Wednesday, September 29, 2010

FDH Lounge Show #117: September 29, 2010

By Rick Morris

The long-promised Episode #117 -- after three weeks consumed by the Sports Talk Network relocation and family health issues in the FDH organization -- is here as we end up making the wait worth your while on THE FDH LOUNGE (Wednesdays, 7-10 PM EDT on SportsTalkNetwork.com).

We lead as always with The Opening Statements of The FDH Lounge Dignitaries and our look at This Week in The FDH Lounge before we open with a look at the upcoming midterm elections and The FDH Lounge Pigskin Report -- breaking down both the college and pro games through the month of September.

In Hour Two, we are pleased to welcome one of the most dominant sluggers of the 1990s, Greg Vaughn. We'll talk October baseball, the cloud of suspicion about PEDs in baseball and the minor-league progression of his son Cory -- who played for Greg's old teammate Tony Gwynn at San Diego U. After that, we reunite New York radio's awesome pro wrestling radio team of the early 1990s. Our friend Rich Mancuso from The 21st Century Media Alliance and proprietor of the Keep It In The Ring sports website will be coming on with his old pal Jody MacDonald of ESPN Radio in New York to talk some "graps" and the transition of the baseball season into the playoffs.

In Hour Three, our old friend Philly sports journalist Joe Staszak will be appearing to break down the stories from one of the most active markets in the country: the Vick/McNabb showdown, the Phillies moving into strong position for a third straight pennant, the Flyers getting ready to defend their Eastern Conference crown and the Sixers moving warily into a new season after seeing would-be franchise player Evan Turner shockingly lay a big egg in summer ball. Then, THE FANTASY DRAFTHELP.COM INSIDER closes out the show with our big NFL Week 4 preview.

As always, we urge you to watch the show live (or listen if you’re on dial-up), but if you can’t catch this as it’s happening, you can always catch the FDH archives 24-7 right here or catch us now on iTunes. Also, you can now catch THE FDH LOUNGE VAULT, a compilation of our best interviews and roundtables, now every weeknight from 6-7 PM, also on SportsTalkNetwork.com.

Saturday, September 25, 2010

NFL picks Week 3

By Rick Morris

In addition to posting my weekly picks, I will post those from The FDH New York Bureau and FDH Lounge Dignitary Sean Trench for The FDH Lounge Dignitaries' Football Challenge Contest. Each week, we will single out our three strongest plays:

BUREAU (1-2 last week, 3-3 overall)
New England -14 1/2 over Buffalo
Baltimore -10 1/2 over Cleveland
Cincinnati -3 over Carolina

ME (1-1-1 last week, 2-2-2 overall)
New York Giants -3 over Tennessee
Philadelphia -3 over Jacksonville
Cincinnati -3 over Carolina -- my 1,000-Star, Gold-Plated Lock of the Millennium for this week (Lock was 0-0-1 last week, 0-0-2 for the season -- no, really two pushes in two weeks!)

SEAN (0-3 last week, 1-5 overall)
Baltimore -10 1/2 over Cleveland
San Francisco -2 1/2 over Kansas City
Houston -3 over Dallas

MY OTHER PICKS (6-9-1 last week, including my Big Three, 13-16-2 overall)
Buffalo +14 1/2 over New England
Cleveland +10 1/2 over Baltimore
Pittsburgh -2 1/2 over Tampa Bay
Atlanta +4 over New Orleans
San Francisco -2 1/2 over Kansas City
Minnesota -11 over Detroit
Dallas +3 over Houston
Washington 3 1/2 over St. Louis
Indianapolis -5 1/2 over Denver
Seattle +5 1/2 over San Diego
Arizona -4 1/2 over Oakland
New York Jets +2 over Miami
Green Bay -3 over Chicago

Pro Gridiron Surround: Week 3

By Rick Morris

The 21st Century Media Alliance will be joining to provide live, as-it-happens coverage from the pro and college gridirons this fall, with on-the-ground coverage aggregated from a variety of outside media sources all over the country via Twitter. Today's presentation marks our third effort on the pro side.

PLEASE NOTE: While the Cover It Live software will classify the liveblog as being in "Standby," it is continuously updating from a variety of sources, averaging several entries per minute during the height of the day's action. You need only to click the play button to view the continuous updates and follow what has already been posted at any time. We hope you enjoy.


FDH Fantasy Newsletter: Volume III, Issue XXXVII

By Rick Morris

For the most part, we keep our fantasy content on our fantasy website and fantasy blog and keep this site for content on all subjects. It allows our readers to find specific content more easily that way. However, it has come to our attention that because our new fantasy sports newsletter is published on the older Blogger platform that our readers may be limited in their ability to subscribe to it. There does not appear to be a way to have content on the FantasyDrafthelp.com blog forwarded to an aggregate news reader -- however, we know that we have that ability here. So we will link to that newsletter each week right here when it is published. Here is this week's newsletter.

NFL Week 3 power rankings

By Rick Morris


NOTE: Last week’s rankings in parentheses.


TOP TIER

1 New Orleans (1)

2 Houston (3)

3 Green Bay (9)

4 Indianapolis (7)

5 Baltimore (2)

6 New York Jets (10)

7 Pittsburgh (8)

8 San Diego (11)

9 New England (6)

10 Atlanta (14)

11 Miami (16)

12 Chicago (20)

13 Cincinnati (17)

SECOND TIER

14 New York Giants (4)

15 Dallas (13)

16 Washington (19)

17 Tennessee (5)

18 Philadelphia (18)

19 Minnesota (12)

THIRD TIER

20 Denver (24)

21 Kansas City (25)

22 San Francisco (23)

23 Tampa Bay (26)

24 Seattle (15)

25 Jacksonville (22)

26 Arizona (21)

FOURTH TIER

27 Detroit (29)

28 Carolina (27)

29 Oakland (30)

30 St. Louis (28)

31 Cleveland (31)

32 Buffalo (32)


BIGGEST RISERS: Chicago (8 spots), Green Bay (6 spots), Miami (5 spots), Atlanta, Cincinnati, Denver and Kansas City (4 spots), Indianapolis, San Diego, Tampa Bay and Washington (3 spots)


BIGGEST FALLERS: Tennessee (12 spots), New York Giants (10 spots), Seattle (9 spots), Minnesota (7 spots), Arizona (5 spots), New York Jets (4 spots), Baltimore, Jacksonville and New England (3 spots)


NCAA football picks Week Four

By Rick Morris

Last week: 3-3-1
Overall: 10-9-1

Eastern Michigan +44 over Ohio State
Mississippi State -1 over Georgia
Oklahoma -14 over Cincinnati
Arkansas +7 over Alabama
Boise State -18 over Oregon State
Stanford -4 1/2 over Notre Dame
Ohio +6 over Marshall

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Your fantasy - and non-fantasy - hockey guide for 2010

By Rick Morris

We at FDH are very proud to announce the release of FANTASY HOCKEY DRAFTOLOGY 2010, the only guide to hockey that you need for this season. Here's what's inside:

Page 1: Draft Philosophy Overview, Draft Board Decoder, Top 50 Overall

Page 2: Goalie Rankings, Lessons of Our Ultimate Quantitative Baseline Stat

Page 3: Center Rankings

Page 4: Left Wing Rankings, Overvalued and Undervalued Players

Page 5: Right Wing Rankings

Page 6: Defensemen Rankings, 2010-11 Fantasy Overview, Fantasy Sleepers

Page 7: Defensemen Rankings, Don’t Be That Guy, Suggested League Guidelines

Page 8: FDH Hockey Mock Draft and Analysis

Page 9: FDH NHL 2010-11 Season Predictions, NHL 24 review

Page 10: Notes from the 2010 NHL Entry Draft

Page 11: A look back at Simon Gagne’s career in Philly

Page 12: Stevie Y moves to Tampa Bay


FDH Lounge Show #117: coming up September 29, 2010

By Rick Morris

As FDH's managing partner, I apologize for the short, unplanned hiatus of THE FDH LOUNGE (Wednesdays, 7-10 PM EDT on SportsTalkNetwork.com) this month. Between the relocation of STN's facilities and the subsequent hospitalization of my grandmother (for whom I am the closest living relative -- and may I say how much I appreciate the thoughts and prayers from my friends and for that matter all FDH supporters), it has been impossible to maintain everything exactly in the necessary manner. We are coming back next Wednesday at our usual time from our new temporary home on the Promenade at Harpo's and we'll have a lineup that will truly be worth the wait.

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Videos: History as it happened

By Rick Morris

We often post YouTube videos here on the site of a purely entertaining nature, but if you love history as we do, there are also plenty of opportunities to revisit monumental events as they happened. We will post some of the more notable ones that we find from time to time.

Here’s our first batch:

Walter Cronkite announces the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. on April 4, 1968

Here’s some more Cronkite on March 30, 1979

The Sputnik newsreel

The final moments – and postgame celebration – of the “Miracle on Ice” win over the USSR

The fall of the Berlin Wall

ABC News coverage of the Sadat assassination, October 6, 1981

ABC News coverage of the space shuttle Challenger explosion, January 28, 1986

ITV coverage of 9/11 live in Great Britain


Sunday, September 19, 2010

Pro Gridiron Surround: Week 2

By Rick Morris

The 21st Century Media Alliance will be joining to provide live, as-it-happens coverage from the pro and college gridirons this fall, with on-the-ground coverage aggregated from a variety of outside media sources all over the country via Twitter. Today's presentation marks our second effort on the pro side.

PLEASE NOTE: While the Cover It Live software will classify the liveblog as being in "Standby," it is continuously updating from a variety of sources, averaging several entries per minute during the height of the day's action. You need only to click the play button to view the continuous updates and follow what has already been posted at any time. We hope you enjoy.



Saturday, September 18, 2010

NFL picks Week 2

By Rick Morris

In addition to posting my weekly picks, I will post those from The FDH New York Bureau and FDH Lounge Dignitary Sean Trench for The FDH Lounge Dignitaries' Football Challenge Contest. Each week, we will single out our three strongest plays:

BUREAU (2-1 last week)
Green Bay -13 over Buffalo
Minnesota -5 1/2 over Miami
New Orleans -6 over San Francisco

SEAN (1-2 last week)
Tennessee over Pittsburgh
Minnesota -5 1/2 over Miami
Oakland -3 1/2 over St. Louis

ME (1-1-1 last week)
Dallas -7 over Chicago
Denver -3 1/2 over Seattle (NOTE: This game was picked as an example of my "why ask why" philosophy when I see a pointspread that is completely out of whack -- you should always go the other way from your instincts when you encounter such a line.)
Houston -3 over Washington -- my 1,000-Star, Gold-Plated Lock of the Millennium for this week

MY OTHER PICKS (7-7-2 last week, including my Big Three)
Cleveland -2 1/2 over Kansas City
Buffalo +13 over Green Bay
Cincinnati +3 over Baltimore
Tennessee -5 over Pittsburgh
Philadelphia -6 1/2 over Detroit
Carolina -3 over Tampa Bay
Atlanta -6 1/2 over Arizona
Minnesota -5 1/2 over Miami
Oakland -3 1/2 over St. Louis
San Diego -7 over Jacksonville
New England -3 over New York Jets
Indianapolis -5 over New York Giants
San Francisco +6 over New Orleans

NFL Week 2 power rankings

By Rick Morris

TOP TIER
1 New Orleans
2 Baltimore
3 Houston
4 New York Giants
5 Tennessee
6 New England
7 Indianapolis
8 Pittsburgh
9 Green Bay
10 New York Jets
11 San Diego
12 Minnesota
13 Dallas
14 Atlanta
15 Seattle
16 Miami
17 Cincinnati
18 Philadelphia
SECOND TIER
19 Washington
20 Chicago
21 Arizona
22 Jacksonville
23 San Francisco
24 Denver
25 Kansas City
26 Tampa Bay
27 Carolina
THIRD TIER
28 St. Louis
29 Detroit
30 Oakland
31 Cleveland
32 Buffalo

NCAA football picks Week Three

By Rick Morris

Last week: 6-2
Overall: 7-6

Ohio +30 over Ohio State
Arkansas +2 over Georgia
Tennessee +14 over Florida
BYU +10 over Florida State
Washington +3 over Nebraska
Michigan State -3 1/2 over Notre Dame
Arizona -1 over Iowa

MLB power rankings for mid-September

By Rick Morris

Start of September power rankings in parentheses.

TOP TIER (Top Playoff Contenders)
1 Tampa Bay (2)
2 New York Yankees (1)
3 Minnesota (6)
4 Philadelphia (7)
SECOND TIER (Other Playoff Contenders)
5 Cincinnati (4)
6 San Francisco (10)
7 Atlanta (3)
8 Texas (8)
9 San Diego (5)
10 Colorado (14)
THIRD TIER (Mediocrities)
11 Boston (9)
12 Chicago White Sox (11)
13 St. Louis (12)
14 Florida (16)
15 New York Mets (18)
16 Los Angeles Dodgers (15)
17 Toronto (13)
18 Oakland (19)
19 Detroit (20)
20 Los Angeles Angels (17)
21 Houston (22)
FOURTH TIER (The Dregs)
22 Milwaukee (21)
23 Chicago Cubs (23)
24 Washington (24)
25 Kansas City (25)
26 Cleveland (27)
27 Arizona (26)
FIFTH TIER (The Worst of the Worst)
28 Baltimore (29)
29 Seattle (28)
30 Pittsburgh (30)

BIGGEST RISERS: Colorado and San Francisco (4 spots), Minnesota, New York Mets and Philadelphia (3 spots)

BIGGEST FALLERS: Atlanta, San Diego and Toronto (4 spots), Los Angeles Angels (3 spots)

FDH Fantasy Newsletter: Volume III, Issue XXXVI

By Rick Morris

For the most part, we keep our fantasy content on our fantasy website and fantasy blog and keep this site for content on all subjects. It allows our readers to find specific content more easily that way. However, it has come to our attention that because our new fantasy sports newsletter is published on the older Blogger platform that our readers may be limited in their ability to subscribe to it. There does not appear to be a way to have content on the FantasyDrafthelp.com blog forwarded to an aggregate news reader -- however, we know that we have that ability here. So we will link to that newsletter each week right here when it is published. Here is this week's newsletter.

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

FDH Lounge Show #117: September 15, 2010



By Rick Morris

NOTE: We apologize for the last-minute postponement of this episode due to a medical emergency in the FDH family. We will be back for #117 next Wednesday, September 22.


After broadcasting for 116 times from the previous studios on the Cleveland lakefront, THE FDH LOUNGE (Wednesdays, 7-10 PM EDT on SportsTalkNetwork.com) begins a new and fun temporary chapter by broadcasting from one of the greatest sports bars in the Midwest: The Promenade at Harpo’s. Tonight, we defer The Opening Statements of The FDH Lounge Dignitaries and our look at This Week in The FDH Lounge because we will be going right to the phone lines for a very special first guest: former Ohio State and NFL quarterback Art Schlichter, author of Busted: The Rise and Fall of Art Schlichter, a compelling book about his life’s experiences. We’ll discuss his career, hard-won lessons learned and his perspectives from last Saturday’s huge Ohio State-Miami matchup.


This unbelievably large night in The Lounge then moves on to CBS Sports and NFL Network insider journalist Charley Casserly, who is also known as a Super-Bowl winning general manager during his time with Washington – and of course, he held the same title in Houston. There are a great many football reporters working their sources to deliver information these days, but Charley’s pedigree as a longtime executive in the league bestows unique credibility on him as he does so.


At the top of Hour Two, we convene the Second Annual FDH Fantasy Sports Summit with some of the biggest names in the game joining us:


^ Cory J. Bonini, Managing Editor of KFFL.com

^ Dave Richard, Fantasy Football Writer at CBSSports.com

^ Kelly Perdew, CEO of Rotohog


We segue then to some East Coast media types who we have enjoyed having on previously: ESPN Radio’s Jody McDonald and fellow 21st Century Media Alliance member Rich Mancuso of Keep It In The Ring. They cover the entire sports scene, but we’ll have to get into at least a little bit of what they’re known for doing together: innovating the concept of pro wrestling coverage on the radio, as they did on New York’s legendary WFAN in the late 1980s and early 1990s.


From there, a big-time past guest, Kenny Albert, will be back on to discuss his work broadcasting Rangers and Knicks games in New York, Olympic hockey for the NBC networks, college hoops for ESPN Plus and MLB and NFL for Fox Sports. Kenny is on the #2 team for Fox NFL coverage and he moves up to the top pairing with Troy Aikman when October baseball takes Joe Buck away. It should go without saying that there is so much to discuss with a man of his experience.


THE FANTASY DRAFTHELP.COM INSIDER then previews NFL Week 2 game-by-game, delivering insights about the players you need to play – and sit – for this week’s fantasy football slate. Hopefully by this time we still do not need to remind you about FANTASY FOOTBALL DRAFTOLOGY 2010, a joint effort of your favorite 21st Century Media Alliance entities – with the fantasy content powered by your pals at FantasyDrafthelp.com, of course!


As always, we urge you to watch the show live (or listen if you’re on dial-up), but if you can’t catch this as it’s happening, you can always catch the FDH archives 24-7 right here or catch us now on iTunes. Also, you can now catch THE FDH LOUNGE VAULT, a compilation of our best interviews and roundtables, now every weeknight from 6-7 PM, also on SportsTalkNetwork.com.


Sunday, September 12, 2010

Pro Gridiron Surround: Week 1

By Rick Morris

The 21st Century Media Alliance will be joining to provide live, as-it-happens coverage from the pro and college gridirons this fall, with on-the-ground coverage aggregated from a variety of outside media sources all over the country via Twitter. Today's presentation marks our initial effort on the pro side. We hope you enjoy.


Saturday, September 11, 2010

NFL picks Week 1

By Rick Morris

In addition to posting my weekly picks, I will post those from the FDH New York Bureau and FDH Lounge Dignitary Sean Trench for The FDH Lounge Dignitaries' Football Challenge Contest. Each week, we will single out our three strongest plays.

BUREAU
New York Giants -6 1/2 over Carolina
Tennessee -6 1/2 over Oakland
Indianapolis -2 over Houston

SEAN
New York Giants -6 1/2 over Carolina
Chicago -6 1/2 over Detroit
San Diego -5 over Kansas City

ME
Dallas -3 over Washington
Miami -3 over Buffalo
Cleveland +3 over Tampa Bay (my 1,000-Star, Gold-Plated Lock of the Millennium for this week)

MY OTHER PICKS (0-0-1 total record thus far due to Thursday night push)
New York Giants -6 1/2 over Carolina
Tennessee -6 1/2 over Oakland
Houston +2 over Indianapolis
San Diego -5 over Kansas City
Atlanta -1 1/2 over Pittsburgh
Detroit +6 1/2 over Chicago
Cincinnati +5 over New England
Denver +3 over Jacksonville
Green Bay -3 over Philadelphia
Seattle +3 over San Francisco
St. Louis +3 1/2 over Arizona
New York Jets -2 over Baltimore

College Gridiron Surround: September 11, 2010

By Rick Morris

The 21st Century Media Alliance will be joining to provide live, as-it-happens coverage from the pro and college gridirons this fall, with on-the-ground coverage aggregated from a variety of outside media sources all over the country via Twitter. Today's presentation marks our initial effort. We hope you enjoy.



NCAA football picks Week Two

By Rick Morris

Last week: 1-4 (YIKES!)

Michigan +3 1/2 over Notre Dame
Florida State +7 over Oklahoma
Ohio State -8 1/2 over Miami
Oregon -12 over Tennessee
Toledo +9 1/2 over Ohio
Penn State +12 over Alabama
South Carolina -3 over Georgia
Virginia +20 over USC

Remembering September 11

By Rick Morris

NOTE: We post September 11 coverage every year to properly remember the horror visited on our country on that day. From 2007, here is a reprise of my 2007 column on the subject.


While there are other subjects certainly worthy of comment on The FDH Lounge right now, it would be unseemly not to save them for another day. It is September 11, the day which so many of us vowed we would not forget in the awful autumn of 2001, but which too many of us certainly have. And while there are legitimate doubts as to whether this country has consistently acted in its own best interests since then (and I have said that I firmly believe we have not), nobody thinking with a clear head can pretend that we are not engaged in a brutal struggle worldwide with the jihadists who want to replicate 9/11 on a grander scale on our soil -- and nobody thinking with a clear head can pretend that a humiliating end in Iraq will be George Bush's failure alone and not something that all of us will be haunted for for generations. It's one matter to want to hold people accountable for our mistakes -- it's another altogether to pretend like so many pinko blogs that our successes and our failures as a people are not something that we ALL own.

So today, it 0nly seems fitting to post the lyrics from Daryl Worley's song "Have You Forgotten?" -- because the majority of us are back trying to live in a September 10 world.

I hear people saying we don't need this war
I say there's some things worth fighting for
What about our freedom and this piece of ground?
We didn't get to keep 'em by backing down
They say we don't realize the mess we're getting in
Before you start preaching
Let me ask you this my friend

CHORUS 1
Have you forgotten how it felt that day
To see your homeland under fire
And her people blown away?
Have you forgotten when those towers fell?
We had neighbors still inside
Going through a living hell
And you say we shouldn't worry 'bout Bin Laden
Have you forgotten?

They took all the footage off my T.V.
Said it's too disturbing for you and me
It'll just breed anger that's what the experts say
If it was up to me I'd show it every day
Some say this country's just out looking for a fight
After 9/11 man I'd have to say that's right

CHORUS 1
Have you forgotten how it felt that day
To see your homeland under fire
And her people blown away?
Have you forgotten when those towers fell?
We had neighbors still insideGoing through a living hell
And you say we shouldn't worry 'bout Bin Laden
Have you forgotten?

I've been there with the soldiers
Who've gone away to war
And you can bet they remember
Just what they're fighting for

CHORUS 2
Have you forgotten all the people killed?
Some went down like heroes in that Pennsylvania field
Have you forgotten about our Pentagon?
All the loved ones that we lost
And those left to carry on
Don't you tell me not to worry about Bin Laden
Have you forgotten?
Have you forgotten?
Have you forgotten?

FDH Fantasy Newsletter: Volume III, Issue XXXV

By Rick Morris

For the most part, we keep our fantasy content on our fantasy website and fantasy blog and keep this site for content on all subjects. It allows our readers to find specific content more easily that way. However, it has come to our attention that because our new fantasy sports newsletter is published on the older Blogger platform that our readers may be limited in their ability to subscribe to it. There does not appear to be a way to have content on the FantasyDrafthelp.com blog forwarded to an aggregate news reader -- however, we know that we have that ability here. So we will link to that newsletter each week right here when it is published. Here is this week's newsletter.

Friday, September 10, 2010

FDH Lounge Show #117: next week, September 15, 2010

By Rick Morris

Episode #117 of THE FDH LOUNGE (Wednesdays, 7-10 PM EDT, SportsTalkNetwork.com) was deferred until next week because STN is in the process of moving their operations. I would like to join STN in sending my best wishes and eternal gratitude to the network's previous hosts on the Lake Erie waterfront at Roediger Construction. Their support over the last five years has been invaluable and appreciated more than they will ever know.

While the new STN permanent facility is under construction and scheduled at this time to be unveiled within the next two months, we are entering a fun temporary chapter by broadcasting from The Promenade at Harpo's in Brook Park, OH, close to Cleveland Hopkins Airport. Our good friend Eddie Allman operates the premier sports bar and eatery in this part of the country and it will make for an exciting backdrop when the show returns with full video next week. Just to whet your appetite, our guests for the first Harpo's show include former Ohio State and NFL quarterback Art Schlichter, CBS Sports NFL inside journalist (and former Super Bowl-winning GM) Charley Casserly and Fox Sports NFL and MLB broadcaster Kenny Albert (one of our favorite recurring guests). Do not miss this one!

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Vikings-Saints NFL opener prediction

By Rick Morris

Saints -5 over Vikings, 23-10.

Monday, September 6, 2010

Unconventional NFL offseason moves



By Jason Jones (posted by Rick Morris)


This offseason, more so than any other that I can remember, can be considered the "Year of the Single Big Move.” The question is: will it work? In the NFL, there are a number of blueprints to how to build a championship team. In most cases, we are looking at talent instead of star power, cohesiveness instead of stats. The only question is: can it work the other way?


Think of all of the big offseason moves. In some years, you could notice that Team A got a Top 5 OG, drafted a flashy first-round WR, got a solid CB who couldn't start on his previous team but has a legitimate chance to on the new team, and a big ticket RB to fill a void that has been missing for a long time. That could be any team.


But what does it say when a quarter of the 32 teams in the NFL pursued one singular acquisition? In some cases, taking a pretty good to the next-level or not-so-good team to at least mediocrity?


Starting with some of the more exciting moves...Terrell Owens to the Bengals. Now before you scoff...even if he never gets back to where he was statistically, it is still a Fitzgerald/Boldin-type of situation. There is not a defensive coordinator currently employed who is not seriously concerned with figuring out Carson Palmer to OchoCinco, T.O., Jordan Shipley, Jermaine Gresham -- and Benson running out of the backfield. Like him or not, T.O. makes that offense ridiculous.


Second only to Favre in terms of the QB most likely to get criticized, Donovan McNabb finally departs from the Eagles (which I'll be honest, I never thought I'd see) and not only gets traded in-conference, but gets traded in-division to the Redskins. Now clearly, the Redskins are far more than a QB away. However, McNabb knows how to throw to small as well as subpar receivers. Can he make Santana Moss the real deal? I would lean towards saying no, but McNabb is arguably the best QB they've had since they played at RFK or since Joe Theismann was around...take your pick.


Anquan Boldin. That move might not concern most of you, but it scares the sh&@ out of me. Let take one of the top three rushing attacks (approximately), give them a big reliable young QB with a cannon (that the coaches have handcuffed) and maintain a defense that over the last decade is the best in the NFL (average not cumulative). And if that's not enough, give them a Pro Bowl WR who was only the #2 at his previous team because the #1 may be the most talented WR in the game (that one may be debatable). Also, let’s not forget that Mr. Boldin has a chip on his shoulder larger than the Inner Harbor.


This one is my favorite and is similar to the Ravens. The Miami Dolphins pay the man. Brandon Marshall, who may go down as the most undervalued WR in 20 years, with three seasons of over 100 catches and 1000 yds (two of those north of 1200), goes to a team who has not had a legit Pro Bowl WR since...O.J. McDuffie??? Nope, he didn’t make it. The last time the Dolphins had one of the league’s best at that position, THEY WENT UNDEFEATED.


Now for the other moves...The St. Louis Rams are putting everything on Sam Bradford. I can't disagree with the decision, but that kid is going to get killed in Year One. His #1 WR (Donnie Avery) is out all year. Well, if all else fails...Steven Jackson is good for 1,400 yds win, lose or draw.


The Raiders...yes that’s right, the Raiders have improved at the QB position. Before you ask, "Did I miss something, what Hall of Fame-bound QB was dumb enough to go there?" it wasn't anywhere near that level of talent. It is addition by subtraction, then a small addition. No matter where you are on the legitimacy of either JaMarcus Russell or Jason Campbell, one thing is not up for debate, Campbell is better than Russell. Way to milk that #1 overall draft pick contract.


And of course my current favorite: subtract Jay Cutler (I wasn't a huge fan anyway), subtract Brandon Marshall, move to a 3-4, draft a shifty RB to a team who is known for featuring between-the-tackles RBs, draft a "tweener" de/olb, sign the great Brian Dawkins (even if he is past his prime), as well as a series of New England retreads...so what is the next move? Trade for an elite WR not named Brandon Marshall? Sign a Pro Bowl free agent? No. How about we draft Tim Tebow? All the scouts say he can't play QB at the next level but would be intriguing in a "wild horses" formation. For the record, I am a Tebow convert. I see the plan in Denver, I can see what they are trying to do. And for the first time, I've seen a new coach have an unorthodox plan...and I see it coming together. I have seen (in the preseason, granted) Tebow make throws that both Orton and Quinn cannot make, which for now is good enough for me.


And last but certainly not least, the kicker to this whole debate: the New York Jets. As far as a splash is concerned, no one player they've acquired lives up to a McNabb or Marshall. However, add Antonio Cromartie, LaDainian Tomlinson, Santonio Holmes, Joey Porter, and a John Connor (R) and you have more than one serious offseason move. Regardless of how you feel about each of those guys in their respective places in their careers, how does it measure up? If Revis comes back, is it still the number 1 defense? If so, with the addition of Jason Taylor, Cromartie and a healthy Kris Jenkins, are they Number One by a larger margin? And on an offense similar to the Bengals, think about Mark Sanchez throwing to Braylon Edwards, Santonio Holmes, Jericho Cotchery, Dustin Keller, Shonn Greene and LT. Or does that maybe feel like the poor man's version of the Bengals? The league is always changing, adapting, then trying to change again. My only question is, "Will it work?” I'm sure the Steelers, Colts, and Chargers would decline to believe so.


Happy Labor Day



By Rick Morris

In the world we live in today, Labor Day may seem like the most anachronistic of holidays today, certainly more so than Independence Day, Memorial Day or anything else that still seems completely relevant -- but there are still people left to remind us of the importance of the day.


As an example, I would cite my great-aunt Josephine, who worked very hard at her job for decades and who helped unionize her workplace when abusive conditions became completely rampant. Now, I'm no fan at all of what many affiliates of the modern labor movement do to workers -- taking money out of their paychecks so that they can hand it to politicians who advance causes many workers oppose like abortion and gay marriage -- but that doesn't change at all the heroism of those who in an earlier day and age put their own well-being on the line to help build a more humane workplace and society.


To my great-aunt Josie and all of the other heroes who helped to build a better America, Happy Labor Day.


Saturday, September 4, 2010

September geopolitics roundup

By Rick Morris

MISCELLANEOUS
The New York Times says that global famine, not climate change, is the coming apocalypse of the century.

The Washington Institute for Near East Policy evaluates the overall state of the global battle against jihad.

Stratfor goes through in great detail how the hostage rescue mission in the Philippines was botched so tragically.

The Belmont Club looks at the many different facets of a 2010 that they predict will come to be seen as a year of great global transition.

The Diplomat critiques the US’s evolving military posture towards China.

Der Spiegel gives an overview of Germany’s dependence on China for economic growth – and the potential ramifications.

MIDDLE EAST
Stratfor puts the upcoming Middle East peace talks into fascinating historical context.

Janes reveals that Iran has whipped their population into strongly supporting their growing nuclear program.

Janes analyzes Turkey’s move away from its traditional pro-West foreign policy.

The China Post reports on a growing arms race among many Middle Eastern countries.

Der Spiegel predicts failure in the upcoming talks between Israel and the Palestinians and looks at what could happen then.

Line of Departure throws cold water on the “imminent US attack on Iran” stories.

AFGHANISTAN/PAKISTAN
The Counterterrorism Blog exposes the real threat by the admittedly small member of Al Qaeda operatives left in Afghanistan.

The Long War Journal states that the Taliban is suffering from low morale as a result of NATO’s escalation against them.

The American Interest says that the floods are killing what is left of Pakistan – a dangerous situation for a potentially hostile country with nukes.

The Counterterrorism Blog deconstructs the possibilities of militants using the Pakistan flooding to take the upper hand in that country.

Der Spiegel looks at the growing role of special forces in NATO’s fight against the Taliban.

KOREA
Janes reports on the alliance of two brutal dictatorships: North Korea and Myanmar.

Janes speaks on the “elections” coming in Myanmar.

Asia Times evaluates the mysterious visit of North Korean dictator Kim Jong-il to China.

LATIN AMERICA
Janes brings to light the active international role of Jamaica’s drug gangs.

The New York Times exposes the growing dangers in Venezuela and how Hugo Chavez is leading the country straight down the commode.

NCAA football picks Week One

By Rick Morris

Washington -2 1/2 over BYU
TCU -13 over Oregon State
LSU -8 1/2 over North Carolina
Wofford +14 over Ohio
Boise State -1 1/2 over Virginia Tech

Thursday, September 2, 2010

2010 NCAA football season predictions

By Rick Morris

FDH Senior Editor Jason Jones and FDH Lounge Charter Dignitary Nate Noy joined me in making the following predictions:

BCS TITLE GAME
Rick: Alabama vs. Ohio State
Jason: Alabama vs. Ohio State
Nate: Alabama vs. Ohio State

ROSE BOWL
Rick: Iowa vs. Oregon
Jason: Nebraska vs. Washington
Nate: Nebraska vs. Oregon

SUGAR BOWL
Rick: Florida vs. Boise State
Jason: Florida vs. Boise State
Nate: Florida vs. Boise State

FIESTA BOWL
Rick: Texas vs. TCU
Jason: Texas vs. TCU
Nate: Texas vs. TCU

ORANGE BOWL
Rick: Virginia Tech vs. Pittsburgh
Jason: West Virginia vs. Miami
Nate: West Virginia vs. Miami

And here’s our FDH rankings for the start of the season:

TOP TIER
1 Alabama
SECOND TIER
2 Ohio State
3 Boise State
THIRD TIER
4 Texas
5 Florida
6 TCU
7 Nebraska
8 Virginia Tech
9 Oregon
10 Iowa
11 Oklahoma
FOURTH TIER
12 USC
13 Miami
14 Wisconsin
FIFTH TIER
15 North Carolina
16 Georgia Tech
17 Pittsburgh
18 Arkansas
19 Florida State
20 LSU
21 Penn State
SIXTH TIER
22 Georgia
23 Auburn
24 Cincinnati
25 West Virginia
26 Oregon State
SEVENTH TIER
27 Utah
28 Houston
29 UConn
30 Notre Dame
31 South Carolina
32 Navy
33 Temple
34 Missouri
35 Stanford
36 California
37 Texas A&M
38 Arizona
39 Washington
40 Middle Tenn St
41 BYU

MLB power rankings for start of September

By Rick Morris

Mid-August power rankings in parentheses.

TOP TIER (Top Playoff Contenders)
1 New York Yankees (1)
2 Tampa Bay (2)
SECOND TIER (Other Playoff Contenders)
3 Atlanta (4)
4 Cincinnati (5)
5 San Diego (3)
6 Minnesota (6)
7 Philadelphia (7)
8 Texas (10)
9 Boston (9)
10 San Francisco (8)
11 Chicago White Sox (11)
THIRD TIER (Playoff Longshots)
12 St. Louis (12)
13 Toronto (13)
14 Colorado (14)
15 Los Angeles Dodgers (15)
16 Florida (17)
17 Los Angeles Angels (16)
18 New York Mets (18)
19 Oakland (19)
20 Detroit (20)
FOURTH TIER (The Dregs)
21 Milwaukee (21)
22 Houston (23)
23 Chicago Cubs (25)
24 Washington (22)
25 Kansas City (24)
26 Arizona (28)
27 Cleveland (26)
28 Seattle (27)
FIFTH TIER (The Worst of the Worst)
29 Baltimore (29)
30 Pittsburgh (30)

BIGGEST RISERS: none more than two spots

BIGGEST FALLERS: none more than two spots

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

FDH Lounge Show #116: September 1, 2010

By Rick Morris

While THE FDH LOUNGE (Wednesdays, 7-10 PM EDT on SportsTalkNetwork.com) is the show where “nothing is off-topic,” we reserve the right on occasion to focus in a single direction. This week will be one such time, as we bring you The FDH Lounge 2010 Football Kickoff Extravaganza.

We lead as always with The Opening Statements of The FDH Lounge Dignitaries and our look at This Week in The FDH Lounge before we bring in our panel for the evening’s festivities. During our 100th episode back on April 28 of this year, our centerpiece segment was provided by what we call The FDH Lounge Pigskin Think Tank. We’re happy to have with us on this show The Scout Ken Becks of 1stDownScouting.com, FDH Senior Editor Jason Jones and FDH Lounge Charter Dignitary Nate Noy. All but Ken were present for the 100th show when we really lit up the sky with the football analysis. Adding Ken to the group will just take everything to another level altogether.

In Hour One, we’ll focus at the macro level on football Xs and Os and general philosophy as we try to reason through why teams do and don’t do certain things. The first three-quarters of Hour Two will be devoted to a preview of the most important facets of the 2010 NFL season. We close Hour Two and get into the first part of Hour Three with a similar preview of the 2010 college football season before THE FANTASY DRAFTHELP.COM INSIDER closes out the show with our annual college football team draft (suggested league guidelines and draft board available here) and a final piece of Draft Day or Auction Day advice from all of our panelists. Hopefully by this time we still do not need to remind you about FANTASY FOOTBALL DRAFTOLOGY 2010, a joint effort of your favorite 21st Century Media Alliance entities – with the fantasy content powered by your pals at FantasyDrafthelp.com, of course!

As always, we urge you to watch the show live (or listen if you’re on dial-up), but if you can’t catch this as it’s happening, you can always catch the FDH archives 24-7 right here or catch us now on iTunes. Also, you can now catch THE FDH LOUNGE VAULT, a compilation of our best interviews and roundtables, now every weeknight from 6-7 PM, also on SportsTalkNetwork.com.