Sox Squeak Away With 3-1 Win

Just when you think it's in the bag with the Red Sox, you always have to remember that it's usually just beginning. After yielding a 1-out homer to Josh Hamilton in the ninth inning and allowing the next batter to reach base, Boston found themselves facing the all-too-familiar threat of blowing a lead at the end of the game.

In the eight innings prior to the ninth, Jon Lester dealt a brilliant game on the hill. Lester fired 8 shutout innings, allowing just 5 hits while striking out 5 and walking no one. The win brings Lester to 13-7 on the year with an impressive 2.80 ERA. He got support from RBI singles by Bill Hall and JD Drew as well as a run scoring on a dropped fly ball in center field. He exited the game with a 3-0 lead, never taking the mound in the ninth.

Instead, it was Scott Atchison. With Daniel Bard and Jonathan Papelbon both unavailable tonight after pitching back-to-back days, Atchison was Francona's choice. He gave up the homer to Hamilton and allowed Vladimir Guerrero to reach base. Felix Doubront came in to relieve Atchison, but it wasn't Doubront who killed the Rangers' momentum. Guerrero -- for some reason -- tried to steal second base before Doubront finished off his first and only batter. Victor Martinez gunned out Guerrero, Doubront struck out Mitch Moreland two pitches later, and the Sox squeaked out with the win.

Boston avoided going down another game behind Tampa and New York, who both won their games today. The Sox remain 6 back of the Yanks and 4 back of the Rays. After a day off tomorrow, Boston heads back to Fenway to host the Angels on Tuesday.

And The Winner Is...

Winning a decisive 64% of the vote this afternoon, Jack Bauer took down Lance Armstrong and advanced to the next round of the Ultimate Boston Cage Fight tourney. My best guess is that he used one of the moves in this video. I don't expect you to watch that entire thing, but I most certainly think you should.

Anyway, listen up people. We're going to be voting on every single cage fight from here on out. We got decent participation today. I hope it grows each fight. Tell your friends, or else you might end up seeing someone who you don't want to win come out on top. Tomorrow we got Randy Moss and Paul Pierce. Damn!

Who Dat? The Answer...

Find out the answer you've been waiting for. Who Dat? Did you guess it right to get your name on the leaderboard? Did any of your friends?

FIFA Considering Getting Rid of Draws in Cup

ESPN  -  FIFA president Sepp Blatter says soccer's governing body will consider eliminating ties in all World Cup games.

Blatter said Saturday on Germany's Focus weekly that the dramatic change would make the tournament more interesting. He says the change could involve going to a shootout after 90 minutes of regulation or adding sudden-death overtime.

Sudden-death overtime was used in the knockout rounds of the 1998 and 2002 World Cups. FIFA then reverted to its previous rule of having teams play a full 30 minutes of overtime if tied at the end of regulation in the knockout rounds.

First-round games always have ended in draws if tied at the end of regulation.

This change will be the point in time that separates the two eras. Almost every modern day sport or tradition has its history, that history where you just look at it and say: what the hell were we thinking? Why the hell didn't NHL goalies wear any protection on their face back in the day? Why would we have ever played professional basketball without a shot clock? Same thing here. It's like everything we've ever seen in the world cup will be the dark age. The idiots who had draws in the opening round so that every team played for a draw every game. And now, if they pull the trigger on the change, we will enter the golden age. The tournament will get more exciting because everything will count so much more. And soccer might finally start making progress from year to year. Think about it. What if this past world cup had no draws?  Think about how much more exciting everything would be. The opener against England would have gone to extra time and maybe even PKs. Or would it have? Because the teams would actually pour it on. Take the Algeria game. That game was so exciting in the final minutes with that Landon Donovan goal. Why? Because the USA couldn't afford a draw, so they poured it on. That would happen every damn game if there were no draws, because teams don't want their fate decided by PKs. It just makes more sense. There are no draws in the playoffs of any major sport in the world. I consider the world cup to basically be the playoffs of those teams' hard work for the past 4 years. It's the biggest event in the world, arguably. What if we ended Super Bowls in ties? I know it's not comparable, but it's the concept. Ties are stupid, especially when you only play 3 games in the opening round. And double especially since an extra 40 minutes guarantees the tie to be broken. Pull the trigger, FIFA! Do it!

VOTE NOW on Fight #15: Lance vs Bauer

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The Matchup: Lance Armstrong vs. Jack Bauer.

I'm going to set this up a little differently than the past cage fights. I'll just do one section telling what I think about this fight. Then I'll give my vote. You have to do the rest of the voting below. You can use my analysis to help your decision or not. Up to you. But the vote closes at 7 PM tonight. Then I move the winner forward in the bracket. Ready? Set? Go.

The Fight: Bauer vs Armstrong. Jack vs Lance. A classic matchup. There's one big area of concern here, though. Are we talking about Jack Bauer, or are we talking about Kiefer Sutherland? The character or the actor? Well, for at least one fight, I'm going with the character. And when I say I'm going with the character, that means the fight is already over in my mind. Because Jack Bauer destroys everyone. His combat IQ is higher than anyone I've ever seen. His physical ability is uncanny. He never gets tired and literally is just on the run 24 hours a day, saving the world. Lance is a hero and all, but I don't see how he wins this fight. Bauer dominates him from a fighting perspective in any position. Lance would probably try to bring the fight to the ground, because cyclists have pretty good cardio. He could last down there. Cyclists aren't known for their striking ability. Bauer is known for his everything ability. If you watch that video (or even more so if you actually watch 24) you'll know what I mean. It's literally impossible to pick against Jack Bauer (however, I would definitely pick against Kiefer Sutherland).

My Outcome: Bauer somehow found a way to sneak Lance's bike tire into the octagon because he figures out how to do all kinds of ridiculous shit. He chokes out Armstrong with the fabric of the tire, nearly killing him before the referee stops it and reminds him that Lance didn't capture anyone Jack loves. The official decision is a submission by Bauer in round one.

Your turn. Time to vote. Bauer or Armstrong?

Who Dat? Take a Guess

Who Dat? Figure it out. No hints because you're all misbehaving. How so? Because you have to submit requests for Who Dat. Just think of some chicks that haven't been on here yet. Not that hard, we've only been doing it for like 2 weeks. Email your requests or else I'll start using gross pictures and shit.

Here is the updated leaderboard for Who Dat (ties are just sorted alphabetically, so chill):

Enahs - 2 points

Fitch - 2 points

KShep - 2 points

Magz - 2 points

Ed B - 1 point

Hink - 1 point

Don't you want your name or nickname on this board? Well then figure out who this is. Then your name will be on the board. Remember, there's a free subscription to the not-yet-existent Ultimate Boston Magazine to the winner of Who Dat.

Pats Lose Ty Warren for the Year

On the day after a very impressive win in their preseason opener against the New Orleans Saints, the Patriots suffered a big loss on the front line of that defense of theirs. Left end Ty Warren injured his hip today and will require season-ending surgery. It's being called a labral tear, and although it will not be career-threatening, it will require the surgery. That procedure is scheduled for Monday.

Warren has been injury-riddled for the past few years, and it is tough to see him gone already. That being said, this is an issue that the Pats have dealt with before. We saw a few promising signs in the preseason opener when it comes to filling that gap. Newcomers Gerard Warren and Marques Murrell both impressed on the defensive front. Although neither of them are technically defensive ends -- Warren is a defensive tackle and Murrell is a linebacker -- both guys seemed pretty versatile and could potentially fill the void. Additionally, the Patriots welcomed back outside linebacker and defensive end Derrick Burgess for another year. Burgess reported to camp this morning and passed his physical and conditioning test. He will practice with the team on Sunday. That's another good guy to bring back, considering he is a knowledgeable veteran who knows how to pass rush. He recorded 5 sacks last year. Outside linebacker and defensive end are two of the thinnest positions on the Pats defense, so Burgess is sure to be a helpful addition.

Bottom line is that losing Ty Warren definitely hurts. Still, it isn't a blow that I believe will change the big picture result of the Patriots season. I'm still picking them to win the division at 12-4. Do you want my crazy-ass predictions for the rest of the division? Buffalo brings up the rear at 4-12. But my middle picks may surprise you. The Jets finish third at 9-7. Miami finishes in second at 10-6. Wait.. what? The Jets are a Super Bowl contender according to everyone else! Well, I don't care. The Dolphins and Patriots will both be better than the Jets this year. Write it down and then when I'm wrong you can make fun of me in 20 weeks.

Who Dat? The Answer...

Did you get the answer? Who is this? If you guessed an actress, you nailed it today. She's an actress. You gotta find out what actress it is... maybe you'll feel like a hero if you were right.

What would YOU have Said?

Over the years I've had the luxury of attending several games at Gillette Stadium, home of the New England Patriots. I've also been graced with some great seats, right next to where the visiting team comes out on to the field. Yesterday, at the Saints game, I had the chance to say ONE thing to Superbowl MVP Drew Brees. I thought for weeks and weeks about what it would be. I wanted to tell him he won the Superbowl on my birthday, and that it was the greatest gift of all time. Instead, I decided that I would sacrifice and let him know what a great guy he is.




Here is a list of some other players I've had the luxury of talking to..what would you have said to these guys?

1. Chad Ochocinco: Me-"You are a God among mortals!" Ocho-A point, head nod, and a high five with his obnoxious golden gloves.

2. Ray Lewis: Me-"Ray Lewis You're a beast!" Lewis-A hard death-look followed by the hardest high five I've ever gotten.

3. Chris Johnson (After a blow-out): Me-"It's okay man you're still the best out there." Johnson-A huge smile and a high five.

4. Eli Manning: Manning-"Hey guys! How are ya!" Me-"uhh..good..damnit I wish you weren't so nice."

Brandon Marshall Preparing for Lockout

ESPN  -  Dolphins wide receiver Brandon Marshall said Thursday that if NFL teams lock out the players next year, he will try out for the NBA.


Marshall said he plans to audition for either the Denver Nuggets or the Miami Heat.


"My first team will be the Nuggets and my second team will be the Heat -- I'm serious," Marshall said.


Two days after I finish praising Brandon Marshall's fantasy value for the upcoming season, he goes out and says that "there's not going to be any football [in 2011]" and that he will pursue an NBA career if that lockout does happen for the NFL. First choice Denver, second choice Miami. The two stops his NFL career has made so far. Later in the article, Dolphins' coach Tony Sparano was quoted as saying, "I've seen him jump -- he's not playing basketball." I wonder if this is Sparano being truthful or Sparano getting scared that the Dolphins finally latch onto a big time wideout and then he says he's going to go play in the NBA. Christ, even football players want to just team up with LeBron and Wade now. What has this world come to? Doesn't anyone want to accomplish things on their own anymore?

Introducing Terrell Brown

The scary thing is, the water boy in this picture is probably close to six feet tall. Introducing Terrell Brown, a walk-on to the Ole Miss football squad this season. At a staggering 6'11" and weighing 390 lbs, Brown is considered the largest football player in the country and might be one of the largest we've ever seen. He seems like an evolved version of Baltimore Ravens' tackle Michael Oher from The Blind Side, as his football experience is very limited. Recruiting agencies have no records of him playing football at any of his previous institutions.

Some of the critics right away are saying he could be too huge to play football. I'm not so sure. If he could get a reasonable football IQ, get stronger on his feet, and turn some of what I presume to be fat into muscle on his body -- why couldn't he compete? Hell, forget competing -- he could dominate. Think about trying to stop this man or trying to get through his man, depending on which side of the ball he's plays the line. At 6'2", 325 lbs, Vince Wilfork would probably have some mighty struggles out-muscling Brown with that 9-inch, 65-pound disadvantage. And Wilfork is one of the biggest defensive linemen out there. I think this is a kid to work with. If Michael Oher could do it at his size, I see no reason why Terrell Brown couldn't do it. He would just be a freak of nature if he could strengthen the aspects of his football game. Hell, he could just stand at the defensive line with his hands extended upward. Just doing that would give quarterbacks fits on their attempted short crossing passes.

Attention Cage Fight Fans

So a lot of you might enjoy reading the cage fights every day. And a lot of you might disagree with my decisions. Luckily for you, starting tomorrow, you'll have a say in that process.

I'm going to still do my full write up and post it around noon. And my vote counts as 1 vote. You the fans will vote on the outcome of the fight. There will be a little poll listed within the post. At some point in time, I might even put up polls for all of the previous fights and let you change history. But for now, we're just going to do it moving forward. So tell all your friends and make sure you're back here tomorrow right on time for the big inaugural cage fight vote.

Fight #14: Sanchez vs Kane

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The Matchup: Mark Sanchez vs Patrick Kane.

Size: Mark Sanchez is a pretty formidable 6'2" and weighs 225 lbs. Kane is a much smaller 5'10" and weighs just 178 lbs. Advantage Sanchez.

Speed: Well, I was criticized in the Ovechkin fight for giving the speed to the guy who doesn't play hockey. I won't make the mistake again. Kane's speed on the ice actually likely does translate the to the octagon. Sanchez may be fairly mobile in the pocket, but nothing compared to Patrick Kane stopping, accelerating, getting around the edge, and scoring the Stanley Cup winning goal all in the blink of an eye. Advantage Kane.

Power: Sanchez has the size advantage and probably does a little more lifting than Kane does. Pound-for-pound, I'd probably put them pretty close to each other. Unfortunately for Kane, Sanchez has 47 more of those pounds to work with. His size advantage translates into the strength advantage. Advantage Sanchez.

Smarts: To be honest, I've never been that impressed with Mark Sanchez. And that's not just because he's on the Jets. I have never thought he was as good as they make him out to be. So who's smarter? Generally QB's need to be the smartest out there. Hockey players need to be real smart too. But I guess Kane isn't specifically known for his hockey IQ -- don't mistake me for doubting it, I am not -- but he just doesn't stand out in your mind as the smartest player in the world. Neither does Sanchez... but he requires more smarts out there. Beating a Bill Belichick defense will take every ounce of smarts you have. Advantage Sanchez.

Intangibles: There are lots of intangibles as usual here, but the biggest one to me is the winning factor. Sanchez hasn't proven yet that he can carry a team to championship status. If you ask me, he was a QB of circumstance last year with that run to the AFC championship. They only made the playoffs because the Colts pulled Peyton in Week 17. Sanchez didn't bring that team to where they got. The defense and ground game did. Kane, on the other hand, was a major contributor and clutch performer in what was ultimately a championship run. That's valuable winning experience that can't be denied.

Toughness: This is the toughest category for me to call. Which one of these guys would be tougher to knock out? My gut instinct says it's Kane, because of him being a hockey player and how tough they are, and how Sanchez never has to exert physical contact onto another person. But my mind is telling me that it's Sanchez, simply because he's a bigger and stronger guy and he'll be more difficult to knock out. So which do I choose? Kane isn't much of a fighter, and the only person he's really ever fought was that cab driver. So him being a hockey player doesn't give the full advantage it would if he was Shawn Thornton or something. With that said, I think I have to go with Sanchez again. He has too much size on Kane with a very similar set of characteristics. Advantage Sanchez.

The Decision: It really ails me to give Mark Sanchez the win, but I just hope that he doesn't go past the next round. It's back to the drawing board for Patrick Kane, who endures a long, hard fight, but can't win over the judges when all is said and done. The fight goes to a judge's decision and the judges score (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) in favor of the winner, Mark Sanchez.

Disagree? Do you think Kane would toast Sanchez? Let me know. I don't see a bright future for Marky Mark though, and he advances to face Dwyane Wade in the second round. We'll see how that one goes. Tomorrow, we've got famous bicycler Lance Armstrong slotted against the great Jack Bauer, star of the hit television series 24. That will be an interesting one.

Who Dat? Take a Guess

I got the point yesterday for stumping you. Can I do it again? If you all get stumped again, maybe I'll give a hint for the next one. Or maybe I'll just do an easy one to get your confidence back. But here it is anyway. Can you guess who it is? Oh, and by the way, we need Who Dat requests. Send us the names of chicks we should use for Who Dat. (Do it now)

Good Thing Our Owner Can Speak

Funny, Bob. I know for a fact that the single-season rushing record by a team is not 365 yards. Chris Johnson like gets that in 2 games. Nice try though. I love how Sam Cunningham and this other chick, maybe his wife, are just humiliated and embarrassed by that slip of tongue by Kraft. Cunningham (aka Samuel L. Jackson) just goes with the move where you bow your head and put your fingers on your forehead, as if to say, Oh my God, why am I in the camera shot with this guy's speech? The chick is just laughing about it, sort of like she expects at least 14 slips of the tongue every time Kraft speaks. He reminds me of a toned down version of mayor Menino. Not nearly as bad, though.
Anyway, I might as well talk about this game now, even though it's still going on. Patriots look great. Keep in mind these are the defending champs they're facing tonight. With the first team in, they scored on both drives. Brady looked good after that first three-and-out that resulted in a field goal. Julian Edelman looks amazing. Let me tell you, if Brandon Tate or Torry Holt (I'm thinking Tate can be a big contributor) can step up and be an impact outside receiver, the Pats have the potential to have the deadliest 4-wide spread in football. They could run two slot receivers and two wide receivers. Welker and Edelman are basically clones of each other in the slot. Moss and Tate/Holt/whoever can fill the role on the outside? Brady at QB? Ben-Jarvis Green-Ellis and Laurence Maroney running the ball the way they did today? The offensive line just brushing away a big New Orleans defensive front? I'm telling you, this was a pretty damn impressive preseason opener. Clicking on all accounts. Here's another thing. One thing I've noticed since the Pats' glory days is that their tight ends have been overall less productive. They cleaned the slate and brought in two rookie tight ends that I'm very excited about. Rob Gronkowski is regarded as the better player -- a big, strong tight end who can definitely contribute in the receiving game but is a fantastic blocker. Then there's Aaron Hernandez, who is very fast for a TE. He seems like more of a receiver. I think it's a great combination, these two tight ends. So I've covered the whole offense and how impressive each piece looks tonight. Didn't even mention the defense. Rookie linebacker Brandon Spikes is quickly turning a lot of heads, much like Jerod Mayo did in his rookie campaign. Patrick Chung is right there in the tackle numbers with Spikes. First-round pick Devin McCourty hasn't made any notable plays at cornerback tonight, but I guess you don't want to hear the corner's name, right? It means he's doing his job. And he made a splash in the kick return game with his return in the second half. The rookies look good and everyone else looks just as ready. I wish the season would start tomorrow. Hopefully the Pats can keep playing the way they did in tonight's first half, and carry it straight into the season. Is this a more invigorated New England squad? It sure looks it to me.

Who Dat? The Answer...

Did you figure it out? You must have been close, right? I mean you don't see a pair of eyes like this very often. Congrats if you did get it, but you still can't be sure until you check to see more. It would suck to think you won when, in reality, you lost... huh?

Just Saying...

Well I'm not at home to make this post elaborative at all and I wish I could be... But I just wanted to say that if I was GM of the Boston Red Sox, I would trade Jonathan Papelbon for this quarter. That is all.

Inhaled Pea Starts to Sprout Inside Man's Lung

You've probably noticed that we basically did away with the smut and bizarre stories on Ultimate Boston. But that doesn't mean a diamond in the rough doesn't come along every once in a while. I couldn't just ignore this one. Ron Sveden had a plant growing inside him. Like he probably could have waited a few years and he would have become a beanstalk. Either way he's the man. See how he handles the whole thing? He just laughs and thinks it's cool that a pea was sprouting in his lung. Wishes he could have just waited and started working for the jolly green giant. You can tell deep down he kind of wishes he just let it grow to see how cool it would be to have a full pea plant in his lung. This is supported by the fact that he didn't even hesitate -- but rather, he laughed -- when they served him peas with his first meal after the surgery in the hospital. He gobbled them up, hoping another one would start growing inside him. Kind of like on LOST when Jack starts flying all the time hoping he'll crash again. Ron's going to start eating peas every day, hoping one will sprout inside him again and he can let it grow into a full healthy plant.

Surfer Enjoying a Great White's Company

Yahoo!  --  The last thing most surfers would want to see is a great white shark circling their board. But when two of the notorious apex predators began swimming around Chuck Patterson earlier this week off San Onofre in northern San Diego County, he saw opportunity.


Patterson, 41, who lives in nearby Dana Point, paddled out at the same spot the next day with a high-definition camera mounted on a 10-foot pole, and used the apparatus to probe the murky green water around his board. The result is the accompanying video, which shows what presumably are the same two sharks: an estimated nine-footer and a seven-footer, milling beneath him as he paddled.


The larger shark showed up first, and slapped Patterson's board with its tail before swimming off. The smaller shark circled his board for 12 minutes.


Such an encounter might make an ordinary surfer want to sprint atop water to the nearest dry land. But Patterson, a champion paddler and all-around waterman, is comfortable in the knowledge that Southern California is seasonal nursery ground for juvenile great whites, which are fairly abundant this summer and prey mostly on small fishes and other sharks.


Still, it required steely resolve to venture back out and stand once more above two of creatures capable of inflicting deadly wounds, and to do so with a steady hand.




Well, Chuck Patterson certainly has some balls to be doing what he's doing here. If I'm out there surfing in California -- which I wouldn't even do after all the Shark Weeks I've watched -- and I saw two great whites circling my surfboard... well, if I lived to tell the story, I'd sure as hell never be in the water with a board again. Not Chuck, though. He cherishes the opportunity and paddles right back out to the same spot the very next day. Brings an HD underwater camera on a 10-foot pole. Yikes... not messing around, huh? Bottom line, though, is that the finished product came out awesome. This is some top notch video, considering it was really just a little personal project he was doing. Maybe Chuck is rich or something, because I'm pretty sure this camera wasn't in the Walmart electronics section. I mean this is real high quality. But enough about the camera. The footage is unreal. Do you see how close that shark is to him? I guess maybe this makes you feel a little less inclined to call sharks vicious attackers by nature. This little bugger is just moseying along minding his own business and leaving Chuck to mind his own business. Wouldn't it be better if all sharks thought that way?

Fight #13: D-Wade vs Ralphie

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The Matchup: Dwyane Wade vs Ralphie May.

Size: D-Wade, even though he's not huge for an NBA player, is a pretty big guy at 6'4", 220 lbs. And while I don't even know what Ralphie May's height is, I've discovered on the internet that at last check he weight 394 lbs. Yikes. Picture Vince Wilfork (325 lbs). Ralphie is nearly 70 pounds heavier. That's some serious size. Advantage Ralphie.

Speed: LOL. Advantage D-Wade.

Power: Hmm.. interesting. I mean, what kind of power are we talking here? It all depends on the two fighters' ability to get into the dominating position. If Ralphie is on top or in side control, I don't know if the strongest man on earth could get him off. But my money is on the fact that D-Wade can avoid getting pinned underneath May's massive weight. I think he can be sly around him with some nifty footwork. Which brings me to my point here. Power is on Wade's side in every position except Ralphie sitting on top of him. So, yeah. Advantage D-Wade.

Smarts: Ralphie May is a hell of a comedian, but at the last comedy show I went to, he told the whole audience to smoke as much weed as they could imagine. Completely serious, too. His reasoning was that weed can't kill you. Interesting insight, but those insights may not be what wins him a fight. Wade is a smart and professional type of player who is all-business when he's on the playing surface. This time, that surface is the octagon. Advantage D-Wade.

Intangibles: Wade has the intangibles of being a champion, having the mind set of a fierce competitor, and having plenty of experience with one-on-one encounters. But Ralphie has that rare ability to make the opposing fighter laugh his ass off. You can't fight when you're cracking up laughing. He tells a joke, throws a right hook. Tells another, enters his submission attempt. Those intangibles could work. Whose intangibles are more valuable? I'll just give it Ralphie because I can already tell he won't win the fight. And he's a funny bastard. Advantage Ralphie.

Toughness: I mean, I'm sure Ralphie is mentally tough and all, and I bet he's faced adversity in his life and may have conquered it nicely. But I don't have enough grounds to base a decision on, especially not over a champion like Dwyane Wade. Wade is tough to knock out. The C's had the heat on the brink of a sweep before Wade went nuts and kept his team alive with a stupidly good shooting performance. He's a warrior and you can't knock him out with one quick punch. You gotta bring the heat all night to see him sleeping in the middle of the ring. Advantage D-Wade.

The Decision: If I had to choose which one to hang out with for a day, I might choose Ralphie. He's hilarious, one of the funniest guys I've ever seen. But let's get real. He would never win a cage fight. His size is an advantage, but it turns on him in every other category. He doesn't have the speed or quickness to utilize that size. Wade has the whole package, from his build to his character. Punch his ticket to round two. Dwyane Wade tires out Ralphie May before submitting him halfway through round one with an arm bar.

What do you think? Would Ralphie really just be able to sit on D-Wade and beat him? Let us know if you think that, but I doubt I'll reverse the decision here. Wade moves on to face tomorrow's winner between the Jets' Mark Sanchez and the Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane. All I know is that one of these two guys is a champion, and the other probably never will be.

Who Dat? Take a Guess

No more hints for you people! You're too good at this. There have only been 10 Who Dat contests and 9 of them got guessed correctly. The only one I stumped you on was Evangeline Lilly. So until we get more shutouts, no more hints. I mean now you can guess anyone you might think it is. Before, if you thought it was a singer, but I said it was a model, you might have just been like... whatever, guess I don't know it. Without any hints, it means anyone could be correct. So don't be shy. Take a stab at it. What do you have to lose?

By the way, here are the updated standings, including the anonymous from two days ago that revealed themselves. Remember, the winner at the end of the year will get a free subscription to Ultimate Boston Magazine which doesn't exist yet.

Enahs (2)

KShep (2)

Fitch (2)

Maggie (1)

Ed B (1)

Hink (1)

You want your name on this leaderboard, don't you? Well hurry up then. Figure out who this chick is!

Fantasy Football - Wide Receiver Sleepers

Wide receivers

Devin Thomas | Washington Redskins | ADP: 11th round

Entering his third year in the NFL, Thomas is in position for a breakout season. It's easy to get excited about his potential, especially with quarterback Donovan McNabb now in charge. At 6-foot-2, 215 pounds, the Michigan State product has excellent size and a good amount of speed.

Wide receiver Santana Moss (knee), who is undervalued, has drawn praise from the coaching staff and doesn't seem to show any ill effects from recent cleanup surgery. In other words, there isn't pressure on Thomas to be more than a complementary receiver. McNabb has shown a penchant for spreading the ball around, too. We've seen Mike Shanahan offenses produce more than one quality fantasy receivers, even while having production from the tight end position.

Thomas needs to improve the minor aspects of his game to take it to another level. His work ethic has been in question since his rookie year, and he is plagued by inconsistency. Don't let that scare you off, though, because he is coming on the cheap. It's almost absurd how much of a bargain he has been in early drafts.

Fantasy value: Fantasy owners should consider him a potential No. 2 with a No. 4 or No. 5 price tag. In best-case scenario, you have a playmaker in what could be a prolific offense on your hands, or you cut him after a few weeks. Roll the dice when others are reaching for players without a team.

Johnny Knox | Chicago Bears | ADP: 13th round

The Abilene Christian product enjoyed a quality rookie season, catching 45 passes for 527 yards and scoring five touchdowns. Quarterback Jay Cutler has confidence in Knox, and the second-year receiver is entrenched as a starter.

Devin Hester will move from outside to the slot, depending upon the package, but Knox should remain out wide. Given Hester's struggles tracking the ball over his shoulder, the cornerback-turned-wideout isn't the best option on the team for the long ball. That's where Knox comes in. Don't be fooled by his 11.7 yards-per-reception average in 2009 ... it was a product of the Ron Turner-directed offense.

Fantasy value: While fantasy owners are focusing on Devin Aromashodu, Knox is flying under the radar. He could be considered undervalued, too, but there is legit sleeper status here. Aromashodu should be a possession receiver and red zone threat; Knox's receptions will probably remain low, but with an increased per-reception average, he could be a quality No. 3 fantasy receiver that you can generally land as a fourth or fifth.

Dexter McCluster | Kansas City Chiefs | ADP: 16th round

Everyone loves a sleeper candidate in the 16th round! McCluster figures to be the slot receiver for the Chiefs. Quarterback Matt Cassel isn't known for having a rocket arm, so you can count on a lot of underneath work. A do-all player at Mississippi, McCluster has the moves to rack up yardage after the catch. He has already drawn praise for being the fastest guy on the team, and the creative mind of head coach Todd Haley will figure out ways to get him involved, even if McCluster doesn't beat out Jerheme Urban for the No. 3 job. McCluster is better suited for the slot role, for what it is worth.

KC should remain a run-first offense, but we've seen a shaky relationship between No. 1 receiver Dwayne Bowe and Haley play out over the past year. Wideout Chris Chambers is serviceable, but there is a reason fantasy owners aren't drooling over him and defenders aren't scared of him. There could be plenty of looks for the youngster. Offensive coordinator Charlie Weis excels at designing routes to take advantage of mismatches.

Fantasy value: Take a shot on the dynamic rookie. We're usually not very high on first-year receivers, but there's the potential for something special here. Without feeling compelled to reach for him, don't forget his name on draft day. In point-per-reception leagues, McCluster's value increases some. He's not likely to be much of a factor in touchdown-heavy setups, though.

Nate Burleson | Detroit Lions | ADP: 18th round

Someone has to take pressure off Calvin Johnson, right? The Lions inked Burleson to do just that as their No. 2 wideout. The soon-to-be 29-year-old bounced back effectively from a torn anterior cruciate ligament in '08, hauling in 63 passes for 812 yards last season with the Seattle Seahawks. Burleson is just two seasons removed from a nine-touchdown year with Seattle, as well.

The vet logged at least five receptions in seven of his 13 games played last year, too. He isn't typically explosive but can at least chip in five to 10 fantasy points on a consistent basis in the right offense for point-per-reception setups. Despite his rookie struggles, Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford has the raw ability to take advantage of polished wideouts. The second-year slinger has a cannon.

Burleson's finest season came in '04 (68-1,006-9) with the Minnesota Vikings under offensive coordinator Scott Linehan, who now holds that position in Detroit. There is some familiarity here.

Fantasy value: Count Burleson as a No. 5 PPR wideout that won't command a stiff price and will offer stable depth. He should benefit from having an elite wideout playing across from him, which should once again mean a ton of cheap one-pointers for Burleson in PPR leagues. Burleson might achieve No. 3 status in those formats this year.

Jacoby Jones | Houston Texans | ADP: 18th round

The Texans are looking for Jones to step up in a big way. At 6-foot-2, 210 pounds, with excellent speed, Jones is an imposing threat for defenders. Houston needs a playmaker to help take some pressure off Andre Johnson, and wide receiver Kevin Walter is just average.

We figure Jones and Walter will alternate the No. 2 role at times, with the other moving into the slot when this happens. The biggest problem standing in Jones' way is Walter's five-year, $21.5 million contract ($8 million guaranteed) from this spring. The Texans may feel financially obligated to get the most out of Walter this year.

If tight end Owen Daniels (knee) doesn't recover as well as expected from his third anterior cruciate ligament tear, Houston's No. 3 receiver could be counted on frequently.

Fantasy value: Temper your expectations of Jones this year, but don't entirely discount him. Snag him as a late-round flier, but be prepared to cut ties if he doesn't see a lot of work early in the season since Daniels should only become stronger as the year wears on.

Donte' Stallworth | Baltimore Ravens | ADP: N/A

You see that "N/A" following ADP? That means he isn't being drafted, on average. While it's not a shock by any means, it's still unwarranted. The speedy veteran was given the year off last season after an alcohol-related driving incident that resulted in a man's death. Reports coming out of local-area media suggest Stallworth hasn't lost a beat. His speed is still there, and he has been moving with fluidity. You shouldn't be too worried about the year off ... think of it as he was injured, without the worries of a recovery.

Quarterback Joe Flacco has a huge arm and has a new downfield toy to work with. Stallworth has battled injuries throughout his career, but often he has been a functional fantasy flex option - and even greater at times. There is no pressure on Stallworth, and expectations of him are at an all-time low, as represented by his non-existent ADP. Currently running as the No. 3 receiver, expect a few games of mouth-watering production.

Fantasy value: The biggest problem for fantasy owners with Stallworth will be when to play him. Take a shot with the last pick of your draft and hope for the best. That late in the selection process you can't go wrong.

Louis Murphy | Oakland Raiders | ADP: N/A

Hear us out. Receivers on the Raiders aren't prime commodities, but Murphy flashed some dynamic ability last season despite a 34-521-4 line. One note, three of those scores came with Bruce Gradkowski - not JaMarcus Russell - behind center.

Jason Campbell, Oakland's new QB, is an upgrade from both and has a strong enough arm to take advantage of both Murphy's skills and the Raiders' planned vertical growth under new OC Hue Jackson. Murphy, who posted a respectable 15.5 yards per catch last year, has certainly shown more with his deep ball skills than first-round disappointment Darrius Heyward-Bey, who remains raw. A concussion has slowed Murphy early in camp, but it's not expected to keep him out long.

Fantasy value: Murphy can be had as a No. 6 or lower in most setups, so the price of taking a chance offers little risk. He has the ability to perform as a No. 3 if the Raiders' offense explodes; with their yearning for a deep threat and their newfound access to reach them via Campbell, Murphy could nudge his way into more looks. More realistically, he probably has a No. 4 ceiling for this year, which isn't bad for a bench option.

You Call it a Glitch, I Call it Karma

Describe what this video is. Most of you would say it's a glitch, right? Like just a freaky mishap that made Eli Manning not hand the ball to Brandon Jacobs but instead just keep running all the way out of his own end zone for a safety to give me two points. Well, I say no. When I was playing this, I just started laughing and thought, YES! This is karma, bitches. Karma for that brutal Super Bowl where Eli eluded a million tacklers and .... well I don't want to talk about it anymore. But this is definitely karma. Score for the Madden programmers here who clearly put a glitch into the game involving Eli Manning vs. the Patriots. Some gaming candy for all the souls out there still ailing from that night. I feel like this brought closure. Almost as if to say, yes, Eli did beat us and ruin our 18-0 season, but he's still a pussy. That was what went through my mind. And thus I felt the need to video tape it.
PS -- I ended up beating the Giants in this game 31-15. Just so you know. Rob Gronkowski has been tearing it up at tight end. I think I see the next Ben Coates in the making here.

This Man is a Beast

Adrian Beltre has been so much more than we bargained for when we signed him back in the winter. He's been a run producing machine and his average has been steadily in the .330s all season long pretty much. Everything about him is consistent this season, even this whole head-touching thing. You'd think maybe it would get old the 21st time back into the dugout after a long blast over the wall. But it doesn't. Victor just never gets enough of it. Lives for Beltre home runs. Highlight of his day, more so than it is for Beltre himself. I just get a positive vibe about this Red Sox team, and that's much of the reason that I keep shunning the non-believers when it comes to their postseason hopes. Don't look now... but they're inching their way back into the hunt.

Who Dat? The Answer...

You had your chances to guess. Did you get it? I told you she was a model. Was that enough of a give away? Did anyone cash in, or will I have to lower the bar next time?

Fantasy Outlook -- Impact of Revis Holdout

As Patriots fans, we can all scoff at the current Darrelle Revis holdout situation and go on and on about how unprofessional the Jets are and how they will never win the Super Bowl. But taking a step back and looking at this thing from not just a New England perspective but from a league view, what impact does the holdout of Darrelle Revis have on fantasy football?

Call me crazy, but I truly think that the Revis holdout has a considerable impact on the way some fantasy football drafts will play out in the coming weeks. Take a look at two players who are generally near the top of the rankings for wide receivers: Randy Moss and Brandon Marshall. A lot of people will put these guys up there as the two most gifted receivers in the league. It wouldn't be fair to exclude the likes of Larry Fitzgerald and Andre Johnson from that mix, but for the sake of making a point, I'm just going to talk about Moss and Marshall (but still keep Johnson in mind throughout this). Randy Moss was relatively shut down last season by Darrelle Revis, but it's not like that was a rare feat. Just about every #1 receiver Revis faced last season was mostly or totally nullified for the game. He earned his pay and then some. With Revis holding out, that's two games for both Moss and Marshall that could see significant fantasy improvements. Do you think that the drop-off won't be that much? Last season, Moss racked up 16 fantasy points in Week 1; he dropped to just 2 fantasy points against Revis in Week 2. Then, in Week 10, he tied his season high with 31 fantasy points. The following week, Revis held him to 10. The fantasy impact that Revis has on receivers is pretty significant. It's nothing to overthrow your entire draft plan for, but there are a few things to definitely keep in mind.

If you play in a point-per-reception league, I think that their value goes up a lot more by this holdout. Moss faces the Jets in Weeks 2 and 13. Marshall faces the Jets in Weeks 3 and 14. Keep in mind those latter weeks. We're talking about the times of a fantasy season where you're either playing playoff games or fighting to get into those playoffs. These receivers could have huge weeks in those clutch times if Darrelle Revis isn't suiting up. Granted, it's not like the Jets are a horrible team without him. But losing the best shutdown corner in the game doesn't exactly bode well for containing some of the most gifted receivers in the league.

So basically, all I'm saying is that their stock has risen a little bit. It's nothing to break the bank over, but if one of these guys is there when you're on the clock, give it a little extra thought in regards to how helpful they could be all year, especially down the stretch. Fantasy drafts will be happening soon... so get ready. More pre-draft analysis in the coming days.

And as I've said before, we're still looking for fantasy football analysts. Do you know your stuff? Send us an email at the address listed up top. We'd love to have you.

Fight #12: Papelbon vs El Pres

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The Matchup: Jonathan Papelbon vs Dave "El Pres" Portnoy (Barstool Sports)

Size: Papelbon is 6'4" and weighs 225 lbs. The heigh and weight of El Pres is unknown, but he's definitely not as big as Papelbon. Advantage Papelbon.

Speed: Paps never really does much running and juking, but sometimes he runs to first base to cover. And I've seen him do that crazy Irish step dance thing, so he does have some level of agility. El Pres sits on his ass all day and eats pizza while posting pictures of hot girls. I don't see why he'd need to be fast and agile for his job. Advantage Papelbon.

Power: Basically ditto from the last category. I'm sure Papelbon has done some weightlifting and such, and he must have some power behind it to be able to hurl that fastball in the the upper 90s. Almost a guarantee that Pres couldn't hit 70 with a fastball, and an even bigger guarantee that he hasn't lifted a weight in > 6 years. Advantage Papelbon.

Smarts: Papelbon's smarts have been down lately. He doesn't seem to be picking the right pitches in the right situations, because everyone just tees off on him in the ninth so we eventually lose the game. But have you seen El Pres write? This was his reaction to a post about a man who died in a sauna competition: This is so fucking badass. Yeah it sucks he died, but this has to bold well for his future. Bold well? No no no. This is bold. Not the word you think it is. So if he can't do 3rd grade grammar, what makes you think he knows what moves to pull in a fight? Advantage Papelbon.

Intangibles: Biggest intangible factor working against El Pres is that he's probably never had to get into a competitive mindset with mano-a-mano competition in an octagon. At least Papelbon stares down hitters one-on-one every night. He's mentally in condition to fight. El Pres would probably rather have a blogging contest which he would win, because he's a professional blogger and Papelbon is a professional baseball player. But my point is that Papelbon just has the more ferocious attitude and even though he usually blows the game when it matters most, I don't think he has much to worry about against El Pres (the equivalent of Papelbon facing a 14-year-old all-star team). Advantage Papelbon.

Toughness: I guess Papelbon's toughness is more underrated than I thought. I mean, he's blown a lot of games and taken a lot of heat for them. But he hangs in there like a trooper. El Pres is just El Pres, he doesn't really need to be tough because he as a cult following of millions of Barstool readers. Like I've said before, though, this category is mainly about who would be more difficult to knock out or submit. And the answer has to be Papelbon. Just look at El Pres. Do you really think he could hang in the octagon for long? Advantage Papelbon.

The Decision: A clean sweep for Johnny Pap! Maybe this will get him back on track. He had a pretty good outing last time out against the Yankees, so maybe when you couple that with this big victory in the octagon, he'll gain some confidence. It's back to the drawing board for El Pres, who suffers several bruises and a broken nose. Luckily he won't have to miss any days of work, though, because he can sit at home and eat potato chips and drink booze and still do his job effectively. Papelbon knocks out El Pres early in the first round with yet another right hook to the face.

Did I not give El Pres enough credit? Would he actually stand a chance against the Red Sox usually-awful closer? Let me know what you think. Even though it ultimately doesn't matter, because Pap moves on regardless to face Big Baby. Will Baby drown him in his drool? We'll see, but tomorrow's matchup is a huge one -- Dwayne Wade vs Ralphie May! Wow!

Rasheed and C's Mutually Agree -- He'll Retire

The Boston Celtics came to an agreement with Rasheed Wallace last night. No, it wasn't to sign the 15-year vet. Boston will waive Wallace, who was set to make $13 million over the final two seasons of his contract with the C's, and he will hang up the jersey.

"We would like to thank Rasheed and everything that he did for this team and organization last season. We would like to wish Rasheed and his family the best as they move on into the next phase of their lives. He will always be a member of the Celtics family," said general manager Danny Ainge.

It was an impressive career for Wallace, even if you might have hated him through 14 of his 15 seasons. And maybe even for most of his season with the Celtics, too. But he showed up in the playoffs. He was a major contributor in what was ultimately 4 points shy of one of the most remarkable playoff runs in NBA history. That's what people will remember about Sheed's brief stint in Boston. A clutch three-pointer late in a finals game. Good defense on the block against bigger guys than himself. Refraining from technical fouls like never before. Being a team player. He may not have done any of those things during the regular season, but he did them when it mattered. Even though the Celtics weren't able to use his contributions en route to raising Banner #18, he made valiant efforts that will earn him a spot on the very long list that Ainge refers to as the Celtics family.

Who Dat? Take a Guess

These eyes are pretty gorgeous... but do they look familiar? That's the question. Who Dat? I'll give you guys a little hint today only because it's different than the recent trend. This isn't a mainstream actress or a singer. More known for modeling and stuff. Might have appeared in some flicks though, I'm not sure. Well, enough already. I've given you enough hints. Time to make some guesses, people.

Who Dat? The Answer...

You've made your guesses, or at least been given the chance to guess. It's the moment of truth now. Did you get it? Did you guess a singer? If you did.... wrong! What about a porn star? Nope! A comedian? Child, please. What about a famous actress? Did you miss that one? Can't miss those things... you always gotta check your blind sides.

DRob's Official Madden '11 Review

Don't mind the photo here of me dick-slapping the Buffalo Bills with the Patriots. Every game doesn't turn out like that. Buffalo just sucks. But anyway, I know you're all wondering how Madden '11 is in comparison to past issues. The biggest question for the average American man today is obvious. Do I take that $62 and buy some chips and beers in preparation for the start of preseason football? Or do I use it to buy this year's copy of Madden? My job in this review is to tell you which decision is the right one.

Madden is good. Very good. There aren't any massive changes to the game, but the changes are all positive in my opinion. The most notable difference is in playcalling. Madden '11 introduces a new style of calling the shots with the Gameflow feature. Basically, you have a coordinator calling your plays for you based on the situation. Using the Gameplan feature, you can choose a group of plays that your coordinator will pick from in every given situation -- from 1st and 10 to 4th and short to goal line plays and two-minute drills -- giving you the ability to control your plan of attack. You just press one button to use the coordinator's Gameflow play, or you can press another button to call up the playbook and select a play of your choice. Calling audibles is easier than in past games, and you just spend more time on the field overall than in the playbook. I think it's a positive change.

Another difference I notice is just the subtle animations in the style of running and contact. With the ground game, you have a much more all-inclusive control over your runner. Movements are more precise and plays seem more realistic most of the time. In the passing game, leading receivers on deep balls toward the end zone is improved in my opinion. You can toss that lob up to Randy Moss at the back of the end zone, and the receiver will make every effort to get his toes in bounds. In past games, receivers didn't make that same effort. Positive change there. The kicking game makes a simpler change as well. Instead of the erratic kicking system with the joystick that would often cause completely shanked punts and kicks, you set the direction of your arrow in '11 and use a timing meter to decide the power and accuracy. One of those things where you stop the bar by pressing the button when it is right in the correct zone of the meter. I think it's a more reliable way of kicking. Another positive change. Most of the in-game changes were simple and subtle, but I think they were all spot-on.

Except one thing. Plain and simply, some guys are WAY too fast. When I say some guys, I'm mainly referring to Chris Johnson. He's this year's embedded cheat code in Madden. Last year, Adrian Peterson was impossible to bring down. This year, CJ is impossible to even get a hand on. He literally gets around the outside and cannot be stopped. I mean, I love Johnson and I think he's the best back in the NFL. He's crazy fast. But in this game, it literally looks like he's in fast-forward while everyone else is in normal time. That is literally my only complaint about the game play. It is an otherwise fabulous game.

I haven't jumped into any modes except the franchise yet, but the structure of the franchise mode seems overwhelmingly unchanged. Don't fix what's not broken I guess, right? Franchise has always been a pretty good set up, and I think the Madden franchises are far superior to the other sports games' modes. One thing that I personally love about it is that you can restructure a contract with a player at any time -- in games like NHL, you can only extend the player once his contract is up. Doesn't make much sense that way. Madden has it right. They have it right about most things. And I think Madden '11 is just another step in the right direction for the series.

So, yes, I'm telling you that the best choice is to use that $62 to buy Madden '11 for your system of choice. Beg your friends for the booze and the chips, or just settle for what's in your fridge for a few weeks. Hell, you may not even need the snacks -- you might just skip the preseason games all together in the interest of playing your newest video game.