Fantasy Football Waste of Space Team- 2007-08

This year more than any there were a group of football players, that pundits and fans alike had high up on their fantasy draft boards. During live drafts, we had our cheat sheets, with projections and inside information that we thought no one else knew. We delighted when we grabbed a player we thought would lead us to that prize, and screamed when he disappointed us. I had at least four teams this year, and my roommate had a handful as well. I rode the ups and downs of these players, but for some the valleys were far lower, and these shitbricks were by far the worst.

QB- VINCE YOUNG- Ok, maybe this was me over reaching here. I thought Young could become a young Steve McNair, and lead a decent team to the top. Throw some TD's, run around alot, basically gain a shit load of points. But what I got instead was the AFC version of Tavaris Jackson, week after week of nothing. I picked this sack of crap in every league, and in every league by week 5 I dropped him for guys like Kurt Warner, Eli Manning (UGH), and trading for Brett Favre. My centerpiece of my offense was my ultimate downfall.
RB- STEVEN JACKSON- Blow me. I wasted the second draft pick on you, and you did crap all season. 16 TD's last season and only five so far. My team crashed and burned because of you. Sure you have stepped it up lately, but after I fell apart, who the hell cares?
RB- MAURICE JONES DREW- So I fell for the hype, he had a huge rookie campaign, and with an ailing Fred Taylor was showing that he could be an elite fantasy player. Yeah right. Well I don't know who to be angrier at, Jack Del Rio or Fred Taylor. I figured they would split some carries but MJD would emerge as the feature back by like Week 3, after Taylor would go down with a strained groin or something. Wrong, thanks for nothing.
WR- STEVE SMITH- You blow. I don't care if you had Vinny T throwing you the ball, get open be a god damn play maker. You had 6 Td's all season, all coming in three games. The rest you were a waste of space.
WR- MARVIN HARRISON- Jesus Christ, 2 TD's all season and then you go down and friggin f up my team with a knee injury. GOD DAMN IT.
TE- TODD HEAP- 06 Todd Heap- 796 Yards 6 Tds, 07 Todd Heap 239 Yards 1 TD. 08 Todd Heap, not going to happen again.

I'm not going to go into Defense and Kickers, because they were all kind of interchangeable....
Here are some honorable mentions though for position players:
Reggie Bush
Ronnie Brown
Lee Evans
Ben Watson
Marc Bulger
Marion Barber III

MItchell Report- My Thoughts

Its now four days after the report has come out, and all the talking heads have made their analysis about it. Most have focused their attention to the names that Mitchell reported, along with the canceled checks, orders for PED on team stationary and the like. I don't blame the media for zeroing in on the players, digging up names like Andy Pettitte and Roger Clemens is huge, and casts a giant shadow over this generations perception of the game.

What ultimately will make this report a success or failure is MLB's willingness to implement the recommendations Mitchell made. The steps he laid down would give baseball a drug program that would rival the NFL and the Olympics, and would no longer be the joke of professional sports. But there remains a huge obstacle that would prevent baseball from making any progress, the Players Union. Donald Fehr has made it clear that baseball has a collective bargaining agreement in place until 2011, which both players and owners agreed upon, and he has no intention of violating or changing it. This reluctance to change will result in the continuing the current program, that allows players to be notified in advance, and give them ample opportunity to mask their results.

Personally, I think the Mitchell Report will result in nothing. A lot of talk, with very little practical implications for the MLB. Until the government steps in directly, and forces changes in the the policy, players will continue to cheat, and not get caught.

The "Who the Hell Cares" Bowl

BC loses the big game, and thus the bowl game has been selected and again we are going to some mid level shit bowl. The Champ Sports Bowl on December 28th at 5 o'clock, too early for me to even rationalize drinking during the game, and on a fucking Friday to boot. But this pain is left only for a small minority of Mass, as the rest of the state could care less. What irritates me to no end, is that BC has held its own over the past seven years, finishing in the top 25 four out of the last six years. BC holds the longest active streak of bowl wins, but for most cases they are pitted against inferior opponents. Lets look at BC's recent bowl history:

2000 Aloha Bowl- Beat Arizona State
2001 Music City Bowl- Beat Georgia
2002- Motor City Bowl- Beat Toledo
2003- S.F Bowl- Beat Colorado State
2004- Continental Tire Bowl- Beat UNC
2005- MPC Computer Bowl- Beat Boise State
2006- Car Care Bowl- Beat Navy

We have won, year after year in these garbage bowls, and you can now add Champ Sports to that list. Woop-dee-friggin-doo. Michigan State? Are you fucking kidding me, we just went toe to toe with a team that was #3 in the BCS and now we get to play a team that couldn't beat Northwestern? ......Sorry I was busy kicking my dog. BC is going to trounce the Spartans, why the hell couldn't they match us up with a team that would you know give us a challenge, not a team that was barely bowl eligible.

But in the end, I can bitch and moan, but its the fans fault we go through this every year. The Eagles travel like shit (jesus look at the ACC Champ game it was 1/4 full), so the bowls will over look us every year until we can prove them wrong. But then again we get picked for bowls that no one will travel to, and thus the cycle continues.

Good Bowls avoid BC because fans don't travel------->BC is selected for mid level bowl that don't interest Eagle fans----------> no one travels because no one cares

Repeat.

The Eagles have Landed

The ACC Title game is over and I have had to take a day to process the game. And by process I mean vomit, punch my bedroom wall, and scream. We had that game. BC should have won. VT was on the ropes in the first quarter, Matt was moving the ball with precision, the D was stepping up. Then Coach Jags made a decision to kick a FG, a decision that started my rapid descent into utter madness. Steve Aponoawhatever is a great story, which would be special for a mediocre school, but I BC had the opportunity to be huge, to make a splash in college football and this kid should not have been allowed to make defining plays. Put it this way, if he didnt have his fucking extra point blocked (with a subsequent 2 point return), and his FG blocked, there is a good possibility that the final BC drive could have been for the win. With less pressure on Matty Ryan.
But in the end we can make all the excuses in the world, Sean Glennon and Taylor tore us up in the 4th Quarter, and I'm sure the Bowl selections will again piss all over the Eagles. Instead of getting the Gator Bowl or Peach Bowl, we instead will go again to some Corporate sponsored bowl played in late December, and again we will play a team that is markedly inferior to us, and we will win again. Big fucking deal. This year felt special, Matty Ryan did a helluva good job with very little in terms of receivers, I thought we had a chance. We had the Orange Bowl in our grasp, but again BC lets me down. Fuck

I'm Sick of It

I'm sick of....
- Seeing Julio Lugo and Coco Crisp hitting 8th & 9th
- NOT seeing Jacoby Ellsbury pitch hitting for anyone
-Piles of runners left in scoring position (12 left on base all together last night) and the killer double plays
- Eric Gagne coming into meaningful games
- Dane Cook and that GPS Commercial that plays "Total Eclipse of the Heart"
- The National Sploogefest over the Colorado Rockies, when they beat an AL team in the World Series I will believe.
- Dice K's lack of control in the strike zone
- Inconsistent strike zones (for both teams)
- Getting "Thank you for Registering" emails, that tell me that even though I have been a loyal Red Sox fan, some slimey sun burnt scalper won your opportunity to purchase ALCS tickets.
- The National Media insisting that Manny doesn't try, doesn't hustle, doesn't care, and is a poor defensive left fielder. (LIES!)
- Hearing anyone mention that they would prefer Trot Nixon (.700 OPS) to JD Drew (.960 OPS)
- How everyone rips on Tim McCarver (rightfully so) but gives Joe Buck a free pass.
-Any sort of insinuation that Julio Lugo is a poor fielding shortstop this season
- Pundits and columnists who believe that this series is over...

This is going to only hurt a lot

Somewhere on BC's campus you know Sean Williams is going to be watching this game with a dull glaze over his eyes, and giggling as he watches his team struggle against Texas Tech, and he will be rolling on the floor if we make it past Bobby Knight's crew and get the (shudders) honor of playing Georgetown. I applaud Gene D. and Al Skinner for kicking Williams off the team, he had his chances he blew it. It hurts watching the Eagles play, they are like watching a once ferocious dog fighting after being neutered. Let's face it this team's balls have been clipped, there is only so much Jared Dudley and Tyrese Rice can do.

I had to check my Tivo the other day to make sure it wasn't stuck playing on slow watching them play, Tyrell Blair could turn into a great player but right now he looks lost on plays, Shamari Spears might be a smaller Craig Smith but right now he shouldn't be coming off the bench, and in regards to Tyler Roche it seems like we have just enough players to fill the court.


Anyway here is my final four:
UCLA
Texas A&M
Florida
Georgetown

Florida wins it all

My Cinderellas:
Holy Cross
Oral Roberts
Long Beach State

He's Here

Dice K has arrived, let the media frenzy begin. I'm starting to get all warm and fuzzy now that Paps, Lester, Beckett and now Dice K are in Fort Myers. I hope the three US pitchers show the new guy the ropes in this country, maybe Papelbon can take him hunting for duck, Beckett can show him how to party and drink like an American, and Lester can score him some Red Sox groupies.

All FBC Team Pitching Staff

Just finished watching an excellent BC game, with Florida State holding the lead for most of the game (as high as 13 at one point) but Tyrell Blair hit the game winning shot with 3 seconds left (makes losing Sean Williams all that more palatable). This was probably one of the most exciting games in recent history.

It's time for me to unveil the pitching staff, again a couple of these pitchers were well before my time, but thanks to the miracles of expanded stats and the internet (and recollections from my dad a lifelong Sox fan), I feel pretty comfortable with these choices....

My Starting Five


1. Pedro Martinez- Possibly the best pitcher of the late 1990's, Petey put up numbers that are awesome, but even better when you consider that he was doing it in the steroid era. Winning two Cy Youngs during his seven seasons with the Sox. Two games he pitched really stick out in my memory: 1999 ALDS Game 5 where an injured Pedro pitched 6 innings of no hit ball, striking out 8 and walking only 3. The other game, a regular season game in 1999 against the Yankees. In Yankee stadium Pedro only allowed one hit against the powerful NY lineup, and struck out 17.

2. Roger Clemens- I would like to thank Dan Duquette for just letting the Rocket leave, but than again if he didn't leave we would have never gotten Pedro. My earliest memories of baseball in most ways involve Clemens. I remember when he got ejected from the 1990 ALDS against the A's, his twenty game strikeout performance against the Tigers ( I was a little too young to remember the '86 game. His success with the Blue Jays, Yankees and Astros casts a huge shadow over Danny's regime.

MEMO TO ROCKET: Please come back to Boston, you will complete our team, if you come back not only will you retire with the team you started with, but you will have a packed out crowd every game going crazy with every pitch. Not only that, but if you play for the Sox, you will solve our bullpen problem. Jonathan Papelbonbon will be able to close and everything will be happy in Red Sox Land. Please do this for me?

Sincerely,
FBC

3. Bruce Hurst- One of the most underrated pitchers for the Sox during the mid 80's, and probably one of the best left handed starters we ever had. A career ERA of 3.92, and always consistent, Bruce shined on some truly shitty Sox teams. His best season easily being 1988 when he went 18-6 with a 3.66 ERA and 188 K's.

4. Curt Schilling- 2004. I know I said I wouldn't do it, and this is the second time that I have based my entire discussion on one season, I will slap myself in the face to save you the time. Hell Curt purely made my list on his work in two games. Like Willis Reed returning after busting his leg with the Knicks, Curt's performance in the ALCS and WS was mythical. Completely tearing his ankle ligament and pitching with it stapled in place, Curt completely shut down two powerful lineups. I still get jitters watching those games on TIVO.

5. Luis Tiant- El Tiante was before my time, and I wasn't alive to ever see him pitch but looking at his body of work for the Sox, man was he nasty. He was a 20 game winner three times, a career ERA of 3.06 and one of the craziest windups in the game.


Relievers (three)

1. Bob Stanley- a two time all star, and one of the goats for the 1986 WS collapse yet Stanley was probably one of the most consistent relievers in Sox history. Finishing with a career ERA of 3.64, Stanley finished his career with the Sox.

2. Tim Wakefield- Ok so for most of his 12+ seasons with the Sox have been as a starter, I had to find a way to get Tim on this list. He has been a model of consistency and health in Boston. I felt horribly for him watching Aaron Boone hit the walk off in 2003, knowing it wasn't his fault. (Thanks Grady). He has won 135 games with the Red Sox, 3rd only to Clemens and Cy Young, yet for two seasons we couldn't find a rotation spot for him instead starting Mark Portugal and Pat Rapp.

3. NONE- Number three goes to the bullpen pitchers of the past who have completely sucked. There have been many, and as I searched for another pitcher I realized that the Sox's bullpen has been atrocious for many years in the past. I could have put Keith Foulke but he only really had one or two good years for the Sox, same thing with Lee Smith, Jeff Reardon, Jonathan Papelbon, & Tom Gordon. But for every one of these solid closers or relievers there were the BK Kim's, Heathcliff Slocumb's, & Greg Harris's. Theo hasn't shown in the past few years that he can put together a bullpen either, so I don't expect this trend to change.


Also, does anyone else find it weird that the Red Sox truck has left for spring training two days before we are going to have our first major snow storm of the winter?

All FBC Team (Positional Players)

Love is in the air over at BDD.com where short sighted Red Sox fans can vote on which players they love the most over the past 40 years. Kevin Millar as best 1B anyone? This "process" has been going on for about a week now, and will culminate in the "All Love Team" on Valentines Day, sounds pretty lame doesn't it? Well it gets worse. Red Sox fans have been blowing their respective loads all over the 2004 WS Team, voting for guys like Bill Mueller over Wade Boggs. Ughh. So I decided why not venture out and create my own, now mind you many of these players were before my time, so I will be going on some stats and how their legacy impacted Red Sox history.

C- Jason Varitek- This was definately one of the tougher choices, he has many of the attributes that I would have admired in Fisk. Toughness, love of the Sox, his knowledge of the game, all make me feel warm and gushy inside. True during the playoffs and against good pitching Tek has a tendency to completely disappear. But how can I detract from the guy who turned around the 2004 season (I KNOW I KNOW I just ragged on the pink hats for the same thing one paragraph earlier)

1B- Mo Vaughn- I loved The Hit Dog as a kid, I had posters of him up in my room, I loved watching him play and before Papi there was no guy during my lifetime that was more clutch. Even after crashing his SVU through the wall at the Foxy Lady, my loyalty to big Mo never wavered. He won the MVP in 1995 with 36 HRs, and in 1996 he came up with an even bigger season with 44 HR's and 136 RBIS. Even after he turned into a crippled Human blimp I still wanted to see Mo come back and end his career with the Sox.

2B- Marty Barrett- My mom was in love with him, and my Dad gave her shit about it all the time. My memories of Marty are hazy at best, but looking at his stats, he had a monster post season in 1986 (.367 in the ALCS and .403 in the WS) and was always dependable. Marty never was a power hitter, only hitting 4 hrs or less all but one year, but his OBP was always solid.

3b- Wade Boggs- Why anyone would vote for Bill Mueller is beyond me. His 2004 postseason was tremendous, but please remember that he was hurt for a good chunk of 2004 and was only on the team for 3 years! Boggs on the other hand was a machine, leading the league in average 5 times, on base % 5 times, and was top 2 in hits 6 times. He never hit for power but never needed to, he was the prototypical Jamesian player and would have been perfect for a Theo team.

SS- Nomar Garciaparra- "Thanks beautiful", without a doubt my favorite shortstop, and I don't care what OC did during the 2004 playoffs. Nomar was the face of the Red Sox after Mo left, and until his string of injuries he was possibly the best shortstop in baseball. His first postseason he hit 3 home runs and had 11 RBIS, and in 1995 he hit an insane .417 with an OBP of .563 against the Indians.

RF- Dwight Evans- No not Trot Nixon, Dwight was the man for the Sox during the 1980's, not necessarily a hall of famer but still the best RF the Sox have had, he won 8 Gold Gloves during his 18 years with the Red Sox. I will always have an affinity for Dewie being that he was the 1st professional athlete that I ever met, which in my book racks up a shitload of points. Unlike Trot, Dwight was always dependable playing through most of the seasons, and back when walks weren't valued like they are today Dewey was an OBP machine (.415 in 1981)

CF- Johnny Damon- It stung when he left, but I don't blame him for what he did. He meant alot to the Sox and his god damn agent Scott Boras screwed him out of retiring a Red Sox (another reason to feel good that we stuck it to SB during the Dice-K negotiations). He was probably my favorite player during the 2004 postseason , and the way he could wear down a pitcher was an art. In my opinion there is no other player that personified the grit and hustle of the Sox, and his stats backed it up. Consistently having 160 hit seasons, with 20 HR's should have given him a pass with Sox fans, and being at the game he came back I will proudly say my friends and I were the only ones cheering him.

LF- Manny Ramirez- True Yaz was the player of his time, I have to give it to Manny because when all is said and done Manny is easily the best hitter of his generation. With an OBP over .400 every year with the Sox, Manny has delivered consistently when he feels like playing. Even so Manny would always give you at least 35 HRs and 120 RBIs. I don't care about his attitude and "Manny being Manny", watch him him hit, watch him work a pitcher and tell me that you would rather have anyone else out there.

Super Zzzzzzzzzz

It has been a few days since I've posted, I am recovering from a combination of the coma that Super Bowl 40 induced, & catatonic shock of actually seeing Peyton Manning hosting the Lombardi Trophy (which I thought would never happen). He deserved it, it hurts me to say that the 2006-07 Colts were a better team than the Patriots. Just some other thoughts that came up.

* Rex Grossman is aweful, terrible, pathetic, and whatever other adjectives you can think of. He was AS responsible for the Colts winning as any player wearing Blue and White. Grossman back to pass, throws it a mile in the air, jump ball, Colts intercept! Seemed to be a common occurrence during the game. When the Bears management sits down and discusses off season planning anyone who mutters any words of support for Rex should be launched out a window.

* Props to the Colts O-Line they completely neutralized Brian Urlacher and the Bears D, I have never seen such methodical offensive dominance. On the other hand, why the hell were the Bears secondary lineup like 20 yards back on every single play?

* Prince was easily the best half time show since I have been alive. This easily beats out Nipplegate, and the shows that combine Aerosmith, Britney Spears and Nelly. Ughh those still make my head hurt.

* Watching the pre-game show I was really confused what the hell was going on, refs riding ostriches, wrestling fans, painted gay super hero's being launched off a see saw. I'm assuming whoever created this show has never interacted with the typical football fan.

* Robert Goulet destroying the office, best commercial.

Hopefully the Peyton Manning ass patting will die down soon and we can finally talk about baseball. Spring training is only 10 days away!

Dice Man drinketh

So drinking a beer before you pitch for the Red Sox will make you a winner. I knew it....


I believe the subtitles should say "For American pitcher good time, drink beer brewed in stump of Ancient trees of Kyoto forest. "

Let's Pour Out a Little Liquor for Barbaro

Yes the day that we all dreaded came yesterday when the valiant warrior Barbaro was euthanized yesterday after a long battle with a broken leg. Its too bad they dont have horse wheel chairs, than Barbaro could have just been a crippled horse who wheeled himself around to get his carrots or exercise. He could have been the FDR of equines. Yet what worried me over the last few months was the distinct possibility that after 7 months of surgeries and lingering pain, that Barbaro might become addicted to pain killers, and I really don't think his owner and trainers would have wanted him to live out his life as a junkie (possibly dealing horse steroids on the side to Barry Bonds). Maybe euthanasia was the best end for him.

I wonder though, it's too bad, there were so many post-racing opportunities for Barbaro after his retirement, I widdled it down to 5:

1. Possibly the best option for Barbaro is to put him out to stud. I think we can all say we would be jealous of the life he would lead. His day would involve sleeping, eating, having sex (repeat). Sitting at work staring at this computer screen, I swear to myself WHY WASNT I BORN A HORSE.

2. It seems like with Seabiscuit, Black Beauty and the release of the new movie Zoo, there is a national love affair with horses (sometimes literally). Barbaro could have capitalized on this, by casting him as the modern "Mr. Ed." maybe with Matt Dillon as Wilbur. He would bring instant star power to the role, and we could see constant advertisements for it on FOX during telecasts of baseball and football. "We all knew he could run, but a devastating injury ends his career, now a small town lawyer will find out there is more to Ed than meets the eye". Good punch line, huh?

3. Five Words: Barbaro, International Action Movie Star.

4. I believe that Barbaro would have been an excellent spokes-horse for a new government organization that lobbies for other injured animals. Having him limp in with his leg all wrapped up, looking up at a Senator with those big black beady eyes, I can't envision anything being more heart wrenching. He would make sure that there are ramps on all stables, accessible troughs, and proper masseuses and chiropractor coverage for all race horses.

5. Denver Broncos- Offical Team Mascot. No costumes needed, just bad ass Barbaro attitude, that should be enough to intimidate any other teams mascot.

But unfortunately horses unlike people can't live after breaking a leg, and the vets had to put him under. I also feel really bad for the owner of the horse, who must be really upset that now that Barbaro is gone, he can FINALLY cash in his 20 million dollar insurance policy on the horse.
Poor poor Barbaro, you ran really fast while you were alive, now your up in Heaven, I hope they give an extra sweet oat bag up there.

Helton, a Welcome Addition

A possible trade of Todd Helton to the Red Sox is being thrown around all over the internet, tv and radio.The 33 year old, two time gold glove, and .330 career hitter is being shopped by Colorado and it looks like Boston will be the most likely destination (Atlanta & St. Louis are the two other teams that he would waive his no trade clause). The Rockies paid an arm and a leg to lock him up through the 2012 season, still owing him a remarkable 90 million dollars. There are a few snags that could hold up the deal, the Sox are offering Julian Tavarez and Mike Lowell, while the Rox want a top tier prospect (Craig Hansen, Manny Delcarmen, Clay Buchholz, Daniel Bard, or Jacoby Ellsbury).

If one of these prospects is all it takes to get this deal complete, the Sox have to pull the trigger here. The Sox have a plethora of pitching, and while we should take heed to the lessons we learned from the Josh Beckett for Hanley Ramirez and Anibal Sanchez trade, sometimes as a general manager you have to take that gamble. For every prospect that pans out, there are the Brian Rose's and Robinson Checo's that completely fall on their face. Helton is a future Hall of Famer who fits the Sox's batting philosophy perfectly, he is patient takes alot of pitches and makes the opposition work hard to get him out. If Helton was traded here, the Sox would have a lineup that is strong from top to bottom (though Dustin Pedroia needs to prove his abilities at the plate). Look at the key differences from last year:

Alex Gonzalez .299 OBP -------> Lugo .341 OBP
Trot Nixon/ Wily Mo .373 OBP/ .349 OBP --------> Drew .393 OBP
Lowell .339 OBP ---------> Helton .404 OBP


Those are three huge additions to a lineup that struggled through the second half of last season. I have no idea why the Rockies would pull this deal unless there was a significant physical defect with Helton. From what I've heard from Colorado folks, there is NOTHING wrong with him right now, and that this might simply be a salary dump (which in the end would be a net saving of 6 million a year). I am salivating at this deal, and I would pack the Sox prospects bag if it brings him here.

The hole has been dug for the Dirtdog

LOOK AT THAT HUSTLE!

Trot is gone, and it looks like it will take a long time for Red Sox Nation to get over it.

The goatee'd pine tar covered, 90 MPH hustler is going to the Indians to live in obscurity as a platoon partner with Casey Blake. Honestly, good riddance. I have always been a fan of Trot's but I am a slave to statistics . Looking at Nixon's numbers and health, they have declined so steeply over the past year that JD Drew will be a vast improvement over the Dirt Dog.

Lets look at some numbers:
From 2004-2006

Nixon: 27 HR's 142 RBI, SLG . .425 (.394 LAST YEAR!)
Drew : 66 HR's 229 RBI, SLG .520

But than again Trot gets his uniform dirty, has "heart", hustles all the time and gets into brawls for his teammates. Why aren't these statistics quantifiable? Because if they were Trot's hustle rating would fall in the top 1%. But Bill James still hasn't figure out how to create a statistic for any of the characteristics that makes Nixon "appealing".

Now Trot is gone, joining the parade of World Series heros forced out of town by the tyrannical Theo & Larry. Unfortunately ''heart" couldn't protect Trot from looking silly against left hand pitchers, and "hustle" couldn't keep Trot off the disabled list, and those fights didn't prevent Trot's power numbers from tumbling. Sorry Trot, but your jersey is going in a box under my bed along with my Pokey & Johnny Damon throwbacks.

Just think:

Ortiz, Manny, Drew - the meat of your lineup, this is going to cause headaches for pitching all year (that makes me totally forget the Pats/Indy game) ........((well almost))