Between the Hashmarks Week 7-2014

SIN CITY EVENT IMPACTS AIRLINES

LAS VEGAS, Nevada (TMZ)…Last Saturday witnessed the premiere of Las Vegas Hempfest. Ahead of the event, travel agencies in Washington and Colorado tallied a record-number of tickets purchased by athletes, talent scouts and college recruiters for flights to the world’s gambling mecca. But less than 24-hours later, following the announcement that while information and paraphernalia would be available, no actual marijuana would be on sale, SEA-TAC International and Denver International Airports immediately saw unprecedented cancellations of previously-booked flights. Ironically, all the passengers-in-question reported suddenly remembering they “had prior engagements already scheduled” or were en route to grocery stores to “replenish emergency nuclear fallout-shelter supplies of Twinkies and potato-chips!!”

BETWEEN THE HASHMARKS

“I’m so excited…I’m gonna’ get creamed!”…Within a seven-day timeframe this summer, South Carolina and Oregon fessed-up on their own to violations involving impermissible iced-decorations on cookies and provision of a razor and shaving cream to recruits, respectively???!!! We hope at least the would-be Duck got to shoot a Noxema commercial with a Farrah-Fawcett look-a-like, a la Joe Namath back in the 70’s! Maybe the Mallards (should they still make the Final Four after losing Thursday nite to AZ), will have to grow playoff beards until ousted from the post-season, a la the NHL!

Fer the second straight week, we pushed after bettin’ Iowa State plus da’ points! A shout-out to da’ Minutia-men of UMass, who did right by us not once, but twice…losing by 1 at +4 and posting major pointage with Miami-Ohio to send the total waaaaaaay over 57 ½! North Texas and Indiana also lit up the scoreboard to cash the “over” parlay. Elsewhere, Nevada-Reno cost us a nice three-team money-line parlay, wasting a good win by Virginia Tech and a crazy 60-59 victory by Cal! We already have $ down on Boston College +4 over NC STATE and Air Force +7 over UTAH STATE. A couple other tilts we’re eye-ballin’ for possible wager…Northwestern +3 over MINNESOTA, Ole Miss +3 over TEXAS A&M and yep, those Nifty Lions +1 ½ over MEEESHIGAN.

We watched the ‘Bama-Ole Miss game on Saturday…and by-and-large, special teams for each side…were not! The field goal kickers collectively went 1-fer-3 in the 1st Quarter and ‘Bama’s kicker also missed a fitty-one yarder in the 3rd Quarter (not a gimme by any stretch, but Tide’s special units traditionally rise to the occasion).  Kick-coverage improved slightly by the intermission, but was mostly dismal on both sides. While we’re on the topic, we note there’s been some discussion about “Good Bo, Bad Bo” in reference to QB Bo Wallace’s extremes. Makes us ponder “Army of Darkness” meets the Ole Miss QB in a classic scene from the movie…”Good Bo…Bad Bo….I’m the guy takin’ snaps from the shotgun!” One more thought fer Texas A&M, who hosts Mississippi on Saturday and is (we think incorrectly) favored by 3, the Rebels’ perimeter D was a mess against ‘Bama and we’d recommend trying the edges early-and-often if its gonna’ win. Elsewhere in the stadium, Katy Perry was in attendance at said-contest, makin’ a cameo on ESPN’s “College Game Day” and went all-Carly Rae Jepsen in an effort to lure the affections a certain Oklahoma quarterback…crooning, “I haven’t met you…and I might never. But here’s my number..,so call me, Trevor!”

“Danger, danger, Will  Robinson!”: Tennessee hosts FCS #12 Chatternuuga (3-2 with losses by 4 @ Central Michigan and a 23-20 OT defeat at home to Jaxsonville State) and Vandy welcomes FCS #23 Charleston Southern (5-0 and off a bye) this weekend!

Notable trends thru Week 6: Colorado 4-0 ATS run; UConn, Illinois, UL-Lafayette, Ohio U. & Tulane   0-4 ATS skid, Joja’ and UMass 5-0 “over”; Iowa, Kansas, Northwestern, Notre Dame, San Diego State, VirginiaTech & Washington 4-0 “under”, Tennessee and Texas 4-1 “under”; Weeziana Tech, Ole Miss and Nebraska 5-0 ATS, Louisville 5-0 “under”, Navy 5-1 “under”, Ohio State 4-0 “over”, South Carolina 1-5 ATS, Toledo 0-5 ATS, Toledo 4-0 “over”, Western Michigan 4-0 ATS, Joja’ Southern 4-1 ATS

Michigan fans will be armed with pepper-spray entering the stadium on Saturday vs. Vindy’s alma mater. (Oh wait…the directive was fer a “maize-out”!). Upon further review, maybe it was for a “maids-out” to clean up the mess following the game!

Omar Gonzalez, who jumped a fence and eluded Secret Service pursuit deep into da’ White House,  has been offered an NFL contract by the Washington pro football franchise as a kick-returner on special-teams …following his release from the local pokey, of course! BTW, unnamed NSA agents already drafted this guy as part of their fantasy teams!

Vindy’s Picks welcomes today’s start of the 2014 NHL regular season (under a full lunar eclipse, no less!) by noting protesters were permitted to do their thing at the 2014 Sochi Games in February as long as they stayed within designated areas. Unfortunately, many elected to demonstrate outside the trapezoid behind the Russian goalie, drawing multiple penalties for “too many protesters on the ice” and hampering the host-country’s efforts to bring home the gold in hockey!

And finally…BEWARE TONITE’S FULL MOON AND THE ACCOMPANYING LUNAR ECLIPSE!!!! Run awaaaaaaay! Run awaaaaaaaaaaaaay!