Barry Bonds pleaded not guilty in court today. He's accused of lying to investigators about using performance-enhancing drugs. If he's found guilty, he could go to jail for more than two years.

Realistically, he probably did it. But, I'm sure he has some great lawyers who may be able to talk his way out of it. The question is how will this affect his public image in the long run.

I know I'm a little late in the game, so to speak, but let me be the 1093850273504526th person to congratulate the Red Sox on their World Series win.

Because the news is a little old, please enjoy these World Series notes from ESPN.com:

• For the second time in four years, the Red Sox are World Series champions. From 1919 to 2003, the Red Sox went 85 years without a title.

• The last two World Series victories by the Red Sox have been via a sweep. In fact, three of the last four World Series champions swept the series.

• Manager Terry Francona has been at the helm for both titles, making him the first manager in baseball history to go 8-0 in his first eight World Series games.

• Francona also becomes the first manager ever to win his first six potential postseason series clinchers.

• Jon Lester, who was making his first playoff start, pitched 5 2/3 scoreless innings. He joins Whitey Ford (1950) and Tiny Bonham (1941) as the only pitchers to win the World Series clincher as a starter while making their first postseason start.

• Lester is the fourth pitcher in the last 10 years to pitch at least 5 2/3 scoreless innings and get the win in a World Series clincher.

• During Lester's 11 regular-season starts this season, he had pitched a scoreless outing once -- Sept. 7 at Baltimore, firing seven scoreless innings.

• Lester's win means the Red Sox's starting pitchers won all four games of the World Series. Since divisional play in 1969, only four teams' starting pitchers won all four games of the World Series -- '07 Red Sox, '95 Braves, '89 A's and '69 Mets.

• Jonathan Papelbon recorded a five-out save, the longest save to end a World Series since Jesse Orosco got a six-out save for the 1986 Mets against the Red Sox.

• Mike Lowell hit his first career World Series home run in his 10th game. It was the Red Sox's second home run of the Series. He's only the second Red Sox third baseman to homer in the Series. The other is Larry Gardner who hit three, his last in 1916.

• Aaron Cook, who like Lester was making his first career postseason start, allowed three earned runs in six innings. He was the first Rockies starter to pitch at least six innings in the World Series.

 • Cook joins Bob Miller (1950) and Bob Shawkey (1914) as the only pitchers to lose as a starter in the World Series clincher while making his first postseason start.

• Bobby Kielty hits a pinch-hit home run in the eighth inning, which provided some insurance for the Red Sox. He was the first to hit a pinch-hit homer in the World Series since Jason Giambi did so for the Yankees in Game 5 of the 2003 World Series against the Marlins.

• Kielty is also the fourth player to ever hit a pinch-hit home run in his first career World Series at-bat.

• The Red Sox finished with the second-highest batting average (.333) in World Series history. Only the 1960 Yankees (.338) hit better.

• The Rockies were a longshot to win Game 4. Including the Rockies' loss, only 3 of 23 teams down 3-0 in a World Series won the fourth game. None won more than once.

• This was the fourth World Series clincher in the last 10 years to be decided by one run. It's the second straight time a World Series sweep ended with a one-run game as the White Sox beat the Astros 1-0 in 2005.

• Brad Hawpe hit a home run, but he also struck out eight times in the four-game series -- the most strikeouts by a hitter in a four-game series in Series history.

its hard to make this stuff up...this guy is such a loser, and his friends are even bigger losers....what a bunch of #@$#@!%$!@#$

 

 

There are so many good pennant races this year...go NY Teams!!! 

 

2007 American League Standings 
EAST  W L
Boston  90 63
NY Yankees 88 64
Toronto  77 75
Baltimore 64 87
Tampa Bay 63 90

CENTRAL  W L
Cleveland 90 62
Detroit 83 70
Minnesota 75 77
Chicago Sox 66 86
Kansas City 65 86

WEST  W L
LA Angels 90 62
Seattle  81 70
Oakland  74 80
Texas  70 82

2007 National League Standings  
EAST  W L
NY Mets  84 67
Philadelphia 82 70
Atlanta  79 73
Washington 68 84
Florida  65 87

CENTRAL  W L
Chicago Cubs 80 73
Milwaukee 78 73
St. Louis 71 80
Cincinnati 69 83
Pittsburgh 66 86
Houston 66 86

WEST  W L
Arizona  86 67
San Diego 84 67
Colorado 80 72
LA Dodgers 79 73
San Francisco 67 85
  

Player	Next	Weather	Bye	Avg	Guru	Own %	Start %	Status	Pos
Active Quarterback	PaAtt	PaCmp	PaYd	PaInt	PaTD	RuTD	Status	Pos
Active Quarterback	G	PaAtt	PaCmp	PaYd	PaInt	PaTD	RuTD	Status	Pos
Bulger, Marc QB STL	SF		9	24.8	28.7	100	83	83	46	535	0	2	0	1	30	18	264	1	2	0	A	QB
Active Running Back	G	RuAtt	RuYd	RuAvg	RuTD	Recpt	ReTD	Status	Pos
Active Running Back	RuAtt	RuYd	RuAvg	RuTD	Recpt	ReTD	Status	Pos
Brown, Chris RB TEN	IND		4	22.8	7.4	91	23	31	209	6.7	0	2	0	0	0	0	0.0	0	0	0	A	RB
Bush, Reggie RB NO	@TB		4	10.0	17.5	100	94	22	65	3.0	0	10	0	0	0	0	0.0	0	0	0	A	RB
Jacobs, Brandon RB NYG	GB		9	3.5	0.0	81	2	6	26	4.3	0	0	0	4	24	71	3.0	1	2	0	A	RB-WR
Active Receiver	G	Recpt	ReYd	ReAvg	ReLg	ReTD	FL	Status	Pos
Active Receiver	Recpt	ReYd	ReAvg	ReLg	ReTD	FL	Status	Pos
Coles, Laveranues WR NYJ	@BAL		10	24.0	15.0	100	66	13	116	8.9	24	2	0	5	20	298	14.9	58	5	0	A	WR
Johnson, Chad WR CIN	@CLE		5	20.2	17.8	100	100	16	304	19.0	39	3	0	1	3	84	28.0	53	1	0	A	WR
Active Tight End	Recpt	ReYd	ReAvg	ReLg	ReTD	FL	Status	Pos
Active Tight End	G	Recpt	ReYd	ReAvg	ReLg	ReTD	FL	Status	Pos
Gonzalez, Tony TE KC	@CHI		8	7.0	11.3	98	77	9	71	7.9	26	0	0	2	11	128	11.6	27	2	0	A	TE
Active Kicker	G	FGA	FG	FGLg	XPAtt	XP	XPB	Status	Pos
Active Kicker	FGA	FG	FGLg	XPAtt	XP	XPB	Status	Pos
Gould, Robbie K CHI	KC		9	3.0	8.5	97	87	3	3	47	2	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	A	K
Active Defense/DST	Int	SACK	DTD	PA	PaNetA	RuYdA	Status	Pos
Active Defense/DST	G	Int	SACK	DTD	PA	PaNetA	RuYdA	Status	Pos
Dolphins, DST DST MIA	DAL		9	9.0	7.5	87	46	2	3	0	53	395	357	5	0	12	0	111	1126	670	A	DST
Reserve Quarterback	PaAtt	PaCmp	PaYd	PaInt	PaTD	RuTD	Status	Pos
Reserve Quarterback	G	PaAtt	PaCmp	PaYd	PaInt	PaTD	RuTD	Status	Pos
Schaub, Matt QB HOU	@CAR		10	21.2	23.3	80	8	50	36	452	1	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	RS	QB
Reserve Running Back	G	RuAtt	RuYd	RuAvg	RuTD	Recpt	ReTD	Status	Pos
Reserve Running Back	RuAtt	RuYd	RuAvg	RuTD	Recpt	ReTD	Status	Pos
Norwood, Jerious RB ATL	@JAC		8	8.2	9.3	90	11	14	63	4.5	0	3	0	2	15	86	5.7	0	0	0	RS	RB-WR
Williams, Cadillac RB TB	NO		10	10.0	14.1	95	15	36	121	3.4	2	2	0	0	0	0	0.0	0	0	0	RS	RB
Reserve Receiver	G	Recpt	ReYd	ReAvg	ReLg	ReTD	FL	Status	Pos
Reserve Receiver	Recpt	ReYd	ReAvg	ReLg	ReTD	FL	Status	Pos
Porter, Jerry WR OAK	@DEN		5	4.0	9.9	81	13	3	72	24.0	46	1	0	2	6	31	5.2	9	0	0	RS	WR
Reserve Defense/DST	G	Int	SACK	DTD	PA	PaNetA	RuYdA	Status	Pos
Reserve Defense/DST	Int	SACK	DTD	PA	PaNetA	RuYdA	Status	Pos
Chiefs, DST DST KC	@CHI		8	9.0	7.2	17	3	3	5	0	40	338	216	5	5	10	1	130	1135	781	RS	DST

So I actually grew up in the town next to Christine Lilly, the captain of the US Women's Soccer team....well we wish you the best of luck and all hope for you to kick some ass and bring the glory home:

 

10 Fantasy Football Mistakes to Avoid
By Jack Clifford, Friday, June 30, 2006
 

(also from http://www.fftoolbox.com

As we all know, managing your fantasy football team isn't exactly rocket science, but there are owners who err during the offseason and/or early in the preseason, and then wonder why they finish the regular season in the bottom half of their league. Really, achieving your goals can be quite simple. If repeating the word "location" sums up real estate success, then fantasy football success might be gained by remembering the notion of "information, information, information." The more information you have, the better off you will be in the long run.

While this is not an end-all, cure-all guide to prevent those occasional lapses in judgment we all have at times, at least it's a start in the right direction to keep them to a minimum. In no particular order, here goes one owner's opinion.

1. Do not rely solely on the plethora of magazines that are popping up on newsstands near you. While the information within those mags is nice and condensed, and generally easy to follow, it will be way outdated by the time your draft comes around and the regular NFL season begins. Most of them are put together shortly after the NFL draft and don't take into consideration training camp injuries or position battles.

2. As much as we want you to use FFToolbox.com as your sole source of fantasy football information, the reality is that you have to branch out and look at other online sites, as well. Remember, unless a writer is stating a fact - Kurt Warner is currently the starting the QB for the Arizona Cardinals, for instance - what you read about a player or team situation is strictly opinion-oriented. Get a few opinions about a player you have in mind - maybe a sleeper or someone you consider a bust - and then make the decision knowing that you looked at all sides. Don't limit your resources.

3. Know your league's scoring rules before selecting certain players. If your fantasy league rewards points for running back receptions, for example, you need to know that before deciding between, say, Brian Westbrook (61 receptions in 2005) and Kevin Jones (20 receptions in 2005). Don't pick a Jerome Bettis-type running back - more focused on scoring TDs - if your league is yardage-oriented.

4. As fun as it sounds, don't show up drunk for your fantasy draft. A couple of years ago, an owner in my league did this and his draft was a disaster. Of course, it was great fun for the other owners to watch him crash-and-burn that night, but his season sucked.

5. Don't be the gullible owner of your league, falling for lopsided trade offers, etc.; and yes, each league has one. In fact, recall the scene in the poker movie "Rounders" when Matt Damon's character says, "Listen, if you can't spot the sucker at the table in your first half hour at the table then you ARE the sucker." Don't be the sucker in your league. Always make sure that you get equal compensation for trades.

6. As a companion to #5, don't let a loss or two or an injury to a key player cause you to make an irrational trade with another owner. I'm in a keeper league (we carryover seven players from year to year), and two years ago I snagged Larry Fitzgerald because an owner freaked out when his guy, Stephen Davis, was injured early in the year. I had DeShaun Foster at the time - Davis's backup then - and thought he might be willing to deal, so I offered Foster and Donte Stallworth for Fitzgerald and Houston's Tony Hollings (I had Domanick Davis at the time, so I took him as a handcuff). That owner still has Foster on his team, but what player would you rather have, him or Fitzgerald?

7. Don't let favoritism play a role in your player selections; don't let team rivalries affect your decision-making either. Sure, it's OK to look at guys from your favorite team to have on your roster, especially if your favorite team is Indianapolis or Arizona. And if you are a Dallas fan and decide that you want to try to avoid having a Washington player on your team, then so be it. But really now, even if you root for the Cowboys, would you take Julius Jones over Clinton Portis in a fantasy draft?

8. Don't stop paying attention if your team falters early in the season. Two years ago, I started out 1-4 in my league. To make matters worse, I was the league commissioner, so I had to devote time and energy to the league. I decided to give my season one more shot and I traded for Brett Favre. I won the final nine games of our regular season, and proceeded to win three games in the league playoffs, including the title game. Just because you struggle early, doesn't mean that you can't rebound.

9. Once the season begins, don't overemphasize game match-ups when it comes to picking your starters. Yes, knowing that one of your RBs is going up against the league's worst run defense is important. (In fact, my weekly column during the regular season focuses on these matchups.) But if you have LaDainian Tomlinson, Julius Jones, and Greg Jones in your stable of RBs, you probably don't want to sit one of the first two and start Greg Jones just because he is facing Houston's defense that weekend, even if LT has to run against Denver while Julius tangles with Pittsburgh. When the decision on who to start is a marginal one, then you can use matchups as the deciding factor.

10. As mentioned above, don't wait until a few days before your draft to start researching players and teams. By reading this, hopefully you have gained some knowledge and insight on the mistakes you want to avoid from now until the draft, and even once the regular season begins. Search around this site for other articles that can help in other areas of increasing your fantasy football expertise and keep coming back for updates, in addition to checking out other sources. Remember: information, information, information.

Hello,

so these great tips are from http://www.fftoolbox.com

 

10 Tips for New Fantasy Football Owners
by Vin Sadicario, Thursday, June 29, 2006
1. Know What You Are Getting Into
No one likes an owner who quits. Whether it is after the draft, or halfway through the season, no one wants to p7lay in a league of quitters. Owners who quit or stop paying attention ruin leagues for the rest of the owners. If you are planning to join a fantasy football league, plan to be active for the whole season.

2. League Choice
League choice is very important, especially for beginners. If you are a beginner, you probably do not want to join a high stakes league consisting of fantasy football experts. Look for a league of owners similar to yourself, maybe a group of novice friends. Just like with anything else, you want to start out slow and work your way up.

3. Know the Rules
After finding the perfect league, you must learn the rules specific to your particular league. Is there a draft or an auction? How many players do you start at each position? How does the waiver wire work? How many teams make the playoffs? How does scoring work? These are some questions that you must know the answers to before you draft. Make sure you read over a copy of the rules a few times before you draft a team.

4. Be Prepared
Before you draft there are a few things you must do. The first and most important thing is research. Make your own cheat sheets of player rankings. If you are not sure how to make your own cheat sheets and player rankings, we have great cheat sheets and tons of player projections here at fftoolbox.com. Being prepared will give you a plan of attack for your draft. When it is your turn to select, you will have a list of players who you have already ranked, thus making your pick easier.

5. Practice Makes Perfect
While every fantasy football draft is different, participating in a mock draft or two will help you during your real draft. Not only will a mock draft help you get an idea of where players will be drafted, but they will also help you stay cool, calm, and collected when you are on the clock in your actual draft. Your first fantasy football drafted can be overwhelming, so make sure you participate in a mock draft or two prior to your first real draft. Mock drafts are held hourly here at fftoolbox. Click the mock draft link at the top of the page to get some practice.

6. Drafting
So you have found the perfect league, read up on the rules, done your research, participated in a mock draft or two, and finally you are ready for your first fantasy football draft. Whether you are sitting around a backyard with a group of friends, or sitting in front of your computer, a fantasy football draft is always an exciting time. That night will for the most part, determine the fate of your team for the rest of the season. At the draft, you should have your cheat sheets, a copy of the rules, paper, and a pen. After a player is drafted, cross him off your cheat sheet. Also, try to keep track of how many players have been drafted at each position. Another important stat is bye weeks. Make sure you have written down the bye weeks of every player on your cheat sheet. Try to avoid picking too many players who have the same bye week. This is especially true for backups. If you plan to pick two kickers or defenses, make sure they do not have the same bye week.

7. Waiver Wire
Know your league waiver wire rules. Are the rosters locked over the weekend? Or are pickups and drops allowed at any time? The waiver wire is an important tool in fantasy football that can make a tremendous impact on your team. Make sure you pay attention to the injury situation of not only your players, but also players whose backups can make a big difference to your team. If you see a key running back go down to injury, make sure you run to the waiver wire to pick up his backup.

8. Starting Lineups
Make sure that you know the deadline for lineup changes each week. Some leagues lock lineups when the first game of the week begins, while some lineups are locked at 12 P.M. on Sundays. Check the schedule for games being played on Thursdays or Saturdays, as this will affect your league roster deadline. Also, make sure that you have substituted players that are on a bye week. If you need to make a pickup from the waiver wire to compensate for a bye week, try not to make the pickup close to the roster deadline.

9. Trading
Trading is an important part of any fantasy game. Before making any trade, you should do your research on every player involved. Is one of the players injured or about to lose playing time? Another thing you should consider with all trades is the benefit to your team. While you may be getting the better players in a deal, they are only better if they will improve your team. For example, acquiring Tiki Barber for Roy Williams would seem like a great deal, however, if you already have Larry Johnson, Clinton Portis, and Ronnie Brown at running back, and are short at wide receiver, you may not want to make the deal. Always consider every point of view on trades.

10. Have Fun
While some people look at fantasy football as a life or death matter, it is in fact only a game. Make sure that you have fun. After the draft has taken place, and trades have been discussed, sit back and enjoy the game. The strategy and unpredictability of fantasy football makes it a great experience for all involved. Make sure that you have fun.

So,

do you think they cheat?

I am having difficulty thinking that this is cheating....check this out:

"It was before a game in 1924 that Coach McCracken earned his spot in football lore. Aware that Penn had scouted his Lafayette team's previous five games and had memorized its offensive signals, he ordered his players not to start each down at the line of scrimmage. Instead, he told them to gather behind the line to learn the next play in secret, and the huddle was invented."

So, if the huddle was invented in 1924 because people were stealing signs...what is so different about this today?  A smart coach recognizes that everyone is always out to take every advantage possible...and plans accordingly.

-Chris

this is from last week, but it's still kinda funny.

So It looks like Kobe and LeBron are going to have to carry the Team USA Torch....this I have no problem with.  I know Kobe was in trouble a bit back, but I have to admit, that in that particular case I actually was on Kobe's side...I am not sure why I just got a got feeling that it wasnt him, though he clearly had cheated on his wife, he wasnt somehow guilty of what she was acusing him of....

anyway I guess since he got off without being found guilty that somehow thats better....anyway long story long.....I am excited at the idea of a team lead by Kobe + LeBron....lets just hope that LeBron can keep his nose clean throughout his career and let his talent and basketball ability speak for him.

so far so good

Here is an excerpt from one of my favorite sports writers...Steve Mariotti @ the Sun Time in Chicago:

A disgrace to humankind

So now he's 'very remorseful,' wants to apologize and 'accept full responsibility for his actions.' It's too late. Sick Vick has got to go.

INDIANAPOLIS -- As sure as the cranes of a massive new stadium rise over a heartland skyline, the NFL will survive Michael Vick. The official logo is made of teflon and thick scar tissue, immune to even the scummiest of creeps and sick images that he drowned, hanged and electrocuted dogs. Still, there can be no wiggle room when it comes to executive punishment for a unique miscreant.

The league should throw the Bad Newz scrambler for a lifetime loss.

You read correctly: a ban forevermore.

****************************************************

Mariotti is right.  Not only should Vick be banned from football, his sentence should be to pay 2-5 million dollars to animal shelters around the country.  Then, join up with the Feds to route out all of the other dog fighters in this country, through his old connections...then go around on a speaking tour about what a loser he is...and how he used to get his rocks off watching abused animals fight each other.....this guy is too much...let's do the best thing for all of us....remove him from the public light....over and out vick...I hope you burn in hell

So,

Although I have never before been involved with a fantasy league of any kind, the folks at my work are starting a company fantasy football league.  Should be sweet.  I will post my roster and such as soon as we do the draft, and will likely be posting some fantasy suggestions as I find them from various sources on the net.  Hopefully it will be enjoyable for all.

 

So in 2006 this guy goes through Tommy John surgery and his pitching career is virtually over.

Instead of just rolling over, becoming some sort of washed up drug addict biatch complainer....

what does he do?

goes back to the minors...works his ass off....hits 30 home runs, gets called back up...and hits a home run in his first game back as a major leaguer......

he has been on fire ever since.

Baseball, and really all sports needs more stories like this....I am sick of all the assholes.