Weekend Timeouts

- FANTASY SPORTS NATION HOMEPAGE -

As I stated before... I'm going to continue to publish a weekend 'feature' game (NCAA or NFL) here in this space (as well as a link to the blog space I'm running now which deals exclusively with NCAA/NFL Football & Fantasy Sports)...

- link to all week 5 NFL picks -

WEEK 6 - FEATURE GAME - NCAA

PREVIEW: I took a bad beat here in this column last week when I suggested the Florida Gators over Alabama... The WHOLE SCENARIO got tossed right out the window when Gator QB John Brantley had to leave the game with an injury early in the 2nd quarter... Sometimes a team can hold ground in a situation like that... But to toss a sophmore QB (impromptu) into the battle vs. the #1 ranked defense in the country... You pack your bags...

No problem... It's a long season...

The most obvious 'FEATURE' game this weekend is the 'Red River Rivalry' (Texas - Oklahoma) held annually at the Texas State Fair... But frankly, I still think Texas (Longhorns) blow & the Sooners are overrated... So I'm going to skip that for a more eclectic pick...

Some... may STRAIGHTAWAY think I'll go the direction of the Florida - LSU matchup... But how can I (considering what I just said above about Florida sending a sophmore QB into Tiger Stadium)?...

Nope... Here's where I'm going instead...

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Maryland at Georgia Tech (-15) (12:00 ET)

Box Score | Recap

The Terps have had a weird season thus far under new head coach Randy Edsall... It started off great in a Monday Night win over 'The U', but then started to dismantle with a crazy home loss to West Virginia, followed by Temple...

Fortunately, last week they had a playing version of a BYE week by beating in state (lesser division) Towson State... Wins like that aren't going to impress either bookmakers or the betting public...

But here's the bottom line... If there's such a thing as "quality wins", then there ought to be such a thing as "quality losses"... The losses to WVU & Temple ought to be somewhat excuseable (as both are solid teams)... The Terps have no designs on the national championship, but they do have some raw talent on their team... Their CLASSIC role is in the 'underdog' spot, which makes this Georgia Tech matchup interesting...

The public, I feel, is a little too awestuck by GT's gaudy offensive numbers to discipline themselves to AVOID laying 15 points against an ACC foe... Virginia Tech, Clemson, & Florida State, IMO, still rank above the Ramblin' Wreck in terms of ACC dominance (maybe North Carolina too)... Thus, GT is not destined for the Orange Bowl & might as well start thinking 'Champs' sportsbar bowl, or [muffler to be determined] bowl...

MARYLAND for (2 units)

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WEEK 5 - FEATURE GAME - NFL

Philadelphia Eagles at Buffalo Bills (1:00 EDT)

Line: Eagles by 3

The problems continue for the 'Dream Team'... I think 'Dream Team' is going to go down as one of the WORST labels of the decade... The last thing in the world you fucking want to be in professional sports is a 'Dream Team'... trust me... Right Le Bron? Right Boston Red Sox?

I'll take 'Moneyball' type teams any day of the week...

I'm going to use this space as my WEEKLY (make Matthew Berry [of the 'Talented Mr. Roto' fantasy fame - a 'Dream Team'-ish label in of itself] my whipping boy)... Matthew Berry was the one who unabashedly said to DRAFT MICHAEL VICK #1 in all fantasy leagues... Just so you know... Matthew Berry works for ESPN (who is owned by ABC/Disney)... Yeah - that's the SAME media conglomerate who last week decided to pull the Hank Williams Jr. "ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL" song & opening from the Monday Night Football (which was a song & expression that had become an American pop cultural icon for the past 30 years) telecast last week... Why?

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=ap-mondaynightfootball-hankwilliams

Because HWJr. made an appearance on a Fox news show the day before and basically made a comment that 'Obama-Boehner' together (on the golf links) was like having 'Hitler&Netanyahu' together... Before we go further, let's understand the FACTS...

- First of all... Hank Williams Jr. is NOT an employee of ESPN

- Second... He did not call Obama 'Hitler'

So whatever actions were taken by Disney/ABC/ESPN stretched to the point that they were acting to mitigate what they 'perceived' (without foreknowledge) might be collateral damage... IOW - they were 'sucking up' to Obama & the office of the presidency, because even though the 'Hitler- Netanyahu' reference was NOT a characterization of the individuals, but rather a metaphorical description of entities with opposed PHILOSOPHIES - they were worried that the gullible 'American Idol', 'Dancing with the Stars' watching Americans would perceive it that way...

& furthermore... Even though Hank Williams IS NOT an ESPN employee, they chose to cut ties to something that probably ranks in the TOP #10 of cultural POP expressionism in the past quarter century, SO AS TO DO WHAT?... Not piss off Obama or his supporters???

I don't know... I REALLY DON'T KNOW... All I can say is that I stand by what I said in 2008... Which is... That the "Obamamania" messianic attitude was likely to bring this country 'culturally' to places we don't want to go... I said he would end up being more DIVISIVE than the opposite (& that people were being BLIND to that dynamic - just like being BLIND to the Bills 3-1 start; or the Lions at 4-0 [which are now accepted]; or the Panthers 'better than expected' [which most are still failing to see])...

The book is not fully written on that... But this episode with ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL???... All in all it's just another Brick in the Wall...

"We don't need no THOUGHT CONTROL"...

As for Bills/Eagles... MEH... Eagles & their QB (you know - the former 'dog killing' guy who, when he became popular again last year after one good game [a game, STATISTICALLY, which was bettered by Aaron Rodgers last Sunday to relatively little fanfare], got a personal call from Obama saying how great he was...

Anyway... Nothing has really changed from last week to this... Oh... Here's the Matthew Berry beatdown (you know - that dick sucking guy from ESPN who ranked Vick as the #1 fantasy pick... ABSOLUTELY to be drafted #1 in ALL LEAGUES)... Well - right now he's #24 in fantasy value (basically - a run of the mill 3rd round pick)... He's behind Matt Hasslebeck, Eli Manning, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Matt Stafford, Cam Newton, Drew Brees, Tom Brady, & Aaron Rodgers in QB scoring... & in overall fantasy POSITION VALUE, ranks just behind Eric Decker, Jimmy Graham, Beanie Wells, & Rob Gronkowski...

So THAT's who will be leading the Economic 'Dream Team' into Buffalo this week... At his side will be (as CV has been saying ad nauseum - all year):

- an OLD offensive line that can't block

- a linebacker corps full of rookies who can't run stop or pass cover

- ditto with safeties

- a team that can't convert 3rd & short yardages

& now ADD to that...

- A 'hobbled' stud pass rusher (Trent Cole) who will miss a few weeks due to injury

- a rookie kicker who misses a pair of 20 yarders per week

I'm guessing that the Eagles are HOPE(ing) that things will CHANGE pretty soon & that their 'Dream Team' will morph into a 'Summer of Recovery'... Probably the best thing they can do here is to play FAR from Philly at the moment...

But I'll go with the EAGLES for (0 units)... Sucker that I am...

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"Just win baby!"

AmenRa's Corner

A place where a skillful caddy always offers cool contemplation when it comes to your "stick" selection.

Creditcane™: It's the weekend. I need to recoup.

SPX
Bearish thrusting day. Midpoint above EMA(10). Tested and failed SMA(21). Well above the 38.2% minor retrace (1122.84). No daily 3LB changes (reversal is 1200.07). QE2infinity. Still above the daily 3LB mid but still below the weekly 3LB mid.



DXY
Bullish short day. Midpoint above EMA(10). Tested and held the 38.2% minor retrace (78.71). Still above all SMA's. No daily 3LB changes (reversal is 78.50). Confirming the monthly 3LB reversal up.



VIX
Spinning top day. Midpoint below EMA(10). Tested and failed SMA(21). Tested and failed its 61.8% minor retrace (38.05). No daily 3LB changes (reversal is 25.25). Still running away from the "extreme fear" zone.



GOLD
Spinning top day. Midpoint below EMA(10). Tested and failed its 50.0% retrace (1651.50). Tested and failed SMA(89). No daily 3LB changes (reversal is 1757.30). Must have the precious.



EURUSD
Spinning top day. Midpoint below EMA(10). Still below all SMA's. Tested and held its 100.0% minor retrace (1.3350). No daily 3LB changes (reversal is 1.3464).



JNK
Bearish short day. Midpoint below EMA(10). Failing all SMA's. Tested and failed its 38.2% minor retrace (36.38). No daily 3LB changes (reversal is 36.71).



10YR YIELD
Bullish short day. Holding above SMA(21). Midpoint above EMA(10). Holding above its 0.0% retrace (18.96). New high on daily 3LB (reversal is 17.15).



WTI
Spinning top day. Tested and failed SMA(21). Midpoint above EMA(10). Holding above its 0.0% retrace (78.53). New high on dally 3LB (reversal is 77.61). Not confirming the monthly 3LB reversal down.



SILVER
Dark cloud cover day. Failing all SMA's. Midpoint below EMA(10). Tested and failed its 61.8% minor retrace (31.80). No daily 3LB changes (reversal is 36.58).



BKX
Dark cloud cover day. Midpoint above EMA(10). Tested and failed SMA(21). Tested and failed its 38.2% minor retrace (36.60). No daily 3LB changes (reversal is 33.65).



HYG/LQD
Hanging man day. Tested and failed SMA(21). Midpoint above EMA(10). Tested and failed its 38.2% minor retrace (0.750). Daily 3LB reversal up (reversal is 0.7241).



USDJPY
Bullish short day. Midpoint above EMA(10). Tested and held SMA(21). Tested and held its 38.2% retrace (76.561). No daily 3LB changes (reversal is 77.63).



TLT
Spinning top day. Midpoint below EMA(10). Tested and held SMA(21). Tested and held its 50.0% minor retrace (117.23). No daily 3LB changes (reversal is 114.86).

IT HAS BEGUN. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

Morning Corner 10.7.11

HYG (weekly info)
-no change (below mid)
trend=down
low= 82.84
rev= 86.86; mid= 84.85


HY lost its luster in June when it reversed lower. There was some hope in late July. But is was fleeting. It's below all SMA's. It's testing its 38.2% retrace (80.40). It's also testing its monthly 3LB mid.



LQD (weekly info)
-no change (below mid)
trend=no
direction=up (1 bar)
high= 113.57
rev= 111.04; mid= 112.31

LQD has held up ok. It actually had its low in October 2008. It just closed below SMA(21) last week. But it also closed below its weekly 3LB mid. The SMA(55) has been the line in the sand for a few years. It's still above any of the minor retraces.

Just reminiscing about bank CEO's, politicians, Fed, IMF, ECB, etc.

AmenRa's Corner

A place where a skillful caddy always offers cool contemplation when it comes to your "stick" selection.

Creditcane™: This is what happens when you walk down a dark alley after being warned.

SPX
Bullish long day. Midpoint above EMA(10). Tested and held SMA(21). Well above the 38.2% minor retrace (1122.84). No daily 3LB changes (reversal is 1200.07). QE2infinity. Back above the daily 3LB mid but still below the weekly 3LB mid.



DXY
Bearish short day. Midpoint above EMA(10). Tested and failed the 38.2% minor retrace (78.71). Still above all SMA's. No daily 3LB changes (reversal is 78.50). Confirming the monthly 3LB reversal up.



VIX
Bearish long day. Midpoint below EMA(10). Tested and failed SMA(21). Tested and failed its 61.8% minor retrace (38.05). No daily 3LB changes (reversal is 25.25). Still running away from the "extreme fear" zone.



GOLD
Spinning top day. Midpoint below EMA(10). Tested and held its 50.0% retrace (1651.50). Failing SMA(89). No daily 3LB changes (reversal is 1757.30). Must have the precious.



EURUSD
Bullish short day. Midpoint below EMA(10). Still below all SMA's. Tested and held its 100.0% minor retrace (1.3350). No daily 3LB changes (reversal is 1.3464).



JNK
Bullish long day. Midpoint below EMA(10). Failing all SMA's. Tested and held its 0.0% retrace (35.62). No daily 3LB changes (reversal is 36.71).



10YR YIELD
Bullish long day. Tested and held SMA(21). Midpoint above EMA(10). Holding above its 0.0% retrace (18.96). No daily 3LB changes (reversal is 17.15).



WTI
Bullish long day. Failing all SMA's. Midpoint above EMA(10). Holding above its 0.0% retrace (78.53). New high on dally 3LB (reversal is 75.67). Not confirming the monthly 3LB reversal down.



SILVER
Bullish long day. Failing all SMA's. Midpoint below EMA(10). Tested and held its 61.8% minor retrace (31.80). No daily 3LB changes (reversal is 36.58).



BKX
Bullish long day. Midpoint above EMA(10). Tested and held SMA(21). Tested and held its 38.2% minor retrace (36.60). Daily 3LB reversal up (reversal is 33.65).



HYG/LQD
Bullish long day. Failing all SMA's. Midpoint below EMA(10). Tested and held its 0.0% retrace (0.7375). Daily 3LB reversal up (reversal is 0.7241).



USDJPY
Bearish short day. Midpoint above EMA(10). Tested and failed SMA(21). Tested and failed its 38.2% retrace (76.561). No daily 3LB changes (reversal is 77.63).

IT HAS BEGUN. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

Morning Corner 10.6.11

AUDJPY (weekly info)
new low 0.7376
trend=down
low= 0.7376
rev= 0.7913; mid= 0.7645


AUDJPY is dropping hard and fast which indicates a "risk off" for the EU. It's below its SMA(144). It's below its 61.8% retrace. It's below its monthly 3LB mid. It's sill making lower lows.



EURCHF (weekly info)
-no change (above mid)
trend=no
direction=up (2 bars)
high= 1.2190
rev= 1.0914; mid= 1.1552

EURCHF is holding above the peg set by the SNB at 1.20. They have not been challenged so far. It's above the SMA(21) and monthly 3LB mid. It's also above its 61.8% minor retrace.

R.I.P.

AmenRa's Corner

A place where a skillful caddy always offers cool contemplation when it comes to your "stick" selection.

"Dexia what?"

Creditcane™: No matter powerful your "cane" is, one well placed rumor can be your downfall.

SPX
Bullish long day (confirmed bullish piercing). Midpoint below EMA(10). Failing all SMA's. Tested and held the 38.2% minor retrace (1122.84). No daily 3LB changes (reversal is 1200.07). QE2infinity. Still below the daily and weekly mids.



DXY
Spinning top day. Midpoint above EMA(10). Failing the 100.0% retrace (79.60). Still above all SMA's. No daily 3LB changes (reversal is 78.50). Confirming the monthly 3LB reversal up.



VIX
Bearish long day (confirmed bearish engulfing). Midpoint below EMA(10). Above all SMA's. Failing its 0.0% retrace (45.40). Tested and failed its 61.8% minor retrace (38.05). No daily 3LB changes (reversal is 25.25). Found another way to escape from the "extreme fear" zone.



GOLD
Spinning top day. Midpoint below EMA(10). Failing its 50.0% retrace (1651.50). Failing SMA(89). No daily 3LB changes (reversal is 1757.30). Must have the precious.



EURUSD
Doji day. Midpoint below EMA(10). Still below all SMA's. Tested and failed its 100.0% minor retrace (1.3350). No daily 3LB changes (reversal is 1.3464).



JNK
Bullish short day (confirmed takuri). Midpoint below EMA(10). Failing all SMA's. Failing its 0.0% retrace (36.19). No daily 3LB changes (reversal is 36.71).



10YR YIELD
Bullish short day. Failing all SMA's. Midpoint below EMA(10). Tested and held its 0.0% retrace (18.96). No daily 3LB changes (reversal is 17.15).



WTI
Bullish short day. Failing all SMA's. Midpoint below EMA(10). Tested and held its 0.0% retrace (78.53). Dally 3LB reversal up (reversal is 75.67). Not confirming the monthly 3LB reversal down.



SILVER
Hammer day. Failing all SMA's. Midpoint below EMA(10). Tested and failed its 50.0% minor retrace (30.76). No daily 3LB changes (reversal is 36.58).



BKX
Bullish short day (confirmed bullish piercing). Midpoint below EMA(10). Failing all SMA's. Holding above its 0.0% retrace (33.63). No daily 3LB changes (reversal is 36.85).



HYG/LQD
Bullish short day. Failing all SMA's. Midpoint below EMA(10). Failing its 0.0% retrace (0.7375). No daily 3LB changes (reversal is 0.7457).



USDJPY
Spinning top day. Midpoint above EMA(10). Tested and held SMA(21). Tested and held its 38.2% retrace (76.561). No daily 3LB changes (reversal is 77.63).



AAPL
Bullish engulfing day. Tested and held SMA(89). Midpoint below EMA(10). Tested and held its 38.2% retrace (375.78). No daily 3LB changes (reversal is 413.45).

IT HAS BEGUN. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.