When the rumblings started about Pete Rose and his gambling problems, the first thing we heard was that he didn't bet on baseball. Then we were told he didn't bet on Cincinnati Reds games. Then we were told he didn't bet against the Reds.
With the scandal breaking about former Penguins player Rick Tocchet and his alleged involvement in a gambling ring, the first thing we were told is that there was no betting on hockey.
If someone is dumb enough or greedy enough to jeopardize his or her career and reputation by getting involved in illegal gambling, do you really think they would find a partial conscience in the midst of that action that would keep them from betting or providing information on the sport they know the bestâ¢
And as for Wayne Gretzky, every married couple has different ways of managing their finances. But it is hard to believe that his wife, Janet Jones, bet such huge sums of money without his knowledge.
Do you have to be taller to compete in men's giant slalom than in plain old men's slalom⢠Can you buy a bobsled at Dick's⢠And what is women's combined pursuit⢠Sounds like Friday night at a singles bar.
Curling may be the national sport of Canada, but hockey is a lot more fun to watch. And what is men's normal hill⢠Wouldn't an abnormal hill be more challenging?
I wonder if Michael Irvin could compete in the halfpipe. Despite all this, or actually because of it, I enjoy the Winter Olympics. I don't understand most of the events and can't identify with a guy competing in luge, but my own ignorance is part of what makes if fun to watch. Besides, it gives us a couple weeks' break from watching the Penguins.
Experience is one thing, but it also gives you an idea of where to put your money for the gold medal (oops, gambling and hockey reference). Of the 23 players on Canada's team, 21 have either Olympic or world championship experience.
Give Seattle the two field goals they missed and the touchdown called back because of offensive pass interference (10 more points), and they were still held to a touchdown below their regular-season average.
Especially efficicient was the Steelers pass coverage. The Steelers did not generate the pressue on Matt Hasselbeck that they did on Jake Plummer and Peyton Manning in the playoffs (a tribute to the Seahawks offensive line), but often he stood in the pocket and just had nobody open.
Against the Seahawks, he averaged just fewer than 49 yards on six punts. He boomed a 60-yarder from one 20-yard-line to the other. He also had a 54-yarder downed at the Seattle 2. He had a 53-yarder that went for a touchback. But that was the only one.
Seahawks punter Tom Rouen, on the other hand, couldn't keep the ball out of the end zone. He also punted six times, with four of them going into the end zone. On one, Jason Babineaux could have downed the ball inside the 5 but had no idea where the ball was.
