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National Football League in London

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Goodbye Goat

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Well we all knew it was going to happen eventually, as Tom Brady finally announced his second ‘official retirement’, as we say Goodbye Goat.

At 45 years old, TB12 has played in the NFL for 23 years, with over two decades in Boston, and then the final in Tampa.
The acronym of ‘GOAT’ was originally applied to him, and it’s hard to see anyone taking that title away from him in this lifetime.

Sure, it was only a year ago that Tommy retired for 6 weeks, only to return for hist worst season ever at the Bucs.
This time the retirement feels real, but let’s see how many QBs the 49ers lose in 2023.

By Numbers

Looking at Brady’s stats per decade, he could easily make the Hall of Fame each and every decade based on his own performance.
His numbers in his 40s are staggering, including two Super Bowl titles.

Brady ends his career as the all time passing leader (89, 214 yards), most touchdown passes in the regular season (649), not to mention most pass attempts (12,050) as well as most completed passes (7753). When it comes to the digits, Brady crushes them all.

Let’s also not forget the SEVEN SuperBowls that Brady as won, that has also rewarded him with 15 Pro Bowls (who cares about Pro Bowls?) These numbers don’t even include his post season numbers, which push Tommy boy so out of reach of the regular human QBs that he plays against.

TV Time

The future for Brady looks bright, as he signed a ridiculous 10 year broadcasting contract which will keep him on our TVs for the next decade or so.
Unless he sucks.
We haven’t really had a full induction to the TB12 broadcast booth ways, and as much as people were initially enamoured over Tony Romo, the amount of schtick he took this year was surprising.

Don’t expect him to be doing any of that goofy colour-commentator crap, Tommy’s too good for that.

Brady Future

While it might be an end of era, it is also the signal for a new generation to step up and set their own records.

Most QBs in the NFL today grew up watching Brady and emulating his heroics on playgrounds across America.
Now that the GOAT can finally rest, it’s time for this new legion of stars to step up and make their own mark.

So thank you Tom Brady for showing us how truly magical it is to watch a player who was so clutch it hurt.

Also thanks for leaving Boston and silencing those very annoying fans.

We can all sleep a little easier at night with them quiet.

Thanks for everything GOAT!

Just maybe not thanks for this.

Week 18 Picks

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It’s was a dramatic and scary end to week 17, as we roll into a whole new NFL with our Week 18 Picks.

The NFL fans, and fantasy managers were sent into a tizzy with the news of the serious cardiac condition of Buffalo Bills player Damar Hamlin.

First and foremost is the focus that Damar recovers, and gets better-and all signs are starting to point that way. He’s a 24 year old on a $160k/ year salary, so let’s also hope that some of that GoFundMe can be directed towards his recovery.

The NFL took a shocking loss like week like Putin in Ukraine, as it became quickly evident they didn’t have a plan. NFL players have died on the field before, it’s surprising that the league wasn’t able to act quicker and respond stronger when it happened. Maybe they had already gone home for this late game?

The Bills and Bengals are also short a game heading into the playoffs. The maths don’t always add up when you have two teams looking for top seeding, and it also isn’t fair to other teams unless the game is ruled a tie.

Fantasy managers are also in a tizzy, as even our own league has a player with Josh Allen as a deciding factor. How do you rule on a replay, score averages over the season, a fantasy playoff when the final two have their own bias towards the finish.

Ugh, so much to discuss, hear Wade and Ryan’s take on it in the podcast.

Week 18 Picks

Here are Wade and Ryan’s Week 18 Picks for your fantasy, betting and life decisions.
Use them to make a better you. Catch all the picks in the podcast above.

-9 Chiefs (13-3) vs Raiders (6-10)

Kansas City can’t get no respect despite have a 13 and 3 record, but they do once again in the spread this week with a 9 point boom over the Raiders.
The Chiefs haven’t been exactly dominant this season, and their defence gives question as to whether a score heavy team like an ignited Raiders might do to them.

More women would watch the show if Hard Knocks would have featured the Raiders this year, because oh the drama! The ghost of Gruden haunts the halls of Vegas, as Carr’s departure has suddenly led to a last minute gusto of Jared Stitham.
‘Stitty’ gets the gritty this week, as the Raiders have opted to start a bunch of young guns and looking to play a little street ball at home.

Ryan likes the Chiefs to win, but doesn’t buy 9 points for a Chiefs team that might coast once they have the lead.

Wade likes street ball here, as the Raiders might show some moxy and game some late game garbage points to make this a closer game.

Ryan-Chiefs 30 Raiders 26
Wade-Chiefs 31 Raiders 26

Patriots (8-8) vs -7 Bills (12-3) +43.5

Billy B and the boys are primed for a playoff spot, they could just use a win here, a Dolphins, Titans, Steelers, loss…blah blah. A Win over the Bills is the only way that the Patriots can feel safer, but no one feels safe in Buffalo, especially when there is a history of dildos hitting the field.

The Bills will be playing with emotion on Sunday, how much how affect how they play.
With Damar Hamlin in hospital, the Bills might be so pumped at home that they eviscerate the poor Pats by the half.
They also could be so overcome with emotion that they overcompensate and under deliver.
But the Bills are at home, tables will be smashed in the parking lot, dildos will be thrown at the Patriots bench, and the most generous fan base in the NFL, will rock the shit out of that joint.
Damar Hamlin will be proud.

Ryan-Bills 27 Patriots 17
Wade-Bills 33-Patriots 20

Make sure you listen to the full podcast for all of the goodness, and make sure that you like us on social media!

 

Week 14 Picks Podcast

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That chill in the air isn’t just England feeling frosty after getting booted out of the World Cup by France, it’s time for our Week 14 Picks Podcast!

Yes, jolly olde England isn’t feeling so flush, after getting booted from the Cup despite outplaying the French, but at least we can go back to focusing on the NFL again.

Wade & Ryan are back with their full game slate of picks on a short week in the league.

Make sure that you listen to the whole podcast right here!

 

Among some of the games that the guys discuss this week includes:

Vikings (10-2) vs -2 Lions (5-7)  +51

How insulting is it for the league leading Minnesota squad to be two point dogs to the Lions in a divisional match-up?
The Vikings can’t get ‘no respect’, whereas the Lions continue to Hard Knock recent opponents, not to mention the Week 3 matchup between these two where Detroit almost took the contest.

The Vikings will be playing angry heading into Michigan, with Justin Jefferson and Dalvin Cook looking to bust open some seams in the easy to score against Lions D.
They can score a lot of points…but also get scored on just as easily.

Detroit has finally started to find its form, with 5 wins that put them second in their division.
Sure, Jared Goff isn’t the best piece leading the squad, but on the back of their D and speeding running game, the Lions can make any game fun.

Ryan isn’t liking the disrespect that the Vikings are being given here, and pips them to be able to beat the Lions in an away dome victory.

Wade is on the Lions hype, looking back at the Week 3 matchup where the Lions were feasting on the Vikes until some key injuries changed the trajectory of the game.

Ryan- Vikings 30 Lions 26
Wade- Lions 31 Vikings 27

Jets (7-5) vs -10 Bills (9-3)  +43

It’s a New York throw down, as the Bills host their divisional rival Jets in a snowy Sunday showdown.
The Jets had the Bills number in week 9, but can the plucky Jets do it again as 10 point underdogs?

The Jets have thrived under Saleh, and have tapped into a deep squad of runners and receivers to keep spreading the love around. If not for the drama at QB, the Jets might have had a few more wins this season to make this division even tighter.

The Bills continue to throttle opponents, but those 3 losses demonstrate that the Bills don’t have all the tools to dominate..yet.
The Bills will be using the snow and cold to their advantage as they look to put a knock out blow on New York.

Ryan likes his Bills to take the W in this one, although he doesn’t trust that spread given how tightly these two teams play.

Wade also likes the Bills, but has been burned by too many big spreads this year to go for this one.

Ryan- Bills 27 Jets 21
Wade- Bills 26 Jets 18

Browns (5-7) vs -5.5 Bengals (8-4)  +46.5

The battle for Ohio is always an ugly, fraternal affair that has most bettors avoiding it due to the slugfest of emotional play.
Oh yeah, and Deshaun Watson is back.

The Browns were able to get the W last week against the Texans, even though Watson looked so washed up that he should be hanging on a laundry line to dry out.
Maybe the only way to go for Watson is up?

Cincy has finally started to revive themselves after a tenuous start to the season.
The O Line has finally started to shore itself up, giving Burrow more pocket time.
The D is also healthy enough to cause problems, as demonstrated against Mahomes last week.
Of course, Joe Burrow has lost 4 games to the Browns-so there’s that too.

Ryan thinks that the Bengals will be too much for the stinky Browns, and that Burrow will have a big time connecting with his receivers.

Wade likes the Bengals to win, but doesn’t trust the previous matches enough to go for Cincy for the spread cover.

Ryan- Bengals 27 Browns 20
Wade- Bengals 28 Browns 24

That’s it for this week’s NFL picks for Week 14!
Make sure you listen to the whole podcast to get the feels for it.
Share it with your friends as a special holiday treat!

 

Week 11 Picks

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We’re over halfway through the NFL season as the league hosts its final international game in Mexico, the World Cup is almost here, and the Green Bay Packers eat another ‘L’.
It’s time for our Week 11 Picks!

Wade and Ryan are back again, using their medium sized brains to crank out their nuggets of wisdom as we make our way to Thanksgiving.

Ryan had a bit of turkey in week 10, going 5-8 in his picks, while Wade had a bit more stuffing with a 9-4 record ATS.
How will the boys do this week?

The show is all snow in Buffalo, the Patriots tee up the Jets for another potential beating, the Bears are underdogs to Mariota, and the Rams well and truly suck this year.

Who do the guys have for Week 11?

You can listen to the whole podcast here, and get all of the Picks you’re looking for!

Here are some of the betting picks the guys are looking at for Week 11.

Browns (3-6) vs -8 Bills (6-3) +50.5

As much as we laud Buffalo for staying strong during their snowy winters, when you look at the white covered city, you can see why it had to be moved to Detroit.
The Bills and Browns are both in the dome, in a game that could signal the beginning of the Deshaun era, and Josh Allen looking to shake off recent picks.

Buffalo is starting to lose grip on the top spot in the AFC east, with the rise of the Jets Dolphins and Patriots to playoff potential.
Josh Allen’s last minute picks have put the Bills in a tricky spot, after taking that sore L from the Vikings.

The Browns have limped their way into this season, hoping that Watson will rub out the past deeds, and tug them into a brighter future.
The running game and ascent of Peoples-Jones could help the Browns keep this one closer than the line Vegas has provided.

Ryan likes his Bills to win, but doesn’t like that 8 point spread.
He thinks that the Browns will keep in closer than that.

Wade agrees, and thinks that the tight week, and with Buffalo due to play in 4 days for Gobble Gobble, they might not be focused on laying a beating.

Ryan-Bills 27  Browns 20
Wade Bills 28 Browns 21

-6.5 Eagles (8-1) vs Colts (4-5-1) +43.5

The Eagles have gotten that first loss out of the way, now it’s time to focus!
Philly not only made a load of mistakes against Washington in week 10, they also got gashed by the running game, something that future teams will look to as a template.

Indy is shaking off the hangover, and trying to string something together after the Matt Ryan awkwardness of a few weeks ago. Is he back? Does Jim still like him?
Whatever it is, they still have Jonathan Taylor, who like Stella-seems to have finally gotten his groove back.

Ryan likes the Eagles to continue to dominate, learning from their Week 10 loss, and ready to rebound all over the faces of Jeff Saturday and his boys.

Wade thinks the Colts are on the rise, and this could potentially be another chance to draw blood and put themselves on the playoffs path. The could win, but should cover.

Ryan-Eagles 30 Colts 17
Wade-Eagles 28 Colts 22

Bears (3-7) vs -3 Falcons (4-6)  +49

It only took 5 weeks, but the Bears have finally figured out what to do with Fields and a weak Bears O-line.
Justin has been on fire, ripping up Fantasy numbers, and having Bears worry that he could get broken with the amount he’s running, leaving them with no toys at all.

How is Marcus Mariota still a starting QB?
His passes are as awkward as an asexual at a porn awards, and he’s often putting the Falcons under pressure than leading them to victory.
So how are the Falcons 3 point faves? Is it all home field?

Ryan thinks that the Falcons are in the right, and that spotty Bears D will be open enough for Atlanta’s running game to create some opportunities.

Wade is all over his Bears, with the team averaging 28 points in the past 4 weeks, they will continue to score against a hapless Falcons D.

Ryan-Falcons 27 Bears 24
Wade-Bears 30 Falcons 24

That’s it for our Week 11 Picks, who do you have?

Make sure you follow us on social media and play along on DraftKings every week of all the fun!

 

Bears in London

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The NFL tickled us with a treat this week, as Chicago took advantage of the new international marketing areas to host the Bears in London on Sunday.

What a fun night of action, and thanks for hosting us!

Home Marketing

With the NFL going fully international this year, the league announced last year that they would allow certain teams to market directly to global fans.

The United Kingdom had six teams granted rights to perform this, with the Jaguars, Vikings, Dolphins, Jets, 49ers and Bears getting the royal treatment here.

This was the Bears first attempt at hosting one of these parties, and they did a lot of things right.

Flat Iron Party

The Bears opted to host the party in London’s Flat Iron area, just round the corner from London Bridge station.

While the area was popular when the NFL was in town, it did seem like a rather odd location given how quickly the area empties on a Sunday, as well as being hosted underneath the train tracks.

The hype was obvious at entry, as cheery marketing folk handed out raffle tickets, and encouraged fans to participate in some of the many trivia and cheer games they had prepared.
Some of the games were funny, some cheesy, and there were times fans just wanted the game back on as they battled the Lions, but the good nature of the event and £7 pints had Bears fans rollicking.

Bringing in the Bears hype man to host the event did bring a deep dish authenticity to the event, and he was genuinely surprised at just how damn knowledgeable UK Bears fans are at trivia.
The only wrong answers seemed to be displayed in the Bears game play.

The Game

Heading into the game, the Bears were a three point favourite over a Lions team bolstered by a win over the Packers last weekend.

The awkward tension was palatable in the room, as the Lions erased the Bears lead, despite the gutsy and emotional play of Justin Fields.

Despite the loss, UK Bears fans were playful to the few Lions fans who snuck in, possibly bouyed by beers, Bears and Bears swag.

Speaking of swag, while it looked like they brought plenty, it didn’t seem like it reached many of the fans, as Bears loyals were seen packing branded, paper drinks coasters into their pockets for a little bit of take home legacy.

Or maybe people just didn’t want to be reminded of a one point loss.

Bear Down Future

Scrolling the Bears forums, the main complaints from fans around the event stemmed from it being last minutes, and in London, alienating many UK Bears fans who either can’t travel on Sunday nights, or can’t afford London prices.

Rumours from the Bears marketing staff on hand is that there could be more of these viewing events across the UK in the coming months.

Make sure to watch this space, and we will let you know where and when you can Beardown this NFL season.

All in all, it was a fun night of football, and a good sign of things to come.