NFL Honors predictions

The NFL Honors awards are tonight so I’m not gonna hold y’all. These are my predictions for each major category. 

2022 NFL mock draft - 1st round

It’s that time of year again! The annual NFL draft where a lot of young men’s lifetime dreams turn into reality & their lives change forever. This year, there isn’t a clear cut number 1 overall pick and there are several players whose draft range can go as high as landing in the top 5 or as low as the the late-teens to mid-20s of the 1st round. All that being said, this is how I see the first round playing out tomorrow evening. Let me know what you guys think.

New Orleans Saints 2022 offseason moves

The new NFL league year is only a week old, but those 7 days have felt like a whirlwind for some fanbases. Others have felt like more could be done to help improve their team. I think the New Orleans Saints fall somewhere in between the two extremes. Watch the video below to get a full scope of how I feel about the offseason moves thus far. 

NCAA Week 10 Picks Against the Spread

FOR ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY. PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT IF YOU FOLLOW ANY OF THIS ADVICE AND DECIDE TO WAGER ANY MONEY BASED ON ANYTHING STATED IN THIS VIDEO, YOU DO SO SOLEY AT YOUR OWN RISK. The author of this post is NOT RESPONSIBLE for ANY POTENTIAL INCURRED LOSSES. 

After a far too long hiatus, we're back with another edition of our weekly picks against the spread for college football (the first one in video form) Check it out below and let us know what y'all think. Happy winnings!

Locker Room Sports Podcast - Calvin DeLaRose, Jr.

In this episode of Locker Room Sports, host Quentin Bienemy catches up with sports betting enthusiasts Calvin DeLaRose, Jr. to talk about his start in the sports betting world, the upcoming vote in Louisiana to legalize sports betting and the benefits of passing the legislation and some other interesting/funny tidbits. Check it out below.

Apple podcast link

SoundCloud link

Podcast: Edna Karr WR coach Omari "Big O" Robertson

In this episode, Edna Karr HS assistant coach Omari "Big O" Robertson discusses a litany of topics from what makes Karr’s football team so successful to what senior football players should look for when deciding where to attend college and basically everything in between. Check it out below.

Apple podcast link

Soundcloud link

Itchy’s NCAAF Week 13 Picks Against the Spread

FOR ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY. PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT IF YOU FOLLOW ANY OF THIS ADVICE AND DECIDE TO WAGER ANY MONEY BASED ON ANYTHING WRITTEN IN THIS ARTICLE, YOU DO SO SOLEY AT YOUR OWN RISK. The author of this post is NOT RESPONSIBLE for ANY POTENTIAL INCURRED LOSSES.
Last week’s NCAAF record: 4-0
Season NCAAF record: 21-10

Last week was really good for me, so I’m just gonna try to keep up with this momentum and carry it into the end of the regular season and finish on a high note. I must admit, this week I didn’t feel good about a lot of games so this might be an ‘abbreviated’ schedule for me lol.

ECU (-13.5) @ UConn

This is pretty much a situation where I’m picking against UConnof . Their defense is terrible and while ECU’s offense hasn’t consistently put up points in bunches the entire season, they have put up 43 (against a very good Cincinnati defense) and 51 points the past 2 weeks and I expect them to ‘turn up’ on the Huskies. They’ve found out how to find the end zone and UConn will have trouble keeping up.

Arkansas State/Georgia Southern: over 54.5

Idk exactly what is going on with this total. The line opened up at 59.5 and since then, it has dropped. I’ve checked the weather and that won’t play a factor. On top of that, you have one of the country’s top passing offenses in Arkansas State going against one of the worst passing defenses. On the flip side, you have one of the best running teams in Georgia Southern (that also get a ton of chunk yards and ‘big gains’) going up against one of the nation’s worst run defenses. I’ve seen a lot of other experts pick the under in this game and I don’t understand why. I guess I’m just going to have to be proven wrong because I’m all ‘over’ this one.

Texas A&M (+13.5) @ Georgia

This is the first time these teams will meet since TAMU joined the SEC 8 years ago. When I look at these teams, I see a lot of similarities. Both teams like to grind and shorten the clock out with their respective running games and rely on their defenses to stymie their opponents. The main difference is, Georgia probably has better players on their team. Still, I think 2 touchdowns is a bit much to give up, especially for a Georgia team that hasn’t really been able to break games open with their offense. Jimbo Fisher is big game coach so I expect him to put his players in position to keep this game close throughout. Kellen Mond will also have a decent day against this Dawg defense.

Itchy's NFL Week 7 Picks Against The Spread 🏈💵💰🤑

FOR ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY. PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT IF YOU FOLLOW ANY OF THIS ADVICE AND DECIDE TO WAGER ANY MONEY BASED ON ANYTHING SAID IN THIS ARTICLE, YOU DO SO SOLEY AT YOUR OWN RISK. The author of this post is NOT RESPONSIBLE for any potential incurred losses.

Last week, I didn't release any NFL picks. I really got caught up in some other things which prevented me from giving my best at making picks and I didn't want to send y'all out there head first on some dumb ish. That being said, I'm back this week with some winners! Let's get it in.

Jaguars (-4) @ Bengals

Cincinnati has the worst rushing defense in the league and that's bad new for them as Leonard Fournette (the AFC's leading rusher) and the Jags come into town. Gardner Minshew finally looked like a rookie last week against the Saints but I fully expect him to return to himself against a Bengals defense that is also banged up in the secondary and can't get a consistent pass rush to pressure Minshew. The Jags might win this one by 2 TDs or more.

Dolphins (+17) @ Bills

Everybody & their maw knows that Miami isn't good. But this is a terribly huge number to swallow, all things considered. For starters, the total score sits at 39. If you're going to have one team as a 17 point favorite, the total should be somewhere in the mid-to-upper 40s (if not somewhere in the 50s). Furthermore, the Bills' calling card ISN'T offense, as they rank 25th in scoring. Miami is also starting Ryan Fitzpatrick (aka "Fitzmagic") so that should give the Dolphins' offense a spark to keep it within 2.5 TDs. Don't buy into the "bet against Miami every week" hype. At least not this week.

Ravens (+3.5) @ Seahawks

Seattle is 5-1 and are playing at home. When you take a closer look, the only team they’ve played with a winning record, they lost to (Saints).... at home. Additionally, of all of the average to bad teams they beat, the Cardinals (who are horrible) was the only convincing win. Russell Wilson might be the best QB in the league not named Tom Brady or Drew Brees, but he doesn’t have a ton of help and it will show today. The Seahawks’ defense is ranked 25th against the run and Ravens RB Mark Ingram and QB Lamar Jackson will have a field day. The Ravens go into Seattle and win outright.

Itchy's NCAAF Week 8 Picks Against The Spread 🏈💵💰🤑

FOR ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY. PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT IF YOU FOLLOW ANY OF THIS ADVICE AND DECIDEE TO WAGER ANY MONEY BASED ON ANYTHING SAID IN THIS ARTICLE, YOU DO SO SOLEY AT YOUR OWN RISK. The author of this post is NOT RESPONSIBLE for any potential incurred losses.

If I had my way, this week's picks would be sponsored by Colgate so that I could get the nasty taste of last week's picks out of my mouth. I went 2-3, which isn't the worst, but the games I got wrong, I bombed tremendously. So with that in mind, I started to research a little earlier. My goal for this week is to go at least 4-1 (if not 5-0).

South Carolina vs. Florida (-5.5).11:00 am CST
Both these teams come off very emotional games last week: South Carolina pulling off what might be the upset of the year vs. Georgia (thanks in large part to 4 turnovers) and Florida pushing LSU to the limit before finally fading late. When this type of scenario occurs, I typically like to take the more talented team. Florida also wants to get the nasty taste of la As mentioned earlier, USC beat Georgia because they got 4 gift-wrapped turnovers. Without that, that game would not have been close. UF quarterback Kyle Trask also showed me a lot by going into a hostile environment last week and passing for over 300 yards. He faces a group of South Carolina DBs that aren't great. They allow 260 yards per game and have given up 11 TDs through the air. USC QB Ryan Hilinski is also doubtful to play after suffering a concussion last week. Florida rolls on the road.

Costal Carolina/Georgia Southern Total Score: Over 45.5. 2:00 CST
This is a pretty low total and both defenses have struggled this season, both giving up over 25 points per game. Georgia Southern has only scored under 20 points once this season and that was against LSU (go figure). Both teams rank in the top 25 in rushing yards, so that is cause for concern for the clock being chewed up, but Coastal Carolina has shown that they can bust games open with long touchdown runs, which I expect at least 2 of vs. a Georgia Southern defense that gives up over 200 yards per game on the ground. As long as these teams don't figure out a way to not score once they get into the red zone, this total should easily go over. Light rain is in the forecast, but both teams are run oriented so the weather should NOT play much of a factor.

LSU (-18.5) @ Mississippi State. 2:30 pm CST
Usually Miss. State gets up for this game and plays LSU pretty tough and close. People may feel like this is a 'trap' game for LSU because they have Auburn and then Alabama on the horizon. That simply won't be the case. Mississippi State's defense is a shell of its former self and that's bad news with the nation's top offense coming to Starkville. MSU's offense is a hot mess, QB situation is in disarray and they simply don't have the firepower to keep up pace with LSU. Miss. State also likes to give the ball away so that will create more opportunities for LSU to put up more points. Joe Burrow and the wide receivers are going to eat like they're at a Golden Corral buffet.

Kentucky (+24) vs. Georgia. 5:00 pm CST
Everyone expects Georgia to be 'big mad' after losing to South Carolina last week and respond with a dominating win vs. what everyone perceives as a inferior Kentucky team. I'm here to tell you that won't happen. While I don't expect Kentucky to win, they're good enough to keep this game from getting out of hand. Georgia is a one dimensional team. All they can do is run the ball. Kentucky hasn't lost any game by 20 or more points all season. Saturday shouldn't be any different. All the Wildcats have to do is load the box to at least contain the run and not fall victim to the playaction pass and they should be fine for the cover.

Itchy’s NCAAF Week 7 Picks Against The Spread 🏈💵💰🤑

FOR ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY! PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT IF YOU FOLLOW ANY OF THIS ADVICE AND DECIDE TO WAGER MONEY BASED ON ANYTHING IN THIS ARTICLE, YOU DO SO SOLEY AT YOUR OWN RISK. The author of this post is not responsible for any potential incurred losses
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This week’s crop of games will be fun to watch, but Vegas didn’t do any favors setting these lines. They have shown me why they are professionals and I’m an amateur. Trying to pick winning bets this week feels like I’m trying to slip past a bunch of Fortier students in front McDonald’s on Canal Street by myself wearing a John F. Kennedy school uniform without being noticed (if you went to high school in New Orleans, you’ll get that reference), I’m walking on THIN ICE 🤦🏾‍♂️. With that being said, let’s get into what I like this weekend.

Temple (+4) vs. Memphis
Memphis goes on the road to face one of the best defenses in the country. Memphis’ offense hasn’t looked like its usual ‘go up & down the field on opponents at will’ self as of late. They’ve even struggled at times against some of the worst teams in college football. Temple is exceptional at not allowing the one thing Memphis excels at - creating explosive, game changing plays. Those elements combined with the fact that Memphis might be looking ahead to a showdown with Tulane next week and I think the Owls pull this one off. If not, they at least cover the spread.

Toledo (-27) vs. Bowling Green
I know this is a huge number to swallow and I would generally advise against giving up this many points, but Bowling Green has not only lost every game this season vs. FBS competition, they’ve failed to cover each week as well, including being a 45 point underdog and losing by 52. Toledo shouldn’t have any problems controlling the pace of this game and scoring whenever they want to.

Duke (-17.5) vs. Georgia Tech
Duke played about as badly as a team could and constantly shot itself in the foot with turnovers last week, and still almost won their game. That shows a lot of character. Georgia Tech on the other hand isn’t very good at stopping the run, allowing over 200 yards on the ground. If you can’t stop the run, you’re pretty much asking the other team to beat the brakes off of you. Especially on the road. Look for the Blue Devils to roll.

Marshall (-15) vs. Old Dominion
The Thundering Herd rank 36th in the country in rushing with 205 yards per game. Additionally, ODU can’t generate anything on offense through the ground or the air and also have a knack for turning the ball over. QB Stone Smart has thrown 5 interceptions on the year and only one touchdown. That’s not a good stat to bring on the road to face a stout Marshall defense.

Wisconsin/Michigan State: over 40
We have a battle of two defensive heavyweights at Camp Randle. Wisconsin comes in with the nation’s number one total defense, giving up a little bit under 180 yards per game and 5.80 points per contest. Michigan State isn’t too far behind them, allowing 18 ppg and and 299 yards. This has all the makings of a low scoring game, until you do a little deeper digging. Jonathan Taylor is the only running back in the Heisman conversation at this point, rushing for 149 yards per game and 12 touchdowns through 6 games. Badgers QB Jack Coan is connecting on nearly 75% of his pass attemps and takes care of the ball as well. He has thrown for 9 TDs and only 1 INT so far this season. Add in the fact that this is Michigan State’s 3 road game in 4 weeks, and I see their defense eventually being worn down and allowing quite a few points. I think the Spartan offense is capable of scoring 14-17 points to easily push the total over 40. Shout out to Johnny for the assist on this one. I don’t know how I missed this total.

Firing of St. Aug football coach Shows we live in a society ruled by double standards

In a not so surprising development, St. Augustine High School announced that Nathaniel Jones is no longer coaching at the 7th ward school after a video of a ‘racist’ chant the team performed before a game vs. Brother Martin on October 4 surfaced via social media and went viral locally.

The decision to remove Jones from his duties further illustrates how ‘soft’ and ‘politically correct’ society has become as a whole, especially in the Black-American community. The fact that the chant was labeled as ‘racist’ is laughable and scary at the same time. It shows how out of touch certain people are towards the black American culture and proves how others are willing to throw their values and what they believe in to the waist side in order to appease the masses.

That chant was nothing more than players getting themselves hyped and motivated to perform to the best of their abilities. It is no different than what happens in most other locker rooms on a weekly basis at all levels of football: from ‘park ball’ (term used in New Orleans for Pop Warner or recreational league football), middle/Jr. High, high school, college all the way to the NFL.

Was the chant candid and full of colorful language? Absolutely. Was it somewhat inappropriate? Maybe. But to say it was racist is completely senseless. According to several sources, the chant has been used for several weeks (if not longer). That would mean it was performed since the beginning of the current season. During that time, St. Aug has played Booker T. Washington HS, McDonogh 35 HS, Landry-Walker HS and John F. Kennedy HS. All of the schools mentioned have at least a 90% black student population. Would the same chant still be considered ‘racist’ if video surfaced before any of those games? Probably not.

While we’re talking about what is racist and what is not, what is so racist about a black person using the word ‘nigga?’ Yes, the word (or another variation of it - ‘nigger’) has a very ugly history in this country. So does a lot of other words, slangs and common practices that are still used to this day by people from all walks of life. The great thing about America is that we don’t let these these things define us and we have a knack for turning negatives into something that doesn’t affect us one way or another.

Ten years ago, Brother Martin (yes, the same school St. Aug played this past weekend) came under fire for a skit where students wore blackface to imitate St. Aug’s players during a skit in the school’s gym. While their intent may not have been to come off as racist, the undertones of the skit were clearly racial. When the skit became public news, Brother Martin issued an apology and life moved on. No one lost their job(s) over the incident.

St. Aug feeling the need to fire their coach when other institutions refused to do so in the face of more serious circumstances/situation is a prime example of the double standard society has placed on the African-American community. As a Catholic School that is supposed to he the shining light of the New Orleans community, yes St. Aug had a responsibility to protect its reputation, its brand, and and to make this incident a ‘teachable’ moment for its students, faculty, staff, and everyone else. That being said, the lesson wasn’t well received and the punishment does NOT fit the crime. A suspension would’ve sufficed and gotten the same point across.

We live in a world where Donald Trump was elected President of the United States less than two weeks after an audio recording surfaced of him telling someone else to grab a female ‘by the pussy.’, In the very same country, a football coach can lose his job for his BLACK players using the ‘n word’ in a chant that wasn’t even directed towards any individual or any specific group? Please make St. Aug firing their coach over that chant/video make sense.

As long as people give power to certain words to be able bring out negative reactions and emotions, those words will continue to enslave those same people and there will always be an easy way to get the better of those same people. Additionally, as long as people make decisions to satisfy others and to ‘save face’ instead of doing what is best for themselves, it’ll always be more difficult for them to stay ahead of the proverbial curve.

Itchy’s NFL Week 5 Picks Against The Spread 🏈💵💰🤑

FOR ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY! PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT IF YOU FOLLOW ANY OF THIS ADVICE AND DECIDE TO WAGER MONEY BASED ON ANYTHING IN THIS ARTICLE, YOU DO SO SOLEY AT YOUR OWN RISK. The author of this post is not responsible for any potential incurred losses.

This week’s NFL games look pretty enticing on the surface. That being said, you dont want to get too ahead of yourself and overreact to how these lines look. Let’s get to winning some money

Bears (-6) vs. Raiders (in London, England)
Is it just me or do the Bears look a lot better without Mitch Tribisky? 🤔... when Chase Daniel took over in relief duty, Chicago’s offense was a lot more potent. Add in the fact that it is a shorter trip to London from Chicago than from the west coast and I feel comfortable laying the points.

Falcons @ Texans (-4)
Dont look now but things are about to get a lot worse for the Falcons before they get better. After losing two straight games, they now have to try to find a way to contain DeShaun Watson. Atlanta also has one of the league’s worst pass defense and they have to go up against one of the best WR groups in the NFL. This game might get ugly.

Cowboys (-3) vs. Packers
Despite losing to the Saints (one of the best teams in the NFL) last week, Dallas’ defense didnt allow a touchdown. They now get to play at home against a Green Bay team coming off their first loss of the season. I expect the Cowboys defense to play lights out again this afternoon. Aaron Rogers will also miss his best receiver who is out with an injury.

Chiefs vs. Colts (+11)
I think the Colts are a lot better than their performance last week and this big number is an overreaction to last week’s surprising loss to the Raiders (at home). Indy is still a playoff caliber team and Jacoby Brissett is a very underrated QB who doesn’t get the credit he deserves for having this team 2-2 at this point. The Chiefs will look to blow this game open at home in primetime, but with a somewhat leaky defense. the Colts will be able to keep pace and cover the double digit spread.

Cardinals (+3) @ Bengals
Both these teams are winless and somebody has to come up with a victory today. Cincinnati doesn’t look like a good team at all right now and are struggling without their best player (AJ Green). The Cardinals aren’t a good team either but I have more confidence in their ability to move the ball down the field and put points on the board when they need to.

Itchy’s NCAAF Week 6 Picks Against The Spread 💵🤑🏈

FOR ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY! PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT IF YOU FOLLOW ANY OF THIS ADVICE AND DECIDE TO WAGER MONEY BASED ON ANYTHING IN THIS ARTICLE, YOU DO SO SOLEY AT YOUR OWN RISK. The author of this post is not responsible for any potential incurred losses.

Last week, I went 2-2 in my college picks. Not bad, but also not what I expected. I want to make up for that this week and then some. So without further ado, here are my best bets for week 6’s slate of games.

West Virginia vs. Texas (-10.5)

For those thinking that this might be a close game, I’ve got news for you: This isn’t the same West Virginia team you’ve grown accustomed to over the past decade or so. They currently have the worst offense in the Big 12 (even worse than Kansas and Iowa State) and they haven't been able to establish a running game. Sam Ehlinger & co. should be able to carve their defense up and the Mountaineer offense won't have enough firepower to keep pace.

Auburn (-3) @ Florida

Auburn is averaging 251 rushing yards per game, led by RB JaTarvious Whitlow who is averaging more than 5 yards per carry. True freshman QB Bo Nix has had some growing pains as the starter but has been gradually improving every week so far. With that being said, Nix he has yet to face a defense as talented as Florida . This is also Nix’s first true road game in a SEC environment so that may play a factor into his performance. Auburn’s defense has also been playing lights out. Their defensive line has been as good as advertised, allowing less than 3 yards per carry. Florida’s defense is the real deal as well, but two of their best players (DE Jabari Zuniga and corner CJ Henderson) are easing their way back into the lineup after injuries. This will also be Florida backup QB Kyle Trask’s first true test against an elite defense. I don't expect him to pass it.

UCONN vs. South Florida (-10.5)

I know last week I said that Charlie Strong wasn’t a good coach and that South Florida wasn’t really a good team, and I still believe that. But this week, they play one of the worst teams in all of college football. South Florida QB Blake Barnett hasn’t played great but lining up against the Huskies’ defense should be a stat padding game to build his confidence. The Bulls should be able to do whatever they want at will against a UCONN defense that struggles to stop anybody, giving up 36 points per game. For at least one week, South Florida will look the part of one the Group of 5’s best teams.

Oklahoma State (-9.5) vs. Texas Tech

Oklahoma State brings it's offense on the road to face Texas Tech in Lubbock. As quiet as it's kept, the Cowboys have one of the best RBs in the country that no one knows about in Chuba Hubbard. He’s averaging 187 yards per game on the ground and is going up against a defense that has allowed over 500 yards of rushing in the past 2 weeks alone. That is NOT good for the Red Raiders. Barring some type of injury, I don't see Tech being able to stop OK State in any facet.

Maryland (-13) @ Rutgers

The Terps got off to a really fast start this season before getting slowed down the past 2 weeks. I look for their offense to com out and ’go for the gusto’ early against a Rutgers team that just gave up 59 points last week and then fired their head coach. The Scarlet Knights also have one of the worst defenses in the B10 (Big Ten Conference). This should be an easy cover for Maryland.

Itchy’s NFL Week 5 Picks Against the Spread

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In all honesty, this week’s slate of games was kind of difficult. I’m not as consistently good at picking NFL games as I am at picking college football games. But what it does is force me to do more research to try to make the best decisions possible. So with that being said, here’s what I came up with for today’s games.

Chiefs (-6.5) 🔐 @ Lions
This is Patrick Mahomes first NFL game in an indoor stadium. Combine that with the fact that he’s already on pace to throw for over 6,000 yards and it spells trouble for the Lions. A hip injury to Matt Stafford that has is availability questionable further puts Detroit’s chances to keep this game close in doubt. I feel EXTREMELY CONFIDENT that Kansas City will cover this spread. I’m actually surprised that the number isn’t higher considering all the circumstances.

Panthers/Texans: Over 47.5
The Panthers’ offense looks like a rejuvenated unit with Kyle Allen under center in place of the injured Cam Newtow. They put up 413 total yards and 38 points last week. On the flip side, Houston’s offense is averaging a little under 23 point per game, but that includes a 13 point performance against a very good Jags defense. They’ve scored at least 25 points every other week. They’re going against a Panthers defense that has struggled thus far and isnt the same vaunted ‘D’ that we’ve know in the past. Expect both teams to light the scoreboard up.

Falcons vs. Titans (+4.5)
You never really know what Falcons team you’ll get from week to week. They’re like the NFL’s version of Jekyl & Hyde. One thing I do know about this league is that you don’t win games when you turn the ball over. Atlanta has 7 turnovers thus far this season and they’re going up against a very stingy Titans defense that has a knack for taking the ball away from their opponents.. While Tennessee’s offense is somewhat inconsistent at times,, they should be able to pound the ball with Derrick Henry & that’ll set up the playaction pass. Even if the Falcons get a win, I dont see it being by a large margin.

Giants (-3) vs. Redskins
A lot of people are wondering if the Daniel Jones hype is real. That can’t be fully answer after only seeing one game, but one thing is for sure: he’s going up against a Redskins defense that has given up at least 30 points every week. The Skins are looking to avoid their first 0-4 start in 19 years and will play motivated, but it won’t be enough to win on the road.

Itchy’s NCAAF Week 5 picks Against The Spread 💵💵💵

FOR ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY!!!
Okay, okay, okay. I know y’all have been waiting for my college picks so here they are. Be sure to follow these picks if you want to win some money and ride on 20" chrome this weekend. If you don’t, then that’s all on you playboi!
South Florida vs. SMU (-7.5)
SMU has gotten off to a 4-0 start and has the 17th ranked offense in the country, averaging 43 points per game. South Florida isn’t a good team and Charlie Strong is proving how mediocre of a coach he is. This might get ugly. Lay the points.

Virginia (+12.5) @ Notre Dame
The Cavs come in with the country’s 12th best rush defense, allowing 2.2 ypc. Notre Dame does have the edge in the passing game but look for Fightin’ Irish QB Ian Look to be under constant pressure all day as the UVA front 7 has made a living in their opponents’ backfield through the first 4 games of the season. Virginia will play ball control to keep the game close. They may even pull off the upset. Take the points. And if you’re feeling super risky, take UVA on the money line. 😎

Marshall vs. Cincinnati (-3.5)

Both these teams have pretty good run defenses, so dont expect a bunch of scoring. Even thought this may hold true, Cincinnati is the more talented team. The Bearcats should be able to keep Marshall’s offense off the field with their defense and also control the clock with their running game.

Louisiana Tech (-9.5) @ Rice

Rice is horrible. Need I say more? They are winless and their offense can’t seem to get going. Louisiana Tech, on the other hand, seems to be hitting their stride at the right time and are going on the road to face an inferior opponent. This is a perfect opportunity for a confidence booster before they get into the meat of their conference schedule.

Antonio Brown Isnt Riding on 20 Inch Chrome Right Now, And Its 100% His Fault

Antonio Brown likes to say his name and brand is ’Boomin’. As of late, he is correct. His name has been all over tv screens, internet articles, blog sites, has talked about in barbershops and has been all over social media. The problem is though, it has been ’boomin’ for all the wrong reasons.

Lately, Brown has outdone himself in self-sabotaging his playing career. For quite some time, he has exhibited behaviors that would make any reasonable person wonder if he is a 12-year-old adolescent stuck in a 31-year- old perennial all-pro WR’s body.

This latest revolution around ‘Antonio’s world’ started when the Oakland Raiders (whom he forced a trade to in March after a nasty break-up with the Pittsburgh Steelers) began their training camp and ’AB’ wasn’t present on the field. It was later revealed that he had frostbite on his feet from not wearing the proper footwear while in a cryotherapy chamber.

The next episode occurred when he refused to practice because the NFL banned the helmet he had worn for the previous nine seasons. Brown threatened to retire over the matter and even left the team in the midst of camp. Once that issue was resolved (and he secured a new helmet endorsement), he posted a copy of the letter on his Instagram detailing how had been fined for missing practices, team meetings and conduct detrimental to the team. He and Raiders GM Mike Mayock had a huge verbal altercation, the team voided his contract and AB demanded to be released via Instagram because as he put it "there’s no way I play after they took that (his guaranteed money) away and made my contract week to week." Later that same day, Brown’s wish was granted as he was released by Oakland before ever appearing in a game for the Raiders. He earned $0 of the $54 million contract he signed. Of that total contract value, $30 million was guaranteed.

Roughly 5 hours later, the New England Patriots announced that they would sign AB. Things appeared to be balancing out for Brown but the peace wouldn’t last long as his professional and personal life began to unravel even more. The day after he signed with the Patriots ($15 million total - including a $9 million signing bonus) he was sued for sexual assault by a former trainer (the statue of limitations had run out to pursue any criminal charges). Amid this news, the Patriots decided to stick with Brown, provided he could focus on football and not have any contact with his accuser(s). After his first game, Sports Illustrated’s website published a story where another woman accused him of sexual misconduct and filed a seperate lawsuit. Once the story broke, Brown broke the one cardinal rule New England gave him: he contacted the second accuser in a group message that also included his attorney and two people within his inner-circle. In the messages, he attempted to intimidate the woman and instructed his associates to look into her background. Once New England got wind of this incident, they released him. Brown appeared in one game and earned a little bit over $158,000 as a member of the Patriots.

For those keeping score, in the past 2 months, Brown has been released by 2 NFL teams, accused of sexual misconduct and sued by 2 different women, lost 2 major endorsement deals, and lost out on the potential of earning a total of $39 million guaranteed.

In the wake of all of the recent developments, Brown has taken to Twitter to announce that he is done playing in the NFL and is re-enrolling at Central Michigan University to finish school and earn his degree. He explained his main reason from walking away from football is the fact team owners and front office executives can void and not pay up on guaranteed portions of contracts. While he has long maintained that he doesn’t need football, it is hard to imagine a player of his caliber still in his physical prime just walking away from the game and staying gone.

Over the course of his 9 year career, AB has totaled 842 receptions (currently 28th all-time), 11,263 total yards (34th all-time) and has hauled in 75 touchdown catches (34th all-time). He has been named a first team All-Pro 4 times, has made 8 Pro-Bowl teams, and has led the league in receptions on two seperate occasions. These are numbers and accolades that definitely put AB on a Hall of Fame trajectory. Many would argue that what he has done up to this point already deserves a spot in Canton, OH amongst the other immortals of the sport.

While it seems right now that no one wants him, the NFL has constantly proven that no matter what is going on in your personal life that one of their teams will employ you as long as you can still play at a high level. Past examples of this notion can be found in the cases of Ben Roethlisberger, Greg Hardy, Richie Incognito, Donte Stallworth and Michael Vick to name a few.

The main problem with Brown finding a landing spot anywhere in the near future is the fact that he is viewed as an extremely selfish player that only cares about himself, his personal stats and is considered cancerous to any locker room he sets foot into. There have been several occasions where he has thrown teammates under the bus, gone against team rules in order to further his personal brand, and has generally not cared about collateral damage he causes as long as he gets his way.

A number of former players (Shannon Sharpe and Michael Vick to name a few) have publicly called him out for his destructive behavior. Former teammate Ryan Clark detailed how he saw the warning signs of AB’s behavior long before the general public became aware and even went as far as to say that Brown was just "not a good human being."

Simply put, Antonio Brown is seen as a toxic person that no team in the NFL wants to deal with at this point. He is the equivalent of a nuclear wasteland that no one wants to go near because they fear they’ll be contaminated.

If Brown wants to play in the NFL again, he needs to take a really long look within himself, do some serious soul searching and adopt more of a team friendly personality. He is already projected to be a first ballot Hall of Famer when he becomes eligible. It would be a shame for him to have to wait several years, similar to Terrell Owens’ ordeal, before eventually being enshrined.

The question is, does AB want to be as successful for himself as the people and fans around him want him to be? As long as his attitude doesn’t change, AB will never ride 20 inch chrome.

Bonus content:
Even though Brown has worn out his welcome in 3 NFL locker rooms, there are a few teams that may decide to take a chance on him before the season is done. The Miami Dolphins seem to be a logical destination seeing as though it is Brown’s hometown and the team needs some type of way to get fans in South Florida to attend games and drum up interest in the team.

Another team that could sign brown at some point are the Detroit Lions. The Lions have a very talented QB in Matt Stafford and a pretty decent offense around him, but there is no ’alpha’ type WR on their roster that is as talented or accomplished as Brown is. He would instantly make them better and a playoff contender. The Lions are also coached by Matt Patricia, a former New England assistant who comes from the Bill Belicheck coaching tree. It is feasible to think Patricia can do with Brown what the Patriots couldn’t.
Two other teams that come to mind are the Denver Broncos and Tennessee Titans as good on the field fits. In Denver, he would be reunited with former Steeler teammate Emmanuel Sanders. They both seemed to flourish together while in Pittsburgh and can duplicate that success in the Mile High City with veteran QB Joe Flacco (who needs as much help as he can get). Tennessee makes sense for all the same reasons Detroit does. Solid team ready to make a playoff push, but lack a truly dominant receiver that always commands attention and can take the focus off the run. The Titans are coached by Mike Vrabel, a former Patriot who played under, you guessed it, Bill Belicheck.