No Respect!

Why is it that Kyle Orton gets absolutely no credit for being a good NFL QB? In fact, not only doesn't he get credit for being a good QB, he's frowned upon and looked at as a stop gap until a good one comes along.

The Denver Broncos were the laughing stock of the NFL this off season when they let Jay Cutler go to the Bears and received Orton back as part of the compensation. They were the laughing stock again as they new coach Josh McDaniels lobbied publicly for and failed to get New England QB Matt Cassel who ultimately was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs.

When Orton was a Chicago Bear they couldn't wait to get rid of him. In 2005 as a rookie Rex Grossman (the predetermined starter going into the year) was hurt in preseason and Orton played the first 15 games. Orton was 10-5 as a starter and when Grossman was healthy they placed him as the starter in game 16, throughout the playoffs and for the Superbowl.

The coaching staff asked Orton to minimize mistakes and to let the rushing attack and the defense win ballgames rather than employing an aggressive passing attack. Measuring Orton by victories, his rookie season was a successful one even by historical standards. Orton's 15 starts and 10 victories are both rookie records for Bears quarterbacks, and the 10 victories are the third most in the NFL since the NFL-AFL merger in 1970, behind only Ben Roethlisberger's 14 victories in 2004, and 11 victories by Joe Flacco last year.

Following the 2005 season, the Bears signed veteran Brian Griese as the team's second string quarterback. Orton, now demoted, became the Bears' third-string quarterback, and did not see any playtime throughout the entire 2006 season.

In 2007 the Bears played merry-go-round with their QB's. Grossman. Greise, Orton.... In 2008 more of the same, Grossman, Orton.

So now he's in Denver. Orton has led the Broncos who were the laughing stock of the league no more than seven weeks ago to a 6-0 start. Kyle Orton, is not pretty. True, he doesn't groom himself and could use a shave, but that's not what I mean. He doesn't put up flashy stats and isn't charismatic. He simply manages the game, and manages the game well.

He manages the game so well in fact he has the 3rd highest winning percentage behind all active QB's with more than 2 full years of game starts.

My apologies if your favorite QB isn't on the list but let's take a look at the QB's that are generally regarded as the best QB's in the NFL and where they rank.

No one wants the guy. Josh McDaniels didn't want him, Lovie Smith didn't want him, the fans in Chicago definitely didn't want him, the pundits in the TV and print media didn't want him.... I don't even know if his mother wanted him? The guy is always the fall-back position. Grossman doesn't work out... ok try Orton. Greise doesn't work out... ok try Orton, Cassel doesn't work out... ok, try Orton.

All I know is the guy wins. I'm a life-long Jets fan and my guy threw five picks last week. FIVE! If Orton was my QB we'd be 5-1 right now and not 3-3. And there are at ten teams at a minimum that would be better off if Orton were their QB too. Count'em. - Mike Cardano

Mike Cardano is the founder of the Around the Horn Baseball Blog and the Extra Point Football Blog.

Have a Fantasy Football or Rotisserie baseball question? Want to know who to pick up, who to activate and who the hot prospects are? Ask Dr. Roto. Let Dr. Roto guide your team to a league championship.

Why does management hate Kellen Clemens?

What did Kellen Clemens do that was so bad that the Jets constantly go out of their way to make certain that he does not play?

It begs the question, if what he did was that bad, why is he still on the team? Are they punishing him by banishing him to the bench?

Did Clemens rape a member of the Johnson family or something? By the lengths they are taking to keep him OFF the field you might think so. (Ok, maybe not rape, but possibly a gentle molestation.)

Clemens' base salary this year is $535,000 ($937,500) if you include his prorated 1.6 million dollar signing bonus he got with his July 28, 2006 contract. His 1.6 million was spread over 4 years in addition to his salary of $275,000 (2006), $360,000 (2007), $445,000 (2008) and $535,000 (2009).

Clemens was the Jets 2nd round pick in 2006, the 49th player picked in the draft. He had a pretty decent career at Oregon. If he was at a college that gets more PR he would have been a pretty high profile guy.

When Chad Pennington got hurt in 2007 Clemens started 8 games. The Jets went 3-5 under Clemens and he was serviceable. Nothing that would catapult him into being THE GUY but no worse that many QB's have in their 1st 8 games. In fact, batter than many who became great QB's.

He lost out to Pennington in 2006, he lost out to Pennington again in 2007, he lost out to Brett Favre in 2008 (not much of a fair fight there, but he was about to lose out to Pennington again anyway), and he lost out to 1st Round pick rookie Mark Sanchez in 2009.

Yesterday, the NY Jets rookie QB Mark Sanchez in his 6th professional career game (he only played 16 college games) faded back to pass 29 times and connected on 15 of them. 10 times the ball went the Jets, 5 times it went to the Bills, and the other 19 times the ball hit the ground with no one catching hit (which I guess should be considered a positive compared to the 5 interceptions.)

I don't care who you are. You could be Joseph Willie Namath. You could be Peyton Manning, a rookie, a veteran it doesn't matter. At some point, after 3 interceptions, 4 interceptions, 5 interceptions, ....... there has to be a unanimous consensus between the 80,000 people in the stands, the millions watching on TV, the offensive coordinator, the head coach, the team owner, the QB's mother an anyone who is even heard second hand what is going on that it's not your day and you have to come out of the game and the back-up has to go it.

After Sanchez threw 4 interceptions did they think that Clemens would throw 2 more and Sanchez would only throw 1 more so the lesser of two evils was to leave Sanchez in? If you didn't put the back-up guy in on a day like yesterday, exactly when would you do it? The Jets would have received a $535,000 Salary Cap Savings if they just cut him this year. Instead, they have a kid QB that desperately needs to sit, relax, watch and learn for a bit and a back-up who apparently, the coach can't or won't play.

A buddy of mine in our office has Rex Ryan's cell phone number. He left the following message during 4th quarter of the game.

"Rex, you are paying the guy $937,500 this year! He's standing there with a baseball cap on freezing his ass off! Put him in the game and let's see what he can do, the other guy doesn't have it today! It doesn't mean that you are calling him the starter. It doesn't mean that you are creating a QB controversy; you have to try to win the game!"

Whatever Clemens did must have been really bad....... - Keith A. Baker

Keith A. Baker is a sports agent in Stamford, Connecticut. His goal is to offer a unique insight to the world of sports. Comments in his columns are for entertainment purposes only and do not reflect the views and opinions of his firm or his client.

----------

Have a Fantasy Football or Baseball question? Want to know who to pick up, who to activate and who the hot prospects are? Ask Dr. Roto. Let Dr. Roto guide your team to a league championship.

Roto-Rx

If your question was not answered this time, you can go directly to the source @ https://www.roto-rx.com/ where Dr. Roto will answer all your Fantasy Baseball and Football questions.

The Doctor is in...

Question #1: Do you think Michael Crabtree will have a fantasy impact THIS YEAR? – Elvis, Irving, TX

Elvis: Crabtree finally signed with the 49ers. Great for him, but not so special for fantasy leaguers. We are in Week 5 now and it should take him at least 4 weeks or so to get accustomed to what they are doing in SF. That put us at Week 9. Then he has to build some trust with Shaun Hill which takes time. Also, remember that the 49ers are a run first team. He may help later in the seaosn, but Dr. Roto is not counting on him.

Question #2: The Saints defense looked good last week. They are not taken in my league, should I grab them? – Lawrence, San Bernardino, CA

Lawrence: Go get 'em. The best part about the Saints is that their offense is so good that most teams will be playing catch up each week. That means more sacks and INT's. Dr. Roto loves the Darren Sharper pick up. The Former William and Mary grad has been a stud in the secondary for the past 12 years...he's way underrated as a defensive player.

Question #3: Which running back on the Dolphins will have the best fantasy year? – Dennis, Notre Dame University

Dennis: No brainer on this one...Ronnie Brown.

Question #4: Joe Flacco seems to be throwing more this year. Would you play him over rookie Mark
Sanchez? - Joseph, St. Petersburg, FL

Joseph: Flacco has a year under his belt and has the confidence of Cam Cameron and John Harbaugh. Sanchez has played well, but he is still a rookie. Flacco was Dr. Roto's sleeper QB before the year started ...no reason to get off his bandwagon now.

Question #5: What is your opinion of Brett Favre at this point in his career? Is he a viable option for my fantasy team? - Carlos, Arlington, TX

Carlos: Favre is a fantasy nightmare. He will have some great games, and he'll have some bad ones. The Vikings are a run first team with the best RB in the NFL. When Peterson has his great days, Favre could be looking at 15-22 for 150 yards and a TD. Favre makes for a great backup/BYE week play. He is certainly worth having on your roster...just not as a starter.

The Doctor is out...

Follow Dr. Roto on Twitter......
Ask Dr. Roto your fantasy football questions.

NFL WRAP-UP - Week 4 Final

Minnesota Vikings (30) - Green Bay Packers (23)
Brett Favre had 3 TD passes for the 66th time and 12th time on Monday night. That’s pretty much all you need to know. Favre has now beaten all 34 NFL teams. Adrian Peterson wasn’t even needed as the Vikings pass rush completely controlled the game with 8 sacks. Jared Allen’s 4 ½ sacks including a safety made this one easy for Favre. So it’s Favre- 1, Packers-0, but they do this again at Lambeau field and that one should be something to behold. Vikings (4-0), Packers (2-2)

Tennessee Titans (17) - Jacksonville Jaguars (37)
What the heck has happened to the Tennessee Titans? From 13-3 to a shocking 0-4. This team has just fallen apart, and Jeff Fisher has every right to be exasperated. The 1st 3 losses all could have went either way. This time though, the Titans put up a clunker. Jacksonville jumped on the Titans from the start. A Josh Scobee field goal and a nine yard run by Maurice Jones-Drew had the Jaguars up 10-0. An 8 minute drive by Tennessee led to a short Rob Bironas field goal, but the rest was all Jacksonville. A pair of touchdown passes of 9 and 15 yards from David Garrard to Sims-Waler sandwiched around another Scobee field goal had the Jaguars rolling 27-3 at intermission.

A Scobee field goal in the third quarter increased the lead to 30-3. By the time the Titans reached the end zone, it was way too little, way too late. The Jaguars may have revived their season with this one. Titans (0-4), Jaguars (2-2)

Washington Redskins (16) - Tampa Bay Buccaneers (13)
As is often the case, a pair of bad teams can actually make for a good game. If good is defined by close, yes. If defined by quality of play and excitement, then no. Johnson hit Antonio Bryant on a 2 yard touchdown pass in the first quarter, and a field goal in the second quarter had the Pirates of Pewter Pants up 10-0 at halftime.

The third quarter was all Washington. A field goal had them within 10-3, and Jason Campbell tossed a 17 yard touchdown to Chris Cooley to tie the game and a 59 yard touchdown to Santana Moss to put the Redskins up-17-10 after three quarters. Tampa Bay did take 8 minutes and 12 plays to reach the Washington five yard line, but the drive bogged down. A field goal had the Bucs within a field goal with two minutes left. But that was all she wrote. Redskins (2-2), Bucs (0-4)

Chicago Bears (48) - Detroit Lions (24)
The Lions are improved. Matthew Stafford has talent. Yet the Bears are even more improved, and Jay Cutler finally had the breakout game Chicago was expecting of him as the Bears exploded on the scoreboard. It was the Lions that got going early with a one yard run from Smith to put Detroit up 7-0. Cutler responded with a 5 yard run of his own to tie the game 7-7. Yet the Lions came back, and Stafford hit Heller for a 14-7 Lions lead after the opening quarter.

Both teams kept their feet on the offensive accelerator in the second quarter. Cutler threw a pair of short touchdown passes, 2 yards to Davis and one yard to Greg Olsen as the Bears led 21-14. Yet Smith ran it in again, this time from 3 yards out, as the teams went to the locker rooms tied 21-21. Yet while the first half was a pinball machine for both teams, the second half was all Chicago.

Johnny Knox got things going by returning the second half kickoff 102 yards for a touchdown as the Bears led 28-21 and never looked back. Robby Gould connected on field goals of 52 and 22 as the Bears led 34-21 entering the final quarter. Jason Hanson did kick a 35 yard field goal to pull the Lions to within 34-24, but Detroit got no closer. Matt Forte ripped off a 37 yard run for a touchdown, and Wolfe closed out the scoring with a touchdown on the ground from 2 yards out. The final score was a blowout, but the game was closer than the score indicated. Bears (3-1), Lions (1-3) - * Matthew Stafford suffered a knee injury in this game but it doesn’t appear to be anything major as he is listed “day to day”.

Cincinnati Bengals (23) - Cleveland Browns (20) - OT
Normally this is for the right to embarrass all of Ohio, but the Bengals are much improved. The Browns are not. Yet anything can happen in this game. In the first quarter Chad Johnson took a five yard touchdown from Carson Palmer to put Cincy up 7-0. In the second quarter a 75 yard fumble return by Geathers had the Bengals up 14-0, which should have been enough. Yet for all the hype about Brady Quinn, Derek Anderson can play. A one yard touchdown pass to Heiden had Cleveland within 14-7 at the break.

Derek Anderson ran it in from one yard out to tie the game 14-14 in the third quarter. Cleveland twice reached the red zone in the fourth quarter, but had to settle for field goals and a 20-14 lead. However, Cincinnati was doing nothing. Carson Palmer led one final drive to try and win it. With time running out, Palmer found Johnson for the 2 yard touchdown. The Bengals were getting ready to celebrate a fantastic comeback and a typical Cleveland meltdown. Yet in another “are you kidding me?” moment for the Bengals this season, the extra point attempt was blocked. Instead of a 21-20 Bengals win, the last game that anybody would want to have overtime did.

To make matters worse, they played virtually the entire 5th quarter for the right to be the best team in Ohio behind the Ohio State Buckeyes. Sudden death was endless agony. With one minute remaining in overtime, the Bengals faced 4th and 10 at the Cleveland 40. Marvin Lewis decided to go for it rather than try a 58 yard field goal. Palmer escaped the pocket and ran 15 yards for a 1st down. Another screen pass set up a chip shot field goal on the final play. It looked terrible, but was ruled good. Bengals (3-1), Browns (0-4)

Houston Texans (29) - Oakland Raiders (6)
For the seventh straight year, the Raiders are a bad team, and the season appears lost after 4 games. JaMarcus Russell had another miserable day, going 12 for 33. Kris Brown kicked a 26 yard field goal, and Sebastian Janikowski responded with a 46 yarder to make it 3-3 after the first quarter. In the second quarter, reality set in. Brown kicked a 34 yard field goal to put the Texans up 6-3. Slaton then ran 32 yards for a touchdown to make it 13-3. Slaton then took an 18 yard touchdown pass from Matt Schaub as the Texans coasted 20-3. Seabass added another field goal for the Raiders as they trailed 20-6 at intermission. Raiders fans watched the second half under protest through many bitter tears of silver and black wins in days long gone by.

The Texans did not score any points on offense in the second half. Their defense put a safety on the board, as Justin Fargas was tackled in the end zone by Brad Cushing. Jones then returned the free kick 95 yards for the final score of the game as the Raiders managed to play poorly in all three phases of the game. Outside of offense, defense, special teams, blocking, and tackling, the Raiders have hope. Texans (2-2), Raiders (1-3)

Indianapolis Colts (34) - Seattle Seahawks (17)
When a bad team travels on the road to play a good team, miracles usually do not happen. That is why they are called miracles. Brown ran it in from one yard out to put the Colts up 7-0. In the second quarter, Peyton Manning hit Reggie Wayne from 5 yards out to give the Colts a 14-0 lead and end any suspense that should never have existed anyway. An Olidno Mare 38 yard field goal made it 14-3, but Manning then hit Collie, who woofed his way 9 yards into the end zone to make it 21-3 Colts at the half. For some reason, the second half was played.

In the third quarter Joseph Addai ran it in from 12 yards out to make it 28-3. Adam Vinatieri was getting lonely, so the Colts decided in the fourth quarter to stop scoring touchdowns so his leg could have a workout. A pair of field goals made it 34-3. Seattle eventually reached the end zone, but by then the Colts were busy preparing for next week. Colts (4-0), Seahawks (1-3)

New York Giants (27) - Kansas City Chiefs (16)
I’m finding it hard to watch the Giants games as they are largely anti-competitive, at least to date. Once again, a good team with a Manning played a bad team without one. Once again, Goliath beat up David and took his lunch money. Eli Manning hit Steve Smith for a 3 yard touchdown as the Giants led 7-0. A field goal by Succop had the Chiefs within 7-3, but in the second quarter the Giants ended any suspense in another game that was expecting none. Manning hit Smith again, this time for 25 yards, as the Giants led 14-3. A field goal by Tynes in the second quarter and another one in the third quarter had the Giants coasting 20-3 after three quarters.

Manning tossed a 54 yard touchdown to Nicks to make it 27-3. Kansas City did crack the end zone during garbage time, but the score did not reflect the fact that this game was a blowout. Giants (4-0), Chiefs (0-4)

New England Patriots (27) – Baltimore Ravens (21)
If you didn’t notice it was “pink week” in the NFL as breast cancer awareness was in full swing. In this game first quarter a field goal by Stephen Gotkowski had New England on the board first, but Joe Flacco hit Derrick Mason for a 20 yard touchdown to put the Ravens up 7-3. In the second quarter Tom Brady led a 14 play, 76 yard, 8 minute drive that ended with Brady sneaking in from one yard out to put the Patriots back up 10-7. Sammy Morris added a 12 yard touchdown run to put the Patriots up 17-7 at intermission.

In the third quarter the Ravens recovered a fumble in the end zone. The gift touchdown had them within 17-14. Yet Brady hit Randy Moss from 14 yard out to give the Patriots a 24-14 lead. The Ravens hung tough, and early in the fourth quarter Flacco hit Willis McGahee from 13 yards out to pull the Ravens to within 24-21. A New England field goal gave the Patriots a 6 point cushion, but late in the game Flacco moved the Ravens deep on one final drive.

Two years ago the Patriots went 16-0, but the closest they came to a loss was when they played the Ravens. A critical fourth down was stopped twice by the Baltimore defense, but New England was given a third chance, which they used to win. This time it was the Ravens facing 4th and 3 from the New England 15. Flacco threw a perfect pass, and with less than 30 seconds left, Mark Clayton simply dropped it. It was right in his hands. Once again, Bill Bellichick and Patriots find a way to prevail. The Ravens and Pats are both (3-1)

Miami Dolphins (38) - Buffalo Bills (10)
Despite being winless, the Dolphins are not as awful as their record. The Bills are coached by Dick Jauron, which means the Dolphins had every reason to expect to win at home. After a scoreless first quarter, a 33 yard field goal and a 23 yard interception return for a touchdown of Trent Edwards had Miami up 10-0. Ryan Lindell did get the Bills on the board with a 35 yard field goal, but a one yard touchdown run by Ronnie Brown had the Dolphins up 17-3. Chad Pennington did not play in this game, but it did not matter as Henne did the job just fine.

In the third quarter Henne threw a 5 yard touchdown pass to Hartline. When Ricky Williams ran it in from one yard out, the Dolphins led 31-3. The Dolphins were never as bad as their 0-3 record, although Bill Parcells has often said that your record reflects what you are. Dolphins (1-3), Bills (1-3)

New Orleans Saints (24) - New York Jets (10)
The Jets are a very good team, and expectations are rightly raised. However, the Saints are an even better team, and their sky high expectations were enhanced with home field. Mark Sanchez is on his way to a successful career, but Drew Brees is ridiculous. Rex Ryan is a defensive genius, but the problem for the Jets was not Drew Brees in this game. It was the Saints defense that clamped down on the Jets offense.

A 13 play, 7 minute drive led to a 34 yard field goal as the Saints led 3-0 after the first quarter. In the second quarter, Sanchez was intercepted by Darren Sharper, who returned it 99 yards the other way for a shocker that had the Saints up 10-0. Ayodele recovered a fumble in the end zone as the Saints increased their lead to 17-0. Sanchez stayed calm, and a 14 play, 7 minute drive led to a 38 yard Jay Feely field goal to pull the Jets to within 17-3. A 15 yard run by Thomas Jones in the third quarter had the Jets within 17-10, but the Saints closed the door in the fourth quarter with a one yard Pierre Thomas run. Both of these teams are good and Sanchez will learn from his rookie mistakes. If the Jets are going to do any real damage this year though they offensive play calling has to help Sanchez out. When you run a wide receiver 3 yard slant 11 times in the game, I think the defense can figure out what you are going to do after the 6th or 7th time…. Saints (4-0), Jets (3-1)

San Francisco 49ers (35) - St. Louis Rams (0)
As awful as the Rams are, neither team did anything to deserve being on the field in the first half. In the second quarter, McKillop recovered a fumble in the end zone for the only score of the half as the 49ers led 7-0 in a game that was too ugly to describe. For excitement, San Francisco missed a field goal. The second half was played only because NFL television rules require it.

The second half was all 49ers. Shawn Hill hit Vernon Davis for a 13 yard touchdown and Willis returned a Kyle Boller pass 23 yards for another touchdown. Marc Bulger was probably almost glad not to be playing in this debacle. Hill hit Morgan for an 11 yard touchdown in the fourth quarter, and Mike Singletary had to be pleased when an 11 yard fumble return became the second defensive touchdown on the day. No, these are not the 1985 Bears, and yes, the Rams are horrendous, but Singletary has the 49ers moving in the right direction from an attitude standpoint. They are one Brett Favre miracle away from being 4-0. 49ers (3-1), Rams (0-4)

Dallas Cowboys (10) - Denver Broncos (17)
The Broncos came in at 3-0, but beating up a pair of Ohio teams and Oakland would not be as tough a test as a loaded Cowboys team. In the opening quarter Nick Folk nailed a 49 yard field goal, and Marion Barber added a one yard touchdown run to put the Cowboys up 10-0 early on. Denver did nothing, but were given a gift, allowing them to start a drive at the Dallas 9 yard line. One play was enough for Kyle Orton to hit Moreno for the touchdown. Dallas had the ball for 18 of the first 25 minutes, and were dominating statistically, yet only led 10-7.

The second half was a defensive game, but late in the fourth quarter a 28 yard field goal by Prater tied the game 10-10. Denver got the ball back, and the crowd erupted when Kyle Orton found Brandon Marshall for a 51 yard touchdown pass with a little over one minute remaining. Tony Romo brought the Cowboys down the field, and with 9 seconds left, Dallas had 3rd down from inside the 10. After an incomplete pass, Dallas had one last shot with 5 seconds left. Another incomplete, pass, and Denver had completed the stunning upset. The Broncos were supposed to be a mess. No Mike Shanahan and no Jay Cutler? No problem. As for Dallas, there is trouble in Big D, and Jerry Jones is watching his 1.2 billion dollar investment fall short. Broncos (4-0), Cowboys (2-2)

Pittsburgh Steelers (38) - San Diego Chargers (28)
Both of these came in with something to prove. While it is difficult to call the defending champs under Mike Tomlin overrated, they need to right the ship. San Diego definitely is overrated, and will remain so under Norv Turner. The first half was a black and gold massacre. The Steelers had Terrible Towels, while the Chargers were just terrible. The first quarter featured a one yard touchdown run by Robert Mendenhall and an 11 yard touchdown pass from Ben Roethlisberger to Mewelde Moore. Mendenhall ran it in from 19 yards out to put the Steelers up 21-0 at halftime.

In the third quarter Big Ben Hit Heath Miller for a 5 yard touchdown to give the Steelers a 28-0 advantage. At that point the Steelers got bored, and Mike Tomlin will have plenty to say about heir second half play. Philip Rivers hit Antonio Gates for a 3 yard touchdown pass, but the Steelers still led 28-7 after three quarters. Yet when Hester returned a fumble 41 yards for a score, the Chargers were within 28-14. When Roethlisberger found Miller again for a 6 yard score, the Steelers were back up 35-14, but Rivers kept firing as the Chargers tried to make a furious comeback.

Rivers threw touchdown passes of 30 yards t Gates and 13 yards to Chris Chambers, and a 28-0 deficit was now a ballgame as the Chargers were within 35-28. Yet champions play well when it matters most, even on off nights. A time consuming drive bled the clock, and a 46 yard field goal by Josh Reed iced the game. Rivers had thrown for 254 yards and 3 touchdowns on 21 for 36 passing, but Roethlisberger was a ridiculous 26 for 33 for 333 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Steelers (2-2), Chargers (2-2)

Mike Cardano is the founder of the Around The Horn (Baseball Blogs) and Extra Point (Football Blogs). Mike is also the founder of the fantasy sports games Ultimate Franchise Baseball™ and Ultimate Franchise Football™.

----------

Have a Fantasy Football or Rotisserie baseball question? Want to know who to pick up, who to activate and who the hot prospects are? Ask Dr. Roto. Let Dr. Roto guide your team to a league championship.

NFL Week #4 Picks

Last week Bret Favre’s TD pass with just seconds to go costs us $125 and a nice week. Boy is that frustrating. That’s why you shouldn’t bet. HA! Never the less, we were still + $20 for the week.

Week #1 = + $77.50
Week #2 = + $72.50
Week #3 = + $20.00

Total = + $170.00 after 3 weeks.

Remember, we are using a $1,000 betting pot to start out with so we are up 17% after 3 weeks (winnings go to charity). We are still headed in the right direction and slow and steady wins the race……

This week we are picking up the pace a bit and picking 4 NCAA games and 4 NFL games. As the season goes on you tend to get a feel for the teams and you can pick with more confidence. Of course even when you are right, you are always a Brett Favre pass away from being wrong…… Here we go.



Roll Tide Roll
$30 - Alabama -16.0 (-110)

Ole’ Miss bounces back after a rough performance last week while ranked #4
$30 - Mississippi - 10 (-110)

VT is a special teams machine.
$30 - Virginia Tech - 7 (-110)

Iowa parlay’s last week’s Pen St. win
$30 - Iowa - 21.5 (-110)

KC is no match for the G-Men
$30 - NY Giants - 8.5 (-110)

Tampa will get more than 100 total yards this week 
$30 - Tampa Bay Bucs+7.0 (-110)

I was going to take the Jets +7 but the +220 temptation was too much to turn down
$30 - NY Jets MONEY LINE (220)

Buffalo stomps on the Fins without Chad managing the game
$30 - Buffalo Bills - 1.5 (-110)

8 games and only one underdog. Hmmm. I like it.

Robert Fairchild is a professional sports gaming professional. He legally wages on professional and collegiate sporting events for a living. Robert is NOT suggesting that you quit your day job and try to wager on sports for a living. He is contributing his thoughts and experience to assist you in a recreational activity that you as an informed adult may choose to take part in.

----------

Have a Fantasy Football or Baseball question? Want to know who to pick up, who to activate and who the hot prospects are? Ask Dr. Roto. Let Dr. Roto guide your team to a league championship.

NFL WRAP-UP – Week 3 Final

Did anyone else besides me notice the crest on the 50 yard line of Qualcomm stadium this Sunday? 1960 - 2009??? The Chargers are actually celebrating the 49th year of the AFL? Who celebrates anniversaries this way? Would you celebrate your 50th birthday on your 49th because it is the start of your 50th year of life? Shesh!

On to the week that was.

Lions (19) – Redskins (14)
The Lions tear the Redskins Teepee apart finally winning a game. The people of Motown have been through a lot the past two years and this was long overdue. Good for the Lions and good for the people of Motown but bad for Jim Zorn, very bad. To say he’s on the hot seat is an understatement. Things were so bad for Zorn this week that he even got into an argument with Redskins legend Sonny Jurgensen on the air.

Patriots (26) - Falcons (10)
The Patriots defense clamps down in the 2nd half shutting them out.

Jets (24) – Titans (17)
Rookie Ryan Mouton’s two turnovers do in the Titans. The Titans (who we think will still make the playoffs) are officially the best 0-3 team in football. The Jets are now 3-0. Btw – the Jets need to nix the old NY Titans uniforms, they are awful. There has to be a better way to increase your merchandise sales.

Vikings (27) - 49ers (24)
Frank Gore left this game after his 1st touch of the ball with an ankle injury yet the 49ers (who are better that people expected them to be) were second from going 3-0 and had one taken from them in typical Brett Favre fashion with his long touchdown pass with just seconds to go. You will see this highlight for quite a while. The word is that Gore will miss at least two more games.

Ravens (34) – Browns (3) / Eagles (34) – Chiefs (14)
The Ravens and Eagles took care of inferior opponents. The Browns have scored just 1 touchdown in their past 9 games and the Chiefs are rebuilding. The Chiefs aren’t as bad as the Browns but it’s going to be long years for both. Did I say that the Browns have scored just 1 touchdown in their past 9 games? Mangini is a joke……… more on this to follow.

Bengals (23) - Steelers (20)
The Bengals show some resolve and come from behind to knock off the Steelers. The Steelers miss Troy Polamalu and have absolutely no running game (can’t remember ever saying that about a Steelers team.)

Saints (27) – Bills (7)
The Saints offensive machine continues as they come alive late. Great game next week, Jets vs. Saints.

Bears (25) – Seahawks (19)

The Bears hold off the Seahawks. Not sure how to look at this one as this was closer than many had thought with the Seahawks playing without 9 starters. The Seahawks uniforms were worse than the Jets. Awful really, what are they thinking? The NFL has so many rules about uniforms giving fines for sox being uneven, shirts not tucked in, players wearing unauthorized bandannas under their helmets, but they let the Seahawks wear fluorescent green over puke green?

Giants (24) – Bucs (0)
Not much to say here. Even Gaints fans were changing the channel.

Broncos (23) – Raiders (3)
Broncos too care of business. JaMarcus Russell may be a man boy, but he’s not an NFL QB. 61 yards passing? Ca’mon. How do they explain cutting Jeff Garcia? The defense plays their hearts out every week. If I were on the Raiders defense I would be pissed.

Jaguars (31) – Texans (24)
Can the Texans defense stop anyone? Put the Raiders defense with the Texans offense and you have a complete NFL team.

Chargers (23) – Dolphins (13)

The Chargers drowned the fish. Looks like Chad Pennington is done for the year, and maybe his career. What a shame. Throughout his career Chad, certainly showed that he has guts and, he’s one of the brightest and classiest guys in the NFL. Chad has the highest completeion percentage in NFL history.  He’s gonna make a great coach some day. Unfortunately, maybe sooner than later now; it’s hard not to root for this guy.

Colts (31) – Cardinals (10)
The Colts just don’t lose in September. Did you know that the Colts have the NFL best regular season record of 116-46 in the last decade? Think of how much money you would have made the past 10 years picking Peyton Manning and the Money Line in the regular season. When you think about it, it’s actually amazing that Peyton doesn’t get more press than he does!

Cowboys (21) – Panthers (7)
Wow, what an awful start for John Fox and the Panthers. It was a tight game with the Panthers actually staring a drive that could have given them a lead until Jake Delhomme threw 27 yard TD pick to Terrance Newman with 5:07 left in the 4th ¼. It’s an every other year thing for the Panthers. Unfortunately this one appears to be the other.

Mike Cardano is the founder of the Around The Horn (Baseball Blogs) and Extra Point (Football Blogs). Mike is also the founder of the fantasy sports games Ultimate Franchise Baseball™ and Ultimate Franchise Football™.

----------

Have a Fantasy Football or Rotisserie baseball question? Want to know who to pick up, who to activate and who the hot prospects are? Ask Dr. Roto. Let Dr. Roto guide your team to a league championship.

My Son is closing in on Brett Favre's streak

So Brett Favre now has the all-time record for consecutive NFL starts (271) as last Sunday, he past the Vikings Jim Marshall. Those of you old enough to remember those Vikings teams that went to four Suuperbowls remember Jim Marshall as a member of one of the most famous NFL Defenses of all time. The Vikings had a famous defensive unit in the late 60’s and early 70’s called "The Purple People Eaters" (they used to name defenses…… this was just before the Steelers famous “The Black Curtain” defense) which consisted of Marshall (DE), Alan Page (DT), Gary Larsen (DT), Carl Eller (DE), Wally Hilgenberg (OLB), Jeff Siemon (MLB), and Roy Winston (OLB).

As for Marshall, during his time with the Minnesota Vikings, Marshall was involved in one of what is considered by many to be one of the most embarrassing moments in professional sports history on October 25, 1964. In a game against the San Francisco 49ers, Marshall recovered a fumble, but ran 66 yards with it the wrong way, into his own end zone. Thinking that he had scored a touchdown for the Vikings, Marshall then threw the ball away in celebration. The ball landed out of bounds, resulting in a safety for the 49ers.

Back to Favre’s new record, let's get this straight…… The guy has now gone to works 271 days in a row. Did you realize that’s a smidge more than 1 years work for most of us? Could you imagine going to work for a year and not calling in sick and then being told that you held an industry record that will probably be written on your tombstone?

Look, I’m not saying that staying healthy enough to play in that many NFL games is not an achievement, it certainly is. No one else has done it. I’m certain that he’s played through scrapes, bumps, bruises, strains, even a broken bone or two. (Let's not forget that if not for a timely BYE week in the Green Bay Packers schedule, Favre's streak would have ended at 164) in but to crown this feat as some sort of an ironman thing like Cal Ripken’s record is just silly.

Ripken started and played in 2,632 games in a row, Favre 271. Ripken played in 502 straight games AFTER breaking Lou Gehrig’s record? There are plenty of people in this country that go years without missing work. When I was a kid my dad went over 9 years, almost 2,300 days without missing a day at one point and there were guys no doubt that went longer than him.

Last year one of my children received a certificate from his grammar school because he has perfect attendance in 1st grade. He went to 1st grade 180 days in a row and on time. If Favre plays all 16 NFL regular season games this year his streak will be at 285. Sometime this coming February my son will break Bret Favre’s record of consecutive days as he will have a streak going back to 2nd grade. I guess I’ll post it here so he gets some PR but I doubt you’ll see him on the nightly news.

If you are one of those who have gone to work for more than year or so without missing (271 days), give yourself a hand. Treat yourself to something special; maybe even buy yourself a trophy. You have beaten Bret Favre’s consecutive streak. And if you were able to do it without being addicted to pain killers like Farve (my son is clean) you get the record without an asterisk!

P.S. – One good things about John Madden retiring this year is that I don’t have to listen to him wax poetically about Brett Favre anymore…. or at least so I thought. At halftime on Sunday Night Football during the Giants vs. Cowboys game, Bob Costas interviewed Madden and of course the topic of Brett Favre came up. Costas wanted to know what he thought about the never ending Brett Favre saga and this particular episode. Costas didn’t think he was going to get Madden to say something negative about Favre did he? I thought Madden was both a great coach and announcer but his love for Favre and his inability to be objective about Favre’s shortcomings has always been a bit much for me. - Mike Cardano

Mike Cardano is the founder of the Around The Horn (Baseball Blogs) and Extra Point (Football Blogs). Mike is also the founder of the fantasy sports games Ultimate Franchise Baseball™ and Ultimate Franchise Football™.

----------

Have a Fantasy Football or Rotisserie baseball question? Want to know who to pick up, who to activate and who the hot prospects are? Ask Dr. Roto. Let Dr. Roto guide your team to a league championship.

Brad Childress' eggs will be fried in Brett Favre’s basket

Minnesota Vikings head coach Brad Childress has placed his entire NFL career on the line with his dogged pursuit of QB Brett Favre. His eggs are all in, dropped in the soon-to-be 40 year-old Brett Favre’s basket. The high expectations placed on the purple and white this year, have nowhere to go but down. To pluck a quarterback from his Mississippi pasture, expect lofty results, needing almost perfect results, is a recipe for a bad ending. The Brett Favre circus has too many tents, too many complex rings, a large elephant in the room, and a pampered, over-the-hill, overpaid clown.

Childress’s disgruntled and duped Vikings players must now regroup to protect the former Green Bay Packer legend in the backfield, block for the legend, catch the legend’s passes, sacrifice for the legend, and help the legend extend his NFL records. How did that work out for the Jets last year? At the end, Favre abandoned the Meadowlands Sports Complex and never looked back, resembling the “old man” he will remain this year. This won't work out for the Minnesota Vikings.

When Brett Favre told his new team that he was the only player” born in the 1960’s,” did they chuckle with him, or at him? Brad Childress was born in the 1950’s. He stakes his once credible reputation on his "west coast offense", morphed from Bill Walsh’s offensive tree. Childress is now 24-24 as head coach of the Vikings, finishing first in the NFL North last year. The Super Bowl can be the only fairy tale ending for this Brad Childress experiment. And that will be 19 games away. It won't end well. His eggs will be fried in Brett Favre’s basket. - Peter Newitt

Peter Newitt is a sports artist and sportswriter. His artwork includes the program cover art for two Pennsylvania Derby thoroughbred races out of Philadelphia Park. He has written for three Southeastern Pennsylvania newspapers; Today's Post, the Norristown Times Herald and the West Chester Local News.