Follow the Bouncing Ball

The man is sweet nothing-ing his hound right now while I gaze lovingly at my rebound ‘1’.

It appears that the only game I would even start to touch begins near 3:05pm. The zillion other games preceding that time all involve divination, tricks and eye of chinchilla. We’ve got some who will make 3 pointers more than who will hop on their big toe whilst reciting “The Itsy Bitsy Spider”. We’ve got some wired jaw taco eating contests, and who will win by 2+ goals while churning butter. I hate these and I’m not good at them. Hence, a good and unsportsman-like reason as to why I don’t like them.

So I took a chance because I really didn’t want to wait until 3pm to make a pick.

This is where the Grasshopper learns about patience. I chose that Xavier would win by double digits. Because 97.7% of folks also thought so. Baaaaaaaaaaaa. I copied. And this is where the Grasshopper learns that impatience is the mudslide to losing the building block of a streak.

Ok so I lost that one to a differential of 8 points…single digits. I’ve got a single digit for ya.

I’m going to check out the double Wisconsin game. Green Bay Phoenix vs the Milwaukee Panthers. Neither of them are really getting any excitement out of me but I want to belong in the world of cyber gambling! I decided eventually to go with the Milwaukee Panthers since they won their last three games, and they’re home. Actually, that’s sort of a fib. I decided to choose them when I thought they were on the road. The home thing was a plus. The and preview tab is sponsored today by Mysteries. Because they leave you wondering with no clues. We are Sans Preview report today.

****Post Game****

Hells Yay! A One!

Next I’m looking at a tough choice. Mississippi Rebels are playing @ Arkansas Razorbacks. I checked for a preview (none), the home/road stats, the stats for the season against other teams and the basic rebound/assists/field goat pct/PPG stats. The thing that finally helped me sway in one direction or another was that last choice. It appears that the Rebels have better standings. That and only 3.6% of Streakers chose them. Deal sealed. I still have 8 minutes Dougie Fresh, to change my mind. Mah mah Mind, mind.

****Post Game****

A number of beers later I am grateful that I am 100 lbs with good cholesterol. And happy to say that I’ve gotten myself into that elite club known as 3.8%. I chose Mississippi and there it is…they won. I learned how to spell Mississippi as a child through one of those Bouncing Ball cartoons that were on after school. I’ve tried googling it for this post but like a win for me in the soccer games…it is elusive.

So for the next game I noticed the Chicago Bulls are playing at the Golden State Warriors. This one is pretty excorcist ugly to me because 1% only, chose GSW. Do you realize how tempting it is to be a part of that 1%? I loves me a minority! But after looking, I decide to go with the Bulls. I know everyone’s got something to lose, but the Bulls have a winning streak of 6. I figure they want to protect that. So with that incredibly Un-Savvy methodology, I’m off to hopefully win a game, finish this Erdinger and coax a honey into exposing his best birthday suit.

Be Merry and Streak!

Hope everyone was imbibed with the best of the best yesterday for Christmas! The best hard liquor, the best wine, the best chocolate, hot dinner, and memories.

As you might know, Streak for the Cash yesterday was a bunch of Sports Fan choices, i.e. leaving young Grammy out of the cerebral loop. My game plan was left to the die hard methods of Flip a Coin, copy the majority, copy the mate or take a look at the photos of the opposing two men (in questions such as who will score more points in the nth quarter on the moon during the 11th hour while balancing a tray of twinkies on their third eye?) and see in the first few seconds, which one appeared to look like the winner. Is he sorta edgy looking? Will a edgy face score more than a smile that a grandma can love?

My first pick of the game was at noon right before leaving the house to go a-visiting. The dilemma was the Chicago Bulls Derrick Rose vs NY Knicks Amare Stoudemire blah blah blah. That was my problem. Right there I saw Stoudemire’s name and due to consistent name dropping by TV and the mate, immediately checked it off. If I had been hanging from a cliff, I’d have checked it off as a sure bet. And immediately would have plunged to my demise. First pick of the day was incorrect.

My mother has a record breaking slow computer. We figured it would take us at least 20 minutes each to check a box. Thankfully that wasn’t the case. Another Bulls @ Knicks pick - will a 3 pt basket be made in last 2 min of 2nd quarter? In my inexperienced young grammy brain, I figured yeah, of course it will be! I might as well have been drunk by now….another wrong pick.

By this time I was safely sure that neither mate nor I (we’d chosen exactly the same for both losing picks) were going to win the special Christmas Day streak for $10K. Ok, time to work on just having a good month then. And luckily, I went with the minority school of thought for the next game.

I finally must have brushed against a 4 leaf clover field on my way out of mom’s house because I did guess (and I use that term whole heartedly) correctly that Celtics’ combo Allen & Pierce would score more 3 quarter points than Magic’s superhero duo of Howard & Nelson. I’d love to say that I was drunk because I don’t really remember thinking about that pick but I’m going to have to go with the fact that the majority chose it and that’s probably what I did. A losing streak of 2 will break you down to desperate measures.

My next pick at 6:46pm was my favorite. Who will score more points in the 2nd half of the Miami Heat vs LA Lakers game – LeBron James or Kobe Bryant? I had to go with LeBron. After all, if he’s good enough to be mentioned in the High School Musical movies, he’s good enough for my streaking habit. I’ve HEARD things about Kobe Bryant. But I went with the 35.4% minority that was LeBron James and DINGDINGDING! Thanks for the love, LeBron.

This game is like a yo-yo diet though. I ended up gorging at the 10:47pm table. Would Aldridge of the Portland Blazers score more points in the 1st quarter than M. Ellis of Golden State Warriors? I’m starting to have that forgiving type relationship with GS. They’ve helped me gain, they’ve helped me purge the evil ascension of numbers. I took them. I don’t hate them yet. Plus I like their blue and yellow circular logo….I can find them easily on everyone’s play schedules. It’s just so Fisher Price. They did cause me to purge however – even with me checking the PPG statuses. I don’t hate them just yet. I think we can still carry on a bit.

And why is that? How can I still picture GS and I still holding hands in the field dancing in a slow motion maniacal blue circle? Because I chose them again in my last pick of the night….oh wait. I lie. I shouted over to mate from the fireplace at that point as I read a book. “I’ll have what you’re having!” So really I just got tired of being cold and wouldn't leave the blazing logs. Being lazy is how I won. I really am going to order those waistband jean pajamas. The grounds for thinking that a 3 point basket would be made in the last 2 minutes of the second quarter? I think for the most part if there is ever a 3 point question, we’re always going to choose yes. I’m no expert but who isn’t going to try for a 3 pointer?

Having a streak of the most basic building blocks – One – is nice. But gets boring. Tired of eating at this diner on a daily basis. I do love the fancy dishes and hot drinks that the 13’s and 14’s offered me once. But alas, I will change that. I WILL pass THROUGH 13 and 14 to gain a bigger streak next month! You’ll see! You’ll ALL SEE!

Drop That Zero and Get Me a Hero (with cheese and onions please)

Getting ready to pick since I know time is approaching. I don’t even need to look at the clock. The BrewBot commercial is played like clockwork, every few moments. In fact I think we should get rid of the clock altogether and base time frames on the presence or absence of BrewBot commercials.

I’m rolling out of bed, entangled in last night’s Zero. That’s 3 bad picks in a row. What will my new grandchild think? I’ve got to build a reputation to keep!

This is one of those days where soccer is as good as choosing nothing at all. Kavala is cleating up turf at Atromitos Athens for the 5th round in the Greek Cup. I am tempted to choose the Win or Draw option. I’ve never seen so many artists in sports with all the drawing they do in soccer.

My shameful losing streak is currently wearing the skimpiest of fig leaves and trying to dash behind a dandelion for coverup. Prematurely, I’ve check off Kavala because they come with a Draw Prenup. I like. However, yesterday I had my arse handed to me courtesy of Everton, who I thought would do anything but win. When I attempt to check Kavala’s website, I forget the possibility of it not being in a language that I can even attempt to pronounce. I observe the shapes that are Greek words, make a mild attempt to understand and then close the window.
Going to the Atromitos FC site and finding an English option, I see that they are #12 in a list that also places Kavala a few rungs up at #5. And unless I read that this is the list of biggest losers, I have to assume that Kavala might have a better current standing. Keeping the pick and ecstatic that I am not placing a 14 streak on this game. Blech. Soccer.

***Post Game***
I’m getting rather comfortable with these bland red bars on my ESPN page. The zero stares back at me pleadingly, like a homeless animal on my doorstep. It doesn’t have anywhere to go. I explain to it that ESPN has thousands of awesome homes to visit and that we need a little space from each other.

Sigh. It’s hard to break up with a Stalker.

For the next game I figured that to go along with the whole holiday season mentality, I would choose for bygones to be bygones with Texas. For tonight only. The Dallas Mavericks will be at Orlando Magic. There are some stats that lean in Dallas’s direction, but really, I saw a number of teams that Dallas washed the floor with that Orlando didn’t and that factored in. Plus, I ‘m just already feeling the staleness of this losing streak and am going into desperation mode.

***Post Game***
I decided to get off the computer for a bit and be a mom. So I hung out with my 11 yr old and hid from the scoreboard of this one. A watched pot doesn’t boil and Texas knows how undedicated I am. I left the room with the score tie. When I got back after watching a few moments of A Christmas Story while a Poofy White Cat kneaded the white off my skin, I found that Texas and I….we’d made a backroom deal. Texas is now the date that I get down and dirty with only to snub him in public when the game is over. He’s the Embarrassing Hook Up When You’re Desperate guy. But tonight I would totally hold hands in a public movie theatre.
That being done, I was gifted a brand spanking new (after 4 losses) “1”.

My last game for tonight is the Golden State Warriors in the home of the Sacramento Kings. Cough…cough. I don’t know how forgiving I’m feeling after last night’s egg with the Warriors. After looking at both sets of stats and realizing that all the red ‘L’s on each’s scoreboard could be joined from here to Jupiter, I decided to give Golden State a call back. Let’s try again. Maybe the lunar eclipse had spooked them last night.

Hey! My game starts in 6 minutes! Time to go start a hot bath and birth some Hope!

No One Wants to be Number Two

Well to avoid a cliffhanger from yesterday, I’ll mention first that the Colorado Avalanche done me good last night. I went to bed with a “2” for my streak.

Thankfully today there aren’t any games until 3pm. I’m at work and I’m buried in virtual papers. Since we’re speaking virtual, let’s say there is a Redwood forest that multiplied like rabbits. Then turned into sheets of paper. You’ll find me under there.

It’s getting close…only an hour to go and I have not researched a thing yet.

Damn job. What a joykill.

I see soccer. AH! My eyes!!!! No!!

But if I want to stretch my steak sooner than 7pm (note the positivity of the streak INCREASING in this sentence) then soccer game it might have to be. This is the sick cycle of addiction on a pretty regular basis. Either Addiction or else it is the desperate BC that awaits The Call. If I’m doing pretty well, I usually won’t touch soccer. If I’m desperate to streak higher, I’ll tuck my tail down and drunk dial a soccer game.

Today we have Manchester City at home, entertaining for tea and crushed bones, Everton.
Since I’m at work, my research is going to be a bit shoddy. When I’m home I can tie up my mate and child until I have made a clear choice. Here…well, subjected to the rules of Podville. In a flash, I’ve noticed my hand comfortably taking the mouse and clicking HOME – MANCHESTER CITY. AH! Why?! It was so automatic! It was a smooth criminal, right under my very eyes.

Everton appears to draw nicely when having play dates in other fields. They also have lost pretty nicely here and there. That’s my first thought. Manchester City draws or wins pretty regularly. A draw today isn’t going to help me do anything except suck a zero again after yesterday’s Texan Cowpie Party at Tennessee.

One other thing I noticed….in scanning the news for Everton I saw the word ‘negativity’ and a phrase that read “the team have to focus on their own troubles”. Um…..coupled with Carlos “10 Goals so Far” Teves’ change of heart to stop trying to scratch and claw his way out of Manchester City’s box, I think I’ll choose Manchester City.

***Post Game – Peeeee You. Is that the scent of my last pick? Before I put on this shade of Loser Lipstick and pucker up for the Zero Suck, I’ve found about 20 minutes until the next game starts so time to research. I’ve got my eyes on the Illinois State Redbirds vs hometeam NC-Wilmington Seahawks. About 10% have sided with NC and after checking out stats, I don’t see that they’d lie down like speed-bumps and take an easy loss. They’ve won every home game and the Redbirds scorechart for the only Away play has been brought to you by the letter L.

Let’s hope they find my “1” walking close by and that it doesn’t get too far down the road!

***Post Game – Just when I thought I was at the Earth’s Core of all Stank. Try again. My mate had chosen the same game, for all kinds of Guy Reasons. Apparently with all our fabulous reasoning, we forgot about the Lose by 2 Points factor. Applying lip liner to go with the lipstick now. Sucking a lemon before doing a Zero Shot. My precious Starter 1 needs Cialis in order to stand tall.

Can I get rid of these two Red bars of Shame on my pick page?

Houston Rockets vs the Golden State Warriors. We already know how I feel about Houston. I’m so beyond caring today now with a double ZE-ROW that I might chose against Houston without even doing the research. Because clearly, research makes my butt look big.

Well guess what. Warriors…..come out and Playyyyyyyyyyyyy! And play well! I’m so done with Texas. For today anyway. Just like soccer. It seems the GS Warriors have lost one, won one to the Rockets. The winning game was home and tonight they’ll be on their own turf again for a 3rd match up.

Til tomorrow! I’m dreaming….of a buff #1.