Cassel-Back

I was down in Vegas this weekend for the opening weekend of the NFL season and I lost 10 total parlays equaling about $100 bucks bc its impossible to bet on College Football period with those point spreads and guessing on week 1 of the NFL is like trying to write a book report without reading the cliff notes (reading the actual book is out of the question). Anyways, by now you have heard that GQ magnet Tom Brady is out for the year and some guy named Matt Cassel is replacing him for the rest of the year. What was great is that in a matter of about 6 hours two separate people I talked to referred to him as Matt Casselback which I thought was hilarious for some reason. Anyways, I'm here to tell you that this is going to be one of those amazing feel good stories that nobody saw coming. I'm just saying that because I drafted Randy Moss in one of my leagues and I have convinced myself that he will be good enough to get Moss the ball and give me the fantasy points I need from my first rounder? PROBABLY, but read this and tell me that it doesn't sound like the beginning of some unreal story:

Carroll didn't recruit Cassel out of California's Chatsworth High, the last place he started at quarterback. The Patriots fired Carroll after the 1999 season and he didn't begin coaching USC until 2001.

By that time, Cassel already had redshirted a season and could tell snaps would be scarce at quarterback. So Cassel asked to be use as a receiver and on special teams. He actually started one game as an H-back.

"This is the first game he's going to start in a long time because he's had the misfortune of being behind Heisman Trophy winners and then in the NFL behind the best quarterback that maybe ever lived," Carroll said. "He's had to wait forever. This is a kid that never gave in to that, persevered through all of that and continues to believe in himself.

So the dude hasn't started a football game since high school, sat behind two Heisman winners, then behind the legend Brady, was willing to switch position in college just to help the team, and now finds himself with a once in a lifetime chance to do something special in his first ever start that, oh ya also happens to be against Brett Favre. God loves these types of stories and don't be surprised if this guy finds Moss all over the field for one of those amazing feel good stories that even your girlfriend will be in to.

LETS GO MATT!

Why Favre picked N.Y. over Tampa Bay

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Well, here are a thousand reasons why Brett Favre went to the New York Jets.
Everyone at ESPN was “stunned” last night when Favre signed off on a trade to the Jets over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Why was this a surprise, just because everyone at the network had gone on record saying Tampa Bay was the favorite? As if ESPN has never been wrong on a trade report (see Manny Not Being a Dodger and instead heading to Florida).
So Bill Williamson was wrong when he wrote Tampa Bay was a 6 to 1 favorite, and Pat Yasinskas a little off when he said Favre was perfect for Tampa Bay.)
For some reason, few caught on to Brett’s New York state of mind. But it’s simple really.
If he went to Tampa Bay, there’s a good chance he’d be holding a clipboard in the season opener. Let’s not forget, Jeff Garcia has been a pretty solid quarterback of late (and not just because he’s a Gilroy native and San Jose State guy), a Pro Bowler in fact, and takes a lot less chances than the gunslinger Favre.
Garcia started 13 games and completed 209 of 327 passes for 2,440 yards with 13 touchdowns and just four interceptions.
Favre, while he threw a lot more than Garcia, was 356 of 535 passes with 28 touchdowns but was also picked off 15 times.
Garcia, however, is more versatile and can beat you with his legs (3.3 yards a carry), which Favre can’t (0.4 yards a carry), and he knows the offense and has been in camp.
But barring an injury or something unforeseen (like Kellen Clemens turning into a good quarterback), Favre will be the clear-cut No. 1 in New York and keep his personal legacy (the team will still stink) and consecutive-games streak intact.

Mr. Smith Goes to the Doghouse

Not only was I wrong when I said hell would freeze over and turn Dodger Blue before Manny Ramirez was traded to L.A. (OK, that's not what I said, but mine as well have been), but forget what I wrote recently about Carolina wide receiver Steve Smith, too.
That’s why predictions are a risky move in a bookmarkable blogalaxy that can come back to haunt you (see Jayson Stark and Buster Olney’s preseason AL West predictions).
You remember those top 20 fantasy football picks, when I ranked Smith 15th overall and noted not to “sleep on Smith, who won’t implode like Moss or T.O. always could?”
Well, that “boom” you heard Saturday was an implosion in Charlotte, where Smith was suspended two regular-season games for a training camp fight with cornerback Ken Lucas.
The move probably drops Smith out of my top 20 completely, but we’ll revisit that later once all the preseason fights, injuries, trades and holdouts have wrapped up, and it’s a proper time to start making projections.
Until then, I retire.

Money Ball 2.0: All Trades Considered

Is it just me, or has there been an insane amount of trades in the last year?
The blockbuster trading winds first started blowing exactly a year ago today, when word circulated that Kevin Garnett was getting traded to the Boston Celtics, making the Cs an instant favorite to win the Eastern Conference.

Out West, the Lakers got in on the fun when they traded next to nothing for Pao Gasol, a move that landed them in the NBA Finals.
The Gasol trade sparked the Suns to trade for Shaq, the Mavs to deal for Jason Kidd, and then there’s all of the free-agent action that’s taken place in the offseason: Elton Brand heading east, Baron Davis flying south, Josh Childress heading overseas to play in Greece of all places. Then there was the Ron Artest deal this week, although it doesn't appear Yao approves of the Rockets’ new “ghetto” star.

In the NFL, Miami dealt dancing phenom and disgruntled defensive end Jason Taylor to the Washinton Redskins for a couple of draft picks … Jeremy Shockey was shipped to New Orleans ... and who knows what’s going on during Day No. 83 of the Brett Favre saga.

Today’s the trade deadline in Major League Baseball, and one of the finest players of our generation has just been dealt to Chicago. That’s right, Ken Griffey Jr. has been traded to the White Sox.
This comes on the heels of deals that sent Ivan Rodriguez to the Yankees, Mark Teixeira to the Angels and Casey Blake to the Dodgers – and we haven’t even mentioned the A’s trading away their entire pitching staff.
The Dodgers have also been rumored to be going after Manny Ramirez, and after reporting those rumors were dead in the water, ESPN is now reporting Manny is heading to L.A. after all. Joe Torre and ManRam, together in L.A.? Crazier things have happened.

Look at all of those above names, some of the biggest names of their respective sports.
Which makes me wonder, am I just getting old and all of these studs I collected cards of growing up are too? Or are we witnessing a new era in professional sports, where the young guns are cheaper and better for the long run, and if teams aren’t going to win right now they’d rather throw up the white flag and rebuild right away.

It’s probably a combination of the two. Call it Money Ball 2.0 – out with the old, in with the new, cheaper labor in hopes of turning a better profit. Sounds like the corporate world, more specifically the newspaper business these days. Cut, cut, cut. Trim, trim, trim. Cheaper is better for the bottom line, even if readers, or in this case fans, aren’t getting what they paid for.

It’s great for the fans of teams in contention, but for every Laker or Angels fan out West, there’s a season ticket holder in Oakland gouging his eyes out with his free Billy Beane bobblehead doll as the A’s slide into oblivion in the AL West.

Top 20 Fantasy Football Picks in 2008

We opened a can of worms with yesterday's poll question, so here goes. My top 20 Fantasy Football picks this season, barring injuries of course.
1. LaDainian Tomlinson, SD, RB
You still have to go with the West Coast at No. 1, don’t you?
2. Adrian Peterson, Min, RB
Durability is the only question mark with AP.
3. Brian Westbrook, Phi, RB
Westbrook was the focus of the offense last season and should be again in ’08.
4. Tom Brady, NE, QB
If you can’t get one of the top three RBs, why not go with the top QB?
5. Steven Jackson, StL, RB
Jackson is his team’s MVP, but he’s also not on a very good team.
6. Joseph Addai, Ind, RB
If Manning starts slow, it could mean more love for Addai.
7. Frank Gore, SF, RB
A Niner way up here? Yeah, now that Martz is the coordinator.
8. Marshawn Lynch, Buf, RB
If he gets more touches in the passing game, watch out.
9. Randy Moss, NE, WR
If you can’t get Brady, negate the opposition with his favorite target.
10. Larry Johnson, KC, RB
How the mighty have fallen. LJ could be a steal late.
11. Terrell Owens, Dal, WR
Everyone’s in love with Brady-Moss, but T.O. & Romo has a nice ring to it, too.
12. Maurice Jones-Drew, Jac, RB
If he gets more work, Jones-Drew could be a fantasy power.
13. Peyton Manning, Ind, QB
Even with the knee, you gotta go with Manning before Romo.
14. Ryan Grant, GB, RB
No Favre would mean a conservative passing game and more touches for Grant.
15. Steve Smith, Car, WR
Don’t sleep on Smith, who won’t implode like Moss or T.O. always could.
16. Tony Romo, Dal, QB
Keep T.O. happy and Simpson away, and he’ll OK.
17. T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Cin,WR
Better than Ocho Cinco last year, better than Ocho Cinco this year.
18. Reggie Wayne, Ind, WR
Peyton’s new right-hand man.
19. Ronnie Brown, Mia, RB
This is kind of a gamble because of the ACL, but so are Lewis and McGahee.
20. Lewis or McGahee
Or start thinking about a good QB-WR combo.

Who's No. 1 in Fantasy Football

I promised myself I wouldn’t write about the NFL on this fledgling blog until training camps opened across the West Coast.
Well, as of today, all of the California squads are underway – so I guess it’s cool to start talking football.
Or is it? With the baseball races starting to heat up, I feel guilty even bringing up the pigskin, especially with the Angels and Dodgers playing for pennants.
So instead of getting knee deep into football, I’ll keep it light and ask just this one question in preparation for upcoming football fantasy drafts (don't like any of the selections below, post your pick in the comments section).

JACKED

If you are reading this, you are one of 3 types of people: a) contributor to the site, there are only 4 of us if you can even count me, b) possibly a friend of one of the contributors, but I seriously doubt that, or c) some dude looking for porn that somehow ended up here.

Either way there is no point in writing anything of substance here because you aren't reading it, and I really don't have anything brilliant to say anyways, however, with the recent arrest of Cedric Benson (that's him to the left, what the hell happened on that boat anyways?) and the soon to be arrested Marvin Harrison, I just can't get over how pathetic and stupid these NFL footballers have become.

Let me see, you have millions of dollars, play a freakin' sport for your job, probably get more ladies then you know what to do with, work about half the year (did I mention you get to play a sport for living?), and you just can't get out of the way of yourself. I heard Mike Florio on the Dan Patrick show say that over the past 3 years, the longest the NFL has gone without a player being arrested is 27 days!!!!!!! Can you believe that?

At best, one player every month is arrested that plays in the National Football League. I'm mediocre to horrible at math, but that does not seem good. I wonder how long it would have to take for every player in the league to get arrested?? Without looking at the mean data, let's just assume on average one player every 20 days is arrested. (I'm sure it's the same guys over and over getting hassled, but for fun let's just assume everyone only gets jacked once). There are 45 active players on each team every week. The league has 32 teams, that is a total of 1,440 total players. If only one player gets arrested every 20 days, it would take 28, 800 days, or around 79 years for the entire league to get jacked. On second thought, that doesn't seem so bad. Carry on boys.

Time to Play "Name that Criminal"

The Clues:
* He was once a semi-respected sideline reporter
* He was once a semi-successful actor
* He was once semi-acquitted of a double murder
* He now owes the state of California just north of $1.5 million in back taxes