[Sam_Hawkins]

gj on the kovalev bet. that was quite a destroy :P

[Fistula]

gj on the kovalev bet. that was quite a destroy :P

Kovalev is a monster and that was a complete mismatch! And I hope you could see it was Kovalev's tidier boxing that allowed him to land his bombs. Glad you were on him too!

[Fistula]

on kovalev too
and don't give up that easily (ofc if you feel like, it is always good to retire earlier than you get entirely into red), you had some solid run at the start, I think that if you choose your plays wisely and play only the ones you really love, you will be fine

I'm already guaranteed the profit I told myself I had to make today, so I'm not going anywhere Yeah, I will be more selective with my plays now. It was the first round of Cincinnati when I played most of the draw that was really bad for me. I'm just tempted on these Masters tournaments where I'm familiar with all the players to play almost every match that I can get at better odds than what I handicapped the match at. I'm still going to wait till the third round of the US Open to resume tennis betting, because I think the field is wide open and I want to see the early matches before risking anything.

[mrlif1]

great shit fistula. I owe you one man. solid call

[Fistula]

Damn, lost the Geale pick by a one point decision.

[Fistula]

...

[Fistula]

great shit fistula. I owe you one man. solid call

Thanks! I hope you only tailed Kovalev. Of course he was the pick I loved and I made enough on him that I came out in the black today, but I lost my other boxing picks.

[Fistula]

Cincinnati:
Nadal -2.5 games vs Isner -171 (1) LOSS -17.10

[Fistula]

Boxing pick:
Gonzalez over Mares +901 (1) WIN! +90.10

While I'd take Mares at evens, Gonzales is being grossly underrated here and has the style to give Mares a difficult fight.

I'm still not betting tennis. I'll just watch what I can of the first round of the US Open, maybe make a pick or two in the second round, then make any plays I like in the third round.

[Fistula]

That's the biggest boxing dog who's ever come through for me!! I hope someone tailed me. I knew Gonzalez had the length and power to at least have a chance, but I didn't think he would make it that easy!

[Fistula]

Now that I've got money in my pocket, let's take at look at this US Open draw...

[Sam_Hawkins]

wow nice call there

[Hardcoar]

Did Mares get FK'ed up badly!?

[Fistula]

The left hook in my picture had him dazed, then he was whacked out in the 1st round...

[Hardcoar]

I don't really care for violent sports, despite the stupid bastards voluntarily electing to engage in it.

[ParlayininHTown]

I don't really care for violent sports, despite the stupid bastards voluntarily electing to engage in it.

I likes me some boxing, but never could get into MMA ... which is odd, considering I'm not even 30.

I'm guessing you're not a football, hockey or rugby guy either, HC? Hockey at the highest level is incredible to watch in person, but I used to be pretty close with a Canadian who hated the violent aspects such as players fighting and slamming each other into the boards. So I kind of get the anti-violence perspective on it.

I'm not in total agreement on football, but unlike many of my fellow Americans, I don't go crazy for it. If they got rid of it, I'd live. I'm perfectly OK with MLB, NBA, NHL, soccer, tennis, etc. ... I don't need football, but I admit it's fun to watch and bet on in the fall and winter imo.

[Hardcoar]

I like hockey, only like extremely high quality football (the kind where not every attempt ends in someone failing miserably and play is focused on football rather than trying to fake foul), and have no idea about crazy American football or rugby whatsoever.

While I don't like the violent element of hockey per say, it's not a central part of the game, and you always get a good laugh from the pathetically childish behaviour of the players and umpires. I don't really know whether I would like any fighting sport or not, but I don't feel like investing any time in trying to, and this is simply because I disapprove of the entire point of the sport being to hurt the opponent to the point where he can no longer fight back. Fighting for your rights or in defense is fine – trying to severely injure someone is not.

[ParlayininHTown]

I don't really know whether I would like any fighting sport or not, but I don't feel like investing any time in trying to, and this is simply because I disapprove of the entire point of the sport being to hurt the opponent to the point where he can no longer fight back. Fighting for your rights or in defense is fine – trying to severely injure someone is not.

I can respect that.

[Fistula]

I like hockey, only like extremely high quality football (the kind where not every attempt ends in someone failing miserably and play is focused on football rather than trying to fake foul), and have no idea about crazy American football or rugby whatsoever.

While I don't like the violent element of hockey per say, it's not a central part of the game, and you always get a good laugh from the pathetically childish behaviour of the players and umpires. I don't really know whether I would like any fighting sport or not, but I don't feel like investing any time in trying to, and this is simply because I disapprove of the entire point of the sport being to hurt the opponent to the point where he can no longer fight back. Fighting for your rights or in defense is fine – trying to severely injure someone is not.

I also sypmathise with your view. I actually have an ambivalent attitude to boxing. Though I've been watching boxing for most of the last 20 years, at times I've found myself unable to defend it, and I stopped watching for a few years before I returned to the sport less than two years ago. The one time I went to a live fight I was uncomfortable with the brutality. I don't take to the pure 'brawls' that many boxing fans do, and when a boxer takes too many punches or is hurt to the point where he can't defend himself I'm not interested in watching. The point of boxing and the definition of the word is actually avoiding being hit. But of course you're right that an aspect of boxing is hurting an opponent to the point that offense is defence and that aspect is glamorised, and you're fair to reject the sport for that reason (the knockout of Mares though was not problematic to me, because he didn't take many blows and the fight was stopped as soon as he was hurt). I admit too that taking an interest in boxing (or of course that 'cagefighting' stuff that I despise because it has no redeeming qualities) requires a level of desensitisation to violence, and the acceptance of violence is probably the root of so many of the world's problems. Still the skill, guile, strategy, and intensity of competition continues to compel me to boxing.

[Hardcoar]

It's strictly a moral principle for me. I may very well like the actual sport (competitiveness, physicality, effort, strategy, skill etc), but I cannot condone the objective of using violence to hurt someone for fun or other gain.

[Fistula]

A few early second round picks. I'll likely go with some game handicap plays too...

New York:
Bouchard +3.5 games vs Kerber (1)
Mannarino over Querrey +313 (1)
Monfils over Isner +186 (1)
Dodig over Davydenko -145 (1)

[Fistula]

A few early second round picks. I'll likely go with some game handicap plays too...

New York:
Bouchard +3.5 games vs Kerber +112 (1) WIN! +11.20
Mannarino over Querrey +313 (1) WIN! +31.30
Monfils over Isner +186 (1) LOSS -10
Dodig over Davydenko -145 (1) WIN! +10

[Fistula]

US Open:
Djokovic -9.5 games vs Becker -154 (1) LOSS -10
Benneteau over Chardy -156 (1) WIN! +10
Mayer over Young -158 (1) WIN! +10

[Fistula]

US Open:
Djokovic -9.5 games vs Garnollers -194 WIN! +10
Youzhny -1.5 games vs Hewitt -145 WIN! +10
Berdych -2.5 games vs Wawrinka -180 LOSS -18.80

[Fistula]

US Open:
Ferrer (-251)/Nadal (-2515)/Djokovic (-2515) -159 (1)
Wawrinka over Murray +341 (.5)

[Fistula]

US Open:
Ferrer (-251)/Nadal (-2515)/Djokovic (-2515) -159 (1) LOSS -19.50
Wawrinka over Murray +341 (.5) WIN! +17.05

[Fistula]

US Open:
Wawrinka +2.5 sets vs Djokovic -147 (1) WIN! +10
Nadal -2.5 sets vs Gasquet -204 (2) WIN! +20

[Fistula]

Boxing picks:
Arreola over Mitchell -431 (2) WIN! +20
Nielsen over Majewski (-300)/Burns-Beltran OVER 9.5 rounds (-350) -114 (2) WIN! +20

[Sam_Hawkins]

Like ur picks, tailed on the boxing

[Fistula]

Like ur picks, tailed on the boxing

I didn't directly tail you on Nadal in straights yesterday, but your analysis was why I put a second unit on Nadal! I've also taken your advice by generally being more selective with my plays. I resisted the temptation to make any plays I was indecisive about, and the US Open left me with a 10-4 record and plenty of profit, so I'm happy enough.

[Fistula]

US Open:
Williams -3.5 games vs Azarenka -186 (1)
Nadal over Djokovic -141 (1)

[Hardcoar]

You actually bet on Nadal @ -10 000 000?
:O

[Fistula]

US Open:
Williams -3.5 games vs Azarenka -186 (1) WIN! +10
Nadal over Djokovic -141 (1) WIN! +10

[Fistula]

You actually bet on Nadal @ -10 000 000?
:O

Or 1.71 for the non-Americans who haven't compromised their anti-American credentials, gone to the dark side, etc etc, as I suppose I have for using this odds format.

If you're only implying you don't think there was value on Nadal at the odds, I was willing to take him even at close to 1/2.

[Fistula]

Boxing picks:
Mayweather over Alvarez -260 (2) WIN! +20
Molina over Smith -259 (2) WIN! +20