Greetings from San Jose, Costa Rica where daytime temperatures reach 80 degrees and overnight temperatures cool to 65 degrees for perfect sleeping weather.
With more than 40% of the United States recently covered in snow, I'm pleased with my timing to explore this climate-friendly country.
I'm also satisfied with the progress made concerning two of three personal goals: a more focused sports handicapping approach and a personal-best fitness level.
The need to improve my Spanish-speaking skills is still a work in progress but Rome wasn't built in a day.
(Sidenote: An Uber driver last week offered an excellent language-learning tip. He suggested I think about how I learned English. When we are two or three years old, we do not know how to read or write. Instead, we name and identify people, things and objects. Soon thereafter, we start connecting the dots to form a sentence and then we start talking in complete sentences.)
Foreigners are allowed to visit Costa Rica 90 days at a time.
The same policy holds true for a majority of the 195 countries in the world.
My 90-day run here ends in March when I will return home to Las Vegas to witness four conference basketball tournaments (Pac-12, MW, WCC and WAC) at three convenient locations located on or near Tropicana Avenue (T-Mobile Arena, Thomas & Mack Center and Orleans Arena).
Selection Sunday is less than a month away.
March Madness is a fabulous time for college hoop fans everywhere and the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament is popular among recreational gamblers who want to play the sport's signature event.
Truth be told, the 32 conference tournaments and the consolation postseason tournaments (NIT, CIT and CBI) offer far better wagering opportunities and professional gamblers know it.
There are significantly more games, interesting rematches, lesser-known teams and less-efficient market pricing for the tournaments that operate in the large shadow of "The Big Dance."
The single biggest problem with the high-profile NCAA tournament: The gambler is at the mercy of the Selection Committee.
Too many times, it seems, the Selection Committee pits vulnerable teams against one another.
Often times, struggling teams from power conferences will battle in the first round.
The bracket also matches surging mid-majors against one another in a competitively-priced first-round matchup.
This season figures to be no different.
Expect at least four and possibly as many as six teams with losing conference records to receive coveted at-large bids.
Last season, five teams with subpar conference records of 8-10 made the rich postseason tournament.
Look for power conferences like the ACC, Big Ten and Big 12 to once again appeal the Selection Committee on behalf of its second-division teams.
During yesterday's Ohio State-Michigan State game, CBS commentator Bill Raftery proclaimed Ohio State a tournament team despite the squad's shaky performances of late.
(Sidenote: Raftery's misrepresentation of Ohio State's current form was outdone only by his crazy comment about Michigan State benchwarmer Marcus Bingham. Raftery claimed Bingham will one day play in the NBA. Raftery will believe anything Tom Izzo tells him, no matter how ridiculous the comment. Bingham is a 6-11 freshman who has played only 16 minutes in Michigan State's 15 Big Ten contests with six DNPs because of coach's decision. The Spartans were down two men after Nick Ward (dislocated finger) sat on the bench alongside teammate and roommate Joshua Langford, who was lost for the season in late December with a stress fracture in his left foot. And yet Bingham sat idle on the bench.)
Despite playing shorthanded, the Spartans outscored the hapless Buckeyes, 20-2, in the game's final seven-and-a-half minutes.
The visiting Buckeyes (16-9 overall and 6-8 in conference play) lacked poise and looked disorganized in the late stages of their 62-44 loss to Michigan State.
In the final seven minutes of the game, the Buckeyes registered more turnovers (6) than field-goal attempts (5).
Ohio State dropped to 0-6 against the six teams above them in the conference standings.
Both Ohio State and Michigan State play this Wednesday night at home against underdog opponents.
I'll be looking to fade both squads in their next assignments, thus putting me on Rutgers +19 or so over MSU and Northwestern +8 or thereabouts over OSU.
At times, it's easier to spot perilous favorites than isolate live underdogs.
HEALTH OVER WEALTH.....WINKYDUCK is facing a strong challenge to his health and welfare.
"Winky" was suffering from excruciating back pain over the past three-and-a-half months before finally being admitted to an Orange County hospital for a battery of tests this past weekend.
The longtime EOG contributor, aka Erik from Fountain Valley, California, is a former ESPN employee.
The dedicated sports observer, whose opinions are often spotted in the "Letter to the Editor" section of the Los Angeles Times's sports section, is a man for all seasons known for his interest in a wide range of sports.
For now, Winky will not be posting at EOG after starting a thread titled "Adios -- For Now."
No EOG contributions, no high-school officiating assignments, no weekend runs to Las Vegas and no Secret Shopper or Mystery Shopper jobs.
Getting healthy again will be his sole focus.
Get well soon, Winky.
MONDAY'S BEST BET....Play 853 Illinois +11 over Wisconsin.
Brad Underwood's team is starting to gel.
Watch the tight huddles lately as this young team is focused on Underwood's instructions.
Illinois has won four straight and five of six since losing at home to Wisconsin, 72-60, in late January.
Expect a tighter margin this time around because Illinois was only 4-for-21 beyond the arc in the first meeting.
The rigors of a long season and a short bench may finally be catching up to the overachieving Badgers.
Wisky wins the game but Illinois cashes the bet.
With more than 40% of the United States recently covered in snow, I'm pleased with my timing to explore this climate-friendly country.
I'm also satisfied with the progress made concerning two of three personal goals: a more focused sports handicapping approach and a personal-best fitness level.
The need to improve my Spanish-speaking skills is still a work in progress but Rome wasn't built in a day.
(Sidenote: An Uber driver last week offered an excellent language-learning tip. He suggested I think about how I learned English. When we are two or three years old, we do not know how to read or write. Instead, we name and identify people, things and objects. Soon thereafter, we start connecting the dots to form a sentence and then we start talking in complete sentences.)
Foreigners are allowed to visit Costa Rica 90 days at a time.
The same policy holds true for a majority of the 195 countries in the world.
My 90-day run here ends in March when I will return home to Las Vegas to witness four conference basketball tournaments (Pac-12, MW, WCC and WAC) at three convenient locations located on or near Tropicana Avenue (T-Mobile Arena, Thomas & Mack Center and Orleans Arena).
Selection Sunday is less than a month away.
March Madness is a fabulous time for college hoop fans everywhere and the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament is popular among recreational gamblers who want to play the sport's signature event.
Truth be told, the 32 conference tournaments and the consolation postseason tournaments (NIT, CIT and CBI) offer far better wagering opportunities and professional gamblers know it.
There are significantly more games, interesting rematches, lesser-known teams and less-efficient market pricing for the tournaments that operate in the large shadow of "The Big Dance."
The single biggest problem with the high-profile NCAA tournament: The gambler is at the mercy of the Selection Committee.
Too many times, it seems, the Selection Committee pits vulnerable teams against one another.
Often times, struggling teams from power conferences will battle in the first round.
The bracket also matches surging mid-majors against one another in a competitively-priced first-round matchup.
This season figures to be no different.
Expect at least four and possibly as many as six teams with losing conference records to receive coveted at-large bids.
Last season, five teams with subpar conference records of 8-10 made the rich postseason tournament.
Look for power conferences like the ACC, Big Ten and Big 12 to once again appeal the Selection Committee on behalf of its second-division teams.
During yesterday's Ohio State-Michigan State game, CBS commentator Bill Raftery proclaimed Ohio State a tournament team despite the squad's shaky performances of late.
(Sidenote: Raftery's misrepresentation of Ohio State's current form was outdone only by his crazy comment about Michigan State benchwarmer Marcus Bingham. Raftery claimed Bingham will one day play in the NBA. Raftery will believe anything Tom Izzo tells him, no matter how ridiculous the comment. Bingham is a 6-11 freshman who has played only 16 minutes in Michigan State's 15 Big Ten contests with six DNPs because of coach's decision. The Spartans were down two men after Nick Ward (dislocated finger) sat on the bench alongside teammate and roommate Joshua Langford, who was lost for the season in late December with a stress fracture in his left foot. And yet Bingham sat idle on the bench.)
Despite playing shorthanded, the Spartans outscored the hapless Buckeyes, 20-2, in the game's final seven-and-a-half minutes.
The visiting Buckeyes (16-9 overall and 6-8 in conference play) lacked poise and looked disorganized in the late stages of their 62-44 loss to Michigan State.
In the final seven minutes of the game, the Buckeyes registered more turnovers (6) than field-goal attempts (5).
Ohio State dropped to 0-6 against the six teams above them in the conference standings.
Both Ohio State and Michigan State play this Wednesday night at home against underdog opponents.
I'll be looking to fade both squads in their next assignments, thus putting me on Rutgers +19 or so over MSU and Northwestern +8 or thereabouts over OSU.
At times, it's easier to spot perilous favorites than isolate live underdogs.
HEALTH OVER WEALTH.....WINKYDUCK is facing a strong challenge to his health and welfare.
"Winky" was suffering from excruciating back pain over the past three-and-a-half months before finally being admitted to an Orange County hospital for a battery of tests this past weekend.
The longtime EOG contributor, aka Erik from Fountain Valley, California, is a former ESPN employee.
The dedicated sports observer, whose opinions are often spotted in the "Letter to the Editor" section of the Los Angeles Times's sports section, is a man for all seasons known for his interest in a wide range of sports.
For now, Winky will not be posting at EOG after starting a thread titled "Adios -- For Now."
No EOG contributions, no high-school officiating assignments, no weekend runs to Las Vegas and no Secret Shopper or Mystery Shopper jobs.
Getting healthy again will be his sole focus.
Get well soon, Winky.
MONDAY'S BEST BET....Play 853 Illinois +11 over Wisconsin.
Brad Underwood's team is starting to gel.
Watch the tight huddles lately as this young team is focused on Underwood's instructions.
Illinois has won four straight and five of six since losing at home to Wisconsin, 72-60, in late January.
Expect a tighter margin this time around because Illinois was only 4-for-21 beyond the arc in the first meeting.
The rigors of a long season and a short bench may finally be catching up to the overachieving Badgers.
Wisky wins the game but Illinois cashes the bet.
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