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 Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Beat The Blogger winner
Posted by Tuff Stuff
While the Blogger was able to get back on track by picking 9 of 16 correct picks, it wasn't enough to hold off "Sam" who picked 12 of 16 to win this week's Beat The Blogger contest.
The final regular season matchups will be posted on Wednesday so make sure you get your picks posted 1/2 prior to the start of the Thursday night game so you can be eligible to win.
Good luck and thanks for playing.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008 5:35:34 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00) 
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Thursday, December 18, 2008
This week's Beat the Blogger picks
Posted by Tuff Stuff
After my worst week of picking games ever, I'm getting a little bold this week with hopes of turning things around. The following are the Beat the Blogger picks for this week. Remember to factor in the point spreads when making your selections and get your picks posted 1/2 hour before the start of the Thursday night game. Good luck. Indianapolis -6 over Jacksonville Baltimore +4 over Dallas  Pittsburgh -2 over Tennessee Kansas City +4 over Miami New England -8 over Arizona Cincinnati +3 over Cleveland Washington +5 over Philadelphia San Francisco -5.5 over St. Louis Atlanta +3 over Minnesota New Orleans -7 over Detroit NY Giants -3 over Carolina NY Jets -5 over Seattle Houston -7 over Oakland Denver -7 over Buffalo San Diego +3.5 over Tampa Bay Green Bay +4 over Chicago
Thursday, December 18, 2008 4:18:37 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Not So Deep Thoughts: You Want To Talk About Playoffs?
Posted by Tuff Stuff
Although I've been struggling with my weekly picks the last ... let's just say several weeks and leave it at that ... I've always been known as someone who takes his game to another level when the stakes are raised so you can take the following NFL Playoff predictions straight to the bank.  While I don't condone gambling (actually I'm OK with it as long as you stay within your means) and I'm typically not one of those five-star-lock-of-the-year predictors, I feel so strongly about the following scenarios panning out, I'm going to go ahead and recommend you take note and bet the farm on them. Totally kidding about the farm thing, but throwing a couple George Washingtons down on these winners could help offset that holiday spending spree you went on a few weeks back. Just remember, I'm something like 20-48 vs. the spread in the last three weeks, so proceed with caution. NFC PLAYOFFS No. 1 seed=N.Y. Giants No. 2 seed=Carolina No. 3 seed=Arizona No. 4 seed=Minnesota No. 5 seed=Dallas No. 6 seed=Atlanta Wild Card Round Atlanta over Arizona Dallas over Minnesota Divisional Playoffs Carolina over Atlanta Dallas over N.Y. Giants NFC Title Game Dallas over Carolina AFC PLAYOFFS No. 1 seed=Pittsburgh No. 2 seed=Indianapolis No. 3 seed=New England No. 4 seed=Denver No. 5 seed=Tennessee No. 6 seed=N.Y. Jets Wild Card Round New England over N.Y. Jets Tennessee over Denver Divisional Playoffs Pittsburgh over Tennessee Indianapolis over New England AFC Title Game Indianapolis over Pittsburgh Super Bowl Indianapolis over Dallas There you have it, and remember you saw it here first when it comes to fruition. And if it ends up being a little off, what did you expect, I was 20-48 over the last three weeks. Enjoy the holidays, drink and gamble responsibly, and don't call me when the creditors start calling about foreclosing that farm of yours. Let me know how you think will shake down and post a comment.  
Thursday, December 18, 2008 3:33:50 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Wednesday, December 17, 2008
This week's Beat the Blogger matchups
Posted by Tuff Stuff
Here are the matchups for this week's Beat the Blogger contest. Please remember that the point spreads below need to be factored into your selections. The Blogger picks will be posted tomorrow so you can check back to see what your up against. Whoever has the highest total for the week and beats the Blogger's total, wins the weekly prize. Remember to get your picks in 1/2 hour before the start of the Thursday night game to be eligible to win. Good luck.  YOU MAKE THE CALL Indianapolis -6 at Jacksonville Baltimore +4 at Dallas Pittsburgh -2 at Tennessee Miami -4 at Kansas City Arizona +8 at New England Cincinnati +3 at Cleveland Philadelphia -5 at Washington San Francisco -5.5 at St. Louis Atlanta +3 at Minnesota New Orleans -7 at Detroit Carolina +3 at NY Giants NY Jets -5 at Seattle Houston -7 at Oakland Buffalo +7 at Denver San Diego +3.5 at Tampa Bay Green Bay +4 at Chicago
Wednesday, December 17, 2008 3:33:33 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Not So Deep Thoughts: Tiger knows the Drill
Posted by Tuff Stuff
Let me preface the following by saying that I am fully aware that no athlete is perfect and the ones that appear to be the closest thing we've got to being perfect, are usually the ones who are the exact opposite.
Take for example, Michael Jordan. While Jordan was undeniably the best player I've ever seen and is regarded by many as the best to ever lace'em up, he was anything but a model citizen off the court. He had his share of extra-marital affairs that ultimately cost him his marriage not to mention the hundreds of thousands he won and lost on illegal gambling ventures, but he knew how to play "the game."
The game I'm referring to basically boils down to surrounding yourself with image-restoring experts and advisers who can make sure your private affairs stay just that, and if some secrets do leak out, they provide you with a way to come across in the best light possible and move on.
Another person who knows that mega-stardom comes with a hefty price tag is Tiger Woods. Arguably the best golfer ever, Woods might just be more adept off the links than he is on them. Anybody who thinks Tiger is as perfect as he comes across during post-round interviews has never seen him whip a club in frustration or curse out a camera-clicking member of the gallery. But instead of adding fuel to the fire and further tarnish his image after an incident like that, Tiger recalls the tips his advisors have drilled into his head since he was 12, and extinguishes the flames before they spread like a T.O. wildfire.
Tiger's longtime caddie Stevie Williams recently made some harsh remarks about Woods' rival Phil Mickelson.
Williams was quoted as saying: "I wouldn't call Mickelson
a great player, cause I hate the p---k."
It's well known that Tiger and Phil aren't the best of friends and while neither has made that a secret in the past, both are quick to pull out the superlatives when referring to the other and deflect any questions regarding their relationship along the way. In typical Woods fashion, and much like Jordan would do back in the day when asked about his relationships with Bird or Magic, he took the high road and quickly turned what could've turned into a media frenzy that would've likely been fanned at every PGA stop they participated in and put it out before it spread.
Woods reaction: "I was disappointed to read the comments
attributed to Steve Williams about Phil Mickelson, a player that I respect.
It was inappropriate. The matter has been discussed and dealt with."
Watch as the ever-present, non-relenting media will try and fan the flames again and again with this one, but also watch how Tiger is always quick to switch the topic back to golf and avoid any further damage. While I'm sure Tiger and Williams giggled behind closed doors about Stevie's comments, I'm also guessing Williams got a slap on the wrist for his comments.
Maybe in the future Jordan, Woods and a few of the other athletes who "get it" can hold a "Spin Doctoring 101" class and foot-in-the-mouth, speak-before-thinking specialists like T.O., Barry Bonds and Bobby Knight can sign up and learn a few tricks of the trade.
Some guys just get it and others don't and probably never will.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008 10:29:10 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Beat The Blogger Results Posted By Tuff Stu
Posted by Tuff Stuff
Beat The Blogger Results
Posted by Tuff stuff It just keeps getting easier and easier to win in the Beat The Blogger contest and this week was no exception. The Blogger correctly picked a dismal 4 of 14 games correctly while "nancy" and "wildthing4vr" scored 9 of 14 (two games tied after point spreads factored in) to win the week. This week also produced our first multi-week winner, as "nancy" also won a few weeks back as well. For their efforts, "nancy" and "wildthing4vr" will receive an authentic signed 8-by-10 photo. 
This week's Beat the Blogger matchups will be posted on Wednesday but for those of you who need your contest fix right now, click here
to play our Expose The Experts contest where one lucky participant will
walk away with a $500 prize package of sports memorabilia. It's the
readers vs. the Experts in a battle of wits, as we all try to forecast
the future of sports and the sports memorabilia industry in a scored
survey. Enter as often as you wish and make sure you check back to the www.tuffstuff.com Home page often to see how you're doing.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008 3:45:30 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Monday, December 15, 2008
Not So Deep Thoughts: ESPN is an enabler
Posted by Tuff Stuff
If you read my last blog, you'll know I recently came to the conclusion that TO is a major drama queen who thinks of himself first and his team a distant second. I had for years believed that his many issues were created by him but then blown way out of proportion by the media and that deep  down, he was more misunderstood than misguided. His latest drama involving Jason Witten's relationship with Tony Romo is again his own creation and while there is some merit to what TO has said, the way he went about resolving the issue is still TO being TO, which translates into his typical me-first agenda. But Sunday night's game against the Giants proves my point for me as far as the media being an enabler of TO's drama and self-serving antics. Let me preface the following by saying: I love ESPN, couldn't live without it, and understand why they do what they do. But enough already. During the Sunday night game I switched over from NBC to ESPN to check some scores and lo and behold, guess what the No. 1 source for sports was running on the crawl on the bottom of the screen? The update gave us the score, some of the statistical leaders of the game and then added in a bonus for all of those interested in knowing how the TO/Witten/Romo soap opera was playing out. The crawl also let us know that Witten had two receptions for 31 yards and was the target of four Romo pass attempts, while TO had one reception for 13 yards and was the target on two other Romo attempts. Talk about adding fuel to the fire. Until targets is an official statistical category used in scoring for Fantasy Football, I don't need to know about it and neither do the losers who tuned in to see if the trio would drop the gloves and go at each other on the sidelines. ESPN also carried the post-game interviews live which explains them bleeding the situation for all it was worth, but enough already. ESPN commentators are then the first ones to rip TO a new one when dissecting the game afterword, but when their own company perpetuates the situation by leading off SportsCenter with the TO saga, their self-serving tactics which apparently now include a never-before-seen "target update" on its ticker, their no better than TO. Like I said, I understand that ESPN does what it does to keep viewers tuned in and to pump up its ratings, but enough already. You've read my thoughts on the subject, let me know yours and if you write something that inspires me, I'll send you a prize.
Monday, December 15, 2008 9:23:48 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Friday, December 12, 2008
Not So Deep Thoughts: Time's Up For TO
Posted by Tuff Stuff
Although I've been giving him the benefit of the doubt for years, I have to finally agree with the masses and say it: Terrell Owens is a little biaaaatch who doesn't get it and likely never will. For several years I have given TO a free pass but I can't come up with any more excuses for this guy and his 12-year-old-like behavior.  I remember reading a story about TO's upbringing which was under the guidance of his mother and grandmother. It talked about how his grandmother forbade him from playing sports until he was in high school and basically sheltered him altogether. Without a male role model in his life, TO was able to manipulate his mother and grandmother in almost any situation and it led to a childhood long on getting his own way and short on discipline. After reading that story, which also detailed his shy personality and issues making friends, I was always prone to back TO when his NFL issues began to arise but I just can't justify his actions any more. When TO called out former teammate Jeff Garcia and basically questioned his ability to play in the NFL and his manhood at the same time, I chalked it up to immaturity and figured he would learn from it and grow out of it. When TO later fueded with former teammate Donovan McNabb and questioned McNabb's toughness and ability to play through injuries, I sided with TO because McNabb had developed a reputation of taking plays off and not dedicating himself to getting in the best shape he could. I also believed that McNabb enjoyed being the top dog in Philly and didn't like sharing the spotlight with his outspoken receiver. But when I heard TO's latest issue regarding Tony Romo and his alleged favoritism toward friend and teammate Jason Witten, I had to draw the line. TO accused Romo and Witten of conspiring to create their own set of plays that would feature Witten and then poisoned a couple of other teammates into believing his paranoid thoughts. It just so happens that the two people TO targeted in his alliance happened to be black. Not sure if TO was trying to bring the race card in the mix or not but just the fact that he went out and recruited others with his allegations was enough for me to finally see the real TO for what he is: a spoiled, paranoid, self-serving, drama queen. Sorry TO, you're one of the best receivers I've ever seen and I was in your corner from the beginning, but your latest tantrum has forced me to throw in the towel. Let me hear what your thoughts are on TO's latest drama.
Friday, December 12, 2008 2:43:44 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Thursday, December 11, 2008
This week's Beat the Blogger picks
Posted by Tuff Stuff
Here are the blogger's picks for the week so you know what you're up against. Don't forget you need to beat my total and post the highest number of correct picks of all the participants to win the authentic signed photo. Make sure you remember to factor in the point spreads when making your selections and make sure you post your picks before the start of the Thursday night game. Good luck. Blogger Picks New Orleans +3 over Chicago Green Bay -2 over Jacksonville Indianapolis -17 over Detroit Washington -7 over Cincinnati Atlanta -3 over Tampa Bay Miami -6.5 over San Francisco Seattle -3 over St. Louis NY Jets -7 over Buffalo Houston +3 over Tennessee Baltimore -2 over Pittsburgh Carolina -7.5 over Denver San Diego -5 over Kansas City Arizona -3 over Minnesota New England -7 over Oakland Dallas -3 over NY Giants Cleveland +14 over Philadelphia
Thursday, December 11, 2008 2:36:00 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Wednesday, December 10, 2008
This week's Beat the Blogger matchups
Posted by Tuff Stuff
With just three weeks left in the regular season, the time is now to enter and win the Beat The Blogger contest. After struggling the last several weeks, the Blogger bounced back with 9 correct picks last week but it wasn't enough to take down "ejh" and his 12 of 16 total. Please remember to factor in the points spreads when making your picks and get them posted by 7 p.m. on Thursday night to be eligible to win. Good luck. This week's Beat The Blogger matchups are below but for those of you who need your contest fix right now, click here
to play our Expose The Experts contest where one lucky participant will
walk away with a $500 prize package of sports memorabilia. It's the
readers vs. the Experts in a battle of wits, as we all try to forecast
the future of sports and the sports memorabilia industry in a scored
survey. Enter as often as you wish and make sure you check back to the www.tuffstuff.com Home page often to see how you're doing.  New Orleans +3 at Chicago  You Make The CallGreen Bay -2 at Jacksonville Detroit +17 at Indianapolis Washington -7 at Cincinnati Tampa Bay +3 at Atlanta San Francisco +6.5 at Miami St. Louis +3 at Seattle Buffalo +7 at NY Jets Tennessee -3 at Houston Pittsburgh +2 at Baltimore Denver +7.5 at Carolina San Diego -5 at Kansas City Minnesota +3 at Arizona New England -7 at Oakland NY Giants +3 at Dallas Cleveland +14 at Philadelphia Good Luck
Wednesday, December 10, 2008 4:39:44 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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