Houston, We Have A Problem
By Christian Pierre-Louis
The Los Angeles Lakers hit 16 3-pointers against the Houston Rockets, but the last one meant the most.
With 1.3 seconds remaining, Steve Blake caught a short inbound pass from Jodie Meeks and drained his fourth 3-pointer of the night. Suddenly, the score was 99-98, and the Lakers held on for the final second and three-tenths to hand Dwight Howard an embarrassing loss against the Kobe Bryant-less Lakers.
Steve Blake hit a huge game winning 3-pointer to take down Dwight Howard and the Houston Rockets (Via Getty)
Later in the game, Howard was repeatedly sent to the free throw line using the hack-a-Howard strategy, a strategy that Lakers’ fans painfully lived through last season. Howard finished 5-16 from the charity stripe, and his 15 points and 14 rebounds were overshadowed by his 31 percent foul shooting and four turnovers.
For Lakers fans, it was a case of déjà vu in more ways than one.
Watching Howard miss free throws late in the game was a familiar sight, even if it was welcomed for a change. Also, watching Howard lose the ball on careless turnovers was an all-too-familiar memory for fans watching at home.
This time, though, Howard wasn’t on the Lakers, so all of his mistakes were being celebrated across Laker Nation.
Aside from Howard, the Lakers were the same bunch they’ve been all season long. After getting out to a massive 17-point first half lead, the Lakers found themselves trailing at the end of a close ball game.
Howard’s consistent misses at the line allowed the Lakers to stay in the game, as LA ran out of ammo from behind the arc. Including Blake’s game-winner, the Lakers only made three field goals in the last five minutes of the game.
One of those field goals came via Meeks, who led the Lakers with 18 points on 5-7 shooting from behind the arc. The Lakers’ bench outscored the Lakers’ starters once again, but that didn’t seem to matter by the time everyone got into the locker room.
On a Thursday night in Houston, the Los Angeles Lakers won their first road game of the season, embarrassed the man who spurned their team, and made the Laker fans proud.
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Christian Pierre-Louis is a journalism major at Seton Hall University. He is a HUGE fan of the, LA Lakers, NY Giants, and NY Yankees. He is also an assistant sports producer at Seton Hall’s radio station WSOU 89.5 FM. You can follow him on twitter at @CPL_78.
Fantasy Football Love/Hate Week 10
By Brett Malamud
Right off the bat, if your fantasy team had to go up against Robert Griffin III like mine did last night, I’m sorry. RG3 torched the Vikings defense for a total of 27 fantasy points in ESPN Standard Leagues. My other fantasy team had to face Adrian Peterson, who rushed for two touchdowns and scored 19 fantasy points in ESPN Standard Leagues. It’s pretty safe to say that I was a bit unhappy while watching the game from a fantasy football perspective. However, it’s not always about who starts, but rather who finishes. Before we get to it, a quick shout out to Mr. Roto, Matthew Berry, who has been doing Love/Hate for years. On that note here are my Love/Hates for week 10 in the NFL:
Quarterbacks I Love in Week 10
Jake Locker vs. Jacksonville Jaguars: Why would you think of starting this inconsistent quarterback, you ask? Well, the Jaguars defense has allowed double digits to quarterbacks in every single week.
Jay Cutler vs. Detroit Lions: While the Lions defense has allowed double digits to quarterbacks in every single week except for week one, that’s not the reason I would start Cutler. I believe that the Bears’ receivers performed well over the last few weeks without their fearless leader and with Cutler back, they’ll excel even more.
Philip Rivers vs. Denver Broncos: Rivers has been on fire for the entire season and has done very well for my fantasy team. I am expecting a big game out of him against a team that has a weak pass rush that allowed more than 300 yards to Chad Henne.
Quarterbacks I Hate in Week 10
Andy Dalton at Baltimore Ravens: Here’s a guy that was on my team and was traded in a blockbuster deal for Peyton Manning. Looking back, I was pretty happy that I got the top scoring fantasy player in the NFL. But Dalton did have a streak of his own over the last few weeks. However, the red headed Dalton struggled last week against the Miami Dolphins. Look for Dalton to struggle in a loud M&T Bank Stadium, where the Ravens have been red hot on defense.
Matt Ryan vs. Seattle Seahawks: Ah yes, Matty Ice. It’s fair to say that Matty Ice has gone ice cold, throwing seven interceptions in his last two games. It’ll definitely be tough for him to go up against the second best defense in the NFL.
Case Keenum at Arizona Cardinals: The streak has got to end, right?
Running Backs I Love in Week 10
Reggie Bush at Chicago Bears: Fans in Detroit have been voicing their pleasure at Lions home games with chants of “Reg-gie! Reg-gie!” Expect this to continue against a shaky Bears defense.
Reggie Bush has been a great fit in Detroit’s offense (Via USA Today Sports)
Eddie Lacy vs. Philadelphia Eagles: He’s scored double-digit points in each of the last four weeks, and without Aaron Rodgers on the field, expect him to do it again.
Zac Stacy at Indianapolis Colts: While Stacy is questionable at the moment, he should keep up his streak as well in this upcoming game if he plays.
Running Backs I Hate in Week 10
BenJarvus Green-Ellis at Baltimore Ravens: Giovani Bernard got the red zone carries and cashed in. That’s all that needs to be said.
Rashad Jennings at New York Giants: The 28 year old got his shot when Darren McFadden went down with injury. But don’t expect greatness against a team that has done nothing better than stopping the run.
DeAngelo Williams at San Francisco 49ers: The return of Jonathan Stewart has taken away many carries from Williams and so he’s not such a great option at the moment.
Wide Receivers I Love in Week 10
Keenan Allen vs. Denver Broncos: In what has been one of the biggest surprises of the season, Allen has helped make the Chargers offense electric. He’ll continue again this week.
Alshon Jeffery and Brandon Marshall vs. Detroit Lions: See Jay Cutler
Hakeem Nicks vs. Oakland Raiders: Nick Foles did throw seven touchdowns against this defense last week. I believe Nicks is due for a big game.
Wide Receivers I Hate in Week 10
Cecil Shorts at Tennessee Titans: There will be more coverage on Shorts this weekend, as Justin Blackmon is suspended.
Mike Wallace at Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Going up against Darrelle Revis on Monday Night Football is not a favorable matchup for Wallace, who hasn’t scored since week two.
Marvin Jones at Baltimore Ravens: If Dalton struggles, so will Jones. I mean, you can’t throw it to yourself, right Hakeem Nicks?
Tight Ends I Love in Week 10
Antonio Gates vs. Denver Broncos: Gates is ranked the number two wide receiver by Matthew Berry this week. Expect Rivers to find him for a TD or two.
Garrett Graham at Arizona Cardinals: The Arizona defense has not been able to contain tight ends this year and so Graham could make for an interesting play.
Jason Witten at New Orleans Saints: Witten is coming off of a great week against Minnesota last week. This one is expected to be a shootout, so expect Witten to be heavily involved.
Tight Ends I Hate in Week 10
Jared Cook at Indianapolis Colts: Cook had a good week last week, but it was his first since week one. The Colts are in the top 10 against tight ends this year so it’s not really a good play.
Defenses I Love in Week 10
Tennesee Titans vs. Jacksonville Jaguars: They are playing the Jaguars so…
Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Buffalo Bills: With EJ Manuel first coming back from injury, don’t expect a great game from him.
Defenses I Hate in Week 10
Chicago Bears vs. Detroit Lions: The Bears just haven’t been themselves this season and now they have to play a scary Lions team.
Dallas Cowboys at New Orleans Saints: Sunday Night Football. Superdome. Drew Brees. Doesn’t look so good for the Cowboys defense.
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Brett Malamud is a Computer Science Major at Binghamton University. He is the co-founder of dabuzzza.com. His favorite athletes are Derek Jeter and Todd Bertuzzi. You can follow him on twitter at @brettnyy
Thursday Night Football Preview: Vikings vs. Redskins
By Matthew Wieselthier
NFL Network has been celebrating their 10th year on air in style with special events and all sorts of fun. They are also in their second full year of doing Thursday Night Football for the entire NFL season. However, they don’t seem to be getting many good games to cover. This continues tonight as the Washington Redskins (3-5) head to Minnesota to take on the Vikings (1-7).
The Redskins are starting to turn things around. Two weeks ago, they took the Broncos to the extreme, in what ended up just being a 4th quarter breakdown of the Redskins and led to their demise. Last week they beat a favored San Diego Chargers team after going to OT and winning in the extra period. Now they have a chance to string two wins together in Primetime. Robert Griffin III has been playing progressively better since coming off his ACL injury last season and the team overall is starting to look like the playoff team of last year.
Robert Griffin III leads the Redskins into Minnesota to face the Vikings (Via Getty)
The Vikings seem to have no upside. They have gone through three quarterbacks, and are now going back to their first in Christian Ponder. No part of the team has looked particularly strong, including the man who many consider the best running back in the game, Adrian Peterson. They could have possibly picked up some momentum though after their last game, when the Dallas Cowboys won on a last minute drive by Tony Romo and the Cowboys offense.
On the short week for both teams, the Redskins will prevail over the Vikings 35-24.
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Matthew Wieselthier is the Sports Director at WPOB 88.5 FM, Plainview. He is also the PA announcer at all sporting events at POBJFKHS. You can follow him on twitter at @wieselsports66.
Don’t Hate, Appreciate, Reggie: Comparing Mr. October and Señor Octubre
By Seth Schuster
The Boston Red Sox are World Series Champions once again, thanks to the contributions of “Big Papi” David Ortiz. Ortiz, fresh off of winning his third World Series Championship as a member of the Red Sox, was soon bestowed with an honor that had eluded him twice before – World Series MVP. Ortiz lost out on the honor in 2004 to Manny Ramirez, and in 2007 to Mike Lowell, but there was no doubt as to who was taking home the hardware this October. This time, Ortiz not only had a World Series worthy of discussion for the award, but also as one of the best postseason hitters of all time. His name now graces lists full of great postseason hitters, most notably Reggie Jackson, also known as “Mr. October.” Papi hit a stellar .688 this World Series featuring two homeruns, six RBIs, with a slugging percentage of 1.188, an OBP of .760, while only striking out once in 16 at-bats. This added to his nearly incomparable career World Series resume of a .455 batting average, a .576 OBP, and a .795 slugging percentage. He has 14 RBIs in 14 World Series contests.
David Ortiz certainly has a case to be compared to Reggie Jackson. (Via AP)
Reggie Jackson, “Mr. October,” won five World Series rings over the course of his career, batting .357, with a .457 OBP, and a .755 slugging percentage. Jackson also had 10 homers and 24 RBIs in his World Series career. Jackson’s numbers, compared to Ortiz’s statistics are very close, but fall slightly short of the mark when discussing World Series competition. The only edge Reggie seems to have is the power numbers, where his homerun totals edges Papi by seven and his RBI total bests Ortiz’s by 10. Jackson, however, played in one more WS than Ortiz (Jackson tore his hamstring in the 1972 ALCS, and subsequently did not play in that year’s Series).
Now it’s important to remember that although Ortiz’s numbers may best Jackson’s in the World Series, the moniker “Mr. October” was earned due to Reggie’s spectacular play throughout the entire month.
Reggie hit .278 in his postseason career, tallying 18 homeruns and 48 RBIs in 77 appearances.
Papi is a .295 hitter in his postseason career with 17 homers and 60 RBIs in 82 games.
Ortiz has one less total homerun, and has played five more postseason games, he has 12 more RBI’s than Jackson does on his resume. Jackson hit an average of 0.6 RBIs per game in his postseason career, and even with the added five games his RBI total, would still only be 51, still nine less than Ortiz’s current total. Now, let’s play devil’s advocate for just a minute here. We shouldn’t dub Ortiz “Mr. October” just yet. Although his stats are extraordinary, Ortiz’s name has been linked to Performance Enhancing Drugs in the past.
In 2009, reports surfaced about a failed MLB drug test in 2003. The source was never able to provide any evidence of the failed test, and more importantly, it never reported the drug that Ortiz had allegedly tested positive for. Ortiz, the character guy he his, brushed off the allegations and continued to do the talking with his bat – especially in the postseason. After a name is linked to PEDs, however, it is hard to make that connection disappear even if Ortiz never actually broke any rules. The mere allegation will always linger and serve as a backdrop. The PED link will most likely stay with Ortiz quietly for the rest of his baseball career, whether the rumors are true or not. The connection will most likely be a deciding factor in whether Papi, arguably the greatest Designated Hitter of all time, is enshrined in the baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown somewhere down the road. The only other Designated Hitter who has ever received HOF considerations is Frank Thomas, whose numbers aren’t even comparable to David’s. Could Papi’s postseason statistics drive him up to Cooperstown? It’s might, but we’re not sure. What we do know, however, is that Ortiz “Lives for this,” and it is evident that he does, the man thrives on the crisp October air. The decision on Ortiz’s HOF fate could come down to two deciding factors -PEDs, and postseason play.
He certainly has the numbers to support his case. He certainly has the numbers to be called “Mr. October,” but out of courtesy to Mr. Jackson who said it was “Silly” to call Ortiz “Mr. October.” Let’s call “Big Papi” David Ortiz, “Señor Octubre.” Maybe someday we will call Ortiz “Cooperstown.” He certainly has the numbers to do it. And the numbers never lie.
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Seth Schuster is a student at Blind Brook High School in Westchester, New York. He is an avid sports fan, who knows it all when it comes to the Boston Red Sox, Boston Celtics, New England Patriots, and Boston Bruins. Yup, that’s right – a Boston sports fan living in New York! Seth’s favorite all-time athletes include David Ortiz, Tom Brady, and Paul Pierce. Follow Seth on Twitter for all your Boston Sports updates at @redsoxseth
Efense…Something’s Missing? Oh Right, The D!
By Mike Basile
I don’t think many, if any, Islanders fans were complaining when they acquired Thomas Vanek from Buffalo. He is a great scorer that will fit great with Tavares! The question is, did it really address the issues the Islanders are having? The two main issues in my opinion are quite obvious, defense and goaltending. By acquiring Vanek, they did bolster up the scoring and power play, but with the Isles already averaging three goals a game, was that really necessary?
The defense has been lackluster to say the least all year. The top pair, made up of defensemen Travis Hamonic and Andrew MacDonald, is a combined -7. Granted those two will be found on the ice for almost half the game, your top defensive pair has to be setting the tone for the others. The team allows on average 3.2 goals a game, which is a whopping 27th in the NHL. Don’t you worry Islander fans it only gets better from here, right? Oh wait, I forgot their penalty kill was 28th in the league at 75 percent. The mistakes this team makes are repetitive and consequential. The Islanders have gone a very inconsistent 1-4-1 in games after previous game victories. Bad passes in the defensive and neutral zone have shown to be costly, as well as having defensemen out of position and losing battles in front of the net. Unlucky, but still repetitive are broken sticks and fanning on shots that turn in to odd man rushes. Finally, the one that gets me like no other…… LOSING BATTLES IN THE CORNER! Ladies and gentleman that is all will power in that corner and losing over half of those is going to cause trouble.
The addition of Thomas Vanek has helped the Islanders, but how much? (Via USA Today Sports)
A high point of last year has turned in to a scary 2 minutes this season. The penalty kill has been atrocious (to say it nicely). The fact that teams score on 25 percent of their power plays is killer to a team. For a successful penalty kill the team has to be at least over 80 percent and watching them play it seems like the Islanders are a long way from that. In their most recent game against Washington, the Islanders killed 2/6 power plays and if that is not bad enough, I would say over 90 percent of power play time was spent in the Islanders’ zone. If you cannot clear the puck, your opponent will score goals. It is that simple.
It would not be fair if I only blamed the defense, especially with a starting goalie whose save percentage is under 90 percent. Cue Evgeni Nabokov, who since the playoffs last season has been a slouch for this team to say the least. With his save percentage at .897, he ranks an abysmal 37th among NHL goalies. Even if you do not watch hockey, I think you would agree that this team needs a change back there. What about his goals against? That has to be better right? Yeah!! He ranks 37th in the league with a 3.18 goals against average. Now we ask the question “who is the backup” and that is Kevin Poulin, who has yet to get a fair chance on the Island. With two out of three solid outings against two quality teams in Chicago and Boston, I am definitely giving this kid more nods!
The question at hand is: what can the Islanders do? Here is my solution. First things first, do not panic! It is still early in the season and they have Visnovsky, who is still injured and will come back soon and help the defense. Another quick solution is to part ways with Matt Carkner, as he has been nothing but a liability. I would go out and sign Corey Potter off waivers for a cheap price and play him with Donovan over Carkner. As for the goalie problem, I would start giving Poulin more starts over Nabby and if that doesn’t work, it is time for a shakeup in goal.
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Mike Basile is a sophomore at York College Of Pennsylvania. He is a huge Sports fan, and when it comes to hockey maybe considered a little obsessive. Giving insight on the Islanders and all things hockey. You can follow him on twitter @mikeybasile1
NFL Power Rankings Week 10
By Matthew Wieselthier
The KC Chiefs top our list this week solely on their defense. If they keep it up, they can make a deep run this season.
- Kansas City Chiefs
- Denver Broncos
- Indianapolis Colts
- Seattle Seahawks
- San Francisco 49ers
- New Orleans Saints
- New England Patriots
- Cincinnati Bengals
- Detroit Lions
- Carolina Panthers
- Chicago Bears
- Dallas Cowboys
- New York Jets
- Green Bay Packers
- San Diego Chargers
- Arizona Cardinals
- Cleveland Browns
- Tennessee Titans
- Philadelphia Eagles
- Miami Dolphins
- Washington Redskins
- St. Louis Rams
- Baltimore Ravens
- New York Giants
- Houston Texans
- Buffalo Bills
- Oakland Raiders
- Atlanta Falcons
- Pittsburgh Steelers
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Minnesota Vikings
- Jacksonville Jaguars
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Matthew Wieselthier is the Sports Director at WPOB 88.5 FM, Plainview. He is also the PA announcer at all sporting events at POBJFKHS. You can follow him on twitter at @wieselsports66.
The Ultimate Guide for Following Sports on Twitter
By Greg Kantor
Twitter is a social networking website that allows you to create posts in the form of ‘tweets’. These tweets are short bursts (140 or less characters) of information that can literally be about anything. With regards to sports, Twitter has completely revolutionized sports reporting: breaking news about every major sport is posted instantly, and often before other media outlets (ESPN, newspapers, blogs etc.) can get the information out to the public.
Obviously, Twitter is an amazing tool for all types of sports fans, but the key is knowing how to get the most out of your Twitter account, and that’s where this guide will come in. This guide will give you the best sports accounts to follow and general tips to enhance your overall experience.
Must-Follow Accounts For Sports Fans
Disclaimer: the accounts are listed in no particular order.
Non-Athletes:
- Elias Sports Bureau (@EliasSports): Your go-to account for all the interesting and weird statistics about any sport
- Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell): ESPN sports business reporter; provides a fantastic look at sports from an unique angle
- Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter): ESPN NFL insider; reports exclusively on breaking news and rumors about all NFL teams
- Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN): ESPN the Magazine senior baseball writer; more than just news and rumors, Buster posts a daily insider blog that is free for all to read
- ESPN Stats and Info (@ESPNStatsInfo): ESPN’s twist on the Elias account; tends to tweet more general statistics
- Deadspin (@Deadspin): sports news, but often with a lot of humor
- Jim Irsay (@JimIrsay): owner of the Indianapolis Colts; gives insight into the life of an owner, but with a comedic twist
- Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie): TSN hockey insider; tweets breaking news and rumors about the NHL
- MLB Trade Rumors (@mlbtraderumors): official account for their website (MlbTradeRumors.com); reports on all types of baseball information, not just trades
- Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA): NBA columnist for Yahoo; tweets breaking news and rumors about the NBA
- Chris Mortensen (@mortreport): ESPN senior NFL analyst; tweets breaking news and rumors about the NFL
- Onion Sports Network (@OnionSports): a satirical look at all things sports from The Onion
- Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS): CBSsports.com baseball writer; tweets breaking news and rumors about the MLB
- Jay Horwitz (@Jay_HorwitzPR): Public Relations Director for the Mets; behind the scenes look at the life of a PR guy; expert at butt-tweeting (follow to find out..)
- Erin Andrews (@ErinAndrews): Fox Sports Broadcaster; tweets all things college football, including interviews with top athletes
- J.A. Adande (@jadande): ESPN NBA writer; tweets exclusively about the NBA, but also responds to fans
- FanGraphs Baseball (@fangraphs): the best account for sabermetrics and the MLB (think: Moneyball)
- Eric Stangel (@EricStangel): Executive Producer/Writer for The Late Show; tweets about sports humorously, as well as the perils of rooting for the Chargers
- Peter King (@SI_PeterKing): SI senior writer; tweet about breaking news and rumors in the NFL
- Robert Raiola, CPA (@SportsTaxMan): gives an interesting look at sports, strictly from a monetary standpoint (salaries, taxes etc.)
(Staff addition: We of course cannot forget one of the funniest team accounts out there. The marketing guys over at the Los Angeles Kings organization have had some pretty good tweets over the years on their account (@LAKings). The funniest one perhaps came at the end game five of the 2013 Western Conference Finals. After losing in double overtime to the Chicago Blackhawks and officially being eliminated, the guys who run the Kings twitter account went straight to punchlines. The best being towards the then-recently eliminated Pittsburgh Penguins)
Athletes:
- Jose Canseco (@JoseCanseco): former MLB player; now tweets about his crazy life post-baseball
- Brandon McCarthy (@BMcCarthy32): pitcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks; constantly provides great, funny tweets about the life of a MLB player
- Mike Tyson (@MikeTyson): former boxer;tweets about his family and post-boxing endeavors
- Chad Johnson (@Ochocinco): wide receiver in the NFL, currently a free agent; tweets about his life outside of football; always interacts with fans
- Kevin Love (@kevinlove): power forward/center for the Minnesota Timberwolves; behind the scenes look at the life of an NBA player
- Paul Bissonnette (@BizNasty2point0): left winger for the Phoenix Coyotes; always tweets about his life and consistently interacts with fans
- LeBron James (@KingJames): forward for the Miami Heat; everyone knows about LeBron on the court, but his Twitter account gives us a fantastic glimpse into his family life
- Roberto Luongo (?) (@strombone1): goalie for the Vancouver Canucks (possibly); this account probably belongs to Luongo (the tweets from inside the locker room/teammates attest to that assumption), but the anonymity of the account allows Luongo to tweet freely and give opinions about everything.
- Metta World Peace (@MettaWorldPeace): forward for the New York Knicks; gives his fans a sneak peek into the life of one of the most enigmatic players ever to don a NBA uniform
- Brandon Phillips (@DatDudeBP): second basemen for the Cincinnati Reds; tweets about the life of a MLB player and consistently connects with fans Read More…
The New York Mets: Who’s Left?
By Sam Iryami
Matt Harvey who? After his season-ending torn UCL, he is now out for the entire 2014 season. Harvey put up outstanding numbers with the Mets this past season, having a 2.27 ERA, 191 SO, and winning nine games in 178.1 innings (26 starts). To add on to these great stats, he was the starting NL pitcher in this season’s All-Star Game. As it is was first “real” major league season, he really showed what he was made of in the time that he pitched. Harvey was “lights out,” throwing on average nine and a half strikeouts per nine innings. The Met offense had to do a lot better of a job, after leaving Harvey with twelve no decisions. Now that Matt Harvey will not be pitching for the 2014 season, the Mets have to put up big stats on the other side of the game. The other option besides offense is another pitcher to fill the “Harvey” role on the ball club.
The loss of Matt Harvey will have some pretty big effects on the 2014 season for the Mets (Via Reuters)
Who’s left to fill that role? Well, there’s that guy named Zach Wheeler, the number one pitching prospect last year. The rookie had an ERA of 3.42, won seven games, and had only 84 strikeouts. Evidently, his stats last year were not nearly as outstanding as Harvey’s, which ranked in the top ten of all pitchers. Is Wheeler a solid number one starting pitcher? It seems like Wheeler is the only pitcher on the Mets that has a chance to become the number one pitcher in the Mets’ starting rotation.
Zach Wheeler hopes to fill Harvey’s role (Via Newsday)
Jon Niese, Zach Wheeler, and Dillon Gee are solid starters for the Mets, but they are not anywhere near Harvey. On average, they have a combined 3.89 ERA, 115 strikeouts, and eight wins. In a significant less number of innings, Harvey was able to crush these numbers. Without Harvey in the rotation for the upcoming 2014 season, it leaves the Mets rotation as follows:
1-Zach Wheeler
2-Jon Niese
3-Dillon Gee
4-Jeremy Hefner (TJ)
5-Carlos Torres (FA)/Jenrry Mejia (FA)/ Daisuke Matsuzaka (FA)/ Aaron Harrang
The Mets have to rely on these pitchers in place of superstar Matt Harvey. It’s going to be hard, especially with not a top offense in the league and awful relief pitching.
This offseason, the Mets are left with a ton of cap room, being so because of the absence of Mr. Johan Santana, or should I say “No-han.” His skyrocketing $24 million is no longer a burden for the Mets. This extra cap room could now be used to acquire some top prospects, or even some all-star free agents. Jose Reyes is not a free agent, but he has shown his interest in playing for New York once again, already buying a home in Brookville, NY. He would be a great addition to the roster, adding tremendous speed and enthusiasm to the Mets’ offense. Justin Morneau, Shin-Soo Choo, Nelson Cruz, Jacoby Ellsbury, and Robinson Cano are also possible free agents that the Mets could look into to boost the Mets’ offense and gain the runs they will give up in the field due to the loss of Harvey this year.
Although no one on the Mets’ roster could fill the spot of Harvey, multiple pitchers have a chance to be on the Mets. Pitchers on the market: Bartolo Colon, Masahiro Tanaka, Bronson Arroyo, and Tim Hudson. However, these pitchers may not be interested in playing in the big city or even on the Mets. The organization could definitely look into them, along with many others, to help fill the role of Harvey and add some extra experience and skill to the team as well. The Mets have to be cautious on spending when attempting to procure these great players.
Prospects are not ideal for the Mets. Since Harvey is out for next year, they need offense and pitching quick! Some pitching prospects the Mets have right now: Noah Syndergaard and Rafael Montero. These great players should be starting for the Mets in the near future. However, Signing some free agents or making some trades for big players might be the route the Mets want to take with all the extra cap room they have from Johan’s contract expiration.
Who do you think the Mets should be interested in this offseason? Leave comments and stay tuned to dabuzzza.com to learn about the Mets’ offseason pickups and trades. Dabuzzza is a great way to learn about many other sports besides baseball such as basketball, football, and hockey. Like us on Facebook and follow us on twitter to learn more.
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Sam Iryami is a die-hard Mets, Jets, and Knicks fan. His favorite athletes are David Wright and Carmelo Anthony. Sam is looking for a future career in business and finance.
Who Dat: Fantasy Football Week 10
By: Sam Breiter
Quarterbacks:
Case Keenum (HOU)– No Matt Schaub, no problem. In Keenum’s first week playing for the Texans he surprised many, especially against a tough Kansas City defense. Yet, after a bye week, Keenum didn’t show any setbacks, putting up flawless numbers against the Colts. He may have just earned himself a starting job for the rest of the season.
Week 9 Stats- 350 YDS, 3 TD, 0 INT, 28 PTS
Josh McCown (CHI)- Jay Cutler is a dominant quarterback when healthy, but after he suffered a groin injury, he has missed some time. In his last two games, McCown has given fantasy owners a reason to smile. He’s not putting up Peyton Manning numbers, but he has quickly proven to be a reliable quarterback that will put points on the board.
Week 9 Stats- 272 YDS, 2 TD, O INT, 20 PTS
(UPDATE: JAY CUTLER WILL BE THE STARTING QB ON SUNDAY)
Running backs:
Mike James (TB)- Doug Martin is definitely having one of those sophomore slumps. After a great rookie year, Martin only has one touchdown the whole year, and has only rushed for over 100 yards once. With Martin out, Mike James proved his potential against an overwhelming Seattle defense putting up terrific numbers.
Week 9 Stats-28 ATT, 158 RUSH YDS, 19 PTS
Zac Stacy (STL)- First of all, I think his parents ran out of ink while writing what they wanted to name this future running back. Stacy, since getting the majority of the Rams carries in week 5 has shown nothing but improvement. He’s proven to be a quick, and a powerful back, and will see more carries with a struggling passing game.
Week 9 Stats- 27ATT, 127 RUSH YDS, 51 REC YDS, 2 TD, 29 PTS
Wide Receivers:
Aaron Dobson (NE)- After weekly getting a couple of catches for a couple dozen yards, Dobson broke out in week nine. He’s part of a core of Patriots receivers that no one really knows, but could this be the one that everyone remembers. They clearly like this man in New England, and with Gronkowski back, less defenders will be getting in the way of the rookie from Marshall.
Week 9 Stats- 5 REC, 130 YDS, 2 TD, 25 PTS
Greg Salas (NYJ)- Last week, since 2011 was the first time Salas touched a football during a regular season game. He struggled with the Rams, but seems like a perfect fit into the Jets system. Jeremy Kerley was taken out of the game, and Salas proved that he should be on the field. This may be our biggest Who Dat so far, but Geno doesn’t have many options left and Salas should expect more playing time.
Week 9 Stats- 2 REC, 57 YDS
Greg Salas has come out of nowhere for the Jets this season, and should be carefully watched by owners (Via Fox)
Tight Ends:
Timothy Wright (TB)- Tight ends are hard to come by, especially in fantasy. Wright has shown in the last two weeks that he can pick up decent yards, and get touchdowns. Wright might not be a great blocking tight end, but it’s a good thing that doesn’t count in fantasy. Expect Wright to be picking up close to double digits in points, weekly.
Week 9 Stats- 4 REC, 58 YDS, 1 TD, 11 PTS
Zach Ertz (Phi)- Clearly his parents weren’t as lazy as Stacy’s. With Nick Foles as quarterback, Ertz has seen more chances compared to when Vick was running the offense. Yes Celek is still the number one tight end, but Ertz saw more work then the veteran last week. Celek is having his worst year since 2008, if Ertz keeps up the good work maybe he will find himself a spot in the starting lineup.
Week 9 Stats- 5 REC, 42 YDS, 1 TD
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Sam Breiter is a high school senior at Plainview- Old Bethpage JFK High School. Sam is looking to major in sports management, with a minor in communications next year. He is the co-founder of dabuzzza.com. His favorite teams are the Mets, Giants, and Knicks. You can follow him on twitter at @baseballbreiter
AFC Midseason Recap and Predictions (4 of 4)
By Dan Lagnado
In part one of the midseason recap and predictions, the AFC East was covered, in part two of the midseason recap and predictions, the AFC West was covered and in part three of the midseason recap and predictions, the AFC North was covered. To round out the AFC, we will head over to the AFC South:
Division Winner: Indianapolis Colts
Last year’s #1 overall pick has lived up to the hype. Andrew Luck once again, is putting together a fantastic season for the 6-2 Colts. Luck has thrown for 13 touchdowns, compared to only three interceptions, and has enabled Colts fans to forget about their last first round quarterback. Luck hasn’t had much of a running game this season either even with the trade for Trent Richardson, who the Colts keep hoping will have his breakout game. Luck leads his team in rushing touchdowns with three. Of course Luck now is without his favorite target, Reggie Wayne for the rest of the season, but he had done well at spreading the ball around to other receivers all season. Look for T.Y. Hilton, another second year stud, Darrius Heyward-Bey and tight end Coby Fleener to pick up Wayne’s targets and contributions. The defense took a hit this offseason with the departure of longtime pass rusher Dwight Freeney, yet Robert Mathis was eager to take his place. Mathis has 11.5 sacks this season, which accounts for more than half of the team’s total. The Colts secondary has also improved with the acquisition of Laron Landry to go along with Vontae Davis and Antoine Bethea, all of whom rank in the top five on the team in tackles. Look for Indy to keep on rolling into the postseason with a fairly easy schedule the rest of the way.
Andrew Luck and the Colts hope to run away with the division title (Via AP)
The Tennessee Titans got off to a roaring start winning three of their first four games. However an injury to starting quarterback Jake Locker and inconsistent play has led to three consecutive losses in their previous four games, dropping their record to 4-4. Locker, despite his injury has put up very impressive numbers this season with eight touchdowns and only three interceptions. However, he has been plagued by a weak running game. Chris Johnson, who a few seasons ago rushed for 2000 yards, had only 366 coming into this week. Against the Rams this past week, CJ rushed for 150 yards and two touchdowns. Still, without consistent production out of Johnson, the pressure has been placed on Locker, who for the most part, has done all he can against tough defenses in the past few weeks. The Titans will look to regain the momentum they had earlier in the season and make a playoff run coming out of their bye week.
The Houston Texans have been one of this season’s biggest disappointments. After a playoff appearance last season, the Texans had high hopes that they could compete for another division title. However, the performance has not been up to par. Arian Foster has been injured all season. Matt Schaub has been uncharacteristically inaccurate. The defense, though very good against the pass, has been porous against the run. This has not been a winning formula as the Texans right now are 2-5. The season started very well for Houston. They had won their first two games against tough opponents. And then everything fell apart. Matt Schaub went through a three game stretch where he threw an interception (nine total INT and eight TD) returned for a touchdown in three straight games and then was injured. Even when Schaub was healthy he was not the starter. Case Keenum is the starter, at least for the time being, for the Texans. Houston has gotten very good things from rookie wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins who, along with Andre Johnson, could provide potent weaponry for Houston in the future. This past week against the Indianapolis Colts, Johnson had 229 yards and three touchdowns. However, there were not many targets towards other receivers. Arian Foster has also run effectively when he’s been healthy, as he averages more than 4 yards per rush. Brian Cushing and JJ Watt lead the Texans defense. Watt has five and a half sacks this season, down from his pace of last year, though still on pace for double digits by the end of the season. Cushing leads the team in tackles as well as having one and a half sacks and an interception. The Texans, as a playoff team last year, clearly have the talent to be a potential AFC powerhouse. However, Case Keenum is not the quarterback to lead them to the “promised land” this season.
What is there to say about the Jacksonville Jaguars? There seems to be no end to the suffering of Jags fans. It seems that every year the Jaguars get a high draft pick and every year it doesn’t seem to help. The Jaguars currently are the worst team in the NFL at 0-8 and are in danger of joining the 2008 Lions as teams to go 0-16. The Jags have trailed for 86% of their time on the field and though their schedule is not the toughest, they have not shown the ability to either score, or stop the opposing offense. They are last in points per game and last in opponent’s points per game. Blaine Gabbert has shown that he is not the answer for this offense despite having Maurice Jones-Drew, Justin Blackmon and Cecil Shorts as weapons. Jones-Drew is a Pro Bowl caliber player. Blackmon and Shorts are young and talented wide receivers, though Blackmon has dealt with substance abuse issues in his short career and now has been dealt a second suspension. If he can manage to stay on the field Blackmon has shown how explosive he is. Until the Jaguars find an effective quarterback they cannot be expected to be much of a threat to anyone this season or in the future. In a draft class that is quarterback heavy, I would look for the Jaguars to try to draft their franchise quarterback once again.
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Dan Lagnado is studying communications, law economics and government at American University. He’s a fan of both the Mets and Jets and has been writing about sports for four years. You can follow him on twitter at @dlag1995
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