2011-2012 NBA Preview (Part 4)

Continued from Part 3, which was written on December 22.

9) Houston Rockets

David Stern stalled their rebuilding process by vetoing the Chris Paul trade. Now the Rockets will settle for a season with a similar winning percentage as last year, and probably narrowly missing the postseason. Houston has a pair of all-star caliber talents in Luis Scola and Kevin Martin, but will need continued development from Kyle Lowry and improved team defense if it is serious about playing past the regular season.


10) New Orleans Hornets

The Hornets got plenty of compensation for having to cut ties with Chris Paul. With Eric Gordon and additional first round picks, this team has an extremely bright future. Success might even come in the short term; Chris Kaman's arrival means a solid, rebounding frontcourt with Emeka Okafor. Trevor Ariza is an excellent defender, and I can see Gordon can putting up in the area of 25 a night. They'll probably take their point guard of the future in this year's draft, and be on their way.


11) Minnesota Timberwolves

This team is built for success in two or three years. If they can come together as a team, they can possibly push for the eighth spot in this competitive West, but I don't see that happening. They are set for the next decade with Kevin Love and Michael Beasley, Beasley being a guy who could morph into a superstar. Ricky Rubio, in my mind, is overhyped: he will likely not be the all-star many predict him to be, but more like a Jose Calderon. The center position is what needs fixing: while Darko Milicic is improving gradually, he is still not an NBA starter.


12) Golden State Warriors

This is an interesting group. For their diehard fans, probably a very frustrating one. They have the talent on one end of the floor to win a championship, but don't even show up on the other one. Simply playing defense is all this team needs. Easier said than done, but the effort is just not there. An upgrade at center would do wonders as well. Stephen Curry may develop into Derrick Rose in a season or two, but it won't matter if the Warriors don't play on both sides of the floor.


 13) Utah Jazz

It seems so odd to be putting the Utah Jazz, a model of consistency for all these years, down so low in the rankings. Paul Millsap, Al Jefferson and Devin Harris give this team a solid core, but the team's overall talent isn't quite there. A few minor personnel tweaks could return this team to the postseason after missing out a year ago. Derrick Favors' development would be huge, as it would allow the team to trade Millsap, a guy with high value Utah could get a lot for.


14) Phoenix Suns

Phoenix would probably be better off trading Steve Nash to a contender that needs a point guard (Heat or Lakers, maybe) than keeping him. Salary cap implications and what not could prevent this from happening. But the Suns know they need to build for the future, and Nash won't be in the league for it, so they might as well try to get something for him while he's still valuable. They wouldn't mind Shannon Brown developing into a twenty point scorer; outside of Nash, he's the only guy capable of creating his own shot.


15) Sacramento Kings

Let the NBA edition of the Jimmer show begin. I'm not on his bandwagon however: in the NBA he won't have the same permission to fire away, and he can't play defense to save his life. He might become decent, but his best days will be his college ones. DeMarcus Cousins, if he can keep his personality in check, can be something special. Tyreke Evans and J.J. Hickson bring potential as well. As for this season? Expect it to be a long one.

2011-2012 NBA Preview (Part 3)

Continued from Part 2, which was posted December 20.

This year's Western Conference will play out almost nothing like last season's. The fairly large gap in talent between the elite teams and the good ones a season ago will be thrown out the window this coming year. Roughly twelve teams have their hopes set on the postseason. Don't be surprised if the one and six seeds finish five games apart, and enjoy viewing some of the most competitive competition the NBA has fielded in quite some time.


1) Oklahoma City Thunder

Oklahoma City may have a Big Three of its own this season, and unlike the Celtics and Heat who bought theirs through free agency, OKC's would be entirely home grown. Wondering who the third guy is after Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant? James Harden, a 22-year-old who has only started five games in his NBA career. Harden has still gotten plenty of playing time behind defensive specialist Thabo Sefolosha, and is considered by many to be a candidate for the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year Award. That being said, he may end up playing too well for head coach Scott Brooks to resist starting. As for the Thunder's championship aspirations? They say only the veteran teams come out on top (and if you take a look at the last decade of NBA championship teams, this is essentially true), but with the Thunder's talent? This group certainly has a chance.


2) Portland Trail Blazers

This seems way too high. The Portland Trail Blazers are the second best team in the West? They lack a true superstar, but have all the components you would look for in a winning basketball team. Raymond Felton has turned himself into one of the better floor generals in the league, Gerald Wallace's defense and all-around play help anchor the team.... every player on this ballclub brings together what appears to be one of the league's most all-around teams heading into this season. Having seven (eight if you consider Oden's talent) NBA-calibur starters is a problem every team would yearn to have, and Portland possesses it. And they may not have to search far and wide for a superstar anyway, as LaMarcus Alridge is right on the cusp of an MVP-type season. This team has been entirely overlooked going in, but it's not so far-fetched to say they could be the last team standing.


3)  Los Angeles Clippers

When purchasing single-game Sixers tickets the other night, I chose the Clippers game, something I never would have considered last year even. David Stern's gift to this franchise (Chris Paul) isn't the only reason the longtime Staples Center's secondary attraction is turning heads. Completely disregarding Paul and Blake Griffin, this group is loaded with talent (Caron Butler, DeAndre Jordan, Mo Williams...). The key to this team's success is whether Chris Paul and Chauncey Billups can learn to play with each other; Paul is the true point guard, while Billups has played the position for the bulk of his career. Mr. Big Shot will probably gladly play the two if it means contending for a title.

As of right now, though, if the Clippers could create a banner for two preseason wins, they'd gladly hang it in the rafters.


4) Dallas Mavericks

They're the defending champions but it seems as if not a single person outside of Dallas gives them any fighting chance to repeat. They probably won't, but they weren't supposed to win it all last year, were they? Their offseason essentially involved swapping Tyson Chandler and Caron Butler for Lamar Odom and an aging Vince Carter. How this turns out is obviously yet to be seen. What it does mean is that this team still hasn't gotten any younger, and that Brendan Haywood is now the starting center. Talent remains plentiful on this roster though, and Dallas comes out of the gates a dark horse yet again.


5) Memphis Grizzlies

The Grizz are here to show that knocking off the Spurs last year wasn't a fluke, and look to keep the show going. They will. The fifth seed might even be a understatement for a roster that is simply loaded. They have two twenty-a-night guys in Rudy Gay and Zach Randolph who give far more than just the scoring, and another guy, O.J. Mayo, who's talented enough to do the same. Marc Gasol is learning to hold down the defensive fort down low. The bench is filled with young guns that could make up a solid starting unit in a few years. There is a lot to like about the 2012 Memphis Grizzlies.


6) Los Angeles Lakers

Don't really hate to say this at all, but the end of the current Lakers dynasty is unfurling before our eyes. Aging bodies, the playoff drubbing at the hands of the Mavs, and the Zen Master's departure got the demise going. David Stern played a massive part as well as you know. The formerly well-rounded Lakers are now just a three-man show (Kobe, Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum), and if one of those guys go down, this could get ugly, fast.


7) Denver Nuggets

The Denver Nuggets were the definition of team basketball following the Carmelo Anthony swap that so far has ended up favoring Mile High. In this previous blog post I explain their transformation that resulted in fewer points allowed and soaring assist totals. They've lost a few pieces, but Ty Lawson and Danilo Gallinari's development should keep this team playing well above .500 basketball.


8) San Antonio Spurs

The eighth seed in this year's West doesn't constitute a lousy season. Considering the Spurs won this conference's regular season crown a year ago would not be comforting, however. Nonetheless they could finish here and still go 40-26. Fending off talented Houston and New Orleans squads should be quite a challenge. That's if San Anton finishes down here, that is. They could be anywhere from the second seed to the eleventh, exhibiting how deep this year's West is. They're simply far too old at this point, though, and Tim Duncan just isn't a force anymore.

In this year's West it seems as if there aren't enough wins to go around. Ten teams are talented enough to finish with 40 wins, but not many will be elite. One thing is for sure, though. The Lakers-Spurs reign is a thing of the past.

Part 4 will be written soon, and will be the last part of this NBA preview.

2011-2012 NBA Preview (Part 2)

Continued from Part 1, which was posted on December 18.

10) Washington Wizards

This team is still developing and loaded with potential, but the playoffs probably aren't realistic for this coming season. Except for the veteran Rashard Lewis, every starter on this team has room to grow. If Jordan Crawford is able to break out beside John Wall, the Wiz could have a top backcourt for years to come. Wall's development is key: he needs to play better on-ball defense, decrease his alarmingly high turnover rate, and move better without the ball. All of this comes with experience, and he has superstar potential. Washington also has a two big men capable of averaging a double-double in Andray Blatche and JaVale McGee, as well as rookies looking to make an impact in Jan Vesely and Shelvin Mack. While the future does look bright for this organization, it should be a few years before this team makes any noise.


11) Toronto Raptors

DeMar DeRozan is the future of this team. He has the superstar potential, and Toronto should really try to keep him there for the long term. Andrea Bargnani is a potent scorer but also one of the worst rebounding centers in the league. Look for Ed Davis to take the starting power forward job from Amir Johnson in the near future; both of these guys are young, but Davis should be able to make more of an impact on both sides of the ball. Toronto hopes 23-year-old Jerryd Bayless is the heir apparent to Jose Calderon for the starting point guard job, something only time will tell.


12) Detroit Pistons

The Pistons invested $25 million in Rodney Stuckey, which is odd considering it may be Brandon Knight who becomes the point guard of the future for this team. They also brought back Tayshaun Prince, who will give them about thirteen points and four boards a game for the next few years. Much of the success of this team hinges on the development of Greg Monroe, who goes into the season as the starting center. Far from a sure thing, though, is the power forward position, which is currently held by Jason Maxiell. Behind him is a big waste of money in Charlie Villanueva. The team's 2011 2nd-round pick, Vernon Macklin out of Florida, may be the eventual replacement for Maxiell.


13) New Jersey Nets

The ultimate goal here is still to bring in Dwight Howard. Until then, even with Deron Williams on their side, the Nets will continue to be basement-dwellers. Brook Lopez scored well but only recorded what is an embarrassing six boards per game considering the guy is seven feet tall. I don't see any more 25-game losing streaks for this team, but success is still a long way off.


14) Cleveland Cavaliers

Cleveland actually started winning quite a few games by the end of the season, finishing at 5-5 in their last ten. The city would love to see Omri Casspi develop into a viable NBA starter in LeBron's former position, and Kyrie Irving to start off strong. It's almost a given Kyrie will commit way too many turnovers in his rookie campaign, but become a force to be reckoned with right out of the get-go.


15) Charlotte Bobcats

This roster is full of holes the management has created. DeSagana Diop, a vet who averaged 1.3 ppg last year, goes into the season starting in the middle. Next to him is Boris Diaw, a man with a monstrous contract who has underachieved tremendously. At least their backcourt isn't too shabby, where D.J. Augustin can score fifteen a night from the point guard slot. Gerald Henderson can score alongside him as well, and of course, Kemba Walker looms from the bench.

Western Conference will be written soon. 

2011-2012 NBA Preview (Part 1)

Let there be basketball after all. The lockout has actually hyped up this season more than ever, and 66 games actually seems to be a pleasant alternative to the 82-game never-ending schedule. A shortened preseason (two games as opposed to eight) and training camp have allowed the season to launch Christmas day. 

The Chris Paul trade controversy overshadowed what otherwise would have been a smooth transition from the lockout to the regular season, and the league's credibility took a major hit. If you've been living under a rock the past few weeks, searching "Chris Paul trade" on Google should get you back up to date.

Now I'll do my best to predict this season's fate for Paul's Clippers and every other NBA team for this season. Don't agree (which you probably won't in many places)? Feel free to comment.

Eastern Conference:


1) Miami Heat

There's no doubt this team will win a bunch of games. That's not what they are looking to do, obviously. Finishing with the best record in the conference is likely, but a championship trophy is far from guaranteed. If LeBron doesn't develop a killer instinct in the postseason, rings will elude Miami again, something I see happening.


2) Chicago Bulls

They will challenge the Heat for the best record in the conference after winning the regular season last year. Joakim Noah is the x-factor for this team: with Carlos Boozer aging, Noah will need to establish himself as more of a post presence, particularly on the offensive side of the ball.


3) Boston Celtics

The core players of this team, save Rajon Rondo, are dinosaurs. Yes, the Big Three are old. But the lockout helped these guys as much as anyone. They are already experienced playing with each other, so the shortened training camp doesn't hurt them much.  A shorter season is also a friend to Allen, Pierce and Garnett's aging bodies. Jeff Green's absence (heart surgery) will hurt them, and could be what keeps this group from a final run at a championship.


4) Philadelphia 76ers

Many of you will stop reading here. They're my hometown and beloved team, I know. But hear me out. After starting 3-13 last year, this ballclub went 38-28 while still developing. The chemistry is only increasing, and all the young players are only getting better. Evan Turner, Thaddeus Young, Lou Williams, and Jrue Holiday all have breakout potential this year. Turner's jump shot looks eons better after training with Philadelphia shot doctor Herb Magee, and if he gets playing time ahead of Jodie Meeks could still be something special. The entire core of this team returns, so the lack of training camp doesn't hurt as much. I'll be writing a post on them soon.


5) Indiana Pacers

There's a lot of hype surrounding this club going into the season, to the extent of a high conference playoff seed. And why shouldn't there be? One of the top defensive teams in the league brings in David West, a guy who can score almost twenty a game. Couple that with the breakout potential of Darren Collison, Paul George, and Roy Hibbert, and this is suddenly a perennial playoff team. Danny Granger will continue to be the star, but it will be harder to tell when his supporting cast gets going.


6) New York Knicks

We'll see if Tyson Chandler somehow teaches Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire how to play defense, but you can't count on it. We already know Mike D'Antoni won't. This team looks scary on the offensive side of the ball, but teams don't win championships giving up 105 points per game.


7) Orlando Magic

Trading for Hedo Turkouglu last year turned out not to be the move this team needed. That being said, they still managed to finish with the conference's 4th-best record, something they are capable of repeating. Obviously, the key for this team is whether or not they can retain Dwight Howard, something becoming more and more likely, at least for this season, as the days go by. Ryan Anderson is a name to look out for; if he gets playing time ahead of Glen Davis, he could become a serious scoring threat beside Howard. The Jason Richardson signing was questionable from a fan's perspective, but he still provides production. Placing this team 7th seems odd after their past few seasons of success, but they're not the team they once were.


8) Atlanta Hawks

Pretty much all this team did this past offseason is lose Jamal Crawford, a tremendous scoring option. Considering this crew finished 44-38 this past season, the Hawks should scale back their championship aspirations. That being said, if Jeff Teague is able to break out in his first year as starting point guard (if he takes the job from Kirk Hinrich, a guy who we've seen his plateau), then this team could go somewhere.

If you hadn't noticed, these projected playoff teams are the same eight teams that were there last season, just in a totally jumbled up order. As of right now, outside of the Milwaukee Bucks, the remaining conference teams simply don't look good enough to compete, and most of them are rebuilding.  This is the first year in awhile that the East could sport eight teams with winning records in the playoffs, and maybe even have a team miss the postseason playing ball above .500. Try to remember the last time that happened.

9) Milwaukee Bucks

They play tantalizing defense. Problem is, they are so bad on the other end of the ball that the stifling D can't make up for it. Bringing in Stephen Jackson could be the few extra points they need to reach the postseason, and he adds to the core of Andrew Bogut and Brandon Jennings. Rookie Tobias Harris could make an immediate impact off the bench. If Bogut or Jennings can't make offensive strides, though, come playoff time the Bucks could be on the outside looking in.

Part 2, the rest of the Eastern Conference, will be posted in a few days.

Week 15 Sunday NFL Projections

Just scores this week. I've been working on the NBA Preview, which should be finished in a few days.

Last week: 11-3
Season: 135-47

Denver Broncos 24, New England Patriots 23
Baltimore Ravens 24, San Diego Chargers 20
Seattle Seahawks 17, Chicago Bears 13
Detroit Lions 27, Oakland Raiders 24
Pittsburgh Steelers 19, San Francisco 49ers 17

Houston Texans 31, Carolina Panthers 14
Philadelphia Eagles 27, New York Jets 26
New Orleans Saints 31, Minnesota Vikings 10
New York Giants 24, Washington Redskins 13
Arizona Cardinals 14, Cleveland Browns 13
Cincinnati Bengals 13, St. Louis Rams 3
Buffalo Bills 20, Miami Dolphins 13
Tennessee Titans 23, Indianapolis Colts 6
Green Bay Packers 38, Kansas City Chiefs 17

Week 14 NFL Projections

Last week: 12-3
Season: 124-44

Denver Broncos 17, Chicago Bears 13

Two tough defenses. Two quarterbacks with questions about their passing skills. In this game, the Tebow show will continue, though, because the Broncos will be able to contain backup Caleb Hanie enough for Tebow to perform his fourth quarter magic after another tough day passing the ball yet again.

Green Bay Packers 31, Oakland Raiders 17

If the Packers were to lose a regular season game this year, I would have chosen last week's matchup against the Giants. Facing the Raiders should just be a minor bump in the road for a team with aspirations of dethroning the '72 Dolphins.

Houston Texans 20, Cincinnati Bengals 14

The Texans' strong D held T.J. Yates' early lead against the Falcons last week; expect them to perform well for the rookie a second straight week against a Bengals offense that isn't any better. Again I point to the fact that Cincy still hasn't beaten a winning team, and T.J. Yates is formidable enough at QB that the Texans still play like one.

New Orleans Saints 28, Tennessee Titans 24
New England Patriots 27, Washington Redskins 20
Miami Dolphins 24, Philadelphia Eagles 23
Detroit Lions 24, Minnesota Vikings 20
New York Jets 20, Kansas City Chiefs 13
Jacksonville Jaguars 20, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 10
Baltimore Ravens 28, Indianapolis Colts 10
New York Giants 24, Dallas Cowboys 20
San Francisco 49ers 21, Arizona Cardinals 17
Carolina Panthers 24, Atlanta Falcons 20
San Diego Chargers 31, Buffalo Bills 24

"Angel" in the Infield

Money was at the forefront of Albert Pujols' mind when he signed his mega-deal to play for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim this morning. Who can blame him? He's provided St. Louis with over a decade full of memories and has two World Series titles to show for it. But still....

Pujols' shiny new $254 million dollar deal pays him approximately $0.79 a second, $47 a minute, and $2851 an hour for the next decade. Only Alex Rodriguez' current $275 million dollar payday with the Yanks rolled in more cash than this agreement.

You have to questions Pujols' motives on signing this deal. Apparently the Cardinals offered him $210 million for the ten years, which was probably more than they could afford. In the end, though, the slugger chose to put money ahead of a stronger St. Louis fan base and his legacy.

Saying he wanted to remain a Cardinal for life as recently as this past season, Pujols exhibited having a short memory, not to mention being unable to resist an additional hefty wad of cash. To open up negotiations prior to last season with the Cardinals, he and agent Dan Lozano put A-Rod's deal as a baseline, saying he'd test free agency if the Cards didn't match that number. The bottom line in this whole thing is this: all Albert Pujols cared about was money.

He cared about money so much that he was willing to play for the Marlins, Cubs, Angels, or anyone else that could beat the Cardinals $210 million. What he didn't seem to care about is the city of St. Louis, one of the finest sports cities in the country with some of the greatest fans out there. He would have been willing to play in front of seven Marlins fans a night over a packed Busch Stadium chanting his name every at-bat. The fans in St. Louis thought he had at least a bit of compassion for them, but his eyes were only focused on the green.

And honestly, though, when you are making somewhere around that asinine amount of money, is there even a noticeable difference between $210 and $275? In my mind both would just seem unlimited.

Pujols didn't seem to do his homework regarding the money either. This article from CBS shows that Pujols would actually have a larger net worth in St. Louis, because of LA's living costs, etc. It also goes on to mention how in LA, Albert will be second-rate to not only the Lakers, but the Dodgers as well. Who else does St. Louis have to cheer for, the 2-55 Rams?

Through it all, though, the Cardinals probably ended up better off in the long run anyway. There's no way the Angels will get the bang for their buck they intended eight years from now on a 41-year-old Pujols. Watching Big Al's pursuit of Hank Aaron's home run record (I'm not counting Bonds' of course) will be a special, but if he does in fact go on to pass Bonds, the event will seem like it should have taken place under the Arch.

There is the other side to this: that Pujols owed nothing to St. Lou because of what he had already given them and that whole deal. It's just rather difficult to side with the greedy athlete over the diehard, respectable fans of St. Louis.

Week 13 NFL Projections

Last week: 11-2
Season: 112-41

Pittsburgh Steelers 20, Cincinnati Bengals 14

The last time these two clashed, I picked Pittsburgh because the lack of Cincy's quality wins. Well, that was just three weeks ago. Since then, the Bengals fell to yet another playoff team in the Ravens, and then barely squeaked by the bottom-dwelling Browns. Cincinnati has not beaten a single team currently with a winning record this season, and that says it all.

Atlanta Falcons 20, Houston Texans 17

Maybe T.J. Yates will surprise us. He has a healthier Andre Johnson to help him out, and one of the best o-lines/running back corps in the league on his side. But I will still take the safer pick here, as Michael Turner has been ruled healthy enough to play for Atlanta.

New Orleans Saints 34, Detroit Lions 27

This game has the makings of a shootout. Even with Ndamukong Suh to clog up the middle, the Lions' rush defense hasn't been very good, but with his absence, a guy potentially getting after Drew Brees all day is being taken away. New Orleans might rush Mark Ingram and crew a bit more than usual today, en route to a W in an eventful ballgame.

Green Bay Packers 31, New York Giants 20
Buffalo Bills 24, Tennessee Titans 23
Chicago Bears 24, Kansas City Chiefs 6
Miami Dolphins 24, Oakland Raiders 21
Denver Broncos 17, Minnesota Vikings 14
New England Patriots 45, Indianapolis Colts 20
Carolina Panthers 21, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 13
New York Jets 20, Washington Redskins 16
Baltimore Ravens 27, Cleveland Browns 17
Dallas Cowboys 28, Arizona Cardinals 23
San Francisco 49ers 28, St. Louis Rams 24
San Diego Chargers 20, Jacksonville Jaguars 13

Thursday's Eagles at Seahawks game had already been played when this was written.

Fantasy Annoyance: A Shortage of Good Luck (A narrative of the most frustating fantasy football season imaginable)

NOTE - This is written after the conclusion of the regular season for my league, which seems a week early to any fantasy players reading. We decided to have the playoffs take place weeks 13-16, because so many players are rested in week 17. The top four of eight teams make it. Also, if you're new to fantasy football, you might think I'm way to into it. But once you get into it, you get hooked into the prospect of "managing a team," so to say. If you play I'm sure you understand... So here goes.

I've had better years playing fantasy football. My result this year is a perfect illustration of why this popular American hobby can be so frustrating to so many of us.

At the time, my draft seemingly went extraordinarily well. If this was 2010 my team would have run away with the crown. It seemed deep and loaded full of star power. Looking back, I can see where it started to go entirely wrong. In an eight team league, these were my drafted players:

Round 1, 5th: LeSean McCoy, Phi RB
Round 2, 12th: Andre Johnson, Hou WR
Round 3, 21st: Michael Turner, Atl RB
Round 4, 28th: Peyton Manning, Ind QB
Round 5, 37th: Hakeem Nicks, NYG WR
Round 6, 44th: DeAngelo Williams, Car RB
Round 7, 53rd: Brandon Lloyd, Den WR
Round 8, 60th: Dez Bryant, Dal WR
Round 9, 69th: LeGarrette Blount, TB RB
Round 10, 76th: Mike Williams, TB WR
Round 11, 85th: Shonn Greene, NYJ RB
Round 12, 92nd: Kellen Winslow, TB TE
Round 13, 101st: Falcons D/ST
Round 14, 108th: Tim Hightower, Wsh RB
Round 15, 117th: Eli Manning, NYG QB
Round 16, 124th: Rob Bironas, Ten K

Well, my second and fourth round picks didn't turn out to be the greatest. The draft was before there was much of a risk of taking Peyton Manning. It took place when reports were beginning to surface that he might miss the first week of preseason, but there was nothing to worry about. Believe it or not, losing Manning didn't really hurt me, because of the the waiver wire. Not having Andre Johnson did, though...

LeSean McCoy was definitely playing for me this season, and anyone else who owned him. Turner the Burner was the best RB2 anyone could have. Nicks underachieved in my mind; I thought he would blow up and approach 1500 yards on the year, but my expectations proved unrealistic. Carolina's running scheme turned DeAngelo Williams into a major bust. I can't say I wasn't expecting it, but with his huge payday I thought it would be a little better.

All in all though, the draft still wasn't half bad. It would appear I should be able to make my league's playoffs despite the injuries to Manning and Johnson. After all, injuries and busts occur in almost every fantasy player's draft. Which is where the waiver wire and trading come into play.

Yet despite making 24 acquisitions and a pair of major trades, I was still left out of the playoffs in the most frustrating fashion imaginable. I wasn't the team at the bottom of the standings; otherwise I would just suck it up and not write a blog post complaining about the result like I am now. All good fortune turned against me, as I will explain.

It all started in week one, when I sat in front of my computer for five minutes deciding on whether to start Tim Hightower, Mike Williams, Dez Bryant, or DeAngelo Williams in my flex spot. I ultimately selected DeAngelo, who put up a measly three points in a matchup I went on to lose by just five points. Had I gone with any of the other three guys, I would have won. This is how the rest of my season would go.

After week one I made the move that almost saved my season and chance at the $60 the eventual winner will get. Matthew Stafford was sitting in the free agent pool, and after one week I had already had enough of starting Eli Manning. I also let go of the Falcons D in favor of the Lions', and made a kicker change as well. In week two, Stafford, McCoy, Turner, and the Lions D all put up 20+ points en route to a 126-102 win, and I assumed I was good to go. Similar to after the draft, I was already in everyone's faces about how I was going to roll in the cash.

Following week two I was sick of Eli altogether, and I decided to take a chance on the sure-to-be-bust Cam Newton to back up Stafford. Dustin Keller also joined my team until he fell off a few weeks later.

Week four dropped me to 2-2, as the guy I played got 45 points from Aaron Rodgers and a freak 32-point performance from the Ravens D. I wasn't worried.

My team put up a collective dud in week five as I fell to the worst team in the league, 89-78. Even so, his team was so bad that 78 still should have gotten me a win.

I decided I needed to go something. I felt happy with Stafford at QB but knew I needed to change things up a bit if I had any hopes of winning the league. So Dez Bryant and, call me an idiot, Cam Newton were traded for Matt Forte to one of the top teams in the league. The trade seemed like it would help both teams tremendously; he had Ryan Fitzpatrick starting at QB and could use an upgrade while I was riding Stafford's 25 point performances with Newton on the bench. I was more worried about Bryant, who never did break out later on as I feared he would. Forte slowed down soon after the trade, but I loved being able to start McCoy, Turner, and Forte: easily the best running back trifecta in my league.

I worked the waiver wire magic again around the same time, picking up Victor Cruz, a guy no one had heard of who had just ripped off a few big performances. But in week six, Cruz only put up one point, and I decided to try to trade him while I could, thinking his few big weeks were just a stroke of luck.
It took me awhile but I finally convinced another owner to take in Cruz and Shonn Greene for DeSean Jackson. Along with that trade went my season, as you know what happened with those two receivers.

After week ten, though, I was sitting at 6-4 and assuming I was a shoe-in for the playoffs. I'd picked up Tony Gonzalez and DeMarco Murray, both of whom put up a lot of points. Gonzalez became my starting tight end for the second half of the season; Murray I hoped to trade but it never happened. A few weeks ago I grabbed the Texans' D, as the Lions' was falling apart. I was optimistic about my chances of being able to keep the $60 stored in my bedroom ($20 went to second place).

In week eleven I lost, falling to 6-5, in part because of stupid decisions on who to start. I won't bore you with the details, as I've probably been doing to those of you still reading.

I found myself going into the final week of my league's regular season not worried at all: I was playing a 3-8 team and currently in third place.

The situation was three 6-5 teams, one of which was mine, fighting for the final two playoff spots. All I needed to do was win against a lousy team. Even if I lost, I would still get in with a loss by either of the other two 6-5 teams, as I held the scoring tiebreak with the 2nd-most cumulative points in the league.

At this point, my roster:

QB - Matthew Stafford, Det
RB - LeSean McCoy, Phi
RB - Matt Forte, Chi
RB/WR - Michael Turner, Atl
WR - Hakeem Nicks, NYG
WR - DeSean Jackson, Phi
TE - Tony Gonzalez, Atl
D/ST - Texans D/ST
K - Mason Crosby, GB

Andre Johnson, Hou WR
Brandon Lloyd, StL WR
LeGarrette Blount, TB RB
Eli Manning, NYG QB
DeMarco Murray, Dal RB
Plaxico Burress, NYJ WR
Antonio Brown, Pit WR

Heading into the Monday night game, I needed Hakeem Nicks to put up 23 points, or Victor Cruz to not record a point and Nicks to put up 30. (Yes, I calculated this, don't worry about the scenario so much. Basically, what I am trying to say was I am finished.)

DeSean Jackson, I hate you.

Yes, his two touchdown drops did, in fact, cost me my fantasy season I'd worked far too hard on.

Wait'll next year, everyone. I'll be back.....hopefully with a least a tiny stroke of luck.

Week 12 NFL Projections (After Thanksgiving Games)

Last week: 9-4
Season: 101-39

Oakland Raiders 20, Chicago Bears 17

Caleb Hanie might surprise some people here, as he actually did look competent in the NFC Championship Game when Jay Cutler was hurt. But he will probably be overwhelmed by the amount of times he'll be knocked down as any new quarterback would. Expect him to have a hard time getting into a groove with his receivers, and Carson Palmer, Michael Bush and the Raiders to put just enough points on the board.

New Orleans Saints 31, New York Giants 24

Drew Brees and crew should be able to take care of a Giants defense surprisingly ranked in the bottom half of the league this year. New York has higher stakes on this game as they are battling Dallas for the division crown, but the extra fight should not be able to stop New Orleans.

New York Jets 20, Buffalo Bills 13

Both teams are in the midst of ugly stretches, and a loss for either effectively eliminates their playoff chances. Only the Eagles have failed expectations worse than the Jets. The Bills started off the season a feel-good story, but with Fred Jackson's injury and current incompetency of the offense, have all but fallen out of the playoff radar. Both teams need this win more than ever, and it should be the Jets who stay over .500.

New England Patriots 24, Philadelphia Eagles 23
Atlanta Falcons 24, Minnesota Vikings 10
Cincinnati Bengals 10, Cleveland Browns 6
Tennessee Titans 20, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 14
Carolina Panthers 27, Indianapolis Colts 12
St. Louis Rams 21, Arizona Cardinals 20
Houston Texans 28, Jacksonville Jaguars 10
Seattle Seahawks 17, Washington Redskins 14
Pittsburgh Steelers 27, Kansas City Chiefs 16
Denver Broncos 17, San Diego Chargers 13

Give Jay Cutler Credit

NFL fans take shots at Jay Cutler's toughness all the time.

Last year's NFC Championship was what drew the most attention, when he came out of the game with apparent injury. TV cameras repeatedly showed Cutler on the sideline in a winter coat and hat with his hands in his pockets, motionless, expressionless. People doubted whether he had any injury at all, much less one he should be playing through.

Former NFL great and current NFL Network analyst Deion Sanders said he had "better see" Dr. James Andrews operate on Cutler in person for him to be satisfied with the QB leaving the game.

He took a lot of heat for coming out of that game, in which you know the Bears went on to fall to the Packers. But it turned out he had torn his MCL, an injury impossible to play through, but saw no reason to tell the media about it.

Cutler's indifferent personality has been his undoing concerning the general public's opinion of him. Yes, he did whine his way out of Denver, that is true. But had he cared enough about his reputation to just tell a sideline reporter details of the injury rather than leaving it unknown, the backlash could have been far less.

This same sort of situation came up this past Sunday after he broke his thumb in a win over San Diego.

Cutler played through the entire game hardly indicating his injury, much less letting anyone know about it. The 7-3 Bears won 31-20 and all seemed fine. But after the game reports surfaced that his thumb was broken and could be out for an extended period of time.

Immediately, the jeers came from the fans. It was too minor of an injury, Cutler is a baby, he's letting his team down, he should play through this, etc.

The play Cutler seemed to have gotten hurt on was this: he threw an interception that wasn't his fault, then ran hard to attempt to bring down the defender who had picked off the pass, a play you will almost never see from any other quarterback.

And for those of you wondering, you can't grip a football, much less throw it, with a broken thumb.

Let's put Cutler's season into perspective. All year he has been playing with probably the worst offensive line in the league. He's been getting hit after practically every throw and completely beaten up. After each ballgame he looks like he's been through a war zone. Yet he hasn't once complained about his offensive line, continues to get up. And on top of that, he's put up solid stats and led his team to a 7-3 record.

Hate Jay Cutler all you want, but if you are going to doubt his toughness, think again.

Week 11 NFL Projections

Last week: 12-3
Season: 92-36

Sorry, but it's just scores this week. I've been a little busy lately.

Jacksonville Jaguars 17, Cleveland Browns 14
Detroit Lions 24, Carolina Panthers 17
Green Bay Packers 30, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 13
Miami Dolphins 20, Buffalo Bills 17
Oakland Raiders 21, Minnesota Vikings 16
Dallas Cowboys 28, Washington Redskins 10
Baltimore Ravens 27, Cincinnati Bengals 13
St. Louis Rams 14, Seattle Seahawks 12
San Francisco 49ers 28, Arizona Cardinals 17
Atlanta Falcons 30, Tennessee Titans 20
Chicago Bears 28, San Diego Chargers 20
New York Giants 31, Philadelphia Eagles 17
New England Patriots 41, Kansas City Chiefs 24

Fallen Eagles

Larry Fitzgerald's second TD catch, which led to another Eagles loss.

To those of you reading that have already heard more than enough about and/or hate the Philadelphia Eagles: I am sorry. But I am a diehard fan, so I am going to write about them in order to get what I have to say about their struggles off my back.

Obviously, all of the talent is there for this team to win, but a number of factors hold them back.

I won't even address the linebacking issue much because it is blatantly obvious. Stewart Bradley was the only decent player at that position on this roster and he was let go, so now the team is left with a Clay Matthews look-alike and a couple of second stringers. Before the season I questioned why the team didn't at least take a look at free agent Lofa Tatupu; he had been a beast in the league for years and while he is aging, definitely presents a better option than what the team has right now.

But aside from the linebacker position, the personnel on this defense is incredible; regardless, the unit has still massively underachieved. Okay, first off, Juan Castillo needs to be let go. His zone scheme in the secondary is flat out awful. He has the arguably the best cornerbacks in the league on his roster (yes, I know they can't tackle, I'll get to that), but opposing QBs can still carve up the defense.

You could justify a Castillo firing for one reason alone: Larry Fitzgerald's performance in Sunday's game, which led to another Eagles fourth quarter collapse. Nnamdi Asomugha is up there with Darrelle Revis among the best cover corners in the NFL. So why, then, is he not assigned to stick to a team's number one receiver throughout the entire game? To put it into perspective: Asomugha covered Larry Fitzgerald on 20 of the 46 Cardinals' pass plays. In those 20 plays, Fitz was targeted twice and had no catches. When Asomugha was not on Fitz, but instead Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Kurt Coleman and a slew of other guys were, he had seven catches for 146 yards and two TDs.

All season I have wondered why Castillo hasn't had the corners play man; at least this game made his stupidity look obvious. All he needs to is have Nnamdi cover the one, Samuel the two, and Rodgers-Cromartie cover the three, and the opposing team will be forced to try check-downs and tight end slants the whole game. If pride becomes and issue among these three, Castillo simply needs to tell them to deal with it. And Castillo also needs to learn from the Jets on how to use a top corner, or even Oakland on how to use Asomugha, because he doesn't seem to get it.

Defensive front has been fine so far, no problems there. Except for maybe Cullen Jenkins, who is known for a lackluster work ethic...he had five sacks in the first five games, but has slacked off since and not gotten any. He is a talented player, and I expect him to turn it around.

The effort on defense overall has been terrible. No one is wrapping, and they are bouncing off ball-carriers like flies. Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie has been especially bad, lacking effort entirely. A few times I have seem him give up a pass, and rather than try to tackle the guy, just stop and hold up his hands like it was the beer vendor in the 45th row's fault. As a whole, though, the defense needs to learn the art of tackling, which you would think an NFL defense should have down by now.

And Michael Vick? Yeah, too much money. You could tell as last year wound down opposing teams were starting to figure him out, and this season has looked even worse. 100 million dollars was based off of eight good games, and recently he hasn't looked like any better a passer than he was in Atlanta, in fact probably worse. Thank goodness 60 million of the contract isn't guaranteed, as there was no way he would stay healthy for the entire life of the five year contract.

The o-line has been steadily improving. Rookies Jason Kelce and Danny Watkins are starting to come into their own, and Jason Peters is a beast. They've provided average pass blocking recently, but Peters especially has provided gaping holes for Shady McCoy.

Which brings me to another point. ANDY REID, RUN THE BALL! I can't believe that this is still a problem. I don't want to talk about it. McCoy is a god out there, and he only got fourteen carries last week...

Reid can gameplan after the bye, I will give him that. He's a good NFL coach. But his time has run out. He can no longer motivate this group of egotistic players. Someone needs to discipline this team more, get into their heads a little bit. And I don't think Reid is capable of it. Sure, he benched soon-to-be prima-donna DeSean Jackson for not showing up to a meeting (Meanwhile, DeSean's inconsistency is showing he isn't worth the big bucks as much as fellow receiver Jeremy Maclin). But that isn't enough. Reid's team has fallen apart in front of his eyes, and his exit after over a decade could be the cost.

The team's lack of effort should be placed more on the players than on Reid, but it is still the responsibility of the coach. The absence of fight was illustrated Sunday when Steve Smith, a guy with a ton of talent fighting for playing time, caught a pass two yards shy of a crucial first down with a defender approaching. Rather than fight to move the chains, he dove in front of the defender to avoid taking a hit, resulting in a critical punt. Now I hate to single out Smith, but plays like this have contributed to bringing this team down.

I will love this team for eternity, but they have a knack for pissing off the hometown fans.

Week 10 NFL Projections

Last week: 8-6
Season: 80-33

New Orleans Saints 27, Atlanta Falcons 20

Atlanta has been vulnerable to the pass thus far, and the quarterback of the Saints is named Drew Brees. The Falcons are one of the better teams at stifling the run, but New Orleans doesn't run much anyway. At just 1-3 against winning teams so far, the Falcons haven't proven that they can beat elite teams in the league yet, so the Saints present a matchup that Ryan and crew will have a difficult time overcoming.

Pittsburgh Steelers 20, Cincinnati Bengals 13

The Bengals' 6-2 record looks pretty on paper, but it is really just a product of a relatively easy schedule. I'm not trying to take away from what they've done this year, but they only have one quality win, a 23-20 contest against the Bills. Other wins include Cleveland, Jacksonville, Indy, and Seattle. The Steelers should have a rude awakening in store for Cincy.

Dallas Cowboys 28, Buffalo Bills 24

Dallas needs this win to stay in the playoff hunt, and they draw a tough matchup against the 5-3 Bills. That being said, Buffalo's defense has kept them from being among the NFL's elite teams this year. DeMarco Murray should be able to run right through them, and Dez Bryant could break out against this spotty secondary. While Buffalo is capable of scoring with anyone, Dallas should have the better day.

Detroit Lions 23, Chicago Bears 20

Picking the Lions to win makes me second-guess myself, and this decision is probably influenced by the fact that Matthew Stafford is my fantasy QB. Chicago looked exceptional on offense last week; Jay Cutler marched his team down the field numerous times against the Eagles. While Philly's run D has been awful, they still showed indications of a complete offense, because Matt Forte has already proven himself. So why am I picking the Lions (who Matt Forte will run all over next week. He's also on my fantasy team)? Well, no one has seemed to notice that they have one of the worst passing defenses in the league. They'll rush the QB a lot, but Stafford could throw for 300 yards and a pair of scores en route to a big-time win.

San Francisco 49ers 24, New York Giants 20

It's up to Eli Manning in this one. While his big win against New England apparently made him "elite," I'm not buying it. San Fran won't give up anything on the ground, so Manning will need to play probably better than last week if he wants to get his team to 7-2. And Patrick Willis and crew won't let that happen.

New England Patriots 27, New York Jets 24

Patriots, three straight losses? Get outta here. I'd love to see it happen, but I'm not ready to buy the talk that they are no longer elite.

St. Louis Rams 17, Cleveland Browns 13
Philadelphia Eagles 27, Arizona Cardinals 20
Jacksonville Jaguars 13, Indianapolis Colts 10 (If Indy is ever going to win, though, this would be the week.)
Denver Broncos 20, Kansas City Chiefs 17
Miami Dolphins 23, Washington Redskins 17
Houston Texans 31, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 14
Tennessee Titans 24, Carolina Panthers 20
Baltimore Ravens 20, Seattle Seahawks 10
Green Bay Packers 24, Minnesota Vikings 12
Oakland Raiders vs. San Diego Chargers had already started when I wrote this post.

The Fighter's Fighter

I'm far too young to have been around to watch The Fight of the Century, the Thrilla in Manila, or any of the legendary boxer "Smokin Joe" Frazier's fights. Pretty much all I can say is that I have taken a picture in front of the Rocky statue in my city of Philadelphia. The fictional character seems like a joke when compared to the real-life legend, Philadelphia's own Joe Frazier. The city is confident that the just re-elected Mayor Michael Nutter will organize efforts to have a statue erected in Smokin' Joe's honor as well. If anyone is deserving, it is him.

Liver cancer took the life of Frazier at the relatively young age of 67.

Of all the bouts Frazier was able to win, there was one he could not escape: being in the shadow of Muhammad Ali. Being "Ali's Foil" was a lifelong burden Frazier endured, and that it took him until recently to come to terms with. Ali's taunts aimed at Frazier to promote all three of their fights would eat at Joe for years following, until he finally forgave his eternal opponent a few decades later.

Frazier's bitterness toward Ali was demonstrated when asked in 1996 what he thought about Ali being honored with lighting the Olympic torch in Atlanta.

"They should have thrown him in," Frazier told a reporter.

After all, Frazier had to sit and watch while Ali became one of the most beloved people in the world, while he was overlooked. Ali was a showman while Frazier was simply a fighter.

But both had mutual respect for each other, because of the grit and determination they both exhibited in the ring. At the conclusion of their third an final clash, the fight was finished because Frazier's trainer, Eddie Futch, would not let him back into the ring. Why? Because he could no longer see. Yet he wanted to fight on nonetheless. Meanwhile, across the ring in his own chair, a battered Ali was contemplating surrendering as well. While Ali won the fight, both men honored themselves with resolve the country has not witnessed since.

In contrasting ways, both men fostered each others' legacies. The only thing is, Frazier never got the respect he yearned for and deserved; maybe in his passing this country will do him justice.

"Smokin' Joe brought honor, dignity and pride for his people, the AMERICAN people, and brought the nation together as only sports can do."

Thrilla in Manila promoter Don King's words sum up Frazier's legacy beautifully.

And rightly so, Joe Frazier will go down as "The Fighter's Fighter," a name only the most honorable of men is worthy of.

Week 9 NFL Projections

Last week: 9-4
Season: 72-27

Buffalo Bills 24, New York Jets 21

This matchup has the makings of an outstanding football game. These two teams are polar opposites: the Jets are known for running the ball and their defense; the Bills for their high-powered, pass heavy attack. I picked on Mark Sanchez a few weeks ago and I'll continue to do it again: he needs to perform well in order to outscore the Bills, and I don't think he'll be able to. New York will be able to hold Fred Jackson, Ryan Fitzpatrick and Buffalo to a manageable scoring total, but it's up to Sanchez to keep his outspoken team over .500.

New England Patriots 27, New York Giants 24

I don't think I have picked against the Patriots so far this year. I wrongly chose them against Pittsburgh last week, but nonetheless, I can't help but pick them again. Tom Brady has slowed down considerably since the opening part of the season, but he is still Tom Brady. Enough said. While the Giants are the more well-rounded team at this moment, and will likely give the Patriots a dogfight, New England should be able to escape.

Green Bay Packers 31, San Diego Chargers 17

I'm starting to believe Green Bay will go undefeated. Sure, the most treacherous part of their schedule is yet to come, this game being the start of it. But as a team they are just too fundamentally sound to drop a game right now (as Philip Rivers did, literally, last week).

Baltimore Ravens 14, Pittsburgh Steelers 13

Old-school football is this game. Baltimore was my preseason AFC Super Bowl pick, and while they have made me doubt it to a great extent the past few weeks, they were able to completely dismantle Pittsburgh in the first week of the season, 35-7. Joe Flacco's play has been uninspiring this year, however, expect neither quarterback to have a shiny performance is this defensive showcase. This game will surely be closer than Week 1, and Pittsburgh might just come out on top.

Philadelphia Eagles 31, Chicago Bears 20

Yes, I know, I am a little biased. I mean, I live in Philly and am a diehard Birds fan, so what do you expect? So if you want, you can just disregard this pick. But it does seem realistic Philadelphia can win this game, especially after that beatdown against the Boys last Sunday. Sure, Matt Forte might run for 465 yards and 5 TDs on the way to a Bears win (I don't know why they won't give that guy a contract. I'll be writing a post on that soon). If Andy Reid can devise a gameplan anywhere near as genius as the one employed last week, then the climb back to .500 is complete, and the one toward the playoffs stays alive.

Dallas Cowboys 20, Seattle Seahawks 12
Atlanta Falcons 27, Indianapolis Colts 6
Kansas City Chiefs 24, Miami Dolphins 10
New Orleans Saints 27, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 24
San Francisco 49ers 20, Washington Redskins 13
Tennessee Titans 20, Cincinnati Bengals 17
Oakland Raiders 12, Denver Broncos 10 (If I could pick them both to lose, I would.)
Houston Texans 26, Cleveland Browns 13
Arizona Cardinals 23, St. Louis Rams 17

Week 8 NFL Projections

Last week: 8-4
Season: 63-23

Buffalo Bills 27, Washington Redskins 20

Both of these teams are coming off of losses last weekend; the Bills losing a close one to the Giants and the John Beck-led Redskins by thirteen to Cam Newton's Panthers. Buffalo has the worst defense in the NFL this year, but Washington won't have the skill to exploit it enough to outscore the Bills. John Beck simply isn't what Mike Shanahan expects him to be: a reliable NFL starting quarterback. He didn't have that in Rex Grossman, either. And everyone knows in the NFL you need a good starting quarterback...

Philadelphia Eagles 27, Dallas Cowboys 24

No, I shouldn't be picking the Eagles to win this game. I just have a feeling about this one. Andy Reid has finally realized that it is desperation time in Philadelphia, which means he will call the pass 99.9% of the time... That is really the only thing holding Philadelphia back (the linebackers are another issue). If Reid comes to his senses and uses LeSean McCoy effectively like he did in last week's win, the Birds should be able to keep their playoff aspirations alive (unless they can't stop DeMarco Murray).

New England Patriots 20, Pittsburgh Steelers 17

It's cold. It's in Pittsburgh, and it has the makings of an old-fashioned, grit and grind battle. Twenty points would tie the Patriots' lowest scoring output of the season, but it makes perfect sense as the Steel Curtain looms. This game rides in the hands of Ben Roethlisberger and whether he can exploit the porous pass D of the Pats, as Rashard Mendenhall should have another rough day. I still have Tom Brady pulling out a win, but this game is essentially a toss up, even if New England has looked like the better team thus far.

Tennessee Titans 20, Indianapolis Colts 13
New York Giants 30, Miami Dolphins 6
Baltimore Ravens 23, Arizona Cardinals 14
New Orleans Saints 41, St. Louis Rams 10
Carolina Panthers 28, Minnesota Vikings 24
Houston Texans 31, Jacksonville Jaguars 15
Detroit Lions 27, Denver Broncos 20
San Francisco 49ers 24, Cleveland Browns 17
Cincinnati Bengals 21, Seattle Seahawks 7
San Diego Chargers 24, Kansas City Chiefs 20

NBA Lockout: Both Sides Are Wrong

A NBA lockout is absurd to everyone in the country except the people involved. It's like my friend and I disputing how to split a 1,000 piece pizza, and taking so long to argue about it that it gets cold and no one has any (Great analogy, I know. But it does make sense). Allow me to explain.

Basically, what is holding everyone in the lockout back is how to split the league's ten billion dollars, or however much it really makes annually. The owners want a 50-50 split of the revenue, and the players want 52.5% of it. If they ever come to a decision, then they go to the salary cap issue... And if everything gets settled everyone can go back to choosing another diamond-studded anchor for their yachts.

Both the players and owners have a ridiculous excess of money, as you might just possibly be aware. The fact that they can't decide on how to split it up has every single working class American who has, or had an interest in the league shaking their head in disgust. Not just because of the loss of basketball (if you haven't tried it, college ball starts up real soon, and sure, the skill level isn't there, but they play a heck of a lot harder than NBA players. Tune in sometime), but because they are both so ridiculously greedy and have such a great amount of self-entitlement and, in the players case, didn't work nearly as hard in school as you did but just happen to have a natural ability that propels them to play professionally where their work is a game, that just so happens to have a salary equaling the total net worth of half the African countries in the world combined.

And you want to know stupidest thing about this whole lockout? Something so obvious staring both the players and owners in the face that they don't seem to notice? The longer this lockout goes on, the more money they lose. So they both want their 2.5% extra of the revenue, but if they miss a whole season bickering about it, they are just going to lose a ton of money in the long run anyway. Idiocy on the parts of all of them.

NBA players are even overpaid compared to the other major sports leagues. The average salary of an NBA player in 2010-11 was 5.8 million; in the NFL a season ago it was 1.9. And sure, you can say there's more NFL players, whatever, but NFL MVP candidate Arian Foster made $390,000 a year ago while NBA role player Rashard Lewis eats up 20-something million annually, or Darius Songaila, who saw the court for like a minute and a half this past season, made 4.5. There's countless other, better examples, but you get the point.

Part of the reason the players are so overpaid in the first place is because of the lousy, reckless spending on the owners part.

Brian Cardinal was never more than a big man who wasn't very good. Yet for the 2005 season, the Grizzlies decided to sign him to a six year, 34.6 million dollar deal. In the four years he played with Memphis, he averaged less than six points a game. An even more costly decision was the contract Rashard Lewis signed, that he even had to clarify himself, where he basically said, hey, talk to the owner about why I'm getting paid so much.

Whenever the NBA resumes, all of its fans will return, whether they say they will or won't now, and everything will be back to normal. But if things keep going the way they are going, there will be a ton of lost revenue that no deal can make up for (hence there being no pizza left, brilliant, I'm aware). What the guys in suits and players alike need to realize is that they are just digging their own graves right now, and would be much better off just taking a pay cut.

The owners have the upper hand; if there continues to be no progression and games until Christmas are canceled, they will just draw a hard line at a 50-50 split. The players will be forced to accept it, and will have lost out on all the money they could have made up until then. Meanwhile the fans at home just say suck it up.

Week 7 NFL Projections

Game face.

Last week: 9-4
Season: 55-19

New York Jets 20, San Diego Chargers 17

Minnesota, Kansas City, Miami, and Denver. These are the teams San Diego has beaten en route to a sparkling 4-1 start. And none of them have been convincing.  Oh, by the way, these four teams have a combined 4-17 record. Either they are all shooting for Andrew Luck or should be playing in the Backyard Barbecue League. And San Diego has barely beaten these teams led by your uncle's brother-in law: a field goal win at home against Kansas City, a five point victory against the hapless Broncos. The Jets may have a pretty boy Peewee Leaguer at quarterback, but they are at least a legit NFL team, and the last time the Chargers played one (New England), they lost by two touchdowns.

Detroit Lions 27, Atlanta Falcons 24

Just because they lost last week doesn't mean Detroit is going to start to fall apart a la the 2011 Red Sox. The Falcons have not lived up to expectations and the only aspects of their game they have excelled at thus far is rush defense and losing winnable football games. While Jahvid Best might have a tough time going north-south tomorrow, Matt Stafford should have a field day against this 27th-ranked pass D. With a loss, the Falcons would fall below .500 after such high hopes to start the year.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 23, Chicago Bears 17

The Bears' offensive lineman probably wear paper bags over their heads when they walk around the city. Yes, they've been that bad. Jay Cutler looks like he's been into a bar fight after his first series every Sunday, and came out on the wrong end of it. Lovie Smith also isn't helped by the fact that his intimidating defenses of three years ago, or last year even, have reduced themselves to a pile of rubble. Freeman isn't the prodigy we all made him out to be after last year, but if he isn't capable of putting up points on the Bears he too should cover his face in shame.

Normally I write about four games every weekend, but the NFL decided to give us a college schedule for tomorrow and only have a few good games on the slate. Well, if the Colts were more than just Peyton Manning, the Sunday night game against the Saints would be highly anticipated. Instead, the only people watching will be from New Orleans (definitely not Indy).

Denver Broncos 17 (Tebow: 2-12, 6 yards, 2 INT; 15 rush, 137 yards, 2 TD), Miami Dolphins -12
Houston Texans 24, Tennessee Titans 20
Oakland Raiders 10, Kansas City Chiefs 3 (The Chiefs DO have a chance though!)
Washington Redskins 17, Carolina Panthers 14
Pittsburgh Steelers 28, Arizona Cardinals 13
Dallas Cowboys 24, St. Louis Rams 9 (Dez Bryant breakout game, especially because he is going up against clay figurines in Rams jerseys)
Cleveland Browns 13, Seattle Seahawks 7
Green Bay Packers 41, Minnesota Vikings 3
Baltimore Ravens 30, Jacksonville Jaguars 0

A Bit of a Surprise: Carson Palmer Dealt for Early-Round Picks

No, it's not the player traded that caught football fans off guard, but rather what the other team got in return.

Holdout veteran quarterback Carson Palmer was traded by the Cincinnati Bengals today to the Oakland Raiders in exchange for, get this, a 2012 first round pick and a 2013 second rounder (which would become another first round pick if Oakland reaches the playoffs this year).

The surprise 4-2 Raiders were in desperate need of a quarterback following Jason Campbell's broken collarbone he suffered this past Sunday. The only other QBs on the roster were the recently reinstated Terrelle Pryor, who isn't even close to being ready to be an NFL QB, and Kyle Boller, a guy with a career QB rating of 70. Neither of these two guys are who you want trying to lead a team to a playoff berth.

So the Raiders took action. They were willing to give up a lot; potentially two first round picks. It seems as if they vastly overvalued Palmer, a guy who threw twenty picks last year. He probably hasn't been working hard during his holdout and has likely lost respect from those around the league. While he is certainly an upgrade from the two guys that were riding their bench, and maybe even starter Jason Campbell, two first rounders is a pretty hefty price.

Cincinnati was steadfast on not trading Palmer; owner Mike Brown said he didn't want to reward him for holding out by granting his request. But when the Raiders put their offer on the table, he had no choice but to jump at it. The encouraging play of rookie Andy Dalton made dealing Palmer easier to do.

"We also find ourselves rather suddenly in position of being able to receive real value for Carson that can measurably improve our team, which is performing well and is showing real promise for this year and years to come," Brown said in a statement. "When this opportunity arose, we felt we could not let it pass and needed to take a step forward with the football team if we could."

Maybe the fact that Palmer would probably have retired instead of playing for the Bengals also contributed.

Before they made the Palmer offer, the Raiders had pursued free agent QB David Garrard, but he informed them he was getting surgery and would be unavailable to play for a significant amount of time. A comparable quarterback to Palmer, he would have come to Oakland at a much lesser price.

Week 6 NFL Projections

Last week: 10-3
Season: 46-15

Detroit Lions 27, San Francisco 49ers 24

The 49ers may have surprised some people more than the Lions have to start this season. Everyone was aware of the talent Matthew Stafford possessed, but Alex Smith? He's looked like a legitimate NFL quarterback so far, albeit a very reliable one. He's only thrown one pick in his team's first five games. Nonetheless, the Lions are playing with a purpose right now; their entire team is on a roll. Look for them to stay undefeated, and Stafford to connect with Megatron for the receiver to reach double-digits in touchdowns this early in the season.

Buffalo Bills 30, New York Giants 27

This is a very good week to pick against the Bills. They haven't been able to cover teams' number three receiver at all this season, as demonstrated by Jason Avant's 160 yards last week. And the Giants have one looking to continue a breakout season in Victor Cruz, who is primed to have a huge day. However, the Giants defense wasn't what it once was, and should be susceptible to the Bills high-powered attack. The Bills have had success both running the ball with Fred Jackson and through the air, and the Giants D is barely average against both this year. Look for the surprise Bills to get to 5-1 after this high scoring affair.

Baltimore Ravens 24, Houston Texans 17

The Ravens had a bye last weekend, a huge advantage for their aging defense. And while Arian Foster is healthy, they are without another offensive cornerstone in Andre Johnson, obviously Matt Schaub's favorite target. The Texans brought in Derrick Mason for a little bit of help, but he and Schaub won't have any chemistry so soon. Behind Johnson, Houston doesn't have anyone worthy of filling in as a number one. This could keep them from a win, no matter how much they have cleaned up their defense.

New Orleans Saints 34, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 20

The Bucs got smacked around last week against San Francisco, and it certainly doesn't look any better for them facing the high-powered Saints. Certainly they will put up more than the field goal they managed last weekend, but the way their offense has played lately they don't have a shot at putting up points to stay even with the Saints. Josh Freeman hasn't played like the guy he was last year, and if he wants a win today at home he'll need a career game.

Atlanta Falcons 23, Carolina Panthers 20
Washington Redskins 31, Philadelphia Eagles 28
Cincinnati Bengals 26, Indianapolis Colts 20
Green Bay Packers 41, St. Louis Rams 13
Pittsburgh Steelers 27, Jacksonville Jaguars 19
Oakland Raiders 26, Cleveland Browns 13
New England Patriots 27, Dallas Cowboys 20
Chicago Bears 20, Minnesota Vikings 14
New York Jets 26, Miami Dolphins 6

Week 5 NFL Projections

Last week: 13-3
Season: 36-12

Buffalo Bills 34, Philadelphia Eagles 31

The Eagles have only played Nnamdi Asomugha in man coverage on around 40% of plays this year, rather than the 95% of man he played in Oakland. The results haven't been pretty: Asomugha has showed his lack of tacking ability. As a result of Nnamdi, Asante Samuel, and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie playing so much zone, opposing receivers haven't been shut down nearly as much as they should be. And the lack of solid linebacking has turned the Birds into one of the league's worst run defenses, despite the all-star defensive line. Expect Buffalo to carve up this once intimidating-looking defense.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 24, San Francisco 49ers 20

Both of these teams are 3-1, but neither has many believers yet. The pressure is on Josh Freeman, as the 49ers have stymied the run the far, but are susceptible to the pass. San Francisco also possesses a below average offense, and if Freeman can lead his team to a few scores, a 4-1 start should be in store for Tampa Bay.

Oakland Raiders 23, Houston Texans 22

The Raiders might come out with a little more fight following a loss to New England and the passing of legendary owner Al Davis. Houston has cleaned up their pass defense a bit this year, but their rush defense is just average, and Run DMC should have another field day. He'll need to carry this Oakland offense, as Jason Campbell has pretty much just played the role of manager thus far.

New England Patriots 31, New York Jets 21

The rivalry will be renewed tomorrow, at the expense of the Jets. Rex Ryan won't like the look of a 2-3 record once after the Patriots are through with them. New England's pass D is dead last in the league, so Mark Sanchez will certainly outdo last week's abysmal performance, but it won't matter.

Kansas City Chiefs 20, Indianapolis Colts 17
Arizona Cardinals 24, Minnesota Vikings 13
New York Giants 31, Seattle Seahawks 12
Pittsburgh Steelers 17, Tennessee Titans 14
New Orleans Saints 34, Carolina Panthers 27
Cincinnati Bengals 17, Jacksonville Jaguars 13
San Diego Chargers 30, Denver Broncos 10
Green Bay Packers 28, Atlanta Falcons 24
Detroit Lions 27, Chicago Bears 17

Against the Odds, Burnett Comes Through

I have to start off by gloating that somehow I saw this coming. Six innings pitched and two runs was what I projected for A.J. Burnett last night. I just had a gut feeling for some reason. Maybe it was partially because of his final regular season start against Boston; I do not know.

While it wasn't always pretty last night, A.J. pitched even better than my projection. He ended up surrendering only one run in five and two thirds innings en route to earning the win and keeping the Yankees' season alive. Sure, he needed Curtis Granderson to bail him out when he walked the bases loaded in the first. But what's wrong with a break going your way? When he left the game to the bullpen, his team had more runs than the opponent. He did what he needed to do.

Perhaps all he needed was confidence. Burnett constantly told reporters all season he believed he had what it took to be successful. Did he mean it? Only he knows. His self-confidence was probably wavering at best through his regular season struggles, in which he posted a miserable 5.15 ERA. Nonetheless, manager Joe Girardi kept putting him out there, much to the displeasure of the Yankee faithful.

And last night, well, his own teammates probably questioned whether their season was over before the game started. While everyone knows Burnett has the stuff to be successful, he just can't locate it. Extensive work with pitching coach Larry Rothschild helped fix his release and it proved successful, at least for yesterday's ballgame.

The only reason Burnett was on the hill for the Yanks was because of the Game 1 rain delay. He was expected to work out of the pen for the series in middle inning work. The rotation was supposed to be Sabathia, Nova, Garcia, Sabathia, Nova for the five-game series. Thanks to Mother Nature, A.J. Burnett got his chance, and he made the most of it.

What does this mean? Should the Yankees advance into the ALCS, we will see him on the hill, probably as the Game 2 starter. He is in the Yankees good graces after his performance last night, and he is as important as anyone for the Bombers if they want to make a championship run.

Clemson Tigers: Surprise Team of 2011

The Clemson Tigers are looking more and more like the class of the ACC this football season. Today, the 11th-ranked Virginia Tech Hokies were their latest victim, who managed to put up just a measly field goal on their home turf.

The 23-3 Virginia Tech win capped off a streak of three straight ranked wins for the Tigers. Auburn and Florida State also fell to Clemson, who was unranked to start the year.

The Auburn win was the one that put the Tigers on the national radar. Then they managed to knock off Florida State with a five point win. And today, they pulled off upset number three, this time with a more convincing win on the road at rowdy Lane Stadium.

So now, Clemson finds themselves unbeaten, at 5-0. An undefeated season? It's early, but not out of the question. They only have two more ranked opponents remaining in their schedule: at Georgia Tech, and probably their toughest game of the season, at 10th-ranked South Carolina. Even if they fall to the Gamecocks, and BCS Bowl Game could be well in Clemson's sight.

Earlier today, ESPN's KC Joyner wrote a piece saying how with a win over Clemson,Virginia Tech would be the surest bet to play in the BCS title game. Now that Clemson knocked off the Hokies, does this apply to them as well? We'll have to wait and see.

But one thing we do know is quarterback Tajh Boyd has emerged out of nowhere to become an early season Heisman candidate. The stats say it all: 90-136 for 1255 yards, 13 touchdowns, and just one pick heading into the Va. Tech game. Scary thing is, he's only a sophomore and a first-year starter. He could lead this program into national powerhouse status over the next few years. With the way Clemson has played so far, you could argue they have already reached that stage.

Week 4 NFL Projections

Last Week: 10-6
Season: 23-9

Detroit Lions 24, Dallas Cowboys 20

A win in Jerry Jones' Palace would put Matt Stafford and the mighty Lions at 4-0. Stafford has looked like he's been quarterbacking for years in the Lions' first three wins. And his team's defensive line is more than capable of taking Tony Romo right out of the game. That and the fact that Dallas is missing Miles Austin and is playing with a hurt Dez Bryant equals a Detroit win.

Baltimore Ravens 17, New York Jets 14

A part of me wants to pick the Jets in this game, simply because they are coming off of a loss and there is no way Rex Ryan would let them go back-to-back. But the Jets aren't quite the same team they had a year ago. Their run defense is tanking, allowing 136.7 yards per game, 31st in the league. And their own rushing hasn't fared much better: just 82.5 yards per game, good for 25th in the league. This ballgame looks to be played mostly on the ground, which favors Ray Rice and the Ravens.

New England Patriots 27, Oakland Raiders 20

I was on the verge of picking the Bills to upset New England last week but couldn't get myself to do it. This week, there is a similar situation. Again, I'll go with the Pats, and maybe regret it later. But Tom Brady tanking two weeks in a row? Gimme a break. Last week's four INTs were a fluke, and when he is back to his normal self tomorrow, he'll grind this one out for a W.

New York Giants 24, Arizona Cardinals 21

Arizona's defense has been nonexistent in the first few weeks of the season. They can still hang around with many teams though, losing their last two games by a combined four points. Zona also possesses a solid passing attack: Kevin Kolb and Larry Fitzgerald, who could catch 70 passes with a cardboard bag throwing to him, have developed chemistry. Despite this, Kolb is turnover prone, and expect the Giants to force a few, while Eli Manning dissects this porous Arizona defense.

Carolina Panthers 20, Chicago Bears 17
Buffalo Bills 30, Cincinnati Bengals 21
Tennessee Titans 21, Cleveland Browns 17
Minnesota Vikings 23, Kansas City Chiefs 10
Philadelphia Eagles 31, San Francisco 49ers 24
Washington Redskins 20, St. Louis Rams 10
New Orleans Saints 38, Jacksonville Jaguars 13
Houston Texans 21, Pittsburgh Steelers 20
Atlanta Falcons 26, Seattle Seahawks 17
Green Bay Packers 31, Denver Broncos 7
San Diego Chargers 34, Miami Dolphins 13
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 24, Indianapolis Colts 9

Onto the Postseason: MLB Division Series Projections

The Rays gather around home plate to welcome Evan Longoria, whose walk-off last night propelled Tampa into the Postseason.

You've probably heard what transpired last night in Major League Baseball, a night that was probably the most thrilling ever in regular season history. Following the collapses of the Red Sox and Braves, there is more baseball to be played.


Tampa Bay Rays vs. Texas Rangers
Prediction: Rangers in four.

Yes, the Rays have a lot of fight in them, and their September run was riveting. But momentum doesn't always carry over, and overall the Rangers are the better team. Texas' superb offense, which ranked third in baseball with 855 runs, just won't be contained enough for the Rays to win the series. And the Rangers have a solid enough rotation that they should be able to contain the average Tampa offense enough to have the advantage on the scoreboard.

Tampa Bay also has rotation issues, as David Price just pitched yesterday, and James Shields won't be able to start until Game 2. Jeff Niemann, Wade Davis, and even rookie Matt Moore are being considered by manager Joe Maddon for the Game 1 nod. Niemann and Davis both have ERAs over four, and Moore has only pitched 9.1 innings of major league ball in his entire career. But, hey, with the Rays, anything is possible.


Detroit Tigers vs. New York Yankees
Prediction: Yankees in five.

The Tigers are actually the favored by many people across the country; an ESPN SportsNation poll had 63% of the country picking the Tigers to win the series. Detroit does have a slightly better one-two punch in their rotation, sporting Justin Verlander and Doug Fister, who both have ERAs lower than CC Sabathia's 3.00. Ivan Nova will start Game 2 for the Yankees.

The reason 63% of the country has picked Detroit to win this series is because of one person: sure-to-be AL Cy Young winner Justin Verlander. But in baseball, one pitcher simply can't win a series by himself. CC Sabathia has the skills to match Verlander pitch for pitch. Considering games one and four a toss-up is reasonable, since New York has the edge at the plate.


Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Milwaukee Brewers
Prediction: Brewers in four.

Only the Phillies sport a more solid postseason rotation than the Brewers. Milwaukee should be able to shoot down Arizona's offensive core (Justin Upton) fairly easily.

That being said, the Diamondbacks are very relatable to last year's Giants. They have a triple-A call-up playing first base for them. Their ace and 21 game winner Ian Kennedy was written off by the Yankees organization just a few years ago. They didn't have postseason aspirations at the start of the season. Yet somehow, they have chugged along to an improbable 94 wins and an NL West crown that was supposed to be won by the Giants or Rockies.

You can't write off the D'Backs. It's just too hard to pick them to get past Ryan Braun, Prince Fielder and the all-in Brewers. It's championship or bust with Fielder likely out following this postseason, and Milwaukee will come out with full force.


St. Louis Cardinals vs. Philadelphia Phillies
Prediction: Phillies in four.

The Phillies would have been better off losing to Atlanta last night, oddly enough. For one, St. Louis is a tougher matchup than division foe Atlanta, a team they were able to take care of this year. An Atlanta win also would have forced a playoff, resulting in the winning team being fatigued and without their ace to start the series.

All of that aside, Philly is still the favorite. We all know why. Heck, they have Vance Worley, a guy who went 11-3 with a 3.01 ERA on the year, coming out of the bullpen. Whether Roy Oswalt will even start remains to be seen. The rotation is just unfair.

The only thing stopping the Phils from winning it all this fall will be an offensive letdown, something this veteran crew is subject to. It happened last year against the Giants, and resulted in a postseason exit.

Well, that, or a surging Albert Pujols, who is coming off a .355 September. Lance Berkman and Matt Holliday just so happen to be pretty good as well. While the Cards are capable of putting up runs against anyone, Philly should be able to contain them just enough to move on.