One New York Life

SU: 10-3 (77-39)
ATS: 9-4 (59-57)

F**k the Saints. That is all.

Sunday

Falcons -7 at Colts: I think I have a new rule about teams that are touchdown favorites on the road following bye weeks. But, Jeeeeeeeesus the Colts are bad. With a big divisional battle looming….. calling trap. Colts +7

Bucs +7.5 at Saints: Oh….. oh Tampa. Wrong place, wrong time. Saints cover

Browns +10.5 at Texans: Fun fact: the Browns have still only lost by more than 10 once this year. I still haven’t seen a snap of a Browns game. Browns +10.5

Jets +1.5 at Bills: I hate this game. I have everything about it. I hate that that the Jets are stupidly able to pull games out of their asses. I hate that Bills are coming off a lay-up in Toronto. I do, however, like that the Bills are home and the Jets are off a bye week. I also like that if this game and next week against the Patriots go badly for the Jets, they’re buried in the division. And boy is it going to be fun to watch a group of loudmouths turn on each other. Bills cover

Dolphins +5.5 at Chiefs: I can’t see any reason this spread isn’t 10. It’s either because 1) Vegas thinks that people still don’t buy the Chiefs or 2) Everyone but me thinks that the Chiefs are going to have a horrible let-down against a bad team. However…. the Dolphins are -really- bad. Fun fact: The Dolphins only play one more team this season that’s under .500. It’s not this week. Chiefs cover

Niners -3.5 at Redskins: 3.5? What? I know I’m the guy who usually pimps the NFC East against other divisions and all… but seriously — the Redskins have no offensive playmakers. None. How have the Redskins not joined the trash pile? Niners cover

Seahawks +12.5 at Cowboys: Cowboys at home against a bad team? By the way? What’s worse for Tony Romo: the fact that Phil Rivers made such a gaffe last week it reminded everyone of Tony Romo or that when someone coined the term “Romoment” everyone knew what it meant? Joe Pisarcik: you’re finally off the hook. Cowboys cover

Broncos +8 at Raiders: So after all my talking about Carson Palmer, I kind of have to pick the Raiders here, right? Look, I’m not on in the irrational Tebow hate because, you know, I find it hard to hate a guy who goes on missions and helps the poor and does the stuff that douches sitting behind their computers don’t even think about — but he’s kinda terrible and John Fox does not seem interested in changing any offensive plays to fit what he’s good at. I will never understand coaches who refuse to fit their players despite mounting losses. I saw it with Eric Mangini and Chad Pennington and it looks to be the same thing here. So celebrate Internet! You should have another week where you can hate a guy for the crime of being nice and liking God! Raiders cover

Bengals +3 at Titans: I got absolutely nothing. Two teams I haven’t seen anything from because I’m still living in a stupid apartment with no access to the NFL Package. Home team? Home team. Titans cover

Rams +4.5 at Cardinals: If you have Steven Jackson, don’t forget to start him He might run for all the yards. All. The. Yards. I kinda feel bad for the Rams since they haven’t had Bradford and Jackson together at all, but f**k the Cardinals… not the Arizona ones either. Rams +4.5

Giants +8 at Patriots: The first meeting of the Giants and Patriots since the greatest football day of my life. The Giants are currently a soft 5-2 and haven’t even started in to the hard part of their schedule yet. It starts now, by the way, and they don’t face another under .500 team until the Redskins in week 15. Where does anyone get the balls to think the Patriots can beat anyone by 8, much less a team who should be able to pick apart a soft secondary while doing the one thing Brady hates — pass rushing the shit out of him — really well? I love the Giants with 8 (9 now) and I even kinda love the Giants at +500. Giants outright

Packers -5.5 at Chargers: The Chargers play on Thursday next week. The Packers are coming off a bye. I complained about the Giants schedule… the Packers’ isn’t much better. If they go 14-2 or 15-1, they will have seriously earned it. The points are too much for me. Chargers +5.5

Ravens +3.5 at Steelers: So, the Steelers aren’t that old anymore, and probably going to be looking to lay a beating. Joe Flacco……….. watch your back. Steelers cover

Monday
Bears +6.6 at Eagles: Way too many points for a team that can’t stop Matt Forte. That thing I said earlier about all the yards? Seriously. All the yards. Bears +6.5

Pick 4

Last Week: 2-2 (18-14) — I joined the 2/3rds of the pick 4 league that got knocked out by the Saints in the 1:00 games and the Patriots finished me off.

Coming soon.

SU: 7-6 (67-36)
ATS: 6-7 (50-53)

So last week in my Pick 4 contest. Green Bay didn’t cover, so I got really annoyed. Then, as I sat there and watched Baltimore/Jacksonville, a game which Tony Kornheiser said that “everyone who’s ever lived in the city of Baltimore should be ashamed of”, I realized that Green Bay not covering was not the worst thing in the world… because Baltimore never would have fought their way from my contempt.

Sunday

Colts +7 at Titans: You know the scary part for the Colts? They really only have two winnable games left on their schedule and they’re both against Jacksonville. Titans cover.

Jaguars +10 at Texans: I’m going to regret this, I know, but let’s just say the Jags with points in their division has been a pretty solid play so far this season. Did you know Jack Del Rio was still their coach? Neither did I. Jaguars +10

Vikings +3 at Panthers: I have to say… I’m more curious about this game than any other this week. If Christian Ponder comes right out and has a fairly decent game against the Panthers, he’s getting Anointed as the next big thing, right? Besides, Matt Forte put 200 yards rushing on the Panthers. Shouldn’t Peterson be able to do something similar? Especially if the guy running the plays is actually a passing threat? Vikings outright

Saints -14 at Rams: This was only 11.5 in the pick 4 league. Last week gave me a healthy respect for the road favorite with a lot of points as neither that I picked covered… but can you find more than 10 points for the Rams? I know the Saints should have a let down after hanging 62 on a bad team in a road dome…….. but maybe I’ll wait for them to not be playing a bad team in a road dome. Saints cover*

Cardinals +12.5 at Ravens: As someone who frequently calls out the Worldwide Leader for their massive overreactions to quarterbacks, I said they might have had a little bit of a quick hook calling Joe Flacco done. I also may have been wrong. Flacco is atrocious this year. I mean, the Ravens defense has 4 touchdowns. Flacco has 8. That’s not good. On the other side of this, Kevin Kolb has only been sacked 3 less times than Jay Cutler. Could we have consecutive 6-3 games? Cardinals +12.5

Dolphins +10 at Giants: Giants after a bye week? Giants after a bye week. Dolphins +10

Redskins +4.5 “at” Bills: This is in Toronto because, as usual, it’s great to take a team that’s performing well away from their home fans. The Redskins are featuring John Beck at QB, and no Tim Hightower, Santana Moss, or Chris Cooley. If you can find more than 10 points for the Redskins, take ‘em. Bills cover*

Lions -3.5 at Broncos: I can’t express to you how much it terrifies me to make this a Pick 4 game. I’m irrationally terrified of Tim Tebow. Lions cover*

Steelers +2 at Patriots: It’s well documented in gambling circles… but the Steelers might be secretly terrible and beating up on bad teams. We’ll never know this as they only have 3 more really challenging games left on their schedule. Patriots cover*

Browns +9 at Niners: I’m going to pick a team that scored six points last week on the road? No. Niners cover

Bengals -2.5 at Seahawks: Picking against the Seahawks as a home underdog is like being frustrated and kicking a box you think is empty. You feel really good about the tension it’s going to relieve until it snaps your ankle. Seahawks outright

Cowboys +3.5 at Eagles: I hate these games. I could see it 3 in either direction or 20 in either direction. That said, I’m falling back on my tried and true “Only take more than 3 points in an NFC East game if you have a really really good reason” rule. Cowboys +3.5

Monday

Chargers -4 at Chiefs: Same as the Seahawks idea above. The Chargers are in a second road game with the Pack coming up. The Chiefs are off a huge win and at home on a Monday. I have to take the points. Chiefs outright

Pick 4

Last Week: 2-2 (16-12)
Saints -11.5 over Rams — What’s that I said about massive point road favorites?
Bills -5.5 over Redskins
Lions -3.5 over Broncos — The power of Tebow terrifies me.
Patriots -2.5 over Steelers

Day 3 (Saturday, 7/30/2011)
Dublin
8:00 AM: After what turned out to be a shortened day Friday, Saturday started early. This was one of the rare occasions I got up first. This might be because our first trip of the day was to:

10:00 AM: The Jameson Distillery. It was happily in a section of town with a little bit more stuff than the Guinness storehouse. On one hand, this was a much cooler tour because of the pub outside, the pub inside, and the staff. On the other hand, it wasn’t nearly as cool as the bourbon distillery tours I did this summer in Lexington, KY. Sadly, The Stupid Awful Terrible Work Project Of 2011 prevented me from writing about that trip. Like Guinness, the Jameson distillery doesn’t let visitors see the distilling areas, but takes them on a staged tour with animatronic displays. After, visitors are given a drink (straight or in a cocktail) while 10 people are selected to taste the difference between 3 types of whiskey. I volunteered.

10:30 AM: The volunteers are given Johnnie Walker Black (scotch), Jack Daniels (Bourbon; to my Lexington friends, yes, I did mention that it wasn’t bourbon), and Jameson. Of the three, I actually do enjoy Jameson more. In voting that way, I received a “Master Taster” certificate.

11:00 AM: We decide to walk from the Jameson Distillery to St. Patrick’s cathedral. On the way, we pass the Brazen Head. I resist the urge to have a morning Guinness.

11:30 AM: Arrive at St. Patrick’s cathedral. We have our annual discussion about the wrongness of a church charging a entrance fee instead of a donation plate. We had an awesome tour guide whose name I wish I remembered. She did a truly wonderful, informative tour including historic notes on both the Cathedral itself and the killing the Irish have done to one another over God.

1:00 PM: We go to a pub called the Hairy Lemon for lunch. I quite enjoyed this little pub. We’re deep in to preseason soccer which comes on the pub’s television. As was the case in England as well, the TVs don’t come on until the game starts and go off afterward. PLR, not the greatest fan of soccer but able to tolerate it more than American football, decides to go shopping. I’m left with the choice of 1) going with her or 2) hanging and watching soccer. I choose 2.

2:15 PM: PLR returns laden with bags and decides to try Guinness. As it turns out, she enjoys Guinness. I could have been offered a million dollars to guess that and would have guessed it wrong. “I’m not sure I like the taste, but I like the texture.”

4:00 PM: We get a cab back to the hotel. This time, we bring the hotel’s business card so our cabbie doesn’t ask us for the neighborhood. Take that, unclear address tendencies.

8:00 PM: We were warned to eat dinner early in Dublin as many of the pubs close down earlier than you’d expect, but since the hotel bar had a performance there, we guessed they’d be serving a little later. We sat down and were originally told the kitchen was closed. We said “cool” and left and were halfway across the parking lot before the server came running after us and said they could take us. Win. So we went back and sat down to check out their “band” which turned out to be a girl and an acoustic guitar. Sara Lou, sadly, played mostly covers of American songs and, obviously, Zombie. It would take me another couple days to find Irish music.

11:30 PM: With an early train the next day, the night ended pretty much when the concert ended. Tomorrow, Galway.

SU: 9-4 (60-30)
ATS: 6-7 (44-46)

Sunday

Bears +1 vs. Bucs (London): Couple things here… the Bucs went to London on Tuesday to alleviate the effect of the time shift. The Bears went Thursday. Also, the Bucs are just plain better than the Bears. While the Bears sort of mixed up their formula last week to try to keep Cutler from getting murdered, I don’t see it working consistently. Sadly, a friend of mine moved to London this past year and she’s a fan of the Bears. Had I known before Wednesday this game was in London, I might have gone so I could see how live how little Londoners understand the not-beautiful game. Bucs cover

Redskins +3 at Panthers: How quickly the worm turned on the Redskins from surprise division winner to second run. But listen, Mike Shanahan is a genius. Listen to anyone and they’ll let you know. Panthers cover

Chargers +2 at Jets: I have no handle on the Jets. The talk radio action this week was Darrelle Revis hanging up on Mike Francesa after being pushed on his pass interference pick six last week. It certainly seems like the Jets are coming apart. All those guys who love playing for Rex because he “makes it fun” seem somewhat less happy now that they’re not winning. Losing breaks everything? Seems like one of those regular season games where Norv’s going to throw the playbook at Gang Green to shut up Rex’s face. Chargers outright

Seahawks +3 at Browns: Ugh. Just…….. ugh. Browns cover

Titans -3 at Texans: Given the amount I’ve actually seen the Titans play this season, even in highlights, I could be convinced that Vince Young is still the starter. Titans cover

Broncos +3 at Dolphins: I really wanted to take this as a Pick 4 game this week. Really badly. I mean, how often do you get a situation where the starting quarterback for the opposing team is going to be honored at the visiting team’s stadium for his college accomplishments? How many disciples of Tebow are going to be on site? The only reason this didn’t happen was because one of the members of the Pick 4 triumvirate is a UF fan who isn’t buying in. Broncos outright

Falcons +4.5 at Lions: Falcons on the road. Lions bounceback. Also the Falcons can’t possibly stop Calvin Johnson. Lions cover

Chiefs +3.5 at Raiders: I may have gone off a bit on Twitter this week about the quality of Carson Palmer coverage. Here’s what I’ve noticed: football writers hate Carson Palmer… football players like him. Football writers gamble and play fantasy football. Football players do way less of those things. I also need people to dial back the “mortgage the future” talk about this deal. Bartolo Colon for the entire Expos farm staff was mortgaging the future. Saving a potential playoff season for a draft pick is….. trading a draft pick. Stop it. Raiders cover

Steelers -4 at Cardinals: Could the Steelers have a more easy schedule this year? They’re begging to break down and the league just won’t let them. Steelers cover

Rams +10.5 at Cowboys: And the first of giant piles of points that’s involved in the Pick 4 this week. Everything sucks, so it’s just pick the super favorites to go bonkers. I don’t like it. Cowboys cover*

Vikings +7 at Packers: The dawning of the Christian Ponder against possibly the best team in the league? Yes, please. Packers cover*

Colts +14 at Saints: Hey look, more points…. hey look, the Curtis Painter Era comes to New Orleans. Yes, please. Saints cover*

Monday

Ravens -5.5 at Jaguars: You know how I know this week sucks? Because I’m rolling with the five highest point totals. Ravens cover

Pick 4

So we finally managed to win a week. We managed to win the week that the most other people won as well. A whopping $71 dollar return on investment. We’re in the money now, y’all. And by “in the money” I mean “still more than half in the hole.”

Last Week: 4-0 (14-10)
Cowboys -12.5 over Rams
Packers -8.5 over Vikings
Saints -14.5 over Colts
Ravens -7.5 over Jaguars

SU: 11-5, 9-4 (51-26)
ATS: 8-8, 7-6 (38-39)

I didn’t post last week. I was gloriously away from all Internet access at my parent’s camp. Here is my sheet. The problems with the Pick 4 continues. Team Three Man Gambling Weave continues to go roughly .500 by losing the games we all immediately agree on and winning the ones we agonize over.

Sunday

Rams +14.5 at Packers: I seem to be in agreement with the rest of the universe that this line can’t possibly be high enough. The Packers haven’t scored less than 40 at home and the Rams have only had one road game. It should be a whuppin. Who’s ready for the Internet backlash against Aaron Rodgers? I, for one, can’t wait. Packers cover*

Jaguars +13 at Steelers: There is no game this season in which I’ll pick the Jaguars. Even in games against a sloppy team against whom they should absolutely at least cover. This is one of those games but………. nope. Steelers cover

Eagles at Redskins (Pick): I have no good reason to pick the Eagles in this game, especially considering the tailspin of Philadelphia sports. Their linebackers are terrible and run prone (thank the Giants, everyone) which has cut down the effectiveness of Nnamdi. I’m taking the Redskins with the full realization that nearly every time the public thinks they know what’s going to happen in one of these games, it goes the other way. Redskins

Niners +5 at Lions: The sad part of the fun renaissance of the Lions is that I’m not going to get to see a snap of Lions football this year. Then they’ll be scheduled for eight primetime games next year and not be good. Can’t wait. Let’s slow down with calling the Niners decent for torching the Bucs. This is one of two picks I fought for hard on the Pick 4 (the Lions should be getting 7) and lost. Lions cover

Panthers +5.5 at Falcons: The second of two picks for which I fought and lost. I don’t think the Panthers are going to win, but it’s a division game and Cam Newton has been covering everything. The reason I lost was “nobody goes 16-0 against the spread” but, you know, stuff happens. Panthers +5.5

Colts +7 at Bengals: Too many points. I wanted this, too, but it was only my sixth most confident pick. The Bengals have done nothing to show me they deserve to be a touchdown favorite against anyone, much less a team that’s kinda/sorta starting to be OK with their downgrade a quarterback. The Bengals are that much better than the Chiefs? Really? Colts +7

Bills +3 at Giants: Something we Giants fans have learned over the last few years is that there are two or three games every season that Eli Manning is just going to throw three interceptions and be bad. Sometimes his receivers bail him out (the Victor Cruz juggle catch). Sometimes they don’t (the last play). But let’s be honest here: Eli hit Cruz in the hands, Cruz couldn’t handle it, and it went for a Pick6. Cruz holds on, the Giants have 2nd and Goal from the 5 and things go different. Them’s the breaks. Most importantly, Joe Reid gets to watch his team……… lose. Giants cover

Texans +6.5 at Ravens: My initial gut feeling on this game was to take the points. Then injuries. Ravens cover

Browns +7 at Raiders: I think the Raiders should have 10 in this game and I’d still probably take them. Raiders cover

Cowboys +7 at Patriots: The Cowboys have had a week to think about how bad they are. I’m probably overthinking this game, but Rob Ryan’s defense in Cleveland held the Patriot’s offense to 10 points last year. I’m taking the points……… and I’m probably wrong. Cowboys +7

Saints -5 at Bucs: Saints. That’s all I got. Saints cover

Vikings +3.5 at Bears: I argued hard for the Vikings in this game, too. Look, at some point we all need to admit that “Bears Defense” is no longer an argument to pick them. Jay Cutler might die this year, the Vikings have the best player on the field, and the vaunted Bears Defense is giving up over 24/game. Did we all not notice what Jahvid Best did last week? And now it’s Adrian Peterson? I can’t wait to be right about this. Vikings cover

Monday

Dolphins +8 at Jets: The Jets are due to lay a beating on a team. The Dolphins are ripe to be that team. Jets cover

Pick 4

Last Week: 2-2 (10-10)
Oakland -5.5 over Cleveland
Baltimore -6.5 over Houston
Green Bay -14.5 over St. Louis
New York Jets -7.5 over Miami

At what point does a citizen’s Constitutional rights become negotiable? This question, many times since 2001, has come up on the national radar. In the name of protecting the nation from terrorists we’ve treated the Bill Of Rights as flexible ideas instead of rights. President Obama campaigned on restoring some of these rights… taking a civil rights position on the Patriot Act and closing Guantanamo Bay. He talked about building relationships with the Middle East and increasing the transparency of government.

Then he executed a United States citizen without a trial.

I have admittedly never been President Obama’s biggest fan. I never agreed with his vision for the country. Even with that said the right guy probably won in 2008 even if, should he lose in 2012, he’ll be remembered for a joke of a stimulus package more about paying off Democrat supporters than creating jobs, a health care law that is probably wildly unconstitutional, and not following through on ending the aforementioned civil rights violations by closing Gitmo or ending the Patriot Act.

Now, I’m not against public health care. I think our current system of health care being tied to employment is dumb for three reasons:

1. It stifles small business. Not by the supposed “rich job creators” who don’t actually just create jobs they don’t need because they have access to more capital, but because it’s hard to leave an employer and start a business because the person is taking the gamble that he or his family won’t ever get sick or break a bone. Being stuck in a miserable job for health insurance is dumb.
2. If I break my ankle and change jobs, suddenly I can’t get coverage for future problems relating to my ankle because it’s a pre-existing condition… ever again… again eventually leading to bankruptcy
3. Going bankrupt for being sick is unacceptable. This isn’t even arguable.

However, my “not really Republican” healthcare view doesn’t change that requiring a person buy a product or be fined is probably unconstitutional. Think about this legislation through the lens of any other product. Imagine the legislation said “If you don’t buy a car, you get fined.” Not “if you buy a car that isn’t a Ford, you get fined”, but “if you don’t buy any car, you get fined.” The way our system works is something is legal until it’s not — if we decide this is legal under the Constitution, then it’s always legal. Any product Congress wants to legislate every citizen buy is on the table. If this seems obvious, you’d be surprised at how many people don’t get it. Just because this Congress says that’s silly doesn’t mean a future Congress won’t change their mind. This is called definition creep, and the evidence of it is drunk frat guys on sex offender registries because they urinated on a street corner.

Now, I’m not a lawyer — but it serves to remember that the idea of giving someone $200k+ for the right to join the bar is relatively recent. As a side effect of a job making software for lawyers, I read a lot about lawyering. As it turns out, law school doesn’t teach magic or really anything a person can’t learn with reading, practice, and time. Near as I can tell, passing law school grants the right to sit for the bar exam. Passing the bar exam grants the right to tell people like me that I don’t understand — even though in most cases I’m pretty sure I do. Two sides look at a law, they each argue which side is correct by citing previous decisions that vaguely support a position, and then some other cranky old person with a God complex decides who’s less wrong.

Our justice system, for the most part, works on the premise that something is legal until it isn’t, then once it’s not legal it rarely ever becomes legal again. Think, for example, of the many “funny laws” e-mail forwards we’ve all gotten. Lost in the laughter about how silly a “walking a horse by a church on Sunday” law may be is the fact that a person can still be arrested and prosecuted for walking a horse by a church on Sunday. The one short-sighted thing we can blame our Founding Fathers for (outside the whole white landowning Protestant thing) is there was nothing to address the fact that laws, once created, stay on the books forever. When that’s the case, eventually every action becomes illegal with varying degrees of punishment. Personally, I think the Constitution should apply a 50-year sunset clause to every law in the United States. Important things can be renewed. Unimportant things, like it being illegal for women to wear pink underwear when walking a dog, can be allowed to quietly expire.

The reason “everything is legal until it isn’t” is important is because, in general, it allows any branch of government to do whatever it wants until another branch says it isn’t OK. In recent years, it’s meant the executive branch can do whatever it wants regardless of what anyone says. This has, finally, escalated in the Obama Administration executing a citizen in what seems like a clear violation of his Fifth Amendment right to due process.

To be clear, and what should always be remembered in cases like this, it isn’t defending the terrorist to decry the methods by which he was brought to justice. I will sleep just fine knowing a terrorist is dead. What bothers me, and what should really bother more people in my opinion, is the federal government ignored a lot of a citizen’s constitutional rights to do what they did. It appears he wasn’t innocent until proven guilty, did not get a trial by a jury of his peers, and was summarily executed by being declared an enemy of the state. The question arises: if the executive branch can unilaterally place someone on a kill list after some kind of black box review, thereby declaring his Constitutional rights null and void, what is left that it’s not allowed to do?

I understand the objections to calling him a citizen. I understand he left the country and sided with a group who’s stated objection is to attack America. I understand the idea that what he did was possibly treasonous. I understand the idea that he lost his right to be a citizen when he declared his allegance to Al-Qaeda. I understand that he represented an “imminent threat” to the US. The problem with all of these things is that the Constitution doesn’t guarantee citizen’s rights unless they go abroad and join a criminal organization. Losing citizenship is very hard. A person needs to fill out paperwork and pass three “are you really really sure” tests to rescind their citizenship. The government, so far as I can tell and upheld by Afroyim v Rusk (this would be considered legal research if I was smart enough to be a lawyer), has no ability to strip citizenship without the assent of the citizen. In Vance v Terrazas, the Supreme Court ruled that conduct can represent assent, but then one wonders how exactly swearing allegiance to either a) a criminal organization or b) a religion can supercede citizenship. As much as we like to pretend it is, Al-Qaeda isn’t a State. It’s purposely very hard to strip an individual’s citizenship. This is for the same reason that treason is the only crime whose definition, limitation of punishment, and standard of proof is explicitly defined in the Constitution. It was to prevent the State from instituting England’s then-definition of treason which was, roughly, “whatever the King decided it was that day.” It was also to prevent England’s method of declaring someone Stateless which was, again, “when the King didn’t like him anymore.”

It is unfortunate the Republicans have wrapped themselves in the view that any questioning of War On Terror ™ tactics makes one an unamerican terror sympathizer because this should be an impeachable offense. Isn’t what the Obama Administration did was to declare a citizen an enemy of the state and sentence him to death? They said he was an imminent threat, conducted a black box review, and placed him on a list. Then they found where he was and executed him. How is that OK? In any sense of what it means to have the protections of being an American citizen, how is that OK? John Hinckley shot Ronald Reagan on live television in front of hundreds of witnesses and got a trial. The Navy SEALs were dispatched to Pakistan — not even a member of the UN like Yemen — to attempt to capture Osama Bin Laden. Al-Awlaki, a citizen of the US, got a missile in the face. Satisfying, yes. Icky? Kinda.

None of this is meant to be a defense for Al-Awlaki. It’s just to express a resigned disappointment in the most authoritarian step a president has ever taken in my lifetime. In the last ten years, we’ve seen the left complain constantly about Bush’s actions in the War On Terror ™. Thus far, only Ron Paul has expressed any kind of problem with it and I don’t really expect that to change. We’ve now created the precedent, in painful spite of one of the reasons (For depriving us in many cases, of the benefit of Trial by Jury) we’re a country in the first place, that a citizen can be placed on a kill list as long as he’s 1) really bad, 2) hard to catch, 3) belongs to an organization we’ve deemed terrorists and 4) has access to the Internet. He wasn’t tried for anything. He wasn’t convicted of anything. He was just killed by the US Government. Democrats who excoriated Bush for violating citizens’ rights with the Patriot Act have been silent in this (with Bill Maher actually cheering it while claiming treason is punishable death… which it may be… if you’re charged and convicted of treason) which means, I guess, that the president ordering murder on a citizen is OK if the guy in office is your guy but a president ordering spying (which is significantly less than murder) on a citizen is not OK if he’s on the other team. Awesome.

Al-Awlaki’s father brought suit against the government once claiming placing his son on a government-sanctioned hit list violated his son’s Fifth Amendment right to due process before being deprived of life, liberty, or property. The judge in that case ruled Al-Awlaki’s father did not have the standing to bring this action for his adult son. I hope, now that Al-Awlaki’s dead, his father brings a wrongful death suit against the government, I hope he doesn’t take a financial settlement to go away, and for the sake of the Constitution of the United States I hope he wins. The world won’t miss Anwar Al-Awlaki, but Americans might, at some point, miss the Fifth Amendment.

SU: 12-4 (31-17)
ATS: 9-7 (23-25)

Sunday

Lions +3 at Cowboys: This was the last pick dropped as part of the Pick 4 this week. Every single part of me says that Dallas has no answer for Calvin Johnson and it seems extremely likely that Suh will actually rip one of Tony Romo’s ribs out of his chest and BBQ it for a halftime snack. But I just envisioned myself sitting there in the midst of a 45-10 Dallas blowout seething in rage and feeling like an idiot for buying in to the Lions. However, for this, I’m buying in to the Lions. Lions outright

Saints -7.5 at Jaguars: Tom: My concern with NO is that they haven’t yet proven their defense can stop an NFL offense. Hulse: Good news. They’re not facing an NFL offense. They are facing the Jacksonville Jaguars. Saints cover*

Niners +5.5 at Eagles: The Giants finally ending their losing streak last week was tremendously satisfying. Listening to Vick whine about the beating he took was extra satisfying. In his slight defense, I was stunned Chris Canty didn’t draw a roughing call on the hit Sportscenter chose to replay for 72 straight hours. This line should be nine. It probably would have been if Vick was definitely playing. Eagles cover

Redskins +2 at Rams: This is a weird line. The Rams have been outscored like 100-20 in the last 3 weeks and they’re favored against an NFC east whose QB is good in every situation that isn’t “driving for a late score.” Why should this game even come down to a late score? Redskins outright

Titans +1.5 at Browns: If Chris Johnson doesn’t break out here, he’s probably not going to break out this season. He might get 75% of the plays. Titans outright

Bills -3 at Bengals: I’ve made a rule this year that I’m not going to fall in to gambler’s fallacies like “Let Down Game” and “Trap Game.” This game will be the test… this veritably SCREAMS huge let down game for the Bills. There is literally no other reason the Bills should in any way lose this game given the last three weeks. Bills cover

Vikings -1 at Chiefs: I have a feeling this will be Adrian Peterson’s big break out week. Or, I’m just really hoping it is as I’m 0-3, just traded for him, and really want a win. Vikings cover

Panthers +6 at Bears: This is the Pick 4 pick that I’ve done nothing but overthink since it was locked in. Like, Carolina has no pass rush… Jay Cutler picks teams apart who have no pass rush… Bears are home… Cam Newton is facing his first “good” defense. Boy, I can’t wait to be mad tomorrow. Bears cover*

Steelers +2 at Texans: For some insane reason, this is our 1:00 game tomorrow. I would rather we get the Bills. I think this Texans nonsense comes crashing of the rails this weekend. Steelers outright

Falcons -4.5 at Seahawks: I see the Falcons have become this year’s team that I’ll never choose correctly. Seahawks +4.5

Giants -2.5 at Cardinals: A win over a quarterback making his first NFL start followed by two straight losses make the Cardinals a 2.5 point favorite against the Giants, who will feature Osi for the first game this season? Yes, please. Giants cover*

Dolphins +8.5 at Chargers: Logically nothing says the Chargers shouldn’t annihilate the Dolphins. Logic seems to have nothing to do with the Chargers in the first quarter of the season and the Dolphins on the road, however. Dolphins +8.5

Broncos +13 at Packers: The Pack hasn’t really been good at covering this year. I smell garbage time cover. Or Packers’ smashing the crap out them. Either one, really. Broncos +13

Patriots -5.5 at Raiders: Oh Oakland……… Oh poor Oakland. Patriots cover

Jets +3.5 at Ravens: Love this line. And by love, I mean I love the extra half-point. Jets +3.5

Monday

Colts +9.5 at Bucs: Boy, the Colts aren’t a whole lot of fun to watch without Peyton Manning, are they? This is why the Monday Night Football package seems like a terrible investment… which I guess is why they reupped until like 2020 so what do I know. Colts +9.5

Pick 4

Last Week: 1-3 (6-6)

Eagles -6.5 over Niners
Giants -1.5 over Arizona
Bears -6.5 over Panthers
Saints -7.5 over Jaguars

SU: 11-5 (19-13)
ATS: 8-8 (14-18)

Sunday

Niners +1.5 at Bengals: I still don’t buy the Bengals at all, but are the Niners really a road dog that I want to take? Bengals cover

Patriots -9 at Bills: The yearly rule of “pick the Patriots to cover until they don’t” applies here. It’s worked the last few years. I’m not super-confident about it here but going with it anyway. Patriots cover

Texans +4 at Saints: Not. A. Chance. Saints cover

Giants +7.5 at Eagles: Speaking of rules, the NFC East “never pick an NFC East game with more than 3 points unless you’re really really sure” is getting tested pretty hard in this young season. The Giants are in trouble. However, this game is likely closer than everyone thinks. The Eagles DBs are not to be messed with. Their LBs… not so dominant. The Giants have two good running backs that should be able to wear down an already not that great core of linebackers and turning this in to the kind of boring, grind it out game that makes for bad TV and keeps Vick and that offense on the sidelines. That’s pretty much all the Giants have… and everyone knows it. Giants +7.5

Dolphins +3 at Browns: I appear to be the only person on the planet who doesn’t believe the Dolphins are as bad as they’ve played. However, when even Dolphins fans are telling you to move on, maybe it’s time to move on. Browns cover

Broncos +5.5 at Titans: At different points this year, I’ve said “they might not win 3 games this year” about both of these teams. Smells like too many points. Broncos +5.5

Lions -3.5 at Vikings: As it turns out, the reports or Donovan McNabb’s demise were……… pretty accurate, actually. While I expect there to be a game or two where the Lions just fall apart, they should torch the Vikings. Lions cover

Jaguars +3 at Panthers: While the league is scheduled to catch up with Cam Newton shortly, I don’t imagine the Jags will be the one to do it. Cam Newton finally picks up his first win here and I get an issue of SI next week with him on the cover. If I could parlay these two things occurring, I would. Panthers cover

Chiefs +14.5 at Chargers: This is the diciest Pick 4 selection of week 3. The Chargers are coming home after losing to the Patriots. This has all the trademarks of “Chargers open a can on a bad divisional opponent at home.” I shouldn’t be terrified but 3 score covers are always a dicey proposition. That’s why we shouldn’t have picked this. Chargers cover

Jets -3.5 at Raiders: The Jets being a road favorite here is concerning for no other reason than their line is already in shambles. Could the Raiders actually steal this game from the Jets? I think it’s possible. Raiders outright

Ravens -4 at Rams: Last week was a big let-down for both the Ravens and the Rams. After watching the Rams last week, I don’t know if you can fix that many mistakes in a week… especially with a good team staring down your barrel. Ravens cover

Falcons +1 at Bucs: Don’t understand this at all. Are people still that scared of week one? Were they afraid Matt Ryan wasn’t playing? Either way, this seems like a lay-up. Falcons outright

Cardinals -3 at Seahawks: I’m still pretty sure the Cardinals are terrible. The Seahawks aren’t much better but it’s should be really hard for a mediocre-to-bad to grab a win there — Tavaris Jackson or not. Seahawks outright

Packers -3.5 at Bears: Given what happened to Jay Cutler last week, it’s really tough to pick them against a moderately decent pass rush. The Bears defense, on the other hand, is good enough to bully a bad offense. The Pack doesn’t have a bad offense. Packers cover

Steelers -10.5 at Colts: This has all the makings of a backdoor cover but…. the corpse of Kerry Collins is going to get eaten by the Steelers. Also, if I ever use the sentence “Warren Sapp said” to justify a pick: punch me in the face. Steelers cover

Monday

Redskins +6 at Cowboys: NFC East rule applies here. Dallas is struggling in general and they struggle mightily in prime time. Rex Grossman with time is fine. Big score, close game. Redskins +6

Pick 4

Last Week: 2-2 (5-3)

Chargers -14.5 over Chiefs
Steelers -10.5 over Colts
Falcons +1.5 over Bucs
Saints -3.5 over Texans

I’m forgoing the “results” portion of the picks this year. Instead, I’m contributing to Pulse Sports This Week’s Thoughts And Commentary with Glazer (Aaron, not Jay), Rhett Davis, and Kyle Sparks. Of course, I didn’t exactly make many calls last week to be impressed by.

Sunday
Bears +7 at Saints: My first thought was that this spread is insanely high given last week’s results. The Bears defense shut down a decent offense while Saints destroyed a not very good defense. We want to give the Saints the benefit of the doubt given how good they’ve been the last couple of years. I think this spread indicates that and is at least 3 points higher than it should be. Bears +7

Chiefs +7.5 at Lions: We debated for quite some time taking this as a Pick 4 pick this week but ended up backing down simply because the Lions are known to let down everyone just when you think they have something… in New York, we call this Being The Jets. Ultimately, I don’t think the Lions are good enough and the Chiefs bad enough to support a 2-score spread. Chiefs +7.5

Jaguars +10 at Jets: Speaking of Being The Jets, I resisted this as a Pick 4 selection for much of the week, primarily because they’re the Jets. Unfortunately, the final picks settled on being either this, GB -10.5 on the road (blocked by a friend who’s convinced Vegas is going to make a fortune on people picking GB this wee), Minnesota (blocked by the other two), Bills -3.5 (entirely related to the Raiders schedule), or New England -5.5 (dicey). We settled on Luke McKeown on the road against a tough defense. Jets cover

Raiders +3.5 at Bills: While I like to somewhat dismiss things not really related to actually football talent, playing late Monday night and then turning around and playing on the East Coast 6 days later is a lot to ask. However, the Raiders look barely north of awful and the Bills looked a little too good, but still enough to hold a home game against what should be a kind of exhausted team. Bills cover

Cardinals +4 at Redskins: Rex Grossman looked a little too good last week against a fourth string secondary and a second string line. Even still, they should have barely won if not for 1) a tipped interception that went for a touchdown and 2) a phenominally stupid personal foul by Antrelle Rolle. Of course, the Redskins are going to look a little TOO good against a bad Arizona defense leading to what will probably a week of “Don’t forget Rex Grossman took a team to a Super Bowl” storylines. Redskins cover

Ravens -5.5 at Titans: Defense travels? Yep, defense travels. Ravens cover

Seahawks -14 at Steelers: Warren Sapp of all people dialed me back on the Pittsburgh pick. He said the Steelers defense and receivers got old out of nowhere and once that happens it doesn’t fix itself in the same season. Home or not, he said anyone can cover Hines Ward now and trickery to cover age only works for so long. Upset brewing? Seahawks +14

Packers -10.5 at Panthers: This pick being blocked in Pick 4 was more for reasons that we’re expecting two garbage time scores by Cam Newton, followed by a preening Rush Limbaugh claiming victory. Panthers +10.5

Bucs +3 at Vikings: I wanted this as the fourth Pick 4 selection. The Lions rushed for 100 yards against the Bucs last week. AP should blow that out of the water and have the type of day that ruins fantasy leagues. Vikings cover

Browns -2.5 at Colts: The Browns ruined Pick 4 last week and, I’m certain, many people’s knockout leagues. I’ll give it one more week before deciding Kerry Collins can’t run that offense. Colts outright

Cowboys -3 at Niners: It’s good to see last year’s trend of people handing games to the Jets is continuing this year. The Niners are a mediocre team and nobody is better at beating up mediocre teams than Dallas. Though I’m not sure what it’s finally going to take for people to admit that maybe, just maybe, Tony Romo isn’t cut out for high stress situations. Cowboys cover

Texans -3 at Dolphins: It’s fourth and goal from the 1. You have Reggie Bush in the backfield who’s been running all over the Patriots all day. And you throw a fade? Really? That and the ensuing 99 yard touchdown demoralized the Dolphins to the point they barely played a down the rest of the game. I think the fact this is only 3 points tell you, mostly, what Vegas thinks of the Texans. Nothing yet. Dolphins outright

Chargers +6.5 at Patriots: My yearly strategy remains “pick the Pats to cover until they don’t.” Patriots cover

Bengals +6 at Broncos: The Broncos won an ugly, ugly game on Monday night. Could the Bengals possibly be a mass Ewing Theory candidate? Stay tuned. Bengals +6

Eagles -2 at Falcons: People can’t get off the Falcons bandwagon fast enough. I’m taking them because F*ck The Eagles. Falcons outright

Monday

Rams +6 at Giants: I’m not hitting the panic button on the Giants season quite yet… but if the Rams – Stephen Jackson beat them, I’ll open the glass cover. Giants Cover

Pick 4

Last Week: 3-1.
NYJ -10.5 over JAX
BAL -5.5 over TEN
DAL -3.5 over SF
NYG -6.5 over STL

Day 1 (Thursday, 7/28/11)
Dublin
9:30 AM: The flight to Dublin is way, way shorter than I expected. It was 5 hours and 15 minutes arrived a half-hour early. Dublin has an airport express shuttle that goes right through the city and, really, I should have taken it. It stopped directly in front of the hotel. Unfortunately, I didn’t discover that until the day before and didn’t research enough. So I decided to take a cab. How bad can it be?

9:45 AM: Like London, cab drivers are friendly and the hotel is forever from the airport. In what turned out to be standard this week, the cab driver and I end up talking a lot about New York. Nearly all the Irish people I spoke with had family who’d emigrated to New York State. This made “New York” a pretty handy in with most people. He also told me that his wife likes to travel once a year to New York to shop since it’s so much cheaper here without VAT and the fact 1 Euro = 1.5 USD. America, F*ck Yeah!

10:30 AM: 40 Euro later I arrive at the hotel. We found the hotel on Jetsetter which is rapidly becoming one of our favorite websites for travel stuff. In what would become a theme this week, the hotel was amazingly accommodating with early check-in and late check-out. They let me check-in a full three hours early. The continental breakfast included a bowl of cereal, croissant, fruit salad, coffee, and toast for 6 Euro.

11:00 AM: The room is pretty large with a gigantic bed, a 48-inch widescreen TV, and a fireplace. Love it. I stare longingly at the bed but really don’t want to sleep. I have to kill 6 hours before PLR arrives from India. The choices are 1) pub 2) walk. I go with 2.

11:15 AM: I walk toward the center of Dublin and find out a couple of things rather quickly. First, the hotel is pretty far from the city center, so I’m walking a long way while drunkenly tired. Second, Dublin, much like Boston, tends to change the name of their streets every block. Unlike Boston, though, there are no street signs. Like seriously none. Every once in a while on a corner there’s a sign embedded in to a building. Otherwise, it’s really tough to figure out where you’re going. Third, if I’m not careful, I’m going to wind up hopelessly…

12:00 PM: Lost. At some point I confused St. Stephen’s Green and Merion Square Park while walking around. I have no idea where I am so I wander in random directions. I am, surprisingly, saved by my iPhone’s compass.

12:30 PM: I give up on being lost long enough to find a pub. It’s still not beer time, but it is burger with Irish cheddar time.

1:15 PM: Walking Southeast. I finally come across a canal I definitely crossed earlier… just a little further down it. It occurs to me I should have walked to the coastline as I had less a chance of getting lost and more a chance of finding good seafood.

2:30 PM: After walking semi-aimlessly for 2 hours, I get back to the Hotel. Another two hours until PLR gets in from India. I guess I could shower and then read for a…..

5:30 PM: I wake up to someone trying to get in the room as the porter is trying to lug PLR’s absurdly oversized suitcase in to the room. We have a small reunion before PLR goes to wash off India.

8:00 PM: NOW it’s time to go to a pub. We find McCloskey’s a block away from from the hotel. It is…. wonderful. For the first two hours we are the youngest folks in there by 30 years. Then a couple groups 10 years younger come in and both groups appear to know each other. Fish and Chips and Guinness is the meal of choice. I can’t state enough how much I love pubs. Nobody’s really “too old” or “too young” to be there, you can go in there with a laptop or a newspaper and just sit and read, the television is turned off when there’s nothing on it, and there doesn’t need to be music at “shout over” volume.

12:30 AM: Head back. Neither of us have slept in about 30 hours and our romantic reunion is cut short by copious amounts of snoring. Paris it ain’t.

Day 2 (Friday, 7/29/2011)
Dublin
8:00 AM: I wake up at the crack of dawn (for me) and shower. We head down for breakfast and dominate another version of the continental breakfast. It’s such a lovely morning we decide to………. head back upstairs because PLR is still tired.

9:30 AM: I’m feeling relatively awake so I………. join PLR in her jetlag hangover nap.

2:30 PM: While I’d like to say that those five hours weren’t wasted, they were totally wasted. We decide to try and make the Guinness Brewery today. What I presumed was the brewery turned out to be Guinness Storehouse as Ireland (or Dublin) has health laws that disallow brewery tours. I convince PLR to walk. She agrees but I know I’m probably in for trouble as the walk is not short.

3:00 PM: PLR starts getting annoyed with the walk.

3:15 PM: PLR starts getting really annoyed with the walk.

3:30 PM: I may be murdered abroad soon.

3:45 PM: We arrive! The storehouse is more of museum of the brewing process than anything else which is… fine, I guess. Best suggestion if you go: buy your tickets online. The ticket area has about a dozen kiosks to pick up pre-purchased tickets and two long “buy tickets now line” staffed by cashiers dealing with language barriers.

4:15 PM: The storehouse includes either a pint in the “Pour Your Own Guinness” area or a pint in the Storehouse’s Gravity Bar. I chose (obviously) to pour my own pint. Our group included a group of about 10 Italian kids who looked barely out of high school. I poured my own Guinness and got a certificate stating I passed the class, which gives me more Guinness-pouring skills than 89.3% of the bartenders in Manhattan.

4:18 PM: Pam tries Guinness and……….. appears to like it?

4:25 PM: Reasons Ireland rules. Guinness Storehouse: Conference Center.

4:30 PM: PLR and I are sitting enjoying our Guinness when one of the Italian tourist kids comes over and asks me to take a picture. I stand up and, instead of a camera, he hands me the translator thing they hand non-English speakers at the door. This is apparently wildly funny in Italy. I toss it back, laugh, and ask if this is the best joke they have. They appear to not understand. Italy: Europe’s New Jersey.

5:00 PM: I buy a Guinness shirt. In Gaelic because, well, why not? Gaelic is an odd language. It’s always written in their specific Gaelic font, which makes it hard to read. It users our letters in odd arrangements. It sounds like someone speaking French backward.

5:30 PM: PLR and I grab a cab and ask to go to the “Temple Bar” district. He snorts and asks if we’re sure. He asks where we’re from, we tell him, and we immediately go in to “I love it and have family there mode.” He tells to skip Temple Bar as it’s silly, overrated, and that locals call it “Sodom and Begorrah”. I can’t stop laughing at that. He pulls over on the side of the road and tells us “Temple Bar’s on that side of the street. Up this side of the street, you’ll find better food and drinks about 2 Euro less.” Awesome. Seriously, the best advice I can offer an American traveling in Ireland is to be from New York.

6:00 PM: We wander around some streets looking at the number of people spilling out on to the street. Since they banned smoking in pubs, it appears the thing to do in the UK/Ireland is to take advantage of the six week summer by just taking beers outside. These are not plastic cups, either… but full (real 20 oz) pint glasses. I’m not sure how people get more beers because the bars are mobbed and I don’t see waitresses.

6:30 PM: We pick a restaurant out of the air. As we walk in, a woman appears to be eating a pot pie. This looks amazing.

6:45 PM: Sweet Lord. The special is a duck pot pie. The last time PLR and I had duck in a restaurant was DC and it led to a duckfat coma. Surely that won’t happen again with a meat pie baked in its own fat with extra pastry carbs?

7:30 PM: Gorging.

7:45 PM: Impending duckfat coma.

8:30 PM: Post dinner cocktails and tea go down. Does not avert impending coma.

8:45 PM: We get a cab back to the hotel and discover a new fun thing about Ireland. Giving the name of the street is not enough. One needs to know which version of the road they want as many neighborhoods have roads with the same name. This IS Boston which has like 25 Beacon Streets.

9:00 PM: PLR has achieved duckfat coma. I am not quite ready to go to bed so I go downstairs to the bar for a couple Guinnesses. She joins me for a drink and has a cider. I have 3. In my defense, the patio was open and I could sit outside.

11:00 PM: While I loved our hotel and everyone who worked there, I find it odd the owners decided to have a dance club in the basement that doesn’t open until 11 PM on Friday and Saturday. I suppose this is a good way to get people in rooms who don’t want to drive home, but it’s not the best for, you know, everyone else. The whole hotel has thrumming bass until 3 or 4 AM, at which point the clubbers spill out in to the street and do what drunk people do. Street noise hasn’t really bothered me since college but there are a many reasonable people who would have been furious.

Up Next: Dublin Part 2