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The Boys of Fall

I'm sure some of you reading this love country music. Some of you might hate it. I'm sure a lot of you reading this love football. Nobody hates football who reads this site. So I think that means that every single person can find something they love about this video. Maybe if you hated country music, this makes you like it a little bit more. If you loved country music, maybe this made you like football a little more. I don't know what it does for you. But personally, I absolutely love this video. Kenny Chesney went up like infinity notches in my book. I mean, I love country music. Kenny wasn't one of my particular favorites, but he jumped up into that category with this song and video. It's just straight up inspiring. And so true. I didn't even play football in high school, but it still gave me some chills. The lessons apply to life. The game is beautiful. The song is beautiful. And more than anything, it gets me pumped up for the fall. Football is approaching. A month from now, we'll be able to taste the opening kickoff. Madden '11 comes out on Tuesday. Everything is starting to fall into place. Let's get this party started.

End of the World? No.

So the Sox lost to the Yankees today. Tough outing all around. Sabathia was on his game after he settled down. John Lackey was relatively ineffective once again. So is it the end of the world for the Red Sox, who drop to 6 games back in the division? Here's an excerpt from Boston's most popular blog site, Barstool Sports.

"It’s hard to say a 162 game season can boil down to one game, but I feel real comfortable saying today is a do or die game for the Sox. If Lackey can beat Sabathia today the Sox are right back in this thing despite all the injuries and everything that has happened. All they’ll need to do is split one of the next two which they should do at worst. But if they lose today and it’s pretty much lights out in my book. It’s time for John Lackey to earn his paycheck."

-Dave Portnoy, aka El Presidente.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm a Stoolie. I read it all the time and some hilarious stuff goes up there every day. But El Pres might as well stop trying to analyze sports. Maybe I'm the one who's wrong, but I think this is just plain crazy to say. A do or die game today? With 52 games left in the season? 8 of them still against the Yankees? If you looked at this four-game set with NYY, what was the worst pitching matchup for Boston? Lackey vs. Sabathia. So is El Pres trying to say that a sweep was mandatory for us to make the playoffs? Come on, man. So let's look ahead. Beckett pitches for us tomorrow. He's been our best pitcher along with Buchholz of late. Lester pitches the last game. He's been struggling, but has still been our second-best pitcher this year overall. If we win the next two games, we're 4 games behind New York (and who knows how close we are to the struggling Rays) with 49 games left. 49 games! And 6 more against the Yankees. 6 more against the Rays, too. How on earth was today's game do or die? That just doesn't make any sense at all. Tampa gave up 17 runs (8 homers) to Toronto today. The Sox are 4.5 behind them. With 51 games left. Really El Pres? We're done now? Is that really what you think? I mean, he's a hilarious guy. Fantastic smut blogger. Great marketer. He's built an empire over there at Barstool. I never expect to steal that market away from him. The Stoolies are loyal to him. But I just can't admit that the guy knows his sports. Because he just doesn't.

Anyway, the Sox keep hauling forward tomorrow night when Beckett takes the mound against ex-teammate AJ Burnett. Start time is 8:00 PM EDT. All it will take is a little stretch of victories strung together for everything to be good and well in Red Sox Nation once again.

Who Dat? The Answer...

Did anyone guess today's Who Dat? You might think you nailed it or you might still be stumped. Either way, I think we both know that you need to see the finished photos. The whole package. Who Dat?

Make it Official: Sox Sign Delgado

KShep filled you in earlier on the possibility that Boston would ink slugger Carlos Delgado to a deal today. You can scratch that off the list of potential moves and mark it in the books as a done deal. The Sox signed the former all-star to a minor-league contract that will pay him a pro-rated salary of $20,000 for the remainder of the season. Delgado expects that he will need at least two weeks in Pawtucket to get himself ready after not playing all season and seeing very little time since 2008. If Delgado makes it to the majors, his pro-rated salary would be $3 million -- about $545,000 per month. His deal will also include incentives for being ALCS MVP or World Series MVP.

Well, let's spare the World Series MVP talk and see if Delgado can even make it up to the big club. He's another bat that, if he could produce a portion of what he did in his prime, could really help this team. The loss of Youkilis has slated Mike Lowell as our top first baseman, but Lowell may not be able to hold up as an everyday player for the remainder of the season. Adding Delgado to the picture would just give the Red Sox more flexibility and a greater ability to platoon the mix between DH, first base, and catcher. Delgado only played 26 games last year, but his numbers were phenomenal in 2008, when he blasted 38 round trippers and drove in 115 runs for the New York Mets. If he can perform anything remotely like that, then the I think this will turn into a pretty good signing for the Sox.

Sox Eyeing Delgado

With the loss of Kevin Youkilis, and Mike Lowell still adapting to first base, it's not surprising that the Sox would take a stab at Delgado. Delgado (38) is coming off hip surgery and it's questionable whether or not he can jump in and make an immediate impact for the Sox going down the stretch. By adding Delgado the Sox will be getting another lefty bat and an experienced first baseman, even though Lowell has shown some serious skills as of late. It is likely that Lowell will not be an everyday player and would likely split time if the Sox ink Delgado. Delgado played in just 26 games for the Mets in 2009 and the year before that he batted .271 with 96 runs scored, 38 big fly's, and 115 RBI's.


Boston Herald - Delgado came to Yankee Stadium and worked out for the Sox, who watched him hit in the indoor batting cage near the visiting clubhouse. According to a major league source, the Sox thought Delgado looked OK, considering he hasn’t played in a game since May 2009.

Delgado's career numbers: .280 avg, 1241 runs, 2038 hits, 473 HR's, 1512 RBI's

Fight #8: Tiger vs Pau

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The Matchup: Tiger Woods vs Pau Gasol

Size: Tiger Woods is solid and compacted, standing at 6'1" and weighing 185 lbs. Pau Gasol toasts him in the size category, towering at 7'0" and weighing 250 lbs. Advantage Pau.

Speed: Well, I've never really seen Tiger in an agility drill or anything like that; he plays golf. But he fled from his car pretty damn quick after crashing into that telephone poll or tree or whatever it was. And he seems athletic. And Pau is kind of clumsy and slow and ugly. Advantage Tiger.

Power: Would it be crazy to give Tiger the power category when he's giving up 11 inches and 65 pounds to Gasol? I don't know, man. Tiger is pretty ripped, and every pound of his frame is muscle. Pau is kind of a pussy and is only 250 because he is 7 feet tall. He comes across as pretty soft to me on the court.... imagine in the octagon? Call me crazy, but Tiger would win in an arm wrestle or a punch-for-punch shootout. Advantage Tiger.

Smarts: Tiger reads greens like no ones business, and he is clearly a marketing genius with all those endorsements. But he royally screwed up with his family, and he had his worst round ever pretty recently. As much as I hate Pau, he's a fundamentally sound player and that's what makes him so good. He's soft as hell and whines like a bitch, but he knows his shit. Can't go denying everything good about the opposition. Advantage Pau.

Intangibles: Sometimes, intangibles and toughness will factor into each other. Like toughness is kind of considered an intangible factor. Usually I can distinguish. This time I can't, really. Pau's lack of toughness just overwhelms everything else. Pau won't be able to flop and scream and cry and force referees' hands in an ultimate fight. Tiger doesn't rely on those things to win. Tiger's been winning on his own, fair and square, for a long time. Advantage Tiger.

Toughness: Come on. It's just like a commonly known thing that Pau Gasol is a pussy. He's good at basketball, but he's such a pussy about it. He couldn't fight a grasshopper if it was holding his family hostage. He's just as soft as they get in the world of pro sports. Tiger battled through torn ligaments in his knee in 2008 to win the US Open in super-dramatic fashion. He displayed more toughness in that round of golf than Pau will in his entire life. Advantage Tiger.

The Decision: Damn, dude... I mean, Tiger's giving up 11 inches and 65 pounds to this guy. But I guess if I entered the octagon with an 8-foot, 295-pound scarecrow, I could probably beat the tar out of him. So size isn't everything in cage fights. And size is just about all Pau has. Tiger is a pretty jacked guy. Seems athletic. Has plenty of vengeance to strike down with. I'm taking Tiger. Not solely because I hate the Lakers. Because I really think Gasol is too big of a pussy to win an ultimate cage fight. Just my opinion. Tiger Woods knocks out Pau Gasol 17 seconds into the first round.

Do you think I'm foolish? Would Gasol obviously beat the much smaller fighter? Voice your opinion on here. Either way it's Tiger moving on. He'll square off with Big Papi in the second round. That will be a great matchup. Speaking of great matchups, tomorrow we've got Tim Thomas vs LaDainian Tomlinson. Hell yea!

Who Dat? Take a Guess

People have guessed almost every single Who Dat so far. So I'm going to slow down on the hints. Matter of fact, I'm going with absolutely no hints whatsoever. Except that she is a female. I'll give you nothing more. Leave your guesses anyway.... it could be anyone!

Haynesworth For the Win!

He did it! After either failing or skipping the team's mandatory conditioning test for a ridiculous 9 straight days of training camp, Redskins defensive lineman Albert Haynesworth finally passed it today. The whale registered times of 66 and 70 seconds in the 300-yard back-and-forth sprints.

At least Mike Shanahan finally prevailed in this thing. Yesterday the MRI showed no structural damage. Today he runs it and passes it. Probably because Haynesworth knew he had to start trying. Because the MRI showed that he wasn't really injured but was just being a big giant puss bag. Regardless, the ends justifies the means I guess. He passed it and now the Redskins can move forward with training camp. I haven't heard a word about the on-field progress of McNabb with his new offense. All I've heard about is Haynesworth. Hopefully this is the last blog I ever write about the guy. He was a massive distraction and showed how uncommitted and lazy he really is. I totally would not be surprised to still see him get cut somewhere down the road for showing a similar disinterest in hard work.

Sox Take Down Yanks, 6-3

There has been a pretty nice theme this year with the Red Sox and Clay Buchholz. Whenever he takes the mound, you expect good things to happen. Fortunately for Boston, the trend continued tonight with their series opener from the Bronx against the first-place New York Yankees. Buchholz hurled 7.1 innings, yielding 3 runs on 8 hits. Not as stellar as we've seen him, but it was plenty good enough on a night that David Ortiz blasted his 24th homer of the season and Ryan Kalish belted his first. In the bottom of the 8th inning with the Yankees threatening, Jacoby Ellsbury made a fantastic diving catch in centerfield, keeping the bombers at bay. Despite the great diving catch, Ellsbury continued his struggles at the dish, going 0-for-4.

Don't look now, but the Red Sox are just 5 games back of the Yankees and 4 games back of the Rays. With still 3 more games in this 4-game set with New York, the Red Sox can really make their push to gain some ground in the division. It will all fall on the things I've mentioned before. If the Sox pitchers can consistently perform to their skill levels, then the team will be fine. When players start underperforming and the overall confidence dips, that's when Fenway becomes a haunted house approaching October.

Roger Huerta Curb Stombs Dude (Literally)

Wow. Roger Huerta. Ex-UFC fighter who looks like your average guy. This big huge troublemaking dude thinks to himself, Hey he's tiny, I could blast this fool in the face with one punch and knock him out cold. So seeing no problems, he knocks out a chick. Roger Huerta takes offense to that. His friends try to stop him, but it's too late. He expresses his discontent to the big troublemaker. The big troublemaker thinks he could destroy Roger. Roger chuckles in his head. Camera is blocked by crowd of people. Next time we see Roger, he is (literally) curb stomping the troublemaker's head into the ground. The troublemaker is most likely dead. Roger Huerta probably headed for jail. But it doesn't mean he's not a champion. Because he clearly won his argument with the world that he's not any normal guy. He's a badass that you never ever ever ever want to mess with. If you disagree with me then I don't know what to tell you. Roger Huerta is a boss... that's that.

Wes Welker > Rex Ryan

For those of you who failed third grade math class, that title translates into Wes Welker is greater than Rex Ryan. And he is. Rex Ryan recently signed his team bus near the Jets logo and scribbled "soon to be champs" on it next to his signature in an exceedingly confident fashion. Quite probably overconfident in most people's eyes. So, Wes Welker of the New England Patriots was asked to respond to Ryan's bold prediction today. He looked around a bit, pondering his answer. He glanced at the Patriots team bus with the logo on it. Then I assume he assumed a sly, conniving little grin -- that grin where you just know you inevitably dominate the world and no one can do anything about it -- and unscrewed the cap to his Sharpie marker. He went to the logo, signed his name next to it, and scrawled "one game at a time." A stark contrast to the tactics of Rex Ryan and his Jets. And a true summary in a quick 5-word phrase that explains entirely why I've been warning you all offseason. The Patriots are going to own the Jets this year. The Jets will not win a Super Bowl for a long time. Rex Ryan may be funny and entertaining and even a fantastic coach, but he doesn't understand winning yet the way New England's staff does. All the power to New York in August. All the power to New England in January. That's just the way it goes.

Who Dat? The Answer...

I've been out on a boat all day. You've been anxiously awaiting the answer to Who Dat all day. Now it's time to get it. Was anyone correct? Will you be amazed by her hotness? The only way to find out the answers is to check it out.

Talk About Lame!

Okay so I have no idea if this will work or not, but I'm attempting to post a blog from my cell device. Because I'm sitting at this place we docked the boat at, and it has taken almost an hour already just to get a damn steak and cheese sub. Screw Maine, bro... I'll stay a Masshole for life.

Update -- As lame as the story was, the action of me making a mobile post was even lamer. Scratch that for future reference.

YAY or NAY #1: Roofs in Baseball

USATODAY.com“…to lose a game in a pennant situation like that because of the roof indicates why there's a crying need for a new ballpark in this area, regardless of where they put it.”- Joe Maddon

I honestly can’t blame Joe Maddon for being livid. A can of corn pop-up that even the worst fielders from Backyard Baseball could catch lost him a game. Nothing would tick me off more than having something other than the players decide the outcome of a game.

And this is why in my opinion baseball should be played outdoors. Now I understand that domes are made to make sure that rainouts don’t occur. But realistically, how many rainouts do most teams have in a given year? About 5-10 at most. Is it really worth risking the outcomes of games in order to prevent 5-10 rescheduled games?

Obviously I realize that situations like what happened to the Rays don’t happen often, but when it does, especially in the middle of an intense pennant race in the best division, it can cost a team a playoff spot. However, the elimination of roofs could (and most likely would) lead to a huge increase in rain outs in places like Tampa Bay and Minnesota. This in turn could anger fans as they would have to get rain-checks for their rained out games. Would it be foolish to get rid of roofs to stop an occurrence that doesn’t happen often?

So what do you guys think?

Yay, roofs should be eliminated because they can potentially impact a game’s outcome or Nay, roofs are necessary to make sure that there aren’t excessive rainouts.

Drob likes girls...?

LOOK AT DROB GO!
While Drob is yakking "On a Boat" because his stomach could never handle the rolling seas, I'll talk just straight up blog about him. I have never questioned Drob's asexuality but I have always questioned his approach. Seriously, "Who Dat" sums up my perspective on Drob’s sensitivity. While most guys spend their time on the web oodaling and googleing nip slips, upskirts, ass shots, and girls on girls on girls on guys on cats on fish. Drob is looking for pictures of girls eyes… What a nice guy! Then I see this shit, he completely dominated this Kelly Karkoff fox. After all, Smiley faces with three parentheses are synonymous with fuck me. Not to mention she’s from New York and is totally down with a picture of Fenway behind her. I think Drob is trying to set a strong foundation for all the slizzy slaying he’ll be doing at BC, all he needs is a picture with Kelly. I can see bitches looking at his default now… “That gorgeous chick is in a picture with Derek, he must be good looking, I wanna hang out with him!”

I'm On a Boat... Be Back Later

Remember, I told you that I'm on vacation in Maine. Well I'm going out on a boat today and I'll be gone for a while. So sit tight, and maybe get lucky with a few posts by our other writers. But I'll be back later with the Who Dat answer that you're all obviously anxiously waiting for. Just warning you so you don't go crazy all day wondering why DRob has gone dark.

And The Diagnosis Is...

Redskins defensive lineman Albert Haynesworth had an MRI on his sore left knee to see what exactly has kept him out for NINE straight days from the team's mandatory conditioning test. Most MRI's just give one answer, one diagnosis; this one, though, yielded two.

The first was the most obvious. The MRI revealed that Haynesworth's left knee has no structural damage. So what's the issue? Don't understand, right? Well there was another diagnosis from this MRI. It officially diagnosed Haynesworth as a pussy. An NFL player (and one of the higher paid ones, at that) whining about a knee for nine consecutive days, refusing to attempt the test altogether in several of those days. If you had a sore knee for a day or a few days and it hindered your times in the test, that's one thing. I can live with that. But there's absolutely nothing structurally wrong with his knee, and this will be the ninth straight day that he doesn't do the test (if he doesn't do it, which I have just come to expect by now). Seriously, I'm cutting him if I'm Mike Shanahan. No wonder why the guy is never on a damn Super Bowl squad. He's not a champion. He's a coward who wants money and attention. Sound familiar? (LeBron James joke). Just kidding, I'm not really comparing the two in any aspect except for the little whining bitch one. Because that's what Haynesworth is. I've spoke my mind. My decision would be to cut him. Now.

Fight #7: Papi vs LeBron

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The Matchup: David Ortiz vs LeBron James

Size: Big Papi is a big man, standing at 6'4" and weighing 230 lbs. LeBron is a bigger man though, reaching 6'8" and weighing 250 lbs. Advantage LeBron.

Speed: Big Papi isn't exactly known for his speed out there. LeBron is probably the fastest player end-to-end down the court in the league. Or one of them, anyway. Advantage LeBron.

Power: Once again, Big Papi is a tank and I love him. But LeBron really is just a freak of nature. He's incredibly strong. There are only a few guys in this tournament that I would hesitate to pick Ortiz against. LeBron is one of them. Too powerful. Advantage LeBron.

Smarts: Shit, bro. LeBron's got 3 categories to 0 right now. I hate his guts. I hope you realize that if there are two people in this tournament that I can't stand, it's LeBron and Kobe. So forgive me if I just screw them over and make them lose fights that they would win in real life. But this is Ultimate Boston. LeBron can't win an Ultimate Boston cage fight tourney. Anyway, Big Papi is smarter than LeBron because LeBron is a douche bag and nobody likes him. Advantage Ortiz.

Intangibles: It isn't so much that the intangibles work in Papi's favor, but they work against LeBron. Not only is he unable to win a damn ring, but he's a little whining bitch who wants all the attention. Those don't work for you in competition. Advantage Ortiz.

Toughness: What do you do when you face adversity? How do you react? Let's see. When Papi faced troubles from the media this year, how did he respond? Blasting homer after homer. What did LeBron do with adversity in Cleveland in the playoffs against Boston? Cowered in the corner and gave up, then joined a true winner in D-Wade to be the one who wins his ring for him. Tough? Not the word I'm looking for. Give me Papi. Advantage Ortiz.

The Decision: Alot of you will complain that I didn't judge fairly. And I admitted that I would probably not give LeBron a victory. But think about it. I gave LeBron the first three categories, which he deserves. But does he really deserve any of the last three categories? Is he not too full of himself to win anything? I might be biased as a Boston fan, but I'm not alone when I say that everything about LeBron James (other than his basketball ability) is completely and totally despicable. Big Papi has the heart of a champion and has handled adversity like a true champion. Can't say the same for LeBron. Pack your bags. Go back to South Beach with your new friends. David Ortiz stares at LeBron James as he cowers in the corner of the ring and lays down, gives up, and says he wants to do a tag-team fight instead with Brock Lesnar on his team.

Am I a stupid and biased idiot? Would LeBron obviously beat David Ortiz in a fight? Or are you just going to complain and say that these fights would never happen? (As if I'm not aware of that...) Whatever the case, comment and leave your thoughts. Papi marches on to face the winner of Tiger Woods and Pau Gasol. Yikes!

Who Dat? Take a Guess

Hmm. Revealing a little bit of a bigger region today. You lucked out. Still, you have to make the guess. I'm only giving you one hint today. Mainly because this chick isn't known for a whole lot more than this. Ready? She has been known for her appearances in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Editions. That's about as far as I can go. Other hints would be too revealing. So go ahead. Make your guesses. I might leave an additional hint if I get a bunch of wrong guesses. Good luck.

Phelps Just Being Superhuman

ESPN  -  Michael Phelps won the 200-meter freestyle at the U.S. national championships, then came back less than an hour later to win the 200 butterfly on Wednesday night.


Phelps led all the way in the 200 free and touched in 1 minute, 45.61 seconds -- fastest in the world this year -- to earn a spot on the U.S. team for the Pan Pacific championships later this month.


"Still slower than I want to be," the Olympic champion said. "I wanted to step on it in the first 100, then hopefully hold them off coming home."


I love how Michael Phelps just expects world domination out of himself. Like it's a failure if he's not breaking every world record in the sport of swimming. Guy wins the 200-meter freestyle at the US National Championships -- an accomplishment that most swimmers would cherish their entire life. Not only that, but he swims it in the fastest time out of any swimmer this year in the world -- most people would have a head so big after doing that they would need to buy a new pillow to sleep on. Instead, he thinks he should have done it faster. Just an absolute no-tolerance mentality. Zero tolerance for error. Is Phelps the most motivated swimmer in the world? He's got to be. Couple that with the fact that he's the most gifted and strongest swimmer in the world, and you've got yourself a deadly competitive swimmer.

You're on the clock... Rodgers or Brees?

Aaron Rodgers, QB, Green Bay Packers

Two years after the Brett Favre debacle, Green Bay has successfully transitioned from one All-Pro quarterback to another. Rodgers, 26, enters his third season as Green Bay's starting quarterback. He guided them back to the playoffs last year. He made his first Pro Bowl. This year, the Packers' signal caller should be the top quarterback drafted in all leagues.

• Rodgers has spent five years learning head coach Mike McCarthy's quarterback-friendly offense. He has shown improvement in each of the last two years. His 2010 final stats: 4,434 passing yards (fourth in the NFL), 30 passing touchdowns (fourth) and seven interceptions (tied for second fewest).
• 
  Between Rodgers and Brees, passing yardage is probably a push. Passing TDs could slightly favor the vet, but Rodgers makes up for it with his legs. The Cal product ran for 316 yards and five touchdowns last year. He scored four times on the ground in '08. Brees has just three rushing touchdowns since joining the Saints in 2006.
• Few teams can match New Orleans' offense. Green Bay is one of them. Ryan Grant is a good lead back, and they have five solid options in the receiving game: Greg Jennings, Donald Driver, James Jones, Jordy Nelson, Jermichael Finley. Their offensive line showed improvement in the second half last year, and they spent a first-round draft pick on tackle Bryan Bulaga.
• A minor note: Rodgers is younger, bigger and could be hungrier after coming up short in the playoffs last year. He has shown the ability to make adjustments on the fly (example, holding on to the ball too long last year). Brees turned 31 earlier this year, is smaller and is coming off a Super Bowl season. Will he have the same fire?

Closing argument: It's tough to go wrong with either of these quarterbacks. While we don't recommend burning a pick early in a draft on either, if they do slide, Rodgers has to be the choice. Full disclosure: I'm a Green Bay fan. Both likely will finish 1-2 in the year-end fantasy points standings, but with his rushing stats, Rodgers has a better shot at ending the year on top.

Drew Brees, QB, New Orleans Saints

While most fantasy owners are drooling over Rodgers, some are opting for Brees as the top fantasy passer in 2010 drafts. While I personally like the selection of Rodgers, I'll make a case for Brees.

• He completed a career-best 70.6 percent of his passes in 2009, which is insane by the way. Brees is the general of a high-powered offense, much like Rodgers is, but the Purdue product tossed four more touchdown passes than Rodgers did in 27 fewer attempts in only 15 games last year. Some point to Rodgers' five rushing scores in '09, which combined with his 30 TD passes was still one less than Brees' total number of touchdowns.
• Brees threw for 4,388 yards and 34 touchdowns a year ago, one in which he attempted (514) his lowest number of attempts as the Saints' starter in four years. His efficiency went through the roof last year. Rodgers' career best accuracy rate was 64.7 percent, last season, which would be the second worst of Brees' career as a Saint.
• 
  No quarterback has topped Brees when it comes to pushing the ball downfield - he has eclipsed 8.0 average yards per attempt in three of his four seasons with New Orleans, including a career-best 8.5 yards per throw last season.
• While Green Bay's line improved dramatically last year, their offensive tackles are ancient, and their top backup is a rookie. Rodgers has been sacked 84 times in his last 32 regular-season starts. Brees: 36 times. Rodgers has shown to be durable the past two years and play through pain, but it's hard to forget the memories of him being constantly hurt in his early years.
• Brees has a longer history of performing at an elite level. No matter how well Rodgers does in the cold and snow of Lambeau Field, Brees has the luxury of playing at least half of his games indoors.

Closing argument: I can't fault anyone for drafting Rodgers ahead of Brees. That's obvious to most, but if you're looking for the comfort of having history on your side, Brees should be your man.

Fantasy Football - Wide Receiver Busts

Wide receivers

Dwayne Bowe | Kansas City Chiefs | ADP: 5th round

Bowe's four-game suspension last year skews his '09 stats. Still, the final numbers aren't great, least of all for a No. 1 WR. He caught 47 passes for only 589 yards and four scores in 11 games. At his best, in 2008, Bowe caught 86 passes for just 1,022 yards and seven TDs. Only 11.9 yards per catch is unimpressive. His yards-after-the-catch average has decreased two years running.

Now, there's a new OC in KC: Charlie Weis. From 2000 to '04, New England's offense under Weis only had one 1,000-yard receiver. They preferred to spread the ball around. This should be more of a run-first offense with Thomas Jones and Jamaal Charles. KC also has a few other receiving options to work in. Chris Chambers, Jerheme Urban, Dexter McCluster - all could steal some catches from Bowe. Bowe had issues last year with head coach Todd Haley and found himself in the dog house more often than not. It is believed the two have mended their relationship, but Haley is known to be a bit of a hothead. Also, the wideout could be facing a lengthy suspension should he again violate the league's substance-abuse policy.

No. 1 QB Matt Cassel had only 16 passing TDs last year; the previous year with New England, just 21. Bowe is not a scoring machine. Plus, he has to familiarize himself with a new offense. Bowe and Cassel need to improve their chemistry.

Fantasy value: Bowe is being drafted as a low-end No. 2, but he's more a stable choice as a midrange No. 3. There's little upside. Receptions are about all you can really count on. It's tough to say his numbers have a higher ceiling than those from his '08 season. Point-per-reception owners can value him as less of a bust.

Mike Wallace | Pittsburgh Steelers | ADP: 7th round

Wallace moves from the slot to No. 2 role and now faces potential for double-teams. A big-play threat, the second-year receiver now has to learn how to get free from a jam. Byron Leftwich will be the starting quarterback for four to six games, which severally limits Wallace's downfield potential. Unless he can make a lot of yardage after the catch, look for his 2009 19.4 yards-per-reception average to substantially decrease.

The Steelers plan to return to more of a ground game in 2010, another factor working against the Mississippi product. Pittsburgh's offensive line isn't strong enough to support a deep-passing game, and Wallace will be the first to suffer.

What kind of chemistry will he and Ben Roethlisberger share upon the embattled quarterback's return to the starting lineup?

Fantasy value: There are too many risks involved with making Wallace a seventh-round pick. He could easily fall into our overvalued list, but I feel he will simply flame out this year. Let someone else take the chance on him.

Santonio Holmes | New York Jets | ADP: 9th round

The former Pittsburgh Steeler is now in the Big Apple, but before he gets to showcase his skills, he'll have to sit the first four games of the season for off-the-field transgressions.

Knowing you will get at most 12 games from him - 10, really, as most leagues don't play into Week 17, and New York has a Week 7 bye - Holmes is being overvalued as well as having "bust" written all over him.

Holmes will have to get into game shape after his four-game rest. Chemistry with quarterback Mark Sanchez may not come easily, and it remains unclear exactly how Holmes will fit into their run-first system. Wide receivers Braylon Edwards and Jerricho Cotchery will remain involved, as will tight end Dustin Keller. Running back LaDainian Tomlinson is a threat out of the backfield that Sanchez will look to utilize, too. There is no substantial reason to believe Holmes will pick up where he left off in 2009 with Pittsburgh.

Fantasy value: A ninth-round ADP for Holmes is absurd. He shouldn't be considered until at least the 12th, and even then you're likely to garner similar production to what you can find on your waiver wire.

Youkilis Done for the Season

Damn. Kevin Youkilis will undergo season-ending surgery on his right thumb, which he tore a muscle in this week. Youkilis finishes out his 2010 campaign with a formidable .307 average, dinging 19 homers and driving in 62 runs. Those are some numbers that the Red Sox are definitely going to miss. Injury after injury this season. It's so ridiculous. It's like the Gods just don't want Boston in the postseason this year. As hard as this is to say, though, it could be a lot worse for the Sox.

Think about it. We've been decimated by injuries at a number of positions. When Ellsbury and Cameron go down, who is taking their place? The likes of Darnell McDonald and Daniel Nava have been doing the honors. When Pedroia goes down, we throw Bill Hall into the mix at second base. When Victor and Varitek start ailing, we have Kevin Cash to replace them. All minor leaguers for life. Nobody impressive. What happens when Youk goes down? We're not royally screwed, at least. Mike Lowell, according to Terry Francona, will play at least 4 of the next 5 games at first base. That's probably a trend that will continue for the rest of the year. David Ortiz can also play first base. So can Victor Martinez. Once Varitek comes back, there are plenty of options to mix and match quality players around. Guys that were at one point in time major impact players on this roster. So, as difficult as it is to say it, Youkilis may not be the most difficult piece to replace due to injury. They'll miss him a lot, but they do have guys that are proven and capable to fill the void.

It will come down to pitching down the stretch. The Sox have a rotation of 5 guys who are all capable of winning 15-20 games in a season. They just need to pitch like it. Buchholz and Beckett are the only two in recent weeks to be pitching to their stellar expectations. Lester has lost 4 straight decisions. Lackey has consistently been inconsistent. Dice-K has actually shown some good signs, but he's still not stringing together multiple quality starts in a row -- it's been hit or miss. Papelbon has blown some saves. The middle relievers have blown some leads. The Sox just need to get their pitchers up to speed with their own talent levels. Simple as that. Their offense is near the top of the league by the numbers. The pitching will be the key. Pitching and defense wins championships. I see no reason why it won't apply to this Red Sox team.

Who Dat? The Answer...

I told you this chick wasn't a huge household name. I said she is an actress. And I said her breakthrough film was in 2008. You've made your guesses. Now it's time to tell you if anyone who guessed was correct. Drumroll please...

Chill: Pap Likely to Stay

Alright, alright, hold your horses. I know the reports are going crazy that Jonathan Papelbon has been waived by Boston and claimed by another AL team. Let me explain to you why, after doing some research, I am nearly certain that #58 will continue to dawn the red stockings for the rest of the season.

It is fairly common for Major League teams to place players on waivers shortly after the trading deadline. Here's why. If a player completely clears waivers, he is then eligible to be traded to any team. Overriding the effect of the trade deadline for those circumstances. If that player doesn't clear waivers and gets claimed by another team, it is not the end of the world. Say the Red Sox are the ones waiving the player. Once a team claims him, the Sox have the option to do a number of things. They can let him go to the claiming team if they wish. They can negotiate a waiver trade involving other waived players. Or, ultimately, they can just decide to pull him back. If they pull the player back, he is then untradeable for the rest of the season. Still, the bottom line is that this is a relatively common thing to do. They likely never had the intention of letting Papelbon go for free. But if he cleared waivers, they could have been given the opportunity to trade him. Keep in mind that there may be contract issues with Papelbon in the future with Boston, especially with Daniel Bard breathing down his neck for the closer's role.

So, everyone can relax for the time being. Most sources are now stepping back from the immediate hysteria caused by some news outlets and realizing that Pap is likely going nowhere. Of course, anything could still happen, but the Red Sox may not be making the rash decisions that some believed that they were making this afternoon.

Report: Papelbon Waived, Claimed by AL Team

In the most shocking story of the day, the reports flying wild on the internet and major news outlets is that the Boston Red Sox have waived closer Jonathan Papelbon and infielder Mike Lowell. Papelbon, according to those reports, has been claimed by another AL team, the identity of which is unknown at this time.

Well, I've been one of the fans calling for Papelbon's head for the past few months. Because he has been pretty bad in comparison to his previous years of stardom. But I mean, I think we can certainly still use him in the pen. I was in favor of demoting him, but waiving him seems a bit extreme. And Lowell too? Youkilis could be out for the year... why waive Lowell now? I just don't see the logic in either of these decisions when you consider the timing of them. Note that the reports have not been confirmed yet, but if someone just started up a fake rumor, they've done a damn good job circulating it. This news is out there, all over the place, right now. I'm just confused by the tactics. Stay tuned.


UPDATE -- I've done a little research, and this may not be something to freak about. I guess if another team "claims" a player on waivers, the Sox then decide whether or not to give them the player. They can always just call Papelbon back and not allow him to be taken. I'm still unclear about the point of doing that anyway. But whatever. I guess we'll find out soon enough.

Fight #6: Nate vs Nadal

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The Matchup: Nate Robinson vs. Rafael Nadal

Size: We all know that Nate isn't the tallest camper, checking in at 5'9" and weighing 180 lbs. Rafael Nadal stands at 6'1" and weighs 187. Advantage Nadal.

Speed: Nadal has great quickness. All tennis players need to have it. He moves from one direction to the other with great fluidity and speed. But Nate is just as quick and then some. He lacks the size, but makes up for it with his speed and agility. I'll use that McDonald's fun house example again. Nate would have an easier time maneuvering out of it. That's what pays off in a fight. Advantage Nate.

Power: Both guys seem pretty fit and muscular, and I'm sure both are very strong -- they're professional athletes. That being said, Nadal's size advantage probably equates to the power advantage. Pound-for-pound I might take Nate. Overall I can't take Nate. Advantage Nadal.

Smarts: Nadal plays tennis, Nate plays basketball. On Nate's old team, he had a bad rep. Maybe he didn't always have his head in the game. Whatever, I don't know. Nadal has always been successful. So you might think Nadal wins it. But to me, Nadal plays a reactionary sport. Don't get me wrong, there's thinking involved. But not as much thinking as it takes to be an NBA point guard. And definitely not as much thinking as it takes to deem you and your teammate Shrek and Donkey in an interview. I'm giving Nate the smarts in this matchup simply because I have the ability to do so and I believe he wins the category that I don't have much to go on. So it goes to Nate, OK? Deal with it. Advantage Nate.

Intangibles: As I continue to break down this fight, it begins to dawn on me that throwing Nadal into the mix of this tourney wasn't the best idea. I never really watch him play and I don't know much about him other than the fact that he's a great tennis player. So pardon me for jumping to conclusions here, but I can't give Nadal victories when I haven't seen anything that would suggest he can duke it out in the ring. Nate, meanwhile, has shown the passion and aggression that is necessary in the cage. He's battled loads of adversity in his career, and he has learned to overcome it and accept the role he is given. He's learning the ways of a champion. And he's a 3-time Slam Dunk champion. The intangibles favor Nate. Advantage Nate.

Toughness: Screw it bro. You know Nadal can't beat Nate. Yeah yeah yeah, he's got 4 inches on him. Big deal! He only has 7 pounds for those 4 inches. That's not so hot. Nate is more solid for his height, and it's not like he's going up against KG here. Tennis players never have any one-on-one contact. I just don't think Nadal would have what it takes to stay in the octagon with Nate. Nate can get wild sometimes. He can get crazy. And at this point in his career, he's shown that he'll do anything to win. So I think he's a tough out. And tough is the key word. Advantage Nate.

The Decision: Sorry, Rafael. I just can't give you the win. Think about it. It would take a hell of a tough tennis player to beat out an NBA player, just by the nature of the sports. Physical contact in your sport is a huge advantage in an ultimate fight. Tennis players aren't exactly suited for the octagon. Nate marches on to round two. Nate Robinson chokes out Rafael Nadal, submitting him in the second round.

Do you think I'm off my rocker? Is this decision insane? Luckily for you, you have the chance to voice your opinion. Let us know what you think of this fight. Nate moves on to face his teammate KG in a matchup that we probably can all predict the result of. Meanwhile, the biggest heavyweight battle thus far takes place tomorrow when Big Papi goes head to head with douche bag LeBron James. Can't miss that one!