to mention talented.

Rock on J-Roll, rock on.

How about this fantastic piece by the Globe’s Bob Ryan (Thanks for the tip GP). It would appear he was buried under a deluge of hate-mail from the more hardcore Tebow fans after the Shallacking in Gillette. He makes some great points, including;
‘’ There are many people who are not Christians who enjoy football, and who do not need his religion shoved in their face with “John 3:16,’’ or any other Bible reference, on display. I believed that then, and I believe that now.’’



Also, we absolutely loved this sentence;
‘’…and apparently they’ve never read Shaughnessy.’’


Linkage
Diposting oleh di Tidak ada komentar:
Label: ,

Minggu, 15 Januari 2012

Vincent doin’ work: Wilfork at the coal face


Tom Brady gets his share of the attention and or plaudits. The two young Tight Ends, ‘Hernandegronk’ get their (well deserved) share. The stoic, fearsome coach with his Evil Emperor hoody gets his share. How on earth does a man as large as Vince Wilfork stay under the radar?!

Actually scrap that, how does a man so vital, so integral to the Patriot’s plans stay so relatively under wraps?

If you are a Patriots or indeed just an NFL fan do yourself a favour, and mentally isolate and watch Vince Wilfork play football the next Patriots game you watch. It is a rewarding experience. He is simply put an incredible man, a fabulous athlete. Don’t look at me like that, yes, athlete. He may look like a rapper’s body guard or a chef at a family BBQ, but Wilfork simply never stops. He works all day long, and is still working hard on the last play of every game.


He is a true warrior, and a fantastic team mate too. Watching him play, he not only ‘does his job’ (The Patriots simple yet effective mantra) however he also brings the rest of his team mates closer together with endless energy and positive reinforcement.

There is a wonderful moment in the below clip where Wilfork approaches a defensive huddle and asks ‘Why ya’ll look so sad? This is football, this is fun!’ He is an incredible character, a true leader and an exceptionally honest player.

The Patriots are blessed to have him, and you are blessed to get a chance to listen in on the man on the field. Without further ado, a fantastic little segment, let’s call it ‘Vincent doin’ work’. You are welcome!



Linkage
Diposting oleh di Tidak ada komentar:
Label: ,

Rabu, 11 Januari 2012

The Bruins Shawn Thornton knocks journalist to the boards

Ever dreamt of being able to watch an athlete basically ambush a journalist who was saying something derogatory about him or her? Well, now's your chance! It doesn't matter if you are not an enormous hockey fan (although chances are if you are visiting this site, you are at least kind of into it after the Stanley Cup run last season), you will still find this hilarious video, well, hilarious.

Bear with the opening, contextually important details, and just wait for the pay-off. It's worth it. Credit to the Boston Globe's underrated columnist Eric Wilbur for digging this out.




Linkage
Diposting oleh di Tidak ada komentar:
Label: ,

Minggu, 08 Januari 2012

Tim Tebow 'does it again'! (We're just not sure what 'it' is)


As always, one would be remiss not to take to task today’s fully expected and yet still stomach churningly nauseous deluge of sycophantic Tim Tebow babbling from the Knights Of The Keyboard (The US sporting media). We are angry today so, be aware, cursing involved. If an angry diatribe filled with expletives doesn’t quite catch your fancy, just go here instead. Right, let’s dive right in. First headline, blazing as if vomited in bright flashing neon across the front of ESPN, ‘TEBOW DOES IT AGAIN!’.

Wait just one hot second here, does what again?

Now, I am no Rick Perry but doesn’t saying something has happened ‘again’ suggest it has happened before? Last I checked Tebow and his jolly mates were on something of a down-turn, ending the season mired in a filthy swamp of a three game losing streak, to New England, Buffalo and Kansas. Those were not mistakes, the mighty Buffalo and all-powerful Kansas did indeed manage to de-rail the Tebow train. However today we read, or have seared into our eye balls Nazi torture style; Tebow does it again! You can understand our confusion here, last night he actually won, he didn’t lose. So, what did he do again?

Did he win in the playoffs again maybe? A quick check of the handiest encyclopedia shows that interestingly Tebow has never ventured into the playoff universe before, so he wasn’t doing that ‘again’ as it were. No sign of him mentioned in the annals of Canton, or previous Superbowls.

So once more we ask, does what again, exactly? Maybe Tebow was white, over rated and tapped right into the current religiously right wing, overzealous, support-the-troops-no-matter-what, zeitgeist that main-stream America is currently ‘experiencing’, again? Or maybe most of all, Tebow managed to beat a flawed or damaged team, ‘again’? Remember that winning streak he and his band went on, against those questionable, broken or just bad teams a while back? Maybe he did something like that again.

I feel like shouting this out from the top of the Empire State or something, everyone is completely aware ‘Tebow’ (I love how the media basically intimates that the chosen one did it on his own) just beat a team that had a QB playing on, effectively, one leg, had just lost their starting RB for the remainder of the season and most importantly had to travel to Denver for the game? Everyone realizes that, right?

You know what, I don’t even care about the guy himself. Whatever, he is free to bow down and worship whatever he wants, good for him. He could sit at home flagellating himself all day long while listening to Christian Rock and watching re-runs of - Insert name of whatever Republican Presidential hopeful is making an absolute Muppet of him or herself at time of writing here - debating that -Insert whatever minority group the right wing thinks should have no rights here - do not deserve to live in America, for all I care. And Sunday night’s game was awesome.

However, please, for the love of God, Buddha, Allah, Yoda and Tom Cruise, please shut the holy fuck up about Tebow and whether he did it again or not. Any which way you look at this, here’s hoping the masked ranks of Scientology like fanatical Tebow fans got their fix Sunday night, because it all comes to a grinding, shuddering halt Saturday night in the beckoning, crushing arms of Vincent Wilfork and his merry gang.

You heard it here first.




Linkage
Diposting oleh di Tidak ada komentar:
Label:

Jumat, 06 Januari 2012

The odds are: 5,000\1 the four big New England teams win it all


Best stop reading this right now if you are not a fan of New England professional sports teams. Go do something that makes you happy inside, because this article sure isn’t going to do same! Let’s talk about the odds against the big New England teams winning their respective titles in this ongoing or forthcoming season. Pie in the sky, maybe, however you could make a reasonably compelling argument for the Patriots, Red Sox, Bruins and Celtics.
Bold
Imagine all four did it. Unlikely, for a variety of reasons, but it is always nice to slip into a daydream. Particularly on a gloomy post-Christmas working day!

The Patriots are the shortest odds of the four, and with pretty good reason too. The Patriots have touched as high as 14/1 this NFL season however are now sitting as proud third favourites behind Green Bay and New Orleans on 7/2. Not exactly great value for a defence as bad as the Patriots would openly admit, however, you could argue the Packers and Saints respective ‘D’ are just as bad. Therefore, the 7/2 is definitely worth a little taste.



Next up are the Champion Boston Bruins at 9/2. The Bruins started the season slowly, so slowly in fact that some of us managed to grab 10/1 while it was going. That’s a distant memory now, as the Stanley Cup Champions look set for a deep playoff run at the very least.



The Red Sox are intriguing at 9/1 and probably offer the best overall ‘value’ to the gamblers amongst us. A rotation of Lester, Beckett, Bucholz, Bard and ‘Free agent X’ is excellent. The lineup will score close to a thousand runs and the defence is superb all over the park. There’s no doubt that Bobby Valentine will bring a fresh, vibrant approach, and the Red Sox should be, at very least, extremely competitive. 9/1 is a very tasty figure indeed.

Last and possibly (relatively speaking) least of the foursome are the Boston Celtics sitting at a whopping 20/1, possibly a direct reflection of their terrible opening to the season. The Celtics are a proud veteran team, however, and will no doubt make the playoffs, at which point the big three and Rondo might catch fire. 20/1 is definitely worth a dabble if you in any way fancy their chances.

Now for the accumulators.

Imagine a straight accumulator, all four to win their tournaments;
  • New England Patriots 7/2
  • Boston Celtics 20/1
  • Boston Bruins 9/2
  • Boston Red Sox 9/1

Accumulator return: 5197.50
Better than a kick in the backside, right?

How about a 'Yankee'? A Yankee is a particular bet, four teams, eleven total bets (one accumulator, three doubles and four trebles). So if you placed a one euro Yankee, that would cost eleven euros and would be, effectively, eleven different bets all with the same four teams involved.

So a fancy little New England sports Yankee featuring the four big clubs at the above odds would return for you;
Yankee return: 8609.50

Worth a shot, right? I mean, you never know!



Linkage
Diposting oleh di Tidak ada komentar:
Label: , , ,

Senin, 02 Januari 2012

Irish figure heavily in stunning Sunderland win over Manchester City


The weekend just passed saw a number of shocks in the English Premiership, none bigger than Sunderland’s shocking 1-0 win over Premiership behemoth Manchester City.

Sunderland, given absolutely no chance by the bookies or TV pundits, are a famous, proud old club but even with owner Ellis Short ploughing some £80 million of his own money into them the last couple of seasons, they are complete minnows when up against Manchester City and their £650 million transfer money outlay, and £700 million annual wage bill. However, on the day, Sunderland matched City in every department, Lee Cattermole was absolutely immense, winning every single tackle he went in for, and frankly playing much more illustrious City players off the park.

There were three strong Irish elements to the superb win.

John O’Shea, the Irish defensive veteran, playing in his first season at the club, was an absolute rock at the back. After less than 10 minutes his center back partner Wes Brown had to leave through injury and O’Shea had to help seldom used Matt Kilgallon through the remaining 80 minutes whilst also doing his job. O’Shea won every header and kept multi million pound star City striker Edwin Dzeko in his back pocket most of the day. A brilliant showing from O’Shea, which augers well ahead of the 2012 European Championships. O’Shea was absolutely immense.

Sunderland have now won three out of Irish manager Martin O’Neill’s first five matches in charge of the club. O’Neill has performed a minor miracle in changing the fortunes of the team, previously mired in nothing short of a deep depression. O’Neill has the team working hard and looking very organised and well drilled. The confidence the side showed against the Premiership leaders was fantastic.

Perhaps most excitingly of all, from an Irish perspective, O’Neill bravely chose to give a full debut to 22 year old ex Derry City starlet James McClean. The young Irish winger repaid this faith with a hard working display, full of promise. McClean looks skillfull, tough, willing and well able to compete at the Premiership level. If he gets a decent run in the side it could mean a full call up to the Irish side, and McClean would bring a very lively, fresh new look to the Irish attack. Giovanni Trapattoni, take note.




Linkage
Diposting oleh di Tidak ada komentar:
Label:
Langganan: Postingan (Atom)