Friday Trends and Indexes 11/6 (NBA, NHL, CFL, Misc.)

[pm530]

NBA


Friday, November 6

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NBA news and notes
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lakers could be without Gasol, Bynum on Friday

The defending champion Los Angeles Lakers, who have yet to cover a spread this season, will likely be without frontcourt stars Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum for Friday's game vs. Memphis.

According to the Los Angeles Times, Gasol, who has yet to play this season due to a hamstring strain, said he was "very doubtful" for the matchup with his brother's team. He did walk-throughs and shooting at Thursday's practice but did not participate in contact drills or a scrimmage.

Bynum had an MRI Thursday that revealed a strained right elbow suffered in overtime of Wednesday's win at Houston. The report said he was unable to use his arm while getting dressed after the game but had better mobility Thursday.

Bynum said he wasn't sure if he could play against New Orleans Sunday.

The Lakers can plug in Lamar Odom at power forward for Gasol but probably will have to start D.J. Mbenga at center for Bynum.

The Lakers are 4-1 straight up but 0-5 against the spread. There is no line yet on the game, but the Grizzlies have been a double-digit underdog for their last five visits to L.A.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Kings star guard Kevin Martin has fractured left wrist

Sacramento Kings leading scorer Kevin Martin has a displaced hairline fracture in his left wrist, the team announced Thursday.

The Sacramento Bee reported that Martin, a right-handed shooting guard, is considering playing with the injury; putting it in a cast, which would sideline him for six to eight weeks; or having surgery, which would have a longer timetable.

Martin is third in the NBA in scoring at 30.6 points per game. He hurt the hand while scoring a league season-high 48 points in Monday's win over Memphis and added 29 in Wednesday's loss to Atlanta.

Sacramento's second-leading scorer is center Spencer Hawes at 11.8 points. It ranks 25th or worse in points allowed, opponents' field-goal percentage and opponents' rebounds.

The Kings are 1-4 straight up and 2-3 against the spread. They visit Utah Saturday.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[pm530]

NBA
Short Sheet


Friday, November 6

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ATLANTA at CHARLOTTE, 7:00 PM ET
ATLANTA: 14-3 Over off road win
CHARLOTTE: 11-1 ATS after allowing 85 points or less

DETROIT at ORLANDO, 7:00 PM ET
DETROIT: 9-13 ATS off DD road loss
ORLANDO: 33-13 ATS playing with same season revenge

WASHINGTON at INDIANA, 7:00 PM ET
WASHINGTON: 3-15 ATS when the line is +3 to -3
INDIANA: 24-12 ATS if road underdog last game

NEW JERSEY at PHILADELPHIA, 7:00 PM ET
NEW JERSEY: 2-12 ATS as double-digit underdog
PHILADELPHIA: 21-10 Under as home favorite

PHOENIX at BOSTON, 7:30 PM ET
PHOENIX: 4-16 ATS after scoring 100+ pts 5 straight games
BOSTON: 18-5 ATS after a win by 6 points or less

DENVER at MIAMI, 7:30 PM ET
DENVER: 28-11 ATS off BB road games
MIAMI: 21-42 ATS off SU win

MILWAUKEE at MINNESOTA, 8:00 PM ET
MILWAUKEE: 74-47 Over after allowing 85 points or less
MINNESOTA: 13-30 ATS in home games

TORONTO at NEW ORLEANS, 8:00 PM ET
TORONTO: 15-5 Over when the total is 200 to 209.5
NEW ORLEANS: 2-13 ATS if total is 200 or higher

CLEVELAND at NEW YORK, 8:00 PM ET ESPN
CLEVELAND: 16-5 ATS off SU loss
NEW YORK: 4-1 Over this season

OKLAHOMA CITY at HOUSTON, 8:30 PM ET
OKLAHOMA CITY: 25-14 Over as road underdog
HOUSTON: 17-32 ATS off ATS win

LA CLIPPERS at GOLDEN STATE, 10:30 PM ET
LA CLIPPERS: 11-31 ATS off SU win
GOLDEN STATE: 12-3 Over as a home favorite of 6pts or less

MEMPHIS at LA LAKERS, 10:30 PM ET
MEMPHIS: 16-31 ATS off BB ATS wins
LA LAKERS: 62-37 Under off road game

SAN ANTONIO at PORTLAND, 10:30 PM ET ESPN
SAN ANTONIO: 33-14 Over Away off DD road loss
PORTLAND: 73-101 ATS as a home favorite of 6 points or less

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[pm530]

NBA


Friday, November 6

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tips and Trends
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Milwaukee Bucks at Minnesota T'Wolves [8:05 PM ET]

Bucks: Bucks coach Scott Skiles is still experimenting. This is Milwaukee’s fourth game and the Bucks have used three new starting lineups with eight different players having gotten at least one start. Lack of offense has been the Bucks’ biggest problem. Milwaukee is lucky to be 1-2 considering it ranks second-to-last in scoring at 87.7 points per game and second from the bottom in field goal percentage. The Bucks have made just 40.2 percent of their field goals. Milwaukee is last in free throw percentage making only 64.5 percent from the foul line. The Bucks’ opponents have sunk more free throws than Milwaukee has even attempted from the foul line. The Bucks miss their best scorer, Michael Redd. He’s out with a knee injury. The Bucks haven’t won at the Target Center since 2006. They have dropped nine of their last 10 in Minnesota.

Milwaukee is 5-11 ATS as an underdog.
The Under is 4-0-1 in Milwaukee’s last five games.

Key Injuries - Michael Redd (knee) is out.

PROJECTED SCORE: 92 (Side of the Day)

Timberwolves (-2.5, O/U 185): Minnesota nearly handed Boston its first loss of the season on Wednesday night, but lost 92-90 at the Target Center as 10-point underdogs. Al Jefferson had his most productive game of the season with 18 points. Jefferson is coming back after undergoing knee surgery last year. The Timberwolves received a huge game from unsung Olekiy Pecherov, who was getting minutes with power forward Kevin Love out. Pecherov scored a career-best 24 points and pulled down eight rebounds. Minnesota is 7-1 against the spread following a loss. Ramon Sessions is splitting time at point guard with rookie Jonny Flynn. Sessions should be motivated. He was with Milwaukee last season and was unhappy when the Bucks failed to re-sign him. He then signed a $16.4 million dollar deal with the Timberwolves. Minnesota has lost its last three games, but covered the spread in each of the three games.

The Timberwolves are 0-5 ATS when favored.
The Under has cashed in 13 of the Timberwolves’ last 16 home contests.

Key Injuries - Forward Kevin Love (hand) is out

PROJECTED SCORE: 94

NOTE: The “Total of the Day” is in NCAAF

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[pm530]

NHL
Dunkel Index


Toronto at Carolina
The Leafs look to take advantage of a Carolina team that is coming off a 3-0 loss to Florida and is 0-7 in its last 7 games after scoring 2 goals or less in the previous game. Toronto is the pick (+125) according to Dunkel, which has the Maple Leafs favored by 1/2 a goal. Dunkel Pick: Toronto (+125). Here are all of today's picks.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 6

Game 1-2: NY Islanders at New Jersey
Dunkel Ratings: NY Islanders 12.799; New Jersey 12.141
Dunkel Line & Total: NY Islanders by 1/2; 5
Vegas Line & Total: New Jersey (-170); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: NY Islanders (+160); Under

Game 3-4: Toronto at Carolina
Dunkel Ratings: Toronto 10.552; Carolina 10.386
Dunkel Line & Total: Toronto by 1/2; 6 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Carolina (-135); 6
Dunkel Pick: Toronto (+125); Over

Game 5-6: Philadelphia at Buffalo
Dunkel Ratings: Philadelphia 12.976; Buffalo 12.690
Dunkel Line & Total: Philadelphia by 1/2; 6 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A

Game 7-8: Washington at Florida
Dunkel Ratings: Washington 12.030; Florida 12.192
Dunkel Line & Total: Florida by 1/2; 5
Vegas Line & Total: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A

Game 9-10: Vancouver at Dallas
Dunkel Ratings: Vancouver 12.533; Dallas 11.936
Dunkel Line & Total: Vancouver by 1/2; 5
Vegas Line & Total: Dallas (-160); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Vancouver (+150); Under

Game 11-12: Chicago at Colorado
Dunkel Ratings: Chicago 11.812; Colorado 11.904
Dunkel Line & Total: Colorado by 1/2; 6
Vegas Line & Total: Colorado (-125); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Colorado (-125); Over

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[pm530]

NHL
Long Sheet


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Friday, November 6
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NY ISLANDERS (5-6-0-4, 14 pts.) at NEW JERSEY (9-4-0-0, 18 pts.) - 11/6/2009, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NY ISLANDERS are 5-28 ATS (+55.1 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5.5 over the last 2 seasons.
NEW JERSEY is 62-39 ATS (+119.1 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
NEW JERSEY is 13-3 ATS (+9.2 Units) after 3 or more consecutive unders over the last 2 seasons.
NY ISLANDERS are 63-60 ATS (+144.6 Units) in road games after scoring 1 goal or less in their previous game since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
NY ISLANDERS is 8-6 (+6.3 Units) against the spread versus NEW JERSEY over the last 3 seasons
NY ISLANDERS is 8-6-0 straight up against NEW JERSEY over the last 3 seasons
8 of 14 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+0.4 Units)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

TORONTO (1-8-0-4, 6 pts.) at CAROLINA (2-9-0-3, 7 pts.) - 11/6/2009, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TORONTO is 1-12 ATS (+16.3 Units) in all games this season.
TORONTO is 1-12 ATS (+16.3 Units) first half of the season this season.
CAROLINA is 1-13 ATS (+17.1 Units) in all games this season.
CAROLINA is 1-13 ATS (+16.3 Units) first half of the season this season.
CAROLINA is 3-10 ATS (-12.4 Units) in home games after a loss by 2 goals or more in their previous game over the last 2 seasons.
CAROLINA is 0-7 ATS (+7.9 Units) after 3 or more consecutive losses this season.
CAROLINA is 0-6 ATS (+6.3 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
CAROLINA is 0-6 ATS (-6.3 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record in the first half of the season this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
CAROLINA is 6-2 (+3.6 Units) against the spread versus TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
CAROLINA is 6-2-0 straight up against TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
5 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+1.6 Units)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

PHILADELPHIA (7-4-0-1, 15 pts.) at BUFFALO (9-3-0-0, 18 pts.) - 11/6/2009, 7:30 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
PHILADELPHIA is 5-3 (+2.2 Units) against the spread versus BUFFALO over the last 3 seasons
PHILADELPHIA is 5-3-0 straight up against BUFFALO over the last 3 seasons
6 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+4.1 Units)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

WASHINGTON (8-4-0-3, 19 pts.) at FLORIDA (5-7-0-1, 11 pts.) - 11/6/2009, 7:30 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
FLORIDA is 7-7 (+0.8 Units) against the spread versus WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
FLORIDA is 7-7-0 straight up against WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
7 of 14 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=-0.5 Units, Under=-1.1 Units)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

VANCOUVER (10-7-0-0, 20 pts.) at DALLAS (6-3-0-6, 18 pts.) - 11/6/2009, 8:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
VANCOUVER is 101-107 ATS (-45.2 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record in the first half of the season since 1996.
DALLAS is 48-40 ATS (+5.5 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
DALLAS is 14-8 ATS (+23.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the first half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
VANCOUVER is 36-26 ATS (+65.6 Units) in road games on Friday nights since 1996.
VANCOUVER is 104-76 ATS (+184.4 Units) in road games after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game since 1996.
DALLAS is 17-23 ATS (-8.3 Units) in a home game where where the total is 5.5 over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 0-5 ATS (-6.8 Units) in home games after 3 or more consecutive losses over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
VANCOUVER is 5-4 (+0.7 Units) against the spread versus DALLAS over the last 3 seasons
VANCOUVER is 5-4-0 straight up against DALLAS over the last 3 seasons
5 of 7 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+3.1 Units)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CHICAGO (8-5-0-1, 17 pts.) at COLORADO (11-3-0-2, 24 pts.) - 11/6/2009, 9:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
COLORADO is 11-5 ATS (+2.1 Units) in all games this season.
COLORADO is 11-5 ATS (+5.6 Units) first half of the season this season.
COLORADO is 9-1 ATS (+10.2 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent this season.
COLORADO is 17-15 ATS (+1.3 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 11-5 ATS (+17.2 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the first half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO is 106-113 ATS (+254.2 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5.5 since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHICAGO is 6-3 (+1.1 Units) against the spread versus COLORADO over the last 3 seasons
CHICAGO is 6-3-0 straight up against COLORADO over the last 3 seasons
6 of 9 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+2.7 Units)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[pm530]

NHL
Short Sheet


Friday, November 6

NY ISLANDERS at NEW JERSEY, 7:00 PM ET
NY ISLANDERS: 5-24 SU AWAY when the total is 5.5
NEW JERSEY: 20-9 SU after allowing 2 goals or less in BB games

TORONTO at CAROLINA, 7:00 PM ET
TORONTO: 1-12 SU in all games
CAROLINA: 1-13 SU in all games

PHILADELPHIA at BUFFALO, 7:30 PM ET
PHILADELPHIA: N/A
BUFFALO: N/A

WASHINGTON at FLORIDA, 7:30 PM ET
WASHINGTON: N/A
FLORIDA: N/A

VANCOUVER at DALLAS, 8:30 PM ET
VANCOUVER: 18-10 SU AWAY when playing their 4th game in 7 days
DALLAS: 0-5 SU at home after 3+ consecutive losses

CHICAGO at COLORADO, 9:00 PM ET
CHICAGO: 14-24 SU as a road underdog of +100 to +150
COLORADO: 5-0 SU in home games

NOTE: If there are updates for the Philadelphia/Buffalo and Washington/Florida games, we will re-post.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[pm530]

NHL
Write-up


Friday, November 6

Hot Teams
-- Devils won nine of their last eleven games. Islanders won four of their last five games.
-- Sabres won nine of their last eleven games. Flyers won last two games, scoring six goals in each.
-- Florida won last three games, shutting out last two opponents.
-- Canucks won six of their last seven games.
-- Chicago is 3-0 this season if they played the night before. Colorado is 9-3 in its last twelve games.

Cold Teams
-- Toronto lost four in row, 12 of first 13 games. Carolina lost its last ten games, scoring two goals in last three games.
-- Washington lost last three games, all by one goal.
-- Stars lost last three games, with two losses in SO/OT.

Totals
-- Last five New Jersey games stayed under the total.
-- Five of last seven Carolina games went over the total.
-- Last five Buffalo games stayed under the total.
-- Three of last four Florida home games went over the total.
-- Five of last seven Dallas games went over the total.
-- Last six Chicago games stayed under the total.

Series Records
-- Devils won five of last seven games against the Islanders.
-- Carolina won seven of last eight games against Toronto.
-- Flyers won five of last six games against Buffalo.
-- Washington won three of last four games at Florida.
-- Canucks won their last three games against Dallas.
-- Blackhawks won six of last nine games against Colorado.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[pm530]

NHL


Friday, November 6

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

7:00 PM
NY ISLANDERS vs. NEW JERSEY
NY Islanders are 1-4 SU in their last 5 games when playing on the road against New Jersey
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of the NY Islanders last 9 games when playing on the road against New Jersey
New Jersey is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of New Jersey's last 5 games

7:00 PM
TORONTO vs. CAROLINA
Toronto is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Toronto's last 11 games on the road
Carolina is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Carolina's last 7 games

7:30 PM
PHILADELPHIA vs. BUFFALO
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Philadelphia's last 9 games on the road
Philadelphia is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
Buffalo is 14-4-1 SU in its last 19 games when playing at home against Philadelphia
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Buffalo's last 6 games when playing at home against Philadelphia

7:30 PM
WASHINGTON vs. FLORIDA
Washington is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games
Washington is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Florida
Florida is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Washington
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Florida's last 15 games when playing at home against Washington

8:30 PM
VANCOUVER vs. DALLAS
Vancouver is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games on the road
Vancouver is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
Dallas is 9-4 SU in its last 13 games when playing at home against Vancouver
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Dallas's last 13 games when playing at home against Vancouver

9:00 PM
CHICAGO vs. COLORADO
Chicago is 6-17-2 SU in its last 25 games when playing on the road against Colorado
Chicago is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Colorado
Colorado is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Colorado's last 10 games at home

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[pm530]

NHL


Friday, November 6

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ice picks: Today's best NHL bets
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chicago Blackhawks at Colorado Avalanche (-125, 5.5)

The Avalanche have been the most profitable bet out of the gates this NHL season. However, a recent four-game road swing ended with Colorado going 2-2 and the team is shaping up to be this season’s favorite “bet at home” play.

The Avs returned to the Pepsi Center after back-to-back losses and handed the Phoenix Coyotes a 4-1 beating Wednesday to improve to 5-0 at home. This success isn’t bringing out the Mile High City though. Wednesday night’s attendance was a record-low 11,012 fans – 2,000 less than the previous mark.

"Our job is just to go out and play hockey and our job is to provide entertainment for our fans," head coach Joe Sacco told the Denver Post. "I think that we've done a good job of that this year so far."

Colorado has scored just 20 of its 48 total goals at home this year but has allowed opponents to light the lamp just eight times in those five games.

The Avalanche host a strong Chicago Blackhawks team Friday, and should get some favorable odds from bookmakers. Chicago is having a tough time finding the net, scoring just over two goals per game in its last six outings and posting a 3-3 record in that span. The Blackhawks are 2-2 on the road this season.

Pick: Colorado


Philadelphia Flyers at Buffalo Sabres

The Buffalo Sabres have started the season with piss and vinegar, jumping out to a 9-2-1-0 record. But the NHL schedule makers may have their say in the Sabres’ success before the season is through.

The club begins a rough patch in which it will play three games in four nights for five weeks in a row. That gauntlet has forced Buffalo to bring up top goaltending prospect Jhonas Enroth from the Portland Pirates and could give the budding star his first taste of NHL action as early as Friday night.

He’s 3-7 with a 3.90 GAA and a save percentage of .872 with the minor league club. He was with the Sabres for four games last year but didn’t see any action.

"It's always fun to be here. I'll try to stay ready even when Ryan (Miller) is playing. I prepare for every game like I should play the game,” Enroth told The Buffalo News.

The Sabres’ goaltending is one of the biggest reasons the club has started 3-8-1 over/under. Buffalo has played below the goal total in five straight games, but with Miller wearing down and an untested backup, that one-sided over/under mark could balance out in upcoming games.

Pick: Over

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[pm530]

Len’s Top Five

Friday, November 6

Len's Top 5

TGIF everyone, here's my Top 5 for November 6, 2009 from Len Berman Sports.

1. Quick Hits

* The Yankees championship parade is this morning up the Canyon of Heroes on lower Broadway.

* It turns out on his way home from the clinching, manager Joe Girardi stopped to help a woman who got into a car accident after 2 in the morning. Pretty cool.

* George Steinbrenner released a statement (probably written by his PR flak Howard Rubenstein) saying in part that the World Series win belongs to the fans. Awesome. That means the fans should get a piece of the World Series share distributed to the winning team. It's probably in the mail.

* Knick fans will be drooling tonight when LeBron James of Cleveland plays at the Garden. They won't be drooling over their 1 and 4 Knicks.

2. I Love a Parade

This is the first championship parade I haven't hosted on TV since 1986. That includes 4 Yankees parades, and 1 each for the Mets, Rangers, Giants and Devils. I have to admit the parades are fun. Sheer joy for all involved. Except when some of the no-name politicians, that nobody wants to hear from, grab the microphone at City Hall. the dopiest all time parade was for the New Jersey Devils in 1995. After the Rangers glorious parade the year before, the Devils not to be outdone, staged a "parade in the parking lot." They drove convertibles with the players around in circles in the Meadowlands Arena parking lot. I was on the scene and Matt Lauer was in our studio. He kept asking me on the air "who's that?" as the lead car kept coming into view. I had to say, "Matt.....it's still Ken Daneyko."

3. Give it a Rest Already

The good thing about the World Series being over is we don't have to hear about "3 days rest" anymore. What a joke. I was doing some research for my future kids book coming out next year, "The 25 Greatest Baseball Players of All Time," and you wouldn't believe New York Giants pitcher Christy Mathewson. In the 1905 World Series against the Philadelphia A's he pitched a 4-hit shutout in game 1. And then on just 2 days rest he pitched another complete game 4-hit shutout in game 3. And for an encore, he pitched a 5-hit complete game shutout in the 5th and clinching game. And for that game, he did it on ONE day rest. 3 complete game shutouts in 6 days. So next time somebody brings up "only 3 days rest." Tell him to put a sock in it.

4. Friday Mailbag

As you can imagine the Yankee championship didn't play that great out of town. From subscriber D.R. an Indians fan: "It’s not that the Yankees bought a title, it’s that they are the only team that can spend this way, make mistakes, blow millions, and then do it again next year, and the year after that, and the year after that until they finally assemble a decent team. When other franchises make multi-million dollar mistakes, they pay for it with years of mediocrity (see Texas, Chicago, Detroit, Seattle).

And a message from D.M. in Pittsburgh:
Congratulation$ Yankee$
Be$t Regard$,
Pirate Fan$

Add subscriber B.P. to the list of those who don't like the Jets throwback jerseys. He writes: " Almost everyone in the stands was wearing 'Jet Green.' Too bad no one on the field was. As you know, this is the second home game in which the Jets made the fans wonder why they were sporting colors that the organization could care less about. Charging exorbitant PSL fees, doubling ticket prices, focusing on fashion instead of winning: all brought to us by Gang Greed."

As for all the Americans doing well in the New York City Marathon, S.A. writes: "I think your comment about the number of Americans finishing well at the NYC is a bit misleading. While the citizenship of the winner and many of the others may have been American, where were they born, where did they do most of their training, etc.? I think that's the issue."
Editor's Note: Fair point, kinda like saying "American Martina Navratilova won 18 Grand Slam titles."

And from A.H. when Le Moyne stunned Syracuse in a college basketball exhibition game. "As my brother, (a proud Le Moyne grad), used to tell me...you can't spell sucks without SU!"
Editor's Note: Hey, I'm an SU alum. And that's still funny!

5. Business as Usual

Cable customers in Northern Virginia lost their signal for a good portion of the Yankees clinching game against the Phillies. Since they are Redskins and Nationals fans, they are used to such abuse.

Happy Birthday: Mr. Khloe Kardashian, newlywed Lakers forward Lamar Odom. 30.
Bonus Birthday: The Flying Nun. Sally Field. 63.

Today in Sports: Dee-fense, dee-fense. Rutgers beats Princeton 6-4 in the first intercollegiate football game. 1869.
Bonus Event: That guy on the $5 bill, Abe Lincoln, is elected President. 1860.

----------------------------------------------------------------------