Dave’s Dime
“Because Two Cents Just Isn’t Enough”

THE INTRO

I’d like to pour my heart out a little bit this week. Hope you don’t mind. If you don’t feel like reading, at least read the last paragraph. Thank you.

I have finally put a finger on what it is that is causing my picks to be so bad this year; I’m just really not into the NFL right now. At all.

In baseball, I don’t have a favorite team. I love the sport and I love individual players. This is why I’m excellent at fantasy baseball; I have no emotional ties.

I love hockey, but I really LOVE the Los Angeles Kings. Despite the fact that they haven’t made the playoffs in years, they have lots of young and exciting players, and they do win their share of hockey games. Last season was by far their worst in years, but it still had 27 wins and 14 overtime losses; lots of good games.

I’ve always been a fan of pro football, but the main reason for that is the Oakland Raiders. I’ve been a fan of this team for my entire life, and have always done everything in my power to watch every minute of every quarter. Despite no Super Bowls in my life time, the Gruden era was still so much fun to watch, with Rich Gannon and Tim Brown and Jerry Rice. They were always fun to watch. They always had a chance to win.

I’m no fair weather fan; I’ll stick with this team to the end. But it is really wearing down on me how bad they’ve been for so many years now. Since their Super Bowl bid, the Raiders have won only 17 of the 73 games they have played. Digest that for a minute. 17 wins, 56 losses over the last four and a half years. It kills me! My favorite team has been at the bottom of the barrel for years now, and they were really always the main reason I was interested in the NFL in the first place. It is hard for me to continue to care what other teams are doing. Especially since we are so poorly run; Al Davis is a joke, and for God’s sake, START JAMARCUS RUSSELL!!!

As many of you may know (and many may not), I ran a football pool back in high school for three years (starting in 2001). I would have people pick every game, then I would send out an email every Saturday night with everyone’s picks, so that everyone knew what they had to root for. I also sent out a results page every Tuesday. When I graduated high school in 2004, when football season came around, I needed something to fill the void. So I started sending out my picks each week. The Dime was born.

So as the Raiders struggled, my new interest in the NFL came from betting on it and sending out my picks newsletter. I’ve had pretty decent success; nothing flashy, but at least above 50% winners against the spread every year.

This year it has all fallen apart. I don’t bet games anymore (thankfully!) so my interest in the sport lives and dies here. I loved running the pool back in high school. I loved writing the Dime while I was picking winners. This season, as the losses started piling up, I have been getting frustrated and don’t enjoy writing this thing anymore. It is all in my emotions; some people can handicap without emotion. I can’t. When the passion isn’t there, I do poorly.

And I want to apologize. Not for the picks; but for my complete lack of passion. I’ve been putting out a lousy product all year, and it has been in large part due to the fact that my love for the NFL just hasn’t really been there this year, and my mood has been affected by other things (such as the lousy job I had at the beginning of this season). PLEASE EMAIL ME IF YOU WANT ME TO KEEP THE DIME GOING! Yes, YOU! I don’t get paid to do this and spend hours every week on it in hopes of putting out a column that you, the reader, can enjoy. If a bunch of you email me back and let me know you enjoy it and still want to see it, it’ll brighten my day and I’ll get re-energized for the rest of the season. If not, I’ll likely shut it down for the rest of this season or send a much shorter version out and try to get back into it next year.

Thanks for reading.

THE RECORD

Last Week
With the spread: 3 – 10 – 1 (.231)
Without the spread: 10 – 4 – 0 (.714)
^^Zen Picks^^: 0 – 1 – 1 (.000)
**Outright Upsets**: 0 – 3 – 0 (.000)

Season
With the spread: 59 – 76 – 9 (.437)
Without the spread: 81 – 63 – 0 (.563)
^^Zen Picks^^: 9 – 3 – 2 (.750)
**Outright Upsets**: 13 – 26 – 0 (.333)

LAST WEEK’S RECAP OF DAVE’S BRILLIANCE AND FOOLISHNESS
(Usually Foolishness)

Atlanta 2 – 6 (+3.5) @ Carolina 4 – 4 (-3.5)
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: Carolina (LOSS)
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Carolina (LOSS)

Buffalo 4 – 4 (-3.0) @ Miami 0 – 8 (+3.0)
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: ^*Miami (TIE)
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: *Miami (LOSS)

Cleveland 5 – 3 (+10.0) @ Pittsburgh 6 – 2 (-10.0)
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: ^Pittsburgh (LOSS)
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Pittsburgh (WIN)

Denver 3 – 5 (+3.0) @ Kansas City 4 – 4 (-3.0)
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: Kansas City (LOSS)
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Kansas City (LOSS)

Jacksonville 5 – 3 (+5.0) @ Tennessee 6 – 2 (-5.0)
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: Tennessee (LOSS)
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Tennessee (LOSS)

Minnesota 3 – 5 (+5.5) @ Green Bay 7 – 1 (-5.5)
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: Green Bay (WIN)
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Green Bay (WIN)

Philadelphia 3 – 5 (+3.0) @ Washington 5 – 3 (-3.0)
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: Washington (LOSS)
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Washington (LOSS)

St. Louis 0 – 8 (+10.5) @ New Orleans 4 – 4 (-10.5)
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: New Orleans (LOSS)
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: New Orleans (LOSS)

Cincinnati 2 – 6 (+3.0) @ Baltimore 4 – 4 (-3.0)
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: Baltimore (LOSS)
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Baltimore (LOSS)

Chicago 3 – 5 (-3.5) @ Oakland 2 – 6 (+3.5)
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: *Oakland (LOSS)
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: *Oakland (LOSS)

Dallas 7 – 1 (-1.5) @ New York Giants 6 – 2 (+1.5)
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: *New York Giants (LOSS)
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: *New York Giants (LOSS)

Detroit 6 – 2 (+1.5) @ Arizona 3 – 5 (-1.5)
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: Arizona (WIN)
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Arizona (WIN)

Indianapolis 7 – 1 (-3.5) @ San Diego 4 – 4 (+3.5)
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: Indianapolis (LOSS)
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Indianapolis (LOSS)

San Francisco 2 – 6 (+10.0) @ Seattle 4 – 4 (-10.0)
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: Seattle (WIN)
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Seattle (WIN)

THE PICKS
* – Indicates Upset Pick
^ – Indicates Zen Pick

I’m just going to post very short commentary this week.

SUNDAY

Arizona 4 – 5 (+3.0) @ Cincinnati 3 – 6 (-3.0)
Arizona’s offense should be able to hang, especially with this pitiful Bengal defense. Stopping the Ravens means NOTHING.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: *Arizona
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: *Arizona

Carolina 4 – 5 (+9.5) @ Green Bay 8 – 1 (-9.5)
Vinny Testaverde VS. Brett Favre in GREEN BAY, you decide.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: Green Bay
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Green Bay

Cleveland 5 – 4 (-2.5) @ Baltimore 4 – 5 (+2.5)
I don’t care what these teams used to be, lets see what they are right now.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: Cleveland
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Cleveland

Kansas City 4 – 5 (+14.5) @ Indianapolis 7 – 2 (-14.5)
Peyton will be out for redemption and the Chiefs don’t have the firepower to keep up.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: Indianapolis
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Indianapolis

Miami 0 – 9 (+9.5) @ Philadelphia 4 – 5 (-9.5)
Starting your first game with the Philadelphia crowd in your ear? Yikes.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: Philadelphia
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Philadelphia

New Orleans 4 – 5 (+1.5) @ Houston 4 – 5 (-1.5)
Andre Johnson’s return should spell doom for New Orlean’s poor secondary.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: Houston
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Houston

New York Giants 6 – 3 (-2.5) @ Detroit 6 – 3 (+2.5)
Excellent pass rush against week pass rushing defense spells disaster for Detroit this week.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: New York Giants
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: New York Giants

Oakland 2 – 7 (+5.0) @ Minnesota 3 – 6 (-5.0)
If anyone is as lackluster as the Raiders, it is the Peterson-less Minnesota Vikings.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: *Oakland
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: *Oakland

San Diego 5 – 4 (-3.0) @ Jacksonville 6 – 3 (+3.0)
Jacksonville D will be too tough for Rivers to handle.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: *Jacksonville
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: *Jacksonville

Tampa Bay 5 – 4 (-3.0) @ Atlanta 3 – 6 (+3.0)
Atlanta may have three wins, but they still suck.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: Tampa Bay
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Tampa Bay

Pittsburgh 7 – 2 (-9.5) @ New York Jets 1 – 8 (+9.5)
Clemens gives the Jets confidence to keep it close, but they are outclassed here.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: *New York Jets
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Pittsburgh

Chicago 4 – 5 (+5.5) @ Seattle 5 – 4 (-5.5)
Don’t see Seattle winning this one by much more than a field goal.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: *Chicago
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Seattle

St. Louis 1 – 8 (-3.0) @ San Francisco 2 – 7 (+3.0)
St. Louis is getting healthy, San Fran is just awful.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: St. Louis
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: St. Louis

Washington 5 – 4 (+11.0) @ Dallas 8 – 1 (-11.0)
I’m done picking Washington. They play with no heart.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: Dallas
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Dallas

New England 9 – 0 (-16.0) @ Buffalo 5 – 4 (+16.0)
Are you picking against the Pats?
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: New England
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: New England

MONDAY

Tennessee 6 – 3 (+2.0) @ Denver 4 – 5 (-2.0)
Very even match up, I always give the edge to the team that ISN’T Denver.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: *Tennessee
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: *Tennessee

THE COLLEGE NICKEL

RECORD: 39 – 40 – 0 (.494)

8 picks from Saturday! View them here; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3MLxMgHRYU

1. Hawaii -6.5 (LOSS)

2. Georgia -8.0 (WIN)

3. Arkansas -11.0 (WIN)

4. Cincinnati +7.0 (WIN)

5. CLEM -8.5 (LOSS)

6. San Diego State/Air Force OVER 49 (WIN)

7. LSU/Ole Miss OVER 54.5 (WIN)

8. TCU/UNLV OVER 44.5 (LOSS by 0.5!!!)

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