Showing posts with label Cardinals. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cardinals. Show all posts

Friday, December 5, 2008

Studs, Sleepers, Snoozers For Week 14 In The NFL

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Studs, Sleepers & Snoozers For Week 14 In The NFL

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.

Saturday, August 9, 2008

An Inside Look At THe Arizona Cardinals Training Camp

Card’s Training Camp Rap Up by: The Grid Iron Girly
Well, first let me say my experience at Cardinal’s camp was anything but positive…I guess camp isn’t designed for 25 year old black women! I felt like a five year child who just had her bubble busted! But hey…that’s a topic for another blog.Let’s dish QB’s….
First, Matt Lienart is way taller than I expected! He and Kurt Warner are definitely fan favorites…although Matt’s fans tend to be under 15 and all girls! Both QB’s looked sharp during drills; I couldn’t pick a clear starter. Overall, I was VERY surprised by both QB’s level of play this past weekend at camp. During drills, you can clearly tell that each man is in it to win it…THIS IS NOT A GAME!
On a side note, Leinart took some rookie OUT during drills, knocked him straight in the eye with a stray ball….hilarity!
My Predicted Starter…..
BUT, since I’m required to predict the starter for the regular season…I put money on Leinart. I’m guessing he’s first on the depth chart (but, I warn…his name is written in soft #1, and not #2 pencil!) Guys one blunder and he’s out…Warner is thirsty, and that was VERY obvious this weekend.
In conclusion, I’m not typically Leinart’s greatest advocate, as I think he’s unfocused, but after seeing him in action (up close and personal might I add) I’m taking a brief ride on the Matt train…..plus you don’t pay a guy millions to ride the pine, right?!
WR’s….
If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it twice….Larry Fitzgerald is NIIIIICE! Take IMMIEDIATE action to acquire him fantasy team holders. Making diving catches in camp…he’s sick with it folks, once again this is NOT a game!
In other WR news….Boldin CLEARLY has a chip on his shoulder. Boldin is typically a jovial light hearted player…but oh not these days. I don’t think I saw the guy crack a smile; tell a joke…a NOTHING people! He’s out of Zona in two years max! Other than his discontentment, I wouldn’t expect Boldin to make any iota of a splash in the preseason. He’s nursing what appears to be a chronic hamstring injury. But bet your bottom dollar that when the first regular season game starts there will be an unleashing of the beast. Boldin is clearly out to prove a point, he wants his millions and I bet he will give as a MILLION reasons why he deserves that CHA CHING day!
We got another battle folks, there is a HUGE question mark as to which WR will take dearly departed WR Bryant Johnson’s position. I personally, don’t think there is much to debate…second year player Steve Breaston is SWEET! I got $20 on Breaston but if Doucett gets healthy…well maybe I’ll pull a Florida and reconsider my vote!
In other Card’s news….if for some reason you care!
RB Marcel Shipp was cut….oh dear! He was a valuable character in the locker room and he will be missed…and no I’m not just saying that because he is absolutely gorgeous! The guy had heart…we Card’s fans wish you well Shipp!
Antrell Rolle’s MUCH overdue transition to Safety should be interesting…I wasn’t too impressed with his play during this past weekend’s camp scrimmage, but hey…he’s still learning the new roll (pun intended,) and it was only a scrimmage…so maybe there will be an unleashing of “beastness” later in the season.
Rookie, and first round draft pick, DRC actually looked…..well not mana-orexic, I kid I kid! Kid looked decent…he should be starting in these first preseason games….Card’s top veteran CB Rod Hood is out with an injury of some sort! So the preseason just might be interesting….And finally, there are OL woes…this should have an interesting impact on our QB conundrum…stay tuned fans!
ALL IN ALL CARD’S FANS…LET THE BATTLES (QB, WR, AND CB) BEGIN! Go Cards!
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Friday, July 18, 2008

The Baseball Consigliere's 2nd Half MLB Review

The sluggers were put on display and home field advantage for the World Series has been decided. The only thing left to do now is finish out the rest of the season.Some of the races appear to be headed deep into the final week of the regular season before they are settled.The 7-game losing streak for Tampa Bay has allowed Boston to take over the division lead and with the experience factor heavily favoring the Red Sox, there’s no reason to believe that they won’t hold off the Rays and win the division.Out west, it would make for a great story if Ian Kinsler and Josh Hamilton could will the Rangers to a division crown, but the pitching staff will make sure that doesn’t happen. The Angels have a solid rotation and a good enough lineup to take the title.The Central gets a little bit more crowded with the White Sox currently holding onto a slim lead over the Twins. Don’t forget that Detroit is starting to get healthy and has been playing well heading into the All-Star Break. It will come down to health for the Sox. Can Konerko and Jenks return to form? Can Thome avoid his annual trip to the DL? If the answer is no, Minnesota and Detroit will be waiting.The wild card race in the American League will be a duel to the end with the Minnesota Twins, Detroit Tigers, Tampa Bay Rays and the New York Yankees.The National League East could be the most exciting finish in baseball.The Phillies, Mets and Marlins are all separated by just 1.5 games. New York and Philly both have solid lineups and Florida is getting healthy at the right time. Look for pitching to be the deciding factor in the division race.The East might be the tightest race, but all eyes will be on the Central as the Cubs, Brewers and Cards battle to the end. We’ve already seen Chicago add Rich Harden and Milwaukee add C.C. Sabathia. Will St. Louis make a move to keep pace?The West should honestly just concede its playoff berth to a team that will actually finish above .500, but since that won’t happen, let’s take a look at the Dodgers and Diamondbacks. L.A. has just been dealt a blow with the loss of Takashi Saito for at least 6 weeks. Look for Arizona to recall Max Scherzer in hopes that he sparks the pitching staff. There have also been rumors that they will take a look at bringing in another stick in the form of Barry Bonds.Speaking of Bonds, he’s one of several players that could make a move in the second half and make a difference in the playoff races. Along with Arizona, New York has been mentioned as a possible location for Bonds. The Yankees may need another bat if Hideki Matsui is unable to return from his knee injury.Matt Holliday will be the biggest name to keep an eye on before the trading deadline. He’s not just a short-term rental so he won’t come cheap, but he’s definitely someone that St. Louis could bring in to keep up with Chicago and Milwaukee. They may also just be content waiting for Chris Carpenter to return and provide a boost.Another pitcher that could provide a boost is Joe Blanton. Look for Oakland to continue stockpiling prospects by trading away their proven talent. With Harden already gone, Blanton could be next with Philadelphia being the most likely destination.The Rays will also be a team to watch as they’ve been mentioned in the Bonds talks and they’ve also been rumored to be interested in adding Brian Fuentes for the stretch run.The rest of the season should provide some of the best baseball that we’ve seen in several years and the playoffs will be even better.

Sunday, July 6, 2008

Resurrection Project

Written by Consigliere
Every once in a while, the sports world presents us with a feel good story. Maybe it’s the nature of baseball that makes their stories seem that much better. Teenagers are drafted and often spend several years fighting their way through the minor league levels, praying that they will one day get the call. Hoping that they can call themselves a Major League baseball player.Recently, we’ve heard a couple of stories that made most of us instant fans of these players.We all watched as a promising young pitcher named Rick Ankiel made his debut in the bigs and seemed to have his whole career going in the right direction. As quickly as he arrived, he appeared to be on his way out of baseball, when he couldn’t seem to hit the strike zone and sometime he wasn’t even able to hit the catcher. Now you can’t help but be happy for the guy, as he’s renewed his career as a homerun hitting outfielder with a rocket arm.Last year also marked a turning point in the career of former #1 overall pick, Josh Hamilton. After a string of bad luck and a bit of getting tied up with the wrong crowd, the kid who seemed destined for stardom found himself out of baseball and in and out of rehab. Now he’s finally got his life on the right path and is a perfect example of why you never give up on a kid when he’s got something special. Hamilton continues to improve in his 2nd year back and has 19 HR as we approach the All-Star Break. It’s scary to think of how good he could have been.This year, we’re seeing another success story in the making.If you’re in Chicago, you know the name Carlos Quentin very well, but if you’re a casual baseball fan, it’s possible that you’ve never heard of him.The 25-year-old outfielder was a 3-sport star in high school and went on to attend Stanford University, where he led them to 3 postseason appearances and collected plenty of personal hardware along the way. He ended his college career with a .350 batting average, 35 HR, 170 RBI and 26 SB.He was a first round selection of the Arizona Diamondbacks, but had his career put on hold when he underwent Tommy John surgery on his right elbow. When he returned, he dominated minor league pitching and became one of Arizona’s top prospects.The Diamondbacks called him up halfway through the 2006 season and Quentin recorded a .253 batting average, 9 HR and 32 RBI in 57 games.The start to Quentin’s 2007 season was delayed when it turned out that he had a partially torn labrum. Through 81 games, he was hitting .214 with 5 HR and 31 RBI before he was sent back to Triple-A. Arizona decided that he wasn’t working out and traded him to the White Sox in December.As it turns out, a change of address was exactly what Carlos Quentin needed, as he’s been the best hitter for the White Sox through the first half of the 2008 season.In 80 games this year, Quentin is hitting .284 with 19 HR, 61 RBI, 54 Runs and 5 SB. He currently ranks first on the White Sox in HR, RBI, Runs, OBP and OPS. He’s 2nd in SLG and SB.I think that it’s a safe bet to say that the Sox can attribute their division lead to this latest resurrection.

Monday, June 9, 2008

MLB INjury Report from Letsgodeep.com: 6/8/08

Injury Report 6-8-08 Matt Holliday
Holliday is wrapping up a successful rehab stint and should rejoin the big club on Tuesday.Josh Hamilton
Hamilton missed Sunday’s game due to illness. He’s day-to-day.Vernon Wells
Wells was expected to be out 6-8 weeks, but missed just one month before returning to the Blue Jays lineup.Andy LaRoche
Look for the Dodgers to bring LaRoche up as soon as Monday morning.Chipper Jones
Jones is bothered by a quad strain once again and will miss at least a few games.Rick Ankiel
Ankiel has an infection is his knee that has kept him out of the lineup for a while. He could return on Tuesday.David Ortiz
Ortiz will be out at least 2-3 weeks with a wrist injury. If it doesn’t get any better by then, he could miss the rest of the season.