Coming soon....

Since we don't live in Knob Hill anymore, I think it's time to change our fantasy league name. In light of our performance in recent years, Stacey and I would like to invite you to participate in the Glatz Family Invitational Fantasy Footall League in 2010! To answer your question, no, I am not going to stop enjoying this.

Anyway, I am excited to announce that I have been working on a post about the BCS and the bowl system for about a month. This will be a completely new argument about the BCS that I have never heard before. It will be very long, full of statistics, and make you question how I spend my free time. It will be legen...

2009 - The Year of the Zoo

Although I was disappointed I didn't make the finals of our fantasy league, I was happy for Stacey and Kevin to have some success. It was exciting to see the finals come down to OT and Kevin standing a 40 yard Adrian Peterson TD away from victory. Since we live far apart, I wanted to share a little bit of Stacey's victory. But first, I want to take a look back at Mike's analysis of her team after the draft.

Zoo Tycoons
1) Are McNabb and Roethlisberger reliable enough? Both play in reasonably difficult divisions, and both have strong defenses with capable running games. The chances for 300+ yard games with 3 TDs are less with both of these guys, but they do have some decent receivers to throw to. Can they do it consistently?
Yes, they ended up being the #11 and #9 QBs this year respectively. Roethlisberger's 30 in Week 15 and McNabb's 23 in Week 16 were huge difference makers during the playoffs.

2) Will DeAngelo and MJD produce as top-5 backs? There are differing opinions on both. There are questions (time shares, workload concerns) about both, but at the very least they should be decent. If they are top-5, however, watch out…
Yes and no. MJD was the #2 fantasy back this year, but Williams was 12th and surprisingly ended up slightly worse than teammate Jonathan Stewart due to periodic injuries. MJD produced 9 double digit games, including 3 performances of 20+ points.

3) After Andre Johnson…who will step up? Antonio Bryant has been hurt and Tampa seems to be going towards a ground attack. Avery is in St. Louis with a dismal offense. Colston is in a great offense, but the ball gets spread around to everyone. Will there be enough touches for him? Can she get legit production from these guys?
Johnson finished as the #3 WR, but Marques Colston stepped up as a solid #2 with 1000+ yards and 9 TDs. Stacey's #3 WR position was definitely one of her weakest positions on the team. Also, Visanthe Shiancoe didn't get a ton of yards, but he finished with the 3rd most TDs among TEs.

Stacey didn't make a lot of moves this season, but she had a strong draft (As did Kevin with Adrian Peterson, Aaron Rodgers and Frank Gore). Her QBs held up through most of the season and MJD and Andre Johnson produced consistently. Even though she squeaked into the playoffs in week 14, I think she had a pretty solid team.

In the end, Adrian Peterson's fumble cost Minnesota the game and Kevin the championship.



I think she was equally excited to see Brett Favre lose the game and look very solemn.



And here's the 2009 Knob Hill Fantasy Champion, Zoo Tycoons! And the belt is staying in my house!! It was a fun season and I'm looking forward to next year.



I love the look on Boo's face, by the way. She's like "ooo - what's that?!"

Bowl Predictions Sure To Go Wrong

Ranked in order from games I'm most confident to least confident.

USC over BC
Ohio over Marshall
Texas Tech over Michigan State
Nevada over SMU
Pitt over UNC
Houston over Air Force
Nebraska over Arizona
Arkansas over E Carolina
Miami over Wisconsin
Clemson over Kentucky
Auburn over Northwestern
Oregon State over BYU
Fresno State over Wyoming
UCF over Rutgers
Florida over Cincinnati
Central Michigan over Troy
Middle Tennessee State over Southern Miss
Oregon over Ohio State
LSU over Penn State
Utah over Cal
Oklahoma over Stanford
Georgia over Texas A&M
Navy over Missouri
Minnesota over Iowa State
South Carolina over UConn
BGSU over Idaho
Temple over UCLA
Virginia Tech over Tennessee
Southern Florida over Northern Illinois
Oklahoma State over Ole Miss
Florida State over WVU
Iowa over Georgia Tech
TCU over Boise State
Texas over Alabama

Where Fantasy is Won and Lost

I've been working on this one for a while. Mike made a pretty good argument for the best draft moves and the worst draft moves, but I think the season is really won and lost in free agency moves. Here's a look at what I think are the best 5 moves for this season.

5. 9/14 - Add Percy Harvin, Drop Chris Henry (ipresstoocoolbuttons) and 10/20 - Add Percy Harvin, Drop Terrell Owens (Kevinvidious)
At the beginning of the season, many expected Henry to be the heir to Housh's production in Cincinnati. Grace caught on with Harvin for a few good weeks in the beginning of the season and Kevin took him over after a few week drought.
4. 10/30 - Add Vince Young, Drop Shaun Hill (Kevinvidious)
Ok, we were all wrong about VY this year. Kevin needed a solid number two QB and selected him before week 8. What has he done since? Scored double-digit fantasy points each week.
3. 10/18 - Add Miles Austin, Drop Roy Williams (Boston Massacre)
When I returned from my honeymoon, I figured that the guy who had a break out, 24 point game would be off the board. When I saw him still there, I found a reason to finally get rid of the very disappointing Roy Williams (who was one of my draft mistakes). Despite very limited playing time through the first quarter of the season, Austin has become the #4 WR overall.
2. 9/30 - Add Vernon Davis, Drop John Carlson (Boston Massacre)
After achieving 3.6 points in weeks 1 & 2 combined, Davis exploded for 16 points in Week 3. Since then, he has become the #1 TE this year.
1. 8/28 - Add Brett Favre, Drop Cedric Benson (Cumming From Behind)
It's not every year that the #3 player at the end of the year isn't drafted. Mike found a diamond in the FA rough and exploited it to 220+ points. I think this was the most important decisions anyone made all season.

On one final note, Mike applauded himself for drafting Brent Celek and called it the 10th best draft move. I agree Celek was a surpise at TE and kudos to him for picking up on that. However, Mike dropped him before the season began (9/1). After Celek put up 7.85, 5.20, and 11.20 in weeks 1-3, Mike picked him back up on 9/30. He had Celek for week's 5 (2.90) and 6 (3.75) before dropping him on 10/19. Celek only had .4 in week 7, but put up 9.05 and 7.95 in weeks 8 & 9. Mike began Celek's 3rd reign on his team on 11/12 and Celek scored 8.35 in week 10 (while on the bench). Weeks 11 (1.75) and 12 (1.65) forced Mike to drop him on 12/1. The next week, Week 13, Celek scored 6.8 points. Therefore, Celek's average while in 7 games of FA is 6.9 while his average for the 5 games Mike had him was 3.68 (in which he scored above 4 points only once). What I am getting at is this: smart move in drafting him, but you didn't stick with him through the bad times (which I assume is because you have the top TE for the past few years on your roster as well).

Glimpse into the Past

Just for perspective, a sampling of news bits from when Charlie Weis was hired as Notre Dame's head coach.

"A widely-respected disciple of professional coaching standouts Bill Parcells and Bill Belichick, Weis currently is the highly-regarded offensive coordinator of the New England Patriots (under Patriot head coach Belichick). He has played an integral role in New England's victories in two of the last three Super Bowls - and the Patriots currently own the best record in the NFL in 2004 at 12-1."

"Weis has been a winner everywhere he has coached - and he has received widespread notice as one of the most creative and innovative offensive coordinators in football."

"All along the way, Weis has displayed the ability to develop successful offensive players."

"Current New England Patriot wide receiver David Givens (he played for Notre Dame in 1998-2001) on Charlie Weis: "He's been a teacher and coach of high school kids and he's got so much experience coaching NFL players like myself. There's no doubt in my mind he would be an outstanding recruiter because he relates so well to young people. I can say this because I've played for Charlie and I played at Notre Dame. I understand the pressures of playing and the pressures the coaches had coaching us at Notre Dame. They're all things Charlie would do very well with."

"Former Notre Dame All-America quarterback and current ESPN analyst Joe Theismann on Charlie Weis: "I think Charlie Weis in the right man for the right job at the University of Notre Dame. He understands throwing the football. That's what this era of college football is today - the ability to put it in the air. He's been a student at Notre Dame so he knows the culture of the University. He's worked on a big stage, having been part of World Championships two of the last three years with the Patriots. He's very inventive - his offenses have included defensive ends at fullback and linebackers at tight end. He's inventive as well as creative. He's a man who will bring a quiet discipline to the program. I think it's a great hire."

http://www.und.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/121204aae.html

I have nothing against Charlie Weis. I am not pretending I thought he was going to fail. He was the hottest head coach prospect for college OR the NFL in 2004 and it was a clear choice for Notre Dame to make. I bring this up because I think it is ridiculous that anyone is blaming him completely for their recent disappointments. Their program is broken because they've lost the prestige of playing for the Irish. High school players aren't impressed by Knute Rockne, Touchdown Jesus, or the Golden Dome. Brian Kelly has done well in three seasons at Cincinnati. But don't forget his success came with players that Mark Dantonio recruited.

Glimpse into the Future

Irish No Longer Kelly Green December 11, 2013
After four tumultuous seasons, Notre Dame is once again looking for a new head football coach. Weeks of speculation of his ouster was confirmed when Brian Kelly was fired early Wednesday morning with one year remaining on his contract. The decision was made after Notre Dame's disappointing 7-5 season.

Kelly came to Notre Dame after leading Cincinnati to an undefeated 12-0 season in 2009. He was characterized by his skilled offenses and his ability to develop quarterback talent. He failed to bring turn the Fighting Irish into an offensive machine, however. Notre Dame ranked 64th this season in total offense.

In his four seasons as head coach of the Irish, Brian Kelly amassed an overall record of 26-23. His best season came in 2011 when he lead Notre Dame to a 9-4 record. He failed to carry this momentum into the 2012 season when Notre Dame finished with a disappointing 6-6 record. Notre Dame officials expect to begin interviewing candidates immediately.

Huh?

Can someone who watched the game explain this?

Bench:
Raymar Morgan, F 9min 0-4FG 0-4FT 1OREB 1REB 1AST 1STL 0BLK 1TO 2PF 0PTS
Delvon Roe, F 13min 0-2FG 5PF 0PTS

In Draymond Green and Derrick Nix I trust.

Nix: 15MIN 14REB 11PTS
(You're right, though, Mike - he needs to improve FT (1-5)

In other news...
"Curtis Granderson remains the talk of the town -- actually, the talk of the majors.
Newsday's Ken Davidoff reported Friday that the Angels are the latest team said to be in communications with Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski about a potential deal for the centerfielder. The Yankees, who have outfield openings with Hideki Matsui and Johnny Damon as free agents, quickly leapt to the top of the list coming out of the GM meetings this week. But Phil Rogers of the Chicago Tribune reported Friday "there's no question the Cubs have interest in the homegrown Granderson" who is from Chicago. Rogers said, however, it was unclear what kind of talks the Cubs have had with Dombrowski, who would not confirm reports about any specific players." - freep.com

What the heck is this??? Why are they going to get rid of Granderson? Apparently, young, homegrown talent isn't important anymore. Did Illitch decide he wants to stop investing in the Tigers? Ooo - maybe we can get an aging, slow, overpriced LF Johnny Damon in FA instead!! I don't care who the Tigers get rid of except for Granderson. Just like Tayshaun with the Pistons - feel free to clean house, but don't touch his room.

The Blind Side

This is the movie based on the book I was telling you guys about - "The Blind Side".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYC1ulLHD6Y

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khtBvQdxta4

I like the concept and Sandra Bullock's character, but I'm worried that it is a large dramatization of his life. I know Michael Oher said there were some things that were exaggerated in the book, so a second-hand rendition is going to be even further from the truth. (For example, I don't remember a part where she goes "down to the hood" and threatens some guy). Still, I know I'm going to see it soon after it comes out. My favorite part of the movie is going to be seeing Nick Saban in LSU gear - he'll do anything for money.

Quick thoughts

-I was probably a little too quick to label "typical Spartans". Afterall, with a new quarterback and running back, expectations to maintain the performance of last year's team may have been too high. For the most part, we are a young team. I feel that I was dead on in declaring that the 3 game set against Wisconsin, Michigan, and Illinois would set the tone for the rest of the season. Cousins emerged as the starting (and finishing) QB and they won two of the three. I think the Michigan game really gave them the confidence that they needed for the rest of the season.

Here are my very unorganized thoughts on the Minnesota game:
-They were completely screwed by a horrible officiating crew. They issued the most penalities against Minnesota in a Big 10 game since 1957. Then, they awarded them the game by overturning a called completed catch and fumble by Minnesota with 6 minutes left to an incomplete pass. The game was 35-31 at that point and we would have had the ball in Minnesota's territory. Do the poor calls on both sides of the ball negate each other and create a "fair game"? Hell no. I think Chris L Rucker is getting a reputation as a dirty player because for the second week in a row he laid a receiver out by leading with his head. The biggest disappointment that I am seeing from the team in general is taking costly penalties that keep drives alive. The defense stopped them with less than 3 minutes to go to give us one last chance to win the game. Then the highly avoidable roughing the kicker penalty on the punt ended the game. We need more Keshawn Martin.

-After reading Mike's fantastic MSU basketball preview post, I am pretty worried about our schedule this season. It could act to challenge us so we're "battle ready" for the tournament. Or it could expose all of our weaknesses and pound them down. Florida, UNC, Gonzaga, Texas?? Who does that?

Crossroads

"Typical Spartans" - adjective
1. relates to the performance of the Michigan State football team.
2. a pattern of losing easy games in the final minutes due to lack of effort, focus, and/or execution.
"That loss to Central Michigan was 'typical Spartans'".
3. the act of winning early in the season and having a letdown in October.

I am not trying to exaggerate the importance of the next 3 games, but this really is a pivotal point in their season. From one perspective, their 1-2 record isn't as bad as it sounds. They have lost their games on a last second field goal and 2 minute offense that was very close to producing a go-ahead TD or a game-tying field goal. They have lost by a combined 5 points. Their starting QB is the best in the Big 10 in QB Rating (14th overall), which happen to also stand as our rankings in passing YPG in the conference and nation. Between Nichol and Cousins, they've thrown 1 INT all season. Greg Jones is #3 in the country in tackles.

From another perspective, they are in worse shape than they have been in years. They lost to a MAC team at home, which brought up memories of similar early-season losses in years past to Cal in 2002, Louisiana Tech in 2003, and Rutgers in 2004. The next game was headed to be much more of a blowout until Michael Floyd broke his collarbone and Jimmy Clausen injured his foot. (Side note: I propose we call the broken collarbone the "Charles Rogers" much like an injured ulnar collateral ligament is the "Tommy John"). MSU ranks 81st in Rushing YPG. They have only recorded 5 sacks and 2 INTs. Our secondary can't stop anyone. We STILL have not settled on a QB and the WRs don't look in synch with the QBs as a result.

This season has defied the third part of my definition because their schedule is uncharacteristically difficult early in the season. We have not met my expectations, but they really do start their new season this Saturday. Over the next 3 weekends, Michigan State plays at Wisconsin (a game we won on a last second FG last year), has a tougher-than-expected game against U-M, and plays at Illinois. If they were to somehow win all three of these games, they make a very strong argument for winning the Big 10. I assume they would at worst finish 3rd barring a huge letdown later in the season. If the opposite were to occur, which I think is entirely possible, they will stand at an abismal 1-5 on October 10th. To put this into perspective, here are the dates over the past 7 seasons when they lost their 5th game.

2002 Oct. 26
2003 Dec. 29th (Bowl Game)
2004 Nov. 6th
2005 Nov. 12th
2006 Oct. 28th
2007 Nov. 3rd
2008 We lost our 4th game against Georgia in the Citrus Bowl on 1/1/09

Playing difficult Big-10 teams this early in the season is rare, but disasterous when it occurs. Looking over this history, our schedule is most akin to that in 2005. After defeating Kent St and Hawaii at home they played at Notre Dame and won. They blew out an easy Illinois team on the road to make it 4-0. However, they lost a close game at home against Michigan and again against OSU after the bye week. Things took the "typical Spartan" downward spiral and they lost 4 of the last 5 to bring the season record to 5-6. 2006 was very similar as well with their Big 10 schedule opening home against Illinois, at Michigan, and home against OSU. That season, John L Smith's last, they finished 4-8 overall, 1-7 in the Big 10.

To prevent things from spiraling downhill, I think that Kirk Cousins must immediately be named the starting (and ending and everything in between) QB so he can get all of the reps with the first team. They must also begin game planning to defend against the spread offense immediately after the Wisconsin game. U-M, Illinois, and Northwestern, our next 3 opponents after this weekend, will rely on mobile QBs (to varying degrees) and spreading out the field. It could be a blessing to face them back-to-back-to-back since the defensive strategy can be improved each week. Finally, they have to find someone who can defend passes. I think the player we have missed most from last year, other than Javon Ringer, is Otis Wiley.

Compared to my preseason predictions, I think U-M is looking more like a Loss, but Minnesota and Wisconsin appear to have strong potential for MSU to be victorious. I don't believe they will start 1-5, but I think we should be looking forward to a low level bowl game and their potential for next season.

**UPDATE**

An update - not to one of my posts, but to Mike's rant on the Tigers before the Trade Deadline.

Let me recap...

"I write you this letter now because on Friday is July 31st- the MLB trading deadline. I know our payroll is still high, and I know we don't have much in the farm system, but from what I hear, you are one hell of a GM. I trust you and I trust your skills, and I'm hoping you can work some magic for our ballclub. Find that spark for us, Dave. Get us that hitter (and hopefully not Troy Glaus or Milton Bradley, like I've heard rumored...) that will get our offense going and carry us into October." - Mike

"I am actually going to contend that they are in an ok position to win the division without making any moves. We have a lot of guys hitting below their career averages, but I think they have a chance to put it together and peak at the right time. I am ok with them being in an offensive slump in July because it means they could hit their stride in Sept/Oct." - Adam

Since this post on July 28th:

-Record: 23-14
-Average runs per game: 4.9 (up from 3.65 in July)
-Percentage of games scoring 2 runs or less: 30% (down from 40% in July)

but...
-Average margin of victory: 2.35 (down from 3.38)
-Miguel Cabrera is the only starter with a BA above .300
-Their one acquirement, Aubrey Huff, is batting .167

MSU Season Preview

5 Questions about MSU

1. Will Kirk Cousins remain the starting QB or can Keith Nichol play into the starter role?
Mark Dantonio was very quiet on who was leading the QB battle until the Montana St. press conference. I was very surprised to hear he will continue to evaluate the two of them on a game-by-game basis. That really leaves the door open to making a switch, so one has to wonder how short of a leash he will keep on Cousins.

2. How will our trio of freshman RBs work out? Will one person end up taking over?
The other piece of info I was surprised to discover was that Caulton Ray, Edwin Baker, and Larry Caper are 1-2-3 on the depth chart. Actually, I was surprised to learn we have a player on our team named Caulton Ray. I can't believe that not a single one of Javon Ringer's understudies are ready to start at RB. Technically, the #2 guy was demoted this year. I am concerned that the decision indicates that the others weren't any good and not that these new guys are amazing.

3. Can Greg Jones remain an impact player?
He was voted the Preseason Big 10 Defensive Player of the Year. It is extremely rare that a Spartan Defensive player is recognized for anything. Players like James Laurinaitis, AJ Hawk, Lamar Woodley, and Erasmus James (all of whom have won Defensive POY Honors) were critical in their team's success and were taken early in the NFL Draft. If Jones takes his game to the next level, he will be critical in stopping guys like Juice Williams and Daryll Clark.

4. Can our young defensive line hold people?
Last year, we finished T-48 in Sacks with teams like Indiana and Notre Dame. The Big 10 is filled with great rushing teams (3 of our opponents ranked in the Top 25 in rushing last year). We will face strong offensive lines against Notre Dame, Iowa, and Wisconsin; each stand to have strong running games as a result.

5. Last year we won the games we should have won and were blown out by superior opponents. Are let down games really a thing of the past?
I think so, to a certain extent. Below is how I see each game playing out along with my confidence rating (1- high, 12- low) in my prediction.


Game-By-Game Predictions
Montana State - Win (1)
I really don't think FBS teams should be able to play FCS teams and count it as a win.
Central Michigan - Win (6)
The Free Press actually predicted CMU to beat us. I definitely see this as a trap game because Dan LeFevour is one of the best non-BCS conference QBs. I think they are going to win the MAC, which means they are capable of pulling an upset.
at Notre Dame - Win (8)
Another iffy game since Lou Holtz predicted ND to go to the BCS Championship game. Golden Tate is scary and I am concerned our secondary won't be able to keep up. I reluctantly gave us a win because the away team typically wins this game. Also, they were terrible last year and they haven't proved they are significantly better yet.
at Wisconsin - Loss (10)
Even though I don't see any playmakers in their offense, I don't think we will be able to pull out a win on the road against Wisco. We won last year on a last second field goal - our closest win of the season. The ND game on the road will be a challenge and Michigan may be in the back of their minds.
Michigan - Win (12)
I feel the least confident about this prediction only because it is Michigan. They almost beat us last year despite having an awful team. If one of their freshman QBs steps up like Terelle Pryor did last year for Ohio State, they will end up willing 8-9 games. I am hoping we're one of the other 3-4 games.
at Illinois - Loss (5)
I think Illinois will be similar to the team from two years ago rather than last year. If Juice Williams cuts down on throwing interceptions and the defense can hold people, watch out.
Northwestern - Win (11)
I hate this game. I think the key to beating Northwestern is to get a lead early and not allowing them to feel like they're in the game.
Iowa - Win (7)
People are very high on Iowa but I think they will finish 5th in the Big 10 or worse. Shonn Greene provided the success for their team last year and he's gone. They always have great offensive and defensive lines, though, so this will be a close, low scoring game.
at Minnesota - Loss (9)
It will be interesting to see the weather in late October for this game since Minnesota is opening a new stadium this year. I
Western Michigan - Win (2)
I really like that we have a nice, easier game against WMU toward the end of the season. Hopefully they can open a lead early so they can pull the starters at the half.
at Purdue - Win (3)
Purdue offers nothing to be excited about. Past Spartan teams would probably lose this one because they're looking forward to the next week.
Penn State - Loss (4)
...but past MSU teams also pull at least 1 upset each season and that didn't happen last year. I think Daryll Clark is the best QB in the Big 10 and that the game will go much like last year's.

So that puts us at 8-4, a slight step back from last year. With our youth at QB and RB, I would label that a success and a great sign of things to come in 2010 and 2011.

Predicted Big 10 Standings
1. Ohio State
2. Penn State
3. Illinois
4. Michigan State
5. Iowa
6. Michigan
7. Minnesota
8. Wisconsin
9. Northwestern
10. Purdue
11. Indiana

My Draft Analysis

I said before the draft that I was thinking about going RB/WR, QB/RB, and WR/QB. And that's exactly what I ended up doing (without much planning). Here's my thoughts on who is the strongest at each position.

QBs: Wicked Weasels - On paper, the Manning brothers and Kurt Warner have a lot to offer. Sure, there are questions on how Eli will fare without Plaxico Burress and whether Kurt Warner is too old, but they have had great performances in the past and have a strong TD/INT ratio. Keep in mind, each has won a Super Bowl. Close runner up - ipresstoocoolbuttons

RBs: Whisky Wednesday - It is hard to say anyone else has a better RB lineup since he took one in each of the first 5 rounds. Turner and Chris Johnson look like the solid starters for most weeks with Ryan Grant and Brandon Jacobs offering good starts based on their matchups. Close runner up - Zoo Tycoons. MJD probably is really a good selection and DeAngelo Williams was an absolute STEAL in the 3rd round. Plus, Marshawn Lynch and Larry Johnson are more than capable of pulling a huge week or two out of nowhere.

WRs: Cumming From Behind - wow - Randy Moss, Roddy White, Greg Jennings - numbers 4, 6, and 8 in Fantasy WRs last year. Plus, he has one of the WRs with the most potential to break out in 09 in Anthony Gonzalez. If Mike wins the championship this year, this is the reason why. Close runner up - Boston Massacre and ipresstoocoolbuttons (TIE). I think my WRs are my strong point. I think Welker, Roy Williams, and Devin Hester all have potential to greatly improve last year's numbers with their new QB situations. I like that Grace has consistent talent in Boldin, and Chad & Calvin Johnson.

Bench: Cumming From Behind - I feel like this is what a FF magazine would say your bench should look like. I think there is a lot of potential in Gonzalez, McFadden, and Brown to have big weeks early in the season. Close runner up - Boston Massacre. I probably drafted Leshaun McCoy 2-3 rounds before I could have, but at least I got my guy. If Chicago's offense pans out, Cutler and Hester will be nice starting options, but that is a big if.

Other notes:
-I own 3 of the top 9 Yahoo ranked players Tomlinson, Steven Jackson, and Fitz)
-Mike's highest ranked player in Yahoo rankings is 17th overall (Randy Moss)
-In regards to total projected points, Whiskey Wednesday's highest ranked player is 21st overall (Joe Flacco)

The Winner's Manual

How arrogant is it for Jim Tressel to name his book "The Winner's Manual"? Almost as arrogant as me titling it as my fantasy football preview post. I am so excited for our season to begin that I wanted to give my thoughts on the draft. Is it stupid or just arrogant of me to discuss my strategy? My goal is neither - I just really want to start a debate.

-You know you're marrying the right person when you're looking through Fantasy Football magazines and thing "hmm, would she want me to pick her up a copy?" She said she would've looked it over, if you were wondering.

-Most underrated player: Matt Hasselbeck (109). Quarterbacks rated higher: Cassel, Cutler, Eli Manning. Players ranked higher: Steve Breaston, John Carlson (his own TE), Sammy Morris. I understand he was bad last year (5 TD, 10 INT). However, he was injured much of the season, as were his WRs (who were sketchy at best). Don't forget in 2007 he threw for almost 4000 yards, 28 TDs, and 12 INTs. Plus, they added T.J. Who'syourmama to the team. Finally, they had to face the AFC and NFC East and struggled with the cross-country road trips every week. This year, they will get to face the Lions, Jaguars, Tampa Bay, Houston, and as always, two games a piece against the 49ers and Rams. Look for him to throw 3500+ yards, 24+ TDs, and 14- INTs.

-Most overrated player: Maurice Jones Drew (3). RBs rated lower: Deangelo Williams, Ladanian Tomlinson. The way I remember it, MJD had a bad season last year. I checked his stats and he only had 824 yards rushing. His 565 yards receiving, and 14 TDs improve his resume, however. I get that the fact that he is young and typically receives most of the carries (especially in the red zone) makes him a rare option in a 2-back heavy league. However, I just don't think there is a lot to be excited about with his team. The Jaguars play in an increasingly difficult division and, in my opinion, lack a strong passing game that can take some of the attention off of MJD. He put up a lot of points last year through his TDs and I don't trust a player to be able to repeat that year after year. That being said, I could very well end up drafting him at 8 or 9, which seems like a more appropriate spot for him.

-Teams to stay away from: Cleveland Browns and Kansas City Chiefs. I would say the only Brown you could consider drafting would be Braylon Edwards. I would stay away from him, however, because he is very inconsistent and drops way too many balls. He used to be a #1 WR option, but I think now he is more like a #3. The Chiefs used to have 2 solid draft picks in Larry Johnson and Tony Gonzalez. This year, Larry's stock has dropped tremendously and Tony's gone to Atlanta. Of their current players, I think Dwayne Bowe is a #2 WR, Johnson is a #3 RB, and Cassel is a late round QB (I'm not buying him at all).

This all leads me to how I see the draft shaking out. I am very happy to have picks #8 and 9 - this is supposed to be the year to be in the bottom half of the draft order. I think the following players will be taken before I'm up (in no particular order): Adrian Peterson, Ladanian Tomlinson, Michael Turner, Drew Brees, Tom Brady, Deangelo Williams, Maurice Jones Drew. I am thinking heavily about going with RB/WR. This would logically give me the choice of Matt Forte/Brian Westbrook and Larry Fitzgerald/Calvin Johnson/Andre Johnson. I could imagine more WRs/QBs taken in the first round, however, which would force me to take two of the elite RBs. The second go around, I am thinking about going QB/RB and then QB/WR in the third. I have my eye on 2 particular defenses (I have to keep something secret) so I may take one of them in the 4th go-around, which would be the 7th and 8th rounds.

Regardless of how it goes, I cannot wait until Tuesday.

History Lesson

August 9, 2002

12-21, 117 yards, 2 INT, 0 TD


2009
4-0

The Sac Bunt

I want you to think for a second and decide what you do in this situation. You're a baseball manager, the only kind of coach that wears the same uniform as his players, as if he may step in relief in the 8th. Let's say the game is close late in the game - you are tied or down by one run. Your first at bat in the inning is a leadoff double. Ignoring the batting ability of the guy at the plate or the running ability of the baserunners, do you use him to sac bunt to get the runner over to third or rely on your next few bats to bring him home?

I ask this because I have seen Jim Leyland in this situation 3 times this year where he sac bunted. Two times there was a guy on second and one time was with a guy on first and second (it happened twice against the Red Sox tonight). And only one of the three times lead to a run. Because I feel outs are precious, I don't give them up to advance someone to third. A well hit ball can bring someone home from 3rd or 2nd, so what does it matter where they are standing? Keeping that first out will allow you more opportunities to get that hit. That being said, what are your thoughts?

Boycott Everything

Things I am currently boycotting:

1. The Subway near work - a few months ago, the staff completely turned over. The new staff takes their sweet ass time while making subs and don't know how to handle transactions properly. When I go in at 2pm, I should not be 4th in line and it should never take 5 minutes to make just my sub and take my money.
2. Twitter - I still have never used it because nobody cares about the mundane details of their friends' lives and nobody should care about celebrities' mundane lives. Especially when you see this http://twitter.com/THE_REAL_SHAQ and it makes you realize athletes are even less intelligent than you thought.
3. Facebook - because it lead to the growth of Twitter. Since I closed my account a few months ago, I have not missed it one bit. People always say "it's great because it connected me with people I haven't spoken to since high school". There's probably a reason why you haven't spoken to them since then...
4. Hiring this girl - because a good job is not a right, it's earned (and I am currently interviewing people to replace my old position). I disagree that a college education is something that should be available to everyone because it devalues its worth. The end result is that you have people who achieve mediocre grades from a mediocre school who expect to have a good job before they graduate. When I entered the job market, I was out on my own. The business school hosted interviews on campus, but that was pretty much it. You have to find your own opportunities and learn to market yourself because the college isn't going to do it for you.
5. Going to North Korea or Iran - seriously? You were vacationing in Iraq and accidentally walked into Iran? You went to North Korea, probably the most controlling nation in the world, for a journalism assignment?
6. The following reality TV shows: A Real Chance at Love, Dating in the Dark, Megan Wants a Millionare, Tori & Dean, Paris Hilton is My New BFF, Kendra, NYC Prep - because I have some standards (Quick test Kevin - how many of those have you heard of before?)
7. Allowing the Tigers to give up 5+ runs per game - I should have stopped allowing them to give up so many runs before, but no longer!

My current thought process

It has been about a month, so I thought it would be fun to get out every random thing that is on my mind.


Since we all make a field day about complaining about ESPN's faults, I compiled a list to vote on what truly ruins watching ESPN - and presented it in an overused playoff bracket! Vote Now!
1. Brett Farve's 4 year retirement tour
One can become sick of updates from Dr. James Andrews and Minnesota's pathetic desparation for him to become a Viking. Did they see the second half of his 2008 season??
vs.
8. Twitter updates
The media's reliance on twitter only helps it become more established. Using celebrities' posts as reaction to Steve McNair's death demonstrates their laziness in journalism... or is this just the "new" form of journalism??

2. Steroids in baseball
With the 100+ names on the 2003 list of failed drug tests, we have fuel for this story for the next 10 years. Steroids in football? Who cares. Manny takes estrogen? Let's follow it for 2 months!
vs.
7. ESPN becomes THE story
With the Sports Reporters, E:60, Around the Horn, and PTI, ESPN has often shoved their personalities into the sports spotlight. As a result, we have to watch Skip Bayless (who has never actually seen a sporting event in his life) for 3 hours a day. Plus, they shove Stuart Scott and Chris Berman down our throats.

3. BCS Backlash
We know that every year there will be dissention over who is #1 and #2; some more than others. With MSU rising in success, I fear that one year we will be able to put together a miracle season and will be brushed aside for Oklahoma to get clobbered in the National Championship game (OU is the new OSU). With contractual obligations tying up the system for the next few years, do we have to lament on teams that got screwed each year?
vs.
6. Who's Now
When the summer sports season gets boring, they invent a new ranking system or poll. Using "who cares" categories like "most commercial endorsements" and "salary", they try to fill a month of SportsCenter airwaves. Playoff voting systems are so uninventive.

4. (Insert WR Here)'s latest antics
Chad Johnson learned to count in Spanish, Plaxico shot himself, Hank Baskett married a famous stripper (and guaranteed upped his fantasy football draft stock as a result). These days, TO seems like a boy scout.
vs.
5. The Ticker
Sports updates... on a channel that provides you with sports updates. Excited to learn about the result of the game from the :30 highlight reel? Just look down and find out the Tigers lost! The ESPNNews tickers are the ADD playground - news video, reports on the side AND bottom of the screen!

In defense of ESPN, I present the best things about the network (in no particular order):
Erin Andrews
Bill Simmons' podcasts, mailbags, and chats
College (football) Gameday
Outside the Lines
Instant Classics
The Ombudsman - they hire someone to call themselves out!


If you run a humidifier and a dehumidifier in a room together and shut the door, what is the end result? I get that a humidifier helps your congestion when you're sick and a dehumidifier protects your basement from mildew, but which is more powerful?


One of the best shows you've probably never seen before is "30 Days". It's hosted by Morgan Spurlock, the guy from Supersize Me, and is based on a similar premesis. People spend 30 days living a life that is completely opposite of their own in some facet. I netflixed it and was impressed with the first 3 episodes. They followed an IT programmer whose job was outsourced on a trip to India, a border Minuteman Guard living with a family of illegal immigrants, and an atheist woman living with a devout christian family. For the most part, the subjects were open-minded and the participants left the experience a little more enlightened about the other side. In each hour long episode, the show did a good job of digging into the issues revolving around each conflict. I thought the India episode was really insightful because it presented the culture clash that is occurring with more women wanting to enter the workplace. It also portrayed the widening economic gap that is being created by an influx of corporations and the sometimes violent outlashes that come from their large poor population.


New Homeowner Lesson #12938 - Being able to tell the difference between grass seed and grass fertilizer is key. Spreading the latter in lieu of the former will scorch your lawn.


One of the most difficult things to cope with the loss of a loved one is running over old e-mails from them. It is such a false feeling because it is communication that lives on. You feel like they are still communicating with you, but in reality they are just words. It is tempting to dig through them because it makes them seem more alive, but that can be damaging as well. Deleting them is too hard because you feel like you should hold on to something from them. It is really hard to explain. ...seeing the Mii you created for them show up in Mario Kart is just uncomfortable.


Prediction for Home Run Derby:
2nd Round: Gonzalez, Howard, Mauer, Pujols
3rd Round: Gonzalez, Howard
Champion: Gonzalez


I got my Ohio drivers license this weekend and it still looks weird to me. I feel like I have lost the last piece of Michigan in me.

We're not the Champions

With the pain of last night's loss still fresh, I thought it would be a good idea to rank the championship losses in terms of heartbreak. A trip down bad memory lane. If you can't stomach rehashing the losses, I have tried to characterize why the other team won each game up in a word.

But first, for anyone who could stomach watching the cup presentation, I was disappointed to hear Wings fans booing during the Conn Smythe and Cup presentations. I was upset when the Pens fans soiled our victory ceremony last year and I hated that our fans were returning the favor. Until I paid closer attention to the fact that we weren't booing when the players were raising the trophies. In fact, if anything, there was predominant cheering. I am convinced the fans were just booing Gary Bettman, which I fully support.

1. North Carolina defeats Michigan State, 2009 NCAA National Championship
The hype for this game began years before, but was initiated by the losing coach rather than the media or the league. Izzo had been promoting the possibility of this game to his recruits since Ford Field was named the host site. When we entered the Final Four pool, the media took over and wrote every "downtrodden area in need of some osmotic hope from winning a sports championship" story imaginable. It was tough to watch 3 minutes of a game and KNOW it was all over. In the end, while we had the benefits of the storybook-ending-abilities, the Tarheels had the swagger of a Champion. The hope for next year takes some of the sting out of loss.
It was over when: UNC defeated Villanova? We lost to them in December? No, I think it was when they all agreed to return the previous spring. You need to have at least 2-3 NBA starters or 6th men to win the NCAA Championship - they did and we didn't.

2. Penguins defeat Redwings, 2009 Stanley Cup Final
I may rank it so high because I am still upset over the loss. The funny thing is, thanks to the wonder of TiVo, I was still in "we have 6 minutes to score another one and we're turning the momentum around" dreamland while the concept of "Sidney Crosby Stanley Cup Winner" was well known to everyone else. We truly were the better team in this series, but they played with more desperation. Yes, they are a young team, but I feel they have the pressure from the NHL to be the face of an enigmatic league. They have two #1 Draft Picks and a #2 who have been hyped as much as NHL players not named Ovechkin can be right now.
When you knew it was going south: With the exception of our Game 5 blowout, each game mimicked the previous. Games 1-2 were decently close, but the lucky bounces all went Detroit's way in 3-1 victories. In games 3-4, the Pens offense seemed unstoppable during their 4-2 wins. Games 6-7 were close in the beginning, but the Pens took sizable 2-0 leads. The Wings scored a goal to put the game within reach, but very late surges and very close chances weren't enough. Although, I have a feeling that the shot with less than 3 seconds left would've gone in during games 1 or 2.

3. St. Louis Cardinals defeat Detroit Tigers, 2006 World Series
The excitement over the Tigers' success stemmed from the legendary ineptitude just three years earlier. I think this team was more surprised by their success than any of the others. My favorite memory of their run was watching them take a victory lap and celebrating on the dugouts by dousing the fans in champagne. I don't remember any other baseball team celebrating so publicly with their fans before. I think the great, unexpected run somewhat makes up for the World Series disappointment. I couldn't decide on just one word to sum up the Cardinals' win, but I think one part was their experience from the previous two years. The Tigers were being lead by very young players (Zumaya, Verlander, Granderson) and by veterans with little playoff experience (Ordonez and Polanco). And the Cardinals proved that defense wins championships by holding the Tigers to an average of just over 2 runs a game. (And do I need to remind you of how many pitching errors we had? Didn't think so.)
The series ended: in Game 4 when the Tigers gave up a 3-0 lead and were outscored 3-1 in the crunch time of the 7th and 8th innings. Losing the first game of a 2-3-2 series creates a significant hole to climb out of. But losing the pivotal game 4 helped lock things up for the Cardinals in St. Louis.

4. San Antonio Spurs defeat Detroit Pistons, 2005 NBA Championship
Detroit won the previous year on the "team that plays the right way" versus the "free-agent-compiled smorgasborg of all star talent that acts like a corporation" concept. The problem they faced the next year was that they played an even better "team that plays the right way" that had the added benefit of Robert Horry. The series was so close, so it is difficult to blame the P's for losing Game 7 on the road. I think the composure that Popovich and the Spurs portrayed was the difference. They had their game plan and executed it with surgical precision - which is why everyone out side of San Antonio and Detroit hated watching this series. We all knew that these Pistons were playing under the dark shadow of a ticking clock. Some players would eventually go for the money and the ones that stayed wouldn't be able to keep up with their younger opponents through 7 games as a unit. Plus, Joe Dumars' true GM skill level would surface eventually. (Side note: The 2003 NBA Draft class has become legendary and he picked the ONLY person in the top 5 hasn't become an NBA All Star.) Of all of my favorite teams, my passion for the Pistons is the weakest. However, the disappointment in this team came from the fact that we knew at the time (and were correct) that the Pistons were probably at the top of the curve and were likely to be nearing demolition.
We lost when: Gregg Popovich outcoached Larry Brown in 4th quarter of Game 7. I think these two teams were more even than any oher matchup we have seen lately. Remember, we were within 4 with 1:20 left. (Funny quote from game recap: "Pistons coach Larry Brown, who may have coached his last game and came up just short of going out on top." )

Catching up

Wow - almost 3 weeks since my last post.

I discovered I am addicted to television at 6:00pm on Tuesday night. When I realized the last season finale for my shows was on Monday, I felt a little sad. I think it is because I am comfortable with my routines. On Sundays, I watch the Amazing Race. Mondays are How I Met Your Mother and 24, Tuesdays are the Biggest Loser, Wednesdays are Lost, Thursday mornings are for talking with my co-worker Mark about Lost, Thursday nights are for Survivor, the Office, and 30 Rock. I wake up between 8 and 8:40 (I can even squeeze in 8:50 some days) and I go to bed around 11. That last sentence probably made Mike's stomach turn.

Now that those shows are over, I feel like I have to try and get excited for some crappy summer reality show like "America's Got Talent". It's not like I only watch TV - I love getting books from the library and I aspire to play hockey once again when I am not spending money on a wedding and a new house. It's just that I love a cheap, reliable way to be entertained each night.

Saving Hockey
Bill Simmons has had some great ideas of how to save hockey. I think the game play itself is solid and the Stanley Cup Playoffs are enjoyable. I have a feeling, if they play things correctly, that hockey can return to a real network within the next few years.

Here are my proposed divisions - we'd have to rename them, of course, since Toronto isn't exactly on the Atlantic. I selected teams based on the "smell test" - does this city seem like they should have an NHL team? Carolina is a sketchy one, but I know they really draw fans, so we have to keep them. Also, I feel like Texas is too large of a part of our country to ignore and the Stars are saved by having a good history. I also considered Salt Lake City as another potential venue.

Eastern Conference
Atlantic
NY Rangers
Boston Bruins
Connecticut team - Hartford?
Toronto Maple Leafs

Northeast
Montreal Canadiens
Ottawa Senators
Winnipeg or Quebec team
Pittsburgh Penguins

Southeast
Carolina Hurricanes
Columbus Blue Jackets
Philadelphia Flyers
Buffalo Sabres

Western Conference
Central
Detroit Redwings
Chicago Blackhawks
Wisconsin team - Milawaukee?
Toronto 2 team

Northwest
Calgary Flames
Minnesota Wild
Edmonton Oilers
Colorado Avalanche

Pacific
San Jose Sharks or Anaheim Ducks
Dallas Stars
Seattle team
Vancouver Canucks

The season is 63 games. You play the other 3 teams in your division 5 times, the other 8 teams in your conference 3 times, and the 12 teams in the other conference twice.

The playoffs would consist of each of the 6 divisional winners plus 3 wild cards from each conference. The top 2 teams in each conference get a first round bye. The first round is a best of 5 series, but the other 3 rounds are best of seven.

Hug a Pig, Be Kind to Swine

While I think the swine flu outbreak should be a concern, I the media is blowing the whole thing out of proportions. They love "fear journalism" because it gets ratings. The conspiracist in me wonders if Purell and Lysol are secretly paying the media to overstate things. As a result, people aren't thinking rationally. Countries such as China and Russia, for example, have banned pork imports from the US and Mexico. However, the flu is being spread from human-to-human contact and is a mutated form of "swine flu", which can not be contracted from eating pig meat. As a result, the CDC has started referring to it's technical name, "H1N1 Flu". Don't bet on seeing that name in the headlines anytime soon. I think this is a good reminder to use proper hygiene, but people need to not overreact. Remember how we were all going to die from bird flu??

In other swine news, now that the book on A-Rod* has come out, we now learn that he tipped pitches while playing for the Rangers. Ok, why the hell would he do that? Apparently, in blowout games, he would signal pitch types to opposing middle infielders so he could benefit from quid pro quo (yes, I stole that phrase from the article, but I love that phrase). He would allegedly do this to get himself out of a slump and improve his numbers. Everyone would agree that using steroids is much worse than this in a legal and historical sense and would have a much greater affect on the game of baseball. However, I think this makes him look much worse as a teammate than steroids. He is basically saying "I don't care about my pitcher, I just want to help myself".

*Note: I do not advocate hugging or being kind to A-Rod.

The return of hockey?

I have watched at least 1 period in 5 games so far: Wings/Jackets Game 1, Rangers/Caps Game 2, Flyers/Penguins Game 3, Canucks/Blues Game 3, and Rangers/Caps Game 3. I have really enjoyed what I have seen - so much so that I am wondering if hockey is beginning to make it's comeback. The first step will require turning some of the casual hockey fans into avid fans and resparking the interest in former NHL fans. The three things that are most important to gaining attention include developing stars that fans can identify with, creating great rivalries, and improving the game action.

In terms of stars, you're probably thinking I'm referring to obvious - Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin. While they receive the most attention and probably bring more fans to away games than other teams, I think the production of local stars is more important. In Columbus, we have Rick Nash. Atlanta has Ilya Kovalchuk. While a few top stars are great for marketing purposes, fans need a local star to get behind. I feel like the coverage of the NHL is starting to bring out more of these guys.

These playoffs already have a number of games between neighbor rivals. Flyers/Penguins. Sharks/Ducks. And in my completely biased opinion, I think the Blue Jackets will become the Redwings' new rival. We play each other a lot each season, the CBJs are on their way up, and we have the whole Michigan/Ohio thing going. The Wings are the Jackets' biggest rival - we'll see if the opposite becomes true in the next few seasons.

Finally, the action I have seen so far has been fairly exciting mostly due to the post-lockout rule changes (especially the elimination of the two-line pass rule). I'm not sure if the scoring average has increased, but that doesn't matter. The "oh my god I can't believe that didn't go in" shots are just as exciting. The first period of Wings/Jackets Game 1 was very intense, probably the best period of any of the games I have seen, and the score at the end was 0-0.

By the way, don't count out the Blue Jackets! They are an inexperienced team with a young goalie. Confidence is everything to them. In my opinion, Columbus seems to be very excited to see playoff hockey for the first time. If they are able to build confidence from the fans and have a chance to score first, they could turn the series around. Keep in mind a few things: according to home ice advantange, the Blue Jackets haven't lost a game they shouldn't have won yet, the Flyers turned their series around by beating the Penguins 6-3 at home in Game 3, Steve Mason had the most shutouts this season (10), and Rick Nash can create plays better than perhaps anyone on the Redwings. HOWEVER, don't forget I am still a Redwings fan!

Most intense series: Flyers vs. Penguins - they are fighting almost the entire time. There have been some big hits and the players are getting chippy. They have one of the most heated rivalries in the game right now, as evidenced by last year's Eastern Finals.

Best Power Play: Vancouver Canucks - During the season, they were only 17th in the league in PP%. They were able to set up perfectly on each powerplay I saw and turned it into a shooting gallery. They had 1-2 guys own the space in front of the goalie and the other 3-4 cycled the puck freely until they were able to take the right shot. They ended up scoring all 3 goals in Game 3 on the powerplay

Best Passing: Detroit Redwings - I used to hate that the Redwings would always have to play finesse hockey and score pretty goals. We would get beat by tougher teams that would throw the puck at the net and jam it in. Our players now can maneuver the puck up the rink quicker than any other I've seen thanks to the two line pass rule changes. I also like seeing them create space by skating with a defender and stopping on a dime like a basketball player. Our success will hinge on whether Osgood can stay impressive and keep it together.

Most Questionable Decision: Washington Capitals - pulling Jose Theodore after Game 1. It seemed like a very risky move to pull him after 1 game in favor of a rookie. While Simeon Varlamov stopped all but 1 shot, it seems to me like it sends a message of desperation to the players. Seeing his performance in Game 2 and so far in Game 3, it looks like it may have paid off.

Best Goalie: Henrik Lundqvist - During the season, he was 4th in Wins and 11th in GAA. He looks very confident and the Rangers' success depends on their goalie more than almost any other team. The numbers would argue Luongo, but I didn't have a chance to see him make any impressive saves. His numbers for Game 3 are bad, but they aren't giving him a chance. He faced almost 30 shots through 2 periods and Sean Avery has "Sheed Syndrome" and can't stop getting penalties.

This is how I would like to see the rest of the playoffs go. Keep in mind, these are not predictions - just what I would like to see happen.

Eastern Conference
1.Boston Bruins def. 8.Montreal Canadiens
7.NY Rangers def. 2.Washington Capitals
3.NJ Devils def. 6.Carolina Hurricanes
4.Pittsburgh Penguins def. 5.Philadelphia Flyers

7.NY Rangers def. 1.Boston Bruins
This would be a great series - not just because of the Boston/New York matchup. I would love to see Sean Avery vs. Milan Lucic - both are aggressive and have occasionally thrown a cheap shot or two. I think there would a ton of great hits and fights.
4.Pittsburgh Penguins def. 3.NJ Devils
Crosby vs. Brodeur could be somewhat interesting. I don't really like the Devils nor do I like to root against them.

7.NY Rangers def. 4.Pittsburgh Penguins
I said sometime after the lockout that a NY/Detroit Stanley Cup Finals would bring a lot of attention to the game. I wouldn't mind watching a rematch from last year, but I would prefer to see someone else.

Western Conference
1.SJ Sharks def. 8.Anaheim Ducks
2.Detroit Redwings def. 7.Columbus Blue Jackets
3.Vancouver Canucks def. 6.St Louis Blues
4.Chicago Blackhawks def. 5.Calgary Flames

4.Chicago Blackhawks def. 1.SJ Sharks
I would only be rooting for Chicago because I don't want to see us having to play across the country for a second series in a row. We've had to do that in past years, and it has caught up with us. Plus, the Eastern Conference teams have an unfair advantage since they are all much closer geographically.
2.Detroit Redwings def. 3. Vancouver Canucks
Luongo is dangerous, but it appears they will lock up their first round very shortly. Could they be rusty? I hope we would lock this one up in 5 so we only have to make 1 trip to Vancouver.

2.Detroit Redwings def. 4.Chicago Blackhawks
A fitting rematch of the Winter Classic. I don't really think the Blackhawks stand a chance of seeing the Conference Finals except on TV.

Stanley Cup Finals: Wings over Rangers, just like I asked for a season or two ago. We have a villian to hate (Avery) and a matchup of two of the larger franchise bases in the sport.

Thoughts

I wanted to get my thoughts out for my own theraputic benefit and to let you know where I am coming from. I really am not writing it for sympathy or to be dramatic. I do appreciate the support you both have given me and I look forward to writing my next meaningless sports column.

To be honest, my mom's death hasn't sunk in. I am probably still in denial somewhat. I think little things will bring about the realization; Mother's Day, looking through old e-mails, family events, writing this post... When I got home, we all were very social to kind of help each other get through it. It is kind of weird, but I don't think I cried any point between when I got home and her funeral on Monday. During and after the funeral, I found myself occasionally staring at her photos for a few minutes at a time. I don't know what good that is going to do - it's not like all of a sudden it is going to start talking like in Harry Potter. I guess that I'm just trying to burn her image into my mind so I never forget the exact way she looks or the way she spoke. Luckily, I'm not to the point where I am trying to call her phone just to hear her voicemail message - that would just be unhealthy. I'm not really the kind of person who believes in the supernatural, but I keep looking for some kind of sign or communication from her. The morning she died, our bedroom door randomly opened. Normally, if it is not shut tight, the cats can nudge it open, but I didn't see them near the door. I thought later this could be some kind of "sign", but I found out later she passed away over an hour after that. I feel like I can better understand why people go to psychics or on that douchy John Edward show - they just want one last communication somehow. I guess it is because I don't feel like I got to say goodbye to her. I know in many cases, like a car accident or a heart attack, you don't have any notice. But everything happened so quickly. She was supposed to come visit us for the Super Bowl, but stayed home because she wasn't feeling well. The next week she was hospitalized and a week later she was diagnosed. I now hate the month of February, by the way. In Feb 06, my grandmother passed away and in Feb 08 her husband did. Anyway, about 3 weeks after her diagnosis was the last time she was really conscious. In retrospect, I feel a little bad that I wasn't there for EVERY weekend, but what can you do. I also feel a little bad that I lost hope for her improvement the weekend before she died. I know you should always try to be optimistic, but I also knew it was only a matter of time. Last Thursday may count as her official death, but she hadn't really been alive for a month. The last time I spoke with her, she was really showing signs of improvement, so trying to have that "last talk" seemed unnecessary and in poor taste since we were trying to be supportive. The next morning, she had very debilitating seizures and she wasn't really conscious. The weekend before she died, during a brief moment of coherence, she was able to smile at me and returned my "I love you".

My mom was kind of the glue for my family, so I know this is really going to change our relationship. My priest's sermon was excellent. I think it was the first time I have been able to completely focus on a sermon the whole way through in years. He did discuss God's will, but one of the specific things he said was "God's will is not to take the live of a 57 year old woman. God's will is not to give someone adrenal cancer." I really liked that part because some people pervert the concept by believing that EVERYTHING that happens is God's will. Why would he give us free will then? The free will that would allow us to believe in him or not?? I think that God has some kind of plan, but I don't know explicit I believe that plan is. Anyway, I have that mortal feeling that comes with these kind of tragedies, so I feel the motivation for change and improvement. I feel like I should be more charitable with my time, meet new people, and experience new things. Unfortunately, I don't think I really am going to do anything about it because when I come home from work, sometimes all I want to do is eat fast food and watch crappy tv. I don't know whether that is a pessimistic, defeatist, or realistic view. We knew in December that this year was going to be so monumental for my family. My sister is pregnant, I'm getting married, and my other sister has found her first full time job - her absolute dream job. It breaks my heart that she won't be there for any of it, but it will also help give us something to celebrate. I know this is going to be hard on my dad, but I am encouraged by his attitude. My physical distance from home had also created an emotional distance of sorts during the whole ordeal. I feel like I have been living a double life. Working, watching March Madness, going out with friends, and house hunting during the week versus dealing with everything at home on (most) weekends. Tomorrow, I will have to begin meshing that back together.

Why Izzo Won't Leave?

"I feel like I have so much more to build," Izzo said on Sunday. "I love the Dukes, Carolinas, Kentuckys, Kansas. I'm not going to see that in my lifetime because they've done it for so many years, but I love aspiring to be those. Some of these guys have been doing things for 50 years. We're not there yet."

Sports Illustrated - Spartans, UNC playing to determine team of the decade

Why we will lose to UConn

Note: This was obviously written last week. Since I had to return home this weekend, I didn't have a chance to post it. I felt it would be interesting to analyze my analysis, in italics, knowing how we won.

I feel like I am always the pessimist. I guess it is a security blanket so I can be excited when we win, but I can be right when we lose. Before today (last Tuesday), all I knew about UConn was that I thought Thabeet was overrated (he looked clueless about where to go defensively on many plays vs U-M), that Pitt OWNS them, and that you shouldn't ask Calhoun about his salary. I was surprised to discover that Thabeet may get the most press, but their other starters are what make them successful. Here's what scares me:

1. Unlike Louisville, they have been challenged. They have had to face good teams in the tournament with very different styles - and they've won each of them by greater than 7 points. I didn't realize the Big 10 style of play, when forced upon them, would stop Louisville. Although, they had previously lost to friggin Minnesota... at home! UConn, however, is 3-0 vs. the Big 10 with wins over U-M, Wisconsin, and Purdue.

While they had been challenged, our home town crowd propelled our team when they needed us most. I should have kept in mind that we proved we are different than U-M, Wisco, and Purdue by winning the Big 10 regular season by 4 friggin games!

2. Who can stop Adrien and Robinson?
I was very surprised to learn that Thabeet doesn't completely run this team. I think I am more concerned about their other forwards. Goran will have his hands full guarding Thabeet, so I am worried that will leave their other forwards open. Morgan hasn't been a factor lately, so I am worried we don't have anyone who can guard them.

Morgan stepped up and played to his full potential. Adrien and Robinson combined for 28 pts and 20 rebounds (almost half of their team total). However, I overlooked their lack of depth. Our bench played them fairly close with 33 pts and 14 rebounds.

3. We can't win the halfcourt game.
We beat Louisville with a strong inside presence and a halfcourt game. We outrebounded them and made them play at our pace, which ultimately frustrated them into submission. UConn's bigs are better, so I am worried they will have their way with us.

They really tested us in the beginning and kept working the ball inside with success. We ended up fouling them a ton and it made me worry. Ultimately our depth at forward, their foul shooting problems, and Izzo's strategy helped us win. Draymond (dancing bear???) Green had a great game. The aspect of our game that I enjoyed the most is that we won in a completely different fashion than against Louisville.

4. Assuming we do stop their forwards, can we stop their guards?
Their guards aren't quite as good as Louisville's, and they aren't as tall as USC's, but they can still be a threat if we focus on just their forwards.

Yes we can! Price did rack up 15 points, but it took 5/20 shooting to do it. Austrie and Walker only combined for 11 points. Their guards are decent, but they couldn't match up against our defense.

Looking Ahead...
I liked the Louisville game better, but we once again executed a sound strategy and played with passion against UConn. We had different guys take over the game (Green, Morgan, Lucious). I see North Carolina as having a strong half court game and a strong transition game, so it will be interesting to see what kind of gameplan Izzo creates. I think they need to come out early and take advantage of North Carolina's lapses in work ethic. I LOVE that everyone is still picking against us (just like they picked UConn, Louisville, and in many cases, Kansas). I think it is ignorant for analysts to be placing our success at Izzo's hands and overlooking the talent we have. North Carolina may be the best team in the tournament, but we have beaten two #1 seeds, three conference tournament champions, three regular season conference champions, and two teams that were ranked #1 for a total of 1/3 of the season. GO GREEN!

AARGH

I just got done reading 3 Final Four preview articles and EACH ONE had a "Tom Izzo to Kentucky" reference. I am sick of hearing about how we will lose him every year! How come we're not hearing about how Kentucky should go after Jay Wright or Jim Calhoun??? We are a premier program and Adolph Rupp hasn't been around for years unless you count Jon Voight! Kentucky doesn't deserve Izzo and that's that.

What Else

I think that was the most exciting, perfect game of basketball I have ever seen from MSU. They played stellar defense, avoided the press with good ballhandling skills and deep passes, drained 3 point shots they had no business making, and uncharacteristically kept the game locked up in the last 10 minutes. I am a little ashamed to say it because it is just a game, but I almost cried I was so happy. And I was watching it on tape delay! Before, I was convinced Louisville's easy game against Arizona would leave them well rested, but it actually weakened them. I don't think they came ready to play their ass off the whole game and our tough defense visibly frustrated them. Suton was great in the post, from deep, on defense, and I think he even sang the national anthem. Let's look a little deeper into what went wrong, though.

2 Pts, 2 Reb, 1 Ast, 6 Fouls
6 Pts, 10 Reb, 3 Ast, 3 Fouls

The first numbers are the combined stats for STARTERS Delvon Roe and Raymar Morgan. The second are Draymond Green's, who played the same amount of time as Roe and Morgan combined, 24 minutes. What in the heck are we going to do with Raymar? I know he's gotta be out of playing shape after dealing with being sick for a few weeks. Also, where was Idong Ibok? He only played 1 minute, which had to have been in junk time. Were Green and Suton so good we didn't need to use him? Luckily, we have great depth, which Louisville was also supposed to boast. However, they only had points from 6 players, 2 of which scored in double digits. (We had 9 and 3 in comparison). McGee and Samuels both played more than half of the game without recording a single point.

So now onto the Final Four. This season, the two things that would leave me happily satisfied with the season were a regular season championship (something we have been without for too long) and a Final Four berth to keep Izzo's streak alive. And now we have both. Did someone tell UNC, UConn, and Nova that the fairytale ending belonged to us? Thirty years after our first national championship, the most watched college basketball game ever, we get to play in our home state, which has been reeling from the worst unemployment rate in the country. Oh, and if we make it to the finals, we have a very good chance of playing a revenge game against the team that beat us by more than 30 points in that very building earlier this year. If the lack of Cinderellas in the first few rounds made finding a story difficult for sportswriters, we will make their jobs a piece of cake.

Do I think we will beat UConn? Possibly, even though they have NEVER LOST A FINAL FOUR OR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME EVER. Thabeet will have to step out on Suton, leaving us open to drive into the paint. On the other end, I think Suton will be able to contain Thabeet. He hasn't been committing a lot of fouls, so that isn't an issue. We will have to have a fantastic shooting performance like we did tonight. If we shoot like we did against Kansas, we'll lose. We were able to win before because we were good, and as they say, if you want to win beginning in the Elite 8, you need to be good and lucky.

Bracket Remorse

I just got done making my final edits to my bracket and I must say - I hate it. Now let's see where I've gone wrong:

-Trouble picking a 6/11 upset. The teams are a lot closer in talent and abilities than you'd think. But I really like Arizona St, WVU, and I think that VCU over UCLA is too obvious of a pick. I resigned myself to selecting 11 Utah St to beat 6 Marquette due to their injuries and the fact that I'd pick Mizzou to beat both of them - so who cares if I get it wrong. In fact, I am overrated the 6 seeds so much, I had all 3 of my surviving 6 seeds advancing to the sweet 16 until I thought better and gave Syracuse the nod over Arizona St.

-Easiest bracket to select: South. I like UNC and Oklahoma, I don't like Illinois or Gonzaga. I am probably making a mistake by putting Arizona St into the Sweet 16

-Most difficult bracket to select: East. I like Pitt all the way, but I don't really like anyone else. I made the mistake at first with selecting too much chalk.

-Best upset pick: Arizona over Utah. I think this will work opposite from the "team snubbed by the BCS loses their bowl game" principle. People don't think they should be in the tournament, so they win.

-Upset pick I was too chicken to make: Ohio State over Louisville. It was too risky for not enough pay off (I have Wake Forest going to the Final Four regardless). Plus, I think my judgement may be clouded.

-Conference I am overrating: Big East. Pitt! UConn! WVU! Syracuse! Louisville! You're all invited to my sweet 16!

Conference I am underrating: All of the mid-majors and minors. Western Kentucky is the only team from a non-major conference in my sweet 16. Ooops.

-Pick I am happiest with: Pitt wins the National Championship. I really like this team. They're fun to watch and they are very talented. I think they have the least amount of blemishes compared to the other top contenders.

-Best first round matchup: OSU vs. Siena. It seems like everyone is expecting Siena to win, but I think OSU proved a lot at the end of the season and in the Big 10 tournament.

-Most boring first round matchup: Missouri vs. Cornell. ZZZzzzzZZZzzz

-One final note: Did you catch the women's bracket? MSU is a #9 seed and, somehow, gets to play their first two round games. If they win game 1, they most likely face #1 seed Duke. They're going to let us play Duke, Joanne P's Duke team, at home?!

Ways to Improve the Lions

Since players are now "forgetting to show up to the combine in shape" in order to avoid having to play for the Lions, I have come up with some improvements on how to turn things around.

1. Officially change team name to "Devil Lions". Then, days before the season, remove "Devil" from name.

2. Sign Allen Iverson and bench him. Instant improvement.

3. Hold ceremony to mark the end of the Bobby Layne curse. Did he say they wouldn't win for 50 years, or IN 50 years? Either way, he was right.

4. Print a fake memo titled "QB Trade Possibilities" on Bronco letterhead and let it "accidentally" find its way to Jay Cutler. Then stock up on insulin.

5. Send expensive "wedding gift" to Giselle Bundschen-Brady.

6. Lobby NFL to expand the back of the endzone by 5 yards so "trick" QB rollout play will work.

Team Poisons

There is a poll up on ESPN right now - "Which of these players would you want as a teammate: Alex Rodriguez, Terrell Owens, or Manny Ramirez?" To me, this is a VERY easy decision. I was surprised, however, because my pick was not the top national selection.

By now, I'm sure you've selected your option. I would pick Manny, even though he caused Boston some headaches. Alex Rodriguez, however, was the top choice with 50% of the vote (Manny had 42% and TO received an unsurprising 8%). I am guessing because Manny and TO are thought to be more poisonous than A-Rod to team chemistry. While he may be immature at times, Manny is a winner. I am not sure that Boston would have won 2 championships without him and I'm not sure the Dodgers would've made the playoffs without him. He is by far one of the best sluggers in the league right now and hasn't faced steroid allegations. A-Rod's offenses may seem to affect his teammates less, but he doesn't contribute anywhere near as much as Manny. Plus, there are the reports that his Yankee teammates initially hated him and created the nickname "A-Fraud". Manny, on the other hand, has really good relationships many of his teammates (although I concede, not all). While Boston may have had to deal with "Manny being Manny", they also must thank him for 2 championships.

Hope

The last year Michigan State had 5 losses in the regular season was 2004-05. That was also the last time we went to the Final Four. In fact, every year, for the past 10 years, when we have had 5 or fewer losses in the regular season, we've made it to the Final Four.

Wedding Update

Stacey was very smart when we began the wedding planning process. I want to be very involved and help make the decisions, but there are some things I just can't get excited about. She gave me an out - whenever she asked my opinion on something, "I don't care" was an acceptable response. I think so far, I have had to use that less than 5 times. It has been a busy two months - keep in mind the normal wedding planning length is 12 months. We're doing it in 9.

Bridal Shows
I got a lot of compliments from vendors on the fact that I showed up. It's great when my mere presence earns me brownie points! It was fun to taste all of the different cakes. We're going to be at a crossroads because I personally prefer ones with fruit in the middle (especially raspberries) and Stacey doesn't. There is so much b.s. out there you can buy for your reception. I think we've done a pretty good job of deciding what we want and what crap we don't need. The most scandalous vendor was a semi-nude photoshoot that a bride can complete for a "wedding night present" for her husband. I would just be uncomfortable if I got that knowing someone was taking dirty photos of her. Anyway...

Registering
Getting to play with a scanning gun and picking out stuff for other people to buy us? I'm there. I felt a little discriminated when we went to Macy's because the woman was looking at Stacey 75% of the time and the registration sheet asked for the bride's info - the grooms was optional. Again, Stacey knows me too well - she gave me a list and let me cross off the stuff I didn't care about shopping for and picked them out herself. Picking out the bedroom and bathroom stuff was pretty difficult to decorate a house we don't have. But thee most frustrating thing about trying to decorate was that everything is chocolate brown and pastel blue.

Dress Shopping
Obviously I wasn't there while she bought the dress, but it did spend a week in my closet... in the middle of my clothes. I estimate the number of times she has tried it on so far at 6. While I wasn't there for the dress purchasing, I did venture to David's Bridal to look at bridesmaid dresses. That, by far, has the scariest part to date. It was a Sunday afternoon, which according to her bridal magazines is the busiest time of the week. Imagine approximately 30-50 bridezillas, each with a stressed out mom and/or friend, and maybe 1 other guy there. Stacey showed me the options and I approved. It also gave me the chance to make the suggestion I am most proud of - the flower girl's dress. We didn't want to have her in a white dress (someone wants to be the ONLY one in white) and the dress doesn't come in our color (serene). I recommended that we put her in a light blue dress with the serene sash and she approved. Luckily, we made it out of there before I had an anxiety attack.

Where we go from here
The good thing is we're not even close to being burnt out yet. We are very close to signing a reception place. Once that is done, we will finally be "on schedule" with the wedding planning. The next big step is booking the honeymoon. Stacey is spending the weekend getting quotes from photographers, flower places, videographers, etc. Then we have to look over the guest lists and make cuts. I think we should take what will be an uncomfortable situation and make it fun - turn it into a fantasy draft or make it into a March Madness bracket.

Originality

I wake up this morning to peruse the sports websites. cnnsi.com and espn.com had the same exact photo of Thabeet falling over a crouched DeJuan Blair. Sports Illustrated's headline was "The Bigger They Are" and ESPN's, no joke, was "Harder They Fall". Ridiculous.

By the way, I am still not believing the hype that Pitt will make the Final Four. I just can't after how much of their kool-aid I was drinking last year.

Alex Rodriguez is a scum, but Michael Phelps is not

That pretty much says it. Post done.

I guess I should elaborate. Let me start by saying I don't blame A-Rod for testing positive for steroids - a very large percentage of baseball players were, so why make him the lead witch in the hunt (that goes for Barry Bonds as well). However, nobody else said they didn't take steroids because they felt unmatched by any of the other players. When the report came out, he didn't admit to it, but instead told reporters they would have to speak to the union. After conferring with his legal team, PR team, and Madonna, he decided to have a "come to Jesus" moment where he feels so bad about what he did and what kids think of him. He wants to spread the word about how bad steroids are and regain our respect! He's such an ingenuine schmuck. After the affair with Madonna, "A-Fruad" story in Joe Torre's book, and now the steroid report, it is not a good year to be him. By the way, finding out yet another former Ranger was on steroids pretty much answers the question of whether or not Pudge was.

So where do we go from here? I like the idea of releasing all 104 people who tested positive in 2003 so the focus isn't solely on A-Rod, but they can't do that. Two wrongs don't make a right. Now that he's made his half-assed, scripted apology, it's time to move on. There were a lot of players in that era on steroids. We can't punish them now because there weren't rules back then. If you are a baseball reporter and you don't want to send Bonds or A-Rod to the hall of fame, then don't send anyone from this era. I hate that Jose Canseco, once again, looks like the most honest, truthful person in all of this. We need to move on from the steroids talk, though.

The other scandal right now is Michael Phelps marijuana use. I want to give credit to Mike right now who said last summer we needed to give him a free pass for whatever stupid thing he gets in trouble for this year. I can understand Kellogg's decision to pull their endorsement. If the story received too much press, that was the only option they had. However, the whole story wreaks of racism and sports bias.

Recently, Super Bowl MVP Santonio Holmes was invited to do the "I'm going to Disney World" commercial and was the guest of honor at their parade. Holmes was also cited for possession of marijuana 3 months ago. He has also been arrested several times for disorderly conduct and domestic violence. If Kellogg's felt they had to pull their endorsement due to their youth appeal, Disney CERTAINLY should have withheld theirs. It isn't unprecedented either - remember Disney used Trent Dilfer as the face of the Raven's Super Bowl win instead of Ray Lewis due to his legal disputes.

I believe Phelps and Holmes were treated differently by the companies and the media because we "expect" that black athletes and football players use marijuana because that is the "culture" that they come from. However, a white swimmer should "be a better role model". The whole story has strong undertones of prejudicial beliefs. To not hold Holmes to the same standards that we hold Phelps is saying that we don't expect as much out of him due to the color of his skin or the sport he plays. Someone like James Harrison, Ben Roethlisberger, or Hines Ward should have been used for their commercial, not Holmes.

espn.com Boycott

I am officially beginning my boycott of ESPN.com. I am sick of their slow website that makes me watch an ad every time I want to see a new page. It will be hard, but there won't really be anything to miss except Bill Simmons. Instead, I will try to rely on cnnsi.com. I challenge you both to do the same.

So let me get this straight: we just hired a defensive coordinator who was 31st in YPG Allowed (ahead of only Detroit) and 29th in PPG Allowed. Then, we hired a guy whose team was 24th in Yards Per Game and 28th in Points Per Game last year as our offensive coordinator. This is going to be awesome.

Book Report

"Moneyball" Michael Lewis
Far and away the best sports book I've ever read. It cronicals a season with Billy Beane paired with chapters on the development of statistical analysis in baseball. The structure was similar to the way Moby Dick alternated between chapters of the novel and the history of whaling. It was interesting to read it years after it was written with the knowledge of each player's success or failure. For example, they discuss that year's draft class with players such as Nick Swisher and Jeremy Bonderman. I felt like he was very sympathetic to Beane, but still painted a fairly honest picture of him. The best part of the book were the behind the scenes trade negotiations.

"The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game" Michael Lewis
I really enjoy Michael Lewis as a writer, so I figured this one would be good as well. Blind Side is the story of Michael Oher's introduction to football. Oher is a left tackle at Ole Miss and projected top 15 pick in this year's draft. The book not only serves to tell his story, but also explain how left tackles are paid as well as QBs and on occasion, even better (a fact I didn't know beforehand). It follows the same structure as Moneyball, but less dramatically. While Moneyball followed two intertwined story archs, Blind Side doesn't follow a strict timeline of how left tackles grew in importance. Oher was a very quiet, poor, black kid from Memphis who ended up being adopted by a rich white family. He never really attended school until his junior year and had never played football until that point either. The family that took Oher in seems very noble and honest, but I still question their intentions. At one point, Oher asks himself whether they would have taken him in had he not been athletically gifted and I feel like that question is still unresolved. I definitely recommend reading it before the draft to learn the interesting story behind one of the top picks.

"God Save the Fan: How Preening Sportscasters, Athletes Who Speak in the Third Person, and the Occasional Convicted Quarterback Have Taken the Fun Out of Sports (And How We Can Get It Back)" Will Leitch
Yep, that's really the title. If you've ever been to the website deadspin.com, this guy is the creator. It isn't surprising that the writer is a blogger since the chapters are fairly short and random. I feel like he took some of his favorite posts and tried to combine them to make this book. While many of them were funny, he lacks focus - at some points, it is just a collection of rants. He divides the book into Players, Owners, Media, and Fans. He is the most vengeful about ESPN, which is understandable because as a website owner, they are his primary competition. I agree that ESPN is kind of the Walmart of the sports industry and there are a lot of things that are wrong with them. But he comes off as a know it all and a sports elitist. Overall, it's funny, but definitely not worth buying. He does get the title for best cover. It's a foam hand with the middle finger sticking up.

"The Education of a Coach" David Halberstam
This is the Bill Belichik book. It's horrible. Absolutely horrible. More boring than you'd think. I don't feel like I know Belichik any more than I did before. I only read about half of it because I couldn't force myself to read the rest.

Fun With NBA Salaries

I am working on a different post, but I wanted to post a little NBA Salary quiz. I love that they post this information on the Team Roster pages on ESPN's website. Completely unnecessary. Anyway, DON'T Cheat!

The highest paid player on the OKC Thunder has the smallest salary compared to the top earner from every other team. How much do they make?
Bonus Point: Who is it?
Half point: name two members of the Thunder other than Kevin Durant (It's ok - I couldn't)

Who is the highest paid player in the NBA?

Who is the highest paid player on the Cavs?

Of these 4 Pistons, who has the highest salary - Rodney Stuckey, Jason Maxiell, Antonio McDyess, Walter Herrmann?

Danny Granger is averaging 26.5 PPG for the Indiana Pacers. Mike Dunleavy comes off the bench to replace Granger. How many Danny Grangers does it take to equal the salary of 1 Mike Dunleavy (rounded to the nearest whole number)?

Last year’s #1 overall pick, Derrick Rose, makes roughly the same amount of money as which of these present or former Piston veterans? Mehmet Okur, Grant Hill, Darko Milicic, Kwame Brown, Tayshaun Prince
Bonus point: To the nearest 100,000, how much does Derrick Rose make?