Month: August 2010 (Page 26 of 59)

      WEC 50 Picks & Predictions

      August 18, 2010 /

      The WEC puts on its next show tonight as WEC 50: Cruz vs. Benavidez 2 takes place from Las Vegas.

      The card features a WEC Bantamweight Championship bout between Dominick Cruz and Joseph Benavidez along with a lightweight contest between Shane Roller and Anthony Pettis.

      The main card airs live on Versus at 9PM ET. Here are my picks for the winners.

      WEC Bantamweight Championship Bout – Dominick Cruz (15-1) vs. Joseph Benavidez (12-1): This fight is a rematch of a bout that happened a little over a year ago where Cruz won a unanimous decision. Now Cruz is the champion and Benavidez is the challenger and in this fight, look for Benavidez to get the nod. He underestimated Cruz and his wrestling in the first fight and anticipated more standup, which left him flat footed and allowed Cruz to control the fight. This time around, Benavidez should be able to dictate the pacing and placement of the fight. I like Benavidez to win by submission in round four.

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      External Sports, Mixed Martial Arts, WEC

      MLB News: Braves to trade for Cubs’ Derrek Lee

      August 18, 2010 /

      According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, the Braves will finalize a deal for Cubs’ first baseman Derrek Lee sometime on Wednesday.

      Apparently the only thing holding up the deal is Lee’s troubling back. He had an injection in the epidural of his lower back on Monday to help ease the discomfort created by a bulging disk and has missed the past two games.

      Lee is in the final year of his contract and is still owed $3.4 million. He has struggled for much of the season while hitting just .251 with 16 dingers in Chicago. But his .939 OPS since the All-Star break is attractive to the Braves, especially with Troy Glaus struggling at the dish.

      Lee (who has a no-trade clause in his contract) can reject the deal, just as he did in July when the Cubs were ready to send him to the Angels. But Atlanta has reportedly already been told that he would accept a deal, so the only issue that remains is his back.

      It’s doubtful that the Cubs will get much in return for Lee at this point, but the key is that they’ll get a little financial relief heading into what will be a rebuilding year in 2011. The youth movement is already on in Chicago, who has traded Ted Lilly, Ryan Theriot and Mike Fontenot over the past month.

      Now if only the Cubs could find someone to take Alfonso Soriano, Koskue Fukudome and Carlos Zambrano off their hands.

      External Sports, MLB

      Projected carries in KC, Houston, Indy, Buffalo and Oakland

      August 18, 2010 /
      DENVER - JANUARY 03: Jamaal Charles #25 of the Kansas City Chiefs rushes against the Denver Broncos at Invesco Field at Mile High on January 3, 2010 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

      Chris Wesseling of Rotoworld has released updated carry projections for the entire AFC, but let’s focus on five teams: the Chiefs, Texans, Colts, Bills and Raiders.

      We’ll go one by one:

      Jamaal Charles: 220
      Thomas Jones: 140
      Kestahn Moore: 30

      Charles emerged as the Chiefs’ MVP last year, averaging 20 carries and 121 rushing yards once hit he the starting lineup at mid-season. The projection above accounts for Jones in slightly more than a Willis McGahee-type short-yardage/inside role, giving Charles just under 14 carries per contest. Throw in three receptions per week and it’s enough to leave Charles as a borderline RB1.

      Obviously, these numbers disregard the fact that TJ is still atop the depth chart and the head coach is telling the press that Charles’s role is ‘undefined.’ While it would seem incomprehensible to fantasy owners that Haley would limit Charles’s touches given how well he played last season, the news out of KC should not be ignored. TJ has been overlooked everywhere he’s went and while I’m hoping for a 60/40 split like we see here, I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s more 50/50.

      Arian Foster: 215
      Steve Slaton: 125
      Jeremiah Johnson: 20
      Chris Henry: 10

      The line for now trendy Foster love starts behind Rotoworld. We were hyping the former Tennessee star as a Dynasty deep sleeper once the Texans snatched him up after last year’s draft while promoting him as the potential answer in Houston by mid-November. Although Ben Tate’s season-ending broken fibula has killed Foster’s sleeper potential for this year, it certainly offers more clarity in this backfield: Foster is Batman; Slaton is Robin. Draft accordingly.

      I didn’t jump on the Foster bandwagon until earlier this summer, but with Tate’s injury, he looks like he should vastly outplay his current draft position (9.02 over the last week). Look for his ADP to continue to rise. I’d start thinking about picking him in the 7th or the 8th. He played very well at the end of last season, has drawn rave reviews from the coaching staff this summer, and it’s clear that the team doesn’t view Slaton as a feature back any longer.

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      External Sports, Fantasy Football, News, NFL, Rumors & Gossip

      WEC Featherweight fighter Chad Mendes chats with The Scores Report

      August 18, 2010 /

      Chad Mendes believes he can be one of the best mixed-martial artists in the world.

      On Wednesday, he will have his chance to prove it.

      Sporting a 7-0 record in his young pro career, the WEC Featherweight faces his toughest challenge in Cub Swanson in WEC 50: Cruz vs. Benavidez, live on Versus at 9PM ET.

      I got a chance to speak with up-and-coming fighter and ask him about his big fight with Swanson, as well has training with guys like Urijah Faber and Joseph Benavidez, and his sponsorship with AMP Energy.

      The Scores Report: Hey Chad, how is everything going?

      Chad Mendes: Everything is great, just excited for my next fight.

      TSR: Well before we get to your fight with Cub Swanson, talk about your last fight in which you defeated Anthony Morris at WEC 48, a pay-per-view event that took place Sacramento, where you train. What was that whole experience like and by winning by submission in the first round, was it the best performance of your career?

      CM: Well, I took that fight on short notice and when the WEC asked me to fill in for an injured fighter, I had to say yes. I got in a solid week of training and went over techniques and a game plan and I really worked on the arm-in guillotine choke. I was having dreams about getting that choke in and when the fight happened, it was just like I had dreamed and the choke was there, so I sunk it in and got the win. In terms of fighting in Sacramento, that was just unbelievable. The crowd was nuts and there was so much energy in the building. It was a great feeling.

      TSR: How big is this upcoming fight with Cub Swanson, who has fought some of the best in the world, including current featherweight champion, Jose Aldo?

      CM: Every fight is big, but this is clearly a huge step in my career. Fighting Cub is a great honor for me. He is a tough guy and faced all the top opponents. He is a real scrapper and he pushes a tough pace. I am expecting a war and not matter what happens, fighting a guy like Cub can only make me better.

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      External Sports, Mixed Martial Arts, WEC

      Is the pressure already getting to Brandon Marshall in Miami?

      August 18, 2010 /
      MIAMI - AUGUST 14: Wide Receiver Brandon Marshall of the Miami Dolphins warms up prior to playing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a preseason game at Sun Life Stadium on August 14, 2010 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Marc Serota/Getty Images)

      It was only one scrimmage.

      It was only one preseason game.

      The head coach isn’t even worried, so why should anyone else be?

      If those who follow the Dolphins want to take any of the above stances when it comes to Brandon Marshall’s recent struggles in South Beach, I wouldn’t blame them. After all, it’s only the second week of the preseason and we’re still weeks away from the games actually counting.

      But given his history with behavioral issues, why wouldn’t people be concerned?

      Marshall followed up a poor showing in a scrimmage two weeks ago by dropping the only two passes that were thrown to him during Miami’s first preseason game last weekend. Then, and stop me if you’ve already heard this one, during a practice session on Monday he reportedly dropped a pass in the end zone and then punted it over a fence. He proceeded to stand by himself, sulking on the sidelines afterwards.

      Head coach Tony Sparano shrugged off the kicking incident by saying, “I didn’t see it, but I got bigger fish to fry…If he drops them and he gets pissed off at himself about dropping them, I’m okay with that.”

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      External Sports, NFL

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