Mark McGwire just admitted to using steroids when he broke MLB’s single season HR record in 1998. This also in–the sky is blue. Are you kidding me? This guy gets a job as the hitting coach for the Cardinals and now he decides to come clean. Sorry, but you and all of the other players of that era deserve to have your names and stats dragged through the mud. As McGwire and his other cheater, Sammy Sosa, were shooting their roids- MLB was turning the other cheek and deserves just as much blame. Bud Selig and the rest of baseball knew that the HR chase was tailor made for getting fans interested in baseball again, and they pretended they had no idea what was taking place behind closed doors. Please. Anyone with two eyes knew that the players were getting bigger and balls were jumping out of ballparks around the country. Remember all of the talk of balls being wound tighter. What a bunch of bullshit.
Now Tony LaRussa is saying he had “no idea” that McGwire was using steroids. Sure Tony, we believe you. How could you have known? You were too infatuated with the fact a guy, who was on the verge of retiring, was about to break the most haloed record in all of sports. Never mind the fact he looked like the Hulk and was a freak of nature and stronger than he had ever been throughout his entire career. No, how could you have known he was shooting roids? Maybe LaRussa doesn’t realize the sky is blue either.
Is it just me or does Jose Canseco sound more believable every day?-DM

Carol Jorgensen of New Hampshire has made history and become the first female and grandma to be represented on our Wall of Fame page. Jorgensen, a two time champion and owner of CJ Racing says her fantasy NASCAR league started two years ago and consists of herself, two sons, a daughter-n-law and a sister-n-law. “I’m using the trophy as bait,” says Jorgensen. “Trophy envy is a wonderful thing.”
I think if she keeps winning the title and taking home the Armchair Crew Chief it may be hard to persuade others to join. Thanks for the photo Carol and for making history.
Now we need our first Grandpa.-DM

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It’s a long time until September, but I figure it’s as good a time as any to put out my first mock draft. Here we go.

NOTE: This is for a RB heavy league that rewards 6 pts for a rushing TD and 3 for a passing.

1. Chris Johnson- I just don’t see how this guy isn’t the first pick next season. He’s a TD waiting to happen every time he touches the ball. And with Vince Young under center for the entire season I only see Johnson getting more opportunities as the offense should be on the field and in the red zone even more.

2. Adrian Peterson- If the Vikings get their heads out of their asses they’ll realize they have Adrian Peterson standing right behind Brett Favre. Hand the damn ball off! Peterson should be the number one pick, but he won’t be because Favre slings it around too much. He’ll still be good for 1,500 and 15 Tds.

3. Maurice Jones-Drew- Two words: PURE STUD. The Jaguars don’t have much else besides MJD and defenses still couldn’t stop the guy. Like the two listed above him, he’s on the field all the time in the red zone and will get his touches. One of the safest picks you can make.

4. Ray Rice- This is where decisions will have to be made. The top 3 are easy. Rice proved he can be the man in Baltimore and carry the load. He could be next years Matt Forte or he can drop 1,500 and 15 tds. He’s worth the gamble.

5. Cedric Benson- Yes, I’m putting Benson at 5. Cinci will still have a strong offense and Benson is their work horse. Look at his numbers prior to his injury and what he did against the Jets in the playoffs and I think he deserves this slot.

6. Frank Gore- The guy may not be pretty, but he gets the job done. Gore will be in the red zone even more next season with the improved offense of the 49ers and his stats will bare witness.

7. Michael Turner- This is one pick that could go all the way to #4 depending on how he looks in the pre-season. Turner was a disappointment this year to say the least and injuries got the best of him. Look for him and the Falcons to rebound next year. I’d love to get him at 7.

8. Drew Brees- Yes, I know Rogers finished the season with better fantasy numbers but I just gotta go with Brees as the number 1 QB. I think the Packers will rely on Ryan Grant more next season and Rogers will slip down just a bit. Brees is a much safer pick to put up his monster numbers.

9. Jamaal Charles- I know it looks crazy to have a Chief RB this high, but look at the guy’s numbers when he became the starter- they’re insane. I hate taking players from bad teams in the first round so it’s hard putting him here, but I think he’ll deserve a first round slot.

10. Peyton Manning- Manning is Manning and he’ll get his. One of the safest picks you can make and getting a RB coming back isn’t that bad.

11. Ryan Grant- The Packers leaned on Grant more at the end of the year and it showed. Look for his numbers to go up even more next year as the offense continues to roll and is in the red zone more consistently.

12. Andre Johnson- Could a receiver be more under the radar? He doesn’t get the same press as Moss or Wayne but his numbers are going to be better. He’s an animal every year and impossible to cover where it matters most– the red zone.

It’s time to pay Josh Cribbs. $1.4 million a year..really? Cribbs is the all-time leader in NFL history for kickoff returns for TDs and the Browns offer him $1.4 million a year. I’d be insulted too if I were him. The Browns had to know that offering Cribbs that low of an offer would piss him off, yet they did it anyway. The guy is not only the best player on the team, but also the best citizen off. He’s done everything the organization has asked- including keeping his mouth shut while being severely underpaid. Reward the guy and show the rest of the players that if you work hard on and off the field you will be taken care of. Instead the Browns do the opposite. They send a message to not only their own players that they won’t be taken care of, but also to the rest of the guys in the league that the Browns are still a second class organization.
I still believe this will eventually be taken care of and Cribbs will remain a Brown. However, it shows very poor judgement. Mike Holmgren did a good thing bringing Eric Mangini back but it’s now time to save this situation and show Cribbs some respect. The Browns can’t afford to lose this guy or the fan’s support. Pay the man!-DM

As a diehard Browns fan I’d like to say thank you Mike Holmgren.
Time will tell if his move to keep Eric Mangini as the head coach of the Browns was the right one, but for now it looks like the smart one. Mangini had his hands full this season. No, I’ll take that back and say they were overflowing. Clearly Mangini was wearing more than just the coaching hat this season and it showed in the handling of numerous situations. Most notably the George Kokinis dismissal. Coaches should coach and I believe Holmgren realized he has a good one in Mangini. He has a dedicated, smart football mind who tried like hell to establish a different mindset when it comes to playing in the brown and orange. Mangini laid some nice building blocks this season. They’re called discipline and accountability. Two things that have been desperately missing from the Browns players and organization as a whole.
Like any change, it took time. The players no doubt fought Mangini at first and some were pretty outspoken during the season. Jamal Lewis to name one. However, once the lessons starting sinking in, the leaders of the team began buying into the coach’s philosophy and good things started happening. Granted it took 12 weeks of growing pains, but it still happened. Now Holmgren gives his vote of confidence to Mangini and the two can move forward. Best of all the Browns don’t have to start from scratch yet again. It’s a good day to be a Browns fan.

Gilbert Arenas deserves to be out of the league for this entire season. Period. What kind of idiot brings weapons to work and doesn’t understand the consequences? Then again, what employer would hold on to an employee after they bring weapons to work? Ah yes, this is todays NBA. The fact that Arenas plays in a city that has consistently been on the list of most gun related deaths only adds gun powder to this ever evolving story. But wait. Then the idiot has a picture taken two days ago before a game with his teammates where he is holding his fingers up as if they’re guns. OK, now he moves in to the realm of idiots that Tiger Woods can’t even crack. The guy could’ve saved a photo and just pulled his pants down and mooned David Stern.
Now Gilbert, it’s time that you feel the wrath of the commissioner and realize you are nothing more than a small spoke (broken as it is) in the giant wheel that is the NBA. Without you the wheel will continue to turn. However, with you the wheel may find itself in a ditch. That’s a chance David Stern is not about to take. Good bye, and take your guns with you.

Can all of the talk about Mangini coming from a run style, Belichick/Parcells system and Holmgren coming from a west coast system finally stop. The last time I checked, the Patriots throw it all over the field and the they seem to rely on the short pass routes to move the ball. Belichick understands you use the talent you have and Mangini surely believes in the same principles. The problem is that the Browns don’t have the talent.
However, I think all of that will change with Holmgren at the helm. I just hope that Mangini is there to coach that talent.
I remember being one of the few who never gave up on Belichick when he was in Cleveland. Even during the Kosar feud. My friends will attest to that fact. We sat watching plenty of football arguing over that issue most Sundays during the Belichick era. I believed the guy had a true backbone and stood by what he believed. Even if it meant public ridicule and getting ripped in the papers. Belichick didn’t waver and either does Mangini. Unfortunately this could be Mangini’s downfall with Holmgren. I hope not.
Mangini turned the Browns into a team that battles. A team that may not have the most talent (right now), but one that never gave up on it’s coach or it’s fans. A team that at the end of the season a fan could actually look forward to seeing grow next year. Hopefully Holmgren will see this too and see the attributes Mangini brings to the table. Hard work and discipline being at the top of the list. Let Mangini keep his “process” going and build a team that all Cleveland fans can be proud of. Holmgren, as Parcells said, “buy the groceries.” -DM

Believe it or not, FantasyTrophies.com has been around for nearly 15 years now and many guys have asked me how it came to be. It all started when I sculpted the original Armchair Quarterback while an art major at Kent State University in Kent , OH. At the time I was taking only classes that involved looking at naked people all day- Figure Drawing, Figure Painting, and Figure Sculpture. Unfortunately when you go to art school you realize early on that you won’t be looking at very attractive people on a daily basis. Heidi Klum they are NOT. Anyway, during this time I was in a very competitive fantasy football league with my buddies back in Cleveland and I thought I’d put this art degree I was earning to some use and sculpt a trophy. I knew I had to come up with something good and a trophy that would capture the true essence of the guys in the league. I had seen all of the lame excuses for trophies that were out there and continue to pollute the web and knew they didn’t come close to what I wanted. No, this fantasy football trophy had to be an original. It had to say it was ONLY for fantasy and not be mistaken for the pee wee football trophy you were given in 5th grade. Thus, the Armchair Quarterback was born.

The unveiling took place on draft day in 1993 and the guys went nuts. Our league’s prize money instantly ended up taking a back seat to the trophy, which became known as The Fedele. (story for another blog post) Now the trophy is on it’s 19th year of honoring our past champions and the desire to win it has only grown. Guys that have won it twice have ultimate bragging rights while the ones who are not on it at all continue to experience the unending ridicule that only beer drinking “friends” can dish out. After seeing the reaction of my friends and what the trophy did to the competitive level of our league I knew that other leagues out there could benefit from my creation. Soon FantasyTrophies.com came to be. Since that unveiling I’ve moved to Brooklyn, NY, got married, started a family, and teamed up with two other artists who share my passion for creating the best, most original fantasy sports trophies ever. As you can see on our site, I’ve gone on to sculpt trophies for baseball, basketball, and nascar and will continue to try and put that Art degree to good use for the benefit of fantasy leagues everywhere. After all, having to look at the naked people I did for nearly 8 hrs a day should amount to something in life.-Shouldn’t it? -DM

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