Wait and C

Not that anybody cares but here is how our draft broke down went.

As I mentioned previously, our draft – as always – never seems to go by way of any mock draft that I am ever in.

I give myself a C because, well, I just waited too long for some of my picks...

We also had keepers this year for the first time, but not everybody selected one. This means some got to draft in the first round.

I basically traded DeAngelo or DeSean for Turner who could become a legitimate keeper for next year . . .

Round: 1
(1) Right Wingers - Peyton Manning QB (KEEPER)
(2) I've been OG'd - Ray Rice RB
(3) Carlsbad Equis - Tom Brady QB
(4) DC Lions - Chris Johnson RB (KEEPER)
(5) Raven Mad - Aaron Rodgers QB (KEEPER)
(6) Team Gunnz - Steven Jackson RB
** (7) The Fun Bunch - Michael Turner RB
(8) Poway Unemployables - Miles Austin WR (KEEPER)
(9) Team Brechwald - Drew Brees QB (KEEPER)
(10) VA Gamblers - Adrian Peterson RB (KEEPER)
(11) Brett Favre's Return - Matt Schaub QB
(12) Team Edumucation - Maurice Jones-Drew RB (KEEPER)

I never expected Schaub to go in the first round. And who knew Miles was such a stud?

Round: 2
(13) Right Wingers - Frank Gore RB
(14) I've been OG'd - Andre Johnson WR
(15) Carlsbad Equis - Ryan Mathews RB
(16) DC Lions - Tony Romo QB
(17) Raven Mad - Randy Moss WR
(18) Team Gunnz - Philip Rivers QB
** (19) The Fun Bunch - DeSean Jackson WR
(20) Poway Unemployables - DeAngelo Williams RB
(21) Team Brechwald - Larry Fitzgerald WR
(22) VA Gamblers - Joe Flacco QB
(23) Brett Favre's Return - Reggie Wayne WR
(24) Team Edumucation - Eli Manning QB

So, not only do I lose out on my potential 2nd and 3rd rounds QB selections in Romo and Schaub, but I see both my players from last year available. I picked DeSean simply because we count return yards and TD’s in this league and with that factored in, he is potentially more valuable than Williams. IMHO. Besides, I was hoping to “double up” later on with the Phili defense. Poway took Williams with the very next pick and yet two more potential QB’s on my list off the board early. Arrrgh!

Round: 3
(25) Team Edumucation - Rashard Mendenhall RB
(26) Brett Favre's Return - Shonn Greene RB
(27) VA Gamblers - Brandon Marshall WR
(28) Team Brechwald - Ryan Grant RB
(29) Poway Unemployables - Cedric Benson RB
** (30) The Fun Bunch - Jamaal Charles RB
(31) Team Gunnz - Marion Barber RB
(32) Raven Mad - Pierre Thomas RB
(33) DC Lions - Calvin Johnson WR
(34) Carlsbad Equis - Steve Smith WR
(35) I've been OG'd - Roddy White WR
(36) Right Wingers - Dallas Clark TE

Charles was quite frankly the only really good one left on my list deserving a top 3 pick. Picks 26 – 29 saw to that . . . Again :-(

Round: 4
(37) Right Wingers - Steve Smith WR
(38) I've been OG'd - Beanie Wells RB
(39) Carlsbad Equis - Greg Jennings WR
(40) DC Lions - Knowshon Moreno RB
(41) Raven Mad - Marques Colston WR
(42) Team Gunnz - Chad Ochocinco WR
** (43) The Fun Bunch - Anquan Boldin WR
(44) Poway Unemployables - LeSean McCoy RB
(45) Team Brechwald - Jets D/ST D/ST
(46) VA Gamblers - Jonathan Stewart RB
(47) Brett Favre's Return - Joseph Addai RB
(48) Team Edumucation - Mike Sims-Walker WR

This was a tough decision round for me I had picks 38 , 44 , 46, and 48 in addition to my actual pick of Anquan Boldin. I probably was still annoyed that Flacco was gone and could not double up. Again, I was torn between a RB and a WR. Since I had two RB’s already . . . WR.

Round: 5
(49) Team Edumucation - Percy Harvin WR
(50) Brett Favre's Return - Jermichael Finley TE
(51) VA Gamblers - Matt Forte RB
(52) Team Brechwald - Ronnie Brown RB
(53) Poway Unemployables - Antonio Gates TE
** (54) The Fun Bunch - Jahvid Best RB
(55) Team Gunnz - Fred Jackson RB
(56) Raven Mad - Brandon Jacobs RB
(57) DC Lions - Michael Crabtree WR
(58) Carlsbad Equis - Ricky Williams RB
(59) I've been OG'd - Vernon Davis TE
(60) Right Wingers - Nate Kaeding K

Round 5 . . Hmmm good round to start fishing . . Do I go for a good backup / bookend or potential future keeper material. I picked potential.

Round: 6
(61) Right Wingers - Justin Forsett RB
(62) I've been OG'd - Hines Ward WR
(63) Carlsbad Equis - Eagles D/ST D/ST
(64) DC Lions - C.J. Spiller RB
(65) Raven Mad - Tony Gonzalez TE
(66) Team Gunnz - Dwayne Bowe WR
** (67) The Fun Bunch - Matt Ryan QB
(68) Poway Unemployables - Donald Driver WR
(69) Team Brechwald - Felix Jones RB
(70) VA Gamblers - Wes Welker WR
(71) Brett Favre's Return - Carson Palmer QB
(72) Team Edumucation - Brent Celek TE

This is exactly the round I planned to pick up my “double” on DeSean !!! Double Arrrgh !!! All the best QB’s were gone and I just knew it was only a matter of time before another round of QB taking got underway so I went fishing for one of my two QB’s.

Round: 7
(73) Team Edumucation - Mike Wallace WR
(74) Brett Favre's Return - Clinton Portis RB
(75) VA Gamblers - T.J. Houshmandzadeh WR
(76) Team Brechwald - Vincent Jackson WR
(77) Poway Unemployables - Jeremy Maclin WR
** (78) The Fun Bunch - Hakeem Nicks WR
(79) Team Gunnz - Pierre Garcon WR
(80) Raven Mad - Donovan McNabb QB
(81) DC Lions - Jason Witten TE
(82) Carlsbad Equis - Jerome Harrison RB
(83) I've been OG'd - Brett Favre QB
(84) Right Wingers - Packers D/ST D/ST

I had Maclin, Nicks , Garcon and Harrison lined up for this round. All my top TE’s were gone by this time. I thought I could get Harrison next round. :-(

Round: 8
(85) Right Wingers - Jay Cutler QB
(86) I've been OG'd - Santana Moss WR
(87) Carlsbad Equis - Arian Foster RB
(88) DC Lions - Ravens D/ST D/ST
(89) Raven Mad - Cowboys D/ST D/ST
(90) Team Gunnz - Kellen Winslow TE
** (91) The Fun Bunch - 49ers D/ST D/ST
(92) Poway Unemployables - Reggie Bush RB
(93) Team Brechwald - Patrick Willis LB
(94) VA Gamblers - Owen Daniels TE
(95) Brett Favre's Return - Visanthe Shiancoe TE
(96) Team Edumucation - Stephen Gostkowski K

OK with everyone seeming steeling my picks out from under me I queued up the ESPN filter for Just D/ST and saw Ravens and Cowboys. I was looking for Ravens. Arrgh! - Then Cowboys - gone too ! Another Arrrgh ! So, I jumped on the Defense picking spree before it was too late and picked the 9rs.

Round: 9
(97) Team Edumucation - Steelers D/ST D/ST
(98) Brett Favre's Return - Steve Breaston WR
(99) VA Gamblers - Jon Beason LB
(100) Team Brechwald - Ahmad Bradshaw RB
(101) Poway Unemployables - Kevin Kolb QB
** (102) The Fun Bunch - Chris Cooley TE
(103) Team Gunnz - Michael Bush RB
(104) Raven Mad - Darren Sproles RB
(105) DC Lions - Bernard Berrian WR
(106) Carlsbad Equis - Mark Sanchez QB
(107) I've been OG'd - Braylon Edwards WR
(108) Right Wingers - Zach Miller TE

Cooley was, IMHO, a good pickup here this far down.

Round: 10
(109) Right Wingers - Robert Meachem WR
(110) I've been OG'd - Thomas Jones RB
(111) Carlsbad Equis - Lee Evans WR
(112) DC Lions - David Harris LB
(113) Raven Mad - Derrick Mason WR
(114) Team Gunnz - Santonio Holmes WR
** (115) The Fun Bunch - David Akers K
(116) Poway Unemployables - Darren McFadden RB
(117) Team Brechwald - Terrell Owens WR
(118) VA Gamblers - Vikings D/ST D/ST
(119) Brett Favre's Return - Dez Bryant WR
(120) Team Edumucation - Laurent Robinson WR

Don’t ask me why but yes I picked Akers over Owens and Bryant. I guess I just wanted to round out my starting lineup. But probably should have gone after one of the RB’s in 11 and 12.

Round: 11
(121) Team Edumucation - James Laurinaitis LB
(122) Brett Favre's Return - Steve Slaton RB
(123) VA Gamblers - Johnny Knox WR
(124) Team Brechwald - Donald Brown RB
(125) Poway Unemployables - Cadillac Williams RB
** (126) The Fun Bunch - Barrett Ruud LB
(127) Team Gunnz - Tim Hightower RB
(128) Raven Mad - Ryan Longwell K
(129) DC Lions - Toby Gerhart RB
(130) Carlsbad Equis - LaDainian Tomlinson RB
(131) I've been OG'd - Chester Taylor RB
(132) Right Wingers - Devery Henderson WR

Looking to get one of the best DP still available before others get taking off the boards . . .

Round: 12
(133) Right Wingers - Bernard Pollard S
(134) I've been OG'd - Ben Roethlisberger QB
(135) Carlsbad Equis - Montario Hardesty RB
(136) DC Lions - Bengals D/ST D/ST
(137) Raven Mad - Curtis Lofton LB
(138) Team Gunnz - Devin Aromashodu WR
** (139) The Fun Bunch - Chad Henne QB
(140) Poway Unemployables - Austin Collie WR
(141) Team Brechwald - Laurence Maroney RB
(142) VA Gamblers - Vince Young QB
(143) Brett Favre's Return - Marshawn Lynch RB
(144) Team Edumucation - Mario Manningham WR

Time to start thinking about another QB, Henne or Vince. I picked Henne.

Round: 13
(145) Team Edumucation - Eric Weddle S
(146) Brett Favre's Return - Chargers D/ST D/ST
(147) VA Gamblers - Paul Posluszny LB
(148) Team Brechwald - Willis McGahee RB
(149) Poway Unemployables - Correll Buckhalter RB
** (150) The Fun Bunch - Kenny Britt WR
(151) Team Gunnz - Kevin Smith RB
(152) Raven Mad - Josh Cribbs WR
(153) DC Lions - Mason Crosby K
(154) Carlsbad Equis - Nate Burleson WR
(155) I've been OG'd - Leon Washington RB
(156) Right Wingers - Louis Murphy WR

This is another one I probably wish I had back. With return yards counting I should have picked Cribbs. He did well for me last year, but like many mock drafts. Half of them never even picked him. :-(

Round: 14
(157) Right Wingers - Rob Bironas K
(158) I've been OG'd - Saints D/ST D/ST
(159) Carlsbad Equis - Bernard Scott RB
(160) DC Lions - Golden Tate WR
(161) Raven Mad - Kevin Walter WR
(162) Team Gunnz - Jared Allen DE
** (163) The Fun Bunch - Josh Morgan WR
(164) Poway Unemployables - Jerricho Cotchery WR
(165) Team Brechwald - Greg Olsen TE
(166) VA Gamblers - Mohamed Massaquoi WR
(167) Brett Favre's Return - DeMarcus Ware LB
(168) Team Edumucation - Joey Galloway WR

Looking for rounding out and backing up at this point.

Round: 15
(169) Team Edumucation - Matthew Stafford QB
(170) Brett Favre's Return - Early Doucet WR
(171) VA Gamblers - Garrett Hartley K
(172) Team Brechwald - Rashad Jennings RB
(173) Poway Unemployables - D.J. Williams LB
** (174) The Fun Bunch - Anthony Dixon RB
(175) Team Gunnz - Matt Prater K
(176) Raven Mad - Eddie Royal WR
(177) DC Lions - Kevin Boss TE
(178) Carlsbad Equis - David Buehler K
(179) I've been OG'd - Jay Feely K
(180) Right Wingers - Brian Westbrook RB

Dixon has been doing well and Frankie baby may not be able to last the whole season. Too bad he is 3rd on the depth chart but hey, ya never know.

Round: 16
(181) Right Wingers - Heath Miller TE
(182) I've been OG'd - David Garrard QB
(183) Carlsbad Equis - Mike Williams WR
(184) DC Lions - Devin Hester WR
(185) Raven Mad - Bears D/ST D/ST
(186) Team Gunnz - Robbie Gould K
** (187) The Fun Bunch - Dexter McCluster WR
(188) Poway Unemployables - Broncos D/ST D/ST
(189) Team Brechwald - John Carlson TE
(190) VA Gamblers - Charles Woodson CB
(191) Brett Favre's Return - Kris Brown K
(192) Team Edumucation - Dustin Keller TE

Hey, little speedy McCluster is still here . . .

Round: 17
(193) Team Edumucation - Chris Chambers WR
(194) Brett Favre's Return - Redskins D/ST D/ST
(195) VA Gamblers - Jabar Gaffney WR
(196) Team Brechwald - Jason Campbell QB
(197) Poway Unemployables - Julius Jones RB
** (198) The Fun Bunch - Javon Ringer RB
(199) Team Gunnz - Kareem Huggins RB
(200) Raven Mad - Todd Heap TE
(201) DC Lions - Alex Smith QB
(202) Carlsbad Equis - Trent Cole DE
(203) I've been OG'd - Mario Williams DE
(204) Right Wingers - Giants D/ST D/ST

Not that I am hoping Chris gets hurt, but . . .

I also thought about picking up potentially another double D/ST here as in Cleveland/AKA Cribbs but I need more RB’s and it just was not worth picking up a D/ST just to sit on the bench. Yes, I am really pissed disappointed in losing out on all my doubles. :-(

Round: 18
(205) Right Wingers - Ray Lewis LB
(206) I've been OG'd - Tashard Choice RB
(207) Carlsbad Equis - Jeremy Shockey TE
(208) DC Lions - London Fletcher LB
(209) Raven Mad - Sammy Morris RB
(210) Team Gunnz - Patriots D/ST D/ST
** (211) The Fun Bunch - Chaz Schilens WR
(212) Poway Unemployables - Lawrence Tynes K
(213) Team Brechwald - Jeff Reed K
(214) VA Gamblers - Matt Hasselbeck QB
(215) Brett Favre's Return - Devin Thomas WR
(216) Team Edumucation - Malcom Floyd WR

Sorry Chaz, but you get to be my Mr. Irrelevant . . . Make me proud!
Once you recover from your injury that is . . .

So there you have it in all its glory and horror. The good, the bad and the ugly.
All in all not a bad draft but it could have been better. I actually think we have some really competitive teams here this year and it will be interesting to see how it all plays out.

Read more...

My Team

Well, I'm not going to say sucks stinks but I think I will be ending up exactly where I was picking this year.























Some where in the middle of the pack.

This year I was drafting 7th in a 12 team league.

As I previously mentioned, we had the option to have one keeper from last years roster. I decided not to have a keeper.

I basically traded my keeper option (DeAngelo Williams, or DeSean Jackson) for Michael Turner.

The one thing I can say about my Borderless League is that no matter how much I analyze things, no matter how many mock drafts I do, it never, NEVER, goes as expected.

My primary strategy was basically blown out of the water after the 3rd round.

There were a ton of surprise picks and lots of !#@$! that was who I was going to pick comments going on almost in every round.

And, quite frankly, that is what makes this SO MUCH FUN!

And it is not over yet! There is still my League of Experts which still has room available. So if you think you got what it takes and can beat me and anybody else who proclaims themselves to be the best, then click on the ESPN image to the left and prove it.

I welcome any and all competition.

Read more...

1 - 0

Congratulations to the Junior Falcons!

We played a good game and started the season off on the right with a win!

The video below shows three plays.

The first is one we ran A LOT! from different formations - A misdirection run right.

Then we changed it up once in a while with a sweep left.

Then we totally fake them out with the Fumblerooski. Just like we planned it ;-)

Read more...

Our last great hope

ESPN said that Strasburges injury devastates not only Washington but the entire baseball world.

Does it really?

Now don't get me wrong. It is a total shame that this happened to him, the nationals and yes even the sport, and I wish him all the best for a successful surgery and complete recovery.

But is it really devastation?

A crabgrass infestation in all major league ballparks would be devastating. Trust me, once weeds take over, the grass never comes back.

From all accounts, the recovery, though long, is nearly 90% successful. And some say he has a chance to come back with an even stronger / more durable arm.

So, what would devastation in the sports world really be?

No Strasburg.

No 2011 NFL, or Fantasy, Season.

No Hockey.

No Basketball.

OMG! Ted, you better watch out! You, and your two teams are the last, best, greatest hope for saving the world of sports!

If they fail, then THAT would truely be devastating!

Forget about 2012 being the end of the world. If we loose sports, we loose all hope.

Come on Ted, if anybody can pull us through this tough time, you can.

But, until then, I have a few more practice mock drafts and over analyzing of draft boards to do before our Borderless League Fantasy Football Draft and Party on Sunday.

And perhaps this is the greatest thing about sports. There is always something to look forward to. Something to get excited about.

Queue the music...

Read more...

Draft Recommendations

After my last post, I had a comment requesting draft recommendations.

So, here they are:

1) First and foremost, have fun. And like the picture said in my last post, Eat - Drink - Draft. And if your league mates are after your same players, have them Drink some more!

2) Keep the conversation on topic and appropriate for the occasion. Discussing family, women, booze, sports, music, entertainment, etc. is all acceptable, but discussing work is not. Discussing work is grounds for immediate removal from the party at which point your selections will be made at the discretion of your league commissioner.

3) Bathroom breaks are only allowed immediately after your selection in any given round. And only liquid breaks please. No Albert breaks and under no circumstances no stinkies.

4) Using the "T J Whosyourmomma" joke is grounds for everyone in the room to toss various projectiles in your general direction.

And last but certainly not least. . .

5) Having ESPN, SportsCenter, Any Football Game, or Rock Music / Videos are perfectly acceptable and even necessary for complementing the occasion. But, not just any music / video.

Please choose from the following:

• Led Zeppelin
• Pearl Jam
• Rolling Stones
• Metallica
• Aerosmith
• AC/DC circa 1975-1980
• Red Hot Chili Peppers
• Eminem
• Incubus
• Anything else you consider bad ass in the rock and roll or hip hop genres

Please burn and break anything remotely like the following:

• The Jonas Brothers
• Katy Perry
• Miley Cyrus
• The Backstreet Boys
• O-Town
• Britney Spears
• Justin Bieber
• Anything featuring Justin Bieber
• Any artist that rhymes with Justin Bieber
• Anthing that makes others stop and say out loud, "Wait...is this Justin Bieber?!?!"




Oh, and if you were hoping for some insight into draft strategy beyond drafting the best person available for a position . . .

Here is mine for my Borderless Team this year . . .

8 - 6 - 4

A special Kudos to the first person to figure this one out . . .

Read more...

Football faults and a plan

Everybody has them. Take for instance the auditor I met at work today from Chelmsford Massachusetts.

He was really smart and personable but suffered from a common malady which afflicts many from that area of the country.

He was a Patriot Fan.

Of course he saw my Redskins Mug and asked if I was a Redskins Fan. OK, strike the smart part from the previous paragraph.

I said “Born and Raised”

He said he was a “Patriot” fan.

I said I wouldn’t hold it against him and asked how the 12 step plan was coming along . . .

He said that the Pats were the better team . .

I said we get more headlines . . .



Speaking of plans.

My Borderless League (I’m Commish) is implementing Keepers for the first time this
year. We are treating it as the equivalent of picking a Franchise Player and selecting one player from last years roster. Out of 12 players, 7 picked a keeper.

Chris Johnson, Adrian Peterson, MJD, Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers, Peyton Manning, Miles Austin are now officially off the board.

I did not pick a keeper. I was really torn as to what to do. My top 3 choices were; DeAngelo Williams, DeSean Jackson, Jay Cutler. OK, so maybe Jay is not much of a choice . . . So I kept flip flopping back and forth between DeSean and DeAngelo.

In most leagues and most drafts, DeAngelo is the higher rated player of the two but in my league we count return yards, so based on last years results, DeSean is actually rated higher.

Now for a brief review of how ESPN works Keepers and drafts.
Draft order is locked until all keepers are selected.
Keepers count as your selection for the round. So if you have a team or league with 3 or 4 keepers, you know how the first 3 or 4 rounds will go for you. If you have less keepers picked than the max, you get to draft from the pool.

So, in my league if you pick a franchise player, that is your first round pick. If you don’t, you get to draft from available players.

So, my draft order position in the 12 team league based on last years final standings is 7th. But because of the other people selecting keepers and me NOT selecting a keeper, I get to pick 4th in the first round from available players.

Going strictly by ESPN rankings that leaves Ray Rice, Steven Jackson, Frank Gore, Andre Johnson, Michael Turner, Randy Moss all higher than DeAngelo and DeSean; Followed by Larry Fitzgerald, Ryan Grant Reggie Wayne and Cedric Benson.
I think I like my choices compared to either of the two D’s from my team last year.

Worst case, I could end up picking them anyway, which I would not necessarily mind.

I still want to get DeSean though and feel that I can easily get him with my 3rd round pick.

So there it is, no keepers for me with the hope of getting somebody slightly better with perhaps a bit more potential.

The draft is set for this Sunday and I can’t wait. We are planning our regular draft party and conference call along with the live online draft; and of course good food and drink to complement the occasion.

Read more...

Ship AH to Tampa for Michael Clayton?

Hey, now here is a rumor that I could support!

From The Early Lead.

Read more...

Favre vs Shanahan Round 1

Brett Favre bumped Mike Shanahan from Sunday Night Football

From the DC Sports Bog . . .

As if you needed any more reasons to be bitter about Brett Favre's return, he managed to bump Mike Shanahan off NBC's Sunday Night Football broadcast.

The Redskins coach sat down with Bob Costas early last week to tape an interview that was scheduled to air during halftime of the 49ers-Vikings game. Then some stuff happened with Brett Favre, and the world was overcome with fumes, and Al Michaels scored an interview with the grizzled one, and so NBC Sports producers decided that would be the halftime spot.

No arguments here. If you've got the noble gunslinger, and the Vikings are playing, you have to go with that interview at halftime. And since the Shanahan interview was pre-taped, there wouldn't be any new ammunition added to the Albert Haynesworth gunfight.

Still. Go ahead and add it to the list.

As for the lost Shanahan-Costas footage, an NBC Sports spokesman tells me it will air at a later date, likely during the Thursday night kickoff game.

Oh palease, Another Headline Ratings Op stolen by the Vikings.

Danny and Co. will have to come up with more "As Albert Turns" drama.

Guess I will just have to keep tabs and see what happens come Nov 28th!

Read more...

Feeling the Heat

Albert:

"I was in a hot tub, felt dizzy, got sick. They told me it was just a headache. Probably wanted to make themselves look good and me bad."

Them:

"I don't think it has anything to do with his head."





Shanahan and Allen have handled the whole Albert situation in such a way as to teach him a lesson.

Obviously he has not learned it.

Can we please do one of the following?

Cut, Trade, or place Albert on IR.

Too bad players who have accrued at least one season under contract can't be placed on the practice squad.

Imagine tha irony of putting Albert on the practice squad . . .

That would be too funny.

Read more...

Should have known

Read more...

Scrimmage Time

Yesterday we had our first county youth football scrimmage. This is opening day for the league and every team from every division gathers at one of the local high school fields and we all do a round robin style 15 minute scrimmage against each team in the division. There are also loads of goodies for sale and games for the non-football inclined who happen to get dragged along by the parental units.




In a previous post I mentioned that this 10 - 12 year old division is probably to toughest one to coach and play in. That is because there is always a handful of 12 year olds that are HUGE!

This year each team seems to have at least one kid who fits this description.

You can get a good idea of this in the following video. Here he is the fullback and clears a nice path up the middle for the running back.




We also have a play when he gets the ball (equally successful) and an option play (which I tragically did not get because I was preoccupied by our youngest one - William - who wanted to go play on the big bouncy castle instead). The option play went 1 - 2. First attempt was incomplete, the second was for a TD - the receiver was all alone down field. :-)

Sorry for the poor video quality, but I had the old crappy does not focus camera. The good one was reserved by my better half to capture pictures of the new greyhound.

Yes, we have a new foster, so if you or someone you know would like to adopt a retired racer, let us know.

Until next time...

Be Good, Do Well, Have Fun !

Read more...

Quote of the day

Every year there tends to be some trend

- Eric Mangini









It comes from this article at Comcast Sports where a prediction was made that we could see a return of the dreaded "single wing" formation which they claim is a next step evolution of the "wildcat" and predicated with having a QB like Jim Thorpe who can run, throw, block and handle the physical punishment inherent with all those responsibilities.

Perhaps someone like Tim Tebow would be a good choice?

Talk of the wildcat and the single wing was the #1 topic of 5 trends to watch.

#3 was the use of cheap inexpensive second string QB's to back up the high priced starting star QB's.

Of course, one probably does not want your high priced star QB trying to be Jim Thorpe, so perhaps get the second stringer to do it...

Can anybody say Michael Vick and the Eagles?

The number #2 topic was the use of unbalanced lines. It seemed that the basis of this was more on injuries and needing to adapt. However, I've heard the Skins talk about using two TE at the same time. Perhaps a variation of the unbalanced line and the single-wing/wildcat formation would be cool to watch?

#4 was The second 400-carry rusher since the 2001 season. And we all know who they are talking about...

I just do not see this as a trend? But it is ironic that this could happen in a league that is seeing more and more running back by committee.

What's #5? You'll just have to read the article to find out...

But back to Eric, (hint, I do not see him getting the benefits of #5)

Sorry Eric, the only trend I see in Cleveland is 4 wins, then 5 wins, then could we possibly be more excited with the possibility of (6) wins in 2010?

Gee, he had a quote a couple years ago which may come back to haunt him...

I thank you guys for having the vision to make me your head coach

Read more...

NFL 2010 Predictions

You've asked.

I've delivered.























Am I Crazy?
Perhaps . . .

But then again, I don't know anybody who gets it right before the season even starts.

That's what makes all this so much fun!

Read more...

Wordless Wednesday Football

Read more...

Donovan McNabb

You know, just the fact that we have Donovan McNabb here giving interviews is better than it was last year.

Sorry Jason, you're a great guy and all but you give one boring interview.

On tonights News 4 at 11, he had an interview where he talked about winning, careers and attitude.

Basically he wants to win games as a team.

As a QB he wants to win the Super Bowl.

Winning the Super Bowl helps legitimize ones career. It's the yard stick greatness is measured by.

He even referenced great QB's such as Dan Marino who is arguably one of the greatest QB's of all time but never won the big one.

Does that take away from his reputation? Our perception of his greatness?

Yes, just look at Jim Kelly and the Bills of the early 90's. Their Superbowl record.

0 - 4!

Four appearances. No wins. None, nada, zippo, zilch.

So, here is one of the funny parts . . .

Interviewer: Would you trade your career for Trent Dilfers?
Donovan: Ha! LOL ! NO WAY !

I went out looking for the video on News 4 site but could not find it. It will probably show up there in the next day or two.

But meanwhile, there is this one on Donovan, a possible lockout next year and him playing for the Wizards!

Read more...

Making the Cut

I just love Tim Tebow's new haircut !










In fact I an unpresidented show of solidarity, it seems many in the sports, political and entertainment field, others do to !!!

Read more...

Not a Greyt Location

But a Greyt Cause!

As a die hard, true blood, Redskin fan it pains me to post this about going to Dallas Stadium.

But this is truly about a great cause and this could be an opportunity to have some fun or at least make a tidy profit and contribute to a good cause all at the same time.

The Greyhound Adoption League of Texas (GALT) is holding a raffle for six tickets to the Thanksgiving Day Game at Dallas Stadium vs the World Champion Saints.

For $5 dollars you could win 6 club level access seats on the 50 yard line with all the amenities.



















So, here are the possibilities for only spending $5 dollars.

A) You loose donate five bucks to a charity.
B) You win 6 club level seats to the Thanksgiving Day Dallas vs Saints game.
C) You go to the game and get drunk enjoy it as much as possible.
D) You sell the tickets for a tidy profit
E) You go to the game, sneak out onto the field with a football and take a shot at Sir Jerry’s big screens!

Personally, I think the benefits outweigh the negatives.

Here is the link to purchase the raffle tickets.

Read more...

Congratulations

To Russ Grimm, Rickey Jackson, and Dick LeBeau, Floyd Little, John Randle, Jerry Rice, and Emmitt Smith.

All very deserving and talented NFL Hall of Fame inductees.

Oh, and Emmitt, looks like this time, you finally caught Darrell ;-)

Read more...

On the Schedule

ESPN is reporting that Big Al is going to take the test again on Saturday.

Saturday is also Fan Appreciation day at Redskin Park. Last year, we were there and had a great time, nearly 29,000 people attended.

This must be the Redskins and ESPN's version of The Decision.

I can see the schedule of events now... (taken from the redskins.com site)

At 10:15 a.m., the Redskins Marching Band and the Redskins Cheerleaders perform on the field for approximately 45 minutes.

After all, Big Al needs all the attention and encouragement that he can get.

Also, raffle drawings are announced during this time --

and the wagering table opens up to take bets - - Two lines - - "Pass" and "Fail"

Oh and watch our for low flying objects , as in the "I was there" T-shirt toss into the crowd!

Sometime between 11-11:30 a.m., Redskins general manager Bruce Allen is scheduled to address fans from the field.

And announce the start of the conditioning test.

After Shanahan’s address, Redskins players arrive on the field to begin warm-ups and compete in drills.

See, I told you!!! that last sentence is completely unaltered!

At 12 noon, practice begins. The team typically mixes in 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 drills with special teams work, but there is no tackling.

My guess is Big Al will miraculously pass and be part of the drills...

The practice is scheduled to last about 90 minutes.

Afterwards, head coach Mike Shanahan will briefly address fans.

He will say how proud he is of Big Al and that he is now in football shape.

All fans in attendance are eligible for free raffles to win autographed Redskins merchandise. The raffles are available at the entrance to training camp.

They need a Big Al bobble head!

Raffles available at Fan Appreciation Day:

-- Panel Footballs

•Signed by Bruce Allen
•Signed by London Fletcher
•Signed by Santana Moss
•Signed by Redskins team

-- Authentic Football

•Signed by Brian Orakpo

-- Practice-Used Footballs

•Signed by Chris Cooley
•Signed by Donovan McNabb
•Signed by Mike Shanahan

-- Replica Jersey

•Signed by LaRon Landry
•Signed by Clinton Portis

-- Redskins Mini-Helmet

•Signed by Doug Williams

-- Empty Doughnut Box

•Signed by Big Al himself!

Fans may get their photo taken with the Super Bowl trophies in a special tent on the grounds of Redskins Park or with Big Al and a larger than life stop watch display of his times!

Of course he still could fail in front of everybody. Then ESPN could call the event something like...

"The Humiliation!"

or,

Judging by ESPN's recent track record regarding their "sources" and will he or won't he stories, maybe we all can expect another soon to be release headline that mentions when ready or healthy.

I just wish the Skins would put Al's Big Butt on IR and be done with it. To bad the MRI was negative. I bet some folks were hoping for a legitimate excuse.

UPDATE

According to ESPN, he passed. WoooHoo! I'm so excited ! No more useless Albert Haynesworth Day XX Watch posts by the media. It's even on the Redskins Site, so it must be true.

Now that is what I call Fan Appreciation!

Read more...

LaVar

I read the other day that LaVar Arrington is going to be a Washington Post Sports Writer and be joining the ranks of Dan Steinberg, Jason Reid, Mike Wise, and Mike Wilbon.

In fact, LaVar referred to them as the "Dream Team" of the literary sports world.

Now, don't get me wrong. I believe that LaVar was one of the most talented players to ever roam on the defensive side of the line. And since then he has been successful with running a restaurant and hosting a popular radio talk show.

He has never been one to be short of words or left with a moment without 'something' to say. Just read / listen to one of his rants against Clinton Portis ...

It's just that he never struck me as man for and of the written word.

In fact, there was once much fanfare about his knowledge and ability to even read a playbook.

But maybe I am being overly harsh and pre-judging him unfairly.

Perhaps the Post even had him take some sort of test?

Like, blogging 300 words in 70 seconds ...

twice ...

We'll have to see how he performs with the rest of the dream team.

Read more...

It's Back !

Monday night was our first football practice for Youth Football.

This year Mark is once again playing and he moves up to the 10 - 12 year old league.

This means he is the low man on the totem pole once again regarding size and strength. So far, he does not mind. But all we did was foot work, stances and drills. No contact yet.

I always think this is the most difficult age group sports wise. It seems you get the most variation in development and so as a result you have some really big strong kids mixed in with ones who are not quite that far along.

Some county leagues have weight limits to go along with the age categories. We do not. In fact we have at least one player on our team from a neighboring county for just this reason.

Of course, some moms think this is a bad idea because then little Jr has to get tackled or try and tackle Goliath. But on the other hand, think how Goliath would feel if he was told he was too fat to play ball. Or if Goliath tried to loose 10 - 15 pounds real quick with some stupid crazy diet which is not good for kids who are still growing.

This always brings me back to the fundamentals of football and team sports. Yes competition is fun but there are right ways to tackle and get tackled and there are wrong ways. There are good concepts of team activities which can be learned and there are bad. Plus, with any sport, the things one can learn on and off the field are equally important.

At this stage, it is more important to learn, participate and have fun; which is what youth sports is all about.

Yes folks, it is football season once again and we are in the full swing of it!

As always, Be Good, Do Well, Have Fun.

Read more...

Stock Watch

OK, so I lost a little ground to the standard averages this past month.

July Starting Linup = 4%
July Bench = 2%

DOW = 7%
NASDAQ = 7%




But for the year to date, I am still ahead about 13%. Though good, its not nearly as much as I would like.

So lets see how well I do with my August Watch Lists.

August Starting Lineup Watch List

CSKI - China Sky One Medical Inc
AFAM - Almost Family Inc
CEU - China Education Alliance Inc
CMFO - China Marine Food Group Ltd
GFRE - Gulf Resources Inc
MFW - M & F Worldwide Corp.
CAST - ChinaCast Education Corp
CECO - Career Education Corp
JGBO - Jiangbo Pharmaceuticals Inc
KWR - Quaker Chemical Corp

August Bench Watch List

MSFT - MICROSOFT CORP
SIHI - SinoHub Inc
TJX - TJX COS INC
UIS - Unisys Corp
UTA - Universal Travel Group
XLNX - Xilinx Inc
ARNA - Arena Pharmaceuticals Inc
IDSA - Industrial Services of America Inc
MDF - Metropolitan Health Networks
VSEC - VSE Corp

Read more...