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Last Word On Sports

Sports News Since 2011. Honestly.

Last Word On Sports Logo

Sports. Honestly. Since 2011

Year: 2012

The Hammer Interviews Mark Bocek, John Makdessi, and Mark Hominick

Posted on by Ben Kerr

The Boys at the Hammer feature weekly coverage of all things MMA. This week they are back with a special new episode live from UFC 154 and you can listen to the archived podcast by clicking here. Hammer Radio Special

“We’re on site in Montreal for UFC 154: St. Pierre vs. Condit.  Check out this episode for our thoughts on the pre-fight press conference, and a batch of fighter interviews including Mark Bocek, John Makdessi, and Mark Hominick.”

Stay Tuned for special Bonus Episodes this week, live from Montreal where Dave and Greg will be having special interviews with many of the UFC Stars in town for the event.

The Hammer features LastWordOnSports’ own writer Greg Persson, long time internet superstar Steve Jeffrey, and is hosted by MMA aficionado Dave Abraham.

The Hammer has had interviews with some of the biggest names in MMA over the years, including BJ Penn, Dan Henderson, Sean Sherk, Mark Coleman, Rory MacDonald, Brendan Schaub, and others. They continue to bring unparalleled, independent coverage of all things MMA to fans of the sport.

They’ll give you the straight goods and the Last Word.

 

Don’t forget to tune into “Friday is MMA Night” on Last Word Radio from 9-10pm EST. If you miss the show, it will be available in our archives or on iTunes for podcast download.

Also, check out our BRAND NEW sports forums!

Game of The Week: #18 USC at #17 UCLA

Posted on by Lindsay Higgins

It’s a win-and-you’re-in game for the Pac-12 South and a spot in the conference championship.

credit: Monica’s Dad via photopin cc

The USC Offense: QB Matt Barkley isn’t the Heisman candidate he was in September, and he has far more INTs this season (13) than he should, but he’s still a dangerous player with a completion percentage of 64.8% and a lot of weapons around him. UCLA becomes the latest team to try (key word) to stop WR tandem Robert Woods and Marqise Lee, who have combined for a ridiculous 2,100 receiving yards and 23 TDs.  On the ground, Penn State transfer Silas Redd has emerged as the top threat with 732 rushing yards and 9 TDs on the season; backfield mate Curtis McNeal has just 2 TDs but 497 yards.

credit: TheDailySportsHerald via photopin cc

The USC Defense: Unfortunately for the Trojans, they’re facing yet another mobile quarterback this week. Redshirt freshman Brett Hundley is the Bruins’ second-leading rusher (although he trails leader Johnathan Franklin by roughly 1,000 yards). The Trojans’ run defense is stout and should be able to contain Franklin (1,270 yards, 8 TDs) to a point. They’re averaging 3.7 sacks per game, so one would think they’ll be able to pressure a redshirt freshman QB fairly successfully. A big part of the game will be how well a somewhat inexperienced UCLA offensive line holds up against USC’s defensive line, as well as whether an often-penalized USC team can show discipline and avoid penalties in an emotional rivalry game.

credit: JMR_Photography via photopin cc

The UCLA Offense: The Bruins’ offense is divided fairly evenly between the run and the pass. Senior running back Johnathan Franklin averages 127 yards per game, and quarterback Brett Hundley can pick up yards with his feet when necessary. Hundley has also shown good accuracy and decision-making skills for a young quarterback. Shaquelle Evans leads the team with 571 receiving yards, but just two touchdowns; tight end Joseph Fauria is the big red-zone target, with 417 yards and 9 touchdowns. The line will be facing a good defensive front and will have to be able to hold their blocks for the Bruins to have success on Saturday.

credit: Monica’s Dad via photopin cc

The UCLA Defense: The biggest test for the Bruins’ defence is going to be how well their defensive backs can cover- and tackle- Robert Woods and Marqise Lee. The front seven should be able to get pressure on Matt Barkley, particularly LB Anthony Barr. Barr is tied for fourth in the country with 11 sacks. UCLA has 25 takeaways on the season, so turnovers- of which USC has committed 26- could be key.

Prediction: Former Colts and Saints coach Jim Mora has UCLA playing well and creating turnovers. In an emotional rivalry game, I don’t trust USC to keep their cool and avoid penalties, and I think Matt Barkley will throw at least one big interception, turning the game in the Bruins favour. UCLA 28, USC 20.

Don’t forget to tune in to College Football Warmup on Last Word Radio every Saturday Morning at 9am.  If you miss the show, don’t fret, you can access our archives or find us on iTunes (search for “Last Word Radio”).

You can also check out our Last Word Forums to comment on college football or any other sport.

UFC Finally Caving to Women's MMA?

Posted on by Mark Modeski
credit: WBUR via photopin cc

Outside of the proposition of a potential super-fight between Anderson Silva and Georges St. Pierre (or Jon Jones) the hottest topic in MMA as of late has been that of women fighters entering the UFC. Ronda Rousey’s recent string of dominant performances, and subsequent press coverage has made her an ideal poster-girl. And we have even seen UFC boss, Dana White, soften his stance accordingly. My question about women’s MMA in the UFC is: publicity stunt or is the sport changing?

I’m not going to go into a detailed history of women’s MMA, because there really isn’t much to tell. Any long time fan of MMA surely knows the names of Gina Carano and Kris “Cyborg” Santos and their trailblazing matches in Strikeforce (not to mention the climax in which they fought… which Santos won), but since the days when each of these women stepped out of the spotlight, there really hasn’t been much to say about this aspect of the sport. That is, until Ronda Rousey stepped onto the stage.

Rousey to-date has had nine MMA fights (3 amateur, 6 professional) and has finished all of her opponents inside the ring. What’s more impressive, is that she has dispatched most of these opponents inside of a minute. Even more impressive, is that she has finished all of them by armbar, giving her the clever nickname “Armbar”. That said, if you haven’t seen her flying armbar victory at Strikeforce 18 against Sarah D’Alelio – watch it!

UFC President Dana White has generally been less than open to the idea of women’s MMA, and in my opinion, rightfully so. In reality, outside of Rousey there aren’t that many impressive female fighters in the MMA circuit today – making it very hard to build-up this aspect of the sport. This aside, there is also the general lack of interest in women’s sport from the viewing public (which has generally been male). However, White may have seen the writing on the wall and seen opportunity knocking.

So, why now would White be opening his mind to prospect of women’s MMA? Two reasons, both of which are intertwined with one another:

  1. The sport’s growth, and more specifically the UFC, is losing some steam. A new story or aspect is needed to gain some attraction and build more word-of-mouth for the sport.
  2. To grow the sport you have to connect with more people, for example women.

Lacklustre ratings of both TUF and recent UFC events have probably left the ZUFFA brass with a small sense of panic. They need to do something to get UFC back on people’s minds. While MMA already hits a hot button with a lot people in the controversial sense, what better way to get some unpaid advertising than by saying you’re going to have two women go at it trying to kill each other in the middle of a ring?

Currently as it stands, the UFC viewing audience is not surprisingly very heavily skewed towards men (75% men/25% women). Could this be another move by the UFC to increase their viewing demographic? Methinks so.

So, we have a dominant fighter (re: Rousey) and a handful of opponents that she could theoretically fight (re: Santos) and an openess from the UFC to host a fight. What’s next? Well, the next step is the event and how it is managed – which the UFC will need to be very careful about. First, I pray to god that the UFC does not make Rousey v. “Unamed Opponent” the main event of whichever card it headlines. Yes, Santos v. Carano headlined the second biggest even in Strikeforce history – but, that was after YEARS of build-up (not to mention, who didn’t want to see a ridiculously hot Carano tear the eyes out of another woman?)… in the Seinfeld-ian sense of “cat fight”, this one was set-up beautifully. Rousey does not have another big name opponent to fight against, unless Santos returns; and even if Santos does return, she doesn’t have the same momentum behind her that she did when she fought Carano.

The UFC needs to put Rousey’s first potential fight as the co-main event of the first card it is on. Feel the waters out first. Best case scenario, make it the main event of a Fuel card. Since lately most UFC pay-per-views have been reliant almost solely on the main card, I would not rely on an aspect of the sport that a lot of people are unsure about to drive eyeballs to the screen!

At any rate, love or hate women’s MMA, it’s coming to the UFC! Get ready for it, who knows you may actually like it… in the Seinfeld-ian “cat fight sense” if nothing else.

Don’t forget to listen to “Outside the Octagon” on Last Word Radio – Friday nights at 9p!

Hammer Radio: Gearing up for UFC 154 in Montreal

Posted on by Ben Kerr

The Boys at the Hammer feature weekly coverage of all things MMA. This week they are back with another new episode and you can listen to the archived podcast by clicking here. Hammer Radio 119

“This week’s episode is up a day early, as Dave and Greg are on the way to Montreal for the rest of the week to cover UFC 154: St. Pierre vs. Condit.

On this week’s show we preview the entire UFC 154 card, recap last weekend’s UFC on Fuel: Franklin vs. Le, and give our early thoughts on the closing of Strikeforce and the upcoming introduction of a UFC women’s division.”

Stay Tuned for special Bonus Episodes this week, live from Montreal where Dave and Greg will be having special interviews with many of the UFC Stars in town for the event.

The Hammer features LastWordOnSports’ own writer Greg Persson, long time internet superstar Steve Jeffrey, and is hosted by MMA aficionado Dave Abraham.

The Hammer has had interviews with some of the biggest names in MMA over the years, including BJ Penn, Dan Henderson, Sean Sherk, Mark Coleman, Rory MacDonald, Brendan Schaub, and others. They continue to bring unparalleled, independent coverage of all things MMA to fans of the sport.

They’ll give you the straight goods and the Last Word.

 

Don’t forget to tune into “Friday is MMA Night” on Last Word Radio from 9-10pm EST. If you miss the show, it will be available in our archives or on iTunes for podcast download.

Also, check out our BRAND NEW sports forums!

Gone Fishin': Blue Jays' Big Trade Has Risk

Posted on by Max Warner

For the first time in over a decade, the Toronto Blue Jays grabbed major sports headlines both north and south of the Border with a blockbuster trade with the  Miami Marlins (who were a train wreck this season). Heading to the Blue Jays are Jose Reyes, Mark Buerhle, Josh Johnson, Emilio Bonifacio and John Buck in exchange for Yunel Escobar, Henderson Alvarez, Jeff Mathis and prospects Jake Marisnick, Adeiny Hechavarria and Justin Niccolino.  The Marlins are also reportedly including $4 million cash in the deal.

As exciting as this trade is for the Blue Jays, they have added three very expensive star players, two of whom may not offer substantially better production than their counterparts traded away.  The third star player can walk away as a free agent next season.  And to get all this, the Jays gave up a decent shortstop and starting pitcher, each under team control at vastly lower prices, and three promising prospects.  I want to jump on the bandwagon and declare this trade a massive victory for the Blue Jays, but there is more to this trade than meets the eye.

As I previously argued, Yunel Escobar had to be traded because of his abysmal behaviour and performance this season.  Despite his shortcomings, Escobar is capable of being a shortstop with a value comparable to Reyes.  For argument’s sake, let’s compare Escobar’s stats in his two best seasons in the last 4 years, with Reyes’ two best seasons in the last 4:

HR

OPS

wRC

FRAA

RF/9

WAR

Escobar ‘09

14

.812

88

1.6

4.47

4.4

Escobar ‘11

11

.782

81

1.6

4.21

4.2

Reyes ‘11

7

.877

94

-3.1

4.44

6.2

Reyes ‘12

11

.780

93

-2.8

4.12

4.5

The difference between these two can be as little as 6 runs created and 0.1 wins above a replacement player in a season, and Escobar is arguably a better overall fielder than Reyes.  Escobar is under team control at $5 million per season for the next three seasons.  Reyes will make $10 million, $16 million and $22 million per season over the next three seasons, plus has at least two further seasons at $22 million per year.  Yes, Reyes offers more consistency than Escobar and that is part of what the Blue Jays are counting on, but is the difference between a good year of Escobar and a good year of Reyes really worth up to $17 million per year?  If Reyes can repeat his 2011 success, he may be worth that investment.

Mark Buerhle is a player who has great name value despite very mediocre stats.  His lowest FIP in the past five years was 3.90, and 2012 was the first time since 2005 that he posted a WHIP below 1.25.  Buerhle is a workhorse who has pitched over 200 innings each season since 2001, and this is his greatest value to his team.  Every pitching staff needs a reliable workhorse to eat innings in the middle or back of the rotation, but is it worth paying a 33-year-old pitcher $11 million, $18 million and $19 million over each of the next three years for this?  Alvarez had a major setback in 2012, but his 2011 stats, although a small sample size, prove that he has the potential to provide Buerhle-level production at a fraction of the cost.  Two years ago, Alvarez posted a 3.97 FIP and 1.13 WHIP in 10 starts in his rookie season, and he earned just $482,900 last year and won’t be a free agent until 2018.

Johnson is a great addition and a potential stud pitcher.  Much like Brandon Morrow during his time in Seattle, Johnson has really only scratched the surface of his true potential with the Marlins.  He has averaged better than 8 K’s per nine in his big league career, and has posted a sub-3.00 FIP in two of the last three seasons.  He is a sublime talent, but unfortunately is a free agent after 2013.

If Johnson walks as a free agent after 2013, this trade will amount to Reyes, Buerhle and two insignificant players for Escobar, Alvarez, and three good prospects.  Marisnick, Hechavarria and Niccolino could turn into solid Major Leaguers.  Given the disparity in salaries and the potentially similar production between some of the players traded and acquired by the Blue Jays, this trade could be a perilous course of action.

One cannot, however, deny that this trade is a bold, fresh move by the Blue Jays and their ownership.  It has brought three star players to the Blue Jays with name value, and communicates a willingness to invest in a winning baseball team.  It will also spark fan and media interest and bring more people to Rogers Centre in 2013.  However, many people have wrongly declared this trade a resounding victory for Toronto simply based on the appeal of the names of the players acquired from Miami.  Reyes and Buerhle must continue to perform at their 2012 levels or better, and Johnson must pitch in Toronto for more than one season to make this trade worthwhile.  It is a tremendous financial and strategic risk for the Blue Jays.

The Blue Jays are much better today than they were two days ago.  But they also have much less financial flexibility and still have gaping holes at first base, second base and left field.  Blue Jays fans should celebrate this trade, but they must recognize the risk involved and that the Jays need to do more to improve their team before they can start dreaming of taking down the Yankees or the rest of the A.L. East.

Follow me on Twitter: @MaxWarnerMLB

Top and Bottom NFL Power Rankings

Posted on by Jack Stone

Well, usually when we cross the half way mark of the NFL season the teams have established themselves and you get a very good idea of what the playoff picture might look like.  That said, after all the week 10 upsets, I finally think it’s a good time for some change in the ranks!

To the basement we go, where some teams have patched the leaks and others continue to drown:

28. Oakland Raiders – The Raiders seem to have a pattern going where they win one out of every three games.  The pattern is not a good enough recipe for them to earn a playoff berth, but it is enough to avoid being the lowest of the low.  Right now they have lost their last two, so maybe they have a win coming at home this week vs New Orleans.  Nah.

29. Cleveland Browns – They are 2-3 in their last five games, and they are coming off the bye. Hopefully they gave Richardson the rest he needed and are ready to keep rushing him again and again, because I’m sorry to say it, but they are similar to the Jags and MJD. I really hope they improved tactically and haven’t decided to pack in the last half of the season – they are actually closer to winning more games than many assume!

30. Carolina Panthers – They won two weeks ago, and for their sake we were hoping to see them play like we know they can, this past weekend. But instead they got blown out at home – BADLY. Fortunately for them the schedule gets much weaker as they host Tampa Bay this week, thank God, and travel to Philadelphia and Kansas City to follow.

31. Kansas City – Finally they got a lead!  A first quarter Touchdown put them 7 up on P-burgh, which is impressive for anyone to say. They are still terrible, but there is a chance for some change, and perhaps there is potential for them to dig themselves out of the bottom 5.  Don’t hold your breath.

credit: Jeffrey Beall via photopin cc

32. Jacksonville Jaguars – UGLY. At home on National television for Thursday night football, hosting the “beatable” Indianapolis Colts. No wonder they have no fans – it was just that bad.Well I guess their wasn’t as much change as I thought, but at least some of these teams can look forward to a good draft pick.  Here are some honorable mentions, or should I say “disgraceful mentions”… Buffalo Bills, New York Jets, and even the Philadelphia Eagles as well as that one time 4-0 Arizona Cardinals squad – man, these team are all just looking bad, bad, bad!!!

Now to the attic where the teams are sitting warm and cozy up on top (it’s always better on top, right?).  But after Sunday’s Madness who knows what room we have to available at the top, and where we need to drop some pretenders. There has gotta be some change!

5 . Denver Broncos – Four wins in a row and an easy upcoming schedule – life is good right now for the Broncs. Peyton knocks out brother Eli from the top ranks and let me tell you, this team could win it all.  They will continue to improve week-by-week, and Peyton is, well, Peyton. Watch out for the Broncos!

4 . Chicago Bears – Losing a battle in the rain against Houston is not so bad. But I have been saying it week-after-week, Cutler is bound to get hurt. If Cutler doesn’t come back and the Bears don’t smarten up as a result of this scare, they will have lost everything they have going for them! Sad to say, but YOU HAVE TO PROTECT YOUR QUATERBACK – Welcome to Football 101.

3 . San Francisco 49ers – Really? A Tie? At home against St.Louis? They do slip-up, but I still think this team is not showing us entirely what they have. Trust me, they’re crazy dangerous!

credit: AJ Guel Photography via photopin cc

2 . Houston Texans – A big win over the Bears on Sunday Night Football! But now they just go right back to playing those chump teams; Week 11 vs Jacksonville, Week 12 @ Detroit, Week 13 @ Tennessee.  C’mon! They have such an easy schedule that it could be tough when playoff time comes and they have to beat three tough teams in a row to win it all.1 . Atlanta Falcons – Well the 72 Dolphins enjoyed some champagne at the Falcons’ expense. But for Atlanta, they got rid of the undefeated hump, which I have noticed in the past can be a good thing to get rid of. Now at least every match they play, their opponents aren’t salivating over being that team that takes them down.   We now get to see how they respond in their first set-back, and luckily it’s in hosting the Arizona Cardinals.  They need to show they still are the best or they will find themselves dethroned.Again, only one new team, but there was some jockeying. However, there are some teams that are grilling to get in the top 5. The Baltimore Ravens dismantled the Raiders, and you can never count out the Steelers, Patriots, Packers and Giants. See you next week!

Don’t forget to tune in to Sunday NFL Blitz Package on Last Word Radio every Sunday night at 8pm.  If you miss the show, don’t fret, you can access our archives or find us on iTunes (search for “Last Word Radio”).

NBA Knee-Jerk All-Stars (Western Conference Starters)

Posted on by Jordan Leung

Coverage of my knee-jerk reaction All-Star continues today (Catch my Eastern Conference Starters here). Again, I am considering the fan vote as part of the starters, so my starter picks shouldn’t really surprise anyone. To me an All-Star game just needs star power in the starting lineup. We need the biggest personalities, or the most well known players in the starting lineup. The reserves are for the less popular guys who deserve a spot, and that’s where the real fun will start with my nominations.

source: hooped up online, cc

Guard – Chris Paul The All-Star game is a point guard’s game, because he is the one who gets to bring the ball up with 4 extremely capable offensive players in his arsenal. With Derrick Rose out, there is little question that Paul is the best point guard in the game right now. He has an unbelievable assist-to-turnover ratio, and he is probably one of two players in the NBA who I would consider a ‘floor general.’ The other player? LeBron James.

The Clippers look pretty dangerous this season, and they will only get better when Chauncey Billups and Grant Hill return to the lineup… And maybe also when Lamar Odom decides to pull his head out of whatever it’s stuck in.  The Clippers are a serious contender with all the pieces that they have, and this pick is a no-brainer.

Guard – Kobe Bryant Is there even a question as to who should start? Kobe has been happily suiting up and starting the All-Star game since he was a teenager. Being the starting Western Conference guard is his part-time job. Kobe has played in All-Star games with all of the 90s NBA stars, and survived the primes of Kevin Garnett, Jason Kidd, Tim Duncan, Rasheed Wallace, Vince Carter, Iverson, Grant Hill, Ray Allen, Tracy McGrady, Steve Nash, Elton Brand, Stephon Marbury, Paul Pierce, Steve Francis, Yao Ming, Jermaine O’Neal, Gilbert Arenas, Ben Wallace, Amar’e Stoudemire… The list just goes on and on and on. He was there when LeBron played in his first All-Star Game in 2005, and fast forward to 2013, LeBron James is challenging the spot of the greatest of all-time, and Kobe is still at the top of the league, getting ready to start another All-Star game. His game has changed a lot since back in the day, but he is still one of the league’s alpha dogs.

This is a true testament to all the hard work and effort that Kobe has put into the game of basketball. Even as a lifelong not-Lakers fan, I have nothing but respect for the guy.

Forward – Kevin Durant

Could Kevin Durant be in store for a historic 10+ rebound season from a perimeter player? Depending on your definition of a perimeter player, the last perimeter player to average 10+ rebounds is Larry Bird. We have a bunch of combo forwards who did it in recent years- the Shawn Marions, Antoine Walkers, and Gerald Wallaces of the league, but all those guys have played extensive minutes at the 4. Durant could very well be the first to pull of this feat since Larry Legend. In other news, Kevin Durant’s all-around game shows improvement from last year, and his scoring is only going to pick up as the season rolls along.

Forward/Center – Tim Duncan We haven’t seen any of Kevin Love or Dirk Nowitzki this season, so they are automatically excluded. The next obvious choice might be Blake Griffin. Blake is a point guard dependent player, and despite being paired up with the best point guard in the league, he has not shown any significant improvement since his rookie season. At this point of his young career, we’ve seen enough of Blake’s dunks that a Blake Griffin dunk is nothing mind-blowing.

Now, Tim Duncan never aging is pretty mind-blowing, and the greatest power forward of all time deserves another chance to start the All-Star game. Only 36 years young, Duncan is leading the Spurs to a great start to the regular season. He’s simply one of the greats. I want to say this may be the last chance for Duncan to start an All-Star game, but with the Spurs you never really know. Even Kobe has contemplated retirement, and Duncan has never released any official statement to the media about retiring.

The crazy thing with Duncan is he’s been in the league for so long, and he could have been in the league even longer if he didn’t come out after his senior year of college. Imagine what 4 more seasons of Duncan on young legs would have done to his legacy. Of course much of his legacy has to do with landing in the best possible situation (the Spurs), but the fate of many franchises would have been altered if Duncan came out before his senior year. Just for fun, the number one picks that could have been used to select Duncan…

1993 (High School) –  Orlando Magic (on a team that had Shaq)
1994 (Freshman) – Milwaukee Bucks (with Vin Baker)
1995 (Sophomore) – Golden State Warriors (with Latrell Sprewell, Tim Hardaway, and Chris Mullin)
1996 (Junior) – Philadelphia 76ers (with Jerry Stackhouse and Derrick Coleman)

And another just for fun hypothetical situation… If the Sixers still picked Iverson, the Raptors would have had the second pick. Imagine how different their franchise would have been. And also imagine the dynasty that would have been Shaq and Duncan.

Center – Dwight Howard

So it seems that even though the NBA eliminated the center position from the ballot, the teams are still looking somewhat balanced. Dwight Howard is still an easy pick for many people. If Dwight Howard can one day ‘get it’ on offense, either by learning some semblance of a low post game and/or running the Nash/D’Antoni pick and roll to perfection, no one would ever criticize Dwight again. Shaq would shut up. Dwight definitely has that same power and explosion that Amar’e had back in the day, and if  Nash and D’Antoni can make something work with Dwight Howard’s offense, the Lakers will be the best team in the NBA.

No real surprises so far, except for maybe Tim Duncan. Reserves will be a lot more fun and exciting. I promise.

 

Riding the NFL Fantasy Waiver Wire Week 11

Posted on by Bobby Scott

Right now if you’re in a dynasty league you’re doing one of two things;  either you are planning to add some final touches to your playoff roster or you are already planning for next year.

Last week I wrote about some players to pick up for next year’s roster such as Chris Ivory and Ryan Broyles.  This week we’re going to look at some players that might help to add depth to your roster to make a long playoff run this season.

source: Al Jersey, CC

Cedric Benson RB GB – Currently on the injured reserve, he is due to come back in Week 14, which is the start of most Fantasy playoffs. I know it’s only week 11, but as we get closer there will be more hype surrounding him and it will lessen your chances of picking him up on the waivers. The Packers will play Detroit in week 14, the Bears week 15 and Tennessee week 16. He’ll be a good sub if one of your starting RB’s go down. Currently he is only owned in 10% of Yahoo leagues.

Beanie Wells RB ARZ– Currently is on the IR and is set to return against St. Louis in week 12. The Arizona running game doesn’t have any consistency, so hopefully Wells can get the Cards back on track and help his team down the stretch. Wells posses great strength to power the ball through the line and will definitely help the team in short yardage situations. Wells is currently only owned in 21% of Yahoo leagues.

Carson Palmer QB OAK – Palmer is starting to heat up and would be a nice back-up type QB for the playoffs run. He is starting to gel with his receivers and his tight ends. The raiders have a nice schedule during Fantasy Playoffs with Kansas City in week 15 and Carolina in week 16. Palmer is currently owend in half of fantasy leagues.

Danario Alexander WR SD – Just signed a couple weeks ago, Alexander replaced the injured Robert Meachem in the starting roster and has impressed the coaches enough to continue to start him over Meachem. There is some concern over his knees, but he looks healthy on the playing field and looks hungry for more touches. The first catch in last week’s game against Tampa, Alexander broke a tackle and turned up field for 80 yards and a score so we know he has big play capability. Currently he is only owned in 6% of Yahoo leagues.

Riding under the Fantasy Waiver wire

source: Inquisitor, CC

Golden Tate WR SEA – Tate was drawing comparison to Steve Smith (CAR) when he first entered the league but was very ineffective in his first two years. Tate looks a lot more comfortable in the offense and has a reliable QB throwing him the ball. Tate is fast, runs good routes and has great hands. The Seahawks are on bye this week, but face Miami, Chicago, Arizona, and Buffalo down the stretch, which could translate into big production from the third year player.  He is worth a stash in PPR leagues and is currently only owned in 23% of leagues.

Thanks again for reading and I hope some of my picks have helped you in your Fantasy Leagues. Good luck this week!

Don’t forget to tune into “Sunday NFL Blitz Package” on Last Word Radio every Sunday at 8pm.  If you miss the show, find it in our archives or on iTunes (search for “Last Word Radio”).

JACK'D OFF: On Footy Comeback Wins

Posted on by Jack Stone

Editor’s Note: Welcome to “Jack’d Off”.  This candid and honest column is a collection of rants from the incomparable Jack “The Cracker” Stone.  They represent his personal opinions on aspects of sports that matter to him.  

You know what really Jack’d me off this week?  Manchester City scoring late at Tottenham to win the match 2-1.  After being up 1-0 at White Hart Lane, Spurs couldn’t at least earn me a draw.  Also, it was Edin Dzeko scoring the winner in the 88th – is it ever anyone other than Dzeko?  Next time City are tied late in the match I will be yelling at my T.V “WATCH DZEKO!!! MARK DZEKO!!!”  Jeez, won’t anyone learn?

It is quite hypocritical of me to complain seeing that I’m a Manchester United fan, and they’ve been known to have made a comeback or two (they also had a comeback victory this weekend), but it made me think about their extensive collection of comebacks over the years…. Let’s talk!

Over the years I have watched a lot of English Premier League football and noticed that teams like Manchester United, Chelsea and as of late Manchester City, have been lethal after the 80 minute mark.  I will first use Manchester United as a prime example as they have been dubbed the “Comeback Kings” ever since their famous Champions League win against Bayern Munich back in 1999 when the Devils scored in the 91st and 92nd minutes to claim the trophy with a 2-1 victory thanks to substitute players Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunner Solkjaer.  Since then they have continued to score late winners or important levelers so many times it would drive opposing supporters to throw back bottles of whiskey on a Sunday afternoon. Suckers.

This season Manchester United already have four late winners in EPL as well as two in Champions League.  Chelsea in the past years of battling for top position with United I can remember many times slamming my television remote into pieces after another late Blues winner collecting 3 crucial points.  This year they already have two late ones to their credit.  Manchester City have jumped into the late-match heroics, as we all remember last year’s Premier League winner being down by a goal to QPR before Edin Dzeko scored in the 92nd and then Sergio Aguero in the 95th to win it all.  This season, City already have four late winners and a late equalizer to their credit with much thanks to Eden Dzeko coming off the bench.  Dzeko scored an 87th minute winner at Fulham,  he scored in the 80th and again in the 92nd at West Brom, and his latest one he netted in the 88th at Spurs this past Sunday.

How do the same teams seem to always achieve late goals?

Some of these big clubs are said to have referee decisions go their way, but I argue that very few of these late goals have been controversial at all.  Now that I think about it, I am realizing a bit of a pattern.  Dzeko is usually coming on as a late substitute, as well as Javier Hernandez who has been United’s late-match hero this year.  And in the 90’s it was Ole Gunnar Solkjaer coming off the bench to claim late winners.

Maybe it’s depth?  Being able to bring on a caliber of player like the ones I just listed can certainly help.  The fact that these big clubs that have plenty of depth and are able to bring on three players that could easily start on any other team and are entering the match at a time when players are knocked and more than fatigued.  This scenario creates great mismatches for the better teams.

I always say,  “why do they just sit back and defend?!”  Surely if you just sit back and let these top-ranked teams handle the ball you’re setting yourself up for punishment.  But maybe that is another quality that separates the best from the rest.  The big teams have big players that can all play 90 minutes and have the luxury of bringing in more players that have the same caliber and are fresh.  Also with all this added depth, they can pick and choose which style of player they want to put in to perfect the comeback.

 

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