The Detroit Lions are 3-0 for the first time in 31 years as they go into Texas to face the Dallas Cowboys who are 2-1. The Lions are underdogs in Vegas odds, but this is one game I would bet money on. (If I had the extra cash to bet.)
So far this season the Lions defense has shown only one weakness. Runs to the outside by fast running backs! Against the Chiefs, Charles had a big play when he ran to the outside. Bowe gained decent yards on an end around. In Minnesota, Peterson was beating us to the outside and Percy Harvy had a huge end around as well. In total the Lions have given up 118 yards on 4 certain plays to the outside. That is slightly more than 1/3 of the total rushing yards the Lions have allowed on the season. Did I mention the Cowboys do not have the real speedy running back that can win games sprinting to the outside?
In fact, the Cowboys are not much of a running team at all. They are the 5th worse running team in the NFL (one worse than even the Lions), but are the 3rd best passing team (one better than Detroit). This is actually playing into the strengths of the Detroit Lions. The Cowboys cannot run but can pass. The Lions are the 4th best against the pass.
The Cowboys offense should have a hard time moving the ball against the Lions defense, and being a pass oriented team, this could be a field day for Ndamukong suh and the Wrecking Crew. On the other hand, the Cowboys are only middle of the pack in stopping the pass and the Lions have one of the most explosive passing games in the NFL.
One intangible to worry about.... The Lions have fallen behind early to all three of their opponents this season. They cannot continue to start slow and expect to continue to come away with wins.
Prediction:
DET - 27
DAL - 13
9/30/11
9/29/11
Success on the Pitch and the Felt
While the game of poker may not be seeing the explosive growth it saw in the late 1990s and early 2000s -- largely fueled by many new fans taking up the game at online sites after seeing it on television -- more and more players give it a try each year. The game has also become a fashionable and trendy pastime for some of Hollywood’s biggest stars as well as with professional athletes and entertainers, with the likes of Tobey Maguire, Nelly, Shane Warne, and Paul Pierce all spotted at the poker tables in big tournaments over the last few years.
Most stars play a few tournaments here and there and treat it more as a publicity stunt but others have taken the game very seriously, to the extent that poker has become a full-time profession for some athletes once their playing days are done. Former footballers have especially fared well at the poker tables, with the same competitive drive (and likely countless hours on team planes, buses, and at hotels spent playing cards) serving them just as well at the poker table as it did during the days on the pitch.
You need look no farther than a trio of former football players to see the above in action, with Teddy Sheringham, Tony Cascarino, and Jan Vang Sørensen all making their names name in the poker world. Major titles have eluded Sheringham and Cascarino so far but they’ve each have plenty of big paydays on the poker tournament circuit. Sheringham won about $120,000 in a European Poker Tour event in August 2010 while Cascarino scored a massive payday of nearly $300,000 when he won a Grosvenor UK Poker Tour tournament in November 2009.
The biggesr success of former footballers, though, is Jan Vang Sørensen, who has won more than $2 million overall in his poker career at tournaments. He also has two coveted World Series of Poker bracelets to his credit from winning WSOP events in 2002 and 2005 and won just over $800,000 in 2008 when he won the Masters Classics of Poker event in Amsterdam.
Most stars play a few tournaments here and there and treat it more as a publicity stunt but others have taken the game very seriously, to the extent that poker has become a full-time profession for some athletes once their playing days are done. Former footballers have especially fared well at the poker tables, with the same competitive drive (and likely countless hours on team planes, buses, and at hotels spent playing cards) serving them just as well at the poker table as it did during the days on the pitch.
You need look no farther than a trio of former football players to see the above in action, with Teddy Sheringham, Tony Cascarino, and Jan Vang Sørensen all making their names name in the poker world. Major titles have eluded Sheringham and Cascarino so far but they’ve each have plenty of big paydays on the poker tournament circuit. Sheringham won about $120,000 in a European Poker Tour event in August 2010 while Cascarino scored a massive payday of nearly $300,000 when he won a Grosvenor UK Poker Tour tournament in November 2009.
The biggesr success of former footballers, though, is Jan Vang Sørensen, who has won more than $2 million overall in his poker career at tournaments. He also has two coveted World Series of Poker bracelets to his credit from winning WSOP events in 2002 and 2005 and won just over $800,000 in 2008 when he won the Masters Classics of Poker event in Amsterdam.
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