Luck Be A Lady and Her Name is Kelly

What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, and in most cases that means your money. It’s hard to beat the house. These casinos, bookies, and online sportsbooks hire Ivy League-educated statisticians and make preliminary lines through the use of some of the most profitable and experienced gamblers in the world. Winning in Vegas is no easy feat, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be done.

Lines are created by getting the same amount of action on both sides. A spread or line isn’t necessarily the best indicator of the outcome of a game. It just shows where the sportsbooks could get the least amount of exposure, by getting the same amount of money on both sides of the bet, so that they can simply take profit off the juice with no risk.

I think most of you out there know what I mean when I say “the juice,” but for those of you who have never placed a bet or just never cared to find out how it works, when you make a spread bet, it is basically considered even money, but not quite. You put down $110 to win $100 depending on the bet. If the Casino can get all the bets to cancel out they will profit on the fact that you paid $110 to win $100. The losers will pay the winners, and the Casino will collect the rest. That is the ideal situation for the casino, and they make their lines and spreads based on that, not necessarily what the score will be or how likely it is that a team will win. The spreads reflect the prevailing wisdom of the gamblers placing the bets, and often times that means big-time experienced gamblers who have inside information as well as in-depth statistical analysis. So the lines might still be tough to beat, especially since you have to be right enough to overcome the handicap that the casino has placed on you--which of course is that pesky juice.

That being said, there are several games in which the prevailing wisdom comes from the dumb public rather than brainy professionals. This happens in popular games, where the amateurs flood the spoortsbooks, such as the Super Bowl, Football Playoffs, World Series, March Madness etc. These are perfects chances for one to put their money down. That is, of course, if you feel you’ve done your research and know the outcome better than the spread.

So you’ve found a bet you like, and you feel you have an edge. Well, there is a bit more to betting than just having an edge. You must decide how much of an edge you have, and subsequently how much you should risk, and that is where Kelly comes in. This is one lucky lady you want blowing on your dice, if you know what I mean. The Kelly Criterion is a mathematical formula that is used by gamblers, as wells as big name investors such as Warren Buffet and Bill Gross. This is an essential part to both investing and gambling. The formula will tell you how much of your bankroll to risk on a given wager or investment.



where

* f* is the fraction of the current bankroll to wager;
* b is the net odds received on the wager (that is, odds are usually quoted as "b to 1")
* p is the probability of winning;
* q is the probability of losing, which is 1 − p.

Here is the formula. Use it as your guide. Let me break it down for those you who are less mathematically inclined. You take the odds that you are given from the sportsbooks (e.g. Raiders 14 to 1 to win the division)--that is your b. Then multiply that by the chance you think your team has of winning (e.g. 10%)--p. Then subtract from that the chance that they won’t win the division (90%). And finally divide that by b again which of course is 14 to 1. So that is

(14 X 1) = 1.4 - 0.9 = .5/14= .0357.

This formula has concluded that if you believe that the Raiders have a 10% chance of winning the division and you are getting 14 to 1 odds, then you should risk 3.57% of your bankroll on that chance.

I know what you’re thinking. Where did you get 10%? That seems like a bit of an arbitrary number. Well that is true. It is arbitrary. In fact the hardest part of applying the Kelly Formula is determining what percent chance you feel that team has of winning the bet. You can use statistics to determine this number, or simply place a number out there based on the intuition that comes with a vast accumulation of sports knowledge. Here are a few more example bets.

Baseball Prospectus, an organization devoted to in-depth statistical baseball analysis, runs a Monte Carlo simulation (a successful algorithm-based predictor of random events that has been proven to be wildly successful in the areas of space, oil exploration, and physics) on the rest of the baseball season. It simulates the season from where it is now over a million times, and then spits out the percentage chance that every team will win their division, make the playoffs, and get the wild card. As of August 24, 2009, the Rockies are given a 22% chance to win the NL West. There you have it. If you trust Baseball Prospectus and their statistical method than you have a percentage. You have been given p and q : p=.22 and q=.78. The odds as of August 24, 2009 for the Rockies to overtake the Dodgers and win that division are 13/2 or 6.5 to1. That is your b, and now you have all three variables. Simply plug them into the formula.

[(6.5 X .22) - .78]/6.5 = .1 or 10%.

This means that you should bet 10% of your bankroll on the Colorado Rockies to win the NL west.

Now understand that this doesn’t mean that you think that the Colorado Rockies will win the Division. Most likely they will not win the division. We established this when we gave them a 22% chance of winning the division. But if they do win, it will be worth it. This bet has good value, especially given that fact that the Rockies are only three and a half games back. Now to some of you this might make perfect sense, but to others you might be wondering what I mean by good value. If I think the Rockies most likely won’t win the division, why bet on them? This is because if they do win you get paid six and a half times your money.

This brings about another betting principle which I’m sure many of you are familiar with: Expected Value. If we decided to bet on the flip of a coin, and gave each other 1:1 odds, then neither of us would expect a positive or negative expected value. Although the winnings might fluctuate, over the long run we would break even. Now let’s say I now get 2:1 odds every time the coin comes up heads. This is a great deal for me, because I will get two dollars every time it’s heads, but only pay out one dollar when it comes out tails, and yet the outcomes have the exact same chance of coming up.

You have a positive expected value of $.50. That means that on average every time you make that bet you make $.50. Why $.50? When you flip the coin the first time it comes up heads and you win two dollars. When it comes up tails you lose one dollar. So after two bets on average you can to expect to have won once and lost once because the chances are 50/50. Therefore you will have won two dollars and lost one dollar giving you a profit of one dollar over the course of two bets for an average of $0.50 per bet, and there is your expected value. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that I will soon start to profit. Now the odds of the coin coming up heads didn’t change any, and it doesn’t matter. They don’t have to. I am simply getting paid more than I should, for the likelihood of my success. That is great value.

Now let us look at this Colorado Rockies bet. If the season were played out 100 different times the Rockies would win 22 of those times. For those 22 times that it does happen you make 6.5 times your money. So if we apply this to the same logic we used with the coin, we can see that it works in the same way. If I bet one dollar and win $6.50 every time I win, and I win 22 out of 100 times then I will take in $143. I will, however be expected to lose 78 times. So I can expect to lose $78 at one dollar per loss. This leaves me with a net of $65. I have made the bet 100 times. So on average I can expect to make $65/100, which is $.65. So every time I make this bet for $1 I can expect to win $.65. So it’s worth it.

This same principle can be illustrated in a more drastic example. If someone told you that if you paid them a $100 they could make sure your lottery ticket got put in a vault with five other tickets and then the winner would be drawn out of those five, I think you would do it in a heartbeat. The chances that you win the lottery are still less than likely. You only have a 20% chance. In all likelihood you will have lost $100 dollars, but if you do win, you will get so much more than you put up that it will be worth it. That is why it is crucial to look for value.

Here is another good value divisional bet. The Minnesota twins are given a 21percent chance to win their division by Baseball Prospectus. Once again we are using their Monte Carlo Simulation. The odds for them to win are 10 to one. That is a one in 11 chance or 9.1 percent. All you have to do is believe that the Minnesota Twins have more than a 9 percent chance of winning their division and you have found yourself a good bet. Now it is time to implement the Kelly formula to find out how much of your bankroll you should risk. In this case, b=10, p=.21, q=.79. So

[10(.21)-.79]/10 = .13 or 13 percent.

You should risk 13 percent of your bankroll on the Twins winning their division. Now notice that is not a lot of your bankroll, and once again we know that they most likely won’t win the division, but if you make enough of these good value bets it will pay off in the long run.

The Kelly system already takes into account the expected value. If there isn’t a positive expected value it will give you a negative number. That is to say, if you plug in the numbers to the formula and the result is a negative number, you shouldn’t make the bet at all. Simply follow the formula and you should be fine.

The creators of the Kelly formula found that although the formula creates the highest return on investment it is far more volatile than a sometimes-preferred method called Half Kelly. Half Kelly takes the Kelly percentage and splits it in half. This has been shown a tad--3/4--less effective than the Kelly System but far less volatile, so if you consider yourself to be more risk averse than perhaps using the Half Kelly would be better.



So if you are indeed more risk averse and you want to implement half Kelly, then you would bet 5 percent of your bankroll on the Colorado Rockies to win the NL West, and 6.5 percent of your bankroll on the Minnesota Twins to win the AL Central. It seems much safer now. Doesn’t it?

There is more to betting than meets the eye. So if you feel that Lady Luck is against you, it might be time to turn to Lady Kelly.

(This was originally written in the summer of 2009 and posted on my discontinued blog sportscohorts.com. The Raiders and Rockies turned out to be losing bets, but as history shows the Minnesota Twins Miraculously won the AL Central in 2009. The 10 to 1 pay out would have easily covered the losses of the other two bets, and left the bettor with a tidy profit. Now that's what I call value!)

Take Turner

If you are lucky enough to get the coveted first spot in your fantasy football league this year, take Turner. I know what you’re thinking. What about Adrian Peterson? He is sick. The guy is freakier than Paula Abdul in room full of young singers. He’s got explosion, speed, and the necessary power to punch it in at the goal line. He is a stud.

I’m not knocking Adrian Peterson’s ability. I’m not knocking him as a football player, but as a fantasy player he is just a tad bit unreliable to be the number one overall pick. Adrian Peterson is prone to injury. He was injured all through college. During his freshman year at Oklahoma in 2005 it was his ankle. In 2006 it was a broken collar bone. In 2007, his rookie year, it was lateral collateral ligament in his right knee.

Adrian Peterson is a ferocious competitor. He goes all out when he plays, but that also leads to injuries which is something we’ve seen time and time again with him. These constant injuries have to be a concern. Look I know he didn’t get injured last season, but he has still been injured three out of the last four seasons. So he didn’t get injured last year and broke the trend. So what are the chances he breaks the trend again? If anything Adrian Peterson is due for an injury. Why would you take Peterson with the first pick when there is a good chance he will miss considerable time? I had Adrian Peterson on my team in 2007. He carried me the whole regular season and when it came to the playoffs, he was out, and I got killed. So then I ask a very basic question. Is he the very best fantasy player, if there is a good chance come playoff time, the only touchdowns he’ll be scoring will be on a Gatorade commercial?

Michael Turner is Atlanta’s featured back, and he isn’t constantly getting injured. He had a monster season last year, and I can’t imagine why he wouldn’t have another one this season especially considering Atlanta’s favorable schedule. They open up against the Ford family run Lions. Then they play the pathetic Rams and the offensively charged Chargers, not exactly the top defenses in the league. They then have a few tough games against Baltimore and the Patriots, but overall they are in a week defensive division. The Saints don’t play much defense and the Bucs are rebuilding. The Panthers are the only defensively tough team in their division, and two of Atlanta’s last four games are against the Bucs and Saints. That means come fantasy playoff time, Turner will be going to work.

If all that hasn’t convinced you, then have faith in the Turner name. Tina Turner was a huge chart topping success. Ted Turner founded several cable television stations TNT, TBS, Cartoon Network, and CNN, the most RELIABLE name in news. He put Atlanta on the map while becoming a successful billionaire. Putting Turner and Atlanta together has proven to be a great combination. Take Turner.

The Choice

For all of you guys from Superpretentious.blogspot.com here is the video I was talking about. For everyone else. Check it out anyways. This short clip perfectly explains why the Lakers should never trade Kobe, and why the Bulls are utter fools for not grabbing him when they had the chance.

American Idol! Really???

Ok so season 8 of American Idol is about to kick off with the top 36. Now it’s up to America to vote for who go’s or stays. I’ve been a huge fan since season 1, but recently they’ve been letting very questionable contestants through past Hollywood weak. It started with Sanjaya who obviously was mediocre at best. It seems America kept voting him through every week just to see another hair due. And they continued their bad judgment this season with Nick Mitchell aka Norman Gentle, the over the top, flamboyant, Richard Simons look alike, and Tatiana del Toro. She is Possibly the most annoying person in America. I'm really pissed that at the last minute Jamar Rogers got sent home. He is by far one of the most talented singers in the competition this year, someone who definately could've made it very far. I tip my hat to you sir, dust your shoulders off. I hate to admit it, but American Idol is starting to sell out for the love of money and ratings. Come on America, lets vote good singers through this year!

No more Sanjayas!!!

Greatest Baseball Team of All-Time

I've taken the greatest players at each position to create, what in my opinion, would be the greatest baseball team of all-time.

Pitcher-Leroy Robert "Satchel" Paige













This right-handed pitcher was the greatest of all-time. The stories about his games are simply legendary. On more than one occasion he would have his outfielders all sit down, and then strikeout the other side. He would also purposely load the bases, and then show off his talents by striking out 3 consecutive batters. He started his Major League career in 1948 at 42 years old, but some people think he was even older than that. He appeared in his first MLB all-star game in 1952, making him 46 years old. He was 28-31 with a 3.29 ERA and 288 strikeouts in the Majors, but he was an old man by then. Who knows what kind of numbers he could have put up if he was allowed to play in the majors for his whole career?


Catcher-Josh Gibson












Johnny Bench and Yogi Berra are a distant second. Josh Gibson commonly referred to as the "Black Babe Ruth" was the greatest Catcher of All-Time. He never played in the Major Leagues. Only whites were allowed at that time. His official numbers are unknown. However his hall of fame plaques says he hit almost 800 homers in his 17 year career, and according to the Hall of Fame his batting average was .359 and his career slugging percentage was .648. Although it is true that some feel that his home run total is greatly exaggerated, because many of those home runs were racked up in unofficial games. Others argue that some of those unofficial games were against Major League barnstormers. He also died at the young age of 35, and he would have had even more home runs if it had not been for a tragic brain tumor. Whatever the case he is considered be one of the best, if not the best, power hitters of all-time.

1st Baseman-Lou Gehrig












There are several great 1st basemen, but none as great as the legendary Lou Gehrig. He ended his career with 493 home runs, a batting average of .340 and 1,995 RBI's. He was a 7-time all-star. He was a 2-time American League MVP (1927, 1936). He has six World Series titles. In 1934 he won the Triple Crown. He holds the MLB record for most career grand slams at 23. He holds the record for most career RBI's by a 1st baseman, highest career on base percentage by a 1st baseman .447, and highest career slugging percentage by a 1st baseman .632. He was unanimously voted into the Hall of Fame. Capping it all off, is his outstanding durability. In fact they called the "Iron Horse". He held the consecutive games played record at 2,130 until Cal Ripken Jr. broke it. There is no question that Lou Gehrig was the greatest to ever play his position.

2nd Baseman-Napoleon "Nap" Lajoie












The best 2nd basemen of all-time was Napoleon Lajoie. Some people will tell you it was Eddie Collins, Joe Morgan, or maybe Roger Hornsby, but I'm telling you it was that old Ty Cobb rival, Nap Lajoie. He ended his career with 3,242 hits and 1,504 runs. In 1901 he won the American League Triple Crown. He is only one of six players to have ever been walked when the bases were loaded. The other five were Abner Dalrymple (1881), Del Bisonette (1928), Bill Nicholson (1944), Barry Bonds (1998), Josh Hamilton (2008). He has 657 doubles which was the record when he retired, and today is the 6th highest of all-time. He was not a home runner hitter, and yet he was a 4-time league leader in slugging percentage, but what put him over the top for me, was his defense. He was the league leader in fielding six times. He was the definition of an all around player. If you're still not convinced, look at his 1901 season. He led the league in batting average (.426), OBP (.463), SLG (.643), runs (145), RBI (125), hits (232), total bases (350), doubles (48), homers (14), singles (156), runs created (158), extra base hits (76), and times on base (269). I don't think there is any 2nd baseman that can compete with Nap in his prime.


3rd Baseman-Mike Schmidt












Mike Schmidt is hands down the greatest 3rd basemen to ever play the game. He has 548home runs and 1,595 RBI's. He is a 12-time all-star, and won the National League MVP 3 times. He is a World Series champion, and a World Series MVP. He is a 10-time golden glove winner. He dominated his position, and is my pick for 3rd base.

Shortstop-Honus "The Flying Dutchman" Wagner












Honus Wagner had a career batting average of .327, 3,417 hits, and 1,732 RBI's. He won the World Series in 1909, and was 8-time batting champion. He was one of the first five members inducted to the Hall of Fame. He received the second most votes behind Ty Cobb and tied with Babe Ruth. His rival Ty Cobb said of Wagner "Maybe the greatest star to ever take the diamond." Babe Ruth said "He was perhaps the greatest right hand hitter of all-time. Sabermatrician Bill James rates him as the second greatest player of all-time behind Babe Ruth. I am convinced that Honus Wagner was the greatest shortstop of ever.

Left Field-Barry Bonds

At Left Field I have Barry Bonds. For me it was between him and Ted Williams, but I decided to put Ted Williams as my designated hitter. I felt that for the majority of his career Barry Bonds was a better fielder. So I would prefer to have Ted as the DH. Barry Bonds is a 7-time league MVP. That is a record. He is a 12-time all-star and 8-time golden glove winner. His career batting average is .298. He has 1,996 career RBI's, 2,935 hits, 514 stolen bases, and an OBS of .444. He holds the record for most home runs in a single season at 73, and holds the record for most career home runs ever at762. He also owns the record for career walks at 2,558 and intentional walks at 688, and he may not be done. He still wants to play. Some people feel that his alleged steroid use diminishes his career. I feel that in an era where the pitchers were juiced, his numbers are still relevant.

Center Field-Willie Mays

The "Say Hey Kid" was the best center fielder of all-time. He had a career batting average of .302, 3,283 hits, and 660 home runs. He tied the record for most all-star appearances at 24. He is a 2-time MVP, and a 2-time all-star MVP. He was a 12-time golden glove winner, World Series champion, and rookie of the year. He has the most extra inning home runs, 22. He is the only player to have hit a home run in every inning 1-16. He is one of four NL players to have 8 consecutive 100 RBI season. The other three are Mel Ott, Sammy Sosa, and Albert Pujols. Willie May's first manager, Leo Durocher said of him, "He could do the five things you have to do to be a superstar: hit, hit with power, run, throw, and field." He was a superstar.

Right Field- George "Babe" Ruth

He's been called Babe, The Bambino, and The Sultan of Swat. Whatever you decide to call him, the man could play. He is often considered to be the greatest player of all-time. So then he is obviously the greatest right fielder of all-time, and no baseball team could be called the greatest without him. He batted .342. He had 2,873 career hits, and 2,217 RBI's which is the second most RBI's of all-time. He holds the records for both slugging percentage .690, and (OPS) 1.164. Babe was the best.

Designated Hitter-Ted Williams












Ted Williams was a great left fielder. He never played DH, but it would be a great spot for "The Splendid Splinter" who is commonly referred to as the greatest hitter of all-time. This team couldn't be considered the greatest team of all-time without Ted Williams. He batted .344, had 521 home runs, and 1,839 RBI's. He was a 19-time all-star and 2-time MVP. He won the Triple Crown twice. He would have had even higher numbers if it weren't for his time in the military. He is the last player to hit over .400 in a season, and he holds the highest career batting average for any player who has more than 500 home runs. He had a legendary career which ended with a home run on his last at bat. He hit for power, and he hit for average, and that is why he would be the DH on the greatest team of all-time.

This is the batting order.

1. CF Willie Mays Righty
2. SS Honus Wagner Righty
3. DH Ted Williams Lefty
4. RF Babe Ruth Lefty
5. C Josh Gibson Righty
6. 1B Lou Gehrig Lefty
7. LF Barry Bonds Lefty
8. 3B Mike Schmidt Righty
9. 2B Nap Lajoie Righty

Daily Funny: George W Bush

Top Ten Hottest Female Athletes

1. Bia & Branca Feres











That's right baby, twins! You can't beat twins, especialy these two beautiful brazilian babes. They are synchronized swimmers for the Brazilian national team. I don't really know much about them other than the fact that they are super hot and seem to be caressing each other in this picture.

2. Anna Sergeyevna Kournikova









You know I'm tired of everyone saying she sucked at tennis. She didn't suck. She had talent. She reached the semis of Wimbeldon at 16, and she won 2 Australian Open doubles titles. She could play the game. She just couldn't handle the pressure. Well anyways she belongs at the top of the list. She has an amazing body and gorgeous face. I'm crazy about her.

3. Stacy Keibler











This wrestler is known for her 42" legs. She started as a Baltimore Ravens cheerleader and then moved up to pro wrestling. For those of you who say WWE isn't a real sport, you're probably right. Still she is athletic and hott. So she makes the list.

4. Alexandra Pauline "Sasha" Cohen






This olympic figure skater started out as a gymnast. She's cute. She's cute and flexible. In my book that equals Hott!

5. Maria Yuryevna Sharapova











Some call her the second coming of Ana Kournikova. I don't really see the comparison. Anna Kournikova is way hotter, and Maria Sharapova plays much better tennis.

6. Ana Ivanovic











I know it seems like this list has a lot of tennis players. That's because it does. That is probably why tennis is one of the most popular women's sports. The cool thing about Ivanovic is that she is more than just a pretty face. She won her first Major at the French Open last year.

7. Sarah Burke









I had to have a red head on the list. Sarah Burke is three time Winter X Games gold medalist. In fact she won the first ever world championship half-pipe event.


8. Danica Sue Patrick











Danica definately has the girl next door look going on. She's great for the sport of IndyCar racing. Some people say she has an advantage because she weighs less than a man, but I think that's ridiculous because she isn't as strong. There is no power steering in the IndyCar league and strength makes a difference.

9. Maria Yuryevna Kirilenko









This tennis player is the wife of NBA star Andre Kirilenko. She allows him to sleep with a designated amount of girls each year. That alone makes her deserving of the list.

1o. Serena Jameka Williams











Serena is sexy. Have you ever watched her play in that cat suit? The girl has got it in all the right places. She just won the Australian Open giving her a total of 10 majors. That makes her 7th on the all-time list.

Daily Funny! Top Ten Star Wars: That's What She Said

Top Ten Favorite Animes

1. Gundum OO

The top spot goes to Gundum OO. This is a very creative Anime. The main pilot is a former terrorist, a Jihadist no less. I appreciate a story that takes me into a unique perspective.













2. Macross Frontier

This is just a great Anime. If you are a fan of Robotech you have to see it, and the giant robots are just really cool.

3. Claymore

This Anime is something special. It has great action, graphics, and I absolutely love the story. Plus who doesn't love hot chicks with big swords.

4. Ninja Scroll the Series

I don't mean to bash the movie or anything, but I thought the series was much better. This is a must see for hardcore Anime fans who love gore, violence, blood and of course ninjas.

5. Gungrave

This is great because it is a Mob Anime. I love Mob movies, and I love Anime. So it was the perfect combination. It is the only Mob Anime I know of. So if you know of some others please comment and let me know.

6. Gundum 8th MS Team

The story is connected to Mobile Suit Gundum. It is probably the most realistic of the Gundum franchise, and it has good love story as well. Watch it!

7. Love Complex

Love Complex is nod to all us Anime fans that are in touch with our softer sides. It is a well done romantic comedy and I strongly recommend it.

8. Black Blood Brothers

This is Vampire Anime is excellent. It will suck you in from the very beginning.

9. Kiss X Sister

This is a romantic story with a twisted plot. Kiss X Sister definately has a lot of fan service. Don't worry it's not Hentai.

10. Bounen no Xamdou

This anime is about a young man who gains his super powers after a suicide bomber blows up his bus on his way to school. This happens in the midst of a war that has been going on for centuries. Both sides have targeted him, and he must now stay live and save the girl at the same time. It is both very compelling and artistic.

The Daily Funny: (True Credit Commercial)

Top 10 Box Office Actors

1. Samuel L. Jackson - $4,018,617,575

"Yes I think they should die and I hope they burn in hell!" (A Time a to Kill)

"AK-47, the very best there is. When you absolutely, positively, got to kill every motherf@#$er in the room, accept no substitutes." (Jackie Brown)

"I've had it with these Mother F@#$ckin' snakes on this Mother F@#$%ckin' plane.
(Snakes on a Plane)

Seriously does anybody have more famous quotes from movies then Samuel L. Jackson. This Jedi tops our list, and he has made a whoppin' 76 movies. Wow!













2. Tom Hanks - $3,621,934,916

Tom Hanks, common the guy carried a movie with a volleyball. Now that takes talent. Cast Away Grossed $429,632,142 worldwide, and that wasn't even his best movie. Forrest Gump grossed $677,387,716. Bravo Tom. Bravo. He has made35 movies.











3. Harrison Ford - $3,594,943,046

There is no surprise to see him up here. He has been in two of the biggest trilogies of his generation, Star Wars and Indiana Jones. He has made 35 movies.













4. Eddie Murphy - $3,449,950,737

He has had a very profitable career, and Shrek didn't hurt. He has made 34 movies.













5. Morgan Freemen - $3,098,030,785

This old timer is showing the rookies how it's done. His most profitable movies have been the Batman flicks, but there are a lot more. He is in 52 movies.













6. Robin Williams - $2,965,534,753

This Oscar winning funny man has had quite the career. Mrs. Doubtfire really brought in the cash. Who knew dressing up as a woman could pay so well. He has made 51 movies.













7. Tom Cruise-$2,808,616,652

Show me the MONEY!! From Top Gun to Mission Impossible to War of the Worlds, Tom Cruise has been making box office hits since the 80's and it has sure paid off, literally . Tom Cruise has a total of 30 movies.













8. Bruce Willis - $2,619,729,387

Bruce Willis kills the competition with his Die Hard franchise, and brought his career back to life with the Sixth Sense which grossed $672,806,292 worldwide. He has made 48 movies.














9. Will Smith- $2,446,096,788

Everything this guy touches turns to Gold. His biggest Movie was ID4. It grossed $817,400,891 worldwide. What is most impressive is that he makes the list without any big box office trilogies, and he has only made 18 movies. Can you name them?












10. William Defoe-$2,437,839,574


At the 10 spot is William Defoe. He racked up a lot of this money from the Spiderman trilogy. He has made 59 movies throughout his career.

Arizona Cardinals: Don't Write Off the Underdogs

The Arizona Cardinals!! Can you believe it? “They are who we thought they were”! As I watched the Cardinals cut up the Eagles defense in the final minutes of the 4th quarter to clinch the NFC title over a team that had mercilessly destroyed them a few weeks ago in the regular season, those infamous Dennie Green words rang loud in my head. “They are who we thought they were.” I thought “this is the type of irony reserved for an Alanis Morissette song”, because these Arizona Cardinals are definitely not who we thought they were, but should we be surprised?

It seems like too often in the sports world we are so quick to write people off. Everything is what have you done for me lately, and it’s just not in sports. It’s the society we live in. This cut throat, no patience, give me the results I want 10 minutes ago mentality that in some ways makes us great, could be one of the reasons why nobody saw this coming. This is why the Cardinals were not who you thought they were, but it really shouldn’t have been such a shock.

Kurt Warner that washed up quarterback who couldn’t hold on to the ball, he was actually the two time MVP and Super Bowl winning quarterback that everyone had forgot about. Ken Wizenhunt, the coach who couldn’t seem to get his team to play consistently, or on the road was really that championship coordinator who helped lead a 2006 Pittsburgh Steelers team to three straight playoff road games and a Super Bowl victory. Edgerrin James the running back with too many carries and too many miles who needed to retire turned out to be the 4 time pro bowler that he had been with the Colts. Throw in Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin, probably the most dynamic receiving core in the NFL, and a Cardinals Super Bowl appearance doesn’t sound so crazy.

There is a championship caliber personnel on this team, and more importantly there always has been. Just because we hadn’t seen the results recently, doesn’t mean that this group of guys didn’t have it in them. A lot of these guys have shown they can get it done on a championship level. So maybe we shouldn’t be so quick to write the underdogs of this world off, and instead have a little patience. I think we might have learned a lesson from this team, a lesson that applies to more than just football.

Ethics of War part I

Humans are addicted to war, but why? Why do we seek out the destruction of our own species? Why do we as humans sometimes feel the impulse to destroy what is different, what we don't understand, and what is so foreign from our own beliefs? Why is our society so blood thirsty? War is glorified in our music, movies, and video games, yet we are taught about how terrible war is? And perhaps the most distressing question is why do we use religion as the biggest excuse to incite a war? Is it right to involve God in the murder of innocent Muslims? Or to tie the all mighty Allah to the killing of the "Christian infidels"? War has been around since the dawn of time. If you're an Evolutionist, it started with monkeys using weapons as archaic as bones and if you believe in a Christian God it started with Cain and Able. Its seems to be a part of us. Shouldn't we embrace it? Some say it is evil. But why is it so necessary to kill evil? Isn't evil just a point of view? And isn't good also just point of view? I'm not saying that war is good nor am I saying it is evil. The concept of Justice seems to be the perspective of history's winners. Their sense of justice has prevailed through war and the senseless slaughter of civilians in the cross fire.

War has shown that even evil is necessary to do a little good, you know the ends justifies the means philosophy. Sometimes civilians dying in the cross fire is what is necessary for people to push harder to win the war, in order for all the atrocities of war to come to an end. The brutal visuals of civilian deaths will move the conscience of the so called "just". The thirst for battle will soon be lost and the war will be brought to an end. Isn't this what happened in Vietnam?

Countries try to use war to solve most of their problems. This is especially true when a country is facing tough times. A distraction is needed when things like the economy, health care and and education start to fail. Then people start to get angry. At this point the easiest thing to do is blame some one else for all their problems. The media can then be used to focus that same anger and that same outrage on hating a designated group chosen by the governing party. That anger can be focused on Muslims by Christian nations and inversely the same type of propaganda can be focused on Christians in Muslim countries. Once the propaganda has succeeded in its goal and the countries are at a critical mass, one small event can start a war, just like a small spark in a room full of gasoline. It just takes a small infraction or attack by either side. The attack or infraction doesn't even have to be real. It must simply be perceived. Each side will use their propaganda machines to pump lies that will cause the other side to appear sick and twisted. Then it will be what any religious man would call," a just war." Right and wrong is only decided after the war is over and "justified". The winning nation is right. The losing nation is wrong. No matter how you look at it, war is the only debate that can bring about permanent change in the minds of the people. The winning argument will undoubtedly echo throughout history. So why are we addicted to war? Maybe we're addicted to war because we need to be right. And what about evil? Maybe evil is who the machine tells us is our enemy.