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Inside Football: The Shelf Life of the AFC East and North QBs

Last week I scrolled through the current starting quarterbacks in the NFC, did a little mental carbon dating, and gave each quarterback a shelf life, giving some praise and future accolades and damning others to the fledgling United Football League. This week I look at the AFC East and make some bold and some quite obvious evaluations.

AFC East

Buffalo Bills

Current Starter: Trent Edwards

Age: 26

Career: 505/824, 5499 Yards, 24 TD/25 INT, 78.0 Rating

Shelf Life: 2-3 Years with a downward spiral from starter to third string in Oakland

Edwards has the arm and has shown flashes of brilliance with the Buffalo Bills, but playing his first three years in a city with a football team still decimated by the four-straight Super Bowl losses in the 1990s has turned this athletic quarterback with a gun for an arm into a mental mess. Add the tutelage of Dick Jauron and the firing of an offensive coordinator just before his third season (perhaps the most pivotal year in a quarterback’s development) and Edwards’ potential has been wasted. The Buffalo Bills will most likely start looking in the draft in a year or two for another quarterback, after Jauron is fired at the end of this season.

Miami Dolphins

Current Starter: Chad Henne?

Age: 24

Career: 117/201, 1232 Yards, 5 TD/4 INT, 76.1 Rating

Shelf Life: 5+ Years as a future starting quarterback for a middle of the road team.

The Miami Dolphins are attached to the Wild Cat formation which does not bode well for Chad Henne. The second year quarterback has been able to deliver pretty average games with a few impressive game-winning drives early on in his career. This is actually quite impressive since he never knows how many snaps he will play. Playing so average in the face of such uncertainty is truly a feat. This is a big quarterback with an arm, and, surprisingly, some touch. He has a future of some sort in the NFL. The Miami Dolphins will likely be that mediocre team he starts for once they begin to move away from the Wild Cat after this losing season.

New England Patriots

Current Starter: Tom Brady

Age: 32

Career: 2534/4005, 29,185 Yards, 216 TD/92 INT, 93.6 Rating

Shelf Life: 5+ Years as an All-Pro quarterback

Sure Tom Brady is already 32, but he has an arm and a quarterback with an arm is like a boxer with a great punch, he always has a chance. The New England Patriots are going to stick with him as long as he wants to play. He has been very good to them and he is such an iconic figure that getting rid of him even after he begins to struggle will be seen as a treacherous act to an area with some of the most loyal sports fans in the country.

New York Jets

Current Starter: Mark Sanchez

Age: 23

Career: 130/244, 1,655 Yards, 9 TD/12 INT, 66.5 Rating

Shelf Life: 5+ Years with several Pro Bowl appearances

Mark Sanchez’ numbers are not great by any means. He quickly fell out of favor with the New York media after throwing a total of eight interceptions in the midst of a three game losing streak from Week 4 to Week 6. Still, what makes this kid so impressive is his ability to put together game-winning drives. He will throw the ball into difficult spots and even run into the middle of the field taking hits from linebackers to win the game in the final two minutes. That is what made him so much fun to watch in the first three weeks of the season. I cannot believe anybody would really care about his rookie numbers. In the long run they will be forgotten. The New York Jets have found their future.

AFC North

Baltimore Ravens

Current Starter: Joe Flacco

Age: 24

Career: 440/710, 5,015 Yards, 26 TD/19 INT, 84.2 Rating

Shelf Life: 5+ Years with several Pro Bowl appearances

The Baltimore Ravens have found a real game changing quarterback in Joe Flacco and they proved that they knew it when they continued to let him try and make big plays in the playoffs last season. In fact making big plays is his game. In the current offense the Ravens run the football and let Flacco spread the defense with deep bombs. Sound familiar? Yep, that was the Steelers strategy with Roethlisberger and it worked. Flacco is a darling right now, but eventually he will take some flack for all the chances he takes. In the end the Baltimore football fans will be happy they have him under center.

Cincinnati Bengals

Current Starter: Carson Palmer

Age: 29

Career: 1558/2455, 17,640 Yards, 121 TD/74 INT, 88.8 Rating

Shelf Life: 5+ Years as a good quarterback (no Pro Bowl appearances)

Carson Palmer is enjoying a renaissance year in 2009 and a couple of years in which he was hampered by injuries. He is a very good quarterback and will be a thorn in defensive coordinators sides, but he is not going to quite live up to the promise of his third season in the league (2005). Instead, football fanatics will be talking about him in a couple of decades in disgust as the new crop of fans has no clue who he is. The Cincinnati Bengals should keep him since it is even difficult to find a very good quarterback in the NFL.

Cleveland Browns

Current Starter: Brady Quinn

Age: 25

Career: 94/174, 972 Yards, 3 TD/5 INT, 64.1 Rating

Shelf Life: 4 Years with his career ending after finding himself in the third place on depth chart somewhere else in the NFL.

Brady Quinn’s short career has been much more about his football adventures off the field than on it. He entered the draft as one of the top players in the draft but fell to the 22nd pick and appeared visibly upset as he walked onto the stage to accept the Browns jersey. He then followed this with a holdout that cost him the starting job with Cleveland Browns (to Charlie Frye!). He is now a very expensive failing experiment. However, he is still an experiment and at least provides the possibility of hope for a Browns fan base that has little to look forward to every week. Cleveland should probably accept the length of the contract and get busy fixing the defense first, then move onto their offensive issues.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Current Starter: Ben Roethlisberger

Age: 27

Career: 1394/2207, 17,443 Yards, 115 TD/77 INT, 90.5 Rating

Shelf Life: 5+ Years with the Steelers as an occasional Pro Bowl player

I looked at his QB Rating and could not believe it. I knew Ben Roethlisberger has been a very good quarterback in the league, but he has also been left out of the discussion when it comes to the best quarterback or group of quarterbacks. He began his career as a weapon asked to unload his arm every few plays to keep the defense honest and excelled as this gigantic distraction. Now he seems to be easing into the role as the actual focal point of the Pittsburgh Steelers offense. He will stay take chances, but that is the kind of quarterback he is supposed to be. Great quarterbacks take chances. His game is not as clean as Tom Brady or Peyton Manning, but he definitely gets the job of winning done. He will remain a member of the Steelers and he will continue to have up and down seasons for the next few years before he finally settles down.

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Inside Football: The Shelf Life of NFL Quarterbacks

Great running backs and playmaking receivers have been a rare find in the NFL, championships teams have always been able to get by with simply very good backs and wide outs. At the turn of the century this could be said about quarterbacks as well. Just look at a list of Super Bowl champions. The Tampa Bay Bucs won the big game in 2003 with Brad Johnson behind center and Trent Dilfer managed the Baltimore Ravens offense in 2001 as they won the Super Bowl. Now the league is more pass happy than ever and a simple game manager will not be enough, making a quarterback the most precious commodity on a football team once again.

A look at the shelf life of the current starters will give an idea of how close some of these teams are to actually winning a championship. Some NFL teams have game managers, some have veterans on their last legs needing to win it all right now, some clubs have a young gun who needs a few years to develop, and some teams have that franchise quarterback set for the next five seasons. Let’s look at the league by division and see how long each team has with its current starter in place, beginning with the NFC.

NFC East

Dallas Cowboys

Current Starter: Tony Romo

Age: 29

Career: 990/1571, 12,777 Yards, 94 TD/51 INT, 94.9 Rating

Shelf Life: 5+ Years, Pro Bowl Caliber

Fans may complain when he throws a pick to kill a two minute drill or shows up as a postseason dud, but he is a risk taker with a big arm that has led the Dallas Cowboys to a 46-26 regular season record. He has yet to play in a losing season, but also has yet to win a playoff game. Still, he is a rare frustrating breed of quarterback that cannot be counted out of any fight with any defense.

New York Giants

Current Starter: Eli Manning

Age: 28

Career: 1442/2559, 16,693 Yards, 113 TD/82 INT, 77.6 Rating

Shelf Life: 5+ Years, Pro Bro Caliber

I was shocked when I looked at his numbers, but then realized that the New York Giants have tied their future to a balanced offense that favors a bruising run game. His completion percentage is not impressive at just 60 percent in the last two seasons when he has set himself apart from the rest of the field. Still, few quarterbacks have won a Super Bowl ring and fewer still have won a Super Bowl MVP (Super Bowl XLII). His ability to show up for the big games makes him a true gem behind center that Giants fans should try and keep until the bitter end of his career.

Philadelphia Eagles

Current Starter: Donovan McNabb

Age: 32

Career: 2630/4466, 30,555 Yards, 204 TD/93 INT, 86.2 Rating

Shelf Life: 5+ Years as an NFL hired gun

Philadelphia Eagles fans have been on the fence on this guy for years, wondering if he is done or not. He achieved star status as a breed of quarterback that could run and throw, struggled with injury thanks to his early playing style, and adjusted to the new NFL and shined. He also has been to the Super Bowl, in a 21-24 losing effort in which he was Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, throwing for over 300 yards and three touchdowns as well as three picks. The fans are right though, now. He has a few years left where he can have a punchers chance before he simply becomes a veteran band aid for teams struggling to find a quarterback.

Washington Redskins

Current Starter: Jason Campbell

Age: 27

Career: 811/1336, 8,723 Yards, 43 TD/30 INT, 81.2 Rating

Shelf Life: Backup Quarterback Extraordinaire until he earns enough money to retire comfortably.

Jason Campbell has a big arm but no touch. He is proof that Joe Montana is not overrated. He is playing his way out of the Redskins organization as they eventually have to come to terms with his failure as a first round draft pick.

NFC North

Chicago Bears

Current Starter: Jay Cutler

Age: 26

Career: 944/1506, 11,070 Yards, 68 TD/ 49 INT, 86.4 Rating

Shelf Life: 5+ Years, a few Pro Bowl Seasons with a stunning late career

The Denver Broncos were hoping that he would be the next John Elway, a maverick quarterback with a cannon for an arm and the guts to take that extra hit on a scramble on Third and Five. His numbers are actually pretty similar to the early Elway, but a management fiasco gave him to the Chicago Bears. Now, the Bears get to enjoy the spoils of a quarterback that will frustrate them a few more seasons before his mental growth and physical ability are at optimal levels.

Detroit Lions

Current Starters: Matthew Stafford

Age: 21

Career: 115/214, 1265 Yards, 5 TD/ 12 INT 55.9 Rating

Shelf Life: Not Available

If people made decisions binding quarterbacks to their rookie season then legends like Troy Aikman, John Elway, and many more would have never of had those amazing careers. I have seen him play and he has moments where he looks like a star, zipping passes in between defenders through a tight window. Everyone needs to keep an eye on him and see if he is for real or simply another Joey Harrington.

Green Bay Packers

Current Starter: Aaron Rodgers

Age: 25

Career: 540/855, 6622 Yards, 45 TD/19 INT, 95.3 Rating

Shelf Life: 5+ Years, a few Pro Bowl Caliber seasons

Rodgers was forced to sit on the bench for three seasons while Favre played out his time as the Green Bay Packers starter. Then, suddenly, thanks to Matt Ryan, he is expected to immediately put up big numbers and lead the team to the playoffs. He put up big numbers but the team (a flawed team) only won six games. He has the arm, the ability to deliver in a two-minute drill, and the legs to keep defenses honest. Once he develops a little better pocket timing (get rid of the damn ball!) then he will be a stud.

Minnesota Vikings

Current Starter: Brett Favre

Age: 40

Career: 5894/9536, 67,052 Yards, 480 TD/313 INT, 86.0 Rating

Shelf Life: Expiring soon, but will keep ruining his legend like Michael Jordan

Favre only has a few more seasons left. He is still among the better quarterbacks in the NFL, but his football days should be numbered soon as he struggles to keep that arm rested as the season wears on. The Minnesota Vikings are a great situation for him since he has the best running back in the league to keep defenses honest, but after a couple of years he is going to have to leave. Then the Minnesota Vikings will have to start over, so they better draft a quarterback now and prime him for lofty expectations.

NFC South

Atlanta Falcons

Current Starter: Matt Ryan

Age: 24

Career: 404/667, 5089 Yards, 28 TD/20 INT, 85.8 Rating

Shelf Life: 5+ Years, not sure of what caliber play

Matt Ryan was the Atlanta Falcons savior in 2008, making the big throws and helping fans forget about Michael Vick sooner than the front office expected. Ryan led the team to a 11-5 record and exited in the first round of the playoffs in a hotly contested 30-24 loss to the NFC Champion Arizona Cardinals. This season he has regressed a little bit, but how telling can that be in a quarterbacks second season? I need another year to see if his first season was a mirage thanks to the NFL-ready Boston College system that he came from or if he is the real thing.

Carolina Panthers

Current Starter: Jake Delhomme

Age: 34

Career: 1582/2655, 19,340 Yards, 120 TD/89 INT, 83.2 Rating

Shelf Life: 1-2 Years Left as Starter

That shelf life is mostly due to Coach John Fox’s allegiance to Delhomme. Delhomme has had a stellar career as a glorified game manager. Sure he could make a few bog throws, but he was never asked to single-handedly take the team over for more than a few fourth quarters. The Panthers have been a team that has relied on its defense more than its offense and Delhomme was great for that while that was in vogue in the NFL, but the game of football has changed and he is just too old to change with it. The Panthers would be wise to find a replacement now and I do not think Matt Moore is the answer.

New Orleans Saints

Current Starter: Drew Brees

Age: 30

Career: 2515/3915, 28,594 Yards, 185 TD/106 INT, 90.5 Rating

Shelf Life: 5+ All Pro Status for the next few seasons and Pro Bowl Caliber long after that

Drew Brees is entering the prime of his career with a team that seems to have the coaching staff that appreciates his talents and the cast of playmakers to inflate his numbers beyond compare. The Saints could begin a dynasty with this quarterback and could erase the more than four decades of disappointment. Brees is staying here (or at lest should be) until his arm falls off.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Current Starter: Josh Freeman

Age: 21

Career: 16/35, 221 Yards, 3 TD/1 INT, 83.2 Rating

Shelf Life: Not Available

Josh Freeman may have been a first round draft pick (No. 17 pick) by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but he was hardly a lauded player. He had a nice debut that is typical for a rookie in terms of yards, but exceptional in terms of touchdowns (even against the Packers defense). For my money, Freeman’s scouting report from Mocking the Draft makes him sound a little too much like Jason Campbell.

NFC West

Arizona Cardinals

Current Starter: Kurt Warner

Age: 38

Career: 2534/3872, 30,766 Yards, 198 TD/125 INT, 93.3 Rating

Shelf Life: 1-3 Years, as long the Cardinals can avoid handing the reins over to Matt Leinart

Kurt Warner looks like an old embittered warrior more than a quarterback in his Arizona Cardinals uniform, but I think that epitomizes his career at this point. He is fighting off old age and is not going to let this role as starter go no matter what lingo he uses about being a teacher for Leinart. Unfortunately, like an old warrior he is going to keep fighting well beyond his years and the Cardinals management will likely let him since Leinart just lacks the awareness to be an NFL quarterback. The only way Warner is forced is if the Cards seasons go south and he becomes too expensive to keep.

San Francisco 49ers

Current Starter: Alex Smith

Age: 25

Career: 498/899, 5,369 Yards, 25 TD/36 INT, 65.7 Rating

Shelf Life: 5+ Years, starter until his contract is up after the 2010 season, at which point he becomes a third string back up.

Alex Smith, the first pick of the 2005 draft, is back in the starting role because Shaun Hill was simply ineffectual at quarterback. Smith never lived up to his billing and should consider leaving the NFL once his contract is up to become a star in one of the lesser football leagues.

Seattle Seahawks

Current Starter: Matt Hasselbeck

Age: 34

Career: 2137/3550, 24,856 Yards, 157 TD/98 INT, 84.7 Rating

Shelf Life: 3 to 5 Years, will remain a starter throughout the rest of his career

Matt Hasselbeck’s Pro Bowl days are behind him as injuries continue to rob him of playing time and he is unable to develop new receivers. This makes him a great fit for a team that needs a seasoned quarterback. His contract is up in 2011 with the Seahawks, but they do not have a real protégé in place. If this was a couple of years ago I would say that Seattle would resign him for two- to three-years and teach a new draft pick how to play the position, but this is a new age when general managers want immediate results (or do not want to pay two quarterbacks big bucks as Len Pasquarelli argues). I expect to be seeing Hasselbeck in a Raiders uniform in the near future.

St. Louis Rams

Current Starter: Marc Bulger

Age: 32

Career: 1924/3094, 22,301 Yards, 120 TD/91 INT

Shelf Life: Five Years, his contract runs out in 2013 and expect him to have taken enough punishment to happily retire

Marc Bulger put up great numbers when the Rams system was working, but has found that as the talent level and blocking has diminished he is unable to put up even decent numbers. In the last two seasons he has failed to play a full season and eclipse 11 touchdowns. It is hard to say how much of this is his fault since he is constantly being barraged by defensive lineman and has old or inept receivers dropping passes. The Rams need to draft a line before getting another young quarterback so St. Louis has basically set Bulger up to be gluten for punishment.

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NBA and NHL Starts Lost in the Dense October Sports Jungle

The World Series is finishing up with the Yanks up 3 games to 1. The NFL season is about halfway through and just about every team still has a shot at the playoffs. The college football season has just a few weeks over, meaning it is time for the BCS standings to screw a deserving team over and start the annual clamor for a playoff system. In the midst of all this the NHL and NBA seasons have started.

Did you notice? The hockey season is already 15 games in for some teams. The basketball season is just finishing its first week. My point is not that the latter half of October is the greatest two-week period for sports fans, but that there are simply too many sporting events and the NHL and the NBA (the two sports leagues fighting for an audience) are voluntarily beginning their seasons at a time when they can easily be tuned out.

The NHL might be doing the least amount of damage to the league. A hockey fan is a special kind of fan. The NHL is almost like a fringe sport and the fan base for fringe sports are among the most dedicated/mentally disturbed people out there. They will cry to the rooftops that nobody appreciates the beauty of their sport. They will paint their faces. They will wear jerseys at inappropriate times.

The NBA does not have this kind of a fan base so the league is going to be slaughtered by other leagues as they complete or approach the postseason. This sounds like a gross overstatement, but I know because I used to be one of those fans.

The greatest factor damning basketball right now is time. Not the time between games or the length of the season (which I agree should be much shorter). Rather the amount of time the average sports fan has to watch and worship a sport.

I should really clarify here. There are sports fans of all ages and men will seemingly always like sports. It so happens that simply because of the population trends right now, the average age of a sports fan is between 45 and 54 according to Media Life Magazine. What does this mean?

This means that this age group accounts for 20 percent of the adult population and roughly 20 percent of the comprehensive sports fan base. There is a group above and below this age and the groups above and below those. However, with the average age so high, this means that most of the sports fans in this country have a lot going on in their life. They have a wife, children, a mortgage, and a job that requires many more than the traditional 40-hour work week. There is simply less time to devote to an innate love pf sports.

I can attest to this. I am not in my 40s and am not quite yet in my 30s, but I do have a life that limits the amount of time I can spend watching sports. Several years ago when I was in college I used to devour just about any televised sport. I had the time because I was in college and needed to pass the time before I got drunk and pathetically tried to hit on girls.

I did not understand why so few people watched basketball. I heard friends call it boring, but every sport has its naysayers. Now, I realize that while David Stern and company may see this as the perfect time to begin the season, just when baseball is ending and leaving a huge sports hole in the middle of the week, I simply cannot keep up.

This is not the summer when everybody has time off and things move at a slower pace. The holidays are fast approaching, kids are beginning school and after school activities, and companies are trying to look good in the final fiscal quarter. Life is moving faster now and the NBA is trying to hook viewers for an 82-game season when most sports fans are still using their extra time to fix their fantasy football team.

With the price of NBA tickets skyrocketing along with every other amenity, professional basketball is missing out on capturing the attention of the age group that can actually afford the seats to a game.

Yes, Lakers tickets and I suppose Knicks tickets (at least in the early season) will sell well simply because they are in such large metropolitan areas, but the early season start cannot aid a team like the Dallas Mavericks or the Minnesota Timberwolves. Fans there are still involved in insanity surrounding the Cowboys and Vikings.

Sports media superstars like Bill Simmons may champion the cause of the NBA while he uses the early Celtics season to wean himself off baseball on those slow weekday nights as Jack-O’s Yankees win another World Series and his beloved Red Sox sit by the wayside. Still, one man’s insanely influential Page 2 blog and podcast on ESPN are not enough to make people fall in love with basketball again.

I think David Stern needs to re-evaluate his marketing plan. He helped make the NBA the envy if just about every sports league in the 1990s, so he has the ability. The league has incredible stars like LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and Dwayne Wade, so everything is in place for the NBA to return to prominence. The league just needs better timing.

108 Miles of Blood and Guts: World Series Tickets

This could definitely be a World Series the country could get behind. On one side there are the New York Yankees, the most hated team in baseball trying to win its first title since the 20th Century. On the other side are the Philadelphia Phillies, the defending champions trying to start a dynasty of their own. On both sides there are insanely passionate sports fans that could leave 108 miles worth of blood and guts between New Yankee Stadium in the Bronx and Citizens Bank Park in Philly.

Baseball fans will begrudgingly have to accept that this is potentially one of the best championship match ups since the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers met in the 2008 NBA Finals. At the very least, this will draw more interest than last season’s World Series against the Tampa Bay Rays, which drew a meager 8.4 television rating (or 14 percent of the market) according to the Baseball Almanac.

Both teams have a similar reputation. They are baseball teams that terrify opposing pitchers with deep lineups and have underrated pitching staffs that have taken them over the edge and made them postseason studs. So which team is better? Perhaps a better question is which team is coming into the World Series on a bigger roll? Below is a side by side comparison of eight key statistical categories with the raw numbers since each team has played nine postseason games.

Offense:

Runs- Advantage Phillies

Philadelphia Phillies - 55, New York Yankees – 48

Homeruns – Wash

Philadelphia Phillies - 14, New York Yankees – 14

OBP – Advantage Phillies

Philadelphia Phillies - .363, New York Yankees - .350

Stolen Bases – Advantage Phillies

Philadelphia Phillies - 6, New York Yankees – 3

Analysis:

The Phillies come into the World Series the better offensive team. Some fans and experts will cry out, saying that American League pitching is superior so it is impossible to tell which offense is better. However, this is the playoffs. Every team is playing at a higher level of baseball, even if they appear to be in a slump.

Philadelphia’s advantage comes because they have greater balance. Five Phillies are hitting over .280 and seven players have hit homeruns. The Yankees have three players hitting over .280 and have six players have hit homeruns. Specifically, Alex Rodriguez is tearing it up with five home runs and a .439 batting average, but he cannot completely put his reputation as a postseason dud to rest until he makes a case in the World Series.

Both ballparks are hitters parks so this could be a hitter series and the Phillies appear to have more hot bats, though a very valid question is who will fill in as DH during Yankee home games. Ben Francisco is not the traditional power hitter, but he is the best batter on the Phillies bench.

Defense:

Team ERA: Advantage Yankees

New York Yankees - 2.46, Philadelphia Phillies - 3.04

Starters Record: Advantage New York Yankees

New York Yankees - 5-0, Philadelphia Phillies - 3-1

WHIP: Advantage Philadelphia Phillies

Philadelphia Phillies - 1.18, New York Yankees - 1.22

Errors: Advantage New York Yankees

New York Yankees – 3, Philadelphia Phillies – 5

Analysis:

The New York Yankees appear to be the better pitching and defensive team on paper. The Yankees created a stir earlier when they announced the intention to use a three-man starting rotation. People thought that this might put a bit too much strain on the starters, especially if the series goes beyond five games. So far the strategy has worked. It is not uncommon to see teams use pitchers on just a few days rest once it gets down to the World Series, but to do it throughout the postseason is something else.

The Phillies have a huge issue with their starters. Philadelphia only has two starters with an ERA below 4.00. Cliff Lee has been amazing with a 0.74 ERA and Pedro Martinez was very good in his lone start with seven scoreless innings. The problem is that Joe Blanton, Cole Hamels, and JA Happ have been hapless in their combined five starts.

Suddenly the Yankees three-man rotation looks much better than the Phillies effective two-man rotation. The Phillies will need one of those last three to step it up to drag the series out longer, which would give them the advantage against a weary CC Sabathia, Andy Pettitte, and AJ Burnett or a rusty Joba Chamberlain. The question is who can do this? The Yankees simply look like they made the right move by going to a three-man rotation and that could be the difference maker in this series.

Prediction:

New York Yankees win in six games. The Yankees batting order is just too dangerous for sub par pitching in any games in this series.

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The Early Favorites for the NFL MVP

After six weeks of the 2009 NFL season it is just about to start seriously listening to those early MVP murmurs. The field is going to be dominated by quarterbacks with eight starters posting a quarterback rating in the triple digits, lacking running backs with just one back averaging more than 100 yards a game, and unfairly biased against defensive players because an assisted tackle is simply so much less sexy than anything a running back can do.

The Candidates:

Drew Brees, QB, New Orleans Saints

Stats: 110/159, 1400 yards, 13 TD/4 INT, QB Rating 118.4

Pros: Brees best stat is his team’s record, 6-0. He had two bad games, but three amazing games that included shredding the Giants previously lauded pass defense.

Cons: There are seven quarterbacks that average more yards a game than Brees and three quarterbacks on this short list that have a better completion percentage.

Peyton Manning, QB, Indianapolis Colts

Stats: 133/181, 1645 yards, 12 TD/4 INT, QB Rating 114.1

Pros: He is THE offense for the Indianapolis Colts, who are 5-0. No player is successful with more responsibility than Manning.

Cons: The only argument against his case is that Brees has a better QB rating.

Brett Favre, QB, Minnesota Vikings

Stats: 124/178, 1347 yards, 12 TD/ 2 INT, QB Rating 109.5

Pros: His best stat is his team’s record, just like Brees. The Vikings are 6-0 and he has been as big as an addition to the team as expected by even the most optimistic fan.

Cons: Like Brees, his team has a somewhat balanced offense so his numbers are not going to always fall within the top five. For instance, he is 17th in the league in passing yards per game. Also, he has taken 14 sacks so far this season. That is a lot of losses to take in just six games.

Kyle Orton, QB, Denver Broncos

Stats: 124/194, 1465 yards, 9 TD, 1 INT, QB Rating 100.1

Pros: Orton’s team is 6-0 and he has made the big plays when necessary, or had lady luck on his side.

Cons: His stats are not up to par with the rest of the top quarterbacks. He is 16th in completion percentage, 10th in touchdowns, 11th in passing yards per game, and 8th in quarterback rating.

Adrian Peterson, RB, Minnesota Vikings

Stats: 624 yards, 5.2 yards per carry, 7 touchdowns, 104 yards a game.

Pros: He is the leading rusher in the NFL in total yards and yards per game. He also has run for the most first downs (31) and has six rushes of more than 20 yards (2nd to Chris Johnson).

Cons: He is the best running back in a passing league. No matter how much of a monster he is running the ball he will not be as vogue as 300-yard a game passers with winning records.

Eric Dumervil, DE, Denver Broncos

Stats: 10 Sacks, 23 Tackles, 2 Forced Fumbles

Pros: He is leading the league in sacks and lingers in the mind of every quarterback he lines up against.

Cons: A defensive player has only been awarded any of the various NFL MVP awards once- in 1986 to Lawrence Taylor. Taylor was a linebacker so he could boost his stats with tackles. As a defensive end Dumervil will not have that luxury.

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The Seven Seals of an NFL Apocalypse

The NFL is entering a new era when quarterbacks have more fantasy value than running backs, home field is not that big of a deal (the home team only wins 54 percent of the time this season), and parity has dissipated as nine of the 32 teams in the league have either no losses or no wins. Yes this is a new age in the league and there are seven football seals that have been broken this season to put an end to everything we knew about football.

First Seal: Conquest

Cedric Benson of the Cincinnati Bengals is leading the league in rushing. Yes, Cedric Benson that could not figure out that at 5 foot 11 and 225 pounds he could not nimbly dance around defenders. This is not say that he has conquered anything, but to say that passing and running back tandems have become far more important than having a feature running back, making Adrian Peterson even more of a freak.

Second Seal: War

The Cleveland Browns have two quarterbacks fighting to ineptly lead the Browns offense. It has gotten so bad that there has been discussion of special teams maestro Josh Cribbs taking over at quarterback because he played quarterback back in Pop Warner. The poor Cleveland dog pound has survived the departure of the original Browns and now they are fighting over who will lead this terrible team to a quasi-respectable regular season finish.

Third Seal: Famine

In this age of gimmicky offenses and quarterback supremacy somehow two teams cannot even average 10 points a game. The Oakland Raiders average just 9.8 points a game and are still not the worst offense in the league. The St. Louis Rams are only putting up 6.8 points a game. How can a league built to allow so much scoring have two teams that cannot manage to score double digits consistently?

Fourth Seal: Death

Al Davis is doing all he can to kill any proof that the Raiders were once a respectable football franchise that once won three Super Bowls in nine seasons. Anyone born after 1990 must think that Raiders have always been cursed. The 48-21 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers erased any inkling of respectability for the franchise. They will not even replace JaMarcus Russell when he shown no signs of playing better than his 47.1 quarterback rating. At least the Cleveland Browns are giving somebody else a chance to not lead the team down the field.

Fifth Seal: Visions of Martyrs

Terrell Owens has only 12 receptions, 202 yards, and a touchdown through five games. He used to get those kinds of stats in a single game with Romo throwing the ball in Dallas. Yet, Owens has not thrown quarterback Trent Edwards under the bus since the first week of the season. The only thing that could have compelled him to keep his mouth shut is that visions of respected elderly NFL statesmen like Lynn Swann and Jerry Rice must have told him to be quiet and accept the situation he has created for himself. I refuse to believe that he has suddenly become humble…or responsible.

Sixth Seal: Earthquake and Marking of the 144,000

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers has heard the pounding of an earthquake this season as he has been sacked 20 times in four games and the Packers are only 2-2 in a season in which they were supposed to win the NFC North. The city of Green Bay may not have 144,000 residents, but it has 100,353 and that is the number of fans who are wondering if the front office made a mistake letting Brett Favre go, especially now that he is leading the 5-0 Minnesota Vikings.

Seventh Seal: Trumpets of the Angels and the End of the World

The Denver Broncos are 5-0 with a quarterback with half the arm of Jay Cutler and much of the same defense that was just so bad a season ago. Josh McDaniels even managed to beat his old boss Belichick. This is either a storyline from heaven for the Denver area and NFL reporters who were bored of covering the same old teams or the end of the world for the Patriots as one of their own has finally threatened to destroy their 21st century domination in a year meant to be “The Return of Tom Brady.”

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NFL Week 5 Predictions

No Bears, no Packers, no Saints, no Chargers oh my! What will Week 5 behold without two of the classic football franchises and what may be the NFL’s best football team. We can do without the Chargers until the last five or six weeks since that is when they start playing for real and making there annual improbable playoff run. This week definitely has some interesting match ups, but there are plenty of blowouts on the horizon to boost the fantasy numbers.

NFL Week 5 Predictions

Cleveland Browns (0-4) at Buffalo Bills (1-3)

Dick Jauron will keep his job one more week as the Terrell Owens has his 2009 breakout game against a team reeling from an early season quarterback change and a trade that sent their most talented receiver to the Jets. The game will be ugly, but the Bills talent advantage has to work in their favor against more than just the likes of Tampa Bay.

Dallas Cowboys (2-2) at Kansas City Chiefs (0-4)

The Dallas Cowboys have proven that they can beat up on terrible teams. Enter the Kansas City Chiefs. This is a band aid game to re-instill Romo’s confidence with a nice beating on a helpless team. The Chiefs will put up a fight and the Cowboys fans will leave wishing Matt Cassel was their quarterback even thought they won.

Minnesota Vikings (4-0) at St. Louis Rams (0-4)

Adrian Peterson will take this opportunity to remind the NFL why he is the very best running back in the league. I expect a performance similar to his first game of the season when Peterson ran for 180 yards aganst the Browns. The Vikings are going to win big because their past two wins have been a little too close for comfort.

Oakland Raiders (1-3) at New York Giants (4-0)

Call me crazy but I smell an upset as Bruce Gradowski takes over for JaMarcus in the first half and shocks the Giants. Things are just going too well for the Giants and they are too big of favorites according to Vegas not think something will happen to spoil their time on top of the NFC East.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-4) at Philadelphia Eagles (2-1)

McNabb, Westbrook, and the defense are going to comeback with a passion in this thrashing of the NFL’s newest whipping boy, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. This is a good week to have one of the Eagles playmakers on your fantasy team.

Pittsburgh Steelers (2-2) at Detroit Lions (1-3)

The Pittsburgh Steelers are going to make Dante Culpepper wish he was back coaching Pop Warner football. The Lions are coming off a bad loss and have a baldy beaten up roster. The Steelers should use this game to sell Rashard Mendenhall to the Steelers nation.

Washington Redskins (2-2) at Carolina Panthers (0-3)

The Carolina Panthers will solve the Washington Redskins scoring problems in this game. Somehow the Redskins are averaging just 14 points a game despite putting up 325 yards a game. This will be an offensive explosion for Washington, but Jake Delhomme will come off the bye week with a vengeance and take the Panthers on a last second winning drive.

Cincinnati Bengals (3-1) at Baltimore Ravens (3-1)

Who thought that we would be talking about the Bengals-Ravens game in Week 5 as a major division battle for first place? Despite the Ravens loss to the Patriots last week, they are the more balanced team and will win this bitter division game.

Atlanta Falcons (2-1) at San Francisco 49ers (3-1)

The 49ers have been playing inspiring defense and move the ball on the ground. The Falcons have been unable to live up to last season’s standards and have a terrible run defense. The 49ers win this game by a healthy margin.

Jacksonville Jaguars (2-2) at Seattle Seahawks (1-3)

With Hasselbeck most likely out for a fourth game in a row the Seahawks will again be playing shorthanded. The Jaguars have won two games in a row over two teams with bad defenses. Seattle has a decent defense and Seneca Wallace is due for a win. Have to go with the Seattle Seahawks.

Houston Texans (2-2) at Arizona Cardinals (1-2)

The Houston Texans have displayed an explosive offense of late and the Arizona Cardinals have been pretty good when playing against teams that struggle on the defensive side of the ball (like the Texans). This game should a highly enjoyable shootout. In the end I have to believe that the bye week did the Cardinals good and they will win.

New England Patriots (3-1) at Denver Broncos (4-0)

After picking against the Denver Broncos all season long I have to say that I believe in them. This, of course, means I have to pick against them because once you start believing in a team that have to lose to test your confidence in them. The Patriots came off a big win against the Ravens and see this as another chance to show just how good they are.

Indianapolis Colts (4-0) at Tennessee Titans (0-4)

Colts win. They may not win big because these are divisional rivals, but they will win nonetheless.

New York Jets (3-1) at Miami Dolphins (1-3)

The New York Jets defense will stop the inventive play calling from the Dolphins sidelines and make this a poorly chosen Monday night game by the league. The Vegas line has this one close, but I simply cannot see a team without a big play quarterback beating a good defense, even if this might be a revenge game for Pennington.

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Five NFL Trends Sure to Fade

After three weeks of NFL football all the preconceptions from the 2008 season have been washed away and replaced by new beliefs. Some of these new revelations are not that ludicrous, for instance the Jets look like they will actually be a good team this season and may challenge the New England Patriots for AFC East supremacy. Most of these developments are just trends that will fade in the next couple of weeks though. Five of those most bizarre trends are listed below.

The Denver Broncos have the best defense in the NFL

The Denver Broncos defense currently allows the fewest yards per game at just 214.7. They give up just 136.3 yards per game through the air and 78.3 yards per game on the ground. They also allow an astonishingly stingy 5.3 points per game. The closest comparable scoring defense is the New York Jets which seems just as unbelievable with just 11 points per game allowed. The first realistic scoring defense on the list belongs to the Indianapolis Colts at 15 points allowed per game.

Why have the Broncos been so dominant? Why do I not believe that new coach Josh McDaniels will be able to keep up this incredible pace? Well, to begin with the Broncos allowed the third most points last season at 28 per game and the fourth most yards at 374.6 per game. The defensive roster has not changed drastically and Josh McDaniels was an offensive coordinator, not a defensive coordinator.

The only reason the Broncos have such impressive numbers is that they have played the Cincinnati Bengals, the Cleveland Browns, and the Oakland Raiders. The Browns are a game away from handing the reins of the offense over to receiver and special team specialist Josh Cribbs and the Raiders are sputtering with JaMarcus Russell and his NFL-worst 39.8 quarterback rating. This next stretch of games against the Dallas Cowboys, New England Patriots, and San Diego Chargers will return the Broncos to the bottom of the defensive standings where they belong.

Cedric Benson is third in the NFL in rushing yards

I am from Chicago, so I have a vivid memory of the 5-11, 225 pound bruiser trying to tap dance his way between the tackles. He is somehow averaging 4.4 yards per carry and has amassed 293 yards in 2009 as a Cincinnati Bengal. He is not in the class of Adrian Peterson and Chris Johnson, but he is leading the next group of running backs who are approaching 300 yards after three games.

Benson never established himself as the feature back with the Bears, but reached career highs in careers (214) and yards (747) in just 12 games with the Bengals in 2008. This season he has no competition from the running back depth chart and is the lone offensive bright spot for a team that suddenly has a problem at quarterback despite having Carson Palmer back healthy. Eventually teams are going to realize that they need to stop worrying about the Palmer-Ochocinco connection that has been broken since 2007. Then they will start bearing down on Benson and his numbers will suffer, knocking him out of the top ten rushing list.

Philip Rivers is averaging 330.3 yards per touchdown pass

The San Diego Chargers are a high octane offense that is averaging 26.7 points a game and 315 passing yards a game (out of 382 total yards per game). Despite those incredible numbers, Rivers only has three touchdown passes. To put this in perspective, the only team that averages more passing yards a game is the Indianapolis Colts and their quarterback (Peyton Manning) has seven touchdown passes.

Rivers is bound to account for more of the scoring very soon, especially with the continued decline of LT. The Chargers running game is pretty non-existent right now, which means that Rivers and his collection of targets are the only real thing moving the ball right. That means just because of the sheer number of yards and percentage of plays that are passing plays Rivers must accumulate more touchdown passes.

One of the underlying factors accounting for the lack of touchdowns for the team as a whole right now is that Rivers is only completing 58.8 percent of his throws. This means that the kicking game is picking up most of the points after a stuffed run or a couple of incompletions. Rivers is sure to bring that percentage closer to his career average, around 62.1 percent and then his touchdown throws will increase and propel him to the Pro Bowl once again.

The Dallas Cowboys receivers are averaging 20-plus yards a catch

There are two ways to look at the Cowboys passing game. One is to see those numbers per catch and be extremely impressed. The other is to then check how many receptions the two starting receivers have and wonder what Romo is doing. Patrick Crayton and Roy Williams each have just eight catches. Most of Tony Romo’s passes have been caught by Jason Witten. Witten, his favorite tight end, has caught 19 passes with a decent yards average per reception for a tight end at 9.5 YPC.

These receivers need to become a greater part of the offense for the Dallas Cowboys to remain in the hunt for a playoff spot in the NFC. They cannot just be big play guys that show up on Sportscenter highlights. This is the 21st century not the 1970s. The passing game is the key to most teams’ offenses. Crayton and Williams are sure to get the ball more often and see that yard per catch average plummet. If these numbers remain I expect two things. First, Dallas will finish last in the NFC East. Second, there will be another revolt in the locker room as Crayton and Williams complain they are seeing the ball just four or five times a game despite being starting receivers.

The Panthers have continued to stick with Jake Delhomme

The Carolina Panthers were 12-4 last season. This season they are 0-3 with little optimism to go around. The defense is terrible allowing 362 yards and 29 points a game. Last season the defense was much better and worked with the emphasis on running the ball. This season the defense cannot stop the run and needs quick scores to get back into the game before trying to slow it down. Delhomme is simply not getting the job done. He has seven picks in three games and just two touchdown passes. He is completing just 59.3 percent of his passes for a paltry 6.6 yards per attempt.

Delhomme is perhaps best suited to be a game manager, but this team needs a dynamic play maker to work with Steve Smith and make another receiver on the roster emerge as a threat. The incredible Smith is averaging a mere 12.7 yards per catch because Delhomme cannot give the defense a reason to cover another target on the field. I think that Delhomme has two more bad games before coach John Fox begrudgingly moves down the depth chart. It seems that by the end of the season A.J. Feeley will be the starting quarterback and the Panthers will join the hunt for a player that can succeed behind center in the new NFL.

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NFL Tickets and Predictions for Week 2

The first week of football is great for two reasons. The first is that you get to watch 10-plus hours of football. I know I woke up at 7:00 in the morning because I was so freaking giddy to sit on the couch for 10 hours. It somehow seems ridiculous that I could get so excited to play an invalid for the day. The second reason is that suddenly you have real stats to compare and make educated guesses and bets for Week 2. Below are my guesses, with scores compiled by some miraculous mental operation that takes into account stats, injuries, the latest Vegas lines, and useless emotional allegiances.

Carolina Panthers (0-1) at Atlanta Falcons (1-0)

The Panthers will lose this game. The Falcons simply have too many weapons. I do not care if the Panthers defense held the Eagles to 85 passing yards in Week 1, they allowed 185 yards in a laugher. Panthers quarterback will redeem himself by not throwing four picks, but Falcons have a young quarterback looking for his own redemption after missing deep plays last week. I look for Michael Turner to make fantasy owners happy and for Ryan to spread the ball over the field in a 30-20 Falcons victory.

Minnesota Vikings (1-0) at Detroit Lions (0-1)

The Vikings were able to defeat the Browns easily in Week 1 and will repeat with another easy win over the Detroit Lions. I would not be surprised if the Lions yards allow totals (358 through the air and 157 on the ground) were supplanted. This is a good day to own Adrian Peterson. Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford will be driven into the ground repeatedly, though running back Kevin Smith might have a decent game. I look for another laugher in a 35-10 Vikings win.

Cincinnati Bengals (0-1) at Green Bay Packers (1-0)

The Cincinnati Bengal must have killed several Albatrosses that were thrown off by global warming and got caught on the team’s charter flights this preseason. I do not know how else to explain the Week 1 loss. The Week 2 loss will be much easier to explain. The Green Bay Packers are simply a much better team. The Packers will stuff Cedric Benson, reminding him of his days as running back with the Bears and put plenty of pressure on Carson Palmer. The Pack will roll on all cylinders on offense. The Pack win 33-14.

Houston Texans (0-1) at Tennessee Titans (0-1)

The Tennessee Titans will bounce back from the overtime loss against the Steelers with a strong game against the Houston Texans. The Texans will put up a fight though. The very fact that this is an intra-division game will keep the score close. I like Matt Schaub to throw a touchdown and Steve Slaton to run one in, but the Titans ground game will dominate as the Titans win 24-17.

Oakland Raiders (0-1) at Kansas City Chiefs (0-1)

I would give the Kansas City Chiefs the win if Matt Cassel was playing, but it appears he is still a week away from making his debut for K.C. The Raiders played with a surprisingly effective defense on Monday night against the Chargers. I still do not believe that the Raiders will turn things around this season. I think this game will be as dreadful as the Bengals-Broncos debacle last week. Still, Oakland has a stable full of running backs and should win 17-14.

New England Patriots (1-0) at New York Jets (1-0)

The New England Patriots looked less than godly against the Bills on Monday night and the New York Jets looked like they just might be a factor in the AFC East after Mark Sanchez’ performance against the Texans. The problem calling this game is that the Patriots might use the lack of godliness and the subsequent doubts as motivation. The other issue is that the Patriots secondary is still something I question. They held the Bills to 186 yards in the air, but is that because of the secondary or the three rookie offensive linemen of the Bills. The Jets have a great line, so this is really the first honest look at the New England pass defense. I say the Patriots win, but not big. Patriots win 24-20.

New Orleans Saints (1-0) at Philadelphia Eagles (1-0)

The Eagles looked amazing until McNabb busted some ribs on a gutsy play. The Saints looked amazing, but they were playing the Detroit Lions. This game comes down to Donovan and it appears he is out and Kevin Kolb will play behind center. The Saints should win, but with a more reasonable score, 24-20.

St. Louis Rams (0-1) at Washington Redskins (0-1)

The Washington Redskins seemed to put up a fight in New York and the St. Louis Rams looked pitiful in Seattle. The vaunted Redskins defensive front four looked like anything but spectacular and Jason Campbell continued his journey to a career as a back up quarterback. Still, the Rams are just too terrible to win. The Redskins win 21-14.

Arizona Cardinals (0-1) at Jacksonville Jaguars (0-1)

The Arizona Cardinals looked like they have contracted the Super Bowl loser funk after last week’s 20-16 loss to San Francisco and the Jaguars looked like a passable NFL team in that 14-12 loss to the Colts. I have to believe that the Cardinals will bounce back with a big win (assuming Warner, Boldin, and Breaston all play) and that the Jaguars were benefiting from another slow Indianapolis start. The Cards should stuff the line to stop Maurice Jones-Drew and try and force game-manager David Garrard to win the game. Arizona wins 27-20.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-1) at Buffalo Bills (0-1)

The Buffalo Bills should have won Week 1, but a late game fumble on a kickoff return gave Tom Brady the chance to play savior again. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers watched in horror as Tony Romo put up career passing numbers in their backyard and they allowed over 100 yards rushing. The Cowboys are questionable to even make the playoffs. This game goes to the Bills. They win with a balanced attack and Terrell Owen’s first touchdown catch of the season. The Bills win 24-17.

Seattle Seahawks (1-0) at San Francisco 49ers (1-0)

Both of these teams won in Week 1, but the 49ers had to rely a little more on luck and a postseason curse to win their game. The Seahawks were amazing, but against the St. Louis Rams. I am little worried that Hasselbeck relied on tight end John Carlson so often when throwing the ball, but not nearly as concerned that 49ers quarterback Shawn Hill’s best option is Isaac Bruce. Also Frank Gore averaged just 1.4 yards a carry. I do not care how improved the San Francisco defense is, there is just too much in the Seahawks favor here. Seattle wins 24-17.

Pittsburgh Steelers (1-0) at Chicago Bears (0-1)

Jay Cutler needs to come back with a huge game to stop his number of detractors in Chicago from growing. This alone makes him dangerous to the Steelers, especially now that they are missing safety Troy Polamalu. The Bears are without injured Brian Urlacher for the rest of the season and must play a Steelers team that displayed an impressive passing game in their 13-10 win. I say that the Steelers try and return to the running game, testing the Bears front seven and being surprised when they realize the Bears can still stop the run. Cutler shows up, proves he is like a young Brett Favre and pulls out a victory. Bears win 24-20.

Baltimore Ravens (1-0) at San Diego Chargers (1-0)

LaDainian Tomlinson is out for the Chargers and San Diego barely beat the Raiders. The Ravens look good in Week 1. Despite giving up 24 points, they allowed just 188 total yards. True, they were playing the Chiefs, but this team looks like they could be something special with an actual offense to go with the defense. I think the Ravens will stop the run and bother Rivers as he tries to single-handedly lead the Chargers to victory. Flacco will show a little more accuracy and Ray Rice will have another great game. Ravens win 27-23

Cleveland Browns (0-1) at Denver Broncos (1-0)

This will be close; however, the game will either be a low-scoring suckfest or defense-free score-athon. Given that neither quarterback is particularly noted for having the arm and accuracy to throw back-to-back 40-yard strikes, I am inclined to believe that this game ends closer to zero. I think the Browns walk away with a 17-14 victory simply because Brady Quinn is a little more dynamic than Kyle Orton.

New York Giants (1-0) at Dallas Cowboys (1-0)

The Cowboys offense definitely has more potential to be explosive than the more tepid balance offense of the Giants. The difference in this game is the defense. By all accounts, when Byron Leftwich is able to throw for 276 yards and two running backs with 10 plus carries average more than 5 yards a carry against you have a problem. The Cowboys problem will be stopping the Giants from putting up even better numbers. I like the Giants to win this Cowboys home opener 24-20. The only reason the point margin is not larger is that this is a rivalry game at the Cowboys’ home.

Indianapolis Colts (1-0) at Miami Dolphins (0-1)

The Colts won quite unimpressively against Jacksonville. When Manning throws for more than 300 yards you should have more than 14 points. The Dolphins played a pretty impressive brand of run defense against the Falcons. The only problem is that the passing defense’s numbers are a mirage augmented by Ryan’s deep ball accuracy issues. I want to call for a Dolphins upset, but The Colts defense should be able to handle the wildcat and short field presented by Chad Pennington at quarterback. I also still believe Peyton Manning can make any receiver look good. The Vegas line has this at a mere 3 points in Indy’s favor. I expect this is because it is a Monday night game in Miami, but I feel like the Colts will put on an offensive show. Colts win big 35-10.

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Preseason NFL Tickets Trick or Treat

Is it too early to use Halloween sayings in September? Well, five pound bags of candy imaginable have been out on the shelves since August so I guess not, especially when that simple turn of phrase so perfectly embodies the NFL preseason. Should fans expect what transpires on the field in the four-game preseason to become any sort of a reality during the long 16-game regular season? Is this a trick or a treat? What are we supposed to expect from these preseason trends?

Trick or Treat: The NFL East

After three weeks of preseason games every team is 1-2. Has the division fallen from the mantle of excellence after just two seasons of being adored?

The answer is simple, of course not, this is a trick. The New York Giants still possess one of the most dangerous front four on the defensive side of the ball and two of the three dreaded running backs (Brandon Jacobs and Ahmed Bradshaw) from last season’s top-rated running game still reside in the backfield. Top rated running backs are hard to find, but quality backups are perhaps the easiest thing to stock up on for the offense.

The Philadelphia Eagles still have one of the most talented rosters in football. Adding Michael Vick may be a distraction at first, but this team has an unquestioned leader in Donovan McNabb on the field and in Andy Reid. Vick will only be a powerful weapon that will confound opposing defensive coordinators that have to come up with answers just incase Vick even approaches the sideline.

The Redskins are still a dangerous team with a dangerous defense. The naysayers will cry out to the heavens that defensive tackles do not travel well. That there have been few defensive tackles that have switched teams and kept up the level of production.

The Cowboys will still dangerous, even without Terrell Owens dropping every pass that does not end with him doing an end zone dance. Romo and the ‘Boys may disappoint in the end, but they will throw some punches early in the season and scare the two frontrunners.

Trick or Treat: The NFC North

After three weeks of preseason football two teams are 3-0 and two teams are 2-1. This is not a trick. This is going to be a treat of a division to watch. The Vikings are better off with Favre than Sage Rosenfels and Tavaris Jackson under center. The defense that was so disappointing last season should find that pass rush they thought they had last season with Jared Allen at the right defensive end and the Williams tackles (once they return from their four game suspension to begin the season).

The Packers had a young defense that was somehow inspired by the play of Brett Favre two years ago. Well, Favre should serve as motivation of a different kind as that defense finds its way again and the offense continues to play surprisingly well with Aaron Rodgers leading the way.

The Chicago Bears already look like they are much more dangerous on offense with just a few halves with Jay Cutler as their starting quarterback. They might even post NFL worthy passing numbers and be able to convert on third and long instead of relying on a running back screen to position the punter for the optimal kick this season. The defense should have enough talent and athleticism left for at least one more decent season (even without safety Mike Brown).

The Lions are a trick here. They will be the punching bag for the rest of the division, giving each team at least two wins in division play.

Trick or Treat: The New Orleans Saints

The New Orleans Saints have pummeled the preseason competition, going 3-0, scoring 100 points, and only giving up 28. This is a nasty trick on the people of New Orleans. The Saints fans cannot help but their hopes up after last year’s disappointing season (8-8, last in the division after being favored to win the NFC South).

The trick is that the Saints have beaten up on Pee Wee football competition, beating the Cincinnati Bengals 17-7, the Houston Texans 38-14, and the Oakland Raiders 45-7. Combined these teams are 3-6 and the only team experts think may do something is the Houston Texans, but they are being portrayed as a dark horse candidate. The Saints are a good team with a prolific offense, but the defense is not that good. They will be competitive, but the playoffs are far from a guarantee once they start playing the rest of the teams in their division.

Trick or Treat: The San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers finished the 2009 football season winning five of the last seven games and have won all three preseason games so far. The problem is that they beat the Denver Broncos and the Oakland Raiders by a mere one point each. These are not going to be good teams once the season begins.

Coach Mike Singletary may have done an incredible job last season, but the NFL is littered with stories of coaches who were unable to turn great records after being named coach halfway through the season into continued success. The offense is still looking like it is lacking a quarterback with Shaun Hill managing to out dual Alex Smith so far. Add an unsigned first round draft pick and things are not looking good. This is a trick, but I do not think it will surprise anyone.

Trick or Treat: The Miami Dolphins

The Dolphins are 3-0 and are averaging a mere 16 and change in the preseason. Still, this team is for real. They made the playoffs last season in a deep AFC East and ushered in the year of the Wildcat. While the Wildcat will likely not be nearly as effective as last season and with Chad Pennington still having a noodle arm with really one option (Ted Ginn, Jr.) to throw to, this team still has a punishing defense and an edict to prove that they have a right to compete in the East, Tom Brady or no Tom Brady.

Trick or Treat: The San Diego Chargers

The San Diego Chargers are 1-2 and trailing the Oakland Raiders in the preseason standings in the AFC West. This is all a trick though. The Chargers are going to win the division simply because the competition is about to lose their starting quarterback and go back to square one (Kansas City Chiefs), really just a parade of headcases in pads (Oakland Raiders), or alienated a franchise quarterback in preference of a system (Denver Broncos).

San Diego is still a threat in the playoffs because a) they might end up playing the Indianapolis Colts again (they have their number in the postseason) and b) they still have an amazing collection of stars. Phillip Rivers is still a superb quarterback, LaDainian Tomlinson is still an effective running back, Antonio Gates is still a mad scientist’s creation at tight end, and Shawn Merriman is still a beast at middle linebacker. The talent is all there and if the team remains healthy they should have an easy road to a first round bye.

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Deconstructing the National League- The Divisional and Wild Card Races

The National League, also known as Quadruple A baseball, looks like they will have few surprises as the final 50 or so games dwindle down in this awful August heat. Most of the divisions look pretty set no matter what the standings say about a team nipping at their heals. The only real question is who will win the Wild Card spot?

If you have doubts over my brazen predictions lets go through the three divisions first and clear the air.

National League East

The Philadelphia Phillies have the lead with the Florida Marlins just 3.5 games back and the Atlanta Braves 4.5 back. The Phillies pitching only ranks tenth best in the NL, but they just added Cliff Lee to the rotation, which suddenly looks playoff ready with Lee, J.A. Happ, Joe Blanton, and Cole Hamels picking up the rear. Pitching or not, this is a team that has still scored 63 runs more than their opponents. Also, this is the division title we are discussing hear, not the NL title.

The competition is the Marlins and the Braves. To begin with the Braves are stuck between rebuilding and contending mode. They also need to jump over two teams to win the division. That alone is a difficult task, but that task gets infinitely more difficult when you struggle so mightily to move the players from the bases to home plate. This is a team with the fifth best batting average and sixth best on base percentage in the NL that still somehow ranks just ninth in runs scored.

The other big reason the Braves are stuck in third place is the team in front of them, the Florida Marlins. The Marlins win World Series, not divisions. The two years the Marlins won the World Series (1997 and 2003) they went to the playoffs as a Wild Card team. They want this wild card (it also follows the every-six-year rule in Florida), so they will feel a little bit of competitive oomph if the Braves get any closer.

National League Central

The St. Louis Cardinals have just a three game lead over the Chicago Cubs. The other two contenders, the Milwaukee Brewers and Houston Astros, are beginning to fade away on their own.

The Cardinals are team with good pitching and an ok offense. That offense includes one Albert Pujols and newly acquired Matt Holiday. The offense should get better and the team should be able to hold off the Cubs.

The Chicago Cubs have a great pitching staff and an offense that remains confounding and dreadful. Lou Piniella has been ranting every couple of weeks, which is not a good sign. Also Aramis Ramirez, whose return from the DL July 6 was supposed to turn things around, is again fighting pain while trying to be the lone starter to maintain an average over .300.

Things just look bad for the fans as they should quickly move to elation in anticipation of the the first Cutler experiences before letting that dream wither and die as well.

National League West

This division is a week away from being called. The Los Angeles Dodgers hold a 6.5 game lead over the Colorado Rockies and a 7.5 game lead over the San Francisco Giants. They also have been able to weather the early season Manny Ramirez storm and have top-tier offenses and pitching staffs in the NL. The have outscored other team by 1.03 runs a game, which is like scoring 14 points more than an opponent in football.

The Rockies and the Giants should not be written off though, they are part of the race for the…

Wild Card

The Rockies are leading the wild card race with the Giants a game back, the Marlins two games back, and the Cubs and Braves three games back. The Rockies have a huge edge in terms of run differential, outscoring teams by 63 runs. The Rockies pitching is also shockingly not terrible. The team ERA is sixth in the league, while the offense has enjoyed the typical bump in the thin mountain air, scoring the third most runs in the NL.

Still, never count out the Marlins. They defy statistical analysis. This is a team that has scored as many runs as they have allowed and have still managed to post winning records at home and away.

The Giants are all hitting and no scoring. This team has the second best ERA and the third worst run total in the league. I’ve already gone over the Cubs and Braves deficiencies and still have no clue which team is going to win the right to play the Los Angeles Dodgers (or the Phillies if a team from the NL West wins). All I do know is that if the Marlins manage to win the Wild Card they will win the World Series because I have watched them do it twice before, defying every convention along the way.

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Deconstructing the American League

Baseball has passed the 100-game mark, the trade deadline has come and gone, and the All Star game has once again ended in the American League’s favor. Now its time to deconstruct the American League and decide which teams have a chance and which teams are destined to fall apart

American League East

The AL East has two familiar faces in the top two spots in the division, the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox, with the Tampa Bay Rays remaining on the fringe.

The Yankees seemed rather quiet as the trade deadline approached, simply adding utility players Jerry Hairston Jr. and Erik Hinske. While neither one of these guys is going to start, Hairston is an excellent defensive sub for just about any position and Hinske is the extra bat on the bench the team badly needed.

Some people, including this guy, have some doubts about the starting pitching. CC Sabathia has been less than stellar as the ace yet has remained a decent starter, A.J. Burnett has been good, and Joba Chamberlain has come into his own. However, Andy Pettitte is an old man at the age of 37. He may last until the end of the season, but I do not see him delivering many gems.

The Boston Red Sox were extremely active this season around the deadline. They added a few minor players, but the big additions were catcher Victor Martinez from the Indians and first baseman Casey Kotchman from the Braves. Martinez might not be much of a defensive presence behind the plate, but he is a valuable bat in the lineup and can be moved to first base or DH if they want Jason Varitek calling the game.

Kotchman was acquired for Adam LaRoche. Both are first baseman who bat from the left side of the plate, but LaRoche (who was traded for earlier in the season) did not adjust to American League pitching. Kotchman is expected to adjust and he needs to because Boston needs another bat for pitch hitting situations.

Like the Yankees, Boston’s pitching is a little worrisome. Josh Beckett, Jon Lester, and Tim Wakefield (when he returns) should make a solid starting three, but Brad Penny, John Smoltz, and Clay Buchholz all struggle on the mound. This has repercussions for the rest of the season and in the playoffs.

The Tampa Bay Rays are about to drop off the map, making this a two team race in the AL East. The Rays may have one of the most explosive and balanced offenses in the league and a pretty good pitching staff, but they seem to be losing ground to the Red Sox Nation and the Evil Empire. The culprit is the starting pitching. Jeff Niemann, Matt Garza, and James Shields are all fine, but David Price and Scott Kazmir have been awful. This team cannot afford to lose 2 out of every 5.

American League Central

The Detroit Tigers have been dangerously close to losing their hold on first place for a while, but they have been able to hold off all contenders so far. As of now, the Chicago White Sox and the Minnesota Twins are the two teams making a final push for the division lead.

The Tigers decided they could live with their hitting, but added Jarrod Washburn from the Seattle Mariners to make their starting five Justin Verlander, Edwin Jackson, Washburn, Rick Pocello, and Armando Galarraga with Jeremy Bonderman possibly stepping in to take over for the struggling Galarraga before season’s end. The addition of a healthy Bonderman will.

The Chicago White Sox are hoping that Jake Peavy gets back in time for a September push. In the mean time, the team must continue the good fight. Luckily the offense has been revving up for a while, with much thanks to center fielder Scott Podsednik and rookie Gordon Beckman. Add in the return of Carlos Quentin and suddenly this offense is downright dangerous.

The starting pitching needs Peavy as soon as possible. Mark Buerhle, John Danks, and Gavin Floyd are good starters. However, Jose Contreras is a problem though. Also a problem, there is no fifth starter to lessen the load after trading Clayton Richard. Fans have to seriously wonder if somebody like D.J. Carrasco can make the temporary jump from long relief to starter for a month’s worth of starts.

The Minnesota Twins needed to improve their pitching, which ranks 11th in the AL, to have a shot to catch the Tigers. This did not happen, so unless Joe Mauer reveals that he is also a Cy Young worthy pitcher in addition to one of the best hitters in the league, this team is done. I do not know if Buster Olney was right and the Twins found themselves hamstrung by finances, but they needed to do something to patch the giant holes in the starting rotation and now must sink on the arms of Francisco Liriano, Scott Baker, Nick Blackburn, Glen Perkins, and Kevin Slowery.

American League West

The Los Angeles Angels are the team most likely to break away from the rest of the division with a 4.5 game lead over the Texas Rangers. This is about the time the Rangers starts should implode as the humidity carries just about every routine fly over the outfield wall.

A closer look at the teams shows that the Angels are going to have a tough time winning the AL West for a third year in a row. The team plays Rangers seven times and has 10 games 13 games against contenders like the Yankees, Red Sox, Tigers, and White Sox. The team still has bullpen issues that they did not attend to before the trade deadline, which could come back to haunt them in key late innings.

The Texas Rangers pitching is surprisingly still going, despite the summer heat. The team also benefits a mere six games against true contenders like the Yankees and the Red Sox. Then they get to play the David role against the Angels in seven games. This could be a great story as the season comes down and there is actually a real race in the AL West.

MLB Tickets

Star Wars in Concert

“Star Wars” fans get ready for your very own concert! For the first time ever “Star Wars” is kicking off a world tour in October. George Lucas is planning to bring the franchise alive in a concert venue featuring a symphony orchestra playing music from all 6 movies. In addition to the music, Anthony Daniels, who plays C3PO, will narrate the production, along with clips that will be shown from all the movies on the largest mega screen ever to go on tour. There will also be an exhibit that includes props from all 6 movies as well, including costumes and some never before seen items. Tickets go on sale in August and will be a treat for young and old.

Another star is getting ready to launch her own jewelry line…who is it this time? Lilly Allen. The line will launch in September and Allen is very excited about it. She says,” I love jewelry, always have. I feel it completes on outfit.” Allen feels her designs are unique and her mantra is, “Wearing something out that you probably won’t see another person wear is a pull for me. All of the designs stem from anything whether it’s the surroundings of places I’ve been to around the world objects I’ve seen…anything. The list could go on forever.” Some of the designs you will find include animals, like pandas and flamingoes, as well as flowers, fruit and traffic signs. Everyday items turned into beautiful silver, gold or crystal pieces. Sounds nice. Good luck with your new endeavor. This is totally unrelated but has to do with Katy Perry and well you know the two just go together. Guess who was spotted at Katy Perry’s concert in New York tonight? Donald Trump and Melania, his wife. Hard to imagine The Donald at that concert. In other concert news Tim McGraw had yet another unruly fan evicted out of his concert, this time in California. Tim is quite the gentleman and he expects his fans to behave the same way. It is still unclear what upset the country star but he would not continue the show until the fan had been taken out of the venue by security. A similar situation happened just about a year ago when Tim had another unruly fan ejected from one of his concerts. He is a stand up guy, I love that! McGraw has a new album coming out October 20th; it will be his first album in over 2 years.

The DEA is all over Dr. Conrad Murray the physician that was with Michael Jackson at his house when he died. The DEA have searched his home as well as his office in Las Vegas. The DEA is looking for medical records of Michael Jacksons’ and it is said that he could have had as many as 19 aliases as a way for him to get drugs. The DEA has also confiscated the doctor’s cell phones and hard drive. Dr. Murray is currently under investigation for manslaughter. It is being said that he was the one that gave Michael Jackson the fatal dose of Propofol. This drug is a heavy duty drug that is administered through an IV and should only be used in hospitals under supervision. It is a sedative and it is said that Michael was desperately in search of the drug even though he knew the dangers. This is all still speculation and the autopsy report has not been completed yet. Also Dr. Murray has not been named a suspect and has been cooperating with law enforcement. We will just have to continue to wait and see.

I hate to be harsh…but have you seen K – Fed recently? He is hardly recognizable. He needs to take some pointers from his ex- wife Britney Spears and get his act together and get back in the game. Granted raising two young boys doesn’t leave a lot of time to focus on yourself but he has let himself go. He is still young and at one point quite a looker but now he looks like a middle aged old man. Take some of that $20,000 a month you are getting from Brit, hire a chef and personal trainer and take care of yourself.

The Bachelorette Gets Engaged

This has got to be the funnest couple ever…. Kevin and Jill Heinz had their entire wedding party literally dancing down the aisle to Chris Brown’s, “Forever”. It all started out as any other wedding and now the video that shows them dancing has been viewed by over 8 million people, and they only got married back in June. Out of nowhere the video has become this huge phenomenon when all the groom did was post the video online for their friends and family to see. Then the morning shows both “GMA” and “The Today Show” got involved and this beautiful event turned ugly. Originally the wedding couple was flown to New York and put up in a fancy hotel by ABC so that they could appear on “Good Morning America”. ABC was excited for the couple to appear on the show until they heard they had also agreed to do a pre-taped interview for the “Today Show”, that would have appeared before the live segment on “GMA”. Oh the “GMA” people were not happy when they found out. In addition to that they also found out the NBC was flying the entire weeding party out to recreate the whole dance as we. ABC had the couple’s hotel and flights cancelled and figured they would let NBC pay for them instead. The groom was shocked how ABC handled the situation. He said, “We’ve been kicked out of our room. New York is cut throat. That’s what we have learned. Regardless of all the drama, the video is hysterical, check it out here.

A big break up to share…Kim Kardashian and boy friend, Reggie Bush of the New Orleans Saints, have called it after more than 2 years. A source says the reason for the break up is “just a case of conflicting schedules and their lives going in different directions.” That’s too bad. Just this past December she made this statement when discussing marriage with US magazine. “We are totally happy, and we have a great relationship and it’s definitely where things are heading. But hopefully it will be a surprise!” We may have lost one Jonas Brother to married life but another one is back on the market, girls. Joe Jonas has broken up with his girlfriend, actress Camilla Belle. First Taylor Swift and now Camilla Belle, Joe has this to say in a song he sang in concert in Detroit this weekend…”Get a rep for breakin’ hearts, now I’m done with movie stars.” He changed the lines which had said “superstars.” Poor Joe, he needs an average Joe instead.

Kelly Clarkson is not happy about the release of her new single, “Already Gone” which she realizes sounds very similar to Beyonce’s song “Halo”. Kelly insisted that once she realized it she fought to keep the song from being released but unfortunately it was too late and the situation was out of her control. In a Canadian interview over the weekend, Kelly says, “I fought and fought to stop it but in the end, they’re releasing it without my consent.”

An honest to goodness proposal on the season finale of “The Bachelorette”. Jillian chose Ed Swiderski from Chicago. Hopefully it is true love and these two will actually make it to the altar. Ed originally left the show on week 5 after feeling stress and pressure from work but then returned because he couldn’t stop thinking about Jillian. In another twist, Reid came back, after beings sent home the previous week. He came back claiming his love for Jillian and even got down on bended knee to propose. Still Jillian sent him home and claims her heart belongs to Ed. In Ed’s proposal he told Jillian, “I want to be with you forever. I want to have a family with you. I want you to give me a hard time when we’re 80 years old. Jillian will you marry me?” Awwww…..and Jillian said , “Absolutely!” I love a happy ending!

The MLB Hall of Fame Weekend: Hank Aaron, a PED Asterisk, and Pete Rose

This weekend’s Hall of Fame induction ceremony, which honored former Boston Red Sox right fielder Jim Rice, former Oakland A’s and New York Yankees outfielder Rickey Henderson, and former Yankees and Cleveland Indians second baseman Joe Gordon, came and passed with some tears, some humor, and, of course, some controversy. While some may lament spoiling a moment that is meant to celebrate baseball with continued strife, perhaps it is best to discuss these larger issues when so many are listening. The two subjects that were discussed, or at least mentioned on ESPN and in newspapers across the country, were the Pete Rose and steroids.

It was announced that commissioner Bud Selig was considering reinstating Pete Rose, which would almost guarantee his induction into the Hall of Fame in the next few years. This is also hardly the first time reinstatement has been on the table for Rose (who has the most hits, the sixth most runs, and the second most doubles in Major League Baseball history). Rose has been campaigning for reinstatement for a while, but has often been his own worst enemy, notably marketing a book the last time Selig openly discussed reinstating him.

For those who do not remember, Rose was banned from being associated with the MLB (either as a manager, executive, or as a Hall of Famer) after being accused of gambling on games when he was playing and managing the Cincinnati Reds. Pete did not admit he gambled until 2004. The only bright spot is that there have never been any indications that he bet against his team.

Much respected ESPN baseball columnist Buster Olney followed up the story by writing a scathing blog calling Rose a lowlife and suggesting that if he is reinstated and if he is then accepted into the Hall of Fame that he simply sell the moment, tainting the honor.

This announcement and fallout is juxtaposed with Hank Aaron’s suggestion that rather than ban players who took PEDs from the Hall, they should be allowed with an asterisk. This comes as many baseball writers are begging the public to let go of their sense of indignation as MLB tries to get passed the steroid scandals.

I have read few responses to Aaron’s suggestion, but I imagine Selig and all those trying to reinstate some sort of confidence in the game and its purity are groaning.

They can do their best to tell the fans that almost every major era of baseball has had its flaws. The two most noted examples are before 1947 MLB players did not play with African-Americans and from 1962 to 1968 the mound was raised and the strike zone was expanded. There are many more for every era, even the supposed Golden Age of baseball from 1948 to 1962.

Aaron is one of the most respected players in the history of the game, so when Aaron speaks those components that would have us forget that baseball earned back its fans after the 1994 strike through seemingly rampant drug use cannot talk and rationalize around the statement. Furthermore, they all owe him. Aaron let the game have its big moment as he stood silent when Barry Bonds broke his career home run mark despite steroid allegations.

Perhaps the solution is to assign an asterisk for PED use. Yes, use that 2003 list of the guilty and any other tangible proof to condemn players like Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Barry Bonds, and Alex Rodriguez. But, also assign different demarcations to players of other eras, highlighting the deficiencies in their eras. That way the baseball players from every era are put on a level playing field.

Will this suggestion get the support Aaron received for his suggestion? Of course not. Asking players from the past to loosen their nostalgic grips over the way the game was played and the way life was decades ago is an impossible task.

It is, however, the fairest arrangement in my opinion. Each player’s numbers and accomplishments would be subject to scrutiny, as they should be, especially when they are being compared over different decades as the game of baseball has changed.

MLB Tickets

New Fragrance for Amy Winehouse??

A former “American Idol” contestant Alexis Cohen, known as the Glitter Girl, was killed in a hit and run accident on Saturday in New Jersey. She was just 25 years old. She auditioned for “American Idol” back in 2007 and tried again 2008. She did get an audition her first time but was completely turned away the second time. It is surprising she ever returned after the unkind words that Simon had to say of her performance. Not to mention the tirade she went on after she walked out of the audition. Let’s just say she was upset and didn’t have very nice things to say about Simon….there was even some cursing involved. On a much happier subject, Angie Everhart welcomed her first child, a boy, on July 24th. New baby is Kayden Bobby, and Angie plans to raise him alone. In fact she has not shared any details about who the father might be. Everhart is 39 and is best known for her swim suit appearances in Sports Illustrated and she has also hosted several reality TV shows. She has been in several films including “Another 9 ½ Weeks” and “Last Action Hero”.

Tomorrow night is the big “Bachelorette” finale on ABC…who will Jillian pick Ed or Kiptyn? As always ABC is egging us on with something. The most blank blank finale ever…yeah right. But you know I will be tuning in. Proposal…hmmm…I‘m not convinced, we will just have to see.

It is being reported that Amy Winehouse could earn $824,440 to launch a new perfume fragrance. That would be an interesting scent. When I think of her I pretty much think of cigarette smoke and B.O. – lovely scent that would make. The reports are saying that perhaps the company that wants her is trying to capture her 50’s style. Is that what that style is? The perfume business is big for the star, so why shouldn’t Amy Winehouse get in on the act too. Some of those famous people in the perfume biz include, Beyonce, Jenifer Lopez, P. Diddy, and Britney Spears to name just a few.

Katie Holmes helped the Thursday night ratings for the FOX hit dance show…”So You Think You Can Dance?” After a lot of speculation Katie joined the show for its 100th episode and did a pre - taped tribute to Judy Garland. The show had an increase in viewership of 17% which means that about 8.4 million people tuned in for the show, the highest ever. In addition to performing for the show she also took the money she earned and donated it to Dizzy Feet Foundation which awards dance scholarships to underprivileged children. Katie’s performance received mixed reviews. IT probably won’t help or hurt her career and overall it was good just nothing spectacular. She looked great through and it would have been nice if it were live and if hubby Tom Cruise had been cheering her on in the audience.

Nadya Suleman Finally Gets Her Reality Show

The Octomom, Nadya Suleman, finally has the reality show she has been hoping for. Filming will start September 1 and will most likely air first in the U.K and then here in the states. Eyeworks is the company producing the show and they have also produced, “The Biggest Loser” and “Breaking Bonaduce”. Suleman’s brood will make about $250,000 over 3 years and that roughly breaks down to about $250 a day per kid. Compared to other reality shows their taping schedule will be pretty light. For the first year they will only film for 36 days, the second year only 21 days and the third year only 14 days. Sounds pretty non evasive to me. That was Nadya’s plan all along; she just wants to film certain milestones in their lives. Oddly enough she is trying to stay away from the whole “Jon and Kate Plus 8” scenario. Hey, maybe she is smarter than we originally thought. Not to mention 15% of the children’s earnings will automatically go into a trust fund for each child that they cannot touch until they turn 18 as required by state law in California.

It’s official, in addition to Eddie Cibrian and his wife separating, so have LeAnn Rimes and her husband Dean Sheremet. It appears that they have been separated for awhile now but are still trying to work on their marriage. The couple got married when LeAnn was just 19 and have been married for 7 years. It is said that the two have been having problems for awhile and that Cibrian was not the cause of their breakup. Rimes and her husband have their $7.45 million home on the market in Nashville.

The super duo or Elton John and Billy Joel have had two cancel 2 concerts so far in the New York, due to illness on Billy Joel’s end. He has been suffering from flu like symptoms and the doctors have told him to rest up and not perform for the next 72 hours. Promoters for both cancelled shows are in the process of trying to reschedule. For the last two months the “Face 2 Face” tour has been the top grossing concert in the nation.

Now I get how rumors get started. Jennifer Lopez and Ryan Seacrest were spotted having dinner together in Los Angeles. Ryan made a comment to the paparazzi saying that, “Jennifer and Paula would be a hell of a combination on the show”. Then you get the whole story that Paula Abdul may not be returning to Idol and before you know it people think that was what Ryan and Jennifer’s’ dinner was about. Well, Jennifer Lopez is officially denying that she is seeking out Paula’s judging seat on “American Idol”. The fact is she loves the show, but that is it, she is just a fan. Jennifer just turned 40 and has been celebrating her birthday this weekend. She just finished a movie, “The Back – Up Plan” that will be out in January and she also has a new album coming out around that time as well. So much for that rumor!

Speaking of new albums coming out…Avril Lavigne is back and her new album will drop November 17th. Avril worked closed with her hubby, Deryck Whibley from Sum 41, and the album just kind of happened on its own. She worked from her home studio, had fun and the album just happened. She feels that there is a lot of emotion in this new and yet untitled album and is considering doing a theatre tour to promote the album in order to keep the intimacy and emotion she feels it deserves.

Actor Rupert Everett Gives Bizarre Interview

What is the obsession with Kendra Wilkinson from “The Girls Next Door”? She has been on 2 reality TV shows one she is currently starring in and now she has a memoir that is going to be published. I mean she is 24 years old, how much can she have to say? The book which is scheduled to be released next summer is said to talk about her childhood, as well as her time in the Playboy mansion and the time she spent with Hugh Hefner. She will talk about her new life with Hank Baskett and the impending birth of her new baby. She is definitely the “it girl” of the moment. She also made a statement the other day about how she is no longer going to be watching “Jon and Kate Plus 8” anymore. She liked it better in the old days when they were just a happy regular family and not all Hollywood and drama like now. She says, “I feel bad for the kids.” Ironically she says that “she would never allow her new baby to appear on her hit E! show ‘Kendra’. That will all be private.” Funny on that same day she signed on for another season of her show with 12 new episodes. We will see how long that sentiment lasts.

Ok and while I am on the whole “Jon and Kate Plus 8” story, I have to make mention of the latest news. Yesterday I shared with you that there seems to be a new woman in Jon’s life, a reporter from the Star Magazine. Well this morning she resigned from her position, stating a conflict of interest. Basically she went to do a story on him and ended up dating him instead. The story however is getting more twisted and convoluted each day. Now it seems that Jon has been telling friends that him and Kate Major are not dating or romantically involved. It is being reported that he even told a friend, “Oh my God, I can’t believe she did this to me. What do I do? She’s totally (bleeping) me over.” Hmmm…what the heck is going on here? Then there are others who were with them in the Hamptons saying they are “definitely dating”. Then there is girlfriend #1 Hailey Glassman, who told People Magazine, “That’s news to me”, when told about the news about Gosselin and Major. People magazine states that Hailey had known the two were in the Hamptons together but had no idea that the two had become romantically involved. Hailey says, “I still love Jon and Jon loves me.” Wow this stuff is a real life soap opera. I can’t wait to tune in tomorrow.

Good news and bad news for rapper Nas. Yesterday I shared with you the news of the birth of his new baby, with ex wife Kelis, which is the good news. The bad news is that he now has to pay $44,000 a month in child support. Wow, I know newborns are expensive but that seems a bit excessive. Can you even imagine that much money a month for child support? Amazing! On a sweeter note Taylor Swift sent her BFF Selena Gomez the biggest bouquet of flowers for her birthday you could ever imagine. It was so large that Swift called ahead to the Disney Channel to make sure it was ok to send it to the studio where Gomez was shooting her hit show, “The Wizards of Waverly Place”. Two men had to help Gomez get it into her car. Selena turned 17. In addition to the flowers Gomez received cards and gifts from her fans and she sent out a video message to thank all her fans.

This story is really quite bizarre and surprising. Actor Rupert Everett did an interview with “The Mirror” of the UK and had some disturbing things to say about Michael Jackson and the U.S. Here are a few of his statements. He says that “The King of Pop is probably better off dead. He was a freak. He looked like a character from Shrek. He was a black to white minstrel.” He says, “Jackson personified the pain and anxiety of a black man in a slave country. We all watched as he changed from black to white. He was living performance art. I think it was fortuitous that he died.” He then goes on to make some statements about Obama as well. He says, “We have Michael Jackson, a black man who has gone white, and we have President Barack Obama, who is a half- white man gone black. It’s absolutely fascinating to watch.” He was just way out there and awfully inappropriate if you ask me. I have always liked him as an actor but some of his statements really make me rethink that. Just odd things to say, don’t you think?

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Celebrates 25th Anniversary

Are you kidding me??? It seems that Jon Gosselin needed to get away again and this time he is doing it with another new woman. There is a new Kate in Jon’s life and the two have been in the Hamptons for 3 days together so far. Ironically this Kate is Kate Major, a tabloid reporter for the Star. She must be in heaven with all this good stuff to write about!! The story gets even better; the two are staying in Michael Lohan’s house (yes that is Lindsay Lohan’s dad). The two are said to both be friends with Michael and when they needed a place to stay he opened up his home to them. Hmmm….I wonder what the Hailey Glassman thinks about this arrangement and I don’t even want to know what his soon to be ex wife thinks about the whole thing. Glad he is having such a blast while his 8 kids are at home with mom.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is celebrating its 25th Anniversary! In honor of the celebration there will be two all star concerts held at Madison Square Garden on October 29 and 30. Everyone performing is already an inductee into the Hall of Fame. Some of the performers who will be there are U2, Bruce Springsteen, Eric Clapton, Metallica, Stevie Wonder and Aretha Franklin. Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel will both be there and will perform together and separately. In addition to the big concerts a 9 DVD set which will show highlights from all the induction ceremonies of the last 25 years as well as a book of profiles of all the inductees. Proceeds from the concerts will go to establish an “endowment for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation”.

A Baldwin files bankruptcy. Stephen Baldwin and his wife Kennya are in way over their heads and owe a lot of money to a lot of people, starting with the banks. They owe $1.2 million on their home, plus $70 thousand in credit card debt and over $1 million in taxes….gulp!! Their home was scheduled for auction today and is valued at $1.1 million and they bought it for $515,000 back in 1997. The actor most recently appeared on the controversial season of “I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here” and was also on “Celebrity Apprentice."

“Project Runway” is finally getting close to returning after a way too long hiatus. Good news though, the season 6 premiere is less than a month away. In addition to the premiere Lifetime is treating us to a two hour “Project Runway All Star Challenge” airing right before the premiere on August 20. They have just announced who will be competing for the $100,000 prize and it should be a great 2 hours. From season 2, Daniel Vosovic and Santino Rice, and from season 3, Uli Herzner, Mychael Knight,and Jeffrey Sebelia. From season 4 Chris March and Sweet P, and Korto Momolu from season 5. Joining them will be Tim Gunn, Heidi Klum, Michael Kors and Nina Garcia. I can’t wait!!!

Happy News for the “Millionaire Matchmaker”, Patti Stanger, she is engaged to her boyfriend Andy Friedman. The two met 5 1/2 years ago and were set up by a matchmaker. Singer, Kelis welcomed a baby boy on Tuesday named, Knight. Kelis will be raising the baby herself since her and the baby’s father, rapper Nas are no longer together. The couple filed for divorce when she was 7 months pregnant, “citing verbal abuse, and infidelity.” It is official; Eddie Cibrian’s wife has left him. She says that, “Eddie and Leann (Rimes) deserve each other.” That is just an ugly ugly situation. Eddie has two young children ages 6 and 2.

The MLB Trade Deadline: The American League Team Needs for Playoff Tickets

The All Star game has passed, the pennant race has officially begun, and the trade deadline (July 31) is fast approaching. Any team with a chance to win their division or compete for the wild card is looking for ways to improve their chances, while any team that is more than 10 games out is looking to deal the soon-to-be free agents for some young arms and position players with potential.

As of the MLB standings right now, five American League teams are facing double digit deficits in the standings and truly have no hope of qualifying for even a Little League regional final and one AL team has already called it quits despite being just 9.5 games back (the most exciting thing for Blue Jays fans the rest of the season will be waiting to see who they get for Roy Halladay). The rest of the teams have some chance for the division crown or a wild card spot. These teams could all use something to shore up their chances and what follows is a quick grocery list of wants and needs for those remaining nine American League teams.

American League East:

New York Yankees (1st, 56-37)

Needs: An extra starting pitcher

After looking at the stats for the team stats for the New York Yankees I thought the team was in desperate need of starting pitching. Then I remembered to apply the same consideration for run inflation one must apply to the Rockies and Rangers staffs. Sure Joba Chamberlain and Andy Pettitte struggle at the hitter friendly New Yankee Stadium, but so does every pitcher.

Luckily CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett can hold their own on the mound at home. All four starters are able to post an ERA under 4.00 on the road, so the staff is pretty solid. The front office might want to add another quality starter in case Pettitte starts pitching his age (37) though. The extra arm would be insurance, so I guess it is more of a want than a need.

Boston Red Sox (2nd, 55-38, 1 GB)

Needs: A fourth starter and an extra bat

The Boston Red Sox look like a complete team, but after Josh Beckett, Jon Lester, and Tim Wakefield (having Wakefield as a key starter should already be freaking Boston baseball fans out a little bit) the leading number four pitcher is Brad Penny. Sure Penny has nine quality starts, but he also has an ERA of 5.02 because he has had is share of bad games with early exits.

The biggest issue and perhaps the most difficult issue to accept is the problem with David Ortiz. He had a good June (.320 BA, 7 HR, 18 RBI, .409 OBP, .653 SLG), but he has not been able to hit above .230 the rest of the season. He is a beloved player, but he is also dragging the team down.

Tampa Bay Rays (3rd, 52-42, 4.5 GB)

Needs: An ace pitcher, utility player

Sure, the Rays have perhaps the most balanced offense in the American League, ranking in the top tier for getting on base (2nd), power (3rd), and running the bases (1st), and the pitching appears to be pretty good, but this team is far from complete. They lack the most difficult thing to find in baseball, an ace pitcher.

Starters James Shields, Jeff Niemann, and Matt Garza have done a very solid job, but none of them is an ace pitcher that is able to keep his ERA down, get a nice high strikeout ratio, and put together consistent quality starts. That is why the only way they are going to compete in the AL East is if they bring in Roy Halladay, the only clear ace pitcher available.

The team could also use a utility player since they have the starting second baseman listed as the immediate backup for third base and shortstop. This need could be filled by a minor league player once the rosters expand though.

American League Central:

Detroit Tigers (1st, 49-42)

Needs: A second baseman and right fielder

It is simply confounding that despite the massive payroll doled out to the position players (over $64 million) the Tigers struggle so much to score runs (10th in the AL). An upgrade at second base (to replace Placido Polanco) or in the outfield (to replace Clete Thomas who is an ineffectual band aid for a struggling Magglio Ordonez) should be at the top of the wish lists. Both players are in the decline of their careers and should be replaced in the long run anyway.

Chicago White Sox (2nd, 48-45, 2 GB)

Needs: A third/fourth starter and another outfielder

The White Sox position is a little fragile. They are in the middle of just about major statistical category for hitting and pitching. They are a team with a mix of youth and veterans clearly no their way out. General Manager Ken Williams is focused on pitching, which is probably the right move.

He already tried to trade for Jake Peavy, but Peavy negated the trade (ouch). The club needs a starter that could join Mark Buehrle, John Danks, and Gavin Floyd (who has been very good in the last two months). Jose Contreras is the best option right now which is not a good sign. You never want a Cuban pitcher who could be anywhere between the ages of 37 and 55 to be your fourth option.

The Sox could also use another outfielder to go along with Dewayne Wise and Brian Anderson (once they call him up again when the rosters are expanded). Neither is what I would call a solid option at the plate.

Minnesota Twins (3rd, 48-46, 2.5 GB)

Needs: A whole lot of starting pitching and a lefty in the bullpen

This team could be in real trouble very soon. Nick Blackburn is the only starting pitcher worth mentioning in the playoffs. The remaining four in the rotation- Glen Perkins, Kevin Slowery, Scott Baker, and Francisco Liriano – all have an ERA near or above 5.00. Obviously the Twins are not going to find three starters in two weeks, but they could add one or two and hope one of the motley crew they have turns things around in the second half.

The bullpen is about as deep as the starting rotation unfortunately. Jose Mijares is the only good southpaw available, so the team might want to try to get an extra lefty to ensure Mijares can last until the end of this disastrous division race.

American League West

Los Angeles Angels (1st, 54-38)

Needs: a third/fourth starting pitcher if not both, bullpen help, and a winter to reflect on the tragedy that has undoubtedly shaken the locker room

Last season the Angels could not hit. This season they can pitch. The Bizarro-Angels have scored the second most runs and have the fourth worst ERA in the AL. The team that once had enough arms for two rotations now has two solid guys in John Lackey and Joe Saunders. They have solved part of the problem with rookie Sean O’Sullivan, but they still need help.

The bullpen has a good closer in Brian Fuentes and a left-handed setup man in Darren Oliver. That is it. The next guy has an ERA of 4.10. This could be the biggest late season disaster since the NBC Meteor miniseries. The entire organization could also use some time away from the game to reflect on the tragic death of Nick Adenhart. His passing still must linger in the air in the locker room despite his short time on the team.

Texas Rangers (2nd, 51-41, 3 GB)

Needs: A fourth pitcher and a utility infielder

Take a moment and get to absorb this: the Rangers could use a starter. Actually, considering the effects of the Texas summer heat on routine fly balls, any ERA near 4.50 is not bad. The Rangers have three pretty good guys in the rotations that are able to meet that standard. Kevin Millwood has actually excelled at home while struggling on the road, Vicente Padilla has been great according to the road game test, and Scott Feldman has been pretty good at home and on away. The current fourth starter is a reliever filling in and who can handle pitching at the ballpark in Arlington. One more guy and this is not a bad rotation.

I am not going to mess with an offense based on home runs and stolen bases because it works in Texas. This club is turning things around with defense, though. Rick Sutcliffe just wrote an article for ESPN highlighting the Rangers D. Still, I feel like adding a utility player so Hank Blaylock never has to be an option at third base (he is somehow even worse than the already bad starting third baseman Michael Young). This could be solved with somebody from the minor leagues once the rosters are expanded or a minor trade.

Seattle Mariners (3rd, 49-44, 5.5 GB)

Needs: A few bats and every fielding position other than right field, center field, and first base

The Mariners pitching is the best in the league while the hitting is near the bottom in run production, on base percentage, and slugging percentage. Other than Ichiro Suzuki, Franklin Gutierrez, and Russell Branyan, the batting order is quite simply ineffectual. I am not saying replace Ken Griffey, Jr., he has earned the right to play out his days as a hindrance, but everyone, else has failed to earn a major league contract at the plate. I guess since time is short, the team could try and add just a power hitter to make the most out of the few times they get on base.

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