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      Blazers impressive in win over Magic

      November 11, 2008 /

      The Portland Trail Blazers are 4-3, but they’ve played a difficult schedule thus far. With losses against the Lakers, Suns and Jazz, and wins against the Spurs, Rockets, Timberwolves and Magic, Portland has only played one “easy” game all year.

      They lost Greg Oden 13 minutes into the first game of the season, but with good play from Brandon Roy (20.9 ppg, 5.7 apg) and LaMarcus Aldridge (18.9 ppg, 7.1 rpg), they’ve been able to win all three home games, and last night they were able to beat a good Orlando team on the road.

      Rudy Fernandez (14.0 ppg) and Travis Outlaw (13.6 ppg) are providing some serious punch off the bench, though it’s not clear why one of them isn’t starting over Nicolas Batum (5.4 ppg), who has started four games this season.

      With the schedule lightening up and Oden due back any day now, the Blazers’ prospects look pretty good. Barring an injury to Roy or Aldridge, the Trail Blazers should be a playoff team, even in the rough and tumble West.

      Fantasy Basketball, NBA

      Tim Lincecum wins NL Cy Young

      November 11, 2008 /

      San Francisco Giants’ 24-year old starter Tim Lincecum won the National League Cy Young award on Tuesday.

      Tim LincecumThe slender kid with the whirling windup on Tuesday joined Mike McCormick (1967) as the only San Francisco Giants pitchers to win a Cy Young.

      Lincecum received 23 of 32 first-place votes and 137 points in balloting by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. Brandon Webb of the Arizona Diamondbacks got four first-place votes and finished second with 73 points.

      Well deserved. Nothing against Brandon Webb, but Lincecum was the most dynamic pitcher in the NL this season. Despite pitching for one of the worst lineups in all of baseball, “The Franchise” still found a way to go 18-5 with a 2.62 ERA. Had the Giants had any amount of offense, he would have easily won 20-plus games. I had him ranked No. 3 in my “Best Young Guns Vol. II” article.

      Ironically, the Giants were looking to trade Lincecum in the offseason. GM Brian Sabean (who amazingly still has a job despite several trade gaffs) almost dealt his future ace to the Toronto Blue Jays for Alex Rios.

      MLB

      Marvin Harrison not getting it done on the road

      November 11, 2008 /

      Marvin Harrison must really like Lucas Oil Stadium. In four games, the veteran wideout has caught 19 passes for 249 yards and three TD on the Colts’ home field. That projects to a 76-catch, 996-yard, 12-TD season. That’s not exactly what we’re used to from the standout WR, but it’s a lot better than the 53-catch, 635-yard, 5-TD season that he’s currently posting.

      The good news is that the Colts have more home games remaining than road games, but the bad news is that one of those home games comes in Week 17 against the Titans, which doesn’t really help fantasy owners. Harrison can definitely be started in Week 11 at home against the Texans, and in Week 15 at home against the Lions. The other home game (Week 14 against the Bengals) is also a pretty nice matchup, though the 2008 Bungles aren’t as bad as usual against the pass.

      While all three road games – Week 12 @ SD, Week 13 @ CLE and Week 16 @ JAX – do seem appealing, Harrison has posted an average of 2.2 catches for 21.6 yards on the road, and has failed to score a TD. I wouldn’t recommend starting Harrison in any of those matchups unless you don’t have a better option available.

      So what’s the reason for Harrison’s increased production at home? At the old RCA Dome, he was virtually uncoverable on the artificial turf due to his incredible quickness and sharp route running. But Lucas Oil Stadium has Field Turf, which looks and feels like grass, so those advantages should be negated somewhat.

      Maybe Harrison is just getting some good ol’ home cookin’ on game days.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      Broncos to bring back Tatum Bell?

      November 11, 2008 /

      The Broncos are reportedly interested in bringing back the suit case stealer.

      The Broncos are taking a look at Tatum Bell.

      The former Broncos tailback who rushed for 921 yards in 2005 and 1,025 yards in 2006 will work out for the team this morning, according to several NFL sources.

      Bell would make sense given team’s extraordinary injury predicament at tailback and his familiarity with the system.

      At taiback, the Broncos have lost Michael Pittman, Andre Hall, and Ryan Torain to season-ending injuries and a fourth tailback, Selvin Young has been bothered the past month with a groin strain.
      The Broncos selected Bell with their second-round pick in the 2004 draft. He averaged 5.3 yards a carry in his first two seasons, then reached the 1,000-yard threshold in his third. He was then traded to Detroit, along with right tackle George Foster, prior to last season in exchange for cornerback Dre’ Bly.

      Bell, 27, opened the 2008 preseason as the Lions’ No. 1 tailback, but he was released Sept. 2.

      Not a bad idea. Bell was brutal in Detroit, but had success in Denver’s zone-blocking scheme. The Broncos have had major issues running the ball over the past couple weeks and maybe Bell could provide a spark. At 27 years old, he’s certainly worth a look.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      Cardinals should pony up for Anquan Boldin

      November 11, 2008 /

      Anquan BoldinI’m not big on receivers. I think they’re overrated. In fact, I think they are the most overrated, over hyped position in football.

      That said, the Arizona Cardinals need to whip out their checkbook and pay Anquan Boldin what he wants.

      Over the summer Boldin expressed his disappointment that the Cardinals were unwilling to pay him what he thought he was worth. Despite racking up over 400 receptions, 5,000 yards close to 30 touchdowns over the course of his career, the team wanted him to honor the rest of his contract (which runs through 2010).

      The season isn’t over, but Boldin has already proved his worth and then some. Despite missing two games due to a nasal/jaw injury, he leads all NFL receivers with 10 touchdown receptions (four more than any other wideout in the league) and continues to be the backbone of Arizona’s explosive passing game. (No offense to Kurt Warner or Larry Fitzgerald.)

      Most players who feel underpaid would hold out until their team eventually gave in and paid them. After throwing a stink in the offseason that he wanted to be traded, Boldin eventually said that he would shut his mouth and play because he didn’t want to hurt the team. He’s done that. Now the Cardinals should honor him by paying him what he wants. He’s that good.

      The Cards have a rare commodity in Boldin – a consistent receiver who makes plays and rarely lets the team down. They overpaid a couple of seasons ago for Edgerrin James, who isn’t even starting now. The least they could do is pay a guy who actually deserves it and who continues to be one of the best playmakers in the league.

      NFL

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