Week 17 Picks

RG3 will propel the Redskins over the Cowboys on Sunday Night Football

http://www.gannett-cdn.com/media/USATODAY/gameon/2012/10/09/10-09-2012-robert-griffin-iii-holds-football-4_3_r560.jpg?f061b7ce9937c38b702e6f308816ac2a14e2a4ec

Well, it's week 17 and all or nothing for a couple of NFL teams. The AFC playoff teams have already been decided but the seedings are still to be determined. The NFC playoff picture is a giant mess making for an exciting last week of the regular season. The final week will feature a number of exciting games, including the Packers @ Vikings and Cowboys @ Redskins. It's not completely meaningless for the non-playoff teams either, as the first 20 picks of the 2013 NFL Draft will be determined after Sunday.

Okay, my upset pick of the Chiefs over the Colts didn't work out but they made the Colts work for a win. I did pretty well last week with my picks as I went 12-3. The matchups this week make it awfully tough to choose winners, but we'll see how I do. Lets take a look at my picks for a crucial week 17;



Sunday, December 30th

1:00 p.m.-Buccaneers @ Falcons:  31-20 Falcons

1:00 p.m.-Jets @ Bills:  16-13 Jets

1:00 p.m.-Ravens @ Bengals:  27-21 Ravens

1:00 p.m.-Browns @ Steelers:  20-17 Browns

1:00 p.m.-Bears @ Lions:  21-20 Bears

1:00 p.m.-Jaguars @ Titans:  17-13 Titans

1:00 p.m.-Eagles @ Giants:  20-14 Eagles

1:00 p.m-Panthers @ Saints:  34-28 Saints

1:00 p.m.-Texans @ Colts:  24-17 Texans

4:25 p.m.-Packers @ Vikings:  35-34 Vikings

4:25 p.m.-Rams @ Seahawks:  41-21 Seahawks

4:25 p.m.-Dolphins @ Patriots:  23-20 Patriots

4:25 p.m.-Chiefs @ Broncos:  42-10 Broncos

4:25 p.m.-Raiders @ Chargers:  16-13 Raiders

4:25 p.m.-Cardinals @ 49ers:  38-20 49ers

8:20 p.m.-Cowboys @ Redskins:  31-10 Redskins




Schedule from...
http://www.nfl.com/schedules

Week 16 Picks

Upsets happen every week. This week I'm going with Jamaal Charles and the Chiefs over the Colts.

http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/yqEDb_qQwjUl6XZMteRmfw--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7cT04NQ--/http://media.zenfs.com/en/blogs/sptusfantasyexperts/Jamaal-Charles-stiff-arming-USP.jpg

It's crunch time for a lot of teams with 2 games left to go in the 2012 NFL regular season. Week 16 will be a crucial week in determining the playoff picture. There are a lot of spoiler teams out there that are looking to ruin a couple of team's playoff chances. With that, lets take a look at my picks for Week 16;



Saturday, December 22nd

8:30 p.m.-Falcons @ Lions:  23-14 Falcons



Sunday, December 23rd

1:00 p.m.-Raiders @ Panthers:  31-17 Panthers

1:00 p.m.-Bills @ Dolphins:  17-14 Bills

1:00 p.m.-Bengals @ Steelers:  35-24 Bengals

1:00 p.m.-Patriots @ Jaguars:  23-17 Patriots

1:00 p.m.-Colts @ Chiefs:  24-23 Chiefs

1:00 p.m.-Saints @ Cowboys:  35-17 Saints

1:00 p.m-Redskins @ Eagles:  27-13 Redskins

1:00 p.m.-Rams @ Buccaneers:  24-20 Rams

1:00 p.m.-Chargers @ Jets:  20-10 Chargers

1:00 p.m-Titans @ Packers:  28-17 Packers

1:00 p.m.-Vikings @ Texans:  24-23 Vikings

4:05 p.m.-Browns @ Broncos:  31-16 Broncos

4:25 p.m.-Bears @ Cardinals:  16-10 Bears

4:25 p.m-Giants @ Ravens:  24-16 Giants

8:20 p.m-49ers @ Seahawks:  27-24 Seahawks 





Schedule from...
http://www.nfl.com/schedules/2012/REG16

Comeback player of the Year?

With the regular season about to come to an end in a couple weeks, one of the bigger conversations has been about Comeback Player of the Year candidates, Peyton Manning and Adrian Peterson.

Back in March of 2011, the Colts decided to cut ties with their franchise quarterback. The release appeared to be the right move financially, as they would save $28 million. The release entrenched Andrew Luck as the number 1 overall pick and the future of the Colts organization. Manning of course came with some risk after going under numerous surgeries on his neck. It seemed like a longshot for him to have the same impact on the Colts as he once did. Besides that, he was no guarantee to play football ever again. Regardless, he became a free agent and was highly sought after, despite uncertainties about his health. The Denver Broncos took a shot on him and it payed off remarkably. Manning has come back stronger than ever and has led the Broncos to an 11-3 record going into week 16. He has surpassed 4,000 yards for the 12th time in his 15 year career and has thrown 31 TD's with a 103.5 QB rating on top of that. Not many people could have guessed Manning would have had this type of season. Because of his strong play, the Broncos are looking like legitimate championship contenders.

Manning is making it awfully hard for Colts fans to forget about him 

http://www.bostonglobe.com/rf/image_r/Boston/2011-2020/2012/03/20/BostonGlobe.com/Sports/Images/141630240.r.jpg

And then there was one of joke teams of the NFL in the Minnesota Vikings. The scariest player on the Vikings is and has always been Adrian Peterson. Fans held their breathe when he went down with a torn ACL in week 17 last season. This type of injury typically takes 9 months or more to heal. Peterson came back in 8 months. Peterson vowed to be ready for the opener and not only has he played every game so far his season, but he has a chance to break Eric Dickerson's rushing yards record. Dickerson of course had 2,105 yards back in 1984 with the L.A. Rams. With 294 rushing yards in the next two games, Peterson will break the record that stood for almost 30 years. In his last 8 games he has averaged 164 yards per game making this record possible. He is the reason that the Vikings currently stand at 8-6.

You could make the arguement that since Peterson didn't miss any games in the 2011 season he should not be in the running for such an award. Then again, this is one of the hardest injuries to overcome. Both these guys have came back stronger than ever. It's a tough call.

While Manning and Peterson appear to be the frontrunners for the award, Jon Gruden brought up a name that deserves some recognition as well. Carolina Panther's linebacker, Thomas Davis. Most of us most likely don't know much about Davis because he's not a household name. After coming off of three ACL tears to the same leg, he has quietly racked up 91 tackles this season for the Panthers. His three ACL surgeries have occured over the last 3 years. The fact that he is even playing in the NFL right now is a miracle. With his 4th chance he has put up a productive and injury-free season. Davis will not be able to beat out Manning or Peterson for the award, but it's another name that deserves some recognition.

Thomas Davis is having a productive season coming off his 3rd ACL tear in the last 3 years

http://media.charlotteobserver.com/smedia/2011/06/21/11/52/16w9nP.St.138.JPG

For more information refer to the links below....
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/07/peyton-manning-released-colts-press-conference_n_1326939.html
http://espn.go.com/nfl/player/stats/_/id/1428/peyton-manning
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/football-insider/wp/2012/10/11/adrian-peterson-returns-to-fedex-field-10-months-after-tearing-acl-here/
http://www.latimes.com/sports/sportsnow/la-sp-sn-adrian-peterson-eric-dickerson-20121217,0,6097107.story
http://espn.go.com/nfl/player/gamelog/_/id/10452/adrian-peterson



Top Prospects Dealt

The MLB offseason is underway and is finally starting to pick up some steam. This week featured a couple of big-time trades. The first swap took place earlier this week between the Kansas City Royals and Tampa Bay Rays. Recently, the Royals have been known for possessing one of the best farm systems in baseball. A majority of their core players are 5 years pro or under including budding stars like Mike Moustakas, Billy Butler, Alcides Escobar, and Eric Hosmer. In an attempt to make a possible playoff run the Royals traded for pitchers James Shields and Wade Davis. However, in this trade they are certainly taking on a big gamble. The Rays received a number of top prospects including starting pitcher, Jake Odorizzi ,and outfielder, Wil Myers. The Royals also agreed to trade former top pitching prospect, Mike Montgomery, and another hitting prospect.

Now James Shields is a fine pitcher, but from a year-to-year basis you don't always know what you can get from him. In 2010, Shield had a miserable season with an ERA of 5.18. The next season his ERA improved to 2.82. Big difference. Last year his ERA stood at 3.52 and was inconsistent for most of the season. If I'm the Rays, I am happy to get rid of him. Why not get some good prospects for him. By good prospects I mean GREAT prospects. Many consider Wil Myers to be a can't-miss prospect. Surprisingly, he has yet to make a major league appearance. In 134 minor league games last year he hit .315 with 37 home runs and 109 RBI's. According to MLB.com's Prospect Watch, Myers is the number 3 overall prospect. Odorizzi is number 30 overall on the same list. Look, I know prospects don't always work out, but am I the only one that sees something wrong with this trade? Shields is not an ace. Don't trade your whole future for him.  

 KC gave up on elite prospect Wil Myers

http://sports.cbsimg.net/images/visual/whatshot/wil-myers-12312.jpg

Yesterday, a three-team deal went down between the Arizona Diamondbacks, Cincinnati Reds, and Cleveland Indians. Cincinnati made out well by receiving Shin-Soo Choo, but the Indians stole this deal. The Tribe received outfielder, Drew Stubbs, Trevor Bauer (MLB.com's 5th rated prospect), and two solid relievers in Matt Albers and Bryan Shaw. The Diamondbacks received SS prospect Didi Gregorius and two other minor players. While the Diamondbacks are clearly in need of a shortstop, I can't figure out what the Dbacks were thinking here. Gregorius is known as a great defensive player but his hitting game is a question. Bauer, who was formally with Arizona, progressed through the minors fast and appeared to be a future ace for the team. Bauer will now have a chance to become a staple in the Indians rotation. Not only did they agree to give up a possible future ace but they also weakened their bullpen in this deal. They are putting a lot of faith in newly acquired Heath Bell.

You're probably asking what my point is about all of this. It's simple. Teams need to be cautious when trading away top prospects. They have to make sure that what they are trading away is going to benefit the team, not only for the upcoming season but for the future. You can't trade these guys and get minimal benefits in return. The MLB is fun because it is one of the only sports with a legitimate minor league system. The system is a great for trade purposes. Prospect trading is difficult, but you must get the most value you can for potential stars or just not trade them at all.




For more info and stats refer to the links below...
http://espn.go.com/mlb/hotstove12/story/_/id/8731167/tampa-bay-rays-trade-james-shields-wade-davis-kansas-city-royals-wil-myers
http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/stats/_/id/28474/james-shields
http://mlb.mlb.com/team/player.jsp?player_id=571976#gameType='R'&sectionType=career&statType=1&season=2012&level='ALL'
http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/prospects/watch/y2012/

Freshman Wins the Heisman

The Heisman race was a great race between 3 exceptional players. Linebacker Manti Te'o, and quarterback Collin Klein, were certainly deserving of the honor but were unable to beat out the freshman, Johnny Manziel. Known by many as "Johnny Football," Manziel led Texas A&M to a 10-2 record this season and was the most instrumental piece to their success.

Manziel was my pick for the 78th Heisman trophy winner, but I certainly questioned if his being a freshman would affect his chances. He was consistent all season long. He is a legitimate dual-threat quarterback that helped him in his race for the Heisman. As a freshman, he displayed a great knowledge for the game and exceptional decision-making skills.

 

Johnny Manziel became the first freshman ever to win the Heisman trophy.

http://img.bleacherreport.net/img/images/photos/002/006/592/hi-res-156910727_crop_exact.jpg?w=650&h=440&q=75

The statline is impressive. In 12 games, Johnny Football threw for 3,419 yards and 24 touchdowns. He threw only 8 interceptions. His rushing stats are just as impressive as he ran 184 times for an incredible 1,181 yards and 19 touchdowns. If any freshman was going to win the Heisman trophy it would've been this guy.

The scary thing about Manziel is that he could be in college football for quite a few more years. It will be interesting to see his production next year after receiving one of the highest honors in college sports. Will his production tail off or will he continue to demonstrate that he is one of the elite players in the nation? Could he win another Heisman Trophy? It's a lot of pressure placed on this young guy's shoulders. It should be fun to see how he handles the sky-high expectations next year.

I wish him the best because he is so easy to root for. He's humble and fun to watch. Congrats to Johnny Football. 

For more stats refer to the link below...

http://espn.go.com/college-football/player/_/id/517475/johnny-manziel

Penn State: Overcoming the Sanctions

With the College Bowl Games fast approaching us, I think it would be a good idea to take a look at one ineligible team that was forced to overcome a lot of adversity this season. That team is Penn State. Penn State has been a powerhouse in college football for as long as I can remember; Until November 5, 2011, when news broke that former assistant coach, Jerry Sandusky had been arrested on child sex-abuse charges. Two days after the arrest, Penn State's Vice President, Gary Schultz, and the school's athletic director, Tim Curley were charged with perjury after lying to a grand jury about Sandusky's actions. From there, the situation continued to spiral downward and long time head coach, Joe Paterno, was fired along with Penn State's President, Graham Spanier. Coach Paterno later passed away from complications of lung cancer on January 22, at age 85. Many people believe that the stress over his firing and of the scandal played a major role on his poor health, myself included.

The scandal hit the community of State College, PA, especially hard. Every Saturday, the stands fill up with 100,000+ fans. College football was one of their great prides and questions were raised as to if the football program would ever survive. In State College, football was a tradition and a way of life.

Penn State football is a big deal in State College, PA.

http://football.ballparks.com/NCAA/Big10/PennState/interior.jpg

But for the Nittany Lions to move forward, they would need a new head coach. They got their man in New England Patriot's offensive coordinator, Bill O'Brien. He seemed to be the perfect fit for the team under their unusual circumstances. In his introductory press conference, O'Brien called himself  "mentally tough," a quality that Penn State needed in their new coach.

The harsh sanctions were delivered by the NCAA to the football program on July 23rd. They handed the Nittany Lions with a $60 million dollar fine, 5 years of probation, a 4-year bowl ban, loss of scholarships, and a vacation of all wins dating back to 1998. Many said that Penn State would have been better off receiving the "death penalty." They NCAA also allowed any Nittany Lion player to transfer immediately and be eligible to play.

The first win over the sanctions came when only 9 student athletes transferred. The most notable transfer was Junior running back, Silas Redd, who left for USC. Redd was the feature back for the team in his Sophomore season and compiled more than 1,200 yards and 7 TD's last year. I, for one, questioned how the team would survive such a big loss. The answer lied in 4th string running back, Zach Zwinak. The 232 pound tailback earned his first start in week 4 against Temple and never looked back. He finished the season with exactly 1,000 yards on 203 carries.

Then the season began and we really got to see this new era of Penn State football. It started off bleak with a 24-14 loss to a beatable Ohio team at home, followed by a 17-16 loss at Virginia. It seemed like there was no more strength in this football program. But O'Brien pulled his team together in the end by winning 8 of their next 10 games. They finished the season 8-4, but more impressively finished 6-2 in the Big Ten, which was good for second in the conference. This team would have been playing for the Big Ten Championship if it wasn't for the sanctions.

Bill O'Brien was named Big Ten Coach of the Year recently. It was well deserved. A lot of coaches may have wanted their contract voided after taking one look at all the penalties facing this team. That's why it made me sick when he didn't win college football's Coach of the Year award. The winner of that award was Notre Dame coach, Brian Kelly. Notre Dame went undefeated this season, but what obstacles did they overcome? O'Brien has played a huge role in the ongoing process of recovering from the darkest time in the history of, not only Penn State football, but the university. He is the reason that Penn State is what it is today. Because of him, Penn State football is not going away.

Big Ten Coach of the Year, Bill O'Brien, has brought hope for Penn State for their future.
http://pennstatermag.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/dsc_76561.jpg

For more information on Penn State football refer to these links...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/18/penn-state-scandal-timeline-nov-july_n_1682867.html#slide=1236814

http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/8191027/penn-state-nittany-lions-hit-60-million-fine-4-year-bowl-ban-wins-dating-1998

http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/7435616/bill-obrien-introduced-new-penn-state-nittany-lions-coach
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1282837-2012-penn-st-football-players-who-have-transferred#/articles/1282837-2012-penn-st-football-players-who-have-transferred/page/2
http://espn.go.com/college-football/player/_/id/503343/zach-zwinak
http://espn.go.com/college-football/team/_/id/213/penn-state-nittany-lions

Dead Birds

The Philadelphia Eagles continued their nightmare season with a 38-33 loss to their division rival, Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night. After starting the season with a 3-1 record they have lost 8 straight, the longest losing streak in the Andy Reid era. With the playoffs out of reach, this will mark the second consecutive season that the team missed the playoffs amid the high expectations.

The Eagles have been depleted by injuries this season. In the Sunday night game against the Cowboys, the offense featured 4 players that started at the season's beginning (Jeremy Maclin, Brent Celek, Evan Mathis, Stanley Havili). The injury bug has especially hit the offensive line. They did not have great depth at the offensive line position when the season began and it hurt them in the long run. They were doomed from the start with the loss of Pro-Bowl LT Jason Peters and you could say that pretty much foreshadowed how the season has unfolded. Then came injuries to center, Jason Kelce, and the other tackle, Todd Herremans. Combine that with the poor play and injury plagued season of former first round pick, Danny Watkins, and you get one of the worst lines in the football. Mike Vick never had a chance to save his job.

The front office is now looking to evaluate some of their talented, young players, which they should. A lot of guys now will be auditioning for significant roles next season, whether with the Eagles or another organization. The team will also need to make some decisions on a handful of veteran players that might not fit into the future. Pro-Bowl DE Jason Babin has already been cut by the team after a down year. More will be coming.

As for Mike Vick's future, he would cost Philly next to nothing to release in the offseason and his release would save the Eagles $13 million next season. Vick's career in Philly is likely over and it's unfortunate because the offensive line was so terrible all season long, but I think that Andy Reid should get a lot of the blame for his Vick's poor Philly career. His stint started out well, but in the end, Vick was not meant to be a pocket passer. Reid tried to change him and his decision will cost both Vick and Reid their jobs. Vick's success with the Falcons came when he used his athleticism to make plays, through the air and on the ground. He instilled fear in defenses. In Philly there was no fear of Michael Vick.

Jason Babin was the first Eagles veteran to be released. More moves are coming.
http://l3.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/9S2JN2yVefpbc65nXn5dYw--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7cT04NQ--/http://media.zenfs.com/en/blogs/sptusnflexperts/yahoo_babinreleased.jpg

Philly fans should also be ready to look toward the future. They have been calling for rookie QB Nick Foles all season long after his strong preseason play and will now get to see him in action for the rest of the season. Another rookie, Bryce Brown, has had a huge role in the offense the past two weeks because of LeSean McCoy's injury. Brown has shown a lot of promise rushing for 347 yards in his last two games, but also coughed up 3 fumbles. The fumbles are an issue but he won't be stepping ahead of McCoy on the depth chart any time soon. With the release of Babin, I am interested in seeing how some of the young defensive lineman step up. Former first round pick, Brandon Graham, handled the spotlight well in the game against the Cowboys as he recorded 1.5 sacks. Vinny Curry and Phillip Hunt will also see an increase in playing time.

Aside from the players they have now, Eagles fans should be eager to see how the team approaches free agency as well as the draft after the season. The Eagles are $20.1 million under the salary cap this season and with the likely releases of a handful of veterans this offseason, the number will only increase. This could mean they will be very active in free agency. Here is a list of 15 players that they should consider in no particular order;

1. RB-Steven Jackson (STL) - shouldn't get a huge contract. The Eagles haven't had a bruising running back in a long time.


2. WR-Greg Jennings (GB) - Probably won't happen, but with DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin, it would make an even better receiving core.



3. WR-Dwayne Bowe (KC) - One of the Eagles greatest needs is a big red zone target. Bowe would be that guy.



4. WR-Danny Amendola (STL) - Former Eagle that they never should've let go.



5. WR-Brandon Gibson (STL) - Another former Eagle. Underrated player.



6. RT-Andre Smith (CIN) - Still young and starting to play a lot better at right tackle.



7. LT-Jake Long (MIA)/ LT-Ryan Clady (DEN) - depending on the health of Jason Peters.



8. RT-Phil Loadholt (MIN) - 6' 8" mammoth that's only 26 years old.



9. RG-Brandon Moore (NYJ) - desperate need at guard. Moore would be a nice pickup.



10. DT-Henry Melton (CHI) - nice pass rusher that would fit nicely with their other defensive lineman.



11. DE-Cliff Avril (DET) - still young and hasn't reached full potential.



12. OLB-Anthony Spencer (DAL) - They should want to steal him from Dallas. He would also be an upgrade over Akeem Jordan.



13. OLB-Connor Barwin (HOU) - Another good option at outside linebacker if they switch to a 3-4 defense.



14. S-Jairus Byrd (BUF) - playmaking safety and an upgrade over Kurt Coleman.



15. S-LaRon Landry (NYJ) - They wanted him last season. They'll want him again.

It would be an understatement to call this season a disaster and it has raised questions once again about Andy Reid as the head coach. I have supported Reid for a long time but this year is the first time I have questioned him. Year in and year out, Eagles fans have to put up with his love of the passing game. The problem is, that with the excessive amounts of pass plays, LeSean McCoy has the ball out of his hands. Because Vick had poor season, you would think they would try to get the ball in McCoy's hands more often. That has not been the case. Reid's playcalling is not fooling anyone. Maybe this is also a case of the players being bored of Reid. After all the guy has coached this team for since 1999 and maybe they need a different guy to come in and rejuvenate this team. The problem is that there may not be many good options out there.

Andy Reid will be one of the many coaches that won't return after 14 years.

http://cdn3.standard.net/sites/default/files/imagecache/max_800/2012/08/08/story-eagles-reid-returns-fgood-149959.jpg

They have already made a handful of coaching moves this season. In what I believed was one of the strongest coaching staffs in the NFL (minus Juan Castillo as defensive coordinator), the Eagles have already fired two coaches midseason. Castillo was fired on October 16 and defensive line coach Jim Washburn was fired on Monday. Offensive line coach Howard Mudd has said publicly that he will retire at season's end, provided he doesn't get fired too. 

The frustrating thing for Eagle's fans is that every year the team has tons of talent as well as depth and can not put together good team chemistry. They owe it to their fans to put together a championship winning team really soon.

One thing is for sure. The Philadelphia Eagles WILL "clean house" at season's end.



For more information refer to these links...
http://nfl.si.com/2012/11/12/where-might-michael-vick-wind-up-in-2013-if-eagles-cut-him-loose/
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/11/01/current-cap-spac-nflpa-version/
http://www.nfl.com/player/philloadholt/71369/profile
http://nfltraderumors.co/2013-nfl-free-agents/

2013 MLB Hall of Fame Class

The 2013 MLB Hall of Fame ballot was released on Wednesday. The ballot features 24 first timers such as Sandy Alomar Jr., Craig Biggio, Julio Franco, David Wells, Mike Piazza, Curt Schilling, and others. This year's ballot, however, is highlighted by numerous high profile players caught in the middle of the steroid era in baseball.

The steroid era goes back to the Mitchell Report that was published in December of 2007 by Senator George Mitchell. The report exposed 89 athletes to the use of performance-enhancing drugs. When the report was released, people were surprised to learn of the many high profile players involved in the scandal. The 2013 ballot features 3 of those high profile names, 2 of which were involved in the Mitchell Report; Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens. Sammy Sosa is the third big-name candidate and he somehow escaped the Mitchell Report in 2007. Later reports claimed that he had indeed tested positive for steroids. 4 total players that were listed on the report are eligible for the Hall of Fame this year. This is only the first wave of the era to appear on the ballot.

The Mitchell Report exposed and damaged the reputations of 89 players and it will cost many, such as Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte, a spot in the MLB Hall of Fame.

http://skew.dailyskew.com/uploaded_images/gal_front_12_14-745624.jpg

We all know that Bonds, Clemens, and Sosa were some of the greatest players of all time, not to mention greatest to watch. We all remember the broken records. But we also remember that these guys' have tainted records and that alone will keep them out of the Hall.

The odds are against them. Rafael Palmeiro and Mark McGwire were once going to be Hall of Famers on the first ballot with no questions asked. Because of their links with PED's, McGwire is on his 7th ballot while Palmeiro is on his 3rd. Voters have not been very kind to steroid users in the past. Don't expect them to ease up.

The sad thing is that this mess won't going away for a long time. There are still a lot of current players out there that have been linked to steroids. PED's won't be going away either. There are reports of PED usage  every year and they are linked to any sport. It would be a nice thought to have everyone in a Hall of Fame Class associated with clean and productive careers, but, unfortunately, that seems to be wishful thinking.

For more info refer to the links below...

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20071213&content_id=2324860&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb&fext=.jsp

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20071213&content_id=2324860&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb&fext=.jsp

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2007/12/13/sports/20071213_MITCHELL_FEATURE.html#

http://aol.sportingnews.com/mlb/story/2012-11-28/baseball-hall-of-fame-ballot-2013-barry-bonds-roger-clemens-sammy-sosa-ped-eligi

Doug Martin

Hard to believe we are talking about the Tampa Bay Buccaneers being a playoff contender. For a long time, this team was one of the most forgotten teams in the league. They have lacked flashy players and playmakers on both sides of the ball over the years. Quarterback, Josh Freeman, has had moments during his professional career that gave fans hope that he could be the guy to lead this team for the next decade. However, inconsistent play has haunted him. The Bucs obviously needed something more than Freeman.

As a result, last offseason became a spending spree for Tampa Bay as they attempted to build talent among the organization through free agency and the NFL draft. They made some bold signings during the free agency period by acquiring All-Pro offensive guard Carl Nicks, two-time Pro Bowl receiver, Vincent Jackson, and cornerback, Eric Wright. They entered the draft with two first round picks. The 7th overall pick was spent on safety, Mark Barron, out of Alabama. It has turned out to be a fine pick, but the 31st overall pick was spent on a running back that has turned out to be the perfect compliment to Freeman; Boise State running back, Doug Martin.

Martin isn't always flashy, but he is an effective runner. He is small at 5 foot 9, but is stalky (215 lbs) and has recently drawn comparisons to players such as Ray Rice. For the first 6 games of the season, Martin had his up and down moments. His play went unnoticed until week 8 against the Oakland Raiders. His performance consisted of 25 carries for 251 yards and 4 TD's. He also added 4 catches for 21 yards. He gained much leaguewide notoriety from this game and is already emerging as the focal point of the defensive coordinators that are gameplaning against Bucs. On the season the running back has 197 carries and 1,000 yards on the ground. He is also a decent receiver, highlighted by his 27 catches for 319 yards through 10 games this season.

 Rookie RB Doug Martin is bringing optimism for Buccaneers fans

http://www.gannett-cdn.com/media/USATODAY/gameon/2012/11/04/gty-155478176-4_3_r560.jpg?f061b7ce9937c38b702e6f308816ac2a14e2a4ec

The Buccaneers take on the Falcons on Sunday and should give Atlanta a run for their money by pounding the football with their exciting, young, running back. Regardless, Martin is giving a reason for Tampa Bay fans to be excited about their future. Look for him to continue to develop into one of the better backs in the NFL.




For more Doug Martin stats refer to the links below...
http://espn.go.com/nfl/player/gamelog/_/id/14885/doug-martin
http://www.fbschedules.com/nfl-12/2012-tampa-bay-buccaneers-football-schedule.php
http://www.bucsnation.com/2012/4/28/2985108/2012-nfl-draft-results-tampa-bay-buccaneers-draft-picks
http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/7684603/tampa-bay-buccaneers-add-carl-nicks-eric-wright-signing-vincent-jackson

Jet Troubles

Whenever I hear the media talking about the New York Jets I have to laugh. People just never seem to learn when it comes to them. Every year is the same thing. The media (and Rex Ryan) portrays New York as the superior team in the NFL before the season even begins. But they seem to enjoy the attention with Ryan's continuous super bowl promises, the Hard Knocks appearances, and acquisition of Tim Tebow. Even former Jets quarterback, Joe Namath, called the Tebow trade a "publicity stunt." Since then we had an anonymous Jet's player criticize Tebow, calling him 'terrible.' Ironic, isn't it, how the Jet's team as a whole is terrible too?

The season has begun with a 3-6 start. Mark Sanchez continues to prove to us that he is one of the worst starting quarterbacks in the league and the running game continues to be nonexistent. They are 30th in the league in total offense. The defense of this team can not carry it anymore. Ryan and defensive coordinator, Mike Pettine, have not been able to establish a stellar defense as of late. The defense is average with a lot of average players and are not deep enough to overcome injuries to Darrelle Revis and others.

Recently, Jet's owner, Woody Johnson has expressed his displeasure over the 3-6 start to the season. On Thursday, he declined to give Rex a vote of confidence. Despite saying that he does not give in-season evaluations, we all know that doubts may be starting to set in about Ryan leading this team. It is safe to say that a coaching change may be in order soon. In his defense, the Jets struggles are not all about the coaching but is the result of an overall lack of talent.

Rex Ryan is on the hot seat after his team's poor start to the season.
http://turnonthejets.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Rex+Ryan+Buffalo+Bills+v+New+York+Jets+LknpqjEQ5r8l.jpeg

At some point the players and coaches need to look at themselves in the mirror and realize that they are the ones that are terrible, not just Tim Tebow.




For Jets articles and stats refer to the links below...

http://www.nfl.com/stats/categorystats?tabSeq=2&offensiveStatisticCategory=GAME_STATS&conference=ALL&role=TM&season=2012&seasonType=REG&d-447263-s=TOTAL_YARDS_GAME_AVG&d-447263-o=2&d-447263-n=1
http://espn.go.com/new-york/nfl/story/_/id/7765808/owner-says-new-york-jets-consider-hard-knocks-again-asked

http://espn.go.com/new-york/nfl/story/_/id/8636376/woody-johnson-new-york-jets-owner-sign-3-6-season

James Harden

We used to know James Harden for his beard. That changed when the Oklahoma City Thunder sent him to the Houston Rockets to become the new face of the franchise. Cole Aldrich, Lazar Hayward, and DaeQuan Cook were sent to Houston as well and the Thunder received Jeremy Lamb, Kevin Martin, and draft picks.

This move surprised me because the Thunder were still legitimate championship contenders. At first glance, this looked like a bad trade for them and it seemed to be one that could cost them a deep playoff run this season. They lost a great scorer off the bench. Not only that but Harden was a fan favorite in Oklahoma City. But, in the big picture, this move had to be made by the Thunder. When Serge Ibaka got his big 4 year contract extension it was beginning to look awfully hard to keep Harden under contract beyond this season. Ultimately, they decided to trade him, but they had to get a great scorer in return so they would retain some bench production. They got a scorer in Kevin Martin. Because of this, OKC is still a contender this season and they have opportunities to improve their team for future with Lamb and more draft picks.

James Harden is the new face of the Houston Rockets organization.

http://sinbapointforward.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/james-harden-houston-rockets.jpg?w=300&h=353

As for Harden, their were a lot of questions as to whether or not he would be able to handle the spotlight in Houston. He showed us that he could from opening night when he scored 37 points while dishing out 12 assists and grabbing 6 rebounds against the Pistons. The following game against Atlanta he scored a career high 45 points to go along with 7 rebounds. So far he seems extremely capable of taking on the lead role for the Rockets. He is carrying a ridiculous statline right now with 26.4 ppg, 4.6 rpg, and 4.5 apg. To put this is perspective his career averages are 13.2 ppg, 3.5 rpg, and 2.5 apg.

One last point that needs to be brought up about James Harden is that he should have the respect of every basketball fan after he signed a max 5 year contract with his new team. I find this to be extremely commendable with so many players around the league attempting to force trades to the big-market teams to create "superteams." Many guys in this era would have said no to the contract extension. Harden said yes to a team that would not be an enticing environment to some athletes. I feel that this shouldn't go without notice. I hope that Harden will one day be rewarded with a championship ring for his dedication to the Rockets.



For more stats on James Harden click the link below...
http://espn.go.com/nba/player/gamelog/_/id/3992/james-harden

Mike Brown Fired

Dwight Howard is starting to wish he stayed in Orlando. Maybe not, but the Lakers are already a mess 5 games into the season after firing head coach Mike Brown. The team's 1-4 start put a lot of unnecessary heat on Brown. Let's face it; this would not be a big deal if it was the Raptors or Wizards we are talking about. We are talking about the Los Angeles Lakers. We are talking about the 16 time champion Los Angeles Lakers. They have started a little slow, but this isn't the first time a team built a star-studded starting lineup and struggled to start the year. We last saw it with the Miami Heat after they signed LeBron James and Chris Bosh. We all remember when questions rose about Eric Spoelstra. The Media and others felt like he wasn't the right person to coach. A year later they won the championship and those questions were put to rest. The point is that "super" teams take time to gel. Firing the head coach could backfire quickly and will not fix the team chemistry.

 In an 82 game season there is no reason a team can not bounce back from a 1-4 start, especially L.A. This is a foolish move. Who's going to be the coach now? Phil Jackson? Good luck. Mike D'Antoni? He'd only teach Howard not to play defense. The team wasted training camp and the preseason to get adjusted to Brown's scheme and now they are going to need to adjust the scheme under a new coach, whoever it will be. I will say that Brown was not the right hire for a team of this caliber. The Lakers realized that and seem to think that there is someone more qualified for this job out there other than Brown. The timing is way off. Brown should've never had the job in the first place. You have to feel bad for him though. I'm sure that this was a head coaching job that he was really excited about. It just didn't work out. L.A. has a lot to iron out right now or reaching the playoffs may not work out for them either. Again, this is an 82 game season. They have time to fix their problems but they will need a new head coach first.

Mike Brown was unfairly targeted for the Lakers early season struggles.

http://www.voxxi.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Mike-Brown.jpg

Reflecting on the 2012 MLB Season

The MLB season is finally over and it ended with the San Fransisco Giants demolition of the Detriot Tigers. Many counted the Giants out during the NLCS, as they were down 3-1 to the St. Louis Cardinals. The Cardinals seemed well on their way to another World Series appearance, even after losing Albert Pujols to free agency  in the offseason. The Giants finally woke up and went on a 7 game winning streak including the World Series sweep. I don't think anyone expected a sweep. The series appeared to be evenly matched. In the end, the Tigers choked and the Giants kept firing to earn their second World Series victory in the last 3 years. This season marked a lot of noteworthy moves, both in the standings and acquisitions. Let's take a look back and reflect on the season;

World Series Thoughts - Wow. The Giants came ready to play. As a team, the Giants didn't hit particularly well (.242), but then again neither did the Tigers (.159). The one offensive player that stood out during the entire 4-game series was World Series MVP, Pablo Sandoval. First of all, anyone who slugs 3 home runs in one game deserves some attention. It didn't stop there for Sandoval. He was consistent all series long going 8-16 with 4 extra base hits. Miguel Cabrera, Prince Fielder, and Austin Jackson went a combined 7-40 and accounted for 1 home run and 3 RBI's. The Tigers big 3 could not find any answers for the Giants pitching and it became evident that if the three could be kept in check the Giants would breeze through the series.

Giants third baseman Pablo Sandoval earned MVP honors of the 2012 World Series highlighted by his 3 home run performance in Game 1. He went 8-16 in the 4 game series.

http://www.gannett-cdn.com/media/USATODAY/gameon/2012/10/30/10-30-2012-pablo-sandoval-mvp-trophy-4_3_r560.jpg?f061b7ce9937c38b702e6f308816ac2a14e2a4ec 

The real difference-maker of the series was the pitching of the Giants. In Game 1, Barry Zito shocked everyone by outpitching Justin Verlander. Bruce Bochy's move to pitch Zito against Verlander paid off and Zito gave up 1 run in 5.2 innings as opposed to Verlander's 5 runs in 4 innings. Verlander's ineffectiveness foreshadowed a long series for Detriot. Zito and the rest of the Giants starting pitchers combined for a 1.36 ERA. As a team it was a ridiculous 1.46. Tough to beat that ERA.

Around the League- The regular season featured many surprises. One of them came from the AL East where the Baltimore Orioles finished in second place as a wild card team and the Red Sox nightmare season had them behind the Toronto Blue Jays in the standings. Boston has a lot of challenges facing them for the future after trading away many of the core players of their team. Right now they are not in a position to contend in that division even after resigning David Ortiz. The ALCS winning Detroit Tigers struggled early on in the season but their only competition for the division came from the Chicago White Sox. The Nationals were a surprise team in the National League and with so much pitching strength they should continue to be a great team down the road. Along with Boston,the Philadelphia Phillies failed to reach the playoffs and, after a hopeful start to the season, the Pittsburgh Pirates finished with another losing season.

Offseason acquisition of the year - Moving away from the Albert Pujols' and Prince Fielders' of the the world the acquisition of the year came at the expense of the Oakland Athletics. In an attempt to acquire youth and top prospects the Athletics agreed to send pitcher Gio Gonzalez to the Washington Nationals for prospects AJ Cole, Brad Peacock, Tommy Milone, and Derek Norris. Let me start by saying I think that this will end up being a fairly even trade for both teams. Tommy Milone is already showing tons of potential to be a frontline starting pitcher for the A's and the others are nothing to sneeze at as well. Gio Gonzalez was a great find by the Nationals. He was a great fit with the youth and potential of the Nationals starters, such as Stephen Strasburg and Jordan Zimmerman. The young lefty finished the year with 21 wins and a 2.89 ERA. Those are ace numbers. He should be highly considered for the Cy Young.

Nationals pitcher Gio Gonzalez proved to be a staple in the starting rotation with Cy Young deserving numbers.

http://www.masnsports.com/byron_kerr/images/Gio-Gonzalez-set-blue-sidebar.jpg

Best Trade Deadline Acquisition - You could argue that the Dodgers made the best moves at the trade deadline by acquiring guys like Hanley Ramirez, Carl Crawford, Adrian Gonzalez, Shane Victorino, and Brandon League. I will admit, their trades were impressive on paper, but the moves did not result in a World Series appearance. The trades they accomplished were an absolute failure for that reason. It was the World Series winning San Fransisco Giants that made the biggest moves. I know, you want me to say Hunter Pence. No, it was middle infielder Marco Scutaro. Formally with the Colorado Rockies, Scutaro was traded to the Giants for infielder Charlie Culberson in late July. With Colorado not being in the hunt for the playoffs, Scutaro's expiring contract was expendable. All he did was hit .362 overall with the Giants and played a huge role as not only a productive everyday player, but a leader. After going 14-28 in the NLCS, Scutaro struggled a bit in the World Series, but all was forgiven in game 4 when he had the clutch hit in the 10th inning that brought in Ryan Theriot. The hit proved to be the winning run. Scutaro's second half of the season will certainly make him a highly sought after free agent.

The Trade No One Is Talking About - The Chicago Cubs did not have much to be proud of this season but they have to be excited about their young first baseman, Anthony Rizzo. Rizzo was acquired from the Padres in an offseason 4-player deal that sent Andrew Cashner to the San Diego Padres. The Cubs could have something to build around here. Rizzo has bounced around in the league after being drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the 6th round of the 2007 amateur draft. He was traded in 2010 to the Padres that sent Adrian Gonzalez to Boston. Now in 2012, Rizzo is on his third organization after being given up on by these two teams. This guy is no scrub. Last year, the first baseman hit .331 with 26 home runs and 101 RBI's in 93 games for the Padres Triple-A team. He made his first big-league appearance last year but only batted .143. He returned to the big leagues this season and left a good impression on Cubs fans as he hit .285 with with 15 home runs and 48 RBI's in 87 games. In a full season he would've been on pace for 28 home runs and 89 RBI's. Look for this guy to become a really good player, if not a star, in the next couple of years.

Chicago Cubs new first baseman Anthony Rizzo is one of the best young players in the league.

http://espn.go.com/photo/2012/0630/mlb_a_rizzo_gb1_600.jpg

For more stats refer to these links...

http://espn.go.com/mlb/team/stats/batting/_/name/sf/split/774/san-francisco-giants

http://espn.go.com/mlb/team/stats/pitching/_/name/sf/split/774/san-francisco-giants

http://espn.go.com/mlb/team/stats/batting/_/name/det/split/774/detroit-tigers
http://espn.go.com/mlb/team/stats/pitching/_/name/det/split/774/detroit-tigers

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20121027&content_id=40079200&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb

http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/stats/_/id/28962/gio-gonzalez

ymd=20120106&content_id=26278338&c_id=mlb&vkey=news_mlb



Breaking the 300 Barrier

I love old school football. I love seeing teams pound the ball inside the tackles for tough yards. I want to see individual players like Marshawn Lynch, Adrian Peterson, and Arian Foster get 20-25 carries a game. Yet, we are clearly in the midst of a deterioration of this aspect of the game. I am disgusted, to say the least, with teams passing the ball excessively. From a fan's perspective, it takes away from the balance of the game. Am I going to stop watching football because of this? No, I won't. But, I do think that the running game is just as important to viewing experience.  Too often teams want to go for the big game-changing play downfield, and that can result in poor decisions and bad throws by the quarterback, leading to costly turnovers.

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan benefits from a new era in football where he is encouraged to showcase all his skills.

http://blogs.ajc.com/atlanta-falcons-blog/files/2010/11/ice-throw.JPG

Maybe it's just me, but I find this part of the game to be a fairly simple concept. Running the ball helps to set up play action. The play action helps to draw in the safeties and THEN you take the shot downfield against single coverage with no safety help. Teams with very good running backs continue to fail to get their playmakers going. Now for some fans, it is exciting to see this new phase of the NFL because it gives the feeling that anything can happen if you throw the ball. The grind of the simple rush just isn't as appetizing anymore. But, if some teams implemented the run more often,  a couple of them  would have significantly better records.

Haven't noticed a change? According to ESPN, in the 2010 regular season, a total of seven players (Michael Turner, ATL; Steven Jackson, STL;  Arian Foster, HOU;  Rashard Mendenhall, PIT;  Cedric Benson, CIN;  Chris Johnson, TEN;  Ray Rice, BAL) eclipsed the 300 rushing attempts total for one season. Jacksonville Jaguars running back, Maurice Jones-Drew, missed the mark by one attempt. In the 2011 regular season, a total of two players (Jones-Drew and Turner) surpassed 300 rush attempts. Are you kidding me!?! Only two!?! What caused this drop off of 300-plus carries?

The 2012 season is no different. So far this season, six players are on pace to break 300 attempts.

         Player                                   Carries Through Week 7                   Carries On Pace For

Arian Foster (HOU)                                         168                                                    384

Marshawn Lynch (SEA)                                   147                                                    336

Alfred Morris (WAS)                                       138                                                    315

Adrian Peterson (MIN)                                    136                                                    310

Steven Ridley (NE)                                          135                                                    309

Jamaal Charles (KC)                                       115                                                     307

* Has had a bye week

Houston Texan running back Arian Foster is leading the league with 168 carries.

http://www.nypost.com/rw/nypost/2012/10/08/sports/web_photos/arian_foster--300x300.jpg

Seriously, how many of these guys do we expect to get 300 carries? Anyone could get hurt tomorrow. Some could lose their starting jobs. I'd say Foster, Lynch, and Peterson are locks at this point. Ridley plays on a team with a guy by the name of Tom Brady. Because of that, I don't think he has a shot. Alfred Morris has been playing really well. But is that enough for Mike Shanahan to stick with him the whole season? We all know how he likes to switch things up on us. Jamaal Charles's totals are a tad bit bloated as 64 of his 115 carries have been in two different games.

Having said all of that, other players such as LeSean McCoy (PHI) and Chris Johnson (TEN) could certainly break the 300 mark. But, let's just say for the sake of argument that four players this season break 300. Remember, in 2010, seven players eclipsed that mark. In the past two seasons, we would still have one fewer player reach 300 than in 2010. Clearly, we are in the midst of a passing era in football.


For more ESPN season statistics click the links below...
http://espn.go.com/nfl/statistics/player/_/stat/rushing/sort/rushingAttempts/year/2010
http://espn.go.com/nfl/statistics/player/_/stat/rushing/sort/rushingAttempts/year/2011
http://espn.go.com/nfl/statistics/player/_/stat/rushing/sort/rushingAttempts