J_Logan

Richmond outright over Penn State. Nittany Lions were playing like balls to end the season. I think that East Region would have been that one side of the bracket that just got completely f'd up. Lots of pink highlighter for that region. 

There’s been a bumper crop of bizzaro bets this week, and we’re not talking about some questionable plays at the sportsbook.

Weirdo wagers have ranged from the mayors of Tuscaloosa and College Station betting each other some tasty BBQ on the Alabama-Texas A&M tilt to one Redskins fan having to eat part of his beard after Washington lost to Philadelphia on Monday night football.

But the one backwards bet with the most on the line is the friendly - yet disturbing - wager between San Francisco 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick and Seattle Seahawks QB Russell Wilson.

According to the story, these divisional rivals have a single eyebrow on the line when they clash on Sunday Night Football in Week 2.

Wilson shot down the wager this week, stating that the shaved eyebrow bet was all in good fun and that neither he nor Kaepernick will shed a face caterpillar if they lose in Week 2.

“It was more of just a friendly, joking around type deal. It’s not real serious. We’ll probably do something digitally. Something like that,” Wilson told KJR Radio in Seattle.

The two young QBs have been closely connected due to their NFC West feud and the fact they took their respective franchises to prominence in 2012.

They were also featured in commercials for the new Madden NFL 25 video game, which spins yarn of a childhood rivalry between Kaepernick and Wilson stemming from heated games of Madden at summer camp in the early 90's.

Eyebrow or no eyebrow, Sunday night is shaping up to be a doozy. Oddsmakers currently have Seattle set as a 3-point home favorite in front of the infamous “12th Man” at CenturyLink Field.

The Seahawks are an “eyebrow-raising” 41-20-2 ATS in their last 63 home games  - a winning percentage of 66.6 percent.

Like a tree falling in the forest, the WNBA will shut off the lights and lock the doors for five weeks during its Olympic break – but is anyone around to care?

The women’s pro basketball league is officially on hiatus until August 17 with the top talent in the WNBA headed to play for their respective countries at the 2012 Summer Games in London.

The break makes sense from a marketing standpoint. The fans that are going to WNBA games aren’t going to reach deep into their pockets (or purses) if the stars, who are best – if not only – reason to watch, are away at the Olympics.

For sports bettors, the WNBA serves its purpose. It’s a break from the day-to-day grind of the baseball season, which can quickly make a Sunday afternoon women’s hoops matchup seem like March Madness. And for those cappers who dive into the “Dub” head first each summer, it’s a major wrench in their wagering plans.

While this stoppage may seem like a pain in the ass right now (hey, you can always wager on the Olympics), it may be a blessing in disguise when the WNBA restarts in mid August.

Unlike the other sports which take break during the Olympics, the WNBA will not be limited to how much teams can practice. In fact, there is a league mandate that says teams can’t go more than seven days without a practice.

That means toilet teams like the Washington Mystics or Tulsa Shock can work out the kinks while top squads like the Minnesota Lynx, who send stars Seimone Augustus, Lindsay Whalen and Maya Moore to London, won’t have their full squad to practice with.

The five-week break is also a huge boost to teams that have been bitten by the injury bug. The Phoenix Mercury may have Candice Dupree and Charde Houston ready to roll for the home stretch of the season, along with Diana Taurasi (who says she’s healthy enough for the Olympics), thanks in big part to the extended time off.

So, while we may take the WNBA for granted, there is plenty to look forward to in women’s hoops from a betting value perspective.

At least pay attention to women’s hoops for the first couple weeks once they restart. Then you can go back to forgetting the WNBA even existed.

Some call it the worst day in sports. Others call it time off.

The Monday heading into the MLB All-Star break is the deadest day in sports betting, with no baseball action or even WNBA to get down on. The PGA Tour doesn’t start rolling until Thursday and NASCAR events are still a few days away.

For the die-hards - or the compulsives as they’re better known - there are some options. You can go nuts on the MLB Home Run Derby and the numerous props involved with that. Or, there is tennis action, random soccer games around the globe and even some international friendlies on the basketball court with the Olympics around the bend.

But for most of us recreational bettors, the “Mundane Monday” is a chance to step back, catch our breath and take a break from sports betting. Or maybe play some online poker…

What are you doing this Monday: Betting or breaking?

No NBA team has drafted more poorly than the Toronto Raptors.

Sure, the Los Angeles Clippers have a longer history of piss-poor picks, but they selected Blake Griffin and he’s erasing a lot of those draft mistakes from the Clips’ history books.

But the Raptors – or the Craptors – as many Canadian hoops fans have come to know them, have bobbled the draft more times than not.

They’ve been sub-par for so long. But unlike other bad teams, like the Sonics- now the Thunder - the aforementioned Clippers and Timberwolves, Toronto doesn’t improve despite having some of the best young talent in the world at its finger tips.

The Raptors have wasted top picks on guys like Aleksandar Radojevic, Michael Bradley, and Rafael Araújo but have been able to acquire guys like Vince Carter (draft day trade), Tracy McGrady and Chris Bosh through the draft. However, those stars ran for the border the first chance they got.

The jury is still out on former No. 1 overall pick Andrea Bargnani and most recently Jonas Valanciunas, who was sold to Raps fans as the Lithuanian Dirk. The 7-footer, who was drafted fifth overall last year, is expected to join the team after the Olympics.

As for this year’s draft, it seems like the deep talent pool has made this nearly a fool proof draft for Bryan Colangelo and Co., who own the No. 8 overall pick.

The college ranks have produced one of the best crops of born-and-bred talent in some years, with French SG Evan Fournier projected as the highest-ranked foreign player (at No. 28 to Oklahoma City). So Toronto faithful can breathe easy knowing another Euro project is probably not in the cards.

But that’s not to say the Raptors can’t fudge this up. Toronto needs energy and scoring. And most mock drafts have them selecting Syracuse sparkplug Dion Waiters, who in my eyes is a perfect fit for the Raptors’ sluggish offense.

However, the Toronto Star has the team selecting Duke’s Austin Rivers, who is possibly the most overhyped player in the draft. The son of Celtics coach Doc Rivers, Austin has plenty of basketball smarts, but rubbed a lot of people the wrong way in Durham and doesn’t have the frame or the skill to really blossom at the NBA level.

The Raptors could also make the mistake to go big again, and select a project big man like John Henson, Tyler Zeller, or even worse Illinois’ Myers Leonard. I watched nearly every Illini game this season, and while he may look like a stud he’s mentally soft.

If Toronto had of landed a Top-5 selection, I wouldn’t be sweating this upcoming pick. But, the Raptors, in true fashion, weren’t quite bad enough to grab one of those can’t-miss picks.

And now, Canadian basketball fans have to dwell on how the organization will throw up another draft-day air ball when the rim is 10 feet wide.

Starting your fantasy football season in June seems like putting up the Christmas decorations in August or telling an ill-timed celebrity death joke. Too soon, bro.
 
I was shocked to see a notice from Yahoo!Sports in my inbox this morning, announcing the official start to their 2012 fantasy football campaign. Starting at 6:30 p.m. ET tonight, I could log in, create my team and start drafting players even though NFL training camps don’t open for about another month.

While the excitement of the upcoming NFL season is tough to contain, I know better than to start drafting up my fantasy strategy and making doe eyes at guys like Adrian Foster and LeSean McCoy.

Training camps and preseason tits always dish out some unhappy injury news for fantasy owners and players that we thought would be high on the depth chart become buried.

I know a few of you will jump all over the chance to start playing something other than the daily grind of MLB fantasy, but remember that Week 1 doesn’t start until Sept. 5. That’s a long time to think and overthink possible trades, read and re-read every NFL preview mag, and watch and re-watch all the DVR’d camp coverage on the NFL network.

Chances are if you played fantasy last year, you know who you want to select No. 1 overall this season. The toughest choice in many drafts is who do you select second?

Most years, this decision can make or break your entire season, whether you draft your team in June or an hour before the Giants and Cowboys kickoff.

Here are my top No. 2 selections for your upcoming (but hopefully not coming too soon) NFL fantasy draft:

Tom Brady, New England Patriots

Depending on if you have some New England fans in your league, Tommy Boy may still be around for your second pick.

Andre Johnson, Houston Texans

His numbers went down in 2011 due to injuries and QB issues. However, if Matt Schaub can stay vertical so should AJ’s week-to-week numbers.

Rob Gronkowski, New England Patriots

If you can’t grab Brady, grab the guy catching all those TD passes. Gronk could be the best fantasy TE since Gates and Gonzalez were in their primes.

Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers

Were you one of the millions scrambling to pick up Cam after his Week 1 performance last September? Newton is worth the risk of a sophomore slump after passing for 21 TDs and rushing for another 14 scores.

Jimmy Graham, New Orleans Saints

Some mocks have the Saints breakout TE going in the first round, which seems a little careless. Graham reeled in 11 TD passes last season, but did so under the radar. It will be interesting to see what defensive coordinators throw at him this year.

Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings

Thanks to those big numbers being put up by QB’s last season, running backs have been bumped in terms of importance. Peterson’s health could have him sliding to the second round in many fantasy drafts. He’s a make-or-break pick at No. 2.

Trent Richardson, Cleveland Browns

Cleveland thinks Richardson is an elite-level back that can have an immediate impact, which is contrary to what team great and former adviser, Jim Brown, had to say about the Alabama standout. The one thing fantasy owners can be sure of is that Richardson will see his share of the football with Peyton Hillis gone and the QB situation a mess.

The July issue of Men’s Journal looked beyond the diamond and polled 100 major leaguers, asking them to be open and honest on a number of questions about players, teams, managers and cities.

Some of the answers were shocking while others weren’t – 34 percent voted A.J. Pierzynski as the league’s most hated player. No shit.

The polls ranged from which teams would you like or least like to play for (Yankees 15%/A’s 19 %), smartest manager (Joe Maddon 25 %), most underrated player (Michael Young 15%), and are there gay players in the majors (Yes 72%).

The most intriguing poll – at least from a betting standpoint – was which city has the best groupies? Out of the 100 players, Chicago was voted the best by a whopping 27 percent.

“If you’re asking me for the best city for chicks, that would be Chicago,” one National League reliever told Men’s Journal. “Everyone likes to enjoy themselves there.”

Looking at the home record for the Cubs and White Sox, you’d think those Chitown beauties would keep opposing players out all night, leaving them gassed for day games at Wrigley or stiff (hehehe) for those cold nights at U.S Cellular Field.

However, it seems the Windy City groupies are taking their toll on the home teams. The Cubs and ChiSox have a combined 29-35 record as hosts this season, burning Chicago backers for 9.83 units heading into Friday’s action.

The numbers were even more telling in 2011, where the White Sox finished with a 36-45 home mark and cost South Siders -20.68 units – the most costly home bet in all of baseball. That makes the Cubbies’ 39-42 2011 home record and -5.77 units look like a drop in the bucket.

As the summer heat starts to push the mercury higher, those Chicago sundresses are going to get shorter and shorter. Perhaps now is the best time to start fading the Cubs and White Sox, just before the MLB’s best groupies hit their stride.

Coming in second for best groupies was Scottsdale, Arizona (13 percent) where many clubs hold their spring training.

Toronto came in third (9 percent), where the Blue Jays boast a 16-15 home mark for -3.22 units this season. However, there is something to be said for the lure of Canadian girls. Over the past five seasons (2011-2007), the Jays have finished above .500 at home each year with a combined 228-174 for a total of 17.26 units earned.

Seattle ranked fourth in the poll (7 percent), with one former Mariner saying, “The way the bullpen fences are set up, women are just right there harassing players.” Seattle is 10-18 at Safeco Field this year, losing -9.88 units. Over the past five years, the M’s are 204-201 at home and down -19.24 units with the floozies patrolling the bullpen fence.

Baseball bettors can draw their own conclusions or maybe do an in-depth scouting report the next time they head to the ballpark. Send us your results (w/pics) and perhaps Covers will add a groupie rating next to our ballpark breakdowns.

Euro 2012 has soccer fans frenzied heading into Friday’s opening games, but sportsbooks aren’t expecting those masses to equate to big numbers at the window.

The general consensus around Las Vegas is that a large soccer crowd in the book doesn’t mean a large handle. In fact, of all the major sports available on the betting board, soccer fans are the least active when it comes to wagering.

“The book is packed for some of those Champions League and World Cup games,” John Avello, sportsbook manager at the Wynn in Las Vegas told Covers. “But only about 20 percent of the crowd actually places a bet. Compared to something like the basketball playoffs – everyone in the book has a ticket”

From discussions with sportsbook managers, soccer fans are just behind hockey fans in terms of big crowds and small handles. Other sports, like open-wheel racing, have small followings but they are loyal bettors as well.

According to Vegas books, early action is good on the Euro 2012 matchups. Books are offering odds on all the games and will also have specials and halftime odds available, as well as props on team to win outright and group winners.

Soccer prop bettors won’t find odds on tournament MVP, due to Nevada Gaming Control rules, but there could be prices on the Golden Boot Award, which goes to the tournament’s top goal scorer.

We should have seen this one coming from a mile away.

Of course the New Orleans Hornets were going to win the No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming NBA Draft. I just hope some of you were wiser than me and took the free money with the Hornets priced at +650 to win the draft lottery.

Despite having just a 13.7 percent chance of landing the first pick – and a shot at selecting Kentucky superstar Anthony Davis – the Hornets continued to move up and ousted the Charlotte Bobcats, who had a 25 percent shot at No. 1.

New Orleans’ luck has many league owners up in arms and shouting conspiracy theory, stating that the Hornets are still run by the NBA - regardless of Tom Benson’s supposed ownership of the franchise - and that the league rigged the lottery.

"It's such a joke that the league made the new owners be at the lottery for the show," one team executive told Yahoo! Sports. "The league still owns the Hornets. Ask their front office if new owners can make a trade right now. They can't. This is a joke."

If you want to throw more gas on the fire, it would seem plausible that one of the stipulations that Benson could have made in his move to purchase the team was that the NBA gift wrap in the No. 1 overall pick for 2012.

There’s no way to prove it happened – just like the shady 1997 Tim Duncan draft or the 1985 Patrick Ewing draft, which was the first-ever NBA lottery, conceived by none other than league commissioner David Stern.

Condolences go out to Bobcats fans everywhere – all 12 of you. Hopefully, you hedged your lottery luck and took New Orleans at +650 to steal the No. 1 pick.

Better luck next year...

If you thought Carmelo Anthony’s imminent return to the New York Knicks lineup was going to put an end to “Linsanity”, just wait until J.R. Smith takes the floor at MSG.

The New York Post is reporting that the Knicks are going to sign the free-agent guard, who is almost as bad as Anthony when it comes to stopping an offense dead in its tracks. Smith never took a shot he didn’t like, which makes him even worse than Anthony, who at least hits some of those terrible tosses.

Funny enough, Smith and Anthony played together in Denver, with Smith coming off the bench in place of Melo most nights. It’s no wonder these two are good buddies, they both subscribe to the same style of me-first basketball.

Don’t expect Jeremy Lin to act as anything more than a go-between when either Anthony or Smith are on the wing.

This is the end of Linsanity as we know it…

As a kid watching professional wrestling, there were only a handful of PPV events that defined the landscape in the WWF – now WWE.

You had, of course, Wrestlemania, Summer Slam, Royal Rumble, and my favorite, Survivor Series.

While all the other events were loaded with single and tag-team matches (and a 30-man battle royal at the Royal Rumble), Survivor Series was a unique card made up of team matches, pitting the best babyfaces (good guys) versus the best heels (bad guys).

The WWE has kept this format rolling and will uncork another Survivor Series this Sunday. I don’t follow wrestling that closely anymore, and don’t know who half the guys are, but I still enjoy the team vs. team format.

But what if other sports (real sports) started their own Survivor Series showdown, pitting the best good guys against the best bad guys? Here’s how it would shake down for each league:

NFL

Aaron Rodgers, Larry Fitzgerald, Adrian Peterson, Jason Witten, Jared Allen

VS.

Philip Rivers, DeSean Jackson, Chris Johnson, Vernon Davis, Ndamukong Suh

Team Rivers would take an early lead, knocking out Witten, Allen and Peterson, thanks to some underhanded tactics from Suh. But, Rodgers needs just a single receiver, and he and Fitzgerald clean house, before Rivers grabs a handful of trunks and gets Fitz for the 1-2-3.

That leaves just Rodgers and Rivers, with the Packers QB doing the classic Hogan finger point - “You!” - and beatdown. Rodgers celebrates the victory with the “Discount Double Check” on the top turnbuckle.

NBA

Kevin Durant, Derrick Rose, Dwight Howard, Dirk Nowitzki, Kobe Bryant

VS.

LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Amare Stoudemire, Russell Westbrook

Ring announcer Howard Finkle calls for Team Durant first, but no one comes through the curtain. He decides to try calling for Team LeBron, but again no movement. After waiting for five minutes the match is canceled.

NHL

Sidney Crosby, Pavel Datsyuk, Martin St. Louis, Shea Weber, Tim Thomas

VS.

Alex Ovechkin, Ilya Kovalchk, Daniel Sedin, Zdeno Chara, Roberto Luongo

Before the teams can make their way to the ring, Crosby is jumped by Team Ovie backstage, leaving the already concussion-prone star out of action for the Survivor Series match. Team sans-Crosby comes to the ring a man short and St. Louis grabs the mic, announcing Sid’s replacement – Steve Stamkos.

Team Ovie rushes out to the ring to protest, but the bell rings signaling the start of the match. Chara clears out almost all of the Team Stamkos roster by throwing them into the ring posts, leaving just Tim Thomas against all five Team Ovie members.

The bearded, out-of-shape netminder fights back, clocking Sedin with his goalie mask, sending the Swede reeling into the ref, dropping both to the canvas.

As the goalie goes for the cover, Henrik Sedin runs in and backhands Thomas with a stick, drags his brother out of the ring and covers Thomas. The ref wakes up and, not being able to tell the difference between the Sedins, counts 1-2-3.

MLB

Roy Halladay, Jose Bautista, Jose Reyes, Joe Mauer, Albert Pujols

VS.

Josh Beckett, Prince Fielder, Alex Rodriguez, Miguel Cabrera, A.J. Pierzynski

The match opens with some sick chain wrestling between Doc and Beckett, before Halladay sinks in an armbar on the right hander, forcing him to tap out. Cabrera, drunk as a skunk, attacks Halladay from behind. He tags in Fielder, who lands a bonsai drop ala Yokozuna, crushing the Doc’s ribs and scoring the easy pin fall.

The two sides go toe-to-toe for five hours, however, concessions stop selling beer after the second hour, leaving many of the fans disinterested. Pierzynski finally eliminates Reyes with pine tar to the eye, blinding the shortstop. Bautista jumps in and takes three huge swings at the cocky catcher, landing on the third and sending Pierzynski flying off the Booster Juice sign in the upper deck.

With Pujols taking a beating and struggling to stay on his feet, A-Rod pleads for the hot tag from Fielder. SLAP! Rodriguez jumps in the ring, looking like he’s going to rip someone’s head off. He runs up to Pujols, swings and misses on a big clothes line – only to find Mauer waiting with a bottle of Head & Shoulders to the face.

As Mauer, Bautista and Pujols turn to take on Fielder and Cabrera, they find the Tigers slugger passed out with a bottle of whiskey in his glove and Fielder is gasping for breath like a boated bass. The ref counts both men out.

Those are mine. Who are your Survivor Series teams?

Most Valuable Player awards have always been skewed a bit when it comes to the true meaning behind the honor.

A lot of the time, the best player on the best team wins the MVP – not necessarily the player who means the most to their franchise.

In the NFL, Aaron Rodgers looks like the runaway winner for 2011, even though the Green Bay Packers gunslinger may not be the most valuable player to his team when you take a good look at the league.

In fact, the 2011 NFL MVP hasn’t even stepped on the field this season – and probably won’t – for a squad that is 0-7 heading into Week 8 of the schedule.

To see how far the Indianapolis Colts have fallen without quarterback Peyton Manning is astonishing. While, in essence, he only throws the football, Manning’s absence has seemed to impact every aspect of the Colts.

The offense, obviously, has taken giant leaps backwards with backup Curtis Painter under center. But the defense has even felt the lack of No. 18 this season.

Without Manning managing the clock, an aging stop unit isn’t getting the down time it’s used to – sitting second last in time of possession at 24:23. And it shows. Indianapolis is among the worst in the league in total yards, rushing defense, and points allowed.

To put it into a betting perspective, the Colts were around +800 to win the Super Bowl after the NFL Draft in the spring. Now, Manning-less Indy is a +50,000 long shot sitting next to the Miami Dolphins at the bottom of the SBXLVI futures.

To say Rodgers or Brady would have the same impact on their team if they were out is wrong. Football fans got a sample of that back in 2008, when Brady went down with a knee injury in Week 1. The Patriots rallied around Matt Cassel and Bill Belichick kept the ship afloat, posting an 11-5 record most teams would kill for.

The Colts have gone from a playoff team and Super Bowl contender with Manning, to the worst team in the league without him.

So, when someone other than Manning gets the nod for the so-called MVP award, just keep in mind Indianapolis’ nose dive and the fact that Manning would be earning his fifth NFL MVP if the honor actually went to the Most Valuable Player.

When it comes to my favorite flavor of hoops, I’d always choose college over pro. And, with the NBA lockout threatening even more NBA games, it looks like every basketball fan will be down to one choice this winter.

However, while I prefer to watch more NCAA action than NBA, I do enjoy just how good the pro game is. Leave a guy open in the corner and it’s a sure-fire 3-pointer. Late to pick up the ball, they’re already in full stride and slicing through the paint.

I’m not missing the NBA yet, mostly because we’ve only lost preseason games so far and the original start to the season isn’t until November 1 (New start is Nov 15). But, talk about canning the season up until and past the Christmas Day games has me a little on edge.

The December 25 matchups are a holiday tradition in my family. As a kid, I can remember opening presents, eating a big breakfast, visiting family and then settling in for hours of classic Xmas Day NBA action.

I can take the loss of the first few weeks, and maybe even up to December. But for all that’s sacred, don’t take my Christmas Day games away!

Without the NBA, I’ll be forced to visit with relatives I haven’t seen in years, drink bad punch, and sit through endless stories about “How when we were kids, we got an orange for Christmas”.

And this year’s Christmas Day games are especially great: Bulls at Lakers, Celtics at Knicks, and Heat at Mavericks. They’ll all keep me parked in my La-Z-Boy from noon until 8ish, when the Bears and Packers tangle in the NFL – a league that understands the sanctity of the holiday.

So, c’mon NBA players and owners, get your shit together. No NBA on Christmas Day will be like opening up all your gifts and not getting that special one you really, really wanted.

After falling to 1-4 with a 31-24 loss to the Buffalo Bills Sunday, the Philadelphia Eagles are grasping for straws when it comes to a quick fix for their already-broken season.

The Eagles reportedly offered a defensive consultant gig to former Jets and Browns coach Eric Mangini, hoping the defensive mastermind could tinker with their lackluster stop unit. Mangini allegedly turned Philadelphia down.

The Eagles were supposed to be the NFL’s “Dream Team”, after signing a slew of free agents and trading for some big-name talents. But, after just five weeks, it’s safe to say Philly has been a disappointment.

However, as bad as the Eagles have been, they might not even be the biggest disappointment in the City of Brotherly Love.

Baseball’s Phillies were supposed to ride their stellar pitching staff all the way to the World Series this year. But instead, their bats went ice cold versus St. Louis and provided nothing in the way of support for Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, and the rest of the gang.

Philadelphia’s loaded rosters, on paper at least, seemed to be in the same vein as the Miami Heat’s moves to ink three of the best players in the NBA two summers ago.

We all know how that came out. LeBron, Wade and Bosh lost to the Mavericks in the NBA Finals.

So, with the Eagles dogged on the road in Washington this week, the Phillies licking their wounds (and surgically-repaired Achilles) this winter, and the Heat perhaps having to wait until November or December to start their road to redemption, which so-called “Dream Team” is the most disappointing?

For the all guff Plaxico Burress get for shooting himself in the leg, the Dallas Cowboys should get twice the trouble after once again shooting themselves in the foot.

Dallas handed its fans, me included, another horrific and painful loss in Week 1. By now, you already know the gory details, but just to review: Goal-line fumble, blocked punt, interception, botched snap, stupid Romo smile = blown 14-point lead in the fourth quarter. Even a cover as 3.5-point underdogs couldn't get the taste out of my mouth.

Tony Romo took the blame for the 27-24 loss, and so he should. Despite a terrific stat line (342 yards and two touchdowns against the top pass defense in the NFL), Romo’s goal-line fumble snowballed into the mess mentioned above.

While the loss was a tough pill to swallow, like sucking back a pine cone dipped in hot sauce and rolled in fiberglass, I can’t help but be optimistic about the Cowboys’ efforts.

They managed to push around one of the league’s best stop units and, until the secondary started dropping like flies, did a great job on defense. Dez Bryant looked like a killer (before he got tired) and Miles Austin threw Antonio Cromartie around like a rag doll all night. And the pass rush was able to get to Sanchez, most notably DeMarcus Ware, which is key if the secondary continues to suck.

Dallas finds itself in a similar spot to last year’s Week 2 matchup. It’s coming off a crushing opening-game blunder and takes on a respectable-but-beatable opponent in San Francisco. Last season, the Cowboys couldn’t get right and lost to Chicago, 27-20, in Week 2, which turned into a 1-7 start.

If this team is really different than last season’s shit show, they’ll have to prove it against the Niners. If it comes through with an inspired and boner-free win, Dallas could be stronger for dropping such a big game in Week 1.

However, if Big D falters again, and problems continue to compound themselves, feel free to fade the Cowboys for the rest of the year.

I, unfortunately, won’t be able to look away.

Football fans, who normally push the NFL preseason away like a clingy leper, are welcoming the warmup games with open arms after the lockout threatened the entire 2011 season this summer.

Football fever is spreading across North America ever since the players and owners kissed and made up. It seems everyone is thinking about the NFL, be it casual fans, fantasy heads, or the sports betting community, which breathed a huge sigh of relief when the lockout ended last month.

“Human mentality is that once you realize you could lose something, you appreciate it more and you notice it more,” says Tony Williams, sportsbook manager for 5Dimes.com. “The same can be said for relationships and football.

“A lot of guys have a better relationship with the NFL than they do with any girlfriend. The NFL has always been there. For most guys, women come and go throughout their life. But the NFL has always been there.”

Williams admits he’s feeling giddy about the new NFL schedule, but that frenzied interest hasn’t translated into a bigger handle for sportsbooks over the first two days of preseason action.

Some blame the lack of television coverage for the tuneup games while others, like MGM Mirage sportsbook manager Jeff Stoneback, believe the short offseason and abbreviated training camps are keeping bettors from wagering on the unknown.

Stoneback says the ignited interest in the NFL is bringing in record crowds to watch the preseason tilts, but few of those fans are placing bets. Most handicappers are intently studying the preseason schedule, in preparation for the regular season grind.

“I would guess (the handle) would be similar to previous preseasons. Maybe even down a little bit,” says Stoneback. “People are really interested in the preseason this year, but as a fan myself, I don’t really care to watch the games.”

Neither offshore or Las Vegas books expect a larger handle come Week 1 of the regular season, with Vegas spots bracing for a little slower opening week than usual this time around. Stoneback predicts that many of the vacationers that plan their trips to Sin City for Week 1 every September didn’t book a ticket this year with the season up in the air for so long.

As for those NFL bettors who are braving the preseason odds, the most popular team over the Thursday and Friday slates was the Washington Redskins, who downed the Pittsburgh Steelers 16-7 as 2.5-point home favorites Friday. Underdogs have also been at the top of most bettors’ menu, with the books needing four of the five favorites to cover in Thursday's games.

Ah, summer love.

And I’m not talking about that shit John Travolta was singing about in Grease.

I’m talking about that relationship we’ve all had at one point in our lives over the summer months, that wasn’t so much about “love” but about having someone to go to late in the game – like a solid closer in baseball – if you know what I’m sayin’?

For the most part, summer relationships are there to kill time and fill the space between the end of the school year and the start of it. For a young man, the fall, especially in your university run, is like the NFL Draft for potential girlfriends. There's talent at every corner and every class.

The summer months, while they’re carefree and lack the daily grind of school, are more like the CFL Draft – you really need to put in some serious scouting if you want to find a gem.

And chances are, at one point, you’ve dropped your summer gal just in time for the school season, and its buffet-style dating options. It’s a cruel reality in the relationship game, one that is mirrored in the world of sports betting each and every fall.

Baseball has been sports bettors’ summer fling since the NBA Finals wrapped in June. She’s been there every day to get you through this slow period in action, but you were never really in love with her and most days, didn’t even feel like having her around.

Sure, you had some good times. Like that five-game parlay you nailed in July or jumping on the Pirates before they became headline news. But, deep down, you have been counting the days until the fall, just knowing something better was around the bend.

And with the start of the NFL preseason this Thursday, plenty of bettors are going to be sending baseball a short and sweet break-up email or they might just do what many of us did, and just stop calling. Baseball will get the idea.

She’ll try to wow us with her flashy playoff races and pennant battles, but even a slutty World Series matchup won’t be enough to win most gamblers back. By that time, sports bettors will have already been nailing college football for a while and will be falling head over heels for the NFL.

So, whether you plan on calling it quits with MLB this week or will ride it out until the college sked begins in September, just remember to let baseball down easy – you’re going to need her again next summer.

It’s not you baseball. It’s me. I just think I should start seeing other sports…

Remember that time you were going to get an awesome deal on that autographed Wayne Gretzky jersey on eBay, and someone swooped in with a last-second bid and stole your prized item?

Chances are that person was from Philadelphia.

And that sweet parking spot you noticed right next to the gate of you local arena, and just as you were pulling in, some jackass swerved in and took it?

More than likely, that car had Pennsylvania plates and 76ers sticker in the back window.

Philadelphia may be known as the City of Brotherly Love, but in the world of big-name free agent shopping, Philly is getting a reputation as a stealth-bombing, wildcard city that creeps in through the window in the middle of the night and carries free agents off to the South Philadelphia Sports Complex – home to the Eagles, Phillies, Flyers and Sixers.

The Philadelphia Eagles made waves Friday, scooping shutdown corner Nnamdi Asomugha from right under the New York Jets’ nose. Reports around the NFL were that Asomugha was destined to go to either the Jets or Dallas Cowboys. But instead, the Eagles landed the most sought after free agent on the market, and shocked the league and its fans.

But this isn’t the first time a Philadelphia franchise has pulled off a surprise move. Earlier this month, the Flyers acquired returning NHL veteran Jaromir Jagr, who appeared to be headed back to the Pittsburgh Penguins, where he won two Stanley Cups. But instead of a happy reunion, Jagr jumped ship to the Pens’ state rivals, even though the Flyers weren’t even mentioned among the candidates to land the former Hart Trophy winner.

This winter, former Cy Young winner Cliff Lee was all but fitted for pinstripes. But before the Yankees could convince the ace pitcher to sign on the dotted line, the Phillies brass appealed to Lee’s wife, who enjoyed her brief time in Philadelphia a year earlier. That was enough for Mr. Lee, who stunned baseball pundits and joined forces with Roy Halladay, Cole Hamels and Roy Oswalt to form one of the greatest starting rotations in the history of the major leagues.

Maybe Philadelphia’s sports franchises are just better than others at keeping their best-laid plans away from the prying eyes of the media, who have been blindsided by these player moves. Or maybe we give too much credit to the media.

Whatever the case, the next time a big-name free agent is shopping his wares to the highest bidder, don’t be surprised if that player ends up pricing homes in the 215 area code.

Don't think I've ever seen Staniszewski before.

Yao Ming was one of the best things to ever happen to the NBA.

But, with the international sensation suddenly retiring Friday, his legacy will be more about being an ambassador for the sport of basketball than his work on the court.

After being drafted No. 1 overall in 2002, and bringing in a massive audience to the NBA from his home country China, the 7-foot-6 monster took the sports world by storm. Unlike many 7-footers, who served more as gimmick projects than real prospects, Yao proved he belonged in the Association.

He went head-to-head with the finest big men in the Western Conference every night, holding his own against the likes of first-ballot HoF’ers Shaquille O’Neal and Tim Duncan. For his career, Yao averaged 19 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks, with his best season coming in 2006-07 when he scored 25 points and pulled down 9.4 boards a night, but only played 48 games due to injuries.

Yao would continue to slow down after multiple foot and knee ailment, having played in just 160 games between the 2005-06 and 2007-08 seasons. He came back strong in 2008-09, putting up more than 19 points per game and suiting up for the Rockets 77 times, but again foot injuries would limit him to only five games in the next two seasons and eventually force Yao to retire.

Yao’s accomplishments were impressive for such a short time in the NBA - eight-time All-Star (thanks in part to the large Chinese fan vote), two All-NBA Second Team nods, and three All-NBA Third Team honors – but fall short against the on-court resume needed to land a spot in the Hall of Fame.

However, because of his instant impact on the game and, more importantly, the way he helped spread basketball to the far reaches of the globe, Yao Ming deserves a spot in Springfield, Mass.