Greetings from San Jose, Costa Rica where my newest acquaintance is a former tennis professional from the 1980's.
His name is Campbell Brown.
He was a teenage rival of John McEnroe before qualifying for the ATP tour and participating in all four major tournaments, mostly in doubles competition.
Campbell's highest world ranking was 187th in singles and 32nd in doubles.
"Back then, they ranked only 200 players; today, they rank 2,000 players," related Brown.
I met Campbell at the legendary Hotel Del Rey where we chatted in the property's poker room-turned-sports book.
He still wears Adidas gear (stylized as adidas since 1949), compliments of the sportswear company that has sponsored him for more than 30 years.
Now a teaching pro in the suburbs of San Antonio, Brown spends six weeks in Texas for every two-week escape in Costa Rica.
He put in a good word for the Costa Rica Tennis Club, a well-kept facility located across the street from La Sabana Park and a stone's throw from one of the largest bookmaking operations in the world, BetCris.
Campbell's sharpest insight came to light when he discussed the state of tennis in the United States.
"American players look fabulous when you watch them hit. They're big, they're strong, they're fast. Problem is, they don't know how to play."
Campbell elaborated, "The best surface for beginning players to learn the game is clay. And there are not many clay courts in the States. On clay, with the long rallies, you develop mental toughness, physical endurance and most important of all, the ability to set up your opponent for the kill."
Brown is fascinated by my time spent in the sports books of Las Vegas.
He likes to hear stories about Las Vegas characters Dick the Pick, Hungry Hal, Montana Mel, Bobby the Owl and Bobby the Midget, just to name a few.
I also relayed to him some of my favorite handicapping angles.
He loves the Ski Mask angle at Coors Field in Denver (Bet UNDER when multiple players are sporting ski masks in the cold temperatures of April or September).
And I recently added a new weather angle for another sports venue in Colorado.
Bet UNDER when Ralphie the Buffalo is not allowed to run due to inclement weather at Folsom Field, home of the Colorado Buffaloes.
The female bison (Ralphie V) was sidelined this past Saturday because of freezing temperatures and a field covered by snow.
The total opened 48 and hit a low of 45 before closing at 46 (CGT).
Final score: Utah 30 Colorado 7.
The Buffs crossed midfield only three times in 15 possessions and they were tackled 16 times behind the line of scrimmage.
It takes two teams to make a total and Colorado did not contribute its share on a day when Ralphie the Buffalo did not dress.
MORE HANDICAPPING HINTS....When watching football games on television, I focus on the body language of athletes.
I love to see multiple players on a team's defense hold up a fist to signify fourth down.
It tells me the defensive team is aware of "down and distance" and fully engaged in getting all-important stops.
I also like to keep notes on how touchdowns are accomplished.
Walk-in touchdowns are no-no's for a quality defense.
And though television cameras rarely gives viewers a look at all 22 players on the field, handicappers must honor teams that relentlessly pursue the football.
WINKY WINS....Fabulous call by EOG contributor WINKYDUCK last week with Army +39.5 over Duke in a college hoop game on Veterans Day.
Duke defeated Army, 94-72, as Coach Krzyzewski watched his current team defeat his alma mater, an obvious handpicked opponent scheduled on a sentimental day.
After the game, "Coach K" admitted his team's preparation for Army lacked focus.
More importantly, he came away from the game with plenty of teachable moments for his young players.
And remember, the month of November is a critical time to recruit next season's college hoopsters with early signing period beginning November 14 and ending November 21.
THE EOG OCTAGON...So far, so good with our new promotion here at EOG.
Controversial contributor RAILBIRD has posted an 11-4 mark halfway through his 30 contest selections in November.
His opponent, RAININTHREES, is a choppy 9-10-1 with a fair share of unfortunate losses.
Both men are quality handicappers who take their craft seriously.
As my longtime friend Bobby the Owl likes to say, "The gambling arena is no different than the 9-to-5 workplace. If you do your work, you're supposed to get paid."
I'm hoping to schedule a rematch between dedicated 'cappers Birdie and 'Threes in the month of December.
MONDAY'S BEST BET...Play 558 San Diego State +13.5 (-110) over Duke at the Maui Invitational.
Tip time is 5:00 p.m. ET.
Ken Pomeroy's model (www.kenpom.com) has SDSU installed as an underdog in only three scheduled games this season (today's game and two Mountain West games against Nevada).
SDSU head coach Brian Dutcher said he wants to see a close game late in the game.
Dutcher hinted a close game may also serve Coach K's purposes.
The Aztecs start a pair of senior guards (Devin Watson and Jeremy Hemsley) which should help SDSU's poise and avoid panic against Duke's future NBA stars.
A single-digit loss to Duke would help SDSU's tournament chances in March.
His name is Campbell Brown.
He was a teenage rival of John McEnroe before qualifying for the ATP tour and participating in all four major tournaments, mostly in doubles competition.
Campbell's highest world ranking was 187th in singles and 32nd in doubles.
"Back then, they ranked only 200 players; today, they rank 2,000 players," related Brown.
I met Campbell at the legendary Hotel Del Rey where we chatted in the property's poker room-turned-sports book.
He still wears Adidas gear (stylized as adidas since 1949), compliments of the sportswear company that has sponsored him for more than 30 years.
Now a teaching pro in the suburbs of San Antonio, Brown spends six weeks in Texas for every two-week escape in Costa Rica.
He put in a good word for the Costa Rica Tennis Club, a well-kept facility located across the street from La Sabana Park and a stone's throw from one of the largest bookmaking operations in the world, BetCris.
Campbell's sharpest insight came to light when he discussed the state of tennis in the United States.
"American players look fabulous when you watch them hit. They're big, they're strong, they're fast. Problem is, they don't know how to play."
Campbell elaborated, "The best surface for beginning players to learn the game is clay. And there are not many clay courts in the States. On clay, with the long rallies, you develop mental toughness, physical endurance and most important of all, the ability to set up your opponent for the kill."
Brown is fascinated by my time spent in the sports books of Las Vegas.
He likes to hear stories about Las Vegas characters Dick the Pick, Hungry Hal, Montana Mel, Bobby the Owl and Bobby the Midget, just to name a few.
I also relayed to him some of my favorite handicapping angles.
He loves the Ski Mask angle at Coors Field in Denver (Bet UNDER when multiple players are sporting ski masks in the cold temperatures of April or September).
And I recently added a new weather angle for another sports venue in Colorado.
Bet UNDER when Ralphie the Buffalo is not allowed to run due to inclement weather at Folsom Field, home of the Colorado Buffaloes.
The female bison (Ralphie V) was sidelined this past Saturday because of freezing temperatures and a field covered by snow.
The total opened 48 and hit a low of 45 before closing at 46 (CGT).
Final score: Utah 30 Colorado 7.
The Buffs crossed midfield only three times in 15 possessions and they were tackled 16 times behind the line of scrimmage.
It takes two teams to make a total and Colorado did not contribute its share on a day when Ralphie the Buffalo did not dress.
MORE HANDICAPPING HINTS....When watching football games on television, I focus on the body language of athletes.
I love to see multiple players on a team's defense hold up a fist to signify fourth down.
It tells me the defensive team is aware of "down and distance" and fully engaged in getting all-important stops.
I also like to keep notes on how touchdowns are accomplished.
Walk-in touchdowns are no-no's for a quality defense.
And though television cameras rarely gives viewers a look at all 22 players on the field, handicappers must honor teams that relentlessly pursue the football.
WINKY WINS....Fabulous call by EOG contributor WINKYDUCK last week with Army +39.5 over Duke in a college hoop game on Veterans Day.
Duke defeated Army, 94-72, as Coach Krzyzewski watched his current team defeat his alma mater, an obvious handpicked opponent scheduled on a sentimental day.
After the game, "Coach K" admitted his team's preparation for Army lacked focus.
More importantly, he came away from the game with plenty of teachable moments for his young players.
And remember, the month of November is a critical time to recruit next season's college hoopsters with early signing period beginning November 14 and ending November 21.
THE EOG OCTAGON...So far, so good with our new promotion here at EOG.
Controversial contributor RAILBIRD has posted an 11-4 mark halfway through his 30 contest selections in November.
His opponent, RAININTHREES, is a choppy 9-10-1 with a fair share of unfortunate losses.
Both men are quality handicappers who take their craft seriously.
As my longtime friend Bobby the Owl likes to say, "The gambling arena is no different than the 9-to-5 workplace. If you do your work, you're supposed to get paid."
I'm hoping to schedule a rematch between dedicated 'cappers Birdie and 'Threes in the month of December.
MONDAY'S BEST BET...Play 558 San Diego State +13.5 (-110) over Duke at the Maui Invitational.
Tip time is 5:00 p.m. ET.
Ken Pomeroy's model (www.kenpom.com) has SDSU installed as an underdog in only three scheduled games this season (today's game and two Mountain West games against Nevada).
SDSU head coach Brian Dutcher said he wants to see a close game late in the game.
Dutcher hinted a close game may also serve Coach K's purposes.
The Aztecs start a pair of senior guards (Devin Watson and Jeremy Hemsley) which should help SDSU's poise and avoid panic against Duke's future NBA stars.
A single-digit loss to Duke would help SDSU's tournament chances in March.
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