I'm currently on a plane headed to Las Vegas for a couple days, and given the history of this site, that usually means some kind of news will break. The turf stuff started last night, so it does not really count. We continue to wait for Aldon Smith news, and given how the NFL waits until late in the week for suspension news, I have a hunch we might hear something soon. Maybe this trip will spur some action on that front.
I'm going to be in Las Vegas through Saturday, catching the red eye back Saturday night, so that is plenty of time for more news. I would have flown back to DC on Sunday, but given the amount of last time when traveling west to east, it would have meant missing some or all of the 49ers-Chargers game. The only thing worse than watching a preseason game live is watching a preseason gammon DVR.
The reason I'm headed to Vegas is actually work-related. There is an annual contest called the LVH Supercontest. It is a pick ‘em contest where entrants pick five games against the spread. If your read Bill Simmons, you might have seen him mention it before. There is a $1,500 entry fee to take part, and usually there are over 1,000 participants. Last year, first place took home over $500,000, and the top 30 win some kind of money.
SB Nation partners with a website called Odds Shark. You've probably seen me link to them when discussing gambling odds. They are sponsoring some participants for the contest, including yours truly. That means, each week I'll be submitting five picks as part of this contest. I believe each person picks the five games they want to include, but I'll learn more about that this weekend. I'm not holding my breath to do particularly well, but it is a free entry for me, and I get a trip to Las Vegas out of it. Can't beat that, can you?
If it does allow me to pick which 5 games I'll choose, I will likely be doing a weekly post to get your thoughts on the week's matchups. I'll be posting content here and at SBNation.com related to the contest, including my weekly picks. We'll see how this goes!