I HOPE YOU MISSED ME WHILE I WAS GONE

I would like to thank you all for taking the time to read this, this evening. You're far to kind. You could be anywhere in the world, but you’re here with me. I appreciate that. (Since I am currently reading Decoded, I’m in a Jay-Z frame of mind.)

Thanks to my educational pursuits (I have completed my MBA), it has been a while since I last posted. But the important thing is that I am back now, and I will do my best to make this blog better than ever. Since I’ve been gone, quite a bit has happened in the world of sports. Let’s discuss a few of them, shall we?


Cam Newton wins the Heisman Trophy (at least temporarily)

Many people believe that Cam Newton will eventually have to return the Heisman Trophy. I am not one of those people. That is because I don’t think they ever let him take it home. Sure they let him pose with it for lots of pictures and hold it up triumphantly after he was announced as the winner. But after the ceremony, I believe that they just asked him to leave it with them to save the return shipping, that would otherwise have to be spent when it is taken away in the near future. In my opinion he is definitely on Auburn’s payroll, because I simply refuse to believe that it was going to cost Mississippi State $180,000 for his services, but Auburn got them for free. NO CHANCE! I hate the NCAA (the most hypocritical cartel in all of sports) and I wish them nothing but the worst. Anything that makes them look bad makes me feel better, so I am enjoying all of the bad publicity that they have been receiving over this poorly handled fiasco.

That being said, I would like to explain something to all of the old school sports writers and commentators who hold the Heisman Trophy in such high regard. I have heard so many people refer to it as the most significant honor in all of sports. That may have been a true statement 30 or 40 years ago, but that is no longer the case. I am pretty sure that very few high school or college football players would list winning the Heisman Trophy as their main individual goal. Honestly, they could care less. The most significant honor in college football is now, A FIRST ROUND NFL PAYCHECK! That’s the ultimate goal, not a 25 pound bronze statue that symbolizes that you are the best volunteer football player in the entire nation (although I’m pretty sure that all of them weren’t “volunteers”.) With that in mind, don’t feel sorry for Cam Newton when his picture is removed from the walls and placed in a back room of the Downtown Athletic Club along with Reggie Bush, because they won’t be feeling bad at all. They will simply log on to their bank’s website and hit balance inquiry. At that moment they will realize that they have indeed won.


LeBron James Takes His Talents to South Beach

All of the haters can now suck on a baby’s bottle full of haterade and just stop talking. Anyone who though that Wade, Bosh, and James wouldn’t be able to play together, obviously don’t understand basketball. Let’s just put LeBron James’ otherworldly talents into perspective. He led a Cavs team that wouldn’t win the Big Ten without him to 60+ wins each of the last two seasons. He was the entire team, and the future was not going to get any brighter. He had reached his plateau there. The team was not going to improve, because with him there they were too good to get high draft picks. Also, they were never going to sign any of the top free-agents because, well….(not to offend anyone’s hometown), but it's Cleveland. I challenge anyone to name ONE top free agent in any sport that CHOSE TO PLAY IN CLEVELAND. It's simply not happening, and LeBron knew that as well. Any player that it traded to Cleveland will surely leave as soon as their contract is up. Do I think that they are going to win a championship this year? NO, because my Celtics (led by my favorite NBA player, Rajon Rondo) will. However, outside of Rondo all of the Celtics best players are a year or two away from AARP eligibility, therefore we can expect the Heat to have a nice five-year run beginning next season. In the meantime, don’t hate the man for wanting to play with better players, live in a city with better weather, and enjoy better scenery (draw your own meaning from that) while hanging out on an off day. Like I said, no disrespect to Cleveland, but it's Cleveland. I think the great bow-tie wearing NBA philosopher Joakim Noah said it best when he asked, “When was the last time someone said that they were going on vacation to Cleveland?”


Joe Johnson Becomes an Elite (at least in salary) NBA Player

You have to love free-enterprise. Only in Atlanta, can a player who has career playoff averages of 16.3 points, 3.6 assists, and 4.5 rebounds per game, and is yet to lead his team to a second round playoff win (NOT WIN A SECOND ROUND SERIES, I AM TALKING ABOUT WINNING A SECOND ROUND GAME!!!!), be rewarded with a 6-year, $119 million contract. Don’t get me wrong, these would be excellent numbers for Marvin Williams (actually I would wash Marvin Williams car if he ever performed this well, even in the pre-season), but Joe Johnson is allegedly our best player and team leader. Giving a playoff scrub this contract ranks up there with other brilliant Hawks personnel moves like trading away Dominique Wilkins for Danny Manning. This is also the franchise that at one point was paying Jon Koncak more than Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, and Larry Bird were making at the time. Now Joe Johnson is definitely a better player than Koncak, but when you look at bang for the buck, I wonder which deal was better. I wonder if they have the same agent? And if that agent has pictures of a Hawks executive riding through Buckhead with a woman other than his wife (shout-out to Damon Evans).


Andy Reid Gets Lucky

This off-season the Philadelphia Eagles traded franchise icon Donovan McNabb to make room for Kevin Kolb to become the team’s starting quarterback. Kolb was injured in his first start, which forced Reid to turn the reigns of the team over to Michael Vick. And the rest is history. There really isn’t much more to say about this, if you have been living under a rock and have missed Vick’s season (it looks like he is playing a video game and has all of the cheat codes), you will just have to clear some time and watch the highlights on YouTube. You know, I think Kolb is now 100% healthy, why isn’t he playing? Wasn’t he the player that they thought would be better after watching both of them all through training camp? I guess Andy Reid was wrong, but fortunately, he finally got it right.

The Eagles and Falcons look to be on a collision course to face one another in the NFC title game at the Georgia Dome. Everyone in America (that doesn’t play defense for the Falcons) is looking forward to that possibility.


Brett Favre Breaks New Ground

For the first time in team sports history, a player served as his coach’s boss. This is essentially what happened in Minnesota when Brad Childress sent three players down to Mississippi to beg Brett Favre to come back for his 83rd NFL season. Anyone who knows anything about the narcissistic diva that is Bret Favre knows that he loved this feeling of being the only girl at a homecoming dance at an all boy’s school. All of the attention and power was his. Even though Favre had a 3-7 record and had thrown only 10 TD’s in comparison with 17 INT’s, Childress did not have the authority to bench him for his poor play, simply because his authority as coach went out of the window of the private jet he sent to Mississippi. Thanks in large part to Childress’ brilliant coaching and Favre’s Hall of Fame level of play, one of the most talented teams in the NFL is currently playing with an interim coach and are out of playoff contention. Just to add insult to injury, the roof of their stadium also collapsed. I guess, when it snows, it pours.


AND NOW FOR MY BALLER & SCRUB OF THE WEEK:

BALLER: Michael Vick & DeSean Jackson (Philadelphia Eagles) – This combination is absolutely scary! You have Michael Vick who should be doing commercials for the penal system, because he is the first person that I have ever seen be rehabilitated by prison. He is simply not the same person he was when he enterened prison (maybe T.I. can learn a thing or two from him). He is either a changed man or a ridiculously talented actor. Either way, I commend him on his play on the field and who he appears to be off the field.

O'Dog (my nickname for DeSean Jackson) has to be the second scariest player in the NFL (only behind Vick). He can score from anywhere on the field. His speed is ridiculous (I think he is the fasted player in the league, apologies to Chris Johnson and Devin Hester). I for one am glad that he is such a successful football player, and I hope that he has a long and successful career. Although he is a little fella, he just strikes me as one of those Ball or Rob guys. I hope that I'm wrong, but he seems like the type that would be a Menace to Society if he wasn't a professional athlete. Therefore we should all be glad that he chose to rack up the statistics on the football field and not become a statistic off the field.

SCRUB: ESPN - Brett Favre is injured and did not play last week. As a matter of fact, he may not play again ever. Yet, somehow there is a Brett Favre story everyday on Sportscenter. "Come on Man!" are you serious, it is now time to find a new athlete to stalk. I hear Tim Tebow is looking for some attention.

SCRUB: Tony Dungy (NBC Football Night in America) - Tony, you are now a talking head on television, which means that the NFL no longer gives you clothes to wear each Sunday. Therefore you are now responsible for dressing yourself. The dress code for you current position is a suite and tie. Since you are on national television, i suggest that you stop buying your suits off of the clearance rack at JC Penney's. I am not saying that you have to spend a fortune on your clothes, but your suits have to at a minimum be nicer than mine. Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with JC Penny's, but as a person on network television, you should look like a person on network television. Hit me up if you need some help, I have a homeboy that is a manager at a national men's retail chain that can help you out.

JUST MY THOUGHTS, JUST WHAT I WAS FEELING AT THE TIME, RIGHT OR WRONG

I know, I know, I have been away for a while. School and work have kept me pretty busy over the last few weeks, BUT I AM BACK NOW!!!! Since I haven’t written anything since the NFL season officially started, I decided that I would simply give you my thoughts on the things that have happened up to this point (5 pm on Sunday, September 27th). Today’s early games are done, so I will have some thoughts on those as well.

First of all, the DETROIT LIONS came through for me. I picked them as one of my upsets of the week, and THEY TOOK DOWN THE PATHETIC DEANGELO HALL LED WASHINGTON REDSKINS!!!!

After watching Jason Campbell play so far this season, I now totally understand why the Redskins tried so hard to replace him this off-season. Initially, I felt bad for him, but now I understand why they don’t want him anymore. YOU ARE THE FIRST QUARTERBACK TO LOSE TO THE LIONS SINCE DECEMBER 23, 2007. THAT WAS DURING THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION!!!! I hate to say this, but Jason Campbell days as an NFL starter are numbered.

To date, my top three running backs which all happen to be named Adrian Peterson currently have 357 rushing yards through three games. Peterson is 1,748 yards behind Eric Dickerson’s single season rushing record. He has to average 134 yards per game for the rest of the season to break the record. Stay tuned, I will be tracking his progress throughout the season. If I were a betting man, which I am not, I would bet that he is going to break the record this year.

Speaking of the Vikings, shout out to the Diva that I love to hate. For those of you who haven’t been paying attention, I am referring to Brett Favre. The game winning touchdown pass against the 49ers was amazing. As amazing as that play was, I would be remised if I didn’t warn Viking fans to temper their excitement. This is what Brett Favre does; he makes amazing plays to win big games. But he also throws lots of picks to lose big games. So enjoy this week, because he could very easily throw you out of the game next week.

Please raise your hand if you thought the Tennessee Titans would be 0 – 3 after three games. I certainly didn’t. Now to be perfectly honest, I picked them to finish third in their division (behind the Colts & Texans), but I never imagined that they would be 0 – 3 (especially with Future Hall of Famer Vince Young still on the sidelines).

Mike Singletary has proven to be a much better head coach than any of us could have expected. The fact that the 49ers are 2 – 1 with wins over the Cardinals & Seahawks and a last second loss to the Vikings, shows that he definitely has them on the right track.

Speaking of the 49ers. Where’s Waldo? I mean Crabtree. I don’t know if he realizes it or not, but they don’t exactly miss you right now. It will probably be in your best interest to take the $20 million and join the party, because you are losing leverage with every Shaun Hill touchdown pass. Sorry, bad analogy. I mean to say with every victory because they are hardly throwing the ball.

Speaking of touchdown passes, when did Joe Flacco morph into Dan Marino? He has already thrown for 839 yards and 6 touchdowns. He has already had 2 – 300 yard passing games. Last season, he had the exact same number of 300 yard passing games as I did.

Did anyone reading this ever think that they would see the day when the Pittsburgh Steelers were among the worst rushing teams in the NFL? Their ground game is pathetic. Look for Willie Parker to be removed from the starting lineup soon, simply because they are going to have to try something else. Also remember, they did use a first-round pick on his backup.

Why haven’t the fans in Carolina voted to impeach Jake Delhomme? Why didn’t the Carolina coaching staff and front office bring in a competent backup when they lost Josh McCown for the season? How many picks will Jake throw this season? How many picks does Jake have to throw before Steve Smith punches him in the face (you know he loves doing that to teammates)?

RAY LEWIS IS STILL AWESOME! Check out his game winning tackle below.



Why did Leodis (that is really his name) McKelvin bring that kickoff out of the end zone? Not only should he have known better, but his coaches should have told him to take a knee in that situation if the kick goes into the end zone. Furthermore, he should have fell down on first contact instead of fighting (and exposing the ball) for two extra yards.

How awesome is Peyton Manning? Last week the Dolphins outgained the Colts on the ground 239 yards to 61 yards. The Dolphins also ran 87 offensive plays to the Colts 35. The Dolphins also had the ball for 45:07 of the 60 minute game. And guess what, the Colts still won 27 - 23, because Manning simply scored virtually every time they got the ball (with no threat of a running game). He was also playing with two new recievers. That's all that I have to say about that.

How cold hearted is Bill Belichick? Not only did he trade Richard Seymour, but he sent him to Oakland. Can you imagine how it must feel to be a Patriot one day and then a Raider the next? That’s like winning your first Video Music Award only to have Kanye West deliver your speech. You went from being happy to wondering what in the world happened. To make matters worse, Belichick wasn’t even man enough to tell Seymour (a player that helped him win three Super Bowls) face to face that he had been traded. He told him over the phone. WHAT A SPINELESS BUSTER! I have no respect for that guy. That was a MAJOR MAN-LAW VIOLATION! If I were Tom Brady, I would watch my back when dealing with that guy. Look at how he has treated such players as Lawyer Milloy, Ty Law, Mike Vrabel, Drew Bledsoe, Willie McGinist, and most recently Seymour. If your knee doesn’t return to form very quickly, you will be the Rams starting quarterback next season.

Last but not least, who will win a game first the Buccaneers or the Rams? They don’t play each other this year, so I am really beginning to wonder if one or both of these teams can follow in the Lions footsteps. There aren’t simply two teams who haven’t won a game yet, THESE ARE TWO TERRIBLY PATHETIC TEAMS!!!! I hate to say this, but the Cleveland Browns (with Anderson at QB) would handle both of them. Now that tells you how bad they are.

These are just my thoughts on the NFL season thus far. Feel free to respond to any of these thoughts, or chime in with some thoughts or observations of your own.


AND NOW FOR MY BALLER AND SCRUB OF THE WEEK!

BALLER: Brett Favre (Minnesota Vikings) - I am fair. I will beat you up for throwing picks and acting like a DIVA, but I will also give you props for one of the best game winning plays that I have ever seen in my life. GREAT JOB! But don't get it twisted, when you throw four picks, with one of them being the one that seals a loss for your team (you know its comming), you will be the SCRUB OF THE WEEK. However, this week you saved the day. So you are the Baller of the Week. Congrats!

SCRUB: Atlanta Falcons Defensive Line - I just wanted to chime in and let you all know that in football, IT IS OK TO RUSH THE PASSER! YOU CAN EVEN HIT OF SACK HIM IF YOU GET THERE IN TIME! You guys were terrible against the Patriots. Last I checked the Patriots did not exactly have a stellar offensive line. If you don't believe me, ask the Giants, Jets, and Bills. In case you haven't noticed, the secondary isn't exactly filled with Hall of Famer's who can cover for 8 seconds (which is about how much time Brady had in the pocket). He could have finished reading War & Peace during each play, with the amount of time you were giving him. YOU GUYS HAVE GOT TO DO BETTER THAN THAT!

ALL I NEED IS ONE STOP

I was tempted to do my quarterback ranking this week, but I decided to wait two more weeks for the Diva to finally decide if she really is going to play this season. Although the rest of the world is sick and tired of him (especially me), I must commend Brett Favre’s self-deprecating sense of humor. (Please see clip below.)




Instead, we will discuss my favorite side of the ball this week. THE DEFENSE!!!!

Eleven guys working together to cause destruction and bodily harm to the offense is the beauty that is defensive football. Everyone knows that I love the NFL, but what I like most about it is the defensive side of the football. The NFL is a marketing machine and they are very good at selling their product to the casual sports fan. They often make rules that will hurt defenses and allow offenses to run freely and score more points. For instance, you can’t touch a receiver more than five yards from the line of scrimmage. That was created to allow receivers to get a nearly free release and get downfield to make big plays. They have also made rules protecting quarterbacks to the point that they cannot be hit above the shoulders, below the knees, in the arm, from behind, while throwing, or while looking for a receiver. In today’s ultra-quarterback friendly NFL, the only way to get a sack is to untie the QB’s shoelaces and hope that he trips.

That being said, the great defenses are still able to bring the pain and wreak havoc all over the football field. They give opposing quarterbacks and coordinators fits and cause many sleepless nights. Can you imagine how whichever scrub starts in Cleveland is going to feel before playing the Steelers and Ravens twice this season? Trust me they will have at least four sleepless Saturday nights this season. A great defense dictates to the offense what they must do. The NFL has some great ones, but there are also some terrible ones. If you are curious to see who fits into each category, scroll down and check out STRAIGHT CASH HOMEY’s!!!! 2009 Defensive Rankings.

#1 Pittsburgh Steelers – Truthfully I have never been a Steelers fan, and for the life of me, I can’t tell you why. I have never held a personal grudge against any of their players (although I did think that Joey Porter was an idiot when he said that he didn’t like playing against Peyton Manning because he forced you think too much). I had a great deal of respect for Bill Cowher, and I am a huge supporter of Omar Epps, I mean Mike Tomlin on the sideline. Yet for some reason, I have never really liked this team. I am also a big fan of three of their current players. The first being the toughest receiver in NFL history, Hines Ward (he’s a favorite, but not a Hall of Famer). The other two play on the side of the ball that I am discussing in this entry. They would be Lawrence Timmons (I am a huge Florida State fan), and the other being none other than the second best safety in the NFL Troy Polamalu. That being said, they are entering the season as my top ranked defense. Casey Hampton leads a very good defensive line. Their linebackers, led by James Harrison are GREAT (as they always are in Steel town). As for the secondary, Ryan Clark & Troy Polamalu are the second best set of safeties in the league (behind Ed Reed and whoever they choose to put beside him in Baltimore), but their corners are far from shut down defenders. Their average corners (Deshea Townsend & William Gay) are the weakest link in this defense. That shouldn’t matter much when the front seven applies so much pressure and you have great safeties covering the back end. To top it all off, they also have a brilliant coach calling the shots. Dick LeBeau might just be the first ever assistant coach elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

#2 Baltimore Ravens – All REAL FOOTBALL FANS should circle November 29th and December 27th on their calendars. On those dates, my #1 & #2 ranked defenses will go head to head, and it will be a blood bath. The Ravens defense has been great for a historically long period of time. General Manager Ozzie Newsome has managed to keep a core group of guys together while sprinkling in the perfect mix of role players. They are led by THE BEST PLAYER IN THE NFL (Safety Ed Reed), Terrell Suggs, and future Hall of Famer Ray Lewis. They are truly the rock of a team that has never really had a consistent offense. I know they lost coordinator Rex Ryan, but I honestly don’t think that will matter one bit. On this team the players make the coach, not the other way around. If you don’t believe me, answer this one question. What do Marvin Lewis, Mike Nolan, Jack Del Rio, Mike Smith, Mike Singletary, and Rex Ryan all have in common? The answer is that they are/were all NFL Head Coaches, who at one time was a defensive coach for the Baltimore Ravens. So, does the coach make the players, or do the players make the coach? The only reason that I have them ranked #2 instead of #1 is because they lost Bart Scott and Jim Leonard. Truthfully they will be great without them, but they will still be missed in crunch time against the Steelers.

#3 Tennessee Titans – Again, not a big fan of the Titans but I must call a spade a spade. This defense is the truth. I know that they lost Albert Haynesworth, and that they don’t have a tackle on their roster nearly as good. But they still have a very good rotation of defensive ends (Jevon Kearse, Kyle Vanden Bosch, and Jacob Ford), and solid tackles. The linebackers are rock solid, but their secondary is filled with BALLERS!!!! Cortland Finnegan, Nick Harper, Chris Hope, and Michael Griffin will make life miserable for opposing quarterbacks and receivers.

#4 Minnesota Vikings – This is easily the best four-man defensive front in football. As a matter of fact, I would like to make a Public Service Announcement to the teams that will play them this season. YOU CAN’T RUN THE FOOTBALL AGAINST THEM, SO DON’T TRY! (They gave up less than 80 rushing yards per game last season.) Any defense that can completely take away one phase of the oppositions offense, will be successful. Also, it is a good idea to avoid third and long situations against them. In case you forgot, Jared Allen is a beast coming off of the edge. The sad thing is that if you slide the protection his way, someone else WILL beat you.

#5 San Diego Chargers – The players on this defense have absolutely jaw-dropping athletic ability. The two outside linebackers (Shawne Merriman & Shaun Phillips) look like they were built in some sort of lab or something. They also have the best 3-4 nose tackle in the game in Jamal Williams. They also have arguably the best athlete in the league at cornerback. I am referring to Antonio Cromartie. Last season Merriman was injured and Antonio Cromartie was a bit banged up both physically and mentally (he played with a broken hip and let’s just say that he was thinking about all of his kids, by all of those women, in all of those different states). They are both back to full strength, so the league had better watch out.

#6 New York Jets – Not only did Rex Ryan go to New York, but he brought two of his star pupils with him. That’s right, the Jets defense will be a force to be reckoned with this season. Kris Jenkins is holding down the middle of the line. They also have the best linebacker in the NFL that no one has heard of. That would be David Harris. If you didn’t recognize the name, I will say it a little slower for you. His name is D-A-V-I-D H-A-R-R-I-S. He is a true baller, and people will realize just how good he is this year. As for the secondary, they will be a lot of fun to watch this year. Darrelle Revis is one his way to becoming a shut-down corner, and he has Lito Sheppard playing opposite him. They also have a great pair of safeties behind them in Jim Leonhard and Kerry Rhodes (Ed Reed Jr.). They will produce a lot of turnovers.

#7 Arizona Cardinals – They have ballers all over the field. They have Darnell Dockett on the defensive line, Karlos Dansby at linebacker, and a secondary that consists of Adrian Wilson, Antrel Rolle, Bryant McFadden, and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie.

#8 New York Giants – Aaron Ross and Corey Webster are good corners and their linebackers are decent. But those characteristics don’t make a top ten defense. They are in the top ten because of the pass rushers they possess. It truly is an embarrassment of riches. Just imagine facing this foursome on third and long; Justin Tuck, Osi Umenyiora, Chris Canty, and Rocky Bernard. That is only if they are playing straight up. If they decide to blitz you better find blockers for Michael Boley and/or Mathias Kiwanuka. Remember this is the same team that made the Patriots offensive line look like the high school team that Brett Favre works out with. Scientific research has shown that quarterbacks hate pressure, and guess what, they bring a lot of it.

#9 Washington Redskins – This was the best unspectacular defense in the NFL last season. Believe it or not, they were the NFL’s 4th ranked defense last season. That was in spite of having only 13 interceptions and 24 sacks all season. They have added some playmakers to an already solid defense. The biggest addition (both literally and figuratively) is Albert Haynesworth. If he lives up to his contract, the rest of the league is in trouble. They also drafted Brian Orakpo with their first round pick. Trust me, he will be in the running for Rookie of The Year.

#10 Dallas Cowboys – Demarcus Ware = 20 sacks.

#11 Miami Dolphins – If you are calling an offensive play, how do you block both Jason Taylor and the most intellectual player in the NFL (Joey Porter)? Bill Parcells knows the 3-4 defense very well, and it shows by how he built this one so fast. They will have young corners, but the pass rush should help them out a great deal. They also have Gibril Wilson, who is one heck of a safety.

#12 Carolina Panthers – They will go as Julius Pepper goes. Look for him to have a heck of a year this season. He has $16.7 reasons to be a beast this year. On top of that, this is also a contract year. In other words, look for Peppers and the Panthers defense to be very good this season.

#13 Philadelphia Eagles – If this team has safeties that actually belonged in the NFL, they would be much higher on this list. I hope Asante and Sheldon Brown are ready because they will not get any help all season from the back end of the defense. (Please don’t say they will miss Brian Dawkins, because he was just as bad as those other clowns last season.) Too bad Michael Vick doesn’t play safety, because he would surely help.

#14 Indianapolis Colts – They have two great pass rushers, very good linebackers, and good corners. But none of that will mean a thing if Bob Sanders is not healthy. He is the key to everything they do, in defending against the pass as well as the run. So basically they are what Bob allows them to be. I sure hope he stays healthy. Without him, they can’t get to the AFC title game and lose to the Patriots.

#15 Cincinnati Bengals – SURPRISE! Are they higher than you expected? I think that Marvin Lewis & Mike Zimmer have finally gotten this defense right. They will be a fast and hard-hitting defense that will create a lot of turnovers. This team will be a lot better than people think this year, and the defense is a big reason why.

#16 New England Patriots – They have a good defensive scheme, but some of the components are old enough to have voted for Jimmy Carter. They have been getting younger and younger each year, but they aren’t done yet. As long as Teddy Bruschi and Shawne Springs are starters, I just can’t put them in the top ten. That being said they will still be good enough to make enough plays to ensure that the offense carries the team to the Super Bowl.

#17 Chicago Bears – How the mighty have fallen. It’s a good thing that they traded for quarterback Jay Cutler, because their days of controlling the ball on offense and having their defense win games are over. This defense was once great, but now they are average. Tommie Harris is without a doubt the key to this defense. When he is healthy (which is about as often as Steven Jackson is healthy), he absolutely dominates opposing offensive lines. Lance Briggs is still a great player also. Age and injury have caught up with Brian Urlacher, and the rest of the defense just isn’t as good as they once were. They used to be top five, but now they will hover around mediocrity all year. It will be Jay Cutler and Matt Forte that will win games for them, not the defense.

#18 Oakland Raiders – Last year MeAngelo Fall (aka DeAngelo Hall) got a chance to see what a real shutdown corner looks like. NNAMDI ASOMUGHA IS THE BEST CORNER IN THE NFL! If you don’t believe me, watch a Raiders game and watch the opposing quarterback avoid throwing his way the entire game. I haven’t seen respect like this since Champ Bailey was in his prime. Asomugha is so good that, offenses chose to focus on exposing MeAngelo last season. They were successful. MeAngelo was fired midway through the season. They also have two very good linebackers in Kirk Morrison and Thomas Howard. They will be decent this year, especially considering that they added Greg Ellis to play defensive end.

#19 Houston Texans – Is this the year the Texans finally make the playoffs? (I will tell you in a couple of weeks.) If so, their defense will have to play better. They have a superstar in DeMeco Ryans, and a stud at defensive end in Mario Williams (admit it, we were all wrong about him). Dunta Robinson is also a very good corner, but the rest of the defense leaves a lot to be desired. If Houston is going to finally make the playoffs this year, they will have to play above their talent level.

#20 Seattle Seahawks – They drafted Aaron Curry, but lost Julian Peterson, which put them right back where they started. They also lost Rocky Bernard, and you really can’t count on Patrick Kerney or Marcus Trufant to stay healthy all season. They still have some good players and should be competitive in most games. Personally, I hope that they don’t and that Jim Mora has a miserable season. I’m just not a fan.

#21 Green Bay Packers – This defense has too much talent to be as bad as they were a year ago. They were so bad that the team decided not only to switch defensive coordinators, but to also implement an entire new defensive philosophy. Coach Dom Capers has brought his version of the 3-4 of the defense to the land of the Cheeseheads. I hope that they can turn things around in a hurry, because the offense is very good. The back end of the defense will be fine with Charles Woodson, Al Harris, Nick Collins, and Atari Bigby. But the front seven has a lot of work to do.

#22 New Orleans Saints – If this defense could just be average, the Saints would be a Super Bowl contender. Unfortunately they are ranked #22, which means that they are six spots below average. New coordinator Gregg Williams will make a huge difference. They also have some very good players such as Jonathan Vilma, Tracey Porter, Randall Gay, Rod Coleman, and rookie Malcolm Jenkins. However, they still have the most talented, under-performing duo at defensive end in the entire NFL. Will Smith and Charles Grant should be much better than they are. They are also likely to miss four games, which makes matters even worse. While I do expect this defense to be better than they were last year, I still don’t think they will be good enough to be considered average. Believe it or not, it is entirely possible that this team could miss the playoffs again. All because of the defense.

#23 Atlanta Falcons – Are we ready to call Jamal Anderson a bust yet? Just imagine how good this defense would be if he was as good as a slightly below average player. Then offensive lines could focus on John Abraham. If Abraham had any help, he could easily be a twenty sack guy. I must say that I am extremely happy that Keith Brooking, the first down tackling machine, has left the city. He has been replaced by Mike Peterson, which is a definite upgrade. However, the Falcons will struggle because they failed to keep two budding defensive stars on the roster. Although Thomas Demitroff has done nothing that we should second guess up to this point, I often wonder why he allowed Michael Boley and Dominique Foxworth to leave via free agency. They did not exactly break the bank, and the Falcons could afford to match or even surpass both of those contracts. They will regret those decisions. Abraham is the only proven commodity on the defensive line, and let’s face it, he is due for an injury (not wishing it on him, just looking at history). The linebacker group is solid, although they would be great with Boley. There are a lot of questions in the secondary. Is Chris Houston a #1 corner? Is Brett Grimes (feisty as he may be) a #2 corner? Will the safeties be any good? Too many questions to have ranked any higher. Remember, they weren’t exactly the Ravens last year and they lost their second and third best defensive players (Boley & Foxworth). However, they will play hard and not get blown out of too many games.

#24 San Francisco 49ers – They have some good players, but not enough. Mike Singletary will do the best that he can with the talent that he has. Patrick Willis is a stud, but Nate Clements is over-paid and over-rated. Takeo Spikes is just old and not very good anymore.

#25 Buffalo Bills – Former Falcon Brian Scott has a chance to start at safety. Need I say more to explain why they are ranked this low. This one player negates all of the positive things that I planned to say about this defense.

#26 Jacksonville Jaguars – It is not going to be fun playing defense in Jacksonville this season. You have to face Peyton Manning, Andre Johnson, and Chris Johnson twice each. In addition to that you also have to deal with high powered offenses of the Arizona Cardinals and New England Patriots. Oh, and one more thing, YOU’RE NOT THAT GOOD!!!! Good luck, you are going to need it. (Jack, it’s time to dust off the resume. Because you my friend, have a bad football team on your hands).

#27 Cleveland Browns – Shaun Rogers and Eric Wright are legitimate NFL players. Too bad they are the only two.

#28 Tampa Bay Buccaneers – This unit is either too old or too unproven at basically every position. It will be a long year in Tampa. They are in the wrong division to have a bad defense.

#29 St. Louis Rams – Can Steve Spagnuolo create the pressure he did with the Giants. The answer is NO, and THEY WILL STRUGGLE! On the bright-side, running backs will be stopped as soon as they cross the first-down marker this season. That is because they drafted THE NEXT KIETH BROOKING, in middle linebacker James Laurinaitis. Am I the only one that sees the similarities?

#30 Detroit Lions – Any success that they have this season will be the result of scheme and effort. They do have two talented players on defense in Ernie Simms and Julian Peterson, but the star of this defense will be new head coach Jim Schwartz. I’m sure that Lions fans are hoping their defense can one day be as good as the one in Nashville. Well they have the man that built the Titans on their sideline now, so we will see what he can do.

#31 Kansas City Chiefs – At least they aren’t last, but they are behind Detroit.

#32 Denver Broncos – Josh McDaniel was smart enough to run off a franchise quarterback, when he was inheriting the league’s worst defense. That was smart. Then you replaced him with a quarterback whose skill set says that you play it safe on offense and let your defense win the games. BUT YOUR DEFENSE SUCKS!!!! This guy is definitely not winning Coach Of The Year. Champ Bailey is still good, but past his prime. DJ Williams is also a good player, but the defensive line can’t get any pressure on the quarterback. This means that it will be a long year in Denver. They won’t be able to score on offense and they CERTAINLY WON’T BE ABLE TO STOP TEAMS FROM SCORING ON DEFENSE!!!! You must remember that this team had the #2 ranked offense in the league last season, and MISSED THE PLAYOFFS!!!! And guess what, they did not make any upgrades from that defensive unit.

AND NOW FOR MY BALLER & SCRUB OF THE WEEK!

BALLER: Usain Bolt (Jamaican Track Team) – Bolt not only won three gold medals at the Track & Field World Championships, he also set two new world records. This guy is amazing. He is easily the fastest human on earth. What is really scary is that none of his races are ever close. All I can say is WOW!

SCRUB: Josh McDaniel (Head Coach of the Denver Broncos) – That quarterback you replaced Jay Cutler with threw THREE INTERCEPTION IN HIS FIRST PRE-SEASON ACTION! That was a great trade. I know it is only pre-season, but it is Kyle Orton. Do you expect him to suddenly turn into Peyton Manning when the regular season starts? Don’t hold your breath! I know that you didn’t throw the picks, but I am still blaming you because you are the one that brought him here. If you didn’t make him a Denver Bronco, there is no way that he throws those picks for the Denver Broncos. I used to have a hard time deciding if Mike Tice or Marty Mornhinweg were the dumbest coaches in NFL history. But you have taken that title from both of them, WITHOUT COACHING ONE REGULAR SEASON GAME!!!! By the way, your best player (Brandon Marshall) also wants out. Have you ever heard the phrase, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”? Guess what, the offense in Denver was great before you arrived. Why didn’t you try to run off the defensive players instead? That would have been more productive. If you don’t win the Super Bowl this year (and trust me, you won’t), the people of Denver will do their best to run you out of town.

MY FAB FIVE

****Disclaimer: We are now in the month of August. This is significant because NFL training camps have officially started, and the football season is quickly approaching. I am going to be completely honest with you, I LOVE FOOTBALL!!!! This means that until next February when the Eagles and Patriots meet in the Super Bowl, about 92% of the entries on this blog will be football related (primarily NFL, but I will talk about the kiddies running around on campus as well). Basically, what I’m saying is that it’s time to GET INTO FOOTBALL MODE, and no one will bring you football insight and opinions better than STRAIGHT CASH HOMEY!!!!****

Before I start, I would like to apologize to my regular readers for leaving you hanging for so long. I know that it has been a month since my last post, but it has been quite the busy month. I celebrated a birthday (thanks to my wife for a wonderful dinner and my family for celebrating with me). I also finished another semester of my MBA Program (the workload for summer classes is intense to say the least), and I have changed jobs (which we all know is a job in itself). The last month was definitely worth all of the hard work, because I am one semester closer to my Master’s Degree and I absolutely love my new job. Thank you for your patience and I will try to keep the prolonged absences to a minimum in the future, because I MISSED YOU GUYS!!!!

NOW, LET’S GET TO IT!!!!

There are 1,696 active players each week in the NFL. The fact that these select athletes are playing on Sunday’s tells you just how good they are. Now everyone in the NFL is not a superstar or even a great all-around player, there are those who are role players that simply do a particular job well enough to earn a living at it. For example, Kevin Faulk (of the New England Patriots) has been a third down back for virtually his entire career. This is because he is excellent at picking up blitzes, running draw plays, and catching screen passes. Being able to do these jobs well has allowed him to earn a great living as a NFL player for the past decade or so. There are also players like Keith Brooking (formerly of the Atlanta Falcons and now of the Dallas Cowboys) who has become the best tackler beyond the first down marker in the entire NFL. His role is to get burned by all running backs and tight ends that he has the misfortune of covering and waiting until a player gets the first down and then tackling them. He does it so well that he has made a living doing this for the last ten years.

There are also those players that I consider to be very good players. These players cause opposing coaches to account for them in their game plans, and will have long productive careers and even make multiple Pro Bowls. These players include such guys as Reggie Wayne, Hines Ward, Clinton Portis, Lance Briggs, and John Abraham just to name a few.

Then there is the group of players that are basically walking Hall of Famer’s. These players have Hall of Fame credentials and it is just a matter of time until they are enshrined in Canton. Examples of players that fall into this group are Ray Lewis, Terrell Owens, LaDainian Tomlinson, and Tony Gonzalez.

These are only examples of the players that I believe fall into these specific categories. There are many more that could easily be put into each. Also, you may have noticed that I have not included any quarterbacks (nor will I include any in the list that follows) because it is virtually impossible to compare the quarterback position with the other positions on the field. They are just measured differently than everyone else. However, I will be doing my annual quarterback rankings before the season kicks off.

You may have wondered why I didn’t mention certain players as my examples of future Hall of Famer’s. They were omitted because they are not only future Hall of Famer’s but they are also THE TOP FIVE PLAYERS IN THE LEAGUE TODAY (regardless of position, but not including quarterbacks for the reasons mentioned above). I know that this will be a controversial list because I am choosing only five players out of the entire league, and some of you will certainly disagree. That being said I AM STANDING BY MY LIST, and I invite you to challenge it. However, if you disagree, you must tell me why and who you would take off of my list. I look forward to your feedback.

Now, the moment you have all been waiting for. STRAIGHT CASH HOMEY’s TOP 5 PLAYERS IN THE NFL ARE:

#5 DeMarcus Ware (Outside Linebacker – Dallas Cowboys) – He is simply a beast and the unquestioned best outside linebacker in the NFL. He has played 4 seasons and has 53.5 SACKS! For those not good at math, that is an average of 13.375 per season. He had 20 IN 2008 ALONE! The best thing (or worst thing if you play quarterback) about this guy is that he is only 27 years old, which means that he is just entering the prime of his career. He is a sure fire Hall of Famer, and has a serious chance at passing career sack leader Bruce Smith on the all time sack list. He currently has 9 more sacks that Smith had after four years. Also, Bruce Smith never had more than 19 sacks in a season, and he only did that once. So barring injury, I like DeMarcus’ chances. (Play the video below to see DeMarcus in action).



To be perfectly honest, I briefly considered Shawne Merriman for this spot. Then I remembered this (see video below) and quickly remembered that DeMarcus is better.




#4 Larry Fitzgerald (Wide Receiver – Arizona Cardinals) – I have been a huge Fitzgerald fan since his college days at Pittsburgh. He is a beast. If it wasn’t for the guy two spots ahead of him on this list, he would be the best receiver in the entire NFL. He is 6’3” and a rock solid 217 pounds. This size allows him to catch all jump balls that are thrown anywhere in the state in which he is playing, and also run through defensive backs like they are the banners that high school football teams break through before games. His hands are impeccable, possibly the best in the game. He also catches the ball with one hand (right or left, it doesn’t matter) better than most receivers catch it with two hands and their chest. The only knock on Fitzgerald is that he doesn’t have blazing sub 4.3 40-yard dash speed. Have you ever seen him get caught from behind? I sure haven’t, which must mean that he is fast enough. (Play the video below to see Fitzgerald in action).




#3 Adrian Peterson (Running Back – Minnesota Vikings) – I’ve never seen a power back that could run this fast. He actually prefers to run over defenders (the exact opposite of Shaun Alexander) than run around them. But sometimes just to keep his Madden speed rating up, he simply runs by people. He is without a doubt the best running back in the NFL. He is so good, I can’t even think of the second best running back in the NFL off the top of my head. He makes everyone else look average. It’s like he is Michael Jordan and the NFL defenses that he plays against are Craig Ehlo. He averages over 5 yards per carry, which means that he gets a first down every two carries. The most amazing thing about Peterson’s production is the fact that he plays on a team with a young (although he will be good) quarterback and basically no talent at wide receiver (Percy Harvin will be a good addition this season). So, basically he faces a minimum of 8 players and usually 9 or even 10 players in the box on every play. Yet he still dominates! He is only 24 years old, so if he can stay healthy (that is a big if considering his college career), he still has 6 amazing years left. Let’s just sit back and enjoy. (Play the video below to see Peterson in action).




#2 Randy Moss (Wide Receiver – New England Patriots) – No disrespect to Jerry Rice, but RANDY MOSS IS THE BEST RECEIVER IN NFL HISTORY! He simply has more natural ability than anyone to ever play the position. He is an inch taller than Fitzgerald, and DOES HAVE THE BLAZING SPEED! (ask DeAngelo Hall) He simply makes catches that other human beings simply do not have the physical ability to make. As far as I am concerned HE IS NOT HUMAN! He cannot be defended. I have seen him beat triple coverage to catch a pass with his forearm. Who else can do that? I’ll give you a minute to think about it……. Still thinking?....... OK, I will give you the answer. NO ONE! Oh by the way, he also holds the single season touchdown record with 23! What more can I say? (Play the video below to see Moss in action).



By the way, as the video in the top right corner of the screen shows, Randy Moss also influenced the name of the blog. (Please see the video below for more).




AND NOW, THE BEST PLAYER IN THE NFL (regardless of position, but not including quarterbacks) is……… drum roll please………

#1 ED REED (Free Safety – Baltimore Ravens) – I have never seen a defensive player control the game the way Ed Reed does. Truthfully, I don’t even know what position he plays. NFL.com lists him as a Free Safety, but you rarely see him consistently lined up in one place, yet he always seem to be lined up in the right place. If I didn’t know any better, I would think that the Ravens actually had plays in their defensive playbook called “Ed Reed Interception”, “Ed Reed Forced Fumble”, “Ed Reed Fumble Recovery”, and “Ed Reed Touchdown Return”. Whenever the Ravens need a turnover, he makes it. If the offense is struggling, he simply takes it upon himself to score touchdowns on the defensive side of the ball. If that isn’t enough, whenever the Ravens need a key punt return and they send Reed out to be the return man, he simply takes it to the house. I often wonder why quarterbacks ever throw the ball in his general vicinity. Apparently he wonders the same thing (see video below). He is also tough as nails, hits like a Mack truck, has better hands than most NFL receivers, has a nose for the end zone, and obviously understands offenses and reads routes better than most quarterbacks. He is also arguably the best receiver in the NFL once he gets the ball in his hands. He is hands down, THE BEST PLAYER IN THE NFL!!!! If you disagree (and you are entitled to your opinion), YOU ARE WRONG!!!! (Play the videos below for more on Ed Reed).





**SPECIAL SHOUTOUT: CONGRATS TO MY HOMEBOY AND REGULAR STRAIGHT CASH HOMEY!!!! READER AND CONTRIBUTOR CARL ON HIS ENGAGEMENT! I AM EXTREMELY HAPPY FOR YOU AND THE LITTLE LADY!**


AND NOW FOR MY BALLER & SCRUB OF THE WEEK


BALLER: Josh Willingham (Washington Nationals Outfielder)- As most of you know, I am not the biggest baseball fan in the world. That being said, very rarely will I honor a baseball player with my highest weekly honor as the Baller of the Week. For that to happen, he must do something truly special. This past week, Josh Willingham hit TWO GRANDSLAMS IN ONE GAME!!!! That is special and will earn you Baller of the Week status. Although Willingham is not a household name and plays for the worst team in baseball, he truly did do something special. He definitely deserves to be this week’s Baller of the Week. Where his career goes from here is anybody’s guess, but at least he has this honor that no one can take from him.

SCRUB: LeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers) and Nike – This may be a little late because I have been on blog vacation, but after GETTING DUNKED ON BY Xavier's Jordan Crawford at HIS BASKETBALL CAMP, LeBron and/or the people at Nike decided to confiscate the tape of the dunk. First of all, everyone who plays basketball at a high level for a long time will eventually get dunked on. It’s like how every quarterback will throw an interception, every pitcher will give up a homerun, and I have never met a running back that never fumbled the football. Therefore it was totally weak of you to go all A-ROD (about your image) and try to hide the tape. You know that we live in the era of YouTube and camera phones, so you know someone else was recording besides the cameraman. The tape was going to eventually leak, and guess what, IT DID!!!! (Please see below). But seriously LeBron, Jordan Crawford? WOW! I could see if it was a player destined for NBA stardom, but it was Jordan Crawford! Honestly, until this happened I wouldn’t recognize him if he was on TV in uniform, with his name on the screen in a graphic below him. He got you, so let him have his moment. It was very weak of you and/or Nike to try to hide that tape.



This week, I am adding another award. You have seen the Baller and Scrub of The Week, but now I would like to award my SCRUB OF THE MILLENIUM AWARD. This award can only go to one person, and I bet you know who it is….

SCRUB OF THE MILLENIUM: Brett Favre (“Retired (maybe) NFL Quarterback”) – Come on, did you really think I was going to write this entire entry without taking a shot at my favorite Diva? If you did, shame on you and you obviously don’t pay attention to the blog. After creating a media circus and being in the spotlight all off-season, THE DIVA has decided to “stay retired”. Since throwing the interception that cost the Packers a chance at going to the Super Bowl, THE DIVA has held a tearful press conference to retire (which was very weak by the way), then decided he was bigger than the NFL and the Packers and that he wanted his old job back. The Packers MANNED UP! and decided not to allow the tail to wag the dog, and continue to kiss Brett’s rear and give him what he wanted. They were tired of his DIVA behavior. He had also contemplated retirement and had the organization on pins and needles for the previous couple of seasons before the 2008 season. Not only did they not welcome him back, they also blocked him from going to the team of his choice. Instead of playing for the Vikings, THE DIVA was traded to the Jets, where he again led the league in interceptions and missed the playoffs. Not only did they miss the playoffs, they lost to Chad Pennington (the player the Jets got rid of to make room for Favre) and the Miami Dolphins in the game to determine the Division Championship. Poetic Justice!

After the season, THE DIVA retired again. He later, decided that he wanted to play again, this time for the Vikings. Viking’s coach Brad Childress immediately ended his relationship with his current quarterbacks to go after an older woman. Poor Brad, he didn’t know that THE DIVA was a tease who liked attention, but had commitment issues. Brad should have kept his crush on the low until he was sure he got the girl, so not to hurt the feelings of his backup plans. But being head over heels like he was, he went all in, AND GOT PLAYED!!!! After having surgery and working with the Viking’s training staff and coaches during the summer, THE DIVA decided not to play after all. So now, THE DIVA IS back in Mississippi riding a tractor in a pair of Wrangler jeans, while Brad is buying candy and flowers for his current quarterbacks and telling them that he wanted them all along. Kinda like what Diddy had to do when he went back to his longtime girlfriend after Jennifer Lopez dumped him. The DIVA has struck again and it is really annoying how all of these NFL teams and media types keep fawning over this guy.

Truthfully I don’t understand all of the hype over Favre. I know that he has thrown for a gang of yards and touchdowns, but he has also thrown for a gang of interceptions (the most in NFL history). Last time I checked, he also had the same amount of Super Bowl victories as Trent Dilfer and Brad Johnson (where's the love for them?). He is also almost 40 years old. HE IS DONE! If you don’t believe me, look at how last season ended. I know, some people will claim the injury excuse. But if he was injured, he shouldn’t have been playing. Also, if he was injured at 39, why do think that he will remain healthy at 40. It just doesn’t make sense. Brad Childress and the Vikings got played, and they deserved it.

WHAT YEAR IS IT?

Last Thursday morning at approximately 7:35am I received a text message from a friend and regular STRAIGHT CASH HOMEY!!!! reader (I wasn’t going to say his name here, but he insisted. It was none other than Pharaoh Goolsby). It read (I am paraphrasing), NOW THAT THEY HAVE SHAQ, CLEVELAND WILL WIN THE NBA CHAMPIONSHIP NEXT YEAR! I immediately jumped up and headed to Best Buy to pick up the new Outkast album STANKONIA. Later that evening, I planned to take my girlfriend to see the new Omar Epps and Sanaa Lathan movie Love & Basketball. Then I looked at the calendar and realized that the year was 2009 and not 2000. Since the text message basically said that a team was going to win a championship simply by getting Shaq, I just assumed it had to be the year 2000, when Shaq was the MOST DOMINANT PLAYER IN THE NBA! But it’s not, it is actually 2009 and the current version is now a 37-year-old, hardly ever in shape, huge check cashing, part-time basketball player. That is hardly the player that I will declare to be the immediate difference maker on a team with championship aspirations.

Truthfully, I wasn’t even going to talk about this trade this week. Instead, I was going to talk about the NBA Draft. Then along with the text from Goolsby, I also got a call from my mother saying that my little sister wanted me to talk about the Shaq trade this week. She also said that I never use any of her topic suggestions. That being said, this blog should make my little sister happy as well as share Mr. Goolsby’s thoughts with the world (per his request).

Shaquille O’Neal is a sure fire Hall-Of-Famer and is arguably the best center to ever play in the NBA (not matter who you think is the best, he can be placed no lower than fourth). He has already won three NBA championships as “Batman” and one title as “Robin”. He is great and nothing said in this blog is meant to diminish his accomplishments or his greatness. That being said, he is no longer the double-team demanding, game controlling beast that he was in his prime. To be perfectly honest, the current version of Shaq is even a shell of the 2004-05 version that won a title with DeWayne Wade and his band of merry men. So, do you really think that he is the missing piece to the Cleveland championship picture?

There are several REAL reasons why anyone who feels that Shaq, LeBron, and the current incarnation of the Pips will be good enough to bring a title to Cleveland will be disappointed when another team raises the Larry O’Brien Trophy next June. These reasons are as follows:

Cleveland had a difficult time defending Dwight Howard in Orlando’s pick-and-roll offense. Guess what Shaq’s biggest defensive weakness is. Anyone? Anybody? OK, I’ll tell you. Shaq struggles defending the pick-and-roll. If you don’t believe me, take a look at any game last season and count the number of pick-and-rolls they ran at Shaq successfully. For further evidence, take a look at the 2004 NBA Finals. Detroit’s stated goal was to involve Shaq in as many pick-and-rolls as possible, because they felt as though he couldn’t consistently flash out to the guard and then recover to cover the roll guy. They were right. Keep in mind that he was five years younger when they exposed him. Trust me; his quickness has not improved in five years.

Cleveland was very successful this regular season because they were able to spread the floor and allow LeBron to operate in the lane and on the block. Big men such as Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Anderson Varejao have the ability to spread the floor and consistently make 15ft jump shots (which Shaq does not). This allows LeBron to live in the paint and drive to the basket as he pleases. Shaq on the other hand is a space-eater and clogs the lane. I have a feeling that LeBron will be taking a lot more jumpers next season, because there will be two right lanes blocked going down the paint. While LeBron does have a pretty good jump shot (he also isn’t Ray Allen), he makes his money in the paint.

Shaq can’t guard Dwight Howard. Simply put, he is too old. True enough the Shaq of 2000 would OWN Howard, but as I said earlier, STANKONIA came out nine years ago!

Shaq can’t guard Rashard Lewis or Hedo Turkoglu. Cleveland didn’t have an answer for this dynamic duo in the playoffs, and they didn’t just acquire that answer from Phoenix.

Boston will be healthy. Enough said.

Orlando has also improved. For those of you that were blinded by the Kobe – LeBron Nike and Vitamin Water commercials and didn’t get a chance to actually see the Orlando v/s Cleveland Series, I would like to let you know that Orlando won the series rather handily. Also, in case you haven’t heard; that Orlando team that easily beat LeBron James and the Harlem Boys Choir in the playoffs also improved quite a bit. They added a guy named Vince Carter. While it may be true that he hasn’t always played to the peak of his talent, it is also true that he is so much better than Courtney Lee that it is laughable. Comparing Courtney Lee to Vince Carter is like comparing Acie Law to Chris Paul (Sorry I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to hit Acie with a parting shot on his way to the airport. That’s one more shot than he hit as a Hawk).

Signing Shaq at this stage of his career is basically an act of desperation by the Cavaliers to try to get a title out of LeBron before he bolts next year or show him that Cleveland can be consistently competitive so that he will stay. Either way, it reminds me of other superstar signings that didn’t work out. Remember that KARL MALONE & GARY PAYTON both joined Shaq and Kobe in LA and didn’t manage to win a title. I know that both of them were well past their prime, but SO IS SHAQ! And let’s not forget the Jets (last season) and the Vikings (this season) thinking that Diva Favre is the missing piece to their championship. We have seen that the Jets were definitely wrong (by the way Mr. Diva did lead the league in interceptions), and I can assure that Favre won’t be leading the Vikings to a championship this season either.

I do believe that the Cleveland Cavaliers are a better team with Shaq than they were pre-Shaq. I just don’t feel that their roster as of June 28, 2009 is good enough to win a championship. That could all change if they add one more bona-fide player to the mix at power forward or as a perimeter scorer off of the bench (Carl, if you mention Damon Jones here, I will delete your post). Truthfully, I am a big LeBron James fan and I would love to see him win a championship. If the people of Cleveland expect this to be the year, they better get LeBron some more help, because Shaq simply isn’t enough.

AND NOW FOR MY BALLER & SCRUB OF THE WEEK

BALLER: Atlanta Hawks Management & US Men's Soccer - This week I have Co-Baller's of the Week. First, the Management of the Atlanta Hawks. I must commend the decision makers of my favorite NBA Team for an excellent NBA Draft night. On Thursday night, we drafted a player that I enjoyed watching in college and that I think can be our Point Guard of the Future in Jeff Teague, from Wake Forest. It seems as though we learned our lesson and decided not to pass up on another Point Guard from Wake Forest. That wasn't even the best part of the night. We also landed Jamal Crawford, who is a bona-fide scorer and will be ready to play big the next time Joe Johnson decides to play small in the playoffs. That's still not why the Hawks management in Baller of the Week. They earned this award for FINDING A TEAM DUMB ENOUGH TO TAKE THE SECOND BIGGEST DRAFT BUST IN RECENT HAWKS HISTORY OFF OUR HANDS!!!! ACIE LAW IS NO LONGER A HAWK!!!! We were able to unload him in the deal that brought us Jamal Crawford. I must give the Hawks credit. They have made two monumental draft mistakes in the past three years (Shelden Williams being the other) and managed to find teams stupid enough to take them both off of our hands. GREAT JOB!!!!

BALLER: US Men's Soccer Team - Although I am not a big fan of soccer (except the World Cup), I must congratulate the US Men's Soccer Team for making the finals of the FIFA Confederations Cup Soccer Tournament. Not only did the make the finals, they also beat the # 1 Team in the world along the way (SPAIN). I would say more about it, but I am sure that Northside Marty will take care of that in his comment. So be sure to check out his comment to read all about it.

SCRUB: Billy Gillispie (Former Head Basketball Coach at the University of Kentucky & Texas A&M) - Everyone who knows me or who reads this blog know that I am a huge basketball fan (it's my second favorite sport). You should have also noticed that my two favorite teams are the Atlanta Hawks and the University of Kentucky Wildcats. That being said, I am honoring Billy Gillispie as my SCRUB OF THE WEEK because I just realized the negative affect that this one man has had on my two favorite basketball teams. First he sends that pathetic excuse for a point guard (Acie Law) to my Hawks, and then to pour salt on my wound he takes the best job in college basketball (University of Kentucky) and manages to totally bomb there. I would have never thought that you could manage to miss the NCAA tournament at UK, but Billy managed to do it. So, Billy Gillispie you are my scrub of the week and I hope to never see you employed by or communicating with any organization near and dear to my heart ever again. Even though I went to a small Engineering school that plays NAIA sports, I sincerely hope that they never hire you either.

ON A MELANCHOLY NOTE:

As you all know, Michael Jackson passed earlier this week. I know that this is a sports blog, but I feel as though I would be remissed not mention the passing of such a world ICON. I also heard a very interesting nugget about Michael Jackson this week. Apparently, his performance at halftime of Super Bowl XXVII marked the first time in Super Bowl history that viewership actually increased during halftime. That means that MORE PEOPLE TUNED IN TO SEE MICHAEL JACKSON, THAN THE ACTUAL SUPER BOWL!!!!! That is amazing. So please take a moment to think about the loved ones that he left behind. Also, click on the video below and enjoy a portion of his performance from Super Bowl XXVII.

HE’S JUST AS GOOD (AND NOT A DIVA)

Those of you who are regular readers of STRAIGHT CASH HOMEY!!!! have probably guessed that I’m not a fan of the Diva that is Brett Favre. I am not going to go into why at this point (To find out why, please click “July” on the list of months that are located to the right of this entry. Then click and read the entry titled “THE BIGGEST DIVA IN THE NFL”), but I will admit that he is among the best to ever play the game. Notice I said among the best, NOT THE BEST! However, it is true that if you asked a group of KNOWLEDGABLE football fans to name the top five quarterbacks of all time, he should be in discussion. Personally I don’t think that he’s a top five quarterback, but I can understand how some people feel that he is. If you take it one step further and ask the same group of fans to name the top ten quarterbacks of all time, his name must be on the list. Even as a Brett Favre hater, I must admit that he is hands down a top ten quarterback. Anyone who disagrees simply doesn’t know football.

That being said, I know of one quarterback whose name wouldn’t come up in either discussion. This quarterback has the same amount of Super Bowl victories of the “great” Brett Favre. At the end of this season, he could also have the same number of MVP awards (3) as Favre. However, he’s rarely considered by anyone to be an all-time great. As a matter of fact if you compare his career numbers to those of Favre, I would say that they are just as good, if not better. I would take him over Favre any day of the week, because his career stats are better, he has never spoken out against a teammate in search of a new contract, he doesn’t annually hold his team hostage each off-season by threatening to retire, he doesn’t give inside information about his former team to their opponents, and most importantly he doesn’t do commercials for Wrangler Jeans. The player I’m describing deserves all of the love that Brett Favre receives, if not more. That player is none other than the incredibly underappreciated Kurt Warner.

I am by no means the president of the Kurt Warner fan club. I am simply singing his praises because he doesn’t get the credit that he deserves, while Favre doesn’t get all of the blame that he deserves. I knew that some of you reading this wouldn’t believe me and think that I am making this stuff up. Being prepared for that criticism, I have actually done a little research and a little math and came up with an accurate comparison of the two quarterbacks. Due to the fact that Brett Favre has played in 164 more games than Kurt Warner, I used average/game statistics in order to make the comparison even.

Both quarterbacks average approximately 21 completions a game. In doing so Favre has completed 58.6% of his passes, while Warner has completed 62.4% of his passes. Let’s take this comparison one step further and look at their average QB rating. Kurt Warner has an average QB rating of 86.66, which compares quite favorably to Favre’s 81.74. Still not convinced, let’s look at the all-important touchdown to interception ratio. This also favors Kurt Warner’s 1.61 touchdowns thrown for every interception over Favre’s ratio of 1.53 to 1. Just for perspective’s sake, let’s compare their touchdown to interception ratios to other all-time greats. Dan Marino’s career ratio is 1.67 to 1, Peyton Manning’s is 1.99 to 1, Tom Brady’s is 2.29 to 1, and Joe Montana’s is 1.96 to 1. This is one of the most important stats for quarterbacks, and it’s obvious that Warner’s ratio is much closer to that of other great quarterbacks than Favre’s.

I am by no means saying that Brett Favre isn’t a great player, but what I am saying is that it’s time for Kurt Warner to get the respect that he deserves. He is A HALL OF FAME QUARTERBACK, yet no one seems to notice his accomplishments. His career has been just as good as Favre’s (without all of the dramatics). If Warner wins the MVP award this season (which will be his third), his career will undoubtedly be better than Favre’s, and no one could argue otherwise.

There are those who will always consider Brett Favre the best quarterback ever. They love his gun-slinger mentality. I don’t consider him a gun-slinger, I simply see him as a careless and quarterback that takes unnecessary chances. This “gun-slinger” is the only quarterback in NFL history to throw 300 interceptions. Somehow that gets lost in all the praise of Favre. I sure hope that is a cap-gun that he is slinging, since he misses his target so much.

These are two quarterbacks that have certainly had their highs and lows. When they are good, they are both awesome. When they are bad, they are both terrible. What is really funny is that fact that when discussing Favre, only the good seems to get mentioned. On the other hand when discussing Warner, the bad is what usually comes up. Everyone thought that Warner was done when he struggled near the end of his career with St. Louis and during his tenure with the Giants, yet no one felt that Favre was done when he struggled mightily in 2005 and 2006. I wonder why? Even this year, Kurt Warner is having a much better year than Favre. Going into this week’s games, Warner has already thrown for 3,155 yards, 20 touchdowns, and only 7 interceptions. These are by far better than Favre’s numbers of 2,273 yards, 18 touchdowns and a whopping 12 interceptions (which leads the league going into Week 12).

I would like for everyone reading this that doesn’t see Warner as Favre’s equal or superior to explain why he isn’t. They both have 1 Super Bowl championship, and at least 2 MVP awards. If Warner wins it this year, they will both have three. It’s now time for real football fans to recognize Kurt Warner’s accomplishments and give him the respect that he deserves.



****NOTE****
FOR ALL OF THE REGISTERED VOTERS WHO HAPPEN TO LIVE IN GEORGIA THAT ARE READING THIS, I WOULD LIKE TO ENCOURAGE YOU TO VOTE ON DECEMBER 2nd IN THE RUNOFF ELECTION FOR ONE OF OUR SENATE SEATS. JIM MARTIN IS ATTEMPTING TO UNSEAT THE INCUMBANT SAXBY CHAMBLISS. THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT ELECTION, AND I AM URGING EVERYONE TO SPEAK UP AND LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD THROUGH YOUR VOTE.

I KNOW IT’S EARLY, BUT….

Football season is now in full swing. The “kiddies” have been playing for about four weeks and we are in Week 3 of the NFL season. MAN, I AM LOVING LIFE RIGHT NOW!!!! After watching a lot of football over the past month, I have made several observations and have some interesting opinions about what I have seen thus far. Below you will find my opinions and observations (in no particular order) about the college and NFL football seasons thus far. This list was put together as ideas and thoughts popped into my head, so the college and NFL comments are mixed together. Feel free to chime in on any of them and let me know if you agree, disagree, or have other opinions and comments of your own.

DeSean Jackson is the biggest idiot in sports right now. Don't believe me? Here's proof!



Apparently he didn’t just become an idiot, he was also one in High School. You still need proof? Alright, here you go!



DeSean Jackson cost everyone who started Donovan McNabb a lot of fantasy points, but gave those who started Brian Westbrook a freebie.

No disrespect to Jerry Rice, Chris Carter, Art Monk , Steve Largent, or even such greats as Andre Rison, Freddie Mitchell, or Peerless Price, but the BEST TWO RECEIVERS TO EVER PLAY IN THE NFL ARE RANDY MOSS AND TERRELL OWENS!!!!

I really enjoy every agonizing Notre Dame loss (Shout Out to Ty Willingham).

Last week’s Monday Night Football game was the best football game that I have ever seen (and just think it was regular season Week 2 game). I LOVE THE NFL!!!!

Watching Adrian Peterson’s running style reminds me of Eric Dickerson, minus the “Jheri Curl” and “Rec Specs.”

Knowshon Moreno is the best running back in college football.

Sunday’s game between the Atlanta Falcons and the Kansas City Chiefs might serve as the tie-breaker for the #1 overall draft pick. That is unless the Rams have something to say about that.

LSU’s defense is better than at least six NFL defenses right now.

Ohio State should stop playing non-conference games against teams from other BCS conferences. It’s starting to get embarrassing.

Georgia’s Matthew Stafford should be the first quarterback selected in the 2009 NFL Draft if he decides to leave school a year early.

I am still waiting on my consulting fee from Georgia Tech for the Paul Johnson hire.

Ron Jaworski & Pat Kirwin are the most brilliant football minds in America.

Every NFL fan should have Sirius NFL radio (The Best Radio on Radio).

The Saints (everyone’s pre-season favorite to win their division) better watch out for the Panthers & Buccaneers in the NFC South.

DeAngelo Hall is not an elite corner. His mother doesn’t even think so anymore.

Jay Cutler is the truth.

Vince Young will be out of the league soon.

At this point in their careers, I would take Aaron Rogers over Brett “Diva” Favre (Looks like the Packers made the right decision).

The Dallas Cowboys are the most impressive team in the NFL entering Week 3.

The Minnesota Vikings shouldn’t have benched Tavarris Jackson. They are making him the scapegoat. Although he hasn’t played great, he isn’t the sole reason they are 0 – 2.

Matt Cassel won’t finish the season as the Patriots’ starting quarterback.

Hey Minnesota, If Gus Frerotte’s the answer, I would love to know what the question is.

Note to Daunte Culpepper: You can’t retire from a league that you are not a part of.

This is a bad week to play the Chargers (Good Luck Mr. Favre).

Chase Daniel (University of Missouri quarterback) is a great “college quarterback”. I hope they pay well in Canada.

The Washington Redskins (I hate that nickname, it’s really offensive) are a really good football team. They will make the playoffs as long as their coach stays out of the way.

The New York Giants aren’t as good as everyone thinks.

Cleveland, Jacksonville, and San Diego are the three most disappointing teams in the NFL right now.

The Kansas City Chiefs started their third different quarterback of the season in Week 3. That’s never a good sign.

After predicting that it would happen for 5 straight years, it finally looks like the Arizona Cardinals have a shot at winning the NFC West.

These are just MY early observations and opinions about this football season. Chime in and let me know what you think. Also, feel free to add any of your own observations and opinions.


****COUNTDOWN TO ELECTION DAY****
WE ARE NOW 44 DAYS AWAY FROM ELECTING THE NEXT PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. I HOPE THAT EVERYONE READING THIS HAS ALREADY REGISTERED TO VOTE. IF NOT, PLEASE DO SO SOON. BE SURE TO LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD!!!!

DON'T GET BEAT DEEP

“DON’T GET BEAT DEEP!” is a phrase that secondary coaches all over the NFL yell out to their players repeatedly. No one ever wants to get beat deep. Especially in the day and age of YouTube, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN News, ESPN Radio, ESPN.com, ESPN Deportes, ESPN The Magazine, ESPN U, ESPN Left, ESPN Right, ESPN UP, ESPN Down, ESPN Red, ESPN Blue, OK you get the idea, where highlights are running or available for viewing or download 24-hours a day. Basically, getting beat deep automatically makes you a finalist to make a cameo appearance as “The Other Guy” in a Sportscenter Top 10 play. Although it is embarrassing, getting beat deep is a part of life for an NFL defensive back. Due to the fact that NFL receivers are so talented, and NFL quarterbacks are so accurate, every DB is bound to get beat. All that they can do is hope that they make more plays than they give up. There are those who can say that they have gone toe to toe with elite NFL receivers and won more than they lost. These players include Champ Bailey, Ed Reed, Al Harris, and Terrence Newman just to name a few. Then on the other hand, you have those that have been embarrassed more times than not by elite receivers. This list includes the likes of Fred Thomas, Brian Scott, and Roy Williams (of the Dallas Cowboys). I believe a caller on a radio show said it best by saying that, “Roy Williams gets burnt more than a pack of Newports.”

The majority of the big plays that take place in the NFL come as a result of the passing game. As a result of this fact, the game of football has changed dramatically in recent years. One main difference is in offensive formations. Instead of the traditional one or two wide receiver sets, a lot of teams now use three receivers regularly. They even go as far as to use four or five on some occasions. The rules have also changed in an attempt to allow offenses to make more big plays. Defensive backs are not allowed to touch receivers more than 5 yards beyond the line of scrimmage, which basically allows receivers to run free. Also, don’t forget about the rules protecting quarterbacks who are basically untouchable in today’s NFL. All of these concessions have been made in order to allow teams to score more points. People love high-flying, high-scoring football. As a wise man once said, “Defense may win championships, but offense is what sells tickets.”

Most people agree that there are a lot of great wide receivers and tight ends playing in the NFL today. That fact is not debatable, but what is debatable is just who are the best wide receivers and tight ends currently in the game. Below you will find my attempt at answering this question. I took a slightly different approach to compiling these rankings than I did when ranking the quarterbacks and running backs. Instead of ranking the individual starters for the 32 NFL teams, I decided to rank the team’s wide receivers and tight ends as a group. I feel that this is the only fair way to consider them, because it is the unit as a whole that gives the quarterback a chance to be a successful passer. The entire unit is also considered when designing game plans and also freeing up each other to make plays.

As with the quarterbacks and running backs, I compiled these rankings without the use of any stats. Using stats would indirectly bring into account such factors as the quality of the quarterback that they play with, the quality of their offensive line, the quality of their running game, and the creativity of their offensive coordinators and/or their head coaches. Considering these factors would prevent me from considering the receivers and tight ends based on talent along. These rankings are not based on the 2007 season or any 2008 projections. I simply asked myself, “If I were starting a team today, who would I want on the receiving end of my quarterback’s passes?”

Without further ado, my rankings are as follows….

1. New England Patriots – Looking at Jabar Gaffney, Wes Welker, and Ben Watson, you might think that I am crazy for having them #1 on this list. Don’t get me wrong, these are all good to very good players but they are not the reason that I have them ranked #1. The reason they are #1 is none other than the most talented receiver to ever play in the NFL, RANDY MOSS. Randy Moss is so good that the Patriots would have still been #1 if the players playing alongside him were Freddie Mitchell, Michael Jenkins, and Zach Miller. Moss is the reason that Jerry Rice played so long. Rice knew that he had to pad his records because if Moss decides that he wants to, he can shatter all of them. You may disagree with who I have ranked numbers two through thirty-two, but number one is not up for discussion. Simply because of RANDY MOSS. He capable of doing things on the football field that no one else has the physical ability to do. Most top receivers can occasionally be stopped by double coverage, but not Moss. As a matter of fact I have seen him routinely beat triple coverage and still make the spectacular catch. HE IS THE BEST, HANDS DOWN!!!!

2. Indianapolis Colts – Taking nothing away from the skills or talent of Peyton Manning, we must all admit that he has been blessed with a dream team of players to catch his passes. He has two legit number one receivers on the outside in Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne. In addition to that he has Anthony Gonzalez manning the slot and the match-up nightmare, Dallas Clark at tight end. Honestly, with that group of players Jim Sorgi could play quarterback and win 8 games.

3. Arizona Cardinals – Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin are both two-time Pro Bowl selections and have both had 100 catch seasons. As a matter of fact they have both caught over 100 passes during the same season. They are two stud receivers, which is why they are ranked this high. There is not a team in the NFL that has two cornerbacks that can cover these two receivers man-to-man. I know defensive coordinators lose sleep the week leading up to facing these two on the field.

4. Detroit Lions – Anyone who follows the NFL know that Matt Millen is their version of Isaiah Thomas. He was a great player, but leaves a lot to be desired as a CEO and General Manager. He has made some incredibly bad draft picks during his tenure, with many of them being wide receivers (i.e. Charles Rogers & Mike Williams). I don’t know if it was due to the law of averages or if Millen finally got a clue, but he finally drafted two stud wide receivers in Roy Williams and Calvin Johnson. I just hope Millen surrounds them with enough talent to not let their careers rot away in Detroit. Chances of them winning in Detroit are slim to none because we must remember that this is a franchise that has not won a division title since 1993.

5. Cleveland Browns – If you thought the Cleveland Browns would ever return to being a relevant NFL franchise in your lifetime, I am sure that you are in the minority. Although we never thought that it would happen, The Cleveland Browns are going into the season as a favorite to make the playoffs and possibly win their division. If this is to happen, they are going to need large contributions from three of their best players. These players are Braylon Edwards, Donte Stallworth, and Kellen Winslow. That’s a lot of fire power for Derrick Anderson to have at his disposal, and I trust that he knows what to do with it.

6. Cincinnati Bengals – Not only is Carson Palmer the prototype, but he is also joined by prototypical number one and number two receivers on the Bengals offense. Chad Johnson DEMANDS a double team on every play (and usually beats it). He is definitely one of the best receivers in the league. If you don’t believe me just ask him, I’m sure that he will tell you himself. If you leave him single covered at any time, the result will probably be a touchdown for the Bengals. Due to all of the attention that Chad draws, TJ Houshmandzadeh faces single coverage all game long. He definitely takes advantage of it. If their defense is simply competent this season, look for the Bengals to make some serious noise.

7. Dallas Cowboys – He routinely throws his quarterbacks under the bus. He is totally self-absorbed. He is immature. He feels as though the world revolves around him. He always feels as though the media is out to get him and make him look bad. He is as emotional as a 12 year old girl. He has the emotional maturity of a three year old. These are all phrases that I routinely use to describe Terrell Owens. He is by far one of my least favorite NFL players. As a matter of fact, I hate him almost as much as I hate Kobe Bryant (see earlier blog entitled “I HATE KOBE BRYANT”). Sorry, I forgot one more phrase that I use when describing Terrell Owens. HE IS ONE OF THE BEST RECIEVERS IN THE NFL. As much as I hate him (as does so many other people), I must call a spade a spade, and call him great. He along with tight end, Jason Whitten, gives the Cowboys a top flight passing game. Although Whitten plays tight end, he is definitely their number two receiver. That isn’t a bad thing in this case because Whitten is one of the best tight ends in the game.

8. Green Bay Packers – THE DIVA HAS FINALLY BEEN KICKED OUT OF TOWN, and it won’t affect their passing game or their offense one bit. Don’t get me wrong, I know Aaron Rodgers is no Brett Favre. Favre is definitely a legend, but one look at the Packers roster will tell you that this is a good football team with or without Brett Favre. The defense is very good, the offensive line is very good, they have a good running game, and their weapons in the passing game are definitely a top ten unit in the NFL. Donald Driver, Greg Jennings, James Jones, and Donald Lee are good enough to make Packer fans forget that #4 is not the ones throwing them the passes. The management of the Green Bay Packers are no idiots. They knew that when they got rid of Favre that they would have to have a team that can compete this year or the fans would have their heads. They have definitely built a team that can succeed without Favre. While watching this season, the fans will realize that it was indeed time to take the “F” off of the Packer helmet and replace it with the “G” that should have been there all along, as stated by a host on Sirius NFL Radio (the best radio on radio).

9. New Orleans Saints – The skill players on this team could potentially be considered flat out frightening. Marcus Colston came out of nowhere to quickly establish himself as a legitimate #1 receiver. Also, look for either Lance Moore, Robert Meachem, or Terrance Copper to emerge as a go to #2 receiver. To complement the receiving core, they also added Jeremy Shockley to play tight end. Hopefully the humbling experience of watching his team win the Super Bowl without him will make him more of a team player. If he is not disruptive to the team-chemistry, watch out for the Saints. They should be dangerous.

10. Pittsburgh Steelers – This is a team that in my eyes does not have a true #1 receiver. Hines Ward is great, but I don’t consider him a true #1. It doesn’t matter, because Santonio Holmes is also very good, and I expect Limas Sweed to be just as good also. Throw Heath Miller into the mix and you get a solid group across the board with very little drop off. Although none of their skill players are great they are all very, very good. That is what makes them a top ten group.

11. Washington Redskins – This is an undersized but talented group. Santana Moss is a speedster with heart to spare. He is not afraid of going across the middle, taking big hits, or making a big play when the game is on the line. Chris Cooley is one of the most underrated tight ends in the NFL. Pay close attention to this guy and you will appreciate just how good he is. Although Antwaan Randle El is very versatile and a great guy to have on your team when running trick plays, he is simply an average receiver in my eyes. Another wild card in the group is rookie Malcolm Kelley. If he transitions well to the NFL game, this group will be even more dangerous. All in all this is a very good group that almost any team would be glad to have (especially those ranked behind them).

12. San Diego Chargers – If this team had a legitimate #1 receiver, they would be ranked in the top ten. They are this high basically on the strength of Antonio Gates alone. Don’t get me wrong, Chris Chambers is a good receiver and Vincent Jackson will turn out to be a very good receiver. All that being said, Mr. Gates is definitely their #1 receiver. Even though he is the best tight end in the game, no team whose tight end is their best receiver can be ranked in my top ten.

13. Carolina Panthers – Although I feel as though Jake Delhomme is done as a quarterback, I would love to have these two receivers on my team (provided we can prevent Smith from beating up his teammates). Steve Smith is a great receiver and Muhsin Muhammad is very dependable. The two of them alone make this a good group. Any contributions that they get from a third receiver or the tight end position will simply be icing on the cake.

14. Houston Texans – ANDRE JOHNSON IS A TOP FIVE NFL WIDE RECIEVER. He is awesome. This group would definitely be ranked higher if they simply had one other player that could consistently complement him, but they don’t. Which is why they are ranked #14.

15. New York Giants – This is a solid group. Plaxico has really emerged as a go-to guy, and Armani Toomer is still dependable even though he is now collecting social security. If the 2008 playoffs are any indication of how good Steve Smith will be, Giants fans should be rejoicing. Although Kevin Boss is better for the chemistry of this team than Jeremy Shockey, he doesn’t scare defenses the way that Shockey does. Although loosing Shockey is probably addition by subtraction for this team, the loss of his talent definitely dropped them quite a few spots on my list. Although, they are not as scary offensively without Shockey, if I was a Giants fan I would be glad that he is gone.

16. St. Louis Rams – This offense used to be “The Greatest Show on Turf,” but it isn’t anymore. As for the receivers and tight ends, Torry Holt is a legit #1 and is a perennial Pro Bowler. Randy McMicheal is also very underrated. Rams fans should expect big things out of him this year.

17. Buffalo Bills – I used to call their wide receiving core “The Smurfs” because they were so small (by NFL standards). That all changed on draft day 2008. The Bills selected the 6’7” James Hardy out of the University of Indiana. If he turns out to be a good receiver, he would be the perfect complement to Lee Evans. Josh Reed and Roscoe Parrish are also good and dependable receivers to have on your team.

18. Kansas City Chiefs – I bet everyone is surprised that I have players from this terrible team ranked this high. Remember, I am not ranking the teams or the offense. I am simply ranking the players. I think that Dwayne Bowe will be one of the best in the game very soon. For those who actually watched a Chiefs game last season (I know there weren’t many, so I won’t hold it against anyone if you never saw Bowe play), you saw what is to come from Mr. Bowe. Just imagine how good this guy would be if he had a slightly below average quarterback instead of the worst quarterback in the NFL. Along with Dwayne Bowe, they also have Tony Gonzalez, who needs no explanation.

19. Seattle Seahawks – I am having a hard time deciding if Deon Branch is actually as good as he looked in New England or if Tom Brady made him look that good. If he is able to return to his Patriots form, he will be a legit #1 receiver. Opposite him, they have Nate Burleson. While in Minnesota, he also looked as if he had the potential to be a great player. Basically, this will be a good tandem if either or both of these players return to the form that got them huge contracts from the Seahawks. Whether or not that can happen, remains to be seen.

20. New York Jets – Well Brett Favre, you have gone from throwing to the 8th best wide receiver/tight end core to the 20th best group. I bet you’re glad that you came out of retirement. On a serious note, the Jets receivers aren’t bad at all. They are only ranked this low because they don’t have anyone who could dress up as a #1 receiver for Halloween anywhere on the roster. They have two average #2’s in Laveranues Coles and Jerricho Cotchery and an average #3 in Brad Smith. The main problem is that there is no one to demand a double team to help Coles and Cotchery get free. Bubba Franks is a good tight end and a familiar face to Favre, unfortunately he is currently at the tail end of his career. His best days are long gone.

21. Jacksonville Jaguars – This group is hard to rank because there is so much potential for greatness, but the potential is unfulfilled. There is Jerry Porter, who is a very good receiver and a legitimate #1 target. After that, the picture gets very cloudy. Troy Williamson is slated to be the teams #2 receiver. He is very fast, but he often forgets to catch the ball before showing off his blazing speed. This guy simply has hands of steel, he just can’t catch. He reminds me of Roddy White before the 2007 season. He would have fit in great on the Michael Vick led Falcons team. Then there is Dennis Northcutt as the slot receiver. He is a good player, but will never be considered great. They also have the FIRST ROUND BUST, MATT JONES. It’s funny to me that people say that he has not lived up to expectations, when he was a mediocre college quarterback before being drafted 21st overall in the 2005 NFL draft to play wide receiver simply because he had a good NFL combine. What did they think they were getting, and better yet, who is his agent? His agent has to be brilliant, because he convinced some team to take a converted quarterback that high in the draft just based on one workout without pads on. The fact that Matt Jones has not lived up to expectations may be a moot point, because there is a chance that he may not be on the field for a very long time. It all depends on the legal system. You see, Mr. Jones was caught with an illegal powdery substance this off-season. I guess he was trying to snort all of his problems away. At tight end they have Marcedes Lewis, who is still young but shows flashes of being very good. I will be taking a wait and see approach with this group. The talent is there, but no one knows if they can come through when it counts.

22. Denver Broncos – They have one talented head case (Brandon Marshall), one under-achiever (Keary Colbert), and one dependable guy with very average talent (Brandon Stokely) at wide receiver. That does not make for a scary group to defend. They do however have a talented and dependable tight end in Daniel Graham. All of those factors add up to being the 22nd ranked group.

23. Minnesota Vikings – For Tavaris Jackson’s sake, it is a good thing that they have Adrian Peterson. This group of receivers led by Bernard Berrian will not strike fear into the heart of any secondary that they face. Fortunately they will face single coverage all season because teams will be putting 8 or 9 in the box on virtually every play in an attempt to stop Adrian Peterson. The running game will definitely be their best friend.

24. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Although Joey Galloway came in the league with Lynn Swann, he is still very good and still has world-class speed. Outside of him, their receivers aren’t very good. They have the very average Ike Hilliard, and the immensely disappointing Michael Clayton. At tight end Alex Smith is certainly better than his namesake in San Francisco.

25. Philadelphia Eagles – This group would be rated higher if I considered Brian Westbrook (the team’s best receiver) as a wide receiver, but he is a running back. As far as receivers and tight ends go, they are simply average across the board. I really wish Donovan had more help, but apparently that is not a priority in Philly. They don’t completely suck, but they don’t scare anyone either.

26. Baltimore Ravens – Derrick Mason was once a very good receiver (about 8 years ago). He is still good, but he shouldn’t be any teams #1 receiver. Mark Clayton has potential to be good and hopefully we will get a better idea of his talents this season. The real reason that they are even ranked this high is tight end Todd Heap. Heap is a stud at tight end and is arguably their best offensive player.

27. San Francisco 49er’s – This is another team that could potentially move up. They have Bryant Johnson who was a pretty good backup to Fitzgerald and Boldin in Arizona. They are also hoping that Issac Bruce can find the fountain of youth. This is a guy who is so old that he played for the Los Angeles Rams (no kidding, he actually did). At tight end they have the ultimate combine wonder in Vernon Davis. The lofty expectations that he is measured against are simply not fair. It is not his fault that the organization was stupid enough to draft him with the 6th overall pick of the 2006 draft. Let’s all have a moment of honesty. Does anyone remember him dominating in college? Did anyone see him play in college and say, boy he looks like a top ten NFL draft pick? Did anyone think that he would be a great NFL player? The answer to all of these questions is NO!!!! The fact of the matter is that he was drafted because of how fast he did some drills wearing shorts and a t-shirt. He hasn’t been a disappointment, he has simply been what his college career told us that he would be. Remember this is the same coaching staff and front office group that drafted ALEX SMITH #1. Hopefully Davis will turn out to be a good player, but he hasn’t shown that potential as of yet.

28. Tennessee Titans – Justin Gage and Justin McCareins are both very average players. Thankfully they have Alge Crumpler at tight end. He is one of the top tight ends in the game and will prove to be Vince Young’s most reliable target.

29. Atlanta Falcons - Roddy White has finally emerged as a good starting wide receiver. He has the speed and skills to be very good, but has to prove that he can beat a double team on a consistent basis. He caught everyone off guard last season, but will get plenty of attention this season. The problem that the Falcons will face is the fact that they do not have anyone to complement White. The rest of their group has either proven that they are terrible or have not yet had the chance to prove that they are terrible.

30. Chicago Bears – Things are so bad in Chicago, that Devin Hester is slated to be a starting wide receiver. I wish Hester all of the luck in the world and I will certainly be rooting for him, but I don’t know if he can be a starter at receiver. At least they have a strong tight end tandem in Desmond Clark and Greg Olsen.

31. Miami Dolphins – THEY NEED HELP IN THE WORST WAY. Ted Ginn Jr. and Ernest Wilford can both become good receivers one day. I just don’t think today will be that day. Don’t look for either to be Pro Bowl receivers any time soon.

32. Oakland Raiders – This group should not be ranked #32 but they are simply because no one knows how Javon Walker will play. When healthy and into the game, Walker is a game breaker and a legit #1 receiver. I honestly don’t know if he will return to form because he has been through an awful lot lately dating back to his days as a Packer. Once you consider the knee injury that he had, the fact that his teammate and good friend died in his arms, and also the robbery and beating that he was a victim of earlier this off-season, it is no wonder that he contemplated retirement and had to be talked into continuing his career. I hope that he is OK as a person and that he has a productive year. Hopefully he will go out and prove that they should not be #32. I will be personally rooting for him. It really all hinges on him because Ronald Curry and Zach Miller don’t scare anyone.

As with my previous rankings, these players were ranked without researching any stats. I simply listed them in the order in which I would want them on my team today. If anyone disagrees with where their favorite player or any other player is ranked, please comment and let me know.

****NOTE****
WE ARE NOW 25 DAYS AWAY FROM KICKOFF. I CAN'T WAIT!!!!