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      Shawne Merriman has ligament damage in knee – Chargers’ GM not happy

      August 22, 2008 /

      The San Diego Union-Tribune is reporting that Chargers’ linebacker Shawne Merriman has ligment damage in his left knee and might miss the entire season if he opts for surgery.

      “It’s finding out what do I need to fix, what I need to do,” Merriman said by phone. “If it’s left up to me, I want to play football. I can’t stand sitting out.”

      Merriman’s options for fixing what he said was a torn posterior cruciate ligament (among other issues) in his left knee range from doing nothing to having a surgery that would delay the start of his season to undergoing reconstructive surgery that would keep him out all season.

      On a semi-related note, the Tribune also noted that Chargers’ GM A.J. Smith isn’t too pleased with Merriman’s activities off the field.

      Asked yesterday how he felt about Merriman’s latest venture, wherein the linebacker will fly from San Diego to Los Angeles after practice each Thursday and tape a show about the NFL on Fox Sports Net, Smith said this:

      “My feeling about any of his off-the-field activities will be between me and Shawne. Shawne has many, many activities off the field, and that’s his business, along with his agents, marketing people, publicist and business partners. My only hope is that he remembers his high-level football performance is what drives his off-the-field attraction.”

      Smith should be reminded that these players have lives off the football field. While it’s true Merriman is being paid millions of dollars to play football, it’s still only a job. If he wants to pursue other things off the field, it should be nobody’s business but his own.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      Top 25 Questions for 2008 College Football Season

      August 22, 2008 /

      FOX Sports.com complied 25 questions facing teams heading into the 2008 College Football Season. Below is the top two; click the link above to see all top 25.

      1. Is Ohio State really on target for a third straight shot at a national title?
      Start getting used to the notion of the Buckeyes being favored to return to the BCS Championship game, looking for redemption after losing badly to Florida and LSU in back-to-back tries. Ohio State is absolutely loaded with talent and has a massive scarlet and gray chip on its shoulder. A consensus favorite in the Big Ten, the Bucks will get tested in the league, but gets their best chance to quiet critics with a Sept. 13 trip to USC. Without nitpicking, it’s hard to find a glaring weakness other than the national perception. Now all Ohio State has to do is get back to another title game and close the deal this time.

      2. How will Georgia manage a nasty schedule and a year-long target on its chest?
      As far back as last November, Georgia was being considered a presumptive favorite for the 2009 BCS championship. Back then, the Dawgs were too young and having too much fun to think about expectations. This fall, they’re going to hear about it from fans and the media every single day. While there’s certainly enough talent to come through, the Bulldogs will have to prove they can handle an immense amount of pressure and scrutiny, while navigating a slate that includes trips to South Carolina, Arizona State, LSU and Auburn, visits from Alabama and Tennessee, and one titanic game with Florida in Jacksonville.

      If the Buckeyes beat (I hesitate to use the word “upset” because the programs are 2-3 in the polls) USC, they should be on easy street the rest of the year. The Big Ten is a joke, even though Wisconsin is a solid program. The Badgers are incredibly beat up (especially on the defensive line) for this early in the season and even though they’re OSU’s biggest threat in the conference, the Buckeyes still have the better talent.

      And it’s going to be hard for Georgia to stay atop the polls all season. Not only do they have a brutal schedule, but also the offensive line is largely inexperienced and it might take time for the unit to gel with two ’07 starters switching positions. The Bulldogs are loaded with talent, but they’ve got a minefield ahead of them playing in the SEC.

      College Football

      Fantasy Football Update: 8/21

      August 21, 2008 /

      This is an addendum to the Fantasy Football Preview published on Bullz-Eye.com.

      The tough thing about publishing fantasy football rankings in early August is that the game is fluid and things are continually changing as injuries occur, depth charts are modified and camp battles won. In an effort to keep our readers on top of things, here are several players that are rising or falling as the training camps progress.

      RISING

      Chris Johnson, RB, Titans
      Johnson says that he wants to be rookie of the year, so the kid has high aspirations. He’s slated right now to the “lightning” to LenDale White’s “thunder,” but White has never been one of Jeff Fisher’s favorites, so the team might just give Johnson as big of a role as he can handle. I doubt he takes over the job, but it sure looks like a RBBC is forming in Nashville.

      Chris Perry, RB, Bengals
      Perry has been having a strong preseason and, given Rudi Johnson’s lingering injury problems, he has been tentatively given the starting job. This could be a motivational tactic aimed towards Rudi, and Perry has had injury issues of his own throughout his career, but right now he looks like a nice gamble in the late-middle rounds.

      Larry Johnson, RB, Chiefs
      LJ has looked good thus far and seems to be back on track. The big question is if Brodie Croyle is capable of keeping opposing secondaries honest. With his foot looking like it’s completely healed, Johnson has become a solid pick in the early second round.

      Phillip Rivers, QB, Chargers
      Rivers reportedly looks terrific in camp and has improved his strength and reaction time. Now that Antonio Gates is back in action, Rivers has all of his weapons in place.

      Ray Rice, RB, Ravens
      Willis McGahee has a sore knee and his (lack of a) work ethic has him on the outs with the team. Rice has been a nice surprise in camp and could work his way into the starting role if the team decided to part ways with McGahee (or if he can’t go because of the knee). At the very least, he’s a must-handcuff for McGahee owners.

      Wes Welker, WR, Patriots
      That mysterious ailment that kept Welker out of practice turned out to be a groin injury. He says he’s 100%, so there’s no reason to think that he won’t be able to finish in the top 15 in PPR leagues. He’s a nice pick in the fourth round.

      Ted Ginn, WR, Dolphins
      Chad Pennington gives the team a bona fide NFL QB (though the team hasn’t given him the job yet), so look for Ginn and WR2 Derek Hagan to do a little better than we might have expected before the trade. Ginn is a second-year WR with a lot of talent, so he’s a breakout candidate and is an interesting pick once the rounds hit double digits.

      Ricky Williams, RB, Dolphins
      Williams has looked so good thus far that there were actually rumors that the team was thinking about moving the oft-injured Ronnie Brown before the season. The coaching staff has squashed that rumor, but it does look like Williams has earned a bigger than average role for a backup RB, and should be one of the first backups selected on draft day. He might even begin the season as a starter.

      Michael Turner, RB, Falcons
      “The Burner” has looked great in the preseason and some folks are thinking that maybe the Falcons’ running game won’t be that bad. The fact that Atlanta is likely to be playing from behind a majority of the time is still a concern, but Turner looks like he’s ready for prime time. I’d be happy to take him in the fourth round.

      Nate Burleson, WR, Seahawks
      Somebody has to catch passes in Seattle, and right now Burleson is the best the Seahawks have. He’s been a fantasy tease for a few years now, but he’s an interesting pick in the late-middle rounds.

      Jonathan Stewart, RB, Panthers
      Stewart appears to be healthy and will get an opportunity to run with the first team in the Panthers’ next preseason game. The team is clearly down on DeAngelo Williams, so if Stewart can get his power game going, he may be the main back early in the season.

      Antonio Gates, TE, Chargers
      Gates has finally been cleared to return to practice, so he should be good to go for week 1. This news solidifies his standing in that top tier of TEs along with Jason Witten, Tony Gonzalez and Kellen Winslow.

      Steve Slaton, RB, Texans
      The feature back job in Houston is up for grabs, and Slaton has been the most impressive thus far in camp. Ahman Green is hurt and Chris Brown will probably assume the #1 role until he gets injured. Slaton is probably too small for full time duty in the NFL, but he could turn into a decent spot starter, which isn’t bad for a guy available late in fantasy drafts.

      FALLING

      Bobby Engram, WR, Seahawks
      Engram has a shoulder injury that is going to keep him out until at least week 5. He has gone from a savvy pick in the 8th round, to a savvy pick in the 11th or 12th. Remember, he’s 35, so there’s no guarantee that he is going to heal quickly.

      Peyton Manning, QB, Colts
      Manning still is sidelined with a knee injury and the team is saying that they hope to have him back for the season opener. I wouldn’t get too worried about Peyton, but I wouldn’t take him in the second round either. Tony Romo and Drew Brees are safer bets right now at QB.

      Rudi Johnson, RB, Bengals
      Johnson has been battling a sore hamstring. As a result, he has lost his starting job and has gone from an interesting mid-round pick to a late round flier.

      Matt Hasselbeck, QB, Seahawks
      He lost Bobby Engram to injury and now he has a sore back. Hass is still worth a pick in the 8th or 9th, but I’d much rather have Jay Cutler or Donovan McNabb.

      Ronnie Brown, RB, Dolphins
      Brown is recovering from knee surgery and now has an injured thumb. To make matters worse, Ricky Williams is looking good, so it seems like Brown could open the season as a backup. That makes his fourth-round ADP look ridiculous.

      Willis McGahee, RB, Ravens
      Head coach John Harbaugh says that McGahee is the starter when he’s ready to go, but the rumblings from Baltimore paint a bleaker picture. They say that McGahee’s poor work ethic has him in the doghouse and Ray Rice keeps vying for the starting job. I’d still grab McGahee in the fourth, but only after guys like Brandon Jacobs, Earnest Graham and Thomas Jones are off the board.

      Chad Johnson, WR, Bengals
      It’s all about the dislocated shoulder. The team says he’ll be fine, but they also indicated that the injury was a big part of the decision to re-sign Chris Henry. Johnson should be okay, but I don’t think I’d draft him before Plaxico Burress, Wes Welker or Anquan Boldin until we know he’s good to go.

      Kevin Curtis, WR, Eagles
      Curtis is going to miss about half the season with a sports hernia injury. Obviously, his stock should take a huge hit, and he isn’t worth anything but a late-round flier with the thinking that he might be back to help during the late-season push.

      Ahman Green, RB, Texans
      I thought this was a horrible contract when the Texans first signed Green and now it looks even worse. Green is hurt again and he might just get cut if he can’t get it together. Stay away, stay far away.

      Fantasy Football, NFL, Rumors & Gossip

      Last chance to win a Wii by playing Hey! Nielsen’s trivia challenge

      August 21, 2008 /

      Monday will be the last chance for you to win a Wii prize back, which is loaded with a Wii game console and a variety of sports games, just for playing Hey! Nielsen’s Olympic trivia-thon challenge.

      It’s free and all you have to do is be a registered member of Hey! Nielsen, which doesn’t take long to set up.

      Also, while you’re testing your Olympic knowledge, be sure to check out Hey! Nielsen’s “Ask A Blogger” feature on The Scores Report.

      General Sports, Television, The Olympics

      Bullz-Eye baseball prediction from 2007 looking eerily prophetic

      August 21, 2008 /

      When we assembled our annual piece on the year in sports for Bullz-Eye, the piece was coming along really well, but something seemed a tad off to me. It was too…serious. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, mind you. John and Anthony dissect sports as well as anyone. But one section of our year-in-review piece is dedicated to predicting what we think will happen. For me, that is a golden opportunity to let loose with the craziest idea you can think of, have a laugh, go all Onion on everyone.

      After hearing that the Tampa Bay Devil Rays were changing their name, this is what I thought of.

      God anoints the ‘Devil’-free Tampa Bay Rays His new favorites; team wins World Series

      No song with the word “Devil” in the title has ever made it to Number One on the pop charts, and the Almighty has the same rules when it comes to baseball. (This mandate clearly does not apply to hockey, though that makes sense now that we think about it.) When pitchers and catchers report for spring training, God will hold a press conference, admitting that He had been punishing Tampa Bay for their transgression. “I really like that Crawford kid, and the way they stole Kazmir from the Mets…that was sweet,” God will be quoted as saying. “It actually bothered me to give them the smackdown year after year, but now that they’ve cleared their name, as it were, I see big things for this team.” The Rays will win the Series in a thrilling Game 7 comeback against the Chicago Cubs, who will have a 3-2 lead with two outs and the bases empty in the bottom of the ninth, then proceed to walk in the tying and winning runs.

      It is now late-August, and with the Cubs’ win today, they have the best record in baseball. The Rays are a game behind them in the win column. Incredibly, this World Series match-up still has a chance of happening. Indeed, my joke prediction has come closer to fruition than some of our more right-minded declarations (see: “The Detroit Tigers will win the Al Central”). That scream you just heard, by the way, was Cubs Nation telling me to shut the hell up for jinxing their team. Anyone who saw Game 6 of the 2003 NLCS knows that my ‘walking in the winning run’ scenario is not that outrageous.

      Anyone wanting to know what tomorrow’s lottery numbers will be, give me a call. I’m feeling lucky.

      Bullz-Eye Sports Channel, MLB

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