NFL Fantasy Football Market After Week Two

So in looking back on our selections after Week One I feel that I could have dropped my starting RB’s and done better with Bush & Bell.

1. Darren Sproles – 150 total yards & 1 TD = 21 points; Sproles did not prove it on the ground and if we take away the long TD he has a bad day. Good Flex RB when LT is hurt.
2. Nate Burleson – 46 total yards = 4 points; kind of a Week 2 bust, but during the course of the season he could be a solid #3 WR.
3. Kevin Faulk – 11 total yards = 0 points, ouch keep him deep on the bench until New England comes back.
4. Dustin Keller – 22 total yards & 1 TD = 8 points, Not bad, the TD saved us. We still like Keller for your starting TE slot.
5. Michael Bush – 52 total yards = 4 points, Bush could have done better. We will continue to follow Bush, however McFadden looked better in Week 2.
6. Jeremy Shockey – 49 yards = 4 points, back to reality for Shockey.
7. Mike Bell – 95 total yards & 1 TD = 14 points, Solid pick, however the injury towards the end of the game could hurt his status and help Pierre Thomas slide back in coming off his injury.
9. Devery Henderson – 71 yards = 7 points, Need a TD and this would have been great.
10. Benjamin Watson – 23 yards = 2 points, Not what we wanted for Week 2.

We want to list LeSean McCoy (Eagles) in the #1 slot, however he was picked in all five leagues that we participated in this year, so he is too known to fill the sleeper slot.

1. Brent Celek (Eagles) – It is time to admit that this guy slipped under your draft radar despite all the fantasy mags promoting this up & coming TE. Get on board with this ship.
2. Steve Smith (NY Giants) – Eli Manning is looking great. Plaxico who? I like the young NY Giants WR’s.
3. Mario Manningham (NY Giants) – See Above
4. Johnny Knox (Bears) – There is nobody else for Cutler to throw to, so here’s Johnny. Let’s give him a shot.
5. Ted Ginn Jr. (Dolphins) – Alright, easy, we not a huge fans of Ginn (dropped 2 TD’s last game), but he is the easy #1 WR for Miami, so we will be forced to like him.
6. Kelley Washington (Steelers) – He is in the #3 slot for Pitt and looks confident. With the Steelers lacking a running game, Washington could be what Breaston is in Arizona.
7. Michael Sims-Walker (Jaguars) – He is now the #2 in Jacksonville with Williamson out for the year. Since Jacksonville will be playing from behind all season look for Sims-Walker to see a lot of throws his way.
8. Jabar Gaffney (Patriots) – Could be the #3 in New England and with Welker having injury problems it makes sense to invest in Gaffney.
9. Correll Buckhalter (Broncos) – Moreno has not shown me much in the first two games, I think it would be a good idea to consider Buckhalter. He may never make the final game day fantasy football starter cut, but there could be a match-up during Bye week that justifies a start for Buckhalter.
10. Dantrell Savage (Chiefs) – Kansas City deactivated Jamal Charles for Week Two and Savage benefited, with LJ struggling Savage could be the RB in favor of the new coaching staff.

WEEK TWO NFL POWER RANKINGS

Just to give you an idea of how competitive the NFL is right now six out of our top ten teams lost in Week Two. We went 8-8 for our BUY & SELL predictions and just missed the playoffs; our hope is that Week Two will turn out differently.

Here is an overview on what we called right:

Philadelphia Eagles (SELL) – Lost to New Orleans should rebound with Kansas City scheduled for Week 3.

New Orleans Saints (BUY) – Caught Philly at the right time. This team looks for real after two easy wins.

Indianapolis Colts (BUY) – The good teams always find a way to win and this was the week of the Manning’s proving their value.

Atlanta Falcons (BUY) – This team is strong and the upcoming games against New Orleans will be huge.

Buffalo Bills (BUY) – Buffalo is looking like a solid divisional contender with New England struggling and Miami 0-2. Will this division flip-flop and the Jets and Bills take over the top slots?

Washington Redskins (BUY) – Trying to duplicate the Bengals vs. Denver classic of week one, a win is a win even if you can not score a TD.

Carolina Panthers (SELL) – This team has to be concerned. Their division is getting better and they as a team are getting worse.

St. Louis Rams (SELL) – This can be the Lions (2008) team that we can bet against every week.

Here is an overview on what we missed on:

Pittsburgh Steelers (BUY) – Jeff Reed missed two FG’s and we have a loss against Chicago.

Green Bay Packers (BUY) – Ouch loss to Cincy at home, OchoCinco doing the Lambeau Leap, tough week.

New England Patriots (BUY) – The NY Jets pull this one out and we now need to question whether New England is as good as people think.

Tennessee Titans (BUY) – Where’s the defense? Is Houston that good? This is the best 0-2 NFL team.

New York Jets (SELL) – We thought the Rex Ryan era was overhyped, we were wrong.

Chicago Bears (SELL) – Cutler proves that this team will be as unpredictable as he is.

Houston Texans (SELL) – What a difference a week makes! 34 points put up against Tennessee, once again, are the NY Jets that good?

Cincinnati Bengals (SELL) – Right when we thought the days of Cincy were done and they would give up, CedBen and the Bengals sneak a victory in Green Bay.

NFL Power Rankings
-This is how we like them as of Week Two at www.IFanyoneASKS.com

BIGGEST GAINERS = Houston Texans (+8) & Cincinnati Bengals (+8)
BIGGEST LOSERS = Seattle Seahawks (-7) & Washington Redskins (-7)

1. New York Giants (BUY +5) -@Tampa Bay on SUN, easy win!
2. Baltimore Ravens (BUY +3) -@Cleveland on SUN, easy win!
3. New Orleans Saints (+5) -@Buffalo on SUN, Offensive delight
4. Pittsburgh Steelers (-1) -@Cincinnati on SUN, I like Pitt to rebound
5. Minnesota Vikings (-3) -San Francisco on SUN, Game of the Week?
6. Philadelphia Eagles (-5) -Kansas City on SUN, Rebound game
7. Indianapolis Colts (+3) -@Arizona on SUN, This is a great match-up
8. Atlanta Falcons (+4) -@New England on SUN, It is time to prove it
9. Dallas Cowboys (-5) -Carolina on MON, Romo can you do it?
10. Green Bay Packers (BUY -3) -@St. Louis on SUN, Rebound game
11. San Diego Chargers (=) -Miami on SUN, SD Run Def better be ready
12. Arizona Cardinals (+7) -Indianapolis on SUN, Beautiful match-up of QB’s
13. Tennessee Titans (=) -@NY Jets on SUN, Reversible team records
14. New York Jets (=) -Tennessee on SUN, Must win for the Titans
15. New England Patriots (-6) -Atlanta on SUN, The old vs. the young
16. Miami Dolphins (+6) -@ San Diego on SUN, Wild Cat Fever!
17. Houston Texans (+8) -Jacksonville on SUN, Riding the Texans rollercoaster
18. Chicago Bears (+3) -@ Seattle on SUN, Cutler is picking it up
19. Buffalo Bills (-2) -New Orleans on SUN, Bills Defense must be ready
20. San Francisco 49ers (-5) -@ Minnesota on SUN, Can Gore keep it going?
21. Cincinnati Bengals (+8) -Pittsburgh on SUN, Usually a tough game
22. Carolina Panthers (+1) -@Dallas on SUN, Tough match-up, Barber Injured?
23. Seattle Seahawks (-7) –Chicago on SUN, Hasselbeck’s health is a concern
24. Denver Broncos (+3) -@Oakland on SUN, The worst 2-0 team could be 3-0
25. Washington Redskins (-7) -@ Detroit on SUN, Struggled against St. Louis
26. Jacksonville Jaguars (-6) -@ Houston on SUN, Which Houston will show up
27. Kansas City Chiefs (-3) -@ Philadelphia on SUN, Philly is angry
28. Oakland Raiders (=) -Denver on SUN, Could the Raiders sneak another win?
29. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (SELL -3) -NY Giants on SUN, Admire the Giants
30. Detroit Lions (+1) -Washington on SUN, this is their chance to get that win
31. Cleveland Browns (SELL -1) -@Baltimore on SUN, this should be a blow-out
32. St. Louis (SELL =) -Green Bay on SUN, GB gave one to Cincy

TEAMS THAT WE DISAGREE ON (Look Back)
Score: ESPN 3, IAA 1, Tie 1 (IAA Record 1-3-1)

• Dallas Cowboys (IAA=4, ESPN=13) – ESPN was more right than us on this one; however that game could have went either way.
• New England Patriots (IAA=9, ESPN=2) – IAA wins this one, we had some concerns here.
• Minnesota Vikings (IAA=2, ESPN=8) – We will call this a tie for now.
• Chicago Bears (IAA=21, ESPN=15) – ESPN wins, Chicago beats Pittsburgh.
• Kansas City Chiefs (IAA=24, ESPN=30) – ESPN wins, Kansas City lost to Oakland.

Teams That We Currently Disagree On

• San Francisco 49ers (IAA=20, ESPN=13) – This could go either way based on the outcome at Minnesota. We are a little concerned that SF is better than we think.
• Dallas Cowboys (IAA=9, ESPN=15) – This team almost beat the NY Giants and had it not been for some strange INT's, tune in Monday night.
• New York Jets (IAA=14, ESPN=8) – We are still not comfortable saying the Jets are back, so they will get their chance against Tennessee this week.
• Arizona Cardinals (IAA 12, ESPN 18) – The game this week with Indi will be an entertaining one.

TEAMS THAT DIDN’T SHOW UP IN WEEK TWO

Well would you look at this a topic that looks very similar to last week’s Monday entry? I am sensing a pattern here and perhaps a column that you can rely on weekly here at www.IFanyoneASKS.com. We try to keep you guessing, but I find that when the Monday morning alarm clock goes off for the gym (lie) there are at least ten NFL teams that we hate due to a poor Sunday showing, and here they are:

1. New England Patriots (Repeat Offender) – Really, really are the NY Jets that good? I guess so; they laid the smack down on a Patriots team that many picked to be in the Super Bowl. Look out AFC your conference is a mess with Pittsburgh and New England losing this weekend.

2. Seattle Seahawks – Frank Gore goes for over 200 yards and this game was not even close. So much for a divisional showdown, where is the run defense Seattle? Could you be the true sleeper team bust instead of Houston?

3. Kansas City Chiefs – Sure let’s go and give Matt Cassel a truckload of money to be the next Steve DeBerg (7 Career NFL Teams including the Chiefs) and only put up 10 points on Oakland. Either the Raiders are really good or teams play them really bad?

4. Green Bay – The preseason darling shows some weaknesses against the Bengals. This is funny given the strong defensive performance Week One. It is a strange day when an old rival Cedric Benson comes in and beats you instead of Carson Palmer.

5. Jacksonville Jaguars – We at least thought the game against Arizona would be competitive with Arizona struggling a bit. I can see why there are ticket sales struggles in J-ville, the team doesn’t wanna be at the game either.

6. Cleveland Browns – I thought this game would bring back memories of Bernie Kosar and John Elway. We could gather to see a great game from two struggling franchises; however Denver is 2-0 and leading its division without Cutler and little from Marshall. Who saw that coming?

7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Should I just reserve a spot on this weekly list for Tampa? I think so after seeing that every NFL team is marking this game as an extra BYE week. We thought that they could come to life with a solid running game and hold Buffalo on defense a few times. We were wrong.

8. Philadelphia Eagles – For the first half we thought Philly just may have a shot and then Brees destroyed them in the second half. When will the city of Brotherly Love offer some to McNabb? This team is not the same without him.

9. St. Louis Rams (Repeat Offender) – We avoided picking this game because the Rams always play the Redskins tough, however 7 points scored in two games is not gonna fly with us. St. Louis what is going on, we will see you here weekly with Tampa.

10. Washington Redskins – We always try to throw down a winning team that lucked out and here we find the Redskins this week. They could not punch in a TD against the Rams? Seattle put 28 points on them the first week and we get a dud from the ‘skins. Good luck against your division (0-6 this year).

NFL Fantasy Football Free Agent Market

Every week we at IFanyoneASKS.com would like to support the NFL players that most Fantasy Football owners passed on during draft day. We all know of the first round studs blowing it up in the first week, Drew Brees and Adrian Peterson come to mind, however there is always that sleeper pick that defines you as the fantasy football expert and should you have selected one of the following guys in your draft you look like an expert in Week One.

1. Darren Sproles – I was in a fantasy football draft in San Diego and Sproles went in the first round with the #12 pick. The room erupted in laughter, but this owner may have the last laugh as LT may be finished.
2. Nate Burleson – A Viking WR castaway is starting to develop in Seattle and could challenge TJ Housh for the top WR. He will continue to gain value as long as Hasselbeck stays healthy.
3. Kevin Faulk – Alright we have never been particular fantasy football fans of New England’s four RB-by-committee approach, but Faulk looks to be someone you can count on each week in a flex spot.
4. Dustin Keller – For some reason a young or struggling QB’s best friend is a great TE. Keller fits the mold for Sanchez.
5. Michael Bush – I had trouble telling Bush and McFadden apart on Monday night and that is good thing for Bush because his price tag is much lower and TD’s could be higher.
6. Jeremy Shockey – So he flopped last year and we forgot about him this year in the draft, however 2 TD’s in the first week is making a case for comeback player of the year.
7. Mike Bell – Pierre Thomas is injured and Bush is more of a slot receiver on the Saints. In walks Mike Bell, will he produce against non-Detroit teams we will see?
8. Willis McGhee – I still like McGhee, not as a top 20 RB, but he feels like a Chester Taylor option for the Ravens and a good bye week replacement for your starters.
9. Devery Henderson – The Saints WR’s scare me a bit, however I like the value in Henderson. He could be good for 80 yards and a TD while only making two catches.
10. Benjamin Watson – With all of the TE’s on the New England roster Watson grabs two TD’s in the final ten minutes of the game to challenge Shockey for this week’s top TE. We are sure he will not produce this in the next game, but what do we know?

When completing research for this article we stumbled across ESPN’s NFL Power Rankings (One Day After IFanyoneASKS.com) and reviewed some key disagreements.

TEAMS THAT WE DISAGREE ON

• Dallas Cowboys (IAA=4, ESPN=13) – We feel that Dallas will beat the Giants this week and this ranking will come closer.
• New England Patriots (IAA=9, ESPN=2) – This team in vulnerable right now in our opinion, if they lost to Buffalo would they still be as high?
• Minnesota Vikings (IAA=2, ESPN=8) – Minnesota has an easy schedule to start the year and this could serve as momentum to carry them through to the playoffs.
• Chicago Bears (IAA=21, ESPN=15) – We did not like what we saw on Sunday night; this team has some injuries and lack of WR’s that could hurt them.
• Kansas City Chiefs (IAA=24, ESPN=30) – We like what we saw for three quarters out of KC and with Cassel coming back we believe that the coaching staff and management team from New England can turn this franchise around.

WEEK ONE NFL POWER RANKINGS

It takes a big man to admit that he is wrong and an even bigger man to laugh at that man. Today I would like to apologize to the Bills and Raiders for reserving my final two spots of “Teams That Didn’t Show Up in Week One”. I would like to replace the #9 and #10 slots with the following: Leodis McKelvin (Buffalo Bills) and New England Patriots/San Diego Chargers.

I hate to pick on McKelvin and I am sure Bills fans are use to their hearts being ripped out of their chest, but that fumble easily cost Buffalo the game. I appreciate the effort and the fight for extra yards, but sometimes taking the knee wins the game. I learned this from Westbrook in the past and if you had him on your fantasy football team you remember his famous play. Alright I will leave this alone.

New England and San Diego were everyone’s favorites to win it all and they barely beat two of the bottom ten teams on Monday night. I’m a little concerned. I see weak offensive lines and vulnerable defenses. We will see if this continues.

So I was all set today to write an article about which is better the “Anticipation of the NFL Season” or “The Actual Season” and after last night I want to leave this topic alone. I was glued to the TV during both Monday night games and enjoyed every minute. I was set to write up a valid argument that the offseason drama outperforms the actual season and then there is Buffalo and Oakland providing some fight.

There was a certain feel last night to the Chargers at Raiders game that felt like a “Fight Club” back alley brawl that you say to your wife and kids I could take those guys and really be thinking thank God I am not on that field right now. It was violent in Oakland, there was true hate and emotion on the field and it took until the last game of week one to really connect with me.

So with injuries plaguing some of our favorite playoff picks this year, here is one guy hoping for some NFL drama as the middle of the pack gains on the top feeders.

NFL Power Rankings-This is how we like them as of Week One at www.IFanyoneASKS.com
1. Philadelphia Eagles (SELL) -New Orleans on SUN, Injuries to QB & OT
2. Minnesota Vikings (HOLD) -@Detroit on SUN may struggle
3. Pittsburgh Steelers (BUY) -@Chicago on SUN, Polamalu INJ
4. Dallas Cowboys (HOLD) -NYG on SUN, will be the game to watch
5. Baltimore Ravens (HOLD) -@San Diego on SUN, win and they move up
6. New York Giants (HOLD) -@Dallas on SUN, new stadium opening in Dallas
7. Green Bay Packers (BUY) -Cincinnati on SUN, should win and win big
8. New Orleans Saints (BUY) -@Philadelphia on SUN, timing is right
9. New England Patriots (BUY) -@NY Jets on SUN, should bounce back
10. Indianapolis Colts (BUY) -@Miami on MON, Rebound game
11. San Diego Chargers (HOLD) -Baltimore on SUN, Early must win game
12. Atlanta Falcons (BUY) -Carolina on SUN, timing is right to invest
13. Tennessee Titans (BUY) -Houston on SUN, should win easily
14. New York Jets (SELL) -New England on SUN, should come back to reality
15. San Francisco 49ers (HOLD) -Seattle on SUN, this is an even match-up
16. Seattle Seahawks (HOLD) -@ San Francisco on SUN, you call it
17. Buffalo Bills (BUY) -Tampa Bay on SUN, Bills DEF should win this one
18. Washington Redskins (BUY) -St. Louis on SUN, Rebound game
19. Arizona Cardinals (HOLD) -@Jacksonville on SUN, not for sure what to expect
20. Jacksonville Jaguars (HOLD) -Arizona on SUN, you call it on this one
21. Chicago Bears (SELL) -Pittsburgh on SUN, ouch bad time, the INT total grows
22. Miami Dolphins (HOLD) -Indianapolis on MON, not for sure what to expect
23. Carolina Panthers (SELL) -@Atlanta on SUN, this could get ugly
24. Kansas City Chiefs (HOLD) -Oakland on SUN, low scoring affair here
25. Houston Texans (SELL) -@Tennessee on SUN, this could be a huge loss
26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (HOLD) -@Buffalo on SUN, tight match-up
27. Denver Broncos (HOLD) -Cleveland on SUN, hopefully there is some Offense
28. Oakland Raiders (HOLD) -@Kansas City on SUN, can they finish games
29. Cincinnati Bengals (SELL) -@Green Bay on SUN, O-Line is in trouble
30. Cleveland Browns (HOLD) -@Denver on SUN, tight match-up for poor teams
31. Detroit Lions (HOLD) -Minnesota on SUN, this game is sometimes close
32. St. Louis (SELL) -@Washington on SUN, if they could go lower, they would

Teams That Didn’t Show Up in Week One of the NFL Season

Nothing like playing Monday morning NFL Quarterback, but it was so clear that there were a few teams that did not show up this past Sunday. I think I was there with the majority of you saying, “What the hell?” So let’s bash on some failed week one teams.

1. Carolina Panthers – Wow, either Philly is that good or Carolina is still hurting from the beat down that Arizona laid on them in the playoffs last year. This game was over before half; in fact the starters for Philly left the field in the 3rd Quarter. This felt like a preseason game. Look out Carolina this could be a disaster season.

2. Houston Texans – Everyone was picking Houston as their sleeper team in the National media and they were right they were fast asleep on Monday and made Mark Sanchez look like the next Tom Brady. Coach Rex Ryan (New York Jets) looks brilliant and Jets fans are probably booking Super Bowl tickets this morning.

3. St. Louis Rams – So if you are a fantasy football player there is always that mid-1st round pick that you may have landed and Stephen Jackson joins your team. You try to justify it, however this team is garbage and Stephen can only do so much year after year. I just feel bad great baseball city wanting some football.

4. Jay Cutler & The Bears WR’s – Whoops, this is not a team, but it was hard not to sit back and wonder if Chicago ran any passing plays in the offseason. At one point I felt like Cutler was trying to throw interceptions because he was upset. The bad luck of the Cubs may have rubbed off on this one and let’s never crown a new player the King of Chicago sports until he has produced on the field.

5. Cincinnati Bengals – How bad was the Cincinnati vs. Denver game? It was terrible and the sports gamblers cringed as we watched one of the craziest finishes unfold with Denver on the winner’s side destroying the point spread. This team looked as bad as expected and if they won that game the Broncos would be in this slot.

6. Denver Broncos – See above, I’m just angry at how things played out with McDaniels, Cutler and Marshall. Use to support this team when John Elway was running the show.

7. Steelers Running Game – Willie Parker and Rashard Mendenhall this one goes out to you. I thought that the Steelers were a hard nosed grind it on the ground football team? What happened? Big Ben did and now this team looks a lot like a Kurt Warner led team or the New England Patriots or the Colts. Funny thing is, does Pitt even need a running game to win?

8. Arizona Cardinals – There could be arguments to see the Dolphins, Browns or Buccaneers in this slot, however Arizona really let us all down on Sunday and I think we kind of saw it coming. This team did not look like a near Super Bowl champion from last year. When Tim Hightower is your leading WR, there are problems on the O-Line.

9. & 10. Buffalo Bills & Oakland Raiders – I am saving the bottom two slots for teams that should let us down as expected tonight. I hope that I am wrong, I really do for the sake of competition, but a T.O. led Bills team and an Al Davis led Raiders team spells disaster for me.

Week Two In College Football

So we are hours away from another college football filled Saturday and as a time honored tradition followed called “how to waste the work hours before 5:00pm” I pull up the college football schedule to see what family and friend events I may have to miss so I can cuddle with my TV for exciting games from the best sport (no offense soccer).

And to my dismay, only two games are of any interest, these being Notre Dame at Michigan and USC at Ohio State and that is it. Yes, I enjoyed the Clemson at Georgia Tech game on Thursday night, however it faced off against the first NFL game: Tennessee at Pittsburgh, so it was hard to watch both and I do not support the DVR option for live sporting events. So after this review, I had to ask myself, “Why are the college match-ups so weak in the first two weeks?”

I think big teams are scared that one loss to a ranked opponent is way worse than a win over a poor, non-BCS squad. We have seen time and time again how Ohio State puts it in cruise control after a game or two that is competitive. That is why USC is on the schedule so early year after year. Has this one loss against the only decent team they play (sometimes two adding Penn State) hurt their National Championship run? No it has not and who is to blame?

The system, when will college football get a playoffs system? Obama asked for it, please deliver it! I try to avoid this consistent debate every year and I come back to it. On a year where we may see Boise State and a good BYU team run the table I will hate it if we do or do not see one of these teams get a shot at winning the title. So get ready for Grandma Catherine’s pumpkin pie and whatever random friend’s bar crawl birthday it is tomorrow, because you only have two games to watch.

College Football Week One Recap

So Week One is in the books and what did we learn in this first week? That Florida’s best rivalry is far from over, that Oklahoma’s season will be plagued by injuries caused by an aggressive BYU team and that Oregon’s star running back LeGarrette Blount traded in a promising NFL future for maybe a career as a wrestler for the WWE.

Next week we will see Michigan and Notre Dame play to prove that one team is still relevant and the other is a year away from relevance. Also we have Ohio State (barely beat Navy) playing USC (True Freshman Quarterback) that looks extremely entertaining. So let’s take a look back to see how www.IFanyoneASKS.com showed you the way to the great game or led you astray.

TOP TEN COLLEGE FOOTBALL GAMES TO WATCH IN WEEK ONE

10. South Carolina 7 at North Carolina State 3 (Thurs 9/3 at 4PM PST)
- This game under performed, however I feel South Carolina showed how an SEC team needs to play defense, it is just too bad that a Spurrier led team can’t play offense, very strange.

9. Missouri 37 at Illinois 9 (Sat 9/5 at 12:40PM PST)
-Another poor game, looks like losing Chase Daniels, Jeremy Maclin and Chase Coffman is not a problem for Missouri and what happen to Juice (Illi QB)? This was a poor showing at home Illinois.

8. Maryland 13 at California 52 (Sat 9/5 at 7:00PM PST)
-This continued the first week of poor games, however this game clearly proved that CAL is in a good position to bump USC out of the driver seat of the Pac-10 this year.

7. Miami (FL) 38 at Florida State 34 (Mon 9/7 at 5:00PM PST)
-Best game of the week in my opinion and I think this makes all of college football proud. Two solid programs, two great QB’s, however two weak defenses, will this win put Miami back in the National Championship picture? Not if they lose one of the next three games (Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech and Oklahoma).

6. Minnesota 23 at Syracuse 20 (Sat 9/5 at 9AM PST) OT
-Probably the forth best game of the week and it ended in a Paulus INT to lose in OT, had the movie producers been around they would have changed that to a Paulus TD to win in OT, but turns out we have a poor economy and the happy moments are in the Twin Cities for now.

5. Nevada 0 at Notre Dame 35 (Sat 9/5 at 12:30PM PST)
-Could Notre Dame be for real or is Nevada just that bad? This is a great outcome to aid in the promotion of the Michigan game this week, however this game severely under performed in the five slot.

4. Oregon 8 at Boise State 19 (Thurs 9/3 at 7:15PM PST)
-The game wasn’t much to watch, however Blount made the game National News with his post game antics. I really want to know what the DE from Boise State said to him, oh and Boise State will go undefeated this year and make a bowl game.

3. BYU 14 at Oklahoma 13 (Sat 9/5 at 4:00PM PST)
-The “what if’s” gang makes an appearance, what if Bradford did not get hurt? What if Oklahoma’s top WR played? What if…blah, blah, blah, BYU won this game and will now make a run to slip into a BCS Bowl game this year. OU fans better start worrying or planning for next year because their schedule is not getting any easier.

2. Georgia 10 at Oklahoma State 24 (Sat 9/5 at 12:30PM PST)
-I thought this game was ok, however it struggled to keep my attention with only a few big plays deciding the outcome, not exactly what I had in mind for the #2 slot.

1. Alabama 34 at Virginia Tech 24 (Sat 9/5 at 5:00PM PST)
-For the most part this game delivered, Alabama now becomes a contender and we await the start of the SEC schedule for the Crimson Tide.

Teams To Watch List:

Tennessee (New Crazy Coach Kiffin) beats Western Kentucky 63-7 no surprises here.

USC (True Freshman QB) beats San Jose State 56-3 could the 19 year old QB be the answer?

Michigan (Coming off an 8 loss season, over-practicing player’s scandal) beats Western Michigan 31-7 little lower scoring, however this is a huge win heading into the Notre Dame game.

Games We Missed On:

Navy 27 at Ohio State 31: Wow, this game was thrilling if Navy ties this game up at 29, would we have seen a different outcome, this should change the point spread more towards USC’s advantage this week when facing Ohio State.
Northern Iowa 16 at Iowa 17: Two blocked FG’s in a row! You gotta be kidding me Northern Iowa! You blew it! This could have been the upset that nobody called, however it is a “nice shot, better luck next year” game.

Two other games that are worth a mention Baylor over Wake Forest and LSU over Washington, so we missed on 2-4 games, not bad for the first week back.

College Football Week One

Life is full of choices and starting on Thursday (9/3/09) we will have to make a huge decision on how to allocate our College Football viewing for Week One. It is tough to navigate through the Week One schedule so let me be your guide to the match-ups that make the most sense to steal some productive hours away from the desk.

TOP TEN COLLEGE FOOTBALL GAMES TO WATCH IN WEEK ONE

10. South Carolina at North Carolina State (Thurs 9/3 at 4PM PST)
-This was a simple pick. It is the first game. It is a SEC vs. ACC border game and we will get to see our favorite coach to hate Steve Spurrier crying on the sidelines

9. Missouri at Illinois (Sat 9/5 at 12:40PM PST)
-These teams could pull a surprise upset or two in their conferences, I think win one will be a start on the right foot

8. Maryland at California (Sat 9/5 at 7:00PM PST)
-I’m told that RB Jahvid Best will be the best RB in the nation and CAL will give USC trouble in the PAC-10. Oh really, well we will see starting game one

7. Miami (FL) at Florida State (Mon 9/7 at 5:00PM PST)
-How is this #7? It should be #1, but the ACC has struggled to gain relevance over the past five years (sorry Virginia Tech). As a fan I want this game back on the top and hopefully 2009 will be the start

6. Minnesota at Syracuse (Sat 9/5 at 9AM PST)
-Some would say why this game? When a former Duke PG starts at QB less than six months removed from March Madness with no college football game experience can I make a sweeter story line for a movie or will we get a “I told you so” with Minnesota rocking the ‘Cuse

5. Nevada at Notre Dame (Sat 9/5 at 12:30PM PST)
-Am I the only one that remembers last year’s terrible ND team? Hey Lou Holtz take some meds, I think Nevada has a shot in this one like San Diego State did last year in the opener. This could be a closer game than experts expect

4. Oregon at Boise State (Thurs 9/3 at 7:15PM PST)
-I am a sucker for the blue turf and I think the boys of Boise should be in line for an undefeated season, that is if they get past Oregon

3. BYU at Oklahoma (Sat 9/5 at 4:00PM PST)
-It is funny listing OU as a potential upset victim after highlighting Boise State. One of the top five teams needs to get an early scare and I feel this game will provide it

2. Georgia at Oklahoma State (Sat 9/5 at 12:30PM PST)
-This game is huge, it will set off the SEC vs. Big 12 argument proper and everyone says Georgia will quietly be productive this year. I like where OKstate is going, but will it be enough

1. Alabama at Virginia Tech (Sat 9/5 at 5:00PM PST)
-Obviously the top game of the week. Everyone is telling us tune in and I agree. This game should provide some excitement

Teams that we excluded that could be interesting are Tennessee (New Crazy Coach Kiffin), USC (True Freshman QB) and Michigan (Coming off an 8 loss season, over-practicing players scandal). Terrible match-ups, but enticing storylines, if I overlooked a game or two let me know, throw the beer on ice I will be attending San Diego State at UCLA.

NBA: Ricky Rubio Stays In Spain For Two More Years

Who is Ricky Rubio? Why are we talking about a young kid staying Spain? If you are asking this you clearly missed the 2009 NBA Draft this year. The Minnesota Timberwolves decided to draft two PG’s in the first round this year with Ricky Rubio (Pick 5) and Jonny Flynn (Pick 6).

So what happens when a player delays joining a NBA team? Well thanks for asking. The Timberwolves will continue to own the rights to Ricky Rubio, so if any NBA team has interest in Rubio they will have to present a deal that makes sense for them to trade off his rights. This is great for the buzz that Rubio received recently, however will it hold strong as a long term investment or be a waste of a pick with a guy that only wanted to move to the United States if it involved locating to Miami or LA.
This brought to attention famous draft picks that refused to sign with the team that selected them. The most recent example that I can provide is Eli Manning. Eli was drafted by San Diego and then traded to the New York Giants. The Chargers used these picks to bring in Philip Rivers and Shawn Merriman. So who got the last laugh, maybe the Giants with one Super Bowl in the books since the trade or the Chargers with a leader on Offense and Defense? What do you think?

An even deeper dig would be when John Elway was drafted by the Baltimore Colts and then traded to the Denver Broncos. Should I even ask who received the better side of this trade? Baltimore received the following: QB Mark Herrmann, OL Chris Hinton, and OG Ron Solt. Denver enjoyed the two Super Bowl wins I am sure.

So while the two examples provided do not look terribly pretty for the Timberwolves. I guess the hope of new head coach Kurt Rambis is that they will get a trade similar to the Chargers/Giants and far from the Baltimore/Denver deal.

Welcome to Sports Takes By Wade Jay

Welcome to Sports Takes By Wade Jay (Website Birthday 9/1/2009). This will be a place where you can go for information regarding Football, Basketball and a few other sports highlights.

I have served as a contributing writer to www.onmissionSD.com. You can also find me commenting on www.areavoices.com/goethe/ and of course you can find me on Twitter @wadehaviland.

So opening summary aside, I thought it would be a solid first article to highlight the Top Five Reasons "To Follow This Blog" and Top Five Reasons "Not To Follow This Blog" so you can make an informed decision when organizing your bookmarks.

TOP TEN REASONS "To Follow This Blog"

5. You can disagree, criticize and insult the opinions on this blog and it will be appreciated

4. I have tried time and time again not to pay attention to sports and find that it sucks me back in after a short period of rejection, that is the definition of addiction

3. I started playing fantasy football in 6th grade, using newspapers on Monday morning to select a winner amongst my Middle School friends

2. If reviewing sports websites, watching sports on TV and listening to sports radio were a job I would be a California Home Owner or Millionaire (same/same)

1. I change into my favorite sports team jersey when the game is on even if I am at home alone

TOP FIVE REASONS "Not To Follow This Blog"

5. I am not a former NFL QB or NBA PG or even a successful NCAA athlete, so it may be hopeless to consider a job at ESPN or a major sports network

4. I am not a journalist with a fancy Harvard degree and do not have any published work floating around on Amazon.com

3. I take credit for a father that played football for The U (Miami), two brothers that play/played football for Minnesota (Gophers) and a sister that was a swimmer/diver at West Point (Army), yet do not have any on field experience past high school

2. I'm sort of a homer when it comes to Minnesota and San Diego sports, so if you hate both area sports this could be your first place to get rid of the "Mondays" before your morning coffee

1. I enjoy statistics and predictions, so there will be some high level algorithms that may be interesting only to Math geeks and Financial Analysts

In summary, if you can look past my shortcomings and elevate my advantages I look forward to spending five minutes or less a day with your morning website checks delaying productive work time. Welcome to the website and please share this link if you like or hate it to anyone that cares.