Some men may find the football field a holy cathedral, but our Ida routinely insists that the gridiron, though sanctified, is but a game. Still, sources at an undisclosed Sheepshead Bay shul swore they saw Ida on Erev Rosh Hashanah, six rows deep in the synagogue, pouring over the upcoming weeks’ games in one hand, a prayer book in the other, during the night’s service. These rumors were impossible to confirm, but some surmised Ida was merely writing a note to the elder man who had fallen asleep in the row in front of her — an epistle she then slipped into the man’s suit pocket without waking him.
When Ida thought about the upcoming year, all she could think about was 1994, the year she first got AOL, a significant pivot point in her life. So for this week, our autumn oracle channeled Cuban poet Reinaldo Arenas for inspiration, and for fortitude. “If you cannot live the way you want, there is no point in living.”
Ida’s picks: Giants (-1.5), Jets (-3), Bills (-3) Ravens (-3), Redskins (-4), Raiders (5), Broncos (Even), Colts (-3), Lions (-3), Chargers (-3), Buccaneers (7), Eagles (-4), Bears (-8)
Breakouts:
Saints (-9) over Kansas City
“The time is now.”
49ers (-7) over Vikings
“I’ll go with the 49ers this week.”
Ida’s Kryptonite lock of the week:
Seahawks (3.5) over Packers
“Going out on a limb.”
Ida’s record: 13-19, 6-10 last week. Kryptonite picks: (1-1).
Reach reporter Eli Rosenberg at erosenberg@cnglocal.com or by calling (718) 260-2531. And follow him at twitter.com/emrosenberg.
