PLAYOFFS!!!!! 🏈🏈🏈🤗

One exclamation point for each of Tom Brady's rings.

And three football emojis to symbolize each Super Bowl loss. (Those are good too. The nerds are rising, and we recognize that it's better to lose in the finals than in the semi-finals, or in the quarter-finals, or to not make the playoffs, etc.)

Sorry Michael Jordan and Joe Montana. You're still good, just not GOAT.

#Brady #LeBron 😆

It's just freak variance and how the cookie crumbles to have a lot of titles and always lose earlier than in the final round on your losing years. Doesn't mean what the meathead pundits want it to mean.

Anyhoo....

It's Bear Market Bruisers (@full-measure) vs. SixBurgh HODLrs (@pittsburghhodlr)

and STREAM POWERED (@misterhorse) vs. what stank? (@enahsgeaux)

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We're all on wildly different trajectories.

My team more or less has the ethos of the New England Patriots. We started off shaky (0-2), with two players serving suspensions for questionable behavior. Then found our identity and rode pretty seamlessly and juggernautly to finish at 11-3.

SixBurgh had some unlucky losses and probably are better than their record indicates, but they stayed the course and stayed solid. And after gunning down Ol Crazy Eyes, 6-8 record was enough to win the division and advance.

As for Mr. Horse and STREAM POWERED, it's hard to do justice to just how not-very-good this team is right now. The Kareem Hunt banishment is the big thing and the cherry 🍒 on top. But even before that, he was deteriorating before our eyes and dealing with Lenny Fournette drama all season, and really it was just some wonder of guts, luck, and crafty week-to-week management that he was able to hang on for a 10-4 record and the division title. It's gonna be a tough path to the winner's circle, but we wish them well.

And then there's the vaunted what stank? situation. What stinks right now is that it's hard to imagine Horse will beat them, and so for SixBurgh or me, we'll probably have to slay Goliath ourselves.

Besides drafting Gurley (standard) and McCafferey (excellent), he also had the fastest finger on James Conner and then nicely was able to trade him for Tyreek Hill, and a true juggernaut was formed.

I like my chances if Gurley or any of their central points of impact take some rest or have a little hiccup down the stretch. But it'd be better if they weren't so strong.

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Real Football

Last week I won on moneylining Packers. That was my biggest bet. But lost on Patriots and Steelers. So I gave some back overall on the week.

Still up about 1.5x on my "bankroll" from beginning of season, and I'm making a hard swing at it this week:

For the hard favorites, I really like moneylining Rams and Ravens.

And I tend to love moneylining Vikings (against Miami, after their silly win where their dreams came true)

I'm easily all-in with my bankroll this week. (I'm actually more than all-in, like I'll probably be all-in on just the earlier round of games, and then bet the later games after, as long as I don't strikeout.)

And then for smaller amounts I like Patriots, Chargers, and Packers.

Patriots vs Steelers is a little meh. It kind of feels like Pittsburgh is due to finally beat them. BUT, I don't know. Coming off a wild loss, I like just holding my nose and moneylining Patriots (odds 1.77).

I've basically been bullish on Chargers and been betting them all season, and always kind of imagined that they might beat KC in the rematch. So no killer feeling one way or the other, but I'm nibbling on them here-- combination of moneyline (2.68) and with points, spread across +2 and +5 and in between.

Packers are also a combination of moneyline and points, but mostly I'm taking the points. I kind of feel like Bears will win when I'm honest with myself lol. I just sort of decided I'd keep betting the Pack-- if Rodgers goes on an epic run, I want to be a part of it. Why not. I'm an adult.

Real football besides just my gambling shenanigans

It's silly that either KC or Chargers will be a wildcard team (i.e., 5th seed, no bye, no home games)

It's like their version of the division that has me and what stank? in it.

And then reallly silly that their H2H is a friggin Thursday game. But should be a sick game. I will watch.