Funtasy Football's Studs, Sleepers & Snoozers For Week 15 In The NFL

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QB

Stud – Drew Brees

Brees hits the road to take on the Chicago Bears this week and that’s a good thing. The Bears defense has only allowed more than 66 yards to one RB at home this year so the Saints will have to throw. To make the matchup even more enticing, Brees averages over 43 passing attempts per road game.

Sleeper – Jay Cutler

The Carolina running game is hot and the Denver rush defense is brutal. That means that the Broncos will get behind and lean on Cutler to throw 40 times to bring them back. The Panthers allowed 315 yards and 2 TD to Jeff Garcia last week.

Snoozer – Joe Flacco

The rookie may very well see his 8 game touchdown streak snapped this week. Flacco threw for just 192 yards and 1 touchdown in his first meeting with Pittsburgh.
WR

Stud – Greg Jennings

Jennings heads to Florida this week to take on the Jaguars, who will be missing Rashean Mathis. When Green Bay spreads 5 WR out, Jacksonville simply doesn’t have anyone that can matchup with Jennings.

Sleeper – Devin Hester

Hester has gradually gotten more involved in the passing game. He’s hauled in 8 rec. for 147 yards and a TD in the last 2 games. The Saints also give up the 2nd most fantasy points to WR.

Snoozer – Calvin Johnson

Duante Culpepper is unlikely to play this week, so Johnson will either have to rely on Dan Orlovsky, Drew Stanton or even Drew Henson. Stay far, far away.
RB

Stud – DeAngelo Williams

Williams has 727 yards and 11 touchdowns over his last 6 games and he’s firmly taken a hold on the #1 spot in the backfield. Carolina has the 6th most rushing attempts in the NFL and will try to establish the run early and often just like they did against the Bucs.

Sleeper – Clinton Portis

After successfully tabbing Portis as a snoozer last week, I’ll move him up one spot. He’s only rushed for more than 68 yards once in the past 5 games, but that should change this week. He was very critical of his coach and questioned how he’s being used, so I expect Jim Zorn to give Clinton the ball and make him back up his talk.

Snoozer – Joseph Addai

Despite the great matchup, this game has snoozer written all over it for Addai. He’ll likely start and get his touches, but when the game gets out of hand, (and it will) the Colts will probably rest him and let Rhodes take over.
K

Stud – Adam Vinatieri

The Colts head to Ford Field this week and you know that they will put points on the board. The only risk here is that they are all XP.

Sleeper – Kris Brown

Brown and the Texans face off against Tennessee this week. Schaub has the Texans offense clicking, but the Titans have a way of making teams bog down…hopefully in field goal range.

Snoozer – Josh Brown

Brown gets a good matchup as the Seahawks face the Rams, but he’s battling a groin injury and could be limited when it comes to long field goals.

Studs, Sleepers, Snoozers For Week 14 In The NFL

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Studs, Sleepers & Snoozers For Week 14 In The NFL

December 5th, 2008

by admin

QB

Stud – Kurt Warner

Warner had his 300-yard game streak snapped last week, but now he has the pleasure of facing the St. Louis Rams. Expect Warner to start a new streak in a game that has blowout written all over it.

Sleeper – Matt Ryan

Ryan has become very consistent in the latter portion of his rookie campaign and this week he can be counted on for a very solid outing. The Falcons take on the Saints and their beat up secondary.

Snoozer – Philip Rivers

Rivers is coming off of a down week and things will only get worse when the Chargers take on the Raiders. Over the last 4 games, the Raiders have allowed an average of 153 yards per game to opposing quarterbacks.
WR

Stud – Anquan Boldin

Boldin is a great play this week for the same reasons as Warner. He had a sub par outing last week and will be happy to make up for it at the expense of the Rams.

Sleeper – Eddie Royal

Royal has been hit or miss this year, but Cutler has been hot and the Chiefs are coming to town. In the first meeting with KC, Royal had 9 rec. for 104 yards.

Snoozer – Terrell Owens

Owens has had back-to-back big games, but now the Cowboys face the stingy Steelers defense. Pittsburgh has only allowed one receiver to top 80 yards in the last 7 games.
RB

Stud – Adrian Peterson

League’s leading rusher vs. League’s worst run defense

Sleeper – Kevin Smith

Smith faces a tough defense, but they could be without their 2 starting defensive tackles. Smith also averaged over 12 yards per carry when the Lions visited the Metrodome earlier this season.

Snoozer – Clinton Portis

Portis had 21+ carries in each of his first 8 games, but the injuries have caught up to him and he’s had 15 or less carries in 3 of the last 4. The Ravens also boast the league’s 3rd ranked run defense and yield just 78 ypg.
K

Stud – Matt Bryant

Bryant came through again last week with 3 field goals and 2 XP. He’s about as consistent as you can hope for and the Bucs offense gets him in range.

Sleeper – Neil Rackers

Rackers hasn’t been able to live up to expectations after a monster year in 2005, but in the 2 weeks before the Eagles game he made 7 of 8 attempts. This week he’ll face the Rams, so he’ll have plenty of chances to score.

Snoozer – Nick Folk

Folk and the ‘Boys take on a tough Steelers defense this week. Folk will also have to worry about wind and poor field conditions.

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Studs, Sleepers & Snoozers For Week 13 In The NFL

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QB
Stud – Peyton Manning
Manning makes a return trip to the stud spot with a very enticing matchup vs. Cleveland this week. The Browns best defense will be ball control and that’s something that their offense isn’t very good at, so look for the Colts to do plenty of damage.
Sleeper – Brett Favre
Favre has been playing fairly well as of late, but he could really break out this week. Denver has been suspect on defense for the majority of the year and the Jets passing game is really starting to open up with the emergence of Dustin Keller.
Snoozer – Daunte Culpepper
The Culpepper experiment hasn’t been awful, but it hasn’t been a success either. There is a theory that the Lions always step it up on Thanksgiving Day because it’s like their Super Bowl. That’s not the case when the Titans defense comes to town.
WR
Stud – Roddy White
White was relatively quiet on Sunday after several weeks of trying to prove that he’s the best receiver in football. This week the Falcons will head to San Diego to take on a very suspect Chargers pass defense.
Sleeper – Justin Gage
Gage had 2 big weeks, but was a disappointment last week in what should have been a nice matchup. He’ll head to Detroit on Thursday, so he should have plenty of chances to find pay dirt.
Snoozer – Randy Moss
Moss is back on the radar after his 3 TD performance on Sunday, but don’t expect the Steelers to leave him in single coverage. Pittsburgh plays the pass very well and even if Cassel has time to throw, Moss won’t be willing to risk a big hit from Troy Polamalu.
RB
Stud – Adrian Peterson
It’s tough to figure out what Brad Childress is thinking when it comes to his use of AP, but he always gets his touches in the end. Minnesota takes on a Bears defense that got shredded by Ryan Grant. That’s good news for Peterson.
Sleeper – Chris Johnson
Johnson was a non-factor against a solid Jets rush defense last week, but that’s good news for this week. He received only 10 carries so he’s well rested for his date with a porous Lions defensive unit.
Snoozer – Matt Forte
This is a tough spot to list the talented rookie, especially after coming off of a huge game vs. St. Louis. The problem is that he’s facing a very solid Vikings defense and the Bears have started to go with other options on the goal line. There are better options this week.
K
Stud – Matt Bryant
Bryant will maintain his stud status until he proves me wrong. He only notched one field goal last week, but it was a long one. He also racked up a decent amount of extra points. Tampa should have plenty of scoring chances against a weak Saints defense.
Sleeper – Stephen Gostkowski
The Patriots will certainly have trouble moving the ball against the Steelers, but this feels like one of those games that they can get into FG range and not much further.
Snoozer – Jason Hanson
Hanson is usually one of the only useful Lions on a given week, but it’s hard to imagine the Lions sustaining a drive long enough to get him any chances this week.

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The Michael Vick Legacy

You ever see the show Dexter on Showtime? Well, I’ve been rather obsessed with it of late and I thought I might nominate a particular target for everyone’s favorite serial killer. Now, maybe a little back story: Dexter Morgan is an “orphaned” child who is raised by a noble Miami Police Officer. Early in Dexter’s life, Harry, Dexter’s foster father, realizes that Dexter has an uncontrollable psychological urge to kill, one that cannot be cured with things like therapy. So Harry, feeling attached to this boy, begins to find ways to channel his “son’s” urges toward good. He teaches him to be a perfect, uncatchable murderer, but the only condition is, he can only kill those who take innocent lives and manage to escape justice.

Now read this excerpt from a recent Associated Press story:

“Michael Vick put family pets in rings with pit bulls and thought it was funny watching the trained killers injure or kill the helpless dogs, a witness told federal investigators during the dogfighting investigation that brought Vick down.”
This of course is testimony from someone called “confidential witness Number 1” and his account may be subject to some scrutiny given the fact that he is operating under anonymity. However, reading that, picturing that, can you say that Michael Vick doesn’t sound like a sadistic, vicious murderer? I’m not trying to go all PETA on you I swear. I’m not operating under the precondition to “defend those who cannot defend themselves.” All I’m saying is, picturing that, and then looking at Michael Vick’s face, can you honestly say that you wouldn’t let out a big exhale of relief if Michael Vick suddenly disappeared?
Obviously no one is condoning murder, but it’s one of those human conditions where the end justifies the mysterious means. If these allegations are true, if confidential witness Number 1 wasn’t just blowing smoke up all of our asses, if Michael Vick suddenly disappeared, is there one person out there reading this (all 6 of you) that would actually have a vested interest in finding him?
Now when the whole Michael Vick thing came down, there were a lot of voices, the talking heads, which were saying that it was unjust for people to so harshly judge Michael Vick for his role in a dogfighting operation. Dogs aren’t humans after all, and killers of dogs aren’t real murderers. To counter, I present this, my psychological analysis for why dogs are so beloved in our society. The first reason is joy, whether we work for their affection or not, dogs have an innate ability to bring people joy and pleasure. The second reason is key, dependency. It’s a natural human reaction to be more emotionally invested in those things that are dependent on you. A properly bred and broken house dog is completely dependent on his owner. Harm done to your dog is harm done to you, just like a child. Right or wrong, rationally or irrationally, that is why people are so taken aback by what Michael Vick did. That is why most people would quietly support any action taken against him. That is why no one is in any hurry to get one of the greatest athletes alive on their football team any time soon.
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Did he really just say that?

Did he really just say that?

It’s not uncommon for a professional athlete or coach to give the media a sound clip that will be played for years to come.

How many times have we heard Jim Mora’s rant about the Colts making the playoffs?

How many times have we heard Allen Iverson downplay the importance of practice?

Terrell Owens, Randy Moss or Chad Johnson can usually be counted on to say something that we can talk about all week, but we have a newcomer to the group.

Donovan McNabb didn’t know that there were ties in the NFL???

"I've never been a part of a tie. I never even knew that was in the rule book," he said after Sunday’s game. "It's part of the rules, and we have to go with it. I was looking forward to getting the opportunity to get out there and try to drive to win the game. But unfortunately, with the rules, we settled with a tie."

Are you kidding me? He’s been in the league for 10 years and the last tie was in 2002. You could argue that players don’t pay attention to the outcome of other games, but McNabb and the Eagles actually played the Falcons that season after Atlanta had taken part in that tie.

Andy Reid tried to defend his signal caller by saying that there are rules that players don’t know about, but I’m not buying that excuse. We’re not talking about some obscure rule about laterals or if there is a 10 second runoff on a false start in the last 2 minutes of a game. Just because ties don’t happen often, doesn’t excuse McNabb on this one.

One thing is for sure…Donovan won’t forget that ties are possible because he’ll hear his sound bit well after he’s done playing in the NFL.

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Is It Really That Hard To Coach In The NFL?

By The Sports Consigliere

Sometimes I can’t help but wonder what is so hard about life as an NFL coach.

Now don’t get me wrong, I don’t discredit that they have a hard job and it takes a lot of preparation in the week leading up to the game. However, I find myself scratching my head at situations that really don’t seem that difficult, yet still get screwed up.

It would be easy to throw someone like Herm Edwards under the bus for going for the win vs. San Diego. When Shannahan does it and succeeds, it’s a gutsy call. When Edwards fails, it was the wrong decision. I don’t fault the choice and as Herm says, “you play to win the game.”

There have been 2 scenarios over the past week that I just can’t seem to comprehend.

The first situation came on Monday night as the 49ers drove down the field for the win.

Shaun Hill was doing a remarkable job hooking up with his playmakers and got the ball all the way down to the 2-yard line. As they begin to change out their package, I can’t help but wonder why they didn’t just spike the ball. They get the goal line group in and catch them off guard by running…a spike??? What kind of clock mismanagement leads to wasting 25 seconds while switching out personnel only to spike the ball anyway?

So there they sit, a few feet from a victory with enough time to call any play. They choose a run with Frank Gore and he comes up just shy. While the play is under review, Martz and Co. had plenty of time to come up with a genius call that would lead to the game winning score with no time left on the clock.

The ball is placed down and the clock begins to tick. Hill is set for what will surely be some sort of bootleg that gives him a run/pass option. He takes the snap and runs a dive to Michael Robinson?!?!

If I’m calling plays for a team that has a mobile quarterback, a great RB, some decent wide receivers and a solid TE, I’m certainly not running a dive with my backup running back.

Is it really that hard?

The 2nd scenario happened just last night.

The New York Jets defensive backs did a great job of shutting Randy Moss down, all night long. Well, almost all night long.

Through the first 59 minutes and 52 seconds, the Jets had bumped, jammed and annoyed Moss as he tried to release from the line. They would stand him up for the first couple of yards and by that time, Moss simply didn’t feel like finishing his route. You could see it on every snap during the final New England dive.

There was no way that the Jets were going to allow Moss to run by them and get room to roam. So why would they change that strategy on the last play? What would make you think that it was suddenly a good time to give him a 7-yard cushion?

About 7 seconds after I starred at the top of my screen and wondered why he wasn’t being jammed, the game was tied.

Being that the Jets went on to win in OT, most people will forget that play. I’ll continue to wonder if it’s really that hard.

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Spaceball's Fav 5 For Week 11 In The NFL

Quarterback

Peyton Manning Vs. Houston

Manning has been very impressive in his last three starts and torched a Pittsburgh’s defense last week for 240 Yards and 3 touchdowns! Manning finally got his groove back and I’m looking for him to have a monster game against the Texans this week!
Projection: 320 Yards & 3 Touchdowns

Running Back

Frank Gore Vs. St. Louis

Gore just missed eclipsing the 100 yard mark last week and has 90 + rushing yards in his last 2 games. Shaun Hill is much better under center than J.T. O’Sullivan and defenses are forced to respect the 49ers passing game now. St. Louis has one of the worst defenses in football, so get ready for a career day from F.G.
Projection: 175 Yards & 2 Touchdowns

Wide Receiver

Steve Smith Vs. Detroit

In Madden, you could control Detroit’s defense to give them a shot at stopping Carolina’s Panthers passing attack this week. In reality,expect Might Mouse to torch Detroit’s secondary for a minimum of 125 yards on Sunday. Steve Smith has been smok’n hot since he’s returned to the playing field and he’s going to want to make people forget his stats ( 1 catch for 9 yards) in last weeks game against the Raiders!
Projection: 145 Yards & 2 Touchdowns

Wide Receiver

Marques Colston Vs. Kansas City

May Day, May Day….We have a Marques Colston signting & he’s finally arrived! Colston had a coming out party against the Falcons in week 10 by catching 7 passes for 140 receiving yards. Colston looks like he’s finally healthy, so get ready for him to put up some big numbers this week in the most pass heavy offense in the greatest show on turf.
Projection: 110 Yards & 2 Touchdowns

Kicker

Jason Elam Vs. Denver

Doesn’t everybody love to get a shot to prove to their old employer that they made a mistake for letting them go? Elam is kicking behind a resurgent Falcons offense right now and he’s going to have plenty of scoring opportunities in a game that’s going to replicate last week’s high scoring affair between the Browns & Broncos.
Projection: 3 Field Goals & 3 Extra Points

Week 10 Review In The All American Touchdown Derby

More (President-Elect) Obama For Yo Mama! is still leading the All-American Touchdown Derby, but things are starting to get a bit more interesting.

MOFYM has 137 touchdowns although the lead has been trimmed to just 2 scores.

Packers Nation is in hot pursuit with 135 touchdowns and South Side Strikers isn’t far back with 134 TD.

Rocket Launchers is holding firm with 131 passing touchdowns and Air Assasins jumps into the Top 5 with 128 TD.

Philip Rivers has some company.

After a huge Monday night showing, Kurt Warner has tied Rivers with 19 scoring strikes.

Jay Cutler blew up on Thursday and sits in 3^rd place. He’s tied with Drew Brees and each player has 18 TD.

Brett Favre practiced his handoffs all game long, but still managed one TD and that put him at 16 on the year.

Peyton Manning turned in a solid performance and sits alone in 6^th place.

Little brother Eli and Tony Romo are one touchdown back, with 14 each.

Donovan McNabb was able to find the end zone this week, but Aaron Rodgers was not and they each have 13 scores.

Matt Ryan continues his bid for Rookie of the Year and now has 12 touchdowns.

The logjam for 12^th place consists of Ben Roethlisberger, Kyle Orton, Gus Frerotte, Matt Schaub and Jake Delhomme. Each player has 10 touchdowns.

The biggest mover this week was Tyler Thigpen. He vaulted into a tie for 27^th courtesy of his 3 touchdown game vs. the Chargers.

Carson Palmer continues to slide down the board, but early word is that Matt Hasselbeck has a good chance to add to his TD total in Week 11.

Nick Anthony's Free NFL Picks

Nick Anthony’s Sunday Selections

November 9th, 2008

by admin

New Orleans Vs. Atlanta
Spread: Falcons - 1
The Play: New Orleans - 1
Nick Anthony’s 5 Star Play Of The Day!

Tennessee Vs. Chicago
Spread: Titans - 3
The Play: Bars + 3

Detroit Vs. Jacksonville
Spread: Jaguars - 6.5
The Play: Lions + 6.5

Seattle Vs. Miami
The Spread: Dolphins - 9
The Play: Seahawks + 9

Green Bay Vs. Minnesota
The Spread: Vikings - 2.5
The Play: Vikings - 2.5

Buffalo Vs. New England
The Spread: Patriots - 3.5
The Play: Patriots - 3.5
Nick Anthony’s 5 Star Play Of The Day!

St. Louis Vs. New York Jets
The Spread: Jets - 9
The Play: Jets - 9

Baltimore Vs. Houtson
The Spread: Texans -1
The Play: Baltimore + 1
Nick Anthony’s 5 Star Play Of The Day!

Carolina Vs. Oakland
The Spread: Panthers - 9
The Play: Panthers - 9

Pittsburgh Vs. Indianapolis
The Spread: Steelers - 4
The Play: Colts + 4
Nick Anthony’s 5 Star Play Of The Day!

San Diego Vs. Kansas City
The Spread: Chargers - 14.5
The Play: Chiefs + 14.5

Philadelphia Vs. New York Giants
The Spread: Eagles - 3
The Play: Put Everything you’ve got on the G-Men!!!
Nick Anthony’s Play Of The Day!

San Francisco Vs. Arizona
The Spread: Cardinals - 9.5
The Play: 49ers + 9.5

Nick Anthony Went 12 & 3 last week in the NFL; raising his overall win percentage to 57% this NFL season…Wow!!!

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Who is Spaceball?

Hi there and welcome to Spaceball Football. This year you can hear me on a variety of radio stations all over the country!

Who am I? I'm the expert with an attitude. I'm the expert with a sense of humor. But then again, nobody said experts had to be boring.

In addition to my show and guest appearances on Morning and Afternoon drive shows during the week, I was also tapped by the Chicago Sun Times to write a weekly column. At my 1st ever Fantasy Football convention, over 500 men came out to talk about their upcoming drafts. (For the record - this was as Peyton Manning was coming off his 28 interception rookie season.and I told everyone to keep him as he was going to be bigger than huge). By the time I took over ESPN Radio in Chicago, Fantasy Football was a mainstay in the city.
When it comes to Fantasy Football, that list of experts only goes one name deep. Millions play, hundreds are self-proclaimed 'experts,' but only one is a Fantasy Football legend. It's been my dream and now, it's your reality.

In much the same manner that Batman never revealed who he was in real life, I cannot either, however in my real life identity - I was the one who introduced the game to the general sports public some 20 years ago when I was running the Chicago sports radio station WSCR-AM (The Score) by hosting a Sunday morning Fantasy Football show. Fans would call as early as 5:30a and hold up to 45 minutes for the chance to ask my opinion on whom they should play that day.

Today, I show up on a regular basis on a number of stations throughout the country as well as make occasional appearances on a variety of other radio shows such as Steve Dahl (WJMK-FM / Chicago ), Mike North (WSCR-AM / Chicago), and Kevin Matthews (WLAV-FM / Grand Rapids ).

Give it a try. Tune in one day, talk some fantasy and let's have some fun.

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World Series Preview

Who would have guessed that the World Series would come down to the Tampa Bay Rays and the Philadelphia Phillies?

The Rays have turned things around from the previous decade of losing and all of the young talent is finally starting to take over.

The Phillies were led into the playoffs by the very guy that they benched early in the year. I am, of course, talking about MVP candidate Ryan Howard.

So how does a matchup of the unlikely opponents breakdown?

When you look at the hitting for each team, the first thought is that the Phillies have the edge. Ryan Howard, Chase Utley and Pat Burrell provide all the power needed and Shane Victorino Jimmy Rollins can set the table.

The Rays counter with Carlos Pena, Evan Longoria and BJ Upton for power, while Carl Crawford provides the speed on the bases. Willy Aybar could be the deciding factor as he’s batting .367 this postseason.

Talent wise, the 2 teams look similar but give a slight edge to the Rays based on the lack of consistency from Ryan Howard and the week long layoff that may prevent the Phillies from getting off to a good start.

When you glance at the pitching staffs, Cole Hamels and Brad Lidge certainly jump off the page. I could argue that beyond that, the Phillies are pretty thin.

The Rays will line up Scott Kazmir in Game 1, who is the man responsible for their home field advantage courtesy of his victory in the All-Star Game. James Shields, Matt Garza and Andy Sonnanstine will follow Kazmir. Matt Garza will be a factor in the World Series after the offseason trade from the Minnesota Twins. David Price may have found his spot as the closer for the series.

Tampa gets the edge on pitching based on Kazmir, Garza and the wild card Price.

Defense is what Tampa Bay prided itself on all year and when someone was injured, the next guy stepped in and played just as well. That being said, they looked very shaky in the ALCS. Game 5 should have been headed to extra innings as Longoria made a great backhanded stop on Kevin Youkilis, but the throw was short and bounced into the stands. The next batter delivered a hit and the series headed back to the Trop.

The Phillies field a solid defensive unit and they have committed four errors during postseason play. Evan Longoria has 3. Rollins and Utley are solid up the middle, but it remains to be seen who gets the start at 3^rd base.

Based on the sloppy play of Tampa in the ALCS, the defensive edge goes to Philadelphia.

Other factors in this series are home field advantage and the incredible story that the Rays are writing. It’s hard to imagine that Tampa Bay will not be ready to go when the first pitch is thrown. They will have their wild fans banging on the cowbells and they can’t afford to disappoint. They are a young team, but showed a lot of heart against Boston.

The Tampa Bay Rays will be crowned World Series Champions after Game 6.

Major League Baseball Playoffs Recap

Twenty-seven games ago, 8 teams kicked off baseball’s second season.

The Division playoffs promised to be hard fought and exciting, but that promise certainly wasn’t kept.

The Milwaukee Brewers entered the playoffs on the back of CC Sabathia and were ready to take on the Philadelphia Phillies.

Cole Hamels proved to be the ace of the series with a gem in Game 1. Hamels pitched 8 innings and allowed only 2 hits while striking out 9 batters. He didn’t allow a run.

Sabathia was roughed up in Game 2, possibly due to the amount of pitches he threw in the last week of the regular season. He was pulled in the 4^th inning after surrendering 6 hits, 5 runs and 4 walks.

The Phillies went on the win the series, 4-1.

In the other National League series, the Chicago Cubs were set to play host to Manny and the Dodgers in what was supposed to be the least exciting of the 4 series.

It certainly wasn’t exciting, if you’re a Cubs fan.

Ryan Dempster, Carlos Zambrano and Rich Harden were lit up during the Dodgers sweep. Chicago was embarrassed at home and were outscored 20-6 for the series.

On the American League side, the Tampa Bay Rays cinderella story wasn’t finished just yet as they welcomed the Chicago White Sox to Florida.

Ozzie was able to guide his boys into the postseason in grand fashion and the White Sox were poised to used their playoff experience to end the Rays season.

Someone forgot to tell the Rays about that plan. James Shields, Scott Kazmir and Andy Sonnanstine all picked up victories for Tampa Bay, while BJ Upton and Evan Longoria proved the offense as Tampa went on to finish off Chicago in 4 games.

The Los Angeles Angels hadn’t had anything to play for in close to a month, so they were happy to get started when the Boston Red Sox came to town.

Jon Lester proved to be too much for the Angels as he hurled 14 innings of shutout ball and led the Sox to 2 victories. This was probably the most exciting series of the first round, as Games 2, 3 and 4 were hard fought contests.

So the Championship round was set. The Philadelphia Phillies would face the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Tampa Bay Rays would host their hated rivals from Boston.

In the Phillies-Dodgers series, it came down to Cole Hamels vs. Chad Billingsley. Hamels won the series MVP by notching 2 wins, going 14 innings and allowing just 3 runs. Billingsley on the other hand failed to escape the 3^rd inning in Games 1 and 5. He allowed 11 runs and the series was never in doubt. The Phillies are headed to the World Series courtesy of a 4-1 series win.

The American League Championship couldn’t have been much different.

In what was sure to be a series of emotional swings, Boston went into St. Petersburg and took Game 1 by shutting out the red hot Rays. Tampa battled back in Game 2 and won the game in extra innings. Boston still had the advantage, having split on the road, and now they were headed back to the friendly confines of Fenway Park.

The Rays showed the baseball world that they weren’t intimidated as they took Games 3 and 4 by a combined score of 22-5. They were well on their way to wrapping up the series when they led 7-0 after 6 innings in Game 5, but the Sox mounted one of the greatest comebacks in playoff history when they scored 8 runs over the next 3 innings to win 8-7.

The series swung back to Florida and Boston proceeded to win Game 6 and force the pivotal Game 7.

Tampa Bay wasn’t about to let the dream die on their home turf and rookie phenom David Price stole the show and earned the save by striking out 3 of 4 batters to close out the game.

So here we are…The Philadelphia Phillies will open up the World Series in Florida as they take on the Tampa Bay Rays.

Final Week Review In Major League Baseball

The Los Angeles Angels were the first to clinch a playoff spot and the first to clinch their division. They rounded out their regular season accomplishments by securing the best record in baseball, going 100-62 this season.

The Angels will play host to the American League Wild Card winners, the Boston Red Sox. The Red Sox were able to capture their playoff berth with ease and hope to play the spoiler role over an Angels team that many people predict will win the World Series.

The first team to clinch their post-season berth in the National League was the Chicago Cubs. Wrigley Field will be the site of the first two Cubs games as they welcome the Los Angeles Dodgers to town. The Dodgers were the 2^nd team in the National League to claim their spot in the second season.

The rest of the National League playoff picture didn’t settle into place without heartbreak and drama.

With the season drawing to a close, we knew that either the New York Mets or the Philadelphia Phillies would clinch the division and the loser was left to battle the slumping Milwaukee Brewers for the Wild Card berth.

Ryan Howard kept the Phillies winning when it mattered and they clinched the division with a game to spare.

That left the Mets and Brewers tied for the last spot with just one day left in the season. Mets fans were left with the reality that lightning can strike twice and the Mets had collapsed for the 2^nd time in two years and would miss the playoffs after a 4-2 loss following a Brewers win.

These 2 teams will now face off as Ryan Braun and CC Sabathia head to Philadelphia to take on Chase Utley and Cole Hamels.

The American League didn’t settle on a playoff lineup without some drama either.

The Twins were able to sweep the White Sox and claim a slight edge in the division race late in the week. The Sox and Twins both dropped 2 of 3 games in the last series of the year, which made it necessary for Detroit to head to U.S. Cellular Field on Monday for a makeup game.

Chicago won the game 8-2 and forced a one game playoff to decide the winner of the American League Central.

In what could be the worse rule in professional sports, the Twins were forced to play the game in Chicago based on a coin flip, despite holding a 10-8 season series edge.

John Danks and Nick Blackburn battled it out in an unlikely pitcher’s duel. The only mistake of the game came when Nick Blackburn left a pitch up to Jim Thome and he hit a 461-foot homerun for the game’s only run.

The White Sox win sends them to Tampa Bay to take on the American League East Champion Rays.

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Major League Baseball Weekly Review

The playoff landscape is starting to take shape.

The Los Angeles Angels have the advantage of setting up their rotation and resting key players before the start of the 2^nd season.

The Chicago Cubs now share a similar situation after clinching the division.

The Tampa Bay Rays have clinched a playoff spot, but have not wrapped up the division title. They lead Boston by 1.5 games.

The Chicago White Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers are in the driver’s seat for their respective playoff berths. It would take a huge collapse for either not to make it in. If one of them were to fail to reach the postseason, it would be the White Sox who could see their 2.5 game lead disappear if they are swept at Minnesota this week.

The Philadelphia Phillies hold a 1.5 game edge over the New York Mets. The Phillies are 9-1 over their last 10 games while the Mets are just 4-6. Sound familiar?

If the Mets can’t catch the Phillies, they are likely to capture the wild card spot. They lead the Milwaukee Brewers by 1.5 games and the Brewers can’t seem to string anything together this month. They are 5-15 in September.

If Tampa Bay holds off the Red Sox, then Boston will take the American League wild card.

September is always a surprise as you see veterans get hot or maybe rookies get a call up and impress.

Adrian Gonzalez, Prince Fielder, Carlos Pena, Shin-Soo Choo, Jorge Cantu and David Ortiz all have at least 3 homeruns and 10 RBI this week. Only Ortiz carries a batting average under .368, but the stat of the week is Ryan Garko’s .833 batting average!

Dan Haren, Kyle Davies, Ryan Dempster, Ted Lilly, Scott Lewis, Tony Pena, Brad Ziegler and Daisuke Matsuzaka each picked up 2 wins this week. Joakim Soria and Brad Lidge closed out four games apiece for their clubs.

Is There Another Jinx That's Worse Than The Madden Curse?

The Madden Curse has a long history of claiming seasons and even a career.

There are several different opinions on how many people were actually affected by the curse.

Here is the evidence…

Garrison Heart appeared on the 1999 cover and went on to enjoy a career season, but then suffered a broken ankle in the playoffs and the Niners lost the game.

Barry Sanders graced the 2000 cover along with John Madden. Sanders retired before the season even started.

Eddie George may be an exception as he followed his 2001 appearance with a very solid year. It was a year after that in which he turned in career lows across the board and was never the same again.

Daunte Culpepper was coming off a season of nearly 4500 total yards and 40 TD. He graced the 2002 cover and threw for 14 TD and 13 INT before a back injury ended his season.

Marshall Faulk was coming off a Super Bowl appearance and was the reigning Offensive Player of the Year when he agreed to be on the cover of Madden 2003. He suffered an ankle sprain that cost him 6 games and he failed to reach 1000 yards rushing for the first time in 7 years. He never returned to his previous level of play.

Michael Vick was a rising star when he appeared on the 2004 cover. He didn’t even make it out of the preseason as he suffered a fractured fibula on a nasty tackle from behind. Vick only appeared in 5 games that season.

Ray Lewis is another questionable cursed player. He was the first defensive player to make the cover when he was on Madden 2005. He led the Ravens to a division title the prior season and had a career high 6 interceptions. After becoming a cover boy, he failed to record an INT and failed to make the playoffs. He did have a solid season though.

Madden 2006 saw Donovan McNabb on the cover. That season he suffered a sports hernia and attempted to tough it out, but Roy Williams put on hit on McNabb that worsened the injury and caused him to have season ending surgery. He played in just 9 games that year and hasn’t finished a full season since.

The 2007 curse shifted its focus to Shaun Alexander. Alexander rushed for 1880 yards and 27 TD the previous season. After appearing on the cover, he suffered a fracture in his foot and missed 6 games. He failed to reach 1000 yards and scored just 7 TD. He followed that up with a 700 and 4 campaign and is now out of football.

Madden 2008’s cover boy was Vince Young. Young appeared to be ready to step up and become a dual threat quarterback that gave opposing defenses fits. Instead he threw for just 9 TD and 17 INT and missed one game.

The curse finally seemed like it was going to skip a year when the 2009 cover featured Brett Favre, who was safely hidden away in Mississippi enjoying retirement. With his return to the New York Jets, only time will tell if the curse comes true.

What we do know for sure is that there may be another curse to watch out for as it’s already claimed its 2008 poster boy.

Tom Brady was the inspiration behind the logo for The All American Touchdown Derby at passitdeep.com after his record-breaking season last year. It seemed like a no brainer that you’d have to honor the record holder for most touchdowns thrown in one season.

And so the story begins…

The All American Touchdown Derby curse has a long history of claiming seasons.

In 2008, a Tom Brady replica graced the front page of passitdeep.com after throwing for a record 50 TD passes in 2007. He stepped onto the field to begin his follow-up campaign and didn’t make it out of the first quarter before suffering a torn ACL and MCL that claimed his season before he could register a single touchdown.

Now this could certainly just be a coincidence, but for the sake of my fantasy football keeper league, I’d prefer if the guys at passitdeep.com didn’t look at Jay Cutler when designing the 2009 version of the game.

Fast, Being A Punk & Stupid Is No Way To Go Through Life

While most of the nation was laughing hysterically at DeSean Jackson’s blunder on TV last night. I must admit, I almost fell off my chair in disbelief and had to repeatedly wipe my eyes because I couldn’t believe what I just saw.
His actions disgusted his head coach Andy Reid & just about every fantasy football owner in the country that needed those 6 points that were taken away from them once officials confirmed that he let the ball go before entering the end zone.
How can a professional athlete get so excited about his first NFL touchdown on Monday Night Football that he completely forgets to cross the pile ons before tossing the ball like a teenager does a pack of cigarettes that he’s not suppossed to have?
DeSean’s new nickname for the rest of the season should be “Premature Jackulation” for celebrating what could have been a 61 yard touchdown strike too early!
Lucky for “D. Jackulation”, the Eagles are way to thin at receiver to bench him and it looks like the NFL’s next hybrid receiver may be Donovan McNab’s new favorite target on the team!
Regardless of talent, I think the Eagles should force DeSean Jackson to run 100 61 yard go routes in practice every day and tape every single one of them with a slow motion camera to make sure he crosses the white stripe before alowing him to go home.
If that’s not good enough, maybe he should start taking 1 pill of Ropex everyday to help him last a little longer to make sure he gets the job done!
Hopefully DeSean realizes that Fast, Being a Punk and Stupid Is No Way To Go Through Life!

Betus.Com's Radio Interview With www.passitdeep.com

Only 3 more days to sign up for The All American Touchdown Derby: www.passitdeep.com

NFL Betting Daily & Week 1 Injury Reports

Every match up, every line and every significant injury is covered every week on the BetUS NFL Betting Daily Podcast, keeping you in the know for the upcoming NFL week 1 games.

We are also paid a visit by Passitdeep.com’s Jim DeGoerge who fills us in on his NFL QB touchdown Derby fantasy game running the whole NFL season…you can win $1500 in cash and a $500 BetUS Free Play for winning this thing, go sign up!

Click on this link or cut & paste it into your browser to listen to our interview with Betus Radio Show Host Damon D!

http://radio.betus.com/2008/09/04/nfl-betting-daily-week-1-injury-reports/

Are The Saints Marching To The Cross Roads State?

My freshman Geology professor at the University of Connecticut, Robert Thorson, once wrote a piece in the Hartford Courant proclaiming that rebuilding New Orleans after Katrina was useless and that no matter what improvements they planned to make there was no way to fully protect the city. Obviously he tried to keep all emotional attachment people have to the city out of his analysis and just give an objective, safe diagnosis. Here is an excerpt from the abstract of that piece written back in 2005:

“Volcanic eruptions, earthquakes and rock avalanches are relatively easy to comprehend because only one earth process is dominant and because the energy is released dramatically. More chronic and complicated hazards, such as the one facing New Orleans today, are much more difficult to comprehend. Resorting to analogy, the so-called war to save New Orleans is less a series of pitched battles against hurricanes than a protracted siege. Four natural armies are camped outside the dikes that wall in the city: the army of the sinking land, the army of the rising sea, the army of the retreating shoreline and the army of the rising river bed. Their patience is endless. Their victory is certain. It’s only a matter of time.”

Now fast forward to today. Hurricane Gustav, originally a Category 4 storm, was downgraded to a Category 2 (out of 5) storm prior to it reaching land in New Orleans. Despite the reduction, despite the millions of dollars spent on rebuilding and fortification after Katrina, the levees of New Orleans were still tested. They passed this test, so I guess all is well that ends well, but how long can this last. If I learned one thing from Professor Thorson and his Geology 105 class, it was that you should never go to war with Mother Nature. There isn’t a weapon or a shield in existence that can withstand her wrath.

Now I’ve never been to New Orleans, regrettably. I have a strong appreciation for the culture and tradition and just the overall mystique that surrounds that city. I have a strong appreciation for the support the citizens give to the athletes that represent them, even in the wake of disaster. But is all of that worth the lives of thousands? Is the spirit of New Orleans lost if moved a few miles up the coast? What is the price in human currency of the New Orleans tradition? I can’t answer these questions, but someone should. Gustav came and went with a relative whisper, but now Hurricane Hannah, the next wave in Mother Nature’s attack on the Big Easy, will try its luck on the levees.

Not to get political, but if we are going attack the government for their handling of Hurricane Katrina, if we are going to demand that the citizens of a city that seems to be first on Aeolus the Greek God of Storm’s s*** list be protected, perhaps we should start looking to ourselves for answers. Someday we may find that we are paying too high a price for the Big Easy. Perhaps it isn’t so easy after all.

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www.letsgodeep.com

Has Ocho Cinco Gone Psycho?

Chad Johnson has always been viewed as an odd ball for his on the field antics, but his past shenanigans don’t compare to what he just did off the field this week.

According to Miami radio station 790 The Ticket, the receiver has legally changed his last name to “Ocho Cinco.”
Johnson forewarned the public that a major surprise was coming during a recent interview with Chris McKendry on ESPN’s SportsCenter & he couldn’t have been more correct.

Ocho Cinco, The Wide Receiver Formerly known as Chad Johnson, has always wanted to wear his nickname on the back of his Jersey, but the National Football League wouldn’t allow it without fining the Prima donna receiver.
Johnson started a buzz in Cincinnati during the off season by requesting a trade because he didn’t feel enough love from Carson Palmer & The Bengals organization. Ocho Cinco, loves the lime light and will do anything he can to make sure he’s a highlight on ESPN and in the public eye!

I can’t help, but to ask myself if he’s a genius who will be able to make millions marketing his own brand identity or has he gone completely mad like Mike Tyson did when he tattooed a tribal scribe on his face to look more intimidating in the ring?

Whatever it is, Ocho Cinco has sent shockwaves around the football world with his unpredictable behavior once again & I’m even happier with myself that I drafted him on my fantasy football team this 2008 season!

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NFL Quarterbacks Pre-Season Progress Report

Tom Brady

Team: Patriots

Last game: 17-27 loss vs. Eagles

Results: DNP…Brady missed yet another preseason game, but says he’ll be ready for the opener.

Tony Romo

Team: Cowboys

Last game: 23-22 win vs. Texans

Results: 15-19, 166 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT…This was a very solid performance for Romo and he appears ready for the season.

Peyton Manning

Team: Colts

Last game: 7-20 loss vs. Bills

Results: DNP. He has yet to test out his knee.

Ben Roethlisberger

Team: Steelers

Last game: 12-10 win vs. Vikings

Results: 10-17, 65 yds…Big Ben gave way for Leftwich to have an extended look in this one.

Derek Anderson

Team: Browns

Last game: 6-26 loss vs. Lions

Results: DNP. He’s still sitting out due to his head injury.

Drew Brees

Team: Saints

Last game: 13-0 win vs. Bengals

Results: 14-22, 199 yds, 1 TD…Brees will be one of the best again this year.

Matt Hasselbeck

Team: Seahawks

Last game: 17-18 loss vs. Chargers

Results: DNP. Frye got the look in this one.

Kurt Warner

Team: Cardinals

Last game: 24-0 win vs. Raiders

Results: 2-4, 40 yds…The best thing for Warner was Leinart’s 3 INT.

Carson Palmer

Team: Bengals

Last game: 0-13 loss vs. Saints

Results: 11-16, 105 yds…This doesn’t say much without Housh and Chad on the field.

Eli Manning

Team: Giants

Last game: 7-10 loss vs. Jets

Results: 10-17, 113 yds…It’s tough to gauge Eli when Plax isn’t on the field.

Philip Rivers

Team: Chargers

Last game: 18-17 win vs. Seahawks

Results: 11-21, 143 yds…So far, the knee is holding up.

Donovan McNabb

Team: Eagles

Last game: 27-17 win vs. Patriots

Results: 13-17, 180 yds, 1 TD…McNabb looked very efficient in his most extended preseason game.

David Garrard

Team: Jaguars

Last game: 23-17 win vs. Buccaneers

Results: 10-16, 118 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT…This was a very solid showing for Garrard. If he plays that way the whole year, the Jags will be near the top of the AFC.

Marc Bulger

Team: Rams

Last game: 24-10 win vs. Ravens

Results: 18-25, 182 yds, 2 TD…This looks like the Bulger of old.

Jay Cutler

Team: Broncos

Last game: 24-27 loss vs. Packers

Results: 6-13, 115 yds, 2 TD…Cutler didn’t complete many passes but he certainly made the most of them.

Jon Kitna

Team: Lions

Last game: 26-6 win vs. Browns

Results: 9-11, 98 yds…Kitna was accurate and more importantly he didn’t turn the ball over.

Jeff Garcia

Team: Buccaneers

Last game: 17-23 loss vs. Jaquars

Results: 11-18, 79 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT…Garcia can’t be happy about this performance, but he won’t be losing his job over it.

Jason Campbell

Team: Redskins

Last game: 3-47 loss vs. Panthers

Results: 6-10, 39 yds…It was not a good game for Campbell, as the score indicates.

Matt Schaub

Team: Texans

Last game: 22-23 loss vs. Cowboys

Results: 15-27, 166 yds, 1 TD…Schaub wasn’t very accurate but he’ll be huge for Houston if he can stay healthy.

Tarvaris Jackson

Team: Vikings

Last game: 10-12 loss vs. Steelers

Results: DNP. He’s still nursing his knee.

Vince Young

Team: Titans

Last game: 3-17 loss vs. Falcons

Results: 9-18, 102 yds, 1 INT…Standard Vince here. He has yet to turn into a complete QB.

Jake Delhomme

Team: Panthers

Last game: 47-3 win vs. Redskins

Results: 11-19, 159 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT…So far, so good for Delhomme.

Aaron Rodgers

Team: Packers

Last game: 27-24 win vs. Broncos

Results: 18-22, 193 yds, 1 TD…This is exactly what Rodgers needed to get fans to forget about Brett Favre.

Sage Rosenfels

Team: Texans

Last game: 22-23 loss vs. Cowboys

Results: 4-8, 29 yds…There’s not much to report here as he wasn’t given much playing time.

Damon Huard

Team: Chiefs

Last game: 0-24 loss vs. Dolphins

Results: 3-7, 26 yds, 1 INT…Ouch.

Chad Pennington

Team: Dolphins

Last game: 24-0 win vs. Chiefs

Results: 11-15, 94 yds, 1 TD…Short passes and a high completion percentage are exactly what Miami fans can get used to seeing.

Brian Griese

Team: Buccaneers

Last game: 17-23 loss vs. Jaquars

Results: 7-11, 71 yds…He has proven that he can be solid in relief of Garcia.

Josh McCown

Team: Dolphins

Last game: 24-0 win vs. Chiefs

Results: DNP…McCown is probably 4^th in line right now.

Quinn Gray

Team: Colts

Last game: 7-20 loss vs. Bills

Results: 8-16, 158 yds, 1 TD, 4 INT…Gray will find himself buried on the depth chart after this game.

Chris Redman

Team: Falcons

Last game: 17-3 win vs. Titans

Results: 9-11, 83 yds…Redman was good enough to lock up the backup spot and will take over if Ryan struggles.

Kyle Boller

Team: Ravens

Last game: 10-24 loss vs. Rams

Results: DNP. Flacco was given a long look in this one.

Joey Harrington

Team: Falcons

Last game: 17-3 win vs. Titans

Results: DNP…It’s not a good sign when you’re sitting out preseason games and you’re not the starter.

Trent Edwards

Team: Bills

Last game: 20-7 win vs. Colts

Results: DNP. The Bills let Losman handle this one.

Gus Frerotte

Team: Vikings

Last game: 10-12 loss vs. Steelers

Results: 13-19, 133 yds, 1 INT…He started in place of Jackson and struggled.

Brodie Croyle

Team: Chiefs

Last game: 0-24 loss vs. Dolphins

Results: 12-21, 110 yds, 1 INT…It wasn’t a good outing, but he’s clearly the best of the KC options.

Cleo Lemon

Team: Jaguars

Last game: 23-17 win vs. Buccaneers

Results: 9-12, 56 yds…No INT’s is key here. If he finds himself in the game, he’ll need to take care of the ball.

Kellen Clemens

Team: Jets

Last game: 10-7 win vs. Giants

Results: 9-12, 83 yds…Clemens turned in numbers very close to Favre, so the Jets have to be happy about that.

Trent Green

Team: Rams

Last game: 24-10 win vs. Ravens

Results: DNP. Kind of concerning since the Rams played 3 QB.

Luke McCown

Team: Buccaneers

Last game: 17-23 loss vs. Jaguars

Results: 11-19, 104 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT…He was the best of the Bucs quarterbacks.

Todd Collins

Team: Redskins

Last game: 3-47 loss vs. Panthers

Results: 9-15, 79 yds…He was the most impressive of the Washington QBs, or is it the least unimpressive?

Shaun Hill

Team: 49ers

Last game: 37-30 win vs. Bears

Results: 6-7, 60 yds…Hill was effective but O’ Sullivan has clearly taken the reigns.

JP Losman

Team: Bills

Last game: 20-7 win vs. Colts

Results: 13-19, 108 yds…JP did nothing to prove that he should be starting.

Rex Grossman

Team: Bears

Last game: 30-37 loss vs. 49ers

Results: 1-4, 6 yds…Lovie made the right call.

Kyle Orton

Team: Bears

Last game: 30-37 loss vs. 49ers

Results: 10-17, 147 yds, 2 TD…Orton showed that he can manage the game and give Chicago the best chance to win

Matt Leinart

Team: Cardinals

Last game: 24-0 win vs. Raiders

Results: 4-12, 24 yds, 3 INT…This is the game that lost him his job.

JaMarcus Russell

Team: Raiders

Last game: 0-24 loss vs. Cardinals

Results: 14-28, 140 yds, 1 INT…This could be an average game for Russell this year.

Alex Smith

Team: 49ers

Last game: 37-30 win vs. Bears

Results: 6-17, 83 yds…Smith has a lot of work to do if he ever wants to start again.

Brady Quinn

Team: Browns

Last game: 6-26 loss vs. Lions

Results: 14-24, 106 yds…Quinn looked good, but then again so did Ken Dorsey.

John Beck

Team: Dolphins

Last game: 24-0 win vs. Chiefs

Results: DNP…Beck is 3^rd on the depth chart.

Billy Volek

Team: Chargers

Last game: 18-17 win vs. Seahawks

Results: 3-9, 33 yds…This couldn’t be any less news worthy.

Drew Stanton

Team: Lions

Last game: 26-6 win vs. Browns

Results: DNP. Meanwhile Dan Orlovsky was very solid. Not a good sign.

Matt Ryan

Team: Falcons

Last game: 17-3 win vs. Titans

Results: 15-21, 102 yds, 1 TD…Ryan showed that he can be efficient and not make mistakes.

Brian Brohm

Team: Packers

Last game: 27-24 win vs. Broncos

Results: 0-4…This is not what Green Bay wants to see.

Joe Flacco

Team: Ravens

Last game: 10-24 loss vs. Rams

Results: 18-37, 152 yds, 1 TD…Flacco was given a whole game and he wasn’t amazing, but he wasn’t terrible either.

Chad Henne

Team: Dolphins

Last game: 24-0 win vs. Chiefs

Results: 2-7, 14 yds, 1 INT…Not a good showing for Henne, but he’s clearly the backup.

Brett Favre

Team: Jets

Last game: 10-7 win vs. Giants

Results: 9-12, 96 yds…Brett continues to settle in and has looked solid so far.

J.T. O’Sullivan

Team: 49ers

Last game: 37-30 win vs. Bears

Results: 7-8, 126 yds, 1 TD…O’ Sullivan looked calm and composed and solidified his spot as the starter.

Tyler Thigpen

Team: Chiefs

Last game: 0-24 loss vs. Dolphins

Results: 1-5, -5 yds, 1 INT…No comment.

Troy Smith

Team: Ravens

Last game: 10-24 loss vs. Rams

Results: DNP. Flacco played the whole game.

MLB Weekly Review 8.25.08

Is this “next year” for the Cubs?

If you’re a fan of the Chicago Cubs or just a fan of baseball, you’ve certainly heard the phrase, “there’s always next year.” With the Cubs currently owning the best record in baseball, this really could be their year.

Not only do the 80 wins by the Cubs top all of baseball, their 49-19 home record makes the friendly confines of Wrigley Field someplace that opponents don’t want to be in October. They are also one of only six teams that do not have a losing record on the road.

The Cubs could very well be facing the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in the World Series.

The Angels still hold a commanding 17 game lead in the division despite losing 7 of 9 games recently. They’re starting to look vulnerable losing 2 against Tampa Bay, 2 against Minnesota, 2 against Cleveland and even dropping a game to the lowly Mariners. They will still make the playoffs with ease and their magic number is only 16.

With the Angels, Cubs and Rays looking to hold onto their division leads, 3 other races are a little bit closer.

The Dodgers trail the Diamondbacks by 3 games and the division will be decided very shortly. LA heads to the desert for a 3 games set this weekend, followed by a 3 game series with San Diego and then they play host to Arizona for 3 more games.

The Phillies will also decide a lot in the next couple of weeks. They currently trail the Mets by 0.5 games and host them for 2 games this week. Philadelphia then heads out on a tough road trip, which includes 4 games at Chicago, 3 at Washington and 3 more at New York.

The only race closer than New York and Philadelphia is Minnesota and Chicago, who are tied for the American League Central lead. The Twins are in the middle of a brutal 14 game road trip that started off with a split vs. the Angels. The race will likely come down to the last week of the season when Minnesota hosts Chicago for a 3 game series.

Denard Span has been a spark plug at the plate for the Twins, but no one has been as hot as Grady Sizemore and Matt Holliday.

Sizemore is batting .333 over the past week with 6 runs scored, 1 triple, 2 homeruns, 10 RBI and 4 stolen bases.

Holliday is hitting .417 during the same span with 7 runs, 3 doubles, 1 HR, 6 RBI and 3 stolen bases.

On the other side of the field, Rich Harden and Ricky Nolasco have been lights out.

Harden pitched the Cubs past the Reds and Nationals this week. He picked up 2 wins, going 7 innings in each outing. He scattered 4 hits while allowing only 1 run. He didn’t walk a single batter and struck out 21.

Nolasco was equally impressive with 2 wins on the road vs. the Giants and Diamondbacks. He went 7.1 innings vs. Arizona and logged a complete game against San Francisco. He gave up 5 hits and 2 runs. He recorded 21 strikeouts and 2 walks.

www.letsgodeep.com

Pre-Season NFL Injury Report 8.24.08

Arizona Cardinals

Matt Leinart: According to team reports, Leinart has officially been benched in favor of Kurt Warner. Leinart’s 4 for 12 & 3 INT performance is what did him in.

Kurt Warner: The greatest show on earth may be in full effect in Arizona this season. Kurt Warner has just been named the clubs start to being the ‘08 season.

Atlanta Falcons

Joe Horn: Joe Horn was released by the falcons ball club this week. Horn should catch on with another ball club before the season starts.

Baltimore Ravens

Willis McGahee: McGahee indicated that he should be ready for the regular season, the Baltimore Sun reports.

Buffalo Bills

Roscoe Parrish: Parrish has been nursing a leg injury

Trent Edwards: Edwards is recovering from a deep bruise in his right thigh just above his knee, won’t play in Sunday’s preseason game against the Colts.

Carolina Panthers

D.J. Hackett: Hackett (toe) did not play against the Redskins on Saturday night. Hackett is going to benefit from Steve Smith’s absence the first 2 weeks of the season.

Muhsin Muhammad: Muhammad (sore ribs) sat out Saturday’s preseason win over the Redskins and may be out till the regular season opener.

Chicago Bears

Kevin Jones: KJ made his first appearance with the Bears this past week and had three carries for 30 yards in his Bears debut. Orton will greatly benefit from
KJ’s presence on the football field this year if he can stay healthy.

Desmond Clark: Clark missed Thursday’s preseason game against the 49ers with a sprained knee.

Cincinnati Bengals

Carson Palmer: Palmer’s nose was treated Sunday after it was slightly fractured in Saturday’s game. Palmer will miss the final pre-seaon game, but will be
ready to go come week 1.

Rudi Johnson: Johnson (hamstring) said he’ll return to game action in this coming Thursday night’s preseason finale.

T.J. Houshmandzadeh: Houshmandzadeh didn’t in Saturday’s preseason game against New Orleans. Housh, may suit up for the finale, but don’t count on it.

Chad Johnson: Johnson’s sprained shoulder has progressed quicker than first thought and the regular season opener remains the target for his return, according to team reports.

Cleveland Browns

Derek Anderson: Coach Crennel said if Anderson is cleared to return to practice, he may play in the Browns’ preseason finale on Aug. 28.Derek Anderson is recovering from a
mild concussion.

Braylon Edwards: The Browns said that Edwards is “making progress” with his foot, which was cut in practice 10 days ago. Brylon will miss the rest of the pre-season to
be ready for week 1 action.

Jamal Lewis: Lewis missed Saturday’s game in Detroit after pulling a hamstring in Monday’s loss to the Giants.

Dallas Cowboys

Key Injuries: None

Denver Broncos

Brandon Marshall: Marshall hauled in two passes for 71 yards and a touchdown in Friday’s preseason game against the Packers. Marshall will be out the first 2 games of
the season,but that shouldn’t stop you from taking him in in the first 4 to 5 rounds of your Fantasy Football draft.

Detroit Lions

Jason Hanson: Hanson (hip flexor/thigh sprain) did not play Saturday against the Browns & may miss next weeks game too.

Green Bay Packers

James Jones: Jones has been diagnosed with a sprained knee and he’s considered “week-to-week,” according to team reports.

Ryan Grant: Grant (hamstring) was back at Packers practice Sunday.

Houston Texans

Ahman Green: Green (groin) will not be ready to play in Houston’s preseason finale Thursday, according to team reports.

Chris Brown: Brown (back) is unlikely to play in Houston’s preseason finale on Thursday.

Indianapolis Colts

Peyton Manning: Nothing new here, Manning will continue to miss pre-season play after having minor knee surgery, but will be ready come week 1.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Maurice Jones-Drew: The ankle sprain that Jones-Drew sustained early in Saturday’s preseason game isn’t considered serious and will most likely miss their final pre-season game.

Jerry Porter: Porter may return to practice next week, according to team reports.

Reggie Williams: Williams (knee) returned to practice on Wednesday & should see some action their final pre-season game. Williams had a big year last year & should continue to
be one of David Garrard’s favorite targets in ‘08.

Kansas City Chiefs

Brodie Croyle: Croyle has one more pre-season game to provie he should be the starter of the Chief’s in ‘08. Tyler Thigpen or Damon Huard will get the nod if he continues to
struggle or put up mediocre performances.

Miami Dolphins

Ronnie Brown: Brown may see a lightened workload early in the season as he nurses his injured right thumb back to health. This may leave the door wide open for Ricky Williams
to prove that he should be the primary back for the fish in ‘08.

Minnesota Vikings

Robert Ferguson: Ferguson injured his right leg playing special teams in Saturday’s preseason game.

Tarvaris Jackson: Jackson (knee) sat out Saturday’s exhibition game after warming up but said after the game he definitely will play in the Vikings’ regular season opener.

Sidney Rice: Rice missed Saturday’s preseason game after missing four days of practice with a virus.

New Orleans Saints

Jeremy Shockey: Shockey, didn’t make his Saints’ debut in Saturday night’s preseason game against the Bengals, but may play in their pre-season finale game.

Reggie Bush: Bush suffered a contusion to his quadriceps late in the first quarter of Saturday’s preseason game against the Bengals, according to team reports.

Marques Colston: Colston suffered bruised ribs in Saturday’s preseason win over the Bengals & is considered day to day.

New England Patriots

Wes Welker: Wild Wes Welker did not have an update on Welker’s rib injury Saturday, the Boston Herald reports.

LaMont Jordan: Jordan (undisclosed) did not play in Friday’s preseason game against the Eagles.

Tom Brady: The pride of beantown (right foot) won’t see any pre-season action, but will be ready for week 1.

New York Giants

Osi Umenyiora: Umenyiora suffered serious ligament damage in his left knee Saturday, and he will miss the entire 2008 season.

Lawrence Tynes: Tynes (knee) will likely miss the Giants opener while recovering from exploratory knee surgery, according to team reports.

New York Jets

Laveranues Coles: Coles (leg) did not play in Saturday’s preseason win over the Giants.

Oakland Raiders

Drew Carter: Carter tore his left ACL in Saturday’s preseason game, and he will likely miss the 2008 regular season.

Sebastian Janikowski: The Polish Prince (hamstring) did not practice Wednesday, but may be ready to test his leg in their final pre-season game.

Philadelphia Eagles

Reggie Brown: Brown is out for the rest of the preseason with a hamstring injury, but said he expects to play in the season opener against the Rams on Sept. 7th.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Key Injuries: None

San Diego Chargers

Shawn Merriman: Merriman said Saturday that he has a torn LCL and a torn PCL in his left knee & that they’re career threatening.

Lawrence Tynes: Tynes underwent an exploratory arthroscopic procedure on his left knee Friday, which revealed no structural damage. Tynes may miss a couple of games to
start the season.

Antonio Gates: Gates (toe) was scheduled to just participate in individual drills on Thursday, but he felt so good that he decided to take his first snaps in team drills.
AG should be ready to go full speed come week 1 of the regular season.

Seattle Seahawks

Matt Hasselbeck: Hasselbeck (back) will not play against San Diego on Monday or the rest of the pre-season.

San Francisco 49ers

Bryant Johnson: Johnson (hamstring) is expected to miss San Francisco’s final preseason game against San Diego on Friday, according to team reports.

St. Louis Rams

Orlando Pace: Here we go again, Pace (shoulder) sat out the Rams’ 24-10 win over Baltimore on Saturday night. Hopefully Pace just aggravated the injury and he’ll be fine
for the regular season.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Antonio Bryant: Bryant (sore knee) did not play in Saturday’s Buccaneers-Jaguars game.

Tennessee Titans

LenDale White: White (ribs) is expected to play in the final preseason game against Green Bay, according to team report.

Washington Redskins

Jason Taylor: Taylor will be out for 10-14 days with a spraineed right knee. Campbell & the rest of the offense are going to miss JT’s putting pressure & sacking
opposing quarterbacks to improve thier field positions while he’s out.