Mahomes’ Status Unclear in AFC Championship

The Chiefs did what everyone, but the most diehard Dawg Pound fan, believed they would do when they defeated the Cleveland Browns, 22-17, in the divisional round of the NFL playoffs. 

However, a not so funny thing happened on the way to the conference title tilt for the defending Super Bowl champs. Their All-Pro quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, sustained a head injury during the third quarter that sidelined him for the remainder of the game. 

The NFL’s concussionprotocol is stringent and the rules are clear. There are five steps a player must pass but there is no specified number of days that said player must sit. Based on the postgame reports, Mahomes appears to be shaking off the effects of a jarring tackle from Browns’ linebacker, Mack Wilson. 

After Sunday's game, Chiefs coach Andy Reid said, "He’s doing great now, which is a real positive as we looked at this. He passed all the deals that he needed to pass, so we’ll see where it goes from here.”

Mahomes tweeted after the game, "#HenneThingIsPossible" which is a clever nod to backup Chad Henne, the 13-year journeyman backup who came in after Mahomes went down. 

His second tweet was in response to Mack Wilson’s tweet, “Prayers to @PatrickMahomes. I pray you back next week! Go be great like you have been!” 

Mahomes replied, “All good brother!”

Positive vibes coming out of the KC camp but that still doesn’t answer whether or not the 25-year-old wunderkind will be back under center when the Chiefs welcome the upstart Buffalo Bills to Arrowhead Stadium. 

Despite the uncertainty surrounding Mahomes’ status, the Super Bowl odds at all of the major online sportsbooks are dealing the Chiefs as favorites to repeat as champions. But that will all change if Mahomes is ruled ineligible for the showdown with the Bills on Sunday. And speaking of which, the Chiefs are currently anywhere from 2 ½ to 4-point favorites depending on where you shop but if Henne does get tapped to play on Sunday, that number will reverse course in a hurry. 

John Murray, executive director of the SuperBook at Westgate Las Vegas, noted that some of his oddsmakers speculated that Buffalo could soar from a three-point underdog to as high as a seven-point favorite if Henne, and not Mahomes, gets the start, "If Mahomes were ruled out, the Bills would be a decent favorite. That (Buffalo-7) sounds a little extreme to me, but it gives you an idea just how much drop-off it is from Mahomes to Henne, in terms of the point spread."

Brady’s Legend Grows

It’s not all that complicated to get your team into the NFL playoffs. Just purchase yourself the greatest quarterback to ever lace up the cleats, give him the ball and the keys to the offense, sit back, crack open a cold one, and let him drive your team to the big show. Simple, really.

And that’s exactly what Tom Brady has done in Tampa Bay. A perennial also-ran, the Bucs' only taste of Super Bowl glory came during the 2002 season. Since that time the franchise has been in only two postseason contests, losing in the wild card round on both occasions, and hasn’t sniffed a playoff berth in a dozen years before this season.

But Brady hasn’t done it alone. He has some very potent weapons surrounding him in the forms of Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Antonio Brown, and a fading, but still effective, Rob Gronkowski. 

Yet, it was the Bucs’ defense that came up with a few critical turnovers in the 30-20 victory over the New Orleans Saints, and one that likely spelled the end of a long and illustrious career for Saints’ 42-year-old quarterback, Drew Brees. 

"I appreciate all that this game has given to me," Brees said. "There are obviously so many incredible memories."

Brady and company will face another future Hall-of-Fame quarterback next week when they travel to Lambeau Field to take on Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers.

"We worked hard to get to this point. Two road playoff wins is pretty sweet," Brady said. "We've got to go beat a great football team we know pretty well. Aaron's playing incredible."

It is getting to be that time!

The Pro Football Hall of Fame is getting ready to announce their Class of 2021, and it looks like we have a pretty good idea as to who some of those members might be.

According to SportsBettingDime.com, Peyton Manning is an absolute lock to be inducted into the Hall of Fame in the stacked 2021 class, and there is no possible metric that can be pointed at to say that they are wrong.  After Manning, Defensive Back, Charles Woodson, who is also in his first year of eligibility is expected to join him. Woodson is a nine-time Pro Bowler and former Defensive Player of the Year.

After Woodson, it becomes a little less clear.  Many believe that six-time All-Pro, Alan Faneca might get the call this year.  Anchoring the Steeler’s offensive line for nearly a decade, Faneca has been passed over for fellow linemen, Kevin Mawae and Steve Hutchinson despite having a better resume.  

Calvin Johnson is another good bet.  The man with the nickname of “Megatron” abruptly retired, and has substantially less Receiving Yards than other Finalists, Reggie Wayne and Torry Holt, however, he was considered the best wideout in football and his highlight reel puts the others to shame.

After these four it gets a little tricky.  John Lynch is a Finalist for the eighth time, and with his former teammate and fellow Defensive Back, Ronde Barber, now making the Finals, it could push Lynch through.  The buzz around Zach Thomas’ candidacy is growing as is LeRoy Butlers.

The most interesting candidate has to be former Linebacker, Clay Matthews Jr., who is a Finalist for the first time in what his last year of eligibility.  There is no other candidate that has more fervent support, and could sentiment propel Matthews Jr. into the Hall of Fame?

Regardless of who gets in we will be watching!

Astrology is a complex and inexplicable non-science field that attracts supporters up to this day. Many even follow horoscopes to make gambling predictions. What’s more, there’s a themed casino — Zodiac Casino — that assigns gambling-related horoscopes and lucky numbers to each zodiac sign daily.  Does it really work?

Upon taking a quick look at the list of gambling champions, it seems that those people are just lucky, and there is nothing astrological about their victories. But what if we are wrong? Today, we’ll disclose the zodiac background of the most famous winners in gambling history. 

Elmer Sherwin

Those familiar with land-based casinos know that Las Vegas is the motherland of gambling. Long ago, in 1989, a man named Elmer Sherwin won his first couple of millions ($4.6 million, to be precise) playing Mirage. Over 15 years later, he hit a $21-million jackpot just because he felt lucky. We could have left it as it is because lucky days do happen. However, we know that Elmer’s zodiac sign was Pisces.

Pisces is a water sign, so it’s not typical of them to take risks regularly. Besides, they worry about their financial state a little bit too much, so gambling is often referred to as an unjustified waste of money. But on rare occasions, Pisces may feel like they are about to win, and those feelings usually turn out to be true. Elmer Sherwin gambled twice and both times he was successful.

However, should Elmer have chosen poker, the odds wouldn’t be so satisfactory. With the emotions written all over their faces and the urge to make quick decisions, Pisces isn’t good at poker. Games that require little interaction, such as roulette or baccarat, suit people of this sign well. All in all, when gambling, Pisces should rely on their gut feeling or well-developed strategy, and the success will hit their way.

Lee Sang-hyeok

Lee Sang-hyeok is a Korean video gamer widely known under the name of Faker or Michael Jordan of League of Legends. He has led his team to the World Championship three times already. And that is surely not the end of his gaming career. What makes Lee so determined and victorious? Is it the upbringing, a strong passion for video games, or is there anything else?

Lee Sang-hyeok is the zodiac bull. Born under the sign of Taurus, the gamer absorbed all the most vital features of the sign and managed to effectively develop them. Taureans are believed to be stubborn, but in the case of Faker, this is rather a virtue than a vice. Taurean people like to keep things under control, and that is the feature typical of the victors.

Since Taurus is overly cautious about their finances, most assume that gambling is not for Taurus. However, eSports is different, isn’t it? eSports is among less risky options to try your luck. Games with fixed odds are potentially attractive to Taurus. Being financially-cautious, they are usually interested in growing their fortunes using the fastest way possible.

Land-based casinos are usually too noisy and overwhelming for conservative Taurus. Thus, they mostly prefer online casinos instead. Card games, baccarat, and roulette are the best gambling games for level-headed and patient bulls.

Gonzalo Garcia-Pelayo

Spanish-born and raised Gonzalo Garcia-Pelayo started his career as a film producer, but gambling turned out to be more profitable for him. His approach to gambling was unique and gained wide popularity. Some casinos even sued him. 

Gonzalo noticed that some numbers were favored by the roulette wheel more than the others. After comprehensive research, Garcia-Pelayo figured out the numbers to bet on and enjoyed gambling throughout Spain and later, Las-Vegas. Over time, casino owners uncovered the gambler's trick, and he wasn’t welcome in casinos anymore. However, his research and dedication improved his financial state tremendously, so he no longer needed to gamble to make a profit.

Now that you know Gonzalo Garcia-Pelayo’s story, it’s easy to assume that his personality is quite an extraordinary one. His zodiac sign may be a reason for that. Gonzalo was born under the sign of Gemini. Being a sign of air, Gemini loves to lead an active and exciting life. They are full of ideas and take an innovative approach to the things that most people are already used to. Gemini gambles for the sake of gambling. The process and the rush of adrenaline are more essential for them than the profit generated.

Gemini is the sign of twins, so they tend to get bored quickly. Fast-paced games, such as roulette, are the best choice for them. Since they approach the gambling activity with a curious and positive spirit, Gemini usually wins the game. However, the awareness of when to stop may be vague at times, leading to profit loss.

Conclusion

To sum it all up, it’s safe to say that your zodiac sign affects the way you gamble. What is more, the sign you were born under can point out which games to choose as well as those that you should avoid. Whenever you feel like it’s your lucky day, you should grab the opportunity, especially if your sign is Pisces. Lastly, it never hurts to develop some victory-determining traits of other signs such as patience and optimism when heading for the win!

The Rapid and Random History of the Royal Rumble Match

In 2021, the Royal Rumble match will take place for the first time since its creator, WWE Hall of Famer, the late Pat Patterson passed away. For over 30 years, this battle royale with a twist has been delighting fans of pro wrestling each and every January.

First held in 1988 when “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan won after entering at number 13, early editions of the Royal Rumble were a vehicle used to get big babyfaces over. Hulk Hogan became the first wrestler to win the match more than once with consecutive successes in 1990 and 1991.

The stakes with the Royal Rumble really kicked up at notch the following year when the vacant WWE Championship was up for grabs. Hogan and The Undertaker had traded the world title in controversial circumstances towards the end of 1991, but the match and belt went to “Nature Boy” Ric Flair.

Every year after 1992 with the exception of 2016 when the WWE Championship was on the line again, the winner of the Royal Rumble received a world title match at the next major event, WrestleMania. In 1994, the match was declared a draw when Bret “Hitman” Hart and Lex Luger eliminated one another.

WWE hasn’t always taken a consistent attitude to that. Although the 1994 finish was planned, the 2005 Royal Rumble saw John Cena and Batista, the intended winner, accidentally both go over the top rope and hit the floor together.

An infuriated Vince McMahon tore both his quads when getting into the ring and ordering the match to be restarted, so it could reach its intended conclusion. Speaking of the WWE chairman, he entered and won the 1999 Royal Rumble but relinquished any WrestleMania championship opportunity.

“Stone Cold” Steve Austin, the only three-time winner of the match to date, was stripped of his title match in 1997 after referees missed the fact he was eliminated. The Texas Rattlesnake managed to slither back into the ring before the officials noticed.

Getting the push

Austin and Shawn Michaels had never been WWE Champion before winning two Royal Rumbles each. This shows how the match can be used to elevate wrestlers into major title contenders, but it has also been used to catapult those returning from injury back into the spotlight.

A first Royal Rumble win in 2002 for Triple H following the first of two quad tears and Edge coming back from an Achilles problem in 2010 show how the match works that dynamic. Surprise entrants, including wrestlers making comebacks or debuts, are all part of the fabric of this.

Royal Rumble pushes come in many forms. Besides the shock return, there is also a common angle where a wrestler takes out many opponents but doesn’t win the match with Kane setting a then record of 11 eliminations in 2001.

Usually speaking, the Royal Rumble has 30 entrants in it but in 2011 – perhaps to reflect the ever-expanding WWE roster – there were 40 competitors. Alberto Del Rio became the first wrestler born from outside the USA or Canada to win the match.

In the last decade, entrants from the UK, Ireland and Japan have all been crowned Royal Rumble winners. A women’s only match was introduced in 2018, although female wrestlers had competed on occasion against the men with Chyna blazing that trail back in 1999.

Destined for greatness

You would think winning the Royal Rumble would help to secure a place in the Hall of Fame, but as yet wrestling icons like The Undertaker, successful in 2007, and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson who was victorious in 2000 don’t have spots. That may only just be a matter of time. Speaking of The Rock, there is plenty of speculation about him returning to WWE soon. Always a monster box office draw whether acting in a movie or stepping back inside the ring, the latest Betway betting on headlining WrestleMania in 2021 has him at 4/1 to battle cousin Roman Reigns as of December 30.

Using the Royal Rumble to start that program with the current Universal Champion could bring mainstream attention on WWE in the coming months. Seeing The Rock win another world title is precisely the kind of feelgood moment pro wrestling can go for in the main event of a major pay-per-view.

WWE has been willing to put its top titles on part-time wrestlers in recent years. See 2003 Royal Rumble winner Brock Lesnaror Goldberg for evidence of that. From Kofi Kingston’s acrobatics to the emotional 2006 win for Rey Mysterio, even smaller competitors can get in on the act, and that is what keeps us still watching the Royal Rumble now into its fifth different decade.