Author: John Paulsen (Page 173 of 937)

2010 FSWA Industry Insiders Fantasy Football Draft, Part 2

MIAMI GARDENS, FL - FEBRUARY 07: Reggie Wayne #87 reaches for the ball against the Indianapolis Colts of the New Orleans Saints during Super Bowl XLIV on February 7, 2010 at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

Earlier this week, I summarized my draft in the FSWA Industry Insiders League. My colleague (and Bullz-Eye Editor-In-Chief), Jamey Codding, is also in the league this year and the draft for his division was held last night.

The results for each round are below. For the first 10 rounds, I’ll analyze each pick while comparing his strategy to mine, and Jamey will provide an outline of his thinking for each selection.

Round 1
#1 Team Bob Harris – Chris Johnson, RB, TEN
#2 KFFL- R. Bonini – Adrian Peterson, RB, MIN
#3 Rotowire Houston-Smith – Ray Rice, RB, BAL
#4 Sporting News – Maurice Jones-Drew, RB, JAC
#5 Fantasy Insights – Smitty – Andre Johnson, WR, HOU
#6 Team Shaw – Michael Turner, RB, ATL
#7 Draft Sharks – Smola – Frank Gore, RB, SFO
#8 Team J. Levit – Randy Moss, WR, NWE
#9 ProSportsBlogging Brian Moore – Steven Jackson, RB, STL
#10 The Scores Report – Reggie Wayne, WR, IND
#11 CBSSports – Eisenberg – Calvin Johnson, WR, DET
#12 KFFL – McRae – Ryan Mathews, RB, SDG

JP’s Analysis: There were no huge surprises in the 1st, and Jamey did well to grab arguably the most consistent WR of the last five years in Reggie Wayne. It’s a PPR league where owners can start up to four wideouts, so it makes a lot of sense to draft a WR late in the first when all of the top RBs are already gone.

Jamey’s Thoughts: I can probably count on one hand the number of times I’ve taken a receiver in the first round, but after doing a couple of mock drafts and getting a feel for the kind of RB and WR that would be available at the 3/4 turn, I did the unthinkable (for me) and committed to going WR/WR with my first two picks. I was hoping to get Moss here but, despite some concerns about the crowded receiving corps in Indy, I was happy to land Peyton Manning’s #1 in Wayne, a PPR rock.

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Ochocinco to appear on “Basketball Wives”

CANTON, OH - AUGUST 8: Chad Ochocinco  and Terrell Owens  of the Cincinnati Bengals look on against the Dallas Cowboys during the 2010 Pro Football Hall of Fame Game at the Pro Football Hall of Fame Field at Fawcett Stadium on August 8, 2010 in Canton, Ohio. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)

TMZ has the details…

As we previously reported, Chad is all set to appear on the show next season — as the love interest of his current girlfriend Evelyn Lozada.

Now, sources connected to the show tell us Chad has inked a deal to shoot several scenes between September and October … and the shoots will be scheduled around his football obligations.

We’re told some of Chad’s scenes will take place in Miami — where the show is based — whenever he can spare the time. However, sources tell us VH1 wants Ochocinco material so badly … they’re willing to shoot scenes out in Cincinnati too.

Lozada is the ex-fiancee of Antonie Walker, so technically she’s not a basketball wife, but the devil isn’t in the details as far as reality television is concerned.

From a fantasy football perspective, the more and more I think about Ochocinco, the less I like him as a WR1/WR2 this year. Terrell Owens is in town, he spent part of his summer on his own dating reality show and now he’s going to be flying back and forth to Miami to shoot scenes for “Basketball Wives.” This all adds up to distraction, and that can’t be good for his numbers this season.

Bottom line — I wouldn’t take him before the 5th round.

Peek inside the head of an NBA owner

Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley is a character. He appeared on the Chris Vernon Show recently and got into a…um…spirited debate over whether or not the Grizzlies should exercise a little-known clause in the collective bargaining agreement that allows for teams to negotiate a performance incentive into rookie contracts.

Xavier Henry is still unsigned due to Heisley’s insistence on this performance incentive. Rookie contracts are generally ‘rubber stamp’ type deals where the player gets the max (120% of the rookie scale) and he signs immediately. Heisley claims that the Grizzlies are not the only team to use this strategy, but he was unwilling to name any names and I certainly haven’t heard of any other teams doing so.

On the show, Heisley is passive-aggressive, condescending and entertaining, and in addition to the Henry negotiations, he defends the Pau Gasol trade, the Zach Randolph acquisition, and his decision to draft Hasheem Thabeet over Ricky Rubio.

Matt Moore of CBSSports called the interview an ‘abject trainwreck,‘ while Chris Harrington of the Memphis Flyer called it ‘borderline-embarrassing.’

Why did Shaq sign with the Celtics?

Boston Celtics head coach Doc Rivers (R) presents his jersey to newly signed Celtics player Shaquille O'Neal at a news conference in Waltham, Massachusetts August 10, 2010.  REUTERS/Brian Snyder  (UNITED STATES - Tags: SPORT BASKETBALL)

Bill Simmons’ latest column delves into ‘chewed-on theories’ and one question he tries to answer is why Shaq would sign with the C’s for the league minimum. He believes it goes back to Kobe’ response after Game 7 of the Finals when he was asked what this title meant to him.

His response?

“I got one more than Shaq! You can take that to the bank.”

O’Neal signed with Boston because “when I close my book at the end of the day, it’s all about winning and nothing else.” This was someone who told a teammate before the final game of his 2009 Suns season — when they had just been eliminated from playoff contention — that he “needed to start getting in shape for my reality show.” Game 82 and you need to get in shape? Huh? Now you suddenly care about winning titles again? Now you’re fine with swallowing your dignity to be a spare part, a minimum guy, an afterthought, someone with no security at all? Just to chase a ring? When you already have four?

My theory: I think Kobe’s postgame routine got back to Shaq. I think it pissed him off. I think it got his competitive juices flowing for the first time in years. I think he realized Boston was his best chance to tie Kobe at five. I think he wants this more than anything. I think he shows up next month in surprisingly good shape, and I think we’ll be saying in November, “Wow, that Shaq signing may have been a great move by Boston!” And I think this will happen for only one reason: because Shaq hates Kobe and Kobe hates Shaq. Just a theory.

It certainly seems reasonable. My sense is that Shaq is not happy with the way things went in Phoenix or Cleveland and is hoping to make him relevant again for one more playoff run. Of course, he’d love to beat the Heat and the Lakers along the way.

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