Sunday, October 25, 2009

THE FANTASY FIXX week 7



THE FANTASY FIXX-By David Ortega

“Craving more fantasy football notes and numbers, get your weekly fix here.”-Thee Prodigy


Target Practice: Week Seven in the NFL

As we get deeper into the fantasy season, mistakes are magnified and each loss becomes monumental. There’s no room for error and every owner hoping to extend the fantasy season needs to be on top of the numbers as well as the injuries.

With week seven next on the slate, it’s too late into the season to be counting on luck, it’s time to start doing your homework. If you are hoping to set that winning lineup, then you have once again targeted the right place, because we have your weekly fix right here!

Who’s worried….
The signs are there and it appears his time could be coming now. The Bears tight end Greg Olsen still has yet to put up number one tight end numbers, but his time could be nearing closer than you think. Last Sunday Olsen caught five passes for 57 yards and a touchdown, ranking 5th in fantasy scoring for tight ends. The bigger number to pay attention looking ahead is the 11 passes thrown in his direction (ranked tops for TE’s in week six).

The Chiefs wide receiver Dwayne Bowe has yet to set any fantasy scoring sheets on fire this season, but his dormant beginnings could be changing soon. In his last two starts Bowe has managed to snag 11 passes for 183 yards and a touchdown. The hidden value here is the 24 passes that have gone in his direction as well. Expect Bowe to only get better.

Despite the past two relatively quiet weeks for Giant’s receiver Steve Smith, fantasy owners should take comfort in knowing he’s still on Eli’s radar every Sunday. In his last two starts Smith has only seven receptions, but he was targeted 11 times; a slight drop from what he had seen. With Hixon a healthy return and the rookie Nicks emerging, Smith is still Eli’s go-to and should find an easier time this weekend to get open. Smith leads the NFL with 41 receptions and ranks in the top five in passing targets; don’t worry.

The Vikings and quarterback Brett Favre’s newest weapon this season appears to be their 3rd year receiver Sidney Rice. Over the past four weeks Rice has been seeing a steady diet of seven targets per game and when he’s been on the radar, he’s been productive. Over the same span he’s averaged 4.5 catches, 91-yards, and a half touchdown per game (that’s 12 fantasy points per game).

It’s a gradual and steady growth for the Bronco’s wide receiver Brandon Marshall. Week six was hardly a big week after going three straight with a touchdown. Marshall only caught five passes for 49 yards last Sunday, but over his last four starts he has had no fewer than six targets in each game while averaging eight over that stretch. The biggest key for the Bronco’s receiver is his level of efficiency; catching nearly 70 percent of the passes thrown his direction and averaging over nine fantasy points per game.


Keep your Eye on these gems…

On Monday night against the San Diego Chargers, the Bronco’s tight end Tony Scheffler had his 2009 coming out party. Scheffler caught six passes for over 100 yards and scored an important touchdown in the Monday night matchup. It was the tight end’s first big game this season and more importantly over the past two weeks, he has seen an increased activity in the Bronco’s passing game. In his last two starts Scheffler has seen 12 balls thrown his way and in that stretch he’s grabbed 10 of those throws. Keep your eye on Scheffler, it’s starting to look more and more like the Broncos will be getting him more involved in the vertical game.

Since his glory days as part of the “Greatest Show on Turf” the Jaguar’s wide receiver Torry Holt has not been as productive. Last season was his lowest totals for yards and receptions since his rookie season, but 2009 looks to be a different story. Holt is not lighting any fires at the moment, but he’s been very steady over the past couple of weeks. Holt has 12 receptions for 196 yards and has been targeted 21 times. He may not be considered a weekly must start or reliable fantasy starter, but ranking in the top 25 in both yards and receptions he’s worth watching.




Here is the breakdown for fantasy pass catchers (targets) this season;

Through Six weeks:

Top-30 Targeted Pass-catchers

Player Targt Recpt FPTS
Johnson, Andre WR HOU 66 36 78
Moss, Randy WR NE 58 38 71
Smith, Steve WR NYG 55 41 75
Burleson, Nate WR SEA 54 32 53
Houshmandzadeh, T.J. WR SEA 53 31 43
Ochocinco, Chad WR CIN 53 29 59
Ward, Hines WR PIT 52 41 67
Welker, Wes WR NE 52 36 54
Fitzgerald, Larry WR ARI 50 35 64
Holmes, Santonio WR PIT 49 28 48
Wayne, Reggie WR IND 48 32 68
Daniels, Owen TE HOU 47 32 58
Holt, Torry WR JAC 47 27 38
Smith, Steve WR CAR 47 21 26
Mason, Derrick WR BAL 46 26 53
Winslow, Kellen TE TB 46 29 51
Boldin, Anquan WR ARI 44 29 32
Clayton, Mark WR BAL 44 20 37
Gates, Antonio TE SD 44 29 52
Manningham, Mario WR NYG 44 24 61
Marshall, Brandon WR DEN 43 29 55
Rice, Ray RB BAL 43 33 93
Clark, Dallas TE IND 42 35 54
Sims-Walker, Mike WR JAC 42 28 55
White, Roddy WR ATL 42 27 61
Carlson, John TE SEA 41 24 38
Cooley, Chris TE WAS 41 27 40
Jackson, DeSean WR PHI 41 19 41
Johnson, Calvin WR DET 41 22 39
Royal, Eddie, WR DEN 41 18 13

[points based on traditional scoring]

THAT’S MY TAKE Week 7




THAT’S MY TAKE Week 7

Re-Writing History
By David Ortega


It was only six months ago that the main stream media were tweeting, posting, writing, and talking about how tired they already were with the whole Brett Favre saga; even fans unlike had had enough. It was becoming a joke; is he going to stay retired or unretire. Even a four letter network cut a promo ad poking fun at the whole offseason drama that ensued.

Looking back, was it Favre making this a bigger decision than it really was or was it the networks, media, and sports personalities just trying to reinvent the wheel by making this whole "waffling story" a bigger deal than it needed to be. After all, when Vinny Testaverde retired and came back out of retirement (20 times) was there a circus surrounding his decision and questioning his motive?

Sure Vinny's decision or announcements were hardly "stop the presses", but why was it such a big deal for Brett Favre to change his mind and comeback? Why did so many blast him for considering and reconsidering, maybe, just maybe he knew just a little better what was best for Brett Favre.

So many of us can sit at home and play armchair quarterback or GM for that matter, weigh over the circumstances and draw our own conclusions from observation alone. But how much can we really know? How can you measure one man's heart and really know, what fuels his fire?

Maybe he knew what he was doing, just maybe he was right. In hindsight it's always easier to second guess, because let's face it even in the 12th hour it appeared Favre himself didn't even know what to do; to think if Vikings head coach Brad Childress had not made that one last reach out to the former three-time NFL MVP. If Chilly doesn't make the call, what would all of us be talking about today?

The simple fact is the call was made, Favre said yes and once again we could be looking at history being made. But the critics will tell you we have seen this all before and all too well. Last season with the Jets 8-3 start, there was talk of a post season run, and then like a fly hitting a wall; it all became just a bad dream. Could this just be another repeat or are we seeing something different?

Unlike last season, the Jets for Favre were like the next hot-girl right after a bad break-up with your longtime girlfriend. It's always nice to have someone, but it’s not always where you want to be and with whom you really want to be with; but it’ll do. For what it's worth Favre made the best of the situation, but like any turbulent relationship doomed from the start it did not end on the best of terms; but it had to end.

The Vikings weren't ever going to replace his first love (Packers), but like a long time close (girl) friend that has always been there with the shoulder to lean on, understanding, and with open arms to comfort this relationship when first conceived (last year) always made sense. In Minnesota Favre had strong ties that would make him feel welcome.

Even when Favre was teetering and unsure, rather than understand that at 39 years age the heart wants what the heart wants and that one has to consider can the body survive, the masses (analysts, bloggers, columnists) would rather crucify the guy for seeming to hold a franchise hostage and keeping the football world waiting. It may have seemed selfish to many, but when it comes right down to it, this was Brett's decision and with the support of his family there was only one person he needed to consider.

His decision to play his 19th NFL season did not come easy and it was quite apparent no one covering the story or having an opinion on the matter and every self-serving so-called football analyst and expert were not going to help make it easy.

From right out of the gate, the Favre-hating nation was quick to jump on his signs of rustiness and call out his perceived limitations. Again, pushing 40 years of age and coming off a season were the toll of 16 games had beat him down, how much longer could Favre really play. Was he even the shell of a player we had watched take a Packer team to the NFC championship in 2007?

The Vikings started strong in 2009 and needed very little help from Favre in the first couple of weeks (after two games; 265 yards passing and three touchdown passes). With Favre adding very little to the offense, why was he even in Minnesota? Was he doing anything more that the other two quarterbacks the Vikings had in reserve couldn't? And just like that there was the talk of a "schism." Is that even a word? Everyone and their mother had a take on this.

The so-called schism was being addressed on every air-wave, every talk show, and sure enough there it was on the four letter network being addressed like somekind of physical injury, Favre, Childress, and the Vikings would have to deal with and adjust to. The entire situation was being made out like the Vikings faced a divided locker room.

Why all the drama? Seriously, was Brett wrong to comeback? Was it really that hard to understand a man's love and deep passion for the game? Apparently Childress was confident of his decision and believed in Favre; so why the attention and why the uproar?

Little did anyone realize or see this coming, but the Vikings week three matchup with the 2-0 Niners would not only define Favre's reasoning for coming back, but it would mark the beginning of history being rewritten once again.

In dramatic fashion that only Favre can bring, the Viking's new team leader took his new team upon his back. Favre would not use his voice to lead the way, but the boy from Mississippi would lead with his actions.

In a battle of then unbeatens the two teams traded haymakers, back and forth throughout the game, it was one big timely play after another. First the Vikings struck late in the 3rd quarter and took the lead with a blistering 101-yard kickoff return by Percy Harvin. Then it was the Niners who struck back early in the 4th quarter with a Vernon Davis catch to lead 24-20.

As the clock continued to wind down, the moment had arrived. It was time for Favre to show the world what he was all about and how he loved the game; and loved to win. Calm, cool, and collected Favre took the field, kept plays alive with his feet, made needed throw after throw as he drove his team into position.

With just 12 seconds left to play, it was time for magic. Favre scrambled out to his right to avoid the Niner pressure, as he avoided a potential tackler he stepped up the field, and then in a last wing and a prayer throw he let go a 32-yard laser that miraculously found its’ way to the back of the end-zone, into the hands of the newly signed wide receiver Greg Lewis.

Lewis’ grab completed a sensational game winning touchdown reception that not only elevated the Vikings to 3-0, but ended the talk of any kind of schism or divided locker room. The play was everything you would have expected from a younger, gunslinger, a Favre of yesterday, but this was today and history was being written all over.

In week four Favre would add another chapter to his legacy and make more history. When the Vikings defeated the Packers on Monday night, Favre became the only quarterback in the history of the NFL to defeat all 32 teams in the NFL.

Favre is playing inspired football now. Perhaps all the negative chatter prior to his arrival has motivated him? One thing appears to be certain, not only does Favre have plenty left in the tank, but many of the nay-sayers had it wrong.

Since week three Favre has played like a 30 year old. His numbers are rivaling the best in the league and over his past four starts he’s averaged 270 yards passing and thrown nine touchdowns with only two interceptions. While many try to explain Favre’s sudden resurrection an interesting comment made during the Vikings-Packers matchup in week four by commentator and football analyst Ron Jaworski.

Favre was a late arrival to camp this year, but by week four against the Packers he had put in the same length of time of a full training camp. At this point it would be a fair assessment to gauge his progress and level of play; needless to say Favre’s performance on Monday night was flawless (24 of 31 passing, 271 yards passing, and three touchdowns). Against his former team Favre was accurate; his passes had plenty of zip and velocity, while his spirals were tight and on the mark.

So what makes 2009 different from a year ago when Favre seemed to have collapsed in the second half of the season? At no point in 2008 was he this efficient and effective. His strong start last year could not disguise his gunslinging tendencies with eight interceptions in his first six starts. This season Favre has been much better throwing 12 touchdowns with only two interceptions and completing nearly 70 percent of his passes.

There’s no guarantee that Favre will hold up this season, but then again there seems to be no reason to believe that he will break down. The bicep injury that seemed to undermine his 2008 comeback hardly seems to be an issue in 2009. He’s throwing the ball as well as he ever has and if history repeats as it has often does, this season is sure reminiscent of 2007.

With all the negative criticism surrounding his return, there are still many just waiting for the moment that Favre will tank or resort to his normal tendencies. For those that still don’t believe, holding your breath is not recommended.

At 40 years of age now, Favre is defying the odds and every game he plays and every snap he takes he is rewriting the record books. On Sunday Favre will make his 276th consecutive start (an NFL record). His week seven matchup with the Steelers will present a huge test for Favre as he goes for his 176 career win (another NFL record).

When camp opened up back in the summer, many folks like the Vikings chances heading into the 2009 season. With Favre under center and slinging the rock this well the Viking have to like their chances. We may not have imagined it before, but how you have to think we could be watching something very special; you might even say we’re watching (Favre’s) history be re-written.

That’s my take.

Saturday, October 24, 2009

Tom Hayes: Fox organizes and promotes protests against U.S. gov't

That's not reporting the news.

It may be what you like; it's certainly not illegal. It is not, however, what news organizations do, as Rachel Maddow explains eloquently in the short video below:

Rupert Murdoch's Fox wants to re-shape the American Dream, perhaps, but they don't want to report on it. What they want, clearly, is ratings - followed closely by profits. Fox network is a business; it's their right.

But that's not reporting the news.


Thomas Hayes is an entrepreneur, journalist, and political analyst who contributes regularly to a host of web sites on topics ranging from economics and politics to culture and community.
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Miley Cyrus, Megan Fox, and Videoblogging - what's the connection?

More at Zennie62.com | Follow me on Twitter! | Get my widget! | Visit YouTube | Visit UShow.com

As those of you who follow my blog posts know, I regularly follow (some) of what Miley Cyrus does as well as Megan Fox and other celebs. Some folks don't like it; others do. Some don't care. But it's generated good revenue for me.

But if this is your first visit to my blog, here are two examples of what I've done:

Miley Cyrus:




Megan Fox:



And there are others.

But the question is "why" and to learn the answer I encourage you to follow VSmoothe's lead and come to today's Oakland / East Bay Bloggers Workshop, where I'll join SEO expert Nava Bromberger to talk about "Vlogging, SEO, and making money" where I talk about video-blogging and the YouTube Partner Program and Nava about how SEO relates to it, at 2:45 PM PST.

The event starts today (now) at Tech Liminal, 268 14th Street, in downtown Oakland, from 10 to 5. Join us.

WEEK 7 FANTASY SLEEPER



WEEK 8 FANTASY SLEEPER

By William Queen for Football Reporters Online

This weeks fantasy sleeper is the Green Bay Packers defensive unit. Surprising? Well considering Matt Schuab is currently the leader in fantasy points; this is perfectly ordinary.

I tend to shy away from defense’s when looking for a fantasy sleeper, but I realized that 6 teams are on a bye week, there was practically no other option.

Currently the 6th ranked fantasy defense, the Packers are facing perhaps the easiest offense yet in the Cleveland Browns. The Browns, well, aren’t exactly clicking on offense this season. Only scoring a touchdown in 3 games this season, the Packers shouldn’t have any trouble stopping Cleveland’s offensive attack.

When your kick returner has scored more touchdowns off kicks than your running back has ran for, then you know your just not scoring enough points. A quarterback with only 2 touchdowns, 8 interceptions, and leading the Browns to a 27.9% 3rd down conversion rate; there’s no need to go any further.

The Packers defense has forced 26 turnovers this season, 20 coming off interceptions, so look for them to take advantage of the Browns quarterbacking issues and put up an impressive fantasy performance.

The Weekly Waiver Wire Week7

The Weekly Waiver Wire
By David Ortega for Football Reporters Online



The Bye weeks continue in the NFL and the Waiver Wire just keeps getting busy. As the fantasy football season progresses, you weekly moves take on more importance; your studs are on the bye, your lineup is depleted and you need some serious help. Never fear because Wayne is always here to lend a helping hand, offer some good advice or just take up 10-15 minutes of your day with some senseless rants about a few guys he believes may have something to say this week!

So once again grab a cold one (better make it two) and tae a lot of notes, and just remember Wayne is working hard, so you don’t have to and because he’s got nothing better to do!

Week Seven

After spending the first five weeks of the season dormant, the Saints wide receiver Lance Moore has awaken from his slumber. Slowed by injuries, Moore has played very little in 2009 missing a few games and being limited, but on Sunday it was a different story. Finally looking healthy Moore resembled more of his 2008 self catching six passes for 78 yards, including a 12-yard score. With the Saints flying high and Brees getting the ball to everyone, Moore looked very good on Sunday and could be one of those options down the road with a big game here and there. He’s definitely going to figure into the Saints passing attack and if available needs to be on someone’s roster.

With the Panther’s return to doing what they do best, run the ball running back Jonathan Stewart will figure into this equation. Last week against the Buccaneers Stewart saw his fair share of carries with 17. He gained 110 yards on the ground and scored a rushing touchdown. With the inconsistent play from the passing game it's safe to expect the Panthers to run the ball. As long as Carolina is committed to the run, expect Stewart to have good value always with plenty of chances to score. Coming off the injury bug Stewart should be available and would be a good bye week fill-in.

The Raiders have had more than their share of offensive woes in this young season, but just last Sunday there was a ray of some hope. With injuries sidelining Darren McFadden, running back Justin Fargas has had opportunity this season. This past week Fargas earned 23 carries and totaled 98 yards. In one game Fargas doubled his carries for the season and with the Raiders in search of any kind of offense, expect head coach Tom Cable to start with Fargas. The former SC Trojan running back is not going to blow up, but he's a solid runner and a decent fill-in to cover a bye or injury.

When Fred Taylor went down, the Patriots turned to Sammy Morris, now that Morris is down they'll look to running back Laurence Maroney. In his first extended action of the season or the past decade (injured in 2008) or so Maroney jumped all over the chance and made the most of his time in the spotlight. As the team’s featured snowplowing machine this past Sunday Maroney touched the ball 19 times and totaled 133 yards of offense. With numbers like this the Patriots will more than likely stay with the hot hand and keep feeding the horse. With the schedule sitting right in the middle of the byes, Maroney becomes an appealing fill-in option with the Bucs up next.


“Wayne’s Word”

Enough with the running back theme, looking for a hot tip or just some helpful advice, either way Wayne has the latest insight for this week. Another worthy spot where you can find some good help is the tight end position and with this week’s hottest pickup Wayne offers you these words;

Over the past several weeks the Vikings tight end Visanthe Shiancoe has quickly become quarterback Brett Favre’s most reliable target. Shiancoe is not being heavily targeted, but he’s not dropping many of Favre’s rockets. In the past three weeks the tight end has seen 11 passes thrown his direction and he’s managed to snag everyone; more importantly he’s making the most of his opportunities. Shiancoe has four touchdown receptions in his last three games and has five for the season. With Favre spreading the ball so well, expect him to keep looking for Shiancoe in the critical moments and in scoring position. As long as Shiancoe remains a favorite of Favre’s his numbers figure to improve. His fantasy scoring for the past three games is 7-points, 10-points, and 16-points.


Keep checking back for more football....

Earners and Bums (Studs & Duds) week 7




Earners and Bums
(Studs & Duds)
By David Ortega for Football Reporters Online

With six weeks of the 2009 fantasy football season complete, it’s time again for “The Collector” to take his weekly stroll along Fantasy Football Boulevard to see who is earning their keep and who needs a swift kick in the behind.

The Collector knows who your every week cash-cows (Brees, Brady, Peterson) are; they’re going to have their great weeks and those not so great weeks, but after checking the books and tallying the weekly balance sheets it’s time to once again see who this weeks Earners (Studs) are and who are the Bums (Duds)


The Earners (Studs)
(Note: Not your normal stars/check the wire. Min 16 fantasy points)


The Viking’s quarterback Brett Favre is quickly becoming a huge cash cow with 278 passing yards and three touchdowns (12 touchdowns in 2009) in week six. (29 fantasy points)

The Bronco’s quarterback Kyle Orton keeps the money coming in with 229 yards passing and two touchdowns in week six. (22 fantasy points)

The Panther’s second running back Jonathan Stewart brought home the bacon last Sunday with 17 carries for 110 yards rushing and a touchdown. (15 fantasy points)

The Patriot’s running back Laurence Maroney scored some big green on Sunday with 123 yards rushing and a 45-yard touchdown scamper. (19 fantasy points)

The Vikings wide receiver Sidney Rice was the big man on campus last Sunday with a jail-break performance catching six passes for 176 yards receiving. (17 fantasy points)

The Giant’s rookie wide receiver Hakeem Nicks cashed in big last Sunday catching five passes for 114 yards with a touchdown. (17 fantasy points)

The Bronco’s tight end Tony Scheffler racked in big green this past Monday night catching six passes for 101 yards receiving and a touchdown. (16 fantasy points)

The Bums (Duds)
(Note: We expect more from these guys/be careful starting. Less than 5 fantasy points)

The Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck coming off a great week five was not-so-great last weekend completing only 10 passes and not throwing a touchdown. (zero fantasy points)

It’s not that so much is expected of the rookie Mark Sanchez, but no one should ever be this bad, 10 of 29 passing and five interceptions. (minus six fantasy points)

The Giant’s running back Brandon Jacobs disappears in Sunday’s ambush and brings home empty pockets with just 33 yards rushing. (3 fantasy points)

The Steeler’s former starting running back Willie Parker struggles in week six with just seven carries for 26 yards with a fumble. (zero fantasy points)

The Seahawk’s wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh was almost M.I.A. on Sunday finishing with just four catches for 34 yards receiving. (3 fantasy points)

The Bill’s wide receiver Terrell Owens was a non-factor and disappointment on Sunday finishing the day with only three catches for 13 yards. (one fantasy point)

The Jet’s tight end Dustin Keller could not connect with his quarterback much on a Windy Sunday in the Meadowlands; he finished with two catches and 16 yards. (one fantasy point)


By David Ortega


Check back for more weekly “Earners and Bums”

FRO's NFL Performance Rankings week 6



FRO's NFL Performance Rankings week 6
By Jon Wagner, Sr. Writer At-Large

While there are many power rankings out there based as much on hype, expectations, and too often, unrealized and inaccurate projections, at Football Reporters Online, we prefer to rank NFL teams on what's actually happened, taking into account only how teams have performed on the field and who they’ve played. At F.R.O., you won’t find yet another power ranking that doesn’t tell you much. Instead, here are the F.R.O. NFL Performance Rankings:

Week 6:


THE ELITE:

#1 NEW ORLEANS 5-0 -- Week 6: Beat NY Giants, 48-27
Drew Brees toyed with the Giants’ top-ranked pass defense, looking like he was having a simple game of catch in the backyard with Marques Colston and Lance Moore. With Brees leading the way, the Saints lead the league with a very impressive 38.4 points and 430.0 total yards per game.

#2 INDIANAPOLIS 5-0 +1 Week 6: Bye
The Giants’ loss is the Colts’ gain, as they enjoy their Week 6 bye moving up one, to number 2. The latest of Peyton Manning’s five straight 300-yard games to start the season, has the Colts rolling since a comeback win in Miami. And, the Colts are not just about Manning and the offense. Indianapolis ranks second, allowing just 14.2 points per game.

#3 DENVER 6-0 +1 Week 6: Won at San Diego, 34-23
The Broncos weren’t legit after the fluke win in Cincinnati. They weren’t for real after beating up on Cleveland and Oakland. Well, no one is saying that anymore after home wins over New England and Dallas, and wining in San Diego on Monday Night Football. So far, Josh McDaniels has proved a lot of people wrong doing it his way, with his system, without Jay Cutler, and with Kyle Orton, who is 27-12 as a starter. Denver is allowing a league-low 11.0 points per game.

#4 MINNESOTA 6-0 +1 Week 6: Beat Baltimore, 33-31
Minnesota could easily have two home losses already in their first three home games, but as they did against the 49ers, the Vikings pulled one out late against the Ravens to remain as one of only four unbeatens left. It’s going to be difficult to keep the record unblemished with a pair of tough roads tests coming up in Pittsburgh followed by Brett Favre’s homecoming to Lambeau.

#5 NY GIANTS 5-1 -3 Week 6: Lost at New Orleans, 48-27
New York’s ride against the bottom feeders of the NFL ended with an abrupt wake-up call. The Giants still rank first in overall defense and against the pass, but they looked just the opposite in New Orleans. They still luck out however, maintaining a two-game lead in the NFC East, thanks to the Eagles stubbing their toe in Oakland.

SECOND-TIER CONTENDERS:

#6 ATLANTA 4-1 +1 Week 6: Beat Chicago, 21-14
The Falcons look nearly unbeatable at home even though the Bears played them tough. So far, only one bad effort, at New England. Otherwise, Atlanta has looked sharp on both sides of the ball with a stout defense, and a nice run/pass balance offensively.

#7 PITTSBURGH 4-2 +3 Week 6: Won at Detroit, 28-20
After letting a couple of games get away late in Chicago and Cincinnati, the defending champs have righted the ship with three solid wins in a row.

#8 NEW ENGLAND 4-2 +4 Week 6: Beat Tennessee, 59-0
59-0?!? 45-0 at halftime?!? A records five TD passes for Brady in the second quarter?!? 619 yards of offense?!? And, all in the snow, no less? It looks like Brady has answered the questions of what might have been wrong with him after losses to the Jets and Broncos. The Titans are awful, but the Pats look like they’re finally playing up to their high pre-season expectations.

#9 CINCINNATI 4-2 -3 Week 6: Lost to Houston, 28-17
After five games going down to the wire including three wins in the final 22 seconds, there was no comeback this time, as Houston’s Matt Schaub lit the Bengals up for 4 TD’s and 392 yards. Not a huge surprise since Houston’s offense is dangerous. The area of concern is that Cincinnati’s offense was supposed to be equally dangerous, but couldn’t keep up. And now, Antwan Odom, with the second most sacks (8) in the league, is out for the year with a hurt Achilles tendon.

#10 ARIZONA 3-2 +5 Week 6: Won at Seattle, 27-3
The Cardinals move up by five spots for the second straight week. After a slow start, Kurt Warner has regained his old form, and no one in the league stops the run better than Arizona’s defense which has surrendered just 59.6 rushing yards per game.

#11 CHICAGO 3-2 -2 Week 6: Lost at Atlanta, 21-14
The Bears have played pretty well overall, sandwiching their three wins in between a couple of tough losses on Sunday Night Football in Green Bay and Atlanta.

#12 SAN FRANCISCO 3-2 -5 Week 6: Bye
The Niners started strong, very nearly going 4-0 while barely losing in Minnesota. However, the 35-point home loss to the Falcons was a big red flag. We’ll find out soon if the bye week helps San Francisco regroup, as they resume with a couple of tough ones on the road, at Houston and at Indianapolis.

#13 PHILADELPHIA 3-2 -5 Week 6: Lost at Oakland, 13-9
Despite their winning record, the Eagles have a lot yet to prove, having beaten up badly on some of the league’s weaker teams (Carolina, Kansas City, and Tampa Bay), while losing to another one of those teams (Oakland) and getting crushed by the one good team they’ve played (New Orleans).

MIRED IN MEDIOCRITY:

#14 BALTIMORE 3-3 -1 Week 6: Lost at Minnesota, 33-31
It’s been a strange season thus far for the Ravens. Usually known for their defense, they allowed a lot of yardage early on, starting undefeated by scoring over 30 points in each of their first three games. Since then, they’ve lost three games by a total of only 11 points, including the last two in the final couple of minutes by a combined five points.

#15 GREEN BAY 3-2 +3 Week 6: Beat Detroit, 26-0
The Packers can be good if they can keep Aaron Rodgers upright. Thus far, they’ve allowed a league-high 25 sacks, many of which were a huge factor in their only two losses this season (to Cincinnati and at Minnesota).

#16 DALLAS 3-2 -- Week 6: Bye
Despite three wins, the Cowboys actually looked their best in a loss to the Giants. Romo has been struggling with T.O. gone, and all three wins are against weak competition (Tampa Bay, Carolina, and Kansas City –- who Dallas needed, not T.O. but OT, to beat).

#17 NY JETS 3-3 -6 Week 6: Lost to Buffalo, 16-13 (OT)
The early season bloom has come off the rose for both Mark Sanchez and Rex Ryan, who have recently looked like the rookies they are. The Jets’ results mirror the Ravens, only a little worse. After three impressive wins to start the season, everything has turned around with three straight losses, and two of those were against losing teams (Miami and Buffalo) within the division.

#18 HOUSTON 3-3 +3 Week 6: Won at Cincinnati, 28-17
Inconsistency, thy name is the Houston Texans. So far this year: Loss, Win, Loss, Win, Loss, Win. After a slow start, Matt Schaub and the Houston offense have found their rhythm. If the defense can now join them on a more regular basis, the Texans might get out of their pattern and actually string two or three wins together.

#19 JACKSONVILLE 3-3 +3 Week 6: Beat St. Louis, 23-20 (OT)
The Jags have been tough to figure out. They play the Colts tough on the road, then lay an egg at home against Arizona. They get a huge win in Houston and take care of the hapless Titans easily, but they get then get blown away in Seattle and need OT to beat the lowly Rams. So, far it’s all added up to .500, which is better than many preseason expectations.

#20 SAN DIEGO 2-3 -3 Week 6: Lost to Denver, 34-23
The Chargers defense and special teams have let them down. An average of 17.5 points per game allowed in their two wins, but 31, 38, and 34 points, for an average of 34.3 points allowed per game in three losses.

#21 MIAMI 2-3 -2 Week 6: Bye
Lose one Chad and start 0-3? No problem. Try another Chad, unleash the wildcat, win 2 straight, save the season, head into the bye week, and all’s fine again. Not so fast. Look who’s coming to town next: New Orleans. Expect a heavy dose of the wildcat aimed at keeping Brees off the field.


LOOKING TOWARD THE 2010 DRAFT:

#22 SEATTLE 2-4 -2 Week 6: Lost to Arizona, 27-3
There’s no truth to the rumor of the Seahawks petitioning the league to play St. Louis and Jacksonville only. Seattle beat those two by a combined 69-0. Against others, they’ve been outscored 109-49.

#23 CAROLINA 2-3 -- Week 6: Won at Tampa Bay, 28-21
Competition makes all the difference in the NFL. Start 0-3 playing Philadelphia and traveling to Atlanta and Dallas? No problem, play Washington and Tampa Bay. They may not play like NFL-caliber teams, but the NFL still counts them as NFL wins.

#24 BUFFALO 2-4 +4 Week 6: Won at NY Jets, 16-13 (OT)
The Bills exposed Mark Sanchez, picking him five times. As bas as Buffalo has been at times (see the brutal Cleveland loss), they’re probably one late fumble in New England away from being 3-3 and 2-1 in the AFC East. T.O. has yet to be the factor the Bills hoped he would become for them.

#25 WASHINGTON 2-4 -1 Week 6: Lost to Kansas City, 14-6
How bad is the Redskins’ offense? Well, they became the first team to play six consecutive winless teams, and they are still only 2-4, with only a 2-point win over the Rams and a 3-point win over the Bucs. You must find a way to score points in the NFL, and as well Jim Zorn did that in the other Washington (as a quarterback in Seattle), he hasn’t figured out a way to get the Washington in D.C. to even come close to accomplishing the same yet.

#26 KANSAS CITY 1-5 +4 Week 6: Won at Washington, 14-6
The Chiefs finally got a win over… who else? The aforementioned Redskins. Although they’re one game worse than Oakland and lost to the Raiders at home, they get rated a notch higher since they have played better than Oakland overall during the first six weeks, and should have beat the Raiders after statistically dominating them.

#27 OAKLAND 2-4 +2 Week 6: Beat Philadelphia, 13-9
The Raiders can be respectable. They played San Diego tough, and should have beaten them. Although the Chiefs badly outplayed them, they somehow found a way to win. And, they shocked the Eagles at home, although the offense struggled again. But, when the Raiders are bad, they’re horrible. Prior to the win over Philly, they lost three straight games by 20, 26, and 37.

#28 CLEVELAND 1-5 -3 Week 6: Lost at Pittsburgh, 27-14
The Browns won by default in a 6-3 game in Buffalo in which their punter was the game’s MVP. Other than that, they’ve been pretty bad all around, although they’ve generally hung in most losses a little better than the next four teams…

#29 DETROIT 1-5 -3 Week 6: Lost at Green Bay, 26-0
The Lions have allowed a league-high 188 points while beating only the Redskins (which says more about the state of pro football in D.C. that it does about Detroit turning things around any time soon). The ineptitude in the Motor City has now reached 20 losses in 21 games, but hey, at least they can’t go 0-16 again, like last year.

#30 TENNESSEE 0-6 -3 Week 6: Lost at New England, 59-0
How can a team fall so far, so fast? From an NFL-best 13-3 last season to winless and a 59-0 utter embarrassment in the snow up in Foxborough. The Titans are now allowing league-highs 33 points and 405.7 yards per game and seem to have simply quit on head coach Jeff Fisher, who seems to have lost it, donning a Peyton Manning jersey for a charity fundraiser, saying he “just wanted to feel like to be a winner.” At this rate, he may not get the chance, as that stunt has backfired with Titans fans (even though they’re overreacting), and he could be let go before Tennessee can muster their first win. The only reason the Titans are not last (and they may yet end up there very soon), is that they were very competitive while losing three tough games to start the season, before the three horrific efforts that followed.

#31 ST.LOUS RAMS 0-6 +1 Week 6: Lost at Jacksonville, 23-20 (OT)
For the longest period this season, the Rams have been the NFL’s worst team overall, and easily the league’s most offensively challenged team, scoring just 54 points this year. But, they move out of the cellar this week for at least giving Jacksonville an overtime scare on Sunday, while Tampa Bay…

#32 TAMPA BAY 0-6 -1 Week 6: Lost to Carolina, 28-21
Can’t get out of its own way. The Bucs were more competitive against Carolina but they haven’t been in all of their other games aside from a close loss in Washington. Losing their past 10 games dating back to last season, the bumbling Bucs are in the midst of their longest losing streak since 1977, when they were in the middle of their NFL-record 26-game losing streak. Let’s hope Tampa at least gets a win or two before the current streak repeats itself like that.

FRO's FAVORITE FIVE Top Five NFL Moments - Week 6



FRO's FAVORITE FIVE
Top Five NFL Moments - Week 6
by Jon Wagner, Sr. Writer-At Large, Football Reporters Online


HONORABLE MENTION: RAIDERS’ SECRET WEAPON ON KICKOFF COVERAGE? PIGEON POWER!

If they weren’t so embarrassed as 14-point favorites losing to the lowly Raiders, the Philadelphia Eagles might consider protesting their loss in Oakland since the Raiders weren’t flagged for having 12 men… well, make that the usual 11 men… and one pigeon... on kickoff coverage in the fourth quarter. So, the Eagles not only lose one to bad team they should have beaten easily, but a fellow winged creature turns on them. You just can’t make it up. Really, you can’t. Here’s the clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2msmYpNXic

#5: SCHUAB MAKES SURE BENGALS CAN’T STEAL ANOTHER ONE
All five of the Cincinnati Bengals’ games this season had gone down to the wire this season, and the Bengals had pulled four of them out of the fire, including three in the final 22 seconds, for wins. Houston Texans quarterback Matt Schaub made sure that wouldn’t happen again. Schaub passed the Texans from a 17-14 halftime deficit to a 28-17 lead with a pair of third quarter touchdowns, as the Houston defense then held on to win by the same score. Schaub finished a great day completing 28 of 40 passes for 392 yards, while throwing 4 touchdowns and just one interception.

#4: EDDIE GIVES DENVER TEAMMATES HIS ROYAL TREAMENT
He did it so well the first time, Eddie Royal provided an encore a quarter later. After a 93-yard kickoff return gave Denver a 7-3 first-quarter lead, Royal returned a punt 71 yards a quarter later, to put Denver up 17-10 in San Diego, making him the 11th player in NFL history and the first Bronco ever to return both a kickoff and punt for a touchdown in the same game. The Chargers would regain the lead, 20-17, on what else, a kick return –- a 77-yard punt return by Darren Sproles with 1:03 left in the half. But, Kyle Orton’s two second-half touchdowns keyed a 34-23 comeback win to keep the surprising Broncos undefeated at 6-0.

#3: CARDS STYMIE SEAHAWKS IN SEATTLE

Last week, Seattle Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck made the number 5 spot on this list for his great performance at home against Jacksonville. A week later, he’s on the list for helping the Arizona Cardinals defense make themselves feel at home in Seattle. After averaging 29.3 points per game at home (in three previous home games), Seattle was held to just three points in an easy 27-3 Arizona rout. The Cardinals held the Seahawks to just 7 first downs all game, while allowing only 128 total yards, including just 14 rushing yards on 11 carries, and 114 passing yards, and forcing two turnovers (a fumble and an interception). A week after directing a 41-0 win over the Jaguars, Hasselbeck was limited to just 10 of 29 for 112 yards.


#2: FEELIN’ BREESY IN THE BIG EASY

True, the New York Giants’ secondary was depleted by injuries, but New Orleans Saints’ quarterback Drew Brees was very impressive, going 23 of 30 for 369 yards, 4 touchdowns and no turnovers in a 48-27 thrashing of the G-Men in the Big Easy. Brees did pretty much whatever he wanted to do against the Giants’ ineffective two-deep zone, leading New Orleans to 34 points and 315 yards by halftime against a New York unit that came to The Superdome ranked easily as the NFL’s top defense. After directing a game-opening 15-play touchdown drive, Brees completed all six of his passes on a 6-play, 80 yard touchdown drive on the Saints’ next possession, en route to a near-perfect 17 of 20 for 247 yards and 3 TD’s by halftime. Brees made it look effortless, like a kid quarterback playing touch football in the street, all day long.


#1: BRADY’S SNOWY, RECORD-SETTING SECOND QUARTER

Whether or not the Tennessee Titans, as it seems, have simply quit on the season, and whether the weather –- as in early season snow in October in Foxborough -- had a lot to do with it, New England Patriots’ quarterback Tom Brady was about as good as any passer could be on Sunday. Check out THIS stat line: 29-34, 380, 6 TD, 0 INT, 152.8 passer rating. Now consider that Brady didn’t even play the final 25 minutes of the game. As close to flawless as his overall performance was, that’s not the reason alone that the Patriots’ superstar earned the top spot for the Week 6 Favorite Five. No, it was because of a different five –- as in establishing a new NFL record for touchdown passes in a single quarter. Yes, five times in the second quarter, in the snow, no less, Brady threw a pass that a Patriot receiver took to the end zone for a score: first, a 40-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Randy Moss; back to Moss 57 seconds later on a 28-yard score; 2:39 after that, a 38-yard TD pass to running back Kevin Faulk; 4:27 later, a 30-yard strike to wide receiver Wes Welker; and finally, 1:41 later, a 5-yard touchdown toss, again, to Welker. A 35-0 quarter and a 45-0 Patriots halftime lead… wait, that’s worth repeating, since it now marks the biggest halftime lead in NFL history! … FORTY-FIVE TO NOTHING… AT HALFTIME! The game ended as a FIFTY-NINE TO NOTHING Patriots’ beatdown of the Titans. Amazing. This isn’t a college football mismatch on the schedule! THAT’S where you see 45-0 at the half and a 59-0 final (which tied the largest margin of victory since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970; the Los Angeles Rams beat the Atlanta Falcons by the same score in 1976 … You just NEVER see a blowout to this degree in the NFL. In fact, you have to go back to 1920, when a team like the Rochester Jeffersons beat a squad called Fort Porter 66-0 to have seen a whopping worse than this. Just incredible. Even more so since the Titans were 13-3 last year. From that, to 0-6 and a 59-0 loss. Wow. Here are some other impressive facts and figures on the Pats’ utter dominance… Brady’s 6 TD’s tied his own Patriots’ record… New England possessed the ball for 18 more minutes, an even 39 minutes to Tennessee’s 21… After a missed field goal on their first possession of the game, the Patriots scored on their next nine. They scored a touchdown followed by a field goal in the first quarter, and then scored touchdowns on all seven times they had the ball in the middle two quarters. In the fourth quarter, New England lost the ball on downs at the Tennessee 6 and on its last drive, at the Titans’ 41 after going a 4-yard rush and three kneel-downs by backup quarterback Brian Hoyer. So yes, it was 59-0, and it still could have been much worse… Now, here’s the real amazing thing about Brady’s performance (as if a 5-touchdown quarter wasn’t enough). Even in a game that was so lopsided, the Titans actually matched the Patriots in one of the most key statistical categories: each team rushed the ball for 193 yards (Tennessee on 36 rushes, New England on 30 carries); and the Titans had 6 rushing first downs to the Patriots’ 9. The difference though, which helped to account for a Patriots’ club record 619 total yards, was the in the passing game, led by Brady: New England had 21 passing first down to just one for Tennessee, while the Patriots outgained the Titans 426 to -7 (no, that’s not a typo with an extra character, that’s a MINUS 7 passing yards for Tennessee). Just one more number from this game that’s hard to believe.

“FRO’s Favorite Five” Frankie’s Favorite Fantasy Picks Week 7



“FRO’s Favorite Five”
Frankie’s Favorite Fantasy Picks
Week 7

By Frankie Underwood, Senior Fantasy Writer at www.footballreportersonline.com Email questions and comments to Frankie@footballreportersonline.com



Kansas City Chief’s QB Matt Cassel could put up enough numbers to cover for your regular starter during a bye week. Cassel is at home against a San Diego team that can not get pressure and is consistently in shoot out games. Just like last season Cassel started out cold but has gotten better on a weekly basis. Star WR Dwayne Bowe could be slowed down by Antonio Cromartie, but fellow receivers Mark Bradley and Bobby Wade have shown an ability to make clutch plays. The San Diego Chargers do not fare well against TEs so Sean Ryan should be useable last resort. If Cassel is not an option, Bills backup QB turned starter Ryan Fitzpatrick could show up, but try your best to find an alternative.

Unfortunately I could not find a real sleeper at RB this week. I guess I’ll have to consider the Indianapolis Colts Donald Brown as my play for this weekend. If you have Brown then there is a possibility that you are playing him weekly. If he’s not a weekly start for you and your feeling anxious about starting him this week, relax. Running backs are like H1N1 to St. Louis Rams; defenders either fall at their feet or just stay away in general. Michael Bush could perform this weekend, but it’s the freakin’ Raiders, so who knows.

Do you want a deep sleeper at WR this week? Hit or Miss I will put New England Patriots WR Sam Aiken out there with my stamp of approval. I wanted Julian Edleman, but guess who has a broken arm. Aiken signed a two year extension this week so now with Edleman out, we should get to see why. Whether it’s in garbage time or early in the game Aiken should get his share of the yardage that Tampa Bay is continually giving up. Tampa is transitioning from the Tampa 2 over to a more man defense and still has not gotten it down. Arizona’s Steve Breaston could also put up some stats especially if Anquan Boldin is out.

If you are losing your starting TE this week because of bye weeks, then you need a new starting TE, Period! If he’s on the waiver wire, Steelers’s Heath Miller should become your starting TE. The Steelers are against a Minnesota team that is fairly stout against the run but gives up a lot to TEs, and Big Ben will know where to find him. By The Way the match up of Big Ben versus Jared Allen should be fun to watch. When Allen gets to Ben, can he drag him down before Ben gets the throw off? Other TEs possibly on the waiver wire that could become your starter are Zack Miller (Raiders, agh.) and Sean Ryan of KC (last resort).

The Indianapolis Colts defense could be one of the top defenses this weekend when they travel to St. Louis. The Rams offensive line is still a liability and the colts speed rushers should make them look silly. St. Louis QB learned from Kurt Warner to sit back and wait until a receiver comes open. If he has not changed his ways we could see Kyle Boller again sooner rather than later. As long as the middle of the defensive line and safeties can contain RB Steven Jackson, this could be a shut out for Indy. San Diego is also a long shot play this weekend despite what I said about Cassel above, really it’s 50/50.


Last Weeks Favorite Five


Matt Hasselbeck – Looks like Arizona found their pass D, Sorry

LeSean McCoy – Does Andy Reid even look at what other teams have done to his opponents? Sorry

Mike Sims-Walker – 9 for 120, I’ll take it!

Jermichael Finley – 5 for 54, again I’ll take it!

New England Patriots – 2 INTs 3 Fumbles Recovered and a Shutout, I’ll take that too!!!

Friday, October 23, 2009

Steve Phillips ESPN scandal - Oakand live talk at Lake Chalet

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This is the first experimental episode of Zennie62 Live. We're at The Lake Chalet at 4:13 PM. The big news of the day is that the Steve Phillips ESPN Sex Scandal is still a top search on Google Trends because of the letter that his now-ex-girlfriend Brooke Hundley, the 22-year old ESPN Production Assistant, wrote about how they came to date.

In Oakland, locally, the news is the truck accident on Grand Avenue, where a big construction truck ran into a man trying to turn on to Mac Arthur from Grand Avenue.

Precious controversy: Tyler Perry movie tests America's readiness for black story - Oscar Buzz

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Precious is a film I've not yet seen and frankly would only do so with a group of friends. Based on the novel "Push" by Sapphire, and directed by Lee Daniels, it concerns the purgatory life of Clareece "Precious" Jones played by Gabourey Sidibe and its description, regardless of where one turns, is wince-producing.



Precious was making a headlong sprint for the Oscars, wining several film festival awards this year, until it hit a major speedbump in the form of a snub at the Gotham Awards that's got bloggers talking. I read Tom O'Neill's great post over at LA Times' Gold Derby Blog on the assumed backlash against Precious and had to chime in.

Harlem-born Precious Jones is the victim of a severe degree of domestic violence treatment primarily from her father and a mother who tells her that she's worthless and throws sharp objects at her. A terrible crucible to grow up in. It's a real story of real people and a real problem called child abuse. It's an African American story, but an American story at the same time.

The film has made the rounds at film festivals with no small measure of success. It won the Sundance Film Festival's Grand Jury Prize, and took the Toronto Film Festival by storm.

During its film festival travels it became known as "The Oprah Flick" as CNN called it because of her financial investment in the movie, and her presence, along with Perry, on the main credits.

Tom O'Neill considers if there's a backlash against the film because of the star power of Winfrey and Perry, then turns to bloggers for reaction. I personally don't think that's the case, but I do think there's a classic issue with the frank depiction of a segment of black life.

Precious was shockingly snubbed as a nominee in any category at the Gotham Awards and in all categories many believed it would win an award in, including best picture. It's not up for even one award. Not one.

What I see developing is what I hope does not come to pass: a variation of another "Color Purple" moment.

The Color Purple was an outstanding movie produced by Quincy Jones and directed by Steven Spielberg, released in 1985, and based on the book "The Color Purple" by Alice Walker. It was nominated for 11 Academy Awards and didn't get even one.

You could hear the collective cry of blacks around America, including me. It was an exciting moment to hope to see Hollywood bless a movie about hard issues that are part of African American history. Then, in three hours of painful viewing, the hope was dashed.

Like Precious, that hard issue was abuse and Celle, the woman who was the focus of the story, well played by Whoopi Goldberg, was the "Precious" of the 80s. But some didn't feel the movie lived up to the book. Others were resentful that a white director, Spielberg, was at the helm of a "black" movie, which was stupid then and dumb today. The Color Purple was as equally hard to watch in its day as Precious is today.

Not hard to watch in that one doesn't want to see it, but in the case that The Color Purple really tests you and touches your emotions at a visceral level.

But with that, I don't think Precious will suffer exactly the same fate as The Color Purple did in 1985. But I do think the real problem is in the direct, in-your-face depiction of a black story. In watching just the video clips I've seen, Precious took me back to the South Chicago I grew up in.

I think everyone who grew up in South Chicago knew someone that was a Precious or a group of young women that had suffered abuse in different ways like Precious did. That's what's "hard to watch" for me.

But I think it's even harder for some high-brow, non-black audiences to understand because their reactions predictably fall into three groups: one that thinks it's "too stereotypically black" (which is not the case), one that like it but can't get past the depiction of abusive relationships or the violence, or the third group which just likes it as a great movie work.

As you can see if 33 percent of the non-black film snob audience like Precious, then the chance that it may not get the Oscar nod it deserves is rather high. I agree with Scott Feinberg, who offered the observation that the Academy's membership is older and conservative, and falls into the "high-brow, non-black (mostly) audience.

And, like for The Color Purple, there are black bloggers like Keith Josef Adams over at The Root who say the Precious plays "the blame game", but this time puts it on women, where talk show host Tony Brown called The Color Purple the most racist depiction of black men since "Birth of A Nation".

Some believed it was that kind of chatter that killed The Color Purple's Oscar chances.

The degree to which Precious overcomes those hurdles and takes Oscar gold, let alone secures key award nominations really will be a barometer of how far we've come as a society.

I'm going to roll the dice in favor of Precious as well as the idea that America really has changed.