Why This Exists?

       I have been busy... College can be busy, especially being an honor student. Especially since I have wanted to do better in school this year, and especially because I am not a freshman anymore. So I haven't had time for this, I still have 3 parts of my NBA season preview. I started part two, but I stopped midway through because I now have finance homework and a quiz tomorrow. So I feel bad because I am not a posting like how I use to, and really I haven't gone out like I was earlier in the year. I had a conversation with my parents about this blog now two weekends ago. One question was more prominent than any other in the talk.

Why did you start this?

Well, quite frankly it is my dream to be able to cover sports for a living. It is my dream to follow guys like LeBron, Durant, or Peyton Manning, and to be able to walk into a sports game just to say in my head "oh this is my job, to watch a game that I love." If I could have watched Michael Jordan for a living, I would have never felt like I had to work ever. I don't mind what I do now (I am an Accounting and Finance Major at the University of Toledo). It's just, if I can be successful in this field I would feel so lucky every day of my life. That is where this blog came in. I can live my normal life of being a business student, yet have a platform for my sports writing venture. So, as long as my class schedule isn't tough on me, you will more than likely find me here writing about sports. This is the only dream I will probably ever chase, so if you are rooting for me wish me luck

NBA Season Preview Part 1

     With only less than 2 weeks to the beginning of the NBA season, thoughts of the upcoming year has been clogging up my pipes. So much could happen this season not so much on the top end of the league, but in the bottom half of the league. The 7 an 8 seeds in both conferences are really wide open, and there are so many candidates that can take up the spot. Really there are only a handful of teams that shouldn't have a chance to make the playoffs, so we start in the Eastern Conference with the teams that will more than likely be left out.

15th:

The Charlotte Bobcats are an improved team, the fact they are still this bad is a testament to how good they were at being bad last year.

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist is hoping to be the key to turning it around

Projected Starting Lineup: Ramon Sessions, PG; Ben Gordon, SG; Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, SF; Bismack Biyombo, PF; and Brenden Haywood, C

Reserves: Kemba Walker, PG; Gerald Henderson, SG; Tyrus Thomas, PF; Jeff Taylor, SF; and Byron Mullins, C

Best Possible Finish: 13th

Worst Possible Finish: 15th

Season Outlook: For being the worst team in the East, the Bobcats really are not all  that bad. They made a couple of off season moves that can be looked at as good. It starts with the number 2 draft pick Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. We hear over and over again about how this guy works hard. It can't be is a value that can't be overstated when it comes to turning around a losing team. Kidd-Gilchrist should never put up 20 a game, but he's great to have on your team because he can make an impact even if he only scores 8-12. Ramon Sessions was added to actually start over Kemba Walker, which is a better idea than it seems. Kemba proved last season that he will need to work on his game before he could be a quality starter. Sessions is a good ying to Kemba's yang. As Sessions is a big point guard, that is a jack of all trades for the position. Walker, at this point of his career, will be most effectively used as someone who can score buckets coming off the bench.
         The Bobcats then traded Corey Maggette for Ben Gordon, while picking up a first round pick. I think this was a very smart move for Charlotte; they picked up a shooter, which is something they lacked last year. They also picked up a first round pick for someone who wouldn't of fit this years squad. Without this deal Charlotte might of had to draft Beal instead of Kidd-Gilchrist, something I don't think they wanted to do. Lastly, picking up Jeff Taylor in the second round isn't going to get headlines. I feel though he can bring a defensive punch, while being able to hit threes on offense. This kind of Bruce Bowen type role (there is no way he is Bruce Bowen, don't confuse that) can be valuable to any team.
       Charlotte is pretty solid in the back court, Gerald Henderson who wasn't talked about was one of Charlotte's best players last season. One of the best things about the back court is the fact everyone has a role they fit. This could allow each player to play the kind of game that they want to, which can be beneficial to the team. As for the big men on the roster, there is much to be had. Haywood never panned out to the player he could of been. Tyrus Thomas was an other worldly talent, that just has never put it together in a season. Byron Mullins is the 4th big man, and he is someone who might not be able to make a lot of NBA rosters. There is improvement here, but they are still the Charlotte Bobcats.

Key Player: When Bismack Biyombo entered the league, Zach Harper wrote that the Bobcats even had to teach him how to catch a basketball. Biyombo has a bit more polish to his game this season, but is still a raw player. In Charlotte, he is easily the one big man that has the most potential on the roster. Last season, he was a defensive specialist (and a very underrated one). When I watched him play the Magic, I saw a guy who was sort of effective playing defense on Dwight Howard. If Biyombo can become a good rebounder, and a guy that isn't completely lost on offense, Charlotte becomes a much better team. It also will look much better that they drafted him 7th last year.

14th:

The Orlando Magic are in their first year without Dwight, and like most teams that lost their superstar they are hurting.

Is Arron Afflalo ready for his new role on his new team?

Projected Starting Lineup: Jameer Nelson, PG; Arron Afflalo, SG; Hedo Turkoglu, SF; Glen Davis, PF; and Gustavo Ayon, C

Reserves: Quentin Richardson, SF;  J.J. Redick, SG; Al Harrington, PF; Ishmael Smith, PG; Maurice Harkless, SF; Andrew Nicholson, PF; and Nikola Vucevic, C

Best Possible Finish: 12th

Worst Possible Finish: 15th

Season Outlook: The Magic finally lost Dwight, and we finally all can move on from that lingering story line. The strangest move in the Magic's off season is after they traded Dwight they followed it up with resigning Jameer Nelson. Maybe this was more of a stop the bleeding effort, but it seems weird for a team to resign its 30 year old point guard. Especially for 4 years. Either way though the Magic are definitely in a rebuild, with only a handful of players that remaining from the Dwight era. Orlando may have an interesting position battle at Center, even if Vucevic has a chance to show no development and be glued to the bench. If he can improve in some assets of his game, he will have an opportunity to take the spot over from Ayon. The Magic drafted Andrew Nicholson to provide some depth in the front court  and they also got a raw but high potential wing when they got Harkless in the trade. Al Harrington could either keep his career afloat this year with them, or he could just fade off into the distance with whatever could remain of his career.

      Glen Davis could have a breakout year for the Magic. Once Dwight was ruled out for the rest of the year Davis played fairly well. The Magic hopes he keeps the same momentum he had at the end of last season. It will be interesting also to see if the team deals out any of their players before the trade deadline. I could easily see Turkoglu or Glen Davis wearing a different uniform if the first half of the season doesn't go well. Only question will be if anyone decides if they would want one of them. Overall, this season will be very different for Orlando. Including when they are scouting lottery picks, instead of looking forward to the playoffs.

Key Player: Arron Afflalo is a guy that is looked at as good, but a little over paid. He may be the best player wearing a Magic uniform this season though. If he can be the best player the Magic have, and maybe even worth his contract, Afflalo could be the start of the rebuilding for the Magic. Instead of being someone who stifles the new era in Orlando.

13th:

Cleveland is a trendy pick to make a rise into being a playoff team this year, it isn't that it couldn't happen, it just may be more difficult than it may seem for supporters.

One of Cleveland's 2011 top 5 picks was a stud in 2011-12, can the other be a solid starter in 2012?

Projected Starting Lineup: Kyrie Irving, PG; C.J. Miles, SG; Alonzo Gee, SF; Tristan Thompson, PF; and Anderson Varejao, C

Reserves: Dion Waiters, SG; Tyler Zeller, C; Daniel Gibson, PG/SG; Omri Casspi, SF; Jon Leuer, PF; Samardo Samuels, PF; and Donald Sloan, PG

Best Possible Finish: 8th seed in the playoffs

Worst Possible Finish: 14th

Season Outlook: The way it looks at this point going into the season, from here until 7 or 8 is a potential log jam. Cleveland is a trendy pick to be on the top of the heap when the season is over. This is definitely not out of the question, as they arguably have the best player out of all of the teams. The talent around Kyrie could be very hit or miss though. Varejao is the only real known commodity that is pretty high value. Varejao honestly put together a very underrated 2011-12 campaign. As overlooked as is was, he really played one of the top 3 or 4 seasons at the Center last year in the East. To say Kyrie had no help is very wrong, because you could argue Varejao was as much of an All-Star as Hibbert.

     The rest of the roster is definitely a different story. The most upside comes in the two first rounders, more specifically Waiters. If Waiters can be a solid wing option on offense, this team can really show their upside this year. If Waiters is a flop for this season, the roster virtually may have made no steps forward. As for Tyler Zeller, he will most likely be cast as the third big man on this team. A role that isn't the most exciting sounding, but he can potentially fill it well. C.J Miles is looking for a fresh start in Cleveland. He is very talented as a high flyer who can shoot the three. Miles could put together a solid year in Cleveland and make a little leap as a player in this league. If Donald Sloan gets on the floor this year he can be a good story, being an undrafted free agent who worked his way onto the roster through the Summer League.

Key Player: Tristan Thompson was the 4th pick in 2011 NBA Draft, and didn't see the minutes some Cavs fans would have hoped for. After spending a year as Antoine Jamison's back up, it looks like Thompson will be thrown into the starting lineup. Thompson really wasn't ready for big minutes last season, as he seemed for the role he had. This year though, Thompson is going to be pretty heavily relied on. If he can rise up to the challenge, the Cavs could prove why people believe in them. Combine that a season where Dion Waiters is solid, and Cleveland could be playing in late May. If Thompson flops though, the Cavs may be looking to get a new Power Forward.

12th

The Detroit Pistons were an interesting team last season; as they started out 4-20, and then went 21 wins and 21 loses to end the season. This year they are probably closer to the .500 team, but more than likely will be slightly under that mark.

Greg Monroe improved last season, can he make another jump?

Projected Starting Lineup: Brandon Knight, PG; Rodney Stuckey, SG; Tayshaun Prince, SF; Jonas Jerebko, PF; and Greg Monroe, C

Reserves: Andre Drummond, C; Corey Maggette, SF; Jason Maxiell, PF; Will Bynum, PG; Terrance Williams, SG/SF; Austin Daye, SF/PF; Kim English, SG; Khris Middleton, SF; Jonny Flynn, PG; Viacheslav Kravtov, C; Kyle Singler, SF; and maybe Charlie Villanueva, PF

Best Possible Finish: 8th

Worst Possible Finish: 13th

Season Outlook: The Pistons are another interesting log jam candidate, seeing how good they did the last 42 games. If you can win half your games in the NBA you are a borderline playoff team, and that is exactly what the Pistons did for a 42 game stretch. We will have to find out whether that was just a good 42 game stretch, or if they have more of that in store.

     The roster is not too much different with all 5 starters being on the roster last year. If Andre Drummond plays anywhere near his potential, he could be entering the starting line up before too long though. Corey Maggette is also a new addition to the team, being swapped for Ben Gordon. This deal also was good for the Pistons as Maggette fits the roster better than Gordon. That, however, is more of the fact Gordon, Knight, and Stuckey all were fighting for similar roles than Maggette being a perfect fit. Terrance Williams and Jonny Flynn are both former talented, high draft picks that have bounced around the league. If they both get their act together it will help the roster vastly. The top end of the rotation is solid, but there is a lack of depth towards the bottom. That is the reason why so many reserves on the list because anyone one of those guys could crack the rotation. The bigs rotation is also slightly thin, which could cause some issues with the Pistons. After Greg Monroe, there is a lack of guys to fit a large role for an NBA team. Unless Drummond comes on faster than we expect, look to see Jerebko outmatched on a lot of match ups against opposing bigs.

     Another guy who could be interesting is Kim English, the teams second round pick, could crack the wing rotation for the team. I personally like his odds to get on the floor better than Khris Middleton, the other second round pick. Viacheslav Kravtov could have a bigger role on this team if Drummond and Monroe start, but don't expect that to happen right away. Kyle Singler was a guy who made the roster after looking good during the Summer League, but I don't think he will be in the rotation unless the guys ahead of him play bad. Charlie Villanueva looked to be in better shape this year, but hopefully the Pistons don't try to put him in the rotation. I really don't see him making any news of playing better this year.

Key Player: Greg Monroe will need to make another jump to solidify the Pistons playoff chances. Monroe was another guy who could have had a solid argument to be the second All-Star Center instead of Roy Hibbert. Monroe is an underrated big man with an excellent set of tools, especially excellent passing vision. Monroe is such a good teammate that sometimes he needs to take more command of the game. If Monroe can be more of a 20 points and 12 rebound guy instead of 15 and 9, the team would benefit greatly.

11th

With a little bit of a roster makeover, the Washington Wizards are set to be better winners now. The problem is that it is questionable if they did enough.

Bradley Beal is hoping both he and the Wizards are good in his first year

Projected Starting Lineup: John Wall, PG (Injured: will miss first month); Bradley Beal, SG; Trevor Ariza, SF; Nene, PF (Injured: could miss some early time); and Emeka Okafor, C

Reserves: Jordan Crawford, SG; Trevor Booker, PF; Kevin Seraphin, C; Shelvin Mack, PG; Jan Vesely, SF; Martell Webster, SG/SF; and Chris Singleton, SF/PF

Best Possible Finish: 7th

Worst Possible Finish: 14th

Season Outlook: The Washington Wizards roster is surprisingly solid for this year, well, it was before John Wall went down. Now the Wizards are going to start the season without maybe their two best players in Wall and Nene. I would like their odds to make the playoffs much more if I wasn't uncertain on if they are going to lose a lot of momentum early in the season. The moves the Wizards made in the off season was a counter measure against their older issues. Getting experienced players in Ariza and Okafor to start at the Small Forward and Center positions. This will make for a more stable team around John Wall, which I feel the Wizards are going to make these moves because they believe in Wall. If they didn't feel Wall could become a bigger star in this league, I don't feel they would of taken on the contracts if they didn't think Wall could be their superstar. The Wizards are going to be all in on Wall, for better or worse.

        The only other off season move is the fact that they drafted Bradley Beal with the third pick of the draft. Beal is a short but strong 2 guard with a solid shooting stroke, and has potential to be a good backcourt combo with Wall. If Beal can be as good as his potential, the Wizards could have a really high ceiling. Another player that will be interesting to see if he earns a higher role from improvement is Jan Vesely. The 6th pick of the 2011 draft will be looking to have a bigger spot in the rotation. If he can be a solid option off of the bench this year it will make up for some lack of solid wing depth for Washington. This team being better this is year is more about the new additions to the starting lineup however

Key Player: John Wall needs to become a superstar if the Wizards want to win games with this roster. He was a former number one pick, so this is suppose to be an achievable goal for Wall. These next two or three years are going to be crucial for Wall and Washington.

10th

The Milwaukee Bucks didn't make a ton of roster change after Monta Ellis, so they could either be in the same spot or they left the door open for other teams to compete.

Can Milwaukee's electric back court make a playoff push?

Projected Starting Lineups: Brandon Jennings, PG; Monta Ellis, SG; Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, SF; Ersan Ilyasova, PF; and Samuel Dalembert, C

Reserves: Mike Dunleavy, SG/SF; Drew Gooden, PF; Ekpe Udoh, C; Larry Sanders, PF; Tobais Harris, SF; Beno Udrih, PG; John Henson, PF; and Doron Lamb, SG

Best Possible Finish: 7th

Worst Possible Finish: 11th

Season Outlook: The Bucks are a pretty well known team compared to these others, their additions are only Dalembert, Henson, and Lamb. Last season this roster made out to be the 9th best team in the East, and went 13-11 after acquiring Monta Ellis. If no other team in the East made a roster change, the Bucks would be slotted 7th or 8th. On top of Monta Ellis, Ersan Ilyasova is hoping to keep up his higher level of play. Ersan saw his PER jump from 14.4 to 20.5, which is a very large leap in overall performance. Ersan was actually the team leader in this category, and saw easily his best season for Offensive Rating and Offensive Win Shares. He has established himself as the third option in the Milwaukee offense. The only question with Ersan going forward is that maybe he only just shot the ball well last season. His True Shooting and Effective Field Goal Percentages deviate from the standard quite a bit. So was he improved, or did he only enjoy a season of good shooting.

       The Milwaukee Bucks did something they hadn't done before this year, play fast. Last year the Bucks were 3rd in the league in pace, while the two years before they were 19th and 25th. Having Monta Ellis on the roster is a fuel injection to the speed of the offense, and it seems Ersan likes the pace better. The Bucks were 13th in Offensive Rating and 16th in Defensive Rating. Something that I think Scott Skiles will approach in the off season. A player that might see some time in fact of this is Larry Sanders. Sanders is a long, lanky, defense oriented player. Sanders put up a Block % of 8.9, a high number considering that Serge Ibaka put up a 9.8%. On offense Sanders leaves a lot to be desired, but this can be covered up by pairing him with Jennings, Ellis, and Ersan. Don't expect a lot of time for Henson or Lamb, as Skiles doesn't like to play rookies a whole lot. As for Samuel Dalembert, he is actually a great fit for Milwaukee. He led his team in Defensive Win Shares, and had a higher number than any Buck. Dalembert is also a true Center, something that may be a little overrated but the Bucks still lacked. Dalembert also put up a higher Total Rebound Percentage than any Milwaukee Buck, proving he fills a big hole regardless of talent level.

Key Player: Brandon Jennings is no longer the lone sheriff in town and is no more of a 2nd option or 1B with Monta Ellis on the team. So now Jennings needs to work on being more effective without scoring the basketball. Jennings is a career 27.5% on Assist Percentage. Now sure he will never be a Rondo at the point (who posted a 52.5% last season), but Jennings can certaintly raise his 5.5 Assists Per Game. Jennings also saw his lowest total on Defensive Win Shares in his career last season, but this could be a number of things. Honestly, I think Jennings was broken down more on the defensive end last year because he was attacked more than previous seasons. Jennings doesn't have to be great, but if he can return to the form he had the other two seasons and be better at setting up teammates. Milwaukee can certainty be a better basketball squad.

9th:

It really is hard to see the Chicago Bulls getting in the playoffs without Derrick Rose, especially after their offseason additions. Which is really a sad scenario quite frankly

Derrick Rose leaves behind a big void in Chicago

Projected Starting Lineup: Kirk Hinrich, PG; Richard Hamilton, SG; Luol Deng, SF; Carlos Boozer, PF; and Joakim Noah, C

Reserves: Derrick Rose, PG (Injured: projected to be out at least half the season); Taj Gibson, PF; Jimmy Butler, SF; Marco Belenelli, SG; Nazr Mohammed, C; Nate Robinson, PG/SG; Valdimir Radmanovic, PF; and Marquis Teague, PG

Best Possible Finish: 3rd

Worst Possible Finish: 12th

Season Outlook: Boy, it sure is hard to look at Chicago's upcoming season and be happy about it. Derrick Rose is about to miss half the season, at least, and the bench mob is gone. What has replaced the bench mob, is quite frankly not on par with the missing pieces. Asik is probably the biggest void, as it is hard to see Nazr Mohammed bringing the same caliber of defense. A lot of the season hinges on Rose's return, there is no doubt about that. I personally see them being more cautious than anything about bringing Rose back this year. He just is so young, and has so many years in front of him, that they need to keep the long term value of having the league's youngest MVP. Chicago's season, good or bad, will have some simple answers on why it went that way.

Key Player: Carlos Boozer wasn't paid this kind of money to be disappointing in Chicago, and the Bulls need him now more than ever. If Boozer can be an effective first option on offense, the Bulls will have a much easier time keeping the ship afloat. If Boozer plays like he has been, it could be tough sailing on the Bulls ship.

(stats courtesy of BasketballReference.com and images courtesy of Google Images) 

Assessing the Notre Dame-Stanford Controversy

(Note: I have been trying to avoid writing on Notre Dame all year, I didn't want to jinx them. Photo courtesy of SI.com)

    I was there yesterday, through all the rain, to witness a great football game. As so many games that end up close though, this game ended in a decently big controversy. In case you haven't seen yet, people were wondering if Stanford running back Stepfon Taylor scored a Touchdown in Overtime. There are the ND supporters who would rather not look at any of the evidence (in fact, who doesn't know if they aren't trying to burn it now). Also there are Stanford supporters that are going to throw a couple of rules at you, and make it seem like they got robbed.
    I know how the other side of this feels, 2005, Notre Dame and USC, you know, the Bush Push. I will say that Stanford can fairly feel that their guy TIED the game. Something no one has really pointed out, is sure Stanford may have tied the game there, but that was only to tie it up. This wasn't Stanford was only down 3 and should have won. Who knows what was going to happen in the following overtimes, especially since Stanford was about to have the disadvantage of offense first. Also, my dad brought up, if Stanford really want to win that game they had the ball with 20 seconds left and 2 time outs. Stanford wanted overtime, regardless of how the call worked out they wanted to be in that situation.
   On the Notre Dame side, the argument people throw out there is "the whistle blew." Which that doesn't matter, when a referee goes into the replay booth it doesn't matter when the whistle blows. Honestly, I can admit, there has not been many other arguments Notre Dame supporters have thrown out there.
   So where do I stand, as unbiased as I can be, you can't overturn the original call on the field with that replay. There was too many "ifs" on the replay. IF the forward progress wasn't stopped when was he down? IF he didn't drop the ball before he crossed the plane. IF his elbow didn't hit the ground before he got in. There was nothing on that replay that was CONCLUSIVE evidence of either way. Quite frankly, if the refs on the field called that a Touchdown, the play would have stood. When the refs called him short of the goal line, it should have stood. This wasn't like the guy put the ball in the end zone 6 different times and the refs were just blind. There is nothing on that replay that makes me go, "Oh man, we really robbed Stanford there." I also look at the replay and say in my head "Wow, I am not sure we stopped them, I am really glad the refs called it that way."
    The replay was inconclusive, and the refs called it how they saw it. That's football. Feel like I am biased, ask Reggie Bush in 2005.

Week 6 Preview

      Week Six in the NFL is the winding down of the early season thoughts. We have an opinion on most teams now that are going to be hard to change now. So after this week it might be time to think about 2013 if your team is 1-5 or the dreaded 0-6 (we are looking at you Cleveland). It also is a time to get some confidence in your team, so long as they aren't planning a nuclear meltdown.

Thursday Night Review: Sorry Tennessee, but this is more about Pittsburgh. The Steelers have been sort of fading the last couple years; but we always sort of scoffed it of because, well, they are the STEELERS. This year seems very different however. Pittsburgh is an average team on offense this year, ranking 16th in points and 17th in yards. It isn't even the usual suspect in the offensive line, as the Steelers are tied for 18th in sacks allowed. The one not really average thing on offense is that they are number one on 3rd down, converting 52% of the time. Not really a big issue though. The issue is the typically highly touted defense has just stopped being that good. They are 16th in sacks, 19th in points allowed, and are only have forced 6 turnovers. It is just average, and don't be surprised if the 2012 Steelers are just average.

Game of the Week: Giants and 49ers gets the nod for the most intriguing game this week. Anytime you rematch the NFC championship game it is going to be highly anticipated. Throw in the fact it went into overtime last year, and the Kyle Williams redemption story, and it is hard to imagine this game won't be good. It is seeming like everyone is on the 49ers as the best NFC team, which is all too perfect for the "us against the world" Giants. Everyone feels like the 49ers are going to win, which is all too perfect for the "us against the world" Giants. There was an article on ESPN earlier this week about how the Giants feel disrespected, and no one really reconsidered if they have overlooked them. WHICH IS ALL TOO PERFECT FOR THE "US AGAINST THE WORLD" GIANTS. They are going to win this, get an article about how they are still one of the best, and then proceed to lose next week. 17-10

Upset of the Week: I was thinking last week after the first time writing this about picking against Cleveland every week. Feeling like they may only win 4 games, I would probably be best served picking against them every week and accepting the 4 losses. Then, this week felt like there were a lot of either good games or easy picks. So guess what? CLEVELAND PICK! Joe Haden is back so hopefully he covers A.J. much better than the Browns covered Victor Cruz last week. Also, as stated last week here, Cincinnati isn't all that great. So coming back to 3-3 is not that crazy for them. Add in a good day for Trent Richardson, and I think Cleveland gets rid of the doughnut. 31-24 Cleveland. More likely though, I am taking a loss for betting on any Cleveland sports team to win.

Almost Game of the Week: The number one offense, versus the number one defense. The Patriots against the Seahawks is going to be a lot of fun on one side of the ball. Problem is we are also going to have to see the Seahawks offense (opposite of fun), take on an improved (but not great) Patriots defense. This is going to be close for the first half, but Tom Brady is going to wear the Seahawks defense down. Also, I am really never sure if the Seahawks are going to be able to move the football forward. 24-6 Patriots, but it will be so much closer than the score.

Chalk These Up: Atlanta can't go 16-0, but they can go 6-0 since they are playing the Raiders. 34-17. Miami pulled off the good karma upset last week. I don't think they can keep the good feeling going against the improved Rams. 20-7 St. Louis. I see a Tony Romo bounce back coming, just not against the Ravens. 21-13. The Cardinals are really not a 5-1 team, but they got an ice cold Buffalo Bills at home. There is no circling the wagons this week, 10-3 Cardinals.

Rest of the League: Indianapolis goes to New York to take on the Jets. Andrew Luck is looking solid in his 4th year in the league while rookie Mark Sanchez is struggling. Wait... Luck is the rookie and Sanchez is in his 4th season? 24-10 Colts. Detroit is not this bad, and unfortunately the Eagles are going to see them on the wrong week. Lions take this one in order to avoid going 1-4, 38-31. Both the Chiefs and the Buccaneers  have looked, well just plain awful. The Chiefs have been THE WORST team at holding on to the football, but they have been so bad that I think they have to come back to the pack a little. They take care of the ball this week, and win 27-16. Vikings and Redskins is definitely going to be the most underrated game this week. The Vikings are still very under the radar and still very dangerous. As for the Redskins it does not get much more fun than Robert Griffin's squad. 24-23, Vikings are sneakingly 5-1. Sunday Night Football is filled with story lines this week, and is going to be filled with great football. Texans will leave the Falcons in the ranks of the unbeaten, but just because the Pack needs it more. 34-31 Green Bay. Last game of the week, the old noodle arm that could Peyton Manning goes up against the Chargers. As Matthew Berry pointed out, the Chargers are 31st in yards per pass attempt. Couple that with the fact that Phillip Rivers is also on pace for a great decrease in pass attempts. It looks like nervous Norv Turner just doesn't trust his quarterback anymore. Peyton's arm looks rejuvenated and the Chargers get hit with the wet noodle. 30-21 Broncos.

Last Week's Record (10-3)

Week 6 Fantsy Waiver Wire

      Week 6's Fantasy Waiver Wire was looking to be pretty boring, and then a couple backs got hurt. Now we are looking at a very intriguing grab for some guys who could potentially be lead backs for their teams. What makes it even more cloudy though is the fact that there seems to be a little bit of a competition for both the open spots. There are two upstarts that can will more than likely be thrown into the starting role this week, adding instant value to your fantasy team. Beware though, as their are some experienced reserves that will get healthy. Once these guys come back, they are going to be equally hungry to fill the void. So if the less experience player falters early, they might be quickly replaced. So with that here are some guys you should look to pick up, if you have space on your bench of course.

Alex Green and James Starks: Cedric Benson is out for 8 weeks because of a Lisfranc foot injury. This opens the way for Alex Green (0.8 percent owned) and James Starks (5.9 percent owned) to pick up the usual 40-80 yards, and possibly a touch down, Packers starting running backs seem to get. So which way do you go here? No one likes being that guy who picks up the one injury fill in just to lose their job. In my opinion I would go with James Starks here, he may be hurt at the moment, but once healthy he has a better grasp of the job and the NFL. Alex Green is definitely the more talented back in this situation, but he is very raw and it seems Mike McCarthy seems to agree. According to ESPN.com "McCarthy hinted towards Starks because of Starks' pass-blocking knowledge." Starks may not be the best running back out of the two for Week 6, but I believe further down the road (maybe even as early as Week 7) Starks will win this job. Don't forget that Starks was the guy who ran for 123 yards, breaking a Packers rookie record, during the Packers Super Bowl Run.

LaRod Stephens-Howling and William Powell: This is the running back situation for the more desperate fantasy teams out there. The Cardinals' offensive line is absolutely putrid, so don't go dropping a solid contributor for either of these two. As for the actual running backs, this situation between the experienced one (Stephens-Howling) and the younger gun (Powell). Stephens-Howling is definitely the one with the immediate value, he expects to start this week. The thing is that Stephens-Howling is so much more fit for a change of pace, being only 185 pounds. This is smelling like either a timeshare, or the Cardinals are going to pick up somebody else new to be the back. Unfortunately, this Cardinals line is so bad at stopping anybody from getting to the ball carrier that you should probably wait a week to grab anyone in Arizona. Just ask Beanie Wells or Ryan Williams owners.

Jahvid Best: My pro-tip last week is starting to get some buzz around him, even though he is not playing Week 6. He is not cleared just yet to play for Week 7, but after reading about how Best looked during training camp, I personally can't imagine him not playing against Chicago. Best is a former 1st round pick, a guy who (when healthy) carved up the Bears on Monday Night Football. The Lions NEED him to inject some buzz in this offense, as both a running back and a pass catcher. This can be a time share in the beginning with Leshoure, but Leshoure against the Vikings seemed really slow. Even if Best is getting around 12 carries and 7 targets a week, his speed will make up for the lack of immediate touches (even though 19 wouldn't be a small number).

Devery Henderson: Sure, this guy has been inconsistent for most of his fantasy football life. The thing is that the weapons around Henderson have been dwindling slowly. Meachem is in San Diego, Graham and Moore are both hurt. Henderson went from just a deep threat, to now probably being either the number 2 or 3 option in the Saints passing attack. Match that with this guys speed, and some other teams bye weeks, this could ignite like a wildfire. Now Moore could come back next week (this week is their bye), and Devery could go back to being the inconsistent deep threat. It is always frustrating to have that gets 24 on your bench who you are never comfortable to play. If Moore is out though, and you need a guy to play, this guy isn't not a bad choice.

Kendall Wright: In PPR, this guy should of been on your roster weeks ago. In other formats though Wright, who was looked at only as a short term value, Wright is still holding onto being a decent option. Kenny Britt still looks like a ticking time bomb ready to explode with points. If he can't go this week though Wright could be an interesting player Thursday night.

Brandon Gibson: Really interesting guy who is still a little bit low key, we have seen what Amendola has done being the Rams' number 1 receiver. Brandon Gibson was a bit of a sleeper to start the year, and then Amendola was a revolution in the first 4 weeks. Amendola is out though, maybe for the whole year, so Gibson is the top target now. Immediate value may not be there, but I find the upside very intriguing. 

Stretch Finds:

Last week we did some trade values, and they are very similar this week, so now we are looking at some stretch finds.

Shane Vereen: Could replace Woodhead in the pass game, and could get some rushes since Ridley may have ball security issues here. Question is Brandon Bolden may keep Vereen off the field now.

Kendall Hunter: He is securely at the number 2 spot for now, Gore could tire out or get hurt though. Hunter may shine in those pesky fantasy playoffs.

Really Any Cleveland Receiver: Some people are trying to talk themselves into Massoquoi, Norwood, or Gordon. Personally, I think it is too big of a mess and you should avoid it. There is a chance to get lucky and pick the right one, but can you really talk yourself into that guy?

T.Y. Hilton and Donnie Avery: Donnie Avery was a hot pick up a couple of weeks ago, but his value is come down. To me, he is better than Hilton but either one of these guys could be good.

Davone Bess: More defensive attention to Brian Hartline, makes Bess at the very least interesting.

When a Football Game Means More

        Yesterday was one of those days for the Indianapolis Colts, one of those days where an NFL game is more than an NFL game. As you may already know, Colts head coach Chuck Pagano was diagnosed with a treatable form of leukemia about a week ago. The whole week the entire Colts organization was downplaying that their coach would an inspiration, even though it is really hard to imagine that being the case. So in come a recent Super Bowl winner, and the best record in the NFL last year in the Packers. So the Colts are staring at a game of being a underdog at home, with their head coach in the hospital diagnosed with cancer.
       This is why Sunday is one of those days in sports where we get some inspiration in life. Where a team fights so hard for a member that has fallen to where they don't care if they are an underdog. Where we draw that inspiration for those slightly over the top cheesy sports movies. This is also where we saw the whole Colts team in the "there is no way you are beating us after what has happened to us this week" mode that we see many players or teams in after something like this. The Patriots felt the Packers pain earlier this year, when we saw Torrey Smith operate under the same mode and delivered a very similar performance.
      I love sports for so many reasons, but these occasions where we see all those cliches of bouncing back and overcoming is easily one of the best ones. How could you not feel good after seeing the Colts in the locker room with owner Jim Irsay telling his team he is going to deliver the game ball to Pagano in the hospital? If you watched the game, seeing Reggie Wayne (who wore orange gloves in honor of cancer research) stretch as far as he can to get just enough for a touchdown felt so perfect. It makes us all feel good. It is where I see all the inspirational quotes and saying for reasons to live shine, in real life, in front of my eyes. So whether it is Chuck's battle against cancer or it is the Colts pulling up the upset in his honor, this was a Sunday where we can see a lot of inspiration from the Colts.

Other Sunday Stories

Saints Finally Breakthrough: The Saints finally got a notch in the win column against the Chargers. It was definitely a matter of when, not if, for Drew Brees and company. The thing is the Saints didn't have to change their game plan much, in fact they didn't look that much better in this win than any of their 4 losses. They just finally got the right plays at the right time this week, so don't be surprised if we see more of this to come.

Sophomore Slump: Cam Newton is almost as news worthy this year, this time for being more disappointing than anything. All of the Cam question marks that he put to rest last year are starting to creep back into the question. Personally, I feel Cam is just way too talented for this to last the rest of his career. However, I can see Cam's sophomore season to continue to be disappointing. The talent around him as pass catching options and blockers just seems to be sub-par. Carolina will be an interesting team to watch the rest of the season.

NFC Goes Through Atlanta?: Atlanta is the last unbeaten team in the NFC after this week, question is will they have the same success all year? I feel like Atlanta has the same formula as the Packers last year, MVP QB with offensive weapons and an average defense. So I can see the Falcons going 14-2 or something and being the one seed in the playoffs. Once we get to the latter part of the year though, anything can happen.

San Francisco Dominating... On Offense??: San Francisco put up 621 yards on offense, 311 passing and 310 rushing. This was a franchise record, and the first time in the NFL that team had over 300 yards through the ground and air. The 49ers have also won their last two games by a combined score of 79-3, and yes they were actually playing NFL teams. The roster additions to the offense have seemed to pay off for the offense, and the 49ers figure to be in the playoff picture again.

NFL Picks record going into Monday Night Football: (9-3)

The Tale of the Triple Crown Winner Who Didn’t Win MVP

            Miguel Cabrera has had one of the most incredible offensive years that we’ve seen in a very long time. The man hit .330 this year with 44 home runs and 139 RBI en route to the Triple Crown (which is being the leader of all three of those statistical categories in the player’s respective league for you non-baseball people). This was the fastest in his career that he reached 100 RBI. It only took him 115 games to reach that feat. He has been more than impressive with his late power surge to overtake the home run lead from Josh Hamilton and lead the Detroit Tigers past the White Sox and into the playoffs. With the addition of Prince Fielder to hit clean-up behind Miguel, there is no doubt that he saw much better pitches to hit this year and he has definitely taken advantage. He has career highs in Home Runs, RBI, Slugging (.606), and On Base Plus Slugging (.999).To show how rare this season has been, the last player to win the Triple Crown was Carl Yastrzemski for the Boston Red Sox 45 years ago in 1967.

            Yet, the strangest thing about this season comes in the form of a 21-year-old kid in Los Angeles. Mike Trout came from absolutely no-where to begin this season and ended up electrifying the game. The season that was supposed to belong to Bryce Harper, the highly touted rookie that was a high school prodigy, actually belonged to Mike Trout. The quiet, humble speedster can do it all – hit home runs (30), drive runs in (83), hit for average (.326), steal bases (49), play great defense at all of the outfield positions, and most importantly as a leadoff man, score runs (129). Maybe the most important stat that shows how much a player means to a team is WAR, which stands for Wins Above Replacement. This stat shows how many wins a player earns for his team in a regular 162 game season compared to the person that replaces him. An MVP season is anything over an 8. Mike Trout had 10.7 Wins Above Replacement. Miguel Cabrera, by comparison, had a 7.4 WAR.

            Strictly based on offensive numbers, Miguel Cabrera has the slight lead on Mike Trout. He’s more of a pure hitter, better power, more of a clutch hitter, and drives a ton of runs in. Miguel Cabrera is also the team leader of the Detroit Tigers’ lineup with that patented smile that he is always wearing. But Mike Trout is the five tool player, and he has shown that he is much more complete than Miguel. He has a cannon arm, a great fielder, blinding speed and ability to impact the game on the base paths, hits for average, and hits for power. I don’t think I could describe a more prototypical player I would want to build a team around for the next 15 years than Mike Trout.

            Ultimately, it will be a very close call who wins the AL MVP. It really depends on what the voters think is more valuable – A slugger who led a team to the playoffs with an under producing team, or a quiet young gunner in the outfield who can do it all. Don’t be surprised if the Triple Crown Winner doesn’t come out on top.

*All Statistics Taken from Baseball-Reference.com*