Defensive Corner: Sleepers, Injury & Impact Week 8

Sleepers:

Cardinals (v. Panthers): The Cardinals have scored 10 points or more in each other past three weeks against the Giants, Seahawks and Texans. Surely this improving defense can handle a team only capable of barely beating the abysmal Redskins and Buccaneers.

Chargers (v. Oakland): Oakland is one of those magical teams that makes their opponents automatically a better fantasy pick than the week prior. True, the Raiders limited the Chargers to only 7 fantasy points (ESPN scale) the first week of the season, but since then the Raiders have played well in close games with quality opponents while, with the exception to the Eagles game in which the Eagles just forgot how to rely commands from their brains to their extremities, the Raiders have floundered. Additionally, their star quarterback has just been benched for his awful play.

INJURIES & IMPACT

*Denotes starter

Baltimore Ravens (v. Denver)
*Tavares Gooden(LB) Head Questionable, did not practice
*Jarret Johnson(LB) Shoulder Probable, full practice
*Ed Reed(S) Illness Questionable, did not practice

Status: A loss of a starting linebacker and starting safety is the last thing this team needed right now. In week 6 against the Vikings, the Ravens got rocked allowing Farve to throw for 278 yards and limiting the defense to -1 fantasy points. This week, the Ravens will face Kyle Orton, who has averaged 267.3 yards in his last three starts against the Cowboys, Patriots and Chargers and only has 1 fumble and 1 interception on the year so far. Unless the Ravens worked out all the kinks in their secondary during the bye week, you might was to consider other defenses to start this week.

Dallas Cowboys (v. Seattle)
Allen Rossum(CB) Hamstring Questionable, did not practice
Gerald Sensabaugh(S) Thumb Probable, full practice
*DeMarcus Ware(LB) Foot Probable, full practice

Status: Really no injuries here. Start against the average Seattle offense.

Green Bay Packers (v. Vikings)
Derrick Martin(S) Hamstring Questionable, did not practice
*Charles Woodson(CB) Hip Questionable, limited practice
Jarius Wynn(DE) Hamstring Questionable, limited practice

Status: One starter, no major impact. This game is going to go one of two ways: 1) Favre will steamroll over his former team and continue to pick away at that giant chip on his shoulder; or 2) it will be a high-scoring close one with the winner (most likely the Vikings) slightly edging it out. Either way, not a great fantasy situation.

Minnesota Vikings (v. Green Bay)
*E.J. Henderson(LB) Knee Questionable, did not practice
Jimmy Kennedy(DT) Not injury related Questionable, did not practice
*Ben Leber(LB) Calf Limited practice. Questionable
*Karl Paymah(CB) Quadriceps Questionable, limited practice
***Antoine Winfield(CB) Foot Questionable, did not practice

Status: The Vikings’ secondary got exposed last week and the Steelers just steamrolled over the Vikings. With the loss of Winfield (who deserve three stars because he’s that important) things just got easier for Aaron Rodgers to prove himself against his former teammate. As I said above, the Vikings most likely will win this one, but it will come as a result of Favre’s ability to score, not the defense’s play.


New York Giants (v. Philadelphia)
Michael Boley(LB) Knee Questionable, did not practice
Chris Canty(DT) Calf Questionable, did not practice
*Antonio Pierce(LB) Hamstring Questionable, did not practice
Aaron Ross(CB) Hamstring Questionable, did not practice

Status: On starter, no major impact. Common sense would tell you that starting the Giants is a no brainer this week, but its just not that simple. The Giant’s have not been living up to their “defensive monsters” reputation the past two weeks in losses to both the Cardinals and Saints. Philly, with their pass focused offense will play them tough, as always, just as natural enemies should. This game could be real close.

New York Jets (v. Miami)
*Shaun Ellis(DE) Knee, ankle Questionable, limited practice
*David Harris(LB) Wrist Probable, full practice
*Bart Scott(LB) Knee Questionable, limited practic
Lito Sheppard(CB) Quadricep Questionable, did not practice

*Donald Strickland(CB) Ankle Probable, full practice
*Bryan Thomas(LB) Wrist Probable, full practice

Status: If I were a Jets fan this list of injuries would make me want to vomit, especially against the legendary Wildcat offense that no one can seem to shut up about. Well I guess there is good reason for that, last time the Jets played Miami (week 5) the Jets score -5 points and were just embarrassed. Make sure you keep that in mind when adjusting your lineup. (Hint Hint: Adjust your lineup)


Philadelphia Eagles (v. New York Giants)
Victor Abiamiri(DE) Knee Out
Darren Howard(DE) Ankle, calf Questionable, did not practice
*Akeem Jordan(LB) Hip Probable, full practice
Dimitri Patterson(CB) Quadricep, hand Questionable, did not practice

Status: See Giants analysis.


Finally, Happy Halloween all, I hope your fantasy scores aren’t too scary!

First to Third: Second Guessing Game Two

One of the best parts about being a sports fan is the ability to second guess your team's manager or coach - and sometimes, even the players.  In game two of the World Series, there were several questionable decisions that are worthy of debate.

Derek Jeter tries to bunt in the 7th: Over the past 15 seasons, the amount of times Derek Jeter has been criticized for doing something that wasn't a "smart baseball play" can probably be counted on one hand.  However, his decision to try to bunt with no outs and two runners on base as not a good one.  It got even worse when Jeter didn't give up on his attempt with two strikes.  The Yankees had a chance to break the game wide open, but didn't.  It didn't cost them the game, but what was Jeter thinking?

Charlie Manuel lets Pedro Martinez start the 7th: Shades of Grady Little in 2003 as Manuel let Pedro convince him that he wasn't tired after the 6th inning.  Now 38, Martinez promptly surrendered two base hits to the Yankees' seventh and eighth hitters before being replaced by Chan Ho Park.  Park allowed a base hit that put the Yankees up 3-1.  With a fully rested 'pen... why send Pedro back out there?

Charlie Manuel doesn't start the runners in the 8th: I agree with Manuel here.  Chase Utley grounded into five double plays all year and since he bats lefty, if Utley sung and missed the the runner at third had a good chance of getting thrown out since Jorge Posada would have a clear throw to third. 

Joe Girardi throws Mariano Rivera for two innings: With a day off today, there was no reason why Rivera couldn't go two innings.  It's the World Series... not May.  So what if he threw 40 pitches... the Joba Rules don't apply to Mariano.

Joe Girardi starts Jerry Hairston over Nick Swisher:  Girardi will tell you this paid off since Hairston had a base hit in the 7th which eventually resulted in a run scored.  Personally, I would have left the singles hitter on the bench and thrown Eric Hinske out in right field. 
 

The Good, The Bad, And Vampires

Halloween is a schizophrenic holiday. There's no other holiday with such a range of meanings for different age groups and sexes. Here's how I see it, and I apologize in advance:

Infants through two-year-olds: They're completely at the whim of their parents. Whether they like it or not, these kids get dressed up in whatever goofy or "cute" costume their parents choose. When I was two, my mother dressed me in a teddy bear costume she took from an actual teddy bear. I looked ridiculous. At that age, the only recourse was to cry or vomit. I did both.

Three through eight: Kids go trick-or-treating with their parents by this time. Children dress up, in costumes of their own choosing I suppose, and go door to door in the neighborhood filling various receptacles with candy. For kids, this is one of the top five days of the year along with Christmas, birthdays, the last day of the school year and the day the Swanson ice cream truck hits a pothole on your street and scatters about fifteen cartons of ice cream everywhere. OK, that only happened once, but it was probably the most exciting day of my life.

Nine through twelve: The youth of America start to go out with groups of friends and neighbors around this age. It's a pretty exciting day for these kids. Curfews run a bit later and the piles of candy grow. I used to fill a pillow case and eat chocolate until I got sick and nearly vomited. This is the golden age of Halloween.

Thirteen: This is the most puzzling and problematic age of them all-- the beginning of the teenage years. Many of the teens in this crop are too cool for costumes. When I was thirteen I began to prepare for Halloween about three weeks in advance; I would tag along with my father when he filled the gas tank and I bought a dozens of eggs at the mart in the gas station to stash with my arsenal of toilet paper and shaving cream. Needless to say, my neighbors did not enjoy Halloween as much as I did.

Fourteen through eighteen: Here we go again with costumes for those who took a year off. High school kids go to Halloween parties and maybe have a beer, or several, or whatever they can get their hands on. Many girls start to wear revealing costumes. The rest are overweight or feminists. A lot of the guys are still destructive if they're not handing out candy to the kids or getting drunk at parties.

Over eighteen through early twenties: More costume parties and ridiculous costumes. This is when guys and gals start breaking away from the traditional costumes and start getting creative. Some girls go truly revealing (lingerie) and wise guys opt for more offensive outfits (e.g., Duke lacrosse players circa 2006). Here's an idea: go to a Halloween party dressed as one of your friends and follow him or her around.

Mid to late twenties: Halloween parties continue and in some circles the costumes tone down a bit. In others they don't. Some couples chill out and rent a scary movie.


Thirties through fifties: Thirty year-olds probably wouldn't appreciate my grouping them together with the middle-aged folks but for purposes of Halloween it works. This group attends parties, hands out candy or ignores the holiday altogether. Notably, this is about the time that couples attend parties in his and her costumes: Fred and Wilma Flintstone, Raggedy Ann and Andy, Monica Lewinsky and Bill Clinton. You don't have to be a couple to be offensive, though. Here's one: get some silver hair spray, dress like Steve Phillips and hang around the least attractive girl at the party. Or go as Brett Favre and stand at the door all night deciding if you want to go in, or just wear a white coat and a stethoscope and tell people that you're Michael Jackson's personal doctor. The possibilities are endless.

Sixty plus: Frankly, I don't know what senior citizens do on Halloween. I guess they hand out candy or enter their cats into pet costume contests. Sounds about right.

So that's my take on Halloween. And in the spirit of the ever-changing holiday, here are quick hits on the NFL, fantasy football and miscellany:

Ghost: Larry Johnson has been exiled from Kansas City while the team's attorneys are busy scouring his contract to find a way out of some guaranteed money. Who would have thought--even last year--that a player would get suspended for making gay slurs on a social media platform? Crazy. For the LJ fantasy owners out there that had a difficult time pulling him from the lineup...it's time.


Vampires: I need someone to explain to me why vampires are so popular now. My girlfriend ordered HBO solely to watch True Blood and she's read the entire Twilight series, another vampire-themed story (they're films now too). From the 15 minutes or so I caught from the show, and the last page of each Twilight book, I've gathered this much: when vampires get aroused their fangs come out; vampires are social outcasts; and there's a guy named Edward in the Twilight books who has all sorts of superhuman qualities that would probably make him a good football player. Check this out, from Wikipedia, the factual authority on everything: "Edward, like all vampires in the Twilight series, possesses superhuman strength, speed, endurance, and agility, and is described as being inhumanly beautiful." Sounds like a first-round pick to me.


Bones: As if it wasn't bad enough in Washington, one of the Redskins most talented and likable players, Chris Cooley, broke his ankle in Monday's game against the Eagles. The Redskins have gone from a punch line to downright sad. It's not even funny to make fun of them anymore.


Scary: JaMarcus Russell's passer rating-- 47.2. Possibly worse: his attitude. After last week's drubbing by the Jets, Russell said: "I don't think it's me personally, I really don't. It's a bad combination of one guy doesn't do something right one time. Personally, I don't think so." No one is asking him to be a martyr, but he has to accept some blame for that loss, even if he doesn't mean it. He's got one foot on the Ryan Leaf Express... out of the NFL.

Scarier: Derek Anderson's passer rating-- actually worse than Russell's at 40.6. He's completed 43.8 percent of his passes for two touchdowns and seven interceptions. Someone please explain to me why Brady Quinn is not getting another chance. Anyone? I understand that Mangini doesn't want to start a QB carousel, but seriously, it can't get any worse than Anderson this season. Oh yeah, Cleveland doesn't want Quinn to reach incentives in his contract.

Cats: How about that Wildcat offense? It seems like the fad is waning. Either a team has the personnel to run it effectively, or it doesn't. Miami does. Philadelphia apparently does not. Maybe they should run the wild-dog. Sorry, I had to.

Surprise: The Broncos at 6-0, obviously, but how about Alex Smith? I didn't think Smith would start another game in a Niners uniform, but he found a way back after a string of bad performances by teammate Shaun Hill. Smith might even be a viable fantasy option. Just look at his line from the second half of last week's game against Houston: 15-22 passing for 206 yards and three touchdowns, and one interception. Vernon Davis caught all three of those touchdowns and Michael Crabtree may have his head screwed on after filtering out the bad advice from his eclectic group of "advisers", which includes MC Hammer and Deion Sanders (seriously). I think Crabtee just wanted to play football all along but got set back by his peers' greed and/or egos.

Trick: This is hysterical. I'd like to meet the coach that had the guts to call that.

Treat: This Sunday the Giants and Eagles will face off at 1:00 p.m. at the Link, and the Yankees and Phillies will play game four of the World Series at 8:20 p.m. I predict that two teams will win and a lot of "sick days" on Monday.

Scariest: Right here. Terrifying. That freak used to give me nightmares as a toddler. What's scarier than a knife-wielding doll that comes to life and terrorizes people? Nothing. The answer is nothing.

Check back in here every Friday around lunchtime where Brett Smiley will fill you in on everything in the world of sports and fantasy sports from the bizarre to the practical to the relatively unimportant.

Sports and the Law: Cubs Sale Complete

Two weeks ago, we discussed the news out of Chicago that the Cubs had filed for and emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection within a 48 hour period. (Click here for previous coverage on the Cubs bankruptcy.) The bankruptcy filing was part of the sale process of the team from the Tribune Co. to the Ricketts family. As expected, the sale of the Chicago Cubs has now been finalized, and the team is now in control of billionaire Joe Ricketts.

The total value of the sale is approximately $845 million. That amount is the most that has ever been paid for a franchise, topping the $660 million that was paid for the Boston Red Sox and its related properties in 2002. For its $845 million, Joe Ricketts will receive not only 95% of the Cubs franchise, but also Wrigley Field and and 25% of Comcast Sportsnet, the television station that broadcasts most of the Cubs' games. Tribune Co. will retain the remaining 5% of the team. At the end of the day, Tribune Co. will actually receive about $740 million after taxes and fees are taken out.

So was it a good deal for Tribune Co.? In April, Forbes valued the franchise at $700 million, a number that included a $149 million valuation of Wrigley Field. The Forbes valuation took into account the pending sale to the Ricketts family, although at the time, the price tag was $900 million - $60 million more than the final number and less than other bidders were then offering for the club. In fact, some reports after the first round of bidding for the Cubs in late-2008 stated that bids were made as high as $1.3 billion. On the other hand, the Red Sox, a team now valued at $833 million by Forbes, sold for $660 million only 6 years ago. So, in only 6 years, the price for a Major League Baseball franchise rose almost $200 million dollars, and that is for a team (the Cubs) arguably less valuable than the previously sold team (the Red Sox). So, to answer the initial question, this appears to be a good deal for Tribune Co., or at least a fair deal for both parties. What do you think?

Tim Cedrone is a judicial law clerk in the New Jersey Superior Court, Appellate Division. This blog post and all others written by Mr. Cedrone are his work and his alone and express only the author's views. Nothing in this blog post or any other blog post written by Mr. Cedrone represents the views of the New Jersey Superior Court or any related entity.

NCAA Fantasy: Week 8 perfomers might not be great for Week 9

Since there is little coverage and a ridiculous amount of players to talk about, I have been using my team as a common thread for my weekly articles. Generally, I give a narrative about what I am doing and thinking about in regards to my team, specifically who to pick up, drop, bench, etc. amidst the thousands of players to choose from. As previously mentioned, I couldn't seem to drum up enough support for collegiate fantasy football with my buddies, so I signed up for a public league. I am 2nd in my division and 5th in the Power Rankings, while sitting at 3-2. Luckily, “one game is a win, but 2 is a winning streak,” because after 2 consecutive wins I have a winning streak! You might have also noticed that I mainly talk about QBs, RBs, and WRs – because they are the ones that normally score points for your team. If I didn’t limit it in some way, I could go on for days about any and all players in the NCAA - because there seem to be tons of options.

After scoring 38 points for me, Kellen Moore will remain my QB. Moore went 18/30 with 223 and 5TDs while leading Boise State to a 54-9 whoopin’ of Hawai’i. The Davey O’Brien semifinalist should be a lock in your starting role if you can pick him up. If you can’t grab Moore, Christian Ponder is still looking real good. The ACC Offensive Player of the Week had his second career day in as many weeks in a Florida State comeback win over UNC. He went 33/40 for 395yds and 3TDs (34FPts) - most of which came in the second half. Ponder has thrown for over 300yds four times this season, and eclipsed 340yds the past 3 games…with only 1 interception on the season. He is in the top-10 nationally in every passing category, but I am still not sold on the consistency of his WRs. The fact that Rod Owens (9att, 199yds, 1TD) hauled in an ACC-record tying 98yd TD shows they might be on the same page (finally) and will find the end-zone more often (hopefully). If this happens, Ponder will end the season as one of the best fantasy-producing QBs in college football.

Another great QB-WR combo this week came from the opposite side of the country. Ryan Lindley (29/43, 459yds, 6TDs, 56FPts) and DeMarco Sampson (15rec, 257yds, 3TDs, 43FPts) from San Diego State were also hot. Lindley and Sampson haven’t clicked like this all season, but after synching up as well as they did last weekend – and up against a winless New Mexico team this weekend – they could make a fantasy coach’s dreams come true.

As for RBs, my little experiment with Lance Dunbar (38FPts) seemed to work out nicely. The North Texas back showed his versatility rushing for over 100yds on 11 carries for 2TDs, but also caught 4 balls for 90yds and another score in a loss to Troy. Even though the Mean Green haven’t chalked-up a W since week 1, they are up against a winless Western Kentucky and a defense who has allowed an average of 43 points per game. Dunbar keeps his starting role again this week.

Even though there were some very impressive performers last week, the other starting role will stay with Darius Marshall. Marshall has proven himself to be a consistent back, who ran for over 130yds and a touchdown. A couple of those other performers I mentioned are Corey Sykes (23att, 203yds, 3TDs, 38FPts) and MiQuale Lewis (26att, 301yds, 1TD, 36FPts). Their combined 504 rushing yards helped Ball State win their first game of the season by only a 2-point margin (29-27), but it seems to have been more because of a weak Eastern Michigan defense, rather than a strong offense. Ball State plays Ohio (5-3) this week, so they probably wont be as successful. Another back to be wary about is Bernard Pierce (39FPts), who put up over 200yds and 3TDs for Temple as they continued a 5-game winning streak. Although he had a solid outing, Pierce might not be the best person to play this weekend seeing as the Owls travel to Annapolis, and will take on a Navy team who have also won their last 5 games. Seems to me Pierce might be too big of a risk this weekend.




Long-story-short: I am not making many changes with my team this week, but there are definitely a lot of options out there if you need to make some.


P.S. If you ever want me to weigh-in on something you have been thinking about, feel free to ask!

The Mulligan: Southern Hospitality

This week the Tour heads to Annandale Golf Club in Madison, Mississippi for the Viking Classic and some southern hospitality. The Par 72 Jack Nicklaus designed course measures in at 7,299 yards. Look for some excitement on the Par 5 hole 18 that is laden with water.

Chad Campbell has put up eight rounds in a row posting scores of 70 or better so he is clearly a momentum play this week. To top it off, he won here in 2007 so he is also a good choice because we know he likes the course. Look for Campbell to have a good week.

David Toms lives just down the road from the course in Shreveport so he should have some support from the fans. Also, Toms has played well here in the past including a T-8 finish here last year. Toms has enjoyed a good 2009, and he is really just looking to add a little icing to the cake with a strong finish to the season.

I have said this a few times already this year, but it is worth repeating. Mike Sim is one of the players of the future on the PGA Tour. He is the best player on the Nationwide Tour and it is just a matter of time for him to break through. I think the fall classic is a great time for him to step up and pave the way for his success next season as well. Sim finished 2nd last week on the Nationwide Tour and I look for him to play well in this week's PGA event.

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

First to Third: World Series Preview

The Battle of the I-95 corridor begins tomorrow night in New York as the Philadelphia Phillies take on the New York Yankees in the 2009 World Series.  I think the teams match up pretty evenly, so it should be an exciting series.  Here's a preview:

Infield: NLCS MVP Ryan Howard has been a beast this postseason, but in the Philadelphia infield, he's really the only one who has produced.  Jimmy Rollins is hitting .244 in the postseason and Chase Utley hit .211 in the NLCS.  Pedro Feliz is hitting around .160 for the postseason.  On the other hand, Alex Rodriguez decided to learn how to hit in the postseason and is leading the Yankees with a .424 postseason batting average.  Across the diamond, Mark Teixeira struggled through the first two rounds of the playoffs but is five for his last 14 (.357).  Derek Jeter is hitting .297 in the postseason, while Robinson Cano has yet to find a groove in October.  Advantage: Yankees

Kovalchuk and the Future of the Atlanta Thrashers

This past off-season, I mentioned Atlanta Thrashers General Manager Don Waddell as a suitable candidate for the early season Hot Seat in the National Hockey League. The Thrashers are coming off a disappointing 76-point season in 2008-09, and were again eligible for the draft lottery held this past June. While the signs of promise are certainly there, the Atlanta Thrashers need to turn the corner and compete on a nightly basis with a surprisingly much improved Southeast Division. Most importantly however, Don Waddell must take care of business with star forward and Captain Ilya Kovalchuk. Heading into the final year of his contract, improving the Thrashers and pushing the right buttons in order to sign Kovie is a must.

The Thrashers took tremendous steps forward this past off-season in order to add to what could be their most talented group of players since their expansion year. The first round selection of Vancouver, BC native Evander Kane, the acquisition of hard nosed Czech defensemen Pavel Kubina, the signing of former Leaf forward Nikolai Antropov (a friend of Kovalchuk's), a training camp tryout with a contract to follow for Maxim Afinogenov, and a waiver claim of defenseman Christoph Schubert just hours before the 2009 season began. All in all, a pretty solid off-season for GM Don Waddell and the Atlanta Thrashers, but the work doesn’t stop there. Don Waddell recently signed forward Rich Peverley to a two year deal worth $2.6 million. The additions to this somewhat promising lineup are in place, the results on the ice; well that’s always a story in itself.

A 4-1-1 start for the Atlanta Thrashers is nothing new, been there done that. It’s a different feeling though as this young season progresses. Not only are the Thrashers getting offensive production from off-season acquisitions, there is a balance on this hockey club now. They are getting the secondary scoring, along with solid goaltending from their 2^nd round pick in 2005, Ondrej Pavalec. Goaltending has always been an issue with the Atlanta Thrashers, battling injuries or poor on ice performances. Pavalec looks really solid however, and may just be the go to guy they've been searching for. Johan Hedberg figures to remain as a solid backup to Pavelec, as a once high touted goaltender Kari Lehtonen again nurses an injury. Talented rookie forward Evander Kane’s recent on ice performance indicates a trip back to junior is not in the cards, at least not at this point according to GM Don Waddell. From a defensive standpoint, newcomer Pavel Kubina and Tobias Enstrom have a combined 11 helpers in 8 games.  Kubina's veteran experience is an invaluable tool for the young Thrasher dmen.

The early season success is there for Head Coach John Anderson and the Atlanta Thrashers, but make no mistake, this hockey club is ways away from out of the woods. GM Don Waddell has his work cut out for him in order to put the best possible product on the ice. It all starts and ends with superstar Ilya Kovalchuk, who is due to hit the open market on July 1^st of 2010. The Thrashers must find a way to lock up Kovie, give him what he wants, and continue to place the right pieces to the puzzle around him. A healthy Kovie surrounded by the right players, well that’s exactly what the fans in Atlanta have been waiting for. They might just get their wish.

Above the Rim: NBA Season Preview

The NBA season kicks off with the Cavaliers and the Celtics tomorrow night in a rematch of the 2008 Eastern Conference Finals (the Magic derailed the Celtics to ruin another matchup in the 2009 Conference Finals). This year’s offseason was fairly quiet with a lot of movement early and an unusual lack of off the court drama.

The contenders in the East and the West got richer this year without any teams making moves to join their ranks (the Pistons picking up Ben Gordon and Charlie Villaneuva should be enough to get them into the playoffs, but they will lose in the first round).

• The Cavaliers picked up Shaquille O’Neal early in the offseason to start the movement. While many seem to think that Shaq won’t perform at a high level, I think they are underestimating the Big Aristotle. He was an all-star last year in Phoenix averaging 17.8 points and 8.4 rebounds and Cleveland will be able to keep him fresh with Zydrunas Ilgauskas backing him up at center. Also, even if Shaq does not match his numbers from last year and settles around 14 points and 7 rebounds, it is still a large improvement over what the Cavs got from Ben Wallace and Sasha Pavlovic last season. The Cavaliers then added Anthony Parker and Jamario Moon to increase their depth and athleticism at the shooting guard, small forward, and power forward positions. The Cavs are also expecting former Celtic Leon Powe back by the all-star break after off-season knee surgery.


• The Celtics also improved by adding Rasheed Wallace and Marquis Daniels to their bench and, currently, are healthy after losing Kevin Garnett down the stretch. I think Wallace will be an effective pickup, but will not match his 12 points and 7.4 rebounds from last season with less looks on offense. I have always liked Daniels and he has proven he can be effective off the bench.


• The Orlando Magic had surprisingly high turnover on their roster after winning the Eastern Conference last season. The net result: Hedo Turkoglu, Rafer Alston, and Courtney Lee are all gone after contributing to the Magic’s run in the playoffs and are replaced by Vince Carter, Brandon Bass, and Ryan Anderson. I feel the Magic are worse off for the changes. Their bench is weaker with Mickael Pietrus stepping into the starting lineup at small forward because there isn’t an explosive player on the bench to replace him. Bass will help at the power forward and Anderson can shoot, but neither can match how effective Pietrus was. Lee was poised to break out this season and should have a good year in New Jersey where he will get more looks on offense. Carter is good, but he is getting older and has peaked. Swapping him for Turkoglu in the starting lineup also eliminates the matchup problems that a 6’11” point forward like Turkoglu created. His flexibility was a big reason why the Magic were able to knock off the Cavs last year. With a more traditional offense, the Magic lose that advantage and will struggle with both the Cavs and Celtics.


• The Lakers were the champions and then swapped Trevor Ariza, a potential star, for Ron Artest, an established star who I thought deserved top finish in the top 5 for MVP last season. The Lakers may also get something from Adam Morrison off the bench this season after getting him from Charlotte last season. After getting Shannon Brown from the Cavs, Brown developed into a nice role player within a season, and Morrison could be on track to follow in his footsteps.

Off-court drama in the NBA this off-season that could carry over into the regular season.

• How is the Stephen Jackson situation in Golden State going to unfold? After signing an extension, Jackson wants out for New York, Cleveland, or a team in Texas. The Cavs don’t have the pieces to make it happen and New York wants to maintain cap room for the 2010 free agent class. So where will Jackson end up…


• Toronto? The rumor a few weeks ago was a trade that would send Jackson to the Raptors for Chris Bosh. Bosh is a free agent in 2010 and is probably on his way back to the states. Toronto may try to cut its losses and get something back for Bosh if they are not in contention. However, the Raptors picked up Turkoglu this off-season and should be able to make the playoffs. Also, if they trade Bosh for Jackson, their leading rebounder from last season would be Andrea Bargnani, a 7 footer who plays more like a shooting guard instead of a post player, with only 5.3 rebounds per game. I look for Bosh to stay put in Toronto until at least the all-star break when the front office will have to evaluate how the season is going.


• Delonte West in Cleveland broke the silence of the off-season when he was arrested outside of Washington D.C. with pistols on his ankle and in his waistband, and a shotgun in a guitar case on his back. West left the team last year in training camp to get help with depression and bi-polar disorder. Supposedly, he was off his medication at the time of the arrest and is back on it now. Based on last season, West should be ok once the season gets started; he seems to cope better when he is around the other Cavs as he had his best season last year. However, the Cavs will probably have to play without him for a while as he will probably get suspended for a few games for his arrest.

Where is LeBron going?

• This story has been relatively quiet during the off-season as the economy will probably lower the salary cap next season restricting the number of teams that can offer him a full contract, or offer LeBron and another player max contracts. While the New York media, especially the New York Post, likes to write articles about why LeBron is coming to the Knicks, the rest of the country seems to think that LeBron will be back in Cleveland with an extension after the season. While I think that is probably what will happen, I still expect a steady stream of articles about LeBron leaving every time the Cavs play the Knicks or the Nets.

So what do we have to look forward to this season?

• LeBron James will win his second straight MVP award. His scoring may dip a bit as he shares the ball with Shaq and the other newcomers, but his rebounds and assists could jump as he plays off the ball a little more. I expect his assists to go up especially with Shaq in the post and Parker, whom coach Mike Brown said was the best shooter he has seen since Reggie Miller, on the wing. The Cavs were a 66 win team last season and improved, so they should be the top team in the East again which will help James in the MVP vote. Dark horse- Brandon Roy will lead the Blazers to the second best record in the West and will become one of the league’s elite players.


• Blake Griffin will run away with the Rookie of the Year. Last year’s best college player will get plenty of opportunities to produce for the dysfunctional Clippers and should average close to 15 points and 8 rebounds. A double-double average is an outside possibility as well. Second round surprises- Pitt Panthers Dajuan Blair and Sam Young were both productive and fundamentally sound players in college that will produce in the NBA this season. Blair will be a force in the post off the bench for the Spurs and Young should get looks for the Grizzlies at multiple positions.


• The Cavaliers and Celtics will play a classic series to decide the Eastern Conference championship for the second time in three years. This series will probably come down to who has home court advantage, but the Cavaliers are younger overall and have a little more depth on the bench and will be able to avoid and overcome injuries better than the Celtics. The series will go to seven games, but the Cavs should make their second appearance in the NBA Finals in four years where they will play …


• The LA Lakers. The Lakers are head and shoulders above every team in the West. It is kind of like when Larry Bird asked the other 3-point shooters who was going to finish second behind him at the 3-point shootout; there are talented teams out West, but this race is basically already decided. The only team I expect to give the Lakers trouble are the emerging Blazers. They played LA tough in the playoffs last season and should improve with another year of experience. I expect the Blazers to take the Lakers to six or seven games in the Western Conference Finals.


• In the NBA Finals, the NBA will finally have its Kobe-LeBron matchup. While the Lakers have the experience and may be the better team on paper, this series is too close to call. I would probably give the Lakers a 60-40 advantage today (which kills me as a Clevelander), but this series could go either way if LeBron or Kobe gets hot or if Shaq gets an adrenaline boost from playing against Kobe again.

Defensive Corner: Sleepers, Injury & Impact: Week 7

Sleepers:
Indianapolis (v. St. Louis): Let me start this out by apologizing for suggesting the Jaguars last week based purely on the fact that they were playing the Rams… I really messed that one up, however this week’s selection of the Colts is an entirely different scenario. First of all, unlike the mediocre Jaguars, the Colts are undefeated at this point in the season and have been quite solid defensively. Second, although he will not be 100% and has missed many games this and last season, I can’t help but be excited about Bob Sanders’ (a.k.a. Demond Sanders) return. Lastly, if St. Louis wasn’t suffering enough, Donnie Avery is injured so any hope for offensive production will fall onto the shoulders of Steven Jackson who really hasn’t done anything this year. This, ladies and gentlemen, is why the Indianapolis Colts will trounce the Rams.

Buffalo (v. Carolina): The Bills Defense will benefit from Jake Delhomme’s turnovers and basic inability to complete passes. Last week, Delhomme was limited to 65 yards against Tampa Bay, which , in addition to Carolina, is another JV NFL team this year.

INJURY AND IMPACT

Green Bay Packers (v. Cleveland)
B.J. Raji (DT) Ankle Probable
Jarius Wynn (DE) Hamstring Questionable, Did not practice

Impact: non-starters, no significant impact

Minnesota Vikings (v. Pittsburgh)
Husain Abdullah (S) Back Questionable, Limited practice
Eric Frampton(S) Ankle Questionable, Limited practice
*Madieu Williams(S)Quadricep Questionable, Limited practice
*Antoine Winfield(CB) Foot Questionable, Did Not Practice

Impact: Just like their opponent, as listed below, I say do not start the Vikings Defense this week. As you can see, every injury listed in this week’s report is to a member of the secondary (2 starters, 2 backups). This situation is less than ideal considering that the Vikings are facing the Steelers this week, who, in contrast to their reputation as run-heavy, have been notably reliant and effective in the air. Heath Miller, rookie Mike Wallace and Super Bowl MVPs Santonio Holmes and Hines Ward could make this a miserable week for fantasy owners of the Minnesota D.

New England Patriots (v. Buccaneers)
Darius Butler(CB) Ankle Questionable, Did Not Practice
*Jarvis Green (DE) Knee Probable
*Jerod Mayo(LB) Knee Probable
James Sanders(S) Shouler Questionable, Limited practice
*Shawn Springs(CB)Knee Questionable, Limited practice
*Vince Wilfork(DT) Ankle Probable

Impact: The Bucs are so bad that any time spent analyzing these injuries is time wasted. Seriously, not to be overly harsh (which I’m going to be anyway), but the only redeeming quality about the Bucs this season is that they have a Pirate ship in their stadium. They should probably start charging admission to said Pirate ship and let the people waiting in line watch the game for free as bonus “entertainment”. If I were a resident of Tampa I’d be more impressed by level of play in and more excited for the Outback Bowl than any Bucs game this season. Start the Patriots without hesitation.

New York Giants (v. Arizona)
*Michael Boley(LB) Knee Questionable, Did Not Practice
Chris Canty(DT) Calf Questionable, Did Not Practice
*Antonio Pierce(LB)Back Questionable, Limited practice
Aaron Ross(CB) Hamstring Questionable, Did Not Practice

Status: The Giants’ injuries at linebacker isn’t the thing that should be worrying Giants D owners in this matchup. Last week, the Giants D succumbed to the passing attack of the Saints and, while Arizona hasn’t been exactly stellar this season, they do pose the risk of having a very effective pass centered offense when clicking.

New York Jets (v. Oakland)
*Shaun Ellis(DE) Knee Questionable, Limited practice
*David Harris(LB) Wrist Probable
Larry Izzo(LB) Hamstring Full
Marques Murrell(LB)Head Questionable, Limited practice
*Kerry Rhodes(S) Knee Probable
*Lito Sheppard(CB) Quadricep Questionable, Did Not Practice
Donald Strickland(CB)Ankle Questionable, Limited practice
*Bryan Thomas(LB) Wrist Probable

Impact: There are some problems here with the linebacking core and the secondary not being 100%, but they are playing Oakland this week and, despite their win over the Eagles, the most notable player on the Raiders this season has been a pigeon. However, what could really destroy this defense is the play of the offense, which has a serious case of the “turnovers” and other rookie-related conditions.


Philadelphia Eagles
*Victor Abiamiri (DL),Knee Left during Oakland game
Omar Gaither(LB) Foot Left during Oakland game
Dimitri Patterson(DB), Quad& hand Missed Week 6

Impact: Let’s skip the evaluation and just get to the point, START THE EAGLES. Yes, the Eagles wholly embarrassed themselves against the Raiders last week, but that’s just part of the reason to start them; the Eagles are truly not that bad, so they will be looking to prove that on the field this week. Additionally, if redemption wasn’t enough of a motivation, they are playing intra-conference rival the Washington Redskins, who, along with being just plan terrible, are in the middle of an offensive transition. For those of you who don’t know what’s going on, the Redskins front office has mandated that coach Jim Zorn be stripped of his play-calling authority and have assigned this duty to ex-retiree Sherm Lewis, who has been given about two weeks to learn the Redskins playbook and integrate his style into the Redskins system. This, along with the fact that both starting QB Jason Campbell and his backup Todd Collins have routinely failed to get anything going offensively, does not bode well for the Washington Redskins.

Pittsburgh Steelers (v. Minnesota)
*Travis Kirschke(DE),Not injury related Questionable, Did Not Practice
*Troy Polamalu(S) Knee Questionable, Did Not Practice

Status: Polamalu or not, do not start this defense. Brett Favre is on a roll in Minnesota , the Steelers Defense has been too much of a fourth quarter mystery, and even if the Steelers win this game, its most likely going to be high scoring.

First to Third: How Much Does a Manager Matter?

With a two run lead in the seventh inning of game five of the ALCS, the Yankees sent A.J. Burnett back out to pitch the bottom of the seventh.  Burnett promptly put two runners on base, at which point he was relieved and the bullpen couldn't hold the lead.  Just an inning before, John Lackey was pulled, although he really didn't want to leave, and Darren Oliver surrendered three runs without recording an out as the Yankees pulled ahead.

At this point, many fans believed they could manage better than either Joe Girardi or Mike Scioscia.  I think in the postseason it is very easy to over-manage a game.  Quick hooks and questionable substitutions have been a staple of playoff games for a number of years, but how much do these decisions impact a game or series?  In his first postseason as a manager, Girardi has made questionable bullpen moves and has chosen to start the soft-hitting Jose Molina in games Burnett pitches over playoff veteran Jorge Posada.  Scioscia has had backup Jeff Mathis catch Lackey over Mike Napoli.  Joe Torre continued his history of questionable bullpen moves before the Dodgers were eliminated.  Charlie Manuel has stubbornly stuck with the erratic Brad Lidge and has been rewarded.  Aside from the umpires this postseason, the managers have been second-guessed the most, which raises the question: how much does a manager matter?

College Fantasy Football: Mid-Way Tips to grab bragging rights for the rest of the year

Now that we are more than halfway through the college football season, we have a much better idea of which players you should sign to your fantasy squad. I know, you say we still have all of November, December, and into January to look forward to, but much like NFL Fantasy, playoffs in my league start at the end of the regular season – weeks 12 and 13. What this means, is we are just past halftime, and already nearing the end of the fantasy season. (Tear.)

The entire nation has their eyes on Heisman hopefuls Sam Bradford, Tim Tebow, and Colt McCoy, but none of them have been transferring into big fantasy numbers - so beware. I drafted Bradford at the beginning of the season, but have yet to play him. In fact, I dropped him this week as a result of his bum-shoulder. Tebow should be somewhat of a tossup this week. He seems to have bounced back from his concussion, but it also seems to have made him a bit timid. Never stellar to begin with, his numbers seem slumped the last couple of weeks, but will be facing Mississippi State (1-2, 3-4) this week. As for Colt McCoy, even though he leads 6-0 Texas into Missouri (4-2), McCoy has thrown at least 1 INT per game and a grand total of 1 rushing TD this entire season – which doesn’t translate well into fantasy points.

With none of the top-10 QBs coming from BCS-ranked teams, I am sticking with Kellen Moore out of Boise State. Moore will face Hawaii, who is in the midst of a four game losing streak, and even though the Broncos are 4th in the BCS standings, they will have something to prove for the rest of the season if they even want to have a chance at Pasadena – and Kellen Moore will be real important in that equation. I took a risk on Moore last week and it worked out nicely for me, and he should be able to keep it up.

A new face to keep an eye on is Lance Dunbar (RB – North Texas). Dunbar was sidelined with an MCL injury in 2008, but it seems as if he has found his was back into the groove of things. In fact, I am giving Dunbar the nod over Evan Royster (RB – Penn St.). Yes, Royster is a good running back; yes, the threat Royster poses is extremely important to the success of his team and their 6-1 record; no, Royster is not a good fantasy-back. This year, he has rushed for a mediocre 641yds and only 4TDs. On the other hand, Dunbar has over 500yds and 9TDs…in the last 3 weeks. The fantasy value is evident in the numbers.

Every year, the second half of the season generally is pretty exciting. Now that we are done with “cupcake” games, every Saturday has conference and national implications. As a Fantasy coach, this means that you have 2 options: (1) get your act together and sign some fantasy point-producers; or (2) If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Even if you find your starting line-up in the category under (2), you need to make sure you stocked your bench with some of the better “Walk-Ons” (collegiate version of the Free Agent). The scheduling in the NCAA gets a little weird in November, with only some teams playing into Week 13.

Now is the time to make your moves, because before you know it we will be full-swing in Basket/Soccer/Hockey-Ball season, and the guy in the cubicle next to you will have bragging rights for an entire year.

The Mulligan: The Frys.com Open

This week the Tour heads to Scottsdale, Arizona for the Frys.com Open. As we all know, there are a lot of PGA Tour members who make their home in Scottsdale, and many live very close to this week's venue, Grayhawk Golf Club. The Tour is making its 3rd trip to Grayhawk, and a few players have played extremely well on this course. There are only two Par 5s on Grayhawk, so one would expect the long-ballers to struggle. That has not been the case here, however, as the wide fairways accomodate the bombers despite the lack of Par 5s. In fact, three of the Top-10 finishers last year averaged over 300 yards per drive. Therefore, I am looking for momentum plays and players who have played well here in the past. So, who will play well this week?

First, Mike Weir should play well at Grayhawk this week. He has a win here, and he has posted a score of 14 under par in both of his outings. He looked sharp at the Presidents Cup as well, so he has decent momentum coming in. With all those pros living nearby, I think a Canadian will take the trophy this week in the desert.

Look for Justin Leonard to have a good week as well. He finished 6th here in 2007 (he didn't play this event last year), so it appears that he can handle the course. Plus, Leonard is one of those guys who seems to love playing in the desert. He was born in Dallas and went to the University of Texas, so he should have decent crowd support too.

I also think Tim Clark will have a good week. He was the man at the Presidents Cup and he is simply due to win on the PGA Tour. He is too good of a player to be winless despite 194 starts. He might get it done this week in Arizona.

Sleeper Pick: George McNeill might turn some heads this week. He has two Top-10's this year and he looked VERY sharp last week where he finished 2nd after losing a playoff. Plus he has finished in the Top-16 in his two starts at the Frys.com Open. He is the perfect sleeper this week.

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

There Goes the Neighborhood

With all this discussion about expanding the use of instant replay, sometimes the human side of baseball is forgotten. There are certain plays in baseball where it's ok to not get a call right. The strike zone, while actually defined in the rule book, is largely subjective based on the home plate umpire. Tim Tschida's strike zone is different than CB Bucknor's. Another example is the "neighborhood play." The neighborhood play is a reference to a middle infielder being in the neighborhood of second base when turning a double play. In 99% of double play balls, the second base umpire will call a runner out at second as long as the middle infielder comes close to the base when turning a double play.

If baseball selects its best umpires to work the playoffs, it is reasonable to assume that now isn't the time to change accepted conventions. However, in game two of the ALCS, Angels shortstop Erick Aybar was turning a double play where he never touched second base - but came extremely close and was in fact straddling the base - and the Yankee runner was called safe.

Baseball fans can argue for furthering the use of replay all they want but it's important to maintain the human element. In Joe Torre's most recent book he reminds people to always remember that the game has a pulse. Let's keep it that way.

Fantasy Hockey Pickups: Week 3

Welcome to week 3 of Fantasy Hockey Pickups. I hope you were able to use some of my suggestions to help pick up that win last week. The next two weeks are crucial weeks in Fantasy Hockey because most NHL teams must make decisions on their entry level rookies during these weeks. NHL teams have 9 games to decide whether or not to keep these players and have the first year of their entry level contract begin, or send them to the minors/junior team and not have the first year of their contract count. There are a lot of good rookies out there this year, so make sure you keep and eye out to see what happens. If your rookie gets sent down, here are some guys you may want to pick up to replace them in your lineup.

Fowards

Mike Knuble - RW - (WAS): Mike Knuble had 1G, 5A, and was a +5 last week. Overall he has 7 points and is a +6. As long as Knuble continues to play along side Alex Ovechkin on the first line, you can expect these numbers, especially the assists to continue (as 4 of his 5 assists last week were on Ovechkin's goals). Knuble is only available in 20% of Yahoo Leagues, so if he's sitting on the waiver wire, you should consider grabbing him.

Vaclav Prospal - LW - (NYR): Vaclav Prospal had 2G, 4A, 3PPP, and was a +4 last week. In just 2 weeks, he has 11 points and is a +7. Prospal is playing alongside a healthy Marian Gaborik, and as long as he's healthy, Prospal should continue to produce at this level. Prospal is only available in 23% of Yahoo Leagues.

Brandon Dubinsky - C - (NYR): Brandon Dubinsky had 4 points, 6PIM, and was a +4 last week. Thus far, he has 8 points, 14 PIM, and is a +9. Like Prospal, Dubinsky plays with Gaborik and should continue this production as long as long as Gaborik stays healthy. Dubinsky is available in 45% of Yahoo Leagues.

Dustin Penner - LW - (EDM): Dustin Penner had 3G, 3A, 1PPP, and was a +5 last week. Overall, he has 9 points so far this year. After a disappointing season last year, Penner seems to be on his way to a breakout season with his team leading 5 goals so far. Penner is available in 56% of Yahoo Leagues.

Dustin Byfuglien - RW - (CHI): Dustin Byfuglien had 2G, 1A, and 1PPP last week. Overall he has 4 goals and 3PPP so far this year. Byfuglien's size and playing style can be compared to that of a Jarome Iginla type in which he uses his size to get down low to score. Right now with Marian Hossa out of the lineup, Byfuglien has benefited by seeing more ice time, and has capitalized on those opportunities. He is available in 69% of Yahoo Leagues.

Rich Peverley - C - (ATL): Rich Peverley had 2G, 1A,, 3PPP, and 1 GWG last week. Overall he has 7 points and is a +3 with 2 GWG. Peverley is seeing a lot of time on the PP and is making the best of his opportunities by scoring 3 G and 1A on the PP. Peverley is available in 84% of Yahoo Leagues.

Eric Belanger - C - (MIN): Eric Belanger had 1G & 2A last week. With Sykora, Bouchard, & Havlat all dealing with injuries, look for Belanger to get more opportunities on the ice. Belanger is available in 92% of Yahoo Leagues

Gilbert Brule -C - (EDM): Gilbert Brule had 3G, 2A, 2PIM, 2GWG, and was a +4 last week. He has 7 points overall and 9 PIM. Brule has 7 points in 7 games and is someone to keep an eye on to see if he will continue this production. For those of you in deeper leagues, you may want to pick him up if you have the space. Brule is available in 93% of Yahoo Leagues.

Cody McLeod - LW - (COL): Cody McLeod had 2G, 1A, 11PIM, and was a +5 last week. He has 4 points and 18 PIM overall. McLeod can be counted on for PIM and if he can turn up the offensive aspect of his game will be someone you may want to consider. McLeod is available in 96% of Yahoo Leagues.

Defenseman

Brent Seabrook - D - (CHI): Brent Seabrook had 1G, 2A, and was a +3 last week. So far this season, he has 6A, 3PPP and 1GWG. Seabrook sees plenty of ice time in 5-on-5 & on the PP and has been able to produce in both situations. He is only available in 22% of Yahoo Leagues.

Michael Del Zotto - D - (NYR): Michael Del Zotto had 1G, 2A, 2PPP, and was a +2 last week. It surprises me that Del Zotto is still available in some leagues when he is the leading rookie scorer, 2nd among all defensemen in scoring, and just an absolute powerhouse on the PP. The only thing in question is whether or not he will stay or be sent back to the OHL after playing his 9th game on Monday. If he stays, he is a must pickup. Del Zotto is available in 20% of Yahoo Leagues.

Kyle Quincey - D - (COL): Kyle Quincey had 1A, 1PPP, and 8 PIM last week. Overall he has 6 points, 4PPP, and 10 PIM. Quincey is a good source for both PPP and PIM and should be considered for your blue-line. He is available in 38% of Yahoo Leagues.

Dennis Grebeshkov -D - (EDM): Grebeshkov had 2G & 1PPP last week. So far this season he has 7 points, 2PPP, & 6PIM. With Sheldon Souray out, Grebeshkov has benefited from his absence. He is available in 68% of Yahoo Leagues.

Adrian Aucoin - D - (PHO): Adrian Aucoin had 2 pts, 1GWG, and was a +2 last week. Aucoin has 4 points, 3PPP, 8PIM, and is a +4 so far this season. Aucoin gets plenty of opportunities on the PP and so far has provided decent numbers on all scoring categories. He is available in 72% of Yahoo Leagues.

Ladislav Smid - D - (EDM): Ladislav Smid had 4 PIM and was a +6 last week. Smid is currently 4th in the league with a +/- rating of +9 with 3A. Smid thus far is providing great +/- numbers and should be someone to consider if you need help in that category. Smid is available in 99% of Yahoo Leagues.

Goalies

Ilya Bryzgalov - G - (PHO): Bryzgalov had 3W, 0.95 GAA, .959 SV%, & 1 SO last week. Bryzgalov is on a hot streak as of late and you should pick him up if available while both he and the Coyotes are on fire. Bryzgalov is only available in 12% of Yahoo Leagues.

Ondrej Pavelec - G - (ATL): Ondrej Pavelec has won 2 of 3 starts this year and has played well for the Thrashers. Pavelec will start most of the games while Kari Lehtonen is out and can be considered if you are in need of a goalie. Pavelec is available in 68% of Yahoo Leagues

Joey MacDonald - G - (TOR): It's hard to recommend anyone on the Leafs but with Vesa Toskala hurt and Gustuvsson still on IR until at least the end of this week, MacDonald is poised to start for the Leafs. MacDonald is available in 98% of Yahoo Leagues.

Notable Injuries

Jason Arnott - C - (NSH): Left Arm - IR as of 10/19. Impact: Arnott will be out for atleast 2 weeks. Place him on your IR.

Pavel Datsyuk - C - (DET): Upper Body Injury - DTD as of 10/15. Impact: It looks like he may return to action at the end of the week, so you will have to sit him out until then.

Martin Havlat - RW - (MIN): Groin - DTD as of 10/15. Impact: It is unclear how long he will be out for.

John-Michael Liles - D - (COL): Shoulder - DTD as of 10/14. Impact: He looks to be out for at least 2 weeks.

Milan Lucic -LW - (BOS): Broken Finger - IR as of 10/17. Impact: Place him on your IR

Petr Sykora - RW - (MIN): Groin - IR as of 10/13. Impact: Sykora looks to be out for a while, if you have a spot, place him on your IR, otherwise look for other options.

Jose Theodore - G - (WAS): Back Spasms - DTD as of 10/15. Impact: Looks to be back this week.

Vesa Toskala - G - (TOR): Knee - IR as of 10/13. Impact: It is uncertain on long he will be out, place him on your IR.

Thomas Vanek - LW (BUF): Upper Body - DTD as of 10/14. Impact: Vanek could be back as early as Wednesday but may not be ready until the end of the week. You may want to to sit him out unless you have an extra spot in your lineup.

Good Luck with your match-ups this week and remember to watch your rookies. If you need to pick anyone up, keep these guys in mind.

Sweetest Day of Sports

This weekend was "Sweetest Day" in Michigan (and a few other States.) Sweetest Day varies based on who you ask about what the real meaning behind this spin-off of Valentine's Day really is. My husband's perspective is that Sweetest Day is a made-up Hallmark holiday used to make more money by selling more cards and candy. I still think it's nice to do something special for your significant other every so often. And yes, it is always nice when those special somethings are unexpected but it's still nice to be remembered on Sweetest Day. My husband and I are also in the middle of buying our very first house. As many of you know, this can be a very stressful experience. So imagine my surprise and delight when I get a call from my husband as I am driving to our soon-to-be new home for an inspection as he tells me "I have a treat for you for next weekend!!!" I am so excited, my husband never really celebrates Sweetest Day, he thinks it's stupid. But I think "okay he's finally realized how I've put up with his hours and hours of Fantasy Football online and on the phone with his league, and he's going to show me how much he appreciates me by doing something special for me." I thought maybe he got us tickets to a play or something or even a movie that I might like. Or...maybe he bought me something really cool for our one-year anniversary (which is the weekend after next). Unfortunately for me, despite my J.D., I seem to be a very slow learner. He then yells into the phone "we got tickets for the Michigan vs Penn State game next Saturday!!!!!!" My first thought was "you're kidding me..." and my next thought was "it's 40 degrees outside and I am going to freeze my butt off." But my response..."Wonderful! I can't wait!" As I am groaning under my breath. Then I find out that the tickets came courtesy of my Mother-in-Law....Thanks Mom....apparently she doesn't want grandchildren any time soon.

Last week's Fantasy Football drama surrounded the "Revis Effect." My husband wanted to substitute in one of his players for Darrelle Revis and it was prior to the start of Monday night's game. Well apparently there is some rule in his league that you can substitute players before they play on Sunday but not on Monday. Needless to say it caused some heated discussions on the phone and it sounded like it was a ripe issue for SportsJudge.com. But when my husband was trying to explain it to me, I have to confess, I completely tuned him out. I was thinking about so many other things; my cases, our house, REAL LIFE. I could not bring myself to fake interest.

I spent Saturday afternoon watching University of Michigan destroy their opponent, which I have to say was a little embarrassing. I will admit that I do enjoy watching Michigan football and going to the game will probably be a lot of fun next weekend, but not quite the romantic Sweetest Day/Anniversary surprise I was hoping for. Maybe he'll still surprise me, he still has plenty of time to pull off something that restores my faith in his romantic ability. This week my tip is not to have expectations. Use the time during fantasy football season to have "me time" and catch up on things he wouldn't want to do with you anyway. Go to a chick flick with a good friend without him sitting beside you groaning or complaining.

NHL Faceoff Debate: Judging The Avs, Marc-Andre Fleury as Team Canada Goalie, and the Potential For a Breakout Season from Rene Bourque.

This week in our NHL debate, we're going to roll with the SportsJudge theme and rule "Sustained" or "Overruled" on a number of early trends throughout the NHL. Hot topics include the fast start by the Colorado Avalanche, Rene Bourque's breakout season potential, and where Marc-Andre Fleury stands on the Team Canada depth chart.

Marc-Andre Fleury has proven he should be the starter for Team Canada in this spring's Olympics...

Joe Romano: SUSTAINED. I know some of my Penguins bias will seep in here, but I think Fleury is currently the best goaltender from my northerly neighbor. MAF is quickly becoming one of the best goaltenders in the world. He has already started the 2009 season on a strong note after leading the Penguins to the Stanley Cup last season. Other than a hiccup against the Capitals, MAF was arguably the best goaltender in the playoffs. We can't forget the 2008 playoffs when he carried the Pens to the finals with a sub-2.0 GAA. He simply is currently the best Canadian goaltender playing hockey.

Onto his competition, Luongo is over two years removed from actually carrying a team, who already plays in a conservative system. Additionally, when the Canucks lost in the playoffs, much blame could be placed on Luongo's shoulders for more than a few soft goals. Sure, he's nasty in NHL10, but this isn't Xbox Live. Next is Brodeur, who certainly is no spring chicken. The past three playoffs by Brodeur have been marred by less than spectacular performances. Many Devils fans are still wondering how he almost personally handed the Hurricanes a first round win. You also need to go back to 2006 to find the last playoffs where Brodeur shined. Lastly, we have Cam Ward. It completely boggles my mind how much people have fallen in love with him over last year's playoffs. We are talking about a goalie who has been mediocre for most of his NHL career except for six rounds in the playoffs. Even in last year's playoffs he shined against average offenses (Boston and New Jersey), but was completely outmatched by the Pens. The competition is solid, but MAF has an advantage over each.

Mike Colligan: OVERRULED. I don't buy it. I think Fleury is an excellent goaltender and is really beginning to come into his own as one of the league's elite young talents, but it would be in Team Canada's best interest to put him on the team as the #3 goaltender to be sure he's ready for Sochi 2014. 2010 in Vancouver is Roberto Luongo's time to shine. He's off to a slow start this year (which is a yearly occurrence), but he finished with a 33-13-7 record to go along with 9 shutouts last season despite missing two months with a groin injury. Luongo served as Brodeur's understudy in the 2004 World Cup and 2006 Olympics and now deserves the chance to win a gold for Team Canada in a place he knows very well.

Some combination of Fleury, Cam Ward, and Steve Mason will eventually backstop Team Canada's gold medal hopes for the next two Olympics, but our Canadian readers probably still haven't forgotten (or even forgiven) Fleury for his "goal" in the 2004 World Junior Championships that sealed the victory for the US. As much as I expect Mike Babcock to shake things up this spring for Team Canada, I think Fleury needs to learn from the guys who've been there before.

Rene Bourque will fill the void left by Michael Cammalleri for Calgary...

Mike Colligan: SUSTAINED. I'm guessing I'll be in the minority on this one, but I don't think it's a matter of will he replace Cammalleri, he needs to. Rene Bourque has 25 goals in 66 career games with Calgary which equates to an 82-game pace of 31; all while never finding consistent time opposite Jarome Iginla. In Cammalleri's two seasons on LA prior to his breakout with Iginla, he was on a nearly identical goal-scoring pace and eventually tallied 39 last year. Iginla has been off to a slow start so far this season and new head coach Brent Sutter has been trying to find the right mix of players to get him rolling. Sutter has also given Bourque quite a bit of powerplay time, something Rene never received much of last year under Mike Keenan. It seems inevitable that Bourque eventually ends up on a line with Iginla, and centerman Daymond Langkow (who Bourque and Iginla have both had chemistry with in previous years). If that's the case, I think Calgary may be facing the same challenge of resigning a breakout free agent scorer next summer with Rene Bourque.

Raiders Pigeon Helps Pull Upset of Eagles (with video)

At 1-4 and as 14.5 point underdogs hosting the red-hot Philadelphia Eagles, the Oakland Raiders just hoped to keep it close.

They had lost their last three games by an average of 27 points each. The Eagles were the NFL's highest scoring offense in the league heading into today's contest. Their overpaid receiver Javon Walker said he would "be open to being traded, if that's what the team feels is in its best interests." (Translation: I want out) Their premier running back Darren McFadden is out for the next few weeks with a knee injury.

Off the field, the media attention has been on Tom Cable's investigation circling around a reported assault on assistant coach Randy Hanson.

After learning that today's game was going to be blacked out locally, Joe Kukura of NBC Bay Area even joked (or maybe not?), "Any Bay Area fans complaining about not being able to watch this wreck of a team Sunday should probably also be subjected to a drug test."

This is the great thing about the NFL. On any given Sunday...

On this Sunday, the Raiders pulled the huge upset 13-9 over the stunned Eagles in what eventually became a battle of the birds:



Despite the help of their feathered friend and two Philadelphia missed field goals, the Raiders actually won this game. Their defense brought pressure as Richard Seymour and Trevor Scott each sacked Donovan McNabb twice, even as Pro Bowl star Nnamdi Asomugha sat on the bench with an eye injury for much of the game.

Tight End Zach Miller pulled in 136 yards receiving including a hard-fought 86 yard touchdown. The more I watch this guy, the more I see the second-coming of Jason Witten - a 6'5" physical tight end with great hands and the determination to run trough anyone. If Jamarcus Russell can continue to produce like he did this week and the first week of the season, Miller could develop into one of the league's elite receiving tight ends.

Yet that's the big question. Which Raiders team can we expect week to week?

Come to think of it, now that it seems like every weak team in the league runs some form of the Wildcat formation to compete with the league's elite, maybe pigeons on special teams will become the hot new trend. If so, remember you heard it here first.

Why So Naive "Leafs Nation"?

I live in Toronto but I am not from Toronto. I’ve been here for three years and it is my first time living in a hockey town. The fact that I now roam in the land of the Leafs has brought mixed emotions. I grew up loving the Montreal Canadiens and I still do. When it comes down to it, I am not a fan of the Leafs – I grew up hating them. But, living in a city like Toronto that lives and breathes hockey, there is now something fun about when the local team does well. That is not happening this year.

The Leafs were terrible last year too. To be completely fair, they haven’t been good enough since 1967. Either way, after some shake-up in the front office the Maple Leafs ended up signing Brian Burke at the helm, Mr. Congeniality himself. This is the point where the expectations for the 2009-2010 NHL season started to swell (coincidentally also when Leafs fans inexplicably started calling themselves “Leafs Nation”, my rant on this will come another day).

The praise for Brian Burke was unheralded and a shocking amount of faith was put in a guy, who when you really dissect his track record, had not achieved that much success. However, the media had a field day. Burke ended up making what seemed like decent moves bolstering the blue line significantly. Of most significance, he got Francois Beauchemin (Stanley Cup winner), Mike Komisarek (All-Star) and he kept Tomas Kaberle (All-Star).

Also, he signed “The Monster”, Jonas Gustavsson, “the best goalie in the world not in the NHL”. I have a problem with this tagline. To me, that means, once in the NHL, he could be “the worst goalie in the NHL”. I realize that is a stretch, but it stands to reason. Every local paper, every website, every television and radio show, everywhere, all that was heard or read was “The Monster… The Monster…” It was sickening really, I had no idea a backup goalie could turn a franchise around. I also felt bad for “The Monster” as his nickname (with help from the media) set the expectations upon him unreasonably high. The funny thing is, his nickname comes from his stature, not his record – he is 6’3”.

Alas, the big move was yet to come. When Brian Burke traded the future for Phil Kessel, you could see people in the streets of Toronto pouring champagne over their heads. I think a parade was even scheduled but it interfered with a protest (in Toronto, it’s chic for protesters to randomly block streets). I would not have been surprised at all if at the introductory press conference they had Kessel part Lake Ontario, just because he could.

So there we had it, the major pieces of the overhaul from the top-down were in place. Then the media took over. And not to blame the media entirely, it had been a while since Toronto fans had anything to be excited about. The Leafs have amazing fans and knowledgeable fans. Why were they so naïve?

I went to my first game last week, against the, surprising, Colorado Avalanche. The Leafs lost and were badly outplayed. It put the record to 0-5-1 (after last night's loss, 0-6-1). The worst start in franchise history. I heard many boos and saw many empty seats well before we heard the final horn.

So what is happening in “Leafs Nation”, why so bad?? Well, Kessel is yet to play. Vesa Toskala is injured (his ego maybe) and was not good before the injury. “The Monster” is also injured. But, the answer is: what is happening is exactly what should be happening. The chalk Ron Wilson uses for the win column is still in the box, and perhaps, this is underachieving (for any NHL team), but, here’s the thing, the Toronto Maple Leafs just are not that good.

The defencemen have yet to get it going, but could and should turn it around, although it seems like Komisarek is desperately missing Andrei Markov, similarly Beauchemin may be longing for Scott Niedermayer. Up front, the Leafs are looking weak. The savior, Kessel, had 60 points in 70 games last season (his third) on a talented team in Boston, often playing alongside Marc Savard. There is no Savard in Toronto, the Leafs leading scorer last year had 63 points (Jason Blake).

Expectations this year swelled due to a few things: A new straight-shooting GM. A couple of solid defencemen. A backup net-minder with a cool nickname. Normally knowledgeable fans yearning for some playoff hockey. The media.

I read an article last week in the Toronto Star by Kevin McGran, the title was “Five Leaf failings and five solutions.” Here are McGran’s five “failings”:
1. Goaltending 2. Leadership 3. Toughness 4. Defense 5. Offense.

I’m not even joking. I took the liberty of using McGran’s idea and writing my own article, here it is:

“One Leaf Failing” by Peter Durant

1. Hockey

In 2008-2009, the final playoff spot in the East went to my beloved Montreal Canadiens with 93 points (in an 82 game NHL season). The Leafs now have 75 games remaining – they really have taken the fork in the road for the long way home.

Informed media have noted that Burke has had contact with other general managers about a trade to improve the Leafs this season, but nothing has been palatable. This is puzzling as it is difficult to fathom adding an NHL player to an AHL caliber team with an 0-6-1 record and not improving – but, we’ll trust Mr. Burke.

The salt on the wound is that there isn’t even a silver lining to this year’s poor start and season ahead. The Leafs shipped their first and second round draft pick in 2010 and a their first rounder in 2011 to the Boston Bruins to get Kessel. So finishing in the basement will net them nothing. It is also worth noting that Boston plays in the same division, so the big benefit of losing goes to a rival.

The good fans of Toronto deserve more, if any city on the planet deserves a Stanley Cup parade in June, it has to be Toronto. If there’s still some champagne left from the celebration for the Kessel trade, let us raise a glass and say “Here’s to hoping the fans are as patient as they are passionate”, there’s a long road ahead.