Oakland Raiders = Motorcycle Gang

After all the years of drama, bad publicity, and likely cover-ups I am convinced the Oakland Raiders are more Biker Gang than they are NFL Franchise. The godfather of this biker gang is "crypt keeper" Al Davis. After finding out that assistant coach Randy Hanson was decked from behind by head coach I automatically assumed Al Davis finally found a tough as nails head coach that he could latch onto. Therefore I hated Tom Cable.

I was too quick to judge. Turns out this Randy Hanson deserved everything he got. He is a snitch. He got blindsided for snitching to the godfather for whatever reason. I would punch Hanson and then immediately resign as coach of Oakland. Why would anyone in their right mind every want to A. coach there. B. be drafted there. or C. sign any sort of deal to the Raiders.

There is some show on some channel about a biker gang and drugs and guns and stuff. What do I automatically think of every time a promo comes on the t.v. for that show? Obviously the Raiders. I don't know what exactly leads me to think of the Raiders as a biker gang. Could it be the skulls and crossbone clad fan section, the violent coaches, the ultra-controlling godfather figure of weird Al Davis, the fact that they obviously don't care about football as evidenced by their past decade record, their scary black and silver colors, the fact that their name is the Raiders, the uber tough-looking coaches who are normally just fat with the exception of Kiffin, or maybe the fact that instead of playing football they would much rather just beat each other up, drink, "kiss-ass" to the godfather. Sounds like a biker gang to me.

Did anyone else notice that Lane Kiffin just never really felt like a Raider. He seemed intelligent. He was clean cut. He wasn't a thug. He just never fit there for me. I was in shock every time I saw this middle-aged good looking guy in Raiders black and silver. No genuinely good guy is a Raider by choice. He was never a Raider. A Raider is missing teeth, has a beer gut, condones inter squad fights (Rob Ryan like brother Rex Ryan), just looks mean, doesn't have a college degree, and was born with excessive aggression problems. Sounds like a biker gang member to me.

The evidence is there. Oakland Raiders are only an NFL Franchise as a cover to their biker gang reality.

Jared

Once a Cheater Who Doesn't Get Punished, Always a Cheater Who Doesn't Get Punished.

The NCAA sucks.

The coaches, colleges, and players are literally being asked to cheat.

This week, the NCAA ruled that Memphis will forfeit all wins from the 07-08 basketball season. Aaaaaand………..that’s it. Oh good. Let’s all just simultaneously forget that the Memphis Tigers went to the championship game that year. SHHH! I’m forgetting. For John Calipari, this is the second time that one of his teams will have to forfeit their Final Four run, the first being his 1996 Massachusetts team (Marcus Camby took “benefits”). The same thing happened for Memphis in 1985. Both were warned of repercussions in the event of future misconduct, and this is what we get.

By the way, the reason for this “punishment” is the infraction committed by a player who has not been named (Derrick Rose). During and after his last high school year, Rose took and failed the ACT three times, all in his hometown of Chicago. Then he…let me make sure I got this right…traveled to Detroit where he passed the SAT one month before he enrolled at Memphis. If this sounds fishy, that’s because it is. Allegedly, Rose’s cousin took the test for him. The NCAA looked into this and decided (conveniently) to find Rose ineligible for the 07-08 season one month AFTER he had finished his one season. Good for them. And everybody.

The Memphis basketball program was charged with failure to monitor and received three years of probation (wrist slap). Calipari, by now a known cheater, was not found guilty of anything. He is now college basketball’s richest coach and is bringing in a highly touted recruiting class to Kentucky. Derrick Rose also came out of the mess completely clean. He played his only college season while ineligible, he was the first pick of the NBA draft, and he is now the starting point guard for the Chicago Bulls.

No one received any actual punishment for this situation. Coaches are not intimidated at all by the ruling, and will continue to cheat on a usual basis. The worst part may be the fact that college students are, in a way, being encouraged to cheat. Derrick Rose had someone else get him into college, and now he is a rich NBA star. I liken the situation to the much tainted USC program, where college stars like O.J. Mayo and Reggie Bush received all kinds of benefits while at school. Reggie Bush allegedly received around $300,000, and his parents were basically given a mansion. These kids are rewarded for cheating. Future college students now expect these kinds of benefits long before they are offered.

The NCAA does not care. They are powerless, except by choice. If you generate wins and money, then you should be okay (Belichick). But if you cheat and do not succeed, then you better watch out.

I’m touchy about this. IU basketball was recently destroyed by a cheater.

Scott

Chad Ochocinco and Football

Oh man! Did this one fall right into my lap or what? Less than two days after that post about Bill Simmons and Kobe Bryant's love of soccer, I find out that Chad Ochocinco's first love is real football! I knew I liked him for a reason. Here is the quote, thanks to ESPN.

"'Esteban' Ochocinco is back, the most interesting footballer in the world," Ochocinco said. "Everyone has to remember, I've always said that soccer is my No. 1 sport. I think Ronaldinho would be proud of me right now."

"Soccer's my first love, Kicking's easy ... like riding a bike," he said. "I can kick them from 50, 60 yards, left or right hash mark. ... I kicked all through high school."

Oh baby! My unwavering love for #85 just reached new heights. Not only was he an integral part in both of my fantasy championships as Chad Johnson, but he loves soccer! This story comes after he kicked a perfect PAT against the Patriots. When I first saw him line up as kicker, I thought it was a gimmick, Chad being Chad, but he put it through perfectly. It probably would have went through from the 45 yard line as well. I have always thought this guy gets too much crap for his showmanship and goofiness. What is wrong with having fun playing the game he loves? Sure he had a few down years here and there, but at least he entertained. Sure he quarreled with Coach Lewis, but I would too. Marvin doesn't know what he is doing. Compared to the rest of his current and former teammates at Cincinnati, Chad is almost seen as a role model for good behavior.

He entertains me. He catches balls, most of the time. He does fun dances in the end zone. He has a better attitude than T.O. He has got himself attention in the tiny market Cincinnati. He led me to two fantasy championships. He changed his name to a Spanish number that I am almost positive isn't even the real name of the number. Whats not to like about the guy?

Oh did I mention he loves soccer too.

Soon I will compile a list of celebrities and non-soccer athletes who have declared their love for soccer. If you know of any please let me know. I love to love the soccer lover.

Jared

Fantasy Football. Super Dooper.

I am the commissioner of the Fantasy Football league Super Dooper. Since 2003, there have been at least ten of my friends who participated in the league and we pretty much have had the same group since 2005. None of us would consider ourselves experts, but we have been in the game for a while and it can get quite competitive. There is a consistent group of 8 that have done different fantasy sports together for over five years but football has seemed to stick with all of us. Obviously I am one of the best along with my blogmate here Lyle(scott). The first four years of the league consisted of two championships and runner up for me and two championships and a runner up for him.


Even though fantasy football is just a stupid competition based on a professional game, that doesn't mean there aren't deeper ramifications. Sometimes pride is based on fantasy. For example, I am pretty sure Lyle would have no self-confidence whatsoever if he sucked at fantasy sports. Ultimately fantasy sports have given the nerd Lyle a chance to excel in something that can garner him some respect from his peers and more importantly himself. The opposite of this though is true as well. Drummond, who we hope to hear from soon in this blog, has no skill in fantasy and has nothing else to base his confidence on. He is a nerd without fantasy skills. A sad, sad thing. That is like saying you are a fan of figure skating. It would be a shame however to solely base your pride and self-confidence on something as trivial as fantasy football. That being said there are more deeper purposes for fantasy football. At least for my group it has become a way to keep in touch. It has been used as a social medium.

"Have you heard from Blake lately?" "No but he is making a comeback in fantasy, so at least we know he is alive."
That conversation can initiate maybe a phone call with Blake, thus keeping friends closer. All I am saying is that Fantasy Football may be more than a trivial game if played correctly. Though for piss-poor players like Drummond and Jordan maybe the focus needs to be more on the game than anything else.

Jared

Simmons: Sporting emotions at the highest pitch

Simmons: Sporting emotions at the highest pitch

I couldn't agree more with Bill. I actually did a research paper on how much nationalism, politics, pride, and culture is tied to soccer in countries like Mexico. Wonderful for soccer. Bill Simmons supporting soccer. This gives me a new respect for the shameless Boston fan.


Anytime a celebrity or athlete comes out and shows they are a soccer fan, I immediately fall in love with that star and realize that they can never do wrong. A prime example is Kobe's soccer skills on display for the cover of ESPN the Mag donning Barcelona gear. Before, he was arrogant, a rapist, and a Laker; now he is confident, a victim of whorish lies, and a Barcelona fan. I am no Barcelona fan by any means, but for the simple fact that he let himself be pictured with a soccer ball makes Kobe an all-time favorite of mine. It works both ways though. Whenever someone disses soccer publicly I am automatically against everything they stand for no matter who they are. If Barack or Taylor Swift came out against soccer I would immediately become a Republican or end my crush. There are a few exceptions however; Bill Belichick, Detroit Basketball fans, and Nickelback will never have my respect no matter if they are soccer hooligans or not. Sorry.




Thank you Bill Simmons for redeeming yourself. America, you are next.

Posted using ShareThis

Jared

Fantasy Football Top Fives

The NFL pre-season is in progress and fantasy drafts have begun. To some weird people, fantasy leagues are more important than the real one. With that in mind, here are my top fives for the quarterback, running back, wide receiver, and tight end positions.

Quarterback

1. Drew Brees- Last year's top fantasy quarterback should be back for another strong year. Since joining the Saints in 2006, Brees has averaged 613 passing attempts, 4,637 yards, and 29 TD's per year. That is a lot. Essentially returning the same receiving corps, including a healthy Colston, Brees should be headed for more of the same. Even given the return of Tom Brady, I see no reason why Brees should not be the first QB taken.
2. Tom Brady- Brady is back after missing nearly all of last year. Some early rust should be expected, but he still has great receivers, including Randy Moss and Wes Welker. Toward the ending of his record-setting season, defenses were starting to adjust to the Pats' pass-happy scheme. I wouldn't expect many 5 or 6 TD games.
3. Aaron Rodgers- Rodgers was the second-best fantasy QB last year, throwing 28 touchdowns, plus 4 on the ground. Same team, same numbers. I'd even give a little room for second-year improvement.
4. Peyton Manning- The machine will keep chugging. Don't expect the loss of Marvin Harrison to negatively effect his play. Expect the same: around 30 TD's and 4,000 yards.
5. Philip Rivers- I don't much like the guy, but he threw 34 touchdowns last year, and that was with Antonio Gates having an "off" year. If LT really starts hitting the age wall, they may throw even more than they did last year.

Running Back

1. Adrian Peterson- Peterson ran for 1,760 yards last year, but had a disappointing 10 touchdowns. I'd expect a few more touchdowns this year. After two years to prove himself, Peterson has shown himself to be the most consistently dominant RB in the NFL, and he should be the first choice in most drafts. If he becomes more of a receiving option like his rookie year, you can expect some spectacular numbers.
2. Michael Turner- After Peterson, the backs are not sure things. The Burner ran for 1,700 yards and 17 TD's last year, but the coaches would be crazy to give him the 376 carries he got last year. Expect Matt Ryan to throw more in his sophomore season, and for Turner's carries to go down. However, if he starts to to catch the ball at all, he could finish as the top RB.
3. Matt Forte- After a surprisingly spectacular rookie season, Forte will look to continue his role as the featured back for the Bears. A lesser known aspect of Forte's rookie season was that he lead all RB's in receptions last year, making up for his lack of huge touchdown numbers. Expect Jay Cutler to hand off to Forte a lot, and expect similar numbers.
4. DeAngelo Williams- Last year's top fantasy RB surprised everyone in the league. Don't expect the huge numbers from last year, especially if sophomore Jonathan Stewart receives an expanded role.
5. Steve Slaton- This may be somewhat surprising, but Slaton was the seventh best RB last year. And the two guys directly ahead of him were old men: Thomas Jones and LT. He should surpass those two this year. And I can't see Maurice Jones-Drew taking this spot, either.

Wide Receiver

1. Larry Fitzgerald- Larry, or God, has caught for 1,400 yards and 10+ TD's in each of the last two years. And last year's amazing Super Bowl run propelled him into #1 status and God status for the different writers, announcers, and analysts. His numbers should be about the same. But I'd be surprised if Kurt Warner has another MVP-caliber season, so don't be surprised if there is a drop-off.
2. Calvin Johnson- It should be obvious by now that he doesn't need a solid quarterback to dominate opposing DB's. Amidst a horrendous year by the Lions and plenty of quarterback controversy, Johnson still put up 1,300 yards and 12 TD's in his second year. A rookie QB shouldn't affect his play.
3. Greg Jennings- Aaron Rodgers' number one receiver has improved by about 3oo yards in each of his first 3 years, ending up with almost 1,300 last year. I expect him to possibly improve even more, especially in returning to double digits in TD's.
4. Randy Moss- Matt Cassell had an outstanding year, but often settled for dumping off to Wes Welker instead of throwing bombs to Moss. With Brady back throwing the long ball, Moss will see more opportunities. Don't expect 23 touchdowns again, but 15 is a good possibility.
5. Andre Johnson- Johnson might be the most talented receiver in the league, but has been plagued by injuries, to him and to his QB's. I can't reasonably expect Matt Shaub to be healthy the whole year. And if he goes out, Johnson's numbers will suffer. These problems still aren't enough for him to drop out of the top 5.

Tight End

1. Jason Witten- Witten just missed out on two straight 1,000 yard seasons, which is ridiculous for tight ends. Although last year wasn't as prolific as the one before, Tony Romo will be looking for Witten even more with T.O. gone.
2. Tony Gonzalez- Age has yet to find the best tight end in the history of the NFL. After two seasons of 1,000+ yards and 15 total touchdowns, Gonzalez will move to the Atlanta Falcons. Matt Ryan will love having Tony around when Roddy White isn't open for the long passes. He should be a great addition to an ever-improving offense.
3. Antonio Gates- Gates had a down year, dealing with nagging injuries. Fortunately, his "down" year still included 8 touchdowns. I think Gates will be back to his old self: close to 1,000 yards and 10 TD's.
4. Dallas Clark- Clark had a monster yardage year, although he went down in touchdowns. With Marvin Harrison gone, Clark should still see plenty of looks, especially if the running game continues to struggle.
5. Chris Cooley- The internet sensation finished 9th among tight ends last year, but I think he will make a big jump into the top 5 this year. Last season, Cooley ended up with only 1 touchdown. In the previous two seasons, he had combined for 14. I expect his TD numbers to jump up this season. 900 yards and 7 touchdowns seems reasonable.

Scott

Brett Favre

So Brett Favre has signed with the Vikings today continuing his career in the NFC North. I like that he came back and I have no qualms with his decision process. I understand why fans, experts, and other players can be tired of the media coverage the past five years, but why are you pissed at him? He didn't personally attack you. He has been giving the opportunity to play football again and has taken a different course of deciding his actions that maybe you or I would have taken. But he is still wanted. His jerseys still sell. He hopefully can still throw touchdowns and for that matter interceptions. He is turning the Vikings from almost contenders to serious NFC North material. So what if he didn't want to sign last month. The Vikings still want him. Somehow they got him. He got to miss out on a few weeks of training camp. Ouch. Who is hurt by this? Why are you complaining? A NFL great is still in the league. We have another chance to see Brett Favre shine. What is horrible about that? Aside from the Packers, Bears, Sage, and Tavaris being hurt by this I don't see why anyone should complain about Brett Favre being in the league or his process of deciding. The teams who wanted him allowed him to do that. If anyone should be complained about it should be every NFL who allowed him to flirt with the idea of coming out of retirement. It is an oppurtunity for the NFL, the fans, and the world to continue to see Brett dance around after touchdowns, carry wide outs on his shoulders, flick game winning touchdowns nonchalantly, scramble like a mad man, and have fun playing one of the most entertaining games out there. Who cares how we got there? We are there. Don't hate the player.

Jared

English Premier League opening weekend

This weekend was the opening weekend of the EPL, and it started with a few good matches. To start off with it is extremely encouraging that ESPN2 has picked up games for this years EPL. But is that at the cost of losing Champions League, which is now at Fox Soccer Net. Most basic cable providers are idiots and don't have Fox Soccer Net on its standard cableing setup. Cableing setup was just now made up by me by the way.

Chelsea 2-1 Hull
With that being said it was extremely encouraging to see some more football on the basic cableing setup this morning. Oh ya. Basic cableing setup. Chelsea and Hull City played this morning on ESPN2 and was largely uninspired football. Chelsea really should have put Jozy's future squad away but Hull hung in there. At least until Didier Drogba accidentally crossed one into the net. It was an obvious accident goal and what makes it even better is that in the post game interviews, Drogba admitted it was a cross. It isn't that Chelsea didn't deserve the win, they dominated play and possession to the tune of almost 70% in their favor, they just failed to finish unlike Arsenal.

Everton 1-6 Arsenal
Maybe this game should have been covered by basic cableing setup (there it is again) instead of the boring Chelsea match. Having this game featured would have taken the EPL to another level of respect in the States because of its electric play and finishing. Arsenal has basically been talked out of the top four though this summer because its lack of major signings, its major personnel loses, and Man City's major spending spree. In traditional Arsene Wenger style, he refused to go out and break the bank for a superstar that might in the long run ruin the beautiful chemistry that his young gunners have. After today, he looks like a genius because his young guns got the job done along with his plug and play central defensive signee Thomas Vermaelen. The losses that Arsenal "suffered" this summer included Adebayor and Toure. Toure was a popular Gunner and many fans were sad to see him go, but Adebayor had overstayed his welcome and Wenger got a good price for him. Both went to the supposed new EPL powerhouse Manchester City. On top of Adebayor and Toure, Man City also loaded up its already talented roster with the likes of Man U's Carlos Tevez, Gareth Barry, and Roque Santa Cruz. Personally I think they will have problems keeping all the strikers happy.

Blackburn 0-2 Man City
Man City looked smart signing Adebayor as he nets one in his opening game. Man City didn't just bolster their attacking game though and it showed throughout the game when the home side Blackburn was on the attack. Shay Given, Kolo Toure, Micah Richards and Gareth Barry all put in the work to make sure the new look Man City's debut was a clean sheet. We will keep track of Man City throughout the year to see if the spending spree was worth it. Anything less than a top four finish would seem like a waste of money to me and probably thousands of hopeful Blues supporters.

Portsmouth 0-1 Fulham
Important to note that recently extended "Deuce" Clint Dempsey had an assist. Technically he shot it and it deflected off of Bobby Zamora but whatever. It looks like his successful summer with the national squad has paid off.

The other matches really weren't of note other than Wigans 2-0 victory at Aston Villa.

I hope soccer fans in the U.S. can more closely follow the EPL this year. Soccer seems to be on the rise after this excellent summer. I am pretty sure that on ESPN's top ten plays there were soccer goals a few times too. What a shock. I could really care less though if the MLS succeeds or fails. If they aren't going to put forth a successful and entertaining product it doesn't deserve to compete with the EPL or any of the other major European football leagues. Why would I want to watch the Crew vs. the Fire when I could have Chelsea, Manchester, Arsenal, Liverpool, Fulham, etc any given Saturday from Fall through the Spring. I guess the MLS holds us over during the summer months. Whatever. Americans.

P.S. I will probably say soccer because we will be blogging about the NFL, NCAA, and Highschool football too so it just makes everything easier to say soccer and football instead of football and handegg :)

Jared

Introduction to FoundYourSports blog

If you found this site then you have found your sports. There shouldn't be a sport that you care about that this blog wont cover. Basically I don't like reading blogs where it is solely one sport but barely gets in depth at all. If it is going to cover one sport it might as well get real in depth and talk about something unique. Fools I say. This sports blog should cover every major sport, minor sport, poker, sports culture, even (gasp) Nascar. The goal of the blog is to broaden your sports knowledge and up-to-datedness aside from the extremely narrow ESPN and major sports websites. There will be a few writers, I refuse to call them bloggers, covering different sports and randomly writing throughout any given week of FoundYourSports. If you are looking for you sports, FYS is here. Corny.