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Saturday, December 29, 2012

Week 17 NFL Picks Against a 5-Year-Old

Here we go.  It's down to the final week.  There is a decent chance that we get 3 of us to finish the season with more correct picks than wrong picks.  Also, a great Week 16 has given Uncle J a chance to win the whole thing.  It's not going to be easy, but he's within 6 picks of the lead.

The kid also has something to play for as he is just 2 games below .500.  He's not going to win like he did last year but this experiment of random selection is going to finish right where you would expect.

We'll update how things played out as soon as possible next week.  Happy New Year!

Week 16 Results
Uncle J: 11-5
5-Year-Old: 8-8
CDog: 7-9
JDaddy: 6-10

Overall Results
CDog: 127-107-6
Uncle J: 121-113-6
5-Year-Old: 116-118-6
JDaddy: 112-122-6


Saturday, December 22, 2012

Week 16 NFL Picks Against a 5-Year-Old

What a week!  After almost two years of doing this, and mostly failing miserably, we have finally had a week where all of us picked more winners than losers.  And best of all, the founder of our humble blog, JDaddy, won the week.  He now has a realistic* chance of finishing at or above .500 on the year.

*sort of

Fans of our youngest member have to be cheering as well since the kid is within striking distance of .500.  Two weeks to go.  How will we finish?

Week 15 Results
JDaddy: 10-6
CDog: 9-7
Uncle J: 9-7
5-Year-Old: 9-7

Overall Results
CDog: 120-98-6
Uncle J: 110-108-6
5-Year-Old: 109-110-6
JDaddy: 106-112-6


Friday, December 14, 2012

Week 15 NFL Picks Against a 5-Year-Old

The big talk for me last week appears to have backfired.  A 5-10-1 week will do that.  Still, with 3 weeks left in the regular season, I have a 10 game lead.  The 5-year-old had a nice week and is back to within striking distance of .500.  My hypothesis is that he should end up at .500 since his picks are basically the same as flipping the coin.

Isn't math fun?

Week 14 Results
5-Year-Old: 9-6-1
JDaddy: 9-6-1
Uncle J: 8-7-1
CDog: 5-10-1

Overall Results
CDog: 111-91-6
Uncle J: 101-101-6
5-Year-Old: 99-103-6
JDaddy: 96-106-6


Sunday, December 9, 2012

Week 14 NFL Picks Against a 5-Year-Old

I always hated the game of Hearts.  I've never actually played it with real cards, just on the computer, back before things like Words With Friends were in our lives.  I would play it because it was there, and the rules were easy to follow, but it was frustratingly hard for me to beat the computer.  What cards do I pass, what cards do I keep, when do I play the Queen of Spades?  I ALWAYS GOT STUCK WITH THE QUEEN OF SPADES!

Anyway, I was reminded of Hearts this afternoon as I was adding up our pick 'em standings.  If this was Hearts, the game would be over since JDaddy has reached the 100 loss mark.  The winner of our imaginary Hearts game?  Me!  Yay!  I like it better this way since we have way cooler names than the ones the computer would make up.

But it's not just Hearts that appears to be going my way.  With another 5 win week, Uncle J has fallen a game below .500 on the season.  That gives me a 13 game advantage with just 4 weeks to play.  Winning the season isn't clinched yet, but another double digit week has me rolling.  Still, I'm just going to take it one day at a time and Lord willin' I'll come out on top.

Week 13 Results
CDog: 11-5
5-Year-Old: 6-10
JDaddy: 6-10
Uncle J: 5-11

Overall Results
CDog: 106-81-5
Uncle J: 93-94-5
5-Year-Old: 90-97-5
JDaddy: 87-100-5


Friday, November 30, 2012

Week 13 NFL Picks Against a 5-Year-Old

Under the gun today, so just a couple of quick notes.
  • The kid had a nice bounce back week with 9 correct picks.  Every time he looks like he's out of it he comes roaring back.  He's back to within striking distance of .500.
  • I interrupted the kid from playing with his toys when we ran down the list of games last week.  He wasn't paying much attention and picked the home teams for all the games (except for Carolina, which is his favorite team).  Turned out to be a decent strategy.
  • Uncle J had a rough week.  I had a very good week.  The 1st place lead is now 7 games.
  • My strategy in picking Cowboys games continues to pay dividends.
  • JDaddy is hanging in there!

Week 12 Results
CDog: 11-3-2
5-Year-Old: 9-5-2
JDaddy: 7-7-2
Uncle J: 5-9-2

Overall Results
CDog: 95-76-5
Uncle J: 88-83-5
5-Year-Old: 84-87-5
JDaddy: 81-90-5


Week 13 Picks

GameJDaddyCDog5 Year OldUncle J
New Orleans (+3.5) at AtlantaNew OrleansAtlantaAtlantaAtlanta
Seattle (+3.5) at ChicagoChicagoSeattleChicagoChicago
Minnesota (+8) at Green BayGreen BayMinnesotaGreen BayMinnesota
San Francisco (-7) at St. LouisSan FranciscoSan FranciscoSt. LouisSan Francisco
Arizona (+4.5) at NY JetsNY JetsNY JetsNY JetsNY Jets
Carolina (-3) at Kansas CityCarolinaCarolinaCarolinaCarolina
Indianapolis (+4.5) at DetroitDetroitIndianapolisDetroitDetroit
Jacksonville (+5.5) at BuffaloJacksonvilleBuffaloJacksonvilleBuffalo
New England (-7.5) at MiamiNew EnglandMiamiMiamiNew England
Houston (-6) at TennesseeHoustonHoustonTennesseeHouston
Tampa Bay (+7) at DenverDenverDenverDenverTampa Bay
Pittsburgh (+8) at BaltimorePittsburghPittsburghBaltimoreBaltimore
Cleveland (PK) at OaklandOaklandClevelandOaklandCleveland
Cincinnati (-2.5) at San DiegoCincinnatiCincinnatiSan DiegoCincinnati
Philadelphia (+10) at DallasDallasPhiladelphiaDallasDallas
NY Giants (-2.5) at WashingtonWashingtonNY GiantsWashingtonNY Giants

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Polar Bears Win! and Words From Woody

Last Friday I found myself at "Goat Field" in Groesbeck, Texas. After a 34 year absence I was about to see the Frost Polar Bears (my high school team) play football. The last time had been in 1978 and from 1970-73 I had been a member of the team myself. But I was here for this year's team. Frost was in the playoffs and would be facing a team that had beaten them 53-0 last year.

And it was a terrific game. The Polar Bears won 16-12 with a goal line stand as time was running out. The team will now move on to the next level this Friday against the Mount Enterprise Wildcats. The Polar Bears stand 11-1 and the eleven wins are the second most in school history.

With me at the game was my son, son-in-law, and two of my grandsons. None of them attended Frost, but they joined in the excitement with me. I travel home and attend High School games each Thanksgiving weekend, once taking in 5 in a two day period. But this year for the first time, one of those games was played by the Bears! I wrote once about my love of Polar Bear football. I found last Friday that even as time and distance got in the way, I still feel the same.

I saw my sixth grade girlfriend Vickie, and Keith Speer who was one of those Polar Bears I looked up to as a kid. I am sure there were folks there I did not recognize or who did not recognize me. But there were mostly new names and families That I did not know or they me.

But on my side of "Goat Field" we were all cheering for the blue and white with their punishing running game and motivated young coach, Eric Blenden. But none were cheering louder than my high school teammate and friend Gary Woods. Gary was a two time All District selection when we played, and his son Woody plays for the Polar Bears (and scored the night's first TD). I had made plans to touch base with him and caught him just before game time. I am pretty sure Gary is a motivated parent and is probably hoarse after every game. We did catch a glimpse of each other during the game somehow we were teammates again.

To top it off, I got to meet Woody after the game and told him how happy I was for them and wished them well. He shook my hand and said he had heard a lot about me. (Uh-Oh). But as I hugged him and told him bye, he looked at me and said "Once a Polar Bear, always a Polar Bear". Not sure if this kid will even remember he said it..... But I sure will.



Go Polar Bears!


Woody and Gary


Photo


Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Week 12 NFL Picks Against a 5-Year-Old - Thanksgiving Edition

Much like the NFL's version of Week 11, our Week 11 picks were listless and uninspiring.  3 of us finished 7-7 and the other one finished 6-8.  Kind of like watching a Cleveland/Dallas overtime "thriller."

Speaking of the Cowboys, I'm trying to formulate a post at just how far the Cowboys have fallen on my radar.  It's a sad realization when it dawns on you that you're just not a "die-hard" like you used to be.  But I'm at that point, for various reasons, and hopefully I'll be able to explain in a coherent manner.

But this week is not the week to dwell on those things.  It's the season of the year where we take time to say what we're thankful for.  So here are my top 5 things I'm currently thankful for in the sports world.

5. Keith Olbermann

Yeah, I can't believe it either.  It's amazing how much I dislike his commentary on one subject, but love his commentary on another.  MLB Network needs more Keith Olbermann.  He and Brian Kenny were such greatness on Tuesday morning's version of  Hot Stove.

4.The NHL Lockout
Maybe it's cause I'm getting more cynical as I get older, but watching one group of people that has lost touch with the reality of the world battling another group of people that has lost touch with the reality of the world really makes my day.  I guess if the lockout brings more stability to the support then it's a good thing, but does anyone really think that's the case?

3. Dirk Nowitzki

Hurry back, big fella.

2. Melky Cabrera and Bartolo Colon

It's good to know that users of PEDs really feel the pain of their decisions and don't profit from the outlying seasons that PEDs helped create.

1. Johnny Football

No surprise here.  He looks like Brick Heck and he's in line to be the first Aggie Heisman winner since John David Crow.  I can't wait until 2016 when he gets the Tebow coverage from ESPN.

Back to the picks.  You'll notice that there are two races forming.  The kid better watch out.  He's about to get passed.

Week 11 Results
CDog: 7-7
Uncle J: 7-7
JDaddy: 7-7
5-Year-Old: 6-8

Overall Results
CDog: 84-73-3
Uncle J: 83-74-3
5-Year-Old: 75-82-3
JDaddy:74-83-3


Friday, November 16, 2012

Week 11 NFL Picks Against a 5-Year-Old

Wow.  What a week.  For me at least.  The first 8 games on our list went into the win column.  My 11 correct picks are a personal best, I think.  I haven't gone back to actually check, but I think that I would have remembered 11 wins.

The poor kid took a step back today.  After climbing out of the hole to get close to .500 he had a rough week.

And JDaddy.  I mean, ummm.  Maybe he got a concussion too.

Week 10
CDog: 11-3
Uncle J: 7-7
5-Year-Old: 5-9
JDaddy: 5-9

Overall
CDog: 77-66-3
Uncle J: 76-67-3
5-Year-Old: 69-74-3
JDaddy: 67-76-3

Week 11 Picks

GameJDaddyCDog5 Year OldUncle J
Miami (+1.5) at BuffaloBuffaloMiamiMiamiBuffalo
Philadelphia (+3.5) at WashingtonWashingtonWashingtonWashingtonWashington
Green Bay (-3.5) at DetroitDetroitGreen BayDetroitGreen Bay
Arizona (+10) at AtlantaAtlantaArizonaArizonaArizona
Tampa Bay (-1.5) at CarolinaTampa BayTampa BayCarolinaCarolina
Cleveland (+8) at DallasDallasClevelandDallasDallas
NY Jets (+3.5) at St. LouisSt. LouisSt. LouisSt. LouisSt. Louis
Indianapolis (+9) at New EnglandIndianapolisIndianapolisNew EnglandIndianapolis
Jacksonville (+15.5) at HoustonJacksonvilleJacksonvilleHoustonJacksonville
Cincinnati (-3.5) at Kansas CityCincinnatiCincinnatiKansas CityKansas City
New Orleans (-5) at OaklandNew OrleansOaklandOaklandNew Orleans
San Diego (+7.5) at DenverDenverDenverSan DiegoDenver
Baltimore (-3.5) at PittsburghBaltimoreBaltimorePittsburghBaltimore
Chicago (+5) at San FranciscoSan FranciscoChicagoSan FranciscoSan Francisco

Saturday, November 10, 2012

Week 10 NFL Picks Against a 5-Year-Old

What a week we just had!  I'm not talking about Election 2012, but instead I'm talking about our Week 9 picks.  Uncle J was brought back to life-and the lead-with an 11-3 week.  JDaddy continues his slow climb out of the pit of despair with a 10-4 week.  The kid finished over .500 as well.  I was the only one dragging us back, but I'm still on the good side of break-even for the season.

If you go through our list from last week, Uncle J picked the first 9 games correctly.  Can he keep it up?

Here's how the picks went last week.

Week 9
Uncle J: 11-3
JDaddy: 10-4
5-Year-Old: 8-6
CDog: 6-8

Overall
Uncle J: 69-60-3
CDog: 66-63-3
5-Year-Old: 64-65-3
JDaddy: 62-67-3

Week 10 Picks

GameJDaddyCDog5 Year OldUncle J
Indianapolis (-3.5) at JacksonvilleIndianapolisIndianapolisJacksonvilleIndianapolis
Buffalo (+11) at New EnglandNew EnglandBuffaloNew EnglandNew England
NY Giants (-4) at CincinnatiNY GiantsCincinattieNY GiantsNY Giants
San Diego (+3) at Tampa BayTampa BayTampa BayTampa BayTampa Bay
Denver (-4) at CarolinaDenverDenverCarolinaDenver
Tennessee (+6) at MiamiMiamiTennesseeMiamiTennessee
Oakland (+7.5) at BaltimoreOaklandBaltimoreBaltimoreOakland
Atlanta (-2.5) at New OrleansAtlantaAtlantaNew OrleansAtlanta
Detroit (-2.5) at MinnesotaDetroitMinnesotaDetroitMinnesota
NY Jets (+6) at SeattleSeattleSeattleSeattleNY Jets
Dallas (-1.5) at PhiladelphiaDallasPhiladelphiaDallasDallas
St. Louis (+11.5) at San FranciscoSan FranciscoSt. LouisSan FranciscoSt. Louis
Houston (+1) at ChicagoChicagoHoustonChicagoChicago
Kansas City (+12.5) at PittsburghPittsburghPittsburghPittsburghPittsburgh

Saturday, November 3, 2012

Week 9 NFL Picks Against a 5-Year-Old

I hope everyone had a great Halloween.  The 5-year-old went as Mario.  What's funny is that to me, Mario is a little plumber that likes mushrooms and saving princesses, but to the 5-year-old, Mario is a racecar driver.  He'll never understand how awesome this is.

Speaking of Halloween, Uncle J's picks were pretty scary last week.  After dominating through 7 weeks, he took a nose dive in Week 8.  4-10 has landed him in second place, with the kid breathing down his neck.  JDaddy continues his long climb out of the hole.

Lastly, the war zone has a new face, as TJ Kool has shown up on the scene.  If you want to keep up, you can check out his thoughts here.

Here's how the picks went last week.

Week 8
JDaddy: 8-6
CDog: 8-6
5-Year-Old: 7-7
Uncle J: 4-10

Overall
CDog: 60-55-3
Uncle J: 58-57-3
5-Year-Old: 56-59-3
JDaddy: 52-63-3

Friday, October 26, 2012

Week 8 NFL Picks Against a 5-Year-Old

Welcome to the game, JDaddy.  After 6 dreadful weeks, even by our standards, JDaddy arrived to win Week 7.  But just his luck, it wasn't the best week to finally break through.  For one, Uncle J got back in the groove to tie JDaddy for the best week.  Second, there were just 13 games last week and 2 of them ended up as pushes, so there were only 11 games to accurately pick.  It's hard to do much catch up when there aren't many games.

The kid finished last, but it wasn't a terrible week.  He's still lurking back there.

Lastly, I know that this is a football column, but I want everyone to meditate on the fact that Pablo Sandoval is now on the same sacred list as Babe Ruth, Reggie Jackson, and Albert Pujols.  The Mayans might be right after all.

Week 7
JDaddy: 7-4-2
Uncle J: 7-4-2
CDog: 6-5-2
5-Year-Old: 5-6-2

Overall
Uncle J: 54-47-3
CDog: 52-49-3
5-Year-Old: 49-52-3
JDaddy:44-57-3

Friday, October 19, 2012

Week 7 NFL Picks Against a 5-Year-Old

Week 6 came and went.  I was out of town so I didn't get to watch much football.  I did see the last two minutes of the Cowboys game.  Those last two throws to Dez Bryant are a sort of a microcosm of his entire career, aren't they?

As for our picks, there weren't many highs or lows.  The 5-year-old won his second week in a row, and now, after a slow start he's within striking distance of getting back even.  Uncle J had his second week below .500 so he is now dropping back to the pack.  By Week 10 we could easily see the kid back in the lead.  Stay tuned!

Week 7
5-Year-Old: 8-6
CDog: 7-7
JDaddy: 6-8
Uncle J: 6-8

Overall
Uncle J: 47-43-1
CDog: 46-44-1
5-Year-Old: 44-46-1
JDaddy: 37-53-1


Thursday, October 18, 2012

"Punchers" Stampede to Number One!

The top ranked Frost Polar Bears dropped all the way down to #4 as they suffered a two touchdown loss (44-27) at the hands of Hubbard High School. Moving up to #1  are the Punchers from Mason after another dominant win. (44-0 over Harper High.

The Ricebirds from El Campo stayed unbeaten and moved back up to #2 in our polls. Bottom ranked New Braunfels got a big Unicorn win over local rival Canyon, 30-27.

This weeks Top 10 shakes out like this.

                                                    Last Week               This Week

1. Mason Punchers -------     6-0 (W - 44-0) --------- Ozona

2. El Campo Ricebirds ---      6-0 (W - 63-21)--------- Wharton

3. Trent Gorrilas ---------      6-1 (W - 56-6) ----------  BYE

4. Frost Polar Bears -----      6-1 (L - 27-44) ---------- Wortham

5.Grandview Zebras -----      4-2 (W - 56-21) --------   Red Oak Life

6. Texas City Stingarees -      4-2 (W - 64-34) --------   Galveston Ball

7. Hutto Hippos ---------      3-3 (L- 24-58) ----------   Bastrop

8. Brazosport Exporters -      3-4 (L - 7-27) ----------    Angleton

9. New Braunfels Unicorns - 2-4 (W - 32-27) -----        Castleberry

10. Springtown Porcupines - 2-4 (L - 17-48) ------        San Marcos

Saturday, October 13, 2012

Week 6 NFL Picks Against a 5-Year-Old

Before we get started, a moment of silence for Amanda Whurlitzer. No, not that one.  This one.

Thank you.

Week 5 brought us back to football knowledge respectability--if we had any to start with.  For the first time all season, nobody in the crew let us down.  And guess what?  All of you fans of the kid can now rest easy.  After giving us a 5 week head start, he is now coming on strong.  A nice 9-5 week will do that to you.  He's not back to .500, but it is definitely in his sights.

Uncle J finally gave us a break.  But a bad week for him is just missing .500 by a game.  He still has a hold on first place.

Week 5
5-Year-Old: 9-5
JDaddy: 7-7
CDog: 7-7
Uncle J: 6-8

Overall
Uncle J: 41-35-1
CDog: 39-37-1
5-Year-Old: 36-40-1
JDaddy: 31-45-1


Thursday, October 11, 2012

The Jungle Has a Big Week! Gorillas and Zebras Win..... Tarzan Would Be Proud!

With two wins and a "bye" week our top three teams in the JDaddy Mascot league stayed the same. But below the three powerhouses there was a lot of movement.

Also this week, The Stingarees face a another tough week with the 5-0 Mustangs from Friendswood and the Unicorns might have their best chance and a second win as they meet up with Canyon (1-4)


Team                                   Record      Last Week       This Week's Opp

1. Frost Polar Bears             6-0          W (27-21)         Hubbard (4-2)

2. Mason Punchers               5-0          Bye                   Harper (2-4)

3. El Campo Ricebirds          5-0          W (28-27)        Royal (0-6)

4. Trent Gorillas                    5-1          W (56-24)        Patton Spr. (0-3)

5. Grandview Zebras           3-2            W (69-0)          Whitney (0-6)

6. Hutto Hippos                   3-2            Bye                   Connaly Phlu. (4-1)

7. Texas City Stingarees       3-2           L (29-32)           Friendswood (5-0)

8. Brazosport Exporters       3-3           L (13-50)           Terry (5-1)

9. Springtown Porcupines    2-3            Bye                    Kennedale (3-2)

10. N. Braunfels Unicorns   1-4            Bye                     Canyon (1-4)        

Sunday, October 7, 2012

Texas Rangers 2012 - The Good, The Bad and the Ugly

Somehow, some way, the sun came up Saturday morning after Friday night's Rangers loss to the Orioles. To be honest, I was more surprised with that fact after Game 7 in 2011 than I was this time around. It is a good thing that we can now complain about a 93 win season. The bar has been raised by the Rangers organization, the players, and the fans. Over 3 million were in the Ball Park this year and many more like me kept up on TV or through the Internet. We talked about it on Facebook and some of us learned to Tweet. The third time would be a charm and in April we seemed locked an loaded.

But it all came crashing down. While the last two weeks were bad, there were signs along the way that this team had many leaks in the dam.

It never won an Academy Award, but if ever there was a movie title which exemplifies the 2012 Texas Rangers season, it is Clint Eastwood's spaghetti western classic "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly". We have gathered a few and would like to hear some of yours.

Check it out after the break.

Friday, October 5, 2012

Your 2012 Texas Rangers - Unbelievable

What started out as an unbelievable season had a really unbelievable ending.  4 up with 6 to go turns into an uninspiring Wild Card game.  But that was the status quo for the last half of the season for the Rangers.  Yes, they won 93 games, but when you look beyond that you see a team that never could put up a long winning streak.  A team that always had at least a third of their lineup struggling.  A team that insisted on letting Michael Young go to the plate 651 times.

Their star dipped back into bad habits (at least on the field) and wouldn't take a walk despite teams doing everything short of rolling the ball to keep the ball out of the strike zone.  Then he disappears for a 5 game stretch.  Two of those games were losses to the Mariners.  Want to know how the season could have ended different?  When the Angels and A's got their three game set against Seattle in the week leading up to the end, they swept the M's.  The Rangers lost 2 of 3.  There's your division folks.

And can I ask why put Robbie Ross on the one game playoff roster if you decide to use Derek Holland out of the pen?  I've been an ardent defender of Ron Washington, despite his obvious lack of in-game managerial skills, but it's moves like that when you see how much of a disadvantage the Rangers are during the actual game.

I taught my son (the football picking one) the tortoise and the hare story the other day.  The Rangers were easily the hare in 2012.  The quick start.  The resting of key players at odd times (see the two losses with Spring Training lineups here and here).  The Rangers have always been credited for being loose.  Well it certainly showed the last half of the season.  It would have been nice if some urgency had been shown.

I know I'm rambling.  I didn't really have a thesis when I started this entry.  It doesn't hurt like Game 6 (although the first game of the DH against LA a few days ago did).  Last year I thought the Rangers were the better team.  This year, they showed that they had no fight left in them.  Seriously, Josh Hamilton saw 8 pitches tonight and made 5 outs.  What an terrible end to a fantastic story.  Until, as a friend of mine said, we find out what really caused his eye problems.

OK, I'm rambling again.  Maybe I'll get some coherent thoughts and return.  When do I get my ALDS and ALCS refund?

Week 5 NFL Picks Against a 5-Year-Old

It hasn't been a good sports week here in the Metroplex.  Between Tony Romo's interceptions and the collapse of the Rangers, it's been a while since we've seen a win.  And with the Cowboys' bye week and the Rangers playing a one game Wildcard Series on Friday, it could be a weekend without professional sports.  Not at all what we expected around here.

But at the Cheap Seats, we're still going strong.  Well, at least two of us are.  A 10-5 Week 4 has me back on the plus side of things.  Uncle J continued his stellar 2012 campaign with a 9-6 week.  JDaddy and the kid both turned in 7-8 performances, which for them is pretty good.

There are just 14 NFL games on tap this weekend, so we need to come out swinging.

Week 4
CDog: 10-5
Uncle J: 9-6
5-Year-Old: 7-8
JDaddy: 7-8

Overall
Uncle J: 35-27-1
CDog: 32-30-1
5-Year-Old: 27-35-1
JDaddy: 24-38-1

Thursday, October 4, 2012

Polar Bears Take the Top Spot

How do you have a bye week during an undefeated season and drop two spots in the polls? Well, it takes two blow outs and an unabashed "homer" doing the ranking. That is exactly what has happened to the El Campo Ricebirds in the JDaddy Mascot League this week as the Polar Bears (66-6) and Punchers (40-14)steamrolled to 5-0 records last week.

The Hippos dropped 3 spots after losing by 21 to Elgin. The Gorillas from Trent could not handle the pressure of being ranked as they fell 35-25 to Roscoe Highland. The Stingarees and Exporters also won last week.

This weeks Rankings;


Team                                   Record          Last Week           This Week's Opp

1. Frost Polar Bears             5-0               W (66-6)              Perrin-Whitt (3-1)

2. Mason Punchers              5-0                W (40-14)            Bye

3. El Campo Ricebirds         4-0                 Bye                      Bellville (3-2)

4. Texas City Stingarees       3-1                W (49-32)            Perl.-Daw.(4-0)

5. Trent Gorillas                   4-1                 L (25-35)             Hermleigh (1-4)

6. Brazosport Exporters       3-2                W (52-34)             Foster

7. Hutto Hippos                   3-2                 L (14-35)              Bye

8. Grandview Zebras           2-2                 Bye                        Maypearl (1-4)

9. Springtown Porcupines    2-3                 L (28-38)               Bye

10. N. Braunfels Unicorns   1-4                 L (21-24)                Bye                                      

Thursday, September 27, 2012

Week 4 NFL Picks Against a 5-Year-Old

I'm sorry to announce that it hasn't been a good week for the 5-year-old.  Following a 5-11 Week 3-which unbelievably wasn't the worst of the bunch-the kid decided to do a teeth plant into a ceramic flower pot.  He was playing around the house, fell down, and yada yada yada, he is now staying home from school and watching movies with a pacifier in his mouth. Not fun. But on the bright side, he is learning how to milk an injury for all it's worth in order to stay home from school.

Here at the Cheap Seats, we too were impacted by the outcome of the Seattle/Green Bay game. The ruling of a touchdown prevented us from having anyone finish at or above .500 for the week. Remember how I said the kid's 5-11 week wasn't the worst performance? He has JDaddy to thank. He pulled out a 4-12 record.

The absolute worst thing that can happen to a team is for all 4 of us to pick it as a winner. We were 0-4 in that scenario last week. Remember kids, gambling is bad.

Here are the standings after Week 3.

Week 3
CDog: 7-9
Uncle J: 5-11
5-Year-Old: 5-11
JDaddy: 4-12

Overall
Uncle J: 26-21-1
CDog: 22-25-1
5-Year-Old: 20-27-1
JDaddy: 17-30-1


Tuesday, September 25, 2012

JDaddyDu Mascot League: Wampus Cats and Blizzards Are No More

With all of the great team mascots in the Lone Star State, there is a lot of competition to be in the JDaddyDu  Mascot League. But, there are requirements! And the simplest is that a team HAS GOT TO WIN A GAME!  And so at 0-3, the Itasca Wampus Cats and the Winters Blizzards have fallen out of the JML.  The ‘Cats fell to the Polar Bears 39-14 and the Blizzards were led out of town by the previously winless, and near Mascot League member, Hamlin Pied Pipers 40-0.
Our crack team sports reporters have scoured hundreds of suggestions and have looked at great combinations of mascot uniqueness and team talent. The results are in, and making their debut in our Top 10 will be the Mason High School “Punchers” and 6 Man Football power,  Trent High School Gorillas. Both undefeated and worthy of a spot on the list.
Mason makes the jump near the top of our list while Trent, although undefeated is in the middle of the pack.
It is tough to lose the top spot after a win, so the top 2 remain the same this week, but with a state champion now in the mix, how long the Ricebirds and Polar Bears stay 1-2 is anyone’s guess.
This weeks standings;

               Team                             Record         Last Week                      This Week’s Opp.
1.      El Campo Ricebirds            4-0               W (16-7)                             Bellville
2.      Frost Polar Bears               4-0               W (39-14)                           Perrin-Whitt
3.      Mason Punchers                4-0               W (64-7)                             San Saba
4.      Hutto Hippos                      3-1               W (69-6)                             Elgin
5.      Trent Gorillas                      4-0               W (50-44)                           Highland
6.      Texas City Stingarees          2-1               BYE                                     Goose Creek Mem.
7.      Springtown Porcupines     2-2                L  (20-28)                            Graham
8.      Grandview Zebras              2-2                L  (34-42)                            Maypearl
9.      Brazosport Exporters         2-2                L  (23-59)                            Bay City
10.   New Braunfels Unicorns    1-3                L  (13-24)                            SA East Central  

Thursday, September 20, 2012

Week 3 NFL Picks Against a 5-Year-Old

After a slow start to the season, your beloved 5-year-old picked up the pace in Week 2.  Starting with picking the Packers on Thursday and ending with picking the Falcons on Monday, he had a nice week.  The only problem?  Our new participant, Uncle J, continues his quest to lap the field by Thanksgiving.  There must be something in the sea-breeze air that contains an ability to pick football games.

However, the kid is now tied for 2nd.  Again, the only problem?  His competition ain't that steep.  So wish him luck.

Off-Topic Side Note

Some of you may know that the 5-year-old in question here is a Type 1 diabetic.  Each year our family participates in a walk sponsored by the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation in order to raise money toward finding a cure for Type 1 Diabetes (and have a lot of fun).

Diabetes research has produced amazing breakthroughs in the last few years that makes life as a diabetic easier.  Also, the steps being taken towards a functioning artificial pancreas are promising.  But we still long for the day that the kid-and millions others like him-no longer has to do the daily rounds of finger pricks and injections and no longer has to count every carb he puts in his body.

Many people falsely assume that a child "grows out of" Type 1 Diabetes.  That's 100% incorrect.  A Type 1 Diabetic will be a diabetic for the rest of his or her life, unless a cure is discovered.  You can read all about JDRF and the research being done to cure Type 1 Diabetes on their webpage.

If you are interested in helping us raise money, simply go to my JDRF page and make a donation.  Thanks!

Now, back to football.


Week 2 Results
Uncle J: 10-5-1
5-Year-Old: 9-6-1
CDog: 7-8-1
JDaddy: 6-9-1

Overall Results
Uncle J: 21-10-1
5-Year-Old: 15-16-1
CDog: 15-16-1
JDaddy: 13-18-1


Sunday, September 16, 2012

Week 3 Mascot Football...... Ricebirds and Polar Bears Lead The Way!

Led by the 68-0 shellacking of Pasadena by the Texas City Stingarees, The JDaddyDu Mascot League finished week with a 7-3 record and an overall record of 17-13 in the young 2012 season.

Romps were the story of the weekend as the Ricebirds (3-0) pecked their way to a 56-7 win over Bay City, the Hippos won by 35 and the Porcupines stuck it to Trimble Tech 43-0.

On the flip side, the Unicorns were poked 21-51 and the Wampus Cats stayed winless after getting de-clawed by Meridien 0-26.

The Blizzards also remained winless while the Polar Bears cooled off Gateway Academy 28-6 to stay unbeaten.

For one of the few times this year, two of our teams meet on the gridiron as the Polar Bears and Wampus Cats square off on Sept. 21st at 7:30 in Frost.


                  

Rank          Team                            Last Week   Record      Next Week

1.         El Campo Rice Birds              W 56-7           3-0            Foster
2.         Frost Polar Bears                   W 28-6           3-0            Itasca
3.         Texas City Stingarees             W 68-0           2-1            Goose Creek
4.         Springtown Porcupines           W 43-0           2-1            Gainesville
5.         Hutto Hippos                         W 35-0            2-1            Cedar Creek
6.         Grandview Zebras                  W 49-21         2-1             Lorena
7.         Brazosport Exporters             W 22-19          2-1            Wharton             
8.         New Braunfels Unicorns          L 21-51          1-2             SA Johnson
9.         Winters Blizzards                     L 7-15            0-3             Hamlin 
10.        Itasca Wampus Cats               L 0-26            0-3             Frost       





Saturday, September 15, 2012

Experts vs. a 5-Year-Old - Week 2 NFL Picks

The first week came and went.  What did we learn?  We learned that the new guy knows how to pick football games as well as he can pick a guitar.  I knew we should have vetted him a little closer when he asked to play.

On the other side of things, the 5-year-old is off to a slow start.  He must have spent a Dirk-like summer basking in the glow of his victory last year.  Sorry kid, 2012 is a new year.

Here's how we did.

Uncle J: 11-5
CDog: 8-8
JDaddy: 7-9
5-Year-Old: 6-10


Sunday, September 9, 2012

Texas High School Mascot Madness!

As just about everyone I have ever met knows, I went to high school in Frost, Texas and proudly played football for the Frost Polar Bears. Just Google "mascots" and the Bears will be in any Top 10 list.

With a 2-0 start for my old team, I began to wonder, "How the Texas City Stingarees did last night?" So at JDaddydu we are going to track our favorite teams from around the state and see if being wacky also means success in 2012.

The JDaddy Conference was 5-5 in week 2.

These are our Top 10, but I am sure many of you have your own favorites. Let us hear how they did.






JDaddys Mascot League



Team                                                    W/L                       Score                                   2012 Record
Frost Polar Bears                                  W                          29-16                                   2-0
Grandview Zebras                                 L                           28-29                                   1-1
Itasca Wampus Cats                              L                            0-20                                   0-2
Hutto Hippos                                          L                            9-35                                   1-1
Brazosport Exporters                            W                          44-20                                   1-1
Texas City Stingarees                             L                           21-34                                  1-1
New Braunfels Unicorns                       W                          41-29                                  1-1
Winters Blizzards                                   L                            7-47                                   0-2
El Campo Ricebirds                               W                          55-20                                  2-0
Springtown Porcupines                         W                          37-30                                  1-1

Friday, September 7, 2012

Experts vs. a 5-Year-Old - Week 1 NFL Picks

The first game of the season is done.  Half of us picked correctly, the other half missed. But just like in football, there is a long way to go in our season selections.  The Cowboys could very well go 1-15 while the Giants could still repeat as champions.  Still, though, I'm going to walk around a little taller today knowing that I have a 1 game lead on the 5-Year-Old (who's still 4 until next week, by the way).  Come Tuesday morning, he'll probably be back in the lead.

If you missed our first post (and if you did, it's here) you will find we have a new challenger this year.  Uncle J joins us from Corpus Christi, TX.  Lets hope he fairs better than JDaddy and I did last season.

On to the picks...

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Cowboys at Giants Predictions Against a 5-Year-Old

You've seen our season predictions.  Now it's time to get down to the business of making our weekly picks.  Last year, JDaddy and I went up against a 4-year-old.  It didn't turn out so well.  You'll be happy to know that we're doing it again this year!  Except this year the kid is now 5, so he's practically an expert by now.  No need to make fun of us this year if we lose.

Credit: Cory Dugan
And we have a special guest joining us this year.  Jim Dugan, famous crooner from Corpus Christi, TX asked to take on the kid this year.  Like a replacement official, Uncle J, as we'll call him, has no idea what he's in for.

The way this works is that the experts in the competition pick against the lines.  The kid will just pick winners.  If you want to explain to a 5-year-old about betting lines, be my guest.  But until he learns the intricacies of gambling, he's just going to guess who will win the game.

With today being Opening Night of the NFL season, we'll get started with the Dallas Cowboys against the New York Giants.  We'll release the rest of Week 1 later in the week.