Ed Bagley asked:


© 2008 Ed Bagley

Just when Seattle’s Mike Holmgren is entering his last year as head coach, his Seahawks are now stumbling and bumbling their way into what appears to be a Larry, Mo and Curly comedy routine.

After dusting off the Minnesota Vikings 34-17 in their first 2008 preseason game on the road in Minneapolis, the Seahawks narrowly escaped defeat in their home preseason opener against the Chicago Bears, winning 29-26 in an error-prone display of ineptness. For the Seahawks’ faithful, it was no laughing matter.

There are big hopes in Seattle this year, especially since Holmgren is entering his last year after winning an AFC West Division title, an NFC Wildcard berth, 4 consecutive NFC West Division championships (2004 through 2007), an NFC championship, and taken the Seahawks to their first-ever Super Bowl appearance in 2005, which they promptly lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers 21-10.

Against Minnesota, the Seahawks became ballhawks, forcing 5 fumbles, recovering 4 and picking off an interception. Backup quarterback Seneca Wallace completed 15 of 20 passes with 3 touchdown passes after starter Matt Hasselbeck looked solid in the first two series of the game.

Against Chicago, the Seahawks were on two sides of another planet.

On the good side, their 7th-round draft pick from Georgia, place-kicker Brandon Coutu, went 5-for-5, including the game-winning 36-yard field goal in overtime to win. Seattle’s other 7th-round draft pick from California, 5-foot-8 Justin Forsett, picked up 261 all purpose yards?excluding a 50-yard-plus return called back for holding?and with all 136 of his rushing yards coming when he played in the second half.

Coutu is a backup to Olindo Mare, a former Pro-Bowl, 12-year veteran with the Miami Dolphins and New York Giants. Forsett is 4th on the running back depth chart behind Maurice Morris, Julius Jones and T. J. Duckett. Jones (from the Dallas Cowboys) and Duckett (from the Detroit Lions) are new pickups this year to replace the release of former All Pro and 2005 NFL Most Valuable Player Shaun Alexander.

In 2005, he became the first player in NFL history to score 19 rushing or receiving TDs in only 10 games. That mark eventually aided him in breaking the NFL single-season mark for touchdowns with 27. Alexander, hampered by injuries the last two seasons, was Seattle’s all-time leading rusher with 7,817 rushing yards and 89 rushing touchdowns in 5 seasons.

On the bad side, the Seahawks had to overcome 2 blocked punts and an interception return for a touchdown to finally win at home. Third-string quarterback Charlie Fry completed 20-of-35 passes but was intercepted 3 times. Seattle only won because the Bears’ Pro Bowl place-kicker missed a potential game-winner from 47 yards as regulation time expired.

Seattle remains excited about new 2nd-round draft choice John Carlson from Notre Dame. Holmgren’s West Coast Offense was in sore need of a tight end that could play effectively.

The addition of veteran guard and former Pro Bowler Mike Wahle from the Carolina Panthers should shore up an offensive line that was excellent in 2005 and became a whole lot less so with the departure of guard Steve Hutchinson to the Minnesota Vikings. Hutchinson was unstoppable beside Walter Jones, the Seahawks premier tackle who is an 8-time Pro Browler and 6-time All Pro.

Unfortunately, the Seahawks underestimated the positive locker room presence of Hutchinson, who created a leadership role that has been left unfulfilled.

While Seattle appears stable in its coaching transition (Jim Mora, a current Assistant Head Coach and Defensive Backs Coach, will replace Holmgren next year), there is a lot of turnover among coaches.

The Seahawks have added Mike Solari from the Kansas City Chiefs (the new offensive line coach), Bill Lazor from the Washington Redskins (the new quarterbacks coach), Kasey Dunn from the University of Maryland (new running backs coach), and Mike DeBord from the University of Michigan (new offensive assistant coach).

Like most NFL teams, the ‘Hawks have a lot of coaches to go with Holmgren, 19 of them in fact. In some cases, they work harder than the players they are coaching.

Seattle, and the NFL in general, has a lot of players who are overpaid and underperformed. Two of them are defensive tackle Marcus Tubbs, a huge man who could block the middle if he was not hurt every 10 minutes of his career, and offensive tackle Floyd “Pork Chop” Womack, who the Seahawks like because he can play more than one position on the line.

Womack, like Tubbs, is hurt more than healthy. Seattle mercifully cut Tubbs loose earlier in the preseason camp. However, they resigned Womack, a dubious move at best. It is as if the Seahawks could not find another decent, healthy backup tackle on the face of the Earth.

To its credit, Seattle has drafted replacements; to the drafted players discredit, none of them have proven capable of getting the job done, so back comes Womack for another season, that is, until he is injured again.

So who else is hurt? I thought you would never ask. Pro-Bowl quarterback Matt Hasselbeck has enough back problems to make an orthopedic surgeon wealthy, new go-to wide receiver Bobby Engram has a cracked shoulder and will be out for awhile, and high-priced wide receiver Deion Branch is recovering from knee surgery.

A host of other players are whining over normal bumps and bruises. Big deal, this is football, not tiddlywinks.



free football picks against the spread

Lawrence Taylor asked:


Winning 9 times out of 10 simply by using a football betting system, just imagine the possibilities …

By asking several people this question:-

Do you think it is possible to win 90% of the time simply by using a football betting system?

Answers would probably be something like …

“I don’t think so, you never see a poor bookie do you”

“You can’t win money consistently, the bookie will always get you eventually”

“You’ll always lose more than you win, the bookie will make sure of that”

“The bookies make millions of pounds profit each year, so it can’t be that easy”

“It’s a mugs game, no football betting system or any betting system can win 90% of the time”

These are the sort of answers/comments that you would probably expect to hear from most people. It certainly looks like the bookmakers really have got it made!

So, is it really a mugs game?

Well, it’s only a mugs game if you lose more than you win, if you could find a way to win 90% of the time then it wouldn’t be a mugs game any more, it would be a really smart game.

So how could the average person win 9 times out of 10?

First of all you need to start thinking like a bookmaker and look at betting from an entirely different angle with a more clinical and professional approach.

Thanks to the internet the average person now has the opportunity to bet and make money in the same way as the bookmakers have always done. This is made possible by making use of the Betting Exchanges, such as Betfair, Betdaq etc.

Since the inception of Betting Exchanges it is now possible to bet on almost any sporting event to lose, instead of simply betting to win.

This is called LAYING, when you place a LAY you are saying that the event you are LAYING is not going to win, this could be a football team, horse in a race, golf player etc, in fact almost any sporting event imaginable is now available to LAY.

This concept must be fully understood to enable you to think and make money like a bookmaker. It’s not difficult, just different.

All bookmakers are LAYERS, so when you make a LAY on Betfair you are actually playing the role of the bookie. It may sound a little complicated if you know absolutely nothing about the subject, trust me this really is very easy. Betting Exchanges such as ‘Betfair’ have excellent help sections should you require any further information.

To further help with your understanding I have included a LAYING example below.

I will try to explain in very simple format …

Team-A 7/4, Draw 2/1, Team-B 5/2

Here’s how it works:-

If you LAYED the draw for say £10 at odds of 2/1 then,

If the match ended in a draw you would lose £20 (2 x £10).

If the match didn’t end in a draw you would win £10 (your LAY stake), in other words you have played the role of the bookmaker and you get to keep the £10 (less a small commission to the betting exchange).

This is exactly the same as walking into any bookmakers shop and placing a £10 bet at odds of 2/1, the difference being that if the bet made doesn’t win the bookie keeps your money (£10 stake). When you make a LAY on Betfair you get to keep the money in exactly the same way as the bookie does.

Therefore, the following question remains:-

How can YOU win 9 times out of 10 simply by using a football betting system?

Well, we all know that picking a loser is much, much easier than picking a winner. With this in mind, your approach to laying should always be highly selective. Remember, you don’t have to LAY every single match, be professional and highly selective at all times.

You should start to keep your own accurate records. When you first start you might want to record the results from just one or two leagues until you get used to the process. Record both of the teams playing, date played, table positions, home goals, away goals, odds, results etc.

You will start to see patterns emerging from your records, this in turn will fuel your thought processes and then you’ll be hooked on creating your own money-making football betting system, whilst having a lot of fun along the way.

Take a good look at the Betting Exchanges and you will soon discover that there are many more markets and laying opportunities available than simply laying Home, Draw and Away, particularly within the Premier Leagues, all providing many laying opportunities.

Winning 90% of the time from the world of football losers can become a reality but you must do the necessary homework and start keeping your own accurate records.

Thank you very much for reading this article and I do hope that I have fuelled your enthusiasm to start creating your very own football betting system, so that you too can start winning 9 times out of 10.

Wilson Snyder asked:


For many, betting in sports is a favorite pastime. Many people make quite a bit of money betting in sports events simply because they know the proper way to place bets and to manage their betting practices. While there is certainly an element of luck when it comes to sports betting, there is also a strategic method that people rely on so that they can keep their betting practices under full control at all times. Let’s take a look at how to control betting practices and to increase the chances of bringing home some winnings.

First things first, when it comes to betting in sports, the bettor needs to keep full control of his or her betting funds. It is vital for the bettor to start off with a set bankroll, one that is reasonable and within the confines of one’s personal budget. Betting in sports can be fun, but it can also become financially painful if the bettor does not carefully track and monitor what he or she is spending. On that note, bettors looking to win money betting in sports should not become too eager to overspend. Using only what was initially planned in terms of betting is highly recommended.

Bettors also need to keep their wits about them at all times. While there are many establishments where one can place sports bets, the bettor should give due consideration to the atmosphere and the type of entertainment offered. If a bettor begins consuming alcohol because there is a bar in the establishment, he or she should carefully monitor how much alcohol is consumed. If one is intoxicated it becomes very easy to lose control of one’s betting money management, and it further becomes difficult to make quality betting decisions.

Bettors that are successful betting in sports are bettors that conduct thorough research. Bettors know about teams, players, player history, and more. The more that a bettor knows about his or her betting selections, the better off he or she will be. A smart, informed bettor makes the best betting decisions in every instance. A full understanding of betting regulations, odds, and betting rules helps too.

Some betting enthusiasts use sports betting softwares/systems to help make better bets. Good sports betting systems such as Sports Betting Champ can provide a dependable winning formula for bettors with great accuracy. Sports Betting Champ claims to help bettors win over 97% of all their bets if they follow the instruction correctly. You can read reviews of popular sports betting systems and pick one that’s best for you.

To learn more about Betting in Sports, I recommend you checking out Bet on Sports

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Max Redd asked:


Web sites such as Betfair and Betdaq now enable us to lay bets against horses, as well as backing them to win in the conventional way. The betting exchanges have totally revolutionised the betting industry.

The pioneer in exchange betting is Betfair and today it operates the most popular betting exchange website.

Essentially, Betfair brings together individual punters with opposing views, and cuts out the traditional bookmaker. All bets on Betfair have been placed there by users who either want to have a bet in the normal way (backing), or offer odds to other punters (laying).

Bets are matched between people with opposing views.

When you “back” a selection (be it an individual, a team, horse, dog or other), you are betting that it will win. This is just like betting with conventional bookies.

When you “lay” it, you are betting against it winning. For example, if you’re betting in a market on which team is going to win the Premiership and you lay Man Utd, you offer odds to other punters who wish to back Man Utd. If Man Utd do not win, then you pick up the backer’s stake. If Manchester United wins the game, then you must pay out. This is what bookmakers traditionally do.

Listed below are ten compelling reasons to join the revolution and bet on the exchanges:

Better odds: when you place a bet on a betting exchange you do away with the bookmaker, who has traditionally acted as the middle man. As with any other middle man the bookmaker takes his cut. He will always attempt to construct his book and manipulate prices downwards such that whatever the outcome he will make a profit. By taking the bookie out of the equation you can generally get odds on Betfair 20% higher, which means more profit.

Lay as well as back: in the past you would only win your bet if your selected horse won its race. Betfair also allows you to act as bookmaker and lay a bet that a horse will NOT win the race. If your selection doesnt win, then you collect!

Trading for guaranteed profits: on the betting exchanges you can take advantage of movements in the price of a horse to secure guaranteed profits  much like trading the financial markets. Profit whatever the outcome of a race? Impossible you might think&. I will give you an example to demonstrate:

Lets imagine you have a horse priced at 3/1 in a race. You think the price of this horse will shorten because it is well fancied. You back the horse to win with a wager of &pound100.

The price of the horse falls to 2/1 just before the race starts as lots of punters also back the horse. You then lay the horse for £134.

Now, lets examine how you will make a profit. There are only two outcomes for your horse  it will either win the race, or it will not win the race.

If it wins, you will win £300 (£100 @ 3/1). However, you will have to pay out on your lay bet  you will pay out £268 (£134 @ 2/1). Your profit is £300 less £268 equals £32

If your horse loses, you will win your lay bet and collect £134. However, you will lose your £100 win stake, and be left with £34 profit.

And so, by laying a horse at a low price, having already backed it at a higher price, you can ensure you will walk away with a profit, before the stalls have even opened!

This process can also be done in reverse, in other words you can lay a bet on a horse to lose, then when its price drifts you can back it to lock in the profit.

Name your price: before the appearance of betting exchanges, when placing a bet on a horse you would have to take the price offered by the bookmaker. If the odds offered on a horse were 2/1 and you said you wanted 3/1 you would be laughed out of the shop. Not so with Betfair. If you want to back the horse at 3/1 then you can post this request on the web site, and if someone else wants to lay that bet then your bet will be matched.

Bet in running: Betfair allows you to continue betting on an event, even after it has started. This capability brings with it a whole new betting experience, but its not for the faint hearted. As you might expect, the betting market for a horse race can change dramatically and extremely quickly, as horses jostle for position in a 5 furlong sprint which is over in less than a minute! Pitting your judgment and opinions against other punters as the race unfolds is very exciting, but equally risky. However, it is an experience that the traditional bookmaker simply cannot hope to match.

Never have your account closed: we have all seen the photocopied letters from bookmakers giving notice of closed accounts. The truth is, when you consistently make a profit from betting, then your business becomes a liability for a bookmaker. He is only happy to take your bets if over time he is taking more money from you, than he is giving back. When it happens the other way around, which is what all punters are striving for, then the bookmaker will invariably pull the proverbial rug from underneath you. By contrast, Betfair will never close your account. They charge a commission based upon your winnings, so in fact as long as you are winning, then they are making money too.

Unlimited stakes: I can remember plenty of times when I have received word about a horse and visited my local bookmaker to place a bet. When I asked to have £500 on the nag at 12/1 the assistant serving me would scamper into the office to ask the manager, then come back to say I was allowed only &pound20 @ 12/1 but the rest would have to be at the Starting Price (which as we all know is controlled by the bookmakers). This does not happen on the exchanges. If you post a request to back your horse for £500 at 12/1 and someone else is willing to lay the bet at that price (or it could be a number of people whose total stake matches yours) then you will strike your bet.

All of your betting bank in one place: most of us have at some point opened accounts with more than one bookmaker. We do this so that we can take advantage of whoever is offering the best price on a particular horse. However, by spreading our betting bank across a number of accounts, we are diluting our money  we may want to back a horse for £100 but find we only have £50 placed with the bookmaker offering the best price. Sure, we can move funds between accounts, but it all amounts to an inconvenience. Having all your funds with one betting exchange means you can have all your funds available to bet, and all your money can be made to work for you.

Wide range of sports: betting on the exchanges is not restricted to horse racing. Just as with the bookmakers, you can bet on a variety of sports, and quite a few other markets besides. Take a look on Betfair today and you may well be able to wager on sports such as Australian Rules football, pelota(?) and ice hockey. But you can also bet on the financial markets, politics, and even the contestants in game shows such as Big Brother.

Place your bets 24 hours a day: how many occasions have you been reading the Sporting Life at 8:00am at the breakfast table, and read about the Pricewise bet of the day? You obviously cannot bet at the local bookmakers because their shop doesnt open til 10 oclock. But you think, hey, Ill place a bet on-line  you go to their web site and they havent priced the race up yet! With Betfair you can bet when you want. You can take advantage of early prices before everyone else starts betting on the same horse and the price collapses. You can post all your bets before you go to work, taking the odds available, or naming your price.

Ed Bagley asked:


Copyright © 2008 Ed Bagley

Richie Sexson of the woeful Seattle Mariners is simply the latest example of the silliness of Major League Baseball’s love affair with high-priced superstars whose production is pathetic.

Pity the Seattle Mariners, whose 37-58 record through Sunday (7-13-08) in the American League West Division was tied for the second worst in the majors, a whopping 20 games BEHIND the league-leading Los Angeles Angels at Anaheim, who are 57-38.

Only the Washington Nationals in the National League East have a worse record at 36-60; they are 16 games behind the division-leading Philadelphia Phillies at 52-44.

The San Diego Padres in the National League West Division match the Mariners 37-58 mark, but the Padres are ONLY 10 games behind the division-leading Arizona Diamondbacks, who sport a 47-48 mark (.495 win percentage). The Diamondbacks have nothing to write home to mom about, but the Mariners are even more horrific.

Interim General Manager Lee Pelekoudas had seen enough Sunday when he gave over-priced and under-achieved Richie “The Rich Man” Sexson his walking papers. Seattle released Sexson and will pay the remaining $6,793,000+ due on his contract just to get him out of the clubhouse.

“Richie wasn’t going to play regularly,” said Manager Jim Riggleman, “and I saw his body language on the bench . . . that was reason enough to do this. We can’t have negativity on the club. I think the players would agreeRichie needed a change of scenery.”

Over the past 3.5 years, Sexson had hit 105 home runs and driven in 321 runs. This season Sexson hit the halfway mark batting .218 with 11 home runs and 30 RBIs in 74 games. His departure was prolonged by three weeks when the Mariners canned General Manager Bill Bavasi and Manager John “Johnny Mac” McLaren.

So the Mariners get nothing for Sexson because they could not even give him away to another team with his $15.5 million contract this season. Sexson has already received $8,706,000+ in pay for doing much of nothing, and will now get another $6,793,000+ for doing absolutely nothing. This is what you call a bad hiring decision. Such is the state of big-time contracts in MLB.

Sexson’s lousy 30 RBIs this season have cost the Mariners $290,226 for each and every paltry one.

Will Major League Baseball, team owners and general managers ever learn how stupid this policy is that gives free agents horrendous salaries on the dare that they will produce rather than occupy space and demonstrate a bad attitude?

Whatever happened to the idea of developing the team’s farm system, paying players a whole lot less and giving them more time to prove themselves at the major league level, and then bumping up their salary to keep them on board.

Raul Ibanez is the perfect example. He was picked up by the Mariners in the 36th round of the 1992 amateur draft. The Mariners would bring Ibanez up to the majors, give him a couple of weeks to prove himself and then, unhappy that he did not tear it up, send him back to the minors.

Ibanez spent 8 years in the minor league system and made all of $275,000 his last year before Seattle lost him to the Kansas City Royals, who were willing to pay him $800,000 his first year.

During his second year playing full time in Kansas City, Ibanez hit 24 home runs, drove in 103 runs and batted .294, so Seattle brought him back at a first-year cost of $3.9+ million. In his last 3 full seasons in Seattle, Ibanez hit 74 homers and drove in 317 runs.

Raul Ibanez’ salary for his last 3 years COMBINED was nearly $3 million less ($2,916,666 less) than Richie Sexson’s $15,500,000 salary for THIS YEAR alone. Sexson has been one overpaid, underachieved multi-millionaire with the Mariners.

We can only hope the Mariners’ owners and front office staff have learned something from this experience. Paying players a lot of money does not correlate to winning world championships. If it did, the New York Yankees would win the World Series EVERY year.