LAS VEGAS --
If I'm paying ONE THOUSAND BUCKS for a steak, it better come with a flat screen TV!
Papi Steak is a new joint that just opened at the Fontainebleau Hotel here in Vegas. And the main attraction is the 'Beef Case.'
Owner David 'Papi' Einhorn was gifted with a sparkly diamond-encrusted briefcase, but didn't know how to use it.
One of his vendors brought in an Australian wagyu steak and Einhorn flipped his wig. He said it was the BEST steak he ever had, but didn't know how to sell it. He remembered a scene from Pulp Fiction where Marcellus Wallace opens a briefcase that glows with gold light. So Einhorn went to work. When you order the steak, all the lights go down, the servers abandon their posts, and a parade marches from the kitchen to the table.
Still NOT gonna order unless I get my flat screen TV. And for those friends & family coming to Vegas, when I promise to buy you dinner, it's more likely that I'll take you to White Castle than visit Papi Steak!
PEACOCK??? SERIOUSLY???
NBC Universal and the NFL agreed to a deal worth around $110 million that gave Peacock exclusive rights to broadcast the Saturday Chiefs/Dolphins game on wild-card weekend.
Obviously, the BILLION dollar league does not care about the average Joes that have been watching all year, because if you ain't got Peacock, then you AIN'T watching. Lemme qualify that. If you're in Kansas City or Miami, you CAN watch the game for FREE on the local NBC stations.
Cut to Kaycee DE Charles Omenihu, who will host a Peacock membership giveaway. Omenihu is giving away 90 3-month Peacock memberships. To enter to win, hit him up on Twitter. Looks like it'll cost Charles around $1,500/$1,600, but he WILL be the most popular player in the entire state of Missouri!
LOX & BAGELS!!!
Gonna get WILD and look at Saturday's playoff games starting with the Texans/Browns. They met on Christmas Eve in Houston and Cleveland blew the doors off, winning 36-22.
THROW that score out the window and don't pay attention. Why? Two initials and one word. NO C.J. Stroud. The Texans replaced the kid, who is a LOCK for offensive Rookie of the Year, with Davis Mills and Case Keenum at QB. OUCH!
After scrutinizing the box score from that game, we noticed that Cleveland had an invisible running game. Jerome Ford had only 25 yards and Kareem Hunt had 11.
Back to Stroud. We know that the Browns defense is gonna bring it, but C.J.'s numbers this season have been spectacular. He has hit on 319 of 499 passes (63.9%) for 4,108 yards with 23 TDs and only 5 INTs.
We are a little nervous about the QB on the other side of the field with the gray beard, Joe Flacco. His numbers have been solid since taking over, winning four of five and passing for 1,616 yards. He has thrown for 13 TDs but the number that REALLY worries me is EIGHT INTs. Not gonna get crazy but will throw a small handful of chips at the Texans.
Not sure if I'm gonna sign up for Peacock, but will definitely sign up for a Kaycee win. Gotta talk a little weather first. Gonna be close to ZERO degrees on Saturday night and that could be an issue for a kid from Hawaii (Tua) that plays in sunny Miami.
But the real issue is the Chiefs UTTER DOMINATION at home when the playoffs start. Did the research for you. In 2018, K.C. beat the Colts 31-13 as a -4 point favorite. In 2019, they beat the Texans 51-31 as a -10 point favorite.
In 2020, they beat the Browns 22-17 as a -8 point favorite. In 2021, they beat the Steelers 42-21 as a -11.5 point favorite. And last year, they beat the Jaguars 27-20 as a -9.5 point favorite. ALL of those were HOME GAMES! With Miami having to plug in a few new players on the defensive side because of injuries, Patrick Mahomes should be able to work his postseason magic. Gimme Kaycee for the money!
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Benjamin Eckstein is a nationally syndicated sportswriter/oddsmaker. His column, America's Line, with the Ecks & Bacon appetizer, has run in the New York Daily News and over 100 other papers since 1988. You can follow him online at www.americasline.com. He is beloved by most, when he picks winners, and detested by others, when he picks the occasional loser. If you wanna piece of Eck, hit his Email...ben@americasline.com.
