Touching all the bases

Intriguing stories today about Toronto’s ‘pro sports’ environment …

Ticket scandel rocks MLSE

A senior executive at Maple Leafs’ parent company Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment has resigned and five other employees have been fired after the company learned of ticket irregularities …

News of the scandal comes in the wake of an already sour week for MLSE. The Toronto Raptors are struggling and may miss out on the chance for home-court advantage in the NBA playoffs, while the Leafs will miss the playoffs for the third straight season. Both developments could cost the company hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Struggling Raptors starting to take on scent of Leafs

Last night, it was as if the stink of the Maple Leafs’ despicable performance against the Ottawa Melnyks 24 hours earlier was wafting up through the floorboards, infecting the efforts of the Raptors as they attempted to nail down a playoff spot through their own efforts against the still expansion-like Charlotte Bobcats …

 

For MLSE, this is troubling, for the Raps are their crown jewel at the moment, given the state of the Leafs and the fact the corp’s sophomore soccer squad [TFC] declined to aggressively improve itself after a predictably awful debut campaign.

Glory days recalled at home plate

We were all young together, once, when major league baseball was itself a wildly popular neophyte ’round these parts. When the park was always full to capacity. When the Jays seemed always to make the playoffs and it appeared the fun, the swagger, would never end …

Now, the ball team makes a low-decibel debut on home turf, parenthetically on the same weekend the Maple Leafs slink out of town for their season wrap in Montreal, two chronically non-post-season franchises passing in the night.

————————————

UPDATE:
- Bottom of the 4th … the Blue Jays (Litsch/+117) strike back for 3 runs to regain the lead (4-2) against the World Champion, Boston Red Sox (Buchholtz)
- FINAL SCORE: TOR 10, Bos 2

Super Bowl XLII: In Review

18-1. 

Did the better team win the game on Sunday?

Maybe.

http://www.bettorsworld.com/web/forums/showthread.php?t=28484

When your team can (i) run the ball, (ii) stop the run, and (iii) rush the passer … amazing things can happen on a football field.

There were 5 crucial plays in this game which went the way of the New York Giants and, in large part, determined the eventual outcome:

4 featured outstanding deeds by individual members of the Giants …

1. Ahmad Bradshaw’s ‘fumble recovery’ … instead of a created turnover for New England;
2. Ahmad Bradshaw’s ‘batted ball’ … instead of a created turnover for New England;
3. Eli Manning’s ‘miracle sack escape’, on the game-winning drive;
4. David Tyree’s ‘miracle catch’ … holding on to the ball with one hand only, squeezed against the top of his helmut – despite a ‘valiant effort’ by Rodney Harrison to break-up the pivotal play – on the game-winning drive;

1 featured a vital ‘Opportunity Lost’ by an individual member of the Patriots …

1. Asante Samuel’s ‘failed interception’ attempt, that went right through his two hands, on the game-winning drive by New York.

In the end, the ‘Sporting Gods’ failed to smile on the Patriots, this day, handing them a cruel defeat … 1 play short of accomplishing their Dream … whilest staring into the grizzled face of ‘pro sports history’.

http://www.bettorsworld.com/web/forums/showthread.php?t=28511&page=2

What a terrific ballgame!

Super Bowl XLII: Destiny Calls

Three days prior to kick-off, the ’side number’ for this game looks pretty accurate to me … NE -12.5

e.g. if it’s -14.5 or more, I’m all over the G-men, going for their 11th consecutive cover on the road; if it’s -12 or lower, anytime prior to kick-off, I’m gonna have to hit the Pats, hard; and, if it stays between -12.5 and -14, that’s a very dicey call, either way, from where I’m perched, right now … i.e. in the catbird’s seat, +27.7 units on the NFL season to-date.

How have the Giants been able to mask their apparent weaknesses in the Defensive Secondary, against each of the Bays, in their playoff victories?

IMO, the ‘uncomplicated’ answer is … their Front 7, right now, is as good (read, as … super athletic, physical and fierce) as any group in the league, today, anchored by Strahan and propelled by young’ns Umenyiora, Tuck & Torbor (etc.) … as is their Running Game with the tandem backs combo, Bradshaw (speed) & Jacobs (power).

While I can see several different scenarios unfolding in this game … the one which gives me the most pause to tread lightly in assessing this match-up, right now, is the still uncertainty involved with that protective boot Tom Brady was wearing (unexpectedly?) last week, and the effect his injury has had on the amount of reps he’s taken, since then, with his usual ‘Gang of Marauders on Offense’ (i.e. re: the cohesiveness of their ‘spread’ & ‘hurry-up’ passing attack vs the Giants pass rush and their situational subs).

Giants defense prepares for dancing Brady

IMO, if Tom Brady is completely healthy, and in his customary rhythm with Moss, Welker, Faulk & Co., I don’t see New England scoring less than 35 pts in this game … which should be enough to win and get the cover, if the number stays where it’s at today (-12.5) and the Giants’ Special Teams don’t return any kicks for TDs …

but, if his timing is thrown off, by his inactivity since the Chargers’ game, even just a little bit, then there’s every possibility for the G-Men’s Front 7 to hold down the fort again, like they did against the respective Bays …

in which case …

it will then fall, once more, at the feet of the Pats’ veteran Defensive Unit, led by Bruschi, Vrabel, Seymour, Harrison and (my 2nd favourite defensive player in NFL history, Mr. Junior) ‘Old Man’ Seau … to play the type of “tough, physical, smash-mouth” football, they are capable of, in the Red Zone, as though this was, in fact, the FINAL GAME of their pro careers! …. hmmmmmm???

… and, thereby, avoid the (cruel?) hand-of-fate which befell the St. Louis Rams, Feb 3, 2002 (6 years ago, to the day) when, as very healthy 14-pt favorites, they succumbed to an upstart team, led by an inexperienced QB, who completed 16 of 27 passes that day – for 145 yards with 1 TD – and marched his team down the field for the game winning score, while being named Super Bowl MVP.

Which way will things play out this Sunday?

IMO, this group of Patriots will only go as far as Tom Brady’s health & Junior Seau’s heart can take them.

In the end, will it be enough?

Only (Father) time can truly tell … but, right now, it seems to me as though Destiny is calling out their names, Here & Now.

19-0.

NFL Divisional Playoffs

There are 4 playoff matchups scheduled for this weekend, with the following wagering lines:

Sat Jan 12 2008
GREEN BAY -9 Seattle
NEW ENGLAND -13.5 Jacksonville

Sun Jan 13 2008
INDIANAPOLIS -9.5 San Diego
DALLAS -7.5 NY Giants

Visit www.khandorsports.com to view my results for the entire 2007-2008 NFL season and to purchase a selection for this weekend:

NFL – GAME OF THE WEEK
11-7, 61%
+16.5 Units

NFL – FREE PICKS
18-8-3, 69%
+9.2 Units

NFL – MONDAY NIGHT
7-5, 58%
+1.5 Units

Synchronicity

When starting out a new venture, like this, working out the kinks can be somewhat confusing. Nevertheless, it’s important to make sure that there’s as much congruence as possible between anything which appears in this blog and the information I’ve put forth at:

Khandorsports.com, and
BETTORSWORLD.com

With this in mind, a couple of “Housekeeping” matters need to be attended to, in the aftermath of NFL – Week 4.

NFL – GOTW selections are 5 units each

NFL – Free/Other Picks are 1 unit each, and do not
include Monday Night games

NFL – Monday Night games are 1 unit each
and are not included amongst GOTW selections
or the weekly Free/Other Picks

Free/Other Picks for Week 1 documented at BETTORSWORLD.com neglected to include BUF +3.0 (W) and MIN -3.0 (W), two selections which were, in fact, released prior to kick-off that weekend.

As a result, current “records” should be as follows, at this point in the season:

GOTW
Record: 4-0
Units: +20.0

FREE/OTHER PICKS
Record: 8-3-1
Units: +4.7

MNF
Record: 1-1
Units: -0.2

For those referencing my selections at BETTORSWORLD.com, please accept my apologies for any confusion these initial mix-ups may have caused.

NFL Week 4 – Denoument

Yesterday was a giant hit in the NFL, coming home with our 4th consecutive GAME OF THE WEEK (GOTW) winner, GREEN BAY -1.5, together with a 5-2 mark for our OTHER/FREE PICKS.  

Heading towards this evening’s Monday Night Special, CINCINNATI vs New England, here’s where things stand right now:

GOTW
Record: 4-0
Units: +20.0

OTHER PICKS
Record: 7-3-1
Units: +3.7

MNF
Record: 1-0
Units: +2.0

* Documented at BETTORSWORLD.com

A nice start, thus far, to the 2007-2008 NFL regular season.

VISIT: KhandorSports.com, for a full menu of daily selections.