Random Sports Thoughts posted by Chad

1.  Ndamakuong Suh should be the number 1 pick in the 2010 NFL draft.  The ability to control the middle is being lost with rush ends and the 3-4.  Pressure up the middle against the run and pass is still the most effective start to an NFL defense.  QB's can step up to avoid the rush on the outside, but there is no substitute for having a C/G pushed back into his lap.

2.  You cannot convince me that Tim Tebow is an NFL QB.  I don't think that he has the footwork, touch or understands how to move through his progressions.  His biggest "asset".. his legs will not worry NFL defenses at all.  He's not explosive and could not take that pounding day in and day out.  He's a good story, but not a legit prospect.

3.  Wisconsin Badgers men's basketball will not lose a home game this year.. with or without Jon Leuer.  Trevon Hughes and Jordan Taylor can play.  Somehow, they've managed to win 2 games they've had no business winning because of mad offensive struggles (Michigan and Penn State).  A win is a win.. especially without your leading scorer.

4.  John Schneider will have the Seahawks in the playoffs in 2 years.  I think he'll blend the best of Ron Wolf and Ted Thompson into becoming a super GM.  He's also a very nice man; easy and fun to talk to.  I met him at Wisocnsin and watched some Penn State film with him.  I learned more in 45 minutes of "scouting" with him than I would have ever done on 5 hours of my own.  By the way, I told him Jay Alfred was boom or bust and that Posluzny was an NFL starter.  I guess I was 2 for 2, wonder why he hasn't called me about a scouting job yet?
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Mark Sanchez & Pete Carroll are "going to do things better than it's ever been done before" posted by Colin Linneweber

After New York Jets rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez helped lead his team to a 24-14 Wild Card victory over the Bengals in Cincinnati Saturday, the precocious signal-caller found time to tweak his former college coach at the University of Southern California (USC).

Sanchez, 23, a three-time Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week winner, was publicly chastised by recently resigned Trojans Head Coach Pete Carroll last January after he declared himself eligible for the draft with a year of collegiate eligibility remaining.

“The facts are so strong against this decision,” said Carroll, 58, of Sanchez who went 12-1 and was awarded with the 2009 Rose Bowl Most Valuable Player in his only season as the Trojans starter.

“After analyzing all the information, the truth is there – he should’ve stayed for another year.”

Sanchez always possessed the necessary tools to be an elite professional quarterback and it was quite evident from the outset that Carroll’s ass was chapped strictly because “The Sanchise” was his ticket to a potential third national championship.

Undaunted, Carroll decided to cite a study to the media that indicated 62 percent of underclassmen quarterbacks who declare early for the draft flounder in the professional ranks.

“Big Balls Pete” further lowered himself when he openly projected that Sanchez would not be selected until the second round of the draft.

“Mark’s chance to increase his value and become the top player in college football next year would have been worth $10-$20 million or more – likely more,” whined Carroll, who is known to employ a player-friendly, relaxed style of coaching.

First Playoff Win in 14 Years For 'Boys posted by Nicholas Schwartz

The Dallas Cowboys have pulled off their first playoff win in years.  Tony Romo is now 1-2 in the playoffs, and Wade Phillips finally has won one himself.  Phillips and Romo had been known as "choke artists" in the past years, Romo fumbling a kicker hold against the Seattle Seahawks and throwing an interception late against the New York Giants.

However,  not only did they win, but they won in convincing fashion against the Philadelphia Eagles.  Holding one of the most explosive offenses in the NFL to 14 points in two games, the defense is playing inspired football.  With the front 7 applying pressure on the running game and the quarterback, the secondary locks down on big name receivers.   Next week is a favorable match up against the Minnesota Vikings offensive line.  They continue to allow Favre to be sacked, and Adrian Peterson is unable to have his explosive speed contribute when he can barely get to the line of scrimmage.  

Romo continues to play the best football of his career with 2 touchdowns and 244 yards.  This is far from the Romo of December and January's past; he has truly learned how to hold onto the ball and avoid turnovers while still being a big play threat.   Miles Austin is his deep threat, but Jason Witten and Patrick Crayton continue to be huge 3rd down targets.  Even Roy Williams is looking in sync with Romo, catching a bullet pass that was way over his head.

The Vikings had a great regular season, but were beginning to see a bit of slump towards the end.  The defense was unable to harass opposing quarterbacks and the offense was stagnant at times.  As Favre is pressured more and becomes frustrated, he makes far more errant passes.  The lone exception to this was the beat down the Vikes put on the Giants in the final game of the regular season.  They began to combine everything they had put together early in the season and were able to rebuild some confidence.  Still, with a bye week they could be sluggish.  Only time will tell how this match up will end, but you have to like the Cowboys chances. 

Joe's Opening Drive: Week 10 posted by Joe Anello

There were a few games I couldn’t even pretend to drum up a story for. Monday night’s Baltimore v. Cleveland match-up is beyond ugly. Still, there's plenty of drama for the week 10 edition of the Opening Drive! 

(6-2) Cincinnati Bengals at (6-2) Pittsburgh Steelers 

Ready for an AFC North slugfest? Well, that’s what you’re going to get today in a noon start. If you remember, the Bengals shocked the NFL with a come-from behind win over the Super Bowl Champs in their earlier meeting. Carson Palmer and will be trying to finish the season sweep when they visit Heinz Field. Unfortunately for them, Troy Polamalu will be back on the field for the Steelers defense. I have a hard time believing Mike Tomlin’s squad will drop this home game.

(3-5) Seattle Seahawks at (5-3) Arizona Cardinals 

I only put this game on my list because it’s the last chance the Seahawks have to meet my division-winning expectations. A loss would put their playoffs hope in a coffin and their team under the microscope for next year. Even Matt Hasselbeck could be on the hot seat. In Arizona, the Cardinals haven’t fared as well as they have on the road with all of their three losses coming in front of their home crowd. Oh well, they still have Kurt Warner and a hella-explosive offense. This one may not last long. 

(6-2) Dallas Cowboys at (4-4) Green Bay Packers 

A four-game winning streak will be on the line for tony Romo and the ‘Boys when they roll into Lambeau Field today. The Packers have lost two in a row and are in danger of an injury to Aaron Rodgers with the way Dallas rushes the QB. Green Bay desperately needs a successful running game to keep that defense off his back. Mike McCarthy is certainly feeling pressure to get his team back to the playoffs and dropping to 4-5 won’t do his job security any favors. 

Joe's Final Drive: Week 6 posted by Joe Anello

In a crazy week six in the NFL, we saw both New York teams fall, one squad completely give up, and three teams continue their undefeated ways. The Final Drive of week six starts right now! 

(3-3) Houston Texans 28
(4-2) Cincinnati Bengals 17 

Every once in a while, Houston goes ballistic and puts up mega-points. Matt Schaub once again proves he’s a fantastic fantasy QB… five games a season. The Bengals aren’t an elite team, so you had to expect a letdown eventually after winning four straight. Now they dropped back with Pittsburgh, who are also 4-2, but technically behind since the Bengals beat them head-to-head.  

(6-0) Minnesota Vikings 33
(3-3) Baltimore Ravens 31 

Why won’t anyone beat the Vikings?! Steven Hauschka’s missed 44-yard field goal keeps the legend of Brett Favre in Minnesota going strong for another week. Who thought that the Baltimore defense would be the team’s weakness this season? They don’t deserve to be called “good” with the amount of points they’re allowing. Take that Ray Lewis.

(5-0) New Orleans Saints 48
(5-1) New York Giants 27 

What was supposed to be the best game of the weekend was over by halftime. Drew Brees let loose with another four TD’s as the Saints pwned the Giants in Louisiana. But the football sky isn’t falling in New York… at least not for Giants fans. 

Welcome to Fantasy Land! posted by Amari Harris

Good morning fantasy friends!

Today is Saturday September 26, 2009 so you have a little more than 24 hours to get your fantasy act together or you may end up with that crucial week 3 L.  

It has been a very interesting week in fantasy land for me.  Lots of wheeling and dealing, some unfortunate attempts at cheating and a hazy injury to Marion the Barbarian.  Let’s begin with this “cheating” situation:

So, I am in a random NFL.com fantasy football league. We’ll call it the “Bush League” which is a very appropriate title for so many reasons.  One great fantasy insight that I’ve picked up this year is setting up my fantasy alerts.  (In most leagues you can set up regular e-mail alerts that notify you of a player’s status, league transactions, starting line-ups, trades, etc).  These alerts are very useful because it allows me to check on important league activity without having to log into the site every five minutes.  My fantasy alerts proved to be very useful this week. 

You can imagine my surprise when I received notification of a pending trade involving “Bush team 1” and “Bush team 2”.  (Although I have aliased the names of these two teams for confidentiality and competitive purposes everyone should know that the real names of these two teams were very similar which raised a red flag in my head from the beginning, but I digress.)  My notification revealed to me that there was a pending trade that would send Chris Johnson and Andre Johnson from Bush team 1 to Bush team 2 for Joseph Addai and Michael Jenkins.  Now to the average person this is no big deal because the players play the same position and 2 equals 2.  But to “fantasy landers” this is sheer blasphemy.  Consider the fact that Chris Johnson scored 3 touchdowns last week of 50 yards or more and amassed

Joe's Gameday Preview: Bears at Seahawks posted by Joe Anello

After winning a game no one expected them to win, the Bears are now widely expected to travel to Seattle and defeat the injury-battling Seahawks. Which Seahawk is injured you ask? Someone pretty important…

How about former Pro-Bowl quarterback Matt Hasselbeck? After being viciously (but legally) leveled by 49er linebacker Patrick Willis, Hasselbeck was discovered to have a fractured rib. Needless to say, the Seahawks are being cautious with their star. No one expects him to be able to play on Sunday, so back-up Seneca Wallace will be asked to fill in.

He’s not the only injury of note for Seattle either. Tackle Sean Locklear is expected to miss the game, as is linebacker Leroy Hill. An even bigger hole would be left by middle linebacker Lofa Tatupu, who is listed as doubtful for the game. On Chicago’s side, Desmond Clark is doubtful and Pisa Tinoisamoa will miss another week.

Even with injuries of their own, the Bears should have plenty of opportunities to take advantage of the ailing Seahawks. On defense, Seneca Wallace is a steep drop-off from Hasselbeck. He’s not as accurate or savvy, but he is more mobile, which could pose a problem in getting pressure on the QB. Fortunately, tackle Walter Jones is listed as questionable with a knee injury, so even if he does play Alex Brown (who is injured himself but expected to play) should have a strong game at the defensive end spot. Speaking of injuries, Tommie Harris needs to show some burst out there so he can help a still-improving pass rush.

WEEK 2 posted by Henri "theactor" Ramsey

Week 2 is behind us and it's on to Minnesota next...

We are 2-0...undefeated...I have to say I would love to go further undefeated but, after a while you start thinking about it so much, you can't concentrate on the task at hand...playing the game.

Now a lot of things can...and will happen before our bye week.

First: We are going to have a TRUE challenge next week with Favre and Peterson. However, the last time we played Favre, we shut him down! The same can be said about Peterson. He had the worst game of his career against us. So with that being said, We have a chance to be 3-0 after next Sunday.

Second: The Rams...Not to be taken lightly...simply because they are in our division and...they love to beat the 49ers. It's been a LONG rivalry and it will continue.We SHOULD be 4-0 or at the very least 3-1 (if we lose to the Vikings)

Third: Atlanta....hmmmm they are a very good team and I have to say, they worry me more than the Vikings. This is really going to be a test of our teams character. If we can win two of the next three...we are going to go into the second half of our season with momentum and teams will have to circle their calenders when they play us because...the 49ers are SERIOUS!!

So at the very least in the next few weeks, we can be 5-0 or as I stated before, at the very least, 4-1.

As for yesterday, I had a BLAST at the game and it was really nice to hear the roar of the crowd as Gore ran rampid over our division rivals. The Seachicks were not only not prepared for the New Look Niners , but they SURE didn't expect Gore to run for 200 yards! That's what I like to see...dominate!!! The crowd was totally into it and they made some noise for the first time in a LOOONG time! I just hope that we can continue to have game like that at home...LOUD!

Wedge vs. No Wedge posted by Randolph Charlotin

We heard about the rule change that bans the wedge on kickoff returns, but how will that impact the game? I was able to get Pete Cronan, a former nine-year NFL linebacker with the Washington Redskins and Seattle Seahawks to break down the differences between the wedge and under the current rule.

Week 2 NFL Picks posted by Vet

I was a decent 3-1 last week. Called the Games straight Up and where to take the points. My only lost was the Upset special. Which seems not so special for week 1. The Colts help on for the win, Yet like I said did not cover the spread. The Saints went marching in to the season with 6 touchdowns from Brees. The Dolphins seem to let me down in more then one way, I actual  sipped the Ronnie Brown Kool aid and left a sour taste in fantasy for week 1.

The past is the past time to move on to week 2

Start with the easy Suicide Pick. Statistically not an east Pick. I am rolling against the Lions, The Vikes are 1-7 SU in ast 8 road Games......The Lions where not on the Schedule and Favre was not the QB. The best part is AP is Health and running on All cynilders. Ok the Bonus Lions are 2-17 su against the Vikes. When was the last times the Lions won?????

Vikes clubber the Lions.

Trash Talk Bowl Game.

Rex Ryan is stirring up some bad blood. Sounds like Buddy Ryan had some influence on this guy. Speaking Of Buddy Ryan influence, Cable from Oakland hitting a coach and breaking a jaw. Supposedly. Wow Rember when Buddy struck an co-worker on the sideline. Well Scott better be hitting Brady in the Jaw several times while he has the Ball to give the Jets a chance. The Pats are 6-1-1 ats in the last 8 Sept. Road Games.

The Pats to be talking as the Jets are walking.

Risky pick here. Stats do not fail me now.  The Cardinals are 1-12 su in Sept Road Games. They also are not big fans of  1 O'Clock start. The Jags are 2- against Cardinals of all time. Then again they play each other ever 4 years so hard to get the feeling for a team since most players are different from last time.....lol.

Holmgren, Browns trade for QB Wallace (AP)

Mike Holmgren is already making deals with his former team. The Seattle Seahawks traded backup quarterback Seneca Wallace to the Cleveland Browns in exchange for a 2011 undisclosed draft pick. The Seahawks confirmed the deal Monday night. Wallace spent his entire seven-year career with the Seahawks, and was always a favorite of Holmgren's when he was Seattle's coach. [read full article]

From Yahoo! Sports

Broncos WR Marshall to visit Seahawks (AP)

Despite a potentially huge price to acquire his services, the Seattle Seahawks are going to take their shot at impressing Denver wide receiver Brandon Marshall. The star Broncos receiver, and restricted free agent, will visit with the Seahawks on Saturday, a team spokesman said on Friday night. ESPN.com first reported Marshall's visit. [read full article]

From Yahoo! Sports

Players take course in money management (AP)

[read full article]

From Yahoo! Sports

Seahawks use franchise tag on K Mare (AP)

In each of the last two preseasons, the Seattle Seahawks decided to provide Olindo Mare some competition. And both times the veteran kicker came out ahead. Now, Mare is getting rewarded. The Seahawks announced Wednesday they will use their franchise tag to retain control of Mare, the second time in recent seasons Seattle has used the tag on a kicker. [read full article]

From Yahoo! Sports

Gators hire Cards' Austin to run defense (AP)

Florida has hired Arizona Cardinals defensive backs coach Teryl Austin as its defensive coordinator. Austin comes to the Gators with 19 years of coaching experience, including 12 at the college level and the past seven as an NFL assistant. He spent the last three years with the Cardinals, and the previous four with the Seattle Seahawks. [read full article]

From Yahoo! Sports