"My kids," Pitt, 44, told PEOPLE at the Toronto International Film Festival gala screening Friday for his new Coen Brothers comedy also starring George Clooney.

Speaking of his kids with Angelina Jolie, newest additions, eight-week-old twins,Knox and Vivienne, are great, he added. 

"Everyone is healthy," said Pitt. "No sleep though." 

He added to reporters: "Sleep is something you long for, but it's alright. We'll get it."

Despite the lack of shut eye, costar and Oscar winner Tilda Swinton advises Pitt not to worry. As a mother of twins herself – 11-year-old daughter Honor Byrne and son Xavier Byrne – she tells him: "It gets easier! And it's true." 

And what kind of dad does she think her movie star friend is? "He's fantastic," said Swinton. Costar John Malkovich chimed in: "He was very doting with his daughter during shooting on a couple of days I was there. He's very much a present parent." 

Pitt and Jolie have six kids total contributing to the giggles: Maddox, 7, Pax, 4, Zahara, 3, and Shiloh, 2.

All this activity left little time Saturday for college football.  I had to placate myself with text messages from my oldest son who lives in Syracuse with score updates.  This is okay as it wasn't a big game but not ideal by any means.

Well, today is different.  I am firmly ensconced in front of the television for the day.  My two boys left at home are the high school practicing and then playing in the pep band for the home high school game.  I have to tell you high school football never moved me much, even when I had a son on the state championship team in 2004.  I can, as my 17 year old has his license, send the boys off to the high school and not have to endure the game.  I have all the important things for football - beer, pizza, and wings.  I won't necessarily eat or drink any of those but they are in the house.

My game doesn't start until 4:30 ET.  I have double checked to be sure that Hanna is not going to impact the Mountaineers trip to East Carolina as far as the field play is concerned.  Looks like Hanna will be out of the area by game time.  The Alumni Association did have to move their tailgate from the parking lot at the stadium to the local convention center but that is not a big deal.  It is just admitting the weather does indeed impact the out of doors activities.

I will undoubtedly turn to the Miami of Ohio versus Michigan game at noon.  Thankfully, after two weeks of political conventions, I bought new remote batteries.  I can flip between that and UConn at Temple.  I do not anticipate that either game will be much of a game.  I do, though, relish my chances to root against Rich Rodriguez at every chance I get.  I also like to keep an eye on the Big East.

After the high school game is over and while WVU is on - and that will be, as it always seems to be, a well fought game - I will attempt to see if I can get the University at Buffalo versus Pitt game.  UB has busses going to Pitt for the 6 pm ET game.

RPJ Syndicate is 4-1
Flash Flash for the Cash is 2-0
Runny Pelvis the Fat is 1-1
Heidi Klum is hot as hell!!!

Yup hot chicks won out!!! Thanks for your input.

How this blog works is as follows. Flash Flash and Runny merge two successful betting systems to optimize their picks. RPJ Syndicate is our combined effort. Our solo picks are picks that failed one of our betting systems but each individual handicapper still loves and wants to put out there for our readers. The single most important fact is this.....we put our money where our mouth is!!! We share the gain, like last week, and share the pain, which is inevitable to bite us in the ass once in a blue moon and hopefully never but ee are realists and know that shiznit happens so we are not going to sit here and say we are always perfect or winners like our rivals. They are full of Lexington Steele's cahk, in their anus, and are just trying to make a quick buck at your expense. Over the course of the season we will win more than we lose and the proof is in our results plain and simple. We know some of you are winning with us because you share your gains with us via email at rpjsyndicate@gmail.com to the tune of thousands of dollars. You know who you are and please keep up the dialogue and share your thoughts with us.

This is always a little scary when we love this many games but we have to put our money to work when things are this good. We come at you with 8 games this weekend. On with the picks.....

RPJ PICKS (4-1 on the season)

These are all 1 unit bets for us. We think it is still too early to jack up some of these games.

Eastern Michigan at Michigan State (-21) - Michigan State is coming off an emotional loss at Cal. Sorry Spartan fans but they had no chance. Teams do not travel well when they head West. Sounds like a dumb reason to lose but it is the fact. Just ask Vols fans this week. Coach Dantonio is a good coach and has the Spartans moving down the right path. Javon Ringer is one of the best players in the Big Ten and one of the most overlooked players in football. He will break out this game.

Some ATS numbers:

Eastern Michigan Eagles
Eagles are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games following a S.U. win.
Eagles are 6-21 ATS in their last 27 non-conference games.
Eagles are 2-7 ATS in their last 9 vs. Big Ten.
Eagles are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games in September.

Michigan State Spartans
Nothing relevant

Looks to us like the Eagles do not play well after wins, out of conference, in September and versus the Big Ten. We smell an old fashioned arse whooping. Take Michigan State to the bank with an easy cover!

Central Michigan @ Georgia (-24) - This is the most painful bet we will ever lay. Yes we are going to bet against The Fever.

Dan LeFevour is simply the man. We admit that we have man-crushes. If Tebow was not playing right now all anybody would be talking about is The Fever. Fever is the second player in history to pass for more than 3,000 yards and rush for more than 1,000 yards. Vince Young was the first. Also, keep in mind that with all the well deserved accolades laid down on Tebow last year, The Fever was one rushing TD away from reaching the 20-20 club that won Tebow the Heisman (The Fever had 27 passing TD's to Tebow's 32).

The ATS numbers for both schools are good:

Chippewas are 4-1-2 ATS in their last 7 road games.
Chippewas are 7-2 ATS vs. a team with a winning record.
Chippewas are 24-7-3 ATS in their last 34 games overall.
Chippewas are 6-2-1 ATS in their last 9 games on grass.
Chippewas are 6-2 ATS in their last 8 games in September.
Chippewas are 14-5-2 ATS in their last 21 games following a S.U. win.

Bulldogs are 4-0 ATS vs. a team with a winning record.
Bulldogs are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games following a S.U. win.
Bulldogs are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games overall.
Bulldogs are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games on grass.
Bulldogs are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 non-conference games.
Bulldogs are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 home games.

It is a sad day but as Clemson proved last year, and that was Clemson, The Chips can not compete with elite competition. Bulldogs win big and cover!!!! Sorry Dan but we will jump back on your bandwagon later in the season.

BYU (-9) at Washington - BYU had the turnover jitters last week and still won 41-17. Washington pulled a Willingham and competed for one half before getting decimated in the second half. BYU always plays tough and has some experience winning against the Pac-10. Willingham is a clown and can not get talent to Washington and guards his players and practices with a steel curtain. He needs to look South to see that Pete Carroll holds open practices. Does this look like the face of a winner? Body language says it all.

The ATS numbers:
Cougars are 7-2 ATS vs. a team with a losing record.
Cougars are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 games in September.
Cougars are 7-3-1 ATS in their last 11 games following a SU win of more than 20 points.
Cougars are 20-9-1 ATS in their last 30 games overall.
Cougars are 11-5 ATS in their last 16 road games.

Huskies are 11-27-2 ATS in their last 40 home games.
Huskies are 7-19 ATS in their last 26 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.
Huskies are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games on turf.

Washington has zero chance of winning this game. BYU is for real and will play in a decent bowl. 10 points should be enough. Take BYU to cover against the suckfest that is Ty Willingham. If you were not aware, Washington coach Ty Willingham is 6-21 in the Pac-10 and 1-9 against the other Northwest teams. So to reiterate....Take BYU to win and cover!!!

Ole Miss at Wake Forest (-7.5) - We are following one of our rules, Ole Miss will not travel well out of conference. Wake Forest is coming off an impressive easy win at Baylor and is coming home, after their first win ever in Texas and to a new stadium. They are going to fight like hell for that first home win and it will come at Ole Miss' expense. Houston Nutt versus Jim Grobe is no contest. Wake beat these guys in 2006 in Mississippi and should not be worried at home. Houston Nutt is not the savior Ole Miss fans think he is and he does not have Run DMC or Felix Jones to save his ass every week like they did last year when he coached at Arkansas. Wake plays solid D, efficient O and has the coaching advantage while playing at home. Throw in the fact that Ole Miss has lost 4 straight road openers and 13 of 14 and you know what we are cooking here. The ATS numbers:

Rebels are 7-19 ATS in their last 26 games in September.
Rebels are 3-9 ATS in their last 12 non-conference games.

Demon Deacons are 6-0 ATS in their last 6 games following a S.U. win.
Demon Deacons are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 non-conference games.
Demon Deacons are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games overall.
Demon Deacons are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 home games.
Demon Deacons are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 games on grass.
Demon Deacons are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games following a ATS win.
Demon Deacons are 13-3 ATS vs. a team with a winning record.

The Demon Deacons go to 2-0 and although we would love to see this line under 7 we think a 10 point Wake win is not out of the question. Take Wake to win and cover!!!

West Virginia at East Carolina (+7.5) - This smells like a little bit of let down city to us. E. Carolina is coming off an emotional upset of Va. Tech and now has to come right back to face Pat White and West Virginia. Yes the same Pat White and West Virginia that beat their ass 48-7 last year. Check out the highlights if you want to predict this weekend.

West Virginia has beaten East Carolina seven straight times since 2000, outscoring them 278-103. Take a look at the ATS numbers:

Mountaineers are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 games on grass.
Mountaineers are 13-5 ATS in their last 18 road games.

Pirates are 4-0 ATS vs. a team with a winning record.
Pirates are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games on grass.
Pirates are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 home games.
Pirates are 11-3 ATS in their last 14 games in September.
Pirates are 21-8 ATS in their last 29 games overall.
Pirates are 10-4 ATS in their last 14 non-conference games.
Pirates are 13-6 ATS in their last 19 games following a S.U. win.
Pirates are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 vs. Big East.

That last one really sticks out to us. If the Pirates do not line up well against the Big East then they are going to have problems with White and Devine. Throw in the fact that the Mountaineers are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 meetings and we are loving West Virginia. Pat White, our dark horse Heisman candidate, is going to roll in this game. Take West Virginia to win and cover.

Minnesota at Bowling Green (-5.5) - We love this game. Bowling Green coming home after an awesome win at Pitt to face one of the bottom dwellers of the Big 10. We do not think the MAC is so far off talent wise compared to the Big Ten and this game will prove it. Minnesota barely beat MAC bottom dweller Northern Illinois at home and did not cover last week.

The ATS trends:

Golden Gophers are 1-5-1 ATS in their last 7 games in September.
Golden Gophers are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 non-conference games.

Falcons are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games overall.
Falcons are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games on grass.

Bowling Green is going to be jacked up at home and will defend their home field. Take Bowling Green for an easy win and cover!!!

Miami at Florida (-22.5) - This is going to be a fun game. 8PM, prime time, Tebow's first game versus "The U" and the Gators trying to end a 23 year winless streak. It is hard to believe all of that is true but the facts are the facts. Florida is still tough to read because Coach Meyer wants us all to believe he is going to protect Tebow from the pounding he faced last year but in reality the only way they are going to win games is if Tebow is Tebow. And that Tebow loves to hold and cuddle big men. See for yourself.

The Gators will live and die with Tebow. The U is working towards regaining some of its lost luster and potentially has the speed on defense to keep this game in check. Also, they have Robert Marve, from the state of Florida and the QB who broke a lot of Tebow's records. This is a brutal place to start your first game but Marve has the talent. The Florida schools have a certain rivalry and bragging rights and The U lives by this creed. 22.5 points is a lot to cover in a state game of this magnitude. The ATS numbers:

Hurricanes are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 road games.
Hurricanes are 3-8 ATS in their last 11 non-conference games.
Hurricanes are 7-19 ATS in their last 26 games following a SU win of more than 20 points.
Hurricanes are 7-19-1 ATS in their last 27 games overall.
Hurricanes are 3-9 ATS in their last 12 games in September.
Hurricanes are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 games on grass.
Hurricanes are 1-7 ATS in their last 8 games following a S.U. win.

Gators are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games on grass.
Gators are 10-2 ATS in their last 12 non-conference games.
Gators are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games overall.
Gators are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 home games.
Gators are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games in September.

We think this is a tough one to peg but think The U is a team on the rise and 22.5 points is too many to give. We do not think The U has a chance of winning but if the final score is 45-24, which is a blowout, guess what, The U covered for you. Take Miami to cover!!!

UL Monroe at Arkansas (-13) - Arkansas did not look good last week versus Western Illinois and actually had to rally from a 24-14 4th quarter deficit to get on track and win 28-24. UL Monroe got shutout by Auburn and showed absolutely nothing. Bobby Petrino will likely face some growing pains this season but they are not going to come against UL-Monroe. Petrino is one of the best play callers in football. The UL-Monroe Warhawks will be overmatched in this game and they have already shown that they vanish on the road in SEC stadiums. The ATS numbers:

Warhawks are 14-31 ATS in their last 45 non-conference games.
Warhawks are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games in September.

Razorbacks are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 home games.
Razorbacks are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 games overall.
Razorbacks are 2-6 ATS in their last 8 non-conference games.
Razorbacks are 2-6 ATS in their last 8 games in September.

Also, and most importantly, Arkansas' cheerleaders have great porno first names. Check this out:

Jenna and Kacey with a "K" and a "C". I see the tag team action right now. And with a QB named Casey Dick. I can see the porno headline right now....."Jenna and Kacey love Casey's Dick" We could go on for hours with this. "Casey's Dick deep inside Jenna and Kacey" Alright you get the point. Those ATS numbers for Arkansas were all under Houston "likes to suck" Nutt so we are not concerned. Arkansas will roll easily in this game so take them to cover!!!

Flash Flash picks (2-0 on the season)
Only one pick from me this week......Texas will thrash UTEP. UTEP gets thrashed by Buffalo, not the Buffalo Bills, but U of B. What a joke. Texas squashes UTEP big. You heard it here first.

Runny Pelvis Picks (1-1 after Week 1, 1-2 on the Season, damn Gamecocks, they probably got ahold of Casey's Dick too!)

Navy @ Ball State (-6.5): I love the MAC and I love the Testicular Ones to win it this year. They are stacked at QB, they have outstanding wideouts and Dave Letterman is an alumn. I like Navy, too, just not in this game. Losing Coach Johnson will be a big deal. I'm taking Ball State at home -6.5.

Akron @ CUSE (-4.5): Normally CUSE giving any amount of points to any team is begging you to go against them. They are bad and their coach will be gone by the end of the year. Couple that with the fact that Akron is not a bad team and could win the MAC this year and it is a recipe to take Akron and run. I don't buy it. CUSE is 10-1-1 in their last 12 against the MAC. I love them in The Dome. Take CUSE -4.5.

Stanford @ ASU (-14): Stanford surprised us with their win last week against Oregon State. Very surprising. Jim Harbaugh has a good idea of where he is taking this program and he is a good coach. However, ASU is just too stacked. Rudy Carpenter is legit and plays with a lot of heart. ASU just has too much ammo for the Cardinals. Also, the home team is 6-2 ATS in their last 8. Take ASU -14.

S.Miss +17.5 @ Auburn: Call me crazy, because on paper Auburn should destroy S.Miss. But, that's why they play the games!!! S. Miss is up-and-coming and their new coach, Larry Fedora, knows how to run an offense. They will catch Auburn sleeping. Plus, S. Miss is 4-0 ATS in their last 4 match-ups with Auburn. Take S. Miss +17.5.

Keep the emails coming at rpjsyndicate@gmail.com and hit us up on this blog in our comment section. We are here to help and make everybody money and stare at Keyra Augustina's delightful ass.

Flash Flash and Runny

Every week i'm going to wrap up the weekendof College Football with my thoughts and maybe a couple predictions.  So, there may be more like 12 thoughts, but D.D.'s top 10 thoughts kinda sounds good, so i'mgonna keep it!  I may say some things you're not gonna agree with, but thats how i roll, i get called out on it all the time, (i.e. "Chris Perry should have won the heisman",shout out to Hat!).  So, if you see something you agree with comment!  If you think something i said is off the wall, click the comment button below (it usually says "no comment") and tell me why and what i'm wrong about!  Any how, I'll begin with my first thought... Dem' West Virginia Mountaineers.

1.   After watching WVU roll 'Nova i believe that they are more dangerous than ever!!  If Mr. White can throw the ball like that all season when people basically beg him to pass...lookout!  If they can get past East Carolina and Colorado...i may begin to call Bill Stewart the new Larry Coker...Championship?
2.   USC's Mark Sanchez is the best QB, in the country and USC is the 2ndbest team in California, behind the San Diego Chargers (but w/o Merriman it maybe toss up).
3.   Rutgers may have been crushed by Fresno State, but i think they are dangerous!  They have a good QB, awesome receivers and If Teel doesn't over throw Britt and Underwood a couple times its a whole different ball game.
4.   BALL STATE IS GOING TO CRASH THE BCS PARTY!! Nate Davis, (21 of 24, 290 yds, 3TD's, this weekend) is one of the best QB's in the country, they have a veteran team, and Nate's from the Ohio Valley, that alone = BCS!!
5.   P.I.T.T. ...enough said!...
6.   Alabama impressed me the most this weekend. They played 10 freshman!! AND ROLLED #8 CLEMSON! Mark Ingram, RB is a beast and Julio Jones, WR is a freak!  But they play in the SEC, so, I'mnot on the band wagon yet, we'll see how good they are when they play Georgia on Sept. 27th.
7.   Missouri vs. Illinois...was the most entertaininggame this weekend, rivalry, high scoring Missouri 52-42, almost 800 yrds passing, Kick Return for a TD, no defense what so ever.  I couldn't ask for more!
8.   Jim Tressel IS A DUMB ASS!! Why do you Beanie Wells, your best player in a 26-0 game!  Oh, i apologize, i forgot Youngstown State Was A National Powerhouse!  You may have blown your season, good job Tressel!
9.   The Football team at West Liberty State College (or University?) was my biggest dissapointment!!  You have a team with an explosive offense, add Brandon Ore to a Division II team, you get brand new turf, the game ball is delivered by parachute, and you GET STOMPED 35-10!!!  I wasted a Saturday in the hott ass sun on YOU CHUMPS! Thanks ALOT!
10.   After watching Utah beat Michigan, i think that Pat White should take a page out of Shaq's book... Grab a mic at Lizard, and start rapping... "Rich Rod, Tell Me How My Ass Tastes!"

BCS National Championship Game Prediction: It is USC's to lose, i saw no one on their level...

Game to Watch in Week 2: Florida vs. Miami...I'm thinkin' Upset!...I think Miami is Good Again!...

Hope You Enjoyed!! Talk To You Next Week!!

COMMENT PLEASE (I'm begging)!!

~D.D. Out~

All off-season we heard how Pitt was on the rise and could make a run to capture a Big East crown and play in a BCS game and how great their recruiting was in the off-season.  Why?  Because they beat West Virginia.  Pitt was ranked in the Top 25 for the first time in a long time.  Why?  Because last year they beat West Virginia (with an injured Pat White mind you).

Sure, Pitt played good defense in that game (in which they beat West Virginia in case you didn't know) and ruined West Virginia's title hopes (because Pitt beat them), but what was their record when all was said and done?  5-7.  That record includes their victory over West Virginia.

So thank you Bowling Green for shutting up the Pitt hype, at least for a week, or until they beat West Virginia again.  Bowling Green beat Pitt 27-17.

Elsewhere...

Did you see that East Carolina-Virginia Tech game?  That was one heck of an ending, and ironic as well.  I hate hearing about Beamer Ball almost as much as I hate hearing about Pitt beating West Virginia last year, so when East Carolina blocked a late punt and returned it for a touchdown, I had an extra wide smile on my face.

If Illinois' defense is going to play that wa all year, I don't think they will be much of a threat in the Big Ten.  One year wonder perhaps?

Michigan lost to Utah in a game that Utah really let the Wolverines try to win in many ways.

Hawaii will not be joining the SEC.  They get blown out by Florida.

Appalachian State, who I misheard somebody refer to as a Cinderella team (not so when you win three straight national championships in my opinion), was flicked aside by LSU.  Imagine that, especially with all the talk I heard before the game about how the early start time will hurt LSU.  I laughed then, and I laugh now.

How about that Big East?  At least West Virginia eventually woke up to beat Villanova.  But Syracuse lost at Northwestern, Fresno State beat Rutgers, and Bowling Green beat Pitt.  Pitt, if you remember, beat West Virginia last year.

Meanwhile Temple dominated Army on the road.  Who would have thought that the Owls would look like the toughest out of conference game after week one?  Certainly not I.

In fact, just about every article I read on the game opened with that thought. Interesting to note is that Kirk Herbstriet actually had called this game as the upset to watch for. Despite all the talk leading up to game about how the team knew how good Bowling Green was/is - Pitt played like a team that wasn't prepared to actually be in a real game against this team. The opened up to a nice lead, and when mistakes allowed BGUto climb back in it, the team, went in to a bit of a panic. (That last interception was really all you needed to see. I believe it was first down, with the line of scrimmage at BGU's 30 with about 1:20 to play. Why is the QB throwing it up for grabs at that point? Plenty of time to work the flats to move the ball closer to the end zone, or at least, throw the ball away and try to find an open receiver on the next down...)

So the question is - is the stache's job on the line? I'd say definitely if this team fails to make a bowl game. I don't think the bowl game matters too much as long as Pitt gets an unexpected or name win sometime this year. (I see Pitt beating Notre Dame on the road in the battle of guys who should not be head coaches.)

So Pitt fans - I see the International Bowl or the Motor City Bowl in your future. (Yeah - I have no idea if the Big East even has tie-in's to either of those games.) I'd pull for the International Bowl between those two - if only because I'd prefer to head to Toronto than to Detroit.

Details
Director: Joel and Ethan Coen
Cast: George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Frances McDormand
Running Time: 96 Minutes
Status: US - 12/9/08 / UK - 17/10/08
Genre: Comedy
Synopsis: A dark spy-comedy from Academy Award winners Joel and Ethan Coen. An ousted CIA official's (Academy Award nominee John Malkovich) memoir accidentally falls into the hands of two unwise gym employees intent on exploiting their find.

[vodpod id=Groupvideo.1522684&w=425&h=350&fv=m%3D41611915%26type%3Dvideo%26a%3D0]

Reviews

The Hollywood Reporter - Kirk Honeycutt

In "Burn After Reading," the Coen brothers have taken some of cinema's top and most expensive actors and chucked them into Looney Tunes roles in a thriller set in and about Washington.

Variety - Todd McCarthy

After their triumphant dramatic success with No Country for Old Men, the Coen brothers revert to sophomoric snarky mode in Burn After Reading. A dark goofball comedy about assorted doofuses in Washington, D.C.

The Guardian - Andrew Pulvar

The film itself may be a bit of an afterthought down here on the Lido. Clocking in at a crisp 95 minutes, Burn After Reading is a tightly wound, slickly plotted spy comedy that couldn't be in bigger contrast to the Coens' last film, the bloodsoaked, brooding No Country for Old Men.

The Independent - Geoffrey Macnab

"Report back to me when it makes sense," the CIA boss tells an underling midway through the Coen brothers' deliriously confusing comedy thriller.

"Unless you study the game, you don't understand the implications of a win like that," Falcons coach Gregg Brandon said. "We're not supposed to beat these people." The Falcons were the first team in the MAC to ever beat Pitt in Pittsburg.

"Everybody just said, 'Why not us now, why wait?' " said Falcons linebacker John Haneline after reading that the MAC has nevere won it Pittsburg. Why shouldnt they.

After being down 17-14 at halftime, the Falcons finnally took the lead on a Anthony Turner 8 yard touch-down with 3 minutes left in the 3rd. Then the Falcons sealed the deal on a 11 yard touch-down rush by Tyler Sheehan.

The Falcons deffense did great only holding Pitt two 46 rushing yards in the last three quarters."We were hearing everything about LeSean McCoy and their great running game, so we wanted to make sure we handled that and tried to get them into passing," Haneline said after the game.

Game Notes

•  The Panthers opened as a Top 25 team for the first time in five years.

•  After taking a 14-0 lead, Pitt was outscored 27-3.

•  The Panthers outgained the Falcons 393-254, but turned it over four times.

(Game Notes by ESPN)

How did Pittsburgh get ranked in the top 25?

I wish to take nothing away from Bowling Green. I generally will support a MAC team in any game against a BCS team, so I should be clear that I'm perfectly happy that the Falcons do get credit for knocking off a 'ranked' team for what its worth.

Bravo!

Now, I know Pitt knocked off West Virginia in a game that had epic consequences for the Mountaineers, so that had to figure into it, but weren't they otherwise pretty bad last season?

Plus, Dave Wannstedt? Who's still unaware that this guy is not a good football coach?

In fairness, I saw only a few minutes of this game. Maybe things were vastly different when I was not watching, but what I saw was a shambles of a team unprepared to try to move the ball quickly and consistently. Bowling Green did not appear to have lucked into their ten point lead. They actually seemed to be handling their business.

Goodbye Panthers!

Brad Pitt está na Itália, no 65° Festival de Filmes de Veneza, promovendo seu novo filme, Burn After Reading. O ator posava para fotos em um barco, rodeado pelos paparazzi, quando uma fã decidiu burlar o bloqueio dos fotógrafos a fim de uma assinatura de Brad.

A jovem acabou tropeçando e caindo na água. Pitt, em ato heróico, usou de seus bons reflexos para salvar a ragazza, retirando-a da água.

-

Aposto que é boato. Se não for, grande coisa o que ele fez. Queriam que Pitt fizesse o quê, deixasse a menina lá, no rio, nadando tranquilamente?

Oras, se ele não tomasse essa atitude, as manchetes seriam: "Pitt deixa fã se afogar na Itália" ou algo do tipo.

Aliás, fã espertinha esta, cá entre nós.

Se fosse eu, na Itália, com o Matthew Perry posando para fotos em um barco, no mínimo, eu faria o mesmo. O cara ia se jogar, me salvar e descobriria, por fim, que eu sou o grande amor da vida dele. Ou não. Sendo boba como sou, provavelmente faria nada. Ficava lá, escondida atrás dos paparazzi, tirando fotos do Matt tranquilamente, como uma boa garota.

Burn After Reading, dos irmãos Coen, estréia no Brasil em 28 de novembro.

Notícia boa na íntegra aqui.

I know. I couldn't believe it either. I mean, Pitt went 5-7 last season. Pitt has Dave Wannstedt in charge of things. Which is why I'm still stunned that Pitt lost at home to Bowling Green today. The Panthers had so many things going for them. The media said so!

Seriously though, this is why you don't rank teams based on one game from the end of last season. It's why you don't rank teams before they've played a game. Whoever gave Pitt a first-place vote in the Big East preseason poll needs to have his credentials revoked immediately. Look at me. I'll shill for the Big East whenever I can. But even I thought all this hype Pitt was getting was ludicrous. I don't even know how Bowling Green, a bowl team last year, was an underdog against Pitt today.

Also, Virginia Tech was obviously one of the 20 best teams in the country based on the nothingness of preseason hype and past accomplishments that have no bearing on 2008. Sean Glennon's arm strength makes Chad Pennington look like a young Brett Favre. Although Andre Ware used the flawless logic that since East Carolina won, it's not an upset, so maybe I'm the idiot for not wanting to rank teams until late September. Since based on that line of reasoning, there can never be an upset, so why rank teams? I love Andre Ware.

So what have we learned today? Nothing new, really. Pitt still sucks, the ACC isn't that good, and I was right. I was always right. It was inevitable.

Stiti ce-aveti de facut daca sunteti curiosi . Daca nu ,  in octombrie cand ajunge si  la noi  nu-l ratati.

Mosul va zice : regal de regal de film.

Durante la alfombra roja de la premier de la película Burn After Reading, en Venecia, Pitt señaló que pretende tener dos nuevos hijos en el 2009.

“Tendremos dos más el próximo año”, dijo Brad entre broma y serio a los reporteros que lo rodeaban en la alfombra roja.

Aunque el galán de Hollywood no aclaró, probablemente si él y Angelina pretenden aumentar la familia para 8 hijos podría ser a través de la adopción.
Ellos son padres actualmente de 3 hijos adoptados y 3 hijos biológicos.

Brad Pitt and George Clooney at The Venice Film Festival – 27^th August

The premiere of their new movie, "Burn after reading"

As any of our readers know, typically we only post picks that we (Flash and Runny) absolutely agree on 100%. No exceptions. Even when we have guest appearences from our degenerates, like Maury the Wig, who posts picks, we must agree with those picks to post. We haggle with each other over nearly every game to get to the games we feel are our locks. We do this because we firmly believe that competion and street fighting leads to the best results. So, when we make an RPJ pick you can rest assured that it is a pick that has been discussed, and dicussed and discussed until we are both bloody.

That said, we are adding a new wrinkle to our game. This year, in addition to the RPJ picks we will post, we will also show you other picks that each of us feel are locks, but did not survive the Flash-Runny battle royale. Our reason for doing this is the same....competion breeds excellence. We are only about winning. Winning big and decimating our competitors (i.e. Vegas) Ragnar Lodbrok-style. We fight so much for our picks that we even want to beat each other!!

On with the picks.....

WEEK 1 PICKS continued

Saturday, August 30, 2008

RPJ PICKS

USC at Virginia (+19.5) - Virginia is a mess. This is not the same team as last year. The QB is gone from the team and their best defensive player is playing on Sundays. For UVA, Last year was the year of the right bounces and winning every close game. This year is not going to be fun for Virginia as Clemson and Wake are solid and Miami, UNC and FSU are all better. USC did not impress in their opener last year against Idaho and the Trojans tend to start the season slowly. Also, Sanchez was injured during the first week of camp and is just back to practice.

However, this week, Sanchez looks great and we believe USC has the best defense in the country. Take into consideration that USC is the only prgram in D-1 that practices its starting offense against its starting defense. This means USC will be ready to pound UVA on both sides of the ball. The best defense USC's offense will see all year is its own. Only way to really highlight USC's defense is to showcase one of their leaders...Rey Maualuga. Rey might actually kill somebody on the field this year by hitting them into the third sphere of hell.

and of course you can not ignore Taylor Mays....

These boys can lay some lumber. Some ATS stats:

Trojans are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games on grass.
Trojans are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games overall.
Trojans are 20-7 ATS in their last 27 non-conference games.

Cavaliers are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games in August.
Cavaliers are 2-7 ATS in their last 9 non-conference games.

We do not think UVA's August record will matter and see USC absolutely pounding the run all day. USC wins big and probably by at least 4 TDs because the Cavs will not be able to score. Remember the USC/Arkansas scores.

Alabama at (neutral site) Clemson (-4.5) - This is probably the most interesting game of the first weekend. All of the pressure is on Clemson. They are picked by the "experts" to win the ACC, to play in a BCS bowl game and are favored to win this game. If this game were in Death Valley it would be a different story but it is not. The Tide and Saban are coming off a disappointing 7-6 season and are looking to make a statement early. We all know Saban will turn this team around, just give him 2 more recruiting classes as good as his class this past year and SEC foes should look out. Tommy Bowden is a big choke artist and will be fired if he does not meet and/or exceed the lofty pre-season expectations. Does this look like a coach that can lead your team to the promised land?

We do not trust him to wipe his own ass and his roids are clearly flaring up in this pic.

Alabama has beaten Clemson 11 straight times, but the last meeting was in 1975. Saban is the better coach and will have a month to prepare for Clemson and that will be a huge advantage. The ATS numbers are bad for both teams:

Crimson Tide are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 non-conference games.
Crimson Tide are 2-9 ATS in their last 11 games overall.

Tigers are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 non-conference games.
Tigers are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 vs. SEC.

The ATS point that sticks out the most is Clemson versus the SEC. Coaching and location, two underrated handicapping points, will dictate this game. Alabama (+4.5) will cover and do not be surprised if they pull the upset.

Sunday, August 31, 2008

RPJ PICK

Colorado at (neutral site) Colorado State (+11) - We already pointed out in our Vegas preview piece that the Big 12 has the most elite talent at QB in the country and Colorado is part of that picture. QB Cody Hawkins looks good running the new spread offense at Colorado and he was challenged by his backups in camp. The competition has been healthy and will only make Cody better. He is a scrapper and the Buffs were scrappy last year. They beat Oklahoma and Texas Tech so they have the confidence that they can beat anybody anywhere. Always remember one thing....the reason you have heard of Boise State is because of Colorado's coach, Dan Hawkins. Hawkins put Boise State on the map and then was hired away to restore Colorado's program. This team is young and is starting to get the talent needed to compete with every team in the Big 12. A little birdy told us that when Hawkins showed up in 2006 he did not think the team possessed one legit D-1 athlete. Taking that into consideration we think he has done a great job. The Buffs went 2-10 in 2006 and 6-7 in 2007. We think they will improve and end the year with a winning record. We have one reason to shit on Colorado State and it comes from this press conference. Please click here to laugh at these tools.

Here is the injured star of Colorado State....

Any D-1 coach that opens a press conference during game week and talks about his kicker is an idiot. It is clear this clown has never coached D-1 before. Colorado is going to drop huge Buffalo turds all over this team. Plus, Colorado has probably the best freshman running back in the country in Darrell Scott. This kid can straight bowl over defenses. He will be an immediate starter. He probably get 150 yards in his debut.

Well these ATS numbers are a mess:

Buffaloes are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games overall.
Buffaloes are 4-10 ATS in their last 14 vs. MWC.
Buffaloes are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games on grass.

Rams are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games on grass.
Rams are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games overall.

Road team is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 meetings.
Underdog is 10-2 ATS in their last 12 meetings.

The Buffalos are legit this year. No way Colorado State keeps it close, even in a rivalry game. Team Hawkins is too damn good. Take the Buffs (-11) to the bank!!!

Monday, September 1, 2008

RPJ Pick

Tennessee at UCLA (+7.5) - Last year Tennessee traveled to play Cal and was thrashed. Of course that Tennessee team was good enough to play in the SEC championship game. What a freakin joke. The team that plays in the SEC championship can not even beat a team in the bottom half of the Pac-10. Where was the media to talk about that one? This year The Vols travel to play a UCLA team that is nowhere close to Cal's talent level from last year. UCLA has a new coach, a new offense and injuries to their 1st and 2nd string QBs. Their new coach is also trying to make himself a public figure with ridiculous ads in the local LA papers. He needs to focus on recruiting and boosting the talent on his roster. Go bet on some more March Madness pools Rick.

Is UCLA serious with that crap?!?!?! Worse ad ever. The USC band has more 5 star recruits than UCLA has had in the past 10 years combined. Tennessee is the superior team top to bottom and this game does not really need any detail. The line should be in the double digits and we are jumping on it under 10. The ATS numbers:

Volunteers are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 non-conference games.
Volunteers are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games on grass.
Volunteers are 5-1-1 ATS in their last 7 games overall.
Volunteers are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 games in September.

Bruins are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games on grass.
Bruins are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games overall.
Bruins are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 vs. SEC.
Bruins are 20-7 ATS in their last 27 home games.
Bruins are 19-7-1 ATS in their last 27 games in September.

Don't buy UCLA's ATS numbers. UCLA is not good and simply does not have the talent to match up with Tennessee. The Vols win this one by more than 10 and if they do not then the SEC is SOFT as hell this year.

We are introducing a new feature this year. Flash Flash and Runny work well together because we only pick games where every single one of our bet criteria are met. This is why we might only focus on 3-8 games each week. It simply means our models do not mesh up. This year we are going to publish our individual picks outside of RPJ Syndicate's picks. We are not going to give you detailed reasons for our explanations but we are going to track our individual metrics outside of The Syndicate so you can see more picks.

Flash Flash Picks

Illinois (+8.5) at (neutral site but not really) Missouri - One of the best QBs in the nation, Daniel, playing at their home away from home in the Loo. Love Maclin too. Illinois will not be as good as last year minus Mendenhall. Missouri easily wins by more than 10.

Oklahoma St. at Washington St. (+7.5) - Both teams will score but Washington State's defense is more inept that Oklahoma State's is and that will be enough for the Cowboys to win by more than 10. Loving Ok. St. in this one.

RUNNY Picks

Bowling Green at Pitt (-13) - Some analysts have picked Bowling Green to win the MAC. They averaged 30.2 points and 402.5 yeards per game last year. Plus, they return their leading QB. However, I just don't see them competing in the up-and-coming MAC. The architect behind thier offense, O-Coordinator Mick McCall, left to take the same position at Northwestern. Also, their o-line has three new starters. Pitt's D will eat this up. Pitt has one of the best front 7 in NCAA. Also, Pitt's D was ranked #5 in total D last year and they return 6 starters. Their D is extrememly deep. Throw in LeSean McCoy and this will be a beatdown. McCoy may drop 200 on them. Take Pitt (-13) all the way to the bank!!!!

Utah (+3.5) @ Michigan - Rich Rodriguez's Ann Arbor and much anticipated Michigan blue. No doubt he is a phenomenal coach and can get as much out of his players as anyone. I'm a huge fan. However, he can only do so much in so little time. He is implementing his spread offense in a team that just does not have the personnel yet. Rodriguez knows this, and I'm sure he will do the best he can with what he has. Michigan does have a stacked D and return 8 starters, including everyone on their line. They will definitely be the positive in this game for the maize and blue. However, they will be going against a team that runs the spread offense, too. A team that has been doing it much longer and has many more suitable players. QB Brian Johnson is back and finally healthy. This kid has serious wheels and can sling it. To back him up, Sophmore Corbin Louks can come in for a spell much like Tebow did his freshman year. They return their starting RB and a JuCo transfer in Matt Asiata who can run all day. They can guide this offense against Michigan's D enough to keep this close. It will be the Utes D that stiffles Michigan's new offense enough to keep it close. Don't be surprised if the Utes go into Ann Arbor and silence the world's quietest 100,000+ fans. Take the Utes +3.5. Don't forget....Ann Arbor is a whore!!!

Enjoy the picks!!!

Flash Flash and Runny

Stay tuned for NFL picks next week. Feel free to post anything you want on this blog or to email us at rpjsyndicate@gmail.com. We are here for our readers and want you to make as much money as possible this season.