NFL Pix - Season Finale

The regular season came to an end last night as the Titans scraped out a win over the Colt's "B-Team." Thankfully, that win kept me one win ahead of Val for last place in the league...

That said, Val finished the second half (wks 10-17) with a 68.25 W%, tied with Marc for the best second half of any Pix Player. Interestingly, both Val and Marc were among the worst in the first half (wks 1-9), 53 W% and 62 W% respectively, proving that you can learn along the way (or that there is perhaps some form of steroid out there that makes you smarter) -- Marc finished 7th out of 12 and just 4 points out of the Top 4.

Defending Pix Champion Murph also had a strong second half (67.5%) after posting the 2nd worst W% through Week 9 (60.7%) -- finishing 6th overall.

Damien and Woody lead the pack from Week 1 and never looked back. It was a photo finish in Week 17, but Damien had built a small lead in Week's 15 & 16, giving him a two-point cushion that proved to be difference and earned him the 2008 Championship.

Damien finished with 168 total points, 2 bonus points, 3 Picks of the Week and a league best 5 weeks won. Woody finished second with 166 points and a league best 12 weeks with double-digit wins.

Other quick notes... Alex held on to 3rd place (162 pts) thanks to a league best 4 bonus points, but Marc was the only Pix Player to guess the exact score of any game this season, picking the Pats to beat the Browns 34-17 in Week 5.

Tom and myself were the only Players unable to win at least one week, and not surprisingly, we finished 9th and 10th respectively - my slightly better W% boosting me (63.28) over John (62.89%). I also share the "No Bonus Points Award" with Jim, though he clearly came out ahead in the end, finishing just 1 point shy of the Top 4.

Chris was consistently in the hunt all season and finished 4th overall with 160 points. And Andy and his Chicago Bears, although finihsing strong with surprising wins over Green Bay and New Orleans, came in 8th overall.

Lastly, we brought in some guess Players along the way and despite a 5 -8 record in Week 8 and a few player admittedly picking their teams based entirely on their mascot or team colors, the Guests finished with a 65 W% over nine weeks - placing them in the Top 4 for W%.

Also, the Accuscore computer was smarter than all but the top 5 Pix Plater with a 64.68 W%...

So, the regular season is finished, but I plan to redeem myself in the playoffs. Check the sheet for Playoff tabs. The format is pretty much the same, but we will be picking the scores of all the games. There are two games on SATURDAY and two games on SUNDAY, so be sure to get your pix in on time. I have made some "pretend" pix so you can see how the points will work - email me with any questions.

Congrats to Damien and thanks to everyone for playing. Go Patriots... 19-0!!

Daily Dose

For a while there, it looked like Patriots fans across the country would be spending their Christmas bonuses on an NFL Network package, just so they could see the Pats' attempt at an undefeated season on Saturday. But, the NFL Network worked out a deal with CBS and NBC to televise the game nationally, so now you'll have your choice of channels and announcers to watch this weekend, including Channel 5, if your local.

Notes: Brady needs just two TDs to break Manning's record for most TDs in a season and Moss needs one TD catch to break his own record for most TDs by a WR. The Patriots can also break the record for most points scored in a season on Saturday. The Giants have secured an NFC playoff spot and will likely rest many of their starters after the 1st quarter, especially if the Pats get an early lead.

The Celtics continue to dominate the NBA. Ray Allen returned to Seattle last night and scored 10 points, but it was the Paul Pierce show (37 pts, 5 three's and 6 RB). The C's won 104-96 and still own the best record in the NBA AT 24-3 (DET: 21-7, PHX: 20-9, SA: 20-7).

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Notes: Pierce cracks the top 20 in total points with 570, but is not in the top 20 in PPG. KG is 10th in the NBA in RB/G with 10.5 and Ray Allen, the 3-point specialist, is 8th in the NBA with 62 three's made (27%). I haven't watched more than 30 minutes of Celtics ball this year, but the fact these quick stats, coupled with the a league best 24-3 record make me feel like the C's are distributing the ball well, staying in games and/or holding leads, and not making crucial mistakes -- all things the C's of the past did not do well.

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The Bruins are 4-5-1 in their last 10 and went 4-1 on the recent home stand, after winning 3 straight on the road. The B's fell to 5th in the East with 40 points and need a big win tonight @ Carolina (41) with the Penguins, Rangers, Sabers and Panthers all with 39-40 pts. The B's should be able to gain some ground with a home/away series against the Thrashers and a match up against last-place Washington, before they face the red-hot NJ Devils on Jan. 5th.

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Notes: Eastern Conference rival Montreal (42) will face the Panthers tonight and have lost the last 4 games against Florida. Carolina has three goal scorers in the top-20, so the B's will need to do better than the standard 2 points they've been putting up lately. That said, the Hurricanes are 4-6 in their last 10, so it's anyone's game tonight, as both squads look to get back on track after the Christmas break.

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And lastly... Johna Santana has still not been traded.

NFL Pix: Week 15 Results

After a huge week for all the Pix Players, Week 15 brought us all back to earth.

Returning Guest Player - Gregg redeemed himself with an 11-5 record, tying Andy for the win this week. Jimbo crept back into the 4th spot at 147, but Chris (146), Murph (145) and Marc (143) are all in the race for a colored square. Meanwhile, Val (137) continues to gain ground of the bottom of the pack and is now just 3 points away from Tom, John and myself at 140.

Marc and Jim grabbed the Pick of the Week going with Houston over Denver on Thursday... but kudos to those of you who took the always aggravating Redskins over the equally frustrating Giants as well.

With two weeks left, Damien has a 1-point lead over Woody - it looks like the battle for the No. 1 spot will come down to the final game...

Good luck!

RESULTS: How bad will the Pats beat the Jets?

Well, it was a sloppy, boring game, but in the end the Pats remained undefeated. We also saw Maroney show us that the running game isn't dead in New England - a good sign with the playoffs looming. Brady had his first "no TD" game of the season and with the bye and the No. 1 seed locked up, you have to wonder how much he'll play over the next two weeks... and if that will stop him from breaking Peyton Manning record for most TDs in a season.

Bottomline: The weather really screwed us out of the shellacking many of us were hoping for, but seeing the Pats grind makes it all better - we'll need that ability and experience in the playoffs... especially if it keeps snowing every three days in New England...

Next up: The now 1-13 Miami Dolphins - Congratulations!

Mitchell Report

George Mitchell's report on sterois use in Major League Baseball was released today at 2:00PM. You can read the full 409-page report at MLB.com or click here for a simple list of names courtesy of Rotoworld.com.

Rob's Take: After all the hype and talk of Cy Young winners and All-Stars, I was expecting a more exciting list, but in the end it was full of aging veterans that clearly used steroids and HGH in the same manner that NE Patriot Rodeny Harrison admitted to using them - that is to say they used them to recover from injuries and/or steal one more year in the sun...

We already knew about Canseco and Bonds. We heard rumors about guys like Paul Byrd, David Justice, Gary Matthews Jr. and Roger Clemens. (Seeing Roger's buddy Andy Pettitte on the list is not surprising) And I don't think anyone was shocked to see guys like Tejada, the injury-prone Troy Glaus, Eric Gagne and Kevin Brown.

But there were a few names that bummed me out and surprised me. No. 1 is Brian Roberts. This kid went from average to amazing almost over night so it shouldn't be that much of a shock, but I read an article in Men's Health about his new trainer and workout program, so I was convinced it was just hard work... The other name is 3-time All Star Matt Williams. He's long retired, but he was nasty while he was with the Giants back in the 90's. Seeing him on the list explains how he managed to hang around until 2003, but it makes you wonder if he was using all along or just in his twilight years?

Bottomline: After hearing rumors about 'Tek, Timlin, Trot and few others, I'm happy to report that the only names connected to the Sox were Gagne, Brendan Donnelly and Mo Vaughn. Looks like we beat the Yanks on this one too...

VOTE: How bad will the Pats beat the Jets?

With our first big snow storm set to hit in Sunday the hopes of a 70-3 shellacking of the Jets seems unrealistic... but you never know...

Vote for your point spread on this week's poll and get your firewood ready for another snowy AFC Eats showdown!

Santana Watch

The latest from Rotoworld.com...

The Minneapolis Star Tribune reports that the Twins "continued exploring potential trade options for Johan Santana on Monday" and "were focused on a package headlined by center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury."

The Twins are said to be leaning more towards an Ellsbury-led package than a Jon Lester-led package, which makes sense given the team's needs. The newspaper speculates that a deal with Ellsbury would also involve Jed Lowrie and Justin Masterson, plus a fourth prospect. Meanwhile, talks with the Yankees reportedly "remained dormant," although "a person close to the talks" surprisingly notes that Kei Igawa "was one of several players the sides discussed last week" along with Phil Hughes and Melky Cabrera.

Bottomline: It's good to hear that this deal might still happen, but I still would rather keep Ellsbury. The Twins are doing what's best for their team and I guess I 'd rather see this deal get done than have it wash away completely. We all screamed when they traded Hanley Ramirez, and he has become a solid player, but in the end we won the WS and two of the biggest contributors were Lowell and Beckett...

Slow News Day...

As we wait to see if Johna Santana will be coming to Boston, I thought I'd share this brief "Economy of Baseball" article with you all. In short, Vince Gennaro or Yahoo! Sports posted this article detailing how a team's potential place in the standing will effect their desire to bid on the big free agents...

Adding a six-win player – each win is determined not by single-game performance but a player's overall impact throughout a season – is worth far more to an 86-win team than to a 76-win team. The payoff for getting to 92 wins is a possible playoff berth and the financial spoils that accompany it, while an 82-win team does little more than put a few more people in the stands. -- Full Story

The most interesting part of the article for me, was the idea of spending big money on a free agent in the hopes that he will propel your team into the playoffs and earn you bonus revue that will essentially enable the team to break even on that move.

With that in mind, it makes you wonder who needs a guy like Santana more, the Sox, who will likely be the 2008 AL Champ favorite, or the Yankees who after years of domination, now find themselves fighting the AL Central for a playoff spot...

Steeler's DB Smith Guarantees Win Over Pats

From ESPN.com

The Patriots (12-0) may have the perfect record, Smith said Wednesday, but it should be New England that is worried about the Steelers (9-3) rather than the other way around.
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"People keep asking me if we're ready for the Patriots," Smith said. "They should be asking if they're ready for us."

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Is Smith so confident that he is willing to copy one of former Pittsburgh linebacker Joey Porter's familiar motivational ploys by guaranteeing the Steelers will win?
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"We're going to win," Smith said. "Yeah, I can guarantee a win. As long as we come out and do what we got to do. Both sides of the ball are rolling, and if our special teams come through for us, we've got a good chance to win."

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Despite Smith's abundant optimism, no other Steelers are designating Sunday as guaranteed win day. Linebacker James Farrior, cautioning that Smith hasn't been in the NFL long and may not realize what he is saying, doesn't think the Patriots will pay any attention.
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Smith, a third-round pick from Syracuse in 2006, became the starter at free safety only after Ryan Clark needed spleen surgery in late October.

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"He better keep his mouth shut," Farrior said, though he was laughing and wasn't angry at his teammate. "Oh well, I guess we've got to go deal with that."
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Or maybe not. Patriots safety Rodney Harrison, asked by Fox Sports Radio about the comments, answered, "Who was it?"

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Told it was Smith, Harrison said, "Never heard of him." -- Full Story

Bottomline: Farrior has it right - You can bet this article is currently posted in the Pats locker room. As if we needed any more motivation after Monday night...

VOTE: Who will be the star of this week's Patriots / Steelers game?

The Patriots escaped Baltimore with an undefeated record. Many thought the close call against the Eagles would have been the game that re-focused the Pats, but that didn't happen. Will Monday night's scare help turn things around or will the Steelers and their top-ranked defense give Brady & Co. more trouble?

I expect the Pats to win, but who is gonna step up - Will Moss return to hos 1st half form? Will Welker or Stallworth take advantage of the double teams on Randy? Will the currently hot combo of Big Ben and Hines Ward prove to be the difference for the Steelers? Or will both or one of these top-ranked defenses rise to the occasion?

Cast your vote and get your X-mas shopping done on Saturday! This one should be a doozie!

RESULTS: Trade for Santana?

The deal still isn't done, but it appears that the Bottomliners are in favor of acquiring Johan Santana. We didn't get too many comments, but it seems clear that the deal is a good one for the Sox - as long as they don't give up too much.

Personally, I think Ellsbury is the real deal, so I'd rather see them do the Crisp/Lester deal. Years from now, I think we may discover that the minor leaguers like Masterson that are included, will have the most impact - but we'll have to wait for a deal first.

A quick note: Santana will be a free agent in 2009, so maybe the smart play would be to let him stay in Minnesota this year, since we have a pretty good staff already, and then just pay the ridiculous salary he would want as a free agent in '09 (since Schill and Wake will be done) - you know we have the money...

Patriots Remain Undefeated

I'm still recovering from this one. All I can say is thank you Brian Billick. And a special thanks to the Ravens defense for taking their frustration with their coach out on the officials. We couldn't have done it without you.

Now. Can someone tell me what the hell was going on last night? Here are my thoughts, but let's here what you guys think...

1. Yes we're the greatest passing team in the league, but I think it's safe to say that the complete lack of a running game is starting to hurt us. Maroney looks hesitant to hit the line hard and seems to be searching for the whole rather than hitting the hole. I miss Sammy Morris.

2. "Jaws" said last night that Moss came into that game catching just 57% of the passes thrown to him over the past few weeks, after catching 100% of the first 70 or so thrown to him. There's three things going on here: a) Randy has gotten complacent b) defenses have learned how to guard him c) Brady is being pressured more, resulting in less accurate passes.

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I seem to think it's b... and a little of c. The league knows Moss is the #1 choice, so if you bump him of the snap, it disrupts his timing, and subsequently, Brady's timing. Once Brady moves to the next target, it's not likely he'll look back at Moss, and if he does, the pressure is likely on him by then.

3. McGahee ran wild on us last night, a week after we held Westbrook to less than 60 rushing yards. Philly exposed us over the middle, and now the Ravens have exposed the hole left by Colvin at LB. I give a lot of credit to Baltimore's O and D lines last night - they simply won the line of scrimmage. It's a forgotten part of the game, but it's crucial. We need the big 3, Seymour, Wilfork and Green, to get angry - maybe this game will do that.

Thoughts?

Santana Watch

The Yankees have reportedly backed out of negotiations with the Twins and the Sox are now the favorite to land Johna Santana... if the Twins and Sox ever agree on a deal.

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The latest news is that the Sox are willing to include Ellsbury in the deal, but will not include Lester and Buccholtz as well. Let the chess match continue...

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And for those of you crying over the potential loss of the Nation's new favorite spark plug, here's a few lines from Gordon Edes, Boston Globe:

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While fan chat boards and a Boston-dot-com survey indicated considerable dismay at the possibility that the Sox would part with Ellsbury, baseball executives informally polled here thought the Sox should proceed with a deal for Santana, even if it cost them both Ellsbury and Lester.
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They likened it to the trade made 10 years ago by former Sox GM Dan Duquette, who gave up the team's top pitching prospect, Carl Pavano, and another minor league pitcher, Tony Armas Jr., in the deal that brought Pedro Martínez to the Red Sox. Two winters ago, while Epstein was on hiatus, the Sox gave up the organization's prized prospect, Hanley Ramirez, and pitching prospects in the deal that netted them 20-game winner Josh Beckett and third baseman Mike Lowell, MVP of the 2007 World Series. Full Article

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Bottomline: I love Ellsbury, but getting Santana would be huge. That said, I've said from day one that we shouldn't make this deal, unless we are the clear winners. The way this is going, I'll put $5 down right now that this gets shelved until July...

Santana Watch - Ellsbury Included!?

On the eve of the start of the winter meetings, the intrigue surrounding Minnesota Twins left-hander Johan Santana took one more unexpected turn.

The Red Sox yesterday did an about-face and decided to include outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury in a package for the premier pitcher. Previously, the Red Sox had declared both Ellsbury and pitching prospect Clay Buchholz off-limits in trade talks.

That, however, was before the New York Yankees — the Red Sox’ chief rival on the field and in these negotiations — reluctantly agreed to include top pitching prospect Phillip Hughes in their offer to the Twins. Full Story - Projo.

Bottomline: This is not good. I like that we are forcing the Yankees to give up their best guys to get Santana - I just hope that's not what they're doing to us. We know the Sox have the better staff, so I have to assume the Yankees are more desperate for Santana - and maybe that's exactly what Theo is thinking... Even if the Yanks get him, I like Beckett, Dice-K, Schilling, Wake, Lester and Buccholtz over Wang, Santana, Pettitte (will re-sign for $16M), Igawa and whoever else they buy to replace Kennedy-Hughes-Karstens...