PRESEASON

With a revamped roster and newly installed offensive sets, the MIami Heat may place a bit more emphasis on the games that don’t count this year, with hopes of building some momentum to take into the regular season. View the original article here.

NFL Preseason Betting Preview Denver Broncos at Arizona CardinalsFriday, 10:00 pm EasternNormally the final game of the preseason is virtually meaningless but that may not be the case in Arizona on Friday night as the Cardinals host the Denver Broncos. It was thought that Kurt Warner had won the starting quarterback job for Arizona but head coach Ken Whisenhunt was unhappy news was release

Listen in as Corey discusses the latest fantasy news, some week three preseason and even some waiver wire/sleeper with Lee from FootballJabber.com and Charles Hugener from Fantasy Football Roundtable. Oh and while you are listening - hint, hint - go sign up for a for a chance to win $100 in my Fantasy Football Rotohog League. Some [...]

Inside the Numbers has just posted its first rankings of 2008. Although its early and the pre season doesn’t mean a whole lot, the rankings have some interesting teams on top. Check em out. Pre season NFL rankings by ITN. How to get the most out of this blog Tags: nfl rankings | football rankings | nfl [...]

Here are some of the noteworthy fantasy football headlines from week 3 of the preseason.Kurt Warner named starting QB for the Arizona Cardinals. Warner passed for 27 TD's last season. He could be a great mid-round steal at quarterback this year.Rookie Matt Ryan is named starting QB for the Atlanta Falcons.Darren McFadden had 40 yards on 12 carries for the Raiders. I expect McFadden to get the bulk

Are you getting pumped yet? Yeah well so are we because the regular season is only a few weeks away. Listen in as Corey discusses the latest fantasy news and a little week two preseason with Lee from FootballJabber.com and Chris Ziza from BrunoBoys.net. Oh and while you are listening - hint, hint - go [...]

Fantasy Football Out on a Limb , where I scour NFL rosters to select a player who I feel will outperform a higher profile player in that given week, is back. Since the third preseason game is the closest to an actual game, I'll use this opportunity to get prepared for the season as well.

Broncos punters had to make unexpected big plays over the weekend - both stepped up nicely.  [Denver Post] Eddie Royal is one helluva rookie.  [Rocky Mountain News] Woody Page goes alliteration-crazy after the Denver defense stepped up.  [DPO] Dewayne Robertson was stoked to get out there on the field.  [RMN] Backup QB Patrick Ramsey dealt with a range of [...]

Georgia is #1, but should we care?This time of year, we often hear about preseason polls and, in response, we hear that preseason pollsters don't know much this early and so preseason polls are just entertainment. One might point out, for example, that only 10 times since the AP started preseason polling (1950) was the final #1 in the top spot before the season (17%) and, more condemning, 6 time

It’s only preseason, thank God. Here are a few quick observations from preseason game number two against the Tampa Bay Bucs. Matt Cassel Dear Matt, It’s been nice working with you. You did a great job holding the clipboard. Good luck in your post-football career. Sincerely Yours, Tom Brady PS: There’s always the CFL!! The Defense I’m actually not worried about the defense. Call me cra

And I ran, I ran so far away. I just ran, I ran all night and day. I couldn’t get away. Preseason game #2 had the Vikings traveling to Baltimore to play the Ravens with both teams searching for answers. The Ravens are looking for a quarterback and Troy Smith got his shot while the Vikings are looking [...]

Looks like we may have special teams problems again this year.  The Steelers kick coverage unit gave up a 95-yard kickoff return to the Bills rookie draft pick Leodis McKelvin.  It could be a long season if we give up touchdowns like that too often.  Our Defense looked shaky for the 2nd week in a [...]

The Steelers first preseason game was against the Eagles on August 8th, 2008 at Heinz Field.  I have been waiting patiently for this game so that I could see our rookie draft picks in action.  I was pleased with the Steelers draft but now I want to see Mendenhall, Sweed, and Dixon in action.  The [...]

Preseason football – where the score means nothing, but the injuries could last a lifetime. Saturday’s fake game No. 2 for the Hawks will match them up against a Bears team trying to find some traction on offense.Bears fans have been treated to the crap show that is Kyle Orton vs. Rex Grossman. Things have been so dire at the quarterback position, fans are clamoring to see more of undrafted ro

Quarterbacks Jake Delhomme- No overthrown balls, all balls thrown were catchable.  A few behind the receivers.  Throws interception on ball tipped by Jeff King, ball slipped. Matt Moore- First throw way off base, still has to fine tune his mechanics.  2nd drive makes bad read and gets sac.  Should have checked down to Stewart. 3rd down Moore [...]

Listen in as Corey welcomes Chuck from Fantasy Football Roundtable to the show. You will hear our thoughts on some of the latest fantasy worthy news from around the league as well a few comments on some notable performances from week one of preseason. Oh and while you are listening, go sign up for a for [...]

Please check out JetsCentral sponsor BetUS.com for the latest odds and lines for the NFL and other sports. If you are interested on betting on any of the upcoming preseason games, be sure to enter the following code as part of their latest preseason “unretirement” sign up bonus promotion for an additional 10% on top of [...]

Image via WikipediaEven though you can tailgate all year-round, we all know that football season, college or pro, is when the major tailgating takes place. Yesterday was the first pre-season game for the San Diego Chargers and of course you know I was at Qualcomm Stadium. A valuable lesson was learned yesterday and it is [...]

No Tom Brady, no Randy Moss, and no Wes Welker, yet they still make you pay full price for a preseason ticket. In what was a mostly painful game to watch, the Patriots (or at least the guys they sent out there) had their good moments (mostly on defense) and their bad moments (mostly on offense). One thing’s for sure: Tom Brady is the most important player in the NFL. Forget about Brett Favre, th

Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers saw his first live action since undergoing offseason knee surgery, and as has been the case throughout the spring and summer, it was hard to tell he ever went under the knife.

It's game simulation day! Today’s “game” between Seattle and the Minnesota Vikings marks the beginning of a four-week stretch of daily nightmares for Coach Mike Holmgren.You think he wakes up every morning at 2 a.m., drenched in a cold sweat, with visions of quarterback Matt Hasselbeck snapping his leg in a such a grotesque manner that Joe Theisman himself would curl up in the fetal position

This preseason has been just one disappointment built upon another, finally climaxing with yet another inept show upfront. However there are some bright sparks, albeit too few to get really excited over. By and large, judging from our performances, we’re going to struggle mightily if we’re going anywhere close to repeating our achievements last season.Let me start off with what preseason means

With August upon us, it is time to declare the off-season in top club soccer effectively over. Yes, the main leagues in Europe have not started yet, many of the world's biggest-name clubs are off on barnstorming tours or playing largely meaningless friendlies, Champions League, UEFA Cup and Copa Sudamericana are still in qualification stages and there are undoubtedly several transfers that are clo

Chargers fans shouldn't expect much from LaDainian Tomlinson until the regular season. Following a familiar script, the San Diego running back isn't expected to carry the ball in any of the team's four preseason games, coach Norv Turner said Monday. Tomlinson, an eight-year pro who has won consecutive rushing titles, has only 14 preseason carries in his career.

This is not a prestigious award any team would like to win, let alone even be considered for. But here is my debate for the Worst of the worst and why your team should win it. Worst Teams in 2007 by Record: Miami Dolphins (1-15) St Louis Rams (3-13) Atlanta Falcons (4-12) Oakland Raiders (4-12) Kansas City Chiefs (4-12) Baltimore Ravens (5-11) San [...]

Highlights from some Fulham games this preseason which I believe Eddie Johnson and Clint Dempsey played in.Fulham Korea Tour 2008Ulsan 1 - 2 FulhamBusan 1 - 0 FulhamFulham vs. CelticLink: sevenload.com

Boys There could be some history made this year in the Oakland Section. Oakland High has won 14 Oakland Athletic League (OAL) titles and Skyline has won 30 since the OAL added cross country in 1964. None of the other four schools (Castlemont, Fremont, McClymonds or Oakland Technical) have won a boys team title. However, this might be the year that all changes. The rankings wer

The problem with most power rankings is that once you get out of the top ten it becomes next to impossible to distinguish who’s better than who. I mean, how do you decide between six fringe playoff teams (or even worse, ten non-playoff teams) who are all within a couple of games of each other? I'll leave that to the experts, like Pete Prisco... ...sorry, couldn't even type that with a straig

Peyton Manning is recovering from surgery on an infected bursa sac but he may still be on track to play in the preseason according to Colts coach Tony Dungy. I would expect Manning to be near full speed by week 1 and ready to start. Draft him as if this surgery never happened.

Well here we are, it is July. Soon, training camps open and preseason games will be in full swing. You and I both know that preseason football gets pretty boring after watching a game or two, but, attending a game isn’t half bad if you take the following into consideration. You can leave at halftime without [...]

For all of those who are counting the days for the NFL Football Season to start. I have put together a little bit of info on the first NFL Preseason games to start heating up the engines. So go look for your calendar and mark up the dates and games you want to catch from the NFL game schedule.First game of the NFL Preseason football will be held on August 3rd at 8:00 pm eastern time: Indianapolis

1. Florida 2. Ohio State 3. Oklahoma 4. USC 5. Clemson 6. West Virginia 7. Missouri 8. South Florida 9. Georgia 10. Penn State 11. Texas Tech 12. Auburn 13. LSU 14. Utah 15. Texas 16. Virginia Tech 17. BYU 18. South Carolina 19. Notre Dame 20. California 21. Wisconsin 22. Oregon 23. Tennessee 24. Florida State 25. Pittsburgh

There is a lot of information to go through here, so I thought I'd try to compile some of it, as well as add my own opinions. Among the various resources used for this were Katz's top 25, Lunardi's Bracketology, Pomeroy's site, Rivals' Prospect Rankings, and Wikipedia (always). The futures lines were gathered from Bodog, BetUS, Carib, and Sportsbook.1. North Carolina (4.5-1, BetUS)Katz #1, Lunar

1. Ohio State Raise your hand if you want to see the Buckeyes back in the BCS title game … didn't think so. But with an extraordinary number of juniors and seniors returning, Ohio State seems poised to become the first team in the 112-year history of the Big Ten to win three straight outright league titles. Even if the Buckeyes lose at USC on Sept. 13, they might end up playing in the BCS title

1. West Virginia Bill Stewart takes over what will arguably be the fastest team in college football. Quarterback Pat White and running back Noel Devine provide an offensive threat few teams can match. This team can flat out fly. An out of conference test against Auburn may tell the tale. 2. Ohio State The back-to-back runner-ups return as much talent as any team in college football. Running

1. Georgia Dawgs will have their day. 2. USC As usual, Pete's got a dragon. 3. Ohio State Is third time the charm? 4. Oklahoma Can Sooners repeat in Big 12? 5. Missouri Daniel, Maclin lead Tigers. 6. Florida Got the O', Where's the D? 7. LSU Need to find a QB; Got the talent. 8. Texas Will investment in 'D' lead to BCS? 9. Clemson Tigers take aim at ACC title. 10. West Virginia

No. 1 USC Putting USC at the top is a safe pick because the Trojans annually win their conference, earn a BCS bid and play their best at the end of the season. No. 2 Georgia Matthew Stafford and Knowshon Moreno will give the Bulldogs one of the nation's top quarterback/tailback duos. No. 3 Ohio State The Buckeyes' title hopes could depend on whether potential first-round picks Vernon

No. 1 - FLORIDA Heisman winner Tim Tebow returns with a loaded Florida team that takes the No. 1 spot in Athlon's top 25 countdown. No. 2 - OHIO STATE Everything is in place for Ohio State to again be among the very elite teams in the country. No. 3 - OKLAHOMA Oklahoma reloads with elite talent once again behind sophomores Sam Bradford and DeMarco Murray. No. 4 - USC A new quarterback

I know everybody is dying to know this, so here is the preseason schedule. Some of the dates and times have still not been set. The NFL was supposed to release the full NFL schedule today, but this is all they gave us. Way to go NFL. DATE OPPONET  TIME(ET)  RADIO  TV   August 7-11  @Steelers  TBA  610 AM WIP & 94.1 FM WYSP  ETN/6ABC  Thurs., Aug. [...]

The Chargers learned today that theyll open the preseason at home against the Dallas Cowboys on Aug. 9 before facing a trio of NFC West opponents including the Seattle Seahawks in a nationally-televised Monday night contest on ESPN.

Feel free to keep track and see who does the best. Here are our preseason selections. Yes, Brandon Heikoop went out on a limb with virtually every pick! Patrick DiCaprio AL East-Yankees. I had picked the Red Sox in a prior exercise on another website, but then saw the preseason PECOTA standings which had the Yankees winning easily. AL Central-Indians. The Tigers' pen is just too weak. AL

NASCAR has confirmed that they are considering raising the age limit for Cup Series drivers from the NASCAR standard age 18, to age 21 (Read more…)“My Take”: Looking at the NASCAR age limit that is currently at age 18 for all three series (Truck Series, Nationwide Series and Cup Series) works fine were it is, however that’s not what needs to be changed in the requirements, what should be changed is the experiences level that a driver must have before entering the Cup Series.What do I mean by experience level, well, every driver regardless of what there past driving experience is whether it’s a former Formula winner or champion, an IRL champion, an Indy 500 winner or even a Rolex 24 winner should be required to be at least 18 years old and have a minimum of two (2) full years comp

THE WORLD’S BEST DRIVERS TAKE A TEST DRIVE AT CALIFORNIA SPEEDWAY NASCAR Preseason Thunder Test Sessions Will Give Southern California Fans Their First Look at the Car of Tomorrow SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, CA — Two-time defending NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion Jimmie Johnson and 42 other superstar drivers, including Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart, will make a pit [...]

I'm home for the weekend, and went to all four preseason NIT games at Madison Square Garden. None of the games were particularly close, but all four teams were fun to watch. My thoughts on each of the four teams follow.Texas A&M (beat Washington, 77-63; beat Ohio State, 70-47)Freshman center DeAndre Jordan was very impressive. He was unbelievably efficient from the field, scoring 19 points on only 11 shots over in the tournament. He also had 19 rebounds, including 11 in only 22 minutes against Washington. He's not a focal point of the offense yet, relying mostly on putbacks, but did show some nice moves around the rim. He was 0/6 from the line on Wednesday, and is shooting only 18.2% (4/22) on the year, so that's something he could probably improve on. Rivals has him as the 8th best freshman in the country, and it's not hard to see why.A&M has a very solid starting five. Jordan is complemented in the post by Joseph Jones, who averaged 13 and 7 on 55% shooting last y

The Halfcourt Trap Vol. I, No. 12 With the season now directly ahead, here are a dozen prognostications of what the Trap sees in store for ‘07-’08: 1. Minnesota fans will realize that Tubby Smith is the answer to their hoops related prayers. 2. Kentucky fans will feel the same way about Billy Gillispie. 3. Tennessee will learn that climbing the mountain is a whole lot more fun than defending the peak. 4. Kevin Love, Michael Beasley, and Derrick Rose will be the best players in America at their respective positions as freshmen. 5. Michigan State and Indiana will wage an epic battle atop the Big 10. 6. Teams Ascending: Utah, Syracuse, Mississippi State, and Missouri. 7. Teams Descending: Wisconsin, Pittsburgh, UNLV, and Vanderbilt. 8. The following coaches in BCS leagues should rent, not buy: Jay John, Ed DeChellis, Leonard Hamilton, and Ben Braun. 9. The Big East will make a legitimate run at placing 10 teams in the NCAA Tournament field. 10. Rick Pitino will have his best t

The Halfcourt Trap Vol. I, No. 11 Is is time to hand out the preseason individual accolades. A couple of points about this list: 1. I didn’t, after giving the matter considerable thought, place any freshmen on the list. If I had chosen to consider them for preseason All American status, the lists would look quite different. 2. I chose to have the lists reflect a standard team, with 2 guards, 2 forwards, and a center. With those caveats out of the way, here’s The Trap’s Preseason ‘07-’08 All American List: 1st Team: G-Chris Lofton-College basketball’s Horatio Alger. From afterthought recruit to Player of The Year candidate, Lofton is Exhibit A of the benefits of hard work and belief in self. G-Drew Neitzel-The epitome of the toughness that has made Tom Izzo’s program one of the elite. F-Brandon Rush-I’m going to operate under the assumption his knee will be fine. If it is, Rush will finally fulfill his immense potential. F-D.J. White-With

The first college hoops poll of the season was released today and IU is represented as a top 10 preseason selection by the coaches. The Hoosiers are slotted at No. 9, just behind Michigan State. When was the last time IU was ranked this high going into the season? (To be perfectly honest, I can’t remember. Bonus points to anyone who knows.) Two of IU’s non-conference opponents, Kentucky and Southern Illinois, also made the cut. The Wildcats, who visit Assembly Hall on December 8, are No. 22 and the Salukis, who will host the Hoosiers on December 1, are No. 23. Besides IU and Michigan State, the only other Big Ten teams mentioned were Ohio State, Wisconsin and Illinois who were among the “others receiving votes.” I’m inclined to say the coaches got it right this time as I can make a case for each team ranked ahead of us for the time being. Duke is, as usual, overrated at No. 11. And two-time defending national champion, Florida, seems a bit underrated. They

I was lucky enough to get my hands on a 10th row ticket for tonight’s Nuggets-Bucks preseason game, and I decided to bring along my camera and post a couple of photos along with my observations. (more…)

Quick notes- Curtis Sanford stopped 40 of 42 shots.- Canucks were without the Sedins, Markus Naslund, Brendan Morrison, and Mattias Ohlund.- Lukas Kracijek scored the winner at 2:39 of the 3rd period.- Linden and Isbister also scored for the Nucks.- The Canucks were 0-for-7 on the powerplay. The Flames were 0-for10.- The Flames outshot Vancouver 42-30.- The Flames won 60% of the faceoffs.- Ah shucks, Owen Nolan tweaked his groin in the first period and left the game for precautionary reasons. Poor Gandalf.Game storyBoxscoreIt looks as though Brent Sopel has left the Red Wings and signed with the Black Hawks for a reported $1.5 million. Smart choice Sopes. Fuck the Red Wings.Bill Wirtz has been dead for 2 days (?) and the Hawks have signed 2 players (defencemen in the last 2 days. Coincidence? A new outlook for the Hawks without Wirtz running the show? T Tags: Canucks Flames Preseason Sopel+to+Black+Hawks

(CSTV U-WIRE) MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota men’s hockey team was picked to finish second behind North Dakota in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association preseason poll this week. The Sioux, who have gone to three consecutive Frozen Fours, garnered votes from seven of the ten conference coaches while the Gophers were the only other team to receive first place nods. Minnesota is the two-time defending WCHA champion. Additionally, Sioux forward Ryan Duncan was named the WCHA preseason more…

(CSTV U-WIRE) PROVIDENCE, R.I. — As the men’s hockey team prepares to hit the ice in a few weeks, defenseman Sean Hurley is one team member the Bears will rely on heavily in the upcoming season. Hurley, who will captain the Bears this season, was unanimously selected to both the Coaches’ Preseason All-League Team and the Media Preseason All-League Team. Last year, Hurley was named Second Team All-ECAC and First Team All-Ivy, after scoring 24 points during the season, good for Brown’s more…

Thanks, USA Today. (Stats are through Sunday's games) Now don't anyone go all crazy and start taking Jason Chimera in their pools. But you do have to wonder how well Paul Stastny and Anze Kopitar are going to do this year. What do you think, about 75 points each?CANUCKS PRESEASON STATSDid you know that Burrows and Nathan McIver lead the NHL in penalty minutes right now?T Tags: NHL Preseason Scoring Leaders Stats 2007

What is up with all of the Canucks' vets having groin problems lately? Add Ryan Kesler to that mix now. He is suffering from the epidemic after the Nucks' 5-4 win over Edmonton.Jannik Hansen has a broken thumb.Aaron Miller is undergoing abdominal surgery and Kevin Bieksa has a stomach inflammation. I get that problem too after I drink a 26-er of Spiced Rum.The good news is that the Canucks are winning in preseason regardless.And Ryan Shannon is impressing Canucks brass. "Obviously, the speed factor is excellent, but for me it is the decisions he is making with pucks," Alain Vigneault said Friday. "He protects it well, he gets it out when he needs to get it out. He is a very smart player and that fits in well with our identity as a group. He played three games in four nights and has done well. We have tried him at different positions and we really like what he has brought to the table." For more on Shannon (including his size factor) see the Vancouver Sun article. Want a say in what s

Roberto Luongo and Corey Schneider stopped a combined 21 shots as the Canucks shutout the Lames 4-0. Calgary's iced team was, as TSN put it, skeletal.Both Alex Edler and Michael Grabner had 1 goal and 1 assist each.Nice goal by Jason Jaffray (check the highlights) Hope he makes the team. Looks like Grabner has something to say about that.Interesting how the Canuck veteran forwards got the majority of the icetime, but it was the kids that put up most of the points. The Canucks had 12 powerplays and capitalized twice. Vancouver was shorthanded only 6 times.Next game: tonight at 7:00 at the Garage against the Coilers.HighlightsBoxscoreT Tags: Canucks Flames Preseason win Edler Grabner

Game notes: - Canucks outshot Ducks 31-23- Canucks were 0-for-9 on the powerplay. The Ducks were 1-for-6.- most notably: no Naslund, Pyatt or Luongo for Vancouver.- For Anaheim: Kunitz, McDonald, Pronger and go figure...Todd Bertuzzi- The Ducks' 4th line of Petteri Wirtanen, George Parros and Brad May did all of the damage for Anaheim. Wirtanen had 2 goals and 1 assist.- Alex Burrows fought Ryan Getzlaf and received a game misconduct.Game storyBox ScoreVideo highlightsT Tags: Canucks Ducks Preseason

STEELERS (2-0) 26BILLS (0-2) 3Before I get into my Steeler recap, congratulations to the eventual Super Bowl XLII champions, the Cincinnati Bengals. It was a job well done on Sunday, surrendering 51 points to the mighty Cleveland Browns, a franchise so unorganized that they traded their opening-day QB just a few days after he started the season. Keep up the good work, and remember, it's not whether you win or lose, it's how you plan your touchdown celebrations. To the angst-ridden Browns fans, enjoy this day. I guess you don't need Brady Quinn after all. And don't worry about dumping your opening day QB. All Belichick disciples do it. As for the Steeler game, it was far less interesting and ran exactly to the script everyone imagined. The Steelers wore throwback uniforms, the Steelers dominated on defense, the Steelers moved the ball on offense, the Steelers won the game. Game, set, match, fold up your 75th Anniversary Terrible Towel, wash off your face paint, and drive home safely

What I saw was good,the first team offense and defense is ready,that’s all that really matters.Offense can get the game won,their a little shaky at running back,but the recievers and tight ends are ready.Defense dominates the line and plays on the other teams side of the ball creating trouble for the Quarterback.Special Teams is still a big question mark that will have to be answered during the season.

It's officially game week and there are still a lot of players who have just claimed starting jobs for those positions battles that began in the summer. Here's a list of recent verdicts on some of these battles. See if you can snatch these guys off the waiver wire if they are available.Kirby Freeman (pic left), QB, Miami (via Sun-Sentinel)"The Hurricanes' long battle for starting quarterback ended Tuesday morning when coach Randy Shannon announced junior Kirby Freeman as starter, beating out senior Kyle Wright."Todd Boeckman, QB, Ohio State (via Sports Illustrated)"Todd Boeckman will start at quarterback when No. 11 Ohio State hosts Youngstown State on Saturday in its 118th season-opener."Dennis Dixon, QB, Oregon (via The Register-Guard)"Dennis Dixon was the starter going into spring, was

It's officially game week and there are still a lot of players who have just claimed starting jobs for those positions battles that began in the summer. Here's a list of recent verdicts on some of these battles. Keep these in mind for your upcoming fantasy draft, or see if you can snatch these guys off the waiver wire if they are available.Drew Weatherford (pic left), QB, Florida State (via ESPN)"Drew Weatherford will be Florida State's starting quarterback in its Sept. 3 season opener at Clemson. Weatherford, who has started 23 of the Seminoles' past 26 games, beat out Xavier Lee for the starting slot."Jordan Steffy, QB, Maryland (via Sports Illustrated)"Jordan Steffy will start at quarterback for Maryland in the season opener against Villanova, coach Ralph Friedgen announced Friday. Stef

This weeks preseason game we lost but it wasn’t important or did it mean our regular season team won’t do well.Our first and a lot of our second string played well,defense was great offense did well,game only turned south after lots of 3 rd string players took the field,a lots of them will be cut and we should play better next game. Only thing that is a little worrying is the injury to Donald Driver,hopefully its as minor twisted ankel with nothing else.

Last nights preseason games included one potentially significant injury, as the Green Bay Packers WR Donald Driver was carted off the field before half time with a foot injury. There is no word yet on the severity of the injury.Driver is coming off a great year last year with 92 catches for 1,295 yards and 8 touchdowns. This injury warrants some caution before drafting him high until more is known about the injury.

The Packers are Gearing up for the upcoming season by so far doing pretty well in preseason ,so far winning the first few games.Defense has played agressively and is looking very impressive.The offense sputtering a little in the first week had come out the second week guns blazing and on target. Looking good so far just hope a good preseason carries into the regular season,if it does it should be a great season of football at Lambeau Field

RB Jerious Norwood suffered a stomach injury and could miss a much of the remaining preseason. With Warrick Dunn rehabilitating from back surgery, the Falcons are already thin at running back. Rookie Jason Snelling, a combination fullback/tailback, will get a good look. Also, Justin Vincent will get an opportunity. Reported by D. Orlando Ledbetter, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Sporting News <<<Hotwire>>> This is bad news for Norwood who was running away with the starting job with Dunn side lined with an injury. Now Dunn is back in practice and will have the remaining 2 games to prove he’s still the man.

Here is the first list of the 2007 Fantasy College Football Early Slackers Part II (Preseason). These players are in the doghouse for one reason or another. Some players may have the ability to turn things around and have great seasons; others are suspended or kicked off the team. When participating in your college fantasy football draft, don't take these guys too high if their "situations" have not been resolved.Rashaad Norwood, TE, Kansas State (via CBSSPortsLine.com)"Norwood was arrested twice early Sunday at the same location and charged with domestic battery, criminal damage to property, criminal trespassing and obstruction of the legal process, according to Riley County Police Lt. Kurt Moldrup. Norwood was released after posting bond."Jamere Holland, WR, SC Trojans (via latimes.com)"

Take a guess at who comes in #3 on this list. Seriously take a wild guess. The Washington Huskies. The #3 most overrated team in preseason polls for the last decade. God I hate the Huskies. On the flip side guess who was the #1 most underrated preseason team in the last decade. The Washington State Cougars! That is goddamn right! A buddy sent me a link to the this article the other day but I didn’t have a chance to check it out until this morning. I am glad I waited because it really just made me Wednesday. In fact it might have made the rest of my week. GO COUGS!!!!! Original Story: ESPN.com Related PostsFlag Football Champions: Playing the FieldIt was a hell of an afternoon out on the turf of Memorial Stadium in Seattle Washington. P...Poor Poor Washington HuskiesOh you poor bastard Huskies. First you get your asses handed to you in a school pride poll...Beer Pong Tournament - Beta TestLast night we made dreams a reality, sending a bunch of alpha males in their late 20's bac..

With only 8 days until opening kickoff, a lot of players have claimed starting jobs for those positions battles that began in the summer. Here's a list of recent verdicts on some of these battles. Keep these in mind for your upcoming fantasy draft, or see if you can snatch these guys off the waiver wire if they are available.Sam Bradford (pic left), QB, Oklahoma (via ESPN)"Redshirt freshman Sam Bradford was named Oklahoma's starting quarterback Tuesday, ending a three-way competition."Tyler Donovan, QB, Wisconsin (via The Capital Times)"By most accounts, Tyler Donovan will be that starter, having held off the challenge of Allan Evridge during camp."Andy Dalton, QB, TCU (via Houston Chronicle)"Andy Dalton has been named TCU's starting quarterback, coach Gary Patterson said."Sam Keller, QB, Nebraska (via Journal Star)"Bill Callahan made official today what most Husker fans have assumed since last season. Sam Keller will be the starting quarterback when Nebraska opens the regular seaso

With only 8 days until opening kickoff, a lot of players have claimed starting jobs for those positions battles that began in the summer. Here's a list of recent verdicts on some of these battles. Keep these in mind for your upcoming fantasy draft, or see if you can snatch these guys off the waiver wire if they are available.Sam Bradford (pic left), QB, Oklahoma (via ESPN)"Redshirt freshman Sam Bradford was named Oklahoma's starting quarterback Tuesday, ending a three-way competition."Tyler Donovan, QB, Wisconsin (via The Capital Times)"By most accounts, Tyler Donovan will be that starter, having held off the challenge of Allan Evridge during camp."Andy Dalton, QB, TCU (via Houston Chronicle)"Andy Dalton has been named TCU's starting quarterback, coach Gary Patterson said."Sam Keller, QB,

Every major site has a slightly different take on the proper fantasy football rankings for each position. Here is a highlight from Yahoo Fantasy Football's 2007 preseason running back rankings. This is based on yahoo preseason projections.2007 fantasy football yahoo preseason ranks running backPlayer LaDainian Tomlinson (SD - RB) Steven Jackson (StL - RB) Larry Johnson (KC - RB) Joseph Addai (Ind - RB) Shaun Alexander (Sea - RB) Frank Gore (SF - RB) Rudi Johnson (Cin - RB) Laurence Maroney (NE - RB) Brian Westbrook (Phi - RB) Willie Parker (Pit - RB)

Here is the 2007 Fantasy College Football Damaged Goods, Part III (Preseason). A player getting injured is simply part of the game. Knowing this info is pivotal to the success of your fantasy football team so that you don't sink your squad with a wounded duck or become the joke of your league for picking a dude that got hurt yesterday. Below are a few of the injuries or suspensions that could have an impact this season, a few games, or just a few practices.Travis Beckum, TE, Wisconsin (via Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)(pic left) "Beckum was out with neck / back spasms and Bielema was watching Garrett Graham fill in admirably for his injured starter."Dominique Douglas, WR, Iowa & Anthony Bowman (via ESPN)"A year after the lack of a respectable passing game saw the Iowa Hawkeyes drop out of Big Ten title contention, the school announced that sophomore wide receivers Dominique Douglas and Anthony Bowman have been suspended indefinitely by the team following an arrest on Sunday."Fui Vakapun

Here is the 2007 Fantasy College Football Damaged Goods, Part III (Preseason). A player getting injured is simply part of the game. Knowing this info is pivotal to the success of your fantasy football team so that you don't sink your squad with a wounded duck or become the joke of your league for picking a dude that got hurt yesterday. Below are a few of the injuries or suspensions that could have an impact this season, a few games, or just a few practices.Travis Beckum, TE, Wisconsin (via Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)(pic left) "Beckum was out with neck / back spasms and Bielema was watching Garrett Graham fill in admirably for his injured starter."Dominique Douglas, WR, Iowa & Anthony Bowman (via ESPN)"A year after the lack of a respectable passing game saw the Iowa Hawkeyes drop out of Bi

As I reported a few weeks back, you can't take too much away from the NFL's preseason, especially the won-loss record. I haven't watched all the games, but here are a few very early random observations from the 2007 NFL preseason.The Good:There has been so much good news coming out of the Cowboys camp it almost makes you worried. Let's hope they get beaten badly in at least one of their preseason games so they don't get too over confident. I think the way last year ended the Cowboys needed to get their mojo back, and by every early indication, they have. The only bad news is star linebacker Greg Ellis's slow recovery from last year's Achilles injury, but 2007 first round NFL Draft pick Anthony Spencer is playing so well I don't think anyone even cares. Hats off to Bill Parcells and Jerry Jones for compiling all that talent, now let's see if Wade Phillips can do something with it. If Wade Phillips does win a super bowl in the next couple of years, there should be an asterisk b

With only 1 1/2 weeks until opening kickoff, a lot of players have claimed starting jobs for those positions battles that began in the summer. Here's a list of recent verdicts on some of these battles. Keep these in mind for your upcoming fantasy draft, or see if you can snatch these guys off the waiver wire if they are available.Todd Boeckman (pic left), QB, Ohio State (via The Plain Dealer)"Ohio State's quarterback competition isn't quite over, but junior Todd Boeckman is already the winner."Cody Hawkins, QB, Colorado (via MSNBC)"Colorado quarterback Cody Hawkins, son of coach Dan Hawkins, has moved to the top of the team’s depth chart."T.J. Yates, QB, North Carolina (via Sports Illustrated)"T.J. Yates has earned the starting quarterback job at North Carolina, coach Butch Davis said Thursday."Tyler Lorenzen, QB, Connecticut (via Sports Illustrated)"Junior college transfer Tyler Lorenzen won quarterback competition for Connecticut and is slated to start the opener at Duke."Todd R

In the NFL game, every team has football paparazzi in the double and triple digits made of camera crews, writers, announcers, bloggers, and hundreds of sites and channels cover every angle of every player 24/7. Eventually, the NFL is just going to be one big sports reality show.In the college game, however, coaches keep everything close to the vest. Injury info is kept private by law, practices are often closed, and only specific media outlets are given access to keep the chatter about the program "manageable."So the key to the Fantasy College Football game is finding (and hoarding) those little bits of info . . . coaching comments, sidebar references, and teammate blurbs . . . about those players whose names you haven't heard, but who are making "heads turns" in their debuts. Below are some of the early names that have popped out recently as maybe having that talent to shine right from the start:Kirk Cousins (pic left), QB, Michigan State (via Detroit News)"...but don't overlook fre

Here is the 2007 Fantasy College Football Damaged Goods, Part II (Preseason). A player getting injured is simply part of the game. Knowing this information is pivotal to the success of your college fantasy football team so that you don't sink your squad with a wounded duck or become the laughingstock of your league for picking a guy that got hurt yesterday. Below are a few of the injuries that could have an impact this season, a few games, or a few practices.Percy Harvin (pic left), WR, Florida (via Sports Illustrated)"Florida receiver Percy Harvin, the team's most dynamic player, was limited in practice Tuesday because of Achilles' tendinitis. Coach Urban Meyer said it was unclear how long the injury would affect Harvin."Raymond Carter, RB, UCLA (via LA Daily News)"Freshman Raymond Carter, UCLA's feature tailback of the future, will have to wait at least 13 months before making his collegiate debut. An MRI revealed Carter tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee."Mark

In the NFL game, every team has football paparazzi in the double and triple digits made of camera crews, writers, announcers, bloggers, and hundreds of sites and channels cover every angle of every player 24/7. Eventually, the NFL is just going to be one big sports reality show.In the college game, however, coaches keep everything close to the vest. Injury info is kept private by law, practices are often closed, and only specific media outlets are given access to keep the chatter about the program "manageable."So the key to the Fantasy College Football game is finding (and hoarding) those little bits of info . . . coaching comments, sidebar references, and teammate blurbs . . . about those players whose names you haven't heard, but who are making "heads turns" in their debuts. Below are some of the early names that have popped out recently as maybe having that talent to shine right from the start:Josh Smith, WR, Colorado (via Denver Post)"Nicknamed "J-Fly" by his teammates, Smith stol

Here is the 2007 Fantasy College Football Damaged Goods, Part I (Preseason). A player getting injured is simply part of the game. Knowing this information is pivotal to the success of your college fantasy football team so that you don't sink your squad with a wounded duck or become the laughingstock of your league for picking a guy that got hurt yesterday. Below are a few of the injuries that could have an impact this season, a few games, or a few practices.Devastating Blow to Pitt(pic left) Pitt Panthers’ wide receiver Derek Kinder will miss the season with a torn ACL. The a first-team All-Big East player last season was going to be the top target for whomever won the Panthers’ starting gig. Now even that position will take a hit because of the injury to Kinder.Nebraska WR Lucky, Unlucky?Nebraska WR Marlon Lucky left practice with a concussion. Lucky has had bad luck ever since his knee injury in spring practice. This is a situation you definitely want to keep an eye on.Top Illin

In the NFL game, every team has football paparazzi in the double and triple digits made of camera crews, writers, announcers, bloggers, and hundreds of sites and channels cover every angle of every player 24/7. Eventually, the NFL is just going to be one big sports reality show.In the college game, however, coaches keep everything close to the vest. Injury info is kept private by law, practices are often closed, and only specific media outlets are given access to keep the chatter about the program "manageable."So the key to the Fantasy College Football game is finding (and hoarding) those little bits of info . . . coaching comments, sidebar references, and teammate blurbs . . . about those players whose names you haven't heard, but who are making "heads turns" in their debuts. Below are some of the early names that have popped out recently as maybe having that talent to shine right from the start:Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma (via RotoWorld)"Could the survivor of the Sooner Derby, almost

Looking at these scores it looks like an exciting weekend for NFL football…then we remember it’s August. Bears down the Texans 20-19 Cedric Benson is officially “The Man” in Chicago. He gained 23 yards on five carries in the Bear’s preseason victory over the Texans. ”It feels good,” Benson said. ”It’s good for me because I wanted to get a feel for what I needed to work on, or if I was running high or if I needed to get lower. I thought today was pretty good, but it won’t stop there. We are going to work on improving some things and try and get those first downs and big plays to put points on the board.” This is as good a time as any to use TINO’s resident Bears fan Gregster’s pic of Benson from Bears camp. My little hometown’s hero, Sage Rosenfells did what he does best, come in off the bench and throw TD’s. He hit Jeb Putzier for the one Texans touchdown. “When you have someone come

In case you just woke up from a coma or something, NFL Football is back, thank goodness, after an off season that seems to last longer and longer each year, we can now get our fix of bone crushing hits and scintillating one-handed touchdown catches. But hold your horses it's not real NFL Football, it's preseason football, the games don't count, the stars rarely play and you will see nothing but a generic game plan, in other words, no exciting plays from the play book.Most casual football fans don't care much for preseason NFL Football, but if your reading this NFL Draft blog, you are not a casual fan. Preseason football is just an extension of training camp, starters rarely play more than a quarter until the last couple preseason games, which they normally play a full half as a final tune up to the regular season.Preseason NFL Football is where the draft picks and free agents showcase their skills for a chance to become professional football players, and the stakes are high, a chan

I wouldn’t say that the Atlanta Falcons should be breathing a sigh of relief, but they should feel a little better after watching the replacement for Michael Vick play rather well in his first preseason outing. That someone was quarterback Joey Harrington, who was the starter in the Falcons 31-16 loss to the Jets at the Meadowlands in New Jersey on Friday night. The score didn’t matter, but what did was Harrington, who played well in his first start since being thrown into the starting job for Vick, who will be going on trial in November for dog fighting charges. The numbers on Harrington, who was once the third pick of the draft - 6-of-9 for 88 yards. His best throw was a completion that covered 37 yards to Dwayne Blakley that came when Harrington was able to get out of the pocket and avoid the rush - just like Vick. “Joey was on point,” receiver Joe Horn said. “He was on top of his game and that impressed me. He knew the defenses and he had great ti

WEEK 1 ~~~~~~ Thursday, August 9 —————— Cincinnati at Detroit, 7:30 Indianapolis at Dallas, 8:00 Friday, August 10 —————– Atlanta at New York Jets, 7:00 New England at Tampa Bay, 7:30 Buffalo at New Orleans, 8:00 St. Louis at Minnesota, 8:00 Saturday, August 11 ——————- Green Bay at Pittsburgh, 7:30 Jacksonville at Miami, 7:30 Kansas City at Cleveland, 7:30 Washington at Tennessee, 8:00 Chicago at Houston, 8:00 Carolina at New York Giants, 8:00 Arizona at Oakland, 10:00 Sunday, August 12 —————– Seattle at San Diego, 8:00 Monday, August 13 —————– Philadelphia at Baltimore, 7:00 Denver at San Francisco, 8:00 WEEK 2 ~~~~~~ Thursday, August 16 ——————- Miami at Kansas City, 8:00 Friday, August 17 —————– Carolina at Philadelphia, 7:00 Atlanta at

In the NFL game, every team has football paparazzi in the double and triple digits made of camera crews, writers, announcers, bloggers, and hundreds of sites and channels cover every angle of every player 24/7. Eventually, the NFL is just going to be one big sports reality show.In the college game, however, coaches keep everything close to the vest. Injury info is kept private by law, practices are often closed, and only specific media outlets are given access to keep the chatter about the program "manageable."So the key to the Fantasy College Football game is finding (and hoarding) those little bits of info . . . coaching comments, sidebar references, and teammate blurbs . . . about those players whose names you haven't heard, but who are making "heads turns" in their debuts. Below are some of the early names that have popped out recently as maybe having that talent to shine right from the start:Graig Cooper, RB, Miami (PPS News via Miami Herald)"He's a mix between Devin Hester and

Looking for a cheat sheet of the top 20 players to draft at each position? Here's our take on the elite WRs in the nation that you should be targeting in the early rounds of your draft. We listed our Top 20 QBs on Wednesday and our Top 20 RBs yesterday. Our Top 20 TEs are available here.Fantasy MVPs1. Jarett Dillard (pic left via the Houston Chronicle), Rice (1247 ReYd, 21 ReTD) - Dillard is currently working on a streak of 15 straight games in which he has caught a touchdown pass, leaving only Larry Fitzgerald, who had 18 in a row, in front of him. In 2006 he caught a total of 21 touchdown passes, which set both Rice and Conference USA records.2. DeSean Jackson, California (1060 ReYd, 9 ReTD) - Jackson is one of the most, if not THE most, talented receivers on the planet. He has 21 TD catches in 24 career games, so fantasy owners can count on him almost every week. He also gets bonus points for leagues that include kick return stats as he led the nation last year in punt return yarda

Looking for a cheat sheet of the top 20 players to draft at each position? Here's our take on the elite WRs in the nation that you should be targeting in the early rounds of your draft. We listed our Top 20 QBs on Wednesday and our Top 20 RBs yesterday. Our Top 20 WRs are available here.Fantasy MVPs1. Darius Hill (pic left via ViewImages), Ball State (741 ReYd, 10 ReTD) - Who? This guy is Number 1? That's right, if you're in a league that includes the MAC, jump on Hill early (maybe even round 3). He's the primary receiving option and is by far the best fantasy QB in the nation. Plus, he's only a junior so bonus points for those in keeper leagues.2. Martellus Bennett, Texas A&M (497 ReYd, 3 ReTD) - Bennett has nice hands for a TE and should be able to improve on last year's numbers. QB Stephen McGee loves Bennett as a second and sometimes primary receiving option. Don't expect that to change this season.3. Chase Coffman, Missouri (638 ReYd, 9 ReTD) - Back-to-back Big 12 TEs in th

Looking for a cheat sheet of the top 20 players to draft at each position? Here's our take on the elite RBs in the nation that you should be targeting in the early rounds of your draft. We listed our Top 20 QBs yesterday and will list our Top 20 WRs and Top 20 TEs on Friday.Fantasy MVPs1. Darren McFadden, Arkansas (1647 RuYd, 14 RuTD, 149 ReYd,1 ReTD) - Depending on your scoring system, this could be the top fantasy scorer in the nation this year. McFadden is a contender for the Heisman and should be in the Top 3 Picks of most any fantasy college football draft that includes an SEC talent pool.2. Ian Johnson (pic left via Boise Real Estate), Boise State (1714 RuYd, 25 RuTD) - Johnson will be the heart and soul of the Broncos offense this year with the graduation of QB Jared Zabransky, but that means he can expect to see a lot of 8-man fronts. Expect another great year, but his numbers will probably drop a little.3. Steve Slaton, West Virginia (1744 RuYd, 16 RuTD, 360 ReYd, 2 ReTD) - I