Thursday, September 29, 2011

Dirty Hits In The NHL

Allow me as a hockey fan to express frustration at the extensive over-analysis of every single marginal hit in the NHL. Those of us who follow the hockey media on Twitter are aware that almost every night the commentary is dominated by debating which hits deserve a suspension. I'm not even opposed to suspensions for dangerous or reckless hits, I'm annoyed at how much each hit is being analyzed on the air. Many of us hockey fans want to know who is playing well, who looks out of shape, who is healthy, and other hockey news about the actual games beyond disciplinary measures. Please Bob MacKenzie, help me win my hockey pool, because right now all I'm getting from you are dissections of incidents that I'm not interested in.

Player safety is important and I am not trying to diminish the well being of players in any way, except to point out that it has reached a point where it has consumed the media.

Sunday, September 25, 2011

Detroit Lions 2012 Super Bowl Champions?

Perhaps I am just a long suffering Detroit Lions fan who has never seen his team start a season 3-0, but I am ready to declare that this team is a legitimate Super Bowl contender. They belong in the conversation. It is not a joke. This is the real thing. They have one of the scariest defensive players in a generation with Ndamukong Suh, and the Stafford-Megatron combination is unstoppable. Believe it. Throw in a running back with one of the coolest names ever (Jahvid Best), and book your ticket to the 2012 Super Bowl. Three wins to start the season, the ghosts of Matt Millen nearly purged, and this is the season to be excited.

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Ashton Kutcher Brutal On Two And A Half Men

I was curious to see Ashton Kutcher replace Charlie Sheen on 2.5 Men so I tuned in tonight for the season premier. It was awful, and most importantly, Ashton was awful. He was not funny. He did not make me laugh once. By comparison the Charlie Sheen Roast on Comedy Central was hilarious, at least if you cut out the parts with Mike Tyson. Iron Mike talked way too much, and only about 5% of what he said was entertaining (which sadly was more than could be said about Ashton's debut). I'll probably watch a few more episodes of the new 2.5 Men just because there are so many terrible shows on television right now, and also I'm curious to watch this train wreck.

If you think about it, what has Kutcher ever done other than Kelso that could be deemed entertaining? He's sucked in every movie he's been in. Did you see the lifeguard movie with Costner? Ash has a scene where he tells a painful story and starts to cry, in one of the worst acting performances you'll ever see. He can do Kelso, but that's about the extent of his dramatic range. Go out on the street and randomly ask people to name one movie featuring Ashton Kutcher, and I'll bet you the most common response is Dude Where's My Car. That's nothing to brag about...

His greatest claim to fame is nailing Demi Moore.

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

LA Kings Screwing Up Doughty Negotiations

While you can't blame the LA Kings for trying to keep their payroll under the salary cap, their public refusal to pay Drew Doughty a penny more than Anze Kopitar is both ridiculous and stupid. Do a poll of NHL GMs and ask which player they would rather have, Doughty or Kopitar, and at least 95% of them will say Doughty guaranteed. He is far more valuable than Kopitar, who at $6.8M per season is arguably over-paid. Yes, Doughty slipped from 59 PTS in 2010 to 40 PTS last season and he has yet to lead his team to the 2nd round of the playoffs; but this kid has an elite skill set and a very bright future. He was the best defenseman on Team Canada's gold medal squad in Vancouver on the highest stage against the world's best competition. Also, which side disclosed the "not a penny more than Kopitar" sticking point? I don't see how making it personal benefits team chemistry.

If the Red Wings signed Doughty to an $8M per season offer sheet, I would be ecstatic. Players of his skill level, size, and poise are very rare indeed.

Monday, September 12, 2011

Steve Nash Snubs Canada

Canadian sports fans enjoy taking pride in the accomplishments of NBA star Steve Nash, who is arguably the best basketball player this country has ever produced. Meanwhile, Nash snubbed Team Canada for the Olympic qualifiers and the team failed to qualify for the 2012 Olympics in London. Had Nash played, the odds of the team winning a spot on the highest world stage would have been dramatically higher, and frankly I am disappointed. You don't see that kind of patriotic apathy from hockey players who take great pride in wearing the Canada jersey. I don't really care if Nash has a disagreement with how the team has been managed because that has nothing to do with Canadian basketball fans who just want to watch the team compete at the highest level. Steve Nash let down Canadian sports fans. You would never see that kind of selfishness from a hockey player. Not even Eric Lindros ever turned down an opportunity to play with the Olympic team.

I have lost respect for Steve Nash. He spent more time this summer hanging out with Justin Beiber than he did representing Canada, when we needed him the most.

Saturday, September 10, 2011

2011 Fantasy Football Rankings For 16 Team Leagues

Here are some advanced fantasy football rankings, modified for a 16 team league. Generally in a really deep league you are going to run out of running backs in a hurry, so oftentimes the best route is to wait on a QB unless you want Marshawn Lynch or Tim Hightower as your #1 RB. What you can get out of Mark Sanchez at pick 120 is greater than what you'll get from Thomas Jones in that same range. In one league I've got Cutler and Kolb, and in the other Flacco and Sanchez; where my RB tandems are McCoy/Moreno and Charles/Blount. Warning that the rankings below were last updated Sept 3rd before my last draft. Any news from the last week has not been accounted for (except I drew a line through Peyton Manning). Also after the Thursday game, I might Aaron Rodgers up to the 7th spot. The list does not include kickers or defenses. Sorry, I don't do defense....

1. Adrian PetersonMin  RB 
2. Ray RiceBal  RB 
3. Chris JohnsonTen  RB 
4. Arian FosterHou  RB 
5. Jamaal CharlesKC  RB 
6. LeSean McCoyPhi  RB 
7. Rashard MendenhallPit  RB 
8. Roddy WhiteAtl  WR
9. Andre JohnsonHou  WR
10. Aaron RodgersGB  QB
11. Michael VickPhi  QB
12. Calvin JohnsonDet  WR
13. Michael TurnerAtl  RB 
14. Greg JenningsGB  WR
15. Maurice Jones-DrewJac  RB 
16. Frank GoreSF  RB 
17. Larry FitzgeraldAri  WR
18. Darren McFaddenOak  RB 
19. Matt ForteChi  RB 
20. Steven JacksonStL  RB 
21. Peyton HillisCle  RB 
22. Drew BreesNO  QB
23. Vincent JacksonSD  WR
24. Philip RiversSD  QB
25. LeGarrette BlountTB  RB
26. Mike WallacePit  WR
27. Hakeem NicksNYG  WR
28. DeSean JacksonPhi  WR
29. Tom BradyNE  QB
30. Knowshon MorenoDen  RB 
31. Ahmad BradshawNYG  RB 
32. Miles AustinDal  WR
33. Reggie WayneInd  WR
34. Tony RomoDal  QB
35. Felix JonesDal  RB 
36. Dwayne BoweKC  WR
37. Dez BryantDal  WR
38. Shonn GreeneNYJ  RB
39. Mike WilliamsTB  WR
40. DeAngelo WilliamsCar  RB
41. Brandon LloydDen  WR
42. Santonio HolmesNYJ  WR
43. Peyton ManningInd  QB
44. BenJarvus Green-EllisNE  RB 
45. Antonio GatesSD  TE
46. Jeremy MaclinPhi  WR
47. Ben RoethlisbergerPit  QB
48. Jahvid BestDet  RB 
49. Jermichael FinleyGB  TE
50. Jason WittenDal  TE
51. Ryan MathewsSD  RB
52. Mark IngramNORB
53. Cedric BensonCin  RB 
54. Stevie JohnsonBuf  WR
55. Brandon MarshallMia  WR
56. Percy HarvinMin  WR
57. Matt SchaubHou  QB
58. Matt RyanAtl  QB
59. Josh FreemanTB  QB
60. Mike TolbertSD  RB 
61. Marques ColstonNO  WR
62. Dallas ClarkInd  TE
63. Vernon DavisSF  TE
64. Beanie WellsAri  RB
65. Jonathan StewartCar  RB
66. Daniel ThomasMia RB
67. Ryan GrantGB  RB
68. Wes WelkerNE  WR
69. Anquan BoldinBal  WR
70. Mario ManninghamNYG  WR
71. Chad OchocincoNE  WR
72. Fred JacksonBuf  RB 
73. Marshawn LynchSea  RB
74. Joseph AddaiInd  RB
75. Reggie BushMia  RB
76. Kenny BrittTen  WR
77.  Julio Jones WRAtl WR
78. Malcom FloydSD  WR
79. Santana MossWas  WR
80. Plaxico BurressNYJ WR
81. Pierre GarconInd  WR
82. Eli ManningNYG  QB
83. Joe FlaccoBal  QB
84. Matthew StaffordDet  QB
85. Sam BradfordStL  QB
86. Owen DanielsHou  TE
87. Marcedes LewisJac  TE
88. Pierre ThomasNO  RB
89. James Starks GB RB
90. Brandon JacobsNYG  RB 
91. C.J. SpillerBuf  RB
92. Lance MooreNO  WR
93. Mike ThomasJac  WR
94. A.J. GreenCin WR
95. Steve SmithCar  WR
96. Johnny KnoxChi  WR
97. Jordy NelsonGB  WR
98. Braylon EdwardsSF  WR
99. Sidney RiceSea  WR
100. Derrick MasonNYJ  WR
101. Matt CasselKC  QB
102. Jay CutlerChi  QB
103. Kevin KolbAri  QB
104. Mark SanchezNYJ  QB
105. Jimmy GrahamNO  TE
106. Kellen WinslowTB  TE
107. Michael BushOak  RB
108. LaDainian TomlinsonNYJ  RB 
109. Tim HightowerWas  RB
110.  Roy Helu RBWas RB
111. Lee EvansBal  WR
112. Emmanuel SandersPit  WR
113. Jacoby JonesHou  WR
114. Michael CrabtreeSF  WR
115. Austin CollieInd  WR
116. Kyle OrtonDen  QB
117. Colt McCoyCle  QB
118. David GarrardJac  QB
119. Tony GonzalezAtl  TE
120. Dustin KellerNYJ  TE
121. Aaron HernandezNE  TE
122. Greg OlsenCar  TE
123. Zach MillerSea  TE
124. Roy WilliamsChi  WR
125. Jacoby FordOak  WR
126Antonio BrownPit  WR
127. Davone BessMia  WR
128. Jerome SimpsonCin  WR
129. Mike WilliamsSea  WR
130. Robert MeachemNO  WR
131. Thomas JonesKC  RB 
132. Ryan TorainWas  RB
133. Montario HardestyCle RB
134. Danny WoodheadNE  RB
135. Willis McGaheeDen  RB
136. Anthony ArmstrongWas  WR
137. Deion BranchNE  WR
138. Mike Sims-WalkerStL  WR
139. Steve BreastonKC  WR
140. Danny AmendolaStL  WR
141. Nate BurlesonDet  WR
142. Ryan FitzpatrickBuf  QB
143. Donovan McNabbMin  QB
144. Matt HasselbeckTen  QB
145. Jason CampbellOak  QB
146. Chris CooleyWas  TE
147. Rob GronkowskiNE  TE
148. Brandon PettigrewDet  TE
149. Brent CelekPhi  TE
150. Tony MoeakiKC  TE
151. Ronnie BrownPhi  RB
152. Christopher IvoryNO  RB
153. Tashard ChoiceDal  RB
154.  Kendall Hunter RBSF RB
155. Darren SprolesNO  RB
156. Hines WardPit  WR
157. Jordan ShipleyCin  WR
158. Roscoe ParrishBuf  WR
159. Louis MurphyOak  WR
160. Jason AvantPhi  WR
161. Eddie RoyalDen  WR
162. Devin HesterChi  WR
163. Jermaine GreshamCin  TE
164. Todd HeapAri  TE
165. Jared CookTen  TE
166. Anthony FasanoMia  TE
167Heath MillerPit  TE
168. Alex SmithSF  QB
169. Vince YoungPhi  QB
170. Mike GoodsonCar  RB
171Jimmy ClausenCar  QB
172.  Ben Tate RBHou RB
173.  DeMarco Murray RBDal RB
174. Ricky WilliamsBal  RB
175. Donald BrownInd  RB
176. Justin ForsettSea  RB
177Derrick WardHou  RB
178.  Shane Vereen RBNE RB
179Marion BarberChi  RB
180LaRod Stephens-HowlingAri  RB