Any, and every, NFL game/season is full of "ifs".

Long Term Bets
*~*~*~*~*~*

NBA Championship 07/08

Boston Celtics 4/1

I do understand how some may not be interested in a 4/1 shot, however this team's defence, is close to being the greatest of all time!
Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce on the defencive side are monsters!
The true elite of this game!

Golden State Warriors 33/1

Fact: Last years success against the Mavericks was for real.
The Warriors are as good as they looked, and are capable, based on not having to play the Celtics, of getting into the Finals.
And 33/1 looks very attractive!

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Howard and Paul make it interesting to look at their 16/1 and 28/1 teams.
Orlando's hopes look Grim having Boston as their opponents before the Finals.
While the Hornets have many teams that are capable of beating them.
I do favour Chris Paul's game better than Nash's.
Paul's defence is of greater value than Nash's assists.
Add the fact that Paul is scoring like a mofo, and you've got New Orleans, easily, a better team than Phoinex!

Wouldn't it be interesting to watch a Lakers vs Celtics Finals?

I'd still have money on the Celtics should it come to that.
For those of you who would want to have money on the Lakers in that scenario, I suggest you place it now while the price is at 16/1

Super Bowl

New York Giants @ New England Patriots(-12)

I got an early wager on the Giants at +13.5, But I can't really give that, for at this time its at +12.0.

The people's money is in fact on the Patriots.
Record breaking wager's in this years Superbowl.
Who would have thunk it?

There are 2 possibilities.
1st possibility: The Patriots win under the spread.
This would result in great profit collecting the billions wagered on the Patriots in this game.
2nd possibility: The Giants win the game.
This would result in the greatest profit for they would not only collect the billions wagered on the patriots in this game, but they'd also collect all the long term bets on the Patriots.

Bet Heavily on the Giants(+12)

Put some money on the Giants win at 4,25

I'd talk about the game, but its not really about the game, is it?

I was actually looking to quote myself from a few months back where i mentioned that they'd give you an excuse as to why the masses will lose their money on the Patriots, but I can't find it.
Well...... it looks like the excuse will be Brady.
It certainly looks like something being set up.

I thought it was Belicheck setting up all the dumbasses in the media to concentrate on "das boot." I'm anxious to see if he is even really hurt.

I get the feeling Brady is pulling a media stunt with "das boot". We shall see how he is by gametime. So far things shape up to be quite interesting and am eagerly awaiting developments. @WHIP, what makes you so confident the Giants will win this crucial game?

Is there an echo in this thread?

If the line has moved that far, doesn't it mean people are betting the Giants?

Robsterman, read carefully before posting.
You're not making sense.
Try using the quote so people know wtf you're refering toi.

In heavily wagered games... no.
In this case, as I predicted to those close to me, the price did go down.
This results in those who wagered on the Patriots at -13.5 to place more money now that its down to -12.
Its guidance towards the loosing side.
They've got this down to a science.
This game is pre-determined.

i dreamt that the giants won. i was pissed cuz whip was right. is that wrong of me?

LJ LJ LJ....
I thought we were on the same side here.
I think that me being right would benefit you more than me being wrong.
I mean, you think after these past 2 years in this thread, people would kinda see the evidence of the whole money factor?

Would this not cause one to maybe wager a very large sum of mone on something that is pre-determined?
Would it feel like gambling?
No, it would feel like what it is.... free money.

..........and just for the record.
I'm saying:Place a bit of money on the Giants winning the game at 4.25.

Place A LOT of money on the Giants beating the spread!

i'm right there with you LJ. I don't give a rat's ass about either team but i really don't want to see belichek get another ring so i'll be cheering for the giants. but it'll be in the back of my head that WHIP will think it proves his money ideas right. and that'll annoy me.

Money and media are the two keys to taking the so called "FREE MONEY"
Media guides the money.
The Money is always taken.

In this thread, I've mentioned media and money on some games.
Here's a copy and paste of all extreme media brainwashed and heavily wagered, one sided games(Free money games).
and the results

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
............result : Minnesota Vikings 7-9 Green Bay Packers(-4,5) ....WIN

....result : San Fransisco 49ers 26-23 Denver Broncos(-9,5) ........WIN

.....result : Indianapolis Colts 15-6 Baltimore Ravens(-3,5) ..........WIN

.....result : Philadelphia Eagels 24-27 New Orlean Saints(-5,5) ......WIN

....results : Jacksonville Jaguars 20-31 New England Patriots(-13.0) ....WIN

although retractred, it is exact.

....result : San Diego Chargers 12-21 New England Patriots(-14) .....WIN

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

There is no coincidence.
Luck, has nothing to do with my success.

aren't you the same guy that argued a couple years ago that sheffield wednesday and united would always be kept apart by the powers that be? and that Champions League games are fixed?

Wherever the money is, they take it away.
Wether thats the superbowl, the Champions league final, the Uefa cup final, or the world cup final.

Why don't you take a little look into recent history to see wether or not they took the money.
On soccer finals, the money is laid on either of the teams winning.
The draw is the most profitable.
How interesting to see how most heavily wagered soccer games head into overtime.

Of course you can call it coincidence.:smashfrea

2006 World Cup final
Italy 1-1 France (5-3 on penalties)
Anybody who wagered on the result of this game being an Italy win or a France win, lost their money!
3 of the past 7 champions league finals ended in a draw
4 of the past 8 Uefa cup finals ended in a draw.

Thats 8 out of 16 heavily wagered games ending in a draw.
Place $1.000 on a draw each time = $16.000
at an average of 3/1 that the draw pays,
You would cash in $24.000.

Betting against the masses.
Betting on the house, winning.
You see, thats free money!

...of course, you can call it a coincidence :whip:

coincidence? no. It boils down to major cup tactics. The teams that are going for that cup (among others) more often switch from an attacking style play to a defense heavy line-up, most often using the 4-5-1 locking keeping the ball well clear of the 6 yard box.

pointing out how many of the games ended in a draw is completely irrelevent without also acknowledging the large number of games, in general, that end in a draw. Draw games are a huge part of the sport.

Included in those draws were the AC Milan/Liverpool final which saw Milan go into the break leading 3 nil. Liverpool came out and shut them down in a thrilling second half to tie it 3-3. Liverpool won on penalties.

Also Arsenal/Barcelona. two extremely attacking teams nullifying the other side's world class strikers with a stonewall midfield, Arsenal finished the game down a player because of the keeper's Red Card. Barcelona won on penalties.

But if you want to believe that players who fight and train their whole careers just to get to that game (and are already making obscene amounts of money) are all conspiring to end in a draw for the sake of the bookies... well, then more power to you.

Lookout123... just bet on the draw in the next world cup/Champions league Final and Uefa cup final.... You're gonna make a profit!
You can believe whatever you want to on how you won the money, but it does not fool the scales that weigh hundreds of billions of dollars, heavier, than grown men, playing with a ball.

To be clear - I'm not saying that betting the way you do doesn't work. I'm just saying there is no big conspiracy causing it. It is a natural product of the game. If it was a big conspiracy your system would work 100% of the time and the news would leak. Look what happened in Serie A a couple years ago. Conspiracies don't stay secret with that much money on the line.

Ok, fine, because it does work.
Anual profits.
I don't real wish to start a discussion on the italian situation.
In Italy, it is common knowledge that the Prime Minister of the country/Owner of the #1 ranked team in the world AC Milan, played a great role in it.
All the Italian case shows, is a little glimpse at whats really going on in the world of highly wagered sports.
There are multiple cases in the USA of gambling fixing, but it all surrounds small people of the game, and not the true bosses.
In soccer, there are all kinds of cases of politics.
Some major teams are tools of laundering money.
Its so clear, you'd have to be ignorant, or blind not to see it.
Teams puchasing "ready to retire" players, with huge contracts(False)
Who, in the end, barely see's a day on the pitch(Excuse of injury etc.)

If you had the ability to see where the money is actually wagered, and how much, you can determine wether or no they will take it.
That would require them to get involved on pre-determining the result.
Your image of bookies is far from the reality that I see.
FYI, the bulk of all heavy wagers are taken by one group of people.
That group of people just happen to control the media.
Using it constantly to create an imbalance as they see fit.

In this case, when it comes to media brainwashing and heavily one-sided wagers, I'm 100%.
They simply do not brainwash people for anything other than profit.

....Latest Results

New York Giants 17-14 New England Patriots(-12) ........WIN

Giants Win = 4.25 .......WIN

Nobody will remember this Patriots team.

Well done.

You were correct from about a month ago- good job, congrats.

holy fucking fuck. the fucking giants. jesus h christ in a chicken basket.

Thanks Guys.
Remember the past 2 years of NFL playoffs for next season's play-offs when I start mentioning "Free Money".
Bet on it!
Make a profit with me!
It really is free money.

Anyone who bet on the Patriots this year lost some serious money.
It could be seen prior to the season was even started.
Media had EVERYONE completely brainwashed that this was the greatest teams of all time.
Now? They won't even be remembered.

Since the start of the season, I only wanted to protect all of you who actually wager money, not to be media influenced regarding this years Patriots.
The NFL is a money machine.
The Patriots was the key to the profit.

They took all the money of the masses!
......Of course, you can call it a coincidence.

Didn't the people that bet on them 19 times make money?

Anyone who bet on the Patriots in any of their past 9 games, lost.
They've lost against every spread.
FYI, the majority of money bet, is on the spreads.

The Lakers signed the Spaniard Pau Gasol.
This is the greatest Spanish player since the legend San Epifanio(Epi).
Following in Dirk's footsteps by about a year.
Alongside Bynum and Bryant, Gasol should take the Lakers to a higher level.
Making them the #1 contender from the Western Conference.
All of a sudden, that Celtics - Lakers scenario, looks extremely possible!.

I hope a few of you grabbed that 16/1 price on the Lakers as it has now gone down to 9/1

NCAAB

#2-Duke @ #3 North Carolina(-3.5)

I've alwas been a fan of Duke, so I watch things closely.
Duke will not have the kind of season most are used to.
The teams just not good enough.
I expect in this particular game, for North Carolina's Tyler Hansbrough to dominate under the basket.
Duke's shooting game has to surpass itself if they wanna be close in this one.

Bet on North Carolina!

Well, so now that football's over...so its now the thick of NBA and NHL season :)

What's there to bet on on these sports?

. . . . . . . . . . :blownup:

You are a real blast

NBA season is like Bowling season: lasts about 51 weeks.

The NBA is dying.
It owns last place within N.American major sports.
They thought they had a Micheal Jordan in L.James, but he's far from it.
Maybe that Celtics vs Lakers scenario is what they need for old timers to get interested again

No one will ever be the "next Jordan", but LeBron could be the impact player the NBA needs if the Cavs hadn't taken that golden ticket and used it for a bar napkin. There's no organization to the supporting cast so when James has an off night, no one is established as the pick-up guy and the whole team goes to hell.

Further, the Knicks are a laughingstock anywhere you go, the Spurs aren't that inspiring (For every great Tim Duncan play, I see a blatant flop from Ginobili. It makes me want to throw things.), and all the talent is in half of the league save for the Celtics.

A Lakers-Celtics finals could re-energize things, but it'd have to go to 6 or 7. A blowout by the Lakers after the Celtics go through the coronation that is the Eastern Conference playoffs would further cripple the league.

You can't say that.
A player may come along to be far superior than Jordan.
There are 2 very young players alive today who seem to be of the absolute elite.
You will clearly not hear from them for the next 5 years, but there are some heavy duty prospects out there.

I agree with all the above.

I don't see it that way.
Put the Celtics aside? I think its pretty much even after that.

There's some great work being done through out the league.
I'm being impressed by quite a few coaches!

As I said above, I don't think the Celtics will be taxed any more than the Lakers will be should it come to those two in the final.

The scenario looks extremely poissible on two very important levels.

1st: It would bring attention to a sport few watch these days.
2nd: The Celtics and the Lakers are easily the two best teams in the NBA at this time.

I bet on that scenario when it was at 25/1
That scenario at this time pays 12/1, and I strongly recommend it !

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

I've been hearing a lot of talk about the Detroit Pistons.
I don't buy it.

Who are you looking at for the Champion's League, W.H.I.P.?

Chelsea(ENG) vs Olympiacos(GRE)
This really is kind of a joke.
It does not matter how it comes in these two legs.
Chelsea will progress!

AC Milan(ITA) vs Arsenal(ENG)
The power behind AC Milan is overwhelming.
Even if this is played straight up, you can't look past Wenger, who has proven time and time again, that his priorities are all mixed up.
AC Milan will progress!

Sevilla(SPA) vs fernerbahce(TUR)
Sevilla is simply too good at home and regardless of the result of the first leg, they will cover it at home.
Sevilla will progress!

Shalke(GER) vs Porto(POR)
Shalke in fact, is superior, and should progress.

Roma(ITA) vs Real Madrid(SPA)
I would not be suprised if I saw an upset here.

Barcelona(SPA) vs Celtic(SCO)
Looks like a huge difference here.
If Celtic show their true face, they will trouble Barca.

Liverpool(ENG) vs Internazionale(ITA)
Liverpool has been the dominant english team in the CL these past years, but at this particular juncture they face problems within.
Inter is clearly the underdog, but may take advantage of the imbalances within the English squad.

Lyonnais(FRA) vs Man.United(ENG)
This is the most likely upset of this round!
Lyon is elite!

I'm an Arsenal man but I think you have the winner correct. I do however disagree about the priorities as the league title is far more important and impressive, IMO.

Only in the eyes of the English.

The Champions league trophy is in fact the greatest award out there for a European franchise.

Wenger has proven that he has never seen the CL as a priority.
This condemns Arsenal's chances in this competition.
Facing Berlusconi furthermore condemns the team.

I can understand your perspective on that. I do however rate the league higher than the cup simply because it is harder to obtain. Best performance over 38 games vs home and away games against a small handful of teams.

Champion's League is definitely more prestigious now, but I continue to rate the league higher.

I heard this story on Only A Game the other day:

A guy places a $500 bet on the Patriots going 19-0 for the season. The bookie calls him just ahead of the Superbowl and offers him $1 million to call it off -- he'll win $2 million if the Pats win.





He took the offer.

I'd take the offer too.

"Hey, want a million dollars?"

"Sure! Thanks!"

Short conversation.

Campionato

Juventus vs AS Roma

Juventus is superior and at home, but thats not the only reason I'm recommending Juventus to win here.
Roma cannot afford to care about this game with the most important game of the year around the corner.
Juventus, at this rare juncture, has absolutely nothing more than this game to look at.

Bet on Juventus! : 2.20

Latest results....

Juventus 1-0 AS Roma ..........WIN = 2.20

W.HI.P nice call on the Juventus game...

But Baseball Season is right around the corner, and there has been some major transactions this off season Dontrelle Willis to Detoit, Johan Santana to the Mets, San Diego picked up Randy Wolf (Lol, I thought you'd like that) I want your opinions and analysis on how the divisions are gonna break down this year.

Also Fantasy season is just around the corner my friend, drop me an email and we'll discuss that.

Thx my friend!

:wolf: is a :dedhorse:
Detroit's isn't that big either.
I'm no fan of Johan, but it is a huge pick up for the Mets, and it makes them the clear favorites from the National league.
My full analysis for the MLB will come just before the price changes.

As far as fantasy is concerned.
My Moonspirit alias who has never lost an NHL league, is in a 2 horse race to win this years winner's league.
That would be my #1 priority at this time as my opponent is elite!

I do intend on taking this years drafts very seriously.
Be advised that things have changed.
The SS position has become weak. You have to pick one up in the first 2 rounds.
3rd base is as weak as last year, draft early!
Brian Roberts again looks like the bargain of the year as they have him listed as 4th best, where in reality he is just behind Utley.
As always, 5-6 RP's are key, 4-5 being of the absolute elite.
SP's can wait unless you want to pick up 1 ace, but no more.
Leave 1st base alone... i don't care who you see attractive in the first 7 rounds ...don't touch...let the idiots draft them.

I'll set up a one on one for us if you'd like

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Long term. NHL Conference beting.

Eastern Conference
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Montreal Canadiens : 6.50
The Candiens price looks most attractive at this time
Ottawa at 2.20 is too low at this time, but it may turn out to be a bargain should they pick up Hossa.
The Penguins at 9.00 also looks good, but I think the'll be more of a contender next year.
Atlanta and Washington are at huge prices, and Throwing a few coins at them would be wise given the fact that they're in the weak Eastern Conference, and both look superior to Carolina who leads their division, therefore a #3 rank for one of them, and in the playoffs as a serious contender!

Western Conference
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Anaheim Ducks : 4.50
San Jose Sharks : 9.00

Obviously, the west is where our money should be.
Loads on the Ducks, and a nice cover on the Sharks who seem to be the only team in the NHL that could physically match up with Anaheim when it counts.

No Problem buddy,

I still feel Detroit has caught up to Cleveland now. Especially with Verlander 1 year older.

Yep Pedro's back, Santana = Mets taking the NL.

As for hockey, I really think you're underestimating New York, I won't be surprised if they come out of the east.

And as for Fantasy sent me an email and let's get one going, of course the draft would have to be either late at night or on the weekend.

There is no doubt whatsoever that those 2 teams will be in a two horse race till the end in the American Central.
There truly seems to be no competition.

I know that you mean the Rangers.
Look, given the fact that all teams in the Eastern Conference are weak when in comparision with the Western Conference, I would not be suprised at all to see a very small team competiting in the Eastern Finals.
So... no, I'm not underestimating any team in the Eastern Conference.

My serious money, as you surely know, is in the west(again)

My time becomes free for something like that only on March 1st, 2nd and 3rd(Sat,Sun,Mon)

I can't disagree with anything you've said.

As for the Draft, Saturday or Sunday would be ideal, I'll leave it to you to set up seeing that you know the best options.

I was thinking the same idea as last time for a little more motivation.

1st
2nd
3rd

Prize amounts.

Email me if you want to discuss details.

you've probably seen this in your email, but......

I'm not saying that no one will ever come along and surpass Jordan's accomplishments on the court. My contention is that no one will come along and precisely duplicate what Jordan could do/did. It may be semantics, but when you look at it, once a player reaches an established level of greatness, we refer to them by their own names rather than in comparison to those that came before.

The East in the NBA is weak, though. How can you say that, Celtics aside, the conferences are even when the East has three teams playing sub-.500 basketball going to the playoffs (Washington, New Jersey, Philly)? As it stands right now, to start the playoffs with winning records, WAS would have to go (minimum) 17-13 and NJ / PHI must each go 19-10 down the stretch. Beyond that, only Boston has locked down a winning record against the West for this year (16-0 with 14 more West games left), with Detroit and Cleveland currently better than the West, though nothing's locked down.

Compare that to the West, where all the current playoff teams are playing .600 ball or better, all of them have winning records against the East with two lockdowns (Suns & Lakers), and four others within spitting distance of that feat (Spurs needs one more East win, Utah/Golden State/Houston each need two)

Hockey, there's a little more equivocation since any one given team only plays one game against two of the three divisions in the other conference, so I'm not as confident in the numbers there. But basketball? WHIP, if you see something I don't that could give hope to the East (or, be still my heart, the Professional Basketball Team Formerly Known as the New York Knicks), please share. I implore you. :)

On the lower scale of things, yes.
look... when it comes to wagering large sums of money, one must consider all things.
The greatest percentage of my money is on the Celtics making it to the Finals.
My next greatest percentage of money is on the Celtics winning it.
The rest would be divided into smaller bets as to cover should the main bet fail.
The western conference is so up in the air that one would be silly to heavily wager on that side.
Look at Dallas now!
Kidd will add a new dimension to what was already an elite team.

Hope to the east?
The East holds the greatest team in the game at this time.
Even in the NBA, its all about the defence.

Things are not as depressing as they seem in New York.
In 3-4 years, it should start to be visable.

Shalke(Ger) 1-0 Porto(Por)
1 Goal in Portugal should secure it for the Germans

Liverpool(Eng) 2-0 Internazionale(Ita)
Still a game left, no doubt... and in Italy at that.
However, Liverpool has proven time and time again. that it is the greatest representative from England.
Ranked, by far, the #1 English team in this Millennium.

Roma(Ita) 2-1 Real Madrid(Spa)
Roma's win leaves it open in Spain.
As I said before, I will not be suprised at all if Roma pulls it off.

Olympiakos(Gre) 0-0 Chelsea(Eng)
UEFA CUP
*~*~*~*
Bordeaux(Fra) vs Anderlecht(Bel)
1st leg was 1-0 for the Belgians.
A Bordeaux win is extremely likely, given the fact that it is a result that both teams can progress with.
2-1, 3-2 would give it to Anderlecht.
2-0 , 3-0, 3-1 to Bordeaux.
1-0 would force overtime.
Bet on Bordeaux = 1.53

Atletico Madrid(Spa) vs Bolton(Eng)
The Spanish side, is by far superior, and in Madrid.
Not only should Atletico win, but they should also secure a spot in the next round of the Uefa cup.
Bet on Atletico Madrid = 1.50

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Bayern Munich(Ger) vs Aberdeen(Sco)
The German's advance with a win or a 0-0 1-1 tie.
Meaning that come the 80th minute, should it be a tie game, Bayern will most likely not attempt to score.
An unlikely scenario for most who look at this game, but at 6.00 (6/1), a few coins on the draw won't hurt.

............keep in mind, all bets end after 90 minutes.

Arsenal 0-0 AC Milan
Nesta ,Oddo, Maldini, Kaladze the defencive line
Seedorf and Gattuso are 2 of the greatest defencive midfielders in the world.
Defencivly speaking, Milan is of the absolute elite!
Lets not forget Berlusconi.
The Italians will progress.

Fenerbahce 3-2 Sevilla
As I said before, Sevilla is to strong at home, and in this case, all they need is a win. It should come easy.

Celtic 2-3 Barcelona
Good try by the Scott's, but hope has now faded away.

Lyonnais 1-1 Man Utd
Lyon needs to score in England, but they gotta be carefull.
The English have the advantage at this time.
I will be rooting for the French in this one.

I have to root for man united, just because I need them to stay in this competition for awhile longer. If they can focus solely on premiership title, it will make the run in even harder.

I hate to bust your bubble.
In european countries, although in the fans eyes, the local league is seen as important, European competition is the one and only way to truly judge a team.
The serious European franchises have one concentration for a season.
Uefa leagues.
It is where the greatest representatives of European countries compete againt each other.
Teams are obligated to rest prior to a CL game.
This is why we have so many favorites loosing to small teams, especialy when the CL is coming down to its end.
It is also why teams that finish 3rd and 4th in their local competitions do so well when Europe is watching.
Coef's are carefully considered by high representatives of the sport in each country, bringing fourth interventions prior to CL games.
Interventions that include communications regarding avoiding injuries etc in these small local (Meaningless) challenges.

Very few elite teams(Arsenal, Bayern Munich), seem to run franchises with different priorities.

Here is a way, one can rank the teams of a country.
I'l use England as an example.... how about this year?

Lets say Arsenal win the Premier league.
Chelsea beats Liverpool in the Champions league semi-final.
Milan Beats Chelsea in the Final of the Champions league.

The rankings of 2008 would be:
1)Chelsea
2)Liverpool
3)Arsenal
4)Man Utd

You would feel good about your team winning the premier league, but your team would clearly be behind the 2 superior teams who represented England in the only league that counts.

That's one way of looking at it, and it certainly makes the most sense from the avenue you approach the sport - wagers. League play wouldn't have the big exciting playoff - the championship game so it would seem less important. But here is the thing - UEFA cups are just that - CUPS. There is a very large dose of luck of the draw thrown in. A team can potentially make it to the final having not played any of the "great" teams. At the same time a great team may be knocked out early on by simply having a bad night. Teams often play different tactics in the tournament because of that risk. It is overly defensive and often fails to produce exciting games. But it is a glamour event and gets a lot of attention.

League play is about quality and consistency. Each team plays every other team twice - home and away. Those that play the best throughout the season rise to the top. There is no chance of a lucky or unlucky draw deciding the title holder. Inevitably a couple of teams of the highest quality end up battling it out over the last few weeks.

Anyway, rankings can be misleading - afterall the US national team rose something like 20 places a couple of years ago without even playing a game during that timeframe.
This phenomenon makes perfect sense when you realize that the big teams are expected to produce silverware every year. When they get towards the end of the campaign they have to prioritize. Liverpool for instance is never in the running for the League, so they rest players during league games and pin ALL their hopes for glory on the CL.

On the internet, and in life, I find few who truly examine this sport properly.
This game is about defence.
If you find the Italian style (Italy, AC Milan) of play boring, well you wll be disapointed, because, those are the teams that hold the titles at this time, and those are the teams to beat, as they are the best.
Its their defence that makes them the best.
This sport has changed.
S.american footbal has died, as did the nations who represent that continent.
Europe is where footbal lives, as leagues and nations.
What I am saying, is that the elite teams in european leagues, are not interested in the title, allowing a smaller team to win it.

In Italy, rarely does the best team, win the campionato.
They really do have their priorities straight in Italy, but then again, politics is involved.
In England, the same thing.
Very rarely do we see the #1 ranked team in England, win he Premiership. Again, its about having priorities straight.
Arsenal would be the only elite team in England who see things differently... of course, we can blame Wenger.
In Greece, lol, Olympiakos wins the league every year, however,its Panathinaikos that has done wonders in Europe.
Reaching CL Semi's and Q-Finals while the greek champion have a 6-23 goal differential in Europe.

Reality check!
The success of finishing in the top 4 in England is obtaining a ticket to the Champions league.
1st 2nd 3rd and 4th place, are pretty much the same thing.
Believe me, Franchises do not depend on Winning leagues for the prize money... thats pocket change.
Liverpool have their priorities 100% on the champions league.

Let me give it to you this way.
If Liverpool had Wenger, they would have won all 75% of Premier league titles, yet, they would have not made it to any CL final.

Understand the money aspect of a franchise.
Most money is generated by being on late CL stages.
This exposure and success raises the value of all players involved.
This kind of economical gain outweighs by far any economical success of winning the premier league.