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October 1, 2021

Here come the NFL NFTs

If you heard all the buzz surrounding NBA Top Shot during the pandemic, but were waiting to take the plunge into the NFT world until something bigger came along … well, you’re in luck. 

This week, the NFL and Dapper Labs (the company behind NBA Top Shot) announced a partnership that should bring NFL NFTs to the marketplace before the end of this season.

NBA Top Shot was a big benefactor of the increased interest in sports collectibles during the pandemic, sparking $700 million in transactions from October 2020 through May of this year (but volume has dropped quite a bit since then). And there are more than one million registered users on the Top Shot platform right now. Both the NFL Players Association and the NFL will get equity in Dapper Labs as part of the deal.

Also:

• What is an NFT?
• Company vows NFL NFTs will be very different than NBA ones
• The 10 most expensive Top Shot moments right now

Betting

All eyes on New England …

This week in the NFL, there’s a little game Sunday night where this Tom Brady guy is going back to New England to face the coach and the team he dramatically departed just over a season ago.

And if the Brady vs. Bill Belichick showdown wasn’t enough, Brady needs just 68 yards to pass Drew Brees and set the NFL’s all-time passing yardage record.

NBC’s promos for the game have been great (as is the backstory of how NBC landed the most high-profile game in years), and even ex-Patriot Julian Edelman has chimed in with an unbelievable meme of his own.

While the ratings for the game should be monstrous, we thought it might be helpful to provide a few betting options to consider to make the game even more entertaining than all the mega-subplots already involved.

• Tom Brady vs. Mac Jones most TD passes (Brady -170, Jones +370, Tie +300)
• Will Brady break the passing record in the first quarter (Yes -200, No +150)
• Tom Brady over 443.5 passing yards – his career high at Foxboro (+1200)

Trivia question: Most people know Tom Brady holds the record for most Super Bowl appearances by a quarterback with 10 (which is also the most by any player at any position), but which quarterback is in second place? (Hint: He has five Super Bowl appearances)

(The answer is at the bottom of this email)

The Sportsgirl’s Take

The weight (and expectations) of Sooner nation

I’m Rhonda, a Sooner girl from Oklahoma. This is my first addition to this newsletter, and I’m excited to get started. I’ll be here once a week with some fun sports takes and even some videos. You can find me on Instagram @the_sportsgirl. 

When you grow up in Oklahoma, the love affair with the Sooners starts early. Sooner lore runs deep: Billy Simms, the Boz, Barry Switzer, seven Heisman trophy winners. The OU fight song declares, “I’m a Sooner born and a Sooner bred, and when I die, I’ll be Sooner dead.” 

Sooner fandom is magical, but also unforgiving, and at times, unbearable. When I was a little girl, former OU coach Gary Gibbs was run out of town. Gibbs inherited a scandal-ridden program and though he cleaned it up and led the Sooners to six straight winning seasons, it wasn’t enough. It’s a ring or nothing.

Oklahoma QB Spencer Rattler, who was highly touted, and the preseason Heisman favorite, was booed by his own fans last Saturday after an underwhelming performance. The hype hasn’t matched his play, but did he deserve that? The expectations are high, the history of this program is deep, and Rattler must get tough or he’s going to need a shield. 

Gear And Tech

The global rolex shortage

Rolex, which commands 25 percent of the global luxury watch market, is legendary for its secrecy and lack of public relations. And thanks to supply shortages and the usual wacky supply-and-demand trends of the pandemic, it’s been almost impossible to land one of the luxury timepieces.

But recently, in a very uncharacteristic public statement, the company denied a big report that the recent scarcity was an intentional strategy.

Health And Fitness

Bubble trouble

The benefits of drinking water are way beyond well-documented at this point (it is a $4 billion industry now after all). But if you find drinking still water as boring as watching paint dry and have switched to sparkling (or seltzer) water to jazz it up, you should know that carbonated water has some slight downsides, especially if you drink a lot.

Travel And Outdoors

The next national park?

Ocmulgee Mounds, a forested park in Macon, Georgia, with 17,000 years of human history, is well on its way to becoming the country’s next national park — and the first one in Georgia.

The area contains massive archaeological collections with thousands of ancient finds dating back to the area’s earliest inhabitants of the last Ice Age, millennia before Egyptians erected the Giza pyramids.

Also:

Best national parks for hiking and camping

Food And Drink

To Spoon Or Not To Spoon?

Watching someone deftly use a spoon to twirl their pasta *might give the impression it’s the proper way … but is it really? Well, we have the answer for how you’re supposed to twirl your pasta and whether or not the spoon should really be part of the process.

Trailer Of The Week

Licorice Pizza

The latest film from Paul Thomas Anderson goes back to the San Fernando Valley of the 1970s where he made his mark with his breakthrough film Boogie Nights nearly 25 years ago.

The film stars Cooper Hoffman (son of the late actor, and frequent Anderson collaborator, Philip Seymour Hoffman) and Alana Haim (from the rock group Haim) in the lead roles and also features Bradley Cooper and Sean Penn.

Something To Talk About…

• The NCAA is considering holding the men’s and women’s basketball Final Fours in the same city.
• Why is every young person in America watchingThe Sopranos?
• Step inside America’s most unusual marijuana farms.
• The Bears might be leaving Soldier Field soon.
• There’s a lot riding on the release of the new James Bond film this weekend.

Super Bowl QB answer:

• Broncos quarterback John Elway appeared in five Super Bowls and held the record for most appearances until Brady broke it in 2015. Elway lost his first three Super Bowl appearances before winning his final two.

All photos courtesy of Shutterstock unless otherwise noted.

 

SEPTEMBER 24, 2021

Ryders on the storm

The United States’ bumpy history in the Ryder Cup is well-documented, but that’s to be expected when you’ve only won the event three times in the last 25 years.

The U.S. has trotted out all-star team after all-star team only to watch the Europeans boozily celebrate time and again in front of their equally ebullient fans. But (and please don’t stop us if you’ve heard it before), could this year’s American team actually be … different?

With six Ryder Cup rookies and an average age of 29 creating the youngest U.S. team ever, the Americans are banking on new blood changing their losing ways once and for all (and they’re actually pretty heavy betting favorites too). And with travel restrictions meaning that few European fans will actually be in attendance at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin, the U.S. team should really have a home-course advantage.

But so far, it seems the only sure thing you can count on is drama in the world of Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau.

Also:

• All 24 Ryder Cup players ranked
• Everything the Americans need to know to beat the Euros
• A full breakdown of each U.S. player’s strengths and weaknesses

Trivia question: The last time the United States won a Ryder Cup played outside the United States was 1993. Can you name the course it was played on (hint: it’s a famous Ryder Cup course) or any of the top three point scorers for the U.S. team?

(The answer is at the bottom of this email)

Betting

Looking Good For Week 3

There’s one mega-matchup of undefeated teams this week (the 2-0 Bucs vs. the 2-0 Rams) and only one game between winless teams (the 0-2 Falcons vs. the 0-2 Giants), but in between there’s plenty of intriguing matchups (Eagles-Cowboys, Chargers-Chiefs, Saints-Patriots) and interesting prop bets to consider:

• Tom Brady + Matthew Stafford to combine for over 599.5 passing yards (+105)
• Dak Prescott + Jalen Hurts each with a rushing touchdown (+500)
• Chargers vs. Chiefs will be the highest-scoring game on Sunday (+450)

Also:

How to bet the 0-2 teams this week

Food And Drink

How To Start A Whiskey Collection

There’s been an explosion of whiskey aficionados lately, and not just because the pandemic drove everyone to drink. But if you are one and aren’t quite sure how to start a legit collection, here are a few suggestions and things to consider.

Also:

Four bourbons you need to try

Gear And Tech

The End Of Cord Clutter?

The European Union has announced plans to force smartphone and other electronics manufacturers to use a common USB-C charging port on their devices. The biggest impact of that will likely be on Apple devices, which still use a proprietary Lightning connector. 

The rule, which still has a number of hurdles to clear before becoming official, is intended to cut down on electronic waste (and hopefully help end that crazy cord clutter that fills every corner of every house now).

Travel And Outdoors

The New Way To Do Disney

If you’re a Disney park regular, or just bracing for the day for when your Disney-obsessed kids force you to take them, you should know that a lot of the park experience is changing.

One of the biggest changes is that FastPasses (which let you cut down your wait time for big attractions) are gone in favor of a new tool in the Disney app called “Disney Genie.” The new feature is meant to be family-friendly algorithm that takes your preferences and mashes them up with a real-time traffic feature to minimize your time in line.

And then, of course, you can pay a little extra for “Disney Genie+” which will let you cut the lines via a “Lightning Line” too.

(Photo courtesy of Disney)

Health And Fitness

What Is Running Cadence, And Does It Matter

Cadence, or the number of steps runners take per minute, is a data point calculated on many GPS watches, but most runners don’t quite know what to do with it.

For decades, the message had been that 180 steps per minute should be the goal, but it turns out that’s rather outdated and the ideal number really depends on the individual than some magic target.

Also:

Marathons you should run

Trailer Of The Week

Post-Apocalyptic Hanks

In Finch, Tom Hanks plays the lone survivor of a global apocalypse who embarks on a dangerous journey to find a new home for his unlikely family — his dog and a newly created robot. Finch, which will debut on Apple TV+ on Nov. 5, is directed by Emmy winner Miguel Sapochnik, who helmed several pivotal episodes of HBO’s Game of Thrones.

Something To Talk About…

• Sopranos creator David Chase (and creator of the upcoming prequel The Many Saints of Newark) is “extremely angry” with HBO Max.
• Netflix has opened the door to the possibility of having live sports.
• There could be a huge strike coming that would shut down Hollywood productions.
• Tracking the Heisman Trophy odds so far this season

Ryder Cup answer:

• The U.S. won the 1993 Ryder Cup at The Belfry in England (which has hosted the event four times, more than any other course in the world), and the Americans were led by Payne Stewart, Corey Pavin and Raymond Floyd, who all had three points in leading the U.S. to a 15-13 victory.

All photos courtesy of Shutterstock unless otherwise noted.

September 17, 2021

Is Las Vegas a sports town now?

The first Raiders game with fans in Las Vegas was definitely worth waiting for, and it might have kicked off a new era in the city: one where Las Vegas can actually be considered a sports town.

In the past, sure there would be the occasional prize fight or UFC event, but with the NHL’s Golden Knights already in place and now the ultimate trophy sport in town with the Raiders, Las Vegas is no longer just the place you go just to bet on sports.

The Golden Knights and Raiders aren’t all the city can boast about, the WNBA’s Aces call Vegas home and the city is likely to land the 30th MLS franchise soon. And if that’s not enough, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred recently floated the city as a possible destination for the A’s if they don’t figure out their stadium situation in Oakland, and the city is regularly mentioned as a possible NBA home in the not-too-distant future as well.

And with sports betting now being legal in so many places beyond just Las Vegas, maybe it’s about time sports fans have a few more options when visiting Sin City.

Also:

• New stadiums worth visiting
• Why Las Vegas is an underrated sports town
• Las Vegas sports calendar

Trivia question: There was a time when UNLV basketball was the only real game in town in Las Vegas. And the marquee event for that team was when the Runnin’ Rebels beat Duke to win the 1990 NCAA title. Can you name three of the five starters on that team? Hint: Three of them were NBA lottery picks together in 1991.

(The answer is at the bottom of this email)

Betting

Wild Props For Week 2

Now that we’re on to Week 2 in the NFL, there is another slate of intriguing prop bets to consider, especially if you think some big names who struggled in Week 1 might have a bounce-back week.

Here are a few interesting ones:

• Combined Patrick Mahomes passing yards + Lamar Jackson rushing yards over 365.5 (-110)
• Aaron Rodgers over 300.5 Passing Yards (+125)
• Kyler Murray 5 or more combined passing touchdowns + rushing touchdowns (+500)
• Ezekiel Elliott most rushing yards Sunday (+2200)
• Any team to score a safety on Sunday (Yes -250, No +185)

Food And Drink

How To Order Wine Without Getting Ripped Off

Did you know many restaurants mark up the second-cheapest bottle of wine on the menu deliberately, playing off of the instinct of diners wanting to avoid the cheapest one on the list. But there’s actually a pretty simple way to order and not get ripped off.

Also:

Four bourbons you need to try

Gear And Tech

Cool and … Kind Of Creepy?

You can now get Facebook, well, on your face, since the first pair of smart glasses made by Facebook and Ray-Ban are now on sale for $299. They’re called Ray-Ban Stories, and early reviews are a lot better than when Snapchat debuted those other glasses that quickly fizzled.

(Photo courtesy of Ray-Ban)

Health And Fitness

Learn To Lose The Love Handles

Even if all your measurements are within “healthy” ranges, you can still get those annoying love handles around your midsection. But there’s a pretty obvious cause for them and several ways you can work on getting rid of them.

Also:

How to lose that dad bod

Travel And Outdoors

They Call It ‘Rusticating’

The last 18 months have led a lot of Americans to really seek out nature, tranquility and even isolation after the chaos and cabin fever of the pandemic.

One place they can do that is up in Maine at Acadia National Park. And there you can partake in something called “rusticating” which is essentially the 19th-century version of going country. Think: picnics by rowboat, plein-air painting or day-long hikes along mountain trails.

Also:

Best national parks for hiking and camping

Trailer Of The Week

Don’t Look Up

Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Jonah Hill, Cate Blanchett and oh yeah, Meryl Streep all star in Adam McKay’s latest film, Don’t Look Up. DiCaprio and Lawrence star as two astronomers who go on a media tour to warn everyone of an approaching comet that will destroy Earth. The film debuts in select theaters Dec. 10 and on Netflix Dec. 24.

Something To Talk About…

• Apple had one of its big events this week. Here are the eight biggest announcements they made.
• Brooks Koepka was making headlines before the Ryder Cup, and for all the wrong reasons again.
• The largest cruise ship in the world is set to launch.
• The Urban Meyer-to-USC memes had a field day after the week both of those programs had.
• Emma Raducanu’s amazing, out-of-nowhere win at the U.S. Open is going to pay off quite handsomely for her now.

UNLV starting five answer:

• Larry Johnson, Stacey Augmon and Greg Anthony were all lottery picks in 1991 after leading UNLV to the national title in 1990. Anderson Hunt and David Butler joined them in the starting five.

All photos courtesy of Shutterstock unless otherwise noted.