RBD goes back to the Battlehawks vs. Gamblers betting board with a total play, revenge angle, and a full-blown coaching rant.
St Louis Battlehawks at Houston Gamblers
Sunday, May 24th
I can’t believe I’m doing this.
I’m going right back to the same play that I lost last week.
And to get a win I have to depend on not one but two head coaches who are, to put it bluntly, idiots.
(See my rage rant at the end of this article.)
Going into week 9, Dogs have the edge at 19-13 and Unders are slightly ahead of Overs at 17-15.
I’m using an Over this week, in a replay of last week’s match between St Louis and Houston.
The total on that one was 44′.
I took the Over.
It landed on 39.
The game got off to a good start with a 17 point Q1, and 29 at halftime.
I only needed 16 in the second half.
What happened?
Again, see the rage rant below.
Because last week’s meeting stayed Under, the books are giving us a lower total this week.
It opened at 43 and it’s at 42’/42 right now.
I need every point I can get so I’ll wait a little bit longer before buying this, hoping it drops a little more based on last week’s results.
My primary reason for betting this one Over is because of all the missed opportunities last week, in a game that should have easily sailed Over.
The Gamblers have, by far, the worst point differential in the league at -55, and they have the second worst defense, surrendering an average of 25 points per game.
To get to 42 in this one I’m going to need St Louis to surpass their PPG average of 22, and surpass that 25 PPG Houston allows.
With revenge on their mind from last week’s sloppy debacle, plus a playoff berth theirs for the taking, I’m looking for the Battlehawks to have a breakout game on offense.
Mid-season acquisition QB Perez has been with St Louis for four weeks now.
Hopefully that’s enough time for him to finally start to gel with the offense, and make up for last week’s mistakes.
Houston’s games average 44 PPG, St Louis averages 42 PPG, so the number the books hung on this one, 42, is tight.
After managing to stay profitable throughout the entire season I’m now at 7-7 with just two weeks left.
To get back in black I’m going into battle with the Battlehawks.
My play:
St L/Houston Ov (wait to buy)
Recap: 0-1
Record: 7-7
Review
There’s no other way to say it.
Houston head coach Kevin Sumlin is a f****** idiot.
St Louis has the ball on their side of the 50, 4th and 7, 1:30 on the clock.
The Battlehawks run the play clock down to 49 seconds before someone on the sidelines must have told Sumlin to call a time out.
He had all three timeouts in his pocket, could have used one to get the ball back with 1:30, but he let it get down to 49 seconds before using one of them.
And watching in my living room I’m experiencing deja vu.
From my UFL article dated May 3rd.
“Houston is an all around hot mess.
Let’s start with the “coaching.”
Houston is down 20-3 with just over a minute left in the first half.
Dallas is on the Houston 40 yard line, third down. I look at the screen and see that Houston has three timeouts, and I’m wondering:
“Why aren’t they using one so they can get the ball back and try to score before halftime???”
And the announcers say, “I don’t understand why Houston isn’t using one of their three timeouts?”
Dallas runs the clock down, kicks the field goal,
and Houston coach Kevin Sumlin takes his three timeouts into the locker room where they’re totally worthless.
When the announcers know more about managing the game clock than the head coach,
there’s a problem.”
Like I said, deja vu.
Back to last week’s game.
You’d think it would be difficult to look dumber as a head coach than Sumlin, but St Louis’ Ricky Proehl said, “Hold my beer.”
In the fourth quarter Proehl:
1 – Used his only challenge on a play that the refs clearly had correct. Later, on their final drive of the game, there’s an obvious pass interference on Houston that the refs missed, but as the announcers reminded viewers – Proehl had already wasted his challenge.
2 – Down by seven, under five minutes left in the game, and Proehl is using the play clock like he’s in the lead. The announcers ask, “Where’s the sense of urgency, time is running out.”
3 – On their final drive, under two minutes left on the clock, still down seven points, the Battlehawks not only haven’t switched to the hurry-up offense mode, they get called for not one but TWO delay of game penalties.
4 – Instead of taking a 5-yard penalty for the second delay of game, Proehl chooses to give up his final time out.
And again the announcers comment on the stupidity. “What is he doing? The five yards means nothing. There’s under a minute left, he needs to keep that time out.”
Turns out, that moronic move probably cost them the game.
On the final play, the Battlehawks get a completion but the receiver gets tackled on the one yard line.
And for some reason QB Perez and his teammates AGAIN nonchalantly make their way to the line to spike the ball.
Time runs out, game over.
I hit the 10-second rewind button on my TV to listen to the announcers scratching their heads while saying, “Why is Perez taking his time getting up to the line? What was he waiting for? He had seconds left, if he snaps it right away they could spike the ball and have one more play from the one yard line.”
I needed six points to win with my bet on the Over.
The game ended when time ran out with St Louis one yard away from a score and a win.
Because their entire final drive they played with no sense of urgency and had multiple penalties.
And because their coach wasted a time out instead of taking the 5-yard penalty.
Just a disgusting performance by the players and their coach.
Announcers in a booth shouldn’t know how to better manage a clock than the head coach on the field.
Sumlin and Proehl are both idiots.
