I took a family day today and went to London, KY with my Wife, her brother, and my sister. We picked up my two younger cousins and proceeded to the World Chicken Festival which is held there annually. We arrived and began to browse the shops and we did find some interesting stuff. My wife did score a case for her cell phone and she has been trying to find some good ones for a while. We then went to the rides, where they had some good looking carnival rides and games. It was there that I encountered the rudest carnival game worker that I have ever encountered.
Usually I will throw away a couple of bucks on these games just for fun and this guy did happen to be working one of my specialty games (basketball). I looked as we passed the game the first time because, well frankly the games are rigged. Hate to spoil it for anyone but just in case you were living under a rock, yes carnival games are rigged, Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny aren't real, and your mom or dad really put that money under your pillow when you lost a tooth, but back to the story. The rim on the goal was obviously bent as has been the case with every game I have seen in quite some time. My strategy is to observe the person operating the game. If they can hit their shots you can usually mimic their shot to hit yours. I observed on and off for about 30 minutes while the girls were on the rides (no food yet equals no rides for Brandon). Anywho, the worker was unable to hit a shot in about 15 attempts leading me to believe that this was far to much trouble to attempt. The worker rudely yelled at my wife and sister while they were on their way to a ride and forced them to walk over to him only to have them say that they were not interested. This would not have been so bad, had they not said no to the man 3 times before finally telling him off. I then realized that he was doing this to everyone that walked past and then cursing about it under his breathe as he only had 1 or 2 takers while I was watching. He then solicited me to play the game while I was sitting on the bench about 40 or 50 feet away and I had to tell him no at least 3 times and I finally began to ignore him. I am still a little bothered by this as anyone who has ever dealt with people should understand that the more demanding you are, the less likely you are to have people cooperate. By itself this incident would not have thrown me off but another incident earlier in the day just added insult to injury so to speak.
I am by no means a small man. I'm about 6 feet tall and currently weigh in about 328 pounds. I understand that I am a rather large individual but when walking past a rather large man himself working at a dart toss game and I hear him yell "Hey Road Block, why don't you come win the lady a prize?" it tends to rub me the wrong way. I quietly ignored this statement as to not feed this man's ego and to avoid a trip to the Laurel County Detention Center, because if I had responded with a sarcastic response like my instincts told me to (such as "the only person I see that is large enough to block a road is you."), I surely would have escalated to the point that cops needed to be called. Fortunately, I have learned over the years that my temper doesn't do anything but get me in to trouble so I kept myself calm enough to simply come home and write this.
What is the purpose of this you might ask...well simply to speak my mind in regards to the blatant disrespect that I suffered from the employees of Casey's Rides (the carnival company contracted to run the games and rides portion of the event), and to encourage anyone that may read this to avoid this company like the plague, because I can assure you that if they are hired to work for your event that you will receive similar if not worse complaints than the one that I am writing about today.
Some might ask if I would return to the Festival next year, and my response is yes, but I will not be anywhere near the workers for the Rides or the Games unless another company is contracted to provide the service. I would like to thank you for reading through this, despite it's variance from my usual subject matter.
RANT OVER
Brandon
Sunday, September 26, 2010
NFL Week 3 Predictions
Tennessee Titans @ New York Giants
I look for Vince Young to get the message that he isn't a superstar, but should be carrying this team and he will play a good game against a sub-standard defense of the New York Giants. Look for a big game from Chris Johnson as well. Eli Manning is showing exactly why big brother really is better so far this season and I don't expect that to change against a good Titans team.
Titans 17 - Giants 14
Pittsburgh Steelers @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Steelers are now on their fourth quarterback (if you count Ben "I get away with whatever" Roethlisberger) and I don't know that they can get any rhythm on offense with that many changes. Josh Freeman has been playing lights out for the first few weeks. I look for what would have to be classified as an upset with a Tampa Bay win.
Buccaneers 35 - Steelers 21
Cincinnati Bengals @ Carolina Panthers
Cincy had a rough week last week but still came out with a win against the Ravens. Carolina is....well...Carolina. That's all that needs to be said about that. Look for Ochocinco and Owens to have a good game in a Bengals win.
Bengals 21 - Carolina 10
Cleveland Browns @ Baltimore Ravens
Cleveland is continuing a disappointing trend of playing horribly at the beginning of the season. Baltimore is playing pretty well on defense but their record doesn't reflect it. Flacco has played like a new quarterback early this season and I would expect more of the same against a pretty good Browns defense. Jake Delhomme definitely is not Jake from 3 years ago, he is playing more like Jake from 09 so I expect to see Seneca Wallace before this game is over.
Ravens 35 - Browns 17
Dallas Cowboys @ Houston Texans
The Cowboys are 0-2 and Houston is 2-0...by the way the Apocalypse is right after their Week 3 game so keep an eye out for Skeletal Horses. Look for big games from Tony Romo and Matt Schaub and their respective receiving corps.
Texans 35 - Cowboys 31
San Francisco 49ers @ Kansas City Chiefs
The 49ers played horribly against the Seahawks in Week 1 but almost came away with a win against the defending Super Bowl Champion Saints in Week 2 so I'm not sure exactly what to expect from them. The Chiefs are abysmal on Offense but their Defense and Special Teams will tend to keep them in the game. Expect this one to be close.
49ers 14 - Chiefs 10
Detroit Lions @ Minnesota Vikings
Shaun Hill played surprisingly well against the Eagles last week but I question whether they can keep it up or not. I do however look for this game to become a shootout between Jahvid Best and Adrian Peterson. I think that Best may be able to get the better of Peterson this week in the Upset.
Lions 17 - Vikings 7
Buffalo Bills @ New England Patriots
New England and Tom Brady have been playing extremely well for the most part. Buffalo is awful...That's really all for that statement. The young New England secondary is playing very well and Buffalo is starting Ryan Fitzpatrick for the first time this season so New England may very well set a league record for interceptions.
New England and it's not close at all. Hard to predict the number of times that they score against the Buffalo defense.
Atlanta Falcons @ New Orleans Saints
Atlanta is an average team at best and New Orleans is...well...New Orleans. Look for good games from Pierre Thomas and also Michael Turner. Expect nothing from Tony Gonzalez as he has only 7 targets and 4 catches for 54 yards.
Saints 31 - Falcons 21
Washington Redskins @ Saint Louis Rams
Washington is lights out with Donovan McNabb at quarterback and the Rams are just bad, but improving with Sam Bradford under Center. Don't look for the upset here but I do think it will be closer than most think it will be.
Redskins 21 - Rams 14
Philadelphia Eagles @ Jacksonville Jaguars
Vick is making his second start after an amazing performance in Week 2. Jacksonville is hurting at Quarterback and MJD is not really living up to expectations.
Phily 28 - Jaguars 7
Oakland Raiders @ Arizona Cardinals
With a Quarterback controversy in Oakland and Arizona still recovering from their own, don't expect a lot of offensive fireworks in this game. The runningbacks from this game should have a good game.
Raiders 24 - Cardinals 21
San Diego Chargers @ Seattle Seahawks
Phillip Rivers is a monster and Seattle is Hot or Cold on offense so don't count on anyone in particular. The Seattle player that I like most in this game is John Carlson.
Chargers 21 - Seahawks 17
Indianapolis Colts @ Denver Broncos
New York Jets @ Miami Dolphins
The Jets are a little hit and miss this year and Braylon Edwards had some off field issues this week and may detract from the practice and in game issue. The Dolphins secondary is definitely stepping their game up. I don't think it's going to happen but this could end up being an upset.
Jets 14 - Dolphins 10
Green Bay Packers @ Chicago Bears
Chicago looks like a completely different team this year. The Bears offense are leaps and bounds ahead of where they were last year at this time and Matt Forte has apparently remembered how to hold on to a football. The Packers are without a running game since Ryan Grant is out for the season and Brandon Jackson is not exactly the greatest runner, especially since he will be running into Urlacher all day. I don't really think that the Packers will be impacted that much though I don't think they have enough for the Bears this week.
Bears 24 - Packers 21
I look for Vince Young to get the message that he isn't a superstar, but should be carrying this team and he will play a good game against a sub-standard defense of the New York Giants. Look for a big game from Chris Johnson as well. Eli Manning is showing exactly why big brother really is better so far this season and I don't expect that to change against a good Titans team.
Titans 17 - Giants 14
Pittsburgh Steelers @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Steelers are now on their fourth quarterback (if you count Ben "I get away with whatever" Roethlisberger) and I don't know that they can get any rhythm on offense with that many changes. Josh Freeman has been playing lights out for the first few weeks. I look for what would have to be classified as an upset with a Tampa Bay win.
Buccaneers 35 - Steelers 21
Cincinnati Bengals @ Carolina Panthers
Cincy had a rough week last week but still came out with a win against the Ravens. Carolina is....well...Carolina. That's all that needs to be said about that. Look for Ochocinco and Owens to have a good game in a Bengals win.
Bengals 21 - Carolina 10
Cleveland Browns @ Baltimore Ravens
Cleveland is continuing a disappointing trend of playing horribly at the beginning of the season. Baltimore is playing pretty well on defense but their record doesn't reflect it. Flacco has played like a new quarterback early this season and I would expect more of the same against a pretty good Browns defense. Jake Delhomme definitely is not Jake from 3 years ago, he is playing more like Jake from 09 so I expect to see Seneca Wallace before this game is over.
Ravens 35 - Browns 17
Dallas Cowboys @ Houston Texans
The Cowboys are 0-2 and Houston is 2-0...by the way the Apocalypse is right after their Week 3 game so keep an eye out for Skeletal Horses. Look for big games from Tony Romo and Matt Schaub and their respective receiving corps.
Texans 35 - Cowboys 31
San Francisco 49ers @ Kansas City Chiefs
The 49ers played horribly against the Seahawks in Week 1 but almost came away with a win against the defending Super Bowl Champion Saints in Week 2 so I'm not sure exactly what to expect from them. The Chiefs are abysmal on Offense but their Defense and Special Teams will tend to keep them in the game. Expect this one to be close.
49ers 14 - Chiefs 10
Detroit Lions @ Minnesota Vikings
Shaun Hill played surprisingly well against the Eagles last week but I question whether they can keep it up or not. I do however look for this game to become a shootout between Jahvid Best and Adrian Peterson. I think that Best may be able to get the better of Peterson this week in the Upset.
Lions 17 - Vikings 7
Buffalo Bills @ New England Patriots
New England and Tom Brady have been playing extremely well for the most part. Buffalo is awful...That's really all for that statement. The young New England secondary is playing very well and Buffalo is starting Ryan Fitzpatrick for the first time this season so New England may very well set a league record for interceptions.
New England and it's not close at all. Hard to predict the number of times that they score against the Buffalo defense.
Atlanta Falcons @ New Orleans Saints
Atlanta is an average team at best and New Orleans is...well...New Orleans. Look for good games from Pierre Thomas and also Michael Turner. Expect nothing from Tony Gonzalez as he has only 7 targets and 4 catches for 54 yards.
Saints 31 - Falcons 21
Washington Redskins @ Saint Louis Rams
Washington is lights out with Donovan McNabb at quarterback and the Rams are just bad, but improving with Sam Bradford under Center. Don't look for the upset here but I do think it will be closer than most think it will be.
Redskins 21 - Rams 14
Philadelphia Eagles @ Jacksonville Jaguars
Vick is making his second start after an amazing performance in Week 2. Jacksonville is hurting at Quarterback and MJD is not really living up to expectations.
Phily 28 - Jaguars 7
Oakland Raiders @ Arizona Cardinals
With a Quarterback controversy in Oakland and Arizona still recovering from their own, don't expect a lot of offensive fireworks in this game. The runningbacks from this game should have a good game.
Raiders 24 - Cardinals 21
San Diego Chargers @ Seattle Seahawks
Phillip Rivers is a monster and Seattle is Hot or Cold on offense so don't count on anyone in particular. The Seattle player that I like most in this game is John Carlson.
Chargers 21 - Seahawks 17
Indianapolis Colts @ Denver Broncos
New York Jets @ Miami Dolphins
The Jets are a little hit and miss this year and Braylon Edwards had some off field issues this week and may detract from the practice and in game issue. The Dolphins secondary is definitely stepping their game up. I don't think it's going to happen but this could end up being an upset.
Jets 14 - Dolphins 10
Green Bay Packers @ Chicago Bears
Chicago looks like a completely different team this year. The Bears offense are leaps and bounds ahead of where they were last year at this time and Matt Forte has apparently remembered how to hold on to a football. The Packers are without a running game since Ryan Grant is out for the season and Brandon Jackson is not exactly the greatest runner, especially since he will be running into Urlacher all day. I don't really think that the Packers will be impacted that much though I don't think they have enough for the Bears this week.
Bears 24 - Packers 21
Saturday, September 18, 2010
NFL Week 2 Predictions
Here are my predictions for Week 2 of the NFL season.
Saint Louis Rams @ Oakland Raiders
The Raiders playing at home against a, let's just say not so good, Rams team should be a pretty good matchup for the Raiders. Jason Campbell should have no issue throw the ball to Heyward-Bey, Schillens, and Zach Miller, and I would expect a good game from Darren McFadden as the Rams defense just can't keep up with Oakland. I like Sam Bradford to throw for at least 200 yards and two touchdowns on a weak defense from the Raiders as well.
My prediction for the Game is that the Raiders will come out on top of a 28-21 victory.
Houston Texans @ Washington Redskins
The Redskins proved last week that they can keep high powered offenses (the Dallas Cowboys on paper) out of the endzone for the most part with a 13-7 win, but I don't think that they will be able to continue this trend against the all-around offense of the Houston Texans. Look for big games from Arian Foster, Matt Schaub and Andre' Johnson of the Texans
My Prediction for this game is a 31-17 victory for the Texans of the Redskins.
New England Patriots @ New York Jets
The Patriots have a overpowering offensive attack and a young but relatively impressive defense, and the Jets have a high powered running game and a overwhelming Defense, and this matchup should make for a game of the week candidate. Don't expect big numbers from Randy Moss this week as he has a one way ticket to Revis Island, but Wes Welker and Tom Brady should have pretty good games. I look for Shonn Greene to have issues running up the middle with Vince (Fork in the Road) Wilfork playing in the middle of the line and Sanchez is simply too inaccurate to trust throwing to all of the targets.
Game Prediction: 35-14 Patriots Win
Jacksonville Jaguars @ San Diego Chargers
San Diego had an off week last week against the Chiefs but I don't expect that to continue against the Jaguars. Phillip Rivers should be able to throw at will to Gates and Ryan Matthews should break 150 yards and should get at least 2 touchdowns.
Prediction: San Diego 28 - Jacksonville Jaguars 17
New York Giants @ Indianapolis Colts
Eli Manning vs Peyton Manning is a match for the ages. I think that Hakeem Nicks and Austin Collie have good games here and I think Ahmad Bradshaw should be able to run pretty well here. Otherwise I think that this is a pretty uninteresting Fantasy game.
Prediction: Manning Wins...Real Prediction: Colts by a touchdown
New Orleans Saints @ San Francisco 49ers
The Saints Offense is explosive at it's worst and should have no problem with the 49ers' defense that gave up 31 points to the lowly Seahawks. The Saints defense managed to pretty much limit Adrian Peterson in week 1 so I would imagine that the gameplan will be pretty similar to that for Frank Gore this week. If you are digging for a Niners player that may have a good game, look no farther the Vernon Davis as the only player against the Saints in week 1 to have a good game is Visanthe Shiancoe and Davis is a significantly better player.
Prediction: Saints by 14 points
Pittsburgh Steelers @ Tennessee Titans
Pittsburgh is still looking at Dennis Dixon as the starter this week which means that I find pretty much all of the receivers for the Steelers are benched in my book. Vince Young should have an OK game but I would think this is going to be a matter of Runners of which Mendenhall and Chris Johnson should have monster games.
Prediction: Chris Johnson and the Titans are too much for the Steelers - 21-7
Miami Dolphins @ Minnesota Vikings
I look for the Vikings to put one in the Win column this week against the Miami Dolphins. I would expect Peterson to have a good game but I don't think that one week is enough for Favre to get on track with his receivers after the poor performance last week. The Dolphins Brandon Marshall should be able to have a decent game but I don't expect Ronnie Brown or Ricky Williams to be able to accomplish much running against a good Vikings defense.
Prediction: Vikings 21 - Dolphins 13
Arizona Cardinals @ Atlanta Falcons
Matt Ryan and the Falcons put up a good show against the Steelers in Week 1 while the Cardinals barely pulled off a win against the Rams. Despite good numbers last week I don't think Derek Anderson can throw the ball in the Ocean from the edge of a Cruise Liner so I don't really like there odds here. Look for a better game from Tim Hightower and Beanie Wells if Wells is healthy enough to play. I would also think that Atlanta's Ryan, Roddy White, and Michael Turner will have great games and Tony Gonzalez should have at least an average game.
Prediction: Falcons 17 - Cardinals 10
Chicago Bears @ Dallas Cowboys
This matchup is as lopsided as it seems. Dallas should dominate this game in all aspects. You big play makers will be Romo and Austin. If you are looking for a Bears player, you might take a risk on the resurgent Matt Forte who went absolutely nuts on Detroit last week but don't count on that level this week but he should still have a good game.
Prediction: Cowboys 28 Bears 10
Philadelphia Eagles @ Detroit Lions
Mike Vick will make his first start on Sunday against the Detroit Lions. The Lions did manage to hold Matt Forte to only 50 yards rushing in Week 1 but I don't expect this to become a trend when the Eagles have Vick and an underrated LeSean McCoy that can run the ball and Vick did run for 103 yards against a very good Green Bay defense after Kolb went down with the injury. I would expect to see much of the same for Philly this week. Detroit's starter also went down with an injury in Week 1 leaving Shaun Hill to make his first start of the season for Detroit this week. Hill is an underwhelming quarterback at best and I don't really think that he has an opportunity to show otherwise this week.
Prediction: Eagles 24 - Lions 10
Buffalo Bills @ Green Bay Packers
Ryan Grant will miss the rest of the season with the ankle injury that he suffered in Week 1, but Brandon Jackson is still there to run the ball. Aaron Rodgers will probably be throwing more often but not much but I would look for a typical Green Bay performance in Week 2.
Prediction: In addition to Green Bay performing typically, you will also get a typical performance from Buffalo which will mean that this is a blowout Green Bay victory.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Carolina Panthers
Tampa Bay and Carolina...does anyone really care. Good performances from DeAngelo Williams and Cadillac Williams, that's really about it. Mike Williams from Tampa Bay may have a good game.
Prediction: Bucs 14 Panthers 7
Seattle Seahawks @ Denver Broncos
Matt Hasselbeck put up some ridiculous numbers on offense in their blowout of the 49ers last week. Now it is time to determine if it is a fluke or if they have revamped their offense for good. The Broncos had an unfortunate loss to the Jaguars in week one but Kyle Orton threw for almost 300 yards and the offense performed pretty well.
Prediction: Seahawks 34 - Broncos 31
Baltimore Ravens @ Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals played horrible in the first half only to turn it around in the second half against the Patriots. Baltimore got involved in a slugfest with the New York Jets on Monday Night Football in Week 1 and came away with a win. Look for the favorites to have good games this week in Flacco, Rice, Boldin, Mason, Palmer, Benson. I would look for Batman and Robin to have good games as well.
Prediction: Palmer throws for over 300 yards in a loss. Ravens 28 - Bengals 21
Kansas City Chiefs @ Cleveland Browns
The Chiefs defense looked pretty good against the Chargers on Monday night and the Browns looked pretty unimpressive against the Bucs, but I like the Chiefs and Browns Special team to be the difference makers.
Prediction: Browns 17 - Chiefs 16
Saint Louis Rams @ Oakland Raiders
The Raiders playing at home against a, let's just say not so good, Rams team should be a pretty good matchup for the Raiders. Jason Campbell should have no issue throw the ball to Heyward-Bey, Schillens, and Zach Miller, and I would expect a good game from Darren McFadden as the Rams defense just can't keep up with Oakland. I like Sam Bradford to throw for at least 200 yards and two touchdowns on a weak defense from the Raiders as well.
My prediction for the Game is that the Raiders will come out on top of a 28-21 victory.
Houston Texans @ Washington Redskins
The Redskins proved last week that they can keep high powered offenses (the Dallas Cowboys on paper) out of the endzone for the most part with a 13-7 win, but I don't think that they will be able to continue this trend against the all-around offense of the Houston Texans. Look for big games from Arian Foster, Matt Schaub and Andre' Johnson of the Texans
My Prediction for this game is a 31-17 victory for the Texans of the Redskins.
New England Patriots @ New York Jets
The Patriots have a overpowering offensive attack and a young but relatively impressive defense, and the Jets have a high powered running game and a overwhelming Defense, and this matchup should make for a game of the week candidate. Don't expect big numbers from Randy Moss this week as he has a one way ticket to Revis Island, but Wes Welker and Tom Brady should have pretty good games. I look for Shonn Greene to have issues running up the middle with Vince (Fork in the Road) Wilfork playing in the middle of the line and Sanchez is simply too inaccurate to trust throwing to all of the targets.
Game Prediction: 35-14 Patriots Win
Jacksonville Jaguars @ San Diego Chargers
San Diego had an off week last week against the Chiefs but I don't expect that to continue against the Jaguars. Phillip Rivers should be able to throw at will to Gates and Ryan Matthews should break 150 yards and should get at least 2 touchdowns.
Prediction: San Diego 28 - Jacksonville Jaguars 17
New York Giants @ Indianapolis Colts
Eli Manning vs Peyton Manning is a match for the ages. I think that Hakeem Nicks and Austin Collie have good games here and I think Ahmad Bradshaw should be able to run pretty well here. Otherwise I think that this is a pretty uninteresting Fantasy game.
Prediction: Manning Wins...Real Prediction: Colts by a touchdown
New Orleans Saints @ San Francisco 49ers
The Saints Offense is explosive at it's worst and should have no problem with the 49ers' defense that gave up 31 points to the lowly Seahawks. The Saints defense managed to pretty much limit Adrian Peterson in week 1 so I would imagine that the gameplan will be pretty similar to that for Frank Gore this week. If you are digging for a Niners player that may have a good game, look no farther the Vernon Davis as the only player against the Saints in week 1 to have a good game is Visanthe Shiancoe and Davis is a significantly better player.
Prediction: Saints by 14 points
Pittsburgh Steelers @ Tennessee Titans
Pittsburgh is still looking at Dennis Dixon as the starter this week which means that I find pretty much all of the receivers for the Steelers are benched in my book. Vince Young should have an OK game but I would think this is going to be a matter of Runners of which Mendenhall and Chris Johnson should have monster games.
Prediction: Chris Johnson and the Titans are too much for the Steelers - 21-7
Miami Dolphins @ Minnesota Vikings
I look for the Vikings to put one in the Win column this week against the Miami Dolphins. I would expect Peterson to have a good game but I don't think that one week is enough for Favre to get on track with his receivers after the poor performance last week. The Dolphins Brandon Marshall should be able to have a decent game but I don't expect Ronnie Brown or Ricky Williams to be able to accomplish much running against a good Vikings defense.
Prediction: Vikings 21 - Dolphins 13
Arizona Cardinals @ Atlanta Falcons
Matt Ryan and the Falcons put up a good show against the Steelers in Week 1 while the Cardinals barely pulled off a win against the Rams. Despite good numbers last week I don't think Derek Anderson can throw the ball in the Ocean from the edge of a Cruise Liner so I don't really like there odds here. Look for a better game from Tim Hightower and Beanie Wells if Wells is healthy enough to play. I would also think that Atlanta's Ryan, Roddy White, and Michael Turner will have great games and Tony Gonzalez should have at least an average game.
Prediction: Falcons 17 - Cardinals 10
Chicago Bears @ Dallas Cowboys
This matchup is as lopsided as it seems. Dallas should dominate this game in all aspects. You big play makers will be Romo and Austin. If you are looking for a Bears player, you might take a risk on the resurgent Matt Forte who went absolutely nuts on Detroit last week but don't count on that level this week but he should still have a good game.
Prediction: Cowboys 28 Bears 10
Philadelphia Eagles @ Detroit Lions
Mike Vick will make his first start on Sunday against the Detroit Lions. The Lions did manage to hold Matt Forte to only 50 yards rushing in Week 1 but I don't expect this to become a trend when the Eagles have Vick and an underrated LeSean McCoy that can run the ball and Vick did run for 103 yards against a very good Green Bay defense after Kolb went down with the injury. I would expect to see much of the same for Philly this week. Detroit's starter also went down with an injury in Week 1 leaving Shaun Hill to make his first start of the season for Detroit this week. Hill is an underwhelming quarterback at best and I don't really think that he has an opportunity to show otherwise this week.
Prediction: Eagles 24 - Lions 10
Buffalo Bills @ Green Bay Packers
Ryan Grant will miss the rest of the season with the ankle injury that he suffered in Week 1, but Brandon Jackson is still there to run the ball. Aaron Rodgers will probably be throwing more often but not much but I would look for a typical Green Bay performance in Week 2.
Prediction: In addition to Green Bay performing typically, you will also get a typical performance from Buffalo which will mean that this is a blowout Green Bay victory.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Carolina Panthers
Tampa Bay and Carolina...does anyone really care. Good performances from DeAngelo Williams and Cadillac Williams, that's really about it. Mike Williams from Tampa Bay may have a good game.
Prediction: Bucs 14 Panthers 7
Seattle Seahawks @ Denver Broncos
Matt Hasselbeck put up some ridiculous numbers on offense in their blowout of the 49ers last week. Now it is time to determine if it is a fluke or if they have revamped their offense for good. The Broncos had an unfortunate loss to the Jaguars in week one but Kyle Orton threw for almost 300 yards and the offense performed pretty well.
Prediction: Seahawks 34 - Broncos 31
Baltimore Ravens @ Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals played horrible in the first half only to turn it around in the second half against the Patriots. Baltimore got involved in a slugfest with the New York Jets on Monday Night Football in Week 1 and came away with a win. Look for the favorites to have good games this week in Flacco, Rice, Boldin, Mason, Palmer, Benson. I would look for Batman and Robin to have good games as well.
Prediction: Palmer throws for over 300 yards in a loss. Ravens 28 - Bengals 21
Kansas City Chiefs @ Cleveland Browns
The Chiefs defense looked pretty good against the Chargers on Monday night and the Browns looked pretty unimpressive against the Bucs, but I like the Chiefs and Browns Special team to be the difference makers.
Prediction: Browns 17 - Chiefs 16
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Ryan Grant out for the Season
Ryan Grant of the Green Bay Packers went down in Week 1 of the Regular Season with a torn ankle ligament and ESPN is reporting that he has been placed on IR officially ending the dominant Runningback's season. Hope is not lost for the Packers yet as up and coming 4th year Runningback Brandon Jackson stepped up big with 63 yards on 18 rush attempts against a pretty good Eagles defense.
Now I wouldn't get my hopes real high on Jackson right now because frankly they don't exactly have favorable match ups for the next stretch and we did just finish Week 1 so it is hard to get a handle on it, but I don't see what I would consider to be a favorable match up for Jackson until Week 4 against the Lions and again in Week 6 against the Dolphins. In those two games I would project Jackson around 100-125 yards and maybe a TD but in the remaining games I would project somewhere around or below the total that you saw in Week 1. So if you want to play against the odds, pick him up because if I'm wrong it could be that move that people look back on when they walk away from a Fantasy League with the money and say, that move won me the championship, but don't count on it.
As far as the Packers as a team are concerned, I think that Rodgers, Driver, Jennings, and Finley are all fine and will remain steady in the projections. I also don't think that this loss impacts my season prediction for the team which has the Packers at least making a deep run into the playoffs and personally I have them winning the Super Bowl.
So Let's say you owned Ryan Grant in a Fantasy League and now have the option to pick up Brandon Jackson or someone else. I would like to give you some names that I would personally pick up above Jackson if they are available looking over the course of the season. For the rest of the Season if you are looking at overall points I would rather have Peyton Hillis of the Cleveland Browns, Fred Taylor of the New England Patriots, and though they may not be available I would easily start Thomas or Felix Jones, of the Chiefs and Cowboys respectively, over Jackson.
Check back for more news
Now I wouldn't get my hopes real high on Jackson right now because frankly they don't exactly have favorable match ups for the next stretch and we did just finish Week 1 so it is hard to get a handle on it, but I don't see what I would consider to be a favorable match up for Jackson until Week 4 against the Lions and again in Week 6 against the Dolphins. In those two games I would project Jackson around 100-125 yards and maybe a TD but in the remaining games I would project somewhere around or below the total that you saw in Week 1. So if you want to play against the odds, pick him up because if I'm wrong it could be that move that people look back on when they walk away from a Fantasy League with the money and say, that move won me the championship, but don't count on it.
As far as the Packers as a team are concerned, I think that Rodgers, Driver, Jennings, and Finley are all fine and will remain steady in the projections. I also don't think that this loss impacts my season prediction for the team which has the Packers at least making a deep run into the playoffs and personally I have them winning the Super Bowl.
So Let's say you owned Ryan Grant in a Fantasy League and now have the option to pick up Brandon Jackson or someone else. I would like to give you some names that I would personally pick up above Jackson if they are available looking over the course of the season. For the rest of the Season if you are looking at overall points I would rather have Peyton Hillis of the Cleveland Browns, Fred Taylor of the New England Patriots, and though they may not be available I would easily start Thomas or Felix Jones, of the Chiefs and Cowboys respectively, over Jackson.
Check back for more news
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Welcome back to football
Hello my friends,
I watched some of the Saints/Vikings game Thursday night and found it all very pre-season like, until when in the first half of the game Brett Favre went to step up in the pocket to throw the ball and , BOOM, he got smacked in the face by a massive Linebacker from the Saints (apologies for not remembering the player's name, it had been a long day) and threw an interception. After seeing that play I have to declare that FOOTBALL IS BACK. There is nothing more refreshing than watching a highly paid quaterback (especially the one that keeps leading on the public as to his intentions to play or not) get drilled in the face by a defensive player.
By the way, I have to concede that despite my hatred of Pierre Thomas he had a pretty good game in the second half so Kudos to him and the Saints for their 14-9 win on Thursday night. I, along with the rest of the fans, will be hoping that the excellent contest on Thursday night will in fact be a little bit of foreshadowing into the fact that the NFL season is going to be off the charts good this year.
I know it's early AM on Saturday so look for some updates about the Fantasy Game to come out this evening and Here's to a good season.
Thank You so much,
Robert Brandon Campbell
Fantasy Enthusiast and Freelance Consultant and Writer
Thursday, September 2, 2010
The Bengals Fantasy Outlook after the TO Signing
The Bengals have signed free agent Wide Receiver Terrell Owens to a contract and the outlook is good for a return to the playoffs this season, but how does that impact the fantasy prospects of the key Bengals players?
The major impact to the fantasy world are to QB Carson Palmer and RB Cedric Benson. With the addition of Owens the field will open up for Palmer to throw the ball as long as Benson's running game stays consistant. Benson will open up the passing game for Palmer to spread the field to Owens, Bryant, and Ochocinco.
I would look for Benson to end the season as a top 5 RB, and Palmer to finish as a top 10 QB based on the addition of Owens and Bryant. but I would also expect Ochocinco and Owens to have their production drop because they are sharing the field.
Can Wes Welker Rise Again or will his Knee be his Achilles' Heel
Wes Welker, the scrappy, undersized, Wide Receiver for the New England Patriots is said to be improving in many reports from his season ending injury last season. Welker, who missed the end of the season last year with a knee injury, is participating in practice and is said to not only be in good spirits, but in excellent health.
While I am very happy to see Wes doing well (having owned him in multiple leagues for the last few years) I don't know that the knee injury is going to allow for Wes to go across the middle out of the slot. Welker has taken a beating throughout his entire career coming across the middle and still being amongst the league leaders at Wide Receiver. This season I would expect for Welker to be a solid number 2 receiver on most Fantasy Teams, especially if you can find him around the 3rd or 4th round, but I would be wary because with the type of injury Wes sustained it only becomes easier to repeat and then you are down a receiver.
One Man Mock Draft Results
I performed a Mock Draft recently for an upcoming league that I am participating in. I wanted to share the results of my picks for my position as I feel like I came out pretty good here in most rounds.
Round 1: Andre Johnson
Round 2: DeAngelo Williams
Round 3: DeSean Jackson
Round 4: Philip Rivers
Round 5: Chris (Beanie) Wells
Round 6: Antonio Gates
Round 7: Ricky Williams
Round 8: Carson Palmer
Round 9: Robert Meachem
Round 10: Reggie Bush
Round 11: Darren Sproles
Round 12: New Orleans Defense/ST
Round 13: Josh Cribbs
Round 14: Mohamed Massaquoi
I think I got a huge steal in both rounds 7 and 14 for Ricky Williams and Mohamed Massaquoi. Massaquoi is probably one of the biggest sleepers coming into this season. With a new, hopefully capable quarterback at the helm in Cleveland (Jake Delhomme) Cleveland is looking to expand on the passing attack this year. Plus with a (in my opinion) great draft this off-season I think that the Browns will move out of the cellar in their division and may even break .500 this year. I do feel like my team is lacking at the Runningback position with my starters being DeAngelo Williams and Beanie Wells with Ricky Williams at the flex position but with the offense in Arizona lacking as it will be since Kurt Warner's departure I am hesitant to rely on Wells for more than 6-7 points per week. I may consider resetting my roster and moving Sproles or Bush up to the Flex and Williams to the second starting spot.
Winners and Losers of the First Round
The first round of the 2010 NFL draft is in the books and there are some clear cut winners in the latter half of the first round. The Broncos may have been the most talked about team on Day 1 due to their multitude of trades and the unexpected early pick of Tim Tebow. Tebow will play a part in the Wildcat offense immediately and will sit behind Brady Quinn and Kyle Orton to learn a little more about the pocket. The Broncos also were able to draft highly regarded WR Demaryius Thomas out of Georgia Tech who is now pegged to help replace Brandon Marshall. I think that Tebow and Thomas will be excellent additions to the Broncos organization. The Bengals were able to pick up a great TE in Jermaine Gresham from Oklahoma who will add not only an extra blocking presence on run plays but an extra target for QB Carson Palmer to throw to. The Cowboys also picked up an additional weapon for QB Tony Romo in WR Dez Bryant from Oklahoma State. The embattled WR should be a welcome addition to help Roy Williams and Miles Austin to move the ball down the field.
I also see some losers in the First Round in the Giants and Texans. They may take steps to rectify this in the later rounds but the Giants pick in DE Jason Pierre-Paul and the Texans pick of CB Kareem Jackson were not great picks. I feel like the Giants needed to pick up a WR to help with their issues there. The Texans did not need to draft a CB this early as they should have drafted a RB to relieve the responsibilities of Steve Slaton and hopefully they will make steps to correct this.
I think the big winner of the first round is the Chargers with their pick up of RB Ryan Matthews from Fresno State. Their hole at running back is a lot closer to getting filled with Matthews as he is slightly underrated and this pick up will do a lot for the team considering that the team had a negative surplus of runningbacks after releasing Darren Sproles and LaDanian Tomlinson. Matthews will be a excellent fit with the scheme of the Chargers and will hopefully prosper here.
How does Ted Ginn impact the 49er's?
Ted Ginn Jr. is a former standout from Ohio State that, well, underachieved with the Miami Dolphins thus far. Ginn was the best WR on a bad receiving crew until his recent trade to the 49er's where he is now a number 2 or maybe a 3. This trade will ultimately help the Niners in their run game.
Yes I Said run game before. That is exactly what I meant. Ginn is by far not the best receiver for the 49er's as he will be following Michael Crabtree and may even have about the same productivity as and aging Isaac Bruce. Frank Gore and Glen Coffee could be the biggest benefactors from this trade as Ginn may be just enough of a distraction (in combination with Crabtree and Bruce) to allow for their game to open up again especially with Vernon Davis also a threat in the pass game.
This will only get better as time goes on as now Ginn will (after playing different positions up until college) be able to finally learn the pro game from a standout NFL 2nd year in Crabtree and an established veteran in Bruce. This will allow his ultimate fantasy value to skyrocket as time goes on as he is athletic and talented enough to be a star, he just is lacking experience and by what is in my opinion a mistake by the Miami Dolphins, Ginn will now have the tools to learn the trade with the Niners.
How does the Brandon Marshall trade effect the fantasy season?
Brandon Marshall, the long embattled Denver Broncos Wide Receiver spoke with Denver coach Josh McDaniels earlier this week to sign his tender in what we can only assume was a one sided conversation where McDaniels stated "come sign this paper so we can trade you easier." To prove this point, less than 48 hours after Marshall signed his tender he was a new member of the Miami Dolphins.
This trade may make the Dolphins a force in the AFC east. The Wildcat offense was losing it's appeal as Defenses were learning to scheme for Ronnie Brown and the "trickery" that falls with this particular brand of offense. The one piece that the Dolphins seemed to be missing was a "big name" Wide Receiver to detract from the running game. No offense intended to any Ohio State fans (you know who you are) but when Ted Ginn Jr. is the biggest threat you have in the passing game, you need an upgrade. Marshall we definitely be an upgrade and will allow for some separation in the defense to allow for some bigger plays.
Now with this big talk about the Dolphins and Brandon Marshall you would think that Marshall's fantasy stock would be shooting through the roof right? Wrong. I personally think that Marshall is going to have an off year. Chad Henne is a good Quarterback but I don't think he has the chops to get the ball to Marshall as much as he should, and if he can't do it Pat White and Tyler Thigpen surely won't be able to. I would expect to see Marshall's total yards drop from the 1120 yds in 09, to around 950-1000 yds in 2010, and I would expect 6-8 touchdowns as opposed to the 10 from last year.
Look for the Dolphins to be a force to contend with in the AFC but try to have another option at Wide Receiver in case Marshall doesn't pan out for the season.
Would you draft a Steeler in the First Two Rounds
After I had wrapped it up for the day yesterday, official news broke that Santonio Holmes has been suspended for 4 regular season games to start the season. Holmes while still a good pickup, is now dropping hard in my projections due to this. It was also announced today the Ben Roethlisberger is on his way into a meeting with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell to determine his fate regarding the rape charges that were alleged in the off-season (the second time he has been accused of this in his career). I personally don't think Big Ben makes it out of this without a suspension which would mean that there is not a Steelers player that I would draft in the first two rounds save maybe Rashard Mendenhall.
If you are looking for alternatives to the usual Steelers players that are drafted high look at McNabb who should have a good year in Washington, and also look at Mark Sanchez who's production should improve next year. If you are in one of those leagues that you won't draft a QB until rd 4 you should look into Anquan Boldin who is still one of the bigger pick ups of the off-season for the Ravens despite him flying under the radar. Also look for Percy Harvin to step his game up into the early rounds.
Santonio Holmes Trade Thoughts
According to dictionary.com a distraction is defined as the states of being distracted or that which distracts, divides the attention, or prevents concentration. I think that they may have a new addition to that definition soon. Santonio Holmes and his off-season antics have led the once dominant Pittsburgh Steelers to trade their lead WR to the New York Jets, and while this mights seem like a blockbuster deal to bring Braylon Edwards to the Steel City, the Steeler's asking price was not that high. In return for the troubled WR the Steelers have picked up a 5th Rd draft pick in this year's upcoming NFL draft.
Now most of you are aware that this off-season's investigation into Holmes and an alleged assault in an Orlando night club from back in March is not the WR's first run-in with the law, but given the fact that Holmes is being relatively co-operative with the investigation, and he did catch the Super Bowl winning catch 2 years ago in their last Super Bowl appearance, you would think that he would have a little bit longer leash. Apparently Mr. Holmes was a bit more of an off the field issue than was being reported.
Holmes will now be teaming with Braylon Edwards, David Clowney, Jericho Cotchery, and will be on field with L.T. and Shonn Greene. Also Mark Sanchez is puling the trigger under center, and has a year of experience under his belt. With the addition of Holmes to the weapons that last year got them to an AFC Championship Game, I think that the Jets are an immediate Super Bowl contender and potentially a favorite even amongst the Vikings and Saints who were both dominant last year.
How does this effect your Fantasy Team? I think that the Jets receivers will be valuable additions to any Fantasy Roster. If I were to rank them I think that it would be 1. Holmes. 2. Cotchery. 3. Clowney. Also if I were ranking against all WRs I think that Holmes is top 15 and Cotchery is top 25 and Clowney is top 50 and amongst the other weapons on their team I think that Sanchez will be spreading the wealth amongst all of them so I would suggest handcuffing them to one another. Clowney is a good handcuff for either Cotchery or Holmes, and I think that by doing this you will increase your point totals.
All of the weapons for the Jets will be valuable, but you do want to watch Holmes as their are rumors that he may be suspended for the first 4 games of the regular season due to a failed drug test, and violation of the substance abuse policy. If that talk continues and this suspension happens we do want to clarify that we would drop him down in our draft rankings to about 30ish. He will still be a valuable weapon but with 4 games missing from his season it will be hard to justify a higher round pick.
Marc Bulger
A "struggling" QB for the Saint Louis Rams has now been released. Marc Bulger was released on April 5th leaving them with Mike Reilly and AJ Feely at QB and basically assuring that the first pick of the upcoming NFL draft will be Sam Bradford from the Oklahoma Sooners.
You might be asking how this may effect your fantasy team. Well right now I don't think it does. Bulger was not doing anyone any favors for the last few seasons and his only weapon would have been to hand Stephen Jackson the ball. Bulger was a no go on Fantasy rosters for quite some time unless you were in a really deep league (14-16 teams) and I think Bradford, while a big improvement from Bulger, will still be relatively useless on your fantasy team until he has some more weapons.
Diva Donovan makes his triumphant return
ESPN, Yahoo and multiple other
sources are reporting that a trade has been executed regarding Donovan
McNabb. McNabb has been traded to the Redskins in exchange for a 2nd
round draft pick in 2010 and a 3rd or 4th round pick in 2011.
This is not the first major off-season move that the Redskins have made thus far, as they have picked up Larry Johnson, and (fast) Willie Parker at Running Back to help out on the offensive side. I would expect a significant point increase on the skill players for the Skins this season.
Jason Campbell fans however should watch out because his trade or release may be forthcoming. McNabb may be the new guy but that does put their current roster up to 5 QB's (McNabb, Campbell, Colt Brennan, Rex Grossman, and Richard Bartel). I would expect that number to drop to 3 by the start of preseason games or shortly thereafter. Campbell is a pretty highly paid pine warmer so I would look for him to be traded or released and also look for Bartel to be released as he appears to only be used in a practice squad situation. I expect McNabb (obviously), Grossman, and Brennan to be your Redskins quarterbacks this season. Brennan is the future gunslinger as all of us know that McNabb and maybe Grossman as well don't really have all that many snaps left in them. I expect that Grossman is a back-up that will be working with Brennan on the sidelines at all times. He will only be used (in the regular season) if McNabb is injured. McNabb will also be working with Brennan to develop him in order to get him ready for when they both are no longer available to play, and Brennan as of now is the QB of the future.
Now I know you're all asking why did the Eagles agree to ship an 11 year veteran to a division rival? Well that's where the diva comes in. Apparently, a la getting T.O. shipped out of Philly, (Diva) Donovan McNabb simply refused to discuss the trade offers to any team that he didn't feel like he could win with. The Bills, and Raiders showed a great amount of interest and even reportedly made offers for McNabb but were not reciprocated when McNabb even reportedly went as far as to threaten his retirement if he was not traded to the Redskins. I personally never liked this side of McNabb but I do have to say that he has earned the right to have a little bit of say so in where he plays and his say so is apparently pretty effective.
This is not the first major off-season move that the Redskins have made thus far, as they have picked up Larry Johnson, and (fast) Willie Parker at Running Back to help out on the offensive side. I would expect a significant point increase on the skill players for the Skins this season.
Jason Campbell fans however should watch out because his trade or release may be forthcoming. McNabb may be the new guy but that does put their current roster up to 5 QB's (McNabb, Campbell, Colt Brennan, Rex Grossman, and Richard Bartel). I would expect that number to drop to 3 by the start of preseason games or shortly thereafter. Campbell is a pretty highly paid pine warmer so I would look for him to be traded or released and also look for Bartel to be released as he appears to only be used in a practice squad situation. I expect McNabb (obviously), Grossman, and Brennan to be your Redskins quarterbacks this season. Brennan is the future gunslinger as all of us know that McNabb and maybe Grossman as well don't really have all that many snaps left in them. I expect that Grossman is a back-up that will be working with Brennan on the sidelines at all times. He will only be used (in the regular season) if McNabb is injured. McNabb will also be working with Brennan to develop him in order to get him ready for when they both are no longer available to play, and Brennan as of now is the QB of the future.
Now I know you're all asking why did the Eagles agree to ship an 11 year veteran to a division rival? Well that's where the diva comes in. Apparently, a la getting T.O. shipped out of Philly, (Diva) Donovan McNabb simply refused to discuss the trade offers to any team that he didn't feel like he could win with. The Bills, and Raiders showed a great amount of interest and even reportedly made offers for McNabb but were not reciprocated when McNabb even reportedly went as far as to threaten his retirement if he was not traded to the Redskins. I personally never liked this side of McNabb but I do have to say that he has earned the right to have a little bit of say so in where he plays and his say so is apparently pretty effective.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)