Jimmy Kimmel Misses Joe Theismann

While watching the Giants - Falcons game on Monday Night Football this past week viewers were treated to the comedy of one Jimmy Kimmel. The late night talk show host on ESPN sister network ABC just couldn't help but mention former MNF analyst Joe Theismann on more than one occasion.

More hilarious than his actual remarks is the dead silence reaction from the MNF trio of Tirico, Jaworski, and Kornheiser. The Worldwide Leader has now apparently banned Kimmel from the Monday Night Football booth. ESPN should take that one step further and ban every "celebrity" from the booth and stop turning MNF into a variety show. The trend these days is to turn sports broadcasts into entertainment spectacles in order to attract the casual television viewer. The problem is that this technique alienates the core audince of true sports fans who are tuning in to watch a sporting event and not a sideshow. So ESPN, how about just sticking to football? I mean does any football fan really want to hear from Christian Slater in the middle of a NFL game?

Yankees vs. Cleveland 6:37

Let's GO Chinnie Chinnie Wang Wang

Hop Aboard the NFL Quarterback Carousel

One week in the books of the 2007 NFL season and the quarterback carousel is already in full operation mode. As many as five teams will have a different signal caller starting in Week 2 than who started in the first game of the year. The overriding theme for all but one of these clubs is an injury to the starter as just one game, which further magnifies the battle of attrition that is the NFL. Here a look at who’s in and who’s out behind center in Week 2.

NY Giants
Week 1 Starter: Eli Manning
Probable Week 2 Starter: Jared Lorenzen
Scratch That: Manning to start vs. Packers
Rule number #19 – Never listen to ESPN. If you believed their constant report on Manning’s injured shoulder you would have thought Eli’s arm was about to fall off and his season was over. Well, news out of New York this morning is that Manning will start Big Blue’s home opener against Green Bay. Don’t expect Chris Mortensen to be in attendance.

NY Jets
Week 1 Starter: Chad Pennington
Probable Week 2 Starter: Kellen Clemens
Sounds like all the classless J-E-T-S fans will get their wish and see Kellen Clemens under center come Sunday. Mr. Clemens will try to follow such legendary names as Smith, Feeley, and Harrington in the storied lineage of Oregon quarterbacks in the NFL. Be careful what you wish for.

Cleveland Browns
Week 1 Starter: Charlie Frye
Expected Week 2 Starter: Derek Anderson
Projected Week 5 Starter: Brady Quinn
Started season opener, traded before the second game - Charlie Frye never stood a chance. The Browns traded their former starting quarterback to Seattle for a sixth round draft pick. After beating backup Derek Anderson in the preseason for the job, Frye couldn't even make it out of the first half Sunday against the Steelers and couldn't even make it to the second game with the Browns. Now Anderson gets to keep the seat warm for Mr. Brady Quinn. With Cleveland going nowhere again the question is, what are the Browns waiting for?

Oakland Raiders
Week 1 Starter: Josh McCown
Probable Week 2 Starter: Daunte Culpepper
Projected Not to See the Field this Season: JaMarcus Russell
McCown put up solid numbers though for the Raider any positive yardage at all offensively would be giant step forward compared to last season.

Baltimore Ravens
Week 1 Starter: Steve McNair
Possible Week 2 Starter: Kyle Boller
Ole Air McNair had a nightmare of a game against the Bengals last Monday night and topped it off with a groin injury. Boller stepped in and nearly led Baltimore to victory. McNair’s status for this Sunday in up in the air, but while coach Brian Billick may feel more comfortable with McNair, it’s clear the veteran doesn’t have much left in the tank and Boller may be the better option at this point.

Causalities Aplenty After Week 1 in NFL

The first weekend of the NFL season acted as a reminder of just how violent and dangerous the game of football can be. At this point, 6 players are confirmed to out for the rest of the season and that number is likely to increase later in the week. That number does not include the horrific life-threatening spinal cord injury suffered by Bills tight end Kevin Everett while making a special teams tackle on the second half kickoff against the Broncos. Bleeding Sports sends our thoughts and best wishes to Kevin Everett and his family. The play is a haunting reminder of just how brutal and unfair life and a simply game can be. While these athletes sometimes seem larger than life us fans who cheer them on, Everett's injury is a haunting reminder that these gridiron warriors are still human and that the game of football can be tragically unforgiving.

The brutality of the game was magnified after just one week of action in the NFL. Here is a rundown of players who suffered injuries during the NFL's kickoff weekend:

(Players who suffered season-ending injuries in italics)

AFC

LB Ray Lewis, Baltimore - Triceps
QB Steve McNair, Baltimore - Groin
KR B.J. Sams, Baltimore – Knee
OT Jonathan Ogden - Toe

TE Daniel Wilcox, Baltimore – Ankle
DS Ko Simpson, Buffalo - Ankle
CB Jason Webster, Buffalo - Forearm
DS Coy Wire, Buffalo – Knee
PK Shayne Graham, Cincinnati – Hip
DS Jason Simmons, Houston - Knee
PK Josh Scobee, Jacksonville – Knee
OG Chris Naeole, Jacksonville – Knee
WR Eddie Kennison, Kansas City – Hamstring
DS Yeremiah Bell, Miami – Achilles
QB Chad Pennington, NY Jets - Ankle

NFC

OC Al Johnson, Arizona - Knee
DS Mike Brown, Chicago - Knee/ACL
DT Dustin Dvoracek, Chicago - Knee/ACL
DT Jason Ferguson, Dallas - Elbow
RB T.J. Duckett, Detroit – Ankle
CB Al Harris, Green Bay – Elbow
FB Tony Richardson, Minnesota – Forearm
RB Chester Taylor, Minnesota – Oblique
CB Kevin Dockery, NY Giants - Ankle
RB Brandon Jacobs, NY Giants - Knee/MCL
QB Eli Manning, NY Giants – Shoulder
DE Osi Umenyiora, NY Giants – Knee
CB Lito Sheppard, Philadelphia – Knee
WR D.J. Hackett, Seattle – Ankle
CB Brian Kelly, Seattle – Groin
OT Orlando Pace, St. Louis – Shoulder
LB Pisa Tinoisamoa, St. Louis – Ankle
DS Vernon Fox, Washington – Groin
DS Pierson Prioleau, Washington – Hamstring

Fantasy Football Frenzy

In preparation for the start of the 2007 NFL regular season I've put together a list of players that may fly under the radar during your fantasy draft, but have the potential to put up big numbers this season. See if you can grab any of these sleepers in the later rounds.

The Sleeper Team

QB - Jeff Garcia, Tampa Bay

When in the right situation Garcia has shown the ability to put up great numbers. San Francisco and Philadelphia were the right situations for him. Cleveland and Detroit - not so much. Playing in Jon Gruden's west coast scheme down in Tampa is the right situation for Garcia and his stats will show it come end of the year.

RB - Brandon Jacobs, NY Giants

Would seem like an obvious with Tiki Barber retired and with the Giants having a huge void at running back. However, it seems that Jacobs is still being undervalued because his sheer size is almost being viewed by some as a detriment. What people fail to realize because of his size is that Jacobs possesses great speed and is a solid pass catcher. Expect him to get the bulk of the carries and be in there on third down rather than share time with Rueben Droughns.

RB - Brandon Jackson, Green Bay

Something tells me that Vernand Morency is not the answer at running back for the Packers. If that proves to be the case Jackson is the man in Green Bay. The rookie possesses the explosiveness the Packers are looking for to replace Ahman Green and should turn into the workhorse in the Pack's backfield for years to come.

WR - Maurice Stovall, Tampa Bay

At some point Joey Galloway is going to slow down, right? Stovall is slated to start opposite Galloway for the Bucs and Jeff Garcia will likely find the speedy 6-5 Stovall an appealing target. Stovall possesses excellent leaping ability to go along with his height, which will come in handy on those jump ball fade passes tossed in the end zone.

WR - Vincent Jackson, San Diego

As the Bleeding Sports GM exclaimed "somebody needs to catch the ball." Sounds like Vincent Jackson is that somebody on the Chargers receiving core who will step up to take some pressure off of Philip Rivers and give him an option other than Gates and Tomlinson in the passing game.

TE - Eric Johnson, New Orleans

When healthy Johnson can rack up catches and yards. Just a few years back he was leading all NFL tight ends in receptions before an injury forced him to miss the rest of the season. While overshadowed in San Francisco due to the addition of Vernon Davis, Johnson should be a nice complement on the Saints high-powered offense giving Drew Brees another weapon in the middle of the field.

K - Neil Rackers, Arizona

Rackers had a monster 2005 season only to come back down to earth in 2006. Expect him to bounce back and perform somewhere in between '05 and '06 this season with the improving Cardinals offense giving him more opportunities to succeed.

Defense - Houston Texans

This may be going out on a limb, but the Oakland defense is too obvious of a choice since they finished in the top 5 in total defense last season. The Texans feature some intriguing players on the defensive side of the ball. 2006 Defensive Rookie of the Year, DeMeco Ryans, is a tackling machine, Dunta Robinson is a shutdown type cornerback, the addition of Michael Boulware should help bolster the safety position and then there is that other guy the Texans drafted in the first round last year, defensive end Mario Williams, who should become more of a force as a pass rusher in year 2.

Handing Out MLB Trade Deadline Awards

Give Them the Strap

Whether the addition of Mark Teixeira translates to more wins on the field and yet another NL East championship for the Braves remains to be seen, but Atlanta does win the title of 2007 MLB Trade Deadline Champions of the World. General Manager John Schuerholz was not only able to finagle Teixeira and left handed reliever Ron Mahay out of Texas, but in addition he landed former Mets Octavio Dotel from Kansas City and lefty reliever Royce Ring from San Diego. Not bad for a day’s work. An added incentive is the possibility of Dotel and Ring coming back to haunt their former club from Queens as the teams battle it out for the division crown.


Can't Figure it Out

The Pirates win the award for Most - umm - Surprising Move at the Trade Deadline by acquiring pitcher Matt Morris from San Francisco. One could only assume that Pittsburgh feels a veteran presence is needed to solidify its young starting rotation going into next season since this year is already over for the Pirates. To say that the move is questionable would be an understatement, however, it isn’t the first move by GM Dave Littlefield that makes you scratch your head. Year after year the Pirates roster is a mish mash of young players and patchwork veterans of marginal ability and a clear direction for the franchise never seems to be established. It’s difficult to tell what the Pirates are trying to do and as the years of residing in the bottom of the standings continue to mount it becomes clear that the front office doesn’t have any idea either.


Most Ludicrous Trade Analysis - Ever.

The Yankees sent Scott Proctor to the Dodgers in exhange for Wilson Betemit. All fine and good, but someone needs to explain to me how so-called “baseball experts” could agree with the following rationale:

Yankees trade for Wilson Betemit as a possible replacement for Alex Rodriguez next season.

Yea, and Atlanta traded for Mark Teixeira as an insurance policy at first base in case Julio Franco decides to hang them up after this season. Betemit couldn’t even hold down the third base job this season for the offensively inept Dodgers, therefore, something tells me he may not be the Yankees long term answer. Betemit is hitting .231 this season and in his 372 game career he’s batted an underwhelming .263 with 32 homers and 102 RBIs. Some may argue that he's still green and need time to develop. The only problem with that argument is that nobody know how hold the guy is. Some reports say he’s 25, others state that he’s 26, his ESPN.com player page says he’s 27, while his profile on MLB.com says he won't be 26 until November. All this means is that in reality he's probably atleast 30 years old. Can somebody say career utility man? I would bet the house that there is a greater chance of Miguel Cabrera or Scott Brosius playing third base in the Bronx next season than there is of finding Wilson Betemit out there.

Vick Can’t Get Away This Time

Michael Vick has made a career out of his ability to run away from defenders, which is especially important when you play quarterback yet are completely inept when he comes to hitting an open receiver. Vick not only has had an uncanny ability to elude defenders on the field, but to also dodge controversy off the field. Well, it looks like the most overrated player in NFL history is about to run out of gas. On Monday, one of Vick’s co-defendants pleaded guilty to federal dogfighting conspiracy charges and has agreed to cooperate with the government’s case against Vick.

Vick’s talent is undeniable, however, for the last two and a half years the former Virginia Tech star has made more noise for his transgressions off the field. The federal indictment is just the latest in a timeline of regression that includes the Ron Mexico scandal, flipping the bird to the home crowd, and the water bottle fiasco.

Even prior to the dogfighting indictment, Vick’s status in Atlanta had become tenuous at best. Stories began swirling at the end of last season questioning whether Vick or popular back-up Matt Schaub should be the Falcons’ quarterback. After the hiring of Bobby Petrino as head coach, speculation was that Vick’s suddenly checkered reputation and ineffectiveness throwing the football made him a poor fit in the new regime’s offensive system. Instead, Petrino proclaimed Vick as his starter and Schaub was shipped to Houston.

While there is a degree of irony in that the Falcons could have desperately used Schaub, in essence, this season was one of transition in Atlanta. Even with either Vick or Schaub under center, the Falcons were not ready to contend for the playoffs this season. The rebuilding process is now in full force with a first year coach, making the transition from the college game, handing over the reigns of the franchise, at least for the immediate time, to Joey Harrington.

The absence of Vick may be a blessing in disguise. Vick was no longer considered the franchise’s savior and was a big question mark in Petrino’s offense. It’s time for the Falcons to turn the page, expedite the rebuilding process, and allow Petrino to put his own stamp on the franchise by hand picking his own quarterback. Can anyone say Brian Brohm?

The smart move for Arthur Blank and Rich McKay is to move forward immediately and assure that #7 has played his last game for the Falcons. Then again, with the way things are going for Vick he may not be playing anywhere for a very long time.

MLB All-Star Game Foreshadowing Things to Come?

After sitting around last Tuesday night watching the MLB All-Star Game from the comfort of my sofa I figured I would share a few thoughts I had from the game. These thoughts exclude the already overly discussed Pujols-La Russa drama. In addition, I will refrain from mentioning how instead of spending the evening in McCovey Cove, Eric Byrnes should have been playing in the dang game! Ok, I’m done now.

Now, while drawing conclusions from a glorified exhibition may not hold much weight, I believe there were some telling signs that need to be discussed. With that said, I decided to be lazy and make a list:

* How good is Chris Young really?

San Diego starter Chris Young is a nice player, but should he be leading the league with a 2.00 ERA? Prior to being trading to San Diego, Young made 38 starts for Texas where he had a 4.35 ERA. At age 28, maybe Young has simply become a better player with more games under his belt and that probably does have something to do with his improvement. The other reason for his success could be the deadly combination of that he now pitches in the National League in the most pitcher-friendly park in the history of baseball. Nobody hits in Petco Park where Young's ERA is a ridiculous 0.82 compared to 3.33 on the road. That should tell you something right there.

In fifth inning on Tuesday night, Young proceeded to walk the lead off hitter Brian Roberts before giving up Ichiro's inside the parker. Texas forever! With the Padres battling for a division title Young will be counted on to pitch big down the stretch and that will include getting the job done on the road. Young will have a chance to prove his mettle and show that the ERA isn't just an aberration.

* Can closers not named Rivera be counted on?

JJ Putz has had an excellent season for Seattle up to this point. His performance trying to close out the All-Star game for the American League in was the antithesis of excellent. Putz was able to put away the first two batters before completely imploding after Dmitri Young reached on an infield single that Baltimore’s Brian Roberts failed to glove. A two run homer by Soriano followed by a walk and Putz’s night was done. Even though it was the All-Star Game, the appearance was probably the most pressure packed situation the young closer has ever faced. With the surprising Mariners squarely in contention in the AL can Putz be counted on when the pressure mounts at the end of the season?

Aw, but the closer question don’t end there. Putz then gave way to Los Angeles/Anaheim closer Francisco Rodriguez who made things even more interesting by walking the first two hitters he faced and subsequently loading the bases. K-Rod must have forgotten that he was pitching in the All-Star Game and not a contest to see who can throw the hardest. There’s overthrowing and then there’s OVERTHROWING. It’s a shock that Rodriguez was able to even record an out. The way he was spinning and falling off the mound after he released the ball, it looked more likely that he was going to pirouette off the mound and stumble all the way into the dugout forcing Jim Leyland to go with option C. K-Rod is battle tested and has got big outs in his career, but the Angel’s may want to supply him with some Ritalin if they make it to the postseason. Just in case.

Trying to determine whether or not a player will succeed down the stretch based on an exhibition may seem like grasping for air. This may be the case, but if you see Chris Young or Mr. Putz costing their respective teams in September don't say I didn't warn you.

Dan Patrick Leaving ESPN

A long time staple of ESPN, former "SportsCenter" anchor and radio talk show host Dan Patrick is leaving ESPN after 18 years. Patrick explained the decision by saying it was time to move on and that he had begun to take his job at the "Worldwide Leader" for granted.

For many years Patrick was arguably the network's most popular "SportsCenter" anchor and on-air personality even more likable than Mr. ESPN Chris Berman. For the past few years, however, Patrick's appeal had visibly softened and even his audience would agree that it seemed as though he had taken his status at ESPN for granted. From my vantage point, Patrick went from an entertaining presence with his subtle humor and quick wit to a stuck-up know-it-all who would rather kiss up to sport's biggest stars. Come to think of it, that kinda sounds like the evolution of ESPN itself.

So farewell Mr. Patrick, maybe we will see you hosting the "Price Is Right" in the not so distant future. If not, we always have the memories.

NBA Feeling the Draft

It’s extremely difficult to watch NBA basketball games these days. These past playoffs were especially brutal. Aside from Golden State, Phoenix, and Lebron’s one shining moment against Detroit, trying to maintain an interest in the league’s never ending postseason is a hopeless endeavor. Any game where San Antonio is a participant isn’t even worth considering (unless Phoenix is involved and even then it’s still painful). Which would partly explain why not even the name Lebron James could save the NBA Finals from posting its lowest ratings ever. The other reason for the low ratings is that the NBA game just isn’t very good. When the highlight of your postseason is the draft lottery you know you got problems. Which leads to the question – Is the idea of the NBA more intriguing than the actual product?

I say yes.

It’s like playing franchise mode in NBA Live where wheeling and dealing – making trades, signing free agents, changing your team’s starting five – building your team is more fun than actually playing the games against the computer. You’re better off just simulating the games and advancing to the off-season to play GM and do it all again. Fans feel the same way about the real NBA, which was evident with amount of attention paid to the NBA draft. My buddies and I were more excited about the draft than we have been about any NBA game in about a decade. This same sentiment is why my brother, who grew up a Blazers fan, but hasn’t paid attention to the NBA since the days of Kevin Duckworth, is now digging out all his old Blazers gear even while, living on the east coast, he likely won’t watch one minute of Greg Oden or his Portland teammates next season. The NBA game looks much better on paper than it ever does on the court.

Don’t Call It a Sport

Boxing should no longer be called a sport. Not after the farce Oscar De La Hoya and Floyd Mayweather Jr. put on earlier this month. Not surprisingly, Mayweather came out victorious winning a ridiculous split decision in the over-hyped, immediately forgettable bout. Despite the fact that the fight never had a chance to match the hype leading up to it, it was still a must-see event to even the casual boxing fan like myself despite the $55 dollar price tag. Reinforcing that sentiment was news that the fight proved to be the most lucrative in the history of boxing. Well, all 2 million plus buyers should demand a refund. After hearing of his record setting bout, promoter/loser Oscar De La Hoya had this to share:

"I'm ecstatic. Of course, the money makes me really happy, but just having those records and being a non-heavyweight is an accomplishment in itself. To break the 1.99 million mark goes to show you that Golden Boy Promotions likes to do things in a big way. I think everyone targeted the 1.4 million mark, but me and [Golden Boy CEO] Richard [Schaefer] were always shooting for the 2 million mark. It's amazing."

Thank you, Oscar. Maybe you should mention that you lost the fight, but I guess the actual competition comes second to the almighty dollar. Herein lies the problem with having a fighter also be his own promoter. For all I know the De La Hoya-Mayweather “fight” was nothing more than a staged performance. The entire production, from the cross-country promotional tour to the HBO reality show to the fight itself, more closely resembled the WWE than an actual sporting event. The nation bought into the marketing ploy as a record number paid the high price for a low form of "sports enertainment." De La Hoya and Mayweather were laughing all the way to bank before the opening bell. The main goal of these two “fighters” wasn’t to try to win a sport contest, but to create a spectacle leading up to the fight that would entice fans to buy it. Their jobs were done before ever hitting the ring.

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH

A Message from the Bleeding Sports GM to his beloved New York Yankees:

It is time to grow up, show some guts, play like men and not little leaguers. If you are satisfied with being the laughing stock of Major League Baseball then get off this team. If you sit there in the dugout laugh and tell jokes when losing in the 9th GO HOME. It is time to sack up and stop playing like pathetic bums who drop their heads when they go down one run. Show some fire, get that glare in your eye that says "I am not afraid of you, you can't stop me BRING IT ON". Stop crying like Bobby Abreu after he gets a strike show everyone that you care and win some games. You dug yourself a huge hole in the AL East and today is the day to start the comeback if you still want to salvage the season. If not everyone will be forced to start thinking about the Eli Manning face and that gives me nightmares. So lets go and end this garbage before it is too late. MAN UP NOW!!

Cano's Strike Zone

The Bleeding Sports GM is a rapid Yankee fan and an avid reader of Nomaas.org, which is where he found this little nugget...

This is a regulation strike zone:

This is Robinson Cano's strike zone:

.250 BA / .296 OBP / .339 SLG / .635 OPS

The 2007 NFL Draft Blog

Last weekend the 2007 NFL Draft was held at Radio City Music Hall in New York. I did not attend. However, I did sit on my couch and watch the coverage on ESPN. I find the draft one of the most entertaining events in all of sports. So I decided to keep a blog of the first ten picks. And it went a little bit like this…

Welcome to Bleeding Sports live coverage of the 2007 NFL Draft. And here’s the commissioner Roger Goodell! This is a historic day since I am too young to remember watching an NFL draft without Paul Tagliabue. You got to give the new commish credit for his enthusiasm. The Raiders are now on the clock and already things don’t look good. Before the last commercial break ESPN cut to a shot of the Raiders table on the draft floor. Sitting there were a lost elderly man and two high school kids who couldn’t figure out how to put on a headset. Did Al Davis hold a raffle to see who got to sit at the Raiders’ draft table?

Another interesting development this year is we are graced by the presence of Keyshawn Johnson who just compared the best player in the draft, Calvin Johnson, as a cross between Randy Moss and himself. For the sake of all mankind let’s hope not. Can somebody please call Mike Ditka and get him over to Radio City, STAT!

The big question is will the Raiders trade the top pick or use it to select the most overrated draft prospect in recent memory, JaMarcus Russell. I don’t know about you, but I would have a hard time passing on a lazy, slow, overweight quarterback who ballooned to 300 pounds just in time for the combine. Oh and we just saw a highlight of Russell throwing the ball 64 yards on one knee!! Because THAT is a necessary skill in order to be successful in the NFL. Just ask Kyle Boller. Before the Sugar Bowl Russell was regarded as a second round pick at best and now he is about to be the first player chosen. Does playing well against the Notre Dame defense constitute that big of jump? Teams get way too excited over these individual workouts instead of focusing on the entire body of work. Throughout the entire season, Brady Quinn was the considered the top quarterback prospect because of his performance on the field and isn’t that what really matters?

And with the first pick the Raiders select…JaMarcus Russell. Ugh, Chris Berman just had to mention how he can throw the ball 64 yards from his knees. I may have to smash my laptop 20 minutes into the draft. This is going to be the shortest draft blog in history. The Raiders didn’t call Russell until after they make pick meaning they were desperately trying to trade down. Instead, they pulled the trigger on Russell and behind that offensive line he can attempt to break David Carr’s times sacked in a season record.

The Lions are now on the clock. I don’t care how many draft picks Matt Millen has blown on receivers, unless Tampa Bay agrees to swap picks and give him both of their second round choices you need to take Calvin Johnson. Actually, scratch that, you take Calvin Johnson no matter what. And the Lions select…Calvin Johnson. You just can’t pass on the best player in the draft.

Now the question becomes do the Browns take hometown boy Brady Quinn. If, I’m Phil Savage I take the Quinn because I don’t see the Charlie Frye/Derek Anderson era lasting much longer. And with the third pick the Browns select…Joe Thomas. Solid pick, you really can’t argue with taking an all-world left tackle to anchor the line. Now the question become where does Brady fall. My money is on Miami, but Chris Mortensen just brought up that Jon Gruden may take Quinn with the fourth pick. The Bucs already have thirteen quarterbacks. Naturally, Gruden’s favorite former player, Keyshawn, agrees with Mortensen’s theory.

I just saw on the ESPN bottom line that the Packers key addition this off-season was Frank Walker. Maybe Brett Favre should rethink returning next season.

After some speculation that the Gruden would take Quinn, the Bucs draft Gaines Adams. He a pass rushing defensive end who weighs 250 pounds, which makes him smaller than some running backs these days. A situational pass rusher taken with the fourth pick of the draft?

The Cardinals make the safe pick and take Levi Brown. They really had no choice, but to draft an offensive tackle. That team is an offensive line away from becoming a threat in the NFC. Though I think people have been saying that about the Cardinals for the past four years.

Is it weird that when the commissioner announces the picks he uses the word "Take" instead of "Select". It just doesn’t sound as proper, but I still like how he addresses the fans before some of the picks. The NFL needed a commissioner with more enthusiasm and passion, someone who is a true a fan. Looks like the No Fun League found the right guy.

As for the draft, we are five picks in with Brady Quinn and Adrian Peterson still sitting in the green room. That has to be a mild surprise.
The Redskins just drafted Redman for WU Tang Clan…oh wait…I mean LaRon Landry from LSU. You can always rely on the Skins to make a questionable personnel decision.

Steve Young just made a comment on how it will be interesting to see how Landry and Redskins’ safety Shaun Taylor will play together since they both prefer playing at the line of scrimmage. No kidding. That’s the reason Adam Archuleta is now in Chicago. Hellooo.

Minnesota TAKES Adrian Peterson. That’s a steal. A good pick for the Vikings except for the fact that they can’t throw the football on offense, can’t stop the pass on defense and it looks like Tarvaris Jackson is the starting quarterback. Peterson better be healthy because something tells me he and Chester Taylor are both going to be getting a lot of work. Just by playing in the same division as Minnesota, Green Bay, and Detroit the Rex Grossman era in Chicago will go on forever.

With Peterson off the board, we just need to wait for Miami to take Brady Quinn. These NFL execs just never learn. How do quarterbacks like Leinart and Quinn fall like this? Doesn’t a guy’s play in actual game situations trump anything else like throwing the ball 64 yards indoors on your knees? Apparently, amongst NFL decision makers the answer is No. Teams seem to forget about a player’s actually performance against competition and become consumed with individual workouts that do little to show how a guy will perform on Sundays. There is so much time from the end of the college football season to the actual draft that teams actually over-evaluate prospects. Personnel departments have so much time to evaluate that it’s inevitable they will find something wrong with a player. By the time the draft rolls around, teams end have talked themselves out of drafting certain guys and end up making bad decisions. They forget about a player’s actually performance against competition and become consumed with individual workouts that do little to show how a guy will perform on Sundays. Ridiculous.

I digress. Anyway, somebody needs to diversify Rachel Nichols wardrobe. I wonder if when she wakes up in the morning and walks over to her closet if she asks herself, “Should I wear the black suit or the black suit?”

Atlanta selects Jamaal Anderson. Only this one doesn’t play running back, he’s a defensive end from Arkansas. I wonder if he knows the dirty bird.

New commercials for Madden 08 make me happy. Coming August 14th. (Product not yet rated).

When did Michael Smith become an NFL “expert?” It seems like ESPN executives woke up one day and decided to make random sports writers ‘experts’ in a given sport. Now viewers are blessed to have Mike Wilbon NBA “expert” and Michael Smith NFL “expert” grace their television. Shouldn’t Smith have to make at least one relevant point or offer one bit of valuable insight before we deem him an “expert?” Where is my resume.

This has got to be demoralizing for Brady Quinn who has now been interviewed by Suzy Kolber twice while waiting in the green room. Not mention having to take shots from Tong Kornheiser of all people.

And now the moment of truth. With the ninth pick, The Dolphins TAKE…Ted Ginn Jr?!?!?!?! WHAT!!! Even Mel Kiper is outraged! Brady is starting to look worried! What are the dolphins thinking?? Did they give up on trying to replace Marino and come to the decision to play without a quarterback this season? Is 38-year old Trent Green, who isn’t even on the team at this moment, the answer? I can’t believe. The Dolphins pick was so bad the entire ESPN panel is up in arms. I think Mel Kiper just choke slammer Chris Berman through the table! Not only did the Dolphins pass up on a franchise quarterback they reached for an undersized wide receiver who can’t really play wide receiver and has a Lis Franc injury to his foot. And now, Brady Quinn’s slide down the draft board may take on Aaron Rogers’ size proportions.

Houston has the tenth pick. I would be kicking myself right if I were the Houston Texans. You think they would have traded for an unknown commodity in Matt Schaub knowing they could have had Quinn and a full complement of draft picks the next two years?

On that note, let’s end the Draft coverage here. I don’t even care who the Texans pick. I’m still in shock. Stay strong Brady!

The Last Word on March Madness

Anybody who knows about Karma saw the demise of Ohio St. coming in the NCAA Men’s Basketball National Championship game. The Buckeyes rode a wave of extraordinary circumstances all the way to the men’s college basketball title game against Florida. I can’t think of a team that played in more bizarre games over the course of a single tournament and the most mind boggling part about it is that the Buckeyes won every contest. That is until they ran into a Gator team looking to make a little history of their own.

A mad scientist couldn’t have concocted a more polarizing match-up: joyless Mr. Oden and his posse of future Freshman dropouts vs. a team compromised of four first round draft choices all of whom decided to return to school and defend their National Championship because of their love for college and the game of basketball. I wonder who the college basketball gods were rooting for?

While there would not have been a more poetic ending to Greg Oden’s enigmatic college career than his sore loser assault on Xavier’s Brandon Cole, fate had other plans. The Buckeyes somehow, someway made it to the final game. They were oh so close, but alas, it just wasn’t meant to be for the best team Thad Matta could buy.

Take care Greg Oden. Happy trails Mike Conley. Barely knew you Daequen Cook. You boys were successful at killing some time by attending History of Rock n Roll class and playing some college hoops while waiting for your NBA window to open. When it came to winning the big game, however, your team wasn't as successful.

I find it amazing how the majority of the coverage on the National Championship game centered on Greg Oden’s dominance. Yet not once while watching the game did I ever think to myself “this is an all-time great performance!” CBS were lead you to believe it was with all the ranting and raving by announcers Jim Nantz and Bill Packer. You would think that a player as “dominating” as Oden supposed was in the game would at least of had his team IN the game. The Buckeyes were never in the game. Florida took control early on and Ohio St. never mounted a legitimate threat the rest of the way. Others like Mr. Nantz and Mr. Packer may have thought differently, but anyone who knows a little something about Karma knew the Buckeyes never had a chance.

Yankees Still the Team to Beat in AL East

Special by The Bleeding Sports resident GM

I am sick and tired of these baseball idiots year after year saying the Yankees will miss the playoffs then switch over to the National League and pick the Braves every year because "You can't pick against them until they don't make it". The Yankees haven't missed the playoffs since 1993 (1994 was a strike year and they would have won the World Series) but every year since 2001 was supposed to be the year the Yankees miss the playoffs and the Red Sox win the division. Well that hasn't happened my friends because every year those idiots in Boston choke around the All-Star game and the Yankees over take them en route to another AL East Division title.

This year is no different with everyone picking the Red Sox on the basis of a pitcher from Japan who hasn't thrown a pitch in the major leagues let alone in the toughest division. I agree, however, that this could be the year the Red Sox win the division because of their starting pitching but don't even try to explain to me that their overall staff is so much better than the Yankees. Yes the Yankees have question marks in Mussina and Pettitte regarding their age and durability especially since Pettitte already has a stiff back and had elbow surgery in the past, but the Red Sox have these problems as well. Schilling and Wakefield, for example, are both 40 years old and have missed time the last few seasons due to injury. Wakefield was put on the DL last season and missed a month and a half because of back and rib cage injuries. Schilling is FAT and out of shape so who says this can't be the year he starts to show his age and hurts his ankle again due to his obesity.

The quality of each team's starting rotation becomes more apparent when you look at the other members of the staff:

Beckett vs. Wang - Red Sox have a very slight edge here for now because Wang will miss the first three weeks of the season because of a grade 1 hamstring strain and even though Beckett had a 5.00+ ERA last year he should be better than that his second time around. Wang, however, has a devastating 94 mph sinker that is un-hittable when he has his good stuff, he just needs to stay healthy.

Dice-K vs. Michael Kay Igawa - Dice-K has the edge here in the unknown of Japanese pitchers (reference Hideki Irabu, Hideo Nomo). All the scouts say that he is a front end of the rotation guy while Igawa is kind of a soft tossing lefty who might struggle to get his fastball by major league hitters.

Pavano (Clemens) vs. Tavarez or Lester - This is a toss up, Tavarez is an ace at punching walls and Lester is coming off chemotherapy so he wont make his '07 debut until the end of April or early May. I will not even address Pavano and his fake injuries and his crybaby attitude that the media created his problems in the clubhouse, but you better pitch well opening day or you will be utterly HATED by all Yankee fans.

Hoya Heaven, Carolina Blues

After having to come from behind to defeat Boston College, then needing a fantastic shot by Jeff Greene to take down Vanderbilt, Georgetown once again provided the drama on Sunday night in shocking North Carolina. With 6:02 left in the second half, the Hoyas trailed 75-65 before mounting a furious comeback. Georgetown outscored the Tar Heels 16-6 to tie the game at 81 at the end of regulation. During the Georgetown comeback, CBS analyst Billy Packer threw out a prophetic warning – Carolina was 0 for their last 6 in overtime games. The Tar Heels didn’t have a prayer.

The Georgetown defense, missing for the first 30 minutes of the game, overwhelmed UNC down the stretch. In overtime, the Tar Heels were completely lost on offense, playing at a frantic pace without running anything that resembled a half-court set. They were in complete panic mode like a boxer who had just been stunned by a right cross and then realized he’d been cut. The Tar Heels didn’t know how to react once Georgetown opened the wound.

All season long, the “experts” raved about Carolina’s 10 man rotation and how their depth gave them an enormous advantage at the end of the game. Not this time. During crunch time it was the Tar Heels who wilted under the late game pressure. It doesn’t make a difference how many guys you play if you don’t play defense or make shots. The Tar Heels rely on outscoring opponents by getting out on the break for high percentage shots. Carolina’s perimeter shooting is mediocre at best and their defense has been a concern all season. While Carolina racked up the points in the first half and had a huge advantage at the free throw line they allowed Georgetown to shoot 58% from the field keeping the Hoyas in the game.

Down the stretch, when the game became a half court battle North Carolina’s flaws were exposed. Defensively, Carolina couldn’t stop Georgetown and on offense they couldn’t throw the ball in the ocean. That Tar Heels fans, is how a 10 point lead turned into a 12 point defeat in a matter of 11 minutes. Make that 0 for their last 7 in overtime.

Madness: Day 2

What we hope is the last snowstorm of the season in the northeast prevented Bleeding Sports from posting its viewers guide for the early games here for Day 2 for the NCAA Tournament. So before we get to tonight’s action let’s recap the first day and a half.

Day 1 of the NCAA Tournament left much to be desired as only one favorite lost. With that being said, VCU taking down Duke and literally pummeling them in the process nearly made up for the rest of the day’s underwhelming action. The fact that I completely forgot to mention that game as one to watch yesterday is unforgivable.

Secondly, Bleeding Sports would like to take this time to recognize the selection committee because without them the viewing public would have missed out on a chance to see the Stanford’s feeble about to prove they belong in the field of 64. While we’re at it let’s thank the Cardinal for showing up. It showed a lot of guts on their part to even return to court for the second half after the beat down Louisville gave them. Louisville could have won that game by 50 if they had wanted. It’s funny because just last West Virginia has Louisville all but beaten in the Big East tourney. The game probably cost the Mountaineers a trip to the big dance. West Virginia is now busy blowing teams out in the NIT, which is exactly where Stanford should have been. So who still believes the Pac 10 is better than the Big East? Anybody?

The early games here on day 2 have been much more competitive than yesterday. However, that statement isn’t saying much. The second upset of the tourney came by another 11 seed as everybody’s new favorite team, Winthrop, blew a 20-point lead before pulling the upset over Notre Dame. It was a nice comeback by the Irish, but performances like today are the reason everyone and their mother picked Winthrop in this game. Wisconsin looked terrible in the first half against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi before finding their shooting stoke in the second 20 minutes. The Badgers looked destine to be upset for much of the game and had to expend a lot of energy to comeback. It should be interesting to see how they come out on Saturday against a tough UNLV squad who squeaked by Georgia Tech after blowing a seven-point halftime lead.

Looking at the remaining games today, it is unbelievable to me just how many mediocre teams made the tournament this year. What is even more amazing is how many of them are actually matched up against one another. Try staying awake watching these classics:

7:10pm – (12) Illinois vs. (5) Virginia Tech

I’ve heard a few analysts as of late rave about how the Illini are a strong defensive team. I’d say you’d have to be good defensively with the offense they possess. Like Stanford, not sure why Illinois made the tournament. Their opponent Virginia Tech, a former Big East cellar dweller who moved to the ACC and became a perennial tournament team almost overnight, is the ultimate Jekyll and Hyde. They can beat North Carolina, but they can also lose to any team in the country.

7 :20pm – (9) Purdue vs. (8) Arizona

A match-up of two non-descript teams that have no chance of making any noise in this tournament yet one of them has to advance. The tournament committee may as well have given #1 overall seed Florida a bye into the Sweet 16.

9:40pm – (12) Arkansas vs. (5) USC

Saying that Arkansas sucks is an understatement. Seriously, the fact that the Razorbacks are in the NCAA tournament is indefensible. Their “impressive” run through the SEC tournament consisted of wins against juggernaut South Carolina, Vanderbilt, and the basketball powerhouse Mississippi before Florida exploited them for the fraud they are. Does the committee even watch any games? God only knows what to expect from USC considering they come from the same conference as Stanford.

Other than the #8 vs. #9 match-up between Kentucky and Villanova (9:30 pm), your best bet for a quality college basketball game tonight is the second round NIT battle between Marist and NC State. 9:30 pm on ESPNU.

The good news: Tomorrow the snow ends and the second round begins.

So Many Games, So Little Time

Let the countdown begin. We are just minutes away from the opening round of the Road to the Final Four. At this moment, 64 teams from across the country all believe they have a shot to play in Atlanta for the National Championship. If last year’s tournament taught us anything it’s that every team in the field has a chance to win. You never know where Cinderella is hiding, but you don’t have to wait much longer to find out. It’s time to sit back and enjoy all the drama, intrigue, and excitement of the NCAA Tournament. Looking for the best storylines from Day 1? Here is Bleeding Sports’ rundown of your best bets from the first day of action.

12:20pm – (13) Davidson vs. (4) Maryland

The first game of the 2007 tournament is out of the Midwest region and tips off from Buffalo, NY. I like that NCAA decided to bring back the geographic names for each region this year even though you have teams in the West and Midwest regions playing games in Buffalo. It sounds much better than calling something the St. Louis region or the East Rutherford region. Maryland is an interesting team that was a strong run before their shocking loss to Miami in the ACC tournament. Look for the Terrapins to get back on track and make a run.

12:30pm – (11) Stanford vs. (6) Louisville

This is a huge game and not just because it pits The Cardinal vs. The Cardinals. This match up epitomizes the job done by tournament selection committee. No conference was more disrespected than the Big East. Louisville finished second in the conference and yet they were awarded a 6 seed. On the other side, way too much love was given to the Pac-10. How Stanford, losers of 4 of their last 5 games, even made the filed over the likes of Syracuse and West Virginia is maddening.

2:40pm (12) Old Dominion vs. (5) Butler

An interesting match-up between two mid-major at-large teams and it just so happens to be a contest between a 5 seed and 12 seed. This game has upset written all over it. Right? Seems like everybody is hopping on the ODU bandwagon for this game yet the best argument for ODU is because they won at Georgetown early in the season. That was a nice win and all, but Georgetown was a very different team then than they are now. Butler, meanwhile, has been the better team all season. Should be a good contest.

7:20pm – (9) Michigan St. vs. (8) Marquette

A classic 8 vs. 9 battle between two evenly matched teams and a coach (MSU’s Tom Izzo) going up against his former assistant (MU’s Tom Crean). Another sub-plot here is the Big Ten vs. the Big East. It is clear by the seeding and the records of the team that got in the tournament that the selection committee obviously held the Big Ten in higher regard. Yet I can’t imagine any unbiased party who watched the quality of play in the Big Ten would seriously believe that the Big East wasn’t the better conference. This game is another chance for a Big East team to prove the committee wrong.

9:45pm – (10) Gonzaga vs. (7) Indiana

The final game scheduled for the evening comes out of the West Region and will actually be played out West in Sacramento, CA. What are the odds? The Hoosier another prime example of a Big Ten team viewed in much higher regard than they should just because they played in a conference with Ohio St. and Wisconsin. This is where too much attention is paid to the RPI. Just because a team plays in a conference with two top 5 teams doesn’t mean the rest of the league is any good. In fact, the rest of the Big Ten is awful and Indiana is part of that group. Gonzaga’s guard play should cause problems for Kelvin Sampson’s squad.

Here Comes the Madness

The Bleeding Sports hiatus is over. Even while on vacation Bleeding Sports couldn’t stop thinking college basketball. There isn’t a more exciting time in sports than the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. The excitement starts Thursday at high noon, but before the games begin make sure you are prepared. The key to an enjoyable tourney experience is having the right bracket. Luckily, Bleeding Sports has got it covered.

Here is the bracket straight from NCAA Sports

If you want to know the times for each then this is the bracket for you

If you are particular about having the records of each team then look no further

Now just remember to call out sick from work. Let the Madness begin.

Things Begin to Heat Up

The dreaded month of February is over and with it ends the four-week slumber the sports world dozes into after the Super Bowl. Never fear, March is here. The artic freeze in the northeast has begun to fade and bright sunny days are just around the corner. Well, let’s hope so.

Bleeding Sports will be on Spring Break hiatus for the week, but before that we leave you, our loyal readers, with some things to watch for over the next week in the world of sports:

· The new NFL year has officially kicked off. Today is the start of free agency in the NFL and the wheeling and dealing has already begun. Jake Plummer will be filing his retirement papers, the Steelers said goodbye to Joey Porter, and the Jaguars signed their kicker and some guy named Pathos who used to play for the Ravens. And those are just the highlights!!

· Speaking of new years, Major League Baseball spring training is underway. We already got a new steroid scandal, an injured World Series MVP, and enough A-Rod stories to cover an entire season. Baseball, Baseball…Catch The Fever Now!!!

· America’s Game is back on the NFL Network counting down all 40 Super Bowl Champions prior to this season. NFL Films has produced an hour-long program for each team with the story of their season told by three of its members. If you’re a football fan then you need to be watching this show. New episodes of America’s game air Thursdays and Fridays at 8pm on NFL Network.

· Let the Madness begin. This weekend marks the end of the college basketball regular season for the power conferences while mid-majors begin postseason conference tournament play. By this time next week we will be in the middle of college basketball heaven when the big boys begin their conference tournies. College basketball every day at any time! Just thinking about it makes me gitty.

I LOVE MARCH!!!

Hamilton Has His Shot at Redemption

As spring training begins, here is one story worth keeping an eye on. Former #1 overall pick, Josh Hamilton, whose life and career were derailed by drug and alcohol abuse, has a shot at making the Cincinnati Reds 25-man roster. The first overall selection in the 1999 draft hadn’t played in an organized game in four years before being reinstated by Major League Baseball at the end of last season. The Reds selected Hamilton in the Rule 5 Draft from the Tampa Bay Devil Rays back in December. His battle with addiction has been a brutal struggle, but now -- clean for nearly a year and a half -- he has fought his way back with an opportunity to turn his tragedy into triumph. The man who Tampa Bay All-Star Carl Crawford called the best baseball player he’s ever seen now has his chance to make headlines on the diamond.

Don’t count out Josh Hamilton. Root for him.

It’s now OK to talk NBA…For Now

Well maybe for just a second. NBA All-Star Weekend has come and gone capped by Sunday’s unwatchable All-Star game. Teams are now back to business back as the second half of the season began Tuesday night. So now that the NBA stretch run is upon us, is it time to starting talking NBA basketball? Not so much. The NBA is all about quantity over quality and there will be plenty of time for fans to turn their attention to the NBA when the never-ending playoffs begin whenever. As March Madness draws near, NBA basketball shouldn’t be on any basketball fans radar until after the conclusion of the college basketball season.

However, there is one event this week in the NBA that is more exciting than the actual product out on the court and that is the trade deadline, which hits today at 3pm. There has been talk galore and most of it will amount to absolutely nothing. However, this doesn’t mean that speculation and rumors aren’t fun to discuss. Bleeding Sports breaks down some of the more prominent trade rumors making the rounds and which ones GMs should pull the trigger on before the deadline.

Memphis Grizzlies trade Pau Gasol to Chicago Bulls

This trade has been talked about for weeks on end. While Kevin Garnett would be a better option for the Bulls, Minnesota is hell belt on keeping the Big Ticket in Minneapolis for the time being. Memphis, meanwhile, isn’t pushing Gasol out the door as hard as he’s trying to bust it down. The major sticking point in this trade is Jerry West’s desire to acquire 2 of the Bulls’ 4 young studs of Luol Deng, Ben Gordon, Kirk Hinrich, and Andres Nocioni. Bulls’ GM John Paxson isn’t willing to overpay even for a low post scorer the Bulls’ desperately need. While I agree there is great risk involved for Chicago, at some point the franchise needs to make a move. The team has been in dire need of an inside threat since trading away Eddy Curry and Bulls aren’t going anywhere until they fill that void. The choice for the Bulls is to either make the deal for Gasol now and make a run in the East or wait, fade in the postseason for the third straight season, then make a run for Garnett in the summer.

Sacramento Kings trade Mike Bibby to Cleveland Cavaliers

This is an interesting rumor that has started to gain momentum. If Cleveland can pull this off they have to go for it. Matching Bibby with Larry Hughes and Lebron may just be what Cleveland needs to get past Detroit and into the NBA Finals. Any trade with Sacramento, would include Drew Gooden heading out West. The challenge for Cavaliers’ GM Danny Ferry is finding a third team that can provide the Kings with an expiring contract and draft picks that Cleveland doesn’t have to offer.

New Jersey Nets trade Jason Kidd to Los Angeles Lakers and Vince Carter to Who Knows

Sounds more and more unlikely that neither Jason Kidd or Vince Carter will be moved before the trade deadline. However, if I were the Nets’ Rob Thorn I would be desperately trying to move both of them. New Jersey wants Andrew Bynum from Los Angeles in exchange for Kidd, who is a player the Lakers’ are unwilling to move. I understand New Jersey refusing to a deal without Bynum, but I still believe that Kidd’s trade value is at its peak right now and if they can’t get Bynum now they shouldn’t expect to him get or any player of that caliber down the road.

As for Vince Carter, he is likely to opt out of his contract after this season and become a free agent. The likelihood of him returning to New Jersey are highly unlikely, however, teams aren’t willing to give up much for a player who could bolt at the end of the season. The Nets are currently 9th in the Eastern Conference and are going nowhere fast. Receiving something in return for Carter is better than nothing. You would think there would be a contender out there who believes Carter could put them over the top and would have something to offer New Jersey. While the Nets may be worried about a public relations backlash from the fans they should be more concerned about building this team for the future and its eventual move to Brooklyn. Nobody in New Jersey goes to watch the Nets play now so what’s the difference.

Bleeding Sports Invades ESPN College GameDay

Special thanks to the Bleeding Sports Marketing Team and their superior effort to promote the site this past weekend at Boston College. Bleeding Sports stole the show prior to and during the ESPN College GameDay telecast from Conte Forum. If only Digger Phelps didn't have to be a playa-hater and position himself right in front of Bleeding Sports' advertising space!

Still Time to Turn on the Lights

Football may be over, but not to fear. Time to your attention to something more constructive or at least change the channel. Tonight, after the Valentine's Day festivities have died down, consider this triple threat of quality television for the casual sports fan.

At 8, over on NBC, check out Friday Night Lights. Forget about Heroes, Lights is the best new show of the season. Ratings have been underwhelming, but now is as good a time as any to start watching. If you haven’t seen it, time to see what you are missing. This show deserves a larger audience and second season in the fall.

At 9, head over to ESPN and catch Duke at Boston College. Last year’s game was wild with Duke blowing a huge lead only to hold on at the end thanks to a controversial no call. BC is looking to avenge a loss in Durham earlier this season while Duke needs a win in the worst way.

Then beginning at 10:30 a little NBA for you Knicks and Warriors fans out there (I know there are still some left). New York completes their three game West Coast road trip at Golden State as both teams look to head into the All-Star beak on a positive note. The Knicks are coming off a wild one point victory last night against the Lakers while the Warriors have lost 3 of 4. The game can be seen on MSG in the northeast.

As the NFL World Turns

Like I’ve said before, even after the season ends there is never a dull moment in the National Football League.

The San Diego Chargers have fired head coach Marty Schottenheimer. President Dean Spanos and the organization felt like it was a move they had to make. Schottenheimer and GM A.J. Smith’s relationship continued to be a distraction and the coach’s value plummeted after losing five assistant coaches this off-season. The Chargers felt it was no longer worth bringing Schottenheimer back. While critics argue that Schottenheimer choked in the playoffs, you can’t lose playoff games unless you actually reach the playoffs. Schottenheimer has been a consistent winner, which is something the Chargers had never been until Marty Ball arrived.

Let the Jerry Reese era begin! The New York Football Giants made a few roster moves yesterday cutting Carlos Emmons, LaVar Arrington, and Luke Petitgout. Emmons could never stay on the field since signing with New York in 2004. Arrington made little impact before tearing his Achilles tendon in Week 7 at Dallas. The outside linebacker position has been a glaring weakness for Giants the last couple of seasons and it is time for some new blood. Petitgout has been reliable at left tackle, but has chronic back problems, commits too many penalties, is coming off a broken leg, and carried a $5 million dollar salary for next season.

Mountaineers Make Beilein Toward Return to NCAA Tournament

After reaching the Sweet 16 for a second consecutive year in 2006 not much was expected out of the West Virginia basketball program when the ’06-’07 season began. Back in October, the Big East coaches picked the team to finish 12^th in the 16 team league. This was supposed to be a rebuilding year and with good reason. Coach John Beilein lost his top five scorers from last year’s squad and was left with just one returning starter in forward Frank Young. Yet the Mountaineers have managed to defy expectations with a record of 7-3 in the Big East and 18-4 overall. Tonight, rival Pittsburgh visits Morgantown and a West Virginia victory would put them just a game out of first place in the conference.

Mike Gansey, Kevin Pittsnogle, and company may be gone, but the style of play under Coach John Beilein has remained the same. The Mountaineers backdoor opponents to death, toss up a barrage of three point shots, and never turn the ball over. On defense, they still employ the 1-3-1 zone and this season's squad with longer, more athletic players are actually better defensively than at any other time during the Beilein's tenure. However, the toughest challenge is ahead for West Virginia. The Mountaineers follow up tonight’s home game with #6 Pittsburgh by hosting #2 UCLA on Saturday and then play at #23 Georgetown on Monday. This stretch will determine if Beilein’s boys are ready for March, but win or lose these underdogs continue to be one of the most enjoyable teams to follow in college basketball.

Sunday BLOODY Sunday

Today is the day. Super Bowl XLI is only hours away where a new world champion will be crowned. No such drama in the Bleeding Sports pick’em match up between The Pickmeister and the BS Brain Trust. Going into the Super Bowl the Brain Trust has a record of 8-2 while The Pickmeister stands at 4-6. This competition has been over for weeks and one lesson has been learned: The Pickmeister officially needs a name change. Now on to the picks, enjoy the game.

The Pickmeister’s Super Bowl Pick:

Indianapolis -7 over Chicago

Finally the big game is upon us. Millions of people will be situated in front of their big screen TVs watching the commercials and hoping for a good football game. It’s too bad these games rarely live up to their hype, and it saddens me to say that this one won’t be different. Sure Chicago is a GOOD team, but that’s about all they are. The Bears just aren’t a Super Bowl caliber team, and Rex Grossman sure as hell isn’t a Super Bowl caliber quarterback. All year the Bears have relied on their defense to force turnovers, which they did a league leading 43 times, but unfortunately for them that game plan won’t work against Peyton Manning and the Colts who had only 18 giveaways all year. So the Bears are going to need their offense to play big if they want to have a chance to win. But as we have seen throughout the playoffs, Indy’s defense has stepped up their game shutting down teams who have a better rushing game than Chicago. So what does all this mean? It means that for the first time this year Chicago is going to have to rely on Grossman to win the game, and like I have said before that isn’t going to happen. This one has blowout written all over it. Peyton has been waiting for this game his whole career and will not let it the opportunity pass bye, especially against a team like Chicago. Take Indy to cover the 7 point spread.


The Brain Trust’s Superbowl Pick:

Indianapolis -7 over Chicago

It is well documented that the Brain Trust does not believe in the Bears. Peyton Manning and the Colts offense came alive in the second half against New England and look for the success to continue. The Bears defense is extremely overrated. They give up a lot of yards and since the injuries of Tommy Harris and Mike Brown the D has been giving up a lot of points too. The key for the Colts is to take care of the ball. The Bears only chance is to create turnovers and either score on defense or create a short field for the offense. Rain is expected throughout the game, but sounds like not enough to be a significant factor. The Bears simply won’t be able to pound the ball and expect to win. They need turnovers and consistent play out of Rex Grossman. Having to count on both of those thing happening is unrealistic. The Colts have emphasized ball protection and Peyton Manning is not going to make mistakes against the Bears uncomplicated defensive scheme. As for Grossman, if he couldn’t stay focused during New Years how can be counted on after spending the past week in Miami? You have to put your money on Peyton Manning and Indy.

No OFF-Season in the NFL

Except for the Bears and Colts, NFL teams are already hard at work preparing for next season. Along with new head coach hires there has been a good amount of staff turnover around the league. However, there is one move in particular that has stood out to me and while it hasn’t received much national attention it deserves to be discussed.

The Cleveland Browns have spent the early part of their off-season revamping their offensive coaching staff. The Browns offense has been anemic the last couple years so cleaning house was only logical. It was even more logical to go outside the organization and hire San Diego assistant Rob Chudzinski as the new offensive coordinator. Chudzinski comes over from a Chargers team with one of the most dynamic offenses in the league. Cleveland needed a change in offensive philosophy after averaging a dismal 14.8 points per game in 2006.

What defies logic is that the Carolina Panthers felt inclined to hire Cleveland assistant Jeff Davidson as their new offensive coordinator. Following a season where the Carolina offense lacked production and coordinator Dan Henning was frequently criticized for being too conservative, the organization had to make a change. However, to hire an assistant from a team that just dismantled its offensive staff hardly will win over the confidence of the players or fans. If the team was worried about being too conservative the last place to look for an offensive coach was in Cleveland. You think Jake Delhomme and Steve Smith heard about the hire and were immediately excited about the prospect of resembling a Cleveland offense that scored the third fewest points in the league this past season (32 fewer than Carolina). Don’t think so. Just don’t expect to see a repeat come next season with all the “experts” picking the Carolina Panthers for a trip to Super Bowl.

MIA: The NHL

About a month ago I was channel surfing one night and stumbled upon Rocky IV for the 9,000,000,000,000th time. The late James Brown is singing "Living in America," Rocky looks confused, and Apollo Creed is dancing around the stage while Ivan Drago stands in the center of the ring…. about to kill him. Obviously, I put down the remote, sat back, and watched this modern day Sly Stallone classic. So Rocky doesn't throw in the towel, Apollo is left having convulsions in the middle of the ring with absolutely no medical personnel on the premise, and the Russia calmly explains, "If he dies, he dies." Everything is peachy.

Then we go to commercial and I realize I’m not watching TNT, but Vs (or Versus, I'm still not sure). Confused, I check the display to see what else is on this mysterious station and up next…Rocky V! I get excited even though it’s Rocky V. Could this be my dream come true...a station that just plays the Rocky movies in a continuous loop or possibly for good measure throws a curveball once in a while and shows Cobra or Over The Top!! Wowie!!! Alas, No. Only in a perfect world I suppose. With never hearing of Versus in my life I actually checked the channel line up card from the cable company. The card says the station is OLN. The plot thickens. Now I have to make the extra effort to go online. Come to find out OLN (Outdoor Life Network???) had changed its name to Versus. The name change took effect a few months back to coincide with the new NHL hockey season.

The NHL made a deal with OLN to be the exclusive cable provided of NHL games prior to last season. Now I may not be a hockey fan, but as a sports fan I had not heard anything about the NHL on Versus debut. As a matter of fact, I never hear anything about the NHL these days. Sports talk shows don't spend a second on it and I never see anything written about the league. I'm surprised SportsCenter still shows NHL game highlights. Does anybody care about the NHL? Does the NHL care if anybody cares? As an outsider it sure doesn't look that way. Then something funny happened last week.

Apparently, last Wednesday the NHL held it's first All-Star game since 2004. Yes, the NHL All-Star Game was held during the middle of the week with no promotion or fanfare. The All-Star game is supposed to be an event, a celebration for both the league and the sport. The NHL has received very little attention since the 2005 strike and with good reason. Nobody missed the game while it was away and few have a pulse on the league now. It is hard to tell if the NHL even has a pulse because when it comes to marketing their product the league is comatose. There will always be the diehards who will support the game of hockey, but they are the minority. The league needs to attract new fans to the game yet there hasn't been one visible attempt made by the NHL to expand their fan base.

I'm not a big proponent of the NBA because of how the league ruins the game of basketball (plus the Knicks suck), but marketing their product is something the league actually does right. The NBA has become an internationally recognizable brand. The NBA All-Star game has little to do about the actual game and more about a weekend long event marketing the league and it's players. Fans and media are given access to a plethora of events taking place during the entire weekend. The NBA has even moved the Rookie - Sophomore Game to Friday night to extend television coverage to of All-Star weekend to three days. Many fans look more forward to NBA All-Star Saturday Night with competitions like the Slam Dunk Contest and Three Point Shootout. Did the NHL even hold any skill competitions this year? I have no idea and neither does any sports fan that isn't a hockey nut because there wasn't one bit of promotion done by the league. The NBA uses the All-Star game and all that it encompasses as an opportunity to market their product to the masses. It is essentially a three-day advertising blitz by the NBA for the NBA. This year the NBA brings the party to Las Vegas. Why? Because it's all about the spectacle and there is no better stage than Vegas for David Stern to showcase his product.

The NHL could sure use a showcase to open the eyes of the general public to the game. This past weekend was a dead weekend for sports and a perfect opportunity for the NHL to be on showcase. Instead, it was decided to schedule the game smack dab in the middle of the week with little mention and absolutely no promotion. This equals nobody watching.

Ratings for the game dropped 76% vs. the last All Star Game in 2004. According to Nielsen Media, the game managed only a 0.7 rating meaning it was watched by a measly 474,298 households. Not what the NHL had in mind in terms of promoting the sport. Gary Bettman should think about heading over to the NBA offices and getting a refresher course in Marketing 101 from his former boss David Stern.

Though a funny thing happened. The NHL actually did manage to garner national attention resulting from the All Star Game. Stories were written about the game and sports talk shows were finally talking about the NHL. One problem. All that talk wasn't about the game itself, the final score, or who won MVP…it was ridicule over the fact that an episode of the forty-year old ‘Andy Griffith Show’ on TV Land got a higher rating than the NHL All Star Game. Finally, the NHL created a buzz.

NFL Championship Game Picks by THE PICKMEISTER

Current Playoff Record: 3-5

New Orleans +3 over CHICAGO

Sure the Bears have put together an amazing season only losing 3 games all year, but you have to give the majority of the credit to their defense. Let’s face it this Chicago team has a liability at the quarterback position. Grossman isn’t going to win any games for his team, a problem that’s bound to bite the Bears in the ass. New Orleans on the other hand has so many great weapons, and Drew Brees has emerged as one of the best QBs in the league. If the Saints defense can not give up any more huge plays, they should take this game with ease. Take the Saints getting 3 points.

INDIANAPOLIS -3 over New England

This playoff match has become quite familiar over the past few years, with New England always finding a way to come out on top. Look for this year to finally be different. Indianapolis is a much better team than New England, who besides Tom Brady lacks any real game breakers. To add to that, Indy will be playing at home where they haven’t lost a game all season. Don’t expect Payton to play the way he has the last two weeks and take Indianapolis to cover the 3 point spread.

The Brain Trust Conference Championship Games Picks

Current Playoff Record: 7-1

New Orleans +3 over CHICAGO

This game may be in Chicago and the weather may not be great, but the Saints are a better team. They have better players, are better coached and play harder than the Bears. On top of all that, the Saints have Drew Brees and the Bears have Rex Grossman. The Bears defense is not the same without Mike Brown and Tommy Harris and will have a hard time stopping New Orleans. The Saints are your NFC Champions.

INDIANAPOLIS -3 over New England

The Colts have no choice, but to win this game. This is their chance. The Patriots didn’t even belong on the same field as the Chargers last week, but they still ended up winning the game. That was a gift. Peyton Manning won’t let that happen this week. The Colts are a better team. They beat New England the last two times they have played. The Colts have no business not winning this game.

NFL DIVISIONAL PLAYOFF PICKS

ROUND 2: The Brain Trust vs. The PickMeister

Score one for the Bleeding Sports Brain Trust! The BT went a perfect 4-0 against the spread last weekend in the Wildcard round. BOO YA. Can’t beat that. Meanwhile, The PickMeister may need a name change after a 1-3 weekend. Ouch. All those wonderful stats and analysis the PickMeister offered and the best he could do is 1-3! Let’s just hope he feels the need to pick the opposite of The BT again this week.

Looking for some redemption, here are the PickMeister’s selections for the second week of the NFL Playoffs. Home team is CAPS.

PickMeister’s NFL Divisional Playoff Picks

Indianapolis + 3.5 over BALTIMORE

Baltimore had a very impressive 2006 season, putting together a record totaling 13 victories and only 3 loses. But let’s face it, they had a cake schedule. Only 3 of their wins this year were against teams over .500, and only two of which made the playoffs. Although Baltimore’s #1 ranked defense has been magnificent all year, I am not sure they will be able to hold up against Indianapolis’ pass offense. In addition, if Indy’s D even plays half as well as they did last weekend there’s no way Jamal Lewis, who’s only averaging 3.6 yards per carry, and the Baltimore offense will be able to pull this one off. Take Indianapolis in one of the rare occasions when they are actually getting the points.

NEW ORLEANS -5 over Philadelphia

The only time these two teams met this year New Orleans pulled out a 27-24 victory on a John Carney last second field goal. Don’t expect this rematch to be as close. New Orleans possesses so many weapons that it will be near impossible for Philadelphia to stop them. To make problems worse Philly will be without their best corner Lito Sheppard, who suffered a dislocated elbow in last weeks win against the Giants. Not good news when you’re facing the NFL’s leading passer. Look for Brees and the Saints to win and cover the 5 point spread.

CHICAGO -8.5 over Seattle

Expect this game to be very similar to their week 4 meeting when Chicago dominated in a 37-6 blowout. What better defense can a struggling QB ask for than one whose secondary consists of a rookie and loan officer who hasn’t played in over a year. Wouldn’t surprise me if Grossman called Romo thanking him for not being able to handle a snap. Sure Alexander is one of the best backs in the league, but he was injured for most of the season and has to face a fierce Bears defense. Seattle is lucky to even be playing this weekend after barely escaping Dallas. But now they are up against a much better team in Chicago and I don’t see this one being close. Take Chicago even though they are giving 8.5.

New England +5 over SAN DIEGO

What a great match-up. This one should be the best game of the week, and maybe even the whole playoffs. Both teams possess great offenses as well as defenses. San Diego was the NFL’s best team only losing 2 games all season. LT had another MVP like season rushing for over 1800 yards and finding the endzone a total of 31 times. And if Phillip Rivers can just be the quarterback he’s been all year and not make mistakes, San Diego is damn hard to beat. New England, on the other hand, just doesn’t lose in the playoffs. Tom Brady is unreal, with a playoff record 11-1 and only 5 INTs in 401 attempts. There’s no one more clutch in these situations than this guy. Expect this game to be very close, and therefore you have to take New England getting the 5 points.

Brain Trust Picks for NFL Divisional Playoffs

Indianapolis +3.5 over BALTIMORE

The BT has been warned not to take the Colts over the Ravens. But why would the BT listen to anybody? The BT was 4-0 last week! The BT just hasn’t seen anything from the Ravens to warrant all this praise they have been receiving. Yes, the defense is great, but Peyton Manning is better. On offense, the Ravens don’t run the ball effectively, don’t have any game breakers in the passing game, and were nearly shutout by the Bengals. Even the Colts defense can play with these guys. One more thing, the Colts are playing in Baltimore not New England. The Colts will score points and they will score more of them than the Ravens. That means the Colts win.

Philadelphia +5 over New Orleans

The NFC peaks this weekend. Forget about next week, this game is for the NFC Championship. Write it down now, the winner of this game is going to the Super Bowl. These are the two best teams in the NFC right now and either one will go into Chicago next weekend and blow the doors off the Bears. There is no doubt about it. Not even worth debating. While New England-San Diego is the most anticipated game of the weekend, this game may turn out to be the best. A playoff game, in primetime, in New Orleans – can’t beat that. Even watching on television, you couldn’t help but get pumped up watching the Saints home opener against Atlanta on a Monday night. This game should have the same energy. It’s tough to see the Saints losing this game even with the Eagles playing so well. New Orleans should win, but it feels like a field goal game.

CHICAGO -8.5 over Seattle

The site of the NFC consolation game is in Chicago. Rex Grossman has had 2 weeks to sober up from his New Years Eve binger and can probably manage to hand the ball off to Thomas Jones and Cedric Benson without too much of an issue. The Seahawks should have lost last week, just as the Brain Trust predicted, and will make enough mistakes for the Chicago defense and special teams to control the game and cover the spread.

New England +5 over SAN DIEGO

The Brain Trust has been telling people for weeks that San Diego is going to win the Super Bowl. The Brain Trust would love to see it, for no other reason than to see the Chargers send a championship ring to the NY Giants front office. One problem. This is the one team the Chargers did not want to see if their first game of the postseason. It’s not that Tomlinson won’t play well or the Charger’s defense will struggle against Tom Brady. The problem isn’t even Marty Ball. The problem is Philip Rivers. He already acts like a kid who forgot to take his Ritalin. The Patriots are going to through so many looks and packages at him his head might explode. This game is going to be close and the Chargers can only rely on Tomlinson so much. Rivers is going to have to make a play at some point. The BT just doesn’t see that happening. Take the Patriots getting points.