The Maestro’s Fantasy Football Preview 2009

Down through the years, through cable access television & YouTube & now blogs, the other members of the extended “Sports Frenzy” family have been merciless in their ridicule of The Maestro and his proclivity to play fantasy sports. However, those of you out there who partake of the bittersweet nectar that is fantasy football (or baseball or NASCAR or shuffleboard) know that it’s a beguiling elixir that can elicit endless joy or bring about profound depression. Just remember to indulge in moderation, kids...

So, without further ado (and without any more melodramatic metaphors), let’s look at some 2009 sleepers and overrated duds in each major NFL category, shall we?

Quarterbacks: Sleepers - Matt Schaub, Texans (Gary Kubiak’s in a make-or-break year as head coach & there’s nobody even close to Schaub on the depth chart); Sage Rosenfels, Vikings (looking more and more like the starter, has All-Day as his RB and some good young receivers)
Duds - Marc Bulger, Rams (a one-year wonder a few years removed, has nobody to throw to); Matt Cassel (no Tony Gonzalez, hasn’t proven himself worthy of huge contract yet)

Running Backs: Sleepers - Ryan Grant, Packers (why is his short holdout LAST season affecting his value THIS season?); Brandon Jacobs, Giants (Derrick Ward isn’t around to steal his touches this year); Ray Rice, Ravens (will rack up yardage as he puts McGahee on the bench, but McClain may swipe some TDs)
Duds - Anybody stuck in a ‘running back by committee’ situation (Carolina, Oakland, Tampa Bay, Tennessee, Indianapolis)

Wide Receivers: Sleepers - Marques Colston, Saints (he’ll come back with a vengeance this season, mark my words); Anthony Gonzalez, Colts (takes over for Marvin Harrison as one of Peyton Manning’s ‘Three Amigos’ with Wayne & Clark); Nate Washington, Titans (might be the weapon Kerry Collins needs); Domenik Hixon, Giants (Eli has to find his new Plaxico)
Duds - Denver receivers (that means you, Brandon Marshall & Eddie Royal); Roy Williams (another brilliant Jerry Jones acquisition…note sarcasm); Calvin Johnson (yes, he may be the best of all the Lions first-round receivers from the last decade, but Matthew Stafford needs some time to figure the pro game out before he can make CJ’s stats more impressive)

Tight Ends: Sleepers - Greg Olsen, Bears (two words...Jay Cutler); Kellen Winslow Jr., Tampa Bay (yes, despite all the issues, I still believe)
Duds - Todd Heap, Ravens (if a rookie QB won’t throw you the ball as an ‘elite’ tight end, your productive days are officially over); Jason Witten, Cowboys (will still be solid but fewer options at WR for Dallas means defenses will key on him more often)

Kickers: Sleepers - Jason Elam, Falcons (yes, he’s old but young Matt Ryan & the Atlanta offense will only get better this year, especially with a happy...and rich...Roddy White and new TE acquisition Tony Gonzalez on board)
Duds - Matt Prater, Denver (Cutler for Orton swap means less opportunities)

Defense/STs: Sleepers - New York Jets (Rex Ryan will make the D solid & Leon Washington’s always a return threat); San Diego Chargers (weak division plus Merriman’s healthy & Darren Sproles is still around); Green Bay (Dom Capers will help A.J. Hawk & company achieve their potential)
Duds - Chicago Bears (NFC Central is getting better offensively & secondary is extremely weak); Tampa Bay Buccaneers (iffy offense will lose time of possession battle every week, and the defense will wear down quickly)

There you go, people…save me a brew at your celebratory late December victory bash!!!

Jake Peavy on the South Side

Over the past week, I have been wrestling with my feelings over the Jake Peavy deal that White Sox GM Kenny Williams made, 4 for 1. Four young, up and coming pitchers, two of whom are power lefties (Clayton Richard, Aaron Poreda, Adam Russell and Dexter Carter) given up for one injured, former Cy Young Award winner. Too much was given up in my humble opinion and I’ll tell you why...

Jake Peavy is not going to be available to the Sox until late August at the soonest, meaning Chicago is facing four weeks without a starting pitcher. That leaves a consistent 3 man rotation of Buehrle, Floyd and Danks. Fourth in the rotation is Contreras who right now couldn’t find the strike zone if it was bright pink in the middle of an open field. As far as a fifth starter, it will be by committee. Clayton Richard should not have been part of this deal. The White Sox need a solid 4th man during this wait for Peavy and that was Richard. Kenny once again acted like it was a seller’s market, when in reality it was a buyer's market (e.g.: Cliff Lee and Jared Washburn).

If Peavy can stay healthy over the next couple of years and pitch up to his history, it will be a great move overall. I am thrilled to have a pitcher of his caliber, but I say this with some trepidation, as we have been burned in the past by the likes of David Wells and Bartolo Colon (twice now).

I think I would prefer to have taken my chances with Clayton Richard, the young left hander who throws mid-90’s and is learning his control and secondary pitches.

Trade Deadline Ramifications 2009

Okay, the ’09 MLB trade deadline has come and gone...who won and who lost?

Nah, that’s too simple - with the economics of baseball being in worse shape than the American stock market, we should filter what we’ve seen over the last few weeks into categories. Welcome to “The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly”, ‘Sports Frenzy’ style!!!

Moving Players Like Freakin’ Chess Pieces: Must be nice to be a Red Sox fan. Um, we need a first baseman...let’s trade for Adam LaRoche! A few days pass. Ummm, can’t we do better than LaRoche? Let’s trade LaRoche for Casey Kotchman PLUS get Victor Martinez to boot!!! There’s the ticket...

Fire Sale!!!: See ‘Pirates, Pittsburgh’ & ‘Indians, Cleveland’. Also see ‘Disgraceful’ and ‘Pathetic’...

Waiting In The Weeds Like A Viper: The Cardinals didn’t do much last year to improve themselves, and St. Louis fans wondered aloud if they were being hosed like the Pirates faithful...their team opens a new ballpark and then abruptly stops trying to excel on the field as the cash registers overflow. Not so in 2009. Mark DeRosa, Julio Lugo, and Matt Holliday have joined Ryan Ludwick as Albert Pujols’ posse, and the Phillies have started sweating a bit...

How Do You Spell Relief???: The Cubs and Dodgers decided to bolster their bullpens and stick with the lumber they already had. John Grabow comes to The Windy City from Pittsburgh, and George Sherrill goes from the East Coast (Baltimore) to the West Coast (L.A.). Now if Lou Piniella can just get Kevin Gregg straightened out again...

Aces High: The Phillies already had Hamels, the White Sox already had Buehrle. Both pitchers helped lead their teams to World Series championships within the last five years. Now, Cole has Cliff Lee to watch his back & ‘Mr. Perfect Game’ will have Jake Peavy (by late August) to ride shotgun for him...

What does it all mean? In the end, we’re still looking at the haves vs. the have-nots. We’ll probably see the Phillies, Cardinals, Dodgers, and Cubs (wild card) in the NL & the Red Sox, White Sox, Angels, and Yankees (wild card) in the AL. Sure, the postseason will be entertaining, but people will still drift en masse to pro football come September. Why? Because hope springs eternal everywhere in Roger Goodell’s world...the NFL makes it much more realistic for a team to stage a turnaround or comeback than the flawed financial structure of Major League Baseball does...

Just ask fans of the Pirates, Indians, Nationals, A’s, Royals, Orioles, and Blue Jays...

Perfect!!!

Perfect history on a perfect afternoon. One of the rarest feats in all of sports was accomplished yesterday afternoon on the South Side of Chicago when White Sox pitcher Mark Buehrle retired the Tampa Bay Rays in order, 27 up and 27 down. Only the 18th perfect game pitched in Major League Baseball history (the first since 2004), Buehrle backed up his no hitter last year against the Texas Rangers. In that game, Buehrle walked only 1 batter, Sammy Sosa, and promptly picked him off first base.

What Mark did yesterday was a thing of beauty. It was not only his pitching ability, but the overall defensive performance by the team. What also makes this a special game was that not all of the White Sox regulars were playing on what was called a getaway day as the club prepared to leave for Detroit after the game. Josh Fields (hit a grand slam) played first in place of Paul Konerko and Ramon Castro catching in place of A.J. Pierzynski.

Dewayne Wise made THE CATCH of the season and probably his career by leaping the fence and taking a home run away from Gabe Kapler leading off the 9th inning. This was the first inning that Wise played, coming in as a defensive replacement. As a huge Sox fan, I have been very critical of the organization's decision to keep Wise around this season. I was more impressed with Brian Anderson’s defense, and Anderson was hitting a moderately better .238 to Wise’s .196 before Anderson was sent to the minors. After yesterday, I will cut Dewayne some slack for a few days. The determination he showed in going after that ball and the concentration he displayed in holding on to it have earned him that...

Congratulations to Mark Buehrle and thank you Dewayne Wise! You have made all of us White Sox fans proud!!!

Plundering The Pirates – Why Pittsburgh Should Lose Their Baseball Team

Settle down, Western Pennsylvanians…this is not an indictment of Pittsburgh fans. You do a fantastic job of supporting the Steelers & Penguins, and those two wonderful franchises, in turn, give you superstars to root for and championships to cherish...

What then do we make of the miserable Pirates? The 2009 season has already turned into one of the ugliest on record for a modern-era major league baseball team…no, not necessarily in wins versus losses but in the disgusting cowardice the front office has shown in shipping talented players out of town well before the trading deadline in a pathetic display of blatant disregard for season-ticket holders in particular & Pitt fans in general...

Nate McLouth, Nyjer Morgan, Eric Hinske, and Adam LaRoche have already been traded away this year (for mediocre prospects), and now Jack Wilson and Freddy Sanchez are most likely headed out of town in the next week because they wouldn’t accept insulting contract extensions (“Hey, guys…please take less money next year and we’ll tack on another year or two in the 5th Ring of Hell for ya!!!”). I hate the Yankees and their free-spending ways as much as the next guy, but I also find it ridiculous that they have to subsidize a team like the Pirates that continues to thumb its nose at Bud Selig...

The solution…ship ‘em out. The NBA is not exactly financially sound right now, but at least David Stern acknowledges (quickly) when a franchise is failing & (quickly) facilitates a move (see Seattle to Oklahoma City, Charlotte to New Orleans, Vancouver to Memphis). We don’t need another Montreal Expos debacle, Mr. Selig (look how long that mess dragged out before the team moved to D.C.); invoke the ‘best interest of baseball’ clause and get the Pirates relocated to Portland or Vegas NOW!!!

As a Cubs fan, I understand your frustration, Pirates supporter...I really do. However, the Cubs actually TRY to field a winning team (it rarely works out well, but the effort is there). In fact, we were the beneficiaries of one of your infamous Pittsburgh fire sales a few years back (in a pair of 2003 deals, we essentially got Kenny Lofton, Randall Simon, and Aramis Ramirez for a pack of Big League Chew and Bobby Hill). That being said, the sports community is better as a whole when each & every franchise puts forth a decent effort to field a competitive team. Eventually, the Nationals will get their act together and the Royals will land a manager who can figure out what to do with the young players the front office tries to keep & nurture. What’s the Pirates’ excuse???

Las Vegas Scorpions. Portland Lumberjacks. Which one do you prefer, Pittsburgh? The minute Bud Selig grows a pair, your team is heading west. In the meantime, take solace in the immortal words of Meatloaf - two out of three ain’t bad...

Stringer vs. Riddell Inc.

Eight years. That’s how long it has been since the unfortunate death of Korey Stringer, Vikings offensive lineman, to heat stroke during training camp. Eight years and his family is now suing Riddell Inc., the company that made the helmet and shoulder pads worn by Korey at the time of his death. His death was not due to his equipment, but to not drinking enough water or letting his coaches know how he was feeling.

Last week in Ohio, U.S. District Court judge John D. Holschuh wrote it was "reasonably foreseeable ... that a user of [Riddell's] helmets and shoulder pads during extremely hot and humid conditions might suffer from a heat stroke." And that Riddell Inc. “owed Stringer a duty to warn” that its helmets and shoulder pads could contribute to heat stroke when used in hot conditions and the case would go to jury trial. They had a duty to warn him? This young man played football most of his life in helmets and shoulder pads and knew that he would get hot while wearing them. When the hell does personal responsibility come in to play? Why should the company that made the equipment be held accountable for not warning him he could get heat stroke? As a country, are we becoming that stupid that we have to have our hands held in every area of our lives?

Stringer Family attorney, Paul DeMarco said, "Any manufacturer who sells football helmets and shoulder pads without a heat stroke warning, knowing they're being used in extreme heat, does so at its peril. The same goes for leagues, coaches, and equipment managers who permit such equipment to be used without heat stroke warnings."

Ok, I will agree that leagues and coaches should have responsibility to make sure their players are aware of the possibility of heat stroke and should make sure every player gets plenty of water and periodic rest during high heat and humid conditions. But holding equipment manufacturers responsible is insane.

This harkens back to McDonalds coffee is hot… no kidding. How many of you were appalled and outraged by that lawsuit? This lawsuit is along the same lines. This is the reason lawyers are so disliked and costs continue to escalate. WHERE DOES PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY COME BACK INTO PLAY!?!? I guess in today’s society everyone else is to blame.

You know what? I had a softball take a bad bounce Friday night during my game and it hit me in the shin causing a subdural hematoma. I think I will sue the maker of the softball for pain and suffering.

Woke Up Without Woods...

Image Courtesy Robert Beck/Sports Illustrated
The golf community collectively groaned Friday afternoon as Tiger Woods, the savior of the game, missed the cut at the British Open. How can we go on? If Tiger’s not involved, who will watch? Who will care?

The Maestro will. In fact, I think it’s fantastic that we can tune in to a major tournament without having the television coverage dominated by Woods. Talking heads like ESPN’s Mike Tirico would have you believe it’s not only appropriate for the mass media to cover Tiger as much as possible during a tournament...it’s their obligation!!!

This is the same ridiculous thinking that pushes Fox to feature the New York Yankees and/or Boston Red Sox on virtually every Saturday afternoon national baseball broadcast and NBC to try to snare the Dallas Cowboys for as many Sunday night football battles as possible. Let the Clippers and Grizzlies rot in basketball purgatory…we want the Lakers!!!

The media should NEVER show out-and-out favoritism (sorry, Barack…this means you too). Despite all the slants and angles offered up by CNBC, CNN, and Fox News, reporting (sports included) should be as unbiased and equal as possible. Yes, champions will always get more attention, winners will always get more accolades, and big city teams will always have more people following them based on population numbers alone (Green Bay and Pittsburgh being the exquisite exceptions to the rule). However, a sports league or association is supposed to be co-operative by nature. Just ask Bud Selig now that he faces thousands upon thousands of empty seats every night because the New York teams think they’re above the economy and Pirates, Nationals, & Royals fans know their teams can never compete. Better yet, look at all the grief David Stern went through trying to find the ‘next Michael Jordan’; Kobe & LeBron were coming down the pipe, but the media & Stern were so frantic to hoist a new MJ above the masses like Simba in “The Lion King” that they nearly destroyed the sport...

Heading back to the links, I readily acknowledge that Tiger Woods is the best golfer on the planet, and probably the best ever. But to tear down an entire sport week after week for the sake of one player (or team) is abject stupidity. It’s now mid-afternoon on Saturday, July 18, 2009…the third round of the British Open is in the books. The leaderboard features a few of the usual suspects (Retief Goosen, Jim Furyk) near the top, as well as a couple of relative unknowns (Mathew Goggin, Ross Fisher) thrown in the mix for good measure. Yes, Tiger Woods is nowhere to be found, but 59-year-old Tom Watson (-4) leads the pack going into Sunday...

Sit back and get something to eat, Eldrick - the last round of this major is better off without you...