Greg Oden may be out for the year but in my latest column, I discuss several NBA rookies who should make a splash this season, led by Seattle’s Kevin Durant and Atlanta’s Al Horford. Speaking of making a splash, the Lakers really need to consider dealing Kobe Bryant to a division foe.
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In an interview with MSNBC that aired Thursday night, Barry Bonds said he plans to boycott his own Hall of Fame induction ceremony if they accept the record-breaking 756th home run ball that was branded with an asterisk by fashion designer Marc Ecko.
“I don’t think you can put an asterisk in the game of baseball, and I don’t think that the Hall of Fame can accept an asterisk,” Bonds said. “You cannot give people the freedom, the right to alter history. You can’t do it. There’s no such thing as an asterisk in baseball.”
What? You altered history by taking illegal steroids, Barry! By having the freedom to take roids, you altered one of the most historic records in Major League Baseball. It’s mind-boggling how this guy honestly believes that he never did anything wrong. He still believes that he earned all of this and everyone in baseball should bow down to him.
This is just like a kid that’s guaranteed a new bike if he gets straight A’s. He manages to get straight A’s, but eventually his parents find out that he cheated. Even when there’s proof that he cheated, the kid still denies that he’s done anything wrong, and then wonders where his new bike is.
The whole thing is sad, really.
Every week, I highlight a few players to start and a few players to sit at each position. I’m a firm believer in starting your studs, so I won’t tell you about how Carson Palmer or LaDainian Tomlinson has a tough matchup – just go ahead and start them. I’ll focus on the borderline guys – players you’ll only start under the right circumstances. It’s important to note that depending on your roster and situation, you may not be able to follow these recommendations. For example, if I suggest you bench a solid starter like Ben Roethlisberger, only do so if you have a clearly better option on your bench.
START ‘EM
QB: Matt Hasselbeck has a terrific matchup against the Browns, who have allowed a second worst 271 passing yards per game and a league worst 18 TD passes…Jay Cutler faces the Lions, who played well last week against the Bears, but are the league’s third worst pass defense on the season…Phillip Rivers looks like a great start against the Vikings, who are terrific against the run but can’t stop the pass to save their lives…Jon Kitna has a nice matchup against the Broncos, who are pretty good yardage-wise, but have allowed 13 pass TD thus far this season.
RB: This may be the last time that owners can use Travis Henry and he has a nice matchup against the Lions, who have yielded 109 yards and 1.0 TD on the ground in the first seven games…If Ahman Green plays, he’s not a bad start against the Raiders, who are good against the pass, but can’t stop the run…Clinton Portis is a nice start this week as he faces the Jets, who are 27th against the run this season…LenDale White also has a good matchup against Carolina.
WR: Lee Evans has been spotty this year, but he’s a nice start this week against the Bengals, who are simply awful against the pass…Vincent Jackson and Chris Chambers are sneaky good starts this week against the Vikings, who have allowed a league worst 289 yards per game this season…D.J. Hackett returns from a high ankle sprain to a nice matchup against the Browns. It looks like Deion Branch is out, so Hackett should start…Roddy White looks like a nice start against the 49ers, who have been pretty bad lately against the pass.
SIT ‘EM
QB: Kurt Warner has a number of good weapons to throw to, but he faces the Bucs, who have allowed the second fewest yards passing yards and just six TD this season…Desperate owners should not look to Sage Rosenfels for help this week. He faces the Raiders who have the league’s third best pass defense…Likewise, keep David Carr on your bench. He faces the Titans who have allowed just 7 TD against 11 INT this season.
RB: DeShaun Foster should be benched this week since he faces the Titans, who have the league’s best rush defense…Thomas Jones is an iffy start given his tough matchup with the Redskins who are 9th in the league against the run.
WR: Andre Johnson may return this week, but he faces the Raiders who are very stingy against he pass. On the season, they have allowed just 179 yards and 0.8 TD per game this season…Ron Curry is dinged up, so he should be benched against a Texans defense that is peaking against the pass.
Check back on Friday for my Sleeper of the Week, players that may face Tough Sledding as well as a few DT picks.
Former New York Yankees manager Joe Torre officially became the new skipper of the Los Angeles Dodgers Thursday, signing an estimated three-year, $13 million contract. Torre will replace Grady Little, who resigned on Tuesday.
“Having grown up in Brooklyn, I have a great understanding of the history of the Dodger organization and I am committed to bringing a world championship back to Los Angeles,” Torre said in a statement released by the team. “I consider it an honor to be a part of this organization, which is one of the most storied franchises in all of sports.”
The Dodgers have a nice balance of young and veteran players, but the chemistry was always off under Little. Torre’s resume speaks for itself and he’ll likely command respect from day one. Players have always gone all out for him, so it appears like this is a good fit. It’ll be interesting to see which players and coaches (i.e. Don Mattingly) will follow him to L.A.
As promised Wednesday, here’s the link for SI.com’s National League Hot Stove Preview, complete with team-by-team offseason projections.
At a glance, unless a one-dimensional Barry Bonds catches your fancy, there aren’t a lot of key free agents coming out of the NL this offseason. Rockies RHP Josh Fogg might command some attention in a weak pitching class, but that probably means that some team is going to overpay for a guy who went 10-9 with a 4.94 ERA for the NL champs last season.
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