NFL Prediction Battle: I Have NFL Network... Do You? (Week 13 Picks)

I went 7-9 last week.

YTD: 74-95-2

Not sure if I beat Craig. He only got 6, but didn’t pick the Thanksgiving Day games, where I went 2-1.

We’ll settle that later.

And apparently the only way to keep me from chalking up another W in my Lock of the Week column is to totally forget to pick one. Arrrrrrrrrgggggh.

I realized it halfway through the morning games. At that point, my judgment was clouded by halftime scores. Oh well. I’ll improve on that 9-2 mark this week.

But before tonight’s game starts, gotta get tonight’s pick in...

PACKERS (+7) at Dallas

I wonder how many more games Green Bay will have to win to get some respect. Dallas deserves to be favored, especially at home.

But by 7?

As much as I enjoy watching the Packers lose, that’s too much to give that Fav-ruh guy.

I wouldn’t be shocked if the Pack goes in there and wins outright. I’ll take the Pack and the points

Rest of picks and last week’s to come later this week.

Enjoy tonight's game for those of you who are actually smart enough to not still be living with cable television. I mean, come on. That's like still having a word processor. Who does that?

Go DirecTV!

NFL Pick 'Em Battle: Let's Talk Turkey

Happy happy Turkey everyone.

Who else is looking forward to a red wine/tryptophan coma? Hmmmm? Hmmmm?

Exactly. Me too.

A triple dose of NFL goodness on Thursday, and while a Peyton Manning-Michael Vick showdown no doubt sounded great when the schedule makers were throwing darts at the board back in August, now a Colts-Falcons game has all the excitement of watching paint dry.

But I’ve never been one to look a gift horse in the mouth, so you’ll hear no complaints from me.

A feast fit for a king and 9 hours of football? Where do I sign up?

Here are this week’s picks, with the Thursday games first. I may or may not change my Sunday picks as we get closer to game time, but I’ll leave that up… well, to me frankly.

A little something different this week as I’m offering a bit of insight into each pick. Not that you care. I just like to hear myself type.

And away we go… as always, my pick in ALL CAPS…

Packers at LIONS (+3) – I’m feeling a Turducken-fueled upset.

Jets at COWBOYS (-14) – I’m feeling a Turducken-fueled blowout. Fourteen is still a lot of points. I say the Boys win by 17.

COLTS (-12) at Falcons - Being at home on Thanksgiving only gets you so far. Sorry Dirty Birds.

Sunday selections…

Broncos at BEARS (-2) – I’m shocked my Bears are favored here, but I’ve picked them every game thus far and don’t plan on stopping.

TITANS (-1) at Bengals – If I were a futures bettor, I would’ve laid a year’s mortgage on this game in Week 1 for Cincy. What the heck happened to them?!?

BILLS (+7.5) at Jaguars – I’m feeling a 24-17 win for J’ville.

Raiders at CHIEFS (-5) – NFL fans, meet Kolby Smith. Kolby Smith, these are the NFL fans. Now play nice.

TEXANS (+3.5) at Browns – Hardest game to pick this week. I admittedly have NO clue who wins this game and as a result, I’ll take the dog.

SEAHAWKS (-3) at Rams – This spread could be 8 and I’d still take the Seahags.

Vikings at GIANTS (-7.5) – Vikings stink. If Gmen can’t cover, they got bigger problems on their hands.

SAINTS (-3) at Panthers – See Seattle Seahawks.

REDSKINS (+3) at Bucs – The second toughest game to call this week. Again, I’ll take the points, regardless of who is getting them.

Niners at CARDS (-10) – Ok, how weird is it the Cards are favored by 10 over anyone?!? And that I’m picking them? SF stinks.

Ravens at CHARGERS (-9) – The Ravens D will most likely outscore the Ravens O. Bolts should still win by two touchdowns.

EAGLES (+22.5) at Pats – In all my years of betting, I’ve never seen a 22-point spread in the NFL. You mean to tell me the Eagles with AJ Feeley at QB are 6 points worse than the Dolphins three weeks ago?!? I don’t think so. Can’t resist getting 3 TDs. Speaking of the Dolphins…

Dolphins at STEELERS (-16) – For the record, I am convinced Miami wins a game this year. Maybe 2. This certainly won’t be it. But Jets, Bills, Ravens and believe it or not the Bengals are all winnable games for any NFL team, even one as dismal as the Dolphins.

NFL Prediction Battle: Week 11 Results

Don't call it a comeback kids.

I've got a long way to go to catch Craig from Johnny Wishbone, but this is back-to-back victories for the That’s What HE Said crew in our weekly battle.

I'm not sayin'. I’m just sayin'.

Can the power of the turkey lead me to 3 straight wins? Only time (and turkey) shall tell.

This week's picks coming later.

Week 11: 10-6
Craig in Week 11: 7-9

Eric YTD: 67-86-2

YTD against Craig: 3-5-2

And the stat I continue to hang my hat on...

LOCK OF THE WEEK YTD: 9-2 (Go Packers.... man, that's weird to say even in this context)

GET THAT BEARS PHOTO UP WISHBONE!!!!

NFL Prediction Battle: Week 11 Picks

It's well after midnight on Saturday. I guess that actually makes it Sunday.

You get the point. No time to chat. I'll just say this had better be the last picks of any kind I ever make while Lloyd Carr is still the head coach of Michigan.

Appreciate the first 6 years of the tenure. The last five have been rough. Time to move on.

Les Miles, that's the Wolverines in Line 2.

Anyhoo, here's the picks.

My pick in ALL CAPS...

CHARGERS (+3) at Jaguars
Chiefs at COLTS (-14.5)
Raiders at VIKINGS (-4.5)
Browns at RAVENS (+2.5)
Steelers at JETS (+9.5)
BUCCANEERS (-3) at Falcons
Cardinals at BENGALS (-3)
Dolphins at EAGLES (-9.5)
REDSKINS (+11) at Cowboys
SAINTS (+1.5) at Texans
Panthers at PACKERS (-9.5)
GIANTS (-2.5) at Lions
RAMS (-3) at Niners
BEARS (+5.5) at Seahawks
PATRIOTS (-16) at Bills
Titans at BRONCOS (-2)

LOCK OF THE WEEK: PACKERS

NFL Prediction Battle: Week 10 Results

I love the smell of victory in the morning.

A wise man once said that. Wait, maybe that was napalm.

Ok, a wise man should've said that and if not, I'm saying it now. So there.

I finally pulled out another win against Craig from Johnny Wishbone in our weekly head-to-head pick ‘em battle.

I went 8-6 in Week 10. Craig went 5-9.

YTD: 57-80-2

I'm now 2-5-2 against him this year. Let the comeback begin!

Also nailed my lock of the week once again (GO BEARS!). I’m now 8-2 on my locks here folks.

I'm not saying.... I'm just saying.

Make sure you check Craig’s site all week and bombard him with angry e-mails until he posts a picture of my Bears as a sign of his defeat!

NFL Pick 'Em: Week 10 Predictions

Week 10 picks… as always my pick in ALL CAPS…

Denver at CHIEFS (-3)
Bills at MIAMI (+2.5)
Browns at STEELERS (-10)
Rams at SAINTS (-10.5)
Titans at JAGUARS (+1.5)
FALCONS (+4) at Panthers
EAGLES (+2.5) at Redskins
Vikings at PACKERS (-6)
BENGALS (+3.5) at Ravens
BEARS (-3.5) at Raiders
DALLAS (-1.5) at Giants
LIONS (+1.5) at Cardinals
COLTS (-3.5) at Chargers
Niners at SEAHAWKS (-10)

LOCK OF THE WEEK: BEARS

Year to date: 49-74-2
Lock of the week YTD: 7-2

A Husker For A Day

I hate the Lakers.

Ohio State and St. Louis Cardinals. Those are about the only two teams on earth I enjoy watching lose more than the Lake Show.

I’ve never been a fan, but since I’ve lived in LA, I’ve come to despise them (and usually their fair-weather fans) even more.

But enough back story. Here’s a new tale…

So my buddy MJ and I were invited to the Lakers/Twolves game on Friday night by Access Hollywood host Tony Potts.

Tony took MJ and I to the game, along with Wally, one of the Access cameramen. Primo seats. You know, the ones that come with your own waiter. Sick.

Yes, the Twolves are quite possibly the worst team in the NBA, but it was still a blast. They actually gave the Lakers a run for their money, which I was silently enjoying. (Hey, you can’t piss off the guy who paid for the tickets by rooting against his team, right?)

But the Lakers prevailed, even earning all in attendance two free tacos from Jack In The Box. Mmmmm, greasy fake meat tacos.

Looking forward to redeeming that one.

But if you’ve come this far, unless you live in LA, you’re still wondering who the hell is in that photo with me … (I’m assuming you’ve guessed the other kid is MJ) but who’s the dude in the suit?

Well, that would be Stu Lantz.

Who?

Wait, you’ve never heard of Stu Lantz?

Drafted with the first pick in the third round of the 1968 NBA draft by the-then San Diego Rockets. Spent a couple years with the Pistons, New Orleans Jazz and eventually the Lakers in the 70s.

He’s been the Lakers color man since 1987 (yes, that’s a 20-year span) and was the man who had the honor of sitting next to the late, great Chick Hearn for nearly two decades.

No? Still nothin’? Well, it doesn’t matter. Because the other thing you probably didn’t know about good ol’ Stu until now was he also played hoops at the University of Nebraska.

Of course, I didn’t know this either until several minutes after last night’s game.

As MJ and I are standing in an essentially empty Staples Center, with security guards shooing everyone out (Tony and Wally left at the final buzzer), Stu is about 10 feet in front of us taping his post-game wrap up for the local TV channel.

“We should ask Stu to take a picture with us,” MJ suggests. “How do we get his attention? I wish I knew what school he went to.”

Enter Eric and his Blackberry.

Within seconds, I’ve Googled Stu to see where he went to school and just as the camera is shutting off, the search results come up and reveal he’s a Husker.

That’s it. There’s our in.

“Go Huskers!” we shout from above. (At this point, we’re separated from Stu by only the barrier separating the sections).

Stu looks up and smiles. I mean, hey it’s not everyday you run into what he didn’t know at the time were two kids pretending to be fellow Nebraska alumni.

“Go Huskers,” he replies.

“Stu, can we get a picture?” MJ (who if you know MJ ain’t shy about this kind of thing) asks.

“Absolutely, come on down,” says Stu.

We both start to hop the railing when the security guard says no way. Go out and around and come down to the lower section, he says.

At this point, we are set into a booze-fueled semi-sprint back out into the concourse, past several very official security guards whose jobs are to keep fans just like us out of their sections.

But it was nothing a few “Stu invited us down” lines couldn’t cure. When you drop Stu’s name at Staples, it’s like saying, “We’re here to see Hef” at The Mansion.

We finally find our way to the lower section and run over to Stu. The dude was super cool.

“Go Big Red!” I tell him, with a handshake.

“Whatchu know about Big Red?” he grins.

“I know if we don’t start winning a few games, Callahan is going to be out on his ass,” I say, obviously referring to the awful slump Bill Callahan has led the Huskers football team into lately, which finally brings my vast knowledge of up-until-then-useless sports info into an advantageous situation

MJ hands his camera to one of Stu’s guy who snaps a photo. I hand my blackberry over to the guy and he snaps another.

We shake Stu’s hand again. I wish him a great rest of the season. And we’re on our way like two kids who just got to meet Santa for the first time.

Yes I know, it’s Stu Lantz (who you now know way more about than you likely ever wanted to). But we had left sobriety behind hours before and replaced him with a dose of tipsiness, which makes any situation a bit more interesting.

So yes, we were psyched. I woke up this morning and guess what – I was still psyched.

It was cool and frankly, I’ll probably never forget it, if for nothing more than the odd circumstances that unfolded for it to happen.

And Stu, if you’re reading this, let me just apologize for leading you astray. I actually can’t stand Bill Callahan and I enjoy watching the Huskers football team get their collective tush handed to them on a regular basis.

But one thing is for sure – you made this University of Arizona Wildcat alum-turned-temporary-Husker one happy camper.

Go Spurs… Go Wildcats and let’s hear it for the Blackberry!

Oh, and the Lakers still suck. But Stu, you’re OK by me.

NFL Pick 'Em: Week 8 Results/Week 9 Picks

That's right folks... we're having a special today at That's What HE Said...

Not only do you get last week's results, but also this week's NFL picks all for the low, low price of just one click!

I know, I'm a giver. But I digress...

It's a good thing I have a brother and not a sister, because frankly she'd be tired of kissing me right now.

Yes, just like smooching your sis, it’s another tie in my battle vs. Craig from Johnny Wishbone.

We both went 6-7.

On the season I'm 1-5-2 against Craig in our weekly head-to-head.

Season picks: 44-68-2
Hey, nothing a 14-0 week can't fix in a hurry.
If Jim Flack can go perfect in our office pool, why can't I?!?

Like I said last week, if you were looking to this column for gambling advice, I hope you are in good with your bank, because you're probably in need of a loan right about now.

That is, unless, you've been following my lock of the week, in which case, can I have a loan?

After the Colts covered last week, I'm 6-2 on my weekly lock. That's actually, and surprisingly, not too shabby.

Here's this week's picks (pick in ALL CAPS)...

Cards at TAMPA BAY (-3.5)
Panthers at TITANS (-4.5)
BENGALS (+2.5) at Bills
BRONCOS (+3.5) at Detroit
PACKERS (+2.5) at Chiefs
CHARGERS (-8.5) at Vikes
Jaguars at SAINTS (-3.5)
NINERS (+3.5) at Falcons
REDSKINS (-3.5) at Jets
SEAHAWKS (+.5) at Browns
TEXANS (+3.5) at Oakland
Dallas at PHILLY (+3.5)
Ravens at STEELERS (-7.5)

...and the game of the week, the game of the season and maybe the game of the century...

Pats at COLTS (+3.5)

I have no clue who wins this game. But if you're giving me more than a FG, I'll take the points regardless of who's the underdog.

LOCK OF THE WEEK: TITANS