Weekly Fantasy Roundup: Bench/Start Week 12

BENCH

WR Calvin Johnson (Lions) - Johnson has been one of the NFL's best WR so far in 2008, but faces a tough match up against Tampa Bay this week, and there's a good chance that he wont be a 100% come Sunday. Megatron injured his quad in last week's game against Carolina, and is expected to miss some practice time but should be out there when it counts against the Buccaneers. The injury combined with the match up is worrisome, and if I were a Johnson owner, I wouldn't be expecting too much out of him.



All of your Patriot RBs - The Patriots backfield is a fantasy owner's nightmare, with Sammy Morris, BenJarvis Green-Ellis, and Kevin Faulk all playing a role in the New England offense. Morris should get the majority of the carries, but all three backs will see the field on Sunday. Joey Porter and the rest of the Miami defense have only allowed five rushing touchdowns all season, and should have no problem shutting down this threesome on Sunday. The Dolphins held the Patriots' RBs to 55 rushing yards back in Week 3, and fantasy owners should expect similar numbers in Week 12.

RB Brian Westbrook (Eagles) - Westbrook has been extremely disappointing to fantasy owners in recent weeks, and now has to face the tumultuous Baltimore D in Week 12. The Ravens are as stingy as it gets - they're allowing less than 80 rushing yards per game, and have only given up three TDs on the ground all season. Westbrook has only amassed 100 yards once in 2008, and considering the match up, he isn't necessarily a must start this week - Any of the three RB's listed below make for better plays than the two time Pro Bowl RB.

START

RB Peyton Hillis (Broncos) - This converted FB put on quite a show last week against the Falcons (70 total yards and 2 TDs), and everything is pointing to an even more spectacular encore performance in Week 12. Hillis faces off against an Oakland D that has allowed 15 rushing TDs and over 160 yards per game on the ground. While he might be splitting carries with Tatum Bell, he should have all the goal line glory to himself, and considering the Raiders' inability to stop the run, is almost a lock to find the end zone (at least once) on Sunday.



RB Pierre Thomas (Saints) - There is a good chance that Reggie Bush could be out again against the Packers AND that Deuce McAllister's looming suspension could begin in Week 12 , in which case Pierre Thomas would without a doubt become a top 10 RB, especially in PPR leagues. The Chicago native had an all around great game against the Chiefs last week, running wild for 88 yards and a TD, while also hauling in four receptions for 56 yards. This all came while he was splitting carries with McAllister, so imagine what he can do if he has the entire backfield job to himself....



RB Warrick Dunn (Buccaneers) - If Faith Berger was starting at RB against Detroit, she would probably rush for 175 yards and a couple TDs, so when Warrick Dunn gets to start at RB against Detroit - the sky is the limit. With Ernest Graham out for the season after suffering an ankle injury, Dunn should receive almost all of the carries and go nuts against a Lions defense that has given up at least two rushing TDs in each of the past three weeks. The Bad Guy guarantees that The Nicest Guy in the NFL is a lock for double digit fantasy points this Sunday.

Da Coach vs. Da President

Remember when Ditka almost ran for Senator against Obama in 2004? What could have been...

Today's Links

• L'il Wayne lives with D-Wade? I don't know if I would be trying to wake up to that face, but you never know.
• Chicago is 1 of 18 places Lebron could land in 2010. I like those odds.
  
• Did you know Chicago has a Female Roller Derby team? Not only that, but they are pretty good too.
• Bulls lost to the Lakers but they put up a good fight well into the 3rd quarter. 1 down, 6 to go.
  
• I may or may not be able to recap the Bears-Packers game, considering how angry I am. If you want to read a cool shout out to some old school Bears-Packers moments, though, check this out.
• Tyson Chandler gets advice on how to be a good father from Eddy Curry? Talking about those two guys in the same sentence makes my stomach hurt, but this story is funny.
• Former Cubs Cy Young winner Rick Sutcliffe makes a sales pitch to Jake Peavy.
• Top Ten Chicago athletes that could be Bond villains. Moises Alou is no villain!
• Apparently former NBAer David Wesley has returned to undergrad and is serving as the Baylor team manager? Yikes. (Thanks to His Jesusness Shuttlesworth for this link)
  

Cubs Sign Dempster to 4 Year $52 Million Deal; I Stop Calling Him "Dumpster"

The Cubs re-signed Ryan Dempster to a 4-year $52 million dollar deal. The deal is structured thusly:

$4 million signing bonus
2009 Salary: $8 Million
2010 Salary: $12.5 Million
2011 Salary: $13.5 Million
2012 Salary: $14 Million (Player Option)

The only thing I love more than this contract and how it's structured is Dempster himself. Taking only $8 million for 2009 leaves flexibility to acquire Peavy and/or a left-handed bat. Although it is a bit back-loaded, the Cubs are clearly trying to win RIGHT NOW. I love it. As of now, our rotation is the same as the one that just won 97 games, with the potential to add Peavy still out there.

In terms of Dempster himself, I am amazed he took this deal. I am no expert on the open market rate for a starting pitcher these days, but it would seem to me that a player of Dempster's caliber would command at least a 4 year, $60 million deal That may even be a little on the low side, since no one knows what C.C. Sabathia and AJ Burnett will be commanding (140 over 6 years and 80 over 5 years are the respective rumored offers to those players). Ryan Dempster is the kind of guy that is a clubhouse leader and also is productive on the field. I love this move and I love this player. Keep it up Jimmy H.

Week 12 Big Ten Wrap-up

This will be quick as my battle with my laptop and technology in general continues. Illinois couldn't get the job done against Ohio State Saturday, losing 30-20. Chris Wells ran for 143 yards, while Terrelle Pryor added 110 rushing yards of his own. Illinois bested Ohio State in total yards by more than 100, but special teams errors and, you guessed it, turnovers doomed the Illini.

Northwestern held off Michigan with a 21-14 win. It was the first win in Michigan Stadium for the Wildcats since 1995. Northwestern moves to 8-3 and can make a strong argument for a New Year's Day bowl game with a win this week when the Wildcats will host Illinois.

Wisconsin overcame a two touchdown halftime deficit to beat Minnesota 35-32. The Badgers are bowl eligible with the win and should pad on another W this week as they host Cal-Poly.

Penn State rolled over Indiana to set up a showdown with Michigan State with BCS implications and Iowa squeaked by Purdue 22-17

Fill In The Blank

It's Fill in The Blank time. What happens is I will post a random picture I select, and you guys (the readers) create a funny caption for the photo. Post your caption ideas in the comments for this story and I will post the funniest caption under the picture at a later date. Here's this week's "Fill in the Blank".

Two lovely young ladies on the Joliet Catholic volleyball team celebrate their newly-won state championship.



Last Week's Photo:


Best Caption comes from JFKFC: "No, you're doing it wrong. This is how it looks to shit away last season's momentum..."

Best Sex-Referencing Caption goes to Zach Martin: Player: Just show me. Zook: crunches face together. Player: Yeah, your wife's right. That is a weird O-face.

You Would Think With a Name Like "Circus Trip" It Would Be Fun, But...

For all the Bulls fans out there, we know that the words "Circus Trip" come up every November, much to our chagrin. Every year the Circus comes to the United Center and the Bulls (and Blackhawks) are required to take a road trip. The Bulls generally play about 6-11 games out west before returning to the friendly confines of the UC. This year is no different. The trip this year consists of 7 games. While we do have our best pre-circus trip record since the end of the Jordan era (5-5, wooo!), it is still going to be a very difficult trip. The schedule is as follows:

11/18 @ Lakers 9:30 p.m.

11/19 @ TrailBlazers 9:30 p.m.

11/21 @ Warriors 9:30 p.m.

11/23 @ Nuggets 8:00 p.m.

11/24 @ Jazz 8:00 p.m.

11/26 @ Spurs 7:30 p.m.

11/30 @ 76ers 4:00 p.m.

The most annoying thing about this trip is that the games start so late. The second most annoying thing about this trip? 6 of the 7 teams are playoff teams (Warriors aren't going to make it this year). The Bulls combined record on the Circus Trip since 1998 is 6-52, and only 1-11 the last two years. Let's just hope the Bulls can win 3 or 4 this time around.

It will be interesting to see how Rose responds to being so far from home in enemy territory for so long. The Blazers, Warriors, Nuggets, Spurs (surprisingly weak and old this year) and 76ers games are all winnable. The Jazz and Lakers will be very difficult to beat, even if the Bulls are hitting on all cylinders. Is 5-2 a pipe dream? Perhaps, but even 3 wins would be considered a good trip, and the Bulls December schedule looks to be very easy. Good luck staying up late to watch the games. Lakers are the first test tonight tipping off at 9:30 p.m.

Today's Links--StevieY19's Computer is Broken Edition

• The Mets may have soured on trying to get K-Rod, but are they looking to make a deal with Kenny for Big Bobby Jenks instead?
• Albert Pujols won the NL MVP, though by his logic he should be conceding it to Ryan Howard any day now.
• A few pre-circus trip notes from Matt at BaB. This is the first time since the Jordan era ended (1998) that the Bulls have had at least 5 wins going into the circus trip by the way.
• Yup, the Cubbies are playing the first 2 games in the new Yankee Stadium. They will be exhibition games played right before the start of the season.
• Bye bye Demetrius Nichols.
• Kegger at the Dong is speechless about the Bears game. Gepetto is not. Both are angry. So am I.
  

Crazy Cuban in Trouble With SEC For Insider Trading

It looks like Mark Cuban's bid to buy the Cubs may have hit a major road block:

Mamma.com is some sort of lame search engine that no one has ever used ever. Way back in 2004, Cuban made a sizeable investment in the company that made him its largest shareholder. (About 600,000 shares.) Later that year, Mamma decided to raise cash using something called PIPE financing. This would essentially create more shares for the public to buy, which raises cash for the company to use, but reduces the value of all existing shares.

The company called Cuban in for a meeting and told him what they were planning. (The hope was that he would buy many of these new shares, in order to maintain his investment and interest in the company.) This is totally allowed, but only with the understanding that any information the person is given must be kept confidential and they may not act on that information until it is revealed to the general public. The CEO of Mamma and others involved in the situation say that Cuban was well aware that the information was confidential and that he would not be able to act on it. This is allegedly well-documented, too.

Cuban did not approve of the PIPE strategy and wanted out. However, once the PIPE was announced the value of his shares would have gone down no matter what, so he instructed his broker to sell all of his shares immediately, which he did. By selling the shares before the announcement was made (and before the price could drop) he saved himself about $750,000. Cuban's reported net worth is a little over $2 billion.

If the allegations are true, this is textbook insider trading. The SEC has charged him with a civil complaint and if he is found guilty, he would likely have to forfeit the profits from the trades, plus pay a penalty which can be up to three times that amount. Also, if his actions can be shown to have hurt other investors, he can face additional penalties that can skyrocket depending on how much damage was allegedly done.

At the moment, this is only a civil action and not a criminal action, which means he will not face jail time. That could change in the future, but it is unlikely unless some new information comes to light. The most famous insider trading case in recent memory is Martha Stewart, but remember—she did not go to jail for trading. She went to jail for obstruction of justice and conspiracy, because she lied to federal investigators about the case.

And just in case anyone is wondering how this is related to the sale of the Cubs, I was informed by a reliable source this morning (some old crazy guy in the booth next to me at Lou Mitchell's) that his daughter works for the Tribune and the Tribune purposely leaked this information about Cuban to take him out of the running to buy the Cubs. I don't know how likely that is, but either way it doesn't look good for people hoping Cuban would be the next owner.

Somewhere, Sam Zell is menacingly cackling in a smoky back room.

The Big Aristotle Explains The Laws of Physics to an Unconscious Stuckey

If you missed it last night, Shaq put a hard foul on Stuckey in the Pistons-Lakers game. He was called for a flagrant 2 foul and subsequently ejected from the game.

You can be the judge on whether that was an intentional flagrant foul or not, but either way, Shaq's explanation is classic:

"The law of physics states that a body in motion stays in motion," O'Neal said. "And if you have two objects that meet in the air, the smaller object is going to fall much harder at the same rate of speed it was going. I've never been the type of player to take anyone out. I was going for the ball."

Has this guy ever taken responsibility for anything in his life ever? Ever? At least he is hilariously idiotic in his explanations about why nothing is his fault. I'm sure he passed physics at LSU when he was getting paid and not going to any classes.

Larry Hughes Unitard Gives Him Special Powers

Not only does Hughes look like an idiot in this unitard thing, but it appears I forgot to include "The Fonz" as one of Vinny's look-a-likes. He's got the thumbs up and everything! All he needs to say is "Eyyyyy".

Today's Links--Too Many Links in Too Little Space Edition

• Hey, did you see that Bears-Packers game? Boy was that embarassing, right? I mean wow, I'm just glad I'm not a Bears fan right now (shit, I am a Bears fan).
  
• Hilarious old-time advertisement with Steve Garvey.
• Chief Illiniwek is back! Unfortunately there's not much for him to cheer for this weekend, OSU killed the Illini's bowl hopes. I don't think the basketball team's second win against a team I've never heard of is going to cheer me up either.
  
• An autographed Derrick Rose game jersey is up for auction along with other NBA rookies and stars jerseys. $100-$350 sounds fair for the jersey of the next Chicago Bull great.
• If you've got the time to read, Gilbert Arenas' blog will make you laugh from start to finish. In his latest post, he discusses his stupid Barack tattoo, his feelings about the election and some other crap that no one wants to hear from Gilbert. Very funny.
  
• Apparently the Cubs are in the running for signing Randy Johnson to a 1-year deal. It all depends on what happens with the Peavy deal I guess.
• Remember those 2 kids from the Hoop Dreams movie? They lived in Chicago and still do. It's interesting to see what they are up to these days. Let's just say they aren't playing professional basketball.
• Barack discusses the college football playoff program he is proposing on 60 minutes last night.
• The Bulls win their last game before the circus trip on Saturday night. And Sam Smith might like Derrick Rose more than I do, if that's possible.

A True Kerry Wood Eulogy

On Thursday we found out that Kerry Wood would not be back next year. I wrote about the sadness I felt about it but I don't think I was truly able to capture the essence of how Cubs fans are feeling. Fortunately for us, a commentor on Shysterball has eloquently put the whole thing in context:

I am a die-hard Cub fan, I was raised that way by my father. I was only 7 in '84, I remember that team well but didn't experience the heartbreak that many fans old enough to process the disappointment probably did.

In '89, I was fully along for the ride, we even went on our first family vacation ever (to Cincinnati) to catch the Cubs on the road (I got to see Jerome Walton extend that hitting streak in person, it was awesome). But I did not experience the heartbreak others did in the playoff failure of '89 because I was dealing with the loss of my father, who had passed away in late September.

The years between '89-'98 were long, the Cubs did not put up much of a fight. But when Kerry Wood struck out 20 Astros in May of '98 things changed. He provided the hope of the future for myself and many other fans like me. The loss to Atlanta in '98 was only mildly disappointing, as we knew we were outclassed by that Braves team, but the future was bright.

I went down to Mesa, AZ in '99 for Spring Training to see Kerry and the Cubs get ready to build on the success of '98, and I was there to see the last pitch he'd throw before Tommy John surgery. There would be many more trips to the DL in the future and things did not go so well between '98-'03.

But in '03 he was healthy again, and along with Mark Prior the Cubs were a force unlike any I had seen in Cubbie-blue. Against the Braves in the first round, the Cubs went 2-0 in Woody's starts and he went on to win Game 3 in Florida in the NLCS. Game 7 was a heartbreaker, Kerry was gassed, but he was doing everything he could to win, even smoking a HR to the bleachers in left.

After that season, the Cubs went downhill and Kerry continued to visit the DL. I thought he was going to retire mid-season in '07 but he magically turned a corner with that arm and came back, finishing in the post-season once again and becoming the closer the following year.

Kerry Wood is my age, and my fanboy ramblings about him are unsettling, even to me. But he has been a part of 4(!) Cubs teams who have made the post-season. He has consistently professed his love for my city and our fans. He has taken the injuries he has suffered to heart, saying in the past that he "owes" something to the Cubs and trying to make up for lost time.

I own three jerseys, the Cubs road, home, & alternate, and all of them have "Wood 34" on the back. I will miss him.

I don't know about owning 3 jerseys, but he will be missed.

Packers Photo Fun

In honor of the Bears-Packers game this weekend, here are some pictures StevieY19 and I found to honor the great history of the Green Bay franchise:


BYE BRETT!

Blackhawks Week in Review

Two games so far this week for the Blackhawks, with another couple coming over the weekend.

Kane and Havlat got the action started Sunday night against the Flames with a goal and an assist each. Captain Jonathan Toews finally got his first goal of the season in the 6-1 win. Hopefully this will spark a scoring spree that will ease fears of a sophomore slump. Four penalty kills in the first period were gigantic for Chicago, who had Cristobal Huet in net. Calgary's lone goal late in the second cut the lead to 3-1, but Toews and Versteeg scored goals early in the third to put the game away.

After the offensive outburst against Calgary, it was the goaltending that should have gotten Chicago a win against Boston Wednesday night. The Bruins outshot and outchanced the Hawks, but Khabibulin was fantastic, making 38 saves and giving up only one goal. Toews scored his second goal of the year to tie the game midway through the third and the game went to overtime. In the extra period, Patrick Sharp was stopped by Tim Thomas on a penalty shot and it went to a shootout. Patrick Kane was the only Hawk to connect as Boston took the 2-1 win in the shootout. Tough to waste an amazing performance like the one Khabibulin put on with a loss. This was the goaltender the Hawks thought they were getting.

Looking Ahead:

Tonight the Hawks host St. Louis, then it's San Jose at the UC Sunday, followed by trips to Phoenix and Dallas.

The Neckbeard Will Heal All Wounds

It looks like Kyle Orton will be starting on Sunday, unless there are some unforeseen circumstances. Thank god:

Orton jogged off the field on his taped-up right ankle, proof that even if he was limited in the workout, he felt just fine.

''He's a lot better today than he was [Wednesday],'' coach Lovie Smith said. ''If he continues to make the same type of progress, hopefully we'll have him available.''

Barring a setback, count on it.

We're going to need him against the Packers.

Today's Links

• Some CEO beats Michael Jordan in one-on-one circa 2003. It's a bit painful to watch. You know MJ was not happy after this.
• Carlos Quentin and Carlos Zambrano bring home the Silver Sluggers at their positions in their respective leagues.
  
• Orton's status for Sunday remains unclear. We need him to play, but if he's hurt he's hurt and he shouldn't push it. Apparently Orton thinks Orton will play, however.
  
• Bulls beat a tired, old-looking Dallas team. After Dallas jumped out to a 19 point lead early, the Bulls stormed back and crushed them on Gordon's 35 points. Oh and Hughes is back and he actually played defense!
  
• Chicago Fire lose in the Eastern Conference Finals. So much for the vaunted soccer expert Rob's prediction.
• Tremendous Upside Potential talks about the Hawks. Decent article though I'm a little bitter that last night when I finally watched a Hawks game, they blew it in the shootout.

Rob Previews Tonight's Chicago Fire MLS Semifinal

Rob will be our regular soccer analyst and fan. He is especially qualified for the job because of his love for the game and minority status. Enjoy!

Tonight, our Chicago Fire will be in Columbus taking on the Crew for the Eastern Conference Championship. The winner will face the winner of the New York Red Bull v. Real Salt Lake “Western” Conference Championship for the MLS Cup. At the risk of sounding extremely presumptuous, I’m going to go ahead and say that tonight’s game is all but for the title. The Eastern Conference has been markedly stronger than their Western counterparts, as evidence by the presence of New York earning a wild card spot in the Western Conference bracket.

As for the game itself, damn I’m excited. This is about as good as MLS soccer (redundancy alert!) is going to get this year. The Crew, under Coach of the Year Sigi Schmid, will be lead by Argentine legend/MVP Candidate Guillermo Barros Schelotto (16 assists!), and talented young Americans Robbie Rogers and (my sentimental favorite) Eddie Gaven. The Fire will be anchored by Goalkeeper of the Year Jon Busch and an attack that features American legend/hometown hero Brian McBride and the player everyone hates-to-love-to-hate, Cuauhtémoc Blanco.* It’s sure to be an entertaining game, but I’ve got two reasons to believe the Fire will come out on top: Defense and Chris Rolfe.

The Fire backline of Gutierrez, Conde, Soumare, and Segares are skilled, physical as all-hell, and seem to have gotten their act back together after a brief stretch at the end of the regular season when they were leaking goals. Most importantly, Chris Rolfe is in the zone right now, with 4 goals and 2 assists in his last three matches. If he plays well tonight, the Fire attack will eventually wear down a sturdy Columbus backline. It’s amazing that a team’s leading scorer gets as little publicity as he does, but I suppose playing with McBride and Blanco will do that to you.

2-1 Fire. Then we can all hope Chicago is gifted an MLS Final against former coach Juan Carlos Osorio.

*Oddly enough, spell check happens to auto correct the word “Cuauhtémoc.” Go figure.

The Door? It's Over There Kerry (But We'll Miss You)

Earlier I reported that the Cubs have acquired Kevin Gregg from the Marlins for a minor leaguer. Well apparently that isn't all that Jim Hendry was up to today:

Hendry met this week with Wood and his agent, Pat Rooney, and told him the Cubs were going in a different direction.

"I think we all feel that Kerry is certainly deserving of a three- or four-year contract," Hendry said. "He's done everything this organization has asked for the last 14 years, been a warrior the last couple of years. He's come back and health-wise stood the test of time, taken the ball every day we needed, and had no hang-ups, except for (missing one month with a blister injury).

"We're just in a situation, as Kerry fully understands, that that length of deal, for the kind of salary he'd command right now, is not our first priority. We certainly have to finish our rotation, we have offensive situations to address, and by having the prominence that (Carlos) Marmol now brings to the table, it certainly doesn't come before the other needs we have. We felt it was time Kerry goes out and does what's best for him and his family, and gets a huge multi-year deal if possible."

Cubs fans everywhere are very conflicted about this. I know I personally have mixed feelings. After having a phenomenal early career (that 20 strikeout game will always stand in my memory as one of the greatest games ever pitched), Wood was given a 4 year $44 million dollar deal. The 2003 season, while ending bitterly, was a great year for Woody. He had his dominant stuff and it was a very fun summer. Shortly after that contract was signed, however, he went to the DL where he would spend a majority of the time on that 4 year deal. As a Cubs fan it was very frustrating.

When Woody was finally up for a new contract and somewhat healthy again (reborn as a reliever), he took a significant amount less than his market value to stay and play for the Cubs. Perhaps it was a sense of owing the franchise something or maybe he just really loved Chicago. Either way it was a class move by him. Also throughout his time in Chicago he has been nothing less than a perfect citizen. He has hosted charity events and given back to the community in ways that few athletes have.

In the end, I think, it is sad to see him go. While I will always associate him with the dynamic injury duo (Prior and Wood) and of course his tragic slip in a hot tub that cost him 6 weeks, the truth is I will always love and appreciate him for what he did in this city on and off the field. Good Luck Kerry!

Cubs Acquire Kevin Gregg (And Other Chicago Acquisitions)

The Cubs have acquired Kevin Gregg, the Marlins closer, for unnamed players Jose Ceda (Thanks to Judd for the useless update that it was Jose Ceda). This could mean a number of things, two of which are:

• The Cubs intend on re-signing Wood and made this move in order to flip Gregg in some kind of deal with the Padres. Now that Hoffman is gone, the Pads are in need of a closer.

• The Cubs don't intend to re-sign Wood, and this was done to add some depth to the bullpen.

Or maybe it's neither of those things. Stay tuned.
***UPDATE: The White Sox dealt Nick Swisher to the Yankees.
Also, the Bulls acquired Lindsey Hunter to back up Rose at the point.