Plaxico Burress is in deep DOO-DOO

Plaxico Burress did the right thing and turned himself in. He didn't have a permit to carry a loaded gun in New York and there really was no way for him to get out of it, with such a media circus covering the whole thing. It's rather admirable of him, knowing that he could get 3.5 years of jail time for this silly matter.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg:

Our children are getting killed with guns in the streets. Our police officers are getting killed with guns in the hands of criminals, and because of that, we got the State Legislature to pass a law that if you carry a loaded handgun, you get automatically 3 ½ years in the slammer.

I don’t think that anybody should be exempt from that, and I think it would be an outrage if we didn’t prosecute to the fullest extent of the law, particularly people who live in the public domain, make their living because of their visibility; they are the role models for our kids.

I knew that Bloomberg was tough on crime in New York, but didn't realize he was this tough. I applaud his fearlessness, in the face of fervent Giant fans. It's going to be rather embarassing for Bloomberg if Plaxico doesn't get 3.5 years after such a definitive statement. Yet, something inside of me (disclaimer: I have no legal experience whatsoever) says that he will end up with a much more manageable sentence.

Mikey it seems, shouldn't have been so harsh with his words:

In New York, according to state law, a person carrying a gun without a permit faces at least 3 ½ years in prison if prosecutors prove that the person intended to use the weapon on another person. If intent to use cannot be proved, the person may still face felony charges that could result in up to seven years in prison.

In my opinion it would be tough to prove that a person of Burress's stature really intended to use the weapon on another person. It doesn't help that he shot himself. But, we really have no idea what happened. Burress could have been in the process of using the gun on someone else, but shot himself instead, because he is a dumbass. We'll see how this all plays out.

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Plaxico Burress Shoots Himself In The Leg

What's more stupid than tearing your ACL while celebrating a made field goal? Let's ask ex-Cardinal's kicker Bill Grammatica. Or we can ask newfound idiot Plaxico Burress who recently spent the night at the hospital after shooting himself in the leg.

The Giants said the shooting happened Friday night and he was released from the hospital early Saturday. The team did not say which hospital Burress went to or how badly he was injured.

However, a team official told The Associated Press that Burress shot himself in a nightclub. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the team was still trying to sort out all the facts.
-via Yahoo Sports

Can someone please explain to me what the heck he was doing bringing a gun to a nightclub in the first place? This is beyond retarded. I can completely imagine him grinding up against a girl, and then she's like oh my Plaxico, you have such big black feet. And then she goes in for a little action and whoops that's not a Ball Park frank. Bam! He just got shot in the thigh.

What is it with athletes and coming to clubs packed?? I thought people go to clubs to get drunk and get action. I wouldn't want myself holding a gun if I was drunk. We need to get commentary from Stephen Jackson this instant. At least S-Jax was at a strip club.

I really want to know how this happened. Because I see two scenarios here.
Scenario #1: he is holding the gun and accidentally shoots himself in the thigh.
Scenario #2: The gun is in his pocket and somehow (grinding on a girl like discussed before, or maybe when scratching his balls) the gun goes off.

In both scenarios Plaxico is a dumbass. He catch. He dumbass.

Let's just hope this didn't happen to him:
I hope this story helps take guns off the streets. I'm tired of losing fantasy points to guns.

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Where'd The Pac-10 Go?

Boy, I was little b*tch in high school. Show me a pretty girl who was willing to talk to me, and you could've stuck a fork in me right there. I fell hard and fast. So I guess that would make the Pacific-10 conference the little bitch conference of college football, right? After Week 1, the Pac-10 was perceived to be one of the elite conferences in football. It boasted four teams in the Associated Press top 25, including UCLA at #23, Oregon at #18, Arizona State at #16, and of course USC bearing the torch at #1. And like dominoes, the ranked reps of the Pac-10 would fall one by one, week by week.

After Week 2, UCLA had fallen off, with Cal taking its place. In Week 3, Cal and Arizona State would both stumble, leaving Oregon and USC as the only ranked Pac-10 teams. By Week 4, Oregon would fall as well, leaving USC all alone to guard the top spot against 24 non-conference teams. And almost fittingly, USC would lose in Week 5 to Oregon State, thus eliminating the only remaining reason to consider the Pac-10 a respectable conference.

As the Pac-10 spiraled down the drain, the already dominant SEC and Big 12 conferences would grow stronger, as Alabama, Texas Tech, and Oklahoma State would all rise from the unknown into national championship contention. Even the perennial laughing stock of college football, known to many as the Big 10 conference, would begin to turn heads with the consistent dominance of Penn State and the emergence of Michigan State. To get an idea of just how dominant the SEC and Big 12 have become, just look at the Week 10 BCS standings. SEC and Big 12 teams are currently occupying six of the top 10 spots.

Some might see the sudden collapse of the Pac-10 conference as surprising, inexplicable even. I do not. When I look at the top 10 BCS teams, or any team that ever had a shot at the national title game for that matter, I see something that all Pac-10 teams (even USC) lack: Heisman-caliber talent (the exceptions being Alabama and Penn State, who have survived all season because of their defense and coach, causing me to question their legitimacy as contenders). Let us browse the list of current and former contenders.

Current Contenders

• Texas Tech - Graham Harrell has long been one of the most prolific passers in college football. And with Tech's upset win over Texas last week, Harrell and Crabtree have both convinced us that they are among the best in their respective positions.

• Texas - Vince Young mourners can dry their eyes. Colt McCoy. Enough said. Childhood buddy Jordan Shipley aint too shabby either.

• Florida - The numbers haven't quite been there for Tim Tebow and Percy Harvin, but don't tell me your bones still don't tremble every time they lace up their cleats.

• Oklahoma - Much like Harrell's, Sam Bradford's numbers are absolutely outrageous. And he's been putting them up against much stronger opponents.

Former Contenders

• Georgia - I overheard ESPN anchors touting Matthew Stafford has the most talented NFL-caliber quarterback. I'm not sure I'd agree, but I guess that's why they're in the studio, broadcasting to millions while I'm sitting in bed writing this article and watching Gossip Girl. Knowshon Moreno, however, has not disappointed.

• Missouri - When a team has not one, but two Heisman talents, they're usually a lock for title contention. Unfortunately, not even the combined efforts of Chase Daniel and Jeremy Maclin have been able to compensate for Mizzou's horrendous defense.

In terms of talent, the Pac-10 can hardly compete with that of the aforementioned. Cal running back is just a sophomore, and will certainly contend for the Heisman next year. If Oregon State had simply discovered the explosive talent of true freshman Jacquizz Rodgers a few games earlier, they could easily be a ranked team right now. Other than those two, who do we have? Mark Sanchez? After Ohio State, sure. But since then, not even close. If the Pac-10 wishes to return to the prominence it enjoyed as recently as last year, the solution is simple: recruit some god damn talent (though I know this is much easier said than done).

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What's Up With the NFL? A Team-by-Team Look

Brian Chen: Is it just me, or is football especially out of control this year?
Me: It is.
Brian Chen: Just making sure.
Me: I could make a list that goes on and on with what's wrong with the NFL this season.
Brian Chen: Damn. Please do. That's a genius ATA article.

And thus an article is born. Here's a team-by-team breakdown of why the NFL isn't quite right this year.

Kansas City Chiefs: Larry Johnson (see right). LJ, one of the few superstars who seems to have averted the injury bug this year, can't keep his ass on the field because he can't seem to stop picking fights and throwing drinks in chicks' faces. But that's cool, you never back down from a fight, right LJ?

San Fransisco 49ers: So they finally admitted Alex Smith is a bust. Not only was he outperformed by Shaun Hill and J.T. O'Sullivan, but he's also on IR. I thought they were going to ride him out until no team would ever dream of signing him (like poor David Carr). Mike Nolan was the first NFL head coach to bite the bullet this season, and already his replacement Mike Singletary is already making waves by dropping his pants at halftime and sending a potential bust draft pick of Vernon Davis to the locker room early.

Chicago Bears: Grossman? Orton? They've been flipping coins the past years to decide who the starter is. This year Orton won the toss, and guess what? He's actually good. Too bad it looks like he may be out for a while after getting carted off the field in this weeks' game. That is, unless he makes a miracle comeback (word to Paul Pierce).

Cincinnati Bengals: The only thing worse than their disappointing record (and disappointing is an understatement here) is that Chad Ocho Cinco has to wear a fake last name on the back of his jersey. Is this the NFL or the XFL?

Buffalo Bills: After being thrown into the mediocrity pile, Lee Evans is now the third highest-paid WR in the NFL, and he's putting up numbers to show it. Oh and the Bills aren't too shabby either, no longer the coat rack of the AFC East (assuming the Dolphins are its doormat). Bills tied for first.

Denver Broncos: Hi, my name is Jay Cutler. I was so bad that they made fun of me on an episode of South Park. But I'm better this year. In fact, I throw better than John Elway. Alright Jay, let's take a step back for a second. Ok, so you lost a lot of weight, fighting diabetes can do that for you. And yes, you're playing better, throwing up monster numbers, winning games through pure offense, since everyone knows how squishy your defense is. But John Elway? That's like Jordan Farmar saying he passes better than Magic Johnson. Maybe 7 years into the future if you're still putting up obscene numbers and have won some rings, you can claim that. For now, Peter Rabbit would be wise to stay out of Mr. McGregor's garden.

Cleveland Browns: A trendy pick for many to breakout this season, they now have a bigger problem than making the playoffs: preventing more staph infections. Seriously guys, you're an NFL franchise. You can afford to clean up a little more thoroughly.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Pushing for an NFC South title, and almost lost to Kansas City. That's all I have to say.

Arizona Cardinals: Kurt Warner must have gotten his hands on some sort of NFL-viagra, because he sure seems to be getting it up this season. Third in the league in passer rating, and second in passing yards. Matt who?

San Diego Chargers: So much for Super Bowl bound. Let's get to .500, then we'll talk.

Indianapolis Colts: A perennial lock to win the AFC South, the Colts will have to fight for a wild-card birth. Unless Tennessee drops 5 of the last 8.

Dallas Cowboys: Life without Tony? The Cowboys are a lot like Jessica Simpson: without Tony Romo both would just be sad, lost little puppies. Thank God Romo is coming back soon and Jess is talking marriage.

Miami Dolphins: They're .500. The bad news: they're still in last place in their divison. And they actually have a quarterback. Movin' on up like George and Wheezy.

Philadelphia Eagles: 5-3 and they're in third place in their division. There's something wrong with that. If Westbrook had stayed healthy, there would have been something wrong with that too.

Atlanta Falcons: 5-3 and they're in third place in their division. Wait, I just said that. Two years removed from the Michael Vick circus, they look like they have their quarterback of the future in Matt Ryan. Surprising they have a winning record at this point in the season, no?

New York Giants: The defending NFL champions have one blemish on their season, a loss to the lowly Browns. Forget the almost boo boo against the Bengals, a W is still a W last time I checked.

Jacksonville Jaguars: A team that many, myself included, believed to be ready to snatch away the AFC South title from the Colts is tied for last with who? The Texans.

New York Jets: Brett Favre, as ancient as he is, can still throw. Problem is his offense isn't tailored around him. Favre leading the NFL in interceptions thrown. Never thought I'd see that day.

Detroit Lions: After taking receivers with their top pick in 3 of the last 5 drafts, they still have no quarterback and have only one of said receivers left on their roster. The result: 0-8.

Green Bay Packers: 4-3 and gave Aaron Rodgers a huge extension. Now they're 4-4. It's far too soon to be asking "Brett who?"

Carolina Panthers: They switch between looking impressive and unimpressive. At least they're sitting pretty on top of their division.

New England Patriots: Starting a quarterback who was only a second string player throughout college and still 5-2?? I'm impressed.

Oakland Raiders: Al Davis. 'Nuff said. I'll throw in a "JaMarcus Russell sucks" plug just for Brian Chen. The highlight of their season? Outgoing Lane Kiffin making Sebastian Janikowski try a 76-yard field goal into the wind.

St. Louis Rams: Torry Holt is no longer the #1 option. I liken that to Manny Ramirez batting 7th.

Baltimore Ravens: They actually have a solid running game, AND a decent passing game. It's not just about defense anymore folks.

Washington Redskins: Jason Campbell hasn't thrown a pick all season. He's not that good. First year coach Jim Zorn is doing a hell of a job.

New Orleans Saints: This team produces enough firepower to take down a small European country's army. Defense has yet to show up. No surprises there. Being behind the Falcons and last in their division IS a surprise though.

Seattle Seahawks: 2-6 and tied for second in the NFC West. I don't know what's more wrong here, their record or the NFC West.

Pittsburgh Steelers: There is life without Willie Parker. Well, that's shocking to me.

Houston Texans: David Carr is gone?!?! Yes, they finally decided to give up. Seems they finally figured a way to get those beer goggles off.

Tennessee Titans: UNDFTD.

Minnesota Vikings: Adrian Peterson can't carry this team by himself like I thought he could. Their defense is nowhere near as good as it was being touted as before the season began.

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Let's Talk BCS

The purpose of the BCS ranking system is to aggregately rank, from an array of statistics, the 25 best college football teams in the nation, ultimately arriving at the top two teams that will play for the national championship.

The BCS point system is computed as an average of three primary components: the Harris Interactive poll, the USA coaches poll, and a combination of six computer polls.

The Harris poll consists of 113 voters, each entitled to vote for how he or she believes the top 25 should be ranked. A #1 ranking counts for 25 points, a #2 ranking 24 points, and so on. Therefore, the total points possible for the Harris poll (113 x 25) is 2825.

So to calculate the Harris portion of the BCS formula, we take the point total accumulated from all 113 voters and divide that by the total points possible, yielding a percentange.

The USA coaches poll is calculated in the same manner. There are 62 total coaches voting, meaning the total points possible for the USA coaches poll is 1550. We divide the point total accumulated by each team, divide it by the point total, giving us a second percentage.

For the third and final portion of the BCS formula, we use six different computer polls: the Jeff Anderson-Chris Hester, the Richard Billingsley, the Wes Colley, the Kenneth Massey, the Jeff Sagarin, and the Peter Wolfe. To fully understand how each computer poll works would be absurd and unnecessary, but we do know that each poll factors, for the most part, the same statistics (strength of schedule is considered, margin of victory is not).

After all six computer polls are calculated, the highest and lowest are discarded, and the remaining four are averaged, giving us a third percentage. The Harris average, coaches average, and computer average are then averaged themselves, yielding the sacred BCS average. Now try to say that all in one breath.

In all my years as a fan, I have yet to encounter a sports institution so ridiculed and, for lack of a better way to put it, 'hated on' as the BCS ranking system. And with the history of laughable championship game results this system has produced over its years in existence, it's kind of hard to argue with the outcry.

BCS supporters probably believe the system offers a good balance between human subjectivity and mathematical objectivity. BCS critics, on the other hand, will argue that human subjectivity leaves too much room for bias, while using standardized computer polls on teams that don't even play the same opponents is inherently flawed. They will argue that instead of the BCS system, a playoff should determine who plays for the national title.

The truth is, in a sport like college football, both the BCS system and a playoff system are necessary.

The NBA, MLB, and NHL all have 30 teams. The NFL has 32 teams. These manageable numbers are easily conducive to a playoff system in determining which two teams will play for the championship. Division I college football, however, sports over 100 teams. With so many teams vying for bowl consideration, we have no choice but to implement a questionable system such as the Bowl Championship Series to determine the strength of each team relative to the rest. But while the BCS should be used as a ranking system that sets the match-ups for the playoff that should immediately follow, it is instead used as the only determinant for deciding which two teams will represent college football's best.

Here's what I don't understand. D-I NCAA basketball has hundreds of teams, and is forced to use a questionable ranking system, similar to how the Bowl Championship Series is used. But instead of allowing this arbitrary system to be the final say in whether UCLA plays Florida or Memphis plays Kansas in the finals, the powers that be of college basketball recognize the sacredness of the postseason in sports.

64 teams are forced to dance in an elimination tournament, leaving us with the two most deserving teams to contend for the title. Why can't college football adopt the same format? How many more championship blowouts must we endure before the coaches and voters realize that a playoff system is necessary in addition to the BCS?

Unfortunately for grossly overrated Alabama and Penn State, if a change is coming, it won't be coming this year. I pity these two teams because if either is granted the task of playing Texas for the national title, we will have another championship massacre on our hands. On the bright side, at least one team will be happy, finally having the overrated label lifted from them. Right Ohio State?

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Can Titans Achieve Perfection?

So here we are midway through the NFL season, a season marked with big name injuries (see Brady, Tom), off the field drama (see Johnson, Larry), coaching changes (see Kiffin, Lane), and big disappointments (see Bengals, Cincinnati). The biggest surprise thus far, however, has been the Tennessee Titans.

A team that many wrote off before the season began as the third best team in its division is now the only unbeaten team left in the NFL. But can the Titans match the Patriots feat of last season? Is this a team poised for a perfect season?

To answer these questions, we look at how the Titans got to 7-0 and also the trials that lay ahead.

Their first game of the season somewhat set the tone for the weeks to come, establishing the defense as a mainstay for a winning program. The speedy Chris Johnson also made a strong case to be the feature back, or at least take a number of carries from big, lumbering LenDale. They followed this program in the following weeks, taking down the Bengals, Texans, and Vikings by a staggering combined margin of 85-36. This, while their franchise quarterback Vince Young had been standing on the sidelines, watching an old legend, Kerry Collins, run what was supposed to be his show. With a full head of steam the Titans faced a team cut from the same mold as themselves, the Ravens. Touting a quick, aggressive defense, the Ravens fought the Titans back and forth, with both offenses having trouble fighting for yards on every drive. In the end, Kerry Collins was able to lead his team on an 80-yard drive, showing why the team has been so keen to keep him on the field and their strong, young, dynamic, expensive quarterback of the future off the field.

Coming off the bye week, the Chiefs were hardly a hinderance, and the Titans were heading into this weeks matchup against the Indianapolis Colts brimming with confidence, even faced with a team that many believed to be exponentially better than their 3-3 record. It was a game that was a statement game for both sides. The Titans on one hand had an opportunity to put themselves leaps and bounds above any other team in their division, and also to take down the perennial division leader. The Colts on the other hand, almost needed to win this game. At 3-3 they were shooting par, regardless of how good they or anyone else thinks they are. A win would also bring them a bit closer to the top of the division, a spot they were starting to be a lock for year in and year out (see Patriots, New England).

The score isn't a very accurate measure of how the game went. While the Colts' offense looked out of sync against the stifling Tennesse defense, they were still leading 14-6 with ten minutes left in the third quarter. After a Titans drive ending in a LenDale White touchdown and a 2-point conversion, Colts coach Tony Dungy made a few questionable calls on 4th down situations, and after the Titans' D stopped them short, momentum began its shift.

It seemed as if the Colts were easily going to make it downfield and score, but were faced with a short 4th down at midfield. With the score the way it was, and with over a quarter left to play, Dungy left Manning on the field (or Manning forced Dungy to leave him in), and the Colts were stopped short. After that play, the Titans went on to score 17 more unanswered points, thanks to another turnover on downs and a Manning interception. (On a side note I use this time to lobby for a change in NFL stats keeping, Dallas Clark clearly should have made that catch and had he not let the ball clunk off his head, there would have been no interception. My point: somehow credit Clark with the turnover, not Manning.) Needing three scores with less than four minutes to go, the Colts were inevitabily doomed to mediocrity for the first half of the season, and the Titans could sleep dreaming of sugar-plum fairies dancing around a 16-0 final record.

Only time will tell if the Titans can remain undefeated, but they face a daunting second-half schedule, with games against the Packers, Bears, Jaguars, Steelers, and Colts. The Pack is coming off a bye, so expect Aaron Rodgers to be throwing with a healthier arm. Chicago brings the threat of a hard-nosed defense and a cold weather game. Jacksonville looks to avenge its earlier loss with a healthy offensive line. The Steelers always play the Titans tough and hope their Pro Bowl running back Willie Parker can return sometime soon. Should the Titans remain lossless going into the final game, the Colts have a chance to play spoiler in Indianapolis. Undoubtedly they have a tough road ahead, but they have plenty of confidence and are playing the best football since Wycheck to Dyson.

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Brett Favre's Only Weakness - Eric Mangini

Age is a meaningless number, and Brett Favre is walking proof. Down by a field goal to the Raiders with 1:07 remaining in regulation, Favre showed us just how meaningless. Pinned on his own 5-yard line on 3rd and long, Favre should have just rolled over and died. But if you know Brett Favre, you'd know that curling up in a corner has never been one of his fortes. So even at the tender age of 39, why would we expect any different from Favre?

Favre completed a huge 37-yard pass to Chansi Stuckey to escape third down. The Jets were out of timeouts, and Stuckey was unable to get out of bounds. Favre was forced to waste a down in order to stop the clock. After accepting a careless Oakland penalty, Favre found Brad Smith for a medium gain, and immediately downed the ball again the stop the clock. Raider and Jet fans alike were on the edge of their seats, apprehensive and hopeful, respectively, that this white-bearded old man could possibly have another miracle in his back packet...

26 seconds left, another 3rd down. Favre again found Brad Smith, this time for a considerable 18-yard gain. Smith, unable to get out of bounds again, forced Favre to down the football again. He had done it. The Jets were within Feely's field goal range, and Favre had given his team a chance to send the game to overtime. Feely missed the 52-yard attempt, but was given a second chance as interim Raider head coach Tom Cable had foolishly called time out in an attempt to freeze Feely. Feely nailed the second one. The score was notched at 13 apiece.

Eric Mangini was satisfied with the tie. Or that's how it seemed. On the Jets opening drive, it became clear that Mangini had abandoned the strategy that sent the game to overtime: trusting his veteran quarterback to make plays. From their own 22-yard line, Mangini called for two consecutive running plays with Thomas Jones. Mangini finally let Favre throw on third down, and Favre did his best to show Mangini the error of his ways. 17-yard completion, first down. Unfortunately, Mangini didn't get the message, and gave the ball back to Thomas Jones. The Jets eventually punted the ball away at midfield.

After holding the Raiders to a 3-and-out, the Jets got the ball back. Once again, Mangini pounded the ball on the ground with Jones on two consecutive snaps, and yielded six total yards. Brett Favre is a legend, but you can't expect him to bail you out of every third down hole you dig yourself into. This time he failed, and the Jets punted the ball back to the Raiders. But the Jets defense continued to take care of business. Another 3-and-out for the Raiders, another chance for Favre and the Jets (or should I say, Thomas Jones and the Jets). Again, two consecutive running plays, which finally yielded a first down. Then a third, resulting in a two-yard loss. On 2nd and 12, Favre was finally given the green light, but was again unable to dig his team out of the hole Mangini had dug. On the ensuing Raider drive, JaMarcus Russell would uncharacteristically complete two big passes, allowing Sebastian Janikowski to kick a miraculous 57-yard field goal to seal the game.

Even at the age of 39, Brett Favre's greatness is undeniable (when was the last time Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, or Drew Brees threw for six touchdowns in a game?). But when your own head coach is doing everything in his power to contain that greatness, there really isn't much you can do, is there?

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Just Like South Bend...

USC football players have plenty of things to worry about it. Staying on top of their assignments on the field, keeping their grades up, and maintaining good behavior off the field - these are things that a Trojan football star will tell you are his priorities. Taking care of his measly mouth guard after football games - this will likely not be on the list.

Ramon Roges is a dentist. In his 10 years as the dentist for USC athletes, one of the greatest challenges Roges has faced is getting the football players to hang onto said mouth guards. Therefore, in an attempt to psychologically increase each player's personal connection with his own mouth guard, Roges began customizing them. For example, Roges replicated the Mexican national flag when designing quarterback Mark Sanchez's red, white, and green mouth guard, even including an eagle with a snake in its grasp. Sanchez thought "it was looking sweet," and wore the mouth guard in his second official start against Notre Dame in October 2007.

After throwing for four touchdowns en route to a 38-0 victory, the Trojan quarterback would march off the field in South Bend, bathing in chants of "San-CHEZ! San-CHEZ!" Unfortunately, the post-game reception was not nearly as supportive. A good portion of the media, especially the online portion, somehow interpreted Sanchez's cultural mouth guard as an endorsement for illegal immigration. USC's football office was immediately flooded with angry letters, phone calls, and emails.

Because of this incident, Sanchez has since stopped wearing the colorful mouth guard on a regular basis. On Saturday, USC played arguably one of the worst teams in Division I college football, Washington State University. And like he has all year, Sanchez would play without the mouth guard. Sanchez was taken out of the game in the third quarter as his Trojans had built a laughable 41-0 lead at halftime. In the 30 minutes of action he did see, Sanchez missed just five passes while completing 15 for 253 yards and 5 touchdowns (keep in mind, this was all in the first half, so mathematically, that's a touchdown every three and a half minutes he was on the field). Only once during the game did Sanchez throw two consecutive incomplete passes.

What other statistics can I regurgitate to properly portray how lopsided this game was? USC accumulated 625 yards of total offense (263 yards passing, 363 yards rushing) compared to Washington State's 116 (28 yards passing, 88 yards rushing). This stat could have easily been more skewed if Pete Carroll hadn't been uncharacteristically merciful, and kept Sanchez in the game. USC had 28 first downs compared to WSU's 4. The Trojans were 8-12 on third-down conversions while the Cougars were 1-13. This was a game between the varsity and the junior varsity. No, not even junior varsity. This was a game between the varsity and the frosh-soph team. True, the red, white, and green mouth guard was not there this time. The dominance Sanchez demonstrated in South Bend, however, was.

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Crazy Moment from LSU vs. South Carolina

Tim Donaghy, meet your College Football soulmate.

LOL, what?!

He must have asked the folks at Buffalo Wild Wings if they were ready to go home or not.

On a more serious note, he should be getting his resume ready. Good luck man, it's a tough job market out there.

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A Trojan's Christmas List

With seven weeks in the books and eight to go, the USC football team is currently ranked 6 by the Associated Press and 4 by USA Today. And with a cream puff schedule left to be played, the Trojans will unfortunately have to rely on the missteps of other teams to have any hope at the title game. I know it's only October, but here are a few things I wouldn't mind Santa delivering a little earlier this year:

1) Texas loses to Missouri on Oct. 18.

After upsetting the top-ranked Sooners last week, Texas continues its minefield march this Saturday against the explosive Missouri Tigers. If Colt McCoy is able to lead his Longhorns passed the Tigers, the hard part of their journey will be over, as they will only have to contend with Oklahoma State, unproven Texas Tech, and middle-of-the-road Kansas (though we'll know what the Jayhawks are made of this weekend when they play Oklahoma, won't we?).

As it looks now, Missouri looks like our best hope to trip up the undefeated Longhorns, moving us one spot closer to the title game. And with the great Chase Daniel having been embarrassed last weekend by being picked off three times, he and his Tigers will be seeking redemption.

2) Alabama loses to LSU on Nov. 8.

Before Week 7, people were labeling LSU as the most overrated team in the top 5. I, however, will have to go with Alabama as the most overrated team in the top 5. Sure they toppled former #3 Georgia 41-30 in their matchup two weeks ago. But anyone who watched that game could easily question the legitimacy of that win.

Close to one of the worst halves of football Georgia could have played, they committed five penalities for 56 yards that resulted in Alabama scoring on all five drives (four touchdowns and a field goal) of the half. After starting their opening drive on their own 20 yard line, Alabama would never again start inside their own 35. In fact, two drives would open on Georgia's 48 and 33, as a result of a terrible punt and a Georgia fumble, respectively. Finally, Alabama quarterback John Parker Wilson was a startling deviation from his normal self, playing an almost perfect half. Wilson was 10-11 for 139 yards and a touchdown in the first half. All of these factors would contribute to Alabama building what proved to be an insurmountable 31-0 lead.

Without this win, Alabama would be just another team peering into the top 10. And if these two teams were to meet again, I highly doubt that fortune would hand the game to Bama on a silver platter the way she did three weeks ago. So fine, after getting shredded by Florida 21-51, LSU didn't deserve the hype they were getting either, but this is my Christmas list, and LSU is my best shot at beating Bama.

3) Penn State loses to Ohio State on Oct. 25.

No team in the top 5 scares me quite like Penn State. I don't understand how Joe Paterno is still able to walk, but he walks, and coaches his team to dominant victory after dominant victory. With its current ranking of 3 by both the Associated Press and USA Today, and with Ohio State (laughing out loud as I am typing) as its biggest test remaining on the schedule, Penn State is easily the team with the best chance at the title game.

I know, it's sad.

Ohio State, the #3 team to open the season, for a while couldn't even decide who to play as their quarterback. But with Pryor having started the last two games, I think it's safe to say that they have opted to go with their freshman. The replacement of Boeckman with Pryor means the added threat of a quick, mobile quarterback. Unfortunately, this also means the Ohio State passing game will take a hit. In his two starts against Wisconsin and Purdue, Pryor has averaged just 120.5 yards of passing offense, with no touchdowns.

And while Penn State has been dominating, Ohio State has been doing the exact opposite, barely squeeking by opponents. I know it's outlandish to even suggest Ohio State has a chance against Penn State, but again, this is my Christmas list, and Ohio State is my only hope...

4) Oklahoma loses to Oklahoma State on Nov. 29.

A loss last week to a strong Texas squad was not quite enough for the AP voters to rank Oklahoma beneath USC. Therefore, I will be wishing for one more loss on OU's part. With remaining games against Kansas, Texas Tech, and Oklahoma State, Oklahoma has most reason to worry about Oklahoma State. And with its impressive victory over Missouri last week, it looks like Oklahoma State will be my darkhorse to beat the Sooners in the final game of the season.

Of course, if I am granted my first three wishes, this wish won't be necessary, as a USC Oklahoma championship game will likely be the result. That and the fact that I honestly cannot see Oklahoma State being nearly as successful against Oklahoma as they were against Missouri. Oklahoma actually has a defense.

5) To get buff like Jae Pee.

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Eli the Enigma

If you're a true sports fan, you'll agree with me. Nothing teaches you more about an athlete than having him on your fantasy team. You begin paying attention to injury reports, not just on your player, but any player on the team that may have an effect on your player. You start dragging yourself out of bed at the unholy hour of 10am on Sunday mornings to watch your player, praying he scores a touchdown in a game you otherwise wouldn't give a rat's ass about.

With our sports blog about to launch last year, I realized that I'd be a shameful sports writer/blogger knowing as little as I did about the NFL. I decided to venture outside the NBA and MLB bubble that had kept me so warm and cozy for the past decade, and draft my first fantasy football team. In retrospect, my rookie draft could not have turned out worse. My first round pick, Steven Jackson, was hobbled by injury all season (although I am comforted by the fact that every first round pick except LT, Romo, and Brady last year turned out to be busts). I went with aging legend Torry Holt over stars Reggie Wayne, Larry Fitzgerald, and Andre Johnson. I went with one-year wonder Marc Bulger as my starting quarterback. By the way, the answer is: no, I didn't realize until after the draft that I had chosen three St. Louis Rams. My biggest mistake, however, even if it was in the 12th round, was drafting the underachieving headache that was Eli Manning...

I studied his career stats. Average yardage numbers, average touchdown to interception ratios, average accuracy numbers. Everything was average and by no means impressive. I looked into his college numbers at Ole Miss to gauge his potential upside. Slightly better yardage numbers, slightly better touchdown to interception ratios, and the same unimpressive accuracy numbers. So adjusted for college statistical inflation, I was most likely looking at the best that Eli Manning had to offer...

With Bulger as my first quarterback, I obviously gave him the nod over Eli in Week 1. As I watched Bulger struggle to produce just 167 yards and one touchdown pass, insult was added to injury as Eli rolled his way to 312 yards and four touchdown passes, on my bench. I immediately benched Bulger and inserted Eli into my lineup for Week 2, and what do you know? Bulger puts up a monster game in Week 2. At this point, I had a decision to make, and I decided to stick with Eli. For the remainder of the season, Eli would struggle with mediocre numbers and inconsistency. In fact, if it weren't for Ronnie Brown's early season heroics, my team would have floundered. By Week 10, I had grown sick and tired of Bulger's health issues and Eli's mediocrity. Luckily for me, I happened to stumble upon a pretty little gem on waivers named Kurt Warner, who would go on to put up monster numbers for me down the stretch.

With Eli as my quarterback for the first half of last season, I developed an awkward obsession with him. While most people develop loyal, affectionate inclinations toward their fantasy players, my relationship with Eli was one of animosity. Whenever a Giants game was broadcasted, I would watch, rooting for Eli to play poorly, which he often did. I did this partly because I wanted to make sure I did the right thing in cutting him loose, and partly just because I hated Eli Manning. One thing that stood out most when watching Giant's games was that kiddish expression that, more often than not, would be plastered across Eli's face. The anguished look that suggested Eli might be in some sort of physical pain; the crybaby look that portrayed Eli's sincere surprise at the 3 consecutive incomplete passes he had just thrown, when in fact this happened all the god damn time.

But this was last year. This was before Eli proceeded to put up MVP-caliber numbers in the postseason to lead his 10-6 Giants to the Super Bowl. This was before Eli, like a seasoned veteran, calmly marched his team 83 yards downfield to score the winning touchdown against the invincible Patriots. Despite all this, I maintained my dislike for Eli and vowed to stay away from him in this year's draft. This past weekend, the Giants played the Seahawks. I immediately saw the Super Bowl champion that Eli had matured into. In the first two Giant possessions, Eli led two perfect drives that led to two touchdowns, going 5-5 for 96 yards and a touchdown, allowing Brandon Jacobs to run it in for the other. This time, there was no anguished look on Eli's face after another 3 and out, only smiles after throwing another touchdown pass.

God I hate Eli Manning...

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UCLA: The 59-0 Perspective

Wednesday morning at work…
USC Co-worker: Hey! I was looking for you on Monday! Do you have anything you want to say?
Me: Not really, I have zero to say about this weekend, if that’s what you’re referring to.
USC: Zero, like UCLA?
…end of conversation.

Four days have passed since the Mormons punished UCLA football in Provo, Utah and the sting is still reverberating through my body. My belief in the “mantra of relentless optimism” was overtaken by the destructive nature of reality. As I sat at my desk, I reached up to pull down my Rick Neuheisel poster but decided against it; I still had faith.

I understand that the score was 59-0. I know that the difference in all of Pete Carroll’s losses at USC accumulate to only 59 points. And I am very aware that UCLA ranks last in rushing. But from my relentlessly optimistic perspective, UCLA’s own foolish mistakes were 75% of the reason for the humiliating victory. UCLA fumbled the ball over three times, threw an interception, failed to convert two 4th downs, and had a field goal attempt blocked. Rick Neuheisel explains the aftermath,

“We were down 14-0, moving down the field, then Kevin gets hit in the back, the ball comes out and now it’s 21-0. We get a 9-yard gain on first down, and coming around the corner, Ray Carter fumbles and now it’s 28-0… They kick off, we fumble the ball and now it’s 35-0. We drive down and have a field goal blocked, they run it back into their short field and it’s 42-0. It’s not rocket science, you just have to play good football or things like that can happen to you.”

However intriguing this game was, we now defer attention away from the negative. UCLA is not as bad a team as one would imagine, they actually might be third or fourth in the Pac-10. In the past week’s games, Pac-10 teams demonstrated how weak they really were. Oregon, the only ranked team outside USC, barely managed to escape with a 2OT victory over Purdue (who’s kicker missed a game-winning FG at the end of regulation). Arizona State lost to UNLV, Arizona lost to New Mexico, and Cal lost to Maryland. In case you have not noticed, these Pac-10 teams lost to poor football programs in games they should have won. UCLA played a far superior opponent in enemy territory.

The Bruin rushing attack led by Chane Moline resulted in an abysmal 9 yards on 16 rushes, but UCLA is already at practice trying to improve the ground game. Derrick Coleman, a true freshman out of Fullerton, is expected to step into the starting running back role after 50+ touchdowns in his last two prep years. If Coleman proves to be a better runner than Moline and Carter, the implications are exponentially positive for the Bruins. Not only will a lot of pressure be released from Kevin Craft and the one-dimensional offense, the defense will finally be able to rest during games as the rushing game chews time off the clock.

At the end of week 2, there is not much to be happy or proud about. Reality gave the blue and gold a swift kick in the ass, but it also tells us that no matter how badly you lose, it is still only one loss. UCLA has played two top-tier teams and is 1-1 on the season (not bad). And after realizing how weak the Pac-10 teams are, I feel Neuheisel’s “mantra of relentless optimism” making a comeback.

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Caption This!!

This is Anquan Boldin (81) being congratulated by teammate Elton Brown after one of Boldin's 3 touchdowns on the day. Boldin played out of his mind against the Dolphins accumulating 140 yards on 6 receptions and scoring 3 touchdowns. I guess Brown was really really excited about winning.

Caption this!

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You Wanna Be Ocho Cinco? $4.8 million dollars please.

If Chad Johnson wants to be Chad Ocho Cinco, he's going to have to cough up $4.8 million says the NFL.

Reebok is complaining because they had already pre-made 100,000 C. Johnson jerseys whose value would be drastically cut if the official jersey read Ocho Cinco.

a source with knowledge of the situation said it would cost him the cost to make the jersey, which is roughly 60 percent of the retail price. That would be about $48 a jersey or $4.8 million if that 100,000 number is reality.

There's actually a precedence to this matter as Jerry Porter wanted to change his number after the 2007 season. The NFL said he too would have to buy up the unused inventory of jerseys. Sadly his total was only $210,000.

Maybe Chad Whatever can pawn off his grillz to help pay off the $4.8 million. I think it's worth it!!

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Knowshon Moreno??

Right smack on the front page of Yahoo, the largest internet portal in the world, was an article about Knowshon Moreno of Georgia, being "robbed" because his hurdle wasn't shown on ESPN. Enough!

Now this is a real hurdle. (Wait for the second half for Moreno's hurdle)

So, Moreno's was decent. But it was no Reggie Bush. How happy is everyone that he is finally being who we thought we would be?

And for all you USC fans, this one's for you.

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Los Angeles and Football

Week 1 just finished and the Raiders and Rams still suck...

Football, the sport where grown men in tights throw around inflated animal hides and knock the living feces out of each other. Sounds fun, America loves it, but it's deathly boring to watch without a team to support. Each play lasts a mere 5 seconds, followed by 40 seconds of ass grabbing, and that is assuming there are no challenges, penalties, injuries, streakers, foreign debris, etc. Oh and when the offenses blow and they go three and out, good old television commercials will follow. Yes sir! Football is like the last minute of a tight basketball game, super-slow and occasionally exciting, but sixty times longer in duration. Welcome to my Los Angeles mindset.

In the heart of the West Coast, Sundays are not spent tailgating or watching football for hours on end, Sundays are special days meant for rest and relaxation. To spend time with the family, read about George Bush's stupidity in the paper, get dragged to church, to recover from that extra tequila shot after a UCLA victory (or eight after a loss).

Only a handful of people care about the outcomes of NFL games because there's no team to care about. LA is not home to an actual pro team, there are no rivals that we pray to see lose, no playoff race to follow, and the teams we use to have are gang affiliated (Raiders) or terrible (Rams). The only reason people still watch Sunday football is to fulfill their manhood requirements or watch TO's touchdown celebration (the Usain Bolt was awesome).

The definition of football in Los Angeles is USC's recent domination. But then again, USC football is not exactly exciting when considering how easily they bulldoze through opposing teams, week in and week out. And rooting for LA’s second team, UCLA, does not seem to be an attractive alternative for Angelinos (though we all know UCLA games are more competitive and exciting).

The only reason there is even buzz regarding pro-football is due to the pride and competition of fantasy football. If you are not going to own a team, might as well draft a few players to call your own and watch on television. There is nothing quite like the week 1 anticipation of destroying the opposing team with Tom Brady on your fantasy team; but then again, I have never felt so crushed and uninterested going into week 2 (freaking Tom Brady, ACL BS, DIE).

Okay, so maybe this is all a lot of nonsense to passionate football watcher, but honestly, how many die-hard football fans are there in Los Angeles? Correct, just a handful. You might ask someone in LA, “Hey, who’s your favorite NFL team?” and they will lie and say some nonsense team like the Minnesota Vikings. Obviously, this person has Adrian Peterson on his fantasy team. Do not be alarmed by this type of behavior in Los Angeles, it is rampant and uncontrollable because there is no such thing as professional football here.

My favorite team is the Dallas Cowboys and TO is on my fantasy team.

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Fantasy Football With the Pros

So world-class football players should have world-class fantasy football minds, right?  Wrong, Colt Brennan.  Wrong.

HAHAHA I can't believe he said gay pick...

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Football Monopoly Over?

Call Rick Neuheisel a fool for his newspaper ad in the Los Angeles Times, but it is hard to argue with his results. In arguably the biggest upset in college football’s first week, Neuheisel led the depleted UCLA Bruins past the 18th ranked Tennessee Volunteers.

In the 27-24 overtime victory, UCLA’s on-field play showed the nation exactly what the Bruins were capable of doing.

Kevin Craft, California junior college quarterback of the year, displayed the poise and talent to lead a D-1 team to victory. UCLA’s defense played solidly as they kept Tennessee’s touted quarterback, Jonathan Crompton, to an abysmal 19-41 passing (46.3%). And UCLA’s special teams shined as they blocked a punt for a touchdown, averaged 46.8 yards per punt, and hit every kick between the uprights (3XP, 2 FG).

But then again, does UCLA deserve to be ranked 23rd in the nation after a performance that reeked of mediocrity (at best)?

Kevin Craft played like the third-string quarterback that he was, throwing for 4 interceptions (in the first half; HALF!!). If UCLA was playing a legitimate opposing team with a competent offense, the game would have been over at half time; but the lead was only seven and Tennessee is no longer ranked.

UCLA ran the ball 31 times and managed to gain a whopping 29 yards. 0.9 yards a carry. After focusing so heavily on the run last season, you would imagine that the Bruins would have retained some of that ability. Even more surprising is that this came underneath the play calling of Norm Chow, that USC offensive coordinator that called plays for Reggie Bush and LenDale White. And if you cannot run the ball, you cannot control the clock, you put more pressure on third-string Kevin Craft, and then all hell breaks loose. Unless by some outside chance, Kevin Craft is as legendary as his fourth quarter drives.

On the other side of the ball, UCLA’s defense was effective except when it mattered. After only allowing 7 points through the first three quarters (7 were from a defensive touchdown), UCLA allowed the Vols to score twice in the final 6 minutes.

Despite the long-list of weaknesses that were exposed, UCLA deserves to be ranked in the top 25. Coach Neuheisel and his “mantra of relentless optimism” have inspired his athletes to exceed their low expectations and perform at championship levels. UCLA may not have the star power often associated with championship teams, but with a top-notch coaching staff led by Norm Chow and DeWayne Walker, UCLA can more than make-up for their short comings and potentially setup camp in the top 25.

The mantra might be spreading throughout the blue and gold nation (including myself), but UCLA still faces one of the toughest schedules in college football. The Bruins must face (18) Oregon, (15) Arizona St., and a rising Cal team on the road, while also playing (1) USC in what can be considered a mutual home game. UCLA will also be forced to take on (21) Fresno St. and at (15) BYU.

So as much as I want to put my heart into Neuheisel’s mantra of relentless optimism and say that the Los Angeles football monopoly is officially over, I will reserve judgment until this week’s BYU game. The Mormons from Utah have managed to screw over Ben Olson’s talent and potential, their team might do the same to UCLA football.

So until Saturday my Bruin friends! Go Kevin Craft!
{fade into 8-clap}

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The All-NBA Gridiron Team

Even though ESPN’s Sports Center is overrun by the upcoming NFL season, I really want the NBA season to hurry up and start. In my attempt to celebrate the massive anticipation of both leagues, I’ve decided to create my own football dream team, composed of NBA players.

Offense:

Quarterback: Allen Iverson. (pictured right) Considering his toughness, speed, and dominance as a high school quarterback, he is arguably the most qualified quarterback in the NBA. He’s the NFL’s Michael Vick… pre-dog-fighting.
Back-up: Kevin Love. First of all, good luck trying to sack a 6’10” 270 pound beast. And secondly, no one throws a quicker and more accurate deep ball than Kevin Love.

Running-back: Lebron James. You cannot bring down Lebron James. He’s too big, too strong, too athletic, too quick, and too fast for you and anyone else. I think every NFL team should try to convert 6’8” 240 pounders into running backs; championships guaranteed.
Back-ups: Baron Davis. Played high-school ball. Has an awesome beard.
Chris Paul: He’s quick, crafty, and has amazing vision. No one else works better in traffic than the elusive CP3.

Full-back: Derek Fisher. With his muscular lower body and dedication to getting low on defense, D-Fish will clear out some major space for the running backs. He is freaking buff.
Back-up: Tyrus Thomas. There’s nothing quite like brute strength to get rid of defenders. He also attended LSU where all students are required to understand the ins and outs of football, so he should know a thing or two about the sport.

Wide-receivers: Kevin Garnett. At 6’11”, very few people are better than him at catching lobs and alley-oops. His speed, athleticism, and focus should make every bomb and fade seem like a walk in the park. And if you do manage to get in the way, he will scream at you.
Dwyane Wade: Probably the best route runner in the NBA. His explosiveness and ability to change directions make him the most difficult player to defend without the ball. Unfortunately, the expiration date on his ankles is rapidly approaching.
Back-ups: Jamario Moon and Rudy Gay. The concept of football is simple. Throw the ball high in the air and Moon or Gay will jump and come down with it.

Tight end: Dwight Howard. If you’re the quarterback and Dwight Howard is your 6th blocker, you’re going to feel safe. Also reassuring is how well the 6’11” monster catches.
Back-up: Andrew Bynum. Not as intimidating as Dwight, but he’s a bigger body with softer hands.

O-line: I wanted to take the most physically gifted players with mass and put them on my offensive line. I highly doubt that you would feel confident in your pass rushing abilities when my seven guys averaging 6’10” 270 pounds know a thing or two about holding their ground.
LT: Jason Maxiell. Frightening powerhouse with sufficient speed to pick up blitzes and protect my potential quarterbacks’ blind sides.
LG: Kendrick Perkins. Big body and a filthy face.
C: Shaq O’Neal. Playground football; put the fattest kid as the snapper. Plus, he loves being the center of attention.
RG: Glen Davis. The last person who tried spent 3 months trying to get around “Big Baby.” Good luck getting to the QB.
RT: Matt Harping. WTF Matt Harping? He’s probably the most physical player on my line and he plays with a chip on his shoulder. His intimidation alone earns him a starting gig.
Back-ups: Jason and Jarron Collins. These big seven-foot brothers are terrible basketball players and most likely terrible football linemen; but 260 pounds should be somewhat effective.

Kicker: Steve Nash. Canadian.
Back-up: Kobe Bryant. His ability to speak Italian comes with soccer talent.


Defense:

D-line: Ben Wallace. Something about his mental capacity seems to match perfectly with football.
Marc Gasol. Seven feet tall and he reminds me of a hardcore outdoorsman. In my head he should be wielding an axe in a red flannel and Wrangler jeans when he’s not playing football.
Elton Brand. I see him as a brute force type of guy.
Mark Madsen. Every coach loves a Mark Madsen type player, even if he does lack athleticism, skill, speed…. But somehow he’ll make the play.

Linebackers: Ron Artest. He will probably win a fistfight versus anybody in the league, and that is because he probably hits really hard. Receivers and backs would most likely do "the quarterback slide" to avoid getting toppled by Artest.
Corey Maggette. Corey is the most chiseled man in the NBA and he wants to hit you hard.
Lamar Odom. LO is a notorious for his lack of inspired play, but when he is inspired, WATCH OUT.
Back-up: Maurice Evans. Think Corey Maggette, but not as buff. Mo Evans understands this and will take out his frustrations on the opposing team.

Cornerbacks: Kobe Bryant. There’s a reason he was called the Doberman during the Olympics, football shall not be any different.
Bruce Bowen. He does have the quickness and footwork to stay in front of any player, but really, the dirtiest player in the NBA should fit right at home in a full-contact game.
Back-up: Raja Bell.

Strong safety: James Posey. He’s quick and strong. But the deciding factor was his mouth-piece, which demonstrates that he’s prepared for violence of the gridiron.
Back-up: Kenyon Martin. Similar to Ben Wallace, he’s not very bright, but he is damn strong and athletic. I wouldn’t mind having a blue-collar guy like him knocking some sense into unsuspecting ball-carriers.

Free Safety: Nate Robinson. You should first be recapped on the NYK vs. Denver scrap a couple years back. You should notice how at 5’7” he is right in the middle of the squabble, not backing down to anyone. And even after his mini-altercation with JR Smith, he’s still punking Carmelo for sucker punching his teammate. Nate Robinson, you are the man.

Punter: Steve Nash. Canadian.

I just created an NFL dynasty team, now only if salaries were not an issue...

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ATA's Fantasy Football Post-Draft Analysis

Well folks, the NFL preseason is rapidly drawing to a close and the NFL season is about to kick off. What does that mean? It's time for some FANTASY FOOTBALL! My cohorts here at After the Anthem created a league for the writers and a few friends, and here we will go over the draft with some comments and added anlysis. Of course, one caveat - our league only included 8 teams, so the depth of our league might be a bit misleading. That said, let's jump in to our round by round break down!




Round 1 Thoughts:
This was a fairly textbook first round. A few notable picks might be ATA's David P. taking Tom Brady with his first pick, and the inclusion of Marshawn Lynch in the first round. With top rated fantasy performers like Gore and Portis still on the board, it would be interesting to see why r2ro opted to go with Lynch and Moss over any combination of Gore, Portis, Manning or Romo. Lynch certainly had a promising debut season, performing well when he played, but he certainly has to answer some questions about his durability. If Buffalo's passing game doesn't perform (highly likely) Lynch may justify r2ro's decision to take him with his first pick.

Best pick: LT. It's LT, nothing to say here.
Worst pick: Lynch. There were several RBs on the board with proven track records - taking a sophomore back with your first pick is risky, so while it may turn out well, the first round ought to be a sure thing. Considering that, I don't like taking risks with the first pick.



Round 2 Thoughts:
In the 2nd round we saw the fantasy dominance of RB's continue, as 12 of the first 16 picks taken were RBs. Textbook fantasy drafting strategy is to take two RB's with your first two drafts, and it seems that several of the drafters in this draft got that memo. No real surprises here, as each pick was fairly solid value.

Best pick: Clinton Portis. Great value pick here, starting a team with LT/Portis is very solid.
Worst pick: Reggie Wayne. Considering draft position, I believe this was a bit of a reach



Round 3 Thoughts:
In the third round we see all the elite level WRs come flying off the draft boards, along with a few owners trying to flesh out their RB situation with all the top tier RBs taken in the first two rounds.

Best pick: Tony Romo
Worst pick: T.J Houshmandzadeh. We do not know just how healthy Housh will be, and considering all the turmoil surrounding the Bengals this season, we do not know what kind of stats Housh will be posting. With players like Colston, Fitzgerald, Holt, and Marshall still available, the Housh pick here leaves me scratching my head.



Round 4 Thoughts:
This was a round with a few head-scratching choices, like Darren McFadden and Steve Smith. McFadden is just a rookie on a terrible Raiders team. McFadden would have been available 2 or 3 rounds later, and what makes the pick even more confusing is that r2ro already has two RBs in Lynch and Maroney.

Best pick: Torry Holt. Getting Holt with that pick is solid.
Worst pick: McFadden.

Analysis of the remaining 11 rounds to come.

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