Look, I don’t know where Craig Glazer is and you don’t know where Glazer is, and maybe that’s just the way things are going to be. (You know, unless you believe D.S. Whinery’s awfully fishy sounding piece from earlier.)
The last I heard from him, he was leaving me a choppy, frantic sounding voicemail, and all I could really make out was something about the Brooklyn Dodgers, space aliens, Totino’s frozen “Party Pizzas,” and a dead Panamanian hooker in the trunk of his rented Ford Festiva. It cut off abruptly, and, because he has a habit of calling from throwaway, Cricket Wireless phones, I was unable to call him back.
Circle of life, I suppose.
And while whether or not his 25 weekly contributions to the site will be missed seems to be a hotly debated topic, there is no debating Craig Glazer’s greatest contribution to the entirety of the internet: his football picks.
If you happened to perchance across anything he had written in the last five months or so, you’ll know unequivocally that he is the greatest gambler in the history sports betting. On the season– before his secret and sudden departure– he had gone somewhere in the neighborhood of 130-10. And because he was fond of “teasing” his bets (whatever that means), he had ACTUALLY gone a perfect 225-0.
As Craig himself would so eloquently articulate, “suck it, haters… Lotus… stripper tits.”
But alas, I am not Glazer. My working knowledge of gambling begins and ends with the lyrics to Kenny Rogers’ greatest hit. Outside of wholesome high school girlfriends from days gone by, I don’t know how “teasing” works, and I only recently figured out what a “line” meant. I am 31 years old.
But these are all just excuses and excuses are like anuses (anii?) and we all have them and they all don’t smell very good unless they’re freshly scrubbed.
There are two games tomorrow, two VERY IMPORTANT GAMES that will decide which teams make it to the Super Bowl, and which teams we won’t remember having had played in the conference championships within three weeks. (It will take another three weeks to forget who lost the Super Bowl, and approximately eight MORE weeks to forget who won. This is because of terrible television shows like “Honey Boo Boo” and “Swamp Brides” and because our brains are old and slowly rotting.)
So here’s how I see these games playing out.
San Francisco 49ers at Atlanta Falcons (+4)
We all know about the Falcons playoff struggles under the reign of quarterback Matt Ryan. They’re well documented and have been beaten to death by nearly everyone in sports media. If you think I’m making the case that, after last week’s squeaker against Seattle they are cured, however, you are wrong. The monkey is most certainly NOT off their back. They barely outplayed the Seahawks, at home, in Atlanta. The defense struggled to keep up with the comically feisty Russell Wilson and, for reasons we will never understand (perhaps God is a big Coca Cola drinker), he spared the Birds so that they could play another day.
HOWEVER, this very same Seahawks team obliterated the 49ers about a month ago, 42-13. And while a team can evolve a decent bit over that period of time, Niner’s quarterback Colin Kaepernick will NOT have the video game style sickness that he had last week against the Packers. It’s simply impossible. He’ll likely settle into some sort of middle ground, making a handful of plays that astound you, but also making a couple of mistakes that a rookie quarterback who has only started EIGHT GAMES in the NFL is apt to make.
It will be a close one, and a shootout, but in the end, I think Matt Ryan, and TONY GONZALEZ! and a loud-ass home crowd make all the difference.
Atlanta 31, San Francisco 28
Baltimore Ravens at New England Patriots (-8)
Here’s the blowout.
Tom Brady is the greatest quarterback of his generation, Bill Belichick is the greatest coach of his generation and, when everything matters, no matter how out of sorts they may have appeared earlier in the season, they always seem to magically morph into an unstoppable juggernaut that simply gets shit done in January.
As a Kansas City sports fan who suffers through abject misery year after year, I hate this. I HATE perennial winners because I am petty, and I can’t stand to see other franchises succeed so frequently and so thoroughly. But I digress.
The Ravens are good, but not great. Quarterback Joe Flacco—despite what he’d like you to believe—will NEVER be elite, and, like Kaepernick, will not duplicate last week’s impressive showing. He was playing above his head, almost guaranteeing that he’s more than due for a 17 for 43 type of effort with NOT the three TDs he threw against the Broncos, and perhaps a rogue turnover along the way.
And, although it feels like I’ve been saying it for years now, this defense is finally, officially old. I mean seriously, can you believe it has been THIRTEEN YEARS since linebacker Ray Lewis murdered two dudes??? Time flies when you’re making millions and not in prison, I guess.
Anyway, I think the Patriots steamroll the Ravens, sending Lewis off in less-than-memorable fashion. (And Ed Reed too? Probably Ed Reed, too.)
New England 38, Baltimore 17
Come make fun of me and my picks on Twitter, @StanfordWhistle.
Mike Crabtree is the subject of a sexual assault charge. Shocking. 63 years old and I have never known a friend or aquaintance who was charged with “Sexual assualt”.
These guys whip their dicks out like cell phones if the wind is blowing too hard.
Crabtree is going to jail, Justin Smith has a torn tricep muscle and Matt Ryan is 34 and 6 at home. The 49ers are a 4 point favorite.
On a neutral field the 49ers are 10 points better. But, Atlanta can’t stop the run. Not Frank Gore, not CK, not Wiley Coyote, not Forrest Gump. Take the Niners Lefty. The 49ers hold Atlanta to field goals and score on the ground.
🙂
New England introduces Baltimore to the woodshed.
Matt Ryan was, what, 13 yards away from making me look like a complete genius? Thanks, dick.
Oh well. Fun game to watch.
150 Yards rushing and 3 TDs on the ground.
Atlanta can’t stop the run.
Good game.
🙂
Well, that’s precisely the kind of threat that Kaepernicus brings. He makes things it exceedingly difficult to gameplan. Must be accounted for at all times, and as long as you’re containing him, you’re giving an above-average back huge room to run. To Atlanta’s credit, they did a much better job than GB, though. It’ll be interesting to see what either NE or BAL does against it.
Chiefs passed on him.
Who needs that guy?
Brutal…
I think I am gonna call that guy “Day Of The Triffids”.
Colin “Day Of The Triffids” Kaepernick.
chuck im up 11000 dollars betting on the team you dont pick. loaded up on ravens. when i saw “new england introducesbaltimore to the woodshed” coming rom you it was a no brainer. thanks cluck
I went one and one genius.
Kaepernick is better suited to playing Max Cady in the remake of Cape Fear than becoming the new poster boy for NFL greatness. Dude has more ink on him than the Monday Star. Plus he dumped his regular plump booty stroke since he became famous. Hell hath no fury like a womans scorn. Karma paybacks are a bitch Collin. Plus he has a facial resemblance to the Banjo Boy from Deliverance and his lineage is more confusing than Barry Soetoro’s
Need the Ravens to win. Have a standing bet with chowderhead friends in Bahstan to take whoever they are playing in championship and Superbowl games. A Pats win will cost me $400.00 in KC BBQ+dry ice+Fed Ex.
He does look like the Banjo Boy! Funny stuff. 🙂
I still think he makes Atlanta squeal like Ned Beatty.
Besides, Kerry Meier plays for Atlanta
http://media.kusports.com/photo/mugs/football/2006/meier_kerry.jpg
and he looks like ——-
Cynthia Nixon
http://www.marieclaire.com/cm/marieclaire/images/kz/strawberry-blonde-cynthia-nixon-0610-mdn.jpg
Lefty says; “Look, I don’t know where Craig Glazer is and you don’t know where Glazer is, and maybe that’s just the way things are going to be.”
Sounds like a good plan to me.
Well, you certainly faceplanted on those picks. Big fat oh-fer.
Good God, you’re not kidding. And this is precisely why I do not gamble.
Oh well you’re a good writer so fly with that.
Haha. Thanks, Dave.
It is worth noting that a guy we cut and got ZILCH for, Bernard Pollard had a great game for the Ravens.
Dropped passes, wow…
OMG YOU ARE SUCK A DUMASS YOU PICKED ALL TEH WRONG TAEMS!!1!
Look HERE, Cartoon-Boy…
eh.
That’s all I got.
Having the nerve to pick all the wrong teams in a public forum is what counts.
I think El Bryno was just joshing.
We’re pals.
Hearn you should be Glazer back. This blog is getting a lot less interesting to read.
Sorry it’s not up to your standard, Andy.
Thank you. No offense to Lefty but bro, I never put you down before…even with you not knowing very much about the NFL or as you mentioned “betting”..you should have left it there. I gave out information on how to bet AND WIN money. Not just pick winners over losers like the Star does. At nearly a 2 to 1 win rate, it does include teases Lefty. Something that has been in bookie joints and Vegas for decades. It’s a common bet. Plus 6 or Minus 6..in college basketball its -4 or +4…my insight to the game included my relationships with players and even Carl Peterson..so yeah I kinda know what I am talking about.
Be that as it may, continued good luck. Just think you have a 50-50 shot at picking the Super Bowl Winner.
P.S. by the way…as the man said ‘put your money where your mouth is..’ I did and went public with those calls BEFORE I went to Vegas…the under on Chiefs win loss record last year at 7 1/2 a winner, Atlanta over KC home opener…-3 winner…a few weeks back Colts -6 1/2 over KC at KC…winner…see how that works…means that ‘hey this guy knows something..he risks his money on his own predictions.’ I rest my case.
Glazer– we’re just having fun here. Don’t take it so personally. You’re a hell of a gambler. Best of luck on Tony’s site! I look forward to checking it out.