Doubles Across America

 

A plot of eleven Double wagers at eleven race tracks across the United States, with a $14 budget.

50/50 Bankroll: Saturday, August 31 (Day No. 31)

                        

(This daily series will feature $1 Double and 2-pick parlay wagers in horse racing and soccer over a 50-day period. Any profits will be donated to the Futures for Standardbreds and/or Street Soccer USA.)

*Horse Racing*

Saratoga Race Course (Saratoga Springs, New York)

Race No. 7

#8: Crushed Ice (+1000 ML)

Race No. 8

#2: Guns Loaded (+600 ML)

Horse Racing Bankroll: $47.70 (-$2.30, -4.60%) (13/60)

*Soccer*

Men's League One (England)

Game No. 1

Birmingham City FC (-230)

Men's USL Championship (United States)

Game No. 2

Detroit City FC (-125)

Soccer Bankroll: $47.90 (-$2.10, -4.20%) (28/60)

Total Bankroll: $95.30 (-$4.70, -4.70%) (41/120)

Fallen Leaves Podcast Interview

 

Below is the link to an interview hosted by a German podcaster who uses the pseudonym ShadowWulf:

https://bit.ly/4e2Kcpv

It's great to have someone overseas become so interested in so many aspects of Maine soccer, and it was good to knock off some of the rust that's built up over my first monthlong quasi-break from soccer in about 15 years.

50/50 Bankroll: Friday, August 30 (Day No. 30)

                       

(This daily series will feature $1 Double and 2-pick parlay wagers in horse racing and soccer over a 50-day period. Any profits will be donated to the Futures for Standardbreds and/or Street Soccer USA.)

*Horse Racing*

Saratoga Race Course (Saratoga Springs, New York)

Race No. 1

#8: Gate to Wire (+200 ML)

Race No. 2

#1: Scythian (+350 ML)

Horse Racing Bankroll: $34.90 (-$15.10, -30.20%) (11/58)

*Soccer*

Men's 1. Deild (Iceland)

Game No. 1

IBV Vestmannaeyjar (+100)

Men's Bundesliga (Germany)

Game No. 2

Union Berlin (-110)

Soccer Bankroll: $48.90 (-$1.10, -2.20%) (27/58)

Total Bankroll: $83.80 (-$16.20, 16.20%) (38/116)

50/50 Bankroll: Thursday, August 29 (Day No. 29)

                      

(This daily series will feature $1 Double and 2-pick parlay wagers in horse racing and soccer over a 50-day period. Any profits will be donated to the Futures for Standardbreds and/or Street Soccer USA.)

*Horse Racing*

Kentucky Downs (Franklin, Kentucky)

Race No. 9

#14: Reflexivity (+1000 ML)

Race No. 10

#3: Siege of Boston (+800 ML)

Horse Racing Bankroll: $35.90 (-$14.10, -28.20%) (11/56)

*Soccer*

Men's UEFA Europa League Qualifying

Game No. 1

Ajax (-475)

Men's UEFA Europa Conference League Qualifying

Game No. 2

Vikingur Reykjavik (-185)

Soccer Bankroll: $49.90 (-$0.10, -0.20%) (26/56)

Total Bankroll: $85.80 (-$14.20, 14.20%) (37/112)

RSC 23U Men's By the Numbers

 

The Rosevelt Soccer Club was one of three founding clubs of the Maine Soccer Association, a state association affiliated with the U.S. Adult Soccer Association and the U.S. Soccer Federation.

The creation of the Maine Soccer Association ushered in the first 23U Men's and 23U Women's club programming associated with those organizations in Maine, and our club has been focused on being part of this project because it extends the developmental and experiential pathway for our club's members.

The goal for our club's first team is for our 23U rosters to consist of at least 50% of our former youth players, so that we can fulfill the goal of being an 8U-23U multigenerational club.

Here's a breakdown of our progress on that goal:

2023 Men's

Total Players: 16

Homegrown Players: 11

Homegrown Player %: 69%

2024 Men's

Total Players: 21

Homegrown Players: 13

Homegrown Player %: 62%

 

50/50 Bankroll: Wednesday, August 28 (Day No. 28)

                     

(This daily series will feature $1 Double and 2-pick parlay wagers in horse racing and soccer over a 50-day period. Any profits will be donated to the Futures for Standardbreds and/or Street Soccer USA.)

*Horse Racing*

Finger Lakes Racetrack (Farmington, New York)

Race No. 3

#3: Fighting Back (+150 ML)

Race No. 4

#2: Stewie (+400 ML)

Horse Racing Bankroll: $36.90 (-$13.10, -26.20%) (11/54)

*Soccer*

Men's UEFA Champions League Qualifying

Game No. 1

Lille (+195)

Men's UEFA Champions League Qualifying

Game No. 2

FC Midtyjylland (+135)

Soccer Bankroll: $50.90 (+$0.90, +1.80%) (26/54)

Total Bankroll: $87.80 (-$10.20, 10.20%) (37/106)

50/50 Bankroll: Tuesday, August 27 (Day No. 27)

                   

(This daily series will feature $1 Double and 2-pick parlay wagers in horse racing and soccer over a 50-day period. Any profits will be donated to the Futures for Standardbreds and/or Street Soccer USA.)

*Horse Racing*

Fanduel Fairmount Park (Collinsville, Illinois)

Race No. 6

#5: Wildwood Sicilian (+250 ML)

Race No. 7

#7: Redfield (+450 ML)

Horse Racing Bankroll: $37.90 (-$12.10, -24.20%) (11/52)

*Soccer*

Men's EFL Cup (England)

Game No. 1

Birmingham City FC (+425)

Men's U.S. Open Cup (United States)

Game No. 2

Indy Eleven (+450)

Soccer Bankroll: $51.90 (+$1.90, +3.80%) (26/52)

Total Bankroll: $89.80 (-$10.20, 10.20%) (37/102)

On This Date: August 27, 1989

 

Scarborough Downs hosted a race featuring local media personalities on this date thirty-five years ago. Drivers included Bill Green (WCSH TV), Tom Caron (WGME TV), Bud Sawyer (WPOR), Jim Crocker (WGAN), and Jay Burns (Portland Press Herald).  

(Credit: Northeast Harness News, September 1989)

Headlines: Good Stretch for Maine Apparel Brands

WGME:

The National Women’s Soccer League Players Association is launching a new collaboration with American Roots. American Roots, based in Westbrook, is known for its American-made and ethically created apparel. The company is now creating player-branded fan gear for the top NWSLPA players, including Alex Morgan, Rose Lavelle, and Sophia Smith.

ESPN:

Duke forward Cooper Flagg--the No. 1 prospect in ESPN's 2025 NBA draft class---has signed a significant shoe endorsement deal with New Balance. Flagg joins a New Balance brand tied closely to his home state, including a Skowhegan, Maine, manufacturing factory that is 25 miles from his childhood home in Newport. "The connection with New Balance as a family company and a company with Maine roots means a lot to me," Flagg told ESPN. "That makes this really different and special. My mom used to go to the tent sale for back-to-school shopping there when we were kids. That really aligns the brand with my roots. It's a perfect fit."

Good to see Westbrook and New Balance, a community and a brand connected with the Rosevelt Soccer Club, represent Maine on the national and international levels.

50/50 Bankroll: Monday, August 26 (Day No. 26)

                  

(This daily series will feature $1 Double and 2-pick parlay wagers in horse racing and soccer over a 50-day period. Any profits will be donated to the Futures for Standardbreds and/or Street Soccer USA.)

*Horse Racing*

Finger Lakes Racetrack (Farmington, New York)

Race No. 1

#4: Redwineandwhiskey (+200 ML)

Race No. 2

#3: Remember Your Why (+800 ML)

Horse Racing Bankroll: $38.90 (-$11.10, -22.20%) (11/50)

*Soccer*

Men's Serie A (Italy)

Game No. 1

Como (+205)

Men's La Liga (Spain)

Game No. 2

Celta Vigo (+310)

Soccer Bankroll: $52.90 (+$2.90, +5.80%) (26/50)

Total Bankroll: $91.80 (-$8.20, 8.20%) (37/100)

Headlines: Bubba Larkin Reflects on Bubba's Sulky Lounge, Horse Ownership

Portland Press Herald:

Just to the right of the door is a vignette: a life-size statue of a horse standing inside a wooden stable. Sitting upright in a carriage is a hauntingly realistic mannequin. Its face has a waxy sheen and its mouth is a severe straight line. The scene is illuminated in red light behind the glass. Inside the heavy front doors of the Bayside bar and dance club, photos of racehorses line the wall, each labeled with the horse’s name. The bouncer – usually a guy named Kevin – will ask for $5 cash, then you’re in.

[snip]

Larkin bought his first racehorse sometime in the 1960s – he’s not sure of the exact year – after going to Scarborough Downs with a friend. Since then he’s had as many as 18 at a time. He built a stable for them in his Scarborough backyard and cared for them himself. They raced at the Downs for decades. He sold them a while back when he got too old to take care of them. But he still thinks about them. Sometimes, seemingly out of nowhere, he’ll shake his head and say, “I miss my horses.”

50/50 Bankroll: Sunday, August 25 (Day No. 25)

                 

(This daily series will feature $1 Double and 2-pick parlay wagers in horse racing and soccer over a 50-day period. Any profits will be donated to the Futures for Standardbreds and/or Street Soccer USA.)

*Horse Racing*

Saratoga Race Course (Saratoga Springs, New York)

Race No. 5

#4: Pandagate (-125 ML)

Race No. 6

#4: Charlotte's Heart (+300 ML)

Horse Racing Bankroll: $32.70 (-$17.30, -34.60%) (9/48)

*Soccer*

Men's Bundesliga (Germany)

Game No. 1

St. Pauli (+100)

Men's 1. Deild (Iceland)

Game No. 2

Breidablik (-120)

Soccer Bankroll: $53.90 (+$3.90, +7.80%) (25/48)

Total Bankroll: $86.60 (-$13.40, -13.40%) (34/96)

Rumpus: A Haiku

Once more to the lake.

Bourbon, steak--happy camper.

Loons wail after dark.

50/50 Bankroll: Saturday, August 24 (Day No. 24)

                

(This daily series will feature $1 Double and 2-pick parlay wagers in horse racing and soccer over a 50-day period. Any profits will be donated to the Futures for Standardbreds and/or Street Soccer USA.)

*Horse Racing*

Saratoga Race Course (Saratoga Springs, New York)

Race No. 12

#8: Book 'Em Danno (+350 ML)

Race No. 13

#1: Thorpedo Anna (+300 ML)

Horse Racing Bankroll: $33.70 (-$16.30, -32.60%) (9/46)

*Soccer*

Men's League One (England)

Game No. 1

Birmingham FC (-120)

Men's 1. Deild (Iceland)

Game No. 2

Grindavik (-105)

Soccer Bankroll: $51.56 (+$1.56, +3.12%) (23/46)

Total Bankroll: $84.96 (-$15.04, -15.04%) (32/92)

Mornin' From Maine: Sebago Lake

 

50/50 Bankroll: Friday, August 23, 2024 (Day No. 23)

               

(This daily series will feature $1 Double and 2-pick parlay wagers in horse racing and soccer over a 50-day period. Any profits will be donated to the Futures for Standardbreds and/or Street Soccer USA.)

*Horse Racing*

Woodbine Racetrack (Toronto, Canada)*

Race No. 9

#3: Essex Serpent (+200 ML)

Race No. 10

#7: Bullet (+200 ML)

Saratoga Race Course (Saratoga Springs, New York)

Race No. 10

#4: Idiomatic (+120 ML)

Race No. 11

#12: Act of Congress (+1200 ML)

Horse Racing Bankroll: $34.70 (-$15.30, -30.60%) (9/42)

* Canceled on August 17

*Soccer*

Men's La Liga (Spain)

Game No. 1

Celta Vigo (+100)

Men's Bundesliga (Germany)

Game No. 2

Bayer 04 Leverkusen (-190)

Soccer Bankroll: $49.51 (-$0.49, -0.98%) (21/44)

Total Bankroll: $84.21 (-$15.79, -15.79%) (30/86)

Quote, Unquote: E.B. White

"To me 'Vacationland' is a particularly annoying device to be emblazoned on the bow and stern of my small overworked sedan."

- E.B. White in One Man's Meat (1942), a collection of essays about his life on a Brooklin, Maine saltwater farm.

50/50 Bankroll: Thursday, August 22 (Day No. 22)

              

(This daily series will feature $1 Double and 2-pick parlay wagers in horse racing and soccer over a 50-day period. Any profits will be donated to the Futures for Standardbreds and/or Street Soccer USA.)

*Horse Racing*

Saratoga Race Course (Saratoga Springs, New York)

Race No. 1

#5: Stone Smuggler (+600 ML)

Race No. 2

#5: Gina Romantica (+180)

Horse Racing Bankroll: $35.70 (-$14.30, -28.60%) (9/40)

*Soccer*

Men's UEFA Europa Conference League Qualifier

Game No. 1

Vikingur Reykjavik (-400)

Men's UEFA Europa League Qualifier

Game No. 2

Ajax (-135)

Soccer Bankroll: $48.34 (-$1.66, -3.32%) (19/42)

Total Bankroll: $84.04 (-$15.96, -15.96%) (28/82)

Data Dump: NFL vs. Big 5 Scoring

When asked in a podcast interview last September which soccer rule he'd change if given the opportunity, U.S. men's national team and A.C. Milan standout Christian Pulisic said he'd assign each goal scored seven points. So your 2-1 game would actually be scored 14-7, your 3-2 game would be 21-14, and on and on.

Pulisic's suggestion, of course, was connected to the scoring rules in American football and the common complaint that soccer is too low-scoring compared to that sport. 

But Pulisic has a point: The two sports aren't too far apart if you assign one point per touchdown in football to match the one point per goal in soccer.

Below is a table comparing the highest-scoring teams, the median-scoring teams, and the lowest-scoring teams using the scoring system of each touchdown and goal scored counting as one point:

 

On average, the NFL still outscored the EPL, Ligue 1, Bundesliga, Serie A, and La Liga during the leagues' respective 2023 seasons. 

But Pulisic's overall point stands, even if his rule change shouldn't be adopted.

50/50 Bankroll: Wednesday, August 21 (Day No. 21)

              

(This daily series will feature $1 Double and 2-pick parlay wagers in horse racing and soccer over a 50-day period. Any profits will be donated to the Futures for Standardbreds and/or Street Soccer USA.)

*Horse Racing*

Saratoga Race Course (Saratoga Springs, New York)

Race No. 2

#9: Sacrosanct (+350 ML)

Race No. 3

#2: Andthewinneris (+300 ML)

Horse Racing Bankroll: $36.70 (-$13.30, -26.60%) (8/38)

*Soccer*

Men's 2. Deild (Iceland)

Game No. 1

Selfoss (-290)

Men's USL Championship (United States)

Game No. 2

Detroit City FC (+475)

Soccer Bankroll: $41.61 (-$8.39, -16.78%) (17/40)

Total Bankroll: $78.31 (+$-21.69, -21.69%) (25/78)

HoP Fantasy Check-In #1 (August 20)

 

What does a fantasy EPL team look like, without any players from the six clubs that initially supported the European Super League in 2021?

Well, this entry in the league organized by Portland Hearts of Pine gives you some idea--171st out of 171 entries.

50/50 Bankroll: Tuesday, August 20 (Day No. 20)

             

(This daily series will feature $1 Double and 2-pick parlay wagers in horse racing and soccer over a 50-day period. Any profits will be donated to the Futures for Standardbreds and/or Street Soccer USA.)

*Horse Racing*

Fanduel Fairmount Park Race Track (Collinsville, Illinois)

Race No. 1

#1: Dixie Penny (+200 ML)

Race No. 2

#6: WW Grand Finale (+250 ML)

Horse Racing Bankroll: $37.70 (-$12.30, -24.60%) (7/36)

*Soccer*

Men's Svenska Cupen (Sweden)

Game No. 1

Trellesborgs FF (-155)

Men's Svenska Cupen (Sweden)

Game No. 2

Örebro SK (-175)

Soccer Bankroll: $40.03 (-$9.97, -18.94%) (15/38)

Total Bankroll: $77.73 (+$-22.27, -22.27%) (22/74)

The RSC Reader

 

The Rosevelt Soccer Club--a Maine-based soccer club I co-founded in 2014 with Aaron Graffam--will be celebrating its 11th season this year!

Even though our programming doesn't kick off until January, the third Monday of August is generally when we start our planning for the upcoming season in earnest. 

At this point, we've rostered most of our teams, secured the logistics for the next season, and enjoyed a summer break.

But now it's time to start warming up the engine to ensure that our club is ready for our members, when their fall seasons with their college, high school, or Fall Classic programs have concluded.

In the meantime, this blog is the best resource to catch up on our club's first decade.

50/50 Bankroll: Monday, August 19 (Day No. 19)

            

(This daily series will feature $1 Double and 2-pick parlay wagers in horse racing and soccer over a 50-day period. Any profits will be donated to the Futures for Standardbreds and/or Street Soccer USA.)

*Horse Racing*

Finger Lakes Racetrack (Farmington, New York)

Race No. 3

#1: Union Lights (+200 ML)

Race No. 4

#6: Call It A Night (+500 ML)

Horse Racing Bankroll: $38.70 (-$11.30, -22.60%) (7/34)

*Soccer*

Men's Urvalsdeild (Iceland)

Game No. 1

Breidablik (-225)

Men's Urvalsdeild (Iceland)

Game No. 2

Vikingur Reykjavik (-190)

Soccer Bankroll: $41.03 (-$8.97, -16.94%) (14/36)

Total Bankroll: $79.73 (+$-20.27, -20.27%) (21/70)

Chalk Talk: Last Dance*

Our younger daughter's Gorham Youth Soccer Association (GYSA) U14 Girls team is scheduled to play its first friendly of the 2024 season this afternoon, and the game marks the official kick-off for my last season as a coach or a board member with a Fall Classic club.

The Fall Classic league is administered by Soccer Maine--a member state association associated with the U.S. Soccer Federation and U.S. Youth Soccer--and the league consists of U9-U14 schedules that go from August to November. There are more than forty Fall Classic clubs in the state, and each club's geographical footprint corresponds with a local school district. 

Because of the clubs' connections with school districts, the programs are effective developmental pathways for high school programs, and representing your community from U9-U14 in the Fall Classic league is a rite of passage almost every Maine youth soccer player experiences.

(Because of their distinct geographical boundaries at the local level, they should also serve as the foundation for a coherent and organized developmental pathway for regional and state-wide programming within Maine. But that's another post for another day.)

Anyway, my involvement with Fall Classic clubs goes to back to at least 2011, when I was named the head coach of the Westbrook High School boys' varsity team and was first elected to the board of directors for the Westbrook Soccer League's Fall Classic club. Since then, I've also served as a Board member of Gorham's Fall Classic club and have coached our daughters' Fall Classic teams since 2015. 

The programming's structure is a model for how the rest of Soccer Maine's programming can best be organized, and the year-to-year consistency working with most of the same players and coaches ensures most of our focus can remain on the field. It's especially rewarding when you're able to attend a local high school game, and you're able to see the core group of players you started working with when they were U9 players exhibiting many of the coaching points and principles of play you'd been teaching and emphasizing since they were younger players.

We've had that experience with our older daughter's Class of 2026 teammates, and we look forward to a similar experience with our younger daughter's Class of 2029 teammates. 

* ;)

50/50 Bankroll: Sunday, August 18 (Day No. 18)

           

(This daily series will feature $1 Double and 2-pick parlay wagers in horse racing and soccer over a 50-day period. Any profits will be donated to the Futures for Standardbreds and/or Street Soccer USA.)

*Horse Racing*

Saratoga Race Course (Saratoga Springs, New York)

Race No. 2

#6: Appellate (+600 ML)

Race No. 3

#5: Donegal Surges (+180 ML)

Horse Racing Bankroll: $39.70 (-$10.30, -20.60%) (7/32)

*Soccer*

Men's English Premier League (England)

Game No. 1

Crystal Palace (+175)

Men's 1. Deild (Iceland)

Game No. 2

Grindavik (+140)

Soccer Bankroll: $42.03 (-$7.97, -15.94%) (14/34)

Total Bankroll: $81.73 (+$-18.27, -18.27%)

On Location: Maine Rapid Chess Championship

 

50/50 Bankroll: Saturday, August 17 (Day No. 17)

        

(This daily series will feature $1 Double and 2-pick parlay wagers in horse racing and soccer over a 50-day period. Any profits will be donated to the Futures for Standardbreds and/or Street Soccer USA.)

*Horse Racing*

Woodbine Racetrack (Toronto, Canada)

Race No. 10 (CANCELED)

#7: Bullet (+200)

Race No. 11 (CANCELED)

#3: Essex Serpent (+200 ML)

Horse Racing Bankroll: $39.70 (-$11.30, -22.60%) (7/32) 

*Soccer*

Men's League One (England)

Game No. 1

Birmingham City FC (+105)

Men's La Liga 2 (Spain)

Game No. 2

Eibar (-135)

Soccer Bankroll: $39.47 (-$9.53, -18.06%) (12/32)

Total Bankroll: $79.17 (+$-20.83, -20.83%) (19/64)

Maine Rapid Chess Championship: Before

 

The Maine Rapid Chess Championship is tomorrow at the Wells Reserve at Laudholm, and it will be my first U.S. Chess Federation (USCF) event since the Luftballons Schach tournament in Auburn in August 2016.

My regular rating is currently 842, which is considered to be Class F level--or the ninth tier on the federation's 13-tier ratings distribution chart. Out of the 442 players in Maine with a current U.S. Chess membership, that rating is #185 in the state.

And my quick rating (i.e., the rating for games featuring time controls of fewer than 30 minutes) is 761, a Class G rating. 

Finally, below is my overall record in all official USCF competitions distributed by my opponents' ratings, which dates back to playing on the Westbrook High School chess team in the 1999 Maine State High School Team Championship:

The Maine Rapid Championship will feature games with 15-minute/+5-second time controls, so it will impact the quick rating and overall record in my USCF profile.

50/50 Bankroll: Friday, August 16 (Day No. 16)

              

(This daily series will feature $1 Double and 2-pick parlay wagers in horse racing and soccer over a 50-day period. Any profits will be donated to the Futures for Standardbreds and/or Street Soccer USA.)

*Horse Racing*

Skowhegan State Fair (Skowhegan, Maine)

Race No. 1

#1: Chasing Dudes (+200 ML)

Race No. 2

#1: Jenden Stike A (+800 ML)

Horse Racing Bankroll: $40.70 (-$9.30, -18.60%) (6/30)

*Soccer*

Men's DFB-Pokal (Germany)

Game No. 1

St. Pauli (-275)

Men's USL Championship (United States)

Game No. 2

Detroit City FC (+255)

Soccer Bankroll: $40.47 (-$9.53, -18.06%) (11/30)

Total Bankroll: $81.17 (+$-18.83, -18.83%) (17/60)

Racetrack List (August 15, 2024)

Last night was my family's first trip to the Skowhegan State Fair (above), the track that was my most recent trip to a Winners' Circle other than the Winners' Circle at First Tracks Cumberland (below).

Which got me thinking--which Standardbred and Thoroughbred tracks have we visited over the years:

Aqueduct Racetrack (New York, NY) ^^^

Bangor Raceway (Bangor, ME) **

Belmont Park (New York, NY) *

First Tracks Cumberland (Cumberland, ME) **^^^

Fryeburg Fairgrounds (Fryeburg, ME) **

Keeneland Racecourse (Lexington, KY) *

Lone Star Park (Grand Prairie, TX) *

Monmouth Park (Oceanport, NJ) *

Plainridge Park (Plainville, MA) **

Saratoga Harness (Saratoga Springs, NY) *

Saratoga Race Course (Saratoga Springs, NY) *

Scarborough Downs (Scarborough, ME) * ^^^

Skowhegan Fairgrounds (Skowhegan, ME) **^^^

Suffolk Downs (Boston, MA) *

Topsham Fairgrounds (Topsham, ME) **^^^

Windsor Fairgrounds (Windsor, ME) **

* Attended as fan

** Attended as co-owner

^^^ Trip to Winners' Circle

50/50 Bankroll: Thursday, August 15 (Day No. 15)

             

(This daily series will feature $1 Double and 2-pick parlay wagers in horse racing and soccer over a 50-day period. Any profits will be donated to the Futures for Standardbreds and/or Street Soccer USA.)

*Horse Racing*

Delaware Park (Wilmington, Delaware)

Race No. 6

#3: Iron Lady (+600 ML)

Race No. 7

#3: Confiscated (+400 ML)

Horse Racing Bankroll: $41.70 (-$8.30, -16.60%) (6/28) 

*Soccer*

Men's UEFA Conference League Qualifying

Game No. 1

Vikingur Reykjavik (-140)

Men's UEFA Conference League Qualifying

Game No. 2

Ajax (-165)

Soccer Bankroll: $41.47 (-$8.53, -16.06%) (10/28)

Total Bankroll: $83.17 (+$-16.83, -16.83%) (16/56)

On Location: Skowhegan State Fair

 

FotMob Playlist (August 14, 2024)

 

Here's the current list of the nine men's and women's clubs in my "Following" tab on the FotMob app:

Men's

England: Birmingham City FC (3rd Division)

Germany: Union Berlin (1st Division)

Iceland: Breiðablik (1st Division), Grindavik (2nd Division), Vikingur Reykjavik (1st Division)

Netherlands: Ajax (1st Division)

Spain: Eibar (2nd Division)

Sweden: BK Forward (4th Division)

United States: Detroit City FC (2nd Division)

Women's

England: Birmingham City FC (2nd Division)

Netherlands: Ajax (1st Division)

Spain: Eibar (1st Division)

50/50 Bankroll: Wednesday, August 14 (Day No. 14)

            

(This daily series will feature $1 Double and 2-pick parlay wagers in horse racing and soccer over a 50-day period. Any profits will be donated to the Futures for Standardbreds and/or Street Soccer USA.)

*Horse Racing*

Skowhegan State Fair (Skowhegan, Maine)

Race No. 7 ($1 Exacta)

#2: Sixby Hanover (+600 ML)

#1: Hurrikane Bunny (+250 ML)

Horse Racing Bankroll: $42.70 (-$7.30, -14.60%) (6/26)

*Soccer*

Men's UEFA Super Cup

Game No. 1

Atalanta (+500)

Men's Carabao Cup (England)

Game No. 2

Leeds United (-185)

Bankroll: $42.47 (-$7.53, -14.06%) (10/26)

Total Bankroll: $85.17 (+$-14.83, -14.83%) (15/52)

On Location: Plainridge Park

 

50/50 Bankroll: Tuesday, August 13 (Day No. 13)

           

(This daily series will feature $1 Double and 2-pick parlay wagers in horse racing and soccer over a 50-day period. Any profits will be donated to the Futures for Standardbreds and/or Street Soccer USA.)

*Horse Racing*

Plainridge Park (Plainville, Massachusetts)

Race No. 1 ($2 Double)

#5: Crimson Pine (+700 ML)

Race No. 2

#2: Coocooforcoco (+250 ML)

Horse Racing Bankroll: $43.70 (-$6.30, -12.60%) (6/24)

*Soccer*

Men's UEFA Europa Conference Qualifiers

Game No. 1

BK Häcken (-525)

Men's Carabao Cup (England)

Game No. 2

Birmingham City FC (+110)

Soccer Bankroll: $43.47 (-$6.53, -12.06%) (9/24)

Total Bankroll: $87.17 (+$-12.83, -12.83%) (15/48)

OTD: August 12, 1984

 

On this date in 1984 Maine native and hall-of-fame guitarist Lenny Breau was found dead in a swimming pool on the roof of his apartment building in Los Angeles. Investigators suspected foul play, but no one has been charged for the crime.

Breau was born in Auburn, Maine in 1941, and he first recorded at Al Hawkes's Event Records in Westbrook, Maine in the late 1950s before enjoying an international recording career as a versatile and virtuoso guitarist.

The restaurant Lenny's Pub at Hawkes Plaza in Westbrook is named after Breau.

On Football and Chess

 

In his book Football & Chess: Tactics, Strategy, Beauty, Adam Wells identifies at least 15 ways the strategies and tactics in soccer and chess overlap:

• Control the center of the field and the center of the board
• Ensure connectivity among players and pieces
• Maximize mobility of players and pieces by providing multiple options for movement
• Position players and pieces based on their strengths, their weaknesses, and the state of the game
• Maintain connectivity and balance when defending the whole field and the whole board
• Expand by using the width when attacking, compress by focusing on the center when defending
• Use all players and pieces as attackers and defenders
• Identify and exploit the opponent's defensive weaknesses
• Use patience and tempo to create and exploit a vulnerable player or position
• Position players and pieces in a connected structure before executing an attack
• Create and use space on the field and the board
• Overload an opposing player or piece with too many defensive responsibilities
• Exploit the "hole" between the opponent's lines of defenders
• Utilize multiplayer and multi-piece combinations and movements
• Apply pressure to opponent by pressing and attacking

50/50 Bankroll: Monday, August 12 (Day No. 12)

          

(This daily series will feature $1 Double and 2-pick parlay wagers in horse racing and soccer over a 50-day period. Any profits will be donated to the Futures for Standardbreds and/or Street Soccer USA.)

*Horse Racing*

Finger Lakes Racetrack (Farmington, New York)

Race No. 2

#4: Betta Go Go Go (+250 ML)

Race No. 3

#5: Devil's Cay (+350 ML)

Horse Racing Bankroll: $44.70 (-$4.30, -8.60%) (6/22)

*Soccer*

Men's Coppa Italia (Italy)

Game No. 1

Frosinone (+120)

Men's Championship (England)

Game No. 2

Burnley (+175)

Soccer Bankroll: $44.47 (-$5.53, -10.06%) (8/22)

Total Bankroll: $89.17 (+$-10.83, -10.83%) (14/44)

On Location: Wolfe's Neck Woods State Park

 

50/50 Bankroll: Sunday, August 11 (Day No. 11)

         

(This daily series will feature $1 Double and 2-pick parlay wagers in horse racing and soccer over a 50-day period. Any profits will be donated to the Futures for Standardbreds and/or Street Soccer USA.)

*Horse Racing*

Colonial Downs (New Kent, Virginia)

Race No. 10

#6: Moira (+180 ML)

Race No. 11

#1: Integration (+250 ML)

Horse Racing Bankroll: $45.70 (-$4.30, -8.60%) (5/20) 

*Soccer*

Men's Coppa Italia (Italy)

Game No. 1

Venezia (+155)

Men's Coppa Italia (Italy)

Game No. 2

Torino (-350)

Soccer Bankroll: $45.47 (-$4.53, -8.06%) (7/20)

Total Bankroll: $91.17 (+$-8.83, -8.83%) (12/40)