Remembering Jim Johnson

We can easily name some of the greatest coaches in the game. Names like Vince Lombardi and Chuck Noll roll off the tounge with ease. But in today’s NFL, coordinators are just as important, if not more important in some roles, than the head coach. That is why we need to remember a defensive innovator such as Jim Johnson, who died July 28 after losing a battle with cancer.

Jim Johnson spent over forty years coaching, first in the college ranks before a quick USFL stint, and then finally emerged into the NFL in 1986. Eight seasons as defensive line and secondary coach for the Arizona Cardinals saw the start of a promising career.

Johnson finally took the reigns as a defensive coordinator in 1997 for the Indianapolis Colts, but that reign was short lived as he was fired immediately after the season. However, behind every door is another opportunity.

After a stint as linebackers coach in 1998 with the Seahawks, which saw that team score eight interceptions for touchdowns, 2^nd most in NFL history, Jim Johnson took over as the Philadelphia Eagles Defensive Coordinator, a role he held until just this past Sunday.

With Johnson, Head Coach Andy Reid was allowed to focus more on his offense, giving full reign of the defense to Johnson, who did not disappoint. His tenure saw some of the most tenacious Eagle defenses ever in the NFL.

Johnsons teams recorded 342 sacks in a seven year span (2000-07), most in the NFL. In that same span, his team allowed the fourth fewest points per game (17.6). His 2001 team was probably his most tenacious, as they were just the fourth team to ever allow less than 21 points a game for the entire season. That streak ran a total of 34 games, second most in NFL history.

Johnson has had 26 Pro Bowl selections from his defensive units, from players including Brian Dawkins, Hugh Douglas, Troy Vincent, and Asante Samuel.

It is extremely rare that we see a coordinator be given such freedom to run his defense, especially in today’s win now or go home NFL. Coaches keep their coordinators on tight leashes, as they’re trying to save their jobs, and the coordinators are working for head coaching jobs.

Jim Johnson had a gift for pressure through various blitz packages. As a New York Giants fan, I got to see this from both sides, whether it be a sea of green slamming down on Eli Manning, or when one of Johnson’s disciples, Steve Spagnuolo, spent two years using those same schemes running his defense.

There will be many NFL coaches and coordinators, but it is highly unlikely we will ever see another Jim Johnson.

This post was submitted by Ryan of The Sportmeisters.

How Did the Indians Get Back Here So Soon

In a move that surprised few but disgusted many, the Cleveland Indians dealt left-handed ace Cliff Lee and outfielder Ben Francisco to the Philadelphia Phillies for a handful of minor league prospects.  It has also been reported that the Indians are flying a white flag at Progressive Field. 
 
How did the Indians get back here again… and so soon?
 
After an amazing run in the mid- and late-90s that included six division titles (the last in 2001) and two pennants – but zero World Series championships – the Indians were confronted with the inevitability of rebuilding that teams without unlimited checkbooks experience.
 
Ownership had changed hands in 2000 when Cleveland-native Larry Dolan bought the team from the beloved Jacobs family.  General Manager John Hart, who had been largely responsible for the resurrection of the once-proud franchise, saw the writing on the wall and resigned after the 2001 season.  Dolan promptly replaced him with Hart’s assistant, Sabermetrics-oriented Mark Shapiro. 
 
Not knowing much about the new front office, Tribe fans wondered what type of owner they had inherited:  a rich guy who spends whatever it takes to keep young prospects and sign stud free agents, all in the name of winning, or a rich guy who prefers to hang onto his cash and rake in the profits from his “investment.”
 
Dolan assured fans that when the time came, he would spend the money.  Shapiro said there was a plan.
 
Tribe fans bought it.
 
At the behest of Dolan, Shapiro slashed payroll by refusing to resign high-priced talent left over from the 90s and abstaining from big spending in free agency.  He also traded anyone that would fetch multiple minor league prospects in return.
 
Meanwhile, Indians fans watched as their team was stripped down to the core.  Even though fans suffered through the big league club’s string of mediocre seasons, they remained optimistic about the success that their stockpile of young talent would someday bring.
 
You think we’d know better by now, huh?
 
Actually, it looked good for awhile.  Tribe fans became believers in Shapiro’s philosophy, especially when it turned out that one of his earliest and most noteworthy moves – the trade of Bartolo Colon to Montreal – had yielded future superstars Grady Sizemore and Cliff Lee.  Shapiro was even named Executive of the Year by Sporting News in 2005.
 
With a solid nucleus that also included future All-Stars CC Sabathia and Victor Martinez, the Indians looked poised to make a deep run in the playoffs.
 
And they did.
 
In 2007, the Indians won their first AL Central title since 2001, finishing 96-66.  They took out the New York Yankees in a thrilling divisional series, but ultimately blew a 3-1 series lead against Boston in the American League Championship Series.
 
The blown lead was gut-wrenching, but that, of course, is something Cleveland fans are used to dealing with.  In fact, Tribe fans remained wildly optimistic.  After all, the team was so young and so good!  They’d have plenty more cracks it.
 
That was less than 2 years ago.
 
Now, after two supremely disappointing seasons – each of which included the trade of the reigning AL Cy Young award winner – the Indians appear hopelessly headed for rebuilding mode once again.
 
It seems like Shapiro’s plan all along was to make the Indians just good enough to make one deep run in the playoffs.  The problem is that they didn’t cash it in and win it all.
 
Meanwhile, the players that gave the Indians their best shot at a championship in ten years – specifically, the guys they drafted and traded for earlier in the decade – have earned respect around Major League Baseball.  And in baseball, respect equals big-money contracts.
 
By trading Sabathia last year and Lee this year, the Indians have made it clear that they will have no part in hanging onto the very talent that they spent years and dollars acquiring and cultivating (while the fans patiently waited). 
 
The trade of Lee is devastating to the passion and loyalty of Tribe fans.  But it’s not the trade itself that hurts so much as it is the reality that the Indians’ next chance at contending for a future championship just got pushed back several years.
 
Ahh, yes.  The future.  The future holds another stockpile of young players with undetermined value.  Like last year, the Indians did not get any major league-ready talent in return for their prized pitcher.  In fact, they didn’t even get the Phillies’ best prospects.  You know, the ones Toronto wanted for their ace, Roy Halladay?
 
(For the record, I have grown to hate the word “prospect.”)
 
No, the Indians only got four guys that they hope will be good enough to make it to the majors someday.  Unfortunately, quantity does not guarantee quality.
 
Meanwhile, the most talented Indians currently remaining on the roster are left to play out their contracts while they patiently wait for their turn to be traded.
 
So, as the trade deadline approaches, whether or not the Indians trade Victor Martinez this year is completely irrelevant.  It’s not as if they’re going to sign him to a long-term contract.  Martinez will simply become just another star player who finishes out his career elsewhere.  And then it will be Grady Sizemore, and then it will be the next former-prospect who commands big money on the open market, and so on.
 
The most discouraging fact of all is that Indians have no solution to remain a perennial contender.  The last two seasons have proven that their scouting and player development are not even close to where they need to be.  How else do you explain what has happened since 2007?
 
Even when they do hit on a prospect, the front office doesn’t bother going the extra mile to keep him.  After all, the Indians have already spent tons of time and money on developing the prospect in the minor leagues.  Why would they want to spend even more on him? 
 
What is even the point of drafting and trading for prospects if the team just plans on getting rid of them once they command bigger money?
 
Sadly, it’s become all too obvious that the Indians’ strategy is to keep payroll extremely low, find the right mix of good players who aren’t expensive, and catch lightning in a bottle.  If it works, great – and if not, tear it down and start all over again.
 
Dolan has proven to be a liar and an owner who doesn’t care about winning.  Unfortunately, the Indians still appear to be profitable, so don’t expect things to change.  One thing is for sure:  payroll won’t be increasing anytime soon.
 
Shapiro is a phony.  Other than getting lucky on a few prospects and trades, the team has huge holes, most of which have existed since Shapiro took over.  Other than 2007, the bullpen has been a disgrace every single year.  They have also made no effort to get position players (third base, left field) that they need to round out the batting order.  Shapiro’s leadership has led to exactly two winning seasons in eight years.
 
Then again, perhaps Shapiro was being honest all along when he said he had a plan.  Indians fans just didn’t realize his plan included only one legitimate shot to win per decade. 

This post was submitted by The Coop.

Talking Sports In A War Zone

Since creating The Sportmeisters with Derek, and expanding to include Justin and our Webmaster Josh, I have made a concerned effort to keep my personal life away from my Sportmeister life. Though my wife can tell you different until I passed on most of my work to Josh, the whole plan was to never discuss what I do outside of my sports work. Well, eventually, the day would come where both would come together. I’m in the Air Force, and have recently been sent to Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. This would explain why we’ve stopped our podcasts for the forseeable future, but I couldn’t just stop dealing with sports. It’s been my whole life!

I decided I was going to make an effort, and continue to follow my sports, especially in the fall, when the baseball playoffs, as well as College Football and the NFL get started. That truly is the greatest time of the year. The only problem is I’m currently eight and a half hours ahead of myself on the East Coast. Makes watching a 1pm New York Giants kickoff slightly difficult. However, one of the greatest things the military does is take care of the morale.

Whether it’s the Armed Forces Network (AFN), which shows live and tape delayed broadcasts of all games (which can get confusing), or the daily Stars and Stripes newspaper, which, in an amazing feat, manages to have the previous days sports stories and news scores, I can get my sports fix. AFN shows events from Baseball games, to Sportscenter, to the WNBA, to the X Games. No sport goes unturned.

I’ve already dealt with some interesting times trying to watch the games. It’s real easy to get confused watching a game while eating lunch, looking at my watch and realizing it’s the middle of the night back home, and I’m seeing a tape delayed. Or its even more confusing to sit in an airport, watching the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles play while it’s light outside on the east coast and darkness in Turkey.

Following sports has been a passion of mine for so many years, and to give it up when I’m a few hours ahead is just something I am not prepared to do. I plan on watching my favorite teams, whether it’s in the pool hall, or if I happen to have a television connection in my room (whenever I get one).Sports has been a way for me to let my mind go, and focus on something other than the world around me. Getting lost in a football game and noticing the nuances in plays being run, or making a phone call to Derek to talk any number of fantasy sports helps my days go by a lot faster, especially the most difficult ones.

Throughout the next few months, I plan on trying to open people’s eyes about watching sports while in a war zone. Besides my normal blogs about events going on, whether its my building the perfect player, my NCAA top 25, or any other top event that needs to be discussed, I’m going to let you, the reader, know what its like to be up at three in the morning to watch a game, all without beer, and surrounded by tons of people in the same situation.

We take for granted the ability to sit down at home, in a bar, at a friend’s house, or even at the stadium. Not wearing my teams colors on game day will be a difficult challenge, one I’ve dealt with only a few other times. However, I am a sports fan, and I am a Sportmeister, and no matter where I am, whats going on around me, or what time is it, will I ever let go of the teams I love and the sports I watch.

This post was submitted by Ryan of The Sportmeisters.

Roger Federer is Still the One-Power Rankings July 27th

The Top 10

1. Roger Federer—ATP Ranking: No. 1

Last Four Tournaments Played: Wimbledon [Winner] 2000 pts, Roland Garros [Winner] 2000 pts, Madrid [Winner] 1000 pts, and Rome [Semifinalist] 360 pts. Total pts 5360.

Roger Federer’s world has been enriched by the stork depositing a double bundle on the happy couple—while his tennis fortunes have also been twice blessed. He sits as No. 1 atop the ATP rankings, as well as our power rankings.

Federer has not taken the court since the record-setting win during the Wimbledon final against Andy Roddick. The hard court season will not get underway for the world No. 1 until the Rogers Cup in early August. We will see if those late night feedings and diaper changes have affected the Federer serve!

2. Robin Soderling—ATP Ranking: No. 12

Last Four Tournaments Played: German Open [R3] 45 pts, Swedish Open [Winner] 250 pts, Wimbledon [R16] 180 pts, Roland Garros [Runner-Up] 1,200 pts. Total pts 1675.

Robin Soderling stumbled at the German Open, falling to Nicolas Almagro in the third round, but won the Swedish Open in fine fashion. He took over the No. 2 spot from Rafael Nadal because Nadal has been inactive for almost two months.

That’s a lot of points that Rafa could not defend; Soderling benefits.

Soderling continues to make believers out of tennis prognosticators who expect his streak to end abruptly. Hard courts are the Swede’s best surface.

3. Andy Roddick—ATP Ranking: No. 6

Last Four Tournaments Played: Wimbledon [Finalist] 1200 pts, Queens [Semifinalist] 90 pts, Roland Garros [R16] 180 pts, Madrid [Quarterfinalist] 180 pts. Total pts 1650.

Too bad for promoters that Andy Roddick failed to appear at Indianapolis because of a nagging hip injury. This was the same injury that kept him out of Davis Cup competition the week following Wimbledon.

So far, not many in the ATP top 10 are playing in the early weeks of the hard court season. After the blazing spotlight of a sizzling Wimbledon final, Roddick retains the No. 3 spot in our power rankings.

We wait to see how severe the injury is and what scars remain hidden from his devastating loss to Federer at Wimbledon as he returns to action in Washington, DC.

4. Andy Murray—ATP Ranking: No. 3

Last Four Tournaments Played: Wimbledon [Semifinalist] 720 pts, Queens [Winner] 250 pts, Roland Garros [Quarterfinalist] 360 pts, Madrid [Quarterfinalist] 180 pts. Total pts 1510.

Last year during the hard court season—the summer of unending angst for Federer fans—Andy Murray made his charge up the proverbial hill all the way to the finals of the US Open.

Returning to Miami for practice on the hard courts this week, Murray cannot help but remember the importance of the ATP Rogers Cup and Cincinnati Tennis Tournaments. These hard court Masters events should bring life back to Andy’s game as he readies himself for a shot at the Big Apple’s US Open title.

5. Juan Martin del Potro—ATP Ranking: No. 5

Last Four Tournaments Played: Wimbledon [R64] 45 pts, Roland Garros [Semifinalist] 720 pts, Madrid [Semifinalist] 360 pts, Rome [Quarterfinalist] 180 pts. Total pts 1405.

Last year’s winner of the L.A. Open, Juan Martin del Potro, isn’t playing the tournament this week. In fact, del Potro hasn’t played tennis since the Davis Cup tie with Czechoslovakia.

He plans to return to action next week in Washington, DC. Last year, del Potro won four hard court tournaments, helping to propel him into the top 10. Whether he can repeat those wins and retain his ranking is the question at this point. Like Nadal, he has many points to defend (or lose).

6. Fernando Gonzalez—ATP Ranking: No. 11

Last Four Tournaments Played: Wimbledon [R32] 90 pts, Roland Garros [Semifinalist] 720 pts, Rome [Semifinalist] 360 pts, Barcelona [Semifinalist] 180 pts. Total pts 1350.

Fernando Gonzalez has been playing great tennis of late—well, when he is playing. Like so many of the top players, Gonzalez has been lying low until the Legg-Mason Tennis Classic in Washington, DC.

Gonzo can climb back into the top 10 of the ATP rankings by doing well on the hard courts, where he traditionally shines. He is firmly ensconced in the power ranking top 10 already.

7. Tommy Haas—ATP Ranking: No. 22

Last Four Tournaments Played: Wimbledon [Semifinalist] 720 pts, Halle [Winner] 250 pts, Roland Garros [R16] 180 pts, Madrid [R32] 70 pts. Total pts 1220.

Tommy Haas is in action this week as the headliner at the L.A. Open. It is his first outing after his sterling Wimbledon and French Open runs. Haas has made the most of his return to form and is playing the best tennis of his career. The hard court season offers an opportunity to continue his fantastic run.

Coming off an injury-riddled campaign, the German has nothing to defend; whatever he does is gravy to his ATP ranking.

8. Nikolay Davydenko—ATP Ranking: No. 9

Last Four Tournaments Played: German Open [Winner] 500 pts, Mercedes Cup [Quarterfinalist] 45 pts, Wimbledon [R32] 90 pts, Roland Garros [Quarterfinalist] 360 pts. Total pts 995.

Davydenko won his first tournament of the year after suffering through the several months of 2009 with injuries. This win sends him back into the ATP Top 10, where he has been a fixture over the past few years. The way back has been difficult, but Davydenko has persevered. Hard courts will be better than grass for the Russian.

9. Novak Djokovic—ATP Ranking: No. 4

Last Four Tournaments Played: Wimbledon [Quarterfinalist] 360 pts, Halle [Runner-Up] 150 pts, Roland Garros [R32] 90 pts, Madrid [Semifinalist] 360 pts. Total pts 960.

The Djoker is mild. Gone are the bravado and the ego. We have only seen the shell of this former Slam winner so far this year. He admitted that he could not overcome his nerves when facing Tommy Haas at Wimbledon.

Come on, Djokovic—Tommy Haas? Soon he will be replaced by del Potro or even Roddick as the world No. 4 player. Get it together quickly, Djokovic—now, while the asphalt is hot, and the season seesaws with injured and distracted players.

10. Juan Carlos Ferrero—ATP Ranking: No. 36

Last Four Tournaments Played: Wimbledon [Quarterfinalist] 360 pts, Queen’s Club [Semifinalist] 90 pts, Roland Garros [R64] 45 pts, Madrid [R64] 25 pts. Total pts 520.

Ferrero is playing this week in Croatia on clay. He has enjoyed some relative success of late and has seen mild resurgence. Hard courts remain a favorite surface, although clay is Ferrero’s surface of choice.

Outside Looking In

Rafael Nadal

The former world No. 1 is ready to return to the hard courts for the Rogers Cup in early August. He held on to the No. 1 ranking less than one year, and he will be fighting to get it back.

Fernando Verdasco

He pulled a calf muscle playing in the Swedish Open, forcing him to retire. After making a strong statement earlier in the year, the hunky Spaniard has been slowed a bit by injury and bad luck, running into the streaky players early in major tournaments.

Lleyton Hewitt

Lleyton Hewitt has fought his way back from the abyss by refusing to give up. He fought off Roddick in the quarterfinals of Wimbledon before falling to him in five tough sets. Hewitt is not done by any stretch of the imagination.

This post was submitted by JA Allen.

UFL may be best bet for Vick

For once, I actually have to agree with Terrell Owens. When talking to reporters last Sunday at the Bills training camp, he was asked to chime in on the Michael Vick situation. T.O. probably was not on Roger Goodell’s Christmas list, but after speaking, it’s safe to say he won’t be getting a card this winter. Owens said that he was disappointed in the way Goodell is handling the Vick situation and even suggested that the commissioner spend some time in jail. I don’t take it to that extreme, but T.O. had a point.

Goodell has decided that Vick will be reinstated conditionally. The conditions are as follows; the former Atlanta star can participate in preseason games, workouts, and meetings. He can also play in the final two preseason games. Vick may also be involved with team activities. This is assuming he finds a team that is willing to deal with the backlash and media attention that will come with signing Vick. Goodell will consider Vick for full reinstatement by week six. This is where the issue arises.

I can’t say that I’m surprised that Goodell has decided to go this way. Ever since he came into the league, he has put the iron fist down on the league. Some detractors say that he has made it the “No Fun League”. There is certainly nothing funny about Vick’s ruling.

When you consider what Vick has been through, it seems as if Goodell is kicking a man that is already down. Yes, what Vick did with those dogs was wrong. However, he served 18 months in prison and paid his debt to society. Vick, who was once the highest paid player in the league, has lost millions and his image has definitely taken a hit. Is that not enough to earn a second chance?

The NFL does have an image to uphold, but there is a certain point where protecting your image becomes ridiculous when you are not even protecting a player’s image. Goodell is certainly not protecting Vick’s image, because the suspension will make owners even more wary to take a gamble on him. The bottom line is that what Vick did and the time he served has nothing to do with him playing NFL football. But of course in professional sports, the common denominator is money. A team that signs Vick faces the potential to lose interest from fans and sponsors.

Teams were already thinking twice about giving Vick a shot, now he may not be able to play until six games into the season. Any chance that Vick had in a comeback trail has taken a hit. For Vick, his situation is two-fold. He is facing the public dismay from those who have doubts as to whether or not he can move back into the NFL limelight without any problems off the field. There also is the matter of his actual ability. Not known as the prototypical signal caller, Vick was a special talent. Who knows the next time we will see a quarterback rush for over 1,000 yards in a season. Vick ran for 1,039 in 2006.

He played his last game on December 31, 2006, in a 24-17 lost against the Eagles. Obviously after being away from the field for so long, questions have come up as to if Vick can still make the spectacular play look routine. He may not be used as an every down quarterback, but would certainly be able to be effective in certain situations. Vick may have lost a step or two, but I’m sure he can fill a back up role. I’m not ready to say he can no longer start for a team neither.

In order to prove those who doubt his on and off the field ability wrong, his best bet is to join the newly formed United Football League. Odds are that if Vick does decide to join the league, he will be the face of the league. With Jim Haslett, Dennis Green, Ted Cottrell, and Jim Fassel pegged in as the head coaches, he would be afforded the opportunity to work under proven coaches. Maybe Vick will be able to show flashes of his ability and that could spark interest. Another factor is that league owners will have a better knowledge of the magnitude of potential protests against whoever signs the quarterback. It’s a winning situation for Vick. He needs to be on the field. Instead of waiting for the commissioner to decide his fate, Vick is taking matters into his own hand. Not only will he be getting paid to play the game he loves (a UFL team could pay him $1.6 million for six games), he will be able to feel what its like to get hit again, get back into the flow of the game, and prove to be a good role model for kids everywhere.

Who knows what will be the final end to Michael Vick’s career. As of right now, Roger Goodell is not making it easy. Vick has done all that he can do. On top of the time served, he has worked with the Boys and Girls Club, talked to former head coach Tony Dungy, and said the right things. I don’t know what Goodell is looking for. The only way to find out is to allow Vick to be a full member in the NFL. But Goodell thinks otherwise.

Hopefully Vick makes the best decision for himself and his family. From the looks of it, the UFL may be it. By November, depending on his performance on and off the field, an NFL team may take the chance. Maybe he will reclaim his throne as a starting quarterback and relive memories of when he made two Viking defenders look foolish colliding into each other. More importantly, hopefully he will get the chance to prove his ability to be a productive citizen.

This post was submitted by Jonathan Marshall.

Favre Stays Retired

From the news of the obvious, something we’ve been watching for 4 months, has finally been verified, that Brett Favre will not come out of retirement, therefore he won’t be joining the Minnesota Vikings.

So after stringing along the Vikings, the media, and a legion of fans across the country, Favre let the cat out of the bag last night. All I can say is, who cares?

Big deal! Does he think his last ditch quest to get his name in the news would end any differently? Did he think he was going to wake up one day and not be any older, or less damaged after years of getting pounded as a quarterback in the NFL? I thought he was really disingenuous to the Vikings, who desperately need a quarterback, and who were convinced he was the one. So instead of looking elsewhere, they put all their eggs into the Brett Favre basket, and came out of it with nothing better than scrambled eggs. And no quarterback. Well, now maybe they will interview recently reinstated dog fighter extraordinaire, Michael Vick, who is being represented in a way, by Tony Dungy, who was part of the Minnesota organization for years. It makes sense, because Vick needs a team, the Vikings need a quarterback, and Dungy probably wants to dip his feet back into NFL waters again. While incarcerated, Vick received frequent visits from Dungy, who has been working with troubled people since leaving the game. I’m sure there are other quarterbacks out there, especially on teams that are 3 and 4 deep at the position, but if ever there was a match made in heaven, it’s the Vikings and Vick. Then they could be the Minnesota Vickings, and things would be wonderful.

In a totally unrelated story, Pedophile Jackson is still dead, although with the massive amount of media coverage he still gets, you would think the drug addicted, freak show, child rapist, was still alive. I mean, what a country we live in where a drug addled, pedophile gets revered just because he used to be able to sing decades ago, and never has to do a single day of hard time for his vile and illegal deeds, because he had enough money to pay his victim’s parents, or lawyers to squash it if it made it to court. A common man would be doing 25 to life. What a country.

Story by Jonn Jonas

This post was submitted by John jonas.

Fantasy Baseball Week 16 Winners, Losers, And Waiver Wire Wonders

Another week of baseball in the books means another winners, losers, and waiver wire wonders blog from the fantasy guru. Keep in mind, the stats I show are the players stats for the week, not on the season. Let’s go!

Winners

SP – Mark Buehrle – Chicago White Sox – 9 IP, 1 CG, 1 W, 6 K, 0 BB, 0 HA, 0 ER

Perfection! Buehrle pitched a perfect game last week and has been on fire recently, winning four of his last five starts. He is 11-3 on the season and looks to be one of the best pitchers in baseball right now. As long as he stays this hot, continue to start him every week.

SP – Justin Verlander – Detroit Tigers – 9 IP, 1 CG, 1 W, 4 K, 4 BB, 6 HA, 0 ER

Verlander strikes again. The Tigers Ace moved to 11-5 on the year and has now won three of his last five games. He remains a must start fantasy Ace.

SP – John Lannan – Washington Nationals – 17 IP, 1 CG, 1 W, 3 K, 1 BB, 12 HA, 1 ER

Lannan has been surprisingly good for the not surprisingly bad Nationals. He is now 7-7 on the year and has only allowed three runs in his last 23 innings. He has put together good back-to-back starts and should be started while he’s hot…if he’s owned.

SP – Jorge De La Rosa – Colorado Rockies – 14.3 IP, 2 W, 13 K, 1 BB, 11 HA, 3 ER

Where did this guy come from? De La Rosa has been on fire recently, winning six of his last seven starts and hasn’t lost a decision since June 16^th. Not bad for a guy who was 0-6 on May 31^st. He is an intriguing option while he’s hot and you will probably see him on my waiver wire list later.

SP – Rich Harden – Chicago Cubs – 13 IP, 1 W, 14 K, 2 BB, 5 HA, 2 ER

Harden is finally starting to turn it around after coming back from injury. He is 2-0 in his last three starts and has only allowed two runs in 19 innings. He looks to be back to his normal self again, so feel free to start him with confidence.

SP – Cliff Lee – Cleveland Indians – 16 IP, 1 CG, 2 W, 8 K, 0 BB, 13 HA, 3 ER

Last year’s CY Young winner is finally getting back on track with three straight wins, two of them being complete games. He has only allowed four runs in 25 innings and has 14 strikeouts to zero walks. He was always a must start and now he is showing why.

RP – J.P. Howell – Tampa Bay Rays – 3.7 IP, 1 W, 2 SV, 6 K, 1 BB, 1 HA, 0 ER

Howell has locked down the closer’s role in Tampa and has been lights out, not allowing a run in his last six and two thirds innings. He has five saves and a win in his last six appearances and has a 6-2 record with 11 saves on the year. Not to mention his microscopic 1.82 ERA. The Rays have been rumored to be searching for another closer, so monitor this closely, but continue to deploy Howell while he keeps shutting the door on opponents.

RP – Fernando Rodney – Detroit Tigers – 3 IP, 1 W, 2 SV, 4 K, 1 BB, 1 HA, 0 ER

Rodney locked down two more saves last week, moving his season total to 21. He also picked up his first win of the year and hasn’t allowed a run in his last six innings. Keep starting him in all formats and enjoy the saves.

RP – Jose Valverde – Houston Astros – 3 IP, 1 W, 2 SV, 3 K, 0 BB, 2 HA, 0 ER

Valverde has been on fire in July. He has five saves and a win, only allowing one run in 10 innings. He missed all of May with an injury and only has 11 saves on the year because of that. Continue to start him and expect at least 15 more saves this year.

RP – Mariano Rivera – New York Yankees – 2.7 IP, 3 SV, 3 K, 0 BB, 0 HA, 0 ER

Another stellar week for Rivera. He continues to rack up the saves, moving his season total to 29. He is a must start fantasy closer and should always be in your lineup in all formats.

OF – Matt Holliday – St. Louis Cardinals – .556 BA, 15 H, 10 R, 7 Doubles, 2 HR, 10 RBI, 3 BB, 3 K, 1 SB

Holliday has started his Cardinal career off on the right foot. He was traded on Friday and played that night and went four for five with an RBI and a stolen base. He had a total of 15 hits last week and drove in 10 runs. He was always a must start and now in St. Louis, he remains as such.

1B – Justin Morneau – Minnesota Twins – .333 BA, 9 H, 8 R, 1 Double, 5 HR, 11 RBI, 6 BB, 3 K

Morneau has been good all year and this was just another great week for the former MVP. He drove five out of the park and tallied 11 RBI’s. He is hitting .315 on the year with a total of 26 home runs and 82 RBI’s. He is an elite fantasy player and should be in your lineup at all times.

SS – Stephen Drew – Arizona Diamondbacks – .500 BA, 15 H, 10 R, 5 Doubles, 2 Triples, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 3 BB, 3 K, 1 SB

For all of you who lost your faith and didn’t listen to me when I said he would bounce back…I told you so. Drew has been on fire recently and has raised his average from a miserable .211 at the end of May up to .279 near the end of July. He had 16 RBI’s in June and has nine so far this month. The move back to the top of the order looks to have helped him reclaim his fantasy glory and he should not leave your lineup, as he is a top tier fantasy shortstop.

OF – Andre Ethier – Los Angeles Dodgers – .546 BA, 12 H, 8 R, 5 Doubles, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 5 BB, 3 K

Ethier is on an eight game hitting streak and has six RBI’s in those eight games. He is benefiting from having Manny Ramirez back in the lineup and is hitting .271 with 20 home runs and 62 RBI’s on the year. Continue to start him in all formats.

OF – Ryan Braun – Milwaukee Brewers – .385 BA, 10 H, 5 R, 2 Doubles, 1 Triple, 3 HR, 8 RBI, 1 BB, 5 K, 1 SB

Braun’s fantastic season just keeps on rolling. He hit three home runs and drove in eight with a stolen base last week, driving his season totals to 20, 68, and nine with a .316 batting average. He is an elite fantasy Outfielder and should be started in all formats at all times.

OF – Jason Kubel – Minnesota Twins – .296 BA, 8 H, 4 R, 1 Double, 3 HR, 10 RBI, 7 BB, 6 K

Kubel isn’t your everyday fantasy player, but he has been fantastic this season. He is hitting .306 on the year and added three home runs and 10 RBI’s to his season totals of 18 and 58. He isn’t on a hot streak, but isn’t running cold either. Go ahead and start him and expect up to 25 home runs.

SS – Jimmy Rollins – Philadelphia Phillies – .250 BA, 8 H, 7 R, 2 Doubles, 3 HR, 10 RBI, 2 BB, 4 K, 1 SB, 2 CS

Batting .250 for the week isn’t great, but the 10 RBI’s are really good. Rollins has bounced back from his benching in late June and has hit .327 in July, raising his average 30 points. He isn’t having a great year, but is starting to turn it around, so go ahead and keep starting him because he is an elite shortstop when he is going well.

Losers

3B – Brandon Inge – Detroit Tigers – .200 BA, 4 H, 2 R, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 2 BB, 7 K

Inge has now had two bad weeks in a row coming out of the break. His knee injury is obviously bothering him more than he will let on. He does have 21 home runs and 58 RBI’s on the year, but you have to start to watch him and that knee injury. One more bad week and you may need to stash him on the bench, but for now, continue to start him.

2B – Freddy Sanchez – Pittsburgh Pirates – .077 BA, 2 H, 1 R, 0 Doubles, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 BB, 9 K, 0 SB

Sanchez had a horrible week. Not just that week though, as he is stuck in a three for 36 slump. He also has a sore left knee, which doesn’t help things. He is hitting .296 on the year and should rebound from this slump to hit his usual .300 or better, so don’t drop him, just stash him away on the bench until he is back on track.

1B – Albert Pujols – St. Louis Cardinals – .208 BA, 5 H, 3 R, 0 Doubles, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 2 BB, 1 K, 0 SB

This was just a fluke week. Pujols showed that he is human after all, having just five hits in 24 At-Bats last week and no home runs. However, he is still the best player in fantasy and in no means should he be benched at all…Ever!

1B – Aubrey Huff – Baltimore Orioles – .050 BA, 1 H, 1 R, 0 Doubles, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 1 BB, 6 K

Huff hasn’t been a bust so far this year, but he hasn’t been great either. He has just 11 home runs and is hitting just .251, down from .275 since the end of June. However, he hit 18 home runs and drove in 62 after June last year. Keep him stashed until he turns it around.

RP – Scott Downs – Toronto Blue Jays – 3 IP, 2 L, 2 K, 4 BB, 6 HA, 5 ER

Downs has struggled since being activated from the DL. He has allowed five runs in the last week and just doesn’t appear to be the same. However, he doesn’t have any real threats to take his closer’s job away, so go ahead and leave him on your bench until he straightens things out.

RP – Ryan Franklin – St. Louis Cardinals – 0.7 IP, 1 L, 0 K, 0 BB, 4 HA, 2 ER

Franklin showed a chink in his armor last week allowing two runs in less than an inning. The Cardinals didn’t get a chance to put him into another game last week, so that was based on just one game. However, there’s no reason to panic as he has been lights out all year and should still be started in all formats.

SP – Todd Wellemeyer – St. Louis Cardinals – 10 IP, 2 L, 7 K, 2 BB, 18 HA, 9 ER

Wellemeyer has been terrible lately. He has allowed 13 runs in his last 14 innings and hasn’t won a game since July 2^nd. He is now free to be dropped as he is likely headed to the bullpen.

SP – Francisco Liriano – Minnesota Twins – 5.3 IP, 1 L, 3 K, 2 BB, 8 HA, 6 ER

So, I guess he can now be officially labeled a bust. He dropped yet another game on Friday and is now 4-10 on the year with a 5.56 ERA. He has not recovered from Tommy John surgery like everyone thought he would, but I wouldn’t drop him just yet. He still has tremendous potential and should be kept on the bench and thought of as a possible keeper for next year, if he can right the ship.

SP – Nick Blackburn – Minnesota Twins – 8.7 IP, 1 L, 0 K, 1 BB, 19 HA, 13 ER

Yet another Minnesota starter who is struggling right now. He has allowed 13 runs in his last two starts (8.7 innings) and didn’t strike out a batter in either game. He is 8-5 on the year with a 3.75 ERA so he may be able to get it going again. Don’t drop him just yet, but stash him on the bench until he wins again.

Waiver Wire Wonders

SP – Brett Anderson – Oakland Athletics – 6.7 IP, 0 W, 1 L, 7 K, 2 BB, 9 HA, 4 ER

Anderson’s streak of scoreless innings came to an end last week, but he still pitched well. He pitched six and two thirds innings and allowed four runs and nine hits in a losing battle. He has 25 strikeouts to just five walks in 27 innings and if he continues to pitch this well, he looks to be a nice addition to your fantasy team. He is available, only being owned in 6.5 percent of ESPN leagues and 22 percent of Yahoo leagues.

SP – Jorge De La Rosa – Colorado Rockies – 14.3 IP, 2 W, 13 K, 1 BB, 11 HA, 3 ER

Told you that you’d see him here. De La Rosa has been on fire recently, winning six of his last seven starts and hasn’t lost a decision since June 16^th. Not bad for a guy who was 0-6 on May 31^st. He is an intriguing option while he’s hot and is only owned in 12.2 percent of ESPN leagues and 27 percent of Yahoo leagues.

SP – John Lannan – Washington Nationals – 17 IP, 1 CG, 1 W, 3 K, 1 BB, 12 HA, 1 ER

As mentioned earlier, Lannan has been surprisingly good for the not surprisingly bad Nationals. He is now 7-7 on the year and has only allowed three runs in his last 23 innings. He has put together good back-to-back starts and should be started while he’s hot…but most people don’t own him. He’s only owned in 4.7 percent of ESPN leagues and 11 percent of Yahoo leagues, so go ahead and take a flyer on him.

RP – Rafael Soriano – Atlanta Braves – 2 IP, 1 SV, 2 K, 0 BB, 2 HA, 1 ER

Here he is again. He collected another save and although he allowed a run for the first time in his last seven innings, he remains on fire. He still appears to be getting the nod more and more over Mike Gonzalez for saves. He is a must start right now and if he is available (owned in 60.4 percent of ESPN leagues and 74 percent of Yahoo leagues), go ahead and grab him.

OF – Garrett Jones – Pittsburgh Pirates – .464 BA, 13 H, 5 R, 3 Doubles, 3 HR, 6 RBI, 3 BB, 3 K, 1 SB

Jones came out of nowhere for Pittsburgh and has produced exceptionally. He hit three home runs last week and now has 10 home runs in just 88 At-Bats. He is also hitting .330 on the year and has 16 RBI’s. He is going fast, now being owned in 38.1 percent of ESPN leagues and 46 percent of Yahoo leagues, so if you want him you had better grab him fast.

That’s all for now sports fans. Any questions or concerns, email me at Derek@Sportmeisters.com.

This post was submitted by Derek of The Sportmeisters.

Building The Perfect NFL Player: Wide Receiver

It has been a while since the series continued, but with NFL training camps getting into full swing, its time to continue building the perfect NFL players. Remember, this is only using players on active rosters. Today, we will be building the perfect wide receiver. This one took a lot of time, as all The Sportmeisters came in with their opinion on it, but in the end, here is the final product.

Legs: Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals

Since he ran his 4.5 40 in the 2004 combine on his way to getting drafted by the Arizona Cardinals, Larry Fitzgerald has ran fast, and isn’t coming back. The consensus number one receiver in Arizona, Fitzgerald has turned in two 100 catch seasons and has broken the 1,400 receiving yard mark three times already. In every year, he has had a catch of at least forty yards, including a career long 78 yard touchdown catch in 2008. In five seasons, he has 92 career catches of longer than 20 yards. Finally, we all remember his catch during the fourth quarter of the Super Bowl when he took an inside route and turned on the jets. Fitzgerald cannot be slowed down by anyone.

Hands: Randy Moss, New England Patriots

Hands are one of the most important aspects for a receiver, and since his recent resurgence into the NFL elite, Randy Moss’s hands are the greatest in the game today. With an average of 84.3 catches a year in his career (including the two down years in Oakland), Moss has had nine 1,000 yard receiving seasons, and has caught 100 passes in a season twice, and set a QB/WR combo for most touchdowns in a season when he and Tom Brady connected for 23 of them during the 2007 campaign. Moss also knows how to hold onto the ball, with only ten career fumbles (three in 2008). In four of his ten NFL seasons, Moss went without a fumble the entire year. When Moss wants to play, as has been obvious the past two seasons, he makes catches that others could not handle.

Body: Calvin Johnson, Detroit Lions

When you are 6’5’’ of pure speed and muscle, you have the body of a perfect NFL receiver. As the only star on a horrible Detroit Lions team, Calvin Johnson has taken advantage of his opportunities to show off his 4.33 40 yard dash speed that made him the number two pick in the 2007 draft. After a solid rookie campaign, Johnson exploded in 2008 with 78 catches for 1,331 yards and 12 touchdowns (including an amazing 96 yard touchdown catch and go). Johnson now has some additional weapons surrounding him in Detroit, from RB Kevin Smith to rookie QB Matt Stafford, so look for this deadly combination of size, strength, and speed to be making nightmares for defenses in 2009.

Vision: Wes Welker, New England Patriots

This was a tough one, as a lot of factors play into having the right head for a receiver, but the reason Wes Welker shines is no one runs better routes. While arguments could be made that his hands are the key ingredient for the perfect NFL receiver, his ability to see the ball while running over the middle as a slot guy makes his head invaluable for NFL teams. Originally overlooked coming out of Texas Tech, where QBs and WRs are made off of a factory, Welker signed on with the Dolphins, and has blossomed beautifully into his role since becoming the number three receiver since his trade to New England in 2007. In the past two years, he has caught 233 balls for over 2300 yards. As a slot guy, Welker constantly subjects himself to getting leveled by opposing middle linebackers, which would leave most to keep their hands in and run different routes. Not Welker, who has been Tom Brady and Matt Cassel’s top targets over the past two seasons, running crisp, beautiful routes and always having a head for getting the chains moving (10.5 yards per catch average the past two seasons). Simply put, Wes Welker has the vision only an NFL coach could dream of.

Intangibles: Hines Ward, Pittsburgh Steelers

When coming up with this list, Ward fit perfectly into the intangibles role. As the brash, outspoken leader of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Ward does whatever it takes to get the win. Despite having only one 100 yard catch season, Ward has grinded out five 1,000 yard receiving seasons, and twice came with 25 yards of another 1,000. He is not afraid to draw double teams, or go over the middle. He even will come across and lay out an opposing defender, risking his body for the betterment of the team. He has paid the price by missing games in three of the last four seasons, but like a true leader and champion, fights against the pain to lead his team to victory every Sunday. In a world of hot-shot, me now receivers, no one puts the team mentality first better than Hines Ward does.

Five different wide receivers, each with a key ingredient that makes himself the best at that particular piece of the receiver puzzle. Separate, they do fantastic jobs for their teams on Sunday, but if able to combine the legs of Larry Fitzgerald, the hands of Randy Moss, the body of Calvin Johnson, the head of Wes Welker and the intangibles of Hines Ward, then an NFL secondary might want to consider triple-teaming the perfect NFL Wide Receiver.

This post was submitted by By Ryan of The Sportmeisters.

MLS Power Rankings, Week 19

Despite not winning on their home field last week against the surging Chicago Fire, the Seattle Sounders still remained at the top spot in the power rankings — their fifth consecutive week at number one.

And the aforementioned Fire, who were able to earn a point at one of the most difficult venues to play for a road team, leapfrogged the Houston Dynamo in the rankings. Houston fell to the suddenly rejuvinated New England Revolution, 1-0, at Gillete Stadium.

In this week’s rankings, the Columbus Crew made the highest leap, going from the eighth spot last week, up four spots to number four this week; Toronto FC made the biggest plunge, going from number five to the ninth spot. Here is where the rest stand:

1) Seattle Sounders (1): Seattle was taken out of its game, being shut out by Chicago last week, 0-0. But, with the point, they creeped closer to the Dynamo, who lost to the Revs.

2) Chicago Fire (3): The Fire tied Seattle, dropping out of the top spot in the East standings, but are playing solid ball.

3) Houston Dynamo (2): A loss to New England won’t discourage the Dynamo. Brian Ching and Stuart Holden will be back in no time.

4) Columbus Crew (8): With their second straight three-goal game, the Crew won and grabbed hold of the top spot in the Eastern Conference.

5) Los Angeles Galaxy (4): Disappointing only getting a point from a very beatable Kansas City team. It will be interesting to see how the Galaxy will match up with FC Barcelona this weekend.

6) DC United (5): Tying the Earthquakes, 2-2 on July 25, the way they did (blowing a two-goal lead) most likely feels as bad as a loss, if not worse.

7) Chivas USA (7): After the all-star break, Chivas will look to put their recent struggles behind them. They’ll open their unofficial second half of the season August 8 at Colorado.

8 ) Colorado Rapids (9): Blowing out New York, 4-0, may have come a tad easy for the Rapids. But can they duplicate that this weekend against Columbus?

9) Toronto FC (5): Fell short to Columbus last week, 3-2, on the road. They get an ever-improving Revolution team, also on the road, this Saturday.

10) New England Revolution (10): Beating the league-best Dynamo can only boost the team morale. They’ll look to win their third straight this weekend against Toronto FC.

11) Kansas City Wizards (11): Looked good in stopping the Galaxy’s winning streak with a 1-1 draw.

12) Real Salt Lake (12): Took care of business at home, tallying four goals in beating FC Dallas, 4-2.

13) San Jose Earthquakes (15): Great showing on Saturday night, coming back from two goals down to tie DC. However, Ryan Johnson left the game with a left-shoulder injury. They’ll need him if they expect to beat Seattle this weekend.

14) FC Dallas (13): Tough loss last weekend, 4-2 to RSL. FC Dallas still can say, “Hey, at least we aren’t as bad as the Red Bulls.”

15) New York Red Bulls (14): It’s virtually three free points when you play the Red Bulls. That’s good news for New York’s next opponent, Chivas USA, on August 15.

This post was submitted by Giovanni Albanese Jr..

Vernon Forrest Shot Dead

No sooner had we written about the recent death of boxing champion Arturo Gatti, we get the news that former IBF welterweight and WBC junior middleweight champion Vernon Forrest had been gunned down Saturday night , in an apparent robbery in Atlanta, Ga. The 38 year old Forrest amassed a record of 41-3, with 29 knockouts, and held the distinction of being the first man to ever defeat “Sugar” Shane Mosley, to start his rise into the rugged world of prizefighting. He also was a member of the 1992 U.S. Olympic team. Known as one of the true “good guys” of the boxing community, he started the charitable Destiny’s Child series of group homes for the mentally disabled in Atlanta, and was always known as a gracious and charitable fighter.

Praised by HBO Sports president Ross Greenburg for his selfless devotion to those in need, Forrest becomes another of the legion of sports personalities who died way before their time should be up, and joins the long list of people who gave something back to the people, especially the disenfranchised. Allegedly shot in the back during a robbery, he illustrates the insane trend of senseless violence in this country, especially the area known as black on black crime. It is a travesty when a man of this ilk is gunned down, while too many pariahs to society get to cruise through life, and never , ever show any forms of generosity or compassion for their fellow man. In the ying and yang of the crazy universe, we get a wonderful human being struck down in the prime of his life, while an incorrigible windbag like Terrellivant Owens spouts his visceral comments about NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell’s handling of Michael Vick’s suspension for his inhumane crime against pit bulls.

Saying Vick paid for his crime,(I doubt that)and should be reinstated immediately, and went so far as to say that Goodell should sit in a cell for 23 months. Why? What did Goodell do wrong? He didn’t subject a group of helpless dogs to surrender their lives for the pleasure and financial gain of humans, all the while they were beaten, chained, deprived of food, shelter, and when not needed anymore, they were just left to die, not even humanly killed, if there is even such a thing. Just unbelievable, that an over the hill, barely ever was, football player like Terrellivant Owens, has the audacity to make such asinine statements. I’m not saying Owens needs to be killed like Forrest, I just want him to shut up and go away. Go play football, catch the damn ball, because all you are is one of hundreds of men who get paid to catch an oblong piece of leather, and you think that gives you the right to become an expert on the workings of the world. Wrong! You truly are irrelevant!

This post was submitted by Mark O'Leary.

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