Power Ranking Your Fantasy Options for Week 7

If all you're looking for is another fantasy analyst's set of position rankings, scroll down to the bottom of the page to see how I'm ranking the top 26 QB, 36 RB, 36 WR, and 20 TE options for Week 7.

However, if you're looking for power rankings of the 32 NFL team with advice on who to play this week as well as some occasionally humorous, usually statistical analysis, they boy do I have 8,000 words for you.

There will definitely still be some tweaks to this column over the next few weeks, but my hope is that it will become a helpful weekly column for fantasy owners, people in pick'em pools, gamblers, and anyone who's somehow still alive in a suicide pool.

New and Improved: Power Ranking Your Fantasy Options for Week 6

If all you’re looking for is another fantasy analyst’s set of position rankings, scroll down to the bottom of the page to see how I’m ranking the top 26 QB, 35 RB, 35 WR, and 20 TE for their Week 6 games.

However, if you’re looking for power rankings of the 32 NFL teams with advice on who to play this week as well as some occasionally humorous, usually statistical analysis, then boy do I have 7,000 words for you.

This whole power ranking your fantasy options thing was a concept I came up with last week, but it clearly wasn’t fully developed. There will probably still be some tweaks over the course of the remainder of the season, but my hope is that this will become a helpful weekly column for fantasy owners, people in pick’em pools, gamblers, and anyone who’s somehow still alive in a suicide pool.

So without further ado, here are the New and Improved Power Start/Sit Rankings If Gambling Were Legal

Power Rankings Your Fantasy Options (Part 2 of 2)

#15-#12: Let’s Do the Time Warp Again

San Francisco, Dallas, Pittsburgh, Oakland

17 of the first 30 Super Bowls were won by these 4 franchises. Granted, that has absolutely no impact on their ability to play in 2011, but I thought it was interesting that these teams with pedigrees for greatness have been the definition of “just above average” this season.

Power Ranking Your Fantasy Options (Part 1 of 2)

I had an epiphany this past week: everyone loves (to critique) power rankings, and everyone loves (to critique) start/sit articles. Why not combine the two and throw in some gambling advice along the way?

What you see before you is the first half of the 32 NFL teams ranked in ascending order of greatness, along with a considerable amount of fantasy advice regarding the players for each team that isn’t on a bye in Week 5. So if you’re wondering how I feel about Mike Thomas this week, scroll on down to the 29^th ranked Jacksonville Jaguars, and find out along the way that the Vegas lines on that game are laughable at best.

Without further ado: The Power Start/Sit Rankings If Gambling Were Legal

A Letter to the No Balls Assocation

Please excuse my rant about a league that does not exist.

I realize that we are elbows deep in the NFL season and approaching what should be the climax of the MLB season, but as an NBA season ticket holder, I’ve got some griping to do.

And no, this isn’t another “how to solve the lock-out” article, because I’ve resigned to the fact that these millionaires and multi-billionaires have no interest in working out a deal and that I won’t be witnessing a professional basketball game this season. This is, instead, an article about how the owners are literally robbing season ticket holders blind, and that there’s nothing we can do about it.

Week 3: Who to Play? Who to Bench?

We’re only 11.8% of the way through the regular season, but if I asked you to pick out 7 teams from each conference that you think have no chance of making the playoffs – ignoring the fact that an archaic rule exists by which someone has to represent the NFC West in January – I feel like we would agree on at least 13 of those 14 teams, with the margin of error accounting for the impartial votes of fans of those 14 otherwise hopeless teams.

On the flip side of that coin, if I asked you to pick out the 7 best teams from each conference, I think it’s safe to assume that our answers would only differ by how much you’re drinking the Bills and/or Redskins kool-aid. That leaves us with all of 2 teams from each conference (Buffalo, Tennessee, Tampa Bay, and Washington, from which you can probably infer my 14 in each of the other groups) that are somewhere in between the group of teams that could potentially make the playoffs and the group of teams that you hope and pray you never have to rely upon in your suicide pool.

Learning From Week 1 (Part 4 of 4)

If you missed any of the previous sections of this 4-part article, you can find them here:

Part 1: http://www.senditinjerome.com/2011/09/learning-from-week-1-part-1-of-4.html

Part 2: http://www.senditinjerome.com/2011/09/learning-from-week-1-part-2-of-4.html

Part 3: http://www.senditinjerome.com/2011/09/learning-from-week-1-part-3-of-4.html

Hopefully you’ve learned as much about these teams as I have. Before we dive into the final 8 teams, let’s make sure you have my Eliminator suggestions, as well as my upset pick of the week. Usually, more words will go into explaining these individual picks, but I feel the past 10,000 words should suffice:

Learning From Week 1 (Part 3 of 4)

If you missed either of the other parts, you can find them here:

Part 1 – http://www.senditinjerome.com/2011/09/learning-from-week-1-part-1-of-4.html

Part 2 – http://www.senditinjerome.com/2011/09/learning-from-week-1-part-2-of-4.html

In a nutshell, we’re looking back on the games from Week 1 in an attempt to learn from them without overreacting to them. The four games on the slate for today are New Orleans @ Green Bay, Buffalo @ Kansas City, Detroit @ Tampa Bay, and Minnesota @ San Diego. 

Learning From Week 1 (Part 2 of 4)

If you missed Part 1 of this 4 part series, you can find it here: http://www.senditinjerome.com/2011/09/learning-from-week-1-part-1-of-4.html

Today, we’ll see what we can learn from the Week 1 matchups of Atlanta @ Chicago, Cincinnati @ Cleveland, Dallas @ New York Jets, and New York Giants @ Washington.

Learning From Week 1 (Part 1 of 4)

It’s a long season.

Whether you won or lost last week, keep in mind that it takes more than one win to make the playoffs and more than one loss to miss out on the postseason. That isn’t to say that every week isn’t important, but you can’t overreact in either direction.

If you’re anything like me, you probably spent more than an hour or six mentally assembling your team in preparation for draft day; yet the amateur temptation is to throw caution to the wind and take a flyer on guys like Randall Cobb, Eric Decker, and Scott Chandler, even though you never once considered using a draft pick on them, and as recently as 6 days ago almost certainly couldn’t have even told me who they played for.

2011 Pre-Season Fantasy Preview

A little preface to this absurdly long article: Every year for the past 5 years, I’ve written a 10,000+ word post previewing my fantasy league’s season after our draft. Even though I don’t suspect anyone outside of our league will read the whole thing, I wanted to put it on this site anyway, since I devoted at least 12 hours to it.

As a bonus for reading the whole thing, you can find my NFL Season predictions at the bottom, as well as my top 5 suggested for week 1 if you’re in an eliminator/suicide pool. I’ve been doing the eliminator challenge for half a dozen years, and I have yet to lose in the first 7 weeks of the season. I have also yet to make it beyond week 10, so hopefully I can help you out in the early going and then you can avoid my pitfalls in the middle of the season.

I also make an Upset Pick of the Week in which I pick a team that’s at least a 3.5 point underdog to win outright. I started doing it mid-season last year and ended up going 7-4 outright and 10-1 against the spread.

The Hall of Shame: Reflecting on My Weekend in Canton

This past Saturday, Marshall Faulk, Deion Sanders, and Shannon Sharpe stood in front of a camera and told the whole world how grateful and humbled they were to be inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame. They each connected with their fans with some form of rags to riches story and either made himself or an immediate family member shed a tear. Faulk even went so far as to say “I am a football fan just like all of you.”

Just don’t expect your brothers-in-fandom to sign any of your memorabilia. 

Did the Lockout Actually Make the NFL More Popular?

By Charlie Scaturro

Rob Carr/Getty Images North America

On the heels of Monday's announcement that the NFLPA and the owners had come to an agreement on a new 10 year CBA, the NFL has opened back up for business and it certainly seems like fans all around the country have embraced the return of professional football.

The "craziest free agent signing period in the history of the NFL," has had the internet, TV, and all major media outlets buzzing for the entire week as NFL general managers run around with lampshades on their heads throwing money at whichever free agents they think can help their teams.  And while these free agent spending sprees are the first step in the NFL's return to normalcy, perhaps the most important development that took place this week was how the fans have flocked back to the game they love.

Does March Madness Bastardize College Basketball?

By Charlie Scaturro

I'm going to tread carefully on this subject because I love March Madness and I love college basketball.  In fact, I think the NCAA Tournament is hands down the best sporting event in existence and I don't think it's even close.

I do realize that in asking whether or not March Madness bastardizes college basketball I'm attacking the very thing that makes the game so popular, not to mention I'm attacking an institution that generates millions of dollars for college athletic programs across America.

At the same time, as a die hard college hoops fan who follows the season closely from November to April, I can't help but notice that the sport seems to change at the the end of February, transforming into something very different than what it was during the first four months of the season.

In Search of Next Season's Kemba Walker

By Charlie Scaturro

I hate to break it to all the Jimmer fanatics out there (and the ESPY'S as well) who hung on every pump fake and 30 foot three-pointer the BYU guard made last season, but the story of the year in college basketball was Kemba Walker. 

Fredette might have owned the more impressive stat line and shooting percentages, but Walker essentially willed an inexperienced roster, which was picked to finish 10th in the Big East before the season started, to an incredible 11-game winning streak which culminated in UConn's third National Championship.  Part of the reason why the Huskies weren't even thought to be one of the nine best teams in their own conference was because no one knew just how good the 6'1'' guard from the Bronx was going to be in his junior season.

The Hangover Part III: The Aftermath of World Cup Soccer

Historically, the day after the MLB All-Star Game is the slowest day of the sports calendar year, so it’s no surprise that grown men in America have become completely obsessed with a combination of the two things they usually couldn’t care less about: Soccer and Women’s Sports.

The United States Women’s National Team (or #USWNT for all you @kerrancejames followers) has given us an epic ride over its past two games.

10 Things College Basketball Fans Should Be Excited About, Even In July

By Charlie Scaturro

As I write this, the NFL and NBA are both trudging through excruciating lockout proceedings and Bud Selig is busy pretending that anyone really cares about what goes on during the MLB All-Star break. 

In other words, it's a dark time for sports fans everywhere and while some might use this barren sports schedule to re-connect with other parts of their life, I'll be using it as a time to look ahead to the upcoming college basketball season.  We're still a few months away from meaningful college hoops, but as it usually does, mid-November will be here before you know it.

Here at Send It In Jerome, we've already unveiled our admittedly way-too early Top 25 rankings for next season and I figured I would follow that up with 10 things that college basketball fans should be excited about, even if it's only July.  There's no doubt that there are more players, teams, and stories that will make the 2011-12' season of college basketball unforgettable, but these 10 really stood out in my mind, so here goes.

Violating an Unwritten Law: Changing Favorite Teams

Over the course of a lifetime, a man may change any number of fundamental things about himself without much notice or objection from his closest friends, including hairstyle, diet, career, residence, political views, religion, or marital status.


Team loyalty is a whole different ball of wax.

A Tragedy in Texas and Where We Go From Here

By Charlie Scaturro

By now I'm sure you've heard about Shannon Stone, the 39-year old Arlington area firefighter who suffered a head injury which subsequently took his life while he was trying to catch a foul ball for his son during a recent Texas Rangers game.  What happened on July 7th at the Ballpark in Arlington transcends sports and considering what was lost on this night, it truly makes the game of baseball seem inconsequential.

In what is one of the most tragic and heart wrenching tales of sorrow imaginable, a six-year old child witnessed his father die right before his eyes as he tried to create an incredible memory for his son (getting him a foul ball at a Major League Baseball game).

Why I Don't Have A Problem With the NBA Lockout

By Charlie Scaturro

If you've been following along with the content here on Send It In Jerome, you know that I enjoy watching and writing about the NBA. 

But with the recent news that the league has locked out its players, a move which will most likely lead to a long and bitter work stoppage, the fears of NBA fans all over the country have been realized.  And even though this far from surprising development may leave me with less to write about and less basketball to watch (two of the more mundane consequences among the wide ranging affects that an NBA work stoppage will cause), I find myself content with the drama that's beginning to unfold between the players association and the owners.

As of Friday, July 1st, all NBA business transactions have come to a complete halt, the league has stripped it's official website of all images of current players, and most important for the average sports fan, it appears that the he (or she) will be dragged through the mud while an ugly standoff between the players and the owners who sign their checks begins to take shape.

Examining The Fit of Each First Round Pick in The 2011 NBA Draft (Part II)

By Charlie Scaturro

This is the second of a two part series, click here for picks 1-15.

If nothing else, the 2011 NBA Finals proved how much fit really matters in professional basketball.  A Dallas Mavericks team that didn't have as much star power or athleticism as the Miami Heat showed that playing as a team and having pieces on the floor that complement each other can win championships.  Guys like Tyson Chandler, DeShawn Stevenson, Peja Stojakovic, and J.J. Barea might not be complete players but because of the way the Mavericks used them, they didn't have to be.

To put it simply, winning in the NBA isn't always about assembling a team of the five most talented players you can find, it's more about assembling a team that fits well together.  Obviously you need your Dirk Nowitzki's if your team is going to experience success at the highest level of competition and it's certainly easier said than done to draft players who truly fit your system, but with another NBA Draft in the books I thought I'd take a look at how each first round pick appears to fit on their new NBA team. 

There might still be some trade movement with these picks (which seems to be getting more confusing for some reason now that we have access to things like Twitter and 24/7 sports coverage) and free agency certainly will affect how these rookies will fit on their new teams, but for now here's how things look.

Examining The Fit of Each First Round Pick in The 2011 NBA Draft

By Charlie Scaturro

This is the first of a two part series, click here for picks 16-30.

If nothing else, the 2011 NBA Finals proved how much fit really matters in professional basketball.  A Dallas Mavericks team that didn't have as much star power or athleticism as the Miami Heat showed that playing as a team and having pieces on the floor that complement each other can win championships.  Guys like Tyson Chandler, DeShawn Stevenson, Peja Stojakovic, and J.J. Barea might not be complete players but because of the way the Mavericks used them, they didn't have to be.

To put it simply, winning in the NBA isn't always about assembling a team of the five most talented players you can find, it's more about assembling a team that fits well together.  Obviously you need your Dirk Nowitzki's if your team is going to experience success at the highest level of competition and it's certainly easier said than done to draft players who truly fit your system, but with another NBA Draft in the books I thought I'd take a look at how each first round pick appears to fit on their new NBA team. 

There might still be some trade movement with these picks (which seems to be getting more confusing for some reason now that we have access to things like Twitter and 24/7 sports coverage) and free agency certainly will affect how these rookies will fit on their new teams, but for now here's how things look.

Classifying the Players Of the 2011 NBA Draft

By Charlie Scaturro

After watching one of the most exciting NBA postseasons in recent memory, the upcoming draft, which is supposedly one of the weakest the league has seen in a long time, might not seem like much more than another chance to for David Khan to embarrass himself on national television.

But even if this year's crop of prospective NBA players isn't as strong as usual, there are still plenty of guys available that can have productive careers in the NBA.  Following this line of thinking, I have already dubbed the 2011 NBA Draft class as "the year of the role player" and those teams and executives that don't realize the value which will sit before them in just a few days could be making a grave mistake. 

After all the poking, prodding, speculating, interviewing, and individual workouts have come to an end, the only thing that's left to do is draft the players.  With this time rapidly approaching, I've decided to classify some of the available players as a way of showing what kind of value and potential they can have on an NBA roster.  Obviously, many of these players aren't entirely one dimensional but let's take a look at where they fit in this year's class. 

7 Random Thoughts About The NBA Finals

By Charlie Scaturro

Photo Credit: Ronald Martinez/Getty Images North America

After watching the Dallas Mavericks take home their first-ever NBA Championship and also witnessing the media decapitate LeBron James and the Miami Heat in the process, I was trying to think of a way to make sense of everything that has happened over the last 13 days.   And as I struggled to do this, I realized that trying to make sense of what happened concerning LeBron James, the Miami Heat, and the NBA Finals was like waking up in college the morning after a raging party and trying to piece the night together.

You walk downstairs to see that someone re-arranged all the furniture in your living room, a 12-foot Christmas tree has suddenly appeared in your kitchen, and there's a blow-up doll sitting on your couch watching the home shopping network.  In a similar vain, some of the things that happened during the NBA Finals left me scratching my head and trying to re-hash everything that's happened in an orderly column just wouldn't be possible.  So instead, I present to you the only way I could recap what took place between the Heat and the Mavericks- a random collection of thoughts about the NBA Finals.

A Way-Too-Early College Basketball Top 25

This is the second of a two-part series.  Click here for teams 25-13

It might still be too early to come out with a Top 25 for next season, but since we now know which guys will be going to the NBA and which will be staying in school, at least the picture has become much clearer. Before the May 8th deadline passed, trying to assemble a Top 25 was like going to a restaurant you had only walked by a few times and attempting to order without looking at the menu. You probably wouldn't look like a complete idiot if you said something generic like "I'll have the burger" in much the same way you might look like you knew what you were talking about if you put teams like Duke, Ohio State, or North Carolina in the top 10.

But there were plenty of other teams, like Texas or Vanderbilt for instance, whose fate hung in the balance to such a degree that even trying to rank them would be an exercise in futility and basically a waste of time. Coming out with a Top 25 in the middle of June is still a tricky undertaking but at least we can project potential starting fives for most teams. Which is good enough for the guys here at Send It In Jerome and most others who are obsessed with college basketball.

So here's our take on the Top 25 teams for the 2011-12 season.

If the MLB Season Ended Today...

It’s admittedly way too early to start seriously considering the contenders for end of the year awards (unless you live near Washington DC, in which case Danny Espinosa was apparently awarded the NL Rookie of the Year Award before the season even began), but with more than a third of the season in the books and no other US sport currently doing anything more interesting than threatening to not play again next season, there’s no better time than the present to start looking ahead.

Don’t worry; I won’t bore yourself or myself with discussions of Gold Glove or Silver Slugger Awards.

8 Things You Don't Want to See your Favorite NBA Team Do On Draft Night

By Charlie Scaturro

It's hard to think of the institution that is the NBA Draft as much more than an inexact science, but there are always certain picks and decisions that have fan bases around the league recoiling in horror well before they ever know how things will pan out.  Of course, each draft class is unique and there's no telling how the players taken in 2011 will mature, but like most things in life, these fears and opinions are based on what's happened in the past and how certain draft day decisions traditionally play out.

If you've followed any kind of draft coverage whatsoever, you've already heard that this year's class projects to be one of the weakest in recent history.  But in spite of the fact that many experts aren't very high on the overall talent in this draft, there will still be plenty of opportunities for GM's and executives to make those age old mistakes that have fans shaking their heads and reaching for whatever kind of cheap grain alcohol they can get their hands on to numb the pain of another draft night gone awry.

Keeping that in mind, here's my look at eight things you never want to see your favorite NBA team do on draft night.

Plaxico Burress' Bittersweet Relationship Will Continue with Giants Fans

By Charlie Scaturro

Photo Credit: Stephen Dunn/Getty Images North America

After spending nearly two years behind bars, Plaxico Burress has been released from jail and will be looking to rebuild both his life off the field and his career on it.  The talented but often troubled receiver has certainly experienced his share of trials and tribulations during his career, and no one has been through more with Burress than Giants fans.

The marriage between the two started in the offseason of 2005 when a usually frugal Giants front office opened up their checkbook to bring Burress to New York after he spent five seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers.  The numbers Burress posted in Pittsburgh were definitely above average, especially his back-to-back 1,000 yard efforts in his second and third seasons in the NFL, but the Giants realized that his value extended far beyond statistics.

UCLA Basketball 2011: A Microcosm Of What College Basketball Has Become

By Charlie Scaturro

Photo Credit: Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images North America

It's never easy to watch your favorite team lose in the NCAA Tournament, but even as UCLA succumbed to a more experienced Florida Gators squad this past March, Bruins fans had to be excited about the team's future.

Despite the fact that Ben Howland's team played the entire 2010-11' season devoid of any senior leadership, they posted a respectable 23-11 record overall, which included a 13-5 mark in the Pac-10 and a trip to the third round of the Tournament. 

Before college players officially declared for the NBA Draft, it was possible that UCLA could return a roster that would be on the brink of realizing some special talent, and one that had the potential to return the Bruins to the Final Four.

10 Questions That Will Decide Who Wins The NBA Finals

By Charlie Scaturro

Photo Credit:Layne Murdoch/Getty Images North America

The NBA Playoffs certainly haven't gone the way many thought they would but a Finals matchup which features LeBron James and the Heat against Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavericks shouldn't disappoint many fans.  Both teams have compiled impressive 12-3 records in the postseason thus far and although they've been involved in some close games, it's hard to deny that the Heat and the Mavericks have been the two best teams in the league for the last few weeks.

There are plenty of exciting matchups and interesting story lines that will play out during this series and I've come up with 10 questions whose answers will decide which team hoists the Larry O'Brien Trophy and which team goes home disappointed. 

Kevin Durant and The Thunder Have Reached The Point of No Return

By Charlie Scaturro

Photo Credit: Ronald Martinez/Getty Images North America

It's hard to pinpoint exactly when it happened to the Thunder.

It could have happened when they added Kendrick Perkins to an already impressive roster, it could have happened when Russell Westbrook emerged as a legitimate star alongside Kevin Durant, or it might have even happened when the they blew a 15-point fourth quarter lead in game four of the Western Conference Finals, but one thing is for sure, the Thunder have reached the point of no return.

It was just a matter of time before a team this talented, young, and promising, reached a place where they would be criticized for every set they ran, every mistake they made would be magnified, and rumors about tension in the locker room would fly around the internet and television alike.  It was also just a matter of time before Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and the Thunder would be expected to challenge for an NBA title.

The Good, The Bad, The Ugly and How Each Team Can Advance to The NBA Finals

By Charlie Scaturro

Photo Credit: Ronald Martinez/Getty Images North America

Both the Western and Eastern Conference Finals are shaping up to be great series and even though both are far from over, a lot of things have already transpired on the court.  Dallas and Miami both have 2-1 series leads but considering how much talent both the Bulls and Thunder have, it would be foolish to count either team out at this point.   

So consider this a quick round up of what's transpired thus far in both series which includes a look ahead to what each team has to do in order to advance to the NBA Finals. 

The 2011 NBA Draft: The Year of The Role Player

By Charlie Scaturro

Photo Credit: Andy Lyons/Getty Images North America

One of the first things that most people have been quick to point out about the 2011 NBA Draft is that it's not the most talented collection of players anyone has ever seen.

You could blame this relative lack of superstars on the surprising number of top tier prospects who decided to stay in school or you could simply chalk it up to the luck of the draw, either way, it's hard to deny what most experts have been saying about this class for some time.
 
And while there have certainly been some less than flattering assertions made about this class as a whole, I think it makes more sense to look at the 2011 NBA Draft for what it is, rather than focus on what it isn't.

The Jeff Teague Paradigm: What His Playoff Emergence Reveals About Succeeding In The NBA

By Charlie Scaturro

Photo Credit:Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images North America

Before the second round of the 2011 playoffs began, the only people who knew who much about Jeff Teague either religiously followed the Atlanta Hawks or had an unhealthy obsession which consisted of documenting the professional careers of former Wake Forest basketball players.

Whether you knew who he was or not, Teague's career before the Hawks second round series against the Chicago Bulls was basically irrelevant to the vast majority of basketball fans.  This isn't to say that Teague wasn't a solid player, but in the broad NBA spectrum how relevant is a non-lottery pick who spent the last two seasons toiling on the Atlanta Hawks bench?

A Way-Too-Early College Basketball Top 25

Photo Credit: Andy Lyons/Getty Images North America

This is the first part of a two-part series, stay tuned for teams ranked 1-12.

It's probably still too early to be coming out with a Top 25 for next season, but since we now know which guys will be going to the NBA and which will be staying in school, at least the picture has become much clearer.  Before the May 8th deadline passed, trying to assemble a Top 25 was like going to a restaurant you had only walked by a few times and attempting to order without looking at the menu.

You probably wouldn't look like a complete idiot if you said something generic like "I'll have the burger" in much the same way you might look like you knew what you were talking about if you put teams like Duke, Ohio State, or North Carolina in the top 10.    

But there were plenty of other teams, like Texas or Vanderbilt for instance, whose fate hung in the balance to such a degree that even trying to rank them would have been an exercise in futility and basically a waste of time.

Even a Great NBA Postseason Can't Overshadow The Looming Lockout

By Charlie Scaturro

Photo Credit: Harry How/Getty Images North America

I hate to be that guy who can't enjoy the moment, but even as I've watched Zach Randolph suddenly morph into the most unstoppable post player in the league, the Lakers struggle with "trust issues", and the Miami Heat turn into the bully everyone thought they were going to be at the start of the season, I can't stop thinking about what awaits the NBA this summer. 

Anyone who follows sports is already sick of the term "lockout" thanks to what's been going on with the NFL over the past few months, but the impending NBA work stoppage has the potential to make the NFL's current drama between the players and the owners look like nothing more than a lover's quarrel.

And Your National League Player of the Month Is...

After roughly thirty games of baseball, only one player ranks in the top five in his respective league in each of the triple crown categories. Hell, as of Cinco de Mayo, he ranks third or better in the entire MLB in batting average, home runs, and RBI.

Can you name him?

No, it’s not Albert; his batting average is about one hundred points below what we’re used to seeing from him. Take another guess.

Is the Return of the Tribe For Real?

At the risk of using a word that no longer exists within the city limits of Cleveland, the most “optimistic” Indian fans spent the month of March hoping for a wild card berth. Maybe a handful of season ticket holders thought they could steal the AL Central pennant, but certainly no one thought they would finish the month of April with the best record and the highest run differential in the majors.

Roger Goodell's Day Of Humility At The 2011 NFL Draft

By Charlie Scaturro

Photo Credit: Chris Trotman/Getty Images North America

With the future of the NFL hanging in the balance for well over a month, the 2011 Draft figured to be unlike any in the history of the league.  And while most people were focusing on the affect that the lockout had on every team and player who weren't able to proceed with business as usual, Roger Goodell found himself in a very interesting position as the draft got underway.

Ever since ESPN (and more recently the NFL Network) realized that the Draft was something the average fan cared about, it has become one of the most anticipated days of the NFL calendar year.  With the growing popularity of the draft, the NFL decided to move the first round from Saturday afternoon to prime time on Thursday night in order to better capitalize on the ever expanding demand for all things football amongst their fan base.

5 Things To Look For in the 2011 NFL Draft

By Charlie Scaturro

Photo Credit: Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images North America

After enduring nearly two months of awkward bickering between Todd McShay and Mel Kiper Jr., the NFL Draft is finally here.  One of the most unique institutions in sports, the NFL Draft presents every team in the league with an opportunity to significantly improve their roster as long as they've done their homework and are prepared for the seven round marathon which is about to ensue.

As opposed to the NBA Draft, which generally yields just a few good players every year, the NFL Draft is full of impact guys who will be available long after the first round has come to an end.  It seems that the hype which surrounds the NFL Draft intensifies with every passing year, but it's hard to blame the media when we've all seen how entertaining the draft can be for fans and how potentially beneficial a single class can be for an organization.

Impressions From Jon Gruden's QB Camp As The NFL Draft Approaches

By Charlie Scaturro

Whoever had the idea of putting the top quarterbacks from a given draft class in the same room with Jon Gruden and a couple of cameras was definitely on to something.

Even if you disregard the fact that Gruden is still bitter about the way he left the NFL and that he has yet to get back into coaching, the feature is pretty amazing.  From the lead-in where Gruden is shown fumbling around his quarterback camp set at four in the morning to the quote "You know what I love about this guy?  He's tough as a two dollar steak" to Gruden being portrayed as the foremost football mind since Vince Lombardi, the show does a good job of balancing unintentional comedy with some great NFL commentary.

Which College Basketball Players Should Declare For the NBA Draft? (Part III)

By Charlie Scaturro

This is the third and final part of the series, check out the first and second parts.

Photo Credit: Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images North America

The end of the NCAA Tournament signals the end of the college basketball season but in the weeks which follow, many coaches and die hard fans are still on edge.  All of this anxiety can be directly tied to the decision that sits before some of the most talented players in the college game and whether they're going to return to school or enter the NBA Draft.


For most of the lucky few that are talented enough to even be considering the NBA, this decision is complicated and in many ways driven by rumors and perceptions about which teams may or may not be interested in them.  These 19-21 year-olds are forced to make a concrete and irreversible decision about their future when the information they're using to make this decision is anything but irreversible or concrete.  I've never talked to an NBA GM but I would imagine that trying to get a straight answer out of most of them is about as difficult as trying to get Bob Knight to wear a tie when he's going to be on national television.

Which College Basketball Players Should Declare For the NBA Draft? (Part II)

By Charlie Scaturro

This is the second of a three part series, click here for the first post.

Photo Credit: Streeter Lecka/Getty Images North America

The end of the NCAA Tournament signals the end of the college basketball season but in the weeks which follow, many coaches and die hard fans are still on edge.  All of this anxiety can be directly tied to the decision that sits before some of the most talented players in the college game and whether they're going to return to school or enter the NBA Draft.

For most of the lucky few that are talented enough to even be considering the NBA, this decision is complicated and in many ways driven by rumors and perceptions about which teams may or may not be interested in them.  These 19-21 year-olds are forced to make a concrete and irreversible decision about their future when the information they're using to make this decision is anything but irreversible or concrete.  I've never talked to an NBA GM but I would imagine that trying to get a straight answer out of most of them is about as difficult as trying to get Bob Knight to wear a tie when he's going to be on national television. 

Which College Basketball Players Should Declare For the NBA Draft? (Part I)

By Charlie Scaturro

This is the first of a three part series, click here for the second part..

Photo Credit: Chris Chambers/Getty Images North America

The end of the NCAA Tournament signals the end of the college basketball season but in the weeks which follow, many coaches and die hard fans are still on edge.  All of this anxiety can be directly tied to the decision that sits before some of the most talented players in the college game and whether they're going to return to school or enter the NBA Draft.

For most of the lucky few that are talented enough to even be considering the NBA, this decision is complicated and in many ways driven by rumors and perceptions about which teams may or may not be interested in them.  These 19-21 year-olds are forced to make a concrete and irreversible decision about their future when the information they're using to make this decision is anything but irreversible or concrete.  I've never talked to an NBA GM but I would imagine that trying to get a straight answer out of most of them is about as difficult as trying to get Bob Knight to wear a tie when he's going to be on national television.

Battling Through the Playoffs: What the Best of The NBA Are Up Against This Postseason

By Charlie Scaturro

Photo Credit: Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images North America

Around the time the "Summer of LeBron" came to a merciful end, it seemed pretty certain that the 2010-11 NBA regular season would be one of the most exciting in recent memory.  And although we might have heard one too many Carmelo Anthony trade rumors, what transpired over the 82 game regular season did about as good of a job of living up to expectations as possible.

Huge blockbuster trades, the emergence of Blake Griffin, Derrick Rose taking his game to the next stratosphere, the weekly soap opera that was the Miami Heat, and having relevant basketball in New York City again certainly kept things interesting.

It's Time for Someone to Save Us From Our Closers

For some self-loathing reason, I talked my girlfriend into playing in a roto fantasy baseball league with me this year. My theory was that it would serve as a somewhat regular conversational topic for us while we wait for more interesting jobs and/or the next season of Dexter to start.

Well, thus far, the experiment has been a disaster. You see, there are few things in life that annoy me more than talking to someone who thinks they know way more about sports than they actually do know.

You know the type.

If You Were Surprised By the San Diego Point Shaving Scandal You Haven't Been Paying Attention

By Charlie Scaturro

With all of the recent controversy that has surrounded the NCAA, the last thing Mark Emmert needed was another point shaving scandal in college basketball.

Unfortunately for the president of the NCAA, who squirmed around during a recent Frontline interview like he was being interrogated about a bank robbery, Emmert appears to have another set of unpleasant questions to answer.  We still don't know all of the particulars about the incident, but whenever or wherever the point shaving took place, it seems doubtful that anyone is going to cut Emmert much slack once all of the facts about the case are uncovered.

Why Jimmer Fredette's NBA Prospects Might Be Better Than People Think

By Charlie Scaturro

Photo Credit: Doug Pensinger/Getty Images North America

At this point, if you're not sick of hearing about Jimmer Fredette's NBA potential, you're either a masochist or your name is Chad Ford.  The debate about whether or not the sweet shooting 6'2'' guard from upstate New York has what it takes to make it in the NBA has reached Tebowian heights. 

Everyone who knows anything about college hoops or the NBA has already chimed in with their opinion about how Fredette's game will translate to the NBA and it's been going on for months now.

Kemba Walker Won't Be Back But UConn Shouldn't be Taken Lightly Next Season

By Charlie Scaturro

Photo Credit:Streeter Lecka/Getty Images North America

There were plenty of brutal moments that made UConn's 53-41 victory over Butler in the National Championship game almost an unwatchable sporting event (I wasn't sure those existed until this game).  For good reason, most of the criticism about this game was derived from the fact that neither team played particularly well on what was the biggest stage of the college basketball season. 

By now, we've been bombarded with the statistics which back up what we all witnessed on the court, and there's no need to rehash what was an impossibly anti-climatic ending to one of the most exciting sporting events in the world. 

A Fond Farewell to Joe Mazzulla: College Basketball Personified

By Charlie Scaturro

Photo Credit:Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images North America

After the dust settled from Kentucky's 71-63 victory over West Virginia in the second round of this year's NCAA Tournament, everyone's focus was squarely on the Wildcats star freshman Brandon Knight, who scored a career-high 30 points and his coach, John Calipari, who notched only his second victory over Bob Huggins in 10 tries as he and Kentucky earned another trip to the Sweet 16.

Somewhere in the West Virginia locker room, far away from all the cameras and Sweet 16 talk, sat Joe Mazzulla, a fifth-year senior who had just played the last of his 145 games for the Mountaineers.  Besides the number of games he played, no other statistical achievements of Mazzulla's career would make anyone look twice.