No Runny Eggs

After breaking the story that the pro-illegal-immigrant group Voces de la Frontera stormed the property of Sen. Cathy Stepp because she supports a piece of legislation they oppose, and that Sen. Stepp will be pursuing charges (that would be AB69, which would bring Wisconsin into compliance with federal law that drivers’ licenses be issued only to people in the country legally), Fred goes on to dig into this group. He found that this group was investigated for illegally registering non-citizens to vote last year, and that Marquette University has rather close ties to this group.

One would think that either the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel or Racine Journal Times would find the time to report this considering that the incident happened Friday night, and that Sen. Stepp announced she would be pursuing charges by early Saturday afternoon, but apparently this doesn’t fit either paper’s agenda. Indeed, the Milwaukee paper doesn’t even have a clue that AB69 is going through the Senate.

Suppose that the Minutemen came up to Milwaukee and did this to Pedro Colon, an opponent of this bill, because he opposses it. Who here doesn’t think that this would be the banner headline in both yesterday’s and today’s papers, or that this wouldnb’t be national?

Revisions/extensions parts 1 and 2 – It’s Monday morning, and those chainsaws you hear are coming from sleeping reporters and editors both 4th and State in Milwaukee and wherever the Journal Times has its offices. Still nothing from them. Meanwhile, Jessica and Fred point out that Voces de la Frontera is a 501(c)(3) organization, and dig out their 2004 Form 990 (their federal “Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax”), where they claim to not have made any effort to influence politics at any level (part 2 is to correct attribution; I really need to have my full dose of caffeine before blogging).

Paging Mr. Biskupic. Paging US Attorney Steve Biskupic. Here is your federal hook.

First up, Rammin’ & Jammin’, a Red State guy paying Blue State taxes. How I didn’t catch him before is beyond me.

Next, TAXH8R, a newcomer to the blogosphere spotted by my blogfather, GBfan. He’s very promising, especially with his license plate and hatred of Dan Vrakas’ performance thus far as Waukesha County exec.

Sadly, the guy behind Reality Check went back to commenting, so he got booted from the blogroll.

Fred asks you to call them to support AB69, the bill that will limit the issuance of Wisconsin drivers’ licenses to those that are in Wisconsin legally and ensure that you won’t need a passport to fly out of an airport, even if it’s only from, say, Madison to Milwaukee.

When and if Sen. Jeff Plale gets back to me on the bad-gas bill, I’ll ask him about this one as well.

I was remiss before in saying that by supporting this, you’ll help to stick thumbs in the eyes of the likes of the Marquette University-sponsored Voces de la Frontera, who stormed the private property of Senator Cathy Stepp last night. Now why do I get the feeling that the Journtinels (Milwaukee and Racine) will continue to ignore this?

That’s right; with college ball now in Bowl Season (F’em Bucky!), we have Saturday NFL games through the end of the season and into the first 2 weeks of the playoffs. So, without further adieu, let’s get you started off right at the pay window.

New England (-4.5) @ Tampa Bay – I may not know which way the Pats are going, but I do know that the Bucs are falling, falling, falling.
Kansas City (+3) @ NY Giants – You can’t be considered a contender without a kicker.
Denver @ Buffalo (+8.5) – Just too much lumber to lay down.
San Francisco @ Jacksonville (-15.5) – Throw some salt in the splinter wounds on your Man; offer him San Francisco and 37.5 (the over/under).
San Diego @ Indianapolis (-7.5) – Stats of the week (courtesy Yahoo) – The Colts have scored in 31 consecutive quarters and haven’t trailed in the last 438 minutes, 16 seconds, dating to the third quarter of a 45-28 win over St. Louis on Oct. 17.
NY Jets @ Miami (-9) – Surely the bookies can’t be serious about only forcing me to lay the short 9 in this one.
Carolina (-9) vs New Orleans @ Baton Rouge – Have the Aints even covered in Tiger Stadium?
Seattle (-7) @ Tennessee – The Walrus wants home field in the worst way; fortunately, Tennessee qualifies as one of the worst. Take the under 45 because Tennessee will continue to not score.
Pittsburgh (-3) @ Minnesota – Duh Viqueens caught their break of the week when only 4 players (2 on injured reserve) netted a total of 12 misdemeanor charges from the Love Boat.
Arizona (-2) @ Houston – Why encourage the Texans to make money from their quest for Reggie Bush? Oh well, profit from it.
Philadelphia @ St Louis (-3.5) – This may set the record for most starters on injured reserve in the modern era (since “injured reserve” meant “out for the season”).
Cleveland (+3) @ Oakland – The coin said Raiders, but I invoked executive priviledge on this one.
Cincinnati @ Detroit (+8) – Again, too many points to give.
Dallas (+3) @ Washington – If the Tuna chokes this one, put James on suicide watch.
Atlanta @ Chicago (-3) – If the Pack can beat up the Falcons in Atlanta, surely the Bears can maul them in the cold of December. Expect the chants for Grossman to start early.
Green Bay (+3.5) @ Baltimore – Over/under on the teary-eyed Al Michaels/John Madden goodbyes to Favre – 6.5 (go over), over/under on the game – 33 (go under).

Here I thought Charlie was on vacation until 2006, and he goes and picks up on an interesting part of E. Michael McCann’s (D-Corruption) comments at Chuck Chvala’s (D-Convict) sentencing. Guess the Potawatomi part of my ID for Jim “Craps” Doyle (WEAC/ADM-Potawatomi) struck the outgoing McCan’t the same way it struck me.

Any bets on what kind of sentence Brian Blanchard (D-Madistan) will push for if he’s able to convict his ham sandwiches? Brian Burke plea-bargained down to 6 months of Huber Law, and Chvala talked the judge into giving him 9 months of Huber Law instead of the 6 months of Huber Law recommended by the prosecution.

A bit of housekeeping to Charlie; how about having the techies set up a RSS feed? It would make it so much easier to keep up with Sykes Writes.

Yesterday, the state Assembly was good enough to vote to stop the automatic increase in the gas tax (expect Craps to veto it at 4:53 pm 12/23 because it would cut into his personal slush fund and the Senate to uphold the veto Craps said he would sign it, but as of the AM 12/21, he hasn’t). Today, they passed a bill, AB15 (amended) mandating a 10%-ethanol blend in regular gas (they were “kind” enough to take out the mid-grade) starting in October 2006 (the vast majority of the gas sold in Wisconsin) 54-38 (H/T for the vote total – Kevin). Jim “Craps” Doyle (WEAC/ADM-Potawatomi) will sign it if it passes the Senate, so give your State Senators hell again. Their staffers should know who you are by now.

Now, for the meaning behind the title (warning, fancy math ahead). That tainted E10 gasoline gets about 5% worse mileage than straight E0 gasoline (specifically in my side-by-side case, 6.25%). That means you’re burning about 5.3% more gasoline, and paying taxes on that additional 5.3%. IF Craps does sign the end to the automatic gas-tax increase, that would cap the gas tax at roughly 30.5 cents per gallon after its final automatic increase (estimated at about 1 cent/gallon) in 2006.

Let’s assume you drive 12,000 miles a year with your average car that burns regular gas and get 20 miles per gallon on straight E0 gas (to use round numbers). You’d be burning 600 gallons and kicking in $183 in gas taxes. A penny increase in the gas tax, slightly more than what it has averaged (again, I’ll run with it to use round numbers) would mean a $6 increase in your contribution, bumping it up to $189.

Now, drive that same 12,000 miles on E10 gas. You’d only get 19 miles per gallon, and burn about 632 gallons of ethanol-laced gas. At that 30.5 cents/gallon gas tax, you’d kick in $192.76. That’s $9.76 more than you would otherwise, and $3.76 more than if the Assembly had done nothing, allowed the gas tax to go up automatically, and didn’t require you to burn ethanol-laced gas.

Even taken out to the second year, the cumulative effect is a net tax increase. With a gas-tax freeze and an E10 requirement, you’d still pay $192.76 that year in gas taxes and $385.52 over the two years; with an automatically-increasing gas tax and no E10 requirement, in that second year, you’d pay $195 that year and $384 over the two years, and with a gas-tax freeze and no E10 requirement, you’d still pay $183 that second year and $366 over the two years. Let me restate; the sum total is a tax increase.

It just gets worse if Craps does what I expect and decides he likes his slush fund too much. You’d kick in $199 in gas taxes in the first year, $205 in the second, and $404 over the two years. If you think that extra $38 will go toward roads, I have a bridge or two to sell you.

Once again, the call to phones is in effect. Ask your state senators to kill AB15.

Revisions/extensions – I forgot about the $0.03 (soon to be $0.02) per gallon “tank inspection” fee. With E10, that takes another $0.64 out of your pocket per year. Also did some minor corrections.

Revisions/extensions part 3 – since this has been submitted into this week’s Carnival of the Badger, I redacted my prediction of a Craps veto. Of course, I trust his word about half as far as I can throw him, so that prediction is not yet entirely invalid.

Now that it has passed the Assembly 74-23 (by a veto-proof margin) after squeaking through the Senate 20-13 (NOT a veto-proof margin), it’s time to guess when/if Jim “Craps” Doyle will veto it. Patrick and Brian Fraley (filling in for Owen over at Boots and Sabers) seem to think he’ll actually sign it, while Fred and Kevin think he’ll veto it (Fred goes so far as to call for a Friday veto, just in time for Christmas) and Peter has no idea.

As for me, I’ll even come up with the specific time that he’ll veto this; 4:53 pm Friday, December 23. The official reason will be the one pointed to by Fred and Kevin, that it would make the highways “less-safe” (as if the $1 billion that Craps looted from the fund didn’t have that kind of impact). In reality, it will be because it shuts off the automatic growth of Craps’ favorite slush fund. The end to the indexing will cost a LOT less than Craps’ raids.

Homer nods – fixed a typo (D’OH!!!!) – or two (D’OH!!!!!!) – and them typos keep on piling up (D’OH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

E. Michael McCan’t (D-Corruption) has decided to take his enhanced pension benefits home next year (he never signed away one red cent of them). The Journal Sentinel story has some interesting tidbits about McCann’s career:

• Back when he was first elected in 1968, both The Milwaukee Journal and Milwaukee Sentinel listed his home address and marvelled that a bachelor would be elected to public office.
• By 1970, he had earned his nickname of McCan’t so well that the Milwaukee Policeman’s Union (the forerunner of the Milwaukee Police Association) illegally campaigned against him for not prosecuting violent crimes vigorously.
• McCann is, strangely enough, pro-life.

(H/T Charlie’s show)

How appropriate it is that the penultimate reaction to the first episode happened 232 years ago Friday. A politically-connected industry finds itself with a massive amount of product that it can’t sell. It goes to the government to get a monopoly in a new market to get rid of it and goes on to claim that it will actually cost less to do it that way. Charlie, his Insight Check callers, and I aren’t talking about the East India Tea Company back in the 1770s (which led to the Boston Tea Party and ultimately the creation of the United States of America), but ethanol in 2005. That’s right, the Assembly forgot its history and is planning on cramming the more-expensive, less-efficient, more-polluting, small-engine-killing statewide ethanol mandate through tomorrow.

Those staffers you called regarding the repeal of the automatic gas-tax increase (which went through the Assembly by a veto-proof margin; all indications are that Craps will veto it and let the Senate uphold the veto as it didn’t pass by 2/3rds there) are still there in Madison. Call them NOW!

10:40 – After a hunt for a quarter, we get the OT rules (sudden-death, 1 15-minute period, 2 time-outs, all challenges from the booth), and the Pack wins the toss to get the ball.

10:43 – Chatman does a good return after the best kickoff of the night (which went down to the Packer 2). Pack starts at their 35. Driver couldn’t quite find the handle as he reacts to Favre’s rollout and Favre threw it like he wouldn’t cut off the route. Henderson picks up another first down on a screen.

10:46 – Thank you Shawn Rogers. After he drove Gado out of bounds at midfield, he threw him into the Lions bench. Packers have the ball at the Lions 35.

10:49 – I’ll take the hangover if Sander doesn’t botch the snap. Fergie made a catch inside the 20. Just don’t fumble, Gado.

10:51 – 28-yard attempt by Longwell from the right hashmark, and the Lions are going to try to ice him. Right down the pike. Good guys win 19-16. Sure they screwed up their chances at Reggie Bush, but with Sammy the Bull, who needs him? :-)

9:49 – If McQuarters could run more than 60 yards, that would have been a pick-six instead of a knockdown, then Favre eats a sack. This time, the field goal is not blocked. We’re tied at 13.

9:54 – The listing of sponsors reminded me of when NFL Films had a kick-ass site. I used to waste hours of bandwidth playing the NFL score. KGB leveled by a running back on a scramble, but you can’t block Jackson 1-on-1. Roy Williams is a better receiver than Al Harris – someone get him Gado’s spikes. Roman finally exposed as the Packers do another jailbreak blitz against the empty-backfield look. How is it that throw-short-of-the-sticks plays only work against the Pack, not for them? Shoop Jauron still believes he can run up the gut of Jackson; I hope he never learns (well, he didn’t learn on 3rd and goal either). Lions waste a lot of time and ultimately a timeout in trying to decide whether the third time’s a charm. BWAHAHAHA!!!!!

10:04 – Thank you Jauron! The reason the Starr sneak worked in the Ice Bowl is because there weren’t 350-pounders like Jackson playing right over the center.

10:07 – Sherman’s idea of an own-goal-line offense; line up in a deep I formation, have Whiffaker false-start to start things off, then hand the ball off 5 yards deep in the end zone with your backup fullback (who whiffs), a hold on Mark Tauscher (not ruled in the end zone even though he was 3 yards deep), an initial ruling that Gado’s intentional fumble was intentional grounding in the end zone and thus a safety, a non-challenge “challenge” and a reversal, ruling that Gado was outside the tackle box, and the pass got to the line and was thus a legal pass. Given second life, they get out of the shadows and get a first, Gado puts it on the ground again but is erroneously ruled down by contact, and breaks the team rookie single-game record for yards rushing.

10:19 – Whiffaker has another false-start, and Fergie ALMOST made a shoestring catch to keep the drive alive. Where was this 50-yard punt earlier; it drove McQuarters back to his 24.

10:22 – Roy Williams forgot the first rule of catching the ball; don’t run before you catch it. He had Roman and Hawkins split and beat, and the ball was there. That turns into a 3-and-out, and all the Packers need is 3 in 2:10 from their 37.

10:24 – Favre overthrew an open Chatman deep, then gets dumped as the interior of the line collapsed. 2-minute warning, 3rd and 16.

10:28 – Nobody got open, so Favre got what he could. Piss-poor kick, and the Lions have the ball on their 29 pending the flag (make that their 19 after a block in the back). Piss-poor clock management on Jauron’s part.

10:31 – It’s beginning to look a lot like overtime. I’m out of liquor, but live-blog I must.

10:33 – Now that 2 running plays ran more time off the clock and got them a first down, they’re trying to get in field-goal range. First down was a pressure-cooker incomplete, 2nd was a how did they didn’t call Carroll for interference incomplete, 3rd down is out of bounds short of the first. and the Pack will have 3 time-outs and the ball at their 26 with some time left.

10:35 – Illegal shift takes time off and another 5 yards. Now it’s 9 seconds left and the ball back at the 23. I don’t think Favre can throw it 77 yards.

10:39 – Ball picked at the Lions 23 (probably would have made the 15 if he threw it straight instead of back toward the left sideline), and street ball doesn’t get the ball into the end zone for the Lions. We’re going to OT, baby!

Homer nods – I shouldn’t do math and drunken blogging at the same time. Upon further review, that pass would’ve made at least the 8. Still don’t think he can get it 77 yards.

9:04 – Hey Berman, Disney doesn’t have hockey anymore, and the NHL got rid of the old division names long, long ago. In other sports – Rocket back to the Red Sox? (must be the money); and Ron “Boom-Boom” Artest wants out of Indiana, no word on the rumors that Don King is now his manager (okay, I made that last part up, but give me a break – them drinks are getting stronger as the night keeps on getting longer). Attention, your attention please. Saturday NFL games start next weekend. For you gambling degenerates and pool-playing palookas (this includes me), you now have one less day to figure out the week.

9:18 – Down goes Hanson, down goes Hanson. Packers get the ball at their 40 as Hanson shakes off slipping as he planted his left leg to drive the ball. Favre, Fergie is not Walker; you can’t underthrow him like that. Add Theisman to the Favre’s back crowd, as McQuarters almost pick-sixed a forced pass toward the absent Donald Driver. 3-and-out #2.

9:22 – Good Ahmad shows up again, then Nick Collins does his Leroy Butler impersonation. The Lions aren’t sending enough guys out on routes; Roman hasn’t been exposed lately, but they’re dolng just enough to keep the chains moving. Williams the latest victim of the Lambeau turf as throw-short-of-the-marker doesn’t work. Can we pick up Nick Harris; not only can he hold, but he can make those punts stick inside the 5.

9:31 – For not being a “legitimate football player” in Sherman’s eyes, Sammy the Bull sure looks like one. The boy’s got vision, and he picks up the instincts fast enough. Once again, throw-short-of-the-sticks doesn’t work as Driver can’t get there. BJ Sander with yet another piss-poor punt, half the team was under it.

9:38 – Student body left, meet defense body right. A reverse would have worked there; thankfully, it wasn’t on. Somebody woke up the crowd as the Jauron-Shoop branch of the throw-short-of-the-sticks offense sputters to a 3-and-out. Field-position advantage, Lions as Chatman fair-catches at the 20.

9:42 – Someone set us up the bomb. Driver get signal. Henderson does a low hurdle on a screen, and even a major face-mask can’t bring him down. Student body right so successful that Vonte Leach doesn’t have anybody to block until he’s 20 yards downfield. Student body left, on the other hand, is unsuccessful as we end the 3rd quarter Good Guys down 3 and driving.

8:25 – Uncle Paulie has just made his Favre prediction; he’s back next year. ESPN shows Favre in warm-ups shooting his own ducks. Henderson still can bull over people on screens. Jay Weber is right; reverses don’t work anymore, but Antonio Chatman somehow splits the two guys waiting for him to make some positive yardage. Piss-poor spot leaves them inches short at the fringes of Longwell’s range, and unlike the last 4th down in Lions’ territory, they go for it. The Bull makes a great adjustment to get the first and more. Fergie wastes it a bit later with a block in the back, and Favre tries to make him pay by leading him into in-the-middle double-coverage. The ensuing field-goal try is blocked (missed it live and in the replays getting some pumpkin pie, so I don’t know who’s to blame).

8:38 – 3-and-out for the Lions brings the first punt of the game, and Chatman loses 2 on the return.

8:42 – Despite the call from ESPN Radio Milwaukee/Waukesha’s talking heads for Rodgers to play (and in Homer’s case, start), Suzy Kobler said Rodgers is okay with staying on the bench for this and next year if Favre’s back. The Bull with nifty running for a 59- 64-yard Lambeau Leap. Score now 13-10 Bad Guys (thank you very much, Turd Fergie).

8:50 – Another short kickoff gives the Lions good field position despite a modest return. Another 3-and-out aided by Playcalling 100 (2 runs and a pass doesn’t even qualify as Playcalling 101) and poor passing from Garcia. The Lions catch a break on the punt as it rolled down to the 3.

8:51 – A run that goes nowhere and a pass that goes nearly nowhere gets us to the 2-minute warning.

8:56 – Somehow the “throw-short-of-the-down-marker” play gets the first down. That screen play is Exhibit ZAA, that poor excuse of a draw is Exhibit ZAB, and that Whiffaker whiff on that run is Exhibit ZAC in why guards and offensive linemen are important (you listening, Teddy Thompson). Mikie doesn’t drop his blanket as they go to the boys in the booth. RW McQuarters ruins a chance at a free kick as BJ Sander has a piss-poor punt.

9:01 – A couple of jailbreak blitzes plus some bad receiving (Williams doesn’t read the blitz on 1st down, doesn’t get the handle on a perfect ball on 2nd down) leaves a poorly-thought-out 3rd-down play where the receiver doesn’t get out of bounds. The half mercifully ends, 13-10 Bad Guys.

7:30 – TV – check (no HD; don’t have the HD set where I have the computer, I don’t have a laptop/wireless router, and even if I did, ESPNHD is an extra expense and at least last time, they didn’t send the HD feed down the line to WISN). Beer – check. Full belly from a delayed Thanksgiving dinner – check. More beer – check. ESPN really playing up the possibility of Favre retiring, had William Henderson on the pregame montage.

7:38 – Mikey, Mikey, Mikey, they don’t wear blaze orange in a duck blind. The Lions start off with good field position (their 32), but they have a false start penalty to start things off. A good stuff on 1st down and good coverage by Ahmad Carroll (the apocalypse is nigh) is wasted on piss-poor 3rd-and-14, then Kevin Jones does his not-so-great Barry Sanders impersionation to get them inside the Packers 10. Two more Jones runs puts them within a quarterback sneak of the end zone as Jones gets his arm bent back.

7:46 – Somewhere down there was Grady Jackson as the Lions are forced to send in Jason Hanson to kick an off-camber 3-point extra point. Dead-nuts-center (no BJ Sander trying to hold here). 3-0 Bad Guys.

7:50 – Carroll is no better at returning kicks than Andrae Thurman was. They start 3 yards further out than Detroit despite getting a kick 7 yards shorter than Longwell’s effort. 2-and-out as Favre fumbles (Theisman, everybody and their brother knows that the plastic on Favre’s right hand didn’t help any). Meanwhile, Detroit methotically grinds out another 1st and goal and the Packers burn a timeout. Uncle Paulie makes the first smart observation of the day – don’t run inside on Grady Jackson as he takes up all the room. Now the Lions get ESPN more time to run commercials. Shoop must be running the Lions offense as on 3rd and goal, they try to run up the middle. Now 6-0 bad guys.

8:01 – Another short kick, another short return. Fergie must have either Stick-Um on his jersey or a permanent impression in his chest as Favre goes over 3000 yards for the 14th straight season (a new NFL record). Audrae actually caught a pass, and they’re marching with a heavy dose of Sammy the Bull (who now has twice as many starts in the NFL than he did at Liberty). Piss-poor pass into triple-coverage toward Fergie in the end zone, fortunately it’s not picked. After a typical Sherman/Rossley throw well short of the first on 3rd down, it’s a Longwell field goal to put the Pack on the board. 6-3 Lions.

8:10 – Decent distance on the ensuing kickoff, but the only thing that saved the touchdown was McQuarters’ mumblin’ bumblin’ stumblin’ to give the Lions their second red-zone start in 3 possessions. There’s the Ahmad Carroll I know; defensive holding moves the Lions 5 yards closer (and a respectable QB would have completed that for a 1st-and-goal). Juggling catch by Williams as he pushed off Al Harris for an apparent TD (instead of a yellow flag for offensive pass interference, you have a red challenge flag). Time to implement Operation No Opposing Fans; Williams does a Lambeau Leap. I remember a Oilers/Steelers game in the late ’70s where the Oilers’ receiver juggled the ball all the way through the end zone. Touchdown stands. 13-3 bad guys. Hope I have enough liquor, I may be hitting the heavy stuff early.

8:22 – Yet another sub-20-yard kickoff return. It’s a good thing that Jason Hanson can’t boot the ball more than 55 yards. A 4-yard gain by Gado ends quarter 1 and this portion of the live blog. Will I be wasted by halftime? Stay tuned.

Just been too wiped to blog, but if it’s Sunday, it’s the NFL (and for a couple weeks, Saturday too). I’ll see if I can figure out if I’m still making money for the year later.

New England (-3.5) @ Buffalo – Take the over 36 as well
Pittsburgh @ Chicago (+6.5) – Two great defenses (I know, the Steelers got shredded lately), meet two pitiful excuses of offenses. Offenses, meet the Soldier Field turf. Go under the 30.
Cleveland @ Cincinnati (-12.5) – First the White Sox, now the BenGALS. Hope you have your end-of-the-world kit ready.
Tampa Bay @ Carolina (-5.5) – The Panthers are the 2nd-best team in the NFC. That’s only by default.
Indianapolis (-9) @ Jacksonville – Indy’s got everything clicking. They could play this game in Jupiter with Manning going uphill all game and they’d still blow them out.
Houston @ Tennessee (-7) – Just hope that the Texans take Leinart.
St. Louis @ Minnesota (-7) – See what I said about the Panthers.
Oakland @ NY Jets (+3) – You heard me right; the J-E-T-S SUCK SUCK SUCK! are due.
San Francisco @ Seattle (-16.5) – The only reason it isn’t Seattle -26.5 is because they’re looking past Duh Whiners.
NY Giants (-9) @ Philadelphia – More bad news for the only MASH unit more banged up than the Pack.
Washington (-4) @ Arizona – Red feathers look good on the Redskins.
San Diego (-13.5) @ Miami – The National Hurricane Center has extended the tropical season until January.
Kansas City (+3) @ Dallas – So much for the Tuna.
Baltimore @ Denver (-14.5) – I’m tempted to give the over/under of 40 to any suckers that want the OldBrowns.
Detroit (+6) @ Green Bay – I have to agree with Paul; when there’s only a 50-50 chance of the Packers winning outright, 6 points is way too much to give.
New Orleans (+10.5) @ Atlanta – The Dirty Birds have a nasty habit of playing down to their competition (see the Packer game).

Been under the weather and busy spending the money; that explains why I’ve been silent all week. I’ll recap later, but for those that actually gamble with these picks (you best be doing this legally), these are the winning plays at the pay window this week.

Tampa Bay (-3.5) vs New Orleans @ Baton Rouge
Dallas @ NY Giants (-3)
Green Bay @ Chicago (-7)
Cincinnati @ Pittsburgh (-3)
Jacksonville (-3) @ Cleveland
Minnesota @ Detroit (+2.5)
Tennessee @ Indianapolis (-16) – Go under the 50.5 as well
Atlanta @ Carolina (-3)
Houston (+8.5) @ Baltimore – Take the over 38 for more money
Buffalo (+3) @ Miami
Arizona (-3) @ San Francisco
Washington @ St Louis (+3)
NY Jets @ New England (-10)
Denver (-1) @ Kansas City
Oakland @ San Diego (-11.5)
Seattle (-4) @ Philadelphia