We at The Scores Report would like to wish all of our readers a Happy New Year. Let’s just hope that your New Year’s resolution isn’t to spend less time reading sports blogs…
|
2009 fantasy football is coming aoon—a look back at 2008 defenses Last month we started looking at last season’s statistics for position players in fantasy football land, and today we’ll look at a position many often overlook. That’s fantasy defenses, which can sometimes put up just enough points to earn your team a victory once in a while. It’s always smart to try and grab one of the top units, although as we’ve seen before, things change, sometimes drastically, from year to year with fantasy D’s. Me? I like to grab my defense before my kicker. This list is based on point totals from one of my leagues, so keep in mind that stats vary from year to year. 1. Baltimore Ravens—The Ravens’ defense is perennially awesome, and we’ll find out for sure how much of that was due to former coordinator Rex Ryan, who is now the head honcho for the Jets. Ryan took plenty of players with him too, like LB Bart Scott and S Jim Leonhard, but the Ravens still have Ray Lewis, Ed Reed and Terrell Suggs. Reed just keeps getting better every year, and his sick nose for the ball is one reason the Ravens had a league high 26 picks. They will keep scoring low as always, but their 34 sacks last season isn’t much to get excited about. Bottom line: The Ravens won’t be a number one this year, but are still top 10. Posted in: Fantasy Football, Happy Hour, NFL Tags: 2009 fantasy football preview, Aaron Kampman, Aaron Rodgers, AJ Hawk, Albert Haynesworth, Asante Samuel, B.J. Raji, Baltimore Ravens, Bart Scott, Brian Dawkins, Brian Urlacher, Cato June, Chicago Bears, Cortland Finnegan, Dallas Cowboys, Darelle Revis, Derrick Brooks, Dom Capers, Dwight Freeney, Ed Reed, Eric Mangini, fantasy defenses, Fantasy Football, Gary Brackett, Green Bay Packers, Greg Jennings, Indianapolis Colts, James Harrison, Jared Allen, Jim Caldwell, Jim Johnson, Jim Leonhard, Jon Gruden, Kevin Williams, Kris Jenkins, Kyle Vanden Bosch, LaMarr Woodley, Minnesota Vikings, New York Giants, New York Jets, Pat Williams, Philadelphia Eagles, Pittsburgh Steelers, Raheem Morris, Rex Ryan, Ronde Barber, San Diego Chargers, Sheldon Brown, Tampa Bay Bucs, Tennessee Titans, Terrell Suggs, Tony Brown, Tony Dungy, Washington Redskins
Top 10 active NFL field goal percentage leaders It’s almost fantasy football time, and many of you, like me, have already been doing your research. So let’s take a look at a category that you may not pay much attention to, and many experts will tell you not to anyway. That’s field goal percentage. I realize choosing a kicker is like throwing spaghetti against the wall to see what sticks, but good references are to pick those on good offensive teams, or those that can’t score TDs and create more field goal attempts. But it’s also good to pick an accurate kicker, whether that kicker plays in a dome or not. I mean, why take your chances on someone who kicks 25 field goals but misses another 25? So here is a list of the active Top 10 in field goal percentage. You can thank me later. 1. Nick Folk, Dallas Cowboys (86.79%)—For as good as Folk’s rookie season was in 2007, he had less attempts but was even more accurate in 2008, kicking 20 of 22 field goals (90.9%). Which reminds me, what the hell ever happened to Mike Vanderjagt? 2. Nate Kaeding, San Diego Chargers (86.13%)—Sure, he kicks mostly in warm weather, but Kaeding is about as automatic as they come. 3. Robbie Gould, Chicago Bears (85.94%)—If you’re hitting better than 17 out of 20 times when your home field is in the WINDY city, you’re damn good. 4. Shayne Graham, Cincinnati Bengals (85.64%)—One of the lone bright spots on a team that is perpetually going nowhere. 5. Stephen Gostkowski, New England Patriots (85.56%)—No Adam Vinatieri? No problem. This kid stepped in as a rookie in 2006 and has improved each year, hitting 36 of 40 field goal attempts last season (90%) and leading the NFL in total points (148). 6. Rob Bironas, Tennessee Titans (84.50%)—Bironas is extremely dependable, but nothing topped his 2007 All-Pro campaign, when dude kicked an NFL record 8 field goals against Houston. 7. Matt Stover, free agent (83.70%)—The amazing thing about Stover is that he’s been doing it for so long. He broke in with the Browns in 1991 and moved with the team to Baltimore in 1996, where he played until last season. 8. Phil Dawson, Cleveland Browns (82.81%)—One of the original “expansion” Browns, Dawson, like his counterpart Graham in southern Ohio, has been a bright spot on a bad team for years. 9. Jeff Reed, Pittsburgh Steelers (82.65%)—Every year they seem to talk about how hard it is to kick in Heinz Field, so the fact that Jeff Reed is even on this list says a lot about his ability. I’d love to know what the guy could do playing in Minnesota for a year. 10. John Carney, free agent (82.59%)—Carney stepped in for Lawrence Tynes last season and all he did was hit 35 of 38 field goal attempts, an amazing 92.1% clip. It’s even more amazing because Carney played half his games in windy Giants Stadium, and because he did it at the age of 44. Source: Pro Football Reference Posted in: Fantasy Football, Happy Hour, NFL Tags: 2009 fantasy football preview, Adam Vinatieri, Baltimore Ravens, Chicago Bears, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys, Fantasy Football, Houston Texans, Jeff Reed, John Carney, Lawrence Tynes, Matt Stove, Mike Vanderjagt, Nate Kaeding, National Football League, New England Patriots, New York Giants, NFL, NFL field goal percentage leaders, NFL kickers, NFL kicking leaders, Nick Folk, Phil Dawson, Pittsburgh Steelers, Rob Bironas, Robbie Gould, San Diego Chargers, Shayne Graham, Stephen Gostkowski, Tennessee Titans
Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest: Chestnut does it again and breaks world record Two years ago, reigning Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating champion Takeru Kobayashi of Japan was injured with a jaw problem, and since he was not at 100% he let American Joey Chestnut (from San Jose) take over the yellow mustard belt. But Chestnut proved last year that the win was no fluke, beating Kobayashi in a dog-off, and today he won for the third straight year, eating a world record 68 dogs (last year’s record was 59 before the 5-dog tiebreaker). Kobayashi ate 64.5 to finish second, while Patrick Bertoletti came in third with a very respectable 55 dogs. After announcing the rules, including the new 5-second dunking limit, and after sideline reporter Rob Stone whirred a few dogs in a blender and drank a slug of what he called a “Stoney Shake,” (ewwwwww) they announced each competitor as they do every year, as if they are the Lakers and Celtics players. Other standout competitors were Sonya Thomas, aka “The Black Widow,” who looks like she’s barely 100 pounds but holds world eating records for oysters, buffalo wings, and Vienna sausage. Another tough female competitor was Juliet Lee, who has records in Cherrystone clams and cranberry sauce. Tim “Gravy” Brown, Eric “Badlands” Booker and Tim “Eater X” Janus rounded out the top of the field. The pace began frenetically, as the announcers said a good rate was 8 dogs per minute, but after the first minute Kobayashi held an 11-10 lead over Chestnut, and at the halfway point it was 42-40 Chestnut. With one minute left, Chestnut, who looked like he was in agony as usual (how could he not be?), was slowing down but managed to have downed 63 dogs by then, to 61 for Kobayashi. So Chestnut, who also holds world records in funnel cake and deep-fried asparagus, broke his own hot dog record and with three straight yellow belts, is only three away from tying the number of titles held by his arch rival Kobayashi. Yum, I bet you all now just have to go have a hot dog or sixty. Enjoy your Fourth and be safe! Posted in: Happy Hour, News Tags: Eric Badlands Booker, hot dog eating competition, Hot Dog Eating Contest Blog, Joey Chestnut, Juliet Lee, Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest, Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest 2009, Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest Recap, Patrick Bertoletti, Rob Stone, Sonya Thomas, Takeru Kobayashi, Tim Gravy Brown, Tim Janus
National League All-Star voting–who is leading and who should be Last week we picked apart the American League all-star voting. Well, this week we will look at the National League, and after last night the starters have all been selected (aside from pitchers). You ready? First base Second base Shortstop Third base Catcher: Outfield Starting pitcher Relief pitcher Posted in: Barstool Debates, Fantasy Baseball, Happy Hour, MLB Tags: Albert Pujols, All-star voting, Arizona Diamondbacks, Atlanta Braves, Bengie Molina, Brad Hawpe, Brian McCann, Carlos Beltran, Chase Utley, Citi Field, Colorado Rockies, Dan Haren, David Wright, Florida Marlins, Hanley Ramirez, Heath Bell, J.J. Hardy, Jimmy Rollins, Los Angeles Dodgers, Manny Ramirez, Mark Reynolds, Milwaukee Brewers, National League all-stars, New York Mets, NL All-stars, Philadelphia Phillies, Raul Ibanez, Ryan Braun, San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants, St. Louis Cardinals, Tim Lincecum, Yadier Molina
American League All-Star voting–who is leading and who should be It’s always funny how the voting for the Major League Baseball All-Star game shakes out, and it’s generally more of a popularity contest than anything. That, or the more familiar names like Derek Jeter, David Wright and Manny Ramirez always generate lots of attention. Well, since we’re about 75 games in, and the mid-summer classic is two and a half weeks away, I decided to look at the current vote leaders and make my own picks of who I think should be in there. First the American League — and next week, the National. Here we go…. First base Second base Shortstop Third base Catcher: Outfield Starting pitcher Relief pitcher Source: Baseball Reference Posted in: Fantasy Baseball, Happy Hour, MLB Tags: Aaron Hill, AL all-stars, All-star vote leaders, All-star voting, All-stars, American League All-stars, Boston Red Sox, Brian Fuentes, Carl Crawford, David Wright, Derek Jeter, Evan Longoria, Ian Kinsler, Ichiro Suzuki, Jason Bartlett, Jason Bay, Joe Mauer, Jonathan Papelbon, Josh Hamilton, Justin Morneau, Kansas City Royals, Los Angeles Angels, Manny Ramirez, Mark Teixeira, Minnesota Twins, New York Yankees, Seattle Mariners, Tampa Bay Rays, Texas Rangers, Torii Hunter, Toronto Blue Jays, Zack Greinke
2009 fantasy football is coming soon—a look back at 2008 tight ends and kickers When you are drafting your fantasy football team, you’re picking running backs, receivers and quarterbacks first. Tight ends and kickers are usually taken in the mid-late rounds because their value isn’t as high, and, especially in the case of kickers, you can still get a decent one in the draft’s final round. Here is a look back at the 2008 leaders at the two positions and how we think those numbers will project to 2009: TIGHT ENDS 1. Tony Gonzalez, Kansas City Chiefs—During a season in which he was kind of auditioning for other teams, Gonzalez had one of his best campaigns—96 catches for 1058 yards and 10 touchdowns. Those are, like, Torry Holt numbers. Gonzo is now with the Atlanta Falcons, where he should have the opportunity to put up similar numbers in 2009. 2. Antonio Gates, San Diego Chargers—Gates had a disappointing season overall, with zero 100 yard games. But he was hurt most of the year, so even when he played he was hobbling. Still, 704 yards and 8 scores is not too shabby. This season, Gates should top that by at least 50%. 3. Dallas Clark, Indianapolis Colts—Clark was injured to start the 2008 season, but he really came on strong toward the end of it, just like his Colts team did. Clark owners were treated to a 12-catch, 142-yard, 1 TD game in week 15, and overall he finished with 77 catches for 848 yards and 6 touchdowns. There is no good reason to expect any less in ’09. 4. Visanthe Shiancoe, Minnesota Vikings—Shiancoe made more headlines for inadvertently showing his bare ass on camera, but he finished the season with one huge game to pad his 2008 stats, too. That was in Week 16, known in the fantasy world as title week—so Shiancoe no doubt helped some of you win your league by catching 7 passes for 136 yards and 2 scores, giving him totals of 42-596-7 on the season. But dude is too streaky to consider drafting earlier than the 12th round or so. 5. Anthony Fasano, Miami Dolphins—Fasano was streaky but, like Shiancoe, he had a 2-TD game in Week 16, which boosted his season value. Fasano finished with 34 catches for 454 yards and 7 TDs, but I’d be surprised if he’s even drafted by 50% of you. I mean, Jason Witten didn’t even make this list due to being hurt most of ’08. KICKERS 1. Stephen Gostkowski, New England Patriots—The Patriots didn’t score as many TDs as they did in 2007 so Gostkowski only had 40 extra points as opposed to 74 the year before. That meant more field goal opps, and he converted 36 of 40 to lead all kickers with 148 points. He also had four field goals and five PATs in week 16 to help some win titles. With Tom Brady back, there is no reason to think Gostkowski’s numbers will dip much, but he may have more extra points in ’09. 2. David Akers, Philadelphia Eagles—He’s had a history of injuries, but when he’s in the lineup, Akers is one of the game’s most accurate kickers. Last season he had two 4-field goal games and three 3-field goal games. The Eagles are going to put points on the board, so Akers is draft material for sure. 3. John Carney, New York Giants—This was almost a fluke, as Carney had to fill in for the injured Lawrence Tynes. He did so well that he made the Pro Bowl, kicking 35 of 38 field goals and 38 of 38 on extra points. But with Tynes healthy, Carney is once again looking for work in ’09. 4. Matt Bryant, Tampa Bay Bucs—Bryant had to endure the death of his infant son a few games in, but he battled admirably. However, this is the Bucs we’re talking about, and they only allowed Bryant 36 PAT chances. Overall he had 32 of 38 field goals and 35 of the 36 extra points. But guys like Bryant are valuable because they play on teams that don’t score a lot of TDs, giving them more field goal chances. He should have similar numbers this season. 5. John Kasay, Carolina Panthers—Kasay had a 4-field goal game in week 1 and another in week 17, but only 20 field goals in the other 15 games. I’m just saying, I probably wouldn’t draft the guy. Posted in: Fantasy Football, Happy Hour, NFL Tags: 2009 fantasy football preview, Anthony Fasano, Antonio Gates, Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, Dallas Clark, David Akers, Fantasy Football, fantasy football 2008 stats, fantasy football 2009, Indianapolis Colts, Jason Witten, John Carney, John Kasay, Kansas City Chiefs., kickers, Lawrence Tynes, Matt Bryant, Miami Dolphins, Minnesota Vikings, National Football League, New England Patriots, New York Giants, NFL, Philadelphia Eagles, San Diego Chargers, Stephen Gostkowski, Tampa Bay Bucs, tight ends, Tom Brady, Tony Gonzalez, Torry Holt, Visanthe Shiancoe
2009 fantasy football is coming soon—a look back at 2008 RBs So you still want to draft a running back with your number one pick after we crunched the numbers to find that quarterbacks have become equally or more valuable in fantasy football? Well, I can’t blame anyone that goes the traditional route here, especially with guys like Michael Turner and Adrian Peterson looking like legitimate #1 picks. Here are last season’s Top 10 running backs in fantasy points, keeping in mind that this is based on my league, and stats vary from league to league: 1. DeAngelo Williams, Carolina Panthers—I know some players take a few years to develop, but I live in Tennessee and saw Williams play on TV a lot when he was with Memphis. I drafted him in 2006 because I knew what not everyone knew—his upside was tremendous. Of course, he had 501 yards and a TD that year. But once DeShaun Foster was gone, Williams exploded, and last year racked up 1639 yards from scrimmage and 20 touchdowns. Potential realized, and there’s more where that came from despite Jonathan Stewart sharing the load. 2. Michael Turner, Atlanta Falcons—Turner “The Burner” finally got out from under LT’s shadow in San Diego and showed with his new team that he can be a #1 RB—in a big, big way. In fact, Turner out-rushed LT by almost 600 yards. Take that, AJ Smith. 3. Thomas Jones, New York Jets—Jones had a big year, with 1519 total yards and 15 scores. But something tells me to expect a substantial drop-off this year. I mean, this is the same guy who scored 1 rushing TD in 2007. 4. Matt Forte, Chicago Bears—A rookie in 2008, Forte was a pleasant surprise and was basically the Bears’ entire offense. Now they have Jay Cutler at QB, which could mean just a bit less focus on the running game. Still, it’s the Bears, and plus Forte is just as valuable a receiver as he is a runner. Don’t expect a re-run of 2008 (1715 yards and 12 total touchdowns) but don’t expect a crappy season either. 5. Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings—He may be frequently injured but AP is about as explosive as any player in the NFL. In fact, he may be what everyone expected Reggie Bush to be. Who? Yeah, I know. Anyway, Peterson had 1885 all-purpose yards but only 10 TDs. This season, I’m looking for 2400 yards from scrimmage and 15-20 scores. I can feel it. 6. Brian Westbrook, Philadelphia Eagles—Off-season surgery is either going to hamper Westbrook or make him better. I’ll still take a Brian Westbrook at 70% than, say, a Willis McGahee at 100%. When Westbook is on the field (1338 total yards, 54 catches, 14 total TDs in ‘08), he’s fantasy money. 7. Brandon Jacobs, New York Giants—Jacobs seemed to perform best when he shared carries with Derrick Ward, who is now in Tampa. Jacobs will still share carries, but with Ahmad Bradshaw. Jacobs had his second straight 1000-yard season (Ward also topped 1000 yards) with 15 touchdowns, and there is no reason to believe he’ll fall short of that in ’09. Well, unless the injury bug bites again. 8. LaDainian Tomlinson, San Diego Chargers—I’m still sick about drafting LT #1 last season in my league. I know that having the top pick doesn’t happen too often, and this guy just killed my season and probably everyone else’s that picked him first or second. 9. Maurice Jones-Drew, Jacksonville Jaguars—Streaky yes, but a solid player who can run and catch passes effectively. MJD had 824 rushing yards, and 62 receptions for 565 with 14 total touchdowns. With Fred Taylor in New England, expect those numbers to jump this season. 10. LenDale White, Tennessee Titans—This guy was the touchdown bogart for Chris Johnson, with only 773 yards but 15 scores. Should we expect an encore? It’s hard to say, but Jeff Fisher is definitely a creature of habit. Posted in: Fantasy Football, Happy Hour, NFL Tags: 2008 fantasy football, 2009 fantasy football, 2009 fantasy football preview, Adrian Peterson, Ahmad Bradshaw, AP, Atlanta Falcons, Brandon Jacobs, Brian Westbrook, Carolina Panthers, Chicago Bears, Chris Johnson, DeAngelo Williams, Derrick Ward, Fantasy Football, fantasy football projections, Fred Taylor, Jacksonville Jaguars, Jay Cutler, Jeff Fisher, Jonathan Stewart, LaDainian Tomlinson, LenDale White, LT, Matt Forte, Maurice Jones-Drew, Michael Turner, Minnesota Vikings, National Football League, New England Patriots, New York Giants, New York Jets, NFL, Philadelphia Eagles, San Diego Chargers, Tennessee Titans, Thomas Jones, top running backs, Willis McGahee
2009 fantasy football is coming soon—a look back at 2008 WRs Last week we looked at the top 10 fantasy quarterbacks from 2008 with a look toward 2009. This week, it’s about those who catch passes. Wide receivers have become almost as valuable as running backs, so it’s important not to overlook that when you’re preparing for your fantasy draft. And you are preparing, right? Or will you cram on Labor Day weekend? If you’re like me, you’re reading this stuff now because these long months without football suck. So, about those receivers….and keep in mind this Top 10 is based on scoring from one of my own fantasy leagues, and stats may differ from league to league: 1. Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals—There should be no question remaining as to who has the best hands in football. In fact, I’ll just say it — that Larry Fitzgerald is the best receiver in football, and one of the best since the days of (dare I say it) Jerry Rice, or Lynn Swann. Yeah, he’s that good, and he’s just getting started. In ’08, Fitzgerald had 96 catches for 1431 yards and 12 touchdowns….and that’s with Kurt Warner having two other legitimate targets in Anquan Boldin and Steve Breaston. 2. Calvin Johnson, Detroit Lions—This poor bastard put up huge numbers last year for an 0-16 team—78 receptions for 1331 yards and 12 scores. It’s difficult to draft anyone on the Lions, though. 3. Andre Johnson, Houston Texans—This guy is just a beast. I mean, a freaking beast. Johnson had SIX games of over 130 receiving yards, and wound up with 115 catches for 1575 yards and 8 TDs…all usually with two guys covering him. Like I said, a beast. Now what would he do with a real QB? 4. Anquan Boldin, Arizona Cardinals—Q wants the ball, and he may not get it in Arizona this season. But his numbers and skills have every other GM salivating. Last year, despite missing four games with injuries, Boldin caught 89 passes for 1038 yards and 11 scores. He even rushed 9 times for 67 yards. 5. Greg Jennings, Green Bay Packers—Jennings has been on the verge of fantasy superstardom for a few years now, and I think the next two seasons may be peak years for him — especially with Aaron Rodgers coming into his own and Donald Driver losing a step or two. His 2008 numbers? 80 catches for 1292 yards and 8 touchdowns. This year, I’m saying 100-1500-12. 6. Randy Moss, New England Patriots—The fact that Moss still had a 1000-yard season catching passes from the yet-unproven Matt Cassel says a lot about Moss. Dude is a sick receiver. He had just four 100-yard games, but was consistent over the season with 69 receptions for 1008 yards and 11 TDs. He gets his boy Brady back in 2009, so look for 2007-ish numbers again. 7. Terrell Owens, Dallas Cowboys—He had one game over 200 yards, one more over 100, and every other game below 100. Owens managed 1052 yards on 69 catches with 10 scores, but by his standards the season was a bust. In Buffalo, I can’t imagine his numbers will be much better. 8. Lance Moore, New Orleans Saints—Marques Colston was never quite right after coming back from an injury, but Drew Brees kept throwing the ball to this guy, to the tune of 79 catches for 928 yards and 10 touchdowns—with three 100-yard games. 9. Steve Smith, Carolina Panthers—He was suspended for the first two games in 2008, but still racked up 1421 yards on 78 catches with 6 scores…and a whopping eight 100-yard games. Steve Smith is just money, and he should be a Top 5 receiver in every fantasy league. 10. Antonio Bryant, Tampa Bay Bucs—Bryant had his best season as a pro last year after missing the entire 2007 campaign, catching 83 passes for 1248 yards and 7 TDs…and he gets bonus points for doing it with the Tampa Bay Bucs! Posted in: Fantasy Football, Happy Hour, NFL Tags: 2008 fantasy stats, 2009 fantasy football preview, Aaron Rodgers, Andre Johnson, Anquan Boldin, Antonio Bryant, Arizona Cardinals, Buffalo Bills, Calvin Johnson, Carolina Panthers, Dallas Cowboys, Detroit Lions, Donald Driver, Drew Brees, fantasy draft projections, fantasy draft wide receivers, Fantasy Football, fantasy football 2009, Green Bay Packers, Greg Jennings, Houston Texans, Kurt Warner, Lance Moore, Larry Fitzgerald, Marques Colston, Matt Cassel, New England Patriots, New Orleans Saints, NFL 2009, Randy Moss, Steve Breaston, Steve Smith, Tampa Bay Bucs, Terrell Owens, Tom Brady
Scripps unveils “Man Kitchen” on Food2.com Scripps, the parent company of Food Network, has launched Food2.com, an interactive, video-centric website with lots of shows, blogs and other content. One of their new shows is “Man Kitchen,” a show hosted by former NFL tight end Keith Neubert, who played just one-plus full season for the Jets in the late ’80′s, but is a natural in front of the camera and in the kitchen. The episode clips online have Neubert cooking up dude-friendly items such as salmon burgers (might not sound like dude food, but the one he makes is literally the size of his own head), pizzadillas, sloppy joes, and beer can chicken among others. His favorite side? Tater tots. And when Neubert seasons his creations, someone throws him the salt and pepper shakers and he hurls them back, informing the other person to “go long.” Yeah, it’s goofy but it’s the kind thing guys, especially novice cooks, will love. And how about the show’s tag line, which really says it all: “Knives. Flames. Alcohol. What could go wrong?” For more information or for other Food2 shows and content, please visit Food2.com Posted in: Happy Hour, News, NFL Tags: beer can chicken, Food Network, Food2.com, Keith Neubert, Man Kitchen, pizzadillas, salmon burgers, Scripps, sloppy joes, tater tots
|








