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      Can we trust Ben Roethlisberger?

      November 21, 2008 /

      As a fantasy owner that has Ben Roethlisberger in a number of leagues, I can attest that this has been a frustrating year. He was the fifth or sixth QB off the board in most drafts, so his owners were expecting solid starter-quality numbers from him. Over the first six games, he averaged 195 yards passing, 1.5 TD and 0.5 INT. The touchdowns were decent – he was on pace for 24 on the season – but the yards were pretty unimpressive, especially considering that the weather is a whole lot better at the start of the season than it usually is at the end.

      Then came the four-game lull in the mid-season. Over that span he averaged 208 passing yards and threw just one TD against eight (eight!) interceptions. Granted, three of those games – the Giants, the Redskins and the Colts – were against tough pass defenses, but other than a few nagging injures, there really is no excuse for his performance during that span. In the fourth game (versus San Diego), he started to look like himself again, throwing for 308 yards on 31 of 41 passing.

      Many owners were justifiably hesitant to start him this week, as evidenced by his 49% start percentage in all ESPN leagues. The Bengals’ defense is better than usual this year fantasy-wise and a big game for Big Ben was no sure thing. But for the second straight week, Roethlisberger looked pretty good. He completed 17 of 30 passes for 243 yards and a TD, and also ran for a TD in the fourth quarter. His numbers would have been even better if not for a couple of dropped passes and a costly offensive pass interference play that brought back a big gainer by Hines Ward.

      So can we trust him? Well, sort of. His upcoming schedule – @ NE, DAL, @ BAL and @ TEN – looks worse on paper than it does in person. The Patriots, Cowboys and Ravens all have injury issues on defense, so Roethlisberger should be able to post decent numbers over that span. I wouldn’t plan on starting him in Week 16 against the Titans, however. That’s just asking for trouble.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      Knicks, Warriors agree to Crawford/Harrington trade

      November 21, 2008 /

      Al Harrington said he wanted out, and the Warriors have swung a deal to send the forward to the Knicks for Jamal Crawford.

      Harrington went public with a trade demand just before the start of the season after privately urging Golden State to move him for months. New York had immediate interest, seeing the versatile and mobile Harrington as an ideal frontcourt fit in new coach Mike D’Antoni’s up-tempo system.

      It will require the Knicks to part with Crawford, their leading scorer and another player they had pegged to flourish under D’Antoni. The Warriors, according to NBA front-office sources, see Crawford as a versatile guard who, although not a pure floor leader, can function well in coach Don Nelson’s system while Monta Ellis recovers from ankle surgery — and in tandem with Ellis once he returns.

      Yet it’s believed that Walsh has multiple motivations for re-acquiring one of his favorites. Another sizable lure is Harrington’s contract, which pays him $9.2 million this season, $10 million next season and expires after the 2009-10 campaign. That meshes with New York’s intent to slice payroll and get as far under the salary cap as possible for the highly anticipated free-agent summer of 2010 to join the bidding for Cleveland’s LeBron James.

      Crawford has a player option after this season that would extend his contract by two years and $19.4 million. He is likely to exercise that option, so the Knicks were smart to move him if the main goal is to cut salary prior to the summer of 2010, when a number of high-profile free agents may hit the market.

      The combo guard is playing the best ball of his career, and at 28, he is in his prime. He should be a nice fit in Golden State with or without Monta Ellis at his side. Crawford can run the point, but his natural position is off guard. He’s a volume shooter, as he has only shot better than 42% once in his career. But when he gets hot, he’s an unstoppable scorer.

      Al Harrington has seen his numbers decline over the last few seasons after falling out of favor with Don Nelson. He should be a good fit as a power forward in Mike D’Antoni’s up-tempo attack. He’s athletic and can hit the long ball pretty effectively. I’m not sure what this means for David Lee, who plays the same position as Harrington (albeit in a very different way). It’s possible that the Knicks will package Lee with Zach Randolph or Eddy Curry in order to sweeten the pot for potential trade partners. Getting rid of either contract would go a long way to clearing serious cap space in the near future.

      Fantasy Basketball, NBA

      Chris Crocker lays the wood on Santonio Holmes

      November 21, 2008 /

      Santonio Holmes can thank Hines Ward for this shot he took Thursday night in the Steelers’ 27-10 win over the Bungles.

      Of course Browns and Falcons fans are probably like, “Wait a minute – that couldn’t have been Chris Crocker. The Chris Crocker we know would have gotten burnt for a long touchdown pass on that play.”

      NFL, Video

      Mitch Albom reacts to Rich Rodriguez’s “Get a life” comments

      November 21, 2008 /

      Mitch Albom of the Detroit Free Press has two separate thoughts on Rich Rodriguez’s recent comments that Michigan fans should “Get a life.”

      Rich RodriguezBut I am of two minds on Rodriguez’s comments. On one level, he is absolutely correct. The venom that you find on blogs or on talk radio is beyond fandom. It comes from a darker place: Anger, frustration, jealousy spit out in almost murderous tones — all of it masked by a Web name so no one has to admit who he is or where you can find him.

      After all, these are college kids. They don’t get paid; they are, in some cases, one year out of high school. Compared to real issues — the economy is just one — their losing games is minor. Rodriguez is right about that.

      On the other hand, if things were going well, no amount of hype would be too much for Rodriguez. The bigger the hoopla, the higher the ratings, the more precious the tickets — the happier he would be. The same guy who is saying “look at the economy” wasn’t trying to keep football in perspective when he broke his contract with West Virginia and took a huge one in Ann Arbor, including millions the school had to pay to free him from his WVU obligations.

      He came here fluffed with hype, a whiz kid set to turn around a solid but stodgy program and gun the motor to a national championship. Instead, he got a little drunk on his own reviews, took a few shots to the chin and the gut, and is staggering home as night falls. He says “get a life.” The fans say “get a team.” And all most people want is to get this season over with.

      I think this season was good for Rich Rod. He got knocked on his ass for the first time in his career and now he realizes that he can’t plug just any player into his system and make it run like a corvette. And let’s be honest – he got what he deserved for leaving WVU in the lurch.

      But all this will be moot in a couple of years. He still has plenty of recruiting power at Michigan and he’ll eventually land the quarterback he needs to run his spread option offense. The Wolverines will be relevant again, but it won’t be this weekend in Columbus.

      College Football

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