Late Picks for Whatever Week This Is.

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The picks are back and worse than ever. Just like everyone else, including my competition, I forgot that there was a Thursday night game to pick. And there were plenty of picks in that game thanks to Mr. Cutler. Thank you, thank you, I'll be here all night. Who knows what we will see this week, apparently according to ESPN the season starts this week since there is a Colts-Pats matchup so I guess that has to be true. But I tend to disagree with the mothership. I see it as the start of the season because its Cleveland Browns post-bye week. Will it be any different than pre-bye week?? Most likely not. But we can hope. All we can do is hope. I mean really it can't be worse than the first 8 weeks. Let's hope Mr. Quinn doesn't get his ego or body bruised up too badly in his return to the starting lineup. I'm actually excited to see what he can do. Then again I was excited for Week 1 to see what he could do and that turned out about as well as Tim Couch's season. Actually I think we would be a playoff team with Tim Couch. I love him. He was always my favorite. Plus he married a Playmate. Did you hear Playboy is for sale?? I could be a major player in that purchase if they brought the price down a few hundred mil or so. Ah, playboy.... Wait what were we talking about??? Oh yeah, picks.....let the good times roll NO (-13.5) @ StL NO. Steven Jackson continues his amazing season as the Rams only NFL worthy player. Unfortunately NO has about 40 NFL players. TB (+9.5) @ Miami MIA. Miami needs this game. TB got its win. Josh Freeman will come back to Earth and the Wildcat will run wild. Det (+16.5) @ Min MIN. Detroit is getting worse. The Vikes are just getting warmed up. Say hello to 200yds Adrian. Jaxx (+6.5) @ NYJ JAX. I don't trust the Jets to play well. I think they will win but it won't be pretty. Buf (+6.5) @ Tenn TEN. I like Vince Young running the team. Buffalo is really bad. Oh yeah, and Chris Johnson is crazy good, Like 2000 Yards good. Well, it would be cool if he was. Cin (+6.5) @ Pit CIN. Cincy has won me over and I think they are better than most 'experts' think they are. That and I hate the burgh. WHO DEY!!! Den (-4.5) @ Was DEN. Washington is really bad, Denver isn't all that good but they will beat up the Skins. Atl (-1.5) @ Car CAR. Panthers seem to be coming together. Actually, I just like DeAngelo more than Michael Turner. Does Steve Smith still play?? KC (+1.5) @ Oak OAK. Who cares... Phi (+2.5) @ SD PHI. San Diego will get back into their division by the Broncos giving it to them. Philly needs this game to get back to the top tier of the league. Sea (+8.5) @ Ari ARI. Can't see the Seahawks keeping it close. Warner is due for 2 good games in a row. Dal (-2.5) @ GB DAL. Cowboys are on too much of a roll to pick against right now and the Packers just blew a 2 score 4th quarter lead to Tampa Bay. Scary. NE (+2.5) @ Ind NE. Wow. Had to go with first choice that popped into my head on this one. I really have no idea what will happen in this one. Can't wait for it. Two great HOF QBs. I'm just so jealous. Someday Cleveland, Someday... Bal (-10.5) @ Cle CLE. Browns pride baby. The "walk-in" will work. Usually once a season the Browns pull out some win that they don't deserve and that doesn't make sense. This is that week. They actually force a couple turnovers and Brady makes some miracle plays (ok just completions) and we are able to keep it close before Phil Dawson wins it in the final seconds. Ok so we might lose by 40, but I'm choosing to stay positive. GO BROWNS!!!

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This one's on you, Mr Selig

A BILLION DOLLAR payroll over five seasons.
Congratulations, you no good Yankees.

Week 7 Picks

Yeah, I forgot to post the picks last week but I was correct on 7 while Joe was correct on 4. I currently hold a 3 point lead over little brother.

GB (-7.5) @ Cle
CLE. Still picking Cleveland. I am not afraid of cheese heads. DA has had 2 bad games in a row so he is due for either a 3rd (4INTs) or 280+ yards and 3TDs. Choice A is more likely but hey, I'll still be hoping for a good game.
GB. I'm afraid I've lost all faith with the Browns this season. Do I hope they find a few wins here and there? Of course. But I wouldn't be shocked if they finish 2-14.

SD (-4.5) @ KC
SD. Also due for a big game is San Diego. I think Rivers goes wild in this one. KC may keep it close for a half but Tomlinson and Co break it open in the second half.
SD. I agree with Mister Miller.

SF (+3.5) @ Hou
HOU. Will the Crabtree signing have any effect?? Not with Shaun Hill as QB.
SF. I can't believe it took so long for Mike Singletary to secure a head coaching position but guys like Mangini get second chances.

Ind (-13.5) @ StL
IND. This line would have to be near 20 for me to consider StL. They are terrible. Manning sits by 4th quarter.
IND. The Rams are irrelevant. I agree again with the good brother.

Min (+4.5) @ Pit
MIN. Should shape out to be a great game. Hopefully 'good' Favre comes to play and not 'INT' Favre. I'm counting on Jared Allen to say hello to Big Ben more than a few times today.
PIT. Lord Favre has to lose sometime, right? Pittsburgh has been a little complacent but this is a game the Steelers will find a way to win.

NE (-14.5) @ TB
NE. Basing all this on last week's 59 point win. I would have to believe they can beat a bad TB team by more than 15. And Brady was looking hot in his suit he wore to England.
NE. The more that everybody hates the Patriots, the more I'm starting to like them. With that incredible trashing of the Titans last week, the Patriots is the new team to beat.

Buf (+7.5) @ Car
CAR. Battle of receivers who are done, TO vs the other Steve Smith. Which terrible QB will frustrate their fan base more today?? Its a toss up. But DeAngelo will have himself a day vs the bad Buffalo D.
BUF. What a horrible game this will be.

NYJ (-6.5) @ Oak
NYJ. Can Oakland play two decent games in a row?? They haven't been terrible at home this season but can we trust them? I sure don't.
OAK. The Jets caught every rookie break they could in the beginning and now Sanchez is drifting back to earth. Meanwhile, the Raiders are starting to get some of their swagger back.

Chi (-1.5) @ Cin
CIN. I like Cincy to come through and show they are a playoff contender this year. The loss of Odom will hurt but Cutler will throw some bad passes and OchoCinco will make an appearance in the endzone.
CIN. The Bengals are like the Browns' ugly half-sister. Sharing a common father, they're the Browns with stripes. That's what I keep telling myself b/c I'd rather the Bengals continue to do well instead of the alternative AFC North teams.

Atl (+3.5) @ Dal
ATL. Pretty sure Atlanta should be the favorite. What has Dallas done this year??
ATL. I'm with ya. I guess it's at Dallas which is good for a field goal in the spread. Maybe Dallas will turn the corner here soon. Maybe Romo needs a rebound...

NO (-6.5) @ Mia
MIA. I sure hope Miami can keep up. I think the humididity will keep the out-of-towners slowed down enough and I am loving Ronnie Brown this year.
NO. You are incorrect. The wildcat is still a gimmick. Sometimes it will work, sometimes it won't. Today, it won't. Saints, even outdoors, win big. Really big.

Ari (+7.5) @ NYG
ARI. I don't like Arizona to win because they travel worse than a 2year old but its also gonna be nasty out and Eli doesn't do the best in bad conditions.
NYG. The G-men have something to prove after being outgunned by the Saints last week. I'm hoping Steve Smith has another 12-catch game.

Phi (-7.5) @ Was
PHI. This could very easily be a rally game for Washington, but it won't be. Philly cruises.
PHI. If I didn't like Jim Zorn, I would find his situation more amusing. Man, that guy is going down in flames and didn't resign when he had the chance. Simply put, the Redskins are not good. It isn't necessarily Zorn's fault. The Redskins might be a 3-13 team next year.

Week 5 Picks

Another week and another interruption in the pick making process. For some reason Mike thinks its ok for him to slack off just because a baby was born. [Ed. note: It's never okay to slack off on picks.] Hopefully that clouded his vision and will give me a slight advantage for the week. A lot of bad games leads to a lot of favorites being picked.

Go Browns!! Win one for Isaac, it could be a sign.

cle +6.5 (Buffalo)
pit -10.5 (Pittsburgh)
dal -8.5 (Dallas)
min -10.5 (Minnesota)
oak +16.5 (NY Giants)
phi -13.5 (Philadelphia)
car -3.5 (Washington)
balt -8.5 (Baltimore)
sf -2.5 (San Francisco)
sea -0.5 (Jacksonville)
hou +5.5 (Arizona)
NE -3.5 (New England)
Ind -3.5 (Indianapolis)
nyj -1.5 (NY Jets)

Week 4 Picks

Because of Joe's run in yesterday with about 8 hours of Miller High Life, the picks will be short and sweet. Through three weeks, Joe is leading by one game in the weekly picks.

DET (+10.5) @ CHI, CIN (-5.5) @ CLE, SEA (+8.5) @ IND, NYG (-9.5) @ KC, TB (+7.5) @ WASH, TEN (-2.5) @ JAX, OAK (+9.5) @ HOU, BAL (+2.5) @ NE, NYJ (+6.5) @ NO, BUF (-1.5) @ MIA, DAL (-3.5) @ DEN, STL (+10.5) @ SF, SD (+6.5) @ PIT, GB (+3.5) @ MIN.

Joe: Detroit, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, New York Giants, Tampa Bay, Tennessee, Houston, Baltimore, New Orleans, Buffalo, Dallas, San Francisco, San Diego, Minnesota.
Mike: Detroit, Cleveland, Indianpolis, New York Giants, Washington, Tennessee, Oakland, Baltimore, New Orleans, Buffalo, Denver, St Louis, Pittsburgh, Minnesota.

Week 3 Picks

[Last week, Mike and Joe tied with 13 correct picks out of 16 games.]

Just wanted to make note that the Browns players already have submitted 5 claims against Eric Mangini. Not good. Its been 2 weeks, 5 claims. We won't get 5 wins. It took til halftime of game 1 for the disgruntledness to set in. I can't see this season getting much better any time soon. Will Mangini make it to Year 2?? Will there be any players left by Week 12?? Will we ever score a meaningful TD?? Will Jamal Lewis have a 20+ yard run this season?? Will he die afterward if he does?? These are all questions I can't wait to find out. So let's tune in to Week 3 of the NFL and watch Baltimore leave BQ in tears by the 2nd half of today's game.

WAS (-6.5) @ DET
(JOE:) DET. Could this be the week it finally happens?? Washington can't score so that could cause problems.
(Mike:) WAS. This Redskins are not nearly as good as the locals want them to be but they'll be good enough to beat the hapless Lions. Everybody is saying, This is the Week! for the Lions but no, it is not. Lions probably won't win until they face the Browns.

GB (-6.5) @ STL
GB. Long day for the Rams. Green Bay makes up for last week.
STL. If this was in Green Bay, the Rams wouldn't have a chance. But in their dome, never count them out. As bad as they might be, they still have Steven Jackson (at least I think they do). Packers are overrated and won't cover this spread.

SF (+7.5) @ MIN
49ers. Could be a great game. Favre finally is tested and leads key late drives. But I'll take 7 pts for SF with that great D.
SF. The 49ers are on the rise and will keep it a close ballgame. Brett Favre will lead the Vikings to their first 3-0 start since 1937. It's amazing to me how Favre gets blasted for his comeback more than Mike Vick has been blasted for his. Bassackwards.

ATL (+4.5) @ NE
NE. Could have easily picked ATL for this one and probably should have but I believe in Mr Bunchen to get hot one of these weeks and this may be it.
NE. The Patriots were embarrassed last week and will get revenge against the visiting Falcons.

TEN (+2.5) @ NYJ
NYJ. Still like the Jets D and playing in the rain will help.
TEN. Yeah, Sanchez has exceeded expectations through the first two games but today he faces a pretty tough defense. Even though they have opposite records, the Titans shouldn't be the underdog. Time for the Jets to get smacked with reality.

KC (+9.5) @ PHI
KC. Somehow someway KC keeps it within a TD. Vick makes a difference in his debut but Kolb is terrible.
KC. I might regret this choice but with McNabb on the bench, the Chiefs might have a chance to keep it close. I'd be hard pressed to name three players for KC but surely they can keep it close, right?

NYG (-7.5) @ TB
NYG. The Bucs are pretty bad and so far Eli has been worth most of his extension he received in the offseason.
NYG. The Buccaneers are horrible. I mean, they're really bad. If there's a team that might be worse than Cleveland, it would be this team. Giants win big, really big.

CLE (+13.5) @ BAL
BAL. Maybe if the Browns had scored a TD that mattered in their first 2 games then maybe I'd pick them to at least cover 2 TDs but unfortunately they haven't even thrown a pass that has crossed the goalline in those 2 games. That leads me to believe they will lose by 25+ points today. We may have our first DA sighting today not because of a bad BQ performance but because he may in a coma after some huge hits he will take today.
CLE. Third game of the season and the Browns are already a two touchdown underdog. Usually you don't see that until later in the season when the good and bad teams have been established. But reality has hit early for us Browns fans. It will take a miracle for the Browns to win this game. Will they score an offensive touchdown? Maybe so, since studderstep Jamal is out. Will the defense hold the Ravens to under 30? Let's hope.

JAX (+3.5) @ HOU
HOU. The Jags are really that bad and the Texans will roll 30+ points today.
HOU. This is not a vote of confidence for the Texans as much as it's a vote of apathy against the Jaguars.

CHI (-2.5) @ SEA
CHI. With Hasselbeck hurting Chicago will take care of business in Seattle. Cutler has his 2nd quality start in a row.
CHI. Matt Hasselbeck, Joe's hero, is out for this game which gives the ball to Charlie Frye. Ha, okay, it'll actually be Seneca Wallace who might be just as bad. And facing a Chicago defense, it won't be pretty. Seahawks are gonna get drilled.

NO (-4.5) @ BUF
BUF. High scoring game, the Bills will keep pace but Brees pulls out a close one in the end.
NO. The Saints will continue their march in a dominant showing against the improving Bills. Drew Brees will need to prove that he can play in any weather. He was successful in San Diego, successful in the Superdome, but will he be successful when the weather isn't perfect. Yeah, probably.

PIT (-4.5) @ CIN
CIN. As we all know I picked the Bengals to shock the world and make the playoffs. This is where that run begins. WHO DEY
PIT. Coming off a loss, much like the Patriots, the Stillers will be looking for a big of revenge to boost their confidence. I would absolutely LOVE a Bengal win but I don't think they'll be close.

DEN (+1.5) @ OAK
DEN. Jamarcus Russell is terrible. Maybe the worst in the league. Denver does just enough to pull it out in Oaktown.
DEN. As much as I hate the Broncos, I love how they jettisoned the big baby whatshisface Cutler. As I've gotten older, I've found that I hate teams like the Broncos and Ravens less than I used to hate them. I don't necessarily even hate the Steelers as much as I despise their actual fans. I think it's all because the Browns have been so bad for the last 15 years. I need the Browns to improve so I can get that hateful feeling back... instead of all this apathy. I think I have the football version of Stockholm Syndrome.

MIA (+5.5) @ SD
SD. Traveling across the country on a short week will hurt the Dolphins. SD runs away with this one in the end.
MIA. The Dolphins continue to win via gimmickry but that's better than losing by the book. Whatever Bill Parcells does is magic and now he's doing it again in South Florida. Meanwhile, the Chargers have been an average team in a below average division for the last five years. I'm taking the Dolphins with the points.

IND (+1.5) @ ARI
ARI. Even though Peyton takes care of business on prime time, this night will belong to Kurt Warner and madden cover boy Fitzgerald.
IND. I cannot believe the Colts are underdogs. I cannot believe the Cardinals are favored over the Colts. I cannot believe that this isn't butter.

CAR (+9.5) @ DAL
DAL. I like Dallas to give Jerry Jones a Happy Ending in this one. Quite a visual, I know. Delhomme goes back to turnover-ville and the Dallas D plays as big as the jumbotron.
DAL. Remember how I was saying how bad the Chiefs are and that I couldn't name three players on their team? Ditto that for the Panthers. Poor Jake Delhomme has about two more starts remaining in his glorified NFL career. Back to the bayou, Jake.

Week 2 Picks

Week 1 Picks went to my favor. I think I'm leading Mister Joe Miller by a score of 10-6 vs 7-9. Joe's picks are in brown and mine are in orange. Go Browns!


Car (+6.5) @ ATL
ATL. We have now run out of fingers and are on to toes to count Delhomme's total turnovers his last 2 games played. That's not good. Matt Ryan takes care of the ball and of Carolina today.
ATL. Atlanta is my sleeper pick for 2009. Bold prediction: Ten regular season wins for the Falcons and maybe more.

MIN (-9.5) @ DET
MIN. Its bad when 9.5 points isn't even tempting. Stafford to Johnson may end up being something special down the road, but right now Peterson is the something special and his count to 2000+ yards continues with another huge game today.
MIN. Lions will need more points than this.

CIN (+9.5) @ GB
CIN. If Cincy's offense is as bad as it looked last week then there is now way they cover but I think they have to be better than that and they keep this game relatively close. Also, I think the Bengals defense isn't bad and will cause a couple TOs to balance out the lack of offense.
CIN. The Bengals aren't great and they're playing to a tough crowd but I think they cover the spread here.

HOU (+7.5) @ TEN
HOU. Houston will cover because the pass rush of the Titans is not what it was last year without the big man in the middle. Big Ben put up great numbers on the Titans last week and the Houston offense is, supposedly, more high powered than the Steelers.
HOU. A team relocates, changes colors and names then comes back into town to face the new home team. These factors will keep the game close.

OAK (+3.5) @ KC
OAK. I like Oakland to win the one outright. They run the ball all game and just make Russell make 2-3 throws. This one stays close throughout and Janikowski knocks home a long FG to win the game for the Raiders (in Berman voice).
KC. Wow. I'm glad I don't have to watch this game.

NE (-5.5) @ NYJ
NE. I really want to pick the Jets to win outright in this one but until they beat NE once I can't pick against the Pats. When you win 8 straight in someone else's stadium, there is a reason. And that reason is the QB for the Pats who is back for more this season and also got called out by maybe the dumbest defender in the league. That worked out real well for the last guy to do that to TomTom.
NE. Keep on talking, Gang Green. The Pats win this one in an absolute blow out.

NO (+1.5) @ PHI
NO. This line must have been made before McNabb became McOUT of the game. The Saints will win my 2 TDs and Brees will again throw multiple TDs in his quest to break 2 amazing QB records this season.
NO. If the weather was worse, I'd go with Philly. But on a nice field, the Saints are tough to beat anywhere.

StL (+10.5) @ WASH
WAS. StL is terrible. Washington will not play well but it doesn't matter because what's St. Louis going to do about it. Steven Jackson plays 1 v 11 today and has a decent game but its not near enough.
STL. Yes, the Rams are bad but I think they'll stick close to the underachieving Redskins

ARI (+3.5) @ JAX
ARI. The Super Bowl Losers will come back off of last week's poor showing and defeat the not-so-good Jags. Kurt Warner may not make it through the game and maybe will see some Leinert power but either way Arizona makes some big plays to take the game.
ARI. Surely the defending NFC Champs won't start the year 0-2...

SEA (+1.5) @ SF
SF. I picked Seattle to win the division but this early season divisional matchup will go to the 49ers. Singletary has the 49ers full of confidence and their D is for real. It will be a close game but SF at home will have the advantage.
SF. The 49ers are only a player or two away from returning to their old glory.

TB (+4.5) @ BUF
BUF. Tampa got picked apart by Romo last week and Trent Edwards looked pretty good in the no huddle vs the Pats so I expect a big passing day for the Bills. TO actually gets to make some catches today and even scores a TD. GET YOUR POPCORN READY!!!
BUF. The Bills blew it last week but against the QB-less Bucs, a win is certain.

PIT (-2.5) @ CHI
CHI. I like Chicago in this one because their D is going to pressure Ben all day and Cutler cannot be as terrible as he was last week. Polamolu will be a big injury for Pitt and the Bears will take advantage.
PIT. Pains me to pick them but the Steelers minus Polamalu are better than the Bears minus Urlacher.

CLE (+3.5) @ DEN
CLE. You guessed it, Cleveland will win this one outright ending a terrible drought against the Mile High City Team. If Cleveland doesn't win it will be because they can't stop the run OR can't stop Brandon Marshall OR can't move the ball OR throw to Robert Royal 9 times and Braylon 5 times. But like those things ever happen to Cleveland.
DEN. There's no point in picking the Browns for anything, ever.

BAL (+4.5) @ SD
BAL. AFC North pride. Baltimore's D is still a scary force even though Brodie Croyle was not impressed last week. Flacco continues to progress at a rapid rate and puts up stats in this one comparable to Rivers.
BAL. The Ravens will give the Steelers a run for their money for the AFC North this season.

NYG (+2.5) @ DAL
DAL. I don't know how Dallas will do it but they will beat the Giants. It could have something to do with playing in a BILLION dollar stadium in front of a NFL-record crowd. I don't know how pretty the game will be but the stadium will look awesome, well unless the scoreboard gets hit again.
NYG. Playing underneath that scoreboard reminds me of the dogs getting squashed in A Fish Called Wanda.

IND (-3.5) @ MIA
IND. Pretty boring Monday night game for me. The Dolphins could be really bad this year again and Indy hasn't been bad in a decade. Oh yeah, and I hate Joey Porter.
IND. Dolphins overachieved using gimmicks last season while the Colts are simply solid year after year.

Mike's 2009 NFL Predictions

AFC EAST: New England
AFC NORTH: Pittsburgh
AFC SOUTH: Tennessee
AFC WEST: San Diego
AFC Wildcards: Indianapolis, Baltimore

NFC EAST: Philadelphia
NFC NORTH: Green Bay
NFC SOUTH: New Orleans
NFC WEST: Arizona
NFC Wildcards: Atlanta, Chicago

AFC Champion: Indianapolis
NFC Champion: Atlanta

Super Bowl Champion: Atlanta

Joe's 2009 NFL Predictions

AFC East: Pats 12-4
AFC North: Steelers 11-5
AFC South: Titans 10-6
AFC West: Chargers 12-4
AFC Wildcards: Colts 10-6, Bengals 9-7
AFC Champion: Pats over Chargers

NFC East: Giants 11-5
NFC North: Green Bay 11-5
NFC South: New Orleans 11-5
NFC West: Seattle 10-6
NFC Wildcards: Minnesota 9-7, Philadelphia 10-6
NFC Champion: Minnesota over Green Bay

Super Bowl: Pats over Favre

Football is Back!

And so are our terrible football predictions. I'm sitting on the couch, Coke on ice on the coffee table, Jinx the cat sleeping at my side, pregnant wife barefoot in the kitchen and football season 2009 is finally here. Tonight is the night to be a Titans fan as Tennessee takes on the Steelers. So I need to post the picks before this game gets started. This year my rival again is my formidable brother, The Joe Miller. Here's his thoughts on the new season:

Well we have had eight months or so to clear our heads of last season, take a look at the offseason and prepare for the new season ahead. This offseason has made one thing clear for the upcoming season: nothing is clear and there are many potential playoff/super bowl candidates. Well, except for Cleveland.
Cleveland, this offseason, has been many things but one thing they haven't shown is the ability to make a decision.
First, they trade their best offensive weapon in Kellen Winslow which is fine if they have a solution behind that. Is Steve Heiden our starter? Is that better? Do we have tight ends by committee now? I'd like to see a lot of Rucker but that's only because of my love of Darius Rucker aka Hootie.
Second, the draft picks. Sure, Coach Eric (we are on a first name basis but I still show 'coach' respect) wanted some of his former Jets but couldn't we have at least gotten some better ones? Were there any better ones? Could we not have gotten a 1st rounder in next year's draft? Isn't that what always is involved in trading a top-5 pick? I am okay with the picks, when they finally decided to draft someone, except for skipping on Rey Mauauauaualuga. This is the kind of player we needed. Instead we got his USC backup later in the draft. I like that guy too but would be happier if we had both.
Finally, the hush-hush QB situation. I don't really know what all to say about this other than I thought it was one of the dumbest schemes a 'coach' has come up with. Are they really that different that the game plan for Minnesota was going to differ? Guarding 10 yard passes instead of 20 yard bullets... Anyway, I saw no reason for it and also saw it as more of a confidence killer than a confidence gainer. Stand up and say, "This is our guy, what are you gonna do to stop him?" Show some confidence that maybe we will have a game plan for the first time in years instead of worrying so much about the other team's game plan. Oh yeah, by the way, Minnesota is pretty stacked. Let's stay focused on the task at hand.
And with that said, I'll pick the Browns every week this season...

Well said, Mr Miller. Well said.

Thursday Night Tennessee (+6) at Pittsburgh
Joe: PITT. I really don't want to pick Pittsburgh, but Tennessee made the mistake of stomping on the Terrible Doily. NO ONE STOMPS ON THE YELLOW DOILY!!!! Minus Hainesworth and Tequila makes the Titans a little slimmer and not a good matchup on opening night for the Stompers. Big Ben leaves the waitress in the locker room and leads a 4th quarter rally and the Steelers win by 10+ after a huge last quarter.
Mike: TEN. For months I've been stewing over that phantom catch in the end zone. Santonio's foot was not on the ground when he caught that pass. The Cardinals were ripped off. Luck will not be Pittsburgh friend this season. Tonight is the first night of the new karma. Tennessee covers the spread and wins outright in the season opener.

Sunday
MIA (+4) @ ATL
MIA. Two NFL darlings from last year meet week 1 this year. I guess someone has to win and it will be the Dolphins. Michael Turner will be half the man he was last year and Miami's defense will step up to the challenge. Also, I hear the product is good in the ATL so look out for Ricky Williams in this one. Atlanta will have a losing record this year.
ATL. Teams wearing black are more likely to beat a team in teal. Matt Ryan and Michael Turner make the Falcons a team to watch.

KC (+13) @ BAL
BAL. Ouch, getting 13 in week 1 is not good. KC will need all these points and about 20 more to stay with Baltimore. Unfortunately for Mr. Cassel these aren't the Pats and Ed Reed will have a great day. Look out for Ray Rice, this year's DeAngelo Williams.
KC. I whine as a Browns fan with no Super Bowl appearances. But other than three playoff wins in the early 1990s, the Chiefs haven't done squat since 1969.

PHI (-1) @ CAR
PHI. Really good week1 matchup. Can Delhomme rebound from last postseason?? Can Steve Smith punch something other than a teammate?? Can Mike Vick....well, we'll stay away from that one for now. Philly wins behind McNabb, a couple huge plays, and a rookie RB McCoy.
PHI. Brian Westbrook is the most underrated player in the league. He's out-Tikied Tiki.

DEN (+4) @ CIN
CIN. GAME OF THE WEEK!!! NOT. Maybe it was when Wayne's World came out, but in 2009 not so much. Cincy gets the win here as Palmer begins his Comeback Player of the Year duel with Matt Hasselbeck. Ocho Cinco could kick the Bungles to a win but they won't need it as they run the horrible Broncos back to the mountains.
CIN. I have a smidge of sympathy for some of those Cincinnati players after watching Hard Knocks. I can't imagine going to work everyday with Ochocinco.

MIN (-4) @ CLE
CLE. I BELIEVE BABY!!! I'm trying at least. Behind a gutty performance from Jamal Lewis and Brady Quinn completing (GASP) 70% of his passes, the Browns shock the world and outlast Minny in a scoring fest. Oh yeah, Peterson runs for 220+. Book It.
MIN. I'm excited about the real beginning of the Brady Quinn era. He has potential to grow into a top-tier player with star appeal. The defense isn't there yet.

NYJ (+5) @ HOU
HOU. Super Mario shoots flaming balls of fire at Dirty Sanchez all game. Yes, you read that correctly. Matt Shaub makes it through week 1 healthy and in a game that you definitely want to take the over, the Texans high-powered offense runs the Jets off the field.
NYJ: Outside of Cleveland, the Jets squander more games than any other team. Mark Sanchez probably won't stop this trend.

JAX (+7) @ IND
IND. Peyton Manning will not lose the home opener this year. Jacksonville is not good. Look out for big games from Gonzo and rookie Donald Brown for the Colts.
IND. If Peyton's healthy, they have a shot at one-upping New England's recent run at perfection.


DET (+13) @ NO
NO. Detroit has no chance. Drew Brees might throw for 500yds. I like Stafford to Calvin and they might hook up 2-3 times for TDs this game but it won't be near enough against maybe the best offense in the league.
NO. Thank you dear Lord for the Lions.


DAL (-6) @ TB
DAL. After finally getting rid of dead weight (T.O. & Jessica) the Cowboys start off the season with a win. Romo to Witten is the theme of the game, while Leftwich has trouble finding his own team in this one.
DAL. Tampa has a QB problem. Dallas has a scoreboard problem.


SF (+6.5) @ AZ
AZ. I'd care more if Crabtree was playing, then we would see 2 GREAT young receivers in Fitz and Crab (great crime fighting duo name). Instead it will be an uneventful 2 touchdown win for Arizona. Beanie Wells will find the endzone and Kurt Warner will praise God.
AZ. The Falcons, Chiefs and Cardinals have been to a Super Bowl. I'm getting tired of waiting.


WAS (+6.5) @ NYG
NYG. Almost went with Washington as the shocker of the weekend but in the end Peyton's little bro will throw a wobbler for the winning TD to save the day. But not before shooting himself in the leg, check that, foot and throwing a couple INTs and getting booed off the field. Luckily, Jason Campbell will be getting sacked all day and the Giants D will come up big.
WAS. Redskin fans are pretty loyal even through the Jason Campbell years. With his home state of Virginia nearby, I'm surprised Washington didn't go after Vick.


STL (+8.5) @ SEA
SEA. I like Seattle big in this one and as a playoff team this season. St Louis is terrible so it won't be a tough test to start the season for the Hawks but we will see the old Hasselbeck back and some healthy receivers will remind us of how good he was in seasons past.
SEA. Matt Hasselback must be a survivor. He hasn't done much lately but he's still around.


CHI (+3.5) @ GB
GB. My Game of the Week. Can't wait to see this one. Two QBs who will put up some great numbers this year with Rodgers with the slight advantage. If Cutler had a good receiver he would be right up there but Chicago just doesn't have the firepower to hang with the Pack in this classic. This game will have some great hits from Urlacher and AJHawk but offenses will be the reason for staying up to the finish in this one.
CHI. Is Jay Cutler the answer? Wouldn't it be something if he is? He'd be one of the more unlikeable sports champions if he can revive the Bears.

Monday
BUF (+10.5) @ NE
NE. I almost feel bad for T.O. Wait, no, not even close. Buffalo will be bad this year, I mean Top 4 pick in next year's draft bad. Brady shows no mercy in this one, throwing 4TDs and reminding us why he leads the greatest life in America.
NE. I'm looking forward to having Tom Brady back. Football was ripped off when he was knocked out so early last season. Oh, and now his current supermodel is also pregnant.


SD (-9.5) @ OAK
OAK. Oakland is my surprise pick to cover in this one. Their D isn't awful, too bad the offense is. Oakland will actually hold a lead in this one until falling apart in the 4th and blowing a double digit lead as murder takes place in the black hole. Break out year for Tomlinson starts here, as everyone expects, but keep your eye on 2nd year RB McFadden for the Raiders.
SD. I love MNF doubleheaders. Tomlinson can be a little pouty and he's on the wrong side of 30, but if his toe is healthy, he can still bring it.

Randy's Rainy 300th Win

I've seen 300 game winners Tom Seaver, Nolan Ryan and Tom Glavine pitch. Now I can add Randy Johnson to that mix -- and I was there as win #300 was put into the books.

Here are a few photos and a video from that rainy day in Washington.

Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose...

... and sometimes you're rained out.

I was hoping to see Randy Johnson go for win #300 last nightagainst the Nationals tonight but no go. Rescheduled for this afternoon ... so I'm taking my ticket stub and seeing if I can get in today.

The 2009 Sliders, April wrapup

Nobody cares about your fantasy team. I assume nobody cares about mine. But here are a few observations on my 2009 Sliders squad that are, somehow, in the top third of the Gabe Paul standings.

The Good
This year I tried a new spin on pitching strategy. It's worked for years for Brian Miller's Dover Mathmen. The trick is to just barely reach the minimum innings pitched which, since bad starters are avoided, will keep the team ERA and WHIP low. Since I'm relying on relievers instead of starters I should do well in ERA, WHIP and saves but finish near the bottom in Wins. If I finish 5th out of 20 teams in ERA, WHIP and Saves but 15th in Wins, that would be 50 pitching points. (I expect teams with 100+ points to finish in the money.)

So how has the plan been working? Well, perfectly, so far. The Sliders invested $50 in pitching and have 68 pitching points to show for it. I have 3 starters, 3 closers and 3 relievers. Free agent pickup Jason Frasor vultured 3 wins for me. My closers -- Frank Francisco ($5), Ryan Franklin ($5) and Scott Downs ($8) -- bought at a total of $18, have 15 saves -- second in the league. My ERA and WHIP are both in the top three.

I don't expect to stick around in Wins but I should be near the top in ERA, WHIP and Saves at the end of the year. If starters Tommy Hanson (AAA) or Justin Duchscherer (DL) have decent second halves of the season, it will be Mission Accomplished.

The Bad
Saving my money from pitching allowed me to put it towards catching and man, did I spend on catching. However, my $27 Brian McCann and $22 Russell Martin investments could not have had worse Aprils.

McCann started hot, including an opening day home run but has since developed vision problems resulting in a trip to the DL. Martin needs a similar excuse because something is wrong with him having a homerless April. Combined, my $49 catching duo is hitting .208 with 2 HRs, 18 RBI and 2 SBs. Yes, it could be worse but for $49, I sure banked on much more production.

But it's only April. Hopefully the doctors figure out McCann's eye problems and Martin gets back on track for a .280-12-70-12 season.

The Beyond Ugly
The only thing worse than my catching is my middle infield. At the draft, I fell out of the bidding on the players I wanted (Utley, Uggla, Phillips) and ended up with 2B Mike Fontenot ($10) and SS Orlando Cabrera ($12). Coupled with my keeper SS Jhonny Peralta ($21), I have $43 sunk into my middle infield. And that $43 sunk has terribly stunk.

Peralta (.210-0-6-0), Cabrera (.239-0-4-2) and Fontenot (.227-3-9-1) have all underperformed (although Fontenot has had a strong week, bopping out two homers in his last three games).

I think Peralta will turn it around and Fontenot will be decent but my hopes for Cabrera are not high. An acquisition of a new middle infielder might be necessary. Another option will be to wait for Colorado's Ian Stewart to establish 2B eligibility. He might get the 20 games played there by the All Star break.

The Plan
I only have one trading chip and his name is Ryan Franklin. I'd like to build up a reasonable number of saves then deal the Cardinals closer for an upgraded shortstop. If I can maintain around 60 pitching points and then improve my hitting to around 50 points, the combined 110 points should be enough to compete for the top spots in the standings.

Browns Eye on the Draft Guys

Here's an update to an earlier post. These are the players who were scouted by the Browns and then the team who eventually signed them.

Offense
Kent State QB Julian Edelman, Rd 7 Patriots
Michigan State QB Brian Hoyer, Undrafted, Signed by Patriots
USC QB Mark Sanchez, Rd 1 NYJets
West Virginia QB Pat White, Rd 2 Dolphins
Georgia RB Knowshon Moreno, Rd 1 Broncos
Rutgers WR Kenny Britt, Rd 1 Titans
Penn State WR Deon Butler, Rd 3 Seahawks
Texas Tech's WR Michael Crabtree, Rd 1 49ers
University of Maryland WR Darrius Heyward-Bey, Rd 1 Raiders
Missouri WR Jeremy Maclin, Rd 1 Eagles
University of Georgia WR Mohamed Massaquoi, Rd 2 BROWNS
Toledo WR Nick Moore, Undrafted, Signed by Vikings
Cleveland State basketball player J’Nathan Bullock, Undrafted, Signed by Jets
Oklahoma State TE Brandon Pettigrew, Rd 1 Lions
Alabama C Antoine Caldwell, Rd 3 Texans
Oregon State OT Andy Levitre, Rd 2 Bills
Oklahoma OG Duke Robinson, Rd 5 Panthers
Baylor OT Jason Smith, Rd 1 Rams
Louisville C Eric Wood, Rd 1 Bills

Defense
Northern Illinois DE/OLB Larry English, Rd 1 Chargers
Georgia Tech DE Michael Johnson, Rd 3 Bengals
Temple DT Terrance Knighton, Rd 3 Jaguars
Texas DE Brian Orakpo, Rd 1 Redskins
Northern Iowa DE Everette Pedescleaux, Undrafted, Signed by Broncos
Boston College DT B.J. Raji, Rd 1 Packers
University of Richmond DE/OLB Lawrence Sidbury, Rd 4 Falcons
San Diego State LB Russell Allen, Undrafted, Signed by Jaguars
South Carolina ILB Jasper Brinkley, Rd 5 Vikings
Wake Forest LB Aaron Curry, Rd 1 Seahawks
Southern Cal LB Clay Matthews Jr., Rd 1 Packers
USC LB Rey Maualuga, Rd 2 Bengals
Western Illinois LB Jason Williams, Rd 3 Cowboys
University of Illinois CB Vontae Davis, Rd 1 Dolphins
Oklahoma S Nic Harris, Rd 5 Bills
Oregon State CB Brandon Hughes, Rd 5 Chargers
Ohio State DB Malcolm Jenkins, Rd 1 Saints
University of Utah CB Sean Smith, Rd 2 Dolphins
St. Paul’s (Va.) CB Greg Toler, Rd 4 Cardinals
Nicholls State CB Lardarius Webb, Rd 3 Ravens
University of Tennessee CB DeAngelo Willingham, Undrafted

Browns have their eyes on these guys

Over the last few weeks, there have been many college players visiting with the Browns or having their workouts attended by Cleveland coaches. I accumulated a list of the players (thanks, PFT) that could be future Cleveland Browns at this weekend's NFL draft.

Quarterback
Kent State QB Julian Edelman
Michigan State quarterback Brian Hoyer
USC quarterback Mark Sanchez
West Virginia quarterback Pat White

Running Back
Georgia running back Knowshon Moreno

Wide Receiver
Rutgers wide receiver Kenny Britt
Penn State wide receiver Deon Butler
Texas Tech's wide receiver Michael Crabtree
University of Maryland wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey
Missouri wide receiver Jeremy Maclin
University of Georgia wide receiver Mohamed Massaquoi
Toledo wide receiver Nick Moore

Tight End
Cleveland State basketball player J’Nathan Bullock
Oklahoma State tight end Brandon Pettigrew

Offensive Line
Alabama center Antoine Caldwell
Oregon State offensive tackle Andy Levitre
Oklahoma offensive guard Duke Robinson
Baylor offensive tackle Jason Smith
Louisville center Eric Wood

Defensive Line
Northern Illinois defensive end/outside linebacker Larry English
Georgia Tech defensive end Michael Johnson
Temple defensive tackle Terrance Knighton
Texas defensive end Brian Orakpo
Northern Iowa defensive end Everette Pedescleaux
Boston College defensive tackle B.J. Raji
University of Richmond defensive end/outside linebacker Lawrence Sidbury

Linebacker
San Diego State linebacker Russell Allen
South Carolina inside linebacker Jasper Brinkley
Wake Forest linebacker Aaron Curry
Southern Cal linebacker Clay Matthews Jr.
USC linebacker Rey Maualuga
Western Illinois linebacker Jason Williams

Defensive Backs
University of Illinois cornerback Vontae Davis
Oklahoma safety Nic Harris
Oregon State cornerback Brandon Hughes
Ohio State defensive back Malcolm Jenkins
University of Utah cornerback Sean Smith
St. Paul’s (Va.) cornerback Greg Toler
Nicholls State cornerback Lardarius Webb
University of Tennessee cornerback DeAngelo Willingham

Looking at the list, you can see the Browns have been putting most of their attention on defense. With the Braylon Edwards trade speculation and the legal troubles of Donte Stallworth, we can also expect one of those wide receivers to be drafted. But there has been very little attention paid to the running back position.

Usually after the first round, I never know any of the players. But if the Browns trade up or down in the draft to acquire any of these guys, then you know they must have liked what they saw during the private workouts.

Congrats to the Mini Mast !

My buddy Dave doesn't brag about his boys often and when it does, it's for good reason. Congrats to Neil on pitching a game he'll remember (and, like Dave, talk about) for the rest of his life.

UNbelievable!

Posted by Dave Mast, to Everyone Apr 17, 08:49 pm ET

One of the little Mastadons pulled off a rarity tonight on the diamond. Freshman Neil "Nigel" Mast fired a no-hitter at the Dover freshman Tornadoes, coming within a routine fly-ball drop in right field of a perfect game. Struck out four, walked none, and only went to three balls to one hitter. Far from overpowering on the mound, he simply changed speeds, and let his defense do the job. He threw a grand total of 60 pitches in the six inning 10-0 contest, tossing a meager 18 over the final three frames. I get to brag tonight — at least a little bit! If he never gets another hitter out again, at least he's got that one.

Hooray for Nahorodny

As I watch Cleveland and New York christen the new Yankee stadium, it reminds me of my first childhood baseball memories at old Cleveland Municipal Stadium. The first game I truly remember attending was back in 1982. Thanks to the Baseball Reference website, I can truly appreciate what I, as a wide-eyed fourth grader, saw that day.

Our entire Berlin baseball team attended the Saturday afternoon game as the first place California Angels faced the 6th-place Indians. The Angels starting lineup featured many high profile players -- future Hall of Famers Rod Carew and Reggie Jackson along with Don Baylor, Fred Lynn, Doug Decinces, Bobby Grich and Bob Boone. For Cleveland, there wasn't a whole lot of talent in the lineup. But Lenny Barker was on the mound for the Tribe, one year removed from his historic Perfect Game, which (until the their palpitating playoff run of 1995) had been the sole Indians highlight of my lifetime.

Mike Hargrove (my favorite Indian), Rick Manning (my least favorite), Von Hayes and Andre Thornton were all held hitless that afternoon, a combined 0-for-14. My first favorite Indian, Buddy Bell, was traded away three seasons earlier (I cried at the news) and his replacement, All Star third baseman Toby Harrah, hit a solo home run for the Tribe.

Even as an 11-year-old, I despised the Yankees. So when former pinstripper Reggie Jackson each time came up to the plate, my teammates and I chanted "Reggie sucks! Reggie sucks!" This was a big deal for me because 'suck' was a forbidden word. Taunting Reggie from our upper deck seats must have rattled the bespectacled slugger because the former Mr October whiffed not once, not twice, but three times that day. Spider-legged Carew had a sacrifice, single, double and stole a base. Doug Decince, the former Oriole with the coolest sounding name in baseball (dee-sin-say), slammed a pair of dingers for the Angels.

California held a slim 4-3 lead heading into the bottom of the ninth. Hayes meekly popped out to second, Manning flew out to right and quickly the Tribe was down to its final out. The slowest man on earth, catcher Ron Hassey, managed a walk against Angel closer Doug Corbett. Reserve outfielder Rodney Craig, who signed my program before the game, jogged in to pinch run for Hassey. Little known utility player Karl Pagel, with 13 career hits to his name, was subbed in to pinch hit for Carmen Castillo. Pagel kept the Indians alive when he also walked. Back to back walks and the Indians had a chance.

Tribe manager Dave Garcia must have been feeling some pinch hit magic that day. Earlier in the game, he summoned Jack Perconte to pinch hit for weak-hitting mustacioed shortstop Mike Fischlin. Perconte did his job, singling then scoring a run. But now with Perconte up again, Garcia summoned career backup catcher Bill Nahorodny to the plate.

Bill Nahorodny was a journeyman backup catcher who bounced around with the Phillies, White Sox, Braves, Indians, Tigers and Mariners. Only once did he see 200 at bats and, after nine unsubstantial seasons, he retired with 25 career homers and a .241 average. So July 18, 1982, probably remains the highlight of his career.

Two on, two outs, Indians down a run. The Angels go to their bullpen and bring in the lefty Andy Hassler to face Nahodney. The dissipating crowd of 16,416 skeptical fans rose to its feet. John Adams banged his drum from the center field bleachers. And with the crack of the bat, the runners took off as Nahorodny's laser blast cleared the centerfielder and rolled all the way to the wall. Craig scored easily, Pagel followed with the winning run and we all screamed in shock as Nahorodny came through with the unlikeliest of game-winning triples.

So here's to you, Bill Nahorodny, wherever you are. Thanks for giving me the best introduction to Indians baseball an 11-year-old kid could ever imagine.

Wow. The Indians are Terrible.

Three games into the new baseball season and I would like to amend a prediction. If the Indians finish .500, it should earn Eric Wedge the Manager of the Year -- which would then be revoked for hitting Grady Sizemore at leadoff.

So who do you think will finish higher in their divisions this year? The Indians or the Browns? Because as of today, it appears that anything above third place will be amazing.

This is finally the year!

Just not for Cleveland.

Well, I hope so (obviously). But I don't think it's in the cards for the Tribe. Here are my predictions for the 2009 MLB season.

AL EAST
1. New York Yankees. Spend, spend, spend. Steal, steal, steal.
2. Tampa Bay Rays. Entertaining team. Dump of a stadium.
3. Boston Red Sox. Welcome back to reality, chowds.
4. Baltimore Orioles. Could be the Rays with pitching help.
5. Toronto Blue Jays. Time to deal Halladay and rebuild.

AL CENTRAL
1. Minnesota Twins. Sweet pitching but losing Mauer hurts.
2. Cleveland Indians. Enjoy Sizemore while we have him.
3. Kansas City Royals. No longer a disgrace.
4. Detroit Tigers. Wish they had Maybin instead of Dontrelle.
5. Chicago White Sox. Unlikeable team deserves cellar.

AL WEST
1. Oakland As. Surprise team will ride Holliday.
2. Los Angeles Angels. Their last shot with these vets.
3. Texas Rangers. Another year and no pitching.
4. Seattle Mariners. Perhaps Trey Griffey could help them.

NL EAST
1. New York Mets. Will hold off Phillies this time.
2. Philadelphia Phillies. Strong team but no repeat.
3. Florida Marlins. 2010 could be their year. Again.
4. Atlanta Braves. No longer an exciting team.
5. Washington Nationals. Best move was impeaching GM.

NL CENTRAL
1. Chicago Cubs. Clearly the team to beat.
2. Cincinnati Reds. Youngsters shock the NL.
3. St Louis Cardinals. Albert could carry them further.
4. Houston Astros. Clearly in decline.
5. Milwaukee Brewers. Last year was their chance.
6. Pittsburgh Pirates. Bad karma deserved in steel town.

NL WEST
1. Arizona Diamondbacks. Young team ready to explode.
2. Los Angeles Dodgers. Jeff Kent is finally gone.
3. San Francisco Giants. Best pitching in the NL.
4. Colorado Rockies. No pitching and not enough hitting.
5. San Diego Padres. No talent once Peavy's traded.

AL Wildcard: Cleveland
AL Champion: New York Yankees
NL Wildcard: Cincinnati Reds
NL Champion: Chicago Cubs

World Series Champion: Chicago Cubs

Gabe Paul Rosters

Well, I'm a total baseball geek.

I have created a spreadsheet with all our rosters, salaries and total money spent. You can download the spreadsheet by clicking here. Please let me know if you see any errors. Feel free to make any modifications.

With that keeper roster, it looks like the Buggy Boys are well prepared to defend his title. Hope everybody's gearing up for the Saturday draft.

Baseball Cards

When I was a kid, I was totally hooked on baseball cards. And, to be honest, this habit continued well through my teenage years.

But after moving from state to state over the last twenty years, lugging around those boxes of cards became less and less convenient. Over the years, boxes have been sold, consolidated, dropped off at Goodwill or flat out thrown into the trash. (Goodbye 1990 Score!)

Perhaps the part I miss most about baseball cards is the thrill of discovering this year's new offerings from Topps, buying a pack or two, then slowly savoring the pack, thumbing through them one by one. Since I wasted countless hundreds of dollars on baseball cards in the past, I find it particularly difficult to spend $2, $3 or even $5 on a pack of cards today. Gone are the days of fifty cent packs of baseball cards.

Imagine rifling through some old boxes and finding this treasure trove. Somewhere, hidden for decades in a warehouse, priceless unopened boxes of baseball cards and other cards from the 1930s have been discovered. Yes... UNOPENED! Can you imagine throwing down a couple thousand dollars then opening up that pack of cards? With my luck, I'd get doubles of Harold "Stone Hands" Lightenwalker and nary a Cobb in sight. (After you click that first link, here are more images from that amazing collectible find.)

Scott Lewis earns spot in rotation

Congratulations to Cleveland pitcher Scott Lewis for nailing down the #4 spot in the Indians rotation. Manager Eric Wedge announced the decision today. It also means Lewis will pitch the home opener for the Tribe.

I had the privilege of witnessing Lewis' major league debut at Baltimore last September. He threw eight shutout innings, giving up only three hits in a 7-1 win over the Orioles. So from that point on, I've been a Scott Lewis fan.

And he just looks so darn happy out there on the mound.

All Time Indians

Here's a fantastic link I'd like to pass along. I saw it originally linked on MLBTradeRumors.com. It is listing two All Time Indians teams -- one comprised of homegrown talent and another made up from acquired players. If anything, it's great nostalgia.

And holy crap. Cory Snyder made the list.

(Remind me to post my epic Cory Snyder interview experience sometime.)

The Other Babe

I got this nugget of baseball trivia from Joe this morning:

[09:18] jomilla12: today is the 75th anniversary of Babe Didrikson pitching a spring training inning against the dodgers

[09:18] jomilla12: the inning went....

[09:18] jomilla12: walk

[09:18] jomilla12: hit by pitch

[09:19] jomilla12: line drive to 2nd, triple play ... no runs, no hits, no errors ... nobody left, we head to the bottom of the 1st

Favorite Site of the Day

One of my most visited sites is ProFootballTalk.com It's run by Mike Florio, who's had stints with ESPN.com and The Sporting News but is basically just a fan with a whole lot of insider sources. The best part of the site is the Rumor Mill which seems to report on the breaking football news before anybody else.

There's a lot of insider jokes, Seinfeld references, YouTube links, comments from losers and a sometimes-funny Pic of the Day.

And they always have at least three paragraphs per story.

Long Gone Oreo

This is not the case of the missing cookie. It's a conundrum over the Tampa Bay third sacker.

In our fantasy baseball league, we can apply one-time "contract extensions" to our players at a cost of $5 for the extension and $5 for each additional year extended. In 12 seasons of playing this game, I have never given a player a contract extension. I've always said I never would -- always play for this season and keepers will present themselves.

But do I maintain this mindset with Evan Longoria? He's a $30 player and just getting better. Do I keep him at $3 for a final season then lose him -- or bump him up to a modest $13 and have him for an additional year? (I've ruled out $18-2 which goes against basic keeperology. )

On one hand, keeping him at $3 gives me a phenomenal bargain for this season. But having him at $13 instead for this season and next would solve my 3B position for next year and still be a strong value for 2009.

Here are my keepers for the upcoming year:

• C Brian McCann $27-1
• 1B Ryan Garko $8-0
• SS Jhonny Peralta $21-1
• 3B Evan Longoria $3-0
• 3B Josh Fields $3-0
• OF Ryan Spilborghs $5-1
• OF Michael Bourn $1-0
• SP Joe Saunders $5-1
• SP Justin Duchscherer $5-1
• SP Dave Bush $5-1
• SP Ubaldo Jimenez $1-1
• RP Ryan Franklin $5-1
• CL Frank Francisco $5-1

I have decided on 13 keepers and might not keep a 14th. Looks like I'm throwing CJWilson $5-0, Travis Ishikawa $5-1, Nate Schierholtz $5-1, Jesse Crain $5-1 and Jared Burton $1-1 back into the pool. I bet four of those guys will be claimed by our two scrap-pickin' expansion teams. If Scott Lewis wins Cleveland's #5 rotation spot, he also would be claimed. Even super utility guy Brendan Harris at $5, qualifying at three positions, makes for a fine expansion keeper.

So what do you think? Keep Longoria at $3 or give him the raise to $13 ?

Projected Browns starting lineup

Sure, it's spring training and all but let's look ahead to your 2009 Cleveland Browns.

How does this projected depth chart look to you?

QB BRADY QUINN
RB1 JAMAL LEWIS
RB2 JEROME HARRISON
FB LAWRENCE VICKERS
WR1 BRAYLON EDWARDS
WR2 SYNDRIC STEPTOE
WR3 JOSH CRIBBS
TE1 ROBERT ROYAL
LT JOE THOMAS
LG ERIC STEINBACH
C HANK FRALEY
RG PORK CHOP WOMACK
RT JOHN ST CLAIR
====================
LE COREY WILLIAMS
DT SHAUN ROGERS
RE C.J. MOSLEY
LOLB DAVID BOWENS
LILB ERIC BARTON
RILB D'QWELL JACKSON
ROLB KAMERION WIMBLEY
CB1 ERIC WRIGHT
CB2 BRANDON MCDONALD
CB3 HANK POTEAT
SS MIKE ADAMS
FS BRODNEY POOL

Players in BOLD are the new Mangini acquisitions.

Baseball is Back

I wonder how many thousands of blogs are lighting up the Google bots with that title.

But it's true. Baseball is back. After suffering through some dreary months of Browns football, a Cleveland-less playoffs (again), it's time again for Spring Training. Our most sincerely thanks to LeBron James for giving us an amazing show, distracting us between football and baseball. My kid brother Joe (you may have read his horrible predictions) was on his honeymoon with his beautiful wife and totally missed the 55 point bombfest.

I am a total homer but I feel really good about Cleveland sports. (Again, I'm being happily distracted away from the orange and brown right now... Shawn Rogers what? Eric Mangini who?) But look at those Cavs! They're the hottest team in the NBA. We have all known about LeBron since he was in high school -- I bet Kevin Lynch knew about him as a 3rd grader -- and who could have ever believed he would ever be fulfilling the promise of leading the Cavaliers to greatness. I'm telling you, the tide is turning. And it all starts with the Cavs.

If the Browns won a Super Bowl before the Cavs or Indians win the next championship, then any future championships by the Indians or Cavs just won't ever measure up. So it is destiny that the Cavs win a championship first. Then the Indians need another title to join 1920 and 1948. Then, and only then, will the true Cleveland Trinity be properly enjoyed.

So it's time to study up. On my part, I'll try to learn who some of these Cavs other than LeBron, Zdrunas, Crazy Hair, Mo Williams Somebody, Guy With Tats On Neck and Token Coach are. And you non-baseball guys, you have to learn about Michael Brantley and Carlos Santana and Adam Miller ...

Anyway, I'm glad baseball's back.

PS: And I'm glad Junior is back in Seattle. Finally, something in baseball this offseason has gone right.