I apologize if this has been discussed or if this is one too many MSM posts, but something struck me the other day that I wanted to run by you guys.  Is fantasy football ruining football journalism?  Bear with me here...

According to Colin Cowherd of ESPN, more than 27 million people play fantasy football and spend an average of nine hours a week on it.  Think about that for a minute.  That is 243,000,000 hours a week!  

Who wins seems secondary to who scores or how many yards someone gains.  "My team" winning seems more important than the team I root for winning.  FF has increased ratings for all games, as more people have a stake in all games now.  Networks are devoting more time and energy to realtime stats, I remember when it was enough to show the scores of games on the crawl, not everyones stats too.  The NFL network is going so far as to create the Redzone Channel - for those who want to see who scores, but don't want to sit through the rest of the game between the 20's.  

As we all know, football is a business.  And like any good business, the strive to give the customer what they want. I think the ESPN-types view football teams in terms of star players more than the team as a whole because that is how people judge teams now.  Consider the Saints.  Are they a surprise 3-0 team this year, even though they finished last year with same 8-8 record the Broncos did?  No. They have the leading fantasy QB so that makes sense.  Anyone surprised by the Vikings with the old man at the helm?  Not with Peterson racking up the fantasy points.  

But the thing is, football is the ultimate team sport. How else can you explain Marino, Fouts,  and Barry Sanders never winning a ring? Their fantasy value would have been through the roof.

 I am not going so far as to say that FF is ruining the game (thank you Jake Plummer), but I think it has changed the focus. So if the Broncos are going to trade their highest rated fantasy player and do things like throw to eight different receivers in a game and run four backs, they are killing any fantasy value they may have and therefore suck.  When John Clayton said McD "doesn't have a grasp on how to build a team", did he mean "doesn't have a grasp on how to build a (fantasy) team"?

I have a confession to make.  The Broncos are not my first love.  One of my earliest memories is of watching my grandfather, a farmer in rural Illinois, watch the Cubs on WGN.  The green grass, the ivy, the look of contentment on my grandpas face, I was hooked.  I have loved the Cubs ever since, through good times (granted, few), the bad times, and even through this season.  As you may know, the Cubs were supposed to good this year, just like last year and the year before that.  The main nucleus of the team was returning and yet again the team had spent big money during the offseason. 

Then Milton Bradley happened.  

It was a terrible signing.  A horrible, season-crushing, get-your-GM-fired kinda signing.  Everyone should have seen it coming.  A big market team with rabid fans.  A fishbowl of a stadium and locker room.  The pressure of 100 years of futility. Add to that a selfish, private, sullen, volatile player who had been with 8 teams in 10 years.  Someone who quarreled with teammates, the press, the fans in the bleachers and seemingly anyone else within earshot.  Needless to say it didn't work out.  For those of you that don't follow baseball, Bradley was suspended with two weeks left in the season for ripping the fans and the team in the media.  Chances are the Cubs will have to eat some 16-18 million dollars left on his contract just to get rid of him.  

But then came Josh McDaniels.  

After a rough offseason where they were ripped for trading away the talented, yet selfish, sullen, and volatile quarterback, McDaniels and his staff built a team based on shared goals, shared commitment, and a team first mentality. They let the egos in the locker room know that no one was more important then the team, and brought in Brian Dawkins (who, in my opinion, is a once in a generation teammate) to teach by example. They didn't go get the flashy, overpriced players, they built a TEAM.  It was so refreshing, especially after the dark summer here on the North side.  There are many organizations that can learn from this approach.

(Are you watching Cubbies?!)

From rotoworld...

ESPN's John Clayton anticipates the Jets and Titans showing interest in Torry Holt once he's released.

Clayton thinks "two or three more" clubs will join the bidding. The Rams likely would take a seventh-round pick for Holt at this point, so if some team gets serious they could get him for cheap. He might need a new contract, though.

I think he would be a great addition to the team and the locker room.  What do you guys think?

This is my first post here, so hello all!

This from rotoworld...

According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, LaDainian Tomlinson will bring back no more than a "mid-round draft pick" in an offseason trade.
The paper considers either cutting LT2 or asking him to take a pay cut more likely options for the Chargers. Ultimately, a release will probably happen.

Source: San Diego Union-Tribune

If he is released, how much interest would the broncos have?  He's 29, but has been slowed down with injuries.  He would have a huge chip on his shoulder vs. the chargers.  Just a thought...

Our long national nightmare is finally over... for now.

Continue reading this post »

According to the Minneapolis Star Tribune, the Twins would send Matt Garza, Jason Bartlett, and and Juan Rincon for Delmon Young, Jason Pridie, and Brendan Harris.  This would be quite the exchange of young players!  

If this goes through, it should put an end to the Carl Crawford for Cedeno trade talks, as the Rays would get a shortstop in Bartlett. 

http://www.startribune.com/blogs/neal/?p=276

According to Keith Law over at espn.com, David DeJesus is one of the top 10 trade canidates this offseason.  I am wondering if this wouldn't be a good pickup if Fukudome decides to stay in Japan or goes elsewhere.  He's a lefty with good range in center and pretty good OBP. What do you guys think it would take to get him?

ps. - Murton is also on the list, saying his fate was sealed when Lou took over.

Here's the link...
http://insider.espn.go.com/mlb/hotstove07/insider/columns/story?columnist=law_keith&id=3114635

Not only has he made a contender out of a small market team, but "Ryan also made one of the most lopsided trades in recent baseball history when he sent catcher A.J. Pierzynski to the Giants for starters Boof Bonser and Francisco Liriano and closer Joe Nathan three years ago."

What is the deal with Jimbo next year?  Are they waiting to see what happens with the remainder of the year?  If they decide to part ways, this seems like a very attractive candidate!

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3017356&campaign=rss&source=ESPNHeadlines

The Pirates let go one of our favorite fleecing partners in GM Dave Littlefield.  There is a long list of wonderful moves over at mlbtraderumors.com, but here is the one we all remember...

7/22/03 - Acquired IF Jose Hernandez, minor league RHP Matt Bruback and a player to be named later from Chicago Cubs for 3B Aramis Ramirez, OF Kenny Lofton and cash considerations.

Thanks again, Dave!

According to Rotoworld -

Sean Marshall made his season debut Wednesday for Single-A Daytona, giving up two runs in six innings.
Marshall, coming back from a shoulder injury, will join Triple-A Iowa's rotation early next month and figures to spend at least a couple of months there.

Glad to hear it.  I was starting to wonder if we would see him again.

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/story/502009p-423343c.html

"Speculation will mount Monday night (10 p.m.) when Rodriguez appears on HBO's "Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel." If you come away sensing the Yankees third baseman has the Windy City on his mind you will have plenty of company.

During a profile of new Cubs manager Lou Piniella, who managed Rodriguez for seven seasons in Seattle, A-Rod is interviewed by Frank Deford. While Deford never asks Rodriguez to compare Piniella to Joe Torre, it is abundantly clear the managerial qualities - and style - A-Rod enthusiastically attributes to Piniella are not subscribed to by the Yankees manager.

Rodriguez also tells Deford that Piniella "has been just like a father to me." During the piece, Piniella picks up a bat with the inscription: "To my second mom." The bat was sent by A-Rod to Piniella's wife, Anita."

My favorite part...
"Rodriguez said the sight of Piniella was like seeing 'an angel from the sky'"

Wow!

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sports/stories.nsf/cardinals/story/E259F6C2F0FB8460862572900016E549 ?OpenDocument

A long shot, but interesting.  It seems like Boston, New York, or Houston are still more likely, but the Cards do have some money to throw around, since they didn't do jack this off-season (aside from lose their starting rotation!)

Apparently there is some interest in Pavano, and Lieber, but more so in Brad Penny.  

From Rotoworld...
The Cubs are talking to the Nationals about Ryan Church, who could be an option to platoon with Matt Murton.
The Nationals will want pitching back, which could mean Angel Guzman, Sean Marshall or Carlos Marmol. The Cubs surely won't consider parting with Sean Hill for the 28-year-old.

What do you guys know Church?

From Rotoworld...

Free agent Sammy Sosa has instructed agent Adam Katz to find a home for him to begin his comeback.
"I just got official word to start the process," Katz said. "Sammy's like family, so I'll try to find a good fit for him." There's likely to be little interest in Sosa, even on a minor league contract. Still, perhaps someone will step up with an offer, as the Nationals attempted to do a year ago. If not, then Japan could be an option.
Source: SI.com

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA