Wrapping up the World Series and Some Gridiron Banter

We here at Views from the Couch like to point out the obvious. The Cardinals finished at 90-72 and won the World Series, you know who else finished at 90-72? The Boston Red Sox. Maybe this speaks to the level of competition between leagues, but it just shows that if you just "get into the tournament" you have a chance. Here are a few of my World Series/2011 Baseball wrap-up thoughts:

• If St. Louis re-signs Albert Pujols as far as I am concerned they are the odds on favorite to come out of the NL next year no matter where this class of free agents go next year. Getting Adam Wainwright back next year gives them the biggest impact arm of the offseason.
  
• Two words: Chris Carpenter.
  
• Ron Washington should be fired. Two years in a row he has lost in the World Series and his mismanagement of the wealth of talent on his roster has cost him. Josh Hamilton prior to Games 6 and 7 of the World Series was hitting .230 (15-65). Nelson Cruz during the same time period was .309 (13-42) and Mike Napoli was at .314 (16-51). Josh Hamilton was admirably playing through a sports hernia, but was leaving guys on base at a painstakingly high rate. Nelson Cruz and Mike Napoli were arguably the most consistent hitters on the Rangers throughout the post season and they were hitting 7^th and 8^th throughout the duration of the postseason. Washington didn't make the moves that were necessary to win the game. Along with some questionable bullpen moves (Darren Oliver? CJ Wilson?), he did not put his players in the best position to help the team win. Isn't that what a good manager is supposed to do?
  
• Speaking of mismanaging, how lucky is Tony LaRussa that his major gaffe with the bullpen in Game 5 didn't cost him this Fall Classic? I'm not positive who he was covering for, whether it was his own mistake, his bullpen coach or a player but not having the reliever he wanted warming up in the bullpen seemed very strange. Would love to know what actually happened during that inning.
  
• Speaking of Terry Francona, with the news that Tony LaRussa has retired from professional baseball, would he not be the perfect manager for St. Louis?
  
• I'm not sure if we just watched David Freese turn into a pre-eminent 3^rd baseman in baseball or just rode an insane hot streak in the Postseason his playoff performance was right up there with Beltran '04.
  
• Game 6 of the World Series was one of the top 3 World Series games of all-time. With Freese coming through not once but twice with the game-tying and game-winning RBI's. The Texas Rangers bullpen collapse. Nelson Cruz's non-catch. The Cardinals being the only team to come back in the 9^th and 10^th inning of a must-win game. Lance Berkman's clutch hit in the 10^th. The first 7 innings of the game were sloppy but the last 5 were so epic beyond measure that it catapulted the game into the Game 6 1975, Game 6 1986 and Game 7 1991 stratosphere.
  
• With regards to Nelson Cruz's non-catch, this needs to get more play. While this play was not easy by any stretch, it was a catchable ball and should be on par with Bill Buckner's blunder in 1986. As a fielder in that situation you should not be coasting back to catch the ball on the run. You should be sprinting to a spot and then adjusting to the wall when you get there. A small fundamental flaw was the ultimate demise for Texas. He had the game potentially won if he comes up with a catch and didn't.
  
• CJ Wilson's postseason performance probably cost him a shot at getting that 100 million dollar contract.
  

Innings Pitched	Walks	Hits	Earned Runs
28	19	29	18

Quick math says that allowing 48 baserunners in 28 innings in the playoffs gives a WHIP of 1.71. John Lackey's 2011 WHIP? Glad you asked, 1.62, just sayin'.

 

It's time to switch up what is usually diamond-talk from this blogger and focus on the gridiron. Habitually I fall under the In Belichick We Trust mantra, but along with the rest of the team, he was god-awful on Sunday and deserves to be criticized.

1. Leigh Bodden Release/Dowling to IR- The initial release of Bodden was strange, but he was certainly underperforming his contract and was getting beat week in and week out so it was palatable. It was palatable because the thought was that Ras-I Dowling was going to be coming back to the lineup to fill his void. Dowling was then promptly put on IR and the Patriots already weak secondary was at least weaker from a depth standpoint. What is more puzzling is that Dowling is only 4 weeks away from coming back but the Patriots wanted the roster spot. But for who? Where is this magic safety/cornerback that's supposed to fill this roster spot? Is Belichick going to tell me that an underperforming Leigh Bodden is worse than Antwaun Molden/Ross Ventrone/Phillip Adams? Not after what was on showcase Sunday.
   
2. Gronkowski non-Touchdown Touchdown- Why was it not challenged? There is someone in the Patriots box that gets to look at the replay, the issue with this is that the Patriots hurried to the line. CBS, not wanting to miss a potential touchdown play, stuck with Brady and the offense instead of showing the usual replay after a close play. Because there was no replay on the broadcast the Patriots booth had to go on the naked eye and that was too tough to call from above. This shouldn't matter. There was 4 minutes and 11 seconds; you have all 3 timeouts, and the 2 minute warning upcoming. Worst case scenario, you lose a timeout but the clock still stops because of the replay. Instead Brady burned 1:30 off the clock before the touchdown was completed, and then Belichick was forced to make another strange coaching decision.
   
3. Onside kick- Just another case of Belichick being Belichick. When conventional wisdom says kick it deep you knew Belichick was going to onside kick it. I understand that by and large the Steelers threw all over the Patriots but in the end the defense only gave up 23 points and when your offense usually scores 30+ that isn't a completely unacceptable number of points allowed (yards allowed is another story entirely). But if you think they are going to throw all over you anyway why would you give Roethlisberger (a QB prone to mistakes vs. NE) a short field. The success rate of onside kicks in the league is less than 20% and it's also 0% when you don't kick the ball the required 10 damn yards. You preach, "do your job" and yet you don't trust your team to man up and make 1 stop during crunch time. If you want to see what that defense that was horrible for stretches of the game really is, put them in a pressure situation and see what kind of testicular fortitude they are made of.
   

Not related to yesterday's game directly but it certainly impacted it, maybe it's time for Belichick to step aside as either the GM or defensive coordinator and focus on one thing, because the defense isn't getting better. It has been getting steadily worse since 2007. Bill Belichick has as unique a mind as we've ever seen on the football field, but the amount of 'misses' he's had personnel related the last half decade is mounting. Maybe he either needs to defer some of the responsibility he has accumulated and focus on one thing. Maybe he needs to find someone else to evaluate talent. Maybe the defensive genius is more a byproduct of Bill Parcells than a byproduct of his unique mind. Maybe Lawrence Taylor was the brilliant one behind the Giants defense in the 80s, not Belichick. Maybe, like the Red Sox, the Patriots need a 'new voice' commanding their ship.

Stay Tuned

Norton

Fantasy Forum: Sell High, Buy Low Candidates

It’s that time of year in fantasy football. In all of your leagues it’s become clear who’s a contender and who’s a pretender. For those of you in prime position to make a run at your leagues ‘Shiva Bowl’ (if you’re a dedicated follower of The League like I am you’ll know that this is a synonym for the championship) it’s time to start scavenging the bottom feeders’ rosters for upgrades. As a staff we have put together a group of 10 players, 5 in each category, to target or move along for parts from two categories: sell high or buy low. Editor Note:  All fantasy point totals are done using ESPN’s standard scoring system.

SELL HIGH CANDIDATES

Matthew Stafford, QB Detroit Lions

Stafford is currently the 5^th ranked QB according to ESPN averaging 18.4 pts per game. Those numbers are deceiving though given that he hasn’t scored above 20 points since week 3 posting 14, 15, 19, and 11 points subsequently. Defenses are adjusting to the fact that Lions have no running game to speak of and as is always the case with Stafford injuries are starting to rear their ugly head again. He hasn’t made it through a full season in his young career due to an assortment of injuries. He’s made it thru the first 7 weeks this season but is questionable for week 8 with an ankle injury and has a slippery shoulder that could come out of joint at any moment. If you have the chance to flip Stafford for some quality at another position (RB, WR) you’ve been given the green light.

Mark Sanchez, QB New York Jets

The ‘Sanchize’ is currently the 10^th ranked QB in ESPN scoring at 14.6 points per game. Sanchez has never thrown more touchdowns than interceptions in a season and he’s currently at +6 touchdowns to picks this year; that ratio will come back to earth before it’ll head the other direction. He’s also been a running threat like never before helping to buoy his stats in a positive direction. He’s been sitting in the 13 or 14-point range with one game at 26 and one disaster night against Baltimore at -4. I see him falling back to earth a little bit more and not scoring many games above 15 points the rest of the year. Also hurting his value is Rex Ryan’s desire to get back to ground n’ pound. Flip him to someone in your league who is convinced that a player’s ability to win in real football means anything in fantasy football.

Calvin Johnson, WR Detroit Lions

Megatron is sitting atop the WR rankings after 7 weeks and deservedly so. He chalked up 2 TD’s in each of the first 4 games of the year and has 10 on the year, not too shabby to say the least. Given that and the fact that he’s been down in scoring a little bit (11 and 17 past two weeks) and that Stafford appears destined for an injury I think that he’s the perfect guy to swap with someone for a stud RB that’ll help you out the rest of the year. Megatron is a great player don’t get me wrong but he’s not going to have another stretch as hot as the one he did in weeks 1-5. He’ll score around 15 points a game the rest of the year but if you can land a RB (maybe Adrian Peterson or Ray Rice) that has the potential and tends to sit around 20 points a game I say make the move. WR is also a very volatile position due to its dependence on the QB position I tend to think they are easier to replace than other positions.

Larry Fitzgerald, WR Arizona Cardinals

His wagon is attached to Kevin Kolb and that’s not a good thing. Fitz is a great talent and he will always get targets and yards but his numbers have a low ceiling due to Kolb’s inability to get Fitz the ball downfield. The only comparable talent when the ball is in the air deep is Calvin Johnson but the problem is Kolb isn’t a deep thrower. Fitzgerald hasn’t been a total fantasy stud since Kurt Warner retired and I don’t see that changing any time the rest of this year. He’s currently ranked 12^th in ESPN formats but you can still sell him very high due to his name recognition and people’s desire to believe that Kevin Kolb is better than he really is. If you’ve got him and can get great value in return for him go right ahead and swing the deal.

Anquan Boldin, WR Baltimore Ravens

Another guy whose wagon is attached to the wrong QB and doesn’t have too many other WR weapons around him to help him out. The worst thing that ever happened for him and Larry Fitzgerald was them getting separated. They were both fantasy monsters during the Warner years in Arizona but since then they’ve both struggled due to poor QB play. If you saw the Ravens on Monday night against the Jaguars you know why if you have the opportunity to get something good in return for Boldin go ahead and do it. Joe Flacco is having a hell of a time trying to get him the ball and his numbers will suffer because of that.

BUY LOW CANDIDATES

Chris Johnson, RB Tennessee Titans

He’s the 31^st ranked RB in ESPN’s rankings right now but his talents are going to show through eventually…right? He’s a good receiver out of the backfield and contributes 20 to 30 yards in the passing game week in and week out. This week has a matchup against the Colts horrific run defense. He should run wild against this week and get himself kicked into high gear and show that he was worthy of being picked first or second overall in most leagues. He did just run for 2,000 yards 2 years ago the talent and speed are there he just needs to put it all together. If you can get him for a backup RB2 or maybe a low WR2 or WR3 do it, now. He’s too good to suck for a full year.

Phillip Rivers, QB San Diego Chargers

17^th ranked QB currently in ESPN’s rankings. Go get him as fast as you can as cheap as you can. His scoring this year looks like this: 17, 18, 6, 17, 17, 7. He’s a better player than that and has been a top 5 fantasy option for the past 3 years and he’s going to get back there. He’s had two real duds against the Jets (understandable) and Chiefs (not understandable) but otherwise he’s been solid. I expect him to get back towards the top 10 in fantasy QB rankings. All world TE Antonio Gates is also coming back from being injured during weeks 2-6, which will help out immensely.

Roddy White, WR Atlanta Falcons

Roddy’s the 13^th ranked WR right now but that will go up. He’s a top 5 talent who has been hindered by Matt Ryan’s inability to get him the ball consistently. Julio Jones was supposed to help open up White but instead he’s been taking targets and receptions from White. Once the Falcons figure out how to use both of them effectively you’ll have two fantasy monsters on one team. He’s having a down year and has probably frustrated his owner to no end so if you can get him on the cheap make your move. Later in the year you’ll be pleased with your decision to buy low on him.

Jabar Gaffney, WR Washington Redskins

The Redskins have no other options and Gaffney is a reliable receiver. If you can find him on the waiver wire or get him for cheap go grab him. No. 1 WR Santana Moss is out for 5-7 weeks with a broken hand and TE Chris Cooley is done for the year. The only options left for the Redskins are TE Fred Davis and Gaffney. He’s going to get looks and he has some pretty reliable hands. Fantasy football is all about getting touches not whether or not the team is good. He’s going to have a bad QB throwing to him whether it’s Rex Grossman or John Beck but again volume equals points in fantasy football.

Plaxico Burress, WR New York Jets

After meandering thru the first 6 weeks of the season the Jets and Burress finally hooked up and realized how to properly use him leading to a huge week 7. Burress reeled in 3 touchdown passes and chalked up 20 points for his owners though he was probably sitting on most people’s bench. No matter what you think of Burress he’s a beast in the Red Zone and always has been. He’s a big lanky receiver with great hands and now that it appears the Jets have figured out that all you have to do is throw it up to him in the red area and he’ll come down with it. Why they didn’t just plug in tape of Eli Manning to Plaxico Burress from 06, 07, and 08 I don’t know but someone finally unearthed it and properly plugged Burress into the game plan. He’s going to score a lot of scores down the stretch, which equals lots of fantasy points. Go get him on the cheap.

Enjoy the fantasy tips,

Views from the Couch staff

A New Voice and the Rotation Situation

Ben Cherington in, Theo Epstein out. I would be disingenuous saying that Theo looked comfortable sitting in front of a Chicago logo, because he didn't. While delivering his statement he looked nervous, and apprehensive. Once he read his prepared statement and people started asking him baseball related questions he started to warm up to the market, and the media and looked a little more at peace. Seeing that, I ask you this, wouldn't you feel the same way?

While being trite in nature, Theo painted a picture of being that kid from Brookline that lived and breathed Red Sox and watching the 1986 World Series and "writhing" on the floor with emotion after Game 6. He accomplished what every young New England baseball savant wants to do. Run the Red Sox.

His boyhood team became his place of employment. Not like everyone's regular job, he got the privilege to tinker with the team he grew up rooting for and knows firsthand the heartache that Red Sox nation had grown accustomed to for 86 years, and his job was to fix it.

Now when his team needed the most tinkering he left for Chicago.

Why would Theo Epstein not feel the guilt of leaving a team, his team, in disarray? Answer: He does.

Ben Cherington, another born and bred New Englander, it is now your turn. Do New Hampshire proud.

With a swift flick of his wand his first order of business was not finding a new manager, it was not looking into a new medical staff; it was convincing John Lackey to preemptively elect for Tommy John surgery. Score 1 for the new guy.

This is the best move for Lackey on multiple levels. John Lackey was a broken individual at the end of 2011. Snapping at the media, performance nowhere near equal to the salary, and his personal life was in shambles. Just about anything that can go wrong did for him in 2011. A year away from baseball is probably the best thing for a guy who is action-packed with issues. Also from the Red Sox point of view, one of their biggest points of emphasis like any business is as simple as three letters, ROI, Return on Investment. This move should enable them to maximize, or at least put into place a plan to maximize John Lackey's tenure in Boston.

The best part of John Lackey's albatross of a contract however is the injury insurance, Thank you Theo. It states that with any significant time missed with an elbow injury it triggers an option for another year at the league's minimum salary. You may be thinking, "Ew another year", but you get to average the money owed over the length of the contract for the salary cap hit. So, instead of $45.75 million over the next 3 years ($15.25 mil AAV) add another year and the league minimum (approx. 400K) and then average it out ($10.75 mil AAV), a savings of almost 5 million dollars.

With this development, you can be sure that the Red Sox will be active in the free agent market for pitching. Boston needs 1.5 starters, a 4/5 starter and a 5/6 starter. 1.5 you ask? Because the all-important Daisuke Matsuzaka is slated to be back in the majors sometime in mid-2012. There should be a list of about 3 guys the Red Sox should be looking at for the 4^th slot in their rotation:

Mark Buehrle- If you look up consistency in the baseball dictionary his stat sheet would be right there. For the last 10 years he's won atleast 10 games, and in 8 of those years he's won 13 or more, including this past year. He has thrown at least 200 innings every year since 2001. He would also add 'pace' to the game, which has been becoming increasingly arduous with the likes of Josh Beckett and John Lackey taking over a minute between pitches at times. Chicago has not made public whether or not Buehrle would be a priority for them, but for Boston he would be the perfect fit. 2 years 25 million should be enough compensation to get a deal done.

Edwin Jackson- He has pitched for 6 teams in his brief Major League career but his remarkably smooth throwing motion makes me think that he is one of the only pitchers in this year's free agent crop that I would give more than a 2 year deal to. He has flashes of brilliance, but also has trouble with command at times. Would definitely be a perfect 4 starter in Boston. I would seriously consider a 3 year deal for Jackson at around 10 million per year.

Jason Marquis- He suffered a broken shin bone this year after getting punished with a line drive but was finally getting more consistent results and his career average for innings pitched per season is 192. He is more affordable than the 2 listed above and could definitely be had for a 2 year deal, maybe even a 1 year deal at around 7-8 million per year.

Daisuke Matsuzaka should provide the Sox with some relief in the second half of the season as far as a starting pitcher. But this is where the Red Sox should take a chance on one or two individuals that have had a little bit of an injury history but could be the classic, low-risk high-reward signings. The following guys I don't expect to throw anywhere near 200 innings but coupled with Daisuke could make a great 4/5 starter:

Roy Oswalt- Once one of the most distinguished pitchers in baseball he has been hampered by a bad back that even had him contemplating retirement. But at 34, he still has a 94 mph fastball, a hammer curve and a plus changeup. If he would take a 1 year incentive-laden deal up to 12 million, he would provide instant leadership in the rotation and in the clubhouse.

Rich Harden- A deal for him fell through in the summer so you would have to believe that interest is still there especially now that they wouldn't have to give up prospects for him. He has some of the best pure stuff in baseball when he's on, but his inability to stay healthy the past half-decade puts him on this list. Incentive laden deal of up to 6 million would probably be more than enough to entice him to come to Boston.

Erik Bedard- While underwhelming in his first 2 month stint with Boston, he won't be needed to be a horse, just a body to be able to pitch into June. That pretty much seems like Bedard in a nutshell.

The rotation probably needed the most revamping out of anything in the Red Sox, and the Lackey news just may be the blessing in disguise.

Stay Tuned

Norton

Bruins Struggle to Light the Lamp Through 8 Games

After the first two and half weeks of the 2011-12 season the defending Stanley Cup Champion Boston Bruins are 4^th in the Northeast division and 12^th in the Eastern Conference with a record of 3-5-0 (6 pts). The problem with the Bruins through the first 8 games of the season is obvious: the offense hasn’t shown up on a consistent basis. The lack of potted goals can be attributed to a few factors namely a poor power play unit for the second straight year, an early ‘lower body’ injury to offensive magician David Krejci, and basically zero production from the 4^th line that last year in the playoffs stepped up huge and produced on the offensive and defensive ends.  Probably the only thing keeping the Bruins out of the NHL offensive basement is the play of budding superstar C/RW Tyler Seguin (we’ll get back to him shortly).

The Bruins team offensive stat line currently sits at 2.3 goals per game, 12.5% on the power play, and a collective -6. Out of the 30 team NHL the Bruins rank 21^st in GPG and 22^nd in PP% - not good nor championship worthy. The Bruins have had their opportunities on the power play racking up almost 30 attempts thru 8 games the problem is that they just can’t execute with only 4 power play tallies and even that stat is skewed by 2 power play goals in the 1^st period against the Maple Leafs last week. A healthy Krejci on the man advantage should help the Bruins efficiency go up but as an entire unit everyone needs to step up get pucks on the net and scrap for rebounds. The main thing missing from the Bruins power play unit is someone with the ability to cycle the puck from behind the net a la Joe Thornton or, for fans of the greatest to ever play, Wayne ‘The Great One’ Gretzky. I think that Seguin can be that guy but he’s only 19 and not quite ready to carry the team in all facets of the game yet. Until then the unit will continue to struggle unless Krejci channels the David Krejci who looked like one of the best players in the world during the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver playing for the Czech Republic. As a Bruins fan I hope/think that Krejci will get healthy and help breathe life into the Bruins zombie-esque power play unit.

Speaking of Tyler Seguin he appears to have taken a HUGE leap forward in his 2^nd full season with the Bruins after being the 2^nd overall pick in the 2010 NHL Draft. Last year Seguin got last in coach Claude Julien’s defensive minded system and only posted 22 points (11 G, 11 A) in 74 games. After showing commitment to the defensive end of the ice towards the end of last year and thru the playoffs Julien has taken off the reins and let Seguin’s offensive prowess show through. As evident by his play as a spark plug against the Lightning in the Conference Finals last year Seguin has the ability to be a primetime C for years to come. This year he’s leading the Bruins in goals (3), assists (6), points (9), and plus/minus (+7). That +7 is good for #1 in the NHL as well. He’s also second on the team with 27 shots on net 1 behind Patrice Bergeron’s 28. The best part is that again he’s only 19 and is going to continue his ascend to the top of the NHL’s talent mountain. He’s done all he can to put points on the board for the Bruins the only problem is he’s been alone for most of the year.

Now that I’ve gushed for a solid paragraph about Seguin let’s talk about the lack of presence from the 4^th, grinder line of Shawn Thornton-Gregory Campbell-Daniel Paille. The grinder line isn’t meant to put up a ton of points but they are supposed to play the other teams top line even and wear down the other team thru tough shifts helping to set up the scoring lines. This line last year was key throughout the Bruins run to the Cup. Thornton and Campbell specifically were instrumental in shutting down the other teams top line and even bringing some offense to the table helping set up the whole rest of the team. Again any offensive production from the 4^th line is gravy but the plus/minus rating of the 4^th line tends to tell the story of how they’re doing and this units combine plus/minus is -10. That’s all you need to know. The three have combined to score 1 goal (Paille), record 0 assists, and only take 24 shots. They aren’t shutting down the other teams top lines nor are they bringing any offense to the rink. I’ll take one or the other really and in my opinion that’ll partially help jumpstart the Bruins stagnant, dormant offense.

Another thing that the Bruins appear to lack on offense outside of Krejci and Seguin is creativity. The Black and Gold as a whole are more straight line and stone handed (Milan Lucic) than offensive wizard. None of the lines can create a goal from nothing for the most part though Nathan Horton possess the ability to score at will he just has to channel his inner 40 goal scorer. A little bit of creativity will go a long way in helping the Bruins solve their offensive woes.

So what do we have for solutions to the Bruins offensive struggles going forward? David Krejci getting healthy, the power play getting pucks on the net and cycling, the 4^th line getting back to doing what they did last year, and a little bit more zest and creativity in the offensive zone. If the Spoked B can follow my simple recipe for offensive success I think you’re looking at a team worthy of getting back to the Conference Finals with their already airtight defense and goaltending. A little bit of offense will go a long way for this group of B’s on Causeway.

Geoff Jablonski

Working out the Cobwebs

Had a few thoughts cross my mind this weekend, and because of that you needed to hear/read/dispute them. You Ready? Let's go:

• What Albert Pujols did this weekend was epic. 5 hits, 3 of them home runs, becoming the 3^rd player in baseball history to hit 3 dingers in one World Series game. The others, Babe Ruth and Reggie Jackson. Pretty exclusive company no? Despite how incredible this was, Reggie's was still better. In a clinching Game 6 for the Yankees, which they won 8-4, his homeruns tied the game or put them ahead with each home run. Pujols' feat, while still uber-impressive, was piling on to a one-sided blowout for the Cardinals. My thought though is how does this affect his free agent status? He is still a machine, has been surprisingly durable, is still one of the Top 5 players in baseball and arguably one of the Top 10 all-around players of all time. Is he worth the 300 million dollar contract that people are throwing about?
  
• I'm an unabashed Tebow-lover, and a self-proclaimed Mark Sanchez hater, but I almost have to tone it back for the sake of not being contradictory, because their basic definition is practically identical: It's not pretty, ever, but they win. The big difference, which could be a coaching decision, was that when the game is on the line, Tebow wanted the ball in his hands and the Jets try to get the ball out of Sanchez' grasp. Call him contrived, call him a gimmick, but he comes straight out of the Al Davis mold, 'Just Win Baby.'
  
• The longer the NBA lockout looms the more it benefits the Boston Celtics, as long as the resume play sometime during this season. What was the biggest problem with the Celtics the last 2 years? They broke down. I truly believe they can beat the Heat, with their defense, and if they are playing 50 games instead of 80 they would benefit the most of any team in the league, with the continuity of their roster.
  
• Speaking of the Celtics, another thing that no one remembers is the status of Glen Davis. He was so bad in the playoffs last year and really was detrimental to the team at times in 2010-2011. I am of the opinion that the Boston Celtics would be a better "team" without him, but if his head is right he is probably the best player for the 6^th man job.
  
• Chad "Ochocinco" Johnson's performance has been bad. For the people saying, "he was only brought here to be another cog in the offense", no he wasn't. Look at the Patriots business model. If you are one of the highest paid players you are expected to perform. It doesn't matter that he is the 5^th or 6^th option on offense; his skill hasn't declined to the point where he shouldn't be productive. When he has made a catch, he clearly has the best foot control on the team with getting his feet down inbounds. But his football acumen is clearly not what Bill Belichick thought it was when he acquired him, and unless he turns this around significantly, and fast, this will be a fantastic miss for Belichick and Football-Ops.
  
• I'm really done with this Theo Epstein to Chicago drama that is still dragging out. They most likely have a deal in place, but people can't move on from the precipitous collapse without finalizing the deal and having a new talking point. If I were the Red Sox I would ask for 2 players. Theo will have a say in the negotiations and he values prospects so I would ask for Reed Johnson to take the place of Darnell MacDonald. And I would ask for one prospect, Trey McNutt. When the Rays had Matt Moore to step in and give them a lift in September the Red Sox had, wait for it, Kyle Weiland. Trey McNutt has that stud starter quality about him if he can throw strikes. He consistently throws his fastball in the mid-90s and has a 12-6 hammer curveball. The Red Sox don't need McNutt for their immediate rotation in 2012 but they would be wise to try and obtain starting pitching insurance in the form of youthful exuberance.
  
• Is this clubhouse/dugout drinking situation done yet? I'm honestly not so sure. If Joe Torre feels he needs to insert himself into the situation there must have been something else going on. But if the story is complete and no more secrets get leaked out, than the MLB needs to leave it alone. These are grown men, and if they want to drink after a game, there should be no one standing in their way.
  
• I really hate thinking about the Brewers without Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun together. I think the Brewers have to think long and hard about re-signing him. His leadership along with production is invaluable, and I honestly think the Brewers are the Dark Horse in the Fielder-Sweepstakes.
  
• Put me in the camp for the Red Sox to seriously consider Roy Oswalt for 2012, if the Phillies decline the 16 million dollar option.
  
• The latest news from Dan Schulman of ESPN, points to the Blue Jays not standing in the way of John Farrell. John Farrell was next in line but left only because he thought Terry Francona was entrenched in the Boston Red Sox. John Farrell has the respect of all the pitchers on the staff, he knows the players, and would definitely be paid more in Boston than Toronto. If he goes to Alex Anthopolous (Toronto GM) and says "I'd rather be in Boston", why would the Blue Jays want to keep him? Maybe the reason the compensation talks are dragging on this long is that it's a 3-way compensation talk with the Cubs sending prospects over to Toronto as well.
  
• Tony LaRussa an eccentric man, but damn can he manage a bullpen.
  
• If Texas loses the World Series I firmly believe that it should fall on Ron Washington and despite back to back World Series appearances could be on the hot seat for his bizarre lineup choices, and strange pitching rotations. Josh Hamilton, when healthy, is one of the Top 10 hitters in baseball. But he is battling a hernia and hasn't been reliable in the 3-hole. Ron Washington has Nelson Cruz who is mashing anything that resembles a baseball from Arlington to St. Louis batting 7^th, and Mike Napoli who is almost as hot batting in the 8-hole. Time to make a tough decision, and move Hamilton lower in the order, and move those 2 up.
  

 

That's about all I have for you.

Stay Tuned

Norton

Time to Do the Laundry: AFC East

In the history of professional sports, there have been many teams who have sported many different jerseys. The National Football League has teams who have sported some of the best. But then, for one reason or another, they disappear. These jerseys go by the wayside, leaving fans with a gigantic chasm for which their heart bleeds for the old threads.

Today I will change this once and for all, and bring these jerseys back to where they need to be: on the backs of the Tom Brady’s and Peyton Manning’s of the world.

AFC East

New England Patriots

Resurrect Pat Patriot. Does anyone else remember the majesty of the red jerseys with the colonial man from back in the day that the Patriots go back to every so often? Yeah, I wasn’t born then either. But these bad boys need to be pulled out of the moth balls and thrown on the backs of the Pats every Sunday from August to February. The snap decision to introduce the Flying Elvis Jerseys in the mid-nineties was disgusting and a gigantic misuse of power.

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New York Jets

They got a pretty good thing going with the jerseys they rock now. Just as long as they never go back to the ungodly monstrosities of the late-nineties Keyshawn days, I will be satisfied.

…or whatever makes the J-E-T-S look more foolish gets my vote!

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Buffalo Bills

Again, along with the Jets, they are in pretty solid position right now. Ever since they have gone back to their old school OJ Simpson (pre-trial) jerseys full-time, they are 4-2. Stick with it Buffalo, those are solid.

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Miami Dolphins

They have worn the same jerseys forever. From Griese to Marino to Fiedler to Henne, and everyone in between; there hasn’t been much variation here.

Like I said...

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Stay tuned for more next week, when I'll take a look at the AFC North Jerseys.

-JLang

2011: The Year of the Quarterback (Updates)

Week Seven of the 2011 National Football League season has produced many ups and downs, and several careers of long-time quarterbacks have started to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Today, is a day that will live in infamy ... and I will update you on the current changes going on under center across the league.

Oakland Raiders
In: Carson Palmer
Out: Jason Campbell

The Lowdown


Jason Campbell, who has led the Raiders to a 4-2 record thus far, snapped the collar bone in his throwing shoulder last weekend against the Browns. Now, while Campbell wasn't exactly Joe Montana under center, he was a solid enough quarterback. What did the Raiders do to cope with the loss? In a move that would have made the late Al Davis proud, they traded a first-rounder in 2012 and a second-rounder in 2013 (which has the possibility to become a first rounder if the Raiders make the AFC Title Game in either this year or next) for Carson Palmer.

You cannot honestly tell me that Kyle Boller, a quarterback who has been awful for pretty much his entire career, will end up being any better than Carson Palmer's carcass? For two first round picks no less? I knew when I wrote the post about Palmer a little over a month ago that someone would be stupid enough to overpay for him. Who knew that team would be the Raiders? What happens when Campbell comes back in six-to-eight weeks? Regardless, Palmer is starting this week ... and I for one cannot wait to see what happens against the Chiefs.

Minnesota Vikings
In: Christian Ponder
Out: Donovan McNabb

The Lowdown

Donovan McNabb is washed up. He sucked while he was with the Redskins last season. He sucks with the Vikings this year. Minnesota sucks. With Green Bay coming to town next week, and Carolina the week after, the Vikes are looking to avoid being 1-7 (a distinct possibility) heading into their week nine bye. The outlook is not good for this team, and for that, I feel bad for Leslie Frazier. AP has not showed up this year, save for week five against the equally atrocious Arizona Cardinals. The offense blows. The defense blows. This team looked lifeless last weekend against the Bears. Just no hope in Minneapolis.

Washington Redskins
In: John Beck
Out: Rex Grossman

The Lowdown


To borrow a joke from many people from last weekend: "Rex Grossman looked Gross, Man". In my opinion, he looked like late season Rex against the Eagles last week. John Beck ran the ball in for a score to make the final 20-13 last weekend, which made the game look a lot closer than it actually was.

I have a feeling Beck will do an equally good job shitting the bed the next few weeks, and Rex will be playing again by week twelve.

Denver Broncos
In: Tim  Tebow
Out: Kyle Orton

The Lowdown

TEBOW! TEBOW! TEBOW! TEBOW! Gators and Broncos fans rejoice! I can hear the chafing from here from all of you masturbating with the ferocity of a colony of yellow jackets. HUZZAH!

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These are the updates for now. More to come next week probably.

-JLang

Beverages and Poultry

Alright, so the whole Red Sox chicken and beer story is ridiculously overblown. If you disagree, you're out of loop with Major League Baseball. This stuff happens everywhere. As a matter a fact, it happens in other leagues too. Let's look at a few examples, starting in MLB itself. Everyone knows the legend of Wade Boggs. Rumors swirl all over the place in terms of how many he could put down on a cross country trip, but it lands somewhere in the 60-70 range. There's two things here. First, that is obviously a direct example of someone crush brews throughout the season. The second yet more important issue is that if one individual was drinking that much, one would have to assume that other teammates participated as well. It would seem unlikely that someone who didn't drink would be okay with this to the point that they wouldn't make a stink about it. How about the great story of David Wells pitching a perfect game still drunk from the night before. Straight comedy. Let's now move to Josh Beckett. Certainly he was bevin pretty hard this past season, but this isn't a new thing for him. In Florida, Jack McKeon had to give bathroom passes because Beckett and the doughboy Brad Penny were sneaking off to the dugout every other inning. On a quick side note, have any of you ever seen Penny's girlfriends/wife throughout history? It's absolutely outrageous he pulls ass like that, even for a professional athlete. Regardless, back to the topic at hand. All I can picture is back in the day, Alan Embree and Mike Timlin drinking six packs and straight whiskey and talking about hunting. How about that time Kevin Millar bleached part of his facial hair, then proceeded to go to the dugout, shave it off and draw it in with a black sharpie? If he wasn't sippin' when he did that it must be because he had led himself to mental retardation by killing brain cells drinking.

However, this isn't the end of it in sports. Hockey speaks for itself; players were drunk back in the day, they still get drunk now. Everyone knows that. Football? Joe Namath openly admits he couldn't play for shit unless he got drunk the night before and was a little hungover going into the game. I'm dead ass serious too. How about Kerry Collins? There's a reason that dude looks like he's 65. It's because he basically pickled his liver in alcohol after he was highly selected in the NFL draft way back when. I once saw an interview with Larry Johnson where he was talking about his McDonald's breakfast that he insinuated that he got rather frequently. OchoCinco, when he didn't feel it necessary to go with a Neverland Fairytale name and was Chad Johnson, used to get McDonald's for every freakin meal! Let me say that one more time in order to let it sink in. Chad Johnson ate McDonald's for every meal during the season! In terms of basketball, Paul Pierce was a total booze hound. Although, in his defense, if I had to play on the Celtics when he did, I would've been right there with him. Perhaps you thought about the Delonte West video where he's clearly high and eating a shit ton of fast food. Again a perfect example.



The real issue with the Red Sox is that the players weren't on the bench with their teammates. Its goddamn selfish. I could care less what they do in their free time. Do you really need to be in that good of shape to play baseball? They should've been out in the dugout, packing bombs, and talking shit to the other team. That's what I would've done anyway.

-@MaxMorellz

Henry and the Rally Beer

For anyone that didn't hear the surprise interview that principal owner John Henry took part in on Felger and Massarotti, do yourself a favor and take a listen. The interview was over an hour but was the most captivating radio that I've heard since Brian Scalabrine; inebriated, emotionally spent and full of love for the Boston fans called in to Toucher and Rich at 3AM West Coast time the day after the Celtics lost the Championship in Los Angeles and headed for his inevitable departure from Boston.

John Henry, unaccompanied by Larry Lucchino for the first non-bathroom break in a long time, came onto the show to defend Red Sox ownership and try to lure the fans back to Fenway Park. John Henry's interview, while great radio, left many things to be desired. For the first time in a long time you did get the feeling that he cared about the team. Some of his answers were pleading for acceptance and believability, but others were out and out lies.

When Henry said, "It doesn't matter what I say, you won't believe me," that's not entirely true. If more transparency existed between the organization and the media or the organization and the fans his "word" would hold a lot more weight in Red Sox Nation. Now there are just as many question marks surrounding the current regimes when they started a decade ago, and they have only themselves to blame.

Some of his comments however were disingenuous at best and outright fabrications at worst. Henry said that Bob Hohler (the writer of the clubhouse buzz kill heard 'round the world) came out and said ownership had no part in the writing of this article. When Hohler was asked where this statement was his response was that, he hasn't spoken publicly on the article, will not speak publicly about it, but never once made a statement saying that ownership didn't have a hand in the writing of this article.

Here's the thing though. I believe that John Henry had no part in that article. It reeks of Larry Lucchino, a man that according to The Yankee Years, George Steinbrenner warned John Henry was a snake. He was the one that was put on the spot, and made to look a fool the day Francona was let go. But tell me Larry Lucchino doesn't give off that Gordon Gecko-vibe. Strange visions of Lucchino in a secret room at Fenway Park with Bob Hohler playing Red Sox Clue are flooding into my head. It was Josh Beckett, with a bucket of chicken in the clubhouse. No, it was Terry Francona with a vicodin at his hotel room. I'm onto you Larry Lucchino.

The one thing that seemed generally out of character for Henry was his outspokenness about a couple topics. His outspokenness about not wanting Carl Crawford, and pinning that on Theo Epstein and "Baseball Ops." Why? Why go to those lengths of condemning a player who is here for another 6 years that you still owe well over 100 million to? Yes he had a horrible season. But couple his horrible season with trying to be a clubhouse leader and a few malcontents essentially spitting in his face, there is no way to recover from that rut. Why come to the defense of the pitching staff (mainly John Lackey) when they were single-handedly the biggest reason for the collapse? This guy simply cannot come back in 2012. Can you imagine him standing on the first baseline and waving his little hat on Opening Day 2012, the 100^th anniversary of Fenway Park? Either can I.

One thing however was apparent for the first time since 2003, he wants to win. His genuinely pissed reaction to anything regarding his full attention to the ball club has resonated with me. At least 33% of the triumvirate wants to win. I look at the ownership like this, and he reaffirmed this with this impromptu interview. John Henry is the guy that wants to win, he generally loves the team. Tom Werner hadn't really had a hit since the Cosby Show, he is indifferent about the team, but generally likes it when they win. Larry Lucchino is the business end of the three, and doesn't care about winning or losing and the color green is the only thing that matters in his world.

OK, have to lay off the ownership for a minute, and turn our heads over to the left-handed pitcher that usually keeps my heart a-flutter. But I'll be goddamned if his comments didn't come off as pompous and prissy, rather than accountable and apologetic.

Jon Lester came out and spoke to the media for the first time since Chicken-gate. First off I'd like to say that his media frenzy was carefully orchestrated. Did anyone else notice that he was doing 5 plus interviews in one day, after he had been dragged through the mud for 2 weeks without even a peep? No doubt in my mind this came from the top, probably the same reason why Henry came out and talked as well.

His explanation for a "rally beer" was weak. If you need to do it pound a beer pound it and get back in the dugout. Whatever happened to flipping you ball cap inside out or throwing some sunflower seeds in your hat and shaking them around? The problem with drinking the beer wasn't the beer itself, it was that you knew it was wrong, or would be frowned-upon and you did it anyway. In twitter speak I would say, #TakingAdvantageofTito.

This chicken thing is still perplexing to me. I hate to tell players what they can eat, but when it's visible that players are not in peak physical condition slap the "Say No to Popeye's" sticker on everyone's locker.

I think the biggest thing that I took away from Lester's interview was how his comments about Francona came off:

"I never saw guys purposely breaking rules or doing the wrong thing in front of him and rubbing it in his face. But this particular team probably needed more structure. Tito was the perfect guy for this team for a long time but I think he got burnt out.''

"On a personal level I was more than grateful for what he did for me and my family. But there comes a time when your authority is no longer there; you kind of run your course."

Run your course? Jon, you and the rest of the pitching staff are "grown ass men", in your own words, and if you need that "iron-fist mentality" to know that you should probably not be slugging back Bud Heavy's during the game, whether you're pitching or not, you should grow your ass up.

On a positive note I liked that he was the one of the staff to come forward. He is the future of the Red Sox pitching staff, not Buchholz, not Beckett, Lester. He owned up to pitching like horse-shit when John Lackey simply would have talked about a bloop that just got through the infield and a poor defensive play behind him. He didn't blame Francona for the collapse, and he addressed his following around of Josh Beckett.

I have heard from Pedroia (position player rep) and I have heard from Lester (pitching rep), two players that will for sure be back in 2012, the rest of them I could really give a rat's ass about. One thing for certain is that they both care enough about the Red Sox as a whole to make a statement whether asked by ownership or not, they confronted the media and were accountable.

Stay Tuned

Norton

The Quick Slant Week 6: Brady, Hernandez move the Pats to 5-1

After a week’s hiatus in order to provide an in depth preview of the Boston Bruins ‘The Quick Slant’ is back and better than ever. A brief synopsis of the game before I get into what I saw in particular and a few random thoughts on the game and its outcome. As most of you know the Patriots beat the Dallas Cowboys 20-16 yesterday with Tom Brady hitting Aaron Hernandez for an 8 yard score with :22 left in the 4^th quarter. Brady went 27/41 (identical to Romo) for 289 yards, 2 TDs, and 2 picks. Now that you’ve seen a final score and how Tom Terrific did on the day let’s get to some of the news and notes from the matchup.

-Thank God Buddy Ryan only had two defensive minded sons. Rex Ryan and the Jets (before last week) were 3-2 against the Patriots since he’s been at the helm and unceremoniously knocked the Patriots out of the playoffs last year. Rob Ryan, the current defensive coordinator of the Cowboys, was at the head of the Browns defense that before Sunday was the last d to hold the Patriots under 30 points in the regular season. Ryan guided defenses tend to give Brady and the Patriots some trouble for extended period of times. The common theme between the brothers Ryan ability to slowing down the Patriots is the ability to get pressure on Brady with 4 and a good amount of the time only 3 rushers. DeMarcus Ware is an absolute beast and he showed it again yesterday wreaking havoc on Matt Light and the Pats o-line all day long. He and the Boys d-line were able to take down Brady 3 times and the secondary picked up 2 interceptions. Until the final drive the Cowboys had done a great job of holding the Patriots in check but that’s just it: it’s almost impossible to hold them down for a full 60 minutes and Brady showed why when he marched down the field 80 yards with precision and accuracy to lead the Patriots to victory.

-Yesterday’s matchup between New England and Dallas provided a much clearer view of why Tom Brady’s one of the greatest of all-time and Tony Romo will never excel into the upper echelon. Brady scores TDs and is allowed to make plays when the game is on the line where Romo scores FGs and is forced to call a handoff dive off right tackle on 3^rd down in the Red Zone. Romo has been at this for almost 6 years now and he’s still not allowed to throw the ball late in the game with the game tied. The Cowboys would rather hand off and take 3 points instead of risking Romo throwing an INT. The Cowboys went 1-3 (TDs-atts) in the Red Zone yesterday with the Patriots going 2-4. Romo leads the Cowboys on long drives that yield 3 instead of the 7 points Brady and Patriots consistently put on the board.

-Andre Carter looked great yesterday putting 2 sacks on the board and disrupting multiple others. Carter is a strong presence in the locker room and the kind of guy you root for. He’s been in the league for 11 years and if he can continue the level of play that he brought to the table last week for the rest of the year the Patriots found them a gem on the scrap heap.

-If he’s healthy, and I know it’s a big IF, Albert Haynesworth can bring the noise. On one of Carter’s sacks yesterday Haynesworth occupied 3 (3!) blockers to allow Carter a free lane to Romo. His presence doesn’t always show up on the stat sheet but he is a beast and occupies multiple blockers on every play allowing the other linemen and linebackers free shots at the ball carrier. He can also provide some pressure up the middle, which for all his other talents and soft hands, Vince Wilfork isn’t the best at. He’s more of a run stuffer and block occupier than he is pocket collapser. Haynesworth is a pocket collapser.

-The Patriots turned the ball over 4 times yesterday including putting it on the ground for the first 2 times all year. They were lucky to win considering they lost the turnover battle 4-2. Yet, championship caliber teams win these games and the Patriots did just that.

-The Cowboys are way too skilled to be sitting at 2-3. They should pretty easily be at 5-0 with the talent they field at every position. If you look at the Pats and Cowboys man for man the only areas where you would give the Patriots a decided edge is Quarterback. Running Back is a close push and I’ll give the o-line to the Patriots slightly though the Cowboys have some talent but WRs? Cowboys. D-Line? Cowboys. DBs? Cowboys? LBs? Cowboys? The Patriots have 2 very good TEs whereas the Boys only have Witten but he just happens to be one of the 3 best in football. Not too shabby. Jerry Jones needs to figure out who is the right head coach for this team because Jason Garrett is nothing more than a glorified offensive coordinator. As we’ve all seen from when Belichick tried it a few years ago head coaches shouldn’t be the offensive coordinators at the same time. Find a strong personality to come in and lead this talented bunch to their place among the NFL’s elite.

-Finally, Chad Ochocinco might be close to putting ex-New England Patriot on his resume. He only made it on the field for 7 plays yesterday and none after the Patriots ran isolation for him on the left side and he ran the wrong route. Ochocinco ran an in instead of an out when the Patriots lined him up alone on the left with 4 WRs bunched on the right. After the game Brady said that he still believes Ochocinco can contribute but on the field you can tell that he’s lost all confidence in throwing him the ball and Ochocinco looks stiff and lot. He’s not playing fluid and loose like he did in Cincinnati. If he has any chance of making it in New England he has to dedicate himself to this offense play a little more carefree and think less. He’s a talented player and the Pats could use him down the stretch but we all know if he doesn’t produce soon Belichick won’t be afraid to cut ties and move on.

That’s all for this week folks we’ll see you again in two weeks since YOUR New England Patriots are on a bye this week. Until we cross paths again…

Geoff Jablonski

Fantasy Forum: Start 'em, Sit 'em

Some of you may know this about me, some of you may not, I love myself some fantasy sports. Probably more than I should. Fortunately my fellow staff members here at VFC happen to share that same passion and I hope that you do too. This will be the first installment of many in which I take a look at some of the less obvious matchups in the world of fantasy sports and give you my opinion on who you should start and who you should sit. Hopefully I have gained enough wisdom over my illustrious fantasy sports career to bring our devoted followers some success from week to week.

Start 'em:

QB Alex Smith - San Francisco 49ers

Smith is simply off to the best start of his young and for lack of a better term, disappointing NFL career. Through week 5 Smith has thrown for 965 yards, 7 TDs while tossing 1 interception. Those numbers are good for 73.8 Yahoo! Fantasy points which makes him better so far this season than high profile QBs such as; Matt Ryan, Tony Romo, Jay Cutler and Joe Flacco. I can only see Smith bettering his already outstanding start to this season when he goes up against the Motor City Lions. While Detroit's defense has been very good this season, I see Smith having a good day against the D's average cornerback and linebacker crew. Look for Smith's teammate and safety blanket, Vernon Davis, to have a big day for the 49ers as well.

Fantasy forecast: 311 yards, 2 TDs and 1 INT

RB James Starks - Green Bay Packers

It's been puzzling in Green Bay at the running back this season. It is time for the torch to be passed from slow footed veteran Ryan Grant to quick footed newcomer James Starks. Starks has outplayed Grant in 4 of 5 games this season totally 250 rushing yards, 1 TD and 96 receiving yards. While Grant has only rushed for 175 yards and 25 receiving yards. After Grant's terrible game against the Falcons last week, a game in which he fumbled, this is a no brainer, James Starks needs to be the starter from here on out. Grant just doesn't have it anymore. This week against the Rams is where it will begin. Start 'em folks.

Fantasy forecast: 18 carries, 82 rush yds, 25 rec yds, 1 TD

WR Victor Cruz - New York Giants

Cruz has been a fantastic surprise this year for fantasy owners (myself included). Getting him warmed up has been a gradual process, but through the last three solid weeks, Cruz has 17 catches for 369 yards and 3 TDs. Cruz certainly has a flair for the dramatic whether it's one handing deflected passes or boneheadedly fumbling (but not fumbling). Cruz control is going to be on again this week against the Bills of Buffalo. While they lead the NFL in interceptions, Buffalo has given up the sixth most pass plays of 20 yards or more this season and the 10th most fantasy points to wideouts. I fully expect to be another happy VCruz owner this week.

Fantasy forecast: 7 rec, 89 yds, 1 TD

Sit 'em:

QB Matt Schaub - Houston Texans

While he has been very solid so far this season (1,377 yds, 9 TDs and 5 INTs) the Schaub will be stumped this week against the stingy Ravens defense. Schaub is without his favorite target in Andre Johnson and it's likely the Ravens defense will be physical with the rest of his targets. With Ed Reed patrolling center field I don't like Schaub's chances at all this week. The Texans will be forced to run the ball on the Ravens with "The Aussie Assassin" Arian Foster and Ben Tate, taking the ball out of Schaubs hands.

Fantasy forecast: 240 yds, 2 TDs, 3 INTs

RB Frank Gore - San Francisco 49ers

The second 49er featured this week will have a tougher time than the first. Gore is going up against a Lions defense that is allowing the fifth fewest fantasy points to RBs this season. That trend will continue this week when Gore won't be able to run against Suh, Fairley and the rest of the Lions' surprisingly good defense. As I said above, Smith will be forced to go to the air, leaving Gore with less carries than usual and much less yardage.

Fantasy forecast: 14 carries, 57 yds

WR Brandon Marshall - Miami Dolphins

Brandon is making his first of two vacations to Revis Island this week folks. Expect the big wideout to have little to no fantasy impact this week against the stellar CB. Miami will be forced to throw the ball to Davone Bess and Anthony Fasano over the middle. Believe it or not, I actually expect this to be Reggie Bush's breakout game with the Dolphins. The lights are bright on Monday Night and I think Reggie will shine in them but more importantly, Brandon will have the man-tarp that is Revis draped over him. No go for BMarsh this week.

Fantasy forecast: 3 rec, 42 yds

There you have it folks! The first of many Fantasy Forum pieces featured on VFC. Next week I'll take a look at how my picks from this week fared and some of the matchups I think look great and some that look not so great.

Set your lineups wisely.

-ZHawk

Kill the Messenger

There has been much ado over the latest installment into the soap opera that is the Boston Red Sox. The article brought to light lots of the issues within the clubhouse this year. And while you can certainly point fingers at the constituents within the clubhouse, where were these reports while the Red Sox were going 80-41 between the end of April and the end of August? It wasn't there. It isn't entirely fair to be casting blame now. And where is this "Monday Morning Quarterback" mentality coming from? There is only one place that all of the info that was talked about came from, right from the top, the Boston Red Sox ownership.

Take a look at the series of events surrounding Terry Francona's firing:

They (Lucchino, Werner and Henry) try to tell Francona to slow the process down so that they can find out an appropriate way to spin Terry Francona no longer being the man for the job (he was fired, don't let them fool you). But those plans were sullied when Francona was pissed that ownership didn't back him and he wanted a decision that day. They were made to look "the fool" that fateful Friday, and they didn't like it.

The smeared the good name of Terry Francona when they said, "Team sources also expressed concern that Francona's performance may have been affected by his use of pain medication, which he also vehemently denied." Terry Francona had everything cleared with the Red Sox medical staff to make sure he didn't have any sort of addiction, and this should have been a non-issue. The guy has had more than 20 surgeries on his knees, and during this season got his knees drained of blood and fluid which is a painful procedure, I think he's entitled to popping a Vicodin.

Then the ownership made note that, "Francona spent the season living in a hotel after he moved out of the Brookline home he shared with Jacque, his wife of nearly 30 years." Let me get this straight, the brass is now going to bring to light the intimate details of Francona's marital status? Where was this talk when the Red Sox were in First Place better part of the season? Did anyone ever ask John Henry about whether his divorce affected his money making decisions with the Boston Red Sox? Didn't think so.

Much like a year ago with their strategic announcement of the raising of ticket prices, they probably wanted to drop the Francona bombshell around the time of the Bruins Banner Night and the rematch of the Jets/Patriots. When Francona didn't oblige the PR Machine they strung him up, and publicly maimed him through the media to try and pass off to the "Pink Hats" that loved Francona, that he wasn't all sunshine and rainbows. To hear these dastardly, sorry excuses for owners besmirch someone like this is despicable. Francona was the best manager in the history of the Red Sox, and during his departure they couldn't let him leave gracefully, they had to slander his character. So much so, that he can never interview for another job without being asked about prescription drug abuse. It's deplorable.

Now the PR Machine is spinning up again with the latest news that Theo Epstein has opted out of the last year of his contract and is heading to the Windy City. In the piece, they make it a point to say that "ownership was divided on the Carl Crawford signing. At least one top executive believed Crawford's skills as a speedy left-handed hitting outfielder seemed to duplicate Ellsbury's." They even went as far as to say that ownership feels "betrayed" that Theo Epstein is leaving to go to the Cubs. So the Red Sox want to now get into the business of calling out business mistakes? How about when the Red Sox crushed Ortiz in negotiations, felt bad and bought him a truck? Or the impulse re-signing of Mike Lowell just because he won World Series MVP? Those weren't Theo issues, but we can talk about those too if you would like to Mr. Lucchino.

Major League Baseball has made it a point to say that teams shall not block their employees from taking positions at other organizations if the new position(s) are considered a "promotion". If the Red Sox were not equipped to offer Epstein a promotion or at least more autonomy within his current post, then he had the divine right to leave.

This is not the first time that Red Sox management has tarnished the reputation of a figurehead in Boston upon their departure:

Nomar Garciaparra

Johnny Damon

The owners are so out of touch with baseball operations they even bought their players each 300 dollar headphones and invited them to a private party on John Henry's yacht. The last thing these guys needed during a September swoon was to be gallivanting on a yacht drinking Stella Artois.

For anyone thinking that I'm jumping the gun in blaming ownership I'll ask you this. Who was made to look good in this article?

Terry Francona is a pill-popping, wreck of a husband.

Players were eating fried chicken, one of the worst things you can put in your body, and essentially forgetting about conditioning.

Theo Epstein signed the wrong players and betrayed ownership.

Ownership spent too much money trying to create a better team.

Also look who owns a large stake in the Boston Globe. If that doesn't speak volumes as to where this article came from, you may want to pick another blog to read.

Stay Tuned

Norton

Meet Your Defending Stanley Cup Champion Boston Bruins

The honeymoon is over Bruins fans the 2011-2012 season has begun and the NHL will crown a new champion in June unless the Black and Gold can defend their crown. Remember fondly though last year when the ageless wonder and proud catamount Tim Thomas told the puck club and all the bandwagon fans to hop on his back from April thru June and brought home the Cup for the spoked B for the first time in 39 years. Last year the Bruins rode a hot goaltender, spectacular team defense from the backline to the forwards, the pesky play of Brad Marchand, the wizardy of David Krejci to the summit. The question for this year is will all of those things continue to happen for the entire 2011-12 season? The Bruins had holes during the season and playoffs last year stemming from their inability to score on the power play (thanks a lot Tomas Fagerle) and get a consistent effort from their top ‘scoring’ line. If the Bruins can get a consistent scoring effort from their top two lines the defense will continue to be solid led by Big Z and the emergence of Dennis Seidenberg and the goaltending pair of Thomas and Tuukka Rask is arguably the best in the NHL (Vancouver gave up the least goals in the league last year but we all saw the true Roberto Luongo last year. Guy is like a wet paper bag come crunch time.). Enough about this jibber jab lets take a look at this years roster from top to bottom.

Forwards

Centers: David Krejci (currently injured), Patrice Bergeron, Chris Kelly, Greg Campbell, Tyler Seguin is a natural C and is most comfortable there but he’s been playing on the wing for the better part of his young career

Wingers: Nathan Horton, Milan Lucic, Brad Marchand, Rich Peverley, Jordan Caron, Shawn Thornton, Daniel Paille, and Benoit Pouliot

The key to their entire offense is the top line of Lucic-Krejci-Horton. Last year Lucic found his scoring touch potting 30 goals but he got away from what made him dominant the prior years: his Cam Neely tendency to get into a fight, slam someone into the boards, grab the puck and pot a goal. The Bruins had their best scoring line in years when Savard was feeding Kessel with Lucic keeping people off of them allowing the true playmakers to do just that. I’d be content with his taking a backseat on the goal scoring if it meant keeping the ice clean for Krejci and Horton. Horton is a scorer thru and thru. He shoots in volume and is accurate. The Marchand-Bergeron-Peverley line has been the most consistent early in the season (4^th game is tonight) with Bergeron being the team’s best centerman, Marchand driving the other team nuts with his effort, and Peverley can do both. Campbell and Kelly do a great job of centering the Bruins bottom 2 lines. They don’t bring much offense to the table but they are two of the best defensive forwards in the league and are dynamite on the penalty kill. As far as the power play is concerned Krejci and/or Seguin need to step up and be the playmaker along the halfboard a la Marc Savard. The power play will continue to stall until one of them steps up.

Defenseman

Pairings: Zdeno Chara-Dennis Seidenberg, Johnny Boychuk-Andrew Ference, Joe Corvo-Adam McQuaid with Matt Bartowski and Steven Kampfer (currently on injured reserve) waiting in the wings

Big Z is rock solid and has been for years. He’s one of the top 3 defenseman in the league and is the heart and soul of the Boston Bruins. He’s 6’9” of defensive stalwart. Last year in the playoffs Dennis Seidenbeg raised his hand and became the first guy in a while to be able to consistently play alongside Big Z. I vote that he continues to be that same guy this year that he was last year in the playoffs giving the Bruins solid defense and a smattering of offensive contribution. The big editiong in the offseason was Joe Corvo from Carolina who swapped places with Tomas Kaberle signing a three-year deal with the Hurricanes (morons that’ll bite em in the ass sooner before later). The Bruins basically paid the Maple Leafs back for the Phil Kessel deal when they traded for Tomas Kaberle at the deadline last year. The prevailing thought was that Kaberle’s bounty soft hands would lead to better passes and ignite the Bruins pitiful power play. Wrong. The power play still sucked and Kaberle was constantly out of position but can’t really complain because the Bruins ended up hoisting the Cup in the end. Hopefully Corvo’s big blast from the point and ability to take a shot at any time will help elevate the Bruins power play. The Bruins will be solid all around defensively thanks to the coaching of Claude Julien. Julien doesn’t know dick about offense but the man has a great defensive scheme and he has for years. The defense will not suffer a Stanley Cup hangover you can be sure of that.

Goaltenders

Tim Thomas and Tuukka Rask

This pairing was solid all year last year and has been for the past two years. Expect to see Tuukka Rask a little more this year to help keep Thomas fresh for the stretch run and the playoffs. He’s going to be 38 and after winning his 2^nd Vezina Trophy in 3 years the Bruins want to keep him in top shape to help the cause. Rask is a future number 1, which he was just two years ago while Thomas was injured. The kid can play and will provide great backup insurance hell he’s not even a backup he’s a 1a. Not much else to say other than the Bruins are going to be solid in net all year.

OUTLOOK

The Bruins have a solid team from top to bottom but unless David Krejci steps up to the level he played at in the 2010 Winter Olympics or Tyler Seguin blossoms this year into the superstar he’s bound to be the offense will struggle to put points on the board. They’ll win their fair share though with their defensive system and goaltending being elite. They might have trouble taking down the Sabres or Canadiens for the division but they will definitely be suiting up in April and May for the playoffs but I don’t see a second Stanley Cup coming down the pipe this year.

Prediction: 42-30-10 (94 pts) good for 2^nd in the Northeast Division and the 5^th seed in the Eastern Conference.

NBA 2k12: Best of the Best

So for some reason or another, I cannot get over the strangeness of the NBA 2k12 commercials from this year. I do like the fact that Michael Jordan will finally be in a video game (he was in 2k11 as well), but this time facing off against other stars, not just having his best performances re-created. That SOB would have been disgussssssssssssssssssting in the old school NBA Jam games. It always sucked having to pick between Ron Harper, Scottie Pippen, and Ho Grant whenever you wanted to play as the old school Bulls. I dig the fact that I am going to be able to purchase this gold mine of “Who is better?” teams that span over the careers of The Hick from French Lick, Magic, MJ, etc. That is definitely something that would tickle any basketball fan’s fancy.

Now, let us break down the teams that EA deemed necessary to fit into the equation:

1996 Chicago Bulls

This incarnation of the Bulls, the first in the SECOND three year dynasty within an eight year span is quite possibly the greatest NBA team of all-time. I WHOLEHEARTEDLY accept this suggestion for GOAT in the team category and as a bonus: Chi-town was nominated by the man himself. How can you argue with this suggestion? They finished the regular season 72-10, becoming the first team to win 70+ in the history of the NBA. The second place team in the Central Division, the Indiana Pacers, finished with a respectable record of 52-30. THE BULLS WON THEIR DIVISION BY TWENTY GAMES!!! They played that season like men amongst boys, winning the Eastern Conference by twelve games over Orlando, who finished 60-22. They were coached by the second-best coach in NBA History in Phil Jackson.

Side note on the Zen Master: I do not care how many titles he has under his belt (10), or the fact that I was not alive at the time (barely a twinkle in my parents’ eyes). Phil Jackson was not a better coach than Red Auerbach. Red was the architect of nine championships in eleven years. He BUILT the Boston Celtics. He retired from the bench and moved into the front office, winning SEVEN MORE TITLES as the main man behind all the moves, puffing stogies all the way to the bank. You are telling me a man who BUILT THE BOSTON FUCKING CELTICS is not as good a coach or basketball mind as Phil Jackson? Please. He waltzed into not one, but two, ideal situations: MJ, Pippen, Rodman in Chicago; Shaq and Kobe in Los Angeles. I could win an NBA title with those guys in my lineup. What else did he do? Invent the triangle offense? Cool. Come to me when he orchestrates his way into another cushy chair where all the pieces are already in place for him to “build a franchise” to six more titles.

In the first round of the second season, they ripped through the Miami Heat in a tidy three game sweep. Nothing to see here…

The second round, they took care of Pat Ewing and the Knicks, four games to one. Other than the one surprising victory by the Knicks, not much to see here…

MJ and company proceeded to slap around the dynamic duo of Shaq and Penny in the Eastern Conference Finals, before catching Shawn Kemp between pizzas and making sure The Glove didn’t fit, disposing of the Sonics in the NBA finals.

All in all, MJ and Co. finished the season 87-13. They won 87% of the games they played in the 1995-96 NBA season. I’d say that’s a strong case right there.

Rating: A++

1991 Trail Blazers

The 1990-91 Portland Trail Blazers finished the regular season 63-19 and were dispatched in the Western Conference Finals by the Lakers. How in the hell is that even in the contest for greatest of all-time? The Lakers had an aging James Worthy (possibly his last good, full season), Magic Johnson (who retired after the season due to HIV), Vlade Divac (okay he wasn’t THAT bad), and AC Green. That is an alright lineup from the nineties, but come on. The Portland Trail Blazers? Please dude in the alternative lookin’ outfit, no chance in hell.

Rating: C, tops

1986 Boston Celtics

Possibly the greatest Celtics team of all-time. The consensus best team pre-1996 Bulls. There is no way you can argue about the merit of this team.

Bird. McHale. Parish. DJ. Ainge. Walton off the bench.

This was a great fuckin’ team.

The Green went 40-1 at home. They finished 67-15 in the regular season.

They slapped Young MJ and the Baby Bulls in the first round, 3-0, winning by 19, 4, and 18 points in the set.

They beat Dominique and the Hawks around, 4-1.

Milwaukee? Go back to smelling that Dairy Air. 4-0.

Ralph Sampson? Hakeem Olajuwon? Please. Goodnight Bill Fitch and the Rockets, 4-2.

Final record? 82-20. They finished 49-1 inside the Garden, and 1-0 in Hartford, for a grand total of 50-1 at home. Even the damn Bulls didn’t do that. People talk about “Does home court really matter?”

I’d say that about sums it up.

Rating: A++

1979-91 “Showtime” Lakers

Okay here is the issue I take here. The dude who played JP from “Grandma’s Boy”, as well as Owen the misfit who was in love with that gross chick in “Dodgeball”, presented this case. Okay buddy, settle down.

Plus for this category, I need a little something more than the “Showtime Lakers”. Showtime is considered anytime Magic Johnson ever played for the Lakers (minus that ill-advised comeback at age thirty-six). Just like when that NASA satellite was falling to the Earth at a thousand miles an hour and they gave us the EXACT coordinates of where it would land. “Somewhere between Nova Scotia and the tip of Argentina”. I need a little more than “It will land some time, at some place”. Much like that, I need a little more from the Lake Show in the eighties.

Rating: Pick a Year.

Present Day Miami Heat

When the hell is Drake gonna get off LeBron’s junk (family friendly alternative to what I could’ve posted)? Holy shit. He rides that SOB like Seattle Slew. The “Forever” music video and then the cover of the single on iTunes? A tit bit obsessive if I do say so myself. “Today’s Miami Heat plays above the rim. Larry Bird couldn’t even reach the rim”. Brian Wilson’s bear had to come back to defend Bird, and thankfully so. Another thing: Why does every time LeBron tweets, it is treated like Jesus came back?

Drake and LeBron? Please. Not a chance in hell that team, without a bench or a reliable point guard beats the ’86 Celts or the ’96 Bulls. And Drake CONTINUED to talk smack, saying “73-9. It can be done.”

Shut up Drake.

Rating: F; Win something.

1990’s New York Knicks

Better chance of Pete Rose getting into the Baseball Hall of Fame (although I think they should say “screw it, it’s a museum” and let him in) than the Knicks being in this conversation. Neither the, nor the Heat have a right to be here. Six words, two sets of numbers: “30 for 30 presents –Reggie Miller: Winning Time”. Again, need to have won something.

But you do have to love when a franchise’s starting point guard won the Heisman Trophy at Florida State. Shout out Alert! HOW WE DOIN CHARLIE WARD?!

Rating: F; Shoulda won something

Present Day Dallas Mavericks

They won the 2010-11 NBA title. There will not be a season next year. Even still, they aren’t the best team. A very good team yes; they won an NBA title. But not the GOAT.

Rating: B-

Thank you Skinny Pete for the suggestion. I thought something was weird about this commercial, but I needed a kick in the pants to write it. And who do I think is the GOAT?

The Celtics. C’mon, not a chance in hell I go against the Luck of the Irish.

@jlang20