The Mulligan: Bring on the Fall

Tiger Woods took a $10 Million payday for winning the FedEx Cup last weekend, and now the Tour moves on to The Turning Stone Resort Championship at The Atunyote Golf Club. The course plays at over 7,500 yards so the long hitters should play well this week.

Dustin Johnson has been one of my favorite breakout stories this season, and I would like to see him get one more win to cap off the year. Johnson won this tournament last year, and he is a long hitter (3rd on Tour in Driving Distance) so I really like his chances this week. Johnson was not as effective during the last few weeks of the playoffs as he has been most of the season, but I think he will be back to the DJ we saw during the AT&T (where he won) and the PGA (where he finished in the Top 10).

I have said it before and I will say it again. Mike Sim is the best golfer you have never heard of. It is only a matter of time before he has a breakout tournament, and a I think this could be the week. Sim is an all around good player and he is finally on Tour with an exemption from winning 3 times on the Nationwide Tour.

Matt Goggin (aka The Tazmanian Devil) has finished in the top five at Turning Stone in 2 out of 2 starts. Why? Because he is a bomber and this course fits his game perfectly. He is ranked 27th on Tour in Total Driving and he hits the ball pretty far. His driving distance numbers have been down this season, and I am really not sure why. I have a feeling he will unleash the big dog this week and the Tazmanian Devil will be out in full force because he knows that chicks dig the long ball. Look for him to have a good week driving the ball, and a good week scoring.

Good luck this week and let's keep moving to the top of the fantasy golf rankings!

First to Third: Reviewing My NL Predictions

After round one of the review of my pre-season picks, I'm back for more evidence that I'm not a genius. This time, we'll dissect my NL pre-season picks.

NL Postseason Awards: I guessed Dan Haren would win the NL Cy Young award this year and he's put up strong numbers but will likely get votes, but will come up short. Manny Ramirez was my NL MVP and his steroid suspension and poor numbers this year won't even put him in the conversation.

NL Playoffs: I had the Phillies winning the division, which will happen and the Mets taking the Wild Card. Since the Mets... well... fell apart (literally), they aren't in the conversation. I picked the Cubs to win the Central and the Cardinals to finish fourth. I can't understand how the Cubs managed to do this bad, but my oversight of the Cardinals was embarrassing. St. Louis pitching coach, Dave Duncan is some sort of genius. Out West, I crowned the Dodgers, which was easy, but I had the Rockies, the likely wild card team this year, in fourth. The Cubs were my pick to win the pennant. Ouch.

What I really did in spring training was sit down and wonder what's not going to happen... yes, that's it. I wasn't the only one, though, as ESPN's Buster Olney liked the Cubs in the Central and Tim Kurkjian sent them to the World Series, like I did. Peter Gammons put the Mets in the World Series and gave the Central to the Cubs. ESPN, if you're reading this, I'm available! ESPN Expert Picks.

Fantasy Hockey Goalies - Sleepers & Busts

In this final edition for fantasy hockey sleepers & busts, I'll run through my favorite position on the ice... the goalie. If you missed any of my earlier articles and want some last minute drafting tips, please feel free to check them out...

Western Conference Fantasy Preview
Eastern Conference Fantasy Preview
Sleepers & Busts: Forwards
Sleepers & Busts: Defensemen
Sleepers & Busts: Goalies

In fantasy hockey, the goalie position is a very important position to draft for. There are only 30 starting goaltenders in the NHL, but not all of them are great fantasy options. In most leagues, this position alone accounts for 40% of the scoring stats. A goalie can make or break you in any match up. When you should draft a goalie depends on what draft position you are in. I've always drafted goalies with my first pick if I am in the bottom 3 of the draft. By then all the big name players are gone and a late first round F/W is no different from an early second round F/W. However if you are in the top 5 of your draft, you will want to hold of on your goalie selection and grab one of the big time scorers and then come back to it later.

Sleepers

Jonas Gustavsson (TOR): Jonas Gustavsson is the big time free agent goalie from Sweeden that Brian Burke worked hard to land this offseason. Nicknamed "The Monster" Gustavsson has all the makings to be an elite NHL goaltender. He will begin the year as backup to Vesa Toskala, however if (or perhaps when) Toskala begins to falter, Gustavsson will be poised to take the reigns. If you have the room, it may be a good idea to take him, or at least keep an eye on him for future considerations.

Jonas Hiller (ANA): The starting goaltender job in Anaheim is now Hiller's job to lose. After a downward slide by Giguere last season, Hiller took the top spot and hasn't looked back since. The Ducks look to be a great team this year, which will help with Hiller's numbers. Hiller should be available late and would be a good starter for your team.

Christobal Huet (CHI): Now with Nikolai Khabibulin no longer with the team, Huet is the undisputed #1 goaltender in Chicago and won't have to give up as many starts. With Chicago's improvements in the offseason, Huet should be able to rise to the occasion and be a good every day starter for your team. Huet is someone that should fly under the radar and be available as a late pick up.

Pascal Leclaire (OTT): Pascal Leclaire had a great rookie season in Columbus 2 years ago. He struggled a bit at the beginning of last season and then missed the remainder of it because of injury. The change in scenery may be exactly what he needs to rebound this year.

Mike Smith (TB): When Mike Smith is on, he's on. Playing on a dismal Tampa Bay squad last year also didn't help his numbers. But with Tampa making some much needed improvements and with the development of Steve Stamkos, I see Smith have more better days than not this season.

Semyon Varlamov (WAS): Semyon Varlamov had a great playoff run last season before falling apart in the end. After watching a few games that he played in the series against the Penguins, this kid is the real deal. Even though Jose Theodore is slated to be the starter, if he struggles at all this year, look for Varlamov to take the job, and most likely keep it.

Busts

Ilya Bryzgalov (PHO): Ilya Bryzgalov is a great goalie, however playing on the Coyotes is what is landing him on this list. Bryzgalov will give you a chance to win every night, but the rest of the Phoenix team may not help. If Bryzgalov is available late then take him, but he should not be your first goalie selection.

Rick DiPiertro (NYI): Rick DiPiertro is once again recovering from injury and with Martin Biron and Dwayne Roloson on the squad, there is no rush to bring him back so soon. Stay away from DiPiertro and look somewhere else.

Jean-Sebastein Giguere (ANA): The days for the former Conn Symthe in Anaheim seem to numbered. With Hiller taking the starting job away and the acquisition of Justin Pogge, Giguere is no longer the strong fantasy option he once was. Unless something happens to Hiller, stay away from Giguere on draft day.

Chris Osgood (DET): You may be wondering why Chris Osgood is on my busts list. Osgood brought the Wings within 1 game of repeating for the Stanley Cup with a phenomenal playoff run. However during the regular season, he struggled and split duties with Ty Conklin. With Conklin out, Osgood may have to start more games which may wear him down. Osgood is a good goalie choice, but don't draft him too high just based on his playoff performance.

Tim Thomas (BOS): Tim Thomas? You may be wondering why the Vezina Trophy winner landed on this list. Thomas is no doubt a great goalie and was a major reason for the success of the Bruins last year. However don't let this one season inflate his value. Goalies like Nabokov, Brodeur, and Kiprusoff have demonstrated year after year they can perform and Thomas must do that as well. By all means take Thomas if he is there, but not until after the other 3 are gone.

Marty Turco (DAL): Marty Turco has had a steady decline in performance since his all-star appearance a few years back. He has been very inconsistent of late and can't be relied upon to provide numbers on a weekly basis. As a NHL starter, Turco should be considered, but for a bench position at best for your team.

Good luck with your drafting and I hope you will be able to utilize some of these tips to put together a great team.

Until next time: I'll keep you posted... Between the Pipes

Fantasy Hockey Defensemen - Sleepers & Busts

The regular season is now just a few days away and if you haven't drafted yet, then you will be in the coming days. In this edition, I will run through the sleepers & busts for defensemen. If you missed any of my earlier articles and want some last minute drafting tips, please feel free to check them out...

Western Conference Fantasy Preview
Eastern Conference Fantasy Preview
Sleepers & Busts: Forwards
Sleepers & Busts: Defensemen
Sleepers & Busts: Goalies

In fantasy hockey, the defenseman position is one of the hardest positions to draft for. The majority of your fantasy leagues out there are offense based, where you get points for goals, assists, etc. So in fantasy hockey, you need a defensemen, that plays like a 'forward.' That means shut down defensemen like Derek Morris or Rob Scuderi, who are good defensemen and will stop the opposing team from scoring, will not provide you with much fantasy value. However, someone like Mike Green or Zdeno Chara would be someone that will put up some offensive numbers, and would be a better fantasy option at defense.

Sleepers

Keith Ballard (FLA): Keith Ballard, with the departure of Jay Bouwmeester, should now get more opportunities to produce on the Panther's blueline. Ballard has consistently improved the past couple years and looks to improve his numbers yet again this year by making the most of the increased opportunities.
Dustin Byfuglien (CHI): Dustin Byfuglien is one of those rare gems on a fantasy roster that is labeled as both a forward and defenseman. Last year, I was able to utilize him on my defense while he was playing RW and was able to get some decent value from him, without having him take up a forward position. If he is again labeled as such, he might be a nice pickup for someone trying to maximize their forward options.
Braydon Coburn (PHI): Braydon Coburn had a slight dip in production last year due to injury, but looks to be ready to go and perform in this contract year. Coburn should see some time on the PP this year and gives you some PIM as well.
Erik Johnson (STL): Erik Johnson had a very good rookie season 2 years ago, but missed all of last season after an off-ice injury. Johnson will get a lot of PP time and also possess a lot of offensive talent. Because he missed last year, he should fly under the radar and would be a good fit on any blueline.
Thomas Kaberle (TOR): Thomas Kaberle had a poor showing last year and was sidelined for some time due to injury. With the new additions to the Leaf's blueline, Kaberle should be able to revive his offensive output this year and provide owners with near 60pt seasons like we are used to seeing from him.
Kris Letang (PIT): Kris Letang's offensive output has steadily increased the past 2 years. With the departure of Ryan Whitney, Letang saw more PP time and has capitalized on the opportunity. Letang has a great shot and does not hesitate to use it when given the opportunity.
Paul Martin (NJ): Paul Martin is on a NJ team that is not always known for its offensive prowess, but for the past 2 years he has consistently scored 30 pts with more than 1/2 on the power play. Martin is also a great +/- person to have.
Ryan Whitney (ANA): With the departure of Chris Pronger, Ryan Whitey will take over his spot on the blueline and on the powerplay. Before his sub-par performance last year, Whitney was an offensive force on the blueline for the Penguins. Whitney should rebound this year and once again provide good numbers for fantasy owners.

Busts

Alexander Edler (VAN): Edler was a stable PP option on the blueline last year, but with the additions of Christian Ehrhoff and Mathieu Schneider to the team, it may cut into his PP time and therefore his value will certainly diminish.
Ed Jovanovski (PHO): Once a good early round choice on the blueline, Jovanovski is now more of a +/- risk and last year had a 15 point drop. Jovanovski can still give you a nice PP option, but should not be considered until very late in the draft.
Scott Niedermayer (ANA): Scott Nidermayer is on the last leg of his career. He can still provide some fantasy value, however not as an early round choice. Over the past 3 years, his production has slipped and should again take a slight drop.
Dion Phaneuf (CGY): Dion Phaneuf had the worst showing of his career last year and with the addition of Jay Bouwmeester, Phaneuf's chances to retain 60 points like he did 2 years ago look very slim. Phaneuf is still a good choice on the blue line but not an early round draft choice any more.
Wade Redden (NYR): Wade Redden had one of the worst offensive productions of his career in his first year with the Rangers last year. He can no longer be considered a strong fantasy option, as he once was with the Senators.
Michal Rozival (NYR): Michal Rozival's point production has steadily declined over the past few years and finished with a -7 rating last year. You can pick him up late in your draft as a fill in, but don't expect too much.
Kimmo Timonen (PHI): The arrival of Chris Pronger will definitely reduce Timonen's ice time and therefore opportunities for offensive production. Timonen is a good guy to have on reserve but not as a regular starter if better options are out there.

Hopefully these tips will help draft a solid blueline for your fantasy team. Next time I'll run through the sleepers & busts for goalies.

Until next time: I'll keep you posted... Between the Pipes

Theo Fleury Retires and a Look at the Camp Tryout Dynamics in Today's NHL

Two weeks ago, we touched on the feel-good story of the NHL preseason as Theo Fleury attempted to make his return to the ice for the Calgary Flames after battling substance abuse problems for a number of years. Unfortunately, this morning Theo's comeback trail came to an end as he was released by Calgary and then chose to retire instead of testing the free agent waters.

Fleury is 41, but it was well worth it from several standpoints for the Calgary Flames to invite him to camp and see what he could offer. While the former 104-point scorer had visibly aged since the last time he put on an NHL sweater, a number of other areas of his game brought back great memories of the 5'8 185-pound forward. Theo's intensity from the drop of the puck, playmaking abilities, and willingness to do anything and everything to help the Calgary Flames win games hardly went unnoticed in the preseason and is exactly what many of last years playoff duds were in need of. Yet if this was the case, why would the Flames not keep him?

Plain and simple, the 2009-10 season in the NHL is a numbers game more than any in recent memory. While Head Coach Darryl Sutter would have loved to have Theo on his roster come playoff time, this is a team (like many) with very little salary cap space remaining. If you followed the NHL closely last spring, you noticed that the Flames could not even dress a full roster down the stretch due to cap issues. According to CapGeek.com, Calgary has $1.422m in space remaining this season, but you can be sure they are going to give themselves a little flexibility this time around.

At 5'8, Fleury just wasn't cut out to play a checking line or specialty role in the current NHL as Claude Lemieux was able to do when he resurrected his career with the San Jose Sharks last season. With promising young talent in Rene Bourque, David Moss, and Curtis Glencross supplementing veterans stars like Jarome Iginla, Daymond Langkow, and Craig Conroy, there wasn't room for Fleury in the top six forwards on this Western Conference powerhouse.

On top of that, due to salary cap restrictions, teams aren't nearly as willing to bring on questionable talent to sit in the press box night in and night out until their services are needed. Much like the dynamics of the recent housing bubble, NHL GM's had been signing player contracts under the assumption that the salary cap upper limit would continue to rise on a yearly basis. A look at the brief history of the salary cap and the year-over-year increase under the most recent CBA tells the story:

2005-06: $39.0 million
2006-07: $44.0 million - YOY +12.8%
2007-08: $50.3 million - YOY +14.3%
2008-09: $56.7 million - YOY +12.7%
2009-10: $56.8 million - YOY +0.2%

Without the typical 13% increase in the upper limit, teams anchored down by long-term contracts signed during this period, unexpectedly entered this summer with very little cash to bring on free agents. Many unsigned second-tier players such as Nikolai Zherdev and Viktor Kozlov found the appeal of playing in the KHL and their home country of Russia to be a better fit than accepting hefty salary cuts to stay in the NHL.

Other players took Fleury's approach of signing unconditional tryout contracts which took on the feel of a working internship. A few such as Petr Sykora (Minnesota) and Daryl Sydor (St. Louis) have turned the opportunity into full NHL contracts, yet many still find themselves on the outside looking in when it comes to securing a roster spot on opening day. Player Agent Allan Walsh expressed a similar sentiment on his twitter page today (@walsha):

A new trend in NHL - watch for clubs to keep only 20-21 players on roster to stay below upper limit. This means less NHL jobs for players and more 1 way contracts in the AHL.

In addition to providing pro-rated cap space for later in the season, this strategy also allows teams to stash semi-talented prospects and veterans in the AHL despite one-way contracts until injuries or lineup changes necessitate a call up. In the NHL, players under one-way NHL deals need to clear waivers in order to be sent to the minors to clear cap room which is a risk that some teams have been forced to take. What's more, should they get the call up, these same players can also be claimed by other teams on re-entry waivers at half of their remaining salary.

What does this mean for the slew of veterans swinging in the free-agent winds? General Managers used to (and still do) bring in veterans on tryouts for the sake of making their pro camps that much more competitive and protect against that inevitable early injury. With less cash to go around, the list of unemployed with names such as Mark Parrish, Jason Allison, Kyle Calder, Jasen Cullimore, Dan Hinote, Mathieu Dandenault, Dan Cloutier, and Manny Legace is sure to grow as teams must submit their regular season roster by September 30th.

Many such as Theo will decide to hang up the skates as opposed to toiling in the minors until the big team comes calling. According to a press release, GM Sutter explained his "agreement with Theoren was that he had to be one of our top six wingers and there were never any intentions of assigning him to the American Hockey League." Others players may not agree with this strategy, but with no cap increase in sight, it’s going to become the way of life in the new NHL for dozens of aged veterans.

- Mike Colligan and Darren Coslov

SportsJudge.com Fantasy Hockey Challenge Teams Announced

With the beginning of hockey season upon us, SportsJudge.com is pleased to announce the ten teams who will be participating in this year's Fantasy Hockey Challenge. As always, this year's Challenge will pit our SportsJudge hockey staff against media experts from throughout North America. The draft will take place tonight, September 28th leading up to the opening night of the NHL season on October 1st. We'll have a full draft recap later this week.

If you're preparing for your own fantasy hockey draft be sure to check out Manson Seto's early breakdowns for both the Eastern Conference and Western Conference teams:

Western Conference Fantasy Preview
Eastern Conference Fantasy Preview
Sleepers & Busts: Forwards
Sleepers & Busts: Defensemen
Sleepers & Busts: Goalies

Rules:

Offensive Categories: Goals, Assists, Plus/Minus, Penalty Minutes, Powerplay Points, Game Winning Goals
Goaltending Cateogries: Wins, Goals Against Average, Save Percentage, Shutouts
Positions: C, C, C, C, W, W, W, W, W, W, W, D, D, D, D, G, G, BN, BN, BN, BN, BN, IR, IR

Head-to-Head Format, Rosters set daily

SportsJudge Teams:

Mike Colligan (Director of Business Development & Managing Editor)
Darren Coslov (SportsJudge Blog NHL Columnist)
Joseph Romano (COO & Editor in Chief)
Manson Seto (SportsJudge Blog NHL Columnist)

Friends of SportsJudge:

1. IllegalCurve.com (Richard Pollack) Richard is the creator and editor of the website Illegal Curve. Illegal Curve was established in 2007 and has aimed to keep hockey fans up-to-date on the goings on around the entire NHL. The site has no home team, but instead focuses on providing news from all 30 NHL cities. With a number of daily features, including the Morning Papers, Illegal Curve combines news with analysis in an attempt to keep the hockey fan satisfied on a daily basis.

2. PuckCentral.net (Declan G) Declan is the founder of PuckCentral.net, a top-notch New York Rangers blog that combines news, videos, and his own in-depth analysis of everything Rangers. He's been a Rangers fan since the age of seven and is currently a third-year law student at Seton Hall Law, just outside New York City.

3. SaucerPass.com (Brian Schrembs) Brian is a co-founder of the website SaucerPass.com. He was born and raised in Buffalo, NY and still carries a strong allegiance to the Sabres. He has over a decade of serious fantasy hockey experience under his belt and currently resides in Washington, DC. SaucerPass.com is a one-stop shop for articles on hockey strategy, team breakdowns, goaltending outlooks, and even fantasy hockey team names.

4. PuckProspectus.com (Timo Seppa) Timo writes a fantasy and sabermetric column for Puck Prospectus. In addition, several of Timo’s articles have appeared at ESPN.com, with ESPN Insider. He also writes a blog at Icehockeymetrics.com based on advanced statistics that he has developed. Timo received his BSEE from Clarkson University and his MA in English from Western Connecticut State. He completed his Ph.D coursework at Fordham.

5. InsideHockey.com (Kevin Greenstein & Alex Linsky) Kevin and Alex will be co-managing a team on behalf of InsideHockey.com. Launched in 2002, Inside Hockey is one of the foremost independent online hockey publications. The Inside Hockey Newsletter is delivered weekly to over 20,000 hockey fans, while the Inside Hockey Radio Show airs every Saturday afternoon on XM/Sirius and over the air on Montreal's "The Team 990." And this fall, InsideHockey.tv will launch, providing yet another opportunity for the company to reach hockey fans with unique, insightful content.

6. TheHockeyWriters.com (Bruce Hollingdrake) Bruce is an IT professional currently working in the field of Integrated Library Systems. He is also a traveler, writer, Father, Husband, and sportsman that happens to own a by-appointment used and rare book store as well as two thriving blogs. The Hockey Writers is a collaborative effort, bringing together over 30 skilled hockey writers from across the US and Canada. He began in January of 2009 and is securing his place amongst the leaders in hockey journalism.

SportsJudge.com PTI: Who's the Best in MLB?

This week Adam and Chris discuss who will win Major League Baseball's postseason awards when the season ends in early October.

American League Most Valuable Player
Chris – Joe Mauer, Minnesota Twins
To me this race comes down to Joe Mauer of the Twins and Derek Jeter of the Yankees. Mauer is batting .370 to go along with 28 home runs, 90 RBI and 88 runs. Jeter is hitting .330 and he has scored 106 runs. Jeter has really bounced back this year after a lackluster 2008, and he is the leader in that clubhouse. I still think Mauer is the MVP for the AL. As Adam notes below, Jeter is playing on the Yankees, a team loaded with not only bats, but pitching as well. Sabathia will likely get Cy Young votes, and Phil Hughes and Mariano Rivera have been lights out from the bullpen. I think Jeter and the Yankees have too many weapons to consider any one of them as the MVP. Mauer is clearly the most valuable player on the Twins, and I think he is the most valuable player in the AL.

Adam - Miguel Cabrera, Detroit Tigers
The debate for AL MVP among most of the experts has appeared to revolve around by how much Joe Mauer will win the award by. While Mauer’s stat line is impressive (.370 average with 28 home runs, 90 RBIs, and 88 runs), he is in the middle of a deep lineup in Minnesota. Mauer has the luxury of former MVP Justin Morneau (30 home runs and 100 RBI), Michael Cuddyer (30 home runs and 88 RBI), and Jason Kubel (.298 average, 24 home runs, and 90 RBI) all hitting behind him. The Yankees have a few MV candidates, which is why I have trouble considering any one of them as serious contenders. Mark Teixeira (37 home runs, 119 RBI, and 99 runs), Derek Jeter (.330 average, 106 runs, and 203 hits), and Robinson Cano (.321 average, 23 home runs, 79 RBI, and 99 runs) have all excelled this season, but with so much talent, can one of them really be the most valuable player in the league? On the other hand, Cabrera is the main (and only real dangerous) threat in the Tigers lineup this season. With a .328 average, 31 home runs, 96 RBI, and 91 runs, he has an MVP stat line to rival Mauer’s as well. This race comes down to who is going to win the division and who has the luxury of sharing the load with the rest of the lineup. Cabrera’s Tigers are leading the division by 2 games and his main support in the lineup is Placido Polanco (.287 and 69 RBI), Brandon Inge (.232, 27 home runs, 79 RBI), and Curtis Granderson (.244, 27 home runs, 64 RBI). Cabrera wins the award because his team is winning the division with much less help in the lineup.

National League Most Valuable Player
Adam and Chris Agree - Albert Pujols, St. Louis Cardinals
Pujols has put together the best season of his dominant career in 2009 with a .331 average (2nd in NL), 47 home runs (1st), 129 RBI (3rd), and 120 runs (1st) to go with 110 walks (2nd) against only 62 strikeouts. While Prince Fielder and Ryan Howard are putting together MVP caliber seasons as well, they cannot match Pujols. Fielder is leading the NL with 136 RBI to go with 43 home runs, 99 runs, and a .299 average, but the Brewers have been out of the playoff picture for a while, while Pujols’s Cardinals have won the NL Central already. Howard’s stats are also very similar with 42 home runs, 135 RBI, and 96 runs, but the Phillies also have Chase Utley (31 home runs and 91 RBI), Jayson Werth (34 home runs and 93 RBI), and table setters Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino to help carry the load. Pujols does have Matt Holliday and Ryan Ludwick, but Holliday was acquired in July and Ludwick hit under .200 in May and June forcing Pujols to carry the Cardinals’ offense early. With all three hitting now, the Cardinals have pulled away in the NL Central. Pujols appears to be the consensus for MVP due to his statistical dominance, leadership, and the Cardinal’s success.

American League Cy Young
Adam and Chris Agree - Zack Greinke, Kansas City
The Cy Young race comes down to four staff aces that have been dominant at times this season. All four are hardthrowing strikeout pitchers with good control. All four are the go-to guy in their teams’ rotation. Four Kansas City, Zack Greinke was running away with the race early, but then the Royals decided to stop scoring runs. Greinke leads the AL with a 2.08 ERA to go with a 1.06 WHIP, 6 complete games, 3 shutouts, 229 strikeouts and a 15-8 record. With decent run support, he would have easily won 20 games this season. CC Sabathia started a little slowly for the Yankees, but he has looked like the pitcher that has been dominant in playoff races since 2007. He is at 19-7, leading the AL in wins, with a 3.21 ERA, a 1.10 WHIP, and 194 strikeouts. In Seattle, Felix Hernandez has finally put his talent together for a full season, and the result was scary. He currently has a 17-5 record with a 2.49 ERA, a 1.14 WHIP, and 207 strikeouts. Finally, Detroit’s Justin Verlander is leading the AL with 256 strikeouts, to go with a 17-9 record, a 3.41 ERA, and a 1.19 WHIP. All four would be worthy of a Cy Young this season based on their statistics and their performance in big games for their teams (although Seattle and Kansas City were not contending like the Yankees and Tigers, Hernandez and Greinke routinely stopped losing streaks and stepped up with big games). To us, if you take the pitcher’s record out of the equation because the pitcher can’t control his run support, the choice is between Greinke and Hernandez and Grienke has Hernandez beat in every category, although some of categories are very close. That’s why we picked Greinke to win the Cy Young this season.

National League Cy Young
Adam - Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright, St. Louis
The NL race is nearly as tight as the AL CY Young race. St. Louis’s duo of Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright compete with reigning champ Tim Lincecum for this year’s award. Lincecum was the early favorite with 254 strikeouts in 218+ innings and an ERA of 2.47 with a WHIP of 1.06, but he may have hit the wall in September with a 1-3 record, an ERA of 3.60, and only 6+ innings per start. Overall, Lincecum is now at 14-7 and the talk of 300 strikeouts has faded away. On the other hand, both Carpenter and Wainwright have come on strong after the all-star break to close the gap. Carpenter is 9-1 with a 2.16 ERA since the break to bring his totals for the season to 16-4 with a 2.30 ERA, a WHIP of 1.01 and 138 strikeouts. Wainwright has been just as good, although his 9-3 record doesn’t show it, with an ERA of 1.96 and a WHIP of 1.10 to go with 89 strikeouts in 96+ innings. On the year, Wainwright is 19-8 with a 2.58 ERA, a 1.21 WHIP and 204 strikeouts. All three are missing something that the other two have (Lincecum is short on wins, Carpenter on strikeouts, and Wainwright on WHIP), but all three have set themselves apart this year as the class of the NL as well. Both Wainwright and Carpenter have stepped up in big games as the Cardinals close out the NL Central while Lincecum has faded as the Giants have fallen further behind the Rockies. With the race as tight as it is, this is the difference that sets the Cardinals apart.

Chris – Tim Lincecum, San Francisco Giants
I think Adam’s analysis is right on for the NL Cy Young, I just disagree with his outcome. I think it is a 3 man race between Carpenter, Wainwright and Lincecum, but I think Lincecum will win the award. Adam lays out the numbers nicely, noting that the 3 are very similar in many categories. Given Lincecum’s other stats, it is hard to hold his 14-7 record against him. If either of the Cardinal pitchers could get to 20 wins, I might reconsider, but that won’t happen with so little time left in the season. The one statistic that really stands out to me is the strikeouts. Lincecum has 254, while Wainwright and Carpenter have only 193 and 138 respectively. I think Lincecum should be the repeat Cy Young winner for the NL.

American League Rookie of the Year
Chris – Andrew Bailey, Oakland Athletics
Bailey has been lights out in Oakland as a reliever. He is a versatile pitcher with a ridiculous fastball, and an effective curveball and cutter. He is 6-4 and has a superb 1.90 ERA and a WHIP of .90 to go along with 88 strikeouts in 81 innings of pitching. He has 26 saves to top off his nice statline. These numbers make Bailey one of the league leaders in ERA, strikeouts and WHIP for relievers. The Oakland Reliever is my choice for AL Rookie of the Year.

Adam - Elvis Andrus, Texas Rangers
This is the hardest award to decide. Not only are there at least three deserving candidates, but they all play different positions and are hard to compare because of it. Shortstop Elvis Andrus played outstanding defense for the contending Rangers, but has also been productive at the plate and disruptive on the basepaths. Starter Jeff Niemann has been one of the Rays best pitchers and helped make Scott Kazmir expendable by showing his ability to step up. Closer Andrew Bailey has been dominant in replacing Huston Street for the A’s. Andrus has hit .268 with 70 runs and 31 stolen bases in 35 attempts and could win the Gold Glove at shortstop in the American League this season. Niemann has put himself in the same class as Rays’ starter Matt Garza with a 12-6 record, a 3.81 ERA, and 2 shutouts, and he has outperformed last season’s playoff stars James Shields and David Price. Bailey is 26 for 30 in save situations this season with a 1.90 ERA, a 0.90 WHIP, and 88 strikeouts in 80+ innings. Andrus is the pick for his ability to influence a game in so many different ways (defense, baserunning, and hitting). While Andrus may not possess ideal power, the 21 year old has shown a little pop at the plate with 8 triples and 6 home runs.

National League Rookie of the Year
Chris – JA Happ, Philadelphia Phillies
JA Happ is the best of many rookie starting pitchers to come onto the scene this year including Randy Wells, Tommy Hunter and Jeff Niemann. He is my selection for NL Rookie of the Year because of how effective he has been as a starter in Philly. Happ has gone 11-4 with a 2.79 ERA and a 1.20 WHIP. He has 112 strikeouts in 158 innings of work. Happ has been a big part of the Phillies success this season and his numbers back it up.

Adam - Andrew McCutchen, Pittsburgh Pirates
Although the Pirates are terrible and in the midst of their 17th straight losing season, one bright spot for the future is young centerfielder Andrew McCutchen. Despite only playing 99 games so far, McCutchen is leading the team with 64 runs and 7 triples, second on the team with 12 home runs, 25 doubles, and 16 steals, and is hitting .277. McCutchen has done all of this despite not being called up until early June and missing the first two months of the season. Other highlights for the future all-star are a 3 home run game on August 1 against Washington, 2 walk-off hits including a 2-run home run off of Brad Lidge in the bottom of the ninth to make up for a defensive miscue in the top of the inning allowed the Phillies to take the lead, and a 3 stolen base game against the Rockies (10 days after his 3 homer game). McCutchen is the best player the Pirates have had since Barry Bonds left after the 1992 season, and he will soon lead them back to a .500 record and beyond.

American League Manager of the Year
Chris – Joe Girardi, New York Yankees
Girardi is managing all of his talent very effectively this season. His Yankees just clinched the AL East title, and they have the best record in baseball having already eclipsed the 100 win number. I know that the Yankees are loaded with bats and arms and that the talent level deserves some of the credit for the team’s success. However, we have to give some credit to Girardi, and I think he has done enough to win Manager of the Year for the AL.

Adam - Ron Washington, Texas Rangers
Not many people expected the Rangers to contend in the AL West this season, but, until recently, the Rangers were in the hunt for the division crown and the Wild Card. Even now, at 84-69, they have the 4th best record in the AL and are just 6 games behind the Angels in the West. Furthermore, the high powered Rangers have had slugger Josh Hamilton for only 88 games, Ian Kinsler and Nelson Cruz have both missed games, and Chris Davis, who was expected to be a big part of the lineup this season, was sent to the minors earlier this season because he was striking out at a record pace. To overcome the struggling offense, Washington looked to his pitching staff where Brandon McCarthy was hurt and Vicente Padilla was cut from the team. Washington was able to mix in youngsters Scott Feldman (17 wins) and Tommy Hunter (9 wins in 17 starts) with veteran Kevin Millwood (3.79 ERA). Washington also made future ace Neftali Perez a dominant set-up man out of the bullpen (1.84 ERA and 37 strikeouts in 29+ innings). To contend for the playoffs despite numerous injuries and heavy reliance on three young pitchers is testament to Washington’s impressive job in Texas this season.

National League Manager of the Year
Adam and Chris Agree - Jim Tracy, Colorado Rockies
This is a no-brainer. The Rockies were dead in the water at 18-28, 14 games out of first, when Jim Tracy took over in late May and promptly went on a 17-1 run from June 4th through the 22nd to re-enter the playoff race. The Rockies, after threatening the Dodger for the NL West title, appear set to win the Wild Card, as they did in 2007 on their way to the World Series, with a 5 game lead over the Giants. Overall, Tracy is 30 games over .500 at 69-39 (.639 winning percentage) and the Rockies look like they are having fun while becoming one of the most exciting teams in the NL. Under Tracy, the Rockies never appear out of a game and have an air of confidence about them as if they expect to return to the World Series this season. Considering that the only real change to the team this season was replacing Clint Hurdle with Tracy, it is safe to assume that a big reason for the change is this year’s NL Manager of the Year.

American League Executive of the Year
Adam and Chris Agree - Brian Cashman, New York Yankees
Everything Cashman did this offseason was golden. The prize position player of the free agent class, Teixeira, has provided a masher in the middle of the lineup and gold glove caliber defense at first. Underrated pick-up Nick Swisher has provided power (27 home runs, 79 RBI, and 80 runs) as the rightfielder. In the starting rotation, free agent pick-up CC Sabathia has pitched like a Cy Young contender with 18 wins, a 3.31 ERA, and 186 strikeouts in 220+ innings. Fellow signee A.J. Burnett has been somewhat inconsistent but has still contributed 12 wins, a 4.19 ERA and 184 strikeouts in 195+ innings. Cashman also decided to keep Andy Pettitte around for another season and the veteran lefty has responded with 13 wins and a 4.15 ERA in 184+ innings. Overall, Cashman’s offseason moves have netted 64 home runs, 198 RBI, 179 runs, 43 wins, and 600 innings of pitching. That production, coupled with no apparent bust among his offseason acquisitions, wins Cashman the award this season. I know people will complain that Cashman had an unlimited budget to make these moves, but he has always had that budget and still made glaring mistakes in free agency. This offseason he was perfect.

National League Manager of the Year
Adam and Chris Agree - John Mozeliak, St. Louis Cardinals
While Cashman won the AL Executive of the Year award in December and January, Mozeliak won the NL award from May through July. Past reclamation projects Joel Pineiro (15 wins, 3.24 ERA, and 203 innings), Chris Carpenter (16 wins and a 2.30 ERA), and Ryan Franklin (37 saves and a 1.98 ERA) have all had career seasons, but Mozeliak needed to supplement his past work to get the Cardinals to the playoffs. Enter trade acquisitions Mark DeRosa, Matt Holliday, and Julio Lugo and waiver pickup John Smoltz. DeRosa was the first to join the Cardinals and, while inconsistent at times, has contributed 10 home runs and the versatility that managers love. Holliday and Lugo were acquired in July and have sparked St. Louis to the top of the NL Central. Holliday has been a beast hitting .354 with 13 home runs and 50 RBI in 56 games while Lugo has been overlooked despite solid production with a .277 average in 130 at-bats. Smoltz has helped add depth to a rotation including Carpenter, Adam Wainwright, and Pineiro by averaging almost 6 innings per start with a 3.18 ERA in 6 games since coming to St. Louis from Boston. Similar to Cashman in the AL, Mozeliak has been nearly perfect in his acquisitions this season.

Too Rich For My Blood: DeAngelo Williams, Cash, and the Ethics of Fantasy Football

[Editor's Note: New columnist Peter Durant takes a look at the ethical implications of being an owner in fantasy football.]

I fell in love with DeAngelo Williams last year. He had just finished making the defense look like a house of cards for “The Adam Jones Experiment”, my opponent in the semi-finals of the NDFL (that’s the Newfoundland Dynasty Football League). I won that match in the end, but DeAngelo caused quite a stir, there was some tension on my couch.

It was towards the end of an incredible six week stretch where new DeAngelo outperformed old DeAngelo – kind of like the anti Seth Rogen. Trading for DeAngelo then became my number one off-season priority. The only issue being that there was only one year remaining on his fantasy contract and the asking price was a first round pick in 2009 and another in 2010. In the words of Poker Billy, “Too rich for my blood.” So what did I do to achieve my number one off-season goal? I offered one first round pick and real money – cold hard cash. Not a lot of dough in absolute terms, but I offered 1/5 of the pool entry fee, so relatively speaking, a considerable amount.

My proposal was considered and rejected on its terms, but here is the issue: What are my ethical obligations in fantasy world? I felt like I was doing something wrong and you could tell this is what I was thinking as I looked over my shoulder for other NDFL owners within earshot before tabling the offer at a pub over a few sips of lager.

Fantasy sports are inherently fantasy. We make believe. We act like real general managers. We talk like real owners. But we are not.

Ethical decisions are grounded in morality. But are fantasy sports real and do real morals apply? The answer has to be yes – afterall, the money is not fake. Fantasy sports are games but the stakes are real. We have to make decisions considering right and wrong even though the only outcomes are win or lose.

With pools being labeled fantasy, there is a natural tendency to approach decision making as though it is without consequence. Presumably, pools are played with friends (at least acquaintances). These are people for whom we normally make decisions ethically. In the real world, presumably, we do not make a decision to immorally move money from our friend’s pocket into our own.

Some of the pitfalls are unavoidable; there will never be an even playing field and somebody has to win, much like real sports and that is how it should be. There will always be uncontrollable factors like injuries versus controllable factors like informational asymmetry.

So, while it is fantasy, when you break it down, it is not fantasy. We are simply using real performance statistics as a medium to gamble. It is gambling with your friends. We are trying to take our friends money and people can easily lose sight of that. It is fair game as we all know the stakes and the boundaries of the ‘competition’.

I spoke to our league commissioner about the real money offer for DeAngelo, (after reminding me that it was him to whom I made the offer), we discussed it at length. We talked about how to categorize this type of trade. We called it ‘under the table’, ‘off the book’, ‘tangible’, and ultimately, agreed, it is wrong, no matter what we call it.

My offer of real money was outside the margins of what it takes to move players in our league, but, I didn’t see it that way until I made that offer and thought about it. It was not an ethical offer made by me. I was attempting to alter the playing field in my favour without notice to the other owners. Essentially, I was using coercion in the form of real money to alter the fantasy market value of DeAngelo Williams.

In the end, DeAngelo was traded to one of our expansion teams for two first round picks. The trade itself made no sense but it was certainly above board. I still think I have a shot at DeAngelo at our trading deadline when the expansion team is dumping expiring contracts for picks as his playoff chances fade. This time around, my offer will not include cash, maybe a gift certificate instead. Or not.

As long as there is real money, fantasy is real. Real world ethics apply to fantasy world sports.

- Peter Durant

We Interrupt this Marriage to Bring you…Fantasy Football Season - days to go 135

[Editor's Note: With NFL and College Football in full swing, guest-columnist Hayley Rosner takes a look at how to cope with your spouse's fantasy sports addiction.]

I am lucky enough to be married to my best friend, and we're still newlyweds (only married 10 months). My husband is addicted to sports, and more importantly, Fantasy Football. His life, and therefore, our life, revolves around sports. If it's not Michigan football, the NFL, or fantasy football, then it's hockey, baseball, tennis, golf and sometimes poker. We even had to plan our wedding around the University of Michigan football season! I learned early on that if I was going to have any chance of competing for his attention during football season, I better learn something about his affliction... I mean addiction.

I'm not completely out of the loop when it comes to sports; I've always been a casual fan. However, I have not completely submerged myself into the Fantasy World like my husband has. My goal is to help wives like me cope with their husbands' constant need to be glued to the television and/or internet during Fantasy Season. There are 135 days to go until Super Bowl XLIV, and more importantly 135 days until I can get my husband back. That is until hockey playoffs come around.

I am an attorney and just like I have to do with the practice of law, I have to find solutions that we can both live with in our marriage. I have found that learning a little bit about Fantasy Sports is a great way to improve our relationship and get him to compromise and spend time doing things other than watch football. And this was a challenge. When I first heard about Fantasy Sports it sounded really silly to me. It seemed like my husband and his buddies got together and acted like little boys. They use "smack talk" and insult each other and they think it's hilarious. They have even gone so far as to emasculate each other by referring to each other with names like Tonya, Christy and Natasha instead of Tony, Chris and Nate. I honestly didn't get it. It's bad enough that he sat and screamed at the TV when his team was losing but now with Fantasy Football he sits and screams and it doesn't matter which team is winning or losing, now it matters how his PLAYERS are doing, And how his Fantasy Team is doing against his opponent's Fantasy Team.

Here was my first question that drove me crazy: why is it that these guys spend hours and hours negotiating draft picks, then spend a few hours drafting players and then spend hours and hours negotiating trades of those picks?? This is what I learned: Before the draft, depending on your philosophy on where the players are going to go in the draft and depending on the league that you are in and the number of players at each position would depend on when you want to make your picks (in which rounds etc). After the draft, fantasy players may have a void on their fantasy team that needs to be filled so they trade players in positions that they have more players than they need for players in positions that are lacking.

This is what I really think: These guys need to feel like they're in control and that what they're doing is important :) Then they have buyers’ remorse and try to convince their friends that they have a deal that will "benefit both of them". Honestly, if someone is trading players it's because he wants someone new and is not satisfied with his (or her) team. It's not because he is looking out for your best interest. But regardless, the draft is a very important part of the fantasy experience.

I helped my husband with his fantasy draft this year by analyzing available players while other players were being drafted. This helped me learn who was on his team and who to look for during the game and make an effort to at least follow those players. And for all my hard work, I got an extra date night...dinner and an evening void of sports.

Tip for the week: Find out at least a couple of players on your husband's (or wife's) team. They will be impressed with your interest and may even attempt to get involved with something that you're doing that doesn't involve football. Bonus...you can have conversation that doesn't involve how many points you got for Drew Brees's touchdown passes...take what you can get for now!

- Hayley Rosner

Why PETA Shouldn't Blame Roger Goodell for Michael Vick's Return

This Sunday marks Michael Vick’s official return to the National Football League—an event that has been widely criticized by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (“PETA”), as well as some sports writers and doggie bloggers.

What those who criticize NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell for reinstating Vick fail to understand, however, is that the NFL may have ultimately lacked any real choice. Had the NFL not reinstated Vick, Vick could have potentially filed an antitrust lawsuit against the 32 NFL clubs for concertedly refusing to deal with him. Even though such a lawsuit would have likely failed in the Second and Seventh Circuits (due to the holdings respectively in the Clarett and American Needle cases), a lawsuit against the NFL clubs would have likely gotten to a jury in the Third, Sixth, Eighth and D.C. Circuits—all places where professional athletes have previously won large antitrust settlements.

As a quick background in antitrust law, Section 1 of the Sherman Act, in pertinent part, states that “[e]very contract, combination … or conspiracy in the restraint of trade or commerce … is declared to be illegal.” Although most Section 1 claims involve restraints of trade related to product markets, the Sherman Act likewise prohibits restraints in labor markets, as long as these restraints occur outside of the proper workings of a collective bargaining agreement (“non-statutory labor exemption”).

Courts in general determine whether a particular restraint violates Section 1 of the Sherman Act in three steps. First, courts will determine whether a particular restraint emerges from a “contract, combination or … conspiracy” among two or more parties. Next, they will determine whether the restraint yields a net anticompetitive effect to consumers. Finally, they will assess whether any antitrust exemption would negate the finding of liability.

With respect to finding a “contract, combination or … conspiracy,” most courts outside of the Seventh Circuit have found that any decision made by a league commissioner is tantamount to an agreement made among each of the individual club-owners, given that club-owners elect the commissioner to act on their behalf. Thus, outside of the Seventh Circuit, Goodell’s original decision to suspend Michael Vick would be viewed no differently under antitrust law than if the 32 NFL owners sat in a room and all agreed to suspend him. (Of course, this could change depending on the Supreme Court’s pending ruling in the case American Needle v. Nat’l Football League).

As to the net effects of indefinitely suspending a player, a court would likely find these effects to weigh heavily in the direction of being anticompetitive because suspending a player from a premier sports league reduces consumers’ ability to attend games that would feature the boycotted player, presuming a team would otherwise choose to play him. Although the 1961 Southern District of New York case Molinas v. Nat’l Basketball Association had upheld the NBA’s indefinite suspension of a player under antitrust law, that case involved a peculiar set of facts (a player gambling on games in which he played) and has since been called into doubt by the Supreme Court’s decision in U.S. v. National Society of Professional Engineers, which explained that defendants may not use a rationale based solely on public policy to offset liability for anticompetitive conduct.

Finally, with respect to potential affirmative defenses, courts in the Third, Sixth, Eighth, and D.C. Circuits would probably not find any of these defenses applicable. While it is true that most terms of good-faith collective bargaining agreements are exempt from antitrust scrutiny under the non-statutory labor exemption, the NFL Personal Conduct Policy (unlike the NFL drug policy and anti-gambling policy) does not appear explicitly in the NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement, thus likely making it fall outside the exemption in these circuits. In addition, even though a group of NFL players purportedly approved the NFL Personal Conduct Policy in 2007, their approval is likely irrelevant because the NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement requires any changes or modifications to be signed in writing. There is no public record of such writing.

Thus, even if NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell had not reinstated Michael Vick into the league, Vick may still have gone to court and litigated his way back. By simply reinstating Vick, the NFL avoided the headache of legal action, minimized the risk of having to pay damages to Vick, and resolved this matter without drawing added attention to Michael Vick’s past misconduct.

Can PETA really blame the NFL for that?

***

(Article originally posted at 10:05 A.M. on Above the Law; for more details on the legality of commissioner suspensions, see my article in the 2009 Catholic University Law Review: Are Commissioner Suspensions Really any Different from Illegal Group Boycotts).

Brian Billick's Book, Fantasy Innovations and More Lessons Learned

I don't read a ton of books, but when I pick one up, I usually plow through it. I just raced through Brian Billick's More Than A Game, an excellent look at everything NFL through the eyes of a head coach turned analyst. And no, I am not getting royalties for peddling the thing. But not to be confused with a literary op-ed, I'll tell you why the book mention is relevant here: Billick discusses the way the NFL has changed over the years, from personnel decisions to offensive and defensive schemes to the business of football. And changes in the NFL warp the landscape for fantasy football owners alike.

Any guy in his mid to late 20's who has been playing fantasy football for a while will tell you how it began: the least irresponsible and/or most trustworthy guy among a group of high school friends would collect everyone's roster written on loose-leaf paper on Friday afternoons. Then, on Monday morning he would come in with the sports section from the newspaper and tally the stats and everyone would rush to him to get the score of their game and see how everyone else fared. And that's all we knew. There were no message boards, no online player rankings and certainly no references to fantasy football by network TV analysts in the booth. We were just a bunch of guys in a crowded high-school hallway trying to see who would win $150 worth of beer money that we would spend on our friends anyway.

But as the NFL climate changed and companies figured out how to greater exploit this football obsession, everything changed for that group of guys in high school. Actually it's not just for the football-crazed guys anymore. And for a privileged few it's about a whole lot more than beer money. People that never had more than a passing interest in the NFL are now engaged thanks to fantasy football. Better yet, they're hooked, and the top-five fantasy innovations discussed below made it all possible (some of these might be better described as reasons rather than innovations, but you get the point).

5. Flex Spot, Individual Defensive Players and Defenses: although the least impactful innovation of the bunch, this cracked the list because it's important to recognize the way the game itself has been altered by some creative thinking. The addition of the flex spot has made the already football savvy fans have to consider the value of wide receivers, running backs and tight-ends compared against one another, not just against those at their own position. A subtle change but the added context gives a whole new dimension to the game.

Likewise, the addition of individual defensive players (IDPs) and Defenses (as well as special teams) has had a similar effect of boosting people's football IQ. Defenses and individual defenders that were formerly enemies of fantasy riches became part of the equation, and people in fantasy leagues using these set-ups can probably tell you now whether most teams play a 3-4 or 4-3 base defense.

4. Fantasy "Experts" and Rankings: Back in the day, all anyone had was a magazine in black and white print published sometime in June or July. And everyone usually had one or two of the same magazines. So really, no one was any wiser than the other. Now there's a whole industry of fantasy dorks who actually make a living giving constant analysis and updated week-to-week rankings online. There's mock drafts, colored charts and substantial analysis in dozens of different magazines too. All of the content has made their followers wiser (usually) and more engaged, and the range of content means that everyone doesn't go into a draft trying to get the same "sleeper."

3. Mainstream Acceptance: Money talks, and fantasy sports is now a billion dollar industry. There's even fantasy segments and coverage by the networks and cable shows. Basically, it's everywhere, and fantasy football has become a part of the mainstream, not just a hobby for guys obsessed with numbers. A lot of workplaces even have fantasy leagues. I'm sure there's even a handful of guys out there who are employed in part because they help an aloof boss win a high-stakes fantasy league. The point is, now that it's an "accepted" thing, it's a topic of conversation and more people play the game.

2. Unprecedented Access to Information: We're all getting smarter. In the box-score days, fans had no idea how many times a guy was "targeted" or thrown to. The box score didn't tell the whole story-- just receptions and yards. Now with all the access to online content and NFL blogs for example, people can follow position battles, depth charts, game breakdowns, track statistics and trends with more precision, read scouting reports, follow the status of injured players and beyond. It all makes for a more educated fan, and in turn, more scrutinized decisions with fantasy teams. It also gives girlfriends and wives of fantasy addicts a new gripe for therapy sessions.

1. Online Games and Live Scoring: Hands down the biggest advance in fantasy sports. The creation of a platform for rosters, scoring, trading, message boards and beyond has unified leagues and made more leagues possible. It's allowed guys to seamlessly make sister jokes and propose ridiculous trades. Live-scoring is just an extension of the innovation that allows fantasy players to follow their teams up to the minute. And now the industry has become so profitable that live scoring is free because they all want our traffic. For example, Yahoo! used to charge $10 for their live scoring feature, but it's free this year, presumably to keep people from migrating to ESPN which has never charged a fee for the service (or at least not for a while).

So there it is. What's next? Who knows. If Billick is right, maybe 3-D telecasts. If that happens, I'm sure there will be a legion of fantasy owners who take the opportunity to berate an under-performing LenDale White up close and personal.

Here is a couple of dilemmas that I toiled over this past week:

Decision #1: I had to choose my third wide-receiver between Devin Hester and Derrick Mason. Hester would face Pittsburgh last week and Mason and the Ravens were at San Diego. Pittsburgh lost Polamalu for a few weeks but that defense and the zone blitz is still a nightmare for any offense. Still, Hester can catch a bunch of short passes or screens to pile up receptions and possibly break one. But, Mason is still a decent starting WR for Baltimore and the Ravens have opened up the offense with Flacco this year. I played it conservative and took Mason.

The Aftermath: Didn't matter. They both had crappy games. Mason finished with three catches for 31 yards and Hester had four for 21 yards. Actually, it did matter, because in the 1/2 point-per-reception format Mason gave me an extra half point which allowed me to lose to my opponent by 0.07 as opposed to 0.57.

Verdict: All things being mostly equal, I decided to go with the guy playing the softer defense, but it just didn't matter in the end. Did I mention that I hate fantasy football?

Decision #2: I won't bore you with re-treads of the same decisions week to week, but in the early going when a team is still evaluating it's own division of labor in running back timeshares, this particular dilemma is worth revisiting. That said, I had to pick two of these five running backs (yes, two of these five): Mike Bell, Pierre Thomas, LenDale White, Jonathan Stewart and Ahmad Bradshaw (note that last week Pierre Thomas was listed as questionable but the early Sunday report indicated that he would suit up and see some action).

Also note that my running back stable on this team stinks. For all the virtues of the WR-WR draft strategy, I don't know if it's worth it if you end up having to scrape together a backfield. It's like choosing between caning and waterboarding every week-- yeah, you have options but you're screwed either way. It's probably not fair to compare those players to torture methods... I'll stop whining now. Stewart has been decent although banged up and Thomas is just getting healthy, so hopefully they can form a decent combo. But I chose White and Bradshaw last week.

The Aftermath: Besides Thomas who saw only limited action, I chose the two least productive of the bunch. I thought Bradshaw was poised for a big game against Dallas who got ripped for a ton of rushing yards the previous week by Tampa, and I thought LenDale White would get more than 6 carries against Houston (for 25 yards). Incorrect. Dallas largely contained the Giants rushing attack (but got ripped in the air), and Bradshaw finished with 9 rushes for 37. Elsewhere, Chris Johnson had a historic game and White basically was there to allow Johnson to catch his breath after touchdown runs of 57 and 91 yards and a 69 yard touchdown catch and run. I think he should start drinking Tequila again.

With Thomas returning from injury and the Saints backfield up in the air, against a good Philly defense (well, maybe not, they did give up 48 points), I wanted to avoid Bell. Of course Bell had 86 yards rushing and a touchdown. As for Stewart, he had 9 rushes for 65 yards and 3 catches for 14. On the road against a division foe (Atlanta), still banged up and in a supporting role to DeAngelo Williams, I didn't expect that much.

Verdict: I don't know anything anymore. Who knew that White would play such a small role? Injuries always throw a wrench into the equation, too. But things are starting to take shape and trends are developing, so I certainly won't be starting White anytime soon. I think the main lesson here is to make sure you have at least one no-brainer starter every week. That, and if you completely whiff on both of your running backs, make sure you have an adequate supply of beer in the fridge.

Good luck in week 3, and don't forget to stock your fridge.

Fantasy Hockey Forwards - Sleepers & Busts

Western Conference Fantasy Preview
Eastern Conference Fantasy Preview
Sleepers & Busts: Forwards
Sleepers & Busts: Defensemen
Sleepers & Busts: Goalies

It's crunch time! With the season less than a week away, most of you will be drafting your teams in the coming days. Now that you've had a chance to catch a few preseason games and see how your favorite players are going to be utilize, you can begin to start ranking your players. But are you drafting certain players too high? and expecting way more than they will deliver? In this edition, I will give an overview of some sleepers & busts for forwards that may influence your draft rankings.

Sleepers are players you may not have considered drafting or are players you were going to draft in the later rounds but may consider moving them up. Busts are players that you probably shouldn't consider drafting, are injured, or are players you were going to draft way earlier than you should be.

Sleepers

David Backes - RW - (STL): Daivd Backes amassed 54 points and 165 PIM last year. 11 of those points came off the PP. Backes can provide both offensive, PP, and PIM points and may fly under the radar. Backes' production last season is no fluke and I see him having many more seasons with the same type of production.

Pierre-Marc Bouchard - LW - (MIN): Pierre-Marc Bouchard just two years ago tallied 50 assists, and even though he had a dip in production last year. He is slated to be paired up with Mikko Koivu and newly acquired Martin Havlat on the first line and should see those assists return this year.

Derick Brassard - C - (CBJ): Derick Brassard had a productive yet shortened rookie season last year scoring 10 goals and 25 points in just 31 games. He is slated to center the first line with Rick Nash and Kristian Huselius, which should allow him to rack up plenty of points.

Dustin Brown: - RW - (LA): Dustin Brown had 6 GWG and 18 PP points last year. Although he had a slight dip in total points last year, Brown should rebound nicely and continue being a solid PP producer.

Claude Giroux: - C - (PHI): Claude Giroux amassed 27 points in just 42 games last year, with a full season at the NHL level, Giroux should be able to provide quality numbers for fantasy owners and also see some time on the PP.

Kyle Okposo - RW - (NYI): Kyle Okposo scored 9 PP goals last year in just 65 games. Okposo will be a force on the Islander PP and will get plenty of opportunities. With John Tavares at center, Okposo should be able to dish off some points on a nightly basis. Okposo should be a consideration if available late.

Devin Setoguchi: - RW - (SJ): Devin Setoguchi had a breakout year last year in his first full season in the NHL. Setoguchi tallied 22 PP points and was also a +16. Setoguchi will be paired with Joe Thornton and Dany Heatley which will definitely contribute to his point total. Setoguchi is definitely someone to consider taking a bit earlier than originally thought.

Steve Stamkos - C - (TB): Steve Stamkos had a dismal rookie showing last year. However he was playing on a horrible Tampa Bay team, and was very under-utilized for the beginning of the season. Stamkos improved his play the second half of the season and with the Lightning making some improvements in the offseason, look for Stamkos to have a breakout year this year. Because of his showing last year, many may not feel him draft worthy.

Eric Tangradi - LW - (PIT): Eric Tangradi will start the season in the minors, but in his first preseason game, he played on a line with Sidney Crosby and tallied a couple of points. Tangradi is projected to play with Crosby in the future and if this was a glimpse of things to come, then it could be a bright one for this youngster. Tangradi may be a good last pick or someone or you may just want to keep an eye on to pick up on waivers if an injury were to occur on the Penguins.

Thomas Vanek - LW - (BUF): Thomas Vanek scored 40 goals last season with 1/2 of them coming off the power play. Vanek will be trying to lift the Sabres to the playoffs this year and with that should continue to produce like last year. Vanek may fly under the radar and should be considered if available.

Busts

Jeff Carter - C - (PHI): Jeff Carter is ranked to go in the first round in auto-drafts, this is based on last year's performance. His 46 goals and 83 points were impressive, but most of these were accumulated in the first half of the year before he fizzled out. Carter is someone you should consider drafting, but just not in the first round, so if you are auto-drafting make sure you adjust.

Patrik Elias - LW - (NJ): Elias will be out 3-6 weeks from groin surgery. Adjust him in your rank. Don't expect the same production from him as last year.

Marian Gaborik - RW - (NYR): The injury prone Gaborik could have a breakout season, but with his health as an uncertainty, Gaborik should not be drafted so high, with other players out there with more certain point production.

Marian Hossa - RW - (CHI): Hossa is coming off of surgery and is slated to be out of action until around mid December. Hossa will contribute offensively but you should draft someone that can contribute immediately and wait to grab Hossa later.

Joffrey Lupul - RW - (ANA): Lupul had a 50 point season last year with the Flyers, but now that he's on the Ducks, Lupul may be moved down to the 3rd line or may have to switch wings to play on the top 2 lines. In any event, this may affect his point production as well as his PP time, because the Ducks have more than enough people to fill those roles.

Keith Tkachuk - LW - (STL): Tkachuk's production has been declining over the years and isn't the offensive power he used to be. The Blues now have a lot of talent upfront which will limit the opportunities for Tkachuk.

Todd White - C - (ATL): Todd White's 73 point production last season was a fluke, so don't expect the same from him again this year. He will again be in 30-40 point range again and should not be counted matching his point total from last year.

Nikolai Zherdev, Jiri Hudler, & Sergei Federov - (N/A): For those of you who auto draft, make sure and remove them from the list because they are no longer in the NHL.

Next time, I will run through some Sleepers & Busts for defensemen.

Until next time: I'll keep you posted... Between The Pipes

First to Third: Reviewing My AL Predictions

I think predictions are fun. In the beginning of the season, every team has hopes at capturing the championship and everyone thinks they can pretty much guess how the season will unfold. Common folk, like me, post these predictions as a way of saying "look over here, I know what I'm talking about, too!" and experts make predictions to say exactly the same thing as a way to prove their knowledge. Now that we're at the end of the season, I'm going to review and evaluate my predictions as a way to show you how little I (and everyone else) really knows. We'll save the National League until next time.

AL Postseason Awards:
I predicted Rays pitcher James Shields to win the Cy Young and Grady Sizemore to win the MVP. Suffice it to say neither of those things are going to happen and those guys aren't even in the conversation.

AL Playoffs: I had the Yankees winning the AL East and the Red Sox as the wild card. So far, so good. In the Central, I had the Twins winning the division, which isn't a stretch since they're close, but I had the Tigers in the basement. Oops. Out West, I predicted the A's to dethrone the Angels, who I picked to finish second. Oakland didn't come close and began the dismantling process after probably three games this year. I had the Yankees winning the American League and the World Series, so be sure to keep me honest with that one.

Well, that was pretty terrible, besides the AL East. As for some "expert picks" that were a bit off: ESPN's Peter Gammons and Tim Kurkjian also picked Sizemore for the MVP. Kurkjian also picked the Indians to win the Central. Buster Olney had the Rays winning the AL East and the World Series. Glad I'm not the only genius out there! ESPN Expert Picks.

Fanhood and Fantasy: The splendors and spoils of drafting the home team

Just like any other fantasy team, you have to play for the points in college. Being from one of the states where football reigns supreme, college football in Florida reigns supreme. Now, this could be my opinion, maybe go as far as I say as my bias, but it seems to me that college football is a fan favorite down here. The problem with this, is that many times fantasy coaches will base their team off of what Bobby/Jimbo or Urban Meyer do on the field. Sometimes, these choises can be real good, but other times it fails to translate into points on the computer.

1. Don’t pick a player just because they’re on your team……most of the time.

Tim Tebow is big down here (as all over the place), but I doubt anyone out there has picked up Christian Ponder out of Florida State – and they’re both top 10 fantasy QBs. In fact, only 6% of owners on CBS have picked him up. Ponder put up some stellar numbers against BYU last week. Everyone thought that FSU would get embarrassed, but Ponder (21 of 26, 195yds, 2 TDs, passing; 77yds rushing on 11 attempts) scored 32 points and led the Seminoles to a big (read: huge) win. He laid down 31 points in week 1 against UM, and if it weren’t for that terrible game, in the rain, against Jacksonville State, Ponder might be a top 5 QB.

2. Leave your comfort zone; go to California.

Obviously, everyone knows who Jahvid Best is. If you hadn’t before last weekend, you sure do now after 5 TD on 131 yds rushing against Minnesota. Best is a beast, and you cant go wrong with him. But, you also might want to check out Fresno State RB Ryan Matthews. After 234 yds on 19 attempts and finding the endzone 3 times against Minnesota, the most impressive part of him was the ability to break a big play not once or twice, but all 3 TD runs were over 60 yards. I don’t see either RBs slowing down soon.

3. Offenses win games; Defenses win championships.

The National Champs and the Runner-Up have 2 of the best defenses in the nation. Florida is pretty good. They’re consistent. And even though they only have 4 INTs and 4 sacks, they have allowed only 672 yds all season. Yes, one of those teams was barely a notch-above a high school team, but even in their SEC schedule, I see the Defense scoring consistent points. Keep an eye out for Oklahoma. 12 sacks + 9 takeaways – (only) 670 yds allowed = a real good squad. But, a team that some – but might not all – would have guessed to dominate is Boise State. They own the WAC (and your fantasy league) and will continue to do so.

4. The moral of the story.

Use your knowledge of your team and its schedule…but don’t let your fanhood get in the way of your fantasy success.