tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18352242962299216602024-03-19T04:48:11.689-04:00New York Sports PlusWilliam Botchwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13761607195885297785noreply@blogger.comBlogger327125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1835224296229921660.post-64414972244511543602021-04-06T15:36:00.002-04:002021-04-06T16:42:03.026-04:00The All Star Game Drama<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4kPNGjlFjuLCHq9Ep0mZkbu_wWHpGr_CqDrf6UjPRSutexTJM9B2qIZw5JAcqbvP0M25RqxWK7Oz_GJhdxnbx5XBrsYd0Ux8q_2YL0wHE-KGwd8ahzkN218h1QVXDJq5dp86ZVauki-Xv/s1200/rob-manfred-mlb-all-star-georgia-pull.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4kPNGjlFjuLCHq9Ep0mZkbu_wWHpGr_CqDrf6UjPRSutexTJM9B2qIZw5JAcqbvP0M25RqxWK7Oz_GJhdxnbx5XBrsYd0Ux8q_2YL0wHE-KGwd8ahzkN218h1QVXDJq5dp86ZVauki-Xv/w459-h306/rob-manfred-mlb-all-star-georgia-pull.jpg" width="459" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Photo courtesy of cleveland.com</span></div><p>On Friday, Major League Baseball <a href="https://www.mlb.com/press-release/press-release-mlb-statement-regarding-2021-all-star-game" target="_blank">released a statement</a> that they had moved the 2021 All-Star Game and MLB Draft from Atlanta due to the recently enacted changes in Georgia election laws. These laws which restrict voting access were put into place as a reaction to a record voter turnout overall and especially from Black Georgians. Here's <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/02/us/politics/georgia-voting-law-annotated.html" target="_blank">a much better breakdown</a> than I can give about the mechanics of the laws. On its face it may not seem like a big deal, but these changes have to be viewed within the context of a party which is constantly attempting to restrict voting as much as possible to maintain power, and a state and country in which innocuous-seeming Jim Crow laws have kept and continue to Black people from voting.</p><p>For the MLB to make this statement is to show that they care to put public pressure on Georgia to overturn these laws. This is the same thing that the NBA and NCAA did a few years ago by removing the All Star Game and college postseason games from North Carolina in response to the anti-trans HB2. There's a precedent for the actions that the league took in this scenario. It's unclear how direct of an impact those actions had on the state backtracking on the bill a year later, but we do know that it didn't necessarily hurt. </p><p>Good for the MLB, I guess. In a vacuum, it's great that the league took a stand against these racist laws. However, I'm more convinced that this is a case of good public relations than out of Rob Manfred wanting to take a stance against these laws. If he did, then the league would throw financial backing behind the grassroots organizers who will be fighting to increase voter access in Black communities. We're in an era where sports leagues are trying harder than ever to win brownie points by positioning themselves as supporters or even drivers of social justice. It's a disingenuous suggestion and I will not be patting the MLB on the back for doing in this case the bare minimum. In fact, given Georgia's blatant disregard for COVID safety over the past year, and the well known disproportionate impact that the pandemic has on communities of color, the All-Star Game should have been moved from Atlanta a long time ago.</p><p>After seeing this initial statement, I was ready to move on with my day. </p><p>However. </p><p>Then the Atlanta Braves came off the top rope with potentially the worst statement I've ever had the misfortune of reading. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji-wqD23RpDSt0ph17TZbcIvzexr5icaO9X-wWR8qTpYBx0S72uIIGb4HgZF5PewtsISlq5gyJipkF0I6kkr-CnXQiK7G4nUzflxib-0CbSiNnNg1h-RcJ99jDYShhsaXItGiWinNndgGS/s1280/Braves+Statement.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji-wqD23RpDSt0ph17TZbcIvzexr5icaO9X-wWR8qTpYBx0S72uIIGb4HgZF5PewtsISlq5gyJipkF0I6kkr-CnXQiK7G4nUzflxib-0CbSiNnNg1h-RcJ99jDYShhsaXItGiWinNndgGS/w405-h228/Braves+Statement.jpg" width="405" /></a></div><p>Upon reading this for the first time, I had an involuntary, audible reaction: "oh fuck off." This statement made me so angry, that I was driven to end my nearly five year writing hiatus. </p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">To lie like this about businesses, employees, fans, unity, and community—which in Atlanta is implied to be heavily Black</span>—on letterhead featuring a racist caricature of Indigenous people takes such an elite level of cognitive dissonance that I have to be impressed. The franchise who had Chief Noc-A-Homa living in a teepee in the outfield well into the 1980s and continues to pump the tomahawk chop music into the stadium roughly 16 times per inning is <i>not</i> allowed to grandstand as the victim in a discussion about racism. </p><p>In order to really understand the inanity of this statement, you first must be aware of where the Braves actually play. Their home stadium is in Cobb County, about 15 miles from Downtown Atlanta in an area known for its heavy traffic. Having been to Truist Park, I can say from personal experience that the trek to the stadium from most places in Atlanta is...not short. Immediately surrounding the park is a mall which is simultaneously aimed at making your gameday experience better as well as trapping you in suburbia as long as possible. The "businesses" who will be so devastated by the loss of this major event are Wahlburgers and the Omni Hotel. This is a team who left Atlanta for Cobb County because they saw the opportunity for their stadium to be subsidized by government money, and the <a href="https://www.ibtimes.com/atlanta-braves-move-cobb-county-about-race-not-transportation-1470814">ability to move closer to their white, suburban fans</a>. Yet here they are virtue signaling on behalf of the city of Atlanta, when they actively removed themselves and gameday related revenue from the city only four years ago. We watched that happen. </p><p>Atlanta, the city that perfected white flight, cannot be vaunted as a "uniter" in "divided times." Atlanta is a beautiful city known for a lot of things. Incredible music, culture, food, activists, organizers, and leaders? Yes. Unity? Nah. The divided times in question is the general conservative codeword for the problem caused by their ideology which does not value the humanity of vulnerable populations. In this specific instance, the dividing event is a set of laws which make voting a much more difficult process for millions of people. An All Star Game was never going to mend that bridge. If the Braves really cared about their community, they would take a stand against these laws and focus on joining the MLB in this public pressure campaign to get them overturned instead of taking this not-so-Brave position.</p>William Botchwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13761607195885297785noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1835224296229921660.post-23687610253842198412016-07-07T19:08:00.000-04:002016-07-07T19:08:50.849-04:00Business is Business<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://images.performgroup.com/di/library/omnisport/b2/55/dwyane-wade-7716-usnews-getty-ftr_1njm22blmseem1ooxx9b1y019d.jpg?t=-982067531" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://images.performgroup.com/di/library/omnisport/b2/55/dwyane-wade-7716-usnews-getty-ftr_1njm22blmseem1ooxx9b1y019d.jpg?t=-982067531" height="360" width="640"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of Sporting News</td></tr>
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After unimaginable amounts of cash being thrown at uninspiring players left and right, with guys like Tyler Johnson, Allen Crabbe, Evan Turner, and Kent Bazemore signing deals worth more than Steph Curry's current contract. After the Magic decided to overcrowd their frontcourt in a manner that will unintentionally hinder Aaron Gordon's development. After the Knicks put together the greatest "what could you have done for me four years ago" team ever assembled. After Harrison Barnes <i>actually </i>got a max contract. After the Warriors showed no regard for humanity. After all of the events of the past week in the NBA, it's time for a breather. It's time to sit back, relax, and watch the Summer League while players officially sign their contracts and their teams fill out their roster with low level free agents. After all this time, it is unequivocally baseball season--oh wait Dwyane Wade is no longer on the Heat.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of Know Your Meme</td></tr>
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This NBA summer just got even weirder.</div>
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</div><a href="http://www.newyorksportsplus.com/2016/07/business-is-business.html#more">Read more »</a>William Botchwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13761607195885297785noreply@blogger.com360tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1835224296229921660.post-91093354873085665922016-07-05T07:39:00.000-04:002016-07-05T07:39:58.785-04:00A Bittersweet Homecoming<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://thenypost.files.wordpress.com/2016/06/jose_reyes1.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=1200" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://thenypost.files.wordpress.com/2016/06/jose_reyes1.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=1200" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of the NY Post</td></tr>
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In the wake of massive offensive woes, the Mets needed to make some changes. They started by calling up Matt Reynolds and Ty Kelly, which has worked out well in the case of Reynolds, but Kelly's first stint in the major leagues landed him right back in Las Vegas. Next, the acquisitions of James Loney, and a player the Mets should have re-signed in the offseason, Kelly Johnson. Both players have been very nice pieces in New York, but without David Wright, Lucas Duda, and Juan Lagares, combined with the nagging injuries hindering Yoenis Cespedes and Neil Walker, and the complete disappearance of Michael Conforto since the beginning of May, the Mets needed more help. On June 25th, they made two important moves that greatly affect the present and future of the franchise. I will talk about the decision to replace Conforto with Brandon Nimmo later on, but this next stream of consciousness will be dedicated to the returning Jose Reyes.<br />
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The Jose Reyes who signed with the Mets at the end of June 2016 is a lot different than the Jose Reyes who first joined the Mets organization in 1999, or the Jose Reyes who took his batting title and departed Flushing after the 2011 season.This man is coming off the worst full season of his career. He is in his age 33 season, which means he is past his prime, as evidenced by his decreased speed and diminishing power. Most importantly for Reyes as a man, outside of baseball, he got a late start to his season after serving a suspension as a result of being charged for domestic violence during the offseason. With that news that Reyes <a href="http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/16773614/new-york-mets-activate-jose-reyes-tuesday">will be called up to the big club</a> today, it's time I give my opinion on the move. <br />
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As much as I and everyone else wants to think of this move from a solely business standpoint, that's impossible to do. The elephant in the room is of course, the domestic violence case. Even in this day and age, emotional and physical abuse by men directed at women is far too common and a sign that misogyny is still prevalent in our society. Despite the fact that it was, as far as we know, a one time act, and his wife's forgiveness, Reyes will not be excused for his actions.<br />
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However, Reyes was then given a pretty fair punishment by the MLB and served his suspension. I feel the same way about Adrian Peterson and Ray Rice in the NFL, that one off the field incident should not end someone's playing career. If the player receives a sufficient punishment that impacts them, their wallet, and their career in a non-insignificant way, they should be allowed to resume their career afterwards. That doesn't mean we have to like the person under the uniform, because athletes have never existed for us to like the <i>person</i>, but rather for us to enjoy the<i> player</i>.<br />
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So let's talk about that player, because that's what Reyes was brought to New York to be. The narrative of a hopeless and broken player who hopes to regain his skill by returning home is extremely overblown. Last season wasn't good, at all, but it wasn't quite disastrous. Overall he slashed .274/.310/.378, with the worst of it coming after arriving in Colorado, where he was clearly unhappy. Even playing at Coors Field, he was only able to muster a very uninspired .259/.291/.368. Let's call that a down year. Obviously, at down year at the age of 32 is cause for concern, but it comes just after a productive 2014 season where he hit to a .726 OPS while swiping 30 bags and only being caught twice. At the time, it was his worst full, professional season since 2005, but he was still a legitimate leadoff hitter.<br />
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I'm confident that he can return to at least that level, and possibly surpass it through the end of the year with the Mets. He's not even guaranteed to play everyday, which would not only reduce the probability of injury, but maximize his skill set. I even noticed an interesting trend when looking at his splits that may allow the Mets to place him in the absolute perfect role.<br />
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If you look closely, you'l notice that since 2008 (with the small sample size of his injury-riddled 2009 notwithstanding), he has been a significantly better hitter from the left side of the plate. Because this particular trend has a large sample, it's fair to assume that it will continue this year. The reason why this piqued my interest is because with Reyes, the Mets have quite a few guys who can play across the infield, with Reynolds, Johnson, Wilmer Flores, Asdrubal Cabrera, and Neil Walker. Reyes's success against righties would complement Flores very well at a third base platoon, since Wilmer tends to struggle against right handed pitching. Coincidentally, switch hitters Cabrera and Walker are each doing much better from the right side of the plate this year. While neither's history suggests that this will <i>certainly </i>continue, it is possible, and Reyes can help counteract the potential dip in performance when a right handed pitcher is on the mound.<br />
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Outside of his splits, what Reyes does best is make plays with his legs, which he can still do even at this age. While his raw stolen base numbers have been in decline, along with his foot speed, his stolen base percentage remains high, meaning that he picks his spots well, and is usually successful whenever he decides to take off. The Mets don't have a guy who can do that. Reyes immediately becomes the team's fastest player (he's still probably faster than Juan Lagares) and adds another dimension to the team's offense.<br />
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Moving him away from shortstop was a great call by the Mets, since his defensive value there has been virtually nonexistent for years. He almost certainly won't be a plus defender at third base, but he could be average, which is perfectly acceptable. At any other position, he should be fine, since shortstop is the hardest defensive position in baseball outside of the battery.<br />
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This was a great move by Sandy Alderson, especially because of a reason I've yet to cover: the cost. Reyes will be getting the prorated league minimum, meaning that if I am entirely wrong and he rolls into Citi Field and subsequently shows that he can't play baseball anymore, the Mets can cut ties with him at almost no cost. That albatross of a deal he signed with the Marlins has been wiped away, and what's left is a reclamation project. If it works out, fantastic. If not, it will not be hard at all to move on. No matter how he performs, the Mets just added a former star who is only one season removed from solid productivity to an offense that is missing exactly what he is best at, for just the prorated league minimum. <br />
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Regardless of your opinion of Reyes as a person, he has a chance to help the Mets in their pursuit of their second consecutive pennant, and hopefully a championship this time around. A low risk flier on a former star is never a bad idea, even when there may be questions off the field. I'll continue to have mixed feelings about Reyes as a whole, but this is about baseball, and with that in mind, I say: welcome back Jose...now go get on base.<br />
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<i>All statistics courtesy of FanGraphs.</i>William Botchwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13761607195885297785noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1835224296229921660.post-52848059576173625292016-02-07T18:00:00.000-05:002016-02-07T21:53:13.723-05:00NFL Picks: Super Bowl<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://38792.cdx.c.ooyala.com/d0NmU4eTpDDnu4p5Tuk3_zBy9lwA1i-3/Ut_HKthATH4eww8X4xMDoxOjBzMTt2bJ" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://38792.cdx.c.ooyala.com/d0NmU4eTpDDnu4p5Tuk3_zBy9lwA1i-3/Ut_HKthATH4eww8X4xMDoxOjBzMTt2bJ" height="360" width="640"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of SB Nation</td></tr>
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It is time. the Conference Championship Games feel like a lifetime ago, which is probably a testament to how excited I am for this game. Usually, the two weeks feel kind of long, but this year was quite bad. It may be because this is the first time in a while that I gave absolutely no effort to even glance at the Pro Bowl for a second, meaning I've been entirely deprived of football since the Panthers destroyed the Cardinals. And it's not because I was thinking about it all the time, but moreso because I was waiting for the day to come, and the day seemingly never game.<br>
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But, today is the day.<br>
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Let's get on with it.<br>
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<a href="http://www.newyorksportsplus.com/2016/02/nfl-picks-super-bowl.html#more">Read more »</a>William Botchwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13761607195885297785noreply@blogger.com277tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1835224296229921660.post-21978309556921037492016-01-24T13:00:00.000-05:002016-01-24T20:34:27.402-05:00NFL Picks: Championship Round<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://cdn-jpg.si.com/sites/default/files/styles/si_gallery_slide/public/videos/2157889318001_4702027807001_4701873455001-vs.jpg?itok=CzjWyj3t" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://cdn-jpg.si.com/sites/default/files/styles/si_gallery_slide/public/videos/2157889318001_4702027807001_4701873455001-vs.jpg?itok=CzjWyj3t" height="360" width="640"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of Sports Illustrated</td></tr>
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This week, the motto "keep it simple, stupid" really comes into play when picking these games this week.<br>
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<b style="font-style: italic;">UPSET ALERT </b><span style="font-style: italic;">next to games in which I think the underdog will win outright, not just cover. Home team in CAPS. </span><br>
<a href="http://www.newyorksportsplus.com/2016/01/nfl-picks-championship-round.html#more">Read more »</a>William Botchwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13761607195885297785noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1835224296229921660.post-59556640486701654832016-01-16T16:00:00.000-05:002016-01-16T19:44:42.593-05:00NFL Picks: Divisional Round<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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Long story short, my picks sucked last week. I was hoping to go 11-0 in the playoffs this year, but, alas.<br>
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<b style="font-style: italic;">UPSET ALERT </b><i>next to games in which I think the underdog will win outright, not just cover. Home team in CAPS.</i><b><br></b><br>
<a href="http://www.newyorksportsplus.com/2016/01/nfl-picks-divisional-round.html#more">Read more »</a>William Botchwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13761607195885297785noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1835224296229921660.post-74746863037611237472016-01-09T14:46:00.000-05:002016-01-09T16:08:10.013-05:00NFL Picks: Wild Card Round and Playoff Preview<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://images.performgroup.com/di/library/sporting_news/d4/dd/russell-wilson-010316-getty-ftrjpg_1tqycpedt5nc0z295u8wyxjcw.jpg?t=164628618" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://images.performgroup.com/di/library/sporting_news/d4/dd/russell-wilson-010316-getty-ftrjpg_1tqycpedt5nc0z295u8wyxjcw.jpg?t=164628618" height="360" width="640"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of Sporting News</td></tr>
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So, I didn't do preseason predictions this year. I meant to, and thanks to poor planning and the obviously hectic nature of my first few weeks in college, I was left with not enough time to complete thorough projections for every team in the league. Based on my general thoughts from summer, some of this season's results have been surprising, such as the Panthers morphing into a powerhouse with no thanks owed to their receiving corps, Peyton Manning becoming a shell of a shell of his former self, Green Bay's descent to complete and utter mortality, and Kirk You Like That Cousins's ascent to glory. Still, I was right about quite a few things, such as Arizona being a very good team, the Pats obviously continuing their run of dominance in the AFC, and the Vikings taking quite a few people by surprise.<br>
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Of course, all this reflection can only mean one thing: it's playoff time. One of the best months of the year is ahead, which will culminate in the crowning of a new Super Bowl Champion at Levi's Stadium. This season has been pretty weird overall, especially considering that Brian Hoyer, A.J. McCarron, and the aforementioned Cousins are starting home games this weekend. Despite this, my picks have not suffered, going <a dir="ltr" href="tel:128-120-7" x-apple-data-detectors="true" x-apple-data-detectors-type="telephone" x-apple-data-detectors-result="0">128-120-7</a> on the season. Of course, the one issue with that is that there are 256 games in a season, yet I've only accounted for 255. Small error that I don't quite have the time to deal with right now because I'm flying back to campus soon, but I will fix. Either way, this was a lot better than my dismal record from last season.<br>
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After my picks for this week, I'll continue with my predictions for the rest of the postseason. Let's get on with the show!<br>
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<b style="font-style: italic;">UPSET ALERT </b><i>next to games in which I think the underdog will win outright, not just cover. Home team in CAPS.</i><br>
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<b>Chiefs (-3) over TEXANS.</b><br>
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The Chiefs are the hottest team in the NFL, seeing as they just reeled off ten straight wins to propel themselves into the playoffs. They went from a 1-5 team on the verge of their season suffering a cruel death, to a sexy pick by some smart people to possibly challenge the Patriots in the AFC playoffs. I'm one of those people. I'm all in on these Chiefs, led by their rejuvenated defense, and their sudden discovery of a legitimate passing game.<br>
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The Texans on the other hand, are a pretty dangerous team in their own right. Despite playing like trash to begin the year, to the point that I continued to bash them week after week as they stayed alive in the AFC South race because no one else wanted to win the division, they can cause the Chiefs, or any team in the playoffs trouble. J.J. Watt's presence on defense continues to be an underrated force, and DeAndre Hopkins is easily one of the best receivers in the league, and impossible to cover for four quarters. Playing at home, they're going to be a tough out.<br>
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But by 7:30, they will be out.<br>
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<b>Chiefs 21, Texans 17.</b><br>
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<b>BENGALS (+1.5) over Steelers.</b><br>
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Injuries on both sides will affect the gameplans of these teams heavily. Without Andy Dalton, the Bengals will rely on a more run heavy attack than usual, as well as having the receivers run shorter routes to protect A.J. McCarron, only in his fourth career start.<br>
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On the Pittsburgh sideline, the loss of DeAngelo Williams will prove to be important, but possibly not deadly. The well balanced attack boasted by the Steelers all year will not be as prevalent with Fitzgerald Toussaint and Jordan Todman in the backfield.<br>
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Both teams can stay afloat without Dalton or Williams, but the real story here is on defense. Pittsburgh's defense, to be blunt, isn't very good. The days of the Steel Curtain are long gone, and this team has a much different identity. Cincy, on the other hand, has a strong defense that will give Roethlisberger and Co. lots of trouble.<br>
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Most importantly, McCarron isn't that bad. He can be a highly effective game manager, even when facing off against a high powered offense. The Bengals are equipped with more than enough weapons for someone like him to match the Steelers' scoring.<br>
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<b>Bengals 30, Steelers 27</b><br>
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<b>Seahawks (-4) over VIKINGS.</b><br>
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Plain and simple, the Seahawks are a much better version of the Vikings. These two teams are built similarly, with a great running game, an athletic quarterback who is capable of making big throws when needed, and of course, defense. Despite Marshawn Lynch being ruled out of this game, the problem for Minnesota lies in the fact that Russell Wilson is light years better than Teddy Bridgewater. Wilson's scrambling ability extends plays well beyond their expiration, and leads to positive gains on broken plays. Bridgewater tries to do this, but just isn't as skilled. Seattle's going to minimize Peterson's impact, as much as any team actually can, and force the Vikings the win the game in the air. I believe in Teddy, but not that much.<br>
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<b>Seahawks 31, Vikings 17.</b><br>
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<b>WASHINGTON YOU LIKE THATS (-1) over Packers.</b><br>
<b><br></b>
You like that?<br>
<br>
The power of Kirk Cousins should be enough of an explanation, but if that's not enough, add in the fact that the Packers are simply not the same team this year. Their offense has been shockingly mediocre, and their defense hasn't played incredibly well. They backed their way into the postseason thanks to the Lions melting down and a ridiculous Hail Mary play that would be completed 1 out of 1,000 tries.<br>
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Washington on the other hand, thanks in part to their famous rallying cry, has been playing very well recently as they almost coasted to an NFC East title in December. <br>
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<b>Washington 24, Packers 20</b><div><b><br></b></div><div>Based on these results, here are my picks for the rest of the playoffs </div><div><br></div><div><b>Divisional Round</b></div><div>PATRIOTS over Bengals. </div><div>Chiefs over BRONCOS. </div><div>PANTHERS over Seahawks. </div><div>CARDINALS over Washington Professional Football Team. </div><div><br></div><div><b>Championship Round </b></div><div>Chiefs over PATRIOTS. </div><div>Cardinals over PANTHERS. </div><div><br></div><div><b>Super Bowl </b></div><div>Cardinals over Chiefs. </div><div><br></div><div>Enjoy round one, folks. </div><div>
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<b>Last Week:</b> 8-8<br>
<br>
<b>Season: </b><a dir="ltr" href="tel:128-120-7" x-apple-data-detectors="true" x-apple-data-detectors-type="telephone" x-apple-data-detectors-result="3">128-120-7</a></div>William Botchwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13761607195885297785noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1835224296229921660.post-42206981115855240902016-01-03T11:27:00.000-05:002016-01-03T13:24:19.906-05:00NFL Picks: Week 17<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.slate.com/content/dam/slate/blogs/business_insider/2014/09/22/adrian_peterson_contract_cutting_him_would_save_the_vikings_a_lot_of_money/454859184-adrian-peterson-of-the-minnesota-vikings-looks-to-get.jpg/_jcr_content/renditions/cq5dam.web.1280.1280.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.slate.com/content/dam/slate/blogs/business_insider/2014/09/22/adrian_peterson_contract_cutting_him_would_save_the_vikings_a_lot_of_money/454859184-adrian-peterson-of-the-minnesota-vikings-looks-to-get.jpg/_jcr_content/renditions/cq5dam.web.1280.1280.jpeg" height="426" width="640"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of Slate</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
There were no early week games this week of course, as is normal for the final week of the season, so let's just get on with the show.<br>
<b style="font-style: italic;"><br></b>
<b style="font-style: italic;">UPSET ALERT </b><i>next to games in which I think the underdog will win outright, not just cover. Home team in CAPS.</i><b><br></b><br>
<div>
<i></i><br>
</div><a href="http://www.newyorksportsplus.com/2016/01/nfl-picks-week-17.html#more">Read more »</a>William Botchwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13761607195885297785noreply@blogger.com73tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1835224296229921660.post-17481255136189650272015-12-27T10:45:00.002-05:002015-12-27T10:45:52.729-05:00NFL Picks: Week 16<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://images.performgroup.com/di/library/omnisport/60/10/aj-mccarron_1l6ensmtzeit717yd7c05z7r1c.jpg?t=-1045928255" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://images.performgroup.com/di/library/omnisport/60/10/aj-mccarron_1l6ensmtzeit717yd7c05z7r1c.jpg?t=-1045928255" height="360" width="640"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of Sporting News</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Week 15 was great, and secured myself a good record this year. I'm going to see if I can improve on that record down the home stretch, but I just have to remain afloat for the next two weeks.<br>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
My pick for tonight's game: RAIDERS (-5) over Chargers.</div>
— William Botchway (@WilliamBotchway) <a href="https://twitter.com/WilliamBotchway/status/680196954316476416">December 25, 2015</a></blockquote>
I rode that momentum straight into the Black Hole on Thursday night, as the Raiders failed to cover a 5 point spread, that I thought would have been easy for them, instead coming away with a 3 point overtime victory. I must say, the game was a lot better than I ever could have anticipated.<br>
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But it's okay, because on Saturday night:<br>
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<iframe frameborder="0" height="600" src="https://vine.co/v/iA9aUKT9BOa/embed/simple" width="600"></iframe><script src="https://platform.vine.co/static/scripts/embed.js"></script><br>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
My pick for tonight's game: Washington Professional Football Team (+3.5) over EAGLES. Why are the Eagles favored by 3.5? What am I missing?</div>
— William Botchway (@WilliamBotchway) <a href="https://twitter.com/WilliamBotchway/status/680921680173264896">December 27, 2015</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>Winner, winner, you like that chicken dinner?<br>
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<b style="font-style: italic;">UPSET ALERT </b><i>next to games in which I think the underdog will win outright, not just cover. Home team in CAPS.</i><b><br>
</b><br>
<a href="http://www.newyorksportsplus.com/2015/12/nfl-picks-week-16.html#more">Read more »</a>William Botchwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13761607195885297785noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1835224296229921660.post-88249068277798281212015-12-20T09:41:00.000-05:002015-12-20T09:41:50.506-05:00NFL Picks: Week 15<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://img.bleacherreport.net/img/images/photos/003/556/050/hi-res-ac74ecb9507f9cd54570ff90d87d5ccb_crop_north.jpg?w=630&h=420&q=75" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://img.bleacherreport.net/img/images/photos/003/556/050/hi-res-ac74ecb9507f9cd54570ff90d87d5ccb_crop_north.jpg?w=630&h=420&q=75" height="426" width="640"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of Bleacher Report</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Week 14 was my first very good week in a while, and all but secured a decent record for the full season, barring a complete catastrophe, which has only happened once to me this year, during my disastrous 3-10-1 Week 8.<br>
<br>
There have already been two games played this week, and I won neither game, but the Jets won one of them, so that's what really matters in the end. First of all, the Buccaneers lost the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/lookit/2015/12/10/9889736/the-rams-buccaneers-color-rush-jerseys-were-inspired-by-condiments">first annual Condiment Bowl</a>, giving me a loss because I keep backing Tampa during the wrong weeks.<br>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
My pick for tonight's game: Buccaneers (+1) over RAMS.</div>
— William Botchway (@WilliamBotchway) <a href="https://twitter.com/WilliamBotchway/status/677625905318117376">December 17, 2015</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>Either way, I look forward to the continuing of this tradition. You could say that we were treated with two of these games this week, as the Relish Jets played the Saurkraut Cowboys in JerryWorld.<br>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
My pick for tonight's game: Jets (-3) over COWBOYS. If the Jets lose, I might quit football until the playoffs. Or, forever</div>
— William Botchway (@WilliamBotchway) <a href="https://twitter.com/WilliamBotchway/status/678381971354071042">December 20, 2015</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>Despite comical quarterback play from Matt Cassel leading to him benching, and the NFL debut of Kellen Moore, the Jets were only able to come out of the game with a push. That's more a little bit concerning, but a win is a win. Time to root against the Chiefs and Steelers.<br>
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<b></b><b style="font-style: italic;">UPSET ALERT </b><i>next to games in which I think the underdog will win outright, not just cover. Home team in CAPS.</i><br>
<a href="http://www.newyorksportsplus.com/2015/12/nfl-picks-week-15.html#more">Read more »</a>William Botchwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13761607195885297785noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1835224296229921660.post-86577429968960635832015-12-13T12:58:00.001-05:002015-12-13T12:58:19.528-05:00NFL Picks: Week 14<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://img.bleacherreport.net/img/images/photos/003/553/049/hi-res-20dde8d2457c1e6f8c3516b8bb149ef7_crop_north.jpg?w=630&h=420&q=75" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://img.bleacherreport.net/img/images/photos/003/553/049/hi-res-20dde8d2457c1e6f8c3516b8bb149ef7_crop_north.jpg?w=630&h=420&q=75" height="426" width="640"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of Bleacher Report</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
It's finals season, so quick picks are absolutely necessary right now. I don't think I'll even be able to watch any games today because college is great...until December.<br>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
My pick for tonight's game: Vikings (+10) over CARDINALS</div>
— William Botchway (@WilliamBotchway) <a href="https://twitter.com/WilliamBotchway/status/675116039718494209">December 11, 2015</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>I won on Thursday night thanks to an incredibly ridiculous line. Whoever bet the Cards laying ten points needs to seriously re-evaluate their gambling habits.<br>
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That's as much analysis as you're getting this week.<br>
<br>
<b style="font-style: italic;">UPSET ALERT </b><i>next to games in which I think the underdog will win outright, not just cover. Home team in CAPS.</i><br>
<i></i><br>
<a href="http://www.newyorksportsplus.com/2015/12/nfl-picks-week-14.html#more">Read more »</a>William Botchwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13761607195885297785noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1835224296229921660.post-51133531970289481122015-12-06T12:30:00.000-05:002015-12-13T12:34:06.552-05:00NFL Picks: Week 13<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://img.washingtonpost.com/wp-apps/imrs.php?src=https://img.washingtonpost.com/rf/image_908w/2010-2019/Wires/Images/2015-10-04/AP/Britain_Jets_Dolphins_Football-00b4c.jpg&w=1484" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="448" src="https://img.washingtonpost.com/wp-apps/imrs.php?src=https://img.washingtonpost.com/rf/image_908w/2010-2019/Wires/Images/2015-10-04/AP/Britain_Jets_Dolphins_Football-00b4c.jpg&w=1484" width="640"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of the Washington Post</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span id="goog_1438408008"></span><span id="goog_1438408009"></span>I was on the right side of that crazy Thursday night game, which was the highlight of my season from a picks standpoint:<br>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
My pick for tonight's game: Packers (-3) over LIONS</div>
— William Botchway (@WilliamBotchway) <a href="https://twitter.com/WilliamBotchway/status/672588496385802241">December 4, 2015</a></blockquote>
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<b style="font-style: italic;">UPSET ALERT </b><i>next to games in which I think the underdog will win outright, not just cover. Home team in CAPS.</i><b><br>
</b><br>
<a href="http://www.newyorksportsplus.com/2015/12/nfl-picks-week-13.html#more">Read more »</a>William Botchwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13761607195885297785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1835224296229921660.post-34073338487998320692015-11-29T12:58:00.002-05:002015-11-29T12:58:32.589-05:00NFL Picks: Week 12<div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/early-lead/files/2015/03/jjwatt1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="376" src="https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/early-lead/files/2015/03/jjwatt1.jpg" width="640"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of Washington Post</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
That was my first pretty good week in a while, going 8-6. I cooled off significantly since my hot start, but I might be back on track for the home stretch. Thanksgiving week in the NFL is always one of my favorites, because there are two days of almost wall to wall football, instead of just one. As for those Thanksgiving Day games, I did alright. As always, I made my picks on Twitter:</div>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
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LIONS (-3) over Eagles. This is agonizing. The terrible Lions or the terrible Eagles + Sanchize? Home team, I guess. Don't watch this game.</div>
— William Botchway (@WilliamBotchway) <a href="https://twitter.com/WilliamBotchway/status/669927185428410368">November 26, 2015</a></blockquote>
I got the game right, and I was somewhat right about the next thing. <br>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
Seriously, spend time with your family, surf the Internet, stare at a wall, watch Netflix. Do anything but watch these two teams</div>
— William Botchway (@WilliamBotchway) <a href="https://twitter.com/WilliamBotchway/status/669927555978436609">November 26, 2015</a></blockquote>
This game ended up being absolutely unwatchable, but not for the reasons I expected. The Lions got up big early, and continued to embarrass the Eagles for 60 minutes of destruction.<br>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
This will be a terrible fight for futility, and I'm happy it will be out of the way early</div>
— William Botchway (@WilliamBotchway) <a href="https://twitter.com/WilliamBotchway/status/669927888091787264">November 26, 2015</a></blockquote>
The Eagles certainly got the futility part down. As for the Lions, where was this all year? This team actually looks sneaky good, but they dug themselves too big of a hole to sniff the playoffs at this point, especially since their division has three good teams ahead of them.<br>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
COWBOYS (-1) over Panthers. I believe in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheReturn?src=hash">#TheReturn</a>. The Cowboys could actually win their division. And the Panthers have to lose eventually</div>
— William Botchway (@WilliamBotchway) <a href="https://twitter.com/WilliamBotchway/status/669928466951872513">November 26, 2015</a></blockquote>
This game is easiest summed up by my only tweet during it.<br>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
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God Romo is a disaster today</div>
— William Botchway (@WilliamBotchway) <a href="https://twitter.com/WilliamBotchway/status/670010324934856704">November 26, 2015</a></blockquote>
So yeah, I got that game wrong.<br>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
Bears (+9) over PACKERS. I thought the Packers were untouchable at home, but then the Lions game happened. They'll win, but it will be close</div>
— William Botchway (@WilliamBotchway) <a href="https://twitter.com/WilliamBotchway/status/669929947843153921">November 26, 2015</a></blockquote>
And now, the shocker of the day. I thought the Bears would keep it close, obviously, but I had no thoughts about them winning outright. What is up in Green Bay?</div>
<div>
<b style="font-style: italic;"><br>
</b></div>
<div>
<b style="font-style: italic;">UPSET ALERT </b><i>next to games in which I think the underdog will win outright, not just cover. Home team in CAPS.</i></div>
<div>
</div><a href="http://www.newyorksportsplus.com/2015/11/nfl-picks-week-12.html#more">Read more »</a>William Botchwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13761607195885297785noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1835224296229921660.post-17939670570835320782015-11-22T13:02:00.002-05:002015-11-22T13:02:51.362-05:00NFL Picks: Week 11<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.huffpost.com/gen/2451878/images/o-TONY-ROMO-facebook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i.huffpost.com/gen/2451878/images/o-TONY-ROMO-facebook.jpg" height="320" width="640"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of Huffington Post</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I went 7-7 in Week 10, despite having a good feeling about the picks earlier in the day. Then some of the best teams in the league put up some weird performances, leading to three of my more upsetting losses. The Packers lost a game the Lions tried desperately to give away, but wouldn't have covered anyway because there's something seriously wrong with that team. Peyton Manning and Andy Dalton both turned into pumpkins last week, costing both of their teams games.<br>
<br>
However, I already have a win in the bank for Week 11. I did not watch a second of this game, and I was fully expecting the Jags to find a way to let me down, but instead, they find themselves in good position to win the division.<br>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
My pick for tonight's game: JAGUARS (-3) over Titans.</div>
— William Botchway (@WilliamBotchway) <a href="https://twitter.com/WilliamBotchway/status/667512789397807108">November 20, 2015</a></blockquote>
Quick picks today because I've procrastinated on an essay for the past week and a half.<br>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script><b style="font-style: italic;"><br>
</b> <b style="font-style: italic;">UPSET ALERT </b><i>next to games in which I think the underdog will win outright, not just cover. Home team in CAPS.</i><b><br>
</b><br>
<a href="http://www.newyorksportsplus.com/2015/11/nfl-picks-week-11.html#more">Read more »</a>William Botchwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13761607195885297785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1835224296229921660.post-27608760997605594352015-11-15T13:02:00.001-05:002015-11-15T13:02:15.340-05:00NFL Picks: Week 10<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://blogs-images.forbes.com/vincentfrank/files/2015/01/464389767-e1421591600152-1940x1091.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://blogs-images.forbes.com/vincentfrank/files/2015/01/464389767-e1421591600152-1940x1091.jpg" height="358" width="640"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of Forbes</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
After a horrid Week 8, my Week 9 hovered at about .500, which is fine because I banked quite a few wins at the beginning of the season. I feel pretty good about today's picks, but of course I had to get my normal Thursday night loss:<br>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
My pick for tonight's game: J-E-T-S (-2.5) over Bills.</div>
— William Botchway (@WilliamBotchway) <a href="https://twitter.com/WilliamBotchway/status/664970778228707333">November 13, 2015</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>I don't want to talk about that game. I'm upset, I'm hurt, I'm angry.<br>
<br>
Let's move on before I start crying.<br>
<b style="font-style: italic;"><br>
</b> <b style="font-style: italic;">UPSET ALERT </b><i>next to games in which I think the underdog will win outright, not just cover. Home team in CAPS.</i><br>
<a href="http://www.newyorksportsplus.com/2015/11/nfl-picks-week-10.html#more">Read more »</a>William Botchwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13761607195885297785noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1835224296229921660.post-28058448881420421552015-11-08T10:46:00.001-05:002015-11-15T12:55:23.972-05:00NFL Picks: Week 9<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://a.fssta.com/content/dam/fsdigital/fscom/nfl/images/2014/12/07/120714-NFL-von-miller-LN-PI.vresize.1200.675.high.41.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://a.fssta.com/content/dam/fsdigital/fscom/nfl/images/2014/12/07/120714-NFL-von-miller-LN-PI.vresize.1200.675.high.41.jpg" height="360" width="640"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of Fox Sports</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Last week was the worst. My picks failed miserably, and my team ended the game with two injured quarterbacks. So what happened next? I opened up Week 9 with a loss on Thursday night:<br>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
My pick for tonight's game: Browns (+13) over BENGALS</div>
— William Botchway (@WilliamBotchway) <a href="https://twitter.com/WilliamBotchway/status/662439100067266560">November 6, 2015</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>Quick picks again this week, because I have a lot of freshman year college boy things to deal with today.<br>
<br>
<b style="font-style: italic;">UPSET ALERT </b><i>next to games in which I think the underdog will win outright, not just cover. Home team in CAPS.</i><br>
<a href="http://www.newyorksportsplus.com/2015/11/nfl-picks-week-9.html#more">Read more »</a>William Botchwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13761607195885297785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1835224296229921660.post-42785881231833122222015-11-01T12:30:00.000-05:002015-11-01T14:06:23.747-05:00NFL Picks: Week 8<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://nbcprofootballtalk.files.wordpress.com/2014/04/cd0ymzcznguwzdbhnduynddiytjhm2yyzthlmtjjotqwyyznpta0ognhywrlyti1ntbjyju0mzdjnzdmmwewownhn2ni-e1398706312408.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="614" src="https://nbcprofootballtalk.files.wordpress.com/2014/04/cd0ymzcznguwzdbhnduynddiytjhm2yyzthlmtjjotqwyyznpta0ognhywrlyti1ntbjyju0mzdjnzdmmwewownhn2ni-e1398706312408.jpeg" width="640"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of Pro Football Talk</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I bounced back from my first down week with a nice 9-5 showing in Week 7. I'm having a great year so far, and I'm ready to keep it rolling this week, because I'm feeling pretty good about my picks.<br>
<br>
But of course, I started with my Thursday night loss:<br>
<br>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
My pick for tonight's game: Dolphins (+8) over PATRIOTS</div>
— William Botchway (@WilliamBotchway) <a href="https://twitter.com/WilliamBotchway/status/659884794944331776">October 30, 2015</a></blockquote>
And then, a early morning London victory:<br>
<br>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
my pick for the final breakfast football game of the year: Chiefs (-3) over Lions. Get ready for some interesting coaching decisions</div>
— William Botchway (@WilliamBotchway) <a href="https://twitter.com/WilliamBotchway/status/660822901189435392">November 1, 2015</a></blockquote>
Overall, this is a very fun and interesting slate of games, with a bunch of games that could go in many different directions.<br>
<br>
<b style="font-style: italic;">UPSET ALERT </b><i>next to games in which I think the underdog will win outright, not just cover. Home team in CAPS.</i><br>
<a href="http://www.newyorksportsplus.com/2015/11/nfl-picks-week-8.html#more">Read more »</a>William Botchwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13761607195885297785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1835224296229921660.post-53892367787248408882015-10-25T11:26:00.001-04:002015-10-25T11:26:45.399-04:00NFL Picks: Week 7<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://media.nbcbayarea.com/images/652*420/carrexhib2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://media.nbcbayarea.com/images/652*420/carrexhib2.jpg" height="412" width="640"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of NBC Bay Area</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Last week was my first sub-.500 week this season, which ends a pretty nice six week run. Still, I'm comfortably above .500 for now, but I have don't really have much of a feel for this week's games. There are a bunch of weird lines, and I found myself flip flopping a lot more than usual.<br>
<br>
I started off on Thursday with...a loss. I thought that the Seahawks would win, but 6.5 seemed like a lot of points to me. I was wrong. And for that, I thank Colin Kaepernick, who has now entered the Josh Freeman Zone.<br>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
once again, I forgot about Thursday night football. Pick: 49ERS (+6.5) over Seahawks</div>
— William Botchway (@WilliamBotchway) <a href="https://twitter.com/WilliamBotchway/status/657366571267063808">October 23, 2015</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>I tweeted my pick for the early London game this morning, and I look great thus far. Always pick against E.J. Manuel, no matter what.<br>
<br>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
My pick for today's breakfast football game: Jaguars (+3.5) over Bills.</div>
— William Botchway (@WilliamBotchway) <a href="https://twitter.com/WilliamBotchway/status/658273337483857920">October 25, 2015</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>I really hate to do this, but I have a lacrosse game later so I have to do some very quick picks.<br>
<br>
<div>
<b></b><b style="font-style: italic;">UPSET ALERT </b><i>next to games in which I think the underdog will win outright, not just cover. Home team in CAPS.</i><br>
</div><a href="http://www.newyorksportsplus.com/2015/10/nfl-picks-week-7.html#more">Read more »</a>William Botchwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13761607195885297785noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1835224296229921660.post-58662958998471860802015-10-18T12:53:00.000-04:002015-10-25T10:21:58.564-04:00NFL Picks: Week 6<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://static6.businessinsider.com/image/523b5d9b6bb3f7f1727a980e-1200/a-huge-chunk-of-that-came-from-a-30-million-signing-bonus-he-got-from-his-renegotiated-patriots-contract.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://static6.businessinsider.com/image/523b5d9b6bb3f7f1727a980e-1200/a-huge-chunk-of-that-came-from-a-30-million-signing-bonus-he-got-from-his-renegotiated-patriots-contract.jpg" height="480" width="640"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of Business Insider</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br>
I totally forgot about Thursday Night Football, because Game 5 of the NLDS was on, so I made what should have been the obvious pick, albeit very deep into the first half.<br>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
so, my pick for tonight's game, over an hour late: Falcons (-3.5) over SAINTS.</div>
— William Botchway (@WilliamBotchway) <a href="https://twitter.com/WilliamBotchway/status/654834915444457472">October 16, 2015</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>Naturally, I was wrong, because the universe was turned upside down that night. I mean, a Mets-Cubs NLCS was set that night, what are the odds.<br>
<br>
Quick picks, busy college boy has busy college boy things to do.<br>
<br>
<b><br>
</b> <b style="font-style: italic;">UPSET ALERT </b><i>next to games in which I think the underdog will win outright, not just cover. Home team in CAPS.</i><br>
<div>
</div><a href="http://www.newyorksportsplus.com/2015/10/nfl-picks-week-6.html#more">Read more »</a>William Botchwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13761607195885297785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1835224296229921660.post-20041999490729045342015-10-11T12:15:00.003-04:002015-10-18T12:47:33.262-04:00NFL Picks: Week 5<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://thenypost.files.wordpress.com/2015/01/gronkowski.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://thenypost.files.wordpress.com/2015/01/gronkowski.jpg" width="640"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of the NY Post</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Week 4 was a great week. I started off with a Thursday night push, then got up early to watch the Jets beat the Dolphins in London, and swept all of my picks for the early games. I then proceeded to get every 4 PM game wrong, but I extended my winning record for the season, which is all that matters in the end.<br>
<br>
I don't feel terribly about my picks for today, but based on how well I'm doing this year, I think I'll be okay. Plus, I already have a win in the bag:<br>
<br>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
My pick for tonight: Colts (+5) over J.J. WATT</div>
— William Botchway (@WilliamBotchway) <a href="https://twitter.com/WilliamBotchway/status/652277543458992132">October 9, 2015</a></blockquote>
<b style="font-style: italic;">UPSET ALERT </b><i>next to games in which I think the underdog will win outright, not just cover. Home team in CAPS.</i><br>
<i></i><br>
<a href="http://www.newyorksportsplus.com/2015/10/nfl-picks-week-5.html#more">Read more »</a>William Botchwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13761607195885297785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1835224296229921660.post-26057627420179580152015-10-04T13:01:00.001-04:002015-10-04T23:36:43.023-04:00NFL Picks: Week 4<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://img.washingtonpost.com/wp-apps/imrs.php?src=https://img.washingtonpost.com/rf/image_908w/2010-2019/Wires/Images/2015-09-27/Getty/490335812.jpg&w=1484" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="418" src="https://img.washingtonpost.com/wp-apps/imrs.php?src=https://img.washingtonpost.com/rf/image_908w/2010-2019/Wires/Images/2015-09-27/Getty/490335812.jpg&w=1484" width="640"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of the Washington Post</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The weather is terrible, I'm tired, but it's always a good day for some football. Again, this will be an abbreviated version of my usual picks column, because life at Davidson is a busy one.<br>
<br>
On Thursday, I tweeted my pick for that night's game:<br>
<br>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
My pick for tonight: STEELERS (+3) over Ravens.</div>
— William Botchway (@WilliamBotchway) <a href="https://twitter.com/WilliamBotchway/status/649741844021166080">October 2, 2015</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>Thanks to a missed field goal that could have sealed the game for Pittsburgh, and a late comeback by Baltimore that saved their season, I came away with a push.<br>
<br>
Thanks to the early start time in London, there's a game on right now, and I tweeted that pick out this morning:<br>
<br>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
My pick for today's London game: Jets (-2.5) over Dolphins. Breakfast football!</div>
— William Botchway (@WilliamBotchway) <a href="https://twitter.com/WilliamBotchway/status/650662345153376256">October 4, 2015</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>I'm looking pretty good on that one. I've had a pretty good season thus far, so let's keep it going.<br>
<br>
<b style="font-style: italic;">UPSET ALERT </b><i>next to games in which I think the underdog will win outright, not just cover. Home team in CAPS.</i><br>
<i></i><br>
<a href="http://www.newyorksportsplus.com/2015/10/nfl-picks-week-4.html#more">Read more »</a>William Botchwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13761607195885297785noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1835224296229921660.post-41646850768822814692015-09-27T08:50:00.001-04:002015-09-27T10:56:44.126-04:00NFL Picks: Week 3<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://thenypost.files.wordpress.com/2015/09/wilkerson1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://thenypost.files.wordpress.com/2015/09/wilkerson1.jpg" width="640"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of the NY Post</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
College is very fun, but very busy. Today I have a lot of work to do, as well as a lacrosse game, which means this week will feature some very quick picks. No explanations (well, maybe one), just picks.<br>
<div>
<br></div>
<div>
By the way, let's go Mets. </div>
<div>
<br></div>
<div>
As always, I made my Thursday night pick on Twitter:</div>
<div>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
My pick for tonight's game: GIANTS (-3) over Washington Professional Football Team</div>
— William Botchway (@WilliamBotchway) <a href="https://twitter.com/WilliamBotchway/status/647205986487390208">September 25, 2015</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script><br></div>
<div>
That's a win, which pushes me to 19-13-1 on the year.<br>
<br>
Okay, let's do this.<br>
<br>
<div>
<b style="font-style: italic;">UPSET ALERT </b><i>next to games in which I think the underdog will win outright, not just cover. Home team in CAPS.</i></div>
<div>
<a name="more"></a><b>Falcons (-1.5) over COWBOYS.</b></div>
<div>
<b><br></b></div>
<div>
<b>TITANS (+3.5) over Colts.</b></div>
<div>
<b><br></b></div>
<div>
<b>BROWNS (-3.5) over Raiders.</b></div>
<div>
<b><br></b></div>
<div>
<b>RAVENS (-2.5) over Bengals. </b></div>
<div>
<b><br></b></div>
<div>
<b>Jaguars (+14) over PATRIOTS.</b></div>
<div>
<b><br></b></div>
<div><b>PANTHERS (-9.5) over Saints. </b></div>
<div>
<br></div>
<div>
<b>JETS (-1.5) over Eagles. </b>I'm really upset by this line. The Jets are undefeated, the Eagles are winless. The Jets are playing at home, which means immediately that they should be getting at <i>least</i> three points simply for that reason, never mind the fact that they are better than the Eagles. According to this line, the Eagles would be favored if this game were on a neutral field, and if anyone actually believes that right now, they seriously need to get their eyes checked. Wake up folks, the Jets are good, the Eagles...maybe not so much. Endrant.</div>
<div>
<br></div>
<div>
<b>Buccaneers (+7) over TEXANS.</b></div>
<div>
<b><br></b></div>
<div>
<b>VIKINGS (-1) over Chargers.</b></div>
<div>
<b><br></b></div>
<div>
<b>RAMS (+1) over Steelers. </b><b style="font-style: italic;">UPSET ALERT.</b></div>
<div>
<b><br></b></div>
<div>
<b>CARDINALS (-6.5) over 49ers.</b></div>
<div>
<b><br></b></div>
<div>
<b>DOLPHINS (-2.5) over Bills.</b></div>
<div>
<b><br></b></div>
<div>
<b>SEAHAWKS (-14.5) over Bears.</b></div>
<div>
<b><br></b></div>
<div>
<b>Broncos (-3) over LIONS.</b></div>
<div>
<b><br></b></div>
<div>
<b>PACKERS (-7) over Chiefs.</b></div>
<div>
<b><br></b></div>
<div>
Bye for now, let's go Mets.</div>
<br>
<b>Last Week:</b> 8-8<br>
<b><br></b><b>This Week:</b> 1-0<br>
<br>
<b>Season: </b>18-13-1<br>
<br>
P.S. Let's go Mets. </div>
William Botchwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13761607195885297785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1835224296229921660.post-68590988787063805282015-09-20T13:24:00.000-04:002015-09-20T13:24:14.442-04:00NFL Picks: Week 2<div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/55fc6b72bd86ef14008bb84f/aaron-rodgers-teases-his-coach-every-year-for-drafting-another-quarterback-ahead-of-him.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/55fc6b72bd86ef14008bb84f/aaron-rodgers-teases-his-coach-every-year-for-drafting-another-quarterback-ahead-of-him.jpg" height="320" width="640"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of Business Insider</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The first week of the season was really good, and I'm not just saying that because the Jets won an actual game. There were interesting games all around, and I can still say that after having to sit through that ridiculous Baltimore-Denver game where each team forgot how to play offense. Sunday night was capped with a great comeback, and that's just how Week 2 started<br>
<br></div>
<div>
I made my pick on Twitter as is standard Thursday night procedure:</div>
<div>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
My pick for tonight's game (late, but I haven't seen the score yet): CHIEFS (-3) over Broncos</div>
— William Botchway (@WilliamBotchway) <a href="https://twitter.com/WilliamBotchway/status/644673459415588864">September 18, 2015</a></blockquote>
Despite being wrong, I'm okay with that exciting ending.<br>
<br></div>
<div>
Fair warning: I'm very unsure about a lot of these picks, so this week could be a total disaster for me. </div>
<div>
<br></div>
<div>
<b style="font-style: italic;">UPSET ALERT </b><i>next to games in which I think the underdog will win outright, not just cover. Home team in CAPS.</i></div>
<b></b><br>
<a href="http://www.newyorksportsplus.com/2015/09/nfl-picks-week-2.html#more">Read more »</a>William Botchwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13761607195885297785noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1835224296229921660.post-44245201343158338852015-09-13T12:48:00.001-04:002015-09-13T12:48:25.599-04:00NFL Picks: Week 1<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://espngrantland.files.wordpress.com/2015/09/tyrod-taylor-bills.jpg?w=1200" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://espngrantland.files.wordpress.com/2015/09/tyrod-taylor-bills.jpg?w=1200" width="640"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of Grantland</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The first full football Sunday is finally upon us again which means many it's the return of feigning productivity between the hours of 1 PM and 11:30 PM while watching every second of game action possible, and repeating for the next four months. At certain points, the feigning productivity part even gets thrown out, and it's just time to sit back, relax, put your feet up, and occasionally yell obscenities at the screen.<br>
<br>
I didn't really do as much of a preseason deep dive as I usually do, because the first few weeks of college life have been very, very busy, but I'm still as excited as always to get the season underway. I want to see how the Jets are going to anger me in 2015, how the 49ers recover from a hellacious offseason, whether or not Odell Beckham, Jr. is of this species, and to see what incredible mistake Roger Goddell is going to make this year.<br>
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Also, being that it's Sunday again, it means it's time for my picks. I went 117-135-4 during a very frustrating regular season and 5-6 during the playoffs. I just didn't have it last year, and I'm already off to a bad start after one game this season:<br>
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Football is back.
My pick for tonight: PATRIOTS (-7) over Steelers. Picks column to come on Sunday</div>
— William Botchway (@WilliamBotchway) <a href="https://twitter.com/WilliamBotchway/status/642133720510648320">September 11, 2015</a></blockquote>
The pick was going swimmingly, until Antonio Brown caught a stupid garbage time score with two seconds left to cut the lead to exactly seven points and lead to a push. I easily should have started off the year with a win, but I guess I can't have nice things.<br>
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Let's get on with the show.<br>
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<b style="font-style: italic;">UPSET ALERT </b><i>next to games in which I think the underdog will win outright, not just cover. Home team in CAPS.</i><br>
<a href="http://www.newyorksportsplus.com/2015/09/nfl-picks-week-1.html#more">Read more »</a>William Botchwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13761607195885297785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1835224296229921660.post-41790766244455213992015-08-04T20:46:00.000-04:002015-08-10T20:47:50.854-04:00Musings of a Transplanted New Yorker<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://static01.nyt.com/images/2015/08/07/sports/07RHODENweb2/07RHODENweb2-articleLarge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://static01.nyt.com/images/2015/08/07/sports/07RHODENweb2/07RHODENweb2-articleLarge.jpg" height="456" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of NY Times</td></tr>
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On January 31, when I first discovered that I had been admitted to Davidson College, I was obviously elated that I was given the opportunity to attend my first choice school. However, it only took an hour or so for the reality to hit me, that I was actually going to uproot myself from New York City, where I've lived all my life, Queens born and raised, and move to small town North Carolina for nine months out of the year. From learning to stop speed-walking even when I have nowhere to be, and getting used to living in a place with <i>grass</i>, there were a lot of differences I have to be ready for.<br />
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Then I had another thought, <i>what about sports?</i> I'm a fan of the New York Mets, Jets, Knicks, and Rangers. New York is the operative word, as<i> </i>I've never had to deal with being outside of my team's market before. Sure, I've spent the bulk of my summer in Ghana a few times, but the Mets were never any good during those years, and my internet connection is so bad that I reconciled myself to virtually disconnecting from the MLB until I returned. But there was no real investment, I'm talking about the 2009, 2010, 2013, and 2014 Mets, teams who were for the most part already dead in the water by the time I left the country in late June. </div>
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Starting in a little over a week, I have to adjust to life as an out of town fan. That means a lot of illegal streaming, wearing team gear on the streets with absolutely no context, and the potential apathy of the people around me. The size of the school, roughly 1,800 students, and its distance from my home base greatly decreases the chances that I'll find people who root for the same teams as I, even if they are as nutty about sports as I am. While trying to stay away from sweeping generalizations about the rest of the country, it feels to me as if baseball has lost a lot of traction in the sports market. That part is obvious to anyone, as football is now America's national pastime, but it's entirely possible that basketball has passed baseball as well. As much as I love those two games as well as hockey and even soccer, baseball will forever and always be my favorite sport, so it's sad to think that this is the case for increasingly fewer people. I said all of this to say that even when I find people who are in love with sports, which shouldn't be hard, especially at a Division I school whose national recognition outside of academia stems solely from its success on the basketball court, who says I'm going to find enough people that love baseball as much as I do? And how many of those will care to hear me ramble on about the WHIP of someone on the Savannah Sand Gnats (who are located roughly four hours away from campus). The nearest major league club is four hours away, and it's the damn Braves. </div>
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I'll survive, but it remains to be seen how I deal with this issue. By far the biggest issue I'm going to have is timing. The last time the Mets played a playoff game, I was a month and a half into fourth grade, and I'm writing this as I look at my suitcase, filled with a bunch of clothes which I'm probably not going to need yet still taking with me to start my freshman year in college. That's a long gap, and it's been a long road since that final out of our 2006 season. </div>
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So naturally, I have to be leaving Queens just when things are finally starting to get a little bit interesting at Citi Field. I recognized this a while ago, that the Mets would complete their long-awaited rebuild at some point during my four years in college, and there was a good chance I'd be nowhere near Flushing when they make it back to the playoffs, but now this is a reality. </div>
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This past weekend, as the Mets played the three biggest games in the history of Citi Field, I attended the final two games of the series. It was an incredible experience. I paid way too much money ($42 including fees) to sit in the upper deck on Saturday night, and it was well worth it. Jacob deGrom was shaky to begin the game, which quieted the crowd a little bit, but not enough to stop us from giving Yoenis Cespedes a warm New York welcome every time he came to the plate, or serenading the greatest Met of all time, Wilmer Flores with multiple standing ovations and nearly becoming unglued when he flew out to deep left in his first at bat. Lucas Duda's two homers sent us all into a collective frenzy. deGrom's recovery from a rocky first inning didn't go unnoticed by the sellout crowd either, as people all around us stood up with two strikes throughout the game, something which I haven't seen at Citi Field in a couple of years. </div>
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Then, the best moment I've had at a baseball game occurred. Matt Williams intentionally walked Yoenis Cespedes in the eight inning, in one of the most egregious managerial decisions I've ever seen. Seriously, all of the stats say it was a stupid decision, Cespedes has been bad against lefties, while Duda has been crushing lefties. Duda had been on a Ruthian tear, including two home runs in that very game. There is simply no justification for it. </div>
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Anyway, right after the walk, the crowd came alive. I can't fully justify this with words, but it felt like the crowd doubled in size, and "Lucas Duda" chants began in unison. Remember, this wasn't even a reaction to anything that he'd done, this was in anticipation of his at bat, and it may have been the loudest moment in the history of the stadium. All I could think is, "woah." The place was shaking. And Duda delivered with the game winning RBI double, which caused the building to rock of course. </div>
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The next night was even more wild. This time, I was much closer to the action, as I was able to get field level tickets not too far from the left field foul pole, for even less money than I paid to be one row in front of the very top of the stadium. There were a lot more people at batting practice than I'd ever seen at Citi, and it felt like at least half the crowd was milling about the stadium a full hour before the first pitch. The crowd was better on Sunday, despite the fact that there were fewer in attendance thanks to the late start time. The cheers felt louder, the boos of Bryce Harper were more forceful, the chants never stopped, and people around me started to hit the Nationals' left fielder with the classic "Jayson Werthless" chant when he was near us. People spent the entire bottom of the third inning on their feet thanks to the three homers slugged by the Mets, and the same for the whole top of the ninth inning as Tyler Clippard was on for his first save as a member of the team. The atmosphere was like nothing I could have ever imagined. I'd say it felt like a real playoff game, but I've never been to a playoff game so I can't articulate what that feels like. Even so, it felt special. That's the proper term for that series, and those two games I attended: special. </div>
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So, as the game ended, and the Flushing Faithful collectively lost their minds because the Mets were finally in first place again, I had to fight back a certain sadness. But this wasn't a sadness like the final strike of the 2006 NLCS, or end of the 2007 season, or even the feeling I and many other Mets fans had during the 2009 season when it was becoming clear that the team's window was closing. This was a sadness because I realized what I'll be missing over the final month and a half of the season, and potentially the playoffs. I wanted to be at Citi Field to watch the Mets take the field in October, running out deGrom, Harvey, Syndergaard, and Matz. Even if the comically inflated playoff prices only allowed me to sit in the worst seat in the park one time, I desperately want to be there and share the experience with 40,000 over long-suffering Mets fans. Even not being in New York at all, and missing out on the chance of some random guy on the streets pointing at me and yelling "let's go Mets" at the sight of my (now outdated, thanks for changing your number) Travis d'Arnaud shirsey. I really thought that after sitting through years of Pat Misch, Chris Young, and Ramon Ramirez, I could see Citi Field buzz with the prospect of a championship.</div>
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I still get that opportunity, but through an unfamiliar and uncomfortable lens. For the next few years, I'm an out-of-towner during half of the baseball season, including during its most important month: October. Eeven though I will not be lucky enough to bound down the stairs of the 7 train at Mets-Willets Point station for a playoff game anytime soon, I said my final goodbye to Citi Field in 2015 knowing, that finally, after all of these years, 41,800 people who bleed blue and orange can enter that stadium every night expecting to win, and knowing that the good times are here to stay. </div>
William Botchwayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13761607195885297785noreply@blogger.com0