In 11 days, we will turn the calendars to September. Summer is over. The kids are back in school. And we have a lot of fall holidays on the horizon. But before we celebrate these glorious holidays with our family and friends, we have to get through the best sports month of the year. It's 30 days of heaven for a sports fan. All 4 major team sports have something going on in September.
The pennant races heat up in baseball. Six division winners and two wild card spots are up for grabs. And this season, it appears that 15 or 16 teams will still be fighting for these 8 spots the final month of the season. And for the teams that are not fighting for a playoff berth, we get to see September call-ups. The kids who have fought so hard all year in the minors for their crack at the big club. And some of them will impress enough to earn a spot on the roster next year. This is not only important for the player and fans of that team, but for us fantasy owners too, to figure out who next year's sleepers are.
The NFL season kicks off. And the nice thing about September this year is no bye weeks. That's right, all 32 teams will play every weekend in September, starting September 10. There is nothing quite like waking up on a Sunday morning with a hang over, popping a couple of Tylenol, and then firing up the grill. And then, sitting on your ass from 1:00 - 11:30 watching 15 different games. Of course, you have to watch all 15 games, because you're probably in 6 different fantasy leagues, so in each and every game, there is a player on either your team or one of your opponents' teams. And then of course, there's your favorite team, and you can't miss that game.....unless of course Indianapolis is driving on the other channel and you have Peyton Manning.
College football gets underway in September. Granted, we don't usually get our best match ups in September. We have to sift through the University of Florida vs. Charleston Southern (incidentally, Vegas just released the spreads and UF is a 73-point favorite. I mean why even play the game? When the Gators win, it will be like they just won the Special Olympics, so really, what's the point?). But if you can make it through a few out of conference cupcake snoozers, this September does offer up Miami - Florida State, Oklahoma State - Georgia, and USC - Ohio State. And of course, there is always some out of nowhere upset that makes us laugh, unless you went to Michigan, of course. Plus, September is always fun in college football because you can argue over the validity or ridiculousness of pre-season polls.
The NBA and NHL are in pre-season mode, the NHL actually playing pre-season games and the NBA practicing (except for Allen Iverson, of course). With the anticipation of both season's nearing, fantasy hockey and basketball leagues start popping up and it's time to study up on these players, while making sure you drafted the right football team and checking out MLB's September call ups for potential 2010 sleepers. But since players switch teams so frequently in the NBA and NHL, September is a great month to figure out who went where and laugh when you are reminded that Marian Hossa really did sign a 12-year contract.
September has something for all sports fans. It's the best sports month of the year. It's like the anti-February, where football is over, pitchers and catchers haven't reported yet, and basketball and hockey are in snooze mode until the playoffs (unless you are the Florida Panthers, sitting in 10th place and scratching for that 8th seed in the East you know you're just not going to get). All February really does for the sports fan is remind him/her that they need to get their sweetheart something nice for Valentine's Day.
Ahh, September, you're only 11 days away....
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Things I loathe....
President Obama's Health Care plan has caused a lot of raucous on both sides of the political aisle. I know where I stand on it. But where I stand should not matter to you. Where any journalist stands should be of little consequence to you. Where any member of the Hollywood elite stands on it should not matter, nor should the opinions of Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, Bill Maher or Keith Olbermann. But yet each of these guys, and others spout their mouths like you should give a damn what they say. Don't. Get the facts yourselves and formulate your own opinions based on what you believe. Talking heads like these guys giving off their opinions as if they were gospel is just one of the many things I loathe these days. Here is a list of some of the others...
Announcers who use the term "professional hitter" to describe a particular Major League Baseball player. What? Are the others saving their amateur status for the Olympics?
The term "re-aggravate" an injury. To aggravate the injury is to re-injure. To re-aggravate it is to re-re-injure it.
People who dislike our President solely because of the color of his skin.
People who support our President solely because of the color of his skin.
Joe Morgan as an announcer
"Homer" announcers. I'm looking right at you Tommy Hutton, Hawk Harrelson and Michael Kay.
Leashes for kids. If you wanted a dog, get a dog. Don't treat your kids like they are your pets.
The hypocrisy of fans to not forgive Michael Vick but turn the other cheek when it comes to Leonard Little and Donte' Stallworth. So a dog's life is worth more than a human's life is now?
Brett Favre.
The bias with which ESPN covers sports.
The fact that I still don't get the MLB Network.
Bud Selig, David Stern, Gary Bettman and Roger Goodell.
The fact that athletes and entertainers get agents AND unions. How many people do these men and women need protecting their interests? I'm going to go out on a limb and say none of these people are getting mistreated. And while we're at it.....
Unions in general. They were great around the turn of the century....the turn of the 19th to 20th century. Unions serve little purpose anymore except as another form of taxation on employees.
Reality TV.
And finally.....Scott Boras.
Announcers who use the term "professional hitter" to describe a particular Major League Baseball player. What? Are the others saving their amateur status for the Olympics?
The term "re-aggravate" an injury. To aggravate the injury is to re-injure. To re-aggravate it is to re-re-injure it.
People who dislike our President solely because of the color of his skin.
People who support our President solely because of the color of his skin.
Joe Morgan as an announcer
"Homer" announcers. I'm looking right at you Tommy Hutton, Hawk Harrelson and Michael Kay.
Leashes for kids. If you wanted a dog, get a dog. Don't treat your kids like they are your pets.
The hypocrisy of fans to not forgive Michael Vick but turn the other cheek when it comes to Leonard Little and Donte' Stallworth. So a dog's life is worth more than a human's life is now?
Brett Favre.
The bias with which ESPN covers sports.
The fact that I still don't get the MLB Network.
Bud Selig, David Stern, Gary Bettman and Roger Goodell.
The fact that athletes and entertainers get agents AND unions. How many people do these men and women need protecting their interests? I'm going to go out on a limb and say none of these people are getting mistreated. And while we're at it.....
Unions in general. They were great around the turn of the century....the turn of the 19th to 20th century. Unions serve little purpose anymore except as another form of taxation on employees.
Reality TV.
And finally.....Scott Boras.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Why I Love Baseball So Damned Much....
I get asked all the time - "why do you love baseball?" "What's so great about it?" "It's a boring sport, how can you sit through a whole game?" All of those questions were answered in one game, on a sunny, New York Saturday afternoon.
Back in June, I planned a little father-son trip to the Big Apple this past weekend. As part of my son's first ever visit to NYC, I wanted to take him to a ballgame. So, I checked both the Yankees and Mets schedules. The Yankees were on a road trip on the left coast, but the Mets were home, in their new, gorgeous ballpark. Perfect. I'll take him to Citi Field. When I found out the Mets were hosting the Giants, it made it even better, since Los Gigantes are the team I have been a die hard fan of, for over 30 years. As the trip and game grew closer, I began to check the Giants and Mets pitching rotations, respectively. I was counting every 5th day to try to figure out what pitching match up I'd get to see. And when Saturday rolled around, I had a dream pitching match up - Matt Cain vs. Johan Santana. I'm an old fashioned baseball fan. I don't like 11-10 games that feature 7 home runs. There's no strategy in that. It's just wait for the long ball and whichever team hits more, wins. To me, that's a home run derby, not a baseball game. So, when I saw that it was going to be Cain v. Santana, I was stoked. The two of them have a combined ERA that is less than some teams. And the game didn't disappoint.
The game had a little bit of everything. It reminded me what was so great about this game....not that I ever forget. Both pitchers looked unhittable for the first three innings. It just had that feeling that the game was going to be close throughout and very tense. Then came the 4th inning. Cain hit David Wright in the head with an 0-2 fastball. And it was Cain who became a little unravelled at that point. He clearly did not intend to hit Wright, and seeing him lying there clearly messed with Cain's head. He lost his focus and his control that inning and the Mets capitalized and took a 1-0 lead. That lead held until the 6th inning, when the Giants bats finally woke up against Santana. And, thanks to some very nice clutch hitting by the Giants, they took a 3-1 lead. Again, the game featured a bit of everything - including some retaliation for the Mets for David Wright. In the 7th inning, with Santana's pitch count rising, he decided to attempt to exact some revenge on the Giants' best hitter, Pablo Sandoval. Unfortunately, he missed, and two pitches later, Sandoval homered off him. And that is the beauty of baseball done right. Retaliation for your best hitter getting hit in the head with a 94 mph fastball is ok. It's part of the game. But the best way for the hitter to exact his revenge is NOT to charge the mound (see Youkilis, Kevin). It's to hit a home run off the pitcher and get your team another run. And that's what Sandoval did.
The Giants bullpen managed to blow the lead. But give the Mets credit. They had some timely hitting, and did it all without a home run. Just good, solid, situational hitting. They tied the game at 4 on a sacrifice fly and an amazing slide into home. These are the little things that make the game great. A tie score. A tense game. And good, solid, fundamental baseball. The game went extra innings. In the 10th inning, Bengie Molina came to bat for the Giants. I turned to my brother and said to him that the Mets would be better off pitching around Molina and dealing with another hitter. See, Francisco Rodriguez was pitching for the Mets at the time. Molina had caught Rodriguez in Anaheim for 4 seasons and was likely to know his tendencies very well. I had thought, if anyone on the Giants would be able to handle Rodriguez, it would be Molina. And Molina homered. And the Giants won 5-4. Little strategic things like that are what make baseball so great. Something seemingly so minuscule as a former relationship between pitcher and catcher can change the outcome of a game.
On this one bright, sunny, New York Saturday afternoon, I got to share a wonderful baseball game with my son and my brother (and his girlfriend). The game featured great pitching, timely hitting, good fundamental baseball, some tense moments between the two teams, a blown lead, extra innings, and ultimately the team I was cheering so hard for winning on a home run hit by a guy who probably should have been pitched around. It was a great game and a picture perfect day. Well, except for the little Korean girl sitting in front of me...but that's a story for another time.
Back in June, I planned a little father-son trip to the Big Apple this past weekend. As part of my son's first ever visit to NYC, I wanted to take him to a ballgame. So, I checked both the Yankees and Mets schedules. The Yankees were on a road trip on the left coast, but the Mets were home, in their new, gorgeous ballpark. Perfect. I'll take him to Citi Field. When I found out the Mets were hosting the Giants, it made it even better, since Los Gigantes are the team I have been a die hard fan of, for over 30 years. As the trip and game grew closer, I began to check the Giants and Mets pitching rotations, respectively. I was counting every 5th day to try to figure out what pitching match up I'd get to see. And when Saturday rolled around, I had a dream pitching match up - Matt Cain vs. Johan Santana. I'm an old fashioned baseball fan. I don't like 11-10 games that feature 7 home runs. There's no strategy in that. It's just wait for the long ball and whichever team hits more, wins. To me, that's a home run derby, not a baseball game. So, when I saw that it was going to be Cain v. Santana, I was stoked. The two of them have a combined ERA that is less than some teams. And the game didn't disappoint.
The game had a little bit of everything. It reminded me what was so great about this game....not that I ever forget. Both pitchers looked unhittable for the first three innings. It just had that feeling that the game was going to be close throughout and very tense. Then came the 4th inning. Cain hit David Wright in the head with an 0-2 fastball. And it was Cain who became a little unravelled at that point. He clearly did not intend to hit Wright, and seeing him lying there clearly messed with Cain's head. He lost his focus and his control that inning and the Mets capitalized and took a 1-0 lead. That lead held until the 6th inning, when the Giants bats finally woke up against Santana. And, thanks to some very nice clutch hitting by the Giants, they took a 3-1 lead. Again, the game featured a bit of everything - including some retaliation for the Mets for David Wright. In the 7th inning, with Santana's pitch count rising, he decided to attempt to exact some revenge on the Giants' best hitter, Pablo Sandoval. Unfortunately, he missed, and two pitches later, Sandoval homered off him. And that is the beauty of baseball done right. Retaliation for your best hitter getting hit in the head with a 94 mph fastball is ok. It's part of the game. But the best way for the hitter to exact his revenge is NOT to charge the mound (see Youkilis, Kevin). It's to hit a home run off the pitcher and get your team another run. And that's what Sandoval did.
The Giants bullpen managed to blow the lead. But give the Mets credit. They had some timely hitting, and did it all without a home run. Just good, solid, situational hitting. They tied the game at 4 on a sacrifice fly and an amazing slide into home. These are the little things that make the game great. A tie score. A tense game. And good, solid, fundamental baseball. The game went extra innings. In the 10th inning, Bengie Molina came to bat for the Giants. I turned to my brother and said to him that the Mets would be better off pitching around Molina and dealing with another hitter. See, Francisco Rodriguez was pitching for the Mets at the time. Molina had caught Rodriguez in Anaheim for 4 seasons and was likely to know his tendencies very well. I had thought, if anyone on the Giants would be able to handle Rodriguez, it would be Molina. And Molina homered. And the Giants won 5-4. Little strategic things like that are what make baseball so great. Something seemingly so minuscule as a former relationship between pitcher and catcher can change the outcome of a game.
On this one bright, sunny, New York Saturday afternoon, I got to share a wonderful baseball game with my son and my brother (and his girlfriend). The game featured great pitching, timely hitting, good fundamental baseball, some tense moments between the two teams, a blown lead, extra innings, and ultimately the team I was cheering so hard for winning on a home run hit by a guy who probably should have been pitched around. It was a great game and a picture perfect day. Well, except for the little Korean girl sitting in front of me...but that's a story for another time.
Monday, August 17, 2009
An Honest Fantasy Football Column...
My first fantasy football draft of the 2009 season is this Saturday. I have another on Monday and my last one is next Thursday. For you keeping score at home, I am doing three leagues this year. I have sifted through countless magazines and read tons of articles in preparation for my drafts. The thing about my three drafts is, in all three leagues, the scoring is different, the rules are different and the rosters are different. Adrian Peterson is still going number one, no matter what the rules are. For the most part, Larry Fitzgerald and Drew Brees are your number one wide receiver and quarterback, respectively. These are givens, just like not drafting a kicker before the next to last round and not trying to be a hero before the 10th round. I am not here to regurgitate facts you already know or tell you who are the best players at each position are. Because, depending on how your league scores, and whether or not you are in a keeper league, or if it is an auction league and so on and so on, I can't tell you who are the most valuable players in your particular league. What I can try to do is help you with certain strategies and players that often get overlooked or are flat out sleepers. A few questions first, before we get to my sleepers and overlooked players, though...
Who's #2?
You have the second pick in your draft. Who do you draft? Well, first of all, if you are playing with a novice that had the first pick and didn't select Adrian Peterson, you say that name as fast as you possibly can. For the other 99% of leagues, after Peterson goes, I have read from some experts everyone's name from Maurice Jones-Drew to Steven Jackson to Chris Johnson to even non-progressive owners who are still stuck on LaDanian Tomlinson. These are all nice choices, but none of them are the second best running back in the league. Given the offense he plays in, his home run ability and the fact that he doesn't have another running back stealing his goal line carries, Michael Turner is my clear number 2 on the board.
What number first round draft pick DON'T you want?
That's easy this year - number 8. The first seven picks in your league, in no particular order should be - Peterson, Turner, Matt Forte, Jones-Drew, Jackson, Gore and Tomlinson. If any of them are sitting there are #8, scoop them up, smile and move on. Otherwise, you have a minor dilemma. And this is where the above mentioned 'what kind of scoring does your league play with' comes into play. The most logical, safe pick here is Larry Fitzgerald. And then, when you see Kurt Warner go down in a heap in week one, your first round draft pick is now catching passes from Matt Leinart. If you are in a league that slants towards quarterbacks, then Drew Brees is a solid pick here. Just don't panic and feel like you need to reach for a running back here. If you get Brees or Fitzgerald, you now have the number one player at his position to go along with your mid level running back in round two. So, instead of reaching for Chris Johnson, DeAngelo Williams or Brandon Jacobs....who are all losing carries to other running backs, you'll wind up with Brian Westbrook or Clinton Portis and you'll already have a number 1 wide receiver or quarterback in your pocket.
When do I start drafting my sleepers?
Draft school 101 - never try to be a hero before round 10 (adjust this for number of teams in your league and number of rounds in your draft - this theory is based on a standard 12-team league, 16 round draft, non-keeper league). 90% of leagues are won by the guy who drafted "boring" for 9-10 rounds of his draft. One out of ten times, the guy who reached for Marques Colston in the 6th round as a rookie, gets lucky and wins the league. But more often then not, it's the guy who drafted Colston in the 11th (still a steal his rookie year) but had Reggie Wayne, Tomlinson and Tom Brady -and that's why he won. Sleepers are fun late in the draft. They are low risk-high reward then. One year, I had to work late and missed my live online draft, so the computer-generated list was how my team got drafted. That season, I made it to the championship game. Why? Because the computer doesn't take chances, it just goes off the previous season's numbers. It doesn't reach for a Knowshown Moreno 3 rounds too early.
Is Laverneous Coles a sleeper this year?
No. But he is on a list of what I call "underappreciated players" who will go later than they should. I will unveil this list in a few minutes. There are several players who are overvalued and undervalued every year. This year's number one overvalued player across the board will be Matt Ryan. He was a much heralded rookie last year who did great things for the Falcons and should have another very nice season this year. And for all the hype, Ryan threw 16 TDs last season. That's exactly 1 TD per game. And...he threw 11 INTs (if you're in a league that penalizes for INTs). A 16-11 TD ratio is very pedestrian for a guy who will probably go 5 rounds too early. Watch- in your drafts, someone will believe the hype and draft him as their starting QB. He's a wonderful QB for the Falcons offense. For fantasy offenses, he's no more than a bye week filler.
Ok, without any further ado, I present this season's sleepers, by position.
Quarterback
Tom Brandstater - you and I would be considered sleepers if we were third on the depth chart behind Kyle Orton and Chris Simms.
Alex Smith - The 49ers aren't quitting on him and neither am I. Not sure who's gong to win the job out of camp, but Smith will be given every opportunity to win it and I think he can excel under Singletary.
Running Back
Glen Coffee - Already moved to number 2 on the 49ers depth chart. Gore has exactly zero knee cartilage left. At the very least, if you draft Gore, you need your morning Coffee.
Tim Hightower - Beanie Wells couldn't stay healthy at Ohio State and he's supposed to stay healthy in the NFL? If your league is TD-heavy, Hightower gets the goal line carries even if Wells is healthy.
Fred Jackson - Marshawn Lynch is suspended for the first three games of the season. And even when he's not suspended, Jackson is a better receiver and gets his fair share of the carries.
Cedric Benson - Remember him? He's resurfaced as the man in Cincy.
Jerome Harrison - Just trust me on this one.
Correll Buckhalter - Moreno injured already + Denver O-Line = 1,000 yards
Donald Brown - Joseph Addai is this generation's Eddie George. Wearing down way too early.
Jamaal Charles - the starting RB in KC is Larry Johnson. That about sums it up.
Ahmad Bradshaw - Just became wind AND fire in New Jersey.
LeSean McCoy - I love Brian Westbrook. But he is in the trainer's office too much.
Mewelde Moore - in TD heavy leagues, he's more valuable than Pitt's starter, Willie Parker
Earnest Graham - No QB + No other real options = Graham is this year's "where did he come from" fantasy stud.
Wide Receivers
Josh Morgan - No Michael Crabtree. No Brandon Jones. If Alex Smith is going to be a sleeper, somebody in San Fran has to catch his passes.
Patrick Crayton - thank you T.O. for leaving Dallas
Mike Walker - nursing an injury now. Scoop him up late and be amazed when his numbers are better than Torry Holt's in Jacksonville this year
Laurent Robinson - Donnie Avery's out. So someone's gotta catch balls in St Louis, right?
Nate Washington - love, love, love him in Tennessee this year
Tight Ends
Visanthe Shiancoe - don't like Minnesota's WRs and I don't like their QBs arm strength (either of them). And even if Favre does play here, he loves his TEs.
Zach Miller - no real reason. Just a hunch.
John Carlson - Hasselbeck can't fling it 70 yards anymore. Carlson is a nice big target in the red zone.
Underappreciated Guys that will go too late
Laverneous Coles
Dwayne Bowe
Vincent Jackson
Antonio Bryant
Owen Daniels
....and my favorite - Aaron Rodgers. In at least a dozen leagues this year, Matt Ryan (and his 16 TDs) will go before Rodgers (and his 29 TDs). Hype is an ugly mistress.
And there you have it, not a column to help you win your league. But an honest, strategic look at fantasy players. If you have specific questions, please email me your league scoring rules and details about your league and I will be happy to help.....unless you are in my league. Then, draft Stephen Gostkowski first.
Who's #2?
You have the second pick in your draft. Who do you draft? Well, first of all, if you are playing with a novice that had the first pick and didn't select Adrian Peterson, you say that name as fast as you possibly can. For the other 99% of leagues, after Peterson goes, I have read from some experts everyone's name from Maurice Jones-Drew to Steven Jackson to Chris Johnson to even non-progressive owners who are still stuck on LaDanian Tomlinson. These are all nice choices, but none of them are the second best running back in the league. Given the offense he plays in, his home run ability and the fact that he doesn't have another running back stealing his goal line carries, Michael Turner is my clear number 2 on the board.
What number first round draft pick DON'T you want?
That's easy this year - number 8. The first seven picks in your league, in no particular order should be - Peterson, Turner, Matt Forte, Jones-Drew, Jackson, Gore and Tomlinson. If any of them are sitting there are #8, scoop them up, smile and move on. Otherwise, you have a minor dilemma. And this is where the above mentioned 'what kind of scoring does your league play with' comes into play. The most logical, safe pick here is Larry Fitzgerald. And then, when you see Kurt Warner go down in a heap in week one, your first round draft pick is now catching passes from Matt Leinart. If you are in a league that slants towards quarterbacks, then Drew Brees is a solid pick here. Just don't panic and feel like you need to reach for a running back here. If you get Brees or Fitzgerald, you now have the number one player at his position to go along with your mid level running back in round two. So, instead of reaching for Chris Johnson, DeAngelo Williams or Brandon Jacobs....who are all losing carries to other running backs, you'll wind up with Brian Westbrook or Clinton Portis and you'll already have a number 1 wide receiver or quarterback in your pocket.
When do I start drafting my sleepers?
Draft school 101 - never try to be a hero before round 10 (adjust this for number of teams in your league and number of rounds in your draft - this theory is based on a standard 12-team league, 16 round draft, non-keeper league). 90% of leagues are won by the guy who drafted "boring" for 9-10 rounds of his draft. One out of ten times, the guy who reached for Marques Colston in the 6th round as a rookie, gets lucky and wins the league. But more often then not, it's the guy who drafted Colston in the 11th (still a steal his rookie year) but had Reggie Wayne, Tomlinson and Tom Brady -and that's why he won. Sleepers are fun late in the draft. They are low risk-high reward then. One year, I had to work late and missed my live online draft, so the computer-generated list was how my team got drafted. That season, I made it to the championship game. Why? Because the computer doesn't take chances, it just goes off the previous season's numbers. It doesn't reach for a Knowshown Moreno 3 rounds too early.
Is Laverneous Coles a sleeper this year?
No. But he is on a list of what I call "underappreciated players" who will go later than they should. I will unveil this list in a few minutes. There are several players who are overvalued and undervalued every year. This year's number one overvalued player across the board will be Matt Ryan. He was a much heralded rookie last year who did great things for the Falcons and should have another very nice season this year. And for all the hype, Ryan threw 16 TDs last season. That's exactly 1 TD per game. And...he threw 11 INTs (if you're in a league that penalizes for INTs). A 16-11 TD ratio is very pedestrian for a guy who will probably go 5 rounds too early. Watch- in your drafts, someone will believe the hype and draft him as their starting QB. He's a wonderful QB for the Falcons offense. For fantasy offenses, he's no more than a bye week filler.
Ok, without any further ado, I present this season's sleepers, by position.
Quarterback
Tom Brandstater - you and I would be considered sleepers if we were third on the depth chart behind Kyle Orton and Chris Simms.
Alex Smith - The 49ers aren't quitting on him and neither am I. Not sure who's gong to win the job out of camp, but Smith will be given every opportunity to win it and I think he can excel under Singletary.
Running Back
Glen Coffee - Already moved to number 2 on the 49ers depth chart. Gore has exactly zero knee cartilage left. At the very least, if you draft Gore, you need your morning Coffee.
Tim Hightower - Beanie Wells couldn't stay healthy at Ohio State and he's supposed to stay healthy in the NFL? If your league is TD-heavy, Hightower gets the goal line carries even if Wells is healthy.
Fred Jackson - Marshawn Lynch is suspended for the first three games of the season. And even when he's not suspended, Jackson is a better receiver and gets his fair share of the carries.
Cedric Benson - Remember him? He's resurfaced as the man in Cincy.
Jerome Harrison - Just trust me on this one.
Correll Buckhalter - Moreno injured already + Denver O-Line = 1,000 yards
Donald Brown - Joseph Addai is this generation's Eddie George. Wearing down way too early.
Jamaal Charles - the starting RB in KC is Larry Johnson. That about sums it up.
Ahmad Bradshaw - Just became wind AND fire in New Jersey.
LeSean McCoy - I love Brian Westbrook. But he is in the trainer's office too much.
Mewelde Moore - in TD heavy leagues, he's more valuable than Pitt's starter, Willie Parker
Earnest Graham - No QB + No other real options = Graham is this year's "where did he come from" fantasy stud.
Wide Receivers
Josh Morgan - No Michael Crabtree. No Brandon Jones. If Alex Smith is going to be a sleeper, somebody in San Fran has to catch his passes.
Patrick Crayton - thank you T.O. for leaving Dallas
Mike Walker - nursing an injury now. Scoop him up late and be amazed when his numbers are better than Torry Holt's in Jacksonville this year
Laurent Robinson - Donnie Avery's out. So someone's gotta catch balls in St Louis, right?
Nate Washington - love, love, love him in Tennessee this year
Tight Ends
Visanthe Shiancoe - don't like Minnesota's WRs and I don't like their QBs arm strength (either of them). And even if Favre does play here, he loves his TEs.
Zach Miller - no real reason. Just a hunch.
John Carlson - Hasselbeck can't fling it 70 yards anymore. Carlson is a nice big target in the red zone.
Underappreciated Guys that will go too late
Laverneous Coles
Dwayne Bowe
Vincent Jackson
Antonio Bryant
Owen Daniels
....and my favorite - Aaron Rodgers. In at least a dozen leagues this year, Matt Ryan (and his 16 TDs) will go before Rodgers (and his 29 TDs). Hype is an ugly mistress.
And there you have it, not a column to help you win your league. But an honest, strategic look at fantasy players. If you have specific questions, please email me your league scoring rules and details about your league and I will be happy to help.....unless you are in my league. Then, draft Stephen Gostkowski first.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
What Happened to First Impressions?
Last week, Josh Hamilton admitted to falling off the wagon. Pictures surfaced of him taking shots of alcohol in a bar. Unlike most of the steroid users, at least Hamilton was man enough to admit what he did and take full responsibility. For that, he deserves props. He did, however, crush several fans' images of him. Images of a man who overcame an addiction and battled back to be a "success story". Hamilton is not the first athlete that we have championed for overcoming an addiction. We applauded Darryl Strawberry for overcoming his addiction and getting back to the majors. We celebrated the likes of Dwight Gooden and Kerry Collins for beating their addictions. We tried, over and over to let Steve Howe back into our good graces, but he kept letting us down. One of the most celebrated Quarterbacks of all time, Brett Favre, overcame a prescription drug addiction (and mild alcoholism). All of these, except for Howe, are wonderful "success stories". And there are countless others that I did not mention. But here's my question, why do we celebrate 2nd chances when there are hundreds of athletes who do it right the first time?
Where is the love for Carlos Pena? For Amani Toomer? For Mike Green (and if you can even tell me who Mike Green is, I'll be ecstatic)? All three of these guys do is simply show up for work everyday. And they do their job as good as anybody at their position. Carlos Pena just hit his 30th Home run of the season. That marks three consecutive seasons of 30 or more home runs. Toomer is the all time leading receiver in New York Giants history. Mike Green just led all NHL Defensemen in scoring. Who is there to champion them? Where is the love for the guy who does it right without doing it wrong first?
I get the whole notion of second chances and forgiveness and how hard it can be to overcome something so serious as an addiction. We have become a society that is so PC and oversensitive, that we are not allowed to criticize without examining every possible factor first. We have become a society that, for some inane reason, values the rights of the accused more than the victims' rights. So, it stands to reason (sad as it is) that we have become too forgiving. Michael Vick is going to play football this season. Donte' Stallworth and Leonard Little will probably strap on the pads as well. The list of athletes who have broken the law but still get to play is endless. And giving them a second chance once their debt has been paid (cough, cough) is probably the right thing to do. But throwing them victory parties is a bit over the top, no?
I would rather throw a ticker tape parade for a team filled with Mike Lowells. Here is a guy who overcame testicular cancer. He is one of the best third basemen in baseball. He is one of the most clutch players in the game. And he plays the game the right way. Always has, always will. I think we need to start celebrating players who just do things right the first time, without meetings that end in anonymous. And if you truly feel your bleeding heart needing to cheer for an athlete who overcame something tragic to become a true success story, Lowell and John Kruk are two deserving candidates.
Where is the love for Carlos Pena? For Amani Toomer? For Mike Green (and if you can even tell me who Mike Green is, I'll be ecstatic)? All three of these guys do is simply show up for work everyday. And they do their job as good as anybody at their position. Carlos Pena just hit his 30th Home run of the season. That marks three consecutive seasons of 30 or more home runs. Toomer is the all time leading receiver in New York Giants history. Mike Green just led all NHL Defensemen in scoring. Who is there to champion them? Where is the love for the guy who does it right without doing it wrong first?
I get the whole notion of second chances and forgiveness and how hard it can be to overcome something so serious as an addiction. We have become a society that is so PC and oversensitive, that we are not allowed to criticize without examining every possible factor first. We have become a society that, for some inane reason, values the rights of the accused more than the victims' rights. So, it stands to reason (sad as it is) that we have become too forgiving. Michael Vick is going to play football this season. Donte' Stallworth and Leonard Little will probably strap on the pads as well. The list of athletes who have broken the law but still get to play is endless. And giving them a second chance once their debt has been paid (cough, cough) is probably the right thing to do. But throwing them victory parties is a bit over the top, no?
I would rather throw a ticker tape parade for a team filled with Mike Lowells. Here is a guy who overcame testicular cancer. He is one of the best third basemen in baseball. He is one of the most clutch players in the game. And he plays the game the right way. Always has, always will. I think we need to start celebrating players who just do things right the first time, without meetings that end in anonymous. And if you truly feel your bleeding heart needing to cheer for an athlete who overcame something tragic to become a true success story, Lowell and John Kruk are two deserving candidates.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
A Little Professional Courtesy
We all make mistakes in life, be they professional and/or personal. If we didn't, we'd all be married to the first guy or girl we ever dated. We would have aced every test in school. We would wake up every day and never make an error of any kind at our job or in our personal lives. It is said that to err is human. We accept this notion. Athletes make mistakes all the time on the field. They are called errors, strikeouts, home runs, touchdowns, interceptions, fouls, goals allowed and so on. While we may get initially angry when a player on our favorite team makes an error, we get over it.
Fans make errors, too. We routinely blame the wrong player for a negative outcome. For some reason, game 6 of the 1986 World Series is remembered as the "Buckner Game". It's been 23 years and I'll bet that if you ask 100 people under the age of 30 about that game, more than 50 of them would say the following, "The Red Sox would have won that game if not for Buckner's error". Really? Because the last time I checked, when two teams have the same number of runs at the end of the 10th inning, they play on. The Sox were NOT leading when Mookie Wilson hit the ground ball that went through Buckner's legs. The score was tied. So, had Buckner fielded the ball cleanly and stepped on first for the out......the Red Sox would not have been World Champions. At least not at that moment. The fact that has magically gotten swept under the rug for the past 23 years is that the Red Sox had a 5-3 lead in the 10th inning and Calvin Schiraldi and Bob Stanley, NOT Bill Buckner, let it slip away. First, Schiraldi blew the lead in the 8th inning, but somehow was still in the game in the 10th. After he could not get the final out (the Mets were down to their final strike numerous times), the Sox summoned Bob Stanley to finish the job (about 20 minutes too late). Stanley promptly threw a wild pitch that Kevin Mitchell scored on to tie the game. All that happened before the ball went through Buckner's legs.
Similarly, in 2003, Cubs fans refer to game 6 of the NLCS as the "Bartman Game". With the Cubs 5 outs from the World Series, a fly ball was hit into the stands. Steve Bartman reached for it, and prevented Moises Alou from catching the ball. Several side notes here - first, the ball was in the stands. This means Bartman had as much right to the ball as Alou did. Second, Alou had to jump and reach to get the ball. Even had Bartman not made a play on the ball, I don't think Alou catches it anyway. And the biggest fact that is overlooked by Cubs fans that they seemingly always "accidentally" leave out when telling the story is that before the Marlins would take the lead, the very next hitter up hit a routine ground ball to shortstop Alex Gonzalez. Gonzalez, who was among the league leaders in best fielding percentage. And he proceeded to boot the inning ending grounder. A double play ball that would have ended the inning and probably sent the Cubs to the World Series. But Cubs fans would rather blame a fan than the real culprit, Alex Gonzalez. Which is probably why, over the past 6 years, Cubs fans have gone from being the loveable losers to just the plain old losers.
But again, errors are part of life. We all make them. I have made my fair share already in the short time I have been writing my blogs. And when they are brought to my attention, I correct the error and say thank you to the person who pointed it out. It's called courtesy. I also don't have the luxury of fact checkers and editors, so I think I may make my fair share of errors until I hit the big time. Why do I mention this? Great question, glad you asked. Yesterday, I was reading an article on a website (all names remain anonymous to protect the guilty) and they had made several errors in the article. I figured it would get caught eventually - surely one of the fact checkers or editors would notice the error. I waited and checked. Hours and hours went by. Still the error went uncorrected. Finally, some six hours later, I took it upon myself to email the writer of the article his error. And voi la, not 20 minutes after I emailed him, I checked the site and the article was corrected. Now, was I expecting a footnote saying, "error corrected by David Krakower, and you can read his sports blog at www.addictedtokrak.blogspot.com"? No, I'm vain, but not that vain. But did I even get an email response saying thank you? A simple, "hey, good looking out." Nope. Nada. Zip. Zilch. He passed it off as though he figured it out- or one of his editors did, without ever saying thanks for correcting a fairly egregious error.
So, if you see any errors in my blogs, please let me know. I'll correct them. And I'll say thank you. I may even give you a footnote.
Fans make errors, too. We routinely blame the wrong player for a negative outcome. For some reason, game 6 of the 1986 World Series is remembered as the "Buckner Game". It's been 23 years and I'll bet that if you ask 100 people under the age of 30 about that game, more than 50 of them would say the following, "The Red Sox would have won that game if not for Buckner's error". Really? Because the last time I checked, when two teams have the same number of runs at the end of the 10th inning, they play on. The Sox were NOT leading when Mookie Wilson hit the ground ball that went through Buckner's legs. The score was tied. So, had Buckner fielded the ball cleanly and stepped on first for the out......the Red Sox would not have been World Champions. At least not at that moment. The fact that has magically gotten swept under the rug for the past 23 years is that the Red Sox had a 5-3 lead in the 10th inning and Calvin Schiraldi and Bob Stanley, NOT Bill Buckner, let it slip away. First, Schiraldi blew the lead in the 8th inning, but somehow was still in the game in the 10th. After he could not get the final out (the Mets were down to their final strike numerous times), the Sox summoned Bob Stanley to finish the job (about 20 minutes too late). Stanley promptly threw a wild pitch that Kevin Mitchell scored on to tie the game. All that happened before the ball went through Buckner's legs.
Similarly, in 2003, Cubs fans refer to game 6 of the NLCS as the "Bartman Game". With the Cubs 5 outs from the World Series, a fly ball was hit into the stands. Steve Bartman reached for it, and prevented Moises Alou from catching the ball. Several side notes here - first, the ball was in the stands. This means Bartman had as much right to the ball as Alou did. Second, Alou had to jump and reach to get the ball. Even had Bartman not made a play on the ball, I don't think Alou catches it anyway. And the biggest fact that is overlooked by Cubs fans that they seemingly always "accidentally" leave out when telling the story is that before the Marlins would take the lead, the very next hitter up hit a routine ground ball to shortstop Alex Gonzalez. Gonzalez, who was among the league leaders in best fielding percentage. And he proceeded to boot the inning ending grounder. A double play ball that would have ended the inning and probably sent the Cubs to the World Series. But Cubs fans would rather blame a fan than the real culprit, Alex Gonzalez. Which is probably why, over the past 6 years, Cubs fans have gone from being the loveable losers to just the plain old losers.
But again, errors are part of life. We all make them. I have made my fair share already in the short time I have been writing my blogs. And when they are brought to my attention, I correct the error and say thank you to the person who pointed it out. It's called courtesy. I also don't have the luxury of fact checkers and editors, so I think I may make my fair share of errors until I hit the big time. Why do I mention this? Great question, glad you asked. Yesterday, I was reading an article on a website (all names remain anonymous to protect the guilty) and they had made several errors in the article. I figured it would get caught eventually - surely one of the fact checkers or editors would notice the error. I waited and checked. Hours and hours went by. Still the error went uncorrected. Finally, some six hours later, I took it upon myself to email the writer of the article his error. And voi la, not 20 minutes after I emailed him, I checked the site and the article was corrected. Now, was I expecting a footnote saying, "error corrected by David Krakower, and you can read his sports blog at www.addictedtokrak.blogspot.com"? No, I'm vain, but not that vain. But did I even get an email response saying thank you? A simple, "hey, good looking out." Nope. Nada. Zip. Zilch. He passed it off as though he figured it out- or one of his editors did, without ever saying thanks for correcting a fairly egregious error.
So, if you see any errors in my blogs, please let me know. I'll correct them. And I'll say thank you. I may even give you a footnote.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Hockey Keeps Missing the Mark
"What's the matter, she didn't like her overnight popularity?" Matthew Lillard, playing the very forgettable character of Brock Hudson in the 1999 movie, "She's All That", uttered that line. The movie came out during the height of the NHL's popularity. And the line is very befitting of the NHL's situation. In 1999, the Bird-Magic-MJ era of basketball, was, for all intent and purposes, over (I refuse to acknowledge Jordan ever played for the Wizards, much like I don't acknowledge The Godfather III, Oceans 12, any Rocky after III, or Richard Dreyfuss' believability in The American President). The NBA had just had it's Golden Era, but that had passed. MLB was a year removed from the McGwire-Sosa HR chase, and the steroid whispers were just now becoming real. MLB was still dealing with some fan backlash over the 1994-1995 players strike that led to the cancellation of the 1994 World Series. Hockey was, believe it or not, one or two right moves away from becoming this country's third most popular sport at that time, ahead of the NBA, and inching closer to MLB. But, for some reason, Gary Bettman just will not let that happen. And it's his league. He's the commissioner.
For years in the post-Jordan era, the NBA struggled to find stars that fans enjoyed going to watch. Attendance dipped badly in the early 2000s until the LeBron, Wade, 'Melo draft came around to save us from the Shaq-Kobe Lakers. Meanwhile, even though attendance was up at baseball parks, the steroid whispers grew louder every year, making the most noise during the 2003 season, leading to a drug testing policy finally being put in place in MLB. Hockey was gaining momentum (save for the New Jersey Devils' trap system that bored the hell out of any casual fan) and it was poised for a major jump in American popularity. There was nothing embraceable about the NBA at this time and MLB's drug problem was wearing thin on its casual fans. The American sports fan was begging for something to get excited about other than it's Saturdays, Sundays and Monday Nights in the fall. The NHL responded with an exciting 2003 playoffs, culminating in a 7 game Stanley Cup Finals (no matter how forgettable game 7 was). And the NHL followed that up in 2004 with another 7 game Stanley Cup Finals. And it pitted old school vs. new school. A team from Western Canada against a team from Western Florida. A traditional hockey town against a new-school hockey town. Hockey had arrived. Casual fans were getting behind the sport in America. The "overnight popularity" was here. And then, in an instant, it was gone.
Despite the cautionary tale that was Major League Baseball in 1994-1995, the NHL and its players could not reach a collective bargaining agreement prior to the start of the 2004-2005 season. The entire season, and the playoffs, were gone. The "overnight popularity" was gone. The casual fan was gone. An entire season lost to greed, presumptions, and a league that attempted to prey on its new found popularity, rather than embrace it.
When the NHL returned for the 2005-2006 season, it promised to be a more up-tempo, fan friendly game. And for the most part, it has not disappointed. League scoring is up. The game is much faster paced and far more exciting. The new rules have really opened the game up and let the skill players show off their skill......to mostly half full arenas. Despite the brilliant product on the ice, the casual fan has sadly stayed away. And that is the fault of Bettman, the NHL and its shotty marketing. Sports fans want two things - their favorite teams to win and exciting, heart stopping competition. The two greatest words in sports are "game seven". Since 2000, MLB has provided 2 game sevens in the World Series (2001, 2002); the NBA has provided 1 NBA Finals game 7, in 2005 (and the only one since 1994). Meanwhile, the NHL has provided us with 5 Stanley Cup Finals that have gone 7 games - 2001, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2009. That's pretty impressive. But I challenge any casual fan to name me any champion other than the Penguins this season and the Red Wings last season. And that problem is a direct result of the lack of marketing the NHL does for its teams.
The "face of the NHL" just won the Stanley Cup two months ago. And yet, nary a peep from the NHL this summer, short of releasing next season's schedule and announcing the teams for next year's Winter Classic. For all the conspiracy theorists that claimed that Bettman was "helping Crosby" get the Cup to gain notoriety for the NHL, well if he did, then he's done a piss poor job of capitalizing on his end game. If the guys running the NHL were running the NFL, then Vince McMahon's XFL would be a budding success. Every time the NHL is faced with a golden opportunity, it scoffs at it, and tries to reinvent the puck.
A prime example of this backwards marketing plan is the Winter Classic. The Winter Classic is a brilliant idea. An outdoor hockey game in January. The idea is amazing. And it has gained much popularity the past two seasons. The execution, however, has been God awful. Actually, God awful might be an improvement over the implementation thus far. Words like catastrophic and complete and total blundering come to mind.
In 2008, the NHL re-launched it's outdoor game idea in what was a nice little test run on New Year's Day, in Buffalo, between the Sabres and the Pittsburgh Penguins. The NHL could not have asked for a better result. A full football stadium; a little snow during the game; a game that ended both regulation and overtime in a tie; and finally, the game's "face" (Sidney Crosby) scoring the game winner in a shoot-out, as the snow fell. Everything happened exactly as the NHL could have planned. An unscripted sporting event coming together so perfectly, it could have been scripted. And then, the NHL took it's popularity, and managed to screw it up, yet again. A test run on New Year's Day to judge an event's popularity is fine. But New Year's Day belongs to College Football. It always has and it always will. There are reasons that during the height of ER's popularity on TV, other networks scheduled its most popular shows NOT on Thursdays at 10:00 est. If you know that an audience is already entrenched in something, you don't try to steal them away.....you try to get your own audience at a less popular time. But not Gary Bettman. Not the NHL. He was convinced he could win over a football crazy audience every year on New Year's Day. Never mind the fact that there is a day begging, just begging for a great sporting event to capture a sports-starved audience. There is a weekend between the AFC/NFC Championship games and the Super Bowl, that until 2010, has gone vacant. Nothing goes on that weekend. There is no football. The NHL and NBA have regular season games that have no special context. Baseball is still weeks away from pitchers and catchers reporting. Nothing goes on that weekend. Why, for the love of Wayne Gretzky, did the NHL not schedule its Winter Classic that weekend and get every sports fan in North America behind it? Now, the NFL has finally taken that weekend away, to an extent. That weekend is now the NFL Pro Bowl. But if the Super Bowl is Kim Kardashian, then the Pro Bowl is Khloe. It's still a very winnable weekend for the NHL, if they do it right. You know by say, having the biggest rivalry in the NHL play that weekend....what if they scheduled a game at a historical baseball stadium. Let's call it Fenway Park. So, the Boston Bruins would host it. And let's let them play their biggest rival. Two Original Six teams doing battle (like last year, when the Wings played the Blackhawks at Wrigley Field....just on the wrong day). The Bruins vs. the Canadiens. We'll play it Saturday, the day before the Pro Bowl, when nothing is going on. Or, if you're the NHL, you schedule it for New Year's Day again, and have the Bruins play the Philadelphia Flyers. Oy vey.
Apparently, the NHL just does not want to embrace its overnight popularity.
For years in the post-Jordan era, the NBA struggled to find stars that fans enjoyed going to watch. Attendance dipped badly in the early 2000s until the LeBron, Wade, 'Melo draft came around to save us from the Shaq-Kobe Lakers. Meanwhile, even though attendance was up at baseball parks, the steroid whispers grew louder every year, making the most noise during the 2003 season, leading to a drug testing policy finally being put in place in MLB. Hockey was gaining momentum (save for the New Jersey Devils' trap system that bored the hell out of any casual fan) and it was poised for a major jump in American popularity. There was nothing embraceable about the NBA at this time and MLB's drug problem was wearing thin on its casual fans. The American sports fan was begging for something to get excited about other than it's Saturdays, Sundays and Monday Nights in the fall. The NHL responded with an exciting 2003 playoffs, culminating in a 7 game Stanley Cup Finals (no matter how forgettable game 7 was). And the NHL followed that up in 2004 with another 7 game Stanley Cup Finals. And it pitted old school vs. new school. A team from Western Canada against a team from Western Florida. A traditional hockey town against a new-school hockey town. Hockey had arrived. Casual fans were getting behind the sport in America. The "overnight popularity" was here. And then, in an instant, it was gone.
Despite the cautionary tale that was Major League Baseball in 1994-1995, the NHL and its players could not reach a collective bargaining agreement prior to the start of the 2004-2005 season. The entire season, and the playoffs, were gone. The "overnight popularity" was gone. The casual fan was gone. An entire season lost to greed, presumptions, and a league that attempted to prey on its new found popularity, rather than embrace it.
When the NHL returned for the 2005-2006 season, it promised to be a more up-tempo, fan friendly game. And for the most part, it has not disappointed. League scoring is up. The game is much faster paced and far more exciting. The new rules have really opened the game up and let the skill players show off their skill......to mostly half full arenas. Despite the brilliant product on the ice, the casual fan has sadly stayed away. And that is the fault of Bettman, the NHL and its shotty marketing. Sports fans want two things - their favorite teams to win and exciting, heart stopping competition. The two greatest words in sports are "game seven". Since 2000, MLB has provided 2 game sevens in the World Series (2001, 2002); the NBA has provided 1 NBA Finals game 7, in 2005 (and the only one since 1994). Meanwhile, the NHL has provided us with 5 Stanley Cup Finals that have gone 7 games - 2001, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2009. That's pretty impressive. But I challenge any casual fan to name me any champion other than the Penguins this season and the Red Wings last season. And that problem is a direct result of the lack of marketing the NHL does for its teams.
The "face of the NHL" just won the Stanley Cup two months ago. And yet, nary a peep from the NHL this summer, short of releasing next season's schedule and announcing the teams for next year's Winter Classic. For all the conspiracy theorists that claimed that Bettman was "helping Crosby" get the Cup to gain notoriety for the NHL, well if he did, then he's done a piss poor job of capitalizing on his end game. If the guys running the NHL were running the NFL, then Vince McMahon's XFL would be a budding success. Every time the NHL is faced with a golden opportunity, it scoffs at it, and tries to reinvent the puck.
A prime example of this backwards marketing plan is the Winter Classic. The Winter Classic is a brilliant idea. An outdoor hockey game in January. The idea is amazing. And it has gained much popularity the past two seasons. The execution, however, has been God awful. Actually, God awful might be an improvement over the implementation thus far. Words like catastrophic and complete and total blundering come to mind.
In 2008, the NHL re-launched it's outdoor game idea in what was a nice little test run on New Year's Day, in Buffalo, between the Sabres and the Pittsburgh Penguins. The NHL could not have asked for a better result. A full football stadium; a little snow during the game; a game that ended both regulation and overtime in a tie; and finally, the game's "face" (Sidney Crosby) scoring the game winner in a shoot-out, as the snow fell. Everything happened exactly as the NHL could have planned. An unscripted sporting event coming together so perfectly, it could have been scripted. And then, the NHL took it's popularity, and managed to screw it up, yet again. A test run on New Year's Day to judge an event's popularity is fine. But New Year's Day belongs to College Football. It always has and it always will. There are reasons that during the height of ER's popularity on TV, other networks scheduled its most popular shows NOT on Thursdays at 10:00 est. If you know that an audience is already entrenched in something, you don't try to steal them away.....you try to get your own audience at a less popular time. But not Gary Bettman. Not the NHL. He was convinced he could win over a football crazy audience every year on New Year's Day. Never mind the fact that there is a day begging, just begging for a great sporting event to capture a sports-starved audience. There is a weekend between the AFC/NFC Championship games and the Super Bowl, that until 2010, has gone vacant. Nothing goes on that weekend. There is no football. The NHL and NBA have regular season games that have no special context. Baseball is still weeks away from pitchers and catchers reporting. Nothing goes on that weekend. Why, for the love of Wayne Gretzky, did the NHL not schedule its Winter Classic that weekend and get every sports fan in North America behind it? Now, the NFL has finally taken that weekend away, to an extent. That weekend is now the NFL Pro Bowl. But if the Super Bowl is Kim Kardashian, then the Pro Bowl is Khloe. It's still a very winnable weekend for the NHL, if they do it right. You know by say, having the biggest rivalry in the NHL play that weekend....what if they scheduled a game at a historical baseball stadium. Let's call it Fenway Park. So, the Boston Bruins would host it. And let's let them play their biggest rival. Two Original Six teams doing battle (like last year, when the Wings played the Blackhawks at Wrigley Field....just on the wrong day). The Bruins vs. the Canadiens. We'll play it Saturday, the day before the Pro Bowl, when nothing is going on. Or, if you're the NHL, you schedule it for New Year's Day again, and have the Bruins play the Philadelphia Flyers. Oy vey.
Apparently, the NHL just does not want to embrace its overnight popularity.
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