By Rick Morris
Two giants of journalism, from different genres, are currently suffering from severe health problems.
SI's Peter King made public the struggles this past week that Paul Zimmerman, the famous "Dr. Z," is currently undergoing. He has suffered two strokes this autumn and they have silenced, for now, the work of the man King rightly calls the best football writer of our generation. I grew up reading Dr. Z and his keen insights on the game in SI. On the page where King provides the news about the Doc, he also includes some excerpts of his writing so that younger readers can get a sense of just how great he has been. Also on that page is a link to Dr. Z's email so that you can send a get-well wish to this fine gridiron mind.
Robert Novak's issues have been known for a few months now -- a vicious brain tumor that he is fighting through bravely -- he has unexpectedly returned to work -- despite a harsh initial prognosis.
Whether on TV or in print, Bob Novak has long been one of the most important political voices in America, delivering news and opinion in a compelling trademark style. I identify very closely with his politics, but my true admiration for him comes from a story I heard long ago.
Two of our FDH Lounge Dignitaries, Burrell Jackson and Chris Galloway, are friends of mine dating all the way back to our days at Ohio University. Shortly after I graduated, Burrell, Chris and a few left-wing folks created a public access cable TV talk show called "Chew The Fat," essentially a small-scale version of Novak's CNN program "The Capital Gang." One day, Novak came to Athens to deliver a speech at the university and the fellas from "Fat" managed to get ahold of his phone number at the hotel where he was staying. They called him up and asked him if he would like to appear on their show that night. Now, they couldn't possibly have expected that this important Washington insider would take the time to appear on their program -- but he did! He basically said, "What the heck," went down to the studio and mixed it up with these guys as though they were Pat Buchanan and Al Hunt. How many people of his stature would have the humility to do something like that?
In this interview, he asks that people of faith pray for him at this time. I pass this along with the hope that you will pray for both he and Paul Zimmerman and their families during this holiday season.
Sunday, December 7, 2008
De La Hoya - Pacquiao recap
By Rick Morris
With few exceptions, the finish comes decisively for most great fighters. Tonight, we saw the end of Oscar De La Hoya -- at least, as a boxer who can plausibly be in the "greatest pound-for-pound" discussion.
Manny Pacquiao simply took him apart with his superior speed and a non-stop motor. As mentioned in our preview, Golden Boy came way down in weight and Pac Man came way up to meet at the 147 limit -- and the speed of the smaller man's frame ended up trumping the power of the larger man. This liveblog at AOL Fanhouse paints the picture as it happened. It's worth noting that HBO's Harold Lederman concurred on his round-by-round cards that Oscar was getting decimated.
In the end, De La Hoya couldn't get off his stool for the ninth round and the rout was complete. It's unlikely he'll fight again now that he's been exposed by a much younger star in his prime. Tonight, a Hall of Fame boxer heads into the sunset while Manny Pacquiao firmly seizes the mantle of the best pound-for-pound fighter -- and Christmas comes early in the Philippines!
With few exceptions, the finish comes decisively for most great fighters. Tonight, we saw the end of Oscar De La Hoya -- at least, as a boxer who can plausibly be in the "greatest pound-for-pound" discussion.
Manny Pacquiao simply took him apart with his superior speed and a non-stop motor. As mentioned in our preview, Golden Boy came way down in weight and Pac Man came way up to meet at the 147 limit -- and the speed of the smaller man's frame ended up trumping the power of the larger man. This liveblog at AOL Fanhouse paints the picture as it happened. It's worth noting that HBO's Harold Lederman concurred on his round-by-round cards that Oscar was getting decimated.
In the end, De La Hoya couldn't get off his stool for the ninth round and the rout was complete. It's unlikely he'll fight again now that he's been exposed by a much younger star in his prime. Tonight, a Hall of Fame boxer heads into the sunset while Manny Pacquiao firmly seizes the mantle of the best pound-for-pound fighter -- and Christmas comes early in the Philippines!
Saturday, December 6, 2008
De La Hoya - Pacquiao preview
By Rick Morris
The biggest boxing bout of the year takes place tonight at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas as the legendary Oscar De La Hoya squares off against a fighter commonly regarded as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world in Manny Pacquiao. As is the case for most big boxing or MMA cards, AOL Fanhouse will have a liveblog going for the benefit of those of you who will not be catching this on HBO PPV. I believe that this link will be the operative one; if it is not, merely head to the front page of AOL Fanhouse at the appropriate time at this link and the right one should be very apparent.
The weight limit of 147 represents a convergence of two extremes for these superlative boxers, as De La Hoya had to shed a lot of weight to get to his official number for the fight (145), while Pac Man had to come way up to get to his tally of 142. Considering that he was at 134 1/2 for his previous fight, his heaviest ever (hat tip to AOL's Michael David Smith for the info), this speaks volumes about the nature of the weight issue as it relates to both men. Pac's frame is used to carrying much less weight, Oscar's is used to much more, so the Golden Boy is really still significantly "bigger" than the three-pound difference.
Pacquiao has elite power for a fighter of his size, but again, De La Hoya is a naturally larger man with the proportionate power that represents. Both men are absolutely elite in the use of strategy to harness their awesome skills.
The "X-factor" in the eyes of many observers is the ability of Oscar to pull out another big-time performance at age 36 when he has lost at least a half-step. For a man who has had quite a procession of big-time fights (not all of which he has lost, contrary to Teddy Atlas' opinion), he has always seemed to have another one lined up right around the corner, another opportunity to come back against another big name if this fight goes sour. But it looks like that's not the case anymore; a loss to Pac Man means that there are no more fights of this magnitude left (barring a rematch in the case of a close and/or controversial loss), especially in a bad economy. De La Hoya is a top-notch businessman on top of everything else, so his professional motivation should be at an all-time high.
The guess here? Oscar lands enough blows to an offense-oriented Pacquiao to steal a few rounds and the fight goes to the judges -- and the Golden Boy doesn't lose decisions in Vegas. De La Hoya by split decision as Filipino fight fans everywhere are left disappointed.
The biggest boxing bout of the year takes place tonight at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas as the legendary Oscar De La Hoya squares off against a fighter commonly regarded as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world in Manny Pacquiao. As is the case for most big boxing or MMA cards, AOL Fanhouse will have a liveblog going for the benefit of those of you who will not be catching this on HBO PPV. I believe that this link will be the operative one; if it is not, merely head to the front page of AOL Fanhouse at the appropriate time at this link and the right one should be very apparent.
The weight limit of 147 represents a convergence of two extremes for these superlative boxers, as De La Hoya had to shed a lot of weight to get to his official number for the fight (145), while Pac Man had to come way up to get to his tally of 142. Considering that he was at 134 1/2 for his previous fight, his heaviest ever (hat tip to AOL's Michael David Smith for the info), this speaks volumes about the nature of the weight issue as it relates to both men. Pac's frame is used to carrying much less weight, Oscar's is used to much more, so the Golden Boy is really still significantly "bigger" than the three-pound difference.
Pacquiao has elite power for a fighter of his size, but again, De La Hoya is a naturally larger man with the proportionate power that represents. Both men are absolutely elite in the use of strategy to harness their awesome skills.
The "X-factor" in the eyes of many observers is the ability of Oscar to pull out another big-time performance at age 36 when he has lost at least a half-step. For a man who has had quite a procession of big-time fights (not all of which he has lost, contrary to Teddy Atlas' opinion), he has always seemed to have another one lined up right around the corner, another opportunity to come back against another big name if this fight goes sour. But it looks like that's not the case anymore; a loss to Pac Man means that there are no more fights of this magnitude left (barring a rematch in the case of a close and/or controversial loss), especially in a bad economy. De La Hoya is a top-notch businessman on top of everything else, so his professional motivation should be at an all-time high.
The guess here? Oscar lands enough blows to an offense-oriented Pacquiao to steal a few rounds and the fight goes to the judges -- and the Golden Boy doesn't lose decisions in Vegas. De La Hoya by split decision as Filipino fight fans everywhere are left disappointed.
Have Yourself a Secular Little Christmas
By Tony Mazur
Ah, Christmas. The time where we spend hours at malls and shopping centers, searching for the perfect gift. The time where we fight over whose house we go over for dinner. The time where we freak out about which room the in-laws are sleeping in. With all of these factors on our mind, many of us forget that Christmas is indeed a religious holiday.
In the Capitol building in Olympia, Washington, a Christmas tree and a Nativity scene are displayed. Of course, a Nativity scene in a government building would be completely offensive, so instead of removing the religious-themed display, Washington Governor Christine Gregoire decided to include a little something for non-Christians.
Next to Baby Jesus, Mary, Joseph, the ox and ass, and the Magi lays a sign for the atheists and agnostics that reads: "There are no gods, no devils, no angels, no heaven or hell. There is only our natural world. Religion is but myth and superstition that hardens hearts and enslaves minds."
This, for all Christians, should be offensive. I'm not someone who typically gets offended by the elements in our disgusting, progressive-minded society, but this angers me. Christmas is a Christian holiday, but it has been cleansed of all Christianity. Even the story of Santa Claus is strictly nondenominational. Kids are only taught that Santa Claus is an obese man in a red getup who comes bearing presents.
I would be giving the same speech if that offensive sign were placed next to a Menorah.
I respect faith. I may not believe in what you preach, but I respect the fact that you have faith in something. I will also respect an individual who does not believe in a particular religion, but don't make it your goal to press your agnostic agenda on those who have faith. If the story of Christmas offends you if you're an atheist or agnostic, that's fine. Don't celebrate Christmas. Don't celebrate Easter. Don't make myself and other Christians feel like criminals because you denounce religion.
(Funny thing is, you don't hear atheists come down on Islam. They will burn crosses and the Star of David, but will be surprisingly silent when it comes to Islam, since they do not want to offend Muslims.)
Throughout this Christmas season, when you're running around from store to store, purchasing gifts and food, stop for a second to think about the reason for the season. And for those who make it their agenda to take 'Christ' out of 'Christmas', get lost. Take your secular agenda elsewhere.
Ah, Christmas. The time where we spend hours at malls and shopping centers, searching for the perfect gift. The time where we fight over whose house we go over for dinner. The time where we freak out about which room the in-laws are sleeping in. With all of these factors on our mind, many of us forget that Christmas is indeed a religious holiday.
In the Capitol building in Olympia, Washington, a Christmas tree and a Nativity scene are displayed. Of course, a Nativity scene in a government building would be completely offensive, so instead of removing the religious-themed display, Washington Governor Christine Gregoire decided to include a little something for non-Christians.
Next to Baby Jesus, Mary, Joseph, the ox and ass, and the Magi lays a sign for the atheists and agnostics that reads: "There are no gods, no devils, no angels, no heaven or hell. There is only our natural world. Religion is but myth and superstition that hardens hearts and enslaves minds."
This, for all Christians, should be offensive. I'm not someone who typically gets offended by the elements in our disgusting, progressive-minded society, but this angers me. Christmas is a Christian holiday, but it has been cleansed of all Christianity. Even the story of Santa Claus is strictly nondenominational. Kids are only taught that Santa Claus is an obese man in a red getup who comes bearing presents.
I would be giving the same speech if that offensive sign were placed next to a Menorah.
I respect faith. I may not believe in what you preach, but I respect the fact that you have faith in something. I will also respect an individual who does not believe in a particular religion, but don't make it your goal to press your agnostic agenda on those who have faith. If the story of Christmas offends you if you're an atheist or agnostic, that's fine. Don't celebrate Christmas. Don't celebrate Easter. Don't make myself and other Christians feel like criminals because you denounce religion.
(Funny thing is, you don't hear atheists come down on Islam. They will burn crosses and the Star of David, but will be surprisingly silent when it comes to Islam, since they do not want to offend Muslims.)
Throughout this Christmas season, when you're running around from store to store, purchasing gifts and food, stop for a second to think about the reason for the season. And for those who make it their agenda to take 'Christ' out of 'Christmas', get lost. Take your secular agenda elsewhere.
Abortions 4 Cheap!
By Tony Mazur
Yet another story coming out of this secular, immoral country has touched a nerve of mine.
Planned Parenthood in Indiana has come up with the gift every young slut would love to have: a gift certificate. These gift certificates come in $25 increments, and they are available in 35 clinics statewide. Starting next week, clinics in Illinois will offer these gift certificates, just in time for the holidays.
Planned Parenthood is catching a lot of heat from Pro-Life activists, rightfully so. The company immediately went on the defensive, saying that 95% of Indiana patients come to Planned Parenthood for heath care, not abortions.
This is always a dicey subject for many, especially since I am a man and I don't have to go through female issues such as childbirth, menstruation, and, most notoriously, abortion. However, I am not gullible enough to believe that only 5% of the women who walk into Planned Parenthood get abortions. I do realize many women go there to purchase birth control pills, including the morning after pill. But birth control pills are typically prescribed by an OB-GYN, and morning after pills can be made available at your local pharmacy. So let's not exaggerate the numbers.
The touchy part of the abortion issue is whether the act of intercourse is consensual or not. I do not believe in the "you either gotta be Pro-Life or Pro-Choice" notion. I think that, in addition to Pro-Life and Pro-Choice, there should be a group for those who do not believe in abortion if the initial act was consensual, but would give women the choice of keeping or getting rid of the baby in the case that if she were raped. Many of my former classmates did the "Locomotion" through the doors of the Northeastern Ohio Planned Parenthood clinics. I didn't like the fact that their beaus didn't wrap "it" up, and I despised their pricey solution to a simple but huge mistake.
The problem with allowing gift certificates for pills and abortions is that it promotes irresponsible behavior. Girls can drink until sunrise, and, if there were any strapping gentlemen around, they can use their gift certificate in case they made any mistakes the previous night. And even if the act of intercourse is between two sober individuals, there should be no excuse. That is why I believe there is a vaccine for AIDS, but if it is made available to the public, people can have unprotected sex with multiple partners, then take a pill the next day and all is well.
Planned Parenthood has made a grave mistake on this one. But in this increasingly progressive society we're forced to live in, it's no surprise. I can't wait to see half-off on euthanasia coupons.
Yet another story coming out of this secular, immoral country has touched a nerve of mine.
Planned Parenthood in Indiana has come up with the gift every young slut would love to have: a gift certificate. These gift certificates come in $25 increments, and they are available in 35 clinics statewide. Starting next week, clinics in Illinois will offer these gift certificates, just in time for the holidays.
Planned Parenthood is catching a lot of heat from Pro-Life activists, rightfully so. The company immediately went on the defensive, saying that 95% of Indiana patients come to Planned Parenthood for heath care, not abortions.
This is always a dicey subject for many, especially since I am a man and I don't have to go through female issues such as childbirth, menstruation, and, most notoriously, abortion. However, I am not gullible enough to believe that only 5% of the women who walk into Planned Parenthood get abortions. I do realize many women go there to purchase birth control pills, including the morning after pill. But birth control pills are typically prescribed by an OB-GYN, and morning after pills can be made available at your local pharmacy. So let's not exaggerate the numbers.
The touchy part of the abortion issue is whether the act of intercourse is consensual or not. I do not believe in the "you either gotta be Pro-Life or Pro-Choice" notion. I think that, in addition to Pro-Life and Pro-Choice, there should be a group for those who do not believe in abortion if the initial act was consensual, but would give women the choice of keeping or getting rid of the baby in the case that if she were raped. Many of my former classmates did the "Locomotion" through the doors of the Northeastern Ohio Planned Parenthood clinics. I didn't like the fact that their beaus didn't wrap "it" up, and I despised their pricey solution to a simple but huge mistake.
The problem with allowing gift certificates for pills and abortions is that it promotes irresponsible behavior. Girls can drink until sunrise, and, if there were any strapping gentlemen around, they can use their gift certificate in case they made any mistakes the previous night. And even if the act of intercourse is between two sober individuals, there should be no excuse. That is why I believe there is a vaccine for AIDS, but if it is made available to the public, people can have unprotected sex with multiple partners, then take a pill the next day and all is well.
Planned Parenthood has made a grave mistake on this one. But in this increasingly progressive society we're forced to live in, it's no surprise. I can't wait to see half-off on euthanasia coupons.
Peter Vecsey's feeble hypocrisy
By Rick Morris
When it comes to shameless, self-serving blather, few can top the New York Post's Peter Vecsey. But when he backed the pompous Chuck Barkley, and denounced Lebron James for insufficiently tamping down speculation that he's headed for New York when he can become a free agent in the summer of 201o, he might have reached his all-time peak in hypocrisy. Lebron James is struggling to deal coherently with the constant media speculation about his free agency (speculation which we have repeatedly pointed out here is completely overblown and filled with inaccuracies)? God forbid -- particularly when a hack like, yes, you guessed it, Peter Vecsey, has fanned these flames of idiocy more than anyone:
^ Vecsey amplifies the claims of no-credibility blowhard Jalen Rose that LBJ and Chris Bosh will BOTH come to the Knicks in '10.
^ How about the headline to this Vecsey story about the Knicks' recent trades? "Walsh has flexibility now to go after Lebron in 2010"
^ Here's Vecsey opining on how the Nets are hollowing out 2010 cap space to pursue Lebron.
And there's years of this garbage festering in cyberspace.
Yeah, darn that Lebron James for irresponsibly putting the 2010 talk out there!
When it comes to shameless, self-serving blather, few can top the New York Post's Peter Vecsey. But when he backed the pompous Chuck Barkley, and denounced Lebron James for insufficiently tamping down speculation that he's headed for New York when he can become a free agent in the summer of 201o, he might have reached his all-time peak in hypocrisy. Lebron James is struggling to deal coherently with the constant media speculation about his free agency (speculation which we have repeatedly pointed out here is completely overblown and filled with inaccuracies)? God forbid -- particularly when a hack like, yes, you guessed it, Peter Vecsey, has fanned these flames of idiocy more than anyone:
^ Vecsey amplifies the claims of no-credibility blowhard Jalen Rose that LBJ and Chris Bosh will BOTH come to the Knicks in '10.
^ How about the headline to this Vecsey story about the Knicks' recent trades? "Walsh has flexibility now to go after Lebron in 2010"
^ Here's Vecsey opining on how the Nets are hollowing out 2010 cap space to pursue Lebron.
And there's years of this garbage festering in cyberspace.
Yeah, darn that Lebron James for irresponsibly putting the 2010 talk out there!
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
FDH Insider/Goon Squad December 3
By Rick Morris
On Sunday night, THE FDH LOUNGE brought down the curtain after almost two years of programming in preparation for the move to Wednesday nights on SportsTalkNetwork.com. Now it’s time for THE FANTASYDRAFTHELP.COM INSIDER (7-9 PM EST) and THE GOON SQUAD (9-10 PM EST) to have their final programs in their current Wednesday night format before becoming a part of THE LOUNGE starting December 10.
We lead off the show with a good friend of ours: “The Scout” Ken Becks from Gridiron Evaluations.com! He and our Senior Editor Jason Jones are THE foremost NFL Draft talkers and we’ll start the season already tonight! Then, we trust that all of our listeners and viewers are preparing for their fantasy football playoffs to begin this week and we will be right there on THE INSIDER with an extended look at all NFL Week 14 games. Towards the end of the program, we’ll take a sneak peak to next week’s initial LOUNGE program and our special “fantasy but not sports” draft: Fantasy Supergroup! All of your favorite FDH and STN personalities will be competing in a standard serpentine draft compiling some of our favorite musicians all for the approval of a celebrity guest judge who will pronounce a winner!
On THE GOON SQUAD, we’ve got a really loaded show. We’ve tracked the Brian Burke story for weeks now and it finally came about: one of the league’s most talented executives is taking over one of the league’s signature franchises in the Toronto Maple Leafs. What are the long and short-term ramifications? Whatever happens, we know that Burke is happy he doesn’t have to deal with an albatross like Sean Avery. Brett Hull does and he doesn’t like it. One question, there Sparky: who signed him? That’s right, you did, take a bow! As much as it might disappoint some people, though, Avery is healthy. Joe Sakic and Daniel Briere now cannot say the same. Also, we’ll take a long-form look at the NHL standings. The Eastern Conference looks like it’s already getting to be a bit cut-and-dried as to who may make the playoffs and the calendar just flipped over to December! In the West, it looks like a Big Two and then a dropoff to one long tier that seems to encompass the rest of the conference! Will the Western dregs shake apart from the pack soon or can they hang in there for awhile longer? We’ll break it down for you.
For FDH Enterprises, LLC, it’s onward and upward starting December 10 as we bundle all of our programming under the auspices of THE FDH LOUNGE going forward. We look forward to bringing you the fun elements of that show, along with fantasy and hockey “shows within a show” now also going forward and our forthcoming debut of FDH Lounge TV video-on-demand programming that you will be able to view in The FDH Lounge Multimedia Magazine. We thank you for your ongoing support of our venture and we look forward to continuing to entertain and enlighten in our new format.
Fantasy supergroup draft?????
By Rick Morris
The FDH Lounge began, of course, as a spinoff division of FantasyDrafthelp.com, which is a service that distinguishes itself by the methods it employs to help people win their leagues as well as the variety of different sports that are covered. The Lounge, an all-topics website and webcast, frequently delves into the realm of fantasy competition, although rarely for sports purposes -- with two examples being our lightheared drafts of attractive female celebrities and our 2008 presidential race fantasy draft.
So it's only fitting that we celebrate the move of THE FDH LOUNGE program on SportsTalkNetwork.com to Wednesday nights in similar fashion. THE LOUNGE goes to Wednesdays from 7-10 PM EST on December 10, with existing FDH Wednesday shows joining as "show within a show" segments during the last hour (THE FANTASYDRAFTHELP.COM INSIDER will be from 9-9:30 PM EST and THE GOON SQUAD brings you the best hockey coverage anywhere from 9:30-10 PM EST). To mark the occasion, which is also the 40th episode of the program, we are holding our first "fantasy supergroup" draft (big ups to our man STN executive producer Anthony Petrone for thinking of the idea).
What is that exactly? It's a standard serpentine fantasy draft that will see your favorite FDH and STN personalities each trying to assemble their ultimate "supergroup" of rock musicians! We'll each be picking one front man, one guitar, one bass, one drummer and two extra "wild card" musicians (this can be anything: an extra singer, a guitarist, a horn player, tamborine, cowbell, you name it) to put our groups together. Picks will be graded by a special celebrity judge who will crown our champion at the end of the night.
As much as we love standard fantasy sports at FDH, we've long been a proponent of spreading the competitive concept among friends to non-traditional areas like drag racing and the Triple Crown. Over the last two years with The Lounge, we've broadened the concept beyond sports altogether. Now, next week, December 10, when The FDH Lounge moves to Wednesdays, we'll show you and your friends how to hold a fantasy supergroup draft, we'll have a great time doing it, and so will you if you join us either that night or via our archives. Don't miss it!
The FDH Lounge began, of course, as a spinoff division of FantasyDrafthelp.com, which is a service that distinguishes itself by the methods it employs to help people win their leagues as well as the variety of different sports that are covered. The Lounge, an all-topics website and webcast, frequently delves into the realm of fantasy competition, although rarely for sports purposes -- with two examples being our lightheared drafts of attractive female celebrities and our 2008 presidential race fantasy draft.
So it's only fitting that we celebrate the move of THE FDH LOUNGE program on SportsTalkNetwork.com to Wednesday nights in similar fashion. THE LOUNGE goes to Wednesdays from 7-10 PM EST on December 10, with existing FDH Wednesday shows joining as "show within a show" segments during the last hour (THE FANTASYDRAFTHELP.COM INSIDER will be from 9-9:30 PM EST and THE GOON SQUAD brings you the best hockey coverage anywhere from 9:30-10 PM EST). To mark the occasion, which is also the 40th episode of the program, we are holding our first "fantasy supergroup" draft (big ups to our man STN executive producer Anthony Petrone for thinking of the idea).
What is that exactly? It's a standard serpentine fantasy draft that will see your favorite FDH and STN personalities each trying to assemble their ultimate "supergroup" of rock musicians! We'll each be picking one front man, one guitar, one bass, one drummer and two extra "wild card" musicians (this can be anything: an extra singer, a guitarist, a horn player, tamborine, cowbell, you name it) to put our groups together. Picks will be graded by a special celebrity judge who will crown our champion at the end of the night.
As much as we love standard fantasy sports at FDH, we've long been a proponent of spreading the competitive concept among friends to non-traditional areas like drag racing and the Triple Crown. Over the last two years with The Lounge, we've broadened the concept beyond sports altogether. Now, next week, December 10, when The FDH Lounge moves to Wednesdays, we'll show you and your friends how to hold a fantasy supergroup draft, we'll have a great time doing it, and so will you if you join us either that night or via our archives. Don't miss it!
2009 NFL Mock Draft, Version 1.0
by Jason Jones
“Great things are best enjoyed in moderation.”
Do we really believe that nonsense? I know I don’t, and for that reason, I present to you the first installment of entirely too many installments of the FDH 2009 NFL DRAFT…That’s right. It is very much not a typo. December 3, 2008…mark it down on your calendar. FantasyDraftHelp is bringing you NFL Draft coverage long before anyone else. What can I say, I am a Draft Degenerate.
I have gone through the trouble of trying to matriculate the NFL season to its closing results. By looking at the upcoming schedule for the majority of NFL teams, we can more realistically look at how the final draft order might take shape. For example, most draft sites have the Cleveland Browns picking in the middle to high middle of the round. As I personally do not believe that they will win another game (unless they say what the hell and put Josh Cribbs under center), I see a record of 4-12 that puts Cleveland comfortably in the top ten, number seven to be exact. I have also put together a preliminary top 5 players at each meaningful position. As this is the first draft of my Mock Drafts, and we are only dealing with the first round at this point, I found no reason to list centers and tight ends at this point. Not to bore most of you, but we have also compiled a top 32 “composite players”. This involves a mathematical approach to help give a realistic idea of who should be above whom, where the tier breaks would be, and what selections would be perceived as reaches or value picks. Now that you have some idea of the leg work put into this (understanding that we don’t just put guys where we like because we like them there), time to unveil the first version of my (Jason Jones) 2009 FantasyDraftHelp.com NFL Mock Draft…
Team___Name__________Pos___School______Ht/Wt_40 Tm
1__DET_Matt Stafford_____QB__Georgia___6`3/237_4.74
2__CIN_Michael Oher______OT__OleMiss___6`5/320_5.19
3__SEA_M. Crabtree_______WR__TexTech___6`3/210_4.42
4__KC__Sam Bradford______QB__Oklahoma__6`4/214_4.71
5__OAK_Andre Smith_______OT__Alabama___6`5/340_5.25
6__STL_Eugene Monroe_____OT__Virg______6`6/315_5.15
7__CLE_Malcolm Jenkins___CB__Ohio St___6`1/205_4.39
8__SF__Brian Orakpo______DE__Texas_____6`4/260_4.66
9__JAX_Rey Maualuga______ILB_USC_______6`3/250_4.68
10_SD__Terrence Cody_____NT__Alabama___6`5/365_4.45
11_HOU_Chris Wells_______RB__Ohio St___6`1/232_4.48
12_GB__Michael Johnson___DE__GT________6`7/257_4.63
13_NO__Brian Cushing_____OLB_USC_______6`4/245_4.55
14_BUF_Colt McCoy________QB__Texas_____6`3/205_4.69
15_CHI_Dar. Heyward-Bey__WR__Maryland__6`2/205_4.33
16_PHI_Knowshon Moreno___RB__Georgia___6`0/208_4.44
17_DEN_James Laurinautis_ILB_Ohio St___6`3/245_4.45
18_NE__Taylor Mays_______SS__USC_______6`4/225_4.45
19_MIA_Vontae Davis______CB__Ill_______6`0/200_4.41
20_ARI_Sen'Derrick Marks_DT__Auburn____6`1/295_4.89
21_WAS_Tyson Jackson_____DE__LSU_______6`5/292_4.85
22_MIN_Tim Tebow_________QB__Florida___6`3/235_4.52
23_DET_Ciron Black_______OT__LSU_______6`5/315_5.27
24_NYJ_George Selvie_____DE__S.Florida_6`4/250_4.68
25_ATL_Jeremy Maclin_____WR__Mizzou____6`1/200_4.32
26_TB__Fili Moala________DT__USC_______6`4/300_5.05
27_BAL_Brandon Spikes____ILB_Florida___6`3/244_4.65
28_IND_DeMarcus Granger__DT__Oklahoma__6`3/305_4.98
29_PHI_William Moore_____SS__Mizzou____6`1/220_4.45
30_NYG_Gerald McRath_____OLB_S.Miss____6`3/220_4.56
31_TEN_Aaron Curry_______OLB_Wake______6`3/241_4.58
32_PIT_Duke Robinson_____OG__Oklahoma__6`5/330_5.28
So take it for what it's worth. Fodder for the water cooler. If you like the player we have given you favorite team great, if you hate the pick we have given your team discuss it, see if it makes any sense. After all, sports would only be somewhat fun if all we did was watch the games, then go about our business. For more on this and related topics join us during the FantasyDraftHelp Wednesday night lineup at SportsTalkNetwork.com every Wednesday starting at 7pm EST.
“Great things are best enjoyed in moderation.”
Do we really believe that nonsense? I know I don’t, and for that reason, I present to you the first installment of entirely too many installments of the FDH 2009 NFL DRAFT…That’s right. It is very much not a typo. December 3, 2008…mark it down on your calendar. FantasyDraftHelp is bringing you NFL Draft coverage long before anyone else. What can I say, I am a Draft Degenerate.
I have gone through the trouble of trying to matriculate the NFL season to its closing results. By looking at the upcoming schedule for the majority of NFL teams, we can more realistically look at how the final draft order might take shape. For example, most draft sites have the Cleveland Browns picking in the middle to high middle of the round. As I personally do not believe that they will win another game (unless they say what the hell and put Josh Cribbs under center), I see a record of 4-12 that puts Cleveland comfortably in the top ten, number seven to be exact. I have also put together a preliminary top 5 players at each meaningful position. As this is the first draft of my Mock Drafts, and we are only dealing with the first round at this point, I found no reason to list centers and tight ends at this point. Not to bore most of you, but we have also compiled a top 32 “composite players”. This involves a mathematical approach to help give a realistic idea of who should be above whom, where the tier breaks would be, and what selections would be perceived as reaches or value picks. Now that you have some idea of the leg work put into this (understanding that we don’t just put guys where we like because we like them there), time to unveil the first version of my (Jason Jones) 2009 FantasyDraftHelp.com NFL Mock Draft…
Team___Name__________Pos___School______Ht/Wt_40 Tm
1__DET_Matt Stafford_____QB__Georgia___6`3/237_4.74
2__CIN_Michael Oher______OT__OleMiss___6`5/320_5.19
3__SEA_M. Crabtree_______WR__TexTech___6`3/210_4.42
4__KC__Sam Bradford______QB__Oklahoma__6`4/214_4.71
5__OAK_Andre Smith_______OT__Alabama___6`5/340_5.25
6__STL_Eugene Monroe_____OT__Virg______6`6/315_5.15
7__CLE_Malcolm Jenkins___CB__Ohio St___6`1/205_4.39
8__SF__Brian Orakpo______DE__Texas_____6`4/260_4.66
9__JAX_Rey Maualuga______ILB_USC_______6`3/250_4.68
10_SD__Terrence Cody_____NT__Alabama___6`5/365_4.45
11_HOU_Chris Wells_______RB__Ohio St___6`1/232_4.48
12_GB__Michael Johnson___DE__GT________6`7/257_4.63
13_NO__Brian Cushing_____OLB_USC_______6`4/245_4.55
14_BUF_Colt McCoy________QB__Texas_____6`3/205_4.69
15_CHI_Dar. Heyward-Bey__WR__Maryland__6`2/205_4.33
16_PHI_Knowshon Moreno___RB__Georgia___6`0/208_4.44
17_DEN_James Laurinautis_ILB_Ohio St___6`3/245_4.45
18_NE__Taylor Mays_______SS__USC_______6`4/225_4.45
19_MIA_Vontae Davis______CB__Ill_______6`0/200_4.41
20_ARI_Sen'Derrick Marks_DT__Auburn____6`1/295_4.89
21_WAS_Tyson Jackson_____DE__LSU_______6`5/292_4.85
22_MIN_Tim Tebow_________QB__Florida___6`3/235_4.52
23_DET_Ciron Black_______OT__LSU_______6`5/315_5.27
24_NYJ_George Selvie_____DE__S.Florida_6`4/250_4.68
25_ATL_Jeremy Maclin_____WR__Mizzou____6`1/200_4.32
26_TB__Fili Moala________DT__USC_______6`4/300_5.05
27_BAL_Brandon Spikes____ILB_Florida___6`3/244_4.65
28_IND_DeMarcus Granger__DT__Oklahoma__6`3/305_4.98
29_PHI_William Moore_____SS__Mizzou____6`1/220_4.45
30_NYG_Gerald McRath_____OLB_S.Miss____6`3/220_4.56
31_TEN_Aaron Curry_______OLB_Wake______6`3/241_4.58
32_PIT_Duke Robinson_____OG__Oklahoma__6`5/330_5.28
So take it for what it's worth. Fodder for the water cooler. If you like the player we have given you favorite team great, if you hate the pick we have given your team discuss it, see if it makes any sense. After all, sports would only be somewhat fun if all we did was watch the games, then go about our business. For more on this and related topics join us during the FantasyDraftHelp Wednesday night lineup at SportsTalkNetwork.com every Wednesday starting at 7pm EST.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
NFL power rankings for Week 14
By Rick Morris
TOP TIER
1. New York Giants
SECOND TIER
2. Tennessee
3. Pittsburgh
4. Tampa Bay
5. Carolina
6. Indianapolis
7. New York Jets
8. Dallas
9. New England
10. Atlanta
11. Washington
12. Baltimore
13. Arizona
THIRD TIER
14. Minnesota
15. Philadelphia
16. Miami
17. Denver
18. New Orleans
19. Chicago
20. Green Bay
21. Buffalo
FOURTH TIER
22. Houston
23. San Diego
24. Jacksonville
25. San Francisco
26. Cleveland
FIFTH TIER
27. Kansas City
28. Seattle
29. St. Louis
30. Oakland
31. Cincinnati
32. Detroit
Radio people suck
By Tony Mazur
In the past few months, CBS Radio has gone through some insane volatility. Many jobs and programs have been thrown to the wolves just to save a few bucks. On December 1st, 2008, CBS announced some changes, specifically in Minneapolis, Chicago, Boston, and Cleveland.
In Minneapolis, the air talent was asked to take a ten percent pay cut. In Chicago, there was an abrupt change in a popular morning show (forgive me for not being prepared with the name). Boston (WBCN) and Cleveland (WKRK) also had a morning show shake-up, with CBS/Sirius XM's Opie & Anthony being cut.
The change at WKRK (formerly known as "92.3 K-Rock") baffles me. CBS fired all of the air talent, and changed some of the music and the logo/moniker ("Radio 92.3").
I became aware of the change via a mass email. The email was entitled "Radio 92.3 HAS ARRIVED!", and it said:
"All of the great music you learned to love...we're not even going to try to explain it. LISTEN FOR YOURSELF!"
I took a listen, since I am an open-minded radio listener. The station has pre-recorded liners peppered into the "alternative" playlist, which ranges from The Police to The Killers. I almost puked. I heard a New Order song, followed by Stone Temple Pilots, followed by Fall Out Boy.
Oh, you're not going to explain it? Well, I'd start explaining now if I were in their shoes.
It's clear that this is a cost-cutting move. Now that they've fired the air talent and possibly board ops, and you cut your syndicated morning show, they must be setting themselves up for grand success! Uh, no. "Radio 92.3" won't be here very long. The people will get tired of it, and the "experts" over at CBS will eventually change the format, sell the station, or even sell the entire Cleveland cluster (which includes WDOK, WQAL, and WNCX).
Now I didn't hear this one, but apparently former CBS staffer and current morning show host at crosstown WMMS, Shane "Rover" French, has taken great pride in that the station went to hell. He claims that not long after he takes the job at 'MMS, "K-Rock" is going under. Again, I did not hear his exact words (or any words, since I have better things to do that listen to a man with a perennially-clogged nose), but Rover and his "Morning Glory" coworkers rejoiced that their competition ceased.
First of all, Shane, you're not the reason K-Rock went under. Of course your show brought in good ratings (which shows how truly embarrassed I am that I live in Cleveland), but haven't you seen the writing on the wall? You can't be that stupid. CBS/Viacom has been in constant turmoil for years. Howard Stern said that his departure is the reason for CBS going downhill. I don't agree with him, either, but he's much more powerful that you, Rover. You got tossed off of so many stations because your show appeals to the inbred fatsos with the I.Q. equivalent to a garden hose that reside in Cleveland.
On afternoons on WMMS, Benjamin Bornstein (a.k.a. "Maxwell") and his obese sidekick Dan Stansbury gloated at the fact that K-Rock" is no more, and they won't have those O&A Pests bullying them around anymore. Bornstein has brought up numerous times that Stansbury is "pound for pound funnier" than Jim Norton. Norton is a comedian. Stansbury is a producer who can't even do his job correctly.
For some reason, radio people, whether they are air talent, program directors, general managers, etc., think that the listeners are stupid. I'm not talking about some of the ear-deafening shows that I've mentioned previously, but they think the average listener is an utter buffoon when it comes to a format flip. Because WKRK will not be able to find their true identity, the station will suffer. But they don't get that. Or maybe they do, they just don't care.
I want to know when all of this hullabaloo (pardon my French) will stop. The common excuse is because of the poor shape of our economy. But the funny thing is, we wouldn't have a bad economy if these companies didn't panic. Okay, take a hit right now, but it will pay off in the long-run.
I would like to end this post by giving a shout out to all of the radio staffers who have lost their jobs recently, and another shout out to those who will receive the pink slip just before Christmas. Happy Holidays. Now get lost.
In the past few months, CBS Radio has gone through some insane volatility. Many jobs and programs have been thrown to the wolves just to save a few bucks. On December 1st, 2008, CBS announced some changes, specifically in Minneapolis, Chicago, Boston, and Cleveland.
In Minneapolis, the air talent was asked to take a ten percent pay cut. In Chicago, there was an abrupt change in a popular morning show (forgive me for not being prepared with the name). Boston (WBCN) and Cleveland (WKRK) also had a morning show shake-up, with CBS/Sirius XM's Opie & Anthony being cut.
The change at WKRK (formerly known as "92.3 K-Rock") baffles me. CBS fired all of the air talent, and changed some of the music and the logo/moniker ("Radio 92.3").
I became aware of the change via a mass email. The email was entitled "Radio 92.3 HAS ARRIVED!", and it said:
"All of the great music you learned to love...we're not even going to try to explain it. LISTEN FOR YOURSELF!"
I took a listen, since I am an open-minded radio listener. The station has pre-recorded liners peppered into the "alternative" playlist, which ranges from The Police to The Killers. I almost puked. I heard a New Order song, followed by Stone Temple Pilots, followed by Fall Out Boy.
Oh, you're not going to explain it? Well, I'd start explaining now if I were in their shoes.
It's clear that this is a cost-cutting move. Now that they've fired the air talent and possibly board ops, and you cut your syndicated morning show, they must be setting themselves up for grand success! Uh, no. "Radio 92.3" won't be here very long. The people will get tired of it, and the "experts" over at CBS will eventually change the format, sell the station, or even sell the entire Cleveland cluster (which includes WDOK, WQAL, and WNCX).
Now I didn't hear this one, but apparently former CBS staffer and current morning show host at crosstown WMMS, Shane "Rover" French, has taken great pride in that the station went to hell. He claims that not long after he takes the job at 'MMS, "K-Rock" is going under. Again, I did not hear his exact words (or any words, since I have better things to do that listen to a man with a perennially-clogged nose), but Rover and his "Morning Glory" coworkers rejoiced that their competition ceased.
First of all, Shane, you're not the reason K-Rock went under. Of course your show brought in good ratings (which shows how truly embarrassed I am that I live in Cleveland), but haven't you seen the writing on the wall? You can't be that stupid. CBS/Viacom has been in constant turmoil for years. Howard Stern said that his departure is the reason for CBS going downhill. I don't agree with him, either, but he's much more powerful that you, Rover. You got tossed off of so many stations because your show appeals to the inbred fatsos with the I.Q. equivalent to a garden hose that reside in Cleveland.
On afternoons on WMMS, Benjamin Bornstein (a.k.a. "Maxwell") and his obese sidekick Dan Stansbury gloated at the fact that K-Rock" is no more, and they won't have those O&A Pests bullying them around anymore. Bornstein has brought up numerous times that Stansbury is "pound for pound funnier" than Jim Norton. Norton is a comedian. Stansbury is a producer who can't even do his job correctly.
For some reason, radio people, whether they are air talent, program directors, general managers, etc., think that the listeners are stupid. I'm not talking about some of the ear-deafening shows that I've mentioned previously, but they think the average listener is an utter buffoon when it comes to a format flip. Because WKRK will not be able to find their true identity, the station will suffer. But they don't get that. Or maybe they do, they just don't care.
I want to know when all of this hullabaloo (pardon my French) will stop. The common excuse is because of the poor shape of our economy. But the funny thing is, we wouldn't have a bad economy if these companies didn't panic. Okay, take a hit right now, but it will pay off in the long-run.
I would like to end this post by giving a shout out to all of the radio staffers who have lost their jobs recently, and another shout out to those who will receive the pink slip just before Christmas. Happy Holidays. Now get lost.
Monday, December 1, 2008
Racism on a high-school basketball team with a twist
By Ben Chew
When most people think of when someone plays the “race card,” it usually is deals with someone being defined by the color of their skin. This might be the first time that someone has used the “Reverse Race Card.”
In Danville, Illinois, some parents and students are currently accusing head basketball coach of Danville High School boys basketball team of “racial profiling.” The Danville head coach Gary Tidwell, who is white, is denying that he used racial profiling against of the kids who were cut from the basketball team.
Most of time, I would bypass stories like this because of the racial implications or the constant use of the “race card.” However, this story might possibly take the cake of stupid arguments against the use of racial profiling. Why do I say this? Well, the kids who were cut from the team were black, but there is only one issue with their argument: the team is all-black.
Huh? Yes, you heard right. The rest of Danville High School boys basketball team is black. There are no white members on the team or any other race. So then, why do these players felt they were discriminated against? Some players said they were left off preseason rosters due to braids or other characteristics that were described as “too black.”
Whoever said that our public school system breeds brilliant student-athletes was wrong in this case. Albeit, the race card is a defining part of our society and still exists, which can be seen during this year’s presidential election. This is just pure stupidity of parents and well kids who probably couldn’t play ball.
However, in our society, we can sue for getting hit in the balls in a batting cage and win a hefty sum. This wouldn’t surprise me if this goes to any level of law-making but it really shouldn’t, why? There is no racism, it’s just people not happy with the decision made to get their kid onto a basketball team. It’s sad that these individuals are wanting a coach to be fired because he was thought to be racially profiling on an all-black team.
Maybe I should ask to be removed from my job as morning show host on AM Mayhem on SportsTalkNetwork.com because the rest of my co-hosts aren’t Asians. However, stories like this will always get published because of stupidity of the individuals and, well, because people love to talk about race.
Maybe one day, racial profiling will go away but if stupid people exist somewhere in the world, it won’t.
When most people think of when someone plays the “race card,” it usually is deals with someone being defined by the color of their skin. This might be the first time that someone has used the “Reverse Race Card.”
In Danville, Illinois, some parents and students are currently accusing head basketball coach of Danville High School boys basketball team of “racial profiling.” The Danville head coach Gary Tidwell, who is white, is denying that he used racial profiling against of the kids who were cut from the basketball team.
Most of time, I would bypass stories like this because of the racial implications or the constant use of the “race card.” However, this story might possibly take the cake of stupid arguments against the use of racial profiling. Why do I say this? Well, the kids who were cut from the team were black, but there is only one issue with their argument: the team is all-black.
Huh? Yes, you heard right. The rest of Danville High School boys basketball team is black. There are no white members on the team or any other race. So then, why do these players felt they were discriminated against? Some players said they were left off preseason rosters due to braids or other characteristics that were described as “too black.”
Whoever said that our public school system breeds brilliant student-athletes was wrong in this case. Albeit, the race card is a defining part of our society and still exists, which can be seen during this year’s presidential election. This is just pure stupidity of parents and well kids who probably couldn’t play ball.
However, in our society, we can sue for getting hit in the balls in a batting cage and win a hefty sum. This wouldn’t surprise me if this goes to any level of law-making but it really shouldn’t, why? There is no racism, it’s just people not happy with the decision made to get their kid onto a basketball team. It’s sad that these individuals are wanting a coach to be fired because he was thought to be racially profiling on an all-black team.
Maybe I should ask to be removed from my job as morning show host on AM Mayhem on SportsTalkNetwork.com because the rest of my co-hosts aren’t Asians. However, stories like this will always get published because of stupidity of the individuals and, well, because people love to talk about race.
Maybe one day, racial profiling will go away but if stupid people exist somewhere in the world, it won’t.
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