Posted:
#1
Game: Panthers @ Giants
Time: 1:00 PM EST
Line: Giants -7 (Even)
People get too caught up in the distant future. They dream about it, give speeches about it, and think good times, prosperous times of unadulterated joy and happiness are forthcoming one day. Many believe it to be very soon, but not immediate.
Other people are even willing to wait thousands of years for an event that will benefit them. The Christian rapture is coming up on 2000 years and counting. Those of the Jewish faith are waiting several multiples of that number for a purported savior.
Sometimes things we believe will occur distant future cause us to procrastinate, when an immediate response is necessary. Man is all to willing to go to war at the first sound of a gunshot, but will wait several generations, when his corpse has long turned to dust, before he would be willing to address decimation and degradation of the land, air, and water.
Needless to say, the consequences of waiting could be disastrous
on both fronts. On attitude fails to see the opportunities for success right in front of them now, the other seizes on opportunities with diminishing short-term return, taking their condition and others around them to the precipice of disaster.
These attitudes are ruinous, deleterious for those that want success in any area.
THAT is why WEEK ONE is A PERFECTLY GOOD WEEK to make my NFL PLAY OF THE YEAR!!!
And make no mistake about it. THERE WILL NOT BE ANOTHER PLAY OF THE YEAR this year (or some cheesy attempt to trump such a title with Play of the Century, Play of the Millennium etc.)
So I'm putting it all on the line in a week where I am virtually certain my team will come to play, and more specifically, play well enough to comfortably cover this spread.
The game that will do that for me and the covers masses is the Panthers vs. the Giants.
Back in week one of the preseason, I had a lengthy write-up detailing how the Giants' inaugural game in their new stadium would motivate them to put a whipping on their inter-city rivals, the Jets. And put a whipping they did. No one thought much of 31-16, but the game played out exactly as I expected; with a spirited and motivated Giants' effort even for a preseason game.
Now it's week one. And given the Giants' struggles to end the year last year, ramp that effort up TIMES TEN.
Here is what the Giants had to wait an entire year to erase.
A 45 -38 loss to the Eagles in Week 14
A 41 -9 loss to the Panthers in the final game at Giants Stadium in Week 16
And a 44-7 ass-whooping to the Vikes
This team has never even given up CLOSE to a 130 pts in three of four weeks like that in their history. Their mantle, their identity has always been a reliable defense; a defense that included the greatest linebacker of all time in LT. The losses to end the year last year, to close the stadium that bore their name, were beyond demoralizing. They stripped the team of formidable aura it carried into each and every game. One that made other teams, no matter how superior, always be ready for them on gameday. This was a team that beat the 18-0 Patriots and beat the 13-0 Broncos with Kent Grahm behind center.
They ended the year feeble, weak and subdued. Anyone who lives in this area knows the image of success, and reciprocated support the Giants project across the tri-state.
Well when the Giants get shit on for 417 total yards against a 6-7 team with NOTHING to play for in their final home game before a wrecking ball hits it, it's hard to imagine the level of preparedness coupled with unadulterated rage that will be waiting for their opponent on Week 1.
And what a GIFT the schedule makers handed the Giants in their new stadium. The same team that castrated their character in front of 78,000 is back in NY 2 NFL regular season games later in front of 82,000 bloodthirsty fans.
Factor in all the trends you want to and come come up with against them. They mean NOTHING to start a season. What is Coughlin's opening day record? How many yards does Eli pass for in Week one against teams below the Mason Dixon Line? All bullshit...
Complain about how this is the largest line this weekend and you have to lay too much chalk...
Tell me how the Giants don't deserve to be giving 7 pts to anyone outside of the Rams, Lions and Bucs with unanswered questions on D, a new D coordinator, and running back who won't send chills up opposing defenses, and I will answer that last year's frustrations, anger, aggravation and exasperations coupled with EIGHT MONTHS of waiting, all with a brand spanking new stadium that MUST get christened properly against the very team that did the embarrassing deed, and you are left with the perfect NFL game and a line that in all honestly is almost THREE FULL POINTS SHORT where I would comfortably bet it.
If you think this post is mere bluster and bravado in favor of my team of choice, know that I cap with cognitive thin slicing, 20+ years of attending Jet games and consequently knowing each and everything going on with the Giants (hoping for a loss given the Jets would usually get waxed by 24 that day), and would NOT make a post like for the covers masses unless I was 100% confident in my capping ability with regard to it.
Given all the home dogs on the slate, I think this line will see amongst the least amount of betting action and that is where I think Vegas got lazy in capping it. They are deathly afraid to go .5 point higher because a tsunami of Panther money could come pouring in, making me that much more comfortable in my pick.
The future is now....
No use waiting for Week 17...
Your Scalabrine Special NFL PLAY OF THE YEAR IS....
THE NEW YORK GIANTS -7 over the CAROLINA PANTHERS 
0
GL
I think the old Patriots uniforms were the 2nd best uniforms in NFL history....
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