I'm not going to lie. I haven't been watching a lot of the Olympics. I know that hardcore sports enthusiasts are supposed to at least pretend like they care about the Olympics, but really, outside of hockey and a few other select events, I couldn't care less. I'm more disappointed that quality shows like "Scrubs" and "The Office" are on hiatus. Still, it's impossible to get away from the Olympics. The weird thing I keep hearing people say about certain events, however, is "even I could do that." And that is the key to doubling the Olympic ratings.
I don't know why I do it, maybe it's because I feel better about myself for saving jobs and careers, maybe it's just because I'm looking out for the good of the common sports fan, either way — I have fixed the Lingerie Bowl and now I can fix the Olympics. The key to getting people to watch is, well, getting average people to compete.
I'm sick and tired of people thinking they are as capable as Olympic athletes, so the one way to shut these people up is to have average Joes compete in events. Every event should have one average person, someone who isn't competitive in that sport (recreational experience is accepted), try their hand at winning a medal. You'd have people who can't ski falling down hills, figure skaters who are forced to hold onto the boards as they shuffle around the ice, and incompetent ice dancers trying to do the Macarena while skating figure-eights.
This works for a variety of reasons. First, people will tune in to events to see the average Joe humiliate himself in an entertaining fashion. Second, people will watch just in case the average schmuck can actually pull off an upset and defeat a world-class athlete on the biggest stage for sports people don't care about.
Could you imagine what an upset it would be for the average Joe to actually win a medal? That could possibly be the greatest upset in sports history. The A.J. (Average Joe), without any practice or hours of sweat and determination, simply steps onto the course and defeats a pack of world-class athletes at their own game. Could there be a better message than "the average man can accomplish a dream he's had for most of that day with little or no work?"
Realistically, the only event the A.J. would have a shot at winning is the one where they just throw people off a snowy mountain and see who makes the biggest crash (I can't remember what it's called), but people would still watch. NBC, if you are a fan of bags of money (usually ones that have the $ symbol on it), then make this happen.
Of course, if you, as a Sports Gospel reader and are a fan of bags of money, I present the following to you — this week's picks.
As usual, BetOnSports.com is giving readers a 10% signup bonus, in addition to their other signup bonuses, when you register for a new account. To get the bonus, just type "Sports Gospel Promo" into the promo code.
For this week's picks, I'm staying with the hot hand and going back to my man A.J. Braves from SportsRant Radio. He has gone 6-2 in the past few weeks, which is impressive. Even more impressive, however, is that the lines he is picking for these games aren't too far off from the real things, and he sets these long before Vegas does (which is a clear sign he knows what he's doing). Make sure to check out A.J. Braves on "Takin' the Charge" on SportsRant Radio.
Saturday Picks
Bucknell @ Northern Iowa (UNI Dome, Noon EST)
We're looking at an O/U near 135 ... however, I see 136 or above!
ESPN2 has this contest as their headliner for Bracket Buster Saturday ... not a bad choice in my book. Bucknell has cracked the top 25 this week, and with their 12-game winning streak, the Bison want nothing more than to steal the show on a national stage.
UNI can shoot the ball as well as any team in the country on their home floor. The Panthers are losers of two straight, the last coming on a big upset loss to Indiana State. Believe me, the Panthers know how desperate they are for a win like this one.
Both teams haven't been putting up the best numbers recently. Come Saturday, though, the television cameras are going to capture a basketball game that surpasses the 135 total point mark. Take the over.
P.S. I'm calling for a UNI upset win at home!
UConn @ West Virginia (WVU Coliseum, 3:45 PM EST)
If UConn is -6.5 or less, take it!
UConn has the size and the guard play to compete with WVU, and if the Mountaineers try and turn this one into a track meet, Jim Calhoun's Huskies are going to run wild on the road.
Rudy Gay has been nothing less than spectacular. Josh Boone and Hilton Armstrong can out-hustle Kevin Pittsnogle, and while UConn is still the nation's No. 1 team, don't expect them to drop two in a row.
This one's going to be close, but with free throws down the stretch, and the depth/speed combo of the Huskies, UConn escapes with a "W."
Missouri @ Kansas (Allen Fieldhouse, 3:45 PM EST)
Rock Chalk Jayhawk -10.5 or less.
In a huge rivalry matchup in the Big 12, the Quin Snyder-less Missouri Tigers are going to get mauled on the road. Kansas has also jumped back into the top 25, and Bill Self's freshmen are starting to show why they were McDonald's All-Americans.
The combination of Mario Chalmers, Julian Wright, and Brandon Rush will provide plenty of excitement as KU continues to make their claim as a contender come March.
Records don't matter when these two meet, and with the hostile environment in Lawrence, Kansas is going to Rock the opposition, and Chalk up another conference victory. Kansas wins handedly.
Sunday Picks
Indiana @ Illinois (Assembly Hall, 3:30 PM EST)
Illinois -6.5 or less.
The Fighting Illini have plans of providing rhyme and reason for the announcement that Indiana head coach Mike Davis will step down from the helm at this season's end.
Illinois fell to the Hoosiers in January, a 62-60 loss in which Dee Brown only totaled 5 points in 37 minutes of playing time. To make things crystal clear: that will not happen again!
Dee Brown will be all over the court — you'll see the Maywood, IL native dishing out assists, hitting the three-ball, and once again, showing the nation why he is known as the "One-Man Fast Break."
Mike Davis said it himself — the Hoosier nation needs one of their own to rally around. He knows that he's not the one. Get this ... Bruce Weber knows it too!
Illinois splits the season series with Indiana with a win on Sunday over the Hoosiers.
The Sports Gospel According to Mark is sponsored by BetOnSports.com. BetOnSports.com gives you the greatest sports action to bet on. Wager on football, cricket, boxing, rugby, horse racing, and more. Mark Chalifoux is also a weekly columnist for SportsFan Magazine. His columns appear every Tuesday on Sports Central. You can e-mail Mark at [email protected].
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