Beat the Guru: ArenaBowl XXIII
Adam Markowitz
Tuesday August 17, 2010
In no way could the road to Spokane have been better... except for if that last boot of the pigskin had a couple more yards of air under it.
The only other major sin about Tampa Bay's 63-62 victory last Saturday night in the American Conference Championship Game was that so few people actually got a chance to see it on television. I must admit that I've been hard on the league this year for producing lousy game after lousy game, but in spite of the fact that my Preds watched their season come to a close just one kick short of the ArenaBowl, it was still one of the best five games I have ever seen (live) in the history of this league.
Unfortunately for me, calling Orlando plus the points was the only spread I nailed over the course of the semifinal weekend. Spokane, in spite of the fact that it was up by three scores at several points in the game, failed to cover the opening number of 4.5, let alone the closing number which was significantly higher.
Fortunately for both fellow ArenaFan crony, AndyLopusnak, he successfully picked both underdogs to cover the spread last week, making him the only one in Guru World to nail both games. Way to go, Andy.
We have a lot to cover this week, and with my trip to Spokane coming on Wednesday, let's immediately start by picking a winner for the 23rd ArenaBowl!
Disclaimer: This information should be used for entertainment purposes only. Should you choose to actually lay real money on these games, that’s purely your choice, and neither I nor ArenaFan are responsible. Lines courtesy of Bookmaker Sportsbook as of Tuesday morning.
Way back at the beginning of the season, I made my ArenaBowl picks and went with Tampa Bay and Milwaukee, but said I wouldn't be surprised if it was Tampa Bay and Spokane in this game. When the Storm were a woeful little team just struggling to get to .500, I went on the AFL Roundtable, and while verbally sparring for the better part of two hours, was called crazy for picking HC Tim Marcum's boys to win it all.
I've just got one thing to say to ya, JP... Haha.
More good news for the Storm... This will be my third ArenaBowl, and the teams which I've been covering in the game have gone 2-0.
Let's also get this straight. I don't care what the records say and who is hosting this game. The Storm have the best team in the AFL. Period.
However, Spokane just has this mojo going that I'm not so certain will be stopped. The combination of QB Kyle Rowley, WR Markee White, and WR Huey Whittaker is simply awesome, and if the offensive line for the Shock can keep the Tampa Bay defensive front off of Rowley's back, there isn't anyone in the secondary that can stop this combination.
It's going to take a heck of a lot of points to try to outscore QB Brett Dietz and the gang, but I can't help but think that those 10,000+ screaming fans in Spokane are going to make the difference in this one.
My heart, believe it or not, is going to be with the Storm in this one, especially since that was my pick at the beginning of the season. And though Tampa Bay has the better team in this game, the best team doesn't always win.
Not bad for "a bunch of Arena 2 players," huh? I'm sure we'll discuss that more as the game draws nearer... But for now...
Guru's Pick: Spokane 61 - Tampa Bay 58 (Tampa Bay +3.5)
See how well you can do against the Guru. Make your picks here.
Adam Markowitz is an accountant living in Orlando. Adam is an old school AFLer, having followed the AFL since 1991. He attended or covered well over 200 games, including 17 ArenaBowls. Adam worked for the Arena Football League for two years as a columnist and historian before retiring in 2017 when the 50-yard indoor war left the Sunshine State. Adam still muses about the AFL on ArenaFan from time to time, and you can follow him on Twitter @adammarkowitzea.
