NFL 2013-14 TSZ Wrap: With a Bang and a Whimper

 

If you like this logo, then you'll love Navin Designs. Please scroll down for more information about this awesome graphic design company and the less awesome, iron-on t-shirts I'll be making with their wonderful art work. For the moment, however, here's the final chapter of our second NFL season together. 

With four days down and one hundred seventy-seven to go until the next kick-off, it's time for a Season 2 Wrap/Rap from The Spread Zone. To be Frank...well, then I'd have to change my name (don't think about it too much), but to be honest it has been bitter sweet having more time in my evenings these past few weeks to learn about college basketball, the NBA, and all the other subsidiary sports while the football season wound down. I know there are many of you who completely tune out sports and gambling for the next five months, but that dear friends is a moderation I will never enjoy. 

In fact, my love of sports (and now gambling) runs so deep it quells - nay, extinguishes - my fear of growing old and dying, knowing that those latter years truly will be golden because there will be little to nothing getting between me and my sports fanaticism. Think about it - I'll be retired, my daughter will off in the world making a life for herself, my wife can have a younger, more interesting man if she needs one, and I will be blissfully playing the part of a forgetful, useless, old fart whose anger management issues are only medicated by the soothing sounds of sports analysis. 

There was a time, however, during Weeks 1 through 8 where I was not only contemplating retirement from the embarrassingly public world of sports handi-blogging, but also from the above fantasies about my real retirement. Thanks to the readers and fellow degenerate gamblers at TSZ, however, coupled with a deep-seated desire to win the $10/week I was losing to Psychic Granny C the first half of the season, Marco and I trudged through the muck and much like the Indian lotus flower burst into the second half of the season with a bang, and closed the year with enough momentum to carry us into a very exciting off-season of free agency - AKA I have no idea what I'll be doing with TSZ during the off-season and am open to suggestions. It was nice to finish the season on an 8-3 ATS playoff bang, even though the Super Bowl pretty much ended with a whimper - unless you love blowouts.

If you didn't get to see the Super Bowl or have somehow managed to miss the highlights that have been replaying ad nauseum, please enjoy this three minute recap brought to you by some people who might just love playing with Legos even more than I do and a first-hand description TSZ's own Texas Todd who was fortunate enough to attend Super Bowl XLVIII thanks to his cousin and Special Teams Coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks. 

Excerpts from Texas Todd's Super Experience

Dear Vinny,

Well the Superbowl was an amazing experience even if the Broncos didn’t show up. The intensity of the environment is like no other I have ever seen. I have been told that this was much different than other Super Bowls, and I believe I know why….

First of all, the weekend was great. New York City is such a unique place to visit and see, but there were tons of people so it was very hard to get around. My cousin threw a Superbowl party for the family Friday night so we did a lot of celebrating for the Seahawks, which was very hard for me to bite into but I did.

Second, The weather was perfect for football and the circumstances were perfect. They couldn’t have picked a better winter day in NY but they were lucky! They were lucky because it snowed 8 inches the following day—yes I was stuck in the airport for more than 24 hours. Sucked!!

Finally, the transportation was pitiful! If you can imagine this scene…50 ft wide hallway that is about 1000ft long jammed with people—shoulder to shoulder—not moving an inch for 45 minutes. That was the circumstance to ride the train and if you didn’t buy a bus ticket (sold out) you had to ride the train - no taxis, no cars, no nothing were allowed to drive to the stadium. Therefore, 35,000+ fans all showed up at the same time to ride the train. Rioting seemed close and inevitable, and eventually the state troopers made a good decision and let everyone go instead of checking security one person at a time. It was miserable!!

What it did, however, was create the high intensity which is the “why" I mentioned above. Stand in a line/group of people waiting to get to the Super Bowl when you can’t even see the stadium 5 hours before kickoff and hear people saying “we are not going to make the game” because the line is not going anywhere and you build up an anxiousness that is unmatched. After the train wait, we had to wait about another hour to get into the stadium.  That is right, the trip to the stadium was 3+ hours when in real time it should have only taken 20 minutes. That was the most horrible thing ever but the rest was awesome! Especially the beginning of the game because it was sooo intense!

An indicator that they had problems was confirmed when less than 30 minutes after the game ended they mandated “Everyone stay in the stadium. The congestion in the trains is too much right now. You will not be permitted to leave until further notice”. About an hour later they started to let some people leave. It was a nightmare and I can’t believe they've able to hide it.

Back to the game.  Truth is, the intensity was all Seattle needed to play their emotional style of football and was enough to make the nerves take over for the Broncos. That was obvious from the first snap. Embarrassing for sure, no matter what Peyton says.

My cousin told me at the party on Friday that my broncos were in trouble. He felt they were going to bust them up and he was right. Good for the Seahawks.Anyway, my phone died during the stand and wait stint we were in so I didn’t get any pictures that aren’t too personal or uninteresting so I can’t help finalize the TSZ wrap up for 2013-14 season. 

Stay in touch, Vinny.

Go Broncos!

Texas Todd

So there you have it - the 2013-14 NFL season has come to a close. Thank you all for making The Spread Zone's second season a success. I'll save our year end stats as a pitch for next year, but for now let me pass along heartfelt thank yous to all of the readers who stopped by once or stuck with us all season; to the participants of the Friday Five Contest for their consistency and follow-through; to the generous coffee donors for their contributions to the cause; and to the many and frequent e-mailers who kept us going through the hard times and shared in our joy when we finally righted the ship. Next season we will be returning the blog format at this address and will be resuming our simple life at vinnyandmarco@gmail.com. If you'd like to get in touch with us during the off-season, please do so at this old, warm, cozy address.

The TSZ Logo Back Story

One day I received an e-mail from one of our fellow readers/participants Navin from his graphic design company Navin Designs. Knowing I owe a few t-shirts to people and intrigued by the prospect of the world being spared of my artwork, I asked Navin if he would mind helping me out. Not only did he willingly accept my request, he sent me a Q & A survey to get an idea of what I was looking for, and had six mock-ups for me to choose from by the end of the week. To be honest, I liked them all and had a hard time narrowing down the choices. In return for his generosity, we are making Navin Designs the official sponsor of The Spread Zone until someone comes along and offers us a boatload of money - so basically forever. Thank you Navin. If you have any needs for graphic design, web design or development, branding, printing, online marketing, and more shoot Navin an e-mail at navindesigns@gmail.com and tell him Vinny and Marco sent you to a very special...smile. 

If you're interested in a shirt, send us an e-mail at: vinnyandmarco@gmail.com. I'll make a couple of short and long sleeve options to see what my cost is and I'll send an e-mail to interested parties. We might be looking at $15-$20 including shipping, but I'll let you know. The logos come with both the black background above and the white background below. 

Thank you Everyone,

Vinny and Marco

Tuesday Morning Quarterback: Superman Is Dead

Finally - Week 12 is over. In terms of football, with the exception of the Kansas City Chiefs/San Diego Chargers game, it was a very forgettable weekend. In terms of friendship and gambling, however, it was legend - wait for it - dary. Okay, maybe that's a slight exaggeration, but when Marco and I get together, which we hadn't done in months - it's a sports watching/gambling/Nintendo playing/burrito eating extravaganza. Although over the years we've had to add child rearing/attending to wife's feelings of neglect/and run stupid errand to get baby wipes to the extravaganza. But an extravaganza nonetheless.

The good news is, Marco and I have never had a losing weekend when we know we're getting together and that streak is alive and well with our 8-6 ATS record this past weekend along with 9-4-1 O/U record. The better news is we're also on a streak of post-visit winning weekends, and the best news of all is we haven't lost a Thanksgiving game since 2011 (3-0 last year - delicious). The courses look pretty winnable again this weekend, so stay tuned.

As for Week 12, although I listened to sports radio analysts on my drive home tout the Broncos-Patriots game as "another Manning/Brady classic," personally I thought it was an awful game that revealed the weaknesses of both teams. In fact, when I gave it more thought, I realized that we're in the midst of a season where there is no Super Team, that every horse in the playoff race has its Kryptonite. Let's take a quick look at what I'm talking about.

AFC Playoff Picture

Denver Broncos: It's cold in Denver in January. It's also cold in New England, Cincinnati, Kansas City, and so on. Unless the Broncos can somehow manipulate the AFC West standing so they get to visit the Chargers in the Wild Card, they're in trouble. Kryptonite: Peyton in cold weather.

New England Patriots: I'm a short, middle-aged, historically un-athletic hippie kid, and I'm pretty sure I could have gained 100 yards against their defense. Kryptonite: rush defense

Indianapolis Colts: Remember when Peyton Manning was injured and the Colts went from 13-3 to 2-14. Losing Reggie Wayne kind of feels like that. Kryptonite: Injuries to franchise players.

Cincinnati: The most unpredictable team in the race. The Bengals have an invisible ceiling, unlimited potential. Unfortunately, they also have - Kryptonite: The Cincinnati Bengals.

Kansas City Chiefs: The Chiefs are a balanced ball club with a lot of the right pieces. They strung together 9 wins in a row before losing the last 2. Unfortunately, the lost a couple of key pass rushers in the last game, which could be their Kryptonite, but I think it's: Andy Reid's history of not quite making it to the Super Bow. I know this is a stretch, which is why right now KC is my front-runner to represent the AFC if they can get healthy.

As for the 18 teams tied at 5-6, their Kryptonite/playoff future is much easier to describe with a picture:

NFC Playoff Picture

Seattle Seahawks: Great defense, productive offense, enthusiastic coach, huge margins of victory, tremendous home field advantage - this team has it all. Kryptonite: P.E.D. use and suspension. Losing Browner could mean losing the Super Bowl.

New Orleans Saints: Wow - the Saints are amazing...at home...with the temp set at 72 degrees...and no wind or real world elements. Kryptonite: playing on the road.

Detroit Lions: Another team I can't figure out. They were basically handed the NFC North and they've said no thank you as we approach the one-year anniversary of Coach Schwartz's historic Challenge 

Flag Incident. Kryptonite: Water seeking its own level. That means they play up or down to other team's levels which, if they make the playoffs, could be useful. Getting there is another story. Their other Kryptonite is Aaron Rodgers getting healthy.

Dallas Cowboys: Well, the 'Boys finally won an important game, now let's see if they can reproduce that in December when it really counts. Kryptonite: 5 weeks left in the season.

Carolina Panthers: This team looks amazing. They find ways to win close games, they play amazing defense, and they have a QB who is finally coming into his own. I don't see a glaring flaw in this team except...Kryptonite: playoff inexperience.

San Francisco Forty Niners: Their defense might be even better than last year, but their offense struggles at times and Colin Kaepernick appears to be going through a bit of a sophomore slump. Kryptonite: playing from behind, which is bound to happen come January. 

Happy Holidays everyone. May your Kryptonite be more subtle and less obtrusive than every team in the NFL.

Vinny and Marco

Monday Morning Quarterback: Ode to a Painful September

My dear readers,

After much soul searching I have made a monumental decision about the future of The Spread Zone. And by "soul searching," I mean an impulsive thought on my way back from work, and by "momentous" and "future," I just mean right now. The decision - rather than hide my head in the sand or come up with new self-effacing ways to show my humility - was to write a poem about the first four weeks of the 2013 NFL Season. Without any adieu, here is:

Ode to a Painful September

With four weeks behind us and twelve weeks to go
in a season that's been like a David Lynch show.
It's time to deflect all your worry and doubt
by handing some Mid-Mid Season grades out.



Let's fly up northeast to Seattle's abode
where the Seahawks have learned how to win on the road.
They're well on their way to the title they seek
Provided they're playing Matt Schaub every week.

The Niners, the Rams, and the Cards to be clear
will be looking up at the end of the year.
And though trading Smith to the Chiefs made me sick
S.F. will be fine with the young Kaepernick.



And down The Bayu Sean Payton is back,
leading the Saints strong, offensive attack
while the Falcons poor start might get their coach fired
I'll bet Tony's son wishes Dad stayed retired

The Year of the Cat, says wise Granny C
but the Panthers are mired at a poor 1-3
And the Bucs, it just sucks, can't win but don't mind
'cause their defense is great when it's not getting fined.



Up north the young Bears got a spank on the tush
by a much better cat and revived Reggie Bush
Being a Vike fan must feel like a hassle,
perhaps that will change with "The Jeckyll" Matt Cassell

At the end of the year I think Cheese Heads stands tall
'cause they cut every player who fumbles the ball
They'll beat the up the Lions next week in Green Bay
to take over first, and that's where they'll stay.



The Giants and Redskins, now both former beasts
in the once feared division, the NFC Least
With Eli's poor passing, V. Cruz just can't dance
While Washington should give Kirk Cousins a chance.

And although Kelly's offense was great with The Ducks,
it seems that with Philly it really plain sucks.
With their competition, the Cowboys are fine
to win this division at seven and nine.



In the AFC West, Alex Smith, Andy Reid,
are leading the Chiefs to a wild card seed.
The Chargers are Chargers, with highs and with lows
And being a Raiders fan still really blows.

The Broncos are putting up Madden-like stats
In two weeks they'll hang 90 on Jacksonville's Cats.
I'm starting to see that there is no good reason
to bet ATS against Denver this season.



At the top of the East, the young Patriots sit,
and last night they proved their defense is legit.
The Dolphins are proving to be a great bet,
but I'm still not quite there on the bandwagon yet.

The Jets have surprised us with .500 ball,
but away from MetLife, they can't win at all.
And Buffalo, Buffalo - where doth though roam,
also just winning the games that they're home.



And off in the South, the strong Titans have heart,
which has them in first with a 3-1 start
Tied with the Colts who've done more of the same
Thanks to a new and improved running game.

In Houston four quarters is never enough,
with three OT games out of four, man that's rough.
And the Jacksonville Jaguars? They're really quite lame,
scoring about six point seven a game.



The Browns are in first after only four games
while Hoyer and Cameron are both household names
The Ravens appear to be hitting rough seas,
and yesterday Flacco had 5 I N Ts

The Bengals are good, but still have ups and downs
beating up Packers but losing to Brown.
and finally, Pittsburgh, with all its mistakes
are still in the running for the Clowney Sweepstakes.



And, of course there's The Spread Zone that's down in the dumps,
With Vinny and Marco both in Sophomore Slumps.
Losing is awful, it feels like a curse,
Let's face it, the truth is it can't get much worse.



So October is near and although it feels daunting
We look to Week 5 to do some un-haunting
I wanted to quit after Sunday night's game,
and find a new hobby with far, far less shame,

And much like the Giants, who's start is the worst
We still only feel we're two games out of first.
So on we persist, because that's what we do,
as people, as writers, as gamblers, too.



I hope Dan P. hasn't given up on us yet, because I was remiss not to mention how much I appreciated your e-mails last week. Keep 'em coming. For TSZ Insiders who might feel like they're not getting their $17 worth, I don't blame you, but there's good news on the horizon. Beginning Week 9 we're going to have a Friday Five Contest through the end of the season with cash prizes, coffee mugs, or something else worth your investment. Hopefully the Saints cover tonight and give us our first .500 Friday Five, otherwise we might just use our fan picks for the second half of the season.

Happy Monday?

Vinny and Marco