Monday Morning Quarterback

Although it wasn't a complete disaster thanks to our solid afternoon and evening picks, we still need a KC cover tonight to keep our .500+ streak alive. And let me be the first to say, "F- You Rex Ryan." I didn't see the game, but what happened to his alleged mastery against rookie QBs? Give us Tebow, Hail Marys, Our Fathers, and Jesus F-ing Christ ASAP so we can cover some bets.

That being said - and it had to be said - if there's one thing we've learned in life it is that adversity, when embraced, is the greatest fortifier of all. Translation: Losing makes us better gamblers? Isn't that the best thing you've ever heard? Sounds ridiculous, but it's true. When in your life have you paused during a winning streak to truly analyze your success or say to yourself, "I should really take a moment to think about what I'm doing right?" Instead we cavalierly march on, taking for granted that we finally have everything figured out. Until a weekend like this one comes along. 

Please read on, this is as important as the Week 11 Picks ATS we hope to have to you by tomorrow. Here are some things we learned at The Spread Zone during our slightly bumpy weekend. 

#1. The Best Fans in the World

Every team in the NFL - with the exception of the Jacksonville Jaguars - declares unequivocally that they have the best fans in the world. After wins, players and management alike acknowledge they couldn't have done it without their "Twelfth Man." Pedestrian teams like the Seattle Seahawks (5-0 at home, 1-3 on the road) are playoff bound and credit the noise in their stadium for disrupting their competition enough to pull out wins, almost losses, and flat out steals (Green Bay). The reasons NFL teams cite their 77-56 SU dominance at home: their fans, the best fans in the league. 

                             

This weekend, however, proved to the rest of the cyber-world that The Spread Zone is the team with the best fans in not only the NFL, but as Maurice Sendak would say, "the world all around." Thank you faithful followers and supporters for your kind words, your encouragement, and all the coffee.

Coffee Thank You's: Generous donations by Mysterio, John, and an anonymous source I would love to give credit to kept Marco and I caffeinated in anticipation of the gambling rush that is Sunday/Mondays.

Welcomes: We have new followers, but still a hearty welcome to Beers n Brats for Breakfast, WannaBBallers, Davez, and the return of OGA - that's the Original Anonymous. 

As Mysterio put it, "Everyone has a bad week boys, keep your chins up! Now comes your toughest challenge yet.....bouncing back. I've already looked at next week and it's not getting any easier."

#2 Sometimes a Tie Makes You a Better Gambler

Yesterday Jimmy the Weasel took me to the Niners-Rams game at old Candlestick Park. We drove down the night before, got to the park early on Sunday, enjoyed the festive tailgating, then witnessed an historic NFL event - A freakin' tie. During those four hours of entertaining football, roller coaster emotions, and frenzied atmosphere something very interesting happened. Although I walked into the stadium a Forty Niner fan, I walked out a better gambler. 

Jimmy the Weasel is a Rams fan and his team started strong yesterday jumping out to a 14-0 lead. Idiotic Forty Niner fans started equally strong, criticizing play calls and declaring their psychic prowess when the Niners would fall short of a first down. "See I told your that wouldn't work." They were loud, drunk, and obnoxious, which I know is par for the course, bu they were also really, really stupid. "Put Colin Kaepernick in," one of them shouted, and by the second quarter their wish was granted thanks to an Alex Smith concussion. 

The game was ho-hum until the second half when things got interesting - like the idiotic fans behind me saying things they just didn't think about first. With the Niners driving in the Red Zone, Vernon Davis was flanked right, and one of the belligerent fans stood up and yelled, "Yeah baby, give me some V.D. in the end zone." I almost sprayed my beverage over the woman in front of me - which she might not have noticed because she had a giant beehive hairdo obscuring my view. 

                             

If you saw the game you know how it ended, but what you might not know if you haven't attended an NFL tie is how confused and subdued Americans get when a game ends with this result. The one who desired V.D. in his end zone said, "What? No double OT? But in college..." Another naively said, "What? A fucking tie? This isn't college football." There were no bragging rights, no screaming fans yelling, "Yeah mother fuckers, we tied your ass," just confusion and a complete lack of closure. As we were herded out with the masses, Jimmy and I decided to fuel the fires by yelling loudly, "What is this European Soccer?" and "There are no ties in America." 

Ultimately I left Candlestick with little respect for my fellow Forty Niner fans along with the certainty that I would have felt the same way at every other stadium across the country. As a result, this diminished loyalty to any team in the NFL will ultimately make me - and Marco who has no allegiances - stronger gamblers. 

Just wait. You'll see...

Thanks for all your support, everyone. Coffee donations are awesome - top right of the page if you want to contribute to the cause - comments are better, and followers are the best. Marco and I are going to discuss getting some fan participation into The Spread Zone now that we have such intelligent and loyal NFL fans, so put on your Handicapping Hats and get ready to be published writers. 

See you tomorrow,

Vinny and Marco