NFL Favorite Picks - Week 9

Last week I correctly predicted the Ravens would beat the Raiders handily and that the Titans would cover the spread against Colts. The Jets won, but didn’t come close to covering. I’m now 6-3 to date on my favorite picks.
This week, I like the Giants (-8.5) against the Cowboys. There is some extra bad blood between these two division foes. The 'Boys bragged they were the best team in the league last year and apparently never gave the G-Men their due. With the Cowboys in disarray, the Giants are in a position to run it up.
The Titans are 7-0, but I saw some chinks against the Colts. The Packers may be the best 4-3 team in the league. I’ll take the Pack (+5.5). Finally, it appears the Bengals have quit already. The Jaguars need a win. Take the Jags (-7.5).
Check out all the staff NFL picks on page 2 of the Sunday sports section.

Remembering Dan Hunter

Share Your Memories of Dan Hunter

New Sunday comic

Approximately 100 people voted in our poll to select a new Sunday comic. They were asked to rank their top three choices in order. Baby Blues was the overwhelming winner, receiving the most first, second and third place votes. I only became a regular reader when the votes started coming in and have already become a fan of Baby Blues. It will start this Sunday.
Mallard Fillmore received 16 first place votes, compared to 25 for Baby Blues. But the duck received almost no second or third place votes. People seemed to either love or hate Mallard Fillmore. Funky Winkerbean finished second. My personal favorite, Lio, received 10 first place votes but relatively few second and third place votes.
Thanks to everyone who voted. Here is the final tally:
1 Baby Blues (25) – 128
2 Funky Winkerbean (15) – 89
3 Mallard Fillmore (16) – 53
3a Lio (10) – 53
4 Gasoline Alley (6) - 42
5 Baldo (3) – 41
6 Rex Morgan (9) – 37
7 Cathy (2)- 33
(Three points were awarded for first place votes, two points for second place and 1 points for third place.)
()after the comic title contains first place votes

Paraprofessional Health Benefits

If you are following the ongoing battle between the Board of Education and school paraprofessionals over health benefits, check out this week’s edition of the Weekly Wrap Up Show on www.sullivanoneonone.com John Sullivan and I weigh in on the issue and you’ll notice we get a little passionate. Also, check out the blog on the show. Town Councilor Vin Testa takes us to task for getting too emotional and not considering the cost of providing the benefits. I don’t agree, but as always he makes some points worth considering. On the show, we also interview Elizabeth Esty, Democratic candidate for the 103rd district state house seat now held by Al Adinolfi. Just go to www.sullivanoneonone.com and click on ON-Demand Audio. Once the player appears click on the Esty/Para benefits show. Let John and I know what you think.

NFL picks

If you took my advice on the Titans and the Browns last week you won. I was way off on the Cowboys. It’s rare that a 7 point favorite loses by 20. I guess Tony Romo’s finger is not the only problem in Dallas right now. I’ll stay away from the Cowboys for a while. I’m 4-2 to date on my favorite NFL picks feature.

This week I like the Ravens (+7) over the hapless Raiders. Baltimore has too much defense and should get enough offense to cover. I expect Brett Favre to have a big week and take out some of his frustrations on the Chiefs. Take the Jets and the give the 13 points. Finally I think the Titans (-4) will handle the Colts on Monday night. Check out all my picks on page 2 of the Sunday sports section.

Wallingford Mosque

There has been a lot of interest in the Wallingford mosque issue. If you would like to hear John Sulivan and I question Planning and Zoning Commission member Pat Birney on the decision to deny the mosque plan, go to www.sullivanoneonone.com and click on the ON DEMAND audio icon.
During the show, we also interviewed Town Councilor Nick Economopoulos on the council’s decision not to sell the American Legion Building. Listen to the Weekly Wrap Up internet radio show live each Sunday starting at 8 p.m.
Let me know what you think of the interviews with Birney and Eco.

NFL picks

More of my favorites NFL picks. Last week I was 2-1. I was right about the Falcons and Packers, but way off on the Ravens. This week I like the Cowboys, on the road, giving a touchdown to the Rams. Regardless of whether Dallas QB Tony Romo plays, I think the Boys will bounce back strong after embarrassing loss to Arizona. I also like the Titans -9 against the hapless Chiefs. It is a lot of points to give on the road. But with KC RB Larry Johnson sitting out and an unhappy Tony Gonzalez, I expect very little from the Chiefs. My final favorite is the Browns +7 against the Redskins. Expect the Browns to have a strong second half. Check out all my picks and the rest of the staffs’ selections on page 2 of the Sunday sports section.

Pick our new Sunday comic

If you haven’t heard, cartoonist Berkeley Breathed is ending his Opus strip on Sunday, Nov. 2. He is not offering reruns so we have a hole to fill on our Sunday comic page. We have eight strips that run daily, but not Sunday: Gasoline Alley,
Funky Winkerbean, Baldo, Baby Blues, Cathy, Rex Morgan, Mallard Fillmore, Lio (runs in classified pages).
I’d like to hear from readers on their preference to replace Opus. Send me your top three choices in order. You can post them on this blog or send an e-mail to rtomaselli@record-journal.com. We have to make a decision quickly, so Saturday is the deadline.

NFL Picks

One of my favorite things to do here at the R-J is participate in the weekly staff NFL picks that appear on page 2 of the Sunday sports section. Picking every game against the spread is a real challenge. It also gives me a reason to keep tabs on all the NFL game. Finally, I like competing for bragging rights against other staffers. I’ve just completed my picks for this week and will give our online readers a sneak peek at some of my favorites. I really like the Ravens getting 4.5 on the road against the Colts. My other favorite is the Falcons getting 2.5 at home against the Bears. Both the Ravens and the Falcons feature rookie quarterbacks and that usually makes me shy away. But both rookies have played well and have good surrounding casts. I also like the Packers getting 2.5 on the road against the Seahawks. The Packers may be the best 2-3 team in the league. Check out the rest of the staff picks, including the staff consensus, in the Sunday Record-Journal.

Wallingford Ethics Flap

It appears the recent decision by the Wallingford Ethics Board on a complaint filed against the mayor will not disappear. An op-ed piece submitted by Democratic town councilors ran in the R-J last week. In it, they questioned how the ethics board arrived at its decision. I think the councilors made some excellent points. The best way to resolve the issue would be to discuss it at an upcoming coun-cil meeting. The complaint deals with whether a public ordinance was handled properly by the mayor so there is no reason for it not to be discussed publicly. The councilors don’t need an ethics board ruling. They can simply ask questions of the mayor in public session as they do with other town business.

The complaint was the subject of the Weekly Wrap Up radio show I do each week with partner John Sullivan. To hear it simply go to www.sullivanoneonone.com

Yankee Silversmith Memories