Hartley Miller's Slap-Shots September 7th Edition

By Hartley Miller

The NFL kicked off another season with the New Orleans-Indianapolis game. The rest of the league’s 30 teams start their regular season Sunday or Monday.

Amidst the culture of this great sport, many fans are competing in a popular and growing trend, where participants speculate on weekly winners in a popular contest widely known as THE FOOTBALL POOL.

Prince George isn’t any different than most cities as interest in American football is elevated by competing in a pool. I have been involved in football pools, in one way, or another, for the past 15 years.

There are wide spectrums of pools including:

Time frame: weekly winners or season-long chase

Number of games: all games each week or select number of games Pick Mode: spread based or straight-up (all games equal)

Elimination pools: pick one team each week to win, keep going until the last player is left alive; and

Team-win pools: draft certain teams whose wins count for you during the season.

With no money back guarantees, I offer helpful hints when trying to win a weekly or season (non point spread) pool:

Know the line: In other words, know which teams are favored. Don’t pick any major upsets (an underdog of over 7 points) because the chance of them winning is low. If you take three super long shots and go 1-2, you’re losing to the people who play the favorites.

PAST REPUTATIONS: Avoid picking teams living off past reputations that have not been successful in the past couple of years. Many poolsters continue to pick such teams (like Green Bay or Miami) to win in tough spots just because a few seasons back they were very good.

MAINTAIN FOCUS: Focus on how teams are doing this season, not previous ones. If it’s the start of the year, last season’s records can be a gage.  If unsure about a toss-up game, go with your gut instinct, and/or the team on a winning streak.

AVOID SOFT SPOTS:  Don’t have a soft spot for your favorite team, especially if they are not in the elite category. For example, if San Francisco is your team, don’t take the 49’ers in all 16 of their games. Objectivity remains a key focus. Another way of looking at this is if San Francisco plays Indianapolis and you want the 49’ers to win, but pick the Colts, you can be a “winner” either way. If Indy wins, you have the correct pick and if the 49’ers win you are thrilled about the upset because the team you root for came thru with an unexpected triumph.

THE KEY TO SUCCESS:  The key is “nailing” the games that are close on the spread (with a favorite of say less than four points). In this realm upsets are common. Still, don’t pick an underdog, just because they are not favored. It is important to have some basis for thinking they are the stronger team.

BE AWARE:  When it comes to sports, it does not matter what system you use, there are no certainties. Although it’s rare, some people have won pools putting very little thought and time into it. To increase your chances make yourself aware of the competing team’s records (overall plus home and away), key injuries, importance of the game, recent past history of the two teams, and other tidbits.

By the way, I also suggest not playing with a partner, even though the entry fee will be double, if you don’t. Friendships have been damaged because of silly disputes on what teams to choose on NFL Sunday. My rule of thumb is clear: No partner period, unless of course he or she is “silent”.

From the quote rack:

“You heard the Rangers scored 30 runs in a game, then asked, ’Did they win?’ "   David Thomas of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, describing what its like to be a longtime suffering  fan of the Texas Rangers.

“Hell’s Angel."  Headline in the New York Post, after Garret Anderson of the Angels drove in 10 runs in a single game against the Yankees.

“Leona Helmsley reportedly left $12 million to her dog, Trouble. Trouble immediately took out a contract on Michael Vick".  Contributor Bill Littlejohn of South Lake Tahoe, California

“With a strong pre-season, Daunte Culpepper has perhaps quieted those who questioned his ability to lead a pro offense. Heck, not only does it look like he can lead a pro offense, he might even be able to lead the Raiders.”  Comedy writer Janice Hough of Palo Alto, California

“Notre Dame’s Derrell Hand won’t be allowed to play until Sept. 22, Irish coach Charlie Weis announced, after the defensive lineman was charged with propositioning a prostitute. For the record, that’s a three-game penalty for illegal use of Hand.”  Dwight Perry of the Seattle Times

“Actor Bill Murray was arrested for drunk driving in a golf cart on the streets of Stockholm Sweden prompting the headline “Caddy Smashed” Contributor Derek Wilken of Calgary (http://smacksport.blogspot.com/)

And in case you missed it:

Enough for his own baseball team:  Denver Broncos running back Travis Henry has fathered nine children from nine women in at least four Southern states.

And  how was your week?

Hartley Miller is the sports director for radio stations 94X and the Wolf@97fm. He also writes for the PG Free Press. Send along a quote, note or anecdote to hmiller@94xfm.com

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