Telling It Like It Is

Fantasy Draft Recap

2011-08-29T11:01:00.013-04:00

After a miserable 2009, RomoBall rebounded with a solid 2010 that yielded one championship and two playoff appearances across three leagues. As a result of uncharacteristic patience, ChalmSkinn Productions entered 2011 with Vincent Jackson as a keeper. 10-Team PPR, with the following players held over from 2010: Jackson (8th) Mike Wallace (9th) Green Bay Defense (10th) Tim Hightower (11th) Darren McFadden (12th) Ben Roethlisberger (12th) and Josh Freeman (16th).

Premium RBs flew off the board in normal fashion from 1-5, and even with LeSean McCoy and his 78 receptions a year ago available, something about that flakjacket made me pass. Primo runners Adrian, Arian, Ray, Jamaal and CJ all off the board, I decided to take a premium receiver. Down to Andre vs. Roddy, I went with Andre, making him the first non-RB taken. McCoy would have been the logical pick with a WR already on the roster, bur for reasons unexplained, I did not want to enter 2011 with Vincent as my WR1. Mission accomplished. Vick went next, then Mendenhall, LeSean slipped to 9th, the steal of the first round, and last year's champ hauled in Roddy White and MegaTRON at the turn.

Round 2
11. Calvin Johnson. I like this pick. MegaTRON has a cool nickname, proved he can do it with just about anyone at QB in '10, and has Stafford healthy in '11.

12. Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers should be the top pointgetter in most formats this year. Outstanding at 12, acceptable anywhere after 5.

13. Peyton Hillis. I heart Hillis. Someone really wanted the talented, though not 13th overall-worthy Hillis.

14. Michael Turner. TD machine is fine with me in the middle of the 2nd. More appropriate than previous years where he's cracked the top-5.

15. Maurice Jones-Drew. In 2010, MJD crossed the 1,300 threshold on the ground in just 14 games on a down year for the Jags. Some risk, but high reward here.

16. Drew Brees. Looking at the next shelf of WR/RB, a fantastic pick.

17. Larry Fitzgerald. The beginning of the next shelf of WR/RB. Kolb should help.

18. Philip Rivers. Just a fool to believe that he'd slip to me round three...

19. Miles Austin. Not sure about this one. He has monster games but can also disappear. Dez Bryant is the cheaper, better buy in Big D.

20. Hakeem Nicks. The main event in New York and with Boss gone, now primary Red Zone target, too.

Round 3

21. DeSean Jacson. Quality pick here, as the owner of pick #1 must remain vigilant to not become AP, Inc. Nicks and D-Jax are quality additions.

22. Shonn Greene. I don't like this pick.

23. Greg Jennings. Doesn't anything Green Bay just make you feel warm and safe?

24. Matt Forte. Forte had a quietly productive 2010. He and the Bears should take another step forward in year two of the MME. (Mike Martz Era)

25. LeGarrette Blount. LeGarrette was taken from the top of my queue. He's in for a huge year for the Bucs.

26. Tom Brady. LeGarrette gone, and with a bad case of I-don't-trust-Steven-Jackson, I took Brady, the last premier option at QB.

27. Steven Jackson. A fine pick at 27 for any owner other than me. Should be fine and could really shine on a Rams team headed in the right direction.

28. Reggie Wayne. As solid as they come over the past decade, his elite status depends on Peyton Manning, and there are far worse people to have your hopes on.

29. Dwayne Bowe. A touchdown monster with 12 in 2010, Bowe is a popular pick in traditional leagues and makes a strong WR2 or a low-end WR1 option.

30. Ahmad Bradshaw. Ahmad has seperated himself from Jacobs in the Giants' backfield, and the bigger Jacobs isn't a goal line back either.

Round 4

31. Frank Gore. After locking up Roddy and Calvin on the first turn (and McFadden as a keeper), last year's champ fills out his front five with a Gore in round four.

32. Anquan Boldin. Anquan's second year with Flacco could be a big one.

33. Brandon Lloyd. Lloyd's beastly 2010 proves that stud wideouts can be found on waivers or late in drafts, so why use your 4th rounder on Brandon? Don't expect a repeat.

34. Mike Williams. Josh Freeman threw 25 TD and just 6 INT in 2010, and Mike Williams 2.0 is his favorite target. We like the pick, but with name brands still on the board, seems a round early.

35. Brandon Marshall. The name brand on the board at wideout. I read recently that Brandon is entering 2011, 'with a chip on his shoulder,' and nearly shnarfed my skittles. One of the chippiest players in the game, Brandon had 86/1000 on a bad year and at 27, is just now entering his prime.

36. Felix Jones. The way is clear for Felix to finally do Jerry proud.

37. Antonio Gates. Another of the name brands I'd take ahead of MW2 and Felix. By round 4 the top-flight WR/RBs are off the board. Why not take a guy that can put up WR numbers as a TE? There is some risk here, but Gates a warrior and he's healthy right now.

38. DeAngelo Williams. 30 Helens Agree: DeAngelo is too risky for Round 4!

39. Tony Romo. T.O. and Roy Williams officially out of his life, Romo must feel like Forrest when his magic legs break off. He'll be unleashed this year with Austin, Bryant and Witten all having big years.

40. Dez Bryant. A great pick 21 slots after Miles Austin, likely has the better year.

Round 5

41. Mark Ingram. The 2009 Heisman winner is the most exciting rookie back in fantasy this year. Some risk + tremendous upside = Round 5. Don't wait much longer.

42. Ryan Grant. Grant looks like an early bust candidate. The Packers seem to prefer James Starks at the moment.

43. Stevie Johnson. Stevie can see. He can see just fine. We can't see him repeating his breakout 2010, but he has size and if we know anything, we know this: The Bills will be down in games.

44. Jahvid Best. You can do better here.

45. Jeremy Maclin. Positive: You get a piece of the Philly offense. Negative: It isn't Vick, McCoy or Jackson. He can be had later.

46. Knowshon Moreno. Ingram off the board forces the Knowshon pick as a passable RB2.

47. Jermichael Finley. Jermichael is enormous. So is his potential.

48. Peyton Manning. Finally. Even if he's not back until Week 5, a steal in Round 5.

49. Jason Witten. The third TE taken after Gates, Finley. Makes sense.

50. Wes Welker. Should get back to 100+ catches after decent post-ACL year.

The 2012 Republican Ticket

2011-08-17T11:02:00.004-04:00

Fantasy Baseball Preview: 76-100

2011-03-22T19:01:00.004-04:00

76. Ian Kinsler, 2B - TEX.
77. Dan Haren, SP - LAA.
78. Mariano Rivera, RP - NYY.
79. Joakim Soria, RP - KC.
80. Brian Wilson, RP - SF.
81. Matt Cain, SP - SF.
82. Clay Buchholz, SP - BOS.
83. Cole Hamels, SP - PHI.
84. Jonathan Sanchez, SP - SF.
85. Jonathan Papelbon, RP - BOS.
86. Carlos Marmol, RP - CHC.
87. Jonathan Broxton, RP - LAD.
88. Pedro Alvarez, 3B - PIT.
89. Francisco Liriano, SP - MIN.
90. Yovani Gallardo, SP - MIL.
91. Roy Oswalt, SP - PHI.
92. Jason Werth, OF - WAS
93. Jay Bruce, OF - CIN.
94. Curtis Granderson, OF - NYY.
95. Shane Victorino, OF - PHI.
96. Starlin Castro, SS - CHC.
97. Nick Markakis, OF - BAL.
98. Matt Wieters, C - BAL.
99. Chris Young, OF - AZ.
100. Jimmy Rollins, SS - PHI.

2011 MLB Standings in Advance

2011-03-12T00:00:00.038-05:00

AL East
Boston Red Sox
New York Yankees
Tampa Bay Rays
Baltimore Orioles
Toronto Blue Jays

AL Central

Chicago White Sox
Minnesota Twins
Detroit Tigers
Cleveland Indians
Kansas City Royals

AL West
Texas Rangers
Anaheim Angels*
Seattle Mariners
Oakland A's

NL East
Philadelphia Phillies
Atlanta Braves*
Florida Marlins
Washington Nationals
New York Mets

NL Central
Cincinnati Reds
Milwaukee Brewers
Chicago Cubs
St. Louis Cardinals
Pittsburgh Pirates
Houston Astros

NL West
San Francisco Giants
Colorado Rockies
Los Angeles Dodgers
San Diego Padres
Arizona Diamondbacks

*Wild Card

Fantasy Baseball Preview: 51-75

2011-03-08T11:26:00.020-05:00

51. Justin Verlander, SP - DET. Justin Verlander has won at least 17 games and pitched 200+ innings in four of his first five seasons. His awful 2008 (11-17, 4.84 ERA) long behind him after stellar performances in '09 and '10, Detroit's ace is in his fantasy prime.

52. Clayton Kershaw, SP - LAD. Clayton's rise to the top of the Dodgers' rotation has been nothing short of meteoric. Selected 7th overall in the draft just five years ago, Kershaw is now the ace in LA. Even more impressive than sub-3 ERAs in his first two full seasons are the .200 and .214 BA against he has allowed in the same span. The most impressive stat on Clayton? He turns 23 on March 19th.

53. Cliff Lee, SP - PHI. Lee became a fantasy mainstay after his incredible 22-3 season with the Indians in '08. In '09 and '10 he was the hired gun, going to the World Series with the Phillies and Rangers. Four teams in two years and just 25 wins means you shouldn't overpay for Lee, but his return to Philadelphia signals a return to the 18-20 win range.

54. Alexei Ramirez, SS - CWS. At 29, Alexei enters his fourth season as one of the most consistent shortstops in fantasy. For his career, he's averaged .283/18/71/13, and this has come while getting acclimated to the U.S., the major leagues, moving to 2B, moving back to SS, all while moving up and down the lineup, including lots of time in the 9-hole. If Alexei can bump his OBP even a little bit, White Sox skipper Ozzie Guillen may bat him higher, making him an even more dynamic 5-tool player.

55. Alex Rios, CF - CWS. If there's a good chance Alex and Alexei have nearly identical years in 2010 (and there is), take the shortstop first. Alex does offer more speed, but depth at the OF position makes the Cuban Missile the more valuable Southsider.

56. Delmon Young, LF - MIN. Delmon finally broke through with some real fantasy stats in 2010, putting up career highs in every offensive category except steals. .298/21/112 included just 28 walks, but also just 81 strikeouts, which is extremely impressive given Delmon's super-aggressive approach. Just 25 and in a great system, Delmon's star is back on the rise.

57. Zack Greinke, SP - MIL. Zack's ERA came back to Earth then went to Mars in 2010, jumping to 4.17 from the 2.16 that absolutely baffled hitters in '09. A trade to Milwaukee means more run support and a better division to pitch in, so expect a return to his normal 3.50 ERA and as many as 20 wins in his first NL season.

58. Corey Hart, RF - MIL. Corey wore his prescription sunglasses at night and during the day in 2010. The result was Hart's career year (.283/31/102) following his career worst in 2009. He's not much of a 20-20 threat anymore, but owners will trade steals for the increased power in a PBR.

59. Jacoby Ellsbury, CF - BOS. Ellsbury moved into elite fantasy territory with 70 steals in 2009, but a devastating rib injury Schrute'd his 2010. He's healthy, and should lead off for the Red Sox this year. Pedroia, Crawford, Gonzalez, Youkilis and Ortiz are sure to drive him in 100+ times and 70 steals may not be his ceiling.

60. Billy Butler, 1B - KC. Billy is a pure hitter. Owners hoping for he would take the next step from .301/21/93 in his breakout '09 found out just how pure a hitter he is in 2010. Butler took what pitchers gave him and raked to a .318 clip, but at the cost of six fewer homers. His drop in RBI from 93 to 78 can be attributed to the dismal Royals' mix, but for a hitter like Billy a bit more protection will spark lots more production.

61. Jered Weaver, SP - LAA. After posting a career high 4.33 in 2008, Jered has lowered his ERA by more than half a run in each of the past two seasons. The anemic Angels turned his 3.01 into just 13 wins in 2010, but the return of Kendry Morales and the addition of Vernon Wells will provide more support on both sides of the ball.

62. Tommy Hanson, SP - ATL. After his stellar debut in 2009 (11-4 in 21 starts), owners were expecting a lot more than 10 wins from Tommy in 2010. In a down year, Hanson went 10-11 with a 3.33 ERA in 34 starts. On an up year, he's among the pitching elite. See me. Feel me. Touch me. Heal me.

63. Michael Stanton, OF - FLA. Giancarlo Cruz Michael "Mike" Stanton made his major league debut on June 8, 2010. In 100 games, the 20 year-old clubbed 22 homers, drove in 59 and even added 5 steals in 359 at-bats. A strained quad has kept him out of spring action for over a week, but the Marlins know what they have in Stanton and will take it easy with him. Stanton will be set to replace Dan Uggla in the Marlins' cleanup spot by Opening Day, and whether or not he improves on his .260 average will be irrelevant if he hits .260/36/100.

64. Mat Latos, SP - SD. Mat dominated hitters in 2010. The 6'6" 23 year-old held opposing hitters to a .217 batting average, resulting in a 2.89 ERA and 189 K's in 184 innings. Improving on 14 wins will be a challenge pitching for the now Adrian-less Padres, but throwing half his games at PetCo is a nice plus for this future ace.

65. Neftali Feliz, RP - TEX. Would you rather have 200 very good innings or 70 outstanding innings? It's a quandary all teams face when dealing with pitching super-prospects, and it's one the Rangers played exactly right in 2010. Neftali Feliz was groomed as a starter, but was deemed more valuable as a lockdown closer, and finished Rangers' games all the way to the World Series. Texas still views Feliz as a starter long-term and are stretching him out this spring to join their rotation. Draft Mr. Happy as an ace closer with the chance of being a front-line starter; he throws 98mph with a free and easy delivery and will dominate hitters regardless of what role he's in.

66. Martin Prado, 2B/3B/LF - ATL. The first utility player comes in at pick 66. While there's no telling where Prado will play the majority of games this season, his 2B eligibility puts him near the top at the position. "The Devil Wears" Prado was born in the same town as Miguel Cabrera, also in 1983 (Maracay, Venezuela), which may help explain his lifetime .307 average.

67. Casey McGehee, 3B - MIL. The Fun-Run continued for Casey in 2010, as his owners were rewarded with a .283/23/104 batting line that matched Evan Longoria's (.284/22/104). It has all come together for McGehee and Milwaukee is loaded up for a big offensive output in 2011.

68. Drew Stubbs, CF - CIN. Stubbs got owners to look past a .255 average in his rookie year by putting up 22 homers and 30 steals. If Drew progresses in any category, he'll be well worth your mid-round selection.

69. Derek Jeter, SS - NYY A lifetime .314 hitter, Jeter showed signs of decline in 2010 with a .270/10/67/18 batting line, hitting below .290 for the first time in his 14-year career. At 37, he's still in the top of the Yankees' lineup, is just one year removed from hitting .334, and is also one of the hardest working players in the game. Expect a rebound.

70. Justin Morneau, 1B - MIN. Justin was on his way to another monster season (.345/18/56) when a concussion cut his year short in early July. Healthy headed into 2011, the Twins' other MVP is a 1B you can run with.

71. Brian McCann, C - ATL. Brian McCann has been on a Vision Quest for over a year. If he can get back to seeing the stitches, he'll be a monster in his age-27 season.

72. Paul Konerko, 1B - CWS. Konerko had a career year at age 34. While this has happened before, it's rare for a player with a resume like Paulie. His .312/39/111 earned him the 12th overall ranking in Yahoo! in 2010, and while it's unfair to expect a repeat, he's a strong option for teams that want to wait on 1B.

73. Pablo Sandoval, 3B - SF. Along with Justin Upton, Sandoval was one of the biggest letdowns of the 2010 season. A year after hitting .330/25/90, Kung Fu Panda nearly had to turn in his nickname when rumors swirled about a possible demotion to the minors. He ended the year as a part-time player on the World Series winning Giants, finishing at .268/13/63. Pablo lost over 30 pounds in the offseason and is raking in camp, so look for a rebound year and get a high-ceiling player at mid-round value.

74. Michael Young, 3B - TEX. Young has been one of the most consistent players in fantasy over the past eight seasons. In 2010 he hit like a 3B by racking up 291 total bases and a .284/21/91 line. Expect a similar year.

75. Vernon Wells, OF - LAA. Vernon is back in the fantasy mix after three years of being pedestrian or worse from '07-'09. His rebound 2010 (.273/31/88) was followed by a trade to Anaheim; at 32 and with $86 million left on his contract, that seems about right.

Fantasy Baseball Preview: 26-50

2011-03-06T17:49:00.009-05:00

26. Felix Hernandez, SP - SEA. A microscopic 2.27 ERA and 232 strikeouts were enough for King Felix to overcome his 13-12 record and claim the AL Cy Young in 2010. His 25th birthday this April gives him the edge over Halladay as the first pitcher selected.

27. Roy Halladay, SP - PHI. Halladay took the NL Cy Young with a 2.44 ERA and 21 Wins in 2010. If your league counts Complete Games or Shutouts, you might take Halladay ahead of King Felix.

28. Tim Lincecum, SP - SF. In the year of the pitcher (third mention) Tim's ERA jumped nearly a full run from 2.48 to 3.43. If he has the same year as David Price or Jon Lester, you'll regret taking him any higher than this.

29. Alex Rodriguez, 3B - NYY. If you've made it to pick 29, you have my permission to draft A-Rod.

30. Buster Posey, C - SF. Don't be Dazed and Confused on Draft Day. Let A Mighty Wind blow open the door to The House of Yes. For Your Consideration, Best in Show, Parker Posey.

31. Victor Martinez, C - DET. Victor will split time at DH and behind the dish for the Tigers in 2011. This should help keep him healthy and maintain his catcher eligibility for 2012. No real offensive additions to the lineup indicate he'll land at about the same .302/20/79 he finished with last year.

32. Adrian Beltre, 3B - TEX. While it's tempting to Shin-Soo choose other players ahead of Beltre, his 326 total bases in 2010 can't be ignored. As usual, Adrian's stellar .326/28/102 came on a contract year, but his move to Texas keeps him in one of the best lineups in the AL.

33. Ichiro, OF - SEA. In his ten major league seasons, Ichiro has already earned a spot in Cooperstown. He's the only player with ten consecutive 200-hit seasons, averaging 224. At 37, age becomes the only question headed into 2011, but 42 steals in 2010 (his 4th highest season total) says the wheels are fine and a dormant M's offense has plagued his run scoring. He's basically all alone again, but other than 100 runs, expect Ichiro to match any one of his previous years.

34. Shin-Soo Choo, OF - CLE. A military exemption brought sighs of relief for fantasy owners and Mrs. Choo. Shin-Soo has hit the 20-20 mark in his first two full years and has hit .300 on the number. With an improved lineup Choo can go even further, as he looks to add 100 RBI to his repertoire.

35. Dustin Pedroia, 2B - BOS. Pedroia hit .288/12/41/9 in half a season in 2010. While it's unsafe to project .288/24/82/18 in 2011, new neighbors Carl and Adrian make a career year for anyone in the Sox lineup a possibility.

36. Brandon Phillips - 2B - CIN. If you're taking a guy because he can hit you around 25 homers and knock in 90, why not take a guy who can do it as a 2B and add 25 steals? Brandon's 18-16 underwhelmed his owners in 2010, but he's with a budding offensive group and plays in a silly putty egg. He should battle Rickie Weeks for top 2B honors in NL-only leagues.

37. Kendry Morales, 1B - LAA. Injuries are never fun for fantasy owners, especially when your star gets hurt celebrating. The Halos will have to take it easy after his 30-something home run trots this year. A switch hitter with legendary power, 40 and a .300 average are not out of the question.

38. Rickie Weeks, 2B - MIL. Rickie was finally able to put it together for months, not weeks for his fantasy owners in 2010. He established career highs with 29 HR and 83 RBI, but that makes sense for a player in his age-27 season. The Brewers bring it every night with Braun, Fielder, McGehee and Hart, all hitting behind Weeks. He's a premier option at 2B heading into 2011.

39. Chase Utley, 2B - PHI. Chase keeps slipping down the board with a knee injury. He has received a cortisone shot, but isn't playing in games yet. Though he headed into 2010 as the top 2B in fantasy, he'll have to work to surpass Cano, Uggla, Pedroia, Phillips and Weeks.

40. Andre Ethier, OF - LAD. Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp entered 2010 as elite OF options. While Andre's .292/23/82 in 139 games wasn't nearly as disastrous as Kemp's .249 batting average, it was a regression from the .272/31/106 he hit in 2009. He'll likely land somewhere in between his '09 and '10 production levels.

41. Justin Upton, OF - ARI. Justin Upton has the ability to hit 40 home runs in a season. While that's not as old as saying "Howie Kendrick will win a batting title someday," it's getting there. At 23, Justin failed to take a step forward for the first time in his baseball career. After hitting .300/26/86 in '09, Upton's .273/17/69 ended after 495 at bats with a sore shoulder and the shelf. Expect a similar batting average and his power numbers to come back, with the possibility that any day it could all just click for this kid.

42. David Price, SP - TB. Following a semi-letdown in a semi-first season in 2009, David was brilliant in 2010. He amassed a 19-6 record with a 2.72 ERA and 188 strikeouts, even more impressive pitching in the AL East. David is a fine option to head up a fantasy staff in any format.

43. Jon Lester, SP - BOS. A bounceback year for Boston will result in Lester's first 20-win season in 2011. After posting 16, 15 and 19 wins from '07-'09, what's helped fantasy owners more are his single-digit losses each year.

44. Ubaldo Jimenez, SP - COL. In 2010 Ubaldo put up a spectacular 2.88 ERA, struck out 214, and earned 19 wins for the Rockies against just 8 losses. For owners in expanded-category leagues, Ubaldo surrendered just 10 homers and threw four Complete Games, two of which were Shutouts. Colorado's ace is a fantasy ace.

45. CC Sabathia, SP - NYY. It looks like ol' Charleston Chew Sabathia found himself an opt out clause. 21-7, 186 K with a 3.18 ERA again this year would probably put him about where he is. He'll be pitching for the raise.

46. Josh Johnson, SP - FLA. Josh should have won 18 games in 2010. While the Marlins struggled for runs and on defense, Johnson's sparkling 2.30 ERA yielded just an 11-6 record. Draft the Marlins' hoss with confidence.

47. Adam Dunn, OF - CWS. At this point you must ask yourself if you'd rather have a complete player, or an uber-performer but in fewer categories. Adam Dunn is the uber-performer worth taking ahead of 5x5ers Heyward and McCutchen because even though he's a batting average drag, he has averaged 40 homers since 2004. Any concern about playing in the AL for the first time in his career is easily offset by joining a talented White Sox lineup and playing half his games at New Comiskey (U.S. Cellular Field).

48. Jason Heyward, OF - ATL. After all the hype and the kafuffle and the hoo-hah, the dust settled and it was time for the actual person, Jason Heyward, to go to work. Owners that leapt for that J-Hey kid instantaly saw the upside and ultimately felt the downside of what was a great rookie year by MLB standards, but not in fantasy. Expect him to improve on 2010's .277/18/72/11 line in all categories as he gets more comfortable, and remember this is a prospect with limitless potential.

49. Andrew McCutchen, OF - PIT. While maintaining his solid rookie average of .286, Andrew McCutchen made gains in every other category in 2010. If he can repeat the feat, he becomes a threat to go 20-40.

50. Hunter Pence, OF - HOU. I bet they called him "Under Pants" as a kid. That's Captain Under Pants now. HP has copied his homer total of 25 in each of his first three seasons. Last year he added 18 steals and knocked in 91 to become one of the better all around options among OFs.

Fantasy Baseball Preview: 11-25

2011-03-03T15:33:00.004-05:00

11. Troy Tulowitzki, SS - COL. The second-best shortstop in fantasy over the past two seasons joins Hanley Ramirez as the only two elite options at the position.

12. Evan Longoria, 3B - TB. Longoria is the top 3B in fantasy headed into 2011. While 22 HR in 2010 represents a down power year, he batted a career-high .294 with 46 doubles and added 15 steals. Bottom line, he's a much safer bet at the hot corner than Bautista or Beltre.

13. Matt Holliday, OF - STL. There's always some reason given for Matt Holliday's numbers. Either he's playing half his games at Coors Field (pre-humidor) or he's hitting in the Gehrig slot behind Albert Pujols. A lifetime .317 hitter, the only reason for Matt's success is that he's just that good.

14. Prince Fielder, 1B - MIL. Other than Pujols, Prince's will be the most talked about contract scenario this season. Milwaukee appears unable to sign Prince long term, but the composition of their roster says they're trying to make a World Series run this year. Barring an unlikely first-half collapse, expect Fielder to play the entire year with the Brewers, hoping to vault them into the postseason and himself into the salary stratosphere. It is worth noting that throughout his career, Prince has been good, then amazing, then good, then amazing again. Last year, he was good.

15. David Wright, 3B - NYM. In 2010, David saw his batting average slip below .300 for the first time since his rookie year. Though his .283 clip was buoyed by 29 HR and 103 RBI, that he struck out 161 times is a bit more of a concern. New management and a healthy lineup should re-energize David back to producing like he did from 2005-2008.

16. Ryan Howard, 1B - PHI. After averaging 49 HR over his first four full seasons, Ryan's 31 knocks in 2010 represent a stunning career low in 143 games. Owners chasing his 58-homer campaign in '06 should cease and desist, but a return to his mid-40's level of '07-'09 works in the mid-2nd Round.

17. Nelson Cruz, OF - TEX. The key stat for Nelson is games played. After a breakout '09 Nellie was striding into the outfield elite, but a nagging hamstring injury plagued his second half. The potential for a monster season is here.

18. Matt Kemp, OF - LAD. I'd always rather a player struggle because they're injured than struggle because they're struggling, but that's exactly what Matt did in 2010. After finding himself in the top echelon of OFs on Draft Day, Matt let his owners down by hitting .249 with a .760 OPS. His issues with Torre gone with Torre, Matt should be one of the more dynamic cleanup hitters in the National League.

19. Dan Uggla, 2B - ATL. Braves GM Frank Wren made the steal of the offseason landing Uggla, who gets to pull a Carl Crawford and stay in the division he knows while moving to a more consistent lineup. Dan has averaged 31 homers as a 2B over his 5-year career, but it's not that, or that he's done it playing in a football stadium that puts him inside the top 20. It's that he's averaged 155 games per season. Sure, he can be a batting average scare (.243 in '09) but .287 in '10 represents a career high, and when guys like Youkilis, Pedroia and Reyes aren't playing, they're a drag on every category.

20. Mark Teixeira, 1B - NYY. This is probably the year to own Teixeira. After all the wondering what he would do in his second year in that lineup, in that ballpark, Teixeira really missed the mark in 2010. His typical slow start was a non-start and he ended his World Series hangover looking at a .256 average. Now he says he spent all offseason in the cage as opposed to more weight training in previous years. Owners should expect a return to form and take him while his value is diminished.

21. Kevin Youkilis, 3B - BOS. Youkilis (pronounced You-kill-us) never takes a pitch off. His all-out style seems to cost him a few games or more per season, but his potential to hit .325/30/120 in a revamped BoSox lineup makes the reward outweigh the risk.

22. Jose Reyes, SS - NYM. 2011 could be big for Reyes, as he looks to bounce back following a down year for every Mets player not named Angel or Ike. His contract status and the Mets financial instability make his future in New York uncertain at this point, so he will be motivated to showcase his talents.

23. Joe Mauer, C - MIN. Just when Mauer found his pauer, the Twins moved to Target Field. Sounds like the end of a wicked good limerick. Though Joe didn't take to playing outside like his teammate Delmon Young, he's still the top catcher in fantasy. He's just one year removed from one of the all-time best years for a backstop (.365/28/96) and did hit .327 last year despite hitting just nine homers. If he gets even a droplet more comfortable at home, he'll be back in the first round headed into 2012.

24. Jose Bautista, 3B - TOR. If anyone was surprised by Bautista's monster-breakout season in 2010, it wasn't the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Bucos saw so much in Bautista that they drafted him out of junior college in 2000, reacquired him in 2004, then reacquired him a third time in 2005. They finally cut bait at age 28 during the '08 season, and after a lackluster '09 in Toronto, Jose came out of absolute nowhere (Pittsburgh) to lead the majors in homers by twelve lengths with 54. Even though there is no resume to back it up, his numbers in 2010 were too gaudy to justify taking Zimmerman ahead of him.

25. Ryan Zimmerman, 3B - WAS. Ryan Zimmerman can hit .300. Ryan Zimmerman can hit 30 out and knock in 110. One of these years, he's going to do all three. The addition of Jayson Werth helps his chances to do it in 2011.

Fantasy Baseball Preview: 1-10

2011-03-01T14:28:00.004-05:00

1. Albert Pujols, 1B - STL. Mr. Pujols wants to force teams to offer him $30 million per season, and he'll do it.

2. Miguel Cabrera, 1B - DET. Other than Albert, Miguel has been the write-it-down fantasy performer of the past seven seasons. Take him with confidence.

3. Hanley Ramirez, SS - FLA. Position eligibility doesn't make Hanley a top-3 pick. Hanley does. Take him off a "down" year (in which he was still the top shortstop) and expect him to play to his resume in his age-27 season.

4. Joey Votto, 1B - DET. National League MVP Joey's .324/37/113/16 in 2010 is enough to give him the edge over clear-cut top 2B Cano.

5. Robinson Cano, 2B - NYY. And the first Yankee taken is...Robbie Cano. Don't ya know, he's earned it. In 2009 Cano finally reached the lofty expectations that had been set for him by hitting .320/25/85. In 2010 he became a top-10 fantasy player with .319/29/109, and a repeat would make him a value buy in this slot.

6. Carlos Gonzalez, OF - COL. Carlos Gomez was CarGo for about 14 seconds. The top OF in fantasy, Carlos put together a .336/34/117/26 campaign in the year of the pitcher. What will he do for an encore? You'll need to use your mid-first round pick to find out.

7. Josh Hamilton, OF - TEX. The reigning AL MVP is the number two OF in fantasy not because of his .359/32/100 line in 2010, but because of the 29 games he missed. Hamilton's reckless, all-out style has gotten him nicked up here and there over the past few years making him slightly more risky. If Josh can play a full season, he might blow the roof off his ceiling.

8. Adrian Gonzalez, 1B - BOS. Ahh-dree-ahn has averaged 35 homers over the past three years with Petco as his home park. With the way he'd check into and out of pitcher's parks Dodger Stadium and PacBell, he practically invented Four Square. Finally out of the NL West and into the lush BoSox lineup and cozy ballparks of the AL East, Gonzalez should have a career year.

9. Carl Crawford, OF - BOS. Carl pulled off a rare feat this winter. He stayed in the same division and moved to a better lineup. This year, he'll be even more of a threat to your opponents in every offensive category.

10. Ryan Braun, OF - MIL. Since his incredible debut in 2007 (.324/34/97/15 in just 113 games), Ryan Braun has been one of fantasy's ten best. In the year of the pitcher (that's two mentions), Ryan had a career-low .304/25/103/14 and scored 105 runs. Look for more in 2011.

A Baseball Journey: Chapter II

2011-02-24T12:22:00.008-05:00

At a secret location, a meeting. The heads of the five teams were all in attendance. Abercrombie and McKiernan, Clairol, Handyman Hardware, Palmer's Market and Springdale Shell. Baseball men. Men of action. Men who had built Springdale into one of the most talented and competitive Little Leagues in Connecticut.

It was 1989. The children of disco were coming of age. Soon, the signup forms would be far longer than the roster sheets, forcing the five teams (bound by the Little League spirit of inclusion) to reluctantly add a sixth. But these were competitive men. Men who had scouted, farmed and developed talent in town for years. Men with championship aspirations.

The 80's became the 90's and March finally arrived. Baseball tryouts. I was ten years old. A few kids made it to the "majors" at nine, but that wasn't me. This was my year. Fly balls in the outfield, can o' corn. Ground balls on the infield, no problem. My arm was my best tool, and I made them see it. I was really good in the field, and though I lacked speed, I didn't need much more than good reflexes at third base.

My only nervous moments came during hitting tryouts, as I was much more comfortable with my glove on than with a bat in my hand. The coaches were seated in folding chairs between first and second, clipboards and pens in hand. The left side of the field was open, and the commissioner of the league stood at the front of the mound. The tall man's easy toss was on me instantly and "crack!" a liner over second made one of the coaches duck. The next pitch came and "bang!" a whistling grounder to the right side got another coach out of his seat. Three or four more shots in their direction and all of the coaches were now on their feet and alert. Call it inexperience, call it late reaction time, but on that afternoon an opposite field hitter was born.

I was so happy. No whiffs in at least 8 pitches. Better than I had hoped. I had no idea that I should be hitting the ball to left field as a righthanded batter. All I knew is I hit the ball hard every time. All I knew is I was good.

Maybe I was too good. Shortly after the tryouts were finished, I was told that I was among the first 10 year-olds selected, and that I would be on the new team, George's Barbers. Child psychology is a beautiful thing, because at the time I was flattered to be among the first group taken. What I did not realize was that the expansion team I was on had been comprised entirely of players new to the league. This meant that while we did get some of the best 9 and 10 year-olds (and one 8 year-old prodigy) the 11 and 12 year-olds on our team would be skateboard kids who just randomly decided (or were forced) to take up baseball, or kids who just moved to the neighborhood. And Kelly Leak did not move into the neighborhood.

A Baseball Journey: Chapter I

2011-02-01T12:34:00.015-05:00

Old Yankee Stadium. Ok, not that old. Middle Yankee Stadium. Freakin' Yankee Stadium. Ahem. Yankee Stadium. Bottom 9th, Yanks down 5-4, 1 out and 1 on. Bob Sheppard: "Pinch hitting, Number Thirty-Three, Gary Ward. Number Thirty-Three."

"He's gonna do it," a boy said out loud. "This guy? He's a bum," his father replied. "No, he's gonna do it. He's gonna do it," the boy insisted. Other than when bedtime was, this was the first time the boy had dared disagree with his father, putting the old man's perfect record of being right on the line.

Bang! Ward's powerful swing sent the ball high, deep and into the Right Field bleachers. Already on his feet, the boy leapt in the air and delivered a Shou RyuKen Uppercut right to his mother's nose. Sheer joy instantly turned to panic, as the boy had really put something into the triumphant fist pump. Tempered excitement was soon restored (the woman had a fantastic chin) and The Chairman walked the boy out.

That was July 31st, 1987. I was seven years old.

I quickly reasoned that I was so overjoyed when Ward came through (enough to knock my own mother's block off) not because the Yankees won, but because it was Ward that came through. First, my dad was wrong. This opened up a world of possibilities, though I did give plenty of weight to this being a matter of chance, and he was still flawless in matters of fact. Second, I was right. In my first such leap of faith, I had hit paydirt.

I was a Mets fan. Not only a Mets fan, but a Mets fan raised to hate the Yankees. Maybe it was being at the game in person (I had watched the Buckner play just ten months earlier) maybe I got caught up in "The Wave," or maybe I just liked the matchup. In reality, it was baseball's anthem still ringing in my head from two innings earlier. "Root, root, root for the home team. If they don't win, it's a shame." Right? I mean, what did I owe Detroit? They weren't playing the Mets, so why not? At that moment, it made sense. And I latched on to Gary Ward, and he to me forever. That was the night I became a baseball fan.

RomoBall's Family Ties: Share Your Captions!

2010-11-04T11:12:00.020-04:00

Cal Ripken and Steve Wilkos
Baseball and TV's Iron Men

Scott Rolen and Mark Wahlberg
"I'm the guy who does his job- you must be the other guy."

David Ortiz and Esther Rolle
Good times...

Ramon Castro and Bill Nunn
"Two minutes to deadline, Jonah!"

Brandon Dubinsky and Freddie Prinze, Jr.
I still don't know what you did last offseason...

Phil Ivey and Tiger Woods
WSOP with that?

Stan Van Gundy and Ron Jeremy
Magic Time

Kyle Korver and Ashton Kutcher
Punk's

Andy Roddick and Seann William Scott
Stifler/Roddick

Mike Tomlin and Omar Epps
Don't Be a Menace to the AFC Central while starring in Juice and The Wood

Jim Fassel and Robin Williams
Insomnia

Andrew Bynum and Tracy Morgan
Pass the 30 Rock

Vlade Divac, Yasir Arafat and Ringo Starr
"I hate Thanksgiving. Can we go out for Chinese this year?

Hiccups and Pickups: Week 8

2010-11-01T10:03:00.013-04:00

FALLING DOWN

Felix Jones. Jon Kitna went as Tony Romo for Halloween. He dropped back 45+ times, threw for 375+ yards, turned it over more than three times, and lost at home. He's sure to be good pill hunting today after his first start in two years, but the loss is not his fault. Two of his picks were on drops, and he never should've been asked to do that much, which brings us to Jones. The Cowboys' are a throw-first offense and can't stop anyone on defense, making Felix a non-factor by halftime most weeks. He has no touchdowns on the year and has only hit double-digit fantasy points twice. Treat this week's loss vs. the Jaguars as a bellwether game and conclude that if Dallas goes down big early at home to Jacksonville, that's just who they are.

Randy Moss. In an unprecedented move, the Minnesota Vikings have hired special assistant Dr. Emmett Lathrop "Doc" Brown to help with the passing game. Unconfirmed sources are reporting that he and Brett Favre are working on something "big." Brown's $10 million dollar fee may seem high, but you can't put a price on 2-5 and a share of last place. Moss quitting on a ball after a pass interference call and his lengthy embrace with Bill Belichick, coupled with the trainer having to re-attach Favre's head was a series of smacks to the face for team owner Zygi Wilf, whose Vikings' record (and personal finances) would be better without Favre and Moss this year.

Chad Ochocinco. When the sum of your name changes and television shows is greater than your touchdowns, it's time to drop yourself from your own fantasy team. Chad, if you're reading, Steve Johnson may still be available.

Ronnie Brown. Remember when the Dolphins were so savvy and took Ronnie Brown instead of Cadillac Williams? They were right, but not by much. Brown has been the more productive of the two, but both have been disappointing at the pro level and are again this year. To Miami's credit, 2005 was loaded with first-round busts, semi-busts and wastes-of-time (Alex Smith, Adam Jones, Cadillac, Troy Williamson, Mike Williams, Shawne Merriman, Braylon Edwards) and at least Ronnie is still wearing teal.

MERCURY RISING

Matthew Stafford. Stafford-to-Johnson was a peach of a connection on Sunday, as the best QB in UGA history hit the best wideout in Georgia Tech history for 101 yards and three scores. Matthew threw another to Pettigrew, and threw himself into the mix of quarterbacks to consider for bye Weeks 9 and 10.

Michael Crabtree. Crabtree heads into the bye a wideout with breakout potential in the second half. Mike has had three fantasy games in his last four, the 49ers may be without Vernon Davis, and their schedule is favorable the rest of the way.

LeGarrette Blount. LeGarrette Blount will be LeMost added fantasy player this week, and he's definitely worth a shot as the lead ballcarrier in Tampa Bay. 120 yards and two TDs on 22 carries looks slightly better than it is, (nearly half his points came on a 48-yard run late in the game), but it's more than enough to trade in the Cadillac for him.

Mike Sims-Walker. Welcome to Jacksonville, home of the hyphen and the most-frustrating players in fantasy. While Jones-Drew owners are still waiting for that monster game (or two?), many Sims-Walker owners had already bailed before his Week 8 breakout. Currently owned in 65% of Yahoo! leagues, Mike caught 8 for 153 and a score in Dallas and has shown he can get it going with Garrard.

Keiland Williams. Washington running backs have been going down faster than a lead zeppelin. Okay. That should cure them, right? Curse, go out from this place! There you go. Now grab Keiland Williams.

Hiccups and Pickups: Week 7

2010-10-26T11:06:00.007-04:00

FALLING DOWN

DeAngelo Williams. Drafted as high as 8th overall, Williams is the biggest bust this fantasy season, even with 2nd-rounder Ryan Grant going out for the season. By going on IR, Grant actually did his owners a favor-- he freed up a roster spot immediately. Williams has cost his owners a productive spot in all six games he's played, averaging just 60 yards per contest and reaching the end zone just once. A foot injury on the last play of the game (in which he rushed for 44 yards) makes him a must-bench this week at St. Louis, and makes Jonathan Stewart the primary back in Carolina. The Daily Show should be decent this week at St. Louis, and even better Week 9 hosting the Saints.

Miles Austin. Never play cards with a guy who's name is a city. Maybe we should extend this rule to fantasy, as Miles Austin, Dallas Clark and Austin Collie's fantasy value took a major hit in Week 7. Jon Kitna at quarterback denies Miles the arm strength and escapability he needs to get down the field, but he's still a threat to take any short pass to the house.

Wes Welker. Welker has shown that he's healthy, if not explosive through the Pats' first six games. He's averaging 6 catches a game which puts him on pace for 96, so an increase in looks will be necessary to cross 100 a fourth straight year. Still, that he's healthy and Randy Moss is wearing purple are both positive signs for owners who knew it would take time for Wes to get all the way back.

MERCURY RISING

Kenny Britt. Britt is a fighter. Coach Jeff Fisher suspended Kenny for the start of Sunday's game, and was glad to see the lightning fast wideout land blow after blow against the Eagles after hearing his opening bell. Britt has now scored seven touchdowns in his last five games, scoring in all five, and it doesn't seem to matter if it's Vince Young or Kerry Collins under center. Opposing teams' focus on Chris Johnson will keep Kenny in single coverage, so continue to keep him in your lineup.

Ryan Fitzpatrick. Fitzpatrick has been a bright spot for the winless Bills, making the Trent Edwards Era feel like a distant memory. Ryan has thrown at least two TDs in each game he's started, providing a spark to a Bills team that came up just short vs. New England and Baltimore. His 374-yard/4 TD performance at Baltimore makes Fitzpatrick a fantasy commodity and a strong start three of the next four weeks (@ KC, CHI, DET, @ CIN).

Steve Johnson. No, he's not your kid's science teacher and he didn't try to sell you term life insurance over the phone. The Bills' number one wideout has an every-man quality that has left him virtually unowned until this week. A 5-158-1 performance in Baltimore is anything but common, and that it's the most recent in a 4-game touchdown streak is encouraging as well. Steve should lead the Bills in targets the rest of the season, and Fitzpatrick will continue to average more than 30 throws per game.

Brandon Pettigrew. Season-ending injuries to Dallas Clark and Jermichael Finley vault Brandon into the top tier of tight ends for the second half. Antonio Gates' owners got a scare as well, and will be looking to add a TE for his Week 10 bye. Pettigrew has huge upside and a big game this week will give him trade value as well. Add him.

Owen Daniels. Daniels has been slowly working his way back. 5 catches for 79 in Week 6 marked his best game of the season, and the bye should have him close to full speed. He's a solid start at Indy this week, as Houston will undoubtedly get him more involved than in Week 1, when he had just one reception.

Blair White. Just in time for Halloween, the Blair White Project becomes a viable fantasy option. In a stroke of geographical witchcraft, the power went out in Dallas and Austin just as the lights went on in Pierre and Blair. An ailing Colts' backfield is even more cause to add White, as Peyton will have to throw a ton to make the playoffs this year.

The Fat: Five for Firing

2010-10-25T10:19:00.013-04:00

Mike Singletary. The 49ers promoted Mike Singletary at the midpoint of the 2008 season to give a listless team a jolt, and it worked. Mike led the 'Niners to a 5-4 finish, but fell flat in 2009, finishing 8-8 in his first full year. At 1-6, and after handing Carolina their first win, the 49ers find themselves at the bottom of both a weak NFC West and the entire league. That four of their losses are by a combined 11 points is telling; it means that the little things are making the difference for the 'Niners in too many of their games. Further boosting the organization's right to fire Singletary is the fact that he spent the first month of the season with an offensive coordinator that couldn't get the plays to his quarterback. That's a flat tire for an offense, and an issue that should've been addressed immediately, if not in the preseason.

Chan Gailey. Unlike Jimmy Raye, Chan Gailey was correctly dismissed as offensive coordinator by Chiefs' head coach Todd Haley just three games into the 2009 preaseason. In NFL head coach candidate terms, that's like being handed a lifetime ban. Enter the Buffalo Bills. Buffalo took a real chance hiring a man whose only success as an NFL head coach came with the ready-made Cowboys (who didn't win a playoff game under his guidance), and whose career at Georgia Tech can best be described as mediocre. At best. The Bills had two possible directions after Dick Jauron, neither of which were Chan Gailey. They could have handed the franchise to an established coach like Bill Cowher, Tony Dungy or Jon Gruden, or stayed with their own coaching prospect, Perry Fewell. For many Bills fans, Perry was the one to "Fewell the renewal" in western New York, but after going 3-4 as interim coach (and after shaping the Bills' defense into one of the best in the league) he was fired and took the Giants defensive coordinator job about five minutes later. The hiring of Chan Gailey along with other puzzling personnel decisions, and the team's Toronto address one week per season is evidence that a Major League-type maneuver may be underway.

Norv Turner. When the San Diego Chargers fired Marty Schottenheimer and hired Norv Turner, they replaced the coach who couldn't win in the postseason with the coach who couldn't get there. Norv's resume includes one playoff berth in seven seasons in Washington and 5-11 and 4-12 seasons in Oakland, yet somehow was enough for Chargers' management to hand him their 14-2 team. Inheriting a playoff team instead of having the all-too daunting task of building one, Norv has found the road to MartyBall-- he hasn't gotten out of the AFC after three straight division titles. A first-round loss to the Jets after going 13-3 was like a badly re-cast sequel to the 14-2 and out season that got Marty axed, but instead of the gun, they gave Norv the cannoli. He signed an extension through 2013 just weeks later, which makes firing Norv a big financial hit, but one worth taking for the 2-5 Bolts.

Brad Childress. In order for a head coach to be fired, he has to be the head coach first, right? Wrong. Brett Favre calls the shots in the Vikings' huddle, on the practice field, in the training room, at the bar, on the sex boat (some traditions can't be broken), and that was proven over and over Sunday night. Vikings' "head coach" Brad Childress felt unable to warm up Tarvaris Jackson when Brett came up gimpy, even with the consecutive starts streak already kept alive. The streak appears paramount to the league as well, who have yet to issue a suspension of any length for either his admitted use of painkillers during his MVP seasons in Green Bay or the revelation and text messaging of his pennis (sic!). The scandal, coupled with nagging injuries, has made the Brett Favre will-he-or-won't-he a weekly saga. In pure football terms, the 2-4 Vikings have wins over 1-win Detroit and 1-win Dallas with Brett at quarterback, and the underhand throw that was not one of his three interceptions was enough to get anyone benched. If Chilly's unwilling to sit Favre, then he's unwilling to win, as a hobbled gunslinger should not dominate an offense that features the best running back in the game. The Vikings' trip to New England next week should force the issue, as falling to 2-5 will beg the question: is it the Minnesota Favre or the Minnesota Vikings?

Wade Phillips. Wade and Norv are like two sides of a bad penny. One side is an offensive coordinator that should have stayed one, and the other a defensive coordinator who should've done the same. Whether it's a pocked neck and disappointing offense or an open-mouthed gape and bad defense, Chargers and Cowboy fans deserve a change. Wade has actually had the more successful head coaching career (making the playoffs in Denver, Buffalo and Dallas) but if the Cowboys lose to the Giants and move to 1-5, Jerry Jones will have no choice.

NFL Preview: Week 7

2010-10-21T10:46:00.005-04:00

Chiefs vs. Jaguars. After a 3-0 start, the Chiefs were feeling great headed into their early bye, and should still be feeling pretty good, even following two straight road losses. Coach Todd Haley began the Indy game with an unsuccessful onsides kick and passed up two field goal attempts early, figuring you don't win in Indy with field goals. The Chiefs lost what ended up being a field-goals game 19-9, then blew a 21-7 lead in Houston to fall to 3-2. Jacksonville visits KC with a semi-surprising 3-3 record, but are coming off a dreadful MNF loss at Tennessee. Arrowhead advantage will be enough to overcome Haley's decision-making, as the Chiefs stay perfect at home and stay atop the AFC West.

Seahawks vs. Cardinals. The 3-2 Seahawks host the 3-2 Cardinals for sole possession in the NFC West. The Cards have been weak on the road, (barely topping St. Louis Week 1, then allowing 41 at Atlanta and San Diego) but visit Seattle coming off a win over the Saints and a bye. Pete Carroll's bunch returns home after a tough win in Chicago that marked the debut of Marshawn Lynch and a breakthrough for Mike Williams. The addition of Lynch seemed to fuel Justin Forsett, who was the more effective ballcarrier on Sunday, and both are in line for 15+ touches this week. The 12th Man moves to 3-0 and the 'Hawks a surprising 4-2 and first place.

Rams @ Bucs. Another matchup of somewhat surprising 3-win teams, as 3-3 St. Louis visits 3-2 Tampa Bay. Ironically, the Rams are in better shape than the Bucs, who despite their better record will chase the Saints and Falcons all year, while St. Louis has a better chance of beating out Seattle and Arizona. Their tough division makes this a must-win for Raheem Morris, who needs to prove that his Bucs can beat a team not from Carolina or Ohio.

Bears vs. Redskins. Despite losing to the Seahawks 23-20, the Bears got back to normal in Week 6. At least, they played a normal game in which their quarterbacks weren't running for their lives 1.5 seconds after the snap. Cutler, now two weeks removed from his concussion may move from normal to decent at Washington in Week 7, but this one has the markings of a late McNabb touchdown to win it.

Steelers @ Dolphins. Big Ben came back with a serious dong on Sunday, hooking up with Mike Wallace, Hines Ward and Heath Miller. On touchdowns. Rashard Mendenhall moves a little quicker than the glacier that bears his name, and the Steelers are the class of the AFC.

Titans @ Eagles. Injuries to Mike Vick and Vince Young changed this game from blink-and-you'll-miss-it to "are we in slo-mo?" With Kerry Collins under center, Jeff Fisher will give Chris Johnson the ball 35+ times if he has to, but it won't be enough vs. a better quarterbacked team with more weapons, even if DeSean Jackson can't go.

Patriots @ Chargers. Road games are tough, but they're not that tough. Norv Turner now has two blowouts at home, and losses at KC, Seattle, Oakland and St. Louis to account for his last-place 2-4 record. The Bolts' dominance at home will be tested by the Stetson Man and his Pats, who roll in to SoCal off a big win vs. Baltimore, and may not have to deal with Gates or Floyd. New England needs to gain on the idle Jets, and they'll get it done. Now 2-5, Chargers' GM A.J. Smith should return a few old library books as well as fire Norv Turner. They're overdue.

Giants @ Cowboys. Did someone say overdue library book? Wade Phillips has come out of the bye with losses vs. Tennessee and at Minnesota. With Tony Romo, Miles Austin, Jason Witten, Roy Williams, Felix Jones, Dez Bryant and Marion Barber all healthy and a 1-4 record to show for it, Jerry Jones has no business allowing Wade to coach another practice. A Giants win in Big D should seal Phillips' removal, but at 1-5 and totally out of it, maybe JJ will keep him and his gaping, open-mouthed glares at the jumbotron around for entertainment value.

Vikings @ Packers. Do Belichick's wonders ever cease? First he throws Randy right up against Revis, now Moss returns to the site of his full-moon celebration. Notice how when they flash back to that TD they don't play the audio? It's always overdubbed with a Moss quote from a press conference or something, because Joe Buck's reaction was so over-the-top you'd think he was spawned from the cheesefields of Wisconsin. His, "That was a disgusting act," and subsequent tirade was not only an overreaction to a relatively innoccuous gesture, but also pales in comparison to anything he's said (nothing) about the revelation and text-messaging of Brett Favre's pennis (sic).

Hiccups and Pickups: Week 6

2010-10-20T10:37:00.010-04:00

FALLING DOWN

Michael Turner. Through six games, Turner has only two fantasy performances, neither of them monsters. He's averaging 78 yards per game, has just one touchdown and has topped 20 carries once. Turner makes a neat buy-relatively-low candidate, (no player taken in the top ten can be had for nothing) with a home game vs. Cincinnati, a bye, and then an easier-looking second half schedule.

Miles Austin. Two duds in his last three games is frustrating for Austin, whose unbelievably high ceiling makes him unbenchable. Despite 20 yards Week 3 at Houston and 12 yards Week 6 at Minnesota, Austin gets the sell-high tag thanks to his still-stellar numbers, but Dez Bryant is emerging and Roy Williams is stealing touchdowns.

Mike Tolbert. Tolbert filled in somewhat admirably during Ryan Mathews' absence, but certainly wasn't spectacular and showed difficulty holding onto the football. Following Mathews' return to a full load on Sunday, Tolbert found himself the short-yardage ballcarrier, netting just three yards and a TD on three carries. Expect similar output from Tolbert while the Chargers have all of their backs healthy, with Mathews the workhorse, Tolbert the plow, and Sproles the change-of-pace/receiving threat. All three should see increased work if Malcom Floyd and Antonio Gates are sidelined, making Mathews a nice-looking start (NE, TEN, @ HOU) for the next three weeks before the Bolts' bye.

Danny Amendola. Following his career-best 12/95 @ DET in Week 5, Amendola had many convinced that without Mark Clayton, he was the wideout to own in St. Louis. Undrafted out of Texas Tech, the 5'11" wideout/returner draws instant Wes Welker comparisons, but the emergence of Danario Alexander will return him to his early season role. Treat the one game in which he got an astounding 18 looks as an aberration, and expect more of the 5/50 games he put up with Clayton in the mix.

Kevin Walter. Walter fell short of 10 points for the third straight week, this time getting completely shut out by the Chiefs. The Texans' shift to a more balanced attack has turned Kevin Walter's looks into Arian Foster's carries, so like Amendola, throw out his 11-catch game. With Walter on the bye this week, you can safely drop him for a one-week rental, then re-acquire him if you like the @ Indy start Week 8. If you do, remember that you'd be starting the third/fourth receiving option in Houston (Johnson, Daniels, Jones) in a run-first system.

Michael Bush. Darren McFadden's expected return seals Bush's departure from fantasy lineups, though 47 yards on 20 carries against the 49ers may have done that on its own.

MERCURY RISING

Chris Ivory. The undrafted rookie was targeted by fantasy owners as a big add for Week 5, but fumbled and lost carries to Ladell Betts. Then Chris looked like Chris Johnson Week 6, as he shredded the Bucs for 158 yards on just 15 carries. Pierre Thomas doesn't seem quite ready to return, and even if he does, hasn't shown the kind of explosiveness Ivory showed last week. With a big performance vs. Cleveland, Ivory's per-game average will be a pure 99.44.

Deion Branch. When Tom Brady said that if the Pats brought back Deion Branch he'd pick him up at the airport, that was fantasy code for, "And I'll throw him a touchdown." Brady did better than that, targeting Branch 12 times and connecting on 9/98 and the first-quarter score. Randy's new address means plenty more looks for Deion, including this week at San Diego.

Pierre Garcon. This site's lack of a cedilla frustrates me almost as much as Pierre frustrated Reggie Wayne owners on Sunday night. While Reggie got 71 yards, he fell short for a lot of his owners in need of the 57-yard TD catch and 100-yard day that went to Garcon. Big play potential and his proximity to Peyton Manning make Pierre a fantasy starter after the Colts' bye this week.

Mike Williams. The 40-Year Old Virgin of the NFL, Mike Williams is actually 26, but finally seems to be getting his career started in Seattle. After tallying just 11 catches in his first four games, Mike grabbed 10 for 123 at Chicago and home vs. Arizona this week looks pretty good. In Tampa, Mike Williams keeps running hard routes all game and remains the only fantasy option worth considering for the Bucs.

Patrick Crayton. Malcom Floyd's hamstring injury may keep him out this week vs. New England, and Antonio Gates (toe, ankle) could be limited as well. This should steer the Chargers toward the running game, but will also free up looks in the passing game by default. Floyd's targets will go to Crayton and Buster Davis, and after Crayton's 100-yard performance at St. Louis, Patrick is the hot hand. Grab him if you're bye'd out at wideout this week (Wayne, Andre Johnson, Calvin Johnson, Austin Collie, Pierre Garcon, Braylon Edwards, Santonio Holmes) but if your league charges money for moves, don't pay to 'Cray.

Danario Alexander. Aren't NFL GMs great? Alexander led the nation with 113 receptions for 1,781 yards at Missouri last season, yet 32 teams passed on him even in the final rounds of the draft. Perhaps Buffalo Bills GM Buddy Nix forgot that it's risk/reward, not just risk, but the Bills have no need for a 6'5" number one wideout and they don't draft injured players (Willis McGahee), so the point is moot. The Rams took that risk by signing Alexander, whose knee is now fully healed from the Senior Bowl injury that damned his status as a prospect, and got rewarded with a 38-yard touchdown catch, among 72 yards on the day. Danario was on the field for about a third of the offensive snaps having just been elevated from the practice squad to the first team, but his role and production will grow in weeks to come if he can stay on the field.

Danny Woodhead. "Now that we've met our bigs, it's time to meet the littles!" The pint-sized Patriot gave the New England ground game "Sturdy Wings" on Sunday, as Danny has been a useful fantasy start in three straight. After scoring in wins over the Bills and Dolphins, Woodhead topped 110 yards from scrimmage on 11 carries for 63 and 5 catches for 52. Over 82,000 Yahoo! owners have added Danny today, so if you're thinking of taking a shot on the small wonder at San Diego, you're not alone.

No Data Available: The Jimmy Dolan Saga

2010-10-19T12:38:00.018-04:00

True story. A friend calls me the other day and says, "Man, I could kill Jimmy Dolan right now." To which I respond, "Oh, what now?" (thinking to myself, has he brought back Isiah? Did he hire "Aaron" from Eastbound & Down to replace Glen Sather?). "My DVR is frozen again," he replied. Astonished, I sputtered, "I will drive over there right now and slap your face! This is the man that has presided over the worst era in the history of Madison Square Garden, and your beef is about your cable?"

His point was well taken, however, as it's the little things that will throw a person over the mental edge. And all dealings must be taken into account when the owner of a team is so personally responsible for that team's demise. Another example is Fred Wilpon, whose losses to Bernie Madoff must be considered when thinking about issues related to the Mets payroll. For Knicks and Rangers owner Dolan, his position as CEO of Cablevision makes him double the villain, as everybody hates their cable company (it's true!) and every fan hates an underqualified, over-involved owner.

Any Ranger fan will tell you that the Blueshirts went downhill pretty much right after their Stanley Cup win in 1994, which was when Dolan took over. Under his management, (and it is management when the owner hires or does not fire the GM) the Knicks have not won a playoff game in a decade. Despite one of the largest payrolls and despite bringing in high-profile and grossly overpaid coaches Lenny Wilkens, Larry Brown and Don Chaney, all of whom got paid millions after being fired.

Dolan remained under the Jedi mind trick of Isiah Thomas so long, it's entirely possible he's still in the trance. The Knicks actually sent Isiah to recruit LeBron James this past offseason, in a display of how utterly out of touch Dolan and GM Donnie Walsh truly are. What must a man do to get fired? Isiah ran the Knicks into the ground as GM and coach, then was found guilty of sexually harrassing Anucha Browne-Sanders, which cost MSG $11 million dollars. $3 million of which was paid by James Dolan himself, his penance for firing Browne-Sanders after she complained about Isiah's sexual affronts. That was 2007. The Knicks sent Isiah Thomas to recruit LeBron in 2010. And what did that communicate? "Hey LeBron, we're sending someone we hope you (don't) emulate for (not) us."

Dolan is a modern-day gangster. He's rich enough to say, "f*ck you" to just about anyone, and he does it all the time. Right now, the 8th-largest cable provider in the country is not carrying FOX or My9 networks due to financial disputes. This is just the latest in a string of battles involving Cablevision, as Dolan has gone to war with NBC-Universal, YES Network, NFL Network, and ABC. During the ABC dispute, the information stream viewers saw when they tried to tune in went as far as to say that ABC (and their parent company, Disney) had demanded inordinate amounts of money from Cablevision due to their reduced theme park revenues. That was the verbal equivalent of Dolan pulling down Mickey Mouse's shorts, revealing ghastly undersized testes, then showing them to whoever would look-- it's what the Winabi call the "Jimmy Dolan Shake and Bake." There is no doubt that the proliferation of satellite, fiber-optic and web-based TV has punctured the Dolan family's monopoly, but his dogged stance in every one of these fights should tell FOX and NewsCorp that they're in the ring with Nicky Santoro.

But for all his reputed drug and alcohol abuse, violent temper, horrid management style, and obviously poor decision-making, Dolan's primary sin was adhering to one of the most disruptive axioms in sports: "New York fans will NOT tolerate a period of rebuilding." Rangers and Knicks fans haven't had to tolerate periods of sustained winning either, due to all the time and money spent not rebuilding.

"Speak the truth, even if it leads to your death." This site's motto may be tested, so if I turn up in a meat freezer or wash up somewhere on Long Island, tell my story.

Walk Off: The Bobby Cox Story

2010-10-18T14:28:00.006-04:00

Harry Truman. Dan Rather. Fredi Gonzalez? Fredi will have to be steady to earn a household name like his tough-act-to-follow predecessors, because in baseball, replacing Bobby Cox is like following FDR on the State of the Union or Walter Cronkite on the Evening News. By making their first managerial hire since then-GM Bobby hired himself in 1990, the time has come to honor Mr. Cox as one of the most prominent baseball men of the 20th Century.

Like many managers, Bobby's playing career wasn't spectacular. Though his .225/9/58 totals would surely be enough to sate Hanley Ramirez, his MLB coaching career began with three famous handshakes-- it was Bobby Cox coaching first base for the "Mr. October" Yankees in 1977. Bobby was then hired to manage the Braves in 1978.

In 1981, Ted Turner made a decision over which he admitted near-instant regret and fired Bobby, but was able to hire him back as GM in 1985 after watching him lead the Blue Jays for four successful seasons. Cox came back to star centerfielder Dale Murphy, who Bobby moved to the position from catcher in his first stint as Braves' skip a few years earlier.

Middle-Bobby ended and Prime Bobby began when he appointed himself field manager in 1990 after four-plus seasons of watching others fail in the role. He was right. The team he built as GM blossomed under his guidance and the Braves took the worst record in baseball in '90 and went to the World Series in 1991. Bobby's Braves would go on to win 14 consecutive division titles, and although many trumpet that he only won one World Series, he gave Atlanta fans a reason to fill the seats and fans across the South a reason to tune in every night for three decades.

Bobby leaves the dugout following a 2010 season that included elements of all of his seasons in Atlanta, and concluded with another playoff appearance. Although his latest blend of youth and experience fell short of the grand prize, Braves fans can feel confident that his former bench coach and true disciple Fredi Gonzalez will remember him at every step. Though he'll fall short of Bobby's (4th all-time) 2,504 career wins and 1st all-time 158 ejections, the Braves could not have made a better choice.

NFL Preview: Week 6

2010-10-17T11:20:00.007-04:00

Cowboys @ Vikings. Fresh off their byes, the 1-3 Cowboys visit the 1-3 Vikings, in a game that can be most inaccurately described as, "exactly what Jerry Jones and Zygi Wilf were expecting." The Vikes are an absolute sideshow right now, with Brad "Chilly" Childress just chillin' and pretty much serving as a sight gag. The revelation of Brett Favre's pennis (sic) and the acquisition of Randy Moss only make their one win look even smaller, and if they lose at home to the Cowboys, it should be the end for the Bald Ego. Dallas has all the talent a team should need to earn a playoff spot but must fire Wade Phillips. Jerry Jones should've taken a closer look at his own operation instead of Ari Gold's this offseason and made the move to Jason Garrett. Fantasy starts (in order): Adrian Peterson, Miles Austin, Tony Romo, Jason Witten, Felix Jones, Percy Harvin, Dez Bryant, Visanthe Shiancoe, Brett Favre.

Pittsburgh vs. Cleveland. The Steelers welcome back the biggest head on Earth. Big Ben and his cabesa hit the ground running vs. the Browns, making him, Rashard Mendenhall, Hines Ward, Mike Wallace, and even Heath Miller fantasy plays this week. For Cleveland, Peyton Hillis' game at Baltimore gives faith that he can get it going vs. a tough run defense, but he's a borderline start this week, and the only one worth considering on the Browns roster.

Falcons @ Eagles. Heads up. The Falcons are 4-1 without looking that good thus far. This week they visit the Eagles, who are 3-2 despite their instability at quarterback and their 0-2 home record. With Kolb back under center (for now) for Andy Reid's bunch, treat Brent Celek and LeSean McCoy as must-starts, and DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin as quality starts that you'll probably take during a bye week. For Atlanta, Michael Turner, Roddy White, Tony Gonzalez, and Matt Ryan are all starts.

Ravens @ Patriots. Bill Belichick gets to debut his new-look offense at home, but not against the oppenent he'd choose. Baltimore visits New England, which is now minus one 6'4" model citizen, and will look to Wes Welker and rookies Aaron Hernandez and Brandon Tate to fill the stat sheet. The Ravens got Ray Rice rolling with 27 carries and will give the Pats defense a heavy dose again this week, as they try to keep the ball away from Tom Brady. Brady now goes back to his pre-Moss status as the best distributor-cap quarterback in the league, making any Patriots receiver a potential stud on a given week. For this week, start Brady, Welker and Hernandez, and consider the Law Firm as a decent flex play. For Baltimore, take Rice, Boldin and Flacco as you normally would, and Derrick Mason, Heap and Houshmandzadeh only if you need them, in that order.

Jets @ Denver. Finally. A Jets game that's just a football game with no Outside the Lines episode or a 30 in 30 dedicated to it. In their first game this season that's not against a fellow SuperBowl contender or a division rival, we'll find out if they need the drama. LaDanian has earned the starting job and has had monster games in Denver. Start him and Dustin Keller, consider Braylon Edwards and Santonio Holmes as good flex options. For the Broncos, Kyle Orton has completely transformed himself from caretaker of a below-average run-first offense in Chicago to the spark of a big air attack. With Revis still struggling with the hamstring he pulled carrying his money, Kyle should get it going again to Brandon Lloyd, Eddie Royal and Jabar Gaffney. Don't start Knowshon Moreno in his first game back vs. the Jets front seven.

Colts @ Redskins. "There's nothing more pathetic than an aging hipster." Dr. Evil was spot-on, but he didn't know about Niners/Raiders. Expect a nice performance from both quarterbacks, but give the edge to Ryan Torain over Joseph Addai in this one, as the 'Skins will want to keep the ball away from Peyton. Reggie Wayne, Dallas Clark and Austin Collie should all crack your lineup, and Santana Moss and Chris Cooley are Redskins worth using.

49ers vs. Raiders. This should be it for Mike Singletary. If the Niners, who have suffered no significant injuries, lose at home to the Raiders and fall to 0-6, they'll have make a change. Won't they? Start: Frank Gore, Michael Bush, Zach Miller, Vernon Davis, Michael Crabtree.

Dolphins @ Packers. The Dolphins got healthy in Week 5 while the Packers got hurt. A preseason favorite in the NFC, Green Bay's Super-hopes dwindled a bit more when they lost leading receiver Jermichael Finley for the season. This is good news for Greg Jennings and Donald Driver owners, but bad news for the Pack, who are now down to one dimension of their already one-dimensional offense. Start: Aaron Rodgers, Brandon Marshall, Greg Jennings, Donald Driver, Ronnie Brown, Ricky Williams, Brandon Jackson, Davone Bess, Chad Henne.

Saints @ Bucs. Three awful teams on the bye (Buffalo, Carolina, Cincinnati) continues to result in great matchups Week 6. After losing at Arizona, the defending champs are 3-2 and face division rival Tampa Bay, who have Carolina and the state of Ohio to thank for their 3-1 start. Still, the Bucs have been playing tough, and the Saints need a solid road win to get back into the conversation about the NFC's elite. Take Drew Brees and all of his receivers, and Mike Williams for the Bucs.

Titans @ Jaguars. The NFL's version of Tennessee vs. Florida. Not quite the salt of the college rivalry, but both teams come in with 3-2 records, top-tier running backs, mobile quarterbacks and solid receiving targets. The difference is the defense; the Titans have one. Start: Chris Johnson, Maurice Jones-Drew, Marcedes Lewis, and take a shot on Mike Sims-Walker and Kenny Britt on Monday Night.

Halloween Costume Ideas from RomoBall

2010-10-13T12:24:00.014-04:00

Lou Brown. Proud of your imitation of Major League skipper Lou Brown? Bust it out this Halloween and tip your cap to one of the great sports characters of all time. Required: Cleveland Indians jersey and (adjustable) cap, baseball pants and cleats, thick wig and mustache. Fat suit is optional depending upon your carriage/budget, but some sort of stuffing inside the jersey should do it.

Norman Dale. Dark pants, some shade of tan or khaki-colored shirt, brown leather jacket, and keep that necktie short. Throw a whistle around your neck, grab a black folder (folded vertically) and you're in like an Ollie freethrow. Barking about "four passes" all night is optional. For the supremely tall, try and find a red basketball jersey and a gold pair of gym shorts, grease up your hair, grab a basketball and walk out the door as Jimmy Chitwood.

Sue Sudio. For the 80s chica. Throw on your most comfortable jeans, then grab a bowling shirt. Maybe you can get one with the name "Sue" on the front, but if not, making a nametag shouldn't be that hard. Use masking tape or a better method to spell "Sudio" on the back. Say the word.

Walter Sobchak. Imagine a tan vest with unlimited pockets over a black t-shirt, big tinted sunglasses and shorts (for comfort). Grow out or draw on the beard and let the fun begin. The possibilities are endless, so don't lug around a bowling ball or dog carrier (unless you have a showdog). Maybe you can find one of those Halloweeny severed fingers, paint the nail green and cut it so it looks more like a toe, then put it in a jewelry box and store it in any one of your pockets. Firearms (real or fake) are not recommended.

Rudy. For the diminutive Hallo-weiner. Grab a Notre Dame jacket, throw on a pair of jeans and go as Daniel E. "Rudy" Ruettiger. And make sure to complain a lot. You never got any respect from your brothers, you watched your best friend Pete die in a tragic accident, your older brother Johnny stole your girl, you're working for minimum wage, sleeping four hours a night in a dungeon and getting your head kicked in by the Fighting Irish starters. It's amazing you didn't just snap when Ara Parseghian quit, but hang in there. Your moment of redemption is nigh.

Al Czervik. Great golfer. Pure and simple. Make it Christmas in October with red pants, a green shirt, white cap, shoes and belt. If you're more of a villain, and if you can find that hat, grab the pink polo, white pants and your putter and you're g-g-g-g-oing to be a hit. Just hang onto the putter.

Lucas. Know someone who's already going as Rudy? Take it one step further. Throw it back to the 80s with a late-great Corey Haim tribute. Required: moderate height, slight build, generic red football jersey, pants, cleats and glasses. Helmet optional, but oversized shoulderpads and a redhaired date would cinch it.

Howard Cosell. Tell it like it is all night. Get a mustard-yellow blazer, a bad wig, sharpen your wit, and bring the Rock Band mic for full effect. For guys a bit bigger that dig the ABC Sports angle, go as Keith Jackson and when someone takes a shot yell, "Touchdoooown Alabama!"

Counting Down the Rocky Sequels

2010-10-11T15:18:00.008-04:00

1. Rocky IV. The best Cold War movie ever. Rocky topples the Russian(s). The real question here is, how did Dolph Lundgren get cast as He-Man just two years later? Millions of kids were first getting acquainted with Ivan Drago, the human version of The Terminator, and some casting director thinks kids are going to believe he's a good guy? I'm 30 and I still don't believe it. Masters of the Universe would've been better with Van freaking Damme. Following Balboa's ultimate triumph and victory speech, the standing ovation he gets from the Moscow crowd including Gorby himself is pure cinematic moxie, and should've been the final moment for the franchise.

2. Rocky II. There is a temptation to rank Rocky II as the worst of the Rocky sequels, blaming its success for all that followed. In this one, Rocky deals with impolite ad men, unemployment, his car payments and getting fired from a meatpacking plant. To quote Kathy Bates from Primary Colors, "it's all so human and awful." But Rocky triumphs, meeting his newborn son only after Adrian comes out of her coma, and beats Apollo by one second in a match that earns this movie its spot.

3. Rocky III. We rejoin Rocky as he's riding high, listening to "Eye of the Tiger" while he's losing his. He's the Champ, has numerous title defenses since outlasting Apollo, yet doesn't seem to even recognize Clubber Lang (or his number one ranking) at his retirement press conference. He also allows Clubber's accosting of Adrian to go on comically long. Rocky III's ethos is driven by the passing of his surly trainer, Mickey Goldmill. In his first go-round with hot, sweet mortality, Clubber is to blame for Mickey's death, Rocky is knocked out for the first time on-screen, and Apollo swoops in to train his venerable rival against their mutual nemesis, Lang. Hulk Hogan is memorable as "Thunderlips," Mr. T. is convincing as the disrespected brawler from Chicago, and Apollo's beach training sequences with Rocky do more than border on homoeroticism. Highly watchable and replete with montages, this is a true 80's movie.

4. Rocky V. After losing Mickey in Rocky III and Apollo in IV, Rocky's money is put to sleep in Rocky V. Broke and retired (again), Rocky goes back, where he started, this time working at Mighty Mick's, with Adrian across the street at J & M Tropical Fish. Rocky goes from managing the gym to managing Tommy Gunn all the way to the top, only to be dumped in favor of Don King parody George Washington Duke. He then wins a streetfight and walks off (and presumably lives the rest of his life) happy being King of the Neighborhood.

5. Over the Top. Rocky throws everyone a curveball when he changes his name to Lincoln Hawk, wins an armwrestling tournament and his son's love, thwarting the evil Robert Loggia. After a summer he described as "wild as hell," he returns to his life in Philadelphia and the professional boxing circuit.

6. Rocky Balboa. There isn't much to say about the final chapter of the life and times of our hero. Not much to say at all. Other than Milo Ventimiglia is just awful.

NFL Preview: Week 5

2010-10-10T11:30:00.005-04:00

Vikings @ Jets. If only this game had an angle. LaDainian Tomlinson shined in Buffalo, returning to a feautured role as the Jets backed up the smack and moved to 3-1, including wins over all their divisional opponents. He'll face the running back of this generation, as Adrian Peterson and the Vikings come to New Jersey with just one win and a new star wideout. Randy Moss probably thought a trade would mean his Revis days and sleepless nights were over, but he'll have to face Darrelle twice this year as originally scheduled. Oh yeah, Santonio Holmes is back from suspension and will make his Jets debut on MNF. Tune in.

Chiefs @ Colts. Q. What do the Chiefs secondary and their 3-0 record have in common? A. They're both about to get broken by Peyton Manning. If this game were scheduled in Arrowhead it would be easier to imagine a scenario in which the walking hall-of-famer didn't shred KC. It may take another 50 attempts, but at home on the turf, Peyton will find a way to hand the Chiefs their first loss.

Ravens vs. Broncos. After barely winning at Pittsburgh against the Big Ben-less Steelers, the 3-1 Ravens have to improve to win their division. The combination of Dennis Dixon and primarily Charlie Batch were this close to a 4-0 start for the Steelers, they get their starting QB back and have the bye this week to think about it, then face Cleveland. There are no trap games for Ray Lewis, so the Ravens should outlast Kyle Orton and the Denver air attack, but a visit to New England Week 6 will put their division lead at risk.

Giants @ Texans. Through the first four weeks, the Jekyll-and-Hyde Giants have looked either dominant or absolutely awful, while the Janus-faced Texans have been dominant on offense and absolutely awful on defense. League-leading rusher Arian Foster will slow the Giant pass rush that Matt Forte and Chester Taylor could not, allowing Matt Schaub to make just enough plays to Andre Johnson to win and move to 4-1.

Chargers @ Raiders. In search of their first road win, San Diego should find it in Oakland. The Bolts are now missing just Vincent Jackson, with Marcus McNeill signed and Mathews and Merriman back from injuries, so all systems are officially go. The regular season tear has begun for Norv's bunch, to be followed by the postseason tears for Chargers fans.

Panthers vs. Bears If Jimmy Clausen is going to win a game this year, here's his chance. The 0-4 Panthers host 3-1 Chicago, who are forced to start Todd Collins, who turns 39 in a month and is already banged up from his share of the Giant mauling last week. Carolina will be without Steve Smith, allowing John Fox unlimited carries for Williams and Stewart, who will work to wear down a tough front seven. With the biggest air weapons out for both teams, this should be a ground game where the edge goes to Carolina. If Mike Martz tries to open it up with Collins or third-stringer Caleb Hanie, the Panthers could win this one on D.

Hiccups and Pickups: Week 4

2010-10-08T10:03:00.004-04:00

FALLING DOWN

Matt Forte. After a monster receiving day Week 1 and a touchdown Week 2, Forte has been weak, putting up consecutive stinkers. With Jay Cutler out this week, the Panthers will load up on the run and short passing game and force Todd Collins to look downfield. Just a few fantasy backs are on the bye Week 5 (Brown/Williams, Green-Ellis, Mendenhall) so hopefully you can bench Forte until Chicago and Cutler have it working again.

DeSean Jackson. New Rule. So goes Mike Vick, so goes DeSean Jackson. For the speedster, his success with McNabb and Vick dictate that a mobile quarterback gives him time to execute double-moves and burn defenders deep. Until Vick gets back, view DeSean as a flex play that might break one, but would also be a threat to score on a run or punt return.

Darren McFadden. McFadden and Ahmad Bradshaw are a couple of semi-surprises rounding out the NFL's top 5 rushers through the first month, behind Foster, Mendenhall and Peterson. McFadden's 554 yards from scrimmage through 4 games will be stalled by a hamstring injury that has jeopardized his status for this week vs. San Diego.

Malcom Floyd. There are a few reasons Malcom makes this list, despite being the clear #1 wideout in San Diego. Antonio Gates will always be Philip Rivers' first option, he'll be facing shutdown corner Nnamdi Asomugha this week, the Bolts have Mathews and Tolbert going well, and there is a chance that Vincent Jackson just might want to play football this year. His strong play thus far and a potential Jackson return in Week 7 make Malcom a nice sell-high candidate for teams with WR depth.

Clinton Portis. "That popping sound you're hearing is actually Clinton Portis' groin." While CP isn't an alien (as far as we know) bench this citizen of The District until week 9.

MERCURY RISING

Maurice Jones-Drew. Fantasy owners got their MoJo back in Week 4. Pocket Hercules crossed the century mark for the first time since last December (also against Indy), and just the second time in his last 11 games. He'll get two in a row as the Jags visit Buffalo, who may as well start the Jills on defense after their performance vs. LT and the Jets made the Griswold's house on Christmas look dim.

Ricky Williams. The first bye week helped Ricky find some lineups in time for his first fantasy game of the season, gaining 56 rushing yards and adding 45 and a score through the air. Ricky's 7.0 per-carry average (10 yards per touch) will put him heavily in the mix during the Dolphins' bye-week practices and will make him useful, if not essential, as the season progresses.

Marshawn Lynch. Despite topping 1,000 yards in his first two seasons, Lynch fell out of favor in Buffalo after a disappointing 2009 on and off the field. A trade anywhere represents an upgrade for Marshawn, who brings his career 4.0 per-carry average to Seattle. We'll take it. Buffalo's Fred Jackson and C.J. Spiller get a bump into the fantasy universe this week with Marshawn gone, but only because they're hosting the Jags.

Ryan Torain. The door was already opening when an injury to Dollar Bill's groin busted it down. Five years and 1,800 carries younger than the eccentric workhorse, Ryan should eat up plenty of terrain as the starter in upcoming weeks, as the Redskins have games against the Colts and Lions among their next four.

Brandon Tate. Whispers about a possible trade for Vincent Jackson should be taken with a big bag of rock salt. New England and San Diego are probably the two most hard-headed teams in the NFL who would both rather teach their players a lesson than swap holdouts pre-deadline, so it's a safe bet that VJ won't be brought in mid-stream to replace Randy Moss. That leaves the speedster Tate, who should benefit with Tom Brady again being allowed to do what he does best, throw to the receiver who's open. Weapons Welker, Hernandez and Tate will not complain when they don't get the ball, leaving Brady to feel relaxed and unobliged to force throws, as he did when the Pats were winning SuperBowls.

Dexter McCluster. In Yahoo! leagues, McCluster qualifies as an RB, making him a sneaky play this week at Indy and for the rest of the season. The speed merchant went undrafted in many leagues and a lot of owners dropped him after a successful, yet unspectacular (fantasy-wise) first three games. The Chiefs' schedule is light, their bye is behind them, and their offense lends itself to big plays. Dexter's 69 yards and a TD in Week 3 is an encouraging sign that the player that could only be described as absolutely explosive while at Ole Miss will hit the highlight reels soon. Depending on their roster's makeup and especially in PPR leagues, some owners might consider starting McCluster at RB2, and going 4-wide.

Hiccups and Pickups: Week 3

2010-09-28T13:04:00.009-04:00

FALLING DOWN

Ray Rice. Ray Rice hosting the Browns looked like the second-best RB start in Week 3. While Adrian Peterson delivered the monster game we expected, Rice totaled just 80 rushing yards and 16 receiving and was again held out of the endzone. Rice has scored just one touchdown in his last ten games, is averaging 70 yards rushing and 22 receiving through three this year, and suffered a knee injury late in the game. Owners that opted for a QB with their early-to-mid first rounder should buy themselves a beer, and Rice should sit out the Pittsburgh game this week.

Steven Jackson. Another elite back off to a ho-hum start that made things even worse for his owners by getting hurt Week 3. Initial word is that S-Jax didn't tear his groin, but the ailment should be enough to keep him out this week vs. the Seahawks, and should certainly deem him unworthy of starting lineups barring great news on Sunday morning. Backup RB Kenneth Darby makes only a decent play vs. the Seahawks' run defense, but with five RBs on the bye this week (Peterson, Charles/Jones, Barber/Jones) Jackson owners may drop one in the Wishing Well.

Steve Smith. Will we ever know just how good this guy is? Nothing new for the real Steve Smith, who traded Jake Delhomme's bum elbow for Matt Moore's, and now gets to risk his life going up for Jimmy Clausen ducks. If he had a consistent quarterback over the past decade, Steve would never have to hear people even think about thinking about who the better wideout is.

Jason Witten. Jason Witten edges out Brett Favre for the "Thank God my Bye is Week 4" Award. He'll get to rest that cabesa and heal up a little bit, and will have to work hard to keep Martellus Bennett from gaining the edge in looks Week 5.

Marques Colston. Tough couple weeks for Reggie Bush-- sending the Heisman back broke his heart, then the 49ers broke his leg. With Bush out, the opportunity was there for Marques Colston to reestablish himself as Brees' go-to option and a PPR player's dream. Instead, Colston was covered again, limited to just 25 yards on the day. While Marques has been a reliable target, he had just two 100-yard games last season, three the year before that, and hasn't been the truly explosive fantasy player he was in his first two seasons from 2006-07.

Clinton Portis. Deja vu? It took about seven years for Clinton to get old in Washington, and Redskins fans are hoping it's not a repeat. If your name is LaDainian Tomlinson, congratulations. You're the only back that was better than Portis in the '00s. If not, you probably have a lot less mileage on you than Portis. An average of 46 yards per game vs. DAL, HOU and STL isn't getting it done, and his owners should target Keiland Williams as insurance.

MERCURY RISING

Lance Moore. Lance Moore came back to fantasy with the biggest game of his career. 6/149/2 vs. ATL in Week 3 (and his '08 season of 79/928/10) is enough to take a chance on Lance in Drew Brees' offense. He'll compete with Devery Henderson for the deep looks, but with Marques drawing the most attention and Pierre running well, sustained production is not beyond the realm.

BenJarvus Green-Ellis. Is there anything better than Dick Enberg saying this guy's name? It's like a four-act opera in which you never knew the word Green could have that many syllables. Laurence Maroney to Denver, Kevin Faulk to IR, Fred Taylor has 2,500 lifetime carries and Sammy Morris is a spot guy. You don't have to go to Harvard to figure out that you should join the Law Firm outside Boston.

Peyton Hillis. Can this man remove Peyton from first-name status? In fantasy circles, he just might. That Hillis' career-best 144 rush yards came at Baltimore is very encouraging, and coach Mangini will have no choice but to stay with Hillis, who also grabbed 7 for 36 yards.

Dustin Keller. Two monster games in a row for Keller, who followed his 7/115/1 day vs. New England with an even bigger 6/98/2 night in Miami. Throw out his first game vs. Baltimore as an extremely tough matchup and you have a tight end that has shown the ability to take a game over. If he's your backup, you might consider trading your number one TE and giving DK the big job.

Aaron Hernandez. Listed at 6'1"/245, Hernandez is more like a huge wideout than a true tight end. Use this to your advantage and get the fastest TE-eligible player we've seen since Marques Colston rookied. Kevin Faulk's season-ending injury opens up 6-7 looks in the pass game and solidifies that the trio of Welker, Moss and Hernandez will get most of Brady's attention. Grab him as a bye-week replacement, or even just to keep him away from the rest of your league.

Counting Down the 10 Worst Sports Movies

2010-09-23T12:24:00.010-04:00

10. Mr. 3000. Bernie Mac was a very funny man. Just not in this particular film. Let us remember him instead as a man that once voiced a character named "Fruit Juice" in the animated film 'Lil Pimp.

9. Invincible. Save an hour-plus of your time and watch It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia: The Gang Gets Invincible from Season 3.

8. The Fan. A movie that probably looked great on paper but didn't translate to the screen, The Fan is the second-worst on Bobby D's resume.

7. Driven. Kip Pardue gives one of the all-time worst performances in cinematic history, sports or no sports.

6. Leatherheads. George Clooney tried to make a Coen Brothers film. Tried.

5. Invictus. Nelson Mandela is finally portrayed by real-life doppelganger Morgan Freeman, and it's the elderly, rugby superfan Mandela he gives us. Tragic.

4. For Love of the Game. Oh, for the love of...

3. Ali. Ali first lost its integrity when the man himself was at the premiere. Its authenticity is further diminished each painfully long minute, with Jon Voigt and Mario van Peebles woefully miscast as icons Howard Cosell and Malcolm X. Ron Silver as Angelo Dundee is just preposterous. With respect to Will Smith, who does transform in the role, Jada's presence further robs this biopic of any realism whatsoever. There are a number of Ali documentaries that are far more worthy of your time.

2. Two for the Money. Matthew McConaughey is an actor who isn't known for his acting. He's at his abso-worst in this 2005 clunker.

1. Any Given Sunday. All the NFL players that ever suited up wouldn't make up for the made-up teams that cost this movie its authenticity. That nearly any given actor is in Any Given Sunday also makes its suspension-of-disbelief factor about on par with Hot Tub Time Machine.

Counting Down the 20 Best Sports Films: Honorable Mention

2010-09-21T19:30:00.013-04:00

Kingpin. Bill Murray is hilarious and Woody Harrelson and Randy Quaid are amusing in the second-best movie about a bowler.

The Big Lebowski. Am I wrong? Am I wrong? Okay then.

Fever Pitch. Jimmy Fallon actually works as the lead in a role that's as close to playing himself as he'll ever get. Though he did get a little pissed when Drew kept calling him "Adam" off-camera.

Bull Durham. Incredibly, this list of the 50 Greatest Sports Films puts Bull Durham ahead of Rocky. Too bad Ron Shelton wasn't born a decade earlier, he'd have a Best Picture Oscar over his fireplace.

Little Giants. Is it coincidence that football movies are good and baseball movies are great? And that football movies are funny and baseball movies are hilarious? This is a good football movie that's funny, extra point for being kid-friendly.

He Got Game. Spike Lee tried really hard. Maybe a little too hard, as He Got Game is at once wonderfully authentic, poorly acted and 45 minutes too long. One of the worst performances in cinematic history comes courtesy of Al Palagonia, (which must be Italian for "Pal of Spike Lee") whose turn as super-agent Dom Pagnotti is about as bad as it gets and the reason this is a movie not a film.

Kicking and Screaming. Will Ferrell is always fun to watch playing sports (Semi-Pro, Talladega Nights, Blades of Glory) but K'ing and S'ing is due a special nod for being one of the funniest PG movies to come out in the '00s. If you have soccer kids, this is a buy.

The Greatest Game Ever Played. It's not the greatest film ever made, but for golf fans, Shia is your Spider-Man. Hi, I'm Francis. Have Ouimet?

School Ties. The Dead Poets Society of the 90's, School Ties basically started the careers of Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Brendan Fraser (you're welcome) and Chris O'Donnell. Even ol' Will Hunting's boy Cole Hauser makes his debut.

Hiccups and Pickups: Week 2

2010-09-21T15:57:00.013-04:00

FALLING DOWN

Maurice Jones-Drew. Pocket Hercules got struck by the Lightning on Sunday, gaining just 31 yards on the ground and catching one ball for 17 yards. MJD will be looking for his best Best impression this week, as the Jags host the defensively offensive Lions.

Jamaal Charles. Chiefs fans will take it, but Jamaal's owners will not. Thomas Jones got twice Jamaal's carries in Week 2, as the biggest home-run threat in the AFC West was kept in the park...by Cleveland. Offensive coordinator Charlie Weis will look to get Charles more involved in the coming weeks, but at 2-0, can't exactly be criticized either.

Ryan Mathews. Ryan's ankle injury seemed like deja vu after Ryan Grant went down on opening weekend, but that he begged to get back in the game offers Mathews owners some hope. Still, Mike Tolbert looked really good and should eat into Mathews' workload once he's ready to return.

Shonn Greene. A statistical improvement over his Week 1 effort, Greene's 52 rushing yards vs. the Patriots may not have been enough to keep his starting job. LaDainian was the more effective back on Sunday, and to this point in the season has been the more prepared, reliable performer.

Greg Jennings. A game that fantasy owners salivate over often results in a stinker for the team's number one air option. The Bills were able to do one thing successfully on Sunday, which was keep Jennings off the scoreboard. He'll easily improve on his 3/31 outing this week, but Jennings is the type of team-first player that would take that statline in a winning effort every time.

MERCURY RISING

Jahvid Best. Jahvid may have had his best career game in just his second. Owners who had him benched vs. the highly rated Philly D will be chasing this effort all year long, and though he won't top 40 points with regularity, he's worth a weekly start until further notice.

Jason Snelling. Mike Turner's injury gave Snelling the Chance, and now Atlanta fans are beating their Community Chest about their loaded backfield. Though Turner seems to be fine, Snelling is his unquestioned understudy and absolutely worth picking up, especially given Turner's propensity for getting nicked up.

LeSean McCoy. LeSean was able to Run Away from the Lions all game on Sunday, to the tune of 120 yards and three touchdowns. Best guess is The Real McCoy will be in Jim Schwartz's head while he sleeps for at least a few weeks..."Another night, another dream, but always you."

DeSean Jackson. DeSean likes Michael Vick, he just doesn't like it when he calls him "dog." Either way, Jackson's game was unleashed with Vick under center, and calls for Kevin Kolb are fainter than that kid at the spelling bee.

Demaryius Thomas. Georgia Tech recruited Demaryius to replace Calvin Johnson. He did. The Broncos drafted Demaryius to replace Brandon Marshall. He will. If you need to fill a WR or a WR/RB slot, realize that GT and Denver have a lot more riding on their success than you.

Kevin Walter. There's plenty to go around when your QB throws for 497 yards. It won't be that abundant for Walter every week, but that his 11-catch performance came in a monster game for Andre is encouraging. Until Owen Daniels shows that he's a fantasy threat again, view Kevin as the number two receiving option in Houston, which is certainly worth rostering.

Brandon Pettigrew. Opening week starter Matthew Stafford seemed to prefer Tony Scheffler, but that trend reversed completely in Week 2, as replacement Shaun Hill found Pettigrew 7 times for 108 yards against the Eagles. Pettigrew is a nice guy to add if he has a different bye week than the tight end you drafted, or if you went with Jason Witten or Brent Celek and want some insurance.

NFL Preview: Week 2

2010-09-17T10:34:00.009-04:00

Steelers @ Titans. Chris Johnson's streak of 12 straight 100-yard games will be put to the test on Sunday against a Pittsburgh D that limited Michael Turner in Week 1. But Johnson is a different breed of back and he will be relied upon heavily, so the century mark is certainly within reach. All the Titans' other offensive players get slightly downgraded for this matchup, except Rob Bironas. For the Steelers, until Big Ben gets back, just Mendenhall and Hines Ward are must-starts every week. Mike Wallace and Heath Miller are on the fringe until that time. Take the Titans in a field-goals game.

Ravens @ Bengals. Baltimore's offense should rebound from their poor showing in Week 1. The Bengals are far less stingy on D than the Jets, which should signal breakouts for Ray Rice and Joe Flacco, and simultaneous sighs of relief from their owners. Carson Palmer, Cedric Benson, T.O. and C.O. will pose more of a threat to the Ravens D than the Jets, but against this hard-hitting unit, they could all be in for a long day. Baltimore wins this roadie and moves to an earned 2-0. Their Week 6 visit to New England might just determine home-field advantage in the AFC.

Vikings vs. Dolphins. Adrian Peterson will get on track in Week 2 vs. the Dolphins. The void left by Sidney Rice was a cavernous one, as evidenced by Bernard Berrian and Percy Harvin's inability to make plays. The Vikings will have to go back to basics for some time until they either acquire Vincent Jackson, have Sidney Rice back from his hip injury, or both. Until then, Visanthe Shiancoe seems to be Favre's most reliable target, and if that's true, they'll be leaning heavily on AP. Take Peterson and the Minny O-line over Ronnie and Ricky.

Colts vs. Giants. This is a pride game for Peyton and a house-money game for Eli. The Texans found the formula vs. Indy last week, and the Giants will want to get Bradshaw and Jacobs going, which will take even more pressure off of lil' bro. There is no doubt that Peyton has been stewing over the Colts' Week 1 defeat, and will do whatever he can to stave off 0-2. Take Indy in another high-scoring tilt.

Patriots @ Jets. This game will be played at 4:15pm Sunday in northern New Jersey, but may as well be played on New Year's Eve at midnight...on the moon. The Jets will be desperate to not open their new building 0-2, but Tom and Randy will be juiced up just boarding the bus to Soprano-ville. The Pats win this one handily, and at 2-0, are extremely tough to move from atop the AFC East.

Chargers vs. Jaguars. The Jags look to be AFC West slayers, having dispatched the Broncos in Week 1 and taking aim at the Chargers this Sunday. The Chargers are out to prove that rain, Arrowhead and special teams were the reasons they fell to KC, and will certainly improve in two of those areas this week. Rivers, Gates, Mathews, Floyd and I am Legedu are all starts this week; for the Jags, use MJD, and only activate Garrard, Sims-Walker and Lewis if you have to.

Bears @ Cowboys. The Bears got gifted their 1-0 start and the Cowboys gifted theirs away. The significance of Tashard Choice's fumble that got returned for Washington's lone TD is twofold. First, if Dallas just took a knee they would have won 7-6. Second, the catch was one of 7 touches in the game for Choice, while Felix and MB3 only received 8 carries apiece. Tashard is useful in either back's absence, but shouldn't two lead running backs be enough to spell each other? Increased workload helps any runner get into a rhythm, and Dallas' attempts to get three guys going in one game may cost them many. For Bears fans, Jay Cutler's 372 yards in his first regular season game under offensive coordinator Mike Martz was almost as big an exhale as the one let out at the end of regulation.

Chiefs @ Browns. This is Patriots-Jets Lite. Ex-Jet Mangini's dogs host ex-Pats Scott Pioli, Charlie Weis, Romeo Crennel and Matt Cassel in Week 2. There's way less salt to this matchup than the real deal, but these teams, specifically their executives and coaches, know each other well. The Chiefs will make the Chargers' inevitable uphill climb even tougher, beating out the Browns and starting out 2-0.

Texans @ Redskins. A matchup of surprising 1-0 teams, few expected Houston to top Peyton and Shanny to beat the Eagles in their openers. But here they are, Arian Foster for President and McNabb undefeated in DC. Schaub gets rolling in Week 2 and Foster provides a balanced attack that will be enough to lower Donovan's winning percentage by 500 points.

Week 1: The Fat

2010-09-15T11:30:00.008-04:00

Skinny is out. Let's chew The Fat.

Ravens 10, Jets 9. The talking stopped and the hitting started, and the Ravens outslugged the Jets in their new-home opener 10-9. The Jets were out of synch on offense and awfully grabby on defense, resulting in 14 penalties including six that resulted in first downs for the Ravens. The Jets looked like a team that had a TV show not a training camp, and will have a very tough time not starting out 0-2 when New England rolls in on Sunday.

Texans 34, Colts 24. Arian Foster took about 231 steps toward becoming a fantasy-household name in Week 1, helping the Texans beat Peyton Manning for the first time in four years. The Colts are who we thought they were; they can throw the ball and can't stop the run, only this time they lost. Peyton topping 50 attempts is never a good sign, and as we wonder, "What about Bob" Sanders, we realize he's actually the opposite of the Bill Murray character, because he's never there.

Saints 14, Vikings 9. The Vikings' underuse of Adrian Peterson, not a lack of offensive weapons, was the reason they fell to the Saints on Thursday night. Brad Childress didn't give AP any 4th quarter carries in a game they lost by...5? The head coach gave into his Wrangler pitchman of a QB and let him sling it all second half, instead of giving the best tailback in the conference even one touch late in the game.

Bears 19, Lions 14. Chicago fans got gifted a Week 1 win, and also a glimpse of things to come from new offensive coordinator Mike Martz. Jay Cutler is now back to J-Cut after spending most of 2009 as his inept alter-ego "cuddles." The Lions not only lost a game they should have won on Calvin Johnson's clear TD, but also lost their quarterback, who's next in line at the office of Dr. James Andrews.

Dolphins 15, Bills 10. In addition to being one of the most talent-light teams in the league, the Bills have endured some of the toughest schedules over the past few seasons. The Chan Gailey era got off to a rough start, as Buffalo hosted Miami in the season opener and lost 15-10. The beauty of this rivalry was always the Dolphins hosting the first matchup and Buffalo hosting the second, usually in cold weather. Home field advantage aside, the Bills' selection of J.P. Losman over Steven Jackson in 2004 continues to haunt the beleaguered franchise.

Redskins 13, Cowboys 7. Winning despite Wade has drifted into losing because of him. Phillips' woeful gameplan cost the Cowboys a win, as his lead tailbacks totaled just eight carries apiece. Marion Barber is a bruising-style runner that can wear down defenses and Felix Jones is an absolute burner. Perhaps it's just too advanced for Wade to realize he should pound Barber early, then unleash a fresh Felix.

Seahawks 31, 49ers 6. The Pete Carroll Era is off to a flying start. The Seahawks flipped the script in their home opener, pounding the 49ers 31-6 when the experts predicted the opposite. Having gotten out of USC while the getting out was good, PC seems right at home in Seattle.

Patriots 38, Bengals 24. All systems go. Brady-to-Welker is back. Newcomers Aaron Hernandez, Rob Gronkowski and Brandon Tate have already made names for themselves. Just another Week 1 for the Patriots, who roll into the New Meadowlands with a chance to hand the Jets an 0-2 start.

Packers 27, Eagles 20. Even with the Saints winning the SuperBowl last season and the Jets acting like it, Green Bay had the most SuperBuzz heading into the '10 season. The Packers proved their backers right on Sunday by bringing down the Eagles, their quarterback, and their fans. They will have more of a challenge without Ryan Grant going forward, but if Brandon Jackson can raise his game, they should still make good on all those predictions.

Chiefs 21, Chargers 14. Since drafting LaDainian Tomlinson, the Chargers have been the main event in the AFC West. LT is gone now, and on Monday night KC sent a message that their division crown may be next. Norv will have to avoid his usual 2-3 start in order to shift the focus from players that aren't playing to those that are.

Hiccups and Pickups: Week 1

2010-09-14T13:01:00.010-04:00

FALLING DOWN

Calvin Johnson. Megatron lost a TD, the game, and his quarterback for up to six weeks. The upside is that the ill-fated booth review may put a chip on CJ's shoulder, and the loss of some stability under center means the Lions should be down even more, and throw it deep even more.

Andre Johnson. Andre turned in a 3-catch, 30-yard performance in Week 1 vs. the Colts in a game that looked to be a shootout between Manning and Schaub. Instead, we got the official coming-out party of Arian Foster, and a "wait 'til Week 2" memo from AJ.

Frank Gore. The Seahawks stunned everyone and shut down Gore and the entire 49ers offense in Pete Carroll's debut. Gore managed just 38 yards on 17 carries, but did get looks out of the backfield, resulting in a 6/45 receiving line. The Saints are up next, and after doing a really nice job containing Adrian Peterson, Gore's breakout week may be put on hold again.

Michael Turner. Another consensus top-six running back with a dud performance in Week 1. Pittsburgh's home opener was a tough assignment for any running back, but 2.2 yards per carry must improve for owners to feel confident that Turner can be their flagbearer at tailback this season. The good news is he caught a ball.

DeSean Jackson. A tough matchup vs. the Green Bay D and losing Kevin Kolb cost Jackson a solid season debut. Michael Vick's play in Kolb's absence is reason to believe in Jackson, however, and the combination of Vick's arm strength and DeSean's speed is reason for excitement.

Matt Schaub. In NFL terms, Matt Schaub is 1-0. Don't tell that to his fantasy owners. Arian Foster's monster performance, specifically his continued ability to gain big yards throughout the game while keeping the ball away from Peyton Manning, forced the Texans to continue to pound the pavement all four quarters. In the long term, Foster's presence and demand for attention from opposing defenses will actually help Johnson get open.

Shonn Greene. The Jets missed an opportunity to motivate Greene by handing him the starting job before Hard Knocks even began filming. Instead, they should have either had an open competition, or named LaDainian the Opening Day starter at tailback. LaDainian has all the motivation he needs to play well in 2010, and showed it vs. the Ravens. Shonn Greene is a second-year player who has been given the job over one of the best all-time at the position, with nowhere near the track record. Had he started camp behind LT on the depth chart, he would have worked that much harder, and looked that much better Monday night.

MERCURY RISING

Brandon Jackson. Ryan Grant's ankle sprain opened the door for Jackson, and the erstwhile understudy was able to gain 63 yards on 18 carries vs. the stingy Philly defense. He makes a great play at Buffalo in Week 2 and an option as long as Grant is sidelined.

Legedu Naanee. The 4th-year speedster out of Boise State was Phil Rivers' most consistent target, totaling 110 yards and a TD at a rain-soaked Arrowhead on Monday night. The Chargers appear willing to never dress Vincent Jackson again, and Naanee's 2010 debut will only solidify that stance. I am Legedu. Have you picked me up yet?

Michael Vick. Michael Vick is finally at the helm of something other than a dogfighting ring or prison gang. It's the Philly offense, it's lightning fast, and you'll have to be faster than that to get him in non-waiver leagues.

Eddie Royal. In the same year that LeBron lost his crown, Eddie Royal may just regain his regal status. Brandon Marshall's departure hinted that Royal would be Kyle Orton's comfort zone this season, and Eddie's 8-catch 98-yard performance is a harbinger of the Return of the King.

Mark Clayton. Somebody has to catch the ball for St. Louis. The Rams will be down in games, and if Sam Bradford can keep himself upright, there will be yards to be had through the air. Why not Clayton?

Tony Moeake. Jamaal Charles draws a lot of attention. Thomas Jones must have an eye kept on him. Dwayne Bowe can beat teams deep and Chris Chambers is still a reliable target. Kansas City has weapons on offense, and Moeake should benefit from the most open space. The Iowa grad isn't Dallas Clark, but head Chief Scott Pioli didn't spend his third-round pick on Moeake for him to be uninvolved in the attack.

Thank You, Dean Spanos.

2010-09-11T10:32:00.001-04:00

For NFL players, holding out for more money while under contract is often a gamble worth taking. Darrelle Revis' $46 million dollar deal would seem a positive sign for Charger holdouts Vincent Jackson and Marcus McNeill, but team President Dean Spanos is, for now, saying exactly the right things.

Spanos is taking the Mr. Deeds approach to two of his players, who have effectively walked into his office and demanded more money while currently under contract. He's saying no.

The Chargers have control of Jackson and McNeill, and to trade or release either player would be just another form of giving in to their demands. Instead, the team should continue to do what it's been doing; training, preparing, and cutting down to 53, all with an open invitation to either player to return to the field under their current deal, after an apology to their teammates.

The Jets giving into Revis' demands continues to set a track record of "successful" holdouts, and gives reason for other players to try it. In time the world will forget that Revis was willing to sit out an entire year because he was unhappy with the deal he signed. But if a team were to simply deactivate a player, (fining him daily to offset the lost salary), and let him sit there pouting, arms folded for the duration of his contract, he would always be known for it.

Sadly, some NFL owners are willing to supply diapers, because if they all had this philosophy, more franchises would truly be teams.

"No one or two players is above the entire team, it just doesn't work that way. What if they were here and got hurt the first game? What do you do then? Do you just give up? The ship has sailed. We're going. There are 53 guys out there. I like our 53 guys, and I like our chances. I wish they were here. They decided not to come." -Dean Spanos, Chargers President/CEO

Fantasy Football Mock: Defenses

2010-09-08T12:15:00.001-04:00

10. Chargers. The Chargers should be very solid on both sides of the ball in 2010. They are going undrafted in some leagues, so at this point you can certainly take Dallas, Miami or Chicago and expect similar results.

9. Bengals. With the Panthers, Bucs, and Bills on the schedule, and two games against the Browns (including Week 15), Marvin Lewis' D is one to draft this year.

8. Steelers. Pittsburgh always brings it on the defensive side of the football. Offensive instability at the outset puts them at 8th, but Big Ben's return should signal the Steelers' return to the ranks of the defensive elite.

7. Saints. The Saints' combination of great offense and good defense make them a solid selection. They will get into more shootouts than the Ravens and Packers, but this is a defense that will score points.

6. Packers. The Packers' offense is better than their D, but not by much. Green Bay is gearing up for a SuperBowl year. Get on board.

5. Ravens. The Ravens' blooming offense may be the best reason to draft a defense with a strong track record over the past decade. Baltimore will be up in games, which will result in sacks and picks. They should be fine in Ed Reed's absence and dominant when he gets back.

4. Jets. Revis and Cromartie can shut down any wideout duo in the league. If the Jets can stop the run, they'll earn this spot.

3. Vikings. With a better offense than the Jets, the Vikings get the edge, as they should find themselves up in games and able to tee off on opposing quarterbacks.

2. Eagles. Philly is fast on both sides of the ball. Their defense will produce some low-scoring games and big plays in 2010.

1. 49ers. The best defensive team in the worst division in football. And they have Patrick Willis.

Fantasy Football Mock: Keepers and Sleepers

2010-09-08T12:13:00.002-04:00

Mohamed Massaquoi, WR - CLE. Massaquoi is the unquestioned number one wideout in Cleveland, and bringing in Jake Delhomme and Colt McCoy adds a degree of depth and stability to the quarterback position for a Browns team that will be down in games.

Vincent Jackson, WR - SD. He's suspended for as many as six games, and when that suspension is up there's no guarantee he'll play for the Chargers. The upside is he may have his suspension reduced, he may get dealt, and he may just want to play football this year. In Keeper Leagues where holdovers begin in the mid-late rounds, he makes an outstanding pick.

Dexter McCluster, WR/RB - KC. Kansas City will provide a lot of fantasy points this year. By playoff time, Cassel, McCluster, Chambers, Bowe, Jones and Charles may all occupy starting slots.

Kareem Huggins, RB - TB. As the primary backup behind Cadillac Williams in Tampa, Huggins has the opportunity. After a strong training camp, he appears ready to prove he also has the talent.

Javon Ringer, RB - TEN. Chris Johnson's huge workload last year and the team's desire to get him to 2000 yards limited Ringer's involvement in the Tennessee attack in 2009. Expect Jeff Fisher to go away from CJ more this year in hopes of keeping him fresh, but if they're unable to keep him healthy, Javon and his value both explode.

Donald Brown, RB - IND. Even if Joseph Addai plays the entire year, Brown still has value in 2010. He should be more involved for a Colts offense that failed on the ground last season, and makes an even better choice in Keeper Leagues, as this is likely Addai's last year in Indy.

Golden Tate, WR - SEA. He's not a video game, but Golden T. played like he was in one while at Notre Dame. At 5'10" he's not the biggest target the Seahawks have, but he has the best ball skills of any wideout taken in this year's draft, enough to make Jimmy Clausen's college numbers look good.

Mike Williams, WR - SEA. At 26, Mike Williams gets another shot. After dumping T.J. Houshmandzadeh's salary, Pete Carroll is betting on Mike as his number one wideout. Don't do that, but consider Mike a decent project. He should get a ton of looks.

Mike Williams, WR - TB. At this point in your draft you could take a second or third option like Devery Henderson or Johnny Knox, but why not take a number one? We may be looking at another Steve Smith scenario, where the Mike Williams' location and not their talent is how they are differentiated.

Malcom Floyd, WR - SD. Vincent Jackson's absence equates to opportunity for Floyd, who will start the year as the Chargers top wideout. Antionio Gates and Ryan Mathews are the main attractions in San Diego, but don't forget about Floyd when other owners are sniffing for Aromashidu.

Fantasy Football Mock: Round 8

2010-09-03T11:58:00.001-04:00

80. Sidney Rice, WR - MIN. If you're feeling good at this point in your draft, you may want to start looking a little down the road. Sidney Rice is an absolute beast when playing, so if he is indeed back at the midway point in the season, he could provide a real boost to teams in playoff contention.

79. Kevin Kolb, QB - PHI. At this point in his career, I'll give the slight edge to Eli Manning. Kolb finds himself in a quality system with talent all around him. He'll have every opportunity to succeed, and given the Eagles' player mix, much of that success will be through the air.

78. Eli Manning, QB - NYG. The Giants are all about the run, but their best weapons are their passcatchers this year. Steve Smith and Hakeem Nicks make a great possession/deep threat combo and along with Kevin Boss, all have great RAC ability. Eli could be a starter in fantasy this year.

77. Bernard Berrian, WR - MIN. Between Sidney Rice's hip and Percy Harvin's migraines, Bernard might be the purple Donald Driver this year.

76. Jeremy Maclin, WR - PHI. The fantasy fate of all of Philly's players hinges on the success of Kolb. If he performs, LeSean McCoy, DeSean Jackson, Brent Celek and Maclin will be fantasy starters.

75. LaDanian Tomlinson, RB - NYJ. Ladainian falls 70 spots from where he was drafted last year, and he may produce more. He's looked good in camp for the Jets so far, and with Shonn Greene taking most of the pounding could put up a useful fantasy year. The Jets may also look to help LT add to his already monstrous career touchdown total.

74. Reggie Bush, RB - NO. Reggie edges out LT based on youth and that we haven't seen his ceiling at the pro level. Yet. This may be the year that Bush makes good on his potential as the more explosive Brian Westbrook-type of back we all expected, but don't bet more than your 8th Rounder on it.

73. Ahmad Bradshaw, RB - NYG. With oft-injured Brandon Jacobs the lead tailback in New York, Bradshaw has a decent chance of being handed the whole show at some point this season. Even if neither get hurt, Bradshaw may still find himself the number one guy by the midpoint of the year.

72. Justin Forsett, RB - SEA. In the two games that Forsett got 15 or more carries last year, he had 120+ yards. Draft him as your third running back that could become your second.

71. Clinton Portis, RB - WAS. Portis is going to slip a long way this year. His limited carries last season may mean he's charged up for the golden years of his career. Look for a bounceback, and if he's available in your 8th Round take a shot at Bo Sweets.

Fantasy Football Mock: Round 7

2010-09-02T15:54:00.001-04:00

70. Joseph Addai, RB - IND. Addai just barely crossed 1,000 yards in his first two seasons, and just barely crossed that number in the past two seasons combined. His saving grace should be his receiving skills, but it was his 10 TD not his 336 receiving yards that saved his owners from a total bust last year. Donald Brown isn't Ray Rice, but he's a more conventional back than Addai and should be more involved in the offense, including at the stripe. Hopefully Addai has been drafted by this point.

69. Pierre Garcon, WR - IND. Even though teammates Reggie Wayne, Dallas Clark and Joseph Addai get taken well ahead of him, Pierre has the most game-breaking ability on the Colts. Pierre should slot in as the Colts #2 wideout, making him Peyton's #3 target with a chance for some really big plays.

68. Mike Wallace, WR - PIT. The guy plays 60 minutes. He's the speed threat in Pittsburgh's attack, and they're not as run-first as they used to be in the Steel City.

67. Matt Ryan, QB - ATL. The last of the sure-bet QBs. After Ryan goes off the board, you're looking at Palmer, Kolb, and Eli in the next tier. Matt is a cut above.

66. Dez Bryant, WR - DAL. The rookie should join Witten and Austin as another of Romo's favorite targets. The Cowboys will bring a big air attack again this year, and if Dez plays anywhere near his potential he'll be a rookie worth owning.

65. Michael Crabtree, WR - SF. Even with Frank Gore firmly entrenched as coach Singletary's number one option and Vernon Davis established as Alex Smith's number one, Crabtree will still have fantasy value this year.

64. Donald Driver, WR - GB. A graduate of Hines Ward U, Driver has been the NFC's Mr. Consistency. He's put up six straight 1,000+ seasons, has Aaron Rodgers throwing to him, and has attention-getters Jennings and Finley out there with him. Don't take Donald too early, but if you're shopping wideouts at this point, feel free to go to the well one more time.

63. Pierre Thomas, RB - NO. Thomas had one 100-yard game last year, reached the endzone six times, and owners are taking him with their fifth round pick. Let them do that, or take him if he slips and hope he's not trapped between the 20's again this season.

62. Chad Ochocinco, WR - CIN. Imagine being Carson Palmer and having to keep Chad and T.O. happy. It's too bad they can't throw two passes per play. Or can they??

61. Marion Barber, RB - DAL. MB3 hasn't been the fantasy stud he looked like a few years ago, but he has the potential to get into double-digit touchdowns while tallying 900+ yards along the way. As with almost every other backfield, Marion's value is hampered by his running mate, but gets a megaboost should Felix go down.

Fantasy Football Mock: Round 6

2010-09-02T12:32:00.001-04:00

60. Percy Harvin, WR - MIN. When he's not having migraine headaches, Percy is the only wideout in the league capable of beating DeSean Jackson in the 100-yard dash. Sidney Rice's hip injury makes him Favre's number one receiver to start the season, and cements Harvin as the first Minnesota receiver to draft.

59. Hines Ward, WR - PIT. If you're not a risk-taker, draft Hines Ward. Over the past decade Hines has averaged 1,000 receiving yards and 7 TD. A quarterback in college, Hines has an extremely high football IQ. He's an exceptional routerunner, has always had great hands, and is still very tough to bring down. He plays hurt and still produces. He's done it as the #2 and he's done it as the #1. He's done it with Kordell Stewart. He's done it with Tommy Maddox. He's done it with Ben Roethlisberger. He's done it with Charlie Batch. He'll do it with Dennis Dixon or Byron Leftwich until Ben gets back.

58. Mike Sims-Walker, WR - JAX. Mike Sims-Walker followed in his teammate's footsteps and came from virtually out of nowhere to make two names for himself in Jacksonville. In reality, Sims-Walker was a feast-or-famine wideout who produced 7 fantasy games and 9 non-fantasy games, including 7 duds. The lack of other aerial weapons will make him a focus for secondaries in 2010, just like he was in his disappointing second half last year. A repeat is possible, but a step forward is unlikely.

57. Steve Smith, WR - NYG. Steve was the darling of New York last September, and went on to amass a Giants record 107 receptions to go with 1,220 and 7 TD. To expect a repeat of his rookie effort is unfair; it's more likely that Hakeem Nicks has the bigger year.

56. Hakeem Nicks, WR - NYG. The highest-rated Giant, Nicks' placement here says all that needs to be said of my fantasy faith in the Big Blue backfield. Eli will have to huck it up there a lot this year, and Hakeem is his biggest, most talented receiver.

55. Dwayne Bowe, WR - KC. GM Scott Pioli has created PatsWEST in KC by bringing in Charlie Weis to run the offense and Romeo Crennel to run the defense. That's two awfully big men with an awful lot to prove, and it may be Bowe that benefits most. Ex-Pat Matt Cassel all of a sudden has Bowe, Chambers, Jamaal Charles and Dexter McCluster to throw to, and Thomas Jones to protect him. Bowe is in line for a career season.

54. Brent Celek, TE - PHI. If new quarterbacks love their tight ends, Kevin Kolb may face stalking charges before this year is over. The Eagles' standout will have room to roam the middle with speed merchants Jackson and Maclin spreading the field deep. He's the last tight end worth a mid-round selection.

53. Vernon Davis, TE - SF. Vernon tied Antonio Gates' record of 13 TDs in 2010, but he's also put up three non-fantasy seasons in his four-year career. His demonstrated ability to take over a game is reason enough to gamble on Davis here.

52. Joe Flacco, QB, BAL. Flacco took huge strides in his second year, throwing 3,600 yards, 21 TD and 12 picks. With the addition of RAC-master Anquan Boldin, he should go even farther in 2010.

51. C.J. Spiller, RB - BUF. Buffalo's version of Jahvid Best comes in slightly below Detroit's rookie, but not because of his own ability. Detroit has a better quarterback in Matthew Stafford, a better down-the-field threat in Calvin Johnson and a better tight end in Brandon Pettigrew. Incumbents Marshawn Lynch and Fred Jackson are not the most imposing threats to Spiller's involvement, but they will get carries and help keep the rookie fresh. The Bills' head man Chan Gailey is a college coach at heart, and will try to find inventive ways of getting C.J. the ball.

Fantasy Football Mock: Round 5

2010-09-01T19:52:00.001-04:00

50. Wes Welker, WR - NE. Coming off surgery on his torn left ACL/MCL, Welker is seeking his fourth straight 100+ catch season in four years in New England. His recovery seems ridiculously fast, and his 39-yard grab vs. St. Louis on Aug. 26th has me thinking he'll be ready to go by Sept. 12th. He may not be at full speed by Week 1, and may fall short of 100 receptions, but if he progresses steadily, could be a fantasy force in the second half.

49. Jahvid Best, RB - DET. Kevin Smith's slow return from knee surgery vaults Best's stock even higher. Oddly, the concern about Jahvid isn't his address, but his history of getting nicked up. At 5'10"/200, he's a load for a guy with his speed and elusiveness. He should be the main event in the Lions' ground game, and if he stays healthy could make a very rewarding fifth-round pick.

48. Felix Jones, RB - DAL. Felix is the gamebreaker in the Cowboys' running attack, and while he'll yield goalline carries to MB3, he has the ability to score on any play, and should be drafted for his upside.

47. Ronnie Brown, RB - MIA. Brown has had an injury-marred career, and is now coming back off a Lisfranc fracture to his foot. It's a platoon in Miami, and I'm betting on Ricky Williams putting together the more consistent season.

46. Beanie Wells, RB - AZ. Beanie was a beast down the stretch last year, and the Cards will need to run the ball with D.A. at QB. He's a big back with speed who will lose catches but not goalline carries to Tim Hightower.

45. Arian Foster, RB - HOU. Thanks to an injury to Ben Tate and Steve Slaton's stalled progress, Foster has been able to parley two strong games at the end of last season into the starting gig in Houston. Sometimes in fantasy opportunity outweighs talent, Foster is out to prove he has both.

44. Ricky Williams, RB - MIA. The more productive of Miami's two-headed monster carried owners down the stretch last year. While he's less likely to throw a touchdown than running mate Ronnie Brown, he's a better bet to stay healthy, and rack up more yardage and touchdowns again this year.

43. Tony Gonzalez, TE - ATL. Until further notice, Tony Gonzalez is still a top-tier tight end. T-Gon represents the last chance for owners who really want to differentiate themselves at the position.

42. Jermichael Finley, TE, GB. Coming into 2010 as the Packers' starting tight end has Jermike rated 4th at his position, and ahead of walking hall-of-famer Tony Gonzalez. Rodgers is accurate and can stay on his feet, which will give his biggest target time to work down the field even more this year.

41. Jason Witten, TE - DAL. After Dallas and Antonio have gone, there are only a few more options to get a draft-pick-worthy tight end. Witten is the third-best option at the position this year, is consistent and can be counted on to deliver some monster weeks. Take Romo's roomie and don't look back.

Fantasy Football Mock: Round 4

2010-09-01T19:27:00.002-04:00

40. Matt Forte, RB - CHI. Forte went as high as 5th overall last season. Mike Martz and the offensive optimism he brings to Chicago is enough for me to gamble on Matt.

39. Knowshon Moreno, RB - DEN. A preseason off is nothing new for Knowshon, and should be no concern for fantasy owners. The most talented of Denver's tailbacks has the upside to be the highest pointgetter taken this round.

38. Dallas Clark, TE - IND. If you're in a PPR, take Dallas ahead of Gates. 100 catches by a TE last year was not something he's likely to repeat in 2010, but his games of 183 yards, 14 receptions and 3 TDs carried his owners on three different weeks last year, in addition to being extremely consistent the rest of the year. He's Peyton Manning's outlet, inlet, islet and piglet. Draft with confidence.

37. Antonio Gates, TE - SD. Totally healthy heading into 2010, and with one fewer target for Phil Rivers, Gates is one of the few tight ends that will produce like a wideout this season. Antonio has played nicked up for the better part of two seasons and has still managed to stay in fantasy lineups. Reap the benefits of a charged up Gates.

36. Jonathan Stewart, RB - CAR. The Daily Show was on in prime time last season. DeAngelo's stunt double was huge for fantasy owners gaining 200 yards and two scores Week 16 at the Giants, and his totals for the season basically match up with Williams. In the run-first Carolina system, there is room for both backs to reach single-back statlines.

35. DeSean Jackson, WR - PHI. DeSean may be the fastest player in the league. As a speed guy he'll be relying on his QB's accuracy more than some of the bigger receivers taken earlier, but if Kevin Kolb's aim is true he'll have monster games and score with the big boys.

34. Matt Schaub, QB - HOU. After Rodgers, Brees, Peyton, Brady, Rivers and Romo, there is Schaub. Throwing to Andre Johnson, he can score with any of them. If you are the type of owner that likes to feel absolutely comfortable with your QB every week, Schaub respresents one of your last chances to get one.

33. Anquan Boldin, WR - BAL. Boldin will be a dream come true for Joe Flacco. And vice-versa. With Anquan in the mix, everyone in Baltimore instantly gets more room to operate. This is an offense to get a piece of this year.

32. Steve Smith, WR - CAR. Jake Delhomme's poor performances early and his own broken arm late cost Smith his fifth straight 1000-yard year. That's remarkable consistency for a player as explosive as Smith both on and off the field. He clicked with Matt Moore last season and is the primary target in the Panthers' passing game.

31. LeSean McCoy, RB - PHI. Will LeSean and Kevin fit into Brian and Donovan's shoes? If you don't have a running back at this point, draft McCoy and get the better of the two heir apparents in Philly.

Fantasy Football Mock: Round 3

2010-09-01T18:22:00.001-04:00

30. Shonn Greene, RB - NYJ. LT will take carries away, maybe even at the stripe. Mark Sanchez will continue to go through growing pains. Santonio Holmes is suspended four games. Revis may not be around to hand the ball back to the offense. Hard Knocks is putting a bullseye on the Jets' back. Draft Greene 30th anyway. He's that good.

29. Tony Romo, QB - DAL. Tony earns the spot below Rivers for being the anti-Rivers. He's a sign-of-the-times QB who's more likely to look up to the pressbox for approval from his girlfriend who used to be on The OC, than from his OC. Pop tarts and heinous headware aside, Romo can flat-out sling it, and has plenty of receivers to throw to.

28. Philip Rivers, QB - SD. With Rivers, it's not about the stats he'll put up for you as much as it is the stat's he won't put up. He's a quarterback you can trust implicitly, and no, he's not phased by not having Vincent Jackson. He puts up 215 and 2 TDs on his so-so weeks and should cross 300 points again this year.

27. Miles Austin, WR - DAL. Austin exploded onto the fantasy scene with a ridiculous 10/250/2 in his first career start. He kept it going, making the Pro Bowl with 1,300+ yards and 11 TDs. Dez Bryant is the future in Dallas, but Miles Austin is the right now. Look sharp; he's the blur on your TV screen.

26. Greg Jennings, WR - GB. Greg Jennings has proven himself to be one of the most consistent fantasy performers over the past three seasons and should find the endzone more in 2010. His track record earns him the spot above "Stunning" Miles Austin.

25. Marques Colston, WR - NO. You can't teach speed. You can't teach height, either. You also can't teach being 27 years old, having Drew Brees as your quarterback, other weapons drawing attention and offensive genius Sean Payton coaching you. A 7th Round pick that every NFL team passed on, no one needs to teach Marques motivation either.

24. Cedric Benson, RB - CIN. The last of the solo-act running backs' touchdown potential makes him a worthwhile pick early in the third, ahead of second-tier QBs Romo and Rivers and WRs Boldin and Colston.

23. Roddy White, WR - ATL. Matt Ryan's main man has had three straight seasons over 80 catches and 1100 yards. Roddy is one of the game's true speed demons and a legit number one wideout.

22. Jamaal Charles, RB - KC. The biggest knock on Charles is that Thomas Jones has been extremely durable over his career. Jamaal will have one of the best per-carry averages in the league again this year, and Jones' presence may mean less touches but more explosiveness.

21. Reggie Wayne, WR - IND. Coming off a 100-catch season, and with Dallas Clark, Pierre Garcon, Joseph Addai and Austin Collie there to spread the field, all signs point to another stellar fantasy year for Peyton's favorite target.

Fantasy Football Mock: Round 2

2010-09-01T13:10:00.002-04:00

20. Randy Moss, WR - NE. No Revis (so far) is good news for Moss, who is entering his 12th NFL season. At 34, Welker's presence and a fully healthy Brady will help the veteran flourish in New England once again.

19. DeAngelo Williams, RB - CAR. DeAngelo is being taken as high as 10th in a lot of leagues, and his magical 2008 is certainly evidence that he can prove worthy of that high a selection. Jonathan Stewart's presence in Carolina limits DeAngelo's value at the same time that it makes him a safe pick late in the second round. He'll have less yards and TD's, but will also take fewer hits and should therefore come in at around 1,100 yards and 10 TDs again this year.

18. Rashard Mendenhall, RB - PIT. Mendenhall is the last of the feature backs to be taken, and is a steal if he's still available at 18th overall. The lasting image of Ray Lewis breaking Mendenhall's shoulder on one of his first NFL carries in 2008 is the reason he still feels like a risk, but his 1,100+ yard performance last year has me believing enough to take him late in Round 2.

17. Tom Brady, QB - NE. Brady could be the top pointgetter in all of fantasy this year. Wes Welker has made a ridiculously fast recovery from ACL surgery and he's just two years removed from a 50 TD season. I'd take Tom and the TD's he throws to the entire Pats receiving corps over Randy Moss.

16. Brandon Marshall, WR - MIA. Brandon's 101-catch 2009 season with Kyle Orton proves that he can produce huge games regardless of who is at the helm. He may not get as many grabs in Miami's run-oriented system, but that should create big play opportunities down the field. Every team passed on "The Beast" three times when he was finally drafted by Denver 119th overall in 2006. After battling with management, he was traded for 2nd Round picks in 2010 and 2011. For a guy with a big chip on his shoulder since day one, he has even more to prove this season.

15. Calvin Johnson, WR - DET. Calvin enters his fourth year looking to take that big leap forward and it finally seems possible. With Matthew Stafford leading the Lions' youngsters Jahvid Best, Kevin Smith and Brandon Pettigrew, their offense should be much improved.

14. Ryan Grant, RB - GB. Grant has been extremely productive in his 3 years as the lead back in Green Bay. Not bad for a player who went undrafted out of Notre Dame. Take the sturdy back as a sure bet to be in on a lot of offense this year.

13. Steven Jackson, RB - STL. Steven Jackson might be the best running back in the league. It's a shame he's in St. Louis, where the Rams are forced to throw way too early way too often.

12. Ryan Mathews, RB - SD. OK, I'll bite. Some rankings have the Fresno State product as high as #8 overall. While I'm not ready to take the rookie ahead of sure bets Rodgers, Brees and Manning, his feature-back status in San Diego, and the incredible immediate success of small-school studs Marshall Faulk and LT has me believing.

11. Larry Fitzgerald, WR - AZ. With D.A. now officially the "A-number one hotshot" in the desert, Fitzy is looking at "heavy wehk." But he is up to it. He's a go-up-and-get-it guy. He's the best of 'em.

Fantasy Football Mock: Round 1

2010-08-29T13:42:00.001-04:00

10. Peyton Manning, QB - IND. Peyton's place at number ten has as much to do with his consistency as it does with the inconsistency and unpredictability of other options taken in this spot. DeAngelo Williams' value is depleted by Jonathan Stewart, the Packers' pass-happy offense makes Ryan Grant slightly less attractive, Steven Jackson is on a team with no other threats, and chasing another 20+ TD season for Randy Moss can wait until Round 2.

9. Drew Brees, QB - NO. Brees replaced Peyton Manning as the QB to own in fantasy, then Aaron Rodgers came along. Approaching 400 points in traditional formats last year, he surpassed even Brees, who is still as safe a bet as anyone in football to score 350 this year. At pick number nine, grab Brees and get your RB1 or WR1 with your next selection at twelve (or 16 in 12-team formats).

8. Aaron Rodgers, QB - GB. With the top-tier backs and the one truly elite receiver off the board, grab the best QB. Brees or Rodgers is basically a coin-flip in most drafts this season, but I give the edge to Rodgers for his ability to run and his more consistent set of weapons.

7. Maurice Jones-Drew, RB - JAX. Aren't smokescreens great? In an era when essentially no backs of any worth are used in the preseason, talk of MoJo's "balky knee" have understandably scared some owners off. Jack Del Rio has insisted that his miniature hoss is ready to go, and based on his track record and his ability to tote the football after the catch, you have to take MJD inside the top 7. Still, any talk of injury, especially a knee, is enough to move Gore and Turner ahead of Jones-Drew.

6. Michael Turner, RB - ATL. Gore edges out Turner because of his pass-catching ability out of the backfield, and because he's further removed from a serious injury. Both are risks, but both are high-reward studs that can't be passed up.

5. Frank Gore, RB - SF. Regardless of how the top four shake out in your league, Gore will go fifth. If you have the fifth spot, take him. If you have the sixth spot and he's still on the board, rejoice, then take him. At age 27, Gore should churn up 2,000+ yards from scrimmage.

4. Andre Johnson, WR - HOU. Andre's selection at #4 is not taken lightly. The three elite backs to have this year are AP, CJ and Rice without any doubt. After those three are off the board, and with more pointgetters at QB than at WR, I put it to you, are you willing to hand your season to Frank Gore's knees or Michael Turner's ankles? In PPR's where AJ's 100 catches get you an additional 100 points, this is an easy call. Based on whispers about MoJo's left knee and with Larry Fitzgerald's QB on the couch, I'll take the wideout in the best possible scenario to score every week.

3. Ray Rice, RB - BAL. Baltimore's version of "Pocket Hercules" surpasses MJD himself in 2010 thanks in large part to the addition of Anquan Boldin, another weapon on a team whose defense should provide Rice plenty of Red Zone carries. In PPR leagues he's a no-brainer, and I'm taking him third in traditional leagues as well.

2. Chris Johnson, RB - TEN. Tennessee's stud is going #1 in the majority of leagues, and for good reason. His upside is unmatched, but with defenses now fully focused on him and after an extremely heavy workload in his monster 2009 campaign, select Johnson at number two and no lower.

1. Adrian Peterson, RB - MIN. Picking number one usually means your next pick will be at around #20, meaning the player you select better be one to hang your hat on all season. That said, I'm taking A-Pete first overall if that's my draft position, as the write-it-down RB that will play to his resume in 2010.

NFL Should Fine Jets' Ryan

2010-08-25T11:27:00.001-04:00

Amid Rex Ryan's constant effluvium of vulgarity, "We're gonna win this f*cking league," should earn him a fine from NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. In a quick semantic analysis, we have to admit that for many the word "f*cking" has replaced "goddamned" as a way to curse something or someone in a general way. As we've matured and evolved as a society, "Goddamn you" has become "F*ck you" and so forth. Therefore, Rex has basically said that his Jets are going to win this "goddamned league" or this cursed league.

Without delving into how many kids have expanded their street vocabularies watching Hard Knocks on their DVR or HBO On Demand (they do that, parents) let us think what "f*cking league" he's talking about. Is this the same league that makes it possible for him to make 7 figures coaching football? Indeed it is. Rex can say whatever he wants to his players, about his players, to his coaches, about his coaches, about ownership, the fans. But there should be a pause button before sprinkling that extra f-bomb in front of his benefactor.

While it's no surprise that Tom Brady hates the Jets (would you ever want your player saying he liked another team?) his refusal to watch their show has stoked the flames of rivalry to beyond Mangini-Belichick Cold-War heat.

New England visits the Jets in their new home Week 2, in a game that's currently scheduled for Sunday at 4:15pm but should be played Monday Night (instead of Saints/Niners). But will the Pats visit an 0-1 team that has already lost its new-home opener in their quest to "lead the league in wins?" Jets fans should hope Joe Flacco, Ray Rice, Anquan Boldin and Ray Lewis are taking the Tom Brady approach to their Wednesday night viewing.

Counting Down the 20 Best Sports Films

2010-08-18T13:06:00.002-04:00

21. The Natural. I honestly believe and will argue that the 20 films below are better.

20. The Hurricane. Denzel tour de force is better than Million Dollar Baby in its sleep.

19. Miracle. Kurt Russell actually overplays Herb Brooks, but no-name cast seals this one.

18. Friday Night Lights. Gritty and authentic, this is one well acted film.

17. Remember the Titans. Denzel joins Charlie Sheen (Major League, Eight Men Out), James Earl Jones (Field of Dreams, The Sandlot) and directors David Anspaugh (Hoosiers, Rudy) and John G. Avildsen (Rocky, The Karate Kid) in making this list twice, much to Kevin Costner's chagrin. Chelcie Ross (Ed Harris, Dan Devine) has earned himself an honorary spot in Romoville for his work in three top-ten films: Hoosiers, Major League and Rudy.

16. Breaking Away. Townies vs. college kids? Sold!

15. A League of Their Own. Girls playing baseball achieves non-chick flick status.

14. The Sandlot. A movie that goes where you want it to the first time you see it and feels like you've seen it a hundred times right after.

13. Happy Gilmore. Bob Barker's left jab will hit you in the side.

12. Chariots of Fire. Best Picture 1981 is slow, but from a time when Best Picture winners were pretty darn good.

11. The Bad News Bears. Walter Matthau was amazing with those kids.

10. Rudy. Who that has seen Rudy can honestly say they didn't like it? Best football movie ever.

9. The Karate Kid. 1980's Rocky clone hit the nail on the head for its generation.

8. Major League. My guess is Little Leaguers still quote the hell out of this one.

7. Field of Dreams. The top two baseball movies both center around the '19 Sox. This one really makes you feel.

6. Cinderella Man. Ron Howard may have wanted to call it Cinematography Man. It's that good.

5. Eight Men Out. Wonderfully cast recount of the 1919 Chicago Black Sox scandal.

4. Raging Bull. DeNiro and Scorcese at the top of their game.

3. Hoosiers. The ultimate comeback movie. Who isn't an underdog in Hickory?

2. Caddyshack. The funniest movie of all time? It's up there.

1. Rocky. Imagine a world with no Rocky sequels. Better yet, watch the original again, then imagine it.

Big in Japan

2010-08-16T15:58:00.001-04:00

In eight years since Sweet Lou left Seattle, the Mariners have had six managers. With all due respect to Bob Melvin, Mike Hargrove, John McLaren, Jim Riggleman, Don Wakamatsu and Daren Brown, it takes a special kind of competitor to win consistently in Major League Baseball.

The challenge of motivating a team, not only through a 162-game schedule, but over a decade of 162-game seasons (and postseasons) is one that can only be met by a handful of special individuals. Mike Scioscia, Joe Torre, Terry Francona, Buck Showalter, Bobby Cox, Tony LaRussa-- these are men that deserve their jobs as long as they want them.

Bobby Valentine, also one of the best baseball minds in the world, may now return to the game at its top level. There should be no hesitation. Mariners' GM Jack Zduriencik (pronounced ZA-REN-SICK, ask Mike Krzyzewski) should be working hard to get Valentine signed. If they do, they would instantly throw themselves right into the mix for the division crown in 2011. It's that simple.

The losers in all of this wind up being, coincidentally or not, the New York Mets. The Mets had Zduriencik working in their front office and decided instead to hand control of the organization to a trio of more camera and MS Word-friendly (and less baseball-savvy) youngsters, who wound up being sex maniac Steve Phillips, Scott Kazmir scapegoat Jim Duquette, and utter failure Omar Minaya. While Phillips was firing Valentine, Zduriencik was drafting Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder for the Brewers.

It is also well documented that Bobby V. highly recommended the Mets sign Ichiro out of Japan, having managed there and having scouted him personally. The Mets were in financial position to outbid the Mariners for the now Cooperstown-bound Ichiro, but opted against Valentine's advice back in 2001. The Mets with Zduriencik at GM, Valentine at manager and Ichiro at RF would have worked. Perhaps it will work in Seattle.

Bobby has managed in Japan twice, speaks the language, and won the Japan Series with the Chiba Lotte Marines in 2005. Nintendo of America owns the Mariners. America loves Nintendo. America loves Ichiro. America loves Bobby. Japan loves Bobby-san. Ichiro wants Bobby-san. Bobby lobbied for Ichiro. Zduriencik was Director of the Mets Minor League Operations for two years while Bobby was their big league skip, so they have worked together before. It makes too much sense.

Sports I Don't Love

2010-08-14T01:13:00.002-04:00

I'm not one to engage in hyberbole so I never find myself saying, "Oh, I love all sports." It's simply not true. I can say I truly love baseball, football, basketball, soccer, boxing, golf, tennis, cricket, and lately I'm warming up to the frosty pond. But there are a few sports that don't get my mark.

MMA is great fun, and I definitely enjoy it. My issue with Mixed Martial Arts is just how widespread it has become, how adored, idolized and emulated its stars have become, and how desensitized to real violence we as a nation have become.

On the topic of role models and overexposure, is it impossible to imagine that a kid today might look up to and want to be like Phil Ivey the same way kids wanted to be like Ken Griffey, Jr. a decade ago? The youth of this country have been exposed and overexposed to a game that is most likely illegal to play in their town at any age, and thanks to uber-coverage of the World Series of Poker, The World Poker Tour and others, may now have the new-age aspiration of being a professional card player.

On professional competitive eating, specifically to the International Federation of Competitive Eating (IFOCE) and Major League Eating (MLE), please stop eating. Yes, Nathan's donates 100,000 hot dogs every year on July 4th, and they should continue to do so, and publicize it as much as they like. But they should also line up people that are hungry and feed 56 people one lunch instead of feeding Joey Chestnut 56 lunches. They could televise it if they want. It's the message it sends to the rest of the world, that there are individuals (aside from food critics) who eat for a living in this country.

NASCAR is the sport that exhausts the most natural resources in the U.S., and even with baseball players waltzing in and out of Congress like they used to at Walgreen's, is the most politically charged. The concept of burning thousands and thousands of gallons of gasoline for our entertainment and financial gain is almost unthinkable, were we to re-imagine the world. It's not even NASCAR itself that's the most troublesome, it's the minor leagues of NASCAR where they burn the same fossil fuel for even less profit and the chance to one day burn it at the highest level.

As it races passed other sports in popularity, getting people to see the true nature of NASCAR and the hypocrisy of burning oil for fun and profit here while our sons and daughters are fighting and dying to protect it overseas is an extraordinarily difficult task. This is because it requires changing the hardest thing in the world: people's minds.

Next time we celebrate our freedom, America, let us think of our self-titled track and ask ourselves, freedom to do what?

"My country 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrims' pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring."

Welcome to Romoville

2010-08-09T22:08:00.001-04:00

Heaven has hell, Neo has Agent Smith, Michael Cera has Jesse Eisenberg. Our first groundbreaking ceremony was for Bannywood, the home of baseball's cheats. Bannywood, meet your Jesse Eisenberg.

Welcome to Romoville, a nice place to live. Romoville has been established for those in Major League Baseball worthy of recognition, who are not getting enough. Future inductees will include Ken Griffey, Jr. and Jim Thome, to name a pair of surefire Hall of Famers that deserve even more credit for doing it natural and doing it off pitchers that weren't.

For our first inductee, we are honoring the most unabashed homer in broadcasting, Ken "The Hawk" Harrelson. For 20 years, the Hawk has cheered on the Chicago White Sox from the broadcaster's booth, trading objectivity for youthful enthusiasm. Make no mistake, the Hawk means it when he refers to the Sox as "our guys"; he left the booth to become the team's GM in the 1980's, so it really is his team.

Homerism is up all across the league thanks to announcers like the Marlins' Rich Waltz and Tommy Hutton, and Daron Sutton and Mark Grace in Arizona. The Fish and D-Backs crews are the Hawk's apostles in an ever-less-objective profession. Announcers who transmit their personal allegiances through their broadcasts can come in two forms: Smug Homers and Unabashed Homers. Smug Homers are arrogant, shocked when the other team is successful. Announcers like Joe Buck, John Sterling and Bert Blyleven are headed for Bannywood. Unabashed Homers are just super-excited when their team does well, but always give plenty of respect for the pitcher that's held them down or the hitter that's given them fits.

As a player, Hawk Harrelson was a feared hitter and a valued teammate. An innovator, he is credited for being the first to use batting gloves, a practice he carried over from his experience as a golfer. In his time as primary announcer for the White Sox, he has coined many of the game's great nicknames, including "Black Jack" McDowell, "El Caballo," and "The Big Hurt."

To honor The Hawk as the first Romoville inductee, here are some of our favorite nicknames in baseball.

Martin "The Devil Wears" Prado
The Mad Bomber (Madison Bumgarner)
Fast Car (Fausto Carmona)
Mr. Happy (Neftali Feliz)
Dan "Winning" Uggla
David "First in Saves" Aardsma
Buster "Parker" Posey
E-Jack (Edwin Jackson)
Kevin You-Kill-Us
Charleston Chew Sabathia (We finally found out what the CC stands for!)

The Buck Stops Here, Hon.

2010-08-09T00:27:00.001-04:00

Buck Showalter's presence makes everyone feel more accountable, according to Orioles CF Adam Jones. Overpaid athletes in search of motivation has been a real problem for managers this season, but unlike Hanley Ramirez and B.J. Upton, Adam Jones isn't getting paid in the millions yet. Though clearly not perfect (one would hope being paid $465,000 to play a game would be motivation enough to try one's best) his comments are very welcome in Baltimore.

By bringing in Showalter, Orioles' GM Andy McPhail immediately brought credibility and a winning attitude back to Baltimore for the first time since 1997 when Davey Johnson was manager. Since their last playoff appearance 13 years ago, the list of Orioles' skips reads like a "Who's not Who" of baseball managers. Ray Miller replaced Johnson and Mike Hargrove replaced him. Then came Lee Mazzilli and Sam Perlozzo (in that order) followed by Dave Trembley and Juan Samuel, all making their MLB managerial debuts with the O's.

There were two great candidates for the Oriole job, he and Bobby Valentine, and with his all-business approach, Buck was actually the best possible hire. Showalter was a key piece to the Yankees' resurgence in the 1990's and built the Arizona team that won the 2001 World Series under (and despite) Bob Brenly. Buck will demand accountability from his veterans, be able to help his young players take the next step, and perhaps most importantly, will identify and move young players that aren't taking that next step.

Buck was also easy on the wallet. His $1.5 million dollar salary is most likely less than Valentine would have asked for, is significantly less than Joe Girardi's $2.5 million, and is about a third of the money Joe Torre was able to command from the Dodgers in the best parley since Captain Jack Sparrow.

The 2008 Rays showed that despite the Yankees' $200 million dollar payroll and the Red Sox' continued pursuit of that number, it is possible to win the AL East from outside New York or Boston. It takes a talented group of 25 players, and the right manager to motivate them for 162 games and beyond.

"It's just that [Showalter's] presence, well, you can just feel the change coming. He's been on some winning ballclubs; he knows what it takes. Everybody knows his reputation around here. They know it as someone who's going to get on you, and it's working for us. He's looking at all the small things that are going on, the mental mistakes, and we haven't made too many." - Orioles CF Adam Jones

Dear Brett, We Don't Care

2010-08-04T10:01:00.001-04:00

Rumors are swirling that Brett Favre has notified the Vikings of his plan to retire. If anyone cares, kindly cease and desist.

In terms of retirements, Favre wants to be "Like Mike" a little too much. He's made Sugar Ray Leonard look like Mike Schmidt. With his 7th official retirement, Brett has damaged his legacy in a way that his painkiller-aided MVP trophies could not. The drawn-out drama of will-he-or-won't-he has been less compelling with each and every retirement speech, notion, tweet, or text.

Congratulations, Brett. Your ego is now officially bigger than all of your on-field achievements. Whether or not he plays this year, (and let us reserve judgment on that until Week 4) his arrival on the field will have less to it. Only Vikings fans will be behind him, having destroyed his league-wide appeal himself. He has used his numerous "retirements" to get what he wanted, pure and simple.

Brett retired his way out of Green Bay when they moved on to Aaron Rodgers. In reality, he wanted to go to Minnesota and stick it in the Packers' ear. He couldn't go there directly, so he picked up $12 million for a year with the Jets, then soaked up the retirement sunset again. Free to sign with the Vikings, Brett had a great year at age 40, and is now giving the Vikings and their fans exactly what Packers fans had come to expect during every Favre offseason since he was 34: "The Decision."

For a moment, let's imagine he doesn't play in 2010. After a year off at age 42, would he not feel fan-favring-tastic?

Cricket, Explained.

2010-08-03T15:30:00.002-04:00

Cricket is a bat-and-ball game that predates baseball by hundreds of years. Cricket, (along with a game called rounders), is the genesis of our national pastime, yet remains relatively unknown and absolutely unloved by Americans. This is due to less overall interest in a sport that isn't ours, but also stems from a lack of understanding of a truly great ballgame.

In cricket, each team has 11 players. Before the match, the winner of a coin-flip decides whether their side will bat first or second. The batting side will attempt to score the most amount of runs possible, while the defending or bowling team will try to limit that number. In a One-Day International (ODI) match, each team must bat and bowl 50 overs. An over is a set of six balls (pitches) that one individual must make, totaling 300 that each team must throw/defend, and 300 balls to reach the highest batting total possible.

To start, the first two batters in the order walk out to two spots about 60 feet apart at two wickets that are dug into the ground. At one end stands the bowler, facing the batting crease. Each wicket stands a little more than 2 feet high x 9 inches wide, and has two small pieces of wood called bails sitting across the top. The bowler's main objective is to bowl the cricket ball past the batter's bat, have it hit the wicket and knock off the bails. This is called getting clean bowled, and results in the batter being out.

Unlike in baseball, the batter in cricket has the option of whether or not to run, and there is no foul territory. The batsmen's primary objective is to protect the wicket and avoid being clean bowled, so some of the shots they play are defensive in nature, and some go backward. Simply protecting their wicket will not result in any runs however, which are scored when a batter strikes a ball and opts to run to the other wicket, 60 feet away. When a batter runs, their partner must also run, and each must reach the opposite wicket before the defending team is able to knock the bails off the wicket with the ball. If they are able to switch positions, the batter has hit a single, which results in a run for the batting side.

If the batter is able to hit it far enough that he may run and run back, he has hit a double, and two runs are scored. If the batter hits a ball that reaches the boundary of the cricket pitch, this is called a four and the batter is awarded all four runs without having to run it out. When the batter hits it over the boundary on the fly, he has hit a six, or cricket's equivalent to a home run. An effective pairing will usually have one player defending his wicket and trying to hit singles, his partner playing aggressively for fours and sixes. In 50 overs, 300 runs is usually a good benchmark for a batting side, averaging one run per ball thrown.

The finality of cricket fuels much of its appeal; unlike baseball, once a batter is out, their day is done. To say a team is all out, means that all 11 batsmen have had their wickets taken (made out) before the 50 overs were completed. In these cases, you would say their score was 212, all out. When a team stays on the pitch for the full 50 overs, their score would be 314-5, or 314 runs for 5 wickets fallen.

Bowlers can record outs by clean bowling a batter, or by inducing the batter to hit a ball that is caught full-toss, or without hitting the ground, by one of the fielders. An out is also recorded if a batter opts to run, but the fielding team is able to retrieve the ball and hit the wicket with it while a runner is caught in between. This is called being run out. The other way an out is recorded is if the batter is hit by the ball, but is judged to have blocked the ball from hitting the wicket with his leg pad. This is called leg before wicket (LBW), and when a bowler suspects that a batter may have protected the stumps with his leg will shout, "How's that?!" to the official.

The wicketkeeper acts as the catcher, and is the only player on the pitch that is permitted to wear a glove; the other 10 field barehanded. All bowlers bounce the ball on almost every delivery, with the odd full-toss delivery usually resulting in a boundary. Bowlers, prohibited from bending their arms whatsoever during their ballet-like run-up, use spin or pace off the bounce to confound batters, aiming to hit a target less than a foot wide.

To some of the most skilled performers in the world, we salute you.

Check out one of the great individual performances of all-time - South Africa's Herschelle Gibbs hitting six 6s in one over against the Netherlands in the 2007 World Cup.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwqBoVhOwas

Welcome to Bannywood

2010-08-02T09:31:00.002-04:00

As Alex Rodriguez sits on the precipice of 600, are we sufficiently wondering how many of his lifetime homers occurred while his performance was being enhanced? The real question is, if you were caught for a small portion of a larger crime, would you then confess to the entirety of it? Probably not.

The Steroid Era fell over baseball like the shroud of the Dark Side. The "Juiced Ball" theory provided years of disguise for what was really going on, until a fallen hero revealed the true nature of The Force. Whether Jose Canseco has truly brought balance back to the sport can be debated, but what can not be disputed is that he, whatever his motivations, has now achieved legendary whistle-blower status and has redeemed himself with the game.

Canseco's path to Cooperstown is non-existent. His crusade probably began with the realization that he had fallen short statistically to gain even serious consideration for the Hall of Fame. Now, having moved so many of baseball's brightest stars from under the spotlight to under the microscope, and in so doing admitting the fallacy of his own achievements, he has been exiled from the game. But the healing power of spite has taken effect; names that he named were re-named, the rules have been re-written and punishments have been levied.

Baseball has a culture of cheating. More specifically, of trying to get away with things. The hidden ball trick, deeking a baserunner, and who that has ever played an inning can deny that their team would be all over them (perhaps physically) if they admitted to dropping a ball that was called an out. Leo Durocher stole signs and Joe Niekro threw a nail file with the ump walking toward him like Steve Howe threw baggies out the passenger window after getting pulled over. Craig Nettles littered the infield with superballs and Sammy Sosa actually labeled his corked bat. Baseball players will always try to cheat, because if they don't get caught, they didn't really cheat. Major League Baseball must value Canseco's role by continuing to police players in its constant struggle for professional integrity.

In this pursuit of the truth, it gives me great pleasure to announce Alex Rodriguez, the first Bannywood inductee. A-Rod's career achievements are astounding. He is the youngest player to hit 500 HR, his $275 million dollar contract is the richest in baseball history, and he appears poised to challenge Barry Bonds' all-time best 762 and possibly even 800.

With Barry Bonds busted-knee-deep in steroid allegations, many fans viewed A-Rod as the player that would give us back a clean Home Run King, like Hank Aaron. Instead, his confession in 2009 forces us to question Alex the same way we question Barry, and leaves us with a soon-to-be Home Run King that will replace Aaron as much as Bonds did.

In addition to some misplaced hardware (Frank Thomas' 2000 MVP trophy is in Jason Giambi's case, and who can say how many World Series winners have been juiced?), we must also conceive a new statistic: The PEHR (Performance-Enhanced Home Run). Having admitted to steroid use from 2001-2003, A-Rod has discounted 156 of his lifetime bombs, including a career high 57 in his roided-out 2002 campaign. This puts A-Rod at a maximum of 443 lifetime HR, and leaves us in a position to question how many of those were legit.

Welcome to Bannywood, Alex Rodriguez. You will never get my Hall of Fame vote.

Home Runs (All-Time)

Hank Aaron 755
Babe Ruth 714
Willie Mays 660
Ken Griffey, Jr. 630
Frank Robinson 586

The Sweet Science Deserves a Sweet Home

2010-07-28T14:58:00.001-04:00

Brett Favre has a clear path to Canton. Five years from now, Ken Griffey, Jr. will be in Cooperstown. But has Floyd Mayweather, Jr. accomplished enough in his career to one day be enshrined in....Canastota, NY?

The aura of Canton, of Cooperstown just doesn't work for boxing- a sport that hasn't felt old-timey since Muhammad Ali was called Clay. Like The Greatest, boxing's hall of fame should be the greatest, or at least the most hyped.

Instead, The International Boxing Hall of Fame offers its visitors a quaint, personal experience with the larger-than-life sport. It's basically a log cabin, and while framed pictures on the wall are nice, and historic, and honest, boxing deserves more.

The MGM Group or Steve Wynn should work out a deal with the IBHOF for a satellite museum in Las Vegas, at either a new sports-themed casino or the MGM Grand itself. New technologies would allow for a new Hall to be interactive and experiential with unlimited potential (imagine sparring with Ali or seeing how your straight right stacks up with Ivan Drago's).

MMA is growing in popularity faster and more inexplicably than Justin Bieber. A shrine befitting one of the world's oldest and greatest sports and its champions would give boxing fans their Graceland and any casino in Las Vegas a new draw.

Since opening in 1989, The International Boxing Hall of Fame has put Canastota on the map the way the MonoRail put Brockway, Ogdenville, and North Haverbrook on the map. It was a great idea, and there was absolutely a need for a Boxing Hall of Fame, so all the credit is theirs. But in 2010, when even just seeing the date feels like science fiction, it is astounding that boxing of all sports isn't being fully exploited.

7.28.10

Note to NFL: Sunday Worked

2010-07-27T10:43:00.001-04:00

Football season is almost here, and this year's schedule includes Thursday Night games from Week 10 through Week 16, in addition to the Minnesota/New Orleans tilt on NFL Kickoff Thursday, Sept. 9.

Did the NFL bring in The Other Guys for a focus group or something?

Under Commissioner Paul Tagliabue the league enjoyed a period of solid growth and in the past two decades has left no doubt of the sport's standing as the "national passion." Sunday has a feel to it, Monday Night has a feel to it.

Thursday Night has a feel to it too, and it feels wrong. Commissioner Goodell has responded to the need-it-now spirit of this high-technology age by expanding the Thursday Night schedule of usually two games (excluding Thanksgiving) to a six-week affair during the height of the season.

For fans, this means that from Week 10 to Week 16 there is only a two-day gap each week in between NFL games, and with college football in full swing, there are big-time football games on throughout the week. The NFL has watered itself down, and now lacks the anticipation that helped make Sunday football so special.

The NFL Network is also a primary culprit here; were Thursday Night Football games available to all fans across the county, it would certainly soften the blow. That way, at least when your team is forced to play on short rest you can watch them get beat.

MLB Realignment: A New Rivalry is Born

2010-07-26T12:09:00.002-04:00

Major League Baseball should realign before the 2011 season. Of the 30 MLB teams, The NL has 16 and the AL has 14. Every division has 5 teams, except the crowded NL Central with 6 and the thin AL West, which has 4.

AL WEST
Los Angeles/Anaheim
Oakland
Seattle
Texas

NL CENTRAL
Chicago
Cincinnati
Houston
Milwaukee
Pittsburgh
St. Louis

This imbalance means that teams in the AL West only have to beat out three rivals to make the postseason, while teams in the NL Central have to outlast five. It also means that an AL West team plays around 60 divisional games per season, while an NL Central team plays closer to 100. This discrepancy works out to around 20 more mixed-schedule games for the AL West than all other AL clubs, and 20 more divisional games for teams in the NL Central than all other teams in the NL (and around 40 more divisional games than teams in the AL West).

In a sport already marked by financial disparity, the nuts-and-bolts setup of the league shouldn't be a hindrance to giving all teams an equal shot at winning their division.

The solution? Shift the Astros from the NL Central to the AL West.

In this scenario, all 6 divisions have 5 teams, and the AL and NL each have 15.

The result (in addition to a massive rager at the schedule maker's pad) would be a revenue boost and competitive jolt for an Astros team that clearly needs both. With the move, they'll have one less divisional rival to contend with every season and will get to play their in-state rival Rangers in 18 extremely meaningful sellout games each year, instead of six.

More importantly, not just the Astros but all 30 MLB teams will now have the same amount of divisional rivals to contend with all season, and will play nearly the same amount of mixed-schedule and interleague games.

As for tertiary effects, the A's, Mariners and Rangers won't object to adding Houston to their division or schedule, and the NL Central will be glad to get down to the normal five teams. It's geographically correct too; Houston is the westernmost city in the NL Central.

Financial parity in the league may never be attainable, but scheduling/divisional equality is a dream that's within our grasp, and should be handled just this simply this offseason.

So what do you say, MLB? Will you ask Houston to move into the AL West and restore balance to baseball's divisions? And Houston, will you answer the call?

New York's Mess: Ownership Must Own Up

2010-07-24T23:40:00.001-04:00

Jerry Manuel should not be fired. A strong argument can be made that Jerry Manuel should never have been hired, but given that he was, he should not be fired. If Jerry gets the axe, Omar Minaya would get to pick his third skipper to lead the Mets-- an opportunity he has not earned.

For Minaya and the Mets, it simply hasn't worked. Ownership should recognize that it hasn't worked, still isn't working, and ultimately, won't ever work with Omar at the helm. He has no master plan.

In his time, Minaya has handed out millions to players that had been there and done that elsewhere, and gotten painfully little in return. His big-money busts include Luis Castillo ($25m), Oliver Perez ($36m), and how can we not now view Carlos Beltran ($119m; Free Agent in 2011) as a tremendous bust? Even "Hamdi" in You Don't Mess with the Zohan knew Delgado's $12 million in 2009 was one of the worst options ever picked up, and we may soon add Jason Bay's $66 million dollar name to this list. Omar also presided over the Julio Franco sideshow in 2006-07, during which he and ownership proved they were more interested in individual milestones and marketing than player development or playing to win.

For all his failures at building a winning team, Minaya's biggest mistakes have come outside the lines of play, and have revealed a man with little tact and less polish. In 2008, he fired Willie Randolph at about 3am Eastern Time, after having won 3 of 4 and directly following a win. Typically, when a manager is fired it's directly following a loss; as in, "enough is enough, that's the last straw" kind of thing. Not after a win, and certainly not after winning 3 of 4 at Texas and Anaheim. It is entirely possible that Carlos Delgado wanted Willie out, and Minaya made it so.

Minaya doesn't have the qualifications to be the General Manager of an organization of this size and scope. If he and I applied for the job of GM for a major league club tomorrow, my resume would include one thing his does not: a college degree. This is not to say a degree is required for the job, but it's a pretty advanced job these days. Minaya is a former ballplayer and talent scout who no one would've ever heard of if Sammy Sosa and Juan Gonzalez had laid off the 'roids.

If fans or the media would call for Jerry Manuel's head this summer, Minaya should be gone along with him. The team's wins and losses during his tenure dictate that, let alone epic collapses and squabbles with members of the press (thank you, Adam Rubin). Maybe they need to be reminded that he once traded Cliff Lee, Brandon Phillips and Grady Sizemore for an over-the-hill Bartolo Colon as Expos' GM.

The Wilpon family have Minaya under contract through 2012 with options for 2013 and 2014, so despite losing, they clearly like having him in charge. Either that, or they like having him appear to be in charge, while Chief Operating Officer Jeff Wilpon actually makes the decisions and gets less of the blame. At about $1 million per season, that's a lot of scratch to be paying a puppet.

One thing is for certain, any GM that truly had autonomy would have been fired by 29 other clubs by now, which brings the issue of baseball decision-making back into question for Mets fans, who dealt with this during the shrouded-in-secrecy Scott Kazmir for Victor Zambrano debacle in 2004. Until the Mets can be honest with themselves, they'll lack the direction to win, let alone everything else it takes.

Telling It Like It Is: A Blog for Howard Cosell

2010-07-23T14:00:00.000-04:00

Boy do I wish I had an opening like Reading Rainbow so you would all just be hooked instantly. Butterfly in the sky, people...I've created a blog dedicated to my sports hero, Howard Cosell. I don't know what Howard would say about the role sports play in our lives today, and I would certainly fail in any attempt to put it anywhere near as eloquent. I would never speak in his stead. Rather, I am dedicating this blog to his spirit, his pursuit of the truth, and above all, to "Telling It Like It Is."