Lauth and McFarland's Fantasy Football Start or Sit of Week 4: Russell Wilson, Chris Johnson and Hakeem Nicks

The great (and probably drunk) Dan Lauth and I decided to choose three fantasy football players a week and offer our fantasy opinions on whether an owner should start or sit those players.

We chose three guys that we disagreed on and offered our insight as to why they should be started or sat.  If you are looking for a definitive 'yes' or 'no' you probably aren't going to find it here.  I guess you could just pick the argument you like the most and roll with that one.  Or you could ignore us completely and do whatever you want.  After all, who the hell knows what is actually going to happen anyway.  We are still trying to find the Grays Sports Almanac that Biff used in Back to the Future II.  But don't worry.  When we do find it, we won't tell you about it.

RUSSELL WILSON (QB1)

START (McFarland)

The Houston Texans’ defense is second against the pass and ninth against the run, yet they have given up an average of 27.3 points-per-game.  Through the first three weeks the Texans have played the Chargers, Titans and Ravens.  The latter two certainly aren’t the most prolific pass offenses to say the least.  However, Philip Rivers did throw for four touchdowns during the opening week of the season, so passing TDs can be had.  Add that to the fact that Marshawn Lynch is probably at the top of the Texans’ ‘people to stop’ list and Wilson should be chucking it around a bit this week.

If you are in an eight-team league then I could see sitting Wilson for a better matchup.  But if you are in a ten-team league or greater, you probably don’t have an option that is that much better than Wilson.  I would easily start Wilson over RG3 (@ Oak), Rivers (vs. Dallas), Dalton (@ Cleveland), and maybe even Vick (@ Denver) this week. That might be pushing it, but given Vick’s health and the Broncos’ great defensive play thus far, it might not be an entirely bad idea.  Still, I doubt most people have both of those QBs on the same team.

You knew Wilson wasn’t going to throw for 300 yards when you drafted him.  His 220 yards-per-game average is fine, especially if you are in a standard league.  Odds are you picked him in the middle rounds after you snatched up two good RBs and a stud WR.  So if he throws for two TDs this week, which I think he will, you are looking at an easy double-digit week to go along with your stars.  Plus, not many QBs give you the possibility of a rushing TD to boot.

SIT (Lauth)

This second-year QB has had a great start to his NFL career as one of the young, mobile QBs who can still sling it while in the pocket.  He has had a good three weeks to start this season, but I feel he will run into a defense that is looking for some revenge from last weekend's blowout loss to the Ravens.  The fact of the matter is that Wilson, even though he has been great, turns into an average QB when playing on the road.  Last year he had a TD/INT ratio of 17/2 at home, but on the road it became much more average at 9/8. Wilson's play on the road last year is what made this team the 5-seed and having to go on the road to Atlanta instead of a 3-seed and hosting a couple playoff games.

This year he started off on the road against a very good Carolina defense and needed a late fourth quarter TD to secure the win by the score of 12-7.  His other road start this year doesn't count as it was against the lowly Jaguars.  This week I see Houston having an advantage up front and in the secondary.  Seattle will be missing their stud LT in Russel Okung again and I think that Ed Reed getting healthy in the secondary will help the backend hold down the average to slighty above average WRs in Seattle.  To me, all of these factors will limit Wilson's effectiveness in this game and you should consider sitting Wilson for another QB.  Fact of the matter is, if you drafted smartly and Wilson is on your team then you should have a capable backup option, as Wilson was ranked as the 10th overall QB in most leagues, which equates to a borderline QB1 starter.  Sit Wilson and thank me when he has an underwhelming performance against a good Texans defense on the road.

CHRIS JOHNSON (RB2)

START (McFarland)

Dan will probably tell you how good the Jets’ rush defense is.  They seem to be, as they are sixth in rushing yards allowed (239) and third in yards-per-carry average (3.2).

I have had CJ2K in the past and am familiar with his boom-or-bust capability.  He has been getting the rock a ton so far this year (tied for second in carries at 69) and has a decent amount of yards to show for it (256 – tied for sixth).  Yes he hasn’t gotten into the endzone, but with Shonn Greene out and Jackie Battle a much inferior back, CJ2K would be my back of choice at the goalline.  He is going to score eventually.

Not many RBs today get 90 percent of the carries.  CJ2K does.  Add in the fact that he can take it to the house on any given play and you almost have to roll with him regardless.  It only takes one play for him to get you a possible nine-to-13 points.  Other than AP or Shady McCoy, you can’t say that about many other guys.  I see CJ2K only has two receptions as well.  I expect that to change this week.

The Jets offense isn’t a juggernaut, so I don’t expect the Titans to get behind and have to play catch-up.  I expect CJ2K to get 15-20 carries and about four catches.  Sure he could run for 30 yards, but he could also pop one or take a screen and reel off a 60-yard touchdown at a moment’s notice.

One site currently has Moreno, Richardson, Miller, Powell, Bradshaw, Sproles, Bernard and MJD all ranked ahead of Johnson.  If it were me, I would start him ahead of all eight of those guys based on workload and big-play ability alone.

SIT (Lauth)

Johnson has had three good but not great games so far this year against the Chargers, Texans and Steelers.  He has yet to reach the end zone in 2013 even though he has been getting 20-25 carries each game.  This week he goes up against the Jets whom everyone in the media loves to hate on and make fun of.  The fact of the matter is that their run defense is very good.  They held Doug Martin to 65 yards on 24 carries in week one, Steven Ridley to 40 on 16 carries and held the Buffalo Bills duo of RBs to 81 total yards, which included a 59 yard run on 17 carries.  The media can make jokes about this team, and most of them are justified, but their run defense has been great through three weeks this year.  This has always been a strength of Rex Ryan teams and this year is no different.  The defense does have its flaws in the secondary and with penalties, but I see them doing a great job at limiting CJ's effectiveness this week.  Bye weeks do start this week so you may have fewer options, but I would sit CJ in favor of someone else. Maybe even a player like Bilal Powell on the other side of the field.

HAKEEM NICKS (WR2)

START (McFarland)

Realize this right now.  Last week was a mirage.  Nicks will not catch zero balls again this year barring he doesn’t roll his ankle of the first play of the game.  Or Eli Manning goes 0-for-13 with 13 INTs – which I guess is possible.

Nicks had 15 total targets the first two weeks and ended up with 197 yards.  If he got one target and zero catches last week, the law of averages say he is bound to bounce back this week.  One has to figure the Giants are going to come out with the greatest sense of urgency.  Not to mention they haven’t been able to get the ground game going through three games, so I would start Nicks and Cruz with confidence because of those two hunches alone.

Kansas City has been sacking people at will so far.  To counter that, I expect the Giants to run a lot of quick-hitters this week.  The Cowboys’ defense was based on the same principles in week one and the Giants had Nicks run a lot of slants.  They are three-step drops for Eli so he can get the ball out quick, and Nicks is physically big enough to beat the corner and get to where he needs to be.

Tony Romo threw for 298 yards against the Chefs (no typo) in week two, so the yards are out there.  On top of that, the Giants’ D is giving up a league-worst 38 points-per-game.  I expect the G-Men to be playing from behind and will be in dire need to throw the ball.  And to not let their season be over after week four.

Nicks will catch at least six balls for 75 yards.

SIT (Lauth)

This year has been an absolute disaster start for the New York football Giants.  They are 0-3 and are coming off the most lopsided loss in the ten-year Tom Coughlin era, a 38-0 shellacking by the Carolina Panthers.  The fact of the matter is I wouldn't consider starting any Giants players this week, let alone Nicks as a WR2.  The Giants have had no running game this year and a horrible offensive line which has led to no time for Eli to find his WRs down the field and has led to many sacks and TO's.  The Giants have already committed 13 TO's this year and Eli has already been picked off eight times and sacked 11 times through three games.  The Giants have to travel to Kansas City this week to play a very good and underrated Chiefs defense.  They have two great defensive ends in Tamba Hali and Justin Houston and lead the NFL with 15 sacks.  They also have two great cover corners in Brandon Flowers and Sean Smith and a ball hawking safety in Eric Berry.  This is a team that just held down the vaunted Chip Kelly offense in Philly last Thursday night.  I don't recommend starting any Giants players until they can prove that they can consistently block some on the line and not turn the ball over numerous times.  Go in a different direction than Nicks this week.

Analyzing the Joe Namath Rehab Center Draft of 2013

The Joe Namath Rehab Center recently held its 8^th annual fantasy football draft in the Speasy last weekend.  For those who aren’t familiar with the Speasy, it is guarded by two cement African elephants named Dalton and Ryback, has its own *DING* bell, is home to 30 percent of the worlds mosquitoes, and has arguably the worst whiffleball backstop known to man.  Other than that it is the epitome of hospitality.  And while the house didn’t receive any new ‘décor alterations’ from Rich Garcia, he did find the time to break a small tree in half.  RICHIE ANGRY!

            The draft went fairly quick this year, as 11 of the league’s 12 participants were in attendance either physically or via super hi-tech video conference calls (aka FaceTime).  The fact that aged bourbon was not pounded by 70 percent of the room probably had something to do with the timely drafting as well.

            Me being the fantasy football guru that I am (two Joe Namath post-season wins in the last eight years to my credit), I figured I would critique and offer some insight on each of the 12 rosters.

            Kickers and defenses will not be judged in this piece due to their random and arbitrary values.  Last year the No. 1 kicker outscored the No. 12 kicker by a total of 32 points.  Divide that by 16 weeks and you have an average difference of two points per week – not enough to definitively say one kicker is or will be better than another.

Defenses are hard to predict as well.  The 49ers’ defense was ranked No. 1 by the majority of ‘experts’ heading into last year’s draft.  They went on to finish eighth in standard leagues (fifth in ours).  The other top defenses ranked by ESPN last year (and their finishing spot in standard leagues/our league): Texans (seventh/11^th), Bears (first/first), Ravens (15^th/15^th) and Eagles (29^th/30^th).  In other words, who the hell knows which D will be worth its selection.

The scoring in our league must be taken into account also.  We do not do standard scoring.  We do not believe a 60-yard run is equivalent to a touchdown.  Therefore we changed some things.  Touchdowns are still four (QB) and six (RB/WR/TE) points, however the yardage points are different.  QBs get one point for every 50 yards, while RBs, WRs and TE’s get one point for every 25 yards.  They also receive a half point for a reception.  This way we make touchdowns – the heart of football – the centerpieces of our league.  Our defensive scoring is quite different as well, but that won’t matter since I am ignoring them.  But they can win you a week if they go nuts.

As any true fantasy football player knows, it comes down to opportunities and injuries.  Will your players get the throws/carries/targets and will they stay on the field.  Obviously no one can predict the latter, thus you try to minimize the risks.

The teams are listed by draft order. 

HANGIN WIT MR COOPER (Louis Peon)

First-Round Pick: Adrian Peterson

Best Position Depth: Wide Receiver (Demaryius Thomas, Dwayne Bowe, Lance Moore, Chris Givens, Cordarrelle Patterson)

Worst Position Depth: Running Back (Peterson, Maurice Jones-Drew, Andre Brown, Mike Tolbert, Bernard Pierce, Isaiah Pead)

Biggest Question Mark: Bowe – can Alex Smith complete a pass farther than 15 yards down the field? Another 59-801-3 line from Bowe simply won’t due.

Team Name Grade: A – Lou took an all-black 90s sitcom and tied it into Riley Cooper’s recent racist remarks about *DING*. Oh, and the hanging part.

Thoughts: It is hard to believe that RB would be Lou’s weak spot given he got AP, but Jones-Drew is a risk after last season’s foot injury, Brown just fractured his leg and is out for at least a month, Jon Dwyer was waived, and Pierce and Pead are currently backups.  Lou has since dropped Dwyer for Lance Dunbar, Felix Jones, and now Mike Tolbert.  Tolbert can provide value while Jon Stewart is out because he is a TD threat, but he doesn’t offer much more.  Lou does have a bunch of talented WRs and has Rod Gronkowski waiting in the wings at TE.  Russell Wilson is his QB and will work out nicely if he can duplicate his 3,118-yard, 26-TD performance from last year.  Still, TDs are the key to our league and Lou has a bunch of proven scorers in Thomas, Peterson, Jones-Drew and Gronk.  If each of them score during the same week then Lou will almost assuredly be victorious.

PUSSYPOUNDINGPANDAS (Andrew Kolly)

First-Round Pick: Marshawn Lynch

Best Position Depth: Quarterback (Tom Brady, Josh Freeman)

Worst Position Depth: Wide Receiver (Brandon Marshall, Jordy Nelson, Wes Welker, Justin Blackmon)

Biggest Question Mark: Rashard Mendenhall – injury concerns made the Cardinals keep five RBs just in case.  Plus the Cards look to wing it around a lot.

Team Name Grade: D – this has been Kolly’s team name for a few years now and frankly I have no clue what it means.  I’m guessing he likes to have sex with panda bears?

Thoughts: Kolly got one of the top QBs fairly late in Brady (third-round) and has a stud RB in Lynch, but other than that he has quite a few question marks.  Marshall is being bothered by a nagging hip in which he had his third procedure on (although I still expect him to play and produce), Nelson is coming off of knee surgery, Welker in aging and is surrounded by two better WRs, and Blackmon is a Jaguar suspended for four games.  Will Mendenhall hold up as his RB2?  If not, BenJarvus Green-Ellis is his only other viable option and he is losing carries by the minute.  Will TE Antonio Gates lose another step and be able to deal with Philip Rivers complaining all year long?  I know I would have slapped him by now and been convicted of a hate crime.  Either way, Brady and Lynch may have to rack up 35 and 14 TDs respectively for Kolly to have a shot at the playoffs.  A healthy Marshall wouldn’t hurt either.

GOODNIGHT GARRETT (Rich Garcia)

First-Round Pick: Ray Rice

Best Position Depth: Running back (Rice, Stevan Ridley, Daryl Richardson, Danny Woodhead, Jon Franklin)

Worst Position Depth: Wide Receive (Hakeem Nicks, Mike Wallace, Sidney Rice, Andre Roberts, Darrius Heyward-Bey)

Biggest Question Mark: Michael Vick – health once again a concern.  There is usually no in between with Vick.  He is literally BOOM or bust.

Team Name Grade: C-plus – This name was extremely appropriate last year, but loses points for repeat use.  Plus the pot shouldn’t make fun of the kettle and its repeated drug use.

Thoughts: Rich has put together one of the better teams in the league with Rice, Ridley, and Jimmy Graham at TE.  Nicks and Wallace aren’t bad picks either, however Nicks has had injury issues the last few years and Wallace is predicted by many to decline dramatically this year.  His QB, Vick, will be the key.  His talents are unmatched and he still has a cannon for an arm, however staying on the field for 12-plus games has been his downfall.  If the three aforementioned names can stay healthy and only miss a max of two games, and Rice, Ridley and Graham do exactly what they are supposed to do, Rich could run away with the scoring title.  If Vick or Nicks go down, his chances are decreased with backups Joe Flacco and Rice/Roberts/Bey.  You can replace WRs.  You can’t replace QBs and RBs.  Rich has his backfield in pretty good shape.  He just has to hope his QB doesn’t end up on a stretcher – or in prision.

CATCHIN BIDS NOT TDS (Shawn McFarland)

First-Round Pick: Jamaal Charles

Best Position Depth: Wide Receiver (Roddy White, Eric Decker, James Jones, Miles Austin, Michael Floyd)

Worst Position Depth: Tight End (Brandon Myers)

Biggest Question Mark: Matthew Stafford – if Stafford goes down, Andy Dalton won’t cut it.  A trade for another QB would be the only viable option.

Team Name Grade: B – pronounced ‘cathin’ bids not tids’ after Aaron Hernandez.  A bid is also known as a prison sentence term.  Tids is a pun on TD.  I’m witty.

Thoughts:  For a (half)points-per-reception league, I love my RBs (Charles and Reggie Bush) and No. 1 WR (White).  I also like my RB depth to an extent with Montee Ball, Vick Ballard, Jacquizz Rodgers, Joique Bell and Christine Michael.  Ball should score TDs and Bell will be solid if Bush goes down.  My WRs are strong too.  My three possible problems: 1. Will my RBs score TDs?  Our scoring system is TD-heavy, but I am hoping the receptions will help negate any lack of paydirt.  2. My WR2s in Decker, Jones and Austin are basically the same guy: a WR who is surrounded by two or three other studs and can either catch two passes or two TDs on a given day.  3. Can Stafford bounce back?  The ludicrous stat that Detroit WRs were taken down inside the five-yard-line 23 times last year is staggering.  If they score on half of those trip-ups Stafford is at 31 TDs instead of 20.  If he can get back to anywhere near his 41 TDs from 2011 then I should be fine.

*DING* PLEASE (Josh Tannenbaum)

First-Round Pick: LeSean McCoy

Best Position Depth: Running back (McCoy, David Wilson, Shane Vereen, Daniel Thomas, Shonn Green)

Worst Position Depth: Tight End (Jermichael Finley)

Biggest Question Mark: Danny Amendola – With Larry Fitzgerald being Josh’s other WR, a good Amendola would give him a solid starting group.

Team Name Grade: B – although the name is a repeat, it has staying power.  It is an inside joke amongst the league, but one could probably figure it out given the context clues.

Thoughts: With the recent injury to Andre Brown, Josh may very well have fallen into the best RB tandem in the league with McCoy and Wilson.  If Wilson can carry the load then both RBs should crack the top-15, if not the top-10 by year’s end.  If Josh wants to make the playoffs, QB Cam Newton will have to run for seven-plus TDs while throwing for 20, Fitz will have to bounce back from his terrible 71-798-4 line from a year ago, and Finley will have to catch more than a measly two TDs.  Still, all three of those things are possible – and likely.  Should anything happen to Amendola, T.Y. Hilton is a nice back-up.  He figures to line up in the slot for the Colts and catch a ton of balls down the seam.  His seven TDs a year ago weren’t too shabby either.  In the end, Josh’s season will hinge on the staying power of Amendola and Wilson.

THE ROOKIE (Al Grenfeld)

First-Round Pick: Doug Martin

Best Position Depth: Running back (Martin, Chris Johnson, Darren Sproles, Ben Tate, Michael Bush)

Worst Position Depth: Tight End (Zach Sudfeld, Heath Miller)

Biggest Question Mark: Sudfeld – sure he is 6-7, 260, but who knows what he will do once Gronk gets back in a few weeks.  He may take Hernandez’s role or he may become just another one of the Pats’ young and inexperienced receivers.

Team Name Grade: F – it is Al’s first year in the league and I am guessing that is the reason for his name.  Unfortunately, first-timers are expected to ‘bring the wood’ when it comes to team names.  And by wood I mean the most horrific, ill-timed phrase he can think of.

Thoughts: Although Al is the rookie, his starting squad looks pretty darn good on paper.  He has the Tony Romo-Dez Bryant connection, one of the best fantasy backs in Martin, another steady guy in Marques Colton, and two possible big-play bangers in CJ2K and Sudfeld.  If Johnson goes buck like he did three years ago then Al could make a lot of noise.  If he has a year like the last two, the Al may find himself inserting Sproles into his lineup a lot.  But that isn’t much of a downgrade – if at all – in a PPR league.  Tate could be a decent play as well depending on what happens to Arian Foster health-wise.  However, if something were to happen to his starting WRs, DeSean Jackson, Kenbrell Thompkins, Rueben Randle and Ryan Broyles aren’t exactly the models of consistency.  Jackson is the only semi-proven one of the group and even he has a knack of disappearing for weeks at a time.

COOPER CLUX CLAN (Sam Hoffman via Louis Peon)

First-Round Pick: Arian Foster

Best Position Depth: Wide Receiver (A.J. Green, Vincent Jackson, Tavon Austin, Emmanuel Sanders, Denarius Moore, Kendall Wright)

Worst Position Depth: Tight End (Kyle Rudolph, Greg Olsen)

Biggest Question Mark: Foster – everyone and everything has been pointing to a fall-off-the-cliff type season for Foster.  His preseason injury problems haven’t helped.  It would be hard to win any league without your first-round pick performing to his normal level.  I don’t think he will fade into oblivion this year, but I wasn’t touching him in any draft.

Team Name Grade: B-plus – Hoff came up with this name despite Lou picking his team and having a similar name.  The alliteration works well and is appreciated.

Thoughts: Two years ago Hoff won the league with an auto-drafted team in a sense, so he will be attempting to make it two-out-of-three.  His running backs are TD hounds, but have some sort of injury questions.  By now everyone knows about Foster.  Gore has played 16 games each of the last two years after playing in just 11 in 2010 and has 16 rushing TDs in that time.  That number may decline with the arrival of Colin Kaepernick.  Fortunately for Hoff, Kaep is his QB.  Kaep could be a better version on Cam Newton in the end, but that is yet to be seen.  Green is an absolute stud while Jackson is somewhat hit-or-miss.  Still, he is a high-end WR2.  Tight end, much like everyone else who didn’t grab one of the top four, will be up in the air.  Rudolph’s whole value last year was based on his nine TDs and I’m not sure if he can do that again. 

$2.3BILLION=STILLSUX (Dan Lauth)

First-Round Pick: C.J. Spiller

Best Position Depth: Wide Receiver (Reggie Wayne, Randall Cobb, Cecil Shorts, Josh Gordon, Aaron Dobson)

Worst Position Depth: Quarterback (Andrew Luck, Sam Bradford)

Biggest Question Mark: Luck – despite having one of the best rookie seasons in history, Luck was just plus-five in the TD:INT department.  He isn’t a proven commodity yet, but can become one with his expected progression this year.

Team Name Grade: D – someone is mad their favorite team (Redskins) hasn’t won a playoff game since 2005.  While the Cowboys have just one playoff win (2009) in that span, the last time I checked five Super Bowls were greater than three.  Not to mention some people call Dan Snyder a ‘Jerry Jones Jr.’

Thoughts: Dan has PPR studs at both WR and TE with Wayne, Cobb and Jason Witten.  Spiller and Jackson should also catch a bunch of balls out of the backfield.  The key for Dan will be those RBs.  Will Spiller be everything he is expected to be this year and be able to carry the load with defenses focusing primarily on him?  Does Jackson still have gas in the tank (I believe he does) and can he score more TDs in his first year with Atlanta that he did in his last two with the Rams (nine)?  If they can and do, then Dan should be set for his first playoff appearance.  Also, if Luck increases his TD total by seven or so, while cutting back his INTs, he should be a top-ten lock.  If anything were to happen to Dan’s RBs though he may be SOL.  His top backup is Eddy Lacy.  Lacy is talented and has no threat for playing time, but he is still just a rookie in one of the most pass-happy offenses in NFL history.

EXECUTION STYLE (Pete Heim)

First-Round Pick: Calvin Johnson

Best Position Depth: Quarterback (Matt Ryan, Robert Griffin III, Jay Cutler)

Worst Position Depth: Running back (Ahmad Bradshaw, DeAngelo Williams, Mark Ingram, Pierre Thomas, LeGarrette Blount, Kenjon Barner)

Biggest Question Mark: Bradshaw – I don’t think anyone could have a more oft-banged-up No. 1 RB than Pete.  I expect the Colts to do a 65-35 split with Vick Ballard in order to try and keep him healthy.

Team Name Grade: C-plus – referring to the way Hernandez probably did Odin Lloyd.  It may also be the way Hernandez goes if he were to get the death penalty.  An eye for an eye, right? 

Thoughts: In a league that plays just one QB, in a year in which RBs are very thin, Pete decided to go WR-WR-QB-QB with his first four picks.  Interesting draft strategy I must say.  Calvin and Julio Jones are studs no doubt, but going WR back-to-back basically assured him of no solid RB what-so-ever.  Ryan may have been a little reach in the third round, however taking RG3 with his next pick was a definite head-scratcher and made almost everyone in the room chuckle.  Roughly 45 seconds after making the pick Pete put RG3 on the trading block.  I guess he either has a top-of-the-line backup plan, or very good trade bait.  Too bad QB is one of the deepest positions and barring an injury, Pete may not have many takers.  While Pete’s QB, WRs and TE (Tony Gonzalez) are solid-to-great, his RBs are borderline terrible.  Bradshaw and Williams were ranked 33^rd and 40^th amongst RBs in PPR leagues by ESPN.  If one does get hurt he will be left deciding between two Saints’ RBs.  Which one will score before the other on any given day will be a coin-flip.  He basically Heim-lowed himself.  Thankfully, no one in the league knows who he is and we thank him for his $50 donation.

DALESBASEMENTVACANCY (Ross Williams)

First-Round Pick: Alfred Morris

Best Position Depth: Quarterback (Aaron Rodgers, Eli Manning)

Worst Position Depth: Tight End (Owen Daniels, Coby Fleener)

Biggest Question Mark: Lamar Miller – coming off a rookie campaign in which he ran for 250 yards in 13 games, no one really knows what to expect from him.  Sure he is the projected starter, but when was the last time the Dolphins had a RB you could count on?  Ricky Williams?

Team Name Grade: A – making fun of yours-truly for finally moving out of my father’s basement and leaving behind my tarp walls.  Touché Rossaford.

Thoughts: Ross picked up one of the top-tier QBs in Rodgers and should be set at the position for the entire season.  Even if something were to happen to Rodgers he has a solid backup in Manning.  Victor Cruz and Morris are a solid WR1 and RB1, however Antonio Brown and Miller are big IFS.  How will Brown fare now that he is the No. 1 guy in Pittsburgh?  Will he be doubled a lot with only Emmanuel Sanders on the other side?  Miller’s questions have already been asked.  You simply don’t know what he is going to give you.  Ross’ starting TE isn’t great either.  Cruz and Miller MUST have even better years than they did last year if Ross wants to compete, although Rodgers could win him some games with his arm alone.  If not, Ross may have to wheel-and-deal a bigger name for two solid names in order to strengthen his starting lineup.

TODOS A BORDO (Pat Hennessy)

First-Round Pick: Trent Richardson

Best Position Depth: Wide Receiver (Andre Johnson, Torrey Smith, Stevie Johnson, Anquan Boldin, Malcom Floyd)

Worst Position Depth: Running back (Trent Richardson, Darren McFadden, Ronnie Hillman, Bryce Brown)

Biggest Question Mark: McFadden – 2010: 1,157 rush yards, 47 rec., 507 rec yards, 10 total TDs. 2011+2012: 1,321 rush yards, 61 rec., 412 rec yards, 8 total TDs.  Which will it be?

Team Name Grade: B – Spanish for ‘All Aboard.’  In relation to the train crash in Spain in early August in which 79 people died and 66 more were hospitalized.  Points for incorporating a tragedy.  Loses points because it is non-football related.

Thoughts: Other than having Peyton Manning at QB, Pat has a team full of ‘maybes.’  Maybe Andre Johnson will stay healthy and catch 90 balls and 10 TDs.  Maybe he won’t.  Maybe Smith will thrive in the No. 1 role and rack up 1,000 yards.  Maybe he doesn’t.  Maybe Richardson and McFadden will dodge the injury bug and combined for 18-plus TDs.  They probably won’t, but in some alternate universe I am sure they can.  Maybe TE Vernon Davis will become Kaepernick’s favorite target despite catching a total of 16 balls in the last eight weeks last year.  Will Stevie Johnson and Boldin do better than expected with QBs who may not be the best throwers or look to get the ball downfield?  Will Ronnie Hillman stop fumbling?  From the looks of his roster, Pat could go 9-4 or 4-9.  It all depends on which way the maybes turn out.  Luckily, in Pat’s world, he considers a ‘maybe’ a ‘yes.’  Or at least that’s what the strippers from Little Darlings told me.

BOLEY’S DAY CARE (Dennis Egan)

First-Round Pick: Drew Brees/Matt Forte

Best Position Depth: Running back (Forte, DeMarco Murray, Ryan Mathews, Fred Jackson, Knowshon Moreno)

Worst Position Depth: Tight End (Fred Davis, Martellus Bennett)

Biggest Question Mark: Steve Smith – other than his injury-plagued season in 2004 and his terrible season in 2010, Smith had arguably the worst season of his career with just 73 receptions and four TDs last year.  There is still no one on the other side of the field to help open things up.

Team Name Grade: B-plus – ex-New York Giant Michael Boley was ‘secretly’ arrested back in February on child abuse charges.  I don’t condone beating your kids – although I may change my mind in the future – but in this situation I do.

Thoughts: Brees and Forte were great picks at No. 12 and 13.  Dennis got the best QB and a premier PPR RB.  Forte may not score a lot of TDs, but if he is healthy he can easily put up 1,700 total yards and eight TDs.  Murray will have to stay on the field and hope Dallas commits to running the ball.  The Cowboys plan to, but whether they actually do is yet to be seen.  Regardless, Mathews is a decent backup plan, and Jackson and Moreno can provide some serious value if the guys ahead of them on the depth chart get hurt.  WRs will be the deciding factor for Dennis.  Pierre Garcon is RG3’s favorite target, but the Skins are a run-first team.  Plus Garcon has yet to top 950 yards and six TDs in his five-year career.  Smith is getting older and has caught more than seven TDs only twice in his career (2005 and 2006).  Mike Williams and Greg Jennings are wild cards as well.  Williams’ TDs have been sporadic and have gone from 11 to 3 to 9, and Jennings is on the downside of his career with a QB no where near as good as Aaron Rodgers.  If Forte and Murray don’t get into the endzone at a decent clip, Dennis may have a hard time finding points from someone other than Brees.

Ruben Amaro Makes Next ‘Dumbest-Move’ of 2013

            Leave it to the Philadelphia Phillies, a team that seemed to make all the right moves just a few years ago, to make the dumbest and most ill-timed decision of them all.

            On Friday, Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. – faking tears and all – acted as if this season wasn’t almost entirely his fault and fired manager Charlie Manuel with roughly a month-and-a-half left in the 2013 baseball campaign.

            I’m not 100 percent positive, but I don’t think Manuel was the front-office architect and put this atrocity together.  I doubt Charlie said, “You know, I am sick of all of these winning seasons.  I feel like losing one just to see how it feels.”

            I was able to sit in on a few post-game press conferences last year and got to see what Manuel was like in first-person.  He knew what he was doing.  He physically cared about the state of the team and his players.  Still, I had a feeling then, in the midst of what turned out to be an 81-81 season, that sooner-or-later people might start wondering if it was time to let him go.  But just from listening to him talk and react to some tough losses, and not forgetting all he had done during his time at Philly, I knew that if it did happen it would be a huge mistake.  He was the right man for this Phillies team and should be allowed to go on as long as he wanted.

            Current Red Sox Shane Victorino, who played with the Phils from 2005 to July of 2012, knew what kind of manager Manuel was. 

“He deserves a lot of credit for the player that I am,” said Victorino, who admitted that he nearly cried upon hearing the news.  “He helped me.  He gave me an opportunity.  He stuck with me. From that standpoint, it hurts to see his great run in Phillies history, his time in a Phillies uniform, come to an end.  It’s just sad.

“He was a player’s manager.  You hear that all the time.  But he knew how to bring the best out of us.  He knew when guys needed a day off.  He knew when guys needed a mental blow.  He knew his players.  People might think that he didn’t.  But he knew what he had in the room, what he needed to do to bring the best out of that room.  And he always made sure that his players got the credit, not him.”

            Before I get into what makes this decision so preposterous, let me remind you of what Manuel had done for the Phillies since taking over in 2005.

-          He is the winningest manager in franchise history with a 780-636 record.

-          He is one of only two NL managers in history to win five consecutive division titles (Bobby Cox, Atlanta).

-          In his eight full-seasons (05-12) as manager, the Phils had the NL’s best record at 727-569.

-          He set a franchise-record for most wins in a season in 2011 with 102.

-          He received Manager of the Year votes in every season from 2005 to 2011.

-          Other than this year and last year, the team never finished below second in the division.

-          Oh, and he won the franchise’s FIRST WORLD SERIES IN 28 YEARS IN 2008.  Not to mention going to another Fall Classic a year later.

However, Manuel must have forgotten the new rule for ball clubs that become relevant once again after being the laughing stock of baseball for ten years: IF YOU HAVE ONE LOSING SEASON IN YOUR NINE-YEAR TENURE YOU GET CANNED.  Maybe it was in fine print and he had forgotten his glasses that day.

Upon hearing the news, I had to go dictionary.com and make sure I had things straight.

Manager –noun

1.      a person who directs or managed an organization, industry, shop, etc.

2.      a person who controls business affairs of an actor, entertainer, etc.

3.      a person who controls the training of a sportsman or team.

4.      a person who has a talent for managing efficiently.

Coach –noun

1.      a person who trains an athlete or a team of athletes.

2.      a trainer or instructor.

3.      a tutor who prepares students/athletes for exams/games.

So the manager controls the business side of things and directs the organization, while the coach trains the players and prepares them for games.  Interesting.

I know the coach is the one who eventually takes the fall for things.  I could say that Manuel didn’t commit any errors in the field, give up any runs on the mound, or ground into ump-teen double plays this year.  I would be right, but in the end he is in charge of helping the players not do those things.  But what if the coach is set up for failure?  What if his players aren’t capable of not doing those things?

Maybe Amaro can refresh my memory.

Did Manuel decide against going after Justin Upton and instead sign 27-year-old grandpa-wannabe Delmon Young – who I might add is now released?  Did Manuel elect to give rapidly-aging and oft-injured first baseman Ryan Howard a five-year, $125M extension before last year?  (Note: Howard has played 151 total games since the start of 2012.)  Did he dish out $12M to a set-up man in Mike Adams?

Did he give utility man Laynce Nix $2.5M two years ago just so he can hit five homers and knock in 23 runs before being released?  Did he trade Hunter Pence for a major league outfielder (who is no longer on the team) and two minor leaguers who have yet to see the bigs?  Like the Phils couldn’t use a competent outfielder right now.  Did he release reliever Chad Durbin after posting ERAs of 4.39 and 3.80 only to bring him back a year later so he could record an ERA of nine?

The answer to all of those questions is no.

            It reminds me of what Karl Rentzheimer, my one-time Physical Education teacher and former Pleasant Valley baseball coach, used to say: “You can’t make chicken soup out of chicken (bleep).”  And that’s pretty much what Manuel was tasked with this year.

            Amaro was the one behind all of those moves and decisions.  Granted, I know he basically mortgaged the future for the present a few years ago in hopes of winning another World Series title.  I liked it.  Go for it while you can.  I would have him do it all over again in a second.  I could understand the pressure he must have felt following Ed Wade and World Series GM Pat Gillick.  The problem that I am having with this is now he is using Manuel as the scapegoat in order to save his own hide.

It has become obvious that as the players have become more of Amaro’s guys than Gillick’s, the team has declined.  Amaro had to have seen this coming.  He let the roster get too old and too rich for its own good.  Instead of trading declining players before they fall apart (i.e Roy Halladay, Howard) or giving incentive-laded deals, he just forked out the dough and thought everything was going to be okay.  Now that its not, he gets to keep his job by firing someone else.

            Most reports say Manuel was probably not coming back next year anyway, so the Phillies didn’t want him becoming a lame-duck coach.  My question is still why?  Why wasn’t he coming back next year?  One losing season in nine years has become the death sentence?  All I have to point to is the team’s 813-903 record in the 11 years before Manuel arrived.  Again, the Phils go from 100 games under .500 to 150 over .500 and Manuel loses his job after one sub-par, injury-laded season? 

            As a Cowboys fan, I have seen too much of this lately.  Jerry Jones wants to have his hands on everything and then wonder out loud why nothing is working out.  NEWS FLASH: It’s not always the coach’s fault.  You are the one who put the team together.  Look in the mirror.  Fire yourself.  Or at least go out with the coach together.

            Manuel must have felt a lot like Lou Brown from Major League did when Rachel Phelps bought the team.  Not that Amaro was literally trying to sabotage the club, but Manuel certainly wasn’t given much to work with.

Unfortunately for Charlie, it looks as if he will have it worse than Brown.  After all, there isn’t going to be a post-season trip for him in the end.  Thanks to Amaro, his movie has already ended.

Hrbek Leads Pleasant Valley Over Bangor

            Pleasant Valley’s Dan Hrbek may already have his college baseball career all lined up, but the senior wasn’t about to let his high school one come to an end on Monday.

            With Monday afternoon potentially being his last time in a Pleasant Valley uniform, Hrbek hurled six brilliant innings of one-hit ball and helped lead the Bears to a 5-1 victory over Bangor in the first round of the District 11 AAAA playoffs.  The win allows the locals to move on and play Mountain Valley Conference foe Pocono Mountain East in the quarterfinals on Wednesday.

            “Obviously this is a big win after coming off of two losses the last few weeks,” said Hrbek.  “You have to come out and play your hardest in districts.  I think the guys came out, put the ball in play, made the plays and did all the little things right today.

            “Knowing this could be my last game was a ton of motivation.  You never want to lose your last game at home, especially as a senior.  It was definitely motivation for me today.”

            The only hit Hrbek allowed came in the fourth in the form of a single to centerfield.  Other than that, he surrendered just three walks while punching out nine.  He helped out with the bat as well, as he finished the day 1-for-2 with two stolen bases and three runs scored.

            “He was tremendous,” said Pleasant Valley manager Charlie Inserra.  “He has been doing this for us on both sides of the ball all year.  When you are trying to get some good vibes going and are trying to get the ball rolling in your direction in the district tournament – to have a game like this is just huge.

            “We got a nice little lead early and put some pressure on (Bangor).  When your pitcher is throwing that well and you get an early lead, we know from experience that it can seem insurmountable even if it is only 2-0.  So he was huge for us and we really need it.”

            The hard-throwing right-hander pitched three perfect innings before running into trouble in the fourth.  Following a long inning in which the Bears scored two runs on four hits, Hrbek came out and allowed the first three Bangor batters to reach base via two walks and a single.

            Despite being caught between a rock and a hard place, the senior promptly worked his way out of the jam.  Hrbek got the next three batters to go down on strikes, with the last two swinging, to end the inning and strand all three runners.

            “After the long inning, to walk the leadoff batter is never a good thing,” Hrbek said.  “I got that in my head and I think it affected me, but to rally back with the bases loaded was big.  I knew I had to throw strikes and let the defense work.  Luckily we got out of it.”

            The Bears got their starter some early run support in the very first inning.  With Jordan Caffrey on first, Hrbek hit a grounder to second.  The ball slipped between the fielder’s legs and trickled into right field.  It was then that the right fielder tried to get Caffrey at third, but threw the ball out of play and allowed him to score.  James Shank hit a sacrifice fly to plate Hrbek one batter later.

            Caffrey (fielder’s choice) and Ariel Mejia (double) each knocked in runs in the fourth to increase the lead.  Hrbek scored the final run in the fifth when Bangor was forced to throw down to first following a swinging strike.  Hrbek took off on the throw and got in safely.

            Howie Stevens led Pleasant Valley with two hits.

            Pleasant Valley (14-7) will now play Pocono Mountain East for a fourth time this season.  The Bears won both regular-season meetings (7-6 and 12-8) before losing to the Cardinals (6-3) in the MVC semi-finals last week.

            “We are looking forward to it,” said Inserra.  “We have a lot of respect for them.  Our three games this year have been battles.  The first two were really tough.  We expect nothing else than just another dog fight.

            “It is kind of rare that you get the match-up of two MVC teams in the second round.  We are looking forward to it and I am sure they are too.  It should be a lot of fun with a familiar foe”

Bangor   000 000 1 – 1  2  2

Pleasant Vy.   202 101 x – 5  7  0

Gurinko and Nigito; Hrbek, Stevens (7) and Shank. W – Hrbek, L – Gurinko. HR: B – Hydock (7^th, none on).

Emmitt's Record To Stand The Test Of Time

There are a few major sports records that most people would classify as “unbreakable.”

​            A couple that come to mind include Cal Ripken Jr.’s consecutive games-played streak (2,632), Wayne Gretzky’s 215 points in a season, Pete Rose’s 4,256 all-time hits, Pistol Pete’s average of 44.2 points-per-game in a college career, Brett Favre’s consecutive games-played streak (297), and Cy Young’s 511 career wins.

​            All six of those records seem pretty ridiculous when you sit down and put them into perspective.  In Ripken and Favre’s case, those streaks are quite staggering when one considers that in this day and age it is common for baseball players to get a day of rest at least once every two weeks.  And for a quarterback to go 18-and-a-half seasons without missing a game – when about five guys are trying to take his head off on every play – is rather unfathomable.

​            As for the performance-based records, I’d bet Cy Young’s is the most untouchable.  I think it is pretty safe to say that no pitcher today will average more than 20 wins for 25 consecutive seasons.  Rose’s would probably be second considering he and Ty Cobb are the only two players in history with more than 3,800 hits.

​            Gretzky’s 215-point season in 1985-86 means he averaged over 2.5 points-per-game for the entire year.  Unfortunately, he takes some of the luster off of his own record due to the simple fact that he was just so damn good.  He is the only player to tally more than 200 points in a season (but did it four times) and has ten of the top-11 scoring seasons in NHL history.  Anything he can do, you can’t do better.

​            My affinity for Pistol Pete goes without saying if you read my previous piece on him.  If you haven’t, here you go.  I guess averaging 44.2 points-per-game could be possible today, but only if the player is a one-and-done guy and 'technically' averages it for his one-year career.  However, Maravich averaged 44.2 points for four years and did so without the three-point line.  Had the line existed it is estimated that he would have scored about 57-points-per-game.  Jesus Shuttlesworth couldn't even do that. 

​            But enough about those records and how mind-boggling they are.  I feel as if another performance-based record has joined the ranks as one of the “unbreakables.”

​            Due to a number of factors that I will detail, I believe that Emmitt Smith’s career rushing mark of 18,355 yards will stand the test of time and last long after I am gone.  That, or until football turns into Sarcastaball.

​            First of all, I’m not too naïve to realize that Barry Sanders would have probably held this record had he not abruptly retired after ten seasons and 15,269 yards.  He later admitted that the record wasn't that important to him and the multiple losing seasons had taken their toll on his psyche.  Kind of makes you respect the guy a little bit more, huh?  I don't know how many athletes today would cut short their own shot at immortality.

​            The number one aspect of the NFL that makes me believe that Smith’s record will last quite a while is that the league has become a ‘passing league.’  Whether it is due to the recent rule changes that took away hand-checking from defensive backs, or just the new offensive spread-it-out schemes that have become so prevalent, the NFL is pass-happy.

​            Before 2008, only one quarterback (Dan Marino in 1984) had ever passed for more than 5,000 yards in a season.  Since then it has been done five times (three times by Drew Brees).  In that same five-year window, quarterbacks have surpassed 4,500 yards 15 times.

​            Furthermore, 12 of the top-20 pass-attempt seasons have taken place in the last five years.  Fifteen of the top-20 passes-completed seasons too.

​            Now look at what that has done to the rushing totals.  Since 2008, only three times has a running back topped 1,700 yards.  Adrian Peterson did it twice while Chris Johnson did so once.  Both went over 2,000 yards, but each of those seasons seem to be the outliers of the past half-decade.

​            Perhaps even more startling are the rushing attempt numbers.  The most attempts any back has gotten in the last five years was Michael Turner.  His 376 carries in 2008 rank 20th all-time.  One would have to look all the way down to 55th to find someone who has had the most carries since 2010.  Arian Foster ran the ball 351 times that season.

​            The 19 guys ahead of Turner set their marks between 1981 and 2006, with only six of those totals taking place in the 2000s.  Oddly enough Smith’s highest total was 377 attempts - one more than Turner's high.  Still, as one can easily see, running backs aren’t getting the carries that they used to.  So how can they get the yards when they don't get the touches?

​            Coupled with all the passing, most teams have started using two running backs in the hopes of lessening the wear-and-tear on one guy.  How many teams legitimately use one back now-a-days?  Houston (Foster), Jacksonville (Maurice Jones-Drew), Minnesota (Peterson), Tennessee (Johnson) and San Francisco (Frank Gore) are the only ones that come to mind.  Everyone else either splits or runs on a 75-25 count.  That ratio may not seem like a lot, but that's 15 carries instead of 20.  The league average is around 3.5 yards-per-carry, so that's a potential loss of 18 yards a game and 280 yards a season. 

​            There is something else that has become a big problem in the NFL and may indirectly lead to less rushing attempts and yards.  That would be concussions and the new protocols to deal with them.

​            It has become widely evident – whether through player admissions, research, or the NFL’s own acknowledgment – that concussions weren’t closely watched as recent as five years ago.  It wasn’t until ex-players either started losing their memories or killing themselves that someone finally decided to take a look at what was going on.  Now, with all the lawsuits being brought against it, the NFL is taking concussions and their treatments very seriously.

​            I don’t know how many concussions Smith had in his career.  Smith only missed seven games in his 13 years with Dallas.  Two of them were because he was holding out in ’93 and another was because the Cowboys’ playoff spot was already locked in.  He went on to miss seven games with Arizona, but I can’t recall any of them being strictly because of a concussion.  Smith did say last year that he would lie about head injuries to stay in games.  How many times is anyone’s guess, but players surely won't be getting away with that anymore.

​            Today, if a player is suspected of having any type of head injury, they are immediately pulled from the game and given a series of tests.  If the trainers think there is even the slightest chance that the player has sustained some sort of injury then they are done for the day.  No more questions asked.  The player must then pass mental and physical tests throughout the upcoming week(s) in order to be allowed to play.  It could take one week.  It could take five.

​            I understand the NFL has had to alter its concussion protocols with all of the added attention.  The players have to be protected from themselves in a sense.  They have shown in the past that they won't take themselves out of harms way.  Add in that fact that a running back gets hit practically every time they touch the ball and their chances for injuries increase dramatically.  Missed games means no yards, and the players don’t get that time back.  As Charles Barkley likes to say, “Father Time is undefeated.”

​            Now for the numbers.  I feel as if what I am about to explain will put my argument over the top.

​            The Rams’ Steven Jackson has the most yards of any active player with 10,135 yards (27th all-time).  That puts him 8,220 yards behind Smith.  To put that in perspective, only 38 backs in 93 years have rushed for that many yards.  So to say Jackson can’t even see Smith with a telescope would be an understatement.

​            Peterson is second amongst active backs with 8,849 yards.  Gore is third at 8,839.  No other active back save Willis McGahee (8,097) has more than 7,400 yards.  Quick math tells you that each of these guys would have to more than double their current career outputs in order to reach Smith.  Sounds like a long shot, eh?  Well, there is more.

​            Gore turns 30 in May and has rushed for more than 1,214 yards just once in his career.  Combine that with the 49ers' new system with Colin Kaepernick and I think it is safe to say Gore is out of the picture.

​            Peterson will turn 28 in March.  Now before I get into Peterson’s dilemma, I’d like to bring up LaDainian Tomlinson.  At age 28, LT had 10,650 yards heading into 2008 and looked as if he had a realistic shot at topping Smith.  Four years later, after two seasons with San Diego and two with the New York Jets, he retired with 13,684 yards – roughly 5,000 yards shy of the record.  Talk about an abrupt decline in production.  That will make guys like Shaun Alexander, Edgerrin James and Fred Taylor feel better about themselves. 

​            Peterson, probably the most physically-suited back to break the record today, averages about 1,475 yards-per-season.  For arguments sake, let’s say he runs like that for the next two years and gets to 11,799 yards by the time he turns 30.

​            The number “30” is thought to be the death sentence for running backs.  Most experts say a back’s skills greatly diminish after they hit the big 3-0.  Whether that's the case or not, let’s look at those numbers.

​            The NFL record for most rushing yards after turning 30: Emmitt Smith with 5,789.  John Riggins is second with 5,683 while Walter Payton is third at 5,101.  With that in mind, one sees that Peterson would have to break the post-30 record by 767 yards in order to get to Smith.  He would have to rush for 6,556 yards after turning 30 on top of gaining nearly 3,000 yards over the next two seasons.  If I were a betting man, which I am, I would not take those odds.  And I’m not.

It seems as if running backs have everything going against them in today’s NFL.  They aren't just fighting the hands of time anymore.  They have to deal with pass-first offenses, stricter injury protocols and splitting carries with teammates.  Because of all of those things, I expect future running backs to be trying to 'Catch 22' for a long time to come. 

Walking into a Bear Trap

     The closest most people will come to seeing “The Bear Trap” in person is probably on their annual Tiger Woods video game.

     However, one Kunkletown native recently got the chance to walk on the PGA National greens and take in the sights of the Palm Beach Gardens course.
     Matt Pfancook, a 2001 Pleasant Valley graduate and ex-National Guard, currently attends the Keiser University College of Golf in Port St. Lucie, Florida and was given the opportunity to caddy the practice round of the Honda Classic two weeks ago. A bunch of students from the school, 65 in all, were able to volunteer their time and services in exchange for a chance to be amongst PGA professionals as well as see the famed Champion Course first-hand.
     Pfancook ‘teed off’ at the offer.
     “I jumped at the chance,” said Pfancook. “Four amateurs and their caddies were paired up with one pro. I got to caddy for Jim Odenbach, who is an operating golf partner of the PGA National. Robert Allenby was the pro in our group and he was a lot of fun.”
     Though Pfancook was manning the bag for an amateur in a fun practice-day event, he admitted he wasn’t asked for much advice.
     “(Odenbach) didn’t ask me,” joked Pfancook. “Our school actually warned us before we went. They said our motto was ‘Show up, shut up and walk.’”
    Allenby is a four-time winner on the PGA tour. Ironically, his last win came in September of 2001 when he won the Marconi Pennsylvania Classic in Farmington.

     Pfancook said the experience was unlike any other and that he took a lot away from the day.

     “It gave me a new perspective on everything,” said Pfancook. “You see these guys on television and they seem like they are larger than life. They are these big stars playing in front of everyone. But when you are out there walking with them you realize they are humans just like us.

     “It gave me a lot of inspiration. It made me feel like I can get that far someday.”

     Although Pfancook’s dream is to one day play on the tour, he admitted that his university has taught him a lot about the game of golf and what it takes to be one of the best in the world.

     “When I graduate, I would like to try to become a head pro somewhere,” Pfancook said. “Going to this school makes you realize how tough it is to actually make it on the tour. While I dream about playing golf at the highest level, I know it is probably very unlikely.

     “After I blew out my knee playing for the NEPA Miners a few years ago, I decided that I wanted to teach golf for a living. I want to teach kids, so that is what I am hoping to do.”

     Pfancook played golf at Pleasant Valley in 2000. After high school he considered himself a weekend golfer, however his talent was never in question. Since he began attending the Keiser University a year and a half ago he has dropped six strokes off his score and currently sits at a three handicap. Still, he was quick to admit that golf in Florida is a lot different than golf in Pennsylvania when one considers things such as air density and course design (more flat with more water).

     As for “The Bear Trap,” it is a stretch of three holes that Pfancook will never forget.

     “It was awesome,” Pfancook said. “There is a big bear statue right by the 15^th tee box and Allenby stuck a ball in its mouth. It was funny and we were all having a good time.

     “It was crazy to walk on the greens in the midst of the tour atmosphere. It is something that will stick with me for a long time.”

Some Questions To Ask

           Before we get going, I thought this would be a nice time for a little pop-quiz.  I know no body wants to read the sports section of a newspaper and have to take a quiz, but this one will be a little fun.  Well, at least it was fun for me to come up with the questions.  Plus it shouldn’t be too hard to figure out the correct answers.  The answers will be displayed at the bottom of the column.  Don’t cheat!

            1.      True or False: The defending Super Bowl champs are 13-0 in season-openers over the last 13 years.

2.      True of False: The Dallas Cowboys are 6-0 all-time in season openers versus the New York Giants.

3.      True or False: Roughly five minutes after the Giants lost to the Cowboys last week, Eddie Hedes started making excuses.

4.      If “Dallas Cowboys > New York Giants” is a true statement, and Dallas Cowboys = Shawn McFarland and NY Giants = Eddie Hedes, then what else must be true?

5.      The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Minnesota Viking and Arizona Cardinals all currently have more wins than the New York Giants.

6.      Despite their loss, the Giants still looked better than the Philadelphia Eagles.

            Now onto something that popped into my head the other night.  Thought I would share it with everyone…

            In this day in age when every athlete who accomplishes any sort of crazy  feat is eventually suspected of steroids, one person in particular has seemingly dodged the HGH bullet.  That person is Serena Williams.

            My suspicion arose the other night as I laid in bed and watched some highlights on ESPN.  As the replays went on, they showed Williams serve three aces in a row – all over 110 miles-per-hour – and fist pump afterward to the point where her bicep looked photo-shopped onto her arm.  If someone had digitally removed her body and left just her arm, and then asked me to guess who the arm belonged to, my first guess would have been Evander Holyfield followed by Deebo from the Friday movies.

            This is when someone from my generation says, “I’m not sayin,’ I’m just sayin.’”  I’m not sayin’ Serena Williams is definitely on steroids, I’m just sayin’ that if she would be the odds-on favorite to win an arm wrestling tournament at the Bedford Hills Correctional Facility for Women in New York – maybe she should at least be tested.

            The whole steroid debate doesn’t really have me going one way or another.  Baseball was loaded with users.  I get it.  Football probably is too although no one would ever admit it.  Honestly, if practically everyone was on it then I don’t see the big deal.  It was a somewhat level, albeit juiced, playing field.  It’s impossible to tell who is or isn’t juicing anymore, so I’m over it.

Most people use steroids or HGH more for quicker healing rather than a performance enhancer.  The only people I have ever had a problem with were Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa because they are only known for their power and wouldn’t have amounted to much without the homerun chase of 1998.  Thankfully they have seen been ostracized.  Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens were Hall of Fame quality before they allegedly started juicing so I don’t hate them as much as other people do.  All I know is that my all time hero, Ken Griffey Jr., never juiced.  That dude got hurt way too much to be on anything.

So, with Williams, I’m not saying she is taking steroids.  She has always been a muscular woman.  I probably wouldn’t care even if she was.  All I am saying is that I am surprised the idea has never brought up.  After everything with A-Rod, Rafael Palmeiro and Lance Armstrong, you never know what will come out five years down the road.

Quiz Answers: 1. False: The Giants’ loss was the first for a defending champ since 1999. 2. True. 3. False: It only took 30 seconds. 4. Shawn McFarland > Eddie Hedes. 5. True. 6. Very True.

            I’d just like to point out that I didn’t say one word when all you Giant fans were talking noise last week.  But if you are going to dish it out then you better be ready to take it.