Monday, October 12, 2015
Keep it 100?
For Bokolis- well, for the younger version of the man behind the curtain- Flo-Jo's 10.49 was one of those what...the fuck...was that? moments, something incomprehensible, something that wasn't real...and I don't impress easily.
Many women's track & field records still stand from back then because out-of-competition testing wasn't implemented until after the '88 Olympics. All you had to do was come off about 5 weeks out and you could beat the tests. Ben Johnson likely was caught because someone put one over on him.
Flo-Jo beat the WR by .27 seconds...at the time the Mens WR was Ben's 9.83. At that point, the WR were .66 seconds apart- ignore the fact that Ben's was removed and the record reverted to 9.93. This turned out to be the low point in the difference between the two WR; it was 1.13 coming out of Mexico City and it has stretched back out to .91.
Some eyeballing shows that, where it took the men 15 years to break the 100m world record- in the altitude of Colorado Springs- set at the 1968 Olympics in the altitude of Mexico City (and 23 to break the long jump), the women's world record was equaled at the next Olympiad...by an East German broad. Whereas each lowering of the Men's WR has been by someone of West African descent, this started a run of 12 years where the women's WR was held by a German from one side of the Iron Curtain or the other.
It stands to reason that the women's WR holders should have at least a somewhat similar profile to the men's. If you saw one German in there who had the record for a minute, you may write it off as an aberration. Five Germans and no one else over 12 years...systemic doping.
Since the 10.49, the men have shaved .25 seconds off their WR (Bokolis is ignoring that the record reverted to 9.93 after Ben Johnson was banned and will use Ben's 9.83) and it's (legally) been beaten 60 times. This can be broken down as .11 in 20 years and Usain Bolt taking it down another .14 in two shots, one on the first anniversary of the other...hmmmm. As Bolt is getting older and is surely not as interested, unless someone else emerges- slim chance- it looks like it's going to stay at 9.58 for at least another 10 years.
As for the women, if you revert to Evelyn Ashford's 10.76 from 1984, they've gotten just .12 seconds in over 30 years, from 5 women (legally) besting Ashford's mark 21 times. Even if you allow Marion Jones' 10.65, which was at altitude, and Carmelita Jeter's 10.64- and you have to reason that Marion Jones was on some better stuff than they had in Flo-Jo's day and speculate that Jeter throwing up those numbers at age 30, destroying previous PBs, was on at least as good stuff as Jones- you've still gotten nowhere.
Regardless of your views, Flo-Jo's 10.49 was wind-aided and shouldn't have stood. The 10.61 in the trials final and the 10.62 in the QF heats in Seoul are more "legit." The record book has forgotten the wind-aided 10.54 she ran in the final in Seoul, much like the world has forgotten the Bulgarian broad who matched Flo-Jo in the first 30 metres and, just as she was finding the next gear that, at 70 meters, had her solidly second and on pace to run under 10.80, popped a hammy...all that training, all those roids and womp womp womp womp.
The announcer of the Olympic final says of Flo-Jo, this girl has taken this event 20 years in front of herself. Hell, at the time, I remember thinking it would take 50 years before someone touched the 10.49. A little over halfway there, it looks like that may have been conservative.
So much for evolution.
Sunday, October 11, 2015
The takeout
Y'all haven't heard from Bokolis in a minute, but know that I'm ready to fuck somebody up.
The fuss is all about Chase Utley's alleged "dirty" takeout play at second base, which has apparently broken Ruben Tejada's leg, in the seventh inning of Game 2 of one of the NLDS. Bokolis finds it odd, as the last thing I was worried about was that Utley was dirty.
See, leaving aside that it is awful for Tejada that his leg is broken, Bokolis is bothered thatevery other commercial is for drugs or fantasy baseball gambling Utley was, after review, granted second base. It didn't even register that Tejada came closer to touching the bag than Utley ever did and, that he ran off the field without bothering to find out whether he was out, despite that Tejada probably didn't nick the bag, didn't bother me much more. This (neighborhood) play is explicitly excluded from replay review. The argument about it being an inaccurate throw- no error was given- is nonsense; it was a shit throw, to be sure, as Daniel Murphy is a shit fielder, but did not pull Tejada off the bag. Tejada missed the bag because he attempted a pirouette in the hopes of uncorking a relay to first. Insofar as Tejada had designs on- don't ask me why- trying to turn two, the neighborhood play was in order.
Still, Bokolis, while McKayla-smirking- c'mon, admit it, now that she's legal, y'all're just itching for a vid of her bobbing on some knob (after smirking at the size/state of it, of course) to surface- at the whole thing, wasn't disgusted at the overturn or the takeout.
In fact, Bokolis, going in, had expected the Mets to lose this game. Sure, I was lamenting that Syndergaard wasted so many pitches because he doesn't quite understand that no one can deal with his fastball, if it is well placed. But, I managed my expectations ahead of time and predicted this.
So, before Bokolis talks shit about how I'd've napalmed everyone, I'll tell you that I was most disgusted that the Mets lost that game the way inexperienced teams lose these types of games. They got the two runs, Greinke was throwing junk, not trusting his fastball, itching to give up 5 runs over five innings. It didn't work out that way, as the Mets are far too dependent on the long ball and, while they are capable of that against anyone, they are not capable of stringing together 4 or 5 hits against the top pitchers.
In baseball, your problems start when you don't score- pragmatically, because the other team gets to hit, and psychologically, as there is less margin for error. You will hear mongoloids regurgitate, good pitching stops good hitting as if they'd learned it in Sunday school, right after whateverthefuck it is they teach you to chant in Sunday school, as if you're supposed to not score. Bokolis has told you before that's not true; great pitching stops good hitting. Merely good pitching is effective against hitting that's not very good to begin with.
Much like after Wright's two-run single in game 1, the Mets seemed to shut down after getting the two home runs in game 2. They must have booked Syndergaard matching deGrom's 7-Strong from the opener, and already had Harvey on the mound looking to clinch. Not that it doesn't happen- the Dodgers approached the bottom 8th just that way- but it's not supposed to happen in baseball from the 3rd inning. You do not park the bus in baseball; the game is set up so that you score until you can't and you have to take direct action to thwart they other team.
The play at second will obscure Terry Collins' shaky pitching decisions. Even if that were a viable strategy, it was apparent the whole night that Syndergaard, no deGrom just yet, was tracking to a 6-inning outing. Bokolis is a firm believer that, if you don't think your starter can get out of the inning, you don't send him out there. As a guy who hadn't performed well on the road, there was no right to expect Syndergaard to get through the 7th inning. What's more, the manager is not supposed to be so dazzled by 99-mph heater (really, 95) that he doesn't realize that his pitcher had been missing spots all night, and that his heater was saving him, not carrying him. Needlessly bringing in Reed to pitch to Gonzalez backfired, as Reed badly missed with location on the fateful 0-2 pitch.
Tejada must have never learned to not turn his back on the streets or runners, and he learned a hard lesson. Even though Utley trotted off the field, his expression indicating that he knew what he was doing and he got the pound of flesh, Bokolis shook it off because Utleyis probs still sore from back when Jayson Werth was going in too hard on his wife, as a middle infielder, has license to give as good as he gets. As to whether it was dirty, while I may be a little swayed by having just finished Bob Gibson's new book, it's the playoffs- nothing is dirty. If this happens to you, it means you were played, caught underestimating the other guy's greed. All the chicken hawks whinging for retribution on Utley should know that the time for retribution was two pitches before the go-ahead hit- experience would've taught you that.
The fuss is all about Chase Utley's alleged "dirty" takeout play at second base, which has apparently broken Ruben Tejada's leg, in the seventh inning of Game 2 of one of the NLDS. Bokolis finds it odd, as the last thing I was worried about was that Utley was dirty.
See, leaving aside that it is awful for Tejada that his leg is broken, Bokolis is bothered that
Still, Bokolis, while McKayla-smirking- c'mon, admit it, now that she's legal, y'all're just itching for a vid of her bobbing on some knob (after smirking at the size/state of it, of course) to surface- at the whole thing, wasn't disgusted at the overturn or the takeout.
In fact, Bokolis, going in, had expected the Mets to lose this game. Sure, I was lamenting that Syndergaard wasted so many pitches because he doesn't quite understand that no one can deal with his fastball, if it is well placed. But, I managed my expectations ahead of time and predicted this.
So, before Bokolis talks shit about how I'd've napalmed everyone, I'll tell you that I was most disgusted that the Mets lost that game the way inexperienced teams lose these types of games. They got the two runs, Greinke was throwing junk, not trusting his fastball, itching to give up 5 runs over five innings. It didn't work out that way, as the Mets are far too dependent on the long ball and, while they are capable of that against anyone, they are not capable of stringing together 4 or 5 hits against the top pitchers.
In baseball, your problems start when you don't score- pragmatically, because the other team gets to hit, and psychologically, as there is less margin for error. You will hear mongoloids regurgitate, good pitching stops good hitting as if they'd learned it in Sunday school, right after whateverthefuck it is they teach you to chant in Sunday school, as if you're supposed to not score. Bokolis has told you before that's not true; great pitching stops good hitting. Merely good pitching is effective against hitting that's not very good to begin with.
Much like after Wright's two-run single in game 1, the Mets seemed to shut down after getting the two home runs in game 2. They must have booked Syndergaard matching deGrom's 7-Strong from the opener, and already had Harvey on the mound looking to clinch. Not that it doesn't happen- the Dodgers approached the bottom 8th just that way- but it's not supposed to happen in baseball from the 3rd inning. You do not park the bus in baseball; the game is set up so that you score until you can't and you have to take direct action to thwart they other team.
The play at second will obscure Terry Collins' shaky pitching decisions. Even if that were a viable strategy, it was apparent the whole night that Syndergaard, no deGrom just yet, was tracking to a 6-inning outing. Bokolis is a firm believer that, if you don't think your starter can get out of the inning, you don't send him out there. As a guy who hadn't performed well on the road, there was no right to expect Syndergaard to get through the 7th inning. What's more, the manager is not supposed to be so dazzled by 99-mph heater (really, 95) that he doesn't realize that his pitcher had been missing spots all night, and that his heater was saving him, not carrying him. Needlessly bringing in Reed to pitch to Gonzalez backfired, as Reed badly missed with location on the fateful 0-2 pitch.
Tejada must have never learned to not turn his back on the streets or runners, and he learned a hard lesson. Even though Utley trotted off the field, his expression indicating that he knew what he was doing and he got the pound of flesh, Bokolis shook it off because Utley
Wednesday, May 6, 2015
Hope being grown up doesn't last long
You know when you get to a certain point, you want to stop and reassess things? Bokolis has been doing a bunch of that lately. I've been taking a lot of vacations to clear my head, energize myself and maybe prepare for what I see to be the upcoming next phase of life...that phase where I can't go everywhere doing a buck-ten.
Yeah, whatevs about that; Bokolis is here to relate it as it relates to football. Never has media impinged so far upon the rest of our lives. But, let's stick to football, because it all flows from there. Like bracket-creep on the AMT, the season gets just a little longer each year, starting a bit earlier, ending a bit later (domestic leagues are playing until ~5/24 and the Champions League final is on June 6th, which I think will be a twinbill with one of the Copa América matches.
I...guess- in and of themselves- you could get into these matches. But, they will double up on us next year, having another Copa América in, of all places, the USA, under the logic of it being the centennial. So, they will stage it in a locale in which it has never been staged and expand the field to 16 teams. It has NOTHING to do with being able to score top dollar (pardon the pun)...we'll get back to this.
The '16 version will run largely concurrently with Euro 2016, which will be staged in France. Bokolis points this out because Platini essentially pulled all types of rank to snatch this one away from Turkey. When the Turks whinged, his reply was, when a Turk becomes president of UEFA, then Turkey can get a Euro. And, to think, Platini the genius of a player turned into the same asshole as a bureaucrat.
The 2020 edition will involve venues in at least 12 different countries, including Baku (that ain't Europe!?). As is well-known the 2018 and 2022 World Cups were backroom deals. Since the major tournaments of the next 8 years are all premised on shadiness, it all works out to 8 lost years of international football.
By then, mobility of labor will have rendered national teams indistinguishable from one another. It was one thing for the Dutch to have kids of Surinamese in the national side. France turning into North Africa- eh, okay. But, this is now seeping into every country. Every side has a pet Brazilian; Bokolis was watching a CL match between PSG and Chelsea where the Spanish-language announcer, upon seeing David Luiz, Diego Silva and Thiago Motta standing next to eachother, said, oh, look, it's three Brazilians who play for three different national teams.
Bokolis is not quite at Sacchi's level but, the allure of watching national teams was to see how Italians and their style would match up with Germans, or Spaniards, or Brazilians and Argentines (many of whom have Italian ancestors who mated with buffalo). Notice I didn't say English; they can't play football and Gazza and an 18-year old Michael Owen have been the only things worth watching in my lifetime. Really, it was to see all their distinct styles (yes, even the English) match up- and the Mexican heart, the American self-belief to make up for lack of know-how, and all the lesser sides' guts.
It is not quite that way any longer because they all play continental football- even the Brazilians and Argentines- and they are all starting to melt the same...you couldn't be jingoistic even if you wanted to. The national teams will eventually look no different from club teams.
Of course, after these competitions, but before the onset/onslaught of the domestic league season, the circus will come to town. The clubs will tour the USA, charging us (at least) double what they charge for domestic league matches to watch tired guys forced to be there giving 60%-70% effort in ill-fitting parks, all under the banner of some marketing gimmick cup competition. The team ultimately winning on spot kicks will do its best to celebrate like they give a fuck.
So, Bokolis will withdraw from international competition, and it will be a precursor to slowly withdrawing from club competition as well. I still like to watch on matchday. But the soap opera aspect of the season does not interest me like they want it to, as the domestic league winners are pretty much set in stone beforehand. I mean, did you not know Real or Barca would win La Liga, Juventus would win Serie A, Bayern would win the Bundesliga and Chel$kiy would win the EPL? Did you not know that Arsenal, after people tried to put Wenger out to pasture, would cruise into the top three? You may have thought City would have done better, but Bokolis knew that AFCON would drain Yaya Touré, especially considering that he's on his last legs (31) as an elite player anyway.
I can now imagine a life without football; it sucks, but when the football in your life sucks, your best bet is to take back the bandwidth.
Yeah, whatevs about that; Bokolis is here to relate it as it relates to football. Never has media impinged so far upon the rest of our lives. But, let's stick to football, because it all flows from there. Like bracket-creep on the AMT, the season gets just a little longer each year, starting a bit earlier, ending a bit later (domestic leagues are playing until ~5/24 and the Champions League final is on June 6th, which I think will be a twinbill with one of the Copa América matches.
I...guess- in and of themselves- you could get into these matches. But, they will double up on us next year, having another Copa América in, of all places, the USA, under the logic of it being the centennial. So, they will stage it in a locale in which it has never been staged and expand the field to 16 teams. It has NOTHING to do with being able to score top dollar (pardon the pun)...we'll get back to this.
The '16 version will run largely concurrently with Euro 2016, which will be staged in France. Bokolis points this out because Platini essentially pulled all types of rank to snatch this one away from Turkey. When the Turks whinged, his reply was, when a Turk becomes president of UEFA, then Turkey can get a Euro. And, to think, Platini the genius of a player turned into the same asshole as a bureaucrat.
The 2020 edition will involve venues in at least 12 different countries, including Baku (that ain't Europe!?). As is well-known the 2018 and 2022 World Cups were backroom deals. Since the major tournaments of the next 8 years are all premised on shadiness, it all works out to 8 lost years of international football.
By then, mobility of labor will have rendered national teams indistinguishable from one another. It was one thing for the Dutch to have kids of Surinamese in the national side. France turning into North Africa- eh, okay. But, this is now seeping into every country. Every side has a pet Brazilian; Bokolis was watching a CL match between PSG and Chelsea where the Spanish-language announcer, upon seeing David Luiz, Diego Silva and Thiago Motta standing next to eachother, said, oh, look, it's three Brazilians who play for three different national teams.
Bokolis is not quite at Sacchi's level but, the allure of watching national teams was to see how Italians and their style would match up with Germans, or Spaniards, or Brazilians and Argentines (many of whom have Italian ancestors who mated with buffalo). Notice I didn't say English; they can't play football and Gazza and an 18-year old Michael Owen have been the only things worth watching in my lifetime. Really, it was to see all their distinct styles (yes, even the English) match up- and the Mexican heart, the American self-belief to make up for lack of know-how, and all the lesser sides' guts.
It is not quite that way any longer because they all play continental football- even the Brazilians and Argentines- and they are all starting to melt the same...you couldn't be jingoistic even if you wanted to. The national teams will eventually look no different from club teams.
Of course, after these competitions, but before the onset/onslaught of the domestic league season, the circus will come to town. The clubs will tour the USA, charging us (at least) double what they charge for domestic league matches to watch tired guys forced to be there giving 60%-70% effort in ill-fitting parks, all under the banner of some marketing gimmick cup competition. The team ultimately winning on spot kicks will do its best to celebrate like they give a fuck.
So, Bokolis will withdraw from international competition, and it will be a precursor to slowly withdrawing from club competition as well. I still like to watch on matchday. But the soap opera aspect of the season does not interest me like they want it to, as the domestic league winners are pretty much set in stone beforehand. I mean, did you not know Real or Barca would win La Liga, Juventus would win Serie A, Bayern would win the Bundesliga and Chel$kiy would win the EPL? Did you not know that Arsenal, after people tried to put Wenger out to pasture, would cruise into the top three? You may have thought City would have done better, but Bokolis knew that AFCON would drain Yaya Touré, especially considering that he's on his last legs (31) as an elite player anyway.
I can now imagine a life without football; it sucks, but when the football in your life sucks, your best bet is to take back the bandwidth.
Sunday, February 1, 2015
people wanna kno-o-w...rugby for fairies...the bowl
Seahawks (PK) over Patriots - As Cantona said, "when the seagulls follow the trawler, it's because they sink sardines will be srown into the sea." When Bokolis follows the Seahawks, however, it is because he thinks Brady and Edelman will be thrown into the sea.
Accordingly, I think this is the Seahawks' game to dictate. It does not bother Bokolis that the Packers had to fuck that game six ways to Sunday for the Seahawks to advance. This hasn't stopped other teams from winning it all.
While I was (and am) able to score +1, it makes little difference...we'd all be laying at least three if Russell Wilson didn't play like crap for 57 minutes and the Pats played with regulation balls. Bokolis will not rehash all the angles and nonsense. For me, it's a matter of which team can push the other around; the Seahawks will do most of the pushing and there will be Skittles for everyone.
Accordingly, I think this is the Seahawks' game to dictate. It does not bother Bokolis that the Packers had to fuck that game six ways to Sunday for the Seahawks to advance. This hasn't stopped other teams from winning it all.
While I was (and am) able to score +1, it makes little difference...we'd all be laying at least three if Russell Wilson didn't play like crap for 57 minutes and the Pats played with regulation balls. Bokolis will not rehash all the angles and nonsense. For me, it's a matter of which team can push the other around; the Seahawks will do most of the pushing and there will be Skittles for everyone.
Monday, January 19, 2015
Choketown
After doing some back-checking, this is the 5th year running that Bokolis has sent y'all to the window with a smile.
I don't know how people still invest so much time into watching the NFL. Right about the time the Packers had decided they had done enough to win that game, Bokolis had decided that I've had enough rugby for fairies.
Actually, with the number virtually clinched by halftime, Bokolis probably cashed the chips well before the Packers started thinking about Arizona, DUIs and tent city. But, you couldn't convince me of that by the way the Packers played that fake FG. I was thinking, of course it was a fake- you're the ones playing in this game; whatthefuck are you thinking? Yes, the chances- which already weren't great- of the Seahawks coming back by playing it straight were zero. At 16-0, was the importance of trying to stop three points so great that you wouldn't just sit on the ends?
Of course, it stood to reason that a side that left so many points on the table would also gift a few. Hell, why not gift them the whole game; it's not like they have to stay in Green Bay after the season is over. This time, the Seahawks didn't even need the officials to steal a game from the Packers.
Bokolis was so checked out that, the only thing I remember thinking during the Pats game was, fucking hell, all this shit the Pats do is so infuriating...unless you've bet on them. Then they came out and said that the Pats had taken the air out of their footballs so that they could more easily throw and catch them in the rain, which flashed me to Hakeem Nicks, on the play before the Revis interception, dropping an otherwise easy catch.
While no one can seriously suggest that this made the difference, can't this muthafucka do anything on the up and up?
The line for the bowl opened, depending on whom you believe, at Seahawks laying 2 or 2.5. Of course, that didn't last for long and the line moved to PK. As of Monday morning, you can find +1 or -1 for a pair of teams the deserve each other...you do remember who was the coach of the Pats prior to Belichick, no? This may come down to the best cheater wins.
Compared to Belichick, Bokolis is on the up and up, and, at 7-4, is up for the 5th year running, going 6-1 after dumping the wild card weekend. I'm doing more for y'all's lifestyles than your money manager. You remember the name of the town, don't you?
I don't know how people still invest so much time into watching the NFL. Right about the time the Packers had decided they had done enough to win that game, Bokolis had decided that I've had enough rugby for fairies.
Actually, with the number virtually clinched by halftime, Bokolis probably cashed the chips well before the Packers started thinking about Arizona, DUIs and tent city. But, you couldn't convince me of that by the way the Packers played that fake FG. I was thinking, of course it was a fake- you're the ones playing in this game; whatthefuck are you thinking? Yes, the chances- which already weren't great- of the Seahawks coming back by playing it straight were zero. At 16-0, was the importance of trying to stop three points so great that you wouldn't just sit on the ends?
Of course, it stood to reason that a side that left so many points on the table would also gift a few. Hell, why not gift them the whole game; it's not like they have to stay in Green Bay after the season is over. This time, the Seahawks didn't even need the officials to steal a game from the Packers.
Bokolis was so checked out that, the only thing I remember thinking during the Pats game was, fucking hell, all this shit the Pats do is so infuriating...unless you've bet on them. Then they came out and said that the Pats had taken the air out of their footballs so that they could more easily throw and catch them in the rain, which flashed me to Hakeem Nicks, on the play before the Revis interception, dropping an otherwise easy catch.
While no one can seriously suggest that this made the difference, can't this muthafucka do anything on the up and up?
The line for the bowl opened, depending on whom you believe, at Seahawks laying 2 or 2.5. Of course, that didn't last for long and the line moved to PK. As of Monday morning, you can find +1 or -1 for a pair of teams the deserve each other...you do remember who was the coach of the Pats prior to Belichick, no? This may come down to the best cheater wins.
Compared to Belichick, Bokolis is on the up and up, and, at 7-4, is up for the 5th year running, going 6-1 after dumping the wild card weekend. I'm doing more for y'all's lifestyles than your money manager. You remember the name of the town, don't you?
Sunday, January 18, 2015
rugby for fairies 2014 conference championships
Facing a 5-4 standoff, the bookmakers went and dropped a couple of spreads- both opened at 7- that gave Bokolis absolutely no feel for the games. After a recent wobble in the lines, it's not much better, but enough to take a position, even though I don't really want to.
Packers (+8) over SEAHAWKS - Any way Bokolis has flipped this, I've found it hard to believe that Rodgers and co. will be able to improve on the drubbing in the opener so much as to pull off the victory. I do see them improving, in part because Rodgers will be more dialed in than (and not holding back like) he was in week 1.
Bokolis still cannot see the Packers winning this game because we cannot reliably believe that the Packers' defense will handle the Seahawks attack. While Seattle is hardly high-powered, they have little difficulty doing as much as they have to. Frankly, I don't expect them to do more than they have to. I'll take my chances with Rodgers and eight points.
PATRIOTS (-6.5) over Colts - Again, history tells us that this is the point where teams like the Colts bow out. Much is being made of the sudden surge in the Colts' defensive performance, with comparisons being made to the comparable rise during the championship year. While Bokolis does not think all that much of the Patriots, the Colts will find that, unlike the Broncos, their quarterback can still throw the ball. The Pats should get their shit together enough to win this game by at least a touchdown.
Packers (+8) over SEAHAWKS - Any way Bokolis has flipped this, I've found it hard to believe that Rodgers and co. will be able to improve on the drubbing in the opener so much as to pull off the victory. I do see them improving, in part because Rodgers will be more dialed in than (and not holding back like) he was in week 1.
Bokolis still cannot see the Packers winning this game because we cannot reliably believe that the Packers' defense will handle the Seahawks attack. While Seattle is hardly high-powered, they have little difficulty doing as much as they have to. Frankly, I don't expect them to do more than they have to. I'll take my chances with Rodgers and eight points.
PATRIOTS (-6.5) over Colts - Again, history tells us that this is the point where teams like the Colts bow out. Much is being made of the sudden surge in the Colts' defensive performance, with comparisons being made to the comparable rise during the championship year. While Bokolis does not think all that much of the Patriots, the Colts will find that, unlike the Broncos, their quarterback can still throw the ball. The Pats should get their shit together enough to win this game by at least a touchdown.
Monday, January 12, 2015
Poor John Fox
All Bokolis was able to watch of this weekend's games was very little of Ravens-Pats, the last 30 seconds of the first half of Cowboys-Packers and much of both Panthers-Seahawks and Colts-Broncos.
Bokolis was 4-1 this weekend. I want to crow and say that I made good on my promise of traction this week but, let's face it, in three of those situations, the game fell on either side of the number, and fell kindly in two of the three cases. The Colts whupping the Broncos was serendipitous.
Bokolis had written off the Pats game when Brady threw the pick- which I saw- just before half. I didn't watch the rest of the game.
I did get into the Seahawks, mainly because of laying 7-1 on the money line. I never had any worries that they would lose, but the number was in play. While trying to enjoy my beverage, I had to endure a band of mongoloids and their football malaprop.
At least they were laying on the Seahawks; at one point when Carolina was driving while trailing 24-10, threatening the number, Bokolis had to (quietly) interject when the worry-warts had gotten particularly loud, relax, the pick-six is coming. I had to lower myself to call it a pick-six. On that fateful play, I saw the receiver (Benjamin?) up top slip...ding. Cam Newton desperately turns the other way, where Cam Chancellor was squatting, to look for a valve. Before the frat boys saw it coming, I had my left hand pointing.
Bokolis didn't watch the Cowboys either. For the eagle-eyed who caught the typo in the previous post, that is supposed to read Cowboys (+5.5)... I'm very glad that the Packers went for two, as I didn't want to have to explain that I actually got +6 (a lot of times, I'll just put up whatever the line is at the time on any given site, which isn't the line that I necessarily get). Either way, Cowboys paid on the missed conversion.
Of course, the talking point remains the Dez Bryant catch/non-catch on 4th and 2, with many (and those many are from Detroit) saying that it was just desserts for being on the right side of a dubious call the previous week. Bokolis is very much a cookie-crumbles type- given that the game ended with the Packers well into Cowboys territory, the Cowboys can't really whinge about it costing them the game- but it won't stop me from telling what really happened.
Bryant caught that ball, and the officials- the NFL, really- fucked that call to high hell. First, Bokolis will undress the NFL's commie rulemaking by telling y'all that I didn't see any replay that shows the ball hitting the ground. It is presumed the ball hit the ground to make the ball pop out of Bryant's hand, which I may or may not buy. Regardless, presumed does not equate with clear and indisputable.
update: I've now seen a replay that shows the ball on the ground...given that it took until Monday evening for the NFL Network to show it- maybe showing Deion Sanders and Michael Ivrin clowning around was more of a contrived diversion than I'd thought- I gather they didn't have this angle on the live broadcast. It doesn't change what follows.
Then there's the other part of this, the part that the geeks made up, the part that says he has to make a move common to the game of football after getting two feet down or control the ball throughout the process of going to ground.
Again, Bokolis didn't see it live. I heard it on the radio and subsequently listened to various calls, yet didn't hear the FOX jibber-jabber in the interim between the call and the reversal. The part of this that (I imagine) NO ONE brought up- not the announcers, not the league, not the refs, not the geek reporters, not even Dez, because he is not very articulate- is that he gets two hands on the ball and taps it into his chest; anything that he does after that is a football move.
The NFL doesn't see it that way. Because they'll tell YOU what a catch is, it dictates that, if the receiver is in the process of going to ground, be it by opponent's contact or not, before he gets control and two feet, the required period of control is extended until he has hit the ground and he is effectively disqualified from making a football move while going to ground...they may as well require him to spot the ball for the next play. In this case, process wins out over pragmatism- as if the tuck rule wasn't bad enough, they've made the receiving corollary to it- making for a shittier game. To further show you how stupid they think you are, during the game, they probably ran a commercial of Larry Fitzgerald ordering jerseys while catching footballs (or, is that catching footballs while ordering jerseys?).
Why Poor John Fox? Because Bokolis preemptively blamed him for why the Colts would cover. After feeling so lucky to cover the Cowboys, I'd've happily backed out of Colts-Broncos. When I finally got in front of a monitor and saw P. Manning doing his impression of Mike Tomczak- way back when, Tomczak used to throw these balloons for passes- I was like, oh dear, the Broncos had no shot...and, they didn't. another update: John Fox was promptly canned on Monday by Elway, who apparently sees nothing wrong with his own arm likely being stronger than P.Manning's.
Bokolis was 4-1 this weekend. I want to crow and say that I made good on my promise of traction this week but, let's face it, in three of those situations, the game fell on either side of the number, and fell kindly in two of the three cases. The Colts whupping the Broncos was serendipitous.
Bokolis had written off the Pats game when Brady threw the pick- which I saw- just before half. I didn't watch the rest of the game.
I did get into the Seahawks, mainly because of laying 7-1 on the money line. I never had any worries that they would lose, but the number was in play. While trying to enjoy my beverage, I had to endure a band of mongoloids and their football malaprop.
At least they were laying on the Seahawks; at one point when Carolina was driving while trailing 24-10, threatening the number, Bokolis had to (quietly) interject when the worry-warts had gotten particularly loud, relax, the pick-six is coming. I had to lower myself to call it a pick-six. On that fateful play, I saw the receiver (Benjamin?) up top slip...ding. Cam Newton desperately turns the other way, where Cam Chancellor was squatting, to look for a valve. Before the frat boys saw it coming, I had my left hand pointing.
Bokolis didn't watch the Cowboys either. For the eagle-eyed who caught the typo in the previous post, that is supposed to read Cowboys (+5.5)... I'm very glad that the Packers went for two, as I didn't want to have to explain that I actually got +6 (a lot of times, I'll just put up whatever the line is at the time on any given site, which isn't the line that I necessarily get). Either way, Cowboys paid on the missed conversion.
Of course, the talking point remains the Dez Bryant catch/non-catch on 4th and 2, with many (and those many are from Detroit) saying that it was just desserts for being on the right side of a dubious call the previous week. Bokolis is very much a cookie-crumbles type- given that the game ended with the Packers well into Cowboys territory, the Cowboys can't really whinge about it costing them the game- but it won't stop me from telling what really happened.
Bryant caught that ball, and the officials- the NFL, really- fucked that call to high hell. First, Bokolis will undress the NFL's commie rulemaking by telling y'all that I didn't see any replay that shows the ball hitting the ground. It is presumed the ball hit the ground to make the ball pop out of Bryant's hand, which I may or may not buy. Regardless, presumed does not equate with clear and indisputable.
update: I've now seen a replay that shows the ball on the ground...given that it took until Monday evening for the NFL Network to show it- maybe showing Deion Sanders and Michael Ivrin clowning around was more of a contrived diversion than I'd thought- I gather they didn't have this angle on the live broadcast. It doesn't change what follows.
Then there's the other part of this, the part that the geeks made up, the part that says he has to make a move common to the game of football after getting two feet down or control the ball throughout the process of going to ground.
Again, Bokolis didn't see it live. I heard it on the radio and subsequently listened to various calls, yet didn't hear the FOX jibber-jabber in the interim between the call and the reversal. The part of this that (I imagine) NO ONE brought up- not the announcers, not the league, not the refs, not the geek reporters, not even Dez, because he is not very articulate- is that he gets two hands on the ball and taps it into his chest; anything that he does after that is a football move.
The NFL doesn't see it that way. Because they'll tell YOU what a catch is, it dictates that, if the receiver is in the process of going to ground, be it by opponent's contact or not, before he gets control and two feet, the required period of control is extended until he has hit the ground and he is effectively disqualified from making a football move while going to ground...they may as well require him to spot the ball for the next play. In this case, process wins out over pragmatism- as if the tuck rule wasn't bad enough, they've made the receiving corollary to it- making for a shittier game. To further show you how stupid they think you are, during the game, they probably ran a commercial of Larry Fitzgerald ordering jerseys while catching footballs (or, is that catching footballs while ordering jerseys?).
Why Poor John Fox? Because Bokolis preemptively blamed him for why the Colts would cover. After feeling so lucky to cover the Cowboys, I'd've happily backed out of Colts-Broncos. When I finally got in front of a monitor and saw P. Manning doing his impression of Mike Tomczak- way back when, Tomczak used to throw these balloons for passes- I was like, oh dear, the Broncos had no shot...and, they didn't. another update: John Fox was promptly canned on Monday by Elway, who apparently sees nothing wrong with his own arm likely being stronger than P.Manning's.
Saturday, January 10, 2015
rugby for fairies...2014 playoffs divisional round
The theme here is for those teams that blew Bokolis out of the water last week to be a dear and just go away.
PATRIOTS (-7) over Ravens - While it's always sketchy to give the Ravens a touchdown, I think we are getting value here. Bokolis refuses to believe that last week's strong performance was anything but a case of the Steelers being weakened. Brady should be able to carve up a suspect secondary and, if we see anything approaching a return to Revis island, the game just may be simplified enough to pressure Flacco into some errors.
SEAHAWKS (-12) over Panthers - The only question here is whether the Seahawks will be motivated enough to lay the hammer down on Carolina. Bokolis will even lay the 7-1 on the money line, as I think Carolina has a snowball's chance in hell of winning this game.
Cowboys (-5.5) over PACKERS - Bokolis will stick with the Cowboys and their perfect road record. Rodgers may be great, but the side is just not that powerful to me and I see the Cowboys as a bit more well-rounded.
I figure the worst that can happen here is that Romo will be driving for a winning score, but piss away the game (one more time) with an INT. Hopefully, he comes through, causing simultaneous heart attacks for the lizard man and governor Freddy Fat Fuck.
Colts (+7) over BRONCOS - Ironically, the game that interests Bokolis the least will likely be the game that I view from the treadmill/bar. The thinking here is that John Fox will keep this game close in ways that Luck and his flimsy supporting cast will not.
PATRIOTS (-7) over Ravens - While it's always sketchy to give the Ravens a touchdown, I think we are getting value here. Bokolis refuses to believe that last week's strong performance was anything but a case of the Steelers being weakened. Brady should be able to carve up a suspect secondary and, if we see anything approaching a return to Revis island, the game just may be simplified enough to pressure Flacco into some errors.
SEAHAWKS (-12) over Panthers - The only question here is whether the Seahawks will be motivated enough to lay the hammer down on Carolina. Bokolis will even lay the 7-1 on the money line, as I think Carolina has a snowball's chance in hell of winning this game.
Cowboys (-5.5) over PACKERS - Bokolis will stick with the Cowboys and their perfect road record. Rodgers may be great, but the side is just not that powerful to me and I see the Cowboys as a bit more well-rounded.
I figure the worst that can happen here is that Romo will be driving for a winning score, but piss away the game (one more time) with an INT. Hopefully, he comes through, causing simultaneous heart attacks for the lizard man and governor Freddy Fat Fuck.
Colts (+7) over BRONCOS - Ironically, the game that interests Bokolis the least will likely be the game that I view from the treadmill/bar. The thinking here is that John Fox will keep this game close in ways that Luck and his flimsy supporting cast will not.
Monday, January 5, 2015
2014 WC round post-mortem
Well, that was an awful blowjob, wasn't it?
Hey, Bokolis told y'all that I wouldn't go near the Saturday games. Nonetheless, I did like the chances when the Cardinals had (goal to go?) deep in Carolina territory. Then that god-awful QB threw the pick, upon which I almost fell off the treadmill. That's when a voice said, that's why you didn't take the game in the first place.
True. Bokolis didn't take the Ravens game, either...I'll write off that one as a bad pick.
Bokolis did get down on both the Sunday games. It took a fair bit of willpower to avoid getting suckered into taking the over on Lions-Cowboys.
The Bengals held to form.
The Cowboys did indeed lay the egg and many feel it was a shady reversal of a pass interference call, that wasn't pass interference, but probably still should have been called, that bailed them out. Bokolis calls bullshit. Nobody told the Lions to punt on 4th & 1...and nobody told the punter to shank it. Nobody told them to let the Cowboys convert on 4th & 6.
Even though the Cowboys laid the egg, once they recovered the fumble they were 50-50 to cover the...hey, where is this fucking jabook going?!? Whatta fuckin' banana. As if FOX had that powder on standby, they bring up that Leon Lett is coaching the d-line.
Getting out of the wild-card week at 1-3 is par for the course for Bokolis. The silver lining is that it typically weeds out teams addled with issues and/or baggage and makes the divisional round easier to forecast. Next weekend figures to bring with it some traction.
Hey, Bokolis told y'all that I wouldn't go near the Saturday games. Nonetheless, I did like the chances when the Cardinals had (goal to go?) deep in Carolina territory. Then that god-awful QB threw the pick, upon which I almost fell off the treadmill. That's when a voice said, that's why you didn't take the game in the first place.
True. Bokolis didn't take the Ravens game, either...I'll write off that one as a bad pick.
Bokolis did get down on both the Sunday games. It took a fair bit of willpower to avoid getting suckered into taking the over on Lions-Cowboys.
The Bengals held to form.
The Cowboys did indeed lay the egg and many feel it was a shady reversal of a pass interference call, that wasn't pass interference, but probably still should have been called, that bailed them out. Bokolis calls bullshit. Nobody told the Lions to punt on 4th & 1...and nobody told the punter to shank it. Nobody told them to let the Cowboys convert on 4th & 6.
Even though the Cowboys laid the egg, once they recovered the fumble they were 50-50 to cover the...hey, where is this fucking jabook going?!? Whatta fuckin' banana. As if FOX had that powder on standby, they bring up that Leon Lett is coaching the d-line.
Getting out of the wild-card week at 1-3 is par for the course for Bokolis. The silver lining is that it typically weeds out teams addled with issues and/or baggage and makes the divisional round easier to forecast. Next weekend figures to bring with it some traction.
Saturday, January 3, 2015
rugby for fairies 2014 wild card round
Unlike the NBA, where teams sleepwalk through playoff games, you may reasonably expect NFL players to be giving you something approaching full effort. It approaches being fun to speculate on the outcome, even if this is a shit card.
Remember, Bokolis doesn't pay attention to this stuff like the rest of fat-assed America. If I'm watching the NFL, it's on the monitor of the treadmill or at the ensuing session. If I watch this at home, it usually puts me to sleep. But, that hasn't stopped me from doing well for at least the last two seasons, so we press our luck.
I'm going to miss Rex.
Cardinals (+6.5) over PANTHERS - Bokolis wouldn't touch this game. While it seems like a printing press to get this many points- surely an overvaluing of their performance in the season finale- it usually turns out to be a sucker's bet. I would love to tell y'all (again) that Cam Newton is a mongoloid who can't process variables, but it would seem there is offsetting inexperience on the other side. I have to put my faith in coach Arians and how he's made lemon meringue out of all the lemons. He will at least make this into enough of a shit-show so that Carolina doesn't run off with it.
STEELERS (-3) over Ravens - This is another game that Bokolis would avoid, if only because both of these teams are off their best levels. The Steelers are as unloved an 11-5 side as you'll see. The knock on them is that they've had atrocious losses. I suppose their recent form should squash that, but they will be without their RB this evening. Nonetheless, the Ravens have not shown anything this year that indicates that Harbaugh-B will summon enough resolve to go into Pittsburgh and swipe a playoff game.
COLTS (-3.5) over Bengals - I guess we are supposed to disregard the 27-0 train-run Indy put on the Bengals earlier this season. Bokolis thinks Dalton is shit and will operate accordingly until proven otherwise.
COWBOYS (-6.5) over Lions - Bokolis remembers telling a Cowboys fan earlier this year, if Jerry Jones keeps his fucking mouth shut, the Cowboys will get to the Super Bowl. Then they played the game against Washington, where Romo was injured, prompting Jerry to bolt the box for the sideline. I fully blame him for that loss, which is probably why they have to play this week.
As we know, all four Cowboys losses have come at Jerry's super-mart. It's also no coincidence that the place does not have the best atmosphere for fan engagement/support. Jerry is often whingeing about opposition fans having too much of a presence at his joint...Bokolis will leave aside that profits (that he doesn't have to share with the rest of the class), not fan support, drove him to build that monstrosity. He is lucky the Lions are not much of a road show. While Michiganders typically need no excuse for a vacation from that rusted-out, forsaken territory, especially in the winter, the line to pray at the altar of Harbaugh-A hasn't yet thinned out enough to suggest much traveling support.
Even if they do make it down, Bokolis does not see it making much of a difference. The Cowboys have had too many impressive performances this season. While they are quite capable of laying the occasional egg, turning this trick is also going to involve Stafford giving an inspired performance, which he doesn't often offer.
Remember, Bokolis doesn't pay attention to this stuff like the rest of fat-assed America. If I'm watching the NFL, it's on the monitor of the treadmill or at the ensuing session. If I watch this at home, it usually puts me to sleep. But, that hasn't stopped me from doing well for at least the last two seasons, so we press our luck.
I'm going to miss Rex.
Cardinals (+6.5) over PANTHERS - Bokolis wouldn't touch this game. While it seems like a printing press to get this many points- surely an overvaluing of their performance in the season finale- it usually turns out to be a sucker's bet. I would love to tell y'all (again) that Cam Newton is a mongoloid who can't process variables, but it would seem there is offsetting inexperience on the other side. I have to put my faith in coach Arians and how he's made lemon meringue out of all the lemons. He will at least make this into enough of a shit-show so that Carolina doesn't run off with it.
STEELERS (-3) over Ravens - This is another game that Bokolis would avoid, if only because both of these teams are off their best levels. The Steelers are as unloved an 11-5 side as you'll see. The knock on them is that they've had atrocious losses. I suppose their recent form should squash that, but they will be without their RB this evening. Nonetheless, the Ravens have not shown anything this year that indicates that Harbaugh-B will summon enough resolve to go into Pittsburgh and swipe a playoff game.
COLTS (-3.5) over Bengals - I guess we are supposed to disregard the 27-0 train-run Indy put on the Bengals earlier this season. Bokolis thinks Dalton is shit and will operate accordingly until proven otherwise.
COWBOYS (-6.5) over Lions - Bokolis remembers telling a Cowboys fan earlier this year, if Jerry Jones keeps his fucking mouth shut, the Cowboys will get to the Super Bowl. Then they played the game against Washington, where Romo was injured, prompting Jerry to bolt the box for the sideline. I fully blame him for that loss, which is probably why they have to play this week.
As we know, all four Cowboys losses have come at Jerry's super-mart. It's also no coincidence that the place does not have the best atmosphere for fan engagement/support. Jerry is often whingeing about opposition fans having too much of a presence at his joint...Bokolis will leave aside that profits (that he doesn't have to share with the rest of the class), not fan support, drove him to build that monstrosity. He is lucky the Lions are not much of a road show. While Michiganders typically need no excuse for a vacation from that rusted-out, forsaken territory, especially in the winter, the line to pray at the altar of Harbaugh-A hasn't yet thinned out enough to suggest much traveling support.
Even if they do make it down, Bokolis does not see it making much of a difference. The Cowboys have had too many impressive performances this season. While they are quite capable of laying the occasional egg, turning this trick is also going to involve Stafford giving an inspired performance, which he doesn't often offer.
Friday, January 2, 2015
New year, new game
Bokolis has changed the boilerplate. I've come to understand that, no matter how hard you try, you're always on somebody's radar, and that somebody usually has a hard-on for you.
This is why I don't bother to howl at the wind about cops with their cunts up in the air, likely not realizing that their function has morphed into protecting the state, which effectively makes them military (and all that implies). Somewhere along the line, many of them started to believe that their mandate is to catch villains, with many within that subset resorting to contriving villains when/as needed.
Whether the PoPo are conscious of it or not, they are conflicted because both the People- who they believe they are supposed to protect- and their corporate masters- who, upon lumping up all those unarmed hipsters, they now de-facto protect and are beholden to, the carrot in the form of a pension- are annoyed at them. Deep down, they must know that this is an untenable situation, that the People, even if unjust, are always right, that they only exist out here because of the People.
Lest anyone believe that their conscience will win out, they will roll over and things will only get uglier. Bokolis will move on to some unimportant shit.
On some sort of parallel, Bokolis is in the process of withdrawing from following sports. That is not to say that I will no longer watch, and it is certainly not a sign that I am growing up. I still love the competition; it's the soap opera that I'm letting go.
Where it concerns football, I've explained to friends that
I will still more closely follow the lower leagues, as they have not been corroded to the same degree by these issues.
What does that mean for the NFL playoffs? Since I still have a soft spot, Bokolis will hook y'all up with some pearls.
What does it mean for the man behind the curtain...good question.
This is why I don't bother to howl at the wind about cops with their cunts up in the air, likely not realizing that their function has morphed into protecting the state, which effectively makes them military (and all that implies). Somewhere along the line, many of them started to believe that their mandate is to catch villains, with many within that subset resorting to contriving villains when/as needed.
Whether the PoPo are conscious of it or not, they are conflicted because both the People- who they believe they are supposed to protect- and their corporate masters- who, upon lumping up all those unarmed hipsters, they now de-facto protect and are beholden to, the carrot in the form of a pension- are annoyed at them. Deep down, they must know that this is an untenable situation, that the People, even if unjust, are always right, that they only exist out here because of the People.
Lest anyone believe that their conscience will win out, they will roll over and things will only get uglier. Bokolis will move on to some unimportant shit.
On some sort of parallel, Bokolis is in the process of withdrawing from following sports. That is not to say that I will no longer watch, and it is certainly not a sign that I am growing up. I still love the competition; it's the soap opera that I'm letting go.
Where it concerns football, I've explained to friends that
- 2018 & 2022 World Cup...rigged bid promises rigged tournament
- 2016 & 2020 Euro...see prior
- annual club tours of the US...charging twice as much as they do for actual league matches in the home country to watch burned out players play at 50%
- 2016 Copa America in the US...see prior
- Every other Copa America...who gives a shit
I will still more closely follow the lower leagues, as they have not been corroded to the same degree by these issues.
What does that mean for the NFL playoffs? Since I still have a soft spot, Bokolis will hook y'all up with some pearls.
What does it mean for the man behind the curtain...good question.
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