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NFL Releases Pro Bowl Rosters

sports — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 18:56:27 +0000

While the game itself is usually not much fun to watch, finding out who was selected to the NFL Pro Bowl is always interesting. A mixture of fan, player and coach voting, who is selected to play in the largely lackluster game is often as much of a popularity contest as anything.

And as it will always be when you have to narrow down an entire league into two rosters, deserving people will be left out and some not-so-deserving people will sneak in. This year, of course, is no exception as there are some major head scratchers and down right interesting pairings.

The complete list of AFC and NFC rosters can be found here. After taking a quick glance, here are three of my rapid fire reactions:

-The most awkward group of selections is the NFC quarterbacks. Drew Brees gets the nod to start (no argument here) while Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers back him up. Yes, the very same Favre and Rodgers who played together in Green Bay. The same Favre who never embraced the role of the mentor and was ultimately replaced by Rodgers. I have no doubt that they will be very pleasant in front of the media, but you have to imagine that it will be uncomfortable for the both of them.

-The biggest slight has to be the exclusion of any Cincinnati Bengals, who have the honor of being the only division champion to not have a player selected. At first I found this troubling, but when I realized there is not a player on their roster I’d put in over someone on the AFC team I realized it was a smart move.

-The biggest surprise to me was the inclusion of Wes Welker. It is not that I do not think he is deserving (he is first in the NFL in receptions and second in receiving yards), but I could not imagine him getting in over the much ballyhooed Randy Moss.

Who do you think was the biggest snub? Which player got in do you think should be watching from home? Let us know in the comments section below.

Image Source: Mouth Piece Sports

The Weekend In Sports

sports — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 21:34:24 +0000

Many people around the country spent the final weekend before Christmas in malls and department stores doing last minute gift shopping, but for those of us stuck inside due to snow or the wonders of shopping via the Internet, there was plenty of interesting sports news and events that took place.

My personal favorite of the past week was the introduction of NFL Saturday night, which brings the number of days we can watch the NFL up to four (3 more to go!). We also saw the start of the college football bowl season, another MLB trade, our first disgruntled NBA’er of the year, some bold accusations against a college basketball coach, and the untimely announcement of the PGA Tours’ player of the year.

So, in case you missed out on this past weekend in sports, here are five interesting stories that your friends and co-workers will be talking about around the proverbial water cooler.

And then there was one: This seasons Saturday NFL debut actually gave fans a solid matchup between the New Orleans Saints and the Dallas Cowboys. The Saints entered the game as one of two remaining undefeated teams in the league but left their loyal home fans in disappointment as their fourth quarter rally fell just short. The loss leaves the Indianapolis Colts as the lone team with the chance at perfection, with two winnable games left against the New York Jets and at the Buffalo Bills.

Not all Knicks have an Empire State of Mind: No can say that New York Knicks’ guard Nate Robinson has been unprofessional, but after being benched for 8 straight games I don’t think anyone would blame him if he was. Robinson’s agent, Aaron Goodwin, is another story. He reportedly asked the Knicks to have his client traded and the two-time slam dunk champion has been surprisingly quiet about it. He says that he wants to stay in New York, but one has to assume that because he is in a contract year he will want minutes on the court more than anything else.

More college football improprieties: The USC football program finds itself in the middle of another recruiting scandal (remember Reggie Bush?), this time surrounding running back Joe McKnight. McKnight was allegedly seen driving an SUV purchased by Santa Monica businessman Scott Schenter, who has thus far denied any wrong doing. Schenter claims that the car belongs to McKnight’s girlfriend and that he is in fact a Washington Husky fan who merely helped her purchase the car because she couldn’t qualify for the loan.

I know we live in America and people are innocent until proven guilty, but if it looks like a duck and it quacks like a duck…

Bob Knight still causing controversy: Coach Knight hasn’t been a coach in years but he can still cause a ruckus better than anyone in the game. He recently said — completely unprovoked, I might add — that college basketball lacks integrity and that University of Kentucky coach John Calipari was a prime example. When Calipari heard the news he basically went all Voltaire on the media, saying he disagreed with what Knight said but still respected him as a basketball coach.

I suppose Calipari is simply being the bigger man, although I can’t help but think that Memphis and Missouri, which were both forced to vacate Final Four appearances by the NCAA for infractions made during Calipari’s tenure, would say otherwise.

The PGA is a mess: By now we have all heard about Tiger Woods’ accident and subsequent fallout with his family and commitment to the PGA Tour, so it is with what I would imagine are ambivalent feelings that the PGA announced Woods as the Tour’s Player of the Year. It is the 10th time he has won the award and the 8th time he has swept the Tours three biggest awards.

There is no question that Woods is golf’s best player and most marketable asset; the question is when will he return and how will the Tour fare without him? The answers, in my humble opinion — not soon enough and not well.

Image Source: Zimbio

Fantasy Football Friday

sports — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 22:18:34 +0000

If you have gotten this far into the fantasy football season you must be doing something right. While it does take some luck to win it all, to be alive in the penultimate week of the fantasy season (for most us, anyway) is a big accomplishment.

Having said that, don’t start celebrating just yet. A lot of things can still go wrong and it only takes one week to send a great team down to the consolation bracket. Take, for instance, one team that I own in a ten-team keeper league. My team had put up a lot of points all year, but combine a stinker of a game by Aaron Rodgers last week and injuries to Michael Turner and Steve Slaton and I was bounced in the first round of the playoffs.

If you find yourself in a similar situation this week — say you own players who may sit due to injury like Calvin Johnson or Brian Westbrook — you may need to get a little creative. It is likely that by this time savvy owners have already picked up the most sought after free agents like Jamaal Charles, Robert Meachem and Quintin Ganther, but there are still a few super sleepers out there that can help your team.

Some of them are relatively unknown or just getting their first crack at significant playing time, but if you find yourself down a lot of points and are looking for a Hail Mary, any of the following three guys may be able to help get your team to the fantasy Super Bowl. To further help you out, I have selected players that are owned in 10 percent or less of ESPN standard leagues to increase the chance they are available in your league.

QB Chad Henne, Miami Dolphins (Owned in 5.6 percent of ESPN leagues): Do not let the fact that the Dolphins run a wildcat offense scare you. In the last two weeks Henne has put up 19 fantasy points against the New England Patriots and 12 points against the Jacksonville Jaguars. This week he goes up against the Tennessee Titans, which is the third worst team in fantasy football in terms of fantasy points allowed against opposing quarterbacks.

RB Arian Foster, Houston Texans (Owned in 9.1 percent of ESPN leagues): Last week I told you to pick up Texans’ running back Chris Brown. Turns out I had the right team but the wrong back. Following another week where Brown struggled holding onto the ball, head coach Gary Kubiak has hinted that goal line carries will now be going to Foster, who already led the team in carries last week. Foster should also benefit from going up against the St. Louis Rams, who give up 23.2 points a game to opposing running backs, which is third worst in the league.

WR Josh Cribbs, Cleveland Browns (Owned in 3.9 percent of ESPN leagues): Cribbs is a big gamble because the majority of his points come from running in the wildcat, but he has a favorable matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs are ninth worst in fantasy points allowed to opposing wide receivers and fifth worst in fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs. Cribbs has to do well on the ground or in the air, right?

Image Source: Zimbio

Recap of the Weekend in Sports

sports — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 18:18:21 +0000

When I woke up on Friday morning I thought that our recent streak of highly entertaining sports weekends would finally come to an end. After all, bowl season for college football has not yet begun, Major League Baseball’s winter meetings have been mostly a bore, and the NBA and NFL were scheduled for plain old regular season action.

To the delight of sports fans everywhere, I was wrong.

The weekend may not have featured any college bowl games or blockbuster trades, but it did have an assortment of interesting stories develop, some of which we may not soon forget.

There is no crying in baseball, but there is in Heisman Trophy speeches: This past weekend college football had its annual Heisman trophy presentation and Alabama’s Mark Ingram brought home the hardware for the first time in Crimson Tide history. Ingram beat out four other finalists — Tim Tebow of Florida, Toby Gerhart of Standford, Colt McCoy of Texas, and Ndamukong Suh of Nebraska — and shed a few tears along the way.

Ingram’s tears were not the only reason for excitement though. The sophomore running back won by only 28 points over Gerhart, which was the closest margin of victory in the history of the award.

Tiger becomes an endangered specie: Tiger Woods dropped a bombshell on the PGA Tour over the weekend, telling the world that he is taking an indefinite leave from golf while he sorts out his family life. In case you have been living under a rock, Woods was recently involved in a one-car accident in the middle of the night and is believed to have cheated on his wife.

Unfortunately for Tiger, family is no longer his only problem. Accenture became the first major sponsor to cut ties with Woods and told the Associated Press that he is “no longer the right representative.” It is admittedly a small dent to his massive wallet, but could it be the first of many with the possibility that at some point in the future half of his assets could land in the pockets of his wife?

One more thing for Terrell Owens to complain about: Brandon Marshall began Sunday’s game against the Indianapolis Colts as No. 2 on the all-time list for receptions in a single NFL game. He finished the game as No. 1 on that prestigious list, surpassing Owens’ 9-year-old record by catching an amazing 21 balls for 200 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Too bad his impressive performance was for not; the Colts improved to 13-0 on the season with a 28-16 victory.

Some NBA fans prove to be idiots: The first round of NBA All-Star voting was announced recently and most of the names you expect to see are leading the way. Kobe Bryant is the top vote getter so far, with superstars Lebron James, Dwayne Wade and Dwight Howard not far behind. But guess is who would be Bryant’s backcourt mate if the all-star game were played today?

Tracy McGrady. Yes, Tracy-freaking-McGrady, who has not suited up for a single game this year due to injury. I understand that it’s a game for the fans and whoever they vote in should play, but in this case I have to say the fans are being absolutely ridiculous. There are oodles of players more deserving of the honor and I can only hope that McGrady does the right thing and turns down the opportunity.

Image Source: Getty Images

It’s Time for Fantasy Football Friday

sports — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 19:59:14 +0000

It took 13 weeks but finally the fantasy football donkeys have been sorted from the fantasy football gurus. Yes, week 14 of the National Football League season is here and that means one thing in particular to us fantasy footballers — week one of the fantasy football playoffs.

All the time we have spent studying and watching the NFL for our fantasy leagues has finally reached the point where one wrong move can leave you waiting until next season to get your revenge. Since there is so much on the line it is extremely important that you take the time to analyze your roster and make informed decisions.

It is also important to make decisions with your brain and not your heart. Just because you are a Chicago Bears fan doesn’t mean that you should be starting Jay Cutler on your fantasy squad. You shouldn’t be making decisions based on your team loyalty at any time, but it is especially important now.

With those little nuggets of information in mind, here are this weeks three impact players that you can pick up to help you get past round one of the playoffs. As always, I am not suggesting you bench top tier players like Peyton Manning or Randy Moss for these guys. However, if your starters are out due to injury, are playing below expectations, or just face a particularly tough match up, the following three guys could fill in and put up more points than you’d think.

QB Jason Campbell, Washington Redskins (Owned in 21.8 percent of ESPN leagues): Don’t let the matchup against Nnamdi Asomugha and the Oakland Raiders scare you. The Raiders are actually 16th in terms of fantasy points allowed to opposing quarterbacks and Campbell is coming off back-to-back games of at least 19 points. Don’t expect him to throw for 400 yards and three touchdowns, but do expect him to put up more points than the Cutler/Carson Palmer/Kyle Orton tier of QBs.

RB Chris Brown, Houston Texans (Owned in 14.4 percent of ESPN leagues): With normal starter Steve Slaton on the IR, Brown should see more than his usual goal line carries. He also has the benefit of a tasty matchup against the Seattle Seahawks, who prior to last week had allowed double-digit fantasy points to opposing running backs for six consecutive weeks.

WR Kenny Britt, Tennessee Titans (Owned in 21.0 percent of ESPN leagues): If only Vince Young had been his quarterback all year. Britt has put up 10, 16 and 10 points over the past three weeks and is going up against the atrocious St. Louis Rams. Titans running back Chris Johnson will likely get the majority of the work against the Rams’ 29th ranked rush defense, but look for Britt to see some single coverage while the Rams load up the box and attempt to slow down the run game.

Image Source: NFL Gridiron Gab

Monday Morning Recap

sports — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 19:22:35 +0000

It was another busy weekend in the sports world as college football wound down its regular season, the National Football League inched its way closer to the playoffs, and both college basketball and the National Basketball Association chugged away through the early part of their respective seasons.

And while there were good games across all sports over the weekend, by far the most interesting were those college football games that impacted the upcoming bowl season. Perennial favorites fell, games that should have been blowouts went down to the final seconds, and as it will always be as long as there is no playoff system in place, college football fans were left with more questions than answers.

So, without further ado, here are four of the biggest stories in sports that you may have missed over the past weekend.

Another year of B(C)S

There were multiple match ups that had serious bowl implications, chief among them the Southeastern Conference showdown between Florida and Alabama. The Gators, who were the No. 1 seed in most polls for the majority of the season, fell short against the Crimson Tide and left star quarterback Tim Tebow and his fans around the country in tears.

Other games of relevance — No. 3 Texas narrowly escaped Nebraska, 13-12; No. 5 Cincinnati came from behind over Pittsburgh, 45-44; No. 6 Boise State trounced New Mexico State, 42-7; and No. 18 USC continued its fall from grace, losing 21-17 to Arizona.

Charlie Weis is bitter beans

In what was one of the stranger (and unexpected) stories of college football this year, former Notre Dame head coach Charlie Weis alleged infidelity on the part of USC head coach Pete Carroll during an interview with Notre Dame sports Web site IrishIllustrated.com.

Weis says the quote was taken out of context and Carroll told the Los Angeles Times that Weis had already “apologized profusely,” but one has to wonder why Weis would say something, even speaking hypothetically, that would portray Carroll so badly. Could someone be bitter over his recent dismissal?

The year of the undefeated

It is very rare for one team to be undefeated this far into the NFL season, which makes the fact that two teams are all the more impressive. On Sunday the Indianapolis Colts had an unremarkable 27-17 victory over the Tennessee Titans and the Saints were forced to go to overtime in their 33-30 win over the Washington Redskins, but both teams managed to leave week 13 with their records unscathed and will have to deal with questions of the perfect season from here on out.

The 1972 Miami Dolphins remain the only team to go wire-to-wire without a loss, with the 2007 New England Patriots being the most recent team to approach the historic record.

The bigger they are, the harder they fall

File this one under the letter “n” for not surprising at all to anyone who watches even the smallest amount of professional basketball; Portland Trail Blazers center and former No. 1 overall pick Greg Oden broke his left kneecap Saturday night in a game against the Houston Rockets and is out for the season.

As John Hollinger of ESPN made note, it was ironic that it happened on 70′s retro night given the Trail Blazers history of highly touted but often injured big men like Sam Bowie and Bill Walton. General Manager Kevin Pritchard will defend his pick of Oden over Kevin Durant to the death, and apparently every team in the NBA would have done the same, but it is still fun (unless you are a Trail Blazers fan, in which case it is depressing) to imagine what the team would be like if KD were draped in the black, red and white instead of Oden.

Image Source: Palm Beach Post

Fantasy Football Friday

sports — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 17:29:51 +0000

After months of studying, planning, drafting, watching, reading, plotting and all sorts of other -ings, there is (for most of us) only one week left until the fantasy football playoffs begin. Your roster probably has changed a lot since your initial draft and if you are on the edge of making the playoffs it will probably see a few more changes by the time all is said and done.

Some fantasy footballers will tell you to treat this week the same as any other, but do not count me as one of them. Regardless of whether you have already clinched a playoff spot, are on the fence, or have long since been relegated to “there is always next year” status, this week will have a great impact on your league. It is time to hunker down, do your research, and make the decisions that will give you a much needed W.

Luckily for you, I have already done all of the hard work for you. Like I did last week, I will give you three players that are widely available on the waiver wire that can help your team this week. For those of you that are skeptical of the idea that waiver wire fodder can help your team this week, let me remind you that the three players I recommended last week (Vince Young, Justin Forsett and Devery Henderson) all finished in the top ten (Young 8th, Forsett 1st, and Henderson 5th) in fantasy points for their respective positions.

QB Alex Smith, San Francisco 49ers (Owned in 24.4 percent of ESPN leagues): While Smith will likely never live up to his No. 1 overall draft status, he has very quietly put up double digit fantasy points in five of his last six starts, which is more than we can say for more popular quarterbacks like Carson Palmer, Eli Manning and Jay Cutler. An added caveat — the 49ers are playing against the Seattle Seahawks, who have given up the 11th most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks.

RB Rock Cartwright, Washington Redskins (Owned in 23.5 percent of ESPN leagues): Not only does he have a cool name, but the two players ahead of him on depth chart (Clinton Portis and Ladell Betts) are both out due to injury. He also has a tasty match up against the New Orleans Saints, who despite being undefeated have given up at least 20 fantasy points to opposing running backs in five of the last six weeks (lowly Tampa Bay being the lone exception).

WR Pierre Garcon, Indianapolis Colts (Owned in 39.3 percent of ESPN leagues): Not that you need a reason to love Garcon beyond Peyton Manning being his quarterback, but here are three just in case you do –

1) Garcon has clearly distinguished himself as the No. 2 receiver ahead of Austin Collie.

2) The Colts are playing against the Tennessee Titans, who give up the most fantasy points to opposing wide receivers.

3) Did I mention the Colts have a guy named Peyton Manning under center?

Image Source: SFGate.com

Fantasy Football Friday

sports — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:34:44 +0000

For all of you who play fantasy football, let the countdown officially begin. We are down to (for most people) just three weeks of the regular season and the pressure to win is greater than ever. Whether you have already clinched a playoff berth, find yourself on the edge, or have long since given up hope, now is the time to kick it into high gear. You might feel that there is no way you can pick up a quality player this late into the season but you could not be more wrong. Are you a Michael Turner or Julius Jones owner scrambling for a replacement? No problem. Are you a Matt Ryan or Joe Flacco owner getting tired of poor production? There are alternatives. Are you like the majority of owners who have become frustrated by inconsistent wide receiver play? Let me help you.

There isn’t exactly a dearth of talent on the waiver wire but smart owners (especially in shallow, 10-team leagues) can pick up players right now that can produce this week and beyond and help get them into the playoffs (or at least make your team respectable if you are already out. No one likes a tanker!).

One word of caution before we proceed — I am not suggesting you start any of these players over bona fide studs like Aaron Rodgers, Chris Johnson or Reggie Wayne (all first in fantasy points at their position). What I am saying is that if you find yourself in a bind and need to pick up a player to replace someone who is injured or simply not producing, the following three guys are available and ready to contribute.

QB Vince Young, Tennessee Titans (Owned in8.1 percentof ESPN leagues): I know, I know. I just suggested that Young is a viable pickup in fantasy football but hear me out; it isn’t as crazy as it sounds. Very quietly Young has posted three consecutive games of at least 12 fantasy points and has a favorable match-up against the Houston Texans, a team which has allowed at least 12 fantasy points to quarterbacks in four out of the last five weeks.

RB Justin Forsett, Seattle Seahawks (Owned in 22.6 percent of ESPN leagues): I also like Jason Snelling of the Atlanta Falcons, but with Michael “The Burner” Turner still having a chance to suit up on Sunday I will take the little known Forsett instead. Forsett, the backup for the injured Julius Jones, is slated to start and should get the bulk of the work out of the backfield. I realize he is going up against the vaunted Minnesota Vikings defensive line, but Forsett is also a good pass catcher and has extra value if you are playing in a PPR league.

WR Devery Henderson, New Orleans Saints (Owned in53.1 percentof ESPN leagues): A good buy low option if he is already owned in your league, Henderson has had at least 70 yards receiving in three of his last four games. The even better news is that he is going against the team that has given up the third most points to opposing wide receivers all season — the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Other wide receivers I would buy low on are Kevin Walter (Texans are without Owen Daniels and playing against the worst pass defense in terms of fantasy points allowed) and Jeremy Maclin, who should see more opportunities now that Brian Westbrook is out.

Image Source: SB Nation

Belichick’s Shocking Gamble Backfires, Colts Win 35-34

sports — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 15:35:25 +0000

Up by 6 and it’s forth and 2 on your own 28 yard line, no coach would think about going for it in that situation, right? Wrong, Bill Belichick, probable the only coach on earth that would go for it right there (and I mean real coaches not Madden players), had no hesitation going for it and his gamble backfired completely. Instead of making Payton Manning and the Colts drive 70 yards in under 2 minutes to try in win the game, Belichick’s move made it so much easier. Now they only had to go 30 yards and when Payton Manning is the QB that’s practically giving him the game. What was he thinking? After the game he defended the call by saying, “We tried to win the game on that play. I thought we could make the yard. We had a good play, we completed it. I don’t know how we couldn’t get a yard.” I mean that would be fine and all but not on your own 28 yard line. Why not just put the ball and allow your defense to make a stop? Going for it right there is pretty much telling your defense I don’t think you guys are good enough to stop Payton anyway so I just want to win it right here. This call not only cost the Pats the game but it also may cost them a chance at home field advantage in the playoffs. They are now three games behind the Colts for the top seed in the AFC. A win would have put them right there in the mix. We will see how much this decision will cost them in the end.

Photo Source: AP Photo

Fantasy Football Sleepers

sports — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 19:32:20 +0000

It took 10 weeks but finally fans of the National Football League have gotten what they wanted — another day of football. NFL fans will agree with me when I say that watching football all day on Sunday is the perfect way to end the week. I’m sure they will also agree that Monday Night Football, as the many commercials for it suggest, doesn’t make going to work on Monday any easier but it does give people something to look forward to. But what are fans of the NFL supposed to look forward to the other five days of the week?

Thankfully, the NFL has an answer for just that question. To help satisfy people’s insatiable appetite for all things NFL-related, week 10 of the season was kicked off with a Thursday night game between the San Francisco 49ers and Chicago Bears. As I was watching the game, two things came to mind.

1) Jay Cutler is a turnover machine.

2) Oh my goodness, it’s week 10. The fantasy football playoffs are just around the corner!

For many fantasy footballers, there are only a few weeks left before the playoffs begin. It is rapidly becoming do-or-die time and if you are on the outside of the playoff picture looking in you might feel that all is lost. To that I say, in the immortal words of Journey, don’t stop believing!

If you have players out due to injury, not playing as well as you hoped, or are the victim of some untimely bye weeks, there is still hope. It ain’t over ’till it’s over and it is still possible to salvage your season. It will take a lot of cunning to pull off the necessary trade(s) and a lot of guts to pickup and start a player that other people in your league may scoff at, but desperate times call for desperate measures.

The following three players — one quarterback, running back, and wide receiver — are either not owned in a decent amount of leagues or should be easy to acquire in a trade. Keep in mind that I am not recommending you start any of these guys over obvious studs. However, if you find yourself struggling at a particular position for whatever reason, the following three guys are worth taking a look at.

QB David Garrard, Jacksonville Jaguars: Garrard has scored at least 12 fantasy points in five of his eight games this year and has scored more total fantasy points than both Donovan McNabb and Matt Cassel. Many owners have been quick to pick up Alex Smith and Josh Freeman the last two weeks to fill their backup QB needs, but I would feel much safer with Garrard now that he has a legit wide receiver in Mike-Sims Walker.

RB Justin Vargas, Oakland Raiders: Thanks to franchise killer JaMarcus Russell the Raiders have been the black hole of fantasy points this season, but Vargas has very quietly put together a nice string of games. In Darren McFadden’s absence over the last three weeks Vargas has put up 9, 8 and 13 fantasy points. It is not stellar by any stretch of the imagination but it makes him a solid RB3/flex, especially in deeper leagues.

WR Mike Wallace, Pittsburgh Steelers: Wallace has put up double digit fantasy points the last two weeks and four of the last six. In fact, during that time span he has put up a total of 58 fantasy points, which is 23 more than Steelers starting wide receiver Santonio Holmes. While opponents continue to focus on Holmes and Hines Ward, you can bet that Wallace will continue to get open looks.

Want more fantasy football or basketball advice? Send your questions to my twitter account, @davidcarrillo.

Image Source: ESPN