Category: External Sports (Page 453 of 821)

      Tony Romo owners (or those unhappy with their QB play), here’s what you do…

      October 29, 2010 /
      Referee John Parry checks on injured quarterback Tony Romo during the first half in Cowboys Stadium October 25, 2010 in Arlington, Texas. Romo suffered a broken collar bone. UPI/Ian Halperin Photo via Newscom

      I feel your pain, Romo owners. I had him in two of my six leagues, and was ill-prepared for an injury to my star QB. In one league, I managed to pick up Josh Freeman and Jon Kitna, and in the other, I was only able to get Jason Campbell and David Garrard.

      It seems like a good time to recalculate our Quarterback By Committee (QBBC) to see what QB pairs have a combined schedule that will get us through the rest of the season. It’s fine to trade away depth at RB or WR in order to land a solid QB, but in many cases it’s unnecessary. A problem at QB is one of the easiest to mask since there is so much depth at the position. In most leagues, you can get capable QB play by picking up a couple of guys on the waiver wire and using them in tandem.

      To that end, I looked at the 18 (at least somewhat decent) QBs most likely to be available on your waiver wire. In order of decreasing availability (in ESPN leagues), the list includes:

      Donovan McNabb (94.2)
      Jay Cutler (86.4)
      Brett Favre (86.2)
      Carson Palmer (83.4)
      Mark Sanchez (68.6)
      Vince Young (62.3)
      Chad Henne (60.9)
      Matt Cassel (42.1)
      Sam Bradford (28.6)
      Matthew Stafford (27.1)
      David Garrard (26.5)
      Ryan Fitzpatrick (25.8)
      Josh Freeman (23.1)
      Matt Hasselbeck (20.8)
      Alex Smith/Troy Smith (12.7)
      Jon Kitna (10.9)
      Bruce Gradkowski/Jason Campbell (5.1)
      Matt Moore (1.8)

      I tweaked Footballguys’ rest-of-year (through Week 16) projections to reflect my own ranking for each player. I then applied FBG’s strength of schedule to calculate a projected points for all the remaining games, and then used a giant Excel spreadsheet to determine the best QB pairs for the remainder of the season.

      The two best QBBCs are Stafford/Cutler and Stafford/McNabb, but since Cutler and McNabb aren’t readily available in most leagues, we have to dig a little deeper. The third-highest QBBC is Stafford/Fitzpatrick, which has an average percent-owned of 26.5%, so the duo might be available in your league. Stafford/Freeman and Fitzpatrick/Freeman come in at #5 and #6, respectively.

      Below is a table of all 153 possible combinations. Duos that are listed in green have an average percent-owned of less than 20% (meaning there’s a decent chance that they’re available), while duos listed in red have an average percent-owned between 20% and 40%. I included expected points (in a high performance scoring system) for Weeks 8-16 and for Weeks 9-16 in case you find this article after the Week 8 games.

      Continue reading »

      External Sports, Fantasy Football, NFL

      2010 College Football Week 9 Picks

      October 29, 2010 /
      Oct 16, 2010; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Southern California Trojans quarterback Matt Barkley (7) gestures during the game against the California Golden Bears at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. USC defeated California 48-14. Photo via Newscom

      I hung onto my winning record in college football with another .500 effort in Week 8. Utah and UAB hit, but North Carolina never showed up in Miami and I fell into the trap that was Oklahoma at Missouri.

      That 4-0 weekend continues to elude me…for now.

      No. 5 Michigan State @ No. 18 Iowa, 3:30PM ET
      This game and the one I picked below it have trap written all over them, but I have a rule about not picking against underdogs in the top-10. Teams that have climbed into the top-10 got there for a reason and Michigan State is no different. While they very easily could have lost in Northwestern last week, the Spartans are on a mission and they know that if they beat Iowa on Saturday, they have a clear path to a Big Ten title. MSU has a reputation of slipping up every season, but this Spartans team has a different feel to it. Thanks to Edwin Baker, Sparty has the 28th ranked rushing offense in the nation and are 22nd in scoring. They face a stiff test this weekend going up against the No. 8 run defense in the country, but this one will be close. I’m taking the points with MSU.
      THE PICK: MICHIGAN STATE +6.5

      No. 6 Missouri @ No. 14 Nebraska, 3:30PM
      See above. Ever since I watched San Diego State nearly beat the Tigers in Missouri roughly a month ago, I haven’t been a backer of MIZZOU. Yet they keep on winning. Beating Oklahoma was a huge accomplishment and lucky for them, they have no time to celebrate with a trip to Lincoln coming up this Saturday. Nebraska’s defense shouldn’t have as much trouble with Missouri as it did last weekend against Oklahoma State, but they’ll still be challenged by the 16th-best passing offense in the nation. Again, I don’t make it a habit to pick against teams in the top-10 and while I fully admit I may be falling into a second trap (along with Michigan State), I like MIZZOU to cover.
      THE PICK: MISSOURI +7.5

      No. 2 Oregon @ USC, 8:00PM ET
      The idea of backing USC’s defense when it has the task of trying to slow Oregon’s explosive offensive attack makes me want to puke. But the Ducks embarrassed the Trojans last year in Eugene and now USC has a chance to return the favor. The Ducks are averaging 44.3 points per game on the road this year, which is still a lot, but not compared to the 55.1 PPG they’re averaging at home. They’re also allowing almost a touchdown more per game on the road than they are in Eugene and this USC team can score thanks to QB Matt Barkley. Oregon is just 2-5 against the number in its last seven meetings with USC and while I don’t think the Trojans win outright, I like them getting points at home in prime time.
      THE PICK: USC +6.5

      No. 17 Oklahoma State @ Kansas State, 12:00PM ET
      I’ll be honest, this pick was made for me the moment head coach Mike Gundy suspended receiver Justin Blackmon after the receiver was arrested on a DUI earlier this week in Dallas. Blackmon leads the nation in touchdowns and could have done some serious damage against a slow K-State defense. But you take him out of the equation and while the Cowboys’ offense is still chockfull of playmakers, I like the Wildcats’ chances of keeping things close. But they need to keep the ball on the ground with Daniel Thomas (the Big 12’s leading rusher) and keep Brandon Weeden off the field in order to have a chance. I think we see a much slower pace to OK State’s offense this weekend and K-State squeaks out a cover.
      THE PICK: KANSAS STATE +5

      Season Record: 13-11

      College Football, External Sports

      Captain Morgan NFL Halloween Weekend Preview

      October 29, 2010 /

      Make your Holiday legendary with Captain and Cola. Join the party on Facebook!

      Captain Morgan and The Scores Report have teamed up to preview this Sunday’s games in the NFL and in the spirit of Halloween, here are a couple frightening matchups that players/teams face this weekend.

      1. Steelers @ Saints: Drew Brees vs. Pittsburgh’s Defense
      You can bet that the fans in New Orleans will be dressed up for this one, although they’re always dressed up so what’s the difference? If Brees thought the Browns abused him last week, he’s in for a real treat (trick or treat? Ah, hahahahahaha…Halloween) this Sunday night with Pittsburgh coming to town. The Steelers are second in the NFL in yards allowed and first in both run defense and points allowed. Pierre Thomas and Reggie Bush look like they’re bowing out of this matchup and who could blame them? If Brees can’t move the ball through the air, he’s in for a long night.

      2. Packers @ Jets: Aaron Rodgers vs. Rex Ryan’s Front Seven
      Aaron Rodgers can’t be feeling too good about things these days. His offensive line is once again banged up, he doesn’t have much of a running game at his disposal, his second best receiver (Donald Driver) is also injured and he’s facing a well-rested Rex Ryan defense coming off its bye week. Oh yeah – and Darrelle Revis (hamstring) is completely healthy now, too. There’s no doubt Ryan will throw the kitchen sink at Rodgers in terms of looks and expect the Jets to send extra defenders early and often. It’s going to be a real freight fest in East Rutherford this weekend! Hahahaha – weeeeeeeeeeee!

      3. Vikings @ Patriots: Favre, Vikings vs. the prospects of another loss
      Brett Favre’s consecutive starts streak isn’t the only thing on the line this Sunday when the Vikings travel to Foxboro. At 2-4, Minnesota is already two games back in the win column in the NFC North and another loss will sink its postseason hopes even more. If Favre can’t go, Tarvaris Jackson will start and that means Adrian Peterson will have to shoulder the workload. Of course, even if Favre starts, Brad Childress may want to keep the ball in AP’s hands anyway. Given how well the Patriots have played at home under Bill Belichick, this isn’t the matchup the Vikings needed to get back on track. They should be spooked (spooked! Hahahahaha…Halloween) out of their minds right now.

      4. Broncos vs. 49ers: London vs. the worst matchup in NFL history
      Okay, I’m exaggerating – this isn’t the worst matchup in NFL history. The worst matchup in NFL history would probably be the ’08 Lions vs. the ’09 Rams. Now that’s scary (scary! Halloooooweeeeeennnn theme!). That said, the folks out in London can’t be too thrilled with this one. The 49ers and Broncos have combined for three wins this year and 11 losses and while San Fran couldn’t beat a previous winless Panthers team last Sunday, Denver is coming off a loss in which they gave up 59 points to the Raiders…at home, no less. With apologies to Frank Gore, Vernon Davis and Michael Crabtree, talk about a starless game for the London crowd.

      5. Jaguars @ Cowboys: David Garrard vs. Jon Kitna
      Look, there’s nothing funny about this matchup. It seriously is frightening and the thought of anyone paying money to see this horror show is terrifying. Happy Halloween, Dallas!

      CAPTAIN MORGAN Original Spiced Rum. Puerto Rican Rum With Spices And Other Natural Flavors. 35% Alc/Vol. ©2010 Captain Morgan Rum Co., Norwalk, CT. Drink Responsibly – Captain’s Orders!®

      External Sports, NFL

      It wouldn’t be a Giants World Series without one of their players being accused of taking steroids

      October 29, 2010 /
      April 12, 2010: Kansas City Royals' Jose Guillen (6) during the MLB baseball game between the Kansas City Royals vs Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park in Detroit, Michigan.

      The last time the Giants played in the Fall Classic was 2002, when Barry Bonds was at the height of his game and his name couldn’t be brought up without it being synonymous to steroids.

      Now the G-Men are back in the World Series and things wouldn’t feel right if one of their players weren’t being accused of juicing. That’s where outfielder Jose Guillen (who isn’t even on their postseason roster) steps in.

      From ESPN.com:

      San Francisco Giants outfielder Jose Guillen, left off the team’s postseason roster, is linked to a federal investigation into shipments of performance-enhancing drugs, The New York Times reported on its website Thursday night.

      The story, citing several unidentified lawyers, said federal authorities told Major League Baseball they were looking into shipments of human growth hormone, allegedly sent to Guillen’s wife in the Bay Area.

      That was just before the postseason began, The Times said. Guillen was left off the Giants’ roster for all three rounds because of a nagging neck injury, according to manager Bruce Bochy. According to The Times, the Giants were told to leave Guillen off the roster by Major League Baseball.

      The conspiracy theorist will be quick to say that the Giants left Guillen off their postseason roster because they knew he would eventually be caught with steroids. But Guillen was also dealing with a neck injury weeks before the playoffs began and the Giants were deep in the outfield so they went with healthier options (i.e. Cody Ross, who was the NLCS MVP).

      Or maybe they did know and if that’s the case, they were smart to tell him to go home. They obviously don’t need the distraction and it’s not like he was hitting before the playoffs started anyway. If he’s going to be busted for HGH, then it’s better that he’s caught when he’s not affiliated with the team.

      Nevertheless, this isn’t good for Guillen’s career. The Giants picked him up off waivers from the Royals and even before this news broke, the emergence of Ross has made Guillen expendable next season. He won’t be in a Giants uniform next season and if he’s suspended, he may not be in any uniform in 2011. It’s not like the guy has a good track record of being a team player and at his age, he’s not an attractive option right now. It says something when the Royals don’t even want you.

      External Sports, MLB

      LeBron’s new Nike commercial — what do you think?

      October 29, 2010 /

      I’m sure the marketing folks over at Nike dreamt this one up, but it seems like he’s complaining about the criticism he’s had to endure for his own actions. What should he do? He should not break up with the city of Cleveland after seven great years by holding an hour-long special on ESPN. That’s what he should NOT do.

      Love the Don Johnson cameo though!

      External Sports, Fantasy Basketball, NBA, Video

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