Saturday, November 17, 2007
Thursday, November 8, 2007
A look at the past month in sports
Talk about a bad month. This past month has been one of the worst months (sportwise) of my life.
Some things, pertaining to my favorite teams, that have happened from October 8, 2007-November 8, 2007 (today):
The Yankees are eliminated from the playoffs.
A-Rod won't be with the Yankees next year.
The whole Joe Torre fiasco.
The Heat lose all 7 preseason games.
The Heat lose their first 4 regular season games.
The Dolphins go 0-3.
Ronnie Brown tears his ACL, sidelining him for the remainder of the season.
The U goes 1-2.
Kentucky loses by 16 points to Gardner-Webb.
Thankfully, things are bound to take a turn for the better. As I've said before, as long as D-Wade and Shaq are healthy, I think the Heat are taking the trophy once again this season. Because you know Shaq will command a double team in the playoffs, and a healthy Wade is just about unstoppable. Plus, Miami has got some very good role players and coaching. I expect them to turn it around.
Please let me know if I'm missing anything...I probably am!
Have you had some bad luck with your sports teams? Post a comment, and tell me about it!
Some things, pertaining to my favorite teams, that have happened from October 8, 2007-November 8, 2007 (today):
The Yankees are eliminated from the playoffs.
A-Rod won't be with the Yankees next year.
The whole Joe Torre fiasco.
The Heat lose all 7 preseason games.
The Heat lose their first 4 regular season games.
The Dolphins go 0-3.
Ronnie Brown tears his ACL, sidelining him for the remainder of the season.
The U goes 1-2.
Kentucky loses by 16 points to Gardner-Webb.
Thankfully, things are bound to take a turn for the better. As I've said before, as long as D-Wade and Shaq are healthy, I think the Heat are taking the trophy once again this season. Because you know Shaq will command a double team in the playoffs, and a healthy Wade is just about unstoppable. Plus, Miami has got some very good role players and coaching. I expect them to turn it around.
Please let me know if I'm missing anything...I probably am!
Have you had some bad luck with your sports teams? Post a comment, and tell me about it!
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Fantasy Redraft
Well, as usual, this fantasy football season has had some big surprises.
Adrian Peterson was picked about four rounds too late (honestly, who could see this coming?), Tom Brady has been even better than expected (but I still can't stand the guy!), and, as for guys like Steven Jackson and Laurence Maroney, let's just say they haven't done too well.
Anyways, I know this really doesn't accomplish anything, but I'm going to try to list who the first 20 picks would be if there was a fantasy football draft TODAY. It would be just for the remainder of this season (not a keeper league), and settings would be standard.
#1 Tom Brady
Tough one. Almost certainly either Brady or Peterson, with an outside chance of Tomlinson. But I guess I'll have to give Brady the edge here. Although RBs are more important than QBs in fantasy, and I almost never advise taking a QB in the first round (or even in the second round, for that matter), Brady's numbers have been flat-out ridiculous. No one has scored close to as many points as him with just about any settings.
#2 Adrian Peterson
While some might still be afraid of the fact that he's still a rookie, his numbers should be convincing enough. He's on pace to have one of the best seasons EVER, and it's hard to justify taking anyone but Brady over him. Did I mention he has a 6.6 rushing average (more than two times as high as Cedric Benson's 3.1 yards per carry; Benson was probably picked about two rounds before Peterson in most drafts)?
#3 LaDainian Tomlinson
Tomlinson has still been one of the best fantasy backs this season, and, barring injury, you know that will remain the case. You can feel confident with him as your first rounder.
#4 Joseph Addai
Incredibly close between Addai and Westbrook at this spot. I give Addai a slight nod due to the fact that he's a little less injury prone, his numbers are a little better than Westbrook's, and opposing defenses can focus on Westbrook more than they can Addai.
#5 Brian Westbrook
He's in the top 10 in the NFL in receptions and top 40 in receiving yards. He's also one of the best RBs in the NFL. Not bad, if you ask me!
#6 Willis McGahee
The complaints should come pouring in right about...now! True, there are other good options here, but McGahee has been incredibly consistent, scoring at least 10 points in every game in standard formats. He's also fifth in the NFL in rushing yards, and, although he MIGHT miss a game from this head injury, it doesn't look like it'll be too serious.
#7 Marshawn Lynch
Another rookie RB, so people may be unsure if he'll keep it up. But you can't argue with success. Fourth in the NFL in rushing yards, tied for seventh in rushing TDs.
#8 Willie Parker
I know he has had a couple of bad weeks and hasn't scored much this year, but I think he can stay in the top 2 in rushing yards (or at least top 3) while increasing his TD total.
#9 Reggie Bush
Look at his past six games. I know, I couldn't believe it either.
#10 Randy Moss
It's rare to see me advise picking a WR this early, but he's been that good. I think his numbers will slightly dip, but not much.
#11 Clinton Portis
He's in the top 7 in rushing yards and top 5 in rushing TDs (plus he went to the U!). I probably could have even placed him a couple of spots higher on this list.
#12 Edgerrin James
He's cooled down a bit, but has had at least 1 rushing TD or 80 rushing yards in all but one game this year. Impressive.
#13 Marion Barber
I know he's having a fantastic season, but it's hard for me to put him in the top 10 when there is another RB on his team within 9 carries of him. If Julius Jones starts off a game very well, Barber probably won't have a great game. That's not something you want to have to worry about from your top RB. It's probably not fair, but that's how I see it.
#14 Brandon Jacobs
I thought he would be one of the best RBs coming into this season, and I still feel that way. He's averaging 106 rushing yards per game over his last four games, and also has a pair of TDs during that span. I actually think he may creep his way into the top 6 or 7 RBs by season's end.
#15 T.J. Houshmandzadeh
He's scored a touchdown every week. And he's a WR! Enough said. Actually, it's not. I should add that, the reason I have him this far down the list isn't because I think he'll have a significantly worse second half, it's because I value RBs EXTREMELY highly when it comes to fantasy football.
# 16 Maruice Jones-Drew
He's played a lot better as of late and is looking like the guy people thought of when they used a top 15 pick on him.
# 17 LenDale White
He's been good in all but two games this season, and most people would put him in the top 15, but, for some reason, I think his numbers will fall quite a bit within the next few weeks. Not enough to make him a bad #2 RB, but enough to put him here on my list.
#18 Braylon Edwards
Not including Week 1 (when Charlie Frye was Cleveland's QB for most of the game), Edwards is averaging over 98 yards receiving and more than a TD a game. You read that correctly.
#19 Terrell Owens
Say what you want about his attitude, but he's in the top 5 in receiving yards and is tied for 6th in TD catches.
#20 Jesse Chatman
You know I've got to put a 'Fin on this list! Besides, it's not too far-fetched to think he can be a top 20 fantasy player for the rest of the season, The Dolphins have been terrible this year, but the O-line has done their part, and Chatman has skills.
On the Bubble: Antonio Gates, Tony Romo, Derek Anderson, Kevin Jones, Plaxico Burress, Frank Gore, Steven Jackson, Reggie Wayne
Hope you enjoyed it!
Agree? Disagree? Simply want to voice your opinion? Leave me a comment!
Adrian Peterson was picked about four rounds too late (honestly, who could see this coming?), Tom Brady has been even better than expected (but I still can't stand the guy!), and, as for guys like Steven Jackson and Laurence Maroney, let's just say they haven't done too well.
Anyways, I know this really doesn't accomplish anything, but I'm going to try to list who the first 20 picks would be if there was a fantasy football draft TODAY. It would be just for the remainder of this season (not a keeper league), and settings would be standard.
#1 Tom Brady
Tough one. Almost certainly either Brady or Peterson, with an outside chance of Tomlinson. But I guess I'll have to give Brady the edge here. Although RBs are more important than QBs in fantasy, and I almost never advise taking a QB in the first round (or even in the second round, for that matter), Brady's numbers have been flat-out ridiculous. No one has scored close to as many points as him with just about any settings.
#2 Adrian Peterson
While some might still be afraid of the fact that he's still a rookie, his numbers should be convincing enough. He's on pace to have one of the best seasons EVER, and it's hard to justify taking anyone but Brady over him. Did I mention he has a 6.6 rushing average (more than two times as high as Cedric Benson's 3.1 yards per carry; Benson was probably picked about two rounds before Peterson in most drafts)?
#3 LaDainian Tomlinson
Tomlinson has still been one of the best fantasy backs this season, and, barring injury, you know that will remain the case. You can feel confident with him as your first rounder.
#4 Joseph Addai
Incredibly close between Addai and Westbrook at this spot. I give Addai a slight nod due to the fact that he's a little less injury prone, his numbers are a little better than Westbrook's, and opposing defenses can focus on Westbrook more than they can Addai.
#5 Brian Westbrook
He's in the top 10 in the NFL in receptions and top 40 in receiving yards. He's also one of the best RBs in the NFL. Not bad, if you ask me!
#6 Willis McGahee
The complaints should come pouring in right about...now! True, there are other good options here, but McGahee has been incredibly consistent, scoring at least 10 points in every game in standard formats. He's also fifth in the NFL in rushing yards, and, although he MIGHT miss a game from this head injury, it doesn't look like it'll be too serious.
#7 Marshawn Lynch
Another rookie RB, so people may be unsure if he'll keep it up. But you can't argue with success. Fourth in the NFL in rushing yards, tied for seventh in rushing TDs.
#8 Willie Parker
I know he has had a couple of bad weeks and hasn't scored much this year, but I think he can stay in the top 2 in rushing yards (or at least top 3) while increasing his TD total.
#9 Reggie Bush
Look at his past six games. I know, I couldn't believe it either.
#10 Randy Moss
It's rare to see me advise picking a WR this early, but he's been that good. I think his numbers will slightly dip, but not much.
#11 Clinton Portis
He's in the top 7 in rushing yards and top 5 in rushing TDs (plus he went to the U!). I probably could have even placed him a couple of spots higher on this list.
#12 Edgerrin James
He's cooled down a bit, but has had at least 1 rushing TD or 80 rushing yards in all but one game this year. Impressive.
#13 Marion Barber
I know he's having a fantastic season, but it's hard for me to put him in the top 10 when there is another RB on his team within 9 carries of him. If Julius Jones starts off a game very well, Barber probably won't have a great game. That's not something you want to have to worry about from your top RB. It's probably not fair, but that's how I see it.
#14 Brandon Jacobs
I thought he would be one of the best RBs coming into this season, and I still feel that way. He's averaging 106 rushing yards per game over his last four games, and also has a pair of TDs during that span. I actually think he may creep his way into the top 6 or 7 RBs by season's end.
#15 T.J. Houshmandzadeh
He's scored a touchdown every week. And he's a WR! Enough said. Actually, it's not. I should add that, the reason I have him this far down the list isn't because I think he'll have a significantly worse second half, it's because I value RBs EXTREMELY highly when it comes to fantasy football.
# 16 Maruice Jones-Drew
He's played a lot better as of late and is looking like the guy people thought of when they used a top 15 pick on him.
# 17 LenDale White
He's been good in all but two games this season, and most people would put him in the top 15, but, for some reason, I think his numbers will fall quite a bit within the next few weeks. Not enough to make him a bad #2 RB, but enough to put him here on my list.
#18 Braylon Edwards
Not including Week 1 (when Charlie Frye was Cleveland's QB for most of the game), Edwards is averaging over 98 yards receiving and more than a TD a game. You read that correctly.
#19 Terrell Owens
Say what you want about his attitude, but he's in the top 5 in receiving yards and is tied for 6th in TD catches.
#20 Jesse Chatman
You know I've got to put a 'Fin on this list! Besides, it's not too far-fetched to think he can be a top 20 fantasy player for the rest of the season, The Dolphins have been terrible this year, but the O-line has done their part, and Chatman has skills.
On the Bubble: Antonio Gates, Tony Romo, Derek Anderson, Kevin Jones, Plaxico Burress, Frank Gore, Steven Jackson, Reggie Wayne
Hope you enjoyed it!
Agree? Disagree? Simply want to voice your opinion? Leave me a comment!
Heat
Wow, big game for the Heat tonight! I'm pumped! On the road against one of the best teams in the NBA, and the Heat NEED to avoid starting out 0-4. If Miami can play at least .500 ball until Dwyane Wade comes back (actually, I know the Heat CAN do this; I should have said WILL play .500), I think the Heat will be just fine. I'm really excited about this season, and, even with the rough start, I really think the Heat are going to win it all this season (maybe that's just the homer in me, but I hope not!).
Monday, November 5, 2007
Can someone explain to me...?
Why do so many people criticize the Yankees for spending so much money? Sure, the Yankees obviously do spend a lot of money on their team, but it is completely within the rules, so why do so many people continue to complain about it and hate the Yankees for it?
If the NFL suddenly changed the rules so that teams were allowed five downs to pick up a first down rather than four (yes, I know, bad example), how could someone possibly justify complaining so much about a team using all five downs to the point that they were basically calling it cheating?
In essence, that's what it's like with the complaints about the Yankees payroll. The Yankees are taking advantage of the fact that they are allowed to spend a lot of money. I just don't see what's wrong with that. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that, for the most part, higher payroll=better team (obviously there are exceptions to this rule, but I think it holds true the majority of the time). So what's wrong with a team's owner trying to make their team more competitive by signing players to big contracts? Other owners have the ability to do this, as well. Maybe not to the extent that The Boss does it, but they can still spend a lot of money. They would just rather pocket it for themselves. If anything, people should be upset with the rule, not the Yankees.
And what really irritates me is the following situation. I find out someone's favorite team is the Red Sox. Now, that does annoy me, somewhat, but they have every right to be a Red Sox fan, just as much as I have the right to be a Yankees fan. The part that really annoys me is when I ask why they like the Red Sox, and they respond, "Because I hate the Yankees for spending too much money."
NOT ACCEPTABLE!
Now, if you like the Red Sox for some other reason, then I can understand that, but how can someone like them for the reason above???!!! First of all, I am usually against people liking something simply because they dislike its opposite. But to take it this far is absolutely absurd. It's not like the Red Sox are struggling to survive in MLB, desperately searching for more money. I'd say they spend quite a bit of cash, as well. So if you're going to hate the Yankees because of their payroll (which I think is wrong in and of itself), why not like the Marlins, Devil Rays, or Nationals?
And another thing: take a look at some of the players produced by the Yankees farm system.
Derek Jeter
Mariano Rivera
Melky Cabrera
Robinson Cano
Phil Hughes
Joba Chamberlain
Shelley Duncan
There are many more, not to mention recently retired players like Bernie Williams
I could be wrong, but I don't think there are many (if any) other teams that can match that quality of players who came up in their farm system. So it's not as like the Yankees just have a lineup full of signed free agents.
That's all I've got to say for now.
Thanks for reading!
P.S. To see a video in which a team actually does receive five downs, go to the following link:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=ZQJT8q0MMwQ
The five downs start at about the 2:55 mark.
If the NFL suddenly changed the rules so that teams were allowed five downs to pick up a first down rather than four (yes, I know, bad example), how could someone possibly justify complaining so much about a team using all five downs to the point that they were basically calling it cheating?
In essence, that's what it's like with the complaints about the Yankees payroll. The Yankees are taking advantage of the fact that they are allowed to spend a lot of money. I just don't see what's wrong with that. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that, for the most part, higher payroll=better team (obviously there are exceptions to this rule, but I think it holds true the majority of the time). So what's wrong with a team's owner trying to make their team more competitive by signing players to big contracts? Other owners have the ability to do this, as well. Maybe not to the extent that The Boss does it, but they can still spend a lot of money. They would just rather pocket it for themselves. If anything, people should be upset with the rule, not the Yankees.
And what really irritates me is the following situation. I find out someone's favorite team is the Red Sox. Now, that does annoy me, somewhat, but they have every right to be a Red Sox fan, just as much as I have the right to be a Yankees fan. The part that really annoys me is when I ask why they like the Red Sox, and they respond, "Because I hate the Yankees for spending too much money."
NOT ACCEPTABLE!
Now, if you like the Red Sox for some other reason, then I can understand that, but how can someone like them for the reason above???!!! First of all, I am usually against people liking something simply because they dislike its opposite. But to take it this far is absolutely absurd. It's not like the Red Sox are struggling to survive in MLB, desperately searching for more money. I'd say they spend quite a bit of cash, as well. So if you're going to hate the Yankees because of their payroll (which I think is wrong in and of itself), why not like the Marlins, Devil Rays, or Nationals?
And another thing: take a look at some of the players produced by the Yankees farm system.
Derek Jeter
Mariano Rivera
Melky Cabrera
Robinson Cano
Phil Hughes
Joba Chamberlain
Shelley Duncan
There are many more, not to mention recently retired players like Bernie Williams
I could be wrong, but I don't think there are many (if any) other teams that can match that quality of players who came up in their farm system. So it's not as like the Yankees just have a lineup full of signed free agents.
That's all I've got to say for now.
Thanks for reading!
P.S. To see a video in which a team actually does receive five downs, go to the following link:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=ZQJT8q0MMwQ
The five downs start at about the 2:55 mark.
About Me
Hello, and welcome to my blog.
I created this to talk about one of my favorite things: sports. So let me tell you a little bit about me when it comes to sports. My favorite teams are the New York Yankees, Miami Dolphins, Miami Hurricanes, Miami Heat, and Kentucky Wildcats. You can call me a bandwagon fan; you can call me a fairweather fan, but I'm neither of the two and I'll support these teams for life.
Now, I'm not going to lie. I am biased when it comes to these teams. It is EXTREMELY rare for me to ever think one of my favorite teams is going to lose (or express that feeling, at least). So if I'm ever talking about any of the above teams, please remember that, odds are, you should take what I say with a grain of salt.
I also love to do fantasy football, and I'd be happy to give you advice. If you have any questions you want to ask me, just leave a comment.
Basically, I just want to let everyone know my thoughts on what's going on in the world of sports, and I want to get your thoughts, as well.
I always appreciate feedback (whether it's the positive or negative type), and I always enjoy reading comments.
Well, I guess that just about wraps it up. I'll make another post very soon, and it's going to be quite controversial ;-)
I created this to talk about one of my favorite things: sports. So let me tell you a little bit about me when it comes to sports. My favorite teams are the New York Yankees, Miami Dolphins, Miami Hurricanes, Miami Heat, and Kentucky Wildcats. You can call me a bandwagon fan; you can call me a fairweather fan, but I'm neither of the two and I'll support these teams for life.
Now, I'm not going to lie. I am biased when it comes to these teams. It is EXTREMELY rare for me to ever think one of my favorite teams is going to lose (or express that feeling, at least). So if I'm ever talking about any of the above teams, please remember that, odds are, you should take what I say with a grain of salt.
I also love to do fantasy football, and I'd be happy to give you advice. If you have any questions you want to ask me, just leave a comment.
Basically, I just want to let everyone know my thoughts on what's going on in the world of sports, and I want to get your thoughts, as well.
I always appreciate feedback (whether it's the positive or negative type), and I always enjoy reading comments.
Well, I guess that just about wraps it up. I'll make another post very soon, and it's going to be quite controversial ;-)
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