SportsDabbler

What’s up everyone? The Sportsdabbler is here to bring you its way-too-early AFC contenders list. I was waiting to release this because I was expecting a certain AFC contender to sign a certain disgruntled WR and it happened last night with the Cincinnati Bengals signing former Buffalo Bills wide receiver Terrell Owens. This move instantly upgrades a Cincinnati passing unit that had a less than stellar year by their standards or at least by Carson Palmer’s standards. Well let’s get down to it, shall we?

1. Indianapolis Colts

The Indianapolis Colts are the reigning AFC Champions and again should be one of the favorites to earn the AFC’s spot in the Super Bowl. Led by four time league MVP Peyton Manning, the Colts have been one of the most consistently excellent teams in the league for the last eight years and have been a legitimate Super Bowl contender in each of the last five years culminating in two appearances and one championship. The Super Bowl last year was decided on two plays. Of course, the onside kick recovery by New Orleans and the pick-six by Tracey Porter which sealed the game. However, in that game, New Orleans had no problem stymieing a normally stout Colts pass rush because of the foot injury sustained by Dwight Freeney. In an effort to bolster their pass rush, with their first round pick, the Colts drafted DE/OLB Jerry Hughes from TCU. Hughes fits the Colts’ old status quo of selecting speedy but undersized defensive players. Hughes was an elite pass rusher in college and will see time this season as a situational pass rusher for the Colts. If the Colts can improve their poor running game and restore some balance to their offense they just might be the first AFC team to return to the Super Bowl after a loss the previous year since the Buffalo Bills in 1993.

2. New York Jets

My second biggest contender for the AFC title happens to be the runner up in last year’s AFC Championship game, the New York Jets. The Jets, by far, had the best offseason of any team in the NFL. After fielding the league’s best defense last year, they somehow upgraded a very talented defensive unit by trading for former Chargers cornerback Antonio Cromartie and also using their first round draft pick on cornerback Kyle Wilson from Boise State. In addition to their secondary upgrades, they signed former Dolphins and Redskins DE/OLB Jason Taylor to improve their pass rush. On the offensive side of the ball, they signed former Chargers running back, LaDanian Tomlinson to bolster their running back depth behind rising star Shonn Greene. They also traded a fifth round draft pick for former Steelers wide receiver Santonio Holmes who will be serving a four game suspension to start the season. With these upgrades alone, the Jets look legit on paper. However, I think the Jets will only go as far as QB Mark Sanchez’s arm will take them. With the new toys on offense, it should make his job that much easier. I expect the defense to be as strong if not stronger than last year’s unit and if Sanchez matures this team will challenge the Colts for AFC supremacy.

3. Cincinnati Bengals

My third contender was very tough to choose. It was between two AFC North teams but with the recent signing of wide receiver Terrell Owens, the Cincinnati Bengals get the nod. After winning their division last year, the Bengals made their first playoff appearance since 2005 when Carson Palmer suffered a catastrophic knee injury. Since then, the Bengals’ franchise quarterback has sustained a litany of minor injuries and by his standards had a sub par year last year. In an effort to boost their passing attack, the Bengals selected talented tight end Jermaine Gresham from Oklahoma with their first round draft pick. With the signing of Terrell Owens, Carson Palmer should have enough weapons to have a stellar year and one that we are used to seeing from him. This team is not built on offense alone as they have one of the best cornerback tandems in the league with Jonathan Joseph and Leon Hall. They also boast a young and talented linebacker corps as well. With DE Antwan Odom returning from injury, that should only improve their pass rush as well. When Terrell Owens is motivated he can be one of the best playmakers in the league and with a great quarterback throwing to him and another pro bowl wide receiver opposite of him, he should have plenty of motivation. If the improved running game from last year shows it was not a fluke, the Bengals will be a very tough team to beat.

4. Baltimore Ravens

The other AFC North team I was alluding to is not the Pittsburgh Steelers but I am sure you already knew that. The Baltimore Ravens who crushed the New England Patriots last year in the playoffs return a very strong team lead by one of the best running backs in the league in Ray Rice as well as strong-armed signal caller Joe Flacco. The Ravens rode Ray Rice all the way to the playoffs while Flacco was more of a game manager than playmaker. I can not fault Flacco too much as he really did not have many weapons in the passing game. Well that changed this offseason as the Ravens traded for wide receiver Anquan Boldin. While Boldin is a not a blazer, he’s one of the most sure-handed wide receivers in the league and should definitely improve a mediocre passing attack. On the defensive side of the ball, the Ravens seemed to lose a step last year and with Ed Reed out for the first six weeks this season, the defense will have a tough time regrouping. In order to help bolster the defense, the Ravens drafted a couple of defenders with their first two picks. They selected DE/OLB Sergio Kindle from Texas and NT Terrance Cody from Alabama. If Cody can drop some pounds and pass his conditioning test, the Ravens could have the biggest defensive line in the league when you consider DE Haloti Ngata is 345 lbs. With their offseason moves, the Ravens are in good position to challenge Cincinnati for the AFC North crown.

5. New England Patriots

My last contender is a team that should never be considered down and out. That team is the New England Patriots. Led by star quarterback Tom Brady, along with the Colts, the Patriots have been one of the most consistently great franchises in the league over the last seven years. The loss of WR Wes Welker last year right before the playoffs proved to be costly as Wes Welker is one of the key cogs in the Pats offense. Going into this year, I have to admit that I am little bit skeptical about New England. Tom Brady had a typical Brady year but considering the year before he broke all types of records I expected a bit more. I guess you can blame it on the knee injury but he insisted it did not hamper his play. The Pats have been undergoing a youth movement on defense as many of their aging veterans have been traded or released. With their first round draft pick, the Pats selected CB Devin McCourty from Rutgers. McCourty is a physical corner with solid coverage skills and is ideal for the Pats’ man coverage schemes. If the defense can come together and Tom Brady can continue to improve from his injury, they can be that dangerous team nobody talks about. I still contend that they will have a tough time being to repeat as AFC East champs as the Jets have done far more to improve their roster than the Patriots have.

Well there you have it, those are my five contenders for the AFC title going into the 2010-2011 season. Stay tuned for more updates from the Sportsdabbler.
Real Sports. Real Talk.

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I’ll tell you what: the Miami Heat’s offseason handiwork has mostly been viewed as a positive for the players and the organization. However, the recent comments directed at Lebron James made by his ‘Airness’, Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson show that not everyone is impressed. To paraphrase what Jordan said, basically, was the fact that he would never imagine calling up the other superstars of his generation including Larry Bird or Magic Johnson to play on the same team together. He was trying to beat those guys not play on the same team as them. Magic Johnson basically reiterated the same thing, saying “we didn’t think about it cause that’s not what we were about,” said Johnson. “From college, I was trying to figure out how to beat Larry Bird.”

Now is this ‘hating’ or is this simply the greats dropping knowledge? I think the truth lies somewhere in between. Jordan and Johnson both have valid points. In their era, the competitive nature of athletes in the NBA was extremely high. In today’s game, not so much. It seems that marketing and money is what drives the players today. So to call the move by Lebron James, who is undoubtedly the game’s most marketable player, cowardly because he could not achieve a championship on his own holds quite a bit weight. Factor in that this quote is attributed to the greatest basketball player of all time, somebody I am sure that Lebron idolized as a kid.

However, I think there are two sides to a story. Did Jordan ever have a good relationship with any of his peers off the court? Short answer, No! Do Lebron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh have a good relationship off the court? They certainly do. So is it unfair to criticize a guy who wants to play with his friends on the same team, especially when they make one of the most talented trios in NBA history? I think it is, to an extent. Lebron has had an extensive amount of time to show his mettle in the NBA. He is a great individual player, but Lebron has shown that he alone is the undisputed leader of his team, that he can not deliver an NBA title. Just look at the past two seasons. His former team had the number one seed in the Eastern or ‘Leastern’ conference as I like to call it, the past two seasons and they have been thoroughly embarrassed in the playoffs each time. The Cavs even failed to reach seven games in either series: one against an Orlando Magic team that got embarrassed by the Lakers; and two, against an aging Boston Celtics team that proved they still had game.

All of that is moot now because with Lebron joining the Heat it almost guarantees that he will win at least one title before his contract is up. The drawback is that is his proposed legacy of being one of the great leaders of all time is pretty much defunct because he will never be ‘the man’ on that team. When you have two future hall of famers on your team, how can you really show your individual worth? In fact, it will be an absolute joke if any of the players on that team win an MVP award while playing together because not a single one of them can claim that they are the reason they are winning because they each will be carrying an equal load. Well Lebron, you have to live with your decision, whether it was the right one or the wrong one, one thing you have assured is that you will probably never ever be considered the greatest player of all time.

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It has been a while since I’ve written anything but I’m back hopefully for good!

With NBA free agency under full swing, fans and analysts alike are starting to formulate ideas of how teams are taking shape going into next season. Of course the headline that caught the most eyes was Lebron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh each signing with the Miami Heat. This move could conceivably shape the NBA Finals outlook for the next 4-5 years.When you have the second, third and sixth best players on the planet on one roster, its not much of a stretch to say that.

In case if you were wondering, I still have Kobe Bryant listed as the best player on the planet for now, but sometime next year I expect LeBron to lay claim to the undisputed best player on the planet. With that said, playing alongside Wade and Bosh will undoubtedly take some of Lebron’s individual shine away from him.

Of course this is where I hit you with the whammy, I do not think the Miami Heat will win the NBA Championship for the 2010-2011 season.

First off, the additions of Lebron James and Chris Bosh and the re-signing of Dwayne Wade looks more like a collection of great individual talent rather than team talent. I know that may sound short-sighted, let me explain. Each one of those players were the cornerstones of their respective franchises. Lebron won two MVP awards and has a Finals appearance under his belt, Wade has an NBA Finals MVP trophy and Bosh was an immensely talented player on a poor team. In essence they were each “The Man.” Now that Lebron and Bosh are added, the question begs: Who is the man now? It’s unreasonable to think that at some point in the season that egos will not clash. In Cleveland, the offense ran through Lebron and in Miami and Toronto the same situation applies for Wade and Bosh. Who will it run through now? I’m sure there are plenty of interesting answers to that but it remains to be seen how the offense will run. I am also aware of that these three guys have experience playing together internationally but that is not nearly the same as the NBA where money and image precede winning.

Secondly, let us take a look at the rest of the roster, they sorely lack the depth of a championship squad.

The Heat were smart in acquiring Zydrunas Ilgauskas. He was a solid player in Cleveland for a long time, but we are talking about a guy who has missed 42 games over the last three years and has seen his scoring, rebounding and field goal percentage decline each year in that span. At 35 years old, he’s clearly looking at retirement at the end of this season.It also remains to be seen if he can even remain healthy for a full season and based on his age and recent injury history, I would say it is doubtful.

Mike Miller was a solid acquisition because he represents the only legitimate spot-up shooter on the roster not to mention the only viable threat from downtown. He’s a good player and it is unclear whether or not Miami will use him the starting lineup or off the bench.

The rest of the role players, we already have an idea of what they bring to the table. Udonis Haslem is cagy veteran presence but is unspectacular in just about in every facet of his game and Mario Chalmers actually got worse from his rookie year to sophomore campaign. Haslem has a ring but are the other guys really championship caliber role players? It remains to be seen but as of now I say an emphatic “NO!”

A bigger question is how the offense is going to be run. Lebron and Wade have very similar playing styles in the sense that they are both explosive players to the basket but both have mediocre mid-range and perimeter games. However, they both can not clog the paint at the same time. The big advantage for both of those players is their uncanny court vision, so I expect their passing abilities will help alleviate this probleml but it is a concern going into training camp nonetheless. How Bosh will fit into this crowded paint area will be interesting because you’re going to have three exceptional players whose individual strengths lie in the paint. Floor spacing is going to be a big issue especially when you only have one good deep threat.

With the lack of depth, each of the superstars are going to be called on to play big minutes and throughout an 82 game season, fatigue could be a factor that works against them as they enter the playoffs. Playing in the notoriously weak Eastern Conference will be beneficial to this team. The lack of consistently tough competition will probably allow this team to work out its problems on its way to a high playoff seeding.
I expect this team will win a championship in the coming years, I just do not think it will happen this year. There are other teams in the hunt who are just as hungry and although may lack the individual talent have better overall team chemistry. I will address the other contenders in my next blog so stay tuned! Real Sports. Real Talk.

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Well, Breaking News just occurred, Wide Receiver Braylon Edwards was just traded from the Cleveland Browns to the New York Jets. The final details of the trade have not been disclosed but NFL.com sources are reporting that WR Chansi Stuckey, LB Jason Trusnik and two undisclosed draft picks are part of the compensation package.

If the drafts picks are a fourth and fifth rounder, I’m all for this trade. Despite being a moron who picks fights with LeBron James’s entourage, Braylon Edwards still has the potential to be a dominating wide receiver in this league provided that he has a good quarterback throwing him the ball. Don’t let the last two disappointing seasons get you down on this guy, when he is happy and motivated he can do big things. Think Randy Moss going from Oakland to the Patriots. He might not have that big of an improvement but watch for this guy to immediately become an impact guy for the Jets. Mark Sanchez now has a legitimate number one target and Jerricho Cotchery can thrive in the number two spot. The Jets realized that they needed a big play guy after getting thrashed by the Saints and I applaud the front office for getting this done.

In other NFL news, Michael Crabtree finally stopped being a punk and signed a 6-year deal with the 49ers. I guess he realized that having millions of dollars now is better than having it next year. I really hate when draft picks pull this type of bullsh*t. I understand you have to look out for your financial situation but at the same time you’re an unproven commodity and you sure as hell aren’t going to give any of that money back if you flop so just sign the contract appropriate for your draft slot and don’t sacrifice team chemistry for the sake of a few dollars. If you’re the player you think you are, you can always holdout later for more money.
The 49ers were already rolling without Crabtree but with the signing, Shaun Hill has a go-to target and if Crabtree is legit (I have a strong feeling that he is not), he can open up the seams for Vernon Davis who is already off to a nice start.

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Hello all, as promised The Sportsdabbler is bringing you his NFL recap of week 4. Let’s start off with the Monday Night Game between the Packers and Vikings. This game was certainly a good one. This game was all about the quarterbacks:  The master and the protege were set to clash in an always tightly contested battle between division rivals. Well, I have two quick observations from the outset of the game; Aaron Rodgers is a beast and Brett Favre’s still got ‘it.’ I picked the Packers to be one of my Super Bowl contenders preseason, but the way the offensive line is performing coupled with the lack of depth at the safety position has me re-thinking my selection. The Packers’ offensive line with Chad Clifton was struggling and without him tonight they were absolutely embarrassed by what some may call the league’s best starting defensive line. Their back-up left tackle getting injured also didn’t help and led to some line shifting. If you are playing fantasy football and have Ryan Grant on your team, its probably a good idea to package him in a trade deal or just out-right cut him if Marshawn Lynch is still on your waiver wire.

Vikings 30 Packers 23

A Minnesota defensive line led by Jared Allen and his 4.5 sacks was able to get 8 total sacks on Aaron Rodgers and he still went 26-for-37 and 384 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. These weren’t necessarily garbage yards either as Rodgers and the Packers tried to make it interesting at the end but they failed to recover two onside kicks which ultimately sealed their fate. On the other side, Favre had his best game as a Viking to date, completing 24 out of 31 passes for 271 yards and 3 touchdowns. Favre showed that he can still make all the throws and I like the fact that he is picking his spots to be aggressive. He’s fitting nicely into Brad Childress’s version of the west coast offense.

I still think the Packers are a good team but this offseason they’re definitely going to have to focus on shoring up the offensive line depth as well as their defensive secondary. I have confidence that their Defensive Coordinator Dom Capers will make the necessary schematic adjustments. The Vikings, on the other hand, will probably be the Flavor of the Week until they lose. Some analysts seem to think that Minnesota is a Super Bowl contender but it remains to be seen if a 40 year old Favre can sustain this level of play for an entire season and how the Vikings’ swiss cheese secondary holds up against teams with excellent offensive lines and solid passing attacks. I think the Vikings are a playoff team but not a serious Super Bowl contender unless they shore up their defensive backfield sans Antoine Winfield who can still get it done.

Bears 48 Lions 24

The rest of the NFL had a few intriguing match-ups as well as a couple of surprises. Despite the 48-24 loss against Chicago, I have to give a shout out to Matthew Stafford. He had an excellent game against the Bears aggressive defense. He opened the game with a 45-yard strike to Calvin Johnson and engineered a 73-yard touchdown drive and a 1-yard Kevin Smith touchdown run. The game was actually pretty tight going into halftime tied at 21. In the second half, the Bears cranked up the defense and pretty much dominated, Matt Forte had a big game collecting 121 yards rushing on just 12 carries. Stafford sustained a dislocated knee cap in the fourth quarter and hopefully he won’t be out for an extended period of time. Lions’ fans should be happy as the future is bright for Stafford and Johnson provided that Stafford can build upon this effort.

Bengals 23 Browns 20

The Cincinnati Bengals matched up against against the Cleveland Browns in what would seem to be an uninteresting affair but the ‘cardiac’ Bengals have played in close games all year and this one was no different. They even needed overtime to dispatch the horrid Browns for a final score of 23-20. I must say, even though the numbers aren’t showing yet, you really have to be impressed with what Carson Palmer is doing there in Cincy. He continues to will his team to victory each week behind a porous offensive line and no running game. The defense is still young and they are finding their way right now. Make no mistake about it, when healthy, Carson Palmer is a Top 5 quarterback in the league. Not really much to say about the Browns, other than the fact that Braylon Edwards doesn’t need to be beefing with Lebron James’s friends at the club. According to ESPN reports, Edwards punched one of James’s friends outside of club essentially because he’s jealous of James’s status. What an idiot!

Texans 29 Raiders 6

Houston handled Oakland in a 29-6 game. I feel sorry for the Raiders, they can’t consistently draft well, they can’t sign quality free agents, they just can’t win. Jamarcus Russell is well on his way to being a bust and if Darren McFadden doesn’t start to show some consistency, he may be on the same path despite his freakish physical attributes.

Houston cruised to victory by relying on their defense to make plays and Steve Slaton who had a nice 32 yard touchdown run as well as a touchdown reception. I expect Steve Slaton to rebound from his slow start and return to his rookie form.

Colts 34 Seahawks 17

The Indianapolis Colts hosted the struggling Seattle Seahawks and this game pretty much went how I expected it. Peyton Manning is already in midseason form. For those that thought Drew Brees was going to walk away with the MVP after his 6 touchdown week 1 performance, you were severely mistaken. Manning leads the league in passing yards, QB rating, yards per attempt, he’s tied for first in touchdown passes and second in completion percentage. Right now, it seems that the Colts are one of the top 2 teams in the entire NFL. The only problem I can see for the Colts is that they seem to be at their best when they are flying under the radar. With two prime-time games already played, I think its going to be very difficult for them to do so.

Jaguars 37 Titans 17

Jacksonville and Tennessee met up in an AFC South divisional matchup. Divisional games tend to be more competitive than other games, especially in the AFC South because of how good the teams are. However, after winning the division last year, Tennessee is really struggling this year. After this loss, it drops them to 0-4. They’re going to continue to lose if Kerry Collins is throwing 40 times a game. They really need to get LenDale White more involved in the offense. I really believed that the loss of Albert Haynesworth was going to be too much to overcome. He was the anchor of one of the top defenses in the league last year and without him Tennessee is 22nd in the league in total defense and 26th in scoring defense…ouch!

On the other side, David Garrard is rebounding from a relatively bad season last year and Jacksonville seems to be overcoming their early season struggles. Garrard led the charge for Jacksonville by throwing 3 touchdown passes in a 37-17 victory.

Giants 27 Chiefs 16

The New York Giants faced off against the lowly Kansas City Chiefs and what a surprise; the Chiefs lost. It’s still too early to say that they overpaid for Matt Cassell but he’s not exactly setting the world on fire, in the three games that he has started this year, he has a 82.5 QB rating and Kansas City has scored a total of 40 points. Meanwhile, the Giants are as hot as anyone and between them and the Colts, those are the top 2 teams in the NFL right now, but it is still a little too early to call for the ‘Manning Bowl.’ Eli Manning is really progressing as a passer, he’s topped a 100 in QB rating the last 3 games and is doing a good job with his decision making. Although he did sustain a plantar fasciitis (bruised heel) injury, he’s listed as day-to-day and shouldn’t miss his next game which will be a big one against the red hot Saints.

Patriots 27 Ravens 21

Another great game from this weekend involved the New England Patriots hosting the Baltimore Ravens. I must say I have been really impressed with Joe Flacco this season. The Ravens’ offensive coordinator Cam Cameron has really done a good job of increasing the workload for Flacco this season. Flacco already almost has half of his total passing yards from a year ago to go along with a 94.3 QB rating. Its a bummer that the Ravens lost this game 27-21. Mark Clayton dropped a ‘pillow’ on a fourth down play that would have given the Ravens a first and goal with 28 seconds left. The would have been in position to win the game with a touchdown and PAT. Even though I hate to say it, the Patriots keep finding ways to get it done. This team is slowly starting to get it’s running backs more and more involved in the offense and Tom Brady is getting into his groove. Although the defense is not quite there yet, this team is eerily starting to resemble the 2003 Patriots that won it all.

Saints 24 Jets 10

Another battle of unbeaten teams took place this Sunday in the Super Dome where the New Orleans Saints handled the New York Jets 24-10. I knew Mark Sanchez was bound to have a bad game sooner or later, I just did not think it would happen against a generally weak Saints defense. I was wrong, the Saints’ defense stepped it up big time forcing four Jets turnovers, all by Mark Sanchez. I think the Jets will rebound and New Orleans continues to surprise me even with Drew Brees having his second straight mediocre game. Though the running attack is really keeping the Saints in games when Drew Brees isn’t lighting up the scoreboard. I think its a forgone conclusion that they’re the division favorites but I’ll reserve judgment for this team after they face the Giants.

Other scores from this weekend

Dolphins 38 Bills 10

After losing Chad Pennington for the season, the Dolphins respond by trading draft pick to the Chiefs for Tyler Thigpen and anoint Chad Henne as the starter. After a mediocre game last week, Henne looked a lot more at ease. Henne certainly has the physical attributes to be a solid NFL quarterback and I’m sure it only helps that his starting left tackle in college is the same in the NFL. If they keep relying on the running game and playing tough defense, I could see Miami winning 7 games. Meanwhile, the Bills have me shaking my head. They open the season with a tough loss against the Patriots and rebound by beating the Buccaneers only to lose their next two games. Trent Edwards is really struggling and it’s only a matter of time until Terrell Owens has a team-dividing outburst.

Redskins 16 Buccaneers 13

In the “nobody cares bowl”  the Washington Redskins beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 16-13. I didn’t think Raheem Morris was going to be a good coach in Tampa before the season started, I feel almost bad that I was right. Its a matter of ‘when’ not ‘if’ this guy gets fired. If Morris can fire his offensive coordinator before the season even starts, it wouldn’t surprise me if the Glazers fire him before the season finishes.

Broncos 17 Cowboys 10

Denver continues to shock me, they get rid of the legendary Mike Shanahan and replace him with 33 year old Josh McDaniels, they get rid of their Pro Bowl quarterback in the offseason, change defensive philosophies and what do they do? They become one of the surprise teams in the AFC and lead the NFL in scoring defense allowing a stingy 6.5 points per game. Of course, they continue their little hot streak beating a ridiculously inconsistent Dallas Cowboys team. I still think this team is a pretender but McDaniels has them looking like a contender.

49ers 35 Rams 0

The 49ers continue to take advantage of the crappy teams in their division but you can’t blame them for that. Mike Singletary along with Josh McDaniels are the leading candidates for Coach of the Year thus far. Singletary has the San Francisco playing sound defense along with an efficient offense. Vernon Davis may not be a bust after all, he has caught touchdown passes in his last two games and is already close to eclipsing his receiving yards total from last year.

Steelers 38 Chargers 28

The Steelers win the ‘Disappointment’  bowl. Both of these teams were expected to be top AFC contenders instead they both stand at 2-2 after this weekend’s game. Philip Rivers continues to put up big numbers that don’t matter. If you look at Philip Rivers’s stat line week-to-week you would think that the Chargers are just obliterating people, instead you just see them losing or playing a mediocre team close. The Steelers are happy that their running back of the future has finally broken out. Rashard Mendenhall had a great game with 165 yards rushing and 2 touchdowns, meanwhile Big Ben had huge game, throwing for 333 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Stay tuned for the SportsDabbler’s NFL week 5 predictions as well his Week 6 NCAA football predictions.

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¿Cómo están bitches? The SportsDabbler is back in full effect after a considerable recess. I had to take care of a lot of different items of personal interest, but the SportsDabbler wants you to know that all of your sports concerns will be addressed. I know everyone has been on the edge of their seat waiting for sports insights, so here we go:

There are a ton of things to talk about with the NCAA football season underway; the list of pretenders and contenders is starting to fill up. The NFL season is off to a surprising start. Fantasy Football is always exciting and I’m your man if you need the 4-1-1. The MLB playoffs are about to start as the regular season winds down and NBA training camp is already underway. Wow, that’s a full plate, but I’ll do my best to stay on top of the game.

First off, let’s talk a little bit about College Football. I know it is a cliche to talk about this but preseason rankings are absolutely worthless. The sheer bias exhibited in these rankings are laughable. The Coaches’ Poll is a joke because they do not watch any other team other than their own and the one they are preparing to play. The AP poll is full of bias; they favor the conference that their state team plays in or their alma maters, whichever serves their respective agendas best. How many top ten teams have already fallen? Let’s see, USC, Cal, Ole Miss, Oklahoma, BYU etc. The rankings should not come out until after week six when there is enough data to really give a unbiased view of the top performers.

The SEC benefits the most from the biases. Don’t get me wrong, it is the best conference in college football top to bottom; however, their advantage is not as large as everyone seems to think it is. For example, let us take a look at Ole Miss who was ranked 8th in the preseason. Why they were ranked that high is beyond me. I know they trampled an overrated Texas Tech team in the Cotton Bowl last year but still, eighth? I know they returned Jevan Snead and Dexter McCluster but let’s be honest here; while those are good players, they are not spectacular on any level. They’re not players that make you say ‘wow, I’m terrified of Ole Miss.’ They continued to move up in the rankings because teams ahead of them lost and that is just how the system works. They peaked at number four and then met a South Carolina team that struggled to beat a middle-tier ACC team in NC State. Do you honestly believe that the fourth ranked team in the country should be dismantled by a slightly better than average team like South Carolina? Here is where the SEC benefits: Even though Ole Miss was extremely overrated, a middle to lower tier SEC team like South Carolina gets applauded for beating such a ‘tough’ team. The media pundits start the talk “look how tough the SEC is, where a team like South Carolina can beat the fourth ranked team in the country, blah, blah, blah.” Now South Carolina is on the cusp of being ranked and will probably be so after they beat an FCS team like South Carolina State this weekend. The next average SEC team will benefit greatly in the rankings after they beat South Carolina and so the perpetual cycle continues.

Other conferences such as the Big East do not benefit from having the same type of parity. The Big East is generally perceived as being a weak conference, usually as the fifth or sixth best BCS conference depending on who you talk to. To me, they can make the case as being the fourth best conference right now, ahead of the Big Ten and ACC. I would take the top four in the Big East against the top four in the Big Ten any day of the week on a neutral field. Just look at the out of conference records for each conference. The reason the average person scoffs at this is because Cincinnati, South Florida, West Virginia and Pittsburgh do not have the same appeal as Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State and Iowa. These teams are tradition rich and supposedly loaded with talent, but nobody seems to remember that Michigan struggled with Indiana last week, Ohio State almost lost to Navy at home, Iowa looked like a high school football team against FCS’s Northern Iowa and Penn State got manhandled by that very same Iowa team. On the other hand, Cincinnati has one of the most explosive offenses in the country and has beaten a tough Oregon State team as well as an equally tough Fresno State team. South Florida, last week, with a redshirt freshman quarterback making his first start walked into Doak Campbell Stadium and physically annihilated an FSU team that was coming off of a 54-28 massacre of number then-#7  BYU. West Virginia lost a tough road game against a solid Auburn team and Pittsburgh had a defensive breakdown against NC State after leading big. Obviously this is a moot point and until we have a college playoff system these matters will never be accurately settled but it always makes for interesting conversation.

With all that said, my top 5 teams in the country based on what has transpired during the season thus far would be as such:

# 1 Alabama — Unlike most SEC teams,*cough* Gators *cough* Alabama has not been afraid to schedule tough games out of conference over the past few seasons. This season was no different; they had a great performance against a very tough Virginia Tech team as well as a solid win against Arkansas. Their defense is gritty and will have to overcome some tough injuries but with the way they have been recruiting the last three years, that should not be too much of a problem.

# 2 Virginia Tech — This team has had the toughest schedule in the nation thus far, they had an opportunity to beat a very talented Alabama team but in the end, Alabama was a little too strong. They nudged out a victory over a defensively tough Nebraska squad and completely dismantled a young but very talented Miami squad with some good ole fashion Beamer Ball. If quarterback Tyrod Taylor can continue to improve his passing, this Virginia Tech team could have a very high ceiling.

# 3 Texas — They have one of the best quarterbacks in the country and have done well thus far in the season, though they have struggled against some lesser teams. I could easily put them 4th but for now I’ll keep them at #3. If they can get past Oklahoma with a healthy Sam Bradford, that will go a far way in showing that this team is legit. A road match-up against Oklahoma State as well a tough home game against Kansas are things to keep an eye on.

# 4 Florida — The defending National Champions could easily be #3, #2, or even #1  for that matter but I put them at #4 because of Tebow’s injury status. No one knows how he will respond to his mild concussion. I laugh as I typed that because it is a mild concussion; but still, any head injury should be taken seriously by the medical staff. They returned their entire two deep on defense from last year and are still a very aggressive and nasty unit, though the passing game has struggled a bit. Tennessee had no business keeping their game against Florida that close because of how terrible they are. If Tebow and the Gators rebound later this month with a big win against an overrated LSU team, then they will move up in my rankings.

# 5 Cincinnati — The Bearcats shot up in the rankings, however, it was well deserved. They have an explosive offense and one of the best coaches in the entire country in Brian Kelly. If this team can make it past a tough road game against South Florida on October 15th, it has the chance to run the table and make it to the National Championship game. No team has gone undefeated in the Big East since realignment, so that in itself is a tough task. Some people believe that the Big East can not possibly have a team in the big game but they forget that had Louisville not lost to Rutgers in 2006 they would have played in the BCS title game, the same with West Virginia losing late in the season to Pittsburgh in 2007. I know some of you will laugh but this team is for real. If they do happen to lose to South Florida, don’t take it as a knock to Cincy, just realize that South Florida is also a very good team.

Well, I was planning on covering a variety of topics in this one post but I love me some College Football and may have rambled on a little too much. My next post will probably survey the NFL season thus far. Don’t forget, if you have any Fantasy Football questions please email them to RS@sportsdabbler.com and I will do my best to answer all of them. Make sure to include the general scoring rules and format in your league as every league differs in these matters. For example, Yahoo leagues don’t reward points for receptions while AOL leagues usually do. So a guy a like Wes Walker holds considerable value in one league and not in the other. Till next time, I’m out!

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I just wanted to tell everyone how vindicated I feel right now. ESPN just reported that David Ortiz of the Boston Red Sox tested positive for performance enhancing drugs in 2003. I wrote an article on this just over a month ago. Of course, this is another “black-eye” for baseball but it is what it is. Check out the article “On Deck” if you have not gotten a chance to read it. I think its a fairly accurate assessment of what happened. Its a shame for Boston Red Sox fans to know that their two best players during their championship run were cheaters. I guess they will eat crow for what they had to say about Alex Rodriguez. Just letting everyone know if they did not know before, Sportsdabbler.com is your official source for Real Sports and Real Talk!
Stay tuned for the next update!

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I decided to have a little change of pace before I resume my recaps of the NBA Offseason. I need to address a few issues. If you have been paying attention to sports news you might have come across the ‘SEC Football Ballot Scandal.” If you have not, I will break it down for you. Apparently, one SEC coach, later discovered to be Steve Spurrier, decided not to put Tim Tebow on his first-team ballot. ESPN, with their Tebow-goggles on, made this foolishness headline news. So I guess we are not in a free country, you can not vote for who you want. Only now can we really feel the Iranians’ pain, just kidding. Its not like Ole Miss’s quarterback Jevan Snead is a scrub. In fact, he probably has a better pro football future than Tim Tebow because his playing style is more conducive to the pro game, but that is an argument for another day. I know Spurrier admitted that it was a mistake but I doubt his intention was to place Tebow on his first ballot. Honestly speaking though, I would have voted for Tebow on the first ballot but the media has no business bullying Spurrier into changing his vote, which is exactly what happened. I thought Spurrier would have shown more balls and actually stood with his ballot but he took the coward’s way out to avoid the unnecessary press. Either way, this was a complete non-story that got blown way out of proportion.

WTF, Did I get myself into?

Now that I’ve gotten that off my chest, I wanted to discuss another issue that will probably get way more media coverage than it deserves. The decision whether or not to reinstate notable dog-fighter Michael Vick into the NFL is being mulled over by the commissioner and wannabe tough guy, Roger Goodell. Personally speaking, I think Michael Vick has served his time and should be reinstated into the NFL. If you’re going to allow Pacman Jones, who was implicated in far worse situations, back into the NFL, then surely you will have to do the same for Michael Vick without him having to serve another four to six game suspension. If you do that, you might as well suspend him for another year because no team is going to be able to sign him and expect any reasonable contribution because it takes a lot of time and dedication to fully understand the average team’s playbook and terminology.

Let me set this straight, I’m not a Michael Vick fan (for his playing style, I have nothing personal against him). I even laughed when I first heard that he was being convicted for dog-fighting. The first words out of my mouth were: “What a stupid motherfu**er!” Now however, my sentiments are different. The man has served two years in Federal Prison for a crime that is committed virtually everywhere in the United States and is publicized nowhere.
I’m not making any excuses for Vick, but I understand that he grew up in a thuggish environment, he maintained relationships with thuggish people and he never realized that you have to start maturing as you get older. Not to mention, when you make millions of dollars, its wise to cut ties with people who can jeopardize that. I’m sure he’s more than learned all of that by now.

Lawrence "8-ball" Taylor

In America, we have a very forgiving society as long as you’re remorseful. Look at some of the players that are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. You have notable coke-heads like Lawrence Taylor and Michael Irvin who are two of the most revered players in NFL history. Should players who are repeated drug users be allowed to be in the NFL let alone be enshrined in the Hall of Fame? That’s a question that you have to ask yourself.

Michael "That pipe wasn't mine" Irvin

Now I’m not saying that Michael Vick’s reinstatement into the NFL should be unconditional. He really did piss off a lot of people as well let down a lot of his fans. I’m not saying its right but for some reason parents let their children idolize these athletes who are nothing more than people who play games for a living. Athletes should not be role models for children, and if you’re a parent that doesn’t understand that distinction, then you are a FAILURE as a parent. Back to my original point though, Vick’s reinstatement should not be unconditional, I believe that a portion of his salary should be donated to PETA as well some other charities involving animals. This would go a long way in repairing his public image and probably would spearhead momentum in gaining back some of the endorsements he has lost.

Now that Michael Vick has been out of the NFL for two years a lot of people are wondering what he would bring to an NFL team. At 29 years old he is still in peak athletic condition and because he was off the field the last two years there isn’t much wear and tear on his body unless he dropped the soap in the prison shower…Ouch! Seriously though, before he got arrested Vick was one of the most electrifying playmakers to ever grace a football field. He was never a quarterback but rather an athlete lining up at quarterback. His understanding of reading defenses was always minimal and apparently he never spent the required time breaking down game film. Unfortunately, he is a moron and that’s not something that is going to be rectified now. I’ve always said that if he had Peyton Manning’s brain he would be the best football player ever.

Fortunately for Vick though, several NFL clubs are starting to experiment with this Wildcat formation, where you have a great athlete lineup under center and take snaps. Notable teams that have put it to use are Miami and Cleveland. As these teams gain success it will probably start catching on. Look for Minnesota to use it this year with Percy “I scored a 5 on my Wonderlic” Harvin. Vick would be perfect for that offense because he actually has experience under center and he has one of the best arms the NFL has ever seen. He could really be successful in situational downs. I think if his hands are good, he could also be an exceptional slot receiver, especially off of bubble screens. His fantastic agility would allow him to thrive in such a role.

Eventually, we will have to wait and see how this plays out. Roger Goodell has a ‘Napoleon Complex’ and he wants to be that tough guy. He’ll keep scheduling periodic meetings with Vick to see if he is remorseful and then eventually decide to let him play. Hopefully Vick won’t face any further suspensions and actually be allowed to have a legitimate chance of signing with a team for training camp. I’m sure the Raiders or Lions will give him a chance as they are two of the most poorly run franchises in the league and are inclined to take stupid risks. Whether you love him or hate him, Vick deserves a second chance and even though I’m not a fan of his, I do look forward to seeing him play this year. Good luck Vick! I’m interested in hearing what everyone else thinks about this, don’t forget to comment!

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For the next installment in the Sportsdabbler’s NBA Off-season coverage, I take a look at the reigning NBA Champion Los Angeles Lakers. I guess winning a championship is not enough for the ever improving Lakers. They just couldn’t stay content with what they already have. They had to go and pluck Ron Artest away from my beloved Houston Rockets. In the process they lost a rising star in Trevor Ariza but when you’re in ‘win-now’ mode, you really can’t wait for player development to take its course. However, in Los Angeles, the rich get richer.

Trust me, you don't want to mess with this guy! (Picture courtesy of NBA.com)

Everyone in the media loves to criticize Ron Artest, always citing his unpredictable behavior as a cause for concern. Since the incident in Detroit (which was about five years ago by the way) Artest has been a great teammate and player. He has caused no real trouble other than perhaps not knowing when to shut up. Last year, when he was acquired by the Rockets, the Houston media was acting as if the Rockets sunk all their money into sub-prime real estate. Every story they wrote seemed to make some mention about ‘risk’, ‘trouble’ or whatever. Hopefully that crap won’t resurface in Los Angeles because the Lakers got themselves a damn fine competitor.

It’s hard to nitpick the defending champions but if there was some things they needed to tighten up, I would say they needed to get better defensively and get tougher. Ron Artest will immediately address both of those issues. Ron Artest is still a premier perimeter defender in this league and his presence combined with Kobe Bryant will certainly improve a defense that ranked 13th in the league a year ago. Having two lockdown defenders is a luxury in the West not many can afford. There are so many teams that are stacked with good offensive players that one defensive-stopper is no longer enough. The Lakers will need as many good defenders as they can when they meet up with the revamped Spurs. The Lakers are already an elite offensive squad and if they become an elite defensive squad, I feel sorry for the rest of the league.

For all of the good that Ron Artest brings, he does bring some annoying qualities. His shot selection at times is utterly atrocious. In the many Rockets’ games I watched last year, there were numerous occasions where I would just yell “What the F**K!’ when looking at the most untimely off-balance jumpers he would take. Now, I don’t blame that all on Artest. He was a victim of circumstance, the Rockets were in desperate need of a bona fide second scorer and he stepped up and thrived in that role for the most part. He averaged 17.1 ppg but on a paltry 40% shooting. However, he did average a career high in 3-point FG percentage pretty much on par with his overall shooting percentage.

Despite that, the Lakers are in good shape with Artest in tow. I can say with confidence that the Lakers have a 99% chance for another deep playoff run. Even if they don’t re-sign Lamar Odom, this is still a 60 win ball club. Until further notice, they are the favorites to win the West and return to the NBA Finals. With that said, let’s take a look at their lineup.

Starting Lineup

PG-Derek Fisher:  2008-09 averages were 9.9 ppg, 3.2 apg and 1.2 spg

Derek Fisher is the consummate veteran player. He brings stability to an important position and certainly has a great comfort level with this team because of his previous championship stints. The playoffs is where Fisher has had his biggest impact with the Lakers. No one will forget that shot with 0.4 seconds left where Fisher essentially crushed the Spurs’ spirits in 2004. Back to the present, Fisher did not fare so well during the first three rounds if this year’s playoffs but he stepped his game up in the Finals, logging crucial minutes and shot significantly better from the field. This is position where the Lakers have relatively few worries.

SG-Kobe Bryant:  2008-09 averages were 26.8 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 4.9 apg and 1.5 spg

What else can I say about Kobe Bryant? I’ve already dedicated an article to him commemorating his greatness. He is the best player in the league hands down. The only way you would think otherwise was if you have the mentality of a 10 year old who gets amazed by Lebron’s dunking ability or Dwayne Wade’s ‘flash’. Kobe is the unquestioned leader of the Lakers and really proved it this postseason. He dominated throughout the playoffs culminating in a fantastic Finals’ performance earning Finals’ MVP. In the process, he proved to all of his critics that he can win a championship without Shaq. The Lakers are the favorite again next year because of this man right here.

SF-Ron Artest:  2008-09 averages were 17.1 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 3.3 apg, and 1.5 spg

I’m actually surprised that Ron Artest signed with the Lakers especially since he almost choked out Kobe during game 2 of the Western Conference semi-finals. Artest really wants to win a championship and with Yao Ming’s health in question he opted to sign with a sure thing. Ron Artest again re-established himself as one of the premier perimeter defenders in the league by garnering NBA Defensive Second Team honors this past season. He and Shane Battier combined to perform the best defensive duo in the league and now he and Kobe Bryant will get the opportunity to do the same. Aside from defense, Artest brings a tough, rugged offensive skill-set to the Lakers. He can bang inside because of his size and he can step out beyond the arc and drill the three. Even though the Lakers are confident they will re-sign Lamar Odom, Artest’s presence more than makes up for it if Odom opts to go elsewhere.

PF-Pau Gasol:  2008-09 averages were 18.9 ppg, 9.6 rpg, 3.5 apg and 1.0 bpg

Pau Gasol over his career has been one of the most underrated players in the entire NBA. Since he joined the Lakers, he’s finally gotten the recognition he deserves. He’s one of the most versatile big men in the game today. He can score, rebound, pass and play decent post defense too. Two years ago he got exposed for being soft in the series against the Celtics but this year he really changed that perception. He played tough against some very good big men including Yao, Nene and Dwight Howard. As long as the Lakers retain Pau, he and Kobe will form a deadly combination.

C-Andrew Bynum:  2008-09 averages were 14.3 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 1.4 apg and 1.8 bpg

Andrew Bynum is young rising star in this league, however he has really been bitten by the injury bug the last two years. His offensive game is ever-improving and his post defense is very solid. This past season he endured an MCL sprain and missed 32 games. He returned to the playoffs and did not look the same. He was frequently benched and seemed to fall out of Phil Jackson’s graces. I just think he wasn’t fully recovered from his injury and probably tried to rush back a little to soon. Leg injuries on big men usually take longer to heal because of the amount of weight they’re supporting. I have confidence that Bynum will return to his earlier season form as he continues to improve all facets of his game.

Key Reserves

G-Jordan Farmar: 2008-09 averages were 6.4 ppg, 1.8 rpg and 2.4 apg

Farmar really showed a lot of promise two years ago but seemed to take a step back this past season. Of course, I contribute that to the torn lateral meniscus he suffered earlier in the season. He really struggled with his shooting this year and I don’t expect that to be a trend. He is capable of logging important minutes behind Derek Fisher and the Lakers are confident that he can continue to improve.

G-Sasha Vujacic: 2008-09 averages were 5.8 ppg, 1.4 apg and 1.0 spg

Here is another one of the Lakers’ players who’s overall game has declined from two years ago. Two years ago, Vujacic showed the Lakers that he can be a good offensive spark off the bench. This year he really struggled to maintain that success. His shooting percentage declined significantly and the fact that he already is a defensive liability doesn’t bode well for his playing time. If the Lakers re-sign Lamar Odom, his playing time could decrease even more.

F-Luke Walton:  2008-09 averages were 5.0 ppg, 2.8 rpg and 2.7 apg

Walton actually split time in the starting lineup with Lamar Odom but his game is more suited for him to come off the bench. He can provide a little offensive spark because he is aggressive around the painted area. He has decent passing skills and at times can be a feisty defender.

Overall the Lakers have a championship squad poised for another run at the title. They will have some competition in the West from the Spurs but in order to be the Champ you have to beat the Champ. One of the strongest suits of the Lakers was their deep and versatile bench headlined by Lamar Odom. With Lamar Odom testing free agent waters,  the Lakers bench is not nearly as impressive. Though, even if Lamar Odom doesn’t re-sign with the Lakers, they will still be in good shape. The Lakers are already a gifted offensive squad and they went ahead and added one of the best defensive players in the league to bolster their play on the other side of the ball. This should be a scary prospect for teams around the league.

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