7th Inning Stretch with Scott Fragale - Friday, January 02, 2009

Not So Deep Thoughts: Come on Chuck
Posted by Tuff Stuff

I've always been a big fan of Charles Barkley but his recent stretch of dim-witted moves has him slipping on my fav's list.

For those who don't know, Barkley had a tough 2008. First he was forced to admit he had a serious gambling problem (let's call it was it is, an addiction) and was forced to air his dirty laundry after a Las Vegas sportsbook went public that he owed them six figures. Then Barkley capped off the year with a OWI last week in Arizona.

I love to gamble, too, so I know how that can overcome even the best of us, but the OWI is simply inexcusable. While almost everybody over the age of 18 has driven after drinking and most have gone unscathed, I still don't understand why wealthy people such as Barkley don't simply hire someone to drive them on a night when they know they'll be getting their drink on. You see it all the time, whether it's Kiefer Sutherland, Mel Gibson, Joba Chamberlain or whoever, they can all afford to pay somebody $100 to drive them around for the night. My theory is that these celebs think they'll be able to provide the arresting officer with a signed 8-by-10 photo and drive off with a warning but as the list continues to grow and grow, we see that those tactics aren't working anymore.

Once I make my first million, the first thing I'll do is hire one of my buddies to drive me from one club to the next while I sit in the back, drunk as a skunk, care free, waiting for the next stop. I'll happily pay the money I need to to make that a reality because the stress-free nights out on the town would simply be priceless. Now if somebody can just get the Chuckwagon to understand that, the roads will be safe for the rest of us.

Friday, January 02, 2009 10:33:03 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

Comments [0]

Beat The Blogger Picks
Posted by Tuff Stuff

It's a new year (close enough) with a new game and I'm bringing a whole new commitment to winning as well, so it might be a little tougher to Beat The Blogger in 2009. Here are my picks for the first contest of 2009. As always, make sure you get your picks posted a 1/2 hour before the start of the first game which is 11 a.m. on Saturday this week. Good luck.

1. Pittsburgh over Georgetown
2. Minnesota over Ohio St
3. Buffalo +5 over UConn
4. Texas -9 over Ohio State
5. Arizona +2 over Atlanta
6. Indianapolis +1 over San Diego
7. Baltimore -3 over Miami (Doubler)
8. Philadelphia -3 over Minnesota
9. Carmelo Anthony more points than Chris Paul
10. Lakers to lead Blazers at Halftime

Wednesday, December 31, 2008 3:20:09 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

Comments [30]

Beat The Blogger Matchups
Posted by Tuff Stuff

With the NFL season winding down, I was forced to come up with another way for our readers to win some of the great items we have in our prize vault. For those of you who have been playing Beat the Blogger, you know the drill. Each week I'll post several games and their corresponding point spreads. From there, you pick your winners factoring in those point spreads and sit back and see how many picks you got correct. If your total is higher than the Blogger's (ie..me) and is the highest among all of the other entries, you win an authentic signed 8-by-10 photo feat

uring stars such as LaDainian Tomlinson, Gale Sayers, Drew Brees, Marshall Faulk, Santonio Holmes, DeAngelo Williams and others.

While the game has only consisted of NFL matchups in the past, the new version will feature College Bowl games, NBA games, College Basketball, NHL and basically anything else you can wager on. The other new twist is that I'll only list 10 matchups each week. But of these 10 matchups you can designate one matchup as your "Doubler" with that matchup earning you you a bonus point if picked correctly. So if for example you pick eight games correct but one is your "Doubler" you would score a nine for the week. Just remember to designate your "Doubler" or you won't receive the bonus point. The other new feature will be if any player can pick all 10 games correctly, they will win two authentic signed 8-by-10 photos.

Each Thursday (Wednesday this week), that week's Beat The Blogger matchups will be posted right here on the 7th Inning Stretch Blogzone. I will always list the start time of the first game of the week so remember to get your selections posted 1/2 prior to the start of the first game to be eligible to win. Then check back to see how you did and if you were able to Beat The Blogger and win.

This Week's Matchups You Make The Call

College Football
Jan. 3 UConn -5 vs Buffalo
College Football
Jan. 5 Texas -9 vs. Ohio St.
College Basketball
Jan. 3 Pittsburgh at Georgetown
Jan. 3 Ohio State at Minnesota
NFL
Jan. 3 Atlanta -2 at Arizona
Jan. 3 Indianapolis -1 at San Diego
Jan. 4 Baltimore -3 at Miami
Jan. 4 Philadelphia -3 at Minnesota
NBA
Jan. 3 Denver vs. New Orleans
Who will score more points?
Carmelo Anthony (Denver) or Chris Paul (New Orleans)
Jan. 4 Los Angeles Lakers vs. Portland
Which team will lead at halftime?
Lakers or Blazers

Don't forget to factor in the point spreads if given and don't forget to indicate your "Doubler" to earn an extra point if correct. The first game for this week starts at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 3 so make sure you get your picks posted no later than 10:30 a.m. to be eligible to win. Good luck and Happy New Year.

Wednesday, December 31, 2008 2:58:45 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

Comments [6]

Not So Deep Thoughts
Posted by Tuff Stuff

First off, hope everybody had a great holiday and here's wishing everybody has a great, but most importantly, a safe New Year's eve. Lot of crazies out that night so drink and be merry, but do so responsibly.

After watching more football than is legally allowed in the last two weeks, I

came away with blurred vision and a few thoughts. For starters, how is it possible that the Cowboys and Patriots didn't make the playoffs and the Dolphins did? I've never once seen a team loaded with so many superstars seem so disinterested as the Cowboys looked Sunday in Philly. It seems as though players were waiting for bad things to happen just so they could point the finger and blame somebody else for their shortcomings. Even the woeful Lions looked more competitive than the boys from Big D and as any of the three remaining Detroit fans can attest to, that's saying something.

As for Miami, I've never been a big fan of Bill Parcells but you have to give the Big Tuna credit for helping turn around the 1-15 Dolphins in just one year. Miami will likely be one and done in the playoffs but Parcells continues to do what Al Davis hasn't done since the 80s and that's just win baby.

Has anybody informed the Jags, Bucs or Browns that the NFL schedule was expanded from 14 games to 16 more than 20 years ago? Because it seems none of the three teams ever got the memo. The Bucs were outscored 85-58 in the last thee weeks and went from playoff lock to just plain locked out, while the Browns were outscored 75-10 over that span and have been phoning it in for weeks.

While my playoff predictions from three weeks ago were as off as a Brett Favre screen pass with Dallas missing out and San Diego sneaking in the back door, that won't stop me from giving it another shot.

Atlanta 37, Arizona 31
Indianapolis 34, San Diego 30
Baltimore 27, Miami 10
Philadelphia 23, Minnesota 14

Monday, December 29, 2008 9:59:45 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

Comments [7]

Beat The Blogger Results
Posted by Tuff Stuff

Despite the holiday, we had a good turnout for this past week's Beat The Blogger contest. With 11 of 16 correct responses Mike Molinaro and Joseph Schuld both Beat The Blogger (10 correct) to each win an authentic signed photo.

With the NFL season winding down, I was forced to come up with another way for our readers to win some of the great items we have in our prize vault. For those of you who have been playing Beat the Blogger, you know the drill. Each week I'll post several games and their corresponding point spreads. From there, you pick your winners factoring in those point spreads and sit back and see how many picks you got correct. If your total is higher than the Blogger's (ie..me) and is the highest among all of the other entries, you win an authentic signed 8-by-10 photo featuring stars such as LaDainian Tomlinson, Gale Sayers, Drew Brees, Marshall Faulk, Santonio Holmes, DeAngelo Williams and others.

While the game has only consisted of NFL matchups in the past, the new version will feature College Bowl games, NBA games, College Basketball, NHL and basically anything else you can wager on. The other new twist is that I'll only list 10 matchups each week. But of these 10 matchups you can designate one matchup as your "Doubler" with that matchup earning you you a bonus point if picked correctly. So if for example you pick eight games correct but one is your "Doubler" you would score a nine for the week. Just remember to designate your "Doubler" or you won't receive the bonus point. The other new feature will be if any player can pick all 10 games correctly, they will win two authentic signed 8-by-10 photos.

Each Thursday (Wednesday this week), that week's Beat The Blogger matchups will be posted right here on the 7th Inning Stretch Blogzone. I will always list the start time of the first game of the week so remember to get your selections posted 1/2 prior to the start of the first game to be eligible to win. Then check back to see how you did and if you were able to Beat The Blogger and win.

Monday, December 29, 2008 5:10:07 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

Comments [0]

Beat The Blogger With A Twist
Posted by Tuff Stuff

With the NFL season winding down, I was forced to come up with another way for our readers to win some of the great items we have in our prize vault. For those of you who have been playing Beat the Blogger, you know the drill. Each week I'll post several games and their corresponding point spreads. From there, you pick your winners factoring in those point spreads and sit back and see how many picks you got correct. If your total is higher than the Blogger's (ie..me) and is the highest among all of the other entries, you win an authentic signed 8-by-10 photo featuring stars such as LaDainian Tomlinson, Gale Sayers, Drew Brees, Marshall Faulk, Santonio Holmes, DeAngelo Williams and others.

While the game has only consisted of NFL matchups in the past, the new version will feature College Bowl games, NBA games, College Basketball, NHL and basically anything else you can wager on. The other new twist is that I'll only list 10 matchups each week. But of these 10 matchups you can designate one matchup as your "Doubler" with that matchup earning you you a bonus point if picked correctly. So if for example you pick eight games correct but one is your "Doubler" you would score a nine for the week. Just remember to designate your "Doubler" or you won't receive the bonus point. The other new feature will be if any player can pick all 10 games correctly, they will win two authentic signed 8-by-10 photos.

Each Thursday (Wednesday this week), that week's Beat The Blogger matchups will be posted right here on the 7th Inning Stretch Blogzone. I will always list the start time of the first game of the week so remember to get your selections posted 1/2 prior to the start of the first game to be eligible to win. Then check back to see how you did and if you were able to Beat The Blogger and win.

Monday, December 29, 2008 5:02:20 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

Comments [0]

Beat The Blogger Picks
Posted by Tuff Stuff

St Louis +14 over Atlanta

NE -7 over Buffalo

Cincinnati -3 over Kansas City

Detroit +11 over GB

Indianapolis +3 over Tennessee

Minnesota -7 over NY Giants

NO +2.5 over Carolina

Cleveland +11 over Pittsburgh

Tampa Bay -14 over Oakland

Chicago +2.5 over Houston

San Francisco -3 over Washington

Baltimore -12.5 over Jacksonville

NY Jets -2.5 over Miami

Dallas +1 over Philadelphia

Arizona -7 over Seattle

Denver +9 over San Diego

Good Luck

Saturday, December 27, 2008 9:56:37 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

Comments [16]

Beat The Blogger Matchups
Posted by Tuff Stuff

Here are this week's Beat The Blogger Matchups. With the holiday week there will likely be a smaller turnout so your odds of winning will be higher so good luck. Make sure to get your picks in 1/2 before the start of the first game to be eligible to win.

St. Louis +14 at Atlanta

New England -7 at Buffalo

Kansas City +3 at Cincinnati

Detroit +11 vs Green Bay

Tennessee -3 at Indianapolis

NY Giants +7 at Minnesota

Carolina -2.5 at New Orleans

Cleveland +11 at Pittsburgh

Oakland +14 at Tampa Bay

Chicago +2.5 at Houston

Washington +3 at San Francisco

Jacksonville +12.5 at Baltimore

Miami +2.5 at NY Jets

Dallas +1 at Philadelphia

Seattle +7 at Arizona

Denver -9 at San Diego

Saturday, December 27, 2008 5:32:31 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

Comments [6]

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)

Comments [8]

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)

Comments [12]

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