Hot Stove Roundup - Covering the Top Free Agents, and a look at Aroldis Chapman

We're one day into free agency and not much is happening. It looks like most teams are waiting to see what the Yankees do, which is a fairly silly thing to do:

Free Agency:
This week, we'll take a look at the top three free agents this off season:

Matt Holliday:
No stranger to moving around, Holliday could be on his third team in the past two years. After spending his first five seasons with the Colorado Rockies, he was traded to the Oakland A's after the 2008 season, then to the St Louis Cardinals at mid-season. Though his numbers have declined over the last two season, he remains one of baseball's best hitters. Coming up on 30-years-old in January, his production should stay around .320 BA/.400 OBP/25 HR or better for a few more years. Lucky for him, it looks like a lot of teams will need a corner outfielder this year. However, the Angels and Giants have already publicly claimed they aren't interested, and I get the feeling the Yankees will get outfield help from within the organization this year. With the Red Sox looking at him and Jason Bay, he's most likely to end up there or stay with the Cardinals.

NFL Week 11 Preview

Atlanta Falcons @ NY Giants
Spread: Giants, -6.5
o/u: 46
The Falcons are in trouble. Matt Ryan is still good, but not as good as he looked last year. Michael Turner is out. Last week they lost to the Panthers. The Giants are coming off the bye, and have only Antonio Pierce out with a bulging disk. They may have lost four straight, but that has to end, eventually. This is the week, it does.
Pick: Giants 24 - Falcons 17

Saturday Morning News - 11/21/09

NY Giants LB Antonio Pierce is out indefinitely after an MRI revealed a bulging disk in his neck. [NJ.com]

Jacksonville Jaguars S Reggie Nelson has been fined $7,500 for an unnecessary blow to the head on Jets QB Mark Sanchez. [Pro Football Talk]

Dallas Stars F James Neal has been suspended 2 games for a major boarding penalty against Columbus Blue Jackets F Derek Dorsett. [National Post]

Syracuse wins the 2k Sports Coaches vs. Cancer Classic, upsetting 6 Syracuse, 87-71. [Greensboro News-Record]

College Football Week 12 - Important Matchups

With the season winding down, there are really only two major games this weekend. Thats not to say there won't be upsets. With six teams still undeafeated, and five of them playing this weekend, you would think someone has to lose at some point. With Florida playing FIU and Alabama playing Chattanooga, the odds of both teams still being undefeated going into the SEC Championship are still pretty high, though.

10 Ohio State @ Michigan
Favorite: Ohio State, -12
This game mattered a lot more when it was basically the Big Ten Championship game. Now, Ohio State has already wrapped up the championship, and Michigan is playing for their bowl life. After starting the season 4-0, they've played like NY's NFL teams, going 1-6 and in danger of not making the postseason. After last season's 3-9 debacle, coach Rich Rodriguez could also be coaching for his career. Things don't look good for the home team, though. Outside of their loss to Purdue, Ohio State has looked like the team that would win the Big Ten, even when Iowa was undefeated. They've also beaten Michigan five straight times.
Pick: Ohio State 28 - Michigan 17

25 Cal @ 17 Stanford
Favorite: Stanford, -7
Jim Harbugh and Stanford are relevant again, after knocking off favorite USC, 55-21, last week! This week, they play the only ranked-vs-ranked game, at home against Cal. The Cardinal comes in as the nation's hottest team, and still have an outside shot at the Pac-10 title, with a little help from Oregon. Meanwhile, Cal wants to prove that a) they matter, too, and b) Jahvid Best is great, but they can win big games without him. This is the second straight week Cal will take on the 17th ranked team in the nation after beating Arizona last week. Unfortunately for them, Stanford has scored 106 points the last two weeks, against Oregon and USC. Cal has scored 38 against Oregon State and Arizona.
Pick: Stanford 51 - Cal 27

Friday Morning News - 11/20/09

NL CY Young Award: Tim Lincecum(SF) []agreed to a trade sending P Aaron Heilman to the Arizona Diamondbacks for prospects P Scott Maine and 1B Ryne White. [ESPN]

The Chicago Cubs

Minnesota Vikings head coach Brad Childress has agreed to a contract extension that will keep him in Minnesota through 2013. [Minneapolis Star Tribune]

Milwaukee Bucks C Andrew Bogut will miss 2-4 weeks with a leg injury. [SI.com]

Karo Parysian Done With UFC?

Karo Parysian, who had just come off a 9-month drug suspension, will apparently be cut from the UFC roster. Parysian was expected to fight Dustin Hazelett at UFC 106, but pulled out the day before weigh-ins. From UFC President Dana White's twitter account:

Karo Parisyan has fucked over the UFC, the fans and his opponent again!!! He will not be fighting saturday or ever again in the UFC!!

Pulled out of the fight the day before weigh ins again with a laundry list of excuses!!! Let the press ask karo why! Let him explain.

Parysian has a history of problems in UFC, previously pulling out of a match scheduled for UFC 88 at the last minute, claiming a back injury. His last match, at UFC 94, was declared a "no contest" after he tested positive for banned painkillers, leading to his suspension. Hazelett will be paid a full purse for the canceled fight. Parysian's run ends with a 8-3 UFC record, with the one no contest.

Thursday Night Special - Dolphins @ Panthers

Miami Dolphins @ Carolina Panthers
Spread: Panthers, -3
o/u: 42.5
A week or two ago I would have given this game to the Dolphins, easily. Now Ronnie Brown is done for the year, and that severly limits the Wildcat. Yes, Pat White can still run it, and Ricky Williams has been strong out of the backfield, but neither one can do what Brown has done over the past two seasons. Last week, the Panthers faced a strong runner in Michael Turner. Once he went down with an ankle injury, they pulled out a 28-19 win. With DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart healthy enough to be a dangerous backfield combination again, the Panthers will get themselves back in the playoff picture this week.
Pick: Panthers 24 - Dolphins 20

Thursday Morning News - 11/19/09

MLB Manager of the Year: Mike Sciosia(LAA), Jim Tracy(COL) [MLB.com]

Cleveland Browns QB Brady Quinn has been fined $10,000 for a low hit on Baltimore Ravens LB Terrell Suggs. [TribToday.com]

Montreal Canadiens F Brian Gionta will be out indefinitely with a broken bone in his left foot. [Globe and Mail]

LA Kings C Ryan Smyth will miss at least a month with an "upper body injury." [LA Times]

Wednesday Morning News - 11/18/09

AL Cy Young Award: Zach Greinke(KC) [MLB.com]

The Buffalo Bills fired their head coach after a 3-6 start. Dick Jauron will be replaced by defensive coordinator Perry Fewell. [NFL.com]

Kansas City Chiefs WR Dwayne Bowe has been suspended four games for violating the NFL PED policy. [KansasCity.com]

LA Laker Kobe Bryant had his 100th career 40-point game in a 106-93 win over the Detroit Pistons. [NBC Sports]


Raja Bell, who was sent to the Golden State Warriors in a trade Monday could miss the rest of the season after upcoming surgery on his wrist. [Examiner]

Orlando Magic PR Jameer Nelson is expected to miss 4-6 weeks with a torn meniscus in his left knee. [Sporting News]

Portland Trailblazer Travis Outlaw will miss 6-8 weeks with a broken bone in his left foot. [Blazers Beat]

Brendan Shanahan has retired from the NHL. He played for 21 years, and is one of the last two active players to play for the Hartford Whalers. [NY Times]

NFL Week 10 Wrap-up

With teams facing injuries heading into the playoff push its times like this that...Screw it, lets talk about the NFC East!

Whats Wrong with These Guys?:
Dallas Cowboys
After five weeks, the 'Boys looked lost out there. They had a 3-2 record, but couldn't beat anyone above .500. And KC had just taken them to overtime. Then they had a bye week, officially made Miles Austin a starter, and the team blew up for three weeks, ending with a 20-16 win over Philly for first place in the division. With Green Bay coming off a loss to then-winless Tampa Bay, they looked set to go 5-0. And then their offense didn't show up. The defense played ok, racking up four more sack on Aaron Rodgers and holding the team to a field goal in the first half. But they had no turnovers while the offense lost 2 fumbles and an INT. Clearly this team is different from the one that lost 33-31 to the Giants in Week 2. They're defense is much improved, but their offense is only showing quick flashes. And now that teams have figured out Austin, they can't look to him anymore. Roy Williams and Tony Romo need to step up. Williams claims he's the teams #1 receiver, and now he needs to prove it. He had 105 yards and a TD this week, and it only took him until Week 10 to have a 100 yard game. Its also only his third TD of the season. Its also beginning to become clearer that Romo is not a frnachise QB. Is he a solid QB? Yes. But he's not going to lead anyone to a Super Bowl any time soon. The team looks like a playoff contender, but only because the rest of they're division is falling apart, too.

Tuesday Morning News - 11/17/09

MLB Rookie of the Year Awards: RP Andrew Bailey(OAK), OF Chris Coghlan(FLA) [MLB.com]

Tennessee Titans owner Bud Adams has been fined $250,000 for an obscene gesture directed at the Buffalo Bills in the Titans 41-17 win. [Nashville City Paper]

ESPN is reporting the Cincinnati Bengals have signed Larry Johnson to a one-year deal. [ESPN]

The Golden State Warriors completed a four-player trade, sending Steven Jackson and Acie Law to the Charlotte Bobcats for Raja Bell and Vladimir Radmanovic. [ABC 7 News]

The Memphis Grizzlies and Allen Iverson have agreed to part ways. [Bloomberg]

MNF Preview - Week 10

Baltimore Ravens @ Cleveland Browns
Spread: Ravens, -11
o/u: 39.5
The good news: The Brady Quinn Era is back! The bad news: The Browns are on Monday Night Football. I guess the schedule-makers felt the Browns would be better than the Bengals this year, since this looks like it would have been a perfect week to put Pats-Colts on Monday, Bengals-Steelers on Sunday night, and bury this game at 1 on Sunday. But no, now we have to suffer. Thanks schedule-makers. Thanks for nothing.
Pick: Ravens 24 - Browns 10

NFL Sunday Recap - Week 10

Injuries! They hurt. And not just the person getting injured:

I found their weakness. They're powerless without their heads!:
Kyle Orton
After putting together a great start to the season, the Broncos had lost two straight. But never fear, they played the Redskins this week! There was no way they could lose! Brandon Marshall started the game off catching 2 passes for 115 yards and 2 TDs. They would add on a field goal in the second quarter to take a 17-14 lead into the half. Orton wouldn't see the field again, however, leaving with an ankle injury. Chris Simms would fill in for him in the second half, and he would go 3/13 for 13 yards and a pick. The Broncos would lose their third straight, 27-17.

Monday Morning News - 11/16/09

Jimmy Johnson, current NASCAR Chase for the Cup points leader, won at Phoenix International Raceway. He only needs a 25th place finish in the last race of the season next week to win his fourth Sprint Cup. [LA Times]

Michelle Wie, once the youngest professional gofler at 10 years old, has won her first event, the Lorena Ochoa Invitational. [Honolulu Advertiser]

Novak Djokovic won the Paris Masters, beating Gael Monfils. [Bloomberg]

MY 25 - Week 11

There is probably nothing in sports I disagree with more than the BCS and college football poll system. With that in mind, each week I'll be naming my own Top 25. The only hard and fast rule of MY 25: overall records come first.

1. Texas
2. Alabama
3. TCU
4. Boise State
5. Florida
6. Cincinnati
7. Pitt
8. Georgia Tech
9. Oregon
10. Ohio State
11. Wisconsin
12. Rutgers
13. Utah
14. Iowa
15. BYU
16. Temple
17. Houston
18. Penn State
19. LSU
20. Oklahoma State
21. Central Michigan
22. Virginia Tech
23. Stanford
24. Navy
25. Cal


Performance of the Week: Stanford
Sure, USC has been beaten by two other Pac-10 teams already this season, but they hadn't lost at home in two years. The last team to do it? The Stanford Cardinal, in one of the biggest upsets ever. At 6-3 coming in, Stanford obviously felt they had something to prove, and prove it they did, beating USC 55-21. Its the most points ever scored against USC, and pretty much ends their streak of BCS bowl appearances, 11-win seasons, top-4 poll finishes, and is the first time Pete Carroll has lost as head coach of USC in November.

The Sunday News - 11/15/09

Week 11 college football upsets: Stanford 55 - No. 9 USC 21, UNC 33 - No. 14 Miami(FL) 24, UCF 37 - No. 17 Houston 32 [ESPN]

Manny Pacquiao defeated Miguel Cotto by 12th round TKO. [Miami Herald]

Tiger Woods scored a final round 68 to win the Australian Masters by 2 strokes. [Guardian]