Minnesota Vikings Cheer Squad in London for International Game It is no secret that the National Football League has been trying to expand into the international market for quite some time. The National Basketball Association (NBA) has a large fan base all around the world and the NFL sees no reason why American Football can't be just as popular outside the US.
There are many hurdles for the NFL to overcome before it can reach a global appeal. For one, most international sports fans consider football to be a game played kicking a round ball into a goal. The whole concept is relatively foreign and probably confusing for these fans.
The other major hurdle is that NFL athletes have voiced considerable objections to playing in the International Market. An NFL franchise in say London would have a very difficult time signing top players to their roster and would probably need to pay a premium.
Regardless of these hurdles, the NFL is still full speed ahead in their quest to become a globally recognized trademark. This Sunday of Week 4, the Minnesota Vikings will cross the Atlantic to battle the Pittsburgh Steelers in London Town. They even got Gene Simmons on board to sing the National Anthem. The American National Anthem that is!
I have a few questions to ask about this booking: 1. Why would the new owner of an Arena Football Franchise (LA Kiss) agree to promote a rival Football League?
2. Why in the world would anyone think Gene Simmons has the singing ability to pull off the national anthem?
3. How much alcohol is going to be served to the Brits to make all of this entertaining?
Would love to hear some of your answers in the comments below.
San Francisco 49ers at St. Louis Rams (+3, 41.5) Less than eight months removed from a Super Bowl appearance, the San Francisco 49ers are immersed in controversy on and off the field heading into Thursday night's matchup at the St. Louis Rams. San Francisco has dropped two straight, including a stunning 27-7 defeat at home to the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday. No team played the 49ers tougher last season than the AFC West rival Rams, who battled to a 24-24 tie in San Francisco and beat them in overtime in St. Louis. The 49ers' issues go beyond back-to-back inept performances - the team is under siege for allowing sack specialist Aldon Smith to play in Sunday's game only two days after he was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence. Smith, who has a history of off-field issues, will enter a rehab facility to receive treatment and will miss Thursday's game. St. Louis is seeking a bounce-back effort after it was demolished by the Dallas Cowboys 31-7. TV: 8:25 p.m. ET, NFL Network. LINE: The 49ers opened as a 3.5-point road favorites and have been bet down to -3. The total opened as high as 43.5 and has been moved down to 41.5. WEATHER: N/A PRIME WAGERS POWER RANKINGS: 49ers (-2.5) + Rams (+5.0) + home field (-3.0) = St. Louis +4.5 ABOUT THE 49ERS (1-2, 1-2 ATS): Losing in Seattle in Week 2 wasn't a surprise for San Francisco, but getting bulldozed by the Colts on both sides of the ball sent shock waves through the league. Colin Kaepernick turned in a breathtaking performance by throwing for 412 yards in the season opener but has tossed four interceptions and been limited to a combined 277 yards while leading the 49ers to only 10 points in the past two weeks. The absence of tight end Vernon Davis (hamstring) hurt versus the Colts, while the normally stout defense saw All-Pro linebacker Patrick Willis exit Sunday's game with a groin injury. ABOUT THE RAMS (1-2, 0-3 ATS): St. Louis posted a gritty comeback victory over Arizona in its season opener but has fallen behind by at least 21 points in back-to-back road losses to Atlanta and Dallas. Quarterback Sam Bradford threw for a season-low 240 yards and was sacked six times against the Cowboys while receiving little help from a ground game that saw starting running back Daryl Richardson play only one snap due to a foot injury. Rookie wideout Tavon Austin, the team's first-round draft pick, has six receptions in each of the first three games but is averaging only 6.6 yards per catch. TRENDS: * Home team is 4-1 ATS in their last five meetings. * Under is 5-2 in the last seven meetings in St. Louis.. * 49ers are 1-5 ATS in their last six meetings. * Rams are 7-1 ATS in their last eight vs. NFC West. EXTRA POINTS: 1. Kaepernick made his third career start at St. Louis last season and had a safety and lost a fumble that was returned for a TD. 2. The Rams tied for the lead league with 52 sacks last season, but have only seven through the first three games. 3. LB Smith was second in the league with 19.5 sacks in 2012 and has registered 37 in 35 games.
CEO of Cantor Gaming Lee Amaitis is betting on Inside Wagers Cantor Gaming, an affiliate of global financial services company Cantor Fitzgerald, announced it has received authorization from the Nevada State Gaming Control Board to field test a new sports betting medium called Inside Wagers. You might recall that Boxing phenom Floyd Mayweather recently made news for posting his winning Sports Wager on his Twitter. He placed that wager at the Cantor M Resort Spa Casino. Apparently, this is where he likes to place his Sports Bets as many other twitter posts show the same Cantor@M trademark. “We’re creating an environment that allows people to get in and out of games at a much lower cost. Instead of the traditional 10 percent fee imposed on every bet, patrons will now be offered the opportunity to wager on an event at a substantial discount to the traditional rate” Inside Wagers, which will initially be introduced at the M Resort Spa Casino, gives patrons the opportunity to wager on individual games inside the conventional bookmaker lines. The system will operate on a commission basis to the patron on bets that are accepted. “Inside Wagers is a line within the line, a revolutionary concept in the world of sports betting,” said Lee Amaitis, CEO of Cantor Gaming. “We’re creating an environment that allows people to get in and out of games at a much lower cost. Instead of the traditional 10 percent fee imposed on every bet, patrons will now be offered the opportunity to wager on an event at a substantial discount to the traditional rate,” he added. Bets through Inside Wagers can only be placed during a designated betting window on a first-in, first-out basis. Once the window of time closes, additional bets are not allowed. All bets are then reviewed and either accepted in total, in part, or declined by the sports book based on demand of the wagering marketplace. “Because lines continually move and Inside Wagers betting windows will open and close throughout the week starting on Thursday, patrons can take advantage of making bets based on the anticipated movement of the line, just as you would in the financial market,” said Mr. Amaitis. Inside Wagers further builds upon Cantor Gaming’s expertise in financial technology, bringing Wall Street style trading to Las Vegas sports wagering. “We’re in the business of creating unique gaming experiences and continuously updating our products and technology to offer customers a gaming experience that they can’t get in any other sports book,” Mr. Amaitis said.
Floyd Mayweather netted $200K Betting on Texas A&M Johnny Manziel can't, by rule, make money off himself yet, but that's not stopping Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Johnny Manziel may not be able to make money off himself yet, but Floyd Mayweather Jr. sure can — and that's exactly what the boxing superstar tweeted Saturday night, after apparently winning a cool $200K on Texas A&M.
Mayweather is well known for winning big on sports bets — he reportedly bet nearly $6 million on the Heat in Game 7 of the Finals — and inspiring big bets, like one by Snoop, who won a lot of green, of a different kind.
NFL Week 3 Cheat Sheet and Betting Trends & Analysis Houston Texans at Baltimore Ravens (+1, 45) Star receiver Andre Johnson suffered a concussion in the game against the Titans but is expected to be cleared to play. Johnson is tied for the NFL lead with 20 receptions and Houston appears to have found a sensational complement in first-round pick DeAndre Hopkins (12 receptions, 183 yards). Baltimore has a key player ailing in running back Ray Rice, who injured his left hip flexor in the contest against Cleveland and hasn’t participated in practices. “He’s not going to need the practice to play in the game,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. LINE: Houston opened -2.5 and moved to -1.5. Total moved from 44.5 to 45. PRIME WAGERS POWER RANKINGS: Houston (-5.0) - Baltimore (-1.0) + home field (-3.0) = Ravens +1 WEATHER: Temperatures mid 70s, partly cloudy, winds NNW 11 mph. TRENDS: * Road team is 5-2 ATS in their last seven meetings.Road team is 5-2 ATS in their last 7 meetings. * Texans are 0-4 ATS in their last four road games. * Ravens are 5-1 ATS in their last six games overall. New York Giants at Carolina Panthers (+1, 46.5) New York's 10 turnovers - seven of which have been Eli Manning interceptions - are a major cause for concern and have put the defense in a tough spot. The offense has been effective at moving the ball, mostly through the air, and ranks fifth in the league in total yards, but the ground game has to come along and the Giants need to hang onto the ball. The Panthers find themselves in an 0-2 hole after losing their first two games by a combined six points, including a 24-23 defeat against Buffalo last week. The Panthers have been balanced on offense but they've been far from explosive, ranking 27th in the league with 280.5 total yards per game. LINE: Carolina opened -1 and moved to +1. Total moved from 45.5 to 47. PRIME WAGERS POWER RANKINGS: New York (-1.0) + Carolina (+3.0) + home field (-3.0) = Panthers +1 WEATHER: Temps mid 70s, 22 percent chance of early showers, winds 5 north 5 mph. TRENDS: * Giants are 4-1 ATS in their last five meetings. * Over is 4-1 in the last five meetings. * Road team is 5-2 ATS in their last seven meetings. Detroit Lions at Washington Redskins (Pick, 48.5) Detroit is 2-0 against Washington under coach Jim Schwartz, with both victories coming at home. Calvin Johnson had 101 yards and three touchdowns in a 37-25 triumph over the Redskins in their last meeting on Oct. 31, 2010. Facing a large deficit, the Redskins have been offensive juggernauts in the fourth quarter, outscoring Philadelphia and Green Bay by a combined 26-0 over the final 15 minutes. LINE: Open pick bounced between -1 and +1. Total moved from 48 to 49. PRIME WAGERS POWER RANKINGS: Detroit (+1.0) - Washington (+2.5) + home field (-3.0) = Redskins -1.5 WEATHER: Temps mid 70s, partly cloudy skies, winds NNW 12 mph. TRENDS: * Under is 6-1-2 in the last nine meetings. * Home team is 8-2 ATS in their last 10 meetings. * Lions are 0-4 ATS in their last four meetings in Washington. San Diego Chargers at Tennessee Titans (-3, 43.5) Philip Rivers leads a rejuvenated offense that is averaging more than 30 points per game. The only problem: San Diego has allowed as many points as it has scored, thanks to a defense that has surrendered the most passing yards in the league through two weeks. The Tennessee Titans' defense has helped compensate for a sluggish offense through the first two games of the season. Titans RB Chris Johnson comes into the week ranked sixth in rushing yards (166) but second in attempts (50), averaging just 3.3 yards per carry. LINE: Opened Tennessee -1 and moved to -3. Total steady at 43.5. PRIME WAGERS POWER RANKINGS: San Diego (+2.0) - Tennessee (+3.0) + home field (-3.0) = Titans -2 WEATHER: Temps mid 70s, clear skies, winds NNE 7 mph. TRENDS: * Chargers are 8-0 ATS in their last eight meetings. * Over is 5-1-1 in the last seven meetings. * Favorite is 5-1 ATS in their last six meetings. Arizona Cardinals at New Orleans Saints (-9, 49) Carson Palmer has injected some life into Arizona's passing game, but the ground game hasn't been as effective and running back Rashard Mendenhall (toe) is questionable. Palmer should have tight end Rob Housler back in the lineup after missing the first two games with a sore ankle, and the Cardinals have eased receiver Larry Fitzgerald along in practice in hopes he can play through a hamstring injury. While the Saints' offense has struggled to find the end zone, coordinator Rob Ryan's revamped defense has limited its first two opponents to 320 yards and 15.5 points per game. The overhauled defense did a solid job against Atlanta in Week 1 but was dominant in a 16-14 win versus Tampa Bay, allowing 273 total yards - the Saints' lowest total since Week 15 of the 2011 season. LINE: Arizona opened -9.5 and moved to -7. Total moved from 48.5 to 49. PRIME WAGERS POWER RANKINGS: Arizona (+3.5) + New Orleans (-3.0) + home field (-3.0) = Saints -9.5 WEATHER: N/A TRENDS: * Over is 4-0 in the last four meetings. * Home team is 4-0 ATS in their last four meetings. * Cardinals are 2-5 ATS in their last four meetings. Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New England Patriots (-8.5, 43.5) Quarterback Josh Freeman is under siege after consecutive subpar outings - he was only 9-for-22 for 125 yards with one touchdown and one interception against the Saints - to spark speculation that he could lose his starting job to rookie Mike Glennon. The Buccaneers have dangerous weapons in second-year running back Doug Martin (209 yards rushing) and wideout Vincent Jackson (231 yards receiving), and the defense has been stout in allowing an average of 17 points. With wideout Danny Amendola (groin) and running back Shane Vereen (wrist) set to miss a second straight game and tight end Rob Gronkowski still rehabbing from multiple offseason surgeries, Tom Brady has been forced to lean on Julian Edelman (20 receptions) and untested rookies in the receiving corps. Starting running back Steven Ridley has rushed for only 86 yards in two games while the defense has forced six turnovers to tie for second in the league. LINE: Open New England -7 and moved to -8.5. Total moved from 45 to 43.5. PRIME WAGERS POWER RANKINGS: Tampa Bay (+4.0) + New England (-4.5) + home field (-3.0) = Patriots -11.5 WEATHER: Temps low 70s, 83 percent chance of rain, winds WSW 7 mph. TRENDS: * Buccaneers are 7-2 ATS in their last nine road games. * Patriots are 2-5 ATS in their last seven games overall. * Over is 7-3 in Patriots' last 10 home games. Green Bay Packers at Cincinnati Bengals (+2.5, 49) While Aaron Rodgers' Week 2 performance was typical, the Packers got a surprising 132-yard effort on the ground from running back James Starks, who replaced Eddie Lacy after the rookie left the game with a concussion. The Packers were forced to juggle their secondary last week after three DBs suffered hamstring injuries. All are questionable for Sunday. Cincinnati has won the past two meetings against Green Bay and sacked Rodgers six times in its most recent game (2009) but it will be without veteran defensive end Robert Geathers who joined three Bengal linebackers on injured reserve. While questions still abound on Andy Dalton's deep passing ability, he has thrown for 280 and 282 yards in his first two starts and unveiled a new weapon in athletic rookie tight end Tyler Eifert on Monday. LINE: Cincinnati opened +1 and moved to +2.5. Total moved from 46.5 to 49. PRIME WAGERS POWER RANKINGS: Green Bay (-6.0) - Cincinnati (-1.5) + home field (-3.0) = Bengals +1.5 WEATHER: Temps high 60s, clear skies, winds NNE 6 mph. TRENDS: * Packers are 1-4 ATS in their last five road games. * Bengals are 7-1 ATS in their last eight games in Week 3. * Over is 5-1 in Packers last six games overall. St. Louis Rams at Dallas Cowboys (-3.5, 47) St. Louis is attempting to start 2-1 for the first time since 2006. The Rams will look for more consistency out of high-priced free agent signing Jared Cook, who caught seven passes for 141 yards and two touchdowns in Week 1 but managed only one grab last weekend. The last time the Cowboys faced the Rams, DeMarco Murray rushed for a franchise-record 253 yards on Oct. 23, 2011. However, Murray only managed 25 yards on 12 attempts in last week's loss to the Chiefs, a game in which Dallas was unable to force any turnovers after creating six miscues against the New York Giants in Week 1. LINE: Dallas steady at -3.5. Total moved from 46.5 to 47. PRIME WAGERS POWER RANKINGS: St. Louis (+2.5) + Dallas (-2.5) + home field (-3.0) = Cowboys -3 WEATHER: N/A TRENDS: * Under is 4-1 in the last five meetings. * Rams are 6-1 ATS in their last seven road games. * Cowboys are 2-10 ATS in their last 12 home games. Cleveland Browns at Minnesota Vikings (-6.5, 40.5) Cleveland was already struggling to produce offense with just 16 points in two games and trading RB Trent Richardson, who recorded 950 rushing yards and 11 rushing touchdowns as a rookie, gives an offense starting a third-string quarterback even fewer options. Brian Hoyer starts in place of Brandon Weeden, who injured his thumb in last week's loss to Baltimore. Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder, who was 16-of-30 against Chicago, is reportedly on the hot seat and could lose snaps to backup Matt Cassel unless his play improves. Ponder is 88-for-127 passing with five touchdowns and two interceptions in his last four games against AFC opponents. LINE: Minnesota opened -4 and moved to -6.5. Total moved from 41 to 40.5. PRIME WAGERS POWER RANKINGS: Cleveland (+5.0) - Minnesota (+2.5) + home field (-3.0) = Vikings -5.5 WEATHER: N/A TRENDS: * Browns are 0-5 ATS in their last five games overall. * Vikings are 5-1-1 ATS in their last seven home games. * Under is 5-1 in Browns last six road games.
How the Actor reportedly cleared close to a million dollars betting on college games for Las Vegas gambling legend Billy Walters. Actor Ashton Kutcher at Hawkeye Game next to team mascot Actor Ashton Kutcher claimed to have been the "front of the largest national sports-betting syndicate in America" in an Esquire Magazine article earlier this year. Billy Walters, considered to be the most successful professional sport bettor ever and head of the largest syndicate in the nation, had no comment, when reached by phone. But here is the big surprise. Kutcher's story actually checks out in Vegas. The 35-year-old actor told Esquire he spent half of a college football season placing bets for a syndicate. Kutcher came off as knowledgeable about sports betting in the interview, describing how the syndicate pinpointed statistical anomalies and took advantage of point-spread movement. "We were clearing, like, $750,000 in four weeks of college football. It was pretty fun. Then they caught on," Kutcher said in the Esquire article. "The hypothesis had been that the house would just assume that I was a dumb actor with a lot of money who liked football." A former Las Vegas sports book manager told The Linemakers on Sporting News that he was very familiar with Kutcher's sports betting in the early 2000s, the same time frame chronicled by author Michael Konik in "The Smart Money: How the World's Best Sports Bettors Beat the Bookies out of Millions." "They thought they had a sucker on the hook, then he won $800,000 in four weeks," said the ex-bookie, who asked to remain anonymous. "They had to shut him down." Many believe Kutcher is one of the characters in Konik's highly-acclaimed book that details the author's time working for Rick "Big Daddy" Matthews, a gambler described as, "the world's smartest sports bettor and the mastermind behind the Brain Trust, a shadowy group of gamblers known for their expertise in beating the Vegas line." It's widely believed, but never publicly acknowledged, that "Big Daddy" Matthews is Walters, a reclusive Las Vegas businessman with a reported net worth in the hundreds of millions. "My book 'The Smart Money' is a non-fiction memoir that includes an explanatory note about honoring privacy," Konik wrote in an email to The Linemakers. "I have no further comment." Celebrities like Bruce Willis, Floyd Mayweather, Phil Mickelson and poker pro Phil Ivey have all been rumored to have been a part of Walters' syndicate at one time or another. Willis is also rumored to be one of the characters in "Smart Money," as is current Linemakers' analyst Richie Baccellieri. Baccellieri was a sports book manager at Caesars Palace in the mid-to late 1990s and is rumored to be the character "Stevie The Pencil" in "Smart Money." Baccellieri would not comment on his or Kutcher's inclusion in the book. The idea behind having a celebrity make the wagers is that their high-profile status and large bankroll tend to give them special treatment in a casino compared to a regular Joe or someone labeled as a professional bettor. Kutcher's days in Vegas seem to be curtailed. Norm Clarke, celebrity columnist for the Las Vegas Review-Journal, told The Linemakers on Sporting News that he had not heard of any regular sightings of Kutcher in at least the last "four-to-five years." "That's somebody that I would hear about," Clarke said. "I would be surprised if he was coming over that often and we weren't hearing something. I just don't think of him as much of a regular." By: David Purdum Tags: Ashton Kutcher, Billy Walters, Bruce Willis, Phil Mickelson Floyd Mayweather
CNBC’s push into reality programming has yielded modest ratings results so far, with last week’s launch of sports betting show “Money Talks” drawing very small numbers. Nielsen estimates that Tuesday’s premiere of the show about sports handicapper Steve Stevens averaged 127,000 viewers, including 65,000 in the adults 25-54 demo — 40% lower in overall viewership and 34% lower in the demo than the network’s year-to-date averages in the same 10 p.m. timeslot (212,000 and 99,000). The show has raised a lot of eyebrows in the sportsbook industry. Sports betting website Prime Wagers, which is “proud to be the most trusted online sportsbook site” and is focused on transparency, posted an article earlier this month saying we've " never heard of Steve Stevens", who runs VIP Sports out of Las Vegas and claims to be winning more than 70% of his picks.
Ever since Tim Tebow got dropped by the New England Patriots, his fans around the country have been wishing he would get signed to their teams. Jacksonville Jaguars' fans have taken that a step further and organized on Monday afternoon (3:16pm to be exact) and held a "Tebow Why Not?" rally to get the attention of the Jaguars front office. The rally was scheduled to last three hours and 16 minutes. The starting time of the rally and the planned duration are nods to a bible verse, John 3:16, which Tebow had inscribed on his eye black for the 2009 BCS title game. James Stewart, a 56-year-old Jacksonville native and Jaguars fan who is one of the event's organizers, said about 20 people participated in the rally, while 30 media members covered the event. The website Jags-Tebow.com registered by James Stewart later read "THE RALLY ON SEP 16TH WAS A START. IN ALL THERE WERE APPROX 100 SUPPORTERS." The group now also has a volunteer to make signs and bumper stickers and have someone to handle its Twitter account in an attempt to publicize its Tebow campaign. "We've accomplished what we had hoped for the first time out," Stewart told ESPN.com. Stewart said that Monday's rally likely would be the first of many. He said he expects to have a rally every Monday afternoon. "The Jaguars' season is really in the tank," Stewart said. "They don't have a lot of promise. There's not a lot to watch. We're consumers and the Jaguars are a product, and there's a lot of room for improvement. Tebow we think would be value added if he were to be signed and given an opportunity at quarterback. Ironically, James Stewart is also the name of a retired Jacksonville Jaguars' Running Back. James Otis Stewart, played solidly for the Jaguars, and still holds the franchise record for the most points in a single game (30). He also holds the Jacksonville Jaguars franchise record for the most touchdowns in a game with 5 rushing touchdowns. Both these records were obtained on October 12, 1997 against the Philadelphia Eagles. What do you think - Should the Jaguars sign Tim Tebow? Tell us in the comments below.
LeBron James marries girlfriend in San Diego LeBron James wanted his wedding day to be perfect and private. It appears he got both. With guests dining on a five-course dinner, prefaced by plenty of appetizers and all done under incredibly tight security, the Miami Heat star married his longtime partner Savannah Brinson on Saturday night at a posh resort in San Diego. Guests had their phones taken away for the ceremony and reception in an effort to ensure that no photos or details leaked out. "A first-class affair," said one of the guests, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Sunday because the couple had yet to reveal any details of the event themselves. "Ceremony was short and sweet." Many members of the Heat organization were there, including Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, managing general partner Micky Arison and coach Erik Spoelstra. Wade and girlfriend Gabrielle Union posted images of themselves dressed for the occasion on social media, as did Bosh and his wife Adrienne. Some of James' longtime friends were also in attendance, including his manager Maverick Carter. One guest not in attendance was UFC fighter Chael Sonnen "What a wonderful evening!!" Adrienne Bosh wrote on Twitter. "Congratulations to Mr. & Mrs. James...Thanks for sharing Ur night & love with us" The ceremony was the obvious highlight of a three-day wedding weekend for the couple, who were high school sweethearts and are the parents of two sons. They were engaged just after midnight on Jan. 1, 2012, when James dropped to a knee and surprised his longtime girlfriend by finally popping the question as many of their close friends were gathered around. James told AP last year that he and Brinson decided not to rush plans for their wedding, especially since last summer was hectic for him basketball-wise -- James played for the U.S. in the London Olympics, helping the Americans win a gold medal, and also was involved in the wedding for one of his longtime close friends. So the date was set for this offseason, and even after a 21-month engagement, very few details leaked out -- including why the wedding was taking place in San Diego, especially since the couple still considers Akron, Ohio as home and have essentially been based in Miami for three years now. Also unclear: If the couple would be using social media to make any statement about the wedding -- James has more than 14 million fans on Facebook, and nearly 10 million followers on Twitter. The measures to ensure privacy were hardly a surprise. In an interview with AP last spring, Brinson acknowledged that she's leery of media coverage, since she hasn't always found it to be fair or factual. "I've heard things about me that are bad, where they've literally looked up into the sky and said, `What can they say about Savannah?,'" Brinson told AP in April. "It's going to happen." Television stations in San Diego showed aerial images of the hotel, including large tents set up for both the reception and to shroud the arrival of guests. In some cases, umbrellas were even used to protect the identity of wedding-arrivers from prying eyes in the sky, and people who tried to gain access to the hotel just to get a better look were quickly ushered away and told only that a private event was taking place. Even some local vendors in the San Diego area thought they had a role in the wedding -- though were not themselves actually sure if that was the case. The Village Mill Bread Company -- located about 3 miles from the wedding site -- told Fox affiliate KSWB that someone ordered 500 loaves of Brioche from them to be delivered Saturday, but would not confirm that they were heading to the James-Brinson nuptials. James is a four-time NBA Most Valuable Player, and he will be back in Miami later this month to resume preparing for training camp. James is scheduled to address reporters when the Heat hold their annual media day on Sept. 30, and the first practice of the new season is scheduled for Oct. 1.
The Final season of Breaking Bad has been so popular that many NFL fans are choosing to watch it live and tape their favorite games. This phenomenon is causing the NFL to lose valuable primetime advertising revenue because you can skip the commercials while watching the game in pre-recorded mode. What will you be watching tonight? Breaking Bad or Sunday Night Football? When NBC launched its Football Night in America package in 2006, it avoided the last Sopranos season but overlapped with Season 4 of The Wire for 13 solid weeks. Back then, most people couldn't record two shows at the same time, and you didn't have to worry about an unexpected moment being spoiled on Twitter — you know, like OMAR AND BROTHER MOUZONE KILLING STRINGER. So you simply recorded The Wire and watched the game live. And that became the habit on Sunday nights, at least for me — record the good Sunday-night show (Mad Men, Game of Thrones, Dexter, whatever), avoid it until the football game finished, then throw that episode down like television dessert. It's always more fun to watch sports live, right? Or so we thought. Because this final season of Breaking Bad changed the rules. (Don't worry, I won't spoil anything if you aren't caught up yet.) It's the greatest final season of any television show. At least so far. Two different times this season (including last week), the show ended in such an electric way that I didn't even know what to do with myself. After last Sunday's episode, I somehow ended up in my backyard — I don't even know how I got there. And there are three episodes left! I know we'll see other gripping television seasons, but will we ever see one that painstakingly laid out the finish line over the course of a few years, then hit the final turn and broke into a Usain Bolt–like sprint? An even better sports analogy: It's the one show that may have figured out how to hit a walk-off grand slam. Whether that happens or not, it has already made history: For the first time, I find myself choosing an already-filmed, can-watch-it-whenever-I-want television show over live football. Last week, I watched the first quarter of Cowboys-Giants, then jumped into my DVR library at 6:17 p.m. (Pacific Time) and cranked up the still-recording episode of Breaking Bad. At this point, my kids could have said, "Hey, Dad, we're gonna go outside and play in traffic," and I probably would have grunted, "OK, sounds good." I spent the next 45 minutes inhaling the show, ripping through commercials and finishing in real time at 7:01. Sixty seconds later, I was standing outside and wondering how I got there. I regained a grip by 7:05, restarted the Cowboys game from my jumping-off point, zipped through the commercials (and there were a million of them) and caught up a little after halftime ended. So, really, I missed ONE live quarter. Now here's where you say, "I thought you were one of those ADD sports fan weirdos who built an office with multiple TVs so you could watch four games every Sunday. Why wouldn't you watch Breaking Bad while monitoring the Sunday-night game?" Simple answer: I don't want any distractions during these last few episodes. I don't want to look at e-mails or glance at texts, much less divide my attention between a great TV show and a football game. Not happening. You'd do that with forgettable shows like Ray Donovan and MTV's The Challenge, not the walk-off grand slam season of Breaking Bad. Actually, who am I kidding? I wouldn't do that with The Challenge, either. OK, so what about this Sunday? Why would any self-respecting NFL fan want to miss one live second of a Niners-Seahawks game in 2013? Especially when … • It's the best rivalry in football right now. (Hold on, I'm pouring out a belated 40 for Colts-Patriots and Ravens-Steelers, our last two joint holders of the Rivalry Championship Belt. At least Colts-Patriots transferred its feudal energy to Broncos-Patriots. That Ravens-Steelers rivalry fell apart faster than the Freebirds vs. the Von Erichs.) Beyond the NFC West title stakes and the added animosity from playing twice (and this season, maybe even three times), consider that these are the league's two most physical teams — especially because the Seahawks take tons of PEDs. (I'm kidding, I'm kidding. Only a FEW of the Seahawks take PEDs.) • It's early, and I'm sure this will change 10 million times over the next 16 weeks, but the Niners and Seahawks are two of the NFL's three best teams at this moment. The other: New England. (Just kidding, it's Denver. I just wanted to pretend one last time that the Patriots are still good.) • They're playing the game in Seattle, which matters because Seattle and Green Bay are the two best NFL stadiums for television viewers (and probably in that order). I love the crazy Seahawks fans. I love seeing the sea of dark green. I love when the cameras vibrate because it's so deafeningly loud. I even love when they incessantly show that goofy noise instrument that tells us how loud it's getting, even though I have no concept of what 112 decibels really means. Oh, it's almost as loud as a Boeing 747 jet? Um … sure! What Seattle's home-field advantage accomplished in that 2011 playoff game against New Orleans — when they won outright as double-digit underdogs and murdered thousands of three-team teasers — was really one for the ages. I love all big football games in Seattle if they have even a half-decent team. But THIS team? And against THIS Niners team? • If that's not enough, Seahawks fans have decided that they're going to break the Guinness world record for "loudest crowd" on Sunday night, which is currently held by … (Hold on, I'll give you a couple of seconds to guess.) (And … ) (Time!) Did you guess that it happened in the Ali Sami Yen Sport Complex Turk Telekom Arena two years ago, by fans of Turkey's Galatasaray S.K. soccer team? You did? That's amazing! Apparently, they reached 131.76 decibels — which is probably the sound a Boeing 747 makes if it's flying over a football stadium filled with shrieking teenage girls at a One Direction concert. But given that David Stern let the Sonics bolt from Seattle five years ago for a much smaller market that restricts their revenue and forces them to make decisions like trading the NBA's best 2-guard for two bench players and a six-pack of diet soda, if it's all right with you, I'm going to root for these embattled Seattle fans to break this obscure decibel record. • Colin Kaepernick vs. Russell Wilson … a.k.a. Brady vs. Manning for the Twitter Generation. And it still has that new-car smell to it. Just 11 months ago, Kaep was fetching Perrier for Alex Smith and Wilson looked 15.2 percent overmatched as Seattle's unexpected starter. Today, Kaepernick has turned into Randall Cunningham 2.0, while Wilson has evolved into a possible hybrid of Young Brady, Young Montana and Young Brees (only if that hybrid could scramble for a first down whenever he wants). In general, it's almost stupefying how entertaining Kaepernick, Wilson, Robert Griffin and Andrew Luck are on a play-to-play basis in a suddenly safety-conscious league. It's flag football with pads and they're the big winners. (Well, them and Peyton Manning, who's on pace to throw 112 touchdowns this season.) Only one downer for the Kaepernick-Wilson rivalry: By rule, all quarterbacks like each other and feel bonded by such a frighteningly complex position. There's no chance for a Kaep-Wilson beef. This week, a rumor even circulated that they made a friendly "Sunday's loser has to shave his eyebrows" wager. It turned out to be false, which made me wish the fake bet had been more ridiculous — something like, "Loser has to pretend publicly for two weeks that he thinks Aaron Hernandez was framed and would absolutely 'take Hernandez as a teammate.'" Maybe there's still time. • Pete Carroll vs. Jim Harbaugh … a.k.a. the feud that started when they were college coaches and keeps on going and going. Last spring, Harbaugh even called out Seattle's multiple PED suspensions and quoted Bo Schembechler by saying, "If you cheat to win, then you've already lost." I thought that was a low blow — not bringing up the PED stuff, but quoting Bo Schembechler. If we could wager on any pair of coaches to trade punches during a postgame handshake, Harbaugh and Carroll would be the overwhelming favorite. • The fan bases can't stand each other, either. Did you know that Seahawks fans on Reddit were conspiring to buy sponsored bricks for San Francisco's soon-to-be-done Levi's Stadium and put "GO HAWKS!" on them, causing the Niners to announce that they were exercising veto power on the wording for any purchased brick? Did you know they apparently had to ask for additional moderators to help police SB Nation's Seahawks and 49ers pages because it was getting so ugly on their message boards? Let's just hope WE never have to choose between them, because I love both cities … but if I ever have to choose, I'm siding with fresh coffee, grunge music, Singles, Citizen Dick, legalized marijuana, Xavier McDaniel posters, Stephen and Irene, Junior Griffey, Safeco, Steve Largent, the '87 All-Star Game, Microsoft Windows, serial-killer movies, Gus and DJ, Kemp and GP, Mr. Russell's House, Rip City beefs, and fresh coffee a second time over Alcatraz, Steph Curry, Pac Bell, trolleys, Twitter, Montana and Rice, Puck and Pedro, the great Warriors crowds, Chinatown, 48 Hrs., Reggie Hammond and Jack Cates … wait a second, I need to think about this more. • With apologies to Ndamukong Suh and Clay Matthews, Seattle has the NFL's best villain: Richard Sherman, the talented cornerback who became semi-infamous last season for trash-talking Tom Brady, drawing a four-game PED suspension (and then somehow getting it overturned), then making an intentionally heated, willfully loathsome First Take cameo that inadvertently got me suspended from Twitter by ESPN. Now he's trying to reinvent himself as a weekly columnist for Peter King's new football site. I don't want to jinx it, but he's on pace to pass Bill Laimbeer and Kareem as my least favorite athlete of all time. I mention this because San Francisco now has Anquan Boldin, a proud veteran with a ring who doesn't take shit from anyone and once broke his face going over the middle for a touchdown catch. Again, HE BROKE HIS FACE. And came back a few weeks later! He's going to like it when Richard Sherman starts barking at him? I'm already nominating this as the NFL's best player-versus-player feud and it hasn't even officially started yet. Prediction: This Sunday night, either Walt and Jesse or Sherman and Boldin fight to the death. • Even in Week 2, it's a must-win for the Seahawks because they can't win the NFC West (and, potentially, go for a no. 1 seed and home-field advantage) without beating the Niners at least once. After Kaepernick played so spectacularly last weekend, Vegas got freaked out and made Seattle just 2.5-point favorites. If they win by a field goal, you cover. Maybe five lines per season leave me totally perplexed — this is one of them. (Only possible explanation: Seattle's offensive line looked uncharacteristically wobbly against Carolina's excellent front seven last Sunday.) I think the crowd carries the Seahawks on Sunday night, and that anything less than a field goal with these guys at home makes me feel like I'm in a Christmas commercial in which someone is surprising me with a brand-new Lexus covered in a big red ribbon. I'm laying the points. The bigger question: What's the TV game plan for Sunday night? I'm watching a quarter, flipping over to Breaking Bad at 6:17, banging it out, then catching up on the DVR'ed second quarter and watching the second half live. It's a foolproof plan. And it's going to work next week for the Pittsburgh-Chicago game too. And forget about Week 4 — I don't care who's playing, the final episode of Breaking Bad gets priority unless the Patriots are involved. Article By: Bill Simmons
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