By Dan O’Shea

Predictions for what will happen in the fantasy football world during and after Week 1:
1. Visanthe Shiancoe, TE, Minnesota, will catch two touchdowns against New Orleans on Thursday, and may still be available in your league because everyone was too embarrassed to attempt pronouncing his name during the draft.
2. Rookie Dexter McCluster, RB/WR, Kansas City, will emerge as a hot waiver wire pickup after breaking 100 total yards against San Diego, and will be christened the new Larry Johnson, much to his chagrin.
3. Devin Aromashodu, WR, BEARS, will be ridiculous, while teammate Devin Hester will be merely unbelievable. Unfortunately, Jay Cutler will throw more often to Greg “Catch and Take a Dive” Olsen.

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Posted on September 8, 2010

By Marty Gangler

Okay, so the Cubs are 9-4 under Mike Quade. Which is good of course but I have a question. How are we supposed to tell if Mike Quade is any good at managing?
I mean, if it was all based on wins and losses then there should be this groundswell of support for a second coach Q in Chicago. But there isn’t. Which once again means I need to ask, how can we tell?

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Posted on September 7, 2010

By Andrew Reilly

Winning seven in a row means picking up half a game, neither the Sox nor Twins can rattle off their respective winning streaks forever and this, I think, is going to be the sad, lonely dance of September: the Sox will win just enough to go nowhere. What else could the state of White Sox baseball possibly point to?
Now, it could be that the Twins are just having a bit of a lucky streak here. They’re not going to play the Royals every day and won’t always benefit from nonsensical umpiring calls going their way. They can’t expect Jim Thome to make the highlight reel every time up, nor can Carl Pavano possibly be as good as advertised.

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Posted on September 7, 2010

By Jim Coffman

The number is 6.5.
Pick the Bears to pull out more victories than that and you’re an optimist. Pick them to finish with less and you’re a realist . . . I mean pessimist . . . oh, no I don’t. If you’ve got them winning seven or more, God love ya’ and I hope you’re right. But it isn’t going to happen.

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Posted on September 6, 2010

By Mike Luce

Welcome to Part II of the College Football Report’s Preseason Special. Last week, we caught you up on the major storylines of the offseason. Below, we offer our fearless (and bluntly biased) projections on the upcoming season. After a long look at each major conference, you will be treated to the Report’s preseason predictions. We’ll identify the Broncos, Tigers, Horned Frogs and other wildlife worthy of your hard-earned money. At the same time, we hope to help you avoid the Buffaloes, Cougars, Owls and various endangered species (has anyone started a Save the Terrapin Fund yet?) to avoid.
Together with a network of relentless researchers, the insights from no fewer than four publications (Lindy’s Sports, Athlon Sports, Phil Steele, and The Gold Sheet), news from numerous websites, plus rumors, hints and downright hearsay, our crack staff here at The College Football Report has . . . no idea what will happen this year. Then again, the odds are good that neither do you. Welcome, true believers, to the 2010 season.

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Posted on September 4, 2010

By Thomas Chambers

Cajun Calvin “Bo-Rail” Borel must go. Now.
After a full five days of dulling disappointment in Rachel Alexandra’s loss in Saturday’s Grade I Personal Ensign at Saratoga, another issue, one that gets little attention in this country, is the manner in which Borel “urged” Rachel as they came down the stretch at The Spa.
There are two other names for it. Whipping. Abuse.

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Posted on September 2, 2010

By Dan O’Shea

I feel like I’ve done pretty well in the past with fantasy football sleeper picks, choosing guys like Darren Sproles, Johnny Knox and Rashard Mendenhall before they blew up on the general radar. This year, I’m having some trouble finding those diamonds in the rough.
Maybe it’s because there’s so much fantasy football intelligence out there that few stones remain unturned.
Everyone, for example, seems to know that Houston running back Arian Foster is the next unheralded player soon to be the next big thing. While having lunch at Small Bar on Division Street recently, a guy at the next table saw me and a friend studying our fantasy player rankings, leaned over and said, “Two words, guys: Arian Foster.”
But Foster went in the second round in a recent draft I participated in; that’s no sleeper pick.
Here, then, are my bona fide sleeper picks at key positions:

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Posted on September 1, 2010