A sports blog by and for Midwest Sports Fans
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Update: CBSsports.com is reporting that the Miami Dolphins have signed WR Kevin Curtis. Curtis received treatment for testicular cancer in September. He replaces OT Vernon Carey, who is out for the season with an injury, on the team's 53-man roster.
Fantasy Impact: This is a good move for the Dolphins as it gives them added depth at receiver. However, Curtis isn't a good fantasy option and owners looking for receiver help should look elsewhere.
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Update: CBSsports.com is reporting that San Diego Chargers TE Antonio Gates may miss the remainder of the season with a foot injury. The injury kept him out of last week's game against the Kansas City Chiefs and has been bothering him for the past several weeks. Gates said that he will have to determine how much time it will take for his foot to fully recover before he knows for sure if he will play again or not.
Fantasy Impact: Gates has been battling this injury for some time now but it seems to be getting progessively worse. The Chargers are going to want to be cautious with him to make sure he doesn't injure himself further. Since the Chargers play on Thursday this week, it's likely that Gates won't play.
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Update: CBSsports.com is reporting that New York Giants WR Steve Smith pulled his hamstring Monday night against the Minnesota Vikings. He did not return to the game. It was his first start in five games due to a pectoral injury.
Fantasy Impact: Smith's injury couldn't have come at a worse time. The Giants are starting to find their stride offensively and he would probably have had much success. Monitor his status thoughout the week in fantasy leagues, but it doesn't look good.
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Update: CBSsports.com is reporting that New York Giants WR Steve Smith pulled his hamstring Monday night against the Minnesota Vikings. He did not return to the game. It was his first start in five games due to a pectoral injury.
Fantasy Impact: Smith's injury couldn't have come at a worse time. The Giants are starting to find their stride offensively and he would probably have had much success. Monitor his status thoughout the week in fantasy leagues, but it doesn't look good.
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Update: CBSsports.com is reporting that Pittsburgh Steelers TE Heathe Miller passes his neurological tests Tuesday and has been cleared to practice on Wednesday. Miller suffered the concussion on Dec. 5 in a Monday night game against the Baltimore Ravens. It was the first concussion of his career.
Fantasy Impact: Miller hasn't been putting up big-time fantasy numbers this season which has been disappointing to fantasy owners. It would be wise to look for tight end elsewhere, but options are thin. If there is still a good tight end in free agency, pick him up and sit Miller.
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The Morning After is a look at the night that was in the NBA along with other NBA-related fodder.
– In a game that is often very confusing for me, the Milwaukee Bucks put an end to that 12-game winning streak business in Dallas, defeating the Mavs 103-99.
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As you surely know by now, Brett Favre’s NFL-record consecutive games started streak ended last night when he was inactive for the Vikings’ game against the Giants. Regardless of your thoughts on Favre, even the biggest #4 hater has to respect the incredible toughness, longevity, and love for the game that Favre displayed in showing up to start and give his all each and every Sunday.
However, is it really the greatest Iron Man streak of all time, as many are positing today? Other legendary Iron Men like Lou Gehrig, Cal Ripken, Jim Marshall, Doug Jarvis, and A.C. Green just might feel differently, and all have legitimate claim to the title of Greatest Iron Man of Them All.
I grabbed my camera and transcription device and rounded up all of these Iron Men to get their thoughts on the matter. This roundtable of Iron Men is presented below as our latest MSF photo story.
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Update 12/14: I posted the spreads and picks for a few more games that are now on the board. Still a few more to go.
I believe the term is “humble pie.” I should know, because I have been fed a couple of nice helpings of that over these past two weeks.
After my terrific 10-4-1 mark in Week 12, I went 6-9 in Week 13 and am currently at 5-9 in Week 14 with the Ravens leading the Texans 28-7 on Monday Night Football. Who do I have? Gulp. Houston +3.
[Update: Looked like Houston might cover or at least push there for a while when the game went into OT, but then Schaub threw the damn Pick 6. Crap. 5-10 for the week it is.]
My current record on the season is 104-85-8. It looked a hell of a lot better two weeks ago.
Regardless, I’ve always gotten more right than I’ve gotten wrong picking games my way – first impression based on early lines – so I’ll keep doing it that way. I never put a dime on sports, but for anyone who uses these picks for such purposes, trust that I take these picks seriously even if my performance the last two weeks hasn’t shown it.
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Well, as I explained in this week’s waiver wire sleeper picks post, I needed another Monday night miracle to make the playoffs in the P&G-sponsored Blogger Fantasy Football League*. Barring something truly miraculous over the next hour, my season will end at the hands of Team Gunaxin.
Regardless, it has been a great experience, highlighted by the trip to New York and the draft in the NFL boardroom. That was a truly memorable experience that I’ll remember forever, and I cannot thank P&G and the NFL enough for making it reality. I would have loved to be able to enjoy this year’s Super Bowl live from Jerry World as well; but alas, it was not meant to be.
Luckily I am in many more leagues than just that one and actually had three byes this week. So fear not, dear reader! Just because my season has come to a screeching halt in the P&G league, I still have leagues with friends and family that I must win for essential bragging rights and pride. Thus, I will still be working just as hard as always to analyze the players, trends, matchups, and injuries to help myself out in my other leagues and to help you out in yours.
Let’s start analyzing.
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Update: The Vikings have put quarterback Brett Favre on the inactive list for Monday’s game against the Giants. Tarvaris Jackson will start in Favre’s place. At 297 games, Favre has started more consecutive regular season games than any player in NFL history and likely more than any future player as well. This is the first scheduled game for a Brett Favre team since September 20, 1992 in which Favre is not the starting quarterback.
Fantasy Impact: Given the Giants’ struggles against mobile quarterbacks, the fact that the Giants prepared this week most likely in the event that Favre would be starting, and the fact that Jackson shredded the Giants in Week 12 of the 2007 season (though it was a vastly different Giants and Vikings team), I would expect Jackson to have a better chance than Favre would of beating New York’s defense. That being said, I do expect the Giants to pressure Jackson and force him into enough mistakes to where they can contain Jackson and Minnesota’s offense effectively.
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So the new logo for the Big Ten, which is now a necessity since the conference has 12 teams, was revealed today. Based on the Twitter reaction immediately upon the new logo’s announcement, most people seem to think of it what I do.
Not much.
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Reese Witherspoon and Angelina Jolie are blessing us all by making the rounds on magazine covers and talk shows this December because both have new movies out. Jolie’s movie The Tourist, co-starring Johnny Depp, opened this past weekend to bad reviews and a poor box office showing. Reese Witherspoon’s new movie How Do You Know, co-starring the incredible trio of Paul Rudd, Owen Wilson, and Jack Nicholson, opens this week. It doesn’t have a score on Rotten Tomatoes yet, but with a cast like that I’m expecting it to be a pretty good flick.
It occurred to me that Witherspoon v Jolie would make for a pretty good face off. In the past, we’ve done Natalie Portman v Mila Kunis, Anne Hathaway v Rachel McAdams, and Sofia Vergara v Julie Bowen. Reese v Angelina is much like Vergara v Bowen because we are looking at women in their 30s who already have kids but still look ridiculously good, plus there is a distinct contrast of styles: blonde v brunette; cute v sexy; hot soccer mom v blood-drinking, foreign-child-adopting home wrecker. (Well, it’s true!)
As I always do in these face off posts, I give you the opportunity to vote and provide your comments after viewing a gallery of hand-selected photos of these two gorgeous women. And I am leaving the voting criteria vague on purpose.
Who is it going to be guys: the 35-year old Angelina Jolie (left) or the 34-year old Reese Witherspoon (right)?
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So…you remember how I need a miracle to win my Week 14 matchup in the P&G-sponsored Blogger Fantasy Football League*? Yeah, well it looks like I’m going to need yet another Monday miracle this week to keep my season alive.
The question is, can my prayers be answered two weeks in a row? Furthermore, if the fantasy football gods want to answer my prayers, is it even conceivable?
Let’s take a quick look, as well as analyze the free agent list for this week’s waiver wire sleeper picks.
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Update: Rotoworld.com is reporting that Bills WR Lee Evans hurt his ankle in the team's game today. He was held without a catch and is considered out indefinitely.
Fantasy Impact: Bills Coach Chan Gailey said, "I know he's going to miss one or two (games)." Evans may miss the rest of the season with the injury. The Bills should not rush Evans back and further risk his injury because the Bills have nothing to play for.
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Update: Adam Schefter is reporting that Chargers WR Vincent Jackson is active and will start today against the Chiefs. Jackson practiced fully Friday and was listed as questionable with a calf injury.
Fantasy Impact: Jackson is an interesting play this week. Against the Chiefs, Jackson could do a good bit of damage and rack up some serious fantasy points with Gates and the other WRs out. However, he could be slowed by his calf injury at some point. Also, remember this will be Jackson's first full game of the season. His first game was only a couple of weeks ago and he hurt his calf in the first quarter.
