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Sports Then and Now



Zultan’s Fearless Football Forecast for Week 11 1

Posted on November 07, 2012 by JA Allen

Another bleak week for the Mighty Zultan whose Big Ten teams waited until the very end to lose, making the agony that much greater.  Zultan went 6-4. Hordes did better.

Mom’s beloved Hawkeyes waited until the fourth quarter to give up the ghost. She has taken up volleyball.

Michigan State looked great, right up until the end when Nebraska rose up and stole the game in the blink of an eye. Those Cornhuskers give the All-Seeing Seer an unending headache, blurring his vision at critical junctures.

Outside the Big Ten, wouldn’t you just know Texas would show up with a complete game on both sides of the ball?? Plus, Zultan heard that the Mississippi State Bulldogs forgot to show up for the game, filling in with locals from the stands.

Now heading down the final stretch, the picks get harder deep into conference competition. Zultan seems to be teetering—not quite as cocky as he was during his “hot streak.”  Now is the time to make your picks and grab a little glory of your own.

Those who outguessed Zultan last week will be listed at the end of this article with tons of kudos for those souls bright enough to surpass the Mighty Zultan.

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Week Ten of Zultan’s Fearless Football Forecast 0

Posted on October 31, 2012 by JA Allen

It was a horrible day for a daring football prognosticator who swore Notre Dame was over-rated, who was sure the Gators were worthy of being ranked No. 2 and who predicted the Lions could best the Buckeyes at home in Happy Valley.

Like Icarus who flew too close to the sun—Mighty Zultan came too close to perfection. The Football Gods torched his flammable cloak, sending the All-Seeing One headlong into the sink hole of also-rans—where the rest of you dwell.

Except, of course the dozen or so of you who out-guessed Zultan last Saturday.

These distinguished prognosticators will be listed at the end of this article with appropriate kudos for rising above Zultan in Week 9.

Week 10 promises even more untold surprises.

What unlucky unbeaten will fall? Will Nebraska manage to sustain their slight lead and win on the road? Can LSU change the course of football history in 2012? Who knows??

Zultan was mortally wounded in Week 9—managing to hang on at 5-5.  He staggered under the weight of expectation.  Can he exceed that mark?  Make your own picks in Week 10—and go head-to-head with Zultan to defend your choices.

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Zultan Returns in Week 5 for His First College Football Forecast of 2012 0

Posted on September 26, 2012 by JA Allen

Zultan returns for the 2012 season.

No way Zultan wanted to wake up for this season. The Big Ten is spiraling down the proverbial drain and leading the way are Mom’s Iowa Hawkeyes who tripped and fell during their “bend but don’t break” defensive stand at the end of their “game” against Central Michigan.

As a world famous prognosticator, you go to into hibernation for a few months and when you wake up, the whole college football landscape has shifted. Missouri and Texas A & M are members of the SEC—what were they thinking? West Virginia moved out west into Big 12  cattle country? Where is the logic there?

It seems to me that some of these teams are going to spending all their profits on air-fare.

It was bad enough when Nebraska came on board in the Big Ten, but at least they are next door to Iowa where they share a natural enmity with the Hawkeyes as river rivals.

The good thing in week No. 5 is that the non-conference portion of the year is breathing its last. The Big Ten can stop suffering embarrassment in isolation, falling to teams who should not be winning against the legendary Big Ten.

What happened to the “patsies” or “cupcakes” we were accustomed to running over during the first four weeks? Didn’t anybody get the message about the MAC Conference. They are too good—scratch them from the Big Ten non-conference schedule immediately.

Now, at least the “Legends” and “Leaders” can play teams they can defeat—their brothers in the the Big Ten.

So, fellow fans of the “hail Mary,” this is the start of the 2012 football season, Zultan’s fourth run at prognosticating college football fortunes highlighting the Iowa Hawkeyes, the Big Ten Conference and other Saturday games worthy of my penetrating insight.

You want a piece of the action—just make your picks here and we will see mano y mano who is the best at predicting winners in upcoming week No. 5 in college football, season 2012. Or as Zultan calls it—the year of the big, bad Big Ten fall.

Results listing the superior prognosticators—those who surpass Zultan in picking the winners in the ten games featured in week 5—will be posted in next week’s article, asssuming Zultan survives another tumultuous weekend of Big Ten action and Mom’s cooking if the Hawkeyes lose again.

 

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  • Vintage Athlete of the Month

    • Mickey Lolich: 1968 World Series Hero
      October 2, 2024 | 3:00 pm
      Mickey Lolich

      The Sports Then and Now Vintage Athlete of the Month is one of the most celebrated pitchers in Detroit Tigers history and will forever be remembered for his heroic performance in the 1968 World Series.

      Mickey Lolich is remembered for his durability, resilience, and ability to deliver in clutch situations. Known for his powerful left arm and an almost superhuman capacity to pitch complete games, Lolich etched his name in baseball history with his stellar performance in the 1968 World Series, leading the Tigers to a championship. His career, spanning from 1963 to 1979, was defined by consistency, longevity, and an unyielding competitive spirit. Lolich may not have the same level of fame as some of his contemporaries, but his achievements on the mound have earned him a lasting legacy in the annals of Major League Baseball.

      Read more »

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