An RGIII Rant from a Redskins Fan

BY: ZAC CORDOVA

Tortured fanbases seem to be a dime a dozen in this day and age. You have the highly publicized ones in the Cubs and the Jets. But my Redskins are a different kind of tortured, they do it to themselves through Danny Boy Snyder. Watching him spend recklessly for the better part of the decade on players such as fat Albert Haynesworth and DeAngelo Hall, or making trades for washed up has beens, like Jason Taylor or Donovan McNabb has been brutal. When everyone but the owner knows it’s a bad move, than there is a serious disconnect there. Now I love what Shannahan and Allen have done since they arrived two years ago. Though the record doesn’t show it, Danny has picked through other peoples trash and gotten some gems, rather than buy the shiniest thing on the free agent market.

           

 Now I heard about the trade last night via text from a friend and immediately went to see what we gave up. After picking my jaw up off the floor from the 3 first round picks we surrendered to move up 4 spots in the draft, I boiled with anger at what I believed was way too much to give up for an unproven player. But after sleeping on it, I think the trade was necessary. Think about it, you are trading 3 chances on landing a player who you hope will be good, for one chance on a player who, if he is as billed, will change the fortunes of a franchise. Now RGIII isn’t proven either, but he has a higher upside than anyone the Redskins could possibly get with those first round picks. Throw in that the Redskins are 43 million dollars under the cap this year, and are a safety away from having a very good defense, and Robert Griffin puts them in position to compete for the foreseeable future.

            

My prediction for the Skins in free agency: Sign WR Vincent Jackson 4 yr 39 mil, sign G Carl Nicks 4 yr 36 mil, sign CB Terrell Thomas 2 yr 12 mil.

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National League: Central Division Preview

BY: ZAC CORDOVA

Overview:

In what may be the most enigmatic division in baseball this year with the losses of power bats Prince Fielder and Albert Pujols, the NL Central is up for grabs in 2012. Scrambling to replace the numbers of the two sluggers, the Cards signed comeback player Carlos Beltran, while the Brewers signed the perennially underrated Aramis Ramirez. Joining these two teams in the division race are the Cincinatti Reds, led by sabermetrics poster boy Joey Votto. While the Cards and Brewers tried to replace offense, the Reds pulled off a savvy move for a potential ace in Mat Latos, without sacrificing MLB ready talent. While Latos did suffer a slight regression in 2011, it will be interesting to see if he can regain his 2010 form in the pitchers nightmare, which is the Great American Ballpark. The Astros and Pirates are in the middle of what seems like a decade long rebuild, while wunderkind Theo Epstein needs at least one more year to retool the Cubbies roster, which was shoestrung by terrible contracts (I’m looking at you Alfonso).

Three players who could swing the division:

Cardinals SP Adam Wainwright- Coming off a devastating shoulder injury obviously did not seem to affect St Louis too much on their romp to the World Series, and now they get back a pitcher who, when on, is a Cy Young candidate. The 1-2 punch of Wainwright and Carpenter isn’t what it was a few years ago, but Wainwright is still in his prime at 30 years old and I expect him to fully recover. With the loss of Pujols, pitching may have to be the calling card of the 2012 Cardinals. His era in the three seasons prior to his injury? 3.2, 2.6, 2.4.

Brewers OF Corey Hart- Not the Brewers outfielder you were expecting? Braun will be fine, but it’s the versatile Hart who could mold the lineup in Milwaukee. While still fast, 2011 saw his stolen base numbers take a tumble, though he still saw a significant amount of time batting leadoff. Will the Brewers bat Hart at leadoff with his .356 OBP, or will they let him mash in the “heart” (thank you) of the lineup with his 22 and 72 HR and RBI averages over his last 5 years? That decision could make or break the Brewers lineup in 2012.

Reds SP Mat Latos- I fully expect whoever has the best rotation to pull off the Central, which makes Latos perhaps the biggest X factor in the division. The Reds have the best offense in the division, but whether Latos can continue his performance post all star break last year (2.87 ERA 92/24 K/BB ratio) can determine whether the Reds can match the other 1-2 punches that the Cardinals and Brewers possess. If he can, I fully expect the Reds to take the division.

Win/Loss Predictions:

Reds 91-71

Milwaukee 87-75

St Louis 85-77

Chicago 75-87

Pittsburgh 73-89

Houston 60-102

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Final 5: Mini Buddha Fantasy Guru Returns with his last 5 Predictions for 2012 Fantasy Baseball

BY: MATTHEW ENDER

...if you missed the first 5, you can find them here.

I promised I would be back and just like Kim Kardashian, I stay true to my word. After the higher-than-expected view count (Mom, thanks for clicking over 100 times!) on the first segment of my Bold Predictions for 2012, I have decided to get the final 5 posted. Remember, in order for me to make the Fantasy Hall of Fame, I only need to hit 3 of 10 of these predictions. You know who else WILL hit .300….

6. Carl Crawford will bat .300 with 15 HR, 75 RBI, 100 R, and 40 SB. MINIMUM.  OK, this may be a bit of homer pick here, given I bought his jersey last year and the tags are still on it because I was ashamed to show up to Fenway wearing it, but still! This guy is way too talented to not produce. A move to the biggest market in baseball coupled with a hamstring injury caused his first season in Boston to be a major bust. However, the “collapse” and the clubhouse chaos that followed the season immediately took Crawford out of the spotlight, which is what he needed.  The wrist injury may have him start the season on the DL, but that only creates the PERFECT opportunity to draft him a little later than you would have originally. Take him anywhere near his ADP of 41 and you will be sending me a gift basket in October with your fantasy winnings.

7. BJ Upton will finally put it all together this year. Finally.  OK you caught me, Yvonne Upton paid me a lot of money to give bold predictions about her 2 boys to get their confidence up (see #5 in last article for my love of Justin Upton). Yvonne, they figured us out.  You still want me to go through with this write-up? OK fine. Entering his age-27 season (historically known age for breakout hitters), BJ has been the subject of countless trade rumors. He’s gotten a terrible reputation for playing lazy in the field and has had heated confrontations with Evan Longoria and Joe Maddon. I’ve drafted him three times over the past four years and regretted it each time. Regardless, I think this is the year he finds a way to bring it all together. He’s going to steal 40 bases and hit 20 homers, but he’s always been a drag on your batting average. This year, he’s going to find a way to strike out less (150+ in each of the last 3 years) and bring his BA up to a respectable .275. If you can get a .275 hitter with 20 HR and 40 SB in the 6^th round (current ADP of 65), you can lock it up as a bargain. 

8.  Neftali Feliz will falter as a starter and be sent back to the bullpen by the All-Star Break. The Rangers converted CJ Wilson from closer to starter flawlessly. His stuff is nasty. But his stuff consists of 1 pitch, a 100 MPH fastball. As a closer, you can get away with that because you only face a batter once. Blow it by him three straight times and move on. As a starter, you need to mix up your pitches to keep batters off balance. How can he do that when all he knows is a 100 MPH heater? Exactly, he can’t. His K/9 rate has dropped from 11.3 in 2009 to 7.8 last year and his B/9 has jumped from 2.3 to 4.3 in that same time frame.  The drop in K’s and increase in BB’s make perfect sense considering batters now have enough evidence to know that the fastball is coming. I’d let someone else believe this is CJ Wilson 2.0 and draft him.

9. Curtis Granderson will come crashing back to Earth. Last year, only 1 thing was better than an Anderson. This year, there won’t be anything. In his 6 full seasons prior to 2011, his career highs in HR’s and RBI’s were 30 and 74, respectively. Yet somehow in his age-30 season, he puts up 41 HR and 119 RBI, along with 136 runs! The most glaring difference in 2011 comapred to prior years is his splits vs lefties. Granderson hit 16 HR with 44 RBIs against south-paws last year…now realize he COMBINED for 15 HR and 52 RBIs vs lefties in the previous 5 years. COMBINED! I’m taking my chances that he regresses back to the mean and doesn’t use the short porch in Yankee Stadium like he did last year. I’d be much happier taking Mike (errrGiancarlo) Stanton 5 picks later than hoping for a repeat of a career year from Granderson.

10.  The Washington Nationals have 4 SPs finish in the Top 40 SP ranks.  This rotation can be scary. Very, very scary. Stephen Strasburg has been Cy Young material every time he’s been on a mound in his young career, both before and after Tommy John surgery. He had 2 walks in 5 starts last year after coming back from TJS. Most guys take months to regain their command, but Strasburg found a way to improve it. His only downfall is the potential innings cap, preliminarily set at 160. Jordan Zimmerman is another year removed from his own Tommy John Surgery, Edwin Jackson will give you 150K's with 12 wins and a 3.50 ERA , and newly-acquired Gio Gonzalez will continue to trend upwards of 200K and a sub-3.20 ERA --- all provide plenty of value at a low cost and will finish in the Top 40. Watch out Phillies, your rotation now has company.

There they are, my 10 Predictions for the 2012 Fantasy Baseball season.  I look forward to helping you win (or miserably lose) your fantasy league this year, so please check back every week for a new article, especially looking forward to my recap of my long-running 10 team mixed league points league draft which takes place on Tuesday, March 20. Only 26 days until Opening Day…

Think I’m an idiot? Think I really am a mini Buddha? Want to bet me that I won’t get any of these right? Let me know in the comment section.

 “Mini Buddha – Fantasy Guru” aka Matt Ender

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The Los Angeles Lakers Are In a Funk

This NBA season has been nothing short of great headlines. The Jeremy Lin insanity has spread quickly through-out the nation but has died down in the recent losses. Where will Dwight Howard end up? Does he want out or does he want to continue his future with the Orlando Magic. In my opinion, the biggest story is in Hollywood.

The Los Angeles Lakers haven’t been themselves.  The great Phil Jackson has left Kobe Bryant the reigns to the team. They hired Mike Brown, former coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers who is predominately a defense-minded coach. He coached Lebron James and now he gets to coach the “Black Mamba.” This seems to be the problem. No doubt Kobe Bryant is one of the greatest players to ever play the game. But even the best need to be coached. Phil Jackson was well known for his offense and his “triangle scheme.” Work the ball in a triangle to get to the low post for a high percentage basket. 

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Women Have Game Too!

BY: JULIA CHONGARLIDES

March Madness is here and the NCAA Tournament is right around the corner, but the men are taking all the glory. What about the women? No, we don’t have fast-paced alley oops to a 7-foot tall player hanging in the air for a nasty dunk that ignites the crowd, but we do have a 6’8’’ shot blocking machine named Brittney Griner, who also dunks! Griner is sixth in the nation in scoring with 22.8 points per game and leads the country in blocked shots with 5.1. Oh, and her team, Baylor is 31-0.

On January 2, 2010 Griner became the second woman to dunk twice in a single college game. Yes, I know compared to men’s basketball that is pretty pathetic, but we are women and the average height of a woman is 5 feet 3.8 inches. I do not think strength shoes will work on this one. But, seriously it is not physically possible for a woman to move and dunk the way a man can.

It has come to the point where women along with men are saying women’s basketball is not as exciting to watch. According to "The Sports Media Journal, after 130 men’s regular-season games in 2011-2012, ESPN had ratings that hit 1.1 which was up 10% from last season’s 1.0. More people are watching men’s basketball than women’s. Is this because men are dominant in the United States?

As you look through history, in particular July 21, 1972, which is when the Education Amendment of 1972 “forced all federally funded institutions, namely high schools, universities, and colleges, to have equal funding spent on males and females both in the classroom and on the playing field,” which is famously known as Title IX was passed. Women’s sports have come a long way from back in the day, but do they get the credit they deserve? Look on the main page of ESPN. What do you see? I’ll tell you what you see…you see NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, NCAA FB, NCAA BB, NASCAR, SOCCER, and MORE SPORTS in the Menu heading. Where is Women’s basketball? Well, it’s under MORE SPORTS along with horse racing, golf, and cricket. Really, we get thrown under MORE SPORTS with cricket. That sport isn’t even American. But men’s basketball acquires their title on ESPN’s menu heading, why can’t we?

Women’s basketball has the greats too, like Candace Parker (Tennessee), Maya Moore (UCONN), Lindsay Whalen (Minnesota), Diana Taurasi (UCONN), Skylar Diggins (Notre Dame), Alana Beard (Duke) and sisters Nnemkadi and Chiney Ogwumike (Stanford). But, of course, no one probably knows or has ever heard of these names. Unlike, Jimmer Fredette (Brigham Young), Jared Sullinger (Ohio State), or Kemba Welker (UCONN). I bet you have heard of the men’s names, right? Is it because men’s sports are really more exciting and entertaining than women’s? Or is it the media’s attention that rectifies men’s sports as being the don?

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Miami to Press Hard for Peyton. Not So Fast Ireland!

BY: JORDAN KAPLAN

Should the Miami Dolphins sign Peyton Manning? This is the question that many in South Florida have been asking over the past couple of weeks. A billboard popped up a few weeks ago on the side of I-595 down the street from the Miami Dolphins training camp urging the Dolphins to sign Manning. Various websites, such as manningtomiami.com, have become ways for South Floridians to urge the Dolphins to sign Manning. But what should the inexperienced Stephen Ross do with his franchise? Will he keep it about glitz and glamour, or will he get down to business and play some football?

 

At first glance Peyton Manning on the Miami Dolphins seems like a great idea. 4 time NFL MVP (most all time), fastest player to 50,000 yards, and not to mention he’s thrown for over 4,000 yards in 11 of his 13 seasons played. The other two seasons he threw for 3,7000+ yards. Not too shabby if you ask me. So why wouldn’t the Dolphins want this guy? 

For starters, Robert Griffin III looks like he will be a star for many years to come. Of course this is all just speculation but the dude burns it up as a former track star and is just ridiculously gifted. On top of all that he comes off as a player that is eager to learn and has a great attitude. When you mix all these ingredients together you are cooking up a recipe for success. RG3 truly looks like he is a gamble any GM would be willing to take. The only problem is that the Cleveland Browns and Washington Redskins are rumored to be going after the rookie QB. A trade for St. Louis’ #2 pick would give them the ability to draft Robert Griffin III. Each of these teams has a higher draft choice to trade St. Louis and the Redskins in particular are likely willing to give up everything for him. Dan Snyder, the owner of the ‘Skins, has made crazier moves in the past. Snyder would mortgage the franchise for RG3 who looks like he will be a franchise QB for the next decade and beyond. Herein lies the obstacle the Miami Dolphins will have to overcome if they want Griffin. Take a step back South Florida and you’ll realize that the Dolphins should be willing to mortgage it all. Dol-Fans might not think so but I’ll tell you why.

Peyton Manning has just had 4 neck surgeries in just under 2 years. Nobody knows how he will hold up over an NFL season. No one knows if that one good hit will end his career. Even his own doctors would tell you that there is always a risk Manning reinjures his neck. But lets assume that Peyton is 100% healthy. Best-case scenario he gives the Dolphins 2-3 years of a truly productive player. But take a look at things a little deeper. Peyton Manning comes in and makes the Miami Dolphins a much better team. They have one of the better records in the AFC for the years he is their QB. What happens though when he retires? The Dolphins will be stuck with a mid to late round draft choice and still no QB for their franchise. By signing Peyton Manning the Miami Dolphins could be dooming themselves to 3 years of relevancy and another decade of mediocrity. 

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Mini Buddha – Fantasy Guru’s 2012 Fantasy Baseball Predictions

BY: MATTHEW ENDER

It’s the time of year when all you smell is fresh-cut grass, all you see are neatly drawn white lines, and all you feel is the excitement of madness right around the corner --- no, I’m not talking about the rager in your parents basement you throw each year on spring break --- it’s the start of the baseball season.  This also means it’s the beginning of another fantasy season filled with high hopes, unrealistic expectations, and stupid commissioners pretending that they run the actual MLB (yes, I’m talking to myself here). All off-season (what I really mean is Feb. 6 -- the day after the Super Bowl), I have tracked player moves, projections, rankings, and what the effects of the unusually mild winter will have on the long ball (chicks dig it) early in the season.  With that, I have drawn absolutely ZERO conclusions and the list below is just throwing a bunch of crap on the wall and hoping for the best…clearly I went to the Matthew Berry School of Fantasy Analytics.  If you’re actually still reading this intro, then you’re either a) One of my 4 friends, b) at the worst job on the planet, or c) my mom. 

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The Bounty Hunter: Gregg Williams

A thousand bucks to the first person to knock an opposing player out of a game. Fifteen hundred for a player to knock them out of an NFL Playoff game. Are you kidding me? Over this weekend, some anonymous players from the New Orleans Saints came out and told the public that defensive guru Gregg Williams, paid his players cash to injure opposing players. He promoted bonuses based on a theory: You have a better chance of winning the game with their best players on the sidelines.

At first glance, this looks really bad. Bad for the league, the players and most of all the coaches. Gregg Williams didn't just do this with the Saints.  It's hard to believe but this has been going on since 2009. He had similar programs going on in Washington as well as Buffalo, there are over 50,000 documents that have proof of such acts.

This makes you think twice about what really goes on the gridiron. Think back to  year 2009 when the Saints took on Brett Farve and the Minnesota Vikings. Middle linebacker, Jonathan Vilma, offered ten thousand dollars to the first player to knock Farve out of the NFC Championship game. I'd like to think these professional football players make enough money as it is, but to get paid an insane amount of money to cause pain and hurt to an opposing player is just ridiculous. Let's all cheer while a player is getting carried off in a stretcher. To think these players buy into a program designed by a coach just makes me want to throw up.

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Summer 2012: Luongo Traded Back to Panthers

BY: NEIL BRASLOW

You heard it here first. Roberto Luongo will be traded back to the Florida Panthers during the Summer of 2012.

Corey Schneider is going to be a starting goalie for a NHL team in the near future. Frankly, he should probably be one already. How good Schneider will be is to be determined, but if it is anywhere close to the level he has played at the past two seasons for the Canucks, he will be a perennial All-Star. If Schneider fails to reach a contract with the Canucks by July 1^st, he will be a restricted free agent and any team will be able to sign him to an offer sheet. The Canucks can match that offer, but the likelihood is that it will be in the $3 million plus range which may be too expensive for a backup goalie.

So what about Roberto Luongo? On September 2^nd, 2009 Luongo signed a 12-year contract extension worth $64 million. The deal will not expire until Luongo is 43 and it includes a no-trade clause. While the contract is front-loaded since Luongo will make $3.3 million, $1.6 million, and $1 million during the final four years of the deal, it is hard to imagine that contract is attractive to many teams.

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What If: Steroids Were Legal

Steroids. Professional baseball players have a bad rep when it comes to this widely abused substance. Players use them and many get caught. Some deny the fact that they use them, such as Roger Clemens, and others come out and say it such as Andy Pettitte and Manny Ramirez. Have you ever thought to yourself, "What if steroids were legal?" 

If steroids were legal in baseball (let alone all sports), would every player take advantage? Some athletes are born with natural talent. They are blessed with a skill set that every little kid wishes they have growing up. They journey to the majors and have successful careers. Though, success is not always as easy for others. Players with the diehard love for their sport (and not as much natural talent) make it with downright determination and hard work. They do anything to succeed, including taking performance enhancing drugs. If steroids were legal in professional sports, one can only imagine the widespread use in the effort to succeed stardom.

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