30 Dec 10 Congratulations Lakers For Signing Kobe

Kevin C. Cox/Getty ImagesKobe Bryant has been a "True Professional" through out his career as a Laker. I think the "Laker Family" has demonstrated its highest integrity by resigning Kobe and allowing him to finish his career as a "Laker".Winning is a tradition of the "Laker Family" and Kobe has Reebok New York Giants #27 Brandon Jacobs Realtree camo Jersey
definetly been a Winner. As a High School MVP myself, I beleive I know just how committed Kobe has been to the spirit of winning. He has demonstrated an exemplary standard of exellence in the ilk of Jerry West, Oscar Robertson, Magic Johnson, Kareem A Jabar, Bob MacAdoo, Keith Wilkes, Byron Scott, James Worthy, Adrian Dantley, Mitch Kupchack, Shaq Oneil, Derrick Fisher, Bill Walton and many others. Forgive me if I omitted some of your names, for you know your many contributions as well.I hope many of you younger fans and players will understand just how important Kobe has been in maintaining the "Championship Mindset" that was established by his aforementioned elders, peers and teammates.Thank you LA Lakers for honoring such a gifted talent. Reebok New York Jets #6 Mark Sanchez Realtree camo Jersey
I trust that your decision will prove most fruitful. "Lakers, You Know What Time It Is".Enough about Kobe.Lakers, you know its about the Team, for that is what set you apart from all of your contemperaries. All of you are "Professionals", making your contributions as you do to attain the sighted end result: "The Championship". Coach Phil, thank you for choosing the Lakers as your "Family"Thank you Bleacher for this opportuniity to "Write With The Pros".Van Lewis

29 Dec 10 Nets And Their Fascination With Coach K Troubling

Kevin C. Cox/Getty ImagesAs the Nets continue to lose games this year and hark an optimistic future to their dwindling fan base, new owner Mikhail Prokhorov has expressed interest in Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski, better known as Coach K. This big name signing could not be further from a bad idea.The Nets do not need a big name college coach whose style of play has rarely produced good NBA talent. The criticism of Duke over the years has been that the players do not produce once they reach the next level. Jacksonville Jaguars jersey
Why would anyone want to bring in a coach who has this reputation?Many Nets fans point to Krzyzewski's success in the summer of 2008, when his U.S. Olympic team brought home the gold. Coach K proved that he knows how to guide 12 superstars against inferior opponents. Now, take the Nets roster: developing young players, one or two future all stars and maybe one or two big names if the Nets can draw in a free agent or two. This team was also the worst in the league this year. A fan cannot point to the Olympics as evidence of anything other than the best players in the NBA can be the best in the Olympics. A 6th grade CYO basketball coach could have won a gold medal in the 2008 Olympics with that roster. Fortunately for Coach K, the Olympic roster did not have a salary cap.Coach K has stated that he has no interest in coaching the Nets. I do not blame him. He has built a dynasty in Duke and his own kingdom; do you really think he'd leave that for Newark, N.J.? The man does not need more money, so the Kansas City Chiefs jersey
largest contract in NBA coaching history would not draw him near the NBA. He had an offer in 2004 to coach the Lakers, who had Kobe Bryant. Coach K turned it down. Brook Lopez is great, but he's not close to Kobe talent. There is not much to sell Coach K on in leaving for the Nets, and frankly, there should not be much that the Nets see in Coach K.Prokhorov has the mindset of the casual NBA fan right now. He's heard of Coach K, so he thinks that Krzyzewski would be a great addition to the team. That kind of thinking is what brings players like Tracy McGrady to the Knicks, and that did not turn out well on the court.The Nets need to move on from this delusional thinking that Krzyzewski would be a good fit for the Nets. Jeff Van Gundy would be a better hire. He has NBA Miami Dolphins jersey
experience and brought excitement to the Knicks in the late 90s. Coach K can produce outside shooters and a classical, fundamental team. The NBA game is a hybrid of many different aspects of basketball. Coach K would not be a good fit for the Nets, or any other NBA team with a salary cap for that matter

29 Dec 10 Nets And Their Fascination With Coach K Troubling

Kevin C. Cox/Getty ImagesAs the Nets continue to lose games this year and hark an optimistic future to their dwindling fan base, new owner Mikhail Prokhorov has expressed interest in Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski, better known as Coach K. This big name signing could not be further from a bad idea.The Nets do not need a big name college coach whose style of play has rarely produced good NBA talent. The criticism of Duke over the years has been that the players do not produce once they reach the next level. Jacksonville Jaguars jersey
Why would anyone want to bring in a coach who has this reputation?Many Nets fans point to Krzyzewski's success in the summer of 2008, when his U.S. Olympic team brought home the gold. Coach K proved that he knows how to guide 12 superstars against inferior opponents. Now, take the Nets roster: developing young players, one or two future all stars and maybe one or two big names if the Nets can draw in a free agent or two. This team was also the worst in the league this year. A fan cannot point to the Olympics as evidence of anything other than the best players in the NBA can be the best in the Olympics. A 6th grade CYO basketball coach could have won a gold medal in the 2008 Olympics with that roster. Fortunately for Coach K, the Olympic roster did not have a salary cap.Coach K has stated that he has no interest in coaching the Nets. I do not blame him. He has built a dynasty in Duke and his own kingdom; do you really think he'd leave that for Newark, N.J.? The man does not need more money, so the Kansas City Chiefs jersey
largest contract in NBA coaching history would not draw him near the NBA. He had an offer in 2004 to coach the Lakers, who had Kobe Bryant. Coach K turned it down. Brook Lopez is great, but he's not close to Kobe talent. There is not much to sell Coach K on in leaving for the Nets, and frankly, there should not be much that the Nets see in Coach K.Prokhorov has the mindset of the casual NBA fan right now. He's heard of Coach K, so he thinks that Krzyzewski would be a great addition to the team. That kind of thinking is what brings players like Tracy McGrady to the Knicks, and that did not turn out well on the court.The Nets need to move on from this delusional thinking that Krzyzewski would be a good fit for the Nets. Jeff Van Gundy would be a better hire. He has NBA Miami Dolphins jersey
experience and brought excitement to the Knicks in the late 90s. Coach K can produce outside shooters and a classical, fundamental team. The NBA game is a hybrid of many different aspects of basketball. Coach K would not be a good fit for the Nets, or any other NBA team with a salary cap for that matter

28 Dec 10 Let's Face Facts: No One Is Beating The Orlando Magic This Year...

Brian A. Westerholt/Getty ImagesThis is tough for me to admit...I don't like Orlando as a city, finding it's theme park based city to be both depressing and unsettling all at the same time.I don't like Magic the card game, Magic the set of illusions magicians do, or the Orlando Magic either...I hate Vince Carter's Houston Texans jersey
lack of toughness, Dwight Howard's complete lack of anything resembling a post game, and everything about Rashard Lewis.But I do live in reality, and the reality is that through 2 and a half weeks of the postseason Orlando by far looks like the team with the best chance of hoisting that championship hardware.The Cavs are a bundle of questions right now, ranging from Lebron's elbow to whether or not Mo Williams is actually good. Oh yeah and there's that whole business about how Joakim Noah abused them in the first round. Joakim Noah being the broke man's version of one Dwight Howard.The Lakers? Too many injuries to Kobe, and Bynum, and their bench is a huge weakness. If anything this version of The Lakers is WAY worse than last year's version while this year's version of the Magic are markedly better. You're delusional if you're giving the Spurs, Hawks, Suns, Jazz or Celtics any chance against the Magic.The problem is that sometime this season, people got so swept up in the additions of Shaq and Antawn(The Invisible Man) Jamision to Cleveland, we got swept up in Artest to The Lakers and we missed a series of brilliant roster building moves by Orlando over the last few years.First they retained Marcin Gortat, which is why their best player(Howard) Indianapolis Colts jersey
could average 26.5 minutes a game against the Bobcats and they still swept them out of the Playoffs.Then they picked up the criminally underrated Ryan Anderson in the Vince Carter trade to be their 9th man. You can definitely win a championship with Anderson as your 9th best player.And lastly they signed Brandon Bass and Matt Barnes for more size, energy and rebounding off the bench.And oh what a bench it is...Everyone has a role and knows it, Pietrus defends the best swingman and drains 3s, Barnes plays defense and rebounds, JJ Redick hits 3s and free throws when needed. Jason White Chocolate Williams has turned himself into a great back up point guard and the Magic legitimately go 10 deep.Even Vince is whining less and has only pretended to be hurt in 3 or 4 games this year. Jacksonville Jaguars jersey
Plus you have the fact that Orlando STILL seems to be completely under the radar leading to a tight knit locker room( as we can judge from all their whining) and MAJOR nobody believes in us outside of this locker room potential.Through 2 and a half weeks I've seen enough to predict with a ton of confidence that The Orlando Magic will be your 2010 NBA Champions.And if Vince Carter somehow wins the Finals MVP, I'll be the guy jumping off the Brooklyn Bridge.JL

27 Dec 10 Amare Stoudemire's Luck Comment Adds Fuel to Lamar Odom's Fire

Jeff Gross/Getty ImagesI'm not sure what the Phoenix Suns' strategy is for reversing their fortunes from Monday's Game One loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, but making statements which could be used as possible motivation shouldn't be part of it.When asked how the Suns were planning to deal with Lakers' Carolina Panthers jersey
forward Lamar Odom in the wake of his dominant Game Oneperformance, Suns' forward Amare Stoudemire responded by saying "luck" was responsible for Odom's 19 point, 19 rebound double-double.Using luck to explain adefeat is a classic excuse and one I have used myself on occasion but to relate Odom's skillful showing against the Suns to luck, is an exercise in denial.Odom is without question the most versatile player left in the postseason, and his ability to switch effectively between the post and the perimeter may make him the most valuable Laker in this series.If Odom is properly motivated, as he was on Monday, he can be a nightmare match-up for opponents, and Game One was an example of Odom putting in work early.Odom's 6'10 frame and ball-handling skills gave him a predetermined advantage against anyone the Suns chose to defend him with, and he exploited this by attacking the rim early.There was nothing "lucky" about the way Odom constantly beat Stoudemire off the dribble because of his poor defensive footwork, and there was nothing "lucky" in the way Odom positioned himself for rebounds.In fact, Odom's 19 rebounds accounted for more than Stoudemire, Channing Frye, and Robin Lopez combined, and he was just as effective on the defensive end as well.It's a known fact among Lakers' fans that Odom is apt to follow his Game One gem with one of his patented disappearing acts, but Stoudemire may have unwillingly nullified that exception.When Odom was made aware ofChicago Bears jersey
Stoudemire's comments, his expression didn't change much, but his facial muscles tightened up, and it was clear his focus would squarely be on tonight's game.A motivated Odom is a scary proposition for the Suns because they have enough trouble trying to solve the Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol equation, and Odom could make their plight hopeless.Odom exists as an x-factor for the Lakers in this series, and before Monday night's game, he had been roundly criticized for his uneven performances throughout the course of the postseason.He was only averaging 7.8 points per game, and besides a decent Game Five against Oklahoma City in the first round, Odom had been mostly just another body on the basketball court.But Odom's talent has always suggested he could be a dominant player, and this challenge from Stoudemire may be just what the laid-back, almost star needed.This may be the first time I have ever heard an opponent call Odom out, and most of that has to do with his friendly, and meek nature, which is nothing like his New York City upbringing.Odom and Lakers' forward Ron Artest were childhood friends both from Queens, New York, and it's hard to picture Artest accepting Stoudemire's affront in the same manner as Odom did.But Odom's strength may lie in his silence, because for the first time, an opposing player has questioned Odom's consistency, passion, and desire, and even though Stoudemire only used "luck", how else should Odom take it?Stoudemire called Odom's performance "luck" Cincinnati Bengals jersey
because he is used to witnessing his uneven play, but Stoudemire just gave it the wrong label.Maybe Stoudemire would have been better off just acknowledging Odom's performance, and instead focus on ways to improve his own three rebound performance on Monday night.But, that task may increase in difficulty because a focused Lamar Odom might be out to prove his first game was far from "luck", and if he is properly motivated, can Stoudemire summon the defense to slow him down?

26 Dec 10 Hey Chicago Bulls, Cut Dwyane Wade Some Slack on Loyalty Comment

Elsa/Getty ImagesDwyane Wade comment on the Bulls loyalty most likely erased any interest (from both the Bulls management and fans) in pursuing him as a free agent.Wade just insulted the Bulls organization and even the Bulls legendary history by mentioning Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen.That how the organization and fans took it. (Sorry Wade, even if you said you weren taking shots at the Bulls, your words did leave a lasting scar.)So lesson to learn for professional athletes when talking to the mediawatch your words.Although Reebok Minnesota Vikings #84 Randy Moss Realtree camo Jersey
Im a big Bulls fan, I have to defend Wadenot that he was justified in questioning the Bulls loyalty. Rather, that he was a victim of the media blowing words out of proportion.Through my journalism experience, Ive noticed how easy it is to take apart an interview and make certain quotes seem as notorious as they should not be. And that what I feel happened to Wade.He was being interviewed by Chicago Tribune reporter Fred Mitchell about Wade and other notables like LeBron James' and Joe Johnson's plans about free agency.Obviously Mitchell, being a Chicago sports reporter, would bring the Bulls to Wade attention, and the conversation went from there. The whole interview could not have been about Wade talking about the Bulls loyalty. That was just a portion of the interview. But it funny how, perhaps, a 30 second quote on the record can turn into a 500-word story.The reporter asked a question. The source responds.Mitchell asked Wade what is most important when considering free agency. Wade said loyaltyhe simply doesn think the Bulls organization is loyal (in other words, he doesn't want to go to Chicago).Wade didn have a note pad or bullet points listed on what he was going to say during the interview. What he said, instead, was a spur-of-the moment type, like having a conversation with a friend. You don't plan ahead on conversationsunless you're on a date.The thing with interviews is that unlike conversations, they usually only last about five minutes or less. Wade didn have much time to elaborate on his Reebok Pittsburg Steelers #83 Heath Miller Realtree camo Jersey
opinion, and Mitchell took the interview as it was on his digital recorder. The next day, Wade is given the chance to defend himself by being given more time to elaborate on what he said. But few journalists want to write a 500-word story about what Wade meant to say.I know Wade is a professional athlete and has dealt with the media numerous times, and he definitely was caught off guard this time. He shouldve anticipated that he was only digging himself a deeper hole once he mentioned loyalty and talked about how the Bulls don seem to have that. But we can cut the guy some slack.The media is annoying. And every time Wade goes to Chicago or is interviewed by a Chicago source, he is probably always asked about the Bulls. It his curse for being a Chicago-native but playing for another team.I wanted to bash at Wade once I read the web head that he questioned the Bulls loyalty. But it not like he called a press conference asking for trouble. He was being honest when Mitchell was interviewing him.Wade is entitled to his opinion, and Arizona Cardinals jersey
the media can play around with his words anyway they want to.Wade doesn want to be a Bull.For Bulls general manager Gar Forman, now your list of possible free agents is narrowed by scratching off Wade.For Bulls fans, now you know you don like Wade.

25 Dec 10 Carlos Boozer's Return To Chicago Bulls Spells Trouble for Eastern Conference

Boozer's return is huge for an ailing Bulls offense.Jonathan Daniel/Getty ImagesThis offseason, the city of Chicago had high hopes for its basketball team.The Bulls had just come off their second straight playoff appearance, were the proud home of one of the game's brightest young talents in Derrick Rose Reebok Dallas Cowboys #82 Jason Witten Realtree camo Jersey
and were in good shape to clear a lot of salary cap space and be major players in the biggest free agent class in NBA history.Rumors filled the air, and many Chicagoans were led to believe that their beloved Bulls were favorites to land one or more of the classes crown jewels: Chris Bosh, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade.Things didn't exactly go the way Bulls GM John Paxson had intended in July, but after missing on the talented trio Paxson immediately turned his focus to another impact free agent, Carlos Boozer.The casual basketball observer probably scoffed at the signing, because after all, Carlos Boozer is not LeBron James.However, the truth of the matter is that Carlos Boozer was exactly the kind of talent needed in Chicago. The Bulls already have a blossoming young superstar more than capable of shouldering the load, as well as a scrappy young center, in Joakim Noah.What the Bulls needed was a versatile scoring threat at the 4 spot. Someone who could score with his back to the basket and face up, and Boozer fit the mold.Boozer discusses his low post arsenal.Boozer, an eight-year verteran, had spent the last five seasons in Utah learning how to play the two-man game under the master of the pick and roll, Jerry Sloan. Pairing Boozer with one of the games bright young guards, Deron Williams, the Jazz sported one of the better one-two combos in the league.The Bulls certainly hoped to use training camp to develop a similar chemistry between Boozer and Rose.Unfortunately for Bulls fans, they were not afforded such a luxury.On October 2 Carlos Boozer tripped over a gym bag in his home while trying to answer the door. He felt a pop in his shooting hand when he tried to brace his fall and wound up in a cast.The Bulls would be without Boozer Reebok Dallas Cowboys #9 Tony Romo Realtree camo Jersey
for eight weeks.Without their prize free agent signing, the "Baby" Bulls were able to coast to a solid 9-6 start, but it was clear that something was missing. At times the Bulls half court offense appeared stagnant and often downright bad.Boozer returned to action last Wednesday against the Orlando Magic, but looked out of sync in limited minutes, scoring only five points. Friday in Boston was a little better for Boozer, who still played just 20 minutes, but the Bulls lost again.It didn't take long for the former Olympic gold medalist to find his stride though. Saturday in an overtime win over the Houston Rockets, Boozer hit 9 of 15 shots from the floor en route to 25 points.How many regular season wins will the Bulls have?How many regular season wins will the Bulls have?Under 3523.3%35-410.0%42-488.9%49-5551.9%Over 5515.9%Total votes: 605Then last night Boozer looked as if he never missed a beat in a home win over the talented young Oklahoma City Thunder. Boozer notched his first double-double of the season with an impressive 29 point, 12 rebound performance.With Derrick Rose putting up MVP caliber numbers, if the Bulls can continue to get the 20 and 10 Boozer has been known for the past few seasons, look for Chicago to make a serious push towards the top ofReebok Denver Broncos #15 Tim Tebow Realtree camo Jersey
the Eastern Conference standings.The bulk of the attention in the East this year has generally directed at the Heat, Magic and Celtics, and for good reason. The Celtics and Magic have represented the East in the NBA Finals for the past three seasons and the Heat just had the largest free agent haul of the salary cap era, but that is fine with head coach Tom Thibodeau and the Bulls.If things continue to go as planned, I have a feeling that Boozer and the Bulls will have their opportunity to steal the spotlight come this spring.One thing is for sure, the Bulls' recipe for success over the next few months calls for plenty of "Booze." Hopefully Chicago can avoid the hangover.

24 Dec 10 LA Lakers: Will Injuries Increase Roles of Devin Ebanks and Derrick Caracter?

David Ramos/Getty ImagesIt's no secret that Los Angeles Lakers coach Phil Jackson usually has trouble finding minutes for his rookie players, but due to injuries to Kobe Bryant, Andrew Bynum and more recently Sasha Vujacic, Jackson may have no other choice.Vujacic sustained a concussion from an inadvertent elbow from Lamar Odom during practice Thursday. Vujacic is out indefinitely, and his injury adds to the Lakers' rash of physicalwoes before the regular season even starts.Bynum is not expected to return until at least Reebok Minnesota Vikings #4 Brett Favre Realtree camo Jersey
December, and no one is really sure if Bryant will miss any game time or not, but in either instance this may be the best time to give rookie forwards Devin Ebanks and Derrick Caracter a nice, long look.Jackson hates to play rookies, but since he will likely be forced to tinker with the roster anyway, why not experiment a little with Ebanks and Caracter?If Bryant is forced to sit and Vujacic misses extended time, there will be a gaping hole on the perimeter that guardShannon Brown will not be able to fill alone.With Vujacic out and Bryant hobbled Brown is the only other shooting guard on the roster, and even though newcomer Steve Blake can provide some relief, his attention should be focused on point guard duty.In three preseason games Ebanks has averaged 6.3 points and 11 minutes per game, with his high of 10 points coming in a recent win against the Sacramento Kings.Ebanks played 16 minutes against the Kings going 4-9 from the floor, and he looked fairly comfortable during the brief time he had on the floor.Caracter has played roughly the same amount of minutes as Ebanks, but has only averaged 1.7 points and 3.3 rebounds in the Lakers' three preseason games.Caracter will likely find minutes harder to come by since he essentially Reebok Minnesota Vikings #69 Jared Allen Realtree camo Jersey
plays behind Pau Gasol, Odom and Theo Ratliff, but he has shown flashes in the post that suggest he could be effective in spurts.Caracter has good footwork and natural rebounding instincts, which are complemented by a wide backside that is perfect for establishing position in the paint.Jackson's low tolerance for rookies could pose some concerns considering Caracter's history of attitude problems, but so far his biggest problem has been avoiding fast food.Caracter has struggled most of his career to keep his weight in check, and at 265 pounds he is the second heaviest player on the Lakers roster behind the injured Bynum.Ebanks appears to be the safer bet to receive any extra playing time Jackson may dole out, and to be honest, Ebanks looks a little more advanced than Caracter at this early stage.Ebanks is certainly more versatile than Caracter and his ability to defend the opposition on the perimeter or the post makes him the more logical choice to receive extended playing time.Defense was Ebanks' strength at West Virginia and he has displayed solid defensive technique, discipline and footwork during his short intervals on the court.Ebanks will not be counted on for any offensive production, but he has shown the ability to get to the rim with his dribble, and his perimeter jump shot has been better than advertised.Any rookie is going to take lumps during their first season, but Ebanks and Caracter have a chance to gain valuable early experience albeit at the expense of some Reebok New England Patriots #12 Tom Brady Realtree camo Jersey
demoralizing injuries.But if there is a silver lining in the Lakers purple and gold sky it may be the opportunity to give Ebanks and Caracter a shot to prove they can help the team when the games really matter.Both have shown they have the ability to play, but the bigger question is, can Jackson cast aside his stubborn nature at least temporarily, and give Ebanks and Caracter a chance?

23 Dec 10NBA Rankings: Who Are the League's Best Young Players?

Mike Ehrmann/Getty ImagesI'm in the process of writing a piece for Bleacher Report on the top 50 young soccer players in the world which should be out this weekend. It got me thinking that it might be fun to do something like this for the NBA.Unlike soccer, where players usually peak by the time Green Bay Packers jersey
they reach the age of 25, most basketball players hit their prime in the 25-30 range. I'm in the process of producing a list of players (25 and under) who represent the best young talent the NBA has to offer. These can either be guys that are already studs and will likely only get better, or guys that are starting to show signs of taking that next step.Make as many suggestions as you like and I'll post a full article, with the full list, sometime next week.

Video: Rap Star T.I. Weighs In On the LeBron James Discussion

Kevin C. Cox/Getty ImagesHip-hop star and part-owner of the New Jersey Nets Jay-Z may be getting his fair share of attention regarding the LeBron James sweepstakes, but don't think that will keep other rappers from voicing their opinion.Rapper T.I. is just as big a basketball fan as Jay-Z, as you canOakland Raiders jersey
tell from the picture.He is apparently a big Atlanta Hawks fan, although at times he wears a Bulls hat as he proclaims to be a "Michael Jordan fan."The Atlanta native made an appearance on KIISFM with DJ Skee, and just so happened to be wearingthe Bulls hat.When asked about LeBron and what he should do, he gave an interesting and surprisingly unbiased answer.Go to TheSportingRave.com to watch T.I. break down LeBron's options in free agency.Check out The Sporting Rave onTwitterand Facebook.

Shaun Marcum Heads to Milwaukee As Blue Jays Youth Movement Continues

Greg Fiume/Getty ImagesOver the weekend the Blue Jays made the latest in a series of deals aimed at building a championship caliber club a few years down the road. This one saw the Jays second best starting pitcher from 2010, Shaun Marcum, head to Milwaukee in return for top prospect Brett Lawrie. Unlike last off-season's Roy Halladay trade, Marcum was dealt despite two remaining years of arbitration eligibility. The Jays were at no risk of losing Marcum until at least 2013 and after missing all of 2009 with an injury and making just 850,000 dollars this season he would not of been expensive to keep around.With no imminent threat of him leaving or becoming too expensive there are still several reasons why such a player would be parted with. Perhaps most importantly was the fact Marcum missed all of Reebok Baltimore Ravens #5 Joe Flacco Realtree camo Jersey
2009 after having Tommy John surgery and came back and pitched 195 innings over 31 starts in 2010. Going from zero big league innings one year to 195 the next is a massive jump and there had to be some concern on the part of Blue Jays GM, Alex Anthopoulos, if he could hold up enough to take the ball another 31 times in 2011.The Blue Jays strong pitching left Anthopoulos with the option of foregoing all that risk because he has enough healthy, young, arms to absorb Marcum's loss of production. The Milwaukee Brewers reside in a completely different universe when it comes to starting pitching depth making them an ideal partner for the Jays to work with. The Brewers almost have to take a risk like this with little depth behind Yovani Gallardo and a lack of funds to chase after the likes of Cliff Lee in free agency.And Marcum didn't just comeback and survive 31 starts, he put together afabulous campaign that finished up with a 3.64 ERA, 3.74 FIP and career bests in both his strikeout and walk rates. And a healthy Marcum certainly could repeat those numbers, despite being the veteran of the Blue Jays starting rotation he'll still be just 29 on Opening Day 2011. The possibility of a few seasons like 2010 from Marcum was enough for the Brewers to depart with top prospect, Brett Lawrie.The loss of Reebok Baltimore Ravens #27 Ray Rice Realtree camo Jersey
Marcum leaves Ricky Romero, Brandon Morrow and Brett Cecil as the front men for the Blue Jays young and talented starting rotation. Romero now becomes the senior member of the staff at the ripe old Opening Day age of 26. That could be cause for concern as younger pitchers are routinely held to pitch counts, innings limits, extra time off between starts and extra caution with arm injuries.Now more so than ever with new manager John Farrell on board who came over from a Red Sox team that went to great lengths to protect it's pitchers. It was talked about after Clay Bucholz's no-hitter in 2007 that he was going to be pulled, no-hitter in tact or not, if he hit his pitch count limit. With that in mind the Jays may want to bring a veteran starter to chew up some innings at the back of the rotation or at the least carry a true swing man able to switch from the 'pen to the rotation when needed. Farrell's Red Sox teams, despite their massive payroll, always like to have someone like a Tim Wakefield or Julian Tavarez around to soak up some innings in spot starts and take the occasional "one for the team" pounding for the sake of the team's other more valuable arms.Getting back to Anthopoulos' latest prospect grab, Brett Lawrie has the makings of a future star. He did more than hold his own as a 20 year-old in Double-A hitting .285 with a .164 isolated power and drawing a walk 7.7 percent of the time. The power wasn't overwhelming but drawing an average amount of walks and hitting for a solid average when facing Double-A pitching at such a young age bodes well for his future. He currently plays second but as with many young players a move to another position could be in his future. A move to third would open the clearest path to Toronto if his defense at second doesn't figure to Reebok Baltimore Ravens #52 Ray Lewis Realtree camo Jersey
make the grade.As with the Brett Wallace for Anthony Gose deal back in July, Anthopoulos looks very comfortable giving up near term production for long term, hopefully, superior production a little more ways into the future. Lawrie joins a group of positional prospects that continues to get deeper and more talented seemingly every couple of months since Anthopoulos has been at the helm. As with most of his deals only time will tell what exactly Anthopoulos is building this team into. In the meantime, it's hard not to be impressed with the young talent he's collected as baseball as a whole shifts evermore to valuing these types of players more than ever before.

20 Dec 10 Ryan Colburn's Fresno State Football Career Full of Missed Opportunities

Otto Kitsinger III/Getty ImagesFresno State quarterback Ryan Colburn has just two games left in his career as a Bulldog before he either goes on to the NFL or wherever his path takes him. On Friday night, he'll play his final game in front of the home fans at Bulldog Stadium. The final time he'll get to see the Red Wave, andthe last time he'll get to walk down the ramp into the stadium. It's been an up and down career for Colburn since he became the quarterback at Fresno State. He's been beloved by some and questioned by others. He's had his great moments and he's had moments that make you shake your head and wonder what he's thinking. I will admit that I haven't been his biggest fan. In fact, I've probably knocked nfl jerseyson him more than I've supported him. Not saying it's right, but I never believed he was the right guy for Fresno State. Here are some of his numbers to show you a few of the reasons why I wasn't ever sold on him as a starter. Two years as a starter (2009-2010) Games: 24 (through 12/3/2010) Overall Record: 15-9 Combined record against non-conference opponents: 4-4 Combined record against top teams in the WAC (Nevada, Hawaii, Boise State): 1-5 Touchdowns: 37 Interceptions: 20 The biggest stat that will, and should, stand out to Bulldog fans is Colburn's combined record against the top teams in the Western Athletic Conference. Through his two years as a starter, he is 0-4 against Nevada and Boise State and 1-1 against Hawaii. Not that losing to those three teams is anything Fresno State hasn't gotten used to in the past, but it's the reason they haven't been able to get over the hump and keep themselves looking a little bit respectable. I remember writing something abouthim some time last year for another site and getting raked over the coals for it. Apparently there are some people that don't want you to write, or say, what you believe. If it's not a popular opinion, they'll let you know about it. When I returned back to my hometownthis past Thanksgiving holiday, a family friend of mine told me that he didn't like how negative Fresno Bee columnist Matt Jameshad beenabout the football program. While I know Bulldog fans get tired of seeing the same blasts against the program, it's hard to find anything positive after the 2001 season. What do the Bulldogs have to hang their hat on? A shared Cowboys jersey conference title 11 years ago? Impressive wins and an eighth ranking in the national polls nine years ago? Otto Kitsinger III/Getty ImagesPat Hill has gained a lot of respect around the country because of his willingness to go anywhere and play anyone. He's well known for his "Anyone, Anywhere, Anytime," mantra. However, that mantra seems to have gotten lost with fans as well as foes because they haven't exactly been winning a lot of those games. So, no matter how positive you want to be, it's hard for me to sit back and tell people what they want to hear. It's hard to sit here and find any kind of silver lining, especially over the last two seasons. The 2009 season could have gone a lot better. After a 51-0 win over UC Davis to start the season, the Bulldogs dropped each of the next three games against Wisconsin (34-31), Boise State (51-34) and Cincinnati (28-20). The Wisconsin game was one that the Bulldogs looked like they were going to Colts jerseyrun away with. After jumping out to a 21-7 lead midway through the second quarter, missed opportunities gave the Badgers all they needed to run off a 27-10 run to win, 34-31. Colburn was intercepted three times including back-to-back possessions in the third quarter. The final interception led to Wisconsin's game-winning field goal in the second overtime. Against Cincinnati, two games later, it was another missed opportunity deep in Bearcat territory that did the Bulldogs in again. Fresno State trailed 21-17 in the fourth quarter andhad driven inside the Cincinnati 10-yard line. The first play of the quarter, on a 4th-and-2, Colburn was intercepted. The Bearcats used that turnover to go more than 70 yards on just six plays to put the game away on a Tony Pike 23-yard touchdown pass. It's been those missed opportunities that have cost Fresno State more than just those two games. Nowhere was that more evident than their bowl game against a less than mediocre Wyoming team last year. The Cowboys came into the game with a 6-6 record and were appearing in a bowl game for the first time in five years, while the Bulldogs were 8-4 and had won seven of their final eight games. Not only did Fresno State give up an 11-point fourth quarter lead, but it was stopped on four straight running plays in the first overtimeat the Wyoming one-yard line. The Cowboys would take the lead on a 13-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Austyn Carta-Samuels. The Bulldogs had their shot at tying the game but, after an incomplete pass on third down, Colburn was sacked on fourth down, giving Wyoming a win no one thought they would get. So, with two games left, Colburn has a chance to go out as a winner. He may not have a conference championship to hang on his belt, but a win over Illinois on Friday night and a win in a bowl game to end the season is exactly how he would love to end his career at Fresno State. While I may be hard on him and may not be his biggest fan, he still has a chance to lead the Bulldogs to a nine-win season. Something they couldn't get done last year. That is definitely something he can hang his hat on.

19 Dec 10 Brett Favre To Fans: Stay at Home For The Rest of The 2010 NFL Season

Favre walks off the field after after his 4th turnover.Jonathan Daniel/Getty ImagesNot with his words, of course, but with his actions Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings offense told the fan base of the Vikings to stay at home for the rest of the 2010 NFL Season. The Vikings got the ball after an excellent punt by Chicago's Brad Maynard on their own 1-yard line. They have 5:06 left, 0 challenges, two timeouts I believe. The recipe for comebacks is a fairly simplified game-plan for most every team; if you go short, go to the sidelines. Stop the clock. If you don't get out of bounds, you either clock the ball, or sprint back to your position and run a "generic" play, that every person has practiced 1,000 times over, and typically involves more out routes to the sidelines. Those of Reebok Minnesota Vikings #84 Randy Moss Realtree camo Jersey
you that can break the game down need to watch the way the Vikings ran their offense on this series. It seemed like the entire drive consisted of 8-yard dump passes...over the middle. When the Vikings didn't get out of bounds, the unit jogged bad to the line, never clocked it, never called a time-out. In short, the Vikings spent 2:27 going 54 yards...placing them on the Bears 45 yard line. Which, in the first three quarters is fine...but down two possessions, late in the 4th quarter, with the season on the line...that type of play-calling and lack of hustle sends one message: we quit. Now, do not discredit the Bears defense on this drive. Just as the game plan on offense is to go deep or go out,
the game plan on defense is keep them short and in the middle. The Bears did an excellent job at keeping the Vikings where they had to keep them. The drive actually ended on the only pass Favre threw deep, when Chris Harris picked off the pass over the middle after Vikings Tight End Shiancoe fell down. As happy as I am with the Reebok Pittsburg Steelers #83 Heath Miller Realtree camo Jersey
Bears complete win over an inner-division rival, I'm thoroughly disgusted with the play of the Vikings and their over-the-hill, hall-of-fame quarterback. I get you hate the coach, but to perform the way you did signals to your fans that you would rather get a new coach than fight and claw to get into the playoffs. Way to go Favre. Way to stay classy.

18 Dec 10 Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Arron Sears Sad Saga Continues

Arron Sears was arrested after he was found wandering on a Tampa highway.NFL Photos/Getty ImagesThe strange and very sad saga of Arron Sears is ongoing. Sears, the former starting guard for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who was a second-round draft pick in 2007, was found wandering aimlessly onReebok Green Bay Packers #12 Aaron Rodgers Realtree camo Jersey
Gunn Highway in northwest Tampa Sunday afternoon. Sears was arrested on an outstanding warrant stemming from a June charge for battery on a police officer. Hillsborough County sheriff's deputies decided that Sears needed to be held for a mental health evaluation under the state's Baker Act. This latest episode is Reebok Green Bay Packers #52 Clay Matthews Realtree camo Jersey
a sad chapter in the puzzling case of what has actually happened to Sears. The Bucs released him and were never able to give a reasonable explanation as to what happened to Sears after his second year with the team. He started 16 games as a rookie then 15 in his second season. His behavior became more and more disturbing and this latest episode may provide some answers as to what has happened to the one-time outstanding NFL lineman.

17 Dec 10 Seahawks Vs. Saints: New Orleans Defeat a Determined Seattle Squad

Kevin C. Cox/Getty ImagesPete Carroll'sSeattle Seahawks brought a determined team of NFL veterans mixed with talented rookies but they certainly were not good enough to beat the Super Bowl champ New Orleans Saints.Especially when a pack of sight-challenged referees reminiscent of the 2005 Super Bowl were calling the game.The erratic yet enthusiasticSeahawks football club learned what happens when too many turnovers are donated to a team with more talent. You don’t win. You take yourself out of the game. You giveReebok San Francisco 49ers #21 Frank GORE Realtree camo Jersey
yourself no chance of winning, even if your offense is moving the ball like a bull through a Tukwilla China shop.Starting the game, Seattle was still without a good portion of their starting line, including guard Michael Gibson on offense, and Colin Cole and EJ Wilson on defense. Plus they were missing sensational Golden Tate and Ruvell Martin at wide receiver, and Anthony McCoy at tight end.New Orleans, too, was missing key personnel including all pro and former family-paid Heisman Trophy winner Reggie Bush, who had a pre-game hug-fest with former coach and current pal Pete Carroll. The Saint’s tight end and ex-NY Giant Jeremy Shockey was also out.New Orleans looked particularly vulnerable down the middle with safeties Malcolm Jenkins and Darren Sharper still out, plus cornerback Patrick Robinson and linebacker Jo-Lonn Dunbar. And Seattle did take advantageasMatt Hasselbeck had his fourth best passing performance in his professional career. But it was still not enough to defeat the champs.Kevin C. Cox/Getty ImagesThe game started with both teams trading sluggish three and outs.Seattle then answered with a nine play 80 yard drive which should have yielded a touchdown, had it not stalled at the one yard line.Unlike the week prior with new Seahawk coach demonstrating a remarkable learned lesson the hard way, this week he begrudgingly settled for a field goal. On a fourth and goal from the one yard line to take a 3-0 lead with 7:09 left in the first quarter.New Orleans answered with their first of many long touchdown drives that the Seattle defense had no answers for, this one with 12 plays for 80 yards that ended with a leaping Saint fullback Chris Ivory falling into the end zone after sailing over both lines.Seattle’s Marcus Trufant went down injured, leaving Rookie Walter Thurman with plenty of minutes.The drive also featured six carries by Ivory for 42 yards, including a four yard scamper from the five yard line that looked like an Australian rugby match dragging seven big fellas to withing a yard of scoring, which set up the high-jump on the next.For alert Cougar fans, yes that is the same ex-Washington State gridder from Texas, oft injured during his first three years of his collegiate career before transferring to little-known Tiffin College in Ohio as a senior.Kevin C. Cox/Getty ImagesA minute and half left in the first quarter, and Leon Washington returned the kickoff 30 yards, where Hasslebeck hit wide receiver Ben Obomanu down the right side for a huge gain to the New Orleans 28.Two plays later, one to Lynch followed by an errant pass over Mike Williams’ head on the left side of the end zone, and Seattle settled for their second field goal just seconds into the second quarter, now trailing 7-6.But they were playing well. Seattle held a 125 to 39 advantage in passing yardage and a 126 to 89 advantage in rushing at this point in the game. New Orleans took control of Reebok Washington Redskins #98 ORAKPO Realtree camo Jersey
the ball and the game at this point. From their own 20 yard line, they proceeded to move the ball downfield with a long controlled drive of 80 yards in ten plays while consuming four minutes and 38 seconds. Brees drilled Marques Colston with two Seattle defenders sandwiching him, for a Saints 14-6 lead with 10:17 left in the half.Seattle responded with a three and out, including a third down sideline screen pass which Marshawn Lynch dropped that had a huge gain written all over it.Seattle punted, and New Orleans again drove the ball the full length of the field starting from their own 36, with the aid of a 15 yard personal foul on Roy Lewis for missing a early fair catch sign that he probably had no chance of seeing.Kevin C. Cox/Getty ImagesEight plays and 42 yards later, New Orleans enjoyed a 21-6 lead with 5:48 left in the half.It could have been over at this point. Seattle could have behaved as they did last year, rolled over, and walked out with a humiliating thrashing by the Super Bowl champs. But happily they didn’t do that.Instead, Seattle fought back with a gritty twelve play drive of their own, ending with a quick touchdown pass over the middle from Hasselbeck to Obamanu with just under two minutes left in the half.Mike Williams was absolutely tearing up New Orleans, and when they finally started to key on him, up stepped Brandon Stokely for his first two catches in three weeks, both of which were huge plays to keep the drive alive.The last two minutes of the half saw a monumental penalty called that all but decided the game and gave Seattle fans nightmares of giddy Steeler fans jeering them after referees behave like paid Pittsburg employees five years prior.After what appeared to be a defensive stand and a Saints three and out, Seattle’s Raheem Brock was flagged for a fifteen yard bogus personal foul for an alleged helmet to helmet hit on the Drew Brees.Replays clearly showed it was a nutty call, more like a chest to chest hit, and not a bad hit at that.And more disturbingly, the only way Brock could have stopped his run in process, would have required him to stop in mid-air a split-second after Brees threw the ball. He had been in a full sprint sack attack while the ball was still in the hands of Brees.It was simply an awful call, and sadly for Seattle it was game-changing. It killed all the momentum the Seahawks had just built up, especially when New Orleans scored yet another touchdown two plays later.A huge 30 yard pass play to Ladell Betts down the right side down to the Seattle 23. Followed by a touchdown strike to 6-4” wide receiver Marques Colston.The Saints muffed the extra point when holder and backup quarterback Daniel Chase iron-handed the long snap, then attempted to score up the right side. He came close, but was ruled his knee had touched at the one yard line before he managed to sneak the ball inside the pylon.Nevertheless it was 27-13 with a minute left in the half.It would be themost critical two minute span of the game. In fact the Seahawks sidelines were still muttering about the call on Brock when the Saints scored, and it could have been THE reason the Saints did score that quickly!But Seattle didn’t mope for long.Kevin C. Cox/Getty ImagesAfter New Orleans kicked the ball out of bounds at the Seattle 25, the Seahawks took over at their own 40. Hasslebeck then hit Ben Obomanu with a long lofter to the Seattle 37, and followed with two quick strikes to Stokely to put the ball at the Saint’s 15 yard line with 30 seconds left.But once again the hated referees haunted Seattle, this time a holding accusationon backupChester Pitts that had the Seahawk faithful near suicidal.Yet another terrible call by referees at a very critical time!Seattle now faced a first and twenty with 33 seconds left, when once again our boys in stripes nailed Seattle with a third straight mystery call. This time Hasselbeck was called for an intentional grounding, which made it second and 14 miles.Hasselbeck, infuriated with smoke still shooting out his ears, promptly drilled his new best pal Brandon Stokly across the middle to put the ball at the 25. Olindo Mare then nailed a 43 yard field goal to make it 27-16 as time ran out in the half.Seattle felt ok to be only down by nine points at half, but teeth were gnashing knowing they could have been leading, had not five middle aged guys in dire need of Reebok Pittsburgh Steelers 43 Troy Polamalu Realtree camo Jersey
sit-ups,gonehankie crazy.It was a huge shift in momentum, and instead of Seattle skipping to the locker room with a surprising and totally unexpected lead, they had been thrice mutilated by officials whoPete Carroll was about ready to string up by their thumbs.Kevin C. Cox/Getty ImagesStill Seattle kept coming, and what could have been a disaster and by now, huge New Orleans rout, was surprisingly still a game in which they could win.But it was not to be, because at the start of the second half New Orleans once again drove the ball long with only six plays, consuming 80 yards in a scant two minutes.34 to 16 New Orleans with 14 minutes left in the third quarter. Ugh.Seattle got the ball and promptly turned it over after moving quickly on two plays to mid-field. Normally sure-handed Marshawn Lynch fumbled and the Saints recovered.It was the first lost Seattle fumble all season long by running backs, and it couldn’t have come at a worse time.New Orleans again mounted a long time-consuming drive, taking it clear down to the Seattle four yard line on ten plays. But Brees then threw a short pass to non-breaking tight end David Thomas, right into the arms of Seattle’s huge linebacker David Hawthorne.Drive over.It was the sixth straight game that Drew Brees had thrown an interception, and momentarily gave the Seahawks a huge boost. Instead of trailing by three touchdowns, they at least had a chance to draw near.And Seattle did just that, putting together their best long drive of the afternoon going nearly 80 yards on ten plays, only to see it horrendously stopped at the Saint’s 23 yard line when New Orleans linebacker Marvin Mitchell stripped Lynch of the ball.Another wasted drive with no points, with a scrappy New Orleans team saved once again by some heads up defensive play to end the third quarter.The Saints came roaring back downfield, as they had been doing all day long, and ten plays later attempted a field goal after stalling at the Seattle nine yard line.Which Hartley Garrett pushed. The ball hit the left upright and bounced harmlessly to the carpet before a stunned and bemused Superdome crowd.Seattle then raced back upfield on a nifty six play drive to the 50, before a near interception thrown over the head of tight end Chris Baker nearly stopped them again.Actually it would have been an interception had caffinated spunky Coach Pete Carroll not challenged the call. Replays showed that the ball had indeed been trapped. And only half a dozen minutes later our crack officiating team agreed, remarkable since it had been about as obvious as a air horn in a cathedral.Following that stellar example of officiating, with just over nine minutes left in the game, Hasselbeck found Justin Forsett on six of the next eight plays, taking the ball clear down to the two yard line where they had a 3rd & 2 but got stuffed up the middle.Kevin C. Cox/Getty ImagesThe drive ended with Seattle hitting a 20 yard field goal with just over six minutes left, for a 34-19 Saints lead. FOX tv broadcasters Brian Billick and Thom Bennaman treated fans to a two minute tantrum of whimpering and bemoaning this move, insisting that Carroll is well known for his fourth down gambles. How could the man have not done that in this situation?! Oh the horror of it all!Seattle then attempted an on-side kick, and nearly pulled it off perfectly before once again head official Mike Carey and his referees pow-wow decided that Lawyer Malloy, who fell on the kick at the 40, had actually come from out of bounds negating him as an eligible participant.They gave the ball back to the Saints, who killed the clock on a very pretty time-consuming 15 play drive before Seattle rookie Earl Thomas picked off a meaningless pass in the end zone with only 22 seconds left. But it did tie Thomas with former Seahawk Michael Boulware for the rookie pass interception record.All in all it Reebok Green Bay Packers 21 Charles Woodson Realtree camo Jersey
wasn’t a bad game, but it just wasn’t good enough when playing the Super Bowl champs.The same champs who ironically, Seattle could potentially be playing again in two months if Seattle wins the west and the Saints come in as the wild card.Seattle, fortunate that the rest of the hapless division dropped games this afternoon, holds the tie- breaker with Arizona, who trials by a game and will be playing San Francisco next weekend.Meanwhile the Seahawks take on the Kansas City Chiefs at Qwest Field and the St Louis Rams take on the Broncos in Denver, while the Saints will be entertaining us in Dallas in a scant four days.

16 Dec 10 Mike Singletary the Morning After: No Explanations, No Solutions

When all else fails, yell at the refs.Ezra Shaw/Getty ImagesComing into the season we thought the San Francisco 49ers would do some momentous, groundbreaking things, and by golly they haven't disappointed.Residing in last place in the worst division in the history of pro football? Check. Reebok New York Jets #6 Mark Sanchez Realtree camo Jersey
Losing to Tampa Bay at home for the first time since 1980? Check.Suffering the ignominy of being shutout at home for the first since Oct. 9, 1977? Check.Employing a coach who has quickly become a laughingstock even among his peers? Check.Any way you slice it, the 49ers are a bad, at times unwatchable, football team. Their offense is slow, scared and unimaginative. Their defense is more bark than bite. Their special teams aren't special in the slightest. But most damning of all, they're captained by a man who hasn't just rammed the vessel into an iceberg but one who won't even notice the iceberg until he reviews the film.Coach Mike Singletary uttered his trademark "I have to look at the film" default response to nine of 16 questions posed to him in the postgame press conference, and really, no one even gets hot and bothered about it anymore.It's as honest as anything as anything he's ever said to the media. Without the benefit of watching a slow-motion video replay, away from the pressure and live bullets of the game, he really doesn't have the foggiest idea why something didn't work as it should have.Maybe the only time all game Smith wasn't surrounded by Bucs defenders.Ezra Shaw/Getty ImagesHe can't see a problem, analyze it and conjure an immediate and workable solution for it any better than you or I could.Well, unless Jon Gruden or Jim Harbaugh happens to be reading this drivel.In what is becoming something of a pattern, immediately after losses Singletary is all fire and brimstone, full of bluster and ripping into the players and warning them that when he reviews the film he will see who's not pulling their weight and make the appropriate changes.By now I'm sure the players just roll their eyes and chuckle to themselves at his empty threats. Singletary always softens his tone on the morning after and keeps the lineups intact on both sides of the ball.He's made two changes all season, and they both involved safety Taylor Mays. The first time he put him into the lineup for no other reason but for the fact that he was a second round pick. He certainly hadn't done a thing during training camp and the preseason to warrant it.The move alienated starter Michael Lewis, who demanded his release. Last week Singletary yanked Mays in favor of Reggie Smith, who's better in coverage, but wouldn't admit that Mays was benched until yesterday's post mortem, a full seven days after the fact.Players now Singletary's threats don't mean Reebok Oakland Raiders #21 Nnamdi Asomugha Realtree camo Jersey
a thing because if he was able to process anything by film study, personnel moves would've been made long ago. It's the same guys playing poorly week after week after week. It's not like it's one person one game and another person the next game.Outstanding player. Probably not somebody you want coaching your team someday.Jed Jacobsohn/Getty ImagesRight guard Chilo Rachal is simply awful. He was the worst player on the offensive line last season, but the coaches didn't seek to replace him the way they replaced David Baas at left guard and Adam Snyder at right tackle because Rachal is youthful and athletic and was a second round pick in 2008.They were hoping he would improve with another off-season of experience, but it hasn't happened and likely never will. Snyder has been better in relief appearances against New Orleans, when Rachal missed the game with a shoulder injury, and in parts of other games.Right tackle Anthony Davis has been better than Rachal in the run game, but he's given up seven sacks already this season and been penalized quite a bit as well. For reasons that escape me, the coaching staff hasn't helped out the 20-year old very much by putting a tight end on his side. They're throwing him in the ocean without a life preserver, making him sink or swim.Only it's the quarterbacks that are getting sunk when he screws up.Left tackle Barry Sims was a revelation when he replaced an injured Joe Staley last season. When he re-signed in the off-season, he looked sloppy and out of shape in minicamp, and very slow. If some rookie free agent hopeful came into camp in that condition, he would've been cut after a week.Sims earned the benefit of the doubt and made the team. When called upon against the Buccaneers, he was beaten for three sacks. "Overall, I thought he did a pretty decent job," said Singletary.Singletary's area of expertise begins and ends with the linebackers. If a corner or a left guard or a quarterback or a receiver are playing poorly, he won't figure it out. He doesn't understand the fundamentals or the techniques of those positions. He's not involved in the game planning, so he doesn't know the assignments of each player on each play.If he's soliciting opinions from his coaching staff and they're telling him that everyone is doing what they're supposed to be doing and playing up to their ability, then the coaching staff is failing Singletary as well. Maybe he's surrounded himself with yes men."You know, every week, you have a preparation time for a team and you prepare for them," Singletary explained. "You really don’t know what they’re going to do game day; that’s something that as you look at it you have to make Reebok Pittsburgh Steelers #86 Hines Ward Realtree camo Jersey
adjustments as you go."Except plenty of teams know exactly what the 49ers are going to do. Buccaneers linebacker Barrett Ruud admitted after the game that the linemen and Frank Gore were tipping off whether plays were going to be runs or passes. Singletary was surprised to learn that in Monday's presser and dismissed it, saying that's the first he's ever heard of anything like that happening to his team.Except that it happened at Kansas City as well, with Chiefs defenders calling out the 49ers' plays at the line."If they’re doing something a little bit different; if the other team’s trying to work on something to take away something that you’ve done, then you just have to continue to play that chess match during the game," Singletary continued.Except while everyone else is playing chess, he's playing checkers. Hell, he might be playing hide and go seek. He might be in a different room entirely."I’m not going to say that I felt that we were just really not prepared," he said. "We were prepared for what we felt they were going to do, and once they did some things a little bit differently, then we tried as best we could to counter those things."How can you counter anything when you have to wait till the next day to figure out what happened, coach?After every loss Singletary tells the players things will be different and nothing ever is. There are no changes to be made or ideas to try, beyond "working harder" and "getting better." It's kind of sad to watch.Slowly but surely "Coach Sing" is getting worn down by the losing and starting to sound resigned to his fate. This week he tried something new and took responsibility for the team's failures.The guy who defiantly promised his team "wouldn't try to score on the Saints, we will score on the score on the Saints," and "we won't try to stop Drew Brees, we will stop Drew Brees," is gone.Now he's saying the 49ers can be a playoff team "if" they win at Arizona. Not when, if.The worst moment of Reebok Pittsburgh Steelers James Harrison Realtree camo Jersey
all was his rationalization of the blowout loss to the Bucs."I just think that some games a team just has your number, or things just don’t work the way you want them to work. There are going to be some games that you have. I don’t care who is supposed to be the best team in the league right now, they’re going to have a game where somebody just has you’re number, and yesterday was ours."He made it sound like some fluke thing, perhaps forgetting his team's gotten slaughtered three times already in ten games.The whole league has their number, and Singletary's is up.

Chicago Bears' Monday Morning Madness: Team Gets Grizzly on Philadelphia Eagles

What a pain that game was to watch. Poor tackling. Poor coverage. Poor red zone offense. Poor everything. I would be wrong to say that a majority of the blame wasn't on the defense. For a defense that ranks so high in the NFL in takeaways, the Eagles had zero. There were a ton of missed tackles and a ton of 43 Polamalu white jersey
over-anxious players in the Eagles' defense. I've seen more missed arm tackles in this game than I've seen in a while. I'm not expecting ten turnovers but, come on, the Bears give up a ton of them. In my game preview I said that Joselio Hanson wouldn't be very effective starting at cornerback in place of Asante Samuel. Well, it looks like I was right. Hanson couldn't keep up with any of his assignments, and often got swapped out for rookie Trevard Lindley. However, a majority of the swap-outs were because Hanson needed to play the nickel. The horrible field conditions didn't help, as Hanson slipped while covering Earl Bennett. Bennett scored a touchdown on that play. The two key plays that needed to be made were a Nate Allen interception in the end zone and a Michael Vick touchdown pass 43 Polamalu black jersey
at the two-yard line. As we all know, Allen was only fingertips away from intercepting Jay Cutler's touchdown pass to Earl Bennett, and Vick's pass was tipped to Bears safety Chris Harrisin the endzone. But you know the old saying, "Coulda, woulda, shoulda." How about defensive coordinator Sean McDermott calling the zone defense for most of the game? News flash, you can't play zone against a Mike Martz offense. Martz will exploit every single hole and he will take advantage of the weak players which, in this case, was Joselio Hanson. As the game progressed, we saw a little bit of combo coverage and then at the end the Eagles started using man coverage a lot. A little too late. DeSean Jackson and Brent Celek really surprised me in this game. DeSean seemed to drop some pretty routine passes that could have resulted in points, and Brent seemed as slow as I've ever seen him. DeSean dropped a lot of easy ones against the Giants but I thought it was just a fluke. I guess not. Maybe he is still worrying about getting his head taken off. CSN Philly reported that DeSean Jackson "sat in his locker wrapped in a towel, occasionally looking up [but mostly had] his head down in his lap and his hands over his face." Obviously, D-Jack has had a very frustrating two 4 Brett Favre White jersey
games. Teams are making sure that he doesn't get the chance to make a play. It comes with the territory of being explosive. All in all, the Eagles' sloppy play from last week carried over to this game against a well-prepared Chicago Bears team. The Bears are on the rise and they were out to prove something. Point taken.

NFL Picks Week 13: The Upsets and Locks You Can Take To the Bank

Grant Halverson/Getty ImagesWeek 13 is here and I am ready to give you what you never thought you would get in your whole life—a sure thing.Some guys use a crystal ball, others close their eyes and point. As for me, I use good old fashioned knowledge. Here I will give you a run down of Steelers 10 Santonio Holmes jersey
all of the NFL games this week and provide you the answer to what you are all looking for. Who is going to win?As you will see, there will be some shockers. There are always a couple of can't miss games, this week is no different. But sadly there will also be those games you can feel comfortable taking a nap while watching.Either way this is shaping up to be an exciting week of football. There is even a small skirmish brewing between the top two teams in the league. So let's get down to the fine art of prognosticating. 11:21 PM ETNFL Picks Week 13: Patriots take on the Jets in the Game of the YearNFL Picks Week 13: This is the one that we have been holding our breaths for. The winner here takes sole possession of the AFC East and most likely the entire NFL.Rex Ryan has always maintained that his Jets are not afraid of the big bad Pat...Read more » 11:09 PM ETNFL Picks Week 13: Ravens or Steelers Which Will Be Left Standing Sunday Night?NFL Picks Week 13: It is one of the great joys in the NFL that these two great organization get to play each other twice a year. Both teams come in at 8-3. The Steelers have the all time edge at 12-9. But do not discount that the Ravens drew first...Read more » 11:00 PM ETNFL Picks Week 13: Can Cowboys Get Back to Winning Over Faltering Colts? NFL Picks Week 13: It seems like firing your coach does work to reverse the player culture in the locker room. The Cowboys look positively renewed after firing the zombie Wade Phillips. New head coach Jason Garrett has these guys playing, and play...Read more » 10:52 PM ETNFL Picks Week 13: Will Cardinals Halt the Rams and Their Young Offense?NFL Picks Week 13: The Cardinals need to get a win soon. If not for them, then for their fans. They were beat last Monday by the 49ers and some were caught laughing. Whatever you may think of Derek Anderson and his sideline laugh and subsequent bl...Read more » 10:44 PM ETNFL Picks Week 13: Can Buccaneers Stop the Runaway Falcons Train?NFL Picks Week 13: This could rival the Jets-Patriots game for highlights. These are two very exciting teams that will be doing battle on Sunday.Tampa Bay comes into this one as a young team playing above their heads. Josh Freeman has quickl...Read more » 10:37 PM ETNFL Picks Week 13: Can Carolina Finally Win Their Second Game Against Seattle?NFL Picks Week 13: This could be one of the worst games of the week. No, this could be one of the worst games of the year. With the Seahawks dropping two straight, they have turned into one of the worst teams in the NFL. They can still win the div...Read more » 07:45 PM ETNFL Picks Week 13: Will Chargers Exact Revenge on the Raiders This Week? NFL Picks Week 13: Back in week five, the Raiders got the best of the Chargers in Oakland. Around that time, the wheels seem to be coming off for Norv Turner and the San Diego Chargers. But like clock work, San Diego is back in contention and domi...Read more » 07:23 PM ETNFL Picks Week 13: Can Giants Get Back On Playoff Track Vs. Redskins?NFL Picks Week 13: The Giants may have stumbled a little lately. They have lost to of their last three games. But there is nothing like playing a bad team to brighten your spirits. The Giants barely missed getting beat last week by the Jaguars, bu...Read more » 07:14 PM ETNFL Picks 4 Brett Favre Purple jersey
Week 13: Can the Vikings Make it Two in a Row Against the Bills NFL Picks Week 13: The Vikings are starting to look like their old selves again. Last week, they ran the ball well. They were also able to show some flare by distributing the ball all over the field.There are still a couple of issues looming...Read more » 06:59 PM ETNFL Picks Week 13: Can the Dolphins Get a Rare at Home Against the Browns?NFL Picks Week 13: The Browns will most likely be without the services of rookie quarterback Colt McCoy for this game. He has a high ankle sprain and has yet to practice. The Browns will once again turn to opening day starter Jake Delhomme.T...Read more » 06:44 PM ETNFL Picks Week 13: Can the Broncos Win Respect from Division Leading Chiefs? NFL Picks Week 13: Denver Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels has a lot to contend with these days. He has a scandal brewing wherein his staff taped opponents practices. He is also on the hot seat for the dismal season his Broncos are having. A win ...Read more » 06:33 PM ETNFL Picks Week 13: Can the Titans Regroup Enough to Down the Surging Jaguars?NFL Picks Week 13: These are two teams going in two completely different directions. What a difference a few weeks make.A few games ago, we were talking about how slim in talent the Jaguars were. The Titans were also lauded with the title of...Read more » 06:17 PM ETNFL Picks Week 13: Do the 49ers Have Enough to Beat the Packers at Lambeau?NFL Picks Week 13: The 49ers are somehow only one game out of their division race. That is the joy of playing in the NFC West. The winner of that division will most likely border a .500 record.San Francisco heads intoLambeauas wi...Read more » 06:02 PM ETNFL Picks Week 13: Can the Bears Continue their Onslaught in Detroit?NFL Picks Week 13: The Bears will get their fifth win a row. It is as simple as that. Detroit has no answer for what the Bears have become.At the start of the year, the Bears were a decent defensive team that did not give their quarterback enough ...Read more » 05:52 PM ETNFL Picks Week 13: Can the Bengals Defense Stop Brees and the Saints?NFL Picks Week 13: Earlier in the year, NFL pundits thought the Saints had lost their offensive prowess. That has seemingly returned in droves. The Saints have been rolling for the past three weeks. The Saints have put up 30 points or more Steelers 10 Santonio Holmes jersey
against...Read more » 05:38 PM ETNFL Picks Week 13: Can the Texans Pull the First Upset of Week 13? NFL Picks Week 13: The Texans go into Philadelphia with the knowledge that they are soft in their secondary. Their defense was good last week but that was against the shaky arm of rookie Rusty Smith. This week they have a whole other animal to con...Read more »

Josh McDaniels Fired as Denver Broncos Head Coach, Leaves Bumbling Legacy

Justin Edmonds/Getty ImagesEarly Monday evening, the Denver Broncos and Patrick Smyth confirmed that they had ended the Josh McDaniels Era in Denver, after two short seasons.The former Bill Belichick assistant is just another of one of the many to go from notoriety under Belichick to a Steelers 43 Polamalu jersey
failure as a head coach.The McDaniels Era started out with turbulence, as after a rumored attempted trade for New England Patriots quarterback Matt Cassel, then-quarterback Jay Cutler grew suspicious of the new regime, and the two never resolved their issues, ending with an exchange of Cutler for Bears quarterback Kyle Orton.His coaching career as a head coach started out terrific, and even made people start to forget about Mike Shanahan, who had coached the team since 1995 and brought two Super Bowl Championships along with him in 1997 and 1998.He began the 2009 season by winning the first six games of the season, which included an overtime win over the vaunted Patriots. The season went downhill from there.They went on to lose the next four games, followed by another two wins, and then finally four straight losses to end the season.McDaniels and the Broncos still had a chance to make the playoffs in week 17, as long as the dominoes fell in the right direction.Going into the game, McDaniels and star receiver Brandon Marshall feuded over Marshall failing to show up to physical therapy on time, leading to McDaniels angrily benching the team's best receiver for the game.Should McDaniels have been fired?Should McDaniels have been fired?Yea, he made too many decisions that came back to bite him.78.3%No, he wasnt given long enough.21.7%Total votes: 23The team then went out and laid an egg, giving up a career day to Kansas City running back Jamaal Charles and 2010 pro bowl Vikings 4 Brett Favre jersey
losing the game 44-24. It was only the seventh time since the merger that a team started 6-0 and missed the playoffs.Nonetheless, it was a promising start to a career, even with the mishandling of the Jay Cutler controversy. His bumbling in the front office would be too much to overcome, however.The next season was marked by the drafting of Tim Tebow and trading away Marshall and running back Peyton Hillis for Brady Quinn, a move that would later come back to bite them as Hillis is on the verge of a 1,000 yard season for the Browns.The best the Broncos and McDaniels did to fill in the role that Marshall and Hillis left was drafting receiver Demaryius Thomas (206 yards, 16 receptions, 2 TDs to this point) and signing LenDale White, who ruptured his achilles in the preseason.The team started the season at a respectable 2-2, but went downhill from there, losing its next four games, including the controversial game in London against the San Francisco 49ers.In a videotaping incident similar to that of the Patriots in 2007, the team's director of video operations was found to have videotaped the 49ers practice at Wembley Stadium, leading to his being given a leave of absence.Justin Edmonds/Getty ImagesMcDaniels reportedly declined to view the tape, but did not report the incident to the NFL, leading to a $50,000 fine to both himself and the team.Over the past few weeks, McDaniels had been pressured to give more playing time to Tim Tebow, the much adored former Florida quarterback, 6 Super Bowl Champions jersey White jersey
something which he refused to do.As recently as a week ago, Owner Pat Bowlen said that McDaniels would be the coach at least for the 2011 season, but the pressure to make a change seems to have gotten to him, as McDaniels was let go this afternoon.McDaniels finished his career in Denver with an 11-17 record and is the third head coach fired this season.

Pittsburgh Steelers "The possibilities at OT: NFL Draft 2008"

The bottom line for the Pittsburgh Steelers is simple: Their offensive tackles were highly inconsistent throughout the course of the 2007-08 season. Further, there were injuries as well. So, even with the possibility of offensive guard Alan Faneca going elsewhere, one has to figure that a 43 Polamalu black jersey
first-round tackle will be the way to go in April's draft.The question: Which one?First, let's eliminate. Jake Long, the Michigan Wolverines' 6-foot-7, 305-pound tackle, will simply not be around when Pittsburgh selects in Round 1. The same can be said of Ryan Clady, a highly athletic tackle from Boise State.That leaves Jeff Otah, Sam Baker, Chris Williams, Gosder Cherilus and Carl Nicks. Otah (Pitt): At 6-6 and 340 pounds, Otah has excellent size for the position. He runs the 40-yard dash in 5.35 seconds, which isn't bad at all for someone that big. Otah is a very big, powerful and aggressive player who has all the tools to play either tackle position. Weaknesses can be found in his technique, such as hand use and the fact that sometimes he comes out of his stance too high. Of course, the fact that he didn't play football until his final year of high school is the likely reason for the technique flaws. Otah simply has a huge upside. Because of this upside, it is possible that he could very well be gone by the time the Steelers choose in the first round, unless they move up.Baker (USC): Though he lacks ideal size (6-5, 305) and will need to bulk up, Baker (5.15 in the 40) demonstrates great quickness, agility, and technique, and he was an excellent pass blocker at USC. Weaknesses: Size and perhaps even toughness and power. Additionally, his run blocking has been questioned.Williams (Vanderbilt): The 6-6, 320-pound Williams is durable, very athletic and a leader. Further, his pass blocking at Vandy was simply outstanding. Weaknesses: Power and aggressiveness. He projects best as a left tackle in the pros.Cherilus (Boston College): The 6-7, 318-pound Cherilus is big, powerful, and gets a great push on running assignments. Moreover, he's smart; and once he locks on, it's over. That said, his pass blocking with speed rushers has been questioned, as has his athleticism. Many scouts believe that he will play right tackle in the NFL. Nicks (Nebraska): Nicks (6-5, 330) is a powerhouse who displays excellent athleticism and aggressiveness. However, he doesn't have a ton of experience and sometimes displays technique issues as a result. Some have even questioned his motor. But Nicks seems to have a terrific upside, making him a big-time sleeper in this draft.Clearly, Pittsburgh needs a tackle who can protect the quarterback. After all, that was a major problem with respect to quarterback Ben Roethlisberger all last season. 4 Brett Favre White jersey
Still, in order to play in Pittsburgh, one must be able to run block as well. Certainly, the Steelers could use a guy with the versatility to play either tackle position, though that isn't necessarily a must.The player whom the Steelers would probably love most is Otah. He seems to be just what the doctor ordered, and could be a potential Pro Bowler. Baker can play in the pros but will probably be average and will have some difficulty run blocking at the next level; Williams will be an outstanding pass blocker but may be somewhat limited as a run blocker as well. Cherilus will be a strong mainstay at right tackle and could be a guy to watch for that position only, and people should be looking a tad more at Nicks.

San Francisco 49ers Mike Nolan Alex Smith

49ers head coach Mike Nolan has made some interesting moves this season. These moves include trading the playmaking linebacker Jamie Winborn to the Jaguars for an undisclosed pick, placing quarterback Tim Rattay on the trading block, benching full back Fred Beasley. In addition, he has clearly been off Steelers 10 Santonio Holmes jersey
on his evaluation of talent as demonstrated by the lack of legitimate backups in the defensive backfield, at left tackle and at tight end.Nolan is a rookie coach, who is making some rookie mistakes and appears to be acting out of desperation. The time to trade Tim Rattay was this off-season so that he could either bring in a legitimate mentor for rookie Alex Smith, or commit to playing Smith regardless of the week to week outcomes. Winborn is a playmaking linebacker on a defense that is suffering terribly. Had he been traded this off-season the 49ers might have gotten a decent deal for him, instead they are likely stuck with a very low pick and a defense that will continue to suffer without him. Fred Beasley is the best fullback the team has, and yet he has seen the bench far too often this offseason. Couple this with an offensive line as thin as a piece of paper, and well, I feel bad for the quarterbacks. Nolan is also stuck with some pretty vulnerable talent in the defensive backfield, at tight end, and at left tackle because of poor judgment of talent this offseason.Nolan needs to right the ship quickly, but it may be too little too late. Alex Smith will start at quarterback this weekend, but Nolan has yet to confirm that Smith will remain the starter for the rest of the season. This is the wrong approach for a rookie quarterback. With a few small tweaks Nolan can restore fan confidence to the team, and essentially 'get his act together'. But he needs to start acting with a cool head, and making calculated Vikings Brett Favre jersey
decisions rather than moves out of desperation. He needs to think three steps ahead, and recognize the consequences that his actions have on the team.Most fans will continue to support Nolan for a certain duration, but the more mistakes he makes like this, the more likely fans will be calling for his head in the same way as they did Dennis Erickson's, and deservedly so.

: San Francisco 49ers "Moran Norris keeps a low profile

There are no plans right now for a Moran Norris Bobblehead Day at Monster Park. But that doesn't mean the San Francisco 49ers don't appreciate their fullback, who is in his second year with the team.In fact, it was what the 49ers didn't do during the offseason, rather than what they did, Jets 6 Sanchez AFL50th jersey
that demonstrated their confidence in the 6-foot-1, 254-pounder. They didn't draft another fullback, and they didn't sign one as a free agent. And when the Arizona Cardinals cut veteran FB Obafemi Ayanbadejo recently, the 49er management let it slide.This despite the fact that Norris has no experienced backup at this point. Were he to go down, the next in line would be a couple of youngsters who were linebackers in college -- Zak Keasey from Princeton and Steve Dildine from Washington State. Running back Michael Robinson as well as tight ends Delanie Walker and Billy Bajema have also been mentioned as emergency stopgaps.Only long snappers perform at the NFL level with more anonymity than the average fullback. At most positions, statistics tell the story, but some of the best fullbacks in the league hardly ever touch the football.Norris, for example, had two carries for 8 yards last season, and caught five passes for 36 yards (and two touchdowns). He also made three special teams tackles and returned a kickoff. Don't look for him to be returning kicks on a regular basis any time soon -- his return covered 1 yard.The most telling numbers where Norris is concerned are the ones attached to RB Frank Gore, who frequently followed his burly teammate into harm's way. The 49ers averaged 4.9 yards a carry in 2006, and Norris was a lot of the reason.At Kansas, things were different. After signing with the Jayhawks out of Houston as a tight end, he rushed for 864 career yards on 199 carries. He also turned 17 receptions into 84 yards.The New Orleans Saints signed Norris out of KU, then waived him. Picked up by the Houston Texans, he spent several years blocking for Dominick Williams and playing in his hometown. It must have hurt when the Texans released him in 2006, but Norris landed on his feet in San Francisco.You won't hear about Norris because of any off-field shenanigans, either. Recently, in fact, he was given a grant from NFL Charities to run his 4 Brett Favre Purple jersey
football camp back in Houston, as well as a mentoring program where he deals with high school kids one on one.Maybe a bobblehead day isn't such a bad idea, after all. Where there's never an offseason for NFL football! Tell your friends about us

Tennessee Titans Vince Young Matt Leinart Jay Cutler

This weekend, with the third pick in the 2006 NFL Draft, the Tennessee Titans will be taking a quarterback. However, few can honestly say with confidence which one it will be. The top three quarterbacks in the draft in no particular order are former Texas superstar Vince Young, former USC Heisman winner Matt Leinart and this year's most hyped up soon-to-be draftee, former Vanderbilt star Jay Cutler.Recent reports have stated that Young seems to be the guy Tennessee is leaning toward, which seems like a good decision. In his 4 Brett Favre Purple jersey
college career Young led the Longhorns to prominence in each of the two years he started; he won a pair of Rose Bowl MVP's, including one from this past January, as he single-handedly defeated Leinart's USC squad with his 467 all-purpose yards from scrimmage in a 41-38 victory. Ironically, the Titans' incumbent quarterback, Steve McNair, has been Young's mentor for the last few years. Unfortunately, McNair--a true warrior in his 11 seasons with the organization--is on his way out in Tennessee, likely to end up as the Baltimore Ravens' next starter. Thus, the Titans can get themselves McNair's protégé in hopes he'll lead the team to even better things than No. 9, who took Tennessee to an AFC title in the 1999 season.Whichever QB the Titans end up deciding on this Saturday will be the most important decision the franchise has made in recent memory. Head coach Jeff Fisher is rumored to be on the hot seat, which makes it imperative he find a worthy franchise leader who can produce positive results immediately. If not, the 48-year-old Fisher will likely be ousted from the Titans' job after next season. With a 97-85 career regular season record, the 12-year head coaching veteran shouldn't have too much difficulty finding another job if he's relieved of duties in Nashville. Many, including myself, feel the Titans would be flat-out foolish to can Fisher, but it's definitely within the realm of possibility if improvement isn't shown next season.Since their 12-4 regular season mark in the 2003 season, the Titans have been a shell of their old selves, winning just nine games over the last two seasons; their 23 losses rank them among the worst in the league, which is an uncharacteristic place for a team once perennially near the top of the AFC. However, the real source of blame shouldn't go to Fisher, but GM Floyd Reese. He's the one who has put the Tennessee Titans in severe salary cap jail over the past few seasons, making it nearly impossible for Fisher to field a competitive team in a division that includes the dominant and a Jacksonville Jaguars team that went 12-4 last season. Still, somehow Reese rarely comes under any form of disparagement, allowing Fisher to take the brunt of the criticism. Fisher has been both professional and silent under the harsh scrutiny because he knows he's among the elite coaches in the NFL. If things don't work out in Tennessee next year and they fire him, it's their loss; he'll move on and make a positive impact elsewhere.Many believe that Fisher, a USC grad, wants to draft Leinart this weekend, but it's Reese forcing Young on him. If the Titans do pick Young and he doesn't work out but Leinart becomes a star, Reese will find himself working for 43 Polamalu white jersey
another team soon enough. The ball's in his court this Saturday, and he'd better come up big. Should Reese flub the pick, Fisher's career in Tennessee will be over after next season, but he'll leave behind a proud legacy filled with memorable victories and stories of perseverance. For the sake of Fisher, Reese and the Titans' fans, let's hope whichever quarterback they take works out as well as McNair did.--Connor Byrne can be reached at

Tennessee Titans Billy Volek Steve McNair Vince Young

With all the hoopla surrounding quarterbacks Steve McNair and Vince Young in Tennessee, the Titans' third-stringer, Billy Volek, is often forgotten. However, 2006 may very well end up as Volek's year to finally make a name for himself at the NFL level.McNair, the 11-year veteran who has been the face of the Titans' franchise, is expected to be traded or released any day now. McNair helped lead Tennessee to prominence in the late '90s and early into the 2000's, but his current contract situation, injury history and age appear to be spelling the end of 2010 pro bowl 4 Brett Favre Blue jersey
his era with the Titans. He is currently in a dispute with the Titans because he was forced from their practice facilities last month, so McNair and the organization aren't exactly on good terms. The Titans are currently hanging on to the 33-year-old McNair, but bank on him wearing a Baltimore Ravens uniform next season.Meanwhile, Young, the third overall pick in last month's draft, apparently is not going to be thrown to the wolves early on in '06. Since offensive coordinator Norm Chow's schemes and packages will be tough to comprehend for the rookie quarterback, the Titans will allow Young to sit back and learn for an unknown but extended period of time. Although Young led the Texas Longhorns to a National Championship last season, he ran a simple offense where the play was already designed and mapped out when he arrived at the scrimmage line. With the complex defensive changes at the line on the pro level, it will be hard for Young to perform effectively early on. Thus, the Titans' coaching staff has elected to bring him along at a slow, yet steady pace.With McNair all but out of the picture and Young not likely to make an impact in the early goings of next season, it leaves the position wide open for the 30-year-old Volek, who has always been a backup. Quietly, the 6'2" Volek is among the best quarterbacks fans may have never heard of. In his six-year career, Volek has only started 10 games, but he's made those starts count. In 2004, when he started eight games, Volek heaved 18 touchdowns and 10 interceptions en route to an 87.4 passer rating. Had he played the full season, he may have finished somewhere around the 30 touchdown pass plateau, which isn't an easy task for even the most established NFL quarterbacks.In the event that Volek earns the opportunity to start the commencement of the '06 season, he'll have a chance to showcase his skills to everyone around the pro football landscape. Nobody expects the Tennessee Titans to win many games next year, but if Volek can put some solid numbers together, Tennessee could be staring at respectability. The situation the veteran's in seems eerily similar to the one quarterback Drew Brees was in with the San Diego Chargers in '04. Few expected the Chargers to compete for anything but a high draft choice, but they ended up shocking the world and going 12-4 with Brees as the unlikely hero, as he had a Pro Bowl season.Clearly, the uber-talented Young is the Titans' future, but Volek has 2010 pro bowl Vikings 4 Brett Favre jersey
an opportunity to make a future for himself. A good season could solidify him a job elsewhere, while giving Tennessee's general manager, Floyd Reese, some great trade bait for a team in need of a veteran starting quarterback.--Connor J. Byrne can be reached at Get more on the Billy Volek

Fabian Washington "Slump" Commentary

The ' offense is good for one thing.It can make holes on the defense look like minor dents.Although Fabian Washington is by no means a defensive hole, the 23-year-old cornerback has struggled as of late. Particularly in the last two weeks, No. 27 staggered in covering T.J. Houshmandzadeh 4 Brett Favre White jersey
and Isaac Bruce, two physical, playmaking wideouts. In Week 14, the 6-foot-1 Houshmandzadeh hauled in eight passes for 118 yards and a touchdown, the majority of which came in the face of the 5-11 Washington.On Sunday, Bruce grabbed three passes for 58 yards, including a 41-yarder over the young DB's head. Torry Holt also joined in on the action, catching passes of 9 and 13 yards, and drawing an 11-yard pass interference call late in the first quarter. Although Washington hasn't fared well recently, his coverage has remained tight and he has kept his body in position to make a play on the ball. In the team's 20-0 loss against St. Louis, the former first-rounder was in position to bat the ball down on each of Bruce's three grabs, most noticeably on his 41-yarder.On the play, Bruce ran a deep post into Raiders territory. Washington read the route correctly and stayed on the right shoulder of the 34-year-old, less than a foot between himself and the receiver. Like the majority of his passes against, however, Washington was outplayed for the ball, and Bruce came down with the Marc Bulger pass at the Oakland 17-yard line.As a whole, however, defensive coordinator Rob Ryan and the have little to worry about. Starting alongside Nnamdi Asomugha, who already has snagged seven interceptions, Washington has recorded 33 tackles, four picks and seven pass deflections."Got to," Washington responded when asked about the duty of lining up against big-name wideouts."If you don't like it, you Jets 6 Sanchez AFL50th jersey
need to change your profession. If you are a corner, you've got to want to go against those types of guys."Washington may have hit a short slump in his young career; but, luckily, he's still up to the task.Want to be in the Raiders mailbag? Visit RaidersLive.com to submit your questions and comments for the Dec. 29 mailbag. (18)

Reasons for Thanksgiving

The aren't exactly having a banner year. At 2-8, the season is essentially over, and all that is left to play for is pride and NFL draft status.Still, there are few gleaming beacons of hope on the edges of what has become a vast sea of despair, and most of them reside on the defensive side of the football:1) 4 Brett Favre White jersey
Young Secondary: Every starter in the Raiders' secondary is 25 years old or younger. Nnamdi Asomugha is the veteran of the bunch, but with only four years of NFL experience under his belt. Thus far, that experience has translated into a team-leading four interceptions. At free safety, Stuart Schweigert comes in second, with three years of experience; and the 25-year-old safety is also showing signs of maturity. He is currently second on the team with 71 tackles, 58 of which are solo. Alongside Nnamdi Asomugha, speedster Fabian Washington is in just his second year, but has three INTs of his own this season and is starting to raise eyebrows with his playmaking ability. Finally, last but not least is rookie safety Michael Huff. The fact that he's starting is reason enough to be thankful. Huff hasn't reeled in his first NFL interception yet, but he has been a steady contributor and has collected 4.5 tackles for loss.2) Young Linebackers: Kirk Morrison and Thomas Howard have been solid all season long. Morrison, who is just a second-year player, leads the team in tackles with 81 and has also snagged two interceptions. Alongside, Howard has been solid as well, chipping in with 64 tackles of his own; though he's not quite the playmaker Morrison has become. But then again, he is just a rookie.3) Derrick Burgess and Warren Sapp: Every good defense needs a couple of veterans to serve as anchors, and the Raiders have just that in DT Warren Sapp and DE Derrick Burgess. Sapp is definitely getting long in the tooth, enduring his 12th NFL season, but he seems to have plenty left in the tank. The former Miami Hurricanes' standout is set to turn 34 next month, but is still a lethal pass rusher, notching six sacks through 10 contests. And, speaking of sacks, Burgess is also cranking them out at an impressive pace. The six-year vet may not match last year's league-leading total of 16, but racking up eight through 10 games isn't too shabby.4) Rob Ryan: Not much needs to be said here. Ryan seems to be the only competent coach on the staff, and is the chief engineer behind the Raiders' eighth-ranked defense. If not for Ryan's scheming, Oakland would likely be the laughingstock of the league and, possibly, winless.Which Dallas Cowboys jersey
brings us to...5) The NFL Draft: Sometimes, its all about the yin and yang. Although the Raiders sit at 2-8 on the season, and have long been eliminated from playoff contention, fans can take solace in the fact that they will likely have a top-five pick come April. Let's just hope that pick, and several others, are devoted to the offensive side of the football. (22)