General Sports Roundup

A Guest Blog By Fanspeak contributing Writer John Manuel

Back from a trip to Vegas and ready to drop some knowledge on the current world of sports. When I last commented on the NFL the Cowboys were a relevant team. Not anymore, coach is gone, the celebrity QB can take a long trip to Mexico and not get criticized and Jerry Jones is faced with having to bring a top of the line coach in and give up some say on the direction of the team. Trust me I am not sad they suck. I enjoyed my Sunday a couple weeks back of watching David Garrard look like Joe Montana. Although I wouldn’t have predicted them to win the Super Bowl I am shocked how bad the defense has played recently. This week could get ugly against the rolling NY Giants. Dallas would struggle with the Little Giants based upon the past few weeks.

I did just return from my second Vegas trip in a month. Unfortunately it was for work both times but I spent a few minutes in the sports book. Last spring I was able to grab the Ravens winning the Super Bowl at 18-1 a week after trading for Anquan Boldin. That is very much in play but this time I went another route. I couldn’t resist dropping a small amount of cash on the 40-1 San Diego Chargers. At 3-5 when I made the bet I knew it was a long shot but you never know. They always play horrible the first two months, then run off like eight in a row and win the division. Winning the division means at least one home playoff game. And with the tough AFC teams beating on one another, who knows, maybe the year the Chargers aren’t supposed to go, they do. This scenario happened with the Colts the year they beat the Bears. Phillip Rivers is a beast. Just look who he is throwing to. Robin Williams’ character from the “Best of Times” caught 6 for 98 last week from Rivers I think. Vincent Jackson will be back for the stretch also don’t forget.

Side note. I actually have a friend who thinks Derrick Brooks had a better career and is a better player than Ray Lewis. I thought I would add this in because it makes me laugh every time.

On a second side note, there is nothing worse than getting an awful fantasy football trade offer. The excitement of an email saying you have a trade offer and then the disappointment of being offered Seattle Seahawks defense for Ladanian Tomlinson. Then it gets better when the person tries to fool you by adding, “LT is going to have no legs by Week 13.” Or when someone just thinks because I am a Redskin fan I would give up Andre Johnson for Santana Moss. In my league, we call these offers “Matzies” after one of the league owners.

When the Yankees officially sign Cliff Lee I think I am done with Major League Baseball. This is getting old just like the Yankees are. I hope he gets some crazy amount of money, as does Jeter and in 5 years maybe I will come back to being fan when they have to deal with a bunch of guys in their late 30s or 40s making ridiculous contracts. Although I did say the same thing a couple years ago when New York said they weren’t players on Mark Teixeira giving National and Orioles fans hope. Then at the last second crushed theirs and the Red Sox and Angels offers. Thank you again Texas Rangers for beating them.

When Manny Pacquiao steps into the ring Saturday with Antonio Margarito I think of another boxer first, Miguel Cotto. Not that he lost to Pacman but because how he probably was screwed over in his loss to Margarito. They should have thrown out that loss once it was found Margarito had illegal substances in his gloves when he lost to Shane Mosley. And Margarito shouldn’t have the chance to fight in the US after I watched that HBO special where “Irish” Billy Collins back in the 80s life went downhill after suffering a similar loss by cheating. To get cleared to fight in the US Margarito should have had to go first through the gauntlet of Cain Velasquez, Alton from the Real World/ Road Rules Challenges, The Great Khali, Clubber Lang, and Charlie Sheen at his craziest.

And how good is John Wall? A triple double in his fifth career game. Thank god the Wiz won the lottery because this would be maybe the worst team to watch in recent history of any sports. Even worse than Norv’s first Skins team of John Friesz, Ethan Horton and well I am trying to forget those teams. Wall leads the NBA in turnovers but who really cares? Watching him go baseline to baseline after a defensive rebound is sick. Gilbert Arenas even has to be impressed if he has time watch in between dropping number twos in Andray Blache’s shoes.

And finally there will be a Memorial Service for my friend Josh Matz’s Fantasy Football Team after this weekends play you can check it out at:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/event.php?eid=105850812817526