Why I Have a Right to Criticize: NFL

You might ask why I write about sports, if all I am going to do is criticize them. It's not the sports themselves I am critical of, however, but rather the commissioners of the pro leagues and the leagues' evolutions.

For example, the NFL, the only major pro league with a genuinely competitive regular season where every game truly does matter, is pondering playoff expansion. Couple that with consideration of having teams abroad in Great Britain eventually, and in 20 years we get....

The British Knights (4-11) will be facing the London Monarchs (5-10) for a chance to claim the last spot in the expanded 22 team NFL Playoff Format.

Punt-off is at 3 AM EST.....

The punt-off, of course, refers to the talk of eliminating the kickoff, routinely the most exciting part of the game, for a punt to begin the game, which for some reason is supposed to keep the game safer.

"I care about player $afety fir$t and foremo$t," Goodell says on the matter.

His entire safety argument has no credibility whatsoever after he campaigned for an eighteen game season as well as signing with NFL Network to get a Thursday Night Game going all seventeen weeks.

Allowing replacement refs didn't sit well with players or fans, either, and completely conflicts with Goodell's safety claims.

One more thing about expanded playoffs: if there were 8 teams in from each conference, then the Jets would be a playoff team right now at 6-7. Does that seem right?

NBA All-Breakout Team

These are the players that either are finally living up to their potential, having career seasons, or simply overachieving.

PG: Jrue Holiday, Philadelphia 76ers

After a regression last season, Holiday is finally taking the next step Philadelphia fans hoped for after his sophomore campaign. After averaging 14.0 ppg and 6.5 apg in his second year, his line fell to 13.5 ppg and 4.5 apg in the season he was supposed to break out. His shot selection was routinely questionable. With added responsibility now from head coach Doug Collins, he's playing at an All-Star level, averaging 18.4 ppg and 8.9 apg, complete with improved play on the defensive end. And the last three games while he's been injured, the team has shown they can't win without him.


SG: O.J. Mayo, Dallas Mavericks

The born scorer had fallen out of favor in Memphis, coming off the bench in every game last season and desperately needing a change of scenery. Signing with Dallas was a blessing for him, as his scoring is up eight points from last season, and his field goal percentage from .408 to .482. He's shooting an incredible .512 from beyond the arc, proving he spent long hours in the gym in anticipation of this rejuvenated stretch.


SF: James Harden, Houston Rockets

I know he's actually a shooting guard, but he's more fit for this than anyone at the SF position. He's gone from sixth man to superstar in just an offseason, and his scoring is up over eight points to 25.0 ppg, good for fifth in the Association. He's answering the questions of whether he can be a first option in an absolute manner, and he's managed to steal all of Jeremy Lin's unnecessary attention in Houston.


PF: Glen Davis, Orlando Magic

In a team stripped of talent, someone had to replace at least some of Dwight Howard's production. Becoming a nightly starter has yielded terrific results for Big Baby, and he's proven to be one of the few Magic players actually worthy of a starting role on an NBA team. He's averaging 15.7 ppg and 7.9 rpg, but he'll need to improve his shooting percentage (.439) if he wants to be big time.


C: Anderson Varejao, Cleveland Cavaliers

He's always been known as an energy guy, but its taken him until his ninth season to be mentioned for All-Star consideration. He's been a solid rebounder for the bulk of his career, but he's taken that skill to new levels this season, leading the league at 14.6 a night to go along with a career high 13.8 points. All that's left for him to do is stay healthy, as he's played in just 56 games the previous two seasons.

Bench:

Omer Asik, C, Houston Rockets

I was among the many that were stunned Rockets GM Daryl Morey offered a three-year, $25.1 million deal to a guy that looked like all he could accomplish on an NBA court was awkwardness. Turns out, for the most part, Asik can play. He's averaging a double-double after posting just 3.1 ppg and 5.3 rpg as a backup big in Chicago last year.


Kemba Walker, PG, Charlotte Bobcats

The closest thing the Bobcats have to an All-Star, Walker has taken a giant leap forward from his rookie campaign. His scoring is up six points to 18.1 a night, and he's averaging over six assists as well. Perhaps the most improvement has come on the defensive end, where's he's disrupting passing lanes, accounting for two steals a game, sixth in the league, whereas he only averaged 0.9 last year. His abysmal field goal percentage last year, .366, is up to a respectable .428 for a point guard. He's starting to make the fans in Charlotte, which have suffered through quite a bit the past few seasons, have glimmers of hope.


Goran Dragic, PG, Phoenix Suns

Taking over for Steve Nash is no small order, but Dragic has done it admirably. He's averaging 15.0 points and 6.4 assists a night, and has compiled a 20.04 player efficiency rating. On defense, while not the greatest on-ball defender, he's seventh in the NBA in steals with just under two a night.

Why Stern Was Wrong to Fine the Spurs

Putting the team first is a punishable offense in today's NBA.

The San Antonio Spurs were fined $250K by David Stern for resting Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, and Danny Green prior to the end of six-game, nine-day road trip, in which the Spurs were playing four road games in five days. The main reason why? The game was against the NBA's sweetheart of a team, the Miami Heat.

Had it not been against the huge-market Heat, no fine would have been levied. How can I be so sure of this? Well, in April of last season, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich did exactly the same thing, sitting Duncan, Parker, and Ginobili against the Golden State Warriors. There was no subsequent response from the league. But Stern sure provided one yesterday, in a questionable attempt to justify his uncalled for action:

The result here is dictated by the totality of the facts in this case. The Spurs decided to make four of their top players unavailable for an early-season game that was the team’s only regular-season visit to Miami. The team also did this without informing the Heat, the media, or the league office in a timely way. Under these circumstances, I have concluded that the Spurs did a disservice to the league and our fans.

The Spurs’ actions were in violation of a league policy, reviewed with the NBA Board of Governors in April 2010, against resting players in a manner contrary to the best interests of the NBA.

Here's his translation: We love Miami. Its "fan base" brings in loads of cash for our league. How dare you sabotage a game on TNT where they even put Charles Barkley on the broadcast team, all because you wanted to rest your aging players who were playing their fourth game in five days in the best interest of your team?

If he has a problem about the game's competitiveness, he shouldn't. The final game was 105-100, Miami. The game was competitive, but it was role players that made it so, not "superstars," which is why Stern is ticked off. Would he have done this had the Spurs bench won? His problem isn't a question regarding integrity of the game, but rather that the goofball bandwagon Miami fans didn't get to see all the superstars they paid to. (Stern probably doesn't even care about the integrity of the game, which is evident in the coddling of the league's "superstars," which is a topic for another time.)

The NBA, under Stern's guidance, is turning into more of a production and less of a sport, eerily similar to the WWF.

What Popovich did was simply in the best interest of his team, which he has led to four championships. His job is to run the Spurs in a way that allows them to contend year after year.

He should also be allowed control over HIS team. It's not David Stern's team. The coach, in a normal circumstance, is the man who decides players' playing time. It's tyrannical that Stern grants himself this power, in a similar fashion to when he vetoed the Chris Paul to the Lakers deal.

The commish is picking the wrong fight, as well. The man who's paying the fine, Spurs owner Peter Holt, was an instrumental figure in ending the lockout as head of the NBA's Board of Governors. He's been one of Stern's most helpful allies.

If Stern keeps acting so recklessly, he won't have any left.

Ten Things in Sports That Boggle My Mind

1. 42% of people who answered ESPN SportsNation's poll question said they would vote Barry Bonds into the Hall of Fame. 49% for Roger Clemens, and 42% for Sammy Sosa. Are we a country of no morals? Do that many people honestly thing cheating should be rewarded?

2. The attention the Jets still receive despite being an awful football team is comical. But their demise is somewhat amusing.

3. The Los Angeles Lakers are ranked eighth in ESPN's weekly power rankings, despite being a measly 7-7. On paper they may be worthy of that ranking, but on the basketball court they shouldn't be in the top fifteen.

4. If Ndamukong Suh did in fact kick Matt Schaub in the cajones on purpose in front of everyone on national TV after what he did last year...

5. That Pittsburgh-Cleveland game yesterday.

6. I'll be one of five people watching the Eagles-Panthers Monday Night Football Game tonight. I still can't wrap my mind around what happened to my Birds. (I never did write Part 2 of my State of the Eagles post. It hurt too much.)

7. The fact that Florida isn't receiving any consideration to play for the BCS National Championship confuses me. They have a better case than both Alabama and Georgia, and if Notre Dame didn't get that lucky call against Pittsburgh, them, too.

8. The suits at the BCS actually think a four-team playoff is going to make matters better. Nope, the same controversy we have every year on who is going to play for the BCS National Championship is going to surround teams four, five, and six. Eight is clearly the way to go; that way no truly elite team will be removed from a shot at the championship.

9. How is this physically possible?

10. I can't believe Penn State coach Bill O'Brien dropped an F bomb on national TV after Saturday's game, as his program is trying to restore its image. Slip of the tongue for sure, but why did it have to be him?

Happy Thanksgiving! NFL Picks and More

Houston Texans vs. Detroit Lions

The Lions have lost their last eight Thanksgiving games. Well, it's about to be nine. It's not going to be the blowout everyone is projecting though. Sure, the Texans are 9-1, but they just escaped the pitiful Jaguars by a six point margin. The Lions, though vastly underachieving expectations thus far, are eons better than the Jags. And they're fighting for their playoff hopes, something the Texans have essentially locked up already. This game is going to be a barn burner, and the only way the Lions come out victorious is if Matt Stafford protects the football and connects with Megatron multiple times. Prediction: Texans 27, Lions 24


Washington Redskins vs. Dallas Cowboys

At just 5-5, the Cowboys sit just one game behind the Giants in the disappointing NFC East. They've beaten all the teams they should have (Tampa Bay, Carolina, Philly, Cleveland) and lost to the NFL's more impressive teams (Seattle, Chicago, Baltimore, Atlanta). The Redskins fall into the first category. On Washington's side, Robert Griffin III is coming off a game in which he posted a perfect 158.3 QB rating, albeit against an Eagles D in shambles. Neither of these two teams have been impressive, but someone has to win. I'll go out on a limb and predict Washington on a game winning drive. Tony Romo will do his team in with one too many turnovers, nothing new. Prediction: Redskins 24, Cowboys 20

New England Patriots vs. New York Jets

I'm going to be watching A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving during this game. The Jets aren't even worth writing about. They're the only team you're going to hear about in all three games' pregame shows. And the Patriots are going to trash them. Prediction: Patriots 34, Jets 13

And in other NFL news: All this San Francisco QB controversy business may be true, but I'm of the opinion Jim Harbaugh is just claiming he's unsure of his starter so the Saints spend half of their walkthroughs preparing for Colin Kaepernick, when Alex Smith is going to be the one playing.

Changing gears to college basketball, here is the box score of the game in which Division III Grinnell College's Jack Taylor scored 138 points. Look up Grinnell's offensive philosophy if you want to know how this was possible. Basically, coach David Arseneault runs a system in which he expects his team to pop fifty threes a game, and he recruits almost entirely sharpshooting guards. But still, 138 points is 138 points.

For your enjoyment, if you haven't watched the entire version yet and have only seen the TV version, here is the full Uncle Drew Pepsi MAX commercial. There's a part two that features Kevin Love.

Have a happy Thanksgiving. Here's a suggestion: put chocolate chips in the pumpkin bread. Trust me.

Thoughts on the Current Day in Sports

I haven't been able to get on here often enough lately, so I'm just going to write a post on whatever crosses my mind. And I promise more frequent posts ahead.

1. That rookie QB Colin Kaepernick on the 49ers looks like the real deal, if only through the first quarter and a half I've seen him play. With him behind center they still appear to be Super Bowl contenders, as they are simply dissecting the Bears as of this moment. (My original Super Bowl pick was the Philadelphia Eagles. Uhh, yeah.)

2. Fantasy playoffs start soon! Hope you haven't lost all hope yet.

3. Not too excited about Rob Gronkowski going down. He was a cog on one of my fantasy teams. The Patriots will be okay though; as if they don't have enough weapons already, Gronk's fellow tight end Aaron Hernandez could return this week.

4. About that Marlins-Jays trade. I understand Jose Reyes was overpaid. But even as a Phillies supporter, in my mind it is simply disappointing for baseball. It also leads to large-market owners around the league questioning revenue sharing, with good reason. And it makes the AL East just that much more fun: with the exception of the Red Sox, everyone there is a contender. First time probably ever that could be said.

5. I'm still not much of a college football fan right now. It disgusts me for many reasons. But what's going to be a real pain is listening to the, for whatever reason, condescending Notre Dame fans brag about their team's first relevant squad since before I was born.

6. Georgetown's handing it to UCLA in college hoops. At the current rate, Georgetown's going to be the only Big East team left in the next few years. Heralded freshman Shabazz Muhammad came off the bench in his UCLA debut.

7. How the heck did the usually top-notch Houston Texans' D allow Chad Henne, of all people, to pass for 354 and 4 TDs? It didn't take more than a game for Henne to win the starting job over the woeful Blaine Gabbert in Jacksonville. The bust has eclipsed the other bust for a shot a redemption.

8. I wish Tim Tebow would just go play in NFL Europe or something so the media hops off his jockstrap. Actually they still wouldn't. And NFL Europe doesn't exist anymore, but oh well.

9. For those of you still wondering, hockey is still locked out.

10. David Beckham will play his last game for the L.A. Galaxy, the MLS Cup, on December 1. I know the MLS has its diehard fans, but of all the places he could've played as his career winds down, why did he pick the U.S.A.?

11. Woah. I don't care who they've beaten. The Charlotte Bobcats are 5-4.

Doomed

Under Jerry Jones, the Dallas Cowboys have won three Super Bowls, with former coach Jimmy Johnson's players.

The bottom line is this: the Cowboys, America's Team, have been a model of mediocrity since 1995, the year they last won the Super Bowl. They have won two playoff games since then, and are 123-124 since 1997. Jones has executed poor trades (for Roy Williams and Pacman Jones) and unimpressive drafting (five players drafted in 2010 and 2011 remain on the roster).

The recent history, combined with the team's current 3-5 record, begs the question: Would Jones ever consider stepping down as general manager, a role he has in addition to his ownership of the franchise?

As much as Cowboys fans yearn for this to happen, the man in power delivered a resounding no.

"We are not structured that way. We didn't structure it that way with my ownership. There's no way that I would be involved here and not be the final decision-maker on something as important as players, and that is a key area. That's never been anybody's misunderstanding. It's been a debated thing, but it's just not going to happen."

It's somewhat comical how he uses the term "we".  Because it's not like there is anyone telling him what to do. While the current management situation is in place, there is no reason to believe postseason success is on the horizon, particularly because Tony Romo remains their starting quarterback.

Romo is another story in its entirety. His Cowboys epic is defined by his fumbled snap of a few years ago, and he's never escaped the reputation of crumbling in the clutch. The way the team is playing now, he won't even get the opportunity to do so again.

With Jones calling the shots, though, it can be all but assured Romo is the quarterback for the next several seasons. He'll put up a sparkly stat line (though those interceptions are piling up this year), but Jones will be left scratching his head at the conclusion of the season, wondering what the heck happened to all the players he handpicked. But Cowboys fans, it's okay: he's confident in his ability as GM.

"We've had success doing it this way and we're going to have success in the future doing it this way," Jones said.

Not sure many people share his vision.

State of the Eagles

Looks like us Philadelphians are in for a repeat of last season, when the Birds finished with an underachieving 8-8 record and missed the playoffs.

Right now, there's no reason to expect anything better. I headed into this season predicting a 13-3 record and a Super Bowl appearance as I do every single year. But this year seemed different (as I say every single year).

In the offseason, we had fixed our linebacking problem by picking up DeMeco Ryans from Houston and selecting Mychal Kendricks in the second round of this year's draft. Both have been impressive thus far.

The drafting of Fletcher Cox would further our effort into solving last year's issue of the defense being slaughtered by the run. Vinny Curry, the pick acquired in the Kevin Kolb deal with Rodgers-Cromartie, had potential to piggyback on Trent Cole and Jason Babin's substantial sack totals.

We'd traded Asante Samuel to the Falcons for essentially nothing, but that wouldn't matter because he didn't fit into the scheme and now DRC could start opposite Nnamdi Asomugha.

We were ready, and after winning out in the preseason, we were really ready.

A one-point win against the lowly Browns followed. Uh-oh. But it was still a W. We'd recover. The Ravens were next. It was awfully close again, and despite Vick's three turnovers, we still pulled out a win against a contender. 2-0. Life's good.

The Cardinals were the reality check.

Part 2 tomorrow.

2012 MLB Awards - Who is Most Deserving

These are not projections, but rather who I personally would vote for. 

AL Manager of the Year: Bob Melvin, Oakland A's

This was a close decision over the Orioles' Buck Showalter, who may well win the award. Both made the most out of what appeared to be putrid rosters heading into the season (although the O's looked a bit better than the A's). While both are worthy, Melvin should win because he was able to lead his team to a division crown, while the Orioles won a wild card.

Runners up (in order): Buck Showalter, Baltimore Orioles; Robin Ventura, Chicago White Sox


NL Manager of the Year: Davey Johnson, Washington Nationals

Manager of the Year often goes to a skipper whose team turned it around in the standings, which makes Davey Johnson a favorite. He took his team from below .500 a year ago to the best record in baseball (98-64) this season. Johnson's main opposition is Dusty Baker, whose Reds pioneered on without former MVP Joey Votto for six weeks

Runners up (in order): Dusty Baker, Cincinnati Reds; Bruce Bochy, San Francisco Giants


AL Comeback Player of the Year: Fernando Rodney, Tampa Bay Rays

A lot of people campaign for Adam Dunn for this award, but I don't care how many home runs he hit; he struck out 222 times and batted a paltry .204. If it wasn't for his pop, all that would be deserving of is a demotion. Alex Rios is intriguing, but recently his career path has included up and down seasons, and all he seems to be doing is following that. Then there's Fernando Rodney, who came out of nowhere to convert 48/50 saves with a 0.60 ERA. Case closed.

Runners up (in order): Alex Rios, Chicago White Sox; Justin Morneau, Minnesota Twins; Rafael Soriano, New York Yankees


NL Comeback Player of the Year: Kris Medlen, Atlanta Braves

Buster Posey is probably going to win this award. But I'd rather give it to a relative unknown than a superstar returning from injury, Kris Medlen, (who is also coming back from injury: Tommy John surgery). He was an afterthought when the Braves announced their Opening Day rotation, as they had five young starters and a recovering Tim Hudson. To start the season, Medlen posted a 2.48 ERA in 38 bullpen appearances. But this is where it gets nasty: Since joining the Braves' staff on July 31, Medlen has gone 9-0 with a 0.97 ERA. 24 innings short from the required 162 to qualify for percentage stats, Medlen can't qualify for any of them. If 138 innings was the cutoff, though, he would lead the NL in ERA (1.57), winning percentage (.909), and HR/9 IP (0.4). There's almost a better argument for him for Cy Young than teammate Craig Kimbrel.

Runners up (in order): Jason Heyward, Atlanta Braves; Buster Posey, San Francisco Giants; Adam Wainwright, St. Louis Cardinals; David Wright, New York Mets


AL Rookie of the Year: Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

Yoenis Cespedes could have won it almost any other year.

Runners up (in order): Yoenis Cespedes, Oakland Athletics; Matt Moore, Tampa Bay Rays; Yu Darvish, Texas Rangers


NL Rookie of the Year: Wade Miley, Arizona Diamondbacks

No, it shouldn't be Bryce Harper, in fact, he could even be argued for fourth place. Wade Miley won sixteen games with an anemic offense behind him, and possessed a 3.33 ERA. Rockies catcher Wilin Rosario hit .270 with 28 home runs, and could be an offensive force for years to come. But he's a liability behind the plate. Statistically, Miley deserves this award, but in five years, he will likely not be the most talked about candidate on this list.  

Runners up (in order): Wilin Rosario, Colorado Rockies; Bryce Harper, Washington Nationals; Todd Frazier, Cincinnati Reds; Norichicka Aoki, Milwaukee Brewers; Jordan Pacheco, Colorado Rockies


AL Cy Young: David Price, Tampa Bay Rays

Fernando Rodney will sure have support, but I'm of the belief that a closer, no matter what, should not win the Cy Young. The award is basically a toss-up between Justin Verlander and David Price. Price's ERA is seven points lower and he has three more wins on a worse offensive ballclub. Verlander, though, has tossed 27.1 more innings (in two more starts) and has 34 more strikeouts.

Runners up (in order): Justin Verlander, Detroit Tigers; Fernando Rodney, Tampa Bay Rays; Jered Weaver, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim; Felix Hernandez, Seattle Mariners; Chris Sale, Chicago White Sox


NL Cy Young: R.A. Dickey, New York Mets

Craig Kimbrel's situation is the same as Rodney's. He pitched about as well as he could, but for no more than an inning a night. Johnny Cueto pitched in a bandbox and finished with a 2.78 ERA and nineteen wins, both third in the league. Clayton Kershaw, going for back-to-back Cys, led the league in ERA and WHIP, but with such similar stats to the others a 14-9 record won't cut it. Gio Gonzalez won 21 games but simply wasn't quite as impressive as R.A. Dickey or Cueto. Dickey led the league in complete games, innings pitched and strikeouts, finished second in ERA and wins and third in WHIP, all while throwing a power knuckler and being 37. He gets my vote.

Runners up (in order:) Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles Dodgers; Johnny Cueto, Cincinnati Reds; Matt Cain, San Francisco Giants; Craig Kimbrel, Atlanta Braves; Gio Gonzalez, Washington Nationals


AL Most Valuable Player: Miguel Cabrera, Detroit Tigers

The rookie Mike Trout will get his in due time. But Miguel Cabrera hit for the Triple Crown. I value defense as much as anyone, but c'mon, Cabrera hit for the Triple Crown.

Runner up: Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
(Oh, and to discount that WAR argument made by Trout's supporters: Baseball-reference.com has Darwin Barney's WAR this season at 4.5, and Josh Hamilton's at 3.6. Using WAR alone, Ben Zobrist would be a two-time MVP winner.)


NL Most Valuable Player: Buster Posey, San Francisco Giants

Andrew McCutchen was the favorite for most of the season, but like his team, he cooled down once August started, batting only .252 from then to now. It's essentially between Buster Posey and Ryan Braun. Braun led the NL in home runs, runs scored, slugging percentage and OPS, finished second in RBI and third in batting average. Posey, the National League batting champion, was second in OPS, third in slugging percentage and sixth in RBI. Both play stellar defensively, but Posey will win because he is a catcher. When both had such similarly impressive seasons, that is certainly a deciding factor.

Runners up (in order): Ryan Braun, Milwaukee Brewers; Andrew McCutchen, Pittsburgh Pirates; Chase Headley, San Diego Padres; Matt Holliday, St. Louis Cardinals

2012 NFL Player Rankings - Wide Receivers

Being a prima donna might get a few guys demoted a little. But not too much.

Here's the list:

1) Calvin Johnson, Detroit Lions
2) Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals
3) Andre Johnson, Houston Texans
4) A.J. Green, Cincinnati Bengals
5) Victor Cruz, New York Giants
6) Greg Jennings, Green Bay Packers
7) Roddy White, Atlanta Falcons
8) Steve Smith, Carolina Panthers
9) Wes Welker, New England Patriots
10) Mike Wallace, Pittsburgh Steelers
11) Julio Jones, Atlanta Falcons
12) Hakeem Nicks, New York Giants
13) Brandon Marshall, Chicago Bears
14) Jordy Nelson, Green Bay Packers
15) Percy Harvin, Minnesota Vikings
16) Dwyane Bowe, Kansas City Chiefs
17) Miles Austin, Dallas Cowboys
18) Antonio Brown, Pittsburgh Steelers
19) DeSean Jackson, Philadelphia Eagles
20) Dez Bryant, Dallas Cowboys
21) Marques Colston, New Orleans Saints
22) Jeremy Maclin, Philadelphia Eagles
23) Pierre Garcon, Washington Redskins
24) Demaryius Thomas, Denver Broncos
25) Vincent Jackson, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
26) Torrey Smith, Baltimore Ravens
27) Eric Decker, Denver Broncos
28) Stevie Johnson, Buffalo Bills
29) Nate Washington, Tennessee Titans
30) Michael Crabtree, San Francisco 49ers
31) Darrius Heyward-Bey, Oakland Raiders
32) Danny Amendola, St. Louis Rams

2012 NFL Player Rankings - Running Backs

These rankings are not for fantasy value. And yes, Darren Sproles may be too high, but I like the way he plays, and the dual threat he brings to the offense. Here's the list:

1) Ray Rice, Baltimore Ravens
2) LeSean McCoy, Philadelphia Eagles
3) Arian Foster, Houston Texans
4) Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings
5) Jamaal Charles, Kansas City Chiefs
6) Maurice Jones-Drew, Jacksonville Jaguars
7) Marshawn Lynch, Seattle Seahawks
8) Matt Forte, Chicago Bears
9) Darren McFadden, Oakland Raiders
10) Reggie Bush, Miami Dolphins
11) Fred Jackson, Buffalo Bills
12) Frank Gore, San Francisco 49ers
13) Ryan Mathews, San Diego Chargers
14) Steven Jackson, St. Louis Rams
15) C.J. Spiller, Buffalo Bills
16) Darren Sproles, New Orleans Saints
17) Willis McGahee, Denver Broncos
18) Trent Richardson, Cleveland Browns
19) Stevan Ridley, New England Patriots
20) BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Cincinnati Bengals
21) DeMarco Murray, Dallas Cowboys
22) Michael Turner, Atlanta Falcons
23) Alfred Morris, Washington Redskins
24) DeAngelo Williams, Carolina Panthers
25) Michael Bush, Chicago Bears
26) Jonathan Stewart, Carolina Panthers
27) Rashard Mendenhall, Pittsburgh Steelers
28) Ben Tate, Houston Texans
29) Cedric Benson, Green Bay Packers
30) Andre Brown, New York Giants
31) Chris Johnson, Tennessee Titans
32) Pierre Thomas, New Orleans Saints