A Successful Return

Yes, I made it home. If you are wondering why that is a slight shock, make sure you give my last blog posting a read where I lay out what the just completed weekend had in store for this kid (you can find that entry at Las Vegas Vacation). I don’t normally write about football here – pretty obvious when the title of my blog is BaseballGuys.com, but with less than a week to go before the NFL season counts, and with a wild weekend to recap, I’m going to push ahead with an entry about the gridiron.

Here are some of the highlights of the proceedings in Vegas as Fanball hosted the National Fantasy Football Championship.

* Some of the ADP numbers – Average Draft Position – certainly didn’t seem to play themselves out at the NFFC.

Jay Cutler was getting no love as he even fell out of the top-10 at the quarterback position at times.

Kevin Kolb who soared up to #7 at the QB spot has seen his ADP dip back to #10. He was being taken by some inside the top-10, but there may have been as many times when he was on the outside looking in at the top-10 at the position.

Maurice Jones-Drew has everyone panicked with that knee injury of his. The clear cut #3 option overall according to almost everyone worth a darn, he was falling to 4-5-6 and he even fell to #7 in one draft I witnessed. If he falls to you at #7 thank your lucky stars as you’ll likely get a tremendous value (kind of like last season when Joe Mauer was falling into the 7th to 9th round because people were worried about the back injury that was likely to sideline him for the month of April. We all know how fantabulistic that turned out for those that took a chance on the Twins’ catcher. What, you thought I would write a whole piece without mentioning baseball? You know me better than that by now don’t you?).

* Ryan Grant continues to get no love. I guess people see him and think ‘little’ upside, though in his defense, he is one of only four running backs to have rushed for at least 1,200-yards in each of the past two seasons. The others are Adrian Peterson, Thomas Jones and Chris Johnson.

* The Bellagio hosts a hell of an event. Plus, I swear on my mother’s life, I think there are only hot women with four inch heels and tight miniskirts allowed within the city limits of Las Vegas. There’s some astounding scenery in that town.

* Everyone is on the bandwagon with the 49ers defense.

* Speaking of that bandwagon, Arian Foster‘s can barely hold another soul. The guy is simply zooming up draft boards at an astounding rate for a guy who, four months ago, was barely on anyone’s radar.

* How in the world did I have to pay $13 for a White Russian? And no, I’m not talking about one of those hotties in a mini-skirt, I mean the drink. Don’t worry, I got back at them though with my $17 dollar Eiffel Tower drink from Paris. That’s my 15.6 laptop in the picture for scale, and despite what looks like a pink hue, the color was a manly white.

* People still seem to love taking quarterback’s early. I touched on why I think that isn’t necessarily the best plan of action in NFL Mailbag – The QB Conundrum.

So there it is.

I’m back at home in sunny California, I didn’t lose a kidney or get arrested, and I remember the entire trip (no blackouts). All in all, that sounds like a pretty good weekend doesn’t it?

By Ray Flowers

Giving Thanks

As we approach our national holiday of thanks in America, a day I like to call Turkey Day instead of the traditional Thanksgiving, I thought I would come up with a list of things that I’m thankful for as I look back over the last calendar year.

I’m thankful for — the greatness that is Albert Pujols and Joe Mauer. Pay close attention to this duo folks. Years from now when you are in your rocking chair on the porch you’ll be able to tell the grand kids about how you witnessed their magnificence with a bat in their hands.

I’m thankful for — my new nephew Yonathan who was born on Monday, the 23rd of November just in time for the holiday. He joins my niece Hermela as the two shinning lights of my brother’s marriage. Not only that, he takes the heat of me for grand children since at the rate I’m going I’ll be lucky if I can find someone to hold my hand on Friday night. OK, it’s not really that bad, but you have to keep a brave face on when your younger brother outdoes you.

I’m thankful for — my computer – when it works. Without it I wouldn’t be able to do my job, though on those rare days that it doesn’t work I wish I was living back in Victorian times, that is until I remember that they didn’t have TiVo back then

I’m thankful for — the 49ers. Even though they are nothing more than average, they remind the Bay Area what football is supposed to look like. They haven’t seen competence with a football team in the East Bay in, well, forever (the Raiders are simply dreadful). How bad is it when there is a legitimate question if the local NFL team could be beaten by a college squad (Stanford certainly could give the Raiders a run for it).

I’m thankful for — my job. Lot’s of good folks don’t have one right now.

I’m thankful for — doctors who have finally stepped up and started to do some real work with players who have head injuries. No longer do we see guys with concussions being treated cavalierly. A bruise to your brain is what it is people, and I don’t know about you, but that sounds pretty serious to me.

I’m thankful for — pumpkin pie. I never eat it except at the holidays, but when the parties roll around I’m all about the dessert tray.

I’m thankful for — the San Jose Sharks magnificence in the regular season. Now if I could just add thanks for a wonderful playoff run all would be right in the world.

I’m thankful for — the impending release of our 2010 Baseball Preview Magazine that will be on newsstands prior to Christmas.

I’m thankful for — the continued success of Fanball. Can’t say I’m surprised since that’s what happens to good people who put in an honest day’s work.

I’m thankful for — Thursday night football. Wait, I’m not thankful for that in the least. Worst idea in the history of the NFL as it puts players needlessly at risk of injury just for the sake of a few more bucks, hardly what the NFL needs at the moment.

I’m thankful for — the three point line in the NBA, though I wish that Manute Bol was still slinging up those 25 footers, those were the days.

I’m thankful for — being able to watch Tim Lincecum in person. If you haven’t availed yourself of the chance to do just that put it down as a must do in 2010. The moment he walks on the field you simply cannot look away. He’s mesmerizing in a way that I haven’t seen since Pedro Martinez in his heyday.

And finally—

I’m thankful for — the freedoms that we enjoy as citizens of this great country of the United States of America. We should all be thankful for that.

By Ray Flowers