Call Him Ocho Cinco

In what may be the only news that would make me write a post after 1:30 in the morning, Chad Johnson has legally changed his name to Ocho Cinco.  I am not even kidding.  This could perhaps be the greatest post-drinking sports story I’ve ever read.  Tomorrow I will probably wake up with a hangover, but I won’t mind, for I will be living in a brave new world.

The Calm Before the Storm

What is this?  A Friday post from your friends at TOUTS?   It must be a holiday weekend or something.

With college football starting and the NFL less than a week away, I thought I’d get everyone caught up with what is going on at TOUTS.

College Football preview: Unfortunately I’m not incredibly educated when it comes to the college brand of football, so I’m going to make this preview short and sweet.  Here are five things you probably already know about NCAA football, but I feel obligated to write.

1. USC will be good.

Here’s a shocker, a school that is located in Southern California, where the girls are hot and the classes are easy, has a good football team.  Do you think Pete Carroll starts off every day thanking God that he fell into such a perfect job?  He should, USC seems to have 10-20 NFL ready players on it’s roster at all times.  Hell, I could coach that team to a Pac-10 title every year.  I hear their starting QB, Mark Sanchez dislocated his knee-cap, I would say that it sucks to be him, but if I’ve learned anything about USC quarterbacks it’s that they don’t deserve our pity.

Damn you USC Quarterbacks!

2. Tim Tebow will not win the Heisman again.

Chad is a huge Florida Gators fan, which means I like to rag on the Gators any chance I get.  And there is no bigger target to go after on Florida’s campus than Gator’s QB Tim Tebow.  I don’t even know where to start when it comes to this guy?   ESPN usually has to spend about ten minutes on Tebow any time they talk about college football, it’s usually right around the time they have to put Lou Holtz down for his afternoon nap.   Then there are the so-called “Tebowisms” that always seem to find their way into my e-mail inbox (I’m looking at you Chad).  Listen, it wasn’t funny when they were talking about Chuck Norris, and it’s not funny now!  By all accounts Tebow is about the nicest guy you can run into on the street, he is always humble on TV, and even goes on missionary trips during his off-time.  It’s the attention that the boo-yahs of the world put on him that makes me want to club the guys’ knee.

As for repeating as the Heisman trophy winner, I highly doubt that will happen.   The last time someone repeated as a Heisman trophy winner was Archie Griffin in 1974 and 1975.   You also have to take into account that Florida has to play in the unbelievably stacked SEC conference.  Have fun having to play LSU and Georgie within a three week span.

Part of me feels bad for Tebow because he’s not probably not going to make it in the NFL.  Urban Meyer likes to have QB’s that can run a spread offense, case-in-point, Alex Smith.   While college defenses might be suspect to the spread offense, pro defenses will destroy a QB who tries to roll out of the pocket on a consistent basis.  Even though Tebow has a rocket arm, he is just not well suited for the pro game.   On the bright side he does get to spend a lot of quality time with Erin Andrews!   I’m not sure if that makes me like him more, or despise him.

3.  Illinois will go back to being bad this year, thus setting everything right in the universe.

The Illini shocked the college football world last year when they upset then number one Ohio State, and carried that momentum into a BCS Bowl game.   This year they are without the services of their stud RB, the rookie Pittsburgh Steeler running back Rashard Mendenhall.  Without Mendehall there to pound on opposing defenses it’s going to be much more difficult for Juice Williams to run free.  I really don’t have much more to say about the Illini.  They have to play sixth ranked Missouri tomorrow to kick off their season, and all signs point to a crushing loss.   As someone who had to deal with a bunch of bandwagon Illinois fans last year, it will be nice to see things return to the status quo.

4. Lou Holtz is a tool.

(Self-Explanatory)

5. The BCS is still a crock of shit.

There are those who say that the BCS makes every game of the season more important in college football than any other popular sport we have.   That may be true, but is it really worth the trade-off of ruining the selection of our national champion twice in the last five years?   Why the powers-that-be haven’t incorporated some kind of playoff system by now is something I will never understand.  March Madness is one of the greatest times in a sports year, and it brings in millions of dollars for the NCAA and its sponsors, how hard would it be to have at least an eight game playoff in football?  You could still have your (insert terrible Bowl Game name here) for the teams that don’t make the playoffs, and you could have Tostitos, Nokia, etc. rotate which week of the playoffs they get to sponsor.

Some say that a playoff system would interrupt students studies around finals time.   Are you kidding me?  Have of the student athletes at these power house colleges have other people doing their school work, and the other half are doing work that your typical fifth grader could handle.  I’m talking about an eight team playoff, that’s three games, there is usually at least a months break between the end of the season and the bowl games, just slap the playoffs onto the end of the season, keep other bowl games where they are, and your problem is solved.  Of course this will never happen because there is no justice in this world.

………

Alright, enough with college football, let’s talk about the real deal.   My anticipation for this NFL season couldn’t be any higher.  Next week I have both of my fantasy football drafts on Wed, and come Thursday night we will all be rescued from this horrible sports drought.

To spice things up for this NFL season Chad and I are going to have a competition to see who’s better at picking games against the spread.  The deal is that the person that get’s the least amount of picks right has to buy a jersey of the other person’s choice, then where that jersey twice; once with the other person present, and once while he is out on a normal day.   We did something like this for March Madness and this is what happened…

That’s it for me for this weekend, unless I feel compelled to write about any of the college games this weekend.  Enjoy your Labor Day weekend everyone!

2008 Fantasy Football Preview (Part 2)

Justin is the expert on drafting strategy and the such – so I’ll just get right down to business and give you my rankings.  He did have the perfect analogy for the fantasy baseball vs football argument.  I think he memorized that line from one of the 18 times he’s read Committed. If Mark St. Amant didn’t write that book, I question what books Justin would re-read.

NOTE: I didn’t read Justin’s rankings before I did my own.  To see his rankings, click here.

QUARTERBACKS

Questions surround Manning this year, but he will still be a top three QB.

1. Tom Brady (New England Patriots) – The future Hall of Famer tossed a league record 52 touchdowns in 2007 with an incredible mix of deep bombs, short precision, and three receivers that could dominate an opponent.  With defenses adapting (as they always do in the NFL from year-to-year) and the loss of #2 receiver Donte’ Stallworth, you’ll see Brady’s numbers decline in 2008.  Let’s be honest though, who could realistically expect him to be as dominant as he was last year?  Keep an eye on his injuries too – but I don’t see it affecting him.

2. Tony Romo (Dallas Cowboys) – Hard to believe that Peyton Manning isn’t in the Top-2 fantasy quarterbacks in the NFL (he’d be No. 2 in normal rankings).  Romo is the guy here because he is less risk at this point.  He’s got the best receiver in the NFL not named Moss, a Top-3 tight end in Jason Witten, an incredible running game and a massive offensive line.  Oh, and don’t forget to take into account their defense as well.  They’ll force lots of turnovers which will provide great field position for some quick strikes from Romo.  And if they bring in Joe Horn to battle for the No. 2 receiver job – you can lock Romo into this spot without question.

 3. Peyton Manning (Indianapolis Colts) – It’s a combination of circumstances that have led to Manning falling to No. 3 on this list.  First, the bursa sac on the knee.  Look, it’s not going to hold him out of games because, well, it’s Peyton Manning, and he hasn’t missed a start in his career.  I worry about Marvin Harrison as well.  He was questioned in the offseason about a shooting, had his ailing knee that kept him out of eleven regular season games, and is just getting plain old (36) for a playmaking NFL receiver.

4. Drew Brees (New Orleans Saints) - Over 67% completions last year with 4,000+ yards is good enough to make my Top-5.  Not to mention that he now has Jeremy Shockey patrolling the middle of the field.  Honestly, how do you pass defend this team?  You have Marques Colston running wild, Devery Henderson running deep, Shockey roaming the middle, and the duo of Duece McAllister and Reggie Bush swinging out of the backfield.  A No. 4 ranking may actually be too low for Brees.

5. Carson Palmer (Cincinnati Bengals) - He threw for 4,000 yards and 26 TD’s in 2007, but a league high 20 interceptions is what drove fantasy players crazy.  This may be a gutsy call, but I think the high INT count was just a blip on the radar.  God knows they’ll have to throw because the defense may be the worst in the NFL.  Chad Johnson is still a top flight WR, and T.J. Houshmandzadeh may be even better.  Look for Palmer to be right there in the conversation for 3rd best QB in the NFL again in 2008.

6. Derek Anderson (Cleveland Browns) – It really pains me to put Anderson here.  He was 10-for-11 to start last season (with one stinker coming against New England), but then fell off the proverbial table for the last five weeks of the season in which his team went 3-2, but lost games to against Arizona and Cincinnati.  I had him pegged for a one-hit wonder, but to tell ya the truth, how can you put him farther down on the list with the list of weapons he has?  Those guys include: Braylon Edwards, Donte’ Stallworth, and Kellen Winslow.  Those are three guys that can score whenever they touch the ball.  Can Anderson get it to them?

7. Matt Hasselbeck (Seattle Seahawks) – I originally had Hasselbeck higher, but steadily moved him down because I’m just not in love with what he has around him.  He’ll benefit from new blood at running back, including screen-man Julius Jones.  John Carlson will also help out at the tight end position as well.  Their receiving core is deep, but lacks a top-end talent that can take over a game if needed.  No matter though, Hasselbeck is your guy.

8. Ben Roethlisberger (Pittsburgh Steelers) – I would have had Big Ben higher on my list if they hadn’t drafted Rashard Mendenhall.  You may be thinking, “You’re letting a rookie running back affect where you draft a QB?”  Absolutely!  You have to take everything into account.  Last year, the big question was which quarterback would you take second: Brady or Brees?  I chose Brady because Brees had lost Joe Horn, and it would in turn lead to double coverages.  Brady ended up dominating.  With Mendenhall, the Steelers have arguably the best 1-2 punch in the NFL at running back, and will keep pounding people into the ground until they’re stopped – which means lower numbers for Big Ben.

9. Donovan McNabb (Philadelphia Eagles) - Health is always an issue with McNabb.  So is his receiving core.  The Eagles went out and grabbed DeSean Jackson from Cal in the NFL Draft to give them a big play threat, but will that be enough to get them through the NFC East?  Kevin Curtis and Reggie Brown are above average receivers, but they don’t provide the same potency as other top WR tandems in the NFL.  Brian Westbrook is always a factor in the passing game, but not enough to take McNabb higher on the list.

10. Kurt Warner (Arizona Cardinals) - In the first draft of this column, Matt Leinhart manned this spot.  Oops.  Didn’t see the 4-for-12 with three picks coming in the third preseason game.  Goodbye Matt, and hello Kurt!  Warner still has the arm and the poise to lead a good offense, and a good offense is exactly what he has.  He has Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald to flank him on each side, and a running game that should see a rise to the status of usability in 2008.

Sleeper: JaMarcus Russell (Oakland Raiders) – The organization as a whole is a mess, but they didn’t screw this pick up a year ago.  Russell has a potential breakout compliment in the backfield with Justin Fargas and Darren McFadden, and the receiving core is solid but not spectacular.  The question with the Raiders offense is whether or not they can protect the quarterback.

RUNNING BACKS

His time is coming, and sooner rather than later.

1. LaDainian Tomlinson (San Diego Chargers) - How dare thee think LDT isn’t the top running back in the league of fantasy!  Oh, and if anyone ever calls him LT again, I’ll personally gouge out their eyes!  Their is only one player in the sports world that can be nicknamed LT, and his name is Lorence Taylor!  Which brings me to my next point: Don’t…smoke…crack!  Until there is a great reason not to take Tomlinson with the top pick, then he’ll be the guy.  His thrown will never be taken.  He’ll be the one to decide when he gives it up.

2. Brian Westbrook (Philadelphia Eagles) - Count me among the eight fantasy football players that doesn’t have Adrian Peterson ranked as the second best running back.  Even though he is an above average injury risk, he can take any handoff and any pass to the house.  He had a spectacular 2007 campaign, and I expect more of the same in 2008.

3. Adrian Peterson (Minnesota Vikings) - No worries, I didn’t have him falling too far.  I question who the Vikings have quarterbacking their team.  They will consistently face eight or nine men in the box until Tarvaris Jackson can prove his worth under center.  He’ll also continue to split carries with Chester Taylor.  Don’t get me wrong, I love Adrian Peterson, but something just doesn’t seem right.  And for as great a running back as he is, I question his IQ of trying to take on LB’s and safeties, head first.

4. Joseph Addai (Indianapolis Colts) - Maybe the greatest trait of Peyton Manning is his willingness to keep the ball on the ground when he sees an opportunity to gain four yards.  When the Colts huddle up they call three plays, two of which being runs (one to each side) and the other being a pass play.  As an owner of Addai, you have to love those odds – especially considering that Manning isn’t afraid to throw the ball to him either.

5. Marion Barber III (Dallas Cowboys) - I really want to put him higher, but the talent you see above is just too much to deny top spots to.  I see MB3 having a huge year for the Cowboys with Julius Jones gone.  I know Felix Jones has taken his spot as the change-of-pace RB, but I don’t see him getting as much play as Julius.

6. Stephen Jackson (St. Louis Rams) - An injury plagued 2007 season led to the fall of Jackson to the six spot in my rankings.  He’s also been holding out for much of camp because of a contract spat, but is now back in the fold.  His offensive line is significantly weaker with Orlando Pace being a question mark every week, and Marc Bulger has never looked as bad as he did last season.  Still, this Oregon State grad can run through defenders with the best of them.

7. Frank Gore (San Francisco 49ers) - Let’s see.  Gore was a monster in 2006, did well in 2007, and now has Mike Martz running his offense in 2008.  I like that combination a lot, and it’s good enough for the No. 8 spot on this board.  The best part is, he’s as close to a one man show as you’re going to get from here on out.  Well…that is…except for…

8. Larry Johnson (Kansas City Chiefs) - I correctly predicted he’d fall off the table last year.  I’m puzzled as to why nobody to into account how drastically his offensive line changed from 2006 to 2007.  Nevertheless, I see him bouncing back this year.

9. Clinton Portis (Washington Redskins) - Now starts the list of guys that are starters, but will get plenty of carries taken away from them by skilled backups.  In this case, it’s Ladell Betts.  Also, with Joe Gibbs out of the picture, you have to wonder if Jim Zorn is going to run the football as much as Gibbs.  Portis is too good to pass up here though, and he could be a potential Top-5 guy.

10. Willie Parker (Pittsburgh Steelers) – Rashard Mendenhall fumbled twice in the third preseason games, and that will surely cost him some carries early on in the season.  Parker gained 1,300 yards last year, but only scored two touchdowns!  That won’t happen again this season.  He’ll bounce back to have a huge year for the, once again, run heavy Steelers.

Sleeper: Ahman Green (Houston Texans) - The third year with the offense under the control of zone blocking guru Gary Kubiak could be big numbers year for Green.  Although, if Kubiak learned anything from Mike Shanahan, it’s that darn near any running back can succeed in this system.

WIDE RECEIVER

There's nothing better than a third year reciever breaking out!

1. Randy Moss (New England Patriots) - Ahhhhh, the wonderful world of the wide receiver.  The NFL’s version of the premadonna is topped by a guy that when on a contending team is the exact opposite of the definition.  Or maybe Moss acted the way he did last year because Bill Belichick was his coach, and he can make even the flashiest of players seem humble.  Moss obliterated the touchdown record by catching 23 Tom Brady passes in the paint, and nearly had 1,600 yards receiving.  He’s going to have another fantastic season, but won’t approach the numbers he had last year.

2. Terrell Owens (Dallas Cowboys) - Here’s your premadonna.  The dude cried after they lost in the playoffs last year in defense of ‘his’ quarterback Tony Romo.  Maybe he was just sad that Tony spent the bye week they had in the playoffs with Jessica Simpson instead of him?  I dunno.  Owens’ talent, though, is undeniable.  Even without a standout No. 2 receiver, Owens fights through double teams and still makes big plays.

3. Reggie Wayne (Indianapolis Colts) - Marvin Harrison is getting old and Reggie Wayne is right in the prime of his career.  With a healthy Peyton Manning, you shouldn’t have to worry about taking Wayne in this spot.  He’s going to be great, and he’s gonna score you a ton of points.

4. Marques Colston (New Orleans Saints) - After breaking out as a seventh round pick in 2006, the 2007 season was a slight downgrade in terms of numbers for Colston.  Chalk that one up to injuries and departures all around the field for this fantasy stud.  He lost Joe Horn, and that hurt him early, but when Devery Henderson emerged as a big play threat, defenses had to trim down the double teams on Colston.  Factor in that Deuce McAllister was out, and they have added Shockey at tight end, and it all equals a big season for this guy.

5. Braylon Edwards (Cleveland Browns) - His talent is undeniable, but I worry a bit about Derek Anderson.  He struggled mightly down the stretch last year, and you have to wonder if that will weigh on him this year.  If we were going off pure talent alone, I would have Edwards at three, but that’s why you have to look at the peripherals in the fantasy world.

6. Larry Fitzgerald (Arizona Cardinals) – This could be too low for Fitzgerald, and it wouldn’t surprise me if he finished as the third best fantasy receiver in the NFL, but he’s the first guy on this list that you have to legitimately thing will get scores taken away from him by a counterpart.  Sure, Wayne has Marvin Harrison, and Moss has Wes Welker, but neither of those guys are as talented (Harrison purely because of age) Anquan Boldin, Fitzgerald’s teammate.

7. T.J. Houshmandzadeh (Cincinnati Bengals) – Wait a second, he’s really a Top-10 fantasy WR?  Let me check. 112 catches, 1,143 yards, 12 TDs.  Wow, I guess he qualifies.  Who would’ve figured that?  While the press remains focused on what Chad Johnson is doing or saying, Hoosh (can we just call him Hoosh?) puts up the numbers.  A solid choice.

8. Andre Johnson (Houston Texans) - I’m a huge fan of Johnson, but have loathed the guys throwing him the football…well…his entire career.  Matt Schaub has the best arm out of the crop of players that have been chuckin’ balls Johnson’s way during his career, and if he can stay healthy, you can expect some gaudy numbers by this legit deep threat.

9. Steve Smith (Carolina Panthers) - If Jake Delhomme is fully recovered from Tommy John surgery (it creeps me out to say that about a quarterback), then No. 9 on this list is wayyyy low.  He could have a monster season as long as the guy throwing him the football stays healthy, and I believe that will happen.

10. Plaxico Burress (New York Giants) - He’s the man in New York, and will continue to be such.  Eli knows that whenever he needs a big plays to throw the ball to 17.  Can anyone tell me why he was single covered on the final drive of the Super Bowl by a guy five inches shorter than him?  Please?  Anybody?  Bueller?

Sleeper: Jerricho Cotchery (New York Jets) - Two words: Brett Favre.  He takes normal, run of the mill men, and makes them stars (see Greg Jennings).  He’ll do the same this year with guys like Cotchery and Laveranues Coles, but with Coles being nicked up from time to time, I think your best bet is Cotchery.

TIGHT ENDS

Anyone who can score a TD helmetless is OK in my book.

1. Jason Witten (Dallas Cowboys) - He makes big plays in big moments, and never seems to drop the football.  Those are all the things you want in your tight end.  Witten might not be the first TE to go in your league, but I think he will have the biggest year, hence why he’s number one in my rankings.

2. Antonio Gates (San Diego Chargers) - It sounds like he’s got little nagging injuries, and that worries me a bit.  He never seems to miss a game though, so maybe I shouldn’t be worrying about it.  Something doesn’t feel right about the Chargers this year though.  I don’t know what it is, but it just feels weird.

3. Kellen Winslow (Cleveland Browns) - STEP AWAY FROM THE MOTORCYCLE!  If he repeats those five words when he wakes up every morning, you can chalk him up for 1,000 yards and 7 TD’s.  I keep bringing up Derek Anderson’s name though.  Will he fall into a sophomore slump (sophomore year starting, that is).

4. Tony Gonzalez (Kansas City Chiefs) - Is Brodie Croyle a starting NFL quarterback?  We’ll see.  Nonetheless, this is the guy every quarterback dreams about seeing over the middle in the same colored uniform.  Big, soft hands, incredible verticle touch, he’s going to nothing short of this usual this season…which is pretty darn good.

5. Dallas Clark (Indianapolis Colts) - He’s not going to rack up the amount of yards that the others will, but he’ll put the ball in the endzone – probably more than any of the rest of this group.  He’s either going to score you one point, or double digits on a weekly basis.  So if you can figure out which weeks he’s going to score the ball, let me know.

Sleeper: Ben Utecht (Cincinnati Bengals) - Another weapon for the Carson Palmer offense, I think you’ll see him utilized in a similar way to Dallas Clark.  He’s not going to blow you away with the amount of yards he gains, but he’ll catch some TD passes from Carson Palmer – and points are points, baby!  You should know this by now!

Fantasy Football Preview

Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the official TOUTS 2008 Fantasy Football Preview Thingy…

Tomorrow Chad will post his rankings, but for today you are stuck with me.

By now you may have already drafted, and shame on you for that, I hope you didn’t pick up Matt Leinhart as your starting QB.

You should be pretty familiar with all the names by now, so Chad and I just want to give you a refresher course before your draft. I have my first draft on Wednesday, after a year of listening to The Fantasy Football Guys’ podcast I finally get a chance to be in a league with them. I can honestly say that about 75 percent of all my fantasy football news comes from their site, they do a weekly podcast and have a pretty kick-arse forum, so check that out if you want. I’ll be making reference to some of their strategies throughout my rankings, so keep a look-out for some of the links.

Alright, enough with the plugs, let’s get to business. I remember the first year I played fantasy football. I spent hours looking over the hundreds of thousands of names and rankings on the web, but I really couldn’t make any sense of draft strategy. I got that having good RB’s on your team was a must, but beyond that I was flying blind.

After years of playing fantasy football I have realized that the reason most people tend to stick away from general drafting strategy is that no one has this game figured out yet, which is probably what makes the game so fun. I’ve read in multiple columns/books how fantasy football is more like sex, whereas fantasy baseball is like a marriage. The implication being that being good at fantasy football isn’t all that hard, on the other hand, it takes a certain level of commitment and dedication to be a good fantasy baseball player. Well I love fantasy football because it is a game where basically, you draft your players, set your lineup once a week, and enjoy the games. It’s much more hands-off than fantasy baseball where you are always micro-managing your roster. By the time you get to the end of a the year in fantasy baseball you are about ready to blow your brains out. It truly is a war of attrition.

Of course fantasy baseball is a game where skill plays into the game almost 100 percent of the time; in fantasy football, skill probably makes up 75-percent, and the rest is just plain dumb luck. This makes fantasy football easier for newbies, but much harder to master. I liken the game to poker, you have to minimize your risk, try to account for that 25-percent of luck in the game, and you do that by drafting a team with solid anchor players and guys with high upside.

Before Chad and I get into our rankings here are five tips I have for anyone looking for some help going into their drafts.

And whatever you do, do not trust this man.

1) Don’t fall into trends! I mean it, this year the big thing seems to be that the tried and true “draft a running back in the first two rounds” strategy has fallen out of vogue with some of the fantasy experts. They argue that with more teams going to running back by committee offenses that there are fewer stud running backs in the draft than ever before. I completely agree with the notion that there are fewer great running backs in the league, but I think that is a reason to draft them in the first two rounds, not a reason to skip on one in order to get a great WR. There’s nothing worse than waiting to the third round to get your starting running back and have to stare Thomas Jones or Earnest Graham in the face while the timer ticks down to zero.

2) Draft three running backs in the first five rounds. Most leagues these days allow you to have two running backs as well as a flex option where you can also start a running back. If you can draft three startable running backs in the first five rounds you will have an advantage over anyone in your league who is forced to start a receiver in that spot, the reason, running backs score points more consistently than WR’s. Running backs touch the rock more than WR’s, and there is nothing worse than when a WR gets few or no looks in a game, especially when you were counting on the WR as your flex. Depth at running back is crucial to success in fantasy, and the earlier you stack up on depth, the easier the draft becomes.

3) Rookie running backs make great sleepers. It happens every year, one or two rookie running backs will have big seasons. This year there is a rather large list of rookie running backs that could put up some good to great fantasy numbers: Darren McFadden, Jonathon Stewart, Rashard Mendenhall, Felix Jones, Kevin Smith, and Matt Forte, just to name a few. If you can get grab a couple of these guys in the seventh, eighth and ninth round, do so.

4) Diversify your information. A lot of people can fall into the trap of buying one or two fantasy magazines and come up with all of their info from that limited amount of information. Don’t be that guy. Make sure that you are constantly checking to see how players injuries are coming along, how the rookies are performing, and how every positional battle is going. These days you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to get up-to-date information on a guy, all you have to do is google his name then hit the news key.

5) The season does not end with the draft. While it’s true that in fantasy football the team you draft is pretty much the team you are going to be rolling with for the whole season, it’s the little FA pickups and trades you make that make a champion. Last year, my friend Kristan did not have a startable QB, but instead of panicking and making a dumb trade, she showed some patience, picked up Derek Anderson, and ended up winning the league.

All right, enough of me rambling on, let’s get to the rankings!

QUARTERBACKS

1. Tom Brady (New England Patriots) – Yeah, yeah, Tom Brady is the man. He broke the single season passing record last year and made almost every defense look absolutely foolish in the process, with the exception of the Super Bowl, of course. While I think Brady will have a great season this year, I’d be willing to bet a finsky (Editors note: aka Chad – apparently this is a $5 bill in Justin’s language…I guess living on the farm for 21 years kept me from learning things like this…) that he won’t be able to reproduce last years staggering numbers, just look at what happened to Manning after he broke the single season TD record.

Sorry time, but you are to rich for my blood.

(Note of Interest – I would never draft a QB in the first round. Even with Brady’s record breaking season, you still get better value by drafting a RB here and getting your QB later. The reason, the difference between RB’s in the first and seventh round are not nearly as large as the difference in the RB you get in the first and seventh round respectively.)

2. Peyton Manning (Indianapolis Colts) – In years past I would never feel tentative about putting Manning in the top three QB’s in fantasy, but this year is a bit different. There are swirling rumors that Manning has had another surgery on his knee, and Tony Dungy has yet to refute these rumors. Look, even if Manning only misses a game or two, you are losing a rather large amount of his overall value because, as many former Manning owners have learned, his numbers really fall off come playoff time in fantasy. That all said, Manning is still the best all-around QB in the league, and if he is healthy, he will produce. Just make sure to pay attention to his injury status when it’s time to draft.

3. Drew Brees (New Orleans Saints) -Last year before our friends league draft Chad and I argued who would have the better year, Drew Brees or Tom Brady. I argued on the side of Brees while Chad harped Brady’s praises. I think we all knew how that one turned out. Of course, Brees finished the year very strong and with the addition of Jeremy Shockey should have an even better year this year than the breakout year he had two years ago.

4. Tony Romo (Dallas Cowboys) – Talk about a guy with weapons. Last year Romo showed that he was one of the league’s elite quarterbacks by throwing for 4,200 yards and 36 TD’s. Romo almost has too many weapons with Owens, Witten, Marion Barber and rookie running back Felix Jones. The only reason I have Brees above Romo is because I think Dallas won’t have to throw as much as the Saints this year.

5. “Big” Ben Roethlisberger (Pittsburgh Steelers)- I was genuinely shocked by how well “Big” Ben played last year. Not only did he bounce back from an awful 06′ season in which he almost died twice, but he also was able to overcome being one of the most sakced QB’s in the league en route to a 3,500 yard, 30 TD season. This year I think Willie Parker will be able to get more than two TD’s and rookie RB Rashard Mendenhall will also get a few look sin the red zone, brining down Roethlisberger’s numbers a tad. I’m still pretty high on him this year.

6. Carson Palmer (Cincinnati Bengals) – Last year was a bit of down year for Palmer, not to mention the Bengals franchise, but Carson was still able to throw for over 4,000 yards. Pre-season injuries to Chad Johnson and TJ Houshmandzedah should raise some red flags, but I suspect both will be ready for the start of the season. What really worries me about the Bengals’ offense is the fact that they don’t have true number one running back right now, so their offense isn’t going to be very balanced. On that other hand, if INT’s don’t hurt you in your league, this could be a benefit.

7. Derek Anderson (Cleveland Browns) -I’ll be real honest here, I feel pretty sketchy about the Browns this year. In 2007 the Browns were one of the most exciting teams in the NFL to watch. They do have tons of talent with guys like Braylon Edwards and Kellen Winslow catching passes and Jamal Lewis carrying the rock, but they have looked awful in the preseason so far. I know preseason games aren’t suppose to mean anything, but when Derek Anderson got knocked in their second preseason game, I started worrying. The Browns get Dallas and Pittsburgh to open up the season, and if Anderson gets knocked out again, expect Brady Quinn to take the reigns of that team.

8. Jay Cutler (Denver Broncos) -Cutler really started to put things together in the second half of last year throwing 12 TD’s to just 6 picks, and over 1,800 yards. Cutler has a great arm, but he’s missing his deep threat partner Brandon Marshall for at least two games to start the season. Damn you Marshall, couldn’t you “make it rain” in the privacy of your own home? Either way Cutler is a QB on the rise, and could breakout this year.

9. Brett Favre (New York Jet’s) -Consider this the anti-homer pick because, believe me, I don’t necassarilly want to put Favre over guys like Hassleback and McNabb, but looking at the rosters I really have no choice. The Jets spent over 100 million dollars beefing up their offensive line in the off-season, ensuring Favre will be able to keep up his consecutive games streak, and Jericho Cotchery/Laveranues Coles should great options for Favre in 08′.

10. David Garrard ( Jacksonville Jaguars)- This one may come as a bit of a shocker, but I really like David Garrard this year. Last year Garrard only threw 3 INT’s all year, that’s pretty fantastic. He also had the second highest Minimum Expected Value of all quarter backs in the NFL. Which basically means besides Tom Brady you could expect Garrard to at least get as much or more points on his bad weeks than any other QB in the league. He’s nothing if not solid, and he’s only going to get better.

(Note of Interest -If you want to see how MEV works, check it out over at thefantasyfootballguys.com. They have MEV’s for ever player you will be looking at on draft day.)

Sleeper – Kurt Warner (Arizona Cardinals) -If I told you that there would be a QB that would fall to the ninth or tenth round that threw for 3,400 yards and over 20 TD’s last year you’d probably call me crazy, but that’s exactly what Warner did last year. He was just named the Cardinals’ starting quarterback, and if he can stay healthy, (and that’s a big if) he has the weapons at wide reciever to be a top ten fantasy QB in 08′.

(Note of Interest – Mcnabb and Hassleback -Yeah, I realize I left these two guys out of my top ten, I just don’t see them having great years. They are both on the decline and both of their teams are having major injury problems. Bobby Engram is out for a while in Seattle and Kevin Curtis is riding the bench in Philly. I could be wrong here, but hey, that’s the nature of this game.)

RUNNING BACKS

1. LaDainian Tomlinson (San Diego Chargers) – LT is still the man, plain and simple, but if you are still reading this column you already knew that. He should be drafted first in every league, even if you start two QB’s, hell I’d still take him in the fifth round if broke both of his legs tomorrow. That’s how good this guys is!

LT... he's the man.

2. Brian Westbrook (Philadelphia Eagles) – You can have AP and his single game rushing record, I’ll take Brian Westbrook’s overall game over him any day. The thing with Westbrook is that he IS Philly’s offense. I mean the guy caught 90 balls last year, 90! That’s more catches than what Terrell Owens or Braylon Edwards had last year, and this guy is a running back! People who say that Westbrook can’t stay healthy haven’t been paying very good attention. Brian has played in 15 games in each of the last two seasons.

3. Adrian Peterson (Minnesota Vikings) -Of course if someone does take Brian Westbrook with the second pick, I’d be more than happy to have his single game rushing record ability. It’s tough to explain Peterson’s blend of power and agility, it’s really something you have to see for yourself. Remember, Peterson was able to rush for over 1,300 yards with only 238 carries, expect both of those numbers to go up this year. Minnesota loves to run that football and control the clock, and you know Chester Taylor won’t get as many carries as he did last year. In a few years we could be looking at the new king of fantasy football… if he doesn’t get hurt… knocks on wood violently.

4. Steven Jackson (St. Louis Rams) -I consider Steven Jackson to be a stronger, slightly less agile version of Brian Westbrook. Jackson’s biggest problem isn’t the fact that he held out, it’s the fact that his offense line is always hurt and/or bad. Unfortunately we can work with what we have, so if you have the fourth pick be happy to have a guy who can rush for 1,300 hundred yards on any given year, as well as catch somewhere between 70-85 passes.

5. Joseph Addai (Indianapolis Colts) -In a lot of ways Addai is the anti-S-Jax. Think about it, Addai is a very good running back who plays on a great team. Jackson is a great running back who plays on a bad team. That said, I expect Addai to score more TD’s than S-Jax, but get considerably fewer total yards. It’s the curse of playing for the Colts, there just aren’t enough balls to go around (go ahead, you can laugh at that one).

6. Frank Gore (San Francisco 49ers) -If you scroll down a couple of posts you’ll see that I’ve already talked about who I’d take with the sixth overall pick in fantasy draft. I went with Frank Gore in the six hole even over the likes of Tom Brady. Why would I do such a thing? Well you can read that post, or you can read the Magic Formula, and all will be explained. As for ranking Gore six among running backs, again I like a guy who can catch passes out of the backfield. I don’t care how my running backs get their yards as long as they get them. In a year where Gore struggled he was still able to get 1,500 yards, and I just can’t conceive how the Niners could be any worse than they were last year.

7. Clinton Portis (Washington Redskins)- Portis is the last guy in my top ten who has a great chance of catching over 50 passes. Washington is a run first, run second, and maybe pass on third team, so the only thing that is going to stop Portis form getting the ball is going to be injuries. I like the fact that Jim Zorn is now the coach of the Redskins, because he likes to spread the ball around a lot, which should take some pressure off Clinton and help him get his average yards/carry up. I wouldn’t worry about the ‘Skins spreading the ball around too much though, Portis is still the best option they’ve got.

8. Marion Barber (Dallas Cowboys) - Here’s a secret for you. I would love to have Marion Barber with any pick after seven, and I could make a strong argument for putting him above Portis in my rankings. Barber is the kind of running back that makes the opposing defenses want to take the day off. He is one of the most punishing running backs that I’ve ever seen, which is something that comes in handy when the Cowboys get into the red zone. Sure Barber’s never rushed for over a thousand yards, but he was always backing up Julius Jones. Now Barber’s the starter, and despite the Cowboys drafting Felix Jones this year, Barber will get over 250 carries. That’s bad news for defenses around the league, but great news for fantasy owners.

9. Larry Johnson (Kansas City Chiefs) -I’m almost positive that anyone who drafted LJ early last year is probably going to take a pass on him in the first round this year. Which is great because it could mean that he will drop to the second round in this years draft. Yes, Larry Johnson struggled to start the season, but when you look at the Chiefs schedule to start the season last year: Houston, Chicago, Minnesota, San Diego, Jacksonville, you can understand how a running back could struggle. Just when LJ was starting to pick up steam during the mid-season he broke his foot, something that you can’t really plan for. Perhaps his injury was a blessing in disguise, he was getting way to many carries over the last couple of years, perhaps it was devine intervention.

10. Maurice Jones-Drew (Jacksonville Jaguars) -The news out of Jaguars’ camp is that MJD sprained his ankle during his last pre-season game, but the sprain isn’t serious. Let’s hope so, because if Jones-Drew is healthy to start the year the sky is the limit for the 23 year old. Last year Fred Taylor was the feature back for Jacksonville so MJD had to take what he was given. Even with his limited touches Maurice was able to get around 1,200 total yards and nine TD’s. I’m thinking that 32 year old Taylor won’t be able to keep up his production and MJD will be the guy to step up for the Jags, a team that runs the ball as much or more than any other team in the league.

Sleeper – Ricky (Smoke Dog) Williams (Miami Dolphins) -You talk about your deep sleepers, this guy finally woke up from his Mary-Jane filled slumber and got himself back into NFL shape (Being millions of dollars in debt will do that to a guy). Rumors are that Ricky has been named the starting RB in Miami over Ronnie Brown, who is less than a year out from a torn ACL. If anyone can smoke up (I mean) shake up a draft, it’s Ricky.

WIDE RECIEVERS

1. Randy Moss (New England Patriots) –I can remember a day, not so long ago, when Randy Moss was playing like a dog in Oakland. How he got away with this is beyond me, remember how the media crucified Vince Carter when he started to mail it in for the Raptors? Yes, I may just be a bit bitter because I drafted him two year go, only to see him completely underperform, but I’ll admit that he is the class of the NFL at WR.

Oh the memories...

2. Terrell Owens (Dallas Cowboys) –Say what you will about Owens’ antics over the years, but the guy just keeps on putting up big numbers. Over the last three years Owens has averaged over 1,200 yards receiving and 14 touchdowns. He may be a bit of a pain in the arse sometimes, but he get’s the job done.

3. Reggie Wayne (Indianapolis Colts) –My dad was lucky enough to pick him up in the third round of his league’s draft. Now that’s some great value. Some may be worried that Manning’s injury will hamper Wayne’s numbers a bit, but don’t fret, Wayne is the kind of talent that could succeed even if Kyle Orton was throwing to him… actually, I’m not sure on that one.

4. Braylon Edwards (Cleveland Browns) – I’m not sure why it is that third year receivers always seem to have break out years, but I’m not complaining. Edwards has all the tolls of a number one fantasy receiver, he’s tall, fast, and plays on a team that loves to throw the football. Kellen Winslow does a good job of deflecting double teams off of Edwards, while I’m not sure he can repeat his amazing 07’ campaign, he should still be one of the best WR’s in the league.

5. Andre Johnson (Houston Texans) –Andre Johnson is just dominating. There really is no other way to describe him. Sure, injuries have cost Johnson in the past, but when the guy is healthy he is the most imposing physical specimen at the WR position in all of the NFL. In little more than half of a season last year Johnson was able to catch for over 850 yards and snag eight TD’s as well. This could be the year where we see Johnson go 1,600 yards and 16 touchdowns, as long as the guy can stay healthy.

6. Larry Fitzgerald (Arizona Cardinals) – There’s nothing like being a stud receiver who never has to worry about double teams. I was honestly a bit worried about Fitz having to deal with Matt Leinart’s shotty play, but now that Kurt Warner has been named starting quarterback, I have no worries. I’m a big fan of receivers who play on teams that have two great receivers, and Fitzgerald definitely fits into that category.

7. Marques Colston (New Orleans Saints)– Remember a little bit earlier when I was talking about third year receivers breaking out, well guess what year of his career Colston is in? You guessed it. Colston started last year slow, kind of like the entire Saints organization, but he came on strong in the second half and still finished the year out as a top ten receiver. The addition of Jeremy Shockey to the Saints already potent offense should free up Colston a bit, and you can expect him to have a big year.

8. TJ Houshmandzadeh (Cincinnati Bengals) –TJ “Whosyourmamma” has gone from being a inside fantasy joke, to one of the most consistent WR’s in the league. In the last three years his stats have gone up consistently and last year he even outshone his counterpart “Ocho Cinco” by getting over 1,100 receiving yards and twelve touchdowns. I guess the joke is now on anyone who doesn’t draft Housh this year.

9. Santonio Holmes (Pittsburgh Steelers) - In an attempt to keep up my third year receiver break-out trend I give you Santonio Holmes. He was the long ball threat for the Steelers last year, Holmes was still a bit of a wild card when it came to consistent play. I think this year is the year where we see just what Santonio is capable of, especially with Hines Ward on the decline, it shout be time for Holmes to shine… a little rhyme for you there.

10. Plaxico Burress (New York Giants) –Not only was Plex an integral piece in the Giant’s Super Bowl team last year, he also put up a career high in TDs with 12, and he did all this dealing with injuries for most of the year. With Shockey moving out of town, Plex becomes an even bigger target for Eli to throw to this year. I think Burress will have a very solid season and is probably the last guy I would be happy with as a number one receiver on my team.

Sleeper – DeSean Jackson (Philadelphia Eagles) –This guy almost gets my sleeper pick by default, it seems like Philly’s WR corps is a bit battered coming into the year, and Jackson has looked great in the preseason. Here’s a guy you can pick up with one of your last picks and be extremely happy with whatever numbers he can produce.

TIGHT ENDS

1. Antonio Gates (San Diego Chargers) –It’s almost boring to watch how good this guy is, unfortunately for me, he just isn’t quite good enough to take with the high pick that he almost always demands. That said, if you are going to roll the dice on a TE early, he’s probably your best bet.

2. Tony Gonzalez (Kansas City Chiefs) –Yeah, he may have fallen off a bit, but he’s still in the elite class of NFL tight ends, last year he lead all TEs in receptions, and while he may have only caught five TD’s, he is still the Chief’s best option once they get into the red zone.

3. Jason Witten (Dallas Cowboys) –Witten is probably the second best receiving option for the Cowboy’s after TO. Not only will the guy run for TD’s with his helmet off, he also has the kind of skill to get over 1,000 yards receiving and 7 TD’s, they are two great tastes that taste good together.

4. Kellen Winslow (Cleveland Browns) – It’s amazing to see how much better a guy can play when he isn’t involved in a catastrophic motorcycle accident. I suspect Winslow will put up numbers very close to Witten this year, but I don’t think he will get into the end zone quite as much.

5. Dallas Clark (Indianapolis Colts) –What can I say, I love anyone who Peyton Manning is throwing the ball to.

Sleeper – Ben Watson (New Enlgand Patriots) – What can I say, I love anyone who Tom Brady is throwing the ball to.

Reminder: Chad will be posting his rankings tomorrow, so make sure to check that out. Good luck with your drafts everybody!

Carl Pavano to Start for the Yankees Tonight.

I'm on to you Bigfoot-AKA- Carl Pavano

Oh what a zany season it has been for the 2008 New York Yankees.  One would think they’d seen it all after losing Hideki Matusi and Jorge Posada to injuries, seeing Tampa Bay leap out to a huge lead in the AL East, and watching Yankees ace, Chien-Ming Wang go down.   I’m sure this isn’t what first year manager Joe Girardi had in mind when he took the job at the beginning of the year.

The Yankees starting rotation has been so inconsistent this year that they were forced to move Joba Chamberlain from his set-up role to sure things up, and that lead to him injuring his rotator-cuff on August fourth.  While crafty veterans Andy Pettitte and Mike Mussina have carried their share of the load this year, the young guns that Yankees management have been touting for so long have been less than stellar.  Rookie pitchers Phillip Hughes and Ian Kennedy have been pretty lousy when they have started, and have also had to deal with injuries of their own.

Tonight, us Yankees fans are in for a treat.  After what seems like a decade shrouded in mystery and black magic (injury), the once highly touted starting pitcher, Carl Pavano, is going to make his grand return against the Orioles.  In a way, Carl Pavano has represented everything that was wrong with Yankees management.   Pavano stuck it to us in the 03′ World Series and they decided that they had to have him on the roster.  So Steinbrenner overpaid Pavano for his post-season excellence in 04′, to the tune of 40 million dollars over four years.

What most people don’t remember about Pavano was that he pitched pretty well for New York in his first year as a Yankee.  To start the 05′ season, Pavano pitched seven out of ten quality starts, winning six games while putting up a very competent ERA of 3.69.  Then the wheels came off.  Trouble started with a trip to the DL because of an injured right shoulder.  Upon his return to the lineup later in the year Pavano struggled to a 4-6 record and had an ERA of 4.77.

In 2006 Pavano began the season with, and I’m not joking about this, a bruised ass.   One could only hope this happened when the Captain shoved his boot up said…well, ya know.  He would follow this up by getting in a car accident, breaking two ribs, and refusing to tell Yankees management about the incident for weeks.  Way to go Carl!

Last year he provided Yankees fans with much of the same.  He was starting to come under heavy scrutiny by members of the Yankees front office as well as starting pitcher Mike Mussina.  Still, many Yankees fans (including me) were holding on to hope that Pavano could regain his All-Star form and help the team win a pennant.   (Hold’s head in hands)   The Yanks expected Pavano to be our opening day starter after Chien-Ming Wang went down with a bad hamstring,  and while he did take the ball to start the year, he would not become the ace they were hoping four.  A 15-day DL stint in April would be a precursor to Pavano getting Tommy John surgery on his elbow in the same month, an injury that would would cost him the season.

After the Tommy John surgery things went pretty quiet for Pavano.  In fact, I had completely forgotten that he was even still a member of the Yankees organization until news came that Pavano would be starting tonight’s game.  While part of me wants Carl Pavano to succeed, (that would be the part of me that knows the Yankees are in desperate need for some pitching depth) I find it strangely suspicious that Pavano is making his comeback the same week that the world was exposed to the greatest Bigfoot hoax in history.  Hopefully us astute Yankees fans will be able to see through Pavano’s performance tonight and not get too excited or depressed by the outcome.  Because, at this point, we’ve seen about everything.

Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh Win Gold

I guess if you can't beat them, feel them up!

 

Sorry if this post ends up being a bit short, but Chad and I have been busy today.  But I would like to take the time to congratulate Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh for winning the gold for Women’s Beach Volleyball.   They defeated China, who were upset to lose, but couldn’t wait to get their hands on our girls!  

 

Way to show off that great sportsmanship!

 

That’s all for today, expect a fantasy preview sometime this weekend.

Madden 09 Review

 

Madden is here again, rejoice all ye football faithful!

So I’ll admit that I’m a little bit biased when it comes to Madden.   I’ve been playing the game since 1996 when it was on the Sega Genesis.  That was a glorious time when I could play my father and he would actually stand a chance against me.    He would use the play “All Streaks” about 90 percent of the time, and it would work about 50 percent of the time.   As much as I would hate how easy the game was, it was nice being able to play against him and not have the game be a complete blowout. 

Much has changed in the years since Madden on the Genesis, the game became much more a sim, making it almost completely impossible for someone like my dad to keep up.  While I prefer a game that strives to be as close to its real life counterpart as possible, Madden has left many casual fans in the dust over the last decade.  That all changes with Madden 09.   Now the artificial intelligence has become smart enough to be able to adjust to the player.   So, for instance, if my dad is having a hard time stopping my precision passing attack, the computer will adjust and make his defensive players more aware, thus making the game more fair. 

This change in AI became glaringly apparent when I played my dad the day I bought the game.  In the first half I was taking care of business and was up by 14 points, but as the game progressed I found it hard to move the ball down the field and my dad made an epic comeback in the second half and beat me.  While it’s a tough pill to swallow for someone as competitive as myself, it was kind of awesome to watch my dad have fun with a Madden game again.

While the AI may be the biggest jump for Madden this year, what I find most impressive are the little things they’ve done to this years game to make it a better, more streamlined, experience.  To begin with, the controls are on point.   EA has done a great job balancing out getting the speed of the game right, and encountering for things like inertia field conditions.   No longer can you spin on a time with guys like Brandon Jacobs or make lightning fast cuts in snowy conditions.  The only real problem I found in the games controls is when you switch to a defensive player when he’s trying to defend a pass.  For some reason there is a bit of lag in the switching process, and if you are trying to chase down a fast receiver like Randy Moss, you are probably going to end up toast. 

There are a few other additions that really make this game stand out.   For the first time in years you can play a local multiplayer game without having to worry about your buddy sneaking a peak at your play.   In years past the bluff feature did a piss poor job of disguising a players play, but now you can hit the left trigger on your controller and you’ll get the old, choose one of four buttons that corresponds to your play to select it.  It may seem like a small improvement, but if you play a lost of local matches, it’s pretty big deal.  Another addition that makes the game better is the ability to slide your line protection.   Again, it’s a small change, but when you are trying to run a play-action pass off of a stretch play, it is almost imperative that you move your line to the direction of your roll-out. 

This is the first year that I’ve really dived into the online portion of Madden and the experience has been a good one.  I’ve played about 15 online matches (on the Xbox 360) and only one or two of them have been laggy.  There was a bug that was disconnecting people during the match for no reason, but from what I’ve seen, they’ve released a patch that fixes that problem.  Trust me, if it continues to be a big deal I’ll let you know.  The interesting thing about playing Madden online is seeing just how many different strategies people employ to get a win.  Some people like to run-and-gun using a no huddle offense, others try to run the ball and manage the clock, and others still mix it up about 50/50.  The only problem I have online are people who insist on pausing the game every five minutes in an attempt to frustrate the other player.  If you do that, you are a dick, and don’t deserve to play Madden, may I suggest Halo 3, I think you’ll find it to be more your style.

Another cool feature that Madden 09 has added is the ability to create and save highlights of your game and post them online.   If you have ever done this on the previously mentioned Halo 3, you have a good idea of what I’m talking about.  Say I’m playing with the Cowboys and I’m down 17 against the Colt’s in the second half.  The ball is on the 18 yard-line and I’m facing a 3rd and long situation.   I’m really left with no other out than to bomb the ball deep to TO in hopes that he makes a play.  Then, what do you know, my opponent decides to leave his safety one-on-one with Owens, and TO takes the ball 83 yards to the house, on what becomes the turning point of the greatest comebacks I’ve ever had.  In the past all I would have was a nice story to tell, but now, with the new Highlight feature, I can save the clip of the TO touchdown, edit it to look like a classic highlight and post it on the web.  Not only will you be able to watch the play, it will tell you the down, yardage, quarter and score of the game when the highlight took place.

Here is an example of how it works:

EA SPORTS World: Madden 09 Video Highlight

I could go on and on about this game; about how Collinsworth does a decent job as the color analyst, or how the game looks great in HD (It really does!), but anyone who has seen the commercials knows how good this game looks.   When you get down to the nuts and bolts Madden 09 is just a better, faster, “prettier” game of football than what we’ve seen from it in the last four years or so.  It’s the first Madden of this generation of consoles that’s really hooked me, and that’s saying something.   Last Saturday I played about five or six games with Chad and we had a blast.  Just don’t ask Chad what will happen if you run TO on a fly route against Bob Sanders, he may be liable to punch you in your face.  Chad is probably the harshest critic of the Madden games of this console generation and even he was impressed by the game.

So there you have it, Madden is awesome.  If you are in anyway a fan of the series I highly recommend you rush out and get it, but then again, if you are a big fan of the series you probably already know how awesome it is.  So to wrap things up, I’d give Madden a 9/10 on the Turdukken scale.

Mmm Mmm

SportsBlogNet.com Launches into Beta

We just wanted to let our readers know that we are apart of a new Sports Blog Network at SportsBlogNet.com.  SportsBlogNet.com is a site that feeds in over 50 great sports blogs and links back out to all of them.  They drive traffic to our site and also sell ads for all the blogs in the network.

 

At SportsBlogNet.com you can:

 

• Read all the quality blogs in the network
• Write for a blog in the network
• Discover new blogs
• Build a new free sports blog
• Join the network as an additional revenue and traffic source for your sports blog

 

Currently SportsBlogNet.com has approximately 56 blogs in the network with a reach of approximately 200,000 unique visitors per month which is growing daily.   Check it out.  They are interested in hearing your feedback.

The 100 Million Dollar Man

You see that face?  That face that is 100% determination, 0% fear, and only 50% poor.  OK, maybe that last statement was a lie, according to Cot’s Baseball Contract, CC Sabathia is making $9 million this season.  His big payday, however, will be what he negotiates four months from now.  That is, if that arm that is fully extended in the picture above isn’t in a sling.

My buddy Derek made a comment to me after Sabathia’s August 8th start that still rings in my ear every time the hefty lefty toes the rubber: “The Brewers are showing complete disregard for Sabathia’s health and future.”  Ya know what?  Derek is absolutely right!

When Sabathia was traded from the Cleveland Indians to the contending Milwaukee Brewers on July 7th, I pegged the acquisition as being a five win improvement.  When I say five wins, I took into consideration that Sabathia would get 15 or 16 starts, and finish about 11-4 in those starts, while the guy he replaced in the Brewers rotation would’ve provided a record of 6-9 during that span.  Five wins is considered highway robbery at the trade deadline.

So far, Sabathia has more than delivered what he was acquired to do.  The numbers – simply stunning.  9 starts, 8-0 record (with the Brew Crew 8-1 in his starts – the only loss being to the Cubs), 1.60 ERA, and 69 K’s in 73 innings pitched.  That, ladies and gentlemen, is getting your money’s worth.

That mind-blowing stat line comes at a price though.  If you take 73 and divide in by the 9 starts Sabathia has made, that means he’s throwing 8+ innings per start.  Some may call that incredible durability, but the big fella just happens to be averaging over 112 pitches per start.  And for a guy that consistently throws in the mid- to upper 90’s with his fastball, that high workload could come back to haunt him in the long run.

The long run, is not something the Brewers are rolling the dice on.  They want to win, and they want to win now.  They play in a small market that makes it difficult to rally revenue, especially considering the subpar teams they fielded in the early 2000’s.  Their top pitcher coming into the season is the oft-injured Ben Sheets, a guy that is going to command $60+ million this offseason, a bill Milwaukee might be hesitant to pay.  So they grabbed him a tag team partner, rolled up their stake, and booked their first-class tickets to Vegas…errrr, the playoffs.

With no money, and no intention of signing Sabathia in the offseason, manager Ned Yost and the Brewers are going to extract every significant inning out of their high priced prize (they sacrificed one of the biggest power hitters in the minors in Matt LaPorta to land Sabathia).  The question everyone is asking is if the tax Yost is putting on Sabathia’s arm, and the cost it may have for the lefty long-term and for the franchise in September and potentially October is worth some of the pointless innings he’s throwing now.

CC has thrown five complete games in nine starts for the Brewers, and should’ve only finished two of those games.  In the other three, Milwaukee was winning by eight, five, and six runs and Yost should’ve saved his big gun and turn it over to his much maligned bullpen to take some stress off his ace’s arm.  Yost’s argument: Sabathia will be getting extra rest between his next two starts because of scheduled off-days.

Get real here Ned.  You want him in there because you’re worried about a job in 2009.

Sabathia threw 241 innings of Cy Young baseball during the 2007 regular season, only to throw up three stinkers in playoffs – looking completely burned out in the process.  He went 1-2 with an 8.80 ERA in the playoffs, and got knocked out along with his Indians teammates in the ALCS by eventual champion Boston Red Sox.

In 2008, he’s on pace to throw more innings than he did in 2007, and you wonder if he will have any gas in the tank if and when Milwaukee makes the playoffs.  He is going to get eight, if not nine more starts, and at pedestrian seven innings per start, would shatter the high bar he set last year.

Coming into the 2008 season, many scouts questioned whether Sabathia could recover from his season of overuse.  Early on, the answer appeared to be a resounding no. A 13.50 ERA through four starts had everyone worried.  Yet he persevered, and bounced back to pitch Cy Young baseball after the horrendous beginning.  But will another season of overuse produce another playoff breakdown?  And if he does break down during the most important three months of his life, how much money will that cost him in December and January?

The answers to these questions, will soon be answered.

One thing, however, is clear right now.  Ned Yost is willing to lay Sabathia’s career on the line to save his own…

The Olympics Don’t Suck – Who Knew?

Mr. President loves him some beach volleyball.

 

I was coming into this summers Olympics with low expectations.   In fact, I was pitching a column to Chad in which I would have compared the Summer X-Games to the Olympics as I figured that would be the only way I could write about the Olympics without everyone falling asleep.  Well, as with so many other things in life, I completely misjudged how fun the summer games could be.  

 

To my utter surprise the Beijing Olympics have been nothing short of fantastic.   And if I’m going to talk about the Olympics, I might as well start with what has been (by a mile) my favorite event so far – women’s beach volleyball!   I know I’m supposed to care about Michael Phelps and his eight gold medals, but I just can’t get past the fact that Phelps looks like a combination of Gheorghe Muresan and Eddie Munster.   I’ll admit that I took the two minutes it took to watch him win his eighth gold medal while I was in a loud night club, but I just chalk that up to me fulfilling my civil duties.  But try as I may, Olympic swimmers just don’t get me into the patriotic spirit.  

 

Now Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh, on the other hand, really get the patriotic juices flowing.  It’s easy to root for your country when the players representing young homeland are competing in a glorified bikini.  There is just something inherently attractive about women playing beach volleyball, even women who are by normal standards only moderately attractive get a huge bump in the looks department if they are playing beach volleyball.  You throw in the fact that Brazil has a competitive team and you have yourself some much see TV.

 

 Before you get all riled up that I’m being a sexist pig and I’m only watching the girls play because they are scantily clad and working up a sweat from jumping up and down on a beach, just hold your horses a minute.  Sure, it hasn’t hurt that the sport is easy on the eyes, but I’ve taken a real interest into our ladies representing the USA.   For example, did you know that our girls (Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh) have won 106 matches in a row since last August?   Now that’s some dominance for your ass.   And sure Michael Phelps may have won all the races he participated in during this Olympiad, but the dynamic duo have yet to lose a set in these Olympics.     

 

Our girls (Why do I keep calling them that?) are set to face Brazil’s Talita Antunes and Renata Ribeiro in the semi-finals sometime on Tuesday. It should an easy match for May-Treanor/Walsh, after all they are 4-0 against the Brazilian duo in their careers.  If/when team USA defeats Brazil they will face one of two Chinese teams that are playing for at least the silver medal at this point.  At this point it seems like our girls are a lock to win the gold, but that doesn’t mean I won’t be watching.

 

 

 

Perhaps the most annoying thing about this, and every other Olympic games, is the fact that unless the games are set in the US, we are going to have some crazy schedules when it comes to TV coverage.  So far it has worked out pretty well as almost all of Phelps’ races have come during prime time viewing hours, but it has made watching men’s basketball almost impossible.  Being an NBA guy, I’ve been extremely interested in how well the “Redeem Team” was going to handle international competition after getting knocked around a bit by the world over the past couple of years.  It’s funny how we went from being a country who couldn’t care less about how America played in international competition, to being pissed off when we sent amateurs play against the world’s best (badly I might add), to now gloating how we are in fact numero uno when it comes to the game we created. 

  

 

 I’ve only been able to see bits and pieces of their games, but there is nothing more impressive than watching LeBron James and Kobe Bryant play man up defense against the World’s best and completely dominate them – well perhaps women’s beach volleyball is more impressive, but not much else.   I’m not a big fan of having the three point line so short in international competition.  These guys are grown men, I think they can handle shooting from distances further than what most of our high school players shoot from.  It was painfully obvious how shotty, pardon the pun, our guys’ mid-range game has become over the years, but in our wins over Spain (119-82) and Germany (106-75) we’ve seem to have figured it out.

 

I’m not one of those fools who thinks that this team has any chance of living up to the hype of the original Dream Team, but I’d much rather watch these guys play against much better international competition.  Blowouts in the Olympics aren’t a whole lot of fun, it’s like watching a powerhouse college team like North Carolina play some ho-dunk division two school in NCAA Basketball.  I want to see our guys have to show up and play hard in order to get a W, I have no interest in them showing up and putting on an And 1 like demo, we can leave that for – um - the And 1 guys. 

 

Of all the stories surrounding Team USA my favorite would have to be the reemergence of Dwayne Wade.  It was hard to watch him limp around on the Heat last season, and I was glad when coach Pat Riley decided to shut him down.  It would have been a shame if his reckless style of play would have diminished the young stars dominance, but all reports seem to be that Flash is back and better than ever.   And as he’s shown over the last couple of weeks, when Wade is healthy he is one of the best players in the world. 

 

Team USA has already locked up a spot in the quarter finals against a strong Australian team that pounded Lithuania 106-75.  Australia made 16 three pointers against Lithuania, but Kobe and co. have made it very hard for opposing teams to get open looks from long distance.  If our boys are able to get past Australia they will play the winner of the China/Lithuania quarter final that will take place on Wednesday. 

 

…..

 

A Few Final Notes:  Sorry about the extended break, but things have busy for Chad and I lately.   Expect the posts to pick up as the start of the NFL Season approaches.  We’ll have your Fantasy Football Preview and NFL preview up before the season kicks off, and expect some surprises in the upcoming weeks as well.    Enjoy your Monday…