The NFL Season Ends On Highs and Lows

Wow, I didnt understand how crazy it could get in the AFC, and it doesnt look like things are even close to being done yet. There were sure some weird decisions all around, the Patriots, Eagles, and Cowboys, all with possible detrimental choices to say the least.

Chris Johnson

What a freak, the guy was just lightning AND thunder this year, and I am very glad that he got to 2000 yards. Not only because my two Chris Johnson auto auctions should do a little better, but because I think he proved that you dont have to be a huge guy to be successful in this league. He showed week after week that he is a force to be reckoned with, thus cementing his place atop the yardage list as well as next years fantasy drafts.

Wes Welker

A lot of people questioned teams starting their guys without a purpose, and Wes Welker looks to have taken the brunt of the punishment. He tore multiple ligaments in his knee and may have taken the Patriots playoff hopes down with him. Brady also has a broken finger, and all of it did not prevent the Pats from sitting their guys in a meaningless game.

Minnesota Vikings

When you pitch a virtual shut out of the Giants banged up offense, no one really thinks much of it. However when you have to go to the dome two weeks from now and its louder than an airport runway during rush hour, it becomes apparent that it was not a good thing for the opposing teams. Philly ended up being killed at Dallas, so the road to the super bowl will go through two domed stadiums, one where the Vikings have gone 8-0. Favre also rested much of the second half, and now the Vikings look like they have a shot again. I love it.

MVP

Im not sure if its very clear anymore, especially with how Favre has played in the last two halves. He ended up with over 4000 yards and 30 TDs while throwing fewer than 10 interceptions and leading his team to the two seed. He played every game, and we all know the hard on that the sports writers have for his success. Manning and Brees are pretty much a toss up other than the Favre factor, and I could even seen Chris Johnson win in a split decision. Absolutely crazy for sure, but I am eager to see how it turns out.

ROY

Im not as sure as I once was that Harvin will walk away with it, but he is the odds on Favorite right now. If Sanchez rolls over the Bengals tonight, he could be back in it, and so may some of the other guys. Harvin's contributions to his team were greater than many of the other rookies combined, although Austin Collie, Knowshon Moreno, and Mike Wallace have made their cases as well. Another good battle to see who takes it home.

Denver Broncos

Its been six years since a team started with six wins and missed the playoffs, but Denver sure looked very much like their brown throwback unis in the KC game this week. Im not sure how you can justify benching Marshall, even with the attitude problems, and losing to the Chiefs only makes that worse. Oddly enough, the last team to do what the Broncos did were the Vikings, and trust me, Im sure the Broncos fans are just as fucking pissed as I was in 2003.

Week 19

We could easily be headed for a Packers/Vikings III in two weeks, and I can only imagine what the media blitz is going to be like. Even though the Vikings decidedly beat the Packers twice this year, its far from the truth to think they are the same teams they were so many weeks ago. If the Packers beat the Cardinals like they should, I would expect a hard fought game come two weeks in the dome. Although I think the Vikings still have the firepower to win, it wont be as easy as it was in the beginning of the season.

Saints lose again

Although Drew Brees sat this game out, The Saints are no longer invincible, and could have trouble waltzing into town on the back of Tony Romo. Remember, the Cowboys beat the Saints down from their undefeated pedestal, and it could be hard to avenge that loss looking like the Saints have in recent contests. They will be playing at home, but look for some fireworks regardless if its Philly or Dallas coming to Louisiana.

Rams Secure Number 1 Pick

Whether its Ndamukong Suh or Jimmy Claussen, the Rams are drafting at the top in March. Because of a new regime in St Louis, I look for the Rams to stupidly chase a franchise QB rather than going for a beast in Suh or a Tackle to shore up their line. I just dont think you can justify a top pick regardless of the way you go due to the way that players can bust at a moments notice these days, but I do think you have to at least think of what your team could be missing if you choose someone like Bradford or Claussen at number one.

Rematches

I dont ever remember there being this many rematches on wild card weekend. Packers/Cardinals, Jets/Bengals, and Eagles/Cowboys are all week 17 rematches, and I cannot fathom what the odds are on that. It created a horrible atmosphere for some of the teams, as the routs were on in every one of the games. Whether its the coaches not trying to tip their hands, or just laying it down all together, the three games next week will be that much different than it was this time around. Not only because of the importance of the games, but because the teams will actually play their guys.

In closing, I am fucking sad that football season is over, as this is always my favorite time of year. Granted it is less than 50 days until pitchers and catchers report for spring training, but honestly, I couldnt care less right now. I am hoping for a fun playoffs starting next week, and after that I will enter my usual depression until the draft in March. At least its been a good season with no regrets for me, and I wish you all good luck in following your teams.

Rookie Battle Royale: Week 11

I love this week, I said it before, Ill say it again. The Vikings had an easy win, the Entire AFC North lost, some in epic fashion, and the rookies had great weeks, which is good for all of us. I think the playoff picture is becoming pretty clear in some parts, which is also cool, even though a few of my least favorite teams are pretty much in. Anyways, on with the show.

Mark Sanchez

Its been an up and down season so far for Sanchez, and this week was a major down week. He threw four interceptions en route to a Jets loss, again, and showed that rookie QBs usually don’t have the know how to figure out a tough D. Sanchez was once the runaway contender for ROY, but now isnt looking so hot. His cards have taken a hit as well, with some not cracking $100 where they used to be getting $120 and above. He is not going to be Jamarcus Russell, so don’t worry, but he still has a long way to go.

Matthew Stafford

Holy crap, what a week for Matthew Stafford. I guess the Browns really are that bad, and Stafford may be that good. He threw five TDs, a rookie record, and also passed for over 420 yards, again a rookie record. His Lions' team had an epic comeback against the worst team in the league, and even though he broke all kinds of records, it just goes to show that the Browns suck that bad. Regardless, his cards will jump, and they deserve to, as he may have just catapulted ahead of Sanchez in the ROY watch.

Josh Freeman

Again, rookie QBs usually have a pretty bad game against good defenses, and Packers game aside, Freeman has done just that. 126 yards, a TD and a pick doesn’t leave you with much if you are the Bucs, especially so when you play against the Saints. Eh, growing pains are going to be common in Tampa Bay.

Percy Harvin

Harvin had a very good game against the Seahawks, including starting the scoring with a 23 yard TD. He ended up with 79 yards and 5 catches including one on third down for a nice gain. Harvin has quickly emerged as a top candidate for rookie of the year, and the Vikings seem to greatly benefit each time he catches the ball - kickoffs and otherwise.

Mohammed Massaquoi

Another great week for Massaquoi, even though it was against the Lions. He had a long TD, as well as 115 yards, so I guess the Browns fans should pleased that they ended up with Stuckey and him as their two guys instead of Braylon. I doubt that will remain the case, but for now, its not bad.

Bernard Scott

Bernie had a great week in a stunning loss. 115 yards rushing, though the Bengals were the second top team to lose to the Raiders. With Benson out, the Bengals are going to need some major help, especially with Larry Johnson dragging them down. Scott doesn’t look like a bad fill in, but he is little more than a stop-gap.

Michael Crabtree

Crabtree had his first good game of the year against the Packers, and it only took 11 weeks to do it with the hold out. Good for you buddy, smart move. He had 77 yards and a TD, though the Niners couldn’t pull off the late come back. Crabtree looks like he is going to be pretty good, but he will have that hold out tag on him until he explodes.

Brandon Pettigrew

Pettigrew had a feast with his Lions teammates, including a game winning TD catch with no time on the clock. He almost dropped it, which was funny, but overall he had a pretty good game with 72 yards. Its going to be tough as a tight end for him to get any sort of value momentum while playing in Detroit, so don’t go rush to your local shops looking for his stuff.

Hakeem Nicks

Nicks has been notably absent during the Giants losing streak, and this week was just alright. 65 yards on 5 catches, but the Giants did squeak out a win. Nicks is losing steam, but that could be just that the 16 game season is starting to catch up with him. He was injured for 2 games early on, so who knows.

Beanie Wells

74 and a TD is pretty good, second good game in a row for Beanie. Now that Warner is banged up, he should have a much more prominent role in the Cardinals' offense. Maybe that will do well for him to get even more back on track.

LeSean McCoy

I remember back when getting 100 yards against the Bears on the ground was an impossible feat. McCoy came awfully close with 99 and a TD last night, so I guess its not that much of an accomplishment anymore. McCoy has quietly put together a great season, but with Westbrook coming back again soon, I doubt he will get the same attention later on.

Offensive Rookie of the Year Watch

Now that the season is more than half over and the graveyard is coming to life, its time to switch gears. There are a lot of candidates for ROY, and here is my own version of a tracker to show you who deserves consideration to me.

1. Percy Harvin - 36 rec / 501 yards, 4 TDs, 2 KR TDs - he has helped his team the most, and has shown to be a very elusive runner and tough to tackle. Those KRs have been icing on the cake in some of the Vikings wins, where others have been the cake themselves.

2(T). Mark Sanchez - 1761 yards, 10 TDs, 16 INTs - Sanchez is here because so many of the rookie QBs are always the most visible. NY has a better record than DET, even though Stafford has generally played better.

2(T). Matt Stafford - 1911 yards, 11 TDs, 14 INTs - Stafford has brought 2 wins to a horrible team with his arm alone. His recent 5 TD game brings him into this conversation, especially after missing games with a knee injury.

4. LeSean McCoy - 452 yards, 4.3 YPC, 3 TDs - McCoy has done great in Westbrook's absence considering the circumstances. I doubt he has a chance to win unless he puts up a monster game next week.

5. Mike Wallace - 28 rec / 500 yards 3 TDs - He has done pretty well as a 3rd wide receiver, though has been used more of a deep guy than someone integral to the offense. It has netted him a great YPC avg and a few TDs, but he will need to step it up to overcome the rest of the candidates.

Rookie Battle Royale: Week 10

Another week for the NFL, another good week by a few of the rookies who werent doing so well before. With both undefeated teams staying undefeated, the rookies werent as much of a focus as usual, but they definitely didn’t sleep the week away either.

Josh Freeman

Coming off the game of his life in his first start last week against the Packers, there were high expectations this week for him against a struggling Dolphins team. Freeman did not play half as well as he did in his debut, and the Dolphins took it on the last play of the game. He threw for 196 yards, a TD and an interception, but had four fumbles with one lost. Not great.

Mark Sanchez

Sanchez played like a rookie again this week, with a very mediocre game against a team they should have beat. This now shows that he is human after all, with more games this year on the rookie side than the spectacular side. He threw 2 interceptions and a touchdown, as well as 212 yards, so it wasn’t all that wonderful of a game for him. This should make it interesting come the end of the year ROY voting.

Matt Stafford

Of the three rookie QBs, Stafford had arguably the best game against the best team. On 51 throws, he didn’t have a pick, which is pretty good considering that last time he played the Vikings he threw 3. He was sacked 4 times, but really it was more of a receiver issue than anything. The guys he was throwing to also dropped 8 passes, so that will hurt in the long run. Stafford ended up with 224 yards and a TD. Not bad.

Beanie Wells

Finally, after nine weeks, Beanie had a really good game, best of the week for the rookie running backs. He had 85 yards and 2 TDs, which was only the second 2 TD game of the year for rookie RBs. His YPC avg, a concern in previous weeks was up considerably (5.3 this week), and he didn’t look lost out there in a nice Cardinals win. Beanie still has a long way to go, but things are starting to improve.

Jeremy Maclin

Maclin is quietly putting together a great rookie campaign. He led all rookie WRs with 76 yards, as well as a touchdown, which makes his second consecutive with a score. Maclin is playing on a team where he will need to be the top guy eventually, so he really needs to come through, and this game was another notch in the bed post for him.

Bernard Scott

If I told you at the beginning of the Cincy/Steelers game that Bernard Scott would be the MVP, you would have laughed me out of the building. Yet, with a HUGE kickoff return TD, he was the reason the Bengals won. So, Steelers fans, you have given up KR TDs to two rookies this year, who is next, haha?

Knowshon Moreno

Moreno had a good game this week, but the Broncos lost to a team that they should have killed. He had 104 total yards and 97 on the ground, so it was definitely a solid effort. I also didn’t see any huge fumbles, which Im sure was a sigh of relief for his fans, but the loss was more than a shock irregardless.

Johnny Knox

Knox went from the top of the game to being right where he was expected to be. On Thursday, he had his third game in a row where he did nothing, and this time the Bears needed a big play. Knox hasn’t caught more than two passes in any of the games of late, and he is going to need to step up if the bears are going to recover.

Percy Harvin

Harvin had 3 for 53, but most of those yards came on an amazing catch where he pinballed around and ran for forty yards. Harvin's impact was minimal, but the Vikings didn’t really need it with Favre, Peterson and Rice playing like fucking beasts. Not the best game of the year, but that catch was pretty awesome considering the hit he took and still stayed up.

The Rookie Graveyard

Darrius Heyward-Bey - 1 for 20? C'mon Al Davis, you suck at drafting.

Michael Crabtree - Nothing still, needs at least a TD to be worth the hold out.

Brandon Pettigrew - Had a couple drops and no production again this week.

NFL Halfway: Players On The Rise / Players On The Decline

This season, there has been a lot of drama. A lot. Breakout performances, career ending slumps, and all of the stuff in between. I have spent the last 8 mondays covering the rookie side of things, but havent really focused on the veterans. Here is my take on the midway point of the NFL season.

Players On The Rise:

Aaron Rodgers - He lives in the shadow of greybeard, but he has had an absolutely phenomenal season. He has been sacked 31 times due to a banged up O-Line and his lack of quick release, but he still has one of the best QB ratings in the league. He also has more rushing yards than any of the others at the top, and has led Green Bay through their injury bugs to a second place record. His cards should be going nuts right now, but they arent. If you have the chance, this guy could be at the top soon, buy now.

Chris Johnson - Two games over 200 yards, and a multitude of TDs on a shitty team. The guy will be great for years to come, despite what may be happening with his Titans. I see this year as more of a fluke in their record, but his stats have been solid since the beginning. When you play on a team like the Titans, to put up these stats is uncanny.

Drew Brees - The Saints are undefeated so far, and he is mostly the reason. I say that he is probably the best QB to have on your team right now, especially due to his ability to rally a locker room. The guy has amazing accuracy, can throw the deep ball, and is in contention again to measure up to Dan Marino. Pretty amazing. The funny thing is, he doesnt bring in the big bucks like Manning or Brady, and his rookie autos are still at pretty affordable prices considering what he has and will accomplish.

Andre Johnson - I cant say enough good things about Johnson, as he is just a freak of nature whenever he plays. There are maybe one or two corners in the league that could come close to covering him 1 on 1, but even then, he still has a huge advantage with size and speed. He doesnt sign much, so many of the card companies havent been able to get him in their sets. If you can find a rookie auto of his, drop the hammer on any reasonable price.

Reggie Wayne - Wayne plays his game a little differently than Johnson, but is still one of the most ridiculous players around. Every game he gets 12 catches, and could probably manage 5 catches playing one handed. Of course, it helps to have Manning throw you the ball, but still. Like most WRs, his cards are relatively cheap, and thats more of the tragedy of the position in this hobby. Not sure why. He has a good number of cards out there, and most can be had for cheap.

Maurice Jones-Drew - The human bowling ball never disappoints, especially when I go up against him in fantasy. He has put up two 3 TD games already, and has a ginormous YPC avg. Again, the Jags arent too good, but he sure is. His Exquisites go for absolutely nothing compared to what they should, and I think it is one of the better buys out there.

Miles Austin - If you want a poster child for unknowns making it big, here he is. He was undrafted coming out of school, and has been a 3 guy on Dallas' roster for the last few years. Now that TO is gone, he has had the chance to shine, even playing behind Roy Williams. I think his cards have come up considerably lately, but should settle down. Im not sold quite yet, but Im getting there.

DeAngelo Williams - When it was him and DeShaun Foster, he showed nothing more than potential. Now that he is focus, its all production, all the time. He runs with such brute force coupled with speed and finesse, that its not hard to see why he is doing as well as he is. His cards were overshadowed by Bush and company before, and still havent reached the top. He deserves to be worth more than is right now.

Players on the Decline

Larry Johnson - LJ is a fucking idiot in every single way. The guy just doesnt know what's good for him, and I fault his attitude. He was sent home for the second consecutive season this year, and has yet to make anything worth while in terms of a contribution this year. If you are still collecting him, I feel sorry for you.

Ladanian Tomlinson - Tomlinson is definitely coming up on the end of his career, and its pretty disappointing to watch. For someone that used to be as dominating as he was, to watch him struggle for 50 yards is unfortunate. This seems to be the norm with backs as of late, maybe its 8 years and out for everyone now.

Terrell Owens - I hate Terrell Owens as much as I hate Derek Jeter, but for completely different reason. While I think Jeter is a pretty admirable guy who has been overhyped by every reporter for the last 15 years, Owens is a legitimate asshole. He deserves to be a piece of shit, and I laugh every time I see him struggle.

LenDale White - Backs like White and Barber have a tough role in the NFL. Because they are only good at pounding it in for scores, they have to stay good at it to be considered a viable option. Barber is still very good, White isnt. Plus when Chris Johnson is the other guy in front of you, its tough to look good.

Brady Quinn, Jamarcus Russell and the other 2007 QBs - there isnt a more sorry group of NFL players than these guys. Quinn started, was benched, and then started again, and is now playing behind Derek Anderson who should be retired due to lack of ability. I think its just as much the team as the guy, but damn, when you cant even perfom to a minimal standard, its sad. Russell is a little different, as he is just terrible as people have come to see. Supposed to be a better Daunte Culpepper with more accuracy and better legs, he has instead turned into a guy that looks worse than Culpepper is now. Interception after interception, fumble prone, and the reason for his team's shitty play, Russell is proof as to why its risky to draft a QB with a top pick.

Eli Manning - Not only did he not deserve the money he got, but he has never put up numbers to be considered among the elite QBs in the league. His SB win was definitely a team effort, and his last 3 losses in a row have shown how little he can do without a supporting cast. I have disliked him ever since he refused to play on the Chargers during the 2004 draft, forcing a trade for Phillip Rivers, but now he is more than that. He represents everything I hate about New York football. Overpaid players who cant do shit. He has a career passer rating of 77, and this year he has 8 interceptions, 3 lost fumbles and 13 TDs. Thats almost as many turnovers as scores for him. He isnt at the same place as some of the other guys on this list, but being paid what he is, he deserves to be here.

Kurt Warner - Im surprised he was able to do what he did last year, as most people thought he was done. This year he just looks old and out of place, and has thrown as many interceptions as TDs. Of course, his team is still doing okay, but his age is starting to be more than just a number. I dont think the Cardinals have many more options, but he is on his way out, again.

Reggie Bush - Im not sure how long before you can call someone a bust, but Bush is right on the cusp. He has had production, but not at the level he should have. Its obviously a size issue as well as a vision issue, as he has never shown that he has the presence of mind to be a top back in the league. Im sure there are a lot of people out there who are smacking themselves for investing as much as they had in him.

Surprise of the First Half:

Five letters: F-A-V-R-E.

Rookie of the First Half:

I think Harvin has meant a ton to his team, but Sanchez probably still takes it.

Offensive MVP(s) of the first half:

Peyton Manning and Drew Brees (tie) - ridiculous numbers and undefeated records.

Defensive MVP of the first half:

Jared Allen - and thats not even a homer pick. Elvis Dumervil takes second.

Super Bowl Prediction time:

Eagles vs Colts, I can see the Eagles being the team to beat if they continue to play as well as they have, but the Colts are just too good. The Saints or Vikings could easily sneak in if they get lucky.

Its going to be a whirlwind second half, lets hope the second eight games are as good as the first eight.

NFL Rookie Battle Royale: Week 8

It was a great weekend of football, as you can probably imagine, and there were quite a few rookies that performed pretty well. A few are still having trouble getting established, but others are falling into solid roles with their respective teams. The funny thing is that there isnt a clear cut rookie of the year candidate yet, though Sanchez does seem to have an advantage as a QB. Who knows at this point.

Matt Stafford

We all knew Stafford was going to have problems playing for a team as bad as the Lions. I warned those of you who were prospecting his stuff, that he was a POOR target for your collecting this year. He hasnt performed horribly, but he hasnt been great either. Then, when you factor in the injury, things are even worse. Well, he was back this week, but didnt do much in the loss to the Rams. He had 168 yards, 1 interception, and a rushing TD. Not a great game.

Mark Sanchez

Sanchez had a very good day, but they still lost to the Dolphins. This was really his first good game in a long time, and its probably a breath of fresh air for the people who bought up all his stuff at the beginning of the season. He is still the top guy of the 09 class by far, but he is going to need a playoff run to sustain his value. At this point im not sure, even though he put up 3 TDs and no interceptions yesterday.

Percy Harvin

If there was a rookie in focus this week, it was Percy Harvin. His game was one of the main reasons the Vikings were able to win the game, especially on his 51 yd TD catch. Then, when you factor in that he had a kick return average of 35 yards, with three going over 45, it becomes even more apparent how important he was. Harvin's cards have been going for great prices, and should continue to do so. The guy is electric.

LeSean McCoy

What a game for the Eagles against their rivals, right? McCoy definitely did well to help that win, and his 69 yard TD run was fun to watch. He has been a great option for the Eagles during Westbrook's absence, and you can tell that they were thinking ahead when they drafted him. Due to the Peterson Effect (All RB cards are more valuable because of the chance of a Peterson style rookie season) his cards are already pretty expensive, but this should help maintain those prices.

Jeremy Maclin

Im impressed with Maclin, the guy has turned it on lately, and has done so on a team that needed it. The Eagles are on a roll, and Maclin has scored 3 TDs in the last 3 games. He had 4 for 47 yards, including a TD at the end of the half that stunned a Giants crowd looking to stop their slide. Maclin was under the radar to begin with, and I think may end up as the best WR out of this class. I may start to pick up a few of his cards.

Michael Crabtree

Crabtree was held out of the endzone again, but managed 81 yards against the Colts. He also fumbled, which was problematic, but overall a pretty good game for a rookie who only has two games under his belt. Kind of makes you wonder what would have happened if he hadnt been a complete fucktard to begin the season.

Shonn Greene

I dont think there were many of us who were suprised when Greene didnt equal his game from last week, but there were a few shocked grins around my fantasy league to see him struggle with 8 carries for 18 yards. Im not expecting a whole lot out of him, but he needs to do better than 2 yards per carry.

Knowshon Moreno

The Broncos are no longer undefeated, and Knowshon did not have a very good game. Although the fumble he had looked questionable at best, it was still another tick on the league leading rookie fumble total. He did get into the endzone which helped, but he only had 10 carries for 39 total yards. Moreno's cards arent going to drop, but this doesnt help. I still say its only a matter of time before he breaks out with a huge game.

The Rookie Graveyard

Darrius Heyward-Bey - The Raiders should have taken someone else, but we already knew that. He has done absolutely nothing, despite QB issues.

Brandon Pettigrew - Another bad team, but he should be doing more than 1 catch per game, especially when Calvin Johnson is on the shelf

Michael Crabtree - He needs a lot of production to erase the holdout. Im still shaking my head.

Beanie Wells - Another mediocre game for him losing to a team with problems. Doesnt help that Warner threw 5 interceptions either though.

NFL Rookie Battle Royale: Week 7

For this week, I missed most of the action from being in San Diego for work, but after going through each game, looks like the rookies had a good week. Too bad my Vikings did not. Regardless, we also had a debut we had waited almost half a season for, and a few performances that impressed beyond expectations.

Mark Sanchez

Dirty finally shook off the interception bug, even though it was against one of the worst teams around. He threw for only 143, but had 2 TDs to offset that. Im guessing a lot of Jets fans were just happy they pitched a shutout, but I expected a little more from the rookie that is fixing to be the top value guy for the year.

Shonn Greene

For the first time, Sanchez wasn’t the focus of the rookie lens this week, as Shonn Greene had a ridiculous game at 144 and 2 TDs. One TD came after it was already decided, but he is the front runner right now for the rookie of the week. Leon Washington must have had an injury, and Greene did a great job filling in. Best game of any rookie RB so far, crazy that it came against the Raiders, right?

Michael Crabtree

Im not going to take him out of the graveyard quite yet, but he had a respectable debut with 5 catches for 56 yards. At least he showed he can be somewhat productive, though I think he will get better as he shakes off the rust. He didn’t explode, but definitely was the namesake for a few creative jerseys I saw in the 49er bar in San Diego.

Mike Wallace

Its tough for any Pittsburgh rookie to fly under the radar, but in terms of talk, Wallace is putting up one hell of a rookie campaign without much coverage. His values were high to begin with because he plays for the Steelers, but 72 and a TD will definitely help you out. Wallace's TD was a good showing as to why the Vikings pass defense may cost them a trip deep in the playoffs, but he played a great game either way.

Hakeem Nicks

Nicks showed AGAIN why he is probably going to be the rookie WR of the year. Another TD, 80 yards, and a league lead in receiving TDs after a Knox mediocre game. Nicks has become a key cog in the NY passing offense, even though they got beat by the Cardinals.

Percy Harvin

Harvin was back returning kicks again after he aggravated his shoulder last week, and I was surprised to see him fly. Harvin ran back his second TD of the year, giving him 4 total TDs so far, as well as a few that set the Vikings up near the 50. He also caught 3 for 42, so a great game for a guy who is banged up.

Brian Hartline

Hartline caught 3 for 94 in a Dolphins game that they should have won, but they played like crap in the 4th quarter. He is a guy that I didnt know much about coming into the year, but he went to OSU, so you know he is going to get a bump this week in value. He does have a TD from week 4 against Buffalo, but hasnt done much else besides this game (10 for 157). I also dont believe he was a Rookie Premiere guy.

Austin Collie

This guy had another TD this week (though the game was over when he did), and continues to make me scratch my head as to where he is coming from. It helps when Peyton Manning is throwing you the ball, but still is impressive when you are pretty much unknown.

Beanie Wells

He finally got into the action with a TD, and against a good rush defense to boot. He ended up with 67 yards, so it wasn’t a stellar performance, but rushing is not the focus of his team with Fitz and Boldin around. Hightower is still getting all the goal line carries, which means that Beainie is not going to have many TDs. Im still not sold on him.

The Rookie Graveyard

Darrius Heyward-Bey - Its really too bad that he was drafted to the Raiders so high, as I think he could have been much better in a place that isnt a graveyard for the whole team.

Beanie Wells - had a TD, but still in the midst of a disappointing year.

Michael Crabtree - After holding out for the first 6 games, he needs to do better than 56 yards before getting out of here.

Brandon Pettigrew - Bye week.

Rookie Battle Royale: Week 6

Just another week in paradise, right? A lot of action and a few upsets, as well as a few top rookies coming back down to earth. I was pretty much glued to my computer during the afternoon, watching all of my fantasy teams getting killed by the Patriots players, Ray Rice, and MJD respectively. I had fun, and here are some updates on the rookies as usual.

Mark Sanchez

Oh how the mighty have fallen. Sanchez throws a whole hand's worth of interceptions, and the Jets lose to a Bills team that lost to Cleveland. Just an absolutely awful game for Dirty, and im sure a few of his cards could reflect what happened. However, as with any rookie QB, it’s a week to week thing with success, so I wouldn’t necessarily give up on his stuff quite yet.

Matt Stafford

Stafford sat for the second straight week, and Lions fans got a glimpse of what it would be like if he had surgery to repair his knee. The Lions, who were hungry weeks earlier, were made fools of by the Packers who actually left more than a few points on the field. It could have been worse. That is scary to think.

Hakeem Nicks

Even though Hakeem Nicks had a great game, the Giants did not. He went for over 100 yards AND a score, even though it was late in the game when the Saints already had it wrapped up. Either way, he had 2 long catches, and had a game worthy of putting him at the top of the discussion for rookie WRs of the year.

Jeremy Maclin

I knew it was too good to be true last week, but barring my better judgement, I still started him in fantasy due to lack of options. He was playing Oakland and I thought I could get 50 yards out of him. Sadly, the Raiders decided they were going to play the game of their lives and upset a VERY good Eagles team. Maclin was pretty much shut out, and went from the game of the year, to the bottom.

Percy Harvin

Harvin had a bad shoulder coming into the game, and left in the second half with an injury. There havent been any updates, but Im guessing he wont be playing for a few weeks. Too bad, as I think he added a great element to the Vikings offense.

Mohammed Massaquoi

He showed once again that he is the only thing the Browns have going for them. He caught 5 balls for 83, against one of the best defenses in the league, so I guess that should count for something. Didn’t really help the Browns come away with a victory and huge upset, but he did his job, unlike the rest of the offense.

Johnny Knox

I cant believe Knox walked away with another score against the falcons. He is definitely this year's Matt Forte, who oddly enough has been doing just mediocre. The Bears lost, but Knox showed that he is also right up there with Nicks at the top of the pile. So far, he has had 17 for 224 and 3 TDs, which is tied for the lead among rookies with Nicks. He also had the KR TD as well, which puts him at the top for total TDs.

The Rookie Graveyard

Darrius Heyward-Bey - Still nothing, still a bad QB, but at least they won.
Beanie Wells - Even though the Cardinals were ahead the whole game, he didn’t get anything done.
Brandon Pettigrew - See above, horrid QB, but he was shut out. Injury related?
Michael Crabtree - Will make debut next week, will remain here I believe.

What We Learned From Monday Night

The Jets/Dolphins game was one of the better monday night games I have seen in a very long while. It was exciting, had a few trick plays, and featured some guys that many of us are counting on for our collections and/or fantasy teams. We also got to learn a few things about those guys, especially some of the people that are going to be some big players in the future.

Mark Sanchez

For the last few weeks, Sanchez is really playing like many expected him to play. He is inconsistent with flashes of brilliance. Last week he threw three picks and looked awful, this week he threw no interceptions, but looked okay. He did have a few plays taken away from him, mainly the late drop from Braylon Edwards in the endzone and a TD that was run in by Jones after a nice play by Sanchez previously that was called incomplete and a defensive penalty. Really, this game will do nothing for his values at the top of the class either way, so I wouldnt worry.

Chad Henne

I bought a few Henne cards last year because I didnt think that Pennington would hold as the Miami QB. Im glad I did, as he has adjusted well over the last few weeks to being a legit QB. Henne has gotten better with each game, going from zero TDs his first game, one his second game, to two TDs yesterday with 241 yards of passing. He must be beyond happy to have Ronnie Brown on his team, as he is not going to be anything special without him.

Ronnie Brown

After the Patriots game where the Wildcat came storming onto the scene, the entire league went nuts trying to stop it. They pretty much had suceeded in adjusting until last night when Ronnie Brown again showed why it is so dangerous. He made the Jets defense look silly for some of the plays, especially the last play where he scored the TD to win it. I would say that of all the people that played last night, Brown did the most to make the people around him better. When the Dolphins came out in the Wildcat, I could just see Rex Ryan start to freak.

Ricky Williams

I guess this idiot has put the days of rocking the ganja behind him. I started him due to a lack of options in one of my leagues, and I am fucking glad I did. Williams is having a phenomenal year, and has proven that he is ready to be a part of football again. Granted, he has greatly benefited from having Ronnie Brown ahead of him, but it is still impressive regardless.

Fake Punts

Holy fuck, fakes barely even work in Madden, let alone in the NFL, and somehow the Jets extended two drives with them. Both were runs, but I couldnt believe they even risked the second one considering the big conversion they had on the first. I definitely fault the Miami defensive coordinator for the ridiculous play they had on special teams, but it was surprising none-the-less.

Braylon Edwards

Edwards played great despite the fact that he had spent only a week with the team. If you remember what happened to Roy Williams when he came to Dallas last year, this game he had is day and night. Sanchez will have a great weapon as Edwards becomes more accustomed to the playbook, but he will have to play above his ability to shake the labels that have been stamped on his career lately.

(My bad the first time with this, thanks LSU)

If you missed the game, be sure to go check out the highlights on NFL.com so that you can see how crazy it actually was. I dont think I have posted many times on a game that made no difference to one of my teams, but I felt compelled to after this one. Go take a look.

OH, I forgot: Dolphins Orange Alternates> Broncos AFL anniversary alternates > Seattle's Neon Green Alternates.

Rookie Battle Royale: Week 5 Receiver Bonanza

Week five was the week of the rookie wide receivers, as there were more than one that had a coming out party as the expense of their opponent. There were also some wild finishes as well as some hardcore beat downs, and I had a pretty good time watching it all go down.

Austin Collie

Most of you are probably wondering who the fuck Austin Collie is. He is a rookie out of BYU who managed not one, but two TDs against an ailing Titans' secondary. He had a myriad of good plays, and according to Reggie Wayne, is a guy who spends a ton of time studying the game. Now, knowledge does not a good receiver make, but in this case, it sure helped. Lets see what happens next week, as with Wayne and Garcon tearing it up, he probably wont be much of a factor in the long run, especially with Gonzo also in the mix.

Jeremy Maclin

Holy fuck, welcome to the NFL Jeremy Maclin. He had an epic day with close to 150 yards receiving and 2 TDs, and finally looked like he knew what the crap was going on. We were flipping between the Vikings blowout and this game, and were continually shocked how he gained as much as he did. Good thing too, because Maclin had done little to nothing up to that point.

Percy Harvin

Percy led the Vikings with 4 catches for 66 yards, including one that was that close to being a TD. Favre really spread it around, but Harvin's ability to stay on his feet at all costs is ridiculous. The guy is going to be as good as anyone in this draft, believe me, and I hope that he continues to play well next week when we will really need it.

Mike Wallace

If you asked me who would be the top receivers of the draft this year, I would not have put Mike Wallace anywhere on that list. He has been great as a number 3 or 4 for Pittsburgh, and has put himself ahead of many of the WRs who were drafted ahead of him. He caught his first TD of the year on Sunday and is close to leading the rookie WRs in yardage. His cards are already high because of the team he plays for, but he is quickly living up to those values with each passing week.

Mohammed Massaquoi

Where the fuck did he go? Oh, right, Cleveland. He still led the Browns in receiving, but with 1 catch for 16, you know what I am talking about. He is going to be the Browns number one for the rest of the year, seemingly, but I wouldn’t go buying your PC of him quite yet.

Knowshon Moreno

Knowshon had a good day with 88 yards on the ground, but against a Pats run D, that is much better than it looks. The problem is that he cant hold onto the ball, a problem that could haunt him a la Adrian Peterson, which means that he has a lot of growth still required to be remotely successful.

Glen Coffee

When you are out rushed by Shaun Hill, white guy of the year, there are problems. He did get a TD, but the Falcons pretty much crushed the niners in every aspect of the game. Gore is the guy, and as soon as he comes back, Coffee will be relegated to backup again. Hold off on him.

Matthew Stafford

He spent his first week on the bench due to the injury, even though he was in uniform and looked ready to play in the event of a catastrophe. Of course, the Lions are always in a state of catastrophe, but looked good against the Steelers up until the last drive. It should slow down Stafford's return table, so be aware.

The Rookie Graveyard

Darrius Heyward-bey - Shut out last week, but again, may be on the worst team in the league.
Beanie Wells - Cardinals are a passing team, and he has done little to nothing.
Brandon Pettigrew - He was supposed to be a new breed of TE, he has done little.

Michael Crabtree - He is on here until he does something. He deserves it.

NFL Rookie Battle Royale: Week 3

All of you know how awesome of a week this has been, especially with the Bungals beating the Steelers, Manning destroying the Cardinals on Sunday night, and the crazy ending to the Vikings game. The rookies decided to show up too, with a few of them having some great games.

Matt Stafford

How could I not lead with the Lions winning? Im still in shock that they were able to put it together for a full 60 minutes. Stafford played pretty well too, as he showed he is starting to gain that confidence he needs to grow in such a horrible offense. Stafford threw a TD that started everything off for the Lions, thus bringing his total to two in three games, but he didn’t throw an interception, so that is like icing on the cake for a rookie QB. I still say its not a good idea to hold his cards, but at least it’s a LITTLE more promising now that the streak is over.

Mark Sanchez

Sanchez played another great game and came away with another win. It was another great defense, the best arguably, but he was calm and collected even during a bad second half. He had a great TD pass to Cotchery in double coverage and ran one in from 14 out. He ended with with 3 total TDs and is making a few people wonder why they may have passed on him at picks 2-4 in the draft. Sanchez cards are at the peak of their value right now, so if you have them, it may be good to sell and rebuy later, if there is a later. Looks like he will be the Matt Ryan value of his class this year.

Percy Harvin

Harvin was great in the Vikings win, scoring his third TD in as many games. He played great during the second half especially, running back a kick 101 yards and catching some key passed on the final drive that led to the score. He ended up with his best game in terms of yardage, but the return was the spike the Vikings needed to stay in the game after being shut down time after time by the Niners' Defense. Like Sanchez, Harvin's cards are at the peak of their value, so it’s a great time to sell if you arent a fan.

LeSean McCoy

Im thinking that Brian Westbrook doesn’t feel so bad he missed that game anymore as McCoy sure picked up the slack with ease. The Eagles routed the Chiefs and McCoy got his first TD of the year. He also racked up 80+ yards and a YPC avg over four yards in the effort. McCoy should be pretty good in the long run, though he will always be overshadowed by Westbrook. Keep his cards for right now, as his value has a lot of potential to go up from here.

Knowshon Moreno

Welcome to the NFL Mr. Moreno. Nice to see you. Glad you put up 90 yards and a TD, bout time a running back in Denver does well, right? Knowshon looked pretty good in his first game with a focus over Buckhalter, and I would expect by week 8 he will have 70-80% of the carries. He is a great back, and should continue to put up numbers week after week. As with all the first round running backs, his value is high due to the Peterson effect, but as it starts to come down, it should be a good idea to pick some of his stuff up.

Donald Brown

That 72 yard scamper was pretty impressive wasn’t it? Well, it helped him put up the first 100 total yard game for a non-QB rookie this year, and jumped his value pretty high as a result. Brown doesn’t have the luxury of a huge college following like Wells, but he showed why he needs a pro following. Wells managed -2 yards on 2 carries, while Brown did great. This guy is a keeper.

Johnny Knox

Another game, another TD for Knox, despite the fact that it was his only catch of the game. He sure has been a pleasant surprise for the Bears, as the rest of their receiving corps is almost as inexperienced as he is. Because of the fact that he has done as well as he has, sell as fast as you can. Its not going to go much higher than it is unless he goes for 150 and three TDs somewhere later in the season. That’s a risk I would be willing to take.
The Rookie Graveyard

Here is where I want to talk about some rookies that Im sure are making a few of you guys pretty angry with their lack of contributions to their teams.

Jeremy Maclin - Where the hell have you been? Having 6 receptions for 46 yards on the season is a crap start for a guy I thought would be the star receiver of his class. Wow.

Darrius Heyward-Bey - Im sure having a QB like Jamarcus Russell is a contributing factor, but 1 reception for 18 yards on the whole year is poop. We all know he shouldn’t have been drafted so high, but hot damn, get moving!

Beanie Wells - I think a lot of people are pretty happy that Beanie isnt doing great so far. They say he was a beneficiary of playing at OSU, and it may be starting to show.

Hakeem Nicks - 2 receptions for 19? Doing worse than Hey Bey, but his team doesn’t need him as much. EDIT: Looks like he was injured week 1, my page on NFL.com didnt show that, my fault on this one...

Next week is looking pretty good, especially with Harvin going up against the Packers on Monday night. Now that the rookies are pretty secure in their roles, it could be interesting to see how values respond. Glen Coffee will have his first game against a defense that he can take advantage of, and may have a great game in Gore's absence, Sanchez looks like he may be in for his first test as he faces the Saints, and with the Bears going up against Detroit, who knows.

Also, be sure to check out my rookie of the week write up on the Upper Deck Blog as soon as the player is announced. You can also enter your cards to track the performances of a few of the guys I talk about here and possibly win some prizes if you have the ROW in your portfolio. Pretty cool.

Even if the rookies didn’t come to play, this season has still been a great ride so far. I hope it will continue to be as exciting as it has been, as there have already been some great stories. Next week is when things start to get interesting, so don’t miss it under any circumstances. Trust me, it only gets better from here.

What Is Going On With NFL Rookie Contracts?

So far, only 2 of the first 32 picks in the draft this year have been signed. That is a ridiculous number, to say the least, eventhough only a few are considered to be possible hold outs. Oddly enough, one of them is Andre "Sta-Puft" Smith, the guy who left the combine because he wasnt prepared for the biggest day of his professional life. Regardless of who actually signs eventually, its beyond crazy to think we are close to a month away from the beginning of the pre-season, and less than a few weeks from camp with less than 1/16th of the big rookies under contract.

Right now, the Eagles and Jeremy Maclin are pretty much the only non-negotiators in the field of players. Philly has already signed their entire draft class leaving only a portion of the 25% maximum left for Maclin's contract. Other than that, players are sitting around waiting for teams to get things going with negotiations or holding off until more first rounders are signed.

When it comes down to contract negotiations and people like Drew Rosenhaus, I hate this part of the year. It shouldnt be this hard to get rookies to sign on the dotted line. There should be set rookie contracts, because there is not a reason in fucking hell that Matt Stafford should be making more money than over 75% of the league's QBs.

With the season so close, I am hoping that things get done, and quick. Holdouts only mean disaster for everyone's team, everyone's cards, and everyone's investments when they hold out or dont sign. The rookies also are very aware of the fact that missing that first camp can be career crippling as well, so I dont think its them that have as many problems as their greedy agents and stingy team owners.

Can we get this done so I dont have to worry anymore?

This Is Awesome - Thank You Harry Douglas

Just read this at NFL.com re the Rookie Symposium:

"The 250-plus players at the symposium are getting a non-stop dose of information from league and union officials, psychologists, NFL security as well as current and former players. The one piece of advice that seems to have really resonated was offered by Falcons wide receiver Harry Douglas as part of a wide-ranging panel discussion Sunday night.

Douglas told a packed ballroom audience that some of the biggest transitions from college to the pros is keeping hangers-on at a distance and being mindful of money. As an example, he tugged at the gaudy earrings in each lobe and told players that even though it looked like he was sporting major blingage he actually bought the faux jewelry at “Claire’s in the mall.”

He later confirmed that the earrings are fake diamonds, but because he plays in the NFL people think they’re authentic."

Some players just have their head on straight. Obviously, Chad Ochostinko needs to take heed and stop being such a jackass.

Although this quote could be taken out of context, it says a lot. There are a lot of players in the NFL who come from very underprivileged backgrounds, and they are very succeptable to "the life." However, some people realize that success in the NFL is fleeting, and they are the ones that dont have problems keeping money in perspective. Harry Douglas may or may not be one of those people, but the idea stands.

SCU Reports: The 2009 NFL Rookie Premiere With Gregg Kohn Of Upper Deck

Over the last few days, I have spent a lot of time covering the politics of the Rookie Premiere access, but now I have some info on the goings on of the event itself. Gregg Kohn, product manager of UD Football, graciously spent some time informing me of what happened, and based on our conversation, my respect for the 2009 class has gone through the roof.

First some background. Since the early part of the decade, the top NFL rookies have gathered each year in Los Angeles to run through the routes for the first time in their full gear. Also since the early part of the decade, there have been swatches from jerseys obtained at the event put into the cards we buy throughout the card season. Most people automatically assume that the jerseys they get are one of two things: game used (they are not) or the jersey in the picture (they are not). In reality, the jerseys are worn for a matter of seconds, and the jerseys in the picture are kept by people at the event. Really, as long as you know this, there wont be any surprises, so I wont talk about it much more. What you may not know, is that the event is the sole reason we have cards for the year at all, so its a big give and take with the collectors. Again, I am not going to focus on this, the NFL had their chance for that and epically failed.

Instead, I am going to focus on a few other things, mainly the players, and some great stuff that is coming down the pipeline for UD. Before I move on, I want to thank Gregg again for the wonderful help he has given to this blog. He is one of the only people I have met that appreciates the role blogs play in the hobby media.

Moving on to the event, Gregg said he had a great time with a great class. He said that it was one of the best classes they had invited to event, and there was not a primadonna in the group. He mentioned that EVERYONE was happy to be there, and more than willing to overparticipate on what was asked. He also mentioned that a lot of the players were very happy to sign their stuff, and most wanted some of the cards to take home with them. They brought quite a bit of product with them to get hard signed for the sets, and that will include 10 of 12 sets with elements of hard signed cards, and more than half at ALL on card.

Mainly, they were trying to focus on getting more for you, the collector, which includes things like player inscriptions, as well as other newer ideas that really havent had a place in the past days of the hobby. He also commented that the many of the guys, including Darrius Heyward-Bey in particular, were determined to sign their full name regardless of how they felt about signing cards. As a kid, Heyward-Bey hated give up autos and told Gregg he would be signing everything the same.

Many of you also wanted to know about throwbacks and other jerseys that players may have worn, and there were players that needed to wear them due to depleated inventory at the jersey manufacturers, or for a nice touch in general. So, for instance, Crabtree wore some Jerry Rice stuff, Tyson Jackson wore some Derrick Thomas stuff, and a few of the Giants even got to wear some Mark Bavaro stuff. Gregg said that they players actually like this a lot, and Josh Freeman even wanted to keep the awesome Warren Sapp throwback they used. Of course, that means if you see a weird letter in your card, don’t worry.

Gregg specifically remembered Jason Smith and his wonderful and addictive personality, saying that he was one of the best players to be around at the event, cracking jokes and talking shit. He also mentioned that Brandon Pettigrew of the Lions was great, and that he may have been the biggest tight end ever. People like Aaron Curry were also gigantic, but somewhat reserved as well, which was funny to hear. Gregg even agreed that Beanie Wells was surprisingly big for his stature, and would not like to take a hit from that tank at full speed.

Gregg explained that the event was done in shifts, where four or five rookies came to the station at a time, and went through the requests of the company. For Upper Deck, they tried to keep them in teams or at least with their buddies, at least to keep things easy. They wore around the expected amount of jerseys, enough to fill the 2009 products, but it was definitely not as many as you would expect.

So, all politics with the NFL aside, I am thouroughly impressed with Gregg's report. I will put that much more of a stake into this year knowing that the players have fun doing the events of the weekend, even the Touchdown Dance competition and the trampoline jumps for pictures. After we finished talking about the event, Gregg and I were in agreement that it was tough to think ahead a few years and know that a few of these guys wont be playing anymore. He said they were a great group of guys to spend a weekend with, and wished them the best in 2009.

As for UD products, it looks like it is going to be another banner year. SPA will be back and better than ever with an unprecedented 10 auto rookie patches per case. For the other boxes, you will either get a jumbo signed patch of a rookie or possibly veteran, or one of the new authentic dynasties cards that focus on the teams of each decade. Gregg didnt mention the letters, but they could still be included.

Philadelphia looks like it is going to be a huge success, as we have seen in the galleries from the weekend, and you can imagine that the cards are going to be beautiful. He specifically mentioned jumbo inserts that were hard signed, as well as the mini signatures we would come to expect as a staple of many retro products. There will also be a National Chicle insert set with autographed parallels, many of which were signed during the weekend.

When it comes to 2009 Ultimate Collection Football, Gregg said that they were going to go back to the non-relic versions of the RC Autos. He also said they are tossing around an idea similar to USA baseball where the players will be asked a question to answer along with their sig. That should be interesting, as the USA cards were immensely popular.

These products will accompany Heroes and Draft which should be on shelves very shortly, both of which look great. Heroes will have all hard signed cards, and you can thank the weekend for those.

With that I want to give ANOTHER special thanks to Gregg and to Brandon Miller for their work on this blog and the rookie premiere, their participation is always a treat for me. Both have a standing invitation to come back whenever he wants. Also, sorry to Lindsey who is the brains behind UD design work. I referred to her in a previous as a guy, she is actually quite the contrary. Thanks!

My Blog Bat Around: Growing Pains

When I first discovered blogging, I was immediately turned on by the fact that I could finally say whatever I wanted, when I wanted. I would no longer have to put up with any 12 year olds on the BMB who disagree just to disagree, and if I wanted to swim against the current I could without a problem. Being an English major in school, I loved to write, especially informal pieces about things I love. What better excursion could there be than blogging about cards?

The problem started out that I had a lot of pent up anger ready to fire at those I was angry at, and not many people willing to listen. I wasn’t experienced at building a site, and the community we have now was relatively small at the time. After the Exquisite fiasco of last year, the subject I wanted to focus on had a springboard and a purpose. The problem was, the perpetrators I chose conflicted with the owner of the place I was going to use to disseminate my site. That was a problem as you could imagine, and I was banned shortly after my site was mentioned on the board.

Much to their chagrin, many people started reading from my presence on the board, some out of hate, others out of support. I finally had an audience, and I was more than happy to preach to their waiting ears. Ill tell you, I had so much fun the first few months doing the blog, I barely cared that my video on youtube had more views than the site. Then, at that time, it was about having fun and if people were pissed, they were pissed. Some times you have to crack the eggs to make an omelette.

As the months started to pass, more people joined the blog community, which led to more people coming to the blog. Mario helped out quite a bit by promoting SCU on the directory he had started, and the sitemeter at the bottom of the page started to grow. You can imagine that more haters also started reading, including some with more hatred than I have for Beckett. They started to make the blog their toilet for comment diarrhea, but most of the time SCU wsa for like minded people to myself.

Somewhere around that time, internet views of the media evil empire started to change, as more people came on board with SCU, which made me take on a new purpose for blogging too. Instead of doing it to have fun, my purpose became to discredit, defame, and change the mindset away from previous paradigms that had plagued the hobby. I wanted to change people's mind, and I was going to have fun doing it. I, in fact, did have a blast sticking it to the 'man' and even acquired some interesting visitors in the process. Top dogs from UD, Donruss, and other companies started to read the blog, including many of the people I despised at Teenage Sports Card Life and Love Magazine. To know that there were people listening, though few, was exhilerating, and I continued my quest to be at the forefront of their mind when planning for the future.

This continued, as well as my love for blogging, well past the 100,000 visitor and 1 year anniversary of the site, up until Tuesday of this week. Im going to elaborate in case you are not in the know. On Monday, I was approved for Media access to the NFL rookie premiere at the LA Coliseum, making it my best day as a blogger, ever. Finally, I had made enough progress to be able to move past my humble beginnings as an outlet from a heavily censored message board to an actual hobby media member. My success was short lived as less than 24 hours later, my credentials were revoked in a blanket decision to not allow bloggers and media members like me. I immediately got on the horn and started finding out why things had done a complete 180, but didn’t get very far. The NFL could not comment on who had made the decision, but reps at NFL Players there made my assumptions rise that someone had requested this be the case. I talked to a few industry people close to the event, and all of them had said that this type of revokation had NEVER happened before. They also hinted to me that there was more that was going on - typical. When I talked to my main source, whom I have never spoken about on this blog, they mentioned that there were people in the industry who had made it clear to the NFL that I was not to be allowed at the event. Apparently, this was done on behalf of people who disliked my mission in life, and that they had made a mistake blabbing about it to sympathic industry people to their interests. I wanted to find out who, but it was pretty clear that it could be a number of people, with two at the top of the list.

So, instead of going to the event with the intent of providing coverage for you guys, I am now sitting at home this Saturday because certain people in this hobby function like the cast of Mean Girls. If you think that I regret my past trangressions against the brass of the hobby, you are completely wrong. I would never trade my stances for access to an event. Nor do I regret anything. I would do it all the same.

To answer the question of why do I blog, the answer is simple. Its part of who I am.

List Of Players Attending the 2009 NFL Rookie Premiere

Here the official list of the players to be present at the 2009 NFL Rookie Premiere:



Ramses Barden - Giants
Rhett Bomar - Giants
Kenny Britt - Titans
Andre Brown - Giants
Donald Brown - Colts
Deon Butler - Seattle
Glen Coffee - Niners
Michael Crabtree - Niners
Aaron Curry - Seahawks
Nate Davis - Niners
Josh Freeman - Bucs
Shonn Green - Jets
Percy Harvin - Vikings
Darrius Heyward Bey - Raiders
Juaquin Iglesias - Bears
Tyson Jackson - Chiefs
Jeremy Maclin - Eagles
Mohammed Massaquoi - Browns
LeSean McCoy - Eagles
Stephen McGee - Cowboys
Knowshon Moreno - Broncos
Hakeem Nicks - Giants
Brandon Pettigrew - Lions
Javon Ringer - Titans
Brian Robiskie - Browns
Mark Sanchez - Jets
Jason Smith - Rams
Matthew Stafford - Lions
Brandon Tate - Pats
Mike Thomas - Jags
Patrick Turner - Dolphins
Mike Wallace - Steelers
Chris Wells - Cards
Pat White - Dolphins
Derrick Williams - Lions

Interesting list, I definitely see all the players that SHOULD be there, are there. I also see some head scratchers, but those are always a given each year. Some notable exceptions are missing, mainly some of the QBs you would normally expect to see, and some of the defense guys like Maualunga. Either way, hopefully I can be there to cover it for SCU. Things are in the works, ill keep you all posted.

Here is the release:

TOP DRAFT PICKS MAKE DEBUT IN LOS ANGELES AT THE
2009 REEBOK NFL PLAYERS ROOKIE PREMIERE
PRESENTED BY EA SPORTS™

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE.

May 11, 2009 – LOS ANGELES – Top players from the 2009 NFL rookie class will gather in Los Angeles for the Reebok NFL PLAYERS Rookie Premiere Presented by EA SPORTS beginning Thursday, May 14. This unique event provides trading card companies Panini America, Topps and The Upper Deck Company with the opportunity to photograph rookie players for the first time in their official team jerseys.

Other official event sponsors include Reebok, EA SPORTS, Pepsi and Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel. The photo shoots will take place at the Los Angeles Coliseum.

“This is a one-of-a-kind event that brings together some of the top rookies in the 2009 class for the first time,” NFL PLAYERS Chief Operating Officer Andrew Feffer said. “It is a unique opportunity to showcase these players to our partners as interesting and compelling personalities, features that are at the core of the NFL PLAYERS brand.”

In addition to the trading card photo shoots, rookies will visit a local hobby shop and take part in media appearances and corporate hospitality events during their four days in Los Angeles. For the fifth consecutive year, Pepsi will also be on hand to capture footage for their season-long Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week and Rookie of the Year promotions.

In its 13th year, the Reebok NFL PLAYERS Rookie Premiere Presented by EA SPORTS is an official event of NFL PLAYERS.

Thanks again to all the people over at NFL Players, your help has been invaluable and much appreciated.

2009 NFL Mock Draft - SCU Version 1.0

This year's draft is one that I have been focusing on for a long, long time. Too long. The reason is that I think this draft could be one that shapes the future for a few teams more so than a lot of the drafts turn out to do. We are coming off of a season where, for the first time, a team went 0-16, and that means that the gap between the good teams and the bad teams is growing. At least from where I stand. Also, six of the ten teams in the first picks in the draft were there last year (not counting any trades), and with this being a draft heavy on good OTs, I assume this could be a good time to get in on the ground level. Now, I am no expert, and I barely know my stuff, but I have done some homework on this, and I think its time for me to list what I believe will happen now that the free agency picture is a little more clear.

1. Detroit Lions - OT Jason Smith, BAYLOR

I think that when everything is said and done, the Lions are going to realize that this isnt the year to pick a QB with the first pick. There are a number of good people coming down the pipeline next year, and this will give them a chance to anchor the line that gave up all those sacks last year. Plus, with another pick at #20, Josh Freeman or Mark Sanchez may be there to build the team around for a lot cheaper. Smith can start from day one, and should be a great player.

2. St Louis Rams - OT Eugene Monroe, UVA

The Rams need a guy that can take the place of Orlando Pace, and Eugene Monroe is that guy. He is a big dude, and may be the better of the two tackles that have emerged at the top of the list. As I said before, this is a tackle heavy draft, and Monroe is definitely one of the guys I would expect to have a very good career. These guys are starters from day one, as also said before, and the Rams will need that.

3. Kansas City Chiefs - LB Aaron Curry, WAKE FOREST

Man, Curry is a beast. The guy just has a ton of potential at linebacker for the Chiefs, especially on a defense that really needs the help. I originally thought Maybin would be here as the consensus pick, but the combine wasn’t as friendly to him as it could have been. Curry has as much upside as Patrick Willis, and should be quicker and and better at a key position.

4. Seattle Seahawks - QB Matthew Stafford, GEORGIA

We all know about Matt v2.0, he is still considered to be the consensus number 1 pick, but I see him dropping a bit now as things move forward. We can see that Hasslebeck is getting older and hasn’t necessarily produced the way the league demands as of late. Without Alexander in the backfield, the QB position becomes even more important than it already is. Too bad there isnt a good enough RB to take here, because the Seahawks could use one of them too. Now that Housh is the new seattle man, I think they want someone who will get him the ball.

5. Cleveland Browns - OLB, DE Aaron Maybin, PSU

Maybin was as high as number one on some boards, and I don’t think the Browns could pass up one of the best players in the draft, especially with their ailing defense. Maybin will be a star, and has put on some weight since the combine, so you can expect that many a big hits are in his future. He could be the next big name on defense, I would be shocked if he was a bust.

6. Cincinatti Bengals - WR Michael Crabtree, TX TECH

Crabtree is the best player in the draft in my opinion, and the foot injury isnt a bad enough thing to keep him out of the top 10. If he falls this far, he wont get past Cincy, who just lost their best receiver. The guy is a ridiculous talent, and may be on the same level of potential as Calvin Johnson was. I would think this guy could be a 100 catch 15TD player down the road, and boy does this team need him.

7. Oakland Raiders - WR Jeremy Maclin, MISSOURI

Wow, what a crapfest the Raiders have become. Thank you Al Davis. The Raiders have no one left in their receiving corps, and Maclin could be that big play guy they are looking for to help out Russell. God knows he needs it. They could also go OLine here, but im not sure if the Raiders draft people are that smart. Maclin is a rocket off the line with a 4.4 40, and you can expect that the upside on him will be enough for the Raiders to take him.

8. Jacksonville Jaguars - OT Michael Oher, OLE MISS

Jacksonville needs some playmakers to help Garrard, but they also need to protect him. Their line has been suspect over the years and Oher may be the guy to fix it. I would have put Smith here, but the guy is a washout, much to Oher's benefit. If Maclin makes it down here, the Jags will take him, but I would expect them to definitely want to shore up problems up front as well.

9. Green Bay Packers - DE Brian Orakpo, UT

The Packers may be switching to a 3-4 next year, and Orakpo should fit into that scheme from what I have seen. He has the speed and the know how to be a great OLB or DE, and you can believe that the Packers need the help with their awful rush defense from last year.

10. San Fransisco 49ers - DE BJ Raji, BC

Holy crap, this pick could be the most up in the air for the entire draft. The Niners have a huge amount of holes and a QB that hasn’t had a healthy season since he was drafted. I could say Sanchez would go here, but they may just say fuck it and go for the offensive line. They could use a DE as well, so Raji would make sense along with Everette Brown. Raji is a good player that can go inside at DT as well, so versatility could be his best asset.

That’s my picks for right now, I may do this again as the pro days shape up. Feel free to offer your ideas, but realize that I am not an expert on this stuff in any way. I really hope that things work out for these top picks because if they go as planned, the Vikings could end up with someone much better than I expected. Either way, April is a long time away, and things change daily with this. All I can say is that I am pumped.

Random Musings: Wild Card Weekend

So I am watching the pregame stuff on TV and one of the segments that is done on the NFL network is the weather report for the Eagles and Vikings. What makes this a fail is that the game is indoors, so unless there is a day after tomorrow type freeze, the game is going to happen. What makes this an epic fail is that they actually spend a few minutes talking about what the temp will be when they are leaving the stadium. Listen, if you dont have anything to fucking talk about, at least pick a stupid topic that has something to do with this game. I would rather hear about sock problems on Pat Williams, or Brian Westbrook's pregame meal than the fucking weather for a domed game.

Secondly as I am watching, Adrian Peterson makes a awe befuddling proclamation. His daughter's name is Adeja, which may not seem all that weird until you notice that his nick-name is "All Day." I am shocked that Adeja's mom let him go that far. I guess when you make as much money as he has off being Mr. All Day, you let him go as far as he wants.

As for predictions, I am not even shocked when I say my score is Philly 31, Vikings 7. This game is primed for a blowout. In fact, I dusted off my copy of Madden 09 and played a game with these two teams on the All-Madden setting. Normally I play on the second from the top as I am not that good, but you shouldnt be shocked that my Vikings lost 20-17 on a last second field goal. When I cant beat the Eagles on Madden, its a bad, bad sign.

Watch for Westbrook to destroy the record for receiving yards for a non receiver in a game record. He should have something like 15 catches for 400 yards. Im not even kidding.

Value Bumps: Year In Review

This year, the NFL was a mush pot of craziness, mainly because everything went in the opposite direction of what was expected. There were so many surprises over the course of the season, that I went into each week expecting something to happen. Now, heading into the playoffs, its become pretty obvious that 2008 will be a year that many will remember for both good and very very bad reasons.

Before the preseason, everyone was talking about God, or as people in Green Bay call him, "Brettius Favrosis the Magnificent." First he had retired, then he came back, then he wanted out of the cheese factory in Green Bay (BLASPHEMY!!). Eventually he ended up with New York, and Aaron Rodgers was set up for the franchise. Both the Pack and the Jets missed the playoffs, so im guessing Tony Kornheiser died a little inside, but it didn’t stop people from flipping a shit over Favre in the news and in the hobby. Favre cards of him on the Jets went nuts, and Rodgers got a pretty big bump out of the gate due to his early play.

Of course, with the BMOC now in NYC, poor Chad Pennington had nowhere to go, so he took a chance on the 1-15 Miami thinking that it would be a good place to showcase his lack of recent talent. In true 2008 fashion, and in the biggest turn around in NFL history, they end up 11-5 thanks to their new found winning combo of Pennington, Brown and the Wildcat. Who do they beat in week 17 to secure the division? Why the New York Jets! That could be the best 'Fuck You' ever. Chad's cards had never really been worth all that much, and that really didn’t change, but that didn’t mean that people like Ronnie Brown and John Beck didn’t get anything out of it. Brown's value went way up, while Beck's went way down, no surprises there. Maybe those 2005 boxes of Exquisite will finally be worth the break now.

Staying within the division, Tom Brady, ladies man, gets his leg torn off, and Matt Cassel, a guy who seemed to be everything that every Pats-hater loves, was left with the team in his hands. We all expected a miserable season, though as things went on, it seemed like Cassel was just as good as could be expected within Bellichick's system. Even though half the team was out for the season with Brady, the Pats finish 11-5, though they miss the playoffs. It couldn’t be more perfect. Just goes to show you that personel isnt the only thing that makes a team good. As a result, and even though they didnt make the playoffs, Cassel's cards hit the high notes, and you can expect that when he pulls a Matt Schaub and goes elsewhere, the value might stay in the same region.

From the Pats, to the team that beat them, it was truly a great year for the Giants. Number one seed, home field advantage through the playoffs, everything was going great as the end was in sight. Then Plaxico went out for a night with the boys carrying a little too much protection. The Giants lose their top receiver, but don’t really lose much of a step in beating the Panthers the following week. With everything already sewn up, its not too big of a deal to retool things a little.

Interestingly enough, they lose to the Vikings in week 17, which gives Purple Jesus his first playoff birth and an exclamation point to his mammoth season. I thought that this would be a mid to okay season for AD, but in true Peterson fashion, that joke was on me. The Vikings win the division thanks to Peterson and Gus "Bang Your Head" Frerotte's return to glory, leaving the Pack at 6-10 and Peterson with a rushing title. Amazing. Peterson's cards hover about where they ended after 2007, which is a feat in itself, as most people thought that it would be crazy to buy in (including me). Yet, after 2008, we may have to change our tune on value and hype thanks to the Peterson deisel.

Rookies in 2008 were not anything to forget either, as this years class was nothing short of remarkable. Matty Ice Ryan takes his team to the playoffs after a miserable 2007 season, and does it in a freakishly amazing show of skill. Flacco and the Ravens equal his success and take their team to the playoffs too, capping the first time I can remember where TWO RC QBs take their teams to the playoffs without looking like they are amateurs. Both of their card values went through the roof, rightfully so, and now with a playoffs ahead, the sky is the limit (see Roethlisberger for more info).

QBs were not the only RCs to make big news either, as Chris Johnson, Matt Forte, and Jonathan Stewart made people remember why RBs are always a good bet. The thing was that it wasn’t those three that were tops in value to begin the season, and the guys who were are now at half the price in some cases (see McFadden and Mendenhall).

Lastly, we move to the Lions, as they looked like they were playing a team of RCs every week. They end up as the worst team in NFL history at 0-16, and really, it was expected. The only bright spot was Calvin Johnson, who may have been the first Lions draft pick in years to actually be good. Too bad he will end up in Canton for all the wrong reasons.

My NFL MVP: Drew Brees or Kurt Warner
Defensive MVP: James Harrison
My NFL ROY: Matt Ryan
Comeback POY: Chad Pennington
Biggest Surprise: Falcons and Ravens win with RCs
Best QB: Drew Brees
Best RB: Adrian Peterson
Best WR: Andre Johnson
Best RC QB: Matt Ryan
Best RC RB: Chris Johnson and Matt Forte (tie)
Best RC WR: Eddie Royal

As a person who followed the NFL more closely this year than ever, it was great to document the hobby fluctuations here on the blog for the first time. I think that we still have a great playoffs coming up to hopefully fill those mind sanctuaries for the 6 months ahead with no football, and I will guarantee that I will make sure to let you guys know how I feel. Also, with the Draft in the months after the Super Bowl, I hope that 2009 will look as good as 2008 did.

Thanks to all of you footballers out there, I think its baseball dominated blog world, and its nice to see there are a lot of you on here who still collect cards from the gridiron.

Value Bumps: Week 10

Week 10 was a pretty good week for me, as I was very busy celebrating an awesome day by my favorite team and my favorite players. There were quite a few happenings, so Ill get started right away.

Adrian Peterson

I gotta say, he is living up to that built up price from last year. I thought it was virtually impossible after the end of the last season, but he is holding, and that is fucking crazy. Another beast of a game, and a little something that we havent seen on a Vikings team in a while - a guy who wants the ball on the last drive of the game. Man, he was fired up, and it was a beautiful thing to watch the team march down the field on his back. One of my favorite Peterson games of all time.

BUMP: UP

Kevin Smith

Plays for the worst team in the league and possibly history, and he still puts up 96 and a TD in a blowout. I think if he had a better offense to work with, he could be a lot like Chris Johnson, but alas, he didn’t. I give him a bump because for the price you can pick his stuff up for, it’s a deal.

BUMP: UP

Chris Johnson

Dude, wow, that game sucked for you. Holy crap, you were stuffed or losing yards on every play, and the Bears made you look silly. Bad form, baaaaaaad form. I would hope that you would still be a contender for RC of the Year, but I think another person has taken that from you for sure. Better step it up next week or this could be bad.

BUMP: DOWN

Matty "Ice" Ryan

The kid looks great. I cant fucking believe it. Another game, another win against a "good" team. I would say pick up his stuff if you havent already, but I think its starting to get out of control. If you can afford the coin, he will get a huge bump when he is named ROY.

BUMP: UP

Ladanian Tomlinson

He could be the biggest fantasy disappointment of the year, and I feel bad for anyone that drafted him. The chargers have not been that good, and they only won the game because the Chiefs went for 2 as a 1-7 team with nothing to lose. I cant say enough good things about him in the past, but this year he doesn’t have it. Still, you may want to pick up some of his shit while its down, because it wont be there for long.

BUMP: DOWN

Brandon Jacobs

Another beast of a game for him, shit if I know where he came from. He did amazing against a great team, ANNNND it was on a national stage, so you can bet your ass he is getting a bump. I think he is heading for a probowl, and it makes me sad that I sold his auto /5 for like 10 bucks last year.

BUMP: UP

Eddie Royal

Holy shit, he had a huge ass game. I think he may be the steal of the draft already, but I think he still has a way to go. If you see some of the catches that Calvin Johnson makes off shitty ass throws, you can imagine why he went in the top of the draft and Royal didn’t. That doesn’t mean much this season, but it may in the future. Still, he gets another bump.

BUMP: UP

Jay Cutler

Huge game, and I still think he deserves a lot of credit for playing the way he has being a new Diabetic. He is an ass in every sense of the word, but he should definitely be on your buy list, playing the way he has.

BUMP: UP

Maurice Jones-Drew

3 TDs? That’s a good game even when you play the Lions. Welcome back.

BUMP: UP

Matt Schaub

If you are still holding his shit after he signed with the Texans, a bad season, and a really bad season, you are an idiot. Jesus.

BUMP: DOWN

Larry Johnson

Your team is down to Savage and Charles for RBs you stupid asshole. I hope you see now that you don’t need to be a douchebag to be good in the NFL.

BUMP EMERITUS: DOWN

Possible Bumps for Next Week:

Adrian Peterson: If he can hit 5 in a row for 100 yard games, that is huge
Jonathan Stewart: A game against the Lions is always good.
Jay Cutler: Huge game against the falcons
Matt Ryan: Huge game against the Broncos

Value Bumps: Week 6

This week had a ton of crazy ass finishes, and I loved every minute of it. There were a lot of surprises, and I think I need to go over a few of them so that I can help myself process what just happened.

Matt Ryan

It has been a long fucking time since I have seen a RC quarterback play this well. I watched the entire game against the Bears, and I think the Dolphins are starting to realize they made a mistake. He is poised, accurate, and has the possibility of being on a team that goes from drafting third to being in the playoffs. Crazy. Congrats on the first 300 yard game for a RC this year.

BUMP: UP

Michael Turner

As much as Ryan did great, Turner did awful. I wouldnt say the wheels are falling off the Burner Bus quite yet, but this was a pretty bad week for him.

BUMP: DOWN

Kyle Orton

I have no fucking clue how this guy can be doing as well as he is. The year before the Bears lost in the Super Bowl, he was pretty much just plugging the time until the defense could get back on the field, and this year, he is actually making some waves. Unfuckingbelievable.

BUMP: UP

Bernard Berrian

Two great weeks in a row, and the Vikings longest play from scrimmage in a century, so he makes this list easily. WR cards are still worth nothing, but he goes from way down to about a smidgeon on the positive side, so you may want to think about picking up his RC cards while they are still going for a penny on the bay.

BUMP: UP

Matt Schaub

Talk about a crazy finish, AND it comes to get your first win against a tough team as of late. He played very well, and it really stopped the free fall his cards were taking during the suckfest that the Texans were in the midst of. I still think its funny that the Patriots couldnt stop the Dolphins, but the Texans manage to hang on. That is crazy fucking shit.

BUMP: UP

Aaron Rodgers

He continues to impress with half of the teams fans jumping all over him not being Fah-ve. He did really well for being injured, but it wasnt exactly against the best team. He continues to get a bump, however.

BUMP: UP

Greg Jennings

I would say he is close to being the best receiver in the NFC right now. The guy is a beast. What is funny is that even with him, Rodgers and driver, Grant still sucks like a little high school slut. HAW HAW!

BUMP: UP

Rashard Mendenhall

If you havent sold his stuff you were sitting on already, you are an idiot or a Steelers fan. A year ending surgery is pretty much the end of your value, but if you think he may bounce back pretty good next year, could this be the time to jump on him while he is mega cheap?

BUMP: DOWN

Possible Bumps for Next Week

Matt Fucking Forte - if he can put up a good game against the Williams wall and the rest of the Vikings D, ill jump on board. Otherwise I get to slap him in the face with a lead pipe. Deal?

LaDanian Tomlinson - I will say that he has one more week before fantasy owners riot in the streets of San Diego (Whale's Vagina). After that, he better pick it up.

Eli Manning - I think the Giants are sadly in Super Bowl form again. If they win tonight and win next week, Eli is well on his way to an MVP. That always means a huge bump, more so than he already has.

Ronnie Brown - Who woulda thunk that Miami would be as close to the top as they are. They look great, but that loss to Houston was a heartbreaker. If Ronnie goes nuts next week on a Ravens team that gave up 31 to a sinking Indy team, he could be rolling in the dough. Good for him.