September 9, 2005

Link-O-Rama

  • I'm fairly certain none of you care about this at all -- I certainly don't care about anyone else's fantasy team -- but in case someone out there is interested here is my roster in the Baseball Think Factory Fantasy Football League:
         STARTERS                      BENCH
    QB Daunte Culpepper QB Aaron Brooks
    RB Edgerrin James RB Stephen Davis
    RB Deuce McAllister RB Chester Taylor
    WR Randy Moss RB Najeh Davenport
    WR Chad Johnson WR Anquan Boldin
    TE Jeremy Shockey WR Ronald Curry
    K Sebastian Janikowski WR Koren Robinson
    D Tampa Bay Bucs TE Ben Watson

    It is a 12-team keeper league, so I am downright giddy about my chances after trading for Daunte Culpepper, Deuce McAllister, Randy Moss, and Chad Johnson prior to the draft. Of course, I thought my team stunk last season and ended up losing in the Super Bowl.

    Oh, and just so this note about my fantasy football team isn't boring and without any sort of a link, make sure to check out Rotoworld's NFL morning news blurbs six days a week by clicking here. Most of the stuff I write at Rotoworld isn't bylined, but if you see something about the NFL written before noon it's probably my work.

  • Speaking of football, I am once again in the SethSpeaks.net "NFL Expert Picks" pool. In addition to the usual suspects like me, Will Young, Stick and Ball Guy, and Ben Jacobs, Seth Stohs has also managed to convince injured Twins pitcher Grant Balfour and Twins pitching prospect Kevin Slowey to participate this season. I won the pool two years ago and finished fourth last year, and nothing would make me happier than beating an Australian guy who is rehabbing from Tommy John surgery this season.
  • Here's an interesting excerpt from Rob Neyer's chat session on ESPN.com yesterday:

    Jason (New York, NY): Rob, I know you spent a whole season watching the Red Sox at Fenway, can you explain why David Ortiz has become so much better of a hitter since become a Red Sox then when he was with the Twins. I know these last 3 season are statistically supposed to be his prime season given his age, but is there something else which has contributed more, perhaps the fact of playing 81 games in Fenway instead of the Metrodome?

    Rob Neyer: Sure, Fenway helps. As does being the right age. As does not having to worry about playing first base, or listening to Tom Kelly or Ron Gardenhire.

    Here's a depressing thought: The Twins haven't had a 30-homer guy since 1987, while David Ortiz has three straight 30-homer seasons since leaving Minnesota.

  • Rarely have I received more complimentary e-mails than I got after choosing Casey Fossum and the Devil Rays +280 over Randy Johnson and the Yankees as my "Pick of the Day" over at Rotoworld (and here) earlier this week. It was almost as if people were e-mailing to thank me for literally sending them money, which is funny considering I didn't get one angry e-mail the next day when my pick was wrong. That's the gambling mentality in a nutshell, I suppose.
  • My uncle, Ed Gleeman, was given a very favorable review for his work on The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas in yesterday's Minneapolis Star Tribune. In fact, after the reviewer, William Randall Beard, ripped into the play's plot and weak male actors, he wrote:

    The physical production is elaborate and attractive. Special mention must be made of Ed Gleeman's costumes. They are highly theatrical, creating a strong sense of character as well as being fun to look at.

    Not bad, and he also cooks a mean lasagna.

  • A lot of people seem to despise Mike Matusow (and understandably so), but he has become one of my favorite personalities in poker. Suffice it to say Matusow's interview in the latest edition of Card Player Magazine is highly entertaining. I'd quote a bit of it here, but it's too tough to pick just one excerpt.
  • I hate to get pessimistic before their season even starts, but how in the world is it possible that ESPN.com's Week 1 Power Rankings have the Vikings fourth? Really, they're right behind the Eagles and ahead of the Steelers, Falcons, Chargers, Ravens, Jets, Panthers and 20 other teams? I will say this: I'd be very surprised if the Vikings don't win the extremely weak NFC North. Also, I'm officially on record as saying the team will miss Moss a lot more than most people seem to think.
  • Friend of AG.com Will Leitch has been tabbed to write Gawker Media's new sports blog, Deadspin. The site launched yesterday and I'm already hooked, so go check it out.
  • For anyone interested, here are the links to my FoxSports.com articles from this week: Monday ... Tuesday ... Wednesday ... Thursday.
  • Remember earlier this week, when I wrote about Heisman Trophy winner Matt Leinart taking a "Ballroom Dancing" class at USC with his attractive girlfriend? I got quite a few e-mails about it, including this one from a reader named Josh:

    As a recent USC grad, I can tell you that not only is he now dating the hottest girl on our basketball team, but last year he was dating the hottest girl on our volleyball team!

    Here's a picture of the current girlfriend, Brynn Cameron (which my friend Vinay Kumar said is "a perfect USC name"). And here's a picture of the former girlfriend, Jessica Gysin. My vote goes to Gysin, although I heard Cameron's strength of schedule was a lot better last season.

    And in a completely unrelated bit of news, a headline this week on SportsPickle.com proclaimed: "Matt Leinart Just Three Away from Successfully Doing USC's Entire Co-Ed Population." As a former journalism school student, I liked the article's lead a lot:

    Southern Cal senior quarterback Matt Leinart revealed today he has just three girls left to sleep with until he will have successfully bedded USC's entire co-ed population.

    I encourage you to read the rest of the article, which includes a controversy about the incoming freshman class and the details of sacrifices Leinart has had to make to reach his goal.

  • Today at The Hardball Times:
    - Blast From The Past: The Empire Strikes Back (by John Brattain)

    Today's Picks (98-86, +$1,155):
    Boston (Wells) +120 over New York (Small)

    Saturday's Picks:
    South Carolina +18 (-110) over Georgia


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