Category: Football Addiction Page 1 of 6

Every year in fantasy football there is a sleeper who makes the person who drafted them look like a genius. Here are my sleepers for the fantasy football season.

Quarterbacks

1) Trent Edwards
Edwards looked good at the beginning of last season and now he has more weapons. I think Edwards is geared for a breakout year, unless T.O. drives him crazy.

2) Carson Palmer
We all know Palmer has the skills, but he needs to stay healthy, he a little bit of a gamble, but he may be worth it.

Running Backs

1) Knowshon Moreno
Moreno may very well be the feature back in Denver’s backfield, which is something most running backs drool over. However, Denver’s new coach may change things up with more passes, but I don’t think Kyle Orton will be up to the challenge.

2) Ahmad Bradshaw
The Giants backup running back will most likely platoon with Jacobs, but he will most likely be in during 3rd down passing situations. Also Jacobs is very injury prone so Bradshaw may end up as the Giants number one back.

Receivers

1) Laveranues Coles
Coles has arrived in Cincinnati and should do well with Carson Palmer. Look for Coles to put up around 70 catches which is great for any lower tear receiver.

2) Michael Jenkins
This Atlanta wide receiver has big play ability and look for him to follow through this year. Atlanta looks good so Jenkins may just surprise everyone.

Those are my sleepers for the fantasy football season, be sure to read my other articles for your fantasy football picks.

On Sunday 21st December 2008, before a Serie A match against Udinese, a smiling 33- year-old David Beckham strode purposefully onto the sacred San Siro turf of AC Milan, clutching tight on a Rossoneri scarf.

Looking the epitome of Milanese chic in a pin-striped Dolce and Gabbana suit, the world's highest paid footballer was on a personal crusade to persuade a wary 50,000 Milanese crowd that his three month loan signing from LA Galaxy to the seven times European champions was no cheap publicity stunt.

How this was no tacky attempt by the Milan money men to sell huge numbers of number 32 shirts with his name emblazoned upon them. The fact Milan's marketing director Laura Masi was chosen ahead of Coach Carlo Ancelotti, or all time great defender Paolo Maldini to greet Beckham's entourage at Malpensa Airport spoke volumes as to both sides' true intentions.

Already David Beckham has an astonishing five-year contract with Galaxy from which with endorsements and profit sharing could end up around $250 million over the period.

That he has yet to set the MLS alight appears lost on those who seem prepared to accept mediocrity on the pitch in return for what Beckham offers off it.

Not surprisingly the former England Captain doesn't come cheap to AC Milan with wages said to be in the region of 100,000 euros a month, plus a hefty cut from all Beckham based commercial revenue.

Whatever his dubious worth is to Milan on a football field, it will be dwarfed by what occurs in the Far East. For there he remains a living God. Adored and feted but most of all a licence to print money.

What also cannot be underestimated in Beckham's Atlantic crossing is his increasingly desperate and at times cringe worthy attempts to beat Bobby Moore's 108 record caps.

Now only one behind, being seen in a Milan shirt, if only on a poster offers more opportunities of fly-by night cameo, substitute appearances.

As the microphone was thrust towards him in the centre-circle Beckham spoke well prepared words that he appeared certain would charm his latest audience. For how many times before had he won over initial doubters, impressing them with his polite manner and beaming smile?

In the end everyone always comes round to loving 'Becks'? 'Ciao, Milano. Forza Milan'.

What followed visibly stunned a sheepish David Beckham as only muted, strained even applause drifted across the San Siro terraces. With such an apathetic response and an all consuming air of cynicism clear from the Milan tifosi, Beckham, forever wise to the Golden image continued as if the entire stadium had exploded in rapturous acclaim.

As Beckham left the field an image of his wife Victoria flashed up on the Stadium electronic screen to be greeted with jeers.

Whether the Rossoneri were just overly eager for their match to begin so they could enjoy the rare talent of Kaka, Ronaldinho and Pato. Or showing distaste at their grand football club lowering its mighty standards by going into business with brand Beckham?

It was clear this famed city of fashion was hardly rolling out the red carpet for David Beckham's travelling circus.

Come the match and Milanese passions were finally inflamed when their prodigious young Brazilian striker Alexandre Pate scored an early goal. What followed enraptured the tifosi as Ronaldinho and Kaka turned in a command performance to exhilarate San Siro and inspire a 5-1 victory over Udinese.

This was football, not the monstrous pre-match presentation of a washed up mannequin brought in to flog shirts. For the one time footballer who now refers to 'soccer' as his game, it is a shame to see him reduced to a mere cash cow.

Looking back David Beckham's defining moment came in an England shirt when his last gasp wonder free-kick against Greece at Old Trafford saved a nation's skin to earn him everlasting thanks and virtual sainthood.

Nothing since has surpassed as his career from that point slowly evolved into a mere sideshow for events happening elsewhere. True supporters have never been slow to spot fake goods. That night in Milan David Beckham's card was well and truly marked by the Italian crowd.

A 'football man' had gone forever and in his place came a commodity.

John Ludden
Cfieldsoffire@aol.com

Every year the buzz for sports gamers usually comes to a full fledged high point during the release of football games NCAA Football and Madden. The first of these titles NCAA Football 11 was recently released July 13th and this year it certainly does not disappoint. EA Sports latest installment of their hit series is worth a rent or even the $59.99 required to make a copy of your own.

Often times consumers hold off on buying the newest titles of games because of a lack of new features, however this year EA has made a number of improvements on the title. The Dynasty mode seems to be revamped with a more in-depth recruiting system. After buying the game, I spent over 10 hours in Dynasty mode just recruiting new standouts to come play for my university. Before I knew it, I had spent almost an entire day of playing without getting into real gameplay. In recruiting for your dynasty you can even make pitches against competing schools for players. Your university is able to make pitches based on your long standing strong suits. For example, if you have decided to become the head coach of Arizona State, you can pitch your campus lifestyle while trying to recruit players and use that against schools such as BYU and smaller schools who do not provide a "party" atmosphere for prospective athletes.

After a period of time it was time to get into actual games. The graphics are greatly improved in NCAA Football 11. They feature pre-game rituals that are what you would see on actual Saturday's on a campus near you. The fans in the stands look authentic and have a large variety of how they cheer on the home teams. As you control your team you will also notice that some stadiums such as LSU or the Swamp at the University of Florida provide a tougher test with loud crowds, much like real college athletes must endure. Your players will become rattled and have a tougher time making key plays at big moments.The presentation and broadcast feature Brad Nessler, Kirk Herbstreet and Erin Andrews as the sideline reporter. With assistance from ESPN presentation, the games have fluid replays and offer a variety of camera angles to enjoy big plays you have made and want to witness again. Overall, the game play is greatly improved and the best of any NCAA Football title.

The final key feature of this years title is the Road to Glory mode featuring Erin Andrews. This game mode allows you to take control of a single recruit and guide him throughout his college career, first starting in high school and trying to earn the best scholarship options possible. You can select the position you want your student-athlete to play and try to help him make plays on the field while leading his team to victory and also attempting to stay on top of a practice schedule and maintaining a minimum GPA. Overall, this game mode seems improved and worth the time and effort to play it.

NCAA Football 11 is a fantastic title that has lived up to the hype. Hours upon hours can be spent enjoying the latest in the longstanding EA Sports football game series. I would give this game a solid 9/10 for its fantastic graphics/gameplay, in depth dynasty mode and the entertaining Road to Glory mode. This game is a must have if you are an avid sports video game player!

Sources: EASports,com
Google.com

Living in Alabama, I can tell you a thing or two about rivalries. The rivalry between the and Auburn University is one of the biggest rivalries in college sports. In Alabama, there are two types of people, those who say “Crimson Tide” and those who say “War Eagle.” You might find the odd Georgia or Tennessee fan, but everyone looks at them with disdain and silently mocks them as they leave the room.

In the state of Alabama, coaches come and they go. Players are bred, growing up with only one goal in mind, playing for Alabama or Auburn. Here, men sweat, bleed, and even cry in two colors: crimson and white or orange and blue. Here, whole seasons are defined by one game and one game only. Here, a coach may redeem himself after a losing season with only one win. Likewise, a coach can completely discredit his team with only one loss. The Iron Bowl.

The first Iron Bowl was played on February 22, 1893, and a rivalry was born. Almost as soon as the players left the field, the two teams were in disagreement. They couldn’t decide which season the game should reflect. Alabama considered the game to be the final match-up of the 1892 season; Auburn believed it to be the first game of the 1893 season.

Further disagreements took place when they couldn’t agree on a set amount of player expenses to pay. They also argued about where to obtain their referees. These arguments resulted in a suspension of the series after 1907. It wasn’t until 1948 that the disagreements were put aside and the series was reinstated.

This game has caused fights, divorces, and even attempted murders. It’s not for the weak of heart, and outsiders are definitely unwelcome. So if you’re ever in Alabama the last weekend of November, ask yourself where your loyalties lay, but to be on the safe side, don’t answer out loud.

Titans Football for Dummies(i.e.: food network zombies, U.T. purists, trophy wives of football zealots and cheerleaders)

Part 1

I have not always been the chest beating, hyperventilating, touchdown signaling Titans enthusiast I am today. Unfortunately, before I got to know the Titans I led a pretty dull life where the highlight of the weekend was my cross-stitching. That was until "The Titans" came to town. I was working a mundane 9 to 5 at a middle Tennessee establishment when some new customers occasionally came in. After a while it became a regular occurrence for a Titans coach, Titans wide receiver, Titans linebacker, wives of the any of the Titans staff and others associated with the Titans to walk through the door and strike up a normal conversation with me as we tended to their business. I was intrigued but often had to ask them their names, which they gave, as they most likely checked their pride, and kindly swallowed their ego for my benefit.

I quickly realized that I genuinely liked these people. Therefore, I made the conscious effort to learn about the Titans. So I struggled through the weekly predictions by the analysts, pre-game analysis, post-game analysis, and of course sports radio talk shows and ESPN. It was a great process. Shortly thereafter I found myself yelling at the T.V. or radio as some "know-it-all" didn't give the Titans their due respect. I cried out, "Get over it" to those U.T holdout callers who still have a quiver in their voice when they talk about Peyton.

I figured I must be a genuine Titans fan when my husband and I were invited to a Super Bowl party in 2019. It was the famous hair-tearing-out, coronary inducing Titans VS rams game. The friend throwing the party was trying to be sensitive but firm when he suggested to me when inviting us, "Now, we are having a Super Bowl party to watch the game, not socialize." I indignantly shot back, "Who do you think I am, some football dummy? I'm not coming to your party to have fun! This stuff is serious!!!"

My adrenaline begins to pump in July anticipating a new Titans season, hope reviving, and another reason to thank God for creating autumn. My thoughts at red lights and when I'm cooking dinner creep back in – Will Chris Johnson get the job done and not get hurt? How is Vince doing these days? Who is going to get cut and I sure am going to miss Vanden Bosch.

My schedule now rotates not only around the Titans mini-camps and games but the NFL draft as well. All of my phone app's line up after the Titan's home page icon. My desktop and screensavers reflect my current Titan's hero. But my cross-stitch must wait until the first pitch in April. SIGH!

Please check out the rest of the articles in this series at ……………….. loismosleyarticles@gmail.com.

Part 2-Who is Bud Adams- the finger or the force?

Part 3-Coach Fisher- the running game is his name.

Part 4-Titans Offence-Is it offensive or just plain good?

Part 5-Titans Defense- Where, OH WHERE, has my little pit bull gone?

Yeah, sure, your baby is too young to even know what football is but that doesn't mean he won't be a great player some day! A guy – and sometimes a woman – has high hopes for that little boy, when it comes to football. One day, you can go outside and practice throwing and catching the ball with the little guy but, for now, dreams will have to suffice. Of course, there's nothing that says you can't get the baby ready for football season way ahead of time. He can go ahead and start watching the games with you and he can feel or hold a real football. Oh, and about the outfit; there's no reason why he can't go ahead and get dressed out for the game!

You can make an adorable football onesie for your little boy and it doesn't take a lot of skill to create it. Instead of making the sleeper, just buy it, and then you can dress it up to have a football theme. In fact, make the sleeper look like a football; it's the cutest little thing! Buy a sleeper in the color of brown – as close to the color of a football as possible – and it will take just a few minutes to turn it into a football sleeper.

White felt is perfect for making the stitches that you would see on a real football. The felt doesn't have to be hemmed so it won't take long to turn the onesie into a football. Since you could be making the sleeper for a newborn baby, or an older baby, you can decide on how long and wide the football stitching should be. For now, cut one long piece of felt, to go from below the neckline, to above the snaps of the onesie. Make sure that the felt stitches won't go all the way down and between the legs. Keep the felt stitching on the stomach and chest area. The long piece that you cut should be only an inch or so in width.

Besides the one long strip you'll need five or six small stitches. These, too, should be cut from white felt. Position the long white felt piece down the middle of the sleeper and sew around all four sides of it to attach it. Position five or so small stitches, across the long one, and sew each of them in place, spacing them evenly apart.

The football sleeper is just darling on a little boy. If you ordered it, you would pay nearly three times what a regular onesie would cost but, when you make it yourself, you spend less than a buck on felt. Don't have any felt? Use fabric paint and paint on the stitches.

The 2019 NFL fantasy football season just finished so what better time to start looking toward the 2020 season then now. Many leagues each year are won and lost over the tight end position. It may be the one position where the great players separate themselves further from the average player, well statistically anyway. Here is a look at the best prospects at the tight end position for your fantasy football league.

It seems obvious, but I have to start out in New England with Rob Gronkowski. The guy simply put is a beast; he had 11 touchdowns in 11 games. It is hard to find the production Gronkowski gives at the tight end position. Even though he finished the 2019 season injured, he will most likely return to his dominate form in 2020. Gronkowski is as valued as any tight end and is a necessity on most fantasy teams; you will need to draft him early, first round maybe.

Next, I am going to head to Dallas to look at the Cowboys fantastic tight end Jason Witten. Witten lead all tight ends in receptions with 110, that's right 110. Now in a points per reception league all those catches really help, but he did struggle to find the end zone. I simply look at that as a fluke, it seems unlikely that Witten will struggle that much again to find the end zone, but I do believe he will keep putting up those fantastic receiving stats.

Finally, I am going to head to New Orleans to look at Jimmy Graham. Graham tallied 85 catches and 9 touchdowns in the 2019 season. He has been a consistent dominate tight end over the past few seasons and we all know New Orleans likes to throw the ball so Graham will most likely have another great season in 2020.

The tight end position is one of the most crucial positions in any fantasy football league. The simple fact that most leagues only start one tight end each week makes it just as valuable as the quarterback, but it seems there are less tight ends that consistently put up big numbers. For your 2020 NFL fantasy football league, consider drafting one of these tight ends early.