Page 2008 of 2957

      Pacquiao dominates De La Hoya

      December 8, 2008 /

      I’m not much of a boxing fan, but even I knew that there was a big fight on Saturday. It turns out Manny Pacquiao overcame a weight disadvantage to pound Oscar De La Hoya into a mercy stoppage.

      In the end, it was a bruised, battered and utterly befuddled De La Hoya, 35, sitting with a blank look on his face as new trainer Nacho Beristain stopped the fight after much discussion before the start of the ninth round. It was a mercy stoppage and one that could have come from referee Tony Weeks during the seventh round, a classic example of a 10-8 round without a knockdown. Pacquiao battered De La Hoya in the round, landing 45 power shots, the most ever recorded by CompuBox in the 31 De La Hoya fights it has tracked.

      De La Hoya might have been a shot fighter when he walked up the steps for battle, but Pacquiao, 29, the icon of the Philippines, also deserves credit for the upset in a fight many critics proclaimed as a mismatch. They thought it would be Pacquiao who would be annihilated because he had spent his career fighting in much smaller weight divisions before this leap to welterweight. The ironic thing is that the bigger guy entering the ring was actually Pacquiao. He weighed in officially on Friday at 142 pounds to De La Hoya’s 145. But on HBO’s unofficial scale on fight night, Pacquiao was up to 148½ and De La Hoya was surprisingly only 147.

      Pacquiao’s domination earned him his third victory of the year in his third weight division. A former flyweight, junior featherweight and featherweight champion, Pacquiao won the junior lightweight championship by beating Juan Manuel Marquez in their March rematch and then moved to lightweight, where he won a title with a destruction of David Diaz in June. Pacquiao then made the jump to welterweight to face De La Hoya and surely locked up fighter of the year honors by completing his Henry Armstrongesque year.

      Next up for Pacquiao likely will be junior welterweight champion Ricky Hatton in the spring. For De La Hoya, let’s hope there is no next fight. If this is indeed the end for him, as it should be, he deserves our respect for a great career and a hearty thanks for the memories. He will be missed but he will not be forgotten.

      It’s funny how all the pre-fight talk was about De La Hoya’s weight advantage, but it was Pacquiao that actually weighed in a little heavier just before the fight. Not funny like “ha ha” funny, but funny like “hmmm” funny.

      Screw it – you know what I mean.

      Boxing, Television

      Laveranues Coles takes shots at Brett Favre

      December 8, 2008 /

      Jets’ wide receiver Laveranues Coles took the opportunity to fire back at the media and everyone else who suggests the team’s turnaround this season has been all because of Brett Favre:

      Brett FavreJets’ WR Laveranues Coles took a couple of shots at QB Brett Favre leading up to today’s game vs. the San Francisco 49ers. Coles’ comments appear on a couple of San Francisco Bay-area web sites this morning and are getting some play on WFAN radio.

      In an item on sfgate.com titled ‘Coles not a big Favre fan’, the veteran Jets’ receiver says the Jets’ offense is basically dictated by Favre and that passes delivered by Favre don’t come in any harder than the football-throwing machines the Jets use in practice:

      “Day in and day out, I catch balls from the Jugs machine. It probably comes out there harder from there than it does anywhere else,” Coles said. “So there’s nothing different about (catching passes from Favre).”

      InsideBayArea.com has another item on Coles, saying that Favre gets too much credit for the team’s success:

      “If you understand the game, you understand that it’s more than just Brett Favre in dealing with this ballclub,” Coles said. “Of course, he’s the big name. He’s the (future) Hall of Famer and he’s going to get the majority of the credit. But most of the guys who deserve the credit don’t really get it.”

      This is interesting because there’s an on-going debate right now in the comments section of John Paulsen’s latest column regarding whether or not the Packers would be better off with Favre under enter this season than Aaron Rodgers.

      Here’s the thing, Brett Favre is only one player. He’s one hell of a player, but he’s only one player. The Jets added a couple of significant pieces this offseason and Favre was only one of those pieces. Alan Faneca has boosted the play of the offensive line, which has led to a bounce back year by running back Thomas Jones, which has aided Favre’s transition from Green Bay to New York. Kris Jenkins was also brought in to boost the run defense, which had been a major weakness until this season.

      One player doesn’t make a team and while Coles sounds a little bitter that he’s not receiving the same love as Favre is, that’s just the way it goes. The media loves to praise a quarterback when a team wins and throw them directly under the bus when a team loses. If the Jets continue to implode, then everyone can rest assured that Brett’s going to come under some scrutiny.

      NFL

      Congrats on your undefeated season Boise State – good luck in the toilet bowl

      December 8, 2008 /

      Ian JohnsonFor all the BCS supporters that say the system is set up fairly, I’d like to point out what bowl undefeated Boise State is playing in this year: The San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl.

      That’s right, the Broncos get the honor of playing in the honored tradition of the ole’ SDCCU Poinsettia Bowl against TCU on December 23 at who-gives-a-sh*t PM ET.

      So let me see if I got this right. Boise State goes undefeated throughout the regular season, ranks in the top 10 of the BCS standings and what does that get them? The Poinsettia Bowl. Sweet.

      The matchup is actually pretty good; the Horned Frogs have one of the fastest and most underrated defenses in college football and should match up well with the Broncos’ potent offense.

      But the Poinsettia Bowl is the best college football can do for Boise State? I know they didn’t play anybody outside of Oregon and don’t have the tradition or fan-power as say Ohio State, who, by the way, got the at-large bid over Boise to play Texas in the Fiesta Bowl. But the Poinsettia Bowl on December 23rd? Weak!

      College Football

      Fantasy Fallout: Week 14

      December 8, 2008 /

      Everything you need to know (and a lot that you don’t) about the fantasy implications of Week 14.

      QUARTERBACKS

      Kyle Orton (219 yards, 2 TD, INT) had a pretty nice game against the Jags, and he is a solid start next week against the Saints, assuming the weather is decent…It was a very disappointing performance from Eli Manning (123 yards, TD) though he did throw for a late TD to avoid a totally miserable day…In my book, Matt Ryan (315 yards, TD, INT, rush TD) is the clear cut rookie of the year (assuming the Falcons don’t collapse during the stretch run). He didn’t get the win, but he continued to make plays…Shaun Hill (285 yards, 2 TD, INT) had an excellent day for fantasy owners brave enough to start him against a sketchy Jets pass defense. He has thrown nine TD over the last five games and has Miami and St. Louis over the next two weeks, so he’s a viable starter for owners in need…Brett Favre (137 yards, INT) was surprisingly ineffective against a mediocre 49ers pass defense, but he did run for a TD…Kurt Warner (279 yards, TD, INT) got off to a great start, but didn’t have to throw much in the second half since the Cardinals were so far ahead.

      RUNNING BACKS

      Joseph Addai (12 touches, 40 yards) left the game with some sort of a shoulder injury, so this is something to keep an eye on this week at practice. Addai’s injury-plagued season has been a disappointment…Jamal Lewis (9 touches, 10 yards) was absolutely brutal against a Titans defense that is only mediocre (fantasy-wise) against opposing running backs. I don’t feel good about the Cleveland offense with Ken Dorsey at the helm…Pierre Thomas (17 touches, 109 yards, 2 TD) saved my proverbial butt in one fantasy playoff this week. He is the clear cut change-of-pace back to Reggie Bush (13 touches, 106 yards, TD)…Steve Slaton (29 touches, 160 yards) had a huge yardage day but failed to find the endzone. The Packers simply can’t stop the run, so over the next three weeks, Maurice Jones-Drew, Matt Forte and Kevin Smith have great matchups…Marshawn Lynch broke a string of three good games with a miserable 14-touch, 35-yard, zero-TD performance, likely knocking any fantasy owners out of the playoffs in the process…Frank Gore (17 touches 65 yards, TD) left the game with an ankle injury and DeShawn Foster (17 touches, 43 yards) took his place. Miami is a tough matchup next week, but in Week 16 the 49ers have the Rams, so Foster may be worth a pickup for owners in need…It’s tough to trust Larry Johnson right now. He only gained 36 yards on 11 carries against a suspect Denver rush defense…Clinton Portis (14 touches, 46 yards) missed much of the second half for undisclosed reasons, which obviously isn’t a good sign. Ladell Betts (9 touches, 60 yards) got most of the work with Portis out, but was ineffective as a runner (6 carries, 3 yards)…Willis McGahee and Ray Rice both left the Sunday night game with injuries, so that leaves LeRon McClain (20 carries, 61 yards, TD) as the potentially only healthy back in the Ravens three-back rotation. A matchup next week with Pittsburgh isn’t ideal…Brandon Jacobs (10 carries, 52 yards) re-aggravated his knee injury. He’s likely to have an MRI early this week.

      WIDE RECEIVERS

      Marvin Harrison (3-78-1) had another good game at home. On the year, he has posted 31-404-5 in six home games (for an average of 16.9 fantasy points). On the road, he has tallied 20-179-0 in seven home games (for an average of 5.4 fantasy points). He’s a great start next week at home against the Lions…The Giants were ready for DeSean Jackson who didn’t catch a pass and had two rush attempts for -9 yards…Braylon Edwards (3-38) was quiet with Ken Dorsey at QB. I’d stay away from the entire Cleveland offense for the remainder of the season…Jerricho Cotchery (1-10) and Laveranues Coles (1-5) were both awful today…Wes Welker (12-134) outplayed Randy Moss (3-56), who continues to be very spotty this season…

      TIGHT ENDS

      Visanthe Shiancoe (5-65-1) was the Vikings’ best receiver on Sunday and continues to develop into a viable starting fantasy TE…After a rough first half of the season, Jeremy Shockey (5-64) has 20 catches for 212 yards over the last four games, making him a solid start in PPR leagues. Surprisingly, he hasn’t caught a TD all year…Dustin Keller (2-14) picked a bad, bad time to break his string of four great fantasy games…John Carlson (8-69-1) has posted 14-174-1 over the last two weeks and is a solid start with two great matchups in the next two weeks…Tony Scheffler (5-61) had a nice PPR day for the second straight week…

      FREE AGENTS

      Now for a few players that might still be on your league’s waiver wire…

      Gus Frerotte (70 yards, 2 INT) was knocked out of the game with a back injury and Tarvaris Jackson (105 yards, TD) played pretty well in his place. I wouldn’t trust him to start next week against Arizona…If Joseph Addai can’t go next week, Dominic Rhodes would be an excellent start against Detroit…L.J. Smith (6-44) has caught nine passes in the last two weeks and is working his way back to fantasy respectability…Davone Bess (9-74) had another strong day in PPR leagues. Over the last three weeks he has posted 20 catches for 245 yards and is a better WR option than Ted Ginn right now…Deion Branch (4-88-2) is definitely worth a pickup. The strong performance followed up his 5-56 last week. Seattle has the Rams and the Jets over the next two weeks, so Branch is a sneaky good start during the stretch run. The same goes for Seneca Wallace (212 yards, 3 TD, 47 rush yards), who played great in place of the injured Matt Hasselbeck. Maurice Morris (16 touches, 58 yards) got most of the work in the Seattle backfield…Peyton Hillis (9 touches, 69 yards, TD) left the game with a hamstring injury, so Tatum Bell (13 touches, 66 yards) suddenly gets a boost in value…Tashard Choice (28 touches, 166 yards) saved a lot of sharp Marion Barber owners this week. The Cowboys are really against the wall now, so it will be interesting to see how they handle MBIII next week.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      BCS odds released: Florida 3-point favorite over Oklahoma

      December 8, 2008 /

      The opening point spreads for the BCS bowl games have officially been released with oddsmakers establishing the Florida Gators as 3-point favorites over the Oklahoma Sooners in the national title matchup.

      Rose Bowl: Penn State +10 vs. USC
      Orange Bowl: Virginia Tech +2 vs. Cincinnati
      Sugar Bowl: Utah +10 vs. Alabama
      Fiesta Bowl: Ohio State +10 vs. Texas
      BCS National Championship Game: Florida –3 vs. Oklahoma

      I would say oddsmakers have the opening lines pegged right. And if (“if” – ha!) I were a gambling man, I would definitely lay the wood on USC to beat Penn State and Alabama to beat Utah, although the public will certainly push both of those lines up over the next couple weeks and the Utes might give ‘Bama a game because of their defense and the fact that the Sugar Bowl is a letdown for the Tide after losing to Florida in the SEC Championship.

      The other bowls I’m not so sure about. The Bearcats have had a great season, but Frank Beamer’s defense looked stifling in the ACC Championship Game and you have to like what Tyrod Taylor brings to the table, although Cincy’s defense is no joke either. And the Buckeyes beat the Longhorns three years ago in Austin so a pissed off Texas team should still get a game from Terrelle Pryor and OSU.

      The title game is a doozy. The public loves the favorite, so that line will likely go up, too. And for as well as the Gators are playing, one has to believe Sam Bradford and the Sooners’ dynamic offense will keep that game close. That might be a game to take the over, although the opening total has been set at 71.5.

      Now take all the above information and fade my ass to a nice pay day.

      College Football

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