Definition: Drafting somebody at least one round earlier than you needed to, and thus missing out on a better player plus the guy you drafted anyway. Regardless of production, nothing warrants picking the player early. 

Origin: The day of my fantasy draft I was talking up Jason Campbell, and I jokingly said if I got the first overall pick in the draft, I would draft him. By saying that joke, I realized that there is no way to warrant picking Jason Campbell first, even if he has more fantasy points than the rest of the league combined. The reason is because even if he has a superb season, his value is many rounds lower and you can still get him later in the draft, in addition to a great number one pick. Now wouldn't it make sense to have the great number one plus the 9th round overachiever. I think so.

In a sentence: Guy 1: "I took Brett Favre over Peyton Manning because I think he will have a great year." 

Guy 2: "Classic case of The Jason Campbell Theory"

Growing up as a fan of the NBA, I was exposed to my share of Charlotte Hornets games, as they were a young team with a lot of young talent. This mid 90's version of the Hornets were led by Alonzo Mourning and Larry Johnson, a dominant combination at the time. However, the one player that really caught my eye was George Zidek, a 7 foot Czech player out of UCLA. Most people would not recognize the name because of his brief stay in the NBA, as he was only in the league for a total of 3 seasons. While in the league, Zidek managed to put up some disgusting numbers, averaging 3.4 points per game and 2.1 rebounds per game. Granted, he did play less than 10 minutes per game over the course of his career, but when you are a 7 footer, you better get some playing time and play well. The old quote that states, "You can't teach size," is exactly the reason why Zidek was in the league for as long as he was. Without his size, Zidek would have displayed absolutely nothing in the NBA. Heck, with his size, Zidek displayed absolutely nothing in the NBA! In my opinion, the George Zidek Experiment is one that went really wrong, because I feel if he was used correctly, he could have had a profound impact on the NBA for as long as he played. Imagine sticking a half-decent 7 footer alongside 'Zo and LJ. How good would that team have been? An Eastern Conference Finals appearance at least! But just as the Knicks found out several years later after they drafted Fredrick Weis, tall foreigners need to be given the proper training and time to truly develop and get comfortable playing in this league. Darko, we are still waiting. 

One of the worst quarterbacks to play in the NFL during my lifetime is Stoney Case. Outside of his intriguing  name, Stoney was anything but intriguing on the football field. Case started a total of 12 games during his 6 seasons in the NFL, and he saw action in a total of 24 games. While he was on the field, Case was able to compile 4 touchdown passes, 15 interceptions,1,826 passing yards, and an embarrassing 53.3 quarterback rating. Out of all of his performances, his worst came in 1999 in a game against the Kansas City Chiefs. During that game, Case completed 15-37 passes for 103 yards. What made those stats even worse was the fact that Case threw 2 interceptions which were returned for a total of 108 yards, not to mention both of them were returned for touchdowns. So essentially, Case helped his team progress -5 yards and -14 points during that contest! (Great game Stoney!) Although that performance really hampered his career and confidence as a quarterback, it is not necessarily his worst contribution to the league.

Arguably the worst contribution that Stoney Case had to the NFL came in 2000, when he threw away the final game of the season against the Chicago Bears, and thus missing the playoffs by one game. He played so terribly for the Lions that day, that the team decided to make drastic changes in the front office. Included in the changes was the arrival of Matt Millen as the general manager of the team. So if any Lions fans were wondering how Matt Millen got his job with Detroit, they do not need to look any further than Stoney Case. So even though Stoney Case retired from the NFL in 2000, and he was far removed from the league by 2007, he was still effective at ruining the hearts of millions of Lions fans. Now that is a special player!   

As a kid in the early 90's, I was always a big fan of the game NBA Jam. It was in this game that I discovered one of God's greatest creations: Rony Seikaly. Not only was he appealing to me as a kid because of his unusual look for a basketball player, but he was also a very talented player in the game. As I got older, I realized that he was actually a very good NBA player in reality as well. 

When the Miami Heat were established as a franchise in 1988, they had the 9th overall draft pick that season. With their first ever pick as a franchise, they took Rony Seikaly, a 6''11 center out of Syracuse, who was coming off of an outstanding collegiate career. And as Miami saw, his collegiate career was no fluke. As an NBA player, Seikaly was multi-talented, and  he showed no weaknesses in his game other than his free throw shooting, which is not so uncommon for big men. Seikaly set numerous team records with the Heat, including 8 blocked shots in a game, a freakishly ridiculous 34 rebounds in just one game, and 20 games in which he scored 20 points and grabbed 20 rebounds in the same game. In Seikaly's 7 seasons with Miami, he averaged 16 points and 10 rebounds per game, in addition to winning the NBA's most improved player award in 1990. Outside of playing with Miami, Seikaly spent some time with the Golden State Warriors, Orlando Magic, and New Jersey Nets. While with those teams, Seikaly kept up his points and rebounding averages to nearly 16 and 10 respectively. This was rare in the sense that he never dropped off as he got older in the league. Unfortunately for Seikaly, a right foot injury, not age, was the reason why he had to call it quits during the 2000 season as a member of the Nets. Seikaly finished his NBA career averaging 14.7 points per game, 9.5 rebounds per game, and 1.3 blocks per game.

It turns out that Seikaly was not just a talented basketball player, but also successful in other areas of life. Currently, Seikaly owns and runs a multi-million dollar real estate investment company. In addition, he is an investor in the Miami restaurant Quattro, Sosta, and Club Mokai. He has also been the DJ at some of the biggest clubs in the world.  And if that was not enough, he was married to supermodel Elsa Benitez before divorcing her in 2005. Well, I guess nobody is perfect, although Seikaly is definitely as close as they come.

One of the most overlooked positions in the National Football League is the fullback position. Even more so as of lately, with the fullback becoming rarer and rarer, many people forget the importance of a quality fullback. One fullback that really played the position the way it should be played was Jon Ritchie, who played for the Raiders and the Eagles between the years of 1998-2004. Ritchie embodied everything that a fullback should be. He was a fantastic blocker, an imposing competitor, and a team-oriented kind of player. The style that Ritchie had as a player, truly fit the teams that he played for. When I think of the most insane fans in the NFL, I cannot help but think about the Raiders and the Eagles. Their smashmouth, take nothing from anybody attitude, is exactly the kind of player that Ritchie was on the field. He was the guy that opposing defenses stayed up for at night. They did not lose sleep because of his quickness or amazing hands, but because of his psychotic demeanor, and his ability to knock people to the turf like pancakes. Just looking at Ritchie's face said it all. Ricthie's trademark scab on his forehead, which he would rip off before every game, made this scary player look the part that he played on the field. He was everything that a tough football team needed to set the tone, and there was nobody at the fullback position better at it than him.

When you look at Jon Ritchie's career stats, there is nothing that really stands out. He finished his career with 150 receptions, a total of 1,184 yards, and a total of 7 touchdowns. When most people see those stats, they just assume that he did not have much of a contribution to the league. But that is exactly where Ritchie differs from the pack. The things that Ritchie contributed went way beyond the box score, as they do for most great fullbacks. And even though he may not have gotten the same recognition that the big stat guys got, he never took any plays off, and he worked that much harder to help his team win football games.   

During his NFL career, Jon Ritchie appeared in 2 Super Bowls; losing in both contests. The first time he lost to the Bucs, as a member of the Raiders, and the second time, he lost to the Patriots, as a member of the Eagles. Because of how hard Ritchie played, he was only able to spend 7 seasons in the NFL, as he got an awful knee injury that could not be repaired. Although Ritchie only played a total of 7 NFL seasons, he definitely made his mark on the league, and he left a legacy that will not soon be forgotten.   

As I was going through the Bulls' championship seasons in the mid 90's, I realized that the Seattle Supersonics, a team led by Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp, was their opponent in one of those seasons. This made me wonder how good Shawn Kemp really was as an NBA player. 

Shawn Kemp, aka "The Reign Man," was drafted by the Sonics in 1989 and was the youngest player in the NBA at the time. Kemp fit into the league right away, as he and teammate Gary Payton combined to make up one of the best one-two punches in the NBA. Kemp's ability to be a receiver of Payton's passes, as well as being an attacker of the rim, made it tough for opposing defenses to stop him on a consistent basis. The shear physical ability to score in an entertaining way made Kemp a fan favorite, and he was selected to the All-Star Game every year from 1993-1998. Without question, his best overall season came during the 1995-96 campaign, when his team won 64 games and made it to the NBA Finals. In the Finals, Kemp and company faced the 72 win Chicago Bulls team led by Michael Jordan. Despite being heavy underdogs, the Sonics won 2 games during the series, and eventually lost in 6 games. This series showed the legitimacy of Kemp as a true star in the league as he was able to help his team hang with arguably the best team in NBA history. 

Following that season, due to contract disputes, Kemp was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers as part of a three-team trade, which included the Sonics, Cavs, and Bucks. Kemp spent three seasons with his new team, but he never truly reached the level of play that he had in Seattle. It is possible that Kemp missed his former teammate Gary Payton, who he seemed to click with better than anyone else in his career. Nonetheless, Kemp put up his career high in points during his second season with the Cavs, yet it did not seem to have the same impact on the team as it did in Seattle when he was scoring less. 

After the 2000 season, Kemp was traded again. This time to the Portland Trail Blazers. This two year stint was the official decline of Shawn Kemp as a reputable NBA player. While with the Blazers, Kemp had weight issues in addition to cocaine and alcohol problems. By the completion of his first season with Portland, Kemp was in a drug rehab center, a far cry from the early success he saw in Seattle. Kemp was waived by Portland a season later. 

Kemp made one last ditch effort with the Orlando Magic in the 2002-03 season. This did not work out either, as Kemp was just not in the right shape and frame of mind to keep up with the talent level of the NBA. Kemp had finished his NBA career after a dismal season in Orlando. Kemp, over his 14 year NBA career, averaged 14.6 points per game, 10.9 rebounds per game, and 1.6 assists per game. 

Currently, Kemp's son, Shawn Kemp Jr., has committed to play collegiate basketball at the University of Alabama for the 2009 season.

As I was playing basketball the other day, my friend brought up a name that I had not heard in a quite a while. He mentioned the name of Tony Delk, a less than spectacular NBA player. The first thought that came to mind when I heard his name was that he was the guy who scored 53 points in a game. Other than that fact, I did not know much about him. It turns out that Tony Delk had a wonderful collegiate career for the Kentucky Wildcats, while playing under Coach Rick Pitino. (Yes, the same Rick Pitino that has been going around the news lately for some less than flattering reasons). While at Kentucky, Delk was named to the All-American and All-SEC first teams, both very big honors for college players. In addition, Delk was named NCAA Basketball Tournament Most Outstanding Player, during a season in which his Wildcats won the National Championship. Also that season, he received SEC Player of the Year honors for being the best player in a very competitive conference. 

Following his award filled senior season at Kentucky, Tony Delk was selected 16th overall in the NBA Draft by the Charlotte Hornets. From Charlotte, Delk bounced around to many different teams until he ended up with the Phoenix Suns by the 2001 season. There he had his memorable 53 point game against a former team, the Sacramento Kings. That night he shot 20-27 from the field, a whopping 74%. Outside of that performance, the rest of his NBA career included trades and pedestrian numbers, and he retired in 2006. Delk finished his NBA career with averages of 9.1 points per game, 2.5 rebounds per game, and 1.9 assists per game.

Currently Delk sponsors the Tony Delk Legends Game, a benefit for the Taylor Delk Sickle Cell Foundation.

Last night my friends and I had our annual fantasy football draft. Like most years, by the end of the draft everyone wants to start over and draft again, as they doubt the picks that they made. I am a little iffy on some of my picks, but I feel that potentially my team could have a really nice year. My favorite part of my team is that I was able to get a lot of the guys that I like, separate from fantasy football. If those guys produce for me, it will be even more rewarding, being that I already enjoy rooting for them when they are not on my fantasy roster. My approach this year, which was similar to last year, was to sandwich 2 top quarterbacks around a starting running back. After that I choose a bunch of wide recievers and running backs that I feel are the best left on the board. Out of those bunch of recievers and runners, usually a few really impress me, and they become every week starters. Also, I got a nice share of rookies, which I always love because of the potentail that they possess as opposed to guys that have been around the league for a while. Below are my draft results. Leave comments or advice if you would like to.

Brees, Rodgers

Westbrook, Lynch, Felix Jones, Mccoy, Julius Jones, Hightower

Bowe, Royal, Sa. Moss, Maclin, Harvin

Daniels

Carney

San Diego 

Last November, when I heard that Plaxico Burress had shot himself in the leg, I thought it was the craziest thing that I had heard since Aeneas Williams got injured answering the telephone. What I find even crazier is that, not only did Plax have to endure the pain of the gun wound, but now he has to serve 2 years in jail for the incident. Doesn't that seem extremely stupid? The guy shoots himself, he is in serious pain, he gets released by the Giants, and you have to throw a 2 year jail sentence on top of all that!? Don't you think that this man has learned his lesson? I do understand that it is illegal to own a gun without a license, and I do think that this is a good rule, but I do not think that his jail sentence should be 2 whole years. I know that 2 years is a relatively light sentence compared to most, but 2 years is 2 years. Apparently, Benjamin Brafman, Burress' attorney, agrees with me about the length of the sentence as he stated, "This was not an intentional criminal act. In my judgment, a two-year prison sentence is a very severe punishment." Another person that seems to agree is Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder. Durant, on his Twitter page, said, "plexico gettin 2 yrs....that's absurd.....thas crazy...that's outrageous...that's TERRIBLE...that's unbelievable." Now those are two smart guys. The whole point of going to jail is either to take criminals off of the streets or to spend the time to think about the terrible act that you did and to feel remorse for it. Personally, I do not think that either of those apply to the Burress case. Yes he deserves jail, I already established that, but 2 years is insane. In my opinion, the judge should go to jail to think about the awful injustice that he just committed, and he should feel remorse for being so ridiculous.   

When talking about consistently good running backs from the early to mid 90's, Ricky Watters' name is almost always thrown into the mix. Ricky Watters, who actually played wide receiver for Notre Dame during their 1988 National Championship team, was always a threat that opposing defenses feared and planned against. His ability to catch the ball out of the backfield and elude defenders earned him 5 Pro Bowl appearances and a Super Bowl championship with the San Francisco 49ers in 1994. In that Super Bowl, Watters scored an astonishing 3 touchdowns, which ties a Super Bowl record held by Roger Craig, Jerry Rice, and Terrell Davis. Also during that 1994 postseason, Watters set a postseason record when he rushed for 5 touchdowns against the New York Giants in a 44-3 laugher. Another distinction that Watters has from any other player in the history of the NFL is that he is the only running back to rush for 1,000 yards with 3 different teams, as he did with the 49ers, Eagles, and Seahawks.

After completing his final NFL season in 2001 with the Seattle Seahawks, Watters finished his career with 10,643 rushing yards, 4,248 receiving yards, and 91 total touchdowns. With numbers like that, the Hall of Fame looks like a strong possibility for Ricky Watters. However, some on and off the field attitude problems might be preventing him from getting into Canton, as a player with his numbers would usually have gotten in by now. Personally I feel that the Hall of Fame should have nothing to do with the way a player chooses to behave. If his numbers are worthy of being recognized by the masses, he definitely deserves the acolades. Great players belong in the Hall of Fame, great people belong in history books. I am sure Ricky Watters would not mind being left out of the next McGraw-Hill text book.     

As I named third string NFL quarterbacks, I wondered where the former Florida State Seminole, Chris Weinke, ranked on my list. Chris Weinke, the 2000 Heisman Trophy winner and one of two Florida State quarterbacks to have his jersey retired, was a fourth round draft selection by the Carolina Panthers, and their eventual starting quarterback for the 2001 season. After posting a 32-3 record as a starter in college, Weinke hoped he could make his mark on the NFL. Boy did he! Weinke got off to a nice start as he won his opening game, but things quickly headed south as he lost his next 17 games as a starter; an NFL record. Since his dismal 17 game losing streak, he started two more games; splitting the decisions. In one of those games, Weinke set the Panthers' franchise record for passing yards in a game with 423 in a loss against the New York Giants. Weinke's overall record as an NFL starting quarterback is an atrocious 2-18, which has made it hard for him to stick around. Chris Weinke is yet another example that the Heisman Trophy does not translate into guaranteed success in the NFL. In fact, the opposite has seemingly become the trend, as most Heisman winners have done next to nothing at the next level. Well, at least Weinke has his college career to reminisce about when he is busy looking for his next job.   

It seems like the 'Comeback Kid,' Brett Favre, is not done living up to his nickname just yet. Brett Favre has reportedly come to agreements to sign a one year deal with the Minnesota Vikings worth about $12 million. This news comes following two Vikings players stating that Favre would sign with the team a day earlier. Criticised for being a distraction, Favre hopes he can take this good team and make them great. "He can be the final piece to the puzzle," stated Jay Wineman, a Minnesota native. "Although he is a distraction, he has been in the league and knows what it means to win at a very high level." Other people were not as understanding when it came to Favre's decision. "This guy has to just stay out of the game. For his own good, and for the betterment of the league," says five year sports writer Bill Nolan.

In my opinion, this charade has gone on for far too long. After the comeback last season, most people I know were annoyed and felt he just had to hang it up already. I, though, was a little more leniant when it came to judging Favre, and I rooted for him and the Jets to succeed last season. This time, however, I am passed my wits end with Favre. This is a player who I had a ton of respect for, and now I can honestly say that he is tainting his legacy. It has come to a point where it seems that Favre is taking pleasure in getting the league to go into a frenzy everytime a thought pops into his head. He has way too much pull with the media, and it is turning the best game in sports into a circus. Just make a decision and stick to it! It is enough already Brett! 

But, whatever people feel about the decision, Brett Favre will be a Viking this season, and nobody or anything will stand in Brett Favre's way... Except for Brett Favre.

Throughout my sports watching career, there have always been players that stuck out in my mind for various reasons. Kurt Rambis is one person that fits that category. Kurt Rambis was always that goofy looking big guy with the goggles that you just had to love because of how hard he tried. There might have been a lack of smoothness when it came to Rambis, but there certainly was no lack of heart for this guy. He was the guy that would build his fanbase by hustling for loose balls and randomly getting into fights, showing that no matter what, his team could count on him when it mattered the most. Rambis graduated from Santa Clara University as their all-time leading scorer and second leading rebounder. He received the award for conference player of the year in the WCC during his senior year. His number 34 was retired last December as a sign of his greatness and dominance while playing there. Rambis was drafted by the New York Knicks, but because of arguably the worst decision in franchise history, he never played a game with the team. Instead, Rambis played 11 of his 14 NBA seasons wearing the Lakers' gold and purple, winning 4 championships and the hearts of millions in the process. Laker fans will never forget the man that Chick Hearn dubbed as 'Superman', as he embodied everything that the Lakers were about in the 80's and beyond.

Currently, Rambis is the head coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves, a young team looking for a sense of direction. I feel that Rambis will fit perfectly with that team, and they should be pretty dangerous once he gets the players to buy into his mentality. Kurt Rambis truly is a basketball legend.    

On Thursday night at 12:00 A.M. the release of Madden NFL '10, the most anticipated football game of the year, came out. There were hoards of lines around the globe anxiously waiting to pick up this game and play it for hours on end. This night is an annual occurrence, and it has become so constant that people actually refer to it as Maddenoliday, as if it is an actual holiday. And due to its widespread popularity, it basically is. 

In my specific case, I went with three friends to pick up the game as we do every year. While we were on line waiting, we saw the latest of promotions by Chick-Fil-A as they were giving out free chicken sandwiches to everyone on the line. The next thing I realized was that my friend, Charlie, who I had not seen since the 6th grade, was in the front of the line playing the demo version of the game we were all waiting for. And if that wasn't crazy enough, the first play that occurred was a kick return for a touchdown by Charlie. I could not believe my eyes. This was a kid who I had not seen in about ten years, and he happens to be waiting on the same Madden line at 12 A.m., scoring a touchdown on the opening kickoff! It may not seem so crazy to a lot of people, but honestly, it was for me. Anyone that knows Charlie would definitely agree. Finally, after waiting for about ten minutes it was our turn to go pick up the game. The second we got it, we darted out of the store with huge smiles on our faces, ready to play the new game.

We proceeded to play the game for the next five and a half hours, studying and enjoying everything that the game had to offer. It was another year, and another Maddenoliday that did not disappoint. There were added features that really helped the overall game, and the gameplay seemed a lot smoother than in years past. Great job EA! If you have not yet picked up the game, go out and get it. You will be glad that you did. 

After a seemingly endless hiatus from the NFL, Michael Vick has finally signed with a new team: the Philadelphia Eagles. This is a move that I am not really surprised about, although the ESPN analysts were. I am not surprised by the move for a few reasons. First of all, because Vick is such a big name guy, he will possibly light a fire under Donovan McNabb's behind which should motivate Mac 5 to put up his best performance, knowing that there is an exciting backup waiting in the 'wings'. Another reason is because of Andy Reid, and his creativity as a head coach. Over the years, Andy Reid has proven to be a little less than conventional (i.e. opening up the regular season with an onside kick against the Cowboys, which consequently was successful. Not to mention giving his players pickle juice before that game in order to keep them hydrated). And the third reason I am not surprised by the signing of Vick is because of the upside that he brings. Being that this is only a two year deal, the Eagles are not investing that much into him. If he pans out, he can be incredible. If he doesn't, it does not throw the team into a downward spiral for the next five years. 

Ever since this guy was back on the market, I felt that any team, outside of the Falcons, would be stupid not to give him a chance. He has proven his capabilities against NFL caliber players, including the first playoff victory in Lambeau Field in NFL history. Also, he has thrown and ran for 1,000 yards in one season; the only player to ever accomplish that feat. Basically what I am saying is, although he has been out for quite some time, and he will definitely need an extended adjustment period, he has shown way too much not to be given a second chance. I think that as long as he has come to terms with his questionable behavior, and he is ready to put it in the past, he has a real chance to do some special things in this league. I think this was best summed up by Derek Lampe, a highschool football recruiter from Deleware, when he said, "A tiger doesn't lose his stripes over time. They might begin to fade, but they are all still there". In other words, Michael Vick has the heart and physical abilities of a freakish athlete, and even though he took a break, he is still ahead of a lot of players in the NFL. So I would like to congratulate the Eagles on this courageous signing, and I wish Michael Vick the best of luck with his new team... Except when he faces the Cowboys of course.    

Coming into a four game series against the Boston Red Sox, the New York Yankees were 2.5 games ahead of Boston, yet they were 0-8 this season against them. All of that changed by the conclusion of the weekend, as the Yankees swept the series, 4-0, and took a 6.5 game lead in the A.L. East.

"The pitching was outstanding throughout the series, and the hitting did enough to ensure us a 4-0 sweep against a very good Boston team," said Walter Kroenke, a long time supporter of the Yankees. "The sweep puts  things into perspective, and shows the direction that each team is going in at this point in the season," he added.

Since the All-Star break, the Red Sox are a below .500 ball club, whereas the Yankees are a league best 18-5 during that span. The hitting has been timely and the pitching has been unhittable, a recipe for success in Major League Baseball. If the Yankees can keep this level of play up for the rest of the season, there is no doubt that they will be the team to beat come October. But the Yankees have been inconsistent at times this season, looking brilliant in some series and awful in others. If the Yankees have indeed figured out how to win consistently, then the league has a huge test standing in front of them.

Oh, and if there were any questions about A-Rod and his ability to perform in the big spot, just look at what he did in this series. He hit a walk off 2-run home run in the 15th inning of a scoreless game, in addition to a home run in the 7th inning of a scoreless final game. Also, the three big offseason additions have showed their worth in this pivotal series. Sabathia and Burnett pitched gems, while Mark Teixeira continued to crush the ball against Boston pitching. When A-Rod is hitting clutch home runs, and the offseason acquistions are paying huge dividends in a series against Boston, the rest of the league should definitely be in a state of panic.  

The NFL season is shortly approaching, and for me that means the start of fantasy football. I have been involved in fantasy football for about twelve years now, and every year is just as exciting as the year before. Last year my team started out hot, with Clinton Portis and Matt Forte both leading the charge for league's best running back. But once Portis started to slow down, and quarterback Tony Romo got injured, my team was just looking above average instead of top notch. My team made the playoffs as the number one seed, as four teams shared a record of 8-5, but I had the most points in the regular season by a wide margin, so I got the top spot and a first round bye. All I needed to do was win one playoff game, and I would be in the finals against the league's hottest team. It turns out that starting Jay Cutler over Tyler Thigpen was the difference between winning that playoff game and losing. So I finished in third place, extremely dissatisfied with the wasted potential that my team squandered. Even worse, had I won the playoff game, I would have won against the team that I would have played in the finals, as my team had a much better week than the eventual champion. Better luck this year I guess.

I will be posting updates of my fantasy performance from week to week, including the draft results which should be ready by August 21. Until then, keep researching, and good luck with your drafts. 

Last week, a few friends and I were discussing the upcoming NFL season, and we got into some specific debates regarding the NFC East in particular. Being that all of us are either Cowboys or Giants fans, we love to bash on eachother's teams. I, being a Cowboys fan, said that I would be concerned if I were the Giants because of the loss of defensive coordinator, Steve Spagnuolo. Then I went on to explain that Jim Johnson's defense in Philadelphia was one that all of the teams in the division would need to be concerned about. After that statement, I was informed that Jim Johnson was no longer with the Eagles due to cancer. I had not heard anything about it, and I figured it was in its early stages, and that he would probably rejoin the team before the season was complete. Not thinking too much of it, we continued on with other debates concerning the NFC East.

The next day as I am listening to ESPN, I hear breaking news about Jim Johnson and that he had succumbed to melanoma at the age of 68. I paused suddenly and remembered talking about him the night before; it was all very surreal. Because I am a huge Cowboys fan, I am no stranger to Jim Johnson, and his disturbing defenses that plagued my team for years. Although I hate the Eagles and their vaunted defense, I always had the utmost respect for Jim Johnson as a genius of the game, and I had always hoped that the Cowboys would one day get him. He was truly one of the greats as a defensive coordinator, and he will be sorely missed by everybody that has respect for the game of football. Facing the Eagles this year just won't be the same without him coaching the defense. Rest in peace, Jim Johnson, you will always be remembered.  

Following a 3 game losing streak, all to the Chicago White Sox, the Yankees faced those same White Sox on Sunday, hoping to come away with at least one victory during the series. Not only did the Yankees pull out the victory 8-5 behind CC Sabathia, Phil Hughes, and Mariano Rivera, but some history was made in the process. For the first time since Tony Fernandez in 1995, the Yankees had a player hit for the cycle. Melky Cabrera, the young outfielder who was sent down to Triple A last season, came through for the Yankees in a big way on Sunday afternoon. Cabrera started things off with a line drive, 3 run homerun that gave the Yankees an early 3-0 lead in the second inning. In his next two at bats, Cabrera hit a double and a single respectively, leaving him a triple away from the first Yankees' cycle in 14 years. As Cabrera stepped into the batter's box in the ninth inning, he and the rest of stadium were aware that a triple, the most elusive of all hits, would give him the cycle. Cabrera was patient during the at bat, not chasing anything out of the zone, which eventually resulted in a 3-2 count. As the next pitch arrived, Cabrera smacked the ball into right field over Jermaine Dye who seemed to misread the ball off the bat. Cabrera chugged the bases, not even thinking about stopping before third. Sure enough when the play was over, Cabrera hopped up celebrating at third base, as he had hit for the cycle. The Cabrera cycle was important for the Yankees, a team that struggled during the first 3 games of the series, as they were able to leave on a very good note with a victory and some history in hand. That long flight to Toronto will suddenly seem a lot shorter for the first place Yanks.