Week 17 Recap

By Bryan Jeon

NFL Records

Touchdown passes, season – 50, Tom Brady, New England
Touchdown receptions, season – 23, Randy Moss, New England
Most points in a season, team – 589, New England (36.8 PPG)
16-0 – New England, 2007
Most completions, season – 440, Drew Brees, New Orleans (27.5 completions/game)
Kick returns for touchdowns, season – 6, Devin Hester, Chicago (two kickoff returns, four punt returns)
Most catches by tight end, career – 820, Tony Gonzalez, Kansas City

Tom Brady broke Peyton Manning’s 2004 record of 49 touchdown passes, but didn’t have a higher passer rating. Manning holds the record with a 121.1 rating, Brady finished with 117.2 after throwing for 356 yards, 2 TDs and 0 INTs in the win over the Giants.

Randy Moss broke Jerry Rice’s 1987 record of 22 touchdown catches after his second TD of the game, a 65-yard bomb to put the Pats up for good. Now, the debate will continue over how great that record is when Rice put up his numbers in a strike-shortened, 12-game season.

The Pats also scored the most points in a season, breaking Minnesota’s record of 556, set in 1998. Guess who was a rookie on the team that year. You’re looking at him…Randy Moss.

Brees had a season-high 35 completions on a career-high 60 attempts Sunday in breaking Rich Gannon’s 2002 record of 418 completions in a season.

Devin Hester is something special in just his second year in the NFL, arguably one of the most impactful players in the game. The Miami (FL) product broke his own record Sunday, set in his rookie season last year with 5, when he returned a 64-yard punt for a score. His 11 career kick returns for touchdowns are just two shy of the NFL career record, set by Brian Mitchell with 13. Hester added a 55-yard touchdown reception in leading Chicago to a win over the Saints and should play a much more expansive role in the offense next season. Amazing that both teams from last year’s NFC championship game will not be in the playoffs this season, finishing with identical 7-9 records.

Tony Gonzalez broke Shannon Sharpe’s career receptions record for a tight end of 815 with 7 receptions on Sunday in an overtime loss to the Jets. Gonzalez also holds the record for career touchdown catches by a tight end with 66.

Passing Title

4,806 yards – Tom Brady, New England (50 TD, 8 INT, 117.2 rating)

Brady had another flawless game Saturday, adding 356 yards and two scores to his perfect season. Brees finished in second with 4,423 yards on the season.

Rushing Title

1,474 yards – LaDainian Tomlinson, San Diego (315 att, 4.7 YPC, 92.1 YPG, 15 TD)

L.T. wins his second straight rushing title, beating out Minnesota rookie Adrian Peterson by 133 yards. He finished the season with 16 carries on 56 yards in a win over the Raiders.

Receiving Title

1,510 yards – Reggie Wayne, Indianapolis (104 rec, 10 TD, 94.4 YPG)

Wayne played just enough Sunday night to overtake the receiving title from Randy Moss, who finished with 1,493 yards. In just over a quarter of play against the Titans, Wayne had 12 catches for 87 yards, and he took full advantage of teammate Marvin Harrison missing 11 games this season to reach 100 receptions for the first time in his 7-year career as well as having a career-high in yards.

NFL Starting Debut

23-of-31, 224 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT – JaMarcus Russell, Oakland

The richest rookie in NFL history sure has a lot of proving to do in his sophomore year after being awarded a 6-year, $61-million contract. The quarterback out of LSU has 6 turnovers in his last two games (4 INTs, 2 fumbles lost), one returned for a touchdown. He’ll be given all the opportunities in the world for the next five years, as the Raiders finished the season at 4-12.

A Look Ahead (Wild-Card Weekend)

Saturday – Washington (9-7) at Seattle (10-6), Jacksonville (11-5) at Pittsburgh (10-6)
Sunday – NY Giants (10-6) at Tampa Bay (9-7), Tennessee (10-6) at San Diego (11-5)

Byes: Dallas (13-3), Green Bay (13-3), New England (16-0), Indianapolis (13-3)

Celtics Win Rematch, Kobe to 20,000, Bynum Spotlight

By Bryan Jeon

Boston (22-3) 103 – 91 Orlando (18-11)

The Celtics had four of their starters score at least 20 points and led by as many as 20 points in the third quarter to cruise against the Magic Sunday night, who have dropped seven of their last nine games. Dwight Howard, who had 23 points and 14 rebounds for his 10th straight double-double, shot a season-worst .313 (5 for 16) from the charity strike. Possessing a higher field goal percentage (.617) than free throw percentage (.602), the Magic center might have teams start devising a ‘Hack-a-Howard’ quite similar to that of Shaquille O’Neal when he terrorized opponents in the purple and gold.

The Celtics, who after an amazing start are on pace to just tie the Chicago Bulls’ magical 72-10 season, have had their performance downplayed by critics who say they’ve had an easy early schedule. The win improved their home record to 14-1 and also avenged their first loss of the season in Orlando on November 18. The two meet for a third and final time during the regular season in Orlando on January 27. I got my money still that Orlando will take this one on their home court. Hey, let’s not forget ESPN’s prediction of the Bulls as the Eastern Conference champions. At 9-16, only New York (8-19) and Miami (8-19) are below them in the Eastern Conference.

Talks of Kevin Garnett as NBA MVP might be cooling, as his numbers have gone down in accordance with playing over five minutes less a game. (And yes, talks of Steve Nash three-peating have begun.)

Of Boston’s three losses, they have two 2-point losses and an overtime loss to the other three best teams in the East (Orlando, Cleveland and Detroit). They are 9-1 in December and have won all nine games by double digits. Their next game against one of these three teams is January 5 at Detroit.

The NBA’s Best Small Fowards

By Chris Le

(Original post on 10/23/07)

Small Forward appears to be the dominant position of the future. With the addition of incoming rookie Kevin Durant (whom I was tempted to put in the top ten), the three spot hosts the greatest collection of young, proven talent in the game. These hybrid athletic freaks are large, fast and nimble, and they can do it all: score, board, dish and play D.

But even with such a congestion of quality players at this one position, is there any doubt as to who is the best? LeBron James, at 22-years-old, is arguably the best baller in the league—and he’s getting better. It’s only a matter of time until he’s collecting MVPs (and rings?) as if it were a hobby.

1. LeBron James – Who could forget King James’s series against the Detroit Pistons, particularly that 48-point outburst in game 5? That ish was Jordan-esque. The Spurs series, on the other hand, not so much. With minimal off-season moves and training camp holdouts by Anderson Varejao and Sasha Pavlovic, the Cleveland Cavaliers aren’t getting any better. But LeBron is, judging by his summer performance with Team USA. If his jumper is as good this season as it was this past summer, there truly won’t be any way to stop him.

2. Tracy McGrady – There was a decent argument for T-Mac in last year’s MVP race. With Yao Ming missing most of the season, McGrady (24.6 ppg, 6.5 apg, 5.3 rpg) took hold of the reins and surged the Houston Rockets to a 52-30 record, 5^th best in the NBA. Together and without ailments, Yao and T-Mac make one of the most intimidating duos in the game.
3. Carmelo Anthony – A deadly jumper and an increasingly quick first step make the Denver forward one of the toughest defensive assignments in the NBA. As natural a scorer as they come, he trailed only Kobe Bryant with 28.9 ppg. And, with 22.4 shot attempts a game (second most in 2007), Anthony has free reign to take any shot he wants, even with running mate Allen Iverson’s scoring prowess. With more familiarity with each other, I expect ‘Melo and AI to average at least 27 a night each.
4. Shawn Marion – I’m a little tired of all the “most underrated player in the league” talk, as I view him as lucky to be playing alongside Steve Nash and Amare Stoudemire. Life is nice when you play with the best point in the game and arguably its best center. I just don’t think the Matrix can create his own shot, thus never allowing him to be a team’s first option. Still, I give him credit for playing out of position and still putting up 20 and 10 a night, and his all-around game (particularly his defense).
5. Paul Pierce – An extremely cerebral scorer, breaking down and then exploiting his defender’s positional or physical weakness. He can post up, spot up, and even take it to the hole with decent efficiency. That is, if he stays healthy. And that he didn’t do in 2007, playing only 47 games. With the addition of Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen, though, Pierce will be relieved to bear a lighter offensive load, and expect him to be re-invigorated now playing on a conference contender. Whether or not the Celtics are a title contender is yet to be seen.
6. Josh Howard – He may be overshadowed by fellow teammate and reigning MVP Dirk Nowitzki, but Howard is the Dallas Mavericks’ most versatile player and is a mismatch for any team in the NBA. And he steps up his game in the postseason, leading the Mavs with 21.3 ppg in last year’s playoffs (where did you go, Dirk?)
7. Ron Artest – This is a gamble pick. You already know his reputation, that he’s utterly insane. But if he can keep his head on straight even just a little, he’s a valuable addition to any team. His rough-around-the-edges (if not ugly) offensive game is highly effective, and, when his heart is in it, he’s one of the top two perimeter defenders in the game.
8. Tayshaun Prince – I don’t think people realize how vital Prince is to the Detroit Pistons’ system. It’s probably because his demeanor is as subtle as his game, but his defense, the best on a solid defensive squad, can shut down even the most prolific of scorers. He’s like a wet blanket. But don’t sleep on his offense. His back-to-the basket adeptness is on par with most big men and his proficiency from three-point range is better than his 0.386 percentage indicates. There’s not much he can’t do.
9. Caron Butler – 2007 was a banner year for the Washington Wizard, who had career highs in scoring (19.1), rebounding (7.4), assists (3.7), and steals (2.1). Had he and Gilbert Arenas been healthy for the playoffs, the Wizards could’ve made a big splash, possibly defeating the eventual conference champion Cleveland Cavaliers.
10. Luol Deng – I can’t believe the Chicago Bulls even thought about shipping Deng. He’s the best scoring threat on a team of productive scorers and displayed impressive accuracy (0.524) and instances of being unstoppable in the playoffs, dropping 22.2 a night. His evolution as a scorer is just in its infancy, and if he develops even a semblance of a three-point shot, he should be among the league’s most prolific point producers.

Honorable Mention: Rashard Lewis, Shane Battier, Richard Jefferson, Bruce Bowen

Thursday Morning Picks: Week 16

By Bryan Jeon

Season: 147-77
Last week: 10-6
Brandon Funston and Cris Carter (top Yahoo! experts): 145-79

MOmentum:

↑ Minnesota (8-6) – W Chicago 20-13, Washington (7-7)
↑ San Diego (9-5) – W Detroit 51-14, Denver (6-8)

↓ Baltimore (4-10) – L Miami 22-16 OT, at Seattle (9-5)
↓ Detroit (6-8) – L San Diego 51-14, Kansas City (4-10)

My Power Rankings:

1. New England (14-0) – W NY Jets 20-10, Miami (1-13)
2. Indianapolis (12-2) – W Oakland 21-14, Houston (7-7)
3. Dallas (12-2) – L Philadelphia 10-6, at Carolina (6-8)
4. Green Bay (12-2) – W St. Louis 33-14, at Chicago (5-9)
5. Jacksonville (10-4) – W Pittsburgh 29-22, Oakland (4-10)

Week 16 picks:

Simon Slapped With 30-Game Suspension

By Bryan Jeon

On Saturday, the Islanders’ Chris Simon stomped on Pittsburgh’s Jaarko Ruutu late in the Penguins’ 3-2 win. The funny thing is the match penalty incident was only briefly mentioned in the game recap. The NHL needed four days to hand Simon the league’s longest suspension in history–30 games–breaking his own record of 25 games that he finished serving into this season. (See here.)

The suspension is absolutely under-deserving for a player like Simon. This is his eighth suspension in his 15-year career and if sports followed the “three strikes and you’re out” rule, the 35-year-old forward would be about a season away from being banned from the league thrice. (Yes, unfortunately, Ricky Williams would be banned as well.) It is even more disturbing that drugs or alcohol are not a factor. I mean, does that guy in the picture really look like a nice guy to you (like his teammates say) or does he look more like he wants to knock you out cold with his stick while shouting racial slurs at you (both of which he did in his career)?

What enrages me most about the entire incident is that there are people out there who believe the whole situation was blown out of proportion. I’m sorry but last time I checked, it is not common to stomp on people while playing hockey. And where one stomps on the fallen person is absolutely trivial. Yes, enforcers are important to every team and in fantasy leagues, it is a good thing for your team to get more penalty minutes. But it’s not jungle ball like we used to play as little kids or else there would be no point in any penalties or even officiating, right? Dropping the gloves is incomparable to using your stick or your skates as weapons and with a repeat offender to the extent that Simon was, it was disappointing not to see him banned from the game after this latest infraction.

Simon left the team on Monday to receive counseling and when one knows he needs time away from the sport under his own admission like Simon said after Saturday’s game, it’s time for him to consider calling it quits before he makes someone else involuntarily do so. For now, Simon can return as early as February 21.

Pro Bowl Rosters Announced

By Bryan Jeon

To facilitate your count in how many players made the Pro Bowl from your fantasy football team, we give you the AFC and NFC rosters for the positions of QB, WR, RB, TE, K. (bold = starter)

AFC

QB – Tom Brady, New England
QB – Peyton Manning, Indianapolis
QB – Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh
WR – Randy Moss, New England
WR – Reggie Wayne, Indianapolis
WR – Braylon Edwards, Cleveland
WR – T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Cincinnati
RB – LaDainian Tomlinson, San Diego
RB – Joseph Addai, Indianapolis
RB – Willie Parker, Pittsburgh
TE – Antonio Gates, San Diego
TE – Tony Gonzalez, Kansas City
K – Rob Bironas, Tennessee

NFC

QB – Brett Favre, Green Bay
QB – Matt Hasselbeck, Seattle
QB – Tony Romo, Dallas
WR – Terrell Owens, Dallas
WR – Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona
WR – Donald Driver, Green Bay
WR – Torry Holt, St. Louis
RB – Adrian Peterson, Minnesota
RB – Marion Barber, Dallas
RB – Brian Westbrook, Philadelphia
TE – Jason Witten, Dallas
TE – Chris Cooley, Washington
K – Nick Folk, Dallas

Of course, after rosters are announced, there are always some notable snubs. This is not to be confused with players who deserve it but are not better than those that made the roster, keeping in mind the unfair depth at some positions in a conference over another.

Bryan’s Pro Bowl Snub:

NFC WR – Marques Colston, New Orleans for
NFC WR – Donald Driver, Green Bay

Analysis: The Saints’ top receiver has more receptions (87, 78), yards (1,092, 1,016) and most notably, touchdowns (9, 2) than Driver. Driver wasn’t even Brett Favre’s go-to guy in the red zone, as Greg Jennings had 12 touchdown catches. Next season should be the year for the Hofstra standout, as he has improved on his 1,000-yard rookie season last year and should be Drew Brees’ favorite target among the Saints’ receiving corps for years to come.

And then it can be argued of the depth chart in who should start or not, but we won’t get that picky. So who do you think got snubbed?

Week 15 Recap

By Bryan Jeon

Week 15 recap: Can you even identify the player in the picture who scored the winning touchdown in overtime to give the Dolphins their first win of the season? A guy who has more tackles in his career (6) than receptions (4). That’s second-year Greg Camarillo with the 64-yard score. (That cheerleader has a man’s belly.)

New England Patriots: 14-0
Tom Brady - 45 pass TDs
Peyton Manning (2004) – 49 pass TDs
Randy Moss - 19 rec TDs
Jerry Rice (1987) – 22 rec TDs

Great prediction, ESPN! They predicted that Minnesota would beat the Bears on Monday Night Football via a growing Tarvaris Jackson and not Adrian Peterson.
Peterson and Chester Taylor – 25 carries for 109 yards, 2 TDs
Jackson – 249 yards, 0 TDs, 3 INTs, 1 fumble lost

Remember Mario Williams? That DE who went first overall in the 2006 draft before Reggie Bush. What a stupid pick, right? He had 3.5 sacks in the best game of his career on Thursday night, helping the Texans go to .500 and surpass last season’s win total. They have improved the last two seasons after a 2-14 2005 season and are unfortunate to be playing in the toughest division in the NFL. They are 7-3 against non-divisional teams; 0-4 against Indianapolis, Jacksonville and Tennessee. Individually, Super Mario has 13.5 sacks on the year, just half a sack from the league leader (but wrongly stiffed from the Pro Bowl). Meanwhile, Bush is out for the last four games of the season, having actually regressed in his second year as the feature back for most of his time with just 581 rushing yards on 3.7 yards per carry, 6 total TDs, 7 fumbles and 3 fumbles lost.

1. Brett Favre (38-years-old) – 61,405 career passing yards, 227 yards Sunday
2. Dan Marino - 61,361 yards
2. among active players – Vinny Testaverde (44) – 46,233, 0 yards as 2nd string Sunday
3. among active players – Peyton Manning (31) – 41,220, 276 yards Sunday

Might seem a little difficult to see now, but at this rate, Manning could potentially shatter Favre’s seemingly untouchable record. 70,000+ yards, anyone? By the way, Favre’s thrown for 35 miles. How exhausting does that sound? Oh, and Eli Manning is looking more and more indistinguishable from Rex Grossman every week.

While Marino’s name is out there, let me say it’s been a fun season to watch Channel 2 football on Sundays, as Shannon Sharpe and Marino were so bitter every time Tony Gonzalez and Favre broke a record this season. I love it.

And last but not least, damn that Jessica Simpson. Tony Romo played the way I always fear he’s capable of playing, being grossly overrated. (Take it from a guy who’s a die-hard Cowboys fan.) Save the Troy Aikman comparisons for when he gives the city a ring. Right now, he can’t beat Donovan McNabb. 13-for-36 for 214 yards, 0 TDs, 3 INTs and 2 fumbles. Well, better to lose now than in the playoffs because they’re nowhere near a 15-1 team. And what a step down from Carrie Underwood, Romo? Where’s your class, you big slut? At least he’s not Eli Manning. In the Giants’ loss to Washington, Eli went 18-of-53 for 184 yards. That’s right, 35 incompletions. His 72.6 passer rating pits him 26th in the league. I think it’s time to bring out 285-pound bowling ball Jared Lorenzen.

Thursday Morning Picks: Week 15

By Bryan Jeon

Season: 137-71
Last week: 12-4
Brandon Funston (top Yahoo! expert): 136-72

Week 14 Recap: Have the Pats overcome their last hurdle in maintaining a perfect season? With three games left in the season, Tom Brady needs just 5 touchdown passes and Randy Moss 4 touchdown receptions for the two to break their respective single-season records. Both have done that in a single game this season. Can either (or both) break a record this week?

Adrian Peterson – 14 carries for 3 yards
Chester Taylor - 8 carries for 101 yards, 1 TD
The Vikings forced 5 turnovers off the 49ers, returning an interception for a touchdown in their 27-7 romp. A.P. had a career-worst day, but the Vikings still managed a 100-yard rusher. This is a team to be reckoned with for the rest of the season, as they currently hold one of the NFC Wild-Card spots.

MOmentum:

↑ Minnesota (7-6) – W San Francisco 27-7, Chicago (5-8)
↑ Seattle (9-4) – W Arizona 42-21, @ Carolina (5-8)

↓ Detroit (6-7) – L Dallas 28-27, @ San Diego (8-5)
↓ Philadelphia (5-8) L NY Giants 16-13, @ Dallas (12-1)

My Power Rankings:

1. New England (13-0) – W Pittsburgh 34-13, NY Jets (3-10)
2. Dallas (12-1) – W Detroit 28-27, Philadelphia (5-8)
3. Indianapolis (11-2) – W Baltimore 44-20, @ Oakland (4-9)
4. Green Bay (11-2) – W Oakland 38-7, @ St. Louis (3-10)
5. Jacksonville (9-4) – W Carolina 37-6, @ Pittsburgh (9-4)

Week 15 Picks:

The Boxer and The Fighter

 

By Chris Le

Entering Saturday’s fight, I saw it as Ricky Hatton being the rugged one, willing to take two punches in order to land one giant bomb, and Floyd Mayweather Jr. as the pretty boy (no pun intended) who could wither if roughed up.

As it turns out, my perception of Hatton wasn’t far from the truth, but boy was I wrong about Mayweather.

Through a hell fire that was Hatton’s barrage, Mayweather was unflappable, surgically breaking down the Englishman en route to a 10^th round TKO.

Mayweather (39-0, 25 KOs), in arguably his greatest performance, proved a lot to me. That he can win a rough-and-tough (and, at times, dirty) fight, without abandoning his exquisite technique. That he can weather a storm. That he can take a punch. But most of all, that he’s as much a fighter as he is a boxer. And that is what all of the all-time greats do.

Before Saturday, Mayweather simply cruised through 38 previous fights without breaking a sweat. I never saw him dig deep and pull out a victory like what we saw with Muhammad Ali against Joe Frazier or Ray Robinson against Jake LaMotta. He was always absent of that killer instinct while under distress, mainly because he was usually too talented to be in trouble or a roughhouse fight. I lumped Mayweather with the likes of Roy Jones Jr. and Mike Tyson – ultra talents with untested mettles. With his performace against Hatton, however, I am now more willing than ever to group Mayweather with the elite of the elite.

Despite a comfortable lead on the scorecards, I can say without hesitation that Hatton was Mayweather’s toughest fight to date. In a fight that at times looked more like a wrestling match, Hatton mauled, pushed around and even dished out a handful of shots to the back of his opponent’s head, but even against all this, Floyd was never bullied. Not once did Mayweather back down; he stood his ground in the face of danger and was sharp-shooting Hatton with accurate counters the entire night. All of which culminated in the tenth when Hatton lunged in for a wide right hook, but was met only by Mayweather’s left fist. It was beautifully timed and square on the jaw. That was the story of the fight: timing and precision over strength and aggression.

It doesn’t hurt that Hatton, though fighting with the right approach, wrongly executed his game plan. Super aggressive as he was, which he needed to be, he was mindless in his strategy. He barely threw any jabs, and jabs are key to beating quick-firing boxers like Mayweather. Obviously, you’re not going to win the battle of jabs against a supreme boxer like Floyd, but the point isn’t to out jab him but to get him out of rhythm and set up punches. All night, Hatton was lunging with wide punches, essentially leading with his face. He needed to attack behind a jab, trying to disrupt Mayweather’s timing. Inexplicably, Hatton abandoned his jab as well as his work to the body, usually a trademark of the Englishman. Mayweather took full advantage.

My Scorecard

Round Mayweather Hatton

1 9 10

2 10 9

3 10 9

4 10 9

5 9 10

6 10 8

7 10 9

8 10 9

9 10 9

10 TKO

11

12

Total

–

Regarding their futures, Mayweather’s only remaining challenge at welterweight is Miguel Cotto, who recently defeated former champion Shane Mosley. Cotto (31-0, with 25 KOs) has a style with a mix of aggression and skill that could potentially cause Mayweather a few problems, certainly more so than Hatton. If not Cotto, I could see Mayweather retiring, a move he has hinted to for a while, citing the breaking down of his body, mainly his back and fists. Either way, I think Mayweather’s legacy and bank account are secure.

As for Hatton (43-1, with 31 KOs), even with this loss, he still has a lucrative future ahead of him. His down-to-earth charm and entertaining style make him a fan favorite. He could move back down to junior welterweight (140 pounds), where he fought most of his career, and face WBC champion Junior Witter, in an all-UK battle that would have as much animosity as Mayweather-Hatton. If Cotto fails to lure Mayweather into a fight, Ricky Hatton would be an extremely entertaining second option.

Vick Gets 23 Months

By Bryan Jeon

Michael Vick was sentenced to 23 months in prison, longer than the 18 and 21 months his co-defendants received earlier. With time served from last month’s voluntary admittance, Vick is looking at an October 2009 release at the latest. If he gets time off for good behavior, 85% of that time will be May 2009.

The Atlanta Falcons quarterback will be about 29 by the time he gets out but more importantly, he will be two and most likely, three years removed from playing in the NFL. The Falcons have made it clear they will not have him back on the team and it remains to be seen whether commissioner Roger Goodell will impose an NFL suspension when Vick returns.