NFL Picks Week #9 (Cline) - I Miss Eric Zeier

The preamble to my picks was going to be centered around a few World Series thoughts. Then 2 things happened:

1. Those "few thoughts" then mushroomed into a long-ass rambling mess of a post.
2. Someone (a loyal reader who goes by the handle "GDR") not only got the Buck Belue reference in my Week 8 picks, but actually complained that there wasn't any actual Georgia content.

Well, one of the unspoken rules is that what our readers want, they get. Especially when they want UGA football talk.

I've been a Bulldogs fan since the late 70s/early 80s when we lived outside of Atlanta. This was during the Herschel Walker glory days. They even inspired me to literally wax poetic as part of an assignment in 4th Grade:

The Georgia Dawgs are a super group,
They'll take everybody for a loop.
The Dogs have got Super Herschel,
Who's sure to do a beer commercial.


Good, right?

But on to the game at hand. Outside of the annual Thanksgiving weekend game vs. Georgia Tech (which I'm going to this year!), this is Georgia's biggest game pretty much every year. They call it the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party, and it's held in Jacksonville which is a neutral site even though it's closer to Florida.

I'm not going to rehash the whole history of this rivalry (that's what that link is for), but check out the 1980 version and Larry Munson's call and try not to get the chills.

Munson retired this year, and it's a shame because to me his gravelly voice sounds like baby angels gargling with teen angels' bathwater.

As much as I love that video, it's a little annoying that the Munson sound clips don't always mesh with the video. But that doesn't take away from the beauty of:

• "Run, Lindsay run!"
• "We stepped on their face with a hobnail boot and broke their nose..."
• "My God, a freshman!"
• "Look at the sugar falling from the sky..."
  

Today's game is huge because the winner has a relatively easy path to the SEC Championship and an outside shot at the BCS Championship if things break right.

It's also huge because Florida coach Urban Meyer has his panties in a bunch over Georgia's 30-yard penalty-inducing celebration after Moreno scored the first TD. Check out Tebow's dumbfounded reaction:

I'll be honest. I don't have the warmest of fuzzies about this one. I hope I'm wrong, but the multitude of injuries Georgia has had this year does not bode well against Tebow and the rest of
their speedsters.

I'll wrap this up because the game's about to start. How 'bout them Dawgs?!?

On to my picks (in CAPS) Week 9 in the leaguewhere they play... FOR PAY!

Week 8 Records:

Cline -- 9-5 (+$260) (LOTW/BDCS -- 2-0)

Goose -- 6-8 (-$340)

Overall Records:

Cline -- 50-34-1 (.595) +$750 (LOTW/BDCS -- 5-5)

Goose -- 45-39-1 (.536) -$250

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N.Y. Jets at BUFFALO
(-4.5)

This is a different sport but the right city & state. How bad was Isaiah for the Knicks? 2 games in and fans are already cranking out YouTubes with GuJo getting jacked over a simple putback dunk:

Detroit at CHICAGO (-9)

My Tripod of Terrible strategy went 1-2 last week against the spread, but I'm going back to that fetid well. Also, I have a new logo:

JACKSONVILLE (-7) at Cincinnati

Is Jacksonville ever going to put it together like everything thinks they're capable of? If they were ever gonna, this is the week.

BALTIMORE (-3) at Cleveland

Just found out that my girlfriend's roommate who is generous of both heart and ample of bosom is going to hook us up with tix to the Eagles/Baltimore game in Baltimore. So until then... Go
Ravens! Or at least the one she's dating. Those crazy kids. I hope it works out. For at least a couple more weeks.

TAMPA BAY (-10.5) at Kansas City

Ugh. I'm conflicted between my Tripod of Terrible and the fact that I don't love TB to put up a lot of points. Gotta show Tampa one last bit of love.

HOUSTON at Minnesota (-1.5)

Minnesota's imploding. It continues this week.

Arizona (-9) at ST. LOUIS

Damn, that is a big dog. I like Arizona, but they're gonna give up some points on the road and probalby not cover.

Green Bay (-1.5) at TENNESSEE

Wait a minute. Tennesseee is the last unbeaten team. Playing at home against a good, not great Packers team.

And they're 1.5 point underdogs? I'll take those points, thank you.

Miami at DENVER (-4)

I'll take the mediocre team that's home, thank you.

Dallas at NY GIANTS (-9)

If Romo's healthy, I would take the Cowboys here. But Brad Johnson or Brooks Bollinger, or even Gary Hogeboom ain't getting the job done here.

Apropos of nothing, this is pretty cool.

ATLANTA (-6) at Oakland

If the Tripod continues to do well, they may have to make room for a new member.

PHILADELPHIA (-3.5) at Seattle

Seattle lucked into a fucked-up Niners team last week. They're still bad.

What's not bad is Carnival's *other* marketing stroke of genius besides the giant Dallas beach balls (see above). Taking place tomorrow in Philly, a giant fucking pinata will rain down candy and presumably death upon unsuspecting citizens. Check it out.

New England at INDIANAPOLIS (PICK)

Indy's resurgence continues and I continue my tact of not taking NE against good teams.

PITTSBURGH (-1.5) at Washington

We find out if Washington's for real or not. I don't think they are.