Greetings from the Hoodwood, where the locals are just getting plumb tired of keeping the flags at half-staff after yet another senseless tragedy.  Like the other writers here at the Gab, we here in Hoodwood are mourning the deaths of the victims at Sandy Hook and pray for some sort of way to comfort the families of those affected.

Leading Off: Making sense of it all

It gets to a point where you get to saturation on any subject so to rehash what happened on Friday, is pointless. I would rather be one that is wont to celebrate the lives of the victims even though many of them were tragically short. So I’ll put the pic of some of the people that were cut down.

These are the people that we should be talking about, not the jerkwad who cut these lives short. Its times like this where Im glad Im such a sports nut, it helps me divert my focus and not be angry at the world and things that happen in it...lets move on to the first item...

Fantasy Football: Could the Bandits pull of the impossible?

Hoodwood’s fantasy team the Chocolate City Black Bandits are one win from pulling off the greatest recovery in Great Midwest Football League history. After starting 0-4, the nadir of the streak being a humiliating 126-78 loss, the Bandits recovered not once but twice. The Bandits first rolled back to 4-4 then after losing a pair of games to divisional rivals to drop to 4-6 and in 4^th in their division. One could understand if their head coach (me) would have done a Jim Mora Sr.

But instead I hunkered down with and parroted a statement from another Jim…

I don’t know why I like that statement so much, the terse “ ‘kay?” from Fassel is about as cold-blooded as you can get. You know the story, The Giants rolled all the way to the Super Bowl (humiliating my Vikings in the NFC title game 41-0 in the process) before losing the Ravens. My team, won its last four games and made the playoffs and after routing the division winner in the opposite conference,  Im hoping that the Bandits can complete the deal.

College Basketball: Down go the Hoosiers!

Indiana was the unquestioned #1 team in the land, and looked like they would roll over all of their pre-conference opponents on the way especially after they gave North Carolina a savage woodshed treatment late last month. Butler, who had made back to back final fours in 2010 & 2011 was unheralded but in front of  a standing room only packed house in Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indy the Bulldogs stunned the top ranked Hoosiers with an 88-86 OT win. Alex Barlow, an unheralded walk-on who averaged all of 2.0 ppg, nailed a spinning running jumper to give the Bulldogs the lead and the win. How was it that he was even on the floor, much less had the ball in that situation is a head scratcher in itself. But here was Barlow taking and making the big shot. I harken back to when Sean Woods of Kentucky made the running bank shot that gave the Wildcats the lead before Christan Laettner made his memorable shot. Verne Lundquist exclaiming “How did he have the courage to take that shot?!” But the Hoosiers were indeed sunk by Barlow and Butler and now the team everyone loves to hate is now the team on top…yes Duke is now the nations #1 team…barf bags are on sale at all Hoodwood bodegas…

College Basketball: The Sad demise of a great conference

This is kind of personal for me, since my beloved alma mater is being directly affected by this. The Big East is coming apart at the seams and its demise is not only very public but very slow and painful. Now to be sure my alma hasn’t been in the Big East very long, Cincinnati joined the Big East for the 2005 season. They joined after the defections of Virginia Tech, Miami and Boston College to the ACC. Now with the impending defections of Syracuse, Pitt and Lousiville to the ACC and West Virginia’s messy exit to the Big 12 last year the Big East is just about irrelevant in football and brand in basketball fading badly. I can remember when the Big East was just about the best basketball being played anywhere. The Big East put 3 teams in the Final Four in 1985 (quick tell me who was the other team that made it?)  and Villanova stunned conference mate and defending national champ Georgetown to win their only national title. The names that have come out of this conference are a who’s who of college basketball in the last 30 years, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Mullin, Patrick Ewing, Alonzo Mourning, Allen Iverson and Ray Allen are but a handful of Big East Alum. You have had to had lived in a hole not to recall some of the huge game in the Big East, the duel between Iverson and Allen in the 96 Big East tourney; the 6OT epic in the 2009 Big East tourney between UConn and Syracuse (Will this ever end!!! I shouted at the end of the 4^th OT)

Im pretty sure that the demise of this conference will be traced to its decision to start playing football in the early 90s. Miami was the big bully in this conference and though Pitt and Syracuse could often parry their dominance at times, they were the main attraction and draw in the Big East football-wise and they were the powerhouse in the conference, but they outgrew the Big East in football and were lured to the ACC along with Big East charter member Boston College in the mid 2000s and most people didn’t see it then but that might have been the beginning of the end for the Big East

But these days will be just fond memories as the 7 catholic schools that are non FBS schools are announcing their intentions to leave the Big East to form a basketball only conference. They feel as I do that football has ruined the basketball premise of this conference. These schools may also court Butler as well to form a conference and think about how much of an instant basketball credibility that this conference will have. As it looks this future alignment might not happen for a few season, Im hearing 2015 at the earliest. But in any case it is sad to watch the apparent death throes of a once great conference

Phat Dap/Head Slap

Phat Dap

To the Mount Union (OH) Purple Raiders who completed an unbeaten season and won the D-III title defeating St. Thomas of Minnesota 28-10 in the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl. The Purple Raiders had been defeated in the D-III title game each of the last 3 seasons and this senior class was facing the prospect of being the first class in 20 years to graduate without a national championship. Hats off to the Purple Raiders coach Larry Kehres who now has a mind blowing 11 titles in 16 seasons at Mount Union. This school has been rolling title off in an almost assembly line fashion and most other schools know if they want a title the road usually goes through the Alliance, Ohio based school. Congrats to this powerhouse for getting back to their accustomed place.

Head Slap

Head Slap goes to Brian Urlacher, the injured linebacker of the Bears who ripped Bears fans for booing as they went down to their 3^rd straight defeat, 21-13 to the Packers at Soldier Field and the their 5^th in 6^th game. After the 21-13 loss, Urlacher complained that he was tired of the booing and it was “unbelievable” Though I do agree that some calls for head coach Lovie Smith’s job is unneeded, I do take task at Urlacher ripping the fans who are not happy with the teams slide that took them from NFC power broker to NFC also ran. Da Bears went from leading the NFC North to 3^rd in the division and out of the playoff picture. The Vikings who were at one time on the outside looking in are now in possession of one of the wild card slots and the Bears are fading fast, don’t you think that the Bears fans have a right to be critical of their teams performance? I think they do and though many of their playmakers are either out and out injured or hurting to the point where their performance is affected, this slide is something that the fans have a right to be vocal about.

One more thing

Just in case something stupid  or apocalyptic happens with this whole 12/21/12 thing…peace love and happiness to all the Gab folks from all here in Hoodwood. If hopefully not, just have a safe and blessed Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or Holiday Season or what ever you and your loved ones celebrate the next posting will be on Christmas Day…  

That’s the view from the Hoodwood, be sure to check out the video blog on YouTube, until Next Post Fellow Sports Fans!

Johnny Football wins it, just like I called it...

Though I look better with it (Yes that is the real Heisman, this was from 2007)

Greetings from the Hoodwood, where the locals are celebrating the Fantasy Football teams playoff berth. Details to follow.

Leading off: Johnny Football wins it.

As your humble scribe predicted . Johnny Manziel of Texas A&M won the Heisman trophy to the dismay of the over confident Notre Dame fans who were certain that Manti Te’o would be the first pure defensive player to win the award. I knew that a freshman (albeit a redshirt freshman) would be the winner. The vote wasn’t even close as Manziel dominated most of the regions to win the Heisman handily. Though I will give Te’o dap for his classy gesture in giving leis to Manziel parents after Manziel was announced as the winner. Could Manziel win another trophy? I don’t think so unless he has another phenom like year but I wouldn’t put it past him

College Football: Cincy Stunna

Butch Jones danced and ducked in a way that would make a politician proud. Last week the Cincinnati college coach was jetting around the country visiting Purdue and Colorado and being wooed by these schools, but all the while deflecting questions about his employment and chiding those who dared ask him if he was leaving Cincy. But then suddenly another job appeared out of nowhere. When Charlie Strong of Louisville used the leverage of the open Tennessee job to get more loot from the Cards, the Vols job suddenly was open. The Vols now desperate to get a name coach, floated the cash at Jones and he bounced from Cincy to Vol nation. I was once a twitter follower of Butch Jones and quickly gave him the boot when he changed his handle to CoachJonesUT. Jones’ quick defection was prompted by Cincy AD Whit Babcock who basically told Jones “Make up your mind, stay and coach the Bearcats in the Belk Bowl, or go where you want to.” Jones was announced as taking the Tennessee job and was grinning at a press conference in Vols orange. Jones used the same line that he used when he took the Cincy job saying that the players would be those that would be winners in the classroom and on the field.  Jones’ defection surprised no one and many people think that will be in over his head. But Babcock and the Bearcats had a plan. Babcock reached out to then Texas Tech coach Tommy Tuberville and gaged his interest in the Cincy job. Under a bit of fire in Lubbock for his underachieving teams, Tuberville expressed interest in the job and the Bearcats did the work to get Tuberville to Cincy. Jones was barely out of the coaching office 24 hours when Tuberville was announced as the Cincy coach. I got a text message on it on Saturday afternoon, and I was dumbfounded. Babcock and the Cincy administration didn’t sit and wring their hands they moved quickly to fill the space with a known commodity. Tuberville will inherit a decent team for 2013 and Im confident that the Bearcats will be a good team. Im also hoping that this move will help launch the Bearcats into the Big 12 or ACC.

NBA 30K for Kobe

It was no surprise to anyone that Kobe Bryant was this close to 30K points for his illustrious career, with a funky fadeaway jumper, Bryant joined Kareem, Karl Malone, some guy named Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain in the very exclusive fraternity.  If you wanted to combine ABA and NBA points, Dr. J is the only other pro to have also scored 30K but over 11000 were in the ABA. The debate now will begin if Kobe is the greatest player of all time. Im still partial to Kareem or that Jordan guy but I guess Im biased since I saw them both play in my formidable years and always thought of Kobe as a young gun.  That’s kinda funny seeing that Kobe is a 16 year veteran and is 34. Many will always see Kobe as a selfish gunner, who was always looking out for himself. I thought Kobe as a true iconoclast. A gifted though sometimes flawed player desperately trying to get either the street cred that LeBron has or AI once had or the iconic stature that MJ had.  Kobe is a beast there is no disputing that, but I think that many people that are trying to make the comparsion to him and MJ are way off.

NFL: 2K aint enough for AP

Adrian Peterson continues to be in beast mode. The Minnesota Vikings stud RB rushed for 154 yards in the Vikings win over the Chicago Bears Sunday bringing his total to an even 1600 yards. Peterson is 400 yards from a magical 2000 yard season a feat only accomplished by Eric Dickerson, Barry Sanders, Jamal Lewis, Terrell Davis and OJ Simpson. Peterson has openly stated that he is confident that he can rush for 2000 but says his goal is the 2105 that Dickerson set in 1984. The NFL record that most feel is one of the more hallowed in the league. There those that said that a 2000 yard season doesnt have the same lustre being set in a 16 game season and I disagree, considering that no player has done it twice and most hit the 2000 yard mark in the final game (Dickerson being the lone exception) Peterson is averaging 120 yards a game and has had seven straight 100 yard games, he could do it. Think he was held to limited action in the Vikes first three games and he is coming off a major knee injury...No disrespect to Peyton Manning but AP is not only the MVP but the comeback player of the year...I dont care that he only missed one game...

NFL: Beatdown in boogie down Northwest, what happened to the Cards?

I didn’t pay much attention to the Cardinals-Seahawks game at the outset but I noticed that the Seahawks defense were racking up massive points for the Bandits fantasy team, so I checked the score and was stunned by the points that the Seahawks defense were cashing in. Fumble recovery for a score, a pick six and scads of sacks, interceptions and a shutout to boot. Hey wasn’t this the same Cards team that started 4-0? You wouldn’t know it by their 9 game losing streak and their anemic offense. Its so bad that Vince Young touched base with Larry Fitzgerald the deeply talented wideout that seems to be trapped in this football gulag to inquire if he could get a serious look. Has it gotten that bad for a team that made the super bowl just four years ago and was considered one of the more upcoming teams in the NFL. The Seahawks on the other hand are quietly returning to being one of the tougher draws in the NFC having knocked off the Bears in OT and are just about the worst venues for visitors and the Cards will testify to that.

Fantasy Football: The Improbable Bandits come back from the dead to make playoffs

Hoodwood is celebrating an unlikely finish to the GMFL season. The Chocolate City Black Bandits started the 2012 season at 0-4. The media whispered that the old ball coach was losing it that the game had passed him by, after a 7-7 2011 season and missing the playoffs. The Bandits instead steadied themselves and ripped off a 4 game win streak to even their record. But a pair of painful shootout losses dropped them to 4-6 and prompted their embattled coach to make a stunning prediction. Channeling a famous quote from former Giants coach Jim Fassel, the Bandits coach tersely told a mid November press conference “we’re making the playoffs…’kay? Put it all on me, ‘kay? We’re making the playoffs…’kay?” The critics scoffed, but the Bandits ripped another 4 game win streak off and with a stunning turn of events getting losses from teams that held critical tiebreak advantages, the Bandits with an 8-6 record are making the playoffs as a wild card. The Bandits have won the GMFL Ultimate Bowl in 2007 as a wild card so the road has been traveled before. Hoodwood is hoping for another ticker tape parade after another GMFL championship, this one would be so sweet after such a horrid start.

Phat Dap/Head Slap

Phat Dap

To Marcus Lattimore the injured South Carolina who will declare for the NFL draft. There are many that think that Lattimore is an injury prone longshot after multiple injury have derailed a promising collegiate career. After the frighteningly gruesome injury he suffered against Tennessee, many doubt that Lattimore can be a viable player. I think that he can do it, and will be rooting hard for him. The Hoodwood has adopted Lattimore as one of its own and hope for nothing but the best.

Head Slap

To Manny Pacquiao the former boxing champion, who in his 4^th fight with Juan Manuel Marquez was leading on all cards and was handily beating his opponent walked into this punch and was put to sleep

This more than likely deep sixes any meaningful fight with Floyd “Money” Mayweather

I'll post a video blog on Youtube later in the week. Until Next Post Fellow Sports Fans!

An American Icon passes away, a video of inside the Boston Subway, NCAA and more in this weeks edition of…

Man I'm tired….

A true American Hero passed away Saturday, August 25, 2012. Neil Armstrong the first person to walk on the moon died at the age of 82.

Armstrong commanded the Apollo 11 spacecraft that landed on the moon July 20, 1969, capping the most daring of the 20th century's scientific expeditions. His first words after becoming the first person to set foot on the surface are etched in history books and the memories of those who heard them in a live broadcast.

“That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind."

His family asked to "Honor his example of service, accomplishment and modesty, and the next time you walk outside on a clear night and see the moon smiling down at you, think of Neil Armstrong and give him a wink."

You ever notice that they say “It doesn’t matter if you win, or lose, its how you play the game” is never said by the team that wins. It is always said by a person on the losing team.

How come the NCAA does not punish the coach, or the player involved, for all teams not just a few teams, when there is illegal recruiting involved? It doesn’t seem right to punish the school.

Come to think of it, How powerful is the NCAA? They can create new criteria for deciding the number one team in the country, they can punish schools for non-football activities, they can punish schools for not meeting graduation guidelines for athletes, they can punish schools for recruiting violations, BUT, they can’t stop schools from transferring to another conference???

All schools who want to transfer to another conference should be approved by the NCAA.

Cabrera and Colon are just another two you have been caught taking a banned substance. The minor leagues of full of players who have been suspended this year. Which means that MLB has a successful drug policy in place.

I am one of the few who think that all qualified baseball players who are eligible for the Hall of Fame should be allowed in regardless of PED’s, Steroids, etc.

Bob Nightengale wrote:

“Hey, it’s OK to admit racists, criminals, drunks and recreational drug abusers, but let’s not tarnish the sacredness of the Hall of Fame.”

“The Baseball Hall of Fame, after all, is a historical museum and not a cathedral.”

My Fantasy Football League was this past Sunday. I had the 5^th pick and it was a snake draft. You had to take 2 Quarterbacks, 4 Running Backs, 5 Wide Receivers or Tight Ends, 2 Kickers and 2 Defenses. This is my roster in the order in which I selected them:

5. Calvin Johnson WR DET

16. Michael Turner RB ATL

25. Wes Welker WR NE

36. Roddy White WR ATL

45. Matt Ryan QB ATL

56. Stevan Ridley RB NE

65. Justin Blackmon WR JAX

76. Stephen Gostkowski K NE

85. Giants Defense

96. Jermichael Finley TE GB

105. Andrew Luck QB IND

116. David Wilson RB NYG

125. Jason Hanson K DET

136. Cincinnati Defense

145. Mark Ingram RB NO

Interesting trends in the draft. Eli (4^th round) went before his brother Peyton (9^th round). With all the receivers the 49ers have, Alex Smith was taken in the last round. No one from the Cleveland Browns was taken. Mendenhall went in the last round.

Following players still available:

Quarterbacks

Josh Freeman

Carson Palmer

Any Jet Quarterback

Running Backs

Beanie Wells

DeAngelo Williams

Peyton Hillis

Wide Receivers

Santonio Holmes

Doug Baldwin

College football finally begins. It is refreshing to know that at this point all teams are equal, with the same won-lost record and all have the notion they will be the national champ at the end of the year. But only a few have a real chance. I wish that one team that is not ranked, sneak in and bust the party for the SEC, Big12, etc.

My team, Syracuse Orange has a rough non-conference schedule and may not finish at .500. But I will keep a stiff upper lip and support them no matter what.

This happened in the Boston last Wednesday (August 22^nd):

Til next time

Scott

Apparently Matthew Berry of ESPN didn't like my draft...i dont think much of it myself.

Greetngs from the Hoodwood, where the locals are sending their best to the folks in the path of Isaac. Ya’ll batten down the hatches and hang on, hopefully it’ll just be a lot of rain and nothing remotely worse.

MLB: Blockbuster! Dodgers go for the gold rush

Back when I was a kid, there used to be a game show called Blockbusters. It was a simple word association game that had an endgame called the gold rush. Seen played to effectiveness here by Leland Yeung.

He missed the cake one at the end...that was Bowling Green... Now you ask, what does a game show from 30 or so years ago have to do with anything? Simple, the Dodgers played Blockbusters  this week and hit a gold rush of their own with the jaw dropping trade for Adrian Gonzalez, the injured Carl Crawford and Josh Beckett heretofore of the Red Sox for the unremarkable James Loney and a host of minor leaguers. The stunning trade makes the Bums a serious power player in the NL. Inserting the respected and feared bat of Gonzalez to a lineup with Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier, Hanley Ramirez and Shane Victorino makes the Dodgers lineup tough from top to bottom. Im actually stunned that someone didn’t try to block this trade since it came past the waiver trade deadline. Moving a potent bat like Gonzalez is always going to get notice and moving him to a big market like LA should have set off tons of foul play cries from smaller markets, but no one said a word. I think the Red Sox are privately relieved to have shed over a quarter billion dollars in salary and long term contracts and may be in the process of starting a slow painful rebuilding process. The Dodgers on the other hand have gone from the hat in hand status that they were under during the McCourt days to being a real heavy in not only the NL but MLB as well. If Josh Beckett can get out from his doldrums he could be provide a real lethal 1-2 punch with Clayton Kershaw to make up the deficit they face with the Giants.

Cycling: Lance Armstrong gives up the fight

In a move that shocked many. Cycling legend Lance Armstrong has decided to not to continue his fight against the USADA in his anti-doping fight. Im one of those that think that the USADA are in a progressive witch hunt against Armstrong who had won 7 Tour de France titles. Armstrong decided that despite having never tested positive for anything. The USADA decided that the allegations that were made had some merit. Some people are of the mentality because they have thought there is no possible way that Armstrong could have been as dominant to have won 7 titles in a row without cheating. I guess in the cynical sports world that we are in that any kind of dominance is regarded with a type of disbelief as to how that can happen. I think that there still should be a innocent until proven guilty. Not accusations, proof. I still think of Armstrong as a real hero, not because he could ride a bike longer and faster than I could ever do but because he fought cancer, beat it and has been a vocal advocate for cancer research, treatment and care. I hope that fight isn’t marginalized because of the alleged doping.

MLB: Jeter does his thing in spite of the haters.

Ive long been one of the fiercest critic of Skip Bayless, the braying honk of ESPN’s First Take program. Bayless was debating with Stephen A. Smith the past Wednesday about the apparent resurgence of Derek Jeter who has been a vital cog in the Yanks usual dominant play. Batting .326 with 13 homers and 43 RBI’s Jeter’s number are a marked improvement over his play of 2011 where he batted .297 which was an improvement from his career low .270 in 2010 but many pundits were sure that Jeter had been on the decline. Bayless made a not too veiled comment about Jeter’s resurgence alluding that Jeter must have been taking something to have allowed him to improve his play. Bayless is a shit-stirrer, one that will say things just for effect and sit back and chuckle at the controversy that it generates. Jeter was his usual low-key classy self when asked about Bayless’ comments saying that maybe Bayless himself needed to be tested. I think personally that Jeter is the epitome of class and his resurgence is something that I don’t think is related to any kind of PED, I think that after the last subpar seasons, that he came out determined to come out stronger and better. He hasn’t come out hitting 35 or 40 homers he has 12. He is back hitting the spray line drives that he did when he was younger, his form is back and I think that he will finish his career very strong. I don’t think he would hang on long enough to past Pete Rose on the all time hit list of which he is just under a thousand shy. But I do think that he has enough to be supplant Tris Speaker as the AL all time hit leader which hes about 250 hits shy of.

NFL: NFC preview

With the NFL deciding to put games on Thursday for the first 13 weeks of the season, there will be some changes in the weekly NFL preview that I post. I will post the Thursday pick here in Hoodwood and the rest of the picks will post on Friday. Noting that, here are my picks on how I think the NFC will coalesce to the road to a Big Easy Super Bowl.

NFC East (Predicted Order of Finish)

Eagles

Reid is under the gun to bring a title to Philly and he has the tools to do it, but can Vick stay healthy enough to make the run?

Giants

G-Men get no pub and little respect from the national media and barely get noticed in their own city despite two Super Bowl win in 5 years. Eli has capably stepped from big bro’s shadow to his proper reconigtion as an elite QB.

Cowboys

Tony Romo takes the heat for a team that has underachieved in the past 5 years, but with better teams blocking their way in the division they may be stuck in this position.

Redskins

RG3 takes the reins but the learning curve will be steep in this rugged division. If Shanny can be patient this team will be tough every week but the wins will be hard to come by.

Fast Fact: Andy Reid is the NFL’s longest tenured coach and the 4th longest tenured in the four North American sports leagues behind Popovich of the NBA's Spurs, Ruff and Trotz in the NHL of the Sabres and Predators respectively and ahead of Mike Scioscia of the MLB Angels

Skinny: The Eagles window is closing fast, they have the tools to go deep but they also have the mentality sometimes to wander. I see the Eagles holding off the Giants to win the division.

NFC North

Packers

Aaron Rodgers is the best QB in the game, period and as long as he has his health the Packers will continue to be the bully in this division but are looking over their collective shoulders at hungry pursuers.

Lions

Shedding their status as NFL punching bag and punch line, the Lions will go as far as Matthew Staffords health will take them and that could be far. They have should the capability to slug it out with the Pack but they are still maybe a year or two shy from supplanting them.

Bears

Insert your favorite Jay Cutler joke here, the much maligned Bears signal caller has more weapons now than he has ever had in his time in Chi-town. Reunited with one time Broncos teammate Brandon Marshall and a contract happy Matt Forte the Bears offense for once looks potent. I still cant see them having enough to push past the two loaded teams ahead of them in this division.

Vikings

Its not a good time to be a fan of this team. Adrian Peterson looks like he has made a startlingly fast recovery from major knee surgery and may be ready to go in Week 1, the rest of the offense looks nondescript and the defense aside from Jared Allen looks punchy. That is a recipe for disaster in this super tough division, the Vikes might go another year without a division win. 5 wins total would be considered a realistic goal.

Fast Fact: The Packers became the first NFL team to win 15 regular season games, yet not win a single playoff game

Skinny: The Pack will win the division but holding off the Lions is getting tougher and tougher.

NFC South

Atlanta

Matt Ryan has the tools, the talent around him and still cant get anywhere in the playoffs. They have more than enough to hold off the decimated Saints and still growing Panthers. But that margin is closing fast.

Carolina

The startling growth of Cam Newton has turned this team from pushover to up and comer in a hurry. They still have too many questions on defense to be taken totally seriously as a contender but they have enough to give the Falcons some pause.

New Orleans

Drew Brees still pilots one of the most feared offenses in the NFL but without the leadership of Sean Payton there will be a critical element missing and that in itself will be what brings the Saints to their knees this season. Brees will keep them competitive and they will win a few games but not enough to make a playoff run this year.

Tampa Bay

Buc fans have to be discouraged, they are still waiting for Josh Freeman to make that step up to elite and fulfill his potential. Starting over with former Rutgers head man Greg Schiano, the Bucs are heading in a new direction but this division is way too deep for them to make a move up.

Fast Fact: The Falcons four consecutive winning seasons are the longest such streak in their history

Skinny: The Falcons still have more than enough to take the division but are not strong enough to get deep into January

NFC West

San Francisco

The much maligned Alex Smith finally took a huge step in not only leading the Niners to a division title but thrilling divisional round win over the Saints and taking the Giants to overtime in the NFC title game. With a defense led by the hard hitting Patrick Willis the Niners have more than enough to continue to dominate this super weak division

Seattle

The Seahawks are a tough team to figure, they spent hella cash to get Matt Flynn then turn around and hand the QB reins to talented rookie Russell Wilson. With plenty of offensive options including the seemingly ageless Terrell Owens (Is he still in this league?) and Marshawn Lynch the potential is high but the defense is spotty at best and can be as hideous as those Nike unis.

Arizona

Another team that brought in big money QB but may be handing the reins to someone less heralded. Kevin Kolb has done nothing to prove his worth and John Skelton may be starting, uber talented Larry Fitzgerald is seeing his talents wasted with an ineffective offensive game plan. If Beanie Wells can ever stay on the field healthy they could make some noise, but lacking that and with a so-so defense the Cards can stay afloat in this weak division but not have anything close to being a playoff contender

St. Louis

The Rams are trying a new direction with a proven vet coach in Jeff Fisher and may show some improvement but the clock is ticking on Sam Bradford. The running game is solid with Steven Jackson and rookie Isaiah Pead  but the defense is still very ragged and even in this weak division they simply don’t have enough to make inroads.

Skinny: It’s the Niners division to lose, they have the tools to get all the way to N'Awlins

Fast Fact: There have been three different division winners the last three years

Division Winners

Philly, San Fran, Green Bay, Atlanta

Wild Cards New York, Detroit

In the Wild Card Round

New York Beats Atlanta

Philly Beats Detroit

In the Divisional Round:

Philly Beats Green Bay

San Fran Beats New York

In the Championship Game:

San Fran beats Philly to win the NFC

Fantasy Football: Bandit on Brain Lock

My first fantasy draft was this past weekend. I think I was on something, either that or cursed. I drafted sixth in the HHFL (Humana Hardhitters Football League)  My 2012 Butler County Black Bandits are as follows: (Depth chart)

QB: Matthew Stafford

Alex Smith (stupid me, I left Matt Schaub on the board)

RB: Ryan Mathews (stupid me, i left AP on the board)

Ahmad Bradshaw

Bernard Scott (Hurt his thumb against GB)

Jahvid Best (another bad pick)

WR: Larry Fitzgerald

Wes Welker (steal)

Miles Austin

Darius Heyward-Bey

TE: Jermaine Gresham

K: Matt Bryant

D/ST Baltimore (I hope the loss of T-Sizzle doesnt hurt)

Philly

It seems that all the players that I drafted are either nicked up or worse. I find out yesterday that Jahvid Best will be on the PUP list. Matthew Stafford got drilled in Oakland and I'm holding my breath if he will be ready to go in week 1. Im trying to work a trade for Schaub but I doubt I can work that. In 7 years in playing in this league I've never finished better than 7-7 (2009 and last year) in this league which to me is an embarrassment. Comments (and ridicule) on my so-called draft are welcome

After weeks of speculation, and handwringing. The Man Cave is just about ready to show off. The first column of September will mark my 5th year of blogging and to celebrate I will show the man cave off in a Cribs style video. The AFC preview will also be next week as well.

Until Next Post Fellow Sports Fans!

Hey Gabber's,

We have set up the 2012 YouGabSports Fantasy Football League at NFL.com. If you are interested in playing this free league please signup below and I'll forward an invite to you from the league itself. It's simply easier this way. If the demand to play requires it I'll create another league.

The draft is set for Saturday, September 1, 2012 at 8 pm. and it's a snake draft.

Sorry for the delay getting this together...but like they say, better late than never! Good luck to all that play!!!

Any question, don't hesitate to ask!

Sully