Sleepless in South Florida, th...

If I remember anything significant about this past summer I’ll remember that it was a time when, due to staying up late to watch sporting events, I didn’t get alot of sleep. Sure, I got some rest, but it was in fits and spurts, a couple of hours at a time. Mid day and afternoon naps became a habit. Once they were a luxury, over the summer they became a requirement.

It all started last spring and early summer with the NBA playoffs and finals. West coast games come on at 9 or 10 pm and that means a conclusion around 12:30 or 1:00 a.m. I prayed for no overtime periods and short commercial times. I was disappointed. It lasted for almost a month. A couple of weeks reprive and I jumped into The Woman’s World Cup where, considering the games were played in Australia and New Zeeland, evening time starts there meant 1, 2 or 3 am starts here on the East Coast. Sure, I could have recorded them but I like watching it live. Go ahead call me a fool. This is when the mid day naps started.

 I thought I had things licked until the Colorado vs. Colorado State game this past weekend. I didn’t expect the hoopla and excitement of a West Coast(Mountain) match up. All of a sudden I’m watching a college football game that ended at 2:30 a.m. I’m hoping this isn’t a new trend. I don’t think I can survive a whole season of games that start at 10 p.m.

 Then there’s the NFL. Divisional match ups shouldn’t start at 8:30 p.m. like Miami vs. New England. Sure, The Monday night game with Arron Rogers going down with an injury was an exciting finish, but for me things are trending downhill again. It’s hard to stay awake during the TV time outs. I’m drinking a lot of coffee and back to taking naps!

  We’ve finally managed to make it through week 2 of the NFL season. Surprisingly many teams are 0-2 such as The Bengals, The Chargers, Denver, The Patriots, The Cardinals, Carolina, Minnesota and Chicago. Not a very good start but let me remind everyone that there have been several teams that have started 0-2 and made the Super Bowl. It’s still early sports fans so everyone needs to relax. No reason to panic right?

          Several teams have left the gate going full steam ahead. These are of course The 49ers, The Dallas Cowboys, The Dolphins, Philadelphia, Washington, Atlanta and New Orleans. I may have missed one or two teams here but again anything can and will happen in the next few months. It’s a long season as we all well know. For me the important thing is that Miami is playing well and Tua is staying healthy. I’m not going to rule out anyone right now as several teams that are 1-1 have had some hiccups to overcome. Well, maybe more than just a hiccup. We need to remember next month that Kansas City began the season, just last week mind you, with a loss but have been crowned this week as “The Best Team in The NFL So Far”. I’m not convinced to say the least. Being the best at something “so far” is not a crown I would wear with pride!

Sadly but not unexpectedly injuries are killing some teams hopes early in the season. We all watched the Arron Rogers saga live on T.V. and suffered through one of the greatest and longest pitty parties in human sports history. This past week saw Nick Chub for The Browns and Sequan Barkley for The Giants go down for at least several weeks, perhaps the whole season. The Indianapolis Colts lost starting first round pick Anthony Richardson to concussion. Joe Burrow apparently is still injured which may account for his poor play. Football is a violent sport and we’re bound to see more of this in the coming weeks but it’s unfortunate it happens so early. May their recovery be swift.

 Every living, breathing human on the face of planet earth knows that college football is all about the Colorado Buffalos right now. Actually its more about Deone Sanders and The Colorado Buffalos to be more specific. If anything, their games and the hoopla leading up to them have become a circus like spectacle. Ever true to his historical legacy, Sanders has been a trash talking machine and the national sports media empires have eaten it up. Rappers I’ve never heard of and Tik Tock stars I don’t care about have been sticking to him like fly paper and populating the sidelines at Colorado games. The Colorado sports communication department now issues “Celebrity Lists” of celebrities and stars planning on attending games (the USC game has VP Harris listed which pretty much goes political in my opinion). I’m not buying it. They’ve played a cupcake schedule so far and are at 3-0. Big deal. They had to have 2 over times and a once in a lifetime performance by their quarterback to beat a team that they were favored over by 23 points. Sanders amped up the rhetoric in the week leading up to the game with Colorado State then cried when two of his players got pancaked by a tough, physical, come-to-play team. They’re soft in a hard, violent sport and in a conference that panders to them for the television money. Once they get chewed up and spit out by Oregon and USC they’ll come back down to earth. I think Southern Cal will put a butt whooping on The Buffs that Ajax won’t take off.  Hopefully they draw an SEC team in a bowl game and find out what real football is all about. I wish them luck because I think they’re going to need it.

 Meanwhile, the other 163 D1 teams in college football are giving us some spectacular entertainment dispite not having a star studded entourage prowling the sidelines taking selfies with players. I mentioned several weeks ago that both Notre Dame and Southern Cal would end up being strong this year and my prediction has proved correct. It’s early still but they both are sitting undefeated with two sure first round picks at Quarterback. I’m looking for a season ending match up between these two hopefully. The SEC is looking murky so far with Georgia the only clear power. Tennessee’s loss to Florida and Alabama’s weak play and questionable quarterback situation has people wondering if this may be the beginning of the end for Nick Sabin but I wouldn’t count him out yet. I’ll take a wait and see attitude with college games which just like the NFL is still in its infancy as a season. Next year both Texas and Oklahoma join the most powerful conference in The Nation so the excitement is building. Eat your heart out Colorado, you’re pretty insignificant regardless!

 Finally there are my weekly football picks which I admit have not been performing to their usual spectacular level. Right now I think I’m running at about 50 percent with my college picks running somewhat more accurate then my selections at the pro level. What can I say? It’s early in the season and teams are still playing sloppy but this week I’ll put out these four selections to start off what I hope will be a successful campaign of winners for this season. We’ll make this the official beginning of my 2023-2024 run.

 First my college picks; The o/u in The Notre Dame vs. Ohio State game this weekend is 55.5 This is a huge game for both teams that are undefeated. With both teams fielding high powered offenses and a Quarterback for The Irish with Heisman hopes I’m looking for a lot of scoring. Conversely, Notre Dame has won the over on every game they’ve played this year. I’m picking the over in this game.

 Colorado travels to Eugene Oregon this weekend to play what will arguably be another huge game. Although I’m not convinced of The Buffalos legitimacy giving them 21 points almost seems like a gift. I have serious doubts that The Ducks can cover. My pick is Colorado and the 21 points.

Now for the NFL; There are some crazy points spreads in the games this week but I like The Dolphins giving up 6.5 to The Broncos. Miami’s first home game should be a blow out against a Denver team that doesn’t look any better then they did last year. My pick is Miami -6.5

 I’m gonna go way out on a limb here but I think the 49ers are a little over rated. What’s more I think the Giants are a little underrated even without Sequan Barkley but I’m not touching that game. I don’t see New England losing three straight games and let’s face it The Jets look pathetic right now. The Pats giving the Jets 2.5 points isn’t gonna make a difference at all. My pick is the Pats laying 2.5.

 And with that you have my four! Hopefully they are all winners! May it be another great weekend of football! Play On I Say!!

Kev

Kev's Corner Our Staffs Weekly Sports perspective