Ron Artest on E:60

Cool video about Ron Ron. Soldano had to change his pants after watching this one:




--Max Caster

Guzman, Cervelli Out -- Hinkse, Bruney In

From the Star-Ledger:

The Yankees, as expected made a few adjustments to their roster this morning. Utilityman Eric Hinske has been added along with reliever Brian Bruney. Francisco Cervelli and Freddy Guzman are off.


I'm a little torn on this move, but I like it for the most part.

First off, Brian Bruney is horrible. I'm shocked that he remained on the team through the season. He becomes another liability in an already shaky bullpen with Joba Chamberlain and Phil Hughes.

But the upside to this is that Chad Gaudin will probably make his first start of the playoffs. It's not necessarily Gaudin's ability that makes this move acceptable, it's breaking up the rotation so AJ Burnett and Andy Pettitte won't have to work on three days rest.

CC Sabathia will probably do so -- as he's done many times before -- by pitching in Games 1 and 4. But if Charlie Manuel decides to not pitch Cliff Lee on three days rest, that would open the door for Joe Girardi to take a day off (so to speak), pitch Gaudin and give CC an extra day. Regardless of whether or not Lee pitches in Game 4, Girardi would be stupid to not pitch Sabathia. I wouldn't mess up his rhythm.

But Game 5 might be calling Gaudin's name. That pushes Burnett back to Game 6 and Pettitte, an all-time great in the playoffs, in Game 7. But that brings up the dilemma of Pettitte or Sabathia if the series goes to a Game 7.


The other move is the subtraction of Francisco Cervelli and Freddy Guzman, for Eric Hinske.

First off, without three catchers, I doubt there will be a personal catcher situation with Burnett and Molina. I was for the idea in the NLDS, but in reality, it hasn't made Burnett or the New York lineup any better. So I couldn't care less about that.

What you lose without Cervelli is a smart pinch-runner and a solid bat. I'd rather have that than Brian Bruney.

Freddy Guzman was one-dimensional and brought nothing to the plate. Hinske is a better fit for this series (and the last one for that matter) because he can play 4 positions and he's a great power hitter.

Either way, I'm calling Yankees in 5. Everyone believes that the Phillies are the best underdogs in the history of sports. Well, they're an underdog for a reason. The Yanks are just better. It's close, but close never won anyone a title.

By the way, check out this feature on Phil Coke. It's a great read.


--Max Caster

Jets Look to the Past to Solidify Present

From SI:

The New York Jets have re-signed cornerback-kick returner Justin Miller, acquiring a replacement for the injured Leon Washington on special teams.

Miller was a second-round draft pick of the Jets in 2005, and made the 2007 Pro Bowl season after leading the AFC with a 30.1-yard average and two touchdowns on kickoffs.

He was waived by the Jets last season and signed with Oakland, which re-signed him for one game before releasing him Nov. 11. Miller has a 26.2 career kickoff return average, and five returns for scores.


While I'll say I'm leary -- intrigued is a nicer way of puting it -- of the signing of Justin Miller, I can also say that there was little else they could have done. Remember when the Jets lost Miller a couple of seasons ago? He tore his knee after a Pro Bowl season as a returner. Right after, Leon Washington emerged as a Pro Bowler at the same spot, causing the Jets to move on seemlessly.

Well New York isn't looking for the next Leon Washington. They don't necessarily need a Pro Bowl player to return kicks. They need a fix. And regrettably, Justin Miller is the best choice.

Who else on this team could do it? Jim Leonhard? I wouldn't be surprised if he called fair catch on the kickoff. Punt return is a completely different issue.

Brad Smith isn't as explosive. Wallace Wright isn't either. David Clowney is playing an incresed role. And, like Washington, Aundrae Allison is on IR.

The only other player who I could have seen stepping up would be Danny Woodhead. With Washington out, Woodhead steps up in the pecking order of halfbacks, but is still not slated to get more touches than Shonn Greene. I'd like to see him get more incorporated into the gameplan though. He's shown that he can be explosive and can have somewhat of an impact -- kind of like Leon Washington in his second year.

Regardless of Woodhead's potential, New York needs a vet like Justin Miller before they hand the reigns to someone less experienced.


--Max Caster

Blake Griffin Out Six Weeks, The Curse of The Clippers Continues

With the season underway tonight, the Clippers will be without their brightest star in Blake Griffin against the Lakers and for the following six weeks.  This from Rotoworld: 

"Blake Griffin has a stress fracture in his left patella (kneecap) and is expected to miss up to six weeks of action.  He is also suffering from tendinitis in the same knee."  

Wow.  What a major blow to a very promising Clippers team.  Marcus Camby is already hurting and a ton of stock is now being placed onto the shoulders of Chris Kaman, a guy who has missed a combined 77 games the past two years.  Knee injuries can always be troubling and the Clippers know all about them.  See Shaun Livingston, Danny Manning, and Co.  

While the Clippers still have talent and even without Griffin are an improved squad from last year, these six weeks are the difference in making and missing the playoffs, especially in the Western Conference.  With Griffin, out until the second week of December (most likely), I have him missing 21 games.  L.A. in my mind has to go 11-10 to stay afloat because teams like Oklahoma City and Phoenix could easily past them by in contention for that 8th spot.

-Matt Soldano

Kimbo's Got Friends

Kimbo's boy gives a karate instructor the one-hitter quitter. Slice is puting people on like Puffy did...



Wow... Ya done, son!


--Max Caster

Replacements NFL Picks: Week 7 Edition

Here is a look at the picks for both Max and I for this past week of games...

New York Jets vs. Oakland: Matt - Oakland Max - New York
Arizona vs. New York Giants: Unanimous - New York
Minnesota vs. Pittsburgh: Matt - Pittsburgh Max - Minnesota
Chicago vs. Cincinnati: Matt - Chicago Max - Cincinnati
Buffalo vs. Carolina: Unanimous - Carolina

Updated Standings:

Matt (17-13)
Max (16-14)

You can hear Max and I make our predicitions every week in the NFL and talk all things sports only on the Replacements every Friday afternoon from 1-3 pm on wcwpsports.com

-Matt Soldano

Road Trippin': Bloomsburg, PA

I'm back again, like that old Juelz Santana song said. However, I don't "pop shots, hot glocks, shoot through vans" or any of the stuff he talks about. But some of you do "remind me of Mister Softee trucks." I don't know what that means though...

Anyway, a couple of weeks ago we headed off to Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania to continue our wild escapades. Sean Croft accompanied Jordan Lauterbach and myself to our next destination. He was behind the wheel for our trip of debauchery, jovial mischief and Yoo-Hoo. We left from CW Post University, in beautiful Brookville, NY, at high noonish. Approximately 2 minutes into the trip, Sean had to make the first pit stop. This one to the wonderful establishment known as Burger King:



I don't remember what he ordered. In fact, everything at BK is forgettable. But if there's one thing about Sean Croft, it's that he has terrible luck with food service. Getting slow service, getting overcharged, getting the wrong food, etc. Well, naturally, that happened in this instance. The cashier didn't have enough change to break a $20. Long story short, Sean yelled at the cashier and ripped her for most of the ride. All I could do was laugh... softly. I don't need him yelling at me.

Oh no. I think he heard me:

Look at the soul patch!

From the back of the car, I had a lot of time to notice a lot of things. Especially when just about every window is open and the car is going 75mph on I-80. I can't hear a thing. One thing that worried me -- aside from Croft's short fuse and the Swine Flu vaccine -- was the spider web placed in the corner of the open sunroof. You can't see it in the picture, but here it is for visual purposes:


That's the type of thing that makes one wonder, "OK, where the hell is this damn spider?" I didn't bring it to anyone's attention. I didn't want to cause a panic on a highway. Mom and common sense told me that's not a great idea. That insecurity and this view made the trip eventful:



What also passed the time --backtracking a little bit -- was the story we heard while in Bronx traffic. Our friend and member of WCWP Sports Brian Rodriguez called up and told us a story about eating pizza in his boxers. Ask him about it some time.

We got to Mifflinville, PA, where our hotel was. The first thing Sean said when we got out of the car was, "I smell cows. I smell McDonald's. It's like a before and after."

The Super 8 was ballin' if I say so myself. It was in the same parking lot of this Arby's, which I tore the hell up:


Arby's is underrated; however, I could tell you the sodium content of my Roast Chicken Club by taste. I certainly ran a few miles to work that off.

Our dwelling for the night, the Super 8, was not the most upscale, but the managers sure know how to make it seem like a 5 Star establishment. Look at this treat we found in our lamp:



No joke. It's strawberry.

The one thing I hate about 1st floor rooms in outdoor hotels is the lack of privacy the full view window gives. The first things I do when I get to the room is put the 'Do Not Disturb' sign on the door (Jordan still doesn't believe that maids will enter the room while you're sleeping if the sign is not out there. It's just weird. Unless they're hot.) and close the curtain. Here's a full shot of the room, curtain closed. Everyone is excited!:


That night, Jordan, Sean and I sought out to get dinner at a sports bar. There was no way we would miss Joba Chamberlain pitch against the Red Sox. Luckily, it was one of his few passable games. But I digress.

The hotel lobby had fliers for local restaurants. Two of the fliers were for sports bars. We asked for advice from the receptionist to help with our choice. One place was described as a place that closes at 10pm and has an older crowd. The other was more laid back, and was for young people, like us. Well since I'm not big into chasing cougars, we chose the second place. Here's the flier:



"Taps Sports Bar and Grill" We get directions and depart. When we arrive at Taps, we were greeted by this sign. You tell me what's wrong with it:


The smiley-face was a nice touch. As Ed Wuncler III once said "[Women] love smiley faces." Let that be a lesson to all you youngins out there. The "Thanx" was a bit juvenile for my taste, but it's whatever.

The thing that bothered me was the use of quotation marks around the words "Side Door." The ellipses at the end is an issue in itself, but the quotation marks had me terrified. Is it not a side door? Is it a trap door? One that leads to a pack of lions? I don't know, but I didn't really want to find out. Unfortunately, we did.

As we walked to the so called "Side Door", I realized that our vehicle stuck out like a sore thumb in the parking lot. Every other vehicle was a motorcycle or a truck, none of them looking the newest. Sean Croft drives a newer model compact hatchback. It's didn't fit into the bunch. Which led me to believe that we, as people, would not fit into the crowd inside Taps.

Good God, was I right. Dim lights, thight Wranglers, cowboy boots and dust. It sounds like Brett Favre's house -- which I would never want to go to. I felt like a pool stick would get cracked over our heads, especially since we were all rocking New York sports gear. Maybe it was too dark and smokey to tell.

The other thing about this place was the age of the people. We were told that there would be young people. This place was full of busted up motorcycle wives. I was disappointed.

Anyway, we sat down and no one came over to serve us. I didn't think it would have been difficult. There were only three tables and the bar. Some people stared us down. They may have been drunk, ready to pounce, or both. So we got out of dodge before we had the chance to end up in someone's basement.

By a big stroke of luck, there was a billboard for a place called "Bandits Roadhouse" right outside of Taps. We went and didn't look back.

When we got there, the first thing I noticed was the attractive waitresses in their mandatory cutoff jeans. No pictures of them due to the possibility of a lawsuit. The trip was worth it just for that. It's like Bandits accumulated every good looking woman in the state of Pennsylvania inside their doors. I loved it. The second thing I noticed was all the crap on the walls. We sat by this piano that I was so tempted to play "Blister in the Sun" on:


There was also a statue of the other guy from 'CHiPs'. Not Estrada:



I ordered the barbeque shrimp salad. It was good, except for the massive amount of barbeque sauce on my lettuce. I should have expected this, I guess:


The one thing anyone should know about rural areas -- the midwest, really anywhere west of Philadelphia -- is that they like to put loads of condiments on everything. This issue will come up later.

Across the street, we spotted the 'Dollar General', which is a dollar store, obviously. With about $20 in my pocket, I quickly learned that everything in there is not a dollar. I settled on a hoody (which I still have). We considered a mini-piano and these baby flip-flops for our wrestling-loving friend Nick Malone:



I swear I almost did it. They would have fit him. But then I realized that I don't like wasting money. After that, we went back to the hotel. Surprisingly, we got the New York feed of the Yankees-Red Sox game in the room. Sean and Jordan went over to the convenience store to get some stuff. Sean came back with a big bag of Cheetos and a disgusted look on his face. He was angry. Shocking.

Apparently, Sean was upset with a certain state law for the sale of certain adult beverages. For the record, he's over 21. Either way, he pounded the Cheetos:



After that meal, Sean got the Itis. He went to sleep shortly after. We all did... in seperate beds. The next morning, we awoke to my favorite: free breakfast. Not much of a spread, but the basics were there:



There was a blueberry muffin in that muffin paper, but I ate it. Something smelled like straight ass in that hotel lobby. Good thing we got the heck out of there. Bloomsburg, PA is a small, unassuming, quaint college town, but somehow we still got a bit lost. Here's a picture of the town while we were waiting at the shortest green light in the world:



We got to the school. Surprisingly, it was in the direction of the arrow pointing to something called "Athletic Field." I couldn't tell you what that is.

When we tried to get parking, the attendant -- who I assume to be a student -- told us we had to park in the media lot. OK. "Where's the media lot?", Sean inquired. "I don't know.", said the young man in the yellow vest. That was a mistake. If there's one thing you don't do, it's tick off Sean Croft. He's got a soul patch! He doesn't have to take any of your BS!

As we went in search of the correct lot, Sean went off for a good while about this guy. Maybe 15 minutes worth. In a turn of events, Jordan joined into the lashing. I think it was peer pressure. Poor child. I didn't, for the record. I was just there to document it. We found the lot, by the way.

One thing about the schools we visit is the accomodations. There's always one thing wrong with every school. Like in Indiana, PA for instance. They have a two story press box and we had the second floor to ourselves. But how do they expect you to get up there? Climb a ladder. Ya...

That ladder was the bain of Jordan's existence. That's what makes the elevator so special. Here's us getting into the elevator. You can hear the tail end of Jordan talking about the parking attendant. Also, I convince Mr. JL that radio belongs on the floor labelled 'Radio':



We had the smallest booth in the world. It was made for 2.5 people. Not 3.

They generously feed us at every school we go to. Bloomsburg was no different. We got sandwiches, and I couldn't even tell you what was on it other than mayonaisse. It was draped in mayo. That led me to state on the broadcast that the sandwiches at Bloomsburg are a bit "mayonaissey". Jordan and I were disgusted. Sean wisely stayed away. But it's just that culture I guess.

Here's the field where the Pioneers had a promising beginning but a puzzling end in a 28-14 loss to the Huskies:


And away we went, back to Long Island. It was a good trip -- everything except Sean didn't share his Cheetos.


Uh oh...

Next time on "Road Trippin'": West Chester, PA.


--Max Caster

Off The Glass Full Predictions Show Tonight!

Tonight at 8pm, Max Caster and I will be giving our full NBA Predictions for the upcoming season on Off the Glass. The crew will be breaking down each conference, telling you which teams will finish where from seed one to seed fifteen. Round by round playoff predictions eventually crowning a champion will also be premiered. Finally, the guys will hand out individual awards for MVP, MIP, ROY, COY, Sixth Man, and the "Suck" Player of the Year. Make sure you tune in Off The Glass at 8pm only on wcwpsports.com!!!

-Matt Soldano

Grizz Get New Alternate Uni's

They look OK to me. I was expecting yellow to be the primary color in the ensemble. Who wouldn't love to see Hasheem Thabeet looking like a banana?

--Max Caster

Gallinari Will Start Season on the Bench

From the New York Times:

Knicks Coach Mike D’Antoni said Monday that he had not settled on a rotation, much less a starting lineup, heading into next week’s season opener, but he indicated that forward Danilo Gallinari was likely to start the season on the bench.

D’Antoni acknowledged that the development of Gallinari, the team’s first-round draft pick in 2008, was probably woven into any team success. Gallinari played in only 28 games last season, when he was limited by a back injury. He has struggled with his shot and his aggressiveness in the preseason.

“I probably would like to start him, but this is kind of his rookie year and we’ll go through some stuff and we’ll see,” D’Antoni said. “But I think eventually, he will be a starter because he’s that good.”


One may expect me to be enraged. However, I'm not. I'm the opposite, in fact. What's the opposite of enraged? Delighted? Well, I guess I'm delighted then.

Forget about starting this kid, just do whatever is best to ease him into full-contact NBA basketball. Eventually, he'll work his way up from 15-20 minutes to 30-35 minutes off the bench, and then become a starter.

First and foremost, this is what's best for his back. Danilo Gallinari played last season with a broken back, and still showed a lot more potential than just about every other Knick -- which doesn't speak volumes about the roster. Getting him used to playing with a healthy back will come through playing a reduced role.

That reduced role is also great for Gallo's psyche as a young player. Instead of entering the season as the main source of production for New York, he can play with far less pressure on him. He doesn't necessarily have to be the one to connect on every big shot, drive into the lane and make every pass. But he'll be there soon.

Before we know it, he'll be doing as I predicted: scoring 20 points a game.

It has begun. "The Rooster Reel" is back!

Against the Nets:



vs. the Celtics:



vs. the Sixers:



And a bonus. An interview with Fanhouse. Dani's English has gotten so much better.




The Rooster hasn't gotten much going thus far in the preseason, but that's the process of him getting his legs back.

But that's not all, as Billy Mays used to say. Danilo is on Twitter now! Guess who's following him...


--Max Caster

CC to Start Game 4

From the Star-Ledger:

As expected, Girardi announced that left-hander CC Sabathia will start Game 4 of the ALCS against the Angels, on three days’ rest.

“He went out and did some work today, and we wanted to make sure he felt fine and did great,” Girardi said. “We’re comfortable with him going on short rest. He’s had success going on short rest if you look at last year’s numbers. So we’re comfortable doing it. He feels good, and we’re going right to CC.”

The Yankees cut back on Sabathia’s workload down the stretch this season. But as a member of the Brewers in 2008, Sabathia helped pitch the team into the playoffs.

He pitched to a 0.83 ERA over his final three regular-season starts with the Brewers, all of them on short rest. He has yet to pitch on short rest this season.


Good move by Joe Girardi. Who else is he going to start? CC Sabathia on short rest is better than Chad Gaudin, Alfredo Aceves or Joba Chamberlain. CC has proven time and time again that he's money many more times than not.

Look at what CC has done in the playoffs this year. In Game 1 of the ALDS, he struck out 8 Twins and walked none in 6.2 innings. Game 1 of the ALCS wasn't too different. 8 innings with 7 K's, 4 hits and just 1 earned run. The monkey is off Sabahia's back.

He's overcome the notion that he can't produce in the playoffs -- which is fitting. How sweet is it that CC is experiencing success on the big stage, while another, more polarized Yankee is doing the same?

Who's been more clutch? CC Sabathia or Alex Rodriguez?


--Max Caster

CFB: Week 7 Picks

Currently hanging with fellow WCWP staff members, Matt Soldano and Max Caster in a Lancaster, PA hotel room prepping for tomorrow's Pioneers/ Millersville showdown. Should be a tough one to call. The high is expected to be around 39 degrees and I hear we're outside. Ouch. 

Here's some quick picks for Week 7 in division one ball.

   #1 Florida over Arkansas- If you forgot how good this Gator defense is, last week's proformance did a lot to remind you. Tim Tebow is not the only thing making Florida the best team in the nation. Arkansas has some offensive firepower, but they won't get much against this defense.

#2 Alabama Over #22 South Carolina

#4 Virginia Tech over #19 Georgia Tech- Huge game in the A.C.C, Virginia Tech is coming into it's own at the right time. 

#7 Ohio State over Purdue

#9 Miami (FL) over USF

#11 Iowa over Wisconsin- Iowa may be the best team in the Big Ten and Wisconsin was very unimpressive in a big game last week

 #12 TCU over Colorado State

#15 Nebraska over Texas Tech

#16 Oklahoma State over Missouri 

#17 Kansas over Colorado

#18 BYU over San Diego State

#23 Houston over Tulane

#24 Utah over UNLV

Two to Change Plans for:

#3 Texas over #20 Oklahoma- Think Colt and crew remember how they got hosed last season by beating Oklahoma and not getting the national championship bid? I do. A must-win for Oklahoma makes this a close game, but I like Texas at home.

#6 USC Over #25 Notre Dame- Charlie Weis needs this win in the worse way. If there was ever a time for Charlie to get that elusive statement win, its now. But I think that the loss of Michael Floyd hurts them too much.

Upset of the Week

 

Minnesota over #14 Penn State

Jordan Lauterbach

Replacements Picks: Week 6 Edition

More than a quarter of the way through the season, it is a tight race between Max and I with out NFL picks. Here are the Week 6 picks made today on the Replacements.

New York Giants vs. New Orleans: Matt - New Orleans Max -New York

Buffalo vs. New York Jets: Unanimous - New York

Baltimore vs. Minnesota: Matt - Baltimore Max - Minnesota

Chicago vs. Atlanta: Unanimous - Atlanta

Kansas City vs. Washington: Matt - Kansas City Max -Washington

Standings:

Matt (13-7)

Max (12-8)

Listen to the Replacements every Friday afternoon on wcwpsports.com from 1-3 pm!

-Matt Soldano

Ripped From The Pioneer: Nothing Special

By Jordan Lauterbach

Thanks to an Eric Anderwkavich touchdown run, the Pioneers had just taken a 6-0 lead in the first quarter of the most important game of the season. At 2-1 in the PSAC East, C.W Post had an opportunity to make a major statement with a win over the West Chester Golden Rams on Saturday. West Chester, also 2-1 in the highly competitive division, was coming off a frustrating loss to East Stroudsburg and the Pioneers were doing nothing early in the game to ease that frustration.

Freshman kicker Justin Bertone walked on to the field looking to complete a play that is considered a relative certainty at the Division two level - the extra point. His foot struck the ball, looking for the netting behind the goal posts. Instead, it found the hand of West Chester defensive back Cordero Newkirk. The ball fell to the ground. The try was no good. Once again, C.W Post special teams would become an issue. It is no secret that the “third phase” has not come easy to the Pioneers this year. But during Saturday’s 34-26 loss to West Chester , the special teams struggles came to a head.

The Pioneers scored again ten minutes into the second quarter when Darnell Williams hauled in an Anderwkavich pass for a touchdown. Up 12-0, Bertone missed another extra point. Clearly rattled, Bertone lifted his hand to his helmet in disgust and was given a pep talk by emotional leader Tayrance Smith as they walked off the field. Seemingly, the Pioneers had nothing to worry about. At 12-0, West Chester was on the ropes. The Pioneers were moving the ball at will and adjusting to the Golden Ram’s spread wing-t offense extremely well.

While inspired with the best of intentions, Smith’s pep talk didn’t work very well. Bertone’s ensuing kickoff landed out of bounds, giving the Golden Rams the ball on the Pioneer 40 yard line.

West Chester would take advantage and cut the Pioneer lead to 12-7 with a 31 yard touchdown reception by Dan Depalma. The blazing fast Golden Ram receiver finished the afternoon with five catches for 146 yards and two touchdowns.

The mathematics of two missed extra points was realized when, instead of tying the game, West Chester took a 14-12 lead on a Joe Wright touchdown pass to Steve Miller with 1:37 to go in the first half. The Pioneers, who looked dominant during portions of the first half, now faced a halftime deficit.

C.W Post recaptured the lead with just over four minutes to go in the third quarter when Thomas Beverly caught his first touchdown pass of the season. The versatile Pioneer play maker added 71 rushing yards in the loss, bringing his season total to 637. After the Beverly score, the Pioneers completed a two point conversion to take a 20-14 lead. Now it was up to the defense to contain a potent West Chester offense for just a little bit longer. Easier said than done.

Quarterback Joe Wright capped off the ensuing drive with a two yard touchdown run. West Chester lead 21-20. In addition to the touchdown waltz, Wright finished the afternoon with 252 yards passing and four touchdowns.

But the Pioneer defense would get another shot to hold on to a lead. After forcing a West Chester punt from deep in their own end zone, the Pioneers had their shortest field of the day. They capitalized. Darnel Williams second touchdown of the day gave the Pioneers a 26-21 lead with 10:47 left in the game.

After the Pioneers second two point conversion attempt of the day stalled, West Chester drove down the field in 1:33 and scored on a 52 yard bomb from Joe Wright to Dan Depalma. The two point conversion failed and the Pioneers sat down 27-26 with a shade over nine minutes to play.

West Chester took their biggest lead of the afternoon when Steve Miller caught his second touchdown pass of the day, this time on a 17 yard gain to increase West Chester ’s lead to eight.

Still a one possession contest, C.W Post had a chance to tie it up and send the crucial PSAC Eastern Division match up to overtime. But special teams failures would bite the Pioneers again as West Chester recovered a fumbled kickoff and got two first downs to ice the victory.

The loss, no doubt a frustrating one, drops the Pioneers to 2-2 in the PSAC East and 2-5 overall. They now sit tied with East Stroudburg for third place in the division. They will travel to East Stroudsburg on October 24^th.

This Week

The Pioneers hit the road once again when they visit the Millersville Marauders on Saturday. At 1-3 in the PSAC East, Millersville is coming off a 47-36 win over Cheyney. The Pioneers topped the Marauders 55-38 at Hickox Field last season. Kickoff is slated for 1pm. Coverage on WCWP gets underway at 12:30pm.

Replacements NFL Picks: Week 5 Edition

After having to wait for Monday Night to include the Jets Game here is what the up to date standings look like. After Max went 4-1 and I went 3-2 Max held a one game advantage in the standings. Here were the picks for Week 5.

Oakland vs. New York Giants: Matt - New York Max - Oakland
New York Jets vs. Miami: Matt - New York Max - New York
Atlanta vs. San Francisco: Unanimous - Atlanta
New England vs. Denver: Matt - Denver Max - New England
Cleveland vs. Buffalo: Unanimous - Buffalo

Up To Date Standings:

Matt: 13-7
Max: 12-8

Listen to the Replacements every Friday afternoon at 1pm only on wcwpsports.com

-Matt Soldano

Chris Bosh to Warriors?

With Chris Bosh being one of the premiere free agents in the summer of 2010 along with Lebron James and Dwayne Wade, the Toronto Raptors would not be at fault if they looked to try and move him and acquire pieces to help the squad. Nothing is guaranteed in the NBA and there is a definite sense of doubt that Toronto and its front office might not be able to extend Bosh's contract.

The latest rumor surrounding Chris Bosh is this one from Rotoworld:

"The Toronto Sun mentions trade rumors that involve sending Chris Bosh to the Warriors for Andris Biedrins and unknown add-ons. The article questions whether there is 'any substance at all to the rumor,' but the timing is suggestive since Stephen Jackson is demanding a trade and Bosh is expected to opt out this summer."

A trade that makes sense to me would be to send Andris Biedrins and Stephen Jackson for Chris Bosh and Antoine Wright, as a throw in to match salaries. Let's face it, despite the addition of Hedo Turkoglu, I do not see the Raptors making the playoffs in an improved Eastern Conference. The Warriors have made it known they are willing to trade Biedrins, their 23 year old Center, as he was the center of talks on draft night with the Phoenix Suns when Golden State tried to acquire Amare Stoudemire. Jackson's future looks bleak as he was recently suspended by the team for behavioral issues and on Toronto he can be the second option to Hedo. With Biedrins, Andrea Bargnani can move to his normal Power Forward position.

So like Rotoworld put it, there might not be any substance to the deal, but the timing between Jackson's suspension and when you add the Warriors' willingness to try and get a big time power forward, you certainly have to be curious.

-Matt Soldano

CFB: Week 6 Picks

Last Week: 15-2

Season: 86-20

#2 Texas over Colorado

#5 Va Tech over Boston College

#9 Ohio State over Wisconsin

#10 TCU over Air Force

#11 Miami over Florida A&M

#13 Oregon over UCLA

#14 Penn State over Eastern Illinois

#15 Oklahoma State over Texas A&M

#16 Kansas over Iowa State

#17 Auburn over Arkansas

#18 BYU over UNLV

#19 Oklahoma over Baylor

#22 Georgia Tech over Florida State

#25 South Carolina over Kentucky

2 to Change Plans For

#1 Florida over #5 LSU

#12 Iowa over Michigan

Upset of The Week

#20 Mississippi over # 3 Alabama

Jordan Lauterbach

If There's One Thing I Love....

It's more golf! and in 2016, 2020 we'll have it.

From Yahoo!

After more than a century on the sidelines, golf will return to the Olympics at the Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro. Rugby, last played in 1924, is coming back as well.

Both were reinstated for the 2016 and 2020 games after a vote Friday by the International Olympic Committee....Golf will stage a 72-hole stroke-play tournament for men and women, with 60 players in each field.

I'll be interested to see what this feel likes. Will it have the Major Championship feel or the Ryder Cup feel. My guess is the later.

Either way, it'll be beter than the John Deere or the Wyndham Championship

Jordan Lauterbach

Ocho Cinco to Honor Ricky Bobby

From the Cincinnati Enquirer:

With it being Baltimore week, and coming off a two-touchdown game, Chad Ochocinco is a little more boisterous going into Sunday’s game.

On Monday, he called out Ravens cornerbacks Domonique Foxworth and Fabian Washington. He continued on Wednesday, saying he has an end zone celebration planned that would look like something out of the movie “Talladega Nights.”

“The motto in the movie is: ‘If you ain’t first, you’re last.’ That’s a hint of the celebration,” Ochocinco said. “It’s going to be funny. I will pull a Ricky Bobby. The fine money has been sent early.”


Not to blow up Ocho's spot, but I'm guessing this is what he's gonna do:



Either that or he stabs himself in the leg with a knife.

Is it weird that I want to see the Bengals play now?


--Max Caster

New Era in Football Begins Tonight

Well, sort of...

The UFL will kick off its inaugural season tonight on Versus (I don't know what channel it is either). In the first game, the California Redwoods will be at the Las Vegas Locomotives. Cali is coached by Dennis "Crown their Ass!" Green. Jim "I Coached the Giants" Fassel leads the Locos.

Notables for California:

QB Mike McMahon
WR Bobby Sippio
WR BJ Sams
LB Dontarrious Thomas
FB Obafemi Ayanbadejo


The Locomotives have their fair share of star power:

QB J.P. Losman
HB DeDe Dorsey
HB Marcel Shipp
WR Sammie Parker
WR David Kircus
SS Tony Parrish


I'll bet Anthony DeFranco is having a sleepover party at his house for this game. I could see him and his boys (drinking brews, of course) reading the 2003 NFL Draft guide to review David Kircus' analysis & measurables.

Have fun, guys!


--Max Caster

Cavs Printing Playoff, Finals Tickets

From Fanhouse:

The Cavaliers are one of three teams, along with the Celtics and the Magic, that most experts have favored to come out of the Eastern Conference. Cleveland, however, comes across as a bit more confident than the others.

What gives us that impression? Only the fact that they've printed playoff tickets for every possible series, and included them in their packages that were already sent out to season ticket-holders.

This included, of course, tickets for the NBA Finals.


Talk about jumping the gun. The Cavs will most likely make the playoffs, but this makes me think there will be some sort of jinx or curse on the team this year. Will Mo Williams come down with H1N1? Could Big Z get a bad case of crabs? Or maybe Shaq Diesel will fall off the face of the earth... literally?

I don't know, but I think we'll see another year of the Cavs coming up short again. The supernatural is sometimes too powerful to ignore.


--Max Caster

Braylon Edwards Traded To Jets, Plans for 2010 Screwed

After not catching a pass for the first time in his NFL Career on Sunday and then being accused of assault on early Monday, wide receiver Braylon Edwards' time in Cleveland has come to an abrupt end. Earlier this morning, the Cleveland Browns and New York Jets agreed to a deal that would send Edwards to the Jets for receiver Chansi Stuckey, linebacker Jason Trusnick, and two draft picks. The picks are thought to be a third and a fifth round pick.

For New York, I love this addition. Jerricho Cotchery has turned into a viable number one option for rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez, tallying 23 receptions for 356 yards. However, Stuckey (who is no longer on the team) was averaging less than 4 receptions per game. Brad Smith was the next leading receiver with receptions, recording a whopping 3.

Rex Ryan is the type of coach who is not afraid to bring in guys who might have personalities that could clash. If you recall, Broncos wideout Brandon Marshall was close to becoming a Jet, if not for asking for linebacker David Harris in return. Edwards has only become a problem since the Browns' misfortunes took a turn for the worse. When he caught 16 touchdowns two years ago, he was viewed as one of the league's elite. A change of scenery, especially to a team like the Jets, will only do Edwards well.

For Cleveland, it was obvious that the town follows Lebron James, and what Lebron says, goes. I am using some hyperbole here but seriously the relationship between Braylon and the Browns was only getting rockier and it was time to finally trade the disgruntled receiver and acquire young pieces and draft picks to add to the rebuilding process.

Edwards for the year has been extremely disappointing (believe me I know from Fantasy. In fact, I do not know what to do in a potential trade anymore with WCWP's Jason Comack). The numbers for 2009 are unimpressive, just 10 catches for 139 yards and 0 TD's. With 12 games left and assuming the league does not come down with any sort of punishment resulting from the assault accusation, I expect Edwards to finish with somewhere around 70 catches for 850 yards and 6 touchdowns.

However, here's the biggest storyline surrounding this trade, and it is totally unrelated to football. There is no shot now Lebron James comes to New York. If Lebron's got beef with Braylon in Ohio, how can they share the spotlight in the Big Apple. Edwards sitting courtside at Knicks game would now be more awkward than Stephon Marbury buying tickets at the Staples Center to watch New York play the Lakers. You don't think Lebron's is going to hook his entourage up with some free tickets at the Garden? Not on Braylon's watch...

In other news: Michael Crabtree has FINALLY signed a deal with the San Francisco 49ers for six years. It could be voided to a five year deal based on playing time and production. It seriously is about time. Maybe it was bad advice from his agent but I have voiced several times how I cannot stand rookie holdouts in the NFL. I cannot wait until the NFL adopts the slot salaries for position in the draft. Crabtree has not played football in 10 months and will need to impress the Niners in practice if he wants to see playing time. I expect he will and will be playing by Week 8.

-Matt Soldano

Replacements NFL Picks: Week 4 Edition

Sorry for the delay everyone, I meant to put these picks up before Sunday's games but there was a ton of things happening around WCWP with homecoming and all. Here are the five games that Max and I picked on last week's edition of the Replacements.

New York Giants vs. Kansas City: Unanimous - New York
New York Jets vs. New Orleans: Unanimous - New Orleans
Baltimore vs. New England: Matt - Baltimore Max - New England
Green Bay vs. Minnesota: Matt - Green Bay Max - Minnesota
Buffalo vs. Miami: Unanimous - Buffalo

Standings:
Matt: 8-2
Max : 7-3

Check back on Friday afternoon after the Replacements for the updated standings and the picks for Week 5. You can listen to the Replacements every Friday afternoon from 1-3 pm (EST) on wcwpsports.com

-Matt Soldano

Manning has "Bruised Heel"

From Ralph Vacchiano:

Manning has a "bruised heel" according to the Giants. David Carr is warming up. Looks like Eli's day is over.


I highly doubt this is a bruise. Eli stepped up in the pocket -- he was all alone -- and let one go deep down the field for Steve Smith. It looked like he tripped on some grass and fell forward. But the way he fell makes me think it's an achilles injury. It's probably not torn because he's been walking around, but it's something to look at for next week.

--Also, Kevin Boss hurt his knee earlier in the game. He's been trying to play but it's clear that he's hurt. Maybe a PCL the way he twisted it. Vacchiano says KB didn't limp out of the locker room after halftime, but maybe that's because he wasn't running a route at full speed...


--Max Caster

C.W Post Pioneers vs Shippensburg Red Raiders Live blog

CFB: Week Five Picks

Last Week: 16-7

Season: 71-18

#3 Alabama over Kentucky- This is the last of the “easy ones” for the Crimson Tide. After Kentucky, they play Ole Miss, South Carolina, Tennessee, and LSU. The bye comes after Tennessee. How good is ‘bama? We’re about to find out.

#4 LSU over #18 Georgia

#5 Boise State over U.C Davis

#6 Va.Tech over Duke- Not that beating Duke is a challenge, but I think Va Tech has rediscovered it’s identity after being kicked in the you-know-whats after Darren Evans went down. The key: Don’t let Tyrod Taylor throw.

#9 Ohio State over Indiana- Indiana gave Michigan a scare last weekend. This game won’t be that scary for Bucs fans.

#10 Cinncinatti over Miami (OH)- How high can the Bearcats climb? I mean the strength of schedule argument has to kick in at some point right?. Miami of Ohio doesn’t help that argument.

#11 TCU over Southern Methodist

#12 Houston over UTEP- Biggest surprise of ’09 is not Miami. It’s Houston.

#13 Iowa over Arkansas State- Don’t look now. Iowa may be the class of the Big Ten

#15 Penn State over Illinois- I still don’t know a thing about Penn State. But I do know that Illinois is terrible.

#16 Oregon over Washington State- If Washington State wins, will the Legarrette Blount reinstatement rumors vanish?

#21 Ole Miss over Vanderbilt- Ole Miss has to rebound from that bad Thursday night loss to South Carolina.

#25 Georgia Tech over Mississippi State

Notre Dame over Washington- Clausen appears to be healthier then he was last week. ND will eek out another close one.

Two to Change Plans For


#7 USC over #24 California- All the pressure is on USC if Cal beats Oregon last week. They didn’t and now the roles are reversed. Cal cannot afford to loose this game. USC knows this and will use it to their advantage…. And so goes the biggest “fall from grace” story in 2009. Looks like another year looking up at USC for Cal.

#8 Oklahoma over #17 Miami- Oklahoma need this game more than Miami does. A second loss hurts more in the Big 12 than it does in the weaker A.C.C. Desperation gets the win in this one.

Upset of The Week

Michigan State over #22 Michigan- I know what you’re thinking. “There goes Jordan’s anti-Michigan bias again.” I swear it’s not that. This is Michigan’s first road game of the year, in a hostel environment to boot. I expect Tate the Great to struggle a bit early and Michigan to fall just short.


Jordan Lauterbach

Jordan Lauterbach's Return to Newspaper Journalism: Missed Opportunity - Pioneers Ineffective on the road, loose again

From the September 30th issue of The Pioneer:

By Jordan Lauterbach

Eric Anderwkavich watched his pass sail over the head of Chris Harris and fall incomplete just beyond the end zone with under a minute to go in last Saturday’s 28-14 loss to fourth ranked Bloomsburg at Redman Stadium. It was a fitting way to end a day that defined the frustrations of the 2009 Pioneer football season. Yet again, the Pioneers had a chance to knock off a superior opponent and yet again they fell just short.

The Bloomsburg Huskies didn’t live up to expectations for most of this early fall afternoon. The team hailed as the fourth best in Division Two was sloppy throughout the game. The Huskies committed seven penalties for a total of seventy yards, allowing the Pioneers to stay in the game. Fifth year senior quarterback Dan Latorre was 10 of 17, passing for 125 yards and one touchdown. Pressured all day, Latorre was sacked twice but avoided making any crucial mistakes. He got the scoring started when he found Cory Stiger in the end zone with four minutes gone in the first quarter.

What looked like a potentially long day for the Pioneers turned on a dime when Chris Harris pulled in an Eric Anderwkavich touchdown pass with a little over seven minutes to go in the first quarter. The catch was only one of the eleven that Harris would finish with.

Bloomsburg running back Derrick Price began his fantastic day on the final play of the opening period when he punched in a one yard touchdown to cap off a seven minute drive and give the Huskies a 14-7 lead. Price would finish the game averaging over seven yards a carry.

Bloomsburg would never relinquish this lead. But that’s not to say that they didn’t come close.

Late in the first half, the Pioneers had their first of four missed opportunities in the red zone. Eric Anderwkavich’s pass to Darnel Williams on fourth and goal fell incomplete and killed a ten play, 55 yard drive. The drive was kept alive by a 15 yard Bloomsburg facemask penalty that pushed the Pioneers from midfield to the Husky 34 yard line.

The Pioneers would get the ball back once more in the first half, but turned it over when Anderwkavich was intercepted on the second play of the drive. C.W Post’s defense would hold and the Pioneers would go into the locker room down by only one touchdown to the fourth best team in the nation.

Derrick Price gave the Huskies a 21-7 lead with ten minutes to go in the third quarter after a thirty three yard touchdown run. The ensuing Pioneer drive was highlighted by two big catches by Darnel Williams and Chris Harris, but went for naught when the Pioneers failed on a fourth down conversion from the Bloomsburg thirty one yard line.

The fourth quarter began with a similar theme for the Pioneers- fourth down failure. Electing to go for the first down instead of the chip shot field goal, the Pioneers turned the ball over on downs yet again. Although freshman kicker Justin Bertone has been solid filling in for the injured Jon Korn, Coach Bryan Collins seemed reluctant to use him all day. In effect, the Pioneers were playing without a place-kicker. The failures on fourth down only enhanced the need for a stronger kicking game. While coaches typically never want to settle for field goals, sometimes it’s the most logical thing to do. With solid special teams, the score could have been 21-16 with ten minutes to play. Instead, it remained 21-7.

The Pioneers inched to within a touchdown of tying the game when Chris Harris caught his second touchdown of the day to make it 21-14 with 3:08 to go in the fourth quarter. It was here when the most perplexing sequence of the game occurred. Instead of trying to pin the Huskies deep on the kickoff and make a quick defensive stop, the Pioneers pooch kicked the football to midfield. If the call was for an onside kick, it failed. Up-man Chris Tressler was able to call for a fair catch at the Bloomsburg forty nine yard line.

With a short field, Dan Latorre marched his team down the field and Derrick Price scored for the third time to effectively end the game. The Pioneers failed on fourth down with a little over a minute to go and fell to 1-4 on the season and 1-1 in the PSAC East.

Missed opportunities were certainly the theme in the Pioneers fifth game of the year. C.W Post was two of six in the red zone, one of six on fourth down, and five of sixteen on third down. Stats like these don’t lead to winning football games.


This Week:

The Pioneers return home this week to play Shippensburg in their annual homecoming game. The Red Raiders are coming off a 66-24 win over Millersville last Saturday. Coverage on WCWP begins at 12:30.

Blount Could Be Reinstated

From ESPN:

Oregon coach Chip Kelly will address LeGarrette Blount's status on Friday morning, the school said Thursday.

The suspended running back will have an opportunity to be reinstated to the program later this season, provided he continues to follow a plan set in place after the first game, a source told ESPN on Thursday.

Isn't it funny that this news comes a week after Oregon moves to 3-1 with a big time conference win over Cal. To me, its a little transparent. A month ago, Blount was a bigger villain then Lex Luthor and now that the Ducks are in the Pac-10 race, he's rehabilitated?

Seems a bit phony doesn't it?

I didn't agree with the length of the suspension in the first place. However, if your going to dole out that kind of punishment, you have to stick to it. What kind of credibility does Chip Kelly have now? If your going to go up on a high horse, you can't come down after a circumstance changes.

Jordan Lauterbach

LeBron: I Love New York

Anyone who quotes a Ja Rule song isn't OK with me... unless you're LeBron.


--Max Caster