Coaching has been the topic of the week. It started with Bill Belichick's decision to go for it on fourth-and-2 on New England's own 29-yard line. The result: a failed attempt that gave Peyton Manning a short field and a game winning touchdown pass to Reggie Wayne. Belichick's decision has been questioned by everyone. From former coaches and college coaches to former players and current players. It's been non-stop,annoying fodder. Was it a bad decision on his part? In my opinion, yes. But ...Read More

This weekend is college football’s calm before the storm, so if you need to get some yard work done, this is the weekend to do it. Unless of course, you’re a Michigan or Ohio State fan. The three kings, Florida, Alabama and Texas, all have two regular season games, then a conference championship to determine who will play for the BCS title. This week, those three are such huge favorites against Florida International, Kansas and UT-Chattanooga that Las Vegas doesn’t ...Read More

It's been many moons since I've posted up NFL picks, but finally I'm getting around to making them a regular thing once again. Thanks to the end of bye weeks, we've got a full 16-game slate each week from here on out, and that means I've got plenty of chances to make myself look smart (or stupid, perhaps). I'll have my pick on Denver-San Diego later on, but below are my picks on the other 15 games in ...Read More

It gets repetitive, but if you're a true NFL fan, it never gets old. The 2009 NFL season continues to be one of the more exciting, story-line filled seasons, and through 10 weeks, we still have two teams that are undefeated. They both have endured several close calls, including a game-saving interception for the Saints and a last-second touchdown for the Colts, and are facing teams attempting to be the first to knock them off every week. Obviously two of ...Read More

While both games were in question until the final minute, both the New Orleans Saints and Indianapolis Colts still exited Week 10 with unblemished records, and deserve to sit atop the rankings. Both teams will continue to get hard battles in their quest to go 16-0 for the rest of the season, but until another team knocks them off the top, that is where they will remain. For the rest of the teams and where they rank, read on: 1. Indianapolis Colts (9-0) The ...Read More

I’m a sports snob. I strongly believe there’s only a handful of truly great sports movies. It’s just too difficult for filmmakers to recreate the drama that takes place on the field. So when the Creative Loafers asked me to review The Blind Side, a sports movie I would never see, starring an actress I really don’t like, I was skeptical. But they promised me Jujubees, so I agreed to attend the premiere. I fell into my comfy leather chair ...Read More

The curtain is closing on college football’s regular season. The top three teams in the nation are all double-digit road favorites (Florida at South Carolina, Alabama at Mississippi State, Texas at Baylor), but they are slowly running out of opportunities to stumble. Nobody expects them to lose but stranger things have happened. The NFL is starting to provide fans with a little separation between the playoff-bound and the also-rans. This Sunday, we’ll witness a key clash between the top two ...Read More

Man, you gotta love football. From Brett Favre to Peyton Manning, to two undefeated teams and everything in between, NFL fans really have it made in 2009. It's been a special treat to get some real quality games every week, while also having everything unfold right before our eyes. Teams that we originally thought were contenders (New York Giants) have been exposed, while others (Denver Broncos) could be on the verge of the very same fate. The New Orleans Saints and Indianapolis Colts ...Read More

In case you didn’t know, Chris Johnson is fast. Very, very fast. If he gets past you, good luck, and goodbye. If you didn’t, here’s a little video evidence: Of course, there’s no good in being really fast if you don’t know how to make the most of it, and Johnson is certainly making the most of his blazing speed. After running for 1,228 yards and nine touchdowns as a rookie last season in a virtual split ...Read More

The way that they were playing in the first month-plus of the season, it looked like the Dallas Cowboys would be lucky to be a .500 team at season’s end, that Wade Phillips would be lucky to have his job come January 4, 2010, and that Tony Romo would have to endure criticisms about his intestinal fortitude and big-game ability for yet another year. There's no telling as to how each of those things will play out, but after ...Read More

This weekend is college football’s calm before the storm, so if you need to get some yard work done, this is the weekend to do it. Unless of course, you’re a Michigan or Ohio State fan. The three kings, Florida, Alabama and Texas, all have two regular season games, then a conference championship to determine who will play for the BCS title. This week, those three are such huge favorites against Florida International, Kansas and UT-Chattanooga that Las Vegas doesn’t ...Read More

I’ll have my picks for all of Saturday’s top college football games tomorrow, but as was the case last week, I’ve got my take on how this week’s weekday games will shake out. The slate is highlighted by a quartet of showdowns in the MAC, but in case you’re looking for a little something else, there are two tilts involving two of the nation’s top teams, including one that could well prove to be a tricky road trip for ...Read More

1. Mark Ingram, RB, Alabama (1): Not only did Ingram log his sixth 100-yard game of the season, but after not scoring in Alabama’s last two games, Ingram got reacquainted with the end zone, not once, but twice, including a 70-yard scamper in the fourth that put the finishing touches on the Tide’s romp in Starkville. Last Week (31-3 W at Mississippi State): 19 carries, 149 yards, 2 TD, 1 catch, 9 yards Season Stats: 194 carries, 1,297 yards, 10 ...Read More

I’m a sports snob. I strongly believe there’s only a handful of truly great sports movies. It’s just too difficult for filmmakers to recreate the drama that takes place on the field. So when the Creative Loafers asked me to review The Blind Side, a sports movie I would never see, starring an actress I really don’t like, I was skeptical. But they promised me Jujubees, so I agreed to attend the premiere. I fell into my comfy leather chair ...Read More

The curtain is closing on college football’s regular season. The top three teams in the nation are all double-digit road favorites (Florida at South Carolina, Alabama at Mississippi State, Texas at Baylor), but they are slowly running out of opportunities to stumble. Nobody expects them to lose but stranger things have happened. The NFL is starting to provide fans with a little separation between the playoff-bound and the also-rans. This Sunday, we’ll witness a key clash between the top two ...Read More

It wasn’t nearly the week that it could’ve or should’ve been for me with last week’s college football picks, but I’m starting anew, and I’m confident about getting things turned around this week. Below, I have picks for all of this week’s weekday games, and as usual, I’ll have a glut of Saturday games, from Florida’s tricky road trip to South Carolina to a couple of should-be shootouts in the WAC later on in the week. As always, ...Read More

1. Mark Ingram, RB, Alabama: See here. Last Week (24-15 W vs. LSU): 22 carries, 144 yards, 5 catches, 30 yards Season Stats: 175 carries, 1,148 yards, 8 TD, 24 catches, 216 yards, 3 TD 2. Case Keenum, QB, Houston: Keenum went over 500 yards for the third time this season yesterday at Tulsa, and once again, Houston needed every single yard to overcome Tulsa’s upset bid. Last Week (46-45 W at Tulsa): 40-60, 522 yards, 3 TD, 6 carries, 21 ...Read More

In the three games prior to yesterday’s showdown against LSU, Alabama’s offense had consisted of Mark Ingram, Mark Ingram, Mark Ingram, and very little else. While Greg McElroy struggled in the face of dealing with strong defenses from South Carolina, Ole Miss, and Tennessee, Ingram flourished, establishing himself as perhaps the man to beat for the Heisman. So then, it would only make perfect sense for the Tide to come out throwing early and often in the first half against ...Read More

It should come as no surprise that Oklahoma State receiver Dez Bryant is going to enter the 2010 NFL Draft after being suspended by the NCAA until next September due to his not-so-little (not in substance, but in consequence) white lie involving his interactions with Deion Sanders. While not being able to showcase himself in game action isn’t exactly helpful, I don’t see Bryant’s suspension situation having any effect at all on his draft position. It hasn’t made ...Read More

Remember those sharply dressed fellows in last week’s What to Watch? You know… the ones desperately trying to gain entry into that South Beach BCS night club? Their names were Iowa, TCU, Cincinnati, Boise State and LSU. Well, the lights are coming on and last call is rapidly approaching. This weekend, one of those teams has the opportunity to finagle its way to the front of the line. The others must continue to sit back and watch, hoping the ...Read More

Ronnie Brown Out For Season Brown has reportedly been ruled out for the remainder of the 2009 season with an apparent Lisfranc fracture. This is a huge blow to Miami's strong rushing attack, but should open the door for the 32-year old Ricky Williams to become, once again, one of the league's premiere backs. Williams may be up there in age, but he doesn't have a ton of tread on his tires and has been playing elite football all season long. ...Read More

We had great success in Week 10, making the right call on Brett Favre, Ricky Williams, and nudging you in the right direction on sitting Matt Ryan and Matt Cassel. We also picked some fine sleeper picks, as Matthew Stafford and Josh Freeman dropped in respectable efforts, and Jamaal Charles solidified himself as Kansas City's starting running back. Read on for the calls of the week for Week 11: Start Eli Manning, QB, New York Giants Manning bounced back in the Giants last game, ...Read More

It was another good week for The Red Zone Report's Start/Sit column, so if you've been weary of taking fantasy advice, it may be time to jump aboard this train. Take a look at how we did in each section from Week 10, and then stay tuned for Week 11's Start/Sit column: Start: 3-2 Sit: 4-1 Sleeper: 4-1 Winners Brett Favre, QB, Minnesota Vikings (Start) Favre didn't tear it up with the touchdowns as we'd hoped, but he still threw a score and registered a season-high 344 ...Read More

Justin Gage Out With Fractures in Back He hasn't technically been ruled out yet, but this is as close as it gets without confirmation. Gage reportedly suffered multiple fractures in his back after a very impressive catch against the 49ers last week. While the catch made him a hero for a day, the fall may have brought his fantasy stock back down to where it was prior to Week Nine. T.O. Misses Second Straight Practice Owens is dealing with a hip injury and head ...Read More

Man, you gotta love football. From Brett Favre to Peyton Manning, to two undefeated teams and everything in between, NFL fans really have it made in 2009. It's been a special treat to get some real quality games every week, while also having everything unfold right before our eyes. Teams that we originally thought were contenders (New York Giants) have been exposed, while others (Denver Broncos) could be on the verge of the very same fate. The New Orleans Saints and Indianapolis Colts ...Read More

DeAngelo Williams Misses Wednesday Practice It's not believed to be anything serious, but Williams took the day off to rest his knee on Wednesday. We expect him back on Thursday, and he should be ready for a friendly match-up with the Atlanta Falcons, who haven't been faring well against the run lately. If Williams were to miss the game for some reason, back-up Jonathan Stewart would be a fantastic start. Brandon Marshall Out With Bad Back Marshall is dealing with a bad back, ...Read More

The Kansas City Chiefs officially cut ties with Larry Johnson, a move clearly accepted by both sides, as Kansas City has been inching toward moving on from Johnson for the past two seasons, and Johnson hasn’t been happy in Kansas City for some time. The team avoided a major distraction in the locker room and through the press by unloading Johnson now, and also gave their younger, more talented backs, Jamaal Charles and Kolby Smith, more opportunities to prove themselves. Only extremely ...Read More

We had a productive Start/Sit column last week, as we took advantage of some "can't miss" match-ups and suggested some solid starts out of Alex Smith and Ryan Grant, while made quality sleeper predictions by recommending you keep an eye on both Vince Young and Josh Freeman. Every week brings forth another collection of favorable match-ups, as well as some situations that may ask you to sit guys that you would normally refer to as "studs". Without further haste, here are ...Read More

We backed up two straight solid weeks of gutsy start and sit calls with another batch of sensational recommendations. Guys like Alex Smith, Josh Freeman, and Ryan Grant made us look like we know what we're talking about. And hey, if you look at the picks' standings for the week, we'd have to argue that we do. Take a look at the numbers below and read on for some analysis on how this week's 15 guys fared. Starts: 4-1 Sits: 2-3 Sleepers: 3-2 Overall: 9-6 Winners Matt ...Read More

Chiefs Cut RB Larry Johnson The Kansas City Chiefs finally cut ties with disgruntled and gay-slurring running back Larry Johnson. This is really good news for everybody, especially KC fans, who prayed for Johnson's release so he couldn't break the Chiefs rushing record. Oh, Priest Holmes, you are still loved. Bengals' Chris Henry Breaks Forearm Henry wasn't a huge part of the offense as some would guess, but his presence will still be missed on the field, if only as a decoy. Despite breaking two ...Read More

Wanna bet? Las Vegas sports books have been taking a bath lately and I don’t mean comfortably inside a lavish Bellagio hot tub. Weeks ago, Vegas reported its biggest losses in years. The reason? The disparity between the haves and the have-nots in the NFL is so broad that when these teams play each other, bookmakers can’t set the lines big enough for gamblers to bet on the underdogs. In the NFL, a 14-17 point spread generally indicates one team ...Read More

A-Rod redeemed: How to win a World Series in ten days Okay… deep breath. Congratulations to the New York Yankees for knocking off the Phillies en route to their 27th World Series title. There… I said it. Now Red Sox hat placed firmly back on my head. A particular congratulations to Alex Rodriguez who proved us all wrong by showing he could become part of a championship team. He hit .365 this post-season with 6 home runs and 18 RBI. ...Read More

With college football’s home stretch slowly coming into view, this Saturday offers fans another batch of important games that will lead us closer to clarity. Two national championship contenders hit the road against ranked teams while several other hopefuls remain locked outside the top of the BCS like single guys waiting fruitlessly to get into an exclusive South Beach nightclub. The NFL also has several key division matchups as well the league’s most surprising undefeated team looking to stay perfect ...Read More

Someone once said the best officials are the ones we don’t know by name. That’s because one mistake, one glaring error, one moment of indecision can alter a game, a series or perhaps even a season. Officiating is a thankless profession. Think back to some of the more memorable questionable calls in history: the Ed Armbrister-Carlton Fisk catcher’s interference call, the Tuck Rule, Scottie Pippen’s ‘foul’ on Hubert Davis, the Immaculate Reception, Jeffrey Maier reaching over the wall to ...Read More

It's safe to say that anything less than a championship will do for the New York Yankees, and it's expected that their run towards their first World Series title since 2000 will begin with an easy series win over the fatigued Minnesota Twins. Not only do they have that stacked lineup, the best closer in the business, and an extremely talented (and expensive) front end of their rotation, but they're facing a team who had to play a 12-inning play-in game, ...Read More

I'm here at my first MLB game, watching the Tampa Bay Rays take on the New York Yankees, and guess what? B.J. Upton hits for the cycle for the first time in Rays history, and he does it all before the end of the fifth. I'll say that's a pretty darn cool thing to witness in person. 12-1 Rays in the top of the seventh, for what it's worth. More on the game and my experience when ...Read More

Other than the occasional Family Guy rerun, my television rarely strays from ESPN.  While watching Sportscenter the other night, I happened upon some Yankees highlights and had a most interesting revelation.   After a called third strike to Alex Rodriguez that appeared just off the plate, Yankee manager Joe Girardi rushed out of the dugout to argue the call.  After some healthy debating back and forth and likely a few testaments as to the others’ uselessness, the umpire didn’t like something Girardi ...Read More

Most of the attention devoted to the St. Louis Cardinals revolves around Albert Pujols, and since his trade, Matt Holliday, but the Cardinals are making a push for the NL’s best record thanks to their arms. The Cardinals completed a 20-6 August with a 2-1 win over the Washington Nationals yesterday, and along with opening up a 10-game cushion over the Chicago Cubs in the NL Central, the Cards are just 1 ½ games behind the Dodgers for the best record ...Read More

There's no change at the top from last week's MLB Power Rankings to this week's, but the results of last week have forced a little shakeup from the second spot on down. 1. New York Yankees (82-48) Their midweek series loss to the Rangers was just their second series loss in the second half and their first home series loss since losing two of three to Washington in the middle of June. Just a minor blip though, as they ...Read More

According to reports, the Los Angeles Angels are close to bolstering their rotation in a big way by acquiring pitcher Scott Kazmir from the Tampa Bay Rays for prospects Alexander Torres and Matthew Sweeney. On the surface, the Angels already had one of the league’s best rotations based on talent alone. However, injuries have been a serious problem. Kelvim Escobar, who missed all of 2008 after going 18-7 in 2007, made all of one start this season, ...Read More

Sport has its array of thrilling moments. Major League Baseball has its game-saving catches and walk-off home runs. The NFL has its big hits and its hail maries. But there’s something about an NBA slam dunk that lifts fans out of their seats. Right now, the Association boasts a number of athletes that can jump clear out of the gym. So for those of you who don’t have the good fortune of watching basketball highlights with Sportschump-like regularity, I’d like ...Read More

What makes a successful head coach? Or perhaps a better question is… what makes a once successful head coach suddenly forget how to coach? Last week, the New Orleans Hornets announced that the services of their head coach and former NBA coach of the year, Byron Scott, would no longer be needed. The Hornets had gotten off to a less than satisfactory 3-6 start and someone had to be held accountable. It certainly couldn’t be ownership. Scott has since ...Read More

In a shocking NBA move, the New Orleans Hornets have fired head coach Byron Scott, according to league sources. The team is expected to make a formal announcement sometime on Thursday. Scott is being let go following a slow start for the Hornets, as they've gone just 3-6 through their first nine contests, and have been struggling to keep up with opponents on both ends of the floor, while star point guard has had to create and carry the scoring load ...Read More

The 2009/10 NBA season is in full swing, and it's been a very interesting first few weeks thus far. As expected, last year's NBA finalists have gotten off to fast starts, and so have several other teams, but there have been a few surprises on both ends of the spectrum. Along with hot starts by the likes of Phoenix and better-than-expected starts for the likes of Brandon Jennings and the young Milwaukee Bucks, a few expected contenders and ...Read More

Sure, we don't have any unbeaten teams left in the NBA, but there is still a team searching for their first win. That's just as good, right? Here's how the NBA teams stack up, 1-30. 1. Boston Celtics (7-1, Last Week: 1) Boston is already three games up on the second-place Raptors. Is it too early to say the divisional race is over? 2. Phoenix Suns (7-1, Last Week: 9) No team made a bigger jump than the Suns. Beating the mighty Celtics in Boston last week ...Read More

I’m no fanatic when it comes to the NBA, but it was a pretty safe assumption to make that the already struggling Sacramento Kings would struggle even more without the services of guard Kevin Martin, right? After all, Martin was averaging 30.6 points in his first five games for Sacramento, and the team’s only win was an overtime one over Memphis in which Martin went for 48. And after all, they were already without Francisco Garcia, who was expected to ...Read More

A few weeks before the NBA season started, new Boston Celtics acquisition Rasheed Wallace said the Celtics As good as everyone expected the Celtics to be, that statement might have seem a little far-fetched at the time. 60 wins? Easily. 65? That’s more than doable too. But more than 72? Crazy, right? Well, with the way that ‘Sheed and the Celtics have come roaring out of the gate, they might not break the record that the Jordan-led Bulls ...Read More

With the 2009-10 NBA season getting started tomorrow night, and tons of new faces in new places, it’s time to predict which teams will finish where once the regular season is done. As always, the Western Conference is expected to be ultra-competitive, with up to 11 teams having somewhat legitimate aspirations of appearing in the postseason. Let’s run down who I think will finish in the top eight. 1. Los Angeles Lakers Surprise! While I don’t think the Lakers did all that much to improve ...Read More

With the NBA’s opening night about 48 hours away, it’s time to predict how I think the eight playoff teams in each conference will eventually stack up. Obviously, it’s impossible to predict how injuries will affect things, so let’s assume that each of the 30 teams is able to make it through the season 100 percent healthy from start to finish. Here’s how I think things will end up in the Eastern Conference: 1. Boston Celtics The the additions of Rasheed Wallace and Marquis ...Read More

The NFL has a lot of bad teams. Entering Week Six, nine teams, the Bills, Lions, Panthers, Bucs, Rams, Browns, Titans, Raiders and Chiefs all had a combined five wins… and some of those teams had played each other! Any NFL preview of those teams at the beginning of the season turned out to be a tremendous waste of ink and cyberspace. In the spirit of conservation and outright decency, sportschump.net’s NBA preview has decided to spare you the wannabes. ...Read More