I'm hoping that the title line to this post isn't somehow copyrighted by some nerd with a college basketball website or a b-rate sports website like cbs or fox. Sorry for the one week hiatus there sports fans, but sometimes work gets you down. Hopefully this will distract you from watching bad Monday night football, but not prevent you from catching as much of the 24 hours of hoops that you can. This is my projection of the NCAA tournament field in March. I'll go bracket by bracket starting with the #1 overall seed moving toward the #4 overall seed in each of the four fields. These projections are compliant with the NCAA specs, but I can't be held accountable for knowing all the regular season schedules and any repeat games with bad teams.
1 Kansas v 16 Prairie View A&M/Mt St Mary's
8 GA Tech v 9 Vandy
5 Louisville v 12 Old Dominion
4 Illinois v 13 Western Kentucky (Payback time)
6 Dayton v 11 Wake Forest
3 Cal v 14 Holy Cross
7 Michigan v 10 Seton Hall (Rumeal Robinson anyone?)
2 Kentucky v 15 Oakland (Kentucky is vastly overrated, but so is the SEC)
1 Purdue v 16 Morehead St (Not homerism, just a good team)
8 Clemson v 9 UCLA
5 Oklahoma St v 12 Utah St
4 Butler v 13 Portland
6 Ole Miss v 11 Kansas St
3 UNC v 14 Long Beach St (UNC is another overrated team with no guard play)
7 Tulsa v 10 South Carolina
2 UConn v 15 Radford
1 Michigan St v 16 Morgan St
8 Oregon v 9 Maryland (Oregon is my sleeper team this season)
5 Mississippi St v 12 Houston (I clearly did my rankings before Miss St lost their opener)
4 West Virginia v 13 Charleston
6 BYU v 11 Southern Illinois
3 Oklahoma v 14 Belmont (The Big 12 might unseat preseason favorite Big 10 for Conf of Year)
7 Georgetown v 10 Wisconsin
2 Duke v 15 Texas A&M - Corpus Christi
1 Villanova v 16 Weber St
8 Texas A&M v 9 Northern Iowa (Watch out for a Northern Iowa v Tenn game this weekend)
5 Minnesota v 12 LaSalle (I wish I could revise after the top recruit was booted from Minny)
4 Washington v 13 Buffalo
6 Ohio State v 11 Siena (Another payback game for the Big 10)
3 Tennessee v 14 Vermont
7 Boston College v 10 Cincinnati
2 Texas v 15 Cornell
That should pretty much do it for my preseason projections. Top teams left out of my brackets were Syracuse, UMass, St. John's, Notre Dame, Wichita St, Memphis, Iowa St, Mizzou, Wyoming, Gonzaga, Nevada, George Mason, VCU, and Niagara. Don't sleep on the Niagara Purple Eagles this year. The MAAC may get two bids.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Friday, November 6, 2009
Where do all the tickets go?
How many people end up asking themselves that question when a big show comes into town? Recently, I've found myself asking this question way too many times this week. First, I was looking for Big Ten Tournament tickets that were released in mid October only to find 300 level seats available. Something tells me they haven't filled the lower bowl in Conseco just yet. Next, I spent two hours yesterday being completely shut out for the Second City reunion performance and the Jeff Garlin show. Their website didn't even work during the first hour and a half. Well done guys, stick to comedy. I found out this morning that 10AM presale means sometime around 10AM when LiveNation gets their link to Ticketmaster figured out.
You want to know why more people don't go to more things in a down economy? Because all the good seats are taken. HDTV is way too good and there are way too many other entertainment options to be stuck with bad comedy, concert, or sports tickets. How do you solve this? You don't. Just keep refusing to pay scalpers and eventually they'll go under. Until then, I'm going to buy myself a general admin ticket to the local high school football playoff contest tonight. Well, unless the seats are bad.
Parlay Time
Well 8-5 was a much better showing for the second version of pick 'em. That's good enough to make some money at the window, so we'll keep trying this segment out. If I win again this weekend, maybe I'll actually have to start using real money and not just cyberspace.
Arizona +3
Cinci +3
Green Bay -10
Indy -9
Jax -6.5
Miami +10.5
Washington +11
Carolina +13.5
Seattle -11
San Diego +5
San Fran -4.5
Phily -3
Denver +3
That's the skinny this weekend. My lock of the weekend would have to be the lowly Jacksonville Jaguars -6.5 against the awful and getting worse KC Chiefs. I don't see a good moneyline upset outside of maybe San Diego or maybe Miami versus Belichick.
You want to know why more people don't go to more things in a down economy? Because all the good seats are taken. HDTV is way too good and there are way too many other entertainment options to be stuck with bad comedy, concert, or sports tickets. How do you solve this? You don't. Just keep refusing to pay scalpers and eventually they'll go under. Until then, I'm going to buy myself a general admin ticket to the local high school football playoff contest tonight. Well, unless the seats are bad.
Parlay Time
Well 8-5 was a much better showing for the second version of pick 'em. That's good enough to make some money at the window, so we'll keep trying this segment out. If I win again this weekend, maybe I'll actually have to start using real money and not just cyberspace.
Arizona +3
Cinci +3
Green Bay -10
Indy -9
Jax -6.5
Miami +10.5
Washington +11
Carolina +13.5
Seattle -11
San Diego +5
San Fran -4.5
Phily -3
Denver +3
That's the skinny this weekend. My lock of the weekend would have to be the lowly Jacksonville Jaguars -6.5 against the awful and getting worse KC Chiefs. I don't see a good moneyline upset outside of maybe San Diego or maybe Miami versus Belichick.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Shower Thoughts
So since my once a week second wind decided to hit me at 11:30 on Wednesday night, I figured why not get ahead of the game. Nothing helps late night blogging like some tunes. Tell that one to iTunes though. Never there for you in a pinch. Every single time I think, Hey I'd like to listen to some tunes to help my calm, BAM, time for another useless iTunes download update. I'm sure version 9.0.2 is groundbreaking. Thanks for your hardwork champ.
Anyhow, my advice for the week isn't advice so much as it is rambling. The advice would be to ramble more often. Utilize your stream of consciousness. No better time to do that than after a long shower. How many of us have had some excellent ideas in that shower to only throw them away by heading off to bed? Well I'm going to buck that trend and spew them onto the worldwideweb, so I can use them at a later date. Another bit of advice: don't force shower thoughts. If you're preoccupied and already thinking about something, you're not going to come up with any good ideas.
I got to thinking about the chili recipe, then I thought what if I just did the ground beef and pulled out a few other ingredients. I could add some Open Pit bbq sauce, ground mustard, brown sugar, and spice rub to make one hell of a hot dog topping. That right there is a new summer party idea. Get some jumbo roasties from the grand champions over at Ream's, make some "coney" sauce if you will, get some nice aged cheddar, then instead of raw onion, make some cracker breaded vidalia straws for a topping. That covers the hot dog entry, so what about the burger.
Why not put together a homemade burger bar. Do an all natural 80/20 ground beef burger with just kosher salt and cracked black pepper, a ground sirloin burger soaked with worchestershire sauce and garlic herb rub, and a lamb burger with mediterranean seasoning. Make some fire roasted cherry tomato topping with balsamic and thyme for the ketchup substitute, grilled buttered vidalia onions, multiple cheeses like gouda, havarti, and swiss, fresh dilled cucumbers, nice bibb lettuce, and red wine/shallot/garlic reduction/steak sauce. Take some feta and create a feta-laced tzatziki sauce for the lamb burger along with some pitted fresh olives and cured lemon confit. Now that's a burger bar with options that takes advantage of the garden freshness. I'd take some fire roasted sweet and spicy peppers too.
What about getting a little crazy and making a crabcake burger grilled on a plank? Serve than openfaced with a slice of lettuce on brioche and a spritz of lemon? That's living right there. How about the porktastic "burger." A split hunk of smoked sausage, topped with some fresh pulled pork slathered in bbq sauce, then topped with two perfect strips of applewood bacon. That is sandwich heaven.
That's what I came up with tonight in my shower. I wasn't hungry and it wasn't a long shower. My stream of consciousness just moves faster than spawning salmon. Something tells me that I might have a few more attendees to my next shindig next summer after posting this potential menu. Anybody else come up with anything good in the shower lately? I think this complete menu would be served on opening night of my future restaurant. A small place with about ten tables open five days per week serving a different menu every day. Call it Today's Special. Yes, I stole that from my favorite Nickelodeon cartoon when I was a wee lad. We're talking early 80s with this one. Place your future orders now.
Ode to Nader
This will be a pretty random endorsement, but not insignificant. I'm a proud eater of Terra Chips. Danielle loves the beets and sweets along with the mixed vegetables, but I would say try the new regional flavors. In particular, I go for the Chesapeake Bay and Beer seasoned kettle chips. Don't be afraid to kill a whole bag the first time around. You don't know what you're getting yourself into. A little bit of spice, a nice sweet finish, and beautiful beer flavor is what awaits you inside this perfect bag of goodness.
Don't worry now that I'm done, iTunes is updated. F'in sweet. Hey look, it's Carrie Underwood week. Yippee. So let me get this straight, they decide to make it Carrie Underwood week, yet fail to litter the entire site with pictures of Carrie Underwood. Shame on you iTunes, shame on you.
Anyhow, my advice for the week isn't advice so much as it is rambling. The advice would be to ramble more often. Utilize your stream of consciousness. No better time to do that than after a long shower. How many of us have had some excellent ideas in that shower to only throw them away by heading off to bed? Well I'm going to buck that trend and spew them onto the worldwideweb, so I can use them at a later date. Another bit of advice: don't force shower thoughts. If you're preoccupied and already thinking about something, you're not going to come up with any good ideas.
I got to thinking about the chili recipe, then I thought what if I just did the ground beef and pulled out a few other ingredients. I could add some Open Pit bbq sauce, ground mustard, brown sugar, and spice rub to make one hell of a hot dog topping. That right there is a new summer party idea. Get some jumbo roasties from the grand champions over at Ream's, make some "coney" sauce if you will, get some nice aged cheddar, then instead of raw onion, make some cracker breaded vidalia straws for a topping. That covers the hot dog entry, so what about the burger.
Why not put together a homemade burger bar. Do an all natural 80/20 ground beef burger with just kosher salt and cracked black pepper, a ground sirloin burger soaked with worchestershire sauce and garlic herb rub, and a lamb burger with mediterranean seasoning. Make some fire roasted cherry tomato topping with balsamic and thyme for the ketchup substitute, grilled buttered vidalia onions, multiple cheeses like gouda, havarti, and swiss, fresh dilled cucumbers, nice bibb lettuce, and red wine/shallot/garlic reduction/steak sauce. Take some feta and create a feta-laced tzatziki sauce for the lamb burger along with some pitted fresh olives and cured lemon confit. Now that's a burger bar with options that takes advantage of the garden freshness. I'd take some fire roasted sweet and spicy peppers too.
What about getting a little crazy and making a crabcake burger grilled on a plank? Serve than openfaced with a slice of lettuce on brioche and a spritz of lemon? That's living right there. How about the porktastic "burger." A split hunk of smoked sausage, topped with some fresh pulled pork slathered in bbq sauce, then topped with two perfect strips of applewood bacon. That is sandwich heaven.
That's what I came up with tonight in my shower. I wasn't hungry and it wasn't a long shower. My stream of consciousness just moves faster than spawning salmon. Something tells me that I might have a few more attendees to my next shindig next summer after posting this potential menu. Anybody else come up with anything good in the shower lately? I think this complete menu would be served on opening night of my future restaurant. A small place with about ten tables open five days per week serving a different menu every day. Call it Today's Special. Yes, I stole that from my favorite Nickelodeon cartoon when I was a wee lad. We're talking early 80s with this one. Place your future orders now.
Ode to Nader
This will be a pretty random endorsement, but not insignificant. I'm a proud eater of Terra Chips. Danielle loves the beets and sweets along with the mixed vegetables, but I would say try the new regional flavors. In particular, I go for the Chesapeake Bay and Beer seasoned kettle chips. Don't be afraid to kill a whole bag the first time around. You don't know what you're getting yourself into. A little bit of spice, a nice sweet finish, and beautiful beer flavor is what awaits you inside this perfect bag of goodness.
Don't worry now that I'm done, iTunes is updated. F'in sweet. Hey look, it's Carrie Underwood week. Yippee. So let me get this straight, they decide to make it Carrie Underwood week, yet fail to litter the entire site with pictures of Carrie Underwood. Shame on you iTunes, shame on you.
New Sunday Tradition
If you're looking for that go-to Sunday afternoon meal especially during football season and long winters, then I have exactly what you need. You need to partake in my red steak chili. I wish I could stop myself from eating it long enough to take a picture for you, but I failed on multiple occasions this week to do so. This is an American chili with no beans to be found. I typically eat this with some good sharp cheddar piled on top and a fresh bag of Fritos scoops. Let's get after it:
1 pound of ground round (basically a ground beef that is lean because you don't need the fat)
2 to 2.5 pounds of tri tip (you can substitute steak cuts like New York and Ribeye or mix in stew meat if need be), cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2 yellow/sweet onions diced
3 strips of good bacon diced (applewood smoked is suggested)
3 tablespoons of unsalted butter
1 poblano pepper diced
1 sweet pepper diced
3 chipotles with adobo sauce blended (I add a dash of water and whip it in the magic bullet)
2/3 C of chili powder (guajillo is good if you can find it)
1/3 C of paprika (you can add more paprika and less chili powder and vice versa to adjust temp)
1 T of cumin, thyme, and oregano each
8 cloves of pressed fresh garlic (garlic press is a must have kitchen utensil)
1 shallot diced
28 oz can of whole san marzano tomatoes (you know tomato quality is important here)
3-4 T of tomato paste
2 cans of beef broth
salt and pepper to taste
You want to start with a good dutch oven and melt a tablespoon of butter to slightly brown, then add the bacon. Once the bacon starts to brown, add the onions, shallot, and garlic. This combo should sweat down really well, then add the ground round. Brown the meat and season this mix with salt and pepper. Now add the poblano and sweet peppers to the mix and give a few minutes to sweat. While cooking each of these components you can add the other tablespoons of butter as needed if the mixture gets dry. Now add in the beef. It doesn't need to be browned up as it will stew for awhile to cook.
Mix the pot together at this point and add the chipotle blend, all dry spices, some more salt and pepper, the can of tomatoes with sauce, 3 T of paste, and at least one can of beef broth. Stir this mixture to see if you need the second can of broth. It is likely that you should need both. Bring the pot to a simmer and stir to combine. Use your wooden spoon or spatula to smash the whole tomatoes down. The pot will now simmer uncovered for at least 2.5 hours. Continue to monitor and stir every 30 to 45 minutes. With roughly 30 minutes left, check the consistency and add the last tablespoon of paste if additional thickening is necessary. Also, taste the chili for any additional seasoning. After 2.5 hours, check one of your meat cubes for tenderness. If the meat is done, then the chili is done. Feel free to keep any leftovers in the fridge and reheat in a sauce pan on the stove with some water to thin out. We like to use the leftovers with some cheese on top of a baked potato for another meal option a few days later. That's the whole secret to my red chili. No holding back, so have at it. You shouldn't need a restaurant option this week.
1 pound of ground round (basically a ground beef that is lean because you don't need the fat)
2 to 2.5 pounds of tri tip (you can substitute steak cuts like New York and Ribeye or mix in stew meat if need be), cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2 yellow/sweet onions diced
3 strips of good bacon diced (applewood smoked is suggested)
3 tablespoons of unsalted butter
1 poblano pepper diced
1 sweet pepper diced
3 chipotles with adobo sauce blended (I add a dash of water and whip it in the magic bullet)
2/3 C of chili powder (guajillo is good if you can find it)
1/3 C of paprika (you can add more paprika and less chili powder and vice versa to adjust temp)
1 T of cumin, thyme, and oregano each
8 cloves of pressed fresh garlic (garlic press is a must have kitchen utensil)
1 shallot diced
28 oz can of whole san marzano tomatoes (you know tomato quality is important here)
3-4 T of tomato paste
2 cans of beef broth
salt and pepper to taste
You want to start with a good dutch oven and melt a tablespoon of butter to slightly brown, then add the bacon. Once the bacon starts to brown, add the onions, shallot, and garlic. This combo should sweat down really well, then add the ground round. Brown the meat and season this mix with salt and pepper. Now add the poblano and sweet peppers to the mix and give a few minutes to sweat. While cooking each of these components you can add the other tablespoons of butter as needed if the mixture gets dry. Now add in the beef. It doesn't need to be browned up as it will stew for awhile to cook.
Mix the pot together at this point and add the chipotle blend, all dry spices, some more salt and pepper, the can of tomatoes with sauce, 3 T of paste, and at least one can of beef broth. Stir this mixture to see if you need the second can of broth. It is likely that you should need both. Bring the pot to a simmer and stir to combine. Use your wooden spoon or spatula to smash the whole tomatoes down. The pot will now simmer uncovered for at least 2.5 hours. Continue to monitor and stir every 30 to 45 minutes. With roughly 30 minutes left, check the consistency and add the last tablespoon of paste if additional thickening is necessary. Also, taste the chili for any additional seasoning. After 2.5 hours, check one of your meat cubes for tenderness. If the meat is done, then the chili is done. Feel free to keep any leftovers in the fridge and reheat in a sauce pan on the stove with some water to thin out. We like to use the leftovers with some cheese on top of a baked potato for another meal option a few days later. That's the whole secret to my red chili. No holding back, so have at it. You shouldn't need a restaurant option this week.
HD Music
Let me tell you that I have recently discovered the real reason for the HD upgrade. It is musical performances my friends. The sound and picture quality exceeds the sports upgrade that we all pined for. Palladia is basically the primary HD music channel, and check the schedule to find some gems like Soundstage and festival coverage. Don't sleep on PBS though with the new season of Austin City Limits currently airing. DMB, Ben Harper, and Kenny Chesney have been the well known acts up to this point with Pearl Jam and a few others yet to come.
The live performances only cover half of it though with plenty of on demand HD music programming available. Artists are now making HD music videos, and a wide variety can be viewed by simply using the on demand schedule. If you're looking for a nice mix, try recording a some of the HD music video blocks that play on Palladia overnight. Just think how many options would be available if MTV and VH-1 still played music since their HD channels are now more widely distributed.
Digital Ditty
I'm going off the beaten path with a pair of middle of the decade tunes that are pretty deep alternative radio cuts. College radio might be a better definition for these eclectic offerings, but I submit for your approval Wasted and Ready by Ben Kweller along with Too Much Too Soon by Llama. I have no idea if these musical entities are still performing or recording, but these two songs are fixtures on my iPod and always brighten my day.
The live performances only cover half of it though with plenty of on demand HD music programming available. Artists are now making HD music videos, and a wide variety can be viewed by simply using the on demand schedule. If you're looking for a nice mix, try recording a some of the HD music video blocks that play on Palladia overnight. Just think how many options would be available if MTV and VH-1 still played music since their HD channels are now more widely distributed.
Digital Ditty
I'm going off the beaten path with a pair of middle of the decade tunes that are pretty deep alternative radio cuts. College radio might be a better definition for these eclectic offerings, but I submit for your approval Wasted and Ready by Ben Kweller along with Too Much Too Soon by Llama. I have no idea if these musical entities are still performing or recording, but these two songs are fixtures on my iPod and always brighten my day.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Big Ten Buckets
Who else is ready for some college hoops action? Well the exhibition season is starting to tip off, and real buckets are a little over a week away. This will finally be the year that the Big Ten takes down the ACC in their annual challenge. It is like the Big Ten finally grew up enough to beat their older sibling. Numerous conference teams have stacked their preseason schedules with road tilts, tournaments, and home and home series with some major conference foes. The Big Ten has the opportunity to ascend to the top of the college hoops world, and I think they will seize the day.
The top of the conference begins with last year's national runner up, Michigan State. They have as much or more talent along the roster than anyone. Kalin Lucas is the cog in the engine and will take this team far throughout the season. I feel that the loss of Walton and Suton is understated for their leadership, toughness, and defense. Those losses could be filled by guys like Morgan and Roe, but that remains to be seen. The other front runner is Purdue which returns its top 6 scorers from the Sweet 16 team a year ago. This year marks the Boilers' best run at a league title since the late 90s with balance across the roster. Watch for JaJuan Johnson to beat out Evan Turner for conference player of the year.
The next tier is still an outstanding bunch of top 25 squads led by Illinois and their influx of backcourt talent. McCamey and Legion will certainly be pushed by the likes of Paul and Richardson this season. Davis and Tisdale will need to take control in the paint for this to be a special season. The Buckeyes are once again stocked with talent, but we're all watching for the basketball version of Ron Zook to do some coaching of that talent. This squad is overrated in my opinion and it starts with William Buford. Minnesota will come after a lot of teams this year with the constant pressure applied by Tubby. They brought in the two best recruits in the conference to help an already deep lineup from last season. Michigan also will compete for a Sweet 16 berth based on some three point shooters and the best 1-2 punch in the league in Harris and Sims.
Moving on down the line, Wisconsin is a gritty group led by Trevon Hughes. We'll see if Hughes is finally ready to deliver on all his potential. Northwestern will put on a full season of basketball in the north suburbs and look to gain their first ever entry into the big dance. Coble and Thompson lead a veteran squad, but the Naperville kid must replace the shooting from Moore. Penn State also falls in this next block, but Talor Battle just doesn't have enough help to make a serious run.
Indiana falls in their own tier as the Hoosiers have a whole new roster again with Rivers transferred in from Georgetown and a bounty of new recruits. These 3 and 4 star players will be the body of Tom Crean's work for the next three years. There will certainly be enough firepower to compete in conference play this year, but the wins are likely few and far between given the only relevant returnee is Verdell Jones.
Iowa rounds out the conference and I won't waste another second talking about a team that will not win a conference game.
Dear Mr. Fantasy
The fantasy football season is in full swing, and this week you need to start deciding if you're in buy or sell mode in your keeper leagues. It is time to start adding Cards, Saints, and Pats for the playoff run. The key is setting up your defenses for the next few weeks and the playoffs. Good defenses are not better than good matchups this year given the weakness of some teams. Some new guys I like now are Malcolm Floyd and Kevin Walter. These two should fill the voids left by Chambers and Daniels. Shonn Greene is not a decent play unless the matchup is spectacular. He's barely a breather for T. Jones, who should be a primetimer the rest of the way. I'd sell my way out of New York if I could in all leagues. They're both headed south. Matt Leinart is a guy to keep an eye on given the condition of the Cards O-line and the favorable matchups down the road. At some point, you've got to be able to get the ball downfield to Fitz. Speaking of downfield, I don't know how much impact Megatron makes the rest of the way. Detroit seems content with their single victory. No more Browns, Redskins, or Bucs on fantasy teams. Josh Freeman takes over in St. Pete this weekend, and it should be a disaster of epic proportions. Not just because of the old creamsicle jerseys either. He's the bastard child of JaMarcus Russell and Sherri Shepard. Hell he went to K-State. How'd that work out for Raheem Morris and Michael Bishop? Poorly, that's how, poorly.
The top of the conference begins with last year's national runner up, Michigan State. They have as much or more talent along the roster than anyone. Kalin Lucas is the cog in the engine and will take this team far throughout the season. I feel that the loss of Walton and Suton is understated for their leadership, toughness, and defense. Those losses could be filled by guys like Morgan and Roe, but that remains to be seen. The other front runner is Purdue which returns its top 6 scorers from the Sweet 16 team a year ago. This year marks the Boilers' best run at a league title since the late 90s with balance across the roster. Watch for JaJuan Johnson to beat out Evan Turner for conference player of the year.
The next tier is still an outstanding bunch of top 25 squads led by Illinois and their influx of backcourt talent. McCamey and Legion will certainly be pushed by the likes of Paul and Richardson this season. Davis and Tisdale will need to take control in the paint for this to be a special season. The Buckeyes are once again stocked with talent, but we're all watching for the basketball version of Ron Zook to do some coaching of that talent. This squad is overrated in my opinion and it starts with William Buford. Minnesota will come after a lot of teams this year with the constant pressure applied by Tubby. They brought in the two best recruits in the conference to help an already deep lineup from last season. Michigan also will compete for a Sweet 16 berth based on some three point shooters and the best 1-2 punch in the league in Harris and Sims.
Moving on down the line, Wisconsin is a gritty group led by Trevon Hughes. We'll see if Hughes is finally ready to deliver on all his potential. Northwestern will put on a full season of basketball in the north suburbs and look to gain their first ever entry into the big dance. Coble and Thompson lead a veteran squad, but the Naperville kid must replace the shooting from Moore. Penn State also falls in this next block, but Talor Battle just doesn't have enough help to make a serious run.
Indiana falls in their own tier as the Hoosiers have a whole new roster again with Rivers transferred in from Georgetown and a bounty of new recruits. These 3 and 4 star players will be the body of Tom Crean's work for the next three years. There will certainly be enough firepower to compete in conference play this year, but the wins are likely few and far between given the only relevant returnee is Verdell Jones.
Iowa rounds out the conference and I won't waste another second talking about a team that will not win a conference game.
Dear Mr. Fantasy
The fantasy football season is in full swing, and this week you need to start deciding if you're in buy or sell mode in your keeper leagues. It is time to start adding Cards, Saints, and Pats for the playoff run. The key is setting up your defenses for the next few weeks and the playoffs. Good defenses are not better than good matchups this year given the weakness of some teams. Some new guys I like now are Malcolm Floyd and Kevin Walter. These two should fill the voids left by Chambers and Daniels. Shonn Greene is not a decent play unless the matchup is spectacular. He's barely a breather for T. Jones, who should be a primetimer the rest of the way. I'd sell my way out of New York if I could in all leagues. They're both headed south. Matt Leinart is a guy to keep an eye on given the condition of the Cards O-line and the favorable matchups down the road. At some point, you've got to be able to get the ball downfield to Fitz. Speaking of downfield, I don't know how much impact Megatron makes the rest of the way. Detroit seems content with their single victory. No more Browns, Redskins, or Bucs on fantasy teams. Josh Freeman takes over in St. Pete this weekend, and it should be a disaster of epic proportions. Not just because of the old creamsicle jerseys either. He's the bastard child of JaMarcus Russell and Sherri Shepard. Hell he went to K-State. How'd that work out for Raheem Morris and Michael Bishop? Poorly, that's how, poorly.
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