Today marks the start of my third tour of duty in San Jose, Costa Rica.
Non-combat duty, of course.
After all, Costa Rica abolished its army in 1948, a move that virtually no other country in the world can claim.
Unlike neighboring countries Panama and Nicaragua which are plagued by chronic poverty and widespread violence, Costa Rica boasts a proud population whose overall quality of life is the envy of all Central American countries.
I will spend the next three months here before heading back to the States for EOG's Sixth Annual Day at the Races in early August.
Visitors are allowed to stay in Costa Rica as tourists or on business for stays of 90 days or less without obtaining a visa.
The 90-day time frame is universally-accepted by most countries, including the United States, with terrorist exceptions adopted recently in the U.S. for visitors from Iran, Iraq, Sudan or Syria.
Nearly 50,000 Americans call Costa Rica their adopted home.
A popular one-liner describes Costa Rica as "Home of the Wanted and Unwanted."
In every pound of humor, there is an ounce of truth.
Americans escaping the long arm of the law (the Wanted) and those who lack a reason or purpose for living in the United States (the Unwanted) have flocked to this exotic hideaway, often labeled "The Happiest Place in the World."
No longer do I consider myself a stranger in Costa Rica despite my Tarzan Spanish.
COACHING MATTERS.....Not all biases are unfair or dangerous.
In the sports betting arena, my strongest bias is a belief that has served me well.
I assign disproportionate weight in favor of smart, well-coached teams and downgrade poorly-coached squads that commit silly errors and constantly repeat mistakes.
The New England Patriots, led by Bill Belichick, and the Boston Celtics, coached by Brad Stevens, are two examples of smart teams that promote a culture of execution, providing the smart guys a built-in advantage before the game starts.
The Pats and Celts rarely lose a game unless opponents clearly outplay them.
Conversely, ill-prepared teams beat themselves all the time with poor decisions, unforced errors and a lack of poise when it matters most.
Houston Rockets head coach Mike D'Antoni fell to 49-49 in the NBA postseason after his team lost at home as a significant 7-point home favorite over shorthanded Golden State in Game 6 of the Western Conference semifinals last Friday night.
D'Antoni's teams in Phoenix, New York, Los Angeles and now Houston always seem to promise a lot and deliver very little.
Other head coaches whose teams have underachieved famously include Dusty Baker, Mike Singletary, Norv Turner and Billy Tubbs.
But the poster boy for miserable coaches is former Oakland Raiders head coach Bill Callahan.
He coached in Oakland for only two seasons and his team was on the short end of a 48-21 beatdown to his former boss Jon Gruden and Tampa Bay in Super Bowl XXXVII.
Callahan's team went 4-12 straight-up and 3-12-1 against the spread the season after the Super Bowl appearance, causing the embattled coach to call his squad "the dumbest team in America."
He was understandably fired after the 2003 season but landed on his feet as head coach of the Nebraska Cornhuskers.
The losing continued in Lincoln.
Cornhusker fans suffered through a four-year term with Callahan before he was impeached from office after going 27-22 (20-25 against the spread) and only 1-10 against teams in the Top 25.
MONDAY'S BEST BET.....Play 907-908 Houston Astros-Detroit Tigers UNDER 8 (EVEN) widely available.
Only baseball diehards recognize Brad Peacock and Matt Boyd for their under-the-radar accomplishments this season.
Both pitchers exit outstanding efforts.
Peacock pitched from the windup for the first time in more than two years and the change in delivery produced a career-high 12 strikeouts over seven scoreless innings in a 9-0 win over Kansas City.
Boyd tossed six innings of one-hit ball in a 10-3 victory over the Angels last Wednesday, dropping his ERA to 2.86 in more than 50 innings of work this season.
No Jose Altuve (hamstring strain) for the Astros.
Non-combat duty, of course.
After all, Costa Rica abolished its army in 1948, a move that virtually no other country in the world can claim.
Unlike neighboring countries Panama and Nicaragua which are plagued by chronic poverty and widespread violence, Costa Rica boasts a proud population whose overall quality of life is the envy of all Central American countries.
I will spend the next three months here before heading back to the States for EOG's Sixth Annual Day at the Races in early August.
Visitors are allowed to stay in Costa Rica as tourists or on business for stays of 90 days or less without obtaining a visa.
The 90-day time frame is universally-accepted by most countries, including the United States, with terrorist exceptions adopted recently in the U.S. for visitors from Iran, Iraq, Sudan or Syria.
Nearly 50,000 Americans call Costa Rica their adopted home.
A popular one-liner describes Costa Rica as "Home of the Wanted and Unwanted."
In every pound of humor, there is an ounce of truth.
Americans escaping the long arm of the law (the Wanted) and those who lack a reason or purpose for living in the United States (the Unwanted) have flocked to this exotic hideaway, often labeled "The Happiest Place in the World."
No longer do I consider myself a stranger in Costa Rica despite my Tarzan Spanish.
COACHING MATTERS.....Not all biases are unfair or dangerous.
In the sports betting arena, my strongest bias is a belief that has served me well.
I assign disproportionate weight in favor of smart, well-coached teams and downgrade poorly-coached squads that commit silly errors and constantly repeat mistakes.
The New England Patriots, led by Bill Belichick, and the Boston Celtics, coached by Brad Stevens, are two examples of smart teams that promote a culture of execution, providing the smart guys a built-in advantage before the game starts.
The Pats and Celts rarely lose a game unless opponents clearly outplay them.
Conversely, ill-prepared teams beat themselves all the time with poor decisions, unforced errors and a lack of poise when it matters most.
Houston Rockets head coach Mike D'Antoni fell to 49-49 in the NBA postseason after his team lost at home as a significant 7-point home favorite over shorthanded Golden State in Game 6 of the Western Conference semifinals last Friday night.
D'Antoni's teams in Phoenix, New York, Los Angeles and now Houston always seem to promise a lot and deliver very little.
Other head coaches whose teams have underachieved famously include Dusty Baker, Mike Singletary, Norv Turner and Billy Tubbs.
But the poster boy for miserable coaches is former Oakland Raiders head coach Bill Callahan.
He coached in Oakland for only two seasons and his team was on the short end of a 48-21 beatdown to his former boss Jon Gruden and Tampa Bay in Super Bowl XXXVII.
Callahan's team went 4-12 straight-up and 3-12-1 against the spread the season after the Super Bowl appearance, causing the embattled coach to call his squad "the dumbest team in America."
He was understandably fired after the 2003 season but landed on his feet as head coach of the Nebraska Cornhuskers.
The losing continued in Lincoln.
Cornhusker fans suffered through a four-year term with Callahan before he was impeached from office after going 27-22 (20-25 against the spread) and only 1-10 against teams in the Top 25.
MONDAY'S BEST BET.....Play 907-908 Houston Astros-Detroit Tigers UNDER 8 (EVEN) widely available.
Only baseball diehards recognize Brad Peacock and Matt Boyd for their under-the-radar accomplishments this season.
Both pitchers exit outstanding efforts.
Peacock pitched from the windup for the first time in more than two years and the change in delivery produced a career-high 12 strikeouts over seven scoreless innings in a 9-0 win over Kansas City.
Boyd tossed six innings of one-hit ball in a 10-3 victory over the Angels last Wednesday, dropping his ERA to 2.86 in more than 50 innings of work this season.
No Jose Altuve (hamstring strain) for the Astros.
Last edited: